[A/N: Random idea that won't leave my head. It is finals though, so I can't promise regular updates until summer unless my mind decides that the story is more important than finals. Can't promise it's going to be happy at all, and it'll probably be relatively short. Definitely HG/SS though, which you could probably figure out from the first two chapters anyways. Chapters will get longer after the first two also, these are mostly character introduction. Enjoy!]

Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately. Main story plot is mine, but the rest all still belongs to J.K. Rowling.

This was his present to himself every year. Sitting on a bench, covered in snow and freezing cold, he had never been happier. He watched everyone around him walk with smiles on their faces, carefree and oblivious. Did they know how close they'd come to death? Did they know that the man sitting amongst them right now could've been the one to kill them?

He shook his head, steering his thoughts back onto a more positive track. He had not killed them. He had saved them. Or at least, he had played a large part in their survival. It was Christmas, and Severus Snape was sitting alone on a bench amongst muggles, admiring the very fact that they were alive. Yes, much had changed since the war.

He'd played his part as a spy very carefully for far too long, and had more regrets than any other individual involved. He had been forced to kill Albus, his friend and tutor. He had endured more torture than anyone could possibly imagine. In the end, he'd been able to provide vital information to take down the Dark Lord himself.

He had led Harry to the final horcruxes after Albus's death, and even killed Nagini himself in the final battle. He had been certain he was going to die when the Dark Lord turned and glared directly at him. His gaze was piercing, as though every part of his body was on fire. Yet, that wretched girl jumped and pushed Severus down, breaking their eye contact. The impudence of children these days was remarkable, although he did suppose she'd saved his life.

Also, if she hadn't saved him, he couldn't have helped save Harry. In the final battle, Harry would not have been able to take down the Dark Lord if it weren't for Severus protecting Harry at all costs. Thanks to him, Harry had been able to concentrate entirely on the task he'd been destined to do. There had been casualties and loss, yet in the end, it was a joyous day for Severus Snape. He was free of his double life, and his name forever cleared. He was a war hero.

Years had passed, and he had remained a recluse. Yet every Christmas, he visited the muggle world and admired the lives that continued because of their efforts. He could've been a murderer, and somewhere along the way, he became a hero instead. As far as he was concerned, there was no better present than that reminder, year after year.