"Can we wake him up?" I heard a loud whisper coming from beside my bed. The words sounded foreign as they worked their way through the haze that had gathered in my sleepy brain.

"Not yet, let him get up on his own," a woman said sternly. "He and Draco had quite the shock last night."

"Look he’s moving do you thing he’s awake that’s good then he can open presents we waited soooo long-" said a young girl loudly. I knew that voice anywhere.

"Well he’s awake now," Minerva groaned as I opened my eyes, blinking in the sunlight that streamed across my bed.

"Whazammater?" I grumbled, sitting up and peering about the hospital wing. Draco was still asleep in the bed next to mine.

"Uncle Sev!" Harry cried, throwing himself on top of me. Hermione soon followed.

I winced as my sore limbs protested to their energetic greeting.

"Happy Christmas Happy Christmas we can finally open presents-’

"And give you the one Mr. Dumledore helped us make!" Harry said excitedly, pointing to the little package in Minerva’s hand.

"For goodness sakes children, let the man breathe!" Minerva told them, lifting the two off of me one by one.

I gave Minerva a grateful look as she sat in the chair next to my bed. She smiled back before tapping the little package she carried with her wand. It enlarged into a small stack of presents.

"Let Uncle Sev open his first! Puleease!" Harry cried, scrambling back up on the bed and sitting on my lap.

"Alright," Minerva said, handing me a small rectangular gift.

"Open it open it!" Harry said. I smiled, his enthusiasm was contagious.

I slowly removed the paper, wondering what it could be.

It was a framed picture.

"Aww!" Minerva squealed, looking at the picture. I flushed slightly.

It was of Harry, Hermione and I. Dumbledore must have taken it when he visited that one day. In the picture Hermione and Harry were in the bathtub, covered in bubbles and tomato sauce and grinning up at me as I laughed. The frame was just as interesting as the picture however, seeing as it was covered with painted macaroni.

"Do ya like it?" asked Harry.

"I do. I really like the frame; did you two make it?" I replied, unable to escape the fuzzy feeling growing inside.

"Yes yes I’m glad you like it Mr. Dumblebore helped us isn’t it great can I open a present I hope I get a book-" Hermione said.

"Severus, I have to go now. I promised I would visit my sister today," Minerva said, rising.

"Alright. Thanks for looking after the kids," I said. She waved, wished us a happy Christmas and departed, leaving us alone in the hospital wing with a sleeping Draco.

"Well Harry, why don’t you give Hermione the present you chose for her," I said. He grinned and picked it up, handing it to the excited girl.

She tore off the wrapping paper to reveal the book Harry and I had spent so long looking for.

"Oooh what’s it called Uncle Sev what’s it called?" she rejoiced, waving the cover at me.

"Best Friends," I told her.

"’Cause you’re my very bestest friend Hermione!" Harry beamed.

"R-Really?" Hermione whispered, eyes widening.

"Yes!"

"You’re mine too you’re great Harry I love you I never had a friend before-" she gushed, hugging him and talking a mile a minute.

"I never had a friend before either," Harry whispered once she let go of him. "But I got one now!"

"Well, Hermione, why don’t you give Harry the gift you got him?" I asked after a moment, curious to know what it was.

"Oh here you go it’s great I hope you like it-’

Harry stared at the gift, a little smile on his face. He looked up at me, I nodded and he started to open it ever so slowly. Finally the paper was gone, and in his hands rested a pair of mittens. They had felt spikes and teeth sewn on; the mittens even had button eyes.

"They’re dinosaurs!" Harry said excitedly, pulling them on and wiggling his hands.

"And they don’t got holes in them like your other ones those must be cold and these are pretty colors they’re red and green and orange-’

"Thanks Hermione, Harry whispered to her. She beamed, grinning up at me toothily.

"And Hermione, here’s my gift for you," I told her. She leapt up beside me on the bed. Harry, meanwhile, was staring at Draco, who stirred slightly.

I watched as the girl pulled off the wrapping on the small package. She squealed with delight as she saw the contents.

"For my shoes oh they’re wonderful thank you so much I love purple-" Hermione spouted over the shoelaces.

