Vacation Ups and Downs
Dad talked with Aunt Teri and settled everything with her, she actually was glad having another adult along with her on this trip I think. She got along really well with my dad, they teased and kidded each other just like brother and sister. Teri worked as a librarian in Brick, but not at a wizard library, since there weren't too many public libraries around with spellbooks in them. We wizards tend to guard our magical texts like a dog guards a favorite bone, with our lives. But Teri loves books and she's an excellent librarian, which is kind of funny, considering one of her sons, Nick, hates writing and isn't too keen on reading either. Drew's another story, he's a bookworm like my dad, Arista, Trish, and me too.
Baby Sev was doing great, he was such a good baby. I think Arista really lucked out, because he wasn't very fussy and slept for three hours at a time, no problem. Trish said it was typical of Arista to get the well-behaved child when she'd been anything but as a teenager. "I'll probably end up with a kid that cries all day and night and has colic," she said mournfully to Dad one day.
Dad told her not to worry, if that happened, he knew of several potions that would help. And if the baby was anything like its mother, it'd be sweet and joyful, so Trish shouldn't get herself in such a state. Dad had already started spoiling his new grandson, he'd bought the baby a little one-piece outfit that said I'm a Potions Prodigy and a stuffed dragon that roared softly and a book of Aesop's Fables. I told him if he didn't stop buying the kid everything in sight, there'd be nothing left for him to get the baby for Christmas. But he just eyed me and said I shouldn't be jealous, it was immature. Me, jealous? I was not! What did I have to be jealous of a little baby for? The kid couldn't even sit up yet, for crying out loud!
And yet . . .there was a tiny dark corner of my heart that did envy the baby a little, for having the love and kindness I never knew, for growing up knowing he was loved and safe, and that he belonged somewhere. Unlike me, who'd been the freak and was wanted nowhere until a year or so ago. I quickly stuffed that traitorous thought down deep in my mind and buried it. It was wrong to resent a baby for being born into a loving family, for having the chance I never did. I had my chance now, didn't I? Better late than never.
Besides, it wasn't as if I was neglected. Dad bought me pretty much whatever I needed or wanted, all I had to do was ask. I didn't, most times, because I didn't want him to think I was a spoiled brat, and I was used to doing without. But I did get an allowance for doing chores and Dad never questioned what I spent my money on, so long as it wasn't anything illegal.
I decided to write to Monkey, one of my best friends, who still ran with the Ravens. She'd saved my hide six months ago, freeing me and Ginny Potter from the Shifter in a clever rescue attempt. Her real name was Jane Eyre Arnold, but I still called her Monkey, since that's what I'd known her by the longest. She was twelve and had been on the streets since she was a little younger than me, and was sassy, smart, and tough.
I pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill. Monkey, unlike the rest of the Ravens, knew the truth about what I was and the wizarding world in general. But Severus had made her swear a magically binding oath to never reveal anything about us unless it was in peril of her life. I had told her to check the moon and star mailbox near the Ravens' hideout occasionally in case I sent her a letter. I told her about Arista's new baby and my stay with Fireflash. I even told her a bit about my fight with my dad, knowing she'd understand, she'd gotten into plenty of arguments with her mom, who didn't really want her hanging around. I also told her how we were going to visit Salem and all that on vacation and said I hoped she was doing okay. I added that if she ever needed anything, she could always write to me and I'd help her out, no matter what. I owed her my life and I'd do anything for her.
I posted the letter with Nightfall, hoping I'd get a reply back before I left. But three days went by and she didn't write back. Maybe she didn't have any paper or whatever. Meanwhile, I was busy packing for the trip, and Dad was busy finishing up some things for his job and making sure Arista would look after Scout for us, since we decided not to take him on this trip. He'd be bored in Salem, and we were only going to be gone a week to nine days at the most.
Before I knew it, we were on our way to Massachusetts via dragonback. Dad had contacted Fireflash with his dragonscale pendant and asked if he wouldn't mind flying us there. Otherwise we'd have taken a train to Martha's Vineyard. Flash had agreed, he said he'd be more than happy to perform such a service for the Director and his family.
