The Boy With Black Eyes

Christmas

The castle didn't get much quieter than it did on Christmas Eve. Anyone who'd wanted to go home had, and the early curfew imposed so house-elves and Saint Nicholas could work their magic, ensured most people were in bed at a reasonable hour. But not Melissa, who had brought Snape gingerbread cookies, special ordered from a small Muggle bakery in London, and not Snape, who had spent the better part of the evening hiding from the rest of the rather de-populated castle. He didn't even show up to the small dinner party McGonagall had thrown in the Great Hall. But when Melissa showed up to his office door, he opened it, and offered her a cup of hot cocoa that smelled of cinnamon and cloves and ginger. She'd gotten past the fear he was going to poison her about a week ago, when an incident in the lab occured and without even being asked, she jumped to his left elbow and aided him in containing the situation, handing over ingredients, stirring, lowering the flames.

Her bookmark had been moved past some fluff and filler in the journal, mostly Nox interacting with her study-buddy Remus, and complaining about end-of-the-term assignments, to the festivities within the last few days of term. Instead of sitting behind his desk, marking or writing, as he typically did, Snape picked up a book from one of the lower rows on the bookcase, and joined her by the fireside. He put slippered feet up on a footstool, and leaned back into a low-backed armchair, fire on his left side.

Before dipping into the leather-bound book, he made an absent gesture toward her throat. "Opal?"

Melissa's fingers rose to the pendant that hung off her neck, suspended on a silver chain. "Um...yeah. Early Christmas present from a friend."

A non-commital grunt, before dark eyes dipped down to the printed text.

She followed suit.

**********

"Nox!"

"What?!"

"I give up with the loose curls! Come do your updo magic!" With a sigh, half of her faux-bob up and the other half down, she tripped over Narcissa's heels into the bathroom they shared, and groaned. The back of her friend's head looked like a clown wig, while the front was pin straight.

"What did you even do?"

"I dunno... I read this in some magazine that I could use Sleakezy's to make curls look curlier and..."

"You used Sleakezy's - a straightening conditioner - to make curls?"

Narcissa blubbered gently, before dipping her head to mutter something into her chest. Melissa began to gather the frizzy bits of hair and twisting them into a chignon, which was beautifully thick, and braiding the super-straight peices of her brunette hair back into the gathered chignon, leaving a few shorter strands around her friend's heart-shaped face. The dress she was going to be wearing was a goddess-inspired dark green that showed off her pale, perfect, porcelain skin.

"There you go. Lucius isn't gonna know what hit him."

"Trust me, he'll know exactly what hit him, if I have anything to say about it."

Nox chuckled, and starting pinning up her faux bob once more, watching Narcissa enchant layers of makeup to her face. Narcissa was queen at that. Nox was good at changing her facial features with magic, but if you wanted a bright red lip that would not move until you got out the make-up wipes, despite who you kissed, or what you ate or drank, Narcissa was the gal. "You need the room empty tonight?"

"Nono, he has a room at The Three Broomsticks, and then I'll just apparate straight home from there. Mum gets fussy around the holiday season."

"Good. 'Cause last time you forgot the silencing charm."