Special Thanks to my Beta: Idefix
A Father's Legacy - Chapter 3: A FatedTrip
Seven-year-old Severus stood beside his mother in a strange alley, holding her hand.
He felt slightly nervous yet at the same time excited as he watched his mother lead his father and his brother to them.
There was an atmosphere of uncertainty that was blanketing the Snape family. While their surroundings hardly seemed magical, as his mother described, he knew she would never lie.
Instead, his grip on her hand tightened, and she returned a comforting squeeze. Severus wasn't the type to travel far nor go out, so as if by instinct, he felt reassured when he reached out.
It was a chilly February afternoon, and he was dressed in a dark black corduroy jumper with a dark jacket, his nicest trousers, and boots.
He took a look at his father and Cassius, who joined them and saw his father's dark pea-coat, which covered most of his body and only revealed his bright red tie while his brother, sported a red jumper of his own and an oversized dark coat.
Looking at Cassius, he saw that his little brother appeared even more excited and hyper than usual as they stood in front of the wall waiting. It wasn't a formal event per say, yet somehow Severus had a tugging feel they were going through something big soon.
Looking up at his mother again, he saw her wearing an elegant, albeit old set of dark and gold robes. He studied her expressions as she looked back and ensured everyone was there while winking at his father who had a puzzled expression as he couldn't see the wall in front of him.
With great curiosity, Severus watched closely as his mother moved, took her wand, and with a few taps to the wall, he suddenly saw the bricks in front of them magically move about to reveal an entrance.
Mesmerized, he wordlessly walked with his mother, who led them into some old tavern that reminded him of his old wizard's books.
At once his father's eyes widened beyond belief and, like Severus, led Cassius with him as they walked behind Severus and his mother.
They in turn were just as awed, and for the first time, Severus had no inclination to stay indoors. Instead, the pair of brothers followed their parents as a new world slowly opened up.
As they walked through the muddled tavern, his mind wandered back to what led them here, the memory forever imprinted in his mind.
*Line Break*
A few days ago, right after a yummy dinner of his mother's pot roast and cooked vegetables, his parents had asked Severus and Cassius to meet them in the living room.
The brothers, confused by the sudden request, wordlessly had gotten up and wandered their way in. They stood there waiting and noticed as their parents arrived that their mum was out of sorts as she focused on Cassius' appearance.
Her hands reached out, her fingers tapping on a random stain on his shirt.
"Now, where did you get this stain…." His mother mumbled quietly to herself, but Severus noticed the nervousness in her eyes and slightly shaky hands.
Her fingers tried to smooth out the wrinkles on Cassius' shirt, but after his father cleared his throat, Eileen gulped before motioning for the brothers to come closer.
She looked down with a loving yet concerned gaze that reflected a rare seriousness.
"We have important news for both of you."
The sound of her voice was soft as she knew the news would draw out emotions from them. After all, their family had only ever been within their neighborhood or occasionally the events held in town for their father's association.
With a deep sigh, Severus and Cassius stood with colored expressions as their mother explained that this weekend, they were all going to take a memorable family trip to London, and from there, they were going on their first outing to the Wizarding World on very important family business together.
"There is a possibility for more to happen than that," their mum offered, and she watched their expressions light up immediately.
Severus remembered the excitement feeling up his chest as her words left an impression. He didn't move, but his eyes were bright with interest as a knot formed in the pit of his stomach.
On the other hand, his brother eagerly bounced and let out a squeal until a look from his father told him to calm down.
"Cassius." A warning tone laced with a hint of affection.
Cassius settled instantly as he pressed his lips together. His father's warning temporarily dampened his energy in him.
Feeling a bit more assured now, their mum explained further that they were going to see Diagon Alley. A place that they only heard from their mother's stories.
Since it would be a new experience, they had to make sure to listen to their parents, and under no circumstance will they ever dare to make an effort to go on their own - the latter statement directed to Cassius.
He shyly grinned under their concerned gaze. The worry was well-founded, but Severus was more interested in the trip and the newfound knowledge he could obtain.
*END BREAK*
Shaking his thoughts, the memories from a few days ago melted away as reality slammed against him as he walked through the tavern and saw dishes stack themselves. His eyes slightly widened as he noticed men and women dressed in clothes that looked like they were from a Halloween party.
The atmosphere and energy around them caused a feeling to course through his senses. He had so many questions and glanced at his mum. He quietly waited for her to explain to them.
