Severus started the fire in his fireplace and sighed at the warmth. He was content for the time being. Normally he hated being at Spinners End but sometimes it was good to be there. Though this house had many bad memories it also had some good ones. ‘Like the time Lily and I brewed her first potion.’ Severus smiled at the memory. He especially enjoyed the part when they had tested it on her sister Tuney.

Shaking his head he went to sit over on his favorite chair. Picking up the Potions Journal he began to read.

“Be near me Lord Jesus
I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever
and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
in thy tender care
and feen us for Heaven
to live with thee there 

Severus looked around wondering what the bloody hell that was! Where that voice had come from?

 

Loki laughed at the face Snape made.

 

Noel glared when she noticed what Loki had done. He’d made Severus hear Willow sing that song she seemed so fond of. “Don’t tease him!”

 

Loki rolled his eyes. ‘Sisters take the fun out of everything!’

 

Both sprites returned their attention to Severus who was waving his wand around.

 

“I must be imaging things.” Severus sighed and returned to his reading.

 

“Damn he’s stubborn.” Noel snapped.

 

Loki merely laughed and shook his head.

 

“Well, what do you think we should do?” Noel glared at her brother.

 

“Go to him. Maybe he remembers you?”

 

Noel blinked. “We can only be seen by children stupid!”

 

“Oh please! You can be seen by anyone on Christmas Eve. You’re a Christmas sprite for Pixies sake! Besides he’s seen you before so he can again.” Loki snapped at his obviously dim sister.

 

Noel sighed. “Fine, I’ll try!” She flew so she was inches from Snape’s face. “Severus, Severus?”

 

Snape gave no sign that he had heard her.

 

“Magic, you dumb arse,” Loki shouted to his sister.

 

Noel glared but then aimed her fingers at Snape. “Bless your heart; I give thee gift of fairy sight.” Gold light left her fingers and seeped into Snape’s eyes.

 

Snape blinked as his vision went from blurry to crystal clear. Hovering in front of his eyes, no bigger than his long index finger, was a small girl.

 

“Hello Severus. Remember me?”

 

Snape jumped out of his chair and aimed his wand at her. “What the bloody hell are you?” he shouted.

 

Noel felt insulted. “I’m a sprite you idiot! What do I look like, a dog?” Noel flew over to her brother. “This is all your fault, you know.”

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Loki shrugged.

 

Snape stared at the two sprites and swallowed. “W-why are you here?”

 

“I’m here because I supposedly screwed you up bad. Sis here is here because she was friends with you and that Evans girl.” Loki said.

Snape glared. “Exactly how, may I ask, did you screw me up?”

Loki actually shrank back. “I ah, I sort a…It doesn’t matter. What I’m doin’ now is giving you a second chance.”

               

Snape didn’t look convinced.

               

“You don’t remember me do you, Sev?” Noel looked very upset by this fact.

               

“I don’t ever recall seeing a sprite before.” Snape said darkly.

               

“I used to play with you and Lily. We used to throw snowballs at Petunia and sometimes I’d make them hover in the air. She couldn’t see me so she always thought it was you and Lily doing it.”

               

Snape’s eyes lightened slightly. “Noel?”

               

“YES! HE REMEMBERS MY NAME.” Noel spun around in circles and laughed her bell like laugh.

               

“Ok, ok, ok, take a chill pill.” Loki shook his head in exasperation.

               

“Why now are you here?” Severus asked Noel.

               

“You stopped believing in me. I can only appear to children who believe. And when they grow up if there belief isn’t really strong I can only be seen at Christmas. And by then it sometimes is too late.” Noel said sadly.

               

“You said something about a second chance?” Snape glared at Loki.

               

“Yeah…I sort a messed up your friendship with that Evans girl.” Loki flew high up out of Snape’s reach.

               

“YOU DID WHAT?!!!” Severus shouted.

 

“Look man it’s nothing personal, I was curious about you so I did a little experiment.” Loki said shrugging.

               

“And did I pass your test?” Snape sneered; he longed to hex Loki that very instant.

               

Loki glared. “The fact I’m here say’s no.” He stiffened.

               

“What’s wrong Loki?”

               

“It’s the kid. She’s in DEEP TROUBLE!” Loki turned to his sis. “You fill him in; I’ll see if I can help her out.” Then Loki vanished. Leaving Noel to tell Severus what he had to do to redeem himself and find happiness.

 

PSPSPSPSPS

 

Willow was jolted awake by her Uncle opening the door and yanking her out. “Stupid bitch, never should have kept you around any way!” Vernon then proceeded to beat Willow up and swear at her. He kept calling her a freak and told her she should have died along with her parents. Willow cried out in pain and prayed for it to end. But it didn’t.

               

Finally he stopped. But instead of throwing her back into the cupboard he dragged her outside and threw her into the snow. It was snowing hard out now, and the wind practically ripped the skin off it was so strong.

               

“I hope you die freak!” Vernon than slammed the door shut and went up to bed where he passed out to sleep off the alcohol.

