Defending Heart

Chapter 21: Open Rooftop

The day of the Easter Feast arrives quicker than everyone expected. Lily and Harry conspire to rope Severus into assisting with decorations and somehow, it's successful. He folds up colourful paper the colour of Easter pastels - pink, light blue and yellow - and uses his want to hang them arond thr tall rafters of the Gret Hall. The walls have a slight golden tinge to them, he always sees that no matter what. He used to think it was the glow of torchlight, but there aren't any torches on in the middel of the day and it still has that grandeur feel to it. Even after all his years of being here, it's magnificent.

Contrary to popular assumptions, Severus loves the Easter Feast. He sits in the Great Hall not separated into Houses but with Lily and her friends, and they open the rooftop to the stars. Not just a projection spell. They actually remove the rooftop with magic and allow the night to flood in. It's so beautiful out here in the countryside - the stars so vivid.

"Hey Sev,"

"What?" he turns to Lily, who blows a paper kazoo. She laughs and he rolls his eyes. What a stupid tradition. Although he does like bangers - the ones you pull that bang when opened. The magical ones sold at the joke shop bang and burst out real fireworks that fizz and sparkle but don't blow up or burn.

"Very funny," he hangs the final decorations around the rim of the windowsills. How this hall manages to still look dignified covered in pink paper bunting is a mystery. "Where's Harry?"

"I think Profess - I mean Harry, is preparing the grounds with Hagrid for the First Year Easdter hunt,"

"They're doing that this year?" he scowls. "We never did that..."

"Oh don't tell me you resent them for it," she laughs. "You have enough to be bitter about without adding that in - and I think everyone can join in!"

He talks to Harry about it during lunch.

"The Easter Egg hunt?" Harry laughs. "Aren't you a little old to be this excited by chocolate? I stopped doing those with James when he was 8,"

"It's not about the winning - I've never done one before and they look fun, so I'd like to see what I've been missing out on," Severus explains. "And I thought it might be too childish. So how about ily and I versus you? If we win, we get a tutoring in the library no strings attached. If you win..."

"You need to help me set up lesion for the rest of the year?" Harry suggest. "Okay, deal,"

"Great," Severus agrees. Maybe he should feel bad, considering he just roped Lily into a contract she wouldn't have agreed to if she knew. However, he feels justified knowing they likely will win and she'll be overjoyed to have a tutoring session with Professor Potter.

The Easter egg hunt begins on the open Hogwarts grounds and thankfully they aren't the only senior students (or the only teacher, in Harry's case) taking part. As they begin, Severus and Lily break off from the main yard and run through the arches, hiding behind each stone pillar until they're out of sight of the main area.

They have a very specific strategy. Everyone will snatch up the easy eggs before branching off to more secluded areas. That means these secluded areas are ripe with pickings of untouched Easter treasure! Their first stop in the vegetable gardens where eggs can be found between pumpkins taller than themselves. They feel like children again! Meeting under the blossom tree and staring up at the sky, exchanging pretty flowers as gifts of innocent friendship.

"So," Lily props herself yup on her elbow, staring down at Severus. "Was it what you hoped?"

"I don't think I had any expectations to be honest but if I did," he breaks into s grin. "This hunt has exceeded them. It's super fun and now I have enough free chocolate to last me through the exams!"