The school was rather empty when they returned; most students were still on
Christmas break and would not return until tomorrow night. Tirza felt
miserable. She just couldn't get the thought from her mind that if she
hadn't been beautiful it never would have happened. This wasn't the way it
was supposed to work; she should feel better that the scum bag was in jail.
Instead, she felt gross and dirty. For the first time in quite a while, the
urge to shower and scrub her skin off was nearly overwhelming. She had to
do something though. "Are you alright?" Severus asked, watching her
carefully as she dragged her bags into her room. She nodded. "I'm sleepy,"
she told him. Severus looked closely at her, but couldn't see if her eye
was twitching or not; it was probably true as she and Amy had been up very
late the night before. "Alright," he replied. Tirza felt the knot in her
stomach grow bigger; she had lied again and was about to lie a third time.
She spotted the scissors on her desk and carefully hid them in her hands.
"I'm gonna unpack later, I wanna go see uncle Remus," she announced heading
for the door. Severus nodded absentmindedly and she ducked out of the
chambers. She went into the first girl's bathroom she saw and checked to
make sure no one else was in there, and then looked at the scissors in her
hand. Taking a deep breath, she looks in the mirror and raises the scissors
up to her beautiful, curly hair.
"Tirza!" someone from behind her yelled. Tirza dropped the scissors on the floor and whirled around to find Hermione looking at her like she was losing it. "What are you doing?" Tirza sighs and picks up the scissors. "Nothing," she replies. Hermione looked doubtful. "Tirza, you don't look good, are you alright?" Tirza nodded. "I'm fine... just thinking about cutting my hair, but maybe it's not a good idea." "Definitely not a good idea," Hermione replied. "Just don't tell my dad, okay? He'll go all funky about it." Hermione looked closely at Tirza, and then nodded. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as Tirza headed for the door of the bathroom. "Yeah, just fine." Tirza ducked out the door and ran off down the hallway before Hermione could follow her. She ran all the way to the Astronomy tower, needing to think and be alone and didn't want to fall asleep in a passage way again. She lay on her stomach looking out the window at the winter scene before her, her stomach so full of knots it hurt. She didn't really want to cut her hair off, she loved her hair. But she couldn't be pretty anymore. Being pretty was dangerous and she had to figure out a way to stop being pretty so that she could be safe. After much thought, she finally decided that she'd never wash her hair again and always wear it pulled back in an old lady bun; she'd wear all black because colors were pretty, and she'd eat as much as she could stand to at each meal in an attempt to get fat. If she was ugly, nobody would ever want to hurt her that way again and that was just the way Tirza wanted it.
"I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much child," Severus commented at supper that night. She shrugged at continued to eat her third helping of roast and potatoes. "Perhaps you're going to have a growth spurt," he added. "Who knows? As long as I'm eating, what does it matter?" she snapped. Severus' eyebrow rose and he looked at her closely. "I want to talk with you after supper." Tirza rolled her eyes. "I'm not in trouble am I?" she asked. He shook his head no. "I just want to talk." She scowled at him. "Well I don't wanna!" She threw her fork down on her plate and stalked out of the Great Hall, not caring if she had just gotten herself into trouble or not. The adults and all of Tirza's friends watched with growing concern over the next week as Tirza's hair grew incredibly greasy and her wardrobe began to consist of nothing but black. Every time someone tried to talk to her about it, she'd yell and stomp off. "Well if it isn't the grease monkey," Draco said with a laugh as she walked by one day. She marched straight over to him and looked him square in the face. "Go fuck yourself Malfoy!" she shouted before turning and continuing down the hallway. Remus had watched the interaction between Tirza and Draco and was very worried. Tirza rarely swore anymore and it was never on purpose like that and all the black was just not her. He followed her down the hallway, watching her from a distance before approaching her. "Tirza," Remus called to her softly. She whirled around; her face was looking paler then he had even seen it look before and her face was blank; her eyes however gave away her stoic look, they were filled with tears. "And what do you want?" she snapped. "I want to talk with you, let's go to my office," he told her gently. "I don't want to talk with you," she spat back disgustedly. Apparently being quiet and gentle wasn't going to work. Remus strode over to her and gently but firmly took her arm and led her down the hallway.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get your hands off me!" Tirza demanded. Remus didn't say anything, just continued steering her to his office; they entered and he led her to a chair and sat her down, then looked at her sternly. "Alright, talk," he ordered. She frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Not gonna and you can't make me." Remus kneeled down in front of her. "I don't know who this dark, snotty little girl is but I wish she'd tell me where the real Tirza went, because I miss her," he said quietly. Tirza's lower lip started to quiver and for a moment she almost told him exactly what happened to the little girl she used to be. But she knew if she told, he and her dad and everybody else would try to bring that little girl back and Tirza couldn't let them, because that little girl was pretty and that was a dangerous thing. She had to get out of there before she told him; she pushed Remus away and bolted from the office and headed for the Astronomy tower to cry by herself.
