Severus sighed, looking rather frustrated. "So he told you, did he?"
Tirza nodded. "Yes, because I asked. But not all of it. Grandpa said you'd have to finish the story. Will you finish it? Please?"
"Why do you want to know these things? They don't matter anymore!" he exclaimed.
"It does to me," She told him quietly.
Severus rubbed his forehead with his hand. "Yes, I can see that it does. Though why it does, is what I do not understand."
Tirza snuggled against him, and Severus wrapped his arms around her. "Well… I don't know a whole lot about you, about when you were a kid or in school and everything. I want to know, because you're my dad."
She took a deep breath. "I've seen how much it hurts Harry that he doesn't know very much about his parents, and most of what he learns is from people like uncle Remus and grandpa. I don't want to be like that. I want to know about you, as much as you'll tell me."
She has a point, Severus thought. She knows my very immediate past, and bits and pieces about my mother. She knows about my time with her mother, but even then only pieces of it. But what does she know about me? Better yet, what will she think of me if she knows parts of my past that are darkest?
"Hey daddy? You don't have to tell me if you aren't ready, or don't want to. I won't make you or anything. And it doesn't matter if it's bad stuff or something. I know what you are like now and you're my dad and I love you," Tirza said quietly.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "I am very glad to know that. All I want is to do my best with you and for you Tirza. I will tell you about it, and about other things; but not tonight. I will let you know when I feel up to it, alright? Some of it is very painful that I have tried to forget, and I think I need to prepare myself first."
She nodded. "That's fine. Thanks for being honest with me! I thought you might flat out say no, but it's okay if you aren't ready yet. I can wait."
Severus held her close and kissed her head. "You are far too wise for your age sometimes sweetheart. There are times I wonder how you got to be and do certain things, but I am, above all else, very glad to have you."
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"How do you think you did?" Tirza asked Ginny. Potions had not yet started, but a test was going to be handed back today. It wasn't a written test either; it was a make-the-potion test where you got graded on the final results.
"I'm not sure. I think I did okay, but this is a hard class," Ginny shrugged. "So I probably did average. Or at least I hope I did!"
Tirza nodded. "I'm not really sure how I did. I usually do better on written tests then I do anything that has to do with making the potion." She giggled. "Silly isn't it? You'd think it would be the other way around.
"Everyone's different," Maddie pointed out. "I doubt I did very good at all. I studied like crazy though!"
"Me too! I was late for quidditch practice one time because I was so involved in studying. Thought Oliver would be upset, but he really wasn't."
Ginny smiled. "That's good! Us three really did study our butts off for this test. Mum'll send me a howler or something if I get another test grade that's below a C."
"Same here," Maddie sighed. "Which I'd rather not get!"
"That's one of the nice things about my dad being here. The bad side is that then he can do stuff that other parents can't do because they aren't here. So that sucks," Tirza told them.
Maddie frowned. "That would suck. Well, maybe you did really good and won't have to worry about it!"
"Quiet," Severus called as he swept into the room like a black cloud of doom; which he could be on occasion. Today was just such an occasion for many students. "No more talking! Class has begun."
The girls stopped their chatter as he entered and turned their full attention to him, each nervous about their own test.
"I have completed the grading of your last test; I must say I am extremely disappointed, yet not surprised, but the majority of the grades. If any of you paid a modicum of attention in class and actually opened your book outside of this room, I am sure that your tests would improve. However, we can always hope you shall learn from this grade that your study habits need improvement."
Doom, much doom; this was not going to be pretty, Tirza thought.
"I would truly enjoy this class if all of you strived to be something other then dunderheads and actually aspire to achieve academic success. Not that you care at this age, but in a few years when your graduation approaches, you will learn that most jobs available are going to require at least an elemental knowledge of potions. You would do well to learn now rather then later," Snape continued to lecture.
As he spoke he walked up and down the rows, speaking to all sides of the classroom, making each child squirm in their seat as he passed. Nobody really wanted to be on his bad side, or to fail his class for that matter.
