Chapter 61

Severus was now trying desperately to turn his face back to normal. He felt less than comfortable, to say the least. The pink hair and the fake eyelashes were drawing to much attention on him not to mention the laughter.

And the mustache was itching terribly. He always had the urge to sneeze.

Remus leaned over and whispered "Don't even try it. This spell is not going to wear off until tomorrow morning"

"Damned werewolf" Severus growled and submitted to his fate.

After everybody was finished with eating they cleared the table and music started playing from an invisible source.

Kimberly and Remus were soon dancing to the music while Sirius tried to escape to meet with James.

"Not so fast Mister Black" Lady Tanya exclaimed and trapped him at the door.

"You're not trying to run away from me, are you?" she added in her most seductive voice.

"No certainly not madam!" Sirius stuttered.

Lady Tanya pointed over their heads and smiled slyly "OH it seems to me that you owe me a kiss. We can't break old Christmas traditions, can we?"

Sirius wondered how it would be to kiss a woman who was not only dead for several hundred years, but also had just jumped out of a painting.

To avoid parchment dry lips, he settled for a peck on the cheek.

"What was THAT?" Lady Tanya said genuinely upset. "Did you forget how to kiss in Azkaban?"

With that she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

Lady Tanya had thrown herself at him with such force that Sirius tumbled backwards and they both fell right into the hallway. The silencing charm, which had been placed on the kitchen to prevent any unfriendly interruptions from Mrs Black, however, did not cover the corridor.

As soon as the two rolled into the hallway Mrs Black started one of her obnoxious tirades.

Lady Tanya laughed at the painting and said "I'm sorry that we can't let you out. But no...not really. You're such a vile and nasty creature, you should be banned to hell forever.... "

Before she closed the curtains again she kissed Sirius again, just to see the hateful expression on his mother's face.

"It's so much fun to tick her off" she said airily as she skipped back into the kitchen. "Didn't know paintings could turn so red"

Sirius followed her, shaking his head. He didn't want to know what this woman would come up with before the feast ended.

Lady Tanya was just about to taste the punch when Albus approached her.

"I thought you promised me to behave" he said almost sternly, but the twinkle in his eyes gave away his amusement.

"Oh Albi, don't be such a killjoy. Can't a woman enjoy herself? It's not my fault that the dementors got Sirius so weak in Azkaban. I thought he could hold me" she said, batting her eyelashes.

"You better do not interrupt the feast again, or I'll send you back into the attic"

Lady Tanya's eyes grew wide in shock. The last place were she wanted to be tonight was the hag painting in the attic.

She picked up her glass and moved slowly over to one of the armchairs.

Maybe I should try to be good tonight, she thought to herself, but the good resolutions were forgotten as she spotted her next victim.

----------------

Harry enjoyed himself immensely.

The sight of Snape alone, who was sulking in a corner, was making his heart overflow with joy.

As he spotted his mother approaching the vile potion master, he crept closer and hid behind the large Christmas tree.

It should be interesting to hear what the two had to talk about.

"May I have a word with you, Severus?" Lily said and said down on a chair next to him.

Snape just nodded.

"What did they do to you today?"

"How do you know?" he said surprised.

"Oh trust me, I know my husband. I'm sure they wouldn't let you get away with it so easily."

"They put a box of spiders into my closet" he relied dryly.

"Oh god, Severus. I know how much you detest them."

Severus snorted in disgust.

"You should watch your tongue when you talk to Remus. He might be the calmer one, but he's a marauder none-the-less. And I think you deserved it for the statement you made. Remus is a good man and a great teacher. His condition is not his fault."

Snape glared at her, his eyes glowing and his face paler than ever under the make-up.

"So you think I deserved it. He is a werewolf and he got out of control before. He can thank ME that he can teach again. He should be on his knees, thanking me, but instead he is hexing me into a transvestite. And in your opinion this is what I deserve?" he ranted.

"Calm yourself, Severus!" Lily said sternly. "I know you can't stand the marauders and you surely have a reason, but your school days are over. I can understand your grudge against Sirius and James. They can be a royal pain, but Remus is different. I can tell you that I'm not going to tolerate any snide remarks about his condition. He, at least, has grown up and so should you. Stop taunting him for being a werewolf and your hair will remain its natural color."

