25. Chapter 25

A/N: It was never my intention to get chapter 25 to be the Christmas chapter but I must admit that it's a happy coincidence nonetheless! Please enjoy.

Chapter 25

Harry found himself in the kitchen, adding milk to the pudding mixture as he whisked them into a cohesive blend. Zippy was off somewhere pouting but Harry was not to be deterred.

"I still don't understand why you're doing this," Draco said as he dipped a finger into the dark rum. "Isn't this exactly what a house-elf is for?"

"This is part of Christmas," Harry said importantly, "You need to make your own Christmas pudding."

"Says who?" Draco asked incredulously.

"It's tradition!" Harry pointed out.

"Perhaps it is in the muggle world," Draco said, "But in the wizarding world, we don't make our own pudding."

"Yes you do," Harry snorted, "Only the very wealthy don't. So I suppose it's no wonder that you've never touched a whisk in your life."

"And I could go my whole life without ever doing so," Draco replied.

"Just give it a try," Harry urged, "I promise you that it will taste so much better when you made it yourself."

"That doesn't make any sense, though," Draco said thoughtfully, "What part of the process would make it taste better? What can we do that a house-elf can't?"

"Ah, muggles would say that we add a bit of love to the recipe."

The snort that escaped Snape could be heard coming from the living room.

"Oh, would you put a sock in it?" Harry said loudly.

Draco laughed loudly. "See? Even your father doesn't agree. Can't you just leave the rest up to Zippy and come play a game with me?"

"This doesn't take long at all," Harry said, "Why don't you mix the fruits; sugar and liquor?"

"Because I don't want to," Draco said evenly.

"Come on," Harry urged, "You can make a wish as you stir it!"

"And muggles really believe such a wish would come true?" Draco asked incredulously, though he still started mixing the fruits.

"Not really, no," Harry admitted, "But it's a nice thought, nonetheless."

"If you say so," Draco said as he kept stirring. "You know, this sort of reminds me of Potions class."

"It's very alike," Harry said, "If you can brew a wiggenweld potion, you can make a Christmas pudding. All you have to do is follow the recipe."

"Will it explode if I add the wrong ingredient?" Draco asked.

Harry chuckled. "No, don't be daft. You could burn it if you raise the temperature of the fire too high, though."

"I'll leave that up to you then," Draco said.

"Dad!" Harry called out. He was still getting used to calling Snape that but he found that the more often he did, the easier it became. Draco flashed him a half-smirk as he did which Harry could only take as approval.

Harry had also noticed that – for now – the use of the word 'dad' made Snape spring into action immediately. He wondered how long that would last.

As he had suspected, Snape walked into the kitchen, eyeing Harry's mixture critically. "Yes?" he asked.

"Could you stir the fruits for a few seconds," Harry asked sweetly, "And make a wish while you do."

"Why?" Snape asked icily.

Harry sighed in exasperation. "For magical folks, you two really have no respect for all things that make Christmas truly magical."

"That's probably because we can actually use magic," Snape said. As if to demonstrate, he raised his wand, flicked it, and made the stirrer stir by itself.

"I don't think that counts," Harry said, though he wasn't sure of that himself. "Just stir it by hand for a few seconds. Please?"

With a suffering sigh, Snape grabbed the stirrer, mixed the fruits for a few seconds and handed it back to Draco. "Satisfied?" he asked.

Harry grinned broadly. "Absolutely. You can go back to whatever it is you were doing."

Snape didn't dawdle and went back to the sitting room. He was no doubt still working on deciphering that text that the Weasley twins had liberated for him.

"Allow me to stir it for a moment," Harry said, grabbing the bowl from Draco. The blonde relented easily and watched as Harry mixed the fruits, a dumb smile on his face.

"You baffle me sometimes," Draco said.

"Hm?" Harry reacted absentmindedly.

"First of all, I can't believe the saviour of the wizarding world is making his own Christmas pudding," Draco pointed out. "And second of all, I can't get over the fact that doing menial labour such as this makes you happy."

"I doubt you'd understand," Harry replied.

"Try me," Draco urged.

"Well, it's just that –" Harry sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. "- I was never allowed to be part of any Christmas traditions when I still lived with the Dursleys and – well – something happened recently that got me thinking about that all over again."

Draco raised a curious eyebrow. "Why wouldn't they let you join them?"

