Moste-In-The-Spirit Competition Award Goes To...

I want to give a great big thank you hug to DuchessOfArcadia for combing through this to point out my numerous errors to help me make this presentable for reading, and to Arabella Bloodgood for helping me create my banner.

Thank you both so very much!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moste-In-The-Spirit Competition Award Goes To...

Severus woke up spooning against his wife, his shaft already between her thighs, straining to enter her. He nuzzled her neck as his hands caressed her, waking her slowly to his needs. Her soft moans became satisfied sighs as her body reacted to him and his gentle lovemaking. Hermione rolled over, and he repositioned himself over her, watching the expression on her face with a deep satisfaction. As their passion increased, he muffled her cries with a kiss, following her to blissful release only moments after. As he lay in the afterglow, amazed at the way his life had turned out, the door opened with a bang.

"MORNING!" Belladonna shouted as she ran into the room and jumped up onto the foot of the bed. "You have to get up!" she insisted, scrambling to lie down between Hermione and Severus. The hood of her costume was pushed off her head, and her tail swung back and forth as she moved.

"And you wanted another," he groaned as Bella snuggled against him, her tail accidentally hitting Hermione's face.

"We have to go to the Three Broomsticks today, Daddy," Bella insisted, still squirming. "The whole town will be in there!"

"Then it will be too crowded to find a table," Severus stated, tickling her.

"Uncle George said there will be pumpkin scones, dragon eggs, and crumpets with mermenlade!" she said between giggles.

"Marmalade," Severus corrected her.

"Bella, sweetie, did you let the crup out?" Hermione asked, tucking a lock of Bella's hair behind her ear. Bella shook her head as she turned to hug her mom. "Why don't you let Merlin out, and Daddy and I will get dressed so we can all go to The Three Broomsticks together."

"Okay!" Bella squealed, scrambling to get up and started jumping in the bed.

"Belladonna," Severus warned softly, and Bella landed on her bum, pouting with her eyes downcast. "No jumping on the bed. Go take care of Merlin. And stay out of the sitting room."

"Yes, Daddy," she replied and scrambled from the bed. Bella stopped at the doorway and turned around. "Daddy, when will Talfryn get here?"

"He's at school, Bella," Severus said, sitting up in bed while carefully keeping Hermione covered.

"He said he'd come with me to get my prizes, him and James and Tiberius and Frank," she rattled, and then suddenly looked at him worriedly. "Mr. Filch didn't chain them up in his office, did he?"

Hermione sat up clutching the sheet to her chest. "Bella, where did you hear that? Did you have a nightmare?"

"No, Mummy. James said that he'd threatened him to," Bella said, playing with her braid.

"No, he's not chained up in Mr. Filch's office. I don't let Mr. Filch chain the students to his wall, you know that," Severus said as he summoned his dressing robe, put it on, and eased out of bed while he secured the belt. "James was teasing you."

"So they can come, can't they, Daddy? Talfryn, James, Tiberius, and Frank can come see me get my trophy?" she pleaded, looking up at him with huge hopeful eyes. "Please, Daddy, please. They can if you say they can."

He crossed the room and stroked his daughter's head lovingly. "I will let them come watch you get your prize."

Bella hugged him, her face buried against him. "Thank you, Daddy," she mumbled.

"Bella, Merlin," he said firmly.

Bella stepped back and ran from the room.

"Should we use the owl or send Minerva a Patronus?" Hermione asked, sauntering for the bathroom.

"Owl," Severus said as he followed her, wrapping his arms around her as she turned on the taps to the shower. "A Patronus is too fast. I want a quiet breakfast."

"Hmmm," Hermione breathed as he nuzzled her neck for the second time that morning. "Bella is never quiet this early in the morning. But it will take her a half hour, at least, to feed the crup and change his water."

"Perfect," he purred, reaching for the soap.

(*o*)

The mayor of Hogsmeade stood on a dais in front of the Hogsmeade war memorial, congratulating this year's committee members of the Hogsmeade Halloween Moste-In-The-Spirit Competition, and introducing the judges. Belladonna sat on her father's lap quietly, although occasionally squirming impatiently, as the wizard doned on. She and her daddy were getting quite a few curious looks from some of the townsfolk, but Bella was too caught up with the anticipation to notice, although she did see her daddy scowl occasionally. He didn't like to be stared at. Bella turned on his lap so she could see Talfryn and his friends. All four sat next to her, occasionally glancing at her, too. James even gave her a thumbs up and stuck out his tongue, which made her giggle.

Her mum sat on her other side, glancing up at Bella with a mile. "Soon sweetie," she said in a hushed tone.

There were so many contests, most only getting ribbons or trophies. Bella knew that only three contests would also get Galleons, the Best Storefront Display, Most Humorous Haunting, and Scariest House, because people came to Hogsmeade especially to see them.

"Now what you've all been waiting for," Mr. Routh, Hogsmeade's Mayor, finally said while talking a scroll from his pocket.

Bella sat up straight in eager anticipation, and Talfryn leaned over to whisper to James and Frank.

