Does the Professor Want to Spend Christmas With Us

Eliana flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and trembling like a chick, bracing herself for the impending storm.

One minute, two minutes...

...Was it not raining yet?

The little chick cautiously lifted its head, peeking through a sliver of an opening.

Her eyes met Professor Snape's, who was leaning forward to look at her.

She flinched again, lowering her head.

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Snape glared at the small, helpless, and pitiful chick before him. Ha, he thought, what was he just acting like? Helpless, pitiful, and weak?

It had been ten years since he began his tenure at Hogwarts at the age of twenty-one. He had seen his fair share of mischievous, arrogant, wicked, and audacious students with a bit of cunning, but this was the first time he had seen all these traits so seamlessly integrated into one person.

It was also the first time he had seen someone target the classroom curtains.

He needed to figure out what kind of automatic trouble-making machine this creature was.

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Even with her eyes closed, Eliana could feel his gaze inching over her, making her skin crawl.

She couldn't hold back any longer. With a surge of resolve, she closed her eyes again, then lifted her head, meeting Snape's gaze once more.

Just kill me or dismember me, give me a quick end.

Perhaps her expression was too obvious, because Snape remained silent for a long moment before finally frowning and asking, "What did you do with the classroom curtains?"

Eliana, nervously twisting the corner of her shirt into a crumpled mess, blinked in surprise.

"I... I wanted to make new clothes for my younger siblings," she answered honestly, though she didn't understand why he was asking.

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

"Yes," Eliana said, feeling unusually guilty in front of Snape for the first time. "I just wanted to make clothes for the children at the orphanage. I realize now that it was wrong..."

"But this shouldn't have been your concern," Snape interrupted her, his voice low. "Did the director of your orphanage force you to do this? Did she embezzle the government grants allocated to you?"

"Huh?"

"No, no, no! Susan didn't embezzle anything. The government grants haven't been very generous these past few years, and we have so many children. Susan even often used her own salary to help us."

Eliana suddenly understood and quickly shook her head. "I wanted to make clothes for them myself. Susan didn't force me. She was very angry when she found out what I did and gave me a beating."

As she spoke, she instinctively clutched her backside and gasped.

If I don't mention it, it's fine, but now that I'm talking about it, it hurts again, sob sob.

"Go get that book from my windowsill," Snape said suddenly.

Eliana was confused, but she didn't dare say anything more. She obediently walked towards the windowsill.

It looked like an old book, with a worn black cover that seemed to have once been trimmed with gold paint, though most of it had worn off.

Eliana didn't dare look too closely. Suppressing the pain in her backside, she ran and handed the book to Snape.

Snape casually took the book and set it aside. His gaze fell on her slightly limping gait, then on the muscles in Eliana's cheek that twitched with pain.

Eliana forced a pitiful, placating smile.

"It certainly looks like you've learned your lesson," he said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

Eliana: QAQ

She looked at Snape pitifully. "I really know I was wrong. I didn't even touch the fabric, and I washed it all. I'll take it back when I return to school."

She pouted, glancing at the Felix Felicis and the small coin purse in her hand. With a determined gulp, she offered the coin purse.

"I really know I was wrong, Professor. I... I deserve to be punished. This money, I... I'll return it to you, sob..."

She couldn't help but choke back a sob, her voice cracking into a pathetic whimper on the last syllable.

Snape raised an eyebrow and made a motion as if to take it.

Eliana: !!!

Is he really going to take it back?

Her claws instinctively tightened their grip on the small coin purse.

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

Only then did Eliana realize what she had done. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and with a determined gulp, she extended the coin purse in her hand a little further.

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"Professor, please take it back," she choked out.

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

Eliana glanced at Snape hesitantly, though she was clearly tempted.

It seemed to be true.

She quickly retracted her hand.

Realizing that she seemed a bit too obvious, she blushed slightly and whispered, "Thank you, Professor. You're a really good person."

Snape's expression immediately became blank.

He didn't think so.

He thought that he must have committed many sins in his past life and the first half of this one to be encountering such a creature now.

"Richie, after we get back," he said with a cold laugh, "your detention will last until the end of January next year."

Eliana blinked her eyes and obediently said, "Okay."

"Let's go."

Snape stood up impatiently.

Eliana: ?

Snape's lips turned down. "What, Miss Richie, do you want to spend Christmas with me?"

"Oh, oh, oh," Eliana realized and quickly ran up to grab Snape's arm. "Thank you, Professor! Just take me to Diagon Alley."

She felt the arm under her hand stiffen for a moment, as if its owner was not accustomed to such intimate contact.

She pretended to be oblivious and continued to hug his arm tighter.

Joking aside, I'm going to Apparate soon. What if I get split apart if I don't hold on tight?

If Professor Snape isn't used to it, he can just get used to it for a while. I'd rather my arms and legs stay firmly attached to my body.

Eliana thought silently.

Suddenly, she looked up sharply at Snape.

"Professor, when I'm shopping in Diagon Alley later, can you accompany me? I'm afraid I'll be robbed again."

"Am I your house-elf, Richie?!"

"Professor Snape, please, I'm really scared of being robbed again-- I wouldn't want to live."

Eliana casually hugged Snape's arm and swayed it back and forth.

The veins on Snape's forehead throbbed. "I am fortunate that there is one less menace in this world."

"Professor!!!"

(Eagerly) (Pounced forward) (Wriggled) (Flapped about)

"Stand still, Richie!" he reprimanded in a deep voice. "No more than fifteen minutes!"

"Thank you, Professor! Professor, since you're alone anyway, would you like to spend Christmas with us? What do you like to eat? I can buy some for you too?"

"Shut up!"

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