The 8th Year Student

by Virgil McMeanie

(Finished) New transfer student George arrives at Hogwarts, and shares rooms with Prof. Snape. A reluctant friendship eventually, magnified by the horribly different backgrounds. Heaps of songs. Lots of colorful language, and this is my first fic.

18. Chapter Eighteen Christmas

Chapter Eighteen--Christmas


Well after midnight Georgie pushed open the door to the study lounge as quietly as she could and slipped inside the nearly dark room before shutting the door behind her. She turned slowly around and her eyes slowly became accustomed to the darkness--but it really wasn't all that dark. A fire was burning half-heartedly in the hearth and the room smelled overwhelmingly like the tree sleeping off in the corner. It felt rather cozy and she half-smiled serenely as her comfortable surroundings sunk in.

"Are you going to lurk in doorways all your life, or come in?" Severus called from his perch on the couch.

"Come in of course," as she shuffled forwards toward the fire.

"You should tell people when you go off places." He scolded lightly.

"Eh, You're right. I should've, but I didn't want to hear crap from anyone about it."

"Can't imagine too many others giving you crap, as you say. Unless you were snogging with Potter, very little you would do could so upset me that I'd 'give you crap'." He mimicked her tone as she gingerly set herself down after removing her cloak by the fire.

"Nah, 'twasn't like that at all." She shivered slightly and gurgled out.

Severus noticed that and turned his wand on the dying fire to cheer it up a bit. "So where did you end up losing yourself anyway?"

"I went to church." She said as matter-of-factly as she could muster, but she was slightly embarrassed at the admittance. Very few English wizards were receptive to how her parents had raised her, and to what she had eventually decided for herself. Midnight Masses themselves were rare. Perhaps it was the North American family influences, dear Aunt Sylvie...or just her own stubbornness, still...

He poured her a glass of some hot liquid; "I can respect that." And handed her the glass.

"What's this?" She lifted the glass to her nose.

"It's spiced-wine." Hmm, she set it down hastily as she felt a sneeze coming on.

"Lord." She grinned at him as she picked her goblet back up. "My grandmother drinks spiced-wine." She sipped it cautiously and grimaced and crinkled up her nose. "Hot," she explained to his inquisitive stare.

"Does that mean it's not good if your grandmother prefers it?"

"Not at all." She sipped it once more, and frowned deeply into the dark steaming vessel. "Just curious tastes, though I quite like it. I could get used to it when the weather's bad."

He drank heavily of his own drink and his black eyes glinted off towards the fire. "How do you spend you time usually? Holidays I mean?" He posed to her without even looking in her direction. Might as well make conversation he reasoned within himself. What the hell was he doing?

"Erm, if I'm at home, I spruce up the place, attempt to bake, and watch stale television movies about what a jolly season it is indeed." She said drolly. "If I were at school, I would just spend time with friends, go out drinking, and hope for the holidays to be over with." She smiled sweetly at him, trying to avoid his eye.

"I'm afraid I'm not much fun, am I? No real traditions, or family things to do. I'm happy though. But it doesn't ever end up as bad as I make it out to sound! Really, I'm quite happy." She sighed. "I can make my own traditions. No regrets." She spoke rather more to herself than to her companion.

"And you?" She challenged.

"I sit here by myself in the dark and think that another year's about to be over and done with, and that I have precious little to show for it." She frowned and was about to protest when he held up his hand in her direction. "I am as I am now. That is all." And he drank his wine. "Let's not get into some horrid conversation about motives or duties and the future state of the world, where you'll end up blubbering."

"That's rather harsh." She bit her lip.

"Good. Meant it to be. This is Christmas, which, I'm told, is a time for celebrating and happiness." He pronounced strongly and carefully, as if trying not to sneer.

Lord, couldn't he even be civil now? "True enough. So it's surrogate family then, is it?" She winked.

He humphed at her use of the word family. But turned full-on towards her, "Anything you like." His eyes twinkled at her and she smiled soberly.

She raised her glass to him, "To family?"

He nodded curtly at her.

They drank, "La, we're like a couple of old pensioners drinking to days gone by." She laughed.

"Don't mix up the New Year and Christmas. There's a sort of order and ceremony to the thinking and reflecting and drinking--Hagrid will lead by example for that last bit later on." He said seriously. "Now, dwell on as you say, just the happy things of how things are--not how they should be."

"Thank you Professor Snape!" She twittered. "Organized as always. 'Order of things' indeed! But if I'm to be so very happy, you must be as well, you know." She chided him.

"So I will be," He nodded in her direction.

She doubted his words greatly but said to him, "That's all I wanted to know, so now my happiness is complete."

Severus cocked his head as he reached across to snatch her goblet from her hands and refill it. "You're an odd girl."

"Yeah, and you're the epitome of normal yourself, sir." She burped and leered at him.

He growled and thrust the glass back into her hand.

"I'd better be going off to sleep now, tomorrow's going to be full," She mumbled lightly.

"A wise decision," he allotted. "Happy Christmas Georgie."

"Happy Christmas, Severus." He smiled at her as she closed her door behind her. Then turning his own attention inward once again, he drank his wine.





Surprisingly Severus slept like the dead, as for him this was a rare natural occurrence. Usually he was racked with nightmares, or else he felt like consciously punishing himself by forcing himself to remain up, staring into the darkness. Sleep never was the reward at the end of his long and difficult day.

And he had been in the grips of a deep slumber, which was mercifully devoid of nightmares or guilty consciences, when he heard the yelling coming from somewhere just beyond him. He let out a low grumble and his eyes snapped open and tried to adjust to the semi-darkness the drawn curtains created around his bed.

He heard the yelling once again, so he stiffly sat up and snatched up his wand. He sidestepped his own pitifully small piles of gifts and grabbed up his robe from off a hook by his bed and slipped it on as he pushed open his bedroom door.

"Severus!" and "Oh-mi-gawd!" and "Ahhh!" assaulted his sensitive morning hearing and he padded over to his friend's flung-open door. She was on her knees on the floor beside the present he'd gotten her, poking it with her finger excitedly.

He brought his foot down hard on the floor to alert her of his presence. "So, is he alright?" She looked up at him and beamed. In truth she felt as if she were going to explode with joy and laughter.

The ugly, beaked head of the sea turtle turned ever so slowly and regarded the tall intruder. "He's beautiful!" Georgie gushed with pride.

"Albus gave me permission to give him to you. He's obviously not a regulation-sized pet." He crossed over to her desk and pulled out the stiff chair to seat himself upon.

She squealed as the turtle lifted two long fins in an effort to drag himself over towards her. "What's he eat, do you know? I woke up and he was trying to eat the paper off the other presents."

"I don't know, nor do I give a whit what he eats, so long as it's nothing important of mine." He rubbed his nose absently with his eyes closed. "I've had him a week and I've fed him seaweed and lettuce and he ate it. I got him from a colleague of mine."

"Aren't they endangered?" She asked lightly, not really caring if they were or weren't at that moment.

"Yes, but my colleague is involved in a breeding program. This one preferred staying on land over going into the waters, so it would have been near impossible to release him into the wild." He yawned deeply. "Name him or something already." He growled.

"Hm, Martin, Stuart, Teddy, Marcus, Shane, Rory, Walter, Joshua, Sean..." She trailed off and sucked her bottom lip in.

"Those are awful." Severus pointed out the obvious.

"Well, I can't very well name him Spot, Freckles or Fido now can I ?

"It's your pet now, you must choose."

"No, you must help me. You had a hand in giving him to me, so help out a bit. What do you like? If you had one what would you call him?"

"I would call him The Turtle."

"Oh, lovely imagination." Georgie said.

"How about Marcus or Sean? Though really, I still think it's absurd giving it a human name."

"How about Marco or something? It's exotic. Marco--Marco Polo? Yes, I think I like that name well enough."

Severus nodded at that and closed his eyes once more. Her room was too bright for his tastes: curtains thrown completely back to allow the glaring winter sun in.

"Wake up Severus," she sang lowly. "Go grab up you presents and meet me out in the lounge--we can open them together and sit in front of the fire."

He couldn't be bothered to argue with her, but he was at least consoled that his own pile of presents was mercifully small and so he could escape scrutiny as soon as they were done.

Minutes later Severus was seated on the couch and Georgie and Marco Polo were before the fire. It seemed to take an eternity for the pitiful creature to drag itself any distance at all. She had pounded on Sirius' door and either he was sleeping too soundly or else he'd taken off to visit that fool nephew of his. Severus guessed correctly that the second was indeed the case.

"Okily, now open my present for you." Her eyes glowed as she pointed to the one wrapped up plainly with blue paper and a black ribbon. He slid his thin fingers under the ribbon and slipped it off, and started on the corners of the taped paper. Georgie leaned forward, propping her chin up with her hands resting on her knees, and watched him intently.

He slid the paper off and it fell to the floor at his feet. He looked at what he held in his hands and seemed to be holding his breath. For a minute Georgie began to panic: she had gone over his bookshelf and she just knew he didn't already have it, but perhaps he was displeased or something.

He opened up Ancient and Powerful Potions: Medieval Secrets and began to turn the pages slowly as if it were some sacred manuscript. In truth, he was shocked. He brought his gaze to look at her and just stared wide-eyed at his friend sitting ridiculously sprawled on the floor before him.

When he found his voice at last he said, "Do you know what this is?"

She nodded, a smile slowly spreading with relief over her face. "Er, it's a book?" So he wasn't disappointed.

He moved his fingers down the outer edges of the faded pages, "This is....incredible."

