Chapter 5-Christmas Confrontation

As the weeks past, Lexi began to settle into life at Hogwarts. She managed to avoid Snape most of the time. During potions, she and Harry sat in the back, quietly doing their work. This year, Lexi found herself doing all of her homework, including potions. Finally December rolled around and the Christmas holidays were upon them.

"Harry, are you staying for the holiday?" Lexi asked at the breakfast the day before the holiday began.
"Yeah. I haven't spent Christmas with the Durseley's since before my first year at Hogwarts," Harry answered her after swallowing his bite of biscuit.

"Oh," Lexi said sadly. "My mum is making me come home. She thinks that Christmas time is family time, meaning we spend the holiday with Michael's side of the family."

As Lexi and her friends finished breakfast, Melissa Evil, Lexi's only friend in Slytherin, cam over. Unfortunately, Melissa was not friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Hi Meli," Lexi said nervously, not wanting her other friends to feel awkward.

"Lexi can I talk to you for a minute?" Melissa asked quickly, avoiding the glares of the three Gryffindors.

"Yeah, ok," Lexi said getting up and following Melissa out of the Great Hall.

"What's up?" Lexi asked as Meli stopped.

Once they were out of earshot, "I hardly see you anymore. How come you don't have detention with Snape anymore?" Meli asked suspiciously.

"I…I…I decided to do my work this year," Lexi answered quickly, trying to move off the subject. "Why do you care?" Lexi added.

"Haven't you get Draco to keep you company?"

"Well yeah but he's not the same as my best friend," Meli answered.

"Speaking of Draco, I get to spend Christmas with him and his family," Meli added, her mood lightening.

"Aren't you lucky,' Lexi said with a hint of jealousy in her voice. At that moment, people began filtering out of the Great Hall, heading to their first classes.

"Look, I'll see you in potions Meli," Lexi said when she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione walking towards them.

"Alright, bye," Meli answered, walking over to Draco and taking his hand.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked annoyed.

"Oh nothing. She just wanted to talk," Lexi said nonchalantly.

The four Gryffindors walked quickly to the dungeons for their last potions class of the term. Lexi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'I can make it through one class with him,' Lexi told herself.

As she walked into the classroom, Professor Dumbledore was bent over Snape's desk, whispering something.

"Good luck Severus," he said.

"Thank you Albus," Snape answered curtly.

When Dumbledore walked by their table, he gave Harry and Lexi a kind smile. Professor Snape cleared his throat to get the class's attention. He tapped the black board with his wand, producing the day's lesson and indicating that the class could begin working.

"Miss Walker come here please," Snape said in his usual sneer. Harry and Lexi exchanged nervous looks. Lexi got up slowly and walked to the front of the room.

"Follow me," he said getting up and walking towards the door of his office. As Lexi entered, Snape gestured for her to close the door. Once the door was shut he told her to sit down. Lexi sat on the edge of the chair; hand in her pocket gripping her wand.

"I'm not going to hurt you Miss Walker," Professor Snape said as if reading Lexi's mind. 'He probably is reading my mind' Lexi thought to herself hastily.

"Then what do you want?" Lexi asked defensively.

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to talk to you about…about our run-in the first night of term," he answered.

"How did he find out?" Lexi asked, at once knowing the answer. "Never mind," she added quickly. For a moment, the two just sat and stared at each other.

"Why did he wait so long?" Lexi asked quietly.

"He was concerned with your emotional state," Snape answered with an aire of annoyed amusement.

Lexi was beginning to feel uncomfortable and she got up to leave.

"Sit," Snape commanded. "I didn't say you could leave."

"Just leave me alone," Lexi retorted. She turned on her heel and left the room. When she returned, Harry looked up.

"What happened?" he asked, seeing Lexi's flushed complexion.

"Dumbledore told him to talk to me," she said through gritted teeth. "Well we talked," she added.

"Dumbledore said that?" Harry asked, looking at her in awe. Snape reappeared and ignored Lexi for the rest of class.

After dinner that night, Professor Dumbledore took Professor Snape aside. "Well Severus, how did it go?" he asked.

