Chapter Twenty -Gifts of Inheritance

As Snape sat musing over his life, in the room that had grown gradually hotter and stuffier, a chestnut-haired witch poked her head around the door. She was a strong, muscular woman in her mid fifties; a woman dressed in green and with mischievous hazel eyes. Diamonds and an emerald sparkled in a broad platinum ring on her finger.

"So this is where you're hiding" Celeste exclaimed. "Are you coming down? They'll be back soon." She walked over to the window to push it open further, her summer sandals resounding on the close-boarded floor. "Funny how we never got round to taking these bars down" she mused, as she stared down through the iron rungs to the garden below. "We still kept this as a nursery and then a playroom, even though we didn't have any more."

Snape came over to her and slid his arms around her slender waste. He nestled his chin against her neck. "Shall we start again?" he asked.

"Oh my goodness, no!" Celeste exclaimed in horror, turning in the circle of his arms. "All that potty training, and teething. All those nappies! I don't mind practicing" she added meaningfully, snaking her body against him, "but no more babies. Grandchildren are fine – at least the window bars now stop them falling through."

They kissed, and he held her body hard against his. Finally they managed to break apart. "Come on" she said reluctantly. "We mustn't let our kids catch us making love in our old nursery, even if this is our thirty-second anniversary!"

They walked hand-in-hand down through the house and out into the garden. Birdsong and the perfume of lavender filled the air, as butterflies busied themselves about the last of the buddleia blooms. Celeste sat under a sun umbrella, flicking through a copy of Witch Weekly, while Snape dragged his favourite sun-lounger into the shade and lay dozing, remembering that on the previous day they had lain on this patio in absolute privacy – Celeste had given him a full-body massage, and they had then made love in the open air, rather unsteadily and therefore with much hilarity, on this very sun-lounger. Ah, the joys of having no children at home, he sighed.

At length they could hear the shouts of children coming through the trees. A voice was yelling 'Granddad, Granddad' and Celeste could see Snape pretending to be asleep. His four year old granddaughter, Camilla – always known as Milly – rushed up and tugged the sleeve of his bright, buttercup-gold, shirt.

"Granddad!" she persisted breathlessly, "I've got some nice leaves!" Snape made no answer, so she climbed onto his lap, taking great care not to scuff his grey jeans – she knew how particular he was about his clothes. "Come ON Granddad; wake up!" she squeaked. She shook his hand, watching reflections flash from his garnet ring. Then, to Celeste's amusement, she lifted the piece of amber on the cord around his neck and let it fall like a door knocker against his sternum.

Suddenly, with a roar like an angry lion, Snape opened his eyes wide and lunged his head towards her, making her shriek and draw back. He caught her in his arms and they both laughed – it was a game they often played. "Where are these leaves?" Snape demanded at length, examining her hands. "Ah, borage!"

"Borago officinalis" the precocious child proclaimed, showing him the stems in her hot little hand.

"Quite correct" he replied. "Two house points."

He looked about the patio in case she had brought anything else. Camilla was inclined to collect anything she thought interesting or useful for making a potion. Since she had been a toddler they had been treated to worms, leaves, berries, caterpillars, twigs, fungi and even small spiders resulting from her forest jaunts. Snape, Celeste and Camilla's parents had spent hours trying to explain that some plants and animals are dangerous, but Camilla was a stubborn child – she had assumed some degree of caution, but only bitter experience had taught her that nettles sting and brambles are prickly.

Hot and weary from their forest stroll, the rest of the family caught up with Camilla. Her mother Eleanor, the girl in the dark red dress, was holding the hand of 'Young Sebby' – her little son Sebastian. Miranda, cool and graceful in a tie-dyed cotton dress of burnt orange, walked beside them. A few paces behind, Eleanor's husband was deep in conversation with his brother in law Sebastian. Trailing behind them, hand in hand, were Lucien and Jasmina.

They flopped into chairs or onto sun loungers, as a house-elf in a bottle green T-shirt and shorts brought a tray of iced juices and two different tonic drinks Snape had made from Sage and Yellow gentian leaves. He always kept a stock of herbal tonics in the kitchen refrigerator during the summer, because they were refreshing to drink on their own, or they could be mixed with spirits. Gratefully the group helped themselves to refreshments. Young Sebby asked if he could try some of the tonic.

