My Father, My Brother

Chapter 10: The Halloween Dance

"The affections are like lightning: you cannot tell where they will strike till they have fallen."

-Lee Iacocca quotes

Sayora all but bounded into her fathers room and jumped up to sit on the edge of his desk as he corrected his papers, nearly spilling his ink all over them. Severus caught it just in time and glared at her a moment.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Hello Sayora." Snape replied. He gave her a quick smile and then went back to grading his papers. Sayora had been doing this for the last week, each day after classes let out before heading upstairs for dinner. Each day was the same. She'd try to knock over his ink and say hi daddy. he'd reply with a hello sayora and go back to his papers, then ask what he could do for her. He followed the same routine today but today she didn't reply with the typical 'nothing' that he knew wasn't true the last 7 times she had said it. "What can I do for you?"

"Well...." She said clasping her hands in her lap and looking as innocent as she could.

"Well?"

"You know the Halloween dance is coming up right?" Sayora took a quick glance at her father and didn't wait for him to answer before she started running through the whole speech that she had prepared. "I know you don't like dances and Uncle Albus makes you chaperone them anyway. And I should be supportive of you and not like them either but I kinda want to go and I'm thinking about what I'll go as but I just wanted your help because I know I can count on you to help me even if its not something you enjoy. I really, really, really, really, want to go." Sayora stopped to take a breath and chanced a glance at Snape's slightly dumbfounded face.

Severus sighed and put his quill back into his ink before looking at her. "Care to say that again a bit more coherently?" He asked.

Sayora grinned sheepishly. She took a deep breath and started again. "The halloween dance is coming up and I'd like to go. Would you help me with a costume?"

"Who says I'm allowing you to go?" He asked. "You should be in your room working on your studies anyway. Not up till all hours of the night acting like buffoon like the rest of your classmates."

"Aww, but daddy.." Sayora whined, putting on her pouty face that she knew her father could never deny. "Its my first one and I've finished all my work for classes. You know I'm ahead in all of them. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease."

Severus leaned back in his chair and stared at her looking skeptical. "If you must." He said giving into her.

"Yeah." Sayora ran and threw her arms around her father in a giant hug. "Thank you so much daddy. You won't regret it. I'll be perfect. So will you help me with a costume?"

"I said you could go I never said I'd help you with a costume."

"But I need your help. How else will I ever find the perfect costume. What do you think I should go as?"

"How about a princess." Severus said with an evil smirk.

"Its no fun to go as I am everyday, daddy." Sayora replied her nose in the air at the poor idea.

Severus nearly laughed at that. "Fine then, how about..." He put his hand up to his chin making a grand show of thinking. "Hmm.... "

---

"Come on Sayora." Harry almost whined as he followed her up the stairs. "Will you please go with me?"

"Potter!" Sayora kept walking at a fast pace. "Would you please stop following me. Honestly you're like a little lost puppy. Go hang around your own friends."

"Why won't you just answer my question?" He asked.

"Tell me one good reason why I should?" Sayora countered the question with another question. It wasn't that she didn't want to answer him, it was just a lot more fun playing with him like she was.

"Cause I like you." He said. "A lot."

"I said a good reason, not something that will get you killed if my father hears you." Sayora hissed, whirling around to face him for the first time in ten minutes since he started following her around.

"Yeah I kinda figured it would. It's a good thing he's not here then huh?" He asked bashfully.

"It doesn't matter if he's right with us or not. If he hears that you said that, i don't envy you your next class with him."

Harry sighed. This was going no where. "Look will you go to the dance with me or not?"

Sayora looked at Harry very closely. He was a gryffindor so she knew he was incredibly stubborn. Based on that fact alone she could almost guarantee he wouldn't go away on his own. "How about we see each other at the dance, that way neither of us end up dying?"

"I suppose that's better than a no." He said a slight smile on his dopey face.

"Don't take it to heart." Sayora said, a slight smirk gracing her lips, "I was just saving you from yourself."