"That girl is impossible!" Snape answered loudly.

"Shhh, Severus not so loud," Dumbledore instructed.

"I believe you should try to talk to her again but in a more familiar setting. Severus, if you would please try again during the holidays," Dumbledore added.

"I will try," was all Snape said. The next morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione saw Lexi off to Hogsmeade Station. The Christmas holidays had begun.

As Lexi walked into her house later that afternoon, Zachary, her 6 month old black panther, came over to her and nuzzled her leg.

"Hey baby," Lexi said quietly. "It's a shame you can't come with me to school. You'd scare the pants off of Snape."

Just then, Michael, Lexi's stepfather, walked in with a displeased look on his face.

"Do you have any idea how difficult that animal is to control?" he asked Lexi with a grumble. "Stupid thing never listens."

"Don't call him stupid!" Lexi said loudly. "He just doesn't like you. Isn't that right," Lexi said petting Zachary on the head.

"Fine, but keep it out of my way," Michael said walking past her hurriedly.

Lexi glared after him. 'I don't know why he doesn't like Zachary,' she thought to herself as she walked down the hall to her room. Once inside, Lexi flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. 'This is going to be the worst Christmas ever,' she thought. Slowly she drifted into a deep sleep.

With a loud crack, Tiana Snape Apparated into the living room. "Tiana, how many times have I told you, no underage apparating," her father bellowed from the den.

"Sorry!" Tiana yelled back, only half apologizing. She didn't care. What's the worst he could do, ground her. That wasn't very likely. As Tiana turned to head to her room, her father, Severus Snape appeared.

"Don't do that!" Tiana said gasping for breath.

"Where have you been?" Snape asked his daughter.

"Out," she replied.

"Out where?" was her father's next question.

"None of your business," Tiana replied, annoyed that her father was obstructing her path.

"I'm your father, of course it's my business," he said, holding his ground.

"Ugh. I was over at Draco's. He, Meli and I were hanging out," she said. "Can I go now?" she asked, giving him her 'we didn't do anything illegal' face.

"Fine," Snape said, moving aside.

Severus Snape walked back his desk in the den and sat down. He ran a hand through his greasy black hair. 'Albus why did I agree to do this?' he thought to himself. He was writing a letter to Lexi's mother and stepfather explaining his upcoming visit to Lexi. He reread what he had written:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lascher, I am writing to inform you that upon request of Albus Dumbledore, I am to visit your daughter, Alexandra Walker, to discuss our run-in on the first night of the school term. It is most likely that she has not shared this incident with you. She awoke in the early morning screaming and upon my presence being acknowledged threatened me. I will arrive on December 22, at 9:00 in the morning. Thank you for your time. Severus Snape.

Satisfied, he folded up the letter, put it in an envelope and addressed it. "I'll mail this tomorrow," he said to himself. He looked up and saw that it was late, 11:30. He headed down the hall to him room. On the way, he passed Tiana's room. He glanced in and saw she was asleep. Knowing that his daughter was safe; he entered the master bedroom and went to bed.

The next morning Severus was up early. He went outside to the owl nest and called their post owl down. He tied the letter to its leg and the owl flew off.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" Tiana asked at breakfast.

"Yes, what is it," he answered from behind the morning's issue of The Daily Prophet.

"Is the rumor true that Lexi Walker threatened you?" Tiana asked before taking a bite of cereal. Slowly Snape put down his paper. His already pale skin, looked almost translucent.

"Why do ask that?" he queried nervously.

"Well, you're my dad and if she did threaten you then…" Tiana began.

"Yes Tiana she did," he said. "However, you are to leave her alone. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah, but why did she threaten you?" Tiana asked persistently.

"It's none of your business," Snape responded. "This conversation is done."

"How come that line works when you say it," Tiana muttered more to herself than her father.

In the Lascher household, Karen was skimming through the mail when she came upon a letter addressed to her and Michael. She didn't recognize the return address for there was no name. She opened the letter and read it. She hurried into the living room where Michael sat reading The Daily Prophet.

