My Parent's Mistake
Chapter 4
On Sunday evening, Ginny was preparing a roast dinner for the family and their guest. Harry was in the living room with Sirius, ten and Lily, four while Aubrey was upstairs in her newly decorated room reading.
Sunday roasts in the Potter Household were a regular occurrence; every Sunday, Hermione and Aubrey came along and joined the family. Hermione and Aubrey always looked forward to spending Sundays with the Potters, Aubrey loved playing with Sirius and Lily or gossiping with Hermione and Ginny but today as the day went on she just seemed to miss her mum more. She didn't want to play with the children or speak with Ginny because one thing was missing and that was Hermione.
At 6:30pm, the doorbell sounded through the house, Aubrey knew a guest was joining them but she didn't know who, Uncle Harry and Auntie Ginny hadn't said. When the doorbell went off she was sat on the sofa reading to Lily. Ginny was still cooking and Harry had popped out to grab some wine for Ginny.
'Aubrey, can you get the door sweetheart?' Ginny said from the kitchen.
'Okay.' She replied as she stood up and walked towards the front door.
Aubrey unlocked the door and opened the door to find a tall dark figure facing away from her. He turned around slowly and as soon as she saw his face she gasped. It was her father, he was coming to dinner.
'Good evening Aubrey.' He said softly not wanting to scare the poor girl.
'Good evening Professor.' She said as she opened the door fully to him. 'Come in.' she said.
'Thank you.' He said as he stepped into Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
'Hello Severus.' Ginny said as she poked her head around the kitchen door. 'Oh you brought wine, fabulous I've just sent Harry out for some. Aubrey can you get Lily and Sirius washed for dinner for me please?'
'Sure Aunt Ginny.' She said as she walked away from Severus and into the living room.
'Come on into the kitchen Severus.' Ginny said smiling.
Severus followed the red haired witch into the large kitchen/dining room and saw all the pots cooking away on the stove. It smelt wonderful there was no denying but his stomach was in knots and the thought of food right now was making him feel slightly sick.
'You look worried.' Ginny observed.
'I'm fine.' He replied. 'Shall I open the wine?'
'Please.' She said motioning to the cupboard where the glasses were.
Harry walked into the kitchen five minutes later with Aubrey and the children to find dinner being served and his former Professor pouring wine and drinks for the children. Aubrey got Sirius and Lily seated at the table and then sat down in her usual place. Severus sat opposite Aubrey, in the space Hermione usually occupied. Her heart wrenched at the thought and she tried not to show anyone that she was trying not to cry.
Ginny put the plates in front of everyone and told them to tuck in. The kids began to eat as did their parents. Both Aubrey and Severus picked at their food.
'How's school?' Ginny asked.
'Still full of Dunheards. Things have only gotten worst since Longbottom.' He replied.
'Neville?' Aubrey said.
'Yes, Longbottom was in your mother's and Uncle's class. He blew up a caldron every lesson. Your mother would try and help him every lesson.' He replied looking at her.
'Neville's a healer now, did you know that?' Ginny said.
'A Healer? God help us all then.' He replied as he took a gulp of the red wine.
'He fixed my broken arm when I was eight.' Aubrey replied.
'Well then maybe he's finally found something he's good at.' Severus said.
'Aubrey would like to go into Healing.' Harry said.
'No Uncle Harry that was when I was five.' She replied smiling.
'What do you wish to do now?' Severus asked.
'I want to get a degree in Potions and Charms.' She replied as she bit into a potato.
'Exactly like your mother wanted to do.' He said.
'She did do it.' Aubrey said. 'She graduated University when I was five. She worked for an independent company working on potions till...'
'She was very successful in her job.' Ginny concluded.
She looked towards Aubrey, she could tell she was becoming upset and having Severus here and in front of her was making her worst. She had hardly touched her food and Severus was the same.
The meal silently came to an end. The kids had finished off their meals and had run off upstairs to play. After Harry finished clearing away he started the children's bedtime routines while Ginny, Aubrey and Severus sat in the living room. Harry thought Ginny would be the best one of them to break the tension between Aubrey and Severus.
In the living room, Severus sat in the arm chair at the side of the room while Aubrey and Ginny sat on the two seat seater sofa. The room was silent except for the sound of the fire. Ginny looked between Severus and Aubrey and tried to think of a way to word something to break the tension and get them to speak. Ginny needed another glass of wine and went to get some asking if anyone wanted more which they didn't. As Ginny walked out the living room Aubrey spoke up.
'You know don't you?' She said addressing Severus.
