December 1996
Hogwarts, Hospital wing
Florence, Pomfrey and McGonagall were enjoying some afternoon tea in the empty infirmary, while most of the students were in Hogsmeade.
"Is it true that Hermione Granger is dating James, Florence?" asked Pomfrey.
"Wait!" Exclaimed McGonagall, surprised by that information. "The James boy Granger's been talking about is your James? Granger is dating Severus' son? Not just any son – his firstborn son?"
"Yes." Florence laughed. "And it's time we stopped valuing a kid above others just because they were born first, don't you think?"
"It's how the wizarding society still thinks, Florence." Shrugged McGonagall. "If anything were to happen to you and Severus, James would be your main heir. But tell me: does Severus know?"
"Yes, he does." She smiled.
"And how big was the tantrum?"
"Not as big as you'd imagine." Florence said, after sipping her tea. "He was very surprised, a bit angry too, but nothing he hadn't gone through before, since Nick has been dating Fred for two years."
The Transfiguration teacher nearly choked on her sandwich. "Fred? As in Fred WEASLEY??"
"Yep."
And McGonagall roared with laughter then.
Florence had to laugh alongside the teacher. "That's still a sore conversational spot for him."
"Do the Weasleys know?" Pomfrey asked.
"No. Not yet. Just George knows of Nick, but neither knows about Sev and I being the boys' parents."
"That's absolutely amazing!" Exclaimed McGonagall as she worked on stopping laughing. "You know I'll have to tease Severus about this, don't you?"
"Of course, professor." Said Florence.
But suddenly the doors were kicked opened and Hagrid stormed into the room, carrying a student in his arms.
"She's been cursed!" He shouted, putting the unconscious girl on a bed.
The three women stood up quickly.
"That's Katie Bell!" gasped McGonagall.
"Cursed?" exclaimed Florence, running to the girl's bedside, "Wasn't she in Hogsmeade?"
"Ay. Harry's got the package she was carryin'. All I know is she touched't and suddenly was flyin' through the air and screamin'!"
Florence ran her wand over Katie Bell's body, getting worried. "Yes, she was cursed. And it's quickly killing her."
McGonagall was close to tears, "Oh no! How could this happen?"
Pomfrey approached the bed with her wand, running a diagnosis herself and shaking her head, looking at Florence: "Can you save her?"
"Let's see what I can do." she whispered in reply, getting ready to cast the powerful counter-curse she knew. She moved her wand in an intricate pattern and cast: "Maledictum nusquam aut nullum fore."
But it didn't work – at all.
"What the fuck?" Florence whispered, frowning – it was like the curse in Katie's body was able to completely ignore the strong energy of her counter-curse.
She ran another diagnosis on the girl and could tell her situation was quickly worsening.
Why? Florence asked herself, hating that she was seeing the girl dying right in front of her. Why didn't it work? Think, damn it! Think!
Then Harry and his two inseparable friends walked into the infirmary, carrying a brown package and Florence looked at them, hearing a certain language and realizing why her counter-curse hadn't worked: the curse hadn't recognized it.
"Yes." She whispered. "Of course." She moved her wand in the same beautiful patterns again, ready to recast it – but this time in Parseltongue: "Hsssjte aaastss ast shnullash fosrasedt."
Everyone froze inside the infirmary, looking at her casting the counter-curse in that strange, evil-sounding, language.
McGonagall and Pomfrey shared a heavily worried glance, fearing for the worst.
When Florence stopped moving her wand, Katie inhaled loudly, arching on the bed and coughing violently, a dark red liquid dripping down her nose, ears and mouth. But as sudden as she had began coughing, she stopped, falling back on the bed, still unconscious, and trembling slightly, as if convulsing.
"Cruore foetoribus careat." Florence cast, smiling in relief once she saw Katie's body responding to her spell.
"What's that for?" McGonagall asked Pomfrey, not recognizing the words.
"That's an advanced healing spell. It's used to cleanse the blood when someone's been cursed by blood magic."
"So that means..." started McGonagall, looking frightened.
Pomfrey nodded slowly. "Whatever cursed Katie, it was very very Dark Magic."
Then Florence was casting another long and complicated spell: "Munio tutamen corporis viscera."
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Ronald Weasley. "I have no idea what she's doing... but it sounds like another curse!"
"Now she's fortifying Katie's immune system." Explained Pomfrey, looking at Florence with as much surprise as everyone else in the infirmary. "And that's also an extremely advanced spell. I've never seen either of those being used before."
Katie Bell seemed to slowly regain her normal colour, no longer looking like a corpse on the infirmary bed, but still not opening her eyes.
Florence checked the girl's vital signs once more, deeming them as good as possible under those circumstances.
