Four

JKR's, not mine.

Many thanks to pyjamapants for the beta.

Something was tickling him. Severus's eyes slowly opened to find that a strand of Hermione's hair had made itself comfortable under his nose. He brushed the wayward curls away. Outside it was already light, but both of his lovers were still asleep.

Usually, this was the day of the year where he would wake up alone with a hangover, try to make it somehow through the school's Christmas dinner and stop being sober as quickly as possible. Not today. He lay in a comfortable, large bed with Hermione's head on his shoulder, Lucius's arm around his middle, and...

He squinted at the fireplace. Three stockings were hanging in front of it. Three. All of them red with white fur trimming and a little tag. And all of them obviously filled with something. His heart began to beat a little faster at the sight of the stockings: one for Hermione, one for Lucius and... one for him?

Severus carefully disentangled himself from his two lovers and crept towards the end of the bed. He'd be able to reach the fireplace or Accio one of the stockings from there. As he was leaning over the foot of the bed, stretching his hand towards the fireplace, he heard a tinkling, not very loud, but insistent. He quickly withdrew the hand. The tinkling stopped.

Tentatively, he extended his hand again, and again there was the sound, a little louder this time. Again it stopped when he withdrew the hand. 'Accio stocking.' No stocking. Instead, a little silver bell floated into view, ringing as loudly as it could. Severus scowled at it.

From behind he heard a soft laugh. 'Accio bell,' Lucius said.

Severus turned around to see a now very much awake Lucius smile at him, the silver bell in his hand. 'It guards the presents,' he explained.

'Hmph.' Severus felt embarrassment creep through him.

'I think it's about time we had a look at what's in our stockings,' Hermione announced briskly, jumped out of bed, and walked over to the fireplace.

She came back to the bed, the three stockings in her hand. 'This one's for you,' she said, handing Severus one of them. 'And that's yours.' Lucius got his stocking, too.

His very own Christmas stocking. An odd feeling spread through Severus's stomach. Inside the stocking, he found a couple of mince pies, satsumas, chocoballs and a Honeyduke's Milk Chocolate bar. He was so immersed in staring at his sweets that he nearly forgot about Lucius and Hermione until something soft and sweet touched his lips. He looked up to see a smiling Lucius tempting him with a piece of chocolate. He took it, closing his lips around Lucius's fingers, swirling his tongue around them. Lucius swallowed.

When Severus let go of his fingers, Lucius offered him the next piece from between his lips. Severus bit off a piece of the chocolate and then touched his mouth to Lucius. They shared the chocolate between their lips and tongues, Lucius's taste mixing with that of the chocolate.

When they broke their kiss, Hermione fed him a piece of the satsuma she had just peeled. Its slightly tart taste mixed with that of Lucius and the chocolate, and later with Hermione's when she leant over to kiss him, too. He felt her lips on his; Lucius's arm was still draped around his shoulder, holding him close. Surely, the strange warmth that had started to spread through him was only the result of the fire that had begun to crackle in the fireplace after Hermione had collected the stockings.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later, as they made it down to breakfast, Severus glanced out of one of the windows. More snow had fallen over night and it was still snowing, turning the world outside the manor into a white winter wonderland. Silent and beautiful.

Severus was at his third cup of coffee, contemplating another piece of toast when a tapping at the window interrupted their peaceful morning meal. After Lucius had opened it, an eagle owl flew in, for once not looking haughty and regal, but windswept and bedraggled. It landed on the breakfast table, nearly toppled over and then sat, holding out its leg with a scroll tied to it, looking up at the humans reproachfully. Lucius quickly untied the scroll while Hermione offered a piece of bacon to the owl.

A shadow went over Lucius's face as he read the parchment. 'It's from Draco. They can't make it for Christmas Dinner. Apparently the Floo is down, and it's too dangerous for Astoria to Apparate or take a Portkey in her condition.'

'I'm sorry,' Hermione said, putting her hand over his.

'How can the Floo be down?' Severus frowned.

'No idea.' Hermione turned on the wizarding wireless just in time to hear the newsreader announce that for the first time in wizarding history the Floo system had broken down due to the worst snowfall the country had seen in a century. A number of roofs had caved in under the weight of the snow, burying fireplaces and Floo routes under them. Luckily there had been no casualties. Landing conditions for Portkey travel were affected, too, and the wizarding population was advised to avoid all travelling unless absolutely necessary. Weather conditions would remain serious over the next few days as more snow was expected.

