Harry looks around Diagon Alley with wonder and amazement. It wasn't so much because this was this life's "first" time being here, but that the last time he was physically here almost everything had been destroyed. He looks to Lyka, seeing her equally green eyes look around with that same wonder. And just knowing deep within himself that she is having similar thoughts to him.
"All right, so what do you kids want to do first? James you wanted to look at quidditch equipment. Lyka wants to go to Flourish and Blotts. And Harry?" Euphemia's kind voice snaps Harry out of his mental wanderings.
"I'd like to go with James. And if possible...I'd like to see about getting a new broom for school." Harry glances down to his shoes, feeling embarrassed over something he hadn't fully experienced. All he knew is that he had a memory of crashing while flying earlier that summer and breaking his broom. Euphemia had been enraged. Not because the broom had broke, but because James had allowed Harry to fly so recklessly.
Euphemia smiles gently at Harry and tilts his head up to look her in the eye, "Of course, my darling Harry. So Fleamont, do you want to take Lyka to get her books? Or would you prefer to take James and Harry?"
"I'll take Lyka. I've been meaning to track down a copy of a book that one of the neighbors recommended." Fleamont offered Lyka his hand and with a wave the two went in the opposite direction.
"All right then boys. Off to the broom and quidditch shops! And what do you say about getting fitted for your school robes after?" This had the boys nodding excitedly as they got to do the fun things first.
Once inside Flourish and Blotts, Lyka separated from her father. He was dutifully grabbing all of her school books while she went off in search of more entertaining reading. She found herself feeling a bit shocked at the lack of patronage that fine morning. Who wouldn't want to be inside a bookstore looking for books? Well maybe only for a delicious dish of mint ice cream.
She mentally took note of someone sneezing a shelf away as she looked through the shelves. And there! The next novel in a series about a pirating siren sailing the seas was out. The only problem was its shelf location. "Bloody hells...why'd I have to be born such a shortcake?" Immediately Lyka began jumping to attempt to reach the book. Then she tried standing on one of the lower shelves in an attempt.
"I hate being so damn short." Lyka looks around herself. Making fully sure there was no one within sight of her before she began humming a gentle tune. The book slowly began to move towards the edge of the shelf. Mentally Lyka was thrilled but kept up her humming. By Lady Magic she was going to get that book even if it meant getting grounded.
"Excuse me...but how exactly are you manipulating magic to do that?" A voice drawled from her right.
Lyka jumps; completely forgetting about the book and just barely catching it as it falls. "Uhhh..." She glances up through her silvery bangs to meet piercing black eyes. 'Oh bloody hells. Of course I'd meet you in a moment like this,' she thought to herself. She straightens up, clutching the book to her chest and stared down one Severus Snape. "Would you believe me if I said I have no idea what you're talking about?" Lyka gave him one of her sweetest smiles, the one that always got her out of trouble with her parents.
Severus smiles slightly at her; oh boy was she going to tell Harry about that smile later. "Absolutely not. So how did you do it? Seeing as aurors aren't popping up, it's obviously not traceable."
Lyka sighs, knowing that she'll have to reveal herself a bit sooner to others that her parents would like. 'Wow I bet Harry is having a fit knowing I've assimilated to this new life so soon.' She holds up a finger to him before running to the end of the shelf to check that Fleamont is still chatting with the clerk. Upon seeing that he was, she grabs Severus' sleeve and drags him to the one reading nook in the whole store. She motions for him to sit; when he does, she whistles a tune that she uses for a silencing and cloaking charm. Very useful when one wants to get away with things. Or if you don't want your pesky brothers finding you when you're reading.
"And what was that?" Severus' eyes widen as another family walks into the store and doesn't pay attention to them at all. "Did you just cloak us?"
Lyka sits down in the armchair opposite of him, feeling a bit drained. She had forgotten how little she could do as an eleven year old versus a sixteen year old. "Well yes. I did indeed cloak. And made it so no one can hear this conversation. But how about introductions first? Since you know...about to divulge grand secrets here." She stares quite pointedly at him.
"Ah...I suppose that would be quite fair. I'm Severus Snape. And I'm going to assume that man at the counter you keep glancing at is your father?" Severus looks over at the friendly but older man. Then he looks over to the stack of first year textbooks. "Are you going to be coming to Hogwarts this year?"
Lyka looks over to her father again. Mostly she was just double-checking that he wasn't looking for her yet. "Oh." She looks at Severus again, pretending to be shocked at his identity but being genuinely embarrassed. "Well this is about to get awkward. Lyka Potter." She grimaces as his nostrils flare. Oh he was definitely beginning to realize. And there he goes, looking her over attempting to find the physical similarities to James. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry my older brother is such a git. And just to let you know, he might have lost a few brain cells over the summer. I might have hit him several times with thick books when he's told me about some of the pranks he's pulled on you." She dusts off her dress for something to do while Severus looks her over.
"You're actually related to that moron?" His nostrils were still flared in rage, but at least he was still talking. "It's a bit hard to believe. Seeing as you have white hair. And an interest in books."
"Well...yeah. Never been one for doing reckless things. Or tormenting people." She swallows. Gods this was worse than that terrible first potions lesson with the adult Severus. "But the hair goes in with what you were asking about earlier." With that he nods and waves for her to continue. Bloody hells he already has that mannerism. "Ya see...the thing is that I'm a siren. And before you go looking for a tail, I don't have one. Although no one really knows if I'll get one once I get my full inheritance." She shrugs as he tilts his head in curiosity. "Most of the texts written by actual sirens have all either disappeared or been destroyed. And since I'm the first to pop up in a few centuries I'm supposed to keep it quiet while my parents figure things out."
