~~~~HP~~~~

Thursday, 25 December 1997

Hi Harry!

Guess what?! Draco and I are engaged!

I'll give you more details when we get back to school, but it was honestly a perfect proposal for us. Draco gave me my Christmas gift at my parents' party tonight - a puzzle and he said it wouldn't open to reveal the true gift inside until I solved the equation. He said he expected it'd take me weeks to solve it, which it probably would have had I not been so determined to see what was so important to hide.

Well, I figured it out in less than an hour (with him standing next to me the entire time muttering how it'd take me until February) and opened it to find the most stunning ring inside - which Draco said you and Ron have already seen!

How did you keep this a secret from me?!

Anyway, as I was staring at it, more confused than I should have been, I saw Draco bend down on one knee next to me… in the middle of my parents' garden, surrounded by his parents and my family.

The rest was a bit of a blur. I'm sure he'll give me a hard time for not remembering what must have been a beautiful speech, but all that matters is that I said yes!

Draco is telling me to hurry this along so he can get it to Apollo in time to fly it to Spinner's End, and I still have to write one to Ron. I hope you and Severus have a great Christmas, and in case I don't hear from you before New Years, I hope you're well enough to go home to spend it with Dudley. He's looking forward to seeing you and being back at Spinner's End.

I love you, Harry. Take care!

Hermione

Harry smiled down at the letter open on his lap as he read it under the warm yellow light of the reading lamp above his hospital bed. The letter was written on a piece of muggle paper and in the worst handwriting Harry had ever seen Hermione write in, especially considering she had used a muggle biro and not a quill. Had it not been for its contents and her scribbled signature on the bottom, Harry might have thought someone had been impersonating his friend. But no. The letter - with OPEN ME FIRST written on the front of the envelope and underlined three times - waiting for him on top of the pile of gifts Snape brought back last night well after Harry had fallen asleep, could only have come from Hermione.

Draco seriously underestimated her, Harry thought to himself, reading the limited details for the fourth time. Leave it to Hermione to foil Draco's well-planned proposal and force him to ask her in front of their parents rather than in the privacy of Hogwarts sometime next spring. She probably loved it, too!

"What's so funny?" Snape grumbled from his bed beneath the window, drawing Harry's attention to his not as silent as he thought chuckle.

"They're officially engaged." Harry held up Hermione's letter for context.

Snape yawned loudly and craned his neck to read the red illuminated clock between them. Harry had been awake since his five o'clock vital check over two hours ago. Unable to fall back asleep, he tried his hardest not to disturb Snape, who was soundly sleeping meters from his bed, but he clearly failed.

"Based on Apollo's frantic delivery of the missive, I had my suspicions. He practically flew straight into my head as I was leaving home to disapparate here," Snape explained. The professor stood, stretching his arms high above his head as soon as he was on his feet, and joined Harry on the edge of his bed. The teen held in a snicker at the sight of Snape's attempted Christmas pyjamas - a flannel red, white and green, chequered set Harry hadn't seen him wear before and matched the red, white, black pair Harry wore. "I thought you said it'd take her a while to figure out the puzzle box."

"That's what Draco thought too". Harry shook his head in jest. "He figured he had at least until Valentine's day. Turns out, she opened in under an hour."

"It hardly shocks me after seven years of knowing Hermione."

Snape's praise of Hermione's intelligence made Harry smile. Although he didn't know how close, or not, the other Harry's friends were to Snape, he doubted any Severus Snape could give out compliments like that without them being well earned.

Snape flipped on the little lamp on Harry's bedside table, making the bags under the professor's eyes, which were as prominent as Harry's, impossible for Harry to ignore. Every worry line ripped at Harry's chest, a visual reminder of the toll the man paid for everything he faced this term, particularly on a day like today when they should be at home celebrating the holiday. But today, of all days, Harry didn't want to dwell on their situation. He didn't want to think about his blood counts or the constant physical and mental exhaustion in his body, made worse by not getting a decent night's sleep in nearly a week. He didn't want to think about how much he wished he'd woken up at Shell Cottage or Spinner's End would do, or how much his hospitalization affected Snape's holiday. Today he'd have to work harder to keep his spirits raised and focus on what they did have: each other, their friends, and Mae.

"What time did you get back this morning?" Harry slyly asked. It seemed as good a place to start as any. "Things must have gone well last night, huh? Any announcement of your own to make?"

"No," Snape bluntly said, much to Harry's unexpected disappointment, not realizing how badly he wanted Snape to propose to Mae. "We had a lovely night overall."

"And her dad?" Harry prodded. "Do you have his unwavering approval?"

Harry's bed sank slightly at Snape's deep sigh. "Based on his cordial demeanour towards us as we left, and an open invitation to visit again, I consider the night a success."

Harry bobbed his head, having little to offer in support since he had little experience in meeting even his friends' parents, let alone a date's. And, technically, he'd already met Luna's father at Bill's wedding, although not under his new title of boyfriend. Yet, for some reason, that didn't seem to count.

"Did she like the necklace?" Harry asked. "What did she get you for Christmas?"

Snape glared at Harry from the corner of his eye. "That's quite a presumption to make."

"C'mon," Harry argued. "If she left me a gift yesterday, I think it's safe to assume she got you, her boyfriend, something too."

The older wizard gave a brief check behind him at the closed door before summoning a book from the open bag beside the sofa bed.

"You're getting too comfortable doing that," Harry cautioned. "Someone is going to catch you doing that one of these days."

During this cycle's treatment, Harry's magic, or magic in general, had become a rather sore subject. Aside from his accidental magic getting out of control - resulting in Snape having to creatively explain a few broken objects and a door slamming shut in his nurse's face once or twice before his infusion changes - each round of the searing stomach pains served as an awful reminder to Harry that the muggle chemotherapy was literally killing his magical core; sending him back to the day he lost it completely during his brief stay with McGonagall. Harry assumed Snape caught onto his animosity towards it and they avoided the topic at all costs, with the expectation of a few sharp remarks whenever Snape used his magic.

