Updated: 14th February 2005

Disclaimer: See Chapter One.

Chapter Twenty Six: Foolish Wand Waving and Silly Incantations.

Christmas 1988

It only seemed like yesterday to Severus, that Estella was celebrating her seventh birthday. In actual fact, nearly two months had passed, and the Christmas break was about to begin. The time since that fateful night in March had been difficult to say the least. While Estella was quick to absolve her Godfather of any accountability, the poor child was plagued with nightmares of the vicious Moony, and could not so much as blink in a room without the lights on.

Remus and Severus, in turn, battled their own respective demons. Remus wallowed in self-loathing and openly cursed his condition, and both men were haunted by the possibilities of what could have happened that night. Severus, as such, had become driven in his desire to develop a potion that would effectively allow a werewolf to retain his humanity – and judgement – during their transformation. After months of botched attempts and half successes, the full moon before school had returned for another academic year went down in history as the night the thus christened Wolfsbane Potion finally worked. Resplendent in their achievement, both men felt suitably redeemed – their inner demons mollified with the comfort of knowing that such events would not recur. Make no mistake, though: Severus was hardly doing it to help the bane of his existence; rather he was redeeming his own sense of guilt in terms of what he had done to Black and what he had almost – inadvertently – done to Estella. It also gave him another delectable carrot to dangle over the humble Marauder's head, thus giving Severus an almost giddy sense of power over the man. Only deep in his subconscious, did the stubborn Potion Master admit that he was really doing it for the love of his niece.

Respect remained the key to Estella and Severus' bond. Shortly after the events of "Moony March", Severus – unbeknownst to the involved parties – returned to the scene of the incident to see for himself what Estella had experienced. The night was something that Remus could not remember in his human form, and Estella had remained tight lipped as to the horrors she had been up against. It was not until Severus had gone to see for himself that he gained a new appreciation for his niece's resilience and compassionate strength of character. Though he could still never understand why Estella could be so forgiving so quickly, and his resentful, bitter shell reactively thought she was being all together too Gryffindor, a secret part of him admired her. She reminded him of Selina.

After seeing Estella's shredded book bag in pieces amongst the scratched, splintering wood of the trapdoor, blood (both Estella's and Moony's) he shuddered to think just how close he had come to losing her. The ramifications of almost losing the last of his kin drove a lot of home truths from the stubborn Potions Master. As the year went on, he began to see how fortunate he was to have the child in his life; and after seeing how damaging his indifference had been to Estella otherwise, he allowed himself to open up a little and admit to the child – and himself – just how much she meant to him. The pair had become much more relaxed and mutually attentive to each other. Severus was quick to discover, in particular, that when allowed to act uninhibitedly, that his niece had developed his unique sense of humour and penchant for sarcasm.

"Uncle Sev," Estella asked from her place at the kitchen table, where she and Severus took most of their meals away from the prying eyes of the Hogwarts student body. "How come all the students get to open their presents Christmas morning and I have to wait until Christmas night?"

Severus looked up from his Winter Broth and glanced at his niece curiously. "Eat your broth before it gets cold, child." He said softly, "I will not disrupt my appetite with such inane questions!"

Estella rolled her eyes and pulled a face. "Yes Sir, Professor." She sneered sarcastically, in true Snape style.

Severus nearly choked on his stew. "Estella!" He warned, "I'm serious!"

Estella grinned malevolently. "No you're not!" She exclaimed, "he's in Azkaban!"

Severus glared, astounded at his niece's cheek. Opening his mouth to chastise her, his eyes darted between the hopeful look on her face and the bowl of uneaten broth. His calculating mind drawing its own astute conclusion, he changed his method of approach and smirked. "Oh no, I'm not going to fall for that, young lady!"

Estella shot him an innocent look. "Whatever do you mean, Uncle Sev?" She said with an almost convincing sincerity.

"You know I do not tolerate that kind of cheek," Severus lectured. "And so for punishment you will not be sent to bed without supper…" Severus noted with satisfaction as Estella's face fell slightly – his suspicion was correct. "Instead," he continued, a dangerous glint in his eye. "You will sit here until every drop of that broth is gone!"

Estella blanched, "oh Uncle Sev!" She protested.

Severus raised an eyebrow expectantly. "What are you waiting for, child? Surely you realise it will only taste worse as it cools!"

Estella slumped in her chair and poked at her broth with her spoon. "You didn't even answer my question!" She sulked.

Severus rolled his eyes, "my original response stands" He said simply as he spooned himself another helping of broth.

Estella watched him dig into his second helping with a look of disdain on her face. "I don't know how you consider this pala…pala…"

"Palatable." Severus finished, then smirking slightly he added. "You have been spending entirely too much time with me, child."

"There's not enough time in the world for me to ever like this stuff as much as you do though!" She said, grimacing as she forced herself to eat a spoonful.

