Chapter 2
By Lady Balinor
Severus remembered this Christmas party all too well. It was during Harry's 7th year - after a particularly gruesome battle, Albus had thought it would be a good morale booster to have a party for the Order. Molly had volunteered to have the party at the Burrow and took up the task with such fervor that everyone else decided it was best to stay out of her way. Severus had wanted to skip the party altogether in favor of working in his dungeons as he was wont to do on Christmas Eve, but Albus had forced him to partake in the festivities.
Severus was pulled from his reverie when he saw himself enter the room. He knew why he had entered - Molly had asked him to call everyone into the dining room for dinner and he had been unable to refuse one of the few people he counted as a friend. Looking back, Severus cursed his compliance with Molly's request.
The scene unfolded and though he knew what was about to happen, Severus could not force himself to turn away. Severus watched as his memory self stood at the door, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. The room was soon silent and the memory Severus spoke, "If you are all ready, dinner is about to be served."
Surprised by the normally irritable professor's civility, the occupants of the room found themselves unable to move for a few moments. Harry was the first one to regain his wits and he walked over to the doorway where Severus was standing. Severus had just turned to head back to the dinning room when a faint popping noise caused him to whirl around and face the living room, wand drawn. Peering around the room, Severus saw all eyes fixed not on him, but directly above his head. Severus tilted his head upward and what he saw took him by surprise. Floating in the air between himself and Harry was a sprig of holly. Confused by this sight, Severus asked, "What is that thing and why is it dangling above my head?"
"It's holly, Professor," Harry supplied.
"I'm glad you are able to identify plants, Potter. Let's hope this newfound ability can translate into Potions once the new term resumes. However, what I wanted to know was why there is a plant suspended in the air above my head!" Severus cried, starting to get annoyed because he seemed to be the only one in the room who had no idea what was going on.
"It's mistletoe, sir," Ron replied. "Harry was helping mum with the decorations when he mentioned that the Muggles have this tradition with mistletoe. Dad got really excited when Harry was explaining it and he decided we had to have some for the party. Of course, he couldn't just let the holly hang in one place the whole time, so he modified it so that it would appear at random places and times. I think he added a few other features, as well, but I'm not sure what. Anyway, the tradition is that when two people are under it at the same time, they're supposed to kiss - right Harry?"
"That's right Ron," Harry replied, looking slightly nervous.
Severus had paled at the end of Ron's explanation, but had lost all color at Harry's confirmation of the tradition. Thoughts flew through Severus' mind. He would not kiss a student, let alone Gryffindor's 'Golden Boy'. There had to be some way out of this and he was determined to find it. Suddenly, an idea struck him - an idea so simple that he berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. "As charming as that quaint little Muggle tradition sounds, I am not in the habit of kissing my students. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to return to the dining room so that I can eat and then leave."
Severus turned around but he was able to take only a few steps before a mysterious force hurled him backwards. This force had thrown Severus off balance and the only thing that kept him from falling was the arm Harry had curled around his waist.
"I guess that's one of the features dad added in," Ron said.
Severus rolled his eyes at the statement of the obvious, but his scathing retort was cut of by Harry speaking. "It seems like the only way we're ever going to move from this doorway is if we kiss and I don't know about you, Professor, but I don't want to spend the rest of the night standing here. Why don't we just get it over with?"
"It pains me to admit this, Potter, but you are actually making sense."
"Okay then, sir. Shall we kiss on the count of three?" Severus gave a slight nod in agreement and Harry started counting, "One...two...three..." Their lips met in what was at first a tentative kiss, a simple meeting of lips. Soon, however, the kiss turned passionate and Severus forced himself to pull away before doing something he'd regret. As he looked around, he found the room silent for the second time that night.
Harry was the first to break the silence. However, 'wow' was as much as his muddled brain could get him to say.
"Eloquent as always, Potter," Severus drawled, refusing to meet the intense gaze of those bright green eyes. "It amazes me that anyone would find you attractive given your inability to grasp the English language."
"It amazes me that you aren't beating back suitors given your charming disposition," said Lucius, who had remained uncharacteristically silent since the memory Severus had entered the room.
The real Severus was saved from responding by the swirling that surrounded him once again. Unlike the other times, though, this spinning had the effect of advancing the memory to a point much later in the evening. Severus saw himself leaving the Burrow in order to return to Hogwarts. A thrill of dread raced through him as he followed himself outside. There he saw the sight he had been dreading since the moment he realized which Christmas memory this was. There, sitting on a small bench a few feet from the door was Harry. But Harry wasn't alone; he was sitting next to Charlie Weasley. The two of them were talking quietly, but Severus could hear them clearly, just as he could the night this had all taken place.
"Harry," Charlie was saying, "don't listen to what Snape says. He's just a bitter old git who can't stand to see anybody happy. Don't listen to him, listen to me. Personally, it amazes me that anyone could not find you attractive. I know I do."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yes, really," Charlie replied, leaning down so that his lips met Harry's in a passionate kiss. As their lips met, Severus felt his heart clench and a wave of jealousy wash through him.
At that moment, everything began to go fuzzy and a few seconds later, Severus found himself back in his room. Angered at having to relive the pain and jealousy he felt at seeing Harry kissing someone else, Severus turned to Lucius and snapped, "Just how was that supposed to 'sort me out'? I'm starting to get the feeling that you took me back there just to cause me more pain."
"Oh, Severus, I don't know what you mean. I was sent here to help you," Lucius replied, lips set in a mock pout. At Severus' eye roll Lucius continued, his pout becoming an evil grin, "Any pain or annoyance I cause you is simply a fringe benefit for me. As for how this is to help you, I have no idea. I'll just let that up to the others."
"Others?" Severus questioned, suddenly remembering that Lucius had mentioned that he was only one of many Severus would this night.
"Honestly, sometimes I think you have a shorter memory span than the mudbloods you teach. You are being shown your past, present, and future. As much as I'd like to stick around for everything, my domain is that of the past. There will be two others who come after me, one for the present and one for the future. I'd think even you'd be able to handle that concept. And alas, my time has come to an end. Have fun!" Lucius said as he slowly began to disappear.
Soon, Severus was left alone in his rooms once more, glaring at the spot where Lucius had just stood and trying not to think of the pain the memory of that Christmas had caused. Severus laid down on his bed and fell into a fitful sleep haunted by the memory of those bright green eyes and the young man they belonged to.