"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "Have you any other questions?"
"Just one," said Severus. "You said part of the reason you stayed is because you wished to observe Potter. What was the other part?"
Dumbledore's smile took a mischievous turn that Severus learned to guard himself against.
"Shortly after my interview with Harry, I was immediately ushered to another interview with Mr. Mycroft Holmes, Mr. Sherlock's older brother. He wanted to know my intentions towards his brother and family, you see."
Severus raised an eyebrow at this.
"You didn't refuse?"
"He didn't make refusal a viable option."
Severus raised his other eyebrow. "Are you saying he essentially kidnapped you?"
"Seeing as he hijacked all the security cameras in the vicinity to spy on me, and readied a black armored car in front of 221B to escort me, and then drove me to an abandoned warehouse for the actual interview, yes, I think he did!"
Dumbledore laughed heartily as Severus struggled to contain equal parts of admiration and horror—not over the Headmaster, not really, he knew Dumbledore was perfectly capable of treating the casual kidnapping of his own person as unexpected bit of fun—but over the sheer nerve of Mycroft Holmes for pulling it off.
"Who are these people?" Severus wondered out loud.
"Who are they indeed?" Dumbledore said, still chuckling. "At least you can see my predicament. How am I supposed explain this to Cornelius? He'll never believe me!"