Disclaimer: I don't own anything! It all belongs to J.K. Rowling!
Ginny smiled at the memory, feeling slightly better than before. She wished she had known Snape when he was her age, though she imagined he must have been a bit of a troubled child, judging by how he behaved around others. She noticed he was always reserved and closed off at best and downright nasty at worst. She counted herself lucky she had never been one to incur his wrath, even when she was trying to cause trouble. Ever since her first year she had noticed how much more patient he was with her than others. Ginny was well aware that it was simply due to her being possessed by You-Know-Who. But she had learned to see through peoples' social façade and to the real person underneath. She could always tell when someone had been through something traumatic in their life that they tried to cover up.
But from what she could see from Snape, it was as if his whole life had been traumatic. But she didn't feel sorry for him, or sympathetic, she just... understood, and accepted that that was how he was. She had seen people cope in different ways, and understood that everybody needed to find their own way to come to terms with what had happened to them in order to move forward with their lives. But she felt that Snape hadn't moved forward yet, and that he was still stuck to some past events that he carried with him even to this day.
Sometimes she envied Harry's ability to just keep going and not be haunted by the past like she was, but other times, when she overheard her parents talk about him, amazed at how well he handled everything despite all that he had been through. And they wondered if he could lend some of his resilience to Ginny. Ginny couldn't quite describe how this made her feel, it was a sort of sad and angry feeling, like she was not coping well enough to their standards or liking. She knew it made them uncomfortable to think of what happened, but it had happened to her not them. They couldn't seem to see that she was coping the best way possible for her. She huffed loudly and dispelled those thoughts, it didn't help her any to dwell on what she could not change. She decided to get a head on her homework, so she pulled out her potions book and pieces of parchment paper. She leafed through the book trying to gauge based on the difficulty level, the way that the curriculum had been heading so far and the way Snape usually did things, what he would assign next for homework.
Hermione let Sirius drag her along to the left of where they had come in. She was still perplexed about what had just happened and a little scared. But he seemed so fine and normal, she couldn't bring herself to dampen his spirits. He walked a good distance and then stopped in the middle of a large field, there were bushes and small trees and sticks laying all around in various sizes. Hermione looked questioningly to Sirius, who gave her a big happy grin full of that childish mischief and excitement that she always saw in old pictures of him. Her eyes narrowed, what was he up to? Sirius looked around for a moment and then dragged Hermione with him as he almost bounced over to something random.
She stumbled a little as he bent over to get something off the ground. When he stood up, he was holding a stick with a look that was all dog. She burst out laughing, he bounced a little as he threw the stick and turned to her in anticipation. Still giggling, she looked at him a little confused for a moment, before it dawned on her. He wanted her to play fetch. She blinked a few times in utter shock. He huffed in slight annoyance at her hesitation. So he changed into a dog and ran to get the stick. He disappeared from sight for a second, then reappeared. He was running towards her at top speed, stick in mouth. Hermione smiled at first, but when he didn't show any sign of slowing down, she began to get nervous. He was approaching fast, so she shrank back in fear that he would hit her. Sirius began woofing at her through the stick in his mouth, running in circles around her. She tried to resist, telling him no, but it was no use he just kept woofing over her words. He began nudging her with his cold wet nose. She finally conceded, seeing how resistance was futile.
Hermione turned into a dog, and tried to grab the stick from Sirius's mouth, but he was too fast and darted away from her. Hermione growled and
barked at him, trying to admonish him as a dog. But it fell on deaf ears. Sirius continued to goad her by coming near enough to make her try to get the stick from her, but would jump back out of reach when she went for it. She let out an annoyed huff-bark at his antics, tired of letting him get the best of her. It was not in her nature to allow such things to happen to her. Finally she waited until he got close again and then lunged for the stick with all her strength and speed. Her mouth closed around the very tip of it as she flew by him. The little chunk came away with her when she went. She tripped and rolled head first, landing flat on her back with a loud SLAP. She stayed there, not moving for a minute. Sirius trotted over, concerned about her. She laid there unmoving. He whined and nudged her with his nose. But still, no response. He changed into a human and dropped the stick. Faster than he could react, Hermione snatched up the stick and took off running.
