Love, Lies & Loneliness

Chapter 23
(A Christmas To Remember)

“Merry Christmas Harry!” Harry bounded down the stairs like lightening as he heard his godfathers voice calling up to him from the bottom of the stairs.

He’d already been at Grimmauld place a week and in that time he’d had the best Christmas ever. Even though Sirius couldn’t leave the house without being in dog form, Harry and Lupin had taken him out into the fields with them so he could watch them fly. Lupin had been surprisingly good at flying and Harry had enjoyed tossing a makeshift quaffle about between them. Sirius had seemed to enjoy it too; the black dogs tail constantly wagging with enthusiasm. Sirius had treated Harry like a king with breakfast in bed and a treat of sending he and Lupin to the muggle movie theatre just down the street. During the week most members of the order had dropped in at some stage to wish them Happy Christmas, and Harry had found it wonderful to see some presents already sitting under the tree in the front room that had been left behind by some of the members.

Today though was Christmas day and like a true family Christmas, everyone was going to be there.

When he reached the front room Harry beamed as he saw everyone sitting around the Christmas tree, already unwrapping their gifts.

“Harry! Look what mum and dad got me!” Ron ran up quickly to greet his best friend, a new Firebolt 100 in his hands. Harry ogled at it with delight as Ron dragged him over to the tree to collect his own gifts. Harry politely wished everyone a merry Christmas before getting stuck into his own presents. Sirius sat on the couch with Lupin, amused by the children’s spectacle, Mr and Mrs Weasley sat in the window seat underneath the mistle toe. Tonks, Mad Eye and a few other order members crowded around the small table of food near the fire while Harry sat with the Weasley children on the rug inspecting their gifts. The only notable absences were Dumbledore, who’d promised he’d drop in later that evening, Hermoine who would arrive next week with her parents and Snape. Snape’s absence Harry felt acutely and secretly wondered what Snape was doing at Hogwarts.

With the presents unwrapped Harry spent most of the day outside with the Twin’s, Ron and Ginny testing out Ron’s new broom. It felt good to spend time with his friends again and Harry thoroughly enjoyed being free of schoolwork and Snape’s extra lessons. Some of the remaining bruises from the last Wednesday before he’d left for holidays were still healing but in a way he didn’t want them gone as they reminded him of the potions professor.

It was well past dark by the time Mrs Weasley called them all inside for dinner. Harry was cold, dirty, hungry and thoroughly exhausted as he followed the arguing twins inside behind Ron, who was trying and failing to play mediator between his brothers. Entering the hall and stowing their brooms beneath the cupboard under the stairs Harry noted with mild amusement, what could only have been Dumbledore’s coat hanging on the hook by the door. Moving into the kitchen Harry went to say hello to Dumbledore who was sat at the huge dinning table in the kitchen but stopped almost immediately when he saw a familiar figure sitting next to him.

“Professor?” Snape looked up from his conversation with Lupin to look over Harry’s appearance with a critical eye. Harry heard Ron mutter something about ‘slimy git’ as he sat down at the table but ignored it as he stared at the wizard. Just as before when Snape had attended Harry’s hearing his dress was immaculate, his hair was freshly washed and tied back in a black ribbon, the only indicator that the professor wasn’t attended a formal gathering was that the top two buttons of the high neck collar were undone revealing the slightest v shape of flesh.

“Harry! Harry!” Harry didn’t realise he was staring until Sirius pushed him a little with a firm hand. It was then as Harry snapped back into reality that he realised all conversation in the kitchen had fallen silent, everyone was staring at him. “Mrs Weasley has been talking to you for five minutes.” Sirius pushed Harry into a seat next to his own, as Mrs Weasley laded out some food onto his plate. Harry felt the blush creep up his cheeks as he apologised to Ron’s mum for not listening, his gaze flittering up to meet Snape’s. Harry couldn’t believe it, Snape was looking at him and he Harry looked a complete mess. His hair was in worst disarray than ever, his face was smudged with dirt and his nose was red raw from the cold wind. Cursing himself silently for not realising Snape would probably come along with Dumbledore that evening Harry turned his attention to his plate quickly and ate in relative silence as everyone chattered around him.

