Child of New Beginnings

-----

Chapter 27

The end of the term had arrived, and Christmas was fast approaching. Severus was happy. Not because the term had ended and he didn’t have to deal with dunderhead students for some time who had gone home. For the first time in his life, he was actually looking forward to Christmas. He indeed would have some of his own holiday cheer with Hermione and Sebastian. And another first, his chambers actually had been decorated with Christmas decorations.

The three of them, Severus, Hermione and Sebastian, had exited the castle and were on the way to do some Christmas shopping in Hogsmeade. The ground was thick with white snow and it was freezing cold. Of course, they kept warm, and Sebastian had a few charms set on his pram. It kept him warm while is slightly floated above the snow, making it easy for Hermione to push.

“He really is an arse,” Severus muttered as he kept reading the Daily Prophet. One of the main headlines was, “Weasely Backstabs his own Country and Turns Romanian!”

Hermione rolled her eyes as she continued to walk beside him. “Stop reading the article on Ron will you!” She already had read the article earlier.

“He made the Romanian quidditch team.”

“He’s just a backup—second string.”

“I don’t care but… the fact that everyone in Britain’s mad at him, that’s wonderful,” he smirked. “Once he steps back into the country to play against Britain, I will attend the game.”

Hermione frowned as she looked at Severus. “You? Watch a big quidditch match? I thought that you only watched the Slytherins and never cared else for the game.”

“I don’t care for the game Hermione,” Severus replied. “However, I’d love to see get his arse kicked and booed.”

A smile broke along Hermione’s lips as she shook her head. She had to agree, that would be a nice thing to see. Thousands of fans booing Ron, and calling him traitor. The boy had no loyalties she concluded. As always, he thought about himself and his ego. He was dead meat when Romania would play Britain.

“I love you, you know that?” Severus told Hermione, as he took one of her gloved hands in his, after placing the Prophet in his pocket.

“And I love you,” Hermione said back with a wide smile. She stopped and stepped closer to Severus. Both of them kissed deeply.

“You’re gorgeous,” Severus said after, rubbing her cheek with a hand.

“And I love your nose,” Hermione teased. She then tiptoed up on her toes and gave it a small peck. She giggled when she saw a scowl on Severus’s face. “Don’t be a scowl so much. You’re going to look like the Grinch.”

“Is there anything that you would want for Christmas?” he asked as his facial features softened. “Clothes, jewelry, books? A particular gift perhaps?” Truth be told, he already had bought Hermione a certain gift.

Hermione shook her head. “Severus you’ve already given me so much and supported me when I moved in Hogwarts. You even paid back Lucius for the house and even insisted on paying him every single cent with his expenditures on Sebastian and me. There’s no need to give me more.”

“Can I not spoil my girlfriend?” Severus frowned. “I thought that women wanted to be spoiled rotten by their men?”

“I’m not like any other woman,” Hermione said softly.

“And I am not like any man,” Severus also said. “Which is why I do intend to spoil you. I will not take no as an answer Hermione,” he added when she tried to object.

“What will I give to you then this Christmas? What do you want?” she questioned. Hermione had to give him something special for the season.

Severus pulled her to him, and placed his lips against her brow. “You have given me more than enough. Gifts that I never thought I would have my entire life—you and Sebastian.”

Hermione was deep in thought as her cold cheek enjoyed the warmth of the wool on Severus’s sweater. “I know what I want for Christmas Severus,” she said.

“What is it that you want?” he asked curiously.

“I want… I want Sebastian to be safe, with no Death Eaters wanting him, and no return of Voldemort. I want a Christmas, a Christmas free from fear and worries,” Hermione replied as she wrapped her arms around Severus tightly. A shudder coursed through her body at the thought of all things bad that could happen.

“If I it is within my power to give it to you Love, you know I would,” Severus said with much sincerity in his voice. “It is also what I want for Christmas, and hopefully, for the rest of our lives together as… a family.”

---

For many years, Severus always had hated Christmas shopping. When he did the shopping in the past for small gifts for very few people such as the Malfoys, he was quick, and didn’t bother to put much thought into his gifts. As always, the shops were crowded with people which he hated. He was never a people person to begin with.