"So you've previously said," the professor sleepily said. He handed Harry the leather-bound book he'd risked summoning and tipped his head towards the book safely stored within reach on Harry's bedside table. "Mae's family owns a bookstore and helped her track down a special edition of the one Hermione gifted you. She thought it'd be something for us to do together. That is, once I catch up to your chapter."

Harry swallowed against the rising tightness in his chest. "I don't know if you'll be able to catch up. I've made it all the way to chapter three. Unless you're willing to put in some late nights, I'm afraid you're just too far behind."

Snape rolled his eyes in response.

"That was nice of her, though… to think of us," Harry continued, more seriously. He flipped idly through Snape's book, admiring the craftsmanship of the pages, never expecting to be so impressed by a text "Hermione would love this, you know. And if Mae grew up spending any time in her parents' bookstore, I bet they'd get along brilliantly."

"They certainly will." Snape shifted uncomfortably on the end of Harry's bed, abruptly altering the mood between them. "I have to tell you something, Harry. Something about last night."

"Is it bad?" Harry asked, his face falling slightly at Snape's guarded tone. "Because you sound like it's bad."

"You may be upset with me about it, however, it's my duty to disclose it to you."

That surely didn't sit well with Harry. "Go on," he urged, holding his breath hoping it would calm his racing heart.

Snape adjusted himself to better face Harry as he said, "I told Mae about the adoption."

Harry blinked, expecting Snape to continue with whatever bad news he had about it. When it became clear he was finished, at least for now, Harry licked his lips and asked the only logical explanation for Snape's anxious mood, "Did she break up with you?"

"What?!" Snape exclaimed. Harry jumped at his loud voice in the otherwise peaceful room. Clearly, he'd been wrong. "Why would you think we broke up?"

"I don't know!" Harry shrugged his shoulders high into the air. "Maybe because I can't see any other reason it'd matter if you told her about the adoption?!"

Black and green eyes locked on each other, daring the other to make the next move first. Genuinely confused by the situation, Harry refused to make a sound, forcing Snape to speak first and giving Harry a bit of pride in his ability to hold his ground. "We never talked about how Mae fit into those plans and when I would tell her about it."

"Did we have to? I figured you'd tell Mae," Harry reasoned. "She's your girlfriend, Severus. And you guys are getting serious." To help prove his point, Harry held up the very personal gift Mae had given her boyfriend. "She should know that dating you means she's stuck with me."

"Ah." Snape's eyes brightened in realization. "Hence, the breaking up part."

"Yeah," Harry shrugged again. "What if she doesn't want to be my… " he trailed off, searching for the right word to explain his relation to her should the couple get married someday. A grimace crossed his face when it hit him. "My stepmother? That sounds weird."

Snape placed his hand on Harry's covered knee. "One," he reassuringly began, "Mae and I aren't near marriage yet, and I will discuss it with you when… if… it looks like it's heading in that direction.

"Two, how you refer to me, or whoever may or may not become my significant other, is entirely up to you and your comfort. I am perfectly fine to remain as Severus."

"I sometimes call you dad." Harry blurted out, without thinking. Quickly, he averted his eyes to protect whatever small amount of dignity he had left.

The hand on his knee gave a pronounced squeeze. "In all ways but blood, I consider you my son, Harry, even without the piece of paper telling us so. I will answer to any title, or name, you choose to call me. Although, given the circumstances, Professor hardly seems appropriate anymore."

Harry let out a sarcastic laugh. "Kind of ironic, don't you think? Seeing how badly you pounded it into my head during my first four years?"

"Yes. Well, to be fair, it didn't happen like that where I came from."

"I suppose not," Harry mumbled. A pang of jealousy hit him thinking about the other version of himself. How much better would he have been if his Snape had taken two seconds to see the real Harry and not the one his bitter mind created. Not a stranger to this flawed logic, Harry reminded himself how he was still alive; how all of his pain here, and Voldemort's return, influenced him to choose the muggle chemotherapy.

Once again choosing not to dwell on his negativity any longer, and destroying what little of festivities they had for the holidays, Harry mustered up his energy to push himself out of bed and shuffled himself to his duffle bag near the attached lavatory. Snape's eyes were warily monitoring him as he pulled out last year's Christmas jumper from Mrs Weasley - already envisioning a new one somewhere in the stack of wrapped boxes by his bed - and his stack of still clean socks until he reached the long silver-wrapped tube he packed last week. Unable to use magic to compensate for the pain and numbing in his hands, Snape's Christmas present was far from perfectly wrapped. The paper was unevenly cut, the tape lumped throughout, and the bow placed sideways, but Harry was proud to have done it all himself.

"I was going to wait until later today, but now seems like a good time for this," he said once he returned to his bed, relieved to be off his feet again. He held out his gift to his future father. "Happy Christmas, Severus. It's not much-"

"I'm sure it's perfect, Harry." Snape spun the tube three times in his hands, increasing Harry's self-consciousness about his chosen gift, before slowly removing the Christmas paper to reveal a plain brown cardboard tube. The professor raised an eyebrow in question.

"The top pops open," Harry instructed, pointing to the white disc sealing the tube, which came off with a satisfying pop when Snape pulled on it.

For reasons Harry couldn't fathom, watching Snape extract the two muggle paper-sized pictures from their container and flatten them out on the bed between them made him more nervous than even their first Christmas together.

The top one was a drawing of Snape and Mae that Harry had started long before his hands gave up on him, leaving it just over halfway done. They were walking arm-in-arm along the stone bridge outside the French hotel where Harry and Snape had stayed for Bill's wedding. While the grassy section to the left of the bridge remained unfinished, Harry could easily imagine the riverbed where he, Ron, and Hermione had laid under the tree discussing their future and, ironically, the dinner Hermione had at Malfoy Manor. If Harry had to pinpoint the precise moment he knew the young couple would eventually announce their engagement, watching his friend talk about her boyfriend on that afternoon would be it. It was why Harry used the same background to draw Snape and his girlfriend. Hopefully, they would one day take the same path.

Saying nothing, Snape placed the first picture to the side to reveal the second: a replica of the sketch Harry had given to Snape last year of the two of them, drawn from behind, standing on the edge of a beach, their trousers rolled up, and Snape with his arm around Harry's shoulders. This version, however, moved in the same way as any real-life wizarding picture would. It started at their backs, with the waves lapping at their bare feet, then progressively adjusted the perspective around them until both wizards were in a profile view, still staring out at the vast ocean in front of them, before resetting to start over. When the side of Harry's face became visible on the second loop, Snape's long fingers brushed against his cheek.

