18
Chapter 18: Winter Break
All the cheerful Christmas decorations in the castle were only adding to the Potions master's foul mood. Severus had slept poorly these past nights. It seemed that as much as his conscious self was in control of his emotions, while unconscious his mind worked of his own volition. He'd dreamed of things he didn't even know were still in his mind; snapshots of his childhood, his first years at Hogwarts, all haunting him in his sleep, and all because of that night he found his boy crying in the halls.
Severus sipped at his juice, wondering one last time if there wasn't another way. Deciding there wasn't, he left his seat, and when he passed behind Hermione's, he stopped only long enough to say, "Meet me in my office after you're done," and resumed walking to a side door of the Great Hall.
Hermione was taken by surprise at Severus' invitation. And such a civil one, at that, she thought, when compared to their last encounters. Her eyes went immediately to Nathan. He seemed normal, or as normal as he'd been ever since they had stopped talking to each other: ignoring her and eating quietly, eventually commenting on something he heard, and never smiling or laughing. She was waiting until the end of the meal to talk to him, but now Severus requested that time. If it's something about the lab… she thought, annoyed already.
Well, if it was something professional, she wouldn't miss the opportunity to talk with him about more pressing issues. Severus was on her list of decisive talks for this weekend. She was tired of waiting for him to come to his senses. Hermione knew there was more of her dreamy version in him than could readily be seen, and she would make him show it, she decided.
Having finished with her dinner, Hermione left the Great Hall for her meeting, making sure to pass by the Gryffindor table. "Good evening, boys," she greeted Nathan's friends, who greeted her back. She addressed her son, who had his back to her. "I want to talk to you, Nathan. I'll meet you outside the common room in one hour." She was not asking. "Be there," she added, to leave no doubt.
Nathan nodded, never turning to look at her, and she left to meet the other party in this mess.
The walk between the Great Hall and Severus' office felt different somehow. The students who crossed her path looked at her with an interest that wasn't there before. It couldn't be the war hero thing; there was something disapproving in their gazes. What happened here during the week? she mused, but didn't have much time to think on it. She was in front of Severus' office already. She knocked.
"Enter."
"Good evening, Severus," she greeted, closing the door behind her. "What is it that you want to talk about?"
She waited for a snide reply, but it never came. Severus stood from his chair and proceeded to ward the office, before sitting back by his desk. Nothing about the lab, then, she concluded. Are my dreams coming true? Has he finally considered what I said and understood what I did? She could only hope.
"You should talk to your son," he began, and the little hope she had of him finally coming to senses was gone with the word your. "He has not been himself since his situation gained the attention of the student body," he informed her.
"Oh, no!" she said, aggravated, sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I knew something had happened during this week; the kids were looking at me differently," she said. The situation had grown to catastrophic proportions. It had ceased to exist solely between the three of them, and now it was public. Of course Nathan was not himself.
"He must be so sad," she commented. "He became depressed for weeks when this happened at his old school, and with all that has been going on…" she trailed off. "How did this happen?"
"I'm not sure," he answered. "I think he told those friends of his, and they let it slip. Typical Gryffindors," he mumbled. "Most probably Mr. Malfoy was around and the rest is history."
"Typical Slytherin," she mumbled. He arched an eyebrow. She wanted to smile at that, but managed to maintain a serious expression and say, "May I assume that Mr. Malfoy has been taunting him at every possible opportunity?"
"They were involved in a fist fight," he revealed.
"What? Nathan beat Malfoy?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"What make you believe that he wasn't the one beaten?" Severus asked.
She looked at him speculatively. "I would assume that Nathan is the more experienced in this kind of confrontation; this is not the first fist fight he has got himself into, Severus," she pointed out. "Our son is not a saint, and I know that."
He didn't correct her phrasing that Nathan was their son, which pleased her. "I saw when he punched Mr. Malfoy in the Great Hall, although I missed when Mr. Malfoy punched him back later that day. I found him crying in the halls, which he seems to have been doing quite frequently," he pointed out. "I've told him to stop, but I think he needs to hear this from you."
He cares, she realized. He really cares. Hermione couldn't take his eyes off Severus. Was she dreaming? "It's nice of you to worry." But why was he worried with Nathan crying? Why was it so important to him? She decided to ask and see if her dreams were really coming true. "But why worry over him crying in the halls, of all things?"
"Because this behavior is not tolerated among children his age, and he will soon find himself the laugh of the school if someone other than me happens to find him sniveling in some corner."
Hermione wondered at Severus' tone. Somehow, it seemed that was more to it than he was telling her. She persisted. "Do you speak from experience as a teacher, or as a student who went through the same thing?"
"Children can be mean, Granger. I hardly asked to be called Snivellus, did I?" he answered bitterly.
An awkward silence fell between them. How could she have known that he'd been through this, too? "I'm sorry, Severus. I didn't know-"
"Your pity will hardly change that fact," he interrupted her.
Hermione fixed her brown eyes on him. "I don't pity you; I never did."
Severus held her gaze for a while, then returned to the subject of their meeting. "I'm only here as a teacher to warn you of your son's behavior. It's my duty to keep him from harm."
Hermione was getting tired of his subtleties. "I can see he's still only my son," she said. She knew that he cared; her requested presence in this office and what had prompted it were evidence enough. "We both know you care for him, so why pretend?"
"I thought we could spend an evening without arguing," he said, the meaning of his words not lost in Hermione.
She sighed. "Very well, Severus. I won't insist," she said, for now, she added to herself. If she had to wait a little longer, she would, but not too long. Hermione wouldn't give up. He would see her reasons, and everything would be like it was supposed to be.
The revelation that he was looking out for Nathan was a good indicative that he wouldn't resist forever. She looked up at him, intently staring at those obsidian eyes. This moment wasn't a creation of her mind; he was the real Severus – the closest he had ever become to her dreamy version of him, but still very real. The thought of her dreams eventually coming true made her smile.
Severus was uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him. He could see her brain working, and when she smiled, it was too much. He stood and walked to the door.
"That was what I had to say. If you don't mind, I have work to do," he said, dismissing her.
Hermione stood and walked to where he was by the door. Still smiling, she turned to face him once more. "I hope this kind of discussion will become a constant from now on. It's so much easier when we talk instead of argue. Thank you for letting me know what has happened, Severus. I'll talk to Nathan."
Her mouth slowly lost the soft smile as her eyes traveled over his face, following the length of that stubborn strand of hair crossing his eye to the middle of his cheek. Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione had her hand level with his face as she reached to brush it back. When she realized what she was about to do, she fixed her eyes on his again, seeing the confusion in them. Her hand touched his face in a feather-light caress, tucking the lock of hair behind his ear. "Thank you for taking care of him for me, Severus," she said, placing a soft kiss where her hand had been just moments before, and left the room.
Severus stared at the door through which this mystery had just left. Her smile had been confusing; her sincere brown eyes burning into his black ones had been unsettling. But nothing compared to the gentlest of touches and the softness of her lips over his pale flesh. How could she even touch him after all he had done to her? What had prompted such an open display of… affection? Could he call it that? And towards him, of all people? He, who had caused her so much pain, didn't deserve it. Severus closed his eyes, stunned.
He had called her to his office to ease his troubled mind, to tell her to talk to the boy and stop him sniveling around the castle, thus preventing Nathan from a fate much like his own. He had never thought she would… that she could… Dreams were supposed to remain dreams. In reality, they would be just too complicated to deal with, and Hermione Granger had jumped out of his dreams with her actions this evening, bringing new thoughts to trouble his mind.
Nathan stood waiting for his mother in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, who had decorated her canvas for the upcoming Festive season,. He had been waiting this Friday to talk to her, and he was glad she had been the one to make the first move. This would make things easier, he hoped.
His thoughts of what he would say as soon as she arrived to meet him were interrupted by the chance to actually say them, when Hermione greeted him, "Hello, Nathan."
"Hi, Mum." And nothing else left his mouth, not because he didn't want to talk to her, but because he was the worst for apologizing.
"Let's take a walk," she suggested. He nodded, and they started walking.
After a couple of corridors passed through in silence, Hermione spoke again. "We need to work through our differences, Nathan. You can't ignore me forever, and I won't tell you what you want to know just because you threaten to ignore me."
"I know," he admitted. "I was angry."
More silence followed that first exchange of words. Nathan broke it this time. "I'm sorry I called you a liar."
Hermione sighed, relieved. "It was really mean to say, Nathan. It hurts to hear you calling me that when you know it's not true." She looked at him. "I never lied to you."
