The pudding was everything Hermione had imagined, from the raisins and currants buried like treasure throughout the grand sphere, to the astringent taste of not altogether burned-off brandy. It was much easier to swallow after the first few bites. Minerva also forewent the traditional buried baubles and holly in favour of a garnish of sugar-spun thistles whose fierce-looking prickles melted on the tongue like snowflakes.
The two women chatted companionably until the Headmistress paused in the middle of an anecdote to look out the window. Following her gaze, Hermione saw Firenze emerging from the forest. She rose and went to the window to get a better view. To her delight, he appeared to be uninjured. He gazed toward the castle and spotted Hermione in the tower window. She waved. He nodded his head and turned and walked towards Hogsmeade, the direction from which he had come that morning.
"Wasn't he wearing clothes earlier today?" asked Minerva, who had come to stand next to her.
Hermione clearly remembered the green cashmere sweater that equally complemented Firenze's fair hair and palomino hindquarters. "I believe he was."
"Curious."
"Yes, it is," agreed Hermione.
They watched as Firenze disappeared around the bend in the road. For the first time in what seemed like weeks, the clouds parted, and the setting sun lit the snowy forest and grounds with a reddish gold hue. The white marble of Professor Dumbledore's tomb seemed to glow, and the snow that had drifted over the black lake gave the ice an iridescent sheen. The remaining students had not been idle this day. Instead of harassing Professor Sprout's plants, those students who hadn't been stuck in detention had built marvellous snowmen and forts that housed heaps of snowballs. Hermione smiled, remembering the wonderful Christmases spent at Hogwarts with her friends. The students had all gone inside now, likely warming themselves by fires in their common rooms or filling their stomachs with hearty Hogwarts fare.
The Headmistress sighed. "I suppose we ought to see what's keeping Severus. It's been nearly an hour."
Hermione blinked. "I had no idea it had been that long."
"Tempus fugit," quoted Minerva, hiccupping, "particularly when there's a grand pudding to be had. Toddy?"
The elf appeared with a crack. "Yes, Headmistress?"
"Would you be so kind as to check on Severus? We expected him some time ago."
"Yes, Headmistress," the elf squeaked.
"Well, my dear, I believe there is time for another piece of pudding. May I tempt you?"
Hermione's head was starting to feel a bit fuzzy from the heavily brandied pudding. "Just a small piece. Thank you, Minerva."
The Headmistress put a generous dollop of whipped cream on the pudding and handed it to Hermione. "Do you think he likes his hair?" asked the Headmistress suddenly.
"I'm certain he does," assured Hermione. "I think the most disturbing thing for him this afternoon was hearing me refer to him by his first name."
"I have no objection to your calling him Severus," said Minerva, "Just be sure not to do so to his face."
There was a double crack, and Toddy reappeared. She looked furious and was holding a squirming Dobby by the arm.
"Let Dobby go!" he cried. "Dobby has done nothing wrong!"
"Headmistress, Dobby is a very bad elf," said Toddy. "Dobby is letting Snape out of his room!"
"Dobby serves all Hogwarts professors! Professor Snape tells Dobby to release him, and Dobby releases him. Dobby is a good elf!"
"Snape is not a professor now, Dobby!" exclaimed Toddy angrily.
"Dobby," said Hermione, fighting a rising sense of panic, "how long ago did you release him?"
Dobby began twisting his ear nervously. "Forty minutes. Please, Headmistress, is Dobby wrong?"
"Toddy and Dobby, please tell the other elves to begin searching the castle for Severus. If he refuses to return to his quarters, Stun him and confine him to his room. Whatever happens, do not tell the staff or students about this, and do not let them see him, if you can avoid it."
"Yes, Headmistress!" chorused the elves.
"And no punishing yourself, Dobby," she said to the forlorn elf, who had already begun twisting his ear more violently. "I will search the grounds. Hermione, I hate to ask you to do this at night, but would you see if he's gone back to the Thestrals?"
Hermione glanced out the window. A nearly full moon was rising over the tops of the trees and cast clear shadows on the snow below. "I will."
"Do you have a hat?" asked the Headmistress.
"I'll be fine," said Hermione, pulling on her cloak.
"Don't be foolish." Minerva frowned disapprovingly and pulled a tartan deerstalker cap over Hermione's head. "Find him quickly."
"If he's with the Thestrals, I'll find him."
LOREMIPSUMDOLORSITAMET
Within two breaths, the frigid air banished what little drowsiness the Christmas Eve pudding had caused. Hermione was profoundly grateful for the Headmistress's hat, for all that it made her feel like Sherlock Holmes seeking an elusive quarry. The fresh snow squeaked against her boots, and once she was far enough from the lights of Hogwarts, she extinguished her wand and let her eyes adjust to the moonlight. The remaining clouds had dissipated, exposing a black sky strewn with stars and a moon whose light made the snow glow.
"Severus!" she called. The answering echo was muffled by the snow, and she heard no response.
Hermione began to walk the familiar path toward the Thestrals' clearing, eyes darting about the bare branches for any telltale shapes or movement. There were none to be seen. She was about to call his name again when she heard approaching hoofbeats. Magorian.
"I see you are attempting to molest our cousins again."
"I'm looking for the man I retrieved from the forest. He's run away, and I've come to take him back."
"No human, apart from yourself, has entered the forest tonight," said Magorian.
Hermione nearly fainted with relief. "Are you certain?"
"I am. It is very irresponsible of you to lose him."
She smiled in spite of her worry. "I'll put a Tracking Charm on him next time. Thank you for your help, Magorian. I'm sure we'll find him up at the castle. Goodnight."
"Human, wait."
She turned and looked at him expectantly.
"We have reached a decision."