"Harry, I love this. How did you-" the professor started, but Harry cut him off.

"A few months ago Ron considered getting a tattoo. It was a very short-lived idea–" Harry chuckled at the memory of how quickly he changed his mind when Lavender insisted he get a heart with RW+LB inside of it. "-but when he showed us the options he was looking at, they all moved. I didn't realize magical tattoos were a thing."

"A specialized artist can enchant them like our pictures," Snape explained, still visibly confused about how it related to Harry's gift.

"That's what Hermione said too," Harry said, "when I asked her about it and told her I wanted to make one of my sketches move."

Snape lowered his gaze to the image and remarked, "Since the artist would not know what follows next in the sequence you would need to provide additional work for a painting such as this. In this case, the artist might have no issues with adding waves or the rustling of the wind through our hair, but he or she would have no source material on our faces when rotating to the side."

"Right." Harry nodded with a sad smile. "That was my first obstacle because when I sent what I wanted it to do, the wizard told me he couldn't move it to show our profiles without me drawing it out first... Which I can't do anymore."

"So, how did you do it?"

Harry suddenly became interested in the loose thread on his bedspread, picking at it as he explained, "I sent him a copy of a couple other pieces I did of us last year and he filled in the rest. I know it's technically not all made by me, but not being able to draw much of anything anymore -"

Harry looked up when Snape's firm, steady hand clasped his shoulder. "It's perfect, Harry," the man said, his voice never once faltering. "They are both absolutely perfect. Thank you."

The pride swelling up in Harry upon hearing those words, after spending weeks worrying himself for not actually drawing the completed picture, was like nothing he'd experienced before. "You're welcome, Severus."

Snape returned to the partial sketch of him and Mae. This time Harry made no mention of his excuse for its incomplete state. Snape knew exactly why, and while it frustrated Harry having to give it to him like that, it did not humiliate him to do so.

"I'm fine with Mae knowing about the adoption," Harry said a little above a whisper. "I haven't told my friends yet, but I will once we get back to school. Things were so busy these last couple weeks, it didn't really come up."

"Good. On both accounts." Snape neatly stacked the two pictures on the bed, the moving one tucked safely away from any wandering muggle eyes. "You all have matured so much this year… at least most of you have… and I'm confident any old feelings regarding our relationship have long passed. I'm sure they will be thrilled for you now. As was Mae when I told her last night."

"She was?" Harry hated how the slight hitch in his voice put his emotions on full display. He wanted Mae to stay. It might appear childish, and he'd never say it out loud, but he wanted the couple to work out, and for the three of them to eventually become a family.

"I suppose it's my turn to give you your gift," Snape announced, this time getting up to retrieve the large red and gold wrapped box from the bag beside his makeshift bed instead of summoning it.

Longer than it was wide, the box took up Harry's lap down to his knees and came out roughly fifteen centimetres past the outside of each leg. It made no sound when Harry tipped it side-to-side, as he'd seen Dudley do on every gift-receiving occasion, nor did the weight disperse, suggesting something moving inside.

"Open it," Snape instructed. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile and Harry saw the hint of a twinkle in his obsidian eyes accompany it.

Harry uncharacteristically tore open the paper, pausing when he got to a black leather case, kept closed by a thick golden latch on the front. Curious, he flipped it over twice on his lap, searching for a label or tag identifying the contents and frowned when he found none.

"Open it," Snape repeated, more urgently this time. His swift peek over his shoulder towards the closed door hinted at a magical element to the gift.

The young wizard inhaled deeply before lifting the latch and opening the case. For a split second, Harry's eyes brightened at the sight of the most comprehensive, beautifully crafted coloured pencils he had ever seen, until reality struck him and his heart sank. A million thoughts raced through his head, the most important of which was how he couldn't use the damn pencils, something he knew Snape knew long before he would have chosen this gift for Harry. And even if he had bought them long before Harry's hands had stopped working, hadn't Harry just told Snape he couldn't provide the additional artwork for his moving picture? Why would Snape - someone so detail-oriented it made Hermione look like a toddler - still give it to him? And look so delighted about it? The disappointment on Harry's gaunt face must have been obvious, causing Snape to speak up.

"They're magical," the professor stated, though the words didn't immediately register with Harry. "Professor Flitwick was kind enough to lend me several Advanced Charms Texts so I… along with some assistance from Fred and George Weasley in the early renditions… could enchant a set of pencils to help compensate for some of the struggles you are having while you're drawing. I know how important sketching is to you, and how much you miss it, and I wanted to do something to help.

"They won't fix everything, and I owe Fred or George the chance to review the final spells for some products they are working on, but it should ease your overall frustration. And inside…" He pointed to a pocket on the top of the case from which Harry drew a small rubber device with holes in it to hold a pencil in his hand. "...That is to help with your grip on the pencils. Dr Swanson recommended this one. However, there are many types available, so we can purchase a different style should it not help in the way you need it."

Harry had no shame in the tears welling up in his eyes and falling down his cheeks. Tears of joy and gratitude. Between the help to grip his pencil and the magic to keep his lines steady, there was hope he may return to his drawing again; an activity he was hating for not being able to do anymore. Overwhelmed by his feelings, Harry leapt up - faster than he had in the previous three days - to wrap his arms around Snape, completely forgetting about the lines to his port until he felt them tug on his chest, making him wince at the sting.

"Thank you does not seem good enough," Harry admitted, swiping his cheek with the side of his hand. "I can't believe… When did you have time to do this?"

The question left Harry's mouth before he realized he was thinking it. When, in his overwhelmingly hectic schedule, did Snape have the time to research, enchant, and test this? As if the man didn't already go above and beyond for him, this was almost too much.

"It was worth it to see you happy," Snape assured him. "Now, would you like to open the rest of your gifts now, or may I get dressed and grab a cup of coffee first?"

