**Hello and welcome to chapter 3!! This chapter is odd; it is really just
an introduction to Severus's massive family. I know he may seem out of
character a bit with the smiling, but hey, he hasn't seen these people in
years! Please remember to r/r!!**
He tapped on the door a lot harder than he intended. Stella, whose hair was once jet black like his own, but now turning gray, answered the door. She looked at him a moment, then lunged at him.
"Severus!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him. He just stood there in her embrace, not bothering to return it. "Come in! Come in! I haven't seen you in so long!" She was built a lot like Severus, tall and skinny. She had cut her hair since the last time he saw her. Once it was near her waist, but now rest on her shoulders. He also noticed she looked a lot younger than she really was. He did the quick math in his head and added her to be nearly 58 now. She was pushing him down into a chair and still fretting over him. "You're so pale! Are you feeling all right? Are you eating well? Your so skinny and sick-looking!" Severus rolled his eyes.
"I'm fine, Stella, really. How are you doing?" Severus asked. Stella sighed.
"Oh, same old, same old." She said, sitting down in a chair opposite him. Severus looked around.
"Where is Vector?" He asked. Vector was Stella's husband. They married against Mr. Snape's wishes when Severus was five years of age. Stella's father didn't like Vector because he wasn't of a "pure family". By that, he meant that Vector's family wasn't full of Dark Wizards. Vector was a muggle- lover, that was actually the way they met; both were studying muggles at a wizarding college.
"Oh, he's around here somewhere." She said, leaning foreword to grasp Severus's hand. "It really is wonderful to see you again.I've worried about you so much!" She smiled at him. Severus just looked at her, unable to smile. He didn't see why they still even put up with him. He had gone completely against their wishes to be a Death Eater. But he didn't want to think about that now. They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and turned to see Vector.
"Severus, I could recognize you a mile away! You still look the same, paler, but the same." He strode forward and Severus stood to shake his hand. It was obvious Vector still feared Severus. He was absolutely frightened of him all those years ago when Severus was "one of them", and it still hadn't worn off. Vector was a small man with a lack of his once fine blond hair showing. He had small hazel eyes and a kind face. He sat down beside his wife and talked to Severus for a while. They informed him that they were 3 times grandparents. Severus knew that their daughter Aimee had two children, but was unaware of her third. He and Aimee were close in their younger days; Severus was only 7 years older than she was. But when Severus became in lead with the Death Eaters, his sisters no longer associated with him and he hadn't really seen Aimee since. Aimee was the only one of Severus's sisters' children to attend Hogwarts. They felt it unsafe since many of the death eaters were now supposedly coming from Hogwarts. He had secretly hoped that Aimee and her family would be at their mother and father's house so that he might see her again and them for the first time.
"We're supposed to meet at Sabrina's house for a family get together. We're so happy to have you home, Severus. Even your nieces and nephews are coming to see you. And they're bringing your great-nieces and great-nephew too." Stella smiled, looking at Severus's face for a sign of happiness. Severus actually permitted himself to smile a little at this news. It would be refreshing to see his family all together again.
Later, they walked to Sabrina's house, which was quite obviously the largest house of his three sisters. They walked in to find the house full of people, some Severus recognized and others he didn't. They all got into a line to be introduced to this uncle that no one remembered. He picked out Aimee easily at the front of the line. She looked exactly like Stella when she was younger.
"Severus." She said simply and hugged him briefly. He didn't smile, but the look of happiness was apparent in his eyes. The family who raised him, then shunned him, was now accepting him again and it felt wonderful. "This is my husband Eric." Severus glanced at Eric and saw that he was a rather short man compared to himself and had a shaved head. He looked a little frightened of Severus, but kind nonetheless. "And these are our children: Gloria, Maggie, and Charles." Gloria looked about 7 or 8 and had short brown hair and looked a lot like her father. Maggie, 4, and Charles, barely old enough to stand, looked like their mother and grandmother.
Severus then continued in the line and reached his sister Sylvia. She had dyed her hair, apparently tired of the way her original black hair showed gray. It was now the color of deep auburn. She looked a lot older than her age of 51. She looked as if she was in pain to see him again. He felt a small pang of guilt as she hugged him. Her husband, Trevor, reminded Severus a lot of Professor Quirrell. He was a very nervous bloke, always had been. Together they had four children. He hadn't seen them since they were in their early teens. Zeke, the oldest was married to a woman named Melinda and they had a child named Lindsay. The next child was Garon who was married to a woman named Tammy and they were expecting their first child in 4 months. Sylvia's first girl was named Liah and was married to man named Phil. And their last child was Ashli, who stood there alone and Severus assumed she had no significant other.
