Disclaimer: as you have probably guessed by now, I am not JK Rowling, and
the HarryPotter-verse does not belong to me (thank goodness!, I hear you
say); I am using the characters and settings for my pleasure, and hopefully
for yours, and I certainly don't deserve to be sued.
Summary: In Harry's seventh year, Voldemort issues a threat to the families of the Hogwarts staff, and they are forced to seek refuge in the school. This uncomfortable situation will allow us some insight into the family life of everybody's favourite Potions Master.
Rating: PG or PG-13, just to be on the safe side.
Review this story as you would like yours to be reviewed! (I hope that will take all flames off my back; if it doesn't, I'll use them to save on the electricity bill)
FAMILY MATTERS
PART V
Svetlana Apparated at the gates of Hogwarts, ducking and looking around, expecting to find black-cloaked figures waiting for her. There was no-one, and the cool evening breeze ruffled her cloak and hair, soothing her strained nerves some. She had spent a day and a night pondering over the words her uncle had delivered in his visit; she was well conscious that she was hiding from her responsibilities towards her husband and children, but she also knew that there were attenuating circumstances. The heavy iron gates creaked open, and she stepped into the safe refuge of the school, her pace quickening as she realised she was close to her children, probably her only reason for living.
In a moment she was in the Entrance Hall, breathing heavily, looking around her like a trapped animal; she forced herself to relax, to behave like the well-educated girl Severus had married, not like the hunted-down individual she was now. There were no students, teachers or ghosts around at that time of the evening, and she made her way down to the dungeons unnoticed.
Serguei caressed absently his sister's silky hair while listening to her childish prattle, all the time aware of his father's eyes following his every move. He had been at the door the moment the clock chimed eight times, and the door had opened soundlessly, to reveal his father standing there, foreboding but less so in his white shirt and black trousers. 'Come in' he had said solemnly, and Serguei stepped inside, almost immediately received by the happy patter of clumsy feet on the rug, and Siena running towards him, her arms outstretched; he hugged her, wondering from which branch of the family had all her enthusiasm come from. They remained like that for half an hour, the little child showing off to her brother her bedroom, the toys and her abstract drawings. He followed her uninterestedly, with a bit of envy at the sight of the thousand of Galleons splashed on her, but it wasn't that what he had come for. That was why, while he caressed Siena's silky black hair, he looked up and met his father's eyes, so like his own.
"Do you know anything about my mother?" His tone was even, challenging in its own indifference.
"I... I've been sent this" Snape had been dreading that answer all evening, but he was prepared. Serguei received the newspaper clipping, and read it twice before looking up.
"This was Uncle Ilia's summer house" said the little boy, frowning "She was there?"
"We suspect she was. We don't know if she was captured, but I don't think so... we would have been notified by now" Notified by a picture of her being tortured, or by finding her lifeless body at his doorstep, but notified nonetheless.
Serguei dropped the piece of parchment and looked at his sister, who had stopped playing and was now watching him with a question in her blue eyes.
"Mommy?" Serguei didn't answer, but he caressed his sister's cheek softly, telling himself he had to be strong, if only for because he didn't want his father to see him cry. "Seriozsha, Seriozsha, Mommy!"
"I don't know, Siena, but don't worry, we'll find her" he muttered. Looking over his sister's head, he saw Severus watching them wistfully. Black eyes locked with black eyes, both angry, one accusing, one remorseful. Before they had time to voice the insults that were welling up in their throats, someone knocked at the door.
"Come in" announced Snape, turning angrily towards the door.
Svetlana stepped in hesitantly, fearing the reaction she would get, but she needn't have to. Serguei, after a moment's hesitation, ran towards her with all the excitement he wouldn't allow himself at any other time, and she fell to her knees to hug him.
"Serguei, Serguei, I'm so sorry, love!!!" she sobbed, while her son (and Siena, which had now joined the party) hugged her back.
"Mom, you're alright!" said the little boy, managing to disentangle himself from his mother's grip, and examining her detachedly: she was paler than usual, with dark circles under her eyes, her lower lip was cut and her hair looked unkempt, but there was nothing worse than that. "I've been so worried, mom, why hadn't you written to me?"
