Heylo! This is my first (rather unsuccessful) attempt at a one-shot, written during the Christmas holidays, as you shall soon see :) Enjoy!

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Warm snow fell lightly from the dark blue sky; enchanted sleighs lead by reindeer flew their bright lights across numerous houses; crowds gathered in the illuminated square, singing and celebrating around their town Christmas tree, sparkling with tiny faeries. That joyous time of year was again upon the inhabitants of the magical town of Lowestoft on the East Suffolk coast, the sounds of rejoicing and praise floating down the main residential street.

In the solitary shadows of Severitan Hall, a lonely figure watched the festive proceedings with beady eyes. His greasy black hair melted into the murkiness behind him, and his hook-shaped nose reflected the light shining from outside. Severus Snape had observed every magical Christmas from his living room window every year since his graduation from Hogwarts, yet had never participated in the planned events; even if it was just to say a friendly ‘Merry Christmas’ to neighbours.

He always sat there; watching, waiting. He didn’t know for what, but it was there, like he was a keen-eyed predator waiting for a partner to share its prey with… but he never got it. He never received what would be, for him, his Christmas present. For three years he had waited but it didn’t seem to want to turn up; it didn’t seem to want to come to him. He didn’t even know what it was supposed to be. All he knew was that it was there, waiting to come to him.

This year was no different from the others. As he sat there, he watched the same children play outside in the snow with their parents; heard the same sleigh bells ringing joyously; smelt the same delightful foods roasting away in the same homes. It was like his mind was a… what were they called, ‘video recorders’… yes, one of those, and it was set on ‘repeat’, like it would never stop, until that one thing came along to brighten his life up; make it worth living.

~*~*~

It was Christmas again! And so it had been every winter for the past seven years of little Maddy Camden’s life; at least, she had existed for that long, and that meant there should have been as many Christmases as there were Maddy years! She never tired of it being Christmas again, even though it was always the same every year: wake up, open the presents – she enjoyed that part the most, go around to grandma Maggie’s (whose name was Margaret but she had always insisted that the kids call her Maggie), and then come back to Lowestoft to celebrate with the rest of the townspeople.

All the townspeople were very nice. They gave Maddy sweets, and some of them even invited her family for some Sunday roast, as was the tradition in Lowestoft. And then, when Christmas time came around, she would join her parents and all the other children with their parents, and go to all the houses on the main street, singing all her favourite Christmas carols, and they would receive all her favourite sweets and sometimes money. It was a time of great joy.

However, Little Maddy was a very observant person, and she knew that every Christmas for the past three years, there was one person who didn’t ever come out of their house. The house itself was big and black, and it would always be the only one on the street that didn’t have any Christmas lights. It was like that person didn’t like Christmas, or at least, didn’t want anything to do with it. Little Maddy found this odd – who wouldn’t like Christmas?!

For many years Maddy had wondered who lived in the big scary house. She knew there was someone, and that they were a ‘he’; she just didn’t know who he was. Every time she passed the house on the way to Alchemist Magical School, all she would see was darkness, and then nothing else. She had dreamt many a time that the person inside was just like any other magical person, and that they were as nice as the other townspeople. Then, she could always say ‘Good morning’ to him, and get on with him just fine, like they were really good neighbours.

Well, they were neighbours… just not very good ones. Everyone else in the town ignored Mr Dark House, as they called him, so Maddy just did what her parents did, and that was to ignore him. No one ever said anything about him, and no one ever talked to him. It was like he was forgotten and had never been there. She had asked her parents about him once; they shrugged the topic off with a wave of the hand, and then said that maybe he doesn’t want to come out.

She had decided that enough was enough. All four years of her not knowing what lay behind that door were simply insignificant; now, she was going to change that, and do something about it. If she was scared, she was scared, but she would do it. If she couldn’t do it… well, that was for when the time came.

Christmas Day of this year was a bright and fun affair, not that it was any different from any other year. Maddy woke up, then let out a high-pitched squeal at seeing a toy broomstick lying on the edge of her bed. After grabbing it and making her way to her parents’ bedroom, she yelled once again.

“MUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!�

Her mother, Olivia Camden, jolted up in bed. Her long brown hair cascaded in gentle ringlets, looking messier than it had ever done before.

“W-What?� she yawned. Noticing her daughter holding her present, she cried out, “Oh baby you found it! Isn’t it beautiful?�

“MUUUUUUUUUMMYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!� Maddy shrieked, whilst leaping onto the bed.

“…Urgh… Where’s the fire?�

“Shayne darling, she’s found it!�

“She did?! Okay let’s GO!� He sprang happily out of bed. “Come on, princess,� he said, lifting Maddy up into the air, “we’re gonna make a right Quidditch player of you yet!�

“MUUMMYYYY!!!!!!� the little girl shouted into her father’s ear.

“Ouch, Maddy…�

“What is it pumpkin?�

Their daughter looked shyly at the two of them.

“I’VE GOT A BROOMSTICK!!!!!!� She grinned from ear to ear, and her parents burst out laughing.

