Summary: Christmas

A/N: Christmas in March! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I think it's pretty peaceful and lovely. Thanks for reading.

I know some of you have trouble accessing the chapters. It's an FFN issue, and it eventually gets fixed. (I couldn't see Chapter 6 for days.) It's ridiculous, and I'm sorry. If you can't access it, I do post on Ao3 as well, and you can catch the chapter you can't see there.

Chapter 7

Hermione pulled the small turkey out of the oven and placed it on the stove to rest. She examined the feast before her. Everything had a stasis charm on it except for the turkey. She had also prepared mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, roasted carrots and parsnips, and green beans. A sticky toffee pudding was for dessert and was under a heating charm to keep it warm. The vanilla ice cream waited in the freezer.

She smiled. Everything was ready. She turned and moved up to her bedroom so she could put her Christmas dress on. She put on her makeup, taking care that it looked perfect. Slipping the dress on, she looked in the mirror. She loved how this dress looked on her, with its sparkly top and dark blue flowing skirt. She turned back and forth to watch it flow around her, smiling all the while.

Moving to her hair, she sighed. It was always a torturous affair, fixing it to look good. Frowning, she pulled her hair up, then let it fall back down around her shoulders. She examined the black tresses before forming it into a bun and turned left and right. She let that fall down, too. Pulling part of it back into a ponytail, she let it merge with the rest of her hair in the back and turned to look at that. Yes, that was what she wanted. Waving her wand around her head, a flat blue ribbon twirled around the start of her ponytail, fixing it in place. It formed into a bow at the back of her head. She smiled at the addition of the bow. It matched the skirt of her dress perfectly.

She was coming down the stairs when she heard the Floo activate. She descended the stairs fully and drew in a breath. The robes Severus had bought were absolutely gorgeous on him. The crisp white shirt underneath brought out the dark satin that trimmed the suit coat. The robes fit him well, giving Hermione a tease as to what was underneath. Hermione found him to be incredibly attractive.

Severus looked around, and when he spied her, he stilled. "You look lovely," he whispered.

"Thank you, and I was right. You look incredibly handsome in those new robes."

Severus didn't protest. He simply nodded at her.

"Thank you. I feel they look nice as well."

"Happy Christmas Eve," Hermione said.

"Happy Christmas Eve, Maia. Thank you for preparing everything."

She grinned broadly at him. "It was a pleasure. I haven't made a big meal like this in a long time." She pushed away the feelings of despair at the thought of previous Christmas eves with her family and smiled brittley at Severus.

"Maia… I'm sorry your family isn't here."

She nodded as she moved up next to him. "Well, neither of our families are here. I won't say I don't miss them, but I'm happy to be celebrating with you."

She saw him blush and marveled that she had been able to make the unflappable Severus Snape turn red. It warmed her heart.

"Come on, everything is waiting for us. Will you carve the turkey?" she asked him.

"Of course."

They made their way into the kitchen. Hermione had set everything but the turkey on the table. She now brought it and placed it nearest Severus. He moved to the counter and pulled out the carving knife and fork. In a matter of minutes, the turkey was carved, and they had plates full of Christmas feast. They ate quietly for a minute or two.

"Maia, you've even outdone the House Elves," Severus offered.

It was her turn to blush. "Thank you, Severus. My Mum taught me how to prepare the turkey."

"It's delicious."

They finished dinner and cleared the table. Hermione pulled out dessert. Severus moved up behind her.

"Is that… sticky toffee pudding?" he asked.

She nodded and grinned as she began scooping the pudding into bowls.

"Would you get the ice cream from the deep freeze?" she asked.

He moved there. It was such a domestic thing to be doing that Hermione wished that he was her partner. She'd felt closer to him as time went on, and he just looked so lovely tonight…

She sighed. This was a silly train of thought. Despite really liking Severus, he was getting over Lily. Well, she knew he would never get over Lily, but it had only been a year. It had to still be raw.

Finishing scooping up the dessert, she watched as Severus put a scoop of ice cream on each bowl. He smirked at her as he quickly put the carton back in the freezer. She smirked back and handed him his bowl.

"Shall we enjoy this by the tree?" he asked.

"Yes, let's."

