Chapter 2 - A Winter's Thought

It was a cold December evening at Spinner's End. The snow came early this year and outside there were blankets and blankets of snow scattered all around Cokeworth.

Here inside the Snape home, there was a tall, decorated Christmas tree with adornments and family photos planted all over the house. Nearby, at the little kitchen table, Eileen Snape sat comfortably nursing a cup of coffee as she rested after a long day's work of chores.

It's been almost eight years since she left the wizarding world and she couldn't believe how much had changed since then.

She got up to stretch her legs and walked over to the dining table and smiled warmly at the family photo adorned in the center. There, she looked at the family portrait of Tobias standing alongside her in her smart blue dress, and below then -the two boys dressed in smart little tuxedos, who changed her life forever.

Shortly after Severus was born, Cassius William Snape came into their family a little over a year later. It was a surprise to both of them, as they certainly didn't plan for another child, and to have two so quickly after another was an unexpected joy to them.

A trademark Snape through and through, Cassius sported Tobias's hazelnut eyes, had dark yet short wavy hair, a height that nearly rivaled his older brother, and a cocky grin that reminded Eileen of Tobias during their courting days

He was the opposite of Severus in every shape and form as while Cassius looked like the spitting image of Tobias, Severus reminded Eileen much of her father instead.

Here, young Sev had long silky hair that came all the way down to his neck. He was slender and tall, yet thinner compared to the larger Cassius. His cheeks were gaunt, and his posture rivaled those of many Pureblood heirs she grew up with.

At the age of 4, Severus displayed his first bout of accidental magic (and gave Tobias his first near heart attack) when one evening while they were having dinner, Severus cheekily levitated the jar of biscuits on the kitchen counter to the dining table and tried to help himself to an early dessert.

A studious child, Severus liked to spend hours reading as much as he could and was shy around the neighborhood children. He didn't like to go outside much and instead preferred the company of his mother, especially when she was in the basement brewing potions occasionally.

While she kept a strict eye and never let him remotely near her cauldron or the cutting board, Severus always had a wide smile and glint in his eyes whenever he'd clean some of the beakers or sorted any of the non-dangerous ingredients properly.

He was reserved and always obeyed his mother to the letter. Whenever they'd eat, he'd always make sure to wash his hands thoroughly, make sure his clothes were clean, and always got excited whenever Tobias would tuck the kids in at night and read from Sev's favorite book The Little Prince.

She worried sometimes about his shyness and the parents tried the best they could to encourage Severus to speak to the children at any of Tobias's VA events or whenever Tobias took him and his brother out to play at the nearby park.

A stark contrast to his younger brother Cassius, who seemed to love to spend as every minute as he can outside with the neighborhood children and get into all sorts of mischief either at home or outside.

From his birth alone, he was a hellion who Eileen swore already turned some of her hairs grey. At the age of 6, Cassius had already pranked half the neighborhood with endless shenanigans and was a well-known figure among the neighborhood kids.

When he wasn't playing pickup footie games at the nearby park, he'd spend hours exploring Spinner's End on his little bike to the point Eileen had to cast a charm on him just to keep up with where he was every time he'd run off and disappear with his gang of kids.

Smiling fondly, Eileen remembered when the family was watching the telly one evening, the American muggle Elvis Presley came on and the little Cassius was already trying to mimic some of his dances that would have made her mother faint.

Despite his mischievous streak, he was incredibly loyal to his big brother and when one day some of the bigger children were picking on Severus when Tobias took them to the park, 5-year-old Cassius let out his first bout of accidental magic by magically shoving the kids far into the bushes.

She was immensely thankful that there weren't any adult witnesses but since that moment, she and Tobias spent a lot of time trying to coach Cassius on controlling his emotions and making sure not to go around displaying his magic so freely.

Nonetheless, much like his father, Eileen knew Cassius was a good boy and while it took him more coaxing to study and behave himself, he was utterly devoted to their little family and loved to follow his father wherever he went and hated disappointing him.

