Disclaimer: JKR created this wonderful playground that we enjoy visiting everyday.
A/N: We aren't getting as big of a response as we hoped, but we're not letting that deter us. Flames are welcome, but only the constructive criticism kind. Tell us what you think of the character's we've created. And for all those curious, Draco's daughter --Aradia-- her name means Goddess of Witches. Spiffy, eh? Anyways...on to the next chapter! ENJOY!
"How do you think I did?" R2W whispered nervously in the general direction of Jordan; watching Professor Snape hand back the tests from the previous day.
"I have great confidence that you passed with flying colors...no thanks to me of course." Jordan replied, smirking slightly. As he too watched his father make his rounds, he noted that the elder Snape didn't have a cheery disposition.
"And Taryn..." R2W added, grinning slightly. "If she hadn't given me detention I'd have been doomed."
"Miss Potter." The silky smooth baritone of Professor Snape's voice dripped like acid from above Beth. Wincing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath; opting to not watch as the professor slowly placed the test paper on the table in front of her. When she heard the rustle of his robes as he moved away, she deemed it safe to open her eyes.
88%, thick red lettering announced at the top of her page. Sighing in relief, Beth raised her eyes and watched as Snape came to a rather slow halt in front of his son.
"I expected much better from the class as a whole...but you, Mr. Snape, you disappoint me." Professor Snape frowned in disgust, fingering the edge of Jordan's test paper. Squirming in his seat, Jordan chanced a glance at the man standing above him.
"Sir?" he managed to squeak out, confusion apparent in his voice. Snape stared at his son for a moment, before raising his eyes to pan the length of the classroom.
"Mr. Snape here," he began, addressing the students, "was the only student to get every question right..." Jordan allowed himself a brief satisfactory smile, giving thumbs up to Beth and R2W under the table. "However," Snape began again, causing Jordan to stare in fright. "Cheating is highly frowned upon in my classroom. Punishment for such an act...severe."
"With all due respect, sir, I didn't cheat." Jordan defended himself, straightening in his chair.
"No? I find that hard to believe." Snape countered, dropping the paper to the table. ZERO was written in bold red script, underlined twice. "This test was extremely difficult. Most 7th years would have trouble with it. A perfect score is highly unusual..." he paused, smirking slightly. "And of course, you have access to the answers."
"I didn't cheat." Jordan ground out between clenched teeth.
"A nighttime visit to your mother...just happen to glance at my desk, and what do you see? The answers to the test. How easy is it to make a magical copy and stuff it in your robes before anyone notices?" Professor Snape folded his arms over his chest, daring Jordan to say another word. However, it wasn't Jordan who spoke next.
"He didn't cheat!" R2W exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. Snape whipped his head around, glaring at the young Weasley. R2W 'eeped' quickly, plopping back down in his seat. "I was with him all night in detention! We were scrubbing trophies together and..."
"And pouring over the answers to the test!" Snape exclaimed triumphantly, smacking R2W's test paper on the desk. His also held a bold red ZERO at the top of the page. "Just as I suspected."
"But...but..." R2W squeaked, glancing frantically between his paper and the professor.
"But nothing, Mr. Weasley." Snape said as he moved away from the desk and resumed passing back the tests. "As I said before, cheating will not be tolerated in my classroom."
Beth chose this moment to gather her Gryffindor courage and jump out of her seat.
"He's been around you for fifteen years...how can he NOT know everything there is to know about potions?" She exclaimed, glaring haughtily at Snape. When a murderous look appeared on his face, she added in a meek, "Sir..."
"INSOLENCE, Miss Potter, is also not tolerated in my classroom! 25 points from Gryffindor!" he bellowed, stalking to the front of the classroom. Silence reigned supreme for the next few moments; no one dared to speak.
"You have no proof." It was whispered so silently that if the room hadn't been deathly silent, no one would have heard it.
"Excuse me?" Snape glared daggers at his son. Jordan looked up, a determined expression on his face.
"You have no proof." He repeated, louder this time. Snape seemed at a loss for words, causing Jordan to smirk triumphantly.
"Mr. Snape, you are treading on thin ice here."
"I'm only stating the obvious, Sir." Sir was said with malice as he returned an equally oppressive glare to the professor. "And as you have proved countless times, proof matters to you." Jordan explained, remembering the many times Snape had used those words against him.
"This isn't the same." Snape stuttered, grasping for an excuse. It was obvious the man despised being wrong.
