A Christmas Gift

It all started with Severus\' resignation note. Just the other day, Severus was teaching the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins and already there had been an explosion from Neville Longbottom\'s cauldron and a huge fight between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. By the end of that lesson Severus had deducted over twenty points from the Gryffindors. Being the head of house for Slytherin, he never took points from them, unless another teacher was near.
Harry Potter had left his lesson in a foul mood, actually calling him all the names under the sun. Severus decided enough was enough. He was so tired of always being criticised by other people, especially Harry.
Severus had always carried a certain respect for Harry since the first year when he first defeated Voldemort. Since then his feelings had grown more and more without him realising it. he knew he was in love with Harry.
That evening when he got back to his chambers, he floo\'ed to Albus\' office and handed in his notice.
\"My dear boy, why have you decided to leave at a time like this? Especially when we\'re approaching Christmas,\" Albus asked.
\"I\'m tired of having everyone criticising me Albus,\" Severus replied.
\"Are you sure you want to do this? Won\'t you consider it?\" Albus asked.
\"No thank you Albus. I just want to leave. I\'ll stay till after Christmas. You can announce my resignation on Christmas Day. It\'ll give the students something to really celebrate,\" Severus said.
\"Well it seems I can\'t change your mind Severus. You will be sorely missed by everyone,\" Albus said. Severus snorted. \"I\'m sure. If you\'ll excuse me Sir,\" he said, then left the office, passing someone who was hidden in the shadows, hidden by an invisibility cloak. ***
Two weeks passed and it was already Christmas Day. Harry Potter woke to Ron yelling, \"Happy Christmas Harry!\" Harry dashed downstairs to the common room, excited. He looked at the pile of presents addressed to him.
Ron had already opened some of his. Harry opened the first of his presents which was from Hagrid. It was a miniature dragon that was alive. It strutted round the table, holding it\'s head up proudly. Then flew upto Harry\'s shoulder and nestled down in his pyjamas. He turned to his next present which was from the Dursleys. The note enclosed said: \"Wishing you a happy Christmas. Love Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley.\" he was shocked. The Dursleys never wrote such things. They always used to refer to him as \'freak.\' He opened the present and was surprised to find two fifty pound notes and some chocolate fudge. He decided to send them a letter later saying thanks and some gifts from the wizarding world. *After all,* Harry thought. *You can\'t hate something if you don\'t try it.*
His next present was from his Godfather. There was a note attached which said: \"You\'ve already got something of your Father\'s, so here\'s something that belonged to your Mother. It has a protection spell round it. My own present will be coming with some owls. Have a great Christmas. Looking forward to seeing you, Ron and Hermione on Boxing Day, Love, Snuffles.\"
Harry opened the box and gasped. Inside was the most beautiful necklace he\'d ever seen. It was in the shape of a cross and there were little pink and gold and white diamonds in it. It also gave off a glow when he put it on.
\"That\'s cool,\" Ron said. Suddenly he looked out the window. \"Hey Harry, look,\" he cried. Harry looked at the window. There were four owls outside, holding something between them. Harry opened the window and they dropped the parcel in his hands. The note with it said: \"From me and the Weasleys, love Snuffles.\"
He opened the parcel and inside found Molly Weasleys hand knitted jumper and box of home made fudge. The other present he guessed was from his Godfather was a brromstick. He ripped it open. \"Wow,\" Ron yelled. \"That\'s a Firebolt 2000. It\'s the fastest model in the world. There\'s nothing faster. We\'ll beat the Slytherin team for sure this year,\" he cried. Harry was overjoyed.
Suddenly Hermione entered with presents for them. \"Happy Christmas,\" she said. She gave Harry and Ron their presents and they gave her there\'s, but decided to open them later as they were late for the feast.
Harry was the last to leave and as he did, whispered under his breath, \"I hope he likes it.\" ***
Severus woke up with a heavy feeling in his heart. It was Christmas Day, the day Albus announced that Severus was resigning. \"Well may as well be there. See the happiness,\" he mumbled sourly. He went to the bathroom and changed, did his teeth and the rest, then went to his study. He opened the door and got the shock of his life. There on the table was a letter and gift wrapped parcel. He went over and opened the envelope cautiously.
