'Phew!' Marc thought. That was something he really hadn't expected to
find, despite Remus' none-too-subtle hints. Who would have thought that
Snape would have kids? Still, they seemed nice enough, and they certainly
had their priorities right - Quidditch and pranks. It was going to be a
very interesting summer. Marc only hoped that they'd accept him once they
got to know him better - they were obviously close and hadn't had very much
contact with other kids at all.
As he often did when he was nervous, Marc reached up to feel James Potter's old invisibility cloak folded in its accustomed place up his sleeve. The thought of his late father had always comforted him and, though he now knew that his real dad was Severus Snape, old habits die hard.
Marc was left alone for a while after they left, presumably so that he could settle in to his new room. This he did, spending his time exploring it and creating a secret compartment inside his bedpost, in which he secreted the precious cloak and the Marauders' Map. Maybe he was starting late as a prankster, but there would be people left to carry on for him in two years time.
Altair came in a few hours later,
"Settling in okay?" she asked with a smile,
"Yes thank you," Marc replied, feeling more than a little bit awkward around her, his stepmother, really.
"Do you want to talk for a bit? I seriously doubt that you've had time to go over this with anyone at all - I know what Albus and the rest of them can be like."
"Well. . ."
"Don't worry, we won't be interrupted by anyone. The kids are in Perry's room, talking about you actually, and Sev's down in his lab. He'll be out of the way for a good while yet."
"Okay then," Marc agreed, touched by her concern for him.
Altair took a deep breath and began, sitting down next to Marc on the edge of the bed.
"I'd better introduce myself properly first. I'm Altair, Lucius Malfoy's supposedly dead and unlamented sister. Do you know him?"
Marc thought. Did thwarting his plan to encourage Voldemort's return via a small, black book count?
"Not well," he said at last, somewhat cautiously. "I know his son better - he's in my year at Hogwarts."
She seemed satisfied with this and continued,
"Ah, then you know their attitudes - load of rubbish in my opinion. I was sent to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts, mostly to keep me out of Lucius' way, so hardly anyone knew that I existed in the first place. I wasn't heavily encouraged to go dark - all of my parents' attention went to Lucius. When I first met Severus, it was at a Potion Masters' convention in Vienna; I must have been about nineteen at the time and he was a few years older. At the time, he was very firmly attached to Alba Dumbledore, a soul bond I think... Was she your mother?"
"Yes," said Marc quietly. Yet another person who knew his mother - the wizarding world seemed full of undisclosed secrets.
"I thought so - you have her eyes you know. They broke up a month or so later. I think I know the real reason now... Sev was devastated, to put it lightly. I moved in to make sure he didn't kill himself or destroy the house or do something similarly melodramatic. We fell in love, married and the twins came along. I'd feigned my own death soon after graduation, just to avoid my beloved family.
'And she says that Snape is melodramatic' Marc thought with a snigger.
We detested each other with a passion. I've lived here ever since and only a few people know that I'm still alive - Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and now Remus Lupin."
Marc studied her thoughtfully for a few seconds before he started to tell his own life story.
"Do you know who I am, oh Merlin this is confusing! Do you know who I was, rather?"
"No. Sev decided it would be your choice whether you told me or not. It is safe if you want to; we made sure of that."
"Okay," Marc said, grinning. "See if you can guess. Most of this came from my Memoranbrall, so don't be too surprised. I was born on the 31st July 1980. My mother kept me herself for about a month, somewhere in the middle of nowhere: I don't know the exact location. She spent the time putting the strongest illusion charms that she could find on me - I absolutely hated that; it itched. Then she gave me to her best friend to raise. My foster mother used to joke that I had too many parents, and she did have a point: two mums and four dads, if you can believe that! It was pretty idyllic until my foster parents were killed and one of my other honorary dads was sent to Azkaban. He was innocent, but he's dead now too.
