Chapter 5:
Christmas Day had finally come; Hermione was still asleep and was awaken by a slight weight on her bed.
"Five more minutes," she groaned. "Just five… more… minutes."
"I don't think so, my dear," a silky voice said, "Everyone is waiting on you to get out of bed."
"Severus, what time is it?" she grumbled.
"It's nine o'clock. You might want to hurry or your brothers are going to open your gifts for you."
Hermione kicked him in the leg until he got off her bed. As soon as she was able to move, she grabbed her silk emerald robe and started to put it one.
"Here, let me help you."
She felt two hands slip the robe over her shoulders from behind. She pulled it tighter around her slim waist as his hands ran down her arms to her turned around and looked into his endless black eyes. "Thank you." She said sincerely.
"Hermione, there is one thing that I wish to give you before we go down and join the others."
"What is that?" she asked quizzically.
He leaned down to her face, closer, and closer, and just as their lips were about to meet…
Lional burst into the room, "Herms, if you don't get your ass downstairs, so I can tame my stomach, I am…. I am totally interrupting something, um, sorry." Lional's face got red and he quickly made an exit out the door.
"Maybe, we should go down stairs." She whispered.
Severus nodded and grabbed her hand in a loving fashion and they walked down to the kitchen in silence.
They eventually got down the steps, and although she pretended not to notice, there were what looked like hundreds of gifts under the tree. Even if her face was clear, Severus could still feel the excitement in her grip upon his hand.
They entered the kitchen and Peter exclaimed, "Hallelujah, now we can eat."
The family ate while intoxicated in multiple conversations. After the heavy breakfast, the large group moved to the family room. The second everyone was seated, the fireplace turned green, and through it walked every Weasley (except Percy and Charlie,) Harry, Tonks, Lupin, Albus, Minerva, Draco, Pansy, and Millicent.
"Did we miss breakfast?" Ron asked.
Hermione laughed, "Yes Ronald, there is some left on the table." And with that Ron, Harry, Ginny, Fred and George left the room for some sustenance. When they returned with plates full of food, all the witches and wizards returned their gifts to their original size, and laid them under the tree. As the new arrivals took their seats, Hermione introduced everyone in her family to her friends and professors.
"Hermione, darling, why don't you and Severus hand out the gifts?" Jane suggested as soon as everyone was settled.
Once again as if on cue, the fireplace burst into green flames. But instead of another order member or fellow classmate, it was someone that silenced the entire Granger family. Through the flames came the oldest of the Granger children, David.
"What in the hell are you doing here?" Lional demanded.
"Lional, shut up." Hermione and Peter said at the exact same time.
"It's ok you guys, I understand. But in case you didn't notice Lional, some of the gifts under that tree are from me." David said without raising his voice.
Hermione finally came out of her shock and stood to greet her long lost brother, "David, It's so good to see you. I've missed you." She hugged him tightly as if he were going disappear.
"I've missed you all too." He answered rubbing her back.
"Severus this is my oldest brother, David, Dave, this is my groom to be, Severus Snape."
"It's nice to finally meet you, sir,"
"The pleasure is mine, but how…."Severus began.
"I'll explain over dinner. Right now I think that we should open gifts before the little ones, and Lional have a breakdown."
Hermione and Severus spread the gifts out the right receivers and exchanged gifts themselves. Hermione received many wonderful gifts:
Assorted candy and chocolates (Ron,) gold locket with the golden trios picture in it (Harry,) gift certificates for a Paris Boutique (Pansy and Millicent,) magic photo album already filled (Draco) new potions set (Neville) book of beauty spells (Remus and Tonks) recipe book (Bill and Fleur), WWW shop items (Fred and George), lemon drops (Albus) The Book of Difficult Transfiguration Spells (Minerva) knitted socks (Dobby) diamond necklace, bracelet and earring set (Severus) 100 Good Reasons to Live book (Percy) purple dress robes (Jane and George), journal(Lional), art set(Peter), hair kit(Tom, Jean and kids), make up and nail polish (Simon, Leanne and kids), sweater with an "H" (Molly and Arthur), Quill and ink set (David), and a Jasmine bath set (Ginny)
Everyone said thank you for the gifts and stood to go into the kitchen for lunch. But Severus stopped them all dead in their tracks, "I do have one more gift, Hermione it is tradition in my family to pass on the Grandmother's wedding ring. So to keep on that tradition, I am giving you my grandmother, Annalisa's, ring." He lightly gestured to her left hand and he slipped it on the tiny finger, and kissed her on the cheek. Everyone applauded and then continued on the initial track.
After everyone was settled in with a mound full of food, Hermione asked a pestering question, "David, how is it that you already knew of Severus?"
"I work at the ministry along side of Percy Weasley; we are both in a sense, in charge of the law."
"So is that the reason that you abandoned Li, Pete, and me; to work in the magical community?"
David looked down at his plate, "No sis, it's not. I wish I could lie and say it was, but it wasn't, and I just couldn't do that."
"Told you he didn't love us Hermione." Lional spoke with venom.
David finally snapped, "Look Lional, I am sorry that you got hurt, but I would rather you be hurt emotionally then to be in one of the graveyards ok?" the entire table was silent, and David became calm once more. "There were a group of people after me, and I thought that if I had left you'd be safe. But as always, Hermione found a way to ruin it by getting into Hogwarts. Sadly that group is still on the lookout for David Granger."
"Voldemort and his Death eaters," it wasn't a question.
"Yes."
The table fell silent and processed what they had just been told. Severus liked silence, but this was too much. He had to change the awkwardness. "Hermione," he started, "I noticed that you and your siblings have a pattern in your names, is there a reason behind that?"