"It's still not a no... what are you going as?"

"Now that I will not tell you. Its a highly guarded secret only to be let out on Halloween night."

"Oh come on I won't tell anyone. Can I at least have a hint?"

"Sure why not?" Sayora's smirk grew into a full cheshire cat grin. "The hint is......" Harry leaned in waiting for her to tell him. "You'll love it." Sayora gigled.

"That's not a hint that's a statement!" He said.

"No, its a hint. It means I won't be going as something you dislike. So that cuts out vegetables of all sorts and most Slytherins with the exception of myself and that would be rather boring going as oneself." Sayora smirked again and started heading back up the stairs, Harry still at her heels.

"Well would you at least tell me the genre of what your going as?"

"You have got to be kidding Potter. That would be a major hint and I just can't let that out."

"It would not!" Harry argued. "Is it something scary? Cute? what?"

"Those are totally subjective categories. Its would be like asking if the costume will be sexy. One person would think that leather is sexy while another would totally be about satin."

Harry raised an eyebrow at this. "That's an... interesting... way to put it."

Sayora glared at Harry, "No it's not. I'm just saying people view things differently."

"Alright." He said putting his hands up in mock surrender. "I guess.... I'll see you tonight then..."

"If you can figure out who I am anyway. I'm not going to make it easy on you." Sayora said. "But I will see you tonight."

"You can count on it."

With that being said they both strode off in different directions to start to get ready for the dance that evening. Harry still had to figure out his costume and Sayora wanted to get hers perfect.

---

"I still say this is a dumb idea." Snape said as he fiddled with Sayora's costume.

"Oh daddy, you're just saying that because I'm your little girl and you don't want me to leave you." Sayora smiled at Severus. "I promise I will never leave you."

"That's what they all say." Snape muttered under his breath. He continued fitting Syora's costume, tucking things here, tatting things there. He had to admit his daughter was a looker and he was going to the ball just to keep the dunderheads that called the school home from getting too close to his treasure.

"Hurry up daddy, the dance starts soon." Sayora said impatiently. "I can't be late."

"Calm down Sayora." He said. "What do I always say about patience?"

"Nothing, you have none." Sayora giggled. Severus pursed his lips and glared at her though she could tell he was slightly amused.

"I have plenty of patience... just not with the dunderheads you call classmates." He said finishing up her costume.

"I never called them classmates." Sayora looked at her father and smirked. "They are my insubordinates." She flitted away to the mirror getting a good look at herself and the wonderful job Severus did on her costume. She spun around on her toes and ran and hugged him. "thank you daddy."

"Mmm... you just make sure that skirt stays down." He said strictly, in his no nonsense tone. It wasn't short, it actually came down to her knees with a slit up the side but Severus still insisted that it was too short for his little girl. Even if she was hardly recognizable through all the magic incantations he had prepared for her.

"Daddy, there's nothing to worry about. I'll be fine. Plus you'll be there if anything happens, which nothing will. Are you dressing up as something?" Sayora smiled at him mischeviously.

"Of course not." He said blandly.

"Oh come on daddy. Stop being such a spoil sport. I'm sure the rest of the teachers will dress up."

"Yes well seeing as how I am not the rest of the teachers I will NOT be dressing up. I am going as I am and that is final. I won't be staying long anyway."

Sayora pouted slightly but gave in and hugged her dad again. "Thanks again for helping me. Can we go now? There should be people starting to arrive now."

"If we must." He said as he lead her out the door. "Don't suppose you'd make my life easier and tell me you don't have a date."

"Well I don't technically have a date. I have said I'd see someone later at the dance though, so technically not a date. I don't even have to talk to him, just glimpse him from across the room." Sayora took her fathers hand as the headed up the dungeon staircase, not caring if anyone saw.

Severus felt odd being led up the stairs not by his daughter but the odd creature that had engulfed her. He had to say even he had a hard time recognizing her. And he had made the costume. With magic of course but... he still made it.

