[Harry Potter]: The Story With a Kind of Happy Ending
Fingers paused in picking at black robes. “No,” came the response, at once. She frowned.
“Why not? I just think you should have a proper Christmas with a nice dinner and presents and everything.”
He stiffened, and she realized too late that she had crossed a line and brought up The Home Life. He was embarrassed, she could tell, though she didn’t know why. It was hardly his fault. “I just mean,” she corrected herself hastily, “I think it would be nice if you came. My parents wouldn’t mind-“
His fingers paused in enlarging a hole in his robes - robes, he got to wear them outside of school, she was a little jealous of that - and he glanced up at her with a ‘pffft’ noise of derision. She frowned at him.
“Really, they wouldn’t!”
“Your sister thinks I'm a freak.”
Lily made her own derisive ‘pffft.’ “’Tunia thinks I'm a freak, you can’t take that personally. And she wouldn’t talk to you or anything anyway.”
He got that dark look in his eye that he had sometimes, that she didn’t like. “Good, because if she said anything I’d hex her to be even uglier than she already-”
“Sev!” Lily glowered at him and swatted his arm. “She’s my sister.”
His shoulders hunched but he glanced down, apparently properly chastened. “Sorry, Lily.”
She took a moment before giving in and smiling again. “It’s okay. But still, you should come. What do you think?”
He sighed, hanks of dark hair all over his face. She reached out and brushed them out of the way without thinking about it, and he blushed and leaned back. “Stop it. I don’t know. I wouldn’t have anything to talk about with - anyone.”
“It’s easy,” Lily said, wheedling. “They’ll ask you about - school, and what you do for fun, and things like that. And they’ll think whatever you have to say is really interesting. So what do you think?”
Severus looked at her, and then at the ground, and picked at the hole in his robes a little more. She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Stop it,” she chided. “You’re going to ruin your clothes.”
He didn’t answer, and Lily realized belatedly that he was staring at her hand. Holding his. She blushed and let go quickly, but Severus just looked at her. She turned her chin down.
“I can’t,” he said, abruptly, and she blinked in surprise, her starting smile fading. She’d truly expected him to say yes.
“What?”
“I can’t,” he said again, and stood up in one sharp movement. “It would just be - sorry,” he said, though he just sounded awkward, not apologetic. He kicked the leaf litter and didn’t meet her eyes. “I have to go. Bye.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” she said, bouncing to her feet. “Why not? It would just be what?”
“Nothing! Never mind!” He swung his head and his hair was all over his face again, and she wanted to move it out of the way. Lily’s hand twitched at her side and she forced it to stay still.
“Don’t ‘never mind’ me! Why won’t you come? Just for a couple hours, even, just for dinner and desert and presents-“
“Fine!” He said, voice rising. “I don’t want to come, all right? Who would want to have Christmas with a bunch of Muggles anyway!” And before she could open her mouth, he turned and fled, threadbare black robes flapping behind him.
**
On Christmas Eve, Lily was sulking.
Petunia had gone out of her way to make fun of Lily earlier in the evening for not having any friends, and where were her freaky friends, and what did they do for Christmas, turn themselves into toads? It was all very stupid and younger sister, but it irked her nonetheless. She did miss them, but they had all seemed to be out of the country or busy with family and couldn’t see her.
All except for one, that was, and that one thought that her family was boring and her offer of sharing Christmas apparently meaningless. Lily put her chin on her hands and hoped bitterly that his parents just yelled at each other the whole time, then he would regret it.
She felt bad immediately, though, and sighed.
She couldn’t go to his house - she was afraid of his father - but maybe she could send him a message, something. She looked forlornly at the little package in the corner of her room. She’d been planning to give it to him, but now…
Then Lily heard the tapping at her window. Like pebbles hitting the glass.
She whirled at once and flung the window open, sticking her head out. “Sev?” She said, and then nearly winced at the eagerness she could hear in her own voice. She’d planned to be angry. Or at least irritated.
A pause. Then, “Yeah, it’s me.” He sounded quiet, subdued. “Can you come out?”
“It’s the middle of the night, Sev,” she groused, and there was another, hesitant pause.
