It was Monday, the first day of Christmas break and Christmas was only five
days away. While most of the students were relaxing and sleeping late,
Tirza woke at her usual time. She had plans for her day! Her first stop was
at Dumbledore's office. Several days ago, she had asked for Albus' help
with a project of hers, and as always, he came through for her. Tirza
buried her nose in the heavenly scented red and white roses in a beautiful
red vase. "These are perfect grandpa! Dude, you are so the best!" she told
him excitedly. He chuckled and she blew him a kiss before leaving the
office. The halls were mostly empty, but Tirza walked quietly anyways, as
she was on sneaky business. Her dad and Isabel just HAD to get together,
but they were taking way too long to do, so she decided that she'd give
them some more help! The roses were red for Christmas and also because that
was Isabel's favorite color. Tirza giggled to herself; really, she was so
smart sometimes! She tip-toed as she approached Isabel's quarters and
carefully set the vase outside the door and placed the card in with the
flowers. She knocked loudly, then scurried away to hide behind a suit of
armor. Isabel, still wearing her sunshine yellow robe, opened the door and
looked around. Seeing no one, she was about to close the door as she
noticed the vase of roses. A smile lit her face and she bent down to gently
pick it up, then turned and entered her chambers again, closing the door
behind her. Tirza stifled a giggle and decided to head for the kitchens to
get herself some fresh cinnamon rolls.
Isabel put the gorgeous vase on her desk and inspected it closely. The vase was obviously expensive and roses this time of year weren't cheap either. She spotted the card and opened it up; her smile grew bigger and brighter as she read the words. "I seem to remember that red is your favorite color. Merry Christmas; Severus." She quickly put down the card and hurried to dress and make herself presentable, feeling anxious to thank Severus for the special present. Isabel wasn't an extravagant woman, her tastes simple yet beautiful; though each thing she did seemed small and unimportant, the final result was very pleasing to look at. With one last look in the mirror and a few deep breaths, she headed down to the dungeons. Snape was not expecting visitors and though he never went out of his way to make himself presentable, he felt unexpectedly unkempt in his usual clothes as they contrasted against Isabel's khaki pants and pale blue sweater. Her outfit wasn't fancy, but it didn't need to be for her to be beautiful. "Good morning," she greeted him brightly. He nodded, somewhat tongue tied, and gestured for her to come in and sit down. She smiled and sat in one the armchairs beside the fireplace. "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked when he finally regained use of his tongue as he sat across from her. "I wanted to thank you for the gift; it was lovely and so very thoughtful. I just wanted you to know that it means a lot to me," she told him in her usual soft-spoken manner. His eyebrow rose and a questioning look came over his face. "I am not quite sure what you are talking about," he told her slowly. She blushed prettily. "Don't play shy with me; your name was on the card that came with the roses." Snape was feeling more confused then ever and Isabel was starting to feel the same.
"You ARE the one who sent me those flowers this morning, right?" "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about," he replied. "But your name was on the card and it said you remembered my favorite color was red. If it wasn't you, then who else knows that I love red?" Isabel questioned more to herself then to Severus. Both thought for a moment and just as the answer came to their minds, it also came in the door. "Well Little Miss Matchmaker, I see you've been at it again," Severus greeted Tirza, an eyebrow raised. "Um, I got the right to remain silent and I'm gonna do that," she retorted. Severus shot her a stern look and motioned her over to him. Frowning slightly, Tirza shuffled over to where he sat. "I'm only trying to help you know," she said, pouting. Severus and Isabel both began to laugh and he pulled her onto his lap. "Tirza, I appreciate your efforts as it was done out of the kindness of your heart, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of things myself," he gently told her. Tirza rolled her eyes. "But it's taking SO long!" "Honey, it's going to take as long as your father and I want it too. It's always best to be friends and get to know one another first before jumping head first into something," Isabel stated. Tirza sighed. "Okay, okay; take your own time and be a million when you guys decide you love each other and wanna get married for all I care." She crossed her little arms over her chest, a look of pure frustration on her face. The adults looked at each other, rather uncomfortably for a moment, each wondering if perhaps Tirza saw and knew something that they were missing.
"Oh and grandpa said he'd watch me," Tirza added. Snape nodded. "Alright; why don't you go back to his office and let him know of any plans and I'll go." "Don't forget the CD for AJ, okay?" the little cautioned. Snape kissed her cheek before she slid off his lap. "I won't." "Bye daddy; bye Isabel." "Where are you off to?" Isabel asked after Tirza left. "I haven't yet had a chance to go Christmas shopping for Tirza and a few others and she insists that I need to get the BBMak (is that how you spell it?) CD for her little friend, whatever a BBMak is," Snape told her. Isabel laughed. "So you're going into London, looking for a CD when you have never before shopped for one? Good luck!" she teased. Snape chuckled. "Well if you know where to purchase these things, then come along and help me," he retorted. "Is that an official invitation?" she asked softly. He nodded. "I'd love to," she told him. To his great surprise, Severus gave her a warm smile.
Tirza was on her way to Remus' office to see if he was ready to do the finishing touches on the painting. She saw Draco, Crabbe and Goyle walking towards her and she momentarily thought of turning around and going in a different direction. She rolled her eyes at the stupidity of that idea and decided to just try her best to ignore them. "Hey brat, want to have some Christmas fun?" Draco called to her. She frowned at him. "No; nothing with you is EVER fun. Or haven't you been spanked enough to figure that one out?" She could have slapped herself; as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they weren't the right ones to have said. Crabbe and Goyle snickered until Draco whirled around and his nasty glare silenced them. "You've always got a quick answer, don't you?" he retorted hotly. Tirza shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps you're the one that's slow brat. Or haven't I gotten you into enough trouble yet for you to figure out that I ALWAYS win." Tirza sighed. "Look, I'm really not in the mood for all this junk. You're a Denebian slime devil with delusions of god-hood and I don't want to waste my time with you and your Klingon friends, okay?" Draco turned red, and then glared at her; he turned around and looked expectantly at Crabbe and Goyle. The two hefty thugs weren't geniuses, but they were at least smart enough to know that they didn't want to become as familiar with the floor of Snape's office as Draco was.
Tirza took that moment to duck around them; their bulk easily shielded her tiny self from Draco. By the time Draco noticed that she was no longer there, she was already half way to the darker, less used corridor where Remus' office was located. She knew that if they followed her, Remus would hear her if she yelled and would come to her rescue. Draco tore after her, with Crabbe and Goyle reluctantly following. Just before she made the corridor, he caught her from behind and squeezed Tirza's slender wrist hard. "Ow, let go," she demanded as she attempted to pull herself out of his grip. "No, I think it's time to have a little fun in the name of Christmas spirit; it will be MY present to see YOU finally get your arse kicked for a change," Draco retorted.