The same as every Friday, Severus entered Tirza's classroom for his weekly update on Tirza's school work. Isabel saw him enter, but didn't smile, which struck him as odd. Isabel was rarely unhappy and if she was, it must mean that Tirza had been up to something. "Come on in," Isabel said quietly. He crossed the room and sat in a chair, looking closely at Isabel. "Not don't get all worked up at what I'm going to tell you, alright?" she asked. His eyebrow rose, but he didn't respond. "On Tuesday I tried to talk to Tirza about all this black and not washing her hair. She yelled several things that I won't repeat and stormed out of here; she hasn't been back for class since then," Isabel told him slowly. Severus could feel his temper rise; Tirza had been incredibly difficult since their return from New York and this was just one of the things she had been pulling lately. "Don't worry, she'll be back in class on Monday," he told Isabel as he stood up, a determined look on his face. Isabel frowned at him. "Severus, be careful. I haven't seen her this upset in a long time and there's something wrong with her that's very big; I just don't know what it is." "Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of all this," he said, turning to go. He this was the last straw; he had had enough of Tirza's misbehavior this past week.
Isabel put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "That's exactly what I mean," she said. "Don't overreact or she'll never want to open up to you about what's going on. She absolutely won't tell me, but when she's ready she'll tell you and you need to be patient until she does." Severus frowned at her. "I appreciate all the help you've given Tirza, but that doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do with my own child," he retorted hotly. Isabel scowled in return. "Oh yes, god forbid anyone but the great Severus Snape is right! Never mind the fact that your daughter is unstable and going through some kind of crisis; let's just do your approach Severus. Barge in, guns blazing and demand to be told or else." His eyes narrowed, but she wasn't through yet. "Though it wouldn't be guns blazing, it would be Tirza's behind because of skipping school. I understand you being upset about her skipping school and the lies I'm sure she's told but for once discipline isn't going to solve things!" Despite being incredibly angry at both Isabel and Tirza, Severus' face burned red; apparently Tirza had told Isabel more things then he had thought she would. "You have overstepped your bounds Miss Whittaker. Consider you're position as my daughter's tutor terminated!" he shouted. He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Severus headed for the Astronomy tower, thinking that was where she would go. He turned out to be right; Tirza was leaning against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, silent sobs shaking her little body. He hated to see her upset and was torn between holding her and yelling at her for all the things she had been pulling since they returned to the school. She noticed him and scowled. "Daddy, I don't want to talk, just go away." His temper flared and he gave her a stern look. "Well you better decide to talk; Isabel just told me you haven't been in school for days and you are extremely close to getting a spanking for all your recent behavior." "Please don't be mad daddy," she whispered. "I can't help it." She began sobbing loudly, her crying sounding desperate. This wasn't like Tirza, none of it was and Snape was worried. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. "What do you mean baby?" he asked gently. He began to stroke her hair, which felt extremely greasy. She didn't answer his question, but her sobs began to die down. "How long has it been since you washed your hair?" Severus asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. "A week," she replied, not looking up at him. If she had been looking at him, she would have seen a look of disgust cross his face.
"Child, you need to take a bath," Severus told her. "NO!" Tirza screamed, shooting him a nasty scowl. "Don't look at me like that Tirza, I'm telling you the truth. Why you would want to run around with hair that feels like yours does I have no idea." "Exactly," she retorted. "You don't have any idea." He stood up with her still in his arms. "Well we are going to remedy this situation immediately." He strode from the tower, heading for his chambers. "Daddy, I don't want a bath!" She protested, starting to squirm around. It wasn't hard for Severus to keep a hold on her, she was so petite, but that didn't prevent her from trying to get away or keep her from screaming. "Tirza, what is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?" he asked as he opened the door to their chambers. "Lemme go, I don't want a stupid bath! My hair is fine!" Tirza shouted as Severus set her down in the bathroom. "Yes you do need a bath," he replied. He used his wand to fill the tub with cleansing bubbles that she wasn't allergic too and looked at her sternly. "I'm coming back in here in three minutes, and I want to see you sitting in that tub, do you understand me?" "Go to hell," she spat back. Severus frowned at her and shook his finger at her. "Say that to me again young lady and you can have a washed mouth and a red behind and THEN take a bath. Now I mean it, three minutes and you better be in that tub." He turned and left the bathroom and could hear Tirza stomping and muttering through the closed door.
