All the way III: More of Life

Eileen was glad they had decided to spend Christmas with Lucius and Annie. She loved their indoor and outdoor swimming pools; she loved the house; she loved the beach; she loved the town and she wanted to stay forever.

She couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve, wondering what expensive things Lucius and Annie had bought her.

The next morning, Eileen and Lucius and Annie raced down stairs, while her mum and dad took their time. Annie sent all the presents for their family through the floo and received some the same way.

Eileen unwrapped chocolate and sweets and expensive clothes and the most beautiful make-up ever! She could tell her father was giving her the you're-too-young look without even looking at him. He had to realize she was growing up some time. Her mum distracted him with a kiss in thanks for some piece of jewelry or another.

Annie wanted to go out and eat, but Lucius insisted that Annie needed to learn how to make a decent Christmas dinner. Her mum took Annie to the kitchen for cooking lessons, but Eileen was dreading the out come of their time together, because her mum was no great chef either. It was going to be a disaster and by the look her dad gave her, Eileen knew he was thinking along the same lines.

To Eileen’s intense amusement, the two women managed to start a fire. Annie ran, screaming, from not just the room, but the house, her mum and Lucius used their wands to put out the flames, while her dad tried his hardest not to laugh as he smugly suggested they eat out.

So they all left the house and found a new expensive place to eat. When they got home, some time later, Sirius' head appeared in the fire. Once they had told each other what they had been given, Sirius asked what she had been doing and what it was like. Eileen was sure he hadn't been prepared for the amount of time she talked for.

When she was finished, she asked, "So, what've you been doing?"

"Not much," he sighed, "I've just been with mum and dad today, but Lily and Savanah came to see us, then they went off some where."

Eileen nodded, "How are they?"

"Great," He told her, then he frowned slightly, "Eileen, are you going out with any one?"

"What?" She said, startled, "No!"

"It's just, well, there aren't many of us left in the castle, so there's only one table in the hall and this Slytherin asked me if I’d heard from you."

"What did you say?" She asked urgently.

Sirius made a movement like a shrug, "I said I hadn't and asked why he wanted to know."

"And?" Eileen prompted impatiently.

"He said he was just wondering because you two were friends, but the look he gave me said that it wasn't just friends." Sirius raised an eyebrow, changing it and his eyes black as he did so, "Are you gonna tell me what's going on?" He asked sternly.

Eileen chuckled, "Don't change into my dad again. It's just plain scary when you do that." She sighed as she changed his eyes back, "I don't know him and we aren't friends. He just keeps... I dunno, hanging around."

Sirius frowned, "Have you told your dad?"

"Oh yes, that would be a great conversation!" Eileen said sarcastically, "'Hey dad, some sixth year keeps trying it on.' Then wham bam! The next thing you know, he's up on murder charges!"

"Alright, alright!" Sirius said defensively, "How about your mum?"

Eileen shook her head, "I can't tell on him, because he hasn't done anything wrong."

"Yeah, I know, but he's a Slytherin! There's only so long he can go with out causing trouble!"

"Sirius!" Eileen scowled, "I'm a Slytherin!"

He winced, "Right, sorry about that, but you don't act like one. He does!"

Eileen shrugged, "If he does anything, I’ll tell my mum, but until he does..." She trailed off, before she ordered "And you won't tell any one either!"

Sirius looked reluctant, but nodded, "Fine. I should go now. Bye."

"Yeah, see ya."

And then he was gone.

""""""""""""""""""""

The time after Christmas was spent in much the same way as it had been before Christmas. Swimming, lazing about in the sun, giving death glares to strange young men that were eyeing up his wife. By the time it was the New Years Eve, Severus was ready to go home; he had had enough of being normal and he told Hermione so as they flopped into bed at four in the morning, after a long night of celebrating and drinking.

"Hmmm," She purred as she cuddled into him, "Normal is only an ideal, an average. And anyway, you are normal."

Severus rolled his tired eyes, "I'm rude, pushy, overbearing, jealous, impatient... need I go on?"

Hermione gave a small laugh, "And if you weren't like that suddenly, would that be normal? Would it be normal, if one day you started holding doors open for people and stopped prowling around Hogwarts at night to take as many points from Gryffindor as you can and left me in a room with ten young, tanned, handsome men that were hungry for -"

"Enough!" He put his hand over her mouth, "I get the picture! There's no need to go into detail!"

Slowly he took her hand away.

Hermione looked up at him grinning, "I was gonna say hungry for my cooking."

Severus raised an eyebrow, "No you weren't. And even if you were it's an impossibility. Your cooking leaves a lot to be desired."

Hermione kicked his leg, though she was obviously tired, because he hardly felt it, "No fair!" She insisted.

"Not fair, but true." Severus smirked.

"If you're not careful, I’ll go and find one of those guys from the beach. You know, darling, the ones who bought me an ice-cream."

"Yes," Severus growled, "I remember them quite clearly enough without you reminding me, love. They were the ones I was about to separate from their -"

"Severus," Hermione warned.

"I was going to say heads." He said innocently.

"Yeah, right, you were never going to say that." Hermione insisted, stoking her hand down his chest.

"Sorry Sybil." He apologized sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Well, if you want to sleep with Trelawney, I can easily go and get her." Hermione said, shifting away.

"No!" Severus pulled her tightly to him, "That woman's a menace. She should be locked in her tower for the safety and sanity of the rest of us."

"Aw, but darling, I heard she really likes you. And I mean really likes you!"

"You better be joking!" Severus yelped.

Hermione laughed, "Of course I am! I wouldn't let her lay one scabby paw on you. If she did, I certainly wouldn't touch you again!"

"Then I shall have to stay away from her, because I couldn't manage celibacy with you around and you aren't going any where." He told her firmly.

"You never know, I might run away." She shrugged.

"Then I would track you down and drag you back kicking and screaming if I had to." Severus informed her, squeezing her slightly for good measure, "In any case, you won't."

Hermione shook her head, "And why's that?"

"Because you love me too much." He answered kissing the top of her head.

"Now who's mind reading?" Hermione smiled.

Severus smirked, "It's not mind reading because I don't have to read your mind to know it. You love me and I love you, it's just fact."

"And who would have believed it all those years ago, when I was young and you were a bastard." Hermione sighed.

"I still am a bastard." He reminded her in a low voice.

Hermione shivered, shaking her head and trying not to smile, "I'm so scared."

"Good," Severus wrapped both arms around her, "You should be."

"Ever heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the big bad Wolf?" Hermione asked innocently.

"Of course."

"I can be change, you know." She threatened.

"Really?"

Hermione nodded, "When she meets the wolf, she burns off his -"

The hand was over her mouth again, "Don't even finish that sentence."

Hermione nodded and the hand was gone, "I was going to say she burns off his tail."

Severus rolled his eyes, "You would phrase your sentence that way! A simple, 'she burns his tail off' would have done!"

"I know," She smirked, "But you're the one making assumptions."

She yawned.

Severus closed his eyes, "Go to -"

"Sleep."

"I was going to say hell."