BLOOD OF THE MOTHER By BertaS Dec. 2005
Chapter 32 Visitors
Disclaimer: If you think any thing you recognize is mine then you may need to do a reality check.
Visitors
Draco sauntered into sitting room just as Cissa was offering a tray of crumpets to Harry, he stopped and looked surprised for a moment, shrugged, picking up a crumpet, and ignoring his mother's frown, he nodded to Severus and walked out without saying a word.
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Well, that was a little different."
Sev said, "He isn't that bad, Harry," he glanced at Cissa, "maybe just a little spoiled. And while I haven't had time to talk to him about it, I do not believe he would have taken the Dark Mark willingly."
"I…" Harry sighed, "I reserve judgment. I don't think I really know the true Draco Malfoy, just the mask he wears at school." He smiled at Cissa, "I assume that you were at school with Sev and my Dad?" at her nod he continued, "Then you know how they acted toward each other? Well, Draco and I currently enjoy about the same type of relationship."
Cissa smiled, "I had gathered as much from comments Draco has made. He was quite put out that he made such a poor impression that you would refuse his hand when he offered it during your first year at school.
"Thinking back on it, I know there must have been any number of ways I could have handled that differently." Harry shrugged, "I don't know if it's possible for us to ever be friends." He shook his head sadly, "Actually I would settle for a secession of open hostility."
When the talk finally got around to the children that Harry and Sev would be checking on in the next few days, Cissa thought it would be better to appear as distant relatives or solicitors on behalf of an inheritance the children may be entitled to at least with the muggles. She commented that in at least seven cases the former was actually true since Harry was the Head of the House of Black and the Potters were related to almost every pureblood family in some way. Severus was related to quite a few of the families through his mother.
Severus had shrugged when Harry looked at him a little odd, "My father was the product of two muggle-borns, Harry." He looked like he was expecting Harry to be upset or disgusted by this revelation.
Harry smirked, "It really makes no difference to me Sev. My mother was muggle born. In fact, I think it probably matters less to others now than it may have in the past, if you remember there were quite a few young ladies ready to accept your flower at the Cotillion. Weren't there?"
As Harry and Cissa continued to talk, Severus was thoughtful for quite a while. Was Harry right would one of those girls really have wanted to marry him. They did all seem to be more accepting but he thought it was because he was close to Harry, not because they really liked him.
As Harry and Severus were getting ready to leave, Harry was staring at the sweeping staircase with its smooth banisters and under-curled bottom posts. He sniggered slightly just as Draco was just coming around the corner into the hall. Hearing him Draco demanded, "So, you think there is something funny about my home now, Potter?"
Harry still grinning said, "Oh no, Malfoy, I was just imagining how much fun you must have had on that banister when you were little." He nodded at the stairs, "I can almost see you flying down the banister, robes flapping, and sailing off the end." He made a swooping motion with his hand.
Draco snorted rubbing his rear, "Hum, its a toss up as to whether getting caught was worth it, since getting caught usually meant I didn't land on my bum, but it usually meant no pudding that night." he glanced sideways at his Mum, "It was more fun after I learned to land on my feet and some one taught me to do a polishing charm first." he looked conspiratorially at Severus. Who just smirked while trying to look innocent, it was not a look that worked well for him.
Cissa turned angrily on Sev, "Severus Snape, you didn't?" the look on his face and Draco's was enough to convince her, "Oh, Merlin, it was you." Judging by the look on her face, Harry was sure she was totally disgusted with all of them. "It was bad enough that…" she cut herself off and pursed her lips.
Severus shrugged, "I will nether deny or confirm anything, although, I can see that such a charm applied directly before sliding would be prudent for several reasons as would a cushioning charm on the floor." He had a mischievous smirk as though trying not to laugh and winked at the boys where Cissa couldn't see.
Neither Harry nor Draco could keep a straight face, in fact they laughed so hard that they had to hold on to each other to keep from falling on the floor.
When they were able to control themselves Harry held out his hand, "My name is Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you."
Draco eyed him with a calculating look before taking his hand and nodding, "I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Later that evening at Tonks' house for supper:
Ted Tonks liked to teases that his daughter never could make up her mind. He commented that, "It should be no surprise to me that instead of bringing home one fellow, she managed to bring home two, at the same time." had them all blushing like school children.
The food was good and the talk was light until Ted brought up the subject that Harry most wanted to discuss when he said, "What you said to Thorneprick about those orphans was spot on Harry, if you need a place for a few of them to stay, Annie and I would be happy to be foster parents."
"Daddy, are you sure?" she had to ask so that Harry would know that he was serious, "You haven't even managed to get me out of the nest yet, and you want more?" Dora giggled. Since she had such an aversion to the name that he and his wife had given her, Ted insisted his daughter be called Dora while at the table.
"Of course, Dora dear, after raising you it should be a breeze. I never even know what you are going to look like each day." They all laughed, "Seriously, Ted is right. We'd love to have a couple of little ones again, and I know that there are quite a few that will be… well, maybe not 'problem children' but, I'm sure some of them will have problems. We really would like to help."
