Severus Snape sat in the hard plastic chairs in St. Mungos, his head in his hands. His wife and eldest daughter were both in critical condition, a result of a raid that occurred on their home. The Aurors, in all their idiocy, mistook the Snape home for that of another, and blew open the door and severely injured his wife, Emilia, who was in the kitchen and their 15 year old daughter Brooke, who came down the stairs at the sound of the commotion. When the Aurors realized their mistake, all but one fled the scene. The one that stayed called St. Mungos before leaving himself, resulting in Severus coming home moments before the healers. As the healers had worked to stabilize the two women, and after they had pushed the potions master out of the way, Severus fixed the door and strengthened his wards, making his house more secure than it had been previously.
He had sat in the same position for nearly 24 hours, waiting for any news that could lessen his panic. But there wasn't any news, as his wife and eldest daughter were still in the surgical ward, where healers were trying to find the source of his wife's internal bleeding and his daughter's organ failure. The potions master was relieved only by the fact that his other daughter was staying with his mother at the time of the raid and was not in the same condition as her sister. Alexis was 10 and still stayed weekends with his mother and stepfather, unlike Brooke who thought it childish to stay at her grandparents.
As though she had apparated there, Severus was nearly tackled by the girl he had just thought of, with his mother, Eileen and stepfather, Gabriel chasing behind her.
"Daddy, is Mummy and Brooke going to be alright?" Alexis climbed into his lap and Severus wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face in her hair. He and his wife had thought that Alexis calling them Mummy and Daddy was childish and wondered when she was going to switch over to Mum and Dad like Brooke had been for years, but at this moment, Severus didn't care. He was just glad that one member of his family were alright.
"Sev, we came as soon as we heard. What happened?" Eileen sat next to him, wrapping her arms around him and Alexis.
"An Auror raid gone wrong, that's what. Emilia and Brooke were hexed for no reason other than mistaken identity and the seven Aurors that blew apart my front door fled. I came home about five minutes after they left." Severus raised his head, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. "They could have been killed… they might die and it's their entire fault, mum." Severus placed his face back on Alexis' head, trying not to break down.
Alexis twisted in his lap and tucked her head into his neck, clearly scared for her mother and sister. "When are we going to know if they're okay?" She mumbled into her father's neck.
"I've been here for hours, love. I don't know when we'll know. As far as I know, they're still in surgery." Severus glanced at the clock on the wall and then out the window. "It's late, try to get some sleep, child."
"I don't think I can, Daddy." Alexis raised her face, her eyes puffy and red.
Severus chuckled drying before pushing her head back against his shoulder with one hand and he rubbed her back with the other. "Try, Alexis and I'll wake you if we find out anything." Within ten minutes, her breath evened out and she was asleep, her head lolled on her father's shoulder.
It was nearly 12 more hours before a healer came to see the family that waited anxiously for any scrap of news.
"Mr. Snape?" A young man dressed in green robes addressed Severus.
"Yes?" Severus looked up sharply, clearly at his wits end.
"Your wife is resting now and is stable for the time being. We found bleeding in her stomach and in her small intestine but we have sealed it, hopefully for good. The next 24 hours should give us a clearer understanding on how she will recover."
"What of Brooke?" Gabriel asked, holding his wife's hand tightly.
"Her kidneys and liver are still slowly shutting down, but if we can determine the spells that caused the organ failure, we should be able to reverse it. She is still in surgery and we are doing everything we can, Mr. Snape. We understand you have been here a very long time and we understand how frustrating this can be."
Severus clutched Alexis tightly, the remaining color draining from his face. His Brooke might still die and there was nothing he could do to save her. In his mind, he ran through every single time she had been injured and every time he could remember, he had been right there with her, holding her hand and promising her everything was going to be okay. He wasn't there now and deep inside, he felt like he had failed her.
When was the last time he told her he loved her? When was the last time she had hugged him or kissed his cheek before he left for work in the mornings? When was the last time he had tucked her into bed or taken her temperature when she was sick? He barely heard his mother thank the healer and cast a privacy charm around them before he felt hot moisture drip down his face and plop onto his daughter's head.
"Sev, darling, the healer said we can go and see Emilia. When you're ready, we'll go to her room." Eileen held onto her son's hand, trying to give him strength.
Alexis stirred and woke and upon seeing her father's tears, panicked. "Daddy, is Mummy okay? Is Brooke okay? You said you would wake me if we had any news!"
Severus' breath shuddered and he wiped at his face with his palms. "Yes, love, Mummy is fine for now. We can go see her if you want, but you have to be very calm and quiet. We don't want the bleeding to start again, okay?" Severus had never ended a statement in his life with 'okay' but he pleaded with his youngest then, he pleaded to her in that one word to not be frantic and to jump on the bed like she did when she was younger and wanted to wake her parents for Christmas.
"What about Brooke? Is she okay?" Alexis asked, scared for her sister.
"The healers are doing what they can. Her kidneys and liver aren't working properly and…" Severus couldn't bring himself to tell her that Brooke's organs were failing. Unless the healers acted fast, the spells that caused the kidneys and liver to stop working would move to her other organs and she would die.
"She's dying, isn't she?" Alexis questioned her father and upon getting no answer from him, she moved to her grandmother, who nodded a little.
"The healers can fix her, child. They fixed mummy, didn't they?" Gabriel smiled and took her from Severus' lap so the potions master could stand and stretch his long legs. "Why don't you three go to Emilia and say hello? I'll be there in a little bit." With that, he left the hallway, heading toward the lobby.
