[A/N: Thanks go to Jinni, Rose, Alienbeing, Jeanne, Sonya, KaylsDaeAlMon, Aiyana, Chang Jessica, Caissie-Bear and Sweetie Pie for the reviews. 'preciate it. House standing so far: 100 points for Slytherin, a big goose egg for Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. This might turn out to be Slytherin's year for the house cup. grin
A/N2: I haven't added a chapter, just ended this story. Really hate loose ends lying about and chances are, I won't be back to update. Sorry. Trying to kick my fanfic addiction.]
*********************************
* Three Hours Later *
*********************************
* One Hour & 18 Min. Behind Schedule *
*********************************
No roads led to or from the cottage and it would take at least three days to hike in from the nearest point of civilization. If an unluckily lost muggle happened to come across it, it was charmed to look like a big, ugly boulder. The poor soul would then immediately realize they were an idiot for losing their way and magically find itself fifteen minutes from where they had entered the forest. Unsurprisingly, the woods were rumored to be haunted.
The truly remarkable aspect about the cottage was found once you passed through the front door. From the outside, it looked like any modest summer home, nestled in the far corner of the only meadow of an extremely dark forest. But on the inside, it had enough room to fit a small army. The house featured a half a dozen bedrooms, three baths, study, library, dinning room, kitchen, but most notably, Snape's pride and joy, a dungeon. The summer months were his time to experiment on the potions he had planned all winter. Complicated and dangerous concoctions which he didn't want anywhere near prying eyes or greedy little fingers.
With a small pop, Willow and Severus apparated onto the front steps of Snape's summer cottage. They took a moment to look around and take in the quiet surroundings; everything looked exactly as they had left together at the end of the summer last year.
"You're not mad that we are behind schedule, are you?" Willow gave him the sad puppy dog look.
"No."
"No, as in you are not mad or no, you will never forgive me because the creozote has eaten through the monogrammed leather case and the pink azearc mixed with grey boxial and we will now have given birth to monster gremlins which will damage the natural habitat?"
Smirk. "The Ministry still hasn't forgiven you for last year."
"Hey, I said I was sorry. What more do they want, blood?"
"I suspect they will forget once they finish dealing with the paperwork."
"You still didn't answer my question." Willow was still feeling a little apprehensive waiting for Severus' reaction. Last year was a disaster and she had promised to try to do better this time around.
Severus knew that every once of his being should feel guilty for deceiving her. He was a bad, bad man. Always the one to consider the importance of learning from past mistakes, he gave his love a slightly altered schedule which meant that they were actually an hour ahead of schedule.
"I think we can come up with something to make it up to me."
"Oh really."
*********************************
* Three Days Later *
*********************************
"Willow?" Severus stopped short when he spotted what looked like a big box in the middle of his study. All he could do was stare at it, hoping at some point it would all start making sense.
"Um, hmmh?" Willow happened by, absently thumbing through a couple of books she wanted to store on his bookshelves. They had put off unpacking the unimportant stuff and she had forgotten about her little surprise.
"What is this?"
"What is what?" She looked up, noticing his tense posture. He was pointing at the squat, ugly box, scowling as if afraid it was going to attack. Laying down her books on the closest desk, she walked up behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "That's the surprise. Surprise!"
"That is the surprise?" Severus said, still not understanding but finally taking his eyes off it long enough to give Willow a pained look. "And to think, I thought you were afraid to tell me that you had bought a puppy."
Willow's eyes light up at the idea. "Oh, can we get a puppy?"
"No." He still couldn't look away from the hideous device. It wasn't moving or making any sounds but it was just so alien to everything in his world. "You still haven't explained what this … thing … is."
"Oh, it's a television."
"No, it isn't."
Willow gave him a sharp look wondering if this was the moment she had been dreading since they gotten together. For the last two years, she had she had added to his stress level, taxed his patience and generally kept him in a state of 'expect the unexpected'. This might be the moment when he finally snapped and was ready for the psychiatric ward. She couldn't believe he would question her knowledge of anything muggle.