He stopped in the middle of the deserted corridor, and his mother stopped, too. "I know, Mum." He hugged her really tightly. "I'm sorry I said that, and that I yelled at you, and that I ran from you."
She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he felt like everything would be all right again, as if every problem he had was now solved because he had his mother with him, placing soft kisses on the top of his head.
"I missed you so much, Nathan," she whispered.
"I missed you, too, Mum," he answered. "I'll never do that again. I missed you so, so much." He knew his voice was high and quivering with the effort to hold back tears, and he knew she realized that.
"I'm here now, I'm with you," she soothed, stroking his back. Tears fell from his eyes, and he felt her tears dampening his hair. He held onto her until he felt calmer again. When he was in his mother's arms, everything seemed better. She brushed his hair back and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I know you've been through a lot this week. Don't be bothered about what other people say, especially Malfoy," she said.
"He was insulting you, Mum. I couldn't listen to his voice anymore, it was annoying me so much," he said, frowning at the remembrance.
"I know. He will annoy you even more if you show that you care. Punching people in the Great Hall is not going to make it stop, only time will," she explained.
"But I can't let him insult my family and just watch!" he said, vexed.
"You can go to the teachers. Professor Lupin, your Head of House, could help you. Breaking the rules and hurting another student will not."
"I'm glad you're here," he said, and rested his head against her again.
His mother stroked his hair. "Now, there is no need to cry over it. You shouldn't let these things get to you so much. I know everyone feels like crying sometimes; it's only natural, but crying in the halls can make things even more complicated for you. Act like you normally do, and if you feel like crying or punching things, do it in your bed using your pillow for a target."
She felt him nod his understanding after a moment, as he undoubtedly took her words to heart. "There is only one more week until winter break, and then you'll come home. We'll spend all the time together," she said to cheer him up. "And there is Christmas. Harry invited us to spend it with him. It'll be a lot of fun." Her smile was soothing, and Nathan found himself smiling back.
"Will the Weasleys be there?"
"Of course," she answered him. "And I bet they'll have the most interesting games. You, Lily and Sirius will have a great time, I'm sure."
They started walking again, now that everything was all right. They continued to talk about Christmas and the end of the term, and life was safe again, now that he had his mother back.
Hermione contemplated her weekend as she lay down in the comfort of her bed back in London. She had gone to Hogwarts to make sure their Christmas would be good, and she was happy with her accomplishments.
First on her list had been Nathan; he was always first on any of her lists. It had been a pleasant surprise to meet him calmer and willing to solve their differences this time around. She didn't like the idea of forcing him to see reason; she liked him to make his own choices and decisions, but this weekend she would have made him see, whatever means she was obliged to have used to achieve her goal. It was a good thing she didn't have to go too far.
Her second mission – Severus – had been just as successful. What a pleasant surprise, when she had entered his office to find that he cared for Nathan; more than pleasant, if she thought of the bonus the end of that meeting brought. She smiled with the remembrance. His hair was just as soft as in her dreams, his skin warm and pleasant to the touch. She had been tempted to kiss him on more than just his cheek, but the confusion in his eyes told her it wasn't the right time. She had enjoyed it, anyway.
Sure enough, Severus had avoided her for the rest of the weekend, meeting her during the meals, and even then, never exchanging more than one or two words of greeting, and then only in return of hers. What soothed her heart were the glances he sent her way every time he thought she wasn't paying attention. Hermione smiled at that, content. She was sure she had given him much to think about, and she hoped he would come to the right conclusions. But who knew what went through Severus Snape's mind? She could only hope.
If all progressed the way she wanted, it was indeed only a question of time until her dreams came true – all of them. Nathan and Severus would grow closer, their latter's true identity revealed painlessly, and Severus would let her into his life and his heart just as he would Nathan. She hadn't felt this confident in her future since the day she found out she was a witch.
Severus has never longed so much for a term to end since the days Harry Potter had been a student at Hogwarts. Tomorrow he would be free from most of the students, since a few insisted on spending the holidays in the castle. To show how affected he'd been by the events of this term, he'd almost been tempted to retreat to the solitude of his summer house, but the ghosts of his past that lived there were worse than the company he'd have at Hogwarts.
His mind was tired; acting as a spy once again was getting to him. He had been keeping an eye on Nathan and Devon since the events of last week. He hadn't found Nathan crying anymore, which was a good sign, but he had witnessed Devon taunting his boy several times since their last fist fight. He hadn't interfered yet. He felt the need to observe his son's reactions to those taunts a little longer before putting an end to them. He noticed that Nathan wasn't responding to Devon's provocations anymore, but it didn't mean he has been unaffected by them. Severus was sure Nathan was withdrawing into himself, dealing with his frustrations alone, in private. He had done that himself many times in his youth.
And that was what concerned Severus the most. Nathan shouldn't follow steps that resembled even a shadow of his own. The idea of his son's life path being similar to his was very disturbing. He was keeping himself from the boy's life to avoid that already, and it wouldn't do for his efforts be thrown aside simply because of the taunts of another school boy; he wouldn't have any of that! Severus sighed at the thought of having to interfere once again.
This time he couldn't count on Hermione Granger. This time he would have to act directly, and that was what he was lamenting. He had examined his possibilities carefully, infinite times by now, and he was certain he had no other option as effective as the one currently in his mind.
Resigned, Severus left the warmth of his bed and entered his living room, searching the shelves that covered the big wall for the book he would need to go on with that bold plan. Here, he thought when he found the book he'd been looking for. Know the Unseen: Revealing Potions. He took the tome with him to the desk and opened it, scanning the index for a specific potion. Finding it, he went through the list of required ingredients and the time it would take for it to be completed, and was satisfied that he had just enough time to brew it before Christmas.
Severus read everything twice, taking notes. When he was content that he had everything planned for the brewing, he stood from his desk and went back to his bed. He dropped his tired body onto the mattress and closed his eyes, going through his well-practiced Occlumency exercises to effectively clear his mind of all thoughts. He had almost abandoned them since the Dark Lord had fallen for good, but he'd been searching them for the means to fight another of his new acquired troubles: Hermione Granger.
She has been invading his dreams ever since last Friday, when she unexpectedly and unexplainably had touched and kissed him. Out of gratitude, he added mentally. Even so, it was more than enough to make him long for more gentle touches and many more kisses. He inadvertently thought of how she would thank him for what he would be preparing as of tomorrow, and annoyed, restarted the exercise to clear his mind of the images conjured by his desires. She wasn't to be his, not even in dreams, and with a clear mind, his breathing evened, and he was at the mercy of unconscious thoughts.
By morning, Severus had a satisfied smile lingering in his thin lips while he slowly left his dreamy Hermione and drifted to wakefulness. The smile faded from his face and a groan escaped him as soon as he realized she had successfully invaded his dreams again. Annoyed and frustrated, Severus threw his bed covers away from him and entered his bathroom, already disposing of his pajama shirt.
The cold shower was good to put his body at bay, but only added to his foul mood that morning. He had only one class today, the last of the term, and he was looking forward to the end of it. Leaving the shower, he dried himself with a practiced spell, dressed in his darkness and left for breakfast. Let the day begin, so it can end already, he thought.
He ate quietly, successfully refraining from conversation with the others at the Head Table after some cross answers when Minerva's attempted to engage him in conversation. That was until someone called him, "Professor Snape, sir?"
He looked down at the child interrupting his meal. "What is it, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Father sent this to me, and asked me to give it to you," the boy said, delivering a piece of parchment. Severus accepted it.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy," he said, dismissing Devon, who nodded and went back to finish his breakfast with the other Slytherins.
Severus opened the parchment.
Dear Severus,
My family and I request the honor of your presence this Christmas. Gifts are not necessary, just leave the dungeons this year and show up for a change. There will not be many Ministry officials, only the beautiful, female ones.
Rest assured that I will show up and hex you on Christmas Eve, or else hex myself, should you not accept my invitation through Devon.
Yours,
Draco Malfoy.
Now this, he thought, going through in his mind of all the things that could go wrong next to make his day even worse. He sighed in defeat. If Draco was threatening to hex himself, thus calling on the Vow, he had little choice in the matter.
Severus yanked the quill from Flitwick's little hands, ignored the wizard's protests and wrote his answer below Draco's invitation.
Fine.
He returned the quill to its annoyed owner and left his seat and his half-eaten breakfast, heading for the Slytherin table.
"Send it back to your father, Mr. Malfoy," he said, giving the parchment back to Devon.
"Are you coming for Christmas, Unc-"
"Yes, I am," Severus cut Devon before he had finished addressing him as Uncle, which annoyed him greatly.