~~~SS~~~

Severus closed his eyes and rested his head against the headrest of the sofa in Harry's hospital room, attempting to drown out the conversation between Harry and Lupin, who had arrived for a surprise visit shortly after lunch.

For having to spend the holiday in the hospital, outside of his early wake-up call after his late return to the hospital, Severus and Harry had a perfect Christmas morning together. Severus doubted he'd ever forget the sheer elation on Harry's face when he explained the pencil set or the feeling of Harry's embrace afterwards. It was the pure love of a child for his father.

With another round of medication giving the young wizard a bit more energy, the rest of the morning was spent opening gifts and discussing their thoughts on Draco and Hermione's upcoming nuptials. They talked about everything from the reaction of the respective parents to the date, and the likelihood of there being two weddings - one muggle and the other magical - to satisfy both families' unique backgrounds. Outside of the guests, Severus hadn't considered the Granger-Malfoy wedding requiring two ceremonies because a magical wedding differed little from a muggle one. When Harry asked about it, however, Severus doubted the Malfoys would abandon the idea of a magically austere wedding any more than they'd pretend to be muggles for the day of the event. As a result, they'd have to keep the families apart, except for the parents on each side, an issue Severus was secretly relieved he and Mae would never face if they married. Sever had no Pureblood facade to uphold, therefore marrying Mae in a pure muggle wedding would be more than acceptable.

