Balance is the new chapter today. Hope you like it.
"Come in." Trixabelle called through to the office and Miss Black quickly came inside only three minutes late. Tonight for once Trix didn't really mind. "You sticking around, Dad?"
"I have to observe you." Severus rolled his eyes and made his way over to the office with Trixabelle following him. "Do you realise how much work Montgomery has inadvertently given me?"
"Ah give yourself a raise." She shrugged. "Good evening, Miss Black. The headmaster will be observing us for a while."
"Alright," Alya shrugged. "I much prefer this office now. The posters didn't do the ribbed vaulting any justice… Sorry personal interest."
"Don't apologise. Take a seat. Which essay is it again?"
Alya passed it over to Trixabelle once she had sat down. It was one about controlling your patronous, the one that she had set Ravenclaw a couple of days ago and they were all on track to get good grades for the on going extended task. She quickly skimmed over it and then gave it back to Alya.
"It's exceeds expectations at the moment. What's troubling you?"
"I want to get an 'O', I…" she coughed for a few moments. "I want to be an Auror you see and you need good grades and stuff. Got your throat thing as well."
"Oh, sorry. Well, for your essay you need to add in examples of when this has worked –"
"But I've already done that!"
"Let me finish. You need to add in examples of when it has worked for you. We'll be moving onto that in class tomorrow. Your introduction could do with some work and there're a couple of spelling mistakes but otherwise it's fine."
"Well, what about the middle bit? The bit about how to produce the charm?" Alya seemed to be panicking a little and refused to look up from the parchment.
"Alya, it's fine. You'll be able to improve it tomorrow. Now what are you really anxious about?"
"Err… I guess I'm not used to doing this with the headmaster here." she admitted.
"Ignore him. He's supposed to be a bat on the wall."
"Errr, yeah, well since I can't do anything about this right now I'll errr… go back to the common room and keep Scorpius company." Alya got up and very quickly exited the room without further adieu.
"Strange." Trixabelle said still staring at the closed door.
"Very."
"I'll keep an eye on her." she stood from her chair and went back into the lounge asking if she's passed.
"Yes." Was all Severus said. He'd known she would pass the pointless observation session but he knew he had to do it anyway. He had to provide evidence of his staffs' professionalism and work ethic for the ministry and he did not doubt that if there was even the slightest disagreement when they looked over the paper work that they would hesitate in asking for his memories.
"I believe the expression is 'fly on the wall'." he said whilst Trixabelle poured herself a drink.
"You're wearing black. More, you know… bat like." She replied whilst feebly imitating wings with her arms.
Severus laughed at her as she 'flew' to an armchair that made her look tiny and much younger than her years. His laugh was a light but heartfelt baritone that also lit up his eyes. Trixabelle smiled at him knowing that it could be a long time before she heard that musical sound once more.
Severus stayed in his daughter's rooms for the rest of the evening and well into the night as they conversed about all manor of things from that their days held tomorrow to when they expected to see Aunt Ruth and Uncle John next. It was nearing midnight when Severus stood up to leave.
"I'll see you at breakfast." He said.
"Yeah. I guess I'll have to set an alarm."
"Yes. I do not wish for you to forego another meal."
"I didn't mean to!"
"Good night, Trixabelle."
"'Night, Dad."
Severus opened the door.
"Oh, Dad."
"Yes."
Trixabelle gave her dad a hug. "Love you."
"I love you too."
"Trix!" Laura called in the otherwise quiet staffroom.
It was Monday afternoon and Trix had just Apparated into the room during her free lesson. A cup of tea seemed like the best idea in the world as well as a slice of cheese cake.
"Miss Vayne!" Professor Sinstra scalded. "This is the staffroom!"
"Sorry." Laura blushed and walked over to Trix who was knelt by the fire waiting for the kettle to boil. "Hey, I was wondering what you think the new staffroom should have."
"Cubby holes that send marked work and other stuff straight to our offices and the other way round. Saves first years knocking it out your hands and leaves you free to catch yourself when you fall." Trix grouched flexing the fingers on her right hand.
Laura took the injured hand in hers and waved a healing spell over it.
"Good idea. Anything else?"
"Windows."
"Everyone's said that."
"Oh and some of those chairs you put in my lounge."
"Two of a kind I'm afraid. Winky and I have already trekked all over the castle trying to find some. Look, this is the kind of thing I'm thinking, do you think your dad will like it?"
Trix looked over the plan Laura pulled from her pocket for a couple of moments and then nodded.
The seventh year Slytherins were being more difficult than normal which Trixabelle had previously thought impossible. She was coaxing blood out of a stone when the door slammed open.
There stood all six feet and two inches of her very angry father. He somehow looked taller and more intimidating than usual.
Strange, Trix thought. Oh well, let's see how he copes.
"Good afternoon Slytherin." He began in a soft voice. "I trust you are all behaving yourselves. I have heard reports all over the castle that your behaviour has been deplorable over the past couple of days. Can anyone tell me why that is?" Snape rounded on the class who were watching fear stricken. They all knew what this man could do in a rage and didn't want to anger him further.
