Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. This is for fun only, please don't sue.
Chapter 1: A Blast from the past
Dear Minnie
How is life up in that cold draughty castle with all those children and my troublesome nephew? Is Severus still the total crotch pot with his dark clothing and even darker moods? How is the Quidditch cup going between your two houses? I hope that you have had a win this season as he needs something other than his individual natural sourness to curdle his milk in the morning. Has he moved on from his infatuation with Lily Evans? You would think that after 10 years since her death he would have moved on from his brooding. All work and no play makes Jack or in this case Severus a very dull boy. He needs to get out and about and sow some oats.
Now that Elspeth has pasted on, the matriarchal dragon batten has been passed to me to ensure that family line continues. I know that life has been incredibly harsh to my nephew and he has had to overcome much due to his dreadful father, the dreadful perversion that was Lord Voldemort and the continuing manipulations of Albus Dumbledore. I have been accepted by the Ruler's ring as the Dowager matriarch for the family as we officially have no male heir at the moment. I need your advice my school friend about my woe-begotten nephew.
You know him better than I do having both taught him and then worked with him for the last ten years. While I supported the removal of the threat that the pure blood supremacist movement I do not agree with the practices and policies which have occurred since the defeat of Voldemort by the Potter child that Professor Dumbledore has been a party too. More could have been done to improve the fractions in society and improve the quality of education. I believe that Dumbledore has been overly simplistic in his greater good and everyone can be reclaimed to the light. I have been reviewing the legislation and wizengamot voting patterns of Elspeth and as a result I have come to some conclusions that are particularly distasteful and extremely troubling about potential consequences for our society and in particular for the family. I feel that I may be forced in my duty as the current Matriarch to be particularly cunning and omnipresent in my decision making process. Unfortunately this may have negative consequences for any relationship I want to rebuild with Severus when I make decisions and take actions to maintain the line.
I was talking to Augusta and she agrees that being the Dowager Matriarch for a Noble and Ancient House is particularly stressful as we try to protect our family line. Our society is out of step with the non magical society and we are subjecticating the female population. I think that I could best discuss the issues if I can meet with you during the summer whenever it is convenient for you as you are busy with inductions to the wizarding world.
Regards
Robby
Xxxx
Dear Robby
I will be in London on the 1st of August doing an introduction school shopping trip for a non magical family so why don't we meet that evening. I think we should be on neutral territory if we are going to be talking about Severus. So lets met up at the Leaky Cauldron and then we can nip out to my summer cottage. Do you want to make it into a girlie weekend?
We could drag Augusta out leaving young Neville with Algernon and Amelia could do the same with young Susan. We all call do with a good malt whiskey and some female discussion. We could even convince Andy to leave Ted and Dora to have a Mynxes reunion. I wonder if Gerry would be round we could get her to drop by.
On the Severus problem many hands make light work and I think between the six of us we would be able to sort out a plan. Behind every great man is a woman. That is certainly the case with the Headmaster Albus Dumbledore he certainly doesn't realize how much I do as his Deputy. I also have been looking at my role here at Hogwarts and feel a little miffed at Albus sodding Dumbledore as he repeatedly leaves me with the hard work and fails to acknowledge the advice I given him. There have been some decisions that he has made which I have found particularly distasteful.
So lets get down to defining the problem you have with your nephew and what you are dithering about woman. Robby you are facing the end of the family line and Severus all though disinherited from the family is the only male heir left. If you bring him back into the family you will have to name him as your heir and you will need to ensure he is married off and producing little dungeon bats.
I know Severus is definitely not predominately and passionately homosexual, maybe bisexual but I really don't think he has met anyone who challenges or raises the passion in him. I know he has a lady friend whom he has a beneficial relationship however I strongly suspect she is already married.
Our profession does not help for him to meet a potential wife as he has taught most of the unmarried witches in his age range. Severus is such a strong minded individual that he would automatically discount a former student. Then being in a castle for 10 months of the year with teenagers means he does not get the change to be out and about mingling.
Add to that his reputation as one of the most Snarky men on earth and his own history as a marked death eater. Not many know the story of being a spy and that is to keep him safe from those he spied upon who claimed the Imperius defense. His teaching glamours don't help as many think of him as the greasy potion bat who resides in the dungeons.
Lily was his best friend and she could challenge him. Unfortunately there was that fight and James made his move on the brightest witch of his generation. Although Lily and Severus made up I don't think he has ever gotten over his infatuation with his best friend. We need to make sure if you are going to matching him that lass will not only need to be magically compatible but she also has to have the brains to be able to converse with him. It cannot be a redhead as it would look like we are trying to find a Lily cloned replacement for him.
I will do some record searches here at the school to see what possibilities we have for an initial short list selection. Over a girlie weekend and a bottle of two of malt the Mynxes should be able to develop a strategy or three to find a bride for the Snarky dungeon bat of Hogwarts.
He is a prickly character and his years as a spy have left him a little paranoid. Not surprisingly if Albus Dumbledore was your Spymaster, General and Head Master let alone the other Master he had to obey. The war has been over for 10 years and yet still we seem like we are waiting for the next battle. Severus most certainly seems to waiting for some sword to fall and end his existence.
Let me know about the weekend and I can get the Trixie to send the invites round the rest of the Mynxes and get her to open up the cottage for a weekend party. She would love that as she has been badgering me to be more social. We could get a couple of other female house elves from the castle to come out with her and they could get in on with the scheming as they all have a soft spot for Master Snarky.
Goddess it feels good to be scheming again as for this Mynx life has been a little dull. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. I will be up late tonight as I have the Board of Governors Dinner tonight so don't worry about sending an owl too late.
Regards
Minnie.