"Yes, if you really want to" Snape replied. "But you may find it too bitter, young man. Just try a little– Hmm" he exclaimed, surprised at Sebby's calm reaction to the bitter sage tonic. "Would you like me to show you how I make it?"

"Erm, I'd like to see where the plants grow" Young Sebastian said cautiously. He loved Tol Galen's herb garden and was always trying to sneak into it. Originally it had been open as the rest of the grounds were, but once the Snapes had started to cultivate dangerous plants such as Tansy and Aconite they had walled off the herb and kitchen garden, and kept the black iron gate sealed with a spell.

"I'll take you in there, later" Celeste promised. "I need to get some salad burnet and bogbean. You can help me pick it."

Camilla was hard at work persuading Snape to take her to his laboratory so that they could stew her leaves to make a potion. Whereas Young Sebby liked the walled garden, Snape's laboratory was Camilla's favourite room. Snape took endless pains with her, introducing the little child to the rudiments of potion making. He was very proud of her – her dogged application to work reminded him of her mother, but Camilla's boundless self-confidence enabled her to be far more inquisitive and experimental than Eleanor had been at that age. Celeste and Eleanor both suspected she would turn out to be very like Hermione Granger, but as Camilla was Snape's granddaughter he pooh-poohed this notion.

Eleanor, meanwhile was laughing at Snape's 'two house points' remark. "I think Milly's earned more than that" she remarked. "Knowing Borago officinalis at her age! I never, ever got less than five from you, Father. For real, I mean – at school."

"You were always such a goody-goody!" Sebastian jeered.

"Yes, but do you remember when I lost ten!" Eleanor reminded him with a sudden look of horror. "TEN! So did you! In one go! It was unheard of for me!"

"Oh, yeah" Sebastian chuckled, thinking back to his late teen years. "That was the night we got caught cooking a fry-up in the common room."

"I never knew about this" Lucien exclaimed.

"No, well you weren't meant to. Nobody was" Eleanor said with a sheepish look at her father.

"You were in Ravenclaw, Lucien!" Jasmina reminded him. "If this was a Slytherin embarrassment you can be sure it would not be mentioned beyond the common room."

"Exactly so" Eleanor agreed. "Only Mum and Dad knew. We were doing a stir-fry late at night over the common room fire. Someone stole a cooking pan and tried to charm it into a wok. Sebastian did the stir fry from vegetables and herbs that had also been 'acquired'. Soy sauce was called for, but the kitchens didn't have any. We didn't know how to make it, so I made up this concoction from Marmite and lemon juice and goodness know what else; dittany and vlox root were part of it."

"It tasted really good!" Sebastian grinned. "And we were all tucking in when Dad turned up. God he was cross!"

"And not without good reason" Snape growled. "Your mother and I could smell Chinese herbs all through the dungeons – in the Potions classroom, in my office, in our sitting room. Even in our bedroom! It's a wonder Albus couldn't smell them in his office. My office. Ohrr Sebastian, you really were the limit. I had hopes of you being Head Boy the following year–"

"Which I was–" Sebastian tried to say, pretending to sound hurt.

"Which, time after time, you nearly blew!" Snape roared. "And Eleanor! I had never known you to misbehave so."

"Well, losing twenty points between you wasn't the end of the world" Miranda pointed out.

"No, but Dad took ten each from Sebby and me as the ringleaders, and two each from everyone else there!" Eleanor explained. "I think we lost Slytherin thirty-two in all. We weren't very popular with the rest of House."

"And we lost the House Cup to Ravenclaw that year" Snape pointed out acidly. "I should have taken more from you, but I was concerned about the cup. Stealing from the kitchens. Wrecking a cooking pot. Messing around at midnight. You couldn't have done that in the years Voldemort was on the loose."

Sebastian was doubled up with laughter as he remembered that no one could get the cooking pan back into shape. "But we won you the Quidditch Cup, Dad" he chuckled. "We always got you that."