He heard his mother tell his father cheerily, "Welcome to the Leaky Cauldron, love, the cornerstone tavern of the wizarding world," who only responded with a mute and dazed look.
While Severus had grown up with such knowledge, he wondered how his father felt. A passing thought before he glanced at his brother who could only breathe a dazzled "wow".
Severus set the moment of wonder aside as they walked through the small crowd of patrons. They smelled of food and even some smoke that wafted around inside the tavern.
As they finally got to the front door Severus's mother stopped and, with a cheerful smile, looked at Severus, his father, and Cassius with years of excitement.
"Alright, loves, just remember, stick with me, and we'll be able to get through here quite easily. We might visit some shops if we have time after our appointment, but I can't promise them all, okay?"
Severus's father mutely nodded, and Cassius was almost ready to explode and burst through the door had he not been held in his father's firm grip.
Severus merely held his mum's hand tighter but not out of fear. It was his excitement inside him, so Eileen smiled broadly before leading them to a place she had long missed.
As soon as they stepped through the door, Severus's eyes widened, and they saw the sight of Diagon Alley.
Everything seemed old but new all at once. He inspected every nook and cranny as they walked down the path, with other odd-looking people walking by them, clad dressed in all sorts of pointed hats, gowns, and robes of every color he could think of.
There were shops and shops around that seemed never-ending, and every he looked, he saw everybody around them dress similarly in robes and hats, making his father uncomfortable.
If his father had any complaints, he sure didn't show them and instead walked firmly next to their mother as he silently took in all the sites, shops, and strange scenes.
They strolled, and along the way, he saw loads of owls perched in their cages, sparks, and flashes appear as a group of children his age stared in awe at some broom put on in a nearby shop display with what appeared to be metal fixings on the back.
Severus found that odd, but he figured they knew more about a mere broom than he did.
He heard his brother Cassius eagerly ask his father if he saw the same thing repeatedly, and Severus chuckled as his father dumbly nodded to everything Cassius was saying as he took in the entire sight and everything around them.
The tension and nervousness around his father had melted by Cassius' bright-eyed wonder.
After a few more minutes of walking, they reached their destination. Halting in front of a brightly colored shop, Severus looked up at the sign with large letters that read "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions".
His mother motioned for his father and, by extension, Cassius to go inside first. As soon as they all went in, Cassius groaned.
"We came all the way here just to buy clothes?!"
At that quip, Severus's father immediately was shaken out of his stupor from earlier and let out an amused snort while his mother rolled her eyes and immediately looked down at Cassius with a light, stern gaze and addressed him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Now listen here, Elvis," calling the nickname his mum liked to call Cassius when she tried to get his attention.
"We are going to buy some magical and proper robes for everyone, and IF you behave yourself and don't make a fuss… I'll see if we can have some time for some wizarding ice cream."
Just as Cassius became subdued with mischievous and excited eyes, Severus spotted a stout yet short woman in purple robes with a measuring tape in her hand approaching them.
"So how may I help you today?" she asked curiously at the group.
His mother came forward and replied, with a very proper tone, "Yes, thank you - I was wondering if you can help my husband and my two boys get fitted for a set of dress robes."
She immediately summoned a clipboard and adjusting her glasses she asked, "Who shall be the first one?"
Taking a deep breath, Severus shyly stepped forward and offered to go first.
"Ah, I'm sure we can find something for the dashing young man here," she teased to loosen the tension.
She motioned for Severus to come over and took him in front of a large mirror. Severus watched through his reflection as Madam Malkins measured his sizes briefly, and with a snap of her fingers, a pair of dark robes flew from a shelf.
She began reading his measurements out loud and shaped them to match him.
She pointed to Severus and said, "Now, dearie - take this robe and go in that little stall to try it on - give a holla if you need anything, alright?"
Severus wordlessly took the robes and stepped into the booth, where just a moment later, he appeared back.
He saw his mother's excited expression, Cassius' awe, and his father staring at him with his eyebrows raised and a smirk curling at the corners of his mouth.
He walked back to the mirror and stared at the image before him. His long dark hair was disheveled, as it rested at the edges of his collar at the back. It was black with gold-colored embroidery striped over him. He had a collar around him, and for a moment Severus felt like a child version of Count Dracula.
Nonetheless, he felt less gloomy than before, and somehow the clothes just felt right on him. He tugged at his sleeves, and with a flushed face, walked back to his mother.
She adoringly cooed over how handsome Severus looked in his first set of dress robes, while his father ruffled his hair.
