Well, I'm back, with a brand new (sorta) adventure, and I have to admit, I'm SUPER PSYCHED!
There are a few reference jokes in here to the first part of this story, so, if you didn't read the summary, you should read "Peace" first. It will help you understand more of what's going on a lot more.
Without further ado, I present to you, "Those Amazing Kids of Theirs..." :D
Students filtered in to the Grand Hall, taking their seats at their respective tables. The plates were filling themselves with a plethora of breakfast food. Severus's stomach growled at him and he loaded his plate with eggs, sausage, and dribbled salsa all over it, mixed it up, and began to shovel it in his mouth like an animal.
When his mother entered the hall, he quickly grabbed a napkin, wiped his mouth, and swallowed, taking a "dainty" bite (roughly half the size of his previous spoonful). His mother caught his gaze and smiled at him. She'd taught him well. As she passed, he resumed his vacuum-like eating.
Blaise and Draco smirked.
Nayeli eyed him from across the room and rolled her eyes.
"Gross. Eat like a human being, Severus." She muttered to herself, spreading butter on her pancakes. She looked up when the girl from yesterday sat across from her.
"I'm Kathryn." She introduced herself. Nayeli smiled.
"Nayeli Zabini. Nice to meet you." She returned.
She looked at the hearing aids again, and the question blurted out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"What happened to you so that you have to wear hearing aids?"
Kathryn stopped mid-chew, and looked down at her plate. She finished chewing her bite and washed it down with apple-juice.
"I was born early. My eardrums and ear canals are just underdeveloped, that's all." She answered, picking at her scrambled eggs. Normally she loved them, considering it was the only way that she could eat them. The taste of yolk made her gag.
"Who taught you how to sign?" She asked.
"My mother. I picked it up better than my brother did. Said he wouldn't have much use for it… I'm glad I learned!" Nayeli replied, still into her pancakes.
Nayeli looked up as Draco and Blaise stood behind Kathryn. She tensed and slowly turned her head, looking behind her.
"Good morning, professors… Uh… Something wrong?" She asked. Have I done something wrong already? Nayeli smiled and laughed as Draco and Blaise looked back at her, slightly confused.
"You don't have to be scared. What's up, dads?" Nayeli asked. Kathryn looked back at Nayeli, shocked.
Dads?
"We just wanted to remind you that you'll have to call us 'professor' in class." Draco stated, crossing his arms and doing his best to intimidate the kid in front of him. Nayeli frowned, slightly annoyed.
"Yeah, because I'd totally call you 'dad' in class." She said sarcastically. Draco didn't catch the sarcasm, and took it as more of a sardonic remark. He felt his chest hurt at the remark, and turned his head away, scowling. Nayeli mentally smacked herself. She didn't mean to sound rude.
"If anyone, you should tell Severus. He could hardly restrain from calling Mom 'mom' in front of the whole school last night." She pointed out, trying to steer the topic off of her. He nodded, and went over to the Slytherin table. They watched as Draco leaned into Severus' ear and whispered something. Severus grinned and nodded, giving them the "thumbs up".
Blaise shook his head.
"We are your parents, though, before being your teacher. Just keep that in mind, alright, Nayeli?" He asked. She nodded.
"Yes, Dad." She continued cutting away at her pancakes. She hadn't bothered drowning them in syrup. Just butter was good enough. Draco would tease her about it, denying that she was indeed his kid.
"How do you have two dads? Marriage?" She asked. Nayeli set her fork down and looked around. There were too many people around, and she didn't feel like talking aloud about it.
I will explain later. It is complicated. She signed. Kathryn nodded, and went back to her breakfast.
"How old are you?" She asked. Kathryn signed eleven with her left hand, still holding her fork in her right.
"I'm 12. So is Severus."
Kathryn looked behind her at the Slytherin table. She looked back at Nayeli, then back at Severus. They didn't look at all like each other, save for the green eyes. She then looked at Professors Malfoy and Zabini.
"Are you fraternal twins?" She asked. Nayeli looked up, amazed. This girl was pretty damn smart.
"Yeah, how'd you guess?"
"You look like Professor Malfoy. Your brother looks like Professor Zabini. It's only logical… but then again…" She silenced and blushed.
