The days came and went for the Snape family. With each passing day Nevaeh slowly grew. She had started to crawl at five months and was walking by the time she was nine months. She was a quiet baby for the most part. She slept soundly through the nights and was very active during the day. She was a happy little girl and was loved by all. She was the perfect mix of both of her parents. She had gotten her mother's beauty, as well as her stubbornness, kindness towards all creatures, and her untamable hair. From her father she had gotten his facial expressions, skill of sneaking up on people, love for dark colored clothing, and most of all his Slytherin ways. Nevaeh had gotten her thirst for knowledge from both of her parents, as well as her temper, love for books (which she had her parents read to her everyday), quick thinking, intelligence, and determination.
It was Nevaeh's first birthday and everyone in the school had helped to decorate the castle for the little girl's big day. Since it had been raining outside today the school decided that the party would be thrown inside in the Great Hall. Streamers and balloons were hung throughout the halls of the school. The Great Hall was decorated much like a child's version of the Yule Ball. Hanging above the staff table was a banner that read: HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY NEVAEH! On both sides of the banner were balloons that were charmed to change colors every few seconds. There were potted trees placed here and there all around the room. The floor had been enchanted to show the Hogwarts crest, with Hogwarts in the middle and the Houses in each corner of the room. The ceiling was enchanted to show a sunny day and every now and then you could see a rainbow in the sky. There were round tables going around the room and a long white table in the back that was filled with presents. The hall was filled with cheerful music and everyone was dressed for the party. They were all waiting for Nevaeh, Hermione, and Severus to show up so that the party could begin. The doors to the hall opened and in walked Hermione and Nevaeh carrying her stuffed dragon.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NEVAEH!" Everyone cheered. Nevaeh looked up and with sad eyes smiled at everyone. Not many people noticed this but the few who did waited until the party started to ask what was wrong with the little girl. People danced and ate and wished Nevaeh a happy first. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Fred and George all came up to Hermione while Nevaeh was dancing.
"Hermione is Nevaeh alright?" Harry asks.
"Yeah why does she look so upset?" Ron asks.
"It's Severus." She answers.
"Did something happen to him?" Ginny asks.
"He went to a Potions Conference a few days ago and hasn't returned yet. I don't know if he will be back in time for the party." Hermione replied sadly.
"She misses him doesn't she?" Neville asks. Hermione nods.
"That would explain why there are so many Wrackspurts around her." Luna says dreamily.
"Fred?" George asks turning to his brother.
"George?" Fred asks as he does the same.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" They ask in unison.
"Oh, no you don't! Whatever you two are planning you had better stop. I will NOT let you ruin my baby's birthday party." Hermione hissed.
"Hermione, we're hurt by your accusation…" Fred starts.
"We would never ruin her party." George finishes.
"We would only make it better!" They said together.
"You ready Fred?" George says whipping his wand out.
"Ready, George!" Fred says whipping his own wand out.
"One…"
"Two…"
"THR- AHHH!" They yelled as they were suddenly lifted into the air upside down, dropping their wands in the process. Everyone turned to see what was going on.
"I believe my wife told you not to mess with our little girl's birthday party." Severus says in a deadly tone as he steps out of the doorway.
"DA DA!" Nevaeh cries and runs across the room to hug her father, shocking Severus so much that he dropped his wand and the twins fell out of the air.
"OW!" The twins cried when they landed. But no one was paying them any mind because their attention was on the little girl who had just said her first word.
"You talked. She talked! My baby girl is talking!" Severus cries out in happiness as he picks her up, spins her around and hugs her. Nevaeh laughs and hugs her father. "Happy birthday Princess," he whispers to her as he kisses her head. They smile at each other and then turn to Hermione who has tears of joy in her eyes from hearing her daughter's first words. "Hello darling."
"Hello love." She says with a smile as she walks up to them. She picks up his wand on the way and hands it back to him.
"I'm sorry I'm late." He says as he brushes a strand of stray hair behind her ear.
"You're here now, and that's all that matters." She says as she hugs him.
"When did she start talking?" He asked.
