"Are you ready to be amazed?" She asked.

She opened the door, and Snape stepped into a dream. It was as if he was walking into a Christmas display at Harrods of London.

"Hermione, this is incredible."

"Thanks," she smiled, "there was no way I was going to put together a crummy display inside a house of exquisite décor. This is my favorite time of the year. I always missed decorating for Christmas. You have given me so much in such a short time already, Severus."

"I will do anything to make sure you are happy, Hermione. I want you to know that." He pulled her close and kissed her warmly. "It really looks beautiful. If magic does not work out, maybe Harrods will hire you," he joked.

She laughed. "Actually, when I was little I would always tell my mum I wanted to decorate for a living. Imagine the faces on two dentists when they heard that." She shook her head slowly and sighed.

Snape noticed her wandering thoughts and quickly interrupted them. "Let's start dinner, shall we?"

Hermione nodded and followed him to the kitchen.

Within forty-five minutes, Snape placed a steaming plate of food in front of Hermione.

"This looks delicious. I had no idea you could cook." Hermione took a bite of the stew and closed her eyes. It tasted every bit as good as it looked.

"When my mother was too sore and depressed to cook, this was the only way I could keep my father at bay. If he didn't have a meal he became angrier." He began to eat as well.

They ate in comfortable silence together until Snape spoke again.

"Might I suggest working on a project this evening? I would like to get something accomplished before Christmas Eve."

"Of course," Hermione replied, "I'm quite anxious to work in your room here. It's amazingly stocked."

Snape picked up their dishes and brought them to the sink. He rinsed them off and put them in a Muggle dishwasher.

Hermione laughed. "There are so many things about this place that remind me of home. I like it."

"I'm glad you do. I really enjoy this place myself and I'm excited to share it with you." Snape turned the dishwasher on and the two of them walked back upstairs into the potions room.

The room was similar to the dungeons, but did not feel as confining. The small windows set in the stone walls allowed for the little sunlight that was left to pass through. The floor was stone as well, and there were two tables set up side by side with large cauldrons. The opposite wall to the windows shelved every ingredient a potions master could ever dream of having.

"It is not surprising that you have mastered every potion that will be testing on your ministry examination. That being said, I am not going to waste your time or mine continually making them. I have an idea for a memory potion that I would like to start. It will be like a liquid Remembrall, stimulating the area of the brain where facts are stored. The basic ingredients are of those in any memory potion, except for a few key parts that we will experiment with." Snape stopped speaking. "Would you be willing to assist with this project?"

Hermione nodded furiously. "Yes, my goodness this sounds incredible. I cannot wait to begin."

Snape continued. "Very good. There are two days until Christmas Eve, which is about the time it takes to brew a basic memory potion. We will put a stasis charm on the brew and resume once the holiday is over. Then we can begin experimenting. You will brew a batch and I will brew a batch. I want to ensure we have enough to test without having to waste time making more."

Hermione put her hair up and pushed her sleeves back. She looked at Snape, "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's begin."

Severus loved watching Hermione brew. Her quick, careful motions. Her intense glare. She reminded him of when he was a student. Potions was the only subject he could get lost in for hours and never notice the time passing. She was also an extraordinary student. Her potions were perfect every time. Every chop, every stir- each step was done with perfection and caution.

He was surprised the mention of a memory potion didn't stir up an odd feelings about her parents. For the safety of the project he had to tell her what they were brewing, but he hoped it wouldn't cause a negative reaction that would jeopardize the results. Even if she thought about her parents, she didn't let it show. That was one of her many amazing qualities. She knew when to let go of personal issues and focus on the task at hand. They brewed side by side for several hours, until Hermione added her last ingredient and set her cauldron to low. Severus had already finished, but he kept busy to prevent Hermione from feeling rushed.

"How did you finish so quickly?" It was hard for anything to get passed Hermione.

"Practice. Some potions become first nature to your hands. You won't have to think about them." Severus responded. "Let's go sit by the fire."

Hermione settled herself on the plush leather couch downstairs and looked out at the softly falling snow. Severus joined her carrying a tray of tea. He handed her a cup.

"When I was little I dreamed of feeling this way," Hermione voiced quietly.

Severus stopped, then put the tray down on the table in front of them. He sat on the floor next to her legs and sipped his tea.

"The feeling of warmth and comfort. Sitting by a fire and watching the snow fall knowing you couldn't possibly want to be anywhere else. Those feelings. After losing my parents and chasing Harry and Ron around for all those years, I truly lost hope that I would ever find this someday. I know I snapped at you, but even if you can't find my parents, you have already given me everything I have ever wanted." Hermione put her cup to her lips and drank deeply. She continued staring out the window.

For a brief moment, only the crackle of the fire could be heard.

"I- I cannot lie to you, Hermione," Severus finally spoke. "For a very long time, since my childhood, I believed I would end up alone. And for the longest time that is what my life was. Lonely. Some might even call it depressing, but I never felt that way. Mostly because I only felt loneliness was something I deserved. I'm not a man of kindness to most people. I dislike most people. What was there for me to like about the human race? Muggle or magic, I was constantly abused and disregarded as a person. So, I turned to a life I shouldn't have. Something that made me feel wanted and important. Unlike most people, I actually realized my errors. I never wanted that life, but what choice did an angry teen have?" He paused to take another sip of his tea. "There are some things I could tell you that you would never believe. There are other things that you would not want to believe. My feelings and wants are no different from yours, Hermione. We both know how to hide them well."

Hermione placed her cup on the table and turned to Severus, tears in her eyes.