Harry left the table first with a muttered thanks to Mrs Weasley for the meal. Dashing upstairs Harry quickly went about having a shower and dressing comfortably in his jeans and best t-shirt. If Snape had made the effort then Harry was going to as well. When he next came down stairs Harry found everyone in the front room again in front of the fire, and after another cursory glance at his appearance in the hall mirror walked into the room. Harry automatically sought out Snape finding the professor standing by the back window with Lupin, a glass of whisky in his hand. There was little chance Harry would get to talk to Snape alone with Lupin standing there and so Harry joined his godfather on the couch, where he and Mr Weasley were engaged in a heated battle of wizard’s chess.

Eventually Lupin was dragged away from Snape by Tonks and Harry seised his chance. Getting up from the couch Harry shifted quickly over to the professor one of the Christmas crackers in his hand.

“Professor?” Snape turned around from his stare out of the window when he heard Harry’s voice next to him. Harry smiled as warmly as he could despite his fluttering insides as he held out the cracker. Harry watched as Snape took another sip from his fire whisky before changing the glass over into his right hand so that he could take a firm hold of the other end of the cracker with his left. Harry had never taken much notice but Snape was certainly a left-handed wizard.

“I will have you know I refuse to wear the hat Mr Potter.” Harry shrugged his shoulders as he tugged the end of the cracker. With a sparkle and pop the cracker burst apart showering both he and Snape in glitter and fireworks. From inside the cracker fell a small piece of parchment, which contained the joke, a long fluffy toy dragon and of all things a large novelty ‘Chuddly Cannons’ Quidditch team hat. Harry couldn’t help but laugh as he put the hat on and twirled around for Snape to see the effect.

“I think this was Ron’s cracker I must have picked up the wrong one off the table.” Harry chuckled as took the hat off and set it down on the side table for Ron to find later. For a brief moment Harry thought he saw the sparkling of amusement in Snape’s eyes but the professors face remained stiffly stern. “Have you seen Draco?”

“Not yet, tomorrow maybe.” Snape sipped again from his glass of whisky his gaze sweeping around the room to see if anyone other than Harry had heard his reply. Harry nodded and smiled knowingly. They stood in companionable silence for a while, Snape sipping at his drink and Harry slipping glances up at the Professor. “Ah Mr Potter, I nearly forgot.” Harry snapped his head back to the window as Snape spun around his hand going into the folds of his robe and removing a small neatly wrapped box, tied with crimson red ribbon.

“What is it?” Harry fiddled with the bow of the box as Snape handed it to him.

“Your Christmas present, open it and find out.” Harry blushed a pretty shade of pink. Snape had never brought him a present and Harry felt guilty he hadn’t thought to buy the professor one in return. Unwrapping the box Harry carefully pulled apart the tissue paper inside and audibly gasped at what was inside.

“It’s the first of a series of pins you get when you enter Auror training. We thought it appropriate considering you survived six months of training with me.” Harry picked up the small gold pin and smiled as he brought it into the light to get a better look at it. The pin was crafted into the shape of serpent, it’s eyes made from emeralds and its scales outlined in silver.

“Wow. Thank-you.” Harry ran his fingertips over the pin unable to keep the blush from his colouring his cheeks as he thanked the professor.

“It wasn’t solely my idea, you will have to thank the others as well.” Harry turned around as Snape gestured behind him at the others in the room. It was only then that Harry realised everyone had stopped what they had been doing to watch Harry unwrap his gift.

“Thank-you.” Harry systematically hugged each member of the order in thanks for the gift and although Harry knew it had been a joint effort it meant more to him that Snape had thought of it too.

“That’s so cool Harry.” Ron along with his brothers gathered around Harry to look at the pin and Harry reluctantly let his best friend hold it to inspect it more closely.

“Yeah Tonk’s first pin is a phoenix.” Fred took the pin from Ron to look closely at it as well before passing it to George.

“Its symbol is representative of your tutor, it’s supposed to remind you of basic training so you never forget where you started.” George looked to Tonks standing by the fire with Lupin who nodded in reply to George’s accurate description of the pin’s significants. Harry turned away from the group looking at his pin to glance back at Snape. Snape caught Harry’s gaze and for a moment they stared at one another in silent understanding before Sirius’ voice caused Snape too look away.

