Disclaimer: Still not mine. 

Part 2: Why Am I Getting Presents?

Mel ran screaming down the corridor. Daria followed, though not nearly quick enough. She was pelted from behind with her weight in snow. Some wiseass had decided to play a practical joke on the Slytherin girls. A Gryffindor no doubt… Daria shrieked, and Mel halted midway through the door concealed in the stone wall at the end of the passageway. Running back to her friend, now pinned under the mound of enchanted snow, Mel gave Daria's arm a rough tug, sending them both flying backward, landing in a tangled mass of limbs and squeals.

"Now, if I didn't know better, I'd be questioning this little scene." Mel turned her eyes up to find Jake staring at her amusedly. He pulled both girls up and stood them on their feet. All three students, wet and cold, made their way through the common room, Jake heading in the opposite direction toward the boys' dorm. Daria took the opportunity to ask Mel the question that had been bugging her for hours.

"So, what was that little scene outside about? You looked awfully cozy over there with Mr. Cummings!" Mel threw a wet sock at her friend, earning the expected shriek.

"He's my friend, and we're going to the ball together. That's all," Mel declared defensively. Daria snickered doubtfully.

"Sure... That's what you want everyone to think!" Mel reddened, and pulled the bed curtains closed so she could change. "You just don't want to admit that you actually like someone. That would cut into your agenda of being reclusive and lonely!" Mel scowled at her friend through the curtains. Daria just grinned, knowing she had made her point. Mel sat cross-legged on her bed, day-dreaming as was so common for her.

Daria left, knowing that it would be pointless to talk to her roommate if she was in one of her moods. Mel heard the door shut, and the muffled clank of metal on metal as the latch caught, resounding in her friend's wake, reminded Mel of the sound her heart had made when it had broken into the tiny sharp fragments that were cutting her up inside now. Only the pain of the tears that were threatening to fall matched that pain. Mel didn't cry. She had taught herself to bottle up her emotions long ago. If she didn't want to talk to anyone, she wasn't talking, no matter who approached her.

Breathing deeply, Mel tried to calm her shaken nerves. She had passed him in the corridor as she had run from the enchanted snow pile. He had given her the most seductive smile… Then again, she could have imagined his favorable glances. It wouldn't be the first time. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, Mel considered going downstairs and trying to wheedle a game of wizard chess out of Jake.

Passing by her trunk, which sat at the end of her bed, she noticed it was jumping around rather queerly, and had been for several minutes now that she thought about it. This was odd for several reasons. Firstly, trunks shouldn't move. Secondly, if it had been acting strangely, why hadn't Daria seen it? Thirdly… Why was it glowing like that? Mel approached the trunk carefully unsure of what might happen. Pulling open the lid, she discovered what was obviously the work of a modified Concealment Charm. Therefore, whatever this was had been meant for her eyes alone. Lifting the little box and the roll of parchment out of the trunk, Mel set to the task of deciphering the mysterious code that had been handed to her.

It was a poem of sorts. Actually, it was a modified rendition of a popular American Christmas carol that she particularly favored, having learned it from a cousin overseas.

On the first day of Christmas

My true love gave to me

A charm bracelet oh so silvery.

And each day to follow

He will give to me

A charm for the bracelet,

Another special gift,

And a clue to his identity.

The charm is the first clue

Of my relationship to you.

Mel stared, confused, at the parchment in her hand. She glanced even more incredulously at the bracelet the song had indicated. (The parchment had been charmed to sing to her as she read.) The silver chain was simple, but possessed a stunning elegance just the same. A single decoration adorned it. It was a small serpent, and while this would be repulsive to most people, Mel thought it was perfect.

Her previously dull mood was suddenly remedied. Enjoying the challenge of solving such a mystery as this gave her renewed spirit. Now…who could her mysterious admirer be? It could be Jake, but the timing didn't fit. Come to think of it, the timing didn't fit for most of the Slytherin students. So then…who was it?

