AN: I am SO sorry this is so late! was acting weird last night, and I could not get the document uploaded until now. Still, I have it now, so better late than never.
Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
"You should have seen Ella's entrance." Harry extended his arms. "She was in this huge sleigh with the most beautiful black horse anyone has ever seen. That butler looked grumpy, but his robes were tailored well. Granted, she wasn't perfect. Her emerald dress was too Slytherin for my tastes. Then again, she spent most of the night with Severus, so perhaps she was trying to get his attention. If she did, then she succeeded. He couldn't take his eyes off her."
Hermione nodded as she picked at her food. Most years, Luna's cooking was the highlight of Hermione's Christmas. This holiday shouldn't have been any different. Her roast goose was delicious as always, as was everything else at the table. Still, she couldn't focus on anything other than the memories of her kisses with Severus and how she wished she'd awoken beside him, listening to him complain about spending part of their first Christmas together with the Potters, yet going with her to their house anyway just to make her happy.
"Was she like a princess?" James asked, seated on Harry's right.
"She was." Harry laughed. "She was like something right out of a storybook."
Hermione cast her eyes downwards. If only her life was a fairy tale storybook. Perhaps then she would be with the man she loved.
"I wan see a pri-ness," Xeno replied before taking a bite of his stuffing.
"Perhaps someday you can see one," Harry put a hand on his back, who was to the left of him.
"Perhaps you can someday." Hermione forced herself to take a bite of braised red cabbage.
"I an?" Xeno asked with a glisten in his eyes.
Hermione met his eyes. "Yes, you can meet a princess someday."
"Yay!" Xeno held up his hands, sending stuffing onto the floor.
"What did Ella do once she was at the ball?" James asked. "You said Snape wouldn't stop looking at her, but did she look at him?"
"Of course she did. She danced with Snape and went out onto the balcony and spoke with him," Harry answered. "She didn't want to be with anyone other than him. They made an adorable couple."
Hermione took a bit of her potatoes, forcing the grin to remain on her face.
"Harry," Luna began in a gentle voice, "I don't think Hermione wants to hear this story."
"Why?" James asked.
Harry's eyes grew wide before she put a hand over his mouth. "Oh, I—I'm so sorry. I wasn't even thinking about that. I just got carried away with the story and, oh, Merlin."
"It's fine." She shrugged. "Severus deserves to be happy. If he's happy with Ella, then so be it."
"He deserves to be happy with you," Luna began.
"Well," Harry shifted his eyes to the right. "He deserves to be happy with whoever he wants, really."
"He does." Luna locked eyes with Hermione. "Which is something you should consider the next time you see him."
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked.
"You know exactly what I mean."
Hermione glanced at her half-eaten goose. "He wants a princess, not me."
"How do you know what he wants?" Luna asked.
"Weren't you listening to anything your husband was saying?" Hermione locked eyes with her. "Severus wants a princess."
"He wants the woman who was brave enough to reveal her feelings for him at the ball, not another woman angling for his fortune or his fame."
"Look, I know you think you are helping, but you aren't. He doesn't want me."
"How would you know? You've never let him know the real you."
Hermione swallowed.
"What do you mean, Mum?" James asked. "Doesn't everyone want to be known for who they really are?"
"They do." Luna turned to her son. "But sometimes people get hurt when they reveal who they are. People may not be nice to them if they are their true selves. They may be mean to them or decide they don't want to be their friend. Because of that, some people hide who they are so others will like them."
"Oh." James took a bite of his roasted potato.
"Yes, being rejected hurts," Hermione's voice was quiet.
Luna returned her attention to Hermione. "You've been judged for most of your life, whether it was for being too intelligent in school, for being a muggleborn, for being a member of the Golden Trio, or for being only the secretary to an overbearing minister. It must wear on you after a while."
Hermione's stomach knotted at the truth of her words.
"Because of that, you never gave Severus a chance to know who you were. Really, you don't let many people know who you are."
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"It's true," Harry cut in. "You're an amazing person. Everyone who knows the real you considers themselves lucky to have you as their friend. Anyone would consider you an asset to their business as well. Still, you're staying in a job where you have no hope of advancement, your social life mainly consists of us, and you're still afraid to attend university to reach your full potential."
"I told you, there are financial considerations that prevent me from attending a university," she argued. "I mean, I couldn't afford to take one class."
"There are also scholarships that could cover at least some of your classes," Luna answered. "You've saved your pensions from the war well. You could find a way to get through the university."
Hermione scratched the table.
"You need to stop being afraid of life," Luna continued. "Go after what you want. Stop settling for mediocrity and live the life you've always wanted."
Hermione looked at her friends and their children. All of them looked upon her with affection and genuine care. Regardless of what happened, she had a second family, one that accepted her and would support her as she tried to better herself.
"Whatever happens, we'll still like you," James cut in.
"Yes," Xeno replied.
"I don't know if you stand much of a chance against Ella," Harry answered, "but you could try letting Severus know how you feel. Perhaps then he'd forget all about Ella and only focus on you."
"I think I could persuade him to forget about Ella." This time, Hermione's smile was genuine.
"Then show Severus what he'll be missing if he only settles for a couple of kisses on a freezing balcony," Luna answered.
"I will," Hermione promised.
