Updated: Friday, February 18 2005
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Chapter Thirty: I'm a Little Cauldron…
flashback
"Albus, I am afraid I won't be able to attend the Halloween Feast this evening." Severus had told the headmaster over breakfast on the morning of Estella's birthday.
"Why ever not my dear boy?" Albus asked, his eye twinkling.
"Estella has a school play." Severus answered.
"Yes, yes, of course." The headmaster replied, "2:30pm is it not? Good thing you don't have classes on Wednesday afternoon, mmm?"
Severus nodded, warily.
"And you will have returned in time for the feast, splendid!"
Severus grimaced. How would he get out of this one? "Indeed." He said shortly.
end flashback
And so that is how Severus found himself in the audience of Hogsmeade's playhouse sitting through act after act of inane dunderheads fumbling around on stage with only a splendid evening of Potter worship and over-indulging children stuffing themselves sick with treats to look forward to afterwards.
'At least I made it through the afternoon relatively unscathed.' Severus mused.
The afternoon in question had been spent in Hogsmeade in a private booth at the Three Broomsticks having a celebratory birthday lunch with Estella and her Godfather in one of the rare instances where both men shared their time with the child. Estella, of course, couldn't tell enough people that it was her birthday and that her 'Uncle Sev' and 'Uncle Remus' were both taking her out to lunch because she was a 'big girl now'. She was totally oblivious to the wide eyes and sniggering smiles people – a lot of them ex-students of his – gave upon witnessing the revered Potions Master referred to as 'Uncle Sev' by a fearless, precocious eight… no nine year old. When Lupin had noticed Severus pre-emptively glaring at anything and everything that moved, the deranged wolf had smiled and winked at Estella whilst cooing to him incessantly about how cute she was and to 'let her go'.
Watching the two of them together, Severus felt the familiar pang of inadequacy course through him. How he wished he could throw down the barriers and rewrite the perception of himself that he permitted people to see. Not only did Remus Lupin do what he could not for his own sister, but now he was doing it with her child, his niece.
The werewolf unabashedly and undeniably loved Estella, and was not afraid to let his pride in the child – or his protectiveness over her – be known. Severus, on the other hand, viewed such openness of emotion as a weakness; for it gave one's enemies something to target.
And Severus Snape certainly had a lot of those.
Casting his mind back to the delightful lunch he had just shared with his niece and her godfather, a particularly cringe worthy memory came to mind.
earlier that day
"So what does my favourite goddaughter's debut into the acting world entail?" Remus Lupin asked, in mock awe.
'Here we go' Severus thought, miserably, having been overloaded with details of his niece's school play for the better part of the past week already.
"Well…" Estella said, index finger tapping her chin contemplatively. "we're doing Hansel and Gretel and I am the singing cauldron that teaches the starving children how to brew a replenishing potion, only it's not really a potion, just rhyming words in a song, right Uncle Sev?"
Severus nodded absently, before turning his attention to his food. Remus looked mortified.
"Hansel and Gretel, Severus?" He asked, shocked.
Severus scowled at the man in front of him, in contrast to Estella's giggles.
"The Wizarding version, Moony!" Estella explained, "everyone knows the Muggle version is full of s… Skrewts…!"
Severus cast his niece a warning look, whilst Remus not-too-subtly choked on his butterbeer at his Goddaughter's near slip. Estella returned the gaze with a deceptively innocent face and continued.
"Would you like to hear my song?" She asked.
"Of course we would" Remus said, at the same time Severus had said "I'm sure we can wait until your performance."
Of course, Estella only paid attention to the request made in the affirmative and proceeded to make a public spectacle of herself standing on her chair in the booth and singing at the top of her lungs.
"Estella, will you please desist that this instant and return to your seat!" Severus had hissed at the time, wary of the attention his niece was drawing to their private little gathering. "People are staring!"
Remus let out a belly laugh at this and shook his head in mirth. "That's the point of performing, isn't it Estella?"
Estella, on the other hand, had sobered at her Uncle's pleads and returned herself primly to her seat. "Very well Uncle Sev." Was all she said before returning to her food, the mirth in her eyes gone.
Remus looked from his subdued niece to Severus and back again, slowly shaking his head in concern. "Merlin Severus, she's only a child. Indulge her a little, will you?" He asked.
Severus glared across the table and sneered. "Why do you think I tolerated such behaviour unchecked, Lupin?" Then, glancing at his niece in acknowledgement, he nodded approvingly. "Thank you Estella for that enthusiastic display, however I don't want you to spoil the surprises of the performance later this afternoon."
Present time…Remus Lupin nudged the Potions Master next to him, rousing him from whatever far away place his mind had drifted to. "Heads up Severus, Estella is coming onstage."
Returning his attention back to the present, Severus shot Remus a withering look before watching his niece take her position onstage confidently.
The true story of Hansel and Gretel and how a kind old witch recognised their magical ability and help them battle their evil stepmother so they could reunite with their Muggle father unfolded. True to Estella's word, the witch in the story proceeded to teach the children a fictitious version of the Replenishing Potion, that would ensure the Muggle woodcutter and his magical children would not starve (they had already ridded themselves of the evil stepmother by transfiguring her into a turkey and having her for Christmas lunch in the previous act). And so Estella's song began:
"I'm a little cauldron
short and round
here is my ladle
stirs round and round
then the potion's ready
at the sound
Pour into vials
Not on the ground…"
…and so the song continued.
As the show was finishing and the crowd were applauding, Remus turned to the silent Potions Master and smiled. "A role quite befitting of a Potion Master's niece, I should say, don't you think, Severus?"
Severus allowed himself a smirk, his dark eyes swirling with proud emotions. "Indeed" was all he said, nodding in agreement.
"Fought tooth and nail for that part, you realise." Remus continued. "Turned down the leading role!"
Severus narrowed his eyes and glanced between his niece descending the stairs from the stage and heading towards them and the meddling werewolf. "What are you implying, Lupin? That it is distasteful for a child to want to stay out of the limelight?"
Remus sighed. "Brilliant, Severus, once again your keen and penetrating mind has applied itself to the task and come to the wrong conclusion! Don't you see Severus? That child worships the very ground you walk on."
Severus scoffed and looked at the werewolf in disbelief. "One could say the same about you."
Remus smiled sadly and nodded. "I see her but once a week on weekends, you're the one who sees her to bed at night and rouses her in the morning. Don't underestimate how much she adores that time with you, Severus."
Severus nodded. "Indeed," unable to say anymore as their attentions were drawn to the excited nine year old bouncing around at their feet.
End Chapter: I'm a Little Cauldron