“Carol singing time!” Sirius bounced up off the couch and Harry didn’t miss the way his godfather purposely glared at Snape, having obviously not missed the intense gaze that had happened between his godson and the professor. Everyone began moving towards the dusty old piano that had sat dormant for so many years in the corner of the room. Sirius couldn’t play it but he knew the spell that would make it play itself. Harry sighed as he looked back to Snape only to find him talking with Dumbledore. Harry watched as Snape nodded at something and downed what remained of his fire whisky before striding from the room. Snape paused if only momentarily to thank Mrs Weasley for the meal and Harry knew then that he was leaving. Ignoring Ron’s attempts at pulling him towards the piano Harry quickly dashed out after Snape, only just catching the wizard as he paused in front of the hall mirror to do up his collar.

“Are you leaving?” Harry cursed himself at sounding so desperate as Snape caught sight of him in the reflection of the mirror.

“Yes I have some things to do at Hogwarts.” Snape turned around from the mirror his collar done back up. There was an uneasy silence between them and Harry struggled to find a plausible reason for having stopped Snape in the hallway.

“Um, Thanks again for the present.” Harry shuffled his feet awkwardly his gaze dropping as Snape quirked a suspicious eyebrow.

“Your welcome. Goodnight Mr Potter.” Snape turned to head towards the door but Harry in an attempt at keeping the professor longer called his to a halt.

“Wait!” Snape spun around sharply his glare firmly fixed on Harry as singing began to filter out of the lounge room.

“Mr Potter, you’re wasting my time. Now what do you want?” Harry looked up at Snape’s face hoping to find something to say in the man’s face and almost immediately something sparkling caught his attention.

“You have a some sparkles…...” Snape had obviously missed seeing the few stray sparling bits that clung to his hair when he’d looked in the mirror and Harry smiled as he stepped cautiously up to the elder man and reached up with his hand. Snape remained perfectly still his gaze locked on Harry’s face as the young wizard plucked the tiny strands of cracker streamers from the man’s hair. Harry’s hand didn’t linger but the mere touch of the silky smooth hair against his fingertips sent a shiver of delight straight to his groin. “Can’t have you looking less than austere out there can we?” Harry’s hand paused hovering above Snape’s shoulder, as he spoke. His gaze locked with Snape’s chocolate stare, so close to one another without touching that Harry could feel the heat radiating off the professors body.

“No.” Snape’s reply was breathless and the single word caught in his throat as the pair of them continued to stare at one another.

“Harry? Harry where’ve you….” At the sound of Sirius voice Snape and Harry both looked down the hallway at Sirius. Harry’s godfather paused mid sentence as he stared suspiciously at the two wizards standing in the hallway. Unconsciously Harry’s hand still hovered above Snape’s shoulder still as both he and Snape stared at the darkening expression of Sirius who slowly registered what he’d walked in on. Sirius took a step towards the pair of them his mouth open to being shouting abuse at Snape but Snape was too quick and instantly took hold of Harry’s wrist and wrenched it from his shoulder.

“I have too….” Snape didn’t finish his sentence and Harry had hardly time to brace himself as a surge of pain swept through his body as Snape touch him. Screaming in pain Harry fell back from Snape’s grasp his hands going up to his scar just as Snape hissed in pain and held his arm to his chest, as if scolded by Harry’s touch. Snape knew what the familiar burn in his arm was though and as he leant heavily against the hall wall to try and recover his shock he watched Harry fall to the floor, Sirius running over to the boy still writing in pain.

“What’s going on?” Everyone who had been in the front room now gathered in the hall, Mrs Weasley joining Sirius next to Harry on the floor, who now lay panting breathlessly, his scar bleeding painfully. Dumbledore pushed past those in the entrance and moved swiftly over to Snape still leaning against the hall wall.

“I’ve been summoned.” Snape spoke calmly to the headmaster who dutifully nodded in understanding, his hand briefly coming to rest on Snape’s shoulder in comfort before dropping back to the man’s side.

“Go. I will be in my office when you return. Be careful.” Snape nodded quietly and with an almost sympathetic glance at Harry turned and strode from the house, the door slamming shut behind him, leaving a deathly silence in his wake.

TBC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A/N I\'m so happy, I finally reached 500 reviews for my stories \'whoohoo\' But moving right along, hope you enjoyed this update, as you can see we\'re moving towards the Snape Harry thing and I assure you it\'ll be worth it....

If you liked these chapters tell me so, my muse has grown over weight with so many chocolate frogs and butter beer but hey, if it keeps the chapters coming whose going to complain.

Hope you liked the chapters and stay tuned..

RIFFRAFF