A/N: I know that Christmas has come and gone, but this idea struck out of nowhere and I just went with it.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story idea and the Kitzie that I created.
Warnings: Fluff can be found everywhere.... enjoy! ^_^
It was Christmas morning, and Harry was the only seventh year Gryffindor student left in the dorms. The others were five fourth years, two third years, and six first years. They treated Harry with awe and respect he figured they thought was due him for defeating Voldemort for the last and final time. They also disliked him for fighting for Professor Snape and having the man, not only released from Azkaban, but highly decorated. The man's years of spying and sacrifice were well rewarded, and no one bad-mouthed Snape in front of Harry without learning immediately why Voldemort feared this boy when he met his end.
It was a most curious thing for his fellow students to watch he and their hated potions professor together. The novelty of seeing their professor relax, converse, and actually smile was enough to send many of the younger years into random fainting spells. Madam Pomphrey could be found admonishing the two for public displays of friendship while they simply smirked at her. Both quite enjoyed the amusing theatrics of the drama queens that seemed to fill the Hogwart's halls.
Hermione, Luna, and Neville were the only ones left to know Harry's more... emotional reasons for being near the man and approved. Neville was wary, but he only wanted to see Harry happy, and Snape never failed to put a smile on his friend's face. Ron would've had kittens, and it made Harry smile in that sad way of rememberance at what his best mate would've done had he not been bitten by Nagini on the battlefield. Somehow, it was always Snape who could pull him out of a rut with a snide remark, or a playful comment that would make Harry either smirk knowingly, or laugh.
Both men were falling hard for one another, and Hermione wanted nothing more than to nudge them together, or lock them into a room until they confessed their feelings. Neville agreed with her, but Luna always talked them out of it. Her main argument being that they already knew the love was there but they had to get comfortable with it before they could confess. If Hermione argued that they already were comfortable, Luna merely smiled in her mysterious way and pointed out that being comfortable with one another, and being comfortable with being in love with one another were two different things entirely. Neville, having watched the two men together, had to agree with Luna once he understood what she was telling them.
Harry and Severus were scarred deeply on the inside. Both had suffered abuse (emotional and physical), and both were self-sacrificing in that 'I don't deserve love' kind of way that makes you want to knock their thick skulls together until they see sense. Now, Neville wasn't normally a violent person, but those two were driving him nutters with all the nonsense they allowed get in the way of their truly being together. He wasn't the brightest flicker in the candlabra, but even he could see that the two loved one another deeply and were waiting for the other to make the first move. He understood what Luna meant because he could see it clearly.
Harry and Severus would not allow themselves to be pushed together by annoyingly nosy Gryfindors, no matter how long they were left alone together locked in a room. They already spent so much time together that all they would do is take it as a private moment of peace and quiet and speak about whatever topic they'd wanted to catch up on, or whatever was on their minds at the time. He could guarantee that it wouldn't be what Hermione wanted them to talk about. They knew of the love they shared as they weren't blind to it, but all it boiled down to now, was who would break down and admit his feelings first and when.
What Luna had been telling them without... you know... telling them, was that the men didn't need any pushing because they were coming closer every day to confessing their love for one another without any of them getting in the way and messing it up. Harry, knew nothing of these conversations; however, all he knew was that his friends were staying somewhere other than the castle and this would be the perfect time to confess to Severus through a gift. The older wizard had alluded to buying Harry a Christmas gift and expecting him in the dungeons after the breakfast feast, so all Harry had to do now was open his gifts and pray that Severus liked the one he'd had Dobby place on his pillow this morning.
Harry sat in the common room, his gifts in a pile beside him as he sat next to the fireplace to open them. First was the yearly Weasley jumper, this one an emerald green with a silver H on it. Harry had to grin at Molly's acceptance of his Slytherin side even as he put it on over his black silk pajamas. Severus had insisted that Harry get a new wardrobe, and Harry had agreed to it on the premise that Severus went shopping with him. The older man had proven to be of great help as he actually had a really good fashion sense. His bat robes were meant for scaring students into submission, not relaxation or fashion, he'd been told.
