A quick stop at Hogwarts proved to be the easiest of all the runs. Severus did not need to worry about any of the Slytherins, as he had already arranged something with the house elves who gave him a hand every year. There were three other students who needed gifts, and Severus recognized the name of the girl in Gryffindor who had been made fun of for believing. He could not help but notice that her gift seemed bigger than most he had seen yet.

"Oh, this is interesting," Potter said thoughtfully as they sat on the rooftop, somewhere not far the astronomy tower. "It says that we just have to call on one of the house elves that lives in the kitchens, and the elf will take the three presents in for the Hogwarts visits. Apparently students have a bad habit of being up at all hours, so it's too risky that we'll get caught."

"Ah, that explains it," Severus said, who had been wondering how they would deliver gifts considering the practice of most Hogwarts students to stay up as late as possible on holidays, what with no parents to supervise them. He was glad there was a remedy for the problem too, because he shuddered to think what would happen if the students found out what he was doing tonight.

"Clever," Potter said. "Okay, here we go … Toffee!

With a little pop a small, wizened house elf appeared.

"Aha! That's how Father Christmas knew what I did every Christmas!" Severus said, recognizing the elf that helped him deliver gifts to the Slytherins every year. "Toffee, you rascal!"

As Severus had said it in a tone that denoted admiration rather than anger, Toffee bowed and grinned.

"Sorry Master Severus, but in Toffee's defense, Toffee has known Father Christmas much longer than he has been helping Master Severus."

"Well, it is a good thing somebody looks after the students here, so I suppose I should say well done," Severus admitted.

"Does Master Severus have gifts for Toffee to deliver? Father Christmas said Master Severus would be filling in."

"They're here," Potter said, looking intrigued, handing the gifts to the elf. "Their names and houses are on the tags. You know Professor Snape?"

"Toffee does," said the elf, taking the gifts. "Toffee has known Master Severus a long time, and helped Father Christmas find you two this year. The bookmark was Toffee's idea too. It should return to being just a bookmark now that the magic has worn off. Did Master Harry like it?"

"It was wonderful," Potter said.

"That will be all, Toffee," Severus said. "We had best be going. Good luck."

Toffee bowed, then disappeared with a crack.

"Where to now?" Severus asked once the elf had gone.

"Let me see …" Potter said, feeling the thickness of the remaining pages, which had gotten considerably thinner. The book was near its end.

***.

"What do you mean there isn't a gift?" Snape said later that night, sounding panicked from where they stood on a rooftop in Surrey, the deliveries almost done for the night.

"I said the name Kelly Robbins, and no gift came out of the bag for her," Harry said, horrified. "Could it have fallen out when we crashed?"

"I thought Father Christmas said it was charmed so that wouldn't happen," Snape said thoughtfully. Then, his face grew pale. "Wait, he told me in his workshop … they hadn't had time to double check all the gifts. Maybe one was left out. We might have to go back to get it. We'll deliver to the last few in the book first - there's five, right?"

Harry nodded.

"Okay, so five left," Snape continued, "and then we'll swing by the workshop, and get the gift, and return here."

"But sir, it's five AM already; it would be way too risky to go back to the workshop to get it. It might not even have been made, for all we know, and I don't know how long it takes house elves to make a gift."

"Well, what do you propose we do, then?"

Harry closed his eyes. He really didn't want to do what he was thinking, but the risk of going back to the workshop only to find out the gift still needed to be made was not something Harry wanted to chance.

"Let's just get the other gifts delivered, then figure things out from there," Snape said, and Harry nodded.

Already, however, he knew exactly where they were going to be stopping.

***

After a speedy delivery of the last gifts, Potter spoke.

"We're not going back to the shop. I know where I can find a gift for Kelly."

"And where is that?"

"Just go to Number 4 Privet Drive," Potter said. "It's where I live. I kept all of Father Christmas' gifts. There's a book Kelly will like. It says she likes to read, and she's eight. I've got the perfect book."

Severus looked over at Potter, shocked.

"So, you are going to give her something of yours?" Severus asked, surprised.

"Well, why not?" Potter said, seeming to think it odd that he was surprised.

