You Know What They Say about Necessity...

Disclaimer: JKR, I\'m giving Harry a great birthday. I hope that\'s okay with you, seeing as how you own all this stuff I\'m borrowing.


Chapter Twenty-Two: Happy Birthday, Harry Potter: Part II



“Happy birthday, Harry!”

Harry smiled at his godfather as Remus lit the candles on his main birthday cake. The living and dining rooms had been tripled in size by Albus to accommodate the nearly thirty people present for Harry’s twenty-second birthday celebration. Ron and Hermione stood beside him, and Colin Creevey stood poised a short distance away with his ever-present camera. Everyone sang a round of “Happy Birthday,” and Harry closed his eyes for a moment, then blew out his candles in one mighty whoosh.

The partygoers clapped and cheered, Colin took pictures, and Remus and Tonks began serving cake and ice cream. From a sofa in a lower corner of the room, Severus watched all the goings on with a curious (and slightly sloshed) eye. This was his first muggle birthday party and he was curious, even though he’d never admit to that. It had been remarkably like any given celebration at Hogwarts: lots of talking, lots of food, and lots of punch. He smirked as he remembered how he’d stared at the two huge clear glass punchbowls, trying to decide which punch to try.

“Not the red,” George Weasley had told him. “Unless you fancy some alcohol. That’s the spiked punch.”

“Thank you for the warning, Mister Weasley,” Severus had replied. As soon as George had wandered off, Severus, in an act of what he’d considered to be extreme cleverness on his part, had drunk a cup of the red. If a Weasley was warning him, he’d reasoned, it had to be a joke: which meant the green punch was the spiked punch and the red was safe.

Unfortunately for Severus, either he’d been second-guessed, or the Weasley lad was being genuinely helpful: because by the time he’d realized the red punch was, indeed, spiked, he’d gulped it down. He’d frowned at his cup, then shrugged. He didn’t have to drink any more, after all: and it might help him relax a bit around all these people.

And truth be told, he did feel rather mellow at present. He knew Sober-Up wouldn’t have any effect on him anyway, so he decided just to enjoy his condition. He could certainly hold his alcohol, and he’d be clear-headed within an hour or so. Or so he hoped. He vaguely heard Potter saying something--thanking everyone, it sounded like—before Ginny Weasley stuffed a hunk of cake into Potter’s mouth and the room roared with laughter. Severus, too, couldn’t help but snicker. Potter didn’t seem at all upset about it—in fact, he was giving Miss Weasley a big, frosting smeared kiss amidst howls of amusement.

Hermione sat down beside him and handed him a plate of cake and ice cream. “I’ll get us some more punch,” she said, lifting his cup and moving off before he could say anything. Severus dug into the cake. It was dark chocolate with fudge frosting, very rich and moist. He only had to ignore the Gryffindor colored frosting. It was, in fact, an excellent cake. Remus apparently had a lot of talent for desserts. The ice cream was vanilla, a good contrast for the cake, and by the time Hermione returned with their punch Severus was very thirsty. He took the cup she offered him and tossed back half of the contents without glancing at what was in it… realizing too late that it was more red punch.

“This is red punch,” he said to Hermione.

“I know. It’s what you had in your cup before,” she replied.

“The red punch is spiked,” he informed her with a mild slurring of words.

“I know,” she said again. “That’s why I’m drinking green punch. George said he told you it was spiked, and you didn’t tell me anything different.”

“I didn’t think about it,” he answered, smiling at her. She was so beautiful.

Hermione giggled. “Severus Snape, are you drunk?”

“If I am, it\'s with your help, Hermione Granger,” he said. “Now, let me enjoy my cake, ice cream, and inebriation in peace, if you don’t mind.”

She giggled again. Well, well. Severus Snape, under the influence. That should be interesting.

They finished eating, and Hermione took their plates to the dustbin. About that time, Remus clapped his hands and called for attention. “All right, everyone, time for presents! Gather round, please.”

Harry sat on the floor in the middle of the living room as gifts were piled around him. Hermione dragged a chair closer so Severus could watch, then moved to sit with Harry, Remus, Ron, and Ginny. Harry began opening gifts. From the Weasley family, he received the longed-for Firebolt Omega broom. Remus gave him a new set of dress robes in crimson and gold, a new broom servicing kit, and a wizard scrapbook of Harry’s time as an auror, from day one of his training to the day Fudge shook his hand when he made him an auror. Hermione’s gift was a wand sheath, charmed to evict his wand into his hand with just a tap, and a two-year subscription to Quidditch Monthly: and Luna gave him a subscription to The Quibbler as well as a book titled Practical Charms against the Dark Arts. Other gifts included socks and a Phoenix feather quill from Albus, an original edition of Transmogrification Through the Dawn of Magic from Minerva, and new dragonhide gloves from Neville.

Harry picked up one of his few remaining gifts curiously. It was wrapped in silver paper and tied with a dark green ribbon. Slytherin colors. He looked at Severus.

“Yes, it’s from me, Potter,” Severus said dryly. “Unless there is some other Slytherin here I am not aware of. Someone had to give you something that wasn’t wrapped in red and gold.”

Harry nodded, a bit shocked that Snape had a gift for him. Where did it come from? The man hadn’t left the cottage except to go to the doctor. Confused and interested, he unfastened the wrapping paper around the large package. When he saw what was inside, he was stunned.

Resting in a green frame against a black velvet backing was a copy of a Defense Against the Dark Arts final exam. His father’s seventh year DADA exam. Marked with an “O” for Outstanding. Harry’s eyes blurred with tears as his eyes ran over the writing, so like his own, and he blinked hard several times before looking at Snape. “How… how did you…”

Severus shrugged, as if it had been a simple matter. “The school has kept a copy of all exams of every student since the beginning of Hogwarts. It was merely an issue of searching the archives.”

