A Hogwarts Christmas Carol

Huge thanks to Zephyr, this chapter was a pile of crap until she worked her magic!!

Not mine, not now, not ever

Thanks at the bottom


STAVE FIVE - THE END OF IT

The clock on the mantle began to chime and Severus groaned. He was slumped over in his chair, where he had finally succumbed to sleep.

\"No more,\" he mumbled. \"Fuck off and leave me alone, bloody spirits.\"

The clock continued to chime signalling that it was six o’ clock. Severus was suddenly wide-awake. It was Christmas day. He had made it through the night. He summoned a house elf to bring him a pot of tea and went to sit at his desk, staring out of the window.

He still couldn’t quite believe all things he had seen the night before. That he could make that sort of difference to the fates of others thrilled and frightened him. He had always thought that nobody would ever need him, would ever want him in their lives, except maybe to have someone to pity. Yet he knew in his heart now that this motley crew of family and friends did, they just didn’t all know how much.

He wrote down some instructions and called for his Raven to take them, finished his tea and headed for the shower, formulated a plan of action for the day. He was going to make the peace. He was going to put it right.
*~*~*~*~*~*

The great hall was almost full by the time Albus and Minerva reached their seats. Albus gave a small sad glance at the empty seat to his left and then began. The staff all looked at him to give them their cue to start unwrapping. As he opened his mouth to speak, the doors of the great hall slammed open and Severus came striding in.

\"My apologies for being late headmaster,\" he said taking his seat next to Albus for the first time in seven years and pouring himself a cup of tea like it was the most the most natural thing in the world. In reality he was a little afraid in case they snubbed him. Everyone was silently staring at him and he stared straight back, almost daring them to say something. Albus, who was still watching Severus out of the corner of his eye, told the staff to start opening their presents and sat down in his chair, looking the younger man up and down.

\"Merry Christmas Severus, glad you could join us,\" he said lightly, although he was squeezing Minerva’s hand so tightly under the table, she was sure he had broken her hand. She waved her wand and conjured Severus’s small pile of presents to the table. They watched as the pile grew every time another member of staff opened their gift from him. He had kept the gifts that he had got for them seven years ago when the final battle took place, and it looked like the staff had done the same with him, with the exception of Albus and Minerva who had always given him gifts whether he wanted them or not.

\"Merry Christmas Albus, Minerva,\" he said quietly. \"And thank you... for everything.\"

Minerva smiled at him and patted his hand across the table. \"That’s what friends are for Severus,\" she said kindly, \"now eat your breakfast.\" She looked at Albus and they smiled at each other, tucking into their Christmas breakfast.

He left the Great Hall an hour later, after promising Albus and Minerva that he would join them for breakfast in their quarters the next morning and headed out across the grounds pulling his cloak tighter around him, he reached the boundary and apparated to Snape manor.

He stood in front of the doors and felt the fear and shame of years gone past, running through his body. He knocked on the door before his resolve left him completely. The door opened straight away and Severus entered, nodding to the house elf. \"Do you know where I might find my parents?\"

The elf nodded and turned, walking towards the living room.

\"Wait,\" Severus said. \"I want to go in alone.\"

The elf nodded and disappeared, leaving Severus standing outside the living room; he took a deep breath and opened the door. His parents were sitting together on the sofa near the fire, opening their presents.

Severus stared at them for a moment in shock. They had both aged considerably since his departure and the years of worry had taken their toll. Severus felt another wave of shame followed by regret that he had put them through this. He cleared his throat and they both looked up, surprised. They stared at him for a moment as if seeing a ghost and then his mother stood slowly and walked to him. She raised her hands to cup his face.
\"Severus, is that really you?\" She asked, her voice shaking.

\"Yes Mother, it’s me, Merry Christmas.\"

His mother pulled him close to her and began to cry as his father stood and came to where they were.
\"Welcome home son,\" he said, his voice thick with emotion.

