DISCLAMER: I do not own Harry Potter. All characters (minus my OC) belong to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., Bloomsbury, and Scholastic, respectively. All original characters are products of the author, as is the premise and plot. Copyright infringement is not intended and I make no money from posting this story.
A.N.: Please be kind! this is my first fanfic ever. Constructive criticism is welcome as are any reveiws :) Also, this is just a suggestion to anyone willing to take notice, but when I read Harry Potter fanfics, I often listen to various songs off the soundtracks. I find it really draws you in and sort of sets the scene a bit, like you're watching a movie. Here are a couple of songs I recommend you listen to whilst reading this: Lily's Theme, Severus and Lily, and Dumbledore's Farewell. Just open them up on spotify or youtube and you will be thanking me later ;)
Roughly set in 1990:
Prologue:
Violet Fairbourne was a plain looking girl. Her skin was as white as ivory and her chestnut coloured hair cascaded down her back in tight waves. She had pretty features but it it was her eyes that really made everybody stop and stare. They were an incredible shade of forest green and when they looked in your direction, you could tell they not only saw your body but also your soul. She was only 13 years of age but if you didn't know her you could easily say she could be at least fifteen. Not only by appearance but her intellect and maturity were far superior to that of others her age. She was generally quite a quiet thing, and much to her annoyance, people would often perceive that as shyness when really she would just be observing, rather speaking aloud her thoughts. She lived in a small cottage in a wizarding community amongst a quaint village in the south west of England.
Her parents Oriana Fairbourne (nee Prince) and Edward Fairbourne were both pure-blood wizards, not that that meant anything to her much. She never really met her extended family, nor did her parents speak about them, Violet had always wondered why. She was inquisitive , always asking questions or seeking answers from books. Her mother had home-taught her before she got her Hogwarts letter when she was 11 years old.
She was a Ravenclaw, and prided herself on her Ravenclaw characteristics and qualities. Her mother was a Slytherin and her father a Gryffindor, therefore she never felt any loyalties toward any particular house. Her first few years at Hogwarts had been enjoyable, even though she had no friends. She was bullied slightly and much favoured to be in her own company, or by that of a book. Friends weren't important to her, and she didn't feel at any loss without them. Her studies were what she prided herself on the most. Most people considered her a swot or a know-it-all but of course she didn't mind. After all, to her, school was all about academic matters and not merely a social gathering as it was to most of the other students. She was never bitter towards her classmates, however cruel they were to her. Her forgiving nature always took hold and she would just shake it off. She was kind, compassionate and optimistic and had never said a bad word to say against anyone.
But one day things went tragically wrong and turned her world upside down...
June 28th, 1990:
Violet was sat in her bedroom one warm summer evening, lying on her bed reading a new book her mother had bought her called Aquatic Magical Creatures. She had just broken up for summer and had arrived home from Hogwarts no less than a week prior. Looking forward to the prospect of lie -ins and lazy days graced with sunshine. Violet leant back and smiled to herself. Not soon after she found herself falling asleep. She woke a few hours later and looked out of her bedroom window usually from which there was a view of far stretching fields and small cottages. Except she saw none of the latter, as it was pitch black outside. Gosh, she thought I must have been asleep hours!. As she sat up, there was a rather peculiar crack noise from the lane outside the front of the house. This, she knew, was the sound made when apparating, something she was eager to learn. Out of curiosity, she walked downstairs and looked out of the living room window which looked out to the street outside.
"Step away Violet! Now!" Shouted her father Edward, from behind her. She was startled and her heart was beating fast. "What's wrong?" she managed to mumble.
"Violet, there's a lot of things we should have explained to you before this, but I'm afraid this is not the time"- he sounded panicked and rattled; not the same brave man Violet knew to be her father.
But there was no time to stop and ponder what was happening, as her father already had her by the arm and was dragging her up the stairs into her bedroom. "Father! Please!" she proclaimed. "Not now! Please do as I say and-" he didn't have time to finish his sentence as there was a deafening blow from down stairs. Edward let go of his daughter, his eyes wide and darting.
"Edward come!"- screamed Oriana, his wife, from the hallway. She too, sounded startled and scared.
