Chapter 5
Hermione made her way through the streets of Hogsmeade as it
bustled with holiday shoppers. It was nearly 7o'clock and she had bought
plenty of things for herself, and her other friends, but still nowhere closer to
getting her Secret Santa anything.
"Headmaster?" She asked in query.
"Ah, Hermione, how lovely to see you again." Albus said.
"Headmaster do tell me you remember I did see you earlier this
morning in your office." Hermione said, wondering if the man was really
growing a bit senile.
"Of course, of course, it is just I did not expect you would be here."
The headmaster's eyes twinkled again.
"You know me, the early bird that always catches the worm."
"What is that my dear?" Albus asked confused.
"Oh, it is a muggle expression, that is all."
"I must remember that, we have a similar saying, the early owl always
receives the toast." Albus chuckled.
"And I must remember that. So, Headmaster what brings you here?"
Hermione questioned.
"Well, I thought as well as getting my Secret Santa gifts I would also
get my other friends presents as well. Every year there is one in particular I
find extremely difficult." Albus said.
"Let me guess, Severus Snape?"
"How did you know my dear? Yes, it seems that there is so little these
days that brings him joy."
"Sir if I may ask, why does he hate Christmas, I mean he hates
everyday, but it seems he truly despises Christmas."
"Hermione, Severus is a very complicated man, with a very rough
past. He has seen little happiness in his days, and when he did, it was always
taken from him." Albus explained.
"Well, what does he enjoy?" She asked hopping to get a clue what to
get him for Christmas.
"I do believe the dear Potion's Master has a liking for fine chocolates."
"Chocolates? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I believe so. You know the chocolates with the liquors in them."
Albus said not knowing if this were true or not, but hey he had always read
that chocolate was an aphrodisiac, and getting Severus a little sloshed, might
be good for him.
'Oh the games I play.' He thought to himself.
"I believe I have some shopping to do, good day professor." Hermione
bid her farewell and walked down to Rosmerta's.
"If he likes chocolates, I am sure he only likes the best, and the best I
do believe are Belgium chocolates." She said to herself as she grabbed some
floo powder.
"Drussles Chocolates!" She shouted into the fire and off she went to
Belgium.
***********
"Good day Miss! How may I be of service to you?" An older lady
asked her.
"Yes, hello, I was wondering if you had any chocolate liquors?"
"Of course dear, the finest in the wizarding world! Come right over
here and I will show you." Hermione walked over to the counter and
listened.
"Now our most popular liquors are these ones right here." She said as
she pointed to an oval silver tin.
"They are dark chocolate filled with assorted liquors such as
Mandarine NapolŽon, Rhum, Vodka, Cointreau, Cognac, Grand Marnier,
Poire William, and Whisky." The woman finished.
"Well, the color of the tin is highly appropriate for a Slytherin, and if
he likes chocolate at all, I am sure the darker the better. I will take it."
"Very good dear, that will be 5 galleons please. Thank you and have a
happy holiday." She said as Hermione took the floo back to Hogsmeade.
Hermione slowly walked through the streets, looking and the families.
There were children playing, and couples holding hands. This made her sad.
Her parents had died at the hands of Voldermort, and ever since Christmases
were hard on her. She remembered how her dad would always burn the
turkey, and the roast potatoes would still be crunchy, but she didn't mind
because they were together.
"Look darling, a new cloak! Isn't beautiful?" Hermione heard a
woman say to her husband. She sighed. Why couldn't she be normal, why
couldn't she let herself fall in love? It seemed to be getting harder and harder
to show feelings towards another person, she had spent too many days alone
to be worrying about how she might screw up a relationship, to even think of
being in one.
She continued down the path, when she looked in a shop's window
and saw Albus holding up a thong. At this she went pink, 'What in earth's
name was he doing in a woman's lingerie shop holding up a pair of red
knickers?" She couldn't help be curious, but was too embarrassed for the
Headmaster to go and ask, so she kept on walking.
"Well one gift down, seven more to go.." She said as she made her way back
up to her home.
A/N: So what is up with the knickers? You will just have to wait and seeÉ.
