This is a filler. It's more or less showing Severus warming up to his nephew more. Enjoy!

Chapter 16: Home for Christmas

It was time for Christmas vacation. Never in all his years had Harry ever remembered being this excited about going home! Of course now he had a great reason to. They were affectionately called grandma and Aunt Alisia.

Harry and his friends stepped off the train at King's Cross as the snow fell gently around them.

"Harry! Harry over here!" Alisia called waving her arm.

She was standing by a column with her arm around Severus' and Minerva by her side. Harry waved and said good bye to his friends.

"Good luck mate," Ron said nodding to Snape.

"He's really not that bad," Harry shrugged before walking off.

"Hey Aunt Lis, Uncle Severus," he greeted.

"Hello Harry good school semester?" Severus asked as Alisia embraced him warmly.

"Oh yeah. My Potions teacher is now the Defense teacher…which actually makes him more tolerable. And the headmaster hired a new potions teacher and all the guys say she's hot even though she's pregnant with the Defense teacher's kid!" Harry laughed.

"What kind of school have we sent you off to?" Alisia asked as Minerva got her hug from Harry.

"One run by a crazy old man and his…." Harry looked around to make sure they weren't being overheard before whispering, "Wife!"

"Interesting. Sounds like it'd make a good soap opera," Alisia laughed.

"Yep…I'm hungry," he said looking at his grandmother.

"I made a pie…that is if your grandfather hasn't eaten it all," Minerva replied.

"What kind?" Alisia asked.

"Apple," Minerva replied.

"Severus pick up Harry's things. We got to get home before dad eats it!" Alisia squealed.

"Yeah!" Harry nodded.

Minerva laughed as they piled into Severus and Alisia's car and drove off.

Severus drove up the drive and stopped in front of a large Edwardian mansion. Albus was standing inside the door smiling.

"Nice drive?" Albus asked coming down to help them.

"Oh certainly. Severus was complaining the entire way about his students. If he wasn't supposed to be spying for Voldie what's–it I'd make him quit," Alisia huffed entering the house.

"I think Aunt Lis is a little hormonal. His lecture wasn't as bad as usual," Harry answered pulling some of the luggage inside.

"Minerva was that way all three times. She seemed to get annoyed with just about anything I did," Albus said with a far off look to his eyes.

"Hunny…Albus darling Harry and Severus do not want to hear any of your back when I was your age stories right now," Minerva said closing the door. Albus looked a little put out and both men laughed.

"Albus why don't we let Severus and Harry spend some time together and you and I will start supper," Minerva smiled pulling him down the foyer.

Severus and Harry were left awkwardly in the hall.

"Well…what do you want to do?" Severus asked running a hand through his hair.

"I want to not be treated as an attention seeking freak," Harry replied truthfully.

Severus blinked and looked square in the boy's eye for several minutes before giving a small smile. "All right Harry," he nodded, "care for a walk around the grounds?"

"Okay," Harry nodded.

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The uncle and nephew walked around the grounds for almost thirty minutes; their feet carrying them to the stables where some of the horses were grazing in the pasture. Harry climbed over and sat on the fence while Severus leaned over the top and they watched the horses for a few minutes.

After awhile the black Spanish horse name Volcano approached them and allowed Severus to pet him. Volcano was one of Alisia's horse and was very temperamental; Harry had found out the hard way.

"How do you get him to act so tame?" Harry asked.

"I'm not. Volcano has never been tamed; Alisia didn't want him to be. Volcano does as he pleases," Severus replied running a hand down the horse's snout, "if he likes you he's calm if not he'll run."

"Well that explains why he tried to attack me then," Harry quipped.

"He did that to all of us at first. No one could get near him but Alisia…but after awhile he'll learn to trust you and he'll come to you," Severus replied.

To prove the point Volcano nodded his head and let Harry put a hand to his mane before Minerva called them in to supper.