It was one of the easiest Apparations she had ever done and when Freddie appeared on the other side of the lake she wasn't even dizzy. Snape appeared beside her just a few seconds later.

"Do you hear that?" she asked him curiously. She could hear voices and music drifting through the trees on the cold night air. It was coming from the same direction as the lights.

"Sounds like Muggles – a lot of Muggles," he answered. "You still want to investigate?"

"Yes! Please."

"Then let us go," he said, taking her by the hand.

They walked through the thicket of trees for several minutes, their shoes crunching on fallen pine needles. The lights got brighter as they got closer and the sounds grew louder. When they finally came out in a clearing on the other side of the trees, Freddie stood still for a moment trying to make sense of what she saw.

"Christmas lights," Snape said softly. "They run on electricity."

The field was filled with thousands of tiny twinkling lights in all sorts of shapes – reindeer, snowmen, candy canes, trees, and more – and a variety of colors. There were Muggles everywhere, walking along paths through the lights, and vendors set up selling food and drinks. She could still hear music playing from somewhere in the distance, but she couldn't see where it was coming from.

"Wow," Freddie said breathlessly as she looked around. "This is...spectacular. What is this?"

"It seems to be some sort of yuletide festival," he said. He didn't seem as intrigued by the Christmas lights as she was, but he followed her anyway, never letting go of her hand as Freddie approached the nearest display – a collection of white lights in the shape of eight reindeer. She spent some time examining them, completely fascinated, before moving on to the next display. Eventually she found herself following the same path as the Muggle families, with Snape following tolerantly along behind her.

Freddie stopped in front of a 12-foot tall display of flashing yellow lights in the shape of a star when Snape touched her back.

"I'll be back in a moment. Wait here," he said softly.

"Huh? Okay," she said with a shrug. She watched him walk away in the direction of one of the many food vendors, then turned her attention back to the lights. It was fascinating to her to see how Muggles had managed something like this without magic. She was walking around the giant star when she heard a group of excited Muggle children passing by mention something about seeing a "forest of Christmas trees" before they went to see the band. Curious, Freddie started following them down the path they were on. She had forgotten Snape's instruction to wait until he appeared beside her a few minutes later, looking slightly annoyed.

"I told you to wait," he said tersely, putting a cup of something into her hands. He had a sausage on a bun in one hand that he had already taken a bite out of.

"Sorry, I got distracted," she said sheepishly. "What is this?"

She took the lid off the paper cup he'd brought her and took a sip.

"Hot chocolate," she said, surprised but smiling. "Thank you! I can't even remember the last time I had hot chocolate."

"Merry Christmas," he said shortly, still looking mildly irritated that she hadn't waited for him. "...Were you following those children when I caught up with you?"

"Yeah, I heard them say something about Christmas trees and a band," she said, looking around to see where the kids had gone. She spotted the red hat that the smallest boy was wearing, heading into what looked like a tunnel of lights. She started walking quickly in that direction. "Come on, Severus, let's go see!"

She thought she heard him sigh but when she glanced back he was following behind her, taking bites of his sausage dog.

They passed a number of light displays, but Freddie didn't stop to look at any of them. She was more curious about the band now. She could still hear the music playing somewhere and it was starting to sound familiar. But she did slow down when they reached the spot where the boy had been and gasped at what she saw – it was a tunnel of lights and it was beautiful. There were lights of every color of the rainbow strung across metal rods that formed an arch over the path. Twinkling star lights hung from the top of the tunnel, which stretched on farther than she could see.

"This is amazing," she said, completely awestruck, as she stepped into the tunnel. She turned in a circle, looking up at the stars and at the rainbow of lights around her. "All these colors...it's beautiful, isn't it?"

She looked back at Snape, but found he was not looking at the lights. He was watching her with a soft expression on his face – slightly amused and affectionate.

"You are beautiful," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "I could care less about the lights."

She flushed in delight and then he lowered his head and kissed her beneath the twinkling stars. The kiss was chaste but sweet. He pulled away suddenly when they heard a soft chuckle behind them. An old Muggle woman with a cane had come into the tunnel behind them and for just a moment Freddie saw a rare faint blush on Snape's cheeks.

"Oh don't you kids mind me," the woman said, smiling as she moved slowly past them, leaning heavily on her cane. "All these lovely lights...it seems almost like magic, doesn't it? We didn't have things like this back in my day. Truly magical."

