"I can't believe the holidays are over," Fred moped as he and his twin sat at Vivica and Angelina's table during their first potions lesson of 1990.
"We know Fred, you've only been whining about it since you arrived back yesterday." Angelina said, laying out her potions tool carefully.
"I bet Fred is already counting down the days to the Easter Holidays," Vivica smirked and high-fived Angelina.
"Whose house is Easter at anyways?" George asked. "Yours or ours?"
"Yours, since we did Christmas. Do you think you can come over for the Easter Holidays Ang-"
"Nope, my parents love to have us home over the holidays since we spend so little time with them now. Thanks anyways," Angelina said sullenly.
"It's alright, Ang, we'll just crash at your place," said Fred.
"Mum is probably really tired of us anyways; exploding off the glass in our windows four times this holiday-"
"I surprised you weren't murdered when you set that firecracker under Percy's chair during Christmas Dinner," Vivica laughed.
"We've survived death many times, dearest Vivica. Although I swear my right but cheek hasn't been the same since dad spanked me into obliviation for nearly making Ron do an unbreakable vow back when we were seven." Fred replied.
"I remember that! You couldn't even sit on a broom for a week!" Vivica added.
"Vivica, shhh," Angelina silenced her friends at once as Professor Snape came in. Vivica shrank a little in her seat, what happened over the holidays was a still a fresh memory in her head.
"Welcome back," he said unemotionally, and his eyes flickered amongst the students in his class and lingered a just a few extra seconds more on Potter than anyone. "Today, you and an the person sitting across from you –enough whining!- will be brewing me an antidote for boils found on the soles of your feet at the palms of your hands. You've got an hour and a half, go,"
Students rushed towards the supply cabinets with their reluctant partners in tow. Angelina shrugged and switched places with Fred and began to add water to her caldron.
"Aren't you going to start Viv?" Angelina asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. "You're usually the first to begin-"
"Professor Snape," she called out stiffly.
"Yes?" he asked, coming towards her.
"You didn't put the instructions on the board yet,"
"How forgetful of me," he lazily flicked his wand in direction of the board and then turned to face his daughter. "Satisfied?" he asked.
Vivica gasped. Never had he spoken so coldly to her. She nodded and quickly started dicing her ingredients. Before Snape could respond a little 'BOOM' erupted from a Slytherins' table and he raced to the scene of the crime. Uncaring of those spiteful Slytherins, she and Fred got to work on their potion.
"Hand me a quarter of a cup of that dried Abebi powder," Fred asked, as if nothing had happened. Vivica was grateful that he just wanted to continue on normally.
"Here," she measured an exact cup of the pale powder and watched as he poured it in and admired the fuchsia colour it had made the potion.
"It needs just a smidge more," Fred reached his hand over to the back but Vivica slapped it away.
"Adding a bit of extra something can really mess up the balance of the potion,"
"But the colour isn't as dark as it is supposed to be. It should be a magenta colour."
"The other ingredients might-"
"No, they all emit white juices! Remember your mother taught us that! Anyways just watch."
Vivica stared at the pot as he added less than an ounce of Abebi powder and the potion became a dark purple.
"See!" she exclaimed. "It's way to dark-"
"Hold on. He added the Blanc Bean and the Gauri Ginger Roots. The potion fizzled and popped and as the smoke cleared away, there was a perfectly magenta solution."
"You underestimate me," Fred cocked a brow teasingly at her. "I should become an inventor,"
"What does potion brewing," Vivica blew out the burner and began to stir, "Have to do with inventing?"
"I can invent treats and stuff with things like fire whiskey in it and then coat it so it looks like chocolate milk,"
"I don't doubt the fact that you won't create something like that. I just think it's a stupid idea." Vivica playfully smacked him in the arm and began to neatly bottle their vial. As she was about to step up the rise to the professors desk however, she felt a large force from behind her and her fragile body gave way and along with her crashed the vial.
"Looks like superstar Potter still hasn't recovered from her injuries. If you can't play with the big boys Potter, I suggest not playing at all. They just think of you as a little slut."