Georgie twittered to herself happily and amused herself shyly with the discarded ribbon and paper.

"I've been looking for this book for years. There are supposedly only ten copies left in existence." He was talking more to himself than her. She was impressed. And here she'd thought it was simply a fun little book. "Where ever did you find it?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." She teased.

"I'll run that risk. So where then?" He asked seriously.

She frowned and looked a bit embarrassed and didn't answer for a second.

"Knockturn?" He ventured a guess. "I'd given up on it's ever showing up there."

She squirmed, "Actually it was Tullasmarsh."

"Ah-ha," he allowed, but still wagged a finger at her absently. "But however did you find this? I hope you haven't read any of it--it's...dangerous....I've been over Tullasmarsh.... It's impossible to find..." He indicated the book on his knee. He obviously meant how could she ever had found such a rare book and then managed to pay for it. Especially considering they both knew she hadn't a clue as to it's real value.

"Fate. I was meant to find it I suppose." She shrugged.

He shrugged in reply and turned back to the book. Fate was for those too lazy to accept responsibility. "Wonderful." He muttered to himself and flipped through the pages.

"Oh, open something else. I'm hungry and we'll never make it to breakfast at this rate. You'll have the book for the rest of your life, so read it then!"

He glared at her as he set the book down beside him reluctantly before scooping up another package.

Georgie attacked her own pile of gifts and snatched up the ones from her parents. Her mother had actually sent her several and they were all clothing or jewelry of different sorts. Georgie explained sheepishly that her mother always liked to dress her up.

Georgie paused to watch as Severus opened up a squashy bundle that contained a very soft dark green scarf. He eyed her quizzically, and she crawled over on her knees and searched all about the floor, "Hold up, there's got to be a card or something somewhere....Oh, here it is. It wasn't fastened on very well at all!" He snatched it from her hands impatiently.

"It's from the twins." He held up the card in front of her nose.

"So I see, and how nice it is." She admired.

"I wonder if they send me this out of feeling obligated because I sent them a gift..." He mused, rubbing his nose.

"That's rubbish, and you know it, you big idiot. You and obligations..." She laughed heartily at him, and he stiffened. Georgie had helped him pick out a gift for the twins one day down in Hogsmeade at his insistence. He ended up getting them two books of poetry from Burns and Yeats. He knew that Burns was Scottish, but the only other Irish poetry book in the collection was Oscar Wilde and Severus had 'issues' with the man's writings.

Georgie opened a small box from the twins and started at the sight of a lovely little silver necklace with a knotted design on the cross. She hastily slipped it on and thrust it down under her nightgown with a smile of pleasure. She played with Marco Polo poking him in the beak as Severus opened a few others from colleagues she'd never before heard mentioned. She teased when some unknown person named Andrew gave Severus a book with '365 Happy Thoughts for Your Year'. "Yeah, they must really not know you at all..."

Georgie picked up the small package from her father and Severus watched her expression as she opened the box to reveal a peculiar sort of tool. She yipee-ed and showed him how it was like a sort of knife with also pliers, scissors, a bottle opener and other things hidden it. "How useful." He acknowledged.

"My dad's the best." She boasted proudly, then hushed herself up as Severus probably wouldn't want to reminded of his own family or past today.

"Your turn." She said.

They opened all of their gifts from the other staff and a few of the other students. Severus had thrown aside a small marble dragon--Georgie guessed it to be a paperweight or something--and announced it was from the Malfoys with no small amount of disgust. She could only guess that if the rest of the family was as terrible as Draco was, Severus had every right to not appreciate the gift. Severus muttered to himself and Georgie picked up the words 'mean-spirited' and 'greedy' and 'irreverent sacrilege' but didn't inquire any further into the matter.

He watched her as she opened something from her Aunt Sylvie in New Brunswick a long coat that buttoned all the way up the front. "How useful." She murmured to herself, echoing Severus.

The last presents for them both were oddly shaped bundles tied with coarse string where there was usually ribbon over the gaily-printed paper. Georgie tore through hers; the curiosity was driving her crazy. She lifted up a block of gingerbread, a yo-yo, a very warm looking fuzzy black hat, a dog collar and a rubber snake. She gaped open-mouthed at her friend who smiled at her amusement.

"Who the devil would have sent this?!" She exclaimed, as she fastened the dog-collar jokingly around her neck.

"That style virtually reeks of Cassy and company." He smirked and shook his head. "Look for a card, it might be inside as well." She dug through the tissue papers and found the note-card at the very bottom of the pile. She read it then looked up to Severus and nodded.

"Open yours, this might be interesting." He frowned at what her idea of interesting might be, but opened it anyway. He lifted out a hunk of banana bread, then a purple teddy bear, a potted cactus, a giant red magnet, a book of photographs of famous light-houses, then lastly he lifted up a pair of red and green boxer-shorts with 'Ho ho ho," written across them.

"Oh my lord!" Georgie exclaimed before guffawing and collapsing over on the floor in hysterics. As soon as he had gotten over the initial shock, Severus hastily put those away and in fact, buried them under everything else. His face blanched white and if he could have showed himself to be embarrassed by an outward sign...that was the closest he was going to get today.

He even allowed himself a slight smile, albeit a sheepish one after many moments had passed. He stood up and held his hand out to the recovering girl. "Is it a pajama breakfast or shouldn't we get dressed?" He asked her.

"I'm going as I am, but if you want to change...." She jerked her head in the direction of his room.

He took off for his room and reappeared only seconds later. "Wow, that was fast." She allowed then headed out the door, but turning around she stared right at Marco Polo lying before the glowing fire. "Oh, but don't you think he could--"

Severus stopped her by grabbing her under the elbow and ushering her out.




The rest of the day they spent 'playing with their toys'. Severus was engrossed by his book and had even announced his intention to try out a few of the potions that week as soon as he'd gotten the materials from town.

Georgie joined in a very violent snowball fight that afternoon and had the time of her life. Lupin and Sirius had actually started it and pretty soon everyone left in the castle was outside to watch it or to join in. Sirius had been introduced to the students who didn't know him as 'Ted', and besides all of that, he didn't look a thing like he had when he was in all the papers, as Minerva had told her. No one would recognize him now. Severus and Minerva were the only ones Georgie hadn't seen out there, but she wasn't looking too hard.

"Mele kalikimaka!" Georgie kicked the door open to the lounge and Severus looked up from his perch with a start.

"Sorry." She said. She limped in stiffly and collapsed on the couch.

"What happened to you?" He asked concernedly.

"A very hard snowball hit me in the side. Bruised me up a bit methinks." She waved him away.

"You sure?" He eyed her as she pitched her sopping cloak down before the fire.

She nodded and lay back, closing her eyes. "Of course I'm sure a snowball hit me." He returned to his fascinating new book.

She coughed a few minutes later and he noticed out of the corner of his eyes that she winced and shut her eyes up tight as if in pain.

"Georgie, you're hurt." He set his book aside. "Who could throw a mere snowball this hard to make it hurt you so badly?"

She smiled sickly; "Lots of people I reckon. Superman could, trolls could, if dragons could throw....It's just a bruise really." She tried to reassure him. "And it wasn't any mere snowball." She growled under her breath.

"Was magic used?" He growled.

"Ha!" She laughed, then clutched her side. "Not magic. It was a simple, stupid rock covered in ice. Quite juvenile really."

"What?!" he roared. His face became livid.

"See, I knew you'd do this." She scolded. "It'll go away, not a big problem. Let it be."

"Let me see your side." He demanded.

"It doesn't matter," she waved her hand at him dismissing his suggestion. "It's a bruise." She pronounced.

"Then let me see it."

"Fine Mother. You want to see it? Here it is." She said hotly. And she snatched up her sweater and lifted it up to show her side clearly, but modestly.

He fought against the impulse to scream at her. It covered a large part of her side and her tan skin was purple and green and even red in parts. "Oh." He hadn't realized he had spoken aloud. It looked awful, and he was sure it hurt quite a bit.

"It's not that bad, Snape. I bruise easily"

Liar, he held back. "Must feel awful." He said sincerely, though also slightly baiting her.

She smiled at him, "Thanks."

"So who threw it?" It in some odd way pleasured him to know that Georgie had an enemy here at Hogwarts. Perhaps she was human after all.

"Not telling."

She saw him draw himself up to his full height. "Don't try and do anyone any favors."

"Really, I've thought this through." She said trying to sound as serious as she could. "I will not have my or anyone else's Christmas messed up. I'm fine." She smirked. "Now go play with your teddy bear or something...." She got to his feet and expected him to stand aside.

However, when he didn't, "I'm going to take a bath and I'm positive I'll feel a bazillion times better afterwards, really." She touched his arm and he shrugged and went out through the Common Room without a word.




Severus returned an hour later feeling even more enraged than he had been before. He'd gone to visit Hagrid in his cabin and had nonchalantly slipped in the question of how Georgie got her bruise. Hagrid had said that he hadn't known who the culprit was, but he was positive it had been a Slytherin. Hagrid had rushed to her side when he saw his friend crumple up in the middle of all the chaos. He inquired how she was doing now, and Severus was obliged to answer that she was fine, and that the injury to her side had done nothing to hinder her smart mouth. Hagrid laughed heartily at that and they continued to drink their tea.




Georgie looked up as he swept through the door almost noiselessly. "What's up?" She nodded at him as he crossed the room and snatched up one of her presents and was absentmindedly turning it over in his palm. "I am so looking forward to this Christmas dinner--I'm going to stuff myself silly. My father used to tell stories about the mummers when he was a boy even though he lived in the country, and so sometime--well, rather some year as it can't be this year--I'd like to catch one. Not really catch one though. And there'll be plum pudding! Ah!" She ranted all in one breath.