Severus raised an eyebrow at his niece and sneered half-heartedly. "Indeed."

Estella continued eating quickly, eager to complete the horrible task. Severus was glad they were eating alone, for she rather favoured a gulping fish as she hastily swallowed each mouthful, trying her hardest not to taste it.

"Slow down," Severus said finally. "You'll make yourself sick with indigestion!"

Estella looked up at him, bewildered, and reached for her glass of pumpkin juice, drinking from it greedily. "There!" She said triumphantly, "finished!"

Severus looked at the child fleetingly, spooning off his last mouthful with much more etiquette. "I said you will not leave this table until every drop of broth is consumed!" He said, motioning towards the serving bowl that still contained a ladle full.

Estella slumped even further in her chair, her face paling in distaste. "You can't be serious!" She said disbelievingly.

Severus smirked. "Of course not!" He said, repeating her joke as he vanished the dishes from the table with a swish of his wand. "He's in Azkaban."

Estella glared at her Uncle, relieved. "Oh, ha!"

Severus rose from his chair and extended his hand to assist Estella from hers. "Shall we floo back to our quarters?"

Once back in their own quarters, Estella flopped unceremoniously onto her favourite chair by the fire and pulled out her toy dog from under a cushion. "So can you answer my question now, Uncle Sev?" She asked, "please?"

Severus removed his outer robe and loosened his collar, Estella being one of the few to see him in such an informal state. Lowering himself into his chair, he placed his feet on the coffee table, steepling his fingers under his chin. "What question?" He asked innocently.

Estella fidgeted in her chair, pulling at the ends of her hair nervously.

'Just like Selina used to do,' Severus remembered fondly.

"Why everyone else gets their presents Christmas morning and you make me wait until Christmas night." Estella explained in a way one would talk to an infant.

Severus smiled, lost in memory. "Your mother used to do that…" he said wistfully.

Estella looked at him, confused. "Do what? Ask you questions you didn't want to answer?"

Severus chuckled softly, "yes as a matter of fact she did, but rather I was referring to your tendency to pull at your hair when you're unsure of something."

Estella caught herself mid-pull. "I pull at my hair?" She asked quizzically, having only just become consciously aware of he habit. "I pull at my hair!"

Severus nodded slowly.

"Oh and you pinch your nose, like this!" Estella said excitedly, pinching the bridge of her nose in demonstration. "When you are still in snooty potions master mood! And the first thing you do when you get home is take a headache potion!"

Severus' eyes widened in surprise, raising an eyebrow at Estella's description of the mask he wore while teaching. "How observant!" He deadpanned. "Did you not consider I ingest the potion pre-emptively in anticipation for you?"

"Very funny." Estella drawled. "Quit trying to stall. I know you're hiding something!"

"What makes you think that?" Severus asked, lowering his feet to lean forward in his chair, honestly curious.

"Because you always say my question is inane when you want to avoid it!" Estella exclaimed, then ticking off each point on a different finger she continued. "You try to change the subject heaps, then you make a joke! It's always the same."

Severus shook his head in disbelief.

"You may be a Slytherin, Uncle Sev," Estella said seriously. "But don't forget I have lived with the head of Slytherin House my whole life!"

Severus couldn't help himself. He laughed. "Oh Estella, you are incorrigible!"

Estella smiled knowingly. "So…?"

Severus composed himself and stared into his niece's eyes. "So… I would have expected this kind of question from you a lot sooner."

"Well?" Estella asked impatiently. "Why?"

"You will be an asset to Slytherin, one day!" Severus said smugly, avoiding the subject.

Estella glared. "Uncle Sev! You're doing it again!"

Severus smirked, then inhaled deeply, his mind figuring the best way to explain. "Christmas morning you get to open your gifts from your Godfather and have breakfast with him – in the evening is the only time we really have available." Severus explained. "It is a long standing arrangement we have."

"Uncle Severus, you're weird!" Estella said resolutely, inwardly referring to the long-standing argument regarding the unwillingness of the pair of men in her lives to spend time together in the same room. "I can't see why you both just can't do it at the same time. I should be able to spend the whole day with both of you if I want!"

"Estella, it's not up for discussion" Severus warned quietly.

Estella slumped in her chair dejectedly, her instincts telling her to push the issue at a later time. After looking as though he were weighing out the lesser of two options, Severus rose to his feet and strode over to his bookshelf. Picking up an intricately carved wooden box, he moved back to the hearth and sat on the coffee table directly across from his niece. "Here." He said simply, holding the box out to her.

Estella, looked at her Uncle curiously and accepted the box warily. "Thanks Uncle Sev." She said, "but what is this for?"

"Consider it an early Christmas present." He said gruffly.

"Who are you and what have you done with Severus Snape?" Estella asked, narrowing her eyes at her Uncle's bizarre behaviour.