The wedding talk continued when Lupin and Tonks arrived with their gifts in tow. In hindsight, Severus felt slightly bad for cursing them in his head for forgetting about Harry when not one gift beside the young Gryffindor's bed this morning came from them. While he would have appreciated an advanced notice of their visit, just in case Harry was not up for the in-person company, he also should have given them the benefit of the doubt that they intended to visit instead. For as difficult as Harry's week had been, the young Gryffindor perked up at the sight of the last Marauder, and so Severus kept his option on the matter to himself.

"Late night? Out or in?" Severus cracked his left eye open at the extremely close proximity of Tonks's voice. Without waiting for a response, she added, "Lemme guess… out celebrating with your girlfriend."

Severus sat up to face the woman who he would soon be tied to first by Harry's adoption in April, and then through her marriage to Lupin in May. Not to mention, she'd covered his classes for him dozens of times, and he'd only tolerated her, at best, so the least he could do was make an effort on Christmas.

"Did it take your extraordinary auror skills to reach that conclusion?" Severus inquired, his arms tucked onto the tops of his thighs to appear more accepting of her company.

"Nah." She dramatically waved at him with a loud snort. Apparently, she took no offense at his comment. "Harry told me about it earlier. It's good for you to get out and enjoy some time for yourself. Keeps you in touch with the world outside of Hogwarts and this hospital."

As she reached out to pat his shoulder at the end of her statement, Severus jerked it away, leaving her hand dangling ominously between them. "Not that my social life is any of your concern, but we had a lovely time last night." It was as close to civil as he'd get to sharing his personal life with her, no matter how linked they'd be in the coming months. "How about you? Did you and your fiance visit your parents yesterday?"

Tonks shook her head. "We're having dinner with them tonight. Remus and I celebrated between us yesterday and figured we'd dedicate today to our families. Harry's our first stop, so we can spend as much time with him as possible, then end the night at my parents' place."

"How thoughtful of you."

Severus wanted to ask if this visit was a one-time holiday visit or if the couple finally grasped the importance of their relationship with Harry. But one look at the two Gryffindors made Severus hold his tongue. Despite his heavy breathing and his pale, pallid face, Harry sat upright in his bed grinning at Lupin - who sat casually cross-legged on the bed, as if the muggle hospital room was a normal setting for the wizard - while they explored a new Quidditch book Minerva had given Harry for Christmas. Ultimately, Harry needed Lupin, and the werewolf was actually trying to establish a bond with him. What more could Severus want?

Consistency, Severus decided in his head. He wanted to see this kind of attention given to the boy they all adored consistently, not just when it suited them, and reminding himself that the couple had to start somewhere did little to satisfy him.

"It means a lot to him too, y'know," Tonks whispered softly, having followed his gaze and was now spying on the wizards. She faced him again, "Thank you… for your support. Harry's a special kid to Remus, and not just because he is James' son. He's given Remus a purpose… more than even I have. He's spent nights awake researching all he can find about muggle medicine, most of which is way over my head, to understand what Harry's going through and how it's affecting his magic now. It's- it's been good for him, especially with me spending more and more weeks on Azkaban duty."

The irony of his inner monologue's differing perspective on the matter made Severus chuckle dryly. "I have nothing to do with Harry's opinion-"

"We both know that's a lie," Tonks interjected his humble rebuttal. " You're Harry's pillar of stability, something Remus admires and wishes he could be. And because of that - because Harry looks up to you - you can block this relationship if you wanted. It's no secret how tense things were between Harry and Remus last year, and Remus has only himself to blame for how things came out, so it wouldn't take much more than telling Harry what you told us earlier this year for Harry to change his mind. Obviously, you haven't expressed your thoughts on the subject, and for that, I thank you."

Lost for words, Severus had never been so grateful for the tap on the door interrupting their conversation. Although Severus foresaw the news that Sabrina, Harry's head nurse for the day, was there to deliver wouldn't be good, hearing how once again Harry's blood counts were still too low to be discharged, and that they'd 'try again in two days', wasn't easy. It created a sombre atmosphere in the room while the nurse went about checking Harry's vitals, asking him questions that a year ago the young wizard might have considered too personal to answer in their current company, and adjusting his medication.

If it hadn't been Christmas Day, Severus would have known that the knock on the door less than three minutes after Sabrina left, and Christopher walked in, had been pre-planned. Based on the fragments of conversations Severus overheard during his three separate coffee runs to the ward kitchenette, Harry's unmotivated, lacklustre attitude this cycle had not gone unnoticed by the nursing staff. Throughout the week Christopher had spent an abnormally long amount of time this cycle trying to convince Harry to go to the Hub, out of his room, and then out of bed, but to see the Child Life Specialist show up on Christmas Day drove a jolt of appreciation so deep into Severus's soul he how idea how he'd ever repay it.

