A/N: So this took me a lot longer to write than it should have. I've been busy with household chores and losing my grandpa didn't help. So yeah, this is going to be short. Forgive me and enjoy!
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Avonlea didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but her sleep was interrupted by a loud round of "MERRY CHRISTMAS". She groaned and rolled onto her back only to be pounced on by Carissa. She frowned up at her friend as the girl straddled her and tried to push her off.
"Uh-uh," Carissa said, shaking her head and staying firmly in place. "Today's Christmas. You know what that means. Downstairs, now. No makeup. No fixing your hair. Just time for breakfast and opening presents."
Avonlea groaned and turned her face away. "I don't want to go."
"You're going," Carissa stated.
The blonde flashed her fangs, but Carissa wasn't impressed. She yawned and playfully smacked her friend on each cheek.
"None of that, except at your daddy dearest and Morgana." Carissa tapped her friends cheeks. "Honestly, I think you're less scary than a thestral. Those are creepy as hell." She poked Avonlea's fangs lightly. "I've been bitten by you too many times to be scared of these things."
"Boo," Avonlea complained. "If I'd gone vampire, you would have been afraid of them then."
Carissa leaned over her and offered her a wicked smile. "Yes, but you're not a vampire. You shagged someone and now you're still my normal Halfling best friend. Now c'mon. I want to get some breakfast in me and open some presents."
Avonlea stared up at the ceiling. "I don't want to go because I'll have to face my mom again and there's the ever pressing problem of my father. I really don't want to deal with him." She closed her eyes. "Can we go back to Hogwarts today?"
"Hell no. We're staying here until we have to go back. So calm your tatas down and come with me to breakfast. You won't even have to talk to your father if Madam is at breakfast still."
"Mom could have complained to Madam after what I did to her last night."
"Do you honestly think Madam cares whether or not you fanged your mom? She hates her as much as everyone else does, but Morgana makes a lot of money for the brothel, so Madam doesn't fire her." She rolled her eyes. "I wish she would though. She picks on my mom a lot."
"Poor Mama Dara."
"Hey. Do you think that we can feed her to the thestrals?"
"No. Even thestrals have better taste than that." Avonlea made a shooing motion with her hand. "They'd choke on her and die of poisoning."
Carissa backed off of her and straightened. "Poor things. Ah well, we can't have everything we want in life, but I can most certainly get you out of bed."
Avonlea sat up. "How so?"
Carissa looked at her nails. "Oh, it's simple. Dad got you a present."
Both of Avonlea's eyebrows flew up and vanished beneath her bangs. "He did? Why on earth would he get me a present? That could – that could be dangerous for us." She pouted. "I didn't get him anything."
"Tough biscuits," Carissa said, holding her hand out. "He got it for you in a disguise and that's all you need to worry about. Now come along. Time's wasting."
Avonlea put her hand in her friend's and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She was dragged through the bedroom door and down several halls. Her mind had finally woken up enough to sense Snape's nervousness.
Why is he nervous? I've never felt him or seen him be nervous before. He's always got this dark confidence around him and all of a sudden, this? Something must be wrong. I'd ask him what it was, but if we're going to breakfast and then the main room for present opening…I'll have to ask him later.
Carissa led her down several halls and a flight of stairs to the dining room. Avonlea's eyes connected with her mother's and then landed on Kraven. Both looked back at her with displeasure in their eyes, though her mother paled greatly. Madam caught the girls' attention and motioned for them to take a seat near her end of the table where Katia and Cassius were already seated.
Avonlea had the luck of sitting close to Madam and quietly helped herself to some of the food. Madam swirled her drink around her glass for a moment.
"Don't worry, dear," she whispered. "I would have done the exact same thing."
"Madam?" Avonlea asked, looking at the robust woman.
Madam smiled slightly, mysteriously and winked.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Snape was dragged into the main room by Dara, much to his displeasure. She kept babbling about the presents that she got for their daughter and how she couldn't wait to see the look on Carissa's face. Snape hadn't bothered with presents for Carissa; he never had before because she was a strange girl and he didn't understand the point. Dara had always done the shopping for the two of them and he just watched when forced into gatherings like this.
