Family Portrait

Remus recalled the first time he saw Esther Snape. He had almost laughed at the sight of her. Where her older sister looked nothing like Snape, Esther Snape was practically her father's doppelganger. They shared the same limp black hair, hooked-nosed, sharp chin. What differentiated the girl from Remus's memories of her father as a boy were her eyes. Instead of possessing pools of sucking black tar like Severus, Esther's eyes were a shade or so lighter. The color reminded him of dark bister etchings in old textbooks.

So when he saw her in one of Hogwarts's corridors with a couple of fellow Gryffindors, Remus felt amused all over again. It dried up shortly, however, when he realized there was something less than friendly occurring between Esther and the other Gryffindors.

The girl was being picked on by the pair.

Remus didn't hesitate to hurry in the girl's direction. 'She's her father's daughter all right,' thought Remus as he did. Before he could come to her rescue, however, Harry appeared from the mouth of another corridor and beat him to it. His lips shaped in a jeer James once used on his enemies, Harry got between Esther and the girls.

"What the bloody Hell are you doing?" demanded the boy in a tone that reminded Remus of Lily.

The pair stumbled back a step, clearly surprised to have the Boy-Who-Lived come to the rescue of the potions master's daughter. Remus wondered if they would be so shocked if they knew Severus and Lily had once been the best of mates.

"Just— Just teasing," mumbled one, a squat black girl Remus believed was named Halimah Yarow.

The other, a petite Chinese girl named Victoria Xu nodded vigorously. "Right!" she agreed, tone pitched high. She scowled over Harry's shoulder at Miss Snape. "It's not our fault she can't have a laugh at anything."

Entirely unimpressed, Harry crossed his arms. "Uh-huh," he replied. "Do it again and I'll tell her aunt!" Harry's jeer turned into a vicious look that made Remus pause. Where had he learned to be so fierce? "She'll show you what happens to those who tease her family," he threatened meanly.

Miss Xu and Miss Yarow exchanged unsettled glances at Harry's words. This appeared to please the boy as he nodded and turned his attention to Severus's daughter. The girl's eyes no longer were covered in a shiny sheen, thankfully.

"Come on, Essie," said Harry, uncrossing his arms and gesturing for the girl to follow him.

Esther didn't hesitate to fall into step with Harry. Remus watched with wonder and uncertainty as they began to head right in his direction. As they did, Esther worried her lip before she said to Harry, "You didn't have to do that, Harry."

"What?" replied the boy, face pulled into an expression of incredulity. "Of course I did! They were being a pair of toerags."

Remus almost laughed at his choice of words. It'd been years since he heard anyone use toerag as an insult. Who'd taught him the word? Severus's daughters? At the very least, it was starting to seem to Remus the boy was decently acquainted with them. Esther was a junior to Harry and he had seen Severus's sister cheering Harry on during his footie games.

Esther sighed. "I shouldn't have let them get to me. Sev always says he doesn't care what house we're in," she said.

"He doesn't!" agreed Harry, emphatic.

Voice smaller, Esther admitted, "Sometimes, though, I still think he doesn't like that I'm a Gryffindor."

Remus felt his heart pang at the girl's words. He'd seen firsthand what being rejected by one's family did to a person. It made them wildly unstable. He hoped for Esther's sake that Severus made it clear to her sometime soon he was happy she was where she belonged.

Harry made a noise of sympathy and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Oh no Essie, that's not true," he murmured. Smiling at the girl, he said, "Remember he was friends with Lily? She was a Gryffindor."

So someone had told Harry Severus and Lily were mates once upon a time. Remus had trouble believing Severus himself did it. Most likely it was one of his girls. Or possibly the family that raised Harry. If he recalled correctly, Dumbledore had found a cousin of Lily's who was willing to take in the boy. He wondered if they had also told Harry about their falling out.

"That's different," protested Esther with a frown.

Harry shook his head. "No, it's not," he replied. Face stern, he declared, "He loved her and he loves you. So, same thing."

Esther didn't reply immediately. Instead, she let her hair curtain over her face as she stared at her toes. "You really think that?" she finally asked in a whisper Remus had to strain his ears to hear.

"Yeah," said Harry in a warm tone, face kind.

The girl grinned. Then, surprising Remus, but not Harry from the look of him, she wrapped herself around his shoulders and hugged him. "Thanks again, Harry," she mumbled into his front while he brought his arms up to squeeze her in return.

"It's no trouble!" he assured her once they pulled apart. A more serious edge returning to his face, he told Esther, "Let me or Darla know if anyone bothers you again. We'll take care of them."

Esther stuck out her chin. "No, I'll stand up for myself. I have to. What kind of Gryffindor am I if I let others treat me like that?" she said, adamant.

Harry beamed and patted her back. "There you go! Show 'em just how brave and strong we are," he replied before the two of them started to walk once more in his direction.

Remus, who felt a little like a voyeur, turned his gaze away from the pair and shuffled a little over before he started to walk toward them. He didn't want them to know he'd heard their entire conversation or cause Esther to feel self-conscious about what she shared with Harry. As he pretended to be traveling somewhere in the direction opposite the two were going, Harry noticed him and brightened.

"Hello, Professor Lupin," he said with a small wave.

"H— Afternoon, children," he stammered out, returning the boy's wave. He then glanced at Esther. Her face was uneasy.

She always looked the same in his classroom. What about him made her so nervous? He still didn't know if the younger Snapes had been informed of his past with Severus. Eileen, her sister, had given no hints. She was unbothered, almost removed initially. Nowadays, she looked at him with heedful eyes and he could almost make her smile when he caused other children to laugh.

"Harry, Let's go," she urged, pulling on his sleeve.

The boy blinked at her. "Huh?" he mumbled. "Oh, sure."

Still puzzled, Remus slowed in his pace and watched out of the corner of his eyes as the two all but darted away. Holding still, he listened to Esther hiss at Harry, "You shouldn't be so friendly with him! He was mates with Black back in the day. Sev says not to trust him."

Harry made a noise of shock. Voice raised, he yelped, "He was?"

Remus winced. So Severus had told his daughters about him too. As Esther answered in the affirmative to Harry's exclamation, Remus thought he should be angry. What right did Severus have to divulge his failures to his girls?

Really, though, he felt as if he deserved it. He had been friends with Sirius. Even after he'd tried to feed Severus to his werewolf. That should have been when he cut off Sirius (possibly James and Peter too if they didn't agree with his choice).

Yet he didn't.

All that was happening now was simply the consequences of his actions. Despondent, he looked over his shoulder at the children as they continued to hurry down the corridor. Esther was still hissing and gesturing at Harry. Clearly working hard to infect him with the same fear Severus had instilled in her. As she did, the boy looked back at Remus. His breath caught when their eyes connected.

There wasn't fresh fear nor nerves in his gaze. No, what welled up in his emerald gaze was a gut-punching disappointment. Remus swallowed. Seeing that made Remus hurt worse than any words Severus or his girls could ever say.

How did you enjoy this chapter? Harry coming to Essie's defense and Remus's thoughts as he watches?

Thanks so much for reading!