They made their way to the sitting room, and Hermione sat on the sofa, with Severus settling in his reading chair. A fire glowed brightly in the fireplace.

"Oh, Severus, the flames are giving the tree such a pretty light."

"Mmm, yes, it is nice. All those green ornaments are really picking up the light."

"Funny thing, that. Every time I put something red on the tree, it immediately turned green."

"Odd," Severus remarked. He turned his head, but she could see his smirk.

"Charming the tree to not accept red is sneaky, Severus."

He gave her an innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't."

He looked satisfied–smug even–as he took a bite of his dessert. She chuckled at him and ate her dessert as well.

"Do you want to open presents tonight or tomorrow?" he asked.

"Did you have any traditions with that?" Hermione asked.

"Hardly. What about you?"

"We usually opened one gift each on Christmas Eve and then the rest on Christmas."

"Merlin, how many gifts would you get?"

She shrugged. "Several. My aunts and uncles would send things too."

"I was lucky to get one present–even as a child. We weren't well off, and it was always a struggle to get anything but bare necessities."

"That must have been hard," Hermione commiserated.

He shrugged. "It's just the way it was. My father drank any extra money we had."

"Was he an abusive drunk?"

"Very much so, but this is a day to celebrate. I do not want to dwell on my childhood. It was a long time ago, and I've put it behind me."

"Okay. I'm sure you have, but I'm here for you if you ever want to talk about it."

His eyes met hers. "I appreciate that you are. You have become a good friend over the last couple of months. I want to thank you for that."

"You've been a good friend to me, too, and I really appreciate that."

He shrugged. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"That's for sure. Who else would have been in that old cemetery? I'd have been wandering around for days."

He chuckled. "You give yourself too little credit."

"Possibly, but it was nice to see a familiar face."

She saw gratitude in his gaze and nodded her head. "Really, I got incredibly lucky to find you right off."

He looked away, his cheeks tinged pink. Hermione used his discomfort to grab a present from under the tree. She placed it in his lap. He looked back at her.

"Maia, I only got you one gift."

"That's okay, Severus. Open this one anyway. I'll enjoy seeing you unwrap it."

"You're sure? We can wait until tomorrow."

"No, this is my tradition, and I want to keep it."

"All right." He tore into the green and silver paper, crumpling it as he ripped the package open. Lifting the lid of the box, his eyebrows furrowed. He lifted up a set of black satin pajamas with green holly all over them. He looked at Hermione curiously.

"This is somewhat of an intimate gift, isn't it?"

"I forgot to mention that our Christmas Eve gifts were always new Christmas pajamas." She laughed nervously and looked away.

"You got me pajamas as part of your traditions? Maia… I'm honored. I'm not too sure about this holly, though."

"Sorry, they were the only black PJs I could find."

"I do wear colors other than black, you know."

"Oh, you do not!" she retorted.

"Most of my nightwear is gray."

"I remember."

He gave her a horrified look. "You have seen me in my sleepwear?"

"No, no, but Harry saw you one night."

"He was out of bed after curfew?"

She grinned knowingly. "You're quick, Severus. Yes, he was." She left it at that. "Do you like them? Most importantly, will you wear them? I could take them back and get you some grey satin ones if you prefer."

He smirked. "No, I appreciate the thought, and yes, I will wear them."

"Good."

"I'm sorry I don't have anything for you. Actually… we're dressed up. Would you like to dance?"

She stammered. "D… dance? With me?"

"Yes, would you accept that as a gift?"

Nodding, she blushed and grinned at him. "That would be lovely."

He stood and waved his wand. An instrumental version of The Christmas Song began to play. With another wave, the room extended itself, and a small dance floor appeared. He reached his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and swore that electricity shot through her at his touch. She stood and found herself wrapped in his arms, swaying to the music. She lifted her arms, and her hands surrounded his neck. She looked into his eyes, and that shot of electricity went through her again. Merlin, it just came over her suddenly, but she had it bad.

They swayed to the music, not breaking eye contact. She swore he was leaning down and getting closer to her. Did he feel it, too?

Time seemed to move in slow motion. He neared her, and then the music ended. His eyes cleared, and he pulled back slightly. Clearing his throat, he released her.

"Merry Christmas, Maia."