Harry suddenly realized that he had never really told Draco about his life with the Dursleys and was now resisting the strong urge to bang his head against the wall.

"Harry?"

"Could you check the recipe for me?" Harry asked, "How long did the pudding have to cook?"

"Five to six hours," Draco replied evenly as he eyed Harry curiously.

"Right," Harry replied cheerfully, "Pass me the foil, will you?"

Draco sighed. "As you wish, Harry."

While the pudding simmered on a low fire, Harry took Draco to go sledging. Snape had warned them not to go too far and had explicitly forbidden them from treading on the ice.

"If I catch you so much as stepping foot on that ice, I will divide all of your Christmas presents among the needy orphans," he had said. Neither boy had taken great consideration into his words but they weren't really planning on skating anyway.

"I know a good hill not far from here," Harry said. He was pulling the sledge along the snow. Draco had taken a seat on top of it, leisurely eyeing the surrounding landscape.

"You're not really helping, you know," Harry pointed out.

"A smarter wizard would simply use magic," Draco retorted.

"Have you completely forgotten that this is a muggle neighbourhood?" Harry asked, "If anyone should see you using magic, you could get arrested."

"So be subtle about it," Draco said. He went to lay flat on his belly as the sledge kept moving along, Harry pulling the rope dutifully. Draco whispered an incantation and suddenly, the sledge felt a lot lighter and easier to move.

Harry threw Draco an exasperated glare. "Draco," he snarled, "What did I just say?"

"You didn't even notice me doing anything," Draco chuckled, "And neither did any muggle. Sometimes, you just need to be a bit more Slytherin about things."

Harry rolled his eyes but decided to let it slide. Quite literally.

"There it is!" Harry exclaimed, pointing at a rather steep hill. Underneath the heaps of snow lay a dead-end street, Harry knew, that led to an abandoned manor. No one ever went up there anymore. That is to say, Harry had investigated it at some point but there was nothing to be seen in there. It had probably once belonged to the owner of the factories here before they all went out of business.

"Well?" Harry asked, "Looks like fun, doesn't it?"

"Harry," Draco said doubtfully, "We fly broomsticks for fun. You can't possibly tell me that this sledge of yours can go faster or higher than your Firebolt."

"It can't," Harry agreed, "But this sledge is so much easier to mount with the both of us. Now get off, I'm not dragging you up that hill. Featherlight charm or not."

"Fine," Draco groaned, "But I'm not pulling that thing."

"Just come along," Harry urged as he began walking up the hill, dragging the wooden sledge behind him. The crunching of the snow told him that Draco was only a few steps behind him.

"Okay," Harry said as they reached the hill, "Do you want to be in the front or back?"

"I suppose I'll take the front," Draco said proudly as he took his seat.

"Alright," Harry said, "But that means you have to watch out for obstacles and steer accordingly."

"And how do you steer this thing?" Draco asked.

Harry laughed. "I have absolutely no idea!"

"Oh, that's quite reassuring," Draco said, but he laughed and sat down nonetheless. "If I break an arm, I'm holding you accountable, Potter."

"Don't worry," Harry said as he took his seat behind Draco. "I know how to brew skele-gro now."

"In that case, let us be off!" Draco said valiantly as he used his feet to get the sledge moving. Harry did the same until the wooden contraption gained enough speed to move on its own and down the steep hill they went.

Perhaps it was not quite as spectacular as riding a broom but both boys laughed heartily on their way down as the snow caught in their path was thrown upwards and into their faces and hair. The ride down was over far too quickly and ended without incident.

"That was fun," Draco admitted.

"It's much more fun with a friend than going alone," Harry added sheepishly, "Want to go again?"

"Okay, but this time, let's try to go faster," Draco said.

In a few hours' time, the pair made up of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin had made their way down that same hill dozens of times. Near the end, most of the snow had been cleared by their glorious escapade and so they were forced to either stop or magically reapply the snow to the hill. They were discussing the pro's and cons of using magic when a very familiar muggle approached them, catching Harry from behind with a snowball.

"Hey!" Harry protested. He turned around and grinned when he caught sight of Alex. "Oh, you'll pay for that!" he said. He looked around mischievously and when he was sure that no one else was around, he swished his wand as subtly as he could and assaulted Alex with two dozen snowballs. Draco watched the onslaught with a mixture of shock and amusement.