"Yes ma'am," Freddie agreed, grinning at Snape as the woman hobbled away. "Truly magical."

They waited until the woman was a good ways ahead of them before they continued walking through the tunnel. Freddie felt mesmerized as they walked through the rainbow lights and she walked slowly so she could take in the beauty of it all, sipping her hot chocolate periodically.

It really does seem almost like magic, she thought to herself. Like it's something that would be in our world instead of theirs. I guess Muggles have a way of making their own magic.

She knew that Snape was in her head because she could feel his fondness for her seeping through the mental link, but he said nothing just took her by the hand, lacing their fingers together as they walked.

When they emerged from the tunnel Freddie found that the Muggle boy had been correct – it really was a forest of Christmas trees. There were no better words to describe what she was seeing. Dozens upon dozens of Christmas pines, all strung up with different colored lights and ornaments. She opened her mouth to comment on them – but stopped short when she realized she did recognize the song that was drifting through the trees.

"Severus," she said, looking up at him. "Is that...the Beatles?"

He tilted his head slightly, listening intently.

"That is a Beatles song, yes, but it is what they call a cover band," he said. "A band that plays songs written by other artists, probably a local group from a town or city nearby."

"Oh. Can we go see?"

"I suppose so," he said reluctantly, but she knew he was being dramatic on purpose. She could still feel his feelings in her mind, feel how much he cared for, and she knew that he would follow her anywhere. We can do whatever you want to do, he said silently and then smiled at her as they started walking towards the music.

They walked the path through the Christmas trees unhurriedly, keeping their hands clasped together. It felt like the most natural thing for her to be here with him, surrounded by Muggles and brightly lit trees, holding hands. Like they had all the time in the world and could stay like this forever. Freddie couldn't stop smiling and she pressed against his arm. She was surprised when he let go of her hand, but then he put his arm around her and pulled her close to his body. All she could think of was how much she loved him, loved being here with him like this. Reading her thoughts he hugged her tighter to his side.

By the time they made it through the forest of Christmas trees the band that was playing on a makeshift stage had started another song. Freddie didn't recognize this one, but it sounded good. There were a number of Muggles dancing in a clearing in front of the stage that had lights strung up around it. Others stood off to the side, watching the dancers and listening. Freddie had never been much of a dancer, except when Daniel talked her into it, but she was struck with a sudden desire to join them.

"Will you dance with me, Severus?" she asked, looking up at him hopefully.

"I do not dance," he said stiffly, letting his arm fall from her shoulders.

"I thought you said 'whatever I wanted'?" she asked, trying to hide her disappointment with a playful tone.

"I never said that, actually," he said dryly, which was true. He'd only thought it. "You can go dance if you want to. You should."

She was reluctant to leave his side but she did want to dance. He had told her to go and even nudged her in the direction of the crowd when she hesitated.

Well fine, she thought crossly, closing her mind to him. I will dance. And if someone asks me to dance with them I won't say no and he can just stand there and watch.

She danced alone through one song and when a new song started up, and a handsome young man asked her to dance, she was too shocked to speak. The song that the band had started was an Eagles song, she recognized it immediately. It was 'Take it to the Limit'.

The Muggle boy seemed to take her stunned silence as a 'yes' and he took her by the hand before she could say anything. The next thing she knew she was slow dancing with a stranger, but she was thinking of Daniel. He had once coaxed her into slow dancing with him like this on the Quidditch pitch late one afternoon when they were alone. She had resisted at first, but when Daniel finally convinced her she made him promise never to tell anyone or she'd hex him. It had been ages ago, maybe third or fourth year, but the same song had been playing on his record player.

The Muggle man singing on the stage had real talent. He sounded almost exactly like the vocalist from the Eagles. Freddie closed her eyes to listen, almost completely oblivious to the stranger who had his hands on her. She was still thinking of dancing with Daniel and her body moved automatically in the way that he'd taught her as she listened to the words of the song.

"You can spend all your time making money
You can spend all your love making time
If it all fell to pieces tomorrow
Would you still be mine?"

She opened her eyes suddenly and looked around for Snape. That was who she really wanted to be dancing with, not Daniel and not this Muggle boy whose name she didn't even know. But Snape wasn't standing where she'd left him. She scanned the small crowd in the clearing, but she didn't see him anywhere. She immediately felt hurt and betrayed. She'd known dancing with someone else would probably make him jealous but she hadn't expected him to leave her there!