"My supposed aunt and uncle brought me up, somewhat reluctantly. To say that they hated wizards would be the understatement of the century, but I'd rather forget all that - I'll never have to go there again. I was brought to Hogwarts when I was eleven, after a bit of a struggle with my guardians. Um. . . have you ever seen Father teach my year's Potions class? I'm going into sixth year."
"Yes, I think so. I've watched most classes - its hilarious watching Sev terrorize all of you; he's such a gentle soul normally."
Marc almost choked on that one.
"Well, I'm the kid that he bullied even more than Neville Longbottom."
"Now I know you, Harry Potter," Altair said triumphantly, sounding very surprised. "This is a turn of events isn't it? Sev's always said he hated you."
"Tell me about it," Marc said gloomily. "The ugly, greasy haired git of a Potions professor turns out to 1. Like me. 2. Be my father. 3. Be married and 4. Have other kids. It was a surprise to say the least. I think I've come to terms with it now; the Memoranbrall helped a lot."
"It explains an awful lot too. Sev was dumbstruck when he was told who you were. He looked as though one of his students had just managed to successfully raid his Potions store."
Marc snickered.
"Been there, done that, just don't tell him I admitted it. He's been trying to land the blame on me for about three years now. He must have felt stupid about me, I suppose, since it was because of who my dad was that he bullied me."
"He spent five years bullying you because of a schoolboy feud and he had no idea? How like him. Hang on, you said you had a lot of parents, who are they?"
"Well, Father and Mother - Severus Snape and Alba Dumbledore. Then my foster parents were Lily and James Potter. Lastly, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were my dad's best friends and they acted like honorary godfathers. And . . . and I suppose you . . .if you'll have me, that is."
Marc looked at her shyly; she looked flattered.
"Of course I will. There, feeling better about it all now?"
"Yes," Marc said, sounding surprised.
"Is there anything you particularly want to do now?"
"Do you have a library?"
"Of course, this is a pureblood household. We have everything."
"With Quidditch books?"
"Not my area of expertise, but yes, I should think so. Down the front stairs, first door on the right. I'm sure you'll recognize it if you see it."
"Thanks. . . Mum," Marc said impishly, bounding out of the door. There'd been a passing mention of a technique in one of his books ad he was very keen to find out more. It sounded like it was one that would set people staring when he got back to school.
As he often did when he was nervous, Marc reached up to feel James Potter's old invisibility cloak folded in its accustomed place up his sleeve. The thought of his late father had always comforted him and, though he now knew that his real dad was Severus Snape, old habits die hard.
Marc was left alone for a while after they left, presumably so that he could settle in to his new room. This he did, spending his time exploring it and creating a secret compartment inside his bedpost, in which he secreted the precious cloak and the Marauders' Map. Maybe he was starting late as a prankster, but there would be people left to carry on for him in two years time.
Altair came in a few hours later,
"Settling in okay?" she asked with a smile,
"Yes thank you," Marc replied, feeling more than a little bit awkward around her, his stepmother, really.
"Do you want to talk for a bit? I seriously doubt that you've had time to go over this with anyone at all - I know what Albus and the rest of them can be like."
"Well. . ."
"Don't worry, we won't be interrupted by anyone. The kids are in Perry's room, talking about you actually, and Sev's down in his lab. He'll be out of the way for a good while yet."
"Okay then," Marc agreed, touched by her concern for him.
Altair took a deep breath and began, sitting down next to Marc on the edge of the bed.
"I'd better introduce myself properly first. I'm Altair, Lucius Malfoy's supposedly dead and unlamented sister. Do you know him?"
Marc thought. Did thwarting his plan to encourage Voldemort's return via a small, black book count?
"Not well," he said at last, somewhat cautiously. "I know his son better - he's in my year at Hogwarts."
She seemed satisfied with this and continued,
"Ah, then you know their attitudes - load of rubbish in my opinion. I was sent to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts, mostly to keep me out of Lucius' way, so hardly anyone knew that I existed in the first place. I wasn't heavily encouraged to go dark - all of my parents' attention went to Lucius. When I first met Severus, it was at a Potion Masters' convention in Vienna; I must have been about nineteen at the time and he was a few years older. At the time, he was very firmly attached to Alba Dumbledore, a soul bond I think... Was she your mother?"