"I'm sorry, baby, but I couldn't owl you, it was dangerous..."
"It was you who was at Uncle Ilia's, wasn't you? It was because of you that they burnt the house down... Mom, promise me you're not going to leave again!" Serguei, with the gesture of someone much older, took his mother's chin in his hand and forced Svetlana to look at him, repeating himself sternly "Promise me you're not going to leave Hogwarts while you're in danger"
"Serguei, it's not that easy..." Svetlana gave a sideways look to her husband, who was regarding her with a curious expression; he sensed her hesitation, and tried to soothe it.
"I'm glad you made it back, Svetlana. You're welcome here" said the Potions Master with the most gentle accent he could manage.
"Promise" repeated Serguei, giving a somehow grateful glance to his father.
"I promise, Seriozsha" conceded Svetlana, earning another hug for her troubles; more composed now, she looked at the clock on the mantelpiece, and started "Serguei, look at the time, and you're out of bed! And Siena too!" She stood up, carrying the baby, and smiled down at her son "You may have started school, but that doesn't mean you can go to bed whenever you like! To your dorm, gentleman, and into bed" Serguei groaned, but he was too glad to see her back to complain; he had one last question, though:
"Are you sure that you won't wake me up in the middle of the night, telling me you're leaving again?"
"If I wake you up in the middle of the night" said Svetlana seriously "it's because we're all leaving. Good-night, sweetheart, I'll see you tomorrow, promise"
"Good-night" called Serguei over his shoulder, purposefully not looking at his father. Svetlana went towards Snape, with the baby, and presented her to him.
"Say good-night to your father, Siena" she instructed, and the baby complied happily. The Potions Master kissed his daughter good-night, and watched as Svetlana and Siena disappeared into the latter's bedroom. Soon, Svetlana came back, closing the door carefully after her; she leaned against the wall, and looked at Severus seriously. "I'm sorry to have come unannounced..." She noticed the newspaper clipping on the floor, and picked it up.
"It was you, wasn't it?" asked Snape, referring to the article.
"Yes..." she admitted "First I went to Moscow, but I was endangering my family, so they moved me to Novgorod; *they* found me on Thursday evening, and me and the bodyguards put up a good fight, until we could Apparate away. I spent the rest of the time in a small farm in Siberia"
"Your weren't hurt, were you?" asked Snape severely; before Svetlana could dismiss the question, a fit of coughing surprised her. Her husband jumped out of his chair and supported her as she tried to stifle the sound, finally giving up and nearly collapsing on the floor. "Here, drink some water... that isn't a normal cough, what was it?"
"They sent some green fumes into the house at the beginning of the siege; they weren't toxic, but they were a bit uncomfortable..." explained Svetlana, wiping the blood from her lips; Severus frowned and went into his office, leaving his wife comfortably settled on an armchair; he soon came back with a flask of a thick green potion.
"I assume you have been taking painkillers for that" he commented disapprovingly; she nodded and took the glass he offered her, swallowing the potion in one gulp. She grimaced at the bitter flavour and gave him the empty glass "I know it doesn't taste too pleasant, but if the fumes were what I think they were, this should ease the effects. Would you like to go to your room now?"
"My room?" she asked as she stood up "Last time, I remember my luggage was in the master bedroom"
"I've arranged a chamber of your own, knowing you would rather sleep on the floor than share a room with me" Snape said haughtily; Svetlana smiled dryly and followed him towards the door next to Siena's.
"You were expecting me back, then?" He gave her a chilling look, but she wasn't going to be deterred by that, although her next words cost her a lot to say "It's very kind of you, Severus, don't think I don't appreciate it"
"It's only my duty" he dismissed "After all, it's my fault they're going after you"
"My father is also partly responsible, Severus, don't be too hard on yourself. The house was under Ministry protection long before you discovered the hostage plan... it doesn't matter now" Svetlana turned and looked into the ample room, decorated in lilac and deep blue, and gasped "I can't believe you remember my favourite colours!"
