It Runs In The Family

By GrumpyOldBager

To Katie, Happy Birthday, 'cause I suck a spontaneous gifts, and you gave me the idea to try a diffrent computer

A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfiction story so please keep that in mind when thinking up horrid fames and scathing comments. Please review, whether you did or didn't like, and constructive criticism is awaited for with baited breath. I know the story lines been done, but I thought I'd do my own spin on it (I'm a sucker for clichés). Also I'm not sure if Jasper should end up with a Grif or a Sliv (another favorite cliché). Any insight would be happily welcome. Last but not least I apologies for any grammatical errors, there will be ones and my spellings shot to hell, so sorry.Oh yeah this is AU because of book six, takes place in sixth year.

Disclaimer: Anything you don't recognize is mine; all else belongs to J.K. Rowling (sp?)

Long pale fingers adjusted the focus of the microscope. The young women impatiently brushed the unruly black hair out of equally black eyes bright with excitement. Unlike her eyes her hair was dull and hurriedly pulled up into a rubber band to keep it out of the way. Still a few strands of curls managed to fall into her eyes. The hair, which could have been a quit pretty head of curls, was instead a stubborn and discarded mess. The fingers of her other hand tapped impatiently as her eyes looked searchingly into the scope. A pair of bifocals had been hurriedly cast aside in hopes of achieving a better view. The young women's hand suddenly froze mid tap. She paused and pulled back for the eyepiece, and rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly as her brows frowned, then took a hopeful breath and peer at the slide again. Suddenly a brilliant smile lit her face and she jumped of the stool she had previously been occupying. With a victorious punch to the air she hurried down otherwise the empty lab. The effect of her lab coat billowing behind her with surprising majesty with ruined by the worn jeans and plain green shirt made visible by the movement. A pair of oversized work boots finished the outfit. The young women walked surprisingly quickly and quietly for someone in oversized boots. In no time she was at the door to the office. Where a soft yellow light showed under the door, and briskly she knocked. There was shuffling heard in side and the door opened to show a surprised looking man of 50. Mr. Ribbon's grey bushy eyebrows rose at seeing her. " Jasper?" he asked," Your still here, but I thought all the kids had gone home." Jasper gave him a small smile. "No sir, I stayed, and I believe I've pinned down the identity of our specimen". Mr. Ribson, like any enthusiastic scientist hurried to the microscope without further adieu. Both Jasper and Mr. Ribson fell into the magic of science.

Half an hour later after many notes, comments, and peering into the microscope Mr. Ribson sat back with a satisfied sigh. For the first time he really took a look at the clutter of notes and equipment surrounding them. " When did you get here Jasper?" the older man looking at her sternly. Jasper distractedly looked up form the notes she was scribbling. Scrunching up her face and answered. "Um..I got stuck in traffic coming from school so I got here at about 5: 30." She grinned at him. "You know I would never intentionally miss some of the open lab you provide me." Mr. Ribson blinked; processing the information then glanced at his watch. "Jasper, it's 11:45, you've been here for almost seven hours!' glancing around, he noted that none of the clutter include food wrappers, then turning to look at her he added," and from the looks of it you skipped dinner." Jasper shifted slightly from foot to foot as Mr. Ribson peered closely at her. " Sorry sir, I just got carried away I guess." She murmured blushing slightly. A look of shock passed over his face as he came to a second realization. " Jasper, you have school tomorrow…have you even done your homework?" he asked sternly. Jasper looked at him slightly insulted. " I've got my homework for next week done already, I know enough that I can assure you school is not an issue for me." She replied with a tone that was laced with arrogance and her chin jutted out superiorly. Mr. Ribson's eyebrows rose to new heights as he took off his glasses and cleaned them on the sweater he was wearing. "Well, that's quiet big talk coming from someone who goes to a prestigious private school like you." He said coolly, "I wonder why you would chose to grace a lowly public school teacher such as myself with your presence, or my lab at that." Jaspers cheeks flamed red with shame. " I'm sorry Mr. Ribson, my grandmother says I must get my tend towards uppitieness from my father cause I didn't get it for her side." Jasper quickly apologized. " Plus my school doesn't offer biology….like this I mean." She added quickly catching her slip. Mr. Ribson nodded, excepting her apology. Japer couldn't help but notice with a grin that Mr. Ribson's attention had already shifted elsewhere. " I'm going to head home, see you next Thursday." Her voice started Mr. Ribson out of his thoughts. With a fatherly smile he nodded bid her goodnight and headed back to his office. Jasper turned to her work place and began to clean up. After covering up the microscope she hung her lab coat on an empty hook and headed out the door. The parking lot was empty of any cars other then hers and Mr. Ribson. Jasper reached her truck and gave it an affectionate pat as she searched for her keys. Once inside she turned on the engine and twirled the radio dial till she hit a fuzzy classical station. All in all Jasper decided it had been a good day and it was time to go home.