Hermione felt a sudden thrill in the pit of her stomach. "You have?"
"Yes. We would like to change our status with your Ministry. Please see that it happens swiftly."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "You'd let me do that for you?"
"We've also taken the liberty of appointing an emissary between your government and our herd. All negotiations in the future will occur between you and the emissary."
Hermione felt as if her heart would burst from excitement. "It's Firenze, isn't it?"
"I hope the choice is amenable to you."
"It's perfect. I can't thank you enough, Magorian."
"It was the council's decision," he demurred, "but I believe it was the right one. I must return to my patrol, human. I doubt I will be seeing you again soon, but I would not be opposed to such a meeting."
She beamed at him. "The feeling is mutual. Magorian, is there a reason you call me 'human' instead of 'Hermione?'"
"Would you like me to call you Hermione?"
"It's what my friends call me, and I'd like to think that you are my friend."
"Then with your permission, I will do so. Look to the stars, Hermione."
"Merry Christmas, Magorian."
The sound of his hoofbeats faded as quickly as they had come. Hermione's triumphant laugh rang through the trees. She turned back toward the castle and stopped suddenly when she saw a pair of luminous white eyes just down the path.
"What is it?" she asked, running to the Thestral that stood before her. "Have you seen Severus?"
He snorted softly and tugged on the sleeve of her robe.
"Please, will you take me to him?"
The Thestral gracefully lowered his wings. Hermione found it much easier to mount a Thestral when she could see him. In the blink of an eye, they were above the trees, wind nearly tearing Minerva's hat from her head. She had to hold the hat on with one hand, but for the first time, Hermione felt secure in the sky, knees gripping the Thestral firmly in the hollows beneath his wing joints, an arm wrapped tightly around his warm neck.
Soon they were back at Hogwarts, nimbly threading between the spires; and when it appeared they would crash into the Great Hall, they ascended so rapidly that Hermione cried out in wonder. She found herself looking down on the Astronomy Tower, where she was surprised to see a black shape huddled against the crenulated tower wall, which she suddenly recognised as her erstwhile teacher. In spite of herself, she tightened her hold on her Thestral, who began to spiral gradually downwards toward the top of the tower. Severus looked up as the Thestral landed, hooves clicking smartly on the stone. With a cry, he ran to it, wrapping his arms gratefully around its head. Gently, the Thestral disengaged itself from his embrace and stepped back. He looked up at the creature with a look of bitter disappointment, but started when he saw the Thestral lower its wing to assist Hermione to the ground.
They stood staring at one another for a long moment. The Thestral made a deep chuckling sound and nudged Hermione toward Severus, spread its wings, and took off, wings sending snow swirling about the tower. Hermione hardly noticed. Severus had donned his customary black teaching robes and had trimmed his beard in the way that Hermione had suggested. He appeared very much the same as he had ever been, but for the forlorn expression on his face. Belatedly, Hermione realised that there were dozens of books strewn about the tower. She picked one up, opening it to a page that had been folded in half.
It was a bound volume of The Daily Prophet dated several months prior to the final battle. She smoothed the bent pages, and retrieved a second volume. This one covered all of Severus's trial, in which he was exonerated in absentia. She was startled to see that a page had been completely ripped out of the book. She looked harder at the man who stood before her and saw that his hand was curled into a tight fist. Wordlessly, she approached him and gently rubbed his knuckles, and at length he released the page. She uncrumpled the wad of paper and the last piece of the puzzle slipped into place.
"You remember it all, now," she said.
He nodded.
She held up the page, which contained a picture of Albus's tomb. "He's not just in the ground, you know," she said, guiding him to the edge of the tower that overlooked the lake. "I was there. There was a flame so bright you couldn't look at it, but all of us tried, anyway." She gestured toward the tomb, which was nearly buried by a snowdrift. His fingers tightened around hers. "I think everyone saw something different. Harry saw him fly away as a phoenix. Ron saw him scamper into the forest as a fox."
"What did you see?"
"I didn't know at the time," she said. "At first I thought he was a deer, but then I saw the wings."
He stared at her, expression unreadable. "He's not in the ground," he repeated.
"I think he's everywhere, Severus," she said. "I think he's in everyone who ever loved him."
He stiffened at the use of his name, but did not cry out or scold her for using it. He placed his hand on his breast over his heart. "I loved him."
"I know you did."
"They won't have me back."
She looked at him curiously. "The Thestrals?"
"Not the Thestrals, you foolish girl."
She was reminded strongly of Magorian and hid a smile. "What does it matter what they want? They need you. Isn't that enough reason to come back?"
He turned to her and looked deeply into her eyes. "Is it too much to ask to be wanted as well?"
Hermione let the smile that had been building break across her face and reached up to place the heel of her hand against his jaw. His freshly shaved cheek was soft under her fingertips. "What makes you think you're not wanted?"
And then he was kissing her. His lips and nose were frigid, but his mouth was molten. Hermione felt him bat Minerva's hat from her head and wind his fingers through her hair. A contented hum came from deep within his throat. When they finally parted, Hermione's heart felt so full that it fairly ached.
His dark eyes were shining, and a tiny smile lifted the corner of his mouth. "Shall we adjourn to warmer environs?"
"We should also return these to the library and let Minerva know we've found you."
"If we must," he said, retrieving her hat and brushing the snow from it. "At the very least, we may return this horrid thing to Minerva."
They gathered the books together, and Severus held open the door to the stairs. She paused, looking back at the clear night sky. A dark shape was suddenly silhouetted against the moon and was gone.
On an impulse, she rose to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Merry Christmas, Severus."
He placed his hand at the small of her back and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Merry Christmas. Now get inside before you freeze the entire castle."