"Albus, you cant expect me to just let anyone come up and kiss me all day!"
Albus simply smiled.
"You know the rules Severus. Wizard traditions and customs are rock solid. It is customary, and no matter how a woman might feel about it, she has no choice but to be drawn to you and kiss you as she passes. I realize it's a bit of a lose lose situation, but there is simply nothing you can do. I can only bend the spell so far for you. I have made it to where if you pass a student they only have to kiss your hand. Other than that you are stuck. Unless of course, someone kisses you that REALLY wants to kiss you because they love you. That would break the spell."
Snape sighed. And the odds of that were about as good as Trelawny actually predicting something.
"Fine. Then I'm simply staying in my rooms all day. If anyone needs me, I'll be there." he said with a snort.
Albus' eyes twinkled.
"Oh no. You are supposed to help Minerva gather holly and bring it back to the castle."
Snape paled.
"But then I have to kiss her!"
Dumbledore shrugged.
"It won't last long man. Only 10 more hours to go anyway."
Yeah, ten more hours of "Happy" Christmas fun!
Right. He simply couldn't wait to see who his Secret Santa was so he could personally thank him or her for this "multitude of joy".
Hermione Granger was absolutely pleased with herself. She had just witnessed a very uncomfortable Snape kiss Minerva McGonagall after they gathered holly. The charm worked marvellously! She shook the snow from her hair and began to walk back inside the castle. Now she only had to work out the last details of her plan….
At dinner, most of the teachers were excited about finding out their Secret Santas. They waited anxiously, looking at their rings. Hermione grinned. She had avoided him all day. Soon the cat would be out of the bag and all hell would break loose. It was going to be grand.
Snape looked as though he could kill. He had kissed EVERY Female staff member that day. Hooch had practically thrown herself in his path along with Sinistra. Oy, and Madame Pince, poor girl, had accidentally dropped a stack of books in the library. Without thinking he went to pick them up, causing her to see him and plant a huge smack on his lips. It was mortifying for both parties. It was like having the Midas Touch; except he didn't have to touch anyone and they kissed him! It was like that muggle show, what was it called? Happy Hours? No, Happy Days. He was like "The Fonz". Girls just flocked to him. But they really had no choice. He had lost count of how many times he had washed his mouth.
At the sound of Albus clearing his throat, his musings ended.
"Alright everyone. Look into your rings and see your Secret Santa!"
All the teachers looked and saw the faces come into view there.
Minerva laughed at went to hug Lupin while Albus hugged a grinning Black. Everyone had moved to say help their Santa's except two. Hermione was glued to the face she saw in her ring. She couldn't believe it. She shook it to see if it might be stuck or something, but it still was the same. Snape was her Secret Santa. He had gotten her the wonderful book.
And she had gotten him the worst gift. Or so he thought…….
Snape stared at his ring before slowly turning his head toward her. As if in cue, she turned to look at him. She saw the unmasked anger in his eyes as he rose and began to move towards her. But then as he stood and began to walk towards her, she saw the embarrassment flash in them just as she felt the pull to kiss him. The spell, he thought. He forgot about the damned spell. Before he could cross her path he turned sharply and walked in the other direction out of the hall.
She quickly got up to follow him.
Knowing eyes twinkled as she passed.
Snape was NOT amused. Of all the people….
He had expected it to be Albus. But her? Why would she do this? Ok so yes they fought, but it was all in good fun right? Did she really think he hated her enough to spite him like this?
He paced his office wearily.
5 more hours of this….green crap above his head.
He was about to throw something when there was a knock at his door.
"What?!" he bellowed.
Instead of a reply he heard the door creak. He didn't turn around.
"Happy Christmas Severus." came the soft voice.
"And what would be so happy about is, MISS Granger? Hmm? My humiliation? Is that what made it happy for you?" he said with barely repressed anger.
She took a few steps closer to the back that was to her.
"Of course not."
"Oh really, then what makes it a happy Christmas then?"
Now she was the one frustrated.
"Did you not ever LISTEN to the card at all? Or were you too wrapped up thinking only of yourself that you didn't notice the underlying message in it?"
What was she talking about? He had no idea what…
His silence only made her angrier.
"Dammit Severus, look at me!" she exclaimed.
"No!" he replied sadly.
"Why not?" she asked forcefully.
"Well you should know. You cast this charm. Isn't it plain to see above my head?"
Did she enjoy toying with him? It seemed like tiny daggers were piercing his heart.
"Severus. Turn around." she said softly this time.
