Heartbroken Christmas

Author: Leta McGotor

A big thank-you and my best wishes to Christmas are going to lisa and LinZE for reviewing.

Chapter 2: The mistletoe

Severus waited nervously at the staircase that led downstairs into the dungeons. He had stood there for a few minutes now, pacing backwards and forwards and thinking what to say and what to do. In his hands he had a little package, wrapped in green paper and with a golden loop. Again and again he was pacing and from time to time he went to the main staircase to look if somebody was coming. Surely there were people coming down and going into the Great Hall for dinner but Severus waited for a special person. She was always punctual with her meals and he couldn't remember that there had been even one time when she came late. But there is always the first time for something and the time when Minerva McGongall came late for dinner seemed to be today.

Severus knew that nearly all remaining people in the school were now in the Great Hall enjoying their dinner, but although he was really hungry, he stood there and waited. She would not miss dinner, would she? Severus heard the laughter from the others and remembering the looks he had received when they had seen him waiting, he knew for sure that he was the reason why they laughed at the moment. It had to be very funny to see him waiting with a small package in his hands. Even the few students had stared at him a few minutes before they noticed his grumpy look and vanished into the Great Hall before he could take any points away or give them detention.

Severus nearly gave up hope and wanted to turn around and go to his dinner when he heard hurried footsteps coming down the staircase above him. He sighed. Maybe it wasn't too bad that she was late, because now there would be no one who would overhear them.

When Minerva reached the bottom of the stairs and turned into the direction of the Great Hall –all in a great hurry for she had slept that long in front of her fire that she had nearly forgotten about dinner at all - , Severus stopped her.

"Minerva, wait." She looked at him curiously but stopped in her tracks and waited. She had hoped to see him at dinner but because she had slept and only woken up a few minutes ago, she had been afraid to miss him. Minerva hadn't expected that he waited for her in the Entrance Hall, what did he want?

"Come here.", he said and pulled her with him so that the others in the Great Hall couldn't see them for they had stopped laughing and talking.

"Severus, what…?"

"Here." He said without looking at her and without further explanation. He gave her the present wordlessly. Minerva stared at it the same way Severus had stared at his one. Then she looked at him.

"Severus, what… I don't understand…"

"Your present. Surely you want one now you have given me one, too."

"No, I didn't expect anything, Severus. I didn't give it to you because I wanted… Don't understand me wrong. Not that I'm not happy you thought of such a possebility. I just didn't expect."

"Yes, but I have something for you. So open it." He said more nervous than before. Would she like it?

Slowly Minerva took the little package from his hands. What would it be? It didn't have the form of sweets and it was too small for a book. Carefully she opened the little box and found herself confronted with one of the bost beautiful chains she had ever see. It was a silver one with a small locket, in which an emerald was set. She stared at the chain and while doing so forgot all around her. Severus looked at her curiously. She had said nothing yet and she had showed no emotion. Why couldn't he read that woman like any other? After several moments of silence, Minerva began to speak.

"Severus, it's… it's beautiful. I don't know what to say. Thank you." She said still staring at her present. "But you know, you needn't…"

"You gave me the watch, so take it. Come, I'll help you.", he answered, not sure why he said it. Minerva gave him the chain and turned around. Slowly and carfully he lput it around her neck – she had a beautiful neck in his opinion.

"So, I'm ready. Let me look. Yes, a beautiful locket for a wonderful woman." He said and his cheeks flushed in the same second. Why did he say such things? Why did he think such things? Had he drunken something poisoned? Minerva looked at him and flushed, too.

"Well, yes…" They said in unison both looking at the floor and unsure how to react. Then they heard a strange noise and Severus flushed even more.

"Oh, are you hungry? Maybe we should go to dinner?" Minerva answered with a small smile on her lips.

"Yes, maybe we should." He said deeply embarrassed. Why had his stomach to make such noises? When they both wanted to turn around they felt an invisible barrier around them.

"What's that?"

"Albus"

"Pardon?"

"It's Albus' work. I bet we are standing under a mistletoe and the barrier doesn't let us go now." She explained and looked up. Indeed there was hanging a mistletoe above them.

"Where does he take those silly ideas from?"

"I don't know."

"And now? Do we have to wait until he comes and lets us out?"

"He won't let us out, Severus. That's the problem – or better that is his aim."

"What, to lock half the staff in? Is the man crazy? No, wait, don't answer. Yes, he is crazy."

"We can get out of here in a minute but you won't like the way."

"What is it?"

"We must kiss."

"We must what?"

"Kiss." Severus looked puzzled at her, Minerva only rolled her eyes and then looked back at the barrier. "But there must something else." She said more to herself and touched it again. Only when two hands packed her from behind and turned her around, she shrieked but stopped when she felt two warm lips on her own ones.

She didn't know what to do, what to think, sie even didn't know how to breathe. It was a strange feeling that was welling up inside of her. Her brain told her to pull away but her body didn't want to listen and the reaction was that she leaned completely into him.

Severus didn't knew what had occurred to him that he had reacted in that way. He was more shocked than his companion when he had kissed her, but now he was glad about it. It was a fantastic feeling to touch her lips with his own, to be so near, to feel her.

Slowly they parted again and looked each other in the eyes unable to speak, unable to have a clear thought. They only stared at each other, not embarressed but dreamingly and satisfied. It seemed as if all around them had stopped breathing, as if the air kept the own breath. But then suddenly it all crashed when they heard a happy sound behind them.

"That's it, that's it.", shrieked Xiomara Hooch and ran up the stairs. Severus and Minerva could only stare behind her.

"I knew it, she is crazy, isn't she?" Severus asked.

"I don't know, maybe."

"Crazy, simply crazy. But you see the barrier has gone. So could you be so friendly and let me go, I have other things to do." With these words he turned around and went down the stairs to his rooms, letting Minerva staring unbelievingly behind him.

The next morning when Minerva entered the Great Hall for breakfast, she received a wave of curious looks. Some teachers really stared at her and even Albus Dumbledore couldn't look in another direction. Slowly and with raised eyebrows she took her seat at the table.

"Good Morning."

"Good Morning, Minerva. How was your night?" giggled Professor Sprout. Minerva looked at her, not knowing what had gotten into her. But then Xiomara started giggling, too.

"What has gotten into you both?" Minerva asked a little bit aggravated. In that moment Severus entered the Great Hall and Professor Sprout and Madam Hooch started laughing all over. Severus looked bewildered at them but said nothing.

"What has happened?" Minerva asked again. As an answer she only received a little photo. She snapped it from Xiomara's hand and looked at it. In the same second her face lost all colour and it seemed that she couldn't breathe. All the teachers, even Severus Snape, had gone quiet. How would she react? The photo showed two people – herself and Severus – in what seemed a loving embrace. She with her hands around his neck and he with his ones around her waist – kissing – and above them the mistletoe.

Slowly, really slowly she put the picture back on the table. Without another word she pushed it directly in front of Severus and then stood up and left the Great Hall. Seveus only stared after her. What had gotten into her? He shrugged and took the picture in his hands. In the next second all jumped from their places as there was only a loud "Hooch, I'll poison you!" to hear.

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