Voices at the edge of the corridor he was approaching caught his attention; there were several voices and one sounded particularly young and rather distressed. He entered the dark corridor and began barking just as a tiny figure was slammed into a wall and slumped to the floor with a yell. The three boys, none of them older then about twelve, looked terrified at the large, shaggy black dog that was running towards him and scattered in various directions. The dog decided it was best to check out the one on the floor and worry about the others later. He slowly approached the tiny child who was slumped on the floor and discovered it was a little girl; a girl who looked much too young to be at Hogwarts. She whimpered and moaned; the dog nudged her gently with his wet nose. Her head moved slightly and the familiar scent of blood assaulted his nose; not sure if he should leave the little girl, he began to bark loudly.
Remus Lupin was waiting in his office, growing slightly more anxious as each moment passed. Finally deciding to go and check the corridor, he left his office and started down the long, dark corridor. Just as he left the office he heard a dog barking loudly and was instantly alarmed; Sirius wouldn't bark and give himself away like that unless something was wrong. He quickened his pace and arrived at the edge of the corridor to find Sirius in his Animagus form, barking and standing protectively over Tirza. The dog was silenced as Remus knelt beside Tirza, who was on the verge of losing consciousness. "Lumos," Remus said as he held out his wand, casting more light; it was then he noticed the blood. He gently picked Tirza up; she moaned as he lifted her from the floor and hurried to his office, the dog close on his heels. Grabbing a towel from his adjacent quarters, Remus pressed it to her head and laid her on the couch. "Watch her Sirius; I'm going to get Madame Pompfrey." Sirius transformed back into his human form and continued to hold the towel on the little girl's head; he wasn't concerned about being caught as the child was barely even conscious. She started to moan once more and began to whisper "Daddy." "Shh," Sirius told her gently. "You'll be fixed up in no time." "Hurts," she whispered. Sirius noticed her shaking and took her tiny hand in his, attempting to calm her. Remus returned a moment later, with Madame Pompfrey and her large bag of supplies. Sirius heard them approaching and returned to his Animagus form and barked. Poppy sat on the end of the couch and carefully examined Tirza's head. "Not nearly as bad as it looks; head wounds can be so misleading because they blood profusely. She's going to have a nasty headache and be sleepy for most of the day, but a few stitches will have her patched up." Remus nodded and watched as Poppy gave Tirza a potion for her headache that put the little girl right to sleep. He held her in his lap as Poppy cleaned the area and sewed up the cut with four tiny stitches. "I suggest letting her rest in here where you can watch her as I saw her father leaving earlier." "Of course; thank you Poppy," Remus replied. The nurse smiled down at Tirza. "Cute as a button, this one is; but she needs patching up more often then the entire first year class, I do believe."
Remus retrieved a pillow and blanket from his quarters and gently placed her head on the pillow and tucked the blanket around her as she blissfully slept. As soon as Poppy left, Sirius returned to his human form. The two men quickly embraced. "So good to see you, old friend," Sirius said. Remus nodded. "Yes; it's been much too long. We're lucky Dumbledore has always believed you innocent or we'd never have pulled this off." Sirius laughed. "Despite the hell the four of us put Dumbledore through, I always thought he had kind of a soft spot for us Marauders," he said, sitting down. Remus also laughed, and nodded his agreement; he sat and the two began filling each other in on the goings on in their lives since they last saw one another.
An hour later Tirza groaned and attempted to sit up when a hand gently but firmly pushed her back down. "Daddy?" she whispered. Remus sat down beside. "He's still on his errands." Her eyes fluttered open and rested on Remus' kind face. "Hi; my head hurts," she whined. "I imagine it does," he replied. "Where's the doggie?" Sirius (once again the big black dog) came over to the sofa; Tirza reached her little hand out to pet him. "What's its name? Is it a boy or girl?" she questioned. Remus chuckled. "It's a boy and his name is Snuffles." An eyebrow rose. "Well that's a stupid name," she decided. Remus laughed and Tirza cringed. "Shut up, will ya?" she directed. Remus instantly quieted down. "Hey, you be nice," he scolded. Tirza ignored him and looked again at the dog. "His name should be something much cooler; does he belong to the man?" "What man?" Tirza sighed. "I'm not an idiot ya know. There was a man; he was talking to me and holding my hand and it wasn't you cuz I know your voice uncle Remus." Remus turned to the dog. "Well, she's got us there. You can go ahead and change back Sirius; my little pal here can keep a secret." "Yep," she replied. Sirius became his human self again and Tirza's eyes went wide. "That is so awesome! That's just like auntie Min! And your name's Sirius? As in Sirius Black, Padfoot, Marauder?" Sirius chuckled and pulled a chair over to the sofa. "Now where did you hear all that information?" he asked. Tirza smiled. "I have my ways; I'm very cute you know." Both men chuckled. "Well since you know who I am, why don't you tell me who you are?" She started to open her mouth but Remus shook his head. "No, I want to tell him. Look at her closely Sirius..."
Sirius intently studied her for a few moments. "Have you figured it out yet?" Remus prodded. Sirius stroked his chin in thought. "She definitely looks somewhat familiar, but I can't quite place it." Remus chuckled. "Think back to our classmates; anybody jump out?" A moment later, realization dawned on Sirius' face. "You know, in a really crazy way, she kind of reminds me of Snapey." "Snapey? I gotta remember that," Tirza said. "Not if you don't want to die you won't," Remus cautioned. "That would not go over well at all. And you're not as crazy as you think Sirius. I'd like to introduce you to Snape's daughter, Tirza." Sirius' jaw dropped in surprise. "Nope; it's not possible for Snape to have children." Tirza's eyebrow rose and Sirius laughed. "Okay, I see it now! It is evidently entirely possible, but I would never have guessed HIM to have kids." "Tell him your favorite color Tirza," Remus suggested. "Pink." Sirius' face broke out in a huge grin. "I love it!" "Well now that we all know one another, I'd like to find out how you managed to gash the back of your head," Remus questioned.