"So that you remember, a person is only a failure if they stop trying," I told her softly. "Happy Christmas."

She just smiled, big brown eyes saying it all. The little girl inched closer to me, leaning against my arm and clutching the shoelaces to her chest.

"I love you Uncle Sev," she told me, quietly for once; I knew I’d hit the mark then.

"I love you too Hermione. I would even if you never learned to tie your shoelaces."

"You would?"

"Yes," I smiled, giving her a hug, which she returned.

I picked up the last gift, and handed it to Harry, who clambered up on my other side. He swung his feet slightly as he carefully opened the wrappings.

"Is it a storybook?" he asked, rather confused to what it was.

"Sort of. It’s a photo album," I told him, opening it on his lap so he could see.

"Is that you?" Harry asked incredulously, pointing at a young boy with long black hair. Beside the boy was a girl, leaning upon the fence he sat on. She was caught in mid laugh.

"Yes. It is," I said, smiling down at him. "And do you know who that girl standing next to me is?"

"Who?"

"Your mother, Lily Evans," I told him. His eyes widened.

"Wow, you were friends with my mummy?" Harry asked. "Can you tell me about her?"

"Absolutely," I told him, heart warming with the smile I got. "You have her eyes you know. Let’s see if I can find a color picture …’

I flipped toward the end of the album, looking for a specific picture. After a few moments I found it: the last picture taken before Lily and I had gone our separate ways. It was among the few taken in color, as we were about thirteen when Mr. Evans finally invested in a color camera. How he talked of the thing … I could still see Lily rolling her eyes when he droned on and on about how wonderful it was. Right, eyes.

"See, her eyes were green, just like yours," I said, pointing at the picture for a second before getting lost in my thoughts once more, almost wishing to fall into the picture. Next to me Harry seemed to be wishing the same thing as he drank in the image of the mother he never knew.

The image was a close-up of Lily’s face. She looked beautiful, wavy red hair framing her freckled face. This was the only picture that did those green eyes justice. Her hair and eyes went so beautifully together, which reminded me of how I used to tease her with the nickname “Christmas colours”. Calling her that usually earned me the famous look; it used to make me laugh so, that look, with her nose scrunched up and her hands upon her hips. She looked just like her Mother when she did it. It was quite uncanny really.

***

After I got dressed we spent a little while looking at pictures, waiting for Draco to awaken. When he did, Harry watched him, looking up from the photo album.

"Uncle Sev, he looks sad," Harry whispered in my ear.

"Yes, he does doesn’t he," I sighed.

"His house got all burned up didn’t it?" Harry said to me. I nodded.

"Then he won’t get any gifts on Christmas will he?"

"You are right Harry. And I sent his gift early so that he could open it on Christmas day," I said sadly. Now he would never get it. I would make it up to him soon however.

"Can I go get something from my room?" Harry asked suddenly.

"What is that you need? I can go and fetch it," I told him, wondering if he was planning to do what I thought he was.

"Father Christmas gave it to me! You were right Uncle Sev, he came!" Harry spouted. I smiled at his excitement. "I left it on my bed."

He must have been talking about the little box of sweets I had gotten him from “Father Christmas”. Hermione received a similar one. Minerva must have found them in my room and set them out for me.  Good thing too.

"Okay," I said, telling Poppy before going to get it for Harry.

When I returned Harry ran to me, motioning me to give the little box to him quietly. I watched him sneak quietly toward Draco, who was lying in bed with his back to us. Harry tapped the boy’s shoulder softly.

"Draco?" Harry asked.

"Yeah Harry?" Draco said wearily, turning to face the little boy.

"Sorry about what happened. It’s Chrismas and you should get a present today, so you can have one of mine," Harry told the boy sweetly, holding up the box of chocolate frogs, Christmas Bertie Botts and a few other little things.

I was shocked, I had never seen a four year old act so selflessly. I waited for the Slytherin’s answer, wondering how he would react.

"Thank you so much Harry, but I couldn’t take your present," Draco said, a little choked up.

"Will you share it then?" Harry asked, setting the box down. "See, we can each pick a few sweets, then we both get some! Go on, you pick first."

