A/N Greetings all! For those who don't follow my Twitter, I had a big personal day yesterday which was why I didn't get a chapter up, but the good news is I still managed to finish the last chapter! 66 chapters, all told. That means it's time to get back to daily weekday updates! Huzzah! Doublecheck the chapters your own so you don't miss anything, and let's get started! ~DQ

Chapter Twelve

Andrew Visits Whitebridge

Andrew stopped long enough to get a guest button from Brenda Johnson and some basic instructions as to where the Items Room was. He wandered through the Assembly Hall that Saturday, too busy looking at the paper in his hand to notice that a number of students and staff had turned to look at him curiously. As he walked towards the Commissary, he noticed a friendly face.

"Gretchen!" he called out. Her hand went to her head, a look of pain crossing her face. "Oh, sorry. Rough night? No, don't tell me. You went to my mother's Coven Night," he concluded, pulling out a hangover remedy.

"Thanks," she said, taking it gratefully. "Oh. Hi, Andrew."

"Hi. I'm here to help Mum with something. Where's her classroom?" he asked.

"This way," Gretchen said, leading him outside. "I wonder if she's even up yet?"

"I'm sure Radiance will wake her up on time," Andrew replied, following Gretchen around the corner to the outside door. Sure enough, it was shut. "Oh well. I can wait," he said with amusement. It was about that time when the two of them noticed a tall girl with a dark pony tail. She was wearing a baseball hat, dark sunglasses, and white bib overalls.

"I'm in pain! Where's Lavender? Oh, he's hot," Kay said all in one breath.

"Taken," Andrew chuckled.

"Of course you are. Pain? Lav?" Kay asked.

"Potion Lab, brewing up remedy," Gretchen told her.

"Good idea. I'll go there," Kay agreed, then seemed to fade as she walked down the garden path.

"I take it she went too," Andrew ventured.

"Definitely," Gretchen said. "Here comes Jennifer."

Andrew looked towards the dorm building, but it took an extra minute before she finally appeared, looking more tired than hungover after already taking a potion before she had come downstairs.

"Oh! Sorry I'm late, Andrew! Gretchen, thanks for keeping him company. Are you all right, Gretchen?" Jennifer asked, squinting a bit at the glaring sun.

"Yes, fine. I drank less than you did, and Andrew gave me a potion," Gretchen explained. "I'm going to go get some coffee."

"Good idea. Thanks again," Jennifer said, getting the door unlocked on the third try. Andrew waved at Gretchen as she walked into the garden and faded away.

"So if she drank less, how much did you drink?" Andrew inquired.

"Oh, mind your own business. There are some questions you don't ask a parent no matter how old you are," Jennifer scowled at him. Andrew smiled in apparent amusement as she reluctantly reached to turn on the lights. "Rogue, are you down here yet?" she asked, and there was a violin reply. She got into her cloak and pulled out a decanter of coffee and a couple of mugs.

"So, show me this book of yours," Andrew said. Jennifer got out the Advanced Item book so that he could start thumbing through it as sipped her coffee. "Well, the Wizard Wireless radio should be easy enough."

"Yes, but that only buys me two or three weeks," Jennifer replied as he flipped through to the next project.

"Wizard Visual Entertainment... a Wizard Telly. I wonder why these never caught on back home?" Andrew asked.

"Well, I know they tried to start a Wizard British Broadcast service once or twice, but after the Wizard Council realized that the Ministry was planning to add a licensing fee for every device owned, they voted it down," Jennifer explained with a shrug.

"Now that you mention it, how does grandfather pay his telly fee, and his electric for that matter?" Andrew asked.

"Same way we pay for ours, more than likely. Gringott's reroutes the bill for a fee," Jennifer explained.

"I see. I bet Grandfather writes it off as a 'security necessity' and gets the Ministry to pay for it," Andrew conjectured with a snort. He flipped the book pages to look at the next project, then he frowned at one of the quotes. Noting the reference number, he went into the back of the book and then laughed.

"What?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"This book actually references my book on Microtransfiguration," Andrew said with amusement. "And quite a number of times, too, from the looks of it! Many of these references are listed on the chapter about building a basic Wizardnet computer, and there are even more references to my book in the chapter about building a handheld wizard phone. I should write to them and ask for a percentage or something."

"Now, Andrew. Educational research should benefit everyone, not only those who are willing to pay a price for it," Jennifer lectured, pouring herself a second cup of coffee.

"Yes, Mother," Andrew replied.