Alexis pulled on her father's hand, pulling him to his feet. "Daddy, let's go!"
Eileen stood as well and held her hand out to her son. "Come Sev, let's go see your wife."
Emilia Snape was aching. Deep within her bones, her joints, and her muscles, there was an ache that wouldn't go away. Top that off with the constant beeping of the monitors that floated about the room and the IV drip of low level pain reliever that was flowing into her body, she was very uncomfortable. She wished to be back home with her husband and daughters instead of St. Mungos, but there was little she could do to change that.
"Mummy!" Alexis came into the room, tugging on Severus' hand. He tried to rein her in, but he was fighting a losing battle.
"Alexis Rose, calm down this instant!" Severus' voice cracked through the air, the bite coming from the lack of sleep and worry for his family. He instantly regretted his actions, for his 10 year old started to sniffle a little, falling into his mother's chest.
"Severus, come here." Emilia croaked from the bed, raising a tube covered hand to him. Severus took her hand and sat on the edge of the bed, clutching her fingers in his own.
"I thought I had lost you, my love." Severus kissed her hand repeatedly, willing himself not to cry again. "I can't wait to get you home again."
"Where is Brooke?" Emilia turned her head on the pillow to look at her husband.
"She is still being worked on. She'll be alright."
"You're not being honest with me, Severus." Emilia frowned, her cut covered face contorting into an angry look.
"She's suffering from organ failure and unless they can find out what spell has caused the damage, she is going to die." Severus laid his head next to her shoulder on the bed and fought to breath.
Alexis approached her father, touching his back. "Daddy, Brooke is going to be alright. Grandpa said that the healers can fix her and we have to believe that."
Severus sat up and gathered her in his arms again, pressing kisses to her forehead. "You're being so brave right now, child." Severus smiled a watery smile.
Emilia opened her arms to the girl, who very willing laid down carefully next to her mother. In no time at all, Alexis was back asleep, cuddled into her mother's side. After about an hour passed, and Gabriel came into the room.
"Hello," He greeted everyone tiredly. "Alexis is out cold again, I see. Emilia, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, aside from the complete aching I'm feeling everywhere. But that is to be expected. Why didn't you come in with everyone else?"
"Well, I went to the Aurors' office and threatened to sue for what they did unless one of them gave me a list of every spell fired when they attacked you two. "
Severus smiled a little and straightened in the chair he was sitting in. "I have half a mind to sue them for what they did. But now, Brooke can be healed once they find out what spell caused all that damage." He looked at his wife who was smoothing Alexis' dark hair off her forehead as she lay reclining on a mountain of pillows.
"I passed the list onto Healer Johnson, the one who's in charge of healing her. Now, it's only a matter of time before we know what's going on. She said that if Brooke can be placed in a room, she'll be put in the empty bed right there." Gabriel gestured to the bed to Emilia's left.
As he finished speaking to his family, the same healer that spoke to them earlier came into the room. "Brooke is doing much better and we have started to heal her kidneys and liver. The spell didn't manage to damage any of her other organs, but it'll be a few hours before we'll be considering moving her in here, just to be safe. She'll most likely spend her 24 hour examination period in the ICU." He smiled at the family. "With all things considered, Brooke and Emilia are very lucky to be alive right now. If Brooke is stable in a few hours, you can go in and see her for a few minutes." He left after making a note on Emilia's charts.
"Oh thank god." Emilia clutched her heart and smiled, looking at her family around her bedside. "You'll tell me how's she's doing before you leave, right?"
"Of course, Emilia. I called out of work for tomorrow, so I can take Alexis to school, and I can be here with you and Brooke for the day."
"What did I do to deserve you?" Emilia smiled at him brightly, and then rubbed Alexis' back as she stirred in her sleep. Emilia wanted her to stay asleep for a little longer, and thankfully, the girl simply rolled over and fell back asleep. Severus fixed the tubes to accommodate for the new position his daughter had twisted herself in.
After a nearly three more hours, Eileen and Gabriel bid them goodbye and promised to get in touch after they both got out of work later. When Emilia fell asleep herself, Severus stayed awake, making sure she was comfortable and that her drip was working, though sleep was creeping into his mind.
"Mr. Snape?" a woman behind him asked.
"Yes?" He snapped out of his stupor and gave the healer his full attention.
"If you wish, you can see your daughter now. She's stable enough for a few minutes." She saw his hesitance to leave the two others in the room. "I'll come back after I bring you there and watch them until you get back."
With that, Severus was led to another room, this one made of glass. Inside, his daughter lay, IV drips stuck in her veins and tubes down her throat. Severus' breath caught in his throat, and he couldn't believe that the broken girl who lay on the bed covered in tubing was his daughter. It was less than 48 hours since she was brewing with him in the lab, full of laughter when she flung a bat spleen at his head.
Healer Johnson looked up from examining the monitor above his daughter's head. "Don't worry Mr. Snape; the breathing tubes are just a precaution. She's sedated till tomorrow morning when we'll take the tubes out and she should be able to move into the room with your wife. I expect Brooke to be here about three weeks to 2 months with the damage she sustained in the attack. She will be here for a month for treatment and then she'll be moved to your home for outpatient treatment, which would be physical therapy. Your wife should be able to go home at the end of the week, as long as there isn't any more bleeding."
