Who: Mary and Severus What: Christmas Eve Celebration When: Thursday evening, after dinner Where: The Room of Requirement Rating: Probably Low Status: Incomplete
There was no doubt about it: Mary's imagination was first rate.
Obviously, Severus had expected the Come and Go Room to look quite festive and such, but she, and her imagination, had quite literally outdone themselves. A roaring fire, with stockings that had both their names on them, a towering pine tree (and stepladder, for getting the angel on top), a box of decorations and ornaments standing by at the ready, and even a punch bowl filled with eggnog flavored with -- if his nose wasn't deceiving him -- butterbeer.
Severus almost felt as though he hadn't enough eyes to take it all in, once he'd stepped inside. It was, for lack of a better work, perfect. Certainly better than any Christmas he had ever experienced at home, and not only because he didn't expect Mary to knock over the tree in a fit of temper. Or at least it would have been perfect, if he'd had the money for a gift, and had known what to get her. Perhaps she would forgive him that failing, some day.