Severus thought that it probably wasn't much of a sacrifice, considering this was Prince Potter and he probably had loads of books. Of course, if he had plenty of toys and books, then why did Father Christmas have him on his list. The only children who got anything from Father Christmas were the ones nobody gave gifts to, though, right? Severus suppressed a scoff. Father Christmas probably made an exception for The Boy Who Lived.

"Okay, fine," Severus said. "Number four Privet Drive!"

The reindeer disappeared in a flurry of sparks, taking the sleigh and its passengers straight to yet another roof.

"Well, go on," said Severus as Potter stared at the chimney.

"I can't use the chimney, sir," Potter said, frowning.

"Why not? They might hear the front door opening. And you just happen to have a key with you right now? Or will you knock on the door and wake them all up? No doubt they would come right away, although I could get it open with a spell, but where is the fun in not disturbing anyone, right?"

Potter scowled, unsurprisingly.

"They have an electric fire covering the fireplace. I don't know if the whole floo powder thing will work. So we have to apparate. But I can't."

Severus frowned.

"Alright then, side-along apparition it is," he said.

"What's that?" Potter asked as Severus took his arm firmly.

"This," Severus said.

The disappeared and reappeared in the entranceway of the house.

"Holy … holy - wow," Potter said, wheezing slightly and rubbing his head. "That's apparition?"

"Well, it's worse for the passenger," Severus said, smirking slightly. "So where is this perfect gift?"

"Um, I'll be back in a second," said Potter, sounding apprehensive.

Severus smirked again. Potter probably just didn't want to prove that Severus was right all along about him being spoiled beyond belief.

"You will need a light, will you not?" said Severus in a hushed voice. "If you turn on one in the house, someone might notice, but if I do this," - Severus raised his wand and flicked it so that a dim light emanated from it - "they won't notice."

"I should be fine, actually," Potter said quickly. "Just stay here. I'm not going far."

Severus watched Potter curiously as he went down the hall and past the foot of the stairs. He listened for a moment, glancing up. Then, he opened the cupboard under the stairs and went in.

Deciding that he wasn't listening to an eleven year old boy under any circumstances, and wondering what was in the cupboard (All Potter's toys, perhaps?) he followed.

"Lumos," he muttered, casting light in the cupboard. "It's pitch black in here. I told you you would need … light."

Potter went rigid as he held the tiny box that was sitting under the bed.

Bed?

There were a few drawn pictures on the walls, and among the cleaning supplies Severus could see a set of glasses that looked too small.

"Found it," Potter muttered, holding up a storybook (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and getting to his feet. He tried to step past Severus, but Severus blocked the way.

"What is this place?"

"A cupboard, now get out of my way," Potter said through his teeth.

"Cupboards don't have beds, Potter," Severus said. "Or old pairs of glasses that are too small and look suspiciously like they belong to a certain Harry Potter."

Potter closed his eyes.

"Quiet, my relatives will hear us," muttered Potter.

"Wouldn't they be happy to see you?"

"God, what do you think?" Potter said angrily to Snape in a voice that barely rose above a whisper as he gestured to the cupboard. "You want to know what this is?"

Severus didn't answer, because he had felt his insides grow cold, and he had the feeling that his mind was going to be changed for him.

"This is the famous Harry Potter's bedroom. Well, at least until my Hogwarts letter came and it had my address on it. The cupboard under the stairs. They moved me upstairs to Dudley's second bedroom - for all the toys he can't fit in his first one - because they were afraid someone was spying on them if Hogwarts knew where I slept. See?"

Severus didn't know how to respond, and he let Potter move past him.

The famous Harry Potter's bedroom.

Potter had left through the front door and gone out into the street. After a moment, Severus followed, making sure the cupboard was shut.

As he walked he felt like he was in a dream. He slowly came up behind Potter, who was standing with his arms crossed and staring out at the world from edge of the street, his breaths coming in furious heaves. Heaving breaths that Severus knew nobody could fake that well, the panic in them evident.

"Potter …" Severus said. "I am sorry."

Harry whipped around, shocked, the breath taken from him again.

"I'm sorry, for everything," Professor Snape repeated, white as a sheet as he stood there. "You aren't your father. You aren't spoiled. I was wrong."

***

Harry stared.

"Right," muttered Harry, not sure what else to say. "We should get going."

