Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

A Reindeer in Tobias’ Bed

"This is where I grew up," Snape said slowly. "And where I live during the summer."

"Really, sir?" Harry said. "It's so …"

"Depressing?" Professor Snape asked dully. "Falling apart?"

Potter didn't respond.

"Come on," said Snape. "There's only one place we can put a reindeer short notice that I can think of."

"Why not Hogwarts?"

"We would probably have to fly into the grounds - there are enchantments to stop apparition, and they might extend to reindeer," Snape said curtly as he maneuvered into the back of the sleigh and levitated Rain, who looked surprised.

"It's okay, Rain," Harry said encouragingly.

She nickered slightly as she was set on the street, her hooves clattering slightly on the pavement.

***

Severus smirked, reaching into the sleigh and grabbing a spare halter that had been in the back. He fastened it around Rain's head, and then led her toward his front door.

He looked to Potter, just daring him to say something about how run down it was.

"You've lived here since you were a kid, sir?" Potter asked, curious.

"Yes," Severus said with a scowl, pulling a rusted key out of his pocket and sliding it into the lock. "And if you divulge this location to any other student you will be in detention until you graduate. Understand?"

"Yes sir. Hang on, if you live here, and always have, where do your parents live?"

Severus ignored the question and pushed the squeaking door open. He put the key back in his pocket, then shut the door behind him. He waved his wand, and the gas lamps lit up the book-filled entranceway.

"And you're okay with putting a reindeer in your house?" Potter asked, flabbergasted.

"As if I care," Severus said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I know the perfect place for her."

Severus led the reindeer carefully through the sitting room, then pushed away the bookshelf that led to the staircase.

"Okay, Rain, up we go," Severus said. "Potter, you go up first - I don't want you behind her in case she doesn't like going up and kicks."

***

Harry looked up the dimly lit staircase, and cautiously, he began his way up. The pictures along the walls were dusty and old, and he could not help but examine them as he went up.

"Sir, who is that?"

"My mother," Snape said curtly. "Dead. Now keep going up or I'll tie a halter to you too."

"Are there any pictures of your father?"

"No, I burned them; now quit asking questions."

It came across as almost like a joke, but Harry thought it wasn't.

"Is he dead too, sir?"

"No idea," Snape spat, pushing past Harry when they got to the landing. He elbowed a door at the end open, then backed into the room, leading Rain in.

Harry looked at Snape curiously, wanting to ask what happened but thinking perhaps it was better not to. He looked around the room. It was clean, but seemed like it hadn't been touched for years. A thick layer of dust was on everything. Snape pulled Rain a little further into the room, and when he wasn't looking, Harry picked up the picture frame on the bedside table and dusted it off. It was a picture of Snape, it seemed, when he was a child, perhaps three years old. A woman in a polka dotted dress was holding him and smiling.

"Give that back," snapped Snape, taking the photo and dusting it off before placing it exactly where it had been.

"Sorry sir," Harry said. "It's just, it's cool to see pictures of you as a kid."

"Well, if you keep snooping the only pictures there will be of you will be from when you were a kid, so give me a hand getting this reindeer on the bed."

"Sir? Why are we putting a reindeer in the bed?"

An alarming grin had spread over Snape's face.

***

"This was my parents' room, Potter," Severus said, unable to fight the mischievous smile that had crept over his features. "My mother always preferred the bed in the spare room. This was my father's bed. I think we owe Rain a nice comfortable stay on the old man's bill, don't you?"

Potter stared, and for a moment Severus wasn't sure how he would react. Then he started to laugh. Severus couldn't help it either, and perhaps it was the late night, or the glowing joy of knowing he was letting a reindeer sleep in his hated father's bed, but he started to laugh as well. A hysterical three in the morning type of laugh, matching Potter's.

Their laughs died down in a moment, and then Potter pulled back the covers.

"Jump -" Severus began, addressing the reindeer. He had to stop a moment to catch his breath as a laugh emerged again. "Jump up Rain."

The reindeer stared, then lightly leaped up onto the mattress and curled up.

Severus waved his wand, and a little dish of water appeared on the side table, and a pile of lettuce on the pillow.

"Sleep well - we'll be back near the end of the night after you've rested a few hours," he said, still trying not to laugh. "Enjoy Tobias' bed!"

Then, laughing, he and Potter left the room, shutting the door.

***

Harry stared at the tarnished handle before them.

"You just tucked a reindeer into your Dad's bed," Harry said numbly. "You really just did that."

"It wasn't as though I would let her have my room," Snape said, still holding back a laugh. "And if that old bastard ever shows up on this doorstep again, I will only say it serves him right for leaving!"

Snape seemed to be in such a good mood, he hadn't noticed what he'd said. Harry stood at the top of the stairs a second, watching his chuckling Professor as he went back down the stairs.

Serves him right for leaving. At that moment, a conversation from earlier in the night was brought to mind, and the words echoed in Harry's head.

"But Snape?" Harry had said to Father Christmas. "He's … he's so bitter … and mean."

"Have you ever paused a moment to ask yourself why that is?" had been the reply.

No, he hadn't. But he thought he understood a bit better now.

A voice called up the stairs, dragging Harry out of his thoughts.

"Well, come on, Potter!" Snape said, sounding strangely cheerful. "We had best be going if we want to get all those gifts delivered!"