True to his word, three minutes later Severus entered the bathroom. And true to her stubborn nature, Tirza stood there, still fully dressed, scowling, her arms crossed over her chest. "You are going to have a bath young lady, one way or another. Now are you going to cooperate or do I have to undress you myself?" Her look dared him to carry through on his threat and Severus was more then ready for the challenge. "Have it your way," he said, taking out his wand. "Accio Tirza bath." (okay, it's stupid, but I couldn't come up with anything else). At the exact moment her body touched the water, her clothes disappeared. Tirza's face turned red with embarrassment and anger, even though he was careful not to remove her clothes before she could be hidden away by the bubbles. "Are you going to wash or do I have to do it for you?" Severus asked. "I won't wash and you can't make me!" she shouted back. Severus rolled up his sleeve and grabbed a washcloth and rubbed it against her special soap. He gently took her arm and began scrubbing it while Tirza looked at him in shock for a moment. "I can do it myself!" she insisted once she regained use of her tongue. "Will you do it?" he asked. She shook her head no and Severus sighed. "That's what I thought," he replied and continued gently scrubbing her arm.
When he reached for the other one, Tirza purposely slapped the water, spraying him right in the face. Severus sputtered for a moment, and then wiped his face on a nearby towel. "Don't," he warned her. She ignored him and splashed him again several times. He finally stopped scrubbing and held her shoulders firmly. "Now listen hear young lady. I know something is bothering you, but you are acting like a two-year-old and my patience is running thin. You splash me again and so help me I'll haul you out of this tub and put you over my knee, got it?" She nodded and he started washing her back. "You don't understand daddy," Tirza whined. "Then tell me so I do understand," he told her. She sighed. "I can't." He stopped and again looked at her. "Then what do you want me to do? All I have to go on is what I am seeing because you won't tell me what's really going on. And what I see is a little girl badly in need of a bath who refuses to bathe herself, therefore forcing me to do it for her. If you want me to stop, tell me what is going on." She stubbornly shook her head no and Severus sighed. "Alright, then give me your feet," he told her, exasperation and frustration evident in his voice. She gave him a nasty glare but allowed him to wash her feet and legs and listened but scowled when he told her to wash the rest herself. Severus retrieved her shampoo and conditioner and carefully washed her hair, making sure not to get any soap in her eyes. In a way it reminded Tirza of when her mother used to wash her hair and bathe her and that was kind of nice, but she was still angry. He was ruining all her plans for protecting herself, but she knew that even if she told him about it, he'd still make her wash, so there was no point.
As soon as she was cleaned up, Severus left the bathroom and Tirza got out of the tub and redressed herself in her all black outfit, then stomped from the chambers. She stormed down the hallway, intent on returning to the Astronomy tower and wallowing in her misery, but caught sight of Dumbledore farther up ahead. "Hello sunshine," he said with a smile as he approached her. "I'm not sunshine and I don't wanna be sunshine," she snapped, catching Dumbledore off guard. She had never protested his pet name of her before and that only added to the worry he was feeling about her already. "You're not feeling quite right, are you?" he asked quietly. Tirza nodded and he put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get you some chocolate, hmmm? That always makes me feel better." Tirza rather reluctantly followed him to his office and sat on the sofa. Dumbledore retrieved a large chocolate bar and sat down beside her, then broke off a piece and handed it to her. "So why don't you want to be sunshine?" he asked gently. She scowled darkly. "Look at me, do I look like a sunshine to you?" she snapped. Indeed, she did not, wearing black head to toe, her face dark with anger, her face looking pale surrounded by so much black. "Well not at the moment," Albus admitted. "But you still are my sunshine," he added. He reached out and brushed a wet curl from in her eyes. "And I'm very worried about my little sunshine." Tirza rolled her eyes. "Well ain't that too bad," she replied sarcastically.
Albus looked at her closely and only her eyes were showing any emotion as her face held fast to a stoic, stony look. Her eyes had lost the twinkle he had come to see in them and it had been replaced by a combination of fear and hurt. Her look reminded him of the night she had first arrived and she was sitting in his office, explaining to him why she had reacted the way she had to Draco Malfoy grabbing her. It had been a long time since he saw that look. "What's going on?" Albus asked softly. Tirza ignored his question and and continued to nibble on her piece of chocolate. "Tirza, tell me what's going on with you. You're not the same little girl that went to visit her best friend after a wonderful Christmas. I'm not sure who this little girl dressed all in black is, but she knows where my sunshine is and I want her to tell me how to bring my sunshine back." Tirza threw the chocolate on the floor and stood up, her face contorted into a dark glare. "She's gone and she's not coming back. This Tirza is here and she's not going anywhere, because she can't, she has to stay." "What are you talking about?" he asked, feeling more concerned then ever. "Keep your fucking big nose outta my business!" Tirza snapped. "Tirza Snape, I know you know better then to speak to me that way," Dumbledore scolded. His scold wasn't very harsh, but coming from someone who had always spoken softly and kindly to Tirza, it hurt and it hurt terribly. "Fuck you!" she screamed, then ran from the office.