Devon smiled. "That's great, sir."
Severus left the Great Hall, resigned to his fate.
"See you next term, Nathan," Andy called from where he'd met with his parents at the platform.
"See you, Andy," Nathan called back, pushing the trolley to the exit of platform nine and three quarters, back to Muggle London with his mother by his side.
"How was the trip from Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked.
"Tiring," Nathan answered.
"I think it's straight home, then?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder in a half hug.
"Definitely," he answered.
They left King's Cross Station in silence. It could be that Nathan was simply tired from the trip, as he'd said, but even if he was tired, there was something she didn't like about his silence; she would be certain when they got home. She thought they could use the Underground, as they always had, but now that he was at Hogwarts… "Would you like me to Apparate us home?"
"That would be good," he agreed.
"Come here, then." She beckoned him into an obscured alley, away from curious eyes. "Hold on to me," she instructed, and a squeezing moment later, they were standing in the living room of their flat.
"Thanks, Mum," he said and relaxed visibly.
"Why don't you take your things to your room while I'll prepare something to eat?" she suggested. Nathan nodded and went to his room. Hermione stared after him for a moment, passed by the living room to light the fire in the hearth, before going to the kitchen.
He's not just tired from the trip, she thought to herself. It must be Malfoy, she concluded, or Severus. She sighed. At least he was home now, away from them both. She saw Nathan's shadow through the doorway when he crossed into the living room.
"You have new books!" she heard him say, and a smile crossed her features. "Oh! Medieval wars…"
She finished preparing the sandwiches and entered the living room. Nathan was curled up on the couch facing the hearth, a book in his hand.
"Careful with that one; it's borrowed and I don't want greasy stains on it," she said, handing him a plate with a sandwich.
Nathan closed the book and placed it on the couch, accepting the plate. "Who is it borrowed from?"
"William," she answered casually. "Do you want some juice?"
"Yes." He accepted the filled glass. "Who is William?" he asked then.
"He works at the university with me," she explained, sitting beside him on the couch.
Nathan ate half of his sandwich quietly, and just as she drank from her glass, he asked, "Are you dating him?"
She almost splashed juice all over herself.
She composed herself and retorted, "No, I'm not dating him. Where did that question come from?"
"You're borrowing his books and trying to change the subject, so…" Nathan shrugged and went back to his lunch.
"Well, I'm not dating him, or anyone," she insisted, "and if I was, I wouldn't be avoiding the subject."
Nathan arched an eyebrow mid-bite, and that was all the response she got.
"Would you mind if I had a… a relationship?" she asked hesitantly.
Nathan chewed calmly, watching her intently. "Do you like him that much?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking of anyone specifically. I'm not dating William."
"Who are you dating, then?"
"I'm not dating anyone," she said again, annoyed. "Forget I even asked you."
He drank the rest of his juice, still looking at her from over the rim of the glass. "If you like him, and he treats you well, I don't mind," he finally answered.
She looked at him, waiting for the sarcastic observation she knew was to follow. It never did, though.
"Can I read his book?" Nathan asked, curling up again with said book in his hands.
"Go ahead," she answered before leaving the room with the used dishes. That was too easy, she thought. Maybe her boy was growing up. She looked at him from where she was in the kitchen and saw him totally lost in the book already. She smiled.
Quietly, she re-entered the room, took the book she was reading from a side table, and sat next to him, like they used to do before he went to Hogwarts. She sighed contently.
She was engrossed in her reading when Nathan broke her concentration by snuggling closer to her and resting his head on her lap. She smiled, and fondled his soft hair, turning her attention back to the pages of the book again.
She missed these moments so much. Hermione was glad to be able to spend another holiday as they always had. Although her secret had been discovered by Severus and others, Nathan was still oblivious. She would make the best of it and work to have Severus with them next year.
The potion was cooling and it was perfectly colorless. The last stage of the brewing had been the most captious: the charms. Although it was nothing compared to the spells he had to cast during the preparation of the Wolfsbane, Severus was pleased nonetheless. He still needed to add the liquid to the enchanted flasks and cast the proper linking spells before sending one to its new owner, and Severus would do that just before leaving for Malfoy Manor. The extra time the potion would remain in the cauldron would guarantee that any residual magic would be released, which was important to the success of the last step.
Severus retreated to his chambers and took a quick shower to wash away the sticky feeling an afternoon of brewing always left. After that, he chose a set of black dress robes and went back to his lab.
Taking two small, flat, round-shaped phials, he poured the liquid into them. With a complex wave of his wand and some intoned words in an ancient language, both flasks glowed gold and a tongue of light appeared between them, creating a luminous connection. The seven colors of the rainbow flashed through this tongue of light, before it changed back to gold and disappeared. The linking was done.
Now, all he had to do was add one of the phials to the thin silver frame that connected it to the silver chain. Adjusting it magically, it was done – and it was perfect. He admired his work with smug satisfaction, knowing that now he would have means to monitor the boy properly, preventing him from sulking alone and unnoticed.
He took the chain and put it into the box on his desk, closed it and attached the carefully written note he had prepared earlier to it. Severus summoned a house-elf and instructed the magical creature to deliver his package to its destination, then left Hogwarts to Apparate just outside Malfoy Manor.
He entered the elegantly decorated hall of the manor, being received by none other than the host for the night: Draco Malfoy. "Ah, Severus Snape," the man saluted. "I'm glad you could come."
"It's not as if I had any choice," Severus mumbled, and his night of social torment began.
Severus tried to mingle without really interacting. He wanted to be part of the background, and he proved he was still good at it. He would stay for as long as it took to distract Draco, and he knew it wouldn't take too much time with the rate his protégé was consuming his drinks.
Time had passed. Standing in a corner of the room, Severus observed the party; it was almost time to go back to Hogwarts. His eyes caught Draco, sitting on a couch near his wife, Pansy. They had smug expressions on their faces. Draco was murmuring something into Pansy's ear. He followed their line of sight and saw a group of children playing with some sort of magical device, Devon among them.
Severus watched his godson assume the control of the game, taking the magical device from a younger child's hands, who looked scared of the blond boy. It was a repetition of what Severus had witnessed so many times at Hogwarts; first with Draco, now with Devon.
Severus looked back to the couple on the couch, and was aggravated by their indifference. Didn't Draco see? Devon was becoming the same spoiled boy he once was and now said he so despised. If it was Nathan becoming a bully, I wouldn't just watch, he thought and wasn't surprised by it, for once. After a week of brewing that potion for the necklace, he wasn't about to ignore the realization that he wanted the best for his son. That included making Devon stop taunting Nathan.
Severus aborted his plans to leave the party unnoticed and approached Draco and Pansy.
"Ah, Severus! Just the man we needed," Draco said, watching him coming their way. "We were just trying to match every bachelor here. Who do you prefer, the short blonde over there or that beautiful brunette in that corner?" Severus saw Pansy elbow her husband. "What?" Draco asked his wife.
"I'm not interested in your matchmaking abilities," Severus answered before Pansy could berate her husband.
"You seemed to have enjoyed Lancy last summer. I thought my matchmaking abilities were working for you."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Instead of distracting yourself with my love life, you should spend more time watching your son."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"Didn't you see what he just did to those children?" Snape retorted.
"What?" Draco shifted his attention to the group of kids. "Devon is just playing with them. What's wrong with that?"
"He really can't see," Severus muttered. "Devon is becoming the same spoiled brat you were."
Pansy frowned and was about to say something to placate him, when Draco said, "Devon is nothing like I was." His tone was final. "I'm nothing like my father."
"No, you're not. But that doesn't mean you can't raise a spoiled child too. The difference is that I don't have to sit and watch like I had to. There is no Dark Lord."
Draco frowned.
"Well, it's a lovely Christmas party, and I'm glad I could come. Thank you for your invitation," Severus said sarcastically, turned his back to the Malfoys and making for the door. He had had enough of socializing for the rest of the year.
"Are you ready, Mum?"
Nathan was waiting by the hearth. It was time to head for Harry's house, where they would spend Christmas. Harry had visited them earlier that week to ask them to also spend the night, so they could enjoy Christmas morning together. Harry was always so enthusiastic about what he called family reunions, and Hermione couldn't say no.
Nathan was looking forward to Christmas this year, more than the previous. The last time his mother had accepted one of Harry's invitations, Nathan had been eight; now he was almost twelve and knew much more about the Wizarding world than before. It wouldn't be the same if they spent Christmas with their Muggle relatives, who they only met at Christmas, anyway. It wasn't like Harry or Ron, who visited regularly, or at least corresponded with them often.