Severus didn't reply. In some way she was right. Remus himself never had done anything to him since they had left school.

But still...

"So now that we have this settled, would you care to explain, why you treat Harry in such an unfair manner?"

Severus sat up straight and cleared his throat.

Harry listened carefully from behind the Christmas tree.

Yeah, tell my mom why you are so mean to me, you oversized bat!

He had to stifle a giggle when he saw Snape's face. He looked truly uncomfortable under Lily's piercing gaze.

"I can't remember when I ever treated Harry different than any other student?" he said carefully.

Oh yes... who's going to believe that? Harry thought grimly.

"So taking away house points for every little mistake, screwing up his grades by vanishing his potions and taunting him in front of the whole class is your way of treating your students?"

"Every student needs to learn that stepping out of line is going to be severely punished. Harry had to learn it the hard way I suppose." he commented dryly.

"Oh every student? Huh? I've not heard that you have punished Draco Malfoy or any other of your 'beloved' Slytherins ever in such a manner as you did with the Gryffindors"

Snape didn't reply this time.

You go, mom! At least somebody recognizes how unfair he is.

"Draco Malfoy is an excellent student and..."

"Oh rubbish! Stop that Snape! Don't give me that pure-blood nonsense now. In what century do we live? You're neither Salazar Slytherin nor Tom Riddle, so don't even start. You better give me a good explanation, or I will add some nice earrings to your new make-over."

Snape glared at her in shock, while Harry was holding his sides behind the Christmas tree. He had no idea how long he could hold on.

"I can't punish Malfoy as I want to and definitely not now. His father knows about Zara's mother and where she lives. I can't risk getting her in even more danger. Lucius wouldn't tolerate any punishment of Draco from my side."

"You're not telling me that you let him blackmail you?" Lily said horrified.

What has Snape to do with Zara and her mother? Harry mused.

"I have no other choice. I'm Dumbledore's only source of information about the Dark Lord. Trust me, if I could have my way the little ferret would stay in detention" he growled.

"But still there is no need to punish Harry for things his father has done to you. Harry is not James. He might not be a saint, but I truly can't see him being so much worse than other students in that age" Lily stated.

"He isn't" Snape admitted hesitantly.

"So are you going to stop being unfair to him, or do I have to give you some taste of your own medicine"

When he saw Lily rubbing her wand absentmindedly, he took a deep breath.

"Lily, I have a certain reputation at Hogwarts..."

"Oh I'm fully aware of your reputation, dear Severus. Some of your students even consider you a half-vampire"

"Oh I haven't heard that yet." Severus grunted.

"I can't be easy on Harry or all the other students would try to get away with everything, and that would end in havoc"

"Damn! Snivellus! You can't be serious. Don't try to tell me that only the constant punishment of Harry is keeping up order at Hogwarts. This is the greatest rubbish I've ever heard." Lily growled now.

Severus was trying hard to get out of this without telling Lily the whole truth. The major reason, why he loathed her son so much was that he reminded him so much of James. But not for the most obvious reason...

Snape could never tell her that he envied James more than any other man on this planet. He always wanted to be Lily's husband. At the end of their 7th year, he had finally realized that there was no place for him in her life, or at least not the place that he wanted.

So he had tried to run away from everything and everybody. He met Zara's mother and was happy for a little while. Then he heard that Potter had been elected Minister for Magic.

That had been a horrible shock. Not in his wildest dreams, he would have imagined that the Gryffindor brat, the greatest show-off in the history of wizardry would be appointed for the highest position in the ministry.

From that day on he had climbed up the ladder in the deatheater hierarchy steadily until he was Voldemort's right hand.

He still kept contact to Lily and tried to protect her from the wrath of Voldemort as much as he could. This even went so far that he helped her to complete a very complicated spell to save her son from the Dark Lord.

His feelings towards Harry were divided. He loathed him, but he had tried everything to save him, more than once. He was Lily's child as well, after all.

"When I promise you to be fair to Harry from now on, would you drop the subject?"

Oh mom, don't be so easy on him!