The twins' eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they found out, they'd never ridden dragonback before. They knew Fireflash, of course, but it had been a long time since they'd seen him, not since they were about four. So they were practically doing handsprings at this wonderful opportunity to ride a dragon.
"You're the awesomest uncle ever, Uncle Sev!" they cried when Dad announced how we were getting to Massachusetts.
Dad chuckled. "Awesomest? Is that a word?"
"Yeah it is," Nick assured him, grinning from ear to ear. "And you're it! Merlin's beard, I can't believe I'm actually gonna fly on a dragon!"
"Me either," said his twin, looking a little dazed. "I mean, I've always imagined it, but I never actually thought it'd happen." He grinned up at Severus, his blue eyes glowing. "Thanks so much, Uncle Sev."
"You're welcome, boys," Dad said, and ruffled their hair the same as he does mine. He liked giving surprises to his nieces and nephews, and liked it even more when they appreciated them. Knowing what I do about his childhood, I understand why better now.
Flash has conjured extra seats on his dragonsaddle so we can all fit comfortably. I know that us and our baggage is like nothing to him, he could carry two elephants on his back and barely strain a muscle. I help Nick and Drew get strapped in their seats then go and sit in mine behind my father.
"All set back there?" Flash asked, craning his head about so he could see his passengers.
"Yes, sir!" we chorused and then the bronze breathes his mist breath over us, so we don't suffer from dizziness or altitude sickness.
Then his great wings beat once, twice, three times and with a huge leap we're airborne. The wind screamed past my ears and I laughed in sheer delight. No matter how many times I've flown before, it never fails to make me smile. Behind me I can hear the twins gasping and yelling in excitement.
Once we're airborne and high up enough to avoid being seen by any Muggle radar, safely masked from their technology, Fireflash began to sing. The flight to Martha's Vineyard is a short one, only three hours, but that's plenty of time for Flash to serenade us with his vast repertoire of songs.
When the dragon had sang about ten of them though, the twins and I decided to give him a break and started singing some of our own tunes. We started out by singing "99 Bottles of Butterbeer on the Wall", altered for the sake of my dad, who wouldn't think it funny if we were singing about drinking beer. Once we'd got bored singing that though, we changed it to something more fun. Or at least we three found it amusing.
"98 Death Eaters against a wall, you shoot one down, pass the wand around, 97 Death Eaters against a wall," sang Drew.
"Andrew Marciano!" cried Teri, not at all pleased at the turn our song had suddenly taken.
I halted in mid-note, for it was my turn next. Dad had managed to peer halfway around the back of the seat and was glaring at me. "Where did you ever learn such trash?" he demanded.
I shrugged. "I dunno. Everyone at school sings it," I answered. "Why? What's so bad about it?"
"Gavin Snape! Do I really need to answer that question?"
"What? It's about killing Death Eaters, Dad! Who cares?"
"Exactly. It's about killing, not something that should be treated so casually," Dad reprimanded. "And it doesn't matter what you're killing, I don't like the fact that you're making a joke out of it. Now sing something more appropriate."
"Like what? Miss Mary Mack?" I sneered.
"Watch your tone, young man," Dad warned. "Unless you want to get in trouble on your first day of vacation."
I bit my lip and sighed. "Sorry," I muttered. But I couldn't keep my mouth shut, as usual. "Why do you care so much about a song that talks about killing bad guys anyway, Dad? I mean, you killed Lucius Malfoy and a couple of other Death Eaters back during the war with Voldemort."
"I killed them out of necessity, Gavin, to save innocent lives. It's not something I brag about, and I certainly don't sing about it!" Dad answered sharply. "Killing shouldn't be something you do for fun, it's a serious business, and trivializing it by making a song about it is wrong. Do you understand what I'm saying, boys?"
"Yes, sir!" we answered, because we knew it was wiser to just go along with him.
But at that time I didn't understand half his reasoning, even though I'd killed a known Death Eater myself. Goyle's death was more an accident than an intentional killing, and though I didn't like the fact that I'd used my firecalling powers to kill, I sure as bloody hell didn't regret that he was dead.
"Your Uncle Sev's right," Aunt Teri put in. "When he fought in the last wizard war over in Britain, he only killed when he had to, like any other soldier in wartime. But we're not barbarians, to bring home scalps or shrunken heads of our enemies. Killing's not something you should be proud of."