Trix, however, sat back trying not to laugh. It was a good show all things considered. It was only his scent that gave him away. Fortunate that none of the Slytherins had any werewolf blood.
"Mister Nott. Perhaps you can tell me why exactly Professor Granger has filed a report of you less than appropriate behaviour this morning."
"I…" Nott began, "I haven't done anything sir."
Actually he hadn't.
"And Miss Black, tell me why you still disapprove of Professor Snape?"
"I don't, Sir!" Alya hotly began. I wanted to warn her but I thought that it would be fin to let it all spin out for a while. "You were there last night when I asked her for help with my homework! If anything, sir, along with Scorpius and Teddy Lupin I am one of the people who most supports her outside of Ravenclaw house."
"Even so, the behaviour of Slytherin as a whole is deplorable and this must come to an end. Miss Blishwick, I heard that yesterday in this very class you –"
"Teddy." Trix calmly interrupted.
"Yes?" Snape quickly spun round on his heel and faced Trix. Just as quickly Snape changed from that of Severus Snape to Teddy Remus Lupin.
The class as a whole burst out laughing. Alya the most. Stood in transfigured clothes that were too big for him and still looked like Snape's Teddy realised his mistake.
"Shit." He muttered.
"Shit indeed. Now," Trix continued, "as you seem to be taking such an interest in my father today I will allow you the pleasure of one of his detentions."
"Awww, Trix, really? Come on, I mean…"
"No, Teddy. Go unless you want me to dock house points for prolonging the interruption of my class."
Tuesday found the corridors of the lower castle cool and a sharp relief after spending the last two days cooped up in his sun blinded office. Severus had time to spare and made his way to Miss Vayne's room at a leisurely pace so that he might maximise his time away from his desk before spending the rest of the week cooped up in there. Sometimes, he thought, I really miss my potions classroom.
The room Miss Vayne was stationed in was one that offered her the most space to work as it had a lot of empty floor space. It came as no surprise to him to find an easel stood in front of the largest window, set at an angle so no shadow could fall over it. Pieces of parchment were strewn here and there and one had to be careful not to knock over pots of paint as they approached the artist at work. Miss Vayne looked to be enjoying herself and was quietly humming a melodic tune to keep her company.
"You have a fine taste in music." Severus commentated.
Miss Vayne spun around and then glowered at her former professor for almost giving her a heart attack. She then turned round and resumed painting.
"I was going to come up in ten minutes." She said. "Oh help yourself to a drink or anything, they're um… under those notes there."
"Even Trixabelle did not make this much mess." Severus muttered to himself as he moved the notes and poured himself what must have been his forth goblet of pumpkin juice in half as many days. "Your notes seem thorough."
"I asked a bunch of Professors what they wanted and have adapted it all to fit. It's dry if you want to have a look."
Severus made his way over to the easel and studied the proposed idea for the new staffroom. The most noticeable improvement was the addition of enchanted windows that depicted light streaming into the room. They were as large as the ones in the Great Hall and were arched and vaulted in the same way. Stood in front of the windows were a cluster of tables, curiously with Professors Flitwick and Weasley sat marking papers and reading a book, respectively. Further into the room were groupings of chairs and sofas with elegant coffee tables nestled amongst them.
Another picture showed series of wooden compartments affixed to the wall some with objects in them but most were empty.
"Trix's idea. You can put stuff in them – anything from work to cups of tea and potions, and it will be sent to the corresponding one in either your office or classroom and vice versa. You can make things stay in there and then call it to the one on 'the other end'. Professor Flitwick helped with the charm work a little and say's it's safe. There's a prototype in a storage room."
"What materials do you need for this to work?"
"Winky found some of this," Laura said picking up a small plank of wood, "in one of the storage rooms. Gorgeous isn't it? Anyway I can knock them together fairly quickly and charm them. You can use anything really." She shrugged only afterwards remembering how much her former headmaster disliked shrugging.
"And those that have more than one office?"
"They can have more than one box, simple as. The one in the staffroom can send them to whichever box said person wants with just a simple sending charm. Trust me between Professor Flitwick and I we've got it covered. He's all excited about using them already."
They both whiled away the afternoon looking at every aspect of the designs. There were movable flames, which Hermione had suggested, dotted around the room to give extra light and warmth for the depths of winter when the fire alone wouldn't be enough to keep the cold at bay. In addition there were rugs, coat stands, cabinets for kettles, tea pots and other various pieces of serving equipment, a board for notices to be pinned on, paintings that hung in various places and everything else that Laura deemed necessary.