Vivica hoisted herself up and sized up to the girl. She was a dark haired Slytherin with heavy-lidded eyes. The girl wasn't tall but she looked insanely menacing.
"The only slut I know is your mother, Lestrange," she replied cruelly.
"My mother! You filthy daughter of a mudblood!" the Lestrange shrieked. "How dare you insult my mother-"
"How dare you insult me and my mother. And if you can't play the game, Lestrange, don't try to argue about it, since you're the one looking like an idiot." Before Vivica could walk away however, she felt a heavy hand nearly slap her face.
"Sorry dear, but you're a terrible beater," Angelina came up beside her friend and glared cruelly at the daughter of the death eaters.
"Shut-up mudblood," hissed one of Lestrange's bulky friends.
"My mum is a witch and my dad's a wizard! They both went to Hogwarts; you can even check for yourself!" Angelina argued.
"But they are mudbloods; are they not, Kalia?" asked one of her other friends.
The bulky one nodded. "But they aren't purebloods or even halfbloods, right Ebony?"
"Yeah! They're mudbloods," Kalia giggled. "Right Stella?"
Stella Lestrange crackled with laughter.
"Quit using that word!" Vivica snapped, her pale-white face turning as magenta as their potion.
"What word?" she smiled coyly. "Mudblood?"
"Yes!" said Angelina, bracing her arm to get a good punch in.
"Mudblood, mudblood, mudblood," the Slytherin girls chanted. Angelina's eyes widened and she quickly pulled back her arm.
"Miss Lestrange," Snape folded his arms over his chest and glared at the first year. "You as well as Miss Bullstrode and Miss Parkinson. And, dare I say it, fifty points from Slytherin for your fowl language. Each."
Lestrange, Bullstrode and Parkinson all had their eyes shoot out of their sockets. "Professor, are you serious?" Lestrange challenged. "When my mother comes out of Azkaban-"
"She'll never come out of Azkaban," Vivica whispered to Angelina.
"Two weeks!" Snape raised his voice considerably, quieting the hustling class immediately. "And if you dare use that word ever in your life; you will regret the day you were born!"
The class's mouths hung open in horror. Never has a teacher, not even Snape, had ever threatened students. "Is that clear, Miss Lestrange?"
Lestrange shot dark, twisted look at Vivica and Angelina and nodded solemnly; uncaring to the threat.
"Class dismissed; and see you at seven for your detentions," Snape mutely cleaned up the spill from before and Vivica headed back to her cauldron.
"Thank goodness you always keep spares." Vivica gratefully took another vial of the potion and hugged Fred.
"I'm Fredrick Gideon Weasley, I obviously will need a spare. And you go give it to your dad, and talk to him a bit, that might make him feel better."
"Thanks,"
"Anytime, and I'll see you at dinner? I want to hear the whole story of what happened. It sounds wicked!" Fred winked and left the classroom along with Angelina and George. Vivica gently took the vial and nervously made her way up to his desk, thinking about what she should say to him. Should she apologize? Well, it was partially his fault. She bickered with herself until the sound of her father's voice brought her out of it.
"Close the door, Vivica" Snape said, not bothering to look up from the attendance sheet.
Vivica did as she was told and put her's and Fred's solution on his desk.
"Thanks for yelling at that Lestrange," she mumbled, trying to go on as if nothing had happened over Christmas.
"She brought it upon herself," he said quietly, finally lifting his head to meet her sad eyes. He felt remorseful, he should not be angry at her when it was Lily that he was mad at. The unfortunate part was that she was so much like her mother. The striking green eyes, the quick temper and her knowing smile. He was angry at Lily but he also missed her, but unlike last time, he intended to keep one part of Lily –their daughter.
He wordlessly got up from his seat and picked Vivica up, raising her to his level.
"You're not mad at me?" she asked, a small smile creeping up her lips.
"I can never be mad at you," he chuckled.
"I didn't mean for mum to-"
"You never mind that," he said firmly. "It's not your fault, kitten. But nevertheless, I don't wish on seeing your mother any time soon."