Tirza suddenly became very interested in her hands. "There were some boys that I chased away from her," Sirius told him. "Boys? There weren't any boys. I tripped and fell," Tirza retorted, still looking at her hands. "Yeah? Funny, I saw one of the boys push you into the wall," Sirius disputed. "You callin me a liar?" she snapped, trying to sit up. Remus gently pushed her back down again and exchanged a glance with Sirius. "Now Tirza, don't lie to me; we're too good of friends for that, at least I think we are. So why don't you tell me what happened," Remus prodded. Tirza defiantly crossed her arms over her chest and looked him straight in the eye. "Definitely a Snape," Sirius muttered. Remus noticed a mark on her wrist and examined it closer; it was a bruise that wrapped around her wrist, almost in the shape of a hand. "And did you trip and get this too?" She jerked her arm away. "I didn't say you could touch me," she growled. Remus was shocked by her reaction. "Alright Tirza, I want to know what happened. You have two choices; you tell me or tell grandpa," he stated. "Uh, grandpa?" Sirius asked. "Dumbledore." Sirius smiled; that definitely sounded like Dumbledore and the kid was awfully cute. She dropped the stubborn look and concentrated on her hands again. "Don't make me tell," she whispered. "It was Malfoy, wasn't it?" Tirza looked at Remus in surprise. "Well, who else would it be?" he reasoned. She nodded. "Yeah, it was him. He's a real idiot though; cuz when my daddy finds out, ooh he's gonna get it. He'll never sit down again," she told them, totally serious. Both men laughed. She giggled, then sobered. "And then he'll be all mad and what if he tried to... to..." she didn't even want to finish the thought it was so horrible. "Hey; there are spells for protection that I could put on you so you wouldn't have to worry." Tirza's face brightened. "Really uncle Remus? That's way cool." She closed her eyes and scrunched up her face, rubbing her head. "I think you should try to sleep again," Sirius suggested. "That was a nasty smash you had against that wall." She nodded and turned over onto her side and fell asleep.
Just before supper, Isabel and Severus apparated to the Hogwarts gates with several bags full of shrunken packages. "You're going to spoil her, you know," Isabel gently told him. Severus nodded. "I know; but I think she deserves to be spoiled a bit. I must say I haven't bought presents like this in a long time." Isabel studied his face closely. "That's rather sad," she commented quietly. Severus avoided looking her in the eye. "Let's just say there hasn't been a lot of happiness in my life for quite some time." "Not only have you been a significant healing power for Tirza, she has also been one for you?" she asked. Severus chuckled. "Very true," he admitted. "Will you be staying for the holiday break?" "For part of it; I'll be heading home the day before Christmas Eve. I have many cousins, aunt and uncles and nieces and nephews to see." "Tirza will miss you," he stated. Isabel smiled shyly. "Will she be the only one?" Severus blushed slightly. "I'll take that as a no," she decided with a laugh. He helped Isabel bring her packages to her quarters before returning to his and hiding the presents. He then set off to Dumbledore's office to locate Tirza.
Sirius the dog had taken off just before Snape and Isabel had returned and had in fact seen them apparate outside the gates. He shook his head as he looked at Severus and thought of the delightful little girl he had visited with as she was awake off and on; he never would have believed it if he hadn't seen her for himself.
Tirza had changed her stained clothes earlier and had pulled her hair up in a pony tail in an attempt to hide the stitches. Even though Remus had put a spell on her that would send Malfoy flying across the room if he came within a foot of her with anything but kind intentions, Tirza still didn't want to tell her dad. Draco was stupid and arrogant, but there were a lot of dark hallways and hidden places here and Tirza wasn't going to take a chance of being caught in one with him if her dad found out what had happened. So far only Remus and herself knew; Sirius did too, but was already gone. A knock sounded on Remus' door and he called for the person to enter. Severus entered the office and saw the two playing a card game with money. "You taught my daughter to gamble?" he growled. "Dad, we're not gambling for real, we just don't have any poker chips. And I already knew how to play poker, long time ago." Snape relaxed and Tirza ran over to hug him; he noticed that she was wearing different clothes then this morning. "How has your day been? And why are you in a different outfit?" he asked. "You know me dad," she replied. He saw Lupin shoot her a look that he couldn't quite read and Tirza turned away, focusing on her dad. "Bye uncle Remus; see you later," she said as they left the office.
"Are you sure you're alright? That's the second time you've fallen asleep this evening," Snape commented that evening. Tirza nodded. "I'm just fine; I'm gonna get a drink of water." She got off the couch and started towards the bathroom; suddenly she felt very dizzy and couldn't see straight. Snape jumped out of his chair and caught her before she hit the floor. "Yes, you're just fine aren't you," he sneered, picking her up. "I'm taking you to Poppy." Tirza struggled against his gentle hold. "I'm fine, I swear!" she protested. "You're lying," he told her flatly. "Am not," she retorted. "Then why is your left eye twitching?" he questioned her. Not able to think of a good reason why her eye would twitch unless she was lying, she shut her mouth and allowed him to whisk her off to the hospital wing. "This was to be expected; I warned her to rest and told Remus to make sure and tell you," Poppy stated. "What are we talking about?" Snape was concerned and confused. "She cut her head earlier; Remus suspected that she had been pushed. It's not a bad cut; just the knock on the head wasn't good. She'll be rather tired and a little dizzy for a few days." Tirza was staring at her hands, trying to come up with a convincing story as to how she got injured. Snape cupped her chin and titled her head up to look him in the face and gave her a stern look. "Alright young lady, tell me what happened," he ordered in a gentle, but firm voice. "I tripped and fell and slammed against the wall; I was running in the hallways," she told him quietly. "Try again; the truth this time." She sat there silently for a moment. "I'm waiting." He sighed and turned to Poppy. "I'd like to see her cut." He was shown the cut and advised by Poppy to make sure she rested for the rest of the day and at least tomorrow as well. He thanked Poppy and picked up a still silent Tirza and brought her back to their quarters.
Snape set her on her bed and gathered her pillow and a blanket. "I want you to change into your pajamas and I'm going to have you lay on the couch." He turned to leave the room. "Daddy?" she quietly called. He turned back to look at her. "I still feel all dizzy. Can... can you help me?" "Of course," he told her, setting the pillow and blanket down and retrieving a nightgown from her drawer. "Why won't you tell me what happened?" he prodded as he helped her out of her clothes and into her nightgown. "I did," she retorted. "Not the truth you didn't; your eye was twitching again." She grumbled something as he carried her to the sitting room and tucked the blanket around her. He sat beside her and gently stroked her hair. "Did you and Draco fight?" She closed her eyes. "I wanna sleep now." Severus leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Alright, but I'll be here when you are ready to tell me." He continued to stroke her hair as she drifted off to sleep.