"Isn't it, though?" Jordan asked, innocently. Gathering the his belongings he moved to stand, picking up the offending test last. "I'm sure Headmaster Dumbledore will be most interested to add his two sense into this matter. I'll just go ask him now."
"Don't bother." Snape spat, summoning Jordan and R2W's tests to his desk. Scribbling quickly changed the zero's to their true grades, 100% and 80%. R2W grinned happily when the test was sent back his way. Jordan nodded curtly, but didn't return to his seat. Professor Snape was about to yell when the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
"Have a wonderful day, Professor Snape!" Jordan's voice rang merrily forth as he exited the classroom. Shooting one last cheeky grin to Snape, Jordan made a beeline for the Great Hall.
~*~
"I hate that man!" R2W exclaimed once they were a safe distance from the dungeons. Glancing quickly at Jordan, he added a hasty, "No offense." Receiving no response from Jordan, he continued. "If he's this rotten to us, I hate to think of how bad he was to our parents!"
"I know!" Beth pipped up, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Dad says he's eased up a lot since he married Aunt Mione, and since Voldemort was defeated." R2W winced visibly at the former Dark Lord's name.
"Don't say that name!"
"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Beth retorted, sticking her tongue out much like a three year old would.
"You got that from Aunt Mione."
"So?" Beth countered, folding her arms across her chest.
"Never mind." R2W shrugged it off, averting his eyes to the floor. "Still, I can't believe he did that." R2W continued on the topic of Professor Snape. He looked up at Jordan, who was staring blankly ahead. "He should know that the same rules apply to you as they do to us."
"Yeah." Beth agreed, looking at her two male counterparts. "He acts like you think that you get to walk around Hogwarts any time you please, just because you live here."
"And, I mean, you may be foolish, but you aren't THAT stupid." R2W threw in. Jordan finally seemed to come back from whatever universe he'd been inhabiting.
"You're absolutely right!" He exclaimed, looking incredulously at R2W. The red head's eyes widened.
"I am!?"
"He is?!" Beth blurted out at the same time.
"Yes!" Jordan grinned at his friends. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before."
"Think of what?" His two friends chimed simultaneously once more.
"I need to see the outside world!" he exclaimed, causing R2W and Beth to give him odd looks. "I've been cooped up in this castle for far too long."
"Eh?" R2W furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion.
"Er...um...yeah..." Beth seemed at a loss for words.
"You two are ingenious." Jordan added as an after thought. Spotting Taryn down the hall, he gave his friends quick hugs and ran off to meet his sister.
"What did we do?" R2W looked at Beth, who was trying to regain her senses. "Do you have any idea?"
"Uh...nope."
"That's what I thought."
~*~
"Tare!" Jordan raced down the hall, bellowing out his sister's name in hopes to catch her attention. "Tare! Tare! Tare!" By this time, he had caught up to the Head Girl and she was gazing quizzically down at him.
"What, what, what?!" she asked, exasperated.
"Tare!"
"WHAT?" She yelled, slapping him upside the head.
"Bloody hell, what did you do that for?" Jordan grumbled, rubbing his head.
"I did it to shut you up." She explained, rolling her eyes. Jordan glared at her. "It worked didn't it?"
"Meh." Jordan supplied weakly.
"Well, what is it that you needed? I'm in a bit of a hurry here."
"Um..." Jordan grinned meekly up at his sister. "I forgot."
"You're testing my patience, Jordan Snape!" Taryn huffed, looking impatiently at her younger brother.
"I want to go see our grandparents."
"Oh!" Taryn nodded in understanding. "Is that all? Well, I don't know if he's in, but his password is 'licorice'." She began walking away, but Jordan tugged on her arm, pulling her back.
"Not Pappy, you imbecile!" Jordan snapped, running a hand through his messy mop of chocolate trusses. "How you ever became Head Girl is beyond me."
"Shoosh." Taryn frowned, leaning against the wall. "So you mean Mum's parents?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"One, we've never met them." Taryn nodded slowly, waiting for Jordan to continue. "And B, we've never ventured farther than the boundaries of Hogsmede." Taryn giggled at Jordan's incorrect listing. "We've been cooped up in this castle all our lives! I want to see the world!"
"Well..." Taryn sighed, smiling conspiratorially. "I HAVE always wanted to see a real muggle..."
Jordan frowned at Taryn.
"Who said your coming with me?"
~*~
Later that evening, after dinner was finished, Taryn and Jordan met outside the Great Hall.
