Now I'm going have to pull this story out again for Christmas time, thanks for the read!

murderpuss... Great story though, I am probably going to start singing jingle bells now (even though it is the missle of august)L.B.

aah,poor Severus...I would give him a hug if I were Harry. Then again,he would probably be force-fed poison...L.B.

okay, maybe i've read this one before i don't remember xD. I like it :D

too cute

awww sequel?

Very sweet,

well done :)

Awwww, This was so cute! I loved it!

Very sweet. Thank you!

i like! Not one of my faveorites but dispite being a short well worth being in my community! (im picky...and the shorter the story the pickier i get...sorry :p it does mean that i really rally like it tho...its less then 40k and still made it in!)

One of the best Christmas stories!

Who, after all, would be brainless enough to give him a 'gift' and then sign their name? No one was /that/ stupid.

I'll call you Caedus, Latin for what I intend to do to Potter if you're meant as a joke.

Harry was positive that Snape noticed his terror.

Harry couldn't take any more of it.

"Please don't kill me, Professor Snape!"

The Potions Master whirled with vicious growl to face him, his expression twisted into an angry snarl.

"You just wanted to play some vile prank on your hated Potions Professor?" Professor growled bitterly, the corner of his eye twitching in restrained fury.

"I just wanted /everyone/ to have a good christmas, Professor Snape." Harry furrowed his eyebrows in determination.

Snape watched him for a long moment, his black eyes twitching back and forth as they studied his expression, struggling to find some fault that would identify a mistruth. After a long moment, he leaned back in his chair, the sneer and scowl disappeared from his face.

"And what gives you the right to interfere in the way I spend my holiday?" Snape said coldly, watching the fire. His voice was still cold, but the anger had disappeared.

"My first year at Hogwarts was the first time I had a real christmas, Professor Snape. I don't like to see anyone not enjoying at least /something/ about the holiday. You didn't seem to like anything about it, so I decided to get you a gift so that you might have at least one good memory of christmas."

Harry paused to make sure Snape's expression hadn't turned violent, "Professor McGonagall told me about the cat you'd had once, and how upset you were when it ran off, so I thought you might like that one." Harry shifted under the stern gaze that Snape had fixed on him.

Then a disturbing thought rose in his head, and he had to ask, "You didn't...kill it, did you?"

Harry was surprised when Snape erupted with a loud, amused laugh. Snape was watching him with a expression that seemed to say, 'imagine that, the brat did something interesting.'

"No, Potter, I didn't kill it. I don't make a habit of murdering students and kittens. Although I admit, I have been sorely tempted on /many/ occasions." he said, his mouth curved in an amused smile.

Harry sat back, slightly relieved. A soft meow startled him a moment later, a small kitten slid out of some hidden, inner pocket of Snape's robes and landed lightly in the man's lap, where it proceeded to curl up contentedly. Snape began to stroke the kitten lightly, his eyes focused on the fire. The sight of the evil Potions Master petting the kitten was simply too much to believe.

"Thank you, Potter. For once you've shown that you do have some brains in that head of yours. You do realize, of course, that if I'd opened that box and found Berty Bott's Every Flavor Beans, you /would/ be dead now." Snape said, a note of disgust entering his voice at the last. Harry watched his professor for a moment, then a smile slowly crept its way onto his face.

"You're welcome." he said, and after a moment of consideration added, "Merry Christmas, Professor Snape," he finished, then took a sip from his mug of hot cocoa.

Snape reached for his own mug and held it on the armrest for a moment, contemplating the shrinking flames of the fire.

"Merry Christmas, Potter." he said, and smiled as he lightly scratched Caedus behind the ears.

Harry was the only student the cat was friendly toward, everyone else it greeted in roughly the same manner as its master.

And every christmas eve, Severus Snape would sit in the other armchair with Caedus at his side, and for that one night out of the year, Harry Potter and Severus Snape were friends.

Don't /ever/ go into my rooms again.

I know, Severus likes his privacy and hates pranks. So, next, if any, presents should be delivered by owl post ;/;)

One of them could be basilisk skin. But it would better be for another holiday; a familiar shouldn't be compared with potions' ingredients.

Thanks! Well written.

I want a kitten like that...I have a black cat

and a multicolored cat too

Haha! Aww that was really cute :) Nice job.

Awwh this was sweet :)