He set aside her yo-yo and sat down, pausing before asking. "How do you feel?"

"Perfect." She toyed with his magnet and threw it across to him. "Plum pudding, plum pudding, plum pudding." She chanted.

"Smell this." She vaulted off of her couch and thrust her wrist under his nose.

"Why? What is it?" He looked up at her alarmed.

"Sirius got me perfume. What's it smell like to you?"

"Sandalwood? Some wood? I don't know." He said resignedly. "What is it?"

"Surprise." And she laughed to herself as she sat on the arm of his couch.

He cleared his throat and she looked at him expectantly.

"Cassy has invited you to come out sometime this week for a visit. She said as much in her Christmas card to me a week ago. Apparently you made quite an impression on the house elves." Severus glared at her.

She scrutinized him, "What do you want to do?" She couldn't very well go without him if the past way of travel repeated itself, and besides if it weren't convenient--and it was his house after all--

"I'm going regardless. I always spend a couple of days there during Christmas." He watched her face, "But if you don't prefer to stay that long I can cut the trip short or bring you back."

"Woo-hoo!" She hopped up and did a little jig.

"Does that mean 'yes'?" He tried to resist looking pleased at the picture she made.

"Yep, yep, yes, yeah, uh-huh, righty-o, weeeee....!" She squealed.

"Your enthusiasm, though touching, just goes to show how lunatic you really are."

She performed a sweeping bow to him to which he frowned at, "Well, it's a good thing because I answered days ago that she could expect us."

Georgie laughed at him and hopped off to her room calling out over her shoulder, "I'm changing for dinner."

Girls are forever changing their attire, no one bothers to notice these things anyway he rationalised. "You presume I care, Georgie." He called after her. She made sure to tell him where she was going--within reason. He would ask anyway and persist until he knew, so she figured she could save face a bit by volunteering the information before it got to that point.




Georgie scurried down the darkened corridor to catch up with Severus. He had continued walking to the Great Hall when Hermione had jumped from the shadows to accost Georgie for a minute. Georgie could only stand in shock as the girl rapidly explained that she needed help in Potions and would she help her sometime before classes started up again. Georgie just stared at the girl and nodded dumbly at her as the girl wished her a Happy Christmas before walking in the opposite direction.

"That was strange." She spoke to Severus, "That girl's barely had two words to say to me in the months I've been here."

"Perhaps she's warmed to you."

"No, that can't be it." Severus was amused at her reasoning.

"Give it no more thought. It's Christmas." That seemed to be their secret code-word meaning 'don't worry'. They used it more often than normal people did.

"Bah, humbug."

But she brightened up on entering the room at last. The halls had been hung with holly boughs and the suits of armor had been enchanted to glow and sing Christmas carols. Georgie even discovered on her half-hearted rounds the other night a suit of armor that only sang the bad version of songs. She'd had enough when he started in on 'Spice Girls Got Ran Over By a Reindeer'.

But this was something altogether...well, wonderful. The room had a cozy glow and the whole populace of the place was gathered together on one table in the center of the room. There were the usual twelve Christmas trees with fairy lights and candles hanging in mid-air above the branches. The sky overhead was just beginning to turn darker, and so the whole room seemed to be bathed in a cream-colored misty blanket of lights.

She stumbled numbly up to the table and sat in the first available seat which was next to Hagrid and Minerva. Georgie was glad of both of these people by her side for the meal and quietly drew Minerva into conversation. Hagrid offered her a cracker and she tried to politely decline, but he harassed her until she took an end. With a sharp pop a large cowboys hat fell on the table between them. As Hagrid was already wearing a ladies hat with violets decorating the rim, Georgie sat the Cowboy one atop her head with a yee-ha.

The food itself was incredible--the house-elves have really outdone themselves, Georgie thought. There was a ham and a turkey as well--at least Georgie guessed it was turkey. It was probably too large to be any other sort of bird, save Emu and... ew, that would just be too strange. She crossed her fingers that the house elves knew the spell to make the food enlarge.

Hagrid kept taking snatches up of the sugared apricots and Minerva had to keep reminding Georgie to wait for the stuffing and the sausagemeat--her favorite part in the past. There were potatoes (there were always potatoes), also roasted parsnips and rice pudding--both of which Georgie detested. Minerva swore that--speaking of puddings--the Plum pudding was better though. Georgie was taken with these little croquettes filled with some cheese stuff.

It was after all, her first Christmas in England, and in Poland they had enjoyed fish on Christmas Eve and beef, dumplings and soups on Christmas Day. Her favorite Christmases had been when she was younger and visiting her Aunt Sylvie--her household always had the most fabulous food: cranberries and stuffing and turkeys and everything rich and full of spices. Her house would smell heavenly for almost a week before Christmas.

With her own immediate family, it had been casual and helter-skelter whenever everyone was home--meal-wise at least.

Georgie managed to speak a little with another Slytherin boy for a few moments who was positioned near her at her end of the table, a quiet soul Georgie had managed to talk to only twice before. He name was Sam McLeery, a short dark-haired, bulging-eyed child who looked perpetually sick and spoke with a raspy voice. She found out that he liked to play guitar as well and they said they'd definitely have to get together for a 'jam session' of sorts.

Once the food had been cleared and everyone's bellies were very full, everyone sat back and chatted with neighbors and drank hot drinks. Minerva and Hagrid were drinking Hot Toddys and Georgie chose wine. Several students were consuming Butterbeers and Georgie wished she'd seen them before starting in on her wine. Sirius and Lupin were knocking back some stronger stuff by the looks of it, and they sat with their heads together at the opposite end of the table.

After time, more and more yawns were heard and people began to drift away. Georgie felt the beginning pangs of a sadness start to settle in--Christmas was nearly over! Finally there was only one other student left at the table--a Hufflepuff in deep conversation with Professor Flitwick. She liked that on Christmas all lines between students and teachers appeared to have disappeared.

Georgie sighed and turned to Hagrid, who was by now flushed in the face. "We should do a bit of singing, don't you think? It had always been a tradition for us all at The Institute." He nodded profusely. Minerva overheard and acknowledged that she'd enjoy that as well. But the older woman posed the problem of no comfortable place to do it in.

"Let me ask Snape first, I'll see what he says to it." And she rose from her chair and approached Severus' back, and waited for a polite pause to break in and bent to ask him in lowered tones if it'd be alright by him. He shrugged and gave permission for Slytherin to host it--as they were the smallest in number--very ambivalent towards the whole thing.

Georgie returned to Hagrid and Minerva with a grin upon her face and the three of them took off to gather up other voices for the sing.




Georgie managed to recruit the McLeery boy, who as it turned out was a far finer musician than she would ever hope to be. And when she acknowledged this to the boy, he grinned and sheepishly told her that his mother had made him take music lessons since he was four years old.

Sirius' loud banter about Marco Polo made her frown and she stooped to try and drag the enormous creature into her room and shut the door on him. She loved showing him off, but she couldn't run the risk of a drunken Sirius hurting her pet.

Sam McLeery was warming up and Flitwick and Sprout had just arrived together. Really, Georgie considered, if the crowd grew much larger they'd have to move the whole gathering out into a classroom or to the large Antechamber off the Great Hall. Even Hermione was there with that chubby Gryffindor boy--they must've gotten in with Minerva feeling sorry for them--but Harry Potter and Wesley were no-shows, not that Georgie cared. Severus would be ecstatic though, once he showed up.

Pomfrey patted to a spot on one of the sofas that she'd apparently saved for Georgie and they both looked up as Hagrid introduced the boy (everyone clapped) and announced the first song. Everyone song loudly and jolly, but no one could really hold a tune. Georgie felt at ease sitting beside the elder witch who belted out the wrong words almost half the time, but still kept on going.

Sirius kept requesting the silly songs, and when no one had ever heard of it, he'd reply, "Oh really? It's the thing right now in London." And he'd sing a solo himself. He was such a character though! Everyone was clutching their sides and howling with laughter as he strutted, and acted out the songs, sometimes employing high-pitched and lisping voices.

Severus and Dumbledore slipped in and stood against the wall with the bookcase watching everyone acting crazed. Trewlaney sang a solo Coventry Carol and Georgie did have to admit she had a handsome voice. Plus she had guts, there wasn't enough money in the world to make her stand up and sing a solo in front of 15 people--friends or not. It almost made Georgie feel less animosity towards her. Almost, but not quite.

Sprout piped up, "How about Greensleeves?"

"Oh yes, I love that song!" Pomfrey added to her friend's request.

Severus cleared his throat, and everyone swiveled in his or her places to look at him. "Georgie can play that." He must have heard her practicing the other evening in her room. Sneaky...

She tried her hardest to glare daggers at him as everyone began pressing her for it. Sam McLeery said he'd enjoy playing a two-part piece if she knew the basics.

She sneered at Severus and he meanly grinned openly at her discomfort. She was off and in a moment returned with her guitar from her room. She sat beside Sam for a moment, conversing and strategizing in whispered tones.

Everyone watched as Sam nodded to his partner and began to play, with Georgie playing the first part. No one spoke while they played. Georgie could hear rushing in her ears and her heart was racing as she anxiously tried to not screw up in front of her friends. Or throw up from nerves.

