Christmas Eve

A huge thanks to Madbrilliant for doing an excellent job as my beta! And also to Southern_Witch_69 for the pain she went through to validate this chapter!

........................................

Chapter 7 - Christmas Eve

There was an annoying amount of mistletoe up in almost every single doorway of Grimmauld Place, save for the bedroom doors.

When Severus had first arrived there almost three days ago, he had questioned Molly on the necessity of it and then demanded that she at least remove it from the library doorway. So, for the sake of peace, she had it removed, but instead, cast charms on all of the rest of the pieces, so that the two caught beneath it would be stuck unless they completed the kiss. After all, it was a practically harmless holiday tradition, and it didn't have to be a serious kiss – just a peck.

Hermione had thought it was silly also, but did not want to be singled out by Ginny or Harry for having defended or sided with Severus yet again. She supposed that she hated mistletoe for different reasons from him. He hated Christmas in its entirety – Hermione was sad around Christmas because she had no family, and it was always lonely to be kissed beneath the mistletoe by someone she didn't care much for, or who didn't care much for her.

She had managed to only get caught once beneath it with Fred Weasley, who blew a wet raspberry on her cheek, instantly releasing her. It was funny then, when George passed under just moments later and repeated the exercise. It had been the first time she had laughed that day, and likely the last. She was miserable because everyone else had a family to share the holiday with.

She had no one, just like Severus.

Hermione had rather hoped that with Severus there, she would not be lonely. But he had been hiding away in the library most of the day, as well as in his room, or in a room full of people where she would never get him alone. He seemed rather down that day too, and Hermione would have loved his company.

Fortunately for her, Molly chose then to give her a job. "Hermione, be a dear and help me take these out to the dinning room for dinner," she instructed, pointing at a row of large dishes.

Hermione whipped out her wand and levitated everything with her to the big dining room, which was filled with people. She set everything down and then went to the library to fetch Severus. She found him sitting in a seat with his eyes closed. Moving quietly, she stood beside him and touched his shoulder lightly.

"I am awake," he said tersely.

"Sorry – you looked like you were sleeping," she replied calmly.

He blinked a few times and hauled himself out of his seat so he could follow her to the dining room for dinner. It was roast turkey that night – Severus' favourite holiday dish. The one thing he enjoyed about Christmas were the special dishes that came along with it that people rarely ate during normal months. Molly's cooking was better than any house-elf he had known.

Hermione sighed inwardly as she followed him up the hallway towards the dining room, grabbing a seat beside Ginny and Minerva. She wanted to sit beside him as she had grown accustomed to and talk to him about something intelligent. Hermione loved talking to him because he was so knowledgeable about nearly everything. But she was stuck between the two Gryffindor gossip queens.

"Hermione, look at him," Ginny whispered. "He's so forlorn. One would think he was love sick," she drawled.

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed.

Minerva chuckled warmly. "I see Ginny has yet to learn the art of Gryffindor subtlety," she commented wryly. "There aren't many of us who are blessed with that talent."

Hermione laughed softly at that and ate a bite of the delicious turkey. Nobody in Gryffindor had ever possessed any type of subtlety in their lives. Minerva certainly was not one of those ladies. She was fairly unapproachable and stern while at school, but outside, and after she had finished at Hogwarts, Minerva had been friendly and quite good to confide in at times.

"I am certain you are correct," Hermione told the older witch.

"Hermione, have you seen the way he looks at you?" Minerva asked, and Hermione shook her head. "Then you would not see the look he gets in his eyes when he's around you. Surely you have feelings for him too."

Hermione sighed and nodded, swallowing her food. "Not that it is anyone's concern, but I have rather strong feelings for him."

Minerva's eyes lit up with some sort of obscure glee. Ginny beamed and returned to eating her food; Lily was throwing carrots at Harry, who was chuckling at her on the other side of the room. Hermione felt a pang of jealousy when she saw how content he was with his child and a wife who loved him.

"You want children, and Severus doesn't like children much," Minerva noted. "But I am sure he will open up to the idea once you are married."

"You are delusional and planning ahead too far," Hermione murmured.

Minerva chuckled. "I don't mean to interfere," she said. "But I just can't believe you don't see it."