“Yes, we know, now come on outside so I can teach you how to ride it, then we can play a little game of Quidditch!�

“YAY!�

“Shayne Callum Camden, come back here!!� his wife shouted as he bounded down the stairs with Maddy in his arms. “She’ll catch a cold!�

“We’re not a magical town for nothing!� came the reply.

She sighed and started to get ready for the busy day ahead.

~*~*~

From the house next door, Severus Snape watched the little girl and her father flying around on the broomstick, looking very much like they were playing a wretched game of Quidditch. He actually used to like Quidditch; the arrival of that blasted James Potter had changed his view entirely. Potter and Black, who called him ‘Snivellus’, of all names; Potter and Black, who made his Hogwarts’ life a misery; Potter, especially, who seemed to think that he was above everyone in the whole school. Damn that Potter. Thank Merlin he wouldn’t need to see those Marauders anymore, let alone go near them.

As he smiled inwardly, he pondered what he would do now. It had been three years since his last year at Hogwarts, and he was no longer restricted to eleven o’clock curfews; no longer having to deal with Potter and his Head Girlfriend, Lily Evans. To be honest he wouldn’t be surprised if they had gotten married, or were at least planning to. They were so in love with each other that they couldn’t even keep their hands off each other. Goodness. Love. That stupid feeling of love.

It always started off as a little crush; one person would be completely and utterly ‘in love’ with the other. They’d like little features about them; their nose, their hair, the way they move, the things they do – the list could go on. If love wasn’t such a silly thing, Severus Snape would happily be in love. With whom – that was up to fate – but he was quite sure of it. But it wasn’t to be. All of his Hogwarts’ life, he had been alone, and it was the same now – shut up in his large house with no-one to talk to. It didn’t matter though – he was used to it, and it was like second nature to him. He therefore had no regrets that he had been so lonely during his Hogwarts days.

It helped; the loneliness. Feelings were never a good thing – the happy ones weren’t, that was for sure. It was what his master had taught him – the person who was otherwise known as Voldemort, though he himself would never say the name out loud; even his followers were scared of it. But he had promised himself not to think of that this holiday. It was the year before he was due to start his teaching post at Hogwarts, and he didn’t want to mess up his chances of gaining Dumbledore’s trust. For now, Severus Snape was happy to sit back and watch yet another Christmas go by.

~*~*~

“DADDY!!! I’M FLYING!!!! LOOK DADDYYYY!!!! WHEEEEEEEEE!!�

Maddy soared with glee through the air, barely fifteen feet above the ground, grinning at her father flying below her. She had always wanted to fly, whether it was on a broomstick or not; it was a passion she had inherited from her father. He had been Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team when he was at Hogwarts, and had done a pretty good job of it as well, and was even more determined to see his daughter grow up to be an international Quidditch player.

He circled below her as she twisted this way and that, ready to catch her if anything happened. Watching her fly had made him so elated that he had become lost in his own little world. He continued circling at a mere foot above the ground, his feet skimming lightly across the grass. Flying over his head was Maddy, who had risen to her broom’s maximum height of twenty-five feet. Looking past the trees which separated her house from next door’s, Maddy saw a flicker of movement in the upper window of the dark house. The black curtains had closed, yet the flying beginner was certain that they had been open, two light-reflecting eyes just visible in the obscurity.

“Maddy, princess, what are you looking at?� A voice in her ear snapped Maddy out of her reverie. Her father was hovering beside her, looking from Maddy to the spot she was staring at.

“Nothing, Daddy. I don’t want to fly anymore. I’m hungry. Let’s go back in, Daddy.� He nodded slowly in agreement as they descended through the air. Through the kitchen window his wife’s delightful Christmas breakfast reached his nostrils. “Come on, Maddy, up to your room to change and give me your broom so I can put it away.� He watched her leap up the stairs as he entered the kitchen.

“No grief then, I take it?� asked Olivia whilst setting the table.

“None at all,� he smiled, bending down to kiss his wife on the cheek.

“Maddy! Christmas breakfast!� Olivia called. The little girl came down the stairs wrapped in a bright multi-coloured Snitch-covered jumper and matching mittens.

“Let’s go! Let’s go!� She cracked a beam at her parents, bouncing on the spot like an energetic ferret.

“Go? Come on, you silly pumpkin, take those mittens off and eat your breakfast! The quicker you are, the quicker we can go to Grandma Maggie’s!�

“Oh…�

~*~*~

He watched them step out of their house. There was something about the little girl who lived next door that piqued his curiosity. He hadn’t meant for her to see him; her face had suddenly appeared from nowhere beyond the trees. She was hovering quite steadily in front of him, her eyes staring straight into his. It had sent a slight shiver down his spine to see those big brown eyes filled with warmth and surprise. However, he could not spend the whole of Christmas Day thinking about some little girl – he would rather spend it asleep.