"That'll surely be arranged," she shrugged sadly.
"Let's go for some tea," he suggested and set her down. "That might cheer you up,"
"It might," she quickly grabbed a hold of his hand let her lead her to his chambers. She felt childish when her father held her hands on his knee but she got to the point of not caring for she enjoyed being with her dad since he very special to her.
"You liked it when me and your mother were talking, didn't you?" he inquired as he handed her a creamy cup of Earl Gray.
"Are you a mind reader?" she joked, but Snape scowled. "Your mother raised you to much like a muggle,"
"Don't worry, Uncle Remus has taught me about Occlumency." She said dismissively.
"Thank goodness," he muttered.
"But he never taught me how to actually, you know, perform it,"
"As bright as you are, Kitten, I think we should wait a while before you start Occlumency lessons. Why, they don't even teach it in school and very few people can properly do it."
"I think I can do it dad," she said eagerly. "If it's something that not many people care to do, I tend to me a master at. Take History of Magic for some reason. I memorized all the doings and wrong doings of the First Wizarding War and we aren't ment to know that until our fifth year!"
"You are certainly as boastful as Potter," Snape scoffed. Vivica strained to not roll her eyes at him.
"You pick up things when you live for nearly three years with a person," was her snide reply.
Snape gave his daughter a sad sort of smile. "Even in his death, James seems to out-do me,"
"Dad," Vivica said in a warning tone. "This is why mum got mad at you,"
"Lily," Snape sighed, although he was furious with her, he still loved the sound of her name on his lips. "She seems to get mad at the littlest things,"
"In her defense," Vivica sneered, she was certainly not her mother's favorite but did believe in being on the right side and in this case, Lily should be on the defensive of what her father said. "You did insult her wedding pictures and James! On Christmas, nonetheless,"
"Vivica!" Snape said sternly, quieting her considerably but she still glared at him. "No,"
"No, what?" she asked noiselessly.
"No, I did not insult anything or anyone,"
"Yeah right!" Vivica exclaimed, practically laughing at the stupidity and falsity of his words.
"Vivica Rose, please," he said roughly, crossing across the room moodily to the open window cool his nerves.
"I'm not lying," she replied, but in a softer tone and walked behind her father and wrapped her arms behind him. "I just want to tell you the truth, so mum doesn't think you are a complete liar and hates you forever…again,"
He turned around slowly to face her picked her up like a toddler. She smiled at him like this was completely normal and let him carry her around as he talked to her, assuming he cast a weight reducer charm on her to make her lighter. "Dad," she sighed. "You know I can't be mad at you for long! Mum can hold a grudge though, and I think you should just apologize; you know, just make it easier on everyone,"
"As long as Lily is satisfied?"
"Pretty much,"
"Do our feelings count for anything?"
"Not really, no,"
"Well it should, should it not?"
"As long as mum is happy, I am happy, and so is the household."
"That should change," Severus set his daughter down on the couch and sat down beside her. "She should know the truth behind people's words. She should not jump to conclusions,"
Vivica chuckled, "You actually think she'll listen to that,"
"Perhaps," but even he sounded skeptical. "I honestly did not mean to say anything wrong though!"
"Lily,"
"Yes Sev," she replied and walked over to him as he flipped through the 'Potter' family album, trying to see as much of his daughter's childhood as possible.
"Was this picture taken on your wedding?" he asked as he read the date in the corner of the page July 1st 1979.
"Yeah," Lily smiled at the happy memory with James's right arm draped around her shoulder and Vivica squirming around cheerfully, practically leaping from James's arm to Sirius's.
Severus's heart melted with pain and jealously, but also pleasure. He loved how Lily looked in the soft, ball-gown style dress with a crystal sash and her hair done in an elegant knot, holding her long, full veil. What he adored was her youthfulness, and more importantly, her happiness. He longed to be in James's position, at the time; having the love of his life at one arm and their beautiful child in the other. Laughing and embracing the happy moment together as a family. Severus smirked at James's expensive, yet foolish looking robes. "Kind of looks like a prat in it doesn't it?" he joked lightly, grimacing at the late James Potter.