"Did you take the extra sweater?" Hermione asked, entering the living room.
"Mum, we went through this in the morning, when we packed," Nathan answered, impatient.
"It was outside the bag," she justified.
"I took it. Can we go now?"
Hermione looked around once more, as if checking to assure everything was like it was supposed to be. "Yes."
Nathan took some powder from a jar by the hearth, threw it over the still-warm burned wood, and said, "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place." He stepped into the green flames, instantaneously feeling his surrounds swirl in a blur of colors.
Some swirls later, he fell in front of a lighten hearth, unable to keep his balance. If it wasn't so quick, he would never Floo again. He heard a voice call his name, and then felt a hand on his arm, helping him stand. When he was positive he wasn't dizzy anymore, he opened his eyes to meet Aunt Ginny's smiling face. "Thanks, Aunt Ginny."
"Dizzy?" she asked, still holding his arm.
"Not anymore, thanks," he said, not admitting how he really felt.
When he was steady enough to take in his surroundings, all he could see was a red apron. "Look how tall you are!" He was now being hugged by the red apron, or rather, by the woman wearing it. "Hermione, dear, he is a handsome young man already! You shouldn't let it go that long without visiting us."
"They grow up too fast, Molly. I agree," Hermione answered, still brushing the ash from her clothes, and Nathan was glad that the Weasley matriarch had released him to hug his mother instead.
"How is my favorite godson doing?" Harry asked, placing an arm around Nathan's shoulders.
Nathan smiled at his godfather. "I'm fine, Uncle Harry."
Harry stared at him for a while. "That's good to hear," Harry finally said, holding him closer for a brief moment. "Now, I hope you're ready to have some fun."
His smile was wider now. "Of course I am. Are the twins here already?"
Harry finally smiled. "Yes, they are. You will want to be careful with their candy if you don't want parts of your body transfigured for a while," his godfather warned, winking.
Nathan smirked. "I'll be careful with the candy, just don't tell what you've just told me to my mother," he said, and stepped out of Harry's embrace.
"I never said anything to Ron, either," Harry added, feigning innocence. Nathan smirked again.
On his way to where the children were, he didn't escape other hugs; the Weasleys were very corporeal in their greeting. The last to hug him were Fred and George. "Ah, our new preferential customer," one of them said. "How did the fireworks go?" the other one asked.
Nathan looked around and saw his mother still engaged in conversation with Ms. Weasley on the other side of the room. "They worked fine," he answered in a low voice.
"Hi, Nathan," a sweet voice greeted from behind him.
He turned and met the eyes of the grinning girl. "Hi, Lily," he greeted back.
"I was waiting for you," she told him, and grabbed his hand, pulling him to sit beside her on the couch.
Nathan raised an eyebrow in askance. He'd known Lily since, well, forever, but they didn't share a friendship. Why was she waiting for him?
"How is Hogwarts?" she asked, curious. "Tell me all about it."
"All about it? There's a lot to tell…" He tried to think what to say first. "Well," he started, "there are the Houses and the classes."
Her impatience didn't allow him more time to articulate. "You're in Gryffindor, right? What is it like?"
"It's better than Slytherin." Nathan didn't know what to make of her questions. It was difficult to explain Hogwarts to someone who had never experienced being a student there. "If you want to know about Hogwarts, you should read Hogwarts, a History."
Their attention was taken from each other when one of the twins, who seemed to be listening their conversation, said, "No, not you, too! Hermione!" he called, and when his mother looked their way, the twin added, "Why did you have to give him the-book-that-shall-not-be-named? Why?"
Nathan was startled when the other twin grabbed him by his upper arms. "Don't let the books consume you, boy. Be strong! I know you can do it!" he said dramatically.
Nathan relaxed when he heard the laughter of those around them, and especially when his mother said, "Leave him alone, Fred! Go pester Ron!"
"Okay, but we'll have a long talk later," he said, looking pointedly at Nathan. "This must stop now, you're still young." And leaning in to get closer, he added, "And we all know your real vocation to the arts of mischief." Fred winked, smiling.
Nathan smiled back.
The night progressed and more people arrived. The house was full of joy and happiness, there was music playing on the Wireless mixed with the sound of laughter and animated conversation. Nathan had laughed at Ron and Hermione, whom he lured into eating the enchanted candy. Hermione had laughed with Nathan from the simple joy of finally seeing her son truly happy again.
"It's good to see him laughing so openly," Remus commented, approaching her. "And you, too." Hermione was still grinning as he smiled at her. "I'm glad you're working things out for him," he added.
"He's having a good time. I'm happy Harry insisted on us accepting his invitation," she answered.
"You should change your hair to orange more often, Hermione; it lights up your eyes." Tonks joined them, placing her arms around her husband. "Molly asked-" Tonks started to say, when an amplified voice invaded the room.
"Dinner is ready."
"… to tell you the dinner is ready," Tonks completed nonetheless.
The adjoining room had an immense table covered with food that filled the air with its scent, stimulating the appetite. There was room for everyone, and dinner didn't inhibit the good conversation. They enjoyed the time and the good food, and long after dessert had been served, there was still movement in the house.
Hermione yawned for the third time and decided to call it a night. "Good night. It's very late, and I'm sure the kids will be up very early in the morning to open their gifts." Murmurs and nods of agreement followed that statement.
She stood from the armchair and moved to where the kids were sleeping on the couches. She was about to wake her son, but watching the rise and fall of Nathan's chest, she changed her mind and withdrew her wand to levitate him upstairs. Nathan was so worn out from the busy day that the only acknowledgement he showed was a mumbled protest when she placed him on his bed.
The night went by and Christmas morning arrived. Nathan was wakened by Sirius Potter and his excitement over something. Nathan, with his mind still clouded from sleep, tried to figure out what was all the excitement about, and remembered it was Christmas morning; it was gift time. He sat up in bed and looked around the room. Sirius was at the foot of his bed, opening a package and showing its content to Lily. "It's… what is it, Lily?"
"The card says it's a remote control. Something Muggle, I'm sure, coming from Grandfather…" she answered.
"It's used to turn on and off the television. It also changes the channel and controls the sound volume," Nathan said, startling the brother and sister who had woken him up.
"Merry Christmas, Nathan," Lily offered, smiling.
"There is a pile of gifts for you," Sirius pointed out. "Let's see what you got!"
Nathan left the bed and walked to its foot, where the packages were. He took a flat but big one first.
"Grandmother's sweater," Sirius said, giving little attention to the red knitted jumper with a detailed lion on its chest. "Here, open this one," he offered a cubic box, then.
Nathan took it, disentangled the bold and lifted the lid. He peered inside, and so did Sirius. "What is it?" the younger boy asked.
"A set of fireworks," Nathan answered. "It must be from your uncles." He took the card and confirmed just that.
He continued opening the packages and was always very happy when it turned out to be a book, much to the Potters' amazement.
The next package he opened was another book, the fourth, this time a Quidditch one. He didn't need to read the card to know who it was from: Uncle Ron.
There was only one box left. It was rectangular, around two inches high. Nathan opened its lid and took the strange necklace in his hands, watching it curiously. Nathan unfolded the letter he found in the same box.
Dear Nathan,
This necklace is an amulet with great protective powers. To activate it, you must hang it around your neck, making sure the round glass containing the liquid touches your chest.
Wear it at all times, and I'll be with you when you most need me. It's my gift of protection.
Happy Christmas,
Your father
Nathan read the signature and paled. My father? he thought, incredulous. My father. He read again. My father sent me a gift?
"What a beautiful necklace!" Lily exclaimed, calling the attention of the others to his gift… and him. "Who's this from?" she asked innocently, having no idea what it meant to him.
"It's…" he hesitated. He didn't know how to say it... It sounded so weird even in his head. "It's from my father," he finally said, his voice showing the shock he felt.
He took the necklace and settled it around his neck, as instructed. When the glass holding the enchanted potion met the flesh of his chest, it glowed a bright gold, making Lily take a step back. Its glow faded out, and the liquid within it turned a vivid orange. Nathan grinned.
"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed. "What is it for?"
"It's a gift of protection," Nathan answered, grinning even more.
Severus sat by a wooden table, sipping his morning coffee, when the coin-like glass object resting next to his plate of toast glowed gold. Nathan was activating it; his son was wearing the necklace. He looked fixedly at the amulet, watching the golden light fade. It wasn't long after the shine vanished that he observed the once colorless liquid acquire a vivid orange color: his son was very happy. He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.