From Hermione, he'd gotten four thick books. He grinned at the titles; Obscure Defensive Spells, Spellbound: A Guide On Your Spell-Weaving Path, Charming Charms, and Potions for the Closet Potions Master. That little witch knew him far too well. He'd have to show them to Severus and laugh with him about the title on the Potions book. It was all too true, as he secretly loved Potions and often found himself in intense, heated, discussions with Severus that would end with the two of them creating a new potion together. they'd already done that nearly twenty times now in the past two months alone.
From Neville, he'd gotten a rare plant that was ready to be harvested and at peak perfection for potions. It was a plant he and Severus had been wanting to get their hands on for a while now. This little beauty must've come from Neville's personal greenhouse as there were detailed care instructions with the plant.
From Luna, he'd gottena box filled to the brim of all types of chocolates, from the simplest milk chocolate to the most complicated, yet delicious, combination. Along with it was a note that said that they were for both he and Severus to share. It seemed to him that his three friends had all gotten gifts with both of them in mind, knowing exactly what he would and wouldn't share with Severus.
Fred and Geroge had sent along new jokes and pranks and trick candy for him to unleash on Hogwart's. This one... was only something to share with Severus if he wanted them to be confiscated. Harry couldn't hide them though, because the man always seemed to know when he had WWW products around. In all actuality, they'd probably just catalouge them and prepare for the new year to be full of the latest batch of pranks.
Charlie, knowing about his love for both potions and the resident potions master, had sent along an ingredient bag filled with ingredients taken from various dragons on the preserve. There were neatly labeled vials of blood, tears, urine, and neatly labeled baggies and boxes of scales, feathers, spikes, and all manner of things that any potions master would adore to have. Luckily for Harry, there were two of these bags, both with identical ingredients, different only because of the monograms on each. H for Harry and S for Severus.
From Bill, Harry recieved gifts that catered to his other secret loves; history and curse breaking. There was a big box filled with copies of priceless books and scrolls and journals the eldest Weasley had managed to get replication permission for. It was quite literally every book, scroll, journal, and parchment that they had in their archives from all over the world. He and Severus were going to LOVE digging through this box.
The last present, was from Severus and Harry opened it with care. he couldn't help but smile when he took off the air hole filled top of the black box, and reaches in to gently poke the storm gray ball of fur. It uncurls and mews softly at Harry, turning luminous purple eyes on him is a kitzie kitten. Picking it up gently, Harry cuddles the adorable little creature and pets her behind the ears, grinning at the almost musical sounding purr. The kitzie, he knew, were a rare type of magical house cat. They were given as gifts to those who were loved dearly by a person.
The kitten, when nurtured and loved, could protect their master or mistress by using the magic of the love in which they'd been given. They could shift into a much bigger, and much more dangerous cat, lurk inside of walls and attack an intruder with ill intentions without them knowing just what had attacked them until it was far too late to defend themselves. When not in attack mode, the cats were amazingly gentle and affectionate and friendly. They could also communicate with their masters through mind speak.
"Hello little one, my name is Harry. Do you have a name, or shall I name you?"
"I have no name, master Harry. you should name me."
Harry grins and thinks for a moment, the kitten was beautiful in a dark way. "I shall call you Layla. It means dark beauty in Arabic."
Layla tilts her little head as if trying the name out and purrs deeply, butting her head affectionately against Harry's chin. "I like it Harry. When will we go visit your mate?"
Harry smiles and pets her soothingly. "We will see him at breakfast, but I'm not sure I will get the chance to sit next to him. If we hurry though, I'm sure we can get a good seat next to his usual one."
Standing, Harry locomotors his gifts behind him as he walks up the stairs to his dorm. Thinking about it for a moment, he grins and shrinks them all, placing the tiny packages on his bedside table. Setting Layla on his bed, Harry rummages through his chest and changes swiftly, taking off everything and getting into a clean pair of boxers, then slipping on a black pair of jeans and the Weasley jumper. Ignoring his bed head hair, Harry places his gifts into a pocket, scoops Layla up, and makes his way to the Great Hall with a happy smile on his face that makes his eyes sparkle.
Severus Snape had few gifts to open in his rooms. From Minerva, he recieved a case of the best Scotch in Scotland. Trust her to give him liquor on a holy holiday. He did appreciate the gift though as it kept him from having to go out and restock.