"I am not as oblivious and heartless as I am made to be" announced Snape, turning towards his own room "The door on the right leads to the bathroom, the door on the left goes to Siena's bedroom. I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose"
"No need to sound so enthusiastic about it" said Svetlana, between amusement and anger; he didn't answer, but she allowed herself a small smile "Good-night, Severus" She closed the door softly, feeling another bout of coughing coming; leaning against the wall, she let her damaged lungs try to expel the toxic fumes she had inhaled two days before. When it was over, she heard quiet steps resuming their way outside the door, and realised that Severus had waited to see if she was alright. //Probably doesn't want to deal with a corpse in his quarters// she thought bitterly, knowing that wasn't the real reason behind it.
Snape waited until Svetlana stopped coughing before going into his own bedroom. He remembered her pale face as she tried to stifle the sound, the way her whole body shook along with her lungs, the childish expression as she took her medicine. Those recent memories disinterred more ancient ones. He saw himself standing in front of Igor Karakoff, nervous and dressed in his emerald-green dress-robes, his long hair loose, feeling the cold eyes of his future father-in-law examining him. And then Svetlana had entered the room, beautiful in her dark-blue velvet robes that brought out the deep pools of her eyes, with her black hair up in elaborated tresses, more than pale under the make-up, looking uncertainly at her fiancé. The shiver in her hand as the Judge of Peace joined it with Severus' hand, the hesitation on her lips as he kissed her for the first time. And the fear of their first night together, her youthfulness and innocence contrasting with Snape's jaded experience. And the desolation in her eyes when he had announced he was leaving.
//'I loved you, you know?' she said to me, like that, like we were discussing the weather... She loved me. Somewhere behind the fear she felt towards me, hidden by the abject respect she showed me, she loved me... and I threw it all away. No wonder she hates me now, really// thought Snape regretfully, as he prepared himself for bed. He knew she had only gone back after she almost got killed, gone back to her children and not to him, but a small part of him felt that she couldn't hate him so much if she trusted him enough to live with him //At least I'm a better option than Voldemort//
"Excuse me, Ma'am, do you know where Professor McGonagall's quarters are? I need to deliver a message from the Headmaster..." Harry trailed off under Mrs Snape piercing blue gaze; she smiled thinly, and motioned towards a secondary corridor on Gryffindor Tower. Siena, who was in her arms, waved happily to Harry, who smiled in return.
"Follow me, Harry Potter" she said and began to walk away; Harry grabbed his bag and followed her, chastising himself for not bringing his Marauders' Map along. Svetlana walked along the corridor, her blue robes reflecting the light coming from the occasional window. Soon, she stopped in front of a portrait (of Godric Gryffindor, to be more exact) and knocked. Mandy McGonagall's head appeared on the doorway "Hello, Mandy" said Svetlana placidly "Young Mr Potter wants to have a word with Minerva, if that's all right"
"Of course, of course" said the old witch "Come in, all of you. Minerva!" she called "You have a visitor!" Harry examined the red-and-gold decorated room, while Mandy took Siena in her arms "Since when are you back, dear child?"
"Yesterday evening" replied Svetlana, without flinching "Thank you for taking care of Siena in the meanwhile, Mandy, I don't believe Severus has thanked you enough"
"Don't worry" laughed Mandy "I am aware of the sociable temper of your husband, and have long ago stopped being bothered by it" She turned to Harry, with a wide smile, and examined him "Sit down, dear. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you, Mrs McGonagall" stammered Harry "I should be in class now..."
"You should indeed, Mr Potter" interrupted Professor McGonagall, appearing from an inner chamber "I will walk you to your classroom, and in the meanwhile you can deliver your message. You have History now, I believe?"
"Yes, Ma'am" Harry turned to say his good-byes, and flinched when he saw the dark-blue eyes of Svetlana Snape trained on him, cold and unwavering "Thank you, and good-bye, Mrs McGonagall, Mrs Snape" Siena waved at him, and he waved back, following his Transfiguration teacher out into the corridor. "It's about the next meeting of the Order, Professor..."
