Title: Christmas at Hogwarts - Chapter 4: Christmas Presence

Background: This is Christmas, 4th year, from Lily's Point of View. This is not related to some of my other fics. It's more of a 'what if 'rather than the way I actually see it. I guess it's the way I wish it was, but personally do not think happened. Still...I like the idea well enough. Blah blah blah...same old same old...

Disclaimer: I own nothing ... nothing i say!

Specific to this chapter: Lessee...well, there's more action in this one, for those of you who want to know what happens next, but also a flashback (which i willmark so you know where it is)which I personally like. I like 3rd year Snape...he's ornery. Hee hee.. I mean it's not that he's totally defenseless in this fic, do not worry about that. He was taken totally off guard...so I realize that last chapter he may've seemed unduly harsh in the flashback, but remember no one's ever nice to him...and he seemed unduly pathetic in chapter 2, but he's just confused momentarily. gives Snape a hug

I want to thank everyone who continues to review my work! I really really really really really appreciate it. I like to know what you like (and don't like) and specifically how it makes you feel. So Thanks!

Chapter 4: Christmas Presence

Lily really hated Potter right now, and she turned to glare at him defiantly. She had a good mind to hex him, except for two things. One was that her wand was in her bag on the stairs. And the second thing was that Black was already pointing a wand menacingly at Severus, and the fact that he had already anticipated this made her even uneasier.

She looked back at Severus, and wondered where his wand was. Most of his things were on the ground, but his wand may be in his robes where he tended to put it. Still they were outnumbered at least four to two. Further, (and most sadly) she wasn't sure how far Severus trusted her as an ally. He still didn't even know what was going on.

Some of the crowd was beginning to disperse, but a lot of people still hung around to see what was going to happen next. She wondered how long it would be until a teacher came along. Yes, a teacher would have to come along shortly…if she could just stall a bit.

Black started in with his taunting again, "So, Snape, we have come to understand that you and Evans here are quite the little item."

Lily could tell that Severus was already piecing together parts of what was going on, but as none of this was true, he still bore subtle traces of bewilderment. Still, Lily saw his usually colorless face, redden slightly. He was clearly embarrassed, but Lily didn't know if it was because he genuinely did like her, or if the thought of them together disgusted him. Lily remembered last Christmas.

It was lunch, and they were doing their normal routine.

They had been working together for almost a month, and Lily had improved in Potions quite a lot, or at last she thought so. If she measured it by Snape's ruler, it was another story.

"You're doing that wrong," he said again.

Lily sighed, "It's fine."

"No, it's wrong," Snape asserted, "Give it here." He took the spoon from her. "Stir like this. Why are you flicking your wrist about? Must you do everything so flamboyantly?"

"Fine." Lily sulked, and took the spoon back. She was now accustomed to Snape's criticisms, which came every time she tried to touch a potion, but it was still annoying.

"I said counter clockwise…. that's clockwise," Snape hissed.

"I'm sorry."

"Just do it right," he snapped.

He picked up her quill and wrote down some notes for her. "This quill is horrible."

"Sorry." She repeated, irritably.

'The ones with the gray feathers write much better. I'm sure you picked this one because you thought it was pretty," he looked at her accusingly and wandered over to what he was doing in his own cauldron, which was exponentially more complex. She noticed he always carried around books that were a great deal more advanced than their grade level.

She continued to stir the potion, and it started to make a horrible gurgle. She checked her notes quickly…nothing there mentioned a horrible gurgling noise.

"Um…Uh…" She said nervously, for she still never knew what to call Snape. Generally she just spoke directly to him without addressing him, to avoid embarrassment, but this action didn't work if he wouldn't look at her.

This was one of those times when he didn't look up at her, but instead was engrossed in what he was doing. Sometimes it was so hard to get his attention.

"Is it supposed to be doing this?" She asked nervously, as the mixture in the cauldron started bubbling over the side. Lily glanced fretfully over to him, but he was just making notes in his book, not paying attention to her at all.

"Severus!" she called anxiously.

He looked up at her with narrowed eyes, and she thought that he might snape at her again, for daring to use his first name, but his face softened. "Yes?"

Lily smiled inwardly, but there was this potion problem, "Look."

"What did you do?"

"What you told me to do!"

"I said, don't flick your wrist when you stir!"

"I wasn't."

Snape came briskly over, and gazed at her potion, then her notes. He added an ingredient, stirred it counter clockwise twice, and then shook his head at her despairingly, "You didn't add the fireweed."

"Oh." Lily felt stupid.

"Anyway, that has to simmer for fifteen minutes," Severus said, walking back over to his own work, "So watch it but don't touch it."

