Aidan sat stoically next to Ray and gazed at the hoards of students in
front of them. They were staring and whispering at them and Ray was
starting to wiggle in her seat.
"Aid, they're making me nervous! It's freaking me out." Ray squeezed his shoulder and looked around him at Jamie, who was kicking her feet against the rungs of her chair.
Jamie froze. "Don't worry Hun. They're just not used to us."
The students quieted and their heads turned as one to the front of the Great Hall. Dumbledore smiled and raised a hand. "If you recall, at the beginning of this year, I promised you a surprise. I'd like to introduce Aidan, Adrian, and Jamison Snipe."
Aidan turned to Jamie and mouthed "Snipe?" Jamie shrugged.
Dumbledore motioned them forward. Aidan helped both Jamie and Ray from their seats and then made his way up behind them.
Ray shook the hand Dumbledore offered. "Um... sir? Did you say Snipe?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word the doors to the Great Hall opened and an elderly woman made her way in, leaning on a cane. Dressed from head to toe in black, her face was barely wrinkled, and framed by snow white hair. She was stronger, more healthy than she looked, the cane was more for show than anything else. But it was her eyes that freaked Aidan out. Black, the only feeling that they held was hate. Pure hate.
Aidan swallowed and stepped in front of Jamie and Ray.
A blur of dark swirled from behind the teachers' table. A second later, the vile dude who had taken the 40 points from them earlier was at Dumbledore's side.
"Augusta, to what do we owe this... pleasure?" No emotion showed in his voice, but his eyes flashed something.
"Severus, I am here in protest. That those... Americans..." She spat the word, as if it were little more than filth, "Should be allowed to attend such a fine school as Hogwarts... is unthinkable!"
The sound of running foot steps met Aidan's ears as a woman a little older than Jamie entered the hall. She slowed her steps and made her way to Augusta's side.
"Madame, I'm sorry, but there's..." The woman flushed as Augusta raised a hand.
"I thought I told you to wait by the carriage!" She sneered and Aidan could have sworn he'd seen her before.
"I...I..." The woman stuttered.
"Go now! Be off with you. Wait at the carriage this time, as you were told!"
The woman was pale, with hair that was neither red nor brown, tightly pulled back in a bun that would have done McGonagal proud. She had a heart shaped face with high cheek bones, made to look higher by the bun. Aidan couldn't tell the color of her eyes.
Her robes were fully buttoned, all the way up to her chin, and a non- descript gray color. The vile dude was staring at her.
"Ms. St. James, I believe you were given an order."
The woman jerked at the sound of Snape's voice and paled. Then her cheeks flushed. Quietly, and with as much dignity as she could manage, the woman made her way out of the hall.
Ray cleared her throat. "And you think Americans are rude! Sheesh."
Augusta turned to Ray. "Every American I have ever seen has been rude. Including you."
Snape stepped between them. "Ms. Snipe, I suggest that you respect your elders."
Jamie didn't like this guy was acting, so she stepped out from behind Aidan and get her first real look at the man over her sister.
"Holy shit, sis!" Aidan took a hold of Jamie's arm. "You're as white as a ghost!"
Snape looked at Aidan. "And you'll do well to leave to watch your language Mr. Snipe!"
Ray lost it. "Are you people illiterate? It's SNAPE! S-N-A-P-E!" But she was drowned out by the excited talk amongst the students.
Dumbledore stepped in. "That is enough! Severus, sit down and cool off! Augusta, I'm sorry, but this is neither the time nor the place for your protests."
He turned to Ray. "What did you..."
"Severus?" The quiet whisper came from Jamie, who was still being held up by Aidan.
Severus turned. "What?!"
Jamie pulled away from Aidan and launched herself at him. She was holding onto him and sobbing.
"Madame, I suggest you remove yourself from my person." Snape's voice was like ice. "Immediately."
Aidan pulled her away. "Sis, what are you doing?"
Jamie would have none of it. She turned back to Severus. "How? Why? I..."
Severus sneered. "Madame, I don't know who in the hell you think you are..."
Jamie froze, pulling herself up, ram rod straight, her eyes flashing, her face mirroring Severus' sneer exactly. "My name is not 'Madame'. It's Jamison."
Augusta gasped and tried to break in.
"Lynora." The old woman was practically yelling now. "Snape."
Severus blanched. His hands rose to his head as if he was in a great deal of pain and he wavered where he stood.