Xxxx
Dear Minnie
What a wonderful idea! I second your suggestion that for the first weekend in August we meet at your Summer Cottage for a meeting of the Mynxes.
I am sending a house elf up with this letter who can help Trixie. Tell Trixie to train Izzy up in the ways of the Mynxes and let it be known that she will be looking after the next Lady Snape when we select her for Severus. In my plans I want Izzy to spend time in all the current Mynx households so she has a broad education and preparation for her future role supporting the Lady. We also need to recruit the next generation of Mynxes so the weekend would be a good idea to prepare a list of possible of new recruits.
For either search we cannot perpetuate the pure blood supremacist ideas of You-Know-who not only as they are morally wrong but they were so anti feminist. We cannot limit our search selection criterion, as young Severus is difficult enough as it is. If we could I would prefer a first generation witch for the future Lady Snape as it would expand the diversity and help avoid potential defects while increasing the likelihood of magical descendants. Of course we will have to screen her completely and discretely but that is where galleons and the Goblin nation are effective and very profitable.
For potential members of the Mynxes we need to find a next generation to replace those members we lost during the war and I believe we now need to start recruiting a second or possibly third generation of witches as well so the Mynxes continue to address the role of witches in Magical Society.
Regards,
Robby
Xxx
After a late floo call between Roberta Snape and her old school friend Minerva McGonagall the final guest list was decided upon and the invitations for weekend were sent out. It was decided that an invite to Narcissa Malfoy would also be included as she was a close friend of the man in question as well as being the younger sister of Andy Tonks. It was time that the two of them rebonded and this was the perfect opportunity to expand the membership of the Mynxes after the decimation of the ranks during the war.
Between Izzy and Trixie the formal invitations were delivered to all the recipients in time for the various mail reviews at breakfast tables round the country to occur. The existing members of the Mynxes all felt that it was a wonderful idea and ensured their calendars were cleared.
As Narcissa Malfoy read her invitation over her tea and fruit she wondered what Professor Minerva McGonagall was up to as they were not close personal friends. Sitting back and reflecting on the invitation Narcissa thought she should spend sometime in the library reviewing the dossier that they had on this Professor. Certainly Narcissa decided she would consult Lucius and possibly Severus about this invitation before drafting a suitable reply.
Severus was most disconcerted at the staff breakfast table by the grin on Minerva's face when she entered Hogwart's Great Hall and greeted him and the other staff members who were attending the meal. His spy senses alerted him that something was up along with her grin. Min had been depressed for a while as she sorely missed her husband who was killed by Lord Voldemort during the war. Additionally Severus knew his colleague and friend was frustrated at the decision making of Albus Dumbledore in relation to policy, subject content and organization along with the overload in School Administrative duties that she had on top of her demanding teaching load. The fox like grin was warning enough to whomever she was scheming against that they should watch out.
"So Min have you been in the cream again" drawled Filius Filtwick as he recognized the mischievous smile on his colleague.
"No but I have been organizing a Mynx reunion for the first weekend of August", she responded.
"Oh watch out world the Mynxes are reforming," declared Poppy Pomfrey before turning to Severus Snape as the resident potions master. "I will need you to get ahead of your brewing schedule if those girls are getting together and into mischief again. If you thought the Mauraders or those Weasley twins were bad heaven help you as they have nothing on the Royal Order of Hoyden Mynxes".
"Thank you Minerva for your warning and increasing of my workload. For Goodness Sake woman I am supposed to be on holiday and surely you know what it like to be round pranksters," snapped the grumpy potions master thinking he most certainly needed some help with he shortened brewing schedule.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist Severus. I have a couple of house elves who would just love to help you with your brewing. Izzy is training under Trixie and you know my prima donna house elf just loves looking after you and spending time in the brewing room," advised the offending witch who had raised his ire. She was nibbling on her toast when a number of owls flew in to deliver messages.
"Severus you are all out of luck. The Mynxes are back in town. It seems from these owls that my fellow compatriots all believe that it is a very good idea to have group of female pranksters back in action teaching you wizards a thing or two" she serenely advised him. Pomona Spout and Alexistra Sinister both broke down in laughter over the horrified look that crossed Severus face.
Xxx
At Malfory Manor the lady of the house was raising her concerns with her husband, Lucious.
"I have received an interesting invitation today", she advised.
"Yes Pet, how so?" inquired to tall aristocratic blonde.
"Professor Minerva McGoungall has invited me to a ladies country weekend at her summer cottage", Narcissa stated still wondering why the older woman was requesting her presence.
"Well that is interesting. Do you think your older sister may be making a motion for a reconciliation?" queried Lucius as he reviewed the Daily Prophet. What a terrible rag he thought before lifting his eyes to discretely observe his wife. She had born him an heir and since then inception he had not had to grace her boudoir.
Lucius Malfoy had done his duty and produced an heir with his wife. He had never loved her but complied to his parents' wishes when they arranged the match. He had two Mistresses who was cover for his long term Paramour. Narcissa had her own lover and Lucius was fine with the situation since she was discrete and had only taken a lover in the last couple of years.
It was 10 years since the defeat of the Dark Lord and Lucius parents had passed so he had become the Head of the family. Draco would be going to Hogwarts in September so may be it was time to allow the reconciliation between the muggle sympathizer and his wife. Yes there could be much political gain if Narcissa reconciled with her sister as it would show how much they had reformed.
"Narcissa I want you to go to this weekend as I feel that your sister will be there as she is a member of the same woman's tea circle as the Professor. If your sister makes a move to reconcile I will allow it. I know you miss your family with Bella and Sirius in prison.
Narcissa was not unintelligent her husband was using her to try and gain more political ground may be this way she could get her hands on the Black money and get out of her loveless marriage. Yes she would be a good little wifey and undertake reconciliation but it would be for her benefit and not his.