"Severus!" Lily exclaimed, outraged. "James is dead, can you not let him be!"
"I'm sorry Lil, I was just teasing-"
"NO! No you aren't," she hollered, her eyes large in with outrage. Not even the Father Christmas hat she was wearing made her expression any kinder. "Even though James is gone, you cannot stop tormenting him,"
"Lily, you are being absurd!" he spat. "You're saying that I was the one tormenting James Potter?"
Lily nodded her tear-streaked face. "Yes, can you not leave him alone?"
"James. Bullied. Me! He made my life at the only place I called home a living hell!" he replied just as loudly, but his eyes caught that of his daughter's and quieted down at once. Lily had not noticed and continued to yell at him, about how he was dishonoring James's memory and how he had died for the right thing. While she lectured him, he gave Vivica an apologetic look but she shook his head at him. Again he tried mutely to get her to understand but she couldn't seem to get it; she in return stalked away to Fred. Severus turned away then, took his coat, apologized the best he could to Lily and left. She didn't bother trailing after him, he noticed, and re-emerged back into the Christmas Party. Not before pointedly setting up the album to her wedding page on the coffee table to make sure everyone, including Severus, would notice.
XXX
"Who's side should I take?" Vivica questioned her friends at dinner the next day. "I mean, I feel sad for my mum but then again, she shouldn't have flipped out on a joke, right?"
"I pick you mum's side, I mean, your dad did insult your dead other dad and your mum's former husband, so I guess she would be pretty mad," Angelina said carefully, attempting not to offend anyone. Vivica thanked her for her opinion, but it did not help much, considering that she had a very bland and repetitive response.
"I could be a good friend and tell you that whatever you choose will be the right thing," said Fred slowly. "Or I can be a bro and say that it doesn't matter who said what as long as they both apologize! Isn't that the way they got back together in the first place,"
George nodded, though he added to his brother's rambling. "You're right there Fred, but let's be real here. Both of Via's parents are really stubborn –no offence Via- so it is obviously going to be hard for them to say sorry again."
Vivica sighed helplessly and nearly dunked her head in her soup in frustration. "My parents are acting like children,"
"In most cases, that would be really cool," Fred piped up.
"But this is actually pretty weird." George finished for him.
"We'll work something out," Angelina said sympathetically, patting her shoulder. Vivica smiled at her. "Let's start now,"
XXX
The following weekend, the fearsome four sat in a semi-circle around the warm fire as the heavy afternoon snow barricaded the windows of Gryffindor tower. A stack of fresh parchment, brand new ink and quills lay before them as they contemplated on what to write.
"I call writing from Snape's letter!" George immediately exclaimed.
Angelina elbowed him in the ribs. "Keep quiet you dolt, you're brother, Percy, could get us expelled for doing this!"
"Yeah dolt," Fred teased and flicked a bite of corn nuts at him.
George rolled his eyes and whispered to across to Vivica quite clearly. "No," she replied and scowled at him. "I'll write the letters, I just need help from you guys,"
"I see how it is," Fred scoffed sarcastically. She shot him an annoyed look before starting a list on possible ideas. This is going to be tough indeed.
"People in letters sound different than they do in person," Angelina advised. "My brother, Adrian,"
"The one who works at Gringotts?" interrupted one of the twins.
"No, the one who works at Hogwarts! I only have one brother, George,"
Vivica impatiently swatted George away. "Continue your story, Angelina,"
Angelina nodded and continued. "Anyways, he sounds like a peach in his letters, sending his love and what not but when I seem him during holidays, it's like I don't even exist."
"Darn it," Vivica snapped, narrowing her green eyes at the fire as she contemplated on how to write the letter. She knew how her mother sounded in her letters to her. Lily was soft and kind and asked a million different questions every letter. She told her about Harry and Remus and what they accomplished that week. As for her father, she had not a single idea on how he writes. On assignments, she would sometimes receive complements, but he usually just told her in person; and that was the writing she would receive from him. Unless…
"Hey guys! Do you think my dad has some letters from my mum in is chambers?"