"I have something to tell you. But I don't know how to say it," she slowly put her head in her hands.

Quietly, Severus placed his cup next to hers and leaned to kiss her head. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, Hermione. You know you can tell me anything."

Hermione lifted her head and looked into his eyes. She no longer saw the blackness in them, or the harshness- she saw only one thing. Love.

"I love you, Severus." Tears rolled slowly down her cheek.

Severus quickly moved to her and placed his hands on either side of her face, "And I love you."

Hermione's eyes opened wide in shock. "Really?" She whispered.

"Really," he answered. He leaned in closely and kissed her hard.

She responded immediately and wrapped her arms around his neck. Severus loved kissing Hermione. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. Her tiny frame fit perfectly in his arms. He loved her. He loved and he wanted her. But it was still too soon for that. He carefully broke away, not wanting to offend her, and kissed her ear slowly.

"I have felt this way for a while, Severus. But I was too afraid to even think about it and accidently cause the bird to do something. I wanted to make sure this was you and not a wish." Hermione traced his nose with her fingertip.

"I promise you this is not the work of that silly bird. I love you whether you wish for it or not." He reached for her finger and kissed it. "Is there anything else you would like to do tomorrow once we finish the brewing?"

Hermione thought for a second and smiled. "Yes, there is, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. You just have to trust me."

Hermione woke the next morning with a smile on her face. And I love you. Those words rang through her ears. She looked at the man sleeping peacefully next to her and stroke his hair lightly. Severus began to stir.

He opened one eye and looked at her. "I'm sorry, Severus, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I wake up next to this beautiful creature and she apologizes for playing with my hair. You really are a strange woman, Hermione. Come here." Severus pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head.

"I hope the accommodations were to your liking?" he mumbled.

"Are you suggesting that I may have not enjoyed sleeping with you?" Hermione laughed.

"You didn't sleep with me, you slept next to me. There is a difference." Severus retorted.

Hermione slapped him playfully, "Don't be so cheeky, Severus. It's way too early for that!"

He smirked at her and closed his eyes, "Are you one of those morning birds I have always been warned of?"

Hermione chuckled, "Perhaps. But there are perks to that. I'm guessing I can find everything I need for breakfast in the kitchen?"

Severus nodded slowly and watched as she jumped cheerfully out of the bed.

Hermione walked downstairs and opened the giant refrigerator. It was completely stocked. She reached for eggs, milk, and juice. She found some thick bread in the cupboard and settled for French toast. Within twenty minutes Severus was slowly coming down the stairs to the sweet scent of syrup and coffee.

"I must admit, I didn't think you were a cook," he peered over her shoulder as she manned the stove.

She pointed a spatula at him, "I'll have you know my mum and I won the mother-daughter bake off at our local church for four years straight." She laughed at the silent memory. "She always told me if I didn't learn to cook, then I would never find a husband." She flipped the last of the toast onto a plate and handed it to Severus. "It's fun. I like cooking. It's one of the few activities that turns out better if you don't use magic. Makes it more of a challenge to get it right." Hermione followed Severus to the table and they ate the meal happily.

They spent the rest of the day in the potions room brewing another batch of the memory potion. Severus always finished first, which didn't bother Hermione, and spent the rest of the time working out which ingredients they were going to test.

Severus looked forward the evening spent with Hermione. Working with her was nice, but relaxing in her presence was even better.

She finished her last batch and looked at him. "I'm finished. Are you ready for what I have planned?"

Severus had completely forgotten, but nodded in agreement.

She took his hand and led him into the kitchen. "We're making a gingerbread house."

"A what?" Severus looked confused.

"It's one of the most popular Christmastime activities! You make a house out of gingerbread cookie and then decorate it with frosting and candy."

Severus laughed, "Some of these Muggle ideas really make me wonder how on earth they were invented."

Hermione didn't even need a recipe. She worked quickly to mix the batter and bake the pieces. Severus helped, but he mostly watched. Eventually he asked the obvious, "I am guessing you have done this many times."

Hermione nodded, mixing a bowl of icing furiously. "Every year. It's a tradition. It's first nature to me now, just like many potions are to you."

"Hermione," Severus began slowly, "I can't help but notice much of what you have been doing reminds you of home. I don't want anything to upset you-,"

She cut him off. "It doesn't. If anything it makes me more determined that we will find them and we will restore their memories. Beside, for the longest time I feel like I am at home, and I want to share these things with you." She pulled the cookie parts out of the oven. "This isn't a game to me, Severus. You are part of my life now. Every part, from Christmas trees to gingerbread houses, past memories to future ones. You're a part of everything."

Severus pulled her close, "I am so honored and happy that you have allowed me into your life like this, Hermione. You have no idea what I would do for your happiness. I would do anything." He kissed her forehead. "Now, show me how to put this thing together."

Several hours later, Hermione was the first to break the concentrated silence with a laugh. "I must admit, not bad for a non-Muggle!"

He was concentrating on bewitching the two gingerbread people so they skated on a pool of hardened icing in front of the house.

"There," he said, "Nothing like a little magic to spice up a Muggle project."

Hermione shook her head playfully, "Mum never would have allowed that," she joked. "It looks really great, Severus, I'm proud of you! The potions master turned culinary king."

"I wouldn't stretch it that far, but if I'm the king then you are most definitely my queen," she laughed as he pulled her to him. He looked into her eyes. "I love you, my Hermione. Very much and I will always take care of you."

"I love you too, Severus. And I will always let you take care of me, while taking care of you, as well."

"Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Let's put the stasis on the potions and go to bed." Hermione smiled and let Severus lead her upstairs.