My thanks go to my betareader, JessiokaFroka, who I forgot to thank for betareading the last chapter. This next chapter is therefore dedicated to her as an apology.
I'd be really interested to know what you think of Genevieve. She was really fun to write.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Lots of love, Severusgirl xxx
Chapter Eleven
MOMMIE DEAREST
When Professor Timberly had agreed to include a Muggle song in the Christmas concert, Andi had thought long and hard about which song it should be. She really had been joking when she'd written to Liz and suggested Slade or Wham!, but after hearing Elmedius' selection from the wizarding world she felt something was needed to liven things up.
It wasn't that the music was bad - far from it - but collected together in a concert it was...tedious, and she thought the audience might get a bit restless before the end.
Her original safe bet with White Christmas went out the window, but she couldn't go too mad.
It was morning on the last Saturday in November and the choir had been called for rehearsal. Andi played the piano as Elmedius conducted the choir through five virtually indistinguishable songs. The students were tired, hungry and restless towards the end of the two-hour session and Andi was conscious of the sighs as Professor Timberly announced they were to learn a new song, and handed the rehearsal over to her.
"OK," she said, as she handed out the sheet music. "We'll run through this once, maybe twice today - I know you're all pretty tired, and I want my lunch. I'll just play it through first. Please excuse my voice - I'm a musician, not a singer." She returned to the piano. "Bernard, Claris, Emily - you may all ready know this. Here goes..."
She played them Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.
At the end, she looked up. Elmedius was staring at her, open-mouthed. The choir were grinning at each other.
"You wish to play that at the Christmas Concert?" he spluttered.
"Yes. With drums, guitar and sax - and the choir singing, if that's OK?"
The students' faces told her it was.
"Shall we try it together?"
They were half way through when a disturbance at the door caused everything to stumble to a halt and a voice rang around the hall.
"Don't be silly Professor, of course she isn't to busy to see me."
Everyone turned.
Sylvia followed as an extremely well-groomed woman, with a camel-colored coat draped over her shoulders and huge sunglasses perched in her platinum blond hair, swept into the hall.
"Well!" she announced, having made an entrance worthy of any movie star. "There's only one person here who fits the bill." She breezed up to the piano, raised Andi to her feet and engulfed her in cashmere and Christian Dior. "Andrea! Darling!"
Andi froze and did not return the hug. She looked over the woman's shoulder at Sylvia, who held up her hands in a helpless gesture.
"You are everything I imagined and more," said the woman, holding Andi at arms-length and looking her up and down. "So much like your granny. Such a poppet!"
"Erm," said Andi, now feeling about two feet high.
"Oh, now don't pretend you don't know who I am," the woman chided. "Why, it's Mummy, darling."
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"What charming rooms," said Genevieve, looking around Andi's quarters as she swung her coat from her shoulders, revealing an expensive-looking black woolen dress. "Oh, here's Granny." She picked up a photo frame and studied the picture. "I suppose you wondered why I wasn't at the funeral?"
"The thought did cross my mind, yes." Andi was standing by the door, arms folded, watching this human tornado inspect her rooms.
"Well, darling, unfortunately your granny died at the most inconvenient time - the day before my wedding. Now, I know the last thing Granny would have wanted would be for me to have cancelled my wedding - especially as Anton had spent so much money on it. I wouldn't have had the heart. After that of course, we had the Honeymoon-"
"Of course."
"Do tell me she had a lovely send-off."
"I like to think so, yes. Simple but loving."
Genevieve cocked her head to one side and smiled indulgently. "That is so like her. And who is this?" Genevieve picked up another photo.
"That's me and my best friend, Liz."
"A Muggle? I don't suppose you get to see her much, now you are at Hogwarts."
"On the contrary, I'm going to see her next weekend in London."
"Good for you. One mustn't let distance stand in the way of one's friendships. Now," She clapped her hands together as though in prayer. "The house-elf will be bringing my luggage up soon. I presume the bedroom and bathroom are through here..." She let herself in through the connecting door. "It is so sweet of you to give up your rooms for me."
"It's no problem, I don't spend the weekends here," said Andi.
Genevieve turned to her and gestured theatrically. "Of course, you will be with your Severus! You know darling, I am so excited about meeting him. I am sure he's an absolute delight - and, of course, the Minister for Magic, who just happens to be my daddy - imagine!"
"I am quite sure neither is free," said Andi, quickly. There was no way on earth Severus would spend one moment in the company of this woman.
"Oh, nonsense. Goodness, I'm only here for one night. Besides, I've sent a note to Albus asking him to arrange dinner-"
"You've done what?"
"Well, I'm not a fool, darling. I do appreciate I have arrived without proper notice and you wouldn't have had time to arrange anything, so I asked him to arrange a little private dinner for this evening, just the five of us."