“Please? It’s important.”
Lily made sure to make a show of the heavy sigh she heaved. “Okay,” she said, feigning reluctance. “I’ll be right out. But only for a little while.” She closed the window without waiting for his response, grabbed her coat and, after a moment, the little package. Then she dashed as quietly as she could down the stairs. No one else seemed to be up, but she closed the door behind her and then crept around to the side of the house.
Severus looked anxious, from what she could see of him in the dark that her eyes were only slowly adjusting to. He shuffled his feet and said, “Um.”
“That’s what you wanted to talk about?” She teased, and imagined she could see his ears turn ever so slightly pink.
“No,” he said, hastily. “I wanted to - I still can’t come for Christmas. But I wanted to - here.” He stuck out his hands, holding a package wrapped in newspaper between them. She crossed her arms.
“First I want to know why you left so quickly. And said that about my family.”
More shuffling. He mumbled something she couldn’t make out, and Lily frowned. “I'm sorry, what?”
He glanced up, glanced down, and said, only marginally louder, “You were talking about presents. I couldn’t…afford…to get you anything.”
Lily was suddenly very, excruciatingly embarrassed. “Oh,” she said, glad that he couldn’t see her blushing now. “I didn’t think - I didn’t mean that you had to - I'm sorry!” She glanced at the newspaper, though, confused. “But you did-“
“I made it,” he said, almost too rapidly to make out. Lily couldn’t help it any longer. She smiled.
“But that’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “Here - I brought yours.” She pulled her own package out of her coat and held it out to him. “I didn’t make it, though.”
He took it from her slowly, and she carefully held her own package, weighed it, and then plopped down on the wet ground and patted the spot next to her.
“Come on. Sit down, let’s open them.”
“I don’t think,” he started to say, obviously embarrassed, but she was already pulling the newspaper away from the little package, trying to peer through the dark to see her gift.
She could feel him watching her, and tried not to feel self-conscious as she pulled the last of it away and shifted so the little bit of moonlight fell across her lap.
“It’s okay if you don’t like it,” Severus was already saying. “It was just…”
Lily looked down at the little book. She recognized his handwriting, painstakingly neat. “New Potions,” she read, and looked at him.
“It’s just,” he said, “Some things. That I worked out, that they haven’t taught us yet…I thought maybe you might think it was…interesting?”
“It is,” she said, flipping through some of the pages. She could see the time it must have taken him to collect this, not to mention that he was actually sharing some of his ideas with her… “It’s perfect.” She looked at him expectantly, as he glanced away. “Well? Go ahead. Open it.”
He didn’t rip the paper, opening it along the tape lines with his long, bony fingers. He folded the wrapping away and blinked, once.
“It’s a picture frame,” she explained, hastily. “I was just thinking - I wanted to put a picture of us in it, but I realized we don’t have any. So consider this a promise to get a picture of us to put in it.”
She realized, belatedly, that he was looking at her with something like awe. She ducked her head. “I know it’s a little silly,” she said, “But-”
“No,” he said, “No, I’ll just - I don’t have a camera or anything, but-”
“I do,” she said, boldly, “And as soon as there’s some light outside, we’ll get someone to take our picture.”
“Okay,” he said, simply, after a long silence that made her stomach jump up in her throat - had she said something wrong? - and then added, “Did I wake you up?”
“No,” she said lightly. “I was just sitting there waiting for you to come along.”
He laughed, though she thought it was a little wan. This time she made sure that the reach out to take his hand and give it a little squeeze was intentional. They sat there for a few moments, both determinedly not looking at each other.
“My bum’s getting wet,” Lily said, suddenly. Severus snorted and unfolded, helping her to her feet without once letting go of her hand. Lily felt a little warm feeling in her stomach, even as she shivered.
“I should probably let you go back inside,” he said, sounding reluctant.
Lily chewed her lip, and then glanced deliberately up. “Hey look,” she said, “Mistletoe.”
Severus glanced up as well. “Where?”
She swooped in and kissed his cheek, and when he released her hand in surprise, she pulled away.