"That is true" Snape conceded. He grinned and looked suddenly at Eleanor. "Marmite, lemon juice and dittany?" he asked gleefully.

"And vlox root; yes. Actually, it was pretty good" she beamed. She loved cooking and experimenting with ingredients. Snape did too. Once he and Celeste had acquired Tol Galen, during their school holidays he would often 'mess about' in the kitchen with the two elf cooks, working out new recipes for food and drinks.

"Oh, how Minerva would have wagged her finger at you if she'd known about it!" Celeste said. "She always suspected you tweaked things in Slytherin's favour whenever you could."

"Me tweak things?" Snape bridled. "If I remember rightly she was the one who was responsible for getting Harry Potter a Nimbus 2000 – best broom available at the time. And he played for his House team in his first year!" Snape tried to suppress a ripple of a dark smile. "I never saw any reason to let Slytherin miss out. If in doubt, award a point or two – after all, no one else was going to go out of their way to give us anything."

"If in doubt, knock a point or two off the others" Sebastian murmured philosophically, nodding in agreement.

"Don't forget my leaves, Granddad" Camilla piped up.

"Oh I give in" Snape sighed. "I can see I'm not going to get any peace until Milly has done something with these leaves. If you will excuse me I will see you all later. Sebby, are you coming too?"

"No thank you, Grandfather" Young Sebastian replied in the extra-polite manner he was always careful to use when speaking to Snape. "I'm going to the herb garden, aren't I."

"Yes, of course you are" Snape agreed, and holding Camilla's hand he set off in the direction of the potions laboratory, walking slowly so that the little girl could keep pace with him.

Snape took her via the kitchen as they would need a couple of lemons and a bottle of white wine. In the potions laboratory he kept a close eye on Camilla. They began by washing their hands and the borage plants.

"This is not going to be a potion, Milly" he explained, "but if all goes according to plan we are going to end up with a very pleasant summer drink – a 'cool tankard' it is sometimes called. Unfortunately for you, you won't be able to have any because it is going to contain wine, but we will let you know how good it is." He smiled at her downcast face. "Now, Milly" he added encouragingly, "can you find us a size one cauldron, a chopping block, a wooden spoon, and a two-pint measuring jug?"

While she was hunting for those, Snape gathered together a sharp knife, a jar of sugar, a jar of dried Billywig stings, a large pair of tweezer-like forceps, and kitchen scales. The scales were cast iron and brass – a souvenir from a holiday in Ironbridge. When everything was assembled Snape cut the fruits in half and then helped Camilla to slice each piece, his wand at the ready in case she cut herself. He also let her strip the leaves from the plant stalks.

"Now we will weigh the leaves" he explained. "I think you have, at most, a couple of ounces here, but we may as well check."

Under his expert eye Camilla weighed the leaves and noted the weight he told her to write down. He then helped her to weigh out an ounce of sugar and to fill the jug one quarter full with water. Snape checked her quantities, fine tuning them where necessary; then he let her fill the cauldron with the water, sliced fruit and sugar.

"Very good. Carefully cut the leaves across" he instructed. "That will release the juices from the veins quite quickly. Then the cut leaves must go immediately into the cauldron; don't delay. That's right. Now; take the forceps and try to pick out one Billywig sting. Just one – or we will all be floating on the ceiling. Yes, I thought you'd find that funny."

Camilla found it too difficult to pick up a single dried sting, so Snape tipped a tiny heap of stings onto a piece of parchment and let her extract one from the heap. He then returned the excess to the jar and watched her add the sting to the cauldron.

"That's right. Good girl" he continued. "Now we let this simmer for twenty minutes. And after that it must cool. I will heat it; you can stir."

He used a spell to heat the cauldron and Camilla stirred it carefully.

"We can leave this to simmer now" he said. "If it cools too much I will give it a blast – you'll like that, wont you. Meanwhile, Milly, you find us a sieve and a funnel, and I'll find us a carafe."

While they were working, Celeste let Young Sebastian into the potions laboratory. "It's far too hot in the garden" she explained. "Can Sebby join you?"