"I hope they agree to this." Taryn linked her arm with Jordan's as they made their way to their parent's private rooms.
"Me too." Jordan supplied quietly. The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Upon reaching the door, Jordan rapped sharply and stepped back as his mother opened it.
"Hey kids." Hermione smiled at her children, ushering them into the large study.
"Hey Mum." Taryn smiled, hugging her mother. Jordan did the same as Taryn moved to embrace her father, who was sitting in a chair by the fire reading the Daily Prophet.
"What brings you two here after curfew?" Severus looked at Taryn and raised his eyebrows.
"We want to see our grandparents." Jordan said, looking hopefully at Hermione. Severus sighed, returning to his paper.
"Is that all? I don't know if he's in, but his password is 'licorice'."
"Not Pappy, Dad." Taryn spoke softly, frowning at her father.
"If not Pappy," Hermione spoke, moving to stand beside her daughter. "Than who?"
"You're parents, Mum! Who else?" Jordan answered, falling into another chair.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Hermione exclaimed at the same time as Severus said, "Absolutely not!"
Taryn and Jordan moved to stand next each other, while Severus and Hermione glared at one another.
"We can't expect the kids to stay cooped up in this place forever, Sev."
"They have school."
"Christmas Holiday is coming. It wouldn't hurt to let them spend a week with my parents, get to know their family."
"This is absolutely out of the question." Severus snapped, throwing his paper down on the vacant end table.
"Does this have anything to do with you accusing me of cheating today?" Jordan inquired, frowning at his father. Hermione and Taryn both gaped at Severus.
"You accused J of cheating?!" They both exclaimed at once.
"Will you stop changing the subject?" Severus stood, striding over to the fireplace; pouring himself a glass of brandy from a decanter that sat atop the mantle. Hermione glared once more at her husband, before turning to her children.
"I'll send an owl tomorrow, see what they think of the idea."
"Yes..." Severus finally spoke, turning to face his expectant family. "And no." Taryn and Jordan ignored him, giving their mother a quick hug.
"Thanks Mum!" They both exclaimed before leaving the rooms. Severus looked from Hermione, to the door, and back to Hermione again.
"But...but!"
"Would it hurt you to treat your son like a human being?" Hermione sighed, shutting herself their bedroom. Severus heard the distinct 'click' of the lock, and watched as a pillow and blanket appeared on the couch. Trying 'Alohamora' on the door didn't work, and sighing in defeat, he kicked off his shoes and placed on the makeshift bed.
"Gryffindors." He muttered, dousing the lights with his wand. "So bloody complicated."
~*~
"Don't worry about it, J." Taryn was comforting her brother on the walk back to their common rooms. "He'll come around. He's just stubborn."
"Meh."
"What are my two favorite Snape's doing wandering the halls this late at night?" A familiar teasing voice floated to the siblings from down the hall. Stepping into the flickering candle light, Albus Dumbledore appeared before them.
"Dumledude!" Jordan exclaimed, smiling brightly. Taryn smacked him upside the head, as was her custom when he screwed up. Jordan smiled sheepishly. "Er...dore, I meant."
"It's quite all right, J-Man." Dumbledore laughed at Taryn's confused look. Ever since he was young, Jordan had called Albus, Dumbledude. In return, Albus called him J-Man. No one new of this, including Taryn. "So, what are you up to?" he asked once more.
"We're just heading back to our common rooms. We've been to see Mum and Dad." Taryn explained, shifting her weight between feet.
"Oh? And how did that go?"
"Mum was wonderful as always." Jordan sighed, looking at the floor. "But HIM...he was just...grrrrrr."
"I see."
"We asked them to go see our grandparents, you know, Mum's parents?" Albus nodded in confirmation, and Taryn continued. "Mum loved the idea, but Dad wasn't too happy."
"I see."
"He flew off the handle, as always." Jordan rolled his eyes. "Someone needs to remove that broomstick from his a..."
"Jordan!" Taryn smacked her brother playfully.
"Sorry..."
"I see."
"See what?" Jordan questioned, glancing at the old man. Albus only laughed and hugged his two god children.
"Everything, my dear boy. Everything."
"That's nothing new." Jordan laughed, hugging the man once more and setting off for Gryffindor Tower.
"Keep a close eye on him, Tare-Bear." Albus spoke gravely, holding Taryn out arms length and looking into her eyes. "He's been dealt the short end of the stick, and he needs all the support he can get."
"I know, Pappy." Taryn smiled reassuringly. "I know."