From Filius, a charmed prank detector that would hover over the student holding the pranks, or planning them. He would really have to thank the diminuative man later for this. His had been broken the year before by Draco because he'd thought that a present from Potter couldn't be a good thing for his 'most hated' professor. The moron had crushed the box before Severus could stop him and had gotten hexed into a weasel by Harry for his troubles. Severus, managing to open the crushed box, had frowned at the mess.
He'd been beyond angry at Draco once Harry had told him what it was. Maybe he could convince his young love to add those extra detection charms to it that he'd added to the first one for even the most undetectable product from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. It would be endlessly useful as quiet a few of their products were made specifically for the different classes offered at the school. Yes, he would have to speak with Harry about that later.
The last present, and his most precious, was from his Harry. As he opened the cheerfully wrapped green and black paper, Severus wondered what Harry could've possibly thought to gift him. It was a small box with a note that simply said, 'I am Shruken, resize me.' With a soft, amused snort at Harry's silliness, Severus does just that and watches as the once small box grows rather large. Sensing the protections on the box, Severus raises a brow. Whatever his present was, it must've been endlessly valuable for Harry to place so many charms on it.
Looking inside the box, his eyes widen at seeing neatly labelled vials and boxes and specially made and charmed bags specifically for potions ingredients of the most precious and volatile kind. Carefully picking up two vials, one with clear liquid, and one with what was obviously blood, he reads the labels and feels excitement and wonder build within him. It was all from the basilisk killed in the Chamber of Secrets. There was, right there in his hands, basilisk blood and venom, and he could guarantee that the bags held spieces of skin, and the boxes held teeth from the same creature. He was sure that Harry'd been putting off harvesting these precious ingredients until he could gift them.
It must've been why Severus hadn't been told that the body had not decomposed and could be harvested. Replacing the vials, he picks up an odd looking jar, one of many, and smirks at the label. It would seem that Harry had also collected the various innards and carefully placed them in jars for Severus, just in case he could use them. This gift, spoke of a priceless love, one that was selfless and endlessly giving. These ingredients could've been sold to the highest bidder, making the one selling them rich beyond wildest imagining, yet they were given freely as a gift to one who would use them in various experiments and known potions that could possibly hold no value, even with the ingredients used.
Putting his gifts away, Severus strides into his bedroom and gets ready for the day. He had a breakfast to attend, after all. Harry would expect him there, and Severus wasn't going to disappoint him.
In the great hall, sitting in the seat next to Severus' usual chair and glowering when anyone made a move towards said chair, Harry chuckles at Layla's impatience and scratches her behind the ears lovingly. He soothes her softly.
"I know you want to see him again Layla, but you must be patient kitten, he will be here soon. You must be considerate and allow him time to enjoy his gifts this morning, as well as time to ready himself for the day and arrive here for breakfast. Besides, Dobby's given you a bowl of cream and a plate of your favorite fish, so what have you to complain about really?"
Layla mews impatiently at her master. "It is rude to eat before everyone arrives and takes their seat Harry. We must be polite."
Harry scratches her under the chin gently and grins. "As much as I love it that you have such good manners little one, it is often considered rude to not eat when others are already doing so. If you are hungry, you need not wait. I am sure Severus will not mind your filling up that empty tummy of yours."
"But you wait for him."
"No, I'm not waiting for him before I eat Layla, I simply have not decided what I wish to eat just yet. There are so many choices and I have quite a few favorites."
Layla's purple eyes study him suspiciously before her tummy growls and she seems to pout. Giving up, finally, she digs in, chowing down on her tuna and cod happily. Harry grins fondly and softly orders breakfast pastries and orange juice, craving something sweet and tangy this morning. Popping one in his mouth happily, Harry begins to neatly start emptying his plate, silently amused when tarts and other sweets simply appear randomly on his plate. Dobby must be worried that he wasn't eating enough again.
He feels the presence of someone walking behind him, and a warm, familiar hand on his back and shoulder and smiles, looking over as Severus sits down in his seat gracefully. Emerald eyes sparkling with happiness, Harry talks happily to the man.
"I have my gifts in my pocket. Severus, you'll never believe some of the things I recieved! I really can't wait until we can look through some of the things together, I just know you'll be as excited as I am about it. Oh, and Charlie sent his gift to you through me. He gave us both the same thing and it's almost better than the ingredients I gave you. Actually, it would seem that the majority of my gifts were given with both of us in mind because they're all things that they knew I'd share with you."