Jacy stepped down from the teachers table and took a hold of his arm. Sirius and Remus followed. Remus pulled his wand. "Explain. Now."
Jamie's cold bitch attitude was still firmly in place. And would be for several more hours. "Aid, Ray, I'd like you to meet the man we buried two and a half weeks ago."
Aidan and Ray stood shocked, taking in the man who had caused them so much pain. A man legally dead, who stood before them, holding his head like a small child.
Ray took a step forward. "You hid from your family?! Do you have any idea..." Her voice broke. She swallowed the sobs rising up her throat.
Aidan pulled her to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Snape finally lowered his hands.
His black eyes stared, shocked.
Jamie sneered. "Sirius, realize who I look like yet?"
Augusta made her way to Severus' side, rather quickly for a 'feeble old lady'. "Sev, darling! I had to! They're mutts! Look at them! They're filthy mud..."
Severus turned his face to her, letting her see the raw emotion. Pain, anger... the raw animosity flowing off him in waves.
"Sev..." She tried again but stopped.
Snape stood and turned to Dumbledore, who was looking shocked for once. "I... will... be in my... chambers."
Silence reigned.
Ray looked at Aidan, and at Jamie. She didn't understand. Hadn't he hidden? Or had that witch spelled their memories away?
Waves of power flowed off of Dumbledore. Students gasped. "Augusta... what did you say to me 11 years ago?"
"Albus..."
Jamie had had enough. "Aidan, Ray, we're going to our rooms. Now. I am leaving before I lose it."
Aidan and Ray stared at her. Jamie had never lost it. So they followed her out of the room.
"Albus, they're MUTTS! Filthy! That slut Sara, although married, slept with a muggle! I heard her talking on the phone. 'Well Rich, looks like you're going to have two more to dote on!"
"Richard Evans was Sara Evans' brother!" Dumbledore turned to Remus. Take her to my office." He turned to Augusta. "Your wand?" He held out his hand.
"You can't expect me to wander thought he halls of this place with a WEREWOLF unarmed!"
Sirius stepped forward, looking rather evil. "what about a convicted murderer?"
The woman handed over her wand and looked at Remus, who escorted her from the hall.
Dumbledore looked at the students. "Enjoy your dinner." The food appeared but there was no noise in the Great Hall.
"Aid, they're making me nervous! It's freaking me out." Ray squeezed his shoulder and looked around him at Jamie, who was kicking her feet against the rungs of her chair.
Jamie froze. "Don't worry Hun. They're just not used to us."
The students quieted and their heads turned as one to the front of the Great Hall. Dumbledore smiled and raised a hand. "If you recall, at the beginning of this year, I promised you a surprise. I'd like to introduce Aidan, Adrian, and Jamison Snipe."
Aidan turned to Jamie and mouthed "Snipe?" Jamie shrugged.
Dumbledore motioned them forward. Aidan helped both Jamie and Ray from their seats and then made his way up behind them.
Ray shook the hand Dumbledore offered. "Um... sir? Did you say Snipe?"
Dumbledore opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word the doors to the Great Hall opened and an elderly woman made her way in, leaning on a cane. Dressed from head to toe in black, her face was barely wrinkled, and framed by snow white hair. She was stronger, more healthy than she looked, the cane was more for show than anything else. But it was her eyes that freaked Aidan out. Black, the only feeling that they held was hate. Pure hate.
Aidan swallowed and stepped in front of Jamie and Ray.
A blur of dark swirled from behind the teachers' table. A second later, the vile dude who had taken the 40 points from them earlier was at Dumbledore's side.
"Augusta, to what do we owe this... pleasure?" No emotion showed in his voice, but his eyes flashed something.
"Severus, I am here in protest. That those... Americans..." She spat the word, as if it were little more than filth, "Should be allowed to attend such a fine school as Hogwarts... is unthinkable!"
The sound of running foot steps met Aidan's ears as a woman a little older than Jamie entered the hall. She slowed her steps and made her way to Augusta's side.
"Madame, I'm sorry, but there's..." The woman flushed as Augusta raised a hand.
"I thought I told you to wait by the carriage!" She sneered and Aidan could have sworn he'd seen her before.
"I...I..." The woman stuttered.
"Go now! Be off with you. Wait at the carriage this time, as you were told!"
The woman was pale, with hair that was neither red nor brown, tightly pulled back in a bun that would have done McGonagal proud. She had a heart shaped face with high cheek bones, made to look higher by the bun. Aidan couldn't tell the color of her eyes.