"Coming, sir," Harry called back, starting down the stairs and watching the faces of the pictures slide away as he descended.

A moment or two later the two of them were back out on the street and in the sleigh.

"The next place isn't too far, I think" muttered Harry, thinking he'd gotten a glimpse of a sign with the street name nearby.

Snape bent over and read the address before taking up the reins and calling it out.

"Number 12 Cobbler Road," he said.

And the reindeer launched themselves into the sky, flying a street over and landing.

"Potter, there are two houses on this street to deliver to," Snape said. "You can go through the chimney in 12, and I'll apparate into number 14. We need to make up some time."

Harry called out the names for the gifts, and took the one for number 12. He gave Snape the other one.

"Good luck, sir!" Harry said before walking over to the chimney of the roof of number 12.

"You too," Snape said before turning on the spot and disappearing.

"Cool," muttered Harry, having never seen a witch or wizard do that.

Harry plunged his hand into his pocket, then tossed it at the base of the chimney. He tumbled out of the fire after moving in a dizzying spiral downward.

The inside of the house was very sparsely furnished. The wallpaper was old and peeling. The layout was similar to Snape's house, and so Harry presumed the bedrooms were upstairs. These people seemed to be very poor, and a door was missing on one of the bedrooms, a blanket hung in its place.

Harry pushed the blanket aside slightly, and sure enough, there was a young boy sleeping on a mattress in the corner.

Carefully, Harry bent down and placed the gift close by the boy's head.

It made Harry feel warm inside, and he smiled as he tiptoed through the house, and back to the roof, where he got in the sleigh.

Snape still wasn't back.

***

Severus knew something was wrong in number fourteen Cobbler Road the moment he walked in.. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that something felt like it had when he was a kid. It was something more than the similarities in building style, but he couldn't place it right away. The place was run down, and what caught his attention was that the furniture was sitting at odd angles, like it had been moved. Severus passed the mouth of the kitchen on the way to the stairs. There was an empty liquor bottle on the table. A chair was on its side.

He might have walked thirty years into the past and into his own childhood home. He closed his eyes, then went upstairs.

There was a door with a little butterfly shaped hanger wrapped around the door knob. Severus opened it.

The room's wallpaper was stained and peeling, and in the corner sat a bed with pink blankets on it, empty.

Severus couldn't help but panic. Where was the child? There should have been a child. Then, he heard a slight shuffling noise, and looked toward the cupboard. It was open slightly.

What if she was hurt?

He knew she might see him, but Severus knew he couldn't live with himself if he didn't check, and so he went over to the cupboard, and opened it slightly.

The little girl was curled up, her purple pyjamas wrinkled and patched. She seemed to be half asleep, but unhurt. Severus made to close the door slightly, and then a tiny little voice spoke.

"Are Mummy an' Daddy done fightin'?" whispered the little girl, rubbing her eyes.

He knew she'd seen him, so Severus answered.

"Yes," he said quietly.

The little girl opened her eyes slightly, her head nodding a little. She couldn't be four years old.

"Father Christmas?"

Severus hesitated. He remembered this part. Only that time it had been him in a corner by his bed, a broken arm and half delirious from pain, not fatigue.

"Yes, it's me," whispered Severus. "You can come out and sleep in your bed now. Everyone else is asleep."

The little girl didn't budge. Severus glanced sideways at the ribbon tied to the teddy bear that he had sticking out of his large jacket pocket. It had her name on it.

"Come on, Sarah," he said. "It's okay."

The little girl smiled, rubbing her eyes and yawning, then got up, swaying on her feet. She stumbled slightly on a blanket on the closet floor. Severus caught her before she fell, and she went limp in his arms.

Not knowing what else to do, he picked her up and he carried her to the bed. She was so small. He set her down in the nest of covers, and took the pink blanket, throwing it over her. She yawned again.

"I have something for you, Sarah," Severus said, encouraged by the smile. He pulled the teddy from his pocket. It was small, and pink. "I heard pink was your favourite colour, so I asked my elves to sew you a bear. It's a special bear, just for you."

He held it up, and she looked at him with round eyes like saucers.

"For me?" asked Sarah, her tiny fingers reaching out to gently stroke the head of the bear.

"Just for you, Sarah," Severus said, setting the bear in her arms.

"Oh, thank you Father, Christmas!" she whispered, her eyes full of tears. "Oh, thank you!"

Then, to Severus' amazement, the little girl got up on her knees and hugged him, then gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Shocked, Severus stared straight ahead.

"You're welcome," he said after a moment.

"What does the words on the ribbon say?" Sarah asked, pointing at the blue letters painted onto the ribbon.

"It says for Sarah," he began, looking down at the ribbon, "love Father Christmas."

She smiled sweetly and hugged the bear.

Severus smiled back.

"Well, Sarah, I am afraid I have a lot of other boys and girls to deliver gifts to, so we must say goodbye," he told her. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," she said. "Bye Bye, Father Christmas."

"Goodbye, Sarah," he said.

Severus put his gloves back on, then turned and went to the door. He glanced back at her one last time, then opened the door quietly and left. 

He apparated out of the house, and landed back on the roof of number twelve, the cold not touching the warmth that had blossomed deep inside him.

"Sir!" Potter said, relieved. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, just a detour," said Severus, smiling slightly. "Come on. We should be going."

For the first time in many years, Severus thought, deep in his heart, that Christmas might just be worth the trouble after all.


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