Title: The Trip

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To sjrodgers108: Thanks for your review.

To notwritten: Thanks for your review.

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Chapter 6: The Letter

Mildred didn't tell anyone what her father had made her do for her first detention. She didn't think that anyone would believe her and she had a funny feeling that her father had a reason why he wanted her to do something as simple as brew a potion. She also wondered what the big deal with the pea green potion she produced. She shook her head and turned in for the night.

The next morning Mildred started on the homework that she had to make up due to her late arrival and snapped at anyone that asked her simple questions like 'are you going to come out and enjoy the last of the warm weather?' Like she had time to do that when she had homework to complete.

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Snape woke up as well and to his horror there was a letter waiting on him with Lucius Malfoy's writing on the outside. He took the letter and opening it read:

Severus,

My son, Draco, has told me the most interesting story that I've ever heard. A girl has arrived to start schooling and she has your last name. Narcissa will be arriving before noon to talk to you about her and about Draco's grade for the first lesson. She wants to hear all the wonderful things that you have to say about his future.

Lucius

Severus muttered to himself and got dressed.

"I know what's going to happen," Snape said to the Headmaster an hour later.

Dumbledore gave him an odd look, but went back to his breakfast.

"I have to lie and tell her that her son did well on the assignment just so that Lucius doesn't attack me."

"But won't it be better if they knew how bad Malfoy did on your potion," Dumbledore said.

Snape gave him a hard look, but said, "You don't know how bad Lucius can get."

"I hope I never find out personally," Dumbledore said.

Snape left the Headmaster's office and as he turned the corner he ran right into Mildred. He looked at the young Gryffindor with something that was a little like shock and surprise. He hoped that she wouldn't show her face until lunchtime at the earliest. He then spoke.

"What are you doing, Mildred," he asked.

It would sound strange to him if he used her last name.

"I was wondering what grade I got for my assignment?" she asked.

"I'll tell you next Friday?" he answered, not really wanting to tell her how well she had done.

"But you could tell me now and I won't tell anyone," Mildred said, smiling at him.

He hated it when a Gryffindor smiled at him. It wasn't natural.

"Mildred, do you know the English language," he asked her.

Mildred nodded, but before Snape could say anything Narcissa appeared. She was early.

"Severus," Narcissa said. "Sorry about being very early, but I couldn't wait until noon to talk to you."

Snape glared at her, but she just smiled.

"I'll talk with you in a few moments," he said. He turned his attention back to Mildred. "Mildred Snape, I will tell you the result of your potion next Friday and not a day earlier."

Mildred bit her lip and he was pleased to see that she was about to cry.

"This is your daughter," Narcissa exclaimed.

Snape groaned.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, and Snape noticed that she wasn't even looking at her robes. "I've always wondered when Severus would get around to actually showing up with an heir."

Mildred did a very Pureblood motion, showing Narcissa the respect that came with her position. He wondered where she had learned that.

"Well we better go," Narcissa said. "Severus, we need to talk about my son."

Mildred curtsied and then hurried off.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked when they had entered his office.

She shook her head and then sat down in front of his desk. He sat down behind it.

"I'm more interested in knowing about my son right now," she said. "And please don't lie to me about his talent because I will find out."

Snape nodded and then said, "Your son got an eighty on his sample."

Narcissa shook her head.

"He talks too much for his own good and if he keeps this up, he will never make it to his advance class."

"I figured that much," she said, and then she grinned at him and he wondered what was going on, "So what about this girl that has your last name, Mildred, right."

Snape nodded.

"How did she do?"

"She got the pea green color that I've been looking for," he answered. "Three hundred is her grade."

Narcissa gave a huge smile and then asked, "Does she have the makings of a Potions Mistress?"

He crossed his arms and looked at her.

"I don't see how this is any of your business," he said. "She'll never find out her score and that will make everyone happy."

She looked at him.

"No, it won't," she said. "Look, Severus, I've raised one child and I know a lot about what drives them. Mildred is an excellent brewer of the boil cure; it shows from the high grade that she got and you're not going to tell her that she did well. She'll think that she did wrong and she will just try harder next time. Soon people will know that she has talent and they will think there's something wrong with a father that doesn't acknowledge their child's talents. It's not normal."

Snape gave her a harsh look.

"Your husband told me to baby Malfoy," he said. "And suddenly you want me to tell everyone that Mildred has the makings of a Potions Mistress, that she got a shade that is almost impossible to get, and that her sample got a three hundred as a grade. Do you want him to kill me?"

Narcissa gave him a strange look.

"No, I don't want him to kill you, but I want you to be honest to your daughter," she said. "And that is the most important thing that you can do."

Snape didn't say anything.