Hermione though was different. Yes, he was still a snarky git to everyone, but never with Hermione. She had him wrapped around her fingers and she didn’t know it. He would follow her anywhere and do anything for her. His life meant nothing without her or Sebastian even.

The corner of his lip slightly rose as he watched her shop. She seemed very happy with Christmas spirit and it was having an effect on him. She was contagious. Eventually, he too started enjoying Christmas shopping. He barely showed some cheer of course. He was still a man private with his feelings—feelings which he only showed and opened up to Hermione.

“Are you finished with your shopping?” Severus asked as he helped Hermione place the shrunken packages at the bottom of Sebastian’s pram.

“I still have one more stop to do,” Hermione replied with a smile. “Just meet up with me at Honeydukes in awhile.”

“Hermione!” Severus growled. He knew that there was some hidden motive behind that smile. That being that she was going to get a gift for him.

“I promise I’ll be quick,” she said.

Severus rolled his eyes. He knew how stubborn Hermione could get, like himself. “Ten minutes,” he said.

“Thanks,” Hermione said and kissed his cheek.

Severus sighed and shook his head. He turned and looked down at Sebastian who smiled at him as he clapped his hands. “We can go get Grandpa Albus some damned lemon drops at Honeydukes,” he spoke. It was something that he had done at times for the old wizard.

---

“Miss Granger?” a wizard questioned behind the counter as he saw Hermione walk into the Apothecary.

“Professor Slughorn,” Hermione smiled as she approached him, and shook his hand. “What are you doing here sir?”

“I own this establishment actually. I purchased it this past summer,” he answered. “Now how may I help you?”

“I’m here to actually buy a present for Severus.”

“Yes, of course. How are he, and Sebastian?” Horace asked. He had read about them in the paper, and couldn’t be happier to know that his former apprentice had finally had a son.

“They are both doing well,” Hermione smiled.

“Actually,” Horace started as he tapped one of the cupboards behind him with his wand, “I think that I might have what you’re looking for.”

Hermione watched as Horace set a small wooden and lead chest on the counter. With a twist of a key, the lock had popped open. A gasp had escaped from Hermione’s mouth when the lid had opened.

Inside the chest were five potion vials. Each of them had a cobra coiled around its body, while the cobra’s head rested on top of the stopper. There were very slight differences with the cobra, one being each pair of eyes was different colors, and there was also a different pattern at the back the heads and bodies.

“It’s exquisite,” Hermione murmured as she brushed a finger on a cobra, feeling its cool metallic and scaled skin.

“These are rare, and can only be found in India,” Horace informed her as he took one vial in his hand. “They are made out of silver and are hard, but the cobra does actually move like a live snake.” He pulled at the head and stopper, which made the cobra uncoil. When he set the snake on the counter, it slithered around, and looked like it was going to attack before it was unmoving again. “They won’t attack or poison like a real snake. Harmless they are really, and it’s all for show.”

“That’s a relief,” Hermione smiled. She didn’t like the idea of having live snakes around Severus’s chambers, most especially when Sebastian was there as well.

After she had paid for the vials, she asked Horace to have them owled at Hogwarts on Christmas Eve. She didn’t want Severus to be possibly sneaking about and taking a peek at her gift for him. Hopefully, he would like them.

-----

“You aren’t going to tell me what my gift is are you?” Severus asked Hermione. The both of them were on the path heading back to Hogwarts.

Hermione shook her head. “Now where is the fun in that?”

Severus frowned. He didn’t like not knowing. It was automatic for him to worry over not knowing. “It better not be one of those damn toe socks that Albus always gives me!” he grumbled.

“Of course not,” Hermione laughed.

Suddenly, something caught Severus’s attention. He stopped pushing the pram, and grabbed Hermione with an arm, pulled her roughly against him. Before he could say a word, a whirlwind of black figures surrounded them, spinning in circles. He couldn’t pull out his wand for both his arms held Hermione and Sebastian against him. Then, he found himself drowning in blackness as he heard Hermione scream.

-----

AN – I know it’s an evil cliffy, and you might call me evil as well. I just love writing cliffies! Hehe… Review!