A/N: We aren't getting as big of a response as we hoped, but we're not letting that deter us. Flames are welcome, but only the constructive criticism kind. Tell us what you think of the character's we've created. And for all those curious, Draco's daughter --Aradia-- her name means Goddess of Witches. Spiffy, eh? Anyways...on to the next chapter! ENJOY!
"How do you think I did?" R2W whispered nervously in the general direction of Jordan; watching Professor Snape hand back the tests from the previous day.
"I have great confidence that you passed with flying colors...no thanks to me of course." Jordan replied, smirking slightly. As he too watched his father make his rounds, he noted that the elder Snape didn't have a cheery disposition.
"And Taryn..." R2W added, grinning slightly. "If she hadn't given me detention I'd have been doomed."
"Miss Potter." The silky smooth baritone of Professor Snape's voice dripped like acid from above Beth. Wincing, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath; opting to not watch as the professor slowly placed the test paper on the table in front of her. When she heard the rustle of his robes as he moved away, she deemed it safe to open her eyes.
88%, thick red lettering announced at the top of her page. Sighing in relief, Beth raised her eyes and watched as Snape came to a rather slow halt in front of his son.
"I expected much better from the class as a whole...but you, Mr. Snape, you disappoint me." Professor Snape frowned in disgust, fingering the edge of Jordan's test paper. Squirming in his seat, Jordan chanced a glance at the man standing above him.
"Sir?" he managed to squeak out, confusion apparent in his voice. Snape stared at his son for a moment, before raising his eyes to pan the length of the classroom.
"Mr. Snape here," he began, addressing the students, "was the only student to get every question right..." Jordan allowed himself a brief satisfactory smile, giving thumbs up to Beth and R2W under the table. "However," Snape began again, causing Jordan to stare in fright. "Cheating is highly frowned upon in my classroom. Punishment for such an act...severe."
"With all due respect, sir, I didn't cheat." Jordan defended himself, straightening in his chair.
"No? I find that hard to believe." Snape countered, dropping the paper to the table. ZERO was written in bold red script, underlined twice. "This test was extremely difficult. Most 7th years would have trouble with it. A perfect score is highly unusual..." he paused, smirking slightly. "And of course, you have access to the answers."
"I didn't cheat." Jordan ground out between clenched teeth.
"A nighttime visit to your mother...just happen to glance at my desk, and what do you see? The answers to the test. How easy is it to make a magical copy and stuff it in your robes before anyone notices?" Professor Snape folded his arms over his chest, daring Jordan to say another word. However, it wasn't Jordan who spoke next.
"He didn't cheat!" R2W exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. Snape whipped his head around, glaring at the young Weasley. R2W 'eeped' quickly, plopping back down in his seat. "I was with him all night in detention! We were scrubbing trophies together and..."
"And pouring over the answers to the test!" Snape exclaimed triumphantly, smacking R2W's test paper on the desk. His also held a bold red ZERO at the top of the page. "Just as I suspected."
"But...but..." R2W squeaked, glancing frantically between his paper and the professor.
"But nothing, Mr. Weasley." Snape said as he moved away from the desk and resumed passing back the tests. "As I said before, cheating will not be tolerated in my classroom."
Beth chose this moment to gather her Gryffindor courage and jump out of her seat.
"He's been around you for fifteen years...how can he NOT know everything there is to know about potions?" She exclaimed, glaring haughtily at Snape. When a murderous look appeared on his face, she added in a meek, "Sir..."
"INSOLENCE, Miss Potter, is also not tolerated in my classroom! 25 points from Gryffindor!" he bellowed, stalking to the front of the classroom. Silence reigned supreme for the next few moments; no one dared to speak.
"You have no proof." It was whispered so silently that if the room hadn't been deathly silent, no one would have heard it.
"Excuse me?" Snape glared daggers at his son. Jordan looked up, a determined expression on his face.
"You have no proof." He repeated, louder this time. Snape seemed at a loss for words, causing Jordan to smirk triumphantly.
"Mr. Snape, you are treading on thin ice here."
"I'm only stating the obvious, Sir." Sir was said with malice as he returned an equally oppressive glare to the professor. "And as you have proved countless times, proof matters to you." Jordan explained, remembering the many times Snape had used those words against him.
"This isn't the same." Snape stuttered, grasping for an excuse. It was obvious the man despised being wrong.
