Chapter 4: The big trouble that was born from a lie.
Alex smiled widely at his friend's plan
-"So, we agree right?"- Everyone nodded -"Well, let's go to class, and we'll do this at lunchtime. "-
Alex stands up and leaves the Great Hall behind his friends and remembered that he had to talk to his sister. -"You guys go ahead, I have something to do"- He said simply and his friends nodded. He leaned against the wall, waiting for Kat.
Once Kat and her friends were done eating breakfast they all got up and headed out of the Great Hall to their classes, they all had pretty much the same classes, so they usually walked together. As she got to the door, she saw Alex waiting for her -"Are you going to class now?"- She asked as her friends stopped for them to talk.
Alex looked up and saw his sister with a smile -"Yes, I am going to class now"- He walks and stands in front of her- "And at lunch I will go with my friends to the kitchens to cook with the elves."- He smiles even more -"So, you won't see me in the Great Hall at that time"-
-"You're really not supposed to be in the kitchens."- Kat said looking down at him. -"Father's going to ask where you are and if I tell him you're in the kitchens he'll get mad."-
Alex pouted - "But, but, my friends are going to go, and I want to cook there, it's not fair" - He crosses his arms. - "It is going to be very fun" -
-"None of you are supposed to be in there"- Kat said looking at him, not taking his attitude -"If you want to cook down there you have to get permission from dad"-
Alex frowns. -"It's not fair; I want to go with my friends, not fair."- He says, stomped the floor childishly. He hated not getting what he wanted, that sometimes he doesn't think reasonably or look for logical solutions, he just wanted to get what he wanted, even if it meant acting like a spoiled kid or getting in trouble to achieve it.
Severus leaves the Great Hall and sees his little brother pouting and crossing his arms- "Oh, no"- He walks and stands behind his sister -"Do you need some help before this kid throws a tantrum in the middle of the hall?"- He whispers to her.
-"Tell him what you want to do?"- Kat said to Alex, knowing that Severus would take her side because neither of them wanted to get in trouble because of him.
Alex turns to see Severus -"I want to go to the kitchens, to cook with my friends"-
Severus laughs dryly -"Yeah, of course and I want to fly in a dragon. -"He got serious, looking at Alex. -"No, you can't go, it's dad's rules, and you have to follow it, or you'll get in trouble again like yesterday, and you get us in trouble"-
Alex deepened his pout. -"But..."-
-"We're saying no, and you're lucky I'm not talking to your friends' prefects about this."- Kat said, glancing over at Severus then back down at Alex.
Alex stomps on the floor again -"But..."-
-"No! And you throw a tantrum; we'll tell dad what you want to do."-Severus said sternly.
-"If I find out you go and ignore what I'm saying, I'm telling your friends' prefects, and then we'll go tell dad. You'll be lucky if dad doesn't find out before me."- Kat said firmly.
Alex relaxes his gaze. -"But..."-
-"Alexander, no!"- Severus said seriously, he sounded just like his father.
Alex lowered his head and sighed -"Okay, I'm not going to the kitchen during lunch"- He says before walking to class. He walked with his head bowed with his arms crossed and still pouting.
Severus sighs. -"You'd better report this to dad, in case he disobeys us, so we avoid problems beforehand"- He suggests to his sister.
-"Yeah, I'll go tell him now"- Kat sighed as Alex walked away from them, and she turned to go to the professor's table to talk to their father. -"I have Quidditch practice after classes until the Quidditch cup is done, so you have to keep an eye on him."- She said as she looked at Severus to make sure he heard her.
Severus looks at her -"Yeah, yeah, I will, don't worry, every afternoon after classes, I'll keep an eye on him, help him with his homework and be in the common room before curfew. I know how it works"- He nods and walks towards his class.
-"I'm just letting you know, so you don't get caught off guard"- Kat said to him as he started to walk away -"Thank you for helping me with Alex"- She called to him as she walked towards her father.
Severus raised his hand as if to say, 'you're welcome', to his sister as he continued walking.
The second, Snape saw Kat coming; he knew she would be telling him about Alex. He sighed. -'Now what would Alexander have done?' -He thought.