"Of course" Snape replied. "Sebby, help Milly find a sieve…"

When the twenty minutes had elapsed Snape used a further spell to speed the cooling process and helped Camilla to strain the liquid into the carafe – a very difficult process which was half Camilla's own efforts but buoyed up with her grandfather's levitation charm. Then he uncorked the wine and she was allowed to add that. Again, it was a tricky operation for a four-year-old, and, despite the funnel she spilt a little, but without condemnation he employed his wand to clear the spillage; a process both children enjoyed watching. Snape stored the carafe in his laboratory fridge and they began the not so interesting process of clearing up.

Meanwhile, the patio grew very hot as the afternoon progressed and Celeste encouraged her children to move into the sitting room. She knew that, living as they did in Egypt and Italy, Sebastian and Miranda were used to the sun, but she still thought too much exposure dangerous. Miranda tended to freckle rather than tan, and even dark-haired Eleanor did not tan very well. She had her father's sallow complexion, and – that aside – the whole family had been brought up in a cold climate. These sunny summer days were few.

All the windows of the house were open and most doors were propped open, so the sitting room was comfortably breezy. Eleanor and Jasmina started a game of chess, but the others were content to chat and brows through photograph albums.

"Hey, look at this" Sebastian cried. "That's when we went on that canal holiday. Remember Luce?"

Lucien did remember it. It was the summer before they had started at Hogwarts and they had taken a Narrow Boat along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, because Celeste wanted them to learn something of the history of Muggle technology. Guinny and the two boys had thoroughly enjoyed operating the locks and discovering why the canal had been built and how it had been used. Snape and Miranda were less keen, and it was certainly not Eleanor's idea of a holiday.

"I remember that" she called out. "It was awful – hard work, messy and wet. Yuk! Was it the previous year we went on those steam trains? Across the Ribblehead Viaduct, and all that stuff?"

"Yes; Settle to Carlisle" Celeste said. "Steam Nostalgia, the trips were called. I found out about them from Clement Flitwick's internet access."

"That was much better, that holiday" Eleanor said. "The train carriages were so stylish, and the countryside was beautiful."

"That's because there was glass between you and it" Sebastian pointed out acidly.

It was true. Eleanor loved comfort. Her notion of a proper holiday was to stay in a hotel of at least a three star designation. Hot and cold running water were her idea of life's absolute essentials.

"We had some great holidays" Lucien said, looking over Sebastian's shoulder as he slowly turned the album's pages. "Ironbridge. Remember the iron bridge? And the Hay Inclined Plane?"

"And the Victorian Tile Exhibition" Eleanor chimed in. "Check" she added softly.

"Oh look, Portugal" Miranda exclaimed. "Remember that beach – shrimping in those little pools? And sailing?"

"That's where your father and I went on honeymoon" Celeste said wistfully. "We had that same cottage – oooh, about – seven or eight year earlier than what you're looking at now. Four days we stayed there; just messing about on the beach and on the water. And when it got too hot we had the wooded hillside. He read me poetry – Keats and Byron. Shakespeare's sonnets– Yes, I know you all think it's funny. But your father has an amazing voice. He's quite a romantic on the quiet. Oooh, Prague. This is Prague! We went there the following year. I was pregnant with you two."

"Oh, that's why I recognise it" Sebastian sniggered.

Eventually Miranda gave up looking over Sebastian's shoulder at the holiday albums and found her parents wedding photographs. Jasmina, who had lost her game to Eleanor, came to sit beside her. She easily recognised Alicia Spinnet who now performed under the stage name of Eshmoon. She recognised, too, all the people she was at school with, but there were quite a few faces she didn't know at all. Celeste leant over and pointed them out.

"That's Neville Longbottom with Ginny Weasley, Charlie and Bill's sister. They got married the following year; same year as Charlie and Amanda. There's Charlie and Amanda. That's Harry and his girl friend Cho. She was his girl friend then – their wedding photo is on the sideboard over there. Erm, you'll know those four" she added, pointing to the Lavells talking to Albus and Minerva. "Oh, and my Uncle Fabien you know. That's Septimus Peor, my House Master with his partner, Remus Lupin – they both teach at Beauxbaton. (Lucien caught Sebastian's eye but said nothing, and Celeste continued, unaware.) Professor Flitwick's brother Clement – he and Felix did the fireworks and helped a lot to organise the musical instrumentation. We had an orchestra and a rock band – there they are, Ravelin. One of the three singers was a Hogwarts old boy. And Alicia of course everyone knows – she's and ex-pupil too. There's Madeline and Sirius, jiving – ye gods they were boisterous in those days…!"