A/N: well, that was a calmer chapter and at least we have Svetlana somewhere safe (as safe as it is to her Severus' living quarters). Next chapter will be out next Thursday, as usual. Doubts, questions, comments? Review?
Summary: In Harry's seventh year, Voldemort issues a threat to the families of the Hogwarts staff, and they are forced to seek refuge in the school. This uncomfortable situation will allow us some insight into the family life of everybody's favourite Potions Master.
Rating: PG or PG-13, just to be on the safe side.
Review this story as you would like yours to be reviewed! (I hope that will take all flames off my back; if it doesn't, I'll use them to save on the electricity bill)
FAMILY MATTERS
PART V
Svetlana Apparated at the gates of Hogwarts, ducking and looking around, expecting to find black-cloaked figures waiting for her. There was no-one, and the cool evening breeze ruffled her cloak and hair, soothing her strained nerves some. She had spent a day and a night pondering over the words her uncle had delivered in his visit; she was well conscious that she was hiding from her responsibilities towards her husband and children, but she also knew that there were attenuating circumstances. The heavy iron gates creaked open, and she stepped into the safe refuge of the school, her pace quickening as she realised she was close to her children, probably her only reason for living.
In a moment she was in the Entrance Hall, breathing heavily, looking around her like a trapped animal; she forced herself to relax, to behave like the well-educated girl Severus had married, not like the hunted-down individual she was now. There were no students, teachers or ghosts around at that time of the evening, and she made her way down to the dungeons unnoticed.
Serguei caressed absently his sister's silky hair while listening to her childish prattle, all the time aware of his father's eyes following his every move. He had been at the door the moment the clock chimed eight times, and the door had opened soundlessly, to reveal his father standing there, foreboding but less so in his white shirt and black trousers. 'Come in' he had said solemnly, and Serguei stepped inside, almost immediately received by the happy patter of clumsy feet on the rug, and Siena running towards him, her arms outstretched; he hugged her, wondering from which branch of the family had all her enthusiasm come from. They remained like that for half an hour, the little child showing off to her brother her bedroom, the toys and her abstract drawings. He followed her uninterestedly, with a bit of envy at the sight of the thousand of Galleons splashed on her, but it wasn't that what he had come for. That was why, while he caressed Siena's silky black hair, he looked up and met his father's eyes, so like his own.
"Do you know anything about my mother?" His tone was even, challenging in its own indifference.
"I... I've been sent this" Snape had been dreading that answer all evening, but he was prepared. Serguei received the newspaper clipping, and read it twice before looking up.
"This was Uncle Ilia's summer house" said the little boy, frowning "She was there?"
"We suspect she was. We don't know if she was captured, but I don't think so... we would have been notified by now" Notified by a picture of her being tortured, or by finding her lifeless body at his doorstep, but notified nonetheless.
Serguei dropped the piece of parchment and looked at his sister, who had stopped playing and was now watching him with a question in her blue eyes.
"Mommy?" Serguei didn't answer, but he caressed his sister's cheek softly, telling himself he had to be strong, if only for because he didn't want his father to see him cry. "Seriozsha, Seriozsha, Mommy!"
"I don't know, Siena, but don't worry, we'll find her" he muttered. Looking over his sister's head, he saw Severus watching them wistfully. Black eyes locked with black eyes, both angry, one accusing, one remorseful. Before they had time to voice the insults that were welling up in their throats, someone knocked at the door.
"Come in" announced Snape, turning angrily towards the door.
Svetlana stepped in hesitantly, fearing the reaction she would get, but she needn't have to. Serguei, after a moment's hesitation, ran towards her with all the excitement he wouldn't allow himself at any other time, and she fell to her knees to hug him.
"Serguei, Serguei, I'm so sorry, love!!!" she sobbed, while her son (and Siena, which had now joined the party) hugged her back.
"Mom, you're alright!" said the little boy, managing to disentangle himself from his mother's grip, and examining her detachedly: she was paler than usual, with dark circles under her eyes, her lower lip was cut and her hair looked unkempt, but there was nothing worse than that. "I've been so worried, mom, why hadn't you written to me?"
"I'm sorry, baby, but I couldn't owl you, it was dangerous..."
