Disclaimer: Still only borrowing the characters
Kings Cross
The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for Severus's liking. He was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but he had enjoyed having the girls all to himself, without the twittering idiots they called friends, wrestling for their attention.
The girls' four trunks were sitting next to the front door yet again giving Severus a sense of Déjà vu, all identical minus the nameplates Severus placed his identical trunk next to the girls at the door and went to grab a quick breakfast.
'All right in the car!' Mr Evans called shuffling them all out to the front door.
Severus helped Mr Evans load up everyone's trunks into the boot of the van and hopped into the far back seats joining Rose and Tansy who had saved him a seat. Holding onto Butterscotch's carry basket and the owl cage with E.B.O and Edelweiss happily nestled next to each other, Petunia and Lily gingerly climbed into the middle seats of the van trying not to jostle the animals.
They reached King's Cross at half-past ten, loading the trunks onto a cart they wheeled their luggage into the station.
Severus had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.
'Petunia first,' said Mrs Evans since they had plenty of time to disappear casually through the barrier.
'Ok Mother' Petunia said, marching briskly towards platforms nine and ten and vanishing from sight.
Mr Evans went next with Rose who had Butterscotch's carry basket on top of her trunk they jogged towards the barrier disappearing before Severus' eyes.
'You two go ahead and I'll follow with Tansy.' Mrs Evans said standing with Tansy who had E.B.O and Edelweiss in the owl cage atop her trunk.
'Let's go together' said Lily bouncing excitedly behind her trolley
'Alright,' Severus said, wheeling his trolley around to face the barrier. He felt slightly more confident staring down the brick wall than last year. Both Severus and Lily bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and – there it was Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
A scarlet steam engine puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train. A sign overhead said Hogwarts' Express, eleven o'clock.
Severus and Lily gathered around Mr Evans, Rose and Petunia with Mrs Evans and Tansy suddenly appearing on the platform.
The first carriage on the train had a sign on the door saying: Reserved for Prefects and the Head Boy and Girl.
The second carriage was filled with older-looking students. They were there talking to friends, some were hanging out the windows to talk to their families, some fighting over seats.
They pushed their trollies off down the platform towards the fourth carriage, where an empty compartment was quickly found at the end. With Mr Evans help, all five trunks were packed away neatly under the seats of the compartment. The owl cage with E.B.O and Edelweiss and the carry basket with Butterscotch safety stored atop the delicate-looking luggage rack above the seats, then Severus and the girls went back outside to say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Evans.
Mr and Mrs Evans kissed all their children and then Mrs Evans shocked Severus when she also gave him a kiss on his cheek.
'Do take care, won't you Severus' Mrs Evans said pulling him in for a hug, when she straightened up, her eyes were shimmering. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said 'I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are Petunia, this one is yours Severus dear, Lily here you go and Rose, Tansy make sure you go to your sisters or Severus for help if you need it.'
Mrs Evans sniffled loudly and looked like she was about to cry but at that moment the whistle blew, loud and sharp. Mrs Evans shook herself off and chivvied them toward the train doors. Severus and the girls climbed on board the train.
'Thank you for letting me stay with you this summer Mr and Mrs Evans' Severus said as he leaned out of the train window to talk to them.
'Oh, it was our pleasure dear' Mrs Evans said leaning into her husband's embrace. 'Feel free to come back and stay for Christmas.'
'Thank you, Mrs Evans, I would love to.' Severus said as the pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.
'Goodbye' Mr and Mrs Evans called waving as the train sped away from them, Severus and the girls watched them make their way off the platform before the train had rounded the corner. Severus and the girls went back to their compartment.
'I can't believe it, we are finally off to Hogwarts!' Tansy said beaming in delight
'I know I can hardly wait' Rose said excitedly
They were just getting comfortable on the compartment floor to play a game of cards when the compartment door slid open and a breathless girl wearing a Hufflepuff uniform stepped inside.
'I'm supposed to deliver these to Petunia and Lily Evans and Severus Snape,' she said in a timid voice. She was holding out three scrolls of parchment tied with violet ribbon.
'Thank you.' Petunia said, taking her scroll of parchment.
Perplexed, Severus and Lily took the scroll addressed to each of them and the girl left the compartment.
'What is it?' Tansy asked as Severus unrolled his parchment
'An invitation,' said Severus reading his aloud
Severus,
I would be delighted if you would join me for morning tea in compartment C.
Sincerely, Professor H.E.F. Slughorn
'Who's Professor Slughorn?' Rose asked curiously, looking at Lily's invitation.
'He is our Potions teacher' Petunia said 'He invites students with talent or influence in their Second-year and over to his Slug Club'
'Oh, what fun!' Lily said 'Rose, Tansy we will try to be back by lunch!'
Severus didn't like the idea of leaving the two younger girls to fend for themselves especially when bullies like Potter and Black were bound to be swaggering around somewhere. Severus Petunia and Lily walked down the train with Severus wanting nothing more than to be back in the compartment with Rose and Tansy, especially since students would every now and then hurl themselves out of their compartments yelling and hollering at the top of their lungs. Severus could barely restrain a sneer when Potter and his gang tried to stop them from continuing up the train.