Kat placed her school bag and robe down on the Slytherin table as she walked up to her father -"Hey, dad"- She said, giving him a smile to try to relax him before she told him what his youngest wanted to do.
Snape raises an eyebrow -"Hi, Katarina, good morning"- He puts his arms on the table -"So do you need me for something?"- He said seriously.
- "Morning, ummm...so I don't technically need you for something, but I thought I'd pass some information I learned over to you."- Kat said with a smile as some of the other professors laughed softly at her attempt to not make him mad. She was one of all the professors' favorite students; she studied hard and got good grades, but was also very nice and respectful to all of them.
Snape took a deep breath, ignoring the laughter and leaned back in his chair while crossing his arms -"And that information you learned, it won't have to do with the discussion your brothers, and you had at the entrance of the Great Hall, right?"- He looks at her raising an eyebrow. -"Alexander seemed somewhat annoyed from here, so what did he do or what did he try to do now?"-
-"Uhhh, yes, it does unfortunately have to do with that conversation" -Kat sighed, knowing that he's going to be irritated. -"Alex told me and Severus that him and his friends weren't going to be at lunch because they would be down in the kitchens cooking with the elves."- She said, as she held her breath, hoping he wouldn't yell at her.
-"He wants to do what?!"- Snape takes a deep breath, so he doesn't lose his temper. -"He wants to cook, that kid of only 12 years old, where there are knives and fire, and he also disturbs the elves' work area"-. He pinches the bridge of his nose. -"It seems that my talk yesterday with him about the rules had no effect, and I hope you and Severus told him no, didn't you, Katarina?"- He said in a low, serious tone.
Kat let out her breath, relived when he didn't jump on her -"Yeah, I don't know what he's thinking, but he's all mad at us now"- She said with a sigh. -"Yes, we both told him no, and I told him if I find out he went against what we said I would be informing his friends' prefects and then me and the other prefects would have a conversation with you."- She nodded while speaking.
Snape took a deep breath before getting up. -"Well, I hope you will if that happens. I will go tell the elves that anyone who enters the kitchens will be sent to my office immediately"-. He said in a very serious tone -"You can go to class, I don't want you to be late, and keep on keeping me informed Katarina"-
-"I will let you know if I find anything else out."- Kat said with a nod as she started to walk back to her school bag.
Snape nods -"Oh and good luck to your Quidditch practice"- He says before start walking out of the Great Hall towards to the kitchens.
-"Thank you, Severus is in charge of Alex when I'm at practice, just letting you know."- Kat grabbed her school bag and robe then walked out of the Great Hall after him and towards her class.
Alex walked into the classroom and sat in the chair, annoyed.
- "Hey, what's wrong?" - Said one of his friends.
- "I can't go to the kitchens, my sister found out and told me that she would tell my dad if I went there." - Alex sighed. - "But we could ask the headmaster for permission to go, it's worth a try" - He suggested.
-"Wait, I have a better and more fun idea so that we can all go without being discovered" - She said, and they began to whisper until class started.
Kat got to class and sat down with her friends, sighing as she leaned back in her chair. She has had the same group of friends since first year, so they all knew Alex and Severus the second they got into Hogwarts. She told them everything, so they had already heard about the night before, but now she had to update them on what just happened.
-"Your brother has a death wish for himself, but also you and Severus"- One of her friends laughed as he grabbed his school bag.
Class was over, and they had to head back to the Great Hall for lunch. She sighed while laughing, knowing that he wasn't wrong, she knew Alex didn't try to get them in trouble, but it happened often.
Alex was a very friendly and sociable person, so his group of friends consisted of one Gryffindor (Luz White), two Hufflepuff (Chad Smith and Samantha Martin), one Ravenclaw (Felix Taylor) and one Slytherin (Aries Hunter) plus him (Alexander Snape).
They were in the bathroom planning with details what they were going to do. -"So, remember, you have to talk to your prefects, so that tonight we have a sleepover and can sneak into the kitchens later "- Everyone nodded and went to the Great Hall to find their prefects. Sleepovers between students from different houses were very common between first and second year students, so it was normal for at least one a week to occur.
Alex walked with Aries as they searched for Kat.