"Okay, Mom. We get it," Nick sighed. "We'll sing something else."
I poked my head around the side of my seat and caught Drew's eye, rolling mine expressively. He in turn just gave me a look, which I interpreted to mean, Grown-ups! What do you expect? They don't get anything.
I nodded in silent agreement, then I tried to think up another song we could all sing and not make our parents think we were all bloodthirsty brats. I finally settled on "Great Balls of Fire", since I was playing about with a small flame on the end of my finger, making it flicker and dance, turning it all the colors of the rainbow. I was getting mighty bored sitting still for so long, even though riding Flash was pleasant.
So I started to sing, and then the twins and Flash joined in. Even Aunt Teri sang along after a few minutes, and thus we passed the last hour and a half of our flight to Massachusetts. The only one who didn't sing was Dad, but that's 'cause he thought he had a terrible voice. Actually, he wasn't bad, I've caught him singing a few bars of Christmas carols when he thought nobody was around, but he doesn't think he can sing, so he won't let anyone hear him.
* * * * * *
We landed just outside Martha's Vineyard, on a deserted stretch of beach, since it's an island just five miles off the coast of Massachusetts. From there we Apparated to our hotel. It took us four trips though, because only the adults could do that spell and they had to travel with only one minor at a time. The fourth trip was to get all of our luggage and stuff.
Dad told Flash he'd let the bronze know when we needed a return flight back home to Jersey, thanked him for bringing us, then we went to the front desk to check into the hotel, which was a wizarding residence called The Merry Magician. Weird name for a hotel, if you ask me. Sounds like they ought to be a band or something. It was located in Edgarstown, which is one of the big tourist attractions on the island. Edgarstown is built, or maintained, I should say, to resemble a thriving colonial town, with cobblestone streets and signs with odd spellings. It's quaint, I think is the word I'm looking for, and one of the first things we did after unpacking was go to the Martha Vineyard Museum to learn about the background and history of the place.
Aunt Teri and Dad are crazy about museums, and I don't mind them too much, there's always neat artifacts and stories in them. But the twins got bored walking around inside and soon they started bickering, until Dad shot them one of his "behave or else" looks and Aunt Teri told them to knock it off before she smacked them upside the head. They settled down.
"Figures." Nick muttered to me while we were looking at a display of old Indian artifacts. "First thing we do is get dragged to a freakin' museum. Why couldn't we do something fun, like go to the beach?"
"Maybe we will later," I said diplomatically.
"Oh sure. Right after we eat lunch in some fancy restaurant and then go shopping. By the time we get down to the beach, all the good surf's gonna be gone," Nick huffed. He's a diehard surfer.
"Says who?" I asked.
"Me. You've never been on vacation with my mom before, Gav."
I'd never been on a vacation period, but I wasn't about to admit that. I didn't want my cousins to think I was some poor schmuck, know what I mean? They knew a bit about my background, mainly that I'd been raised in an orphanage, had run away and joined a gang, but not everything. I wasn't ready for them to know the whole story, they weren't the kind I'd trust with the truth, they were too immature and I didn't want them feeling sorry for me either. I didn't need anybody's pity, God knows.
It turned out Nick was half right, anyway. After we did the museum thing, we went to eat at a place called The Seafood Shanty. It was a Muggle restaurant, most of them were, not that we cared. I mean, food is food, right? The best thing I had there, besides the boiled lobster, which I shared with Dad (since it was huge), was the Lobster Quesedillas. They were absolutely incredible! I wished I knew the recipe.
After lunch, Aunt Teri said we could go to the beach while she went shopping at some of the boutiques and stuff. Dad volunteered to watch us, I know he'd rather be walking along the beach than getting dragged into stores, since Aunt Teri's another diehard shopaholic, like all the Amarotti women.
We spent a good two hours or so swimming in the ocean and bodyboarding on the rented boards they had at the surf rental shop. I'm not all gung ho for swimming, guess that goes along with being a firecaller, but I didn't complain, since the twins love it and I didn't want to whine like a little girl. I spend part of that time paddling around on the board talking with a curious seagull and a young sea turtle. The twins surfed, using magic to catch the best waves and balance on the surfboards like experts. Show offs.
