September 10, 1980
Severus put one last kiss on his dead wife's lips and picked their
sleeping daughter up from his mother in laws' arms. She had been named with
his wife's dying breath. Elizabeth Joy. "Baby girl," he whispered, "Live up
to your name. It means God's promise of happiness. We need some happiness."
With tears streaming uncharacteristically down his face, he turned and
walked up the aisle of the small chapel at Septimus Hall away from the open
coffin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Halloween, 1981 "Poor dear. She's all worn out. Did you go to every house in Bellfoy?" Laura Bellfoy looked up at her son in law.
"Not quite. We tried, but she was getting tired. She might have lasted longer if Lilly had been here with her son. But." Severus trailed off.
"Yes Harry. How is he doing? I'm sure hiding doesn't suit him."
He was fine last time I saw him, but that was a couple of weeks ago. I had a letter from Lilly a few days ago. She said that maybe she could let Harry and Elizabeth go trick or treating here next year. She said that Harry has been watching their fireplace and calling for Bet."
The baby stirred. "Rey? Daddy, where Rey?"
"Shh, he's at his house with Aunt Lilly and Uncle James. You'll get to see him soon. He said to tell you that he misses you." Severus' face scowled as he referred to James Potter as "Uncle James." Why did Lilly marry that. that thing. Lilly had been Amanda's best friend, but having his daughter call his worst enemy uncle was one thing that he couldn't stand. At least after "Anly", her second word had been Daddy before she learned Rey and UncJay.
A small hand tugged at his hair. "I wan see Rey an' Anly."
"Soon sweetheart. What?" He looked over at his mother in law who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle a laugh.
The older woman finally laughed out loud. "I merely was amused by the grimace on your face when you called James Uncle James. Sevie, dear, the two of you really need to work out your differences."
"Mama, there's not a chance in hell that that will ever happen."
" 'Ell," a small voice echoed.
"Sevie you've got to watch your mouth around her or she's going to have a worse mouth than Amanda by the time she's two."
"I happened to find Amanda's dirty mouth amusing. You would have never have expected such bad language to come out of such a cute, innocent face."
"That is precisely why you shouldn't have eight sons and only one daughter. They pick up all the bad habits." The red head shook her head.
"I'd better be getting my hellion home. She needs to go to bed." He looked at his watch. "It's already 10:30 in London."
"I'll see you this later. Will you be coming over for lunch tomorrow?"
"No, we can't. I already told Narcissa that we would come over for dinner."
"Next Sunday?"
"We'll be here. Goodbye Mama." He bent down to hug Laura."
Laura put a kiss on his cheek before picking up Elizabeth. "Give Bellfoy some sugar sweetie."
Elizabeth kissed her grandmother's cheek. "Wuv 'ou Bellfy."
Severus threw some floo into the kitchen fire. With Elizabeth in one arm and a bag of candy in the other he stepped into the large fireplace. With a yell of "Lexy's Flat," he disappeared.
Later that night Severus sat straight up in bed. Elizabeth was screaming. He grabbed her bathrobe and went to her room.
"Anly! Annleee!" Elizabeth screamed and flinched in her bed. "NO, NO, NOOOOOO!"
Severus picked her up out of the crib. "Shh. it's okay. It's just a bad dream." He carried her back to her room.
"Daddy?" Tear stained eyes looked up at him.
"Hmm?"
"The bad man came,"
"Uh huh,"
"An', An' rat man."
The rat man. Who's the rat man. "Yeah,"
"Bad man put green light on UncJay an' on Anly an' on Rey. Bad man gone. Rey scared.
His one year old dreamed of Voldemort Avada Kedavring Lily and James and their baby. How did her mind come up with that? He laid her down on his bed and climbed in beside her.
"Sweetheart, I'm sure that Lilly and James and Harry are fine. It was just a dream. It's not real. It's pretend."
Elizabeth looked up at him. She clearly didn't believe him.
"You can stay here with me. I won't let the dreams come back."
With this promise she fell asleep. Severus lay there and stared at the ceiling.