Although she didn't have a plan, she would find some way to recapture the magic she had created with Severus, even if it took until next Christmas.
"I don't know why she fled from me," Severus set his cup of tea onto Minerva's coffee table. "We were having a lovely conversation, sharing a few kisses, and then the clock struck midnight. Just like that, she was gone."
Minerva hummed. "Perhaps she didn't want you to know who she was."
"That makes no sense. I already told her I knew who she was. Did Hermione think I was too stupid to recognize her eyes and her hair?"
"You know she doesn't think you're stupid."
"Then why did she flee?"
"She's scared because she didn't think you would accept her as she was." Minerva took a sip of her peppermint tea.
"How could I not accept her as she was?" Severus crossed his legs. "We were telling each other secrets and having a lovely chat. Was she lying about liking Muggle literature?"
"No," Minerva set her cup of tea down. "But she wasn't acting as herself. Rather, she had put on a disguise."
"A disguise?"
"Indeed, she was behaving as Ella, not as Hermione. To her, that made a huge difference."
"I saw no difference."
"But she did."
Severus took another sip of tea as he meditated on her words, relieved he had accepted Minerva's offer to spend Christmas at Hogwarts.
After Christmas dinner tea time had become a beloved tradition between him and Minerva. Even when he was headmaster, they had their holiday tea, though that year they spent more time glaring at each other than speaking. Once the war ended, Minerva insisted that the tradition continue. It was difficult to say no to her.
"When Hermione was Ella, she could be herself without the fear of being judged. She kissed you because it's what she wanted to do. Still, she believed you thought you were kissing Ella, not her. That fact scared her because she didn't think you'd love her for who she was," Minerva continued.
Severus put a hand on his head. "I knew I should've just called her Hermione."
"That may have caused her to run even faster, given that she would've believed you were only attracted to her because she was in a beautiful dress. Being called Ella made her feel beautiful and gave her the confidence to expose who she was. That name let her be an elegant woman, not a secretary pining for a man she felt was out of reach."
"Fine, she didn't want to be Hermione, but now I want Hermione, Ella, or whatever name she wants to be called. I'll call her Sugar Plum Fairy if she agrees to go on a date with me."
"I don't think calling her a pet name will be necessary." Minerva smirked. "But I do think reaching out to her when you are Severus and she is Hermione is necessary."
He scratched his chin. "I fear that will be difficult given I am inept at asking women to do favors for me. I'm even more inept at asking one to date me."
"Then don't think of it as a date. Think of it as asking her to spend time with you."
"Because I'm so experienced at asking women to spend quality time with me. That is why I have hundreds of women tearing down my door at this very hour."
"If I were you, I'd cut the sarcasm and start thinking of viable solutions. The sooner you ask her to spend time with you, the better."
"That will prove difficult given that almost every place is closed for Christmas and Boxing Day."
"You don't need to take her out anywhere."
"Where should we go then? I highly doubt she wants to go hiking in the snow and listen to me complain about how my boots are inappropriate for the terrain and my back aches after walking more than five kilometers."
"I don't think she wants to go hiking either."
"There is a reason I'm growing fond of her."
"Indeed." Minerva tapped her chin. "You don't need an outdoor adventure. What you need is a Christmas tree."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Would you get off the bloody Christmas tree?"
"I'm just making an observation." She took another sip of tea.
"Thankfully you don't need to make the observation much longer given that the holidays are almost over."
"There's still time to decorate the tree and keep it up until Epiphany, or perhaps even your birthday."
He rolled his eyes.
"There are a few extra artificial Christmas trees we didn't use for decorations and some extra ornaments you could borrow," she continued. "If I recall, you were quite fond of some of those ornaments."
"I refuse to spend hours decorating something that will go down right after New Year's."
"Fine, but perhaps you could get someone else to decorate it for you." There was a gleam in her eyes. "Decorating a Christmas tree can be quite the bonding experience."
Severus opened his mouth, only to close it as a plan formed in his mind. Minerva gave him a knowing smile.
He finished the last of his tea. "Where is this tree, and where are the ornaments?"
Minerva stood. "Follow me and I'll show you."
Severus allowed Minerva to lead him out, hoping her plan was outlandish enough to work.
Hermione sat on her sofa, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace. Although she had a trashy Christmas romance novel in her hands, she couldn't focus on a single word. Instead, her mind drifted back to her evening with Severus and everything the Potters had said.
It was hard to argue against the Potters' observations. For years Hermione had been settling for a job she hated, pining after a man she only occasionally spoke to, and accepting her solitude as an unfortunate fact of life. Although the employment issue would not be resolved immediately, she could do something about Severus and her solitude. Perhaps she could ask him for another coffee or a tea. Asking him out for dinner may be too forward, but coffee may be non-threatening enough.
Before she could meditate on her quandary for too long, a wispy mongoose appeared. She cocked her head, wondering whose it could be.
"Hermione." Her heart fluttered at the sound of Severus' voice. "I am in need of your immediate assistance. Minerva has been hounding me about a certain project, and I can no longer delay doing it. I know it is late, but I would appreciate your company at 349 West Niccolo Drive."
The wisp evaporated before Hermione could answer. A smile crept across her face.
Perhaps she didn't need to worry about asking him to grab a coffee with her after all.