Edward turned back to his daughter. He stared into her deep green, shining innocent eyes. How could this be happening? he thought. "Violet, listen to me" he said shakily, "Stay here, do not move from this spot until I say so, alright?". He looked at his daughter's face for what he knew would be the last time and kissed the top of her head, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Father?" she questioned quietly.
"Stay." he repeated. And before she could retort, he stood up and walked out the room, locking the door behind him. Violet listened hard, straining to hear what was happening below. She heard raised voices and a few spells being cast and blocked. Then she heard a hair-raising scream that sounded like her mother's and then a thump that sounded like something dropping to the floor. Violet's heart was in her mouth, breathing hard and yet at the same time trying to make any noise. She heard her mother sobbing uncontrollably and shouting between sobs.
"HOW COULD YOU?"- She screamed.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" came a gruff male voice. And then within a split second, came that sickening noise again; thump.
Her eyes hot with tears and her bottom lit bit to save her from crying out, Violet could not take it any more. She took out her wand and yelled "Alohomora!" at the door and with that she flew out of her bedroom and sprinted down the stairs and into the living room. Nothing could have ever prepared her for what she saw.
Two lifeless limp bodies lay on the ground next to each other. Her father laying in a pool of his own blood and her mother next to him, who looked practically untouched, almost like she could have been sleeping.
"NO!"- she shrieked. She ran over to them and collapsed to the floor. Only then did she realise that there were two dark figures standing above her. A woman with dark wild hair and heavy-lidded eyes , and a savage looking man with dirty brown hair and sallow skin. They looked at her and Violet stared back with that penetrating glance, now full of hatred. They looked taken aback for a moment by the girl's incredible, green, gaze then snapped out of it. The woman looked amused.
"Aww dear, look at that. Are mummy and daddy dead?" she cackled patronisingly. Violet shook her head incredulously tears streaming down her face.
"Crucio!" - Cried the woman. Violet's body seized up with the most excruciating pain she had ever experienced. She cried out in pain but the woman just carried on cackling, obviously finding it most amusing. She eventually had enough and left Violet alone, still curled up on the floor.
"Bella let's go.." grunted the other man. And with that they apparated with that familiar *crack*.
Violet lay next to her parents body's for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was barley even 15 minuets. It must have been late at night by then, but she didn't care. Not long after, there were several cracks from outside. She sat up straight, breathing rapidly . They can't be back she thought Please god no... There were voices outside, they seemed hushed.
Two wizards and one witch entered the old cottage through the hole where the door was blown off. They walked silently into the living room and the woman who Violet could see was very young, and could only be at least 4 or 5 years older than herself, gasped at the sight of the 2 body's on the floor and then let a smaller gasp when she saw the third lying next to them. The two wizards next to her were older, one with shoulder-length dark brown wavy hair, the other looked rather shabby and his brown hair looked unkempt and messy, his robes old and worn.
"Padfoot?"-asked the latter to the other wizard . The man who he was referring to took a step forward and introduced himself.
"Hello there," he said in a soft kind voice, and Violet felt instantly reassured. "We mean no harm, we'd like to take you somewhere safe. Somewhere away from here." he said gesturing to the body's that lay on floor. He, too, looked very uneasy and uncomfortable stood next to them. "Please let us help you. We...we knew your parents." Violet nodded slightly and the man smiled kindly at her. He spoke again, "I'm Sirius, this is Remus" he said gesturing to the other man, "and this is Tonks." he said, doing the same to the young woman. "We are part of the Order of the Phoenix, I suppose you know about it. Your parents worked alongside us." Violet nodded silently again. "Yes, well, we have come to take you somewhere safe. If that's alright?"
Violet looked down, she didn't want to leave her parents sides. But then again, she wanted to go with these kind people who were offering her somewhere safe to stay. "Yes, thank you." she whispered barely audible. She looked up and caught Sirius' eye and he gave her another warm sympathetic smile.
"Tonks can help you pack a few things whilst me an Remus...fix things up down here." he trailed of and purposefully caught Tonks' eye. She nodded, walked over to Violet and and offered her a hand.
