Caelen couldn't sleep she was too excited for Christmas. It was late, one in the morning, when she gave up and shuffled sleepily toward her father's room. She clambered up into his bed, knowing she'd be welcome, and snuggled up next to Remus. "Daddy, you awake?" She whispered loudly.
Remus chuckled pulling her close and tucking the blankets around her, "no, are you?" He joked kissing her hair gently.
Caelen nuzzled into her father's arms, "nope" she replied yawning, her eyes finally closing with exhaustion.
Remus chuckled softly, "sleep well cub."
The pair slept peacefully after that, not waking until eight. Caelen cuddled against Remus, "morning daddy, merry Christmas!" She cheered a sleepy grin lighting up her little face.
"Merry Christmas cub, want your presents now?"
Just like their first Christmas Caelen shook her head no, "no your presents first be right back!" She rushed from the room her little feet pattering rapidly across the floor causing Remus to chuckle. She came back with a large rectangular shaped present wrapped in red and gold stripes and a smaller box in the same paper. "Minerva helped me wrap them," she told her father obviously proud of herself.
Remus pulled her up into his lap unwrapping the book first, "do you have that one?" His daughter asked nervously, "I didn't think I'd ever seen it but wasn't sure..."
"No I don't, thank you Caelen."
"Oh good!" The girl looked relieved her smiling growing, "ok next present!"
He laughed at her excitement before reaching towards the smaller package. As he pulled out the little pin it began to glow, a small light through Caelen's pajama top mirroring it.
Caelen pulled her necklace out to show him. "The lady at the shop said they're special, they glow different colors to show our moods when we're together, and let us know if the other is in danger when we're apart. I liked them because yours is a big moon and mines little. Do you like them daddy?"
"Very much cub," Remus nodded placing his pin on his collar, "what does yellow mean?"
"I think she said yellow means we're happy..?" She responded tapping the glowing yellow moon on her dad's shirt. "They're a really pretty blue stone when they aren't lighting up."
"They're perfect, thank you cub." Remus leaned over the edge of his bed pulling several packages up and placing them in front of his little girl, "here you are, merry Christmas!"
She received a new sweater from Mrs Weasley, a stocking cap and warm leather gloves from the twins, Ron gave her his usual gift of sweets, Hermione bought her a book of beginner potions. Harry, who had been secretly encouraging a love of quiditch, gave her a snitch charm for her bracelet. The snitch fluttered as it touched her skin and then lay still beside the other charms. Remus gave her some practical gifts, books, art supplies, new quills, a light blue colored cloak with a soft white and grey fur lining, and three new charms, a broom, a book, and a caldron. The broom raced a lap around her wrist before settling in it's place next to the snitch. The caldron bubbled briefly before settling down and the book flipped it's pages noisily before stilling as the others had. "Thank you daddy they're perfect." She whispered hugging the man tightly around his neck.
"I'm glad you like them," Remus laughed hugging her in return, "here this came in the mail it's from uncle Surius."
Caelen opened the letter first, dear Caelen, hello mini moony. Well there's the whole "I'm sorry I didn't get to be around before" thing. I assume I get to be uncle Sirius and with that in mind I get to spoil you so hey Christmas first opportunity! Although I'm sure I've missed a birthday, sorry bout that, you'll have to let me know when it is so I don't miss the next one. Anyhow, being on the run and all buying a gift was difficult but I managed to get you something, hope you like it.
Lots of love
Favorite uncle Sirius
Caelen laughed at the letter opening the small bundle of paper to reveal a little carved figure of a dog. She laughed holding it up for her father to inspect, "uncle Sirius sends himself in mini form," she giggled happily.
The pair hurried to breakfast grinning merrily. Caelen passed out her presents, she grinned as she passed Harry his. It was squishy and wrapped poorly as it had been the first she'd attempted and the shape was difficult. Harry laughed when he pulled out the black dragon plushie, "do you like it? I had to write Mrs Weasley a lot to figure out how to sew it, she was very helpful."
Hermione, recognizing the muggle cartoon character, began laughing along at the girl's cleverness. The rest of the table looked on puzzled until Caelen explained, "it's Toothless, from how to train your dragon. It's a muggle thing."
Harry chuckled placing the small dragon toy next to his plate, "thanks Caelen it's great, really."
The rest of the gifts were easy, an advanced charms book for Hermione, sweets for Ron, some of which were the ones he'd given her that she didn't like. The twins got a set of journals specially enchanted so no one but them could see what was written in them, "daddy helped with the magic, they're to write down your joke plans in," she murmured. They also got photos Remus had taken of them with Caelen. George's was from the day they'd tried to teach her to fly, the photo repeatedly showed the twins colliding as they caught a falling Caelen the three of them sitting up laughing. Fred's was the boys passing her back and forth through the pond the day she'd learned to swim, once again the three were laughing.
Professor McGonagal and Professor Dumbledore both got pictures of themselves with Caelen. Mcgonagal's portrayed a day she babysat Caelen for Remus and the accidental magic that had occurred. Caelen had been sitting next to Minerva when a loud boom had echoed through the open door startling the pair. The picture showed them both flinching in surprise before Caelen had accidentally sent the objects on the professor's desk flying around the room. Minerva had sat there stunned, two quills stuck in her usually neat hair, before bursting into laughter.
