Hey everyone, thank you so much to all my new readers. I appreciate all of your adds etc. New installment and as always I own nothing and Rated M.
Chapter Twelve
I was nervous, really nervous. I couldn't stop my magic from jumping around inside me. As Hermione ran off to join the group on their hike and I moved closer to Severus who looked just as nervous as I felt we were kindred spirits at this point.
"You ready Potter?" I just shook my head at the man and he took the keys of a jeep out of his pocket.
"Me neither. I know we haven't seen eye to eye Potter but, I am grateful I am not alone on this journey." The whole way through my Hogwarts career I had always one day hoped to gain Severus Snapes acceptance and I honestly think that is as close as I am going to get.
"Of all people to understand exactly what I am feeling and it had to be you. Although I too am glad for the company sir." We jumped into the jeep and as he sat in the drivers seat I couldn't help but panic for a second.
"You do know how to drive don't you?" He scoffed and lifted a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket before putting them on and turning the ignition.
"OK then San Jose let's go." Apparently she was volunteering for an animal charity. They vaccinate and treat stray dogs that run around the streets. They try to rehabilitate some of them for home purposes and realistically she seemed like such an amazing person already I was slightly intimidated.
"Will you stop that knee from bouncing. Honestly you are setting my teeth on edge. Aren't you supposed to be an adult now Potter?" The laugh had slipped from my mouth before I could do anything else. It was comforting for me to know that Severus was his, same old self.
" What is so funny?" Shaking my head at him I just continued to look out the window at the scenery going past. It really was one of the most beautiful places in the world.
I have felt my entire body relax into my magic as soon as I landed here and I could see Severus was more relaxed also. His jaw wasn't just as tight and his shoulders were less rigid than I had ever seen him.
"Do you think she will care? I mean this woman has her own life and we are sort of imploding into it? She has no obligation to talk to us and apparently had a pretty good life for all intents and purposes. I don't know how I am going to walk away from her if she rejects us." The stoic man did not say anything but I could see a small crack on his outer mask and knew he felt the same way.
"If that is truly how she feels then we will leave her to live her life and dream of only the life we could have had." For a man who had been full of anger and who took his anger out on others he was being remarkably calm.
"How can this not make you want to tear your hair out? I am so angry at mum and Dumbledore. Why would they do this, we could have all been together right now. Instead my mother and father are dead, you and I are enemies and Elena grew up thousands of miles away." He pulled into a lay by and turned to look at me.
"James Potter and I were never friends, in actual fact we hated one another. As much as it kills me to admit this, he seemed to be a good father to you, if your mother hadn't done what she did, you would not exist." I suppose he had a point, if Snape had known he was a father then Dumbledore wouldn't have had his spy.
"If your mother had given me some semblance of a chance back then. I would never have let her go and loathe as I, am to admit it. I would never wish away your life." I couldn't help but smile in shock at the man and the small smirk which is making more and more of an appearance these days on the dour man's face was more apparent.
"We may not have seen eye to eye Potter, but I would never wish you dead. You seem more your mothers son than your fathers. Apart from your penchant for trouble that is." Nothing more was needed and he put the car into gear and away he went to reunite with our last remaining family member.
We drove for four hours before we made it to San Jose. Severus hadn't been to San Jose before and so didn't feel comfortable appararing incase he did so in front of Muggles.
We found a parking space and magically secured the car before heading to the Animal Hospital she supposedly worked in. It was quiet and only had one person sitting behind a desk who started to talk in Spanish. Surprisingly Severus began a conversation in fluent Spanish.
"Hola, busco a Elena Court, ¿está disponible?" The young woman smiled at Severus and if I didn't know any better I would say she was flirting. She pulled out a map and circled a hotel down the road.
"Ella acaba de irse, se queda al final de la calle. Número doce." Snape smiled and the woman swooned before thanking her and leaving. I could only bite my tongue for about ten seconds before I nudged him.
"You should ask her out Professor. A holiday fling would be good for you." He glared at me as we stopped in front of an apartment building. Neither one of us was in a hurry to pass through the door.
"What number?" He looked at the map the woman gave us and he tentatively pressed the button. It only took five seconds for an answer but it felt like the longest five seconds in the world.
A loud buzz echoed and the door opened to allow us in. Severus seemed to be slower than usual but just before the door closed he whipped his hand out and caught it before ushering me in.
