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"Whatever. I'm a great bed gal."
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You awoke early the next morning, the sun just barely beginning to peek over the horizon when your eyelids peeled open. Severus' arms were draped over you, keeping you warm from the chilly air of his room. The fog in your head had cleared overnight, and you were feeling more like yourself. It was the last day of classes before Christmas break, and you needed to hightail it to your own quarters to get ready for the day. That was, if you could break away from Severus.
Severus had you tucked snugly into his side, which made stirring around nearly impossible. You twisted your core to attempt to turn over, which only disturbed his slumber and got you tangled in the sheets. Severus' hold on you only tightened, further cementing you to where you were laying.
You made another try, this time trying to shimmy and slink out from under him. Once more, it was unsuccessful and it finally brought him out of his peaceful snooze.
"What are you doing?" Severus hissed, his voice thick with sleep when he saw you scrambling around, "It's too early."
"No, it's not. I need to get ready," You argued, "We have class in two hours!"
Severus' eyes closed again, a groggy chuckle rumbling from his diaphragm when you failed to get out from his grasp.
"I assure you that you can spare another fifteen minutes." Severus remarked, trapping you from getting out of bed.
"I'll have you know that my morning routine is different than yours," You huffed, "I need to shower and get dressed and-"
"You can do all of those things here." He interrupted.
"I don't have any clothes here! Sev, I'm serious. I've got to get up." You insisted, managing to forcefully squirm away from him.
Just about as fast as your feet hit the floor, you were yanked backwards and wrapped up completely in his arms and the sheets. He began peppering you with an attack of kisses, drawing squeals and giggles out of you until you were breathless.
"You're not going anywhere, angel. Not until I get my morning snuggles." He laughed, continuing to tickle at your sides.
"You got your morning snuggles!" You squealed with another round of laughter, "You get morning snuggles every day!"
"And why should today be any different?" He posed, kissing a quick trail down your neck.
"Because we have to go to work!" You shrieked, feeling a rush of blood go to your face from all the laughing.
Severus stopped when your laughs were sounding more like gasps, letting you catch your breath before you were struggling for air. Your giggles died down shortly after, and both of you were feeling much more awake than before. Severus brushed some stray hair from your face, kissing your hand and caressing the soft skin there.
"Can't you stay just a few more minutes? Please?" Severus pleaded, hoping you'd stick around just a little longer.
His eyes softened the way they did when he really wanted something, and they were impossibly hard to say no to.
"Okay, Sev. Just a few minutes." You granted, cuddling up to him again.
He smiled triumphantly, continuing to litter you with kisses and return them when you kissed him. His hands were oddly warm on your body, considering they were usually freakishly cold.
"I had a really wonderful time last night." Severus announced after a few moments.
"Me too. I'm glad I got to share London with you," You smiled, "So handsome."
He blushed when your fingertips trailed along his cheekbones, his eyes shifting to avoid your gaze of admiration.
"Well, I'm just happy you had a nice time. I'm more looking forward to spending Christmas with you." He admitted, remembering what you had agreed on.
"Oh, yeah! When are we leaving?" You questioned, giddy with excitement.
Severus shrugged.
"As soon as classes are over today, I suppose. But whenever you're ready is fine. I assume you'll need to pack?" He acquired.
"Yeah. I'll add it to my to-do list," You snickered, "I'll be sure to pack lots of warm clothes. If your house is anything like this room, I'll surely need them."
Severus emitted a chuckle, resting his hand on your thigh that was barely peeking out from under the sheets.
"Do I not keep you warm?" He questioned, "I've never heard you complain."
You crawled over to lie on top of him, letting your hands splay across his chest. You could feel the warmth from underneath his long-sleeved shirt, his muscles feeling firm underneath your hands.
"There's not much to complain about when it comes to you...except your snoring." You sneered.
His jaw dropped in offense, propping himself up on his elbows.
"I do NOT snore." He gruffed.
"Then I suppose the Hogwarts train has been running at night then?" You poked, seeing his eyes narrow at you.
"At least I don't kick in my sleep." He returned, seeing your smirk turn into a frown.