"Harry!" Draco exclaimed when Alex went down and faked his own death. "After all your goody-two-shoes logic, you go and assault a muggle with magic?"

"Oh, it hurts," Alex groaned ridiculously, "I have been slain. The great Harry Potter slew me." He writhed in the snow and stretched out a hand towards the sky. "Remember me not for how I died, but for how I lived," he croaked. And then, his hand dropped into the snow, and Alex' eyes closed.

Harry laughed maniacally as he went to stand over Alex' 'dead body'. "Ah, Alexander. With you gone, there is no one left to protect Spinner's end from my wrath!" he said dramatically. Draco looked at him as if he had gone insane. "Let this be a reminder that a muggle can never stand up to a wizard!"

"We'll see about that!" Alex said as his eyes suddenly opened. He sprang up from the ground and tackled Harry, dropping him into a mound of snow.

"Yes!" Alex exclaimed, raising both of his hands to the sky, "Muggles rule! Wizards drool!"

"We must certainly do not," Draco snarled, "Harry, what is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, sorry Draco," Harry said sheepishly as he got up from the ground. He patted down his pants to remove the snow and joined Draco again. "I got a bit carried away, I suppose. This is Alex. Alex, this is Draco."

Draco narrowed his eyes at Alex as the man extended his hands towards him.

"He's a muggle," Draco stated, "And he knows about us?"

"He's a licensed observer," Harry explained, "So yes, he does. He even gives tour guides around here for wizards and witches."

"You're supposed to shake it," Alex said, his hand still extended. "It's a muggle custom."

"I'm not an idiot," Draco snarled, "I know how shaking hands works. I simply choose not to."

"Suit yourself," Alex said, completely undeterred.

"Draco, you're being rude," Harry said, "Alex is a good friend of Severus and I. He deserves your respect."

"Hold on", Draco said, "Are you telling me that this muggle –" he pointed rudely at Alex, "- is friends with Severus? Severus Snape?"

"The very same," Alex replied before Harry could, "Why do you think he lives in this town? It's to stay close to me!"

Draco scoffed and Harry snorted. "He's a bit eccentric –" "Excuse me?" Alex interrupted, "- But he's one of the best men I know. I ask of you to be nice."

Draco looked at Harry incredulously, sighed deeply and finally extended his own hand to Alex. "I'm Draco Malfoy," Draco said through gritted teeth, "I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

Alex took his hand in a firm grip and shook vigorously. "Proper posh boy, aren't you?" he said happily, "We don't see many of your kind around these parts."

"Well now I feel offended," Harry said mockingly, "Are you telling me that I'm not proper?"

"You fell into the river the first time we met," Alex pointed out, "And you angered Severus every step of the way! You are not at all proper."

Harry shrugged. "Point taken."

"So, how is that potion coming along, if I may ask?" Alex asked.

"Ah, so you're the muggle that wants to fly," Draco interjected, "Are you sure you could handle the altitude? If you fall, you could break something."

"Nothing Harry or Severus couldn't fix, I'd wager," Alex sad easily, "And if you're implying that I'm scared of heights, I'm not."

"I wish you could come to Hogwarts at some point," Harry said, "To watch me play Quidditch."

"Please," Draco said, "The next match is against Slytherin and you know we'll win this year."

"And what makes you so sure of that?" Harry asked.

"You're far too distracted this year," Draco said happily, "I suspect that even in the middle of a game, you'll still be thinking of bicorn horns and flobberworms."

"Even if that were to be true, I would still beat you any day," Harry retorted. He grinned cheekily when his eyes met Alex' again. "Come on, ask Dumbledore next time he's here."

"Who's Dumbledore?" Alex asked seriously.

"Albus," Harry pointed out, "What, he's never formally introduced himself?"

"He's a peculiar man," Alex said, "I doubt he does anything properly, unlike young Draco here." Draco snorted in response.

"And why would I have to ask him, anyway?" Alex added as an afterthought.

'He's the headmaster of Hogwarts," Harry said.

"Ah," Alex responded, "He does look like a magical headmaster. Okay, I'll do that."

"Are you sure you want to invite a muggle into Hogwarts?" Draco asked, "The excitement might just kill him." Draco did not sound at all as if he would mind that prospect.

