A/N: This was written, originally, before I had ever read Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. As such, this will be…really AU. With some exceptions.
Summary: Even the coldest of hearts isn't immune to the suffering of another.
Warnings: Severe AU. Severe. Also stars an OC cat and a main character.
Chapter One: Found: One Unexpected Christmas Present
The most interesting thing about Christmas Eve in 1986 was that nothing extraordinary happened. The Wizarding War had been over for five years, Harry Potter, their savior was five years old and hidden away by his Muggle relatives, and, at Hogwarts, one Professor was passing it as he usually did for the past five years.
Standing in the heart of the courtyard, Severus Snape glared up at the clear night sky, as if he blamed it for something. What, no one omitting Dumbledore, could hazard a guess at. As it was, the Potions Master was already debating heading inside when he heard it.
It was a sound. A sound that seemed to be the embodiment of pain, cold, and a shred of hope wrapped up in that one pathetic sound.
Severus seemed to consider something for a moment before he let out a sigh and began to listen. He waited, standing still as the night grew colder and, when Snape was about to give up and head inside, he heard the sound again.
Same as before, all balled up, with the same amount of hope that someone would find whatever made the sound. Snape's wand was in his hand and the light appeared at the tip without a word from him. Only then did he began to search, quickly discarding certain areas, such as just under the benches. Instead, he looked to the plant life in the courtyard, till he came to the half dead bush that guarded the ground from the snow, but not the frost.
He had been out there for nearly an hour, searching for something that made sounds periodically, and he slowly knelt down, looking in that dead bush.
A tunnel had been made, either by another animal or just the bush itself, and at the back of it, huddled against the wall, crunched in on herself, was a dirty calico kitten.
Severus Snape was a man who prided himself on being untouched by emotions. However, after all the death, even he couldn't leave the kitten to die on Christmas Eve. Carefully, he reached in and pulled the kitten out, deciding the small thing would be too cold to attack him. Standing up, he casted the needed spells to help warm up the kitten and carefully wrapped her up under his coat before he held her so his heartbeat would be there for the kitten.
Long, potion stained fingers carefully pet the small kitten's head as he headed for the castle. There were only a limited number of people Snape could go to at this time of night, and he was heading to the most trust-worthy of those people of all.
The kitten, however, warming up slowly and a gentle petting, was helping to wake her up. A soft purring began as Snape walked through the hallways, heading for the Medical Wing.
Madame Pomphry looked up when Severus Snape strode into the empty Medical Wing. Before she could ask, Snape carefully pulled a tiny kitten from under his warm coat and she smiled. "You're not the first to bring a kitten this year. It seems that feral band of cats moved up from Hogsmade and up to here. We think the students must have scared off the mother by accident," she explained as she carefully waved her wand over her kitten.
The kitten was shivering in his hands, which seemed to dwarf the tiny thing and it let out a pathetic mewl. "She's malnourished and cold. I'm sure you know the potion, considering you have been making it all this week. Keep her warm and she should be fine. Don't forget to take her to a Medi-witch or wizard specialized with animals," she instructed.
Snape carefully pulled the kitten back into his arms and under his coat. "What should I feed her? And whoever said I was going to keep the thing?" Snape retorted.
Madame Pomphry gave a smile. "Severus, in the long time I have been at this school, I have learned quite a few things. The first of many is this; it is never the Wizard, or Witch, that picks the cat," she stated.
Snape scowled. "I am not keeping the Kitten," he snapped and swooped out, down to the dungeons.
Snape sighed as he stared at the state of the kitten. She was dirty and in need of a bath. Normally, he would just cast a spell and be done with it. However, in the dungeons and near a Potions Master, she would have to be washed daily to prevent the fumes from clinging to the fur and possibly poisoning the kitten, much more likely due to the kitten's small size.
He quickly summoned a bowl of warm water and began to carefully wash the calico. The kitten began to purr as he worked out the dirt, occasionally renewing the water before he carefully scrubbed some of the light soap into the kitten's fur and then washed out her fur cleanly. The kitten continued to purr, slowly growing in strength and he carefully pulled the kitten out of the water before he dried her with a quick charm, banishing the bowl.
She was still shivering with the cold and he snuggled her to his chest again, holding her before he wrapped her up in a blanket, charmed with a warming spell. He pet the kitten's head absent-mindedly before setting her down on his wing-backed chair in front of the, lit, fireplace. He then draped his winter cloak over the back of the chair and put up a Shield Charm so the calico wouldn't wander into the fire.
Not that he suspected the kitten was stupid, he just didn't want to risk it. An ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. Admittedly, an American phrase, but it worked. He would rather insure that the kitten be safe then find the thing burned to a crisp.
He made up the kitten's food, mixed with a potion to help battle the cold as well as the malnourishment, and walked over to the kitten, the food in a bowl. She sniffed at it before she began to devour it, soon purring brightly. Once she was done, she then snuggled into the blanket before she slowly began to wriggle her way out.
The calico purred and carefully made her way over to where Severus was standing next to the chair, purring. She reached up with her paws, her claws only coming out slightly due to the stretching, and bat at his robes. She began to purr and Snape raised an eyebrow.
"Stop that," he muttered, pulling his robes from the kitten.
She immediately stopped and sniffed, turning her head away from him. Her tail twitched over her feet and she promptly ignored him, as if he had done some great grievous insult to her, personally. "You do realize that I can't keep you, right?" Snape stated.
The calico just licked her paw and began to wash her head, clumsily. She focused particularly behind the ears before she focused on her paw and almost seemed to be ignoring his question. "I can't," he reiterated.
The calico ignored him and he waved his wand to create a hidden place for the kitten to 'do her business.' He then lifted her up and settled her in the place. She let out a mewl and then hopped out carefully, shaking her paws out near the box, shooting him a look. She then sniffed and flipped her tail up before marching back to the chair and leaping up.
"You're being impossible," he stated.
The kitten immediately looked up and mewled in agreement. She then flipped her tail and went back to her blanket, making a nest for herself before she settled down, easily falling asleep. Snape gave a snort and walked to his room to sleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.
He hated Christmas.