“Merry Christmas, Sev,” she said, and fled toward the house.
“Why not? I just think you should have a proper Christmas with a nice dinner and presents and everything.”
He stiffened, and she realized too late that she had crossed a line and brought up The Home Life. He was embarrassed, she could tell, though she didn’t know why. It was hardly his fault. “I just mean,” she corrected herself hastily, “I think it would be nice if you came. My parents wouldn’t mind-“
His fingers paused in enlarging a hole in his robes - robes, he got to wear them outside of school, she was a little jealous of that - and he glanced up at her with a ‘pffft’ noise of derision. She frowned at him.
“Really, they wouldn’t!”
“Your sister thinks I'm a freak.”
Lily made her own derisive ‘pffft.’ “’Tunia thinks I'm a freak, you can’t take that personally. And she wouldn’t talk to you or anything anyway.”
He got that dark look in his eye that he had sometimes, that she didn’t like. “Good, because if she said anything I’d hex her to be even uglier than she already-”
“Sev!” Lily glowered at him and swatted his arm. “She’s my sister.”
His shoulders hunched but he glanced down, apparently properly chastened. “Sorry, Lily.”
She took a moment before giving in and smiling again. “It’s okay. But still, you should come. What do you think?”
He sighed, hanks of dark hair all over his face. She reached out and brushed them out of the way without thinking about it, and he blushed and leaned back. “Stop it. I don’t know. I wouldn’t have anything to talk about with - anyone.”
“It’s easy,” Lily said, wheedling. “They’ll ask you about - school, and what you do for fun, and things like that. And they’ll think whatever you have to say is really interesting. So what do you think?”
Severus looked at her, and then at the ground, and picked at the hole in his robes a little more. She reached out and grabbed his hand. “Stop it,” she chided. “You’re going to ruin your clothes.”
He didn’t answer, and Lily realized belatedly that he was staring at her hand. Holding his. She blushed and let go quickly, but Severus just looked at her. She turned her chin down.
“I can’t,” he said, abruptly, and she blinked in surprise, her starting smile fading. She’d truly expected him to say yes.
“What?”
“I can’t,” he said again, and stood up in one sharp movement. “It would just be - sorry,” he said, though he just sounded awkward, not apologetic. He kicked the leaf litter and didn’t meet her eyes. “I have to go. Bye.”
“Wait, wait, wait,” she said, bouncing to her feet. “Why not? It would just be what?”
“Nothing! Never mind!” He swung his head and his hair was all over his face again, and she wanted to move it out of the way. Lily’s hand twitched at her side and she forced it to stay still.
“Don’t ‘never mind’ me! Why won’t you come? Just for a couple hours, even, just for dinner and desert and presents-“
“Fine!” He said, voice rising. “I don’t want to come, all right? Who would want to have Christmas with a bunch of Muggles anyway!” And before she could open her mouth, he turned and fled, threadbare black robes flapping behind him.
**
On Christmas Eve, Lily was sulking.
Petunia had gone out of her way to make fun of Lily earlier in the evening for not having any friends, and where were her freaky friends, and what did they do for Christmas, turn themselves into toads? It was all very stupid and younger sister, but it irked her nonetheless. She did miss them, but they had all seemed to be out of the country or busy with family and couldn’t see her.
All except for one, that was, and that one thought that her family was boring and her offer of sharing Christmas apparently meaningless. Lily put her chin on her hands and hoped bitterly that his parents just yelled at each other the whole time, then he would regret it.
She felt bad immediately, though, and sighed.
She couldn’t go to his house - she was afraid of his father - but maybe she could send him a message, something. She looked forlornly at the little package in the corner of her room. She’d been planning to give it to him, but now…
Then Lily heard the tapping at her window. Like pebbles hitting the glass.
She whirled at once and flung the window open, sticking her head out. “Sev?” She said, and then nearly winced at the eagerness she could hear in her own voice. She’d planned to be angry. Or at least irritated.
A pause. Then, “Yeah, it’s me.” He sounded quiet, subdued. “Can you come out?”
“It’s the middle of the night, Sev,” she groused, and there was another, hesitant pause.
