Severus Snape arrived late at the apparition point. The Social-Witch had expected him to attend the Parent's Weekend festivities at Veronica's summer camp. Just thinking about it, he let out a disgusted snort. His disciplinary hearing had finally taken place one week after the term had ended; cooperating with the Department of Child Welfare had not, after all, convinced the Wizengamot to be lenient. The fine they had levied against him for use of the Dark Arts was indeed a hefty one. As a result, he'd felt no inclination to follow the meddling Social-Witch's suggestion that he visit his ward in the south of France. That is, until an incompetent post-owl had delivered Veronica's copy of the results of her Ordinary Wizarding Levels to him at Hogwarts.
On a whim, Snape had decided to bring them to her in person. Now he strode across the sun-washed pastel campus, a stark black figure totally at odds with the umbrella pines and bougainvillea. In the main lecture hall, a short, officious-looking wizard was concluding a speech under a large banner magicked to flash 'Welcome Parents' in French and English. A smiling witch offered Snape a glass of punch. "No thank you. I have no need of that," he told her with a sneer.
"As you wish, m'sieu." It was only after he'd turned away that Snape realized she'd answered in French and he had understood her. Of course, she had comprehended his English because the punch was spiked with Babel Brew. Disdainful as always of other's potions, he'd made sure to imbibe his own version of the translation potion before leaving London.
Abandoning the boredom of the welcome ceremonies, Snape waited under the shade of a plane tree. As families filed out of the lecture hall, he scanned the crowd for Veronica but didn't see her. A young girl directed him to Veronica's dormitory, where he finally found her alone in the common room, reading Magical Drafts and Potions. "Professor Snape ! I wasn't expecting you..."
"I wanted to deliver the results of your O.W.L.s, Miss Stuart." She took the envelope from his hand with trepidation, slowly breaking the seal. "They came to Hogwarts and I suspected you'd waste your summer worrying, if you didn't see them." He hid a smirk; he'd opened the envelope when it had arrived, then magically resealed it.
Snape waited impatiently as Veronica finally opened the envelope, then hesitantly drew out the parchment within. He was totally unprepared for her reaction. "Oh," she said in a small voice. "I'm sorry, Professor."
He snatched the parchment, scanning it quickly to reconfirm what he already knew. "Miss Stuart, you earned Outstanding marks on both the theory and practical portions of the Potions exam," he said, bewildered. Her eyes were shiny with unshed tears, tears which threatened to spill at any moment.
"Yes, but I only got an A in Transfiguration."
Snape resisted the urge to shake her. It was his own fault, he supposed, for pushing her so hard. "Please, Miss Stuart, don't pull a Granger on me. Silly girl, you weren't planning to take Advanced Transfiguration, so it hardly matters. As far as I'm concerned, you are well on your way to repaying your debt."
Veronica blinked. "Well on my way ? I don't understand... I did pass all my O.W.L.s."
He chuckled. She'd gone from contrite to indignant in a heartbeat. "You still need to pass your N.E.W.T.s. And then there's university, of course... I do hope you aren't intending to take another four hundred years to complete your education, Miss Stuart."
She giggled then. "Do you want to attend any of the parent's day activities ? There's a quidditch match-"
"Absolutely not."
-----
In the end, Snape wound up taking Veronica to lunch at a small cafe in town. "I am proud of your efforts so far," he told her. He pulled a small velvet jewelry box from his pocket, obviously very old. "Your sixteenth birthday is coming up soon, is it not ? It was customary to hand this down from mother to daughter in the Snape family," he said carelessly, handing her the box. "My grandmother was the last to wear it. As I have no progeny of my own to pass it on to, I thought you might like to have it."
Veronica lifted the dainty signet ring with its monogrammed S out of the box reverently. "I'll cherish it always, professor. Thank you."
Snape shrugged. "It serves just as well for a Stuart as for a Snape," he said gruffly. "Better you should wear it than have it lay forgotten in a drawer."
"Professor Severus Snape, rescuer of forgotten objects," Veronica said. "Jewelry in drawers, portraits in corners..."
"Even though it is the holidays, Miss Stuart, I can still take points off for cheek."