A longer chapter than usual but I hope you like it anyway! Some sad-ish memories are unearthed but a nice lighthearted opening scene to begin with!
"Well go and talk to him then." Sophia said at lunch.
"The last time I saw him he was kissing me!" Trix hissed.
"Didn't you know he was going to do it?"
"No!"
Sophia tilted her head. "Did you like it?"
"What? No! I was… I was too surprised to really think about it. It was over in a couple of seconds anyway. What does that have to do with anything?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow and sagely said, "Everything." And pushed Trix towards Sam, who was leaning over the table helping a second year with some homework.
Trix bumped into him. She steadied herself, threw a glare at Sophia who was now innocently sat with Archie, and then looked at Sam who had stood up.
"He wasn't… too… harsh on you?" she asked wondering what to talk about to keep an awkward blush from her face.
"Within reason."
They both stood there in an uncomfortable, embarrassed silence refusing to look at each other.
"I promised your dad that I wouldn't… If you didn't… want me to…"
Trix squeezed his hand. "You're a sweet guy, you know that." And then sat next to Sophia.
"See it wasn't so hard was it?" Sophia whispered as Laura, Archie and Steven talked about their Transfigurations homework.
"Are you kidding? Dad probably asked his life plan and everything, and he knows that I know that he knows I know it. It doesn't get anymore embarrassing than that."
"Don't be so melodramatic."
The rest of December passed quietly as Hagrid brought in the twelve Christmas trees and decorations were hung all over the castle and soon talk turned to the holidays. Most were going home aware that this would be the last time they could safely venture outside Hogwarts as the new year brought a promise of danger. No one spoke or even thought of that though as the last day of term feast began.
A choir of paintings, suits of armour and ghosts sung carols whilst food was eaten and present were exchanged. Crackers were pulled and everyone had to wear the hats they won regardless of colour or how ridiculous they looked. This year the staffs' hats were above and beyond what they had been last time, a secret ploy taken on by Trixabelle and her friends Severus was sure. He was sat there wearing a bright yellow top hat with a pink feather.
He looked across the students gathered below him, his eyes coming to rest on Trixabelle. She was sat quite close to Sam exchanging presents.
"They'll be together soon don't you think?"
Severus looked away and saw Sophia stood before him holding a couple of brightly wrapped presents.
"This one's from Mum and Dad. And this one's from us. We all chipped in some money and asked Mum to buy you something since we're not sure what you like. I, um, hope you like it anyway."
"'Us'?" Severus asked confused.
"Steven, Archie, Laura, Sam and I. Now," She adopted a mock serious tone that Severus had heard Madison use on him, "No opening them until Christmas morning, I know how excited you get. Merry Christmas, Severus." She smiled and walked back to her table.
The next morning most everyone left the castle on the Hogwarts Express to get to Kings Cross for lunch time.
"I thought you said it was too dangerous for Sophia and everyone to leave?" Trixabelle asked when they got back to the warmth of the castle.
"Protections have been paced at their homes and Aurors will travel with them. I am confident of their safety." Severus replied and opened the door to his rooms for her.
She stepped in and plonked herself in a chair by the fire. It was lightly snowing outside but the fires staved the cold off. She began to doze.
"Do you not have homework to do?"
"Nope. Did it all last night. Didn't sleep. Hey I play chess better when I'm almost asleep. I might finally beat you."
"You play better…? Never mind." He picked up the chess set and put all the pieces in place but by the time everything was ready she was asleep.
"Wake up." Severus said shaking Trixabelle's shoulder. It wasn't even light yet. "Wake up."
Trixabelle stirred and moved the quilt away from her head.
"Come with me."
"What?" she groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes. "It's not even light yet. It's Christmas Eve. I'm going back to sleep."
"We're leaving the castle."
Trixabelle blinked a few times. "What?"
"Just come with me." he said thinking back to his childhood sure he was never this… dopy when he woke up.
In the lounge he passed her some floo powder. He threw his into the fire.
As he was stepping into the fire place Trixabelle muttered, "This better be worth it."
At the same time Severus said, "Spinner's End." and then he was gone into a world of heat and fire until he arrived in a familiar destination.
A few seconds later Trixabelle appeared in the fire place and tripped over the cloak she'd pulled over her miss-matched pyjamas before travelling. He helped pull her up from the floor and brushed some soot from her shoulder.
"Try and not get soot all over my carpet."
"Your…? Oh Sinner's End! Spinner's End where you live!" she gasped with wide eyes and began looking around the room.
Of course she'd already seen the room before in pictures before at Beauxbatons when she was learning abut the War but she'd been more focused on looking at the man within the picture. She remembered that day as if it were yesterday.