Something in her voice compelled him to do as she asked.
He turned around slowly. As soon as he faced her she felt the pull of the magic.
As she moved closer he moved away from her, trying to stop the inevitable.
Why did she make me turn around! It's another trick! She's only trying to embarrass me some more, so she can taunt me about it later!
Soon there was no more room to back up as his back hit the wall. She inched closer and as her lips hovered over his, he could smell the vanilla perfume she wore. He had wanted to kiss her for so long, but not like this.
He tried to push her away.
"Hermione.."
"Shh….you can't fight it Severus and neither can I."
She chuckled at the double meaning in her words as her mouth descended upon his.
It was a slight peck but as soon as he drew away from her she pulled him back down for another. This one was longer yet he still didn't return her kiss.
When she pulled away from him he saw the sadness in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Severus. Thank you for the book. It was wonderful. I guess Ill be going now."
And then she was gone.
As soon as he could no longer hear her footsteps he let out his breath. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor. It was then he felt his foot kick something.
It was then he saw the Mistletoe on the floor.
The spell was broken, and there should have been over four more hours left.
Unravel this gift
And you shall see
There is someone out there
To set your heart free.
Suddenly he knew what had happened. She loved him! That's the only way the spell could be broken early. Albus had said…..Great Merlin! She loved him!
And he had more than just rejected her.
Quickly he got up and moved as quickly as his feet could carry him.
He threw some floo powder in his fireplace and called out "Hermione Granger's Rooms" before stepping in.
A startled Hermione Granger turned to see her only Christmas wish come through her fireplace unannounced.
"What in the-?"
Before she could speak any further he had crossed the distance between them, pulled her into a tight embrace, and kissed her with all his might.
At first she was stunned, but then regained herself and began to respond to him in kind. She wrapped her hands in his hair, relishing in the feel of it between her fingers. She had dreamt of doing so for such a long time.
His hands were in her hair, on her face, on her back.
Soon they broke away, if only to breathe.
"Sweet Merlin Severus….where did that come from?" she managed once she found her voice.
After a moment to collect himself as well, he studied her face while tracing her jaw line with his finger.
"A place I thought would be dead forever. Until you came back to Hogwarts after the war. It was before graduation. I've loved you since that day you came to me to say you were coming to teach…"
"I just wanted to thank you for everything you taught me sir. I also wanted to let you know that I will be returning next semester as the new Professor of Charms. Flitwick is retiring."
Snape looked at her with a stony expression.
"I must say Miss Granger, that you did marvellously in the fight against Voldemort. And I also wanted to say that you are the brightest mind I have taught. This year's work was some of the best I've seen of you."
"Oh thank you sir, but I didn't think I was THAT good this year!"
"It was the only time you EVER complimented me." she said quietly.
He nodded.
"But I loved you because of your humility. You were a lone soul like I was. You knew you were smart, but didn't seek the fame or glory of it. I admired you before, but that day I knew I loved you." He said softly.
She cupped his cheek then.
"I think I loved you before then. I'm not sure when exactly. During the war I know. Something about you was so mysterious to me. I knew there was a man underneath the cold steel frame on the outside. And during the war I found holes in that armour and I found I wanted to get under all of that and take care of the tattered soul underneath."
He looked away from her then.
"My past is not a simple or innocent one Hermione."
She turned his face to hers.
"But it is that. The past. We are here NOW. What is done is done and has nothing to do with anything now."
He kissed the hand at his cheek then before capturing her mouth once more.
When they broke apart again she giggled.
"What's so funny?"
"I just realized how many mouths have been there today."
He put on a mock scowl.
"oh, you know you loved kissing Minerva!"
"You know about that?"
"I saw it." she said, trying not to laugh.
"Why you little spy…"
He began to tickle her then.
"No…..wait…..ticklish…cant…..stand…..ahh!"she said between laughs.
"Just wait till next Christmas…I've got 365 days to plan your gift." he spoke with an evil grin.
She simply giggled.
"Speaking of gifts…..would you like the rest of yours now?"
"the rest?"
"Oh yes…did you forget AGAIN what the card said?"
As he sat, remembering the card she walked to the fireplace and flooed herself to his quarters.
He followed curiously.
When he got to his office, he saw a trail of rose petals. He followed them right to his bedroom.
There on his bed was a sight he never thought he would see.
"Happy Christmas Severus." Said a smiling Hermione Granger.
He simply stared at her in awe.
When she saw the look on his face she laughed.
"Come now Severus, did you think I simply got rid of all those red and white thongs?"