Severus nodded numbly, before sitting down to stroke his daughter's bruised and battered face. She moaned a little and leaned into his hand, making Severus smile.
"I'll be outside if you need me." Healer Johnson left the room with a clipboard in hand, jotting down notes. She shut the door behind her, going to the healer's station across the hall.
"Oh, love, I'm so sorry… I wish I could have been in that room when they were healing you. Alexis misses you, you know? She's sleeping right now with your mother, but we're all so glad you're alive. We weren't so convinced you were going to pull through, but I should have known. You never like to make my life easy. Even when you were born, you didn't cry at first, and you made everyone panic. And then you did, and it was the best sound I'd ever heard, but I should have realized then that you were just stubborn and only do things on your schedule." Severus held her hand tightly.
"I love you so much, Brooke. Don't ever scare me like that again." He smoothed her blood soaked hair back and kissed her forehead. "I'm just so happy you're okay, child. You're going to be okay and even though you're going to miss a few weeks of term, I don't care. You could be stuck here till Christmas and I wouldn't be angry, as long as you come home afterward." He heard another moan like sound, even though her eyes were closed and she seemed to be in a medicated sleep.
"And I'm sure your mother will agree, but you can have whatever it is you want, as long as you come home okay with all your organs working properly. God, I wasn't sure you were going to live…" he trailed off and a few tears dripped down his face, landing on her hand. After nearly 30 seconds, Severus felt his daughter gently squeeze his fingers, very slowly in reality, but it showed Severus she was alive and was going to make it.
Brooke had been born premature, and while she had been fine at birth, she started to go downhill has the night worn on. Severus remembered sitting in the NICU of the same building he was in now, reading stories to his infant daughter as she lay in her incubator and with him in a full set of scrubs. Severus would stick his hand in the hole made for that purpose, and let her hold his index finger in her grasp, Brooke squeezing the glove covered phalange over and over for hours. He remembered James Potter walking by with Harry on one arm and taunting him for his child not being as strong as his, but Severus didn't care, as long as his daughter had ten fingers and ten toes, and had lungs that inflated normally. And when she was finally able to come home, Severus never let her out of his sight, and the only time Brooke was out of his arms for nearly a month was when his wife was breastfeeding her or when they were changing her diapers. Brooke had slept on his chest for the first four months of her life and because of that, she disliked her crib, preferring to be held by her father when she went to sleep.
He sat with her until Healer Johnson came in and told him Brooke had to rest. Severus pressed one last kiss on her forehead and then left the room. As he passed the Healer, she clapped a hand on his shoulder, smiling at him.
"She's a fighter, I'll give her that. There were a few times I thought we were going to lose her, but she bounced back enough for us to not be too fearful. Brooke's organs are starting to heal and they should be fine by morning, however, there are some other concerns I have. If you could come in my office, we can discuss them further."
Severus followed the woman to her office, where he sat down across from her. "What else is wrong?"
"Her leg is snapped like a toothpick, and it looks like one of the Aurors broke it with their foot, it looks like someone had stomped on it till it cracked. We need to set that properly and she's going to need physical therapy once it's healed." Healer Johnson pulled out more papers and other charts. "Her brain is swollen and we're working to correct that, but that's spell damage. With the list Mr. Andrews gave us, we should be able to reverse it, starting tonight. On top of that, she appears to have fallen down several stairs, and four ribs are cracked, resulting in damage in her right lung. That's why she's on the ventilator."
Severus took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "When is the soonest she will be able to go home?"
"I'm saying a month, though depending on how well she responds to treatment, it could be sooner. I'm not going to lie to you, Mr. Snape. The only other time I have seen damage such as this was in a car accident and not one person survived. Not one person made it to the stage your daughter is in. That's an excellent sign that she's going to be okay."
As the words left her mouth, another healer came into the room frantic. "Brooke's coding, Healer Johnson." The young man took off, grabbing others as he went. Healer Johnson left, with Severus hot on her heels.
"Mr., Snape, you can't come in but you can stay outside the room." With that, the woman entered the glass room, wand in hand.
Severus watched as a team of healers waved their wands over his daughter, poured potions into her veins, his heart racing. When Healer Johnson started CPR, Severus could watch no more and he ran out of St. Mungo's. Going to the back of the building, he cast a privacy charm and screamed for what felt like hours, unable to stop himself. His daughter was doing okay but now she was dying and there was nothing he could do.
Eventually he went back into the hospital and went to his wife's room where Healer Johnson was checking his wife over. The Healer smiled when she saw him.
"Brooke is okay, Mr. Snape. One of her IVs containing her healing potion came dislodged and her body panicked. We got her heart going at a normal pace again and she's reconnected to her potions, so she should be stable for the remainder of the night. We started treating the swelling of her brain and I set her leg while I was there, so if all goes well with no more hiccups, Brooke could leave early, though she will be here longer than your wife."
Severus wiped his hand over his face, sinking into the chair he had vacated only an hour before. His daughter was going to be alright, and she would be able to leave before the month was out, given that she healed correctly.
"Has Emilia's bleeding returned?" Severus asked quietly, trying not to sound weak, even though he knew that Healer Johnson had without doubt seen husbands and fathers break down in tears every day.
"No, Mr. Snape. She should be fine before the week is out." Healer Johnson left the room with a smile.
Severus stayed seated, remaining quiet while Alexis and Emilia slept for nearly 5 more hours. When the clock chimed 8 am, Severus gently woke his daughter, who in turn, wrapped her arms around her father's neck. He lifted Alexis and placed her on the ground, where she yawned heavily, leaning into his stomach.