"If he can handle Diagon Alley on a regular basis, I'm sure he can handle Hogwarts," Harry supplied.

"He what?" Draco asked loudly, "Harry, what kind of muggle is this even?"

"The kind that is very much mixed up in our world," Harry replied, "You might even consider him a squib."

"I'll pretend that that's a compliment," Alex said evenly.

Draco snorted again but didn't challenge Alex' assessment. Instead, he decided to satisfy his own curiosity. "So, what was this about Harry falling into the river?"

"Ah, young one, that is indeed a marvellous tale," Alex said. Harry groaned but said nothing.

"It was a hot summer's day and I was sitting on the riverbank, fighting a right monster of a fish. Proper Leviathan, that." Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile.

"After I caught it, I see Harry standing there, clearly in awe as he gazed upon my herculean body and handsome smoulder."

Harry choked on a laugh and even Draco was showing a wide grin.

"He had just seen me struggle with the aforementioned beast and – as impressed as he was – practically begged me to take him on as my apprentice."

"Oh boy," Harry muttered but Draco shushed him.

"Being as magnanimous as I am, I agreed to teach him all I know," Alex continued, "so I gave him one of my rods and taught him the basics. He fell in love with the craft immediately and what do you know, soon a fish took the bait."

"Did he catch it?" Draco asked.

"Alas," Alex said sadly, "The fish fought bravely and Harry simply lacked experience. He tried to the best of his abilities but the fish simply dragged him into the river and would have drowned the poor lad had he not let go of the fishing rod. But, -" Alex added darkly, " - that was not the end of his struggles."

"What happened?" Draco asked curiously, no longer deterred by the fact that he was talking to a muggle.

"Well," Alex said, "That was the moment Severus arrived at the river. There was fire in his eyes and an aura of darkness that promised nothing but pain and death."

Harry snorted and Draco chuckled.

"He dragged Harry out of the river and hauled him onto his shoulder before strutting back to his house. It was tragic. It was the last I've ever seen of poor Harry. He's probably locked in his dungeons somewhere."

"Er… Alex," Harry said.

"Oh, Harry, it's so sad," Alex said gravely, "What has become of you?"

"Is he all there?" Draco asked, raising a sardonic eyebrow, much like Snape would.

"He likes to embellish a lot," Harry sighed.

"Ah, but I know that you love to listen to my embellishments," Alex pointed out, "And don't you dare deny it."

"I must admit," Draco said, "That was rather amusing."

"Thank you for your consideration," Alex said solemnly. Harry just shook his head.

When darkness had set, Draco and Harry had gone back to the house, shivering madly as they were greeted by the pleasant warmth of the hearth.

"You've been gone for a while," Snape noted as they walked in, stomping their boots on the welcome mat to get rid of the snow.

"It was too much fun to stop," Harry said honestly.

"We met the muggle named Alex," Draco said.

Snape eyed him curiously. "And what is your opinion of Alexander?"

"He's hilarious," Draco admitted, "It's a shame that he's not a wizard, really."

"Imagine that," Snape said, "There would be no escaping him if he were."

"He said he's your friend," Draco pointed out, "He lied, didn't he?"

Snape stared at Draco for a few long seconds before smirking and turning on his heel. "I would imagine that you've worked up quite an appetite. What say you we get started on dinner?"

"Thank Merlin," Harry said gratefully, "I'm starving!"

Dinner was a rather rambunctious affair during which Harry and Draco discussed many things from Quidditch to their N.E.W.T.'s and the girls that walked the halls of Hogwarts. Snape rarely contributed to the conversation except to provide the occasional snarky jibe or sardonic comment.

Eager for Christmas the next morning, Draco and Harry both turned in early. Draco slept on a spare mattress with blankets and a comforter piled on top of him to protect him from the cold. Neither boy had the intention to fool around when they were supposed to sleep because even Harry didn't know what sort of secret potions Snape had hidden away to test on misbehaving young-adults.

When Harry opened his eyes the next morning, it took him a while to register that it was, in fact, Christmas morning. Grinning broadly, he rose swiftly and was about to shake Draco awake when he noticed that the blonde was already gone. His comforter lay folded neatly in a corner with his blanket and pillow on top of it.

Slightly peeved that the sneaky Slytherin did not wake him up, he crept down the stairs. Years of practice enabled him to not make a single sound as he moved. If Draco thought he could get away with leaving Harry to lie in on Christmas morning, he had another thing coming.

