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I don't own Harry Potter and don't make any profit.
The weeks before Christmas Severus was busy fulfilling his headmaster duties and on top of his own defence classes, he was now teaching some Transfiguration classes, since he hadn't found a teacher yet. It was the Saturday before Christmas when Hermione and Severus were sitting at breakfast in there quarters. The headmaster had dark circles under his eyes.
"Seriously you need to sleep more. You look dreadful," Hermione scolded her fiancé.
"I need to find a new Transfiguration teacher, that's what I need. No wonder Minerva had a breakdown with that workload," he grumbled eating his poached egg.
"How are you doing otherwise?"
"It's going good actually. After the holidays I'm going to start a support group for students, who are disturbed after the war. Only I won't call it that, because I'm sure nobody would come. I'm just not sure how to call it. And it's gonna be the end of the house tables. We'll have tables for eight people and the tables are going be charmed, that only two students of each house can sit at them at a time."
"I like the idea, but there might be more tension than there already is," she objected.
"I know there already is a lot of tension anyway, but I think it's only gonna be in the beginning and after a couple of weeks it's going to be back to normal."
"You might want to have tables for only first to third years and fourth to seventh years or something like that. It would be a bit unfair to have a first year Hufflepuff sit next to a seventh year Slytherin," she said.
Severus chuckled, "Good …"
Suddenly he froze midsentence.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Oh no, I totally forgot about Christmas presents," he said.
"Don't worry! I already bought a couple of things for Elena."
"Thank you! But I also forgot yours and I won't have any time before Christmas."
"Please don't worry."
"I'm not a fan of Christmas, but not giving you a present is just not acceptable for me."
"Why don't you go shopping today then?"
"But today we are brewing in the morning and after that I'm having a remedial class on the Patronus."
"I could take over your remedial class and instead of brewing I can catch up on some studying."
"Are you sure?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Yes I'm sure, otherwise I wouldn't have offered it, would I?"
"I can't believe we have two weeks of holidays now," Severus mumbled on Christmas morning, yawned and turned over pulling the pillow over his head. Hermione who had been up already for half an hour, was standing at the window sipping some tea.
"It's nice isn't it," she said without turning her head.
"What's so interesting out there."
"Nothing really, just Thorben standing at the lake skimming stones."
Severus sighed, "I hardly had time for him over the last couple of weeks. To be honest I forgot that he would be all by himself over Christmas."
He got up and walked over to Hermione resting his chin on her shoulder, watching Thorben.
"Would you mind if I invite him to spend Christmas with us, he doesn't have anybody," Severus asked.
"No I don't mind at all. I was thinking of it as well, but I didn't dare asking you."
"I'm sorry I behaved like an idiot about him. I'll just quickly get dressed and ask if he wants to join us."
Half an hour later when Hermione was sitting on the settee cuddling and reading a book with Elena, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
"Good morning, Professor Granger. Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas Thorben, I mean Mister Rowle. I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, you can call me Thorben if you'd like."
"Very well then Thorben, welcome to our home. Please make yourself comfortable and please call me Hermione. Where is Severus?"
"He should be here any minute. He said he wanted to have a look if Professor Sprout and her students are having a good time celebrating. So what are you reading?"
"Just some children's book my mum used to read to me when I was little."
"I have never heard of 'Frederick'?"
"It's a muggle book, about a mouse, who thinks there is more to life than to hoard provisions."
"Sounds interesting."
"It really is, although Elena is still a bit young to really understand it. So for now we are just looking at the pictures."
That's when the door opened and Severus came in.
"Everything is fine with Pomona and her students. They are having a great time and so should we. I'm glad you are celebrating with us Mister Rowle."
"Thank you for having me Professor Snape."
Severus smiled and slightly bowed his head.
"Let's have breakfast. I'm really hungry."
They sat down for breakfast and suddenly the table filled with all kind of delicious things and Christmas decorations. The conversation flowed easily between them. Thorben seemed very relaxed and turned out to be a witty and intelligent conversationalist. After they had finished, Elena was allowed to open her presents, which she did with a squeal of excitement. After a couple of minutes she was surrounded by a pile of wrapping paper, toys and books. She happily scribbled with her new crayons she got from Neville.
"Benny help Ela?" she asked with an ingenuous look at Thorben.
"Of course, Miss Elena," he answered gallantly and lowered himself to the floor.
"What would you like me to draw for you Miss Elena?"
"Hogwawts."
"Hogwarts coming right up."