"I don't kick!" You shrilled, "I've never kicked you."
"The ache in my leg begs to differ." Severus lied.
"Whatever. I'm a great bed gal." You grinned, rolling off of him and back to your side of the bed.
Severus chuckled again, allowing a short silence to ensue. He thought about the night before and how it had been the most alive he had felt in a long time. He couldn't seem to understand how you were the person he was finding his new happiness with. He also wasn't very keen on letting you go.
"Did you hear what I said last night, my love?" He wondered.
You raised a brow, not sure what he was referring to since you had fallen asleep before he told you that he loved you.
"Uh, which part?" You asked, fiddling with one of his hands.
Severus took that to mean that you hadn't, and there was something telling him that he needed to tell you again before he lost his nerve. He had built up a super confidence with you that he was still trying to figure out.
"[Y/N], I lov-"
He was cut off by the deafening sound of his alarm clock on his bedside table, alerting you both that it was really time to get up and moving. You leapt out of bed, not seeing that what he was trying to tell you was important.
"Our fifteen minutes is up, Sevy. Come on," You urged, pulling him to sit up completely, "The sooner we get moving, the faster the day will go by."
Severus made a face, temporarily putting his previous statement aside for later.
"I don't think that's how it works, love." He grumbled, swinging his feet over the side of the bed.
He stood up from the mattress, some of his joints cracking as he did so. He slipped his shirt off of his head, muttering a quick Disillusionment Charm to hide his Dark Mark. He extended his arms over his head, stretching his muscles to work out the stiffness from being bundled up all night. You watched him as he did so, your mouth practically watering at the way his back muscles flexed and contracted. His head lolled back, his neck rolling from side to side to wake himself up.
You found yourself lost in a daze when you looked at him, admiring his frame and the way he moved. The early morning sunlight had began to filter into the room, shining on him and creating this wondrous glow around him. He looked so good that it was almost scary.
"Take a picture then. It'll last longer." Severus sneered as a joke, not even having to turn around to know that you were staring.
You briefly shook your head, continuing to rake over him even though he wasn't looking.
"I wasn't- hey!" You scolded him for using Legilimency, "I thought we agreed on NOT using Legilimency anymore."
Severus stood at his closet, getting dressed in his usual black robes.
"I was curious to know what you were thinking back there. I could practically feel you staring." He said, hiding his smirk.
You huffed, prancing over to him and wrapping your arms around his torso as he buckled his belt.
"You know, being a Legilimens is going to get you into trouble someday." You told him.
"Not likely. I'm skilled, you know." He bragged, turning to hold you to his chest.
"Well, even the most skilled still fall short," You told him, "There's always a chance that you'll hear something that you don't want to hear."
He shrugged, neither of you really taking your statement that seriously.
"That'll be the day that I admit I was wrong then," He grinned, kissing your forehead, "Are you headed to your chambers?"
"Yeah," You nodded, "I won't be long."
"I can help you pack before we go. Only if you want." He offered.
A sneaky smile spread on your features, causing him to raise a brow.
"Okay, but no peeking at my clothes. I have a few...special items." You hinted.
Yet another blushed rushed his face, his eyes darkening just a tad at the implication.
"Oh, do you? Why do I get the feeling they'll look better on my bedroom floor?" He purred, diving to kiss along the shell of your ear.
"Very cheeky, Professor. Now let me go before I'm really late." You giggled, pushing away and scattering to leave.
"Alright, alright. Don't be late this afternoon." He called as you went to dash out of the room.
"Wouldn't dream of it!" You called back.
Your chambers wasn't far from Severus', considering all the professors' chambers were in the same wing of the castle. You cursed yourself for not putting on a pair of socks first, because the floor of the castle was freezing on your digits. You made a beeline for your room, sighing in relief when the warmth of it cascaded over you. You hadn't spent the night in your chambers for a while, hence why the bed looked untouched. You really only came by for clothes and when you needed to work at your desk. Truthfully, you spent most of your downtime in your office or Severus' chambers.