Sirius stood there for a beat, just admiring her sneakiness. "You clever little bird!" He said aloud as she ran back to him, bumping into him with her nose and head butting his legs in a playful fashion. He laughed aloud and changed back into a dog. He chased her all around the field, snagging part of the stick and playing tug-of-war with her. She was much smaller than him in size but refused to let that hinder her winning. He dragged her around by the stick but she refused to let go. The stick finally broke, unable to withstand the battle of wills that was taking place. Once the stick broke, Hermione turned into a human and ran off with the remnants still in her mouth. Sirius turned human as well, chasing after her. He nearly caught her a few times, only to have her slip away just before he could get her.
He finally chased her around a tree three times before she let him catch her. Sirius tackled her to the ground just to make sure she was really caught and she was not going to slip away again. Hermione was out of breath but giggling uncontrollably. Sirius started laughing as well, through he was just as winded as she was. He rolled onto his back and just lay there, trying to catch his breath. Hermione followed suit and lay were he tackled her. After a while, he turned his head to look at her and saw her staring up at the stars. Her cheeks were rosy from her running and her nose was pink as well. She had a dreamy sort of far away smile, her hair a wild curly mess with little bits of dirt in it. The moonlight gave her an almost ethereal look about her, shining in her hair like a halo. Her beauty suddenly hit him like a bludger to the gut, it was enough to take his breath away, he liked the care free look on her face. He wished he could capture how she looked in a picture but he had a feeling that this was not the kind of beauty that could be found in a picture. She turned to look at him and blinked in surprise when she caught him already staring at her. She blushed, her cheeks getting even redder than before, making him chuckle. He continued to smile at her as she struggled to regain her composure. Something in the way she moved suddenly triggered a memory from long ago.
"You have to help! Please, you're the only one who can save our daughter! She needs your protection." The beautiful woman said, her wild curly brown hair blowing in the wind.
She had a pale, heart shaped face that was pleasantly contrasted by her rosy cheeks. She held an infant child in her arms and looked up at him imploringly with big eyes that almost looked violet in the light. They were out in a grassy field, little trees and bushes were scattered around in no particular order but still just as beautiful. There was a tall man with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes, Sirius could see both parts wisdom and a hardened, hostile wariness in his eyes. Sirius stared right back, not willing to be effected by this guy. They came to HIM for help.
"So, what do you need me to do?" He asked cautiously, not quite sure he liked these people or what they were asking of him. "Take care of our daughter, keep her safe, obviously." The man said gruffly, Sirius glared at him. "Isn't that YOUR job?" He sneered, "Well obviously, if it was that easy we wouldn't need YOU." The man snapped back in condescending manner.
Sirius glared at him, "Er- Mr. Black- Sirius?" The woman said, Sirius looked at her in shock. It had been a while since anyone ever addressed him like that.
"If you don't mind me asking, would you be able to protect her if it was needed?" She asked him quietly, he stared at her a moment, pondering the question.
"Yes, I could. I could send her to live with my best mate James, he's got a son about her age and she would be well looked after." He said calmly, gently almost.
The woman nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. The man wasn't though. "And what about after?" He said in a tone that was almost civil.
Sirius blinked in surprise, "after? After what?" The man sighed quietly. "After she's all grown up? Will you still be able to protect her?" Sirius stared in confusion.
"Why would she still need protection as a grown woman, I should think by that time she'll be able to defend herself wouldn't she?"
The man shook his head sadly, "alas, I fear not. I believe she will always need your protection. Protection in magical form and in your physical presence in her life. Our protection magic will only last so long. This friend of yours is a Potter, am I correct?" Sirius nodded, on guard a little.
"Yes, why? Does that make a difference in some way?" The man bowed his head in an affirmative manner.