"Merry Christmas, Severus." She was disappointed that nothing happened, but maybe she'd imagined him getting closer. She didn't know.

"I should be going," he advised.

"You could stay here tonight, you know. Then we'd just get up in the morning for breakfast and open presents. You wouldn't need to Floo back and forth."

His lips thinned as he thought about it.

"And then I could see you in your Christmas pajamas," she urged.

He blushed. "I… I suppose I was going to wear them tonight."

"Oh, you hate them! You were going to stuff them in your drawer and forget about them, weren't you?"

"No, I like them. I just hadn't thought that far ahead."

"Okay." She eyed him, her eyes narrowed as she sized him up. "You're forgiven," she said with a chuckle. "Now, stay the night."

He frowned.

"I mean… you don't have to if you don't want to…"

"No… I'll stay."

"Great! I was going to read The Night Before Christmas. Would you like to join me?"

"Yes, that would be nice," he admitted.

They settled on the sofa, and she opened the book. She waved her wand, and some soft Christmas music played. They each took turns reading a page until they'd finished the story.

"Is this a family tradition?" Severus asked.

"No, it's not, actually. I just thought it would be nice. Maybe it will become a new tradition."

He smiled at her. "Perhaps." Casting a tempus charm, he checked the time and stood. "I should retire; it is later than I thought."

"All right. I'm going to stay up a little longer and read. Merry Christmas Eve."

He bowed his head slightly in recognition. Turning, he made his way up the stairs. Hermione let out a long breath. Ever since their dance, she'd been hyper-aware of him. His closeness on the couch had been… unsettling in the most delicious way.

She reflected upon the last couple of weeks. They had grown closer, and she'd grown to be attracted to him without even noticing it. She shook her head. She'd need to tamp it down and tamp it down good. She didn't want Severus to feel uncomfortable. He'd disappear, and she'd never see him again if he felt awkward.

She picked up her book but couldn't concentrate. She chose to retire as well. Heading upstairs, she got ready for bed. She lay awake staring at the ceiling for quite a while, making up reasons in her head why being with Severus wouldn't work at all. No matter how she tried, though, she kept thinking of the reasons they would make a good couple. If only he could feel the same way.

ooo

Hermione woke to the smell of bacon. Her eyes blinked lazily as she tried to wake fully. Despite not getting to sleep at a decent time, she felt rested and a bit excited. Springing out of bed, she looked in the mirror. As usual, her hair was a riot atop her head. She waved her wand over it, and it tamed some. She left it down and made sure her pajamas looked okay. They were red with green Christmas trees all over them. She'd found them at Harrods, and they were similar to her favorite pair that her parents had given her. Smiling at her reflection, she headed downstairs. She spied Severus in the kitchen making a fry up.

"Oh, those are cute!" she said as she beheld him in his Christmas PJs. He turned and glared at her.

"Cute?" he ground out.

"Yes, cute. Now don't growl at me. It's Christmas."

He narrowed his eyes at her but dropped the subject. "Happy Christmas," he offered.

"Happy Christmas! Thank you so much for making breakfast!"

"You are welcome. If you would grab the toast, the rest of this is ready."

"Sure!" She picked up the plate of toast and put the last two pieces onto it, buttering them quickly. She placed it on the table and settled in. "Everything looks lovely, Severus."

"Thank you," he offered as he passed her the plate of eggs.

She scooped some onto her plate and reached for the bacon and sausage. Severus helped himself to some fried tomatoes and baked beans and passed them to Hermione. They were quiet for a while as they ate, both concentrating on their breakfast. Hermione sat back finally and sighed.

"That was delicious, Severus. I ate way more than I should have."

"I did, too," Severus agreed. "But it's Christmas. We can indulge a little bit."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, but I'm afraid I'm going to be uncomfortable for an hour or so."

Severus stood. "Come on. Let's open presents."

She grinned and followed him into the sitting room. They sat down on the floor by the tree. Hermione pulled the two presents out from the tree and handed one to Severus. She grinned at him.

"You first."

He shook his head. "No, ma'am. I opened a present last night already. It's your turn."

She smirked. "All right, if you insist."

"I do."

"This paper is so nice, and it's not black or green!" she remarked.

"Enough teasing," he ground out.

