Chapter 7 – Bothering Malfoy
Draco did just about everything to test the patience of his hostess - anything besides fish? Where are the personal servants? Barbaric decor. Can't you even afford marble? What is this stuff? Is this all there is to drink? Servant - get me a pillow, this chair is hard! You're called 'Cretin', aren't you?
Saphira wanted to implode the annoying grub, but the older Weasley boys had some ideas floating around their heads. So, according to their advice, she manipulated the threads of reality around the rude blonde child ...
A pair of hand puppets appeared out of Draco Malfoy's head. Ginny and Hermione stared in shock until the hand puppet that looked like Harry said (the words never spoken, but appearing across Draco's forehead): 'Let's go bother Snape!' The Ron puppet responded in the same subtitle: 'Right-o!' Another hand puppet appeared, this one looking like their professor. 'I am Snape, Potions Master - ' Harry: 'There he is!' Ron: 'Get him!' The Harry and Ron hand puppets start beating the Snape hand puppet: 'Bother- bother-bother-bother-bother-bother-bother!'
Elizabeth broke into laughter for no apparent reason - the younger Weasleys stared in shock while Harry looked down at his plate and ate, and Glynis and Oliver were busy snapping insults at each other. The older Weasley boys looked smugly proud. Severus himself remained stone-faced, even though his jaw muscles were screaming in pain because he wanted to laugh. Saphira's little old face curled up into a sweet smile.
"What's with you?" Draco snarled at Elizabeth.
"NOTHING!" she chortled.
The Snape puppet fell and the Ron puppet commented: 'That was fun!' Harry: 'I like the part where he stops moving!'
Ginny and Ron cracked up this time, leaning on each other and laughing hysterically.
"WHAT?" Draco demanded.
Harry puppet: 'Let's do it again!' The Snape puppet appeared: 'Oh, no.' Harry and Ron puppets: 'Bother-bother-bother-bother-bother-bother-bother!' The Snape puppet pulled out a wand: 'Avada Kedavra!' The Harry and Ron puppet screamed, then fell down, smoke curling up from their bodies. Snape puppet: 'Oh, dear.'
The real Snape felt a grin breaking the corners of his mouth. He lowered his head and curtained his face with his hair to ignore the rest of the sketch.
A Dumbledore puppet popped up - this sent Oliver and Glynis into giggles.
Dumbledore puppet: 'What's going on, Severus?' Snape puppet: 'I can explain ... ' Dumbledore puppet: 'It appears young Harry and Ron are taking a nap - let's see what's in their pockets ... ' He rifled through as the Snape puppet snuck off. 'Ah, nine sickles and a dungbomb. Must be my lucky day ... Where did Snape go? As a matter of fact, where the hell am I?' He dropped down, then appeared without his clothes. 'Naked time! Dancy-dancy-dancy!'
The whole table dissolved into laughter, much to Draco's irritation and confusion.
After a moment, Snape became aware nobody had noticed his giggling and put his stone face back on.
* * *
Britomartis was surprised to see Severus waiting for her in the kitchens.
"Thought you'd come out," he commented softly. He placed a glass of wine in front of her. "Hungry?"
"A little. How were the children?"
"A notch above high treason - but your mother was the ringleader."
Britomartis stared at him, then shrugged. She pulled her sunglasses off, exposing red eyes from her crying.
Severus said nothing as he placed bread and cheese before her, than sat down across from her at the preparation table. Britomartis ate a little, poking at her food and taking small sips of the wine.
She finally looked up at him. "I'm sorry I dragged you along, Snips. I'm sorry I dragged all the children along. I can't do this."
"You're just tired, Martis," he replied, picking up his own wine and drinking. "You just need to rest."
She pushed her plate away. "You probably think I'm a weakling - "
"No," he interrupted her. He placed his glass down and reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "I think you're the bravest person in the world. I can't bring myself to go to my father's grave - not without trying to desecrate it any more than it is."
"He could do it all by himself," Martis muttered coldly. She squeezed his hand back. "Careful, you're trying to break my hand."
"Sorry." He brushed his hair back from his face. "Well, if you need cheering up, your mother managed to offend me in several ways."
"You offend differently than others, Snips, this should be entertaining."
Severus smiled briefly. "She wanted to give me something 'cooler' to wear, which can barely keep a snidget dry in a rainstorm, then suggested I go to your room to wait for you - while wearing the 'cooler' piece of clothing."
"Subtle as a sledgehammer. She's been like that since ... you know." She drank a little more wine, then leaned close, placing her chin in her palm. "She probably thinks you're my boy-toy and I'm ready to have more babies. Not a bad idea, actually." She lowered her head. "Sev ... I'm really messed up right now. You better go to your room before I do something that we both regret."
