On the first day of Christmas

The sound of scratching outside her window mornings later awoke Hermione from her dead of sleep. She had been restless, having various nightmares in which Snape was dressed up as Neville’s grandmother chaschasing her with a broom telling her that her parents hated her…bizarre.

She let the snowy owl in, nestling her cheek in its soft feathers before taking the parchment tied to it’s now raised claw. She unraveled it slowly, not bothering to guess who it could be from. As she unraveled it, a small photograph fell from its core.

She picked it up off the floor and chuckled lightly, the picture was of Harry and Ron, both waving into the camera as the twins held up bunny ears behind them. Boys.

She looked back to the parchment now, noticing Harry’s messy scrawl instantly and missing him more than ever.

‘Dearest Hermione,

Sounds like Snape is being quite the bugger. So sorry. Ron
and I are having a marvelous time at the burrow and feel awful sorry about the whole thing. Wish you would have come, away from that sneering prat. We have a surprise for you though, just wait!

Love,

Harry’

Hermione smiled, looking at the scrawled messy handwriting and tried not to sigh. She hadn’t run into Snape lately, and her detentions started this very evening. She was to spend every weeknight with him in his lab.

The git had only given her the weekends off…like it mattered. 15 nights with him with only 6 days off. She supposed it was because he wouldn’t be able to stand her for three whole weeks nonstop…she smirked at this. She knew she bugged the hell out of him.

He was malicious thought. Why had he bothered cornering her in the foyer those nights ago? Being openly cruel as he mocked her. Was she just to take it? No.

She got prepared for the day, casting a non-frizzing spell on her hair and making her way down to the hall for breakfast. He was tying his shoes and muttering an incantation into a small canteen he was concealing in his jacket.

“Hello Seamus.” She said as she passed him, and added hopefully “Not going home for Christmas are you?” At least she’d have one acquaintance to spend time with…even if it was with Seamus.

Seamus gave her a soft pixie smile and shook his dark head, “Nah. Me mum just needed to get a few things prepared for me. Told me ‘ta catch the later train.”

Before Hermione could say anything he gave her a short wave and ran down the hallway, saying he needed to finish packing, leaving Hermione downhearted and miserable.

She trudged into the almost desolate hall for breakfast, barely recognizing anyone at her table. She was always with Ron or Harry, and now she was utterly alone.

“Hermione Granger?” said a small voice from her side as Hermione saw a young blonde girl looking to her with admiration.

“Yes?”

“Wow. It really is you.” The young probably first year, gushed while Hermione’s ego swelled. Finally, recognition. The young girl gaped at her a few moments before saying in deep awe

“Is it true you’re friends with Harry Potter?”

Bollocks.

Hermione didn’t answer and went back to her drink, pretending she hadn’t heard the little twit. How typical, always about Harry bloody Potter.

No, it wasn’t that she was angry with him. She was angry that he and Ron were having so much fun while she was here soon to be slaving after the irritable Potion’s master.

The young blonde turned bright red and scurried away then, seeing that she was being obviously ignored. Hermione didn’t see Snape’s smirk at this, as it was gone within a matter of seconds.

It didn’t help much that her defenses were down, and that Snape was sitting from his usual perch at the head table, giving her glares everytime she glanced up from her breakfast.

‘Miserable git.’ She thought glumly, brushing the crumbs from her fingers and took a sip of pumpkin juice. Her eyes betrayed her and she had to see if the prat was glaring at her again.

Thankfully he wasn’t, he was munching on his own meal, talking out of the corner of his mouth as he did so, to McGonagall, he looked miserable.

It then occurred to Hermione, Snape never did go home for the holiday’s himself, as some other professors did. McGonagall, Dumbledore, Sprout and Flitwick were the only ones that had stayed this winter. But unlike Snape they were all merrily talking about whatever it was professor’s found to talk about, while Severus tried to ignore it all.

She felt a pang of sympathy for him; ex. Death Eater, mercilessly picked on in school, having no friends, always alone…it was enough to make a person cry.

She didn’t though. Snape didn’t deserve her tears. The fact of the matter was the git was always trying to make everyone else miserable, and that was a completely different matter.

_____________________________________________


“Why didn’t you go home in the first place? Don’t your parents enjoy your company?” his snarky words replaying over and over in her head as she made her way to the Library.