The afternoon wore on and Celeste realised it was time for tea. She shepherded her flock to the dining room where high tea awaited them. Having finally managed to root Snape and both grandchildren out of the potions laboratory where they were, as she put it 'just messing around', she also retrieved the 'cool tankard' from the fridge and took it to the dining room, but the grandchildren took her attention and it was put aside onto the sideboard. Subsequent tea-time conversations drove it from her mind…

As they began to eat, Sebastian said he had some news.

"I'm giving up the bank" he told them. "Yep, it's true" he insisted as they all stared at him, open mouthed. "I've accepted a teaching post at Durmstrang – Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Snape's asparagus quiche slid of his fork in surprise. "But you're not trained?" he snapped.

"Doesn't matter – they still offered it to me" Sebastian said carelessly, as if determined to rile his father.

Snape gave him a look of stern disapproval. "There's more to teaching than knowing the subject" he murmured darkly.

"Well good for you, Sebby, if you want it" Miranda said.

"But Durmstrang!" Lucien gasped. "What about Egypt, and the sunshine, and all those bikini clad witches? You won't keep your tan long at Durmstrang, Sebby."

"Are yes, the witches" Sebastian muttered. "There is a possibility – a very faint possibility – that I might be getting engaged."

"Have you got any other bombshells for us or is this it?" Celeste asked, pretending to be cross with him. "Come on, who is she?"

"Her name is Rebekka Zimmermann and she teaches Charms at Durmstrang" Sebastian confessed. "It's not definite yet – well, it's far from definite – but it's looking a bit hopeful."

"And when do you start at Durmstrang?" Snape asked, more concerned about his eldest son's career than Sebastian's latest sexual exploit.

"Next month" Sebastian replied. "And I'll be using my proper name at work – Severus Snape."

"Then make sure you do a damn good job!" Snape hissed menacingly.

"Next month? That soon?" Celeste cried. "Sebby, you might have confided in us earlier!"

"I didn't want to say anything until it was in the bag, OK?" he explained ruefully. "I'm sorry; but I didn't want to count my chickens."

"Yes, I understand that" Snape said. "It's just a bit of a shock, that's all."

"What's Uncle Sebby doing?" Young Sebastian piped up. "Mum, what's Uncle Seb…"

"Well, if this is the moment for announcing news" Eleanor cut in, "we have some too."

"And so have we" Jasmina said quietly.

Snape and Celeste looked at each other, shaking their heads in bewilderment. "Who shall we hear first?" Celeste asked. She stared around the table. "Whose is the least shocking? Jasmina? Eleanor?"

"Err, Jazz, you go first" Eleanor said nervously.

"OK" Jasmina said. She looked at Lucien and they again held hands. "We're going to have a baby" she said shyly. "Next March."

"Wow!" Miranda exclaimed.

Celeste got up and gave her a hug. Then she did the same to Lucien.

"Congratulations!" Snape said with feeling. He shook his son's hand and went around the table to give Jasmina a hug and a kiss.

"What's happening, Granddad?" Young Sebastian asked, as Snape resumed his seat.

Camilla, for once, said nothing, but watched everyone with rapt attention.

"Your Uncle Sebastian has a new job and Uncle Lucien and Aunty Jasmina are going to have a baby" Celeste explained to her grandson. "Now, Eleanor, I believe you have something to tell us."

"Yes" she said.

"Baby? Or job? Or something else entirely?" Snape enquired, his eyes narrowing.

"Job" she said shortly. "I'm going to Beauxbaton to teach Potions."

"Good heavens!" Snape replied. "When?" He was secretly delighted.

"September next year" she said. "Valentine Valmont retires then, and it's been agreed I will be taking over. Sebby will be school age by then and, well, that's it really."

"And what of your job?" Snape asked Augustus.