The clocks bright red numbers were mocking her, Jasper was sure of it. They glowed a molten red, flaunting to her that it had just turned 12:32. Jasper's new least favorite time of day. It had been this time two weeks ago Jasper had come home from the lab to find Grams dead. Dead, it was hard for Jasper to except, still hard to believe. With Gram gone she was alone, utterly and truly. She was never a very social girl at school. She had made friends like Mr. Gibson and his students, but she could never be fully honest with them, they were muggles and she a witch. Gram was her only known family, Jasper's mother passing at her birth and her father an unsolved mystery. Grams had gone to a better place; Jasper couldn't help but snort at how empty that sounded. With a sigh she remembered Ms. Numans's startled reaction to Jasper flooing into her house at 12:35 to alert her that Jasper's grandmother had died. Ms. Numan had squeezed her into a hug and mumbled something about "everything being ok". Jasper had merely smiled bitterly and shook her head. "No it won't, but thank you anyway". From that moment onward the past weeks were all a blur of back and numbing pain. She couldn't help but wish her grandmother had gone because of something other then time. She couldn't hate time, or the cycle of life that it used. If Grams had died because of an outward cause, she could be angry, fill her self up with rage. With the rage there was no room for the sadness. Jasper glanced back at the clock. It was still mocking her, cheekily informing her that ten minutes had passed. Jasper supposed she could hate the clock, it seemed a deserving candidate. She allowed her features to settle into a scowl. She stayed that way for a time. Eyebrows furrowed and her eyes narrowed slits, staring silently at the seemingly innocent clock. Suddenly her hand shot out and wrapped around the clock. The long pale fingers that had so gently tended to the lab equipment hurled the clock at wall. Jasper let a breath out her nose slowly looked to see if she'd left a mark on the wall. The last thing she would want to do was damage anything, not after Ms. Numan had been so helpful. She had even made a room for Jasper to say in at the school. Salem School of witchcraft of Girls, she'd spent many years here and she wasn't sure when she'd see it again.. It was day school so at nights she was left to her own devices. Jasper ran her hand over her tired face, and chewed her lip. Briefly she entertained the idea of sleep but that was thrown out the window as her earlier meeting with Ms. Numan rose to the surface of her mind.

Jasper had studied her principle suspiciously when she saw Ms. Numan grinning broadly. " I have some good news Jasper, I've found your father." Those few words echoed threw Jaspers brain. Was it really good news? Who ever he was he'd never made an effort to make contact, all thou a sensible part of her argued that he might not have even been aware of her existence. Her father? And he was a wizard no less! According to Ms. Numan he was a teacher at a prominent Wizarding School in England. She was to floo there in the morning to meet the headmaster and her father. Jasper was so used to the idea of being the Williams bastard it was mind boggling that her father might be well to do. His name was Severus Snape. Jasper couldn't help but smile at the name. How horrid her grandparents must have been for him to be pinned with a name like that. Well one thing was for sure; Jasper wasn't changing her last name. Jasper's smile faded and was replace with a pensive look. "What will he be like, will I be able to see the relations?" Jasper pushed that thought away. She couldn't depend on him being nice, and she hadn't needed a father growing up and didn't need one now. With a decisive snort she turned on her side and let her eyes close. Of course growing up she'd had Grams…Jasper turned away from that line of thought. Sleep was needed; she would be meeting her father tomorrow. With a sigh she burrowed deeper under the covers. Slowly Jasper drifted off. Her last thought betrayed her, and as she drifted into dreamland she couldn't help but sleepily hope that Snape would be nice.

A/N: I'll try to keep updates relatively regular but I can't make promises, because lucky me hell on earth is soon to be back in session. I personally want to quite school and become a master theft….it could happen. Also let me know what you think, you can notify me of errors but I won't necessarily bother to fix them, I'm lazy like that.

Until later!