Harry snuck towards the open door and was about to loudly announce his presence when he heard Draco and Snape talking softy.

" – Are you coping, Draco?"

Harry heard Draco chuckle softly. But the sound was bitter rather than amused.

"As well as could be expected, I would think," Draco replied, "But it's –" he exhaled sharply, "- It's hard, Severus."

Harry became aware of the sound of shuffling and peered around the corner to find himself staring at the back of his two most loved Slytherins. Snape had draped an arm around Draco but the blonde sat stiffly as he stared into the fire. Harry felt a pang of guilt for observing the scene in front of him but found it hard to stop seeing how he had already made the transgression.

"I understand how hard this must be for you Draco," Snape said soothingly, "If there's anything I can do -"

You've already done plenty," Draco said, "You have no idea how it felt to be invited for Christmas." Harry thought he could hear Draco's voice crack and felt his own heart break. "For the most part, Slytherin shuns me and it's not as if any of the other houses readily accept Slytherin outcasts."

Harry could see Draco lean into Snape's embrace this time.

Another bitter chuckle escaped Draco's lips. "Except for the golden trio, of course."

Snape sighed deeply. "Those three do seem to be rather close to you these days."

"They trust far too easily," Draco said, but there was clear gratitude in his voice. "I can't believe I ever acted the way I did towards them."

"We have both made plenty of mistakes in that regard," Snape pointed out, "But Harry has always been quick to forgive."

"He's a lousy Slytherin though," Draco chuckled. This time, the sound was genuine.

"I should say so," Snape growled, "Harry, would you stop skulking around and come over here?"

Harry flushed when he realized he got caught and sheepishly shuffled inside. "What can I say?" he said, "Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor."

"You're such a prat!" Draco accused as he tossed a throw pillow in Harry's general direction. He snatched it out of the air as it approached and put it in its rightful place as he plopped down next to Draco.

"There's a pot of hot chocolate in the kitchen," Snape said, "Would you like some?"

Harry – who noticed that both Snape and Draco already had their own mug – nodded vigorously and Snape disappeared into the kitchen while Harry settled next to Draco. Almost unconsciously, he slinked an arm behind Draco's shoulders in comfort and pulled him closer. Draco allowed it.

"Happy Christmas," Harry said.

"Happy Christmas," Draco replied.

"How long have you been up?" Harry asked.

"About an hour, I think," Draco guessed.

"You could've woken me up, you know," Harry growled in mock annoyance.

Draco snorted. "Even I don't have to heart to wake up someone who curls like a kitten."

"I do not!" Harry exclaimed in horror.

Draco shrugged, but not enough to loosen Harry's soothing embrace. "I may or may not have a picture as proof."

"I may not be a Slytherin but I assure you that Gryffindors are just as capable of taking revenge," Harry said casually, "Ah, thanks, Severus," he added as he accepted the mug of hot chocolate, releasing Draco as he did.

"I should probably punish you for eavesdropping," Snape said as he regarded Harry carefully.

"Or –" Harry said pointedly, "- If I might make a counter-argument, we should probably open up our presents now."

"I second that motion," Draco added playfully.

"When did I give you two the idea that this is a democracy?" Snape asked icily, "I rule this household as a firm dictator."

"Fine," Harry said, "Be that way. Say Draco –" he looked at him mischievously and whispered in his ear, "Do you know how to play the piano?"

Draco scoffed indignantly. "Of course I do, what did you expect?"

"Then come on!" Harry exclaimed as he rushed over to the piano stool. Draco walked leisurely behind him and went to sit next to the raven-haired boy.

"Alright," he said, stretching the word, "What do you want me to play? Chopin? Debussy?"

Snape was eyeing the both of them curiously as he sipped his own hot chocolate. Harry suspected that he had added a few shots of rum to the drink but didn't comment.

"How about the twelve days of Christmas?" Harry asked.

"That is far beneath me," Draco said haughtily, "But for you, my friend, I shall."

"I knew I could count on you, Draco," Harry said happily, clapping the boy on the back.

"And a one, and a two –"

Draco started playing the piano and Harry sang along.

"On the first day of Christmas, my teachers gave to me –"

Draco chimed in cleverly, "A headache caused by Occlumency!"

