LP HP: Second Dose- A Story in Twenty-Eight Snippets
by Tavalya Ra
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Rowling is a goddess; may she have mercy on my soul for writing this.
Author's Notes: Thank you to Mawkish for putting me up to the challenge of writing this and to everyone who read and commented upon the story in April- especially Skip, who never failed to make me laugh.
To vita brevis- LP SD would have been the end regardless of OotP as I probably would have started a new set of Snape/Black stories. To STILL a Sirius Fan- Chapter Twenty-four, page 520. Adult Sirius calls Snape "Snivellus." Plus, there are other inconsistencies with Sirius Black's character in GoF as compared to OotP beyond the Pensieve scene. You can disagree… but as I don't agree with your point, I am obviously no longer the proper person to write the pairing. To FanFreak- I adore you. To monica- I've considered starting a webpage, but right now FF.net serves my needs. Don't worry- all twenty-eight snippets will be posted. Thank you also to Wyrm and me for reviewing.
If anyone wishes to archive this story on his or her site, please contact me at clearbluedelphia@yahoo.com.
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Snippet #17: Change of Heart
Once Severus learned the ingredients of the potion and realized that none of them would produce anything toxic to his child, he insisted on brewing it himself. Pomfrey allowed him to do so without protest. It felt good to work with a cauldron again. Sprinkling bit of ground unicorn horn into the brew, he speculated that between his mastery of potions and Sirius's affinity for transfiguration, their daughter was bound to inherit a talent for something. The genes between them were simply too strong for it to be otherwise.
Sirius was watching Harry's Quidditch practice the day after Severus drank the potion. Alone in his bedchamber, he opened one of the packages he had purchased at Diagon Alley. Inside was a tiny black dress with purple bows and embroidered flowers. Severus held it up to the mirror and compared it to his stomach. He felt huge- could he possibly contain something so small that it would fit into that little dress?
He heard a knock at the door.
"Alohomora!" he cast lazily.
He gave a start when he saw Chimera standing in the doorframe.
"Mother?" he asked. "What do you want?"
"May I come in?" she asked plainly.
Severus gestured wordlessly to a chair. Chimera walked towards it, but did not sit.
"I heard you were getting married," she said.
"I am," he acknowledged apathetically, placing the dress back in its tissue paper.
"They allow those sort of weddings?" Surprisingly, her voice was not snide, only inquisitive.
"They do."
"Severus."
He looked into Chimera's face. She appeared uncertain, almost timid.
"Severus, I haven't been nearly as compassionate to you as I should have." Her voice was strained, yet firm. "I'm sorry."
He folded his arms. "Alright," he said.
Chimera blinked. "Alright? That's it? Alright?"
"What do you want me to say?" he asked harshly. "So, you're sorry. Wonderful. How does that fix anything?"
"I'd didn't expect it to," she answered frankly.
"Then what did you expect of it?"
"For it to be a start."
Severus did not know what to say.
She began, "Severus, I have nothing-"
"You have the manor and Father's money," he scoffed. "That's not nothing."
"I have no one," she amended. "There's been no one since your father and I couldn't… relate to you. Well, I'm old and I'm lonely and I don't care if I sound pathetic anymore. I want a part in my grandchild's life."
Severus did not reply.
"You were holding a dress," she said. "Is it a girl?"
He turned his back on her and bowed his head so that he could not see her reflection in the mirror.
"Severus-"
"Forgive me if I am having trouble believing you," he said bitterly. "From the moment you arrived at Hogwarts, you starting saying every spiteful thing you possibly could and you want me to think you've honestly had a change of heart?"
"My heart has not changed," Chimera argued fiercely. "I've simply reached a realization. I came to Hogwarts because I thought that since you were having a child, you had become a different person. When I saw you- pregnant- I assumed the worst, that you still the same. I was bitterly disappointed. I was furious. It wasn't justified. I realize that now and that is why I am here."
"Well, so what?" he spat. "All I-"
"Stop it," she suddenly snapped. "Neither of us can fix the past. The only thing we can do is regret it. I don't want us to talk ourselves into the same damn circles. Are you going to turn me away or are you going to give me a second chance?"
Severus had on the tip of his tongue the few words necessary to blast Chimera's hopes into pieces and put a permanent seal on the memory of his childhood. But her last two words made him hesitate. She was asking for no more- and in truth, far less- than he had of Albus Dumbledore many, many years ago.
He turned around.
"I am not going to pretend that things are fine between us," he said. "They are very much not fine and I don't know if they ever will be. But I think my baby has a right to know her grandmother."