"Today's lesson will be conducted in English as Miss Willliams still has not grasped French." The teacher Madame Prunerette sniped.
She always did that to Trixabelle but she was used to it. Instead of paying attention to the jibes she sunk even further into her chair already bored. She was at the back of the class so it shouldn't have been too obvious.
"We are learning about ze Wizarding War in England." She said.
Trixabelle sat upright in her chair. The wizarding war. The war her dad fought in with Harry Potter. The war her dad helped win.
"Harry James Potter was the chosen one. The Boy-Who-Lived." She placed some pictures on the table for everyone all to pass around. "He looks like his dad but with his mother's eyes."
Yes yes we all know this. Could we get a move on? Trixabelle impatiently thought to herself. A trait she'd apparently gained from her dad.
"Hermione Jean Granger and Ronald Billus Weasley. Now married. They helped Harry the most." She passed more pictures round. "And Severus Tobias Snape."
The teacher held the picture up for a moment before putting it on the table in front of herself where some other kid had the privilege of seeing what he man looked like before Trixabelle, his own daughter who had never seen a picture of him did. Anger burst up within her and she wanted to shout out that it was unfair that Monfis could get to look at her dad's picture before her. Then the warning her uncle had given her ghosted through her mind. 'Death Eaters would love to get their hands on you. They'd kill you. You have to keep your true identity a secret until your father comes for you'. For a moment she thought about shouting out anyway but that would probably mean she'd never get to see her dad. Sighing Trixabelle caught sight of a wave of black hair before the photograph disappeared out of sight. The teacher didn't say anything else as the pictures were passed round. She waited impatiently for her dad's to get to land in her hands.
Ever since she was young Aunt Ruth and Uncle John had told her little stories about him, what they hadn't been able to tell her quite so accurately was what he looked like. Their forte wasn't describing things. Between them she knew he had black hair and that their eyes were the same. Beyond that she didn't really know.
"Williams." Someone hissed.
She looked round to see Leon holding a photo out to her. She gulped and took it forcing her hand not to shake.
Heart beating she didn't really take note of the room he was in. She just looked at him. For the first time in her life she her saw what he looked like and she knew the moment would stay with her forever. Wonderment filled her heart as well as a certain amount of awe. He was sat impressively in an armchair wearing black clothes. A white collar showed around the high collar of his black jacket. He had black hair that reached his chin and dark, obsidian eyes. Eyes that Trixabelle had inherited. They were exactly the same down to the shape, colour and depth.
But his were haunted. Haunted by a past of things done and seen that should never have happened. Haunted by loss and grief and such sadness… such terrible, incredible sadness. He looked like he was trying to hide the sadness and grief but she could see it. Oh she could see it and it hurt to know that someone she loved even though she hadn't met him was suffering like that.
Seeing this picture made her want to see him even more. Maybe when he saw her he'd be alright and wouldn't be as sad anymore.
Back in the present she looked around the very same living room from the picture. It was filled with old, dusty books bound in dark green, brown, black and blue. A chair stood in one corner, opposite which was a sofa. A glass topped coffee table stood between the two of them. A small clock stood on the mantle piece of the fire and chimed six thirty in the morning. Trixabelle moved over to a book case and began looking at titles.
"Oh I thought I heard voices! John they're here. A bit earlier than we expected mind but there's some tea on."
At the sound of the voice Trixabelle turned from the bookcase and stared at the woman in shock for a moment. She hadn't seen the gray haired, round faced woman for what seemed like an impossibly long time. She was wearing a long red skirt, black blouse and a red shawl and was drying her hands on a towel.
"Aunt Ruth." Trixabelle smiled and pulled her into a fierce hug. She quickly felt tears sliding down her face as she hugged the only mother figure she'd ever had. Safety crept over her and she felt some of her worry lift.
"I'm sure you've grown since I last saw you." Aunt Ruth said.
"I haven't grown an inch since I was fifteen. Hello, Uncle John." She said moving to hug the tall, bald man who had just entered the room and murmured, "She's so embarrassing."
"Good to see you, kiddo." He said patting her on the back.
"Now, now, Severus, let me look at you." Aunt Ruth said.
"This should be good." Trixabelle smiled.
"Now, Severus, if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times, you really need a haircut."
Trixabelle and Uncle John heartily laughed but Severus brushed the woman away and sat in the chair and picked up last night's newspaper.
"Well help me bring the tea in, John." Aunt Ruth said and bustled out of the room with Uncle John following her.
Trixabelle took her red cloak off and draped it over the back of the sofa and then promptly sat down.
"It's just like in the pictures." She said quietly and looked around, awe in her eyes.