"Just now actually, that was her first word." She replied. "It's almost as if she refused to talk until you were here to hear her first words." Nevaeh nodded at this and gave them a big grin. At this they gave her a confused look.
"Princess, did you wait until I was back to start talking?" Severus asked her. Again she nodded to them. Severus smiled and kissed her head. "Thank you." Just then a group of house elves appeared with a very large pink cake with 'Happy Birthday Nevaeh' written in cursive with a number one candle in the middle of the cake.
"We brings little misses a cake for hers party." One of the elves says. Nevaeh smiles and tries to get down. When she is released she quickly goes over and hugs each of the elves.
"Thank you all for this." Hermione says to them. Nevaeh goes over to the cake a gives it a frown. "What's wrong baby? Do you not like the cake?" Nevaeh looks at her mother and then back at the cake. Suddenly the cake goes from pink to green with silver and black icing. Everyone looks in astonishment. Not only had the little girl said her first word today but she had also done her first show of accidental magic. Severus let out a baritone laugh to which most of the women in the room swooned over.
"Well Minerva," he says to the elderly witch, "I do believe I am going to win our little bet. I think you should just admit defeat while you still have a chance."
"Not so fast Severus. She is only one. She still has ten more years before she is sorted into her correct house." Minerva answered.
"Nonsense, I say we bring the sorting hat out now and see which house she is put in." He says. Just then the sorting hat appears out of nowhere. "Well that was convenient."He mutters as he picks up the hat and places it on his daughter's head.
"HOGWARTS" The sorting hat shouts as soon as the hat touches her head. Everyone looks at the little girl with a confused look. There had only ever been one other person who had been sorted into Hogwarts by the sorting hat, and that had been Lady Hogwarts. Harry comes up and takes it off of her head.
"Maybe it's broken or outdated." Harry says.
"Don't be absurd. That hat was made by the founders themselves. It is unlikely that anything can damage it." Severus sneered.
"You would know all about that wouldn't you Severus Snape? After all it was you who tried to destroy me at least four times a week when you went to Hogwarts here." The sorting hat says.
"You did what?!" Hermione cried.
"It's true. I think his favorite time was when he tried to destroy me was when he stole some ingredients from the private stores." The hat said.
"And you had the nerve to tell me off when you did the exact same thing?!" Hermione shouted.
"Looks like someone is sleeping on the couch tonight" the hat teased.
"Quiet you. Or else I may just succeed the next time in my attempts to rid this school of your bloody existence." Severus threatened as he picked up the hat and pointed his wand at it.
"DA DA," Nevaeh cried. Severus looks down at his daughter to see her shaking her head and frowning at him. She stretches her arm out and with her eyes silently asks for the hat. He raises a brow at her to which she mirrors back at him. He sighs and hands her the hat.
"I never thought I would see the day where Severus Snape would give in to the demands of a child." Harry laughed.
"Shut it Potter or you shall become my test subjects for my latest potions." Severus threatened. Harry gulped and slowly backed away from him.
"That won't be necessary." He replied. Nevaeh put the hat back on her head.
"SLYTHINDOR" the hat cried.
"Shh" Nevaeh said to the hat as she grabbed Neville by the hand and began dancing with him.
"Looks like the birthday girl would like to get back to her party. Who are we to deny her that wish?" Albus says as he grabs his wife and begins to spin her around.
"ALBUS" Minerva cries but continues to dance with him none the less. Everyone laughs and the party resumes.
"May I have this dance?" Severus asks Hermione as he holds out his hand.
"I would be honored." She says as she places her hand in his. They dance through three songs before they were interrupted.
"May I cut in?" Ron asks tapping Severus' shoulder. Severus looked at him, then at his wife, then back at him again.
"Alright," he said reluctantly, "just know this Weasley if you try anything with my wife I will kill you and they will never be able to find the body." He said in a deadly tone as he passed his wife to Ron.
"Understood Sir" Ron said, his voice laced with fear. Hermione and Ron began to dance. "You would think that since we graduated he would be a little more civil." He said.
"Well if you would quit making advances on my person then maybe he would treat you better." She scolded him.
"I have no idea what you are talking about Mione." He said tightening his hold on her.