Tonks led her silently up the stairs and Violet showed her to her bedroom. She was trying hard to be grown up and not to cry but inside her heart was torn and she felt completely empty, still trying to get her head around the events that had just occurred. She know from than on that her life would never be the same again.
Together they packed a small trunk full of clothes and other personal items. When finished, they went back downstairs to find Sirius and Remus talking in hushed tones, and see that the living room was back to normal – thus missing the body's of Edward and Oriana.
"Are we ready?" asked Remus quietly, looking around the room.
"Yes, I think so." responded Sirius. "I presume you have never apparated before?" he looked at Violet and she shook her head, he had obviously mistaken her as being older. "Tonks can accompany you in that case." They watch Sirius and Remus aparate in turn and then Tonks took Violet's right arm tightly, her other clutching the trunk and together they apparated to Grimmauld Place.
Tonks and Violet landed in the hallway of the old house. To Violet it seemed a dark and dismal place. The hallway was narrow and contained many paintings of stiff looking wizards and witches all giving her disapproving looks and sneers. Tonks led the way down the dark passage until they reached the kitchen. From outside the door she could hear many different voices having a heated debate.
"Who shall care for the girl? She is an orphan...she has nowhere to go.." scoffed one voice.
"An orphanage perhaps?" answered another, sarcastically. Tonks had frozen in front of the door, clearly eavesdropping on the conversation, unsure whether or not to knock.
"I shall care for the girl." comes a familiar voice. A very deep, smooth, mellifluous voice.
Professor Snape? thought Violet. The shock of the realisation snapped her out of the grief ridden trance she had been in prior. It seemed that everyone else was in shock too.
"Severus? You can't be serious can you?" quipped a male voice she didn't recognize.
"We are in fact, distant relatives..." stated Snape matter-of-factly.
Tonks, along with quite a few other people, let out an audible gasp. "Come in?" came a voice from inside the kitchen, who obviously had heard Tonks. She opened the the door and walked into the kitchen looking a little abashed, Violet followed. Everybody turned to take a look at the girl with whom they had been just been discussing. Violet looked down shyly, embarrassed by all the unnecessary, unwanted attention especially under such circumstances. It all felt like a dream to her, almost like it hadn't even happened. But it had. Then, yet again, she snapped back to reality and remembered what her potions master had just proposed.
"We are related by blood. Her mother was my mother's cousin." he finishes and looks up into Violet's eyes, which are still red and puffy but just as beautiful, innocent and penetrating as ever. She looked at him for a second and it was as if they could see right through into each other's thoughts. Everyone else in the room looked just as shocked.
"So is it decided?" asked a woman sat near to Snape. "Is she to live with Severus?"
"We shall see..." said Sirius standing up. Snape shot him a look of pure hatred. "I think we all need some rest. This night has been traumatic enough and we need to think rationally before making any decisions. For now I think it would be wise if..." he stopped and looked at Violet, obviously unsure of her name.
"..Violet." stated Snape. Everyone turned and looked at him, whilst his gaze layed on the teary-eyed trembling girl in front of him for who pity beyond belief. An emotion he had thought he'd long forgotten.
The next morning Violet awoke to the sound of voices downstairs. She had barely been able to get even an hours sleep. Sleep felt like a preposterous and unnecessary thing after the tragic events that had unfolded the night before. Her grief engulfed her like thick smoke. She couldn't see past it.
Also she had to accept the absurd idea that she was now going to go and live with her potions master? Was it a joke, had she dreamt the whole thing? But it all made sense in a strange sort of way. Her mother's maiden name was Prince, the pieces fitted together.
It was all too much. She pulled the covers over her head and let a single tear run down her cheek. Soon followed by another, and another...Crying made it no easier, it just meant she was able to let out what she was holding in. But then again, she couldn't walk around crying for the rest of her life. She decided to roll out of bed and go downstairs. Once dressed, she walked into the kitchen, where there was Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Snape, and 2 or 3 other people she didn't recognise, sat at the table. She could see she had interrupted something.