"It was you who was at Uncle Ilia's, wasn't you? It was because of you that they burnt the house down... Mom, promise me you're not going to leave again!" Serguei, with the gesture of someone much older, took his mother's chin in his hand and forced Svetlana to look at him, repeating himself sternly "Promise me you're not going to leave Hogwarts while you're in danger"
"Serguei, it's not that easy..." Svetlana gave a sideways look to her husband, who was regarding her with a curious expression; he sensed her hesitation, and tried to soothe it.
"I'm glad you made it back, Svetlana. You're welcome here" said the Potions Master with the most gentle accent he could manage.
"Promise" repeated Serguei, giving a somehow grateful glance to his father.
"I promise, Seriozsha" conceded Svetlana, earning another hug for her troubles; more composed now, she looked at the clock on the mantelpiece, and started "Serguei, look at the time, and you're out of bed! And Siena too!" She stood up, carrying the baby, and smiled down at her son "You may have started school, but that doesn't mean you can go to bed whenever you like! To your dorm, gentleman, and into bed" Serguei groaned, but he was too glad to see her back to complain; he had one last question, though:
"Are you sure that you won't wake me up in the middle of the night, telling me you're leaving again?"
"If I wake you up in the middle of the night" said Svetlana seriously "it's because we're all leaving. Good-night, sweetheart, I'll see you tomorrow, promise"
"Good-night" called Serguei over his shoulder, purposefully not looking at his father. Svetlana went towards Snape, with the baby, and presented her to him.
"Say good-night to your father, Siena" she instructed, and the baby complied happily. The Potions Master kissed his daughter good-night, and watched as Svetlana and Siena disappeared into the latter's bedroom. Soon, Svetlana came back, closing the door carefully after her; she leaned against the wall, and looked at Severus seriously. "I'm sorry to have come unannounced..." She noticed the newspaper clipping on the floor, and picked it up.
"It was you, wasn't it?" asked Snape, referring to the article.
"Yes..." she admitted "First I went to Moscow, but I was endangering my family, so they moved me to Novgorod; *they* found me on Thursday evening, and me and the bodyguards put up a good fight, until we could Apparate away. I spent the rest of the time in a small farm in Siberia"
"Your weren't hurt, were you?" asked Snape severely; before Svetlana could dismiss the question, a fit of coughing surprised her. Her husband jumped out of his chair and supported her as she tried to stifle the sound, finally giving up and nearly collapsing on the floor. "Here, drink some water... that isn't a normal cough, what was it?"
"They sent some green fumes into the house at the beginning of the siege; they weren't toxic, but they were a bit uncomfortable..." explained Svetlana, wiping the blood from her lips; Severus frowned and went into his office, leaving his wife comfortably settled on an armchair; he soon came back with a flask of a thick green potion.
"I assume you have been taking painkillers for that" he commented disapprovingly; she nodded and took the glass he offered her, swallowing the potion in one gulp. She grimaced at the bitter flavour and gave him the empty glass "I know it doesn't taste too pleasant, but if the fumes were what I think they were, this should ease the effects. Would you like to go to your room now?"
"My room?" she asked as she stood up "Last time, I remember my luggage was in the master bedroom"
"I've arranged a chamber of your own, knowing you would rather sleep on the floor than share a room with me" Snape said haughtily; Svetlana smiled dryly and followed him towards the door next to Siena's.
"You were expecting me back, then?" He gave her a chilling look, but she wasn't going to be deterred by that, although her next words cost her a lot to say "It's very kind of you, Severus, don't think I don't appreciate it"
"It's only my duty" he dismissed "After all, it's my fault they're going after you"
"My father is also partly responsible, Severus, don't be too hard on yourself. The house was under Ministry protection long before you discovered the hostage plan... it doesn't matter now" Svetlana turned and looked into the ample room, decorated in lilac and deep blue, and gasped "I can't believe you remember my favourite colours!"
