Gifts From Former Students

The owl tapped on his window, sitting on a ledge that seemed to have been constructed just for that purpose. As the window opened, the owl gingerly stepped in, hefting its package. Her recipient, a tallish, angular man, dark of everything except skin, untied his package and tossed her a treat.

She watched as he turned the package over and over, waving his wand at it. Apparently, he was soon satisfied that he was not being sent a trap. He slit the string and unwrapped the paper. Inside was a plain green box, the kind with a lid that comes completely off. Gently, he set the box atop his work table and stared.

A hoot interrupted his thoughts. He turned towards the owl that was still standing on the little table just inside the window. She tilted her head to one side and another as if trying to process just what he was doing with his package. Her wings ruffled and she squatted down onto the table and seemed to wait him out.

"What are you hunkering down for? If you're waiting on another treat you can fly right back out of the window." Again, she cocked her head at him.

The dark one lifted the top off the box and stared inside. His hand pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. He took the paper to the next room and his favorite armchair to read. Inside he found a list.

Former Hogwarts Students' Birthday Gifts to Severus Snape:

1. From Draco Malfoy: A years supply of elf-made mead.

2. From Neville Longbottom: The promise to stay away from a cauldron for the rest of my life. And the nectar harvest from my current crop of Nightwing Fairy Globes.

3. From Luna Lovegood: Powdered Billy-wig hair. It's good for sneaking up on camouflaged horn-snoggers.

4. From Nymphadora Tonks: A year's promise to not move when you are in the room.

5. From Harry Potter: The promise to stay out of your sight for a year. p.s. Ginny says she'll make sure I keep this promise.

6. From Fred and George Weasley: A selection of non-marketed products to use surreptitiously and anonymously.

7. From Ron Weasley: Gift certificate to Worldwide Quidditch Supply.

8. From Padma and Pavarti Patil: Hair shampoo and conditioner designed to work with the build up from potion brewing.

9. From Charlie Weasley: Dragon by-products as harvested for a year.

10. From Hermione Granger: Turn around.

Severus Snape turned to find his former student, holding a miniature birthday cake. Brown owl feathers appeared to be gently falling, leaving her in nothing but skin. "Happy Birthday, Severus!"

AN: Prompt from beaweasley: Severus turns fifty and finds himself alone in his home on his birthday. Until he receives a _ from _? _. Beta thanks to blue artemis. Written in 2010 and finally posting here.