Author's notes: Updating again, YAY! This could very well be the longest chapter in this fic thus far, simply because, once I got writing, I just couldn't stop. This is a rather emotional chapter in my opinion, and I even managed to show myself that I can write a little more romantic that I thought I could. It's not huge, but it is mildly more romantic that I usually write.
Hope you like it!
Just one question to ask though. Should I put this in the HP category instead of WW? The way it's going, I'm seeing more HP than I am WW, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. If I moved it to HP, there's a chance I might get more readers/reviewers as well. But I dunno, I'll leave it up to you, the readers. Let me know what you think in your reviews.

Lady-jolly: I like Quintus too. More, in fact, than Kevin (my other main B/F for Selina in my other fics), which is strange because I've always liked Kevin a lot, lol. Severus and Constance are divorced and have been since Selina was about 5. Here's chapter 13 for you!

An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin: Lol, for once I have nothing really to say in reply to your review other than "thanks for the review". Shocking!

Jackie...heehee: Well, you'll find out about the surprise in the letter in this chapter. I still need to find a place to slip "Quinty" in, lol.

Ravenfairie: Glad you like it. Here's more for you.

Chapter 13: Christmas

Christmas break finally arrived for Quintus, and he was as excited as he possibly could be about spending it with Selina.
However, before leaving to pick her up, he went to see Severus.

"Ahh, Quintus, nice to see you." Severus said when Quintus entered.
"Hello, sir." Quintus replied.
"Are you off to pick up Selina and head home?" Severus asked.
"I am, sir." Quintus replied.
"Then I'll give you this." Severus said, handing an envelope to Quintus.
"Please try your best to get her to open it and read the contents."
"I won't stop until she has, even if it means getting her angry with me." Quintus replied, taking the envelope.
"Thank you, it means a lot to me." Severus said.
Quintus smiled.
"My pleasure, but I should be going so I can get home before dark."
"Of course." Severus replied, getting up and showing Quintus to the door.
"And do make sure that the two of you enjoy yourselves."
"I'm sure we will." Quintus said, then left.

At Cackles, Selina's excitement was showing as she constantly ran back and forth between the window and packing.
"Selina, do calm down and finish packing!" Constance scolded.
"But what if he comes?" Selina asked, going back to packing.
"I'm sure he'll wait for you." Constance said.

Selina looked out the window again, causing Constance to laugh.
She couldn't help herself really; Selina's excitement was becoming mildly amusing.

"Oh fine, you just watch for him and I'll finish packing for you." She said.
Selina beamed.
"Thank you, mother."

Quintus arrived about a half an hour later.
"He's here!" Selina squealed, grabbing her bag and bolting towards the entrance.

"Just you wait a minute, Selina Caroline Snape!" Constance shouted after her.
Selina froze in mid step.
"Where's my goodbye?" Constance asked.

Selina ran back to her mother.
"Goodbye, mother." She said, hugging her mother tightly.
"Goodbye, Selina. Have fun." Constance replied.
"I will!" Selina replied, bolting towards the entrance again, causing Constance to laugh once more.

"Hi!" Selina opened the entrance door to reveal Quintus, standing with his hand raised, as if about to knock.
Quintus jumped, slightly startled.
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were excited." He said.
"I am excited!" Selina said excitedly. (A/N: She's excited! Anyone notice that? Lol, I don't think I've typed so many forms of "excited" so many times together like that in my life)
Quintus laughed.
"So am I." He admitted.
"Shall we get going?"
"Of course." Selina replied.

Quintus led her over to a small sleigh that had been attached to Tanny and helped her put her things inside, then hugged her tightly.
"Nice to see you again."
Selina smiled and hugged him back.
"Not as nice as it is to see you."
Quintus laughed, kissing her gently on the cheek, then helping her into the sleigh and climbing in after her.

The two of them simply talked the rest of the trip away and soon found themselves at Quintus' house, which turned out to be a lovely looking medium sized cottage.
Selina smiled at the sight.
"Like it?" Quintus asked, noticing her smile.
"It's lovely." Selina replied.
"Wait till you see the inside." Quintus said.

The inside proved to be even better than the outside, causing Selina to gasp in amazement.
It had been magically expanded and was almost the same size as Cackles.

After introducing her to his patents, Octavia and Wendell Pattillo, Quintus took Selina to the guestroom that would be hers, which happened to be right beside his own.

After allowing her to settle in a little, he took her on a tour of the rest of the house, then the surrounding forest.

It had begun to snow a little when they went out into the forest, but they chose to sit on a bench in a small cleaning anyway.