Severus smirked. "He's bound in his supply cabinet where his stock of Polyjuice used to reside." He said, straight-faced.

Estella rolled her eyes at her Uncle's sardonic wit. "Well, I can wait until Christmas night if you really want, you know! I'm not a baby anymore!"

"Nonsense" Severus said, nudging the box further into the child's lap. "Your Godfather will be arriving for the Christmas break tomorrow and you will need what is in there by then if you are to take full advantage of his presence."

Estella creased her brow in thought, her eyes inspecting the box thoroughly. "I can't get it open!" She cried irritably after failing to locate so much as a hinge.

Severus mentally slapped himself. "You see that there?" He asked, indicating to a definitively detailed carving. "That's the crest of the Black family. You will need to shed some blood on it for the crest to recognise you as kin and open at your command."

Estella looked at her Uncle, mortified. "I have to cut myself?"

Severus smiled encouragingly. "Hold out your thumb, I will make a minute incision with my wand and heal it momentarily." He said. "It should only require the faintest of drops."

Estella nodded her head and held out her thumb without hesitation, her fathomless grey eyes awash with boundless trust.

Severus tapped his wand on her thumb, muttering a charm. Seeing a pinprick of blood form, Estella took the initiative and placed it over the family crest, willing the box to open. Evidently the box had a few tricks of its own as the minute wound was healed as soon as Estella removed her thumb and the lock had clicked open.

"Wicked!" Estella said, in awe.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Christmas?" Severus asked sarcastically. "Open the box!"

Estella nodded quickly, looking her uncle in the eye before proceeding to open the box slowly, revealing two wands.

"Wands?" Estella asked, confused. "I thought people got their wand from Ollivander's? Do people have more than one wand?"

Severus looked forlornly at one of the wands in particular. After the events of March, he had decided it was time his niece learnt how to take care of herself in an emergency. "In answer to your questions, yes you will get your wand from Ollivander's when you turn 11… and yes, some people possess different wands, each with their different strengths." He continued almost reverently. "But these, child, aren't just any wands – they were your once your parents."

Estella ran her hands over the smooth handles, her magic tingling warmly at the slight touch. Looking from the wands to her uncle in surprise, "Oh!" Was all she could say. Then, after a comfortable period of silence she added softly. "But why give these to me now when I can't use magic yet!"

Severus smirked at his niece, shaking his head in disbelief. "Where do we live, Estella?"

"Hogwarts…" Estella answered hesitantly, not sure where he Uncle was taking this.

"And where is the one place underage Witches can practice magic?" Severus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Estella's eyes widened in surprise. "Magic? You're letting me learn magic?" She asked incredulously. "But doesn't a wand choose the wizard?"

Severus nodded. "I'm sure you'll find that both wands will work for you in different areas." Severus responded. "You are the child of the people these wands belonged to and as their child their magical signatures have combined to create yours. Therefore you may find that your magic is most effective with your Mother's wand for Charms, but better with your father's for Defence as they were the subjects your parents favoured respectively. Ultimately as you get older it will be of upmost convenience to have a wand that specifically hones your potential in all areas of magic but for the purposes of learning a few simple spells you will find that these will more than adequately harness your magic. They will also be valuable back up wands as you get older. I myself have one."

Estella stared, open mouth, at the opportunity she was now faced with. "But why teach me magic early? No one else my age can learn outside of Hogwarts, can they?"

Severus inclined his head. "Most children do not have the maturity needed to channel their magic through a wand until they are just about old enough to attend Hogwarts." He smiled, "Like your mother before you, I have complete faith in your ability to cast minor spells at this early age."

Estella beamed. "Thank you Uncle Sev," she exclaimed, setting the box aside and throwing herself into Uncle Sev's arms.

Severus returned the hug awkwardly in a rare display of unadulterated affection. "Now come on, let's see which hand is your wand hand…"

No sooner had Estella touched her father's wand, was a man in Azkaban filled with a sudden burst of warmth. A connection he'd felt long ago rekindled in his heart, but it was a memory from so long ago he could not put his finger on it. After uncountable years of being at the tender mercies of the Dementors – even in his canine form - the withering figure of Sirius Black was convinced he was where he deserved to be. Rotting. In Azkaban. For although he had not physically cast the spells or committed the treason, everything led back to him: if he hadn't convinced James and Lily to change to Peter; if he hadn't chased Peter down that street… none of the crimes he was imprisoned for would have happened. Despite the insurmountable love he felt for his child, he felt like he didn't deserve to be her parent. Everything was his fault… and he deserved to be punished. But as this mysterious force consumed him, pulling him back from the edge as it sent warm shivers throughout his body like a wand connecting with his magical core, Sirius Black felt something he'd forgotten how to feel.

Hope.

End Chapter: Foolish Wand Waving and Silly Incantations