Jinxeh: Well, it's not going to be too father-daughter-y, not to burst your bubble or anything. Since Snape's not the touchy-feely type of guy, so it's kinda hard, if you catch my drift. I looked at your profile, and you're the only person that I know who read Define 'Normal'. Great! I like your clothing habits XD. Where do you get them? I love making my parent's lives miserable too. Wow, I feel loved. About the Mary-Sue comment. Well, more like the non-Mary Sue comment. Anyway, the very first story I wrote was such a Mary Sue it's disgusting. I'm thinking about deleting it. DO NOT READ IT.
Syl Rose: I'm happy you like it so much! Anyway, about Cami, I'm trying to type it, but somehow I get bored. It's sucks. Anyway, this and that are the two stories I will work most on.
Emmasnape99: -blushes- I'm so happy. I didn't see any of the new person spoke thing, but maybe my eyes are deceiving me. I'll try my best. And the sentence thing, I promise I'll get better at that. The more chapters I write the more details, and so on, thankfully. I know, I do too. I hate hurting people's feelings, but my friends are very blunt, and since I talk so much-trust me, if you went to my school, you'd know-I'm used to criticism, except it's more like "Melissa, shut up" than criticism. And you pronounce it: Ev-oo-me-me. At least that's how I say it. It's from a Tamora Pierce book, the name.
Now, for the chapter.
Chapter 2: Many Views and Many Places (sorry. I suck at titles)
Evvy drummed her fingers on the car door. It had been hours since they had left the train station behind, and Juliusinformed her that there will still many hours more to go. She had tried everything imaginable to amuse herself; practicing spells-until she turned Julius's hair green, talking to Cris and Daena-until they had to go to dinner, and reading her books-until she almost memorized each and every word. She had gotten food from local stores along the way, so she wasn't hungry, but that didn't make any less hungry for something to do.
It had begun to rain, and Evvy pressed her face against the window in a desperate attempt to see outside. It was practically the only thing left to do. The rain pattered against the window so hard that Evvy couldn't see a thing. She resigned herself do sitting and doing nothing. She wondered what was happening at Hogwarts right now…
….
Actually, at that moment, the Hogwarts headmaster was making an announcement quite like Professor Kvetha's, except that it was dinner time, and Evvy wasn't there, along with the entire populace of Durmstrang.
"Ahem!" he called out, his blue eyes twinkling. The headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore, was quite old and had a long silver beard that hung almost to the floor. He wore spectacles, and his eyes searched the golden Great Hall until every eye was upon him. Then he looked skyward-literally, since the ceiling portrayed the condition of the outdoor sky, and smiled.
"I am quite delighted to inform you that like three years ago, we will be receiving a exchange student from Durmstrang! The student is in their sixth year, and they will arrive the day after break finishes. Just like the previous student alternated sleeping in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff-" those were two of the four Houses in the school "-this student will alternate between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I trust that you will all be nice and considerate to this new girl or boy, and make them feel welcome here. That is all." Everyone blinked, and resumed eating their pastries.
"It's just because we care so much that we're clapping and cheering," yelled a boy from the Slytherin table sarcastically, a scowl on his pale face. He had blond hair and blue-gray eyes that didn't sparkle. They were as cold and as hard as rocks.
A girl form a different table looked up at the noise, saw who it was, and frowned. "Screw you, Malfoy," she muttered, and took a bite of a treacle tart. She had large bushy brown hair and soft chocolate eyes.
"I heard that, Mudblood!" Malfoy called out, grinning sardonically.
The girl rolled her eyes and turned back to her friends, indicating that the Malfoy boy wasn't worth bothering with.
"So who do you think it'll be?" said a boy on her right. He had startling green eyes and messy black hair that hid a thin lightning bolt scar on his forehead.
"I hope it's Krum!" said the boy on the girl's right excitedly, waving his arms around and knocking over his gobbler in the process, turning the spot of tablecloth in front of him a bright vivid orange, as orange as his hair was red. He ignored it as it began to spread. "I hadn't really gotten his autograph correctly. I mean, it was only a napkin-"
"Oh, Ron," said the girl exasperatedly, as she shook her head. "Can't you go one meal without spilling anything?"
"Nope," he answered cheerfully, his brown eyes wide with innocence. Then he looked over the girl's shoulder at the green-eyed boy. "Harry, who do you think it's gonna be?"