Tirza's head was much better by the next day and even better the next, the day before Christmas Eve. She and Severus had been sleeping late and having breakfast together in their chambers each morning and he had even extended her bedtime and watched videos with her. "Merry Christmas Eve Eve," she announced as she bounced into the sitting room for breakfast. She was surprised to see Isabel sitting by the fireplace with her dad, drinking coffee and talking. "Merry Christmas Eve Eve to you too honey," Isabel greeted her. She just her tongue out at Severus. "See, I'm not the only one that says Merry! Happy Christmas, that's crazy!" "Oh really?" Snape asked. She nodded; he quickly pulled her to him and began tickling her. Tirza squealed with laughter as he tickled her tummy; Isabel watched the two of them playing and smiled, almost regretting going home to her family for Christmas. "Okay, I give up!" Tirza shouted breathlessly and Snape stopped tickling her. He set her on his lap and kissed her cheek; it was then he remembered that Isabel had just witnessed all that and blushed. "You two are really adorable," she told them. "Well I am, but I dunno about him," Tirza replied with a giggle. Snape rolled his eyes, still too embarrassed to say anything. "Well, I'm here to deliver Christmas presents before I head back to the states," Isabel stated. Tirza frowned. "Do you have to go?" Isabel nodded. "Yes; I miss my family a lot and it won't be too long before I see you again." Tirza hopped off Severus' lap and wrapped her arms around Isabel. "I miss you already," she whispered. Isabel hugged the little girl close and kissed her. "I'll miss you too. Are you ready for your presents?" Tirza nodded excitedly and sat on the floor in front of the fire as Isabel retrieved the gifts.
Three brightly colored packages were placed in front of Tirza. She ripped the first present open, tossing aside the snowman print wrapping paper. Inside was a pink Sleeping Beauty backpack, with glitter and sparkles as well as the best scene, in Tirza's opinion anyway, of the whole movie: when Prince Philip kissed Aurora. Tirza jumped off the floor and gave Isabel a hug. "That's awesome, thank you thank you!" she said, bouncing with excitement. She sat back down and reached for the next one and tore into it; a beautiful color photo of Scotty, Tirza's favorite Star Trek character, sitting in the Captain's chair was signed in gold pen. It read: To Tirza, my number one fan. Enjoy the video and the book and have a merry Christmas! James Doohan "Scotty". Sure enough, underneath the photo was the very rare bloopers video and equally rare autobiography of Scotty, signed of course. Tirza's mouth dropped open in surprise. "How... how..." Isabel laughed and reached out to brush a stray curl from in Tirza's eyes. "I have my connections; a very good friend of mine informed me of the Star Trek convention in London last month and was able to get me ticket. I was late, but ended up meeting Mr. Doohan in the pub and we chatted. I told him all about you and he insisted on giving you these things." Tirza smiled. "That is too cool! Did he really? What was he like? Does he have the accent in real life?" Tirza peppered Isabel with questions, which were all answered with a smile. Finally Tirza turned back to her last gift. "It's really squishy. Bet its clothes," Tirza commented before ripping the wrapping to shreds. A silky pink nightgown and matching robe, along with a grown up under shirt and matching panties were revealed. "Oh my god! I can't believe you remembered that I said I wanted this stuff! You are the best!" Tirza shouted. She held up the white lacy undershirt. "Wow, it's so pretty! Isn't pretty daddy?" Both girls turned to look at Snape, who was getting rather red in the face. He nodded absentmindedly and Tirza giggled. "He's so funny," she told Isabel, shaking her head.
Tirza thanked Isabel for the gifts, and then began digging under the Christmas tree in the sitting room for her present for Isabel. She finally found it and hurried over to Isabel, excitedly giving it to her. "You didn't have to get me anything honey," Isabel said. Tirza nodded. "Yeah I did, silly! Hurry and open it!" Isabel opened the present to find a picture of her and Tirza in a homemade frame as well as a bottle of perfume. She smiled at the photo and opened the bottle of perfume, breathing in its wonderful scent. She kissed Tirza's forehead. "Thank you; these are very special to me." Tirza beamed. After enjoying some more coffee while Tirza ate breakfast and continued to ooh and aah over her gifts, Isabel announced that she had better be on her way. Tirza hugged her tight and Isabel held her for a moment. "I'll be back soon and you and your father will have lots of fun over the holidays," Isabel assured. Tirza nodded, sniffling slightly. Snape came and stood beside Tirza, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Have a nice time," he said, sincerely meaning it. Isabel smiled, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Eww!" Tirza shouted, causing both adults to blush. Isabel said once last goodbye before heading for the gates, where she apparated away.
A/N: Okay people! Time to vote! I want to know what you all think. Should Isabel and Sev get together? Please leave an answer in a review or email me (medjaigurl@aol.com)! Sorry that I didn't fit Christmas Eve and Christmas day in here, but I wanted to upload right away! So all that will be in the next one, followed by the trip to New York City! Oh, and on a separate note from Tirza, for those of you that have seen Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, Prince of thieves, I just saw that and he was too funny! That "You, my room 10:30 tonight. You, 10:45 and bring a friend" line was great! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! LOL! If you haven't seen it and you're an Alan Rickman fan, you definitely gotta take the time to see it!
EmmaRiddle/DaughteroftheD: So far things will just be with AJ and her family and Tirza and Sev have a full slate ahead of them in NY. Sev will also have a chance to play a hero, but I won't tell you how!! And Tirza will be going to court.
CapriceAnn Heican-Kocur: Thanks!
Potter-Snape: I think it was great too that all the adults she loves where there to help her make the right decision about testifying. I think Sev handled it well too, because he could have been really angry with her after all the searching and worry, but his parenting skills are getting better and better all the time.
PadfootOldBuddyOldPal: Oh don't worry; there will be lots of stuff about the NY trip. At least two whole chapters!! It will be a very fun and interesting week for Snape, Tirza and the Logan family as well! Glad you like the story so much!
Luinthoron: Santa Snape shows up next!!
CraJure: If I plan things right, the next chapter will end with their arrival at the airport (they apparate, but make it seem they arrived by plane) in NYC. Hope your test wasn't too bad! What about Tirza did you use, besides her name? I think it's cool you used her in a school report/test!
Raclswt: Ariel's family (parents and sisters) are dead, so far I am undecided if I want to have any of Ariel's aunts and uncles appear or not. I am making Sev an only child and both his parents dead; Tirza will learn more about them during the summer when they go to Snape Manor after school closes.
Kenomee: That would be a very fun Christmas present if Snape carried through on his threat! For now the info that Draco was the one who pushed Tirza into the wall will remain secret, but not for two long and it will NOT be fun for Draco, whether Snape carried out his latest threat or not! Later on, things will get better between them, but not until Tirza's third/Draco's fourth year (certain storylines I have worked out that far in advance!).
