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As Severus finished grading the last of the third year exams, he was beginning to feel hesitant about the coming break. The children had left two days before and it was all her fault that he was feeling like this. All her fault that he had spent the previous day scouring Diagon Alley for anything he thought would suit her as a Christmas gift and then causing his running to Spinner's End to make sure it was at least decent.
After severe begging (mentioning) from the woman in question, he had agreed to go with her to find a Christmas tree and he had even agreed (probably because of some potion he had been slipped) to dig out the box of decorations he knew were hidden in his attic. Although he had made it very clear that he was not responsible for whatever state they were in. Hermione merely pointed out that they were quite capable of fixing them if something was wrong.
Severus knew that at any moment she would bounce into his office with her bag packed and ready to go. He could not remember the last time he had spent Christmas actually celebrating. The previous year he had been with his parents and it had not been fun. Hermione was correct in saying that his mother wasn't that terrible. His father was another story and when the two of them were together it was never entertaining.
Locking the tests in his desk, he sighed and made his way back to his quarters. A cup of tea sounded just right before he was sent back to his childhood home. His parents had given it to him in a spur of the moment decision to leave England. Their house in Canada was bigger, brighter, and somewhere Severus hated even more than Spinner's End. Unfortunately, both of his parents knew that and made it a point to guilt him into visiting for their own twisted pleasure.
"I hate fourth years!" Hermione cried, slamming the door shut. "It is truly the most horrible age. Too young to be treated like adults but they always seem to be under the misapprehension that they're actually honorary seventh years."
"Tea?" Severus asked, starting break with her tense was not something he was looking forward to.
"Yes, thank you," she sighed, wrapping her arms around him for a quick hug. "When are we going tree shopping?"
She took what was his cup of tea and headed for the couch. He tried to be annoyed but gave up.
"It depends on whether you would like to go to the house first or get a tree first."
In the end, it was decided that they would get the tree on the way. Severus also learned that Hermione was not a fun person when it came to finding trees. They passed dozens that looked perfectly acceptable to him. It was going to be covered in tinsel and ornaments, so he really didn't see the issue. She did. What felt like hours later, she had finally found one that was 'close enough.' It took actually finding the tree for them to realize there was no really good way for them to get it off the lot.
"We could always obliviate him," Severus said.
"Because that wouldn't bring the Ministry down on us!"
He cast a spell to make everyone oblivious to them and shrunk the tree.
"Severus!"
"How else are we going to accomplish this? It was your bloody idea. Put some money on the ground."
"You must be joking!"
"We can't exactly hand some to the owner and tell him not to worry about it, we just wanted to pay him for letting us walk around."
It took her another moment to fold and put a few pounds on the ground and place a rock over top. "What if someone else finds it before he does?" They ended up telling the manager that there was money on the ground on their way out.
"Would you like to eat out or cook at Spinner's End? I stocked the kitchen yesterday."
"Eating in sounds wonderful," she replied. "That also means I can raid your library sooner."
"That's the only reason you wanted to come see me for Christmas, isn't it?" he asked. Not waiting for her reply he Apparated, completely confident that she knew he wasn't serious.
He was surprised to find her a few steps closer to his house and staring at him. "Your library is what keeps me putting up with your snarky attitude."
The fact that she said this with a smile was encouraging. He watched as her gaze slid behind him. He turned and cursed.
"It's a nice car, Severus. There's no need for that."
He turned back to her, his mood completely ruined. "That would be my parent's car."
"I thought you parents were abroad?"
"They obviously decided to make a stop. Are you sure you don't want to spend the holidays at Hogwarts?"
"No!" She exclaimed with a smile. "I want to meet your parents!"
With that she took off to the door and he had to move quickly to keep up with her. He entered the house right behind her. "Hermione, my parents are not nice people."
"Thank you for that, Severus. My only son. Child that I have cared for all my life."
"Save the dramatics, Mother. What are you doing here?" He turned to face the woman. She had aged quite gracefully and even in her late fifties was only beginning to show gray hair.
"We came to see you on our way to the Continent. The house was stocked, so we knew that you would be arriving. And your friend is?"