She started to pull away from the boy she was dancing with, but he pulled her back firmly.

"The song isn't over yet," he whispered with a grin.

She hesitated slightly, then continued to dance with him, thinking that she just had to get through the end of this song. As soon as it was over she could get away from here, away from the boy that she didn't know and the sad memories, and find Snape. She didn't want him to be upset with her, not when they had been having such a good time.

The song was finally coming to an end and Freddie was thinking about going back to the cabin to look for him when she spotted Snape coming through the crowd from the direction of the stage. She felt relieved to see him and she started to pull away again.

"Let's keep dancing," the boy said to her, grinning again in a would-be friendly way. But he had his arm around her waist and he was holding her too tightly.

"Excuse me," Snape said in an icy voice as he appeared beside them. That tone was enough to scare anyone and the boy pulled away from her like he'd been burned. He backed away nervously, mumbling an apology. Before Freddie could say anything Snape had a grip on her wrist and was tugging her through the crowd of dancers.

"I'm sorry, Severus," she began, thinking he was upset with her. "You told me to-"

"Hush," he said. They were past the crowd now, in a shadowy area off to the side of the stage. He let go of her wrist but took her hand instead, putting his other hand on her waist as the band started up a new song. She was confused for a second, then her heart soared as he began dancing with her. His movements were a little awkward at first, his body stiff, but then he seemed to relax into it. The man on stage was crooning the words to another Eagles song, a slow song called 'Best of My Love'. Freddie wondered if it was a coincidence or if Snape could have somehow had something to do with it. She'd seen him coming from the direction of the stage... He looked down at her and gave her one of his secretive smiles. She smiled back and lay her head on his chest as they danced.

"But here in my heart
I give you the best of my love
Oh... whoa oh sweet darlin'
You get the best of my love
You get the best of my love
Oh... whoa oh sweet darlin'
You get the best of my love
You get the best of my love..."

"I thought you were mad at me," she said softly, looking up at him. "When I didn't see you...I thought you'd left me here."

"I would never do that, Winifred. You get into too much trouble when you're left alone," he teased lightly, then his tone become more sincere. "And I cannot stay mad at you. I told you to dance."

"But every mornin' I wake up and worry
What's gonna happen today?
You see it your way I see it mine
But we both see it slippin' away..."

"This is a breakup song, isn't it?" Freddie realized suddenly. "Is that- are you ending this?"

"What? No, it- I-" he stammered, something she'd never heard him do before, then he groaned softly. "What are you doing to me, Winifred? ...The band was taking requests and this was the only slow song I could think of by the Eagles that was not Desperado."

"Oh. I just thought...after what you were saying this morning, maybe... I don't know," she said, feeling silly.

"Winifred," he said gently. "You make me crazy – I mean, I'm dancing after all – but I am definitely not ending this, I..."

He didn't finished his sentence but put both hands on her waist and pulled her closer. She put her arms around his neck and laid her head back on his chest. He moved his hands again, wrapping his arms around her. They were no longer dancing, just swaying in place to the music. Freddie wanted nothing more than for this moment to last forever and she tried to memorize every detail – the sound of the music, the chill in the air, the warmth of his body...the sound of his heart beating in his chest beneath her ear.

As the song was ending they stopped swaying until they were just standing there holding each other close in the shadows. Eventually he let her go and pulled back just enough to put his hand under her chin and tilt her face up. He gazed down at her with the most tender expression she had ever seen before on his face. It made her heart flutter and he brushed his thumb lightly across her jaw.

"...I love you," he whispered softly, and then he kissed her and Freddie felt like her heart might explode as she kissed him back with every fiber of her being.

#

Later that night when they had returned to the cabin, she lay naked in his embrace feeling drowsy and blissful. The room was dark save for the light of the full moon shining through the window, just enough for her to see the loving expression on his face. He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes feeling utterly content.

"Are you happy?" he murmured as he lay there with his arms around her.

"Of course," she said, opening her eyes to look at him, surprised. And she was happy. Happier than she could remember being in a long, long time.

"Good," he said and kissed her forehead once more. "I think I... I am happy too."

#

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope that wasn't too sappy – the Christmas lights festival and the tunnel and the dancing. I wanted something somewhat romantic to set up for this scene. I hope you all enjoyed it. Also I hope my description of the lights did them justice, it wasn't easy to describe what I envisioned. Just a couple chapters left until the end!

~RPP