Snape looked up from his desk when there was a knock on his office door. "Come in!" he called. Remus poked his head in the door. "Dumbledore's holding an impromptu meeting in his office right away and wanted me to tell you." Snape rolled his eyes, but went to Dumbledore's office anyway. There he found McGonagall, Remus, Dumbledore and Isabel looking at him with worried expressions. "I thought I fired you," he spat at Isabel. "I assured her that she was right and that you would come to your senses and regret your decision, so she might as well stick around until you wise up a little," Dumbledore told him. Snape rolled his eyes. "Fine, you may have been right about what we discussed, but that doesn't seem to help me any. Now what is this meeting all about, I do have work to do you know." He reluctantly sat as everyone else did. "What is going on with Tirza? We are all very worried at this new side of her that we're seeing and she talks to you more then the rest of us together and we'd like to know what you know." Severus sighed. "I know just about as much as the rest of you! She packed all her colored clothes away; everything in her closet is black. She refuses to play dress up or read fairy tales or comb her hair or wash it for that matter and she won't tell me why!" "She's starting to swear again," Isabel spoke up. "And skipping school is so unlike her." Severus nodded. "That's the problem; she's like an entirely different child and for the life of me I can't figure out why and she won't tell me." "She actually shoved me when I asked her what was up; she didn't hurt me of course, but that's just not her and I'm worried," Remus said. He glanced around the room. "We all are," he stated.
Tirza returned to her room, glad to find the chambers empty; Snape was the last person she wanted to deal with right now. She grabbed her broom, not caring that she wasn't supposed to fly without supervision; she had to do something or she'd drive herself crazy trying to avoid people who wanted to talk to her! She walked determinedly from the chambers, only to run into Oliver. "What's up kid? Is your dad taking you flying?" he asked. Tirza scowled and tried to go around him, but Oliver easily and gently caught her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Hey, are you okay? It's not like you to not have a hug for big brother," he asked her gently. Tirza had finally had enough and started to cry. Oliver instantly put his arms around her, hugging her close. "Hey, what is it?" he asked softly. Tirza wanted more then anything to tell him, but her mind kept fighting her, telling her how dangerous it would be to ever be pretty again. Oliver held her as she cried for a few moments, then she tried to pull away from him. He caught her before she could take off down the hallway and looked her in the eyes. "No way girl, you're not going anywhere until you tell me what's bugging you," he told her. "Lemme go stupid!" she shouted. Oliver was slightly shocked by her words, but shook his head. "Nope, tell me," he told her firmly. She shook her head. "Son-of-a-bitch, you let me go!" She kicked his shin and took off down the hallway with her broom.
Oliver was angry and extremely concerned at the same time. This was so totally unlike Tirza and he knew something big must be wrong. He debated for a moment whether or not to go tell Snape what happened or follow her. He remembered the broom and decided to follow her. A broom could be a dangerous thing even when you concentrated on riding it properly; it would become a lot more dangerous when you weren't paying attention, your mind else where. He took off after her, hoping to stop her before she took off on the broom. By the time he made it outside, Tirza was already sailing around on it, making dangerous swoops and fast turns, not paying attention to how close she was coming to things. "Tirza, knock it off and come down!" Oliver shouted. She ignored him and continued to fly dangerously. "Tirza!!" he shouted. He watched her fly close to the school and saw her coat get caught on one of the many statues and he started to panic.... It was a good six foot drop to the ground. He raced towards where she was hanging by her coat, but before he could reach her, he heard a deafening, blood curdling scream and a horrifying thud as she her coat ripped and her tiny body slammed into the ground.
Severus was still talking with the teachers when everyone heard a terrifying scream and raced to the windows, looking out. Severus' heart stopped at what he saw... Tirza was lying motionless on the ground, her broom less than a foot away.
A/N: Oh boy, it doesn't look good does it? Of course she won't die, duh, but still, how bad was she hurt? What will Sev do when he finds out she took the broom out by herself? Oh I know such a nasty cliff hanger!! You'll have to stay tuned!!
Raclswt: Oh don't worry, things'll be speeding up after this episode of stuff is over and it'll fly right to April Fools Day and she has LOTS in store for that... with some help by some of our fav characters.
Luinthoron: Thanks for the reviews!
LostSoul: I thought Sev's revenge was classic..... wish you could do that in real life!
Venus: You're gonna hate me for this cliffhanger, aren't you? LOL! Don't worry though, things work out
Fire'N'Ice: It would have been very UNLIKE Snape to not get some revenge and I think it worked out great. Now about Tirza's new issue... this could take a little bit to convince her
MissLKid: Yes, poor Tirza, little angel
Obsessedwithbritishpeople: glad you like the story!