Obsessedwithbritishpeople: Glad you were able to finish it!
Fire'N'Ice: Glad getting your homework done wasn't too incredibly difficult! I am glad that you got the Pinky and the Brain stuff! I love cartoons (much to the amusement and sometimes annoyance of my fiancé... he wants to watch sports and I whine because Tom and Jerry is on and he's making me miss it, LOL!)
FightingForThePeople: Glad you liked it!
Slone: Things in NY with that asshole with be interesting, that's for sure!
MissLKid: Tirza is very brave for her age... I wish I had been as brave and my family as supportive (sighs).
Stay tuned everyone! Hugs, Kerry
Isabel put the gorgeous vase on her desk and inspected it closely. The vase was obviously expensive and roses this time of year weren't cheap either. She spotted the card and opened it up; her smile grew bigger and brighter as she read the words. "I seem to remember that red is your favorite color. Merry Christmas; Severus." She quickly put down the card and hurried to dress and make herself presentable, feeling anxious to thank Severus for the special present. Isabel wasn't an extravagant woman, her tastes simple yet beautiful; though each thing she did seemed small and unimportant, the final result was very pleasing to look at. With one last look in the mirror and a few deep breaths, she headed down to the dungeons. Snape was not expecting visitors and though he never went out of his way to make himself presentable, he felt unexpectedly unkempt in his usual clothes as they contrasted against Isabel's khaki pants and pale blue sweater. Her outfit wasn't fancy, but it didn't need to be for her to be beautiful. "Good morning," she greeted him brightly. He nodded, somewhat tongue tied, and gestured for her to come in and sit down. She smiled and sat in one the armchairs beside the fireplace. "To what do I owe this visit?" he asked when he finally regained use of his tongue as he sat across from her. "I wanted to thank you for the gift; it was lovely and so very thoughtful. I just wanted you to know that it means a lot to me," she told him in her usual soft-spoken manner. His eyebrow rose and a questioning look came over his face. "I am not quite sure what you are talking about," he told her slowly. She blushed prettily. "Don't play shy with me; your name was on the card that came with the roses." Snape was feeling more confused then ever and Isabel was starting to feel the same.
"You ARE the one who sent me those flowers this morning, right?" "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about," he replied. "But your name was on the card and it said you remembered my favorite color was red. If it wasn't you, then who else knows that I love red?" Isabel questioned more to herself then to Severus. Both thought for a moment and just as the answer came to their minds, it also came in the door. "Well Little Miss Matchmaker, I see you've been at it again," Severus greeted Tirza, an eyebrow raised. "Um, I got the right to remain silent and I'm gonna do that," she retorted. Severus shot her a stern look and motioned her over to him. Frowning slightly, Tirza shuffled over to where he sat. "I'm only trying to help you know," she said, pouting. Severus and Isabel both began to laugh and he pulled her onto his lap. "Tirza, I appreciate your efforts as it was done out of the kindness of your heart, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of things myself," he gently told her. Tirza rolled her eyes. "But it's taking SO long!" "Honey, it's going to take as long as your father and I want it too. It's always best to be friends and get to know one another first before jumping head first into something," Isabel stated. Tirza sighed. "Okay, okay; take your own time and be a million when you guys decide you love each other and wanna get married for all I care." She crossed her little arms over her chest, a look of pure frustration on her face. The adults looked at each other, rather uncomfortably for a moment, each wondering if perhaps Tirza saw and knew something that they were missing.
"Oh and grandpa said he'd watch me," Tirza added. Snape nodded. "Alright; why don't you go back to his office and let him know of any plans and I'll go." "Don't forget the CD for AJ, okay?" the little cautioned. Snape kissed her cheek before she slid off his lap. "I won't." "Bye daddy; bye Isabel." "Where are you off to?" Isabel asked after Tirza left. "I haven't yet had a chance to go Christmas shopping for Tirza and a few others and she insists that I need to get the BBMak (is that how you spell it?) CD for her little friend, whatever a BBMak is," Snape told her. Isabel laughed. "So you're going into London, looking for a CD when you have never before shopped for one? Good luck!" she teased. Snape chuckled. "Well if you know where to purchase these things, then come along and help me," he retorted. "Is that an official invitation?" she asked softly. He nodded. "I'd love to," she told him. To his great surprise, Severus gave her a warm smile.
Tirza was on her way to Remus' office to see if he was ready to do the finishing touches on the painting. She saw Draco, Crabbe and Goyle walking towards her and she momentarily thought of turning around and going in a different direction. She rolled her eyes at the stupidity of that idea and decided to just try her best to ignore them. "Hey brat, want to have some Christmas fun?" Draco called to her. She frowned at him. "No; nothing with you is EVER fun. Or haven't you been spanked enough to figure that one out?" She could have slapped herself; as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they weren't the right ones to have said. Crabbe and Goyle snickered until Draco whirled around and his nasty glare silenced them. "You've always got a quick answer, don't you?" he retorted hotly. Tirza shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps you're the one that's slow brat. Or haven't I gotten you into enough trouble yet for you to figure out that I ALWAYS win." Tirza sighed. "Look, I'm really not in the mood for all this junk. You're a Denebian slime devil with delusions of god-hood and I don't want to waste my time with you and your Klingon friends, okay?" Draco turned red, and then glared at her; he turned around and looked expectantly at Crabbe and Goyle. The two hefty thugs weren't geniuses, but they were at least smart enough to know that they didn't want to become as familiar with the floor of Snape's office as Draco was.
Tirza took that moment to duck around them; their bulk easily shielded her tiny self from Draco. By the time Draco noticed that she was no longer there, she was already half way to the darker, less used corridor where Remus' office was located. She knew that if they followed her, Remus would hear her if she yelled and would come to her rescue. Draco tore after her, with Crabbe and Goyle reluctantly following. Just before she made the corridor, he caught her from behind and squeezed Tirza's slender wrist hard. "Ow, let go," she demanded as she attempted to pull herself out of his grip. "No, I think it's time to have a little fun in the name of Christmas spirit; it will be MY present to see YOU finally get your arse kicked for a change," Draco retorted.
Voices at the edge of the corridor he was approaching caught his attention; there were several voices and one sounded particularly young and rather distressed. He entered the dark corridor and began barking just as a tiny figure was slammed into a wall and slumped to the floor with a yell. The three boys, none of them older then about twelve, looked terrified at the large, shaggy black dog that was running towards him and scattered in various directions. The dog decided it was best to check out the one on the floor and worry about the others later. He slowly approached the tiny child who was slumped on the floor and discovered it was a little girl; a girl who looked much too young to be at Hogwarts. She whimpered and moaned; the dog nudged her gently with his wet nose. Her head moved slightly and the familiar scent of blood assaulted his nose; not sure if he should leave the little girl, he began to bark loudly.