"Often people are unable to see the same things that others can," Hermione said firmly. "And that is one of the reasons why we should have this conversation another time. Please, just don't interfere."

Minerva crossed her fingers behind her back and smiled at Hermione before she nodded in ascent. She could not make that promise just yet. She had a few plans to gently urge the two towards each other. Just as she thought that, Severus looked over at her from the other side of the table and gave her a quelling look, as if he knew she was plotting something. Smiling, she returned to eating her dinner silently.

Dessert followed shortly after, and then most of the house guests retired to the sitting room for some peace and quiet. It was then that Minerva stood with an orange in her hand, smiling in a most mischievous way. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione could also see that Harry and Ginny were smirking. Molly bustled into the room after setting the house-elves to cleaning up the dining room and sat beside Arthur so they could all listen in.

"It's Christmas Eve and, as you well know, there are a few traditions that come with the season that people indulge in on occasion," Minerva began. "Our dearest friend, Albus, used to have one favourite little game that his family had played on Christmas Eve, and he passed it on to me."

Hermione looked over at Harry and shot him a glare, just as Severus narrowed his eyes at Minerva. He knew what she was getting at and he really didn't like it one bit.

"It involves an orange with cloves pierced into the rind," Minerva said, holding the fruit up in the air with cloves magically appearing all over it, the juice glistening. "Then, the person holding the orange may remove a single clove from the orange and chew on it before passing it to the person of their choice," she explained. "And the final thing is to give that person a kiss in the place they designate, before the game is repeated; harmless, but as with all games that Albus loved, it is embarrassing."

Minerva then removed a clove, chewed on it for a bit, then passed the orange to Ron, who flushed a bright red, and accepted the fruit, offering his cheek to her. Minerva gave him a swift peck there, and then it was Ron's turn. Severus took this as his cue to leave and walked out of the room with a scowl on his face and his body held stiff. Hermione watched him leave with a sad expression before she controlled it when Harry held the orange out to her.

"Don't let it bother you," Harry whispered. "He'll be alright."

She took the orange and held out her hand to him, which he pecked lightly, giving her a smile. Hermione passed the orange quickly to Fred, and kissed the cheek he offered, and the game continued on with much laughter. The orange then found its way back to her, and Percy kissed forehead in a friendly fashion. She looked down at the orange and saw that there was only one clove left on it. Looking over at Minerva, she saw the older witch nod, and she then stood, leaving the room and taking the orange with her.

She walked towards the library and opened the door as quietly and calmly as she could, slipping into the room and locking the door with an unspoken spell. She stood as still as stone, staring across the room at Severus who was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed over his chest and an open book in his lap. He looked up at her in surprise, which gave her the confidence to walk across to him.

She held the orange out to him after she had plucked out the clove and began chewing on it carefully. "Where?" she asked breathlessly.

He looked up at her dumbly, swallowing thickly when he saw the warmth crackling in her eyes that glowed amber. He could see something there that he was sure was reflected in his own dark eyes. Could it be that she had feelings for him also? It wasn't impossible, but he had never had high hopes, and now she was standing there, asking him where he would like to be kissed. Everywhere, was his first thought.

Without waiting for a response, she leaned forwards and placed a warm, gentle kiss to his cheek before pulling away, looking disheartened. With a smile, she dropped the clove that was in her hand, banished it wordlessly, and then walked out of the room. Severus could not say a word through the entire exchange, but now, as she was walking away from him, he wanted to say so many things.

He stood and made to follow her, but changed his mind in the last second, standing alone in the library, clutching the orange that was weeping sticky juices and oils from the cloves onto his hand. He murmured a spell that split the orange into eight even pieces in his palm, and brought one to his lips, biting into the sweet, spicy flesh. As he chewed thoughtfully, Hermione came to mind.

She was not so different to the sweetness of the orange, yet at other times, she was alike to the spice of the cloves. Sighing, he sat back down on the chair and stared into the fireplace, the flames licking the air gently. He was disrupted by the sound of a male clearing his throat.

"Professor Snape?" Harry asked.

"What is it, Mr. Potter?" Severus replied warily.

"If you're in love with my friend, do something about it," Harry said seriously, cradling a sleeping Lily in his arms.

"Give me time, Potter," Severus groused. "Just a little more time..."