The boy named Harry looked up in surprise, shrugged, and tried to swallow the mound of food in his mouth. He choked on a particularly large chocolate chip, and gagged. Ron looked alarmed, and slapped his friend on the back until the chocolate chip went down safely. "Thanks," Harry gasped.
Ron shook his head. "No problemo, mate,"
"I hope it's a girl," said the girl happily. Then she wrinkled her nose and added, "It's getting to boy-ish around here anyway."
"Oh, come off it Hermione," said Ron. "Just because you're a girl doesn't mean you're better than us."
"Oh really?" said Hermione, flaring up at once.
"Yep," he continued, not sensing the danger. "They're nicer, stronger, smarter-" even Harry snorted at that one "-and they like sports better, which is why we need Viktor Krum!" he announced.
"Krum's not even in school anymore!" Then Hermione turned pale. "Besides," she murmured. "If he did come, he'd think that I still like him," Then at her friends questioning looks, she added hastily, "Which I don't."
Meanwhile, over at the Slytherin table, Malfoy and his friends were talking about the exchange student too.
"I bet it's a girl," Malfoy announced. "Whenever something good happens, it's a girl."
The boy next to him snorted. He looked remarkably like Malfoy, except he had green eyes instead of blue. "Of course you would say that, Draco," the boy said. "You have every girl in this school-except Granger, of course-eating out of the palm of your hand." To prove his point, a pug-faced girl with brown hair and a pouty face came up behind Draco.
"Drakey-poo! You didn't save a spot for me!" she said fretfully. Then she looked at the boys on the other side of Draco and yelled, "Move over! I said, MOVE OVER!"
The other boy smirked.
Draco leaned back and said, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Blaise," Sighs came from all over the table, and the pug-faced girl glared at them as she sat down. Draco turned and looked at he. "Pansy! What are you doing?"
"I'm sitting next to you, that's what," she said, trying to look pretty and failing miserably.
"You're right," Blaise muttered. "If it's a girl and she can get Pansy away, I say she is lucky."
"Students, bedtime!" Dumbledore clapped his hands. "Those who are leaving for break, follow me!"
….
Severus Snape sat in his study, leaning back in his chair. He had convinced Dumbledore to let him stay home during the break. He didn't think he could stand staying in the miserable old castle a minute longer, let alone an entire break. Besides, his daughter was coming-thought Dumbledore didn't know that, of course.
He didn't exactly know why he invited his youngest daughter home after all these years. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen her for so long that he had forgotten what she looked like. Maybe it was because he wanted to have more of a family than just himself. Maybe it was because he was finally ready to let go of his wife. Or maybe it was a mixture of all three; he didn't know for sure.
He knew his letters were insufficient when he sent them, and quite boring. But truth be told, he didn't know what to say. And he was scared. Scared that his daughters would bring back memories he had hidden in the deepest, darkest depth that he could find. He didn't want to remember and lose Sora all over again. Sora. His eyes welled up at just the mention. He stuffed those tears away, and tried to remember his daughter. Evvy. Her eyes…her eyes were the only thing he could recall. Deep silver eyes, the eyes of Sora, the eyes that he couldn't bear to see, so he threw locked them away. Locked them away at Durmstrang. So much joy they brought…and so much sorrow. He wanted the joy back. But not the sorrow. All he could do was wait.
….
Evvy peered out the window again, squinting with all her might. The car turned sharply, squashing her face against the glass pane. The wheels rolled over cobblestones as the feeling of apprehension of what she would find increased. A scene flashed before her mind: Jumping, laughing, down the road, stopping, turning to look at her mother, her mother's soft brown hair and silver eyes. Those silver eyes were so much like her own that they startled her out of the reverie, and back in to reality.
Tall black wrought-iron gates barred the rest of the road, over the black car that was shiny with rain. They glistened with the droplets, and at the very top, a silver calligraphy S adorned the center. With the screeching sound of un-oiled metal, they opened slowly, admitting the vehicle and it's two passengers. Evvy gulped as the car halted.
A huge gray castle with thousands of tiny towers loomed over her, looking more like a prison than a home. A few lights flickered in the windows menacingly, like dancing ruby eyes. There were huge oak doors with heavy bolts across it. Evvy pulled her cloak tighter, and stepped out into the night.
