"Thank you Mika," Nokomis said, smiling at the small house-elf who stood by her bed. "Did you send one to Severus?"
"There was no Severus on Mika's list Mistress Noko," she squeeked in reply. "Mika can go send one now though."
"That's not necessary Mika," Nokomis said, getting up. "I'll write Severus a letter and invite him that way." She walked over to her desk and pulled out a quill and parchment.
"Mika will call Mistress Noko's owl then," the house-elf said looking hopeful.
"Thor is on a delivery right now Mika," Nokomis answered with a smile. "I will send this letter when he returns. Go help Ta'ek in the kitchens." She watched as Mika left the room before leaning over her desk to write.
Severus,
I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to write you to formally invite you to my home on July 28th for my birthday celebration. I would like you to arrive early so that I can introduce you to my family. The party will be held at Lennyn Estate so I'm sure you will have no difficulty in locating it. I cannot wait to see you again my prince.
Nokomis
As she was sealing the parchment a great horned owl flew into the window and landed on the perch by the desk. Nokomis untied the parchment that had been tied to his leg and stroked his head. "Did you have a nice time with Severus? Did he treat you well?" Thor answered with a little hoot before taking a drink. Nokomis walked back over to her bed with the roll of parchment from Severus. She sat down, put her feet up on the bed and began to read.
Dearest Nokomis,
I have missed you terribly. I was so happy when I received your letter, I was afraid it had all been a dream. This summer is going better than previous ones, now that I'm of age, I don't have to hide the magic that I do. I'm not dependant on it, but I do quite enjoy the gifts I have. Soon you'll know how that is though. Your owl is quite impressive, he's a nice bird. Thanks for letting me know his name, helped out a bit while he was here. My father was quite nervous with having an owl hanging about the house, I normally have to go into town to send owls. Father has been staying away from me and mum lately. I don't think he's gotten quite used to the fact that there are two adults in the house that are magical, he may be afraid of me a little instead of the other way around. I'm going to end this here, I believe that Thor wants to return to you as badly as I do. I await your reply and I do hope that I will see you sooner than the first of September.
Until then, I remain yours.
Severus
Nokomis smiled and held the letter to her chest as she closed her eyes. She sat still for a moment, letting it sink in. He loved her, he had to, for only a man in love would be able to write such things in a letter. She got up quickly and moved back to her desk and pulled out a fresh peice of parchment.
Severus,
I too have missed you. I close my eyes, only to see your face and that is what gets me through to the next day. Only 10 days until I see you again, that will make it July 28th, my birthday. Please arrive at the house early, I would love to introduce you to my parents, I'm sure they will love you as much as I. Wow, I just wrote that didn't I? Seems so much more permanent in ink on parchment doesn't it? But I will not scratch it out, or regret writing it for it is the truth. I do love you Severus Snape...gets easier the more it's written. I'm certain you are blushing at this point, I do hope you are tucked away safely in your room as you read this and not in front of your father, or even your mother for that matter. I think I shall end this here as well so you still have some of your pride remaining.
Forever yours,
Nokomis
She quickly sealed up the letter and tied it to Thor, crumpling the previous note she had written. "I'm sorry you have to go back out so soon Thor, but you don't have to wait for a reply this time," she said to him as he hesitated to leave so soon. He nipped at her fingers and then took off and flew out of the window.
The next 10 days passed as though they were 100, but finally July 28th arrived. Nokomis pulled herself from her bed and padded to her bathroom to wash up and get ready for the day. After pulling on a deep emerald gown that she had picked out for the day, she caught her reflection in the mirror. 'Severus won't look twice at me,' she thought to herself noticing that she was a bit thicker around the middle than when she had left school just a month ago. 'Why does my mother insist on watching me like a hawk?' She looked over at her nightstand and noticed her wand was resting there. She walked over, picked it up and smiled. She was finally an adult.
"Mistress Noko, you is requested downstairs," Mika said as she appeared suddenly in her room. "There is a young man with black hair dressed in green to sees you."
"Oh, that must be Severus," Nokomis answered, her face falling a bit. "I will be right down, I just need to do something with my hair first." She watched as Mika vanished and ran to the mirror in panic. 'Why is he already here? How late did I sleep?' she thought to herself as she stared at her reflection. She fussed with her hair for a bit before just letting it hang in her face.
"NOKOMIS LYNNE LENNYN, GET DOWN HERE NOW!" her mother called from the first floor. Nokomis sighed and tucked her wand into her dress before going downstairs. When she arrived in the parlor 5 minutes later, her mother was waiting for her, a glare in her eyes. "Why did you not tell me that you had invited this boy to our home?" her mother asked her, her voice cutting into her sharply.
"I thought you said that I could have friends over for my birthday party," Nokomis said softly, looking down at the floor.
"Your party does not start for another 2 hours!" her mother Athena yelled out as she pulled up on Nokomis's head to force eye contact. "Did you think that because you are an adult now you have the authority to invite whomever you wish whenever you wish?" Nokomis closed her eyes as the tears began to flow down her cheeks from a combination of pain, fear and embarassment. How could she do this in front of him? "Answer me girl!"
Severus walked over and pulled Nokomis from her mother's grip and held her close to him. "Shh, it's ok Noko," he said to her before looking over at her mother. "I apologize if my presence has disturbed you Mrs. Lennyn, but Nokomis asked me to come early so that she might introduce us properly."