Chapter 18: Winter Break
All the cheerful Christmas decorations in the castle were only adding to the Potions master's foul mood. Severus had slept poorly these past nights. It seemed that as much as his conscious self was in control of his emotions, while unconscious his mind worked of his own volition. He'd dreamed of things he didn't even know were still in his mind; snapshots of his childhood, his first years at Hogwarts, all haunting him in his sleep, and all because of that night he found his boy crying in the halls.
Severus sipped at his juice, wondering one last time if there wasn't another way. Deciding there wasn't, he left his seat, and when he passed behind Hermione's, he stopped only long enough to say, "Meet me in my office after you're done," and resumed walking to a side door of the Great Hall.
Hermione was taken by surprise at Severus' invitation. And such a civil one, at that, she thought, when compared to their last encounters. Her eyes went immediately to Nathan. He seemed normal, or as normal as he'd been ever since they had stopped talking to each other: ignoring her and eating quietly, eventually commenting on something he heard, and never smiling or laughing. She was waiting until the end of the meal to talk to him, but now Severus requested that time. If it's something about the lab… she thought, annoyed already.
Well, if it was something professional, she wouldn't miss the opportunity to talk with him about more pressing issues. Severus was on her list of decisive talks for this weekend. She was tired of waiting for him to come to his senses. Hermione knew there was more of her dreamy version in him than could readily be seen, and she would make him show it, she decided.
Having finished with her dinner, Hermione left the Great Hall for her meeting, making sure to pass by the Gryffindor table. "Good evening, boys," she greeted Nathan's friends, who greeted her back. She addressed her son, who had his back to her. "I want to talk to you, Nathan. I'll meet you outside the common room in one hour." She was not asking. "Be there," she added, to leave no doubt.
Nathan nodded, never turning to look at her, and she left to meet the other party in this mess.
The walk between the Great Hall and Severus' office felt different somehow. The students who crossed her path looked at her with an interest that wasn't there before. It couldn't be the war hero thing; there was something disapproving in their gazes. What happened here during the week? she mused, but didn't have much time to think on it. She was in front of Severus' office already. She knocked.
"Enter."
"Good evening, Severus," she greeted, closing the door behind her. "What is it that you want to talk about?"
She waited for a snide reply, but it never came. Severus stood from his chair and proceeded to ward the office, before sitting back by his desk. Nothing about the lab, then, she concluded. Are my dreams coming true? Has he finally considered what I said and understood what I did? She could only hope.
"You should talk to your son," he began, and the little hope she had of him finally coming to senses was gone with the word your. "He has not been himself since his situation gained the attention of the student body," he informed her.
"Oh, no!" she said, aggravated, sitting in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I knew something had happened during this week; the kids were looking at me differently," she said. The situation had grown to catastrophic proportions. It had ceased to exist solely between the three of them, and now it was public. Of course Nathan was not himself.
"He must be so sad," she commented. "He became depressed for weeks when this happened at his old school, and with all that has been going on…" she trailed off. "How did this happen?"
"I'm not sure," he answered. "I think he told those friends of his, and they let it slip. Typical Gryffindors," he mumbled. "Most probably Mr. Malfoy was around and the rest is history."
"Typical Slytherin," she mumbled. He arched an eyebrow. She wanted to smile at that, but managed to maintain a serious expression and say, "May I assume that Mr. Malfoy has been taunting him at every possible opportunity?"
"They were involved in a fist fight," he revealed.
"What? Nathan beat Malfoy?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"What make you believe that he wasn't the one beaten?" Severus asked.
She looked at him speculatively. "I would assume that Nathan is the more experienced in this kind of confrontation; this is not the first fist fight he has got himself into, Severus," she pointed out. "Our son is not a saint, and I know that."
He didn't correct her phrasing that Nathan was their son, which pleased her. "I saw when he punched Mr. Malfoy in the Great Hall, although I missed when Mr. Malfoy punched him back later that day. I found him crying in the halls, which he seems to have been doing quite frequently," he pointed out. "I've told him to stop, but I think he needs to hear this from you."
He cares, she realized. He really cares. Hermione couldn't take his eyes off Severus. Was she dreaming? "It's nice of you to worry." But why was he worried with Nathan crying? Why was it so important to him? She decided to ask and see if her dreams were really coming true. "But why worry over him crying in the halls, of all things?"
"Because this behavior is not tolerated among children his age, and he will soon find himself the laugh of the school if someone other than me happens to find him sniveling in some corner."
Hermione wondered at Severus' tone. Somehow, it seemed that was more to it than he was telling her. She persisted. "Do you speak from experience as a teacher, or as a student who went through the same thing?"
"Children can be mean, Granger. I hardly asked to be called Snivellus, did I?" he answered bitterly.
An awkward silence fell between them. How could she have known that he'd been through this, too? "I'm sorry, Severus. I didn't know-"
"Your pity will hardly change that fact," he interrupted her.
Hermione fixed her brown eyes on him. "I don't pity you; I never did."
Severus held her gaze for a while, then returned to the subject of their meeting. "I'm only here as a teacher to warn you of your son's behavior. It's my duty to keep him from harm."
Hermione was getting tired of his subtleties. "I can see he's still only my son," she said. She knew that he cared; her requested presence in this office and what had prompted it were evidence enough. "We both know you care for him, so why pretend?"
"I thought we could spend an evening without arguing," he said, the meaning of his words not lost in Hermione.
She sighed. "Very well, Severus. I won't insist," she said, for now, she added to herself. If she had to wait a little longer, she would, but not too long. Hermione wouldn't give up. He would see her reasons, and everything would be like it was supposed to be.
The revelation that he was looking out for Nathan was a good indicative that he wouldn't resist forever. She looked up at him, intently staring at those obsidian eyes. This moment wasn't a creation of her mind; he was the real Severus – the closest he had ever become to her dreamy version of him, but still very real. The thought of her dreams eventually coming true made her smile.
Severus was uncomfortable with the way she was looking at him. He could see her brain working, and when she smiled, it was too much. He stood and walked to the door.
"That was what I had to say. If you don't mind, I have work to do," he said, dismissing her.
Hermione stood and walked to where he was by the door. Still smiling, she turned to face him once more. "I hope this kind of discussion will become a constant from now on. It's so much easier when we talk instead of argue. Thank you for letting me know what has happened, Severus. I'll talk to Nathan."
Her mouth slowly lost the soft smile as her eyes traveled over his face, following the length of that stubborn strand of hair crossing his eye to the middle of his cheek. Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione had her hand level with his face as she reached to brush it back. When she realized what she was about to do, she fixed her eyes on his again, seeing the confusion in them. Her hand touched his face in a feather-light caress, tucking the lock of hair behind his ear. "Thank you for taking care of him for me, Severus," she said, placing a soft kiss where her hand had been just moments before, and left the room.
Severus stared at the door through which this mystery had just left. Her smile had been confusing; her sincere brown eyes burning into his black ones had been unsettling. But nothing compared to the gentlest of touches and the softness of her lips over his pale flesh. How could she even touch him after all he had done to her? What had prompted such an open display of… affection? Could he call it that? And towards him, of all people? He, who had caused her so much pain, didn't deserve it. Severus closed his eyes, stunned.
He had called her to his office to ease his troubled mind, to tell her to talk to the boy and stop him sniveling around the castle, thus preventing Nathan from a fate much like his own. He had never thought she would… that she could… Dreams were supposed to remain dreams. In reality, they would be just too complicated to deal with, and Hermione Granger had jumped out of his dreams with her actions this evening, bringing new thoughts to trouble his mind.
Nathan stood waiting for his mother in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, who had decorated her canvas for the upcoming Festive season,. He had been waiting this Friday to talk to her, and he was glad she had been the one to make the first move. This would make things easier, he hoped.
His thoughts of what he would say as soon as she arrived to meet him were interrupted by the chance to actually say them, when Hermione greeted him, "Hello, Nathan."
"Hi, Mum." And nothing else left his mouth, not because he didn't want to talk to her, but because he was the worst for apologizing.
"Let's take a walk," she suggested. He nodded, and they started walking.
After a couple of corridors passed through in silence, Hermione spoke again. "We need to work through our differences, Nathan. You can't ignore me forever, and I won't tell you what you want to know just because you threaten to ignore me."
"I know," he admitted. "I was angry."
More silence followed that first exchange of words. Nathan broke it this time. "I'm sorry I called you a liar."
Hermione sighed, relieved. "It was really mean to say, Nathan. It hurts to hear you calling me that when you know it's not true." She looked at him. "I never lied to you."
