A/N This is just a little one shot that hit me this Christmas Eve. It's a gift to all of you in the hopes that you will all have a very merry Christmas and a joyful and prosperous New Year! Titania
Have Yourself A Snapey Little Christmas
Or
A One Shot Involving a Seriously OOC Severus
"Romantic gesture Potter?" he growled as he looked at the dark haired man incredulously.
"Uh-huh," he responded with a nod. "Come on Snape! Buck up! It won't be all that bad and Hermione would bowled over. As it is now, she says that she is unsure about how you really feel about her."
Severus huffed indignantly. "Unsure?" he muttered darkly. "How can that insufferable girl be unsure of my feelings for her?"
Harry rolled his eyes at his former teacher, amazed at his apparent stupidity for all of his brilliance. "Look Snape. Hermione loves books and concocting potions and all of that other apprentice stuff that you make her do. She never shuts up about it and it's very tiresome at parties, but a girl can't live on academia alone. In spite of the mind blowing sex, so she says." Harry flinched at the glare leveled in his direction. "Well, she has only talked about it once and it wasn't about technique or anything gross like that thank Merlin, Ron would have puked. No it was a passing comment made under the influence of fire whiskey. Lately though we've had to listen to her bitch and moan about how un- romantic you are and to be quite honest Snape, we're sick of it!"
Severus looked at the younger wizard, the Boy Who Lived To Defeat Voldie, as he was called at the High Table, and raised a speculative eyebrow.
"So you are here, under the guise of offering me advice on Hermione and her need for romance to save yourself and your friends from Hermione's constant complaining?"
"Well, erm, yea," he said. "That and we really do care about her and want her happy, and yes while at one time I didn't think that you were the man for the job, my opinion has changed somewhat. You haven't hexed or killed her at least, so that must mean something."
'Indeed,' he thought and he began to pace. Harry watched him for a time, trying without much success to hide the knowing smirk he had unconsciously picked up from his at one time most hated professor. That time had long passed due to the final battle with them tolerating each other for the sake of Hermione and eventually developing into a friendship of sorts. They treated the other gruffly but the affection was there none the less.
Finally his pacing stopped and he looked at the young man with a scowl.
"Stop smirking Potter, you'll never do it as well as I do. I assume that you will be attending Albus' infernal Christmas affair tomorrow evening?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied a bit flatly. Both men exchanged knowing glances.
"Good. You make sure that Hermione attends as well understand?"
Harry grinned as he stood up and made his way to the fireplace. "Got it Professor. See you tomorrow!"
In a rush of green flames he was gone, leaving Severus to ponder a certain little Know It All for the rest of the evening.
"I DO NOT look mousy!" Hermione Granger yelled causing the redhead to flinch.
While Harry had been visiting his gruff friend Ron had been working on Hermione. With a little help from Ginny for good measure due to the fact that for all of his good natured charm, Ronald Weasley wasn't the most romantic of young men himself. Add that to the fact that he still had a bit of a hard time when it came to Snape and Hermione's relationship he eagerly accepted the task of tackling the Hermione end of Harry's plan. If it worked, she would be happy and the complaining would stop.
"Ron didn't really mean it that way Hermione," Ginny soothed. "My brother merely meant that if you want to attract extra attention from Snape then maybe you should , erm well dress a little more- uh- sexy."
"I work in a potions lab Ginny," she chided. "Around dangerous things and it's not appropriate!"
Ron rolled his eyes and Ginny clucked her tongue. "Mione I'm not saying that you have to go round the lab with your breasts exposed or anything like that!" she exclaimed. "But you could do something with your hair besides wear it in that awful clippie thing or you could put a bit of makeup on or something."
Hermione folded her arms and stomped her foot impatiently, "Ginny,"
"Come on Mione!" Ron interrupted screwing up his face. "You say that you think that he's only interested in you for, eew, sex and that he has only said that he loved you on a few occasions-"
"-and never does anything romantic or gives you any presents or anything." Ginny interrupted.
"No candle lit dinners-"
"No flowers or-"
"Candy-"
"You don't go out in public even-"
"And quite frankly Mione, your party conversation is lacking these days." Ron finished.
