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The Twelve Days of Secret Santa	By : CryingCinderella Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 32182 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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AN: So here goes nothing...

Dawn had arrived in Hermione’s chambers far too early. Having her quarters two floors below the base of Gryffindor tower meant windows; windows that allowed the sunlight to trace a direct path through the window and across her face in bed. It was going to be a long day, four classes, a meeting with Madam Pince, study hall duty, and she still had to find the time to sneak the headmaster’s gift into his office. With a yawn and a long stretch of her arms up over her head, Hermione climbed out of her bed and stumbled into the bathroom. A shower would get her on the right foot, and she’d follow that with several cups of coffee.

            Dressed and dried Hermione entered her study and nearly fell over. On the table next to the enchanted shrub sat a tiny package wrapped in brown paper. It was tied together with simple string. Someone had managed to enter her chambers while she had been in them. It was astounding and her mind whirred. The wards to her rooms were more complicated than most and surely it meant that her secret Santa was an accomplished charms master. She frowned as she turned the package over in her hands. No note from which to analyze handwriting. She closed her eyes trying to imagine Professor Flitwick sneaking into her rooms when it occurred to her that after returning to her chambers from her visit to the greenhouse, she had not remembered to ward her doors.

            Hermione sighed. Back to square one, it could still be anyone on her remaining list of faculty. Her fingers began to undo the string but she quickly sat the package down and thought better of it. She would deliver her present before indulging in the one sent to her. Picking up the shrub with care, Hermione summoned a large cloth and draped it over the plant so as not to be seen traversing with it through the corridors. Her mystery package would have to wait.

            Navigating her way through the corridors had not been easy. She kept encountering various faculty members and students who eyed her suspiciously. She did her best to nod or smile politely while continuing on her path, trying not to make it obvious that she was headed for the headmaster’s office. Hermione nearly blew her cover as she rounded the corner and saw Albus Dumbledore stepping out from behind the stone gargoyle. She flattened herself to the way and prayed silently that he would head down the corridor rather than up it toward her.

            As luck would have it he did just that and after a moment of holding her breath, Hermione peaked around the corner only to discover that the corridor was empty. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and then took quick steps to the statue. It only took her a dozen or so guesses to pick the correct muggle sweet before she was able to ascend the spiral staircase and place the shrub on his desk. She left the cloth over the plant and hastily made her exit. The stampeding heard of children in the corridor alerted her that it was breakfast time. Her mystery package from her secret Santa would have to wait until after her first two classes.

            She hadn’t mean to rush through breakfast, or her lecture on the finer points of muggle electronics; though the students hardly complained when she said their only assignments were to begin reading the chapter on muggle television broadcast. The thought of the package awaiting her in her study had her so excited that rather than head to the Great Hall for lunch she headed straight for her chambers.

            It was resting on her desk as she’d left it. The package was simple, square with rounded edges. She turned it over in her hands several times before placing it once more on the desk and allowing her fingers to tug at the string. It came away easily and the paper crinkled as she tore it back. Her eyes went wide with awe and surprise as she gazed at the contents of the present.

            Inside the paper wrapping were two ivory hair sticks. Each was adorned at the top with a glistening red ruby gem and a little gold chain that flowed half the length from the top. Along the length of the chain were three charms made of gold. A tiny little book, a paw print distinctively resembling a cat’s paw, and a wand. The smooth ivory length was polished and shone in the dim light of her study. The sticks must have cost a small fortune and the intricate details of the charms made her breath catch as she gazed at each one more closely.

            The book actually had letters inscribed across the binding and the cover, “Hogwarts A History” it said and she blushed a little. The paw print was slightly ginger tinted, reminding her of her long departed cat Crookshanks. And the wand seemed to be a tiny replica of her wand, each rivet of the wood engrained in gold in the miniature replica that hung from the chain. It was an intricate work of art, so beautiful and thoughtful that she could hardly imagine anyone so attentive on the staff who would go to all the trouble. And she spent the following hour trying to decide how best to arrange them in her hair.

            Before she realized it the time had flown by, lunch had come and gone, and she was nearly late for her third class of the day. If the students took notice of her new gift, the way her hair was swept up off her neck, pinned up in a soft coil and held in place by the two sticks, they said nothing. Dinner arrived and she was all too eager to present herself in the Great Hall and show off her new gift. She nearly doubled over in laughter upon entering as she saw the enchanted shrub sitting next to the headmaster at the table, apparently he’d taken quite a liking to it. And Minerva was sporting a festive hat that she had not owned previously.

            Hermione took her place next to her former head of house and smiled. “Was the hat a gift?” she asked.

            “From my secret Santa,” the woman smiled. It was a rather bright green and red holiday stocking cap but somehow it seemed to suit the older witch rather well. “And you? Where is your gift?” she asked.

            Hermione tilted her head to the side to show off the sticks. “They’re absolutely stunning,” she said turning her head back to face Minerva. “Must have cost a fortune.”

            “Well whoever drew your name must know you well, Hermione, that’s not just any ivory,” she smiled and turned to her dinner plate.

            “Oh?” she asked.

            “No, dear. Any trained wizard can see that that is Minotaur horn. Similar to ivory in appearance but when carved its magical essence issues protection.” She said and then returned to her dinner.

            A very thoughtful gift indeed, Hermione thought. She peered down the staff table. Perhaps Madam Pomphrey had drawn her name; something so rare would be easily acquired by a mediwitch. But only time would tell. Dinner left her wondering over her secret Santa so much so that she nearly forgot she had to come up with another clever present for the Headmaster as tomorrow would start day two. With a renewed surge of energy she excused herself from the Great Hall and headed toward the library, she had some research to do.

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The Twelve Days of Secret Santa