Thankfully the song did eventually end and Georgie stood and rushed off to her room to return the guitar before anyone could speak of a repeat performance. Sam was blushing at the attention and everyone was talking amongst themselves quietly once again as a few souls dared to sing--Hagrid always sounding off in the foreground.

Georgie returned to poor Sam's side and whispered to him absent-mindedly to put his mind at ease as he continued to play for everyone in the room. Severus joined their small conversation when Sam was taking a break for a minute to stretch his arms and legs out.

"McLeery, you play the instrument tolerably well, for an amateur." He said stiffly. Georgie rolled her eyes at him. Praise indeed, Severus!

She put a hand on Sam's shoulder, "He's far better than I am, which I'm afraid is no great compliment." She laughed and felt Sam's muscles tense up and immediately withdrew her hand. She somehow knew it was from Severus' condescending manner that they boy acted so withdrawn. Severus really was awful with the social parts of life. Especially from the standpoint of a child. She wondered if he actually knew any.

She took a hold of the conversation and asked the boy what he'd received for Christmas. The boy shared only half-heartedly and would cast sidelong glances at his Potions Professor who in turn was staring point-blank at the boy coldly.

"Oh, but Sam you'll never guess what Professor Snape got for Christmas!" Sam cocked his head interestedly and ignored Snape's widening-eyes boring into Georgie.

"Really? What?" The dark-haired boy asked with a smirk. Wonder where he gets that from, Georgie pondered....

"I have it on very good authority that he received a purple teddy bear from an old acquaintance. Now what do you think of that!" She looked at Severus triumphantly. He looked incensed right back at her over the boy's head, but didn't say a word.

The boy choked back a laugh and coughed several times to try and restrain his amusement at such a singular gift. "Well, I er, think that that's a lovely Christmas gift. I think any boy in Slytherin, Sir, would be just as ecstatic to receive such a present." Okay, now he was just poking fun in the face of her friend.

"Well, McLeery it's getting very late. Don't you think you ought to run along to bed now?" She asked pointedly, and the student nodded and gathered his things and said his goodbyes.

Georgie got to her feet and hissed in Snape's ear as she walked past him, "Payback. 'Sides, could've been worse. Could've told about the boxers."

Hagrid and Sirius continued to sing gaily in their sprawled position before the fire and Georgie found Minerva listening to them amusedly with a steaming goblet in her hand. Georgie sat down carefully on the couch and just basked in the glow of the fire and the easy conversation around her, but didn't feel the need to join in.

Severus and Dumbledore came towards the seated pair and Dumbledore set down a large but shallow ceramic dish on the table in front of them all. Georgie peered at it and saw it was filled with dried fruits. She looked at Severus and raised her eyebrows in silent petition but he just kept his blank facial expression and stared right back at her with his black eyes. Was he making fun of her? Probably, she admitted.

Albus Dumbledore himself cleared his throat pointedly and drew everyone's attention to what he was about to say. "A-hem, I would just like to draw attention to the game we're about to play. It's an ancient parlour game called Snapdragon and anyone who wishes to join may do so. But I do caution that it is a dangerous game so if you feel not as agile or alert as you usually are--" Looks fell upon Sirius and Hagrid chuckling together on the floor, "--I suggest you refrain from playing." And with that he turned to the bowl and his captive audience turned back to their conversations.

Hermione came over and sat down directly beside Georgie and gave her a half smile and then took her turn to quizzically stare at the dish on the table. Georgie was glad of the presence of the other student, though she'd never let that on. She still didn't 'like' Hermione.

Poppy Pomfrey addled over and sat down on the opposite couch, patting Georgie's knee warmly as she passed. "When I heard the word 'dangerous' I figured I'd better come on over. 'Sides I've heard of this game..." She muttered off, as if trying to recollect what exactly she'd heard about it.

When Flitwick and Madam Hooch had joined the small party (Hooch had to draw up a chair for herself), Severus lifted a cup of bandy he'd held in his hands and just out of sight. Minerva leaned over, "He'd better hide that from Hagrid and Sirius or we'll all be in trouble." Georgie snorted and brought her hand over her mouth as Severus glared at her.

The Potions Professor deftly poured the liquid over the fruits and then Dumbledore said, "The object is to take turns and try and snatch handfuls of the fruit up." Georgie fought back the impulse to snort, but checked herself as right then Severus brought his wand out and lit the dish afire. Oh, she thought to herself.

Professors Vector and Trewlaney called goodnight to the party and let themselves out. Dumbledore announced, "Well, I guess I'll go first, then Severus, then Poppy and so on." Georgie winked at Poppy Pomfrey as the lady flushed at being pointed out.

His wrinkled hand hovered over the flames, then swooped down and lifted out two pieces unscathed, as the flames snapped back at his hand. Georgie smiled at this. Hermione's mouth was to her chin, "Oh, so the dish is the dragon, the flames are like it's teeth...."

Georgie giggled and whispered, "Did you really think it was a real dragon?" Teasing the girl good-naturedly. Hermione chuckled and assented that she hadn't known what to expect.

The headmaster held up his hand and explained the flames weren't really that hot and one just had to be careful not to be greedy and thus get burned. He popped the warmed fruit into his mouth and proclaimed them 'highly edible'.

Severus went next and was able to steal away four, which got everyone's exclamations. By the time it got to Georgie she followed Pomfrey's example and only went for one piece. That was easy enough and as she popped the bit of pear into her mouth she resolved to try and get more next time around.

The gamers continued in this fashion and only Hermione had any sort of mishap as she accidentally singed her free-falling hair as she leaned over the bowl on one turn. But she giggled about it nervously and the rest of the party laughed along with her. Well, except Snape. He scowled at the poor girl.

They all ended up just blowing out the flames and eating the warmed fruit when the hour became very late and peoples' eyelids began to droop. Dumbledore exclaimed that he was off to sleep and most everyone followed his example and left calling Happy Christmases and Goodnights over their shoulders with little waves.

Soon it was only Sirius and Hagrid--both asleep before the fire, Severus and Remus chatting idly on the couch and Hermione and Georgie with their heads together giggling on the other one. After not many minutes had passed Hermione requested that Georgie walk her back to her tower. She fought back the impulse to snort or make fun of the girl, but instead tried her hardest to nod soberly and get to her feet. What a baby!

Hermione admitted that she'd never before been to the Slytherin Common Room passed through and outside. Georgie asked her how it compared to Gryffindor's, to which The Granger Girl explained how Slytherin was grander, had finer things in it, but felt colder. While Gryffindor was brighter; full of plush and worn, homey-like things. But she hurried in that after tonight she thought that with the right company, Slytherin could be warm as well....Georgie secretly puffed up with pride.

When Georgie returned to the lounge Remus was gone and the chairs and glasses were cleared away and only Severus remained leaning back on his couch sipping his wine and reading. "That was quick." She pointed out. As she shut the door behind herself. She heard snores coming from before the fire and she checked herself, realizing it must be Sirius or Hagrid or both of them.

"This is a welcome sight." She sighed as she sank down onto her back on the couch.

Severus set his book down open on his knee. "What is?"

"This." She flung her arms about her and gestured to the walls and everything. "This picture is what I think of when I think of Hogwarts and everything. It's of a fire burning in the fireplace, cold stone walls and you sitting just like that reading on the couch. It's predictable and familiar."

"I'm sure I should say something about being touched on being included in this cheery memory. But I won't." Severus said.

"Well, you might try acting it for my sake." She laughed.

"And I also might try digging for pearls in the ground." He replied sourly.

Georgie hugged her sides, "I've never heard that one!"

His eyes narrowed at her; "You really were sheltered growing up."

She sat up clumsily, "Hey, I can speak, drink and fight in more languages and countries than you could imagine." She gaily wagged a finger at him.

"Acknowledged, yet where is your home, Miss George Flaing?" he shot back at her.

Her smile disappeared, "You're right--something has been lacking, but that's why I'm here now I suppose. It's a start--I'm trying!" She giggled nervously. He had a way of instantly killing all mirth, didn't he?

Suddenly she felt rather sad, and also a bit numb as if nothing mattered--he was right though. His eyes watched her as he sipped from his wine goblet. "Stop watching me, it's creeping me out." She snapped. Whoa, where did that come from? She regretted saying it as soon as it left her lips.

But Severus just slowly set his glass down on the table with a triumphant smirk and breathed, "Fair enough."

She didn't feel like apologizing, and he never did and, well, she just didn't want to.

"Isn't it a strange feeling, Severus?" She tried to sound light-hearted as she steered the subject in a more comfortable location. "Christmas is over. We'll have to wait a whole other year for this. Isn't that just sad? We're as far away from it as we can get." She sighed. Yes, she mused, melancholy would do fine for the next few days.

"I think you're making too much of it. You'll see one hundred more Christmases--maybe more."

"Yes, but it seems an eternity now, from here and from this point in time. 'Sides they are never the same. Who knows? We might not ever be all here again like this! I could get hit by a bus--or you could." She laughed imagining Severus walking anywhere where a bus might frequent. But didn't want to think about her friend not being here next year--wherever she might end up, he had to be right back here where he belonged and where she could always find him.

"I might be in Zanzibar for all I know this time next year." She teased.

"Yes, but you could visit for Christmas." He gave her a long hard look. "Just as Sirius does now."

"Oh, well then!" She laughed uncomfortably and clasped her hands together over-dramatically, "Only if I can get my old room. I don't think I'll have to fight off anyone else for the privilege." She paused and her almond-shaped eyes took on a far-off look. "Still, it wouldn't quite be the same now would it? But these things can't be helped and they are as they are. Let's talk of something else." She looked at him appealingly.