"Hermione Granger," Severus said. "She is the Arithmancy Professor at Hogwarts."
"And what is she doing here?"
He could tell that Hermione did not like being talked about as though she weren't there. If things didn't go well, he could see her making a fuss and he was not sure whether that would be better or worse. Part of him wanted to see his lioness come out.
"I'm here to celebrate Christmas with Severus," Hermione growled and Severus felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him.
"Someone finally start pitying you, Severus."
He cringed when his father walked into the room. Tobias Snape had never hidden the resentment he had for his son. Never hid the fact that there was no fatherly pride. Severus understood. How could you be proud of a son who was a Deatheater?
"I assure you, sir, that what I feel for your son is far from pity," she said. "Will you be joining us for dinner?"
"We will be staying the night," Severus's mother corrected. "Then we'll be heading to Munich in the morning."
"Wonderful," Hermione said, her voice laced in insincerity. "Severus, can you show me where we'll be sleeping?"
He tried not to look too shocked when she made it sound like they were sleeping together. His vision was going a little fuzzy at the idea of Hermione in his bed. That had to stop, she'd think he'd gone mad. Besides, she already knew where the rooms were. She'd visited him a few times in the summers.
"Severus, you've only got two bedrooms," she said as they reached the second floor of the house.
"It's my house, Hermione. I do know that."
"Well then. Should I share a room with you or your parents?" She asked, arms crossing in front of her.
"Oh," he simply said, watching as she went into his room. He supposed that meant she was staying with him. "Hermione."
"I can sleep on the sofa if you want me to but a big part of me would like to show your father. He has no right to talk to you like that. Why on earth did you just stand there?"
Hermione enlarged her bag and threw it on the foot of his bed. His bed that she would be sleeping in. Suddenly his mouth went dry and he looked around, trying to find some form of sanity to grasp onto.
"Severus?"
"Maybe I'll sleep on the sofa," he said. He was sure a look of hurt crossed her face before she turned around and began to dig in her bag.
"Don't worry, Severus. It's only for one night and I'm hardly going to kick you out of your own bed."
When she faced him again, she was holding three wrapped presents and looking as though nothing had happened. He hated women and their bloody ability to confuse the shit out of him.
"We need to expand the tree before it gets too dry," she said.
"That means we'll have to go back downstairs," he said in an almost pout.
"We'll have to see them again," she said. "Will they be better?"
"No. Hermione, I know it's hard for you to understand but they're just my parents. They're supposed to be disappointed in me."
"What are you talking about, Severus Snape?"
"My past isn't exactly a secret."
"You idiot man! What past would that be? Spying for twenty years? Helping bring down Voldemort? Being the youngest Professor Hogwarts had ever seen? Until me," she added with a smirk. "You being one of the most brilliant Potion's Masters in the World? Your Order of Merlin?"
Severus let out the breath that he had been holding. "Hermione."
She wrapped her arms around his middle which only made him hold his breath again. His being tense must have been noted because she pulled away from him a little. "Are you ever going to be completely comfortable with me?"
He quickly pulled her back to him and rested his chin on the top of her head. "You know that I am. I am never comfortable around my parents, however, and they caught me off guard. They enjoy making my life miserable and making me tense. Apparently I did that to them for long enough. You do not make me uncomfortable."
At least she didn't make him emotionally uncomfortable, but if she kept pressing against him, he was in serious danger of embarrassing himself. Gently, so as not to make her feel uneasy, he pulled away from her.
"Well, let's go put the tree up. I'm sorry that my parents have invaded our first night. I really won't mind if you head back to Hogwarts for the night."
"And leave you at the mercy of these two? I've only spent five minutes with them and I already feel sorry for you. Strength in numbers."
"And you plan is?"
"To prove them wrong about you."
"Hermione, that's never going to happen but I do appreciate you trying."
"I'm going to change my clothes. Take these and I'll be done in a moment."
Severus felt as though she was abandoning him in his time of need, but it probably was not the worst idea to get the conversation with his parents over. He was sure there would be one. They both knew who Hermione was and the role she had played in the war.
