Some may find this chapter surprising but hey...that's what we are all about!

Disclaimer: We own nothing but Tabitha and Samantha

Hogwart's-Girls

Chapter 12: The Christmas Proposals

Severus dragged Harry by his wrist to the dungeons, Sabrina followed behind as fast as her boots could take her but she was in no comparison with Severus' long strides. This was in no way how Sabrina had suspected her last day before Christmas Break to end but she had no other choice, she thought as they finally reached the dungeons and entered Severus' dimly lit office.

"Sev we need to talk about this to him first. He's just a kid and if you charge in there it could seriously hurt his mental stupor," said Sabrina looking from Severus to Harry.

"Hurt my what?" Harry asked confused.

"You see Sabrina, Potter doesn't even fathom such words and I don't know why the hell Dumbledore asked me to do this! Trust me when I say I have no pleasure in doing this; I want it over fast since I have no pleasure staying in the same room as Potter. Now either you help me in the task or leave. " He said looking at Sabrina and talking as if Harry didn't exist. It made Sabrina and Harry frown at him but Severus just rolled his eyes and removed his wand, Sabrina followed suit.

"He doesn't even know what is happening, whether it's a trap or whether this is real," she said softly, trying to convince to Severus to go easy on Harry but that was something Severus was very reluctant to do.

"That is exactly what we are going to do, help him to close his small mind to these visions," Severus stated ordering Harry into a chair. He then finally looked at the boy.

"There seems to be a connection between the mind of the Dark Lord and yours, whether he is aware of this fact is for now unknown. Pray that he remains ignorant," said Severus looking into Harry's eyes.

"You mean, he can read my mind?" asked Harry in horror.

"Read it, control it, even unhinge it. In the past it use to be a pleasure for the Dark Lord to invade people's minds and show them visions such as yours to perhaps drive them to madness. Then... only at the edge of a point when his victims would beg him for death would he finally kill them. In these lessons I will attempt to penetrate your mind; you will attempt to stop me. Prepare yourself Potter," said Severus lifting his wand to Harry's temple as Sabrina lifted hers from the dark corner she was standing in.

"Legilimens!" He shouted.

"Expelliarmius!" Came the words from Sabrina, her wand blasting Severus into the near cabinet.

"I told you to go easy on him why the hell don't you understand it could hurt his senses," she complained looking at him in disbelief.

"Get out! If my methods are perverse according to you then I think I can teach Potter all by myself! I don't think I need your assistance Ms. Smith, please leave and let me do my work," he bellowed at her.

"But—" she exclaimed.

"What part of get out of my class do you not understand Sabrina," he bellowed again. Harry felt like punching Snape in the middle but he had to keep his cool in order to learn the Occlumency thing.

"Fine, fine. Do what you like but it's so sad to see that even you can't deny that he's different even though you want to. You just can't find anything there and that's why you're doing this, the same thing they did to you. You called them jerks... well look at what you're doing first Sev! Seriously I think you're a bigger jerk than them, no actually you're just pathetic," she said sadly letting her tears fall as she ran out of the room.

Severus was heartbroken to what Sabrina had just told him. He knew whatever she had said was the truth but he just couldn't accept it, well at least not in front of Potter. He looked at Harry and found he was indeed different than his swine father. James Potter would have laughed at his situation but Harry didn't; he just sat there looking hurt for Severus.

"Go Potter, I'll tell Dumbledore that we'll start your classes after Christmas Break and don't go wondering around. Go to Minerva and she'll make you a port-key to that blasted house," said Severus running his hand through his straight hair.

"Well, good luck then," said Harry exiting the room.

"And Merry Christmas—Sir," added Harry running towards the entrance of the dungeons. Snape just frowned and left towards Sabrina's room.

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"Rina!" he called out to her knocking on her door.

"Go away," came a sob from the room.

"Rina come on. I am not going anywhere until you come out, I'll camp here without a cloak on this cold floor in this empty corridor with some unfriendly revolting vermin all night if I must," he said sitting down besides the door and dusting the cold hard ground of spiders and a few cockroaches.

"I don't care," she replied back sadly.

Severus sighed looking at his watch it was already 2 minutes past 12, so it was already Christmas. He sighed recalling that he was going to propose to her today, 2minutes back.

A while later..........

Sabrina opened the door to check whether he was still sitting there and thought he was probably dozing, his head was in his hands resting on his knees.

"Hmph..." She pouted closing the door but he put his hand between the door and outside. Her 'hmph' had woken him up. Apparently he was a light sleeper.

"Take away the hand Severus," she hissed angrily.

"Make me," he said shamelessly.