Oasisgir: email Potter-Snape for pics. Glad you loved the chapter!
Wolfie Jr: Season finale of Criminal Intent was awesome.... Glad that girl got what she deserved
Sapphire: poor Tirza, but things always work out eventually
CraJure: Oh of course Draco will use all this to his advantage!!! He wouldn't be Draco if he didn't!
Slone: NO, she won't cut herself! Absolutely not!!
Severus Snape: summer and first year are all coming up not too long from now
Hugs, Kerry
"Tirza!" someone from behind her yelled. Tirza dropped the scissors on the floor and whirled around to find Hermione looking at her like she was losing it. "What are you doing?" Tirza sighs and picks up the scissors. "Nothing," she replies. Hermione looked doubtful. "Tirza, you don't look good, are you alright?" Tirza nodded. "I'm fine... just thinking about cutting my hair, but maybe it's not a good idea." "Definitely not a good idea," Hermione replied. "Just don't tell my dad, okay? He'll go all funky about it." Hermione looked closely at Tirza, and then nodded. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked as Tirza headed for the door of the bathroom. "Yeah, just fine." Tirza ducked out the door and ran off down the hallway before Hermione could follow her. She ran all the way to the Astronomy tower, needing to think and be alone and didn't want to fall asleep in a passage way again. She lay on her stomach looking out the window at the winter scene before her, her stomach so full of knots it hurt. She didn't really want to cut her hair off, she loved her hair. But she couldn't be pretty anymore. Being pretty was dangerous and she had to figure out a way to stop being pretty so that she could be safe. After much thought, she finally decided that she'd never wash her hair again and always wear it pulled back in an old lady bun; she'd wear all black because colors were pretty, and she'd eat as much as she could stand to at each meal in an attempt to get fat. If she was ugly, nobody would ever want to hurt her that way again and that was just the way Tirza wanted it.
"I don't think I've ever seen you eat so much child," Severus commented at supper that night. She shrugged at continued to eat her third helping of roast and potatoes. "Perhaps you're going to have a growth spurt," he added. "Who knows? As long as I'm eating, what does it matter?" she snapped. Severus' eyebrow rose and he looked at her closely. "I want to talk with you after supper." Tirza rolled her eyes. "I'm not in trouble am I?" she asked. He shook his head no. "I just want to talk." She scowled at him. "Well I don't wanna!" She threw her fork down on her plate and stalked out of the Great Hall, not caring if she had just gotten herself into trouble or not. The adults and all of Tirza's friends watched with growing concern over the next week as Tirza's hair grew incredibly greasy and her wardrobe began to consist of nothing but black. Every time someone tried to talk to her about it, she'd yell and stomp off. "Well if it isn't the grease monkey," Draco said with a laugh as she walked by one day. She marched straight over to him and looked him square in the face. "Go fuck yourself Malfoy!" she shouted before turning and continuing down the hallway. Remus had watched the interaction between Tirza and Draco and was very worried. Tirza rarely swore anymore and it was never on purpose like that and all the black was just not her. He followed her down the hallway, watching her from a distance before approaching her. "Tirza," Remus called to her softly. She whirled around; her face was looking paler then he had even seen it look before and her face was blank; her eyes however gave away her stoic look, they were filled with tears. "And what do you want?" she snapped. "I want to talk with you, let's go to my office," he told her gently. "I don't want to talk with you," she spat back disgustedly. Apparently being quiet and gentle wasn't going to work. Remus strode over to her and gently but firmly took her arm and led her down the hallway.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get your hands off me!" Tirza demanded. Remus didn't say anything, just continued steering her to his office; they entered and he led her to a chair and sat her down, then looked at her sternly. "Alright, talk," he ordered. She frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "Not gonna and you can't make me." Remus kneeled down in front of her. "I don't know who this dark, snotty little girl is but I wish she'd tell me where the real Tirza went, because I miss her," he said quietly. Tirza's lower lip started to quiver and for a moment she almost told him exactly what happened to the little girl she used to be. But she knew if she told, he and her dad and everybody else would try to bring that little girl back and Tirza couldn't let them, because that little girl was pretty and that was a dangerous thing. She had to get out of there before she told him; she pushed Remus away and bolted from the office and headed for the Astronomy tower to cry by herself.