He just stared coolly at her as if trying to read her face or even worse her thoughts. "Cassy has written once again. She asked about many trifling little things, then finally admitted that what she really wanted to know was when to expect us. What say you?"

"Now?" She grinned.

"I think not." He stifled a smile with a short cough.

"Okily, how about....um....now?"

"Georgie."

"Alright. I suppose I'm supposed to say 'whenever would be most convenient with your schedule' and all that, but screw what I'm supposed to say." She said passionately. "Now." She repeated obstinately. "Now, now, now....Bring your teddy and let's go. Hagrid can watch Marco Polo and, that's it--let's go. Now." She loved the idea of going back to his house. It wasn't that it was a warm or cheery place, it was just, well, fascinating.

"Georgie it's half two in the morning. No one is leaving now, but your enthusiasm--besides being a bit frightening..." The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"--Ha ha," she interrupted. "It's your house and your life that's going to be torn upside-down. I'm at your beck and call and all that."

He actually snorted at that. "I shouldn't believe a word out of your mouth, I should know better by this time." He ran his hand through his hair absently. "I think that tomorrow will need to be a day of recovery for sleeping and taking head-ache drought for hangovers. How about the day after that?"

"Peachy; fine."

"I'm assuming that means yes." He growled.

"Duh." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't know why I put up with you--why I haven't murdered you in your sleep."

"I think that'd be against Dumbledore's rules, don't you think?"

"Just don't push it." He warned, knowing it would do no good.

"I'll pretend I'm listening to you. You pretend I care."

He cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms out before him. Georgie was just about to comment on the state of his bony arms, when he nonchalantly posed before she could open her mouth, "If it wouldn't bother you perhaps I'd ask someone up whom I'd like you to meet."

"Listen, It's your house. I swear I won't drive way any of your acquaintances. Or at least I'll try my damnedest not to scare anyone away.... Severus, I trust your judgement. As long as you don't invite any psycho killers I'm okay with it." She insisted.

"I am a 'psycho killer'."

"No, you're just psychotic--but aren't we all these days." She said. She brought her hands up to her hair and arranged it up into a Minerva-like bun at the nape of her neck. "I could kill you, you know." She looked him in the eye stalwartly.

"Could you." He raised his eyebrows as a gesture for her to continue, rather surprised at the sudden change in the conversation.

"I could." She paused for a moment. "If I had to." She blinked at him.

His eyes darkened, but he didn't comment. She had said it because she knew he'd been thinking her too soft for a long time now. He looked at her for a long, uncomfortable minute. Then his features relaxed and he shrugged, "That's good to know. You do realize I would do the same."

She nodded slowly, then smirked slyly. "Look on the bright side--you're obviously immune to any head injuries."

He sat forward and raised his arms to the ceiling in a gesture of exasperation "And to think she's come so far without her leash."

She laughed at his attempt to make fun of her, then burped. "Ew, tastes like...hum, did I eat strawberries?"

"That is repulsive."

She bowed grandiosely. "'Tis all for your amusement."

"I cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you."

"Likewise."

"You should go to bed." He cocked his head in the direction of her door.

"What and leave you out here to wallow in your morbid thoughts and self-pitying? I think not. I want a go at it. You have to learn to share sooner or later."

He actually allowed a smile to slip by unguarded, and took up his glass again. Georgie took that as a kindly acknowledgement for her to stay--though she'd have probably stayed anyhow to annoy him. She plucked a loose cushion up and hugged it in her arms as she rested her chin on the top of it, humming to herself.

"I take it that you're not going to let me finish this book tonight then, is it?" He picked the book up from his lap, closed it and laid it delicately down on the table. "What are you thinking then?" He prodded her.

She didn't need much though, "Heaps of things. Like what exactly are the good things in life, and what are we all cut out to be and do and all that. I'm also thinking about Butterbeers and Chocolate Frogs and Diet Coke. What is this life anyway? And why do I have clear skin for 20 years then suddenly my face erupts?!" She roared.

"Ah, the really important questions...." Severus leaned back, putting his hands behind his head.

"Shut up."

"No, really. I can answer those all in as much time as you took to ask them." He took a sitting stance as if he were a doctor giving a lecture on the finer points of surgery. "The good things in life are interactions and passions. Not those passions you dunderhead! Chocolate Frogs, Butterbeers and Diet Coke equal spots on your face, not to mention stress and worrying. What we're all cut out to DO is our best, what we're all cut out to BE is different from those around us."

"Candy-assed answers! You didn't answer anything at all!" She whined with a smile.

"Yes I did. I didn't say I subscribed to them. Anything beyond those vague things and you're getting into schematics and philosophies."

"You have an interesting perspective on things, Severus. You could describe the most exquisite sunshine-filled day and turn it into a formulaic dissertation on sunburns."

"I'm at a loss as to how to respond to that--though I don't think I deserve that censure."

"You're right, you don't." She didn't know if she'd gone too far that time, so she was relieved to see a twinkle in his eyes behind the cold glare. "Do you want to play chess?"

"You don't." He pointed out.

"True, but that's just because I'm awful. I want to play, so will you just agree?"

Severus looked skeptical, but cast a summoning charm and his own well-worn set pushed through the half-shut door to his own room.

Severus busied himself with setting up the scattered pieces, "So Sirius told me that you have a new friend named Michael." He didn't look up at her as he spoke.

"Yup, Michael's nice--met him in the Three Broomsticks. Lotsa gals fancy him." She teased unabashedly.

"I don't ever remember having him as one of my students. Is he a wizard?"

Georgie saw where this was going, and bit her lip, "Yes, he's a wizard. And he went to school in Germany or someplace--not Durmstrang. I'll ask him if you'd like to know for sure."

"So, do you, fancy him?" Severus was having an obvious hard time of the conversation, and Georgie wasn't about to make things any easier--it was fun to watch him squirm! He who always knew the answers, was always in control, always had a plan....

"Yes. I like him, he's a great guy. We're meeting in Hogsmeade when school starts up again." Of course she could have mentioned that Michael's girlfriend was to be included in the number, but no...

"Oh, I see." Severus was spending an awful long time setting the pawns precisely in the center of their squares. "I never could understand the physical fascinations people cling to. It's all just flesh and pigment serving as a mask to cover up our impulses, emotions and shortcomings. Nothing will last of all that you see." He spoke slowly and with plenty of disdain which wasn't lost on his friend.

"Lord, you'd make an awful girlfriend." She laughed at him merrily.

"I'm taking that as a compliment--no matter how it was meant." He looked at her stonily for emphasis.

Georgie piped up cheerfully--perhaps too cheerfully, "Okay, you'll have to tell me where to move, okay."

Severus blinked at her blankly as she positioned herself kneeling across the board from him. "Alright, move that one, there," He pointed. "Then I move. Now that one to that square--no the one next to it--the black one!" She really was awful at chess--she knew enough about the game--the pieces, the moves and everything--but she really wasn't very good competition. It was just that she'd never sat still long enough as a child to actually learn the rules. And now she really wasn't listening as she followed Severus' exact orders on the board.

Severus was continuing on, "Now I go, then you go there, then I go and.... Checkmate."

"What?" She looked sharply at the board, and yes indeed....as incredible as she found it to be. She hadn't been paying attention and Severus had in only a handful of moves checkmated her. She hopped to her feet. "I trusted you!" She accused with her hand on her hips, leaning over the board to tower over his sitting form trying to look daunting.

He laughed a genuine laugh for several seconds, which only seemed to nettle her further.

"Why's that so funny? That I'd be so foolish as to trust you!" She had been just joking about the game loss--who the devil cares anyway? But about her trust...that wasn't a laughing matter as far as she could tell.

Severus managed to compose himself and drew himself up onto his feet and took his turn at towering above another. Georgie certainly wasn't frightened of Severus anymore, but still...when, he stood like that, it sort of commanded attention in a strange sort of way. "I wasn't laughing at you, little fool. I was laughing at the face you made. You looked so shocked--you really ought to pay attention." He became serious once more.

"I didn't have to--you were supposed to do it for me," She pouted.

"Learn from it then. Now would you like to play a real game? I'll only help you if you ask for it--and I doubt you'll ask for it," He muttered dryly under his breath.

She reluctantly sat down and they played and chatted for an hour more. Severus was intently studying the board and Georgie was prattling off about some student in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class when she broke off lazily. Severus plopped his piece down with finality and looked up at his friend to show that he was indeed listening to her. But she had fallen asleep mid-sentence.

He brought his long thin hand up and rested his chin in his hand lazily as he watched her. He figured he should eventually relocate her to her own private chamber--it was the polite thing to do, he rationalized. Especially seeing how Sirius and Hagrid were snoring a few paces away. But he just didn't feel up to the task at that second. Instead he lifted up his discarded book and set it open on his lap, but he couldn't focus.

It was a mixture of so many things in his life these days. It would have been so much easier if it were just one thing: He could declare war on it and destroy it or banish it from his life. But no, life was never that simple. His mind reluctantly swung around to the dangerous game he was playing with the Dark Lord Voldemort and how the quiet of the past few weeks were slowly unraveling his nerves. The old saying that 'no news is good news' obviously wasn't in his line of work. Only Voldemort's followers who were in the so-called 'Inner Circle' knew that they were wholly trusted--that the Dark Lord could summon them at any moment. It was horrible Severus assented, but at the same time, comforting. At least then he knew his fate was secure.