"Oh, my little Prince, you look so dashing and regal!" his mum squealed.
With a flushed face, he turned back, as Madame Malkins began to ask who's next. She looked between Cassius and his father, the glint in her eyes already sizing them up in her mind.
At that question, Severus saw his mighty and unshakeable father shyly fidget uncomfortably as he stared at the floor and shifted his weight from foot to foot.
His mum was about to instruct her next son to go next, but Cassius beat her first. He excitedly bolted from his father's loose exclaiming "Me next! Me next!" as he almost bounced around Madame Malkins.
"Fiery one, aren't you?" she replied amused.
She acted fast and without wasting a second, she whipped her wand and with some chants again, the robes fluttered around Cassius and fitted him perfectly. He didn't need to enter the booth since he was far too energetic to be contained.
He looked at his mother dazzled with a glint that seemed to shine in his hazelnut eyes. His robes, dressed in slightly red embroidery flowing naturally
"My, my Elvis" Eileen gushed and teased "The witches in Hogwarts will be after you in no time!" she cooed at Cassius, who indigently cringed with a slight blush.
"Fits them perfectly." Madam Malkins proudly spoke as she looked between Cassius and Severus, pleased with the clothes.
Their mum nodded before she glanced at her husband, a little expectation fluttering inside her.
"What do you think?"
Tobias sighed but looked at his family and with a shy smile, nodded.
Severus, starting to catch on, watched as his mother cleared her throat and placed a gentle hand on his father's shoulder with a slight squeeze.
"Shouldn't you try some on too?" she requested with a slight tease fluttering her eyebrows.
"Please, for me?"
Tobias sighed and shook his head as he knew there was no way he could turn down that look. Walking up slowly, he looked at Madame Malkins expectedly who by then had measured and quickly summoned a much larger set of darker robes.
He slowly walked to one of the booths and after a few minutes and adjustments, everyone waited for Tobias to come. As soon as he stepped out, his entire family let out a series of "woahs" while Eileen gasped, and Severus's eyes widened.
There, he saw his father standing tall with jet black robes adorned with silver-colored embroidery. His red tie matching his tight white dress shirt as if he were an important minister.
With a slightly excited gleam, Eileen walked up with a smile that Tobias enjoyed seeing any chance he got.
"The robes do make the man, Lord Snape." Eileen giggled softly as her hands smoothed over his robes.
Tobias, flushed, gently cleared his throat as he nodded his head back to the crowd behind them. His mum, realized where they were and looked back again at Madam Malkins.
"We'll take everything; you've outdone yourself again."
Madame Malkins let out an amused laugh and gently clasped her hands together adoringly.
"Hardly. Your handsome gentlemen accompanying you proved to be well suited with our robes. I hope to see you again in the future."
She then pointed to a young witch who was standing by a register of sorts. "My assistant over here will handle the payment."
After minutes of conversation and exchange, the clothes were paid for, and soon the Snape family was back out in the streets of Diagon Alley wearing them. Blending in with the many wizards and witches around them, as the discomfort felt earlier was a previous memory.
Severus, getting used to walking in robes, looked over to his mother as she casted a charm which sounded like 'Tempus' as she remembered she could pick up some ingredients she needed for potion-making.
Making their way to the corner section of an apothecary, Eileen walked over to a shop that was just across the broom store they passed earlier.
Eileen pointed toward the shop's direction before explaining "I need to buy some ingredients for my potions in here". She then gestured to the broom shop where the children were around earlier.
"Why don't you take Cassius near the store with the new broom display by the storefront. I heard it's the newest model. It'll only take half an hour at best and afterward we can take these two to Fortescue's Ice Cream near the second-hand book shop."
Not understanding the excitement of a mere broom, Tobias agreed nonetheless and gestured to Cassius who was almost ready to bolt had it not been for his father's iron-like grip.
"Take your time," Tobias told her as he pressed a kiss on her forehead before he looked down at Severus.
"Watch over your mum for us, alright lad?"
Severus nodded and held his mother's hand as he watched his brother and father walk away. Soon he turned his attention back toward his mother as she led him down into the dark store.
Once they had reached inside Severus again felt a surge of sensation as he saw potions of all types bottled, all sorts of strange ingredients in jars, and cauldrons stacked everywhere. He excitedly looked around and tried to see if he could match some of the ingredients he knew whenever he helped her mother brew.