Severus put his paper down and looked at her curiously. She looked deflated, sad almost.
"At Beauxbatons when they taught us about the war they made us look at a load of pictures. One of them was of this very room. It's exactly the same. You were even sat in that chair. It was the first time I saw a picture of you. I took it home in the holiday to show Aunt Ruth but she didn't let me keep it in case anyone got suspicious. She told me I had to throw it away but I kept it in my trunk."
"She was right."
"I know. But by that point I –"
"Here's you tea." Aunt Ruth said bustling back into the lounge and set the tray on the table.
Uncle John set a tray of teacakes and scones down and passed the tea round. Trixabelle moved onto the floor so her aunt and uncle could have the sofa.
"I see your cloak has mended itself nicely." Aunt Ruth said examining the material. "I always did think Whomping Willows were far too dangerous to keep near school grounds. Thank goodness that's the worst injury you've had."
"Yes." Trixabelle said looking at her father with narrowed eyes in a way that promised they would talk later. "Thank goodness for that."
Severus picked up his paper.
"Well, Severus, how is our Trixabelle getting on at school?" Uncle John asked. Trixabelle flinched knowing it would strike a nerve.
"Very well as you no doubt know." He replied with a carefully blank face.
"Yes, no doubt. She did get your brains after all."
After lunch Trix found herself alone in the kitchen with her dad. She was drying plates and glasses.
"I'm sorry about Uncle John." She said.
"He's right. You're more theirs than mine."
Trix almost dropped the plate she was holding. More theirs than his…
"You know when I was little girl after they told me about you, I was, oh, four at the time. After they told me I always used to jump every time someone rang the doorbell hoping it was you." She put the plate down and leant against a cupboard still holding the tea-towel. "I'd run straight to it and unbolt it and hope it was you. As I got older I got used to the idea that it probably wouldn't be you. They explained that you were still keeping me safe from all the Death Eaters. I never stopped hoping though."
"After all that time?"
"Always." She whispered caught up in another memory and remembered her exact childish thoughts.
Someone knocked on the door. She ran to open it but couldn't reach the chain lock. Sometimes when she stared at it for a moment it opened by itself. If she looked at it hard enough… It moved. Sometimes it didn't but this time it did. Her dad was a powerful wizard and she wanted to be to. Except I'm a witch. I'd be a really powerful witch. That's what I want to be.
I opened the door.
"Oh. Bonjour Monsieur Pierre. Aunt Ruth said I had to answer the door in French today!" she said proudly and thought that she said everything right.
"You did very well." He said. "Where is Madame Ruth?"
"Aunt Ruth!" she shouted into the flat. "Mr. Pierre is here!"
Aunt Ruth came into the room and smiled.
Trixabelle walked back into the lounge. She was sad. She wanted it to be my dad. She always wanted it to be my dad but he never came. He never came. What if he doesn't know where we lived? What if he… doesn't want me?
"Of course he wants you." Uncle John said. "He hasn't come back because not all of Voldemort's helpers have been sent away to Azkaban."
"What's Az'abn?"
"Azkaban is the bed wizards and witches jail."
"Will Dad come here when they all go to Az-k-aban?
"I think so, yes."
"He will. He loves me."
"I know."
They stood in silence for a minute neither one looking at each other, both lost in their own thoughts. Severus was thinking how hard it must have been for her to learn about him at school, by textbooks and homework and not being able to tell anyone that she was his daughter. An unfair life. A cruelty she shouldn't have suffered.
"I'll show you to your room." he said stiffly and swept out of the room.
The bedroom he showed her to was the second largest and looked over the back garden where large trees grew and gave way to a tidy lawn. The trees lined the wall at the end of the garden. In the room itself was a four poster bed against the back wall with a small set of draws to serve as a bedside table. On it was a picture of her and her aunt and uncle with a man dressed as a mouse. Under the window was a desk with quills and ink and on the adjacent wall was a set of draws and a mirror. Shelves, empty at the moment, lined the remaining wall. At the foot of her bed was her trunk with all her things from France that she hadn't as yet been sent over to Hogwarts, but she hadn't noticed it.
"It's great. Thanks, Dad."
"Uncle John did this, not me." there was a trace of regret in his voice as he looked around the pastel blue coloured room.
Something began to rattle in the trunk which brought it to her attention. A smile in her face she opened it.
"My sneakoscope!" she exclaimed and pulled it out.
It was a crude one. Home made almost but it looked to be in good, working order.
"Made it in fifth year when I got bored in charms." She began fiddling with it until it stopped rattling.
Severus looked at her in almost disbelief. Bored in charms?