"Ronald." She said in a warning tone.
"Why are you even with him Mione? I could make you so much happier if you would only give me the chance." He said to her.
"I'm with him because I love him and he loves me. Not to mention we are happily married and have a little girl." She snaps at him. She tries to move away from him but he just tightens his hold on her even more. "Let me go Ronald or else." She says.
"Come on Hermione, don't be like that. I-"
"STUPEFY" Someone says. The spell hits Ron in the middle of his back. Ron lets go of Hermione and slumps to the floor. Hermione looks up at her savior and notices an extremely pissed off Severus Snape headed their way with Nevaeh following close behind with a frown. Severus walks over to Ron and lifts him from the floor then smashes his face into a wall.
"SEVERUS!" Molly, Minerva, and Hermione scream. They tried to remove the Potions Master's grip on the young Weasley, but they were quickly pulled away from the two men.
"I warned you Weasley. I told you not to try anything with my wife. Give me one good reason I should let you live." He says in a deadly tone.
"You would be put in Azkaban." Ron says.
"I do believe if they heard the reason for your death then they would turn the other cheek. Let's see harassment on several different levels, sexual assault, attempted rape, and if being a dunderhead were a crime you would be charged with that too. So again give me one good reason why I should let you live." Severus snarls.
"Um…um…" Ron stutters.
"That's what I thought Weasley." Severus sneers.
"Severus." Hermione says as she breaks the hold that Harry has on her. "Let him go. He's not worth it. Besides we could get a restraining order on him if he tries to do it again. Plus do you really want to give Molly a reason to give you a lecture or would you rather that the entire Weasley family seek their revenge on you?" She asks.
"I still don't see the reason you keep defending this idiot. He's as much of a dunderhead as he was when you were in school." He sneers.
"While I agree that he is a dunderhead-" she says.
"HEY" Ron cries.
"That does not mean that I am defending him for being an idiot. I am only suggesting that you not do anything that you might regret later." She said.
"Believe me when I say I wouldn't regret anything." He said.
"Severus." She warned.
"You're lucky that my wife was here to defend you Weasley otherwise you would be six feet under." He says as he throws Ron to the ground. Ron lands on his back with a groan. Nevaeh walks up to him and kicks him in the ribs then walks away with a smile on her face. Minerva and Molly are released and they quickly head over to the young Weasley.
"RONALD WEASLEY!" Molly screams as she knocks him upside his head.
"Bloody hell" he moans. Molly begins to reprimand her youngest son.
"I can't believe you would do something like this and at a child's birthday party no less!" Molly says.
"I have to agree with your mother Mr. Weasley. Your actions were inexcusable. Why if it weren't for Hermione he probably would have killed you." Minerva says.
"And I doubt I would have stopped him. How would you feel if he were to try and take your woman?" Molly asked him.
"He basically did! He took Hermione from me! Hermione was supposed to marry me!" Ron cried.
"That's it you're coming with me young man." She says grabbing him by the ear and dragging him out of the room.
"OW! BLOODY HELL WOMAN" he cries as he is drug from the room.
"Well, now that that's settled, how about we bring out the piñata?" Albus asks. He flicks his wand and a lion piñata attached to the ceiling appears. Albus hands Nevaeh a bat and she swings at the piñata. Each child takes a swing at the piñata but it still doesn't break finally Nevaeh grabs the bat and holds it out to her father.
"And just what makes you think I'm going to hit a piñata?" He asks quirking an eyebrow. She points to the piñata and everyone watches as the lion shifts into a replica of Ronald Weasley. She turns back to her father and grins at him. He grins back at her. "Now that is worth hitting." He says with a laugh. He takes the bat from her and tells everyone to back up. He closes his eyes and imagines that the piñata is the real Ronald Weasley. He opens his eyes, pulls the bat back and then swings it forward putting all of his strength into the blow. The bat hits the piñata and breaks it straight open. All of the candy spills from the piñata and the children begin to swarm like ants. Severus turns to Hermione. "This has got to be the best party ever. Can we have a piñata made for every holiday and event?" He asks with a smile. Hermione laughs as well as everyone else who heard him say this.