Other things distressed his mind, but to lesser extents. For twenty years now Severus had been quite miserable though very accustomed to his life and his routine. He liked being miserable. Now, chaos ruled thanks to Georgie, though he admitted he allowed more than he ever would have before. So it was fully his fault. Perhaps it was just time for change. The universe, the very stars above were always in a constant state of change and flux: why should his miniscule and insignificant life be any different? How foolish to try and defy nature, he frowned hard.

But he was still anxious about how easily he could change. Granted nobody in ever so long had even attempted to get through to him, still how could he become so different so fast? So soft? At one point in his life he thought he could remember someone trying to break through to him, someone he thought might have cared for his person, but like the rest of his life he was assuming too much, and he was once again left alone and cold. He didn't even like to think about those days, and attempted to adopt Georgie's philosophy of only thinking about good memories and forgetting those that brought pain. She was so naive, but at least it happened to work for him for that moment.

At least when he was cold and held people at arm's length he wasn't plagued by the problems and questions he saw forming in his mind. He surmised he really ought to make an effort to revert back to the old Severus. It would be safer for himself and for those around him if it was widely known that he didn't prefer anyone else in the wide world--no connections. No people close to him.

But just as soon as that thought reared it's ugly head, another took it's place which amused Severus enough to actually make him smile slightly to himself. Georgie wouldn't have that. She'd consider it as a challenge or even as a game to get back the Severus she'd become a friend with. No, that was not an option at this time, and he was almost proud of his friend for her steadiness and stubbornness. Yet, he detested it in the same breath...dangerous.

He looked at her with her head down on her chest snoring away quietly. Setting his book aside once more he reckoned he should 'put her away' for the night. The corner of his mouth twitched and his cold eyes bore through her. So like a pet. He got to his feet stiffly and came around the table to stand above her. He bent down and lifted her to her feet when she tottered and swayed dangerously. He steadied her with his hand then put his thin arms around her and lifted her up. He checked himself from snorting aloud as the thought that she was more like an unruly child in his bachelor-life. Well, it was quite late and this child was almost drooling on his shoulder. He frowned at himself for allowing her to stay up so late as to reach that degree of exhaustion. But then again she wasn't a child--he really had to stop thinking and treating her like that and on those terms. Then again, she really ought to stop giving him reason to think that way.

Striding carefully over to her door he leaned up against it as he managed to work the door open enough to push it open with his weight. Stepping inside the completely blackened room, he waited for his eyes to adjust before proceeding. Gliding forward he maneuvered his way around the large boulder that in the morning would prove to be Marco Polo, then almost immediately after tripped on something long and thin. Why in the world did she feel the need to bring what felt like a hockey stick to Hogwarts? He set her down on the bed where she flipped over on her side in her sleep. He brought the coverlets up to cover her arms, but stopped with a curious look on his face.

He stood over her unconscious form as his mind raced back to another time. She's only 21. Merlin's sake, Lily was her age when she died protecting Harry. Yet Severus could see great differences in the two. The girl before him was so different in circumstances and temperament--yet they were both strangely similar. Lily had been married to James for years and had Harry by that age--Lily had never wanted grand things for herself. She had been happy with life until it had been cruelly torn from her--it might as well have been by his own hand. "So like Lily...." He mouthed.

But Georgie wanted things, he smiled. That had to be the greatest difference between the two. Georgie was a Slytherin whether she liked to admit it or not. But she was good; Severus couldn't explain it any better than that she was a truly good witch. And a good girl to top it off. A flawed person, but good.

He shook his head to clear his head, then gathered enough of his wits about him to realize he shouldn't still be standing there beside her bed. He crept back the way he came and shut the door behind him.

As he sat down he reprimanded himself once more--he shouldn't think of her as a girl, for reasons beyond the fact that it nettled Georgie. No, she was a witch and an adult, and more importantly a friend to many people now. It was disrespectful he knew, but at the same time--she was so like a ball of energy! Her energy radiated youthfulness--he guessed she'd still be that way when fifty years had passed and more. It annoyed him at times though. Also inwardly he realized that for years he applied to the word 'girl' the very undeserved connotation meaning frivolous and feminine.

He'd use it as an insult whenever anyone was really happy in his presence--Minerva hated him for it while in the same breath Poppy loved it because she assumed Professor Snape was just slyly commenting on how youthful she looked.

He took his book up and waved the fire off into nothingness as he strode to his own rooms. Once inside he began his nightly ritual of washing up, dressing for bed and scribbling in a magically locked journal. It was more out of habit then sentiment. He never went back over them unless some emergency sprang up and it was needed. It brought closure to his days and his work when he could write about it and recall the progress he'd made. At least his journal would know he was alive and would miss him if he were dead.

Pushing out his chair away from his desk he made his way to the bed and once there, hastily threw back the covers. His mouth twisted at what met his eyes there in the dark. There with it's stuffed head on Severus' pillow lay the teddy bear Cassy had given him, the same bear he'd sneaked off and tried to dispose of in an empty classroom's rubbish bin that afternoon. He snatched it up with a sigh of exasperation, "Georgie," then noticed a piece of parchment tied around it's neck.

It read: Dear Sevvy, Do you not love me? Am I not a cute bear? Why have you banished me thus? I will try harder to please you and make you feel warm and squishy and happy and content. I live to give you hugs and to greet you on your bed every night. My name is Nadolig and please don't make me leave. There was a nasty sort of ghost who had found me and was smashing my head on the corner of the doorjamb in a classroom. Thank you. P.S. Hug me please?!

Severus was almost too dumbfounded to react. Even in her sleep she managed to be obnoxious. Well, it was too late to get rid of the thing now, so he settled for hurling it maliciously into the darkened corner.

Sleep came finally to the man lying in the curtained bed, shivering against the cold of his own preference. But he didn't rest easily; nightmares and a heavy conscience plagued him, much as they always did....




When he awoke the next morning it wasn't to the sound of her raucous laughter or screeching voice--it was to wonderful and full silence. He had missed that, he realized upon swinging his feet down to the bare floor and relishing the freeze that met his skin. He lazily draped his robe about his shoulders as he washed up and changed into his clothing for the day. He stared at himself in the mirror and touched at the black circles under his eyes, then smirked--that was something new. Usually he just felt drained, but today he looked it as well. Had he been another person, lived another life, he might have taken steps to remedy this....but Severus Snape wasn't another person.

He appeared a few minutes later in the lounge and for the sake of the slobbering Sirius and Hagrid still encamped on the hearth, began a roaring fire. He wasn't about to attempt to move Hagrid--he wasn't that daft, and he imagined he was doing no harm.

He heard Georgie coughing in her room which didn't surprise him as it was already late in the day. He waited several minutes to see of she'd appear, but on her second fit of coughing he got to his feet. He didn't really have a reason for the action, but he continued on anyway and knocked briskly on her door.

"Are you alright?" He thought fast. "I heard you coughing."

"Noooo...."

He waited a moment for her to elaborate. "Do you need something?" He was about to back away and go off in search of food when she piped up, "Come on in; it's stupid to be yelling through the door."

He opened the door and quickly went inside leaving it open behind him. She apparently was still in her bed with the curtains drawn. Severus' eyes narrowed. "Are you awake?"

"I've been awake for hours..." She replied in a garbled manner.

"Is there anything wrong then?" He felt that this was overstepping boundaries and probably could be construed as nosiness.

"I'm dying."

He snorted as he went around to where her voice originated. "Excellent--it'll save me the trouble of killing you."

"Can't you just die, damnit!" She moaned.

Severus caught at the edge of the curtains and threw them wide open.

Georgie hissed shrinking away from the light and grabbed up the pillow smashing it into her face while trying to dive under the covers in the same instant.

Severus laughed lightly to himself. Oh, so that's her problem.....

"I'm dying." She screeched accusingly through her pillow. "I'm dying and you're here laughing at me!"

"Oh course; I wouldn't miss this for the world." He bent down and tried to wrestle the pillow off of her face.

When he succeeded he held it out of her reach and pointed out, "You would find today a great day--lots of mischief to cause and all that--havoc to wreak and lots of time to do it in, if you were to get up. I can make you up a draught and maybe--just maybe--you will survive this rare malady."

She opened her eyes and brought her hand to her forehead, "Aren't you a fucking ray of sunshine?" She glared at him, then winced in pain.

Though Severus clearly was enjoying her hangover, he stalked off and returned with a large glass of water offering it to her. "Drink this."

She sat up and obediently followed his orders, though she didn't feel like drinking anything else, ever. When she had finished he took the glass away and she tried to dive back down under her blankets, but he caught her arm and hauled her up to her feet. She was still wearing the same clothes from the night before and her hair was disheveled beyond belief. His mouth twitched as he struggled to keep from laughing at the pitiable figure she made.

"Come with me," He slowly dragged her from her room and into his. "I've got just the thing for you." He said in a very professional manner. He left her standing in the center of the room as he opened his cabinets and began to take out two or three small vials.

"Excellent, he's going to poison me." She spoke to no one in particular. "Actually I don't ruddy care what he does--I'm already dying!" She whined.

"Always the dramatics, Georgie." He threw over his shoulder at her, to which she curtsied insolently.
She followed him to the wall and watched as he popped the tops off a couple of the vials and mixed them in a little bowl. Then when the top open cupboard caught her eyes she slumped over to stand in front of it and examine its contents. It was usually shut up--she'd never really checked to see if it was locked or not, but as she'd never required anything beyond what was available in Severus' store cabinet, she'd never looked in it.

