Always Book 3 (Severus Snape Love Story)

Chapter 4: Horace's Christmas Party

Rhiannon's POV:

It has been a few months since what happened, and it was now inching towards Christmas. Horace was having his Chirstmas Party on the 20th of December.

I had overheard Hermione and Harry, "Anyway, Slughorn's going to have a Christmas party, Harry, and there's no way you'll be able to wriggle out of this one because he actually asked me to check your free evenings, so he could be sure to have it on a night you can come." Hermione told him. The ceiling and walls had been draped with emerald, crimson and gold hangings, so that it looked as though they were all inside a vast tent. The room was crowded and stuffy and bathed in the red light cast by an ornate golden lamp dangling from the center of the ceiling in which real fairies were fluttering, each a brilliant speck of light. Loud singing accompanied by what sounded like mandolins issued from a distant corner; a haze of pipe smoke hung over several elderly warlocks deep in conversation, and a number of house-elves were negotiating their way squeakily through the forest of knees, obscured by the heavy silver platters of food they were bearing, so that they looked like little roving tables.

Luna's POV:

"Harry! There you are, thank goodness! Hi, Luna!" Hermione smiled.

"What's happened to you?" Harry asked.

"Oh, I've just escaped — I mean, I've just left Cormac. Under the mistletoe... McLaggen makes Grawp look a gentleman. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming, he's so tall..." Hermione replied, "Rhiannon is over there if you want to say hi." Harry and I looked over to where she was pointing and I noticed that she was talking with Professor Slughorn, with Professor Snape at her side.

Rhiannon's POV:

"So I heard that your mother's name was Arabella Lovegood." Horace said.

"Her last name was Lovegood?" I asked, curiously.

"Yes she was Xenophilius Lovegood's sister, if I do believe." Horace answered, taking a drink from his glass. So I am Luna's cousin?

"So that means-" I started, but was cut off by Luna, who was Harry's date.

"Rhiannon, come on." Luna smiled, and tugged at my hand. I gave her a smile and handed the drink I had in my hand to Sev. I gave him a wink and followed my friend, or should I say cousin. She lead me to the small dance floor that Horace had set up in case anyone wanted to dance. Luna, still holding my hand started to dance. She was such a peculiar girl, but she was a part of my family now, even if she didnt know it.

Harry's POV:

Slughorn first introduced me to author Eldred Worple and vampire Sanguini. When Worple tried to convince me to allow him to write a biography of me, I refused, and swiftly pulled Luna with me to find Hermione. She was relieved to see us, having just ditched Cormac McLaggen, who was very forward with her under the mistletoe. Hermione told us that Rhiannon was talking with Slughorn after I, with Luna, went to find her. After a while Luna went over to Rhiannon and dragged her onto the dance floor. They were getting pretty wild out there. Hermione joined in and then so did Cormac. I waited for them to stop dancing, which eventually they did. Rhiannon got her drink from Snape and came up to us. The four of us had glasses of mead and then ran into Professor Trelawney, who was inebriated and began complaining about having to share teaching Divination with Firenze. Hermione then spotted McLaggen looking for her, and ran off; I denied having seen her when McLaggen questioned me, and quickly turned back to Luna, Rhiannon and Trelawney. Slughorn caught up with me again, praising my skill at Potions to Snape, who regarded me with suspicion at Slughorn's effusive praise, since I had never shown such talent at Potions before. He also sneered at my goal of becoming an Auror.

This prompted Luna to break in, advising me not to become an Auror, as she believed that they were part of the Rotfang Conspiracy: an alleged plan to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using Dark magic and gum disease. I laughed so hard at this that mead came out of his nose.

At this point, Argus Filch dragged in Draco Malfoy, whom he had caught trying to gate crash, and who I noted looked pale and tired. Slughorn gave Draco permission to stay, but Snape quickly dragged him off for a private word. Rhiannon followed. I told Luna I was going to the bathroom, and followed them.

"Listen to me. I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco -" Snape hissed, while Rhiannon stood behind him.

"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!" Draco retorted.

"Draco, please. I-We want to help you." Rhiannon said. Draco looked at her and sighed.

"Because you are my friend, I can not let you do that." Draco said softly.

"What because I would be in danger? Draco, I hate to break this to you but I am already in danger. As long as I am his 'sex toy' so he could have an heir, I will always be in danger. I eavesdropped on a conversation in which Snape tried to offer Draco help with a mission Lord Voldemort had given him, admitting that he had made an Unbreakable Vow with Draco's mother to protect him, but Draco refused his help. He accused Snape of trying to steal his glory; Snape replied that he was acting like a child. When he brought up the recent imprisonment of Draco's father, Draco stormed off. Rhiannon hit Snape upside the head.

"Nice going dunderhead!" Rhiannon hissed going after Draco. I returned to the party afterwards, and learned from an irate McLaggen that Hermione had already left. I huffed.

~Christmas(Harry's POV)~

"Has it occurred to you, Harry, that Snape was simply pretending -?" Arthur asked.

"Pretending to offer help, so that he could find out what Malfoy's up to? Yeah, I thought you'd say that. But how do we know?" I retorted.

"It isn't our business to know. It's Dumbledore's business. Dumbledore trusts Severus, and that ought to be good enough for all of us." Remus stated, "And if Rhiannon trusts him then its good enough for me, because that girl doesnt trust easy." I had already been suspicious that Draco was up to something, and mistrustful of Snape in spite of his role as a spy for the Order. I told Hermione, who agreed with the Order, when the holidays were over.

Rhiannon's POV:

Sev and I went back to Grimmuald Place for Christmas, even though I had to practically drag him. He finally agreed when I threatened about him sleeping on the couch. When we arrived we were greeted by my father.

"They are asleep." he said, "The others are at the Burrow."

"Are we going to the Burrow?" I asked him.

"Once the twins wake up." He answered, and to that Sev growled lowly.

"What did I say before we left Hogwarts?" I asked, crossing my arms looking at Sev.

"Yeah yeah." he huffed, rolling his eyes. I glared at him and my father laughed.