"Daddy, Mummy and Brooke are going to be okay now, right?" Alexis looked up at his face.
"Yes, child, they're going to be fine." Severus leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Now we have to get you home and ready for school, which starts in an hour."
"Daddy, I want to stay here with you and Mummy." Alexis whined a little while Severus led her from the room.
"Alexis, I am very tired and I'm not in the mood for whining. You need to go to school, and once you're done, I'll get you home and after dinner we'll come back and visit." Severus had an arm around her shoulders, and they went through the floo together.
"But Daddy, I don't want to!" Alexis stomped her foot once they got to their home.
"Alexis Rose, if you don't want to go to school with a warmed backside, I would go to your bedroom and get changed."
"But Daddy, I want to go back to the hospital with you now! I don't wanna go to school! School is stupid when Mummy and Brooke are in the hospital." She crossed her arms and stomped her foot again, glaring at the potions master.
Severus leaned down and grasped her arm. "Go to your bedroom now, young lady." He pushed her toward the stairs and smacked the seat of her jeans hard. When she looked back at him shocked and with teary eyes, Severus crossed his arms. "I don't want to hear it, Alexis. Go get changed or I'll put you over my knee. I don't have a problem sending you to class with a warm bottom."
Alexis sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Severus usually only spanked her and her sister for putting themselves in danger or for breaking many of the house rules in one day. Even then, he never sent them to school after a punishment, unless it was grounding. But she wasn't going to push it, especially not after what had happened with her mother and sister.
She came downstairs changed, with her hair and teeth brushed. She approached her father with her brush and hair ties, silently asking him to braid her hair. Once her hair was done, Severus called for her to come into the kitchen, where he had breakfast laid out for her.
"Daddy, I'm sorry for being a brat. I just want to be with Mummy…" Alexis sat down and started eating.
"It's alright, but I need you to understand you can't have everything your way. But I meant what I said; throw another tantrum like that again, especially while your mother and sister are in the hospital, and I will not hesitate to take you over my knee if you get that cheeky with me again."
"Yes Daddy." Alexis shoveled more eggs into her mouth while Severus sipped some of the coffee in his mug. "Daddy, can I come home after lunchtime?" Severus raised an eyebrow at the girl.
"No, Alexis. You're going to stay in school till 3:30 like everyone else. I'll come get you and we'll have dinner here before we go see your mother again."
"When can I see Brooke?" Alexis picked her plate up and placed it in the sink.
"If she's been moved into the room with your mother then you can see her. Right now, I am the only one allowed to see her."
"But why?" Alexis couldn't help but whine a little, but stopped talking when Severus gave her a look. Taking a large gulp of milk, Alexis tried to avoid her father's harsh gaze, hoping to prevent any punishment.
"I am the only one allowed to see her because I said so. When she is moved, you can see her." Severus opened the refrigerator after he finished his coffee and pulled out sandwich stuffs. Assembling and bagging a turkey and cheese for Alexis, Severus put that and an assortment of snacks and an apple in her lunch box. "Grab your backpack, put this in there and put your shoes on." He handed her the pink insolated bag. He filled her water bottle with ice and filtered water and handed that off too.
Once she was ready, Severus ushered her into the floo, calling the address of the school. With a flash of green, the two were sucked into the floo network, and deposited in the main foyer of the school.
"Daddy, do I really have to go?" Alexis took hold of his hand after he fixed the straps of her backpack.
"Yes, Alexis. You'll be fine and I'll be right here at 3:30 to pick you up. We will then go back to the house and you will do any homework you get and we will eat dinner. Then, we will go and visit your mother." He led her to her classroom, where he signed her in, writing her name on the clipboard that hung on the door.
"Hello Alexis! I hope you've had a pleasant morning!" Alexis' teacher, Ms. Rutledge greeted her at the door with a smile. When Alexis refused to let go of her father's hand, she frowned. "What's wrong, Alexis?" She looked at Severus for answers.
"My wife and eldest daughter were attacked in our home two days ago. They're both in the hospital now, but Alexis wants to go back to be with her mother. Brooke is still in ICU, but should be moved soon. Alexis wants to be there when she does" Severus frowned a little when Alexis wrapped herself around his torso.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry. Well, Alexis, I'm glad you still came to class. I'm sure they'll both be fine." Ms. Rutledge smiled kindly at the girl.
Alexis looked up at her father with large eyes. "Daddy, I wanna go home." Her lip quivered a little.
Severus sighed and crouched a little so he could look in her eyes. "Love, I know you want to stay with your mum, but I'm not even going back until after dinner. Even if you didn't go to school, you wouldn't be there with her." He brushed back the unruly strands that popped out of her braids. "Go learn something, alright?"He kissed her forehead softly.
"Yes Daddy…" She trailed off as she released him before shuffling into the classroom. Severus watched her stow her bag in the cubbies all the students put their bags in and sit heavily in her chair through the door. He frowned a little, rubbing a hand on his face.
"She'll be alright, Mr. Snape. Once class starts, I'm sure her mind will be at ease." Ms. Rutledge smiled at the potions master.
"I hope so too." With that, he bid her goodbye and stepped into the floo, returning to his home. Severus sighed, and then went up the stairs to his bedroom, where he stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt. Wiping a hand over his face, Severus reached into his top dresser drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Lighting one, he took a long drag as he opened the bedroom window to blow the smoke out of. He rarely smoked, but indulged once in a while when he was stressed. Emilia hated that he even had one every few weeks, even though when they were dating, he was a chain smoker and went through at least two packs a day.
