The Gifts

The Gifts

Disclaimer: I own nothing of what you’re about to read, not a bit. The places, characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling, the premise belongs to O. Henry. Thanks.

Professor Hermione Granger sat in her small study pondering what in the blazes to get her colleague and lover, Professor Severus Snape, for Christmas. The man was impossible. Sentimental gifts would probably not be the way to go, the potions master was not a sentimental man. He seemed to have everything else he needed. He was, however, awfully proud of his prowess at darts and had a handsome one of a kind set of raven feather darts which reportedly were forged by the god of fire himself. He had expressed a desire to acquire the dart board from O’Malley’s Pub in Corforinu, the Greek wizarding island where they had fallen irrevocably in love. It was handmade, cased in rare ravenwood and crafted of fine self healing dragonhide. Hermione smiled. She would get that dart board from O’Malley’s, come Hades or high water.

Deep in the Hogwarts dungeons, a similar quandary was going through the Slytherin mind of Professor Severus Snape. What to get Hermione, the woman who wormed her way into his heart and his life and who he hoped would be there forever. He wanted this gift to make an impact, be so much more than the usual. He wracked his brains and thought about her collection of crystal figurines. She had been collecting them for years, since she was given a small crystal unicorn the Christmas before her parents passed away. He had seen a magical display cabinet that would be perfect. The cabinet itself was a fine crystal, cultivated for the very purpose of displaying fine objects. The only problem, the craftwizard who created it was an odd sort, and it would take careful bargaining to procure it. Severus smiled. He would get it, come Hades or high water.

Under the guise of gathering some rare ingredients for a new potion she was researching, Hermione apparated to Corforinu and headed straight for O’Malley’s, where she caught up with Liam O’Malley.

“Hermione Granger!” greeted Liam, in his deep Irish lilt, “what brings you back to Corforinu?”

“I have a proposition for you,” stated Hermione, giving Liam a hug.

“A proposition, eh? What would Severus say? You’re still together, right?”

“Yes, Liam, still together after 5 years. And you can’t mention a word about this to Severus.”

“I’m intrigued now,” admitted Liam, smiling mischievously.

Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded to the dart board on the wall, “I am interested in this dart board for Severus.”

“It’s a one of a kind board, Hermione,” said Liam, shaking his head.

“Severus is a one of a kind man,” she replied, smiling brightly.

“That may be, but I cannot let that dart board go. It’s a staple here.”

“Dart boards can be replaced. How much for the board, Liam?”

Liam named his price. Hermione felt her jaw drop. There was no way she could get that kind of money. Not even from her vault at Gringott’s, not that she would anyway since what was in the vault was her divorce settlement from Harry Potter and was earmarked for a Quidditch scholarship.

“Liam, I’m a mediwitch at a school and I research. I do not have access to that kind of money.”

“Hermione, I wish I could go lower, but I can’t. I would have to replace the board with soing ing equally impressive and that costs money. That is the rock bottom price I could ask for it, and it’s only because I love you and Severus like family.”

Hermione sighed. She had to have that board. She wracked her brain for a way to pay for it without using her settlement y. y. There was no way that Severus would ever appreciate her purchasing him a Christmas gift with Harry Potter’s money. She thought about what she had that was worth something. Something she could possibly sell. An idea crossed her mind. She smiled. She knew how to pay for the board. She left Corforinu with a promise to Liam O’Malley that she would return with the money she needed.


Meanwhile…

Severus took advantage of Hermione’s short trip to take one himself to a small wizarding community in Tanzania. He knew where to find the man called “the Crystal Shaper”. The Crystal Shaper was an eccentric Brit who settled in Tanzania under somewhat suspicious circumstances. He lived in a casurrsurrounded by growing crystals that he shaped into usable and beautiful forms while they were growing. He had a small showroom in the anteroom of his cavern workshop. Severus walked into the showroom and looked around. He knew exactly what he so. I. It immediately caught his attention, a perfectly wrought display case formed out of pristine crystal. It was magical, allowing the viewer to choose the figurine by name and setting the chosen figurine on display by way of a pure white light. It was perfect to house Hermione’s collection of figurines, some purchased over the past five years in this very showroom by this very wizard. Severus waited impatiently for The Crystal Shaper to appear, as he always did, in a flurry of ice crystals. And he did not disappoint. Severus shook his head. The older wizard was not only predictable, he was also overly dramatic.

“Ah, Severus Snape,” said The Crystal Shaper, “here to purchase another figurine for your lady love?”

“Actually, I have something else in mind,” replied Severus.

“And what might that be?” queried the older wizard.

“That display case.”

“Not for sale.”

“Since when?”

“Since I’ve decided that I will not take money for it.”

Severus sighed, “If you won’t take money for it, what will you take?”

“Something that matters to the purchaser.”

“Please don’t give me that ‘sell your soul for the display cabinet\' tosh, I am not in the mood,” sneered Severus.

“Oh please, your soul wouldn’t be worth one shelf in the cabinet,” remarked The Crystal Shaper.

