Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the present Severus Snape receives.
It was Christmas morning, and the Great Hall was relatively quiet. There were only a small number of students in attendance as many of them had elected to return home for the winter holidays. Some of the professors missed the level of noise the students produced when school was in session. One professor did not. Professor Severus Snape didn't like students, hated a few on a personal level, and took a great dislike to noise. Severus didn't even get along with many of his colleagues.
Severus was entering the Great Hall for breakfast, when his black eyes landed on his place at the Head Table. There was a present placed on his plate. He stalked up to the table and glared at the gaily-wrapped abomination. Still glaring, he sat down and flicked the tag open. Catching sight of the sender, Severus barely resisted the urge to roll his eye. Of course the Headmaster would be the one to send him this present...although, given the wrapping paper, this was a new level of garish, even for Albus Dumbledore.
The Potions Master looked around the hall to see if anyone was watching him, which no one was. He quickly picked up the present and placed it on his lap. He wordlessly cast a silencing charm on the paper before he unwrapped it. He banished the paper and looked at the present. It was a white coffee mug and one of the curved sides read Cheer the hell up.
The sides of Severus's mouth twitched. He looked down the table at Dumbledore and said, "Really, Albus? Really?"
The Headmaster, eyes twinkling, looked down the table at the raven-haired man. "Merry Christmas, Severus."
Fin
