Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters, all rights go to JK Rowling. I only own my own OCs.

Chapter 5: The Gift

December 1st, 1992 — 8:34 am.

Today was Sienna's twelfth birthday.

Sienna was so accustomed to spending her birthday with her mum and her godfather. Her first year away from them made her home sick, in fact it made her look forward to Christmas break even more that she started to slack off in her classes. It was a Tuesday and she had all of her classes, along with homework that needed to get done before the break. No time to be happy, right?

Wrong.

Sienna's day started out with Charms. Although very informative and well taught, it wasn't one of her favorites. Professor Flitwick looked at Sienna like she was about to hex him everytime he glanced her way. Must be the name. Sienna tried to smile at him, the Black in her trying to be nice, with no avail. It almost annoyed her. However, she didn't have time to be worried about if she was liked or not.

That was the Snape in her talking.

During Charms, she sat next to Ginny, whom although she just met 3 months prior right down to the day, noticed she was not herself for quite some time. Everytime Sienna tried to talk about what was bothering her, Ginny insisted she was alright. Sienna knew she wasn't, but never pushed the matter. Today, Ginny was visibly starting to look different. Her usual shy smile was almost non-existent, eyes sunken in and tired looking, and her hair was not tamed as it usually was. Something was getting to Ginny and Sienna hated to just stand by. She figured more towards the holiday that she would get to the bottom of everything.

Ginny was scribbling something down on a piece of parchment and folded it in half. She slid it across the desk and under the table, poking Sienna's hand with it. Sienna grabbed it nonchalantly, being careful not to disturb Professor Flitwick. Thank Merlin he avoided eye contact with her. Sienna glanced down as she opened it, and noticed it was a birthday message that danced with drawn on confetti and balloons. It wrote "happy birthday, Sienna! At dinner we will celebrate."

Sienna closed the note and smiled over at her friend. Ginny grinned and returned her attention to the class. Sienna did the same. When Charms ended, Sienna made her way to Transfiguration. Ginny walked next to her, but was quiet, as she has been lately. Sienna was just about to ask her if she was alright when she, yet again, bumped into someone.

The person in front of her happened to be the person that makes her heart run wild every time he's near.

"Snape! It wouldn't be an ordinary day if you didn't run into me." Draco smirked at her. Sienna looked at him apologetically and muttered a "sorry" to him. However, his smirk disappeared when he laid eyes on Ginny.

"Ah, if it isn't the female Weasley. At least she doesn't have hand-me-down robes like her brothers. How much scraps did you and your family eat that week because they had to purchase those for you?" Draco laughed, along with Crabbe and Goyle, whom Sienna didn't understand how they even got into Slytherin with how dim-witted they were.

Again, that was the Snape bloodline in her talking.

Ginny rolled her eyes and muttered to Sienna, "I'll save you a seat." Ginny walked off with her books and wand. Sienna, however, was furious. "Why can't you just be nice for once to the girl? She's never done a thing to you!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh come off it, Snape. She's a blood traitor."

"She absolutely is nothing of the sort!"

"What? Mad that I put your friend in her place?"

"I'm angry you have no decency for anyone! Especially with all the attacks going on! People are getting hurt, and you have no remorse for any of it, Draco!"

"My, my. Did I hit a nerve, Snape?"

Sienna eyes looked like slivers, her glare so intense she could've started a fire if she knew how to with her mind. She started to walk away when he caught her arm and spun her around.

"By the way, happy birthday, Snape. Another year older and looking like your father."

Sienna wanted to smile, but instead she ripped her arm away and went to class.

December 1. 1992 — 5:03 pm.

"And then he said happy birthday. After all that, he had the nerve to wish me a happy birthday. I can't believe him!"

Severus continued to grade papers as he listened to his daughter rant about the Malfoy boy. He knew Draco did not know any better, but he needed Sienna to understand that as well. It's not his fault — it's the way he was raised.

"Dear, he's merely a 12 year old boy. He does not know what he is doing or saying most of the time."

"That doesn't excuse him of acting that way towards Ginny. She's never done anything to him, along with the rest of her family! How does that make any sense?"

Snape sighed. Sienna had a heart like her mother. It made Snape grateful for that, but at the same time he wish Alesia taught their daughter a thing or two about the pure-blood world and the way they think.

"Sienna, I know it's frustrating, but he's his father's child. The Malfoy family does not take into consideration how others act towards people, just how pure their blood is."

Sienna's eyebrow raised. "How pure their blood is? What does that mean?"

"A pure blood is someone who has a family lineage of all wizards and witches. They believe to even have descended from Merlin himself."

"But the Weasley's blood is pure, if I'm not mistaken, so why would Draco call them blood traitors?"

"Some families don't agree with associating with those who do not have pure blood, the Malfoys being one of them. It's an old, traditional way of thinking. The Weasleys, however, embrace all walks of magic. Ginny's father is the head of the Department for Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."