"Happy Christmas to my favourite patient! Full house today, huh?" Christopher joyfully announced his arrival in the room. He took a broad sweep of the room, beginning with Severus and Tonks near the window and ending at the bed where he extended his hand out to Lupin to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Christopher, and I'm one of the Child Life Specialists assigned to this ward. I apologize if we've already met, I try to remember everyone's family, but unfortunately, we have a lot of kids coming through here. And Severus is typically Harry's only regular visitor."

"Remus Lupin," the older Gryffindor said as he firmly shook the younger man's hand. "I'm an old friend of Harry's biological father."

"Practically my uncle," Harry offered, and something about the title made Severus's chest tight, though again, he kept his mouth shut.

"I'm Tonks, Remus's finance," the Hufflepuff in front of Severus added, lifting her hand in a quick greeting.

"Wonderful," Christopher said, looking over Tonks; surely a sight to see with her half-red and half-green shoulder length plaited hair and in a dress covered in small bells - which Severus would bet she spelt not to move - over a pair of tall heavy boot Severus could see purchasing for himself. A swift shake of his head brought the muggle back into their presence. "I came here to let Harry know about some Christmas activities going on in the Hub this afternoon. Tree decorating, biscuits, and maybe a holiday surprise or two," he directed at Harry. Then to the adults, he said, "You all are more than welcome to join too! There are plenty of families there taking part in the activities with the kids."

The room fell silent, awaiting Harry's direction. Severus wanted to jump in, knowing, if for no other reason, it'd be good for Harry to get up and move. But the teen had to make the decision for himself, or else he'd be contemptuous during the outing; which would be disastrous for everyone. Unfortunately, Severus tightened his jaw closed against his disappointment at Harry's answer.

"I'm not feeling too good today. Definitely not up for socializing," the young wizard muttered. His eyes met Severus's, briefly, both averting away less than a second later - Harry's to his knees and Severus's to the medications which significantly helped him through most of the day thus far.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Christopher sighed but didn't give up as easily as Harry had likely hoped. "Dr Michael said you missed group the other day, and Sabrina mentioned you've had a rough go this cycle. I think you'll find the distraction at the Hub to be just what you need."

Everyone in the room held their breath as Harry stared blankly at the man.

"Doesn't your family miss you today?" Harry blurted out, defiantly. "Or do you not have any family?"

Harry's abrupt shift in the subject and tone took aback everyone. Everyone that was, except for Christopher, who stood steady, refusing to let Harry deter him from his mission; a mission which would ultimately benefit Harry. How many patients regularly fought him like this? What else did Christopher put up with in order to encourage patients to act in their best interest? And how could he keep his composure when the person he was trying to help spoke to him so insolently? Severus truly wanted to know his answer to the last one, having yet to uncover that particular secretin dealing with his students.

"Yes, I have a family," Christopher calmly stated. "I have a wife and a three-year-old son, both of whom understand and support my taking a few hours out of our holiday to help run the activities here… for kids who may not get to see their family because they cannot go home for Christmas."

Severus watched as Harry's face turned as dark crimson as the left side of Tonks's hair. His colour was from shame, though, not from being festive.

"I need to take this." Harry motioned his head to the IV stand which had literally been his constant shadow for the past week, following him on every walk, trip to the loo, and shuffling between furniture in his room. But Christopher and Severus knew the statement hadn't been an objection to the idea, rather, it was Harry's agreement to go. "And I might need a little help walking there."

"Of course, Harry." Lupin volunteered, as he rushed up to assist Harry out of bed, missing the teen's head ducked in shame.

At Harry's request, Severus and Christopher took over aiding the teen to the lavatory and then out into the corridor. For once, Severus gave Lupin the credit he deserved by not being offended by Harry' choosing Severus over him. Deep down, validating Tonks' earlier warning, it acknowledged Severus's place in Harry's life and showed how Harry was more important than the last Marauder's pride.

The agonizingly long walk to the Hub served as a harsh reminder of Harry's ongoing struggle. However, none of them complained. Christopher took the front, instinctively remaining in a proper position for Harry's meticulous stride without ever noticeably looking behind him. Then came Harry with Severus beside him, ready to assist if the young wizard needed him, and proud when he managed all on his own. Remus and Tonks were at the back of their impromptu line, the former chatting on about some renovations in his home to keep Harry's mind occupied with anything besides his discomfort. It felt normal to have the couple there, simultaneously complicating and reshaping Severus's views of them.

The cheery Christmas music spilling out of the Hub and into the courier welcomed them to the party long before they reached the door Christopher held open for their procession. When they approached the doorway of the room, Severus audibly gasped, his eyes widening to take in the extravagantly decorated space; made even more impressive when he realized volunteers had done entirely it without the aid of any magic.

For being an already well-designed, pleasantly inviting space created to help lift the spirits of their young patients, the Christmas decorations throughout the Hub far exceeded anything Severus could have imagined. Akin to something he expected to see at Hogwarts, stings of large faux-pine garland, adorned with sparkling silver tinsel and white lights, lined the entire ceiling from end to end, giving the illusion that it was snowing in their makeshift Winter Wonderland. Hand-painted ornaments of all different shapes and sizes hung from the garland, which, according to Christopher, had all been made throughout the month by patients, nurses, and volunteers and could still be added to until the New Year if Harry wanted to paint one or two today. Small yellow stars twinkled randomly around the centre to complete the ceiling, leaving nearly no surface above them untouched.

