Harry found himself rushing to pick up presents at the last minute on Christmas eve. As he walked out of Madam Malkin's shop in Diagon Alley he thought he saw a familiar figure turning the corner into Knockturn Alley. He followed the form as fast as he could but when he rounded the corner the form had disappeared. He sighed as he turned around and headed back to The Three Broomsticks.
He stepped out of the fireplace and into his home, setting the presents on the coffee table where the wrapping paper, scissors, and tape were laid out.
Walking into his kitchen, he grabbed a water from the fridge and returned to the living room to wrap the last of the gifts.
As he was putting the last piece of tape on the last of the gifts the doorbell rang. He sealed the present and stood to answer the door.
To say he was surprised to see the person standing before him on his doorstep would have been a gigantic understatement. He could have died from shock. But for his sake, thank goodness he didn't.
"Speechless, Potter? I'm amused to see that some things never change." Severus Snape said in that velvety voice of his.
"Sorry, hi. Um… come in." Harry said, backing away from the door so Snape could enter.
"Thank you" Snape replied, stepping into the foyer and removing his coat to hang on the coat stand.
Harry used the few moments it took Snape to hang his coat to collect himself so that he was prepared for whatever it was that brought this man to his home.
When Snape turned to face Harry, Harry gave him his schoolboy smile and led the older man into his kitchen.
"Tea?" Harry offered.
"No, thank you." Snape replied, pulling out a chair at the table and sitting down.
Harry sat across from the man and finally found the courage to blurt out, "what can I do for you?"
Snape smirked as if that statement amused him and replied, "Am I not allowed to visit you?"
"Of course you are!" Harry hastened to reply, adding, "It's just… do you know how long it's been since we last saw each other?"
Snape fixed Harry with his famous teacher glare and answered, "Yes, Potter. Five years, what's your point?"
"Five years Severus!" Harry said, using the mans first name, that hadn't passed his lips in as long. "That's a long time, and not once during that time did you come to 'visit me'. Harry explained, fixing Snape with a small scowl.
Snape looked away, unable to meet Harry's eyes, knowing that the younger man had a point.
"Fair enough, Po - Harry" Snape said, since they were friends there really was no reason to use his surname. "I really am here to visit you. See how you're doing and such."
Harry smiled slightly at that and said, "I'm doing fine, work is good, social life is as crazy ever and the media has learned that I will go to them if I have something that I wish to have printed in black and white."
Severus smirked again and said, "That is good to know."
Harry nodded, swallowed once and asked the question that had been nudging at the back of his mind since he first opened the door, "what have you been up to?"
"Potions research," Severus replied, adding, "I'm going to write a book on the most deadly and harmful of potions and potions ingredients known to wizard kind. With a section that lists all potions made by me and careful instructions on how to brew them."
"That sounds like a good way to spend time" Harry complimented the man and Severus graced Harry with one of his rare, fleeting smiles. "You're more than welcome to stay, if you can put up with the company of my friends for a few hours. Their coming over soon so that we can exchange and open presents tonight, that way tomorrow they can be with their families." Harry explained to Severus.
"I think I can tolerate them for a few hours." Severus said, giving Harry another smirk.
Harry smiled and said to Severus, right as the doorbell rang, "Happy Christmas, Sev." Making a hasty retreat before the man could throw something at him for using that detested nickname.
Opening the door revealed that all of his friends had apparently arrived at the same time. "Thanks for coming! Come on in," Harry invited, moving back from the door to allow his friends to crowd into his foyer. He hugged each one in turn and wished them a 'Happy Christmas' to which they each replied with a 'Happy Christmas' of their own. Harry beamed at them, extremely happy to have his three best friends with him on Christmas eve.
Harry lead them into the kitchen where Severus was still sitting at the table. He nodded at each of them and said, "Draco, Hermione, Ron," noting that two of them stared at him with wide eyes and the other gave him a genuine smile in greeting. Looking down he noticed that Draco's and Ron's hands were entwined. He gave Draco a smirk and asked, "How long has this been going on?" Noting the reddening of Ron's cheeks.
"Three and a half years" Draco answered, turning to ruffle Ron's hair and give him a kiss on the cheek. One of the things he always loved about the red head was how his face could match his hair when he was embarrassed.
"Shall we?" Harry asked, gesturing to the living room where they would exchange and unwrap gifts. His friends walked into the living room and made themselves comfortable while he stayed in the kitchen with Severus.
"Do you mind helping me with the eggnog?" He inquired.
"Not at all" Severus replied, taking a tray with three glasses on it into the living room and setting it down on the coffee table while Harry carried in two other glasses, handing one of them to Severus.