Then she walked away from the bed, stopping in front of Harry and picking up the package from his hands. "You can hear it too, right?"
"Yes." He nodded, apprehensively, "It's been whispering to me... telling me I should give it to Hermione, that she'd look beautiful with it." He shivered. "But when you cast that... that Parseltongue spell, it stopped whispering."
"Yes." She nodded, slowly understanding. "It makes sense that it would try to hide. Now, I'll take this to Prof. Snape." She looked at him, Hermione and Ron. "Do you know who did this? Did you see anyone carrying this before Katie had it?"
Harry shook his head. "No. We were all in the Three Broomsticks having butterbeers. I didn't see who gave her that... but... if I had to guess... It was Malfoy." He finished, assertively.
"Really, Potter?" they heard Severus' voice coming from the direction of the door. "Your evidence?"
"I saw him at Borgin and Burkes. And I know that necklace was there, professor."
"So you saw him purchasing the necklace?" asked Severus, standing beside Florence.
"No, sir. But he was there at the store, and he was there in the Three Broomsticks as well."
Drop it, Severus. Florence told him through their bond. We both know it was most certainly Draco.
He just arched an eyebrow at Harry.
"Well..." said McGonagall, approaching the three Gryffindors. "I suggest you go to your common room now."
To what Florence added: "And ask around if anyone saw someone carrying this package and let me know, ok?"
"Yes, ma'am." The three replied in low voices.
"Alright," she looked at her husband, giving him the package. "I'll leave this with you. Ask Dumbledore what he wants to do with it. If he wishes to destroy it, I'll have to study how to do it, for it's blood magic and only answers to Parseltongue."
Really? He asked, impressed, peeking into the package and recognizing the object. The infamous Opal Necklace. No wonder it's gone all these centuries killing people and no one was able to stop it.
McGonagall touched Florence's arm. "Will Katie survive, dear?"
"Yes. The curse has been fully broken. Now we just have to wait for her body to get its strength back. The curse was literally draining her life-force."
Florence looked to her husband again, "Give that to the Headmaster." she said, adding: and find your godson.
Severus delivered the package to Dumbledore and went to the dungeons, casting a simple tracking spell to find Draco through the Trace (the monitoring charm every underage wizard had on them), and he was surprised to find out the boy was in the Room of Requirement.
Knowing it would be very difficult to get the Room to show him the same space Draco was in, Severus waited for him to get down to the dungeons.
Draco walked downstairs cursing himself; his plan of fixing the Vanishing Cabinet was quickly proving to be way harder than he had anticipated.
He hoped his other, more recent, plan of killing the Headmaster, without having to get death eaters into the castle, had worked.
The sight of the hospital wing door as he passed by the first floor filled him with longing and shame.
Elizabeth's mother is in there.
He remembered the last time he had kissed his ex-girlfriend, over one year ago, in the girl's bedroom; how sweet and passionate Elizabeth had been.
Most nights he dreamed about her; she was fourteen already, last time he kissed her she was two-months shy of thirteen.
He touched her ring, which still hung from the necklace under his clothes. I miss you, my love.
And he knew, even if he survived the war, chances were Liz would never forgive him. Enchantment or no Enchantment, he had hurt her deeply, broken her trust and threatened to give her ring to another girl.
I threw away the best thing that has ever happened to me.
As he reached the dungeons, Draco was too focused on his own sadness and misery to notice the man lurking in the shadows, waiting for him near the door to the Slytherin common room.
He only felt his arm being suddenly pulled and he was pushed into an empty classroom; as the door was shut he looked at the face of his assailant.
"Snape. What do you want?" Draco rudely asked, forcing the teacher to let go of his arm.
"A girl has just been cursed." said Severus, ignoring the lack of respect from the boy and trying to look into Draco's mind.
"What's that got to do with me?" Draco growled, looking into his teacher's eyes and realizing what he was trying to do. "Don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, and it won't work — I can stop you!"
There was a pause and then Severus realized what he meant, "Ah . . . Aunt Bella has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"
"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!"
"Listen to me," said Severus, his voice very low. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow."
Draco hesitated then; he knew no one could break that Vow. If Snape broke it, he'd die – Elizabeth's father would die because he'd refused to accept his help.
"Do whatever you have to do, professor." The blond boy finally said. "But this is my task, my job; he gave it to me and I'm doing it! I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!
Severus crossed his arms and looked at Draco knowingly: "Katie Bell was cursed earlier today and you were seen in the store where the cursed object was sold."
"So?" Draco replied dismissively.
"You cannot afford mistakes, Draco," Severus said with a snarl. "If you are expelled-"
The boy insisted: "I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"
"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."
Draco angrily replied: "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about."
