Disclaimer: You know already.
Thank you for all your reviews!
Chapter 4: Dinner and a game
"Well, Athena, looks like your Mummy and Daddy won't be back until the next morning." Snape said as he cleaned up the mess that Athena made.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me."
"NO WAY!"
"Way. And stop yelling."
"YOU ARE LYING! I WANT MUMMY AND DADDY!"
"Oh come on, they are too busy for you, most of the time it is Mandy or Aunt Poppy who take care of you anyway. You said so yourself. So you won't miss them for one night." Snape said, not looking up.
"I LIED! BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT DADDY HAVE TAUGHT ME!" Athena confessed.
Snape dropped his wand. "So you are saying that they have time for you after all?"
Athena sniffed and nodded. Tears started to fill her eyes. "I miss Mummy and Daddy, I want to go home." She sobbed.
Snape rolled his eyes. If only he had the Mirror of Erised.... but then again, Dumbledore probably wouldn't let Snape to get the Mirror and let Athena to use it. It's too dangerous for her.
Athena was still crying.
"Don't cry Athena, please. Look, the time will pass very quickly and before you know it, it's tomorrow." Snape coaxed.
"It's retribution. I lied, and that's why Mummy and Daddy can't come back tonight." Athena said.
"Who taught you that? Surely not your Mummy, she doesn't believe that kind of stuff." Snape asked. At least he thought so, was retribution under the Divination department?
"I can't remember, all I remember is a lady that looks like a dragonfly taught me that."
"I see." Snape knew exactly whom Athena was talking about. (And I think all Minerva's fans know too! ^_^) "Well, Athena, at least you know that it's not good to lie, so you mustn't lie in the future, unless it is to help someone." Snape said, (he knew that it was not like him to say that but he would say anything just to stop Athena from crying)
Athena nodded.
Snape rolled his eyes "What a crybaby." He thought and searched his robes. "Here, dry your eyes." He said, handing Athena his handkerchief.
"Thanks." Athena mumbled and took it.
"So what do you want for dinner?"
"I am not hungry."
"Oh come on, you got to eat something."
Athena just muttered a few words.
"What? Speak louder." Snape said impatiently.
"Pumpkin tarts and cauldron cakes."
Snape sighed in relief. "How many do you want?"
"Two each."
Snape picked up his wand and waved for pumpkin tarts and cauldron cakes.
***
"All right Athena, are you done?" Snape asked a few minutes later.
Athena licked her lips. "Yeah."
"Great, I have to go back to the essays..." Snape started.
"Uncle Severus, can you answer my questions?" Athena asked.
"As long as they are not difficult." Snape said as he sat down on another chair. "What do you want to ask?"
"Why are the houses named Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin?"
"Because of the school founders, they named the houses after them."
"Why is the school named Hogwarts? Why are the houses' colours are like that? Why each of the houses has a particular animal? Why the school motto is Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus? Why Gryffindor and Slytherin students can't get along?" Athena asked in just one breath.
Snape frowned a little. "Hey, I am not one of the founders so I can't answer those questions but as for the last question....." Snape's frown deepened. Why? For so many years, he never asked himself why Gryffindor and Slytherin couldn't get along...
"It's err....tradition for Slytherin and Gryffindor to hate each other." Snape said finally.
"That doesn't make sense." Athena said.
"I know." Snape thought.
"But you and Daddy seem to get along and he's in Gryffindor." Athena observed.
"Clever girl. But that's different. Your Daddy and I are adults. And besides, he trusts me." Snape said with a proud note in his voice.
"Why?" Athena asked.
"I think he will tell you when you are older." Snape said, didn't like to explain this to Athena himself. "So Athena, are you ready for bed?"
Athena shook her head. "I don't go to bed this early."
Snape looked at the clock on the wall, which he noticed that the glass was cracked because something hard had smashed on it. "Athena, did the ball do that?" Snape demanded coldly, pointing at the clock.
"Sorry." Athena muttered.
Snape sighed in frustration and took out his wand. "Ruparo." The glass mended itself at once. He looked again. "It's 6pm. You are right, it's too early. When is your bedtime?"
"11pm."
Snape stared at her in disbelief. "Isn't that too late?"
"Daddy doesn't think so."
