Chapters 161-170

Under the Mistletoe

‘HOUSE-ELF!’ Severus roared, staring at the room in disbelief. ‘What have you done?’

‘Oh my God,’ Hermione breathed. ‘A Christmas tree with real candles. And garlands of holly around the mantel piece. And Christmas stockings! Look, one is green and silver and the other golden and red!’ She had the nerve to giggle. ‘And—oh, Severus! Look, up there! Mistletoe! Now you have to kiss me!’

He looked down at the young woman, the way she peered around him at his dingy living room full of delight, her brown eyes glowing, her cheeks still red from the cold wind, her curls accordingly in utter turmoil…Somehow his left hand found its way to her back, the fingers of his right stroked gently over her cheek, trailed down to that stubborn chin, tilted it upwards…

He found her lips were soft and warm and welcoming.

For a moment, both of them relaxed into that quiet touch of mouth meeting mouth. Then he pressed closer against her and began to stroke his lips against hers, teased her lips with his tongue—only to be welcomed all over again. Her hands went around his neck, eagerly drawing him closer. When she opened her mouth for him, her own tongue eager to meet his, teasing, twining, he did not need Legilimency to feel her hunger as his own.

When they broke apart, breathing heavily, even more flushed than before, Severus could barely remember why he had summoned the house-elf that was trying very hard to act as if she was nothing but another piece of furniture inside the living room.

‘Master Professor Snape has summoned Winky, sir?’

Hermione smiled. Happiness sparked a warm, amber glow in her brown eyes. She knelt down in front of the house-elf and solemnly extended her hand to Winky.

‘Thank you very much, Winky,’ she said softly. ‘This very beautiful.’

The diminutive elf stared at Hermione suspiciously, and Severus recalled his wife’s teenaged efforts of her ‘freedom for house-elves campaign’.

‘You is not giving Winky clothes, is you?’ the elf asked. Then she screwed up her face. Fat tears were rolling down her cheeks. ‘I forgets,’ Winky whispered. ‘You can’t give Winky clothes. Winky is a lost elf. Wi-wi-without a ho-home. A-a-and without a fa-family.’

Hermione raised her head and met his gaze. He could see the question in her eyes.

‘I thought you wanted to liberate all house-elves,’ he said grumpily.

She sighed, and the warmth faded from her eyes. ‘I—did. I still do. Or at least to see them treated well. And with respect. But…I know how it is to lose a family now.’ He knew she was not just talking about her parents. ‘And I—’ she huffed a little and rolled her eyes at him. ‘I guess I have to admit that I didn’t really have all my facts straight when I started SPEW.’

Hermione looked back at Winky who was waiting patiently for their temporary masters to decide what they wanted from her. Severus felt uncomfortably reminded of an abandoned puppy that didn’t know whether to expect beatings or treats.

‘How does it work?’ Hermione asked in a low voice. ‘Do you know? Would Minerva mind?’

He shrugged and shook his head. ‘No, I’m afraid I don’t. It’s not a situation that occurs very often.’ Then he sighed, giving in to the inevitable. Actually, he thought, that idea is not all that bad. Then someone would be around to take care of Hermione if I don’t—

‘Minerva won’t mind. There are hundreds of Hogwarts house-elves, and Winky isn’t really a Hogwarts elf to begin with.’ He turned his attention to the creature before of him.

‘Winky,’ he asked kindly. ‘How do house-elves acquire a new house and a new family?’

Winky’s eyes widened. ‘Need,’ she chirped. ‘Need there must be. By house and family. And oath there must be. Wizard oath and house-elf oath.’

Severus raised his eyebrows. He hadn’t expected that adopting a house-elf involved that much ceremony and circumstance. ‘Winky—do you think that this house and this family is in need of a house-elf?’

That got the elf’s attention. Winky straightened up, power sizzled around her. She cocked her head, brown eyes narrowing as she appeared to listen to something. He felt the idiotic urge to mimic the gesture so he might hear whatever Winky was listening to. ‘Yes,’ the house-elf hummed. ‘Is need. Terrible need. Not enough magic here for this being a wizard-home,’ she said reproachfully, glaring at him.

‘I—’ He would be damned if he apologized for the condition of this house to an elf!

The house-elf’s ears twitched as she regarded him thoughtfully. ‘Yes,’ she chirruped, and her eyes were huge and soft and sad as she gazed up at him. ‘Big, big need. You give me your oath, I give you mine,’ she squeaked forcefully. ‘And no clothes. Not ever.’

It was satisfying to see how Hermione gaped at Winky, dumbstruck at the little elf’s determination.

Severus awkwardly cleared his throat. ‘No clothes,’ he promised. ‘Never, as long as we both shall live.’ Which might not be all that long where I am concerned, he amended silently. ‘However,’ Severus added. ‘How do you feel about agreeing to a pay of uh…two Galleons a week? And a day off every fortnight? Just to indulge my wife. I think you know how…concerned about elfish welfare she is.’

The elf growled at that suggestion. But apparently it was not a deal-breaker. The bat-like ears kept twitching, the nose that looked remarkably similar to a tomato in shape and colour wrinkled thoughtfully. At last Winky sighed and rolled her eyes. ‘If it makes Mistress happy, Winky is happy. Very well. Winky will be house-elf to the grand House of Snape and serve Master Professor Sir and—’ She sniffed. ‘Mistress Apprentice Madam.’

Then she looked expectantly at him. ‘Master Professor Sir? You take oath first.’