Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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The following day, Maggie dressed in her new robes as soon as she woke.
While she gazed at her reflection in her vanity's mirror, she listened to her family shuffle around the living room while they made preparations for her party.
As she brushed her long, dark hair, a smile brightened her fair face.
She tried to forget about the previous morning as she pushed the memory aside.
Maggie Snape looked forward to spending her birthday with her parents, her brother, Rabbie, and Disencan.
Hours in the company of her family had always been her very favourite way to pass time.
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Before Maggie had woken, Disencan and Ingrid had remained at the house to watch over the sleeping Snape children while Severus and Harriet rose early and left.
Severus was not one to abandon tradition.
As he had each year on Maggie's birthday, he did something pleasant for his wife in an effort to make fond memories that would overshadow the grim, traumatic spectacle of their daughter's birth.
As they walked through Diagon Alley hand in hand, Harriet didn't seem haunted by the horrors of the past as she beamed at Severus and exclaimed, "Oh, Sev, I'm so excited!"
"It is indeed a joyful occasion to watch the children celebrate another year of life." He nodded stoically at Harriet.
The couple entered the new doughnut shop that had opened close to Ollivander's, placed their order, and took their seats before Harriet went on.
"Yeah, but Sev, surely you realize what today is?" She asked urgently.
After she scanned his face and studied his frown, she laughed and explained, "Maggie will be eleven today……She'll have her letter to Hogwarts! Isn't that wonderful?"
"Perhaps." Severus nodded, "When I was a boy, my letter came two weeks after my eleventh birthday. Do not anticipate it too much, my love."
"Well, hers is coming today. I can feel it!" Harriet grinned as a server brought their order to their table.
Severus didn't protest any further, instead, he enjoyed his private breakfast with Harriet while they chatted.
His dark eyes softened as he gazed at the happy look on his wife's face.
Happy……..that was what Severus wanted Harriet to be.
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After the couple returned home, they found Ingrid and Disencan already awake, working on the decorations and food for Maggie's party.
Little Sev joined them a short while later.
Disencan served him breakfast while Harriet flustered around.
Maggie was the last Snape to emerge from her bedroom that day.
"Good morning, sweetheart! Happy Birthday!" Harriet exclaimed as she rushed over and gave her daughter a hug.
"Thanks, Mum." Maggie quietly replied as she returned Harriet's embrace.
"Happy Birthday, my dear." Severus nodded.
Ingrid changed into her Animagus form and settled herself on Maggie's lap while Disencan and Little Sev chorused.
"Happy Birthday, Sissy!"
"Happy Birthday!"
"Thanks, everyone." Maggie smiled as she glanced around at her family while her fingers idly stroked Rabbie's soft fur.
She pushed her chair over to the table while Harriet set a place for her.
Maggie began to eat as the chattering conversations roped her in about the day, what she wanted, and what she felt……..
She told everything but the truth.
Harriet was excited, but Maggie was nervous.
She had dreaded that day for weeks.
While she was glad to celebrate her birthday with her loved ones, there were few things Severus's daughter feared more than the arrival of her Hogwarts letter.
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The day passed with enjoyable hours of chats, games, laughs, and good food.
Maggie forgot all about the potential threat of her unwanted parcel.
Although Harriet had been consumed with hopefulness, she busied herself with making things perfect for her daughter.
The pleasant day turned into a pleasant evening.
Harriet and Severus cuddled on the sofa while Maggie sat by the fireplace with Rabbie dozing on her lap as Disencan cleaned the kitchen by a few snaps of his long fingers.
Maggie glanced over at her parents, who had seemingly become lost in their own world as they gazed into each other's eyes.
Surrounded by the warmth of the flames and the soothing feel of Maggie's gentle fingers massaging her back, Rabbie's eyelids began to grow heavy.
Severus's daughter gradually became drowsy as well.
She yawned as she contemplated heading to bed until a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts, "...Sissy?"
Maggie jolted so violently she roused Ingrid out of her sleepiness.
The magical rabbit raised her head and thumped her velvety nose with a scowl at Little Sev as he stood next to his sister's chair.
"What….What is it, brother?" Maggie asked as she batted away a sense of irritation at her younger sibling's abrupt interruption.
"You have another gift to open!" Little Sev happily declared.
Maggie's eyes widened as he excitedly pulled a letter out from behind his back, sealed by telltale red wax and stamped with a symbol Maggie recognized all too well.
"It's addressed to you!" Little Sev said proudly, "I didn't read who sent it yet, though! I just saw your name and brought it straight here!"
Maggie's emerald eyes widened as she gazed down at the elegant writing on the envelope:
Miss M. Snape
The Cottage on the Outskirts of Hogsmeade
By the Forest, In Front of the Garden
Little Sev blinked as his sister hastily snatched the envelope out of his hands.
