In the End

Chapter 9: A Weasley Christmas

Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.
~Ruth Carter Stapleton

Severus woke up early on Christmas morning feeling very odd indeed. He sat frowning in the dark for several minutes before he realized he wasn't dreading getting out of bed, as was the norm for him. Yes, quite unusual...it was almost as if he were looking forward to the day. Strange.

In addition to this unnerving sensation of contentment, Severus also had an erection. It certainly wasn't a new occurrence for him--he was a man, after all--but Severus honestly could not remember the last time this had happened, barring when he had dreamed about Joanna, or thought about her, or saw her, or talked to her...A small smirk formed on his face and he closed his eyes again, reveling in the way his sheets slid smoothly against his body...

"Happy Christmas, Severus!"

"NAAHHGGFFLE!" he yelled, and fell out of bed. Suddenly, all the lights in his bedroom burst to life and Severus, blinking like a week-old kitten, turned his head until he located a smirking Joanna sitting on his bed.

"Gave you a fright, did I?" she asked, not even bothering to hide her glee. "I thought you were supposed to be a spy; you know, ready for anything and whatnot."

Growling, Severus scrambled up off the floor, ready to give Joanna a good tongue lashing, when she let out a loud squeak.

"What is it?" he barked.

By this time, Joanna's face was a bright red and her shoulders were shaking with silent mirth. "Um...Severus, you might want to--ah--cover that up there..."

Severus's eyes widened when Joanna's crinkled eyes zeroed in on his crotch. "Shite!" he bellowed and dived for his duvet cover. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded as he attempted to cover his half-nude and still-aroused body.

"You invited me to breakfast, remember?"

"It cannot possibly be nine o'clock yet," snapped Severus after having finally wrapped himself in the blanket. Unfortunately, a part of his body was still refusing to go down, despite Severus's thoughts on various unattractive and unobtrusive things, such as grass, butterbeer, werewolves, Hagrid in a bikini...hell, him in a bikini...But then that just got him thinking about Joanna in a swimsuit and he was right back where he started.

It took Severus a moment to realize that Joanna was talking again. "...and since we have to escort the kids this morning--Dumbledore wants us to wake them early so that they can get out of here without anyone noticing--I thought we should eat a little earlier. That's all right, isn't it?"

"Yeah," grunted Snape, not too pleased to be reminded of how he would be spending his Christmas. "What time is it?"

"About a quarter after seven."

Severus raised his eyebrows and gave Joanna what he felt was an impressed look. "You got up early just to have breakfast with me?"

"Of course..." she said softly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Never mind," said Severus, shaking his head. "Let me put something more appropriate on. I'll be right back."

"Oh, don't change on account of me." Joanna wiggled her eyebrows at him, and to his horror, Severus felt his cheeks burn. Determinedly not looking in the direction of his bed, Severus strode across the room to his wardrobe (still wearing his duvet-turned-skirt), picked out some clothes, and headed for the bathroom. A few minutes later, he emerged and sat down on the bed, wearing, to Joanna's utter lack of surprise, all black.

"What would you like to do first?"

"Let's open presents!" chirped Joanna, bouncing on the bed. Without waiting for an answer, Joanna bent over the edge and emerged a second later with two carefully wrapped gifts.

"Now this one's just something I did for everyone," she explained, thrusting the smaller and lumpier of the two packages into Severus's lap. "Open it, open it, open it!"

Severus could not help but smile somewhat at Joanna's enthusiasm; he remembered briefly that Christmas was her favorite holiday, but the memory was gone a second later. After spending approximately three minutes unwrapping the present, Severus found himself the new owner of a dark green scarf.

"I knitted it myself," Joanna said proudly. "I know you like black, but honestly, man, you need a little color in your wardrobe, so I figured green would be the best way to go. Do you like it?" She said all of this very fast.

"Thank you very much," Severus said sincerely. The scarf was very soft and warm, and even he had to admit that the color was quite handsome.

Joanna beamed at him and then thrust the other package at him, saying, "Now this is your real present. I hope you like it!"

This present was decidedly heavier than the other and Severus felt a lump of cold settle into the pit of his stomach; Joanna had obviously put a lot of time, effort, and money into her gift to him, while he, Severus, had not even considered getting her a present at all. Merlin, he was a cad.

Severus spent another long period of time carefully ripping apart the paper, and then let out a whoosh of air when he saw what his present was.

"Joanna..." he mumbled, "you didn't have to do this..."

"Oh, pfft," she said, smiling. "I admit, they're used, but when I got my new set a few years ago I just couldn't bring myself to throw these away. I remember how much you coveted them."

"I didn't covet them," Severus said under his breath, though even he knew this was a lie. During Hogwarts, Severus and Milah were the top Potions students in the school every year and they often competed against one another in class just to see who could make the best potion in the least amount of time. Milah almost always won, though not necessarily because of her skill (though there was no denying that Milah was incredibly talented at Potions), but because of her crystal phial set. They were unbreakable, made from some of the finest crystal; they could easily maintain hot and cold temperatures without the aid of magic, and even stabilize volatile substances. In other words, the phials were some of the best in the world. And now, Joanna was giving them to him.

"I can't accept these," he said at once.

"Oh yes you will," Joanna responded hotly. "I don't need them anymore and I want you to have them, all right? End of discussion."

Severus frowned but remained quiet for several minutes before sighing loudly and raising his head to look Joanna in the eye.

"I have to tell you something," he said. Joanna blinked at him and Severus continued, "I didn't get you a present."

"Oh," said Joanna. For the briefest of moments, Severus could see the disappointment in her eyes, but she recovered quickly and said in a kind voice, "That's all right, Severus! I...it's just fine." She smiled at him, but Severus could tell that it was forced.

"I apologize," he said jerkily, and Joanna gave him a look of surprise.

"It's really okay," she insisted, leaning forward and placing a hand on his knee. Severus bit his lip when a white-hot shiver raced down his spine.

"I--I do have something for you," he said tentatively, "but it's more from Dumbledore than me...he came by last night when he discovered I hadn't, er, well...anyway, this is for you."

Joanna took the present from Severus, unwrapped it, and then exhaled loudly.

"It's a photo album..."

"Open it," whispered Severus.

