The Agreement

Although a roaring fire burned in the Slytherin common room deep beneath the lake, the basement, with fine droplets clinging to its stone walls, was still bitterly cold.

"This was the first Christmas I hadn't gone home. It was a special experience, I suppose."

Aber curled up in his chair, staring at the note on the gift box for quite a while before daring to wrap a long Fuzzy-wuzzy around his neck. It was Pandora's Christmas present to him.

The Fuzzy-wuzzy was covered in bright, flame-colored fur that felt soft and silky. It was especially docile at the moment, lying obediently around Aber's neck like an elongated miniature kneazle.

"Oh~" Aber let out a blissful groan. "Good heavens, it even gives off heat. This is amazing! Maybe I could get some to sell in my family's shop. It would definitely sell well..."

As if sensing Aber's satisfaction, the Fuzzy-wuzzy softly hummed a strange little tune as well.

But the previously quiet Fuzzy-wuzzy suddenly raised its head and stuck out a long, thin pink tongue, which slipped straight into Aber's nostril like a snake.

"Ugh—" Aber nearly lost his breath from the shock. He instinctively yanked the Fuzzy-wuzzy off, his face full of astonishment and confusion. "Bloody hell, what was it trying to do...?"

"No—" Once Aber saw what was on the Fuzzy-wuzzy's tongue, he screamed in horror, "Bleurgh—"

But it was too late. The Fuzzy-wuzzy had already pulled its tongue into its own mouth and decisively swallowed Aber's dried booger.

"Wasn't it only supposed to do that while I was asleep?" Aber looked at the Fuzzy-wuzzy curled into a ball on the armchair with utter disgust. "At least then, what I didn't see wouldn't bother me, right?"

"You did learn quite a bit in Care of Magical Creatures," Snape said lazily as he used his Wand to pour himself a cup of hot tea. He took a comfortable sip, looking thoroughly at ease. "Why do you think I didn't receive one of those?"

"It ate yours too?" Aber asked in stunned disbelief, his eyes round as saucers. "No way?"

"Ugh—could you not make it sound so disgusting?" Snape replied disdainfully. "This one was newly bred!"

"All right, all right." Aber rubbed his hands helplessly as he picked up the Fuzzy-wuzzy and put it back around his neck. "Anyway, it came from me... As long as I don't take it outside... little one, just stay in the dorm and behave..."

A huge pile of presents sat before both of them, waiting to be unwrapped.

Snape had even received a thick, hand-knitted bright green sweater from Mrs. Weasley, along with a large box of homemade Fudge.

Naturally, Snape had also carefully chosen gifts for the three Weasley children.

He sent a Honeydukes Christmas candy hamper, two toy flying brooms, and a copy of How Prefects Gain Power, specifically for Percy, to The Burrow.

On the day after Christmas, Snape borrowed the fireplace in the Headmaster's office from Dumbledore. Although he had not gone home for Christmas, Eileen had written to tell him that she was waiting for him to return home for his birthday.

Snape stepped into the emerald-green flames and called, "Ottery St Catchpole!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the flames surrounded him. As he spun at high speed, he caught blurred glimpses of Wizard rooms, but they flashed past before he could see them clearly. Then his spinning slowed, and he came to a neat stop in the fireplace of the village post office.

The houses in Ottery St Catchpole were scattered in orderly fashion, while rolling hills lay blanketed in snow, and thin smoke drifted from the chimneys of every home.

Snape looked toward his house and saw that the hedge around the garden had grown thick and lush, like a green barrier.

The Garden Gnomes shouldn't be able to sneak in so easily anymore, he thought.

Eileen had known he would be returning that day. She was already bustling about in the kitchen with an apron tied around her waist, preparing a lavish dinner.

On January ninth, just as dawn was breaking, Snape was awakened by a flock of owls chattering as they delivered a mountain of gifts.

"Happy seventeenth birthday, Sevy." Eileen stood before the frying pan, working as she spoke to him gently.

Eileen's gift was sitting on the table. Inside was an exquisite silver watch, its face decorated with a white cloud through which several little birds flew in and out.

It was a tradition for a Wizard's relatives to give him a watch when he came of age.

Aber's large parcel contained an entire set of twelve books from the Bewitching Witches series. In a world where magic could solve everything from lighting fires to going to the toilet, Snape could not figure out what practical use those books could possibly have.

As for the homemade magical razor Pandora had given him, he had no intention of using it either. After all, no one would think putting such an unreliable-looking razor against their face and neck was a wise choice.

And so, Snape spent several lazy days at home, doing nothing but eating whenever food was brought to him.

During that time, he also happily waved his Wand and thoroughly plowed the garden, flinging all those irritating little gnomes down the hillside in one go.

Of course, under Eileen's stern orders, he had no choice but to obediently turn the chairs he had transformed into hunting dogs back into chairs.

Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was time to return to school. The new term was about to begin, and Snape had no choice but to leave the warm little house, brave the bitter cold down the mountain, and travel to Hogwarts through the post office.

"Good evening, Professor." Snape climbed steadily out of the fireplace.

Dumbledore was seated at his desk, where several balls of yarn lay scattered. He held two long knitting needles and stared intently at several Muggle magazines spread open before him.

Hearing the sound, he raised his head with a kindly smile. "Good evening, Severus. Happy birthday."

"Thank you, Professor." Snape brushed the soot from his clothes and used magic to clean the carpet spotless. "What did you decide about what I told you before I left?"

Dumbledore looked at Snape very seriously for a while before saying solemnly, "I think so, Severus. You have earned that right—or rather, that responsibility."

"Very well, Professor. It's a deal," Snape said calmly. "I will be ready at any time. When you leave the school, I'll go with you to find them."

After leaving the Headmaster's office, Snape unconsciously walked over to the window and gazed into the distance.

The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon, dyeing the sky orange-red. The snow on the grounds was even deeper than that on the hills of Ottery St Catchpole.

In the distance, Hagrid stood at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, carefully feeding a group of Hippogriffs.

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