Severus smirks calmly, his eyes showing his amusement at Harry's excitement. The gifts must've really been good for this kind of behavior. "Something to look forward to then. What have you named your kitten Harry?"
Harry smiles warmly. "Her name is Layla. She's a polite little thing with better manners than a Malfoy. She waited on you to arrive before eating until I told her that you'd not mind it if she filled her empty little tummy. The poor dear really was hungry."
Severus nods curtly. "You were right, I would rather she eat than wait. I see your sweet tooth has outdone itself this morning."
"Actually, Dobby has outdone my sweet tooth. if he keeps putting more on my plate I'll never be able to finish my breakfast."
Severus lets out a soft chuckle and orders his own breakfast. They eat in a comfortable silence, and walk out of the Great hall together, Layla purring as she sat on one of Severus' broad shoulders, hitching a ride to his rooms in the dungeons.
In Severus' rooms, Layla is curled up in a chair by the fireplace as her masters sit together on the floor before the fire, Harry's gifts between them, both chewing happily on a chocolate from the goody stash Luna had sent for them. They'd already put the ingredients from Charlie in Severus' private stores beside his personal labratory in his rooms, while neville's plant had been set in the perfect place to ensure its health and growth, the care instructions laid neatly beside it. Fred and George's offerings were already catalouged for future reference and Severus' gift from Filius had been charmed specially by Harry to detect their products.
The books from Hermione were chuckled over and set to the side for them to read together, as they usually did, at a later date. Both were now sifting through Bill's treasure box of books, papers, journals, and scrolls with the enthusiasm normally only associated with kids on Christmas morning. Every few minutes, one or the other would speak excitedly about something odd, interesting, or important they'd found. As they liked to look at what the other was talking about, they'd moved closer to one another until they were nearly hip to hip in front of the big box.
A few hours later, after having sorted everything and neatly placing them in their sorted state in the modified box that now had separate compartments that were neatly labelled, they turned to face one another and shared a content smile. Harry was the first to break the silence, confident in both his feelings for Severus and Severus' feelings for him.
"I love you so very much Severus. Being here with you is far better than any material gift I've recieved today. You are precious to me."
Severus, a tender expression softening his face, pulls Harry close and kisses him gently. Pulling back just enough to look at him, he speaks gruffly. "No more precious than you are to me brat. I am not sure what I ever did to deserve you, but I love you dearly."
Harry, smiling, steals a sweet little kiss and whispers huskily, "Happy Christmas Sev."
"Happy Christmas Harry.."
All it takes is one kiss for them to be lost in each other and show their love in a very fun and... physical way. Still curled up asleep on the chair she'd been placed in, Layla glows a soft lavender as she absorbs the love filling the room. It was her job now to protect them both so that their love lived on and grew. Layla took that responsibility very seriously and smiled in her sleep as she sensed, that even though this was their first time together, there would soon be a child between them and more love for her to protect.
When they arrived at Hogwart's after the winter hols, Hermione, Neville, and Luna couldn't help their smiles, or their happiness, at the sight of their friend and his love strolling calmly down the hall, holding hands, their fingers entwined. They also did not fail to notice the oddly cheerful looking kitten on Harry's shoulder, lounged out as if she'd always been there.
Luna, smiling knowingly, did not say a word when her friends tried to figure out where the little cat came from. She too knew things about the kitzie, and she knew a bit more than Harry did. It so happened that a kitzie was born from love unspoken. The build up of unspoken emotions between lovers as magically powerful as Harry and Severus were, was more than enough to create the adorable, and protective, little cats. Once born, they waited until their masters, and parents in an odd sense, were ready to confess their love to one another. It was then that they would show themselves to the dominant partner, and then that they would be given as a gift to the submissive partner.
It was because she'd seen the kitzie sleeping on Severus or Harry's shoulder for the past two weeks that she'd known they'd not need any pushing to confess their love for one another. Just because Luna knew such things, it didn't mean that she'd tell anyone else. After all, what's the fun of living if there's not a little mystery to be had?
A/N: I'm not happy with the ending.. seems sort of messy to me, but oh well. Some stories just... end that way.