"... and in first place for the Halloween Baking Contest...best holiday pie...Miss Martha White," the Mayor announced, grinning as he rocked on his heels. A plump witch Bella didn't know walked up to accept her trophy to polite applause. When she sat down, Mr. Routh looked at the scroll and said, "For third place for best costume, Bertie Higgs as a Billywig. Second place goes to Leland Leach who amused us all with his version of a red cap, and first place goes to Roderick Pips and that amazing quintaped costume."

As the three wizards walked up to get their ribbons, Talfryn leaned around Bella and her dad. "You should have won that one, Mum. I think you would've even fooled ol' Professor McGonagall."

"Hush," Mum hissed at him as Daddy scowled.

"James said you can't use Polyjuice Potion in the costume contest, right James?" Bella asked, tuning to look up at him.

"That's right Bella; you can use Charms or Transfiguration spells on your costume, but not Polyjuice," James said softly as the Best Storefront Display award was announced.

"No surprise here," the mayor said with a huge grin. "George and Ronald Weasley for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Not that we didn't get most of our own decorations from you, Mr. Weasley."

James and Frank both whistled, Talfryn whooped as he clapped. Tiberius, ever one to observe what he called 'decorum,' clapped politely as Bella clapped wildly for her uncle. "HE won Daddy! Talfryn, James...he won. He won! Mummy, he won!"

George walked up to the dais, wearing his customary magenta robes from the shop and accepted his prizes. He waved at Bella while clasping his trophy in the other hand before he walked back to his seat.

The Most Humorous Haunting award was next, and Bella sighed, leaning against her daddy's chest and toying with his sleeve. This was for houses that were not scary. Fun houses, Talfryn had called them. Elladora Guffy won as did Madam Rosmerta. Mrs. Guffy's house had been funny with the singing statues in her front garden and bats and cats in her trees playing bells. Bella clapped when all the other adults did, too.

"We're next, Bell," Talfryn said, grinning at her.

Bella sat up straight in anticipation as Mr. Routh looked at his scroll again. "And now for the Scariest House in Hogsmeade..."

"Don't worry, Bella, you had the best house in town," James assure her.

Bella wasn't sure. Uncle Neville's front garden had a huge Flutterbloom plant the size of a giant Devil's snare and tentacle vines with boils on them that reached for your ankles when you passed them with bodies and bones and spiders in them. It was very scary. Ambrosius Fume, the nice man who owned the candy shop, had a swamp in his front garden with all kinds of scary ghost apparitions, an alligator that looked like it would eat you, and hinkypunks with lanterns! Mr. Fume had even hired a wizard who pretended to be the grim reaper to punt you across the swamp to get to his door so you could get your treats. That was a really scary one, too. Bella crossed her fingers.

James laughed softly, and she turned to look at him. "Careful, Bells, don't cross them too tight or your fingers will get stuck," he teased her.

Daddy scowled at him, as Uncle Neville's name was announced as third place. "I assure you, Bella, they will not," he said, hugging her.

Bella nodded, biting her lip as Mr. Routh said, "And taking second place for creating his spectacular swamp again this year, Mr. Fume, owner of Honeydukes."

Mr. Fume waved at Talfryn and James as he walked by to get his prize, then winked at Bella as he returned to his seat.

Bella nearly held her breath as she waited for Mr. Routh to announce the first place winner.

"And in first place, her first time entering this contest, is Miss Belladonna Snape."

Bella gasped, clasping her hands together, as James and Frank both whistled shrilly for her, and Talfryn whooped as he clapped and stood up. Tiberius even stood up and clapped loudly for her. Daddy picked Bella up and placed her on the ground at his feet. "Go on, Bella," he said with a proud smile.

"Come with me?" she asked as she grasped his fingers, and he stood up to go with her. He followed her as she ran all the way up to the dais.

"Way to go, sis," Talfryn shouted between whistles.

Belladonna stepped up on the dais and turned to reach for her daddy's hand as he stepped up onto the dais beside her. Mr. Routh bent down and patted her head, something Bella hated, before handing her the white and gold trophy. She cringed from being patted like a crup, but didn't say anything incase Mr. Routh changed his mind and gave the prize money to Mr. Fume. Bella looked at the pumpkin sitting on top of the trophy with serious contemplation, wishing that it had daddy's face like her other pumpkins did.

"Go show the boys the trophy, Bella," Daddy said.

Bella smiled up at him and then carefully stepped down, holding her trophy in both hands. She hurried through the rows of chairs to find Talfryn, James, Frank, and Tiberius.

(*Q*)

Severus watched proudly as Bella ran over and hugged Talfryn, then eagerly showed her trophy to the other boys. James Potter swooped Bella up in a hug and set her down, making his daughter laugh and smile with glee.

Mr. Routh touched Severus' elbow and he turned. "She forgot her Galleons," the Mayor said with an amused smile.

"I'll see she gets it," Severus said and thanked the wizard, walking over to congratulate his son and daughter and Talfryn's friends.

That's it.

The End.

Author's notes:

Dragon eggs are actually Scottish eggs: soft-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage and fried.