They made it all the way to the great hall where Snape let go of Sayora's hand and moved to the side teachers door to enter inconspicuously. Sayora watched Severus leave and the took a deep breath and entered the great hall. She noticed that most of the school was already there. Then she noticed that all motion had stopped and there was a complete silence as evryone watched her enter.

Sayora saw her father enter the room through the teachers door and she glared at everyone. "Don't you people have anything better to do than stare?" She asked. She loved attention but hated being stared at, much like her father.

She made her way over to one of the tables where some of the other slytherins in her year had sat. They were to have dinner first and then the dance would progress from there. She glanced around while there was still time before dinner and watch many of the children enter. She noticed Malfoy was dressed as a Prince how typical and that Weasley kid, the friend of Harry's, was dressed as a quiddich player. Their friend Hermione was dressed like a twelfth century noble woman, corset and all. It was amazing the many different costumes that they had come up with. But Sayora still hadn't spotted Potter.

She shook her head. Why would she even be looking for him? She glanced up at her father who seemed to be lazily amusing Lockhart with dull conversation. And by lazily she meant he was only partially paying attention. She knew how much her father disliked Lockhart. Or anyone famous at that.

She slowly scanned the rest of the staff table. Mcgonagall had some cat ears added on to her typical witches hat, flitwick was dressed like a leprachaun 'How appropriate' Sayora thought. She looked over the whole table amused for the most part. Dumbledore had on a florescent yellow robe with some sort of weird top hat on his head. It really was quite frightening to look at. She started looking around the room again.

She spotted her brother across the room and rolled her eyes. He had some how managed to scramble together a crappy looking Gypsy costume with a hat that she wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a kings crown or a baby's bonnet. Of course he had to find something that would totally embarrass the rest of the family.

As Sayora watch him walk across the room to a table of Hufflepuffs she could see him getting a little more angry or maybe frustrated as he went. He kept on being stopped by people and each time he seemed to get just that little bit more aggrevated.

She glided over to her brother with every intent of pestering him about his costume. Reaching his table she sat down next to him. "What are you supposed to be? A hobo?"

"No. What are you? A prostitute?"

"Oh that's really clever Silithus." She said looking him up and down. "See a glymps into your future and decided to try it out?"

"You know Sayora, maybe if you got your head out of dad's ass once in a while you would be able to recognize a character out of one of the greatest literary works there are to date. But unfortunately you seem to be stuck. I'm Clopin Trouillefou from the Notre-Dame de Paris. King of Truants." Silithus snarled at his sister. He thought that maybe now she would go away but she seemed to not catch that hint.

"Laugh it up Silithus... you won't be laughing for much longer." She said before standing up and moving towards her table. Silithus rolled his eyes as she walked away. He watched her get to her seat and just as she was about to sit down he flicked his wand just the tiniest bit so noone would notice and Sayora's chair moved backwards just a bit but it was enough. She sat down on empty space and landed rather harshly on the floor.

Many students in the hall started laughing at her. Most from the other three houses and a few from her own. The only people who didn't laugh, where the people who had recognized her.

She stood up elegantly, her costume making her look even more dignified. Though her dignity only went so far. On her face was a look of pure hatred and fury, enhanced by the dark elven drow costume she wore. Her skin being the deep satiny purple was brightened by the colour of her bright nearly glowing red eyes and stark white hair. Sayora readjusted her costume and took her seat regally, but she gave Silithus an incredibly scathing look before turning back around. Quickly she pulled out her wand and was about to flick a rather nasty curse over her shoulder at her brother when Dumbledore stood up and wandered over to the podium. Silence rang through the hall.

Severus was glaring at Silithus just as Sayora had but being a teacher he didn't have to turn around in order to observe the headmaster so he just kept on staring. He had seen the small flick of Silithus' wand just before her chair had been pulled out.