Joanna did so, and then immediately let out a half-sob. Pages upon pages were filled with friends and loved ones of Joanna's from the past twenty years: the Marauders hanging out by the lake with Sirius waving cheerfully at the camera; Lily holding a three day old Harry; Dorcas at her cousin Alice's wedding to Frank; Evee and Samantha from second year, laughing; her parents, smiling, taken a month before their deaths; all the Ravenclaws in her year; a beaming Sielle and Felix, holding their baby daughter a week before Sielle was kidnapped; an older Remus and Sirius in Grimmauld Place, with Sirius actually laughing, looking younger than he had in years...Lily, on her wedding day...Harry and Neville playing together on a rug...Gideon wetly kissing her, Milah, on the cheek while she blushed and laughed...Sirius streaking naked across the Quidditch pitch...There were even a few pictures of Solange and Guillaume in it.

"Severus, I--" Joanna didn't know what to say. She felt a lump descend into her throat and she vaguely recognized the wetness on her cheeks were her own tears...

"Do you like it?" said Severus gruffly, and Joanna laughed, though it sounded more like a hiccup.

"I love it," she said, giving him a watery smile. "Thank you, Severus."

Snape opened his mouth to protest, to say that it had been Dumbledore's idea, but Joanna never let him get that far; instead, she bent over as far as she could and kissed him softly on the mouth.

"Thank you," she said again, her breath ghosting over Severus's skin. He swallowed thickly and jerked his head.

"Well..." Joanna said quietly, her eyes never leaving the album. Looking up, she smiled and said, "Open your other presents! There are a few more here..." She bent over again, scooped up the remaining gifts, and deposited them on the bed. "This one's from Dumbledore. What did you get him, by the way?"

"A book on advanced Transfiguration and how it can be used defensively," he murmured absently as he unwrapped the gift. "Why, what did you get him?"

"A book on advanced Transfiguration and how it can be used to throw a wild party for your friends."

Severus paused and stared at her. "Oh, that and a pair of socks," she added gently.

"You got Albus Dumbledore a...a pair of socks for Christmas?" Severus questioned, dumbfounded.

Joanna shrugged. "I asked him what he wanted and he said socks. Don't look at me like that, you know as well I as do that he's off his rocker."

Severus blinked and slowly shook his head. "Oh," he said when he'd finally unwrapped the gift, and then smiled a little. "He gave me some Colombian coffee. And...oh, for the love--a box of Cracker Jack's."

"What?" Joanna cried, laughing. Lunging forward, she managed to wrestle the box out of Severus's grip in order to see it for herself. "I don't believe it!"

Severus snatched the box back and clutched it to his chest protectively. "He gives me a box every year," he informed Joanna, who was still giggling. "I mentioned that I liked them once and this is what I get in return..."

"That's priceless," Joanna wheezed. Severus scowled at her and grabbed another gift, just to shut her up a bit.

"This is from Minerva," he old her. "Ah...most intriguing"

"What is it?"

"Every Christmas," he explained, "Minerva and I exchange a puzzle. We have one year to solve it. If one of us doesn't solve it in time, we owe the other dinner and patrol duty in the other's House for a month. I only just barely managed to finish mine before today. Minerva solved my puzzle for her two months ago," he added with a scowl.

"What happens when you both solve it? Or if neither one does?"

"Nothing," Severus replied, intently studying the completely blank box sitting before him. "We do this because we want to. Minerva likes to believe we're 'bonding.' I like to believe I'm one-upping her and her Gryffindor ways."

"That sounds lovely," Joanna said, her eyes twinkling. Leaning over, she thrust two more packages and a card into Severus's lap. "Molly and Arthur, Hagrid, and a card from Remus, it looks like."

"I'll make sure to burn that one," Severus muttered under his breath. He ended up receiving a green Weasley sweater from Molly ("It matches the scarf!" Joanna had squealed) and a bottle of "specially brewed" butterbeer from Hagrid ("'Specially brewed'? Does that mean you'll get fall-down drunk after one sip?" Joanna inquired, eyeing the drink wearily). Remus had given Severus a Christmas card thanking him for brewing the Wolfsbane Potion this month, seeing as Joanna had been too busy making commissioned potions for the Order. ("That was awfully sweet of him," Joanna cooed. "I wonder how he's feeling, given the full moon was last night...")

After all of the gifts had been unwrapped, Joanna grinned broadly and said, "Let's have breakfast, shall we?"

The two lazily dragged themselves off the bed and walked into the living room. Severus then strode over to the fireplace, took a pinch of Floo powder, threw it into the flames, and yelled, "Duffy! We are ready for breakfast now!" A second later, the food popped into existence in the middle of the room; Severus quickly cast a Levitating Charm on the plates before they could crash to the floor, muttering "bloody house-elves" under his breath.

As Joanna and Severus settled into their chairs and began tucking into their meal, Joanna looked across the conjured table to discover Severus staring at her.

"What is it?" she asked, startled.

"Nothing," he said hastily. Joanna threw him a funny look but said nothing, choosing instead to focus on the food Severus had ordered.

"This is delicious," she said after swallowing a piece of fruit. "Very French, actually. Did you do some kind of research or something?"

Severus quirked a small grin and murmured, "Something like that."

Joanna shook her head bemusedly and saw out of the corner of her eye a large bottle of mulled mead sitting on the mantel above the fireplace. "Who's that for?" she said quietly.

Severus followed Joanna's gaze and then mentally berated himself for leaving the alcohol out in the open. "It's for Hagrid," he explained. "It had to ferment over night, which is why it isn't at the foot of his bed right now...He's saved my life on more than one occasion," he explained upon seeing Joanna's surprised expression. "Hagrid may be a bit of an oaf but he's extremely loyal and dedicated, and I respect that in him. Would you like me to remove the bottle from the room?"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Joanna, bristling. "I am more than capable of being in the same room as a bottle of alcohol."

"I never said you weren't," replied Severus smoothly. Joanna felt her ire rise at this, but then all of a sudden, she was overcome with a calm, soothing sensation and she felt herself relaxing to the feeling...

And then, it suddenly all made sense.

"Oh..." she groaned, closing her eyes.

"What? What is it?" Snape inquired. "Is it the food? I could always call the kitchens for something different...or is your stomach upset now? I have some potions that can clear that right up--"

"Dumbledore said you're practicing again."

Severus abruptly halted his speech and stared hard at Joanna. "He did, did he?" he said in a dangerous tone,

"I hadn't noticed it before, but he's right," Joanna breathed. "You are...I can tell now..."

They were silent for several minutes before she piped up again. "I'm...I'm very glad you're doing this, Severus."