"So then you can use sound and melodies to control the threads of magic?" Severus was finding himself to be genuinely curios about this Potter girl. And it helps that she at least knew how to be civil.
Lyka nods, feeling more and more drained. "Yes. That's the gist of it. Although right now it tires me out when I do too much. Which speaking of, I'm going to have to drop this soon." She waves her hand around the general area. She watches as Severus looks her over, internally snorts when he realizes just how tired she's become during their conversation.
"Then drop it."
And so she does with a barely there hum. Of course though right as she drops the shield is when her mum walks in with James and Harry. "Oh bloody hells." She mutters as Severus tenses up at the sight of James. James himself was beginning to look like a peacock fluffing itself up. Harry on the other hand looked like he didn't know what to do. "James just sod off. I'm too tired to deal with your peacock attitude."
Euphemia noticed that. "Lykainion Rosetta Potter!" Lyka sighs as her mother came over to them. "You know better than to talk to your brother that way." Euphemia then notices the tension between James and Severus. "But...what exactly is going on here?" Ah yes, that sweet tone that meant hell was about to be paid. Lyka made sure every time her mother used it to memorize the exact way she said things. It was beautiful how her mother could seem so kind and yet so terrifying. She aspired to be that way later in this life.
James immediately froze in his advance, the vicious words he was about to say to Severus dying on his lips. "Uhhh...nothing mum. Was just going to greet my schoolmate here. See what he and Lyka were talking about. Possibly threaten him a little like a good big brother. You know? Since Lyka's pretty as a doll and what not." Lyka snorts at that. Of course his excuse would be that he needed to protect Lyka from all the big bad boys out there.
Euphemia rolls her eyes, clearly not believing her eldest. She turns her attention to the young boy that Lyka was speaking with, "And I don't believe we've been introduced yet. I'm Euphemia Potter, Lyka and James's mother. And the young boy with the green eyes is Lyka's twin brother Harry." She offers Severus her hand to shake. "Might I ask how it is you and Lyka found yourselves chatting it up like old friends?" And there was the billion watt smile Euphemia always had when she liked the energy of someone. Lyka squints her eyes at it. Apparently her mother saw something in Severus. That was when Euphemia wiggled her eyebrows at Lyka.
'Oh boy.' Lyka rolls her eyes back at her.
"My name is Severus. And I overheard her complaining about her height, loudly. So I went over to see what was going on and saw her jumping attempting to grab that book she's holding now. And I offered to assist her. Seeing as how I'm at least a head taller than her." Severus lies to Euphemia so smoothly that Lyka is actually impressed.
"Is that so? Well that was very kind of you, Severus." Euphemia makes of show of thinking about something. All three Potter children look at her suspiciously. "You know...we were just about to grab James' friends and go to Florean Fortescue's. How about you join us Severus? My treat as thanks for helping my precious Lyka."
Severus looks flabbergasted. "I wouldn't want to impo-"
"Oh come now! It wouldn't be imposing at all. Then you can join us at Madame Malkin's for robe fittings!" Euphemia claps her hands excitedly. Fleamont chooses that moment to finally wander over to his family.
"What's happening, my love?" Fleamont glances between his wife, his children, and the unknown young boy sitting opposite his daughter. Then he notices the book in Lyka's lap, "Found a book? Here I'll take it up front in a moment and pay for all your things, dear. Oh I also already grabbed Harry's and James's books."
Euphemia smiles brightly at her husband, "This kind young man helped Lyka get that book down a bit ago. Then they ended up having a bit of a chat, so I offered to have him join us for ice cream and robe fittings. Isn't that right, Severus?"
Severus just nods, fully realizing at this point that he wasn't going to be getting out of this.
As Euphemia and Fleamont attend to the task of purchasing their children's textbooks. Lyka notices them turning away a well used set of second year textbooks and purchasing a second set of brand new copies of the same books. 'How interesting...apparently mother really approves of Severus. James is going to love that.'
Harry looks at Lyka raising his eyebrows as he noticed the same. She shrugs at him, not fully understanding this particular change quite obviously caused by them being here at this point. Lyka stands slowly, still feeling that exhaustion that comes with her overusing her magic, and offers a hand to Severus. He looks at her with confused black orbs. "Trust me. She's not going to let you out of this. Apparently she's taken a liking to you. And don't be surprised if your textbooks look...newer than you picked out."
James whips his head towards Lyka, "Mother liking Snivellous? Are you kidding me, Lyka? And...wait...did Mother just buy him textbooks?" James stares in disbelief towards their parents.
Severus glares at James about to open his mouth when Harry beats him to it. "James don't be a jerk. Mum obviously sees something in Severus. Plus we've got more than enough money to spare. And I wouldn't doubt it if she plans on buying him new robes as well." Severus blushes at this.
"I'm not some bloody charity case." His lips pull back in a sneer, but his face slackens into shock as Lyka threads her arm through his and gently pats it.
"Trust me. She tries to spoil James' friends as well. They usually try to refuse it, but she ends up pulling out crocodile tears so they accept her gifts." Lyka shrugs her shoulders slightly while leading him to the door. "I'm pretty sure she wants more children in general. But has to put up with just having a git, a green-eyed sweetheart, and a pain in the side siren."
James stops for a moment, staring at Lyka in shock. "You told him?!"
Lyka sticks her tongue out at him, "He caught me in the act you insufferable git. Now...for the thing I've been waiting for all day! Ice cream!" Lyka began skipping towards Fortescue's, dragging Severus the entire way. As James just watches, wondering if the end times had come.