Remus Lupin was waiting in his office, growing slightly more anxious as each moment passed. Finally deciding to go and check the corridor, he left his office and started down the long, dark corridor. Just as he left the office he heard a dog barking loudly and was instantly alarmed; Sirius wouldn't bark and give himself away like that unless something was wrong. He quickened his pace and arrived at the edge of the corridor to find Sirius in his Animagus form, barking and standing protectively over Tirza. The dog was silenced as Remus knelt beside Tirza, who was on the verge of losing consciousness. "Lumos," Remus said as he held out his wand, casting more light; it was then he noticed the blood. He gently picked Tirza up; she moaned as he lifted her from the floor and hurried to his office, the dog close on his heels. Grabbing a towel from his adjacent quarters, Remus pressed it to her head and laid her on the couch. "Watch her Sirius; I'm going to get Madame Pompfrey." Sirius transformed back into his human form and continued to hold the towel on the little girl's head; he wasn't concerned about being caught as the child was barely even conscious. She started to moan once more and began to whisper "Daddy." "Shh," Sirius told her gently. "You'll be fixed up in no time." "Hurts," she whispered. Sirius noticed her shaking and took her tiny hand in his, attempting to calm her. Remus returned a moment later, with Madame Pompfrey and her large bag of supplies. Sirius heard them approaching and returned to his Animagus form and barked. Poppy sat on the end of the couch and carefully examined Tirza's head. "Not nearly as bad as it looks; head wounds can be so misleading because they blood profusely. She's going to have a nasty headache and be sleepy for most of the day, but a few stitches will have her patched up." Remus nodded and watched as Poppy gave Tirza a potion for her headache that put the little girl right to sleep. He held her in his lap as Poppy cleaned the area and sewed up the cut with four tiny stitches. "I suggest letting her rest in here where you can watch her as I saw her father leaving earlier." "Of course; thank you Poppy," Remus replied. The nurse smiled down at Tirza. "Cute as a button, this one is; but she needs patching up more often then the entire first year class, I do believe."
Remus retrieved a pillow and blanket from his quarters and gently placed her head on the pillow and tucked the blanket around her as she blissfully slept. As soon as Poppy left, Sirius returned to his human form. The two men quickly embraced. "So good to see you, old friend," Sirius said. Remus nodded. "Yes; it's been much too long. We're lucky Dumbledore has always believed you innocent or we'd never have pulled this off." Sirius laughed. "Despite the hell the four of us put Dumbledore through, I always thought he had kind of a soft spot for us Marauders," he said, sitting down. Remus also laughed, and nodded his agreement; he sat and the two began filling each other in on the goings on in their lives since they last saw one another.
An hour later Tirza groaned and attempted to sit up when a hand gently but firmly pushed her back down. "Daddy?" she whispered. Remus sat down beside. "He's still on his errands." Her eyes fluttered open and rested on Remus' kind face. "Hi; my head hurts," she whined. "I imagine it does," he replied. "Where's the doggie?" Sirius (once again the big black dog) came over to the sofa; Tirza reached her little hand out to pet him. "What's its name? Is it a boy or girl?" she questioned. Remus chuckled. "It's a boy and his name is Snuffles." An eyebrow rose. "Well that's a stupid name," she decided. Remus laughed and Tirza cringed. "Shut up, will ya?" she directed. Remus instantly quieted down. "Hey, you be nice," he scolded. Tirza ignored him and looked again at the dog. "His name should be something much cooler; does he belong to the man?" "What man?" Tirza sighed. "I'm not an idiot ya know. There was a man; he was talking to me and holding my hand and it wasn't you cuz I know your voice uncle Remus." Remus turned to the dog. "Well, she's got us there. You can go ahead and change back Sirius; my little pal here can keep a secret." "Yep," she replied. Sirius became his human self again and Tirza's eyes went wide. "That is so awesome! That's just like auntie Min! And your name's Sirius? As in Sirius Black, Padfoot, Marauder?" Sirius chuckled and pulled a chair over to the sofa. "Now where did you hear all that information?" he asked. Tirza smiled. "I have my ways; I'm very cute you know." Both men chuckled. "Well since you know who I am, why don't you tell me who you are?" She started to open her mouth but Remus shook his head. "No, I want to tell him. Look at her closely Sirius..."
Sirius intently studied her for a few moments. "Have you figured it out yet?" Remus prodded. Sirius stroked his chin in thought. "She definitely looks somewhat familiar, but I can't quite place it." Remus chuckled. "Think back to our classmates; anybody jump out?" A moment later, realization dawned on Sirius' face. "You know, in a really crazy way, she kind of reminds me of Snapey." "Snapey? I gotta remember that," Tirza said. "Not if you don't want to die you won't," Remus cautioned. "That would not go over well at all. And you're not as crazy as you think Sirius. I'd like to introduce you to Snape's daughter, Tirza." Sirius' jaw dropped in surprise. "Nope; it's not possible for Snape to have children." Tirza's eyebrow rose and Sirius laughed. "Okay, I see it now! It is evidently entirely possible, but I would never have guessed HIM to have kids." "Tell him your favorite color Tirza," Remus suggested. "Pink." Sirius' face broke out in a huge grin. "I love it!" "Well now that we all know one another, I'd like to find out how you managed to gash the back of your head," Remus questioned.
Tirza suddenly became very interested in her hands. "There were some boys that I chased away from her," Sirius told him. "Boys? There weren't any boys. I tripped and fell," Tirza retorted, still looking at her hands. "Yeah? Funny, I saw one of the boys push you into the wall," Sirius disputed. "You callin me a liar?" she snapped, trying to sit up. Remus gently pushed her back down again and exchanged a glance with Sirius. "Now Tirza, don't lie to me; we're too good of friends for that, at least I think we are. So why don't you tell me what happened," Remus prodded. Tirza defiantly crossed her arms over her chest and looked him straight in the eye. "Definitely a Snape," Sirius muttered. Remus noticed a mark on her wrist and examined it closer; it was a bruise that wrapped around her wrist, almost in the shape of a hand. "And did you trip and get this too?" She jerked her arm away. "I didn't say you could touch me," she growled. Remus was shocked by her reaction. "Alright Tirza, I want to know what happened. You have two choices; you tell me or tell grandpa," he stated. "Uh, grandpa?" Sirius asked. "Dumbledore." Sirius smiled; that definitely sounded like Dumbledore and the kid was awfully cute. She dropped the stubborn look and concentrated on her hands again. "Don't make me tell," she whispered. "It was Malfoy, wasn't it?" Tirza looked at Remus in surprise. "Well, who else would it be?" he reasoned. She nodded. "Yeah, it was him. He's a real idiot though; cuz when my daddy finds out, ooh he's gonna get it. He'll never sit down again," she told them, totally serious. Both men laughed. She giggled, then sobered. "And then he'll be all mad and what if he tried to... to..." she didn't even want to finish the thought it was so horrible. "Hey; there are spells for protection that I could put on you so you wouldn't have to worry." Tirza's face brightened. "Really uncle Remus? That's way cool." She closed her eyes and scrunched up her face, rubbing her head. "I think you should try to sleep again," Sirius suggested. "That was a nasty smash you had against that wall." She nodded and turned over onto her side and fell asleep.