His parents both had wine in their hands when he re-entered his living room and stared at him when he stopped. In his mind he went through the chronic daydream he had about turning them both into snakes and throwing them into the Chamber of Secrets. Or the Forbidden Forest.
"What have you been up to lately, Severus?" His father asked. Severus thought about what he was going to say carefully.
"I am teaching, the same as I always do."
"How much time are you going to waste at that damn school?" The older man demanded.
"I enjoy teaching, Father," Severus said. "I also benefit from unlimited resources for my research, as I have told you a thousand times before."
"Your research? Still not a household name, though, are you? At least not for that part of your life."
The underhanded remarks about his association with the Death Eaters started and he wished Hermione would come back downstairs. He was curious as to whether they would be hostile towards her, as well. She was considered the heroine of the war. He pictured her shooting her infamous canaries at his father and couldn't stop a small smile. Apparently that was not the reaction that his father was looking for.
"Torturing people is a joke now, is it?"
"Only when it comes to you, Father. Is there a particular reason that you decided to come and visit me?"
"It is Christmas, Severus. We wanted to know if you wanted to come with us for the Holiday," his mother said. "Although with your…friend, I'm guessing you have other things to do."
"I wouldn't get those thoughts, my dear. No woman in her right mind would sleep with your son. Especially not a little war heroine. She probably just drew the short straw for who had to babysit."
Severus felt Hermione wrap her arms around him. "Are we going to decorate the tree?"
The pitch of her voice let him know that she had heard the previous statement. The way one of her hands was trailing down his chest made it clear that she had other plans for his father. He resisted the urge to do anything except to also place an arm around her.
"You take this," he said and handed her the shrunken tree. "I'll go find the decorations."
The glare that he received let him know that she did not appreciate being left with his parents. Severus just hoped that it didn't mean she would lose her protective thoughts towards him. He knew exactly where the ornaments were because there was really nothing in the attic anymore. In a fit of anger he had boxed up everything that reminded him of his parents and owled it to them.
He would have been lying if he said he moved as quickly as he could have. If anyone could handle his parents it was the beautiful witch downstairs. Early on in life he had learned not to talk back to his parents. A severe beating from him father had practically guaranteed that. It was her fault that she made him feel like a better person and want to tell his father off.
A small voice in his head told him that he could take on his father. It was the same voice that told him he was good enough for Hermione. Unfortunately it was severely outtalked by the voice that told him his father was right and that Hermione would undoubtedly end up with someone better than an aging bastard of an ex-Death Eater. He should have known better. Who actually called themselves a Death Eater?
Having located the box, Severus slowly made his way back downstairs and was surprised at the scene in the living room. His father had Hermione's wrist in his hand and she was red-faced, flustered, and had the same look as she had just before killing Lucius Malfoy.
"What is going on here?" He demanded. "Get away from her!"
"I would gladly stay away from her," his father hissed. "Just tell the little whore to keep her hands to herself."
Severus stared at Hermione in shock. Surely she hadn't attempted to seduce his father. That didn't sound like her. The rage in Hermione's eyes told him that she hadn't.
"Let go of her," Severus growled. His father shoved Hermione away and Severus went back to thinking about his father living an eternity in the Chamber of Secrets. Instead, he went straight to Hermione.
She grabbed onto his arms and glared at his father, who was rapidly leaving the room. Presumably to find his mother.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I was disagreeing with something that he said, he wondered why I was here, I told him we were friends, he wondered how a 'war heroine' had sunk to be a Death Eater's whore, and I hit him. I'm sorry, Severus. I know he's your father, but I couldn't help myself."
"Death Eater's whore?" Severus repeated. It appeared that his father had decided to target Hermione. "I'm sorry, love."
"Parents are supposed to love and support their children."
"Your parents loved and supported you."
Hermione looked around and he pulled her to him. A surprise attack had left Hermione a homeless orphan. "It isn't fair."
"I know."
"I mean it isn't fair to you! How can your father find it so hard to believe that you're loved?"
"Am I, Hermione?"
"Severus," she whispered.
"What would you like me to make for dinner?" Eileen asked as she walked into the room.
Severus rested his forehead against Hermione's, choosing not to answer his mother.