Severus glared at the man and turned on his heel to leave the showroom. He felt the tendrils of The Crystal Shaper’s mind enter his. Severus allowed the other man to probe for a few seconds before slamming his mind shut, causing The Crystal Shaper to clutch his head for a brief moment.

“Hurts when someone slams his mind shut on your greedy little fingers, doesn’t it?” commented Severus dryly, “find what you were looking for?”

“Well,” said The Crystal Shaper, I saw a few things that mattered to you, but only one that I’m interested in…”

Severus turned back to The Crystal Shaper and listened to his proposal. Severus nodded and left Tanzania with a promise to The Crystal Shaper that he would return with the item he wanted.


********

Christmas loomed over Hogwarts. The Great Hall was awash in fairy lights, holly, ivy, and mistletoe. Severus and Hermione sat through the Christmas Even celebration, Hermione enjoying it, Severus tolerating it. The staff participated in their annual gift exchange (Severus received a book on Divination from Sibyll Trelawney, Hermione received a handsome set of potions vials from Minerva McGonagall), carols were sung, Severus sneered at thtemptempt to keep on key, and finally the students that remained over the holidays trudged off sleepily to bed, and the staff remained to toast the evening.

“Do try to have a look that resembles something other than a sneer,” said Albus Dumbledore to his Potions Master.

“This has been a tedious evening,” replied Severus, with a scowl.

“Hermione, I suggest you take this man somewhere and show him what Christmas cheer is all about,” demanded Albus.

Hermione giggled he she slightly tipsy headmaster, and taking his cue, suggested to Severus that they retire to his quarters for the remainder of the evening. She was excited to give Severus his gift. It cost her a great deal, but nothing she wasn’t willing to pay to see his eyes light up and that amazing smile. They entered the dungeons and Hermione lit a roaring fire. Severus grabbed a bottle of fine red wine and two glasses, while Hermione moved the comfortable settee in front of the fire.

“I can’t wait to give you your gift,” said Hermione, snuggling against Severus’ body.

“And I can’t wait to give you yours.”

“Is it nearly midnight?” asked Hermione, taking a sip of her wine.

“Just about,” replied Severus, wrapping his arm around Hermione and brushing her breast with his hand, gently toying with her nipple.

Hermione shrugged out from under his arm and fixed him with a glare, “None of that until after presents,” she admonished, “me first.”

She got up and went into their private lab, where she had the dart board hidden. She returned with the large brightly wrapped present and handed the heavy object to him. Severus unwrapped the gift while Hermione enjoyed the look of surprise that appeared in Severus’ eyes.

“Hermione, it’s the dart board from O’Malley’s,” he said quietly, “how did you…thank you so much,” he continued, kissing her.

“Now you can practice here and actually get regularly use out of those darts oursours. I know how special they are to you and no ordinary dart board would do,” said Hermione, noting an odd look in his eyes. Brushing it off as surprise at the fact that she was able to wrest this board away from Liam O’Malley, she awaited her gift.

“Close your eyes,” said Severus, “It’s a rather big gift.”

“I’ve seen bigger,” mumbled Hene wne with a grin.

“I heard that,” replied Severus, “you’ve never complained before.”

“Not complaining now,” said Hermione, “come on Severus, I’m growing impatient.”

Severus placed the crystal display cabinet in front of Hermione. It was too large and too fragile to wrap. When he was pleased with its placement, catching the firelight just right, he sat next to Hermione and asked her to open her eyes.

“Oh my gods, Severus, it’s beautiful,” she said, the cabinet taking her breath away.

“I thought it would house your figurines nicely, all in one place,” he said, noting a small look of sadness crossing her face, “Hermione, what is it?” he asked.

“The figurines…” she began, “I sold all of them but one to pay for the dartboard.”

“Oh Hermione, you shouldn’t have. I’m not worth that.”

“Yes you are. I know how much you loved playing on this board and how much you admired its craftsmanship. And you have those amazing darts…”

“I traded the darts for the cabinet,” said Severus quietly.

“You…traded the darts?” she said in disbelief.

“Yes. I wanted you to have the cabinet. It’s magical, Hermione, it will show the one figurine you still have until we can fill it with more figurines, at least one per year, every Christmas.”

“I suppose you can play with any darts, right? Until we can get a superb one of a kind set again…”

“Absolutely,” he agreed, stroking her long wavy hair, “I love you Hermione.”

“And I love you,” replied Hermione, “I can’t believe you traded those stupid darts.”

“And I can’t believe you sold those little glass dust collectors,” said Severus with a grin, “you kept the unicorn, right?”

“Well, I didn’t have a crystal representation of your phallus…”

“Who needs it when you can have the real thing?”

“True…” agreed Hermione, brushing her hand over the real thing.

Severus and Hermione melted into a kiss, each of them realizing the sacrifices that they were willing to make for one another. This Christmas proved it. The couple took advantage of the fire, the settee, and each other, making love until the dawn crept up on their Christmas day.