'That you're my daughter? Yes I do.' He replied. 'I realised at the Funeral, the picture of you as a baby with your mother, you have my eyes, I knew then but it was affirmed with a letter from your mother which I received last night. She charmed it to come to me if you found out.'
'She left me a letter too.' She said looking at her hands. 'I wish she would have told me when she was...here.'
'She had her reasons not to.' Severus said as he looked at Aubrey. 'When I left your mother, I didn't know she was pregnant if she was I would have stayed.'
'Why did you leave? She never said why you did.' Aubrey asked looking at him.
'After the War, I was trialled for my crimes as a...' he paused.
'Death Eater?' Aubrey said
'Yes. I was cleared at the end of May because of Albus Dumbledore and your Uncle's memories from my time in the Order.' He said. 'After I was cleared I wanted to get away, wanted nothing to do with Hogwarts, away from everyone including your mother. I didn't want her name being dragged through the mud because of me, I wanted to protect her and the only way I could was to let her go.'
'And me.' She said.
Severus nodded. 'I wish she would have told me before I had left.'
'Would you have stayed?' she asked.
'Of course I would have. I would have supported your mother no end. I would have been the father you wanted.' He said.
'And now?' She asked nervous of his answer.
In the kitchen, Ginny was stood in the doorway listening to Severus and Aubrey talking. She stood hovering listening as Severus spoke with such emotion about his time in the War and why he left. She admired the man, she truly did. Harry soon joined her once the children were asleep and the two of them stood and listened as father and daughter talked.
'Do you think he'll stay around?' Harry whispered.
'I think so.' She replied. 'I hope so, for her sake anyway.'
'I don't want him to take her away.' Harry said.
'We can't stop him Harry. Later on when they become more comfortable with each other she may want to stay with him and we will have to support her.' Ginny said as she kissed Harry's cheek comforting him. 'She's strong, she's like...'
'Hermione, I know.' Harry said as he pulled Ginny to him and hung onto her.
'Now, I'd like to get to know you, my daughter. I'd like to be part of your life, be the father I should have, if you'd let me?' He asked.
'I would like that.' She said softly. 'I'd like to get to know you and maybe about when you were with my mother.'
Severus simply nodded. 'In time I will be able to tell you more, just not now.' He replied.
'I understand.' Aubrey said.
'You are more than welcome to come and spend some time with me at Hogwarts. You can help me brew if you wish. Potter said you are good at Potions and I've read your old school reports, all your teachers praise your potions work.' He said.
'You read them?' she asked.
'I did. As Deputy Headmaster I am able to get hold of records. Yours are at Hogwarts for your transfer.' He said.
'But I haven't even decided whether or not to go to Hogwarts or back to France.' She replied.
'I'd rather you stayed here as do your Godparents.' He said. 'but we will stand by you if you wish to go back to France.'
'I don't want to go back to France. I would like to be here but I've been out of the school system for so long it will be weird to go back.' She said.
'Hogwarts is a good school. You'll be fine there and I'll be there if you needed anything.' He said.
'Can I come and look around Hogwarts?' She asked.
'You can. School finishes at the end of June, you can either come while classes are in session, you could take part in my class or just observe for the day or come when school is out.' He said.
'Can I come and observe your class?' she asked.
'That's fine. You can come whenever you like, just let me know beforehand.' He said.
'Tomorrow?' she asked which surprised Severus.
'Tomorrow would be fine.' He said. 'You can floo over to my rooms and join my classes.'
'What was that?' Ginny said as she walked in with Harry.
'I'm going to Hogwarts tomorrow to observe pro...Sev...to obverse potions classes.' She said not knowing what to call her father.
'That sounds good.' Harry said as he sat down next to his wife on the other sofa.
'Well, I best be off. I have to prepare for my lessons for tomorrow.' Severus said as he stood up.
'Oh of course.' Ginny said as she stood up with Harry. 'Thank you for coming Severus.'
'Thank you for a lovely dinner.' Severus said. 'I will bring Aubrey home tomorrow after classes.'
'Okay.' Harry said as he shook Severus's hand.
'I'll walk you out.' Aubrey said.
Aubrey walked Severus to the front door and opened the door for him.
'Thank you for coming.' She said.
'I will see you tomorrow Aubrey, 9am.' He said.
'Yes sir.' She said.
'You can call me Severus for now.' He said. 'I know it's going to be a bit uncomfortable at the beginning until we know each other better.
'Okay.' She replied.
'Tomorrow 9am.' He said as he silently apperated away.
AU: There you have it. Severus and Aubrey's first proper meeting. They finally got to speak! More to come. Please Review! x