"I am not as oblivious and heartless as I am made to be" announced Snape, turning towards his own room "The door on the right leads to the bathroom, the door on the left goes to Siena's bedroom. I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose"
"No need to sound so enthusiastic about it" said Svetlana, between amusement and anger; he didn't answer, but she allowed herself a small smile "Good-night, Severus" She closed the door softly, feeling another bout of coughing coming; leaning against the wall, she let her damaged lungs try to expel the toxic fumes she had inhaled two days before. When it was over, she heard quiet steps resuming their way outside the door, and realised that Severus had waited to see if she was alright. //Probably doesn't want to deal with a corpse in his quarters// she thought bitterly, knowing that wasn't the real reason behind it.
Snape waited until Svetlana stopped coughing before going into his own bedroom. He remembered her pale face as she tried to stifle the sound, the way her whole body shook along with her lungs, the childish expression as she took her medicine. Those recent memories disinterred more ancient ones. He saw himself standing in front of Igor Karakoff, nervous and dressed in his emerald-green dress-robes, his long hair loose, feeling the cold eyes of his future father-in-law examining him. And then Svetlana had entered the room, beautiful in her dark-blue velvet robes that brought out the deep pools of her eyes, with her black hair up in elaborated tresses, more than pale under the make-up, looking uncertainly at her fiancé. The shiver in her hand as the Judge of Peace joined it with Severus' hand, the hesitation on her lips as he kissed her for the first time. And the fear of their first night together, her youthfulness and innocence contrasting with Snape's jaded experience. And the desolation in her eyes when he had announced he was leaving.
//'I loved you, you know?' she said to me, like that, like we were discussing the weather... She loved me. Somewhere behind the fear she felt towards me, hidden by the abject respect she showed me, she loved me... and I threw it all away. No wonder she hates me now, really// thought Snape regretfully, as he prepared himself for bed. He knew she had only gone back after she almost got killed, gone back to her children and not to him, but a small part of him felt that she couldn't hate him so much if she trusted him enough to live with him //At least I'm a better option than Voldemort//
"Excuse me, Ma'am, do you know where Professor McGonagall's quarters are? I need to deliver a message from the Headmaster..." Harry trailed off under Mrs Snape piercing blue gaze; she smiled thinly, and motioned towards a secondary corridor on Gryffindor Tower. Siena, who was in her arms, waved happily to Harry, who smiled in return.
"Follow me, Harry Potter" she said and began to walk away; Harry grabbed his bag and followed her, chastising himself for not bringing his Marauders' Map along. Svetlana walked along the corridor, her blue robes reflecting the light coming from the occasional window. Soon, she stopped in front of a portrait (of Godric Gryffindor, to be more exact) and knocked. Mandy McGonagall's head appeared on the doorway "Hello, Mandy" said Svetlana placidly "Young Mr Potter wants to have a word with Minerva, if that's all right"
"Of course, of course" said the old witch "Come in, all of you. Minerva!" she called "You have a visitor!" Harry examined the red-and-gold decorated room, while Mandy took Siena in her arms "Since when are you back, dear child?"
"Yesterday evening" replied Svetlana, without flinching "Thank you for taking care of Siena in the meanwhile, Mandy, I don't believe Severus has thanked you enough"
"Don't worry" laughed Mandy "I am aware of the sociable temper of your husband, and have long ago stopped being bothered by it" She turned to Harry, with a wide smile, and examined him "Sit down, dear. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No, thank you, Mrs McGonagall" stammered Harry "I should be in class now..."
"You should indeed, Mr Potter" interrupted Professor McGonagall, appearing from an inner chamber "I will walk you to your classroom, and in the meanwhile you can deliver your message. You have History now, I believe?"
"Yes, Ma'am" Harry turned to say his good-byes, and flinched when he saw the dark-blue eyes of Svetlana Snape trained on him, cold and unwavering "Thank you, and good-bye, Mrs McGonagall, Mrs Snape" Siena waved at him, and he waved back, following his Transfiguration teacher out into the corridor. "It's about the next meeting of the Order, Professor..."
A/N: well, that was a calmer chapter and at least we have Svetlana somewhere safe (as safe as it is to her Severus' living quarters). Next chapter will be out next Thursday, as usual. Doubts, questions, comments? Review?