"I'm not doing this for you," he snarled, and only briefly registered Joanna recoil at his harsh words. "Now that you're back, we must be able to act and perform at our optimal standards. Because of our connection--"

"You don't have to explain things to me, Severus," Joanna interjected. "I understand the circumstances perfectly well, thank you very much. I don't wish to discuss this any longer, if you please. I rather enjoy my Christmas than spend it arguing, all right? We'll talk about this later."

"Fine," grunted Severus, pushing his food away. He wasn't even remotely hungry anymore. Joanna did the same and after a moment, stood up.

"C'mon," she said wearily. "We need to get to Gryffindor Tower to pick up the four of them if we want to get there before the other students begin to wake up."

*~*~*~*

"Puking Pastille," Severus barked to the sleeping Fat Lady. Jerking awake, the portrait opened her eyes wearily and mumbled, "'S'right..." before opening the door and then promptly going back to sleep.

The Gryffindor common room was completely empty, save for a few house-elves who were tidying up after what looked like an impromptu party.

"I'll go get Potter and Weasley," said Severus, who looked decidedly unhappy about the prospect, "and you get Granger and the other Weasley. Meet me back here in fifteen minutes."

"Fine," said Joanna, yawning widely.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Joanna and two sleepy Gryffindor girls were in the common room waiting for the arrival of Severus, Ron, and Harry. After another five minutes, the three males descended the staircase, all looking exceedingly grumpy.

"Next time," Severus growled, "you're getting them."

Joanna rolled her eyes in irritation. Ignoring Severus, she pulled out a large sock and said to the group, "This is a Portkey that will be activated by a password when I touch my wand to it. Has everyone used a Portkey before?" All heads nodded, and Joanna smiled faintly. "Excellent. Now, everyone grab a hold of the sock...all good? Right. On three...two...one...Domus!"

With a jerk behind her navel, Joanna felt herself being propelled through space, her shoulders bumping wildly against Severus and Hermione. After a few moments, her feet slammed to the ground, but before she could fall forward, Severus caught her by the waist.

"Thanks," she mumbled to him, and then went to help Harry up off the floor.

"Oh, they're here! Arthur, they're here!"

A flurry of red suddenly flew by Joanna as Molly Weasley engulfed her two children--and two surrogate children--in giant bear hugs. She was followed a minute later by her husband, Arthur, who shook both Joanna's and Severus's hands before giving his kids hugs.

"Thank you so much for volunteering to do this," Molly gushed to Joanna. Out of the corner of her eye, Joanna saw Severus open his mouth (probably to contradict Molly's assumption), so she quickly stomped on his foot. He did not react other than to glare at her. She smirked in return, her good mood suddenly reappearing.

"Into the kitchen!" Molly exclaimed, shooing everyone into the much smaller room.

"Professor Kent, this is my son Charlie," said Arthur, gesturing to a stocky and tanned young man sitting next to Bill, who reminded Joanna forcibly of Gideon Prewett. She smiled at the two brothers, and then at the rest of the family, before seating herself at the table.

Severus, however, did not sit.

"What are you doing?" Joanna asked in a hushed voice. "Sit down and eat."

"We have already eaten breakfast," he replied curtly. Joanna narrowed her eyes and shot him a death glare.

"That doesn't matter," she hissed. "Molly prepared this meal for us and we're going to eat it! Now sit!"

Severus's nostrils flared but he ended up yanking out a chair and flung himself into it. Joanna wanted to smack him.

"Boys, you remember Professor Snape," said Arthur, smiling.

"Happy Christmas, Professor," said Bill and Charlie together, if not a little dully.

"Yeah, Happy Christmas, Professor," chorused the twins, who were both sporting identical evil grins.

Severus seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he finally settled on, "Likewise." That time Joanna did hit him, hard, on the thigh.

"Stop being such a prat," she hissed in his ear, and then quickly moved out of range before he could retaliate. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Weasley," Joanna gushed. It was the truth; the food was delicious, even if she wasn't particularly hungry. "It was very kind of you to do all of this."

"Oh, it was nothing," said Molly with a wave of her hand.

Joanna smiled and bit her lip. It felt wonderful being around family again, even if they weren't technically related.

"Have you all opened your presents yet?" Joanna asked near the end of the meal.

"No presents until after breakfast," Molly said sternly, brandishing a cooking skillet at Fred and George. Just as Fred was about to successfully steal a piece of bacon from George's plate, a handsome screech owl swept into the room with a large lumpy package attached to its leg. At once, Molly's face fell and tears welled up in her eyes.

"That git!" said George as Arthur rushed to Molly's side.

"Yeah! What the hell's his problem, anyway?" Fred chimed in.

Bill frowned and Charlie stabbed angrily at his eggs. Ginny hissed like a leaking pipe, but the trio remained stonily silent.

"I don't understand," Joanna said, looking around the table.

"It's Percy," Ron mumbled. "He's sent back his Christmas present again this year."

"He's the third born?" asked Joanna, and a few nodded in the affirmative. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and said softly, "I'm sorry...Perhaps there's a reason why he, er, sent it back..."

"It's because he's a prat, nothing more, nothing less!" Ron exclaimed angrily, and Hermione laid a hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him down. It only succeeded in making his ears burn.

"That's enough," said Mr. Weasley in a hard tone. "Let's going into the living room and exchange gifts, shall we?" With that, the rest of the group abandoned their food and rushed into the other room, their animosity towards their brother forgotten.

Joanna laughed lightly and snuck a glance at Severus, who looked particularly dour. "What's wrong?" she said, startled by his mood.

"I'll explain later," he muttered, eyeing the package the long-gone owl had delivered. "Come on." Severus stood up and held out his hand; surprised by this simple yet endearing gesture, Joanna blushed a little and slipped her hand into his. She suddenly felt warm and cozy, as if she'd finally found her way home. The feeling did not last for long, though, because almost as soon as she stood up, Severus dropped her hand.

Sighing inwardly, she and Snape went into the living room...or rather, the remains of the living room. The Weasley twins made sure that every piece of their wrapping paper was strewn about as much of the floor as possible. Joanna was pleased to note they were both wearing the maroon and gold scarves she'd knitted for them.

"Thank you, Professor Kent!" the two chorused, and Joanna beamed at them.

"You're welcome," she replied, grinning.

"Goodness, Joanna, did you make one for each of us?" Molly asked, holding up her own purple scarf.

"Yes...I hope that's all right. Thank you for the sweater, too, Molly. It's beautiful. I love blue."

"You're certainly welcome," Molly replied, smiling warmly.