We climbed up four flights of stairs before coming to Apartment 405. This time I was feeling a little bit braver and knocked before either of us had time to react. It was as if time seemed to slow down but footsteps echoed behind the door, shadows underneath it showed someone getting closer.
A ripple of magic was felt as someone unlocked the wards protecting it. As the door swung open I could hear Severus inhale a breath as a beautiful woman stood in the entryway. Her long black hair sat braided down over her shoulder and rested just in the middle of her stomach.
My own green eyes sat looking back at me and I couldn't stop a huge smile from overcoming my face. It seemed it was infectious because her face split into an identical grin and all of a sudden she was hugging me. That was a good sign wasn't it?
"Oh my god! You're actually here! I can't believe it! He told me you both would come for me, after the war was over." She ripped away from me and within half a second had Severus also wrapped in a hug.
"But you're both here! Oh I have been so excited for this! I am so glad you're both OK." She took a step back from Snape and in all honesty he looked like a deer in the headlights as she took his arm and then my own before dragging us into the apartment.
A long tiny corridor soon culminated into a large open, spacious studio apartment. It had a kitchen/living room open plan with three doors leading away from it. One of them looked like a bathroom and the other was glass leading onto a balcony. The final door was closed and she flicked her wand at the kitchen causing tea to start brewing itself.
"There is so much I want to talk to you both about. How did you find me?" Severus and I just stared at her for a few seconds and she ducked her head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, my mouth tends to run ahead of myself. I just got excited about actually seeing you both in the flesh." She knew who we were, without hesitation she trailed us both inside and we could have been anyone.
"How is it you know who we are? We have only just found out about you and yet you don't seem surprised to see us." She gestured for the two empty chairs as she took a seat on the sofa.
"When I turned twelve I got an acceptance to Ilvermorny. After I accepted Albus Dumbledore stopped by for a, visit. He was the weirdest man I had ever seen. Within five minutes my world was blown apart, I knew I was adopted but I never even thought about magic you know." Neither one of us said anything and I was still hung up on her American accent.
Chapter 12.2
"He told me all about you both and when I wanted to meet you he explained why it was too dangerous. The war and your roles in it were to ingrained at the time. I begged my parents to take me to England but they were frightened and didn't want me to get hurt." She set cups of tea in front of us and it was proper tea and I honestly needed someone to pinch me.
"Your parents made the right choice. I have dreaming of this meeting since I first found out about you and now I am here I am just speechless. I only wish your mother was here also to see what an amazing young woman you have grown into." She was so strong and beautiful and in all honesty I could tell her and Hermione would get on like a house on fire.
"I have dreamt of it too. How long are you staying?" At that we spent the whole afternoon talking and made plans to meet up at Farm of Life the following day. It sounded cliche but it felt like I was whole now. I had met my sister. It was so much fun to see so many mannerisms that I know Severus does that she seemed to have picked up even without him in her life.
Neither Snape nor I said anything as we left her apartment in fact it was a solid twenty minutes into the journey and Snape broke the silence.
"I think that went very well don't you?" I couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from inside me and it took me a, solid ninety seconds to calm down. By this point Snape was looking at me as if I had six head but slowly the laughter bubbled down and I couldn't help but start to cry. Behind blurry eyes I could see him pull over to the side of the road and I broke down.
I have barely cried since the war ended, unless I had a nightmare but now they couldn't stop flowing and I was gasping for breath, I could vaguely hear Snape telling me to calm down and it wasn't until he gripped my face in his hands and turned me to look at him.
"Potter! Breathe, in and out." I focused on him and slowly I started to calm down, the breathing slowed and my vision returned before he deemed me OK and let go of my face.
"I'm sorry." He waved me away as I wiped my tears, I was slightly embarrassed to be crying in front of the stern man. I had noticed him relax in the weeks since it was over but I still had Seven years of thinking the man was evil and that's a hard habit to break.
"Are you alright Potter?" He asked whilst handing me a bottle of water and all I could do was nod because my voice was not working in any way shape or form.
"Yes. I just haven't really broken down in a long time, probably overdue to be honest." He didn't say anything and just looked at me in that way that I am used to but with a little bit less contempt.
"War takes it toll on everyone Potter. And everyone deals with it differently." That's easy for him to say but I have literally never seen him break.