Severus didn't even listen to the speech Dumbledor gave, as it was usually along the same lines as the last one and the one before that. If it was anything of importance he knew he would be informed at some point or another. He would have to have a 'talk' with the boy later and get him to understand that this sort of behaviour was inappropriate, especially from a Snape.

Meanwhile Dumbledore continued his speech and Syora thought about revenge. It couldn't be just any type of revenge, oh no, he had embarassed her in front of the school. She'd have to think of something extra special.

Just then Dumbledore finished up his speech saying, "Well before we get down to eating I shall leave you with a few words. Snort snap and snufflepop. Enjoy" And dumbledore moved to his seat to eat his dinner before the dancing would commence.

Severus continued staring at Silithus as he ate wondering how he should punish the boy. As soon as the meal ended and the dance started Severus made his way towards his son.

"To your room. Now." He said his voice calm as usual.

"Why? I haven't done anything." Silithus countered Severus. If he stayed where there were witnesses nothing could really happen.

"Do not make this worse on yourself boy." He said his voice still quiet but becoming angry. "And don't try my patience."

"No. I have a right to be here too. I didn't do anything, I'm goinbg to stay." Silithus was getting angry himself and though he knew himself being angry wasn't as dangerous as his dad, he knew his dad would not want to look unstable in front of the students.

A little distance away, Sayora stood hidden in some shadows, her costume making her blend right in. She had watched her father walk up to Silithus, but she didn't want him to interfere with her revenge. So she sped up her plan. Taking careful aim so as not to hit her father, she whispered a spell and flicked her wand. Suddenly Silithus had nothing on. He was standing in the middle of the great hall naked as the day he was born.

"Sayora..." Severus said angrily as everyone in the room paused and stared at their livid potions master. Snape took off his robe and drapped it around Silithus. "Down to the dungeons boy. Now." He turned and looked around the room and finally spotted Sayora. "You too."

"But daddy I..." She stopped when she saw his no nonsense face. Her father was absolutely livid. "Fine." She said with just a little air of rebellion. She turned and practically flew out the door, heading to the dungeons a quickly as she could, but never actually running.

Severus surveyed the room a moment before he turned and briskly walked out of the room. He moved into the dungeons and into his room where he knew his two children where waiting.

"What is wrong with you two." He asked. "Can you not get along for one night? You have to pull me away from my job because you can not behave yourselves?"

Both Silithus and Sayora bowed their heads knowing that Severus took his job very seriously. Other than Sayora, it was something he treasured. Slowly Sayora looked up at Severus and said, "Sorry daddy. I didn't mean to make trouble for you... But he started it."

"I don't care who started it. You where both involved and as such. You will both be receiving detentions for a month. Silithus you will be serving your detentions with Filch, Sayora you will be serving yours with me. As for the rest of the night. Silithus you are to go to your room and go immediately to bed. And on top of detentions you are grounded for a month. You go to class, you go to your room and nothing else. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Silithus responded through clentched teeth. He could not beleive it. He had pulled a chair out and he was getting one of the worst punishments he'd ever been given. On that note, he spun on his heel and exitted the room heading strait to hufflepuff common room and his bed. Sleeping seemed like a good option at the moment.

Snape looked at Sayora still clearly disappointed in her. "I had expected better from you Sayora." Snape said. "Go." He nodded towards the door. "I don't want any more trouble from you. Understood?"

"Yes daddy." Sayora said. She glanced at the door then moved towards him. She gave him a hug and held on for a couple of minutes. "I am sorry." With that she let go and headed out the door and back towarsd the great hall, pondering how she felt that he had been so disappointed in her.

---

"Sayora!" Harry called out to her as she re entered the great hall.

"How did you know it was me?" She asked looking down to see if her costume was still in place.

"I saw you leave with Professor Snape and your brother." He said shrugging.

"But I could've been any girl that he was punishing." Sayora pouted, sad that her brilliant costume had been found out. "So what are you supposed to be?"