"Now, I will hand back your tests." Severus walked around the room, handing the tests back in alphabetical by last name order. That of course, meant Tirza got hers very close to the end of the pile.
Tirza glanced at her potions test and cringed. An F, with a note: 'See me in my office after your last class'. That didn't sound too promising. After her classes were over, she went back to the dungeons and knocked on Snape's office door.
"Enter." Severus' voice came from inside the office, carrying a slightly annoyed tone.
Tirza poked her head in. "Hi daddy." She came in all the way, closed the door behind her and plopped down in the chair. "Um, so you wanted to see me?"
Severus stood up and strode over towards Tirza. "Yes, I did. I am very disappointed in you. You said, promised even, that you would try to improve your grade in potions. However, that seems to not be the case. I would understand fully if you had studied hour upon hour in your room and still received low marks. Instead, you have fooled around, gone off with your friends and been wrapped up in playing quidditch."
Tirza's jaw dropped open as he began to talk. Of course she studied!
"I will not stand for this poor work Tirza, I expect better from you. I feel you have left me no choice, but to ground you until I say otherwise. You will be tutored in potions every evening after dinner. Do I make myself clear young lady?"
Tears filled Tirza's eyes. "Daddy, I was studying! Even though I played quidditch I was studying at night. You just don't see me all the time you know, so how would you know if I wasn't? That's just not fair!" She hated disappointing her dad, but he was being unfair this time. Tirza had truly given it her best shot.
Severus nodded. "I realize I do not see you all twenty-four hours of the day, and that is the only reason that I am allowing you to stay on the quidditch team. I'm sorry sweetheart, but you have to pull your grades up in potions."
He pulled her close and wiped a tear from her face. "I love you, and I only want you to succeed in life and have every door open to you. You do so well in all your other classes, I do not understand why your grade systematically falls so short in potions; it has this year so far, and it did for quite a while last year as well."
Tirza looked down at her feet, tears slowly trickling down her face. "You don't believe me that I studied?"
"Tirza, I know that you did study some; however, it was obviously not enough. I think that you believe you studied long enough, but your grade points to the conclusion that you need more study time."
Severus rubbed his forehead with his hand, feeling a headache coming on. Sometimes it was very difficult to talk with Tirza about school things. Being both her father and professor, the line between the two often seemed to be blurred. The blurry line usually resulted in him feeling like an ogre, even though he felt confidant he was making the correct choice.
"Honey, I love you, you know I do," he said softly. "I'll make you a deal. If you can manage to pull your grade up to a B in three weeks time, I'll revoke your punishment. Deal?"
She shook her head no. "That's not a deal. I love being in the dorms dad and being able to do things, like studying, with my friends. And it's going to be super hard to raise a D to a B in just three weeks! You know I'm not that good.
"Please don't ground me, please? I'll do better, I'll try so much harder," she begged with a sniffle.
Severus sighed loudly. "Tirza that is what you've been promising me. If you want to study with your friends, that is fine but you will do it in my rooms. I'll set up a table with snacks and such, but my word on this is final. I know if you work very hard you can pull your grade up, with my help and extra time for studying."
"Sometimes… sometimes it's horribly unfair being your daughter, a teacher's daughter. Nobody else gets to ground their kids while they are in school. I don't want to have my friends here; I want to be in the dorms. Please be reasonable dad!" Tirza looked down as her tears continued to fall.
"You are right, since most children get far worse. Have you ever thought what it's like for the children who have to go home after their parents have heard what they've done in school? I promise you Tirza, from experience, I know the children get it far worse. I am being reasonable, but if you keep pressing me, it could be worse." Severus was growing irritated with her refusal to understand what he was doing was for her own good, as well as her begging and pleading.
"I could always speak with Professor McGonagall about this. You know that having acceptable grades in all your classes is required for you to stay on the quidditch team. Do you really want me to have to bring this to her? I was going to keep it to myself since you would be working harder at pulling up your grades, but if you really want a harsher punishment, just say the word." His tone was angry now, wishing Tirza would understand.
