Keep warm
December at Hogwarts was a delightfully peaceful time. School was out for the holidays, only a handful of students were staying over Christmas and they had been content to entertain themselves around the castle.
Severus was using the time to catch up on some personal research projects, as well as restocking the school’s medical supplies. The common cold had been making its rounds of the school towards the end of term, depleting Poppy’s supply of pepper-up potion.
He set a cauldron aside over a low flame. It would need to simmer untouched for a day before he moved onto the next step. He stretched his tight shoulders, realising he’s spent most of the day inside his lab, and headed to the kitchenette in his chambers for some tea.
As he waited for the water to boil, his eyes were drawn to main room of his chambers. The living area was decorated with holly and pine garlands, a Christmas tree stood in one corner, decorated with shining ornaments. White Christmas candles dotted the room around the garlands. It gave the room a warm and cozy feel to it. Once, he wouldn’t have bothered with trivialities like Christmas decorations. That was before you’d joined the staff of the school. Before that stubborn, beautiful energy of yours had chipped away at his emotional walls and wrapped around his heart. You’d brought softness and simple joy into his life, pulling him bit by bit out of his shell. He still had his reputation as the fierce bat of the potions class, but with you he had started to enjoy the life he lived in a way he never could before. Which included you decorating your now shared living space with holiday cheer.
His eyes were drawn to the tree again. Some of the ornaments were older, reused since your childhood or collected along the years. Some were new, Severus had bought some of them, not having any childhood trinkets of his own to add but learning how to build something new with you.
He was snapped out of his musings by the stove top kettle boiling and he was finishing making his tea when the main door opened, and you hurried inside. Severus looked up and just blinked a few times at the sight of you. You were bundled up in a wool hat, scarf and gloves…and his black winter coat.
The overcoat, which was already wide in the shoulders and long on him, absolutely swamped your smaller form, reaching down to the floor and the sleeves falling past your hands.
You set a basket by your feet and after you tugged your hat and scarf off you noticed Severus watching you. Smiling, you headed across the room towards him.
Severus couldn’t contain his rumbling chuckle and his dark eyes were sparkling with humour.
“What are you laughing at?” You asked as you reached him.
“Just the sight of you in my coat. Looks like it’s trying to eat you.” He answered, still smirking. He couldn’t help it, you looked adorable.
You huffed, “Gotta do something to keep warm out there, it’s bloody freezing now. It was this or there’d be a human shaped ice sculpture on the road to Hogsmeade.”
Severus pulled you in towards him, deftly undoing the buttons on the coat and slipping his arms under it and around your waist. “We can’t have you freezing, can we.” He said, “Now, what can be done to keep you warm now you’re home?”
You grinned up at him and snuggled in closer to his chest, “I can think of a few ways.” You leaned up, brushing his warm lips with your cool ones.
Severus’s life had changed so much since you’d entered it. And he was grateful for every moment.