Festive Us
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related propaganda belong first and foremost to J.K. Rowling. (In other words, I'm still not making any money off of this.)
A/N: This is a response to the WIKTT Challenge "Severus Festivus", which is the Holiday Challenge. Enjoy!
***
On the night of December 24th, the evening of Albus Dumbledore's famed post-war Christmas Party at Grimmauld Place, Fred and George Weasley burst into the kitchen suppressing huge grins and sporting an accomplished air.
"Did you see the looks on their faces?" Fred laughed, throwing his coat on the kitchen table, while George checked the room for any traces of their mother. "I mean, when Hermione saw Snape walk in to the room…"
"Keep it down, Fred, or you'll ruin the surprise!" George hissed, spotting a bowl of eggnog on the far end of the kitchen table. A look of mischief graced his Weasley features and he pulled a long glass bottle out of his coat pocket. Walking over to the bowl of eggnog, he dipped a finger in and licked the sweet stuff of his finger. Grimacing, George said. "Absolutely disgusting."
"It's just fortunate we have something to spruce it up a notch," Fred replied casually, uncorking the bottle and reading the label. "Really, that's just what these parties need."
George grinned widely as he took the bottle of Ogden's Olde FireWhisky and uncorked it, pouring liberal amounts into his mother's eggnog.
"Now," Fred said in a businesslike tone, taking the bowl of eggnog and placing it innocently on a tray headed for the party room. "We are going to make sure that both Snape and Hermione get a glass of this stuff—"
"—And they know that fighting at this stage of their lives is totally unacceptable," George said, in perfect likeness of his mother. Both twins grinned, knowing that the fighting once couple of Severus Snape and Hermione Granger were sitting outside fuming at each other's presence.
"You know, they'll thank us for this one day," Fred said, opening the door for George as they carried the eggnog out into the din of Dumbledore's Christmas Party.
***
She was here. She was here. She was here.
Fuck.
The fact that the She in question had walked out on him two weeks previous, pulled out of a Potions project, stopped returning his owls, and quit their strange-yet-charming relationship was hurtful.
The fact that the She was Hermione Granger, a former student and colleague, only added salt to that wound.
But the fact that Hermione Granger, twenty three years old and looking perfect as always (if he did say so himself), was sitting across the room from him leaning on the shoulder of one Ronald Weasley, was probably the final blow to Severus Snape's ego.
Snape scowled at the captivating witch from his secluded corner near the large Christmas tree in the Black family home. He certainly hadn't expected all these people to be here—least of all Hermione—and he wasn't going to show any form of enjoyment whatsoever. To prove this point he sneered at the passing couple of Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom, the latter of which practically fled in the opposite direction.
Serves him right, the little buggers, Snape thought nastily, glowering.
"You know Severus, if you insist upon making that face I'm quite sure it will freeze like that one day."
Snape whipped his head around, met with the sight of Albus Dumbledore decked out to the nines in Christmas attire. The old Headmaster stood with a glass of eggnog in hand and a very obvious twinkle in his eye.
Severus glared at his employer. "Really Albus, I fail to see why it would bother me," he said acerbically, vaguely wondering if the eggnog in Albus' hand was by any Merlin-given chance alcoholic. Dumbledore merely chuckled merrily.
"Well, you wouldn't want Miss Granger to see you with such a frightening expression all the time, would you Severus?" Albus asked him, eyes alight with a jovial air. Severus glared at him, motioning to the young witch across the room.
"I think she's found other company, Albus, as should you," Snape said, still eying the eggnog in a vain attempt not to look at Hermione. Giving up he snuck a glance and was rewarded with the vision of seeing Hermione laughing from something Weasley was whispering in her ear. Hermione looked up and met Severus' longing gaze with her toffee one. She sent him a small smirk before turning back to her redheaded date.
"It's not too late, you know," Albus said wisely, adjusting the Santa hat with one hand.
Snape merely shrugged. "Perhaps it was never the time to begin with," Severus said in a bored tone. Albus shook his head and sighed, leaving his Potions Master to mull in his own company.
Snape sighed, leaning against the wall, brooding about the situation. Hermione was obviously having fun without him. She obviously had something for Ron Weasley. And Albus apparently had no idea what he was talking about.
It was true, Severus thought to himself miserably. He was going to end up a miserable, lonely bastard just like Sybill Trelawny kept predicting.
The dark haired man stood lost in his own miserable thoughts for a while, only pausing to look up when a noise like a strangled cat whizzed past his leg (he was wont to think that it was Minerva in cat form being chased by the Weasley's pet kneazle, but dismissed it as a mere Christmas wish) and Fillius Flitwick and Demeter Sprout stopping in front of him, both very tipsy and giggly, spreading cheers of, "Ho, ho, ho!"