But soon enough they got tired and headed in to catch some rays and I followed. We lounged around on the beach for another half-an-hour, drinking iced tea and water Dad bought us at the snackbar, and munching on some chips. Then Aunt Teri came over and suggested we go back to the hotel to get showered and changed and maybe take a nap before dinner, so that's what we did.
We had two rooms with a connecting door between them, one for us boys and the other for the adults. Both rooms had two huge double beds, though Drew teased Dad about having to share a room with his mom. "I hope you know, she snores, Uncle Sev."
"Andrew! I do not!" Aunt Teri cried. "How would you know anyhow? You don't sleep in the same room with me, buster."
"Dad said so," her son smirked.
"And you believe your father?" his mom snorted, pretending to be offended.
"Well, yeah. Why would he lie?" Drew asked, wearing his best totally innocent look.
Teri just gave him a Look. Then Dad chimed in with, "It won't matter if she snores or not, Drew. I'll just cast a Muffliato charm."
"Oh, real nice, Sev," Teri frowned, giving my father another Look. "For your information, Director, I do not snore. Johnny was exaggerating."
Dad cocked an eyebrow at her, his eyes sparkling with good humor. "Really? Me thinketh the lady doth protest too much, eh, lads?"
"Yeah," I said, grinning. "Where's there's smoke, there's fire."
"All of you are impossible!" Teri growled. Then she gestured and the next thing we know, pillows are attacking us.
"Pillow fight!" shrieked Nick, and sent two flying back at his mother with a quickly cast levitate spell.
For a few minutes the air was filled with white and blue pillows, but we managed to bombard my aunt until Dad turned the tables on us and changed sides.
"Traitor!" I shouted.
"All's fair in love and war, scamp!" yelled my father, nailing me with a large extra firm pillow.
I fell on the bed, laughing. Pretty soon though, we ran out of ammunition, and had to call it quits. It was fun while it lasted, though. I couldn't remember the last time I had such fun.
"All right. Playtime's over," my dad declared. "Go and get washed up, boys."
"What for?" whined Nick, who never knows when to quit. "The ocean's clean enough."
"Sure it is, if you're a seal," his mom stated. "Now do as your uncle says, Nicholas."
"Aww, Mom . . .!"
"Quit whining," Dad ordered, for he hates that sort of thing, as I know well. "You sound like a three-year-old. Now get!" Nick flashed him a sulky frown and Dad's eyes narrowed in warning. "Unless you need me to help you take a bath, Mr. Marciano."
"No!" Nick yelped, horrified. "Christ, Uncle Sev!" He turned and bolted into the bathroom.
"Idiot!" Drew snorted. "You'd think he'd learn when to keep his trap shut."
"He will, by the time this vacation's over," I predicted, then I head into the other bathroom. Unlike Nick, I know when to pick my battles.
* * * * * *
We intended to spend three days on the island, enough time to see all the tourist attractions before hopping over to Salem. The second day we go to visit Chappaquiddick forest and the Mytoi Gardens, which are some really nice Japanese gardens. Nick and Drew don't mind walking outdoors, but they can't walk at anything resembling a slow pace and end up chasing each other all over the trails. I joined in for a bit, until Dad snagged the back of my jacket and gave me a thunderous glance and snapped, "Gavin Albus Snape, behave!"
"Yes, sir." I said quickly, knowing better than to protest. He's death on kids misbehaving in public.
Aunt Teri collared the twins and lectured them after they nearly knocked down an elderly couple with their antics and made them walk on either side of her. "Just like a bunch of kindergarten babies," grumbled Drew, for once the more vocal of the pair.
"If you didn't act like a five-year-old, Andrew John, I wouldn't need to treat you like one," scolded Aunt Teri. "You know better than that. I've never been so embarrassed in my life."
"Yeah you have, Mom." Nick remarked slyly. "Remember the time we were having Christmas one year when we were three and Drew opened the door of the bathroom while you were getting changed and yelled, "Look at my mom's macarenas!"
"Shut up, Nick, you dumbass!" Drew cried angrily, reaching around his mother to sock his twin one in the shoulder. "You always bring that up!"
