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Title: Traditions
 Prologue: "Ah-chiihh. " Bill turned his head to the side and sneezed, then looked back at his boyfriend. "Excuse mehh...eh-shuhh. " He turned his head abruptly again. "Gesundheit." Snape said as Bill snuggled back next to him. "Thanks." Bill sniffled. "I just can't get a break from my allergies here. We never finished discussing the holidays. I really want you to come here for Christmas. You don't have to come with me to my parents if you don't want to." "I don't know. I always stay at school." "I know, but it's our first Christmas together. I'll do my best to make it special for you. What were your Christmases like when you were growing up?" "It was the one time when no one fought. Mum would make a turkey and stuffing, and cranberry sauce, and mince pies. Then, we'd decorate the tree and put the presents underneath. After that, we'd go to bed, and in the morning, the stockings would be full, and we'd open presents before going to my grandparents." Snape's eyes softened as he recalled the memory. "And the next day, the fighting would start all over again." The hardness returned to his eyes. "I can do all that." Bill told him. "I can make you a turkey dinner with all the fixings and mince pies and Christmas pudding. And we can decorate the tree. Afterwards, we can drink cocoa and read The Night Before Christmas like when I was growing up. In the morning, I'll make the Christmas bread that Li taught me how to make. Then, we'll open presents before I go to my parents." "Do you not want me to join you at your parents?" "I just don't know if you'd want to. It's so different. It's loud and chaotic, and Mum's fussing over everyone. But, if you want to come, you're more than welcome." "I think I will. Come up here Christmas Eve, I mean, and then, we can go to The Burrow together on Christmas Day." "Sounds good to me. I'll owl Mum and let her know. She'll want to start knitting you a jumper, I'm sure." "Terrific." Snape groaned, rolling his eyes.  Christmas Eve: Bill checked the turkey he had in the oven, then went to check on the Christmas pudding. Snape was due to arrive in a few minutes, and Bill was trying to make sure he had everything ready. The presents were wrapped and in his room, and an artificial tree sat in the corner, waiting to be put together; the box of decorations sat next to it. The only downside was, living in Egypt, it felt more like St. Swithun's Day than Christmas. He began pouring his mother's homemade cranberry sauce into a serving dish when he heard Snape knock at the door. "Just a minute." He yelled as he finished with the cranberry sauce. He unlocked the door and greeted his boyfriend with a kiss. "Merry Christmas." He said as Snape stepped into the apartment. "Dinner's almost ready." Snape set his bags on the couch. "Sounds great. I'm going to put Vex on the porch for a bit. I had her locked in my office all day." Bill watched as Snape went out onto the patio and placed barrier charms to prevent Vex from escaping, then saw him take something out of his cloak and set it down. Snape came back in as Bill pulled the turkey from the oven. "Looks delicious." "I'll carve it in a minute. You've got time to put your stuff away before we eat." Snape went to put his small valise in Bill's bedroom as Bill pulled the mince pies from the oven as well. Setting them on the counter, he went about carving the turkey. When Snape returned, he had everything on the table, and he and Severus began to eat. "That was delicious. Best Christmas dinner I've had in a long time." "Thanks." Bill blushed as he began to clear the table and put the leftovers in the fridge and the dishes in the sink. "Ready to set up and decorate the tree?" "Why an artificial tree?" "We always had one growing up...um, saved money. And Li was such an obsessive neat freak, she'd have had a heart attack if I would've brought a real tree into the house." "I see. I'm going to let Vex back in." Snape stepped out on the patio and removed Vex's charms, then picked up the object he had set out there. He let the cat in the apartment and placed the object in the corner. Pulling out his wand, he enlarged the object until it was a mid-sized Christmas tree. "I figured I'd bring a tree. The smell was always my favorite part of the holidays." He said softly. Bill smiled as he put his fake tree in the storage closet. Returning to the living room, he opened his box of decorations as Snape was enlarging and opening the box that contained the few he had kept and a few he had been given over the years, and they began to decorate the tree. 10 or 15 minutes later, Bill felt his nose tingle strongly. "Ehchuhh. " He sneezed into cupped hands. "Eh-kuchh, kuchoo. 'Scuse me." He sniffled, pulling a tissue from his pocket and blowing his nose, then continued decorating the tree. Sneezing had done nothing to alleviate the irritation in his nose, however, and his eyes were beginning to itch. A few minutes later, he sneezed again. Knowing that more were coming and what was behind it, he left Snape to go to his bedroom. Grabbing a handkerchief from his dresser drawer, he began to sneeze into it. "Hah-ehhshh, ehhshuhh, uhshushoo, uhshoo, hayuhshoo, ehrushoo, huh-huhuhshoo. " "Gesundheit." He heard Snape say from the doorway. "Thaks." Bill rubbed at his itchy nose. "You're allergic to the tree." Blushing, Bill nodded. "I hoped I'd outgrowed it. I've odly beed aroud a real tree odce before. Ehhshoo. I was thirteed thed, ad it was a Christmas party by paredt's dragged us to. I sat id a corder with Charlie ad Percy for over ad hour udtil Percy...eehshuhshh...Percy wedt to get dad's hadkerchief sidce I'd used bide ad his. There were cats there, ad Charlie used to be a lot bore allergic thad he is dow, ad I outgrew that ode. Huhchoo, ayuhchoo." He paused to blow his nose. "So Charlie deeded his. Dad was worried that the tree ad cats were botherig Percy's asthba. Percy brought hib over to where we were hidig, ad dad sedt us hobe. Huhchoo, ahrchoo, hatchuhh, uhchoo." He blew his nose again, harder this time. "I'll get you an allergy potion and then, get rid of the tree." "But Sev, that's your favorite part of Christbas." "And you're miserable." "Odce I take ad allergy potiod, I'll be better. But the day after Christbas, we're gettig rid of it. I'll live; you're the ode who has to listed to be sdore all dight. Hey-uhshh, ushoo, ahshiihh. " "Tomorrow morning, right after we open presents." Severus promised, plucking a tissue from the box by Bill's bed. Folding it in half, he carefully blotted the moisture beneath Bill's lashes. "What?" he asked, noticing the smile on Bill's face. "Dothig. It just surprises be how gedtle you cad be, I bead, you're so brusque bost of the tibe." "I love you." Snape shrugged, leaning in and kissing him. After a few seconds, Bill pulled away. "Ay-yushh, huhshoo. I thik I better take ad allergy potiod before we try ady bore kissig." He sniffled. "Why dod't you put od your pajabas while I do that." Snape nodded, pulling his gray nightshirt out of his suitcase as Bill went to get his allergy potion. He poured a dose into a cup and got a glass of water. Grimacing at the bitter taste, he swallowed the potion, following it with a long drink of water. He set a pan, milk, sugar and cocoa powder on the counter. Then, he went back into the bedroom and changed into his tan and white striped nightshirt and slippers. "Ready for cocoa ad a story?" He asked. "Sure." Snape told him. Cocoa and children's stories weren't his thing, but Bill had tried hard to make Christmas special, so he'd go along with it. Bill made a pan of cocoa and poured it into two large mugs. He grabbed a book and handed Snape a mug. The two settled on the couch with Vex in Snape's lap. "Twas the dight before Christbas whed ahh...ahhshushh...all through the house, dot a creature was stirrig, dot eved a bouse. Uhshoo, huhshoo." He paused to blow his nose. "The stockigs were hug by the chibdey wihh...ihshehh, ihchuhh. With care id hopes that Saidt Digolas sood would be there. Hold od." He grabbed his handkerchief again. "Heckshoo, huheghhshoo, huhchshoo, uhchoo, heyuchoo. Sorry." He apologized. "Why don't I read to you in bed. I think getting you away from the tree will help matters." Bill nodded, rubbing his eyes. Snape took the cups of cocoa, lest Bill sneeze again and scald himself; Bill took the book, and they went into the bedroom. Snape set the cups of cocoa on the respective end tables while Bill pulled back the blanket. They crawled into bed, snuggling against each other and leaning against the pillows and headboard. Snape opened the book and read him the story, occasionally interrupted by Bill's sneezes, which were becoming less frequent. When he finished, he looked at Bill. "Tired?" he asked, noting his lover's droopy eyes and brushing a few strands of hair away from the younger man's face. "Yeah." Bill yawned. "As I've told you before, it isn't necessary for you to stay up with me. Go to sleep." Using his wand, he shut off the overhead light, levitated his biography of Wendolyn the Weird to him, and switched on the lamp by his bed. Bill gave him a long kiss goodnight, then snuggled under the covers, quickly falling asleep. Christmas Day: Snape awoke around 10 the next morning in an empty bed. This was typical; Egyptian time was 4 hours ahead of Scotland and England; and he always fell asleep and awoke later than Bill. Getting out of bed, he padded to the kitchen where Bill was pulling a loaf of bread out of the oven and placing it on the counter. "Smell's good." He commented, wrapping his arms around Bill. Bill tensed, then relaxed. "Sev. I didn't hear you get up. Ad I dod't dow how good it sbells because I cad't -" Breaking off, he pulled out of Snape's embrace and sneezed. "Uhshoo, huhruhshoo. " He blew his nose and washed his hands. "Have you taken your allergy potion yet?" "I cad't udtil ted." Bill snuffled. "It is 10." Snape poured Bill a dose of the potion. Bill obliged, making a face and drinking the water Snape handed him. "Why don't we open presents and get rid of the tree?" He suggested. "Please." Bill blew his nose loudly. "Cad we oped theb id here?" "Certainly." Snape walked over to the tree and removed the small stack of presents. He set them on the dining room table and sat next to Bill. "This one's from me." He said, handing a small parcel over. Bill opened the package to find a book on rare and ancient curses. "Thaks, hod." He gave him a quick kiss before handing Severus his presents. "Snape opened the smaller one to discover a packet of cat toys for Vex. Opening the second one revealed another book. "Merlin - The Story You Never Knew. Is this full of juicy and salacious gossip?" He asked, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Yes." Bill nodded as Snape gave him another kiss. "What are these?" Snape indicated the other packages. "They're frob Bub." Bill told him, opening his to reveal a red sweater with a white "B" in the center. "Bub's Christbas jubpers. Hurshoo, uh-huhshoo." "Gesundheit." Snape said as Bill pushed the other package towards him. Snape slowly opened it and pulled out a green jumper with a silver "S." "At least it's the right colors." "You dow we have to wear theb today." Bill informed him. Snape just looked at him. "I'll bake it up to you. I probise. Hutchoo, uhchoo, uh-ahchehh." Snape stood up and used his wand to remove the ornaments from the tree and shrink it down. Taking it out on the patio, he dematerialized it. "That'll be better." He said, kissing Bill on the forehead. "What time are we due at your parents?" "Ehchushoo. Ted-thirtyish, their tibe. Wadt to sduggle id bed for a few bore hours?" "That is quickly becoming my favorite tradition." Severus told him, pulling him to the bedroom. | |||||
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Created & Organized by A, tarotgal, and Meg |
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