Unexpected healing

Romantic proposal Part 11

Severus

The days were getting shorter and colder and in no time, the Christmas holidays arrived.

He wanted to ask her to marry him on Christmas day. He had thought it all through, but before he did he wanted her to see some of his memories, he wanted her to see them, so she would truly know what she would be agreeing to. He knew that he behaved differently sometimes in certain situations, because of a mindset he had developed according to his past. Sometimes knowing this, made him able to rise above his instincts, but often he did not realize it nor was he able to control it.

He had asked Dumbledore to lend him his pensive and with that he showed her some of his memories. He waited anxiously how she would respond, he expected her to react in her kind and caring way, but he had to be sure. 

When she returned to reality, her reaction was clearly indicating her loyalty towards him. He was relieved and reaffirmed. Now he could go ahead and arrange the special set up, he wanted to create, where he would ask her to marry him. He knew her well enough by now, she liked romance and she loved Christmas.....

When Christmas day arrived, Hogwarts had once again gone very quiet. It had been snowing since two days now and a holy, quiet atmosphere lay in the air. Felicy had chosen to stay on at Hogwarts to celebrate Christmas with him. This too had been another requirement that had to fall into place if his plan should work. All day it snowed again, which was also in alignment with his intentions. Felicy had gone to her parents house in the morning and would only return in the afternoon.

He played more or less all morning with Felicy's present. A small black kitten. Thankfully nobody saw him, it would have certainly damaged his image. He had thought about his image a lot lately. He remembered the day he had started to wear the black robes, he had never worn anything else since. These robes gave him a mysterious and somewhat dark look, which, together with a very strict and almost harsh manner, enhanced his authority and students and adults alike, seemed to respect, maybe even fear him that way. He had always needed and at times enjoyed the fact that people feared him. That left no room for him appearing vulnerable. But now things started to be different.

Felicy returned just before the Christmas dinner, she wore a small black dress with golden stars, that sparkled when she walked. She looked beautiful, as well as exciting. He held out his arm, to lead her into the dining room and down the stairs, where once another man had let her and he had since wished to do just that. "May we proceed," he asked her, she beamed at him. Proudly he let her down the stairs, for all to observe.

After dinner, everybody reclined around the gigantic Christmas tree. Tonight, around this tree, sat all those, not wanted or not belonging anywhere else than Hogwarts. There was Dumbledore, Professor McGonegal, Professor Trewlany, Hagrid, and a handful of students, that could not go home for various reasons. He had always been one of them and all though he still lived at Hogwarts, he felt that he had finally found a home. He looked over at Felicy, if she would have him. He would find out tonight, there was a small bit of fear left, though, that she would decline his offer.

Then it was time for presents. Felicy went over to the tree and came back with a small parcel. She looked a bit shy, yet also satisfied. He wondered what he might find. Usually, he got one present and it had always been from Dumbledore. Really, Dumbledore was the only person he had trusted so far and could have called a friend or maybe more so a mentor. Slowly he opened his present. He found a whole box full of 'Terrawheat,' he gasped in surprise.

"How...this is...." He had searched everywhere for it and had yet not found any. How did she know he had been looking for it and how did she get hold of it? 

"I got it off an old elf, who uses it for slowing down his ageing process." She looked at him enquiringly, "Are you intending to use this for the very same reason?" She asked. She was right, of course, he felt caught out and embarrassed.