Hermione made her way through the streets of Hogsmeade as it
bustled with holiday shoppers. It was nearly 7o'clock and she had bought
plenty of things for herself, and her other friends, but still nowhere closer to
getting her Secret Santa anything.
"Headmaster?" She asked in query.
"Ah, Hermione, how lovely to see you again." Albus said.
"Headmaster do tell me you remember I did see you earlier this
morning in your office." Hermione said, wondering if the man was really
growing a bit senile.
"Of course, of course, it is just I did not expect you would be here."
The headmaster's eyes twinkled again.
"You know me, the early bird that always catches the worm."
"What is that my dear?" Albus asked confused.
"Oh, it is a muggle expression, that is all."
"I must remember that, we have a similar saying, the early owl always
receives the toast." Albus chuckled.
"And I must remember that. So, Headmaster what brings you here?"
Hermione questioned.
"Well, I thought as well as getting my Secret Santa gifts I would also
get my other friends presents as well. Every year there is one in particular I
find extremely difficult." Albus said.
"Let me guess, Severus Snape?"
"How did you know my dear? Yes, it seems that there is so little these
days that brings him joy."
"Sir if I may ask, why does he hate Christmas, I mean he hates
everyday, but it seems he truly despises Christmas."
"Hermione, Severus is a very complicated man, with a very rough
past. He has seen little happiness in his days, and when he did, it was always
taken from him." Albus explained.
"Well, what does he enjoy?" She asked hopping to get a clue what to
get him for Christmas.
"I do believe the dear Potion's Master has a liking for fine chocolates."
"Chocolates? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I believe so. You know the chocolates with the liquors in them."
Albus said not knowing if this were true or not, but hey he had always read
that chocolate was an aphrodisiac, and getting Severus a little sloshed, might
be good for him.
'Oh the games I play.' He thought to himself.
"I believe I have some shopping to do, good day professor." Hermione
bid her farewell and walked down to Rosmerta's.
"If he likes chocolates, I am sure he only likes the best, and the best I
do believe are Belgium chocolates." She said to herself as she grabbed some
floo powder.
"Drussles Chocolates!" She shouted into the fire and off she went to
Belgium.
***********
"Good day Miss! How may I be of service to you?" An older lady
asked her.
"Yes, hello, I was wondering if you had any chocolate liquors?"
"Of course dear, the finest in the wizarding world! Come right over
here and I will show you." Hermione walked over to the counter and
listened.
"Now our most popular liquors are these ones right here." She said as
she pointed to an oval silver tin.
"They are dark chocolate filled with assorted liquors such as
Mandarine NapolŽon, Rhum, Vodka, Cointreau, Cognac, Grand Marnier,
Poire William, and Whisky." The woman finished.
"Well, the color of the tin is highly appropriate for a Slytherin, and if
he likes chocolate at all, I am sure the darker the better. I will take it."
"Very good dear, that will be 5 galleons please. Thank you and have a
happy holiday." She said as Hermione took the floo back to Hogsmeade.
Hermione slowly walked through the streets, looking and the families.
There were children playing, and couples holding hands. This made her sad.
Her parents had died at the hands of Voldermort, and ever since Christmases
were hard on her. She remembered how her dad would always burn the
turkey, and the roast potatoes would still be crunchy, but she didn't mind
because they were together.
"Look darling, a new cloak! Isn't beautiful?" Hermione heard a
woman say to her husband. She sighed. Why couldn't she be normal, why
couldn't she let herself fall in love? It seemed to be getting harder and harder
to show feelings towards another person, she had spent too many days alone
to be worrying about how she might screw up a relationship, to even think of
being in one.
She continued down the path, when she looked in a shop's window
and saw Albus holding up a thong. At this she went pink, 'What in earth's
name was he doing in a woman's lingerie shop holding up a pair of red
knickers?" She couldn't help be curious, but was too embarrassed for the
Headmaster to go and ask, so she kept on walking.
"Well one gift down, seven more to go.." She said as she made her way back
up to her home.
A/N: So what is up with the knickers? You will just have to wait and seeÉ.