AN: It's time for another Sung tale as we get ready to welcome the Year of the Dog. Those who have kept up with the series know that we've allowed Severus to settle in China and that Harry was currently visiting. I want to leave that ending open enough for both my Snarry readers and my non-Snarry readers to enjoy. The non-Snarry ending is that Harry becomes his regular checkup person and Severus wonders if the Aunties will match-make the boy. Snarry ending – well, they end up together with the Aunties help and Harry settles in China with him and escapes the fame.
Since I am not writing the end of this tale, I was called back to the first tale - 'A New Year' - when Severus has taught for a year. This story is literally that summer, so it's the summer of 1982 and the New Year of 1983, which means that Severus is all of 22 at the beginning and 23 at the end of this one.
Thanks to Sunny for requesting a tale for the Hungry Ghost Month and for Yen for making this all that much better. She is one awesome beta, but even more than that – she makes the Reunion Dinner the spectacle it is, describing dishes and the atmosphere for me. She's done this since the first tale and I am slowly getting to where I can do some, but she is the one to thank, and I do.
Ree
A New Year to Last
Severus closed the door to his quarters behind him and gave a sigh of satisfaction. Everything was ready.
Tippy had promised to clean Hogwarts Castle and prepare it for the New Year, same as last year. The kitchen elves had agreed to serve a Reunion Dinner Saturday night, and the crew of dungeon elves had agreed to keep an eye on his Slytherins. The last thing he had to do – which was just accomplished – was clear his time off with Albus. 'Lui's visit last year gave credence to my excuse to go – to return the 'translation documents' to Master Cheng. Master Cheng will want my apprentice work so far. Just another three years until I get my Eastern Mastery. Too bad I'll have to return here by Sunday night, but at least I can leave Friday afternoon and not stay until dinner."
Stretching his arms above his head, he glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece and was surprised to see it was barely eleven o'clock at night. He'd been sure it would take longer to convince Albus that he needed to go. 'Maybe because I'm only gone for the weekend?' He darted a glance at his lab door but dismissed the idea of starting on anything – he didn't have time. Instead, he headed for the shower – he was going to enjoy washing his hair with the shampoo and rinse Mama had included with his new clothes. He doubted anyone would notice his hair was less greasy tomorrow, but he would.
Shower finished, Severus put on a clean nightshirt and penned a note to Lui, letting him know he'd gotten permission to return home for the Reunion Dinner, but not to let their parents know yet. It would be a surprise. Lui had promised to send him an international portkey during the summer, and it had arrived yesterday – before he'd even confirmed he was coming.
Severus' gaze fell on the red plastic chopstick on his desk and he smiled. His brother knew he'd find a way. Setting the note aside, he leaned his head back against the top of his chair but jerked it upright again. He didn't want to soak the fabric covered chair back. No, his hair wasn't dripping wet but was still very damp. Holding back a sigh, he summoned his brush and moved onto the footstool nearer the fireplace. Running the brush through his hair reminded him of the summer he'd promised Mama he'd never go to bed with wet hair. 'Too bad I can't use a drying spell with the rinse.'
Pushing that thought away, he continued brushing his hair. Six years ago, he'd promised Lanfen and Mingyuthat he'd return to China at least once a year for one of his Holidays, or the Chinese New Year celebrations. He was in his sixth year then. He didn't manage to make it home during last year's festivities, no matter that Lui had visited him here. He'd gone home since then during the summer holidays but it wasn't quite the same. 'I'm going this year, though.'
Smiling, his mind was pulled back to this past summer when the groundwork for his trip was laid.
§§§§§§
Severus helped to move the ancestor's table out of storage and situated it in the front room, in a prominent place. He knew they would be filling it with pictures of their ancestors throughout the coming week. Mingyu was getting it ready early just for him as the Hungry Ghost Festival wouldn't start until he'd already returned to work.
It was the beginning of the seventh month of the traditional calendar, the month the gates that held back the dead were opened, allowing their ghosts to move among the living. The living needed to protect themselves from the wanders and to let their ancestors know that they were not forgotten. 'As if I would forget, they're the ones keeping me from coming home.'
