Snape was walking up the stairs to his office, when he paused to look out of a window. He could see Jackie, Freddie, and Jesse having a snowball fight, he smiled and gazed at Jackie. Her face was bright red and she was laughing at Jesse. He sighed and leaned against the window.
Wait a minute, what am I doing? This is so strange; I've never given a Slytherin detention for more than an hour! But he was upsetting Jackie, and that's not right. Wait, what am I thinking? This is so strange, I've never had these sort of feelings before. When I see her from afar, I want to hold her, when I hold her I want to kiss her! This is so bizarre, and yet, I don't mind.
"Daydreaming Severus?" a voice behind him asked, Snape jumped and turned to look at the owner of the voice.
"No Headmaster, just lost in my thoughts," Snape said. Dumbledore smiled. He looked out of the window as well. He saw Miss Leza, Mr. Flores, and Mr. Madrigal making snow angels.
"Severus, I'm not going to tell you anything, but you know what you need to do," Dumbledore said. He walked away. Snape sighed and he walked over to his office.
FINALLY! IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY!
Jackie quickly got up and walked over to wake up Kristie and Becca. They got dressed and grabbed the presents that were from family only, and took off hauling to The Great Hall. It was a family tradition for them to open presents there, since Jesse and Freddie were in different houses. They all met at the Gryffindor table, and began to open gifts. Jackie smiled, and thanked everyone for their gifts, and went to the Gryffindor common room to change for the snowball fight later. As she walked in, though, she found a black package on her bed.
Wait a minute. What's this? How strange. She picked it up, and looked around it for a name. There was none, so she decided to open it anyway. Might as well. She tore it open and gasped.
Inside the box there was the prettiest rose she'd ever seen. Picking it up to sniff it, she gasped. Inside was a miniature black and red tiger lying down in the middle. It looked up at her and snarled a greeting. Oh my God! Who in the world sent this? She put the tiger on the bedside table. It yawned and once again curled up to sleep. Then Jackie lifted the box, and noticed a letter inside. Jackie smiled, and put the rose in a vase. Slowly she placed it next to the tiger. He looked up and nodded in approval, and went back to sleep. Slowly she took up the letter, and smiled as she recognized the handwriting. It was Severus Snape's.
"Dear Jackie,
Merry Christmas. I hope you thoroughly enjoy the tiger and rose. I found it and thought of you. Your cousin Freddie told me you like them. He'd better be right.
I want you to promise me something. I don't want you to go anywhere by yourself, please. I need for you to come to my office at mid afternoon today."
Jackie sighed and folded the letter once again. Slowly she placed it under her pillow. Plucking the tiger up off the dresser, she placed her on her pillow. She took at glance at her watch, and saw that it was 11:45. She sighed again.
Kristie's gonna go insane, but I have to. Or I could sneak—no I can't. But I have to go! She walked out the door, found Becca and Kristie.
"Come on," Becca said, motioning Jackie to go with them. Kristie looked away.
"I'll be there in a few minutes," Jackie said. She quickly ran out of the common room and dashed down to a corridor when she hid. She looked at her watch again, and saw it was 11:50. She opened the door and peeked in. She didn't see Becca or Kristie anywhere.
Thank God. She walked as quickly as she could to Snape's office. She opened the door and ran in suddenly. Snape smiled up at her.
"So you don't believe in knocking anymore Jackie?" he asked as he got up to greet her with a warm hug.
"Sorry," she answered hugging him back. When she felt him inhale, she smiled up at him.
"You smell like chocolates," he said moving down to her neck. "And roses."
"I was eating chocolate frogs, and Freddie got me a rose body splash."
He took her hands and led her to the chair. "Did you like the tiger?"
"Oh, yes," she said. Suddenly she jumped out of her chair, and hugged him again. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Before she could move away, he turned to look at her and caught her lips. His hands flew up to cup her face. Slowly her hands moved up around his waist. Neither of them heard the door to his office open.
"Professor?" Kristie said as she walked in. she stopped and felt herself get angry. She closed the door and started walking away. She stopped when she saw Professor McGonagall.
"Miss Madrigal, what are you doing in the dungeons?"
"Professor Snape has company, I came at a bad time to see him."
"Who's with him?"
"Jackie," Kristie answered. "They were lip locked when I left," she said, getting mad all over again.
Professor McGonagall stormed into the office, and found Jackie lost in a passionate kiss with Severus. "Professor Snape!" she exclaimed.
He jumped and tried to move Jackie behind him, but Professor McGonagall had her arm firmly in her hand. "Miss Leza, you will go to the Gryffindor common room and wait for the Headmaster and me. Miss Madrigal escort your cousin."
Jackie glared at Kristie as they walked to the common room. "Why did you have to tell her?"
"Jackie, he's a professor!"
"I don't care! What we do is none of your business."
"You're my cousin, it is my business!"
McGonagall looked at Severus. "What were you thinking?"
"Nothing actually, I was mesmerized by the smell of chocolate and roses. She smells wonderful."
"Severus, she's a student. You are her professor. Do you know that you've now made things much more complicated?" she shook her head, "If the Death Eaters know of her, they will use her." She took his arm and led him to Dumbledore's office.
"Severus," he said. "You have to leave."
Severus looked up at him shocked. "But...but Professor—"
"Not permanently Severus, but we have to make the Death Eaters think that you're leaving."
"So, I'm not really leaving."
"No Severus, but we're going to have to make a plan to make it seem so. And if we don't do something then the Death Eaters are going to hurt Jackie, you don't want that do you?"
Severus quickly shook his head. Dumbledore nodded. Then next second Dumbledore was out of the office and going to the Gryffindor common room. Jackie was sitting on the sofa before the hearth.
"Jacqueline Michelle Leza," she heard Dumbledore say in a cool voice. Jackie turned to look at him.
"Yes Professor?"
"Severus Snape is going to be killed," he said matter of factly. "What do you think about that?" Jackie looked up at him with a face mixed with worry and fear