"Well, I can Apparate" he pointed out. "But I've started looking for something nearer Beauxbaton. I've got over a year to sort something out. It means, of course, that we'll be moving to France."

"Don't look so sad, Mum" Eleanor pleaded. "It's my first teaching appointment. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Of course" Celeste agreed. "Of course you are. I'm just being selfish, thinking we won't see so much of you two, and Milly, and Young Sebby."

"But you both teach. You only see us in the holidays now" Augustus pointed out.

"That's true" she admitted.

"Yes, that's right" Snape agreed. "We will still be able to visit you in the holidays, won't we."

"Of course you will" Eleanor agreed.

"And we'll have Jasmina and Lucien's baby to see as well" Celeste said. "Severus is a dab hand at changing nappies. No – OK – I am only joking. But he is good with getting babies to sleep. I remember him walking about with Lucien, lulling him to sleep, while I was trying to cope with you girls."

"Aaah, poor ickle Lucy!" Sebastian teased. Lucien threw a bread roll at him.

"Behave!" Snape snapped. "Act your age. What sort of example are you setting to Camilla and Young Sebastian?"

"Sorry, Father" they said, grinning sheepishly at each other and occasionally pulling faces when they thought Snape wasn't looking.

"Wow! So much is happening, I can't take it all in" Celeste exclaimed.

"Are there any more surprises" Snape asked shrewdly, giving them all his best penetrating stare.

"Oh-ho, no! Nothing from me, Dad!" Miranda assured him. "I'm just enjoying teaching, and giving all the wizards the run-around. No plans to marry. No plans to move."

"No, I don't think anyone else will be giving you heart failure, Dad" Sebastian agreed brightly, as the Drocourt clock began to chime. "Can someone pass me another of those samosas–? Thanks… Of course I don't know what Guinny might have up her sleeve" he added a moment later, through a mouthful of salad.

"She'll be here soon" Celeste observed, glancing at the clock.

"Are we going to live in France, Mum?" Camilla finally enquired. "I'm sure I'll cope" she added solemnly, at which all the adults tried to hide their amusement.

Shortly after they had finished their meal Guinevere turned up. She didn't get on too well with her family and their spouses. Apart from her mother, the only one she had anything in common with was Sebastian, who could talk about Quidditch; and she got on reasonably well with her youngest sister, Miranda, who was by nature gracious, easy going and non-judgemental.

Guinevere's arrival occurred almost thirty minutes before Augustus and Eleanor set off for home. They never stayed late because of the children. Miranda, Lucien and Jasmina departed an hour later, leaving Guinny sitting on the patio with Celeste and Sebastian, enjoying the pleasant evening coolness. Very soon however, Snape disappeared to shower and change his clothes, and to instruct the house-elves about supper. Work permitting, he would dutifully attend Guinevere's important matches, but he was bored by the children's interminable conversations about Quidditch. Eventually Sebastian made some excuse to withdraw leaving Celeste and Guinevere alone together.

The young witch watched him go, her dark eyes troubled. "Err, I've got something to tell you, Mum" she began.

"Well, it's been a day of news and surprises" Celeste said. "Go on, do your worst."

"You may not like it though" Guinevere insisted.

"Never mind. Try me" Celeste said positively. She felt she could cope with anything.

"You know I wrote and said I had a friend" Guinevere explained. "Good friend."

"Yes" her mother replied, thinking back. "Samantha Johnson. Chaser… Guinny? What…? Tears? Whatever is the matter?"

Celeste moved over and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. She had never seen the tough tom-boy cry since she was a tiny child.

Angry with herself for this unexpected display of emotion, Guinevere roughly brushed the tears away. "She's my partner, Mum" she said firmly. "Let me show you a photograph…"

"Your partner?" In a daze Celeste looked at the photograph. It showed an attractive black girl, a little older than Guinevere. She had an engaging smile, a wealth of bouncing Afro curls and flawless skin like milk chocolate. "You mean you are lovers" Celeste added, trying to make sense of the words her daughter had used.

"Yes" Guinevere whispered.

"How long for?" Celeste enquired, still sounding as dazed as she felt and not knowing what else to say.

