The Last Horcrux

Santa Baby

Sev had never done his own laundry. This was a job that had always been handled for him, first by a resentful mother and then by the house elves at Hogwarts. Now however, with a growing family, and Remus busy with the greenhouse and chasing Oakley and a million other things, the job fell to him.

There was an ancient tin wash basin in the basement of the house on Spinner's End. It was charmed to wash the clothes on a rusty, evil looking washboard. The clothes had to be wrung out on an old fashioned mangle and hung to dry on lines that snaked across the basement ceiling. Some of it could be managed magically, but it was still a lot of work. Even in the far gone days of his childhood, Sev remembered his mother complaining about their antiquated laundry system, bitter that they could not afford anything better. Now, Sev felt himself experiencing similar emotions.

Sev had picked out an updated washer from an advert in the back of Witch Weekly: Mrs. McMimble's Automatic Washer for the Busy Magikal Home. They had been saving up for it for two years, but it was slow going, and there always seemed to be someplace else to put those galleons.

Sunday was laundry day and Sev spent too much time, more time than it should have taken, gathering up laundry from various baskets and hampers, from under beds and the rear of closets. He emptied backpacks to find smelly gym clothes, felt inside boots to find damp, rolled up socks. As he was making his third trip to the basement, wafting an overburdened hamper before him Remus called to him from the kitchen, "Bring up the Christmas boxes, would you? I'm going to start putting up decorations today."

Sev didn't really know how it had happened, but he had become the kind of person who had a whole shelf in his basement devoted to holiday decorations. There were two cardboard boxes labeled Halloween, in Remus' neat handwriting. There were boxes labeled Saint V's, Easter, Birthday and Summer/Paper lanterns. However, the dominant theme was Christmas. The original box marked Xmas that Remus had found in the attic years ago, for their first Christmas together, had expanded to four. Remus had a deeply held belief that a multitude of colored lights and paper decorations were essential for a happy childhood.

Sev levitated the Christmas boxes up the stairs, past the pantry shelf Remus had also set up. This shelf was loaded with pasta and beans and tinned tomatoes, mostly in dented cans or boxes, all found on sale, the basis of many cheap and nourishing meals. Remus' energy for domestic economy was boundless. He had boxes of clothes and shoes in the attic, stowed neatly away for the children as they grew, labeled things like Boys Size 6-8 or Girls size 12 -14 including shoes.

Sev didn't mind. Actually, he liked it. Who would have thought that Severus Snape was cut out for a life of domesticity? But it turned out that he was.

Now he sat on the basement floor and sorted laundry. Lights and coloreds, heavily and lightly soiled; Gavin's stinky quidditch uniforms, Oakleys' pajamas with Marvin the Mad Muggle stenciled on them, sheets and towels, Remus' maternity trousers and tops. He piled the sorted laundry in baskets.

He started a load in the ancient creaky washer. He shook his head. What terrible gay men we are, he mused. We should be staying out all night dancing, lying on a beach in Rio or something. He pictured himself, flapping around by the ocean somewhere in his black robes, like an oversized bat, Remus lying under an umbrella with a very large book. Things were probably best left as they were.

Severus Snape was living the life he wanted.

*******

Christmas was coming, and every house on Spinner's End glowed and sparkled with lights. One Saturday, Sev took the boys to Diagon Alley, leaving Remus at home to fill orders for Mr. Moony's Magickal Mistletoe and then put his feet up for a bit. The wizarding shopping district was alight with Christmas decorations and bustling with busy shoppers. A large tree dominated the center square and an ice skating rink had been set up. A gentle snow was falling, although the rest of London was soggy with the chilly rains of December.