That evening Harry and Hermione came by. "Sit down," the headmaster said, "I'll order up some tea and snacks and you can tell me what you found out."
Minutes later they were sipping and nibbling sweets. "Well," Hermione began, "The potion was home made. Most likely by Horace, since no one else, apart from professor Snape who would never make, let alone drink the stuff, has the expertise for it. The bad news is it won't wear off on its own. The good news is that we found the exact recipe in Horace's rooms. That will help us a lot in creating the antidote. The only problem is, there's no way to test the antidotes we create. I guess it will take several tries to get it exactly right, the potion is quite complex. We'll have to use Mandrakes. We already determined the potion works on them, and it's easy to see any change when we start testing antidotes. Professor Sprout has a large supply and has kindly lent us a dozen or so. Worst that will happen is that some mandrakes will never be adults again."
Dumbledore frowned. "How so?"
Harry explained "Because we have only one chance to get it right. After we feed a faulty antidote, chances are the mandrake will be immune to any further antidotes. That's why we can't just try several antidotes on professor Snape, he might get permanently stuck. We have to test it several times to make sure it's correct before we give it to him."
Dumbledore shuddered. "Very well, you can use whatever you need to make this antidote. How long do you think it'll take?"
Hermione sighed. "We don't know. We have some ideas already though. We'll stay here during the holidays and only go to the Burrow on Christmas Eve and return on Boxing day. If all goes well, and that is by no means guaranteed, we should be able to test and formulate an antidote by New Year. But you know how it is with potions."
Dumbledore nodded. "I know you will do your very best. Thank you for giving up your holidays to help professor Snape."
To his surprise, the teens shrugged. "He'd do the same for us," they said, "grudgingly, and complaining loudly, but he'd do it. Only fair that we do the same for him. Well, without the grumbling and complaining, then." All three chuckled.
The next day Hogwarts emptied, the only ones left Snape and the six people who knew of his condition. Hagrid, also staying, had been informed of what had happened. He had taken it very well. In fact, he had been busy that morning creating a swing large enough for a grown man, and as it looked like snow before Christmas, a large sled. Severus was free now to leave the headmasters rooms (accompanied by either the headmaster or Minerva) and walk about the castle and grounds. He was delighted when Hagrid showed him the swing. Not nearly as delighted as Hagrid was though, when the Headmaster took it upon himself to demonstrate. Harry and Hermione spent the days in the dungeon, only emerging briefly for meals. The seven ate at a smaller table in the Great Hall. At first, Severus had been wary of the teens, but had soon overcome that when he remembered the toys Harry had brought. When Hermione promised him he could come and watch them make real potions, he absolutely loved her. The teens allowed themselves two hours off on the day before Christmas to do some giftshopping, leaving Dobby to monitor the slowly brewing antidotes. They had heard about the cat incident and that had given them an idea.
"How about that one?" Harry pointed.
Hermione grinned. "You want to give him a white one? He'll kill you."
The shop owner walked towards them. "Are you looking for something specific?" he asked.
"Well, actually," Harry said, "that cage over there, with the black kitten. Can we see it?" The owner shrugged and got the kitten out of its cage. It was black except for one white tip to its tail. It had really beautiful blue eyes, reminding both teens of the headmaster. They grinned when they kitten lifted its head and they noticed it had a white patch running from just below its chin to its chest.
"Oh yeah, this one is perfect." Harry declared. The kitten seemed to agree. It climbed on Hermiones shoulder and purred into her ear. Harry paid and they set off to the castle again.
When they entered the Headmasters office Severus was sitting on the floor, organizing his stack of books.
The teens grinned. "Hello Sevvy," they said, sitting down on the floor with him. "We've brought you an early Christmas present."
Severus looked up, eyes large in anticipation. "Pesent?" he asked.
Harry chuckled. "Sorry, not giving away peasants for Christmas. You'll have to settle for this," he pointed to Hermione's hair, that was suddenly moving.
A small head with large blue eyes peeked out.