"He was going about it the long winded way and using really long French words. By that point he was used to me ignoring him so he left me to it."
"You don't do that here I trust."
"No. I don't take Charms." She playfully jibed. "Anyway I was doing the charms whilst I was making this." She turned to the shelves and put it in the middle of the middle shelf. "At least there's enough shelf room for all my stuff."
"You're going to fill all of those shelves?" Severus arched an eyebrow.
"You'd be surprised." Trix said delving back into the trunk and pulled out a small toy broom. "Spent more time hitting pots and pans with this than actually flying it." she placed it on the shelf above the sneakoscope, slightly to the left with a wave of her wand. "And this," she began with a sombre smile, "was banned from the school and got me detentions for a month."
It was a small metal disk that looked innocent enough on first glance, more like a small plate than anything else. In reality it was a spy glass. It trapped a ghost's essence inside it whilst allowing it the freedom of movement around the environment it came from. The ghost, once trapped inside, would have to obey the orders of its master and would face being ripped apart if it refused.
"Wasn't going to use it. I cast the spell on it but never did I trap a ghost in there. I wanted to figure out how to destroy it. Break the connection. My, uh, trouble making history made them believe other wise."
"I would have taken it from you too." Severus said crossly. "This is magic that should not be meddled with, Trixabelle. What if someone else, someone less honourable, managed to take it from you?"
"I wasn't thinking about that at the time." Trix admitted. "I wasn't being challenged in class and got bored and distracted easily. This was something to do."
"Do you have anything else you shouldn't have?"
Trix wasn't listening however. Instead she was looking into her trunk with narrowed, calculating eyes. Her head tilted to the side and then she dug around in the bottom of the trunk and pulled out a glass jar. Inside it was an angry red potion that was spitting and boiling.
"This," she explained, "is an accident that should never have happened. It was an innocent enough concoction of herbs and water but then some twiz decided to cast the fiendfyre spell on it. Do you think it'll work?"
"Perhaps." Severus said pocketing both the potion and the spy glass. "You have books in there I presume."
"Yeah. Lots." She waved her wand and books rose out of the trunk and made their stately way towards the shelves and chose where to sit.
A couple argued for space and knocked others off the shelves. Almost angrily the books picked themselves up off the floor and rose back to their positions. The other two books were still fighting.
"Uncle John did that to some books when I was a child. Amused me for hours. He's done it with every book I've had since and those two have never seemed to get along." She shook her head with a smile and put her hand back in her trunk. It knocked on something large and hollow.
She pulled another trunk out of it and enlarged it. Inside it were clothes and boots. A Beauxbatons uniform. She held it out in front of her for a few short moments before throwing it back in. There were a couple of new items too.
"They've been very good to you." Severus said.
"Yet you did not tell them I almost died." Trix accused.
"They did not need to worry. I knew you would be alright."
"You were worried enough for a while!" She dropped her voice when she heard footsteps on the landing. "Besides they had a right to know. They looked after me for seventeen years!"
Severus's eyes went cold and flat. His hands closed into fists and he had to fight to keep anger out of his voice. "I'm sure you can manage the rest on your own." He strode to the door.
"No, Dad I didn't mean –"
The door slammed closed.
A moment later it opened.
"Are you alright dear?"
"I don't understand him, Aunt Ruth." Trix said to which her aunt smiled and backed out the room closing the door behind her.
The smell of dinner and the sounds of it being dished up were the only things that made either of them emerge from their rooms that night. Trixabelle had been reading a favourite book with her wireless on in the background and Severus looked like he had been marking work if his ink stained hand was anything to go by.
Aunt Ruth and Uncle John chatted happily over the meal and spoke to both Severus and Trixabelle though not a word was passed between the two of them. Their uncle and aunt pretended not to notice, even in the evening when they were both sat in the lounge pointedly ignoring each other. Trix played chess with her Uncle John, Severus marked more work and Aunt Ruth was decorating the room and placing presents under the tree. The wireless was on but no one was really listening to it. It was a replacement to the conversation that was all.
By ten in the evening Trixabelle was in bed.
"Unusual." Aunt Ruth noted. "It's normally impossible to get her to stop guessing what the presents are by now. She's grown up a lot since she left us."
"She hasn't had much choice." Severus said not looking up from the essay he was correcting.
"She normally smiles much more."
"She's worried."
"She normally looks passed it."
"Her friends are in mortal danger."
"She – "
"Enough." Uncle John softly said and closed his hand over Aunt Ruth's.
A while later a muffled scream made them stir. Severus left the room and headed upstairs.
Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review good or bad, I do not mind!
Next time... well I'm not exactly sure as I'm going to change the chapter but Christmas will definitely feature!
Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.