"Michael, read this," Karen said in a hushed voice. He took the letter from her and read it quickly.

"Should we tell her?" he asked.

"No. From the letter, it sounds as if she doesn't know," Karen answered.

"Alright," Michael responded. Neither of them mentioned Snape's forthcoming visit to Lexi.

The following morning, Snape left a note on the kitchen table for Tiana that read: I will be out for most of the day. Stay out of trouble. At preciously 8:59 AM, Snape Apparated to the front door of Lexi's house. He rang the doorbell and waited. After several seconds, a tall woman with graying blond hair and blue eyes appeared.

"Oh," she said, a little startled. "Come in," she added not wanting to seem foolish. Snape walked in cautiously.

"Well, that's a lot easier than sending it off it's hinges," Snape said, attempting to sound funny.

"Yes, I suppose it is," Karen said. She led him to the living room and told him to sit.

"Can I get you anything?" Karen asked.

"No thank you," Snape answered. Just then, Michael walked in.

"Oh, we have company," he said as startled as his wife had been.

"Yes dear, we do," Karen said to her husband.

"Alexandra, we have company," her mother called. "Come out here please." Lexi appeared in her doorway wearing navy blue sweatpants and a baggy Good Charlotte shirt.

"What?" Lexi asked over the blaring music that was emanating from her room.

"I said we have company and that you need to come out here now," Karen repeated over the music.

"And turn that racket off," Michael bellowed.

Within minutes the music was off and Lexi appeared in the living room followed closely by Zachary. Lexi froze. 'This isn't happening. I'm just dreaming.' Lexi thought to herself. While Lexi was still in shock, Zachary took the opportunity to inspect the intruder. Upon smelling Lexi's fear, Zachary lunged at Snape, teeth bared and claws extended. Snape jumped up and pulled out his wand.

"Stupi…" Snape began.

"Don't you dare!" Lexi screamed pulling out her own wand and pointing it at him.

"Alexandra either control that thing or get rid of it!" Michael shouted. Lexi grabbed Zachary by the scruff of his neck and pulled him back.

"Down boy," she whispered in his ear. "Go on and lay down," she instructed the panther.

Obediently he went over to the fireplace and laid down all the while keeping his sharp green eyes on Snape.

"What are you doing here?" Lexi asked beginning to shake.

"Dumbledore asked me to try again. I figured with your parents here I would have a better chance of talking," Snape said coolly. Lexi glared at the two other adults in the room.

"Fine, I'll talk but not with them here," Lexi said.

Karen and Michael got up and went into their bedroom and closed the door. Lexi sat down on the couch and covered her face with her hands.

"Is it your life's mission to make me miserable every waking moment?" she asked from behind her hands.

"No," he said quietly.

"Well it sure feels like it is," she mumbled. "What's there to talk about anyways?" she added.

"Nothing really," Snape answered her.

"Do you want to know something?" Lexi said staring straight into his light grey eyes.

"I hate you for what you did and that will never change. No matter what you say or do."

"I know that. I regret what I did," he said in just as quiet a tone as she had.

"But there is one thing you have to understand," he continued.

"What's that?" Lexi asked defiantly.

"It was either kill for the Dark Lord or be killed by him," Snape finished.

"So you chose the option that would save your own neck," Lexi replied with a disgusted look.

"Yes, yes I did," he answered.

"Just do me a favor and get out of my house!" Lexi said loudly. Snape merely sat there looking at Lexi.

"Do you want me to let my panther loose on you? Because I will," Lexi threatened. At the mention of Zachary, Snape rose quickly and put his wand in his pocket.

"Have a nice Christmas, Miss Walker," he said and then he was gone.

'How could they let him in? He could have killed me!' Lexi thought to herself. With tears streaming down her face, she ran to her room followed by Zachary. Once they were both inside she shut the door and slammed onto her bed. Zachary jumped onto the bed with her and cuddled up next to her. Lexi was grateful for the warmth of his body. Christmas was two days away and she was not looking forward to returning to Hogwarts.