Christmas Lights

To MadameSnape, one of the wittiest, sauciest, compassionate, and most talented women I know.

A brisk, bitter, December wind crawled through the tightly knit seams of his ebony woolen traveling cloak, crawling along his pallid skin and seeping into his thin bones. His long graying dark hair flew behind him in great sprays and painful points of jagged sleet pounded at his bare forehead making the journey up the rural country lane that much more difficult.

It was as if the very weather itself was mocking this fools journey in the bosom of Christmas calamity.

'It will be good for you,' the old man had told him. 'Something that you've not had the chance for, and, sad as I am to say, may never have again.'

Severus Snape was quite content to not add the humiliation and spurious good will that he would have to dole out to his hefty list of tortures the old man had forced upon him to pay for the sins of his youth. He believed the old man really felt the need to make a mockery of him on some primal, schoolboy level. The mighty, valiant Gryffindor trumping the lowly, cunning Slytherin; it was enough to make Severus change his profession to Care of Magical Creatures and potion his hair blonde.

Whatever the old man's reasoning Severus Snape would not deny Dumbledore. Even years after his death Severus was fulfilling his duties and obligations set forth before the death of the disturbed Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Albus Dumbledore was, the only person who Snape ever trusted, ever gave a damn about in his adulthood beside himself. The man had given him life when he thought it should end more than once, and now, now it was time to grant the old man one last wish. Even if it did involve people and a certain holiday he has tried desperately for years to avoid.

One last bequest before he could say goodbye and be rid of the meddling coot for good. The snake that coiled around the heart of every true Slytherin hissed and nodded its head in approval.

That thought was the only thing that kept Severus moving forward down the country lane and over the hill to the little dirt path set beside a rusting tin can that he supposed might, upon closer inspection, have once been a post box. It kept his frigid skin warm as he traveled through the tracks of foxes and garden gnomes, beside the small, frozen pond and beyond the front gates.

It wasn't until he rounded the top of the last hill that he realized the he had saved the most enormous task for last. He thought that it would be the most horrible, of course. One that took every ounce of will power to make himself do. He would have rather bowed before Voldemort again, or at least had to endure the companionship of Bellatrix Lestrange for an evening or two than face the challenge before him. It was the very principal of the thing more than anything else. But now that it was upon him, he thought, at the very least it would be a quick job, something that would take a matter of an hour and then he could be on with the rest of his existence and forget the rest for however long he wished to be immersed in his own illusions with out anyone to tell him differently. The old man was dead, after all.

But at the sight that greeted his eyes as stood atop a hill looking down upon a house that only Babba Yagga herself could have devised, he knew as his heart sunk into his boots and the snake around his heart shook it's head in disgust at the idiocy of Gryffindor that this would be no easy task.

"Ah Severus, I didn't expect you so soon! Good to see you at last. It's been such a very long time. Too long! Too long! I'm still flabbergasted that you'd owled after so long and offered your assistance! I'd shake your hand but, um. Would you- Would you mind terribly helping me - down? I seem to have landed myself in a bit of pickle."

Severus looked blankly at the little gray-headed man and suppressed the gut-wrenching urge to do- something. Weather it be laugh, sneer, groan, or cast away all his carefully crafted and guarded demeanor and fall down upon the very earth and sob hysterically like a child, he couldn't tell. He simply couldn't fathom how on earth a pureblooded Wizard, even a pureblooded Weasley such as Arthur could manage to be dangling off the roof of what scarcely passed as a house with his wand ten feet below him from Muggle Christmas lights the size of snitches.

"Arthur, I am fairly certain this not some ludicrous scheme to turn your hair the shade it was ten years ago, so how in Merlin's name did you end up in such a predicament?"

"I thought I'd get a head start, you see. The Ecelctic Company had been saying for years that they would fulfill my order to wire up the outside of the house, but until this year they've never come. I was quite surprised they did actually. I hadn't even put in a request this year."