Severus narrowed his eyes, "I'll pretend I believe you, Draco. But you're even worse than your father when plotting to murder someone. You should drop it altogether. You're not-"
Draco interrupted him, shouting: "Don't tell me I won't do it! I'll prove you and your wife wrong!"
"Stop being an idiot, Draco. I'm here. Ask for help and you'll have it."
"Fuck off!" and the boy stormed out of the room, leaving his concerned godfather even more worried.
Christmas Break
At The Burrow
Florence and Severus apparated in front of a building that, by the looks of it, had once been an old stone pigpen – but now had several crooked stories attached to it. Five chimneys dotted the roof of the house, and the entire building was certainly held up by magic for it looked about to fall down at any given moment.
Since Sirius' death, no one knew who had inherited the house at Grimmauld Place, so the Order had to change their headquarters' address and the selected place was the home of the Weasley family.
"It's funny to think that Nick has been here before when we haven't." said Florence, as they walked towards to the house.
"Don't remind me." Severus rolled his eyes. "My son and a Weasley."
Florence laughed and was about to make another comment when they heard shouting coming from inside the house.
"That sounds like Molly." She whispered.
So they ran, wands in hand, worried something bad had happened, but they stopped by the door, frowning; only Molly, Arthur, Ginevra and Harry were in the kitchen.
"I won't allow it!" screamed Molly.
"But I love him! And he loves me!" shouted Ginny.
Florence glanced at her husband, whose only reply was an arched eyebrow.
"But you're putting yourself in danger, Ginny!" said Arthur.
"Excuse me." said Florence; and the four of them looked at her, finally realizing that they had an audience. "We've just arrived and heard the shouting..."
"Ginny and Harry are dating!" Molly exclaimed, pointing at the young couple as if that was the worst thing possible to have ever happened to her daughter.
"I can't understand why you're so angry about it!" Ginny shouted. "It's not like I'm dating Draco Malfoy! You like Harry!"
Florence looked from the Weasleys to the teen couple – the pain in Ginny and Harry's eyes had her thinking of her own daughter.
"Harry, by saying you're dating Ginny, you're putting a high price on her head, dear." Florence said, softly.
"What does that mean?" Harry asked.
"Potter." Severus began in an understanding tone that had Harry and Ginny stare at him and then look at each other with very confused expressions.
Severus arched an eyebrow at them. "We're not at school, but if you wish me to talk to you like the dunderheads you are, I'll be happy to oblige."
"No. No, sir. This is fine." Harry quickly replied.
"Yes." agreed Ginny. "It's weird, but fine."
So Severus continued: "Potter, you're being hunted by the Dark Lord, and all those who stand in his way to you will die. When you say that Ginny is your girlfriend, you turn her into the biggest and easiest way to get to you. If the Death Eaters catch her, they'll certainly have you running into a trap like the stupidly brave little Gryffindor you are."
Ginevra didn't say anything, tears silently running down her face.
"That's what I want you two to understand." Molly said, looking at the young couple. "I can't let you risk Ginny like that!"
"So you're saying I shouldn't be with him?" the girl asked, holding Harry's hand.
"If I may," said Florence, looking at the Weasleys. "Forbidding them will only make them want to be together more."
Molly looked at her daughter and Harry, who had his arms around the red-headed girl.
"What do you suggest then?" asked Arthur, "That we let them date?"
"Yes. In secret." She turned to the young couple. "Full secret. No one would know you're dating. Not even Ron and Hermione."
Harry looked at the Weasleys. "Would you consent with our relationship then? If we promised to keep it secret?"
Molly looked at her husband and Arthur nodded: "Ms. Delacour is right. If we forbid, they'll keep dating anyway."
The red-haired woman reluctantly nodded, before looking at the couple: "Complete secret! If you let anyone at Hogwarts even imagine you're a couple, I'll ask Severus to severely punish both of you!"
"I'll gladly do it, Mrs. Weasley." Severus said, smirking at them.
"We won't." Both teens said together, smiling.
The four adults looked at the Gryffindor couple for a second.
"Now, go set the table!" Ordered Molly. "Dinner will be ready soon. Are you two eating with us?"
"No. We've already eaten, Molly." Said Florence. "We just came to bring the potions for the order." She put a small box on the table and pointed her wand to it, restoring it to its normal size.
"Thank you, Florence." Molly replied, looking at Severus next. "Please, make sure they end in the worst possible detention if they even look at each other in public."
"Don't worry, I will." He reassured her.
Florence just rolled her eyes, saying sarcastically: Try looking more happy about it, Severus, and you'll start skipping.
He turned to leave the kitchen, hiding his smile.
Severus waited for his wife and they walked away from the house towards the apparition spot.
