"Harry, is there a reason that it appears a Christmas faerie has exploded all over my chambers?" Severus called, as he stood blinking dazedly in his portrait entrance way. He heard a whispered curse of surprise, and the immediate shuffling of a guilty man, before a frowning face with large round glasses, topped with a crop of messy black hair, peered around the corner of the living room.
"You're early," Harry accused, clearly disgruntled by the interruption of his secret decorating. Severus made a show of raising his watch and glancing at it, before turning his gaze to the younger man, his eyebrow raised in clear disagreement.
"No, in actual fact I am an hour and fourteen minutes late." He said, skeptically casting his eye over the cheerfully coloured decorations that now smothered his chamber walls. Harry stepped fully around the corner, biting his lip as he raised one hand to rub at the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Oh." He mumbled, not meeting the other mans eyes as his cheeks dusted with a pink tinge. "I uh, guess I got a little carried away... lost track of time a bit..."
"Indeed." Severus sneered, raising his wand to blast a particularly cheerful fat cherub from the air as it raced toward him. He glanced down at its twitching form, before his accusatory gaze settled upon the younger man once more. "I assume there is a reason my chambers have been so drastically..." He paused, his gaze drawn to the glitter dusting Harry's brow, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he continued. "Violated."
"Oh, come on Severus," Harry huffed, dropping his arms and meeting the older mans gaze at last. "Your chambers have not been violated, they've just been..." He hesitated, glancing around the hallway as he bit his lip and tried to choose the right words to alleviate the older mans suspicious nature. "Cheered up... a little bit..." He finished lamely, wincing at the childish uncertainty in his own voice.
Severus leveled a glare at the younger man, meeting his eyes long enough to make him uncomfortable and fidgety before he sighed and rolled his eyes, steeling himself for what was no doubt the 'worse to come' part of this particular surprise. He made toward the end of the hall, fully intending to inspect the damage Harry had been inflicting upon his unsuspecting lounge, when the younger man darted into his path, blocking him from seeing into the room.
"No, you can't!" Harry burst out, waving his arms comically as if such a display could actually stop Severus from pushing past should he wish. "It's not finished!" Severus heaved a long, weary sigh, knowing from experience that arguing would only end with himself gaining a headache. He turned toward his bed chambers instead, glancing back over his shoulder as he walked.
"You have thirty minutes, Harry." He said calmly. He would deny it if anyone asked, but he enjoyed the flustered crimson blush, the almost worried but not really wring of the hands, before Harry dipped back into the lounge, shutting the door firmly to keep Severus from seeing whatever evil deeds the older man was sure he was concocting. Severus strolled into his bed chambers, feeling certain that the tension he could feel curling in his gut was well founded dread. He shed his outer robes, and hung them upon the back of his door, and then turned to a small fireplace with a reading chair fit snugly just before its hearth.
"Incendio," he muttered quietly, his mind haunted by ghastly images of ex-students destroying his chambers with an outlandish party theme for the holidays. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling and wondered again, what he had let himself in for. The fall of Voldemort, had brought about a time of peace, albeit in Severus's opinion a very tentative and likely temporary one. Five years was hardly time at all to the Wizarding community, and they were still too scared of Voldemort's name to risk upsetting their neighbors, should they be abandoned to fight alone if the vile reptile should miraculously resurface again.
Severus forced himself out of his musings, sitting himself on the edge of his bed and flopping ungracefully backwards to lie in a heap. It was uncharacteristic for him to act in such a juvenile way, but with Harry running through his chambers unsupervised, and apparently with glitter at that, he felt like he could overlook the behavior just this once. He felt the traitorous quirk of his lips at the thought of the younger man in his chambers at all, remembering the determined battle of wills between them over Harry even being admitted in the first place. Severus's pride bore no dents after the young mans wheedling and conniving, as he eventually managed to sneak his way in, besting Severus at his own game for once.
Severus was drawn from his musings by the gentle music which drifted up the hallway from the door Harry had closed behind him. He braced himself on his arms and cocked his head, listening to the melody as it filtered through to him, noticing it was far milder than any of the ridiculously 'festive' music that had been blasting its way around the school for the past few weeks. After listening another moment, he noticed that the melody sounded familiar, like a dream or a memory from so long ago. He rose to his feet, and although he had given Harry a full thirty minutes, yet it had not yet been hardly fifteen, he swept down the corridor and opened the door to the lounge.
His eyes raked over the delicate, miniature wreaths of Rosemary that donned his chamber walls. There were intricate Yule Star Wheels and Dolls, handmade to represent the Yule Goddess, Freya. Ice Faeries were lightly frosting Orange and Clove Pomanders, making them glitter and gleam like crystals. A very obviously handmade Twig Star hung as a central decoration above his fireplace, decorated with a faint tint of glitter to catch the light from all angles.