The only thing Eileen worried about both her kids sometimes was the amount of magic the two displayed around the house and rarely outside in the neighborhood. The two brothers inherited the infamous Snape tempers and whenever they were pushed or even giddy with all sorts of emotions they'd unleash a wave of magic that threatened to rock the house sometimes.

She tried the best she could to mentor them and did many exercises she read from both wizard and muggle reading books on child development for controlling emotions. While Tobias's mighty presence and her sharpness helped the kids to control themselves, Eileen knew that keeping them locked in the house all day to train wouldn't be healthy for them.

While Severus loved to stay at home, Eileen knew he needed to interact and see the world more while on the contrary she knew just to keep Cassius still for 5 minutes was a feat of its own.

It was times like these she counted her blessings growing up in the distant Prince Manor as she had all the space and privacy she needed. Her father, Thaddeus Prince, hired some of the finest tutors to help her study magical subjects before she entered Hogwarts.

In addition, her mother Catherine Prince, while a bit uptight, still made an effort to instill proper etiquette and values to help her navigate Wizarding society. Thinking back to her parents, she sighed as she felt her chest clench.

After all, it had been over eight years since she left the Wizarding World, and while she never regretted it a day since then, she still missed her parents and much of the wizarding society. She missed the gardens of Prince Manor she'd lose herself to, she missed the smells and sounds of Diagon Alley and during her pregnancies, she would have given almost anything for a taste of Fortesque's Ice Cream

She wondered what happened to her parents and many times she was tempted to write to them just to let them know she was alive and well. She had vaguely kept in touch with some of her wizard and witch friends but as time passed with her time with the kids, she found those letters become far and few in between.

Sitting back down and taking a sip of her coffee, Eileen pondered the idea of slowly returning to the wizarding world.

She knew for the boys alone, it'd do them well to start to get acquainted with the magical world. They were both just a few years away from their Hogwarts letter and she knew, the possibility of them being known as half-bloods would render them a target amongst some of the blood purists in their society.

It would help the children, especially Severus who loved to study anything and everything magical if they could be in an environment with other magical children. The question was how to go about it.

Just as Eileen was about to think of potential people she could tentatively approach, her thoughts were interrupted when the front door of their open, and loud six years Cassius boomed "Mum, we're home!"

She shook her head and smiled when she went to the hallway and saw Tobias and the boys drenched from their heads to their feet.

"Merlin you 3 are gonna catch a cold like that - come on, off with your jackets and shoes, and go upstairs to get ready for your baths!" she quickly ordered

Severus and Cassius groaned, but they both knew better when their mother gave an order with that voice.

Quickly throwing their jackets on the ground and taking the straps off their boots, the two flung them and ran up the stairs to their respective rooms before their mother could nag them some more

Sighing at the two, she walked over to the hallway and grabbed the flung boots, and walked up to Tobias who had just taken off his last boot to boot. He quickly stood to plant a kiss on her forehead but she quickly held up her hand and pointed upstairs

"Sorry but that includes you too," she said

Tobias, with his trademark grin, teasingly replied "Are yeh gonna help me with my bath too?"

Eileen flushed briefly and slapped her husband on the chest lightly

"Behave now, soldier…. it's near Christmas, and I shan't be having any naughty boys over in this house" she quipped back

Tobias snickered "As you command Mi'lady" and with a quick kiss on her forehead, he walked up the stairs to shower and change into something more comfortable.

With another shake of her head, Eileen bent down and began picking up her children's children's jackets to clean later and quickly cast the snow on the floor away.

Hanging Severus and Cassius's jackets, she went back to the kitchen and went to start dinner for the evening. Her thoughts thinking back to potential people she could reach out to in the wizarding world.

*END*

To 4thPeverell, PhoebeSmilee, Zalibhai, Drugged by reading, Zeugma412, Syellen Einzbern, dstone12, maxisaraviamgs, and every single member who followed/favorited this story - THANK YOU. You guys give me great inspiration to move this story forward and do the best I can.

If anybody has any ideas, comments, thoughts, or suggestions for the story - PLEASE leave a review and I'd be happy to follow up with each and every one of you.

While this chapter was a bit shorter, I promise its just a quick teaser for the next few chapters.

Until then, all the best!

E.M