You walked to your own closet, changing out of the clothes you had slept in to replace them with a skirt and a blouse. You had just zipped up the back of your skirt when you heard a rustle outside, along with a small tap on the window. You swiveled around, approaching the window cautiously and pulling back the curtain. You smiled when you saw it was just your owl, who for some reason had come to your window instead of the Owlery.
"Hi, girl," You greeted as you opened the window, "It's cold out there, yeah?"
She swooped inside, landing on an empty spot on your desk. You spotted that she had a rolled piece of parchment, which you knew must've been Remus' response to your previous letter. A sick feeling spread over your stomach. Remus had always been one to procrastinate when it came to responding to letters, so the fact that he had responded so quickly reminded you how serious he was about this situation. You unrolled the parchment with shaky hands, and scanned the letter with curious eyes.
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[Y/N],
I got your letter. I was beginning to think I wouldn't hear from you again, but I understand you've been busy. I'm glad you're willing to meet up, because there are some things I need to talk to you about as well. Let's wait until after the holidays...once everything settles down. I know you always have things worked out, but if you need somewhere to stay for Christmas...my door is always open. We can discuss the finer details later. As far as Severus Snape goes...I must say that what I think you're insinuating is surprising. If that IS what you're saying...then we definitely need to talk. And if you don't mind, tell Harry that we both said hello. Sirius is worried about him.
From,
Remus.
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A harsh sigh flowed from your chest. You really didn't want to have to deal with this now. You had just had a wonderful night with Severus and now you were about to spend Christmas break with him. You were beginning to wonder if this whole thing had been a bad idea. Maybe reaching out wasn't the best idea in the world. But, yet, you were still intrigued. You wanted to go still. You were at least relieved that you could put this aside until after the holidays, but you opted to go ahead and send a brief response to let him know you got his letters.
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Hi Moony,
After Christmas is fine with me. If you would, send me a letter after the new year. I'll be back at Hogwarts by then, and we can sort things out. Don't worry about me, I have somewhere to stay for the break. I'll give Harry my love for you both.
Love,
[Y/N]
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You made sure that your owl was energized enough to make another trip. It seemed that Remus must have not been staying too far if she managed to get the response back so quickly. You fed and watered her, and sent her on her way with your response once more.
This whole ordeal was turning out to be exhausting and a lot of back and forth. You weren't surprised, considering Sirius was pretty much a prisoner in hiding. You couldn't help but smile at the thought.
Oh, Sirius. Always causing trouble.
You pushed the thought aside, knowing that you didn't have time for it now. One part of Remus' letter had struck you as odd, though. "If that IS what you're saying...then we definitely need to talk." What did that even mean? Remus made it sound like he knew something that you didn't know. That was impossible. When you and Severus had decided to give things a try, you had cleared everything off the table. Anything that was on your chests had been let go of. There couldn't possibly be something that you didn't know.
You slid your shoes on, continuing to mull things over as you made your way to your classroom. You decided to skip breakfast, not feeling much of an appetite yet. Plus, it'd give you a little extra time to prepare. Your hand moved steadily as you wrote on the chalkboard, your mind reeling and racing. Sure enough, within a couple hours, the kids began filing in. Half of them were sluggish from the early morning hours, and the other half of them were vibrating with excitement for the holiday.
The fourth years were all incredibly bright, and they all seemed to have an interest for Defense. That or they just liked you a lot. Harry straggled in last with Ron, per usual, and sat in his seat towards the back. You remembered the favor that Remus had asked, your heart swelling at the sentiment. Harry did look just like James. All the way from his hair to his knobby knees. Like everyone had always said, you saw Lily when you looked into his eyes. You missed your best friend tremendously. You saw Lily when you looked at Harry.
"Hi, everyone. Go ahead and pull out your textbooks. If we start now, we can have a short day before the break." You said cheerily, giggling as they all scrambled to get their things out.
You approached Harry's desk, squatting down to whisper to him.
"Harry." You greeted quietly, not drawing any attention from anyone else.
His eyes flickered when he noticed you, his cheeks going pink at the one-on-one attention.
"Yes, Professor?" He whispered back.