\"Hello Father.\" said Severus, not trusting his voice to say anymore than that as the older Snape embraced him and his mother. Severus let the tears run down his cheeks, but was struggling to show physical emotion as he had long ago forgotten how.

He pulled away and they all sat down. He, in his Father’s chair, his parents, back to the sofa.

\"I don’t know what to say you both that can make it alright,\" said Severus, softly. \"But I am sorry for the way I treated you, for the way I left, for never getting in touch, and I know it will take some time but I would like to be a member of this family again.\"

\"Severus,\" said his father, with his arm around his wife. \"You were always a member of this family and always will be.\"

\"We thought you were dead, we thought we would never see you again, but here you are, a grown man,\" whispered his mother.

He proceeded to tell them about his life so far. He felt an enormous amount of relief when they didn’t judge him as he told them that they were right about Voldemort and how he had become a spy. He basked in the glow of pride he saw in their faces as he told them that he was a Potions master and a professor at Hogwarts. They asked if he had a family of his own and he told them about Draco, smiling slightly as he saw his mother’s face light up with the prospect of extended family, and frowning when she asked about potential matches for himself. It was past seven in the evening as he rose from the chair to leave. He apologized for not being able to stay, but promised many more visits.
As he reached the door his father pulled him to one side. \"Why today son? Why did you choose today?\"

\"Because its Christmas and everyone should have presents at Christmas,\" said Severus, thinking about what Hermione had said in the visions.

\"Are you sure you can’t stay?\" His mother asked, pulling his cloak up around his ears to ward off the cold, as she had when he was a child.

\"Not today Mother,\" he replied, kissing her quickly on the cheek. \"I have some more bridges to build.\" He shook his fathers hand and stepped outside.
He walked across the sprawling lawn, which was covered in snow. He was beginning to feel like he had before he ever left them. He was beginning to feel content.

He wasn’t ready to make his next visit yet so he made a small detour and as he walked down the corridors of St Mungo’s he knew it had been the right choice. He stopped at a doorway and looked in. Remus Lupin was lying in the bed, looking to all the world like he was sleeping. Sitting beside him was Tonks who was talking quietly to him. Severus didn’t want to interrupt and turned away from the room.

\"Severus?\" A voice asked from the room. He turned and saw Tonks looking at him in surprise. \"What are you doing here?\"

Severus walked back into the room. \"I wanted to come and see him.\" Severus wasn’t able to explain to the young woman why.

\"Thank you Severus, I know he would be pleased to see you,\" she said quietly and looking at her lover with a sad smile on her face.

He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. \"We’ll think of something Nymphadora, I promise,\" he said softly.

She placed her hand on top of his. \"I hope so Severus, they’re talking about turning off his magical life support if there’s no change in the next four months,\" she said, her voice wavering.

\"I promise,\" he repeated, squeezing her hand and leaving the room, his mouth set in a determined line he made his way out.

He apparated outside the Malfoy house and was just about to knock on the door when a moment later Hermione Potter apparated with her son.
\"Professor Snape!\" She said in surprise.

\"Miss Gr... Mrs. Potter, Master. Potter,\" he said to her and her son. \"Shall we?\" He knocked on the door.

Ginny answered looking flustered, \"Hermione, James, Merry Christmas, I’m so glad you could make it,\" she said hugging them both and pulling them inside. She looked at Severus. \"You’d better come in, unless you want to catch your death of cold,\" she said to him, the hint of a smile playing on her lips.
As he stepped into the tiny hall she caught his arm. \"Whatever the reason Severus, thank you for the gifts and thank you for coming, you’ve made his year,\" she said quietly.

That morning he had arranged to pay off the debt on the house, have a large sum of money put into the Malfoy account and arrange a feast and presents for the Malfoy’s, with a note accepting their invitation for dinner.

He leant and kissed her cheek. \"It’s what you do for family Ginny,\" he said, smiling at her surprise. \"Where is the man of the house anyway?\"

\"In the dining room,\" she said, showing him to the door.

