To Protect

11

Eleanor signed Harry's neatly wrapped gift, deciding to keep it separate from the stockings filled with candies for both Harry and Ron.

The black ink on the bit of parchemnt wrote out:

Happy Christmas Harry
Aunt El xx

The candies were signed by their dear professor. She tried her best to make both of the hand writings different so Harry didn't suspect her.

She tied the note to the gloves and sent it to the gryffindor common room where Harry would be able to open it first thing.

"Knock. Knock." Says Hagrid. His enourmas form barely made it through the already opened classroom door.

Eleanor smiled at the creature loving man who had something behind his back. "I- er, I got yer something." He stated which Eleanor raised her head to.

"I didn't get you anything." She panicked feeling bad.

Hagrid frowned and shook his head, "no no, no need! I actually didn't make this or anythin', but it belonged to yer brother. Thought yer might want it." He took something from behind his back. Whatever it was, it was placed in a box.

Eleanor took it from his large hand carefully. Examining the box and looked to Hagrid for approval to open it up.

"Go ahead." He grunts as he sat at a desk too small for him.

Eleanor smiled, opening the box and putting aside the tissue along with it. The very center of the box was a smaller box that held a pocket watch.

The watch itself was silver with a matching chain. The watch held the moon phases each night instead of the time.

It went by a monthly cycle.

Eleanor wondered why James had such a thing. James didn't like astronomy, nevermind the moon phases, this must have been some gift from lily.

"Where did you find this, if you don't mind me asking?" She looked to Hagrid who looked as if he was trying to remember where he got it from.

"It was actually one of the things he left behind at Hogwarts. It was left under his bunk the night he left." Hagrid explained, "I don't know why I kept it, but yer the one that should have it."

Eleanor smiled, putting it around her head, she looked down at it in awe. "Thank you, Hagrid."

"Happy Christmas Professor."

Eleanor woke up early Christmas morning, she could hear the echos of kids cheering from their dormitories and a grin formed on her lips. The first thing that came to mind was Harry receiving his gift.

She wondered if he liked it, if he was going to wear them for Christmas dinner tonight or not at all.

Putting her hair in a ponytail and changing into anything, but her pajamas— Eleanor walked out her sleeping chamber and into her classroom where she found the most curious thing.

A simple white bouquet of Roses, ones that were enchanted to never die. She smiled at the flowers that layed on her desk, she looked for an attachment to see who it was from, but nothing was there, no card or information of the gifter.

Mysterious roses was not the only thing she had received that Christmas morning, Professor sprout baked her a lovely apple crumble, Professor binns sent a card, Mcgonagall also baked a few cranberry biscuits and Dumbledore sent a pair of nice socks. The gift Neville had wrapped so messily ended up being a chocolate frog from honeydukes. Looking back, Eleanor did spot Neville trying to hide from her at the candy store.

"Happy Christmas Professor," smiled Harry as everyone had a nice Christmas breakfast of cinnamon buns and everything in between. "Thank you for the stocking."

Eleanor smiled down at him, "Your welcome Harry!" She said and gave him a hug. She smelled of a comforting essence to Harry, and it was the strangest thing to him. He didn't know how to respond to this sort of question in his mind, he was unfamiliar with her, she was nothing, but a teacher, a caring one. He felt like she was his guardian angel in some sort of way. He felt safe, but he didn't know why he felt so attached.

"I'm sorry I didnt get you anything, Professor, but I made you a card." He went for his back pocket and pulled out a piece of folded parchment paper.

She grinned joyfully at it, the letter was simple and sweet.

Happy Christmas to the best teacher there is
– Harry Potter

"This is the best gift I've gotten, truly." She says with a teary look. She gave him another hug and then watched him run off to a smiling Ron stuffing his cheeks of food.

"You're giving yourself away." Eleanor turned to the voice of Severus who was not in a Christmas jolly mood as everyone else.

"He gave me a card! Look how cute!" She showed him as he rolled his eyes, "He doesn't know."

"The boy is bound to find out."

"I will tell him when he is ready." She said as the two watched over the boy enjoying his food, "Or at least when I'm ready."

Christmas day soon turned into Christmas night, Snape was asked by Dumbledore to keep a look out on the stone while everyone was sound asleep.

Eleanor figured this out when she decided to take a walk through the corridors where Severus pulled his wand out to threaten who he assumed to be Quirrell.

"Well if it isn't mister grinch?" She said with a quiet laugh.

"Haha." He said dryly guarding the corridors and put his wand down, "What are you doing up so late?"

"Couldn't sleep." She shrugs, leaning against the pillar. Her face became a silhouette to the moonlight. They were both silent for a moment before Eleanor spoke up, "Severus?"

He hummed.

"Do you know if Harry is in Danger? Actual danger." Her question pondered the professors mind, he knew what Dumbledore had told him, he knows the truth, but apart of him didn't want to believe it.

Snape waited a few moments before deciding on his conclusion, "With your protection, he will be fine. All he needs is someone to guide him, you're obviously doing more than just that."

She nodded her head and shifted away slightly. Eleanor didn't mean to speak her mind, but it just kind of happened as she whispered. "I just wish it didn't have to be the way that it is."

Severus looked to her, she began to wipe away a tear that fell down her cheek that she tried to hide. She seemed so distraught about the past that she feared of the future. He began to feel a connection with her for once, perhaps that's why he had lightened up to her so fast, the day he came to Dumbledore's office, the gloominess in her once bright eyes had over casted her spirit. She had more of a tragic experience than himself, but they both shared the same void. For once he didn't feel alone in the world around him. He used to only know her to be James Potters sister, now he only sees her as Eleanor. And with that, she allowed herself to become who she was meant to be.

"Eleanor," snape had said, "Merry Christmas."  He said sincerely.

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