"Your parents are a threesome." She concluded. Nayeli arched an eyebrow and nodded. She'd explain it all later when they had more privacy. Sheeva walked by, catching Nayeli's eye and tapping the top of her wrist. Nayeli's eyes widened and she looked at the giant clock on the wall. She downed her pumpkin juice and wiped the remnants off with her sleeve, standing quickly.
"We've gotta get to class!"
Kathryn jumped up too, grabbing her bag and throwing it over her shoulder.
Severus, get going! Class! She thought to her brother. Severus choked on his food and leaped out of his chair and ran to catch up with them.
"What's first?" He asked. He caught Kathryn's eye, and waved at her quickly, flashing her a smile.
"Potions, with Professor Malfoy." She responded, turning the hallway to the dungeons. Nayeli and Severus' stomachs dropped, and they caught glances with each other.
Crap. Dad's going to kill us.
They barreled in through the door to the potions classroom, causing many heads to turn and look at them.
"Sorry, da- uh, Professor…" Nayeli apologized, taking her seat at an empty desk on the Gryffindor side. Kathryn sat next to him, letting her forehead fall to the desk with a thunk. Severus hurried to a desk by another boy and collapsed down in it, breathing heavily. Draco scowled and crossed his arms, biting his tongue to keep from grinning.
Like you'd call me "Dad" in class, my ass. Rebel kid.
"Hopefully you've all at least attempted to read your books over the summer, yes? Can anyone tell me a use for Asphodel root?" He asked. Nayeli jumped when Kathryn's hand shot up in the air. Draco looked at the girl, surprised.
He then nodded, giving her permission to answer.
"Asphodelus Albus is an herbaceous perennial, and its roots are used in an Antidote potion for common snake bites and other plant toxins, sir." She blurted out shyly. She noted the look of shock on Draco's face, and grinned. She felt outstanding.
Albus Potter leaned over to his sister and whispered jokingly: "Please tell me I wasn't named after a plant." Lily chuckled and shook her head.
Draco turned around, crossed his arms, and paced the floor for a bit, trying to think of a harder question.
"What other ingredients are used in the Antidote to Common Poisons?" He asked.
"A bezoar, obtained from the stomach of a goat. Mistletoe berries, which can be found on almost every mistletoe plant, powdered unicorn horn, and the Asphodels roots, dried and crushed, sir." She responded. Draco nodded, impressed.
"How long does it take to brew the potion?" He asked.
"Half an hour to forty-five minutes, sir."
Nayeli smirked at her dad. Draco caught it, but ignored it.
"Did you read the whole book?" He asked incredulously. Kathryn bowed her head and nodded, embarrassed as she turned bright red.
"Yes, I did, sir." She admitted. Draco nodded and shrugged.
"Ten points to Gryffindor… because your new friend is a know-it-all…" He muttered. Nayeli gave him her best menacing glare, which had little effect on him, because she knew that he was only teasing. Draco stared back calmly.
Gotta admit, I love getting on your nerve. He thought.
Nayeli and Kathryn worked together to create the potion, and Nayeli struggled a little, not inheriting her father's knack for potions. She was more interested in Muggle science and Transfigurations. Kathryn helped her, giggling a little when she grew flustered over the messiness of the mistletoe berries.
Severus was handling himself well, and by half an hour, his potion was a bubbling, simmering, bright green goo. He grinned to his dad, who smiled at him and muttered: "Good job" under his breath.
Albus Potter and Lily Potter were working together, bickering. When Albus accidentally bumped her while grinding the mistletoe berries, she clumsily fell against Greggory Longbottom, who released the bezoar stone he'd been holding and dropped it into his cauldron with a splash.
The contents turned a blood-red color, bubbling furiously before exploding. Everyone had scurried to get out of the way, mostly.
Greggory was shielding Lily, and the potion splashed all over his back. He screamed in pain, and Draco hurried over to them.
"Don't touch it! Come on Longbottom, let's get you to the hospital wing. The rest of you, wait here. I'll send Sheeva down to watch you guys." Draco stated. See his son inherited the clumsiness of blowing things up… wonderful.
"I'm so sorry!" Lily panicked, her eyes wide. Albus patted his sister on the back.
"It's alright, Lily. Stuff happens. We shouldn't have been arguing in the first place…" He tried to calm her down. The dungeon door opened, and Sheeva walked in, smiling to herself.
