Title: A Special Christmas

Author: Ex libris(from the libray of) Lord D and Lady S
Date written: 24th December 2004

Edited: 11th May 2005

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, the plot is our though

Authors' Notes: This story takes place in the 7th year of the golden trio.

The snow couldn't have been more white than the last Christmas, Hermione thought, as she looked out of the window from the Owlery. There she was to find Hedwig to send a letter to her parents, informing them that she was not joining them for their planned ski trip this Christmas, since she had to stay at Hogwarts, or rather, needed to be at Hogwarts, to be within the safety of the school. Soon the final battle with Voldemort would begin, and whether they win or lose would be hard to know. It would be best if she wrote to her parents now and inform them of the risk she's taking for her best friends and all who were close to her…with, perhaps, the exception of one particular man. A professor, to be exact. A well-known by all and feared professor. The Potions Master, Professor Severus Snape.

The mere thought of him, the mere voice of his sent Hermione senses reeling, and with the feeling of wanting to cry. Soon, either one of them would die, or probably both would receive the same fate, and yet, she still couldn't find the courage to tell him of her feelings for him. Ever since she had known that he had the Dark Mark, she knew the fate that would await him in the wings. He would either die at the hands of the Dark Lord for being a double-crosser, or killed on the battlefield. Hermione knew she had to tell him of her feelings for him soon, before it was too late, and yet, she just couldn't find the courage to do so.

As she tied the letter for her parents to Hedwig's leg, she once again considered the idea of writing a letter to him instead. She sighed, knowing that the answer would still be the same: For no matter how good she may be with words, it would only be useful when she's writing a essay, not a letter to her love.

And I don't even have the authority to call or brand him as mine. Besides, should she inform him of her secret love for him, he would most definitely think that she was under the Imperius curse, since, in everyone's opinion, a girl of her standards would never stoop so low as to actually fall in love with her professor, and worse, a Death Eater too.

As she walked up the winding staircase back to the entrance of the Owlery, she thought of the days of observing him and listening to every word he says had become such a habit, a hobby, a pleasure had resulted her to fall in love with him. Since learning that he was spying for the Order and passing false information to Voldemort at his own risk, she developed a deep respect and admiration for him, knowing that these tasks would require a large amount of sacrifice and courage to accomplish and to endure. Courage, something she did not have.

Sighing, Hermione pushed open the door, and slammed into something big obstructing her way. Something which felt like velvet against her cheek with a tinge smell of sandalwood, and a warm body underneath the clothing. She looked up and met black orbs staring back into her brown eyes, and felt herself drowning in them.

Severus Snape couldn't have been more surprised when the door to the Owlery opened before he could even wrap his fingers around the latch of the door, and the person whom he thought did him a service just collide into him and wiped out the only good point which might save the poor person a rebuke from him. He looked down to see a bunch of brown curls and a most inviting bottom waiting to be spanked by him, and froze when he felt the girl's, yes, most definitely a girl, cheek pressed to his white shirt he wore underneath his black robes. And, Oh Gods, the length of her body, the warm heat radiating from her body and the divine smell of iris and mulberry root—wait, what is he thinking! Just who is this girl who had the audacity to SLAM into the most feared professor of Hogwarts? And just when he opened his mouth to start talking, the girl looked up. Chocolate, he thought. That's the only irresistible thing to describe the color of her eye—Wait. Irresistible! Oh Gods, this is a STUDENT he's thinking about! Severus pushed the girl away, and was shocked to see the Head Girl was actually the girl who had slammed into him. And he described her as irresistible! And worse, this is Hermione Granger, the best friend of Boy Wonder Potter and Weasley, one of the sickening three members of the golden trio! Have you gone mad, Severus! You dare to have perverse thoughts about the pain-in-your-arse-Miss-Know-It-All!

Shoving the annoying voice to the back of his head, he pushed Hermione away from him, gripping her forearms tightly and snarled the words that appeared in his mind "Miss Granger, if you can't seem to think or keep your eyes open and your brain functioning early in the morning, I suggest you NOT be awake so early and watch where you're going!"

Hermione, who had been drowning in the black pools of Severus' eyes, felt a jolt as she was pushed away from the Potions Master. Hearing his hurtful words, she flinched and looked up to his eyes and said "I'm sorry sir, but I know you were outside the door, and besides, I couldn't have known, unless you're suggesting that I have the power to look through doors and--"

Severus cut her off and leaned in, his eyes just a mere few inches away from hers. "Are you talking back at me, Miss Granger?" he asked softly.

Hermione, realizing her mistake, swallowed. "N-no sir."

Narrowing his eyes at her, Severus drew back and released his grip on her. "I hope you thrive to remember, Miss Granger, that you have absolutely NO right to put words into my mouth, or to assume what I think, and do watch where you're going next time!" And with that, he turned on his heels and walked away, his black robes billowing after him.

Hermione sank slowly to the floor, crying soundlessly. Gone were her hopes of pleasing the Potions Master…and the last possibility of him liking her.

To be continued…