Severus then came to the conclusion that the whole staff of Hogwarts was fairly insane.
And then he looked up from his musings again to see Hermione's head thrown back in laughter, her smile wide, apparently laughing at something one of the Weasley twins was offering her. She took a glass of eggnog off the tray and continued talking with the Red Menace himself.
Something in seeing someone so happy, and knowing that he himself could have had that same happiness, set of a flame in Severus.
That's just it. I'm going over there right now and sorting this mess out, Severus growled inwardly, his black eyes glowing. He simply could not loose the possible love of his life to Ronald Weasley of all people. Hermione would have to listen to him. (That's just how much of a selfish idiot Severus could be at times).
Confident in the menacing black robes, Severus marched over to Hermione, who glared at him as he made his way across the room. When he finally reached her, he could see anger in her brown eyes and suddenly felt just a tiny glimmer of fear. That was the effect Hermione had on her former Potions professor—she could make his mind do strange things.
"We need to talk," Severus said, in his calmest, smoothest voice, looking down at his petit former love.
Hermione snorted. "Oh yeah? About what? If you don't remember, Sev-er-us," Hermione hissed, careful to fully pronounce his name, "you were the one who claimed that I messed up the potion AND told me I was less competent than your first-years." Hermione glared up at him, crossing her arms and scowling. Severus felt himself grow warm, noting she was even lovely when she was a raging tower of temper.
"Listen, love, can we just please go…I don't know, back to the school," Severus pleaded quietly. Hermione scowled. "Just to talk things over."
Hermione fortified herself with another dosage of eggnog. "You know what, Severus Snape?" she spat, advancing on him. "I don't think I have ever met anyone as cold-hearted as you, and who had enough nerve to say he just wanted to TALK about it!" Severus backed up, slowly as Hermione advanced on him, drawing her wand. "I'm tired of putting up with your bad moods, your sullenness, and your terrible drinking habits. I want out!"
Here Severus realized to his great misfortune that she was shouting, drawing the attention of all, and he had backed himself into a corner. The whole crowd of people had stopped chatting to stare at the arguing ex-couple in the corner.
"Er, Hermione, can we keep it dow—"
"NO, WE CANNOT KEEP IT DOWN!" Hermione shouted angrily. "I've put up with your verbal onslaughts for seven months and I'll be damned if—"
"Ahem," came a small cough. Both Severus and Hermione whipped their heads around to face Dumbledore, who was grinning widely, along with Fred and George Weasley, who had their wands out and seemed to be maneuvering something. "I don't wish to interrupt," the Headmaster said, "but it appears you two lovebirds have gotten under that famous piece of holiday cheer."
Both ex-lovers looked up angrily, their mouths dropping to silent O's. Hovering above them, thanks to Fred and George, was a huge leaf of—
"Mistletoe," Hermione said quietly. Severus took an energetic nod from Dumbledore, and then grabbed Hermione and pulled her in for a kiss, closing his eyes. Hermione gasped in surprise, blinked, and squirmed, finally getting out of the powerful lip-lock.
But when the couple broke up, they suddenly realized they were not in 12 Grimmauld Place any longer. Instead, they were in Snape's quarters, which were fully decorated with Christmas tinsel, garland, and—
"Mistletoe," Severus and Hermione said together, smiling as they saw a note on Snape's desk. Dear Lovebirds—hope you have a lovely Christmas (The mistletoe is so you never run out of excuses to kiss her, Severus!) Best wishes: Dumbledore, Fred, and George.
Hermione laughed, her eyes alight. Severus' heart quivered as she threw her arms around him.
"Oh, Severus," Hermione said, kissing him happily. "I'm sorry." She kissed him again, replying to his questioning glance. "What?" she asked. "It's the Christmas spirit."
Severus laughed deeply. "Yes it is, my dear. Happy Christmas."
Hermione chuckled as well, breaking away and trailing off toward the bedroom. "Happy indeed," she said. "I think we've finally found something to agree on."
Severus could only nod joyfully as he followed Hermione obligingly down the hall.
FIN
***
Oh, how cute. Out of Character, (a bit, a bit), yes…but cute nonetheless.
As I said in the beginning, this is a response to the WIKTT's "Severus Festivus" Challenge. Challenge responses are due the 18th of December, so I naturally am posting the 17th. So by the time you read this it will be too late to submit. Sorry!
Reviews are greatly appreciated and welcome.
Also, happy Chanukah in advance to all our Jewish friends out there! And Happy Christmas too! (And non-denominational holiday, ect)
-Madame