Wonderful chapter 41

Hey Tannenbaum

His mother had told him to dress in his best. That was his newer jeans, a white dress shirt, and a black jumper. It didn't look very Christmassy, but that wouldn't matter where they were going. Eileen had told Severus to wait downstairs while she and Toby got ready, and not get himself dirty in the meanwhile. The boy didn't mind waiting; he spent that time looking at the tree. He spent a good ten minutes imagining all the things Father Christmas might leave under it. After that short while, sitting and looking at the tree was not enough. Severus crawled right under it to see how much space was there.

"Oh yeah," the boy thought aloud. "Lots of things can fit under here." Severus closed his eyes and the presents appeared in his imagination. A random thought of magicing a few things crossed his mind, only he didn't know any of the incantations. 'Couldn't hurt to try, could it?' He convinced himself. Reaching out for magic, Sev could feel a tingling all over. No presents appeared, but he heard something. A low bass voice said one word, * Dry. *

A surprised Severus answered, "What?"

* Dry. * It was the tree. "If you could be so kind as to bring me a spot of water, it would be greatly appreciated."

Rolling out from under the tree, Severus jumped to his feet and looked intently at the tree. His little hand reached out to touch a branch. "You're not alive like Agri," he said to himself. Indeed the tree did not move. Severus closed his eyes and listened again.

"Water, please young Sir."

"Sure." He had said this slowly, but he ran quickly to the kitchen sink to fill a tumbler with water. As fast as he could safely bring it back to the tree he did. The tree soaked up the water as soon as the boy poured it in the base. "You need more than that."

The second time at the sink, Severus' little flower friend stood there tapping her root-foot on the counter. Severus ignored her, to get more water to the tree. The third time Agri was in the sink, next to the turkey, unavoidable. "And just who are you watering instead of me?"

"The Christmas tree."

"You mean that carcass you dragged in here?" Agri was once again offended by the ways humans used her kin. It didn't seem to bother her about the bird carcass she stood next to.

"Why do you get upset about that, when you were so proud to tell me all the things you're good for in potions and stuff?"

The little plant had to think about that. "When a plant gives freely, and has a purpose that's one thing. When humans just take and do what they want, it's another." She did not say, 'Humph,' but she did fold her branch-arms and stuck what passed for her nose in the air.

"W-e-l-l." The boy thought he had her now. "Maybe this tree is proud of being a Christmas tree. It's special."

"Special." The plant still sounded indignant.

"Why don't you go ask him, if you're so sure?"

"I will!" Agri climbed over the turkey to get out of the sink. Severus took the opportunity to get more water while Miss. Flower looked down to the floor from the counter. "Ahem," Agri voiced before the boy could reach the doorway. "A lift would be nice."

With a furrow on his brow, Sev let Agri hop into the tumbler of water so she could be carried to where the tree was. The boy looked around to make sure his father wasn't around. "Okay, get out and ask."

After soaking up as much water as her small size allowed, the enchanted flower climbed out of the glass while mumbling, "Wasting good water on someone who's half dead already."

"Ask."

With all politeness Agri sidled up to the tree and said, "Good day Mr. Tree."

"Good day Miss. Flower," the tree replied in kind.

"Severus tells me that I am wrong to think you'd rather still be attached to your roots out in the forest. Is that so?"

The flower did not ask the question in the way Severus had hoped, but the tree's answer pleased him to no end.

"Are you Crazy? Do you know how long I've been waiting to be a, Christmas tree?" The question was rhetorical, as Tree was going to tell her anyway. "Then I was in that horrible lot thinking no one would pick me." Poor Tree was a bit straggly. "I am so honored to be a Christmas tree. To bring joy to a child."

Tree would have gone on but for Agri's interruption. "You won't feel the same when they toss you next to the bins and you shrivel up, turning brown."

"What's that?"

Severus grabbed Agri, covering her mouth. "Nothing," the boy said before carrying the flower back into the kitchen. "That was mean Agri."

"I told him the truth. Not that he believed it."