-"Okay, let me talk to her, you will get very nervous, and could say more than necessary" -. Aries said.
All of them had known each other for a year, although Aries had joined this group this year, but they all knew Alex's personality perfectly.
Alex nodded and then bit his lip- "Are you sure about this? Aries, we could think of something else, but I think lying is not the best option, plus I already got into trouble yesterday for your idea of casting the spells from that book. "-
Aries stops and looks at him. - "Oh, come on, don't be a spoilsport, it'll be more fun that way; besides, you're the one who was hanging around the castle after curfew, don't blame me." - She said with a snort.
Aries, after joining the group, had become the leader of the group and her ideas, although fun at first for everyone, were always very prone to someone ending up in trouble; also, she always got very upset if someone was against her, so no one really gave their opinion, they only did what she said. And although Alex dared break the rules to get what he wanted, he didn't like to get in trouble and lying was one of the few options he used to get what he wanted. Not only because he lies very badly, but if he was caught, the punishment would be a thousand times worse than just disobeying his siblings.
- "I see your sister, let's go" -Aries takes Alex by the wrist and drags Alex towards his sister. - "Miss Snape, Miss Snape, we want to ask you something."-
Alex swallows hard, still thinking that lying was not a good idea.
Kat turned in her seat as she heard her name being called. -"What would you like to ask?"- She said as her eyes fell on Alex and his friend -'Oh, this can't be good'- She thought as she glanced over at Severus and her father to see if they were watching.
Aries smiles broadly. -"We wanted to ask you if could we have a sleepover tonight, we want to do it in the Hufflepuff dorms, so we want to be in the Hufflepuff common room before curfew and spend the night there, right, Alex?"-
Alex looks to his sister and nods slowly.
Severus turned his head to see a girl speaking enthusiastically next to Alex, who was very quiet.
Snape watched what was happening at the Slytherin table, he was surprised that Alex was very quiet.
-"I don't see why not, but have you asked the Hufflepuff prefect? I will have to speak to the other prefects to check what they think."- Kat asked as she looked over at her brother, something was clearly off. -"So Alex, what do you guys plan on doing if you will be back before curfew?"- She asked her brother specifically, knowing that he would have a harder time hiding his excitement for whatever they had planned.
Aries nods. -"Yes, our other friends are asking their prefects, including the Hufflepuff prefect"- She said while pointing to the other tables.
Kat looked over to see the other younger students asking their prefects, every so often the prefects would look up at each other as they asked the students questions.
While Kat was distracted looking at where Aries had pointed, Aries whispered to Alex. -"Just say what I told you, okay?"-
Alex nods. -"We are going to play, and we are going to talk...and...and..."- He said without emotion before starting to bounce. -"We are going to eat a lot of sweets, candies, and we will go to bed very late and..."- Alex was saying excitedly before Aries pinched his arm so that he would not continue talking and talking about the kitchens. Alex bit his lip to keep from wincing.
Kat turned back to her brother as he started to tell her what they would be doing -"Will you be attending dinner here with everyone or eating later?"- She asked the question in a different way knowing that he would have to think about his answer because the only way to eat later is to go down to the kitchens. She could feel Severus and their father watching her, to see how she would handle the situation and try to figure out what they were asking.
Aries smiled at that question.
-"Yes, we will eat here at dinner time and then each one will go to their dorm to look for everything we need for tonight"-. Alex said excitedly. The plan was to sneak out very late at night to go to the kitchens.
Aries nods -"Yes, sweets and snacks we will eat, were brought to me by my sister when she was in Hogsmeade."- She spoke so that Kat would focus on her and not her brother. -"It will be a lot of fun"- She said, feigning innocence.
Kat nodded slowly as she thought for a little bit about it -"Fine, you can go to the sleepover."- She turned to Alex. -"I assume that you know if you're lying to me, and you do something else I will find out, you know I know pretty much everything that goes on in this castle."- She was trying to give Alex the benefit of the doubt and hope that he wasn't lying to her, she stood up to go talk to the other prefects who were all giving each other looks.
Alex gulped and nodded, then sat at the table with Aries while the others came and sat next to him.
-"It worked, now we can go to the kitchens at night"-Aries smirked.