"Wow, that was fast! What'd you do, apparate?" Severus said, grinning from ear to ear. Sheeva looked at him and smiled even more.
"I have my tricks. I am not an old lady." She laughed healthfully. She saw the mess of red goo, still sizzling and smoking. She sighed, and walked over to it.
"Severus, go get a bucket please. Nayeli, get some mops." She ordered. Nayeli and Severus rushed to the closet.
"Apparate? Really, Severus? You cannot apparate in Hogwarts, you dorkfish. Didn't you know that?" She scolded him. He scowled back at her.
"Shut up, sis." She smacked his arm, making him spill water all over his shoes. He lifted the bucket and carried it over to Sheeva.
"Mom, Nayeli's being mean again!" He tattled. Nayeli rolled her eyes.
"No I'm not, Severus is just being a dorkfish!" She argued back. They began to bicker, and didn't notice when Sheeva had crossed her arms and stood up tall, scowling down at them.
"Severus Allan Malfoy and Nayeli Marie Zabini, stop your petty arguing this minute!" She hissed. They stopped, and stared at her, eyes wide. The other students backed off, scared. Kathryn smiled a little, amazed at the power she exerted.
"Now… You two work together, and clean up this mess. Do not bicker amongst yourselves. You might not understand now, but later, you will. You need to set the example." She said, calming down and giving another smile.
"Set the example for what?" Severus asked, grabbing a mop and dunking the head of it in the hot soapy water. He spread it on the floor and spread it around, mixing the potion and the soap suds. He smiled to himself. It was amusing watching the colors mix.
Nayeli grumbled and grabbed the other mop, soaking up the suds and potion, then draining it out in the waste bucket.
"There was a time when the four houses of Hogwarts despised each other so much that their enemies found it easy to sneak in and attack them from within. If it were not for some brave, cunning, intelligent, and loving people, they would have been crushed. Now, the war may be over, and we may seem at peace, but as long as there is peace, there will always be someone working to bring chaos." She whispered wisely. The students surround her looked amongst each other. They smiled, as they took note of her words. They seemed "legit".
Draco walked back in to the classroom, scratching the back of his neck. This wasn't how the first day was supposed to go, but he should have expected it when he'd heard the name "Longbottom". He stopped when he saw that his kids were cleaning up the gooey mess. He almost smiled, but then remembered he was in the presence of students.
Instead, he smirked as he walked up to them.
"What'd you do this time?" He asked. They sighed.
"We were arguing again." Severus admitted, grunting as he strained the mop head again. He sat up and wiped his brow, faking exhaustion.
"We work so hard. We're just little house elves." He joked. Draco grinned, and chuckled a little bit.
"I figured I would strive for house cooperation. And, a little brother-sister bonding time. Kill two birds with one stone, yes?" Sheeva piped in, teasing the two. Draco nodded.
"Thanks for coming down here, Sheeva. I can handle the rest of this, thanks." He dismissed her. She gave him a coy smile.
"Anytime, Professor." She muttered somewhat sultrily and winking at him. No one else in the room caught it except for him, and he dug his nails into his palm to keep from blushing. She giggled and left, leaving a group of very confused students and two embarrassed kids.
"Hey, we're done, Professor. Can we go now?" Nayeli grumbled, putting sarcastic emphasis on 'professor'. Draco looked at her out of the corner of his eye. His students wouldn't get away with talking to him like this, and neither would she. However, he dismissed it for now. He'd talk to her later.
"Class dismissed. Don't be late for tomorrow's class, or I'll start docking points, understand?" He asked. Nayeli, Severus, and Kathryn nodded.
"Yes, sir, I understand, sir." Kathryn blurted, packing up her stuff and rushing out the door.
"Nayeli's friend is oddly polite. Would you tell her not to call me 'sir'? It makes me feel old…" He asked Severus as he passed. Severus hung back, and waited for the other Slytherins to pass him.
"But Dad, you are old." He teased. He laughed and gave Draco a hug before walking away.
"I love you, Dad." He called out. Draco chuckled, and face palmed.
"Love you too, kiddo." He muttered to the now empty classroom.
Hermione Potter smiled at her students, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak sleeve. The first day always brought her nervous jitters. Thankfully, she saw a few familiar faces, including her children's, and that calmed her nerves a little. She picked up the teacup she'd been drinking from and took a sip.