His black eyes gaze steadily at her. "Martis, if you need me - "
She looked back up at him, then leaned across the table and darted her tongue out, tracing it over his lips. Her mouth covered his, kissing him deeply. She pulled him up, her hands moving down his throat and to the buttons of his collar.
"Muph-phits!" he mumbled against her mouth.
Her mouth left his, kissing along his jaw. "Just a little, I'm so alone - "
Severus felt his head swim as she brought his left hand up, kissing his palm and down his wrist as she pulled the sleeve lower. "Martis - "
His arm was exposed, the pale outline of the Dark Mark covered by her fingers, her lips kissing down the inside of his forearm. "My Severus - "
"Martis - please!"
He snatched his arm back, then gripped her shoulders and forced her away.
"What?" she breathed.
Shaking, he squeezed her shoulders harshly. "Martis, we can't do this, not in the state you're in."
"Sev, I need this, especially with the state I'm in."
"No." He released her, his hair falling in his face. "Britomartis, not yet. We're both not ready. We're still being teenagers about the whole thing."
"Well, we had to pick up where we left off," she reasoned. "We'll be adults again soon. I just need to be - "
He hated to do it, but it had to be done: "Martis, you're still in mourning whether you know it or not. Don't complicate everything by doing this."
"Snips ... " Her chin quivered, then she broke into tears again.
"Oh, Martis, don't, don't cry - Oh, damn." Severus rounded the table and pulled her into a hug, enclosing her in his arms and squeezing her. "Poor Spirals, always were too sensitive for your own good."
* * *
The students of Hogwarts were allowed to explore the island at their leisure for the next few days. Evidently, Professor Vox had taken ill and was unable to help them out.
But her family was more than willing. Dorian, though quiet, was quite friendly and open as he gave the students a lecture on the mythology and truths of sea creatures in the Aegean Sea.
"Of course there are Sirens," Dorian stated.
Oliver, who had asked the question, swallowed. "Is their song as pretty as the Ministry of Magic says?" He lowered his voice. "Are they as beautiful, too?"
Dorian grinned. "Why you say that?"
"Because the Selkies around Scotland aren't what we call 'gorgeous'."
"Quite pretty, that's what makes them dangerous. If one is not hypnotized by their voices, then their beauty will be your downfall."
"What about the Hippocampus?" Elizabeth interrupted.
"Yes, half horse and half fish," Dorian continued. "A peaceful creature, really, and rather fascinating. Lays large eggs which you can see the forming tadfoul through."
The younger students made noises of disgust.
Ginny pressed forward. "You study dolphins mostly, right?"
Dorian nodded. "Indeed I do. Are you interested in playing with them?"
She nodded. "Yes!"
"Then get some swimming clothes on. Everyone's welcomed to swim with the dolphins."
Glynis grinned. "Yes! Break out the swimsuits, Lizard!"
Elizabeth sprinted back to the Vox villa. "Hallelujah! Thank you, Gods!"
The Weasley twins (wearing matching shirts featuring a picture of Darth Vadar - George's saying 'Use the Force, Fred.' and Fred's saying 'Use the Force, George.') nervously twitched as they sat on the beach.
"Fred, old chap, I was thinking about going to check in on Professor Vox."
"I was as well, George old man."
"But there's a dilemma here."
"Indeed there is."
"The girls will be skipping about the ocean where there are large sea creatures about."
"Right you are, George my brother. They may need protection."
"Exactly, Fred."
"Not to mention they'll be in bikinis."
"Correct again. Shall we keep an eye on things?"
"I think it wise."
"Good, we agree then."
A woman with bronze skin, dark liquid eyes, and incredibly long black hair passed before them as she made her way down the beach with a crab trap.
"Of course, my dear brother," George said as he got up. "There may be girls not of our group that need my assistance. You can stay here - "
"No, no, dear brother. Your superior skills can protect our classmates while I see if the young lady needs anything - "
"I beg to differ, you Puffskein-headed - "
The natives ignored the two freckled redheaded teenagers brawl on the beach.
* * *
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were gathered in the main library of Knossos, realizing none of them knew Minoan.
Hermione cussed in several other languages.
"Oh, my God," Ron cried in false shock. "There's a language Hermione can't read!"
"They never translated Linear A in the Muggle world," she spat. "Otherwise I would have learned it!"
Harry flipped through a book. "Don't we know any translation spells yet?"
"No, there aren't any," Hermione answered as she plopped on a stuffed leather chair. "Most of the books in the restricted section are probably in other languages, too, now that I think about it."