"What pattern?" she asked.
"The four of you go by every four letters."
"Oh, my dad thought it would be humorous to go by how many children his parents had." Hermione explained.
Severus was silent, signifying that he was satisfied with the answer.
Suddenly, Ron entered the conversation. "Wait, you only have two sets of aunts and uncles next to your mum and dad, Hermione. Did one not come?"
For the second time that day, all of the Grangers, except the children fell silent. They all looked at George, Tom and Leanne.
"Did I say something wrong?" Ron asked.
"No my dear boy," George started, "It's not that, it's just that, well we haven't talked of Emma in a long time."
"Why?"
"Ronald Weasley, that is enough," Mrs. Weasley spoke.
"It's alright Mrs. Weasley." Tom said. "Leanne would you explain please."
"Emma Granger died in a car accident when Hermione turned eleven," Leanne said.
Ron looked shocked and for the second time this school year, chose a good time to shut up. The rest of the meal was spent in silence unless it was to learn of someone else (mostly among the Snapes and Grangers.)
"So Ron, Do you have a new girlfriend or something?" Hermione asked.
Instead of answering, Ron got deep red, and hung his head.
"Yep," Ginny piped up, "He's dating Lavender. Oh and just for the record, Neville's dating Loony Luna."
"Ginerva! That is not for you to share." Molly scolded, the girls just laughed. The conversation continued into more personal details into Ron's dating life.
"Don't worry Ron, I think it's great that you and Lav are dating, you could save her from the law if the ministry will permit it." Hermione said sincerely.
Directly after lunch the group retired to the sitting room for tea and cookies, made by Molly herself. Everyone talked of the upcoming wedding and how happy this event was going to be.
"Hey David, do you still play the piano?" His father inquired,
"A bit, I try when I get the time," David responded.
"Why don't all four of you children play us a song, entertain us," Their mother suggested.
"Mother, I don't think that is entirely necessary. We haven't been together in like seven years." Hermione practically pleaded with her parents.
"Hermione, I didn't know that you were so shy," Her twin teased.
"Shut up Lional, you of all people know that when I am on stage, the world disappears. This is totally different; I can see the audience and I might just get sick."
"Wow I think that school of hers has turned her into a bit of a wimp." Peter teased.
"That's it," she stated standing from the couch. She walked over to the group of boys punching her twin in the shoulder.
"Hey Peter is the one that said it,"
"Yes but you thought it."
"Kids, enough."
"Yes mom," the four said. They looked at each other and walked over to the piano. David reached behind the large instrument and pulled out a violin and Guitar case, he handed the violin to Peter and they set up their instruments. Everyone sat silently watching the four Granger children prepare themselves.
"Mom, do they have to be Christmas songs?" Hermione asked.
"No, it's your choice, you are performing dear."
She turned to her brother's motioning for them to get close, while in a huddle they whispered to each other. "Ok, we can do a few songs that we used to sing as kids, there is no guarantee that anyone outside our family will know them anyway, and then we move to Christmas tunes." Hermione ordered.
No one dared argue they just went on with their business getting ready and then they started to play 'Shenandoah' followed by 'Scarborough Fair' and 'All Through the Night' and when those three songs were done, Hermione spoke. "Ok this next song, which is our last song before our Christmas bunch is a song that our mother taught us. We sang it at night together when we were younger all home so if you know it please join in."
A light piano started to play with the Violin keeping a wonderful beat, the guitar joined in about three measures later adding in its sound every four beats or so. Hermione joined in the sixth measure:
In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red.
When the summer's ceased its gleaming,
Mr. and Mrs. Granger joined their kids while singing along in harmony. Severus was hypnotized by Hermione's voice. He couldn't help but simply stare. He was brought out of his reverie by a gently hand on his, it was his mother's. He smiled at her as they continued to listen to the family sing.
When the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning,
I'll be homeward bound in time.
Bind me not to the pasture; chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.
If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return.
To your thoughts I'll soon be list'ning, and in the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end.
And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.
Bind me not to the pasture; chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.
In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing,
I'll be homeward bound again.
There were a few more measures of instrumental music before the song completely ended. The four young Granger's looked at their mother who had tears in their eyes.
"Mom?" David asked.
"I am so surprised and happy that you all remember that song." She said with tears in her eyes. "I can't remember the last time we all sat down and sang together like that."
Hermione ran to her mother and hugged her, "Me neither."
For once Lional kept his remark about David leaving to himself, instead he said, "I'm not, that was the one song that Hermione made us drill so that we could pass it on to our own children. She was brutal during practice Mom, you only think that she is innocent." At this comment, Hermione picked up a cookie and threw it at him, which he caught. Everyone laughed and then they sang Christmas Carols for an hour, which surprisingly, the younger children fell asleep to.
About an hour later, everyone who joined the Granger and Snape gathering had left.
Later that night, after dinner, the children played with their new toys, while everyone else took care of their new possessions. As Hermione began shrinking her things to go into her trunk, Severus came through the door.
"Hey, thank you for the gifts today, they were lovely." She said with her back to him.
He nodded, "Well my dear, I enjoyed yours as well. Books are my greatest passion, next to potions of course. But I am afraid that this morning's 'gift' was interrupted." As he said this, he walked up to her. He took her hands in his and slowly pulled her to him. Inch by inch, their faces came closer together. Their lips brushed against each other's once, twice, and again and again.
Nothing too fast. He reminded himself. He pulled away and she moaned. "Hermione, Mother and Father want to take us on a family outing tomorrow so just be ready," he said. He kissed her again and told her good night.
Hermione finished packing and lay down to sleep, but she couldn't stop thinking about his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.