               

Willow tried to get up and drag herself to safety.  But she was too weak from lack of food and from the beating. “I’m going to die on Christmas Eve. How messed up is that?” Laughing without humor Willow closed her eyes and willed herself to just die. It was way to cold. Surely she’d be dead soon?

               

Suddenly she heard a small voice say her name.

               

Slowly she opened her eyes and saw a strange blue little person hovering above her.

               

“Willow? Willy-girl can you hear me?”

               

“W-w-who a-are y-y-you?” She stuttered.

               

“Damn kid you’re gonna freeze!” Loki zoomed around her trying to think of something. “You have to stay awake Willow. Do you hear me? Stay awake!”

               

“Too tired,” Willow began to close her eyes.

               

“NO! No damn it you cannot fall asleep. Sing for me. Sing me that song that’s always going through your head.”

               

Willow eyed the strange figure wondering if this was a hallucination.

               

“SING!”

 

“FINE,” Willow opened her mouth and softly began to sing:  

“Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
lay down his sweet head
The stars in the sky
looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus
asleep on the hay

The cattle are lowing
the baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus
no crying he makes
I love thee Lord Jesus
look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle
'til morning is nigh

Be near me Lord Jesus
I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever
and love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
in thy tender care
and feen us for Heaven
to live with thee there”

Willow sighed and began to drift into sleep.

 

“Come on kid…fight it!” Loki felt helpless. This poor kid was gonna die any minute. And there was nothing he could do about it. ‘Come on Noey! Where’s that Christmas magic?’

 

PSPSPSPSPS

 

“So what’s this second chance you two keep mentioning?” Severus asked. Wondering again what the hell was going on.

               

“Well, I’ve noticed that you’ve made some…mistakes,” Noel began.

               

Severus snorted. “I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”

               

“Anyway,” Noel interrupted. “A way you can redeem yourself is by doing a good deed. Well it just so happens I know a good deed that you can do, and it’s in your benefit.”

               

“Indeed.” Severus didn’t look or sound convinced. “Noel… I’m a Death Eater, and I helped kill my best friend. There is no redemption for me.” He sounded and looked totally austere.

               

“Now that is exactly the type of attitude I do not tolerate, Severus Tobias Snape.” Noel placed her hands on her hips. “Everyone deserves a second chance. I know all about you Severus. Yes you made a mistake but every day since then you have done anything and everything to make emends. I believe you have more than made up for it. And if you don’t believe me, fine. But this task that I give you will most certainly help you make emends. I know for a fact that Lily would agree.”

               

Severus eyed Noel, did he dare hope? “What exactly is this task?”

               

“Save Lily’s child.”

               

Severus snorted. “The child is safe. Potter lives with relatives.”

 

Noel’s eyes widened. “Um HELLO, earth to Sev, have you completely lost your mind? Have you totally forgotten what type of people Petunia and Vernon Dursley are? THEY HATE MAGIC!”

Severus sighed. “Dumbledore assured me they child is safe.”

“And you believed him.” Noel smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Pixies Sev, how thick can you get? Would I really be here if I didn’t think she needed you or you needed her?”

               

Severus laughed at this. “Me need a Potter? Have you gone senile over the last 15 years?

               

“Her name is Willow Severus. Not Potter. And she’s Lily little girl too.” Noel tilted her head. “Would you really sentence Lily’s baby to the life you had Sev?”

               

Severus glared. “She’s nothing like me. And I’d bet you anything that that girl is a spoiled brat just like her father.”

               

Noel stiffened. Loki sent had sent her a vision of what was happening now. “That ‘spoiled brat’ is dying Severus.”

               

Snape’s eyes widened. “What?”

               

Noel’s wings sped up. “She doesn’t have much time Sev…will you help her or not?”

               

Severus stood and summoned his clock. “Where is she?”

 

“Number 4 Privet Drive.” Noel then zoomed out of the house and sped towards said destination. ‘Hang on Willow, helps on the way.’

 

 

PSPSPSPSPS

 

Severus Snape appeared in front of a lamp post and instantly felt grateful for the clock and warmth charm he’d placed on himself. It was like a blizzard here!

“YO SNAPE, OVER HERE,” Loki shouted over the wind.

Narrowing his eyes to try and see clearer he noticed the blue light hovering in the air.

“Please hurry Severus.” Noel appeared beside him and pointed toward a lump in the snow.

Severus rushed over to see what it was. The sight before him made his heart instantly ach. A small child with black hair lay in the snow unmoving and blue. ‘Damn, damn, damn, damn!’  He pulled out his wand and began a series of complicated spells. She was barely alive. “We must get her warm.” He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around the tiny child and then placed a warming charm onto her and the clock.

“Aaaah,” Willow whimpered.

“Shhh, hush now, everything will be alright.” Severus grasped her tightly to himself and slowly lifted her into the air.

Willow’s head tilted so she was looking at the ground. She saw, through all the haze and snow, a snow angel that she had somehow made. Turing back to her rescuer she noticed his angelic features. “Snow Angel,” then the darkness claimed her.