" 'Manda," he whispered into the darkness. "What am I supposed to do? Lizzie, she dreamed about the Dark Lord killing Lilly and James. I don't know what to do. You would. I wish you were here. I miss you." With wet eyes that he would swear if asked were not tears, he glanced at his clock. 12 a.m., November 1, 1981.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Halloween, 1981 "Poor dear. She's all worn out. Did you go to every house in Bellfoy?" Laura Bellfoy looked up at her son in law.
"Not quite. We tried, but she was getting tired. She might have lasted longer if Lilly had been here with her son. But." Severus trailed off.
"Yes Harry. How is he doing? I'm sure hiding doesn't suit him."
He was fine last time I saw him, but that was a couple of weeks ago. I had a letter from Lilly a few days ago. She said that maybe she could let Harry and Elizabeth go trick or treating here next year. She said that Harry has been watching their fireplace and calling for Bet."
The baby stirred. "Rey? Daddy, where Rey?"
"Shh, he's at his house with Aunt Lilly and Uncle James. You'll get to see him soon. He said to tell you that he misses you." Severus' face scowled as he referred to James Potter as "Uncle James." Why did Lilly marry that. that thing. Lilly had been Amanda's best friend, but having his daughter call his worst enemy uncle was one thing that he couldn't stand. At least after "Anly", her second word had been Daddy before she learned Rey and UncJay.
A small hand tugged at his hair. "I wan see Rey an' Anly."
"Soon sweetheart. What?" He looked over at his mother in law who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle a laugh.
The older woman finally laughed out loud. "I merely was amused by the grimace on your face when you called James Uncle James. Sevie, dear, the two of you really need to work out your differences."
"Mama, there's not a chance in hell that that will ever happen."
" 'Ell," a small voice echoed.
"Sevie you've got to watch your mouth around her or she's going to have a worse mouth than Amanda by the time she's two."
"I happened to find Amanda's dirty mouth amusing. You would have never have expected such bad language to come out of such a cute, innocent face."
"That is precisely why you shouldn't have eight sons and only one daughter. They pick up all the bad habits." The red head shook her head.
"I'd better be getting my hellion home. She needs to go to bed." He looked at his watch. "It's already 10:30 in London."
"I'll see you this later. Will you be coming over for lunch tomorrow?"
"No, we can't. I already told Narcissa that we would come over for dinner."
"Next Sunday?"
"We'll be here. Goodbye Mama." He bent down to hug Laura."
Laura put a kiss on his cheek before picking up Elizabeth. "Give Bellfoy some sugar sweetie."
Elizabeth kissed her grandmother's cheek. "Wuv 'ou Bellfy."
Severus threw some floo into the kitchen fire. With Elizabeth in one arm and a bag of candy in the other he stepped into the large fireplace. With a yell of "Lexy's Flat," he disappeared.
Later that night Severus sat straight up in bed. Elizabeth was screaming. He grabbed her bathrobe and went to her room.
"Anly! Annleee!" Elizabeth screamed and flinched in her bed. "NO, NO, NOOOOOO!"
Severus picked her up out of the crib. "Shh. it's okay. It's just a bad dream." He carried her back to her room.
"Daddy?" Tear stained eyes looked up at him.
"Hmm?"
"The bad man came,"
"Uh huh,"
"An', An' rat man."
The rat man. Who's the rat man. "Yeah,"
"Bad man put green light on UncJay an' on Anly an' on Rey. Bad man gone. Rey scared.
His one year old dreamed of Voldemort Avada Kedavring Lily and James and their baby. How did her mind come up with that? He laid her down on his bed and climbed in beside her.
"Sweetheart, I'm sure that Lilly and James and Harry are fine. It was just a dream. It's not real. It's pretend."
Elizabeth looked up at him. She clearly didn't believe him.
"You can stay here with me. I won't let the dreams come back."
With this promise she fell asleep. Severus lay there and stared at the ceiling.
" 'Manda," he whispered into the darkness. "What am I supposed to do? Lizzie, she dreamed about the Dark Lord killing Lilly and James. I don't know what to do. You would. I wish you were here. I miss you." With wet eyes that he would swear if asked were not tears, he glanced at his clock. 12 a.m., November 1, 1981.