“Please? It’s important.”
Lily made sure to make a show of the heavy sigh she heaved. “Okay,” she said, feigning reluctance. “I’ll be right out. But only for a little while.” She closed the window without waiting for his response, grabbed her coat and, after a moment, the little package. Then she dashed as quietly as she could down the stairs. No one else seemed to be up, but she closed the door behind her and then crept around to the side of the house.
Severus looked anxious, from what she could see of him in the dark that her eyes were only slowly adjusting to. He shuffled his feet and said, “Um.”
“That’s what you wanted to talk about?” She teased, and imagined she could see his ears turn ever so slightly pink.
“No,” he said, hastily. “I wanted to - I still can’t come for Christmas. But I wanted to - here.” He stuck out his hands, holding a package wrapped in newspaper between them. She crossed her arms.
“First I want to know why you left so quickly. And said that about my family.”
More shuffling. He mumbled something she couldn’t make out, and Lily frowned. “I'm sorry, what?”
He glanced up, glanced down, and said, only marginally louder, “You were talking about presents. I couldn’t…afford…to get you anything.”
Lily was suddenly very, excruciatingly embarrassed. “Oh,” she said, glad that he couldn’t see her blushing now. “I didn’t think - I didn’t mean that you had to - I'm sorry!” She glanced at the newspaper, though, confused. “But you did-“
“I made it,” he said, almost too rapidly to make out. Lily couldn’t help it any longer. She smiled.
“But that’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “Here - I brought yours.” She pulled her own package out of her coat and held it out to him. “I didn’t make it, though.”
He took it from her slowly, and she carefully held her own package, weighed it, and then plopped down on the wet ground and patted the spot next to her.
“Come on. Sit down, let’s open them.”
“I don’t think,” he started to say, obviously embarrassed, but she was already pulling the newspaper away from the little package, trying to peer through the dark to see her gift.
She could feel him watching her, and tried not to feel self-conscious as she pulled the last of it away and shifted so the little bit of moonlight fell across her lap.
“It’s okay if you don’t like it,” Severus was already saying. “It was just…”
Lily looked down at the little book. She recognized his handwriting, painstakingly neat. “New Potions,” she read, and looked at him.
“It’s just,” he said, “Some things. That I worked out, that they haven’t taught us yet…I thought maybe you might think it was…interesting?”
“It is,” she said, flipping through some of the pages. She could see the time it must have taken him to collect this, not to mention that he was actually sharing some of his ideas with her… “It’s perfect.” She looked at him expectantly, as he glanced away. “Well? Go ahead. Open it.”
He didn’t rip the paper, opening it along the tape lines with his long, bony fingers. He folded the wrapping away and blinked, once.
“It’s a picture frame,” she explained, hastily. “I was just thinking - I wanted to put a picture of us in it, but I realized we don’t have any. So consider this a promise to get a picture of us to put in it.”
She realized, belatedly, that he was looking at her with something like awe. She ducked her head. “I know it’s a little silly,” she said, “But-”
“No,” he said, “No, I’ll just - I don’t have a camera or anything, but-”
“I do,” she said, boldly, “And as soon as there’s some light outside, we’ll get someone to take our picture.”
“Okay,” he said, simply, after a long silence that made her stomach jump up in her throat - had she said something wrong? - and then added, “Did I wake you up?”
“No,” she said lightly. “I was just sitting there waiting for you to come along.”
He laughed, though she thought it was a little wan. This time she made sure that the reach out to take his hand and give it a little squeeze was intentional. They sat there for a few moments, both determinedly not looking at each other.
“My bum’s getting wet,” Lily said, suddenly. Severus snorted and unfolded, helping her to her feet without once letting go of her hand. Lily felt a little warm feeling in her stomach, even as she shivered.
“I should probably let you go back inside,” he said, sounding reluctant.
Lily chewed her lip, and then glanced deliberately up. “Hey look,” she said, “Mistletoe.”
Severus glanced up as well. “Where?”
She swooped in and kissed his cheek, and when he released her hand in surprise, she pulled away.
“Merry Christmas, Sev,” she said, and fled toward the house.