"Why, these scarves are just wonderful!" Arthur exclaimed. "Thank you!" Soon the entire room was filled with words of thanks as each person opened his or her own scarf. Afterwards, while everyone was distracted by their other gifts, Joanna snuck over to where Hermione was sitting on the couch and crouched down so that she could speak easily into the girl's ear.

"Professor Kent," Hermione acknowledged, turning around after Joanna had said her name. "Thank you so much for the scarf! It's a lovely color."

"You're welcome," Joanna said with a smile. "I didn't think you owned a lot of yellow...Listen--I have something else for you, but I'll have to wait until later to give it to you, or else Severus'll kill me. Just remind me if it seems like I've forgotten, okay?"

Hermione looked rather startled at this, but recovered quickly enough and said, "Of course, Professor. Again, thank you."

"Not a problem." Joanna smiled again and stood up to go stand with a scowling Severus.

"How on earth did you find the time to make all those scarves?" he asked when she was within range.

Joanna blushed and cast a quick glance over her should before saying, "Don't tell, but I'd actually had most of those done for a while now. Knitting's a favorite hobby of mine--I'm just glad they're going to good use. The only ones I knitted recently were yours and the twins'. I didn't know they were estranged from Percy, however, or else I wouldn't have sent his scarf here...What happened with that, anyway?"

Severus was explaining to her about what occurred last summer and how Percy had treated his family, when Ginny's voice rang out through the room.

"Hey, what's this?" she asked, holding up Joanna's gift to Percy.

Joanna flushed. "I'm sorry," she said uneasily. "It's, erm, Percy's scarf. I-I didn't know about...well..."

"It's all right, Joanna," Mr. Weasley said kindly as he stretched out his hand to take the gift from Ginny.

"It's not like he deserves one anyway," George grumbled loudly from the floor underneath the frosted window. "I mean, he sent back his jumper for the second year in a row!"

"Perhaps I just wanted to open up my Christmas presents with my family this year."

Everyone in the room froze, except for Severus and Joanna, who immediately leaped to stand in front of the newcomer and thrust their wands into the face of a very startled redhead in glasses.

"Who are you?" demanded Joanna, taking a step closer to the young man.

"Who am I? Who are you?" exclaimed Percy, his face bright red by now.

"Don't ask questions," Severus barked threateningly. "Answer them."

"You know who I am!" Percy cried. "I was once your student!"

"I told you to shut up!" Severus snapped, and then murmured, "He could be using glamours."

Joanna shook her head. "I'd be able to see them. Polyjuice, perhaps."

Severus frowned and then turned to face Joanna, giving her a calculating look. "What is it?" she blurted.

"Shake his hand..." he whispered, and Joanna knew at once what he wanted her to do.

Licking her lips, Joanna lowered her wand and suddenly stuck out her right hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Weasley," she said, plastering a smile on her face.

Percy looked wildly around the room before finally settling on Joanna. Clearly at a loss, he gave a small shrug and thrust his hand into Joanna's. She quickly grasped it tightly, to make sure he couldn't pull away, and then closed her eyes.

"What's she doing?" someone asked, but Severus told them to be quiet.

Anger...pride...hope...hope...love...love...pride...love...love...pride...pride...anger...sadness...shame...shame...pride...love love love love--

"Joanna!" With a start, the Empath pulled away from Percy, who was visibly shaking. She was shivering a bit herself.

Percy stared at his hand in awe and then gave Joanna a look of disbelief. "Who are you?" he breathed.

"What did you Read?" Severus ordered.

"He's fine..." she responded slowly. "I mean...it's him, it's Percy Weasley, and...he doesn't mean any harm. He wants to be here...wants to apologize..."

Percy spluttered indignantly, but was soon engulfed in a hug by a sobbing Mrs. Weasley. "I'm s-so glad you're h-home!" she wailed

"Mum, gerroff," Percy muttered, though he didn't seem too keen on letting his mother go, either.

Joanna turned around when she felt anger radiating from the room and was surprised to find all the Weasleys, plus Harry and Hermione, glaring at Percy. They were not happy to see him at the Burrow. Not at all.

"What is it?" Joanna asked quietly while Molly gushed over her son in the background.

"He doesn't deserve to be here," snapped Fred, his face screwed up in anger.

"He's acted like a real git all year and now he just waltzes back into our lives without so much as an apology for the way he was acting!" George added.

Joanna ran a hand through her hair and snuck a glance at Severus. He looked entirely bored by the events surrounding him. Joanna sighed, and then looked back at the people in the living room.

"Is that all it would take?" she inquired. "Him apologizing for you to forgive him?"

Ron opened his mouth (and Joanna was quite sure it was not to say, Why yes, indeed, Professor Kent), but Molly cut him off.

"You lot! Get over here and welcome your brother back home!"

Nobody moved, and the tension in the room multiplied. Somewhere, an owl hooted. Joanna and Severus shifted uncomfortably on their feet.

"What is this?" Molly demanded, putting her hands on her hips. "Your brother comes home after all this time and you lot can't be bothered to welcome him?"

"He's the one who left, Mum!" Ron exclaimed. "He's the one who treated you and Dad like scum, and the rest of us like we didn't even exist! He even told me to stop hanging around Harry last year because 'he was dangerous'!"

"Yeah!" several people chorused.

"May I speak?" Percy asked quietly, and the room fell silent. Clearing his throat and standing up tall and straight, he said, "I realize the actions I've taken in the past year may have been...untoward. I honestly believed I was doing the right thing at the time, and I still believe it was, but now...now I understand some things...Like how important my family is to me."

Percy turned to face his father. "Dad...I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm really sorry about how I acted towards you at the Ministry and--and what happened last year over Christmas." He then turned to face his mother. "Mum...I--"

"Darling, it's all right," Molly said, tears in her eyes, and then engulfed her son in a huge hug. "I'm just happy to have you home." She let him go and Percy looked hesitantly at his father. Mr. Weasley frowned a little and then pulled Percy into a smothering hug.

"I'm glad to have you home," he said gruffly into his son's hair. Mrs. Weasley burst into tears.

"I'm so glad I came today," muttered Severus sarcastically, and Joanna swatted him lightly on the shoulder.

"I think it's lovely," she said with a sniffle.

"What about the rest of us?" Joanna heard Ron bark, but not loud enough for his parents or Percy to hear. It appeared that Bill had heard him, however. Standing up, the tallest and oldest Weasley child commanded the attention of the entire room. Everyone's eyes were on him, including a weary looking Percy, and Bill stood in silence for several minutes before acting. Moving swiftly across the room, Bill grabbed Percy by the shoulders, said, "If you ever do anything like that again, I'll take care of you personally--or worse, sic the twins on you," and then hugged his brother fiercely. Soon, the other Weasleys, too, were standing up, approaching their brother, and ultimately, forgiving him.

