Eye of the Beholder
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
40
Views:
3,985
Reviews:
23
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
40
Views:
3,985
Reviews:
23
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Christmas Eve
Chapter 24
Chapter 24. Christmas Eve
Dinner that evening was a rather enjoyable event, Sasha thought. The meal was excellent, and Dumbledore had everyone in stitches. He even had these holiday crackers waiting at everyone’s place setting. They were the kind where you hold one end, and grab the end of the cracker of the person sitting to your immediate right, and on the count of three you pull. The crackers made a loud snap, accompanied with a puff of purple smoke. Inside were prizes and small party hats. Dumbledore insisted that everyone wear his or her hat throughout the dinner, as part of the Christmas celebration.
Sasha’s hat was in the shape of a blue crown, and it had magical gems winking on and off. She almost fell off her seat laughing when Snape pulled out a bright yellow crown trimmed with sparkling red and silver tinsel, topped off with a chinstrap. He refused to wear it, until Dumbledore threatened to make the crackers and hats mandatory at all meals in the future. Reluctantly, Snape put the hat on. It was hideous, as it made his pale skin rather sallow. She was having a hard time keeping a straight face every time she looked him, which was difficult since she was sitting directly across from him. Even Dumbledore, sitting beside her, was giggling behind his napkin.
Sasha was still laughing at the memory, hours later. She and Snape were back in the lab relaxing on the couch after the full meal.
Sasha looked over at and and could not suppress one last giggle at the memory of him in his hat. He scowled at her, acutely aware of what she was laughing at. They both sat there in companionable silence, listening and watching the fire pop and crackle.
Snape turned, and looked at her. "I hope you don’t think I have a Christmas present for you," he said matter of factly. She peered up at him, and shook her head.
"No, that is not you. Regardless, I didn’t have time to get you anything," she admitted sadly. "I was thinking about it, but with our schedule and such, I just couldn’t. Besides," she said, turning and looking up at him, "what do you get a man who cares little for trivial, materialistic things, and has enough money to buy what he wants?"
Snape regarded her a moment. He was surprised at her accurate insight into his character. "True," he admitted. "I am rather difficult to shop for."
They sat there again in silence, when Sasha stood up and walked into the lab. She came back moments later with the lab notebook Snape had given her at the start of the experiment. She held it up chest height, and smiled a gentle smile, looking him in the eye.
"There is one thing I can give you that you can’t buy," she said quietly, sitting down again. She looked shyly up at him. "You said a while ago that I should record my thoughts and feelings during this experiment. Well I have. And it was not just about the potions, it was about me, how I felt about things." She hesitated a bit before continuing. "And, how I felt about you," she finished. "Do you want to hear some of them?"
Snape was surprised. Her gift to him was of her thoughts and emotions. That was definitely something he could never buy. It took a lot of courage to share such intimate feelings with someone. He looked at her, and reached his hand out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I would love to," he said gently.
She did. She recounted parts of the diary where she had described him through her eyes. She started at the beginning, and Snape began to see himself as she saw him. He realized she had great respect for him as a teacher and mentor. Later, when she began to see him as a man, he realized how her love for him had grown. He smiled to hear her describe how she saw the events of the evening of the dance. He listened to her disappointment in him after that evening, when he never touched her in his bed.
Silently, he listened to her describe him, dictating her thoughts and emotions in her own voice. He had never before in his life met anyone who noticed the little things he did, and was amazed at her observations. He truly believed she had come to love him during the time they had spent together. He was very touched.
She finished, and closed the book.
"You do realize I have to add something about tonight, don’t you?" she asked. "I have to remember you in that hat tonight in case I ever run into a Bogart," she joked with him, trying to lighten the surprisingly tense mood. Snape shook his head in disgust, but the slight smile on his face revealed he could appreciate the humour in her words.
"Sasha, I have to thank you," he said seriously. "I never realized you would write so much about what was happening around you in your book. Especially, about me. What you shared tonight was very special, and I want you to know that."
She looked down and placed the book on the low table. "Well, after you said that nobody but you or I could open it, and I realized you never read my lab book, I figured it would be the safest place to write everything down. Besides, I have to do something in between monitoring the potions," she said teasingly.
"Speaking of which, you should get some sleep. You have been up longer than I have," she pointed out.
Snape agreed. He was still tired, and he had to be up in a few hours again. She stood, and made her way into the lab to check on things. She was walking back out to the office when she stopped. Snape was standing there in his robe, in the entrance of his bedroom. He held out his hand to her.
"Join me for a while?" he asked softly. "I will be asleep within moments, but it would be nice to fall asleep just knowing you are there, beside me," he said simply. It was as close as he could come to asking her to be with him.
Sasha smiled. She knew this would not be an evening of passionate kisses, or intimate touching. However, having him ask her, made her heart leap in her chest. She smiled, and reached for his hand.
Snape was under the covers, facing the fireplace. Sasha was on top of them, and was on her side facing him. She gently wrapped her arms around him and listened to his breathing. She leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"Goodnight Severus. Merry Christmas Eve."
