Unlikely Affection

Yule Tide Surprise

Authors Note: Happy Sunday my loves! My apologies that this took so long, I had my birthday to celebrate and some family medical things that I needed to tend to but I pretty proud of this chapter and I hope you all love it as much as I do!

My darling ACOWARrior on AO3 gave me the idea for Aurora's gift to Severus and I am obsessed!!!!! Thank you again love, hopefully it turned out as good as your initial idea!

Potions the next day was rather uneventful, Marigold and I worked on our chopping and peeling quietly discussing holiday plans while Severus glided around the room and hovered over everyone but me. I assumed he was avoiding me because of his outburst last night, and if I'm being honest I really shouldn't have come to the dungeons uninvited. Umbridge was making the castle feel more like a prison, which meant the students and the teachers were all feeling on edge.

When the bell rang for class to be finished I threw my things in my bag, lagging a little to see if maybe Severus would speak to me when all of my classmates had left the classroom. To my joy, he spoke up just as I slung my bag over my shoulder.

"I want to apologize for my outburst last night...I should not have lashed out at you as I did."

I gave him a weak smile "It was my fault, I didn't think about the fact that Umbridge is monitoring everything now."

He walked over to me and pulled me to his chest, holding me close, "No, I was being an old grump and you did not deserve my wrath." I could feel the heat from his body and it wrapped around me like a warm blanket, easing any useless stress I was inflicting on myself. I giggled softly at his comment, "You sir are always an old grump...But you're my old grump."

He sighed and kissed my hair. "Now that we have completed this make- up business, Christmas is quickly approaching. Does my Little Star have any riveting plans?"

"My grandfather has informed me that I will be spending Christmas with the Finley's, which is fine because I'm used to spending most holidays with them anyway, if I'm not with Millie." It came out sounding a touch more melancholy than I meant but it was true. My grandfather was not home much and when he was home, he was locked in his office working on 'ministry business' of one form or another.

If I was home for Christmas, it usually meant Millie and I would open presents together and then eat so much food we would fall into a deep slumber in the living room. I was typically not allowed to spend holidays at Hogwarts, my grandfather thought it was good for my brain to escape the castle every so often, last year was a fluke because of the Yule Ball but if I was being honest it was the best Christmas yet...because of Severus and the beginning of our relationship, even though we both drug our feet on titles.

"I could give you holiday detention...So you are forced to stay with me." I lifted my head from his chest and looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"You're not going home?"

He shook his head, "I have a few Slytherins that are spending the holiday here. I am required to stay and keep an eye on them." He noticed my sad expression and huffed out a laugh. "Don't look at me like that, I rarely go home during the school year."

My eyes went wide. "You never go home? You just sit here...babysitting?" I pulled back from him and glowered up at his unchanged face. My heart broke at the thought of Severus spending so many holidays alone.

"I prefer to be here, sweet one. I have no family and these walls are more home to me than any." He lifted a hand and stroked my cheek.

"I would spend Christmas here with you if I could...So you wouldn't be alone." I sighed, feeling guilty that I even for a second did not feel grateful that I always had a family to spend the Christmas with, even if it was just Millie and I, I always had someone. Severus on the other hand had been alone for so long. I had no idea he had no family, no parents or siblings...nothing and it broke my heart.