“But you’ve been here this entire time,” Harry said, puzzled. “You’ve not been back to Hogwarts. How…”

“I did have some assistance, Mister Potter,” Severus said, glancing at Albus.

All eyes turned to the Headmaster, who nodded. “I spent the better part of two days in the records room to find this for Severus, Harry,” Albus said with a smile. “It was, in my opinion, a wonderful gift for you, so when Severus made the suggestion, I was happy to help.”

“It’s… it’s fantastic,” Harry breathed. He looked at Severus with something akin to reverence. “Thank you, sir. It’s one of the best birthday gifts I’ve ever gotten.”

Severus inclined his head. “I’m glad you are pleased, Mister Potter.”

Everyone in the room was staring at Severus, whether in amazement, admiration, or both. He became discomfitted by the attention and cleared his throat. “I believe, however, that I have reached my limit for parties this evening. If you will all excuse me, I shall retire now.” Severus realized that he\'d actually spent three hours out in this jungle of Gryffindors, much longer than he\'d originally intended, and he was more inclined to go to bed than to the lab.

Albus shook his hand, as did a number of others, including Potter. Hermione was positively beaming, though she tried not to let anyone but him notice it. He left and headed for the quiet of his bedroom, replaying the look on Potter’s face in his mind.

A Slytherin gives a Gryffindor the perfect gift, Severus chuckled to himself.

It was almost two hours later when Severus heard his door being opened. With it came Hermione’s scent: that delicious mixture of water lilies and passionflower that drove him mad if he inhaled her hair too deeply. He opened his eyes and sat up, smiling at her delight to find him awake as she closed the door behind her.

Severus decided that he could get used to being the source of her delight. She rushed to his side and into his bed as though she was starved for him, and he decided he could get used to that, too. Though it would take some effort. It still amazed him on some level that this intelligent, beautiful young woman wanted him so badly. Wanted his touch, his kisses, his company.

\"Severus, your present to Harry was brilliant,\" she whispered, planting kisses all over his face.

He shrugged. \"It seemed appropriate.\"

\"Well it was fantastic,\" she declared, and he smiled again as she snuggled into him.

“I know now why you never smiled at school,” she murmured into his chest.

“Oh?” Severus asked.

“You’re so gorgeous when you smile,” she told him. “The girls wouldn’t have been able to get any work done.”

He snorted. “I seriously doubt that would happen.” But secretly he was pleased by her comment. “It is men like Gilderoy Lockhart who make young witches swoon with adoration,” he added wryly.

Now it was Hermione’s turn to snort. “Maybe when I was twelve and didn’t know any better. I can’t say he wasn’t pretty to look at. But he’ll never have your intelligence, or your dark beauty.”

Severus raised his eyebrows. “Precisely how much red punch have you partaken of this evening, Hermione?”

“None,” she said smartly. “Because I’ve a surprise for you.”

“What sort of surprise?” Severus asked in alarm. “You should know now that I don’t take to surprises well,” he added.

“Oh, I think you’ll take to this one just fine, Severus,” Hermione whispered. Her hands crept to the buttons of his nightshirt.

“Indeed?” Severus asked, his breath catching as she slipped her hands inside to caress bare skin.

“I think,” Hermione whispered again, fingertips rubbing circles on his hard nipples, “that it’s time for someone else I know to get a special present. Even if it isn’t your birthday,” she grinned.

He gasped as one hand slid lower. “But the party…”

“Cleared out about fifteen minutes ago except for Ginny, who took tomorrow off from work and is staying the night with Harry,” Hermione answered.

“I cannot believe Molly Weasley is not casting every hex she knows on Potter as we speak,” Severus said in amusement, as Hermione’s hand moved back up to tangle in his hair.

“Molly’s not stupid. She knows what’s going on with them, but it’s more of a ‘I won’t ask and you don’t tell me details’ kind of thing. She loves Harry, and knows he’d never hurt Ginny. Besides, those two are going to end up getting married eventually, mark my words,” Hermione told him with certainty.

“Oh, lovely. A third generation of Potters to make my life hell,” Severus sighed.

Hermione laughed. “You’ve survived this long, Severus.”

“And here I always thought Voldemort would be my undoing, but no. It will be a Potter,” he bemoaned.

She smirked. “Be quiet for a minute, please, so that I can be your undoing.” She kissed him. When it was over, she brushed his hair away from his face and smiled. “Harry and Ginny are out riding brooms right now. Harry had to try out that Firebolt Omega. They\'re on the Ministry of Magic’s Quidditch team, you know. I’d say they’ll be in soon, though.”

“And they won’t want to be social?” Severus smirked.

“Not with us, they won’t,” Hermione shot back. “I’m sure they will be just as preoccupied as we will.”

Severus tilted her chin and looked deeply into her eyes. “Hermione… are you sure you are ready for this?”

“Oh, dear: we’re not about to have that discussion, are we?” she groaned, sitting up beside him.

“What discussion?” Severus asked.

She rolled her eyes. “The one where you get all proper and noble and ask me if I’m sure, if this is really what I want, that you don’t want to rush me or pressure me and how this is a big important step.”

He opened his mouth, and Hermione held up a hand to stop him. “Because, if we were about to,” she continued, “I’d tell you that yes, I’m sure: that I know I want you, that I don’t want to wait any longer, and that if I don’t have you soon I’m going to go mad.”

He closed his mouth, and she grinned at him. “So, do we need to have that discussion, Severus?” she asked, voice dropping to a throaty purr.

He grinned back at her, hands moving to wrap around her waist and pull her to him again. “Apparently not.”