"Well you better stop it."

"No," Agri boldly resisted.

"Tree is so happy being a Christmas tree, don't spoil it for him."

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Because . . ." Sev had to think. "Because, if you tell him anymore, I'll make you stay in the back yard with the weeds until Christmas is done!"

Agri looked aghast. "You . . . You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" The look in the young wizard's eyes told the magic flower he would.

"All right, all right." She gave in. "Not another word to the tree. Poor ignorant Tree."

"And none of that trying to make me feel guilty stuff either."

"Oh, all right."

"As a matter of fact, you better stay in here."

"Fine." Agri huffed and went back to her hiding place among the un-enchanted flowers in Eileen's herb garden. "Just ducky."

More water was brought out to the perplexed tree. "Is what that flower said true?" The boy didn't answer. "I have noticed I've lost quite a few needles and . . ."

"Don't worry about it." Severus' voice lowered to tell Tree, "You're a Christmas tree and it's Christmas eve. That's all that matters." This put the tree at ease. The boy heard the heavy steps of his father on the upstairs landing. "I'm going to have to pretend I can't hear you now." He whispered to Tree, "Muggle." Tree understood. He was prepared to be the best Christmas tree Sev ever remembered having.

When Toby reached the bottom of the steps he noticed the tumbler in his son's hand. Instead of the reproach he expected, Toby came out with, "That's a good lad. Remembering to water the tree."

Severus wondered why Tobias hadn't remembered. Something else took the boy's mind off that question.

Instead of his usual work pants, tee shirt, and soccer jacket Toby wore out to the pubs, Toby had come downstairs in a sky blue double breasted suit. Severus couldn't remember his dad ever looking that spiffy. Before the boy could comment on his father's transformation, he was bowled over by how his mother looked. Eileen was in a rather short, sleeveless, dress in bright pink, red, and two different shades of green colors that comprised a geometric pattern that looked like large leaves. The boy didn't know it but the pattern was know as Pucci-style. She had done her hair up and didn't look as 'gawky' as she normally did.

"Mum," Severus said in awe. "You look . . ." He didn't know how to put it. "Like you should be on television or something."

"See, I told you this dress would be fine," Eileen said to Tobias.

Tobias seemed to have thought otherwise. "Still going to be bloody cold."

Mrs. Snape took a large sigh and headed for a closet near the front door. "You see dear, they have invented these wonderful things called coats." With that she pulled out a long cream colored camelhair coat. Severus snickered. Toby gave him a warning look, but didn't say anything. He went to the closet and took out his old reliable soccer jacket.

"Toby," Eileen scolded. "You're not going to ruin how good you look by putting that thing on."

Thinking himself clever, Toby answered her back in as smarmy a tone as she had used when talking about the invention of coats. "Thought maybe you wouldn't want the boy to freeze in the car."

Lips pursed together knowing she was being a bit harsh, Ele let out an, "Oh."

The man's jacket engulfed the boy. "What ya think of that?" Toby asked. "Like to wear your old man's jacket?"

It was one of those rare moments when Severus felt as if he were accepted by his father, as if he had a real dad. "Yeah Dad, I like it." The boy's fingers played across the zipper track on the jacket's lapel.

Finding this an irresistible opportunity to yank the boy's chain, Toby came out with, "I don't know if I should let you wear it. You told your mum she looks like she belongs on Tele. What about me?" He feigned insult.

To Tobias' surprise the little one complemented, "You look good too. You look like . . ." Toby would have preferred if his son had said, 'gangster,' but he could live with, "Like a rock singer."

The part of Toby that loved to antagonize people, Sev most of all, wanted to keep badgering 'the boy.' He thought on what Ele had said earlier about it being Christmas time and not spoiling it for their son. Toby's not wanting to argue with Eileen outweighed his desire to tease Severus. He was also worried that a certain object of his wife's was due to be returned. He had not outright counted the days, but he knew it would be soon. It wasn't only the threat of the bad things she could do to him with the wand, but the promise of some good things she could do with it as well. If he behaved, maybe she'd brew some of that Pleasure Potion that had blown his mind more than any of the drugs he'd ever taken. Unlike those, the potion only worked when Ele did her bit as well. That was one of the reasons he didn't run off on her and the boy. What Eileen lacked in the looks department, she made up for in 'talent.' For that, he'd behave himself for a few days. "Rock singer eh?" Toby actually ruffled his son's hair.

