NOTES" Thanks to everyone who review my story.
DOC: I don't know what possessed me to have Buffy make a wager against Lucius. It sort of just came to me.
I hope you all enjoy this.
PLEASE READ & REVIEW.
Though Buffy had been grounded she had managed to talk her father into taking her to Hogsmeade to buy food for the party Gryffindor was having. The furniture in the Common room had been removed to make more room. A long table held the many sweets, drinks, and other foods.
"Before we start this feast I think we all owe our Quidditch team a big round of applause. With a team like this we're sure to win the cup." The whole room began to clap. "After the party I think we should all send owls to Mr. Malfoy thanking him for the party."
Everyone laughed at what Buffy had said. The Weasley twins came up to her and Harry with huge grins.
"That's a wicked idea Buffy." George started.
"Sending Mr. Malfoy thank you letters. Nothing like adding salt to the wound."
"There's more. Excuse me one moment."
The twins and Harry watched as she talked to one of the house elves. The elf soon left with a plate of food. Buffy returned with a huge smile on her face.
"What did you do?" Harry asked curiously.
"Nothing. I just sent a plate of food to Draco with a message to enjoy. Just a little reminder."
"That's perfect Buffy." Fred said with such a huge grin.
"You have such a wicked sense of humor. You sure know how to get under the Malfoy's skin." George told her.
"I'm eleven. It's what I live for. Just wish I could have given it to him in person. Come on let's eat."
The Christmas holiday break was still a few days away. Almost everyone was cheerful and in the spirit except Buffy. Her mood had gone down considerably. Her father had asked her if she wanted to go home for break, and she had told him no. That had put a smile on his face. This would be there first Christmas together. She really did want to spend it with him but then she got to thinking of her mother being alone. This would the first Christmas that she would be away from her mother. She was sitting in Transfigurations having just turned a button into a needle. Buffy had finished her assignment, and was reviewing her notes when the door opened. She looked to see her father, Severus Snape, had entered.
"Professor McGonagall, would you mind if I borrowed Buffy for a while?"
McGonagall nodded her head in reply. Buffy gathered her things wondering why her father wanted to see her. She quickly went over whether she had done anything wrong lately. She couldn't think of anything. When her father put a loving arm around her she relaxed a little.
"Someone wanted to see you."He told her once they were in the hall. A body came around the corner.
"Mom? What are you doing here?" She hugged her tightly.
"Your father invited me to spend Christmas here." Buffy looked at her father. One of his rare warm smiles lit his face. "He figured out why you were looking so glum."
"You're the best! Thank you." She ran over and hugged him tightly. "Can she stay with us in our room? She can sleep in my bed with me, or she can have my bed and I can sleep with you."
"Buffy, I'm sure the school has plenty of rooms for me to stay in."
"Nonsense Joyce. Your bags have already been put in our room."
"I don't want to be an inconvenience."
"For me mom? Please!" Buffy lip went into a pout and her eyes gave a pleading look.
"Alright as long as you don't object Severus."
"Yeah me!"
Buffy said excitedly as she did several back flips to show her happiness. Snape looked at Joyce and spoke to her quietly.
"It's good to know that I'm not the only one that crumbles at the look."
"You would think I would be immune to it by now."
She said with a soft chuckle. Buffy came back and took one of their hands and pulled them along.
After Buffy had dragged her parents around Hogwarts, to let her mother get familiar with it again, it was time for dinner. Joyce had taken a seat next to Severus while Buffy took her seat at the Gryffindor table. She took a seat next to Harry her smile huge.
"You're looking fabulous today."
Harry told her taking her hand under the table. A few weeks ago they decided to make their relationship official.
"I feel great today. I want to introduce you to my mom. Come on."
Buffy grabbed his hand and began pulling him toward the teacher's table. Harry moved quickly so as not to be dragged by Buffy.
"Mom. I'd like you to meet my boyfriend Harry Potter."
Buffy heard her dad growl a little but she knew that he approved of them.
"This is the famous Harry Potter that you talked about so much in your letters. It's nice to meet you Harry."
Harry almost groaned when she said famous, but then his brain processed exactly what was said. Buffy had been writing about him a lot. He smiled on the outside, but inside he was beaming. Harry shook her hand.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Summers."
It was now Christmas night and everything had gone so wonderful. Her mother and father were getting along, and looked like they still liked each other. Harry had spent the majority of the day with her. They now sat in the common room opening the gifts from their friends. Ron with his wicked since of humor had got them matching shirts. Buffy's shirt said:
My boyfriend's on the Quidditch team.