Alex bites his lip. "Guys, are you sure it's a good idea, if we get caught we will not only break the rule of not go in to the kitchens, but we will also be out after curfew "-.
They all looked at each other until Luz spoke up and pats Alex on the back. -"Don't worry, at the time we go, the elves will be asleep, no one will see us"-.
Alex got more nervous about that, he had not realized that they would cook alone, without the help of the elves. -"Okay"- He said, unsure.
-"It will be a lot of fun I promise you"- Felix said trying to make him feel better.
Severus stared at his brother and his friends while raising an eyebrow, -'I'll have to watch him very closely this afternoon'- He thought.
Alex moved in the seat nervous and at the same time excited, and his friends worried about it.
-"Hey, why don't we go to your dorm before afternoon classes and play a bit?"- Samantha said softly when everyone finished eating.
- "Yeah, yeah, come on, it'll be fun" - Chad said enthusiastically.
They knew that at any moment Alex could confess or back down.
- "Oh, okay" - Alex said, and they all got up.
Alex walked over to where Severus was, since Kat was busy. - "I'm going to my dorm with my friends."- He said in a low voice as he tapped Severus on the shoulder.
"-Okay, and are you okay? Do you sound nervous?"- Severus said as he turned to see his brother.
Alex shakes his head -"No, I mean, yes, I'm just excited and a little nervous, we're going to eat a lot of candy and make a lot of things, I'm just nervous to ruin it"- Alex said before turning around and walking out the Great Hall with his friends.
Severus raised an eyebrow- "Make?"-
The 4 prefects agreed to watch the group closely, the Hufflepuff prefect said she would check on them periodically throughout the night and if something happened shed alert the head of her house and send an owl to get the other prefects. The prefects went back to their own tables to resume their lunch.
Kat would let her father know after she ate, but she would ask him to not get involved unless she notified him they did something wrong. She watches Alex and his friends walk out of the Great Hall once she sat back down at the table.
Kat finished her lunch and spoke to her friends for a few minutes before getting up and going over to Severus -"What did he say to you?"- She asked as she waved at his friends with a smile, she has known his friends since they got to Hogwarts because they were almost always together. She sat down next to him as she could feel their father waiting for her to go up to him and tell him what that was all about.
Severus feels a chill down his spine before turning and seeing his father frowning and then looking back at Kat. -"Dad seems very impatient"- He sighs
-"I know I'm going to tell him after I talk to you."-
-"Well, he told me that he was going to his dorm to play with his friends and that he was going to eat lots of candy, make things, and he doesn't want to ruin it"- Severus raised an eyebrow. -"What did he and his friend ask you, as well as his other friends to the other prefects and what things is he going to make?"- He asked, having certain suspicions that he decided to wait before sharing them with Kat.
Kat shook her head -"They're up to something, they asked to have a sleepover in the Hufflepuff dorms, but his friend barely let him speak, all the prefects got asked, and the Hufflepuff prefect said one of them would check in on them periodically to make sure they weren't doing anything dumb."- She said with a sigh knowing Alex was going to get in trouble again -"He didn't say anything about making anything, to me or the other prefects"-
Severus rests his head on his hand -"A sleepover, in the Hufflepuff dorms, his friend did not let him speak and make something."- He sighed, knowing where all this was headed. -"I don't know whether to say that these kids are very smart or very dumb"-. He rolled his eyes. -"They will go to the kitchens after curfew, the Hufflepuff dorms and common room are next to the kitchens, so they would be less likely to see them. They will do it after curfew so that the elves do not see them and accuse them and, regarding the word 'make', they will make some food."- Severus explained to his sister. He had very clear suspicions, since during his first year he did something similar, and he used to do it every time he wanted to do something against the rules, but his sister did not have to know. -"That's why she didn't let Alex talk much; he would confess to you everything they would do"-
-"Yeah, I had a feeling it would have something to do with the kitchens, I don't understand why they're so obsessed with going there."- Kat said with a sigh before her eyes went wide. - "Oh, Merlin, theirs going to be a bunch of 12-year-old's in the kitchen without any supervision and our brother is the clumsiest kid I've ever met."- She said, getting up to go talk to their father.