"I will, for now, but when I see you're not keeping your promise... and that includes Ron and Hermione as well, than I will see how I can persuade you" she grinned impishly.

Snape's never going to make it. He's so dead!

Severus heaved a sigh which sounded like it was coming from the bottom of his heart.

"Now are you going to talk to Zara tonight?" Lily inquired.

Harry cocked his ears and he was trying to listen harder.

What is going on with Snape and Zara?, Harry thought confusedly.

"I don't know. I'm afraid that she doesn't hear me out when she finds out that I'm her father."

WHAT??

Harry moved quickly away from the Christmas tree. He had to find Hermione or Ginny.

Snape was Zara's dad. Not in a million years would he have expected that.

The black-haired boy was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't pay any more attention to Snape and his mother.

Lily just saw a head of black hair disappear behind the Christmas tree when she nudged Severus.

"I think you have no other choice now. If you're not going to tell her, somebody else definitely will."

Snape looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Harry has overheard us"

The potion master groaned and cursed the little eavesdropper silently.

"I will go and fetch her for you, before Harry finds her." Lily said before she left.

---------------

Lady Tanya was lurking in the shadows, watching Remus and Professor McGonagall talking about the upcoming term.

"I don't know if we should start the next term without knowing what Voldemort is planning." he said.

"I don't know it either, to be honest. Hogwarts is still the safest place for the students to be, but there is also an informer. We couldn't figure out who it is yet, but this person must have access to school intern decisions." Minerva retorted.

"You don't suspect a staff member, do you??" Remus said, obviously shocked.

"I think this is neither the right time nor place to discuss this, Remus" Minerva replied. "But Albus doesn't think that one of the teachers is the informant."

Remus was smart enough not to push the issue, so he courteously excused himself.

Lady Tanya knew that this was her cue, so she followed him carefully.

The werewolf had just gotten himself a butterbeer and was looking for one of his friends as Tanya approached him.

"Would you be so kind and rescue a lonely woman from an early death of boredom?"

Remus raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't really believe that she was 'just' bored. The sly glinting in her eyes proved his suspicions.

Being the gentleman that he was and curious to find out what she was up to he answered "How can I be of service, my Lady?"

Lady Tanya blushed slightly and batted her eyelashes.

"I haven't danced in centuries. So would you do me the favor?"

Remus bowed in front of her, before they waltzed off to the music.

Lady Tanya thoroughly enjoyed herself. Her laughter rang through the kitchen and alerted Dumbledore, who was engaged in a conversation with Hagrid.

"Busy little thing yer Lady, isn' she?" the gamekeeper chuckled.

Albus shook his head disbelievingly and decided to watch her carefully before something happened.

Sirius approached Kimberly, who had just finished her chat with Molly.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" he asked her airily.

"Oh quite so..." she answered, but it seemed to him that her thoughts were elsewhere.

He looked where she was staring at and recognized Remus dancing along with Lady Tanya.

"They look nice together, don't they?" he teased.

Kimberly spun around and glared daggers at him. "Yes they truly do!" she snapped and was about to leave when Sirius held her back.

"What is it with you and our werewolf?" he asked curiously.

"Nothing "she said angrily, pulled her arm out of his grip and vanished.

I need to have a chat with Lily about that, Sirius thought and started searching for her.

Lily had spotted Zara, sitting together with Ginny, and was thinking hard now how to separate her from the Weasley girl.

This turned out not to be a problem as Molly called her daughter to give her a hand with the drinks.

Lily approached the young Ravenclaw and said kindly "My dear, would you give me a minute of your attention please?"

Zara nodded anxiously. What could Harry's mother probably want from her?

Lily put her arm around the girl and led her over towards the Christmas tree. Zara stopped walking as she recognized Professor Snape sitting there. What could she want that involved him?

"Come on my dear. No need to worry" Lily said and pulled the Ravenclaw along.

Zara followed reluctantly and said down on a chair furthest away from the potion master.

"I leave it to you from here, Severus" she said encouragingly and left.

Snape murmured a spell and instantly everything around them appeared blurry.

