Looking around the living room later that evening, there were few people still awake. Bill, Charlie, Molly, Arthur, Remus and Severus; everyone else was asleep. Ginny and Tirza lay under a blanket, their heads resting against Charlie's leg. Fred and George had their faces buried under the Christmas tree, and no one was quite sure why. Harry and Ron were both asleep over a partially finished game of wizard chess.
"I suppose I should collect my child and take my leave," Severus declared as the clock struck 11pm. "It's been a lovely evening Molly, thank you for inviting us."
Molly Weasley smiled at him. "Of course, anytime!"
After shaking Arthur's hand and being hugged, rather against his will, by Molly, Severus carefully lifted Tirza from her spot on the floor and made sure not to bump Ginny.
"Guess I'll claim this one then," Charlie chuckled and indicated Ginny. "The rest of this lot is too heavy now to carry anywhere."
Everyone laughed quietly and said their goodbyes and Happy Christmas greetings before Severus, Tirza, and Remus flooed back to the Snape chambers at Hogwarts.
"Meet us here in the morning for breakfast?" Severus asked Remus. "I know Tirza would like to have you, and as much as it pains me to admit, I don't especially mind having you around either." He sounded his usually growling self, but a laughing smirk gave him away.
"Are you sure I won't be cutting into any father/daughter time?" Remus asked, kissing Tirza's head as she continued to sleep.
Severus shook his head. "Not a bit. I'm sure I'll be awoken bright and early for presents. Come 'round about 9. After eating in the Great Hall with the students, Albus and Minerva are going to join us for a present exchange."
"Alright then, I'll see you both at 9 then. Have a good night Severus," Remus responded with a smile.
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Tirza woke up just past 7 on Christmas morning. At first, she wondered exactly why she was up so early, and then she remembered what day it was! She took off running for Severus' room.
"Ha, I'm already awake," Severus greeted her with a smirk. He was sitting on his bed reading and drinking coffee. "You woke me up earlier last year, so I got myself up early so you wouldn't grab me and jerk me awake."
Tirza laughed and hugged him. "Merry Christmas dad!"
"Happy Christmas honey," Severus replied, kissing her head. "I suppose you are ready to open gifts? I see you are even wearing one already."
"Yep! I love it!" Tirza smiled, wearing a new sweater from Molly Weasley in gold with a maroon S on the front.
"Molly's slipping, your name starts with a T." Severus winked.
"It's for Snape silly!"
Severus pretended to be shocked. "That cannot be!"
Tirza rolled her eyes in typical teenager fashion. "Come on, let's open presents!"
"I told Remus to come for breakfast. Gives us time to exchange our gifts and become decent before he arrives," Severus told her as they exited his bedroom.
"Good idea!" Tirza grinned. The sight of their beautiful tree made her sigh with happiness, full of brightly colored ornaments, sparkly tinsel and its underneath stuffed full of presents.
"Think we have enough gifts?" she laughed.
"You get to pass them out," Severus decided, sitting on the couch and summoning a house elf for some coffee.
"Hot cocoa for me please, and Merry Christmas!" Tirza requested. She began to carefully take presents out from under the tree, passing the ones for Severus over to him and making a pile of her own next to her.
"You first dad!" she announced happily. "I hope you like everything I got you! What did you get from the Weasleys last night?"
"A famous Weasley sweater," he winked. "Dark green of course."
"Oh of course!"
Severus was, of course, thrilled with his gifts. Though there was not nearly as many for him as he had bought for her, she had put a lot of thought into choosing what she had purchased.
First was a teddy bear with black fur, dressed in a miniature Slytherin quidditch uniform, complete with tiny goggles and broom. "Now I know this is not available in any store," Severus commented. "Wherever did you get this?"
Tirza grinned. "Teddy bears are everywhere dad, and Molly helped me make the uniform and fit it to the bear. Isn't it cute?" She grinned. "I made a Gryffindor one for Auntie Min!"
Severus made a show of rolling his eyes before leaning over and kissing her head. "What other goodies have you gotten for me hmm?"
Smiling, she handed him another present. "This one grandpa helped me with." When he began to unwrap it, Tirza's smile faded, as she started to have second thoughts. "Um, maybe not that one!" Tirza reached for the gift.
"Why not this one? Did you miss label it?" Severus asked, keeping a hold on the gift.
"No," she said softly. "But you might not like it as much as I thought you would."
His eyebrow rose. "Why wouldn't I like something that you've given to me? I am sure I will love it." He gently pushed her hands away and opened the gift in question. Inside the wrapping paper was a hand-decorated frame of silver and green satin; while beautiful in and of its self, it was the photo that was the real gift.
It was a photograph of Severus' mother, on Slytherin's quidditch team during her sixth year. "Why did you think I wouldn't like this?" Severus asked Tirza.
"I thought it might make you sad, because your mom is gone and you miss her," she pointed out. "And I didn't want to make you sad on Christmas. But you don't have any pictures of your family here, just pictures of me and us together."
"Well I very much like it," he assured her. "And I think it will fit very well here with our other pictures." To prove his point, he got up and placed it on the mantle of the fireplace, underneath the portrait of Tirza that had been painted and given to Severus two Christmases ago.