Walking down the stairs into the rather gloomy common room, she sat in an overstuffed but slightly dilapidated armchair. Jake and Daria were playing chess nearby. Mel's best friend was losing miserably. Mel played with the charm hanging from the chain on her wrist, knowing whom she wanted it to be from, even though she had given up on the possibilities long ago. Severus Snape was an unachievable goal and a sought after dream that could never become a reality. Enough said.

The jingling from the chain caught Daria's attention.

"Ooooh! Let me see, let me see!" Mel's friend grabbed for the jewelry, only to have it snatched away protectively.

"Oh no you don't! No one is laying one hand on this. Not until I know who it's from." Daria cocked her head, staring confusedly at her friend. Shrugging her shoulders, she turned back to Jake, only to see his queen flatten one of her knights into a pile of rubbish.

"If I didn't know any better Jake, I'd say you only let me play so you can boost your ego, since I'm terrible." Jake snapped his head up in mock horror.

"Why Daria Lang. I'm hurt and mildly insulted that you would insinuate such a thing." Mel laughed, and saw a spark of pride in Jake's eyes for having made her do so.

He's such a trip that boy…

"So who's it from?" Daria's question took Mel off guard. She turned her gaze to the small serpent and thought long and hard as to who might be able and willing to bestow such a gift on her. After all, someone who was planning to spend such a large amount of money on her in the next few days must really like her, and must have a decent amount of income to throw around.

"I already told you, I don't know. It just showed up in my trunk. Someone is either playing some really elaborate joke, or I have a very rich secret admirer." Daria squealed delightedly, enveloping her friend in a bone-crunching hug, fit to kill. Mel, not a touchy-feely person, pushed her companion away, good-naturedly.

"Is there any clue?" Jake looked at the girls with a scowl. Not only had he been abandoned for a piece of silver, he was also insanely jealous…and a little ashamed of himself for not coming up with something like this on his own. He watched Mel as her eyes glistened excitedly, knowing any chances he had were now falling to pieces very quickly.

"It came with a poem that said the charm was a clue." Mel looked at the little snake lovingly.

"Well, that probably means he's from Slytherin, right?" Mel nodded.

Well, that was pretty obvious anyway, since no one else could get into the dormitory, unless the Head Girl plays for the other team… Mel laughed inwardly, her grin growing. Jake had long since left the room, the chess game completely forgotten. The little pieces had begun flinging the crumbles of their fallen comrades at each other for amusement.

Mel could only think of her potential beau. She counted in her head the days until she would know for sure who he was.

"The last day is Christmas." Daria looked confused, so Mel explained, "He said there were twelve days. So if today was the first one, then Christmas day is the last! That means that by the ball I should have a pretty good idea of who it is, and since it's a costume ball, I can look for him without being conspicuous!" Mel had never been so happy. The prospect of a real boyfriend was making her heart pound. It certainly would give people something to talk about…

By the time Wednesday hit, Mel was on cloud nine and not coming down no matter what. It didn't bother her that she was doing poorly in McGonagall's class. It didn't faze her one bit that Professor Snape was practically ignoring her. He had gone completely mental on her though, when she nearly smoked out the entire school because she hadn't been paying attention to her work. She had been thinking about her gifts, and wondering what would come that night.

On Monday, after returning from classes at night before supper, she had gone upstairs, not really thinking about the whole secret admirer thing. But when she had seen the box on her bed with her name and another card, she was instantly revitalized.

Now, her charm bracelet not only had the snake adorning it, but also one shaped like ballet slippers, arriving with the pair of shoes she had tried on in Hogsmead. Also, she possessed a tiny bow, which had come with the dress, meant for the masquerade ball on Christmas Eve. At least she wouldn't have to do much looking at the ball. Her mysterious beau would know where she was as long as she wore the gown and mask he had provided. However, she was no closer to figuring out the mystery, since the only other clues she had received did little to help her. All she knew was, he was in Slytherin, he was older than she was, and he either his first or last name began with "S." It really was infuriating, because Mel was very desperate indeed to know who it was in the vast school that cared so deeply for her. So far, none of the gifts had been practical, but they had all been something that she had wanted in her heart of hearts, though how he knew all of that, she couldn't be sure.