Severus felt the corner of his mouth curl into a smirk, understanding where the glitter on Harry's cheek had come from. He walked further into the room, appreciating both the effort and the gesture that had gone into the rooms decorations. Harry had clearly been busy working on this the entire time Severus had been teaching, in the hopes of surprising him. And surprised he was.
"I knew you wouldn't give me a full thirty minutes." Harry's sulky pout was evident even without Severus being able to see him. His lips curved into an easy smile, as he turned around to find the younger man glaring reproachfully at him.
"It was the music." Severus replied with a shrug, clearly not in the least bit ashamed of his snooping. Harry stuck out his lower lip and blew his bangs from his eyes, unable to hide the amusement that lit his eyes at the elders confession.
"I uh, I admit I don't really know what I'm doing..." Harry admitted, biting his lower lip and glancing aside. "But you so often complain about how we don't celebrate Christmas in such a memorable way anymore, and how your mother used to decorate so much better than the School ever has, that I just thought..."
"Harry," Severus began, touched that the younger man would put so much effort into the holidays for him. One thing Severus had never been, was a hugely expressive man, yet Harry could see beneath the mans hard exterior, to the small signs of his pleasure at his gesture. The small quirk to his lips, the crinkle at the corner of his eye and even, the small sniff of disdain which did not at all fit the mans current stature. Severus stalked slowly towards the younger man, considering the best way to convey his gratitude. He came to a halt before Harry, leaning over him slightly as he whispered into his ear. "I could almost be convinced to put you to bed early for your efforts..." Severus murmured, as Harry shivered at the sultry tones in the older mans voice.
"Do you promise?" Harry breathed, raising his hand to fist at Severus's shirt. Severus frownd and drew back slightly, meeting the younger mans gaze with an uncertainty unlike the elder man within his own eyes.
"Harry," Severus began, hesitating only briefly before deciding that he was committed to the question now. "Are you sure, that this is still what you want? It would be more than understandable, for you to wish for a younger, more attractive lover..." Harry groaned at the familiar conversation, rolling his eyes as he jabbed a finger into Severus's chest.
"Severus, please, don't make us go through this again. I am entitled to my own feelings, and my own choices in life and my choice is to be with you." Harry grumbled, giving the older man a withering glare. "You're spoiling the mood, Severus."
"Harry, I won't be angry." Severus said, ignoring the younger mans huff of exasperation. "I just don't want you to feel, obligated, to staying with me, should you ever come to the decision that I am no longer... satisfactory."
"Severus," Harry growled, closing the distance between them and grasping a handful of Severus's robes, his bright eyes locked firmly onto Severus's dark ones. "I am never going to find you, unsatisfactory." He spat, furious at the insinuation. "You've said your piece before and I told you then I didn't want anybody else. I want you." Harry nudged the other mans shoulder with his fist, glancing down so he didn't have to keep their eyes locked together.
"You understand the things I've had to do, the things I've seen. They all say they understand, but they don't." Harry muttered quietly, before looking up again once more and locking his fierce and determined gaze onto Severus's. "You understand me, Severus. So please, do not ask me again..."
Severus waited a moment longer after Harry finished, his dark eyes swirling so clearly Harry could almost see the thoughts behind them. His heart fluttered when Severus leaned forward to press their foreheads together, his lips curling into what could almost be considered a soft smile. "Alright Harry, have it your way. No more open doors. You're mine for life."
Harry huffed amusedly, grinning widely as his entire body was infused with warmth at the promise. "Good. About fucking time."
"Language." Severus admonished lightly, though it was clear he didn't entirely mean it. He felt a light twitch of magic above him, and looked up to see mistletoe floating lazily above their heads. He raised a brow as he looked down at Harry, who merely looked up at him with eyes wide in mock innocence. A chuckle rumbled through Severus's chest, as he leaned closer to the younger man. "Brat..." He murmured, before sealing his mouth over Harry's.
Harry chuckled in response, and raised his arms to fit around Severus's neck, humming happily as Severus kissed him soundly. A kiss which promised an unhurried eternity, filled with all the things the elder, more articulate man would never be able to put into words. Harry returned the lazy, but passionate kiss with as much of his own unspoken words as he could infuse, thinking that this Winter Solstice business was most certainly just as magic, if not more so, as Christmas.
A/N:~ like I said, ridiculous fluff - but hopefully not too OOC...
I have smut for this, but haven't posted it because I dunno if it was needed - however, if you want it let me know in a review and I will post it as a second chapter ;)
x My love to you all x