"Five?"
"Albus, the Minister, you and Severus and little me."
"Excuse me, but..." Andi couldn't believe the nerve of the woman.
"Oh, now don't fuss. It's all in hand. Now, I shall need a long, hot soak after my journey..."
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"I just don't understand why we're having dinner here," said Andi, slipping into a silver-grey cowl-necked evening dress and fumbling nervously with the buttons at the back.
"The Headmaster thought - and I agree - that you would be more relaxed in familiar territory. Allow me..." Severus walked behind her and took over the buttoning of her dress.
"But these are your private quarters - you surely don't want her-"
"Hush - it is done," he said, soothingly. "You are very tense."
"Can you blame me? So far I can't find one thing to like about the woman."
He began nuzzling her ear. "You need to calm down. What can I do to relax you?"
"Mmmmm, that's quite good," she said, leaning back against him as his hands came around her front to cup her breasts through the dress. "Do you think we have time to...?" There was a knock at the main door. She sighed. "Apparently not."
"In a few hours it will be over," he murmured in her ear as he continued fondling her, "and we can resume this."
"I shall be counting the minutes. Severus..." She twisted round in his arms to look up at him, a playful smile on her face. "You do realise - you're about to meet my mother!"
"To all intents and purposes," he said, a suggestion of a smile playing around his mouth, "so are you. I shall not place too much significance on it."
Albus arrived with Cornelius.
At ten past eight, the house elves had delivered the food. It was sitting prettily in tureens on the table. Andi's stomach was making noises, she'd drunk half her evening's quota of wine out of nerves, and still her mother hadn't appeared.
When the knock eventually came, Andi almost dropped her wine glass. Shakily, she put it on the table and went to the door as Severus opened it.
Genevieve was wearing a Slytherin-green cocktail dress, a matching evening purse in her hand and a row of sparkling diamonds at her throat. Andi had to admit, she looked stunning.
"Darling! Oh, am I late? You haven't been waiting just for me, have you?" She air-kissed both Andi's cheeks. "I'm afraid I got chatting to that awfully sweet boy, Vincent, and forgot the time. He walked me to the stairs, otherwise I would have got hopelessly lost. Now, let me guess - you must be Severus."
Severus bowed. "Madame de Laclos."
"Oh, goodness - Genevieve, please," she cooed. "After all, there can't be many years between us." She made to kiss him on the cheek. Severus however, took her hand quickly before she could reach him and put his lips to her knuckles. "Heavens, you certainly know how to charm the ladies! Tell me, is there French blood in your family, Severus?"
"Not to my knowledge."
Andi gave a little cough. Her mother had still to release Severus' hand.
Genevieve turned to the room.
"Albus, such a pleasure..." She walked towards him, her arms stretched out as she took both his hands. She then turned to Cornelius. "And I recognise you from your photograph in the newspaper, Minister - oops, silly me! I mean, Daddy!"
Cornelius disappeared in a full embrace.
Emerging, looking stunned as well as overwhelmed, he blustered, "Ah, yes. Jolly good. Well, perhaps, my dear, you could sit here..." he gestured Genevieve to a chair. "And I shall sit next to...my...daughter..." Looking like the cat who got the cream, he took the seat next to her.
"Now I absolutely insist that Severus sit on my other side," said Genevieve, indicating the chair on her right, at the head of the table.
Andi sat on Severus' right with Albus to her right.
They began the meal.
"You cannot begin to imagine how thrilling it is, not only to find one's father after all these years, but then to discover he is the Minister for Magic, no less." She turned a dazzling smile on Cornelius. "One's circle of friends increased fourfold once word got out that my father was such a powerful man. My dears, you should see my mantelpiece - practically collapsing under the weight of invitations."
Cornelius glowed. "You live in New York, I believe," he said.
"Yes. A delightful apartment on Upper West Side. I moved there when I married Anton. I find New York quite exhilarating." Genevieve looked at Severus from under heavily mascara'd eyelashes. "Have you ever visited the States, Severus?"
"Yes. Las Vegas."
Andi choked on her wine. She grabbed her napkin and dabbed the drips from her mouth. Severus in Las Vegas? She turned wide eyes to him as he continued,
"The cabaret was exceptional, and the tables in my favour."
He was looking, straight-faced, at Genevieve, but Andi could tell he was watching out the corner of his eye for her own reaction to this information. She almost gasped with delight as she realised he had only said this to help lighten her mood. He'd never been to Las Vegas in his life!
Oh, he was in for such a treat tonight.
"Where is Anton while you are here?" asked Andi, trying not to let her amusement show.
"Oh my dear, Anton died last January. Very sudden. Such a shock."