"Let's go outside," Joanna whispered into Severus's ear. "Give them some privacy." Severus readily agreed and soon the two found themselves alone in the brisk air.

"It's beautiful out here," Joanna said in awe as she took in to snow-capped trees and frozen pond. Severus grunted.

"When do we get to leave?" he asked tetchily.

"After supper," she replied firmly, a grin tugging at her lips. Severus grunted again.

They stood in an amiable silence for a long time before the porch door banged open and numerous redheads began pouring out.

"Snow ball fight!" Fred yelled, flailing wildly as he ran into the backyard, with George following close behind.

"I really don't think this is necessary--" Percy gibbered as Bill and Charlie dragged him bodily out of the house.

"Oh, but it is, Perce," Bill said, grinning wickedly, and Percy gave a mournful sound as his older brothers all but threw him into the snow. Ron, Harry, and Ginny soon ran by, all the while coaxing an apprehensive Hermione to join in on the fun.

"C'mon, 'Mione," Ron implored, "it'll be fun--and easy! You girls have nothing against us men!"

Ginny snorted and Hermione looked affronted. "I'll show you, Ronald Weasley!" she exclaimed, eagerly joining Ginny in a snow embankment.

Joanna laughed and then turned towards Severus. "Want to go check out the perimeter, make sure all the spells and wards are in place?"

Severus curled his lip at the gamboling youngsters, and nodded. After walking for about fifteen minutes in silence, broken only by a peal of laughter or a scream, Joanna cracked and asked the question that had been niggling at her since last night.

"So why didn't you tell me you had resumed practicing?"

Severus sighed and jammed his hands into the pockets of his robes. "It would be hypocritical of you to be angry with me about not telling you when you hid your identity from me for more than four months," he told her evenly.

"That's different," Joanna protested. "And I never said I was angry..."

"How exactly is that different?" Snape said disdainfully.

"I was trying to keep myself alive," she replied. "There was no reason for you to keep this from me. It's a big deal, Severus. If I'd had known--"

"What? What would you have done?" Severus interrupted, his eyes flashing. "It was my decision, just as much as you keeping quiet was yours. I wasn't ready to let you know yet. Dumbledore had no right to tell you, anyway."

Joanna exhaled through her nose and looked away from Severus's piercing gaze. "Fine. We've reached a stalemate. So. You're practicing again. That's great."

Snape frowned at Joanna's detached way of speaking. "Did Reading drain you? Are you feeling all right?"

Joanna smiled slightly at Severus's concern and closed her eyes. "I'll be fine in a minute. You'll remember--I was never the greatest Reader..."

Severus remained silent, shouts and laughter echoing in the distance.

"Joanna," he said abruptly, "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" Unfortunately, Joanna never got her answer, as loud cheers sounded from the yard and Remus Lupin emerged from the Burrow. She frowned when she heard Severus growl.

"What is he doing here?"

Joanna ran a frozen hand over her face. "Molly and Arthur probably invited him and--there we go, I thought she'd come--Tonks. Besides, it'll be good for him and Harry to be around one another. Merlin, but how he can stand the cold after the transformation last night is beyond me..."

"How touching," Severus said scathingly when Harry and Remus embraced in the distance. Joanna gave him an annoyed look and began trudging back towards the house.

"Wait--what are you doing?" he said. "I still need to talk to you."

"It'll have to keep," Joanna puffed, struggling in the snow. "We can talk later. Right now, I want to see Remus and Tonks." Joanna stopped suddenly and whirled around to face Severus. "Promise me you won't act like a prat today around Remus."

"Excuse me?" Severus hissed.

"You heard me," she said. "It's Christmas. It's time to grow up. Now that you're practicing again, I better not feel any negative feelings from you today." Then, without waiting for an answer, Joanna strode away.

Severus narrowed his eyes when Joanna hugged Remus and Tonks before disappearing into the Burrow. Frowning, Severus turned around and clenched his fists; staring hard into the woods behind the house, his heart began to pound and he worked furiously at forgetting how his skinned burned whenever Joanna touched him.

*~*~*~*

"Hello, Tonks," Joanna greeted warmly, kissing the younger witch on her cheeks. "How are you?"

Tonks grinned and her teeth chattered. "I'm a little c-cold," she stuttered.

"Let's get inside, shall we," said Remus, his eyes dancing. Joanna hadn't seen him look so happy in a long time.

Once they were in the kitchen, Joanna set about making some tea, seeing as Molly was currently in the yard yelling at her children about something or another.

"Are you two staying for dinner?" Joanna asked as she poured the tea.

Remus squirmed in his seat and Tonks chuckled. "Sadly, no," she said. "Remus here gets to meet my parents tonight."

"That's brilliant!" said Joanna. "Andromeda's the best, Remus. Surely you remember her from Charm Club?"

"The only reason I was in that was because of James and Sirius," he retorted. "I believe I spent most of my time either hiding in a corner or staring at--" Remus cut off when he saw Tonks's raised eyebrow.

"Staring at who, dear?" Tonks said sweetly.

"No one, love," he muttered, blushing, and Joanna laughed.

Gripping his teacup, Remus stood up and said, in a rather haughty voice, "Seeing as the two of you are teaming up on me, I think I shall retire outside and partake in the festivities." Remus marched out of the kitchen, his head high, to Joanna and Tonks's amusement.

Sitting down across from Tonks, Joanna added some sugar to her tea, sipped, and then proceeded to stare at the Metamorphagus.

"What is it?" Tonks asked, breaking after only thirty seconds of torture.

"How is everything with you and Remus?" Joanna asked softly. She was relieved to see Tonks smile broadly, yet shyly.

"Everything's...just wonderful," she said sincerely. "I...I can't explain it, but...whenever I'm with Remus, it's like I'm home again. Merlin, that sounds so clichéd, but it's true. I--I think I may be in love with him," Tonks added in a whisper.

"That's brilliant," said Joanna. "I'm so happy for the two of you."

The woman smiled wistfully and her gaze traveled to the door that led to the yard. "Can I ask you something?" said Tonks, her eyes still trained on the door.

"Of course."

Tonks turned back to Joanna, and there was a definite gleam in her bright blue eyes. "Do you think it's natural for a man to be able to bring a woman to orgasm four times in the course of one love-making session?"