Severus watched the scene and smiling he took a sip of his tea, leaned back in his chair and sighed contently. Meanwhile Hermione got up and fetched two presents from under the tree.
"Merry Christmas Severus," she said and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Merry Christmas to you too," he replied and carefully opened his first present, revealing 'New tweaks on old potions'.
"I know it's not the most original gift, giving you a book on potions, but I hope you like it anyway."
"You can never go wrong with giving me a book. And I had already laid my eyes on this one," he beamed at her.
"I noticed," she replied grinning. After quickly browsing through the book he set it aside and unwrapped the other present.
"Wow Hermione it's beautiful," he said holding a silver pocket watch in his hand.
"I thought it would go perfectly with your dungeon bat style," she winked at him. Severus turned it around in his hands and looked closely.
"Hey there is something engraved on the back … it's an 'H' and a 'S' intertwined … it's beautiful … oh and on the side it says 'Elena'."
"And there is some space for other names. They could go around the 'H' and the 'S' in a circle," Hermione whispered.
"Thank you so much," he whispered back and a soft smile grazed his lips. He reached over the table and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. She captured his hand and pressed a kiss onto his palm and mouthed an 'I love you'.
"I love you," he mouthed back.
With one last look into Severus' eyes, she got up and got some more presents from under the tree.
"These are from us," Hermione handed Thorben two presents and unseen by Thorben winked at Severus. He mouthed a 'Thank you' to her.
"Thank you so much."
"You are welcome," Hermione said and hugged him, "Merry Christmas, Ben."
Thorben's eyes became wide and he swallowed hard.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"No … it's … it's just that's what my mum used to call me, when I was little. It's actually nice to hear this nickname again … just a bit unfamiliar."
Thorben opened his presents revealing a muggle writing set and an encyclopaedia on the most common healing potions.
"Wow, it even has my name on it, although I'm not quite sure what it is," Thorben said inspecting the biro.
"It's a biro, a fountain pen and a propelling pencil," Hermione explained.
"Muggle's utensils for writing," she added after seeing Thorben's confused face.
"They are really useful. You'll see."
"Thanks so much, Hermione," the young wizard hugged her.
"Thank you Professor Snape," he said and shook Severus' hand.
"I've got some presents for you too. Here you go," he said handing each of them a gift.
"And there is also one for little Elena," Thorben added.
"Pwesent Elena?"
"Yes it's for you, do you need some help opening it?" he asked.
"No," Elena replied and ripped the paper away.
"Dwagon! Daddy Dwagon!"
"I can see it's a beautiful dragon isn't it," Severus chuckled at seeing his daughter cuddling a plush replica of a Hungarian Horntail.
"Sorry I'm not very good at giving gifts to little girls?" Thorben apologised.
"I think you did great, she is a tomboy anyway," Hermione said.
"Thank you Mister Rowle for this very thoughtful gift," Severus patted his shoulder, holding in hand a big glass jar filled up to the top with flat pebbles.
"Did you paint it yourself," Severus asked pointing to the painting of Hogwarts applied to the jar.
"I did."
"You are very talented Ben," Hermione said holding a flat stone in her hand, with a painting of Hogwarts as well. But this one from a different angel highlighting Gryffindor tower.
"I don't know if you use paperweights, but I thought it could be helpful," Thorben said somewhat insecure.
"I love it. Thank you so much Ben," Hermione beamed at him.
Severus handed a present to Hermione, „That's for you my girl. Merry Christmas! It's not very imaginative. But I hope you like it anyway. And I hope we'll have a couple of fine evenings together." Hermione looked curious and opened her present.
"Thank you Severus! I really appreciate your gift even if it's not very imaginative," she said, looking at the cinema voucher and kissed him.
"I'm looking forward going to the cinema with you again."
"With this voucher we can go more than once," he smiled at her, "but this is my real present."
He handed her another present. Hermione opened it and gasped, "How … how did you manage to get it? This young guy bought it at the auction and for a horrendous price may I add."
"The price was outrageous you're right, but it was for a good cause wasn't it?"
"You? But how?"
"I had a little help, didn't I Mister Rowle?"
"Indeed you did," Thorben grinned.
"It was you? I thought this young guy looked familiar. Thank you so much Severus!"
Hermione flung herself at Severus with her beaded bag in her hand.
"But how?" She whispered in his ear.
"Later my girl," he whispered back. Hermione peppered his face with kisses.
"Thank you so, so much," she exclaimed.
"You are welcome my girl," Severus laughed.
