If you're here for a serious plot, i'm sorry. This is as fluffy as a samoyed pup. and as serious as well.
🎄 🎄 🎄 Snow 🎄 🎄 🎄
o.O.o
They went to muggle London the next day. The weather was nice even though the snow was gently falling. Snow was another thing, Severus hated more than anything. Obviously, the hatred wasn't for the fresh snow that crunched under his feet, it was for the sludge that covered London. Brown and grey, wet and dirty, it was incredibly disgusting as cars drove through it and splashed the commuters on the sidewalk.
Snow, of course, had its beauty, appreciated best among the high mountains of Scotland preferably watched from inside with a fire blazing close by. Hogwarts under the snow was a sight Severus could never get bored of. Even London now, if one looked up not onto the streets was pretty. Churches and trees dressed in all white, the whole city muted – there was indeed a certain kind of beauty in it.
Muggle London, like its Wizarding sister was all decked up for the holidays. Christmas trees were at every toyshop, fairy lights strung along shop-windows twinkled merrily at them as they went inside to buy up half their toy collection. They decided to buy some Muggle and Wizarding board games so that the children can at least have some fun while spending their days at the Infirmary. Well, Potter decided it, and Severus still needed the hint about what to buy for Sinistra, so he went along.
Done with all the shopping, Potter dragged him to a pub for a late lunch. He had a hearty stew, while Severus ordered a Shepard's pie. They had a nice, warm mulled wine after their lunch to set them up for the cold outside.
"If you're done dragging me half-way across London, care to finally share the secret what Sinistra would enjoy?" Severus inquired as he warmed his hands on the mug.
"What do you think? You must have some idea."
He stared at Potter for a moment then frowned. "You honestly believe I would sit here, had I even a single clue what she likes?"
"Really?" Potter looked at him. "You worked with Aurora in the last… what twenty years? And nothing?"
Severus shrugged, uncaringly. "Astronomy never interested me. We've been civil, but we never got close. Why, do you happen to know all your colleagues?"
"To a certain degree, sure."
"What would you give me?" Severus asked suddenly. He blamed the mulled wine for his big mouth.
Potter grinned over his mug. "A chemistry set."
"You little…" Severus swallowed the last part of the insulting sentence as their waiter came by and dropped the check on the table. Potter payed the bill and soon they were out of the pub, walking on sludge covered streets. Severus could feel the wet cold slowly seep into his boots. There were no words how much he hated snow.
"You know," Potter said, sounding thoughtful, "You should socialize a bit. Get to know the people you work with. You might be surprised at what you find."
"I know the people I work with as much as I care to." Severus said. "Don't make assumptions based on one single professor."
"Flitwick?" Potter asked expectantly all of a sudden.
"Having problems, too?" Severus smirked. "Easy. Modell cars."
"Madam Pomfrey?" Came the next question.
"Are you testing me, Potter?"
"Yes," grinned the idiot.
"Then at least give a little challenge. Knitting yarn. Elf-woven. Next?"
"Me?" He asked, stopping in the middle of the street, looking intently at Severus.
There was something in that moment as they stood on the street, something in Potter's eyes that Severus just couldn't decipher. The light from the whiskey shop glinted in that warm gaze. Something stirred in Severus' memory. A night many years ago… a bottle with amber liquid… two glasses…
"Whiskey…" he said quietly, his eyes drown to the many bottles presented in the shop window.
"What?" Potter murmured, confused. "I don't drink whiskey."
"Not you," Severus smirked. "Aurora!"
Potter stared at him for a few seconds then his gaze too, followed Severus' and finally realized what Severus meant. "Oh, yes, that's why we're here. This is her favourite shop."
"She collects whiskey. She told me about it, a couple years ago. We shared a few glasses for my birthday." Severus remembered now, thought back fondly of the smoky taste in his mouth. Aurora had a very distinct, but excellent taste in drinks.
Amazed, Potter grabbed his arm and stopped him before he could walk inside. "How does she know your birthday?"
Severus smiled at him. "You should socialize a bit, Potter. Get to know the people you work with." He said sweetly then went inside the shop. Motionless, Potter just spluttered, mumbling something under his breath.
It took him half an hour but the bottle of Laphfroaig was the most perfect gift he could find. He felt a slight heat in his cheek as the owner, seeing his keen interest, had presented them with a small tasting. It was an exquisite experience, one fully lost on Potter, who disliked the drink.
