Severus... Reformed / SNILY (COMPLETE)

Chapter Forty-Three

Christmas met Severus and Lily on the doorstep of Lily's house after a long day travelling from Hogsmeade to London, London to Manchester. Actually, it was Rose that answered the door, but her appearance was not dissimilar. She was wearing a pretty dress which was salmon pink in colour, and had silver bells for earrings. The silver theme was reinforced with tinsel perched atop her crown of hair, and flat shoes.

"Lily, darling!" She exclaimed upon opening the door to see the two children with Mark. "Severus!"

"Rose," Severus nodded, as Lily squealed and made a beeline for her mother. The embrace lasted a good half a minute, during which Severus crossed his arms with displeasure at the sentimental sight. Then, however, Rose seized him too, and he was pulled, rather unwillingly, into a group hug, while his arms still remained crossed. He scowled.

"Loosen up, Sev," Lily whispered, smiling at him.

He rolled his eyes.

Later that evening they sat around in the sitting room; Rose and Mark on the loveseat, and Lily, Petunia and Severus squeezed on the sofa opposite.

"Christmas lists, girls!" Mark demanded cheerfully, holding his hands out. The girls both screamed in excitement, showing similarities for once, and stuffed scraps of scribbled-on paper into his outstretched hands. There may only be a few days left until Christmas, but the things Petunia and Lily requested were usual simple things, like having their favourite meal on Boxing Day, or (in Petunia's case) getting the money required to buy a new cassette. 

Rose turned to Severus.

"Any requests?"

Severus was gratified, but not surprised, that she had asked him that. Lily's parents had often sent him chocolates for Christmas in his past life when he hadn't been invited to theirs for the festivities, and had refused to believe that Severus actually detested chocolate, even when Lily claimed to have eaten all of them.

"Don't worry, Rose," he said stiffly. "You, all of you, being nice to me is the best gift I could ever receive."

And more than you ever got from your parents, his subconscious reminded him. Though this thought was left unsaid, Severus strongly suspected that both adults had guessed the insinuation.

"Are you sure?" Rose asked anxiously, her face softening as she took in his earnest expression.

"Positive," he nodded.

"Very well," remarked Mark.

*

As schools were always let out only a few days before Christmas Day, Severus and Lily only had four days to wait until the actual day, and it came quickly, and without fail. Rose brought out crackers for their evening meal on Christmas Eve, and all three children also assisted her in making the lunch, for the next day, in the afternoon. Severus, he noted amusedly, had been assigned to making sauces, as was his perpetual job.

"Will you ever let me near a knife again?" He joked.

Rose simply glared at him.

*

Christmas Day emerged with very little fanfare. No snow graced the ground in Cokeworth, and the Evans' didn't attend church services, so the morning was lazy and relaxed, just how Severus liked it. Dumbledore had always enjoyed making a fuss out of Christmas, decorating the trees in the Great Hall as few days in advance as possible, sending irksome little fairies to wake up his fellow professors, and in general being annoying, but the Evans' didn't go overboard, despite being over-cheerful at the crack of dawn.