She gasped; it felt like a thousand buckets of ice-cold water were being dumped on her head at the same time. Trying to get out of the rain, she stumbled forward blindly, up some stones steps, nearly slipping twice. She grasped the handle of the door and pulled, cursing when she remembered the bolts. She struggled to lift them and the door swung open just enough to let her through. It slammed behind her, leaving her in a huge stone hall. It had no light, save for a fireplace at the very end of the hall. She pulled out her wand, and whispered "Lumos!" It lit immediately, and she held it high to see the hall in the light it cast.
There were doors on either side of the hallway, and Evvy stepped forward. She slowly undid the clasp on her cloak and slung it over her arm. Each clunk of her boots echoed in the hall. She stopped; it was a silent as a grave.
Suddenly she heard a scratching noise, and she whirled about. "Who's there?" she called out, and immediately wished she didn't. Her voice echoed off the walls loudly. She bit her lip, frightened slightly.
"Miss?" said a small voice tentatively. Evvy looked around wildly. "Down here, miss."
Evvy looked down and saw a smiling house elf at her feet. His pillowcase he wore was pretty clean. Evvy was glad to see her father took good care of his servants. "Hello," she said, feeling foolish.
"I am Kribbits, miss," the elf said, bowing. He winced, and straightened abruptly. "And you are Miss Snape! Kribbits is pleased to meet you!"
"Are you okay?" Evvy asked, concerned. "You look like your back hurts."
Kribbits touched it gingerly. "Kribbits is old, miss. Old makes back hurt."
"Oh, ok. Then I should get you a healer," Evvy supposed, frowning.
"No, no. Miss Snape is too kind," he told her.
"It's Evvy," she told him.
"Miss Evvy, if you don't mind. I must stay in practice," Kribbits said.
"Ok," agreed Evvy grudgingly, and changed the subject. "You have great grammar and speech, better than most house elves I know."
The elf bowed once more. "Again, Miss Evvy is too kind. Master Snape wants all his servants educated. He says we sounds more imp…emp…" He struggled with a word.
"Impressive?" suggested Evvy.
"Yes." The elf puffed out his chest proudly, and Evvy restrained a giggle. "I'm so sorry Miss," the elf smacked his forehead. "May I take your coat?" he said, holding out a hand.
"Thank you very much," she told him, and carefully put her cloak in his outstretched hand.
"Master Snape wishes to see you to see you in his study. Come, come, Miss Evvy!" He scampered down the hall with Evvy following as she tried not to smile.
Kribbits stopped at the second to last door. "Master is inside."
"Won't you come?" said Evvy. She was a bit worried.
"No, Master wishes to see you alone." Kribbits bowed again. "When you leave, I will be here to show you your room, Miss Evvy!" There was a loud crack as he Disapparated.
Evvy opened the door and stepped inside quietly. Light and warmth was over her and she looked around the room. It was green, with many bookshelves filled with thousands of books. Evvy itched to touch them, but restrained, and looked around again. There were a few squashy red armchairs with small wooden table next to them which were perfect to read in. But the biggest thing, and most ominous, was the huge desk in the center of the room. It was strewn with paper and quills, and there was a big swivel chair with its back to her.
Evvy swallowed and whispered, "Father?" The word tasted weird in her mouth.
change to Snape's POV
He heard her come in and could barely breath with anticipation. The word 'father' was music to his ears, and he turned around to face her. He choked back a sob. She looked so much like her mother. Her hair was his, of course…midnight black, like almost all Snapes. But her creamy skin and silver eyes, the way she held herself…she was Sora.
back to Evvy's POV
The huge chair turned around, and Evvy found herself looking into her father's eyes for the first time in years. He had long black hair cropped just below his chin, and his dark brown eyes bored in to hers. He was pale, but it fit in with him, thought on many others, it would have made them look sallow. He was clad in black from the neck down.
"Evvy?" he said. The word seemed to catch in his throat, and his voice wavered, as though he was trying not to betray emotion.
Evvy was rooted to the spot. It was her father. Her father.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Sorry for what?" she managed to croak out.
"My letters," he said, half grinning. "They were horrible."
Evvy's face broke out into a wide smile, and she rushed around the desk and threw herself into his arms. She had parents, or at least, a parent. He seemed surprised, and recoiled at her touch, but he ended up stroking her hair.
"You know what?" Evvy whispered, breaking away.
"What?"
"They were horrible."
….
