And here is the second chapter and I have to admit that this one turned out to be totally different from what I have planned.
I didn't want to make it that emotional, but it had happened and I don't regret this at all, for I really like how this turned out :).
I hope you will like it as well.
I also hope I get the third (and last) chapter done before christmas eve, but I can't make any promises, for it is really hard to write.
So shouldn't I get it done in time I already wish you a wonderful christmas :)
And as always I would appreciated feedback in the form of a comment very much, thank you.
Please don't be shy and share your thoughts with me, for it would mean a lot to me to know what you think about this.
And to answer the few comments from the previous chapter:
GiuliaComix
I am very happy to read that you liked it and also that the characters are not OOC :D
I am always worried about that whenever I start writing for a new fandom.
So that means a lot to me right now :D
While I don't mind the older movie version at all (Alan Rickman was pure perfection and the reason why I fell in love with HP)
I also don't mind the younger version of Snape. But I must say that I like to orientate myself on the movie version much more,
for I simply don't like the book Snape that much (he is an a-hole through and through if you ask me while the movie version is not).
So the Snape in my FFs are some kind of combination from book AND movie (if this makes sense). ^_^
And indeed, cats can help you a lot to calm down and feel much better or open up. I know what I am talking about for I have been
in situations like these a lot of times myself.
notwritten
Thank you very much :)
Yes, Cats are wonderful animals to have around, but they can also be little Tricksters if they want to haha.
They just know what to do to get what they want XD.
Chapter 2:
Christmas in Hogwarts
Christmas Eve at Hogwarts was always a huge and beautiful celebration.
Here the saying "Experience the Magic of Christmas" was taken literally and the Feast of Feasts was turned into a truly magical event by the teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Even in the years when not many students stayed at Hogwarts to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.
Like this year…
Not many students had stayed at Hogwarts this year, but for those who stayed, there was a great and sumptuous feast on Christmas Eve before the presents were placed under the Christmas trees in the respective common rooms the following morning. Christmas took place in the festively decorated, great hall. The tables were full of food and every student was invited to attend the festivities. Even if they just stopped by to get something to eat.
Most of the students decided to just eat something and then go back to their common rooms and spend Christmas among themselves, because the teachers who had stayed at Hogwarts were also present in the great hall and celebrated the feast at the teachers' table. Not wanting to be disrespectful to their teachers, the students stayed for a while to eat tasty food or feast on the many Christmas candies that were also on the tables before going back to their common rooms.
Dumbledore watched the hustle and bustle in the great hall with twinkling eyes. The students went in and out, laughed, fooled around and were happier than they had been for a long time.
A big smile had appeared on his face too.
The magic of Christmas was something very special and he loved it like nothing else in this world. Even among the teachers there was a relaxed atmosphere and you could clearly see their joy.
But something clouded his joy that evening, because when he let his eyes wander over the few teachers who were sitting with him at the teachers table, he noticed that one was missing.
It didn't really surprise him that Severus' seat was empty, because the Slytherin Head of House never showed up in the great hall on Christmas Eve and preferred to stay down in the dungeons while others had their fun. Actually, it wasn't just like this at Christmas, but on almost all festive days.
A quiet sigh escaped Albus.
Minerva, who was sitting next to him, noticed the gloomy mood and frowned at him.
"Are you okay, Albus?"
"I'm all right, my dear, but as so often I am worried about Severus."
"You know that he hardly ever takes part in the Christmas festivities."
"Yes, I know that, but I thought after last week he might be ready to celebrate it this year. At least this once."
"I don't think we'll ever make him do it. You know him as well as I do."
"I know, but it hurts my heart to see everyone around me so happy and to know that someone is not. He sits completely alone in the dark dungeons. Nobody should spend Christmas like this."
Minerva secretly agreed, but what could they do about it?
Severus Snape was a stubborn man who turned his back on people who were just trying to spend time with him or be nice to him. She knew about his past and that it had never been easy for him in his life. Not even as a child. Why should he be any different as an adult? If he had barely experienced love as a child, why should he open his heart now?
But she also knew that hope wasn't completely lost, because you just had to press the right buttons to lure Severus a little out of his shell. His heart wasn't completely cold, but it was hard to break the ice. Last week she had made it a little, but the moment was gone the next day when the young potions teacher woke up and went back to the dungeons, where he had rebuilt his protective wall. He couldn't stand it when someone was nice to him. Or he didn't want to admit it. He still blamed himself for everything and even if Minerva had to admit that he had done many bad things in his past as a Death Eater, she knew he had changed too. Still, he still thought he was a monster and just didn't allow it when other people wanted to be nice to him.