Shoving that thought away – it wouldn't do for his ancestors to know he resented their role in keeping him away – he set the joss sticks in the sand-filled containers, ready to be lit when the ancestors' images were set up. Then he would wait until late at night to tell them what he'd been up to this past year. He didn't want Lanfen, Mingyu, or Lui to hear all of it and feel guilty or worry even more than they already did. He was slightly nervous about what the ancestors might do – bless or punish him for his actions as a Death Eater and as a Professor.
"Come, Severus," Mingyu said before calling out louder, "Lui, it's time. Your Mama is waiting for us in the gardens."
"Coming, Dad," Lui's voice came from somewhere upstairs. Severus followed Mingyu out the door, his fingers finding the fake money in his robe pocket – making sure he had enough to offer.
Lanfen waved at them as they left the edges of the garden and walked towards the small stream he and Lui used to float leaf boats on. They still did that on occasion, but both had slowly been leaving that tradition behind, even floating them in the koi pond was more of a fond memory than a habit now.
Standing in the grassy field, the late summer breeze blowing around them bringing smells of flowers mingled with the smoke of burned paper, they used their wands to light their own fake bank notes. As the smoke rose to the sky, catching on the breeze, Severus hoped the ancestors would accept their sacrificed money to make it through their travel in the living world.
Lui leaned close to Severus, his voice barely a whisper heard above the wind, "Maybe you should burn a fake pound note or so for the British ghosts who might try to hunt you down? Can't hurt – you do have some enemies on the other side – and it might protect you when you head back."
Severus' eyes opened wide, fear coursing through his veins. What if the Dark Lord was released to walk on the Earth this month? Sure, Dumbledore said the man wasn't dead, but there was always a chance the old man was wrong. Maybe the Dark Lord was a wraith and would find this month easier to travel around. What if he could and was capable of harming his enemies in some way? The ghosts that travelled this month could. Offering Voldemort and the others he'd harmed in the past food and money wouldn't be a bad idea – any safeguard was better than none.
As if reading his mind, Mingyu handed him a small stack of notes – some were fake fifty-pound notes, most were for lesser denominations. Accepting them, Severus flashed a small smile of thanks. Mingyu understood that the Dark Lord wouldn't be content with a few measly pound notes. Fanning them out, he thought of all the ghosts who could be hunting him from afar and lit the notes on fire. He held them high, letting their smoke catch the higher breezes, hoping it would travel all the way across the continents to the island where those ghosts were. He knew he'd be burning more when he went back.
Lanfen waited until the last of the smoke had vanished in the wind together with the ashes before walking back to the house. "We need to cook them something good. Can't have them too hungry, can we?"
It was in the kitchen that Severus broached coming home for the forthcoming Reunion dinner some six months from now. "It'll fall on a Saturday and if I leave late on Sunday, I'd be back at Hogwarts in time for dinner. I can clear it through Dumbledore and have some of the others watch my House."
"You're responsible for those young ones, Severus," Lanfen frowned at him as she cut the pumpkin into thin slices. "You need to be there for them."
"It's not their New Year, and I'll be back on the first day, British time, to give them their ang pau." He tried not to sound like he was pouting, but he wanted to be there this year.
Mingyu sighed as he checked the filling for the gyoza. Severus continued making the rice balls as he waited to hear what he would say.
"You are still responsible for them, Severus, and if something would to happen while you were here …" he trailed off, leaving things to their imaginations.
Compressing his lips tight, Severus looked over at Lui, hoping for support. He spotted it in the smiling face.
Lui's smile broadened. "There are lots of people there to look after them while Severus is gone. It'll be a very long time before the New Year falls over the weekend again. Please?"
Lanfen and Mingyu's eyes met and Severus could see the wish for him to do so, but he could also see the knowledge of the weight of his responsibility in their expression.
"It'll be the beginning of my year – I was born on the eleventh day of the twelfth month in the Year of the Pig," he knew he was pleading, begging, and he could tell they were giving slightly, "and this will be the Year of the Pig. I want to start it with my family."
Two sets of black eyes pinned him, making the rest of his words stay behind his teeth. Mingyu's words made them unnecessary anyway. "Only if you can assure us that your charges will be well taken care of."
Severus lowered his head, his eyes on the rice ball cooling in his hands. "Yes, sir."
