Dear Severus Snape (Snarry Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty

Note: Ahhhhh I'm so excited and nervous for this chapter! I think I rewrote it about 5 times. Hope you like it, it picks up where last chapter left off.

"I don't understand why you're so excited about this, Potter. It's just a calming draught."

Harry glanced up at Snape, a large grin plastered onto his face.

"It's not just the calming draught. It's the fact that you even thought to give me a present. You should've known I'd be excited to use it."

Snape exhaled a long breath, shaking his head ever so slightly. Of course he should have known. This was Harry Potter they were talking about, after all. The boy-who-lived. The boy who always did the unexpected.

"I did not expect....this particular...reaction to the gift." He explained slowly.

Harry shrugged.

"What did you expect then? Did you think that I'd be annoyed? Or Offended?"

Snape snorted. He had certainly been aiming for an offended reaction. Pity that Potter seemed to actually enjoy his gift.

"I'm not quite sure what I had expected, but it was definitely not....this." He gestured around the basement they currently stood in.

Harry began laying out his Potions equipment, chewing on his lip while he pondered Snape's words.

"Well, I think it's kind of nice."

Despite his best intentions to keep a straight face, Snape felt his eyebrows raise ever so slightly in surprise. Nice? Harry thought this was nice?

"I'm afraid that you will have to explain yourself, Mr. Potter, as I am not as cheerily optimistic as you are. I fail to see how the situation at hand is...nice."

Harry placed the Potions ingredients he was holding onto his desk, and cautiously leaned against the lab counter so he could face Snape.

"You don't think it's kind of nice? I mean, I know you hate me and all, but it's just....refreshing, you know?"

Snape frowned.

"I fail to see your logic."

Harry let out a frustrated sigh.

"Okay, let me explain it a little more clearly. I've never really had a real Christmas before. This is the first Christmas that I've had where I didn't have to worry that a mad man was going to attack me. I was able to do whatever I wanted today, and I've never been able to do that before. I mean, I would've never imagined I'd be spending my first real Christmas night with you, but I honestly don't mind that much."

"What a touching speech that was, Potter. Do you wish to drone on about your miserable life longer, or would you like to start brewing the potion at hand?"

Harry's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah. Fine. I didn't expect you to understand anyway."

Snape did not allow any sign of emotion grace his face.

He did understand, and that was the problem. The last thing he wanted was to start relating to the Potter brat. But he did understand, all too well really. He had spent his fair share of christmases with hoards of death eaters, or with his godforsaken, miserable family. Yes, his past christmases had been fairly underwhelming, to say the least, but he refused to view this one as different.