Tonks stood up and said "Morning, would you like to sit down? Have something to eat maybe?...some toast...an egg? I'm sure there's some marmalade around here somewhere-".
"Tonks for god's sake just sit down!" snapped Remus. She sat back down and picked up the newspaper pretending to read it.
"Though I suppose it would be best if we discussed the matter now." suggested Sirius after a pause.
"Yes, your right." agreed Reums.
"I know it's still very soon and your loss is still raw, but...perhaps, you might like to discuss where you will be residing from now on." Violet nodded and took a spare seat at the table.
"Now, Severus has been very kind and offered that you go to live with him, however-",
"However what, Sirus?" Snape cut in, "Perhaps it is just me...but do I sense that you see a problem with Violet coming to reside with me?" he finished.
"I cannot deny the fact that you are indeed related, but I just think that we shouldn't rush into the matter, solely for that reason."
"Why don't we just ask the girl herself?" retorts a gentleman sat beside Remus. Everyone turned to look at Violet. She felt her cheeks flush and she looked away. She didn't know what to think. They were right, it's still too soon. How was she supposed to make a rational decision in that current situation? But then something took hold of her. He was family. It may have seemed a little sudden and hard to come to terms with but if it was true then how was she to decline the offer? If he was the only family she had left, she might as well accept it.
"I..erm, am happy to live with professor Snape." she stammered. The 'Professor' part had slipped out before she could stop it, but...he still was her professor right?
A triumphant smirk passed across Snape's face but then he looked straight at Violet and looked right into those eyes. Those magnificent, amazing, eyes. They were still red and bloodshot, so he knew that she had been crying again. Only once before had he ever seen such striking eyes, Lily. But now she was his to care for. He had no idea what this feeling it was, was it love? Sympathy? Or did he just feel the need to protect her simply because she was a distant relative? He didn't understand, but he felt like he had to do his duty regardless.
Violet spent the next few days at Grimmauld Place. She countlessly and painstakingly retold the tale of what happened the night her parents were murdered to various members of the Order. They explained to her the work that her parents did for the Order, and the risks that entailed it. Her mother and father were both active members, and they were being tracked down by death eaters who thought they had attained inside information on the whereabouts of the Dark Lord. They were mistaken. There were murdered for no reason whatsoever, there deaths were a mistake. Not that it would have made any difference to the deatheaters, but Violet's world would never be the same.
Amongst all this, there was the prospect of moving in with Professor Snape, who now, she would have to think of as her second cousin. She now saw him in a different light. No longer was he the greasy haired dungeon bat that was her Potions Master, he was family, the only family she had left.
Later that day she would be moving in to his house in Spinner's End. To Violet, it still was hard to believe.
She placed the final items into her trunk and locked it shut. She lifted it onto the dark floorboards of the room in which she had been staying in for those past few days. It was beginning to feel a little bit like home now, but now she would have to move again, this time to the home of her second cousin, Severus Snape. She magically lifted her trunk into the air and walked down the narrow staircase with it, and wandered timidly into the kitchen where she set it down.
Snape was waiting there, wearing his travelling cloak. Sirius and Remus were sat at the table obviously doing there best to ignore his presence. All three turned to look at her as she stood apprehensively at the doorway.
"Shall we be on our way?" asked Severus tenderly, in a way Violet had never heard him speak before.
"...erm, yes. If that's alright." she muttered softly. She didn't really didn't know what to say.
"Thank you," she turned to Remus and Sirius, "for being so kind, and letting me stay..." she uttered.
"You are more than welcome." replied Sirius graciously, "I am truly am sorry for your loss. I'm sure we will meet sometime again." He smiled warmly.
Snape looked impatient. He lifted up Violet's trunk and walked over to the fireplace.
"I'm not sure whether I mentioned," he said in his familiar smooth deep tones, "but we will be apparating". Violet nodded. He held out his arm to her, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around his forearm ready to apparate. As soon as her fingers touched his pale wrist , an wave of emotion burst through her like an electric pulse. She looked up into his eyes and he mirrored her glance. For a couple of seconds they just stared at each other compellingly.