The Ravenclaw girl looked extremely frightened, but Snape said calmly "This is a disguising spell. Nobody is going to see us or overhear our conversation."

Zara relaxed slightly but still felt a little uneasy next to the potion master.

Before she could say something Snape turned towards her and sighed.

"There is something that you need to know, Miss Rawle. You're in immediate danger."

Zara gasped in shock "Danger? Professor Snape what is going on here?"

"I'm sorry that you have to hear about it this way, but I can't remain silent any longer. Let me ask you something upfront ... has your mother ever talked to you about your father?"

"Why should she do that? My dad is my dad... what is there to talk about?"

"You're not quite right with this assumption. Mr Rawle is surely the man you consider your father. He has raised you since you were born, but he is not ..."

Severus was not sure how to put it.

"Oh you mean he is not my biological father" Zara assumed. "But how would you know about it?"

The potion master took a deep breath. He had been afraid of this very moment for almost 5 years now.

Zara's eyes grew wider as she drew the right conclusions. She put her hands in front of her face and started to shake with laughter.

"Yeah right...very funny. This was quite the Christmas joke Professor"

Snape didn't know exactly what to do now, but then he couldn't take it any more. He got up from his chair and sat down next to his daughter.

"This is certainly not a joke I'm afraid"

The laughter died immediately and she swallowed hard. She stared into his pale face and his eyes showed her that he was indeed deadly serious.

"Oh my god" was all Zara could utter as she started sobbing into her hands.

"Shhhh" he tried to soothe her and he hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder.

"I know it is hard for you to understand right now, but I hope you will one day. I do not expect that you accept me as your father, but I hope you can accept me as a friend."

Zara's head perked up and she removed the hands from her face.

She couldn't believe what she had just heard.

Had he just said he was her father and offered her his friendship? She never had thought that Snape would know how to spell the word, let alone offer it to a student.

"Why has nobody told me before? Why has mom never told me that you are my ... father?"

"I will have to start from the beginning so that you can fully understand the facts. You have to believe me that neither your mother nor I did ever do anything to hurt you on purpose. We had our reasons to handle the situation the way we did."

Zara listened carefully as Severus told her about his relationship with her mother Elena and how the deatheaters had forced him to leave her or she would have been killed. That he had no idea Zara was existing until she came to Hogwarts and how he had been forced to hide his true feelings.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I was too afraid they would hurt you to get to me if they would ever find out you were my daughter."

Zara's sobbing had ended and she had calmed down quite a bit.

Did he just call me 'dear'? she thought but immediately focused on the more urgent matters.

"So you said I was in danger? How can I be in danger when nobody knows about me?"

"Things have changed. Somehow they found out that you are my daughter and now they are blackmailing me."

His voice had been as calm and understanding as he could muster. He had tried to sound as much as a father as possible, although he didn't have much practice.

Zara didn't exactly know what to respond. Her brain had not yet digested the metamorphosis from Snape, the mean potions teacher to Snape, the...dad.

"So you're telling me that Voldemort is after me?"

"As long as he isn't convinced that I'm a double-agent, you have not much to worry. But there are some rules I need to set up!"

Severus voice had, without him noticing it, changed into his classroom voice.

Zara raised one eyebrow suspiciously. He had just told her he was her father and already he was setting up rules.

Severus seemed to sense her objections and continued "I'm not only telling you this as a father, but also as a member of the Order of the phoenix. It is for your own safety that you follow these rules."

Zara nodded reluctantly and beckoned him to continue.

"First, you won't go anywhere alone! Second, if something seems suspicious to you... Avoid it! And third, don't let those irresponsible Gryffindors lure you into any dangerous nonsense!"

Zara wanted to get this over with and nodded mutely.

"One last thing... I don't expect you to accept me as your father, but understand that I only have your best interests at heart."

"So how do you want me to call you?" she finally asked.

"When we are alone, you may call me Severus if you like, but when others are around, especially at Hogwarts, you will address me as Professor Snape"

"Ok then... may I go now?"

"Yes, you may..."

After he had rescinded the disguising spell, he embraced his daughter quickly and left.

Zara was totally flabbergasted. She remained seated and mused about what she had just found out.

It would take her quite a while to digest this.