Addicted to You

XV

Holidays bring about great silences; moments where all you can seem to hear is the sound of your mistakes.

When Hermione came down the stairs, to her utmost amusement, she found Snape chuckling to himself in the drawing room.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Look what I found." He straightened out the newspaper to show her a page which contained a pictorial illustration of Hermione flipping off her boss and walking out of the Ministry, which had been captured on camera that day at the office. "This deserves to be framed!"

Embarrassed yet humorous, she flushed as she sat down, covering her face with her hands. "Oh gosh! I had no idea they got that on the papers..."

However Snape found it absolutely hilarious and wondered whether he could have a copy of it to put up in the Hogwarts hall of fame. Hermione smiled too watching him grin as he fed that idea and quietly slipped him a small present. He eyed the little box. "What's this?"

"I got it for you." she replied, while he began to unwrap it. He pried open the lid and found a neat little silver pin inside. It was similar to the one he used to have, the one he traded for drugs, only this one had little emeralds etched onto the body of the snake emblem along with a ruby for the eye. "I didn't know what your family heirloom looked like, so I had my own version of it made."

He was very pleased but kept the entirety of his admiration out of his face. "What, is it Christmas already?"

"Well, actually..." she bit her lip, deliberating. "I...uh, won't be here tonight."

He looked up at her, blinking, confused as to why not, but the question remained hanging in the air between them.

"I'm sorry, but um, I have to go to-"

"To your boyfriend's place." He snapped the box shut. "Right."

She twiddled her thumbs. "I'm really sorry...Were you looking forward to tonight? Of course you were, you've hardly got anything to celebrate. I completely ruined it, didn't I?"

" 'Course not. It's- I forgot you were- that you two were...anyway, it doesn't matter." He pushed the box aside and resumed going through the newspaper to avoid looking at her. "It was bold of me to assume..."

She felt like she had somehow let him down and she was desperate to not get him all blue at Christmas. "I hate to do this to you...but it's just that Mrs. Weasley invited me and I can't-"

"You don't need to explain to me, Granger."

"No, but-"

"You can do whatever you want."

That was true, but she really did not think he would be this disappointed that she would not be there to spend Christmas eve with him. If that was indeed the case. He could also be regretful of the fact that he couldn't go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased. He must be missing the company of others, even though he wasn't exactly a people's person. Still, she felt bad for him and disliked his grumpiness.

"Are you mad at me?"

He scoffed, "Why would I be mad?"

He dismissed her allegations of being displeased with her but still looked sullen and Hermione chewed on her lips, wondering what she could do about it. She had already shopped for some vegetables, spices and a small turkey so that Snape could cook himself some dinner, so that he didn't miss out on the holiday feeling. She hadn't put up a tree or any lights and decorations in the house since that was something she used to do with her parents, but now that she thought of it, she realized how terribly cheerless and alone one would feel left behind in that house. She decided that she could at least buy him a cake and some good wine.