Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter along with Scholastic and whoever else. I only own my characters so DON'T SUE!!!
Six Feet and Fallingby Saerry Snape
Chapter 10 :: September 2, 1995 :: Hogwarts – Before Dinner
Severus sat at his desk in his office, red-tipped quill poised over an already well-marked test. He was grumbling as he peered down at it, shoulder-length hair falling about his face. He did not notice when the door creaked open or if he did, he made no acknowledgment.
"Papa?"
"Yes?" said Severus without looking up.
"Papa, I need to talk to you."
"About what?"
"How can I turn into different animals?"
Severus' head came up sharply, his bright black eyes hidden behind the fringe of hair that fell over them.
"What was that?"
"Different animals, Papa. The Sorting Hat said I was a Shifter. Like Mum."
The quill fell to the desk.
"Shifter?"
Dark eyes widened as that statement settled on his ears, permeated his brain, and he managed to sort it all out through his shock.
Sheyne, meanwhile, walked over to stand beside her seated father, her expression worried. She hadn't expected this sort of reaction!
"Papa?"
"Sheyne?"
Sheyne turned to see Stephen, tawny hair in wild, untamable spikes, enter the room from the door leading into her father's rooms. Since term had begun, the fourteen-year-old had been bunking down in a room that had been converted from a tiny potions closet to a fairly good-sized bedroom. The boy looked at the man who had become his guardian after his parent's deaths then looked at his adopted sister.
"What's up with him?"
"I think I shocked him," replied Sheyne, peering at her father. She gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him. "Papa?"
Severus seemed to come to life and gave a little shake. He turned to look up at her and softly said, almost to himself, "So that's why they were after you…"
Sheyne and Stephen looked at each other, Sheyne arching an eyebrow at him and Stephen shrugging in response, before turning back to the older man.
"Papa," said Sheyne, crouching beside his chair. "Papa, what are you talking about?"
Severus frowned and looked down at her. He then reached down and pulled at the silver chain about her neck. The stone glistened as it twirled at the end of its chain and the dark-haired wizard smiled bitterly.
"I should have known," he said. "Why else would they have been after you? Merlin's beard, how could I have been so blind? It's been right here in front of me."
Sheyne and Stephen exchanged another glance then Sheyne asked, "What has, Papa? What are you talking about?"
Severus looked from the stone to her then back. He then let it drop and sighed heavily.
"I suppose you would have found out eventually. Sit down, both of you. As you're here, Stephen, you might as well know what's going on too."
Sheyne simply heaved herself up onto her father's desk as Stephen rushed into the private rooms to get a chair. When he returned, Severus began.
"There's a bit of background behind this story, so bear with me you two." He sighed, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and began.
"I met your mother, Sheyne, when she transferred here from Durmstrang, a wizarding school located somewhere in the colder regions, in my second year. I was the most loathed member of the school, hated by my Slytherin housemates for being more skilled in the Dark Arts, by the Ravenclaw's because I could beat any of them at their own logic games, by the Hufflepuff's because they were all terrified of me for some odd reason, and the Gryffindor's because I was simply a Slytherin. But your mother…ah, what can one say about her? She was popular with everyone, right up there with Lily Evans, who ended up being one of her best friends. Even the Slytherins liked her, which was the opposite of what they could say of Lily – they hated her because of her association with Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew."
"Who?"
"Four Gryffindors who indulged in playing pranks on everyone – much like the Weasley twins, only worse. I, of course, was one of their favorite targets. But I got them with pranks just as much as they got me. Everyone in the school knew by fifth year that there was a bloody feud between the Marauders – that's what they called themselves – and me."
"As I said, everyone loved your mother. She was beautiful, smart, brave (not the stupid bravery most Gryffindors are famous for), and with a tongue as sharp as any Slytherin. Her hair was like a raven's feathers and her eyes…her eyes were the same exact shade as yours. That unnatural amber caught the eyes of many."
"Now that we've got the bases, we'll get to where I actually met her. It was the end of third year and I'd been one of the many boys in love with your mother since she had appeared in the morning at breakfast and been Sorted. That she was a Gryffindor didn't matter, as it generally did to me. Of course, my friend – only friend – knew I was in love with her and thought we'd make a good couple. So, this young second year Ravenclaw took it upon herself to bring a confused Rowena over to me at the End Year Feast. I was speechless at the time but I nearly killed her afterwards. Be glad I didn't, or else we would not have the skills of Poppy Pomfrey at this school."
"What happened then?" asked Stephen.
"Ah. Well, I became even more hated. Every male above third year was furious that I had won the undivided attention of Rowena. By our sixth year, she and I were dating. Steadily. By now the male population had come to the conclusion that Rowena was not going to be free anytime soon and went back to their usual routine. A few still tried to convince her that they were much better choices of a boyfriend than me but quickly retracted that opinion."
"Why?" asked Sheyne.
Severus chuckled.
"Because, my dear daughter, your mother knew just as many hexes as I and could use them in a room full of teachers without getting caught. Everyone quickly got the idea."
"Now, as to her being a Shifter. I knew this by fourth year. Rowena took a big risk telling me about her secret."
"What's wrong with being a Shifter?" asked Stephen, glancing at Sheyne.
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Shifter. They are just as much wizards as we are, though there had been a few Squib Shifters over the centuries. But, because many Shifters went to the side of Grindelwald over fifty years ago and to Voldemort in the Dark Years, they became feared as Dark Creatures. Which they are not, I assure you." This was said to Sheyne's surprised looked.
