Twelve Snape Days of Christmas

Chapter 5 The Fifth Day of Christmas

Severus entered the classroom with his arms loaded down with books and slammed the books down onto his desk, before glaring at fourth year Slytherins and Gryffindores.  "Any of you who are stupid enough to comment or even let fly a single snigger or giggle, will earn detention through the end of the year.  Do I make myself perfectly clear?" he snarled as he flicked his wnad at the black board.

"Yes, sir!" chorused the class in unison as they attempted not to stair at thier professor. As if the hysterical sweater that he wore the night before wasn't funny enough this was a whole new quiddich game. 

"Your assignment is on the black board.  I expect to find perfectly brewed potions placed on my desk by the end of class or the one's who fail will get not only a failing grade for today, but will also earn themselves and the class an essay on four feet of parchment on why it is bad manners to snigger of laugh at your potions professor." snapped Severus as he took a seat at his desk and began to scour the books for a solution to his problem.

As the day went on he found no solution and decided to seek out the aid of Filius Flitwick.  He found the little man just as he was leaving his class room to head down to lunch and bustled him back into his classroom flicking his wand to lock the door and place silencing wards up so that they would not be over heard.  Not that it was any use.  By now over half of the student body had seen his face, and the entire school knew about it.

"Severus, I had wondered why we didn't see you at breakfast.  Obviously the lady that you were with teh other night was quite taken with you." said Filius as he pointed up at Severus's face.

"Filius, please, you know as well as I do that I don't have time for such rubbish." said Severus crossing his arms.

"The company of a lovely lady is not rubbish.  I am curious though, if you weren't with a lady last night, why is your face covered in lipstick, and why haven't you washed it off yet?" asked Filius

"I woke up with this, this, mess on my face.  I tried to wash it off.  I scrubbed and even used every charm, and potion that I could think of but  nothing worked.  You've got to help me." said Severus singing to his knees so that Filius could get a closer look at his face.

"Humm, this is very interesting indeed." said Filius as he cast several diagnostic charms at Severus to see what was causing the lipsitck to remain on Severus's face.  "According to my tests, the lipstick is real.  it is charmed to not come off until the lady that kissed you kisses you again.  Have you tried washing your face in phoenix tears?" asked Filius.

Severus hadn't thought of trying that.  "I'm sure that if you spoke with Professor Dumbledore about it that he could ask Faux to give you some of his tears." suggested Filius.

"Noway, am I going to let anyone other than my students see me like this.  Albus is a nosey old fool, who wouldn't stop questioning me about which woman kissed me.  I can handle this on my own.  Thanks for attempting to help me." said Severus as he got to his feet and left the charms professor in his classroom with a puzzled expression on his face.

He decided to skip lunch in the great hall and instead opted to eat alone in his quarters.  He rushed down to his quarters hoping that Angel would give him some of her tears or perhaps he still had some left from his experiments.  He rushed first into his private lab and found to his dismay that he had used all of the phoenix tears that Angel had given him.  "No bother really, I can simply ask Angel for some more." he muttered to himself as he entered his rooms through the secret door.

When he got to his rooms to his shock and dismay he found that Angel was not in his quarters.  "Surely she couldn't have fit up the flap that the mail owls came through?" he thought as he looked up at the hole in the ceiling.  He ordered one of his house elves to bring his lunch to his quarters and ate in silence as he awaited the return of his phoenix.  

"No creature enjoys being confined.  Perhaps she simply desired to spread her wings a bit.  It is snowing again, and it would be the perfect cover for her." he thought as the bell rang out and signaled that it was now time for him to teach the second half of the day.  He growned inwardly as he entered his classroom and threatened his class for the seventh time that day.

He arrived later that day after atending his classes and handing out detentions to Filtch to handle in his place, and rushed back to his quarters.  To his relief Angel was back on her perch.  He rushed to her and knelt in front of her.  "Angel please may I have another phail of your tears.  I used the other one that you gave me in potions that I'm brewing in my new cauldrons.  I simply must try and get these lipstick stains off of my face." he pleeded as he gazed into the phoenix's silver eyes.

Suddenly he gasped as the phoenix's voice, or what he thought was it's voice entered his mind as he gazed into it's eyes.  "I am sorry master Snape, but I am too happy to cry at this moment.  Besides you are not injured, and your life is not threatened.  I know that you with to attempt to wash your face in my tears but, trust me the stuff that the human's call lipstick will be gone when you awaken  in the morning." trilled the phoenix before nestling her head under her wing tiredly.

"I hope that you are right." he muttered as he decided to go to bed early.  As he silpped into a deep restful sleep he began to dream again. 

~Dream Sequence~

"Oh, my darling Severus you are so silly.  Do you not remember the last time that I kissed you?" asked the woman's voice in the bright whitness that made up his dream.  "I told you that I loved you, and I meant it.  but since you insist, I shall help you clean my lipstick from your face.  Wake up my beloved, Severus Snape, wake up now!"  said the voice.

~End Dream Sequence~

Severus awoke to find Angel sitting on his knees this time wjith a purple pouch sitting before her and a letter in her beak.  He sat up and gave Angel a quizicle look before he took the letter from her, and tore it open to read it.

"My Dearest Severus Snape,

"I had hoped that the last gift would help you remember me, but since it hasn't I am sorry that it was not as well reieved as the other gifts.  Please enjoy your next gift and use it well.

All my love,

Your Secret Admirer"

Severus grabbed the purple pouch and dumped it out onto his lap.  Inside were five golden keys and a note from the goblins and Gringots Wizarding Bank.   

"Dear Mr. S. Snape,

You are now the owner of volts five hundred, five hindred and one, five hundred and two, five hundred and three, and five hundred and four and all of the contents within.  Enclosed are your keys and a detailed list of your holdings.

Sincearly,

Grip Plank, Goblin volt management."

Severus quickly read over the lists and his eyes bolged at the wealth of not only gallions but an entire library of rare and hard to find potions books.  He walked to breakfast and through the rest of the day with a spring in his step as he sang to himself the song that was now certain not to leave his mind anytime today.  "On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five Ginggots keys, four kisses on my face, three ugly sweaters, two tylenium cauldrons, and a phoenix and a fig tree."