Aunt Teri was red as a tomato, then she chuckled and said, "Yes, well, he was only three, what did he know?"
"Plenty," her son muttered, and was promptly swatted by his mother.
I couldn't help myself. I started to snicker, for I can just picture it, the houseful of people and Aunt Teri standing there with all her, uh, assets on display. Before long Nick and I were howling, much to Aunt Teri's dismay. Even my father wore a slight smirk, before he realized that Teri was acutely embarrassed. Then he sobered and growled at us to stop it before he made us write an essay on how to behave in public. That froze us in mid-chuckle. We then promise to behave for the rest of the afternoon, though that night I made Nick tell me the whole story all over again, and we muffled our laughter in the pillows for half the night.
* * * * * *
But by the third day, the twins' patience was running short, as Aunt Teri insisted that we go visit the Gay-Head Lighthouse, which was rather interesting, but then she just had to poke about in all the little antique stores and shops, which simply drove all of us men crazy. I knew Dad was too polite to ever say so, but he liked shopping about as much as contracting a stomach virus, much the same as the rest of us.
Me, I could take it or leave it. The only shopping I liked to do on a regular basis is for food, books, and video games. Anything else was a waste of time. But I didn't complain, because I knew better. Whining got you nothing but a very annoyed Severus Snape on your ass, and that was the last thing I wanted.
Nick and Drew, on the other hand, were quite PO'd and didn't care if the whole of the island knew it. They spent the entire time Aunt Teri was shopping complaining and bickering with each other until it even annoyed me a little. The last straw though, was when Nick shoved Drew into a rack of sparkly shirts and started a knock-down drag-out fight.
Or it would have been a fight if my father hadn't stepped in and grabbed both of them by the ear. "Outside! Now!" he ordered in a tone that would have made a Marine sergeant tremble.
"B-but Uncle Sev, he started it!" protested Drew.
"Did I ask who started it, Andrew?" Dad snarled, hauling the two out the shop entrance. "Now march!"
"Ow! Not so hard!" whimpered Nick, trying without success to free himself from my father's grip.
"I'm so sorry," Aunt Teri was apologizing to the salesgirl.
By the time I'd made it outside, Dad had the twins sitting on opposite ends of a bench, giving them one of his angry teacher glares that always meant detention.
Aunt Teri appeared a moment later, looking equally angry. "Come on, we're going back to the hotel. I've had it up to here with your bickering, Nicholas and Andrew!"
We trudged back to the hotel, aware that we were in for a lecture when we got inside. Or at least the twins were. For once, I'd managed not to get into trouble.
Sure enough, once we were back in the room, Aunt Teri lit into them.
"I just don't know what comes over you! Squabbling like a pair of four-year-olds! I can't take you anywhere, can I? You're both old enough to know better," she began, her hands on her hips, glaring at them fiercely.
To my surprise, neither of them seemed sorry for their behavior. Nick's lower lip stuck out in a pout and he snapped, "Well, it's partly your fault, Mom, for dragging us into every stupid store on the island. You promised us we could go fishing!"
"Yeah, and instead we get to go shopping! How fun is that?" grumbled Drew.
"I said you could go fishing after lunch and it's only twelve o'clock," his mother cried.
"Yeah, and we've been shopping for three damn hours!" Nick cried.
"You watch your tone when you speak to me, young man!"
Nick flushed. "Fine, but if you wanted a shopping partner, maybe you should've brought Marietta. God Almighty, Mom!"
Aunt Teri looked like she was about to spit nails. But before she could lay into her disrespectful child, my dad did.
"Nicholas Leonardo Marciano! Apologize to your mother this instant," he said in a voice that could have made Lucifer beg.
"Why should I? It's the truth, Uncle Sev," Nick said belligerently.
"Because I said so!" Dad snapped, his eyes blazing. "You will not speak to your mother like that, young man. Now apologize."
Nick shrank from him. "Okay. I'm sorry," he muttered.
"Better." He frowned sternly at them. "I think you two and I need to have a talk about your behavior." He glanced at Teri. "With your permission, Teri?"
"Go right ahead, Sev. The mood I'm in right now, I'm libel to throttle them."