"Fine have it your way," she said closing the door on his hand.

For a moment Severus' body went numb and then the sudden stroke of pain hit him so wildly he had tears in his eyes. Closing a heavy old oak wooden door on someone's hand was not funny.

"Ok, ok open the bloody door! Please Rina what do you want to do kill me!? Rina please," he cried out to her.

She opened the door and looked at him disgustedly.

"You made me do it," she said angrily but her features softened when she saw his hand was bleeding. She gasped and her hands closed over her mouth.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Its bleeding," She said worriedly.

"What do you think that there would be chocolate sauce pouring from me?" He snapped holding his hand carefully.

"Oh Sev," she said bringing him inside her warm room and settling him down on the bed. She cleaned his wound and covered it; she gave him a pain killer and a calming drought which gave him some relief. He sat their studying his wound and then looked up at her.

"You know something Rina if all this hadn't happened you'd be sleeping safely in my arms; so blame Potter for messing up every thing and you won't be sent to hell," he said looking at her; she giggled.

"Rina you know I love you but falling into the matters of the Dark Lord isn't some joke. It isn't easy for me either but Potter has got to learn this the hard way. I have known him for five years Rina I know what his mind power can grasp and can't. Please Rina, please trust me on this. I know whatever you said back there was true; I may not show my true feelings for the boy but it doesn't mean I don't care about him," he told her looking into her eyes which replied unsurely.

"Oh Rina for Merlin's sake he's Lily's son too, but me being the spy I can't just show my true feelings for him. You do understand my position don't you?" He asked her looking into her eyes. She nodded in agreement and kissed him.

"You know if Potter hadn't done his stunt today, I would have proposed to you long back," He said sneakily removing a velvet box from his pocket.

"So what do say Rina will you be mine forever?" He asked slipping off the bed and going on his knees. He opened the box to reveal a gold band with a gleaming ruby stone and the band was encrusted with diamond chips.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes….." She said snogging him endlessly after he put the ring on her finger.

Christmas Eve Morning at Grimmauld Place

Sirius was standing in the door frame of Harry's room watching Harry as the boy was pretending to sleep. He had been acting rather strangely ever since they came back from seeing Mr. Weasley in the hospital.

"Let him sleep Siri," Said Tabitha putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know what to do Tabby I feel so helpless, I can't even help him in some way," He said sadly looking at the sleeping figure on the bed.

"He'll come around Siri, they all do," she said comfortingly but worriedly looked at Harry.

"I guess so," He replied closing the door and following Tabitha into the kitchen for breakfast.

Hearing the door shut Harry quickly started to transfer the important contents of his trunk into a rucksack.

If Voldemort could read his mind then it was obvious that he knew whatever Harry sensed so he could sense everything going on in the Order and Harry was way too noble to let the Order go down with him. If he went down he went down alone not with the Order; even if it meant that he had to play truant then he would, he thought, packing things into his rucksack.

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Minutes Later

Tabitha and Ron entered the room casually discussing some new spell that they could teach the DA after the Holidays when they entered the room and found things all over Harry's bed. Harry was sitting between them with a bag next to him, he was looking at the picture of the order in his hand.

"Mate…." started Ron but Tabitha cut him.

"Ronald I think you should go get Sirius so we can talk to Harry alone," she said indicating him to get lost but before he fetched Sirius Black.

Ron frowned; then nodded and left the room.

"Harry…" Tabitha called out to him. She sat next to him and looked at the picture where a few tears had landed on where his parents and Sirius were standing. They no longer looked happy but were all looking sadly at him. Lily had almost buried her head into James' shoulder, Sirius didn't know what to do, and Remus just looked down at his feet.

"What's wrong Harry? Does it hurt somewhere? Your scar? Do you not feel alright?" asked Sirius urgently, walking hastily into the room. He looked at Tabitha who gestured for him to sit on the other side of Harry; who still looked dazed at what was happening.

"Harry, why do you want to run away? Tabitha asked pointedly.

"What?" bellowed Sirius.

Harry looked up at her and after a long minute he spoke softly.

"I well...I just... if Voldemort can read my mind, then maybe he can see what I see –," He said. He stopped for a while gathering his thoughts and then began again.

"I am not taking the order with me if I go down I'll go down alone. I don't need more people dying for me," he said sobbing.

Tabitha's heart melted listening to his noble heartbreaking tale.

"Maybe he's even controlling me for all you know," said Harry remembering what Moody had said at the hospital.

"Do you have blank spaces in your memory or find yourself in another place than you were before doing an activity with no record of what you are doing there or even how you got there?" Tabitha asked sounding professional.

"No," replied Harry.