But she could be just as stubborn as he was and Minerva knew that Albus Dumbledore was also a very stubborn man who would put into practice what he had initially set himself in mind. No matter how he would do it or how long it would take him.
And so she wasn't in the least surprised when Dumbledore slowly rose from his seat and smiled gently at her. The twinkle, that came back into his eyes, said more than a thousand words and she couldn't help but grin slightly.
"My dear, why don't you try this delicious Christmas pudding while I bring our Potions Master over to us?"
It wasn't a real question, more of a promise and Minerva didn't even get the chance to answer when Albus turned around and left the great hall.
At that moment she didn't know whether to feel sorry for Severus or whether she should just give in to the fit of laughter that was building up in her stomach...
Severus Snape didn't notice any of this.
He had made himself comfortable in his personal quarters far down in the dungeons of Hogwarts. As long as one could speak of comfort in the dungeons.
His quarters, though spacious, looked cool and dark.
There was a living area that was only lit by a few candles. A leather couch stood in the middle of the room. In front of it was an old wooden table and a little further away there was a leather armchair near the fireplace, in which a wonderful fire crackled. Bookshelves stood on the stone walls and in the corner was an old desk with all sorts of quills and parchment on it. A dark corridor branched off from the living room and led into his personal bedroom, which was just as dark as the rest of his quarters. A large double bed with dark green curtains offered enough space for a good night's sleep. There was a large, dark mahogany wardrobe in the corner and a chest of drawers on the other side, also made from the dark mahogany wood. A door led to the adjoining bathroom.
And that's exactly where the Potions Master was just enjoying the hot water that rained from the shower and washed away the stress of the past few days.
Unlike the other teachers, Severus hadn't wasted the last few days on this Christmas stuff, but had taken care of the school material for the next year and that had cost a lot of time and even more nerves. But it had been worth the effort, because now he too could enjoy his vacation, albeit very differently than the rest of his colleagues.
He preferred to stay alone and hide down here in the dungeons until the Christmas season was over. That's how he had always done it, and that's how he always would do it.
He stood motionless in the shower for a few more minutes, enjoying the hot water, which loosened his tense muscles and cleaned him up before turning the water off and getting out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and dried his hair with another. Then he went into his bedroom and stopped in front of a mirror that stood in a corner of the room. His eyes darkened as he looked at the dark mark on his left forearm. It disgusted him every time he saw it and sometimes he had the strange feeling that it didn't look as pale as it did a year ago. But it could all be just his imagination after all...
He quickly averted his gaze from his reflection in the mirror, took the towel from his hip and dried the rest of his body off before taking a fresh robe from his closet. His gaze fell on the green sweater that Dumbledore had given him for last Christmas and that was now lying in a dark corner of his closet and he was almost tempted to take it and put it on. What nobody knew was the fact that he had worn this sweater several times already. Of course, only when he was sure that he was really alone and undisturbed. He didn't even want to imagine how Dumbledore would react would he ever find out that he was wearing his self-knitted sweater. The way he knew the old coot he would go mad with joy and possibly knit a whole collection of it just for him...
The thought was so absurd that the corners of his mouth twitched upward for a tiny second. But in the end he decided to wear his school robe. However, he left the cloak off. He didn't need it because he didn't plan to leave his quarters. He also left off the coat he was wearing over it and only opted for the black trousers and the white dress shirt.
He wanted to have a quiet evening. Sit in front of the crackling fire in his fireplace with a good book in one hand and a nice cup of hot tea in the other.
Should the others celebrate their Christmas Eve as they wanted and should they let him "celebrate" this day as he wanted to.
As long as he had his peace, everything was fine...
He had a house-elf bring his tea, grabbed one of his favorite books from one of the shelves and sat down in the leather armchair near his fireplace. But he didn't even get the chance to open the book, let alone take a sip of his tea, when there was a knock on the heavy wooden door to his quarters.
A grumble escaped his throat, but he made no move to get up. Whoever that was had to wait until tomorrow if he wanted something from him. He didn't feel like having his quiet evening ruined.
But whoever that was didn't want to give up his efforts to get his attention and knocked until Severus was fed up and got up from his armchair and went to his door.
He wasn't even surprised to find Dumbledore standing on his doorstep when he opened the door.
"Severus, my dear boy, would you invite an old man like me into your humble home?"
Snape had to hold himself back from rolling his eyes as he complied with Dumbledore's request and, albeit very reluctantly, let him into his quarters. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled with joy, which Severus simply ignored and he let the door slam shut a little too loudly after Dumbledore entered.
"What gives me the honor of your visit, Albus?" he asked, making his voice sound as monotonous as ever. Which wasn't that easy, since he could already guess why Albus was here.
"Oh, nothing special, Severus. I was just nearby and I thought I would drop by and see how you are doing."
Yes, of course. Albus had nothing better to do than walk around the dark dungeons on Christmas Eve? Nobody would believe this lie; least of all Severus!
"I am fine."
The Headmaster looked at him with those twinkling eyes and Severus shuddered slightly at those looks that never bode well for him.
"Are you sure that you are really fine?"
Okay, he hadn't expected this direct question either.
"Of course. Why shouldn't I be fine?"
For the fact that the question had taken him by surprise, he did a really good job of not showing it. He wasn't the Headmaster's best spy for nothing, who could even fool the Dark Lord himself.
"Well, all alone down here in the dark dungeons?"
"Are you saying that I'm scared down here?"
Dumbledore laughed softly.
"No, no, my boy. I didn't mean to say that. But...why don't you come upstairs and keep us company at Christmas dinner? You don't have to spend Christmas Eve down here and certainly not all alone."
The cat was out of the bag faster than Severus had expected and now he couldn't control himself anymore and rolled his eyes. But Albus didn't seem to see that, because his eyes went straight through the dark room and he frowned thoughtfully when he saw the lonely cup of tea on the little table next to the leather armchair.
"Have you eaten anything today, Severus?"
Oh man, of course Albus had to let the father figure hang out again and mother him...
He was thirty-one years old. He didn't need someone to mother him and remind him to eat something. At that age he could do that by himself...
But he was careful not to say these thoughts out loud. As much as Albus mother hen behavior annoyed him, he had a lot of respect for the Headmaster and didn't dare to be disrespectful towards him.
"I'm not very hungry, Albus. A cup of tea is enough for me before I go to bed."
He hoped to avoid further questions and to get Albus to leave his quarters and leave him alone, but of course it wasn't as easy as he had hoped.
Dumbledore turned back to him and frowned again as he looked at his body this time.
"You should eat a little more, my boy. I have the feeling as if you are getting thinner and thinner," said the older wizard and to underline his words he poked Severus in the protruding ribs, who only growled and narrowed his eyes slightly and rubbed his hand over the place where Dumbledore's finger had just poked him.
Why couldn't he just leave him alone?!
"I'm fine, Albus!" he growled in a sharp, cutting voice.
"You might feel a little better if you came with me. Just for an hour, Severus. Please. Do me and the others this favor at least once. Who knows? Maybe you will find joy at Christmas after all?"
The younger wizard raised an eyebrow at these words and looked at the other with his famous mockery.
"I don't think the "Scrooge of Hogwarts" will find joy in Christmas."
Dumbledore grimaced and looked guilty at him.
"I just wanted to have a little fun and not hurt you with these words. I'm sorry if I hurt you with it."
Oh man, Snape couldn't be mad at him. Especially not when he was looking at him like he was doing now! He had just gotten too soft since teaching here. A fact that he urgently needed to change!
Nevertheless, he didn't want to give in to the headmaster's pleading and also not to the desire to decorate his quarters for Christmas to get him into the right Christmas mood.
"Please Albus. I just want to have my peace. The last week was very exhausting for me."
"You work too much."
"I've just prepared everything for the start of the next school year. Something my colleagues have missed again."
"Now, come on, my boy. There is still enough time for something like that after the holidays."
"Not for me."
Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. He hardly could think of any more arguments to get Severus to go with him.
But there was one more thing he could try, even if he knew that, with his next words, he would be walking on very thin ice.
"You know that she would never have wanted that for you, Severus..."
Severus, who had turned his back on him and was just about to go back to his chair, stood still and tensed up when these words reached his ears. An ice-cold silence spread between the two wizards and the tension was almost palpable as the Potions Master slowly turned his head and shot Dumbledore a glare, so piercing, that even he shuddered for a brief moment.
"I think you should go now, Headmaster..."
And immediately he went for distance. As always when someone brought up this topic.
But this time Dumbledore wouldn't be send away as easily as the times before.
The boy needed help; Everyone could see that by now.
And it was at that moment that Albus could imagine why Severus hated Christmas so much. It wasn't Christmas itself that he hated. He just couldn't stand the sight of all those happy people, who were together with their friends, family, or loving partners. He always thought he was alone, that everyone hated him and that he deserved to suffer for his deeds.
He didn't even know how wrong he was with that thought...
But it was difficult to convince him otherwise, as he didn't open up to anyone. As soon as someone even tried to be nice to him or to help him, he closed himself off immediately, kept his distance and could often become a real disgust if he wanted to. And mostly he let his frustration out in his classroom the next day.
It just couldn't go on like this.
Dumbledore built himself up to his full height and the soft twinkle in his eyes gave way to a stern look that he rarely used and that never failed to work. He saw Severus flinch slightly under the gaze and immediately the young teacher turned his face away from him.
"I'm not going to watch you drown in self-pity for another year, Severus. It can't go on like this. You know that as much as I do."
Severus felt the anger boil up inside his stomach and his hands involuntarily clenched into fists.
"What do you know about how I'm doing and what I can and can't do?! You, who have everything you could want! Power, prestige...friends. Everyone likes you. And me? Everyone hates me anyway, so it makes no difference whether I take part in this stupid festival or not!"
"I'm not saying that attending Christmas will eliminate all of your problems. But it would be a start and it would be good for you. Maybe then you will finally see that nobody hates you. Hatred is a very powerful force. You, my boy, should know that..."
Severus snorted contemptuously.
Oh yes, he knew exactly what a powerful force pure hatred could be and what it made one do! In his case it had led to him betraying his best friend and sending her to her death, after he had previously insulted her and thus ended their friendship forever...
"And you should know what hatred makes of a human! There is no longer any hope for me. Nobody will ever like me! The only person who ever liked me is dead! And do you know whose fault that is? MY FAULT AND MINE ALONE!"
He shouted the last words at the headmaster.
Dumbledore, however, stayed calm and waited patiently for Severus to calm down. He saw the young teacher's body shake with anger, saw the pain in his eyes and could almost feel the despair emanating from him.
Severus very rarely showed his emotions. But tonight it broke out of him like a seething volcano. All his anger at himself and his horrific deeds, all his grief for Lily burst out of him and there was nothing he could do about it to fight it and to his horror he also felt a burning sensation in his throat and eyes. He had suppressed all his suffering and all his sadness for too long, had ignored it, locked it away, hidden it behind his monotonous expression from the eyes of other people, but now the moment had come when it broke out of him bit by bit.
He quickly averted his face from Albus, daring not look at him anymore. If he did, he would no longer be able to hold back the tears he was now fighting so desperately. He just couldn't stand the shame! It had been so many years since he last shed tears and he had vowed to never do that again. But Albus' few words were enough to bring down the wall that he had built so high over the years.
Why in Merlin's name couldn't Albus just leave him alone?
Why did he insist so much that he attended this stupid Christmas dinner and surrounded himself with people who hated him? Why?
"Please, Albus...go..."
It was just a whisper that came from his lips; his voice filled with grief and despair. As before, he kept his head bowed, stared at the cold stone floor at his feet and dared not to look at Dumbledore anymore. He really hoped that he would finally leave him alone and go. And indeed he heard Albus start moving, but to his great horror he didn't go towards the door, but came straight towards him, because only seconds later he saw the headmaster's feet in his field of vision. A hand was put on his shoulder and he winced as if he'd been beaten. When no words were uttered, he dared to lift his head a little bit.
Albus Dumbledore stared down at him and there was compassion to be seen in his eyes as he looked down at the young Potions Master who stood there like a pile of misery, fighting his emotions. He wouldn't allow him to lock them up today because that only made things worse and would eat him up one day, so he did the only thing that came to his mind in this situation: He slowly pulled him close and into his arms.
Immediately, Severus entire body stiffened and Albus felt how he was trying to fight back. Panic flashed in his eyes, which were already glistening damp with suppressed tears.
"Albus, please...don't..."
Not a word left the Headmaster's lips as he pulled the young wizard into his arms and hugged him. He still felt how Severus tried to fight against it. He wasn't used to affection, but he held him tightly. One hand behind his back and the other on the back of his head, he hugged him gently but still determined, gave him to understand silently that he would not let him go yet.
For how long they stood there, nobody knew later, but at some point Severus simply gave in to his fate and his emotions. His muscles relaxed a little and his fingers were clutching the Headmaster's robes as he buried his face into his shoulder and began to sob softly. It was just too much for him and he couldn't lock his feelings away anymore. He had done it too long and everything that had built up inside him over the years was now coming out.
"It's all my fault. Mine alone, Albus! She's dead because of me! They're all dead because of me!" he whimpered softly and Albus hugged him even closer and stroked his head soothingly with one hand. And it was this little gesture that broke the dam and opened all locks.
Severus surrendered completely to his grief and cried like he hadn't done so in a long time and at that moment he didn't care that Dumbledore saw him like that.
All of his grief, all of his anger and all of his despair came out suddenly and discharged in hot tears that soon drenched Dumbledore's robe. He was ashamed of his weakness, but there was nothing he could do to stop the tears that kept rolling down his cheeks. His sobs sounded heartbreaking and echoed from the stone walls and was the only thing that could be heard for a few seconds.
"You have to stop blaming yourself for everything, Severus. There are things that cannot be changed. The death of the Potters is one of those things."
"H-how can you protect me after everything that happened?"
A small smile appeared on Dumbledore's face and his other hand comfortingly rubbed Snape's back.
"Because no one is perfect, Severus. I am aware of the things that you have done. But I have to apologize to you too, my boy."
Finally, Severus looked up and Dumbledore felt a painful stab in his chest as he looked into that tearful face, which was looking at him with misery now. There was nothing left of the strict teacher Severus pretended to be. Back was the little boy from a long time ago, who had been abandoned by everyone and who had no one after Lily had turned away from him.
"You? Apologize to me? Why?"
"We should have been there for you a lot more back then. Minerva and I saw how bad you were feeling, but we thought that would change over the years, but it got worse. And in the end you joined Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Out of sheer desperation. Because he made you believe you were worth something to him."
Snape had winced at the sound of the name and was now clutching Dumbledore's robe even more tightly. More tears gathered in his eyes and he quickly hid his face again in the older wizard's shoulder and began to sob again.
"I'm a monster, Albus! I don't deserve your pity, Minerva's or anyone else's..."
"Don't say such a thing, Severus. You know that is not true."
"But, Albus, I-"
"Shhhhh. Don't think about it anymore. Let the past rest my boy. I know it's hard for you and you have every right to mourn for Lily. But it won't bring her back and you know as well as I that she wouldn't have wanted you to mourn over her dead for the rest of your life and not live anymore. And you also know that you are never alone. At Hogwarts, anyone who asks for it will find help."
As he spoke, Albus had moved and he slowly led Snape over to the leather sofa and sat down with him. The young teacher was still clinging to him and sobbing heartbreakingly. Slowly Albus rubbed his back with one hand, with the other he stroked the back of his head, trying to calm him down and spoke gently and quietly to him and actually the Potions Master calmed down after a few more minutes and his sobbing subsided until it did eventually stop completely. But he was still in Albus' arms, hiding his face in his shoulder and still clutching the headmaster's robes, who held him in his arms as gently as a father would with his son.
Severus hadn't experienced affection like this for a long time. He could never have expected anything like this from his biological father, Tobias Snape. He had been a cruel human being who wanted nothing to do with the magical world and who had argued constantly with his mother, Eileen Prince. There had never been room for tenderness in the Snape's house.
The only person who had ever held him like that was Lily. Back when James Potter had once again made his life hell, he had fled to the edge of the black lake, had settled down under the big tree that stood there and had cried like he hadn't cried for a long time. When Lily finally found him and hugged him, his tears had hardly dried up. Tenderness like this was so alien to him and he still resisted it today. He was a grown man and no longer a small child to cry on an adult's shoulder!
But today it had happened and now that he had calmed down again and the realization of what had just happened hit him, he was ashamed of it.
"There, there, my boy. There is no reason to be ashamed of your feelings."
Sometimes Severus believed that Dumbledore was able to read his mind, despite the strong Occlumency shields he had built up in his mind to protect him from such attacks. Dumbledore was one of the most powerful wizards of his time for a reason and there had to be a good reason why the Dark Lord himself had feared him...
Severus took another deep breath before slowly pulling away from Albus. When he saw the dark stain on the old wizard's robes that his tears had left there, he felt his face catch fire.
"Forgive me, Albus, I didn't mean to do that..."
