Candy Cane Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

Sometimes even Fate needs a helping hand, especially when dealing with two particularly lonely and stubborn souls. Takes place after the events of Deathly Hallows but ignores the Epilogue. Spoilers for Book Seven.

Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling and associates. No money is being made from this venture and no harm is meant.

A/N: Wishing you and yours the Best of the Season.

Beta’d by It Figures.

Candy Cane Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses

Sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast just a couple of days before Christmas, Harry sighed as he pushed his scrambled eggs around on his plate. Back at Hogwarts to finish his last year of schooling, he often felt as fractured as the venerable castle around him. Once again the young wizard wondered why he had ever thought that his life would ever be normal. After finally defeating Tom Riddle with the help of many others, Harry had hoped that he could finally be Just Harry. But of course, that had not happened. Instead, The Daily Prophet insisted upon painting him as a dashing hero who stood alone against He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named-But-Is-Now-Dead-For-Real. Snorting into his goblet of pumpkin juice, he shook his head. Of course the fact that Voldemort had split his soul and created Horcruxes had to remain a secret. So only a very few people knew that Ron, Hermione and Neville deserved at least as much credit for destroying the snake-faced bastard. It really was too bad that the press refused to believe that others were as much of a hero as he ever was.

Glancing down the Gryffindor table to his erstwhile girlfriend, Harry couldn’t help but think that his life had changed irrevocably on the day he faced Voldemort; first dying himself before Voldemort was ultimately killed. On that fateful day he had watched Severus Snape ‘die’ before finally learning and accepting the fact that the man truly was good and on their side, had rescued Draco Malfoy from his own folly, had watched Fred die and had learned of the deaths of others who had bravely fought against Voldemort’s Death Eaters and their allies.

No, Harry had definitely changed and his relationship with Ginny had suffered in the aftermath. Realistically, he knew that Ginny had also changed, but Harry still tended to blame himself for the rift that had unexpectedly developed between them. How could he not when his thoughts kept returning time and again to the returning Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?

A self-depreciating grin played across his lips as Harry accepted that he should have known better. He should have realized that Severus Snape was far too Slytherin to have gone to meet Voldemort without some plan, some protection against harm. After all, the man was a Potions master who regularly dealt with a madman who had a poisonous snake as a pet. Why wouldn’t Snape have gone in prepared and with an antidote to Nagini’s venom?

After learning the truth about the man and then finding out that Severus Snape had indeed survived the attack by the snake turned Horcrux, Harry had spent quite a bit of time in the infirmary with the snarky man. For the first time since he had met the man, Harry felt like he was actually seeing the real Severus Snape. Long gone were the childish expectations and the childish reactions of his youth. The war and its aftermath had brought with it new understanding and a hard earned maturity. The problem now was that after all that time spent first in the man’s memories and then in his company, Harry was fairly sure that he was falling in love with his beloved Half-Blood Prince.


Severus Snape frowned as he surveyed the Great Hall and its occupants during breakfast. Though attendance was understandably down after the Battle of Hogwarts, many parents had felt it safe enough now to send their children back to the school, especially since Harry Potter had also returned amidst much fanfare and publicity. Severus envied the resiliency of youth as those who had returned were quickly recovering after the horrific events of the past year.

The Pensieve memories and Harry’s testimony had cleared the ex-spy of all charges, and Severus Snape had gratefully accepted the proffered post of DADA professor, with Professor Slughorn continuing on as the Potions instructor. Professor McGonagall had officially taken on the title of Headmistress, replacing the ex-spy in that position. While Severus and the stern witch would never be close friends, he did hold a certain measure of respect for the head-strong woman.

Perhaps the strangest revelation came when Harry Potter showed up at his bedside and determinedly struck up a conversation with his former antagonist and professor. Weakened from the snake’s venomous bite and the subsequent loss of blood, despite having taken the antidote before meeting with the Dark Lord, Severus was in no position to refuse the young man the answers and reassurance he sought. Surprisingly, even after satisfying the Gryffindor’s insatiable curiosity, the younger wizard kept returning to his bedside. Gradually a tentative relationship, if not exactly a friendship, grew over the long summer months.