"Rowena's family had kept themselves out of Grindelwald's war but in Voldemort's, which started in my second year, they couldn't. Now, Shifters are naturally born every eighty years in a family line. Rowena was the one in hers but she had many, many cousins who were also born in the eighty-year mark. You see, a Shifter may only be born every eighty years in a direct family line. Which is the reason Rowena could be born a Shifter and her cousins could as well."
"What happened?" asked Sheyne, completely enraptured by the story and her father's voice.
"Rowena's cousins joined Voldemort. They were older than she and had stayed at Durmstrang while she had come to Hogwarts. I'd say that was the finest decision her mother ever made, sending Rowena here. Had she stayed at Durmstrang, her cousins may have forced her into Voldemort's ranks."
"Of course, Rowena was crushed by this news. By seventh year, she was determined to become an Auror. And once she made up her mind, it was made up. I always hated that part of her. It was always a little too Gryffindor for me but I still loved her for it. And she did it. She became an Auror and I followed her, which was what my family had always expected me to do."
"Follow her?" questioned Stephen.
"No. Join the Aurors," replied Severus. "Now where was I? Ah, yes. A few years into the war, Rowena and I married – ironically the day after James Potter married Lily Evans. After that, I spent two more years among the Aurors before leaving their ranks. Rowena stayed until she became pregnant with you, Sheyne."
"So Shifter's can be born from different line's in the families, but not the same line." Sheyne frowned and asked, "But what about me? How can I be a Shifter if Mum was one?"
Severus sighed.
"That I do not know, pet. I've never heard of such a thing happening. Though Rowena's family was supposedly descended from Rowena Ravenclaw, so that may have some factor. She was a powerful witch and her mother was a Shifter. Who truly knows what it was? But its here and we shall deal with it."
"How?" asked Sheyne.
"I think I remember enough of what Rowena told me about Shifters to help you get control of the shifting. If you don't…who knows what could happen?" He suddenly asked sharply, "Have you told anyone else?"
Sheyne nodded. "I told Harry." When her father scowled, she said in a sharp tone, "He's not that bad, Papa. Why do you not like him? Harry's the nicest person I've met here. He's about the only one who's not scared to talk to me! I asked Neville Longbottom if I could borrow his Herbology notes and he fainted!"
Severus said, "That's my fault. I knew his parents and I know they wouldn't want their son to be scared of everything."
"Papa, he's scared of you. Cripes, what'd y'do? Threaten to turn him into a toad like Trevor?"
"Hardly. I am innately frightening."
Sheyne and Stephen snorted, causing Severus to scowl at them.
"You doubt me?" he said incredulously.
"Noo…"
"Surely not."
"No doubt here."
"Oh, go to dinner!"
Sheyne and Stephen grinned at each other then left, yelling farewells over their shoulders.
"Bye, Papa!"
"Goodbye, sir!"
As their footsteps echoed back along the dungeon corridor, Severus smiled after them, shaking his head and chuckling before returning to the papers on his desk.
* * *
"Hey guys. D'ya'll mind if he sits with us?"
Sheyne jerked her thumb at Stephen as they ran into the Great Hall and over to the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat. Before either of the other two could reply, Harry said, "Sure." Sheyne motioned Stephen to sit down and took the empty seat beside Harry. The fourteen-year-old sat across from her and jumped when Harry extended his hand across the table.
"Hi. I'm Harry Potter."
Stephen took the offered hand.
"Stephen Outlaw. I'm Sheyne's adopted brother."
"I know. She's told me about you."
Stephen arched his eyebrows at Sheyne, who looked innocently back at him. Harry arched an eyebrow at the both of them then waved at the rather jumpy looking pair Stephen was sitting beside.
"And those are my friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
"Hi," said Hermione weakly.
Sheyne leaned over to Harry and whispered, "Okay, I understand the nervousness with people around me, but around Ste? What's to be nervous about around him?"
Harry grinned and replied, "They'll think some of that famous Snape humor had rubbed off."
"We Snape's do not have a sense of humor," proclaimed Sheyne proudly.
"Exactly my point."
"Blaggard!"
"Oy, eat the potatoes, not throw them!"
"Sorry, Ron," chorused Harry and Sheyne.
The ginger-haired boy glared at them then scraped the potatoes out of his hair. He tossed them gingerly at Sheyne's plate and said, "Yeah, well, throw them at Malfoy if you want to throw them anywhere."
"Good idea," said Sheyne. "I still have to get him back for putting that pasty in my hair."
Stephen looked at his adopted sister in surprise. "You mean threatening to cut off his balls wasn't enough?"
"I'M TRYING TO EAT HERE!"
"Sorry." Stephen looked apologetically at the scowling Ron.
"I don't think that did any good anyway," remarked Harry. "In fact, I think he's trying to be even more of a git than usual."
"How so?"
"Take a look."
Five heads craned towards the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy doing a very bad impression of Sheyne threatening him. He saw them and glared, grey eyes cold. Sheyne bared her teeth at him and Harry scowled in response. Across the table, Stephen jumped in surprise. For a second there he'd sworn… No – it couldn't be.
Stephen peered at Harry as the older boy picked up a knife, twirled it in his fingers, then proceeded to use it as a sword against Sheyne's fork.
Maybe he was seeing things.
Stephen gave a little shake, watching the butter knife/fork battle. His eyes darted between his sister, Harry, then up to the Head Table where Snape had appeared.
Maybe, just, maybe he was seeing things.
But if he wasn't…Harry looked oddly like Snape.