She looked at her two red headed friends, tears shimmering in her eyes. "I'm really that boring to you guys?"
Ginny sighed and rushed to her friend. "No not boring!" She narrowed her eyes at her brother. "Just love sick is all. Have you told him that you aren't happy? No. You haven't. Have you asked him to take you out every once in a while? No to that as well. Not to mention the fact that you have stopped making any sort of effort with your looks like you did when you were trying to get his attention and so has he quite frankly."
Hermione turned to the mirror again and looked at herself critically. Everything was true, she had stopped making the little efforts she used to make with her looks. She used to charm her hair a little nicer. She used to wear at least a bit of perfume or lip gloss to work, but that had eventually stopped as the newness of their relationship had worn off.
Maybe they were right.
"So what do you recommend guys?" she asked in a small voice. Ginny broke into a wide grin and Ron shook his head in a mixture of disgust and wonder. This was his cue.
"Well to begin with, you can come to Dumbledore's thing tomorrow," he said.
"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed. "And you must dress to kill as well. I am perfectly willing to help you along that score as well as with your hair and makeup."
Hermione thought for a moment. She hadn't intended on going to the Christmas Eve feast that Dumbledore threw every year, she had intended to stay at the Burrow and catch up on her reading and her relaxation, but the situation with Severus was becoming intolerable, and she had to know whether or not he still loved her. As far as she was concerned the two years she had invested in the relationship, apprenticeship aside, made it worth the effort of her attendance. So she turned back to her friends and smiled.
"Okay then!" she said with a bit more happiness than she had felt recently. "Ginny where do you want to start?"
Severus glanced around his study with a satisfied look, pleased to see that Dobby and Winky had got the general idea as to what he wanted.
Cozy table for two set with nice linens and silver. Candles ready to glow with the flick of his wand and music as well. The house elves had promised him a supper that would please Hermione's palate and dessert, well dessert was another matter entirely. A matter that involved Astronomy tower and a naturally enchanted sky.
He gulped as he stuck his hand in a pocket and fingered the velvet box within.
Romantic and Snape didn't go well together, he thought, but for Hermione's sake he would make the effort. Even if he ended up looking foolish or soppy or Merlin forbid, Hufflepuffish. If he could spy for Dumbledore and not be discovered and killed, he could be romantic and survive.
The night before, after Potter's departure, he had made a trip to Hoggsmeade to buy the items he required for his personal ablutions. The bottles and pots now sat in his bathroom awaiting use. With the thought that there was no time like the present, he began his ritual with a nice hot bath.
A couple of hours later found him walking into the Great Hall and nearly cringing at the over decorated room. The staff had out done themselves, especially Flitwick, but then he had a certain proclivity toward the overdone side of things.
Fairies flitted about casting sparkling glitter around the room, some of it landing on the boughs of garland and balls of mistletoe. Wreathes adorned the walls and were hung around the torcheries and the finishing touches consisted of a dozen gaily decorated trees and a canopy of red, green and gold velvet over the large round table that was set with silver and crystal.
"Happy Christmas Severus," Albus Dumbledore said in a happy tone as he drifted into the room behind him. "I'm happy to see you here."
"Thank you Albus," he replied with a slight bow. Continuing in a dry tone he said, "I wouldn't dream of missing this."
Could the man get any odder, he thought as he regarded the Headmaster's choice of robes for the evening. He was dressed in robes of rich red velvet with snow white poinsettias embroidered on them. His hat was a rather pointy affair in red as well. In contrast to Severus' black and silver velvet, Dumbledore looked eccentric to the Potions master with his bright colours and twinkling eyes.
Before either man could say anything further, their attention was drawn to the doors and the entrance of Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter, and Ginny Weasley and…..here Severus hissed a startled breath, Hermione.
Their eyes met, black delving into brown as they drunk each other in.