"Good morning, class." She started, chuckling a little at her nerves. They all smiled back at her. Nayeli was leaned forward, listening intently, grinning. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Kathryn smirked, leaned back in her chair. She'd read all of the book for this class, too.
"Well, we'll make introductions quick… My name is Hermione Potter, and you can call me whatever you're comfortable with. Now, to start this semester off, we'll be learning how to transform animals into drinking goblets. Now, if you'll turn to page…" She paused to grab her book and flip through it.
"Page 23, ma'am." Kathryn stated, smiling. Hermione looked up at her, and turned to the page. She smiled.
"Thank you, that's correct… What was your name again?"
"Kathryn Huitre, ma'am." She smiled.
"You actually read a bit of the book before class?" She asked, amazed. This kid reminded her of herself when she was young. Kathryn nodded slowly.
"I read the whole thing, ma'am." She admitted. Nayeli smirked.
"So did I, Professor." She butted in. Kathryn could show her up in Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, or even Care of Magical Creatures. But not in Transfiguration. Not if she could help it.
Kathryn stared at Nayeli, and then noticed the way she looked. The way that she was leaning forward, listening intently to the Professor. She was slightly jealous, as Nayeli had an advantage that she didn't have. Good hearing.
Kathryn scowled. She wasn't about to let her lack of good hearing stop her.
"Illusion charms, page 37." She growled. Nayeli turned, and arched her eyebrow. A pissing match, huh? Sounds good. Bring it.
"Invisibility charm, page 46." She said back, crossing her arms. Kathryn sat up in her seat.
"Audio mimicking charm, page 72."
Nayeli racked her brain for another spell.
"Reparifors, Page 105." She retorted. Kathryn opened her mouth to speak, but then blinked and closed it, taking out her hearing aid and setting it on the desk. Nayeli saw it, and reprimanded herself for picking a fit in the first place. Obviously, Kathryn was making up for her hearing loss by burying herself in books.
She waited until Kathryn had replaced the battery before turning to her and signing: I'm sorry.
Kathryn only smiled and shrugged the matter off. She figured that she'd give the know-it-all position to her newfound friend.
"Well… I'm glad you both have read the book. However, there is also the matter of practical application. Reading is one thing. Doing is another." She smiled, and pointed her wand at the parrot perched on the stand next to her desk. It cooed at her.
"One, two, three, Fera Verto." She called out, tapping her wand on the parrot's tail feathers lightly. A cloud shot out of the tip of her wand and encased the parrot, turning it into a golden and silver water goblet.
Nayeli smirked, remembering how she'd turned Severus' frog into a goblet. Kathryn stared at the goblet, amazed and confused at the same time.
"Now, I'd like each of you to turn your pet into a goblet, if you would. If you don't have a pet, we have some mice in the back corner."
A few people stood and went to retrieve a white mouse, including Kathryn. She returned to the desk and set it on the table. It turned around and stared at her, the whiskers on its little nose twitching as it sniffed at the air. She grabbed her wand, and studied it. 10 inches, and made of Red Dogwood, she looked back at the mouse. It scuttled across her book, learning the new territory it'd been released into.
"Go on. It won't hurt it." Nayeli encouraged her, already having turned her mouse into a goblet.
Kathryn cleared her throat and repeated the incantation, and to her surprise, it worked. She stared at the white goblet in amazement.
"Wow…It really works?" She reached out and touched it. It was perfectly tangible. Not an ounce of fur, nor a tail. She picked it up and turned it around, amazed.
"You're a muggle-born, aren't you?" Hermione asked. Kathryn looked at her, shocked and embarrassed, and slowly nodded.
"Yes, ma'am." She whispered meekly. Nayeli looked at her.
"That explains a lot. Care to share? Which one of your parents is magical?" She asked. Kathryn shook her head.
"I don't know. I wouldn't be able to ask them. My mother died after she had me, and my father was sent to the DMZ in Korea, and was killed in an accident when I was seven." She muttered, tears coming to her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but instead excused herself and rushed out of the classroom.
"Excuse me, too, professor."
Nayeli stood up and took off after her.
"Hey! Wait up!" Nayeli barked.