"Their protection would do for the time being, but eventually, sometime before she turns seventeen, she will be in great peril without your protection." He said sadly. Sirius held his gaze for a while, gauging if this guy was trying to pull one over on him or if he was serious.
"So what you're telling me is once this girl turns seventeen I'm supposed to be her personal bodyguard or something?" Sirius inquired incredulously, the man calmly looked him straight in the eye and said, "Or something."
"Sirius! Earth to Sirius!" Sirius snapped back to realty with Hermione waving her hand in front of his face.
He blinked away the old memory, deciding to ponder it later. "Sorry love, just thinking a bit." He said nonchalantly, Hermione looked at him like he wasn't fooling her. He smiled anyway, plucking a twig from her hair.
She rolled her eyes, "Merlin's beard Sirius, sometimes you act like you're still a teenager." She commented without thinking, Sirius's smile faltered.
Hermione clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she'd said. "I'm sorry Sirius, I didn't mean it like that."
He shook his head sadly, "It's not like you're observation is wrong. I've spent over half my life in Azkaban and then on the run, I suppose I've never really had a chance to grow up, mentally. You're right, in my mind I'm still not much older than you or Harry, but physically I'm not nearly as young." He said sadly, Hermione felt so bad for him and bitterly regretted bringing it up. Not knowing what else to do, Hermione flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"I'm so sorry Sirius." She whispered into his shoulder. He hugged her back gently at first, then as tightly as she held him. They stayed there for a little while, Hermione rubbed her thumbs in little circles on his back.
He smiled into her wild bushy hair. "You smell like grass, and like the lawn." He told her quietly, not sure what else to say and not willing to share what he was feeling at that moment. To his relief, Hermione laughed and lightened the mood.
"Well, I wonder how I got to smell so horribly?" She mused aloud in a teasing fashion. Sirius pulled away, smirking.
"I have no idea." He said innocently. "I didn't say it was horrible, though."
Hermione giggled at him. "Really? No idea huh? Sorry I assumed that it was horrible."
Sirius looked at her in mock sternness. "I would never lie to you about such things." He said, sending Hermione into another fit of giggles. "I take matters like this very Siriusly!" He said darkly, Hermione smirked. "Siriusly?" She asked.
"Always." He replied instantly. She laughed again, making Sirius laugh with her.
Violet tapped her foot impatiently, standing in front of her uncle Severus, who was blatantly ignoring her. She cleared her throat loud enough to get the attention of somebody two rooms over. Severus took a moment to place the quill and paper neatly to the side. He rubbed his face in frustration and looked up at her.
"Yes Violet?" He answered softly, a hint of annoyance coloring his tone. "I had another dream." She stated very quickly. Severus nodded for her to go on.
"It was you, and Dumbledore up on the Astronomy Tower. There was a flash of green light. You're going to kill Dumbledore, aren't you?" She said, her voice thick with emotion and fear. Severus stared at her for a moment. "Is that all?" He asked her in a voice barely above a whisper.
Violet shook her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. "You get bitten by a snake, in the Shrieking Shack. At the end of next year, Uncle Severus, You-Know-Who is going to kill you! Why do you follow him?" Her voice squeaked up at the word 'kill'. At this point, she was crying silently. Severus sighed quite resignedly, "Because I have a job to do, and if it kills me so be it."
Violet shook her head in disgust, "You're so stupid Uncle Severus! If you die then who protects me? Who is there to care for Auntie Danae? You know that she's with child right? She's going to have a little boy! His name is Perseus and he's going to need your help to survive! And what about Ginny?" Severus's expression hardened as she spoke, but when she said Ginny's name, his whole demeanor went cold. He glared at her without saying a word. She realized she had hit a nerve, but she filed away that piece of information for later use. Severus finally seemed to have collected himself a little bit.
"Everyone needs my help, even bloody Potter. But eventually I have to die and you will have to figure out how to defend yourselves." His voice was as cold as the icy dungeon stones around them, though he spat the name Potter.