"So I take it that means that you can show me how to get all of those parts to fit in those small cases over there?" Jennifer asked, pointing to one of the Wizardnet kits.

"Easily, Mum. As long as you follow the instructions, everything is set up in a way that nothing conflicts. Let's break out one of those kits and throw one together so I can show you," Andrew offered.

The two of them worked on it for several hours and then walked to Quickbrooms for lunch, giving Jennifer an opportunity to show off her newly acquired skills at ordering food. She even paid by tapping a card next to a magic box without even having to touch anything other than the plastic number they gave her to put on the table.

"There's also a not so secret secret menu, and you don't use numbers to order that," Jennifer explained.

"Why do they call it a secret menu if it's not so secret?" Andrew asked.

"It's this thing they do here where they don't put everything on the menu, despite the fact that they can make it for you," Jennifer replied.

"Then how do you know it's there to order it in the first place?" Andrew asked.

"A friend tells you," Jennifer explained.

"Okay, but how did the first person to order off the secret menu know they had a secret menu?" Andrew inquired.

"Oh. I have no idea," Jennifer admitted, and Andrew grinned with amusement as they sat down at a booth and Jennifer helpfully rolled down the blinds. Andrew felt his chain go off and looked around curiously with a frown, the sensation faded when two wizards sitting with Wizardnet devices and a pizza between them turned their attention back to their screens.

"Any idea who those two are over there?" Andrew asked, and Jennifer glanced behind her.

"Yes, the one with the dark hair and blue jeans is Frank Byrd, he's the Wizardnet teacher, so he's in my department. The other one I don't know so well; he's with the Healer's School," Jennifer asked.

"They were watching us when we got settled," Andrew explained.

"I suppose that's understandable. They were probably curious to who you are, Andrew," Jennifer said.

"If it was only that they were curious, then why did the chain go off? I'm wearing the improved Snoop Chain that Alex got me for Christmas," Andrew said. "It doesn't usually go off just because someone's curious."

"Well, perhaps it was someone else. Is it still going off?" Jennifer asked.

"No," Andrew admitted.

"Maybe you're just uncomfortable about being in a new place and imagined it," Jennifer suggested. "I know I certainly was uncomfortable the first time I came in here, even with a friend with me."

Andrew sighed and turned his attention back to her.

"Does it take very long to get served around here?" he asked.

"No, not really. Do you want me to get you some more iced tea?" Jennifer asked.

"I got it," Andrew said, getting up and going over to the ice machine, making a point to pass close by the two wizards' table.

But as he came nearer, first one then the other closed their devices and started in on the pizza and debated school Quidditch teams, discussing who was in what quarter to try and figure out what the strongest team was going to be that year. Once Andrew got his drink and passed by them again, he got the same sensation from his chain that he was being watched. It faded as he got to his seat, and he was distracted by the fact that the food had arrived while he was gone.

"Do you think that's her husband?" Frank murmured to Asher.

"I'm not sure. It's the wrong hair color," Asher explained, pulling out a Chocolate Frog card and showing it to him. "Of course, he could have changed it."

"True, but now that I look at the card, I think this guy is just a bit better looking, not that it's saying much," Frank decided. "Maybe it's his younger brother."

"That makes sense," Asher agreed. "I really haven't seen much on the Wizardnet about who his family is. It's a shame that their government doesn't put public records on a site anywhere. How is anyone to find out basic information on people if they don't put public records on the Wizardnet?"

"I know! They're so behind the times. Why not put their public records up so everyone can see them?" Frank complained.

"It'd definitely make life a lot easier if they did. We'd be halfway done with this dossier by now," Asher agreed.

Later that afternoon, Frank was walking from the lab on his way to his personal rooms when he happened to notice the door to Jennifer's classroom was open and looked in curiously. Seeing that Jennifer and the other man were just finishing up on the Witchboard of a Wizardnet device, he couldn't help but step inside. He knocked to let them know he was there, but watched from a distance.

"Hi, Jennifer. Are you putting one of the kits together?" Frank asked curiously.

"Yes, actually," Jennifer replied sheepishly. "My son was just helping me make certain that I had all of this down before I have to teach it, but it really isn't been as bad as I thought it would be."

"He's your son?" Frank asked, staring at him in surprise. "He looks older than you."

"The nose doesn't help," Andrew shrugged.

"Frank, this is Andrew Snape, he teaches Transfiguration at Hogwarts," Jennifer introduced.

"You wrote Practical Application for Microtransfiguration?" Frank gawked, even more shocked than he was before.