Joanna choked on her tea. "Are you serious?" she asked, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree.

Tonks merely grinned, wiggling her eyebrows, and Joanna burst into laughter.

"Oh, you lucky, lucky witch," she gasped, and Tonks broke out in giggles.

*~*~*~*

Remus found Severus standing by the pond, probably freezing his arse off, but Remus was sure the other wizard didn't give a shite. That was the kind of man Severus Snape was. Cold, hard, full of rage and anger, incredibly resilient, ridiculously intelligent, and most of all, extremely passionate.

"Go away, Lupin," Severus drawled in a chilly voice, though Remus reasoned that it could be the cold air talking.

"What are you doing out here alone, Severus?" he asked, limping slightly in order to stand next to the brooding man, who continued to ignore Remus's presence.

"None of your damn business, now if you'll excuse me--"

"What I don't understand," Remus began, capturing Severus's attention, "is that there are two beautiful women sitting in the Burrow's kitchen right now--probably talking about us--one of whom cares deeply for you, and you're out here avoiding her like the plague."

"I'm not avoiding anybody," snarled Severus, thrusting his face into Remus's. "We were sent here to do a job--to watch the bloody children--and that's what I'm doing."

"They have as much a chance of getting attacked here as they do at Hogwarts, and you know that, Severus," said Lupin calmly.

"I don't even know why I'm still listening to this--"

"It's because somebody has to say it!" Remus asserted. "You're so bloody unapproachable that no one, save for Dumbledore or McGonagall, would be willing to say any of this to your face, but it has to be done!"

"What are you on about?" Severus snapped. He was going to throttle the werewolf and hide the body in the pond if he didn't get to the point soon.

Remus took a step closer to Severus and said in a soft, dangerous voice, "How you feel about Joanna--Milah. Because I know you, Severus. I've known you for twenty years. I know that you will sabotage this just like you've sabotaged every relationship you've ever had--"

"How dare you--"

"I know that you'll push her away," Remus continued in a louder tone. "You'll hurt her, and she deserves better than that. You could give her everything she would ever want in life, but you're afraid--of what, I don't know, but you are."

"You listen to me, Lupin," Severus spat angrily. "You know nothing about me. You know nothing about what I feel or how I think or what the fuck color socks I'm wearing today, so don't you dare tell me what I will or will not do in regards to Joanna."

Severus turned to storm away, and was about halfway to the house when Remus called out, "You don't deserve her."

He stopped dead in his tracks. Closing his eyes, Severus exhaled sharply.

"I know," he breathed to the wind, and then walked back inside the Burrow and into the warmth...

*~*~*~*

Joanna's face cracked into a wide smile when she saw Severus enter the kitchen. "Hey! Want something to warm you up?" she asked.

"No," he grunted, and then said, "I'll be right back." He quickly left the room and walked down a narrow hallway in search of a loo. As ridiculous as it sounded, he needed time to think, and the Burrow wasn't exactly conducive to such endeavors. After finally locating one, Severus locked himself in and collapsed on the edge of the bathtub. He ran a hand over his face and then through his hair before resting his palms on his knees.

He stared blankly at the tiled floor for what felt like hours, vaguely aware that the Weasleys and company were back inside again, but Severus did not feel bothered to remove himself from the bathroom. Instead, he continued to sit on the tub and stare at nothing in particular, his mind a jumbled mess.

Severus had forgot what practicing had felt like; it had been ten years since he'd felt like this, and despite his attempts, he did sense some panic rising in his chest.

A light knock on the door lured Severus away from his mixed-up thoughts. "Severus?" a familiar voice called. "Are you in there?"

"I'll be right out, Joanna," he said vacantly. He heard her pause for a moment before finally walking away from the door.

His chest felt uneasily tight, liked he'd been running a marathon and not just standing outside arguing with the werewolf. Severus tried to remember the last time he had felt this tightness and burning, but for the life of him, could not seem to pinpoint the occasion.

Severus's stomach rolled and he squeezed his eyes shut at the feeling. Taking a deep breath, he held his breath until the tumult in his abdomen died away. He opened his eyes slowly and shook his head slightly, as if to chase away the odd sensations...

Like most times when he felt this way, Severus's thoughts turned to Joanna...Milah. Bloody hell, he didn't know what to call her in his own inner thoughts, much less out loud. But no matter what name he thought, it was the woman herself that caused Severus to feel both sick and excited at the same time. He panicked at this, not sure exactly what he was feeling, at least not consciously. But if Severus knew one thing, it was that he could not stand to lose her again, and he would do anything--anything--to protect her and keep her in his life.

*~*~*~*

"So..." said Joanna, holding her hands about eight inches apart. "This big?"

Tonks laughed loudly and shook her head. "Bigger."

Joanna gasped, and the other witch blushed and broke into giggles. "Bloody hell, Tonks..."

"What are you two talking about?" Molly asked the sniggering women when she entered the kitchen.

"Erm..." Joanna stammered, dropping her hands, and Tonks blurted out, "Wand lengths!"

"Ah," said Molly, busying herself around the room. "Arthur has a rather long wand, though it's not very thick."

"Oh, Merlin!" Joanna gasped, and Tonks choked on her pumpkin juice.

Just then, Charlie walked in and eyed the giggling women suspiciously. "What is with you two?" he asked.

"I think I'm going to go find Remus," said Tonks, still snickering, and rushed out into the living room. Molly soon followed, carrying a tray full of hot chocolate, leaving Joanna and Charlie alone.

"So..." said Charlie, straddling the chair Tonks had just vacated. Joanna couldn't help but notice how...bulky the young man was. He really did look like Gideon. "They say you work at Hogwarts."

Joanna smiled at him from over her teacup. "Yeah, Potions. Took Severus's job when he became the Defense teacher."

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Huh?" Joanna blurted. Eloquent as always, Jo, she inwardly chided.

"It's just...you're so young," Charlie said, leaning closer to the table.

"Well...thank you," Joanna muttered, blushing. Was he flirting with her? It'd been so long, she honestly couldn't tell when someone was flirting with her if it hit her upside the head. Which was sad, considering she was an Empath and was supposed to be able to read other's emotions...

Charlie flashed her a dazzling smile, and Joanna was absurdly pleased to note it looked like Gideon's smile, too. She suddenly felt a little dizzy.

"So, you didn't answer my question," he said, still smiling away.

"What question?" Joanna said weakly.

"Your age."

"Oh," she mumbled. "Too old for you, I might think."