"This calls for a glass of Odgen's finest," he said and accioed three glasses and a bottle and poured them all a drink.
After they had been drinking in silence for a couple of moments Thorben said,"Professor Snape, Hermione, I know it's Christmas, but I've got to tell you something."
"What is it Mister Rowle?"
"Over the last couple of days I got these," he said producing a bundle of parchment from his pocket.
"What is it, Ben?" Hermione asked.
"Threats. I've been threatened. Normally I wouldn't care, but they are also threatening my mother."
Severus sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and reached out taking the stack of parchment out of Thorben's hand. For a few minutes he read through the letters before he handed them back.
"For now you are safe. You didn't leave the premises for a couple of months. It has to be a couple of more months…"
Suddenly his eyes narrowed following Elena soaring around on her toy broom having placed the plush dragon in front of her.
"Where did you get the dragon from Mister Rowle? You promised me you wouldn't leave the castle grounds after what happened at Diagon Alley."
"And I didn't. Professor Longbottom got it for me. But I have to say it's exhausting and boring me to never leave the grounds."
"I can imagine, but you have to promise me you won't do anything rash. I will talk to the aurors but I doubt they will do anything about it. Maybe you and I could leave the premises for a couple of hours, go somewhere they wouldn't expect you to go. Just for you to blow the cobwebs away."
"What about my mum?"
"I will make sure Lalita will be safe. I promise you I'll do everything in my power to help you and your mother. I quickly write a note to St. Mungo's and the aurors to reinforce the security on your mother's ward and then we'll enjoy the day, it is after all Christmas."
"Is there maybe a possibility that I can see my mother today? As you just said it is Christmas after all," Thorben said quietly.
"Sorry, I totally forgot, that you might want to see your mother over Christmas. At the moment I'm not very attentive."
"Not a problem Sir, I know you have a lot of other business on your mind right now. I wouldn't have said anything, but it's Christmas and I really want to see her. I haven't seen her in a very long time."
"Why didn't you say something," Hermione inquired softly.
"I didn't think I had the right to ask any favours."
Severus sighed, "You made a mistake and you took and still take the responsibility for it, so you have the right to ask for favours and you certainly have the right to see your mother on a regular basis. I'm sorry I forgot about that too."
"Why don't the two of you go and visit Lalita in the afternoon. Elena will have a nice afternoon, playing with all of her new toys," Hermione suggested.
"Thanks Hermione," Severus smiled at her.
After lunch Severus and Hermione made their way up to the hospital wing to visit Minerva.
"Merry Christmas, Minerva!" Hermione said and gently sat down on the bed.
"I've brought you a book. I know you can't read now, but I thought I could read it to you. What do you think?"Hermione sighed, "You need to wake up soon. We all need you back, we really miss you."
"First you need to rest, mum. You need to get your strength back. Sleep and get better. You really deserve it," Severus insisted and softly kissed Minerva's forehead.
"I have a gift for you too. You always complain it's so cold in this blasted castle in the winter, so I thought I get you a quilt to keep you warm. It has the four different house colours and animals on it, because you always have been fair to all four houses…"
Severus couldn't finish his sentence, but quickly walked over to the window and stared outside. Hermione saw his shoulders tremble and it broke her heart seeing him so devastated, knowing he was staring out the window, so nobody would notice his tears. The young witch slowly got up from the headmistress' bed and walked over to the window. She twined her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.
They were standing like this for a couple of minutes before Severus turned around and said, "I should really get going, so Mister Rowle can spend enough time with his mother. See you later, my girl."
He kissed the top of her head and left the hospital wing in a couple of long strides, robes billowing behind him. Hermione sighed and went back to Minerva's bed sitting down.
"You know, you mean a lot to him. He needs you, more than anybody else. He has changed so much since I was a student. Or maybe he didn't, maybe he had it all in him anyway."
"He has changed a lot," Poppy, who just came out of her office, assured her.
"And a lot of it has to do with you Hermione."
Hermione smiled sadly, "But he needs Minerva back, isn't there anything we can do?"
"My dear I told you before there is nothing we can do, it's how wizards' bodies sometimes, mind you very seldom, react to great stress or posttraumatic. The mind closes down and there is nothing we can do, except to wait and make sure she won't starve.
"Poor Severus," Hermione mumbled.
"You love him very much, don't you," Poppy said sympathetically. Hermione nodded her head in response.
"It's nice to be in love," Poppy mumbled.
"Tell me about you and Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said softly.
The matron sighed, "We were in a secret relationship for a couple of years, when I started at Hogwarts."
