A/N: Hooray

A/N: Hooray! It's Christmas in May! * clears throat * Whatever.

Chapter 6: The Greatest Gift

Slowly, she came out of sleep. She kept her eyes shut and burrowed herself deeper under the warm blankets. She was completely prepared to drift back into sleep when she remembered what day it was. She popped her eyes and leaned over the foot of her bed. She eyed the wrapped packages like an eight year old would. There wasn't many, but only one would have been enough.

She slid off the bed; not even noticing how cold the floor was beneath her bare legs. She sat cross-legged in front of the boxes and grabbed one with the tag that read, "Prof. O'Kenly". It was from her student admirers, Fred and George Weasley. It was a solid chocolate angel. Mmm, Breakfast! From the Minerva (both have apologized and forgave over their last row) she got a throw pillow with "A Gaelic Blessing" stitched on it. The third was a rather small box. She opened it and gasped. It was beautiful! It was a sterling silver necklace with a Celtic Knot as its pendant. She held it up and dangled it at eye level. It spun and reflected the sunlight coming in through her bedroom window. Slipping it over her head, she tore open the last package. On top of it sat a note.

Mallory,

I know you will give any excuse not to attend the Yule Ball, but now it can't be because that you have nothing to wear.

The old fool, She thought, He'd do anything to get me tot attend these silly socials. It didn't matter anyway; you wouldn't have kept her away for anything in the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He didn't like the idea of another Yule Ball. But the students practically begged the Headmaster for it, and he gave in. Sometimes Dumbledore could be too soft. The ball just reminded Snape of the previous year: All the suspicion and speculation, the uncertainty and the fear. The way Karkaroff kept bothering him, always pointing out the obvious, always sniveling. He took the coward's way out, just like he did at his trial. Now he seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, most likely dead.

He put Karkaroff from his mind went into the Great Hall. The noise level was even worse than it was on Halloween. It's a good thing he came prepared with a vial of caputmorssus remedium potion to help with the inevitable migraine. The excessive Christmas lighting didn't help either. Why did it have to be such a bright holiday? "Severus, you're late!"

Snape turned around at he call of his name. The Headmaster waded through the crowd toward him. Dumbledore was wearing a set of red robes that made him look exactly like Father Christmas in those Victorian paintings. "I wasn't exactly skipping on my way," Snape said, rather annoyed at everything.

"That's too bad. You know, Mallory has been asking about your whereabouts. She'll be happy to see you."

"Is that so," he said a tad bit dryly. "Where is she anyhow?"

"Over there, talking with Minerva."

Snape looked in the direction where Dumbledore had motioned. For once in his life he went weak in the knees. Sure enough, there she was, even though at first he wasn't sure if it was her. She was wearing a dress of clover green. The flowing sleeves hung off her shoulders. Her hair for once was out of its braid and draped around her bare shoulders. Her eyes were bright, her face actually having a semi-healthy tint. With a little push from Dumbledore Snape approached her.

Mallory turned to him and smiled broadly. He never realised how perfect her teeth were before. That was because she never smiled like that before. "Severus! I was beginning to worry you wouldn't show." She lifted the goblet she held to take another drink, but stopped, noticing it was close to empty. She looked back up at Snape. "I'm going to get more Egg Nog. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine," he managed to choke out. For some reason his throat had be come dry.

She traipsed off with McGonagall sweeping after her. Snape continued to stare. "Wh-wh-what happened to her?" Considering he didn't intend for that to be aloud, he was surprised when Dumbledore responded.

"What do you mean?" He asked rather slyly.

"I've never seen her so…so…"

"Happy?" Snape nodded. "Yes, well, she always did perk up around the Holidays. I think it has something to do with how her father loved Christmas so much. It's one of the few happy memories she retained. Enjoy it while it lasts, Severus, It'll be another 364 days till she's like this again" He stepped away as Mallory came back, holding out a second goblet.

"Here, I got you some anyway."

Snape slowly took it, desperately trying not to stare. He just kept think about what Dumbledore just said about enjoying it while it lasted. "Would you like to dance?"

She nearly choked on her drink. Recovering she said, "I don't know how to dance!"

"I can teach you."

Her eyes widened in a second of panic. After she was flummoxed from the suggestion, she managed to smile again. Damn, no one has the right to be so pretty! "Actually, it's getting a bit stuffy in here. Why don't we go for a walk?" She quickly brushed past him. Without hesitation he followed her. He couldn't believe the he was allowing himself to be led around like this, but when it was done by her, he really didn't mind.

They walked together outside where walking paths were created in the deep snow. The paths were lined with bushes with roses of different colors and stone benches. He started think about last year again. How he was upset with everything: himself, and his company, that he never even noticed how lovely it really was. Actually, he was beginning to see beauty in more things now. Maybe the change in company helped to lift his mood. They sat next to each other. She sighed, "See? This is much better." She closed and deeply inhaled the winter air.

Examining her, he decided to say the one thing that's been on his mind, "You look so beautiful tonight."

He could see every bit of her exposed skin turn color. "You're such a liar!" She said hurriedly.

"No, I'm serious. That dress is quite becoming."

"It was gift."

"Today?" She nodded. "What else did you get?" He was quite curious.

"Well, from Minerva I got a cute pillow with "A Gaelic Blessing" stitched on it."

" 'A Gaelic Blessing', how does it go?"

Her face went solemn as she recited:

"May those that love us, love us.

And those that don't love us,

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn't turn their hearts,

May he turn their ankles,

So we may know them from their limping."

She tried to keep a straight face as she looked at Severus for a reaction, but his slightly confused expression made her lose her composure and she laughed. Snape never heard her laugh before, and its warm, rich, tone made him smile a little.

After she was thoroughly settled he asked, "and what else?"

"Let's see, a good hunk of chocolate from the Weasley twins which I plan on finishing tomorrow morning and this…" She held up the object that Severus eyed all evening, which was slightly uncomfortable considering it was drawing his attention to her chest. With it still around her neck, she leaned toward him and pressed the pendant into his palm so he could get a better look; Never mind that the position put them their faces at a very close proximity. "It's a Celtic Love-knot," she was explaining, "see the little hearts woven in here," she pointed, "and here."

"Hmm, that's very nice," he said passively, "who is it from?"

She was intently watching his expressions, hoping to spot any short of reaction being triggered about the necklace. She continued to study him as she shrugged. "I don't know. It was given to me anonymously, but it's my favourite gift of them all."

"Oh." He let go of the pendant and it fell back against her chest. He stood. "I think I'll retire for the night."

"But you never told me what you got!"

He shrugged. "The usual." Then he walked away leaving her there feeling a little hurt, a little confused, and completely disappointed. After a couple of more minutes of bewilderment she shivered and she decided to rejoin the ball. She really wanted some more Egg Nog.

~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~

He closed his bedroom door and leaned against it, closing his eyes. He couldn't take the night's events. First there was Mallory looking as gorgeous and happy as she only appeared in his dreams. Then she was actually wearing the necklace he got her and claimed it was her favourite . Thirdly, was the revelation that it was a bloody "Love-Knot"! No, he hadn't seen those silly little hearts when he bought it! Now it was more of a romantic gesture than he originally intended!

A Romantic gesture! Him, of all people should not even be associated with that phrase. There was no use denying it was one, and even she picked up on it so intently. She was rather clever…and pretty…and… No, best have walked away when he did. There was no need to get involved like that right now.

He crossed the room and sat on his bed where a book was left open. It was the present he got from Mallory. At least she actually had the nerve to put her name on the tag. It was a collection of short stories and poems by some 19th Century American writer. He began to read the poem he left off on:

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore-…

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