She didn’t say much to passers by, as she barely knew any of them and had suddenly been ostracized by the Hogwarts world for being too smart now now…too intimidating.

She scanned the empty Library and smiled a bit, she did have the whole day to herself, working as she pleased. She could really catch up on her reading, as she had already finished all the homework for a month’s time.

She hummed a bit to herself but instantly halted as Madame Pince raised a gnarled finger to hers ans and gave a menacing frown.

Hermione glanced up to the ‘Restricted’ section of the Library and frowned. Now there was some prime reading, all the great’s right at her fingertips and she couldn’t even read them. It’s was almost like drinking a glass of water in front of a person dying of thirst. Hermione’s knowledge could never be quenched and so shet ont on suffering.

Almost an hour later her fingers danced along the various spines of books she had read time and time again, her frown growing deeper with every disappointment. It was true; she had read almost every book in the blooming Library.

She sighed heavily and turned to go back to her chambers to prepare herself for a long night of Potion making, and came face to face with the big nosed, greasy git himself.

She didn’t say anything at first…what could she say? At this moment she wanted nothing more than to punch that nose of his…but something about those cold eyes made her knees turn to jelly and all Gryffindor courage she had bottled up had just left her.

“Professor.” She said airily, thinking about how to brush past him. He looked to her swiftly, an obvious frown on his pale face as the tension in the Library grew worse. To Hermione’s utter dismay she noticed that Madame Pince had left.

“Where’s Madame Pince?” Hermione managed to squeak out, making sure she looked him directly into those oily eyes of his.

“Out to lunch.” He muttered darkly with his arms crossed over his chest, glancing her over rudely as she placed her hands on her hips defiantly, the man obviously didn’t like to elaborate.

“And so you’re filling in for her?” Hermione added dumbly, hating the silence that hung over him like a rain cloud. He peered at her rudely as he spoke.

“It would appear so wouldn’t it?”

Snape had a gift for making anyone, even as brilliant as Hermione Granger feel like a complete and utter ‘dunderhead’ as he so often complained.

Hermione reached for something brilliant to retaliate with…nothing came. And so in her haste she said the first thing that came to mind as he stood next to her, not really paying hny hny heed, more surveying the empty Library.

“So, excited about Christmas then?”

Where had that come from?

His head slowly turned as he faced her, “Excuse me?” he asked almost in a fierce whisper.

“Err…I mean, doing anything special for it? Bought presents for friends? Hanging up a Christmas tree? Do you even do that? Do you ever go home for Christmas? Ever? I mean, I always hear that you’re here for Christmas, oh you see, Harry tells me…and…er…”

Why was shmblimbling? She wanted to stop and finally did as Snape gave her a squinted look of bewilderment.

“Are you ill Miss Granger?”

“No sir.”

He frowned, peering into her face as if he was trying to understand her motivations. “I don’t suspect it’s any of your business as to my holiday plans.”

“Probably not sir.” Hermione agreed, nodding her head and feeling at once ever so daft. “I…err…” she searched for something else to say…something to salvage her idiotic prior comments. Snape sneered at her, obviously irritated with her mere bumbling presence.

“You’re dismissed Granger, if that’s what your waiting for.”

She gaped at him a moment, knowing full well she was doing so because he told her to stop gaping at him like a fish. Hermione’s cheeks burned as she left the Library utterly humiliated. And knew this feeling would last for as long as she came into contact with the man.

Why did he do it? The fop didn’t deserve a nice Christmas…wait a second. Did he even ever have a Christmas? Guilt suddenly washed over her…and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

Christmas was the time for giving, for being kind…and that is exactly the project that would fill her dreary days. She would help Snape enjoy Christmas himself!

Brilliant.

Hermione pondered this a moment, although spurned she was not easily led astray…Severus Snape needed a friend this Christmas and she was an ideal a candidate as any. They could converse if she ever got over her fear of speaking to him outside class.

She would make sure he wasn’t so miserable by the end ofs yes year, celebrate the New Year with perhaps a new take on things. This was a difficult task, but as any true Gryffindor she relished a challenge. But as she thought this over excitedly, her mind whirring with the possibility a harsh fact arose;

Severus Snape didn’t wan’t friends.