"Imagine in six months," Florence said. "When Molly finds out who Fred's been dating."
"The spawn of the traitor." replied Severus, bitterly.
Florence frowned and hooked her arm on his. "The boys' aren't spawns and you're no traitor, love."
"That's how they'll see us, Florence: traitors. Fred'll certainly break up with Nick and Hermione will be horrified she's slept with the Dark Lord's grandson."
Florence just looked at him, sighing. Severus had become more and more brooding and irritable as the months went by. It was clear he didn't want to kill Dumbledore, but there was no way around it, unfortunately.
And he was most certainly right about Fred and Hermione.
The Snape family was months away from being hunted by people they loved and considered friends.
They'd be called liars.
Murderers.
And traitors.
Christmas eve
Safe-house
Florence looked around the table with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
They were all together again – the twins were talking to Elizabeth and Christopher as if no time had passed, they laughed and teased one another, filling the house with joy.
Twenty-two month-old Sophie jumped from Severus' lap to Florence's, kissing and hugging both her parents tightly.
I don't want this night to end. Florence told her husband when their eyes met over Sophie's head.
I know, love. It's so good to watch them all together again. He looked at their four older kids eating and talking.
Eileen was as tearful as Florence, "Liz and Chris miss the twins..." she whispered to Severus.
"We know." he said with a sigh. "But we, unfortunately, don't know how much longer this will go."
"Is Liz keeping up with her studies?" Florence asked.
"Yes." Eileen nodded. "And she's been teaching Christopher – to pass the time. He'll be the most knowledgeable eleven-year-old when time comes for him to go to school."
"Hey, Chris." Severus called. "I'll bring some wands for you to try next time we visit."
The boy's eyes sparkled. "Thanks, dad! That'll be awesome!"
"Lucky kid!" said James. "We only had wands at eleven!"
"Same here!" added Elizabeth, but she was smiling. "But it'll be great to teach you with your own wand."
Florence looked at her daughter; she had visibly lost some weight in the past months, had grown a few inches, and her eyes didn't look as sad as they had been a couple of months ago. But she wasn't her usual happy and sassy self. Fourteen years old.
It's hard to believe, right? Severus said in her mind. We've been married fifteen years already. The twins are eighteen!
"Oh, no." Said Nicholas. "Look at them, they're talking about our ages."
James saw Florence wipe a tear from her face and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, mom. We're eighteen."
Severus conjured a snowball and threw it at James. "Don't roll your eyes at your mother. It's Christmas."
"HEY!" James shouted, conjuring a snowball himself and throwing it back at his father.
But Sophie made it stop mid-air and threw it back at her brother, surprising everybody who let out a loud collective gasp, followed by shouts and claps.
"Her first magic!" Florence leaned to kiss Sophie's forehead.
"That's so cute!" Eileen exclaimed. "She protected her daddy!"
"And hit me!" James said with a smile, getting snow off of his shoulders.
Sophie looked at her dad. "Daddy not hurt. Bad Jamie!" She looked at her brother with the cutest angry face, making everyone laugh.
"You did well, baby." Severus kissed her cheek, chuckling.
"I'm glad we were here to see that together." Florence said, wiping her face.
Severus touched his wife's face, kissing her briefly.
"Hey!" complained James. "Yeah, it was cute and all, now stop with that!" he conjured another snowball. "Or I won't miss it this time!"
Sophie raised her hand and the small snowball in James's hand got huge and fell onto his lap, making him jump from his chair because of the cold.
"Bad Jamie!" Sophie exclaimed.
And the whole family laughed again, even James – after all he couldn't be mad at his cute little baby sister.
After dinner, Severus sat on the sofa with Sophie asleep on his arms and Florence by his side; their older kids playing cards on the coffee table.
Florence whispered in her husband's mind: I wish we could stop time right now.
Me too, love. Me too. He hesitated a second, before adding: Tonight I finally understood something Albus always says.
What was it, Sev?
This is what we are fighting for: love, family – not just our family, but all families that will be broken because of the war.
Love. Summarized Florence. That's truly what he always say.
Yes. Love. He nodded, pulling her chin up to kiss her lips once more.
"Sophie's sleeping now." James said. "I doubt she can stop my snowball."
Florence snorted, "Hit me with a snowball and you will have to explain to Hermione why your dick has turned green over the Holidays."
James looked at her and shook his head, "My snowball would never hit you mom. I'm not crazy."
They all chuckled and Florence sighed, laying her head on her husband's chest, just letting the happiness of that moment fill her up, allowing herself to forget about anything else.
Note: some of Severus and Draco's conversation is canon – taken from the book.
Things are getting darker and more dangerous now... happy family moments will be rare. Hope you're enjoying!