"Why would you need a special introduction? So you are a friend from school, big deal. She has plenty of those," Athena said to him, with a glare in her dark eyes.
"Mum, he's more than a friend, I love this man," she said feeling a bit bolder now that she was being held by Severus. "I would like for you to meet Severus Snape. Severus, this is my mother Athena Martin-Lennyn."
"Snape? Tell me boy, are you a mudblood or a half-blood?" Athena asked glaring at the young man who still held onto her daughter. "Answer me!" she said after a moment hesitation.
"Why does it even matter mother?" Nokomis said holding onto Severus tighter.
"I'm a half-blood," Severus said, just as Nokomis was finishing her question. "My mother is Eileen Prince, she has said wonderful things about the Lennyn family."
"Ah yes," Athena began with a smirk. "She was in class with my older sister. What a pity, marrying a filthy muggle shamed her family."
Severus looked down at this moment, his hair falling in his face. He had thought those same words to himself about his father, but it was different hearing them from someone else. "His father may be a muggle, but Severus is brilliant. Brightest Wizard in our year, you can ask anyone," Nokomis said as she rested her head upon his chest. "Blood does not matter much when it comes to talent." Severus raised his head again and Nokomis could see a small smile across his lips.
"Ah, who is this young man whom my daughter is clinging to for dear life?" Ian Lennyn said as he sauntered into the room. He smiled warmly at the young man which caused Athena to storm from the room.
"Father, I would like to introduce you to Severus Snape," Nokomis said as she let go of Severus and gave her father a hug. "He's a very dear friend of mine from school."
"I see, so this is the young man whom has stolen your heart away from your daddy?" he asked with a smile and held his hand out to Severus. "Tell me of your parents, the name is not familiar to me."
"My mother is Eileen Prince," Severus said proudly as he shook the man's hand. "My father's name is Tobias."
"Ahh, I know of her family. A better one you could not find, I'm pleased that my daughter has chosen so wisely," Ian said, a twinkle showing in his deep blue eyes. "Come with me to my study and we'll talk a while." With that he turned and led Severus down the hallway. A tap of Ian's wand opened the door and when the three of them were inside, he again tapped the door and sat down. "No one will be able to disturb us and no one can listen at the door as well. Sometimes it's quite difficult to trust people, even in one's own family. Please, take a seat, both of you," he said, waving his hand at a pair of chairs behind them.
Severus nervously sat down and took Nokomis's hand in his own. "What would you like to talk about Mr. Lennyn," he said respectfully, unable to look into the older wizard's eyes. After the confrontation with Noko's mother, he was a bit worried to be having a private chat with her father. Nokomis squeezed Severus's hand reassuringly, hoping to calm him. She could tell he was nervous, and she wanted him to know that she was there for him.
"Don't worry Severus," Ian said with a smile, "you'll soon find out that my wife and I are totally different people." His smile faded a bit with that revelation and he appeared to get a bit nervous himself. "But enough about that. Tell me more about yourself, what your plans are for when you finish school and how my daughter fits into the mix," he said, his smile returning.
"Daddy!" Nokomis exclaimed as she flushed. "We have only been dating since last October, not even a full year yet."
"Well," Severus began, ignoring her outburst, "I turned 17 last January, I'm in Slytherin house, Potions is easily my best subject, but I do fairly well in most classes. As of this moment I'm still unsure of what I want to do after school, but I'm leaning towards research to discover new potions and spells. To be perfectly honest, Nokomis will fit into my life anyway she wishes, as a close friend or perhaps something more." He squeezed Noko's hand slightly during the last part, conveying to her that he would prefer if it was something more.
Ian listened intently as Severus spoke. "Well, I must say again that I am pleased with the choice my daughter has made. You obviously have put plenty of thought into your future even if you are not sure about what you'll do, but that's no matter, you have a whole year to decide that. I can also tell that you care a great deal for Nokomis and that makes me happy. It was a great pleasure to meet you Master Snape," Ian said as he stood and held out his hand.
"It was an extreme honor to meet you Mister Lennyn," Severus answered as he stood and took Ian's hand. "You are correct when you say I care deeply for Nokomis. She has helped me through many rough patches this past year and I owe her the world for she has truly become mine."
Ian walked over to the door and opened it so they could leave. As Nokomis followed Severus out the door, her father stopped her. "Does he make you happy and treat you as you should be?" he asked her as he looked into her eyes.
"Yes daddy," she said, smiling up at him. "I really love him, and I know he loves me back. I don't care about him being a half-blood either."
"I know sweety," he said as he cupped her chin in his hand. "You always did take after me more than your mother. Don't worry about what she says. I lost my chance to be happy, don't let yours get away." He put his arms around his daughter and held her tightly.
"I won't daddy," she said as he let her go and she was guided to Severus's waiting arms. She put her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.
"You take care of my little girl Severus," Ian said as he watched them hold each other.
"I promise I will Mr. Lennyn," Severus said in return before the two of them went outside into the gardens to await the rest of the guests.
"Did you really mean that?" Nokomis asked him as they sat in the garden. "What you said to my father?"
"Every last word," he whispered into her ear as he put his arms around her and held her close.