Then before she knew it, she felt a tug from behind her naval and it felt like she was being spun around in the middle of a cyclone. About 5 seconds later they both arrived with a jolt on a wet pavement of a long street of terraced houses, most of which looked abandoned or empty. At the end of the road she could just make out a sign that read Spinner's End. Would this really be where she would be living from now on?
She followed Snape silently down the street until they reached a house that stood two stories high and had a black painted front door, almost identical to the rest of the houses on the same road. Snape took out his wand and flicked it in the direction of the front door. It flew open and led directly into a cramped living room. The walls were stacked high with shelves and shelves of books varying in topics, there were a couple of worn leather armchairs and candles perched precariously on a rickety old table.
Violet cast a glance around the small room. She felt uncomfortable, like an intruder in a stranger's house. She wasn't a judgemental person, so the appearance of the house was of little importance to her.
Snape lay down her trunk on the threadbare rug of the living room.
"This house belonged to my mother and father. I was raised here, and after they both died, it was mine to inherit." He turned to look at her. She looked at him too, and gave him a small sweet smile.
He returned it the best he could with a poor attempt at one, but she appreciated it all the same.
He led her and her trunk up the very narrow staircase, that led onto a small landing. Off of it led two separate bedrooms, a dark room that resembled a bathroom, and another small room piled high with books and other miscellaneous items.
He led Violet into one of the bedrooms. It contained a small bed with a brass bedstead covered by plain lavender coloured sheets, old floral wallpaper covering the walls with a couple of black and white photos hung in frames here and there. There was bookshelf filled with old books and small writing desk with a wooden chair placed beneath a window from which there was a view, if you can call it that, of rows and rows of brick houses and not too far in the distance, a wide river embankment. There was an odd smell of books and oldness that filled the house, including the bedroom. It felt austere and sparse.
Violet placed her trunk on the bed. Snape walked back over to the door, and then turned around again to face her.
"Violet, if there is anything I can do to make you feel at home, then please let me know. " he even surprised himself with his own words.
She looked taken aback but at the same time she felt a wave of affection for her Potions Master.
"Thank you." She replied softly.
He turned around and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. She's different he thought to himself, she's not like the rest of those blithering idiots I have to endure everyday.
She reminded him of himself, the outcast, the wallflower that nobody acknowledges. He never bothered to pay much attention to her before this. She was just another student he had to teach.
Violet placed the trunk on the bed and began to unpack her belongings. She placed a small photo of her and her parents on the bedside table and stared at it for a few moments. She was tired, emotionally drained. After packing away the last of her things, she lay down on the bed, too lazy to change her clothes, and fell soundlessly asleep.
After a couple of hours, Snape climbed to the stairs to her bedroom to check she was alright. On opening the door, her found her curled up on the bed, fast asleep. He stepped silently into the room and pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. She looked so delicate, her breathing soft and slow. She observed everything about her; the way her hear spread over the pillow, the way her eye-lids flickered as she dreamed, how every now and then she would mumble something in her sleep. He was captivated, in awe of her beauty. An hour passed, but he did not move from that spot. Not long after, she woke to see him sat by her bedside. She thought she must still be dreaming so she blinked and looked again, but he was still sat there.
"Professor Snape?" she muttered sleepily.
"Severus." He replied placidly.
She propped herself up on her elbows, and looked the unreadable expression on his face.
He stood up and moved the chair back without a word. Violet slid off the bed and walked over to him before he had a chance to leave the room. She looked him straight in the eyes and he felt his stomach do a flip. He reached out, took her face between his hands and looked down into it. Violet felt her hairs go on end and her skin prickled with excitement at his touch.
"You are different, Violet." He spoke more softly than she had ever heard him speak before. His dark eyes were wide and fixed on hers.
Violet slipped her arms around his waist and before she could stop herself, she leant forward and as he did the same, there lips brushed. His kiss engulfed her, gaining in strength until she found herself wrapped up in him. Then he pulled away, still caressing her cheeks. An explosion of total peace and serenity overwhelmed them both.
"Save me from the nothing I've become, Violet." Snape whispered in her ear. He paused and she rested her head on his chest.
"Forget the past." she said quietly. It took him by surprise, and he held her tight.