"Alright," Draco said with a rather watery smile. "I’ll have a chocolate frog."

"Those look good, I’ll have the other one," Harry informed Draco, picking a chocolate frog and placing it away from Draco’s.

The two continued in this fashion, until each had a little pile of sweets. The Bertie Bott’s were left in the package to share later.

"Thank you ,Harry," Draco said with a grin, getting out of bed and giving the boy a hug.

"You’re welcome Draco," Harry whispered. "’M sorry what happened. It’s scary not having a mummy and daddy isn’t it?"

"Yeah, I guess we both know what that’s like now," Draco sighed.

"But we both got Uncle Sev still!" Harry said brightly. "And he’s sorta like a daddy anyway."

"I guess you’re right Harry," Draco said, almost to himself before turning to the other four year old, currently bouncing by his bed. "What’s that you have Hermione?"

"It’s a story book Harry gave me for Christmas would you like to read it out loud then we can all listen and you get to share it too it looks interesting-’

"Sure, I rather like to read aloud," Draco said, clearly happy for the distraction.

"Great you’re the best Draco I have a best friend you know Harry said he’s my best friend I’ve never had even a friend before-" Hermione spouted as she climbed up next to Draco on his bed, meanwhile Harry did the same. Draco almost cracked a smile.

I watched the three, listening to Draco read the story to the children. He was extremely good at it; he had them laughing at the funny voices he did and made sure they both could see the pictures. That boy was constantly surprising me …

***

"So, I guess I’ll be living with you now, seeing as you’re my godfather," Draco said to me, shortly before dinner, while he prepared to leave the hospital wing.

Though he had been released with a clean bill of health and Poppy had healed him up physically, it was my job to help him pick up the pieces mentally.

"Yes you are," I told him softly while Harry swung his hand about with mine.

"Draco gets to live with us?" Harry asked, a wild grin on his face.

I nodded.

"Forever?"

"Until he’s old enough to go somewhere else if he would like. But he will always be welcomed home," I said to Harry, slipping in the last part for Draco.

"’Kay," The little boy grinned, running over to the Slytherin and taking his hand.

"You get to live with us that’s fun I won’t be here forever you know my mummy and daddy will come get me soon they’re on a trip you know at least that’s what Uncle Sev-" Hermione blabbered on as she took Draco’s other hand.

"Will you come and visit me Hermione? I’ll miss you," Draco said slowly, sounding slightly surprised with himself.

"Oh yes all the time if mummy and daddy will let me I’m sure they will they are always talking about how good it’d be for me to have friends they’ll be so excited that I have two now-"

***

"Mmm turkey’s really good," Harry sighed, rubbing his belly as we ate Christmas dinner in my quarters. I thought it would be better for Draco that way.

"I like stuffing best oh and cranberry sauce and potatoes and-"

"What do you like the best, Draco?" Harry asked the Slytherin, who he was sitting next to.

"Oh I don’t know," Draco said dully as he stirred his potatoes about his plate.

"Well no wonder, you haven’t eaten anything silly. Try the turkey, it’s good!" Harry told him.

Draco shrugged.

"Go on, it’ll be good. It's ok, I wasn’t sure if I’d like it 'cause I’ve never had it before," Harry told him, spearing a bite of turkey and sticking it in his mouth. "Yummy!"

"You had never had turkey before?" Draco asked, flabbergasted.

"Nope, aunt and uncle wouldn’t let me."

"Then what did you eat on Christmas?"

"Well, last year I had tinned soup. It wasn’t too bad either," Harry stated plainly, taking another bite of his dinner.

"Huh," Draco clearly thinking hard as he stirred his food around a bit more.

"Go on, try the turkey. Just a little," wheedled Harry.

"Oh all right," Draco sighed after a moment, taking a bite at last.

"It’s good, right?"

"Yes, it’s very good," said the Slytherin grudgingly, glaring at me as if it was all my fault.

"He is right, eat your dinner Draco," I said, smirking.

"-and carrots and peas and turnips and -" continued Hermione, completely oblivious to the conversation going on around her.

Ah, to be four again …