Twelve Snape Days of Christmas

Chapter 11 The Eleventh Day of Christmas

Severus finished tending his garden and seemed to float on an invisable cloud of air as he went though his day.  He was so happy today that he placed a hunter green father christmas hat on his head and wore it all day long.  Every time that he passed a student he smiled warmly and wished thme a happy christmas.

Now his happy and jolly mood was noticed my everyone, guests, students, and staff.  There was definately something different about Severus Snape today.  Professor Moody, Minerva, and Poppy all were suspecting that someone had slipped a little something extra into his cup of morning coffee.  They even questioned the Weasley twins about a prank on Professor Snape.

"No, honest, Professor Mc'gonagal, we haven't done anything to him.  We don't want to get expelled." said George Weasley in a fearful tone.

"We also don't want to spend the rest of our time here at Hogwarts in detention with him.  Trust us we're not that stupid." said Fred fearfully.

"Very well Master's Weasley, but if I find out that you've done something to him, I'll see you both get expelled for good." snapped Minerva crossly.

Later that night Severus returned to his quarters and enlarged his Christmas tree so that it took up an entire corner of his living room and reached the ceiling.  He then left the castle and ran to Hog's Made to do a bit of last minute shopping.  Knowing that his snow phoenix could get in and out of the castle eaisly he summoned her and had her take his bags back to his rooms.  He then walked out to his favorite spot and  watched as Lady Angelic tried to teach Madam Maxien how to ice skate on the surface of the frozen black lake.  As he watched them he couldn't help thinking that indeed Angelic looked very much like someone who had been on his mind a lot lately.

It had been years since either he or Lucius had heard from Lucius's sister Angel Malfoy, but surely if she was truly gone, he wouldn't be thinking of her now.  He had even gone as far as to purchase a lovely set of diamond encrustted hair combs for her as a christmas gift.  He doubted that she would recieve it, but he just had to try.

He retired to his quarters that night, and sat himself down at his desk with a piece of parchment and the gift wrapped and ready to send to her.  He thought for a moment and then dipped his quill into his ink and began to write.

"Dear Angel Malfoy,

I am sending this letter in the hopes that it will find you.  It has been years since you dissapeared from your family home, after our third year at Hogwarts.  I was told that you had died, but I simply don't believe it.  You have been on my mind a lot lately, and I have even had dreams about you, from back when we were children, and you invited a lonely boy to your family home to take part in the holiday festivities.  There is even a woman here visiting from Beauxbatons who reminds me of you.  I wish that you were here to share in the joy of the holiday with me, but since you are not, I thought that you might enjoy recieving a gift.

Hoping that you are well wherever you are,

S.S."

He finished the letter and handed it to his phoenix Angel. after gently tying the small parcel to her leg.  "I'm trusting you with a very important mission.  I know that ir anyone can find her, that you can.  Please take this letter and parcel to Angel Miricle Hope Malfoy, and be careful my lovely phoenix.  Return as quickly as you can." he said as he opened the door of his living quarters and let the phoenix fly out of the dongions, through the doors of the great hall and out into the open night time sky.

He then yawned and sank sleepily into his bed for the night.  Dreams of the Yule ball flooded his mind again, and thins looked more and more defined.  He could now make out the faces of the students tha staff that danced around him as he walked through the great hall, but the figure of the woman stillaluded him. 

He awoke as always when the voice from his dream told him too, and foind that his Phoenix Angel was back and purched on top of his headboard looking down into his black eyes, as she trilled happily .  This time there was a pile of multi colored phoenix feathers laying on his chest and two letters in her beak.

He ripped into the first letter that was addressed from Angel Miricle Hope Malfoy,

"Dearest Severus Snape,

I was so very glad to see that you've not forgotten me.  I only wish that I could say the same for my big brother Lucius.  The hair combs that you sent are lovely.  Thank you so very much for thinking of me during my favorite time of year.  You may be wondering, where I've been for all of these years?   All I can say for now is that I was safe.  You know very well that my father never wanted me.  After my mother's death, I fled for my own safety.  Yes it was frightening to do such a reckless thing at the tender age of thirteen years old, but my mother had made provisions for me.  Trust me that I did not suffer, and that we will see each other again if you so wish.  I wish that I could see you and dance with you the way that we used to do, but for now, please know that I'm closer than you think.

Love,

Angel M. H. Malfoy

P.S. Please don't tell my brother that you've heard from me.  If he truly cared he would attempt to write to me as you have."

Severus folded the letter from Angel Malfoy and held it to his chest as a tear rolled down his cheek.  Then sighing in resignation he opened the letter from his secret admirere and read it.

"Dearest Severus Snape,

Have you guessed who I am yet?  If not my love, don't worry about it for we shall meet soon.  I have waited a long time in a lonely exsistance and when I saw you, I just knew that I couldn't live another day without making my presence known to you.  Until the night of the Yule ball my beloved, I bid you please enjoy your gift.  I have sent you four tail feathers from a fire phoenix, three from a water phoenix,  two from a shadow phoenix and two from a weather phoenix.  So now you have eleven phoenix tail feathers to use in your experiments.  Use them well.

All my love,

Your Secret Admirer for not much longer.:

Severus folded the letter and thought to himself silently as he sorted the phoenix feathers by color.  There were four bright red feathers with orange and gold ends, three bright ocian blue feathers with turcoise ends, two black feathers with a pearlesent shine to them, and two white feathers with rainbow colored edges.  This was a beautiful gift and must have cost his admirer a fortune.

He got up and put the phoenix feathers away with his other treasures and then left his quarters singing happily.  "On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven phoenix feathers, ten Venomous Tentacula, nine, basilisk fangs, eight phials of acromantula venom, seven sets of dress robes, six Slytherin scrolls, five Gringots keys, four kisses on my face, three ugly sweaters, two tylenium cauldrons, and a phoenix and a fig tree."