He stopped in the middle of the deserted corridor, and his mother stopped, too. "I know, Mum." He hugged her really tightly. "I'm sorry I said that, and that I yelled at you, and that I ran from you."
She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he felt like everything would be all right again, as if every problem he had was now solved because he had his mother with him, placing soft kisses on the top of his head.
"I missed you so much, Nathan," she whispered.
"I missed you, too, Mum," he answered. "I'll never do that again. I missed you so, so much." He knew his voice was high and quivering with the effort to hold back tears, and he knew she realized that.
"I'm here now, I'm with you," she soothed, stroking his back. Tears fell from his eyes, and he felt her tears dampening his hair. He held onto her until he felt calmer again. When he was in his mother's arms, everything seemed better. She brushed his hair back and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I know you've been through a lot this week. Don't be bothered about what other people say, especially Malfoy," she said.
"He was insulting you, Mum. I couldn't listen to his voice anymore, it was annoying me so much," he said, frowning at the remembrance.
"I know. He will annoy you even more if you show that you care. Punching people in the Great Hall is not going to make it stop, only time will," she explained.
"But I can't let him insult my family and just watch!" he said, vexed.
"You can go to the teachers. Professor Lupin, your Head of House, could help you. Breaking the rules and hurting another student will not."
"I'm glad you're here," he said, and rested his head against her again.
His mother stroked his hair. "Now, there is no need to cry over it. You shouldn't let these things get to you so much. I know everyone feels like crying sometimes; it's only natural, but crying in the halls can make things even more complicated for you. Act like you normally do, and if you feel like crying or punching things, do it in your bed using your pillow for a target."
She felt him nod his understanding after a moment, as he undoubtedly took her words to heart. "There is only one more week until winter break, and then you'll come home. We'll spend all the time together," she said to cheer him up. "And there is Christmas. Harry invited us to spend it with him. It'll be a lot of fun." Her smile was soothing, and Nathan found himself smiling back.
"Will the Weasleys be there?"
"Of course," she answered him. "And I bet they'll have the most interesting games. You, Lily and Sirius will have a great time, I'm sure."
They started walking again, now that everything was all right. They continued to talk about Christmas and the end of the term, and life was safe again, now that he had his mother back.
Hermione contemplated her weekend as she lay down in the comfort of her bed back in London. She had gone to Hogwarts to make sure their Christmas would be good, and she was happy with her accomplishments.
First on her list had been Nathan; he was always first on any of her lists. It had been a pleasant surprise to meet him calmer and willing to solve their differences this time around. She didn't like the idea of forcing him to see reason; she liked him to make his own choices and decisions, but this weekend she would have made him see, whatever means she was obliged to have used to achieve her goal. It was a good thing she didn't have to go too far.
Her second mission – Severus – had been just as successful. What a pleasant surprise, when she had entered his office to find that he cared for Nathan; more than pleasant, if she thought of the bonus the end of that meeting brought. She smiled with the remembrance. His hair was just as soft as in her dreams, his skin warm and pleasant to the touch. She had been tempted to kiss him on more than just his cheek, but the confusion in his eyes told her it wasn't the right time. She had enjoyed it, anyway.
Sure enough, Severus had avoided her for the rest of the weekend, meeting her during the meals, and even then, never exchanging more than one or two words of greeting, and then only in return of hers. What soothed her heart were the glances he sent her way every time he thought she wasn't paying attention. Hermione smiled at that, content. She was sure she had given him much to think about, and she hoped he would come to the right conclusions. But who knew what went through Severus Snape's mind? She could only hope.
If all progressed the way she wanted, it was indeed only a question of time until her dreams came true – all of them. Nathan and Severus would grow closer, their latter's true identity revealed painlessly, and Severus would let her into his life and his heart just as he would Nathan. She hadn't felt this confident in her future since the day she found out she was a witch.
Severus has never longed so much for a term to end since the days Harry Potter had been a student at Hogwarts. Tomorrow he would be free from most of the students, since a few insisted on spending the holidays in the castle. To show how affected he'd been by the events of this term, he'd almost been tempted to retreat to the solitude of his summer house, but the ghosts of his past that lived there were worse than the company he'd have at Hogwarts.
His mind was tired; acting as a spy once again was getting to him. He had been keeping an eye on Nathan and Devon since the events of last week. He hadn't found Nathan crying anymore, which was a good sign, but he had witnessed Devon taunting his boy several times since their last fist fight. He hadn't interfered yet. He felt the need to observe his son's reactions to those taunts a little longer before putting an end to them. He noticed that Nathan wasn't responding to Devon's provocations anymore, but it didn't mean he has been unaffected by them. Severus was sure Nathan was withdrawing into himself, dealing with his frustrations alone, in private. He had done that himself many times in his youth.
And that was what concerned Severus the most. Nathan shouldn't follow steps that resembled even a shadow of his own. The idea of his son's life path being similar to his was very disturbing. He was keeping himself from the boy's life to avoid that already, and it wouldn't do for his efforts be thrown aside simply because of the taunts of another school boy; he wouldn't have any of that! Severus sighed at the thought of having to interfere once again.
This time he couldn't count on Hermione Granger. This time he would have to act directly, and that was what he was lamenting. He had examined his possibilities carefully, infinite times by now, and he was certain he had no other option as effective as the one currently in his mind.
Resigned, Severus left the warmth of his bed and entered his living room, searching the shelves that covered the big wall for the book he would need to go on with that bold plan. Here, he thought when he found the book he'd been looking for. Know the Unseen: Revealing Potions. He took the tome with him to the desk and opened it, scanning the index for a specific potion. Finding it, he went through the list of required ingredients and the time it would take for it to be completed, and was satisfied that he had just enough time to brew it before Christmas.
Severus read everything twice, taking notes. When he was content that he had everything planned for the brewing, he stood from his desk and went back to his bed. He dropped his tired body onto the mattress and closed his eyes, going through his well-practiced Occlumency exercises to effectively clear his mind of all thoughts. He had almost abandoned them since the Dark Lord had fallen for good, but he'd been searching them for the means to fight another of his new acquired troubles: Hermione Granger.
She has been invading his dreams ever since last Friday, when she unexpectedly and unexplainably had touched and kissed him. Out of gratitude, he added mentally. Even so, it was more than enough to make him long for more gentle touches and many more kisses. He inadvertently thought of how she would thank him for what he would be preparing as of tomorrow, and annoyed, restarted the exercise to clear his mind of the images conjured by his desires. She wasn't to be his, not even in dreams, and with a clear mind, his breathing evened, and he was at the mercy of unconscious thoughts.
By morning, Severus had a satisfied smile lingering in his thin lips while he slowly left his dreamy Hermione and drifted to wakefulness. The smile faded from his face and a groan escaped him as soon as he realized she had successfully invaded his dreams again. Annoyed and frustrated, Severus threw his bed covers away from him and entered his bathroom, already disposing of his pajama shirt.
The cold shower was good to put his body at bay, but only added to his foul mood that morning. He had only one class today, the last of the term, and he was looking forward to the end of it. Leaving the shower, he dried himself with a practiced spell, dressed in his darkness and left for breakfast. Let the day begin, so it can end already, he thought.
He ate quietly, successfully refraining from conversation with the others at the Head Table after some cross answers when Minerva's attempted to engage him in conversation. That was until someone called him, "Professor Snape, sir?"
He looked down at the child interrupting his meal. "What is it, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Father sent this to me, and asked me to give it to you," the boy said, delivering a piece of parchment. Severus accepted it.
"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy," he said, dismissing Devon, who nodded and went back to finish his breakfast with the other Slytherins.
Severus opened the parchment.
Dear Severus,
My family and I request the honor of your presence this Christmas. Gifts are not necessary, just leave the dungeons this year and show up for a change. There will not be many Ministry officials, only the beautiful, female ones.
Rest assured that I will show up and hex you on Christmas Eve, or else hex myself, should you not accept my invitation through Devon.
Yours,
Draco Malfoy.
Now this, he thought, going through in his mind of all the things that could go wrong next to make his day even worse. He sighed in defeat. If Draco was threatening to hex himself, thus calling on the Vow, he had little choice in the matter.
Severus yanked the quill from Flitwick's little hands, ignored the wizard's protests and wrote his answer below Draco's invitation.
Fine.
He returned the quill to its annoyed owner and left his seat and his half-eaten breakfast, heading for the Slytherin table.
"Send it back to your father, Mr. Malfoy," he said, giving the parchment back to Devon.
"Are you coming for Christmas, Unc-"
"Yes, I am," Severus cut Devon before he had finished addressing him as Uncle, which annoyed him greatly.