"Um, Severus? I think these six here are illegal in Britain and nearly everywhere else, and those two over there are still experimental. Why ever would you have them?" She picked one glass up and turned it around in front of her nose.

"I'm the Potions Master. They are potions." He said simply.

She turned around and stared at him, "Uh-huh."

"Actually there's not much anyone would deny someone in my position here at Hogwarts." He spoke so nonchalantly, Georgie wished she were close enough to throttle him. " And besides those two I developed."

"Hmm," She nodded and went back to the cabinet with her mind racing away. She tucked that bit of new information away in her mind for careful scrutiny later on.

"Here you go." He came up behind her and thrust a foul-smelling glass in her face.

"If this is the cure, I'll take the disease." She murmured and attempted to push it back to him, but Severus insisted.

He sneered at her, and of his many contemptuous faces that was the one she disliked the most. "Don't you trust me?"

"No." And with that she lifted the glass to her lips and drank all of its contents.

He watched her face convulse when she had done. "Holy Merlin's sake--that's foul!" She gasped, gagged and burped loudly.

"Yes, but it works." He walked away with the empty glass and started in on tidying up his small worktable and put stoppers in the vials.

She felt a cooling feeling spread throughout her body almost instantly. "Funny, but I do feel better...." She acknowledged and joined him in the cleaning up. "Thank you," she said as soon as she caught his eye.

He looked at her and smiled a second and nodded before turning his back on her to put the vials back on the shelf.

Georgie seated herself atop the worktable and swung her legs back and forth. "Yes, I do feel much better." She smiled. "What was that then?"

"Family secret."

"Couldn't tell me?" She pried.

"You're not family." He rolled his eyes as he shut the cabinet's creaking doors back up and crossed over to stand beside her.

"Marry me?" She laughed and grabbed up Severus hand.

"No." He sneered.

"Puh-lease?" She teased.

"No." He nearly laughed himself. "You'll only want to sell it to make money."

She snapped her fingers resignedly, "Damn, you know me only too well." She kicked her legs out even further and Severus watched her movements, "That's the last time I try and get romantic with you Severus Snape!" She pretended to balk.

He ruffled her hair up a bit with his hand, "You're a Slytherin Georgie." As if that explained everything! "Besides if that's the best you can do romantically I think you need a helping hand even more than I do." He took hold of her hand ignoring her shocked face. "Let's go find something to eat." He yanked her to her feet.

Her expression softened. Yes, Severus thought, Georgie is truly one governed by her stomach.





They had found food down in the kitchens and dined on soup and fresh baked bread with clotted cream, perfect food for a slow wintry day Georgie had pointed out. When they exited the secret tunnel just outside the entrance to the Slytherin Common room Georgie was trying to get Severus to explain how if she'd drank a glass or two of water before sleeping she would have not had the headache.

"But I've never been hungover before!" She insisted as they stepped through the door. "I'm going soft." She muttered under her breath.

"If that's soft for you, I shudder to even imagine what you were like before." As they entered the lounge Severus signaled for her to keep her voice down and pointed towards the fireplace. She wandered over to see what he was pointing at and sniggered when it was only the sleeping forms of Sirius and Hagrid. Severus reappeared with the book Georgie had gotten him in his hand and settled himself on the couch.

"Ach, It's afternoon already--they'd be better off getting up." She announced. She bent over them and howled, "Wake up!" She prodded Sirius with her toe and tried to push over Hagrid bulky frame, to no avail.

Severus watched her over his book with a blank look and a masked curiosity. The men grunted at the disturbances, but didn't awaken. Georgie seemed spurred on by this and in a frenzied state jumped on them both and tried to pull them to their feet. "Good morning! Wakey wakey!"

"You know, that's not being very nice." Severus called over to her keeping his eyes on his page.

"I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter."

"Ouch!" He pretended to be hurt. "They're out cold. Why don't you let them be for a minute or two more? If they snore too loudly you can just sit back and blast them lightly with your wand." Really his motives were selfish--he wished for a peaceful atmosphere to read his book in.

She allowed herself to be swayed by his suggestion, "Always a magical solution--how lazy I'm becoming. It's all thanks to you, you know!" She collapsed on the couch and put her feet up on the arm.

"If you want to think that way, I can't stop you." He replied drolly.

"You're no fun."

He sighed deeply, "I know."

Georgie sobered quickly. "I was only joking." She forced a smile. "Really, I think you're perfectly marvelous! Really darling!" She gushed in a false posh accent.

"You're a fool Georgie," He pronounced bitterly. He was still reading his book as the conversation progressed.

"Yes, but I'm a happy fool. And so long as this fool is content with the knowledge of her own being a fool, what right has anyone to try and persuade one to change?"

"Ignorance is bliss until you end up in an early grave."

"True, but who's talking about graves?"

"I am." Severus now stared at her.

"Well stop it." She stared even back at him, all traces of mirth now gone.

"I can't." He dragged his hands through his hair. "You need to be taught."

"I'm all ready omniscient, what else do I need to know?" She goaded.

"So many things..."

"Such as?"

"Survival."

"And you're so great at it?"

"I'm alive aren't I?" She bit her tongue to keep from making any snide remarks.

"I suppose you are...so what will you teach me Master Yoda?"

"Pardon? What did you call me?"

"Oh, Yoda's this fab little guy who teaches the Force. An all-knowing guru guy--he can lift rocks, I'll have you know. With his mind."

Severus snorted and dismissed her sidetracking. "In all seriousness, I'd prefer to know that you were able to handle yourself." When she didn't appear convinced, he tacked on gruffly, "Humor me."

"Can't hurt." She shrugged. "So will it be karate or judo then?"

"Dark Arts."

Her open mouth twitched as her mind scrambled to answer. "Oh....didn't expect that one." She blurted out. "I'd prefer judo."

"As would I. What is it they say: To understand the criminal mind, you must think as the criminal does." She nodded in understanding. He examined the palm of his hands idly and with one finger flipped at the edges of the book's pages. "I'll not teach you Auror skills or any of that nonsense," (Georgie bit her tongue from asking him how he really felt about it). "Rather just a practical, every-man's sort of defense. As knowledge is the first defense, we can begin there. I'll not have you delving very deep at all into any of my books or practicing the Dark Arts--only what I teach you. Hogwarts may be one of the safest havens in the world, while at the same time it enjoys the status of being the most sought-after stronghold. "

"So, why all this then?" She had been dying to slip that in. Why her, why now? Why any of this?

"Well, to tell the truth, this wasn't my idea. Albus and I were speaking and he believes that with the friends you keep, you're bound to inherit some enemies--"

"Friends namely Severus and Albus and Sirius." He glared at her as she interrupted.

"Precisely." Among others. He picked his book back up and found where he had left off and began to read again.

"Why not the rest of the students then? I know you'd rather not hear it--but Harry Potter needs lessons in defense more than I ever will."

Without lifting his eyes. "Potter is surrounded by spells, Ministry Officials, and other methods of safeguarding that will keep him far better than a simple knowledge of Dark Arts will ever do." Besides, he's still very much the helpless child. Albeit a very lucky child.

"Are you quite finished?" She demanded, her temper never long-suffering. She knew that her education in Poland probably had something to do with this decision--she wasn't up to snuff with the other graduated witches and wizards. They were all probably laughing up their sleeves at how ill-prepared she was.

"Yes."

She got to her feet and headed towards the door to the Common Room.

"Where are you off to?" Severus asked causing her to pause.

"To hang myself." She spat.

"Have a lovely time. But do realize it won't be that bad. We'll begin soon and it'll be over and done with before you realize it. Not painful at all."

"Hell," she muttered and tromped out the door. As if she had a choice. No, she would go talk to someone who could tell her what she really wished to know, and help her make some sense out of why she should be so singled out. She climbed the staircases until she was halted by the need to speak a password, "Sugar Quills," and with that she stepped onto the staircase that brought her to the headmaster.





Remus passed Georgie the butter, "Well, technically it's not the end of the holidays. There are twelve days of Christmas and today's St. Stephen's Day and Boxing Day..."

"Lord, Lupin, Get your mind out of Ireland." She winked and a slow painful flush crept up his neck at the mention of the Irish National holiday. "But if I try and drag Christmas any further along, I'll be doing so alone and much to the chagrin of everyone who think that 364 days aren't long enough between them."

Remus composed himself and spoke in hushed tones aside to Georgie, "So you're coming to Severus' as well?"

She looked at him, "Yes, and I didn't know you were coming."

"I am. I spent a week visiting him this past summer there. Severus was foul-tempered and dominating the entire time." He chuckled. "Couldn't imagine him as being otherwise... Still, it was a restful visit after all. We had some good talk that week--got to know each other better than we had after 20 years."

"You know, there's heaps I want to ask you about--just not here." She looked around herself casually. For some odd reason she'd dreamt about Lily Potter--Harry's mother. It kind of frightened her as she hadn't a clue who that women might be, and had only ever heard of her in passing.

"Anytime. Really, all it takes is to get us crotchety old bachelors to sit still long enough, then thrust a cup of tea into our hands and we can prattle away like busybody old women..."

"You're not old."

"I'm glad you think so."

"Everyone thinks so." She said with meaning.

"So, what'll we end up doing on the island?" Remus tried to steer the conversation. Georgie couldn't get enough of teasing and hinting at his relationship of sorts, but it appeared to her that he'd had enough of it for the moment. Georgie reflected that perhaps this was for the best as who knows who might be listening in. "I'm sure Severus will be abominable and we'll have to sit in front of the Telly to amuse ourselves."