"That's not what I'm saying!" she shouted. "And that's mean! Please don't go to McGonagall! And I don't care about all those other kids that go home after term to get yelled at or whatever. I don't like being the only one that gets treated different from everyone else!"
Tirza scowled darkly at him. "I think you are being very unfair and I am angry with you right now!"
"Very well Tirza," Severus responded in a soft, dangerous voice. "But your punishment still stands until you make a B. I will not tell Professor McGonagall of your grades. I know that being your farther is hard on you, but have you thought of the benefits?
"Have you thought of the other children who miss their parents, or the children who fail because their parents weren't around to press them to do better? Whether or not you believe it, I am trying to help you Tirza. This, all this, is for your benefit, and someday you will thank me for it!"
Tirza felt so frustrated; sometimes it felt like she would never be good enough in potions to keep from being a disappointment to him. "Can't it be something else? Can't I just have detentions instead?"
Snape shook his head no, looking very determined, though what he really wanted to do was let it go. It was so much easier to make her happy then it was to do things such as this.
"I have considered detentions, however since I've let this go before with your promise of doing better next time, I believe I need to be more direct. I refuse to let you fail because I let it go or I let it slip by with another promise or easier punishment. I refuse to be like your mother and allow you to be hurt in any form or fashion. I love you, Tirza, and I want the best for you always, even though the best is not always the most fun."
When he pulled her into a hug, even though Tirza was upset with him, she hugged him back tightly as she continued to cry. "Wh-what if I can't ever get it? What if I keep disappointing you?"
"Oh sweetheart, you'll never disappoint me by doing your best. It won't be forever."
She shrugged, not looking wholly convinced that her best would really be alright. "I'm going to go to the library and study if it's alright." Tirza kept her head down, feeling both embarrassed and guilty.
"That's fine. I'll be here in my office if you need anything. How would you like to eat in our rooms tonight, we can have your favorite dessert?" Severus smiled, kissing her forehead. He wanted to cheer her up a little, maybe spend some time with her just father/daughter instead of professor/teacher and she might not feel so upset.
Instead, Tirza sighed and grabbed her book bag. "No thanks dad. I'm thinking about studying through supper. Thanks anyway."
He nodded. "I'll send you up something then, I don't want you skipping meals, it isn't healthy. I'm proud of your initiative to start studying right away though."
Tirza headed out the door and towards the library. How could he smile when he was grounding her for heavens sakes? She didn't pay attention to anyone as she went into the library, setting down her school things and going to look for some books on potions.
Sometimes, she felt like a complete failure. She knew her best wasn't going to be good enough; she was already giving her best and it wasn't enough. Did he even understand that she was doing all she could? Maybe she just wasn't very smart…
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A/N: YAY finally a new chapter. Sorry it's short (only 5.5 pages) but the holidays have been SO busy that I am just glad to have something done to post for everyone! Dec. 29, 2005 was the third anniversary of the Tirza stories! YAY! Three whole years, w00t! To celebrate, I am going to put together a quiz here in the next week. Whoever answers the most questions correctly can as me ANY (and I do mean ANY) one question about the series and I will give a completely honest and straightforward answer! Those on my emailing list will get the quiz through there. Those that aren't on the list, email me and I will send it to you also. Just click on my penname and on my user page there is the link to email me. Happy holidays everyone!
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything Harry Potter related. It is owned by JKR and the WB and a whole host of other people that are not me. I am not deriving any profits from the writing of this little story.
COPYRIGHT: The created (not found in Harry Potter) characters are copyrighted by me, and are not to be used for any purpose whatsoever without my consent. This includes, but is not limited too, Tirza herself. The storyline, its plots and chapters that are unique and exclusive to this story are also copyrighted by me. I respectfully request that they, and my characters, are not duplicated in any way, shape or form. Thank you.