She was amazing, dazzling, he thought as she stood there before him attired in robes of saphire blue. His eyes raked her form, noting that the velvet material cling to her décolletage, dipping down just enough to allow him to see the shadow of her cleavage and showing her slim waist to perfection. The rest of the robes flowed from her waist in a full skirt that was trimmed with black beads in the pattern of holly leaves. His eyes followed her slender neck up to her face again, her eyes glittering with pleasure, lids dusted with blue her lips glossed lightly in red. Her hair was tamed into an elegant French twist and pearl drops dangled from her lobes.
"Happy Christmas Severus," she murmured in a husky tone and his heart skipped a beat.
"Happy Christmas Hermione," he replied quietly as he bent to kiss her hand. Behind him Albus was twinkling madly, Ron was making a gagging motion with his fingers and Harry and Ginny smiled.
"Go away the lot of you," Severus growled as he stood back up without letting go of her hand.
"Come with me," he whispered when he sensed that they were alone. "I have something for you."
He led her from the hall and down the stairs toward the dungeons, his hand never leaving hers. Neither said anything to the other for inside both were shaking, she with uncertainty and he with not a small bit of fear and a sudden shyness.
"Close your eyes Hermione," he murmured when they had reached the doors to his chambers and she did, her breath hitching in anticipation. She heard him utter the spell to lower the wards and then felt him guide her into the room. Behind her the doors closed and he raised the wards again.
"Incendio," she heard him intone and the darkness flared into a gentle light behind her closed lids. She felt his lips on her hand again, then he murmured in his rich voice,
"Happy Christmas dearest."
She opened her eyes and gasped.
In the fireplace a fire flickered gently and on the walls candles glowed, but her eyes were drawn to the wooden table draped in silk and laden in silver, china and linen.
"Oh Severus!" she gasped as her eyes roamed over the setting, Dobby and Winky dressed in velvet pillowcases, each stood behind a dining chair cushioned with a velvet pillow. With a look from Severus, they pulled out their chairs and bowed to the pair.
She let him lead her to her seat and help her into it, smiling at Winky as she settled in. Winky returned the smile with a curtsey then placed a linen napkin in Hermione's lap.
Hermione looked at Severus, smiling shyly as he nodded to Dobby, who snapped his fingers.
Before them appeared a tray of oysters in their shells garnished with caviar, chopped eggs and spinach. With another snap of the house elf's fingers their flutes were filled with champagne and carols began to play softly in the background.
Dinner was a quiet affair, broken only by their soft words and the clink of silver against china. Attended faithfully by the House Elves, they both enjoyed their food, each captivated by the other. Finally dinner was finished and without a word, Severus stood and walking around to her chair, extended his hand.
She took it willingly and followed him through the castle, up may stairs and to the door that opened to the stairway that would take them up to the turret called Astronomy Tower.
Well this was new, she thought for not the first time since she opened her eyes in his study and she let him lead her up the spiraling staircase.
The night was crisp and cold and smelled of new fallen snow. He quietly cast a warming charm upon them and led her to the center of the tower. Had she been able to stop looking at him and had glanced at the sky above she would have seen that the night was clear and that the stars and moon shone like jewels on a background of dark velvet. As it was, they were both too caught up in each other to notice the show that nature had provided for them.
After some moments of silence, he pulled her to him and embraced her closely. She sighed as his hands stroked her back, up to her neck to the back of her head and to her cheek. Stroking it with his thumb, he leaned down and kissed her lips.
"Hermione," he gasped as the kiss ended. His body on fire, blood thrumming though his veins.
"Yes Severus?" she whispered as she listened to the beating of his heart, smiling at it's galloping pace. How she could have ever doubted his love for her, she thought.
He broke from her embrace and held her at arms length. Looking at her kiss swollen lips and hooded eyes he felt a rush of something that he couldn't quite name, but was right none the less and his long buried fear fled from his heart.
"I am a taciturn man by nature, Hermione," he said. "And I may not tell you that I love you every day, but know this always, I love you. I always have and I always will."
As tears of happiness began to course down her cheeks, he reached into his pocket and withdrew the black velvet box that had once felt like a lead weight but now felt like air. Pulling her into his arms again, he kissed her with a fervent passion until she moaned and pressed herself against him. He kissed his way across her jaw and to her ear, then whispered,
"Be my wife, Hermione Granger."