"Never stopped anyone," Ron snickered. He stretched. "We have about a dozen days left. I intend to have a little fun while here. Wanna fly our brooms over the island, Harry?"
Harry shut the book and placed it on a table. "Sure. Hermione?"
She shook her head. "I'm going to learn Minoan," she stated intensely. "No matter what."
Harry and Ron left the library, with the latter commenting, "She really needs to straighten out her priorities."
* * *
Severus Snape had no problem reading the books in the Vox library (he had studied Greek, Turkish, and Minoan) and had made himself quite comfortable ... even though he could not concentrate on the volumes before him.
Finally, he got up and wandered the halls of the Vox villa until he found the family shrine.
He felt slightly guilty as he entered the room, especially since the open window allowed sunlight to shine right on the shrine of Britomartis Vox's family.
This was the family ... Dion, a Bull Leaper and fisherman, and their four children. All senselessly lost to Death Eaters because Britomartis had crossed their paths and unknowingly gotten in their way.
She had told him after she found out he had been a Death Eater. She told the tale clinically, without emotion, as if she were reciting the history of wand-making, even when recalling her youngest child's mangled body.
Gods, the youngest was a year old.
'And you've done worse things than simply murdering children,' he reminded himself sharply.
"I can imagine it hit her harder than she let on," an old man's voice commented somberly.
Severus looked up to see Eugenius Vox standing in the doorway, his orange robes draped about his still-strong frame.
The Professor looked away. "Back in school, she used to say that she could disappear for days on end when home, and neither of you would notice. She probably thought you two wouldn't notice her own family being murdered."
"We did," the father commented. "Grandchildren had died because of our mistake."
Severus looked back down at the picture, raising his slender fingers to twirl the ends of his hair. "She hasn't forgiven herself, either. Martis ... what I always found fascinating about her work as House Mother at the school was her ability to be with the students no matter what time of day and what her mood was. She practically adopted all the students of our House as her own."
"She always had a strong need to mother everything," Eugenius commented. "I do remember that when ... I noticed ... "
Severus smiled briefly. "I do recall. I had to yell at her to stop mothering me."
Eugenius approached the shrine, standing next to the Professor. "What was she ... like back in school?"
Severus shifted his eyes to look down at the man. "Let's have a drink, and I'll reintroduce you to the Martis I knew."
"Sounds good, son."
Draco did just about everything to test the patience of his hostess - anything besides fish? Where are the personal servants? Barbaric decor. Can't you even afford marble? What is this stuff? Is this all there is to drink? Servant - get me a pillow, this chair is hard! You're called 'Cretin', aren't you?
Saphira wanted to implode the annoying grub, but the older Weasley boys had some ideas floating around their heads. So, according to their advice, she manipulated the threads of reality around the rude blonde child ...
A pair of hand puppets appeared out of Draco Malfoy's head. Ginny and Hermione stared in shock until the hand puppet that looked like Harry said (the words never spoken, but appearing across Draco's forehead): 'Let's go bother Snape!' The Ron puppet responded in the same subtitle: 'Right-o!' Another hand puppet appeared, this one looking like their professor. 'I am Snape, Potions Master - ' Harry: 'There he is!' Ron: 'Get him!' The Harry and Ron hand puppets start beating the Snape hand puppet: 'Bother- bother-bother-bother-bother-bother-bother!'
Elizabeth broke into laughter for no apparent reason - the younger Weasleys stared in shock while Harry looked down at his plate and ate, and Glynis and Oliver were busy snapping insults at each other. The older Weasley boys looked smugly proud. Severus himself remained stone-faced, even though his jaw muscles were screaming in pain because he wanted to laugh. Saphira's little old face curled up into a sweet smile.
"What's with you?" Draco snarled at Elizabeth.
"NOTHING!" she chortled.
The Snape puppet fell and the Ron puppet commented: 'That was fun!' Harry: 'I like the part where he stops moving!'
Ginny and Ron cracked up this time, leaning on each other and laughing hysterically.
"WHAT?" Draco demanded.
Harry puppet: 'Let's do it again!' The Snape puppet appeared: 'Oh, no.' Harry and Ron puppets: 'Bother-bother-bother-bother-bother-bother-bother!' The Snape puppet pulled out a wand: 'Avada Kedavra!' The Harry and Ron puppet screamed, then fell down, smoke curling up from their bodies. Snape puppet: 'Oh, dear.'
The real Snape felt a grin breaking the corners of his mouth. He lowered his head and curtained his face with his hair to ignore the rest of the sketch.
A Dumbledore puppet popped up - this sent Oliver and Glynis into giggles.