Severus nods -"Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if he completely burned the kitchen or burned himself or cut himself a lot with knives"- He said neutrally before realizing what he said -"Shit".- He jumps up. -"We have to tell dad before he gets hurt"-
-"Yeah, I'm going now"- Kat said as she left her school bag at the table and walked towards the professors' table.
Severus sits back down as he looks at his sister and his father, gulping lightly at the sight of his father's face. -'He is going to be very angry'- He thought.
Snape looks at his daughter impatiently as she walks up to him.
-"Don't yell at me, this isn't my fault"-Kat said as she got up to the table and stood in front of her father -"Alex and his friends are having a sleepover in the Hufflepuff dorms tonight, but we think they're going to sneak into the kitchen after curfew. The Hufflepuff prefect said they would check on them periodically to make sure they're not doing anything against the rules."-
Snape shot up from his chair. -"Let's go to my office"- He muttered. He was trying to contain his anger and not yell in front of the whole Great Hall -"We will talk about this in private"-
-"Coming"- Kat sighs.
Snape motioned Severus to come too and started to walk towards the entrance of the Great Hall.
Severus swallowed before getting up and following his father and his sister.
Kat walked out of the Great Hall with her father, picking up her school bag on the way out, as Severus came up to walk beside her. -"We're screwed"- She whispered to him as they followed him to his office.
-"Well, maybe not, technically we informed him what Alex did and the suspicions we had, so we shouldn't be in trouble"- Severus whispered with an uncertain tone -"He should be upset with Alex now"-
-"I don't know but were about to find out."- Kat whispered.
Snape opened the door to his office and walked over to his desk -"Sit down"- He said, pointing to the chairs in front of him.
Kat went over and sat in one of the chairs, placing her school bag down next to her on the ground and putting her robe over the back of the chair.
Severus sits down next to his sister, puts his school bag in front of him.
Snape sits staring at his older children. -"Let me see if I understood correctly, Alexander, a boy of only twelve years old, also extremely clumsy, wants to cook alone, without supervision!"- He raised his voice with each word
-"Well, it's our suspicions, mainly he wants to do just a sleepover"- Severus tries to say calmly.
-"I gave him permission to go to the sleepover because he told me they would be in the Hufflepuff dorms before curfew and would just be hanging out there, I also talked to the Hufflepuff prefect, and they said they'd keep a close eye on them."- She added to what Severus said. -"So if he was lying to me, and they have some other sort of plan we will know because they should be caught by the other prefects."- She thought for a second before speaking again -"The only problem is that his story changed slightly when he told Sev what he was doing."- She was trying to cover for Severus and herself because they really had done nothing wrong.
Snape looks at Severus -"Did he change the story slightly?"- He raised an eyebrow.
Severus nodded -"Yes, he said he was going to make something, so I assumed he meant making food"-
Snape leaned back in his chair as he took a deep breath. -"Okay, we give Alexander the benefit of the doubt, and we think they proposed the sleepover since they couldn't go to the kitchen."- He leaned forward. -" But, if he is lying and leaves or tries to leave the common room in the direction of the kitchens, I want each of those kids immediately in their respective dorms and I want Alexander sent immediately here, in my office. Have I been clear enough for you?! "- He raised his voice
Kat jumped slightly as he suddenly raised his voice at them, she wasn't scared of him, but she had to admit he was very intimidating. -"Yes father, the other prefect informed me that if they sneak out of their dorm, she will notify the head of their house and then send an owl to get the rest of the prefects."- She nodded quickly. -"I will stop by and inform you on the way to the Hufflepuff dorms if I am summoned."-
Severus gulped at his father's tone, but remained silent.
-"Okay, I hope so, you can go to class, and Severus, I hope you keep an eye on Alexander while your sister is at her practice, understood?!"- Snape said seriously.
Severus nodded. -"Yes, father, I'll keep an eye on him"-. Severus doesn't normally watch his brother as well as Kat, but today he would do it the same as her. I don't think his father is in the mood for Alex to get in trouble more than once a day, and that would get him in trouble.
Kat got up while grabbing her school bag as their father dismissed them; she turned to walk out of his office quickly.
Severus grabs his school bag and leaves the office behind his sister.
