A/N: Dear readers, thank you all so much for being so patient with me. As you have realized with this update, I have not given up on my stories by a long shot. I gave up Fanfiction for Lent and it was dreadful, just kidding. Anyway, to all of you who have been so wonderful and patient, here is the latest! Read, Enjoy and Review please! ~ Puppyluv09
Chapter 37: Third Christmas
The rest of fall term had fallen into place, Hermione could have skipped down the hall with her happiness, her brothers had noticed and had asked her numerous times what had gotten her so happy but she simply said, "Honesty," She would smile at them and say, "absolutely nothing". She and Severus did nothing but kiss, well it was more like borderline snog but you know, they had to play it safe. She would sit in his arms and stare at the fire as he rubbed small circles on her small hand, she always smiled when he did that, and he loved to see her smile. They spent the same amount of time together that they had when she had interned with him over the summers so as not to draw attention to their new status, of course to cover, they actually brewed together and took new supplies to the hospital wing.
However, what they didn't know was that the Headmaster and his deputy were very aware at what was going on behind closed doors between the two, but they chose to wait unless something more intimate was going on to intervene.
Christmas was upon the school, closer than anyone had wanted it to but it was expected with how many deaths there had been outside of the castle, most parents had requested to come and get their children themselves rather than sending them on the train. Albus hadn't objected and had let the parents decide what was best for their children; he had actually decided to take the family to McGonagall manor to celebrate Christmas he didn't feel it was safe to send the Malfoy family home. He waited for the school to be empty before he escorted the family to the manor.
It was generally quiet in the house, Hermione studied, Draco and Blaise decided that they wanted to play one on one quiddich, Minerva and Narcissa worked on random projects, Albus and Lucius did their work required of them but they always made time for each other. Hermione wrote letters to Severus almost every day to keep him posted on what was going on in the house, he in turn would keep her posted on the standings of the school and any projects that popped into his head. Every letter made her smile, even if it were short; one day during lunch, Severus had sent one of his replies to her and when she got it, a smile lit up her face.
"OOO, Mia has a boyfriend." Draco teased.
"Yep, look at her face, she's flushing." Blaise pointed out.
"Shut up."
"Who's it from Mia, Georgy-poo?" Blaise asked making a kissy face.
"No."
"Oh come on dear sister, tell us who it's from." Draco pleaded.
"Mother!" Hermione said.
"Boys leave your sister alone," Lucius said.
"Aren't you curious Father?"
"Of course, but I am sure that if things get any more serious than simple letters, she will tell me so that we can all approve of her decision."
"Don't worry, Daddy, I am sure that you will all approve should this relationship expand." Hermione smiled and left the table.
Later that night, Lucius was found in the sitting room, Hermione had quickly spotted him and sat in the chair across from him. "Daddy?"
"Yes Mia Bear." The nickname still made Hermione smile.
"Can we talk?"
"I fail to see why not?"
"It's about this 'boyfriend' that the boys have so politely pointed out."
"Oh?"
"I was wondering, how do you feel about me dating a… well older man?"
"How much older?" Lucius raised an eyebrow at her.
"Daddy, promise you won't get upset," Hermione looked very serious.
"Ok, I promise."
Narcissa and Minerva were in the study quietly reading when they heard the outburst.
"YOU'RE WHAT?"…"NO HERMIONE I WILL NOT ALLOW IT."
"ALLOW?"
"YES I AM YOUR FATHER AND I CAN SAY WHETHER OR NOT I ALLOW SOMETHING AND YOU WILL OBEY THAT!"
Narcissa and Minerva looked at each other before hustling out of the room and into the sitting room.
"Lucius, what is the meaning of all of this yelling?"
"Gee, Narcissa, why don't you ask your daughter?"
"Oh so now I'm not your daughter, I'm just hers, that's rich Father." Hermione snapped.
"Hermione, watch your tone." Narcissa warned. "Please Lucius give us a moment." Lucius nodded and quickly left the room, slamming the door behind him, causing Hermione to jump. "Hermione please tell me what caused your father to have an outburst like that."
"Mother, I…"
"No Hermione, tell me." The Narcissa that had always let her daughter come to her was gone.
"Grams?"
"Hermione, you made your choice, now you have to lie in the bed you made." Minerva said.
Hermione sighed, "Mother, you should sit down," Narcissa did as her daughter suggested, "Mother, you know how the boys brought up my lovely 'boyfriend' situation at lunch?"
"Yes."