Arthur Weasley frowned in confusion for a moment, while Severus' brow fell lower and lower upon his nose. 'That blasted old man!' he yelled inside his own head. 'He knew!'

"This year they did though!" Arthur said pumping his fist in the air. They just showed up, as promptly as you please last evening. I wasn't about to turn them away so I had them install the Ecelctricity on the outside the house. Can't have it inside of course, to much magic, but the outside would be good for playing around in the shed and of course, Christmas lights! Fairy lights are all well and good, but the Muggles Ð I truly believe they have outdone Wizard in this respect. You know, they are just simply Amazing. But anyway, I thought I would start with the roof, and work my way down, but-" He rubbed his head a little and his wind nipped ears turned a brighter shade of red. "I got a bit excited with the dammer."

Severus looked up at Arthur. "Dammer?"

"You know, little iron thing with a wooden handle that you hit nails with?" he asked, making bizarre banging motions with his hands. "You have to nail the lights to the roof of course."

"Why not just use a sticking charm?" Severus said through gritted teeth trying and failing to be polite as possible. "It would have been bit, wiser, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. If Muggles use dammers to string their lights, then I should as well."

Severus merely stared at the daggling little man.

"Well then," Arthur said uncertainly, "If you would? Then we could get started?"

Severus raised his wand. A number of choice spells filtered through his mind, unfortunately none of them appropriate now that the Dark Lord was gone.

"No! No! No Magic! No Magic! Not while the Ecelctricity is on!"

"Then how, may I ask, am I to get your down?" Severus asked, his temper flaring so hot it threatened to melt the snow and sleet beneath his boots.

"I don't supposed you could walk down the lane a bit an conjure a ladder?"

"I believe that would be defeating the purpose."

Arthur twisted his head toward him blankly, and blinked.

"But Ð"

"Arthur Weasley! You get down here right this instant! Of all the foolish things. What if your grandchildren see you?"

"Molly Dear, I-" Arthur began to beg, much the Severus' delight.

"No excuses!" And before Arthur could protest further, a livid Molly Weasley, whipped out her wand and had her despairing husband up right and on the ground in a matter of seconds.

"Never again, Arthur! You could have been seriously injured! I don't know why you get yourself mixed up with these Muggles contr-"

BANG!

The inhabitants of the Weasley yard cast several defensive shields within the blink of an eye. Which was a good thing too, as a transformer that had sat innocently at very far end of the garden was showering the ground with sparks and shooting a violet colored lighting from its core.

Severus looked at Arthur. Arthur looked at Molly sadly. Molly had the decency to look sheepish and glanced at Severus, sighing to herself.

"It looks as though you've come a very long way for nothing. Care for a cup of tea? It's good to see you Severus."

But Severus wasn't listening to what Molly was saying. He was too occupied with his own inner turmoil to pay attention to anything but the sullen once redheaded man who was now sitting on the cold, wet sleet with his head in his gloved hands.

At that very moment, Severus would have liked nothing better than to have grabbed Arthur Weasley's 'dammer' and beat himself bluntly and repeatly over the head with it. Here was a golden opportunity to make a clean get away. To mark the very last of the tasks Dumbledore had wanted him to do after the demise of the Dark Lord off his list and not have to do a thing.

The problem with this was, Severus knew how to fix it so that 'Ecelctricity' or not, Arthur Weasley, the man who was now openly, vilely, sobbing into his plump wife's bosom, could have his pathetic Muggle Christmas display.

He had, often enough in his youth fixed his own toys that Tobias had ruined in his fury by magic and what was more, he made them better. The Electric train set that had been used as a blunt instrument of brutality he repaired with a few very precise waves of his wand. The remote control car his grandfather had given him the Christmas of his 13th year, which Tobias had somehow managed to run over with the family car. And when he was 16 he took an old radio that had been sitting in the shed for years and managed to program it so that not only could he listen to the Muggle Radio Stations, but the WWN as well. All with out the benefit of Electricity.