"I did," Andrew confirmed.

"Wow, that's incredible! Can I shake your hand? What are you still doing teaching? We'd still be in the dark ages of computing if it hadn't been some of your work. I would have thought that you'd be off living on your own private island somewhere or something..." Frank said, shaking his hand despite Andrew's critical gaze.

"You see, Mother?" Andrew said to her.

"Don't start," Jennifer scolded with a warning smile.

"Seriously, though, teaching has always been my passion, and my family prefers to pass on our work in ways that everyone can benefit from it," Andrew explained.

"That's quite altruistic... and a bit of a shame in a way... but very noble," Frank decided.

"My mother was telling me earlier that you two work together sometimes," Andrew said.

"Oh, yes. The three of us... your mother, Luke Miller, and I, will be working together to help students with their projects for the Items and Industry Fair in February."

"I see. Well, make sure you keep it professional. And while you're at it, keep your distance from my mother, or I'll give you a lesson in microtransfiguration that I guarantee you'll never forget," Andrew warned coldly.

"Andrew!" Jennifer said with surprise.

"Of course it's professional. There's absolutely no call for threatening me," Frank replied. But Andrew didn't miss the fact that he was also backing up.

"Snapes don't threaten, and we only give one warning," Andrew informed him.

"Andrew," Jennifer said firmly, putting a hand on his arm.

"I believe your son has the wrong idea about me, Jennifer," Frank replied.

"Do I?" Andrew replied dubiously.

"So, I think I'll just go and check in some other time," Frank decided.

"And she'd better not be alone any of those times either," Andrew added icily.

"Andrew," Jennifer said again. "My goodness, you sound just like your father right now." Andrew waited until Frank dove around the corner before he finally turned to look at her.

"Do you think so?" Andrew replied. "I think he'd have already flattened him. Rogue, do me a favor and let me know if he doesn't keep things respectable. You know as well as I do what will happen if Father had to come over here to deal with it."

"Andrew, you are completely overreacting! I can very well take care of myself," Jennifer said with exasperation.

"Did you notice how he was looking at you?" Andrew asked her evenly.

"He was avoiding my gaze, surely that was obvious. Most people have been doing that lately, since it's gotten around campus that I'm a Truth Seeker," Jennifer explained.

"It wasn't that he was avoiding your gaze that was a problem so much as what he was looking at," Andrew said. "I don't trust him, and I'm sure the chain wasn't going off because he was being innocent."

"Andrew, you're being overprotective and highly chauvinistic," Jennifer snapped, closing the door. Andrew blinked.

"I'm what?" Andrew asked.

"You seem to be under the impression that I can't take care of myself! I did everything from face a werewolf in Salazar's Tomb to defeat the Fomorians before you were even born, and that's not even counting all of the times I've had to pull you out of messes since you've been alive. I asked you here to help me with your specialty, not to belittle me with your patriarchal 'Wizards are the protectors' bull. It's that sort of attitude that caused me to be marooned so far away from my home and my family in the first place. Don't get on Frank because of his sexist attitude! You don't have the right, considering your track record has done nothing but prove that you are by far the most sexist member of this entire family. Stop being so self-righteous when all you've done is threaten someone whose only offense is that he reminds you a little too much of how you used to be. Now, get out of my sight! I'll just read your book and figure it out on my own," Jennifer said, storming over to her desk.

Andrew took his book out of his pocket and left it on one of the tables before walking out of the room, closing the door behind himself. Jennifer sat down at her desk and seethed for a moment, then she saw the mirror.

"Get me Severus," she ordered. She waited for the mirror to fog over and his image to appear, and he distractedly asked what she wanted. "Even if we don't accomplish anything else from this blasted year, let's at least make sure that Quintin doesn't get raised to be as sexist as the rest of them!" she snapped, breaking contact and placing the mirror face down. She sat down and fumed for quite some time. Finally, she felt that it was contained enough that she could wander around the garden to cool off.

Severus stared at the School Mirror, more than a little baffled by what had just happened.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Severus asked Armando, who simply shrugged. Severus picked up the card of himself. "Ask the Rogue if he knows why Jennifer is upset," he suggested, putting the card back down. "Didn't Andrew go visit her for the day?"

"Yes, Severus. He has just arrived on school grounds," Armando replied.