'Well, well, well look who it is' said Potter in his usual lazy drawl. 'Good old Snivelly and two little flowers he's corrupted.'
'Shut your mouth' Lily said angrily
'Aw Lily flower I'm hurt really I am' Potter said in a fake hurt voice clutching at his chest like his heart was broken
'Why don't you two chicks ditch the cheese-eater and come back to our compartment to chill with four of the grooviest dudes in Hogwarts' Black said
'Erg your disgusting Black!' Petunia said, looking down her nose at the two boys. ``We are having morning tea with Professor Slughorn and I for one do not want to be late.'
'Whatever, flower petal you could easily blow off old Sluggy, from what my older cousins say all he does is chat about famous people he knows, Nothing but a total drag.'
'You're still in our way' Severus said
Black and Potter bowed mockingly out of the way
'Check you later, Snivellus' Potter called back nastily as the two boys burst into laughter.
When they reached compartment C, they saw at once that they were not Slughorn's only invitees.
'Welcome, welcome!' Said Slughorn, jumping up at the sight of him so that his great velvet-covered belly seemed to fill all the remaining space in the compartment. His shiny bald head and great reddish moustache gleamed as brightly in the sunlight as the golden buttons on his waistcoat. "Good to see you, Severus, and you must be Petunia's sister Lily!'
Lily nodded, beaming one of her brightest smiles at a gesture from Slughorn, they sat down next to each other. Severus glanced around at their fellow guests.
He recognized his fellow Slytherins Lucius Malfoy who was now a Seventh-year, Narcissa Black who was now wearing a huge diamond ring on her ring finger and his fellow Second-year, Princess Amara Zambini. He of course already knew Petunia and Lily but there were also two other boys Severus did not know.
'Now, do you know everyone?' Slughorn asked Lily and Severus 'Princess Amara Zabini is in your year, of course-'
Zabini inclined her head to Severus but refused to acknowledge both Petunia and Lily.
'This is Sturgis Podmore, perhaps you've come across each other-? No?'
Podmore, a large, wiry-haired youth, raised a hand
'This is Nickolas Bennett, I don't know whether you know him?' Slughorn asked hopefully but seemed disappointed with the negative responses.
Bennett, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile.
'Severus surely you would know your fellow Slytherins Lucius Malfoy and his lovely new betrothed Narcissa Black?' Slughorn asked quite confident now
Narcissa sniffed snobbishly from behind Slughorn's back while Lucius leaned regally beside her in his seat.
'Well now, this is most pleasant' said Slughorn cosily. 'A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I've packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on Liquorice Wands, and a poor old man's digestive system isn't quite up to such things. Would you like some Pheasant, Bennett?'
Bennet startled and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant.
'I was just telling young Sturgis here that I had the pleasure of teaching his father Bryson Podmore.' Slughorn explained to Petunia, Severus and Lily, now passing around a basket of rolls to everyone.
'Outstanding wizard, outstanding, is he still the head of the Department of Magical Transportation?'
Unfortunately, Podmore had just taken a large mouthful of pheasant; in his haste to answer Slughorn, he swallowed too fast, turned purple, and began to choke.
'Anapneo' said Slughorn calmly, pointing his wand at Podmore, whose airway seemed to clear at once.
'Yes, he is quite busy' gasped Podmore, his eyes streaming.
'Well, of course, I dare say he's busy,' said Slughorn, looking worriedly at Podmore.
Slughorn turned to Nickolas Bennett instead.
'Now, you, Nickolas,' said Slughorn. 'One of Aurora Sinistra's most gifted students. Now tell me, is there any more talent in your family?'
'My little sister who is starting Hogwarts this year ...'
It was as Severus had suspected. Everyone here seemed to have been invited because they were extremely gifted or connected to somebody well-known or influential... everyone except himself as far as he knew
Zabini, who was interrogated after Bennett, was of course a Princess. Slughorn hung onto her every word as she spun the tale of having to leave her Italian homeland for the safety of her British cousin's country.
'Oh, you poor dear,' Slughorn said, patting Amara Zambini on the hand. 'Here you go dear have a cup of tea'
'Now Narcissa, I, of course, taught your sister Bellatrix and Andromeda; it's such a shame your cousin Sirius ended up in Gryffindor.'
'Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion have made their peace with his sorting, his younger brother Regulus is quite eager to join Slytherin house. Did you know Aunt Walburga and Uncle Orion or my parents Cygnus and Druella Black née Rosier? they have mentioned you quite fondly,' Narcissa's soft lilting voice was even, measured and precise if it wasn't for a slight narrowing of her eyes when Slughorn mentioned her sister and cousin, you would never know she disliked Andromeda and Sirius.