"How are you dealing with it? I feel like you haven't even flinched since it ended and you nearly died." He didn't look me in the eye as I asked that and instead focused on a tree outside the jeep. I honestly didn't think he was going to answer me and instead he lifted out a flask from the inside of his pockets and handed it to me.
" Not that I think drinking yourself into a stupor is a good idea it does take the edge off." I took a swig from his flask before noticing then Chocolate and Cinnamon taste of Whiskey.
"I feel like since the war I haven't had time to think. Straight after Ron and Ginny turned out to be selfish goldigging arseholes we fled to Australia. After Hermione found out about her parents we haven't stopped since. I don't know who I am now I am not constantly fighting for something. I just want a quiet mundane life with someone to love and a home with a family. Normal." He didn't say anything for a few seconds before he cleared his throat.
"You can have whatever you want to now Potter, the world is your oyster and your future is your own." I nodded and took one more swig before handing him back his flask. We didn't really speak the whole way back and I could see his Occlumency Shields were up and he was probably trying to figure out his own future also.
He had spent his entire life dedicated to stopping Voldemort and now he didn't have to do that anymore. He could have his own life and do what he wanted, perhaps he was struggling more than he let on. He needed a friend and immediately someone popped into my head. Some behind the scenes work had to be done but maybe two lonely people could become friends and help one another.
As we arrived back to the resort I could see Andromeda, Narcissa, Draco and Blaise sitting beside the pool and Hermione had Teddy in a little boat floating around the pool. He looked so cute in a rubber dingy and honestly I can't believe how fast he is growing.
Severus bid us farewell and went to his room and I immediately hatched a plan. Whether or not it works or not is entirely up to them.
"Andromeda, could you maybe go and check on him? Things went well but you know how introverted he is." Everyone looked at me as if I had six heads.
"Well he has just spent the day with me, Hermione will not get him to talk about it because their relationship is purely academical. Narcissa is like his sister and so it's probably hard for him, Draco is to young to really understand and Blaise is well... Blaise." The dark skinned man looked offended at that before Andromeda laughed at him and nodded leaving to go check on the dour man.
Before I could react Blaise grabbed me and ran into the pool with me lifted off the ground over his shoulder. The warm water encased me as I slipped under it, I could hear lots of laughter muffled by the water around my head and as I broke the surface I caught Draco eyes who looked entirely too amused.
"Zabini what the fuck!" He just laughed at me as I flipped him the bird. Hermione came over to me with a giggling Teddy in his little boat.
"You are not supposed to betray me buddy! Mean Slytherins!" Zabini and the two Malfoys looked offended before I got out of the pool and Hermione handed me the baby.
"Zabini, please try and behave. Elena is coming here tomorrow and if you could refrain from being well...you for the afternoon. I would appreciate it." I sat down at a sun lounger and Teddy lay down in his crib looking a bit tired.
"Elena! Mmm even more excited to meet her Potter. Don't worry I will be on my best behaviour." No one believed that and realising it was getting late we all made the way back to our respective rooms. Hermione took teddy little crib which was more like a wagon as it had wheels on it.
As we got closer and closer to the rooms his little eyes started to drift closed and he was sound asleep by the time we reached our suite. Hermione followed me into my room and set herself down on my bed.
"Hermione, are you OK?" She nodded and smiled but it was forced, to anyone else it looked normal but I knew her enough to know something was bothering her.
"Come on! Out with it!" She flung herself backward and lay splayed put on my bed.
"Narcissas animagus form is an Otter. A beautiful white Otter." Of all people for Hermione to have a connection with Narcissa Malfoy was one I never would have expected in a million years.
"Right! I understand. Does she know about your Patronus form?" At the nod of her head I sat down beside her and I could see the panic in her eyes.
"Everytime I am around her I put my foot in my mouth and say something stupid or offensive. She is a natural Legilimens and so she can hear the thoughts when my shields slip. She is this beautiful Helen of Troy goddess and I am Plain Jane." I grabbed her by the arm and trailed her up to sit upright.
" Listen to me Hermione. You are gorgeous, honestly and she would be lucky to be with you. You are just as worthy of her as she is of you. Matching Patronsus is something special Hermione. Get to know her and when I go home we can throw our weight around a bit and see if we can quicken her divorce OK?"
I hugged her tight to me and was so grateful for Hermione. She lifted me up onto a pedestal that realistically I don't think I deserved. After our conversation we both branched off and went for showers. Hoping for a brighter future.