Severus scooted back, but Harry was already behind him, holding his shoulders. "Is cat. I huwt cat, huwt Neva, Sev not 'lowed to huwt cat…" the rest of it was totally unintelligible.
Harry softly squeezed his shouders. "No, Severus, we know you will not hurt this cat because she is yours now and you will take very good care of her. You don't have to hurt anyone anymore, remember?"
Hermione scooted over too, putting the kitten on the potions masters lap. "See, Sevvy, how cute she is? You can take care of her and love her very much. You just have to be really careful with her because she is still small."
Severus carefully reached out and squealed in delight as the kitten stroked her head against his fingers. He looked at her. "Ablus! Look Ablus."
The headmaster walked over, having watched the scene silently from his desk. "Yes, Severus, that is a lovely kitten.
Severus beamed at him "beawd like you, Ablus! Eyes like Ablus."
The teens smirked as the headmaster glared at them. "What are you gonna call her, Sevvy?" Hermione asked quickly, trying to distract the headmaster.
"Ablus." Was the resolute answer.
"Erm, Sevvy…its a lovely name, but she is a girl."
Chin in the air, the potions master stubbornly repeated "cat Ablus."
The teens got up and thought it might be wise to make their getaway but were halted by a voice. "Where do you think you are going?" the headmaster folded his arms.
"Back..back to the dungeons…" Harry eked out.
"Need…need to work on the antidote," Hermione added. T
he headmaster beckoned them over. Oh joy. Severus sat carefully stroking the kitten and didn't pay attention.
"You two are not going anywhere," the headmaster started sternly, "before you tell me where you found such a cute kitten that looks just like me!"
For a second, they were dumbstruck. Then all three burst out laughing. They were still laughing when Minerva entered. She looked at the three at the desk, then to Severus with the kitten on his lap.
He beamed at her, too. "Look, Neva, cat! Ablus!"
Minerva smiled. "Albus gave you a kitten, Sevvy?"
He shook his head. "No, Hawwy and He…He…Hemenee"
A snort from Harry was soon suppressed by a very foul look from Hermione. "He…he named the cat Ablus…" Harry snickered, "because she looks like professor Dumbledore, he says." Minerva looked at the kitten. "Oh yes, I can see the resemblance. Good name, Sev, Ablus." That earned her a glare, too.
Harry and Hermione left the following day for the Burrow, and Hagrid, Minerva and Albus planned a nice party for Severus. Poppy had been invited, but she was gonna spend Christmas with friends. Lack of students left the Hall undecorated, but Hagrid brought a large tree, which Severus eagerly helped decorate.
"I'm gunna have Christmas Dinner at the Burrow," Hagrid said, "Molly flooed an' invited me over."
Minerva nodded. "Well, it looks like its just the three of us then, Sevvy." Severus was admiring some decorations. Kitten Ablus was pawing the ones near the bottom of the tree.
On Christmas morning Minerva entered the Headmasters office at about 9, only to find the residents still asleep. Walking into the bedroom, she smiled.
Severus had curled against Albus in his sleep, and Albus had one arm around him, hand laying protectively across the back. Severus was using Albus as a pillow, head under his chin, arm clinging around his waist. Albus' other arm was holding it.
She glanced at the tree. A pile of presents was underneath it. Quietly she added her own. Then she called for a house elf. A familiar one appeared. Winky, she remembered it was called. "Merry Christmas, Winky," she said kindly, "would you bring up breakfast for three?" Winky nodded, and left. Foods soon began to appear on the table, followed by plates.
She entered the bedroom and sat down next to Severus, stroking his head until he stirred. "Neva?" he asked sleepily.
"Yes, darling, Minerva. Don't you want to see your presents?"
Confused, Severus looked at the foot of the bed where the kitten was sleeping. "Ablus was pwesent. Hawwy and Hemenee gave me."
Minerva smiled. "Yes, but there are more presents for you under the tree. You have been a very good boy this year."
Severus stared at her as if she was showing signs of early insanity. "There's no pwesents undew da twee," he said, explaining that he had seen the tree only last night and there had been no presents. Surely presents didn't materialize overnight, did they?
