Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, or ideas (Harry Potter nouns) belong to J.K. Rowlings. Olivia McGonagall, Ferris Longbottom, and Eudora are mine. I apologize for the delay in posting this, life and exams decided to intervene.

Chapter 8: The Potter years begin.

Livie watched the sorting hat ceremony with fascination. This was the first year her mother had allowed her to attend. She stood off to the side and looked at the nervous first-years making their way to the platform.

She observed Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter were placed into their houses. Draco seems cold and sneaky while Ron looks worried and Hermione seems to accept things. But Harry, he's a bit of a puzzle, Livie thought as she evaluated them. She decided to keep a close eye on the three in Gryffindor because they struck her curiosity.

A few days later Harry, Hermione, and Ron were walking toward their dormitory when they heard someone's light footsteps behind them. They stopped and listened. "Hello, I'm Livie; that's short for Olivia," said a small perky voice behind them.

They wheeled around to find a spirited young girl with obsidian-black hair and shamrock-green eyes. Harry spoke first. "Hello, I'm Harry, this is Ron, and this is Hermione," he told her, pointing to the others. "What house are you in?"

She thought for a moment. "I suppose I'm in Mum's house for now."

"Weren't you sorted?" Ron asked.

Livie shook her head. "I'm not a student yet; I'm only seven, but later this year I'll be eight," she replied.

"And who is your mum?" Hermione inquired.

"Professor McGonagall," Livie answered frankly.

The other three stared at her with surprise. "If Professor McGonagall is your mum," Ron began, "who is your dad?"

Livie shrugged. "I don't have one. I just have a mum."

Hermione looked at her questioningly. "But that's impossible. Everyone comes from a mum and a dad, even if both of them are dead now."

"What sorts of things does a dad do for you?" Livie asked.

Ron spoke. "A dad reads to you, teaches you things, keeps you safe, and tries to help you."

"A dad helps you with your homework and laughs at your jokes when no one else will," Hermione added.

Livie's eyes opened wide with comprehension. "Oh, I understand now. You have dads to do those things for you, but Uncle Sevrus does the same things for me."

The three Gryffindors stared at her as if she had announced that she was traveling to Mars. "'Uncle Severus?' Snape is your uncle? How's that possible?" Ron inquired.

"I suppose he's what you would call a godfather." Livie looked behind her and spotted Severus. "I have to go." She walked over to him and they headed down another corridor.

"Bloody Hell! Snape's her uncle!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione looked after the two and was surprised at the familiarity between them. "There's something odd about all this," she commented as they continued walking.

Having caught up with Severus, Livie was eager to tell him about whom she had met. He listened, but his disapproval was apparent. "Livie, I'd prefer it if you would refrain from spending time with those three," Severus conveyed.

"But why?" she questioned.

"Those three will find themselves in a great deal of mischief and I'd rather not have you mixed up with them," he explained. Livie nodded, but was not satisfied with his opinion that day, her own stubbornness beginning to develop.

That year on Halloween, her stubbornness was put to the test after The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor entered the room. Professor Quirrel warned them about a troll and Minerva walked over to where Livie was seated. "I want you to go straight home and stay there."

Livie nodded and left the Great Hall, intending to do what had been asked of her, but then she noticed Ron and Harry turn around from the Gryffindors. She decided to follow them at a distance, not bothering to ponder the possible consequences.

Severus ended up in the girls' bathroom with the other teachers, finding the troll to be knocked out. After everything had been settled and Hermione Granger had explained the situation, everyone filed out. Minerva pulled Severus aside and they walked down the corridor at a slower pace.

"Where have you been and what on earth happened to your leg?" she questioned in a sharp whisper.

He tried to ignore the pain and formulate an answer. "Quirrel can't be trusted. He's the one who let that blasted thing in the castle. I tried to follow him, but Hagrid's pet decided I looked like an interesting appetizer," he grumbled.

Minerva shook her head in disbelieve. "The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor causing trouble, of all the problems to have, Quirrel ends up as a questionable character. Quirrel of all people! That man can't even stomach warning people about a troll, let alone stopping one," she paused when she noticed that Severus was trying not to limp. "You really should have that leg looked at."

"I'll take care of it later," he said through clenched teeth. Then the movement of something small and dark caught his eye as it dashed down another hallway. He stopped walking and pulled Minerva's sleeve. "Where's Livie?"

"Livie is fine. She's where I wish I was, asleep at home. Why?" she asked.

"I think you had better check on that. Someone was watching us," he explained.