"I hope it doesn't come down to that--" She burped. "I, for one, will come up with something--anything--to do, especially if this weather keeps up."

"Glad to hear it," He poured himself a fresh drink from the pitcher on the table.

"Wait, there's a Telly?! Bastard never told me..."





Georgie was by herself in her room messing with Marco Polo and throwing a spare pair of jeans and a few shirts onto her knapsack. She had attempted earlier to get him into the bath, as well he was a Sea Turtle. Whenever her back was turned he'd clamber out onto the tiles again. "What is it? Afraid of water, are we?" She asked it. He just wasn't a normal turtle she figured, but that didn't mean he still wasn't fabulous.

Marco Polo was a great low-maintenance pet as he slept nearly all the time and was admired for being so rare. A wonderful attention-grabbing pet, she admitted. No one else would have anything to compare with him. She wondered a few things: how long he'd live was one of them. Another was what he was supposed to be eating. Hagrid had told her to feed him plants, but he was so big...what if he needs meat? Another question that she quickly banished to the back of her mind was if she could get him to speak: cast a spell or something. She'd ask Minerva discreetly, but she didn't really believe it to be a great idea.

"So many possibilities..." She murmured to herself.

She honestly didn't know how she felt about leaving Marco Polo with Hagrid. Hagrid was a great friend and, well he loved his fearsome creatures, but what if one of them munched on Marco? Snorting, she could have slapped herself. Here she was, only having Marco Polo for two days and she was acting like a mother hen. Hagrid knew she'd disembowel him if anything happened to Marco Polo.

Why Severus didn't want 'that thing' at his house was a mystery to her. Perhaps he wasn't fond of scaly things. Made so very much sense, seeing as how he was in Slytherin and Voldemort was a living snake himself, yeah, a hell of a lot of sense, she argued with herself.

Georgie snatched up her wand, and rendered Marco Polo impervious to water to account for the weather, which was blustery at the least, she then cast a spell to make him lighter. She'd drag him behind her and drop him off at Hagrid's crazy cabin.

Marco Polo looked so pathetic floating through the air behind her. Out the doors and across the frozen grounds, he kept trying to move his fins as if trying to get away. Georgie , 'Aw'-ed and simpered at him and apologized, but if she were to wait for him to make it on his own power, she'd only be to the castle door by dawn.

She knocked at Hagrid's door and peeked inside the cheery glowing windows just as he came to the door.

"Georgie! Come on in! Nah, don't stand out there--it's freezin' and you'll be catchin' yer death of a cold!" He ushered her quickly inside and then his eyes fell on the poor dangling turtle.

"Ah, hello to Marco Polo 'gain. How's 'e doin'?" He asked of Georgie but never took his eyes off the shinning shell.

"He's great. No problems at all--I think he's just a bit cold--he likes to lie down before fires--an odd turtle." Georgie explained quickly.

"So we all do, yup, we all do." His eyes regained their focus, "You should get summat warm ter drink in ya before you go out again in the cold. Just you wait a minute and I'll get the kettle on." He thundered off the few paces to the far wall of his cabin.

Georgie settled herself on a chair before the enormous, Hagrid-sized fire. "Hey Hagrid?" He turned his head to look at her. "Did you know Harry's mum?"

"Did I know Harry's mum?! Of course! They were famous--ev'rybody loved the Potters! James was the kindest wizard--so smart an' friendly! Now, Harry's mum Lily was the most beautiful girl in all of Hogwarts in that day! Turned many a-head with 'er red hair and 'er fiery temper. Better people you'd never seen!"

"So, what was she like? What were her pursuits and all that?" Georgie pushed.

Hagrid narrowed his eyes down at her, "Why do you want to know all this? Yer soundin' like Harry--asking after 'em like that."

"I had a dream about Lily--I think it was a dream, but I usually don't dream. It could've just been that someone was talking about the Potters last night when it was really late and I confused dreaming with being half-awake. I'm trying to figure out why she was on my mind at all--I mean, someone I don't even know and who's...well, gone. Anyway, I'm curious: what was she like?"

"A loving gal--beautiful too. Gryffindor of course," His chest puffed up, but Georgie set aside her annoyance. "Helped out with the younger students' schoolwork, She was Head Girl too. She always had an eye out fer that James Potter, though. And 'e adored 'er. Most ev'ryone knew they'd end up together. It was wonderful..." His eyes misted over. Oh, Lord....Georgie wasn't exactly the most sympathetic of souls.....

"They stood by Dumbledore throughout the lot of that business--loyal to 'im, they were. It's always the good ones that die young...."

Georgie muttered something consoling and trite, though she couldn't remember what it was afterwards. Just the obligatory words needed, she felt.

Hagrid went on for what seemed like hours about Potters present and past and Georgie made a polite effort to look interested and interject questions of clarification every now and then. When enough time had passed Georgie rose and gave an excuse that she needed to get back to her room to finish some packing and mix up a potion before leaving. She'd gotten most of what she came for. Hagrid was on his feet and enveloped Georgie in his tree-trunk-sized arms in a quick, embarrassed hug. Georgie had to check herself from fleeing at top speed back to the castle.

She literally kicked open the door to the lounge, Severus glanced at her sharply, but didn't reprimand her.

"Isn't it odd when it's high winter and it's dark out by afternoon-time? Then it's mad because the sky is never really black, even at night--it's always a sort of hazy, grayish, dumpy color that hangs around over the land. It's probably low storm clouds, that's all, but still it's odd and a creepy neither here nor there sort of atmosphere."

Severus snorted at her tirade. "Weather affects you so much."

"No. I'm just saying it's odd, that's all. It's just even the daylight's so damn bleak. It's a Wintery Purgatory of sorts."

"You have a vivid way with words, Georgie."

She bowed and collapsed on the couch, all arms and legs. "I like that you're always reading."

"Why?" He looked at her suspiciously, then coming to his senses, his tone softened. "I like reading as well. Has nothing to do with you. Just with you around, I hardly ever get a chance to do it."

She bit her lip and grinned sheepishly, before returning to her feet. "Oops."

She tiptoed to her door, and Severus stopped her there. "I didn't mean you had to leave."

Thinking quickly she came up with an excuse to save her from looking silly. "Okily, well, I was just going to grab my guitar." He stared after her expressionless for a minute then turned his attention back to the book.

She returned with her guitar and propped up pillows against her back, trying not to speak out loud or make too much noise. She finally started on a very quiet song and sneaked a glance at the Professor as he was reading. He looked very relaxed and not as tense as he had in the past few days. Christmas must be difficult for him, she surmised--the whole family togetherness and being nice to the fellow man bit as well.

She played for what seemed like a long time--her arms became increasingly stiff, and so at length she ceased.

"You know what I hate?" She asked sharply.

"What?" He was so relaxed so as to forget to snap at her.

"I hate pretense. Why can't people say what they mean, and be as they are? It would save us all a lot of trouble."

"Anyone in particular this applies to?" His eyebrows arched up and the corners of his mouth tightened.

"Actually no. I was just thinking along the lines of 'a perfect world' and all that. You know what else?"

"No. What?"

"I hate when people say something big to someone and the other person goes like, 'me too'. I hate that."

"What qualifies as 'something big'?"

"Not like, 'I like red' but something emotional or the like. You follow?" She squinted in his direction as she laid her guitar aside.

"Actually I really can't even fathom where you're going with this."

"At least I'll never suspect you of pretense or duplicity. Okay...." She sighed, and stretched out her arms above her head, obviously searching for the right words to say. "Well, it's as if the first person had to stick their neck out to even utter the words. They're earth shattering, important words or dialogue--probably deeply embarrassing or personal. Then the second person just merely agrees with the statement--even if it just so happens to be true. It's sort of a cop-out coming from the second person. To just get that short, 'yeah, me too' sort of answer, you know?"

"Georgie I really don't." He smiled weakly.

She scratched her cheek idly and heaved a great breath out--as if she had been holding it, "Okay, for instance, say I tell you that even though I thought you were a psychotic, sadistic freak of nature; that still most of the time I'm glad you were around rather than not, and erm, well, that you're kinda....okay." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and didn't meet his level gaze. Severus was gratified at the amount of discomfort she was experiencing. "Well, if you were to go, 'you too,' than that would be cheating, you know? Like one person had to dig down and muster up the initial words and the other person just gets a sort of acknowledgement sort of reply. I hate it--that's not fair."

"Yes, I suppose it would make the first person rather uncomfortable...I do see what you mean now." Severus tried to look serious as he feigned just then grasping what she was speaking of. "But why dwelling on the 'hates' today?"

She shrugged, "As good a day as any."

He frowned, clearly disapproving. "You sound dangerously like I do." He paused for effect. "That's not a compliment."

"Is that a reflection of my need for change or yours then?"

He smiled a second at her, "Good." He turned his head and gazed at the solitary window their dungeon room afforded, set high in the wall--almost at the ceiling.

"You can't just leave it like that." Georgie insisted

"Yes I can, and I just did." Severus replied gravely.

"Be difficult; suit yourself," She muttered lowly.

Severus turned his attention to the book and Georgie got to her feet, sliding her wand out of her pocket to banish her guitar away. She coughed as she padded her way to her room in her dirty slippers. Severus was...well, he was something entirely foreign to her, but at the same time his sarcasm and skirting the issues suited her when she didn't feel up to a serious discussion.

Georgie felt suddenly exhausted and barely felt the clock in her hands as she wound it and endeavored to slip on her nightgown while at the same time clumsily clambering into her great bed. She shivered momentarily and beyond that she felt and remembered nothing.