"Isn't it, though?" Jordan asked, innocently. Gathering the his belongings he moved to stand, picking up the offending test last. "I'm sure Headmaster Dumbledore will be most interested to add his two sense into this matter. I'll just go ask him now."
"Don't bother." Snape spat, summoning Jordan and R2W's tests to his desk. Scribbling quickly changed the zero's to their true grades, 100% and 80%. R2W grinned happily when the test was sent back his way. Jordan nodded curtly, but didn't return to his seat. Professor Snape was about to yell when the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
"Have a wonderful day, Professor Snape!" Jordan's voice rang merrily forth as he exited the classroom. Shooting one last cheeky grin to Snape, Jordan made a beeline for the Great Hall.
~*~
"I hate that man!" R2W exclaimed once they were a safe distance from the dungeons. Glancing quickly at Jordan, he added a hasty, "No offense." Receiving no response from Jordan, he continued. "If he's this rotten to us, I hate to think of how bad he was to our parents!"
"I know!" Beth pipped up, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Dad says he's eased up a lot since he married Aunt Mione, and since Voldemort was defeated." R2W winced visibly at the former Dark Lord's name.
"Don't say that name!"
"Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." Beth retorted, sticking her tongue out much like a three year old would.
"You got that from Aunt Mione."
"So?" Beth countered, folding her arms across her chest.
"Never mind." R2W shrugged it off, averting his eyes to the floor. "Still, I can't believe he did that." R2W continued on the topic of Professor Snape. He looked up at Jordan, who was staring blankly ahead. "He should know that the same rules apply to you as they do to us."
"Yeah." Beth agreed, looking at her two male counterparts. "He acts like you think that you get to walk around Hogwarts any time you please, just because you live here."
"And, I mean, you may be foolish, but you aren't THAT stupid." R2W threw in. Jordan finally seemed to come back from whatever universe he'd been inhabiting.
"You're absolutely right!" He exclaimed, looking incredulously at R2W. The red head's eyes widened.
"I am!?"
"He is?!" Beth blurted out at the same time.
"Yes!" Jordan grinned at his friends. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before."
"Think of what?" His two friends chimed simultaneously once more.
"I need to see the outside world!" he exclaimed, causing R2W and Beth to give him odd looks. "I've been cooped up in this castle for far too long."
"Eh?" R2W furrowed his eyebrows together in confusion.
"Er...um...yeah..." Beth seemed at a loss for words.
"You two are ingenious." Jordan added as an after thought. Spotting Taryn down the hall, he gave his friends quick hugs and ran off to meet his sister.
"What did we do?" R2W looked at Beth, who was trying to regain her senses. "Do you have any idea?"
"Uh...nope."
"That's what I thought."
~*~
"Tare!" Jordan raced down the hall, bellowing out his sister's name in hopes to catch her attention. "Tare! Tare! Tare!" By this time, he had caught up to the Head Girl and she was gazing quizzically down at him.
"What, what, what?!" she asked, exasperated.
"Tare!"
"WHAT?" She yelled, slapping him upside the head.
"Bloody hell, what did you do that for?" Jordan grumbled, rubbing his head.
"I did it to shut you up." She explained, rolling her eyes. Jordan glared at her. "It worked didn't it?"
"Meh." Jordan supplied weakly.
"Well, what is it that you needed? I'm in a bit of a hurry here."
"Um..." Jordan grinned meekly up at his sister. "I forgot."
"You're testing my patience, Jordan Snape!" Taryn huffed, looking impatiently at her younger brother.
"I want to go see our grandparents."
"Oh!" Taryn nodded in understanding. "Is that all? Well, I don't know if he's in, but his password is 'licorice'." She began walking away, but Jordan tugged on her arm, pulling her back.
"Not Pappy, you imbecile!" Jordan snapped, running a hand through his messy mop of chocolate trusses. "How you ever became Head Girl is beyond me."
"Shoosh." Taryn frowned, leaning against the wall. "So you mean Mum's parents?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"One, we've never met them." Taryn nodded slowly, waiting for Jordan to continue. "And B, we've never ventured farther than the boundaries of Hogsmede." Taryn giggled at Jordan's incorrect listing. "We've been cooped up in this castle all our lives! I want to see the world!"
"Well..." Taryn sighed, smiling conspiratorially. "I HAVE always wanted to see a real muggle..."
Jordan frowned at Taryn.
"Who said your coming with me?"
~*~
Later that evening, after dinner was finished, Taryn and Jordan met outside the Great Hall.
"I hope they agree to this." Taryn linked her arm with Jordan's as they made their way to their parent's private rooms.