Charlie cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, I dunno..." He winked roguishly at her, and Joanna's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I've found that older women have a lot to teach us younger blokes."

"Such as what, Mr. Weasley," drawled a sardonic voice from the doorway. Charlie's eyes widened comically and he practically flew out of the chair, causing it to fall over.

"Professor Snape," he said quickly. "I think I hear Mum calling me," he muttered before hurrying out of the kitchen.

"Thanks," Joanna said sheepishly. "I wasn't sure if he was...er, never mind. What's up? I see you've finally emerged from your solitary confinement."

"I wasn't hiding," he sneered, righting Charlie's chair and then sitting down.

"I never said you were," she said coolly. Severus scowled, and Joanna, fed up with his attitude, stood up and left the kitchen.

*~*~*~*

"How are we all going to fit around the table?" Molly asked, scratching the back of her head and effectively covering half her hair in flour.

"Some of us could sit in the living room, Molly," suggested Joanna. "I'm sure Severus wouldn't mind." He grunted but remained quiet when she glared at him.

"Yes, I suppose that will have to do," Molly said slowly, pondering her surroundings. "Any other volunteers for the other room?"

"I'll go, Mum," said Charlie, throwing Joanna a broad grin. Severus, in return, gave Charlie the stare he reserved for Gryffindors and which could cause a first-year to spontaneously combust. Charlie didn't notice.

Bill, Arthur, and Molly also agreed to sit in the living room (Tonks and a glum looking Remus had already left for the Tonks household), leaving the twins, Percy, Ginny, and the trio to have free reign of the kitchen. Molly wasn't too thrilled about that.

Just then, someone knocked on the door and when Arthur opened the door, Joanna thought she might have a heart attack.

It was Felix Lovegood and his daughter...Luna.

"Felix, I'm so glad you came!" said Arthur, welcoming the guests with hearty handshakes while Joanna managed to spill a cup of tea all over herself. While she was frantically mopping it up with a napkin and avoiding Felix's eyes, Luna asked, "Where's Ronald?"

"In the kitchen, dear," Molly said fondly, and Luna quickly left, but not before throwing Joanna an odd look (odd even for Luna).

"So how've you been, Felix?" Arthur asked after serving the man some tea.

Mr. Lovegood smiled vaguely and proceeded to tell the Weasleys about his trip to Germany in search of some random and fictional creature, but Joanna was too busy having a panic attack to really pay attention.

"What is the matter with you?" Severus hissed into her ear.

"I've--I'll be right back," she gibbered, and darted into the kitchen. She made a beeline for the sink and began scrubbing at her robes (Why don't you use just use magic? a treacherous part of her mind inquired silkily), her ears barely taking in the conversations surrounding her.

"What is this?" asked Ron, wrinkling his nose at the brown and orange colored pie sitting in the middle of the table.

"Pumpkin pie, I believe," Hermione responded distantly, too focused on her new book to give it much mind.

"Oh," Ron said glumly. "I don't much care for pumpkin pie..."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"I dunno...tastes funny."

"I rather like it," Luna contributed, staring dreamily at Ron.

"You would," Ginny muttered.

"So, Percy," said Fred, clapping his older brother hard on the back, probably with a little bit more force than necessary. "Are you coming over tonight to see our store?"

"Er, does it have to be tonight?" said Percy. Seeing the look the twins were giving him, Percy sighed dejectedly, and then nodded. "Fine..."

"Excellent," George said, grinning. "We have loads of products to test," he added under his breath.

"What was that?" Percy asked.

"Nothing, nothing, dearest brother of mine," Fred said hastily. "How 'bout we finish eating and then head on over there? Fine? Brilliant."

"Wha--?"

"Professor Kent, what are you doing?"

Joanna jumped at the sound of her name and dropped the teacup she'd been holding, causing it to splinter into a million pieces all over the floor.

"Nothing, I mean, cleaning--my robes, see--tea," she babbled. "I got tea, on my robes and--"

"Well, just do a Scouring Charm," Hermione said logically.

"Right...umm--" Joanna quickly cast several spells in order to repair the teacup and clean her robes, very determined not to look at Luna.

"All right, it's time to head out, big brother!" George exclaimed, rubbing his hands together gleefully. The three stood up and after saying their goodbyes to the occupants of the kitchen, exited the room to say farewell to their parents; a few minutes later, the cracks of Apparation could be heard from the front yard.

Severus then billowed into the kitchen. "We will be departing in exactly thirty minutes," he barked. "You all better be ready."

"Such a cheerful man," Charlie said softly after Snape had left the room, staring straight into Joanna's eyes and making her squirm. Thankfully, his attention was soon diverted elsewhere, and Joanna was able to grab Hermione and pull her into the hallway.

"Here," she said, shoving a small thin package into Hermione's hands.

"What is it?"

"Just open it," Joanna said, looking over her shoulder. Hermione tore off the plain wrapping, and let out a sound between a gasp and a squeal.

"Oh, thank you, Professor!" she exclaimed.

"It can get you into any section of the library," Joanna explained eagerly, "including...the Restricted Section. I trust you won't abuse it?"

"Of course not," Hermione breathed, awestruck by the tiny piece of paper that would allow her to go anywhere in the library. "Thank you so much, Professor..."

"You're welcome," said Joanna, smiling. "I thought you'd be the most deserving of it. Use it well." She winked and walked away to join Severus in the living room. He was still glaring at Charlie.

Joanna flopped down on the couch next to Severus and slipped her hand into his. He looked at her, shocked, but then gave her hand a tight squeeze. Joanna's eyes danced and she suddenly felt deliriously happy. This was probably one of the best Christmas's she'd had in a long time.

Twenty minutes later, unfortunately, Joanna found herself cornered in the hallway by a very broad torso as she was on her way back from using the loo.

"Can I owl you sometime?" Charlie asked in a low and--Joanna hated to admit it--definitely husky voice.

"Er...I--I don't know if that's such a good idea, Charlie," she stammered. Charlie merely grinned at her and Joanna's frustration grew. Honestly, were all Weasleys this bloody thick?

"I have to go, Charles," she said softly, and quickly ducked underneath his arm before he could hold her back.

"Where were you?" said Severus suspiciously when Joanna entered the living room.

"Had to run to the loo," she said, which was partly true. "Is it almost time?"

Severus nodded and held out the sock they'd used earlier. "Put your hands on it," he ordered. "One...two...three...Reditus!"

With a jerk of the navel, they were gone.

*~*~*~*

"Are you all right?" Severus asked as he closed the door to Joanna's dungeon quarters.