So he did just that. There were no other possible things for him to do, save wish his master a Merry Christmas, and that would mean he had become jolly – certainly not one of the makings of a Death Eater. Being everything but positive and happy about life was what made a Death Eater – even he, Severus Snape, being one of them, had to admit that they were cold and ruthless. He had not experienced that yet though – the Dark Lord had not called upon him to do the thing that he would love to do – kill. It had been three years since he had joined the Dark side – something he had always wanted to do – and still his Lord had not found him useful for anything.

His Christmas nap went undisturbed for a few hours until he was woken up by a large group of carol singers. The wretched Christmas music filled his ears, and he sneered at the lyrics of good and light. Hopefully the carollers would move away soon, and let him get some rest. Trust those joyful people to disturb another was-to-be peaceful night. He had no intentions of falling asleep now, so he listened to them. The sound they were making, to anyone else except Severus, was wonderful. To his joy, it floated away from his house, leaving him alone in silence. He closed his eyes and sank back into the chair. Then he heard a voice. A child's voice.

~*~*~

Maddy and her parents had gone to visit Grandma Maggie, who lived in the town next door. There, they had had a delightful Christmas Turkey, finishing with a just-as-delightful Christmas pudding. Having thanked her grandma for lunch and her present, Maddy found herself being whisked back to Lowestoft to join the townspeople in the same annual Christmas celebrations. Upon their arrival, they immediately gathered with the other families in the town hall, ready to go carolling. Apart from opening presents, this was the best part of the day – Maddy absolutely loved singing, at Christmas no less.

They traced the familiar path down the main street, moving slowly and singing Maddy's favourite carol, 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing'. She was grouped with the rest of the children, stuck in the middle of the large crowd. Soon enough, by the fourth carol, Maddy was singing rather robotically. When she passed her house, however, she stopped singing and walking altogether. It wasn't her house that made her stop, but the one next to it. Her curiosity had been raised in the morning when she saw those two eyes in the upper window.

She was taken out of her trance when she realised that she was a little behind the group. No one had yet noticed that she was no longer there. She thought quickly, and took advantage of the fact to sneak behind the trees that separated the two houses. Once she was sure she was out of sight, she walked to the front of the dark house and stopped at the door, its looming presence frightening her slightly. She inhaled deeply. I've done it. I'm here now, she thought. But what to do? Her sensitive ears caught the sound of 'Silent Night' in the distance. So she began to sing.

~*~*~

It was angelic. There was no other way to describe it. It was just beautiful. The purity of the voice warmed Severus right down to his heart – something he thought would never happen. He flicked his wand, lighting the entrance hall for the first time in a year. He didn't know what to expect as he opened the door. He just knew that this angel; this child – this was the one.

As she came to the end of the first “sleep in heavenly peace�, Maddy saw the door creak open. There, standing in the doorway, was a black-haired, hook-nosed man in his early twenties. After overcoming her initial shock of finding someone who seemed to live as one with their house, Maddy smiled up at her neighbour.

It was her; that little girl. She was standing here in front of him. In all her light brown hair and multicoloured clothing, she was standing there. He watched her shuffle her feet after finishing the last line of the carol, then realised that he hadn't yet done anything about her standing there. He kept his eyes on her whilst moving backwards, giving her room to enter. She looked around the now bright entrance hall, peering at the Snape family portraits, smiling at one or two of the nicer looking ones. It had been a long time since he had seen someone look at his property with such wonder. He entered the living room, hoping that she would follow him.

She did. The house itself was huge – dark, but gigantic. Just looking down the entrance hall, Maddy saw an uncountable number of doors, and up the spiralling staircase was a landing large than the entrance hall. She knew she had no time to explore – someone would come looking for her in due time, and the young man had gone into another room; she could only assume the living room, judging by the crackling fireplace on the other side and the small glass table sandwiched between two armchairs. She inched herself towards the armchair that wasn't occupied, and perched herself on the end of it.

He sat in his armchair, breathing deeply. The arrival of the girl had taken him by shock, and the fact that she was now in his house was still sinking in. He watched her sip the pumpkin juice he had conjured. He was so drawn to her; the shy look in her eyes, the innocence which she radiated. Her eyes rose to meet his, and she smiled the sweetest smile he had ever seen. He tried unsuccessfully to return it – he didn't remember the last time he had smiled a true smile.

There were no words to be said between the two. It was as if they had come to an understanding. Maddy knew that she had been gone for a long time, and she knew that she had to go soon, even though she didn't want to. She had finally done what she had dreamed of doing for the past four years, and she couldn't even savour the moment.

“MADDY!!!! Where ARE you?!� her mother's voice sounded from the distance. Startled, Maddy panicked. Her eyes widened in fear of being caught, and it was only until she felt a firm but gentle hand grip her shoulder that she relaxed. The last thing she saw before being sucked inwards like a whirlpool was the kind eyes of her neighbour. The next thing she saw was her bedroom, and she felt a presence next to her. Again, she smiled up at him.

“I'm Maddy Camden.�

He Disapparated.

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A/N: Weird? Odd? Fizzles towards the end? Let me know!