Serpents under the Mistletoe || Nagini and Tom
@serpent-tongued-lie continued from here
They had been taking a long walk with their fingers interlaced, enjoying the crystalline snow and the wondrous scenery that was all but fairytale-like, when Tom decided to enter a small café to top off their date.
It was a cozy place famous for its handmade pastries and various other delicacies that Tom knew would fit Nagini’s palate.
“You may order anything you like, Nagini,” he said as they made their way to a nice-looking table by the window. “In fact, I insist on it.”
However, before he could pull back Nagini’s chair and take their coats to the wardrobe, his ears picked up on the snickering of the elderly French lady who was the owner of the café. As he resisted the urge to punish her with a stinging hex, he felt Nagini stop in her tracks through their joined hands, and when he turned to look at her, a becoming pink blush was coloring her cheeks.
Right above their heads, a mistletoe hung from the ceiling, impossible to miss, and in response to Nagini’s bashfulness, a rare genuine smile crept its way onto Tom’s handsome features – a smile reserved for Nagini’s eyes alone.
Releasing her hand and cupping her cheek instead, he leaned down to brush his lips against hers in a feather-light caress.
“Merry Christmas, Nagini,” Tom murmured against her lips before kissing her again.
Sometimes Nagini wasn’t able to take human form for very long, she had begun to notice the difficulties her mother had. She had been ignoring the curse screaming at her to have what it wanted, the ability to continue but she wouldn’t force that on a child. So the curse fought her as well sometimes trapping her in her snake form. This was not one of those times -- they still happened rarely -- and she could enjoy her time with Tom, hold his hand as they walked through the cold.
She was bundled up, her body not accustomed to the cold, but she still liked the sharp beauty of winter. As they entered the shop and the smell of pastries hit her nostrils she let out a contented sigh, eager to choose the pastries that she would like.
He was always sure to treat her, always reminding her just how important she was, he had called her a queen once and she doubted that view had changed.
As the woman laughed she looked up, a little confused, she was always more gentle than Tom, more willing to let snide remarks pass. When she saw the mistletoe however a blush rose to her cheeks, and soon he saw it too. She was always pleased when he kissed her, glad that he wanted to oblige her, but it was rarely in public. They often needed to keep up their appearances for their followers.
Nagini smiled back at him and as he kissed her, her eyelids closed, a soft sigh left her lips when he pulled away, she wanted more than the barely there kiss. “Merry Christmas,” she replied as she kissed him back, her lips pressing a little harder against his own, not caring too much what the lady thought. She spoke quietly against his lips. “If I may be so bold... I would like more of that later, when we get home...”