Harry's shirt said: My girlfriend's in the third row.
They both had laughed upon pulling it out. They opened Hermione's gift and were each given a book. Harry's was about Quidditch and Buffy's was about potions.
"It's getting late Buffy. Are you staying here tonight or going back to the room?"
"I would love to stay but I told mom and dad I would be coming home."
"You want me to walk you there?"
"Sure. I'd like that."
Harry offered her his arm like the true gentleman he was. They walked out of the Gryffindor common room together. They were on their second set of stairs when it began to move.
"Hold on!"
Harry said as he used one hand to hold on to her and the other to grip the railing. The stairs moved them to a different level.
"Where are we?" She asked when the stairs finally stopped moving.
"I think were on the sixth floor." They waited to see if it would move again. "Come on. It doesn't look like it's going to move again."
He pulled Buffy off the steps and the two moved carefully through the eerie hallway.
"I don't like this Harry. Something doesn't feel right about this."
"I agree. Come on. There's another stair case we can go down not too far from here."
She nodded and held on to his hand tightly. She kept looking back as she got the feeling that someone or something was following them. Harry felt Buffy's hand slip from his grip as she fell to the ground. He turned to see that a really big snake was wrapped around her legs. Harry saw another beginning to coil around her upper body. Before either knew what was happening Harry began to speak.
"Harry!" She cried out in a strangled voice. "I can't breathe."
The snake around Buffy's chest was squeezing her tightly. She was gasping for breath as she began to see spots.
"Si-yeth-hass-sa-she! Si-sa-hass-yeth! Si-hass-yeth!"
The snakes seem to understand him as they slowly began to release her. He heard her gasp for breath.
"Si-sa-hass?" The two snakes replied.
"Buffy move away from them slowly."
Slowly her body moved and she was behind Harry. He took her hand again and could feel her shaking. He continued to talk to them while taking out his wand.
"Ipera Ivanesca!"
Buffy cried out in a shaky, quivering voice. The snakes disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
"How?" Harry turned to ask her.
"Dad thinks Lockhart is a twit. He wants to make sure I can defend myself with a wand. He's been teaching me."
"Are you okay? You're still shaking quite a bit."
"I'm still a little shaken. I'll be okay. Let's get to my room."
Harry nodded taking off the sweater he was wearing and gave it to her to put on.
When Buffy and Harry finally got to Snape's room they were both out of breath. She had quickly informed both her parents what happened. Her mother instantly swept her into arms holding her tightly. She had insisted that Harry stay with them. Buffy was scared that whoever sent the snakes might come back and try to get Harry. Her father finally relented. Harry slept in Buffy's bed while Joyce, Buffy, and Snape slept in his large bed. Buffy slept in between her two parents. She was dreaming and began tossing and talking.
"Stay away from me. Harry! Help me! They're squeezing me to tight. I can't breathe."
Snape and Joyce woke to the sound of their daughter gasping for air.
"Buffy!" Joyce called out to her.
"BUFFY! Wake up! You're dreaming!"
Her father shook her. Both her parents were calling her name frantically. Finally her eyes opened wide with fright as she finally took a breath. She looked around for the snakes that had been attacking her. Snape was now holding her could her and could feel her body trembling.
"Honey? Are you okay? It's alright we're here."
Her mother stroked her head. Buffy's head shook slightly.
"Were you dreaming about the snakes?" Her father asked. He felt her nod.
"There were snakes all around me. They were all over me squeezing me so hard that I couldn't breathe."
"It's okay. You're safe." Her mother spoke soothingly.
"Would you like to go the rocker?" Her father asked.
He felt Buffy's head nod yes. Holding her in his arms he got up and moved to the rocker. Joyce followed. She heard Buffy mutter something.
"Of course."
She heard him say. He soon pulled out his wand and aimed it at the fireplace. Soon there was a blazing fire. She moved to see if Buffy's dream had woken up Harry.
"How is she?"
Joyce heard Harry voice speaking in a hush tone from the couch. Joyce sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Her father's got her. She had a very bad dream. Her father warned me that she's been having quite a few bad ones. Now lie back down. You need your rest too."
Joyce tucked him. She kissed him on his forehead. Harry had never known what it was like to be tucked in. He liked it. In the short time that Joyce had been in with Harry, Buffy and Snape had fallen asleep in the rocker. She grabbed a quilt from off of the bed a covered them both. She gave each one a kiss. Snape smiled in his sleep. Joyce had wanted to do that for days.