She grinned at him as she ripped into the gold paper with a silver bow on it. She opened the small, elongated box to reveal a silver bracelet.

"Oh, Severus, this is beautiful! Thank you!"

She lifted it out and examined it. It was a silver chain that had four lion charms attached across it. She looked over at Severus.

"Would you help me put it on?"

"Of course," he said as he moved closer and helped her fasten the bracelet on her wrist. She turned her wrist back and forth as she admired it. Her eyes met Severus'.

"It's lovely. Thank you so much."

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a shy grin.

She smiled back at him and motioned to his gift. "Open yours now."

"Okay." He ripped the bright red paper off and opened the box. He stared down at the black angora scarf with a grin on his face. Running his fingers along it, he felt the softness of the wool.

"It's marvelous, Hermione, thank you."

He lifted it out of the box. "Oh, there are gloves too."

She smiled and nodded. He slipped them on and flexed his fingers. "So soft. Thank you so much."

He removed the gloves and placed them on the scarf.

"We were talking about traditions yesterday. I never counted this as a tradition, but in thinking about it, I suppose it was. My mum would always play gobstones with me every Christmas."

"Really? Do you have a set? We should play."

"I'm pretty sure I know where Mum's is," Severus said as he stood and headed upstairs. "I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, he returned with a bag of stones. Smirking, he sat back down on the floor.

"You're sure you want to play? My mother was the best at Hogwarts in her time, and she taught me everything she knew."

Hermione nodded with a grin. "Yes, I want to play. I haven't played since … well, since I was a second year."

Severus dumped the bag of stones on the ground between them, and they each chose fifteen. They played several rounds–Severus winning them all. Hermione gave up after her seventh loss. She did win one play and was able to gloat for a millisecond before she was sprayed with goo again.

"Okay, I think I'm done. I'm going to need to shower after that."

"I am not unscathed. You got a couple of good shots in."

She shrugged. "I did, but you are definitely the king of Gobstones."

He smirked at her. She got up off the ground and headed upstairs. "I'll be back in a bit after I get this foul-smelling goo off me."

ooo

The day had been lovely. They'd listened to Christmas music… even sung a little. Hermione had admired Severus' deep baritone. They'd taken a walk and had leftovers for an early dinner. Hermione had noticed Severus staring at her now and then. She wasn't sure what to make of it except for the butterflies that took over her stomach whenever she realized it. They were now reading by the fire. Hermione glanced at Severus. The domesticity of the whole thing made her heart ache for something real like that–with him.

He looked up and raised a brow at her. She immediately buried her nose back in her book. Severus closed his book and placed it on the side table.

"I should go," he said.

"You don't have to rush… I'm not anxious for you to leave."

"I know, but I need to get back to Hogwarts." He hesitated for a bit. "Maia, I won't be able to come by for several weeks."

Her heart froze in her chest. "Oh?" she said nonchalantly.

"Albus wants me to run a bunch of experiments, and the brewing and creating will take all of my non-class time." He stood to get ready to go.

"I see." She was quiet for a bit. "Do you know how long?"

"I don't, but I feel it will take a month or so to get everything done."

"Okay." She stood up. "It's okay if you just drop by now and then, you know. You don't have to stay long."

He bowed his head slightly in acknowledgement. "I will see how all of this goes." He hesitated. "Maia, I would have brought it up sooner, but I wanted us to enjoy the holiday."

She smiled at him. "And we did! I'm so glad you shared Christmas with me."

"It was nice," he offered.

She knew she should be more proper, but she couldn't help herself. She moved up to him and hugged him tightly.

"Happy Christmas, Severus."

He returned her hug with similar enthusiasm. "Happy Christmas, Maia."

And before she knew it, he was gone. She stared after him, finally turning toward the fireplace and becoming mesmerized by the fire. She made her way to his reading chair, settling into it and turned back to the fireplace, continuing to stare into the fire. It had been a lovely day, but she couldn't help but feel down that she wouldn't see Severus for at least a month.

He didn't seem to be too upset about it. Her attraction was obviously one-sided. Not that she was surprised about that. She knew he'd love Lily Potter for the rest of his life.

Severus and she were friends…

Friends…

Just Friends.

There. Now, she'd have a month to convince herself that was the case.