Dumbledore puppet: 'What's going on, Severus?' Snape puppet: 'I can explain ... ' Dumbledore puppet: 'It appears young Harry and Ron are taking a nap - let's see what's in their pockets ... ' He rifled through as the Snape puppet snuck off. 'Ah, nine sickles and a dungbomb. Must be my lucky day ... Where did Snape go? As a matter of fact, where the hell am I?' He dropped down, then appeared without his clothes. 'Naked time! Dancy-dancy-dancy!'
The whole table dissolved into laughter, much to Draco's irritation and confusion.
After a moment, Snape became aware nobody had noticed his giggling and put his stone face back on.
* * *
Britomartis was surprised to see Severus waiting for her in the kitchens.
"Thought you'd come out," he commented softly. He placed a glass of wine in front of her. "Hungry?"
"A little. How were the children?"
"A notch above high treason - but your mother was the ringleader."
Britomartis stared at him, then shrugged. She pulled her sunglasses off, exposing red eyes from her crying.
Severus said nothing as he placed bread and cheese before her, than sat down across from her at the preparation table. Britomartis ate a little, poking at her food and taking small sips of the wine.
She finally looked up at him. "I'm sorry I dragged you along, Snips. I'm sorry I dragged all the children along. I can't do this."
"You're just tired, Martis," he replied, picking up his own wine and drinking. "You just need to rest."
She pushed her plate away. "You probably think I'm a weakling - "
"No," he interrupted her. He placed his glass down and reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "I think you're the bravest person in the world. I can't bring myself to go to my father's grave - not without trying to desecrate it any more than it is."
"He could do it all by himself," Martis muttered coldly. She squeezed his hand back. "Careful, you're trying to break my hand."
"Sorry." He brushed his hair back from his face. "Well, if you need cheering up, your mother managed to offend me in several ways."
"You offend differently than others, Snips, this should be entertaining."
Severus smiled briefly. "She wanted to give me something 'cooler' to wear, which can barely keep a snidget dry in a rainstorm, then suggested I go to your room to wait for you - while wearing the 'cooler' piece of clothing."
"Subtle as a sledgehammer. She's been like that since ... you know." She drank a little more wine, then leaned close, placing her chin in her palm. "She probably thinks you're my boy-toy and I'm ready to have more babies. Not a bad idea, actually." She lowered her head. "Sev ... I'm really messed up right now. You better go to your room before I do something that we both regret."
His black eyes gaze steadily at her. "Martis, if you need me - "
She looked back up at him, then leaned across the table and darted her tongue out, tracing it over his lips. Her mouth covered his, kissing him deeply. She pulled him up, her hands moving down his throat and to the buttons of his collar.
"Muph-phits!" he mumbled against her mouth.
Her mouth left his, kissing along his jaw. "Just a little, I'm so alone - "
Severus felt his head swim as she brought his left hand up, kissing his palm and down his wrist as she pulled the sleeve lower. "Martis - "
His arm was exposed, the pale outline of the Dark Mark covered by her fingers, her lips kissing down the inside of his forearm. "My Severus - "
"Martis - please!"
He snatched his arm back, then gripped her shoulders and forced her away.
"What?" she breathed.
Shaking, he squeezed her shoulders harshly. "Martis, we can't do this, not in the state you're in."
"Sev, I need this, especially with the state I'm in."
"No." He released her, his hair falling in his face. "Britomartis, not yet. We're both not ready. We're still being teenagers about the whole thing."
"Well, we had to pick up where we left off," she reasoned. "We'll be adults again soon. I just need to be - "
He hated to do it, but it had to be done: "Martis, you're still in mourning whether you know it or not. Don't complicate everything by doing this."
"Snips ... " Her chin quivered, then she broke into tears again.
"Oh, Martis, don't, don't cry - Oh, damn." Severus rounded the table and pulled her into a hug, enclosing her in his arms and squeezing her. "Poor Spirals, always were too sensitive for your own good."
* * *
The students of Hogwarts were allowed to explore the island at their leisure for the next few days. Evidently, Professor Vox had taken ill and was unable to help them out.
But her family was more than willing. Dorian, though quiet, was quite friendly and open as he gave the students a lecture on the mythology and truths of sea creatures in the Aegean Sea.
"Of course there are Sirens," Dorian stated.
Oliver, who had asked the question, swallowed. "Is their song as pretty as the Ministry of Magic says?" He lowered his voice. "Are they as beautiful, too?"
Dorian grinned. "Why you say that?"
"Because the Selkies around Scotland aren't what we call 'gorgeous'."
"Quite pretty, that's what makes them dangerous. If one is not hypnotized by their voices, then their beauty will be your downfall."