The same as every Friday, Severus entered Tirza's classroom for his weekly update on Tirza's school work. Isabel saw him enter, but didn't smile, which struck him as odd. Isabel was rarely unhappy and if she was, it must mean that Tirza had been up to something. "Come on in," Isabel said quietly. He crossed the room and sat in a chair, looking closely at Isabel. "Not don't get all worked up at what I'm going to tell you, alright?" she asked. His eyebrow rose, but he didn't respond. "On Tuesday I tried to talk to Tirza about all this black and not washing her hair. She yelled several things that I won't repeat and stormed out of here; she hasn't been back for class since then," Isabel told him slowly. Severus could feel his temper rise; Tirza had been incredibly difficult since their return from New York and this was just one of the things she had been pulling lately. "Don't worry, she'll be back in class on Monday," he told Isabel as he stood up, a determined look on his face. Isabel frowned at him. "Severus, be careful. I haven't seen her this upset in a long time and there's something wrong with her that's very big; I just don't know what it is." "Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of all this," he said, turning to go. He this was the last straw; he had had enough of Tirza's misbehavior this past week.
Isabel put a hand on his arm, stopping him. "That's exactly what I mean," she said. "Don't overreact or she'll never want to open up to you about what's going on. She absolutely won't tell me, but when she's ready she'll tell you and you need to be patient until she does." Severus frowned at her. "I appreciate all the help you've given Tirza, but that doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do with my own child," he retorted hotly. Isabel scowled in return. "Oh yes, god forbid anyone but the great Severus Snape is right! Never mind the fact that your daughter is unstable and going through some kind of crisis; let's just do your approach Severus. Barge in, guns blazing and demand to be told or else." His eyes narrowed, but she wasn't through yet. "Though it wouldn't be guns blazing, it would be Tirza's behind because of skipping school. I understand you being upset about her skipping school and the lies I'm sure she's told but for once discipline isn't going to solve things!" Despite being incredibly angry at both Isabel and Tirza, Severus' face burned red; apparently Tirza had told Isabel more things then he had thought she would. "You have overstepped your bounds Miss Whittaker. Consider you're position as my daughter's tutor terminated!" he shouted. He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
Severus headed for the Astronomy tower, thinking that was where she would go. He turned out to be right; Tirza was leaning against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, silent sobs shaking her little body. He hated to see her upset and was torn between holding her and yelling at her for all the things she had been pulling since they returned to the school. She noticed him and scowled. "Daddy, I don't want to talk, just go away." His temper flared and he gave her a stern look. "Well you better decide to talk; Isabel just told me you haven't been in school for days and you are extremely close to getting a spanking for all your recent behavior." "Please don't be mad daddy," she whispered. "I can't help it." She began sobbing loudly, her crying sounding desperate. This wasn't like Tirza, none of it was and Snape was worried. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. "What do you mean baby?" he asked gently. He began to stroke her hair, which felt extremely greasy. She didn't answer his question, but her sobs began to die down. "How long has it been since you washed your hair?" Severus asked, not sure if he really wanted to know the answer. "A week," she replied, not looking up at him. If she had been looking at him, she would have seen a look of disgust cross his face.
"Child, you need to take a bath," Severus told her. "NO!" Tirza screamed, shooting him a nasty scowl. "Don't look at me like that Tirza, I'm telling you the truth. Why you would want to run around with hair that feels like yours does I have no idea." "Exactly," she retorted. "You don't have any idea." He stood up with her still in his arms. "Well we are going to remedy this situation immediately." He strode from the tower, heading for his chambers. "Daddy, I don't want a bath!" She protested, starting to squirm around. It wasn't hard for Severus to keep a hold on her, she was so petite, but that didn't prevent her from trying to get away or keep her from screaming. "Tirza, what is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?" he asked as he opened the door to their chambers. "Lemme go, I don't want a stupid bath! My hair is fine!" Tirza shouted as Severus set her down in the bathroom. "Yes you do need a bath," he replied. He used his wand to fill the tub with cleansing bubbles that she wasn't allergic too and looked at her sternly. "I'm coming back in here in three minutes, and I want to see you sitting in that tub, do you understand me?" "Go to hell," she spat back. Severus frowned at her and shook his finger at her. "Say that to me again young lady and you can have a washed mouth and a red behind and THEN take a bath. Now I mean it, three minutes and you better be in that tub." He turned and left the bathroom and could hear Tirza stomping and muttering through the closed door.
True to his word, three minutes later Severus entered the bathroom. And true to her stubborn nature, Tirza stood there, still fully dressed, scowling, her arms crossed over her chest. "You are going to have a bath young lady, one way or another. Now are you going to cooperate or do I have to undress you myself?" Her look dared him to carry through on his threat and Severus was more then ready for the challenge. "Have it your way," he said, taking out his wand. "Accio Tirza bath." (okay, it's stupid, but I couldn't come up with anything else). At the exact moment her body touched the water, her clothes disappeared. Tirza's face turned red with embarrassment and anger, even though he was careful not to remove her clothes before she could be hidden away by the bubbles. "Are you going to wash or do I have to do it for you?" Severus asked. "I won't wash and you can't make me!" she shouted back. Severus rolled up his sleeve and grabbed a washcloth and rubbed it against her special soap. He gently took her arm and began scrubbing it while Tirza looked at him in shock for a moment. "I can do it myself!" she insisted once she regained use of her tongue. "Will you do it?" he asked. She shook her head no and Severus sighed. "That's what I thought," he replied and continued gently scrubbing her arm.