"Well.... I was supposed to be a mummy.... but most of the bandages fell off already."

"Why a mummy? Wouldn't you rather be something living? Or exciting?" Sayora questioned Harry. She really did enjoy having conversations with him but she couldn't let her dad find out. With him staying in his rooms for the rest of the night she'd be able to talk with Harry to her little heart's content.

"Well to be honest I spent a little too much time trying to figure out what you where going as and not enough time trying to find a costume.... so I want to Poppy for some bandages and ended up with this lame thing." He said blushing.

'Aww thats sweet.' Sayora thought to herself 'stupid but sweet.' She gave him a good once over before saying "Its not that lame. Its practical. You used what was available to you. I've heard you love spending time in the hospital wing, so its a very logical place for you to find a costume." She teased him.

"Uh.... yeah..." She saw Harry's eyes widen a bit and turned around to see her dad entering the room again.

"Come on!" She said pulling him out of the room hoping to avoid her father.

She managed to slip out of the great hall quickly and miraculously enough Snape didn't notice them. She dragged Harry alonga until they found an empty classroom. Closing and locking the door she jumped up and sat on a desk while Harry stood in the room looking slightly at a loss for words.

"Um.... why did you do that?" He asked.

"I prefer the boys I talk to be alive, even if they are dressed as the dead." Sayora replied.

"You mean.... you wanna talk to me?" He asked confused.

"If I didn't I would just ignore you like I do Malfoy."

Harry smiled a bit and leaned against a desk a moment before he realized where Sayora had pulled him. They had some how ended up in Snape's first years potions classroom. Harry looked around as if something were going to jump out at him.

"Potter, calm down, its just talking." Sayora said, misjudging the horrified look on his face. "I promise I won't bite. Not that I don't, I'll behave though."

"Yeah that's not what I'm worried about." He said. "We're in your dads class room."

Sayora looked around. "So we are. Didn't even notice where we were going." She glanced at Harry. "Come sit down and talk. You always seem to have something to say when I'm trying to get to class, so talk."

"Um.... yes well.... um..." Harry for once for the life of him couldn't think of anything to say. "Sorry I'm not very good at this."

"No way, I couldn't tell." Sayora said sarcastically and Harry cringed. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, its just the way I am. I didn't mean it. How about we go back and forth with questions and answers. you go first."

"Um... yeah sure...." He paused trying to think of a question. "Um.... have you always lived at the castle?"

"Uhhh, no." Sayora said. She looked as if that was the only answer that she was going to give but Harry looked like a puppy just waiting for a bone to be thrown. She went on "We moved here when we were 2 and then spend the summers at the family house. What's your family like?"

"Um.... well Voldemort killed my parents." He said. "I live with my moms sister and her husband and son. Their really terrible but you get used to it once you know how to handle them."

"How do you handle them?" Sayora asked before Harry couold ask her a question.

"Hey it's my turn." Harry said. "What's your dad like? I mean you know.... outside school?"

"He's funny. Makes sure I have everything I need." Sayora thought about her dad. "We have the best time making potions together." Harry looked like what Sayora was saying might be a little far fetched but he kept his comments to himself. They continued to talk and pass questions back and forth until quite late into the night. Neither had noticed the passage of time until they heard the clock tower bell chime midnight and the end of the Halloween dance.

Sayora nearly jumped. "I should get going. I'm in enough trouble with my dad as it is... I don't need to be adding more to it. Course then again all I really need to do is give him the puppy look and he's putty in my hands." She said imitating the look to Harry.

"Oh, ok." Harry said. He looked sad that their time was up. "Maybe we could do this again?" He asked as they walked towards the door. Before he could lose the courage, Harry leaned towards Sayora and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Sayora pushed Harry away. "Little fast Potter." She said smirking at him a moment and turned down the hall.

((AN… There you all go… Nice LONG chapter… Lol hope you all enjoy and more to come soon…))