Twelve Snape Days of Christmas

Chapter 1 The First Day Of Christmas

It was the Christmas season, and to his great displeasure and annoyence, all of the muggle born students and the half blood students were roaming the halls and corridores of Hogwarts singing annoying muggle Christmas carols.  On that particular day he had managed to get one of the most annoying songs stuck in his head, and if that wasn't bad enough the staff members were bombarding him with Christmas cookies and other sweets in an attempt to lighten his mood.

One night he was patroling the snow covered grounds when he thought that he saw a woman with long white hair, dressed in white and gold robes standing at the edge of the black lake.  He stalked up behind her to question her as to why she was there, but before he could get too close there was a blinding blast of snow that swirled around her and blocked her from view.  When the snow cleared the woman was gone.  He walked back inside thinking that perhaps he was tired and had imagined the woman, and was in need of sleep.

As he settled  himself in bed that night he couldn't help but think that the woman looked oddly familiar to him.  As he drifted off to sleep his dreams were filled with visions of a white haired girl whom he had loved almost as much as Lilly.  She laughed and danced in his dreams as she spoak to him in his dreams.

~Dream Sequence~

"Oh, Severus, don't you just love this time of year?" asked Angel Malfoy as she laughed and spun around in the deep snow.

"Not really, Angel.  I come from a poor family, and so I'm lucky to get something as simple as a winter coat that hasn't already been worn by someone else." grumbled thirteen year old Severus Snape.

"Don't you get it, Severus?  Its not the presents that you get or give to others!  It's being around family and friends and showing them that you love them." said Angel as she stopped spinning and smiled sweetly at him.

"I don't have anyone here that cares about me enough to want me with them on Christmas, so why should I bother?" snapped Severus.

"That's a lie and you know it.  My big brother Lucius cares about you, and so do I." said Angel with a sparkle in her silver eyes.

"You're big brother only feels sorry for me, and takes pity on me because I made friends with you." said Severus leaning against a trunk of a tree.  Angel arched a delacate eyebrow and walked up to him until she was standing nose to nose with him.

"That may or may not be true about my brother, but I feel differently towards you, and can prove it." she said as she flicked her wand over his head.  Golden sparks floated around him0 momentarily than suddenly she leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on his lips, before pulling away quickly and sending a snow ball flying for his stunned face.

The world went white around him as if he were caught in the middleof a blizzard.  He couldn't see anything. Suddenly he heard a soft somewhat familiar voice calling to him.  "Severus Snape, have you forgotten?  I love you, you foolish man.  No blood status can change that.  Wake up now my beloved Severus." ordered the voice as if it were in the room with him.

~End Dream Sequence~

Severus awoke with a jump and reached for his wand.  He then blinked in shock to find that there was a small potted fig tree with what looked like a snow phoenix purched on his dressor.  As he stood up from his bed the phoenix fluttered over to him and dropped a letter into his hands.  He ripped open the letter and frowned at it's contents in shock.

"Dear Severus Snape,

The passage of time has not dulled my feelings of love for you.  it is now twelve days until Christmas and I have decided that I shall send you a gift every day until Christmas to get you into the spirit of things.  Do not bother questioning the staff of Hogwarts, because none of them have anything to do with this.  It is between you and I only.  Your gifts are not returnable. 

All my love,

Your Secret Admirer."  Severus read the letter over three more times before he looked up at the phoenix which began to sing happily. 

Then the song popped into his head again.  "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a Phoenix and a fig tree." he sang softly to himself as he stroked the snowy white phoenix's soft feathers.  "I don't know who sent you to me, but I'd prefer it if you stayed here in my quarters.  Humm, you need a proper name.  What do you think about Lilly?" he asked the phoenix.

The phoenix ruffled her feathers and squocked in annoyence.  "No, not your cup of tea? Okay how about we call you Angel?" he asked the bird hoping for a different reaction.  The phoenix trilled prittily and flew onto his shoulder and leaned against his head lovingly.  "Okay, then Angel it is.  Please stay here.  I don't want anyone to hurt you." he said as he stroked the birds feathers happily.