Professor, Would You Like to Spend Christmas with Us?

Eliana hunched her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut. Trembling like a little chick, she braced herself for the storm about to break.

One minute passed. Then two...

...Was it not coming?

The little chick quietly raised her head and cracked one eye open.

She met Snape's eyes. He was leaning forward, looking straight at her.

She ducked her head again at once.

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Snape stared at the small, helpless, pitiful-looking chick before him. Hah. What had he just called her? Small, pitiful, and helpless?

In the ten years since he had joined the staff at Hogwarts at twenty-one, he had seen students who were mischievous, arrogant, troublemaking, brazen, or just a little too clever. But never before had he seen all those qualities fit together so perfectly in one person.

Nor had he ever seen anyone go after the classroom curtains.

He needed a good look at what sort of walking, talking trouble machine she was.

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Even with her eyes closed, Eliana could feel his gaze traveling over her inch by inch. It made her skin crawl.

At last, she could not stand it anymore. She steeled herself, squeezed her eyes shut, then raised her head again and met Snape's gaze.

Whatever you're going to do to me, please just get it over with.

Perhaps her expression was too obvious. After a long silence, Snape finally frowned and asked, "What were you doing with the classroom curtains?"

Eliana, who had twisted the hem of her clothes into a wrinkled mess, froze.

"I wanted to make new clothes for the younger children," she answered honestly, though she did not understand why he was asking.

Snape's frown deepened. "I recall your file said you lived in a Muggle orphanage before coming to Hogwarts?"

"Yes." For the first time in front of Snape, Eliana felt terribly guilty. "I wanted to make clothes for the younger children there. I realize now that what I did was wrong..."

"But that should never have been your responsibility," Snape interrupted grimly. "Did the orphanage director force you to do it? Has she been pocketing the government funding meant for you?"

"Huh?"

"No, no, no. Susan hasn't pocketed anything. The government hasn't given us much these past few years, and there are so many children. Susan often spends her own wages on us."

Eliana realized what he meant and hurriedly shook her head. "Making them clothes was my idea. Susan didn't make me do it. When she found out what I'd done, she was furious and gave me a beating."

At that, she instinctively clutched her backside and sucked in a breath.

It had almost stopped hurting until I brought it up. Waaaah.

"Bring me the book on my windowsill."

Snape spoke so suddenly that Eliana was baffled. But she did not dare ask questions now. She obediently went to the windowsill.

It looked like an old book, with a worn black cover. Its edges seemed to have once been traced in gold, though most of it had flaked away.

Eliana did not dare inspect it further. Enduring the pain in her backside, she trotted over and handed it to Snape.

Snape casually took the book and set it aside. His gaze moved to her slightly limping steps, then to her cheeks, which twitched with pain.

Eliana managed a pitiful, ingratiating smile.

"Looks like you did learn a lesson," he said flatly, leaning back in his chair.

Eliana: QAQ

She looked at Snape pleadingly. "I really know I was wrong. I haven't used any of the fabric, and I washed it all. I'll bring it back when I return to school."

She pursed her lips and glanced at the Felix Felicis and the little money pouch in her hands. Gritting her teeth, she held out the pouch.

"I really know I was wrong, Professor. I—I deserve to be punished. This money, I... I'll give it back to you, waa—"

Her heart ached so much that the last syllable ended in a choked bray.

Snape raised an eyebrow and made as if to reach out.

Eliana: !!!

He's really, really taking it back?

Her fingers tightened around the little pouch before she could stop them.

Snape moved the book he had set aside to his other side.

Only then did Eliana realize what she had done. Her cheeks reddened, and she gritted her teeth and held the pouch farther out.

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"Take it back, Professor."

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"That's enough," Snape said lazily. "Keep it."

Eliana stole a hesitant but distinctly eager glance at him.

He seems to mean it.

She snatched her hand back in a flash.

Realizing how obvious that had been, she blushed and murmured, "Thank you, Professor. You're such a good person."

Snape's face went blank.

He did not think so.

He thought he must have committed countless sins in his past life and the first half of this one to have encountered such a creature.

"Ritchie, when you get back," he said with a cold smile, "you'll have detention until the end of January."

Eliana blinked and obediently agreed.

"Let's go."

Snape rose impatiently.

Eliana: ?

Snape's mouth turned down. "What? Does Miss Richie want to spend Christmas here with me?"

"Oh! Right." Eliana hurried over and grabbed Snape's arm. "Thank you, Professor! Just take me to Diagon Alley."

She felt the arm beneath her hands stiffen for a moment, as though its owner was unused to such close contact.

Pretending not to notice, she hugged his arm even tighter.

He's about to use Apparition. If I don't hold on tight, what if I end up in pieces?

If Professor Snape isn't comfortable with it, he'll just have to put up with it for a little while. I'd rather keep my arms and legs firmly attached to my body.

Eliana pondered this silently.

Suddenly, she looked up at Snape.

"Professor, could you come with me while I shop in Diagon Alley? I'm afraid I'll get robbed again."

"Am I your House-elf, Ritchie?!"

"Please, Professor Snape! I'm really scared of getting robbed again—if that happens, I won't want to live anymore."

Still clinging to Snape's arm, Eliana shook it back and forth.

A vein throbbed on Snape's forehead. "I would celebrate having one less menace in the world."

"Professor!!!"

(Wide-eyed pleading) (lunging at him) (squirming) (flailing)

"Stand still, Ritchie!" he snapped. "No more than fifteen minutes!"

"Thank you, Professor! Since you're on your own anyway, would you like to spend Christmas with us? What do you like to eat? I can buy some of that too!"

"Shut up!"