"Well then the analysis states that you are Free of Possession," said Tabitha trying to sound funny as Sirius continued to stare down at Harry.

"But I feel so angry all the time, what if this connection between me and Voldemort is that I'm becoming more like him. What if I'm becoming bad?" Harry asked looking down. Tabitha kissed his head and pulled him close as Sirius knelt in front of Harry and cupped his godson's face to look at him.

"Harry listen to me carefully, you are not a bad person. You're a very good person to whom bad things have happened to. You understand don't you?" He asked him but the boy didn't give any response.

"Harry...everyone has a bit of good and evil in them, it is what you use more that defines us," said Sirius trying to get Harry back to him.

"If you listen to yourself and choose what you know should be done you can't go wrong Harry. Our choices show who we are; not are abilities or pasts," Tabitha added. Harry bit his lip and joked in his head that Tabby was a female cross of Albus and Minerva.

"Harry…" Sirius called out to him.

Harry nodded and stood hugging his godfather tightly as he began crying again.

"Don't worry bud we're all with you ok," he said hugging Harry back who was relaxing into him.

"I think your bud has fallen asleep," said Tabitha chuckling softly. She stood and cleared off the bed with a wave of her wand. Sirius smiled as he put Harry back in his bed and the couple exited the room.

"You haven't got to spend much time with the poor boy have you?" Asked Tabitha sadly, as they reached the open door leading into the kitchen.

"Well that's cause I've had too much on my mind lately and I absolutely forgot about him," he gulped.

"Like what?" She asked curiously.

"Like asking you to marry me," he said looking straight into her eyes.

"So what do you say Tabby? I know cats and dogs aren't supposed to be together but I want to try and expel the notion with this experiment. If would you like to help me that is," he said going to his knees and removing a little black box from his pocket.

"Well if I help you in your experiment, what's in it for me?" She asked teasingly but inside she was about to explode with happiness.

"Anything and everything you can possibly want, need, and desire," he replied.

"Well then what's in it for you?" She asked him.

"You," he replied in his most romantic voice. He opened the box to reveal a stunning ring that looked years old. The ring was goblin made; silver with a deep emerald stone with two perfectly round diamonds on either side.

"Awe… Siri I wouldn't imagine anyone else I'd marry," she said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"Possibly the only thing that I've actually liked getting from my mother," he laughed.

"It's beautiful, the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," she said looking fondly at her new possession. She felt completely on top of the world.

"Na-ah I have seen much better," he said kissing her and wishing he'd never have to let go as she responded in the same way.

9:30.p.m. At Grimmauld Place

In The Kitchen….

Minerva was sitting at the dining table staring into the fire as if she was waiting for some one to pop out of it.

"Aunt what the bloody hell are you doing up? The party is over isn't it? Or did Severus just purposely drag me out of it due to his anti social mannerism?" Sabrina asked coming into the kitchen to get a glass of water, she was in her nightshirt.

"Yes, Sabrina the party is over, I'm only waiting for Albus. We are going to go out for a movie and then probably a nice dinner or I guess we were going to..." Minerva sighed gloomily.

Sabrina sat down next to her aunt trying to change her aunt's mood by showing her ring to her, but Minerva just slumped more. Noticing the deterioration of her mood Sabrina bid goodnight and left for her room since she didn't know what else to do.

"Aunt Minerva? It's a quarter till ten at night...he's not back yet is he?" Tabitha asked sitting by her aunt. She had been the only one that knew what Albus had wanted to do tonight having helped him plan.

"No," Minerva sighed. She blinked the blurs out of her eyes from staring at the fire and her sight narrowed on the ring on Tabitha's left ring finger.

"You too then?" she asked seeming to be very depressed but trying not to show it.

"Yes," Tabitha smiled. She crossed her arms as if chilled but was really just hiding the ring.

"You know he won't be happy you've been sitting here for so long. Especially since you didn't eat," Tabitha said changing the subject.

"I was too excited," Minerva replied.

"Well continue this if you must ...maybe you can have a late dinner or something later. However...I want to speak with you first thing after breakfast please," Tabitha replied grabbing two glasses of milk and a few cookies.

Minerva nodded and bid her niece a good night as she yawned and decided to rest her eyes a bit.

It was almost 10 p.m. when Albus actually reached the headquarters, he found Minerva sleeping on the chair next to the fire in the kitchen and sighed recalling the plans he had made for that special day.

"Minerva…" he called out to her waking her up.

"Albus..." she replied slowly opening her eyelids.

"Minerva did you eat anything for dinner?" He asked her curiously.

"I— well, maybe— some toast and—you know the normal Christmas….food." she replied faintly.

