Christmas 2003

Given to me by K as a present.

Severus Snape hated parties. With a passion. If he was surrounded by persons of intellect, perhaps he may have tolerated socializing. As it was, it seemed he was forever doomed to be surrounded by incompetents and those who just did not have the knowledge in the right subjects. But he bore with it because being constantly surrounded by people was something that came with his lover; as much as said lover also did not quite relish people and attention in abundance, there were just some things the Boy Who Lived -- an epithet far outdated by now, but it still stuck -- could not escape.

And, if anything else, Severus could always count on the fact that the younger man always made up for the 'torture' he was put through. More than adequately, in fact.

But this time...

"Potter."

Knowing that tone of voice, Harry poked his head out of the bathroom. "What is it?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

He pointed. At their headboard was a string of small pouches of fine netting, alternating in gold and silver. Each was filled with objects green and red in color, which he could not readily discern through the weaves of thread. Harry, curiosity piqued, abandoned the bathroom -- shirtless, and Severus for the nth time took the time to admire that wiry, graceful body -- in favor of investigating the pouches.

It was only a moment or two before he began to laugh.

"Mistletoe. And plenty of it." A slight pause. "I'll bet we both know the culprits."

Harry turned around. "Which means, with so much of it, we compound the consequences, don't we?"

The only innocence he held was that which colored his tone. Severus did not deign to answer him.

Not with words, anyway.

Shimmer Me Back