"Yeah Ginny and Ron were telling me, he's fascinated by muggles! It's quite funny to me if you ask. That still doesn't give Draco a right to treat people that way."

"If you can deter the boy from his family's way of life, I will personally give you a year's worth of chocolate frogs."

Sienna took this as a challenge. She smirked at him, almost identical to his own. "Make it chocolate frogs and assorted sours and you've got yourself a bet."

Snape laughed and nodded at the girl. "As you wish."

Sienna smiled and packed up her things. "Well I've got to get going - Ginny and her family wanted to celebrate my birthday at dinner."

Snape held up a finger and swiftly stood up as he walked to the back, near his office. A few seconds later he emerged with a small black box that fit in his palm and he tied it with a green bow. He sat across from her at the table and slid it to her. "Happy birthday, dear."

Sienna smiled just like her mother, he noticed. Her cheeks made dimples just below her eyes and her nose scrunched just a bit. She untied the bow and opened it. It was a locket, silver with green emeralds, shaped in an oval. The chain was simple, silver with every 5 beads being green emeralds as well. On the front of the locket was an engraved message.

To our Sienna.

Love, mum and dad.

She popped the lock open to reveal a picture of her with both her parents. On the left side was a picture of Alesia and her when Sienna was just a toddler. They're waving at the camera and laughing. On the right side contained a picture of her and her father, more recent of course, and a bit more serious. They stood still, Sienna smiling while Severus had no emotion at all, and then Sienna looks up at her father with the same smile. Severus looked down at her and his eyes are noticeably softer. He grins at the girl.

Sienna's eyes couldn't help but tear up a bit at the gift. She looked up at her father, who has no emotion as usual. He watched her closely, waiting to see how she would react. He wasn't sure if she would cry and storm out, or cry and be happy. He waited silently.

Sienna got up from her chair and ran to the other side. Tears still in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders. Severus was careful to make sure he didn't fall off his stool, and slowly wrapped his arms around the girl. This was the first time Sienna has hugged him.

Sienna cried into her father's shoulder, her face hidden from him. After a few minutes, she picked up her head and wiped her tears. "Thank you, Dad. I love it." And at that moment, she swore she saw a tear form in his eye. As quickly as she saw it, it was gone. He grinned at her.

Their father-daughter relationship had finally formed, like a caterpillar forms into a butterfly. Slowly, but beautiful.

December 1, 1992 — 5:26 pm.

Sienna made her way into the Great Hall and walked over to the 4 head of red-haired people she saw. Rob waved her over and Ginny scooted over so that she had room to sit. Across from her sat Fred and George, the twins she has heard so much about. The trouble makers of the school, along with the fastest talking persons she's ever met in her life. Next to them sat Hermione Granger, a second year Gryffindor whom Sienna believed belonged in Ravenclaw. Next to Ginny sat Harry, whom she had grown to like over time. Not her favorite person, but not her least favorite either.

"Happy birthday, Sienna!" squealed Hermione.

"Happy birthday—" Fred started.

"—to you!" George ended.

Ginny smiled at the girl while the others wished her a happy birthday. Sienna couldn't help but smile. She has always had friends, but only neighbors whom were either older or younger than her, never around her age. This was a different kind of friendship, she soon accepted. Forever kinds.

"Thank you all so much!" Sienna exclaimed.

Just as the clock struck 5:30, food appeared in front of them. However, a small cupcake with chocolate frosting and birthday cake filling appeared just in front of Sienna, with a small lit candle on top. Under it was a small white envelope that wrote her name on the front in small print. Sienna curiously took the envelope from under the cupcake and opened it up. Inside was a letter from Remus.

November 30, 1992.

Sienna,

Happy twelfth birthday, sweetheart. Here is a cupcake that I made with your mother. She's been having a particularly hard time knowing you're not here to celebrate with her, but I've been keeping her occupied so that she can used to having a house to herself again. I hope your day is great, and that you like the gift that your mother and father got for you. She was struggling with what to get you, and then your father came up with the idea. I think it's quite lovely.

Write back soon. Miss you dearly.

Remus.

Sienna smiled. That letter helped her get through the waves of home-sickness she had been having as of late. She knew this would be hard for her mum, but she was glad it happened for the sake of her sanity. Alesia did become a bit spastic when under stress. Sienna smiled at the thought of her mother frantically thinking she overslept and didn't wake up Sienna in time for breakfast in bed like they had done years prior. She was also happy her and Severus were able to put their differences aside and get her something together.

Sienna looked up from the letter to find Ron eye balling her cupcake and drool starting to pool at the corner of his mouth. She raised an eyebrow at him and said, "No way, they're my favorite!"

"Aw c'mon! I know it's your birthday, but if you share—"

"Oh, Ronald, leave her alone."

Sienna giggled at the interaction between Ron and Hermione. She heard Harry laughing a few seats down.