Severus debated. He knew that Arthur had enchanted Muggle things before. This would be very easy for him.

Severus gritted his teeth.

Severus had that blasted flash of the old man and his loathsome twinkle when ever he was about to do something the was distinctly not Slytherin. The Slytherin snake around his heart hissed and slithered its way through his major organs to hide from the humiliation somewhere around the base of his intestines.

But it wasn't the old mans shade that convinced him. Rather it was the flash of his mothers delightful smile, and the knowledge that his obligations to Dumbledore would not be fulfilled should he leave now.

He cleared his throat. "Arthur, I might know a way to make these, lights, run with out Electricity. Theoretically, of course."

Arthur's head shot up so far his horned-rimmed glasses fell off his face.

"Tell me!" he shouted gleefully, his smile so high it reached his ears.

"I have conditions, first."

"Of course, of course. They are?" Arthur asked.

"This never comes to the attention of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. I am sure you still have connections to that office and I in no way wish to be implicated should this go wrong. Nor, should anyone outside your family find out that I have beenÉ agreeable enough to help you."

"Not a word to anyone. They all know how mad about Muggle things I am anywayÉ"

"The second, condition Ð"

"Yes?"

"No 'Dammers,'

Arthur's face fell.

"Yes, right, but of course," Arthur's said twisting his hands together. "If we are to use magic to power them then, I just thought-"

"I draw the line at using instruments of force, Arthur-"

"That's a bit rich. Coming from you, that is, Professor?"

Ron Weasley's easy smirk offended Severus so badly he almost took points from Gryffindor.

"Mr. Weasley," Severus growled.

"Professor," Ron nodded once and then headed in the direction of his mother. "Mum," he said placing a quick peck on her cheek. "Hermione and the kids will be here tonight. They had some last minute things to do."

"I was about to put on some tea anyway since theses two seem to have things under control. Bill's little one's are inside helping with the decorating and I need to see that the little dears aren't attempting to burn the place down. Care to join me?"

Ron nodded once and glanced curiously at Severus. "It's been awhile."

Severus merely glared as the youngest Weasley son and deplorable potions maker walked into the house. He let out the air that had accumulated in his lungs since his arrival and turned his attentions back to Arthur. "So now that we are agreed, shall we?"

The task of getting the all of lights on the house was somewhat of a challenge. It wasn't that the work was hard, despite Arthur Weasley's better efforts. It was the sheer number of lights.

"Salazar's Crumpets, man! How many are there?" Severus exclaimed when he was shown the many boxes piled up around the other side of the house.

"50,000 strands. I counted them last year. Impressive isn't it? I've been saving them up since before I graduated Hogwarts. They all have plugs you seeÉ"

So, after an hour or so sifting through and sorting out box after box, parcel after parcel, they began to work.

Lights were hung from the chimney, from every eve, and every window. Around doors and pathways, from the trees and through the cluttered and wilted rows of the vegetable garden. They were weaved and sewn through bushes and shrubs, around the pond and a Christmas fairy built purely of white lights flew round and round high above it strumming a harp. The front garden became a magnificent topiary landscape with all manner of Christmas light animals, magical and otherwise.

Both Arthur and Severus added their own personal touches too. There was a Gryffindor lion that prowled along the edge of the fence and roared. Unfortunately every time it did so there was a large python that would erupt for the ground below it and bite it on the hindquarter.

The small field the Weasley children and now grandchildren used for quiddich games was decorated yet more strands of lights. Hoops and stands were set in place, and glowing players, quaffles, bludgers and even tiny little golden ball of light sailed around the renovated field.

Finally, as the last finishing touches were placed on the displays and the spells that had lit the individual scenes and creations were put out to create a dramatic effect for the true lighting, and Arthur Weasley skipped, bobbed and sang his way into the house to retrieve his family.