It was late at night, and all of the other Slytherin students were asleep. Mel snuck upstairs quietly, and pulled the long white box out from under her bed. Lifting the lid, she ran her hand over the soft, silky material, tracing the pattern embroidered in the folds of the dress. Each little rosebud made of tiny rhinestones glittered in the moonlight shining through the window. The silver gown was exactly her size. It was uncanny how her mystery man knew everything about her. It was also very scary. But for whatever reason, Mel couldn't seem to muster any fear of this person who was very nearly stalking her for such information, or at least that was the most likely situation.

Mel just sat on the floor staring at her jewel. Never in her life had she ever owned something this beautiful. The dress had fit the clue for the third day because it consisted of three separate pieces, something Mel thought rather ingenious. It was old-fashioned, but still had a modern elegance to it. The skirt was full and flounced when she walked, not something Mel would ever wear otherwise. The bodice of the dress was designed like a corset, but it didn't inhibit breathing like one. It connected to the skirt of the dress with several snaps and hooks on the inside. The third piece was the simple shawl, which was decorated with the same rosebud pattern as the dress. The sequins and glittery stone looped and swirled in fancy spirals. Mel was absolutely ecstatic.

Covering the box again, she climbed into bed, thinking about the upcoming dance, and glancing over at the four little boxes on her nightstand. In each box was an ornament engraved with a different House crest. There was now a little Christmas tree on her bracelet, which never left her wrist. Playing with the four delicate charms as dreams threatened to steal her from consciousness Mel found she was thinking about something that hadn't entered her thoughts in the past few days; Or rather…someone.

As sleep found her, Severus Snape's face consumed her thoughts.

It was a week into the celebration of gift giving. Mel had been showered with every non-practical gift and mostly the cliché ones. She was however, partial to the seven-day cruise to Italy, with her mystery man. Once she knew who he was of course. She was going this summer, and she was absolutely psyched. She had finally decided to write home about all of it, and she was surprised to get a very positive response from her grandmother, the only relative she really spoke to, and a very annoying Howler from her brother. Of course, the entire school already knew about it anyway. Daria didn't know how to keep her mouth shut, and from their inner circle, it had spread throughout the entire student body.

This also meant that HE ultimately knew as well. He had been surprisingly cold to her lately. Her grades had fallen a bit in the past few days and Snape had chosen to use Calvin Michaels as his preference of a guinea pig; which was funny, because he was worse at the class than Mel…when she was having a bad day. She probably had been a bit spacey lately, which could have attributed to a poor work ethic et cetera.

Speaking of the Potions Master… Mel looked up to see his eyes resting on her subtly. She reddened, as though he could see everything that went on in her mind if she met his gaze. Whenever he looked at her, she felt as though he was looking into her thoughts, and since they were usually about him, and not always appropriate, this made her nervous.

Shaking the feeling, she went back to discussing the most recent batch of clues with Daria. It was Sunday again. This week was the Ball, and most of the younger students had retreated home for the holidays, since it was only open to Fifth years and up. Mel was glad for this because she would have less people to sort through to find her beau. Daria was talking to Katie Shields about the newest developments. Katie was known for her problem solving skills and was happy to have a mystery to solve.

"So he's from Slytherin, he's older than Mel, which could be anyone in our year and up since her birthday is late, one of his initials is "S," and he's got black eyes and black hair. That does narrow it down doesn't it?" Katie smiled, and balanced her head on her hand as she thought. "He likes the color blue and he loves pumpkin pie. He's obviously a potions nut if he knew where to get the book, so that narrows it to about three people in the whole school." Mel sighed, and grinned. She knew that even the other Slytherin students were sick of some of Snape's teaching styles. The class was getting pointless and monotonous for many of them.

"What do you think Kay?" She looked lost for a minute before snapping her head up so fast Mel was shocked she hadn't ended up like Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Katie grinned mischievously.