Extinguishing the cigarette, he banished the ashes and butt and put away the pack before pulling back the covers. Setting an alarm for 3pm, he collapsed on his bed, falling into a much needed sleep.
Upon hearing a harsh beeping, Severus sat up quickly, looking around for the cause of the noise. Once he realized the alarm clock was the cause of the noise, he turned it off and dressed, knowing he had to pick Alexis up from school. Severus and Emilia knew that Alexis hated going to school all year long, but with the two parents working from 8 to 6 every day and with Brooke not having the patience to babysit as she got older, the two adults were grateful that Early Wizard's Academy ran all year. Both girls had gone, and there they had learned about magic, how to read and write and how to do math. The school ran till the students turned 11, when they were able to go to Hogwarts.
But when Brooke went to Hogwarts for the first time, the parents were at a loss of what to do when she came home for the summer. Severus had taken to bringing her to the ministry where he worked during the summer months in the Misuse of potions and potions patents office. Brooke stayed with him three days a week, and the other two were spent with Emilia at her job in the Muggle relations office where she integrated muggle technology into the Wizarding world. Alexis was only 6, and could continue her education at Early Wizard's Academy. But in August, which was fast approaching, she turned 11. Then, Brooke would have to babysit in the summer after Alexis' first year or Severus and Emilia would have to take her to work with them. Brooke had already turned 15, and was entering her 5th year at Hogwarts.
When Severus entered the school and stood outside the door with the other parents, he stood near the wall, slightly away from them all. Emilia usually picked Alexis up from school, and Severus refused to make friends with the other parents, unlike his wife.
The 3:30 bell rang and the door to his daughter's classroom burst open with children streaming out to find their parents. Severus noticed that his daughter was not one of the children, and he entered the room to find his child still seated at her desk.
"Mr. Snape, may I have a word with you?" Ms. Rutledge asked, standing up from her desk.
"Of course. What's the matter?" Severus furrowed his brow, clearly confused.
"Alexis got into a fight today with one of her classmates." She ran a hand through her hair. "In her defense, Daniel wasn't being too appreciative of her wanting space and kept agitating her. However, that doesn't excuse Alexis punching him in the eye."
Severus groaned a little and tried to breathe evenly. He knew how Alexis was feeling, but he was very angry with her.
"Thank you for informing me." Severus picked up his daughter's bag and shouldered it. "I'm sure she apologized to this Daniel?"
"That's the thing. She hasn't spoken since I made her stay inside during recess. She refused to apologize until he apologized to her for invading her space." She smiled a little, but quickly bit it back.
"I see. Well, I'm sure she'll apologize tomorrow morning then." He looked at his child, who was staring at her desk top. "Alexis, come here."
When she didn't move, Severus yanked her to her feet by her arm. Biding Ms. Rutledge goodbye, Severus took Alexis home. Sitting her on the couch, Severus placed her bag on the hook and emptied her lunch box, putting everything away. When he was finished, he began to pace, trying not to take her over his knee prematurely. He wanted the full story before levying a punishment, even though he knew there had to be one.
"Alexis, I've never been more disappointed in you. You certainly know better to strike another student. I don't care what the reason is. I have half a mind to not let you go visit your mother after dinner. Why did you punch him?" He crossed his arms and stared at the girl, who had tears running down her face.
She remained silent, making Severus huff and grab her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Young lady, if you don't want your bottom warmed right now, you'll tell me why you felt it necessary to punch another student in the face."
When she still kept her mouth shut, Severus sat down next to her, and took hold of her wrist, pulling her up over his lap. She squirmed around, but Severus held on tightly, landing a firm smack on her backside.
"Stop Daddy, please!" She fought even more and when a second and third blow landed on the seat of her jeans, she finally cried out, "Daddy, please, stop! I'll talk, please stop!"
Severus flipped her back over and placed her on the couch next to him, giving her a harsh look. "Alexis, I shouldn't have to spank you to get you to answer my questions. You should know better than that by now. And I would think you would have been behaving with your mother and sister in the hospital."
"Yes sir, I understand." She hung her head. "I didn't mean to punch him, honest." Fat tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered the incident. "Daniel was bugging me about why you dropped me off and not Mummy, and when I asked him to leave me alone, he didn't. I even asked Ms. Rutledge to make him go away, but he wouldn't listen to her. He started throwing things at me across the room and everyone was laughing at me… so when he passed me to go sharpen his pencil and he threw another ad of paper at me, I punched him."
Severus sighed. "I should wallop your backside for this, you know. You should be counting your lucky stars that I am not my father, Alexis. If I had pulled a stunt like that at your age, I wouldn't be sitting for a month." He pulled her to lean into his chest. "However, I think a weekend in your room will do. You can come with me to see your mother tonight, but tomorrow through Sunday, you're going to be here."
"Are you going to spank me again?" she whispered, hoping he wouldn't, even though the last time Brooke had fought another girl, Severus took a wooden spoon to her bare bottom, and Brooke had been 14 when that had happened. Alexis knew it was a real possibility.
Severus pulled her a little more into him so her backside was off the sofa. Even at the awkward angle, he still managed two more light swats to her backside. "There, five swats. Do you feel better now?" He laughed a little at her scowling face as she rubbed her bottom. I'm not going to beat you, love, but you can't be fighting."