By the time Severus reached Sabrina, he was smiling more than he had in 20 years.
"Rina!" He said when he saw her. She was exactly how he remembered her: young, full of life, and with the brightest silver-blond hair he had ever seen. She didn't speak, but hugged him by far the longest. She pulled back, her face covered in tears. "Why are earth are you crying Rina?" He asked. She wiped a tear from her cheek and said quietly,
"No one has called me Rina in 17 years." She stopped crying to introduce her family. Severus remembered her husband, Roosevelt; he was an Auror when Severus was a death eater. That was how his family found out about his loyalty to the dark lord. It wasn't that Severus didn't like Roosevelt, but they had shared a lot of difficult conversations in the past and it was hard to forget them. They put their differences aside and shook hands. Sabrina and Roosevelt had twin 10 year olds named Reese and Anne. Severus just looked at Reese and instantly liked him. Severus's sisters all looked like their mother, while no one quite knew where Sabrina's odd hair color came from. Reese had the face of Severus's sisters, but an odd color of hair as well. It was a mix of blond and black. It was puzzling, but there was one thing you knew as soon as you laid eyes on the boy, he was special. Severus couldn't put his finger on it, but the boy had something about him, he was powerful.
They all sat down and ate a large dinner, talking and laughing happily. Severus was sad to see the night end, but he knew it would come. He bade goodbye to all of his nieces and nephews and went back home with Stella and Vector.
A month later, Severus was saying goodbye to his sisters and their families. It was time to return to his job at Hogwarts. He hugged them all goodbye and asked them to keep in touch. He had decided against taking the train like last time. He dipped his hand into the pot, which the Floo Powder was held, and threw it into the fire. He stepped in and with one final goodbye to everyone said very clearly, "Professor Snape's Chambers, Dungeon of Hogwarts." He flew through the system of fireplaces and stumbled into his familiar bedroom. He looked around and saw everything was how it was supposed to be. "Home." He said thoughtfully.
**And there ya have it, Sevie's family! That chapter was really for my own purposes; I needed to figure out the extent of his family.I didn't really want to elaborate on the entire visit.that may come in another story. Anywhoo, next chapter, a visit from Albus! Thanks to Mary and QuizzicalSphinx for reviewing, you guys are so kind!**
He tapped on the door a lot harder than he intended. Stella, whose hair was once jet black like his own, but now turning gray, answered the door. She looked at him a moment, then lunged at him.
"Severus!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him. He just stood there in her embrace, not bothering to return it. "Come in! Come in! I haven't seen you in so long!" She was built a lot like Severus, tall and skinny. She had cut her hair since the last time he saw her. Once it was near her waist, but now rest on her shoulders. He also noticed she looked a lot younger than she really was. He did the quick math in his head and added her to be nearly 58 now. She was pushing him down into a chair and still fretting over him. "You're so pale! Are you feeling all right? Are you eating well? Your so skinny and sick-looking!" Severus rolled his eyes.
"I'm fine, Stella, really. How are you doing?" Severus asked. Stella sighed.
"Oh, same old, same old." She said, sitting down in a chair opposite him. Severus looked around.
"Where is Vector?" He asked. Vector was Stella's husband. They married against Mr. Snape's wishes when Severus was five years of age. Stella's father didn't like Vector because he wasn't of a "pure family". By that, he meant that Vector's family wasn't full of Dark Wizards. Vector was a muggle- lover, that was actually the way they met; both were studying muggles at a wizarding college.
"Oh, he's around here somewhere." She said, leaning foreword to grasp Severus's hand. "It really is wonderful to see you again.I've worried about you so much!" She smiled at him. Severus just looked at her, unable to smile. He didn't see why they still even put up with him. He had gone completely against their wishes to be a Death Eater. But he didn't want to think about that now. They heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and turned to see Vector.
"Severus, I could recognize you a mile away! You still look the same, paler, but the same." He strode forward and Severus stood to shake his hand. It was obvious Vector still feared Severus. He was absolutely frightened of him all those years ago when Severus was "one of them", and it still hadn't worn off. Vector was a small man with a lack of his once fine blond hair showing. He had small hazel eyes and a kind face. He sat down beside his wife and talked to Severus for a while. They informed him that they were 3 times grandparents. Severus knew that their daughter Aimee had two children, but was unaware of her third. He and Aimee were close in their younger days; Severus was only 7 years older than she was. But when Severus became in lead with the Death Eaters, his sisters no longer associated with him and he hadn't really seen Aimee since. Aimee was the only one of Severus's sisters' children to attend Hogwarts. They felt it unsafe since many of the death eaters were now supposedly coming from Hogwarts. He had secretly hoped that Aimee and her family would be at their mother and father's house so that he might see her again and them for the first time.