Violet glared at him silently, she wanted to shout her defiance of his words and tell him why he must live, but she knew it was no use convincing him. She took a deep shuddering breath, thought of her dignity, then spun on her heel and left. A plan started to form the instant she left his presence. Not sure where to go first, she decided to go to Dumbledore. She took a circuitous route through the back ways through the dungeon corridors. But when she finally ended up at the gargoyle that guarded his office, she realized she didn't know the password. She stood out there for a minute or two before the gargoyle jumped aside on it's own accord and out stepped Dumbledore from behind it. He looked very surprised to see her, but seemed friendly nonetheless.
"Why Miss Prince, what brings you to stand outside my office so late at night. Violet mustered up all of her courage and put on her calmest and most collected face.
"I need to speak to you about something of the highest importance." She told him seriously, her voice coming out more authoritative than she planned. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but nodded silently and ushered her up the stairs to his office. Violet plopped into the big cushy chair that was facing Dumbledore's desk. She became suddenly self conscious of her behavior after her prior bossy tone with the Headmaster. She straightened up and sat very ladylike in the edge of the seat as Dumbledore sat in his high backed chair.
"So, what was so urgent that you needed to speak to me now, Miss Prince?" Dumbledore asked kindly, looking on in amusement at her posture in the chair. Violet opened her mouth to speak, but found she couldn't quite figure out what to say first.
"He's going to kill you! But you must save him, from the snake that's going to bite him! I know he doesn't care but I do and I need him alive and unharmed! He's a good man you know, my Uncle, despite his demeanor! You have to help him!" She blurted out in a confusing jumble, very un-Slytherin-like. Dumbledore stared at her in shock, seemingly alarmed at what she said. This seemed like a rather sane way to react to what she just said, so she was heartened by it.
"How did you come by this information Miss Prince?" He asked her calmly enough, though there was a hard edge beneath it. Violet suddenly went very cold. She had not told anyone but Uncle Severus about her dreams. She thought about it quickly, desperately trying to come up with an explanation without telling him what he shouldn't know.
She pulled her lips into a thin line as she stressed about it. "Umm... Professor Trelawny told me sir, she uh... t-taught me actually, to uh, r-read the f-future by the stars and tea leaves and such, and that's what she helped me see in the predictions and what not... That sounds silly and thin I know but, I'm sure it's true!" She stumbled through her save. Dumbledore's eyebrows crept up his forehead as he listened to her story.
He didn't look like he was going to believe her but at the end he seemed to concede. "Well, Miss Prince, that's quite a story. Who have you told about this exactly?" He inquired gently, Violet swallowed hard. "Just you and Uncle Severus." She whispered fearfully.
Dumbledore nodded, "very well Miss Prince, I shall see what I can do for Severus. But I fear I will not be the one to save him from the snake bite." He said calmly and sadly.
Violet nodded and before she knew it, she blurted out her idea. "I know, but Ginny Weasley can help him, I think if there's anyone who can figure out how to help him without him knowing, it's her." Violet clapped a hand over her mouth in horror at what she said. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a little more than usual.
"That will be all Miss Prince, have a good night. Rest assured that I will find a way to help your dear Uncle Severus." Violet nodded silently, staring up at him with wide grey eyes tinged with purple. She got up and let herself out without another word. She all but tiptoed down the stairs and out of the door.
As soon as the gargoyle closed behind her, she looked around for a moment and then suddenly relaxed. "Well, that went well." She said aloud to herself and happily went on her way back to her Dormitory.
Dumbledore was feeling very perturbed about the visit from Miss Prince. He didn't for a second believe it was Sybil Trelawny who told her about his plan with Severus, or that Voldemort's snake would ultimately be Severus's demise. This perturbed him quite a bit. How did she know? He sat back and pondered it for a while. He vaguely listened to the portraits around him chatting quietly, Phineas Nigellus Black was talking about how much that Prince girl actually looked like a Black. This bothered him slightly, but he didn't know what that had to do with the trouble at hand of the girl knowing some of his secrets. He would have to look into that more carefully.