Instead of a verbal answer, Albus simply picked up his wand and ran it over the spot and within seconds his robe was dry again.
"I don't know what you mean, Severus."
The corners of the Potions Master's lip twitched upwards a tiny bit, but he quickly hid this reaction from the other wizard by drying his tears on his sleeve. At least he tried to do so, but Albus grabbed his arm and handed him a handkerchief instead.
"It works a lot better with that, don't you think so?" he asked and his eyes started to twinkle again, turning the heat in Severus' face into a little inferno. That was just so incredibly embarrassing! Why did he have to lose his temper in front of him? Bad enough that he had yelled at him, but lying in his arms and crying like a little child? How deep had he fallen?
As if Albus were able to read his mind again, he looked at him sternly and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it lightly.
"There is no reason to be ashamed of your emotions. That's what makes us human. Never forget that. If you feel like crying, do it, but don't suppress it and try to ignore it. Something like that can end badly."
"I would still prefer if you wouldn't tell anyone about this..."
Again this twinkle came back into the older man's eyes and a small smile appeared on his face.
"Of course not. I won't tell anyone about it."
"Thank you, Albus."
For a moment, the two wizards were silent until Albus smiled at him and opened his arms.
"Come here, my boy."
The potions teacher looked puzzled and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Come on. Just a little hug. It will make you feel much better."
The dark eyes narrowed and Severus was tempted to scoot away from Albus and keep his distance to him, but he stopped himself from doing so. The monotonous expression was back on his face and inwardly he was weighing his options: On the one hand it had been good to lie in Albus' arms and indulge in his emotions, but on the other hand he was far too old for something like that. But still...there was no one here to watch them, right? So why not? But...a Slytherin could do well without this sentimentalism. He didn't need another hug...
At least that's what his head told him, but his body said something completely different, because he was shocked when he noticed how his body was moving on its own and before he really understood how and why it had happened, he was already back in Albus Dumbledore's arms and pressed his face into his robe. This time without shedding tears.
He must have been under the Imperius Curse; there was no other way he could explain it.
Yes, it had to be that and only that...
Dumbledore smiled down at the young wizard and began rubbing slow circles on his back again.
"Are you feeling better, my boy?"
Severus nodded his head in silence, as Albus spoke to him.
"Look at me."
Reluctantly, he raised his head and found it difficult to suppress a low grumble. However Dumbledore did it, in that moment he felt like a little boy again and not like a grown man.
"Never ever tell yourself again that nobody likes you, Severus. That's not true and you know that. I care about you and Minerva does the same and also when you may not want to admit it, but the others respect you. Nobody holds a grudge against you here. You're just telling yourself that."
"But…Albus. How? How can it be that they don't hate me? After everything I've done..."
"I already told you that you should let the past rest. People change and you have proven that you have changed. Many of us make mistakes. You are no exception. But you've learned from yours, haven't you?"
"Yes, Albus, I did learn from them..."
It was only a whisper that came from the young man's lips, but Dumbledore had understood the words and smiling he pulled him back into his arms and this time Severus even let him. He relaxed, closed his eyes and for a few moments he felt better than he had in a long time. He rested his cheek against Dumbledore's chest and listened to his steady and calm heartbeat.
"I'll see you in the great hall in half an hour at the latest, my boy," the older wizard's voice reached his ears so suddenly that he flinched.
Immediately Snape stiffened again when he heard this, but otherwise didn't move a bit away from Dumbledore, only pressing his face back into his shoulder to hide it from him.
"I never gave my consent to accompany you," he muttered quietly and even to his own ears his words were far from convincing.
The older one chuckled softly and the mischief sparkled in his eyes.
"Well, if my powers of persuasion are not enough, I'll be happy to send Minerva to you when I've left. Her methods seem to have more effect on you than mine..."
And again Snape felt the fire on his cheeks as he blushed deep red. How good that he still had his face pressed into Albus' shoulder so that Albus couldn't see it. That would just be too much for him to handle...
The fact that his lips curled into a small smile as he just pictured himself opening the door and the gray / tabby cat walking into his quarters he ignored as much as he ignored the warmth in his chest that Dumbledore's words had triggered.
But there was one thing he couldn't ignore: The fact that there were a few people to whom he meant something, which comforted him when he was sad, who welcomed him with open arms and who cared about him.
And for that he was secretly more than grateful, because they were like the family he had never had...
~TBC~