'Of course, of course, I taught parents along with you Aunt and Uncle when they were in Hogwarts it was such a delight watching their budding romances and now I see you following along in their footsteps' Slughorn said gesturing to the massive ring on her finger.
Severus missed most of Narcissa's gushing about how Romantic it was when Lucius proposed to her because he was trying to figure out what it was about crystallised carbon that all women seemed to love although he supposed it had something to do with Diamonds being the hardest known natural material and also extremely rare.
'And next, we have Severus here …..' Slughorn's voice boomed and Severus quickly paid attention to what Slughorn was saying 'My very own prodigy of Potions! Your mother Eileen Prince was a fairly talented brewer as well but I don't think she ever got to the point of being able to re-write and experiment with potions.' Seething internally at Slughorn's blatant sucking up, Severus tried to deflect the attention away from himself.
'My mother taught me quite a fair bit of potion knowledge from the moment I showed my first sign of Magic. And when I became friends with Petunia and Lily here I taught them what I know as well as their two younger sisters, with their determination, I'm sure they can all be just as talented as I am.'
'So modest, so modest. One would think that you would want to shout your talent from the parapet of the castle. But I suppose modesty and hard work does count for something.' said Slughorn, watching Severus closely
Severus made sure his face was blank as his blood boiled in anger, Slughorn wouldn't know modesty and hard work if it bit him on his enormous fat belly.
'If Severus did shout his talent from the parapet of the castle a lot of students could very easily accuse him of bragging' Petunia said coming to his rescue and it was one of the first times he ever wanted to hug her in relief.
'That is very true my dear. Slughorn said 'So was it true that he taught both you and Lily as well?' Slughorn looked with great interest, from Petunia and Lily.
'Us and our two younger sisters. We have made up a study group and the person who is best at a subject helps out the others.' Petunia explained
'I've lost count of the number of times Minerva has raved about your prowess in Transfiguration. I take it that is the subject you help out with?'
Slughorn's blatant disregard of unknown first years was really making it hard for Severus to force himself to stay
'-and Filius Flitwick has plenty of good things to say about your charms Miss Evans' Slughorn said beaming at Lily 'and I dare say your quite a dab hand at Potions'
'And now,' said Slughorn, shifting massively in his seat with the air of a compere introducing his star act. 'Lucius Malfoy! Where to begin?' I of course taught your father Abraxas Malfoy so sorry to hear about the passing of your mother Aphrodite' Slughorn meandered off into a long-winded reminiscence of Lucius' mother.
The morning wore on with more anecdotes about illustrious wizards Slughorn had taught, all of whom had been delighted to join what he called the "Slug Club" at Hogwarts. Severus could not wait to leave, but couldn't see how to do so politely. Finally, the train emerged from yet another long misty stretch to the sun beaming down on a grand lake Slughorn looked around, blinking in the bright sunlight.
``Good gracious, it must be getting close to lunchtime!' Slughorn said pulling out a pocket watch 'I never meant to keep you from your friends for this long. But you know what they say time flies when you're having fun or in Latin, Tempus fugit cum ludis. Well, off you go, off you go!' Slughorn shooed them from his compartment.
Walking back down the train Severus could finally try to calm himself down, clearing his mind and letting his anger leach out of him. While blowing up in anger at a teacher may not lead to a bloody face as it had done in the past with his father, it could lead to detention and loss of time to experiment with his potions.
By the time Severus, Petunia and Lily made it back to their compartment Severus was feeling calm once again.
'Do you know much about Hogsmeade Severus?' Petunia asked keenly once they had sat back down in their compartment. 'I've read, it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain -'
'Yes, it is,' Severus answered. Thinking that this would be a good way of repaying Petunia's kindness Severus explained further 'I read in Sites of Historical Sorcery, that the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack which I haven't heard of before is supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain.'
'When you go this year you'll have to tell us all about it Tuney' Lily said excitedly 'Mum and Daddy did sign your permission form didn't they?'
'Oh course' Petunia said primly.
Around half-past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, 'Anything off the cart, dears?'
'How about we get a little treat after we have our Sandwiches since the twins haven't really had many of the Wizarding sweets?' Lily asked
'Alright, but not too many,' Petunia said, passing over some pocket money to Lily. Then she and Severus went over to the trolley lady
'Can we please get one box of Berty Botts, five Cauldron Cakes and five Liquorice Wands, please?' Lily asked sweetly
Berty Botts: 1 Sickle a box
Cauldron Cakes: 1 Knut each
Liquorice Wands: 2 Knuts each
'That will be 1 Sickle and 15 Knuts, please' the trolley lady said
Lily happily handed over the money and carried the sweets back into the compartment Severus dug around in his money bag
'Here this should cover my share' Severus said handing Lily 9 Knuts
They had a good time eating the sandwiches and the sweets and spent the rest of the afternoon lolling about the compartment playing cards as the neat countryside past the window was replaced with woods, twisting rivers, and dark green hills.
\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/
Would anyone like to take a guess at what house/s the Twins end up in?