Thawing The Frost.
Title: Thawing The Frost.
Author: pekeleke
Rating: T
Pairing(s): Severus Snape/Harry Potter.
Challenge: Prompt 9 (Picked from an online seasonal prompt list): Christmas tree.
Word Count: 921
Content: Chapter 9 of my Christmas Series: A Motherly Intervention.
Warnings: Getting Together. Enemies to friends to lovers. Mild Angst. Romance.
Disclaimer: The characters, setting, and the HP franchise are owned by JKR and not me. I make no profit from writing this piece of fanfiction.
A/N: Unbeated. Posting one chapter a day from December 1st to the 25th.
Summary: Molly has come up with an idea to grant Harry and Severus a bit of extra time together ahead of Family Friday.
Thawing The Frost.
Molly has come up with an idea to grant Harry and Severus a bit of extra time together ahead of Family Friday. She’s decided the weekly dinner would be ideal for setting up the family Christmas tree. All the children will be there, and virtually everyone bar Charley, who won’t arrive for another week, and Percy, who has been working extra hours lately to help organize the ministry’s Christmas ball, will be in attendance.
Molly assigns all the related necessary tasks carefully, ensuring that the duty of assisting her with procuring the Christmas tree will fall to Harry. She then sends an owl to Severus, formally inviting him to Family Friday and encouraging him to come and help her choose a tree for her home this evening. She could do with his help when it comes to Apparating it to the Burrow since Christmas trees, like most plants, can’t be shrunk. She’s also noticed that his shop is still missing a tree of its own. It’ll be good for businesses to set one up. People tend to spend more money on spaces with a pleasant, festive environment this time of the year.
It takes a nail-bitingly anxious three and a half hours for Severus’s reply to arrive. He is willing to assist. And has agreed to attend Family Friday too. Thank Merlin for small miracles!
Molly had the good sense to warn Severus that Harry would be accompanying them during their tree-hunting trip, so his reaction when the curse breaker finally shows up -late, and already apologizing profusely for the cock up at work that kept him back forty minutes- isn’t as stilted as Harry was probably expecting.
“It’s alright, Harry, dear. These things happen all the time. We can’t possibly fault you for having a working ethic. And it gave Severus and me a chance to enjoy a cup of hot cocoa and catch up on all the new gossip about young Scorpius.”
Harry beams at the mention of Severus’s godchild and instantly turns towards the potioneer, “Have you seen his latest picture? Ginny owled it to me at lunchtime.”
“If he’s wearing that ridiculous gingerbread cookie costume in it, then yes, I have,” Severus grumbles, clearly unhappy about the outfit, and Harry laughs, bright, delighted, and obviously in love.
“That was this morning, Severus,” Harry says quickly and does an excellent job of ignoring the Slytherin’s shocked gasp and slight stiffening at the use of his given name, “By midday, they’d dressed him up like a snowman. Here. Let me show you.”
Harry pulls a carefully folded photograph out of his pocket and sidles closer to Severus, all the better for the other man to examine the picture in his hand.
“May I?” Severus inquires politely, elegant digits extended tactfully toward the photograph.
“Of course,” Harry passes it along, and their fingers brush ever so slightly. Severus pauses, perplexed. He looks at Harry’s boldly upturned face assessingly but doesn’t confront him. Molly counts it as a win.
Severus examines the picture, a look of long-suffering amusement on his face. Molly can tell he’s already resigned himself to gush dotingly over a thousand photos just like this one in the years to come.
“He looks ridiculous,” Severus says with enough reverence to render his statement a lie.
“He looks adorable,” Harry contradicts him.
“He looks ridiculously adorable,” Severus compromises, and Molly beams at them both, thoroughly delighted with their progress. Banter is an excellent way to build romantic rapport.
“You can keep it if you want,” Harry offers, shoving his hands inside his pockets when Severus attempts to hand the picture back, “I’ll ask Ginny to send me another copy.”
“I could ask Draco for one of my own.” Severus counters.
“It’s OK. I like the idea of you keeping this one. It’s the one you called ridiculous, after all.”
Severus hesitates, “I wouldn’t want-
“Please. I insist.”
“If you are sure,” Severus relents. While the potioneer is distracted, tucking the picture inside his robe’s pocket, Harry looks directly at Molly and very deliberately mouths a single, perfect, word: memories.
Yes. They’re making beautiful memories together. Molly heartily approves.