She felt him respond with a squeeze of her arm.
Chapter 24. Christmas Eve
Dinner that evening was a rather enjoyable event, Sasha thought. The meal was excellent, and Dumbledore had everyone in stitches. He even had these holiday crackers waiting at everyone’s place setting. They were the kind where you hold one end, and grab the end of the cracker of the person sitting to your immediate right, and on the count of three you pull. The crackers made a loud snap, accompanied with a puff of purple smoke. Inside were prizes and small party hats. Dumbledore insisted that everyone wear his or her hat throughout the dinner, as part of the Christmas celebration.
Sasha’s hat was in the shape of a blue crown, and it had magical gems winking on and off. She almost fell off her seat laughing when Snape pulled out a bright yellow crown trimmed with sparkling red and silver tinsel, topped off with a chinstrap. He refused to wear it, until Dumbledore threatened to make the crackers and hats mandatory at all meals in the future. Reluctantly, Snape put the hat on. It was hideous, as it made his pale skin rather sallow. She was having a hard time keeping a straight face every time she looked him, which was difficult since she was sitting directly across from him. Even Dumbledore, sitting beside her, was giggling behind his napkin.
Sasha was still laughing at the memory, hours later. She and Snape were back in the lab relaxing on the couch after the full meal.
Sasha looked over at and and could not suppress one last giggle at the memory of him in his hat. He scowled at her, acutely aware of what she was laughing at. They both sat there in companionable silence, listening and watching the fire pop and crackle.
Snape turned, and looked at her. "I hope you don’t think I have a Christmas present for you," he said matter of factly. She peered up at him, and shook her head.
"No, that is not you. Regardless, I didn’t have time to get you anything," she admitted sadly. "I was thinking about it, but with our schedule and such, I just couldn’t. Besides," she said, turning and looking up at him, "what do you get a man who cares little for trivial, materialistic things, and has enough money to buy what he wants?"
Snape regarded her a moment. He was surprised at her accurate insight into his character. "True," he admitted. "I am rather difficult to shop for."
They sat there again in silence, when Sasha stood up and walked into the lab. She came back moments later with the lab notebook Snape had given her at the start of the experiment. She held it up chest height, and smiled a gentle smile, looking him in the eye.
"There is one thing I can give you that you can’t buy," she said quietly, sitting down again. She looked shyly up at him. "You said a while ago that I should record my thoughts and feelings during this experiment. Well I have. And it was not just about the potions, it was about me, how I felt about things." She hesitated a bit before continuing. "And, how I felt about you," she finished. "Do you want to hear some of them?"
Snape was surprised. Her gift to him was of her thoughts and emotions. That was definitely something he could never buy. It took a lot of courage to share such intimate feelings with someone. He looked at her, and reached his hand out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I would love to," he said gently.
She did. She recounted parts of the diary where she had described him through her eyes. She started at the beginning, and Snape began to see himself as she saw him. He realized she had great respect for him as a teacher and mentor. Later, when she began to see him as a man, he realized how her love for him had grown. He smiled to hear her describe how she saw the events of the evening of the dance. He listened to her disappointment in him after that evening, when he never touched her in his bed.
Silently, he listened to her describe him, dictating her thoughts and emotions in her own voice. He had never before in his life met anyone who noticed the little things he did, and was amazed at her observations. He truly believed she had come to love him during the time they had spent together. He was very touched.
She finished, and closed the book.
"You do realize I have to add something about tonight, don’t you?" she asked. "I have to remember you in that hat tonight in case I ever run into a Bogart," she joked with him, trying to lighten the surprisingly tense mood. Snape shook his head in disgust, but the slight smile on his face revealed he could appreciate the humour in her words.
"Sasha, I have to thank you," he said seriously. "I never realized you would write so much about what was happening around you in your book. Especially, about me. What you shared tonight was very special, and I want you to know that."
She looked down and placed the book on the low table. "Well, after you said that nobody but you or I could open it, and I realized you never read my lab book, I figured it would be the safest place to write everything down. Besides, I have to do something in between monitoring the potions," she said teasingly.
"Speaking of which, you should get some sleep. You have been up longer than I have," she pointed out.
Snape agreed. He was still tired, and he had to be up in a few hours again. She stood, and made her way into the lab to check on things. She was walking back out to the office when she stopped. Snape was standing there in his robe, in the entrance of his bedroom. He held out his hand to her.
"Join me for a while?" he asked softly. "I will be asleep within moments, but it would be nice to fall asleep just knowing you are there, beside me," he said simply. It was as close as he could come to asking her to be with him.
Sasha smiled. She knew this would not be an evening of passionate kisses, or intimate touching. However, having him ask her, made her heart leap in her chest. She smiled, and reached for his hand.
Snape was under the covers, facing the fireplace. Sasha was on top of them, and was on her side facing him. She gently wrapped her arms around him and listened to his breathing. She leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"Goodnight Severus. Merry Christmas Eve."
She felt him respond with a squeeze of her arm.