"Well, they're right, I am seeing someone. It's not too serious, we haven't done anything beyond kiss and I told him that until I had a ring on my finger, that's all there would be and he had no objections so I want you to understand that we are on equal footing in our relationship."
"Ok."
"Hermione just tell her." Minerva said tired of her dillydallying.
"So you do know!" Minerva nodded, "Does Grandpa know?"
"Yes, he has his ways and we agreed that we wouldn't interfere unless things got more serious." Hermione hung her head and then looked at her mother.
"Mother, I'm seeing…"She trialed of and whispered his name.
"Baby, I can't here you."
"I'm dating Severus," still quiet but also still inaudible.
"Hermione, baby, I can't understand you when you mumble like that."
"I'm seeing Severus!" she had said it a bit louder then she had anticipated but it was now out.
Narcissa looked at her daughter like she had just said that she was You-Know-Who, the room was deathly silent, "Baby," Narcissa said breaking the silence, "You can understand why your father is upset can't you?"
"Yes, but…"
"No buts, you have to understand baby that should you and Severus do anything…"
"I told you that we are on mutual agreement that until he and I have taken the walk down the aisle and said our vows that there will be nothing but kissing Mother."
"I understand that, but your father, he and Severus are best friends, this is an odd thing for him to… Digest. Baby, give him time, I'll help him see reason."
"So, you're not angry by my decision?"
"No, shocked but not angry, I actually think that between both of your large heads, you all could do wonders for each other and after he lost Emmeline, I think he could really use you."
"That's actually when I noticed something different."
"Really."
"Yeah, and Grams asked if I like him, and said that I should talk to him."
"Minerva," Narcissa said in mock shock, "How could you encourage this."
"Me? I am completely innocent in this whole situation." Minerva said in mock defense.
"Yes and that is why I love you," Albus sad coming up behind them.
"Hello Grandpa," Hermione said.
"Hello buttercup."
"How come you didn't say anything?"
"It was your situation and you needed to handle it, I had no doubt that you could handle it and take care of the situation in due time."
"Oh."
"All I ask is that you do not distract my best spy." Albus joked.
Hermione smiled," I'll try." The four laughed about the whole situation and then the topic turned to other things.
A week had gone by since Hermione dropped her bomb about Severus, to say that her father was upset would be an understatement, and he was way beyond that. He barely said two words to her at the table or when they had family time, when she asked if Severus could join them for Christmas dinner he said, "Gee why don't you ask your mother, she seems to be on board the party boat." Hermione was hurt but tried not to let it show, maybe he would come around.
Christmas day had finally arrived and Hermione was awoken to a knock at her door, she sat up and saw that it was her father, "Merry Christmas Daddy."
"Merry Christmas, your mother is waiting for you in the kitchen, hurry up and get dressed before you come down."
"Ok." She quickly dressed putting on a pair of beige slacks, brown clogs and her Weasley sweater that Molly had sent over last night, this year it was green with a white 'H.' She brushed her hair and pulled it into a French braid before she added her charm bracelet and her Gryffindor crest necklace, the mood necklace was always on and she hid it under her sweater. She put on just a touch of eye makeup and then when she was satisfied with her appearance she nodded and then headed downstairs. She entered the kitchen to her family sitting waiting for her to join them, "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas Hermione," The boys said in unison.
"Merry Christmas baby," Narcissa said.
"Merry Christmas buttercup," Albus said.
"Merry Christmas Hermione," Minerva said.
She smiled and took her seat, everyone ate and enjoyed their meal while they chatted about what the boys were expecting to be under the tree, they had yet to know of Severus but Hermione was just fine with that. They soon opened gifts and everyone loved what they had received.
Draco had proclaimed that his favorite gift was from his grandparents, he got a firebolt. Everyone else had gotten him books to further his study.
Blaise also got a firebolt from the Dumbledore's but he had decided that his favorite gift was from Hermione, she had gotten him a 'how to draw' book and as soon as lunch was over he had started working out of it.
Hermione had received numerous sketching tools but her favorite gift was actually from Harry, he had saved a picture of them from their first year and put it into a large frame along with a picture from her seventeenth birthday party, he put the pictures in opposing corners, the frame said, "Friends for Seven years, Family for One hundred and Seventy more!" in smaller print she could read that Harry had put in his own two cents, "but we both know that it will be more then that!" Hermione cried when she opened the gift. George had gotten her a new charm for her bracelet that was of a single red rose, it came in a close second to her picture gift.
Narcissa and Lucius had received china set from the kids and they loved it, theirs was diminishing because someone kept running off with them.