Livie had not meant to be seen as she crept along in the shadows, following Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She had managed to remain hidden until Minerva and Severus had walked by. He turned in her direction and she was certain she had been spotted. She ran back the rooms she knew as home and crawled in her bed, forgetting to change into her pajamas.

Minerva and Severus arrived not long after Livie and walked to her room see if she was there. Her mother breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the girl in bed. "I told you, she is right here."

Severus shook his head. "I do not think that all as it seems," he whispered.

Just as she was about to enter the room, Minerva tripped over a few of Livie's books. "Livie, could you come here and pick up your books please?" she called out softly in case her daughter had fallen asleep.

"Yes, Mum," Livie answered. To Minerva's surprise, the girl slipped out of the bed wearing her day clothes. She stared at the girl, wide-eyed as her Scottish temper began to brew. Minerva waited until the girl had placed the books on the shelf before she spoke.

"Olivia Alice McGonagall! I cannot believe you went out after I specifically told you not to! You deliberately disobeyed me and don't you deny it! Young lady, how could you do something so blatantly dangerous? You are grounded for the next two months!" Minerva lectured.

"I'm sorry, Mum. I promise I won't sneak out again," Livie sniffed. Then she shot a questioning glance at Severus.

His eyes met hers and without words he seemed to understand what she was asking. "Livie," he began calmly, "do you know why what you did was dangerous?"

"Was it because of the troll?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yes. Trolls are very dangerous and we did not want you to be harmed. Had you been trailing too closely behind Potter and those other two students, you might have gotten hurt. We give you rules to keep you safe," he relayed.

"Okay," Livie responded.

Minerva walked over and hugged her. "Goodnight, Livie, off to bed."

Severus also hugged the girl. "Sleep well, Poppet."

"Goodnight," Livie said as the two adults left her.

Minerva spoke once they were in the sitting room. "How is it that the man who spends all day scaring the living daylights out of his students has better parenting tactics than I do?"

He chuckled. "Students who spend the day confusing and mixing up potions like both Ferris and Neville Longbottom, or who simply do not pay attention are very different from the girl I've helped to raise."

She sat down on the couch and sighed. "Tonight has been exhausting..." she trailed off, hearing him gasp in pain through his teeth. "Why don't you have Poppy take a look at your leg?"

"I'll take care of it myself," he told her a he sank down into a chair. "I could use a good stiff drink."

She smirked. "I could use a game of chess."

He raised an eyebrow mischievously. "Why don't we compromise? I'll get a bottle of brandy and you find the chess set."

She nodded and set up the pieces as he went off to his rooms and took care of his wound with a little magic and a few potions. On his return, he poured them each a small glass of brandy. Conversation did not begin until the middle of the game.

"Potter and his friends are a bad influence. If tonight is any indication of the mischief they'll get into, I don't want Livie anywhere near them. Bishop to e5."

Minerva raised her eyebrow. "Oh? And what is wrong with them? Rook to c4."

"First of all, Potter is exactly like his father: and arrogant troublemaker. Secondly, they're Gryffindors. Bishop to f4," he grumbled as he took another sip of brandy.

"What is wrong with being a Gryffindor? Pawn to d3," she argued, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Nothing, I suppose. I just don't think she ought to follow Potter around. Pawn to a5," he relayed.

"He almost ended up in Slytherin. Rook to h4," she said with disgust. Then she glanced over at Severus and blushed, having temporarily forgotten which house he belonged to.

He took a gulp of brandy, watching as the rook pulverized his knight, which he had once again forgotten about. "And what if Livie ends up in Slytherin? Pawn to e6."

"You'll look after her, just as I would if she came to Gryffindor. Knight to f4," she stated, watching as the knight annihilated the bishop. He sighed, knowing that the evening's game was not his.

Minerva had won the game and called out "Checkmate" before she took a final sip of her third glass of brandy. She suddenly jumped when she felt something touch her left foot. She dealt Severus a scolding look over the top of her glasses. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I moved my leg because my knee was acting up and I accidentally brushed your foot," he explained. "What on earth did you think I was doing?"

Her cheeks turned a crimson shade and she moved the bottle of brandy from the table to the kitchen counter. "I think three glasses of brandy is my limit."

"Tipsy, Minerva? I don't think I have ever met a Scotsman or Scotswoman who couldn't hold his or her liquor," he told her chuckling.

She steadied herself against the counter. "You shouldn't make such generalities."

He walked over to her and placed a hand under her chin. "I should probably be going. If any other strange creatures should come thundering by-"

"I'll direct them to Quirrel in the hope that the man has finally found himself a backbone," she finished.

He nodded. "Goodnight, Minerva."