"Yes Daddy." She rubbed her bottom, even though it really didn't hurt that much.
"If you have homework, go do it now while I start dinner." Severus kissed her forehead, before standing up and walking to the kitchen. "How does pork chops sound? With mashed potatoes on the side?"
"Can I help?" Alexis wiped her eyes and nose on her sleeve and then unpacked her bag on the kitchen table.
"You can help me by doing your homework." Severus pulled a few pans out of the cabinet. "What do you have to do?"
Alexis opened her folder and pulled out her pencil case. "I have reading and some math. I finished the rest of my homework when I wasn't able to go to recess."
"I see." He placed the pork chops in the pan along with some oil. "Do you have to read aloud?"
"Yeah, for 20 minutes." Alexis pulled out her book and laid it on the table. Sitting at the table, she started scratching away at her math problems and the kitchen was silent except with the sound of her pencil scratching and the sound of dinner cooking.
"Daddy?" Alexis put her math papers in her folder and returned the folder to her backpack.
"Yes, child?" Severus flipped a pork chop.
"Am I really grounded?" she bit her lip and frowned.
"Yes, you are. Your sister didn't get away with fighting last year. And if you want, you can have the same punishment she did. Not only will you be grounded, but you won't have to worry about your backside getting cold."
She sighed, and then took out her book and opened it to the marked page. As her father finished cooking, Alexis read to her father, stumbling over only a few words. Severus gently corrected her as he plated the meal and by the time she had finished reading, Severus had set the table and served dinner.
"Go put your bag away, empty your lunch box of everything and wash up before you come back." Severus poured milk into a cup and placed it next to his daughter's plate. He waved his wand and set the dishes to wash and put themselves away. He had just finished cutting Alexis' pork chop up into pieces when she returned.
"Daddy, how come you always cut my food for me?" she asked, drying her hands on her jeans.
"Reflex, I suppose, from when you couldn't." He laughed a little. "Now, eat up if you want to see your mum before bed.
"You don't do it for Brooke though." Alexis ate a bite of mashed potatoes and washed them down with her milk. "How come I still have to have milk? Brooke doesn't have to."
"Brooke eats most meals in the Great Hall and your mother and I cannot monitor what she eats or drinks there. And when she's here, she mostly has water." Severus ate a bite himself.
When they were both done, Severus cleared the table and Alexis prepared to leave for the hospital. She put her shoes on and waited on the couch for her father to change into fresh clothes. "Daddy, do you think Brooke has been moved?"
"I don't know, love. Hopefully she will be, but she might not. She hasn't gotten worse or else I would have gotten a letter from the hospital." Severus went up the stairs to change out of the robes he had on.
When the two flooed to the hospital, they walked quickly to Emilia's suite. She was propped up on pillows and the young healer who had been telling Severus the news about his family was clearing a tray from in front of Emilia.
"Hello, darling, did you have a good day at school?" Emilia smiled and wrapped her arms around her daughter when she climbed on the bed.
"I punched a boy in the face today, Mummy…" Alexis looked down at her lap shamefully.
"Alexis Rose! You know better than that!" She looked at her husband. "I assume you punished her?"
"She's grounded for the weekend. So, this is the last visit she gets until Monday night." Severus crossed his arms and looked at her drooped head.
"Good. Alexis, you can't go around punching people. Daddy and I defiantly raised you better." Emilia said sternly, glaring at her daughter.
"Yes, Mummy." Alexis sighed before she squeaked when her mother dragged her backwards into her chest.
The three had been together for nearly an hour before the doors to the suite were held open and two healers came in, wheeling a bed inside. On it, Brooke lay, hooked up to drips and muggle medical equipment which was carried in by other Healers. Brooke cracked her eyes open and smiled a little at her family before closing them again. The large tubes had been taken out of her throat, but a thin tube was stuck under her nose, pumping her oxygen.
Healer Johnson came in, holding a clipboard. "Mr. Snape, it's good to see you more refreshed than you were a few hours ago. Brooke is well enough to be in here. She's stable and healing, but very tired."
"Maybe if you weren't pumping me full of calming draught, I wouldn't be." Brooke croaked from the bed, her voice barely audible.
Severus and his wife smiled at the feeble voice, remembering the feeling of a few hours ago when she was close to death. The very fact that she could talk reminded them that she was on the mend, even though she was barely able to do so.
"Your heart needs a break, Brooke. We talked about this on the way here. Now, she's responding well to the potions, but her lung is still a little… deflated is the only way I can describe it. It should be fine by the end of the week and she will no longer need the oxygen. Her brain is no longer swollen, but I'm sure she feels a little off from the spell damage reversal." Healer Johnson smiled at the girl who gave her the finger. She tiredly dropped her hand down on the mattress as though the effort exhausted her.
"Brooke Eileen, that is not appropriate!" Severus scolded mildly.
"It's alright, Mr. Snape. While I was healing her leg and brain, she told me multiple times to… what was it again? Oh yes, to go fuck myself." She laughed. "It's fine, I actually expected her to curse and to possibly hit me. It's perfectly normal with the spells we have to use for our patients to be a little mouthy."
Emilia gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. The two parents looked at their battered daughter, who apparently had fallen asleep.
"She's going to be doing a lot of sleeping for the next few weeks. Make sure if she does fall asleep, you leave her be. She needs the unmediated rest. In the upcoming weeks, we can start her physical therapy, but I don't expect her to be able to start school until mid September at least."