When she looked around, she saw that Kathryn had already disappeared, nowhere to be found.
"Damn that kid can run fast." She muttered.
Hey. I just saw your friend run by. She ok? Severus asked her. Nayeli smiled.
Where are you at? Find her, and chill out with her until I can find you guys, alright? She thought back.
Severus looked in the direction where she'd gone, and shrugged. Class had been let out early; Professor Binns decided to just do introductions for today's lecture. He listened around for the girl, as he'd seen that she was crying when she passed him.
He heard light sniffling to his right, and peered into an empty classroom.
He saw her curled up on the floor, crying into her knees.
He stepped in, and she hardly noticed until he spoke up.
"What's wrong? Did Blaise say something nasty to you?" He asked, remembering how Draco had muttered something about her being a know-it-all. He didn't really mean it, Severus knew, but sometimes, Draco and Blaise could be very convincing.
She jumped and looked up at him, took off her glasses, and wiped them off and wiped away the tears on her cheeks.
"No, I haven't had Defense Against the Dark Arts class yet." She muttered. She hoped that this boy would leave, because she didn't want to spill her guts to anyone else. She didn't want to be a pity case.
"Oh. Is it about Draco, then? He doesn't mean that. He's just pretending. Really." He tried to console her. He knelt down and placed a hand on her knee.
She shook her head.
"Huh. I know I'd be upset… If it makes you feel any better, you impressed the heck out of him. I haven't seen him that impressed since I told him I wanted to be in Slytherin." He chuckled. She let out a small laugh too. At this, he brightened. Seems he picked up his mom's gift for cheering people up.
"What was your name, again?" He asked. She put her glasses back on and straightened herself up.
"Kathryn Huitre. You're… Severus, right? Nayeli's brother?"
He grinned.
"Yup! She's a rebel, but that's my sister!" He said proudly. Kathryn smiled.
He stood, and reached out a hand for her to take. She smiled sheepishly and took it, squeaking when he pulled her up a little faster than she'd expected.
"So what class were you in?" He asked.
"Transfigurations, with Professor Potter." She answered, taking a few steps to the door.
He rushed to open it for her. He smirked.
"Dad always threatened to smack me if I didn't hold the door open for a lady." He grinned. Kathryn frowned, but thanked him anyway. He definitely noticed, a sliver of his ego hurt.
"I'm sure your sister will tell you later, so I'll just tell you now. I left the classroom because I was remembering something… my mother died giving birth to me, and my father was killed in the DMZ in Korea." She sniffled.
"Oh… Damn… I'm sorry to hear that. Where are you staying?" He asked. She scowled even more.
"An orphanage in London… Once we're here, we stay for the whole seven years, right?" She asked, almost desperately.
He shook his head sadly.
"No, we're gone for the breaks and for the summer. Some kids opt to stay during the breaks though. You're welcome to stay. What's so bad about the orphanage?" He asked. She gave him a look as though saying: It's a bloody orphanage, what'd you think?
He blinked a few times and looked down at the ground, cursing himself for his foolishness.
"Erm, sorry…" He apologized. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Water under the bridge.
"I have to get back to class." She stated quickly, turning to leave. He stopped her.
"Well, let me walk with you—uh, so you don't get lost." He quickly added.
Just then, Nayeli walked around the corner, and upon seeing the two, she was greatly relieved, and rushed up to them.
"I'm sorry, Kathryn, I didn't mean to upset you!" She apologized.
"It's fine. We should get back to class. Thank you, Severus." She smiled and turned away, trying to hurry back to class.
He turned back around, walking in the direction of the Slytherin commons. He had a three hour break, so he figured he could do some homework, or take a nap.
"That was nice of you, Severus." Sheeva said behind him. Severus leapt two feet into the air and screamed, then turned around, clutching at his chest.
"You scared the hell out of me, Mom!" He barked. He then realized what he said.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to swear."
Sheeva laughed and smiled.
"It is alright. It is a natural human reaction. You will get used to it." She grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"I hope not. I gotta get to my room. I have homework to do." He hugged her and left, ignoring a group of students that began to tease him for hugging his mother in public…
Well... off to a good start. "Huitre" is french for "oyster". There's supposed to be a ^ above the i, but I don't know how to do that. If anyone could reply with an answer, that would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Sheeva1331