Just before supper, Isabel and Severus apparated to the Hogwarts gates with several bags full of shrunken packages. "You're going to spoil her, you know," Isabel gently told him. Severus nodded. "I know; but I think she deserves to be spoiled a bit. I must say I haven't bought presents like this in a long time." Isabel studied his face closely. "That's rather sad," she commented quietly. Severus avoided looking her in the eye. "Let's just say there hasn't been a lot of happiness in my life for quite some time." "Not only have you been a significant healing power for Tirza, she has also been one for you?" she asked. Severus chuckled. "Very true," he admitted. "Will you be staying for the holiday break?" "For part of it; I'll be heading home the day before Christmas Eve. I have many cousins, aunt and uncles and nieces and nephews to see." "Tirza will miss you," he stated. Isabel smiled shyly. "Will she be the only one?" Severus blushed slightly. "I'll take that as a no," she decided with a laugh. He helped Isabel bring her packages to her quarters before returning to his and hiding the presents. He then set off to Dumbledore's office to locate Tirza.
Sirius the dog had taken off just before Snape and Isabel had returned and had in fact seen them apparate outside the gates. He shook his head as he looked at Severus and thought of the delightful little girl he had visited with as she was awake off and on; he never would have believed it if he hadn't seen her for himself.
Tirza had changed her stained clothes earlier and had pulled her hair up in a pony tail in an attempt to hide the stitches. Even though Remus had put a spell on her that would send Malfoy flying across the room if he came within a foot of her with anything but kind intentions, Tirza still didn't want to tell her dad. Draco was stupid and arrogant, but there were a lot of dark hallways and hidden places here and Tirza wasn't going to take a chance of being caught in one with him if her dad found out what had happened. So far only Remus and herself knew; Sirius did too, but was already gone. A knock sounded on Remus' door and he called for the person to enter. Severus entered the office and saw the two playing a card game with money. "You taught my daughter to gamble?" he growled. "Dad, we're not gambling for real, we just don't have any poker chips. And I already knew how to play poker, long time ago." Snape relaxed and Tirza ran over to hug him; he noticed that she was wearing different clothes then this morning. "How has your day been? And why are you in a different outfit?" he asked. "You know me dad," she replied. He saw Lupin shoot her a look that he couldn't quite read and Tirza turned away, focusing on her dad. "Bye uncle Remus; see you later," she said as they left the office.
"Are you sure you're alright? That's the second time you've fallen asleep this evening," Snape commented that evening. Tirza nodded. "I'm just fine; I'm gonna get a drink of water." She got off the couch and started towards the bathroom; suddenly she felt very dizzy and couldn't see straight. Snape jumped out of his chair and caught her before she hit the floor. "Yes, you're just fine aren't you," he sneered, picking her up. "I'm taking you to Poppy." Tirza struggled against his gentle hold. "I'm fine, I swear!" she protested. "You're lying," he told her flatly. "Am not," she retorted. "Then why is your left eye twitching?" he questioned her. Not able to think of a good reason why her eye would twitch unless she was lying, she shut her mouth and allowed him to whisk her off to the hospital wing. "This was to be expected; I warned her to rest and told Remus to make sure and tell you," Poppy stated. "What are we talking about?" Snape was concerned and confused. "She cut her head earlier; Remus suspected that she had been pushed. It's not a bad cut; just the knock on the head wasn't good. She'll be rather tired and a little dizzy for a few days." Tirza was staring at her hands, trying to come up with a convincing story as to how she got injured. Snape cupped her chin and titled her head up to look him in the face and gave her a stern look. "Alright young lady, tell me what happened," he ordered in a gentle, but firm voice. "I tripped and fell and slammed against the wall; I was running in the hallways," she told him quietly. "Try again; the truth this time." She sat there silently for a moment. "I'm waiting." He sighed and turned to Poppy. "I'd like to see her cut." He was shown the cut and advised by Poppy to make sure she rested for the rest of the day and at least tomorrow as well. He thanked Poppy and picked up a still silent Tirza and brought her back to their quarters.
Snape set her on her bed and gathered her pillow and a blanket. "I want you to change into your pajamas and I'm going to have you lay on the couch." He turned to leave the room. "Daddy?" she quietly called. He turned back to look at her. "I still feel all dizzy. Can... can you help me?" "Of course," he told her, setting the pillow and blanket down and retrieving a nightgown from her drawer. "Why won't you tell me what happened?" he prodded as he helped her out of her clothes and into her nightgown. "I did," she retorted. "Not the truth you didn't; your eye was twitching again." She grumbled something as he carried her to the sitting room and tucked the blanket around her. He sat beside her and gently stroked her hair. "Did you and Draco fight?" She closed her eyes. "I wanna sleep now." Severus leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Alright, but I'll be here when you are ready to tell me." He continued to stroke her hair as she drifted off to sleep.
Tirza's head was much better by the next day and even better the next, the day before Christmas Eve. She and Severus had been sleeping late and having breakfast together in their chambers each morning and he had even extended her bedtime and watched videos with her. "Merry Christmas Eve Eve," she announced as she bounced into the sitting room for breakfast. She was surprised to see Isabel sitting by the fireplace with her dad, drinking coffee and talking. "Merry Christmas Eve Eve to you too honey," Isabel greeted her. She just her tongue out at Severus. "See, I'm not the only one that says Merry! Happy Christmas, that's crazy!" "Oh really?" Snape asked. She nodded; he quickly pulled her to him and began tickling her. Tirza squealed with laughter as he tickled her tummy; Isabel watched the two of them playing and smiled, almost regretting going home to her family for Christmas. "Okay, I give up!" Tirza shouted breathlessly and Snape stopped tickling her. He set her on his lap and kissed her cheek; it was then he remembered that Isabel had just witnessed all that and blushed. "You two are really adorable," she told them. "Well I am, but I dunno about him," Tirza replied with a giggle. Snape rolled his eyes, still too embarrassed to say anything. "Well, I'm here to deliver Christmas presents before I head back to the states," Isabel stated. Tirza frowned. "Do you have to go?" Isabel nodded. "Yes; I miss my family a lot and it won't be too long before I see you again." Tirza hopped off Severus' lap and wrapped her arms around Isabel. "I miss you already," she whispered. Isabel hugged the little girl close and kissed her. "I'll miss you too. Are you ready for your presents?" Tirza nodded excitedly and sat on the floor in front of the fire as Isabel retrieved the gifts.