"Are you sure it doesn't make you feel sad?" Tirza asked, still worried.
Severus nodded. "Very sure. It was a very thoughtful gift, and I am sure you had a very difficult time locating this picture. Thank you." He kissed the top of her head. "Is that it for poor old dad?"
Tirza had to smile at that. "You aren't poor or old dad. But yes, there's one more for you!"
Severus picked up the last package, one wrapped rather haphazardly in bright gold paper. "Hmm, I wonder…" Buried under layers of wrapping paper was a gift certificate for the potion supply store that Severus preferred to use.
"Your turn!" Severus announced, smirking at her.
In no time at all Tirza was surround by wrapping paper and her new gifts: a Cinderella TV and DVD player, a Cinderella toaster that popped up the toast with an imprint of a glass slipper, and a set of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty porcelain dolls.
"How did I do?" he asked, looking at his speechless daughter. "I know you don't really play with dolls anymore, but I thought you might like to start a collection of all your princess items and…"
Severus was interrupted as Tirza dove into his arms. "I love it! I love all of it! Thank you so much!" she squealed with excitement.
"I'm so glad," he kissed her head. "It took me months to find all that for you, and several secret trips out to muggle stores. I was lucky you didn't discover those times I was missing."
"Very sneaky dad," Tirza teased him. "I'm so proud."
Severus laughed and hugged her tighter. "Remus will be here shortly for breakfast, then Albus and Minerva will be here not long after that for gifts. Not that you really need anymore, you spoiled little girl."
She giggled and smiled. "I know, you've spoiled me rotten dad. How do you stand me?"
He tweaked her nose. "I love you, that is how. And I am sure that is how you stand me, hmm?"
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"Tirza!" Severus called three days later.
"Yeah dad?" Tirza poked her head inside his classroom.
"Will you go to the hospital wing and ask Poppy how many of the headache potions she needs made?"
"Sure! I'll be back." Tirza headed for the hospital wing, which was a rather long way from the dungeons. It was a walk that Tirza knew very well though!
When she came to the door she opened it and looked for Poppy. The only thing she saw in the hospital wing was a bed that was curtained off. Shrugging, Tirza went over to see what was going on and stopped just short of the bed. Listening closely, she could hear talking and whimpering, though both were hushed.
Her curiosity was peaked now, and without thinking she moved the curtains just slightly; Tirza immediately regretted it.
Draco Malfoy was sitting on the bed. His shirt was off and his face was turned away from her. The whimpering had definitely been coming from him: his back was covered in long red welts that cris-crossed over the majority of his bare back.
Poppy finished a spell and gently lowered Draco's arm back to his side. It was then she noticed Tirza. "I'll be with you in just a moment, if you could wait in my office Tirza." Her voice was low and tense.
"What's the bloody point now? She's already seen," Draco snapped, looking at her. He was deathly pale and looked as though he had been crying; not that that would be a surprise with the condition his back was in. "Go ahead! Make a joke, laugh!"
Tirza couldn't tear her eyes away from Draco; she didn't want to look but she couldn't stop. She felt like crying or throwing up. "Why would I laugh?" she finally asked softly.
"Why would you not? Isn't it funny, your archenemy getting his arse kicked by his father and coming back to school crying? I'm sure that's just the highlight of your break." His voice was bitter and riddled with pain.
"I can't think of something that would be less funny then this," Tirza whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "What happened to you?" She started walking towards him, making him flinch until she sat down beside him.
"I just told you," Draco grumbled. "My father kicked my arse. Why aren't you laughing?"
"Because I'm not a jerk Draco. I would never laugh at somebody being hurt, especially when their mom or dad is hurting them. I'm sorry," she told him.
Draco blinked. "For what?"
"That you are hurt, and that your dad hurt you. My mom… after she got sick, a few times…." Her voice trailed off.
Draco looked at her in surprise. "Really?"
She nodded. "Not like… like your dad did to you, but…"
"I always thought you had a perfect life," he admitted. "You were weird, sure, but…"
Tirza managed a small smile. "It wasn't bad before my mom got sick, but even now my life isn't perfect. Nobody's is. Is that why you hate me so much?"
He shrugged, wincing after he did so. "Yeah, for the most part. That and you were never as afraid of me as everyone else. That pisses me off."
She looked at him and giggled just a bit. "Er… sorry."
"Obviously, I have bigger things to worry about then making your life hell," Draco told her.
"So? I think we're the only ones our age here this break. Let's call and truce and then you won't have to make my life hell anymore and I won't have to get you back, and then maybe… we can talk… or something."
Something inside Tirza told her that right now, Draco needed somebody. If he wasn't going to kill her, it's not like they couldn't get along.
"You're not going to go tattling about this all over the school are you? Because then I will make your life hell."
Tirza shook her head. "No, I won't tell anyone. I promise. It's not my secret to tell."
Draco nodded and carefully extended his hand and shook Tirza's. "Then it sounds like a deal."
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A/N: Well, this took much longer to write then I wanted it too, and longer then I am sure any of you readers wanted it to take! This chapter, as short as it is, took me nearly a month to write. All I can say is I do my best, and give you my word that I am not giving up the story. Never ever ever! Just bear with me everyone! Hugs, Kerry
This story, obviously, is not HBP compliant