AN: Many thanks to Yen for taking this one and making it that much more legible.
Decorations
Harry scampered up the stairs to the attic and pulled down the Christmas decorations.
Severus was in the living room sorting by decoration type. Garlands went near the stairwell, the tree with its baubles into the corner, and a third pile he had dubbed as 'what-is-this' where he had put all the things he had no clue why Harry were keeping them.
Eventually all the boxes were down and so was Harry.
"Where are we starting?" Severus nodded over towards the pile of garlands. "Shall we hang the boughs first, or," he nodded towards the tree area, "the tree. And I don't know what those are." He waved a hand to the last pile.
"I'll handle the tree if you put the garlands up. Then I'll go through the unknowns." Harry waited for a scathing comment about artificial trees, but when none came he relaxed and started on decorating it.
Severus dug the garlands out of the box and entwined them through the handrail of the stairs. He then draped a small one over the mantle. Looking about, he attempted to remember where the others were placed last year. During his brief visit, he was more focused on his host than how the house had been decorated. Deciding to add his own touch, he put a few on the window sills, and then along the edge of the kitchen counter.
When he made it back into the living room, Harry had finished building the tree and was currently stringing untested lights on it. Opening a box of ornaments, Severus picked up a whimsical fairy, reminiscent of the ones that adorned the Hogwarts' trees and set it aside. He looked through the rest of the items in the box and ended up smiling by time he reached the bottom. All the ornaments fitted Harry's personality.
Harry stopped next to Severus and looked at the neatly sorted collection. "Are you sure that you don't have anything you want to add?"
Severus ran a finger over a green glass ball as he replied, "Harry, I never put up a tree, I've never really needed one since most of my Christmases were spent at Hogwarts. Hagrid and Albus both decorated enough without any contribution from me."
Harry rested his hand on top of Severus'. "I don't and I would love some from you."
Severus nodded. "When this has cleared, I'll look for something to contribute."
"Good, now before we start decorating, let's figure out the other pile."
Grateful for the change of subject - he truly had no clue what type of ornament to get, Severus followed Harry and picked up one of the boxes. "Why do you have a box of knitted doilies?"
Harry peeked into the box before setting it to the side. "Mum Weasley thought they would look nice around the place. I put them under different decorative items so that they are used. They look like snowflakes."
"And I take it that this is the box of different decorative items?" Severus picked up the box filled with small buildings and a train.
Harry nodded. "One of them. If you spread the dollies out just right, then they look like snow on the ground."
Severus picked up another box. "This says it is from your team mates."
Harry smirked. "It is for both of us. I was lucky enough to get wind of what they wanted to give us, and was able to convince them that it would be too tacky."
Severus felt himself pale. Harry's team was nice enough, but their taste did leave something to be desired. Preparing himself for anything, he opened the small box. There, nestled in the white tissue paper, was a bauble with Mr. & Mr.written on it. "This isn't as bad as I expected, your birthday gift was a bit more... out there."
Harry looked into the box and sighed with relief. "The original gift that I got wind of supposedly had two large sleigh bells attached to a... Well... they were pretending to be..."
Severus carried the ornament over and hung it on the tree to hide his smile while Harry tried to stutter out his answer. He did his best to keep his tone bland instead of knowing. "A what?"
Harry blushed and blurted out, "They were supposed to represent the scrotum of a -" His words failed him, but he could tell by Severus' knowing look that he didn't need to finish the sentence.
Severus was heartily glad that Harry had intercepted that gift. "They thought that it would be appropriate?"
Harry raised an eyebrow and gave Severus a look. "This is my team mates we are talking about. They thought it was perfectly fine to force us together when it appeared we knew each other. Appropriateness never entered their minds. I was told that since we were both guys, and in a relationship, that it should be perfectly fine and we should really like it."
Severus ran a finger along the curve of the bauble. "This one is much nicer and easier to display. Thank them for me."
Harry shook his head. "You can thank them later. They did ask when your birthday was."
Severus' eyes widened. "You didn't mention it, did you?"
Harry's expression told him to be prepared for a totally inappropriate present this year.