Snape took his arm, and in a moment they reappeared by the sleigh. They got in, and in silence they took off into the skies again.

"For what it's worth, sir," Harry said finally, unable to keep the silence, "you aren't quite what I expected either. I never really thought of what your family was like."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we're kind of alike, aren't we?" Harry said hesitantly. "Both our families were … I dunno. Not the best. I mean, if your Dad left it couldn't have been easy, right?"

Snape looked to Harry for a second. Then nodded.

"This last gift, I think it is yours to deliver," Snape said, clearing his throat, the reindeer landing on the last roof of the night with a soft whump.

Harry smiled slightly, then looked down at the book.

"Sir, there's one thing though," Harry said. "It's a book, so it's got a note from Father Christmas in it, addressed to me. Can you change it with magic, so it says it's for Kelly instead?"

"I think I can manage that," Snape said, holding out a gloved hand for the book. He opened it. Sure enough it said To Harry, Love Father Christmas.

Harry watched a little sadly as Snape waved his wand and the letters of his name changed, leaving Kelly behind in ink.

"There," said Snape, unsmiling. He looked Harry in the eye, and nodded slightly. Like he understood that Harry was sad to part with it.

"Be back in a minute," Harry said quietly, getting out of the sleigh.

For the final time that night Harry stepped over to the chimney, tossed the powder down, and reappeared in someone's home. The book was set gently on the side table. The young girl went on snoring lightly, unaware of the sacrifice that had been made for her gift on her table.

"Merry Christmas, Kelly," whispered Harry before disappearing in the fire and reappearing on the roof.

"Well done, Potter," said Snape curtly.

Harry stared.

"I am allowed to say it," Snape said defensively at Harry's blank stare. "I just do not do so often."

Harry laughed, and jumped back in the sleigh.

"Let's call it a night, shall we, Professor?"

"Definitely," Snape said through a jaw-splitting yawn before adding, "Atlas, take us home."

***

Severus let the reindeer take the scenic route back, because they seemed tired. It was six AM, and still dark out. The clouds had cleared mostly, and up above the stars shone brightly. It only took the reindeer a half hour to get back, and on the way Potter fell asleep.

Severus was exhausted, and he was extremely glad to see the lights of Father Christmas' workshop. The landing was smooth, and the reindeer did most of the work. Potter jolted awake as the sleigh runners touched the snow, and the two of them watched as the lights of the workshop went by and the prancing reindeer slowed. Father Christmas came out of the front door, clapping and cheering.

"Bravo! Bravo! Take a bow, you two!"

Both Severus and Potter stood up. Severus glanced over at the boy, and it seemed as though the same thing was going through their heads. Severus whipped off his hat, and bowed, Potter following suit.

"Let's get these reindeer back in their stable," said Father Christmas. "I imagine they are hungry- hang on, where is Rain?"

Severus glanced over at Potter, and for a moment, they both bit back a laugh.

"Well, currently, sleeping in my father's old bed," Severus said quite seriously.

"Funny, but where is she really?" Father Christmas said.

Potter started to laugh.

"How about, how did she get there?" Father Christmas added, a hand on his forehead, his forehead creased in a bewildered way.

Severus quickly explained the crash outside of Cokeworth, and assured Father Christmas she would be alright.

"I should be able to apparate back with her now that her leg's had time to rest," Severus finished, glad for a chance to double back to Spinner's End, because he needed to get something. I wouldn't make up for how he'd treated Potter, but it was a start.

***

Harry helped Father Christmas to unhitch the reindeer while Snape returned to Spinner's End by apparition. He arrived back in a few moments, Rain by his side and the halter rope in his hand.

"See, just fine," Professor Snape said. "Right, Royal?"

Royal, who was being unhitched by Harry, nickered happily.

"Won't doubt me again, will he?" Snape said, winking at Harry, much to Harry's surprise.

Father Christmas also seemed taken aback by the cheerfulness that Snape was exhibiting.

"I think it worked!" he said in a mock whisper to Harry.

"What worked?" Snape asked, an eyebrow raised as he took Rain's halter off.

"We hoped that by doing this you'd lighten up a little, sir," Harry said, grinning.

"Ah, well, nobody's perfect," Snape said airily, but Harry could tell he was pleased.