The three guests murmured their thanks as they sipped their eggnog.
Harry decided that he would start the exchange so he walked to his tree in the corner of the living room and retrieved the gifts for his friends. He handed them their gifts and one by one they opened them.
Ron went first and as soon as the wrapping paper was ripped off and the box opened he took out his gift. In his hand was a pair of brand new keeper's gloves. The very latest that were on the market. "Harry!" was all Ron could say for he was speechless. "Thanks mate!" He finally said, standing to give Harry a hug. They were absolutely perfect because Ron was the keeper for the Quidditch team the Chuddley Cannons.
"Happy Christmas" Harry answered, returning the hug and giving Ron a big grin.
Next was Hermione. She took her time unwrapping it, which tested Ron's and Draco's patience. Finally she took out a small box and when she opened it she gasped. "Harry, it's beautiful!" She removed the amber necklace from it's case and held it up to her neck where it shone beautifully. Harry walked to her and she handed him the necklace and turned around so that he could put it on her. When it was secured around her neck she turned to face Harry and gave him a very big hug. "Thank you" she whispered and he smiled at her.
Finally it was Draco's turn. Just like Ron, he wasted no time in ripping the paper off. "No!" Draco exclaimed, eyes going wide. He looked to Harry for confirmation that what he was holding was the real deal. Harry nodded at him that yes, it was the real thing. "This isn't supposed to be out for another week!" Draco said referring to the book in his hands titled, "How to Please Your Gay Lover" "How'd you get it?" Draco asked, astounded.
"I pulled some strings" Harry said smirking in satisfaction.
"Thanks Mate!" Draco said standing to give Harry a hug, just like the others had done.
"You're welcome" Harry replied, hugging his friend back.
Next it was Draco's, Ron's, and Hermione's turns to give Harry his presents from them. From Draco he got a new silk bathrobe since his was so old it was fraying. From Ron he got a snitch engraved with his name and from Hermione he got a cookbook that he was thankful for since his usual dinner of stir-fry was starting to get old. "Thanks guys!" he said to all of them, giving them each a big smile.
"We should get going" Draco said standing from the sofa and shaking Harry's hand. To Severus he said, "I apologize that none of us has anything for you, but your appearance here was a surprise to us" as he shook the mans hand.
"It's perfectly all right Draco" Severus replied.
He said goodbye to all three of his ex-students and watched as Harry walked them out.
"Thanks again for coming!" Harry bid them as he waved to them before they all apparated away.
Harry returned to his living room to find Severus seated on his sofa.
"Alone again at last" Harry said to which Severus smirked at him, but not in an unkind way.
"I noticed another present under the tree with no name on it" Severus said
"Snooping were we?" Harry asked teasing, walking to the tree to retrieve said present.
"I was merely making an observation" Severus stated.
Harry walked back to Snape and sat next to him on the sofa and handed him the present, "It's for you" he said.
For a fleeting moment surprise flashed across Severus' features but it was gone in an instant. With as much delicacy as Hermione had opened her gift, Severus opened his the same way. He pulled out a leather bound notebook and flipped through the pages, noting that they were all blank. He gave Harry a questioning look.
"A potions Journal, so that you can write down new discoveries and make notes" Harry said.
"Thank you," Severus said to Harry and Harry could tell that he meant it. "Why did you get me a present though?" Severus questioned, wondering how the young man could have possibly known that he would show up on that holiday. He noticed that Harry's cheeks were turning an impressive shade of crimson and he raised his eyebrow in question.
"Promise not to laugh?" Harry asked
"No" Severus said seriously.
Harry considered for a moment and decided to just tell him. "I've had that for years. I was going to give it to you on that last Christmas I saw you, but I didn't have the courage, I was afraid you'd mock me and throw it in the fire" Harry said, staring at his hands in his lap. He felt a finger under his chin, lifting his face so that he was looking into the Obsidian eyes of Severus Snape.
"I wouldn't have done that, thank you for giving it to me now. Here's my gift to you, Harry." Severus said, pulling an envelope out of his pocket and handing it to Harry. It was a small envelope and it had Harry written on it in Severus' familiar scrawl.
Harry turned the envelope over and pulled out a piece of folded parchment. On it only three words were written:
I love you
He looked to Severus and immediately the mans lips were on his and he was kissing him back. The kiss was pleasant and it ended too soon in Harry's opinion.
"Will you be mine?" Severus asked Harry and all Harry could do was nod in affirmation, leaning in to give Severus another kiss, this one lasting much longer than the first.
That was only the first of many, many Christmas' to come for the two lovers who in the future made Christmas eve their wedding anniversary to mark a day that brought them together and united them forever.