Pawprints

13. Holiday Plans

Excited chatter filled the Great Hall as the students and staff prepared to board the Hogwarts Express to head back home for the holidays. Harry was going to Severus's house for the holidays but he hadn't told any of his friends that obviously. Harry had instead told them he and Severus were to be continuing their lessons through the holidays and that he would be spending time with Professor Snape. 

Ron and Hermione would be going to the Burrow, Luna would be spending the holidays at both her house and the Malfoy Manor. Xenophilius had agreed to spend a few weeks at the Manor, based on the fact that the Malfoys had allowed him to use their library and bring along his printing press so he could work there while he was away from home. Dean and Seamus along with their families were going to Switzerland and they had made lots of plans to go sightseeing and tobogganing. Neville and his grandmother were to visit family in America and they would return home for the Christmas weekend, to spend it with his parents as usual.

This Christmas however, was going to be slightly different as Ron had planned a reunion of sorts at the Burrow. He was planning on proposing to Hermione, and this was hopefully an engagement party. Everyone had assured him Hermione would say yes so he had gone ahead with his plans for the party. He had invited some of the staff, members of the Order, along with some parents and important people in Ron's and Hermione's lives as well. Ron had taken the extra step of going to meet Hermione's parents and had received their blessing to ask for her hand in marriage. Molly was excited, she was looking forward to some good news in the Weasley family and to having her children under one roof in the upcoming holidays.

Harry walked into Severus's home, Black tagging along beside him. Harry's trunk had been shrunk and was currently in his pocket. He watched Ajax bound into the house, tail wagging madly. Ajax rushed out a few minutes later sniffing everything and peeing violently. Severus seemed slightly disgusted at that but shook his head in disdain and went up to his room. Harry slowly followed behind him taking in the sights of the house, the small nooks and crannies that made the house a cosy home for Severus.

There was a window seat in the living room that overlooked the garden, a small dining table in the kitchen, some beanbags scattered haphazardly around a tiny coffee table and a soft furry rug that went up the stairs. Severus dropped his trunk at his room and before Harry could enter to have a proper look around the room he assumed he would be staying in, Severus closed the door and lead him to another door at the end of the corridor.

Harry hung his head in shame, he thought he would be staying with Professor Snape. If not why was he even invited? The Professor just wanted to do wicked things to his body and tease him in ways unknown to man right? Or did he genuinely love and care for him? Harry felt a sense of shame in his thoughts. He thought that Professor Snape was going to treat him like dirt, just a plaything.

Snape noticed Harry's shift in demeanour and placed a hand on Harry's back. Harry leant into the touch. Severus opened the door and they walked into the room. It was lit beautifully with small wall scones and aesthetic lamp shades. The walls were painted a soft cream, with large windows that faced the town. There was a single four-poster bed, a large chest of drawers, a wardrobe with a fitted mirror and a big cosy armchair.

Harry slumped onto the bed dragging Severus onto the bed beside him. He unshrunk his trunk and placed it by the armchair. Severus smoothed Harry's hair and dropped a kiss onto his forehead."I'm going to clean up and prepare lunch. The water closet is down the hall, there's only one so we'll have to share. Is rice and chicken all right and maybe apple pie for dessert?"

Harry nodded in reply, a smile filling his face as he thought about the warm apple pie Severus was going to make.

Luna walked into the Malfoy Manor, Xenophilius walking beside her, his hand slightly cold in hers. She knew her father worried about her especially when he had head about what she had gone through at this house.

Draco along with his parents welcomed them and they sat at a small table in the garden for evening tea. Xenophilous discussed the business at the Quibbler with Lucius and Narcissa and he even volunteered some information he had heard about the reforms and actions the Ministry was considering taking against Dark families.

Luna and Draco shared a soft smile as they nibbled on dainty sugar cookies and sipped vanilla tea. They thanked Narcissa for the meal and Luna thanked Lucius for the warm welcome. She kissed her father on the head and they excused themselves to go up to Draco's room. The trio of parents watched the young couple walking away hand in hand.

"They look beautiful together don't you think?" Xenophilius whispered as he watched his beautiful daughter walking beside the Malfoy boy.

Narcissa murmured in reply "Luna has been a wonderful influence on Draco and they do balance each other out."

"Yes, Luna is very patient and even though she has her eccentricities they complement Draco's own. I think they're a great match" added in Lucius as he sipped his Oolong tea.

Luna and Draco were going through Draco's collection of Muggle Music. Draco had developed an interest for music during his time at therapy with Master Gregarius. He had visited London with Luna and they spent hours in record stores, buying vinyl records and cassettes. Draco loved the Beatles and Queen, and he had been dying to introduce Luna to them.

Dean and Seamus looked around the small mountain station in awe. Their fathers and mothers had decided to take the scenic route as it was called and what an amazing decision it had been. They had already spent a week in Switzerland and it was beautiful. The water in the lakes was clean, green and calming. They had spent a few days in the bustling town of Geneva and then gone up to Zermatt. 

Their tour guides were two Witches who had got married last summer and they were now running quite a successful business where they travelled, took loads of risky moving pictures and gave some of the best tours, filled with history and loads of interesting trivia.

Both the families had always been close due to Seamus and Dean's friendship but this time they knew how the boys felt about each other and they knew that one day their family would be one. As a result, they had opted to live in guest houses and their mothers were attempting to teach the boys to cook. 

It had gone pretty badly so far, Seamus set the kitchen on fire as the pot he was using to make porridge exploded. Dean cut his finger instead of the potatoes he was asked to dice and this was around the fifth time they had mixed up salt and sugar.

But all in all, this Christmas break was one of the absolute best. No worries about monsters or evil noseless people, no anxious thoughts about wars or the deaths of friends. All was well.