"Sissy!" He exclaimed at her rudeness, "Why did you just-"
Maggie quickly hissed, "-Have you shown Mum and Dad?!"
"No." Little Sev frowned, "I told you, I brought it straight here. I figured you'd want to see first."
Maggie shoved the letter underneath Ingrid's fluffy fur with such haste that the Animagus writhed against the sudden scratch of the envelope's sharp corners.
Once Maggie hid the letter from plain sight, she flashed her brother a wry smile and nodded, "Um….Thank you so much, brother. I can't wait to open it, though I'm sure it's just a joke."
"A joke?" Little Sev frowned.
"Yes, um, Dad said I…….someone may send….um…..the first one as a joke or something. Don't worry about it! I'm going to open it before bed!" Maggie smiled.
"Why don't you open it now?" Little Sev frowned, "I want to read it too."
Maggie chewed her lips for a second while she thought up a good excuse.
As clever as her mother and as witty as her father, she kept her smile while she shrugged and said, "If it is a joking letter, the ink will disappear once I open it in front of others….or if they talk about it at all."
"It will……?" Little Sev blinked incredulously.
"Oh yes, it most certainly will." Maggie nodded, "Well, I'm off to bed……Thanks again, brother!"
"Happy Birthday!" Little Sev called as Maggie turned her chair and rolled away.
She didn't bother to stop as she moved past Harriet and Severus on the couch.
Desperate not to let them find the letter, she barely slowed down as she called over, "Thanks, Mum! Thanks, Dad! Everything was great! I'm going to bed now."
Severus watched his daughter with a suspicious scowl as Harriet frowned and asked, "You're going to bed?"
"Yes, Mum! Headache! Not feeling well!" Maggie called over her shoulder as she hurried down the hallway.
"Can we get you anything? I'll have your father give you some Pain Relief Potion!" Harriet called as she launched herself off the sofa and watched her daughter disappear down the hall.
"No, thanks! I'm fine, just need some sleep!" Maggie shouted back as she reached her destination.
Harriet's frown deepened as her daughter hurriedly entered her bedroom and closed her door.
Severus met his wife's worried scowl as she glanced over and asked, "We had a lovely day, didn't we?...What was all that about?"
As Little Sev watched his parents, he balled his hands into fists as he sought to be the best little brother he possibly could.
He silently honoured his sister's wishes and kept his mouth shut about her……joking…..letter.
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Rabbie hopped off Maggie's lap as she rolled over to her desk and hastily slit the envelope open.
The black letters on the page glared at her while she read over the lines on the parchment:
Dear Miss Magnolia Snape,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of-
Maggie didn't bother to read any further.
She grimaced as she ripped the letter into tiny shreds until a small storm of parchment fluttered around her.
With the scraps unrecognizable, once they settled on the floor, she began to gather them all up, piece by piece.
In silence, she worked to put the letter fragments, the red wax seal, and all its many remnants into her waste bin.
Rabbie watched as the child she protected hurriedly threw a few other things on top of the destroyed parcel before she changed into her nightdress, wheeled her chair over, and crawled into bed.
By the time Maggie's door opened a few minutes later, she made sure her eyes were closed in feigned sleep as her parents peered worriedly into her room.
Once they left, Maggie opened her emerald eyes and frowned at the ceiling.
Beside her, Rabbie placed a comforting paw on her arm.
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"Something's off, Sev." Harriet surmised with a frustrated frown as she and Severus readied for bed.
"She complained of a headache…….though I sensed no threat to her health." He answered in his low drawl.
"What did we do to upset her?" Harriet asked as she undressed, "What happened?...She seemed to really enjoy her party."
Severus's black eyes widened with want for a moment as his wife's naked form hypnotized him.
Stunned by the jiggle of her breasts and the subtle movement of her fleshy bottom, he finally recovered his wits once the silence after Harriet's questions became unacceptably lengthy.
"Let us investigate tomorrow, my love." Severus frowned, "For now, our daughter is resting….and perhaps we should do the same."
Severus kept his black gaze focused on Harriet as he watched his beloved mate walk over and sink down into her nest with a breathy sigh.
The sight of her curves made his trousers tighten as she made herself comfortable amongst the mounds of blankets and pillows.
Harriet's emerald eyes flickered up to his face before she laughed and said, "I hardly think resting is on your mind, Sev. I know that look in your eyes."
Severus took a deep breath as Harriet shamelessly parted her knees and settled herself back.
Her voice cut through the tension in the room like a knife as she gave her alpha permission to devour her, "Well?...I'm waiting."
Harriet's heart fluttered as Severus pounced.
He glided across the room, crawled on top of her, and crushed his lips against hers as their passionate tryst began.
Harriet and Severus's bond had remained strong over the years.
Mr. and Mrs. Snape's passion for one another burned with an enviable ferocity.