Dumbledore's was also from a day of babysitting. Remus had returned to his office to find him racing around the room, Caelen giggling madly on his shoulders. Dumbledore chuckled at the photo, "I hadn't realized you'd captured that moment Remus, thank you I shall treasure it." The headmaster said tucking the gift into his robes.
It was evening before Caelen had a chance to see professor Snape again, knowing how he felt about the others she'd waited to give him his gift. She'd been sitting next to her father enjoying the warm fire in their fireplace and a cup of cocoa, "daddy can I go see professor Snape for just a little while?"
Remus had been anticipating the request sooner or later and nodded his head, "yes but not very long I don't want you out late."
The girl nodded before grabbing the last gift and running into the hall. She pushed the heavy door open walking into the dark, seemingly abandoned, room. "Professor? Are you here?" She called nervously not liking the dark.
The door at the back of the classroom opened revealing Severus' office. Caelen jumped at the sudden movement, a squeak of surprise leaving her lips. "Merry Christmas Caelen, did I startle you?" The potions professor asked.
Caelen studied him, he seemed tired. "I got you a Christmas present professor," she mumbled nervously holding the small box out in her hand.
Dumbledore always got Severus a present, usually socks, almost always in Gryffindor colors, or a joke of some sort. Aside from that Snape hadn't received a present since his school days. He lit up the room with a wave of his wand, watching the child's shoulders relax as the darkness fell away, "that was very thoughtful Caelen, thank you." He whispered quietly lifting the girl onto his desk and accepting the gift.
"The lady said it was really old, maybe a protection charm or dark magic but she didn't know," Caelen began as if she were nervous he'd hate it, "I thought of you though the chain is dark but the stone's special all silver and glowing like that. It's like you."
She said it with such conviction that Severus assumed whatever she saw in it must be true but really he didn't understand.
His expression must have been one of puzzlement because she laughed lifting the necklace out to show him. "You see cuz the chain is what everyone will see when you wear it, it's black and dark like your robes, what people see. But the stone is special it's silver, I think some people think silver is a cold metal but they're wrong. It's not hard to shine when you're warm and sunny like gold, anyone can see that. Silver shines even, or maybe especially, in the dark. You're not as cold as people think professor Snape."
Severus smirked at the girl's interpretation of him, "and how, may I ask, do you see me so well when very brilliant or dark wizards much older and wiser than you can not?"
"Because they're much older and wiser than me," she replied instantly as if it were obvious. "The more you can do the more you know it seems the more you think you know, they see what they assume is there. Really, you're like me, you're just not sure who will hurt you I think."
Severus let out a soft huff of amusement before walking back into his room and returning with a package of his own, "I got you something as well, I hope you like it."
"Thank you!" She replied instantly, accepting the black and green wrapped present. She lifted the paper carefully revealing a long black cloak just her size. The girl grinned up at him as if it were exactly what she'd hoped for, "it's like yours! Can you show me how to make it fly behind me like you do?!" She asked excitedly throwing the cloak over her shoulders and rushing around the room in an attempt to make it billow behind her.
She froze, looking back at him with the biggest grin he'd seen yet, as the stern Slytherin head began to chuckle. His laugh was deep and rang with suppressed amusement. Caelen leapt into the air rushing over where he sat at his desk and throwing her arms around his neck, the no hugging rule long forgotten. "You just gave me my birthday wish!" She whispered happily in his ear.
Professor Snape continued laughing lightly, "what was your wish?"
"That I could make you laugh," she replied, "daddy said I could wish for anything, the first thing that came to mind. I wished that I could make you as happy as being with daddy and everyone here has made me."
Severus hugged the girl in return as he carried her to the classroom door and headed down to her father's quarters. "Well then I'm glad, although you shouldn't waste birthday wishes on me."
"I can if I want," Caelen argued offended at him for disregarding himself, "you're important, I think I'll adopt you, uncle Severus."
The professor scowled down at the little girl skipping along next to him, "I don't think so."
"You don't wanna be my uncle? Or is it the name? I could call you uncle Snape..." She bargained not understanding his hesitance.
They were just outside Lupin's door when Severus knelt down to the girl's level. "Listen Caelen, I would love to be your uncle, even if it did mean being related to your father," he sneered the last bit earning himself an eyeroll from Caelen. "But really you probably shouldn't spend so much time with me. You're wrong about me ok, I'm not a good man."
Caelen glared at him her brown eyes flashed with an emotion he'd never seen from the little girl. She was furious, " I will see you tomorrow professor Snape." She growled ignoring everything he'd told her and walking briskly through the door. She turned at the last moment the fury leaving her eyes to be replaced with sadness, "you're wrong professor, and that's sad. I know you're better than you or anyone else believes, I hope you see it some day too."
Severus sighed watching the child disappear behind the heavy wooden door, "I'm just trying to protect you little one. Some day you'll see that." He whispered into the darkness.
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There we go more Christmas! And Severus laughed! Yay!! Course then he tried to push her away *sigh* oh well anywho hope you enjoyed this chapter would love to hear your thoughts, any thoughts. Ok see you soo later