"I can't blame you," Dad agreed. "Come here, both of you." He opened the door to our bedroom and gestured for them to proceed him. They went, looking like prisoners about to go to the executioner's block. Dad shut the door behind him.
Aunt Teri said she was going to take a shower to calm herself down. I didn't say anything, simply flopped down in one of the chairs next to the writing desk. But as soon as she was gone, I crept to the connecting door and put my ear to it.
I could just make out my dad's voice, and I winced at the disapproval in it. I'd been on the receiving end of that tone too many times to count and I could sympathize with my cousins a little. And also be grateful that wasn't me getting verbally walloped by Dad's tongue.
" . . .absolutely no excuse whatsoever for you speaking so disrespectfully to your mother, is that clear?"
"Yes, sir," Drew responded.
But Nick protested, "Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said that, Uncle Sev, but come on-"
"No excuses, Nicholas!" Dad snapped. "It doesn't matter what she was doing or if you liked it or not, she's your mother, and an adult, not you and the very least you owe her is respect. Now, are you clear on that, mister?"
"Yes, sir," came Nick's answer, a great deal more subdued.
"Good. Then-"
"But it's not fair!" Nick interrupted him. "I mean, it's our vacation, why should we be dragged all over creation to go shopping when she knows we hate it? She promised us we could go fishing this morning and next thing I know we're going to another stupid lighthouse or whatever."
"First of all, your mom did not promise you we'd go fishing this morning, Nicholas," Dad corrected sternly. "Let's not argue facts here. I heard her say she would go fishing in the afternoon, since that was the earliest we could charter a boat. Second, do you think it's fair to your mother to do everything you want to and nothing that she wants to? It's her vacation too, young man, something I think both of you've seem to have forgotten."
"We haven't. How could you think that, Uncle Sev?" Drew argued.
"How could I think that?" there was an edge to his voice now that meant he was getting more irritated. "Because all I've heard out of your mouths for the past three days is "Mom, I want this, Mom I want that, Mom I want to do this, that's boring. And when you don't get your way you turn into a pair of whiny five-year-olds, pouting and complaining. You've been acting just like spoiled brats this entire time and I've had all I can take of it. Stop thinking the whole world revolves around you and start thinking of others for a change, namely your mom, who's paying for you to do all those fun things you've asked for and I haven't heard a thank you from either of you. Disgraceful! If I were your father, I'd ground the pair of you for a week for your atrocious behavior."
"If you were our father, that's not all you'd be doing," Nick muttered.
"What was that?"
"He said if you were our dad, we'd be getting our butts warmed as well as grounded," Drew answered for his twin.
"No doubt. I'm sure your mother's considered it," their uncle said. "I've considered it myself."
I highly doubted that. I knew he hated disciplining like that, but he was going for some major scare tactics here.
"No, please," Nick said quickly. "We'll be good, Uncle Sev."
"Promise," Drew added. Plainly they'd forgotten what I'd told them about my dad's version of a spanking, which didn't involve a ruler.
"I'll believe that when I see it," Dad snorted. Then he added sharply, "And I'd better be seeing it today, boys. Because any more of this behavior and you'll be spending the rest of this vacation in a hotel room, writing a two-foot essay for me on respecting your mother. Not only that, but you'll probably be writing it with a sore bottom, if your mother has anything to say about it, which she certainly does. Is that what you want?"
"No, sir," they answered in practically the same breath.
"Didn't think so. Consider this lecture a warning, the only warning you're going to get. If you choose to ignore it or continue your spoiled behavior, you know the consequences, and you'll have no one to blame but yourselves. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Yes, Uncle Sev."
"Good. Now let's enjoy the rest of this vacation and hopefully I won't need to have this discussion with you again." Dad concluded.
I quickly moved away from the door upon hearing footsteps on the other side. When the door opened, I was sitting in the chair by the writing desk, reading one of my books. Dad eyed me shrewdly then said, "Some of what you overheard, Gavin, was for your benefit as well."
I gaped at him. "What?" I sputtered. "But . . .how did . . .?"
"I'm your father, I know everything," he smirked. Then he went towards the second bathroom to take his own shower, leaving me staring after him like a landed fish. I swear to God, the man can see through the damn wall!
Next: The mystery deepens and the ghosts of Salem's past come back to haunt them