"We're supposed to meet at Sabrina's house for a family get together. We're so happy to have you home, Severus. Even your nieces and nephews are coming to see you. And they're bringing your great-nieces and great-nephew too." Stella smiled, looking at Severus's face for a sign of happiness. Severus actually permitted himself to smile a little at this news. It would be refreshing to see his family all together again.
Later, they walked to Sabrina's house, which was quite obviously the largest house of his three sisters. They walked in to find the house full of people, some Severus recognized and others he didn't. They all got into a line to be introduced to this uncle that no one remembered. He picked out Aimee easily at the front of the line. She looked exactly like Stella when she was younger.
"Severus." She said simply and hugged him briefly. He didn't smile, but the look of happiness was apparent in his eyes. The family who raised him, then shunned him, was now accepting him again and it felt wonderful. "This is my husband Eric." Severus glanced at Eric and saw that he was a rather short man compared to himself and had a shaved head. He looked a little frightened of Severus, but kind nonetheless. "And these are our children: Gloria, Maggie, and Charles." Gloria looked about 7 or 8 and had short brown hair and looked a lot like her father. Maggie, 4, and Charles, barely old enough to stand, looked like their mother and grandmother.
Severus then continued in the line and reached his sister Sylvia. She had dyed her hair, apparently tired of the way her original black hair showed gray. It was now the color of deep auburn. She looked a lot older than her age of 51. She looked as if she was in pain to see him again. He felt a small pang of guilt as she hugged him. Her husband, Trevor, reminded Severus a lot of Professor Quirrell. He was a very nervous bloke, always had been. Together they had four children. He hadn't seen them since they were in their early teens. Zeke, the oldest was married to a woman named Melinda and they had a child named Lindsay. The next child was Garon who was married to a woman named Tammy and they were expecting their first child in 4 months. Sylvia's first girl was named Liah and was married to man named Phil. And their last child was Ashli, who stood there alone and Severus assumed she had no significant other.
By the time Severus reached Sabrina, he was smiling more than he had in 20 years.
"Rina!" He said when he saw her. She was exactly how he remembered her: young, full of life, and with the brightest silver-blond hair he had ever seen. She didn't speak, but hugged him by far the longest. She pulled back, her face covered in tears. "Why are earth are you crying Rina?" He asked. She wiped a tear from her cheek and said quietly,
"No one has called me Rina in 17 years." She stopped crying to introduce her family. Severus remembered her husband, Roosevelt; he was an Auror when Severus was a death eater. That was how his family found out about his loyalty to the dark lord. It wasn't that Severus didn't like Roosevelt, but they had shared a lot of difficult conversations in the past and it was hard to forget them. They put their differences aside and shook hands. Sabrina and Roosevelt had twin 10 year olds named Reese and Anne. Severus just looked at Reese and instantly liked him. Severus's sisters all looked like their mother, while no one quite knew where Sabrina's odd hair color came from. Reese had the face of Severus's sisters, but an odd color of hair as well. It was a mix of blond and black. It was puzzling, but there was one thing you knew as soon as you laid eyes on the boy, he was special. Severus couldn't put his finger on it, but the boy had something about him, he was powerful.
They all sat down and ate a large dinner, talking and laughing happily. Severus was sad to see the night end, but he knew it would come. He bade goodbye to all of his nieces and nephews and went back home with Stella and Vector.
A month later, Severus was saying goodbye to his sisters and their families. It was time to return to his job at Hogwarts. He hugged them all goodbye and asked them to keep in touch. He had decided against taking the train like last time. He dipped his hand into the pot, which the Floo Powder was held, and threw it into the fire. He stepped in and with one final goodbye to everyone said very clearly, "Professor Snape's Chambers, Dungeon of Hogwarts." He flew through the system of fireplaces and stumbled into his familiar bedroom. He looked around and saw everything was how it was supposed to be. "Home." He said thoughtfully.
**And there ya have it, Sevie's family! That chapter was really for my own purposes; I needed to figure out the extent of his family.I didn't really want to elaborate on the entire visit.that may come in another story. Anywhoo, next chapter, a visit from Albus! Thanks to Mary and QuizzicalSphinx for reviewing, you guys are so kind!**