"Over a year" Guinevere replied. "It's really important to me, Mum. We're quite serious about each other. How do you think Father 'll take it?"

A sudden frown creased Celeste's forehead. "Actually, I have no idea" she replied truthfully. "Let's go and tell him. Don't worry – we'll get through this somehow."

Sebastian and Snape were in the sitting room. Snape, dressed now in a cobalt-blue cotton robe, was trying to point out reasons why teachers should be trained to teach.

"Pupils take up information differently" he was saying. "It's all very well knowing the facts you want to put across, but the art is to know how to present it to them; how to foster their own spirit of enquiry, and yet protect them when it's necessary."

"Don't worry, Dad" Sebastian assured him. "I'll be able t' – oh, err, scuse me. This is my cue to butt out." Ignoring his father's puzzled face, he gave Guinevere and Celeste a meaningful look, winked at his sister and added "I'll be on the patio."

"Do I stay for this?" Celeste asked Guinevere.

"Yes please, to begin with" she replied.

When he heard the news Snape took it surprisingly well, and after a few minutes Celeste left them alone and went out to Sebastian.

"You knew, didn't you" she said to her son.

"Yeah, I've known about Sam for a few months" he admitted. "Miranda's known, too – sort of. Miranda's not much fussed about such things anyway. She's a bit of a free spirit, like me. Well – like I used to be. Guinny said she was gonna break the news today. Probably. She's always felt a bit of an outsider in the family – feels she doesn't fit in."

"Oh, heavens–" Celeste began, shocked to learn that any child of hers should feel like that.

"Don't think anyone can do anything about it" Sebastian replied. "That's just how it is."

"Well, I can't hear your father shouting" Celeste observed. "Mind you, that doesn't mean much – he's got the most deadly whisper I've ever heard. And the most passionate" she added sheepishly. "Sebby, can you see what they're doing?"

"Err, yeah. He's giving her a hug. Now a kiss. Yep, I think we can go in."

"Ohrr, thank goodness! Oh, and Sebby?" Celeste added, "bring Rebekka to visit us soon as you can – soon as things look promising. OK?"

"OK. Thanks Mum."

He gave his mother a quick hug, then, a little awkwardly, they walked indoors.

Snape looked at Celeste, trying to read her reaction. "Well, as ever with our wedding anniversaries, we did try to get all the family together today" he announced, "but it seems we didn't quite manage it. I was wondering whether Guinny and Samantha would like to come to dinner. Perhaps next Sunday." His eyebrows arched in enquiry as he looked from his wife to his daughter.

Celeste smiled. "That sounds fine to me" she agreed. "Guinny, do you think you two could manage that?"

"Yes, I think so" Guinevere said, returning the smile. "Thanks." She looked gratefully at her father. "Thanks, Dad" she added in a small voice.

"Good. That's settled" Snape said with relief. "Now Guinny; how about some supper…?"

It was almost midnight. Sebastian and Guinevere had left half an hour earlier, and Snape stood by the sitting room sideboard, pressing buttons on the hi-fi. He had chosen a CD, and Take My Breath Away was wafting across the room. He whirled Celeste round and then settled into a slow, smoochy dance.

"Remember this at our wedding?" he murmured. They danced on, and in time the tune changed to Unchained Melody.

"Oh, what a day it has been!" Snape exclaimed. "Have you enjoyed it, Milady?"

"Of course I have!" Celeste assured him.

"Even with all the unexpected news?"

"It's nothing really bad, is it" she pointed out rationally. "Careers. Babies. Partnerships. We are lucky. Our children are talented and successful. We should be glad for them."

"Yes" he agreed. "We should. We are! What a family – look at them! Look at us!"