"That is suspicious timing..." Severus said, then noticed the Rogue standing in the Jennifer Craw painting. "So, what happened?" he asked, watching the painting sign carefully. It was only halfway through the Rogue's response when he decided to pull the knob, letting the Rogue finish his recount even after Andrew knocked. "I understand. Why don't you two make yourselves scarce for a few minutes? I'll discuss it with you once I've spoken with him."

The Rogue nodded solemnly. The Jennifer portrait was too happy about the suggestion that the two of them make themselves scarce to really care what the reason was, holding onto the Rogue's arm as he stepped out of the frame. Severus waved the doors open, and Andrew shuffled in with his hands in his pockets and an annoyed expression on his face.

"You know, you could just tell me you want to see me instead of forcing me to go somewhere I had no intention of going," Andrew said critically.

"There's a Doorlift just there. I'm sure if you go out of it enough times, eventually it'll lead you somewhere else other than that landing," Severus replied.

"How many times exactly? That way I can count them and know when I'm getting closer," Andrew replied crisply.

"Might I inquire just where this sudden hostility is coming from?" Severus asked.

"Sorry," Andrew said curtly, but didn't offer any sort of explanation. "What did you want?"

"Well, since your mother decided that she wasn't going to have time to meet with Quintin and myself this weekend, I was wondering how she was doing," Severus explained calmly. "So, how is she?"

"Impossible," Andrew replied bluntly.

"Oh. Welcome to my world," Severus said with a shrug.

"All I was doing was putting this other teacher in his place when she went and turned on me about it..."

"I'm sorry, Andrew, back up a moment. How is it your responsibility to put another teacher 'in his place' when you were at Whitebridge as a visitor?" Severus inquired.

"You should have seen how he was looking at her..." Andrew began.

"He was probably looking at her in the same way the majority of men on the planet look at her any time she walks into the room," Severus interrupted. "If I started confronting every man who looked at her like that, I would have very little time to do anything else. Your mother may not typically recognize a man's intentions when they are attempting to flirt with her, but I guarantee you that she is quite aware as to whether they think she's comely or not. In fact, she rather enjoys it." Andrew blinked.

"What?" Andrew said, a little confused about the distinction he was trying to make.

"Haven't you ever noticed how Radiance appreciates positive attention no matter who gives it to her? A familiar reflects the personality of her owner, you know. And all you have to do is spend one afternoon with her dress shopping to know what a vain creature your mother is. It is greatly accentuated by the fact that she is beautiful, has enough Elixir in her to keep her looking young for very long time, and has a doting husband that really doesn't mind that particular character flaw, no matter how exasperating it can be at times," he admitted with a shrug. "She is also one of the most powerful witches alive and can protect herself if she needs to."

"Assuming there isn't someone else she's trying to protect, that is," Andrew pointed out. "Most of the times when she's nearly died, it was because she was trying to protect someone else."

"Then it's a good thing all of us are out of her way for a while, isn't it?" Severus said curtly. "Tell me, Andrew, exactly why is it that you don't trust her?"

"It's not her I don't trust," Andrew snapped, his expression dark. "It's men like me."

"Oh. Then I suppose it really has very little to do with her at all," Severus decided. Glowering at him, Andrew stormed out of the study. "Armando, please send a note to Conner warning him that Andrew is likely to be quite difficult this week."

"Yes, Severus," Armando said. Severus then propped his chin up with his hand, staring blankly into the quiet room before finally giving up and going to bed early.

Jennifer walked around the gardens for quite some time before she found herself in front of the Wizardnet Lab. She stepped in, and a conversation between Frank and two of his friends ended abruptly when they noticed her. Asher quickly found a seat and turned his attention to the device in front of him, while Raymond stared at her warily. Apparently Raymond was more than a little concerned about having such a powerful Dark Witch teaching at the school, and Frank was feeling quite guilty after telling his friends about what had happened earlier. Jennifer sighed.

"I came to apologize for my son's behavior, Frank. I think he was just being overprotective in my husband's absence and took it a little too far," Jennifer explained.

"Oh," Frank said in complete surprise. "No problem," he said, then finally recovered. "Let me know if you need help figuring out that project you were testing."

"I think I'll be fine, but thank you," Jennifer assured him with a smile, and then turned to leave.

"Ms. Craw," Raymond said, and she turned to him thoughtfully. "Wind wants me to invite you to speak to my Defense classes. Would Friday be all right? I'm sure I can find you a substitute."

"Sure, as long as nothing comes up before then," Jennifer agreed with a smile. "See you later."

"Later," Frank said, the three of them watching her go. Then he turned to the others. "What could possibly come up before then?" he wondered. The other two shrugged.