Severus took a quiet seat on the garden bench and traced the patterns and contours of the strands with his eyes. Looking at it all now, he couldn't help but feel bit nostalgic. His mother had loved Christmas and at this time of year, a time of year he loathed to remember until now, his mother would decorate their small home from top to bottom with all kinds of Christmas knick-knacks and niceties. All through out the month of December Severus and his mother would be doing some sort of Christmas activity while Tobias was away at work. Cookies and candies were made, presents were wrapped, live gingerbread men and women would play around their ginger bread home.

He fumbled with the clasp of his cloak and gazed up at the true winter lights in the clearing sky. He hadn't thought about those times for longer than he could remember. He reasoned with himself that it was his advancing age that was making him slip. Even while at Hogwarts with all it's Christmas spectacle he had managed shove the memories as far out of his mind as possible. And now that he had helped the create possibly the biggest Muggle and Magical Christmas display in all of England he could help but feel his mothers spirit and something that made the Snake poke it's head out from the bottom of his bowels and shakes it's head in disgust once more. He was, happy. Not the sadistic sort of happiness that he associated with his old life and old cause, but something that lazily fluttered around his war-torn heart. He wasn't quite sure why he should feel this way, or if it was even possible given the circumstances, but there it was, no matter how hard he tried to deny it, a provide a reasonable explanation. It was not the horrible ache he thought it would be, it was pleasant, gratifying.

He quickly transformed the slight trace of a smile of his face into a scowl as the various members of the Weasley family sauntered merrily out of the Burrow.

"Severus! Severus! You must come join us! This is your doing too," Arthur Weasley shouted to him over the throng.

"I will ask you to keep that quite to yourself, Arthur," Severus replied as acidly as he could muster.

Arthur simply clapped him on the back once and smiled, much to Severus' dismay.

"Gather 'round everyone, gather 'round! It is time for us to light up the night!"

"Arthur! Arthur don't you think we should wait for the others? Surely they want to see too?" Molly Weasley called from the doorway with Ron Weasley carrying something flat, but large under a black satin cloth.

"From the look of things, they'll be able to see it for miles before they arrive, Mum," Bill Weasley said scanning the gardens.

"Right you are, Bill. I've waited much too long to wait, Molly. They'll see it when they arrive," said Arthur giddily.

"How did she ever manage to get the through the floo?" Charlie Weasley asked, looking at the object Molly and Ron were carrying.

"A Christmas mystery, for sure," said Arthur. "But I am very glad to share this moment."

Severus eyed the package suspiciously. What on earth would be so important that it couldn't travel by itself through the floo?

"Now, everyone stand back and cover your eyes."

Everyone looked at Arthur skeptically, but lowered their lids nonetheless. The two redheaded children who stood close to Bill and his bride smashed their little hands across their eyes as tightly as they could, turning their heads back and forth looking for silent confirmation that they event had occurred.

Severus closed his eyes as well; for he knew what was to come would be the equivalent the light from a Muggle atomic blast.

"One. Two. Three! Happy Christmas everyone!" Arthur Weasley roared.

Severus opened his eyes and blinked back tears at the wake of the blinding spectacle before him. The night sky was alive and bright with light only the midday sun could produce.

"Oh Arthur, it's beautiful!" Molly exclaimed.

"Way to go, Dad!" Bill said patting a very vibrant and teary Arthur Weasley on the back.

"Grand-pere! Grand-pere! It is fantastic!" the littlest Weasley boy called dashing between the candy cane paths and the self-exploding, Wizarding crackers made of Christmas lights.

The family began to wonder throughout the Christmas wonderland that the Weasley family homestead had become and Severus stood back and watched with an emotion he couldn't quite place. It was no longer happiness he felt but something he supposed was delight.

"He wanted to share this moment with you," Ron said quietly behind him.

Severus spun on his heal so fast he feared he may slip in the snow and sleet, and indeed if the snow hadn't made his fall the sight before his aging eyes certainly would.

There, propped up in front of Ron Weasley still skinny legs was the reveled portrait of Albus Dumbledore, smiling broadly with a twinkle in his eye that was most certinaly not part of the portrait.