Her robes were fully buttoned, all the way up to her chin, and a non- descript gray color. The vile dude was staring at her.
"Ms. St. James, I believe you were given an order."
The woman jerked at the sound of Snape's voice and paled. Then her cheeks flushed. Quietly, and with as much dignity as she could manage, the woman made her way out of the hall.
Ray cleared her throat. "And you think Americans are rude! Sheesh."
Augusta turned to Ray. "Every American I have ever seen has been rude. Including you."
Snape stepped between them. "Ms. Snipe, I suggest that you respect your elders."
Jamie didn't like this guy was acting, so she stepped out from behind Aidan and get her first real look at the man over her sister.
"Holy shit, sis!" Aidan took a hold of Jamie's arm. "You're as white as a ghost!"
Snape looked at Aidan. "And you'll do well to leave to watch your language Mr. Snipe!"
Ray lost it. "Are you people illiterate? It's SNAPE! S-N-A-P-E!" But she was drowned out by the excited talk amongst the students.
Dumbledore stepped in. "That is enough! Severus, sit down and cool off! Augusta, I'm sorry, but this is neither the time nor the place for your protests."
He turned to Ray. "What did you..."
"Severus?" The quiet whisper came from Jamie, who was still being held up by Aidan.
Severus turned. "What?!"
Jamie pulled away from Aidan and launched herself at him. She was holding onto him and sobbing.
"Madame, I suggest you remove yourself from my person." Snape's voice was like ice. "Immediately."
Aidan pulled her away. "Sis, what are you doing?"
Jamie would have none of it. She turned back to Severus. "How? Why? I..."
Severus sneered. "Madame, I don't know who in the hell you think you are..."
Jamie froze, pulling herself up, ram rod straight, her eyes flashing, her face mirroring Severus' sneer exactly. "My name is not 'Madame'. It's Jamison."
Augusta gasped and tried to break in.
"Lynora." The old woman was practically yelling now. "Snape."
Severus blanched. His hands rose to his head as if he was in a great deal of pain and he wavered where he stood.
Jacy stepped down from the teachers table and took a hold of his arm. Sirius and Remus followed. Remus pulled his wand. "Explain. Now."
Jamie's cold bitch attitude was still firmly in place. And would be for several more hours. "Aid, Ray, I'd like you to meet the man we buried two and a half weeks ago."
Aidan and Ray stood shocked, taking in the man who had caused them so much pain. A man legally dead, who stood before them, holding his head like a small child.
Ray took a step forward. "You hid from your family?! Do you have any idea..." Her voice broke. She swallowed the sobs rising up her throat.
Aidan pulled her to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as Snape finally lowered his hands.
His black eyes stared, shocked.
Jamie sneered. "Sirius, realize who I look like yet?"
Augusta made her way to Severus' side, rather quickly for a 'feeble old lady'. "Sev, darling! I had to! They're mutts! Look at them! They're filthy mud..."
Severus turned his face to her, letting her see the raw emotion. Pain, anger... the raw animosity flowing off him in waves.
"Sev..." She tried again but stopped.
Snape stood and turned to Dumbledore, who was looking shocked for once. "I... will... be in my... chambers."
Silence reigned.
Ray looked at Aidan, and at Jamie. She didn't understand. Hadn't he hidden? Or had that witch spelled their memories away?
Waves of power flowed off of Dumbledore. Students gasped. "Augusta... what did you say to me 11 years ago?"
"Albus..."
Jamie had had enough. "Aidan, Ray, we're going to our rooms. Now. I am leaving before I lose it."
Aidan and Ray stared at her. Jamie had never lost it. So they followed her out of the room.
"Albus, they're MUTTS! Filthy! That slut Sara, although married, slept with a muggle! I heard her talking on the phone. 'Well Rich, looks like you're going to have two more to dote on!"
"Richard Evans was Sara Evans' brother!" Dumbledore turned to Remus. Take her to my office." He turned to Augusta. "Your wand?" He held out his hand.
"You can't expect me to wander thought he halls of this place with a WEREWOLF unarmed!"
Sirius stepped forward, looking rather evil. "what about a convicted murderer?"
The woman handed over her wand and looked at Remus, who escorted her from the hall.
Dumbledore looked at the students. "Enjoy your dinner." The food appeared but there was no noise in the Great Hall.