Severus thought that some of the comforts were not needed such as warming stones to keep ones feet warm on the coldest of winter days, but he knew some found them comforting even though a simple warming charm did the same thing with less effort. To him the room would have been fine with just a few new chairs and a few regular sized windows but that was just him. His taste leant towards comfortable but elegant, simple yet pleasing. As he looked over the design one last time before giving his verdict, Severus noticed that the furniture used although a mishmash of comfortable, down right squishy and the simple elegance he preferred, it all seemed to blend together to create an all round room of homey-comfort yet still advertising that this was a place to work, not laze around.
"How long do you expect this to take?"
"Well, the charms will take a while, maybe a day just to make sure they're working properly and the rest, constructing the wood work and everything else another day perhaps if I start preparing this afternoon."
"Begin as soon as you can."
Miss Vayne's face went slack with shock and her eyes bulged. For a moment or two she couldn't say anything.
"Really?" she asked.
"In the seven years you have known me, Miss Vayne, have I ever said anything I have not meant?"
"No, Sir." Miss Vayne grinned. "Thank you, Sir!" she said before all but throwing herself at him in a tight hug.
Severus stood there, statue still.
"Oh, come on, Dad. You give the best hugs." Trixabelle laughed behind him. After, Severus noted, he heard the tell tale click of a camera. If that damned Skeeter woman was anywhere near…
For Trixabelle seeing her father get attacked by her friend was one of the funniest things in the world, especially since he just stood there like a lemming and looked horrified.
"I assume you do not plan on taking the same liberties with future customers in the same way." Severus drawled.
Laura stepped away and cleared her throat. "No, Sir. Sorry, Sir. I'll get back to work."
Severus swiftly turned away from her and strode to where his daughter was stood by the door and held out one hand. Slowly she dropped the camera film into it.
"And the other one. You gave it up far too easily." He demanded.
Trix looked sullenly to the floor and fiddled about with the back of the camera and gave him the film. "I'll remember to be more reluctant next time." She muttered.
Severus then left the room closing the door behind himself.
"Rotten spoilsport."
"Yes, just imagine what he'll do tomorrow when he finds that picture on his desk anyway." Trix mused and produced a third film, the one that was originally in the camera from the pocket of her robes.
"Three films, Trix? Well I knew you were good, but no that good. He's gonna go crackers!"
"And I'll have another camera set up to take a photo then too."
"Are you trying to embarrass him?"
"No." innocence laced Trix's voice. "Why would I want to do a thing like that to my dearest father?"
"And you still find time to be a teacher." Laura muttered shaking her head in mock reprimand.
"Occasionally. Anyway, I've got an hour, let's have a look."
"Miss Snape." A clipped voice shot from a dark corner.
Inwardly Trix sighed and mentally slapped the woman.
"Ms. Dashworth." She almost growled and turned to face her 'in house' nemesis. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I would like to know why you are late to your second year class. Again."
"Last time it was because of matters out of my control as you well know since you bloody well fainted on me yesterday. Today it's because you're talking to me." Trix carried on walking even though Dashworth protested at her leaving.
The one sided conversation of 'I still disagree with your father' and 'you shouldn't be head of Slytherin' lasted until Trix got to the base of her tower where she rounded on the pest of a woman.
"I do not care if you think me competent or not, or whether this is a good idea or not because fortunately someone else, someone with a much greater sense of what is and is not a good idea, is the one doing the decision making. If you have a problem with me being here then take it up with the headmaster." her eyes momentarily flashed amber, daring Ms. Dashworth to challenge her. And then she was gone. Gone up her tower to the classroom not giving Dashworth the opportunity to protest.
She banged the door to the classroom open and was about to bark at the now quivering second years to open her books but then saw that her dad was stood at the front of the class dictating. To her left Petunia Greengrass was writing a note. Trix slapped her round the back of the head.
"Concentrate, Miss Greengrass. Sanders, put your wand away. Albert, you're not even on the right page."
The class fell into a silence of dread lest they be the next to be on the wrong side of their normally calm professor. They watched her as she sat behind her desk and glared at the opposite wall.
"Do not even think about eating that sweet, Miss Danes. Even your brother did not dare eat one of those in art last year when I told him not to, and that was without the power to give him detention with Mr. Filch."
From that point onward Severus conducted the class with total silence. Meanwhile Trix wondered how Archie's sister had made it into Slytherin, and how they'd never had a conversation until she had become a teacher even though Archie had talked to her a lot whilst they were all students. She also then began to wonder how closely she and Alya were related.
"It is not often you are late, Trixabelle." Severus said after he had dismissed the class.
"Blame Dashworth. She knew perfectly well that talking to me would make me late. All but yelled at her at the bottom of the stairs. I mean why can't she just get off her high horse and accept it already?"
"I will –"
"No. She'll just throw your efforts back in my face. If I want people to respect me then I have to deal with it on my own."
"Very well. I have business to attend to in Gringotts at the weeks end, I wish you to accompany me as usual if you are able."
"Willingly. I really need to get out of here for a while."
Ha! Poor Teddy getting busted like that. He was doing well don't you think? Well let me know in a review!
Next time... Trix has a rant and a moan and the Slytherins... well, they're in for it.
J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter