Harry was so excited over his new friend that he quite forgot he should keep the wolf's presence a secret and blurted out to Severus while he was drying the silverware after dinner, "Hey, Dad, what if I told you I saw a wolf in the trees today?"

Severus was so startled by his son's matter-of-fact tone that he fumbled a platter and almost dropped it.  "You saw what? A wolf? But Harry, I told you, wolves are extinct here.  Unless they're in a zoo.  Where did you see this animal, son? Perhaps it was a large dog that looked like wolf."

But Harry shook his head stubbornly.  "No, Dad.  He was a big silver wolf, like Silverstrike, and we played in the snow together."

"Like Silverstrike, hmm?" Severus said knowingly.  Perhaps this was an imaginary friend, Harry had such a fantastic imagination, and Sev could recall having imaginary friends also, when he was growing up, before Lily came to live next door.   

It was perfectly normal for a child Harry's age, especially since he had to be careful with the Muggles he befriended at school, and he spent much of his time after school with Severus at Hogwarts, instead of among children his own age, though over half of the Potion Master's students adored the boy and treated him like a cross between a younger brother and a lovable pest.  Even so, perhaps the boy was lonely, and Severus wondered if he could arrange a time when Harry could associate with a wizard child his age, like the Zabinis, whose mother Angelina was also a Potions Mistress, and had a son Blaise who was a few months older than Harry.  The Zabinis were purebloods, but not associated with Voldemort, like the Malfoys, and since Severus had retired from his spying duties last year, he refused to associate with such suspect people any longer, nor permit Harry to either.

But when can I find the time to have Harry play with Blaise? Next term will be very busy and I just don't know how I can arrange things.  But that was a puzzle to figure out another time.  Right then, Severis wished to relax a little and enjoy the holiday with his son.  "Tomorrow, perhaps, we can go skating on the pond, and  build a snow fort.  How about that?"

Harry considered.  He really wanted to play with Silver again, but he also enjoyed spending time with his dad, because Severus was often busy or tired during the school year, and rarely had much time to play with him.  Plus, he loved learning to ice skate.  "Sure, Dad! That'll be great." He just hoped poor Silver wouldn't return and wait all day for him. 

"After lunch, tomorrow, we'll go skating, Harry." Severus said, then he added sternly, just to be safe, "And if you happen to see any big dogs that look like wolves, you're to stay away from them, they could bite."

Harry twisted the dish towel in his hands and didn't reply.  He didn't want to promise his dad something he wouldn't be able to keep.

"Harry? Am I understood?"

"Yes, Dad," the youngster murmured reluctantly, and felt instantly guilty for saying something he knew he didn't mean.  He hated lying like this, Severus had taught him that a lie was a dreadful thing and one should never lie unless telling the truth was a matter of life and death.  "A wizard's word is his bond, and you should always remember that, and speak the truth," he had told his son.  In fact, the only time Harry could remember getting spanked ever had been when he was five and had played with Severus's wand and then lied and said he never touched it, despite the evidence to the contrary. 

So the lie left a bitter taste on his tongue, and he hoped Severus never found out how he had disobeyed him.  If only he could make his father understand that the wolf wasn't dangerous, that he wanted to be Harry's friend, and perhaps something more . . .Harry had gotten the feeling that the wolf was watching out for him, for when he'd slipped and fallen while playing, the wolf had trotted over to him and waited till he had climbed to his feet before continuing their romp.  Clearly, this was no ordinary wolf.  But he sensed that Severus didn't quite believe that the wolf was real, and Harry wasn't up to arguing with him right then.

So he simply drank his evening hot cocoa with marshmallows and ate some shortbread, Severus made wonderful shortbread stars, and let his father read to him from the big book of Christmas legends, which included a story about animals getting the ability to speak from Father Christmas on Christmas Eve and the enchantment lasted through Christmas Day.  The Day of the Christmas Talk, it was called, and it gave Harry an idea.  What if that legend were also true, and what if the wolf gained the ability to talk on Christmas Eve? Then Harry could introduce him to Severus and the wolf could convince his father that he was good and meant Harry no harm.

Harry mentally counted the remaining days till Christmas Eve.  Five days.  Five days of pretending to obey Severus's rule until then.  Harry wished he could speed up time.  Then again, he wanted to make the time he had with the great wolf last as long as he could.  Just in case something went wrong and Severus forbid him to see the wolf again. 

That night he prayed to St. Nicholas, who was also Father Christmas, to give his father the gift of understanding and to allow Harry to be friends with Silver.  And when he looked out of his bedroom window before sliding beneath the covers, he saw a tiny blue-skinned wind sprite there.  The little creature waved once before vanishing in a cloud of snowy sparkles, and Harry knew it would carry his message to the patron saint of children.  He prayed it would be answered.

* * * * * *

The next day, Harry and Severus went ice skating on the big pond, which was actually a freshwater lake, and Harry learned how to balance by himself and to skate backwards a bit.  At first he was very awkward, and fell on his bottom several times. But he didn't complain much, and got right up and tried again.  Severus gave him points for persistence and made sure he wasn't too bruised. "Come on then, Harry, and try again," he encouraged the little boy.  "You almost had it that time."

Harry dusted off the seat of his jeans and prepared to try again, rubbing his bottom and saying, "Dad, did you ever fall down when you first learned to skate?"

Severus bit his lip, then gave a short nod.  "Can you keep a secret, Harry?"

"Yes."

Severus knelt down and put his hands on his son's  shoulders.  "When I was first learning how to skate, I fell down and took Lily, your mum, with me.  We slid all the way across the ice and into a snowbank."

"A snowbank?" giggled Harry.  "Truly?"

"On my honor.  And . . .what was worse . . .we got stuck in it for a good twenty minutes, since our skates tangled in each other and we nearly froze . . ." Severus admitted ruefully.  "I was so embarrassed, I figured Lily would never want to be my friend again . . .But she was a true friend, she forgave me my clumsiness and  said it was her fault for telling me to spin around so much . . .and after that I practiced until I was able to outskate her and we laughed about that little incident years later."

"I wish I'd seen that," his little imp laughed.  "It would have been so funny!"

Severus pretended to glower at him, but Harry knew it meant nothing and all he did was laugh.

"Making fun of your father, eh? I think you need to be taught a lesson in manners, Mr. Snape," he mock-growled.

Harry smirked at him insolently, and Severus promptly picked up the little  boy, tucked him under an arm, and skated over to a large pile of snow and tossed him headlong into it.  "There! That ought to cool off your impudent attitude!"

Harry sputtered, emerging from the snowy cocoon, still wearing a mischievous grin.  "No fair, Dad!"

"Oh, quit whining," chuckled his father, and with a wave of his wand, he cleaned up his son, and took his hand and drew him back out onto the ice.  "Now then, watch me.  Left foot forward, right foot following. Well done."

Harry imitated him, and Severus held to his son's hand, until he was sure the boy could skate on his own.

Harry wobbled a little, but managed to skate a short distance by himself.  "Look! I'm doing it!" Then he lost his balance and sat down.  "Oww!"

Sev helped him up.  "You'll master it eventually.  You just have to keep trying, son.  Practice makes perfect."

"Uh huh.  But I'm tired, Dad.  And my bum hurts."

Severus picked him up.  "Guess that means we ought to head back home. We'll practice some more tomorrow, all right? I'll draw you a hot bath and that should help that sore behind, along with some bruise balm."

Harry nodded, and lay his head down on Sev's shoulder.  "Someday, I'm gonna be as good a skater as you."

"With practice, you certainly will," Severus said, then cautioned, "However, you are never to go on the pond unless I'm with you, Harry.  Sometimes the ice grows thin in places and you could fall through it, if you don't know what to look for."

Harry  murmured an assent, yawning.  All he wanted right then was a bath and bed after, for once even his indefatigable energy had been exhausted.

* * * * * *

The next morning, they returned to the pond, and Harry's skating was much improved.  And so it went for the next day, and the next, though the rest of the afternoon Harry spent playing alone in the yard, or so Severus assumed.  Actually, Harry spent that portion of the day romping through the snowy woods with Silver, who once again waited patiently at the wood's edge for his newfound friend.

Harry chased the silver wolf through the snow, throwing snowballs at him, though few of them ever hit him.   But the game was fun anyhow, as Silver spun and leaped like a young pup, running circles around the little wizard, playfully tussling in the snow, his great jaws closing in mock snaps on the air, or once or twice, Harry's cap.  And the merry sound of a child's laughter echoed through the winter air, and it was the sweetest music to the silver wolf's ears ever heard in the forest.

Silver, dignified as he was, nevertheless abandoned all dignity when he played with Harry, allowing the child to scratch his belly, or half climb up on his back and ride him across the far portion of the yard, permitting him liberties he normally never would have allowed anyone.

He even allowed the child to hug him about the neck, burying his face in the thick silver ruff,  smothering his instinctive need to draw away from human contact.  For Harry he would fight even his survival instincts, for the child gave him something no one ever had-acceptance and unconditional love.  And that was priceless.   Like Silverstrike and Will before them, the two forged a bond of friendship that transcended the ordinary, though all too soon it would be tested, in an unexpected way.