His eyes landed on Avonlea, who the Madam seemed to favor that morning and saw her nervously biting her bottom lip. She was feeding off his energy, he could tell. Their bond growing ever closer day by day, it was hard to keep them separate, but he was good at putting up walls as was she.
She let me in last night though, Snape recalled silently, moving to stand near the back wall. Intentionally let me in. No tricks, nothing but pure acceptance. She let me calm her and now, she knows the nerves that are flaring within me. Though she doesn't know why.
Dara tried her hardest to convince Snape to come out of hiding, but Snape did not want to be close to the women of the brothel nor did he want to be any closer to the young ones that were present. She soon gave up and moved into the fray. He noticed Kraven and Morgana talking in the corner, looking displeased, but Kraven passed over a small box to the blonde woman and she broke out into an almost lovely smile.
They are a problem that have been rectified. Whatever curse that Dara put on them prevents them from mentioning my name in any form of a relationship with their daughter, besides that of a teacher. Even then, it pains them. The ghost of a smirk touched his face. I have tested the theory on Kraven and I received great pleasure in watching him squirm. Let us hope that they do not find the counter curse. That would spell trouble for the parties involved.
Snape unconsciously rubbed his forearm where the Dark Lord's mark was a mere scar and a reminder that he had committed great crimes. He knew deep down that he would commit more if the need arose. And he would protect his mate with all the dark magics he knew if it came down to it.
A quick death is more than they deserve…
"Everyone may open their presents now," the Madam declared, petting Avonlea's golden hair. "I'm sure that everyone will love them."
Let us hope…
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Avonlea let Madam pet her hair as she was handed presents from various people. Madam placed two on her lap and told her to open them last. The Halfling dared not to disobey Madam and started opening her other presents, being careful with the wrapping paper.
The ladies of the house had given her perfumes, makeup, clothing, some extra school supplies that would outshine the others because they liked the expensive side of things. Carissa, Katia, and Cassius had banded together to get her things that she told herself she would not wear at all. She actually elbowed Carissa for even thinking about getting her such things and Carissa laughed at her, making kissy lips and wiggling her hips.
Avonlea picked up a present wrapped in gold paper and looked at the name of the person who had given it to her. She lifted her eyes to her parents in the corner and saw them watching her. She narrowed her eyes and turned slightly, throwing the present in the fire that blazed in the main room. When she looked back at her parents, both of them looked like they had been slapped in the face by her actions. She childishly stuck her tongue out at them before returning to her presents.
Mama Dara got her a set of fine gold and black quills with two things of ink and Avonlea spent a moment running her fingers over one of the quills like she had never seen something so beautiful before. She set that aside after calling out her thanks to Dara, who smiled and continued on with her own gifts. Avonlea set the box aside and looked down at the two gifts sitting on her lap.
Madam's gift was easy to pick out – the woman's handwriting was so beautiful that Avonlea wanted to learn how to write just like that. But the second present had a name on it that she didn't remember. The longer she looked at it, the stranger it became.
Is this his present? she wondered, playing with the string that was wrapped around it. Should I open it here, out in the open with everyone so close and watching? Would there be any harm in that? Because I'd like to know what he got me…without telling me. How rude was that? I didn't prepare anything for him. The least I could have done was make him a batch of cookies. But I didn't. I didn't think about giving him anything. What kind of mate am I?
She put on a look of awe as she opened Madam's gift. I'm a secret mate. No one can know about me and Snape. Because to do so would bring a world of trouble to the both of us. No one at the school would understand and the women of the brothel would be up in arms for the man that slept with a girl so much younger than him. How could I do that to us? The answer is I can't.
"Thank you Madam," Avonlea said, cradling the crystal prisms against her chest for a moment. "You remembered that I love crystals."
Madam nodded. "Of course I did. I remember everything." She took a puff on her ivory pipe. "You still have one more. Open it, child."
Avonlea set the crystals aside and picked up the last gift. She slipped off the simple string bindings and carefully peeled off the wrapping paper. Her hand shook as she pried open the box. And her eyes widened when she saw what was within the box…
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: That's all I can write at the moment. Stay tuned for another update when I get the chance to swing around again. Thank you and have a good night/morning. -Scarlet