Once she had left, Severus mentally slapped himself for being so emotional. What the hell was I thinking? I'm usually like this! But he knew that there were a few times in his life when he would be emotional, and that was one of them.
But he reprimanded himself all the same. He was always cold. Ever since Sora died, he had become a rock, a stone, so hard that no one he knew could penetrate the surface. Even when he was screwing someone, he never got emotional. Just as cold and hard as always (wait…I didn't mean the way that came out…). But how could someone as small as his daughter break through the shell like it was putty that had been sitting in the sun for hours?
Well, it wouldn't happen again, that was for sure. Nobody, and he meant nobody, was going to get Severus Snape to open up again.
But he did have a particular soft spot for the girl. She would spend time in his study reading while he did his work, occasionally asking about this or that. He taught her a number of spells, and he even help her redesign her room when she found out that she didn't exactly love unicorns and pink ponies anymore. All in all, this winter break had been the best so far.
….
Evvy sat on her bed, sipping a hot cup of cocoa that Kribbits had brought her. Winter break had gone by so fast, and she had had a great time getting to know her father. She spent days exploring the old mansion, and hadn't gotten through the entire thing yet. The top floor, where her room was, and half of the fourth floor was finished, but she still had more left to go. I think I'll take the passageway out of my room to the ground floor and give the empty mug to Kribbits-then she stopped, sitting down on her bed with a thunk.
It was the second to last day of break, and she still hadn't told her father about the exchange student thing. I better not put it off any longer, she thought miserably, and found the passage in her wall and slid down the slide. A second later, she emerged in the hall she had entered on her very first day. She tapped a nearby house elf on the shoulder and it turned around, eyes wide.
"Hi, Miss Evvy!" It squeaked, giving her a toothy grin. This one was not Kribbits, but a different-girl-elf by the name of Neeka.
"Hi Neeka!" Evvy said, and bent down. She had learned that if you are a creature's height, they don't fear you that much. Besides, it's much easier to look straight than up. "Can you put this in the kitchen for me? I would do it myself, but I have an appointment with my father." It was a half-lie; she sort of did have an appointment with him, one she had put off for far too long.
Neeka took the cup and said wisely, "Don't get your hopes up. He won't be very happy." Then she scurried off, and disappeared with a bang.
Evvy stared at the spot she had been in. House elves have their own magic, and just like they can Apparate and Disapparate at will, some can prophesize, thought most don't tell anyone unless they know the person is trustworthy. Neeka was such an elf, and it was a mark of her trust in Evvy that she revealed the secret. But Evvy hadn't liked this prophecy much, and as she headed into her father's office, she kept her fingers crossed for good luck.
"Hi Dad," she said, plopping down into her favorite armchair.
He looked up exasperatedly. "Evvy, not now," he said.
"Actually it has to be now," she said, twining her fingers nervously.
Severus sighed and looked at his watch. "Fifteen minutes."
"Ok," said Evvy. "WelltheresthisexchangestudentthingatDurmstrangtogotoHogw-
artsforthesecondhalfofthisyearandigotpicked." (Translation: "Well there's this exchange student thing at Durmstrang to go to Hogwarts for the second half of this year and I got picked.") She took a deep breath, and hoped to God her father had not understood a word of it.
Unfortunately for her, Severus Snape had excellent hearing, and his eyes narrowed menacingly. "What do you mean 'I got picked'?" He hissed.
"Well, I signed up," she said softly, shrinking back into her chair.
"'Signed up'!" he roared, her face purple with rage. He stood, toppling over his chair. "WHY?"
"I thought that it would be fun," she said so quietly it was almost inaudible.
"Fun? Fun? You think the place I spent sixteen years working at is fun?" He spat out 'fun' like it was a disease. "All right, if it's fun you want, go upstairs, pack your crap, and get back down here to go to your fun."
Evvy high-tailed it back to her room, packed quickly, and came back five minutes later, lugging a bulky trunk behind her. Snape grabbed it away from her and attached a small note to it. He heaved it into the fireplace behind him, and before Evvy could do a thing, he grabbed her and stepped into the emerald flames, and bellowed one word:
"Hogwarts!"
Well, I personally liked this chapter, even though it's a filler…Kribbits, don't you love the name Kribbits for a house elf? It has a sort of ring to it…anyway, there's a tiny little button down there that's begging you to push it…so push it!
Mel