Holiday Ficlet: God Rest Ye Merry (SS/HG, PG)
(I meant to post this last night, but a migraine got in my way and I went to bed very early. :-P I'm 100% better this morning, though, so no worries. Anyway.)
I finished sending out my cards, and now that I've done so and everybody's in the midst of holiday celebrations (Happy Yule! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas!), I'd like to share these ficlets with everybody, since not everybody asked for a card, and some of you asked only for drabbles or ficlets. I wrote these snippets a while ago--and thank goodness, otherwise I'd never have finished them--and I'll post one a day through Christmas. They're loosely connected--not so much in story as the wintry themes. And of course, they're all Snapely. Consider it a sort of mini-Advent Calendar. Or something. :-)
Today's offering was requested by mollyssister, who asked for Severus and Hermione meeting their daughter's suitor at Christmas. I couldn't imagine Severus would be all sunshine and giggles about that...
Hope this hits the spot, mollyssister!
God Rest Ye Merry
"The very idea is absurd." Severus brooded like a storm cloud as he furiously stirred his tea. "I can't believe you persist in the delusion that this situation is any way acceptable."
"And I can't believe your refusal to believe," Hermione countered, cheerfully unmoved. "You can't deny this, Severus. I won't let you."
He glared. "A fully-grown wizard who has made nothing but mistakes in his life has no right to court any witch-especially not one so young, so intelligent, so generous and prone to forgive even the worst of flaws…"
Hermione's expression softened, and she placed her hand over his. "You aren't the only one who worries, you know. She's my daughter, too."
His scowl faded to a look of sour acceptance and infinite fear. "This is going to happen whether I want it or not, isn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. You know how Margot is when she makes up her mind…"
"Sodding Gryffindor women," he muttered. "Stubborn and bloody-minded, the lot of you."
"I'm told certain wizards find that an attractive quality." Hermione pursed her lips. "It will be all right. He has a good head on his shoulders…"
"A good, multicoloured head," Severus sniffed. "How you can think that man is good enough for Margot after all the trouble he's caused Andromeda…"
"Teddy Lupin is hardly the first man to want to make up for his past mistakes, Severus," she said pointedly, her gaze meeting his. "Would you deny him happiness for that?" She squeezed her husband's hand, lacing her fingers with his longer ones. "Would you deny him this?"
"No," Severus admitted after a long moment. He studied her hand for a moment and then raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the delicate ridge of her knuckles. "No, never that." He sighed with an air of long suffering. "Very well, then. He can come for Christmas."
"How very generous of you to agree to allow your daughter's fiancé to visit, Severus." Hermione smirked. "At this rate, I might even get you to be merry about it."
"Don't push your luck," he growled, before snatching the last chocolate biscuit.
I finished sending out my cards, and now that I've done so and everybody's in the midst of holiday celebrations (Happy Yule! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas!), I'd like to share these ficlets with everybody, since not everybody asked for a card, and some of you asked only for drabbles or ficlets. I wrote these snippets a while ago--and thank goodness, otherwise I'd never have finished them--and I'll post one a day through Christmas. They're loosely connected--not so much in story as the wintry themes. And of course, they're all Snapely. Consider it a sort of mini-Advent Calendar. Or something. :-)
Today's offering was requested by mollyssister, who asked for Severus and Hermione meeting their daughter's suitor at Christmas. I couldn't imagine Severus would be all sunshine and giggles about that...
Hope this hits the spot, mollyssister!
God Rest Ye Merry
"The very idea is absurd." Severus brooded like a storm cloud as he furiously stirred his tea. "I can't believe you persist in the delusion that this situation is any way acceptable."
"And I can't believe your refusal to believe," Hermione countered, cheerfully unmoved. "You can't deny this, Severus. I won't let you."
He glared. "A fully-grown wizard who has made nothing but mistakes in his life has no right to court any witch-especially not one so young, so intelligent, so generous and prone to forgive even the worst of flaws…"
Hermione's expression softened, and she placed her hand over his. "You aren't the only one who worries, you know. She's my daughter, too."
His scowl faded to a look of sour acceptance and infinite fear. "This is going to happen whether I want it or not, isn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. You know how Margot is when she makes up her mind…"
"Sodding Gryffindor women," he muttered. "Stubborn and bloody-minded, the lot of you."
"I'm told certain wizards find that an attractive quality." Hermione pursed her lips. "It will be all right. He has a good head on his shoulders…"
"A good, multicoloured head," Severus sniffed. "How you can think that man is good enough for Margot after all the trouble he's caused Andromeda…"
"Teddy Lupin is hardly the first man to want to make up for his past mistakes, Severus," she said pointedly, her gaze meeting his. "Would you deny him happiness for that?" She squeezed her husband's hand, lacing her fingers with his longer ones. "Would you deny him this?"
"No," Severus admitted after a long moment. He studied her hand for a moment and then raised it to his lips, pressing a kiss to the delicate ridge of her knuckles. "No, never that." He sighed with an air of long suffering. "Very well, then. He can come for Christmas."
"How very generous of you to agree to allow your daughter's fiancé to visit, Severus." Hermione smirked. "At this rate, I might even get you to be merry about it."
"Don't push your luck," he growled, before snatching the last chocolate biscuit.