"What happened," Hermione inquired.
"Well I don't know exactly, somehow we grew apart. Thinking back now, I think he didn't want to be together with me any longer, so he let the relationship die down."
"Why is that, you think?"
"I cannot be sure about that. Maybe because he thought I wasn't good enough for him. Or maybe because he wanted to keep me safe, knowing that life at his side would always be dangerous, having Voldemort as his enemy. I always hope it is the latter, but I can't be sure," Poppy replied with a sad smile on her face.
"I'm sorry to hear it."
"Never mind. I'm married to my job now. It's very fulfilling and Neville even offered me a part time position in his nursing home and I have someone, who I slowly want to introduce to be my successor, when I retire in a couple of years. So I wouldn't have time to be in a relationship, plus I'm a bit old to start a new relationship."
"Well one can never be too old to start a relationship," Hermione winked at the matron and added," But tell me who did you think of your successor?"
"Promise me you won't tell anybody. I haven't talked to Minerva yet or to the person itself. But he is very talented and he helped me a lot over the last couple of weeks. It looks very promising."
"Are you talking about Ben?"
"By 'Ben' do you mean Mister Rowle?"
"Yes and I promise you I won't tell anybody," Hermione said.
"Yes it's him and by the way can I ask you something, why is Severus calling Minerva 'Mum'," Poppy asked curiously.
"I think it's kind of a joke, that turned a bit more serious over time. You remember when I was here after the attack. Minerva tended to him in a motherly way and he said if she wanted to adopt him and she addressed him as 'son' and I think that's how it all started. But maybe it already started earlier. I'm not quite sure."
Poppy smiled and Hermione said," I really need to get back to Elena, she tends to use the house elves ears as swinging device and they don't say anything about it, because they adore her."
Poppy chuckled, "Have a Merry Christmas Hermione."
"A Merry Christmas to you too," Hermione replied and hugged the matron, before she left to spend the afternoon with her daughter.
It was in the evening the same day, when Elena was already in bed and Severus and Hermione were sitting snuggled up on the sofa enjoying their time together. Severus had lit the candles on the tree again and Hermione had poured them each a glass of Merlot.
"It's a bit sad this Christmas, don't you think," Hermione mumbled to his chest, where she had rested her face.
Severus absentmindedly played with one of her curls.
"Why would you think that?"
"I don't know, but Minerva is poorly and we don't know if or when she will be with us again and Thorben has lost his mother and seems kind of lost himself. War is horrible," Hermione whispered and couldn't help a single tear rolling down her cheek.
"Yes it is. But it's over now and we have to move on. Listen to me, Mister Rowle is strong. He will make a good healer, maybe even more now, with his mother's history. He chose his path and he will be doing perfectly. That I'm sure about. Minerva needs to rest. She has been through a lot. War wasn't easy on her, she is not the youngest any more. She helped to rebuild the school. When I was headmaster, she tried to protect the students from the Carrows and … and … well … me."
"You?"
"Well I had to play a part and I guess I was even more horrible than before. And she didn't know I was on the Order's side all along. Now all is over and I guess her body is telling her to slow down," he explained, keeping an affirmative tone to his voice, when actually a deep frown showed on his face. Fortunately Hermione didn't see it, since she was still cuddled to his chest.
He pulled her even closer and sighed, "I actually think it's a nice Christmas. I'm engaged. I have got a lovely daughter. I have a couple of friends. I couldn't be more content."
"And you must have a lot of money nowadays. How come you could afford the bag? It was ridiculously overprized, don't you think?"
He chuckled, "Maybe it was, maybe not. I mean you are a war heroine after all, so why wouldn't people pay as much. But answering your question, I have been paid compensation, for fighting in the war and for my role as a spy. That was a couple of weeks ago. Kingsley wrote a letter to me, but asked me to keep it quiet, because he had a hard time convincing the ministry, that I played an important part and it was only fair to pay me compensation."
"It was about time," Hermione growled.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"I talked to Kingsley about it ages ago, actually that day at Rowle Manor. I told him that it wasn't right to only honour Harry, Ron and myself, when your part was even bigger."
"So it was you?" He asked astonished.
"Yes," she said her head now holding up high and a blazing fire in her eyes.
"I like being part of your family, it makes me feel safe," he whispered awed by the young witch, who would defend him like a lioness it seemed.
He buried his face in her neck and mumbled, "Perfect Christmas for me, if anyone should ask," against her skin.
AN: I hope you liked it!?