Do ut des - part 2

Calendario dell’Avvento (Kaos Borealis)

06/12: Albero di Natale

Harry Potter

Snarry

SAFE

There was a fucking three in Potter’s room. An enormous monstrosity that took up great part of what Severus thought it should have once been the living room and now just looked like a portion of the Forbidden Forest transplanted inside of the castle. 

“Hello, Severus,” Potter greeted him still on the threshold. He looked tired and a bit overwhelmed - and also a little bit cute with leaves and golden threads stuck in his hair, as cute as someone taken straight out of a poster ad about Christmas, Severus corrected in his mind, “If you are here to return the mistletoe, I’m busy and I don’t want it back, so…”  his voice trailed off, waiting for his reply. 

“You were telling me about a cup of tea, Harry,” and yes, probably Severus shouldn’t put that much contempt in a name, but Potter - Harry, ugh - brightened nonetheless. 

“Yes! I mean, of course!” Then he looked behind his shoulder, as if he had forgotten completely he was decorating the Christmas three just a few minutes before. “Right now I’m a little busy, though. Unless you don’t mind…” and he actually took a step back to let him in. 

Severus considered laughing in his face, telling him he just had a cup of tea and he should make it count if he really wanted it, scoffing at him that of course he didn’t mind being subjected to only half of his attention, that it was a great bargain actually. 

He just nodded instead, and Potter lead him in. 

“Earl grey?” he asked, expectantly. 

And maybe it was the Christmas spirits, maybe Potter’s tree was really infested by nargles, but “No, thank you. I suppose I should save the caffeine quota for that cup of tea I’ll have to offer you.”