Three brightly colored packages were placed in front of Tirza. She ripped the first present open, tossing aside the snowman print wrapping paper. Inside was a pink Sleeping Beauty backpack, with glitter and sparkles as well as the best scene, in Tirza's opinion anyway, of the whole movie: when Prince Philip kissed Aurora. Tirza jumped off the floor and gave Isabel a hug. "That's awesome, thank you thank you!" she said, bouncing with excitement. She sat back down and reached for the next one and tore into it; a beautiful color photo of Scotty, Tirza's favorite Star Trek character, sitting in the Captain's chair was signed in gold pen. It read: To Tirza, my number one fan. Enjoy the video and the book and have a merry Christmas! James Doohan "Scotty". Sure enough, underneath the photo was the very rare bloopers video and equally rare autobiography of Scotty, signed of course. Tirza's mouth dropped open in surprise. "How... how..." Isabel laughed and reached out to brush a stray curl from in Tirza's eyes. "I have my connections; a very good friend of mine informed me of the Star Trek convention in London last month and was able to get me ticket. I was late, but ended up meeting Mr. Doohan in the pub and we chatted. I told him all about you and he insisted on giving you these things." Tirza smiled. "That is too cool! Did he really? What was he like? Does he have the accent in real life?" Tirza peppered Isabel with questions, which were all answered with a smile. Finally Tirza turned back to her last gift. "It's really squishy. Bet its clothes," Tirza commented before ripping the wrapping to shreds. A silky pink nightgown and matching robe, along with a grown up under shirt and matching panties were revealed. "Oh my god! I can't believe you remembered that I said I wanted this stuff! You are the best!" Tirza shouted. She held up the white lacy undershirt. "Wow, it's so pretty! Isn't pretty daddy?" Both girls turned to look at Snape, who was getting rather red in the face. He nodded absentmindedly and Tirza giggled. "He's so funny," she told Isabel, shaking her head.
Tirza thanked Isabel for the gifts, and then began digging under the Christmas tree in the sitting room for her present for Isabel. She finally found it and hurried over to Isabel, excitedly giving it to her. "You didn't have to get me anything honey," Isabel said. Tirza nodded. "Yeah I did, silly! Hurry and open it!" Isabel opened the present to find a picture of her and Tirza in a homemade frame as well as a bottle of perfume. She smiled at the photo and opened the bottle of perfume, breathing in its wonderful scent. She kissed Tirza's forehead. "Thank you; these are very special to me." Tirza beamed. After enjoying some more coffee while Tirza ate breakfast and continued to ooh and aah over her gifts, Isabel announced that she had better be on her way. Tirza hugged her tight and Isabel held her for a moment. "I'll be back soon and you and your father will have lots of fun over the holidays," Isabel assured. Tirza nodded, sniffling slightly. Snape came and stood beside Tirza, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Have a nice time," he said, sincerely meaning it. Isabel smiled, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Eww!" Tirza shouted, causing both adults to blush. Isabel said once last goodbye before heading for the gates, where she apparated away.
A/N: Okay people! Time to vote! I want to know what you all think. Should Isabel and Sev get together? Please leave an answer in a review or email me (medjaigurl@aol.com)! Sorry that I didn't fit Christmas Eve and Christmas day in here, but I wanted to upload right away! So all that will be in the next one, followed by the trip to New York City! Oh, and on a separate note from Tirza, for those of you that have seen Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, Prince of thieves, I just saw that and he was too funny! That "You, my room 10:30 tonight. You, 10:45 and bring a friend" line was great! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! LOL! If you haven't seen it and you're an Alan Rickman fan, you definitely gotta take the time to see it!
EmmaRiddle/DaughteroftheD: So far things will just be with AJ and her family and Tirza and Sev have a full slate ahead of them in NY. Sev will also have a chance to play a hero, but I won't tell you how!! And Tirza will be going to court.
CapriceAnn Heican-Kocur: Thanks!
Potter-Snape: I think it was great too that all the adults she loves where there to help her make the right decision about testifying. I think Sev handled it well too, because he could have been really angry with her after all the searching and worry, but his parenting skills are getting better and better all the time.
PadfootOldBuddyOldPal: Oh don't worry; there will be lots of stuff about the NY trip. At least two whole chapters!! It will be a very fun and interesting week for Snape, Tirza and the Logan family as well! Glad you like the story so much!
Luinthoron: Santa Snape shows up next!!
CraJure: If I plan things right, the next chapter will end with their arrival at the airport (they apparate, but make it seem they arrived by plane) in NYC. Hope your test wasn't too bad! What about Tirza did you use, besides her name? I think it's cool you used her in a school report/test!
Raclswt: Ariel's family (parents and sisters) are dead, so far I am undecided if I want to have any of Ariel's aunts and uncles appear or not. I am making Sev an only child and both his parents dead; Tirza will learn more about them during the summer when they go to Snape Manor after school closes.
Kenomee: That would be a very fun Christmas present if Snape carried through on his threat! For now the info that Draco was the one who pushed Tirza into the wall will remain secret, but not for two long and it will NOT be fun for Draco, whether Snape carried out his latest threat or not! Later on, things will get better between them, but not until Tirza's third/Draco's fourth year (certain storylines I have worked out that far in advance!).
Obsessedwithbritishpeople: Glad you were able to finish it!
Fire'N'Ice: Glad getting your homework done wasn't too incredibly difficult! I am glad that you got the Pinky and the Brain stuff! I love cartoons (much to the amusement and sometimes annoyance of my fiancé... he wants to watch sports and I whine because Tom and Jerry is on and he's making me miss it, LOL!)
FightingForThePeople: Glad you liked it!
Slone: Things in NY with that asshole with be interesting, that's for sure!
MissLKid: Tirza is very brave for her age... I wish I had been as brave and my family as supportive (sighs).
Stay tuned everyone! Hugs, Kerry
