Party Preparations Who: Severus Snape, Lorcan D'Eath, Draco Malfoy What: A meeting, then costume preparations for the Halloween Party Where: Severus and Draco's cottage, Number 11 When: roughly an hour before the party on Saturday night, 27th October and then back here in this thread for after the party. Rating: R-ish for the after-party bits.
After supper, Severus went upstairs to shower and get his costume on before Lorcan arrived. Lorcan's costume was likewise complete, though Severus had forgotten to ask if there was any truth to the rumours about vampires and religious symbols, so he didn't know if he'd be adding the Rosary and Crucifix to the mix.
He also had Miss Bones's gifts neatly wrapped and ready to go. In addition to the two bottles of wine, a white and a red, specially chosen for her with help from Alicia Spinnet, there were also gifts for her pets: a chew-object for her new puppy and a toy for the exotic bird she'd told him about.
Having done that, there was little else to do but wait for Lorcan's arrival. Draco was the nearest thing to family Severus had. He wanted nothing so much as for he and Lorcan to like one another. It had always seemed a bit ridiculous to him, why people placed so much emphasis on whether or not their families got on with their significant others, but now he understood with an intensity that surprised him.
Draco meant a very great deal to him. Countless times he'd said the young man was the nearest thing he would ever know to a son - and he'd meant it. But now Lorcan entered the picture and Severus liked him very much, indeed. He made Severus laugh. Nothing about him reminded Severus of the war or any of his many failures. When Severus did get melancholy over those memories, Lorcan seemed to know just the thing to say to lift his spirits without minimising his grief or brushing aside his pain.
It was the sort of association he'd never experienced before and he truly didn't want to give it up. He knew he'd surely fuck it up eventually, that being his lot, but until then, he wanted to enjoy it. Draco's approval would make it much easier to do so; his disapproval would be crushing.