Devon smiled. "That's great, sir."
Severus left the Great Hall, resigned to his fate.
"See you next term, Nathan," Andy called from where he'd met with his parents at the platform.
"See you, Andy," Nathan called back, pushing the trolley to the exit of platform nine and three quarters, back to Muggle London with his mother by his side.
"How was the trip from Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked.
"Tiring," Nathan answered.
"I think it's straight home, then?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder in a half hug.
"Definitely," he answered.
They left King's Cross Station in silence. It could be that Nathan was simply tired from the trip, as he'd said, but even if he was tired, there was something she didn't like about his silence; she would be certain when they got home. She thought they could use the Underground, as they always had, but now that he was at Hogwarts… "Would you like me to Apparate us home?"
"That would be good," he agreed.
"Come here, then." She beckoned him into an obscured alley, away from curious eyes. "Hold on to me," she instructed, and a squeezing moment later, they were standing in the living room of their flat.
"Thanks, Mum," he said and relaxed visibly.
"Why don't you take your things to your room while I'll prepare something to eat?" she suggested. Nathan nodded and went to his room. Hermione stared after him for a moment, passed by the living room to light the fire in the hearth, before going to the kitchen.
He's not just tired from the trip, she thought to herself. It must be Malfoy, she concluded, or Severus. She sighed. At least he was home now, away from them both. She saw Nathan's shadow through the doorway when he crossed into the living room.
"You have new books!" she heard him say, and a smile crossed her features. "Oh! Medieval wars…"
She finished preparing the sandwiches and entered the living room. Nathan was curled up on the couch facing the hearth, a book in his hand.
"Careful with that one; it's borrowed and I don't want greasy stains on it," she said, handing him a plate with a sandwich.
Nathan closed the book and placed it on the couch, accepting the plate. "Who is it borrowed from?"
"William," she answered casually. "Do you want some juice?"
"Yes." He accepted the filled glass. "Who is William?" he asked then.
"He works at the university with me," she explained, sitting beside him on the couch.
Nathan ate half of his sandwich quietly, and just as she drank from her glass, he asked, "Are you dating him?"
She almost splashed juice all over herself.
She composed herself and retorted, "No, I'm not dating him. Where did that question come from?"
"You're borrowing his books and trying to change the subject, so…" Nathan shrugged and went back to his lunch.
"Well, I'm not dating him, or anyone," she insisted, "and if I was, I wouldn't be avoiding the subject."
Nathan arched an eyebrow mid-bite, and that was all the response she got.
"Would you mind if I had a… a relationship?" she asked hesitantly.
Nathan chewed calmly, watching her intently. "Do you like him that much?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking of anyone specifically. I'm not dating William."
"Who are you dating, then?"
"I'm not dating anyone," she said again, annoyed. "Forget I even asked you."
He drank the rest of his juice, still looking at her from over the rim of the glass. "If you like him, and he treats you well, I don't mind," he finally answered.
She looked at him, waiting for the sarcastic observation she knew was to follow. It never did, though.
"Can I read his book?" Nathan asked, curling up again with said book in his hands.
"Go ahead," she answered before leaving the room with the used dishes. That was too easy, she thought. Maybe her boy was growing up. She looked at him from where she was in the kitchen and saw him totally lost in the book already. She smiled.
Quietly, she re-entered the room, took the book she was reading from a side table, and sat next to him, like they used to do before he went to Hogwarts. She sighed contently.
She was engrossed in her reading when Nathan broke her concentration by snuggling closer to her and resting his head on her lap. She smiled, and fondled his soft hair, turning her attention back to the pages of the book again.
She missed these moments so much. Hermione was glad to be able to spend another holiday as they always had. Although her secret had been discovered by Severus and others, Nathan was still oblivious. She would make the best of it and work to have Severus with them next year.
The potion was cooling and it was perfectly colorless. The last stage of the brewing had been the most captious: the charms. Although it was nothing compared to the spells he had to cast during the preparation of the Wolfsbane, Severus was pleased nonetheless. He still needed to add the liquid to the enchanted flasks and cast the proper linking spells before sending one to its new owner, and Severus would do that just before leaving for Malfoy Manor. The extra time the potion would remain in the cauldron would guarantee that any residual magic would be released, which was important to the success of the last step.
Severus retreated to his chambers and took a quick shower to wash away the sticky feeling an afternoon of brewing always left. After that, he chose a set of black dress robes and went back to his lab.
Taking two small, flat, round-shaped phials, he poured the liquid into them. With a complex wave of his wand and some intoned words in an ancient language, both flasks glowed gold and a tongue of light appeared between them, creating a luminous connection. The seven colors of the rainbow flashed through this tongue of light, before it changed back to gold and disappeared. The linking was done.
Now, all he had to do was add one of the phials to the thin silver frame that connected it to the silver chain. Adjusting it magically, it was done – and it was perfect. He admired his work with smug satisfaction, knowing that now he would have means to monitor the boy properly, preventing him from sulking alone and unnoticed.
He took the chain and put it into the box on his desk, closed it and attached the carefully written note he had prepared earlier to it. Severus summoned a house-elf and instructed the magical creature to deliver his package to its destination, then left Hogwarts to Apparate just outside Malfoy Manor.
He entered the elegantly decorated hall of the manor, being received by none other than the host for the night: Draco Malfoy. "Ah, Severus Snape," the man saluted. "I'm glad you could come."
"It's not as if I had any choice," Severus mumbled, and his night of social torment began.
Severus tried to mingle without really interacting. He wanted to be part of the background, and he proved he was still good at it. He would stay for as long as it took to distract Draco, and he knew it wouldn't take too much time with the rate his protégé was consuming his drinks.
Time had passed. Standing in a corner of the room, Severus observed the party; it was almost time to go back to Hogwarts. His eyes caught Draco, sitting on a couch near his wife, Pansy. They had smug expressions on their faces. Draco was murmuring something into Pansy's ear. He followed their line of sight and saw a group of children playing with some sort of magical device, Devon among them.
Severus watched his godson assume the control of the game, taking the magical device from a younger child's hands, who looked scared of the blond boy. It was a repetition of what Severus had witnessed so many times at Hogwarts; first with Draco, now with Devon.
Severus looked back to the couple on the couch, and was aggravated by their indifference. Didn't Draco see? Devon was becoming the same spoiled boy he once was and now said he so despised. If it was Nathan becoming a bully, I wouldn't just watch, he thought and wasn't surprised by it, for once. After a week of brewing that potion for the necklace, he wasn't about to ignore the realization that he wanted the best for his son. That included making Devon stop taunting Nathan.
Severus aborted his plans to leave the party unnoticed and approached Draco and Pansy.
"Ah, Severus! Just the man we needed," Draco said, watching him coming their way. "We were just trying to match every bachelor here. Who do you prefer, the short blonde over there or that beautiful brunette in that corner?" Severus saw Pansy elbow her husband. "What?" Draco asked his wife.
"I'm not interested in your matchmaking abilities," Severus answered before Pansy could berate her husband.
"You seemed to have enjoyed Lancy last summer. I thought my matchmaking abilities were working for you."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Instead of distracting yourself with my love life, you should spend more time watching your son."
"What do you mean?" Draco asked.
"Didn't you see what he just did to those children?" Snape retorted.
"What?" Draco shifted his attention to the group of kids. "Devon is just playing with them. What's wrong with that?"
"He really can't see," Severus muttered. "Devon is becoming the same spoiled brat you were."
Pansy frowned and was about to say something to placate him, when Draco said, "Devon is nothing like I was." His tone was final. "I'm nothing like my father."
"No, you're not. But that doesn't mean you can't raise a spoiled child too. The difference is that I don't have to sit and watch like I had to. There is no Dark Lord."
Draco frowned.
"Well, it's a lovely Christmas party, and I'm glad I could come. Thank you for your invitation," Severus said sarcastically, turned his back to the Malfoys and making for the door. He had had enough of socializing for the rest of the year.
"Are you ready, Mum?"
Nathan was waiting by the hearth. It was time to head for Harry's house, where they would spend Christmas. Harry had visited them earlier that week to ask them to also spend the night, so they could enjoy Christmas morning together. Harry was always so enthusiastic about what he called family reunions, and Hermione couldn't say no.
Nathan was looking forward to Christmas this year, more than the previous. The last time his mother had accepted one of Harry's invitations, Nathan had been eight; now he was almost twelve and knew much more about the Wizarding world than before. It wouldn't be the same if they spent Christmas with their Muggle relatives, who they only met at Christmas, anyway. It wasn't like Harry or Ron, who visited regularly, or at least corresponded with them often.