"Yes," said Marc quietly. Yet another person who knew his mother - the wizarding world seemed full of undisclosed secrets.
"I thought so - you have her eyes you know. They broke up a month or so later. I think I know the real reason now... Sev was devastated, to put it lightly. I moved in to make sure he didn't kill himself or destroy the house or do something similarly melodramatic. We fell in love, married and the twins came along. I'd feigned my own death soon after graduation, just to avoid my beloved family.
'And she says that Snape is melodramatic' Marc thought with a snigger.
We detested each other with a passion. I've lived here ever since and only a few people know that I'm still alive - Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall and now Remus Lupin."
Marc studied her thoughtfully for a few seconds before he started to tell his own life story.
"Do you know who I am, oh Merlin this is confusing! Do you know who I was, rather?"
"No. Sev decided it would be your choice whether you told me or not. It is safe if you want to; we made sure of that."
"Okay," Marc said, grinning. "See if you can guess. Most of this came from my Memoranbrall, so don't be too surprised. I was born on the 31st July 1980. My mother kept me herself for about a month, somewhere in the middle of nowhere: I don't know the exact location. She spent the time putting the strongest illusion charms that she could find on me - I absolutely hated that; it itched. Then she gave me to her best friend to raise. My foster mother used to joke that I had too many parents, and she did have a point: two mums and four dads, if you can believe that! It was pretty idyllic until my foster parents were killed and one of my other honorary dads was sent to Azkaban. He was innocent, but he's dead now too.
"My supposed aunt and uncle brought me up, somewhat reluctantly. To say that they hated wizards would be the understatement of the century, but I'd rather forget all that - I'll never have to go there again. I was brought to Hogwarts when I was eleven, after a bit of a struggle with my guardians. Um. . . have you ever seen Father teach my year's Potions class? I'm going into sixth year."
"Yes, I think so. I've watched most classes - its hilarious watching Sev terrorize all of you; he's such a gentle soul normally."
Marc almost choked on that one.
"Well, I'm the kid that he bullied even more than Neville Longbottom."
"Now I know you, Harry Potter," Altair said triumphantly, sounding very surprised. "This is a turn of events isn't it? Sev's always said he hated you."
"Tell me about it," Marc said gloomily. "The ugly, greasy haired git of a Potions professor turns out to 1. Like me. 2. Be my father. 3. Be married and 4. Have other kids. It was a surprise to say the least. I think I've come to terms with it now; the Memoranbrall helped a lot."
"It explains an awful lot too. Sev was dumbstruck when he was told who you were. He looked as though one of his students had just managed to successfully raid his Potions store."
Marc snickered.
"Been there, done that, just don't tell him I admitted it. He's been trying to land the blame on me for about three years now. He must have felt stupid about me, I suppose, since it was because of who my dad was that he bullied me."
"He spent five years bullying you because of a schoolboy feud and he had no idea? How like him. Hang on, you said you had a lot of parents, who are they?"
"Well, Father and Mother - Severus Snape and Alba Dumbledore. Then my foster parents were Lily and James Potter. Lastly, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were my dad's best friends and they acted like honorary godfathers. And . . . and I suppose you . . .if you'll have me, that is."
Marc looked at her shyly; she looked flattered.
"Of course I will. There, feeling better about it all now?"
"Yes," Marc said, sounding surprised.
"Is there anything you particularly want to do now?"
"Do you have a library?"
"Of course, this is a pureblood household. We have everything."
"With Quidditch books?"
"Not my area of expertise, but yes, I should think so. Down the front stairs, first door on the right. I'm sure you'll recognize it if you see it."
"Thanks. . . Mum," Marc said impishly, bounding out of the door. There'd been a passing mention of a technique in one of his books ad he was very keen to find out more. It sounded like it was one that would set people staring when he got back to school.