He walked in to find Draco lying on the floor with his two sons and James Potter, playing with a working model of the Hogwarts express. His daughter was sitting at the table showing Hermione all her presents; there was a huge tree in the corner. Draco looked up and spotted Severus. He jumped up and hugged Severus, quickly pulling away. \"Thank you uncle,\" he said seriously. \"I will pay you back the money on the house…\" Draco started.

\"You will do no such thing,\" said Severus. \"Think of it as seven years worth of Christmas presents from your family to your family.\"

Draco just nodded, unable to say anything.

\"Well I think we are ready to eat,\" said Ginny, sensing the men’s embarrassment.
They sat down and had a feast of a meal laughing and joking the whole time. Severus couldn’t remember when he’d had a better time and as the evening wore on he became more and more aware of Hermione sitting beside him. He couldn’t believe what would become of this beautiful, brilliant woman without his intervention. As Draco put the kids to bed and Ginny put a blanket over James who was asleep in one of the chairs, Hermione came and sat next to Severus
\"I have something for you Professor,\" she said, giving him the gift he had seen under the tree in his vision.

\"You shouldn’t have,\" he said taking the gift, on seeing her disappointed expression. \"But thank you Mrs. Potter.\"

She smiled. \"Please call me Hermione.\"

He nodded, \"Severus…\" and began to open his gift. It was the updated version of ‘Hogwarts, A History’.

\"I’ve noticed you reading the old one a few times,\" she said as if trying to justify herself.

\"Thank you very much, Hermione,\" he said smiling at the thoughtful gift. \"I do have something for you.\" He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her.

She looked at him in quizzically and opened it, quickly scanning the parchment inside. He watched the emotions racing across her face, confusion, amazement, relief and pure joy. She turned and flung her arms around his neck.
\"Thank you Severus,\" Hermione whispered and he could feel tears running down her cheeks.
He pulled back looking into her eyes. \"I should have done this seven years ago, I’m sorry.\" He said. It was a letter formally offering her the position of Potions assistant at Hogwarts.

She leant in and hugged him again whispering \"don’t be sorry, you just saved us\" she pulled back and kissed him softly on the lips. They both jumped at the contact and quickly moved away as Draco re-entered the room and got them more drinks.

As the evening wore on Hermione and Severus talked about everything, they had so much in common. When he mentioned Remus’s curse she told him that she had been researching it and had a lot of theories back at the school. If he was interested she would bring them by the next day. Eventually they realized that Ginny and Draco were asleep in each other arms on one of the couches and made ready to leave. Hermione pulled her coat on a bit unsteadily, they had all had a lot to drink.

\"I hope you are not thinking of apparating yourself and your son in that condition Hermione?\" Severus asked from where he was lounging, jacket off, shirtsleeves pushed up, a bit worse for wear himself.

\"I have to,\" she said frowning. \"I don’t have a floo connection in my rooms.\"

\"Well I do,\" he said standing and swaying slightly. He leant down and picked up her sleeping son as if he weighed nothing, motioning for her to throw the floo powder into the fire. \"Snape’s rooms.\" He said and they stepped through.
He carried the boy to Hermione’s rooms and she un-warded the door and led him inside. Hermione silently motioned for him to put the boy in a small room off of the lounge.

He came back and walked to the door. \"Goodnight Hermione and Merry Christmas.\"

She approached him slowly, stood on tiptoe and gently kissed him again. \"Merry Christmas Severus.\"

He reached his rooms and sat in chair, but he didn’t slump down with a bottle. He summoned a cup of tea and smiled thinking that maybe, it was going to be a good new year.


~*~*~

Two years later…

Severus awoke to the sound of the clock chiming in the living room. He groaned and rolled over slipping one arm around his wife of six months.

She sighed and said, \"Can’t you do something about that bloody clock?\"

He smiled to himself. \"Never.\" He replied nuzzling her neck.