Harry chuckled, quickly grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment and picked right back in.

"On the second day of Christmas, my teachers gave to me –"

"Two lemon drops,"

Snape snorted audibly,

"And a headache caused by Occlumency."

Draco and Harry altered as they made up the next sentence for their original take on 'Twelve days of Christmas' until they ended up at five. Harry quickly scribbled something down and showed it to Draco. The blonde grinned and when the time was right they both dramatically sung at the top of their lungs:

"Five thousand points!"

Not even stopping once as they went, the boys came up with an abundance of Hogwartsian references as they continued blaring horribly off-key, their original intent of simply annoying Snape long since forgotten as they were having the time of their lives.

Finally, they came to the final chorus of their song as they went over each point on the list one more time, in not-so-perfect harmony.

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my teachers gave to me -
Twelve ghosts a haunting
Eleven feathers floating
Ten monsters prowling
Nine house-elves cooking
Eight wands a duelling
Seven cauldrons brewing
Six cats transforming
Five thousand points
Four Flobberworms
Three Firebolts
Two lemon drops
And a headache caused by Occlumency"

Both Draco and Harry lingered on that last note, Harry going up while Draco went down. With an exaggerated flourish, he hit the last key on the piano after which the boys turned and looked at Snape expectantly.

"You two are utterly ridiculous, do you know that?" Snape said as he calmly sipped his hot chocolate with rum.

"I thought we were rather ingenious," Draco commented, "Coming up with lyrics on the fly like that."

"Now, can we open our presents or should we continue singing?"

"While quite amusing," Snape replied with a wide smirk, "I do believe you've earned the right to open your presents now and I'd rather not sit through a rendition of 'Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, if I can help it."

Harry and Draco high-fived each other as they went to sit on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, beaming broadly whilst checking out their haul.

"Open mine first," Harry said eagerly as he handed Draco a small package. Draco smirked and accepted the present that was wrapped in green and silver. After unwrapping it carefully, he produced a round contraption of sorts that hung from an intricate-looking chain.

"What is it?" Draco asked as he eyed the item.

"It's a Swiss timepiece," Harry explained as he showed Draco how to open it.

Draco gasped as he looked at the clock inside of the timepiece, ticking away properly and extraordinarily correctly. "It's beautiful, but what is that material it's made out of?"

"Titanium," Harry supplied.

"So it's Goblin-made?" Draco asked.

"Of course not," Harry said, "It's muggle-made."

Draco snorted. "As if muggles could get titanium and use it to craft something as beautiful as this."

"You know, Draco," Snape chimed in, "Muggles have been able to mine titanium for almost as long as goblins have. And I assure you that the muggle world has masters of its own as you can see clearly by the creation in your hand."

"I see," Draco said softly as his eyes still widely looked at the timepiece. "It's beautiful, Harry. Thank you. I might even wear it sometimes."

Harry grinned. "You are very welcome, Draco."

"My turn," Snape said as he levitated one of the gifts towards Harry. "Here you are."

Harry did not show the same decorum as Snape and Draco did and quickly tore through the paper that stood between him and his present. When the malicious paper was finally vanquished, Harry laid eyes on a beautiful golden potion knife that came in a delicately adorned box.

"Wow," he said, "It's beautiful."

"It's also an artefact," Snape added, "It's self-cleaning and will cut whatever you're cutting exactly as you would wish it. I expected it might come in handy."

"This is amazing!" Harry said, "Thank you so much, dad."

"You are very welcome," Snape said easily as he smiled ever so slightly.

From Ron and Hermione, Harry received the usual abundance of sweets and books and from Mrs Weasley, he received his traditional Christmas jumper as did Snape. Strangely enough, the Weasley matriarch had also knit one for Draco.

"Look at that!" Harry said, "She already thinks you part of the family."

Draco looked at the green jumper with a grey D knitted in the middle and smiled slightly. "She really shouldn't have."

"Oh, you just try and stop her," Harry said, "But spoiler alert. You can't."

"I'll be sure to send her a thank-you note," Draco said dutifully and much to Harry's surprise, Draco actually pulled the sweater on. Harry did the same but Snape folded his neatly and put it aside.

"Well that's odd," Harry said suddenly, "I got a gift from Luna."

Draco grinned widely, "Oooh, what did she send you?"