Inside was a letter which said:
\"Dear Severus, I do hope you don\'t mind me calling you by your first name, but I didn\'t want to be formal on a happy day like this. Happy Christmas. Yet, I know that it isn\'t so happy for you. It has come to my understanding that you wish to resign. Slbus kept his promise. He didn\'t tell anyone, but unforeseen, I was in the shadows in an invisibility cloak.
I wrote this letter in hopes that you would change your mind about resigning.\" Snape snorted at this, but carried on.
\"I also wrote you this letter to tell and show how I feel.\"
Now this sparked more interest. Severus raised an eyebrow.
\"When I first saw you, just before I was sorted, you gave me that look, as if you knew me. I felt very uncomfortable I\'ll admit. I later found out who you were, by asking Percy Weasley.
Through that year, you continued making it difficult for me., then when Albus told me you and my Father loathed each other, yet you owed him your life and that\'s why you saved me, I figured it all out. Why you hated me, was because you hated my Father. I\'m sure you know who I am by now.
Anyway, I understand you think everyone calls you \'greasy git\' and all sorts of names, which I\'m not going to deny. I\'m not saying I haven\'t called you them, but I do regret calling you them.
I must ask you not to let these people that consider themselves higher than you, to get to you, including me.
The other day I made a discovery. I realised that you can\'t say you hate something when you haven\'t tried it. I wish we could\'ve gotten to know each other. Therefore, I\'m writing this now to offer a truce. I would like to get to know the real you Professor, if you\'ll let me. I discovered the other day, also, that I have a certain respect for you. This is why I don\'t want you to leave. You have always been there with your comments, but in putting me down and other such things, you\'ve basically stopped me from letting the fame go to my head. In doing that, you\'ve made me see how much respect I hold for you. You\'re the only person who doesn\'t treat me differently. I\'ve said all I want to say. If you consider the truce, please feel free to talk to me anytime. I\'d love to hear from you and get to know the real you, and possibly more,
Always yours
Harry Potter.\"
Snape shook with suppressed emotion. He looked back at the table and saw two parcels. He opened the bulgy one first and found a golden brown teddy bear wearing a red scarf and hat with white tassels at the end and black beady eyes. He hugged it to him immediately. In the other parcel he found another note which simply said, \"The dark, and the light. Completely different. We both belong.\" He opened it and found a box. Inside were two rings, the most beautiful rings he\'d ever seen. One was pure white and silver with little white diamonds inside and in the shape of an upside down v and an extra long other side.
The other was a back ring with silver. The bottom of the ring had two parallel lines, one with black diamonds, one with silver. They joined to the silver part of the ring going right round the finger. When that silver part reached right round the finger, it led to another line with more silver jewels on top of the two lines. The top line was also attached to a star with one single black jewel in it.
Severus was reall surprised. Just then, Albus floo\'ed to his chambers.
\"It\'s time to announce you retirement Severus,\" he said with sadness in his voice. Then he noticed the gifts. \"My goodness dear lad, wherever did you get them?\" he asked.
Severus looked up. \"Not saying,\" he said simply. \"But I\'ve reconsidered my rash decision, and decided not to resign,\" he added. Albus looked shocked.
\"What made you change your mind?\" he asked. \"Lets just say, I\'ve got someone who I need to get to know properly,\" Severus replied, leaving the chambers, and a confused Headmaster, who suddenly spotted the letter, the signature, and smiled. ***
Severus practically ran down the hall and, unfortunately, ran right into someone. \"I\'m sorry Professor,\" said a small voice. Severus looked up. It was Harry himself, blushing madly at causing such an accident.
\"Thank you for sending them to me,\" Severus said, watching Harry\'s shocked expression. \"What do you mean Professore?\" Harry asked, holding out a hand for Severus to take. He took it and hoisted himself to his feet. He didn\'t let go of the hand though, instead drew Harry closer.
\"And I wanted to thank you,\" he added. \"For offering to get to know me better, and exploring more passionate ideas.\" And he captured Harry\'s lips in a deep, passionate kiss he hoped would never end.
The End