When he reached for the other one, Tirza purposely slapped the water, spraying him right in the face. Severus sputtered for a moment, and then wiped his face on a nearby towel. "Don't," he warned her. She ignored him and splashed him again several times. He finally stopped scrubbing and held her shoulders firmly. "Now listen hear young lady. I know something is bothering you, but you are acting like a two-year-old and my patience is running thin. You splash me again and so help me I'll haul you out of this tub and put you over my knee, got it?" She nodded and he started washing her back. "You don't understand daddy," Tirza whined. "Then tell me so I do understand," he told her. She sighed. "I can't." He stopped and again looked at her. "Then what do you want me to do? All I have to go on is what I am seeing because you won't tell me what's really going on. And what I see is a little girl badly in need of a bath who refuses to bathe herself, therefore forcing me to do it for her. If you want me to stop, tell me what is going on." She stubbornly shook her head no and Severus sighed. "Alright, then give me your feet," he told her, exasperation and frustration evident in his voice. She gave him a nasty glare but allowed him to wash her feet and legs and listened but scowled when he told her to wash the rest herself. Severus retrieved her shampoo and conditioner and carefully washed her hair, making sure not to get any soap in her eyes. In a way it reminded Tirza of when her mother used to wash her hair and bathe her and that was kind of nice, but she was still angry. He was ruining all her plans for protecting herself, but she knew that even if she told him about it, he'd still make her wash, so there was no point.
As soon as she was cleaned up, Severus left the bathroom and Tirza got out of the tub and redressed herself in her all black outfit, then stomped from the chambers. She stormed down the hallway, intent on returning to the Astronomy tower and wallowing in her misery, but caught sight of Dumbledore farther up ahead. "Hello sunshine," he said with a smile as he approached her. "I'm not sunshine and I don't wanna be sunshine," she snapped, catching Dumbledore off guard. She had never protested his pet name of her before and that only added to the worry he was feeling about her already. "You're not feeling quite right, are you?" he asked quietly. Tirza nodded and he put his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get you some chocolate, hmmm? That always makes me feel better." Tirza rather reluctantly followed him to his office and sat on the sofa. Dumbledore retrieved a large chocolate bar and sat down beside her, then broke off a piece and handed it to her. "So why don't you want to be sunshine?" he asked gently. She scowled darkly. "Look at me, do I look like a sunshine to you?" she snapped. Indeed, she did not, wearing black head to toe, her face dark with anger, her face looking pale surrounded by so much black. "Well not at the moment," Albus admitted. "But you still are my sunshine," he added. He reached out and brushed a wet curl from in her eyes. "And I'm very worried about my little sunshine." Tirza rolled her eyes. "Well ain't that too bad," she replied sarcastically.
Albus looked at her closely and only her eyes were showing any emotion as her face held fast to a stoic, stony look. Her eyes had lost the twinkle he had come to see in them and it had been replaced by a combination of fear and hurt. Her look reminded him of the night she had first arrived and she was sitting in his office, explaining to him why she had reacted the way she had to Draco Malfoy grabbing her. It had been a long time since he saw that look. "What's going on?" Albus asked softly. Tirza ignored his question and and continued to nibble on her piece of chocolate. "Tirza, tell me what's going on with you. You're not the same little girl that went to visit her best friend after a wonderful Christmas. I'm not sure who this little girl dressed all in black is, but she knows where my sunshine is and I want her to tell me how to bring my sunshine back." Tirza threw the chocolate on the floor and stood up, her face contorted into a dark glare. "She's gone and she's not coming back. This Tirza is here and she's not going anywhere, because she can't, she has to stay." "What are you talking about?" he asked, feeling more concerned then ever. "Keep your fucking big nose outta my business!" Tirza snapped. "Tirza Snape, I know you know better then to speak to me that way," Dumbledore scolded. His scold wasn't very harsh, but coming from someone who had always spoken softly and kindly to Tirza, it hurt and it hurt terribly. "Fuck you!" she screamed, then ran from the office.