§§§§§§
Severus ran the brush once more through his hair, making sure it was completely dry before banking the fire and heading to his bedroom. Without the aid of candles, he put away his brush and got ready for bed.
Settling under the covers, he stretched, enjoying the clean sheets as his eyes fluttered shut. When he'd come back to Scotland, he had burned another handful of fake pound notes and set food out for the hungry ghosts. The morning of the first, he'd set up an ancestor table in an old unused room in the dungeon with his biological Mother and Father's pictures along with all replicas of his Sung ancestors, and lit the joss sticks he'd brought from home. Bowls of food were set around it. He'd also feasted that night, but it was while watching students being Sorted into their Houses instead of with empty seats for the dead.
On the last day of the seventh month, the sixteenth of September, he floated a boat on a small nearby river with a lantern covered with the names of the dead from the war along with his Mother and Father's. He wanted to make sure all his ghosts made it back through the gates. Their month was done.
Stretching one last time, he turned onto his side, pulled the duvet over his shoulder and sighed. Tomorrow he'd set about preparing all his ingredients for the first week of the New Year.
§§§§§§
Friday came quickly. Severus watched the elves prepare the castle for the New Year the same as they had last year while he prepared his lab as well as got ingredients ready for his classes. He refused to have them cutting anything because of him on the first day of the year.
"Tippy," he spoke softly, waiting for the elf to appear in his room. When she did, he crouched down to her level, looking her in her bulbous eyes. "My quarters, my classroom, and my lab are not to be swept until I say so, and then they will be swept in the manner I dictated last year. Understand?"
Brown eyes dropped to the floor as her ears drooped. Then she gave a resolute shake and looked him back in the eyes. "Yes, Professor Snape."
"Thank you." He searched her eyes, hoping she was telling the truth. He'd never had a reason to doubt her before. "Don't forget to check on the Slytherins."
She shook her head quickly. "Tippy won't, sir. Tippy will make sure the others don't either."
Nodding his thanks, he shrunk his trunk and tucked it into his robe's pocket before standing. Taking Lui's portkey from his desk, he started out the door. "I'll see you on Sunday."
"Take care, Professor Snape, sir," she called back as he walked down the corridor.
Grateful for the well wishes, Severus headed out the castle and through the familiar route in the Forbidden Forest. Just on the other side he held the red chopstick and said the activation word.
Minutes later, though it felt almost like hours, Severus appeared on the edge of the woods near home. He tucked the portkey away – it would take him home later – and walked towards the house. Taking deep breaths of the early morning air – it was close to five – he watched the stars dotting the still dark sky. The sun would be up soon, but he'd hoped to arrive early enough to catch a short nap before the day truly began.
Slipping through the side door, he quietly made his way up to his and Lui's old room, taking care to avoid the middle stair that creaked. His brother was living with his master as he perfected the difficult art of making wands so Severus hoped his own bed would have been made up. He closed the room door softly behind him and used his memory to find his bed. One touch assured him that it was made. It took him no time to be tucked in – he had completed most of his preparations before he'd left, all he had to do was change clothes.
His eyes drifted closed as he listened to the night sounds he'd come to love. Peace settled over him. He was home.
§§§§§§
It wasn't the sunlight streaming in through the window that woke him, which was surprising as that was what woke him up every day in the summer. No, it was the sounds of people moving about outside and downstairs, getting the final things done. Stretching, he rubbed his face and smiled. The smells wafting through the window were familiar and welcomed.
Leaping from the bed, he took a moment to look around the familiar room – Lui's bed was made up too – before rushing through his morning routine and going downstairs.
"Severus!" Mingyu's shout of surprise brought Lanfen hurrying from the front room.
Severus smiled at them as he continued down the stairs. "Good morning, Dad, Mama."
Both of them folded their arms, glaring at him, but he could see the happiness under their expressions. "I left a group of overprotective elves in charge of my students and have permission from the Headmaster."
The glares lightened and small smiles started to form. Lanfen ran an eye over him, obviously checking to see how he'd been faring.
"When did you get in? How much sleep did you get? When was the last time you ate?" she asked while directing him towards the kitchen.
Severus followed, Mingyu on his heels. "I arrived between four-thirty and five o'clock this morning. I don't know what time it is, so I don't know how much sleep I've had."