A series of stuffed fabric Snowmen, surrounded by piles of fake snow, lined the wall underneath the television on the right, opposite the tall artificial tree on the wall in front of the window. Seven or eight children - at least three of whom were easily identified as current patients by their Christmas robes, slippers, and infusion poles - and four adults dressed in the most outrageous Christmas jumpers Severus had ever seen, were all talking or singing as they added ornaments, tinsel, and lights to the tree from a stack of boxes on the floor beside them. The adults methodically handed out the decorations to the children, ensuring everyone could participate at their own pace.

Tables covered in light blue cloths with silver snowflakes and white plastic chairs were scattered throughout the room each with a different activity for the partygoers - decorating ornaments, stockings, snowmen, and Christmas tree biscuits, two with a set of games where two teens were playing Chinese Checkers, a long table filled with individually wrapped easy-to-eat light snacks, and several with chairs around them for people to visit. Each table for the decorations and the food had an adult or two dressed in the same wild jumpers as those assisting at the tree.

"None of this would be possible without our incredible volunteers," Christopher said as he weaved at an older woman in a Christmas jumper adorned in three-dimensional ornaments assisting a girl no older than nine or ten in decorating a star biscuit. "They started planning for it immediately after Halloween, and how they manage to outdo themselves every year is a mystery they refuse to share with anyone… not even to me, whose literal job it is to arrange all the activities on this ward."

Severus shot Harry a tiny smirk, and Harry's lifted brows screamed that they both suspected some magic had been used. By whom? Nobody would ever find out. Thanks to the bloody Statute of Secrecy, half the people in the room with them could be witches or wizards and unless they accidentally said or did something they shouldn't have, Severus would never know.

They proceeded in, taking a slow lap around the Hub to explore the activities, and chatting with the other patients, or their families, Severus recognized from his trips to the coffee machine in the small kitchen area. It took Harry a solid five or ten minutes to warm up to the notion of spending the next hour or two there, but once he did, he proudly showed Lupin and Tonks around the place he, sadly, considered his third home. Severus stood back and observed as the normally reserved Lupin broke out of his shell to speak to each teen and their families Harry introduced him to. Tonks rapidly became a highlight among the volunteers and younger siblings in attendance - her attire and hair likely played a big role in it - and Harry rolled his eyes at the attention she garnered and flourished in.

Moving fluidly from table to table, they stopped for a snack and a cup of ginger ale moonlighting as champagne in a cheap plastic flute, and the two Gryffindors played a game of chess, which they had to dig out from the bottom of the pile - proving Severus's assessment of the incoming generation's continued decline. Approaching their second hour, Severus noticed Harry's smile getting more forced, his answers to questions taking longer to form, and his attention drifting away from people, all signs that their busy afternoon was wearing on the young wizard. Severus was about to recommend they head back to Harry's room, when a volunteer, an olive-skinned woman approximately Severus's age, clad in a reindeer jumper covered in twinkling lights, called for their attention towards the Christmas tree.

"If I could have everyone's attention, please," she announced, stepping atop a chair to address the room. "My name is Marian Wells, and I am just one of the many volunteers who helped in the planning and execution of today's events. I'd like to thank everyone for coming today, and especially the team here for taking time away from your own families on Christmas to help make this an incredible experience. It would not be possible without their commitment, dedication, and help." The audience gave a loud applause. "The tables will be here until seven tonight, so please come and go as you'd like, but we have one more surprise for you all."

Everyone in the room turned to see what was going on when they heard the door to the Hub open, followed by an odd scratching noise.

"Are those…" Harry trailed off, his face scrunched as he craned his neck this way and that to see around the people standing in front of their spot on the sofa. "Are those dogs?! Did they bring dogs into the hospital?"

No sooner than Severus opened his mouth to convince Harry he was seeing things, two golden dogs strolled straight down the centre of the room with two young volunteers trailing behind them. They walked up to the Christmas tree, stopping at Marian's left and sitting proudly alongside their owners, eagerly awaiting their next commands.

"Here we have Kya and Rubles, and their handlers Sally and Liam." Marian motioned to the dog and to each person holding onto their respective dog's leash. "Kya is a four-year-old Golden Retriever who officially started in the therapy program earlier this year, and next to her is Rubles, a six-year-old Yellow Labrador Retriever going on his third year."

She described the various research conducted at a London hospital on the benefits of therapy dogs on oncology patients, outlining how the findings revealed a reduction in anxiety and stress, lowered pain and blood pressure levels, and an increase in the patient's overall mood. Throughout the instructions for how the session would go, Severus kept a close eye on Harry, eager to go to any length to persuade the teen to join in on the therapy. Thankfully, he didn't have to do anything because Harry found his own value in it, and willingly joined the group near the tree, with Tonks volunteering to help the group, leaving Severus and Remus to observe from the sofa.