Selina noticed that Quintus was looking at her a little more than usual.
"What?" She asked shortly after they'd sat down.
"Just admiring your beauty." Quintus replied.
"The snow makes your hair even prettier."
Selina blushed a little and turned away shyly.

A few moments later, she felt Quintus' hand on her cheek and turned to face him. Their lips met as she did so and they kissed; their first real kiss.

"I've wanted to do that for quite a while." Quintus admitted when they broke apart.
"It was worth the wait." Selina replied.

At that moment, Octavia called out to them from the house, telling them that dinner was ready.
The two of them walked, hand in hand, back to the house to have dinner.

Christmas soon arrived and Selina and Quintus quite enjoyed it.
They had to laugh when they opened their gifts from each other as they'd gotten the same thing; a new and rather warm cloak, Selina's in a sky blue, and Quintus' in a moss green, with their name embroidered into the collar.
"Great minds think alike." Wendell commented when he saw the two of them with their cloaks, causing them both to laugh.

"I have one more thing for you." Quintus said to Selina when everything else had been opened.
"Quintus, you know you shouldn't have." Selina said.
"It's not from me, it's from your father." Quintus replied.
Selina's face fell a little and grew somewhat dark.
"Don't bother."

"Selina, please, I told your father I'd get you to look at it even if it meant making you mad at me, and I meant it." Quintus begged.
"You spoke to my father?" Selina's eyes widened.
"I did. I think he's getting so desperate to have you talk to him again that he's willing to do pretty much anything, even if that means talking to me. He's even been getting nicer to everyone in class; I think he's getting depressed." Quintus replied.
Selina crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Good, make him suffer as I have."

Quintus held the envelope out to her.
"Selina, please. Do it for me?"
Selina sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
"Very well." She took the envelope and opened it slowly, then began to read the enclosed letter.

"My dearest Selina." The letter read.
"I hope I find you well and that you are enjoying your Christmas with Quintus.
"Yes, I know about him, but no, it was not Quintus that told me. Your mother wrote to me and told me exactly what was going on.
"Quintus and I had a talk shortly after I received the letter and I want you to know that I've given my permission for this relationship to continue." Selina looked up at Quintus briefly, then continued to read.
"I understand that you're angry with me, and I have come to understand that I fully deserve the treatment you're giving me.
"Selina, I'm so incredibly sorry for what I've done to you that I can't even find the words to say it. I can only hope that you'll find it in your hear to forgive me and allow us to be as we were.
"Having said that, I'd like to give you your Christmas gift. It's waiting outside for you, as am I (and though I'm writing this in advance, I encourage you to come quickly if you will; it's rather cold out here).
"Please give me the mere gift of forgiveness this year; it's all I could ask for.
"Sending my love, your father."

Selina dropped the letter when she had finished reading with a rather blank expression on her face.
"Selina, you alright?" Quintus asked.
Selina blinked several times and shook her head a little, as if shaking off a trance.
"I'm fine. Please excuse me for a few moments." She stood, picked up her new cloak from Quintus, and headed towards the door, only stopping to put on her shoes and cloak.

She opened the door and, sure enough, found her father standing a short ways away. She ran over to him and hugged him tightly.

Severus was overcome with emotion; Selina didn't need to say anything, her actions said it all. (A/N: this is where I thought about ending it, but my hand just kept moving the pen…)

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come." He whispered, hugging Selina back.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Selina replied, a few tears forming in her eyes.
"No, Selina, it is I who is sorry." Severus said.
"And I forgive you." Selina replied.
Severus smiled.
"That means more to me than you could ever imagine."

Selina broke the hug and smiled.
"To tell the truth, I missed you."
"I couldn't stop thinking about how to make you happy again." Severus said.

The two of them were silent for a few moments, then Severus spoke again.
"This is for you." He pulled a gold heart shaped locket from his pocket and handed it to Selina.
"It's beautiful, thank you." Selina said, smiling again.
"Open it." Severus said.

Selina did so and beamed. Inside was a photo of her mother and father on their wedding day.

"Your mother may disapprove of the choice of photo, but it was the only really nice one I could find. I thought that this way you could always have us both." Severus explained.

Selina handed it back to him and turned around.
"Put it on for me?" She asked.
Severus did so, smiling.
"I'm glad you like it."
"I love it. And I'm glad we're normal again." Selina replied.
"As am I" Severus replied.

The two of them hugged each other tightly, both thinking that this was as good a Christmas as one could ask for.

Another author's note: Awww, wasn't that just a semi emotional chapter? I thought it was sweet. And, in case you're wondering, the romantic bit I was referring to was the kiss.
Bryan, if you're reading this (which I'm gonna encourage you to do), is it just me, or are there rather a lot of references to us in here? Ask me later and I'll explain. I just noticed half of them while typing them out.