"Sirius and Remus asked me to tell you hello. They miss you." You told the boy, your heart melting at the way his eyes brightened.
Harry all but exploded out of his seat, his demeanor changing completely.
"You know Sirius and Remus? I- how?" He asked, not knowing that you were friends with them long ago.
You knew Harry was curious. Anytime he had an opportunity to learn about James or Lily, he jumped on it. But it was a long story, and you didn't have time for it now.
"I was best friends with your parents. Remus and Sirius too," You admitted, "I'd love to tell you more, but I'm afraid that's for another time."
Harry only nodded, a bit disappointed, but understanding. You stood once more, going back to the board to begin teaching. You constantly thought about how Sirius was supposed to raise Harry. You despised the way that things turned out. You thought about the things that Harry could've learned and how much different his life would've been.
When Lily and James told Sirius that they wanted him to be Harry's godfather, Sirius had been over the moon. Sirius always talked about how you, him, and Remus would be the best unofficial uncles and aunt to Harry. Those were the days that you missed most. The days where everything was so much simpler.
You remembered helping Lily design a nursery, and buying clothes for Harry when she was pregnant. In a way, you had began to love her child as your own. You just never expected him to lose his parents so young.
And you'd never get over not being able to be there for Harry when he needed someone most.
**
Your classes went by surprisingly fast, everyone being determined to get through the day as fast as possible. By the time afternoon came around, the kids who were returning home had gone and the ones who were staying were bustling around the castle with excitement. You had your own vacation to look forward to as well. That was, if Severus would actually help you pack.
"Severus, you said you were going to help me." You whined, retrieving a stack of sweaters from your closet to put into your trunk.
Severus was doing everything BUT helping you, nosing around and searching through your bookshelves and drawers.
"I am helping. I'm finding things you might need." He lied, picking up a paper weight on your desk.
"I don't need- hold on, are you looking for something?" You asked, peering at him suspiciously.
"No, no. Of course not." He fibbed again.
You could tell he was lying, your pupils dilating as you read his next incoming thought.
Where are those damn knickers that I know she was talking about earlier?
Your jaw dropped, eyes widening that he was snooping around for underwear.
"SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE!" You screeched, hands on your hips at his intentions, "Stop looking for something that I assure you will not find and help me PACK."
He flinched at the use of his full name, immediately straightening up because he knew he had been caught.
"How did you know-oh, you sneaky witch," He huffed, walking over to you, "Is this what I get for using Legilimency on you ONCE unironically?"
"Yes, actually, it is. Now stop being a horny fucking teenager and get my letter parchments, please." You laughed.
"But I'm not...okay." He gave in, walking to your desk.
You laughed again, knowing that he knew you were right. Before you could stop it, you thought about Sirius again. He was fresh on your mind, and he just seemed to keep popping up.
Sirius used to do the same thing. Always looking for the things he liked to admire me in.
You brushed the thought away, but completely missed the way Severus' shoulders drooped and his slight pause.
"Do you usually go home for Christmas?" You questioned.
Severus gave a shrug, ignoring your thought that he just heard. That seemed to always be something he did. Just ignore the things he didn't want to feel.
He began tying your parchments up neatly so they wouldn't get ripped or creased during transit.
"It depends on the year. Sometimes I have to stay here for the students who stay over the break," Severus replied, "I was supposed to this year, but for some reason Minerva offered to take it for me."
You held down a snort, knowing good and well why she did it.
"How kind of her," You remarked, tucking in the last of your things and shutting your trunk, "Well, that's everything. No thanks to you."
"I kept you on track, my love. That must count for something." He winked, kissing your lips sweetly.
"I suppose it does. Now you have to put up with me for three weeks." You bubbled, your feet bouncing with anticipation.
Severus caught your waist in his grasp, kissing you again and his nose brushing yours as he did. You were thrilled to get away for a while. To escape the hustle of the castle and to have a break from working for a few weeks. And you were determined not to think about Remus or Sirius while you were gone.
Severus looked at you when he pulled away, nothing but utter happiness and joy in his eyes.
"I can't wait."