"I'm sorry," said Andi.
"Of course, he was a great deal older than me. My only consolation is that he had time to change his Will. I am now a very merry widow. Not that I was penniless before, you understand, but one does become accustomed to a certain standard of living." She beamed around the table. "Money, however, cannot compare to having a man in one's life, as I am sure Andrea has come to appreciate."
Andi frowned. That was a strange statement. "I've never had money to make the comparison," she replied. "Not that it would ever occur to me to do so."
"Oh, you are being modest. You must have earned a pretty penny - a talented musician such as yourself."
"Concert work does not pay that well. I worked as a clerk to earn a wage."
"But now you are with Severus," twinkled her mother. "You must surely appreciate what it feels like to have money?"
"What...what are you talking about?" Really this woman was bulldozing her way through this dinner talking absolute rubbish.
"Well, darling, I mean, with the Snape family fortune and everything."
Andi saw Severus' knife and fork pause in the middle of cutting his meat. The cutlery was put down carefully and the glass of wine raised to his lips. He stared stonily ahead. Desperately, Andi searched for something to change the subject.
"What brings you to the British Isles, Genevieve?" said Albus.
Andi could have kissed him.
"I have many friends in the UK whom I miss dreadfully now that I live in Manhattan, and of course, I wanted to meet my darling new family. It's not every day one discovers a father and a daughter."
"Do you have any other family?" asked Cornelius.
"Goodness!" laughed Genevieve, putting her hand over Cornelius' and patting it. "You are getting greedy for grandchildren. No, Andrea was my only mistake. I made sure I wouldn't have to go through that again. The whole child-rearing thing is too ghastly. I have a number of step-children - mercifully adults when I married their fathers - but I told each of my husbands they couldn't expect children from me."
"Husbands? How many times have you been married?" asked Andi.
"Ummm?" said Genevieve, apparently having to count. "Anton was my fourth official husband, but of course, I would never rule out another marriage. I do so need a man around." She looked sideways at Severus. "You are so lucky to have found one, Andrea. Although, I cannot think what you both might have in common - there is rather a large age-gap, isn't there? And, goodness, I know only too well the problems that can bring."
Andi stared at her mother wondering if she realised how totally uncomfortable she was making this dinner.
"Of course, in wizarding terms, you are still a young man, isn't that so, Severus?"
"The average life-span of a wizard is a hundred and fifty," he replied with forced politeness.
"Ah, that it were so for us poor half-bloods." She twinkled a smile around the table.
Only Cornelius took the bait. "You are still very much a young woman, my dear," he said, indulgently.
"Ah, but you are my daddy - you see me through rose-tinted spectacles..." She paused as though expecting more protests from the remaining two men. None came. "And Andrea has youth on her side, as I am sure Severus here appreciates, hmmm, you naughty boy?" She kept a hungry smile on him, despite the look he gave her, as she continued, "Men will always be more attracted to women a lot younger than themselves. They never realise they are missing out on all the pleasures a more...mature woman has learned to administer."
Andi had had enough. "Like the quick shag you had with my father? Pity it was so quick you didn't manage to catch his name."
If she thought to faze her mother, she failed.
"Now, now, my dear," blustered Cornelius, "I really don't think that kind of talk-"
Genevieve waved him down and looked at Andrea.
"One makes mistakes in one's youth - as any one of us," she indicated herself and the three men, "will be able to tell you, Andrea. I was caught up in the passion of the moment. It was dark, it was quick and...oh dear..." She began to laugh into her napkin. "I've just had the most dreadful thought; wouldn't it be simply ghastly if it
had been Severus." Genevieve's laugh rang around the room.
Slowly Andi set down her knife and fork and crumpled her napkin onto the table. "Would you excuse me for a moment," she whispered, before leaving the room.
When Severus followed her into the bathroom moments later, he found her on her knees with her head down the toilet, throwing up.
FemmeLoki - No, no. No taming of Snape outside of his relationship with Andi. The famous three just don't have a huge part to play in the story, that's all.
JessiokaFroka - At the moment Andi would win over a Slytherin in Snape's eyes. Yes indeed.
Helena Oe - Totally agree how hard it is keeping Snape in character while he is softening towards Andi. Thanks for the compliment.
Josie - What a great idea! Perhaps I shall make Genevieve a romantic novelist in the future. Thanks for the tip.
Kerichi - You HAVE got a crystal ball! How else would you guess what this chapter was going to be called?!
Thouandl - The Sunday Sleuth reported that Andi was working at Hogwarts and that's how Genevieve knew where to find her. You don't think the domestic bliss will last long? Whatever gives you that idea...?!
Intelligent Witch - M & Ms can do that! Hope your mum is nothing like Genevieve.