Joanna struggled to remove her boots and groaned with relief when they finally relinquished their hold on her feet. She gave him a small smile before collapsing onto her couch. "Those shoes were killing me," Joanna informed Severus as he walked and joined her on the sofa.

"I'm exhausted," she mumbled, sliding her eyes closed. She wasn't sure how long they sat in an amiable silence, the fire cackling pleasantly in the background. Joanna wanted to talk about today, about their attitudes towards one another, but she just couldn't find the energy to do anything other than lay on the couch like a bump on a log.

Without warning, Joanna felt Severus shift on the sofa and a second later, he was lifting her legs and feet off the floor and placing them in his lap.

Her eyes flew open. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" he said testily.

"I don't--ohhhh..." Joanna sighed as Severus's lithe and strong hands began to massage the aching muscles and flesh of her feet. Her eyes fluttered shut again...

"May I take off your stockings?" he asked softly.

"...'kay..." she breathed, and then gasped when she felt Severus's warm hands work their way up her calves, pushing her long skirt up and out of the way until they reached the top of the stockings. He hooked his fingers on the hem and slowly removed each stocking, making sure his hands touched as much of her overheated skin as possible. Joanna was suddenly absurdly pleased that she had shaved her legs last night...

Finally, the stockings were off, but Severus had not removed his hands; instead, they were gliding up and down her flesh, fingers splayed wide, his palms flat and burning red hot.

"Lay all the way down," whispered Severus gruffly.

"Why?" she mouthed dazedly, her head drunk with warm fuzziness.

"I want to help you feel better," he said silkily.

Joanna gave no reply, instead melting into the couch as Severus's hands made a tortuously slow ascent up her legs.

His right hand started at Joanna's ankle, his long fingers encircling it entirely, and his thumb rubbed lazily over her skin; his left hand continued to move up and down her shin and calf, leaving it warm and tingling.

Severus's right hand then began to move up her left leg again, and Joanna lost all semblance of coherent thought at the sensations he was creating. His fingers were on the back of her knee now, and the pleasure that shot through Joanna's body caused her to gasp loudly.

Severus, inspired by this, boldly shifted his body in order to settle himself more comfortably between Joanna's legs. Using both hands, Severs then slid his hands further up Joanna's shaking legs until they rested on her thighs, occasionally kneading the soft, smooth flesh. Shifting forward, Severus lowed his torso and wetly kissed one of her knees.

"Severus...!" she gasped, and he had to bite back a throaty groan; his trousers were now incredibly tight and to his amazement, Joanna's arousal was emanating so intensely from her body that it was taking all of Severus's will power not to snap and shag her into oblivion.

Breathing deeply, Severus squeezed his eyes shut and worked at getting his body under control. This is for her, he reminded himself. You want her to be comfortable with you, to be able to feel pleasure from you. Remember that.

His resolved reinforced, Severus popped his eyes open and began leaving hot, wet kisses all along Joanna's knees and thighs. The further Severus kissed, the higher her skirt bunched up, until he could actually see her blue colored knickers. Severus sucked in a harsh breath and felt himself become even harder; he no longer had any doubt in his mind that Joanna was turned on by his ministrations. This time, Severus did moan.

"So beautiful," he growled, and then placed a searing kiss on Joanna's inner thigh, dangerously close to her knickers.

"Severus!" she cried out again, jerking her hips as a shudder coursed through her body. Snape didn't answer, though, but instead kissed her other thigh and ran his tongue along her skin. Severus's stomach clenched when Joanna whimpered.

"Please..." she said, opening her eyes and feeling rather light-headed.

Severus raised his head and looked straight into her tumultuous eyes. "What do you wish for me to do?"

Joanna clutched his shoulders and hauled him up until he fully settled between her legs. He gasped when his erection pressed intimately against her.

"Kiss me," she ordered, and Severus didn't need to be told twice. He claimed her mouth with his own, and as their lips and tongues ravished each other's mouths, Joanna tightened her legs around Severus's hips, causing his to emit a growl from deep within his belly. He then gasped into her mouth when Joanna thrust her hips ever so slightly. Severus tore his mouth away from the woman below him and stared into her beautiful eyes, his breathing heavy and labored.

"What do you wish for me to do now?" he panted.

Joanna slowly licked her lips and seemed to come to some kind of decision... "Spend the night with me," she said in an almost whisper.

Severus inhaled sharply and his arousal grew ten-fold. Gazing into her eyes, he could see that she wanted this as much as he did. Swallowing thickly, Severus nodded and peeled himself off of Joanna's languid body. Standing on shaking legs, he then swooped down, gathered Joanna up in his arms (she squeaked slightly), and marched purposely into his former bedroom.

Stumbling blindly into the room--Joanna was sucking on his tongue--Severus's knees connected with her bed, causing him to lose his balance and drop her unceremoniously on the bed. She stared at him for a few mortifying moments before breaking into a fit of giggles.

Severus felt himself coloring but didn't have time to retort when Joanna grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him down on top of her.

"You're wearing way too many clothes," she murmured against his lips.

"So're you," he grunted. Sitting up on his knees, Severus began to unbutton Joanna's blouse with shaking hands.

"'S'been a while," he tried to explain when he failed for the fifth time to get a button out of the bloody buttonhole. Joanna rested a hand on top of Severus's and smiled radiantly at him. Her eyes twinkled as she raised her other hand and cupped Severus's cheek, almost reverently. He gasped at the intimacy of the act and his heart felt like it was going to burst with emotion. With what emotion, Severus wasn't quite sure, but it was too overwhelming; he had to lean forward and bury his face in Joanna's hair in order to keep from doing...from saying...something that would ruin the moment...

"Severus," said Joanna quietly, "look at me."

He slowly raised his head and looked into Joanna's eyes for what like an eternity. Severus's heart swelled even more and he just had to kiss her again...

Then several things happened at once...

Joanna's fireplace flared to life, indicating that someone was about to Floo. She and Severus looked at each other in horror and then slowly turned their heads to the side just in time to see Nymphadora Tonks stumble out of the hearth.

"Joanna!" Tonks shouted, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the couple on the bed. She then blushed numerous shades of red.

Severus, equally mortified, scrambled off of Joanna, and angrily barked, "What is it?"

It took a moment for Tonks to remember why she was there, but what she said next would stay with Joanna for the rest of her life...

"Death Eaters are attacking all over England," the Auror explained. "All Order members are to report to Grimmauld Place at once. War has officially been declared."

~*~