He returned the kiss and deepened it, slipping his tongue into her mouth. His hand, which had been resting on her stomach, trailed up her body to her breasts and began to gently tweak her nipples. She sighed into his mouth and this skin puckered under the gentle ministrations of his deft fingers.
He kissed a path down her throat and his mouth replaced his hand with softly sucking and nipping the hardened buds. When she ran her fingernails up his back then stroked the fine hairs on the back of his neck he shuddered with pleasure.
His hand started a downward journey across the flat plans of her stomach to the silky soft hair between her legs. He rubbed her clit with his thumb and as her body jerked in reaction he felt his fingers becoming slick. His mouth soon followed the path of his fingers; her legs fell apart in anticipation as his head disappeared between her thighs. His tongue stroked at her inner lips and swiped across her nub, tasting her sweet juices. Knowing that she wouldn’t last long, neither of them did first thing in the morning, he pulled himself up and positioned himself between her thighs, slowly his hardened erection slid inside her. They both sighed at the sensations of filling and being filled washed over them. She smiled up at him as he began to thrust, first slowly, then faster until they were both gasping for breath and calling each other’s names.

A knock at their bedroom door bought them round from the relaxed state they were in and the muffled call from James, of \"Everyone\'s going to be here soon, are you getting up or not?\" pushed any thoughts of going back to sleep out of their heads.

They showered dressed and went downstairs to wait for their guests. Severus had bought the house in Hogsmeade for Hermione as a wedding present. It was somewhere they could escape to during the holidays or on weekends, and it also had a convenient floo link to Hogwarts.

The dining room was transformed into a party room, with lots of small tables and chairs scattered around. The food and drink was set at one end of the room. Soon the house was filled with the people that they loved.

James was sitting between Severus’s parents, letting them fuss over him as they had since they first met him a year ago, as grandparents do, Step or otherwise. Draco and Ginny were laughing as Albus and Minerva regaled them with tales of their youth, while the kids played at one of the tables. Remus and Tonks were chatting with some of the professors and members of the Order, which was still active, just in case, and some of the other professors were catching up with old students.

Hermione looked at her husband’s thoughtful face and put her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. \"Knut for your thoughts?\" Hermione asked quietly.

He sighed and looked down at her, kissing the top of her head and putting his arms around her shoulders. \"I was just thinking how close I came to losing all this.\" He said, looking around at his happy family.

\"What? When?\" She asked, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

\"It doesn’t matter now,\" he said smiling. He had never told her about the spirits, not when she became his full time assistant, not when they had found the cure for Remus, not when Minerva had retired and Hermione had taken over as the Transfiguration professor and not when she had become his wife. The story was just too wild to tell. Yet, he always wondered who had sent them.

~*~*~

In another dimension, later that day:

Sirius Black, James Potter Sr. and Lucius Malfoy sat around a table in a bar. They were all severely drunk. The two Marauders were trying to pick a fight with the former Death Eater; over whose vision had the most impact.
A hooded figure walked in and approached them, \"Stop bloody arguing, will you?\" He said. \"I sent you all there to make things right for everyone, and you did. Things are as they should be.\"

James Potter looked up at the figure in front of him and said a little sheepishly, \"Sorry Son, drink?\"

The End


OK, Jingle all the way (Oops to late!!)

Aoibheann - Thanks mate xx

Alisha - It was really hard to get all the characters together as spirits, there were so many choices, thanks xx

Ancientgirl - Crying, good!! Thank you xx

Talene - Thanks, she is the best isn’t she? xx

Deb - Firstly, it’s wonderful to have you back, it’s not the same without you. Secondly, everyone thought it was going to be Harry, now do you see why it wasn’t? Thank you as always xx

Waywren - Thank you I’m glad you liked the choice of Remus. He just always seems so sad, I thought he fit the part well xx


Well that’s it. I’m done. I don’t know how Rilla does it!! I cannot write more than one story at a time!! But I will be concentrating more on ‘Strong Enough’ now!!

Extra thanks to Zephyr, for her patience with my paranoia, and for making that sex scene more than the pile of shit it was to start with!!

See you all soon

Kisses
GrrArrg