In many ways Severus felt as if he had truly been reborn on the day of the battle. Harry Potter had indeed fulfilled his destiny and had made it possible for the Dark Lord to be defeated. Like any true Slytherin, Severus had taken the opportunity that presented itself on that day and had set about recreating himself. For one who had lived much of his life in the shadows, Severus was unused to having someone with whom he could freely converse. The troubling aspect in all this was that Severus was afraid he was in very real danger of losing his heart to the son of the girl he had once loved as a sister and friend.


Warm brown eyes watched as Harry desolately pushed his food around on his plate and Professor Snape scowled at the room on general principal. The youngest Weasley had accepted that she and Harry were not meant to be, but that didn’t mean she was just going to stand idly by while her former boyfriend wallowed in self doubt and self blame. She had been watching the two men and had a fairly good idea of what was going on in each of their heads, even if they didn’t know themselves.

Ginny watched as a delivery owl deposited a parcel on the hastily cleared table in front of her. As promised, George had sent his newest creation to her. After rewarding the owl with a rasher of bacon, she picked up the parcel and slipped out of the Great Hall. This package needed to be opened in the privacy of her dorm room.


Later that day Harry blinked when he saw the merrily wrapped present lying on his bed. Puzzled as to who might have left it, he cautiously picked it up. Seeing that it was from his former girlfriend, Harry opened the gift. Surprisingly it seemed to be a candy cane. The tag read “Capricious Cane™ from the Wondrous Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Satisfaction guaranteed.” A note was tucked in with the confection and Harry unfolded the paper, curious to see what Ginny had to say to him.


Dearest Harry,

George was kind enough to send his newest invention to me. I wanted you to
have one of the first ones. They are meant to bring a smile to your face and a
song in your heart.
Don’t worry. It is perfectly safe.

Yours always,
Ginny


Harry grinned as he tore into the sweet treat. Candy canes were one of the many things he had been denied while living with the Dursleys. And this was a particularly delicious candy. Wonderful even. The young man grinned goofily as he looked around him. Everything around him looked brighter and his mood felt lighter. Hey, life is good! Harry suddenly knew that he wanted to share this magnificent candy with Severus. With that thought in mind, the Gryffindor headed down to the dungeons.


Severus’ long years of spying served him well as he managed to keep from flinching at the unexpected sound of a house elf popping into his chambers. “Master Severus, sir,” the diminutive being squeaked. “Perky is bringing you a gift. Perky is thinking Master Severus should be eating it.” Her mission complete, the house elf thrust the package into the professor’s hands before popping back out of the room before the dour man could yell at her.

Frowning at the odd request, Severus waved his wand over the package. Finding no hint of dark magic or harmful intent from the sender, he carefully opened the present, only to discover a candy cane from the WWW. A corner of his mouth turned up in bemusement at the memory of the troublesome twins. Oh, they had an aptitude for potions all right, despite their even greater aptitude for causing trouble. The Potions master pulled an all-purpose antidote out of his robes and set it aside just in case.

Taking a cautious bite of the sweet, Severus was pleasantly surprised to find that it was good. It was really good. Better than good. Great even. Possibly the best thing he had ever eaten. He suddenly noticed that his dungeon rooms were quite homey and the colors very comforting. Life truly is wonderful, he thought. His dark eyes lit up when he realized that he wanted Harry to have some of this delectable treat. Without even pausing to consider the rather uncharacteristic thoughts running through his mind, the DADA Professor left his chambers in search of the young man. Severus didn’t get far before spotting the very wizard he had been searching for.

“Harry, you must partake of this.”

“Severus, you’ve got to try this!”

Harry laughed as both ended up talking across each other. “We seem to have the same idea,” he shyly noted.

Glancing upward, the professor saw a wayward sprig of enchanted mistletoe hanging in the air above Harry’s head. Onyx eyes held emerald as Severus decided to go with his heart in that moment. Gently he raised a hand to stroke the firm chin. He noted that the younger man leaned into the contact and that gave him the courage to step closer and to gently press their lips together.

Harry sighed as he brought his arms up around the taller man and gave himself over to the kiss. This is what he had been searching for. This is what he had fought for. Yes, life was good, after all.


Unseen and unnoticed by the two preoccupied men, a red-haired girl stood in the shadows and smiled. She would have to thank George for his help in finding Harry his heart’s desire. Ginny quietly slipped away, allowing the men their privacy. Hmm, she wondered, who should she give some “Capricious Canes™” to next?

~The End~