As they walked around pursuing and Eileen gathering some ingredients, Severus saw an older man was watching them closely. He was a short man with all sorts of frizzled hair yet dressed impeccably in colorful robes and a brightly shaped bowtie adorning him.
He felt unnerved by the attention and tugged at his mother's hand, who looked at him with confusion.
His mouth was about to open and tell her someone was watching, but right away the man approached them before he could talk.
"Merlin's Beard… Eileen Prince… is that you?" he asked her slowly as if trying to affirm it really was her.
His nervousness changed to excitement as her mother acknowledged him with wide and surprised eyes.
"By Morgana; I heard you haven't been seen in years!"
"Professor Slughorn…" she began quietly yet nervously.
"It's a pleasure seeing you here again after so long" she replied, nodding her head with respect as her hands were full.
"This is my eldest son Severus," she gestured back to Severus who only stared at the man making his mother nervous, his thoughts wondering more about his mother's past.
"My other one is with his father right now…" she added softly.
He nodded politely but kept to himself; the behavior caught Slughorn's attention as he raised a brow.
"My word a pair of boys" The man repeated as he mumbled to himself.
"I bet they'll have a talent for potions like you…" looking straight at Severus, who only let out a shy smile and nodded.
Soon, the two engaged in some small conversation, with some news slipped between their words. Not really comprehending the words or subject they were speaking, he let his mum continue until she checked the time and told him that the rest of her family was waiting for her.
With a small smile, Slughorn gave her one last look to her and then back to Severus again.
"Don't be a stranger, Eileen. You've always been a talent I've wanted to see blossom and I can't wait to see what this little Prince has in store for us soon," he exclaimed as Severus was shocked by the choice of a nickname he gave him.
Before Severus could ask, his mother hurriedly paid for their supplies and the two left the potions store. They walked back to his father and Cassius who by then had noticed the two come out of the store and led Cassius away from the store, excitement etched on his face.
He noticed, walking back, the complicated expression on his mother's face and while he didn't question her, he offered her a few squeezes from his hand.
As soon as they met up, Eileen softened immediately and knew she had to directly tell her children the truth behind their trip.
She knew her sons needed the best education and as soon as the family met up again, she ushered them towards the ice cream shop nearby, where Cassius began eagerly telling him about a boy about their age he met named Reggie.
He was about to continue his story, but soon much like before, the boys stopped as they saw another brightly painted store with broad colors and a cozy atmosphere inside.
Soon whatever thoughts Severus had about Professor Slughorn and Cassius did about Reggie vanished in both of their heads and their mouths began to water when they stared at all the tasty-looking colors of ice cream and chocolate around them.
With a slight chuckle, Tobias led the boys to a nearby table while Eileen ordered a tray of sundaes and joined them.
The store owner soon arrived and with generous portions, he placed the sundaes around them and within seconds the boys all dug in, the two of them in complete awe at the perfect flavor of the ice cream.
Seconds turned into minutes, and Eileen and Tobias remained rooted in their seat before she felt her husband's gentle hand on her thigh.
"Go ahead," he prompted softly—a reminder that it was now or never.
"Children?" She gathered their attention as they looked up at her with bright eyes with chocolate and vanilla stains painted on their face. They were expecting another trip to another store soon, but that wasn't the case.
With a slightly amused shake of her head, Eileen made sure to remember to wipe their faces before she brought out a neatly small stack of letters she had tucked away between her and her mother.
"We brought you here because we plan to meet your grandparents soon and we wanted you two to be ready when it happens."
Eileen paused before she explained further. "My parents, Lord Thaddeus and Lady Catherine Prince."
Soon the table became silenced as the boys never even knew they had family outside of their own. Wiping his face with a nearby napkin, Severus only sat silently as he began to listen to his mother began to explain the story of her life.
Well after a LONG hiatus from life - here is an update, I'm SO genuinely shocked and surprised to see the number of followers and favs on here, thus to all the newcomers and followers PLEASE don't hesitate to post a review or message me for ideas and THANK YOU for your support
To 4thPeverell, PhoebeSmilee, Zalibhai, Drugged by reading, Zeugma412, Syellen Einzbern, dstone12, maxisaraviamgs, not written, JSB1, Juxshoa, Madvulcunus, Rebecca Roy, Magic Roy and every single member who followed/favorited this story - thanks again for all your dedicated kindness and motivation. Your reviews inspired me to continue this project despite everything
I hope to post more chapters very soon - Until then, all the best!
E.M