Albus stirred and opened his eyes. "Why, good morning Sevvy. Did you sleep well? Ah…morning, Minerva. Is it time for presents already?"
Severus looked at him. Another adult gone insane, it's a shame, his face clearly said. "Was no pwesents undew da twee." He ventured to explain once more.
Albus chuckled. "There weren't last night, child, but there may be now. Go and see."
But Severus, being the eternal sceptic and feeling very safe in Albus arms, wasn't inclined to rush out to see a tree that had been there last night too and would probably be there when he did choose to get up anyway. He cuddled close to Albus again and closed his eyes with a content sigh. The adults chuckled.
"Well. It seems our little cynic doesn't believe in presents," Albus said, tickling the back of Severus' neck. A slight grin.
"I guess we will have to unpack them all ourselves then, Albus," Minerva said, "I guess we will have to play with all the new toys." She sighed deeply, making it very clear that playing with new toys was a huge sacrifice she was only reluctantly willing to make.
Severus opened his eyes. "Toys?" he asked.
Minerva held out her hand. "Come on, then, let's go see."
As they moved into the livingroom, Albus threw on a bathrobe and followed them. Severus was sitting on the floor in front of the tree. A pile of presents was indeed…well, present. He gaped, wondering how that had happened in the short time he had been asleep. An hour later, he was surrounded by paper and new unwrapped toys. Albus had given him an addition to his potions set. Minerva had gotten him a nice set of robes in Slytherin colors.
"That must have hurt to buy," Albus whispered. That earned him a glare.
To their surprise, Harry had sent Severus a nice basket for Ablus, and a supply of cat food. Hermione had sent…books.
Minerva grinned as she looked through them. "She's on to us, Albus," she said, giving Albus one of the books. It was an empty photo album. Hagrid had given him a stuffed toy dragon that shot cold fire and flew around about two feet off the ground. Molly Weasley had sent a Weasley jumper, green with a silver serpent on the front which he pulled on over his pyjamas.
Christmas day had been a nice, quiet affair. Dinner had been fun, as they had allowed Severus to eat with his hands 'for just this once' and Minerva made no objection to the vast amounts of sweets. Tired and happy, the potions master went to bed late. Around noon on Boxing Day, Harry and Hermione returned, looking rather pleased. Severus was playing with Ablus in the Entrance Hall, supervised by Albus (who thought it was getting quite confusing to have a cat named after him).
He smiled at the teens. "You look quite optimistic this morning," he said.
Harry grinned. "We had a bit of a discussion with the twins. Oh no, sir," he hastened to add, "we didn't tell them anything. Just showed a casual interest in how they brew antidotes to their snack boxes. There are some things we thought might be helpful. So we're getting back to work! Wanna come watch, Sevvy?"
Dumbledore marveled at how easy Harry and Severus were getting along while they normally loathed each other. Then again, he mused, it WAS Christmas. Best time for miracles.
Severus was excited about watching 'poshions' and came down three mornings in a row to watch them, and play with the harmless ingredients and cauldron they had given him, after making it VERY clear that he had to stay away from any of the other stuff in the room.
"We are not kidding, Sevvy," Hermione said, "You touch one thing you're not supposed to, and you can't come back to play here anymore." Severus nodded. "Won't touch. Pwomise."
Two days before New Year, the teens rushed upstairs at 7 am, having worked all night.
"We've got it!" they shouted, running into the headmasters office, freaking out both headmaster and Severus, who began to cry. After sushing him, the Headmaster went to see what the ruckus was all about. Seeing Harry and Hermione nearly dancing with excitement, he quickly guessed what was going on.
Severus, meanwhile, had just dried his tears when his arm began to hurt. Badly. Used to not crying out from pain he kept quiet but the pain stayed. He walked into the office, where the three others were still a bit out of it with joy. On Albus desk lay his wand. Severus frowned. The nurse had used a wand to make him better. Albus had said so. Maybe if he held the wand against his arm, it would make his arm better? Worth a try, he figured.
The three turned just in time to hear the cracking sound as Severus involuntarily disapparated to Riddle Mansion.