His eyes had fallen on the family group photograph and he stopped dancing to pick it up. The sideboard's top held a cluster of photographs, most in scrolled pewter frames – Snape's parents, Celeste's parents and grand parents, Harry and Cho as bride and groom, and the photo of Lily Evans, Harry had given Snape when he came to collect his mother's portrait from the dungeons the year after Snape and Celeste had married. Amongst these the photograph of the Snape family group was by far the largest. There was Snape, centre stage, smiling coolly at the world with a look of supreme self-satisfaction. Pressed lovingly close against his right side was Celeste, her pearly, joyful smile much in evidence. Next to her was proud, cunning Sebastian with his winning treacherous charm; and next to Sebastian was Guinevere, looking strong and defiant. On Snape's left side was Eleanor with her dark beauty and her half-smile of slight discomposure. Next to her, looking firm and dependable, the comely, regular features of Lucien smiled modestly. And beyond Lucian, willowy Miranda smiled her other-worldly, enigmatic smile.

Snape hugged Celeste tightly to him as he studied the photograph. "I could never have guessed in my darkest days" he said softly, "that I would forge a union with the beautiful heiress of Gryffindor and thereby father such lovely and gifted children. Nor that I would become Headmaster of Hogwarts. Thank you, Celestine." He kissed her temple and she hugged him tightly in return.

At length she said "I feel weary now. I'm going to put my feet up."

She sank into one of the capacious sofas that formed three sides of a large square in front of the inglenook fireplace. The hearth itself was full of roses – three dozen Guinée black-red fragrant blooms, almost concealing their hammered copper container. Snape always bought Celeste Guinée roses on their anniversary in remembrance of their wedding ceremony. On her birthday he chose a bi-coloured red and peach-gold rose such as Sweet Magic, Piccadilly or Colibri to symbolize the colours of Gryffindor. And on Valentine's Day, Keepsake's deep pink blooms were a fond reminder of Gilderoy Lockhart's lurid pink decorations they sat amidst, during their many light-hearted February trips to The Cup and Sorcerer.

"You didn't seem too shocked about Guinny" Celeste observed.

Snape stood pondering matters for a few seconds. "No, I don't think I am" he replied.

He replaced the photograph and plumped down next to Celeste, taking her hand in his. "I think I almost half knew" he added. "I don't mean I understand it, but it doesn't seem anything to worry about – quite the contrary really. I just want her to be happy."

"So do I" Celeste said. "She's an awkward girl, but I do love her."

"As do I" he replied in gentle agreement. "Samantha Johnson. Guinny says she went to Beauxbaton, but I believe I remember her elder sister at Hogwarts. Angelina. She was in Gryffindor."

"Was she a Quidditch player?"

"I'm pretty sure she was; yes. I think I'll have a drink. Celeste, it's been such a day! Can I tempt you to an Ogden's? Or maybe a Calvados?"

"Oh! No. No, hang on" Celeste replied. "How about–? I want you to try this."

Hurrying to the dining room she picked up the long forgotten carafe of 'cool tankard' and filled two goblets. Then she used a spell to chill them.

"Try this" she repeated. They sipped their drinks, enjoying the tiny levitation effect the Billywig sting produced. "Well, what do you think?" Celeste asked.

"Mmmm. Very good. Very pleasant" he replied "But hardly Ogden's Old Firewhisky. This is the infusion that Camilla produced isn't it?"

"Yes!"

"Her first – well, not quite a potion – but not a bad effort for a four-year old! And apart from warming and cooling the cauldron I hardly helped her!" he exclaimed softly.

"Exactly" Celeste replied. "She's a natural isn't she."

Snape drained the goblet, set it carefully down on the coffee table and put an arm around his wife. He thought of his daughter about to start teaching Potions at Beauxbaton and of her daughter who at the age of just under five, had proved herself very at home in his potions laboratory. He could not know at this stage in his life, that she would become a professional potion maker, nor that a future grandson Rupert would become Durmstrang's Professor of Potions, nor that there would be a great granddaughter Elspereth who would became Potions Professor, Head of Slytherin House and later Headmistress of Hogwarts, and who would also possess the curious gift of parceltongue. As yet, this all lay in the future. However he hugged Celeste and kissed her cheek. His heart was very full.

"It is good to know" he said, working hard to keep his voice level, "that the gift continues – that there are in the family at least two more Makers of Potions!"


Author's Note: Cool tankard exists. I have guessed at the proportions but apart from the Billywig sting the recipe should work. (Billywigs, along with some of the other animals Snape used in his Nerve Calming variation, can be found in J K Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.)