Severus nodded, before going over to his daughter and sitting beside her. He smiled at her sleeping form, enjoying her not hooked up to a ventilator.
"Daddy, is she going to be alright?" Alexis whispered from the bed where she was still sitting with her mother.
"Yes, love. She's going to be fine."
When Severus came to see the two in the hospital on Saturday, Brooke was propped up on several pillows while her mother was still asleep. She placed her book down on her lap when her father approached, smiling a little when he sat next to her.
"How are you feeling?" Severus kissed her temple.
"Alright, but these IVs are really starting to itch. I don't know why." She scratched at the tape holding the needle down.
"Your skin is just overly sensitive from the healing potions. If it doesn't stop after Tuesday, tell Healer Johnson and we'll see what we can do."
"Healer Johnson was telling me how I'm going to miss a few weeks of school. Do you think the other professors will mind?" Brooke nibbled on her bruised lower lip, hoping her father wouldn't give bad news.
"I think they'll understand the situation. After all, you almost died. They cannot expect you to be able to return and perform academically to the best of your ability." He moved the wisps of hair from her forehead. "I've written to them and so far, Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall send their regards and do not expect you to return until October."
"Will I at least be able to study? I don't want to get too far behind." Brooke toyed with the strings that dangled from the hospital blanket.
"We'll have to see as you get stronger. Healer Johnson said you should be here for at least a month, but you could be home sooner depending on your response to treatment. Then you will have to be in outpatient, having physical therapy." Severus smiled at her. "You're alive, love. That's all that should matter. I will tutor you myself if I have to get you up to speed. But I won't start until September. That gives you the month of August to just rest and heal. After all, you already finished your summer homework."
"Okay," Brooke opened her book again, her eyes darting across the pages. "What if I can't keep up? What if I can't pass my classes and fail 5th year?"
"Then you will repeat your 5th year. Child, I don't want you to worry about this. You are incredibly bright and you know as well as I that you have the ability to pass your classes."
Brooke glanced at her mother when she rolled over in her sleep. "Would you and Mum be disappointed if I failed?"
"Well, naturally, yes, a little bit. But we would understand that this summer hasn't been the best with the fact that you were nearly killed in your own home." Severus smiled a little, trying to mask the pain of what he had just vocalized. His voice cracked a little and he cleared his throat, drawing Brooke's attention to the fact that his eyes were decidable wet.
She then turned the subject on something else. "Why isn't Alexis here?" Her sister had been so excited to see her the night before. Brooke had been woken by fingers on her face right before her father and sister left for the night.
"She got in a spot of trouble and is grounded for the weekend."
"What did she do?" Brooke sniggered a little, wondering what her kid sister could have gotten herself into.
"She punched a boy in the face for bothering her. A Daniel Clark, if I'm not mistaken." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before he was shocked by his daughter wheezing a laugh.
"Daniel Clark? That boy is a toss pop! He deserved to be punched. His brother isn't much better!" Brooke doubled over and started snorting. "Why is she being punished? That's brill what she did! Get her here so I can congratulate her."
Severus was shocked to say the least. His daughter had never said that she hated the boy, but it didn't surprise him if she actually did. Daniel's brother Ryan had dipped Brooke's hair in ink when they were 12. Brooke had never forgiven the boy and had gotten revenge by tipping the boy's shrinking solution on him. Severus hadn't seen it and therefore he had been unable to punish his daughter. Furthermore, the children in her class had said that Brooke had not knocked the cauldron over so he had been unable to give her detention. He did, however, take ten house points for her loud laughter at the boy's misfortune.
"She's grounded, Brooke. Just like you were when you punched Ms. Brown last year. I don't stand for violence in my household."
"I almost died, Dad and she isn't allowed to come and visit me? Also, I'm bored out of my mind. Mom has been sleeping all day and the only thing I had to look forward to today was Healer Adams washing the blood out of my hair. I'm dying here, Dad."
"Don't even joke about that, Brooke. I'm not having you joke about this." Severus crossed his arms and gave her a dirty look.
"You're right, I'm sorry." Brooke shook her head. She hadn't realized what effect her words would have on her father.
Emilia stirred, before finally waking up. She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. "Hello, Love." She smiled a little, accepting the kiss from her husband when he moved over to her side. "How's Alexis?"
"Bored out of her mind in her room if she knows what's good for her." Severus chuckled a little. "My mother is watching her and you both know how she is with discipline."
Brooke hid her smile behind her fingers, laughing at the idea that her sister was stuck with Eileen. Her parents gave her a look and Brooke quickly clammed up.
Just in time, at least in Brooke's opinion, Healer Johnson came in and took both her and her mother's vitals, diverting the attention from her for a little while. Severus shook his head at his child, who was begging the healer to allow her to return to school September first, though to his great relief, Healer Johnson was unwavering. Brooke then rolled over to face the wall, ignoring everyone around her.
Severus left a few hours later, kissing his wife and child goodbye, promising to return the next day. Stepping into the hall, he moved quickly to the public floo, hoping to get home before his mother forced his youngest to go to bed.
He left the floo in his own home, removing his robes and fixing his cufflinks. He saw his mother sitting in his favorite armchair, knitting a large afghan in red and gold.
"How was she?" Severus sat next to her on the ottoman after moving her basket of yarn and supplies.