Lily watched her potion for a minute, and then grew bored. "Can I ask you a question?" she said.

"No."

"Come on, Severus," she pushed her luck with his name again, and as he didn't growl at her, she kept going, "I'll ask you something, and then you can ask me anything you'd like. Whatever you'd want to know about me."

"Why would I want to do that?" came the terse reply.

"Don't be so mean," Lily scolded. She was now in the habit of reprimanding him for his ill temper. At first, he had glowered every time she did it, but it had quickly become as much a part of their routine as him criticizing her potions, and he didn't bat an eyelash at it anymore.

"Do your work," he countered.

"It has to simmer fifteen minutes…"

"This is why you don't do well in Potions, you are easily distracted."

She pulled two apples out of her bag, "I brought you an apple."

Snape didn't say anything. She brought him food on the days they met, but he never ate it. You'd think she had a reputation for poisoning people. "One question."

"No."

She had worked with him all this time, and knew very little about him. It was strange to be dealing with someone so often that she wasn't acquainted with. "Okay, you ask me something…isn't there anything you'd like to know about me?"

Snape looked at her, "Why do you talk so much?"

"I meant a real question…"

"If I wanted to know something I would slip you some Veritaserum, wouldn't I?" Snape said, without hesitation.

Lily made a mental note not to accept any gifts of food from him, and went on, "You are so grumpy."

"I'm not."

She was surprised that he protested. "Eat this," she said walking over and handing him the apple.

"Later…" he said. "I'm busy." It was always the same thing.

"Well, I'm going to ask you anyway…" Lily pressed, and he didn't object so she continued, "What do you want for Christmas?"

"I don't need anything," he spat out very harshly to her.

She was taken aback, and hadn't expected such a severe reaction at such an innocent question. "No, but what do you want?" she said putting the emphasis on 'want'.

"I don't want anything."

"But I wanted to get something for you, as you've been so kind to help me with this…"

"Don't get me anything."

Lily scowled. She really felt she should do something to repay him for all his help. Generally, if you could overlook his moodiness, he was kind, and he had genuinely helped her, for she wasn't in danger of failing the class anymore. She didn't know he would be this sensitive about it, and there was plain hurt in his eyes, which was strange.

"I was just trying to be nice."

Severus looked at her; rather, he seemed to look through her for a moment, as if he could read the truth in her eyes. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean anything by it, just don't get me anything."

She agreed, for she did not want to send him into another fit of outrage, but felt bad just the same.

She stayed true to her word, and got him nothing, as he wished.

On Christmas morning, however, when she awoke she found a small, plainly wrapped package with her name on it in the Gryffindor common room. There was no tag to say whom it was from, and she couldn't even imagine how Severus could have gotten a package into their common room, but who else would have given her a quill with a gray feather?

Lily hoped her inclinations were right, and that Severus did, indeed, care for her. He was such an enigma, though.

"Yes, quite the item," Black repeated.

"Disgusting!' the Blond Slytherin said with ardent revulsion.

Snape's eyes flashed on her, and he seemed to be finding some confidence for the first time since this trap was sprung on him.

Lily felt as if there was nothing she could say that would be the right thing. If she told the truth, it seemed that it might do more harm to Severus than good. She could not very well lie and say that they were together either, that would definitely do him no good, and what if he blatantly denied it? How could she explain that this had been a misunderstanding?

"Listen Snape, you stay away from her!" Potter raged again.

"I do not take orders from you," Snape hissed as he wiped blood from his eye.

Out of all the times she'd seen people pick on Severus, she never remembered him fighting back. The way he was clenching and unclenching his fists now, made her wonder if this was all about to change. Everyone has a breaking point.

"Seriously, Evans," Black said coolly, "This ugly git? I mean. He must really do a good job on your homework."

Lily felt so bad; it was indescribable. Why'd they have to be so incredibly malicious? Potter isn't getting what he wants for once, so they are just going to gang up on poor Severus. "Shut up, Black."

"Evans," Black scolded, "Do be nice. I would not want to be forced to hex a lady."

Lily backed into an open doorway, of an empty classroom. Severus, who'd been standing a bit behind her, was now directly to her left by the doorpost, and Potter was leaning a few feet away against the wall to her right. Black was before her, standing ahead of Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. The rest of the students who had stayed were in a malevolent semi-circle around them. She glanced behind Black at Remus Lupin who was staring at her sadly now.

"Won't you do anything?" she beckoned to him.

Black looked over his shoulder, "Don't bother Lupin. You have other things to worry about."

"Yeah?" Lily challenged.

"Yeah, like the fact that you are under the mistletoe," Black said with a laugh.

Lily glanced up, and damned if it wasn't true.

-End Chapter 4-