Snape began to think whether Dumbledore had spoiled Athena rotten. "And your Mummy?"
"She doesn't mind, I have no school the next day anyway but I promise her that when I get into Hogwarts, my bedtime will be strictly 9pm."
Now Snape was thinking whether Minerva was spoiling Athena too.
***
"Minerva? Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked in concern.
"I hate this stupid meeting." Minerva hissed. "I wonder if Athena is all right.."
"I don't like this meeting either." Dumbledore admitted as he watched Fudge taking out another file from the pile. "Two files down and eight files to go. This meeting is a killer."
Minerva groaned softly and covered her face with her hands.
***
"So what do you do before your bedtime?" Snape asked.
"Watch TV."
"T- what?" Snape asked blankly.
"T.V." Athena said slowly. "Short for television."
"Oh, that Muggle stuff that shows pictures." Snape said, rolling his eyes. Dumbledore seemed to have a lot of Muggle things in his house. What does he see in Muggles anyway? (No offense to the Dumbledore's fans, I like Dumbledore too. ^u^) "Well, I don't have television here and even if I have, it will go haywire because there's too much magic in the air. So what else beside that?"
"Playing board games with Daddy."
"What sort of board games? I think I have one in my drawer that I confiscated from Ron Weasley." Snape said and went to his desk.
"Who?"
"Never mind. Here it is." Snape said, push his things aside and put a box on his desk. Athena rushed to the desk and looked. "Yeah, Daddy and I play this. Uncle Severus, can you play it with me?" She asked, looking at Snape with puppy eyes.
Snape raised one eyebrow.
"Please?" Athena pleaded.
Snape thought for a while. If he rejects, Minerva will kill him if she finds out. If he agrees, the Gryffindors will be laughing at him behind his back if they find out. But then again, it is now summer holidays; nobody will see him playing a board game with a kid. The damn Gryffindors will not know anything about it...
"All right." He said slowly.
Athena cheered happily while Snape opened the box. He took out 2 blocks of wood, a dice and a colorful board. When he put the blocks down, they transformed into doll figures of himself and Athena.
"All right, ladies first." Snape said, handing the dice to Athena.
Thank you for all your reviews!
Chapter 4: Dinner and a game
"Well, Athena, looks like your Mummy and Daddy won't be back until the next morning." Snape said as he cleaned up the mess that Athena made.
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me."
"NO WAY!"
"Way. And stop yelling."
"YOU ARE LYING! I WANT MUMMY AND DADDY!"
"Oh come on, they are too busy for you, most of the time it is Mandy or Aunt Poppy who take care of you anyway. You said so yourself. So you won't miss them for one night." Snape said, not looking up.
"I LIED! BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU WHAT DADDY HAVE TAUGHT ME!" Athena confessed.
Snape dropped his wand. "So you are saying that they have time for you after all?"
Athena sniffed and nodded. Tears started to fill her eyes. "I miss Mummy and Daddy, I want to go home." She sobbed.
Snape rolled his eyes. If only he had the Mirror of Erised.... but then again, Dumbledore probably wouldn't let Snape to get the Mirror and let Athena to use it. It's too dangerous for her.
Athena was still crying.
"Don't cry Athena, please. Look, the time will pass very quickly and before you know it, it's tomorrow." Snape coaxed.
"It's retribution. I lied, and that's why Mummy and Daddy can't come back tonight." Athena said.
"Who taught you that? Surely not your Mummy, she doesn't believe that kind of stuff." Snape asked. At least he thought so, was retribution under the Divination department?
"I can't remember, all I remember is a lady that looks like a dragonfly taught me that."
"I see." Snape knew exactly whom Athena was talking about. (And I think all Minerva's fans know too! ^_^) "Well, Athena, at least you know that it's not good to lie, so you mustn't lie in the future, unless it is to help someone." Snape said, (he knew that it was not like him to say that but he would say anything just to stop Athena from crying)
Athena nodded.
Snape rolled his eyes "What a crybaby." He thought and searched his robes. "Here, dry your eyes." He said, handing Athena his handkerchief.
"Thanks." Athena mumbled and took it.
"So what do you want for dinner?"
"I am not hungry."
"Oh come on, you got to eat something."
Athena just muttered a few words.
