6

"I'm awfully sorry, Severus," McGonagall greeted Snape at breakfast the next morning. "Had I known that Mr Malfoy and Mr Potter have so little self-control, I wouldn't have put them on a team."

"I told you yesterday, Minerva," Snape replied as he buttered a scone, "it's not your fault. No need to apologize."

"I'm not apologizing for yesterday," the witch confessed. "I thought it was going to make things easier if we have the same teams today as we had yesterday."

Snape groaned. "Don't tell me those two imbeciles will be in the kitchen together again."

"Okay," smiled McGonagall impishly, "then I won't tell you and wait for the elves to fetch you."

Snape growled. "You owe me!"

"That I do, dear lad, that I do," McGonagall handed the potions master the jar of strawberry jam he was reaching for.

It was during the opening of the advent calendar that Snape realised just what a Herculean task he was facing. One moment everybody was enjoying their gifts – there were no more socks – and the next thing Snape knew was that a flash of red spell light shot across the hall and overturned a bowl of porridge right into Potter's face.

"Mr Malfoy, kindly explain yourself," Dumbledore had rendered the two boys immobile at a surprising speed, especially given his age. With a tiny hand gesture, he allowed the young Slytherin to move his mouth.

"Look at that cookie! It's insulting me!" he cried.

The headmaster summoned the cookie in question. "I don't see how 'Merry Christmas' can be an insult," he said sternly.

"It doesn't say 'Merry Christmas'," cried the Malfoy heir. "It says … "

"I didn't catch that," Dumbledore declared.

Draco Malfoy blushed crimson.

"Mr Malfoy!" the headmaster called.

"Skunk!" the boy screamed, blushing even more if that was possible. He pointed an accusing finger at Potter. "He charmed that cookie to say 'Skunk'!"

Dumbledore cast a spell at the offending cookie and really, the icing rearranged itself to spell 'Skunk'.

"Mr Potter, I'm very disappointed in you. I'm afraid you do not deserve any sweets today." The headmaster looked at the Gryffindor table strictly and any sweet foods within Harry Potter's reach disappeared.

"You're withholding him dessert?" Snape asked in disbelief. "You'd think his offence required a loss of house points."

"It was just a prank, Severus," Dumbledore sat back down. "We do not deduct points for a children's prank."

"We deduct points for that all the time!" hissed Snape. Even McGonagall agreed although the potions master was trying to talk their superior into punishing her own house.

"Be that as it may, it's Christmas," the headmaster stood his ground. "We do not deduct points on Christmas."

"It's not Christmas yet," Snape was not ready to give up. "That's why we still open windows on an advent calendar!"

Dumbledore raised his hand. "No points will be taken," he said in his best boss tone.

Snape huffed but dropped the subject. It was easier to find an excuse later and take those house points then than try and change the headmaster's mind. Luckily McGonagall had already made him proctor Malfoy and Potter at the kitchens.

This time, it was a group of second years – mainly Ravenclaws but also a couple of Hufflepuffs – who had come to the kitchen to learn the art of cookie baking. When the group plus their student supervisors plus their supervisors' supervisor entered the kitchen, Snape pointed at two corners wordlessly and the two seventh years retreated there after shooting each other angry glares.

The house elves welcomed the children enthusiastically and Dobby explained that they could choose whether to make gingerbread men, vanilla fudge or raspberry bonbons. Splitting the small crowd into three groups was quick business.

Snape ordered Potter to help the children wrap their candy and Draco to teach them how to charm the gingerbread men to dance. "And no magic from you, Potter!" he hissed at last.

Once everybody had started working, Snape conjured a comfortable chair and opened the book he had found in the advent calendar earlier. It was a light-hearted story about a little girl looking for her missing kitten. Snape was just enjoying a dialogue between the girl and a very helpful squirrel when he was interrupted by an outcry of fury.

"My father will hear about this!" the Malfoy heir shouted at the top of his lungs.

Snape closed his book with an angry snap. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Potter is throwing bonbons at me!"

"Malfoy charmed those gingerbread men to wiggle their butts at me!" Potter defended himself.

"And you can see that from the other side of the kitchen?"

"I can look out for myself unlike others who run to Daddy whenever things do not go their way. Are you going to run up to the south tower?" Potter sneered the last at the blond.

"Why would I go up there?" Draco was puzzled.

Potter laughed. "What, did Daddy not notify you that he was coming here? He's been sitting up there for a week now."

Snape had no idea how Potter knew that, on the other hand the Hogwarts rumour mill was magical in itself.

"Is it true?" the young Slytherin turned to his head of house for confirmation. When Snape nodded, Draco stormed out of the kitchen at a run.

"Happy, if anybody here causes trouble, immobilise everybody involved until I return," Snape order the house elf who stood closest to him. He hurried after Malfoy as fast as he could while still looking dignified.

"Father, why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Snape heard Draco ask before he turned around the last corner before he reached the Dark Lord's visitor window. He stopped in his tracks when he was stepping around the corner.

The Malfoy heir was kneeling in front of the glass pane in front of his still headless father.

"Draco, my son, it was to be expected that I would be confined to quarantine for a certain time. I wanted you to spare the pain you are suffering now. So close, and still unable to reach out properly. I meant to surprise you when I was able to leave these rooms."

"Draco, do you think it's wise to be this emotional in a quasi-public setting?" Snape asked softly.

The boy nodded and stood. "You are right, Professor. This is not fitting for a wizard of breeding. I apologise." He bowed to his father and to his head of house. "Father, what happened to your head?" he asked much calmer than before.

"I got an invisibility hat yesterday," Lucius explained, "and your aunt Bella thought it wise to hex it onto my head permanently."

"I finally don't have to see your face anymore!" crowed the witch in question from somewhere out of view.

"Today," Lucius continued, ignoring his sister in law, "I got a magical mirror and it is completely useless!" He showed an exquisite silver mirror about the size of his palm. Its handle was made of ivory. All in all, the piece was very elegant. "But I got her back!"

"What did you do?" gasped Draco. The rivalry between his aunt and his father was legend within the family.

"I spelled her bald," Lucius said nonchalantly.

Snape raised his brow. "Do you think that's wise?"

"I don't care about wise!"

"Step aside, Lucius, step aside!" The Dark Lord pushed his way to the window. "Ah, Severus! I need to know when that potion I ordered will be ready. It could improve the situation in here greatly."

Snape bowed. "I have it here, my Lord." He showed the bottle. "All I need to do now is ask Dumbledore to transfer it inside your rooms."

"Splendid!" cried the dark wizard. "Bella, if you are a good girl I will give you a dose of Severus's excellent brew!"

"My Lord knows that it's my dearest ambition to follow his orders!" Bellatrix still didn't show herself but then Snape wasn't so keen on seeing her anyway.

"Then give Lucius his head back," the Dark Lord ordered.

"No!"

"Then I have to punish you! – Severus, excuse me." That said the Dark Lord turned on the spot and set out to take care of his disobedient lieutenant. In the background Bellatrix Lestrange giggled and shrieked. By the sound of it she gave chase.

"I'd better go," Snape told Lucius. "He'll want that potion fast."

"Can Draco stay? Any distraction would be welcome," Lucius asked.

The boy looked to his head of house for permission and it was granted. "Things will be easier if he doesn't return to the kitchen anyway," Snape mused.

He was right. Things went smoothly when only Potter helped the younger students. Snape got to sit in his armchair and finish his book. The kitten was found fast asleep in the girl's needlework basket.

In the afternoon, Snape was free. He decided to make some more trinkets for the advent calendar and took a sinfully long nap. Things were good.