Harry's sister

chapter twenty-nine

harry's foul mood only made my holiday depression worse, again i was barely eating enough to survive and it seemed to be worrying draco, snape, my secret admirer and Hagrid more then anyone else. everyone was rushing to get seats on the hogwarts express so I figured I'd be spending the holidays with only George, Fred, Levi, Draco and his friends since I owed him for helping me. I would have spent it with Hermione as well but her and Ron seemed to be avoiding me since Harry's fowl mood began. Though that did bother me, i'd come to realize Harry needed to learn how to take care of himself. I couldn't baby him for the rest of his life and i was glad he had friends like ron and harmione who would be there for him no matter what.

Soon Christmas morning had arrived and i'd woken up far before everyone else because of a nightmare. i sat up seeing the sun was only just beginning to rise. just like last year a spike of panic was the first thing i felt as i noticed the small pile of presents at the end of my bed but i smiled as i calmed down and a warm feeling graced my heart at the realization that i never again had to worry about burning presents and abuse.

my smile only grew as i recognized the familiar sight of a present on top of the pile with a bouquet of flowers and a bright yellow ribbon around the box. this years bouquet was different from last years, it had an almond blossom, azalea, balloon flower, calla lily, cinquefoil and a milk vetch. i quickly got up and picked up the box but i noticed something different about this present. this one had a small note on it, i set it down again as i started feeling giddy and picked up the note, it had no name on it and the words surprised me. the note read:

For the next time you decide to take a nap in the halls, Merry Christmas Canis.

i couldn't help feeling like the handwriting was familiar. my first thought was my secret admirer so i got my book from my desk and took one of our last letters out of it. unfortunately the handwriting didn't match though that made sense, my secret admirer had given me a birthday present and it hadn't been wrapped with flowers or a bow. i frowned as i stared at the note, my presents forgotten trying to figure out why the writing was familiar.

i slightly jumped as i heard levi say "i could try and see if i recognize the scent of the person on the present if you want." he was curled up in a large arm chair in the corner of the room, a blanket draped over him. i smiled and said "no thank you levi i'm sure i can figure out who it is on my own." he nodded and curled back up, i put the note down and went back to the presents. i chuckled as i opened the gift from unknown to see it was a sleeping bag, the inside radiated heat so i knew it had been spelled.

i couldn't help thinking maybe snape was the one sending me the gifts with flowers, he'd always treated me differently then the other students and he'd been the one to leave my wand in the infirmary when i had hypothermia. he was also the head of slytherin house and the potions master, my first gift had been the snake and my third was a spelled potions book. the robes i'd gotten with my snake had also looked a lot like his. i picked up the bouquet and looked at it, one of the flowers catching my eye.

loving plants as much as i did, i knew almost all of the language of flowers and i knew that a cinquefoil meant beloved child, i was suddenly reminded of the times i'd tiredly called snape father and even admitted to thinking of him as a father. i looked at the other flowers, remembering what they meant in the language of flowers; hope, take care of yourself, endless love, magnificent beauty, your presence softens my pain. i blushed, all the other flowers would have been creepy if it weren't for the cinquefoil. that one flower changed the other meanings, at least it did for me, it painted the other flowers in a much more fatherly light.