"Vivica Rose Potter, the day I step into Professor Severus Snape's chambers will be the day of my death." Fred said in an uncanny monotone.
"No offence or anything, Via, but even I'm scared to snoop around in there," Angelina admitted.
Vivica gave them a disgusted look. "My dad is not scary!"
"You were scared of him a few days ago," George reminded her. "At how you thought he would react from what happened at the Christmas party,"
"Yeah, but we made up in five minutes! All I need is for you guys to distract him while I look around in there. Come' on guys, we're Gryffindors! The home of the brave!"
Angelina chuckled. "You sound like my American cousin. She always boasts about being the 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave'; but I was like 'Shaniqua, I'm a Gryffindor, I was chosen to be in 'House of the Brave,'"
"Okay there," Fred gave her a sideways glance and seemed like he was going to ask her more about her American cousin. To his disappointment, Vivica cut the both of them off.
"Look, are you guys in or out? I hate when they fight for long,"
"I'll do it for Via, but I swear, you owe us a ton a sweets from Honeydukes when you go with your dad during Easter Holidays," said Fred.
"And if we get caught we still get the sweets for trying," said George.
"Done," Vivica said perkily. "Since we have potions last on Monday, you guys ask him about whatever potion we are doing or help on the next essay or whatever and then I will sneak into his office and get the letters,"
"Why doesn't one of us sneak into his office while you distract him. It will seem more believable then." Angelina advised, twisting her hair into a knot and writing down their plan.
"I second that!" exclaimed George.
"Yeah, he loves to talk to you, Via," said Fred.
Vivica sighed. "Alright, I'll write down the password and the code for the room, just be done in less than half an hour." She took another sheet of parchment and drew out a birds-eye-view of the layout of the chamber. "Angelina, you check the drawers and books of his office, and be sure not to leave a thing out of place when you are done,"
"Of course," Angelina beamed at the fact that she got to search the most important room.
"George, you look in the living room, under the sofa and in and around the mantle and coffee table,"
"Yupp," George nodded.
"You have to be brave for this Fred," she patted her best friend's shoulder as she gave him the most difficult task. "You have to look into his bedroom, the drawers and mattress and sheets,"
"Even his…underwear drawer?" he choked out.
She nodded solemnly.
"Do you wish me an early death?"
"Fredrick," she shook her head in mockingly. "You know I do,"
He playfully shoved her down and she answered back by picking up the rejected letters, crumpled them up, and threw that at him skillfully. Soon enough, all four first years were engaged in a full-on paper fight, slowly including everyone in their year until Percy told a prefect.
XXX
"Class dismissed," Snape announced five minutes after the bell as he lectured the class of their 'worthless' moonstone essays.
"Hey daddy," Vivica came up to her professor and beamed at him.
"Kitten," he smiled warmly down at her. "What do you want?"
"I want to show you something really nifty! I've just got a few questions about it,"
"And what might this nifty thing be?" he asked playfully as he allowed her to drag him out of the class.
"It's this mirror-like thing but it doesn't show just your reflection…"
Meanwhile the other three slunk into his office behind him, not getting caught by any students thus so far. Or so they thought.
"Kaila," Stella elbowed her blonde friend in the ribs. "Aren't those the dweebie Gryffindors that got us in trouble?"
"Yeah!" she exclaimed and excitedly followed after them.
"Idiot," Ebony thumped her head. "We don't want to get caught,"
"But neither do they," Stella said slyly as she and her friends followed after the other three-some.
"They are going into Snape's chambers!" yelped Kaila, her blue eyes wide with excitement. It isn't everyday that you can get a Gryffindor in trouble. "Let's go get him!"
"Why are they going there though?" Ebony asked curiously, and made to follow them further.
"Who cares? Let's find Snape right away and hopefully they will be there by the time we're back with him!" Stella Lestrange grinned as deviously as her imprisoned mother and raced out with her friends.