"Did you take the extra sweater?" Hermione asked, entering the living room.
"Mum, we went through this in the morning, when we packed," Nathan answered, impatient.
"It was outside the bag," she justified.
"I took it. Can we go now?"
Hermione looked around once more, as if checking to assure everything was like it was supposed to be. "Yes."
Nathan took some powder from a jar by the hearth, threw it over the still-warm burned wood, and said, "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place." He stepped into the green flames, instantaneously feeling his surrounds swirl in a blur of colors.
Some swirls later, he fell in front of a lighten hearth, unable to keep his balance. If it wasn't so quick, he would never Floo again. He heard a voice call his name, and then felt a hand on his arm, helping him stand. When he was positive he wasn't dizzy anymore, he opened his eyes to meet Aunt Ginny's smiling face. "Thanks, Aunt Ginny."
"Dizzy?" she asked, still holding his arm.
"Not anymore, thanks," he said, not admitting how he really felt.
When he was steady enough to take in his surroundings, all he could see was a red apron. "Look how tall you are!" He was now being hugged by the red apron, or rather, by the woman wearing it. "Hermione, dear, he is a handsome young man already! You shouldn't let it go that long without visiting us."
"They grow up too fast, Molly. I agree," Hermione answered, still brushing the ash from her clothes, and Nathan was glad that the Weasley matriarch had released him to hug his mother instead.
"How is my favorite godson doing?" Harry asked, placing an arm around Nathan's shoulders.
Nathan smiled at his godfather. "I'm fine, Uncle Harry."
Harry stared at him for a while. "That's good to hear," Harry finally said, holding him closer for a brief moment. "Now, I hope you're ready to have some fun."
His smile was wider now. "Of course I am. Are the twins here already?"
Harry finally smiled. "Yes, they are. You will want to be careful with their candy if you don't want parts of your body transfigured for a while," his godfather warned, winking.
Nathan smirked. "I'll be careful with the candy, just don't tell what you've just told me to my mother," he said, and stepped out of Harry's embrace.
"I never said anything to Ron, either," Harry added, feigning innocence. Nathan smirked again.
On his way to where the children were, he didn't escape other hugs; the Weasleys were very corporeal in their greeting. The last to hug him were Fred and George. "Ah, our new preferential customer," one of them said. "How did the fireworks go?" the other one asked.
Nathan looked around and saw his mother still engaged in conversation with Ms. Weasley on the other side of the room. "They worked fine," he answered in a low voice.
"Hi, Nathan," a sweet voice greeted from behind him.
He turned and met the eyes of the grinning girl. "Hi, Lily," he greeted back.
"I was waiting for you," she told him, and grabbed his hand, pulling him to sit beside her on the couch.
Nathan raised an eyebrow in askance. He'd known Lily since, well, forever, but they didn't share a friendship. Why was she waiting for him?
"How is Hogwarts?" she asked, curious. "Tell me all about it."
"All about it? There's a lot to tell…" He tried to think what to say first. "Well," he started, "there are the Houses and the classes."
Her impatience didn't allow him more time to articulate. "You're in Gryffindor, right? What is it like?"
"It's better than Slytherin." Nathan didn't know what to make of her questions. It was difficult to explain Hogwarts to someone who had never experienced being a student there. "If you want to know about Hogwarts, you should read Hogwarts, a History."
Their attention was taken from each other when one of the twins, who seemed to be listening their conversation, said, "No, not you, too! Hermione!" he called, and when his mother looked their way, the twin added, "Why did you have to give him the-book-that-shall-not-be-named? Why?"
Nathan was startled when the other twin grabbed him by his upper arms. "Don't let the books consume you, boy. Be strong! I know you can do it!" he said dramatically.
Nathan relaxed when he heard the laughter of those around them, and especially when his mother said, "Leave him alone, Fred! Go pester Ron!"
"Okay, but we'll have a long talk later," he said, looking pointedly at Nathan. "This must stop now, you're still young." And leaning in to get closer, he added, "And we all know your real vocation to the arts of mischief." Fred winked, smiling.
Nathan smiled back.
The night progressed and more people arrived. The house was full of joy and happiness, there was music playing on the Wireless mixed with the sound of laughter and animated conversation. Nathan had laughed at Ron and Hermione, whom he lured into eating the enchanted candy. Hermione had laughed with Nathan from the simple joy of finally seeing her son truly happy again.
"It's good to see him laughing so openly," Remus commented, approaching her. "And you, too." Hermione was still grinning as he smiled at her. "I'm glad you're working things out for him," he added.
"He's having a good time. I'm happy Harry insisted on us accepting his invitation," she answered.
"You should change your hair to orange more often, Hermione; it lights up your eyes." Tonks joined them, placing her arms around her husband. "Molly asked-" Tonks started to say, when an amplified voice invaded the room.
"Dinner is ready."
"… to tell you the dinner is ready," Tonks completed nonetheless.
The adjoining room had an immense table covered with food that filled the air with its scent, stimulating the appetite. There was room for everyone, and dinner didn't inhibit the good conversation. They enjoyed the time and the good food, and long after dessert had been served, there was still movement in the house.
Hermione yawned for the third time and decided to call it a night. "Good night. It's very late, and I'm sure the kids will be up very early in the morning to open their gifts." Murmurs and nods of agreement followed that statement.
She stood from the armchair and moved to where the kids were sleeping on the couches. She was about to wake her son, but watching the rise and fall of Nathan's chest, she changed her mind and withdrew her wand to levitate him upstairs. Nathan was so worn out from the busy day that the only acknowledgement he showed was a mumbled protest when she placed him on his bed.
The night went by and Christmas morning arrived. Nathan was wakened by Sirius Potter and his excitement over something. Nathan, with his mind still clouded from sleep, tried to figure out what was all the excitement about, and remembered it was Christmas morning; it was gift time. He sat up in bed and looked around the room. Sirius was at the foot of his bed, opening a package and showing its content to Lily. "It's… what is it, Lily?"
"The card says it's a remote control. Something Muggle, I'm sure, coming from Grandfather…" she answered.
"It's used to turn on and off the television. It also changes the channel and controls the sound volume," Nathan said, startling the brother and sister who had woken him up.
"Merry Christmas, Nathan," Lily offered, smiling.
"There is a pile of gifts for you," Sirius pointed out. "Let's see what you got!"
Nathan left the bed and walked to its foot, where the packages were. He took a flat but big one first.
"Grandmother's sweater," Sirius said, giving little attention to the red knitted jumper with a detailed lion on its chest. "Here, open this one," he offered a cubic box, then.
Nathan took it, disentangled the bold and lifted the lid. He peered inside, and so did Sirius. "What is it?" the younger boy asked.
"A set of fireworks," Nathan answered. "It must be from your uncles." He took the card and confirmed just that.
He continued opening the packages and was always very happy when it turned out to be a book, much to the Potters' amazement.
The next package he opened was another book, the fourth, this time a Quidditch one. He didn't need to read the card to know who it was from: Uncle Ron.
There was only one box left. It was rectangular, around two inches high. Nathan opened its lid and took the strange necklace in his hands, watching it curiously. Nathan unfolded the letter he found in the same box.
Dear Nathan,
This necklace is an amulet with great protective powers. To activate it, you must hang it around your neck, making sure the round glass containing the liquid touches your chest.
Wear it at all times, and I'll be with you when you most need me. It's my gift of protection.
Happy Christmas,
Your father
Nathan read the signature and paled. My father? he thought, incredulous. My father. He read again. My father sent me a gift?
"What a beautiful necklace!" Lily exclaimed, calling the attention of the others to his gift… and him. "Who's this from?" she asked innocently, having no idea what it meant to him.
"It's…" he hesitated. He didn't know how to say it... It sounded so weird even in his head. "It's from my father," he finally said, his voice showing the shock he felt.
He took the necklace and settled it around his neck, as instructed. When the glass holding the enchanted potion met the flesh of his chest, it glowed a bright gold, making Lily take a step back. Its glow faded out, and the liquid within it turned a vivid orange. Nathan grinned.
"Wow!" Sirius exclaimed. "What is it for?"
"It's a gift of protection," Nathan answered, grinning even more.
Severus sat by a wooden table, sipping his morning coffee, when the coin-like glass object resting next to his plate of toast glowed gold. Nathan was activating it; his son was wearing the necklace. He looked fixedly at the amulet, watching the golden light fade. It wasn't long after the shine vanished that he observed the once colorless liquid acquire a vivid orange color: his son was very happy. He released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.