Hehe thankies to my reviewer x)
"You have to stay with him, Snape, your whole holiday?" Ron said, his eyes wide in horror.
The four Gryffindors, Summer, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the common room in their usual chairs, facing the currently unlit fireplace.
"Yup." Summer sighed. "I know he's my uncle and all, but he is just so damn moody! Not to mention strict, and about as interesting as blank paper."
"There's no need to think so negatively about it." Hermione said. "After all, you could always find out what we are doing next year and prepare."
"Yeah right, wanna swap?" Summer snorted. She gazed out of the window, watching the evening stars begin to appear in the multi-coloured sky, a mix of navy blue to a light peach-pink as the sun slowly slipped over the horizon. Summer's happiness felt much like that sun, slowly disappearing before being engulfed in darkness. There was surely nothing worse than living in a house with a man like Snape for seven weeks, a house where there would be rules and order. She hated order, it was so boring.
"Apparently I've got rules already, ha, like he knows how to handle a teenager." Summer continued, voicing her thoughts as she turned away from the window to face the others.
"I can't decide what's worse, a summer with the Dursleys, or Snape." Harry pondered, fiddling with a cushion tassel. Ron smiled sympathetically.
"You're always welcome around ours, after all, with out Voldemort…" he shuddered- "gone, there is no danger any more."
"Yeah, I guess…" Harry replied. "Thanks." The four sat in a peaceful silence for a while, only the far away hoots of the owls getting ready for a hunt to break it.
It was the last day of term. Gryffindor common room was full of laughter and noisy conversations as the students busied themselves with packing and sorting out work. Summer was just finishing packing away books she'd forgotten in the common room when a very tangled up Neville stumbled by. He had managed to get himself caught up in the curtains whilst attempting to rescue Trevor, his toad. Tripping over a discarded suitcase, Neville fell over and began rolling across the floor.
"Agghh!" a half muffled groan came from the rolled up curtain as it rolled into a chair. Summer smiled and pulled out her wand, quickly untangling Neville with a quick spell.
"Thanks." He replied somewhat breathlessly as he struggled to shove a reluctant Trevor into his left robe pocket. Summer smiled again, handing his wand that had fallen as he had become tangled. He went rather pink and thanked Summer again, hurriedly rushing to his belongings.
Half an hour later, everyone was piling into the train.
"Heres an empty carriage!" Ron exclaimed, sliding the door across so they could all enter. As Summer and Draco went by, he pulled a face at Draco's head.
So far, Draco had actually managed to act civilly toward everyone. They all settled down in the trains comfy, brown leather seats, ready for the long journey ahead.
"I wonder how the muggle world was told about the death of Voldemort." Harry commented. "After all, there wasn't much about it in our news, and they didn't really know who he was."
"Well perhaps only the higher powers were informed, Hermione replied.
As the train pulled into the station, Summer sighed. She was not looking forward to spending the holidays with Snape. The platform was full of happy and anxious parents, grandparents and siblings. The doors swung open, and the students began to hurriedly make their way toward their parents.
"Bye everyone! Don't forget to write, We'll have to meet up sometime!" Ron yelled as best he could as his mother fussed over him. Harry and Hermione bade their goodbyes as they made their way to their own families, who waited beyond the brick wall barrier.
Draco put his arms around Summers, gently kissing her neck. She smiled and turned around, throwing her arms around him.
"I don't wanna leave you to go live with my uncle." She sighed, kissing him back.
"hmm, neither do I." he said, spotting his parents sweeping toward him.
"Oh Draco, darling, I'm so happy to see you!" his mother exclaimed excitedly, pulling him into a hug and kissing his cheeks. Summer grinned and greeted Lucius as Draco scowled at her.
"There you are, I've been looking for you." A voice said. Summer turned around and pulled a face. Snape stood there, his arms folded and various cases surrounding his feet.
"Ah, Severus, how are you?" Lucius asked smoothly, holding his hand out as he glided over to the potions master. Summers attention drifted away as Draco's arms encircled her waist again with his arms. Narcissa had busied herself with packing Draco's cases onto a trolley and conversing with Pansy Parkinson's mother. Summer turned and wrapped her own arms around Draco, kissing him gently. Glancing over to where Draco's mother stood, she noticed that Pansy wa glaring daggers at her, making Summer laugh.
"What's so funny?" Draco asked, a light grin forming across his lips.
"Pansy. If looks could kill, I'd be dead in my grave, rotting." Summer replied. Draco averted his gaze to the other girl and smiled.
"Well you did take me away." He said, a familiar smirk rising from his face.
"Mmmm. Like you'd go out with her any way." She looked up into Draco's eyes, grinning. She loved teasing people, and knew that the more fuss she made over Draco, the more Pansy would get annoyed to say the least. From the look on her face, he could tell that she was trying to wind Pansy up more.
"You're so evil." He said, making Summer laugh.
"Of course, anything for you." She purred, running her fingers through his ash blond hair. It felt soft and silky beneath her fingertips, and gently fell back into place when she drew her hand away.
"Yes, yes. I still have much to sort out as well. "Lucius and Snape's conversation suddenly swam back into focus. Summer sighed and turned to her Uncle, who was evidently ready to leave.
Summer soon found herself standing infront of a fireplace in Diagon Alley.