Snape looked up from his desk when there was a knock on his office door. "Come in!" he called. Remus poked his head in the door. "Dumbledore's holding an impromptu meeting in his office right away and wanted me to tell you." Snape rolled his eyes, but went to Dumbledore's office anyway. There he found McGonagall, Remus, Dumbledore and Isabel looking at him with worried expressions. "I thought I fired you," he spat at Isabel. "I assured her that she was right and that you would come to your senses and regret your decision, so she might as well stick around until you wise up a little," Dumbledore told him. Snape rolled his eyes. "Fine, you may have been right about what we discussed, but that doesn't seem to help me any. Now what is this meeting all about, I do have work to do you know." He reluctantly sat as everyone else did. "What is going on with Tirza? We are all very worried at this new side of her that we're seeing and she talks to you more then the rest of us together and we'd like to know what you know." Severus sighed. "I know just about as much as the rest of you! She packed all her colored clothes away; everything in her closet is black. She refuses to play dress up or read fairy tales or comb her hair or wash it for that matter and she won't tell me why!" "She's starting to swear again," Isabel spoke up. "And skipping school is so unlike her." Severus nodded. "That's the problem; she's like an entirely different child and for the life of me I can't figure out why and she won't tell me." "She actually shoved me when I asked her what was up; she didn't hurt me of course, but that's just not her and I'm worried," Remus said. He glanced around the room. "We all are," he stated.
Tirza returned to her room, glad to find the chambers empty; Snape was the last person she wanted to deal with right now. She grabbed her broom, not caring that she wasn't supposed to fly without supervision; she had to do something or she'd drive herself crazy trying to avoid people who wanted to talk to her! She walked determinedly from the chambers, only to run into Oliver. "What's up kid? Is your dad taking you flying?" he asked. Tirza scowled and tried to go around him, but Oliver easily and gently caught her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Hey, are you okay? It's not like you to not have a hug for big brother," he asked her gently. Tirza had finally had enough and started to cry. Oliver instantly put his arms around her, hugging her close. "Hey, what is it?" he asked softly. Tirza wanted more then anything to tell him, but her mind kept fighting her, telling her how dangerous it would be to ever be pretty again. Oliver held her as she cried for a few moments, then she tried to pull away from him. He caught her before she could take off down the hallway and looked her in the eyes. "No way girl, you're not going anywhere until you tell me what's bugging you," he told her. "Lemme go stupid!" she shouted. Oliver was slightly shocked by her words, but shook his head. "Nope, tell me," he told her firmly. She shook her head. "Son-of-a-bitch, you let me go!" She kicked his shin and took off down the hallway with her broom.
Oliver was angry and extremely concerned at the same time. This was so totally unlike Tirza and he knew something big must be wrong. He debated for a moment whether or not to go tell Snape what happened or follow her. He remembered the broom and decided to follow her. A broom could be a dangerous thing even when you concentrated on riding it properly; it would become a lot more dangerous when you weren't paying attention, your mind else where. He took off after her, hoping to stop her before she took off on the broom. By the time he made it outside, Tirza was already sailing around on it, making dangerous swoops and fast turns, not paying attention to how close she was coming to things. "Tirza, knock it off and come down!" Oliver shouted. She ignored him and continued to fly dangerously. "Tirza!!" he shouted. He watched her fly close to the school and saw her coat get caught on one of the many statues and he started to panic.... It was a good six foot drop to the ground. He raced towards where she was hanging by her coat, but before he could reach her, he heard a deafening, blood curdling scream and a horrifying thud as she her coat ripped and her tiny body slammed into the ground.
Severus was still talking with the teachers when everyone heard a terrifying scream and raced to the windows, looking out. Severus' heart stopped at what he saw... Tirza was lying motionless on the ground, her broom less than a foot away.
A/N: Oh boy, it doesn't look good does it? Of course she won't die, duh, but still, how bad was she hurt? What will Sev do when he finds out she took the broom out by herself? Oh I know such a nasty cliff hanger!! You'll have to stay tuned!!
Raclswt: Oh don't worry, things'll be speeding up after this episode of stuff is over and it'll fly right to April Fools Day and she has LOTS in store for that... with some help by some of our fav characters.
Luinthoron: Thanks for the reviews!
LostSoul: I thought Sev's revenge was classic..... wish you could do that in real life!
Venus: You're gonna hate me for this cliffhanger, aren't you? LOL! Don't worry though, things work out
Fire'N'Ice: It would have been very UNLIKE Snape to not get some revenge and I think it worked out great. Now about Tirza's new issue... this could take a little bit to convince her
MissLKid: Yes, poor Tirza, little angel
Obsessedwithbritishpeople: glad you like the story!
Oasisgir: email Potter-Snape for pics. Glad you loved the chapter!
Wolfie Jr: Season finale of Criminal Intent was awesome.... Glad that girl got what she deserved
Sapphire: poor Tirza, but things always work out eventually
CraJure: Oh of course Draco will use all this to his advantage!!! He wouldn't be Draco if he didn't!
Slone: NO, she won't cut herself! Absolutely not!!
Severus Snape: summer and first year are all coming up not too long from now
Hugs, Kerry