"Well, my guess is one of three people, but I don't think you're going to like two of them." Mel leaned forward. Katie kept her in suspense for a minute or two, as though gathering her thoughts. She spoke slowly, deliberately, as though she were acting a part.

"My first guess; Ryan Wellington." Mel grimaced.

"The first problem with that is that he hates me and avoids me like the plague. Plus I think his birthday is even after mine." Katie thought for a moment, and nodded.

"You're right. He was born August first, not July. Well, there is, of course, your buddy Jake…" Mel blinked stupidly for a moment. It could be him. That might explain why he left the room every time she talked about it. She had always attributed it to jealousy. The timing still didn't work really, but if he could pull off a Modified Concealment Charm, getting a gift into a girl's room should be an easy task. Katie noted her classmate's agreement and continued. Her smile grew, giving her the appearance of a Cheshire cat. Coincidently, that was one of her many nicknames. Mel suddenly knew why.

"I don't know what you're going to think about this one, but…" Mel swore she didn't blink for the two minutes Katie sat in silence. Daria was on the edge of the bench, the suspense very nearly killing her. Katie looked over at Mel. "Have you ever considered a certain dungeon dwelling Professor as a culprit?" Daria nearly fell over from laughing.

"Oh…please… The old bat…actually nice to someone… That's funny…" It was pointless for her to try and stifle the giggles. Mel stared at her friend for a minute and then over at Katie.

"It was just an idea. It does fit. Plus, from what you told me about the first clue and the Modified Concealment Charm, I don't think the average student could pull it off. I'm led to believe it's him if it's anyone." Katie shuddered. "As scary and wrong as that sounds, that's my diagnosis. But come back to me in a few days with the other clues, and maybe it'll point to someone else." She got up from the table and left, going back to the common room to put the finishing touches on her outfit for the Ball, since she was making it herself. Mel took a chance and glanced at the Head Table again, this time meeting his eyes almost immediately. Again, she felt as though his gaze was probing her thoughts, and she turned away. But she looked back when she saw him get up suddenly out of the corner of her eye. He made a beeline for the door and swooped out without a sound. Several students at the other end of the Hall laughed, very likely making a joke about him, as was so common for the "lovely" bunch that was the Gryffindor table.

Daria poked her friend in the ribs, earning the expected twitch.

"That's a trip isn't it? Snape as your secret admirer…" Just the thought was enough to send Daria into another fit of hysterical laughter, which lasted all the way down to the common room and into the Dormitory. Climbing onto her four-poster, Mel found herself playing with her charm bracelet again, an involuntary habit she had developed since receiving it. Since the tree and ornaments, her beau had given her charms shaped like a broomstick, heart, fish, and the candelabra of that morning. He had bestowed on her five flying lessons, half a dozen teddy bears in different sizes, which Daria had found interesting, since no one knew about Mel's fetish for stuffed critters, and the cruise of course. That day had dawned for Mel when the rather large, very professional potions book had landed on her head, due to her owl's bad aim. It was the first really useful gift she had been given. Oddly, it was the same one she had been admiring on her Professor's desk just a few days before. The relevance to day eight was the eight chapters of different, and highly dangerous potions. Again with the genius…

Mel had been dwelling on the flying lessons. She hadn't been on a broomstick since the class in her first year. That had ended in disaster and she had ended up in the Hospital Wing with that crazy fool, Madam Pomfrey. Needless to say, floating on a piece of wood several hundred feet in the air wasn't on her "to do" list. But if it was a way to meet her beau, then maybe an exception could be made. Although, she might need to smuggle in some firewhisky beforehand…

It wasn't late, but for whatever reason, Mel felt her eyes slamming shut. Homework done and no prospects of a social life on the horizon, Mel fell into sleep, a certain dark-haired, reclusive wizard on her thoughts.

Wouldn't that just be a kick in the head? I give up on him and he starts sending me presents… Yeah right. I see that happening.

(A/N) Okay, part 2 is here! It's a little shorter than I planned on, but that's ok, because it keeps the crowd coming! At least I hope people are coming…

Reviews appreciated! Boost my self esteem a little you know?