"Aye." Severus was beaming up at his father.

"Good 'nuff."

Eileen looked as if she was as happy as she could look. She was. Toby was being decent, as decent as he could be, and Severus was happy, as happy as he could be. It was Christmas Eve and the Snapes were going to be a family. "Come on then," she said while wiping a joy tear off her cheek. "Lets get going."

Joe's dog, Bengi, always came round from behind the bar when Eileen arrived for work. Ele had a soft spot for the pooch and so kept a little treat in her purse or coat pocket for him. Tonight was no exception. Toby said nothing but did give his wife a dirty look as she tossed a small cube of ham for the dog. Toby did not like dogs, so there would be no treat from him. There would be no treat from Severus either, but Bengi remembered the little boy from the first time he'd been in the pub. This time Sev was not invisible, so it didn't look odd when the mutt put his paws on the boy's chest and began licking his face in greeting.

"Don't let that thing do that to you. Boy," was Toby's immediate reaction.

"He's just playing Dad," Sev giggled as Bengi continued. "He's just saying hello in dog talk."

"It's bloody disgusting it is." It was not just the dog slobbering that bothered Toby. The idea that someone might hear his son suggest that there was such a thing as 'dog talk' irked the man. He knew at the age Severus was he could say it was childish imaginings. Toby's mind was always on the future. A few years more and he'd have to be explaining why a teenager thought dogs could talk. Then again, Toby knew Severus could hear all manner of things that weren't supposed to talk, talking. "Shoo you mutt." The dog took the hint. If the beast's owner hadn't been within view, Toby would have done more than shoo Bengi away.

"Ello, ello, ello," Joe greeted cheerily than the already cheery man normally did. "Didn't know you was bringing in round the family Eileen. The more the merrier."

"Yes Joe," Ele said; a smile on her face. "That's what I thought." Still she leaned into her husband to whisper in Toby's ear, "Just not too merry, you remember."

Toby grumbled out a, "Yes Dear."

"So," the pub owner began talking as he crouched down a little to be the same height as Eileen's son. "This is the infamous Severus we always hear about." A slight glimmer of panic crossed Sev's face as he wondered, 'What are they always hearing about?' The boy's fear was allayed by Joe's next sentence. "You go sit over there." Joe indicated a round table where three boys and four girls already sat. "That's the table of honor. For all the kids of them what work here."

Seeing that many kids all in one place made Severus nervous. He wasn't usually around that many kids at one time except when he was being chased by the neighborhood thugs. "I'd rather play with Bengi."

The dog had heard his name, so he peeked around from the back of the bar where he'd retreated after Toby's rebuke. He still didn't leave his safe spot. His owner was scratching what hair he had left. "Odd." Joe pondered. "You're boy knows his name and all."

Eileen explained that away. "Oh. I've told him all sorts of stories about Bengi."

Believing the fib Joe encouraged Severus again. "Don't worry, they're nice kids like you." Sev wondered how Joe knew he was a nice kid. "They ain't snooty or nothing. Snooty kids' parents don't bring them round here." This seemed to make sense to Sev. "And as soon as you sit with the others, I'll bring over a root beer."

The boy gave the old man a worried look. Eileen had an idea what was in her son's mind. She went down on one knee to whisper in his ear, "It's a kind of soda pop. It's not the kind of beer Daddy has."

"Oh," the boy quietly uttered.

"Now go join the other kids and have some fun."

Slowly, observantly, Severus walked towards the indicated table. 'Muggles all,' the little wizard thought. 'How does Mum expect me to have fun with a pack of Muggles?'

tbc