Hermione turned the wireless off. 'It seems we're snowed in.'

'We could probably Apparate somewhere,' Lucius said, 'but why would we want to?'

Severus thought that he was perfectly comfortable right were he was.

Hermione stood up. 'Presents,' she announced and disappeared to the living room, both wizards in tow.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus paused for a moment in the doorway, taking in the sight before him. His heart started to beat a little faster. The tree, their tree glittered with fairy lights and baubles, the star on top slowly rotating, casting the whole room into a soft, golden light. He had seen Christmas trees before, of course, but none as beautiful as this one.

Then he saw the stack of presents under the tree. Severus's heartbeat sped up a little more. He spotted his presents for Lucius and Hermione among the parcels in various shapes and colours. There were a few more. The presents for Draco, Astoria and the soon-to-be-born grandchild? Lucius had looked so sad when he had read the letter. Before Severus could get lost in his musings, Hermione tugged him along to the tree.

All three knelt down beside the tree, sorting the presents until each of them ended up with a little heap in front of them. Lucius and Hermione started to unwrap theirs at once. Severus waited for a bit, looking at them. Relief and something he didn't want to name spread through him as he watched the expressions that crossed their faces as they opened their presents. Lucius grinned when he unwrapped the antiquarian book on wizarding paintings, sniffed at the aftershave Severus had made for him and ran his fingers over the soft grey leather gloves. Hermione's face glowed as she took the antiquarian book on Alchemy out of its wrapping paper, sniffed at the perfume he had concocted for her, and stroked the dark blue silk scarf.

Only then did he start to unwrap his own presents. There was a Potions books from the eighteenth century, a black cashmere turtleneck jumper and bottle of Egyptian massage oil from Lucius. Hermione had given him a set of Wilkie Collins's novels, a pair of black slippers that came with a permanent Warming Charm, and a Muggle fountain pen. More warmth spread through him, and he felt something strange and unfamiliar lodged in his throat. It took him three attempts before he could say, 'Thank you.'

'Thank you, Severus,' Lucius said, and Hermione gave him a peck on the cheek before she added, 'Thank you.'

By the time they had finished admiring their presents, a delicious smell had begun to waft through the ground floor.

'Let's get dressed for Christmas dinner,' Lucius announced.

They quickly went upstairs to change, Lucius into dark grey dress robes, Hermione into a carmine velvet dress, and Severus into dress robes, black of course, that he had hastily transfigured from some of his usual robes. When they returned to the dining room they found the table laid out for three with the finest silver, glass and china the manor had to offer. Each plate was adorned with a silver-coloured Christmas Cracker. Severus pulled one with Hermione; a loud bang was followed by a shower of silver sparks and then a little cauldron toppled out of it. 'How fitting,' Lucius commented.

A roasted, stuffed goose sat in the middle of the table, surrounded by dishes filled with roast potatoes, parsnips, chestnuts, buttered peas, and silver boats filled with gravy and cranberry sauce. It looks every bit as a Christmas Dinner should look like, Severus thought as he fought again to keep his usual tight rein on his emotions.

After the main course, they had Christmas Pudding and Port, and Severus knew that this was the best Christmas Pudding he had ever tasted.

They retired back to the sofa in the living room to have coffee. Leaning back into the cushions, Severus felt mellow and very sleepy. A look at Hermione's and Lucius's faces confirmed that they weren't feeling particularly awake either. 'I'm going back upstairs for a nap,' he announced.

Lucius and Hermione nodded and trotted up the stairs after him. Neither of the two noticed that Severus had taken the small bottle of massage oil with him.

On the sideboard in the living room, the little nutcracker stretched his legs for the first time and took the hand of the witch, who turned to smile at him whilst the white dragon spread his wings over both of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

'Aren't you glad that you're here rather than at Hogwarts?' Hermione asked after they had spent a very cosy afternoon in bed.

Severus nodded. 'It seems Christmas can be a very nice time,' he conceded.

Hermione beamed at him and Lucius said, 'Happy Christmas, Severus.'

Severus had never really understood how, six months ago, they had ended up as a trio and why Lucius and Hermione wanted him. But now, seeing the love shining from their eyes, he finally understood that they loved him every bit as much as he loved them. 'Happy Christmas,' he replied.

~*~fin~*~