Halloween, Part Two.
“Fuck, Severus.” You exclaimed in a breath of exhaustion. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.” You chuckled as Severus smiled up at you in response, his fingertips now raking through his lengthy hair. Just as you moved to pull a blanket over the two of you to cover your almost visible flesh lit by the far fireplace, he instead beat your idea by steadily scooping you up once more. You shrieked with wide eyes, not expecting the sudden movement as you place a hand on his chest to stable yourself whilst he held you. You punched yourself internally each time you forgot about his strength. The man with broad shoulders carried you gently through to your bathroom, whispering a quick spell to light your few taper candles scattered around the tile room. Turning on the tap of your bath, the tub filled quickly with gushing warm water, gently let you down to get into the sauna-like body of water with him. Beads of sweat still on your temples, you let out an exhale as the toasty water wrapped around you. You brought your knees up to your chest as you sat against Severus’s chest, the inhale and exhales of his breathing relaxing you into a meditative state. He reached and intertwined his fingers with yours underwater, before reaching his free hand to the loofa sat on your bath shelf. Scrubbing it with soap, he draped the soapy suds down your back, in between the both of your bodies, and then gradually down the nape of your neck. Gently moving the suds against your skin from your collarbones to the tips of your fingers.
“I never knew you could be so dirty, Y/n.” He spoke lowly from behind your ear. You rested your head in the crook of his neck as you smirked in response, whispering “likewise darling.” You felt him chuckle lightly behind you before he turned to pull you into a tight embrace once he had finished cleaning you off.
The two of you lavished in this moment of embraced silence, nothing but the sound of faint water trickling from your old tap and soft splashes between your skin. The amber lit water sparkled on your flesh, you stared in a soft glance at the two of your hands intertwined, marvelled by your size difference as his hand easily found its way around yours.
“Sev?” You asked quietly. Earning a raised eyebrow in response.
“Do you… have any plans for Christmas?” You peered up at him. Noticing his expression change from curious to pleased, you smiled up at him.
“Only plans to spend it with you.” He replied, before you looked down at your hands once more.
“Good. I’d like that.” You couldn’t wipe the smile off your face.
“Me too.”
Severus had never felt so content with his life. Before you came back into the picture, he lived everyday like a chore, one at a time with misery and strict routine to distract him from his loneliness. Now, he couldn’t help but be gleefully grateful to see you every day and be by you in every step you took, watch as your beauty never failed to stun him, and excitedly wait for the many memories he desperately wanted to make with you. Here, this confirmation that you wanted to spend a special holiday with him voluntarily made his heart glow in a way which permanently put a small smile on his lips. There you sat in his arms against him, perfectly his and present, he felt as though it must all be a dream come true, or at least a cruel joke. Severus always thought that he would age alone into an even grumpier old man, never experiencing true love, touch, or familiarity even. But now, he saw himself with what he knew for certain was the love of his life, someone whom he wanted to never lose or risk faulting, someone he would protect with his life, someone who he hoped to marry one day. Though he was eager to ask you one question, he knew not to rush what he had, but to be grateful for what he held and must cherish in the moment.
Your voice stole him from his thoughts, “Well, we could spend it at my place in the highlands? I have plenty of room for the two of us. Unless you would like to stay at yours of course.”
“No, let’s spend it at yours. I would rather anything than to spend another holiday in that dreary house which serves me nothing but bitter memories and humid air.” He quickly retorted, earning a nod from you as you moved to kiss the back of his hand. “Okay, we will spend Christmas at mine.”
✶
As Halloween flew by, November struck you with a snowy white greeting. Growing up overseas, you were used to the scorching hot sandy end of year Summer in Australia. But now, despite living in Britain for years, you could never fail to be grateful for the shimmering snow you much preferred. As everyone around you increasingly wore more layers, and their cheeks became rosy with frost, you couldn’t help but enjoy the sight of Severus before you shrugging up in several more layers before your day of teaching. Walking up behind him, you glanced at him from the mirror the two of your now stood before. “You look cozy, darling.” You offered a small cheeky smile. Earning a huff in response, he turned around whilst he finished buttoning up his last layer. “Hm. I would be cozier if I could stay here by the fire with you all day, but alas we have a job.”
“How sad for us.” You teased the man before you with a cheeky grin.
He rolled his eyes playfully, causing you to reach out to hold him in your arms. “It’s just one more day closer to Christmas, Sev. Soon we will finally have some quality time together!” You squeezed his hands to cheer him up, earning a soft “Mhmm” in acceptance as he sighed.
“I will see you this afternoon for the Quidditch match, okay?” You softly asked.
“Yes, I’ll wait for you in the stands.” He replied before the two of you made your way out of the dungeons and up towards your classes, the day before you filled with exciting lessons about the Dark Arts and curious questions.