"It's almost ten, so around five hours," Mingyu said. "If you need a nap later, take one."
Tea and a light breakfast of rice noodles in soup were prepared. Severus set about enjoying his first meal at home. Lui arrived later that morning, looking tired, but happy to see him. They both started on the fireworks and finalised the decorations outside the house, tying red packets to various plants while their parents cooked. Both of them helped in the kitchen after lunch before being ushered upstairs for a short nap. Lanfen even peeped in on them a few minutes later to admonish them for talking instead of sleeping, saying she would not have them yawning in their relatives' faces later on.
Severus felt like he had just slept for five minutes before being shaken away by Lui. It was time to bathe and get dressed to greet their relatives. Severus took his customary place next to Lui at the front door to greet them.
"Aunt Meixui is wearing pink – a bright pink – this year," Lui whispered as their Aunt crossed the garden, her robe almost neon bright in the gathering dusk. "Last year's purple wasn't as bright."
"The gold flowers are almost luminescent," was all Severus was able to get out before Mingyu cleared his throat and glared at them. Both he and Lui bit back a smile. They'd been commenting on Aunt Meixui's robes and being scolded about it since the first year Severus joined them for a Reunion Dinner. It was one of the traditions Severus sorely missed last year. Bohai and Jiao were the last to arrive, and the pleased happiness on their faces upon seeing Severus made all the manipulations worth it, almost as much as the looks on his parents' faces that morning.
They walked in with Grandmother and Grandfather and began circulating, catching up with everyone. Uncle Jinhai cornered him. There weren't many people around him at that moment and Severus knew the old man had planned it that way. Uncle had done the something similar the year Dad had tracked him down and brought him back to China, the year he'd tried to break his ties with the Sungs, the year he'd begun his potions mastery, the year he'd joined the Dark Lord.
Severus had no idea what Uncle's position in the government was, but he did know that the man would have been the best Slytherin out there. He was cunning, capable of getting things done, and could figure out what was supposed to be a secret. Five years ago, Uncle Jinhai had cornered Severus, looked him in the eye, blanched, and then told him to come see him in two days' time. That meeting was nothing Severus had expected. The rest of his stay after the meeting was spent with a headache, but he had the basics of Occlumency down pat before returning to Britain.
Dark eyes searched his, probing his shields before Uncle Jinhai smiled. "Good. I was afraid you would let them lax now that the enemy was gone."
Severus stopped himself from rolling his eyes. "Headmaster Dumbledore doesn't think he is completely gone, besides which, the Headmaster himself is proficient in Legilimency."
Uncle's eyes narrowed slightly before nodded. "It's always wise to guard your thoughts against both enemies and your superiors, as long as they don't know you are doing so."
Turning slightly, he gestured for them to rejoin the family. "I'm pleased that you are being wise."
Warmth filled Severus.
Mingyu signalled for them to enter the dining room not long after. Even though Severus had helped prepare some of them, the sight of the two round tables laden down with identical dishes in the centre and bowls of white rice and chopsticks around them made him smile, his stomach growling happily in anticipation. A home cooked meal was always far more inviting than the formal dinners in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, no matter how much effort the elves put in.
All the dishes he had come to expect at a Reunion Dinner were there – a whole steamed fish bathed in a rich ginger garlic sauce, butter fried prawns, braised pork trotters, twice cooked pork, pan-fried pot stickers, a whole steamed chicken and a platter of fried chicken, a mushroom and beancurd dish and another of stir-fried vegetables. He had tried to teach the elves how to make some of these dishes, but there were some ingredients they just couldn't find, other dishes that he couldn't explain in English, and some he just didn't know how to make. Fish and prawns were easy enough, but the elves kept wanting to cut up the chicken and deshell the prawns before cooking them. He didn't know where to find phoenix claws either (and they were actually chicken feet so Fawkes was safe). The twice cooked pork made sense, but they couldn't get all the spices in time.
Sitting down near Lui, Severus relaxed. Familiar conversations in equally familiar voices flowed through the room, adult voices mixed with children's as chopsticks clinked against porcelain and laughter rang out, interspersed with compliments for the dishes. Knowing he wouldn't be able to be here – at this meal – for a long time to come, Severus soaked it all in, storing up the memories.