"What? Speak louder." Snape said impatiently.
"Pumpkin tarts and cauldron cakes."
Snape sighed in relief. "How many do you want?"
"Two each."
Snape picked up his wand and waved for pumpkin tarts and cauldron cakes.
***
"All right Athena, are you done?" Snape asked a few minutes later.
Athena licked her lips. "Yeah."
"Great, I have to go back to the essays..." Snape started.
"Uncle Severus, can you answer my questions?" Athena asked.
"As long as they are not difficult." Snape said as he sat down on another chair. "What do you want to ask?"
"Why are the houses named Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin?"
"Because of the school founders, they named the houses after them."
"Why is the school named Hogwarts? Why are the houses' colours are like that? Why each of the houses has a particular animal? Why the school motto is Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus? Why Gryffindor and Slytherin students can't get along?" Athena asked in just one breath.
Snape frowned a little. "Hey, I am not one of the founders so I can't answer those questions but as for the last question....." Snape's frown deepened. Why? For so many years, he never asked himself why Gryffindor and Slytherin couldn't get along...
"It's err....tradition for Slytherin and Gryffindor to hate each other." Snape said finally.
"That doesn't make sense." Athena said.
"I know." Snape thought.
"But you and Daddy seem to get along and he's in Gryffindor." Athena observed.
"Clever girl. But that's different. Your Daddy and I are adults. And besides, he trusts me." Snape said with a proud note in his voice.
"Why?" Athena asked.
"I think he will tell you when you are older." Snape said, didn't like to explain this to Athena himself. "So Athena, are you ready for bed?"
Athena shook her head. "I don't go to bed this early."
Snape looked at the clock on the wall, which he noticed that the glass was cracked because something hard had smashed on it. "Athena, did the ball do that?" Snape demanded coldly, pointing at the clock.
"Sorry." Athena muttered.
Snape sighed in frustration and took out his wand. "Ruparo." The glass mended itself at once. He looked again. "It's 6pm. You are right, it's too early. When is your bedtime?"
"11pm."
Snape stared at her in disbelief. "Isn't that too late?"
"Daddy doesn't think so."
Snape began to think whether Dumbledore had spoiled Athena rotten. "And your Mummy?"
"She doesn't mind, I have no school the next day anyway but I promise her that when I get into Hogwarts, my bedtime will be strictly 9pm."
Now Snape was thinking whether Minerva was spoiling Athena too.
***
"Minerva? Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked in concern.
"I hate this stupid meeting." Minerva hissed. "I wonder if Athena is all right.."
"I don't like this meeting either." Dumbledore admitted as he watched Fudge taking out another file from the pile. "Two files down and eight files to go. This meeting is a killer."
Minerva groaned softly and covered her face with her hands.
***
"So what do you do before your bedtime?" Snape asked.
"Watch TV."
"T- what?" Snape asked blankly.
"T.V." Athena said slowly. "Short for television."
"Oh, that Muggle stuff that shows pictures." Snape said, rolling his eyes. Dumbledore seemed to have a lot of Muggle things in his house. What does he see in Muggles anyway? (No offense to the Dumbledore's fans, I like Dumbledore too. ^u^) "Well, I don't have television here and even if I have, it will go haywire because there's too much magic in the air. So what else beside that?"
"Playing board games with Daddy."
"What sort of board games? I think I have one in my drawer that I confiscated from Ron Weasley." Snape said and went to his desk.
"Who?"
"Never mind. Here it is." Snape said, push his things aside and put a box on his desk. Athena rushed to the desk and looked. "Yeah, Daddy and I play this. Uncle Severus, can you play it with me?" She asked, looking at Snape with puppy eyes.
Snape raised one eyebrow.
"Please?" Athena pleaded.
Snape thought for a while. If he rejects, Minerva will kill him if she finds out. If he agrees, the Gryffindors will be laughing at him behind his back if they find out. But then again, it is now summer holidays; nobody will see him playing a board game with a kid. The damn Gryffindors will not know anything about it...
"All right." He said slowly.
Athena cheered happily while Snape opened the box. He took out 2 blocks of wood, a dice and a colorful board. When he put the blocks down, they transformed into doll figures of himself and Athena.
"All right, ladies first." Snape said, handing the dice to Athena.