Harry opened the box and stared at a supply of dirigible plums. He smiled slightly as he thought of the same plums she used as earrings.

"Interesting," Snape said as he spotted the fruits. "These enhance the ability to accept the extraordinary."

"Oh!" Harry said, "Do you think I could –"

"Use them for Alex' potion," Snape completed, "Yes, I do."

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed, "She must be psychic."

"Or just random," Draco added.

"It is kind of her to think of you in any case," Snape said, "Make sure to thank her properly next time you meet."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Of course, I will," he said, "You don't need to remind me of the proper etiquette. Now open my gift to you, would you? It's no magical dagger, though."

Snape opened the box Harry handed to him to reveal a large collection of music sheets.

"I noticed that you know how to play the piano," Harry said, "But you don't have any sheet music so you never actually play anything concrete. There's both muggle and magical music in there."

"Thank you, Harry," Snape said as he leafed through the sheet music, "I'll be sure to put these to good use."

"And look," Harry said slyly, "Looks like you got one more present."

"Hm?" Snape responded, "From whom?"

Harry wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "It says here it's from Maya Bell."

"Oh Merlin," Snape sighed, "Set it down. It might explode or something."

"So check it," Harry said, "But do open it."

"Alright," Snape said, "But stand back."

Never one to be taken off guard, Snape performed a series of detection charms on the small box to verify if it was safe. It took him about ten minutes to be satisfied, but eventually, he opened the box to reveal a book.

'Cryptography and its applications throughout History', it read. A bookmark was stuck between the pages and Snape opened it to reveal a section on the very same encryption method that had been used on the text he was trying to decipher at that point.

"Well well, wonders never cease," he said softly, "This will make my life a lot easier."

"She actually managed to give you a book you haven't read yet?" Harry asked incredulously as he saw Snape's happy expression.

"Indeed," Snape replied, "This is a very rare book. I didn't think I would be able to get my hands on one in this lifetime."

"Looks like there's more than one of us that will need to express our gratitude," Harry teased.

"It would appear so."

"Harry, I still have something for you," Draco said suddenly, "Don't think I've forgotten about you."

Curiously, Harry accepted the package Draco carefully handed to him and made sure to unpack it equally carefully. When he opened the box, it was Snape that reacted first with a sharp intake of breath. It took Harry a tad longer to realize what he was looking at. It seemed to be the recipe for Polyjuice potion but with remarks added all across the recipe going on for several pages.

"It's Arconus Fecklebright's memoir for the Polyjuice Potion," Draco explained.

Harry stared at the pages in awe. This was far more than just the recipe. These pages held all the thoughts and methods the inventor of the potion had used and had as he created the potion. With these notes, he could find out the reasoning behind every step. He could find the method to the madness so to speak.

"Draco," Harry said, "This must be worth a fortune!"

Snape scoffed. "A fortune?" he sneered, "This is worth fortunes upon fortunes. I have asked Lucius to be allowed to take a look at these memoirs for years now. But he would never allow me to."

Harry – who understood the full magnitude of the gift he had just received – surprised Draco with an impromptu hug. "Thank you so much," he said.

"You're welcome," Draco said awkwardly, "Just make sure you put it to good use. It serves no purpose, wasting away in someone's vault."

"Well said," Snape said in agreement, a devilish sparkle in his eyes. He was probably looking forward to perusing the pages himself. Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the man's eagerness.

"There is just one present left," Snape said as he rose from his seat. Harry flattened himself on the ground to peer underneath the Christmas tree but saw nothing.

"No there isn't," he said.

Snape sighed and said: "Just wait here," as he walked to his laboratory. Harry locked eyes with Draco but just shrugged.

A few minutes later, Snape remerged and handed Draco a vial. "Add a few drops of these to your mother's tea every morning," he said gently, "And let me know the result."

Harry frowned as he saw Draco gratefully take the potion, his eyes locking onto Snape's momentarily before putting it away. Harry knew that he should probably not pry.

"So," he said instead, "Who wants Christmas pudding?"

This chapter turned out to be much longer than I initially envisioned but I had so much fun with it. I hope you all laughed; perhaps cried for Draco a little bit? Please do tell me what you thought. It would make this St. Nicholas' day extra special! (Yes, the 6th of December is special here in Belgium).

So please review! And as I have done these last couple of weeks, I'm going to skip the weekend and update on Monday. See you then!