Sienna looked up to find Draco staring at her, whom seemed to have been surprised she caught him, because his cheeks grew hot and he looked away quickly. Although Sienna was used to this, she still got butterflies whenever she caught him. Even if she was still angry about earlier.

Sienna and her Gryffindor friends all ate together. It was around 6:15 when Sienna bid them all goodnight. Ginny sent her off with a big hug, while she received friendly waves from the others. With one last wave, she walked out of the Great Halls and towards the dungeons.

Sienna was almost there when she felt something behind her, creeping along the wall. She turned to see and saw no one there. Convinced it was her imagination, she kept walking. Again, she felt something behind her and again, she saw nothing. The feeling suddenly went away, but when she turned around to continue to the dungeons, she came face to face with Draco Malfoy. His tie was loosened, signaling he was done for the day with classes. His eyes bright grey this time, shining in the light of the lanterns that sat on the wall next to them. His shoes reflected with the flames as well, causing a glare to Sienna's eyes.

"Holy Merlin and King Arthur!" Sienna cursed.

"Uh, who?"

"Um… No one. Why are you sneaking up on me like that, Draco?"

"I saw you walking so I figured I'd join you, that's all, Snape."

"I'm perfectly fine walking by myself."

"I'm aware, but the company never hurt anyone."

"Except for me. I think I'm having a stroke."

Draco laughed out loud and shook his head.

"Being twelve really takes a toll on your body, doesn't it?"

Sienna rolled her eyes and kept walking. Draco was by her side the entire time, matching her pace. At one point, Sienna sped up to see if he would try to keep up. He did easily, considering he was about four inches taller than her, so he had the ability to catch up. Although this slightly irritated Sienna, she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat every now and then.

"Did you get anything nice from your mum?" Draco asked.

Sienna nodded, "her and my dad got me a gift together."

"That must be lovely. What was it? Newest broom, new leather shoes?"

Sienna's eyes might fall out of her head soon because she kept rolling them. "No, nothing like that."

"Diamonds? They are a girl's best friend according to mother."

"Something similar, but not a diamond."

"Well tell me. I'm intrigued."

Sienna pulled the locket from under her shirt and lifted it up gently for Draco to see. "It's a locket. Both my parents picked a picture that was taken with me and put it on each side. Since there's only recent ones with my father, ours is very new compared to my mum's."

Although Sienna only saw it for a moment, but she swore she saw Draco's eyes twinge with a bit of jealousy and pain. However, it was gone quicker than it came. Sienna wondered why...

"Sounds very nice. My godfather is a well thought out man."

Sienna nodded in agreement, "now you know where I got it from." She smirked at him.

Draco smirked right back. "Anything else you got from people?"

"Hmmm, Ginny got me a scrapbook of all of our pictures together. Ron, Harry, and Hermione got me—"

"Potter got you something?" Now the jealousy was more apparent than before.

Sienna nodded and said, "yes, I do talk to him often because of Ginny."

"Oh that's perfect. Saint Potter—" boy did that annunciation sound defiant… "—being the perfect little asshat I've ever come in contact with." Sienna's eyes grew to the size of plates.

"Draco!"

"What? He's got no business speaking with you."

"I can speak to whomever I please, thank you very much."

"But… he's a dirty little rat. He does no good for anyone, only for his stupid mudbl—"

"DRACO! That's enough!" Sienna roared with anger. She would not tolerate the word about to come out of his mouth. Draco, almost like a puppy just got yelled at by its owner, snapped his mouth shut and huffed. He was not happy. Sienna was actually surprised he listened though. "I don't care what your feelings are towards him or any of them, just keep your ignorant comments to yourself."

Draco stepped in front of her, glaring at the girl. "You think what I say is ignorant?"

Sienna stood and crossed her arms, unafraid of the wrath he was giving. "It's not what I think, it's a fact." That really made Draco mad.

Draco, too angry to answer, rummaged through his pocket quickly and pulled out a small white box with a gold bow wrapped around. He quickly shoved it into her hands and yelled, "Fine! That's just fine! Here's your bloody gift for your bloody birthday. Have a fantastic evening, Snape." It's almost like he sneered at her last name. With a turn of his heel, Draco stormed off to the dungeons.

Sienna, rolling her eyes yet again because of this boy, looked down at the gift she had received from him. She sat on the bench next to her and placed her bag down. She put the white box in her lap and wrapped the bow. She took the box in her hands and opened it to find the most gorgeous earrings she's ever seen.

Silver stud earrings with a beautiful emerald in the middle, about the size of a pea. Around the emerald were even smaller diamonds, but just big enough to see if you looked closely. Sienna sucked in her breath, and her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe Draco Malfoy, of all people, got her these earrings.

She stared at the earrings for a few more minutes before closing the box and shoving it into her robes. She gathered her things again and slowly walked to the dungeons. She almost felt bad for yelling at the boy, but she didn't feel bad for sticking up for her friends.

Maybe that's the Black in her, right?