Minerva and Albus said that their favorite was the sketch Hermione did of the family.
Around four in the afternoon, the fire roared signally Severus' arrival.
"Merry Christmas all."
"Merry Christmas," the family replied. The boys were excited to show him their new brooms; it was like two seven year olds instead of two seventeen year olds. Narcissa stood and kissed him on the cheek as greeting as did Minerva, Albus shook his hand and patted him on the back. He spotted Hermione looking at him with a smile on her face, he smiled back and then she stood and walked over to him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him just in time for him to kiss her lightly. It was brief so when they broke apart, they could see Minerva, Albus, and Narcissa smiling, Lucius looked unsure of his daughter and the boys looked like she had just grown a third head. Hermione started laughing.
"Hermione… I… You… Him…" the boys babbled
"Oh come on you too, I made it so blatantly obvious, how could you be so oblivious."
"She's right; I think I rattled the whole house when I found out." Lucius said. He stood and shook Severus' hand, "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas Lucius." The family sat down in the sitting room and talked about what the plans were for Severus and Hermione. Suddenly the boys suggested a trip outside the manor, just a quick stroll along the grounds, just to get out of the house. Everyone looked at each other before they agreed, everyone got on their coats, hats, gloves, scarves and more appropriate shoes. The couples walked hand in hand as the boys chased each other around the yard throwing snowballs; a stray snowball came and hit Hermione in the shoulder.
"Blaise!"
"That was Draco!"
"My Bad, Hermione," he said holding up his hands.
"Darn straight your bad," she quickly released Severus' hand and chased her brother before tackling him to the ground, she toppled on top of him and laughed, Hermione quickly rolled off of her brother and laughed hard, she laughed even harder when the boys both laid on top of her pushing her deeper into the snow. Each was laughing like the world was ending, they didn't know how long they lay there but eventually the boys got off of her and helped her up, her French braid had come out of its confines and she now had a few stray hairs framing her face. They walked up to the five adults in the yard, Hermione's face was flushed from the cold and she walked into Severus' embrace and used his warmth to warm her face as she laid her head on his chest. Suddenly the two were hit with another snowball.
"Draco!"
"Honest Hermione, that one wasn't me!"
"Then who…" she looked over at her grandfather and saw that he was 'innocently' looking in another direction. She bent down while he wasn't looking and formed a snowball, she threw it at him but it missed, instead she hit Minerva. Hermione gasped, "Grams I am so sorry, you know that I was…"
Minerva held up her hand and sent a death glare at Narcissa who was laughing. She picked up a handful of snow and threw it at her. Lucius laughed too and Narcissa grabbed a small ball of snow and put it down his jacket. Before anyone knew what was going on, the entire family had broken out into a snowball fight, giggling and hitting each other, about an hour later everyone was cold and wet so they decided to head in and warm up. Minerva made some hot chocolate and tea for everyone while everyone went and changed cloths.
Hermione came back down to the sitting room where Severus was sitting by himself on the love seat. She smiled and quickly crossed to join him, she sat down and leaned into his side as he instinctively wrapped and arm around her. She looked up at him and kissed him lightly, he whispered something in her ear, she smiled and leaned into the warmth of his body, and both were unaware that Lucius was watching the whole scene from the chair that he had taken his seat. Eventually everyone was seated around the fire and enjoying their hot beverage, Minerva and Albus watched Narcissa and Lucius watch Hermione and Severus, each taking in calculating stares and smiles.
Around ten o'clock, Severus left the family to enjoy the rest of their Christmas together. He kissed Hermione lovingly and then left. Around Eleven, Hermione had decided to call it a night and she went to bed, She had just crawled into bed when there was a knock at the door, "Come in," she called. Lucius stepped in through the door, "Hi Daddy."
"Hi Mia Bear," he strode into the room as she crawled under the covers, "I must apologize for my behavior this past week."
"It's Ok Daddy, I understand."
"While I am glad you forgive me, it is totally unacceptable; I should have been more understanding." He strode and sat next to his daughter as she sat leaning against the headboard. "You really care for him don't you?" Hermione nodded and looked down at her hands, which were neatly folded in her lap. "I just want you to be happy, to live your life as you wanted, not just to live up to the pureblood society."
"I'm happy Daddy, he makes me smile and I can actually have a conversation with him, he… he makes me feel safe."
"That's all I could ask," he reached up and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him, "Promise me that you will take care of yourself as well as him."
"I promise."
He kissed her head and then left her to sleep.