Dora nodded, "I may be a bit biased but they really are great parents Harry. You know, I bet Molly would take half a dozen if you'd let her."
Sev snorted, "She will act the mother to any one," his expression softened into a smile, and he almost whispered, "Even me."
It was Annie's turn to snort, "You, Severus Snape, need mothering, badly, and if Molly Weasley can put that look on your face, more power to her. She was head girl during my second year at Hogwarts. Arthur is a year older of course and judging by the birth date of their oldest she was expecting before the leaving feast." At Severus' shocked look she laughed. "That was, of course, a couple years before you and Cissa joined the Slytherins."
Severus blushed and looked away as he said, "I remember having a terrible crush on the head girl the year I started school." His look at Annie was significant, as was her blush, "having been a part of the selection process for several years now, I believe the mothering instinct is a requirement for the position." He continued.
Harry and Dora exchanged looks as both realized that Severus had just confessed to having a crush on her mother. He would later corner her for a time line on who was at Hogwarts when.
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
The next morning two men, one quite young and the other older and seemingly very stern, arrived at the door to Saint Bernadette's Magical Orphanage. A rather large motherly woman who introduced her self as Madam Selma as she guided them to her office greeted them. She seemed to be a bit confused when Severus informed her that "No, I am not dropping the young man off to be one of your new charges."
Harry grinned and spoke, "Madam, I am here to check that your most recent charges are being well cared for and that you have the support that you need." He knew that there where a total of thirty-eight children in this woman's care.
"What do you mean my 'most recent' charges? I treat all my children the same." She exclaimed. Sev could tell she was quite offended though she tried to hide it.
Severus was studying her intently as he asked the next question, "How many Death Eater Children do you currently care for?"
The number thirteen flashed through his mind before she shielded her thoughts and calmly replied.
"I am not at liberty to discuss that, Sir, and I am not going to allow any one to harass any of my children because of what their parents may or may not have done." How dare they even suggest that she use the dead parents status as a measure of the child's worth.
Harry chuckled, "You misunderstand, how am I to know how large a donation to make if I don't know how many children I am supporting?"
The woman's face hardened, "So, you plan to sponsor only those that are not related to Death Eaters? Is that it?" Harry and Severus both caught the outraged thought 'how dare you condemn the children for some thing they didn't do?'
Severus growled slightly and Harry frowned, "No Ma'am. What I plan is to help support all of the children that I caused," he pushed his hair back exposing his scar, "even indirectly, to be with out parents. I am also trying to track down any who are with relatives that do not really want them. I myself grew up with my muggle Aunt and Uncle who, well," He let out a mirthless laugh, "Let's just say they were less that thrilled to have me."
"Oh, you poor dear, I'm sorry, I thought… well, I think you could tell what I thought." She blushed slightly as Severus raised his eyebrow and she realized just how much he knew of what she had thought. "Please, forgive me. I have been approached in the past by people who purport to be some thing they are not."
"Understandable." Harry smiled, "What I would like to do is set up an account that would pay for the schooling of any of your children who can not afford it, a trust fund maybe, for tuition, books, robes, and such. I think for younger ones I would like to pay for Christmas, Birthdays, and outings to the Zoo and the like, things that I was never allowed."
Madam Selma smiled softly thinking, 'How could I have thought badly of this boy, how could any one have not loved this beautiful, thoughtful child'. She nodded, "We don't get to take the children out as much as I'd like, but, we do manage a trip to the museum, for all of those over the age of six each year, they don't charge much. Although the bus needs some work before we can go this year."
Before he answered, Harry looked at Severus who smiled and nodded slightly, the woman was right to be suspicious, she also would defend any child entrusted to her. "I would think that could be easily handled, Madam Selma." He pulled a money sack from his pocket and gently placed it on her desk. "Do as much as you can with this, I will set it up with the goblins to provide you with what is needed. If you could provide me with a list of the birth dates of all the children in your care, I would be happy to send them each something. Owl me if there is some thing specific they would like to have. And let me know when you plan to take them to the Zoo, I might wish to join you."
They were only able to leave after meeting most of the children, one of which, seven year old Sassy Charles, got a dream come true as her hero, Harry Potter, came to her birthday party and had his elf bring a special little cake just for her, as well as a large cake for every one else.
Meeting the children made Harry and Sev even more confident, in their feeling that Madam Selma and her staff would do their best to provide all the children in their care with a happy, healthy place to live and grow. She explained just before they left that she could only take two more with out having to hire more help and expand the facilities.
A/N: Happy Christmas! Don't forget my present.
Hint; reviews don't really cost anything you know.
Just a quick explanation as to who is older than whom.
Andromeda is the oldest of the Black girls; she was three when Belitrix was born and seven when Narcissa and cousin Sirius were born. Cissa, Sirius, Severus, James Potter and Lily Evans-Potter were all about the same age (They all had eleven by September the year they started school, right?) and they where all in the same year at school.
Lucius was older in the same year as Arthur Weasley, (Why else would they hate each other so much?) this would make him 14 years older that his wife. My guess is that Lucius was supposed to marry Andromeda, but when she eloped, he was given his choice of the other two.