"Minerva..?" Said Albus questioningly; he knew she was lying.

"No" she replied unhurriedly.

"Why is that?" He asked in his professor voice.

"Because I'm sure you didn't either..." she replied easily.

"That doesn't mean you mustn't either Minerva..." he said to her calmly.

"Well yes but—"she sighed softly, as he raided the refrigerator and cabinets for food but was unsuccessful in finding any.

"Well I guess they ate everything, those little rats..." He said chuckling.

"We'll go out after all then…come on," he said putting on his cloak again.

"No Albus I am sure there aren't restaurants open at the moment," she said sighing.

"The ones near the port, those cafés are always open," he said helping her into her cloak. He then transfigured his beard and hair shorter and more muggle like. They were already wearing muggle clothes. Albus a long sleeved blue shirt and khaki slacks; Minerva a black three quarter sleeve dress.

They apparated to the port to find that everything was closed excluding a little shack selling fish and chips.

"Darn, stupid muggle shops---…"he cursed.

"It is Christmas," said Minerva giggling.

"Umm…" he blanked out.

"Fish and chips would be lovely," she replied to his unfinished question, taking his hand. They occupied the table outside the shack.

The view wasn't very forthcoming due to the fog surrounding the port.

"Well he said he'd get our food in some time," he said pouring her some wine which he had hidden in his cloak. She sipped it contentedly.

"Minerva I'm sorry, fish and chips is not the way I wanted to spend this evening with you, I'm sure neither did you," he said guiltily.

"I think this is the only way I'd want to spend my evening with you Albus," she said smiling. He propped an eyebrow.

"I would never want to spend my evening in some vintage restaurant full of snobs, I'd rather spend it like this with you. Just the two of us, that's all I want," she said squeezing his hand. He smiled sadly at her, he still felt guilty for bringing her there when they were supposed to be in a higher grade restaurant.

They ate their light dinner silently often smiling at each other.

"Could we walk back to headquarters the climate seems to be much more pleasant than it was before?" asked Minerva sweetly, he had to oblige to her request.

An hour or so later they reached the park which divided the couple from their destination.

They reached a pond in between the park. It was completely frozen with a tall Christmas tree on its border. A bench looked out over it.

"Can we sit here for a while please?" She asked him sweetly.

"But Minerva it's already 11:30," he whined.

"Please…………" she said sweetly.

"Fine," he said settling down besides her.

He was deep in thought when something cold hit him right across the face.

"Hey what the—" he stammered when another snowball hit him.

"Minerva don't do that" he said sternly.

"Well, well the great Albus Dumbledore is scared of losing a snow ball fight to a girl," she giggled.

"I am not," he replied cleaning his specs of the snow and getting up to his feet. She had already sprinted a few feet away. Being a cat animagus helped her stay fit.

"Really?" She asked throwing another snowball at him, but he ducked it.

"You asked for it woman," he said throwing a snowball of his own at her.

It hit her right in the face.

"Ouch!" she yelled.

"Oh bloody hell!" he cursed and rushed to her side.

"Did I hurt you Min?" He asked lifting her face to his.

"No," she replied giggling and pushing a handful of snow into his face.

"Very funny isn't it?" he asked standing their looking at her fall to the ground laughing.

"Yes…..ha-ha-ha….you always fall for it," she laughed as he chuckled helping her up to her feet and dusted the snow off of her robes.

She shivered a bit.

"Cold are we?" He asked.

"A bit," she said.

He put his arm around her and asked.

"Better?"

"Much, thank you," she replied kissing him.

They broke up for the need of air. He sighed looking at her and though he was scared to do it; he could not think of a better time.

"Minerva...I know this might be too early but I think the time is perfect," he said going down to his knees and taking a small blue box out from his cloak pocket.

Minerva gasped and her eyes widened to saucers as her hand went to her mouth.

"Will you marry me? I promise that I will do my best to keep you happy, safe, and contended," he said removing the ring from the box. The ring was a very beautiful gold ring with two emeralds and a ruby in the middle.

"Yes!" she exclaimed giggling as he pushed the ring on to her finger.

"Its beautiful," she grinned as he kissed her palm and then brought her in for a swift kiss.

He smiled at her placing an arm around her waist leading her to Grimmauld Place.

They entered their room which they shared at the headquarters and settled into each other. The clock in the hall clanged thrice indicating midnight.

"You know something I always hoped for a Christmas Morning proposal," she said snuggling into his arms as they lay in bed. A warm fire was reflecting off her face making her looking like an angel in Albus' opinion.

"Well I think it was perfect timing then," He said kissing her passionately as her ring shinned profoundly in the reflection of the fire.