"Goodnight, Severus," she whispered. He kissed her warmly before leaving.

A few months later Minerva found herself listening to the pouring rain while patrolling the castle. She gazed at the window, watching the rain saturate the grounds. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "For someone making rounds, you seem a little distracted," Severus told her.

"I've been worried about you. Livie was upset that you weren't at dinner and she's going to reach an age one day when telling her you're off to teaching seminars is not going to work," she expressed. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Things went smoothly. Regarding Livie, when she no longer wants to believe the seminar story, I'll find a way to explain things to her without telling her anything that would put her in harm's way. Thank goodness I have a few years to figure out just how to do that. Now what have you been up to?"

She smiled wryly at his typically evasive answer. "I was just watching the rain and thinking of how many students I have seen over the last few days who seem to have nothing better to do than become soaking wet while snogging themselves senseless."

He chuckled and wrapped one arm around her waist, still standing next to her. "That would be a peculiar thing to do in the rain. Why would people stand around getting drenched when an unoccupied hallway would suffice?" He kissed her jaw line and she turned to face him.

"You're being a scoundrel again," she teased before kissing him gently.

"Perhaps we ought to go on rounds together more often," he suggested as their lips met again.

When the kiss ended, she eyed him incredulously. "We'd never get anything done." Suddenly that thought did not matter as much as it could have and she kissed him soundly.

The quiet atmosphere of the corridor was abruptly broken by a voice. "I've seen students late for class, a number of bad pranks, a few good ones, and even a loose pet, but it's been quite a while since I've seen two teachers snogging."

Minerva's cheeks blushed a shade of candy-apple-red as she faced the talking portrait of a former professor. "We weren't snogging!"

"You weren't yet," said a sassy painting of a woman in a Victorian dress.

They could hear someone sauntering down the hall in old boots, probably carrying a broom. "Filch is coming!" a portrait of thirteenth century knight told them.

"We should find someplace to hide. I don't know how we'll explain to him why we're making rounds together," Severus suggested.

"We could just tell him the truth, that we bumped into each other," she pointed out.

"I'd rather not explain myself to him if I can help it," he remarked.

"The closet's over there!" the portrait of another former professor mentioned.

Severus and Minerva darted into the closet and shut the door. Not two minutes later, Argus Filch walked by and stopped at the door. "Alright, I know you're in there. I suspect you're a couple of fourth-years who decided to be out past curfew. Couldn't ya come up with a more original place to hide? I'm going to open the door in five minutes, so quit snogging before I open the door. Wait 'till I find Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall and tell them about this. I can only imagine what kind of detention they'll want to give ya!"

Both of the professors had to cover their mouths to suppress their laughter at Filch's threatening to tell them about who he thought he found. Severus pulled the string on the light bulb. "It would seem that the closet idea backfired. Minerva, turn yourself into a cat and walk over toward that lower shelf. I have an idea."

"So much for not speaking to Filch," she stated wryly, becoming her animagus form.

Then he opened the door and met Filch's annoyed stare. The custodian spoke first, looking past him to see Minerva as a cat. "Well, Professors Snape and McGonagall, what would you be doin' hiding in this closet?"

Severus glanced back at Minerva and then returned his attention to Filch. "I was in need of Casio's Cauldron Cleaner and Professor McGonagall is checking the lower shelves in her animagus form. I'd do it myself but I have bad knees."

Filch shook his head in disgust and reached out to a shelf at eye-level, removing a bottle. "I think this is what ya wanted. I also think ya ought to get yourself a pair of glasses, Professor Snape," he stated, handing Severus the bottle.

"It seems we are finished here. Come along, Minerva, and we shall finish our rounds. Thank you, Filch," Severus remarked as Minerva transformed back into a human and Filch continued his stake-out of the halls.

As Severus and Minerva walked away from the custodian, they heard him talking to his cat. "Somethin' fishy is goin' on here."

They breathed sighs of relief once Filch was out of hearing range. "The only people more nosy than that man are Potter and his friends," Severus complained.

"Be that as it may, I don't think you're going to keep Livie away from Potter, Granger, or Weasley. She seems to have inherited by stubbornness," Minerva mentioned wryly. She probably has your stubbornness too, she added mentally.

He sighed in defeat. "I just hope that next year they find themselves in less trouble. The last thing I want is for Livie to be dragged into their messes."

(my thanks to Quill of Minerva, MoroTheWolfGod, Lady of the Twilight Wood, Morgana-Alex, Pickledishkiller, Clove, for reviewing; btw I apologize for using months to convey year transitions in the previous chapter; the months mentioned when Livie is four and then six are from different years  )