"We are…um, Flooeing?" Summer asked, lowering her wand to let her cases form a neat pile on the ground.
"Yes. Is that a problem?" Snape replied, searching for the powder.
"Umm…well I've never done it before." Summer said, eyeing the fire cautiously. Suddenly, any confidence she had had about travelling seemed to suddenly drain away, there was something weird about stepping willingly into a fire, armed with magical powder or not. Snape looked up, surprised. The look on his nieces face made him feel slightly unsettled.
"There's nothing to be worried about." He said, trying to sound reassuring. 'uggh I hate this.' He thought to himself. He found it extremely difficult to show any sign of caring toward a student, or anyone for that matter. Sighing, he threw a tiny pinch of the powder into the air hungry flames, watching as they turned a poisonous green.
Levitating their luggage, he explained that he would send it first, and then gave Summer the choice of going before or after himself.
"Umm, after I think." Summer decided, suddenly regaining her confidence. As the flames glowed green again, she watched as the tall dark figure of her uncle filled the fire place.
"Exactly where is your house any way?" she asked.
"In a very small wizarding town in Devon. Rempold Town!" he yelled. Watching him flicker and then suddenly disappear, Summer felt her stomach jolt and tighten. 'Get a grip.' She told her self sternly. As the flames once again turned green, she took a deep breath and stepped very gingerly into the fireplace. The flames were cool and licked but didn't affect her robes, as she stood there, surprising her. She expected a little heat, even if it was bearable and didn't burn.
"Rempold town!" she said, and with a 'whoosh' she was there. Stumbling out of the fire place, she found herself on a quaint old high street. Small, bright shops were clustered together on either side of the cobbled street, from what Summer imagined was a grocer to a pharmacy, that promised to 'heal all'. She didn't some how buy this claim, but even so, it looked perfect in the setting. The buildings varied in shape and size, making the slate roofs slant and pitch like a roller coaster. Cats lazily sunned themselves on the roofs, occasionally rolling over to the warmer patches of light. Interesting looking people bustled by, paying them no attention as they went about their day.
"So it wasn't so bad then?" Summer snapped out of her thoughts and grinned at her uncle. He smiled back, for once it wasn't forced. "The house is five minutes away." He continued, levitating their luggage.
As they rounded some trees and went through a set of black, wrought iron gates, Summer gasped. A beautiful, picturesque manor stood grandly, its four rows of windows gleaming in the evening sun. two grand oak trees framed the Snape home, making it look even grander. The sweeping drive way led up to rounded grey stone steps, and on either side of these, great pillars set evenly apart, holding up an awning.
"Wow. Its beautiful!" Summer breathed, taking it in.
"Yes…well lets see what kind of a state my elves have left it in." Snape replied, continuing toward the house, If you could call it that. Rolling her eyes, Summer followed, egar to see what it was like on the inside.
The inside was just as grand as the outside. As Summer stepped into the entrance hall through the double doors, she stared in awe. The floor was set in a checker-board fashion only the tiles were green and white marble. The stone and marble stair case was at the far end of the hall, set against the middle of a wall which had two stone arch ways, leading to corridors, on either side. The first floor landing was cut short at the top, though small paths that led to the bay windows were there, forming a semi-circle balcony that looked over the hall. The walls themselves had a dark wood railing running at shoulder height; the bottom half clad in green and the top half a plain white. To the right of the hall were great oak double doors that had glass set into them half way up, these leading to the grand ball room, the left hand set of double doors leading to a conference suite.
"The left corridor leads to the living quarters and the right is for the kitchens and other such rooms." Snape explained, his voice reverberating somewhat in the hall breaking the silence.
The house elf that had opened the door hurried off as he continued to give instructions to it. "I'll take you to your room." he said, turning to Summer.
"Hmm? Oh, right." She replied somewhat dreamily, tearing her wondered gaze from a picture of some very old looking Snape family members that were dozing in their solid silver frame. A few more family portraits decorated the otherwise bear walls, set apart evenly toward the corridors. She followed her uncle in silence, taking in the grandeur of his home. Eventually they stopped at an elaborately carved door. It swung open silently to reveal Summers room. it was large to say the least, the walls decorated in the same manor as the halls but this time in a gorgeous steel blue-grey, though the rail was made of dark cherry oak wood which matched the highly polished floor and furniture. The four poster bed stood in the middle of the wall opposite, adorned in silken sheets, throws, pillows and comforters. The curtains and vale that hung around the posts were tied back neatly, the colours matching the walls and other upholstery perfectly. There was a very large bay window and cut-in window seat running along the (current) right hand wall, looking out over the grounds, and to the right of that the dresser. A wardrobe with a chest of drawers either side of that lined the (current) left hand wall, and along the wall that Summer was currently inline with were several book cases come display cabinets. A door that led to her own private bathroom was located to the right of the bed wall. Snape let her cases fly in and land neatly at the foot of the bed.
"Wow, thanks unc!" Summer exclaimed. "It's a really nice room actually. At first I thought it would all be decorated in green."
Although he felt a slight twinge of annoyance at continually being referred to as 'unc' he smiled slightly at the amazement in her voice at everything.
"Shall we head down for dinner?" he suggested, pocketing his wand. Summer smiled and nodded, waiting for him to take the lead, which he did.