"Yeah, it is."
"Remember last year when you forced me to wear muggle clothing and we went into London. I saw television. They were big and black and loud and flashing."
"Mmmm … I remember you looking really good in those pants."
"Focus. Please." Snape said, rolling his eyes and resisting the urge to shake her.
She giggled a little at his impatience. "This one is older than those we saw in the city, give or take 20 years. It has been in my parent's basement for years and I had Xan ship it over."
"Why would you want to do that?" he remarked hastily.
Willow looked away, not knowing how to explain. They never talked much about her old life, not wanting to dwell too much on the pain she had left behind. Hogwarts and Severus was her new life and her old life and new one usually didn't mix very well. She shrugged, stuck on the words.
Snape pulled her over to the sofa, making her sit down and look at him. "Why?" he tried again hoping this time it didn't sound as if he thought her to be a raving lunatic.
"I just thought it would be nice. Some rainy night, we could snuggle in front of the TV and watch a movie. I sort of miss sharing that with someone."
He sat back further, silently taking in what she had said. Sometimes he forgot that she had lived as a muggle most of her life. She had immersed herself so thoroughly into the wizarding world, acclimating so quickly and effortlessly, it was difficult to grasp how much she had given up and left behind. Also, it didn't help that he came from a long line of wizards which seemed to genetically disdain anything muggle.
But that didn't mean that he didn't understand how lonely it could be to give up everything you know. From the outside, they might look like an odd match but experience made them more alike than either cared to admit. Only for his little red headed witch would he try to keep an open mind.
"How does this work exactly?" Snape sighed, seeing the hope brighten in her eyes and instantaneously knowing that he would be sitting through at least one of those movie things she mentioned.
"Oh, easy. I picked up a region free DVD player and Xander was kind enough to send over some his favorites and some of mine. Since the TV is so old, I had to buy a converter and that will mean that the quality of the picture won't be as pristine as a higher end digital model. But I figured that the circuits might be a little temperamental compared to a good old fashioned picture tube."
Easy was not the word Snape would have used. Willow continued on describing the wiring and some of the problems she had in making it all work. He didn't understand half of what she said. "But won't it need some sort of power?"
Willow smirked a bit before looking away and mumbling something he couldn't quite make out. Snape had to ask her to repeat what she had said. "I magic'ed it."
"You charmed a muggle artifact? That goes against the laws set forth by the Ministry of Magic."
"Well, sort of."
"What do you mean 'sort of'?"
Willow smiled, looking slyly at him. "Last year's parent teacher day. When we weren't talking about toasters, I spent half the day with Arthur Weasley learning about his job. Turns out, the law is a little vague."
Severus was speechless, not sure how to respond.
"Sev, we are in the middle of nowhere and it isn't like we can get an electrician out here. It is just a little spell and I didn't charm it to do something it normally won't normally do." Willow pleaded, hoping he wouldn't make this a big deal. She should have known that he would focus on the details.
"Why does it have to be in my study?" He threw the contraption a look as if suggesting that he still didn't trust its presence in the room.
"This room has the big comfy couch."
He scowled at that, not quite understanding. She moved closer to him, molding herself to his side and using one hand to play with a button on his shirt. "You know, for cuddling. Snuggling. General positions of closeness." A finger slipped inside, lightly making contact with skin.
Any resistance against this whole television business flew out the window. He could smell her faint perfume and if she kept delicately touching him like this, he would likely agree to dye his hair pink for the next Welcoming Feast. "Fine. One movie."
"Two?"
"One."
"Okay, one movie but you have to wear the muggle pants."
"Why?"
Willow smirked, trailed a few kisses up his cheek and stopped by his ear to whisper, "Remember that night in London?"
Severus shivered, remembering all too well. "I think that can be arranged."
*********************************
* The End *
*********************************