"I don't believe I thanked you for the stunning artwork you sent to Dora and me. We opened it last night when we celebrated and it's perfect for our sitting room," Lupin offered once everyone around them focused on the therapy session. He had not thanked Severus, and the professor had no intention of inquiring whether or not they'd received it.

"You are welcome."

Severus said nothing further, leaving them in another unpleasant silence, one he would have preferred to remain in. His companion, however, had other ideas.

"Do you have plans for New Year?" Lupin asked. Out of the corner of his eye, Severus watched the other man anxiously tap his fingers against his muggle jeans in the same rhythm as his foot tapping; neither to the beat of the Christmas carols playing around them. "See, Dora's back at Azkaban next week and the nurse today said there's a considerable chance the doctor will discharge Harry before then. I figured if you're back at Hogwarts, I might stop by-"

"We're spending it at home," Severus said. Not intending to sound so harsh, he softened his tone as he added, "Back to Spinner's End, not to Hogwarts, at Harry's request. I've arranged it for Dudley to visit until the end of the holiday and Mae will stay with us from the thirtieth to the first."

"That will be nice… for you and Harry, I mean…"

The thick air between them practically begged Severus to extend an invitation to Lupin, but he refused. Not because he didn't want the werewolf in his childhood home, but to allow Lupin to take the initiative to ask. Yet as the minutes stretched onward, and they both returned to watching Harry playfully pet the Golden Retriever, the question never came. Instead, Lupin caught him off guard with an equally important statement.

"Harry told me about the adoption."

Severus couldn't hold back the high-pitched whistle produced by his rapid inhale at the unexpected words; one he said as if he were reciting the ingredients to a Pepper Up potion.

"I think it's good," the werewolf said, his attention set on the kids, canines, and his fiance. "And not just for Harry… I mean for both of you. I still don't understand what happened between you two, or how Harry let go of…" He trailed off with a shake of his head and then turned to face Severus, though the professor did not mirror his action. "You know, it doesn't matter how it all happened. I'm glad you're taking this step for Harry. He needs someone to think about him and his needs… like inviting his cousin for the holiday, creating a whole new spell to keep the area around him safe, or helping with his sketching when he can barely hold a pencil.

"He showed you his art set?" Severus grudgingly asked, a half-scowl on his face.

"It's ingenious." Lupin smiled widely. "I never would have thought of something so creative, a-and so personal for Harry. I mean, I suppose he had mentioned in passing how his hands were causing him some trouble, and looking back, I could see his penmanship struggling in his letters, but it never occurred to me…"

The discomfort Severus felt while waiting for Lupin to finish his pitiful explanation of how he didn't put the pieces together that the hobby Harry had used to get him through his first year of chemotherapy had vanished with his handwriting was torturous. He didn't exactly want to make the admission any smoother, nevertheless, he eventually put them both out of their suffering by throwing the wolf a bone.

Consider it my olive branch.

"If you lived with him," Severus said thoughtfully, squaring his shoulders to face the other wizard, "you would have recognized where the nerve damage affected his life the most. Harry isn't the most forthcoming child-" Lupin grunted his agreement, "- and therefore he'd be unlikely to express his difficulties in a letter. So unless his sketching had been on the top of your mind, I don't see how you'd link his deteriorating handwriting to his need for an assistive device.

"I've told you once already," Severus sternly said, raising his voice to stop Lupin's predictable reply before it left his lips, "Harry needs your support, not your pity for yourself, and certainly not sympathy for him. If he were a healthy student, he would have been living at school the entire term, which means you haven't missed any more time than a typical parent would. Yes, I have the privilege of living with him… an arrangement that comes at a deep sacrifice in my own life… but don't you dare use it as an excuse to blame yourself and hide away from him now.

"I appreciate your approval of the adoption, although it's not required. As for the changes in my and Harry's relationship? I'll leave it to Harry to divulge the details when, or if, he wishes. All you need to know is that I love Harry as my son and I will go to any length to protect him. However," the professor emphasized, bracing himself for the words he had to say next, "Harry still needs you, Remus, so I fully expect to see you on every holiday, during the summer, and any random weekend visit you can get away for, whether it be here in Guildford, at Hogwarts, or our home in Spinner's End. You know how to reach me, and I trust you to do so."

Satisfied that Lupin had understood his message loud and clear, Severus returned to watching Harry happily interacting with the therapy dogs, and the two wizards spent the next fifteen minutes without another word between them.

"Have you considered getting a dog?" Lupin eventually asked, his smile unmistakable in his voice long before Severus saw it, his own menacingly sneer plastered upon his face; though he had to admit, didn't carry nearly the same malice it would have not even two months ago. If anything, it had a lighter, more joking tone to it, and for the first time, Severus didn't seem to mind.

Coming up Next: Spinner's End