"Me too." Jordan supplied quietly. The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Upon reaching the door, Jordan rapped sharply and stepped back as his mother opened it.
"Hey kids." Hermione smiled at her children, ushering them into the large study.
"Hey Mum." Taryn smiled, hugging her mother. Jordan did the same as Taryn moved to embrace her father, who was sitting in a chair by the fire reading the Daily Prophet.
"What brings you two here after curfew?" Severus looked at Taryn and raised his eyebrows.
"We want to see our grandparents." Jordan said, looking hopefully at Hermione. Severus sighed, returning to his paper.
"Is that all? I don't know if he's in, but his password is 'licorice'."
"Not Pappy, Dad." Taryn spoke softly, frowning at her father.
"If not Pappy," Hermione spoke, moving to stand beside her daughter. "Than who?"
"You're parents, Mum! Who else?" Jordan answered, falling into another chair.
"That's a wonderful idea!" Hermione exclaimed at the same time as Severus said, "Absolutely not!"
Taryn and Jordan moved to stand next each other, while Severus and Hermione glared at one another.
"We can't expect the kids to stay cooped up in this place forever, Sev."
"They have school."
"Christmas Holiday is coming. It wouldn't hurt to let them spend a week with my parents, get to know their family."
"This is absolutely out of the question." Severus snapped, throwing his paper down on the vacant end table.
"Does this have anything to do with you accusing me of cheating today?" Jordan inquired, frowning at his father. Hermione and Taryn both gaped at Severus.
"You accused J of cheating?!" They both exclaimed at once.
"Will you stop changing the subject?" Severus stood, striding over to the fireplace; pouring himself a glass of brandy from a decanter that sat atop the mantle. Hermione glared once more at her husband, before turning to her children.
"I'll send an owl tomorrow, see what they think of the idea."
"Yes..." Severus finally spoke, turning to face his expectant family. "And no." Taryn and Jordan ignored him, giving their mother a quick hug.
"Thanks Mum!" They both exclaimed before leaving the rooms. Severus looked from Hermione, to the door, and back to Hermione again.
"But...but!"
"Would it hurt you to treat your son like a human being?" Hermione sighed, shutting herself their bedroom. Severus heard the distinct 'click' of the lock, and watched as a pillow and blanket appeared on the couch. Trying 'Alohamora' on the door didn't work, and sighing in defeat, he kicked off his shoes and placed on the makeshift bed.
"Gryffindors." He muttered, dousing the lights with his wand. "So bloody complicated."
~*~
"Don't worry about it, J." Taryn was comforting her brother on the walk back to their common rooms. "He'll come around. He's just stubborn."
"Meh."
"What are my two favorite Snape's doing wandering the halls this late at night?" A familiar teasing voice floated to the siblings from down the hall. Stepping into the flickering candle light, Albus Dumbledore appeared before them.
"Dumledude!" Jordan exclaimed, smiling brightly. Taryn smacked him upside the head, as was her custom when he screwed up. Jordan smiled sheepishly. "Er...dore, I meant."
"It's quite all right, J-Man." Dumbledore laughed at Taryn's confused look. Ever since he was young, Jordan had called Albus, Dumbledude. In return, Albus called him J-Man. No one new of this, including Taryn. "So, what are you up to?" he asked once more.
"We're just heading back to our common rooms. We've been to see Mum and Dad." Taryn explained, shifting her weight between feet.
"Oh? And how did that go?"
"Mum was wonderful as always." Jordan sighed, looking at the floor. "But HIM...he was just...grrrrrr."
"I see."
"We asked them to go see our grandparents, you know, Mum's parents?" Albus nodded in confirmation, and Taryn continued. "Mum loved the idea, but Dad wasn't too happy."
"I see."
"He flew off the handle, as always." Jordan rolled his eyes. "Someone needs to remove that broomstick from his a..."
"Jordan!" Taryn smacked her brother playfully.
"Sorry..."
"I see."
"See what?" Jordan questioned, glancing at the old man. Albus only laughed and hugged his two god children.
"Everything, my dear boy. Everything."
"That's nothing new." Jordan laughed, hugging the man once more and setting off for Gryffindor Tower.
"Keep a close eye on him, Tare-Bear." Albus spoke gravely, holding Taryn out arms length and looking into her eyes. "He's been dealt the short end of the stick, and he needs all the support he can get."
"I know, Pappy." Taryn smiled reassuringly. "I know."