"What about the Hippocampus?" Elizabeth interrupted.
"Yes, half horse and half fish," Dorian continued. "A peaceful creature, really, and rather fascinating. Lays large eggs which you can see the forming tadfoul through."
The younger students made noises of disgust.
Ginny pressed forward. "You study dolphins mostly, right?"
Dorian nodded. "Indeed I do. Are you interested in playing with them?"
She nodded. "Yes!"
"Then get some swimming clothes on. Everyone's welcomed to swim with the dolphins."
Glynis grinned. "Yes! Break out the swimsuits, Lizard!"
Elizabeth sprinted back to the Vox villa. "Hallelujah! Thank you, Gods!"
The Weasley twins (wearing matching shirts featuring a picture of Darth Vadar - George's saying 'Use the Force, Fred.' and Fred's saying 'Use the Force, George.') nervously twitched as they sat on the beach.
"Fred, old chap, I was thinking about going to check in on Professor Vox."
"I was as well, George old man."
"But there's a dilemma here."
"Indeed there is."
"The girls will be skipping about the ocean where there are large sea creatures about."
"Right you are, George my brother. They may need protection."
"Exactly, Fred."
"Not to mention they'll be in bikinis."
"Correct again. Shall we keep an eye on things?"
"I think it wise."
"Good, we agree then."
A woman with bronze skin, dark liquid eyes, and incredibly long black hair passed before them as she made her way down the beach with a crab trap.
"Of course, my dear brother," George said as he got up. "There may be girls not of our group that need my assistance. You can stay here - "
"No, no, dear brother. Your superior skills can protect our classmates while I see if the young lady needs anything - "
"I beg to differ, you Puffskein-headed - "
The natives ignored the two freckled redheaded teenagers brawl on the beach.
* * *
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were gathered in the main library of Knossos, realizing none of them knew Minoan.
Hermione cussed in several other languages.
"Oh, my God," Ron cried in false shock. "There's a language Hermione can't read!"
"They never translated Linear A in the Muggle world," she spat. "Otherwise I would have learned it!"
Harry flipped through a book. "Don't we know any translation spells yet?"
"No, there aren't any," Hermione answered as she plopped on a stuffed leather chair. "Most of the books in the restricted section are probably in other languages, too, now that I think about it."
"Never stopped anyone," Ron snickered. He stretched. "We have about a dozen days left. I intend to have a little fun while here. Wanna fly our brooms over the island, Harry?"
Harry shut the book and placed it on a table. "Sure. Hermione?"
She shook her head. "I'm going to learn Minoan," she stated intensely. "No matter what."
Harry and Ron left the library, with the latter commenting, "She really needs to straighten out her priorities."
* * *
Severus Snape had no problem reading the books in the Vox library (he had studied Greek, Turkish, and Minoan) and had made himself quite comfortable ... even though he could not concentrate on the volumes before him.
Finally, he got up and wandered the halls of the Vox villa until he found the family shrine.
He felt slightly guilty as he entered the room, especially since the open window allowed sunlight to shine right on the shrine of Britomartis Vox's family.
This was the family ... Dion, a Bull Leaper and fisherman, and their four children. All senselessly lost to Death Eaters because Britomartis had crossed their paths and unknowingly gotten in their way.
She had told him after she found out he had been a Death Eater. She told the tale clinically, without emotion, as if she were reciting the history of wand-making, even when recalling her youngest child's mangled body.
Gods, the youngest was a year old.
'And you've done worse things than simply murdering children,' he reminded himself sharply.
"I can imagine it hit her harder than she let on," an old man's voice commented somberly.
Severus looked up to see Eugenius Vox standing in the doorway, his orange robes draped about his still-strong frame.
The Professor looked away. "Back in school, she used to say that she could disappear for days on end when home, and neither of you would notice. She probably thought you two wouldn't notice her own family being murdered."
"We did," the father commented. "Grandchildren had died because of our mistake."
Severus looked back down at the picture, raising his slender fingers to twirl the ends of his hair. "She hasn't forgiven herself, either. Martis ... what I always found fascinating about her work as House Mother at the school was her ability to be with the students no matter what time of day and what her mood was. She practically adopted all the students of our House as her own."
"She always had a strong need to mother everything," Eugenius commented. "I do remember that when ... I noticed ... "
Severus smiled briefly. "I do recall. I had to yell at her to stop mothering me."
Eugenius approached the shrine, standing next to the Professor. "What was she ... like back in school?"
Severus shifted his eyes to look down at the man. "Let's have a drink, and I'll reintroduce you to the Martis I knew."
"Sounds good, son."