Afterwards, they apparated back to Hogwarts, sending all the packages ahead so they would not need to carry them. The travel right after the drinks didn't sit well in Severus' stomach and he hold on to Potter a moment longer, feeling dizzy.
"You okay, Snape?" Came the concerned question.
"Yes," said Severus as he opened his eyes.
Potter was still close to him, he could catch a faint scent of his cologne. It was fresh, ocean like. He felt even dizzier but this time it wasn't because of the alcohol. It was dark already, but light twinkled in the castle's many windows.
They were alone. The silence was almost numbing. It was like a great pressure on his ears, making his heartbeat seem loud as drums.
Concerned green eyes kept watching him.
He stepped away hastily, and freshly fallen soft snow crunched under his feet. He took another step back, but the snow made the small motion scream in the silence between them, betraying him and his cowardly retreat. There were no words how much he hated this snow right now, even if this was fresh and soft.
Thankfully, he didn't have time to think about what he just wanted to do, because a snowball smacked into his face. He glared at Potter, but, of course, it couldn't be him. He saw no movement at all from the man.
As if to confirm that, Potter rose his hands in surrender, trying his best not to laugh. "It wasn't me, I swear."
"Whoever it was-" he couldn't finish the threat as another ball was thrown at him. It hit close to his neck and all the snow went under his shirt. Ice cold water was suddenly slowly running down his chest. He hissed loud as he felt every drop as it streamed further down.
Potter laughed out, then covered his mouth with his hand as if hoping to hide the sound.
Severus just scowled at him, then flicked his wand and the next snowball smacked against Potter's nape.
"Oi!" The young man cried but the snow must have melted there too, because suddenly his eyes went round and he started doing a weird dance, while trying to scoop out the rest of the icy water from under his coat and shirt.
Another ball came at Severus and then one more and then three at once and suddenly Severus felt a body collide against him and sweep him off his feet. They fell together into the soft snow, making, perhaps the weirdest snow angel of them all.
"Why would you have done this?" Severus hissed at Potter, trying to shake the soft, fluffy snow off his face.
"There are snowballs coming at us!" Potter told him slowly, as if the situation would have eluded Severus up until this point.
"Well, good job keeping the snow off us, Potter," Severus sneered. "Good job indeed."
He was utterly covered in snow. He could feel the cold stuff trapped between their bodies, it was everywhere in his hair, it was in his neck, turning slowly into icy water. It was on his face, on his lips melting slowly. He had some on his palm, too, and numb fingers closed around it.
He smacked Potter with a handful of it.
Potter sat up on his knees immediately, staring with utter disbelief at Severus. A spelled snowball hit his head, but he didn't seem to care. He just raised an eyebrow at Severus.
"Don't you dare." Severus said sternly.
But Potter dared, and the next moment Severus felt snow in his mouth. He pushed Potter off himself and then grabbed his messy, wet, black hair, pressing him face first in the soft, white ground. He let go for only a moment and Potter rose already, tackling him again back into the snow blindly as he had snow even under his glasses. His face was red and frost-bitten, his fingers turned into icicles, just like Severus', yet they kept fighting.
It was the most ridiculous thing Severus had done in his whole life and had anyone ever question him about it, he would deny everything. Potter just laughed, delusional like a madman, wriggling in the snow trying to cover his bare neck and face but in vain. Severus was mercilessly ladling snow to all the exposed areas no matter how hard Potter was gigging.
He was on top of Potter, straddling the trashing body, trying to hold it firmly between his thighs. He had one of Potter's hand pinned to the ground already, when the man cried out between gasps of laughter.
"Mercy! Have mercy!" He pleaded.
Severus stopped, panting and fell into the snow next to Potter. They lay under the starry sky for minutes, as their breathing slowly quieted.
"I'm f-freezing," Potter chattered then sat up, holding out a hand for Severus.
He took it, his fingers feeling numb, yet still sensing how icy Potter's were. He knew his clothes were all completely sodden, they all stuck wetly to his body. He could feel wet sludge in his boots even, his hair looked like he just got out of the shower.
Yet he was not cold. As he sat there, Potter's hand still touching his, he felt nothing just a strange fiery warmth spreading in his body.
🎄 🎄 🎄 To be continued 🎄 🎄 🎄