"A little moody, but otherwise behaved. She wanted me to get you to come home early, but obviously I didn't even try." Eileen counted her stitches, moving the lamp to better see the blanket.
"Is she still awake?" Severus sighed, wiping a hand over his face. He had wished that she would have been a little better behaved and kept her mouth shut. He knew that she would sass his grandmother until she lost her temper, and he knew his youngest, who unfortunately was just like him temperwise.
"Yes she is, but Severus, be kind to her. She thinks that her sister and mother aren't going to make it home. When she left the hospital, her sister wasn't awake for very long. Emilia's organs were bleeding for hours and Brooke's organs were failing. She doesn't understand exactly what's going on." Eileen looked up at him over her glasses.
"Are you still going to be here when I come down?" Severus stood and then his mother packed up her knitting.
"No, love. I need to get home. I've been away for too long as it is. Gabriel fears Tobias will try to find me if I'm away too long." Eileen laughed. "I'm surprised your stepfather hasn't tried to use a tracking spell on me to make sure I'm going where I say I am."
"He could do what Tobias did and follow you for hours." Severus muttered bitterly.
"Now, enough of that, Sev. Tobias was bitter and jealous. He's not in our life anymore and that's how it should be. That's how it should have been when you were growing up… I'm sorry, love." Her eyes filled with tears, and she buried her face into her hands.
Severus hugged his mother tightly, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. He knew she felt guilty for allowing his father to remain in the house for as long as she had, but the two years he spent at Hogwarts before she threw Tobias out, and she very literally threw him out, using her wand to blow him and all his belongings onto the street, were the best he ever had. When he returned to Spinner's End for the summer going into his third year, he was shocked to see a new porch and the house with fresh paint for the first time in years. All the old furniture had been sold with the exception of Severus' bedroom and there was new furniture in the house. Severus opted to sell his things too and purchase a new bedroom set, this one made of handsome wood.
Eileen had torn up the backyard and created a back garden and patio. Tobias hadn't allowed her to brew or do magic in the home and she was taking great joy in growing her potions ingredients alongside her tomatoes and cucumbers. Severus and Lily had done their summer homework at the Snape household for the first time ever that summer on the patio, with Eileen bringing them snacks and lemonade for the duration of their study time.
With Tobias gone, Eileen had been reinstated into the Prince family, therefore giving her plenty of money to raise her son in comfort. Her and his skin color was no longer pallid and sallow, but a healthy shade of pale. She could afford to feed him healthy foods and plenty of them and they no longer saw all their money going to beer and vodka.
When Eileen started working for the Ministry she had met Gabriel. He was her age and they had begun as friends, with Eileen bringing him over for dinner on the weekends. Severus had been 14 when they married. Gabriel had three children Severus' age and they all went to Hogwarts at the same time as the young Slytherin boy. Two girls and boy came to live in the Snape household along with Gabriel, as he only lived in a three bedroom apartment that was barely big enough to fit the four that lived there.
Eileen had expanded the inside of the Spinner's end home; making sure every child had their own bedroom. Severus had asked his mother to expand his room, and she did gladly. Severus was accepting of the new children in the house, even though he was no longer the oldest child. His step sister, Megan was 15 and a Ravenclaw and she was a prefect to boot. Then came Severus at 14. The other boy, Eric, was 13 and a Gryffindor and then the youngest daughter, Heather, was starting Hogwarts when Severus was entering his fourth year.
The family was content and for once, Severus didn't mind going home for the summer. Lily liked his new siblings and they all got along. Gabriel and Eileen took all of them to the beach for weeks at a time, and they allowed all the children to bring their friends as long as the friends got along with the other children. With these trips, Severus made new friends in other houses, and they actually liked him for him, regardless of the house he was in. When James and his friends bullied him, his siblings came to his aid, or their friends did. The odds were no longer four to one, but eight to four. Sometimes there were more and even the prefects defended the Slytherin boy, due to Megan being a prefect.
There was a room in Hogwarts designated for Prefects only, however, Megan had gotten permission to allow her family and friends to be in there with her. They did their homework and hung out together, making a group that still spent time together in their adulthood.
"Mum, you're fine. Everything is fine now. I hold no grudges against you. You did what you had to do to give me the life you could." Severus rubbed her back. "Go home; get a good night's sleep. Emilia wants you to come to the hospital tomorrow. Tell Megan, Eric and Heather to come and see their niece too. They could use all the visitors they can get. Brooke's bored out of her mind."
Eileen smiled a little and wiped her eyes after she released her son. She collected her things and left in the floo with promises to return tomorrow.
Severus trudged up the stairs and stopped just before his daughter's room. He really didn't want to have her be cheeky with him right now, which she was bound to be. She never took her punishments well.
Opening the door, Severus entered and sat on the edge of the bed. "I know you're awake, Alexis. Stop the act."
Dark eyes peeked over the edge of her covers, followed by the rest of the face. "I tried to sleep, Daddy, honest."
"Mhmm. And I was born yesterday." Severus rolled his eyes. "I could hear you moving around through the floorboards."
Alexis looked down at the blankets. Severus shook his head and gestured for her to lie down. "Go to sleep. I'll be here in the morning." He kissed her forehead. "Maybe tomorrow, I can get your Aunt Megan, Aunt Heather, and Uncle Eric to come and see you tomorrow. I'm unsure if they're coming to see your sister, but after that they might come here."
Alexis' face broke into a true smile and she sat up to kiss her father on the cheek. "Goodnight Daddy."
"Goodnight, love."