Second Family Portrait

Sirius watched the children chasing the football to and fro with interest. They were all mates of Harry. A couple of the kids he recognized. Ron Weasley. Hermione Granger. A few more he was able to identify after some studying. There were two redheaded girls among the playing children but they looked nothing alike.

One girl was an orangey redhead dressed in a pair of faded boy shorts and a blouse; arms and legs covered in freckles. That one was surely the youngest Weasley, Ginny. The other redhead could only just be called that her hair was so dark and muted. If she were inside where the day's weak sunlight could not shine on her crown Sirius would have clocked her as a brunette. She wasn't half as involved in the game as some of the others. No, she seemed intent on bothering a boy a little taller than herself. They shared a chin, the boy and the girl. It was square and jutting. A Bones chin if Sirius ever saw one. The two were no doubt Susan Bones and her cousin, George Bones.

After he identified the pair, Sirius looked around the birthday party for the oldest Bones child, Stephen, but failed to find him. In the end, he grudgingly admitted to himself that was fair. This was a party for a boy going on fourteen. It'd be of little interest to a young wizard newly of age. If he did show up at all today, it would only be to pick up his brother and cousin Sirius reckoned.

The last players of the pickup game going on in the middle of the little park were three girls. They were all unique in appearance. The smallest was a Chinese girl who Sirius knew through deduction was Harry's younger sister. He'd mentioned Gail being adopted like himself. It was only now Sirius was finding out how far the girl had traveled to become a part of Harry's adoptive family. The last two girls, if he squinted, shared a passing resemblance. One of them, a child with inky black hair, brought back hazy memories of his schooldays; of Snape when she had the football stolen from her by Hermione and scowled. The question was now was that one Eileen or Essie?

He looked at the other girl and frowned. Leaning toward Remus, who stood beside him with a sweating glass of punch in hand, Sirius's charmed blond fringe swung into his eyes as he whispered, "That one, the brunette, can't be Snape's daughter."

His mate looked at him out of the corners of his eyes. "I assure you she is," he said between careful sips of his drink. "She looks very much like her mother."

He huffed. "Remus, I don't see an ounce of Snape in her. In fact, she looks a bit like a—"

"Sirius, it doesn't matter," broke in Remus. He turned his head and stared at him in an unusually firm way. "That girl is his daughter."

His attention flickered back to the girl. She seemed like such a serious little thing. The children had paused in their game to show off tricks to one another and Harry had accidentally knocked his glasses from his face trying to bounce the football on his forehead. All of the gathered kids were laughing or smiling but her. She looked a wrong word away from lecturing the whole lot.

Perhaps Remus had a point.

Still, Sirius persisted. "Snape has to know."

The other wizard sighed. "Most definitely," he agreed. "He is many things but a fool is not one."

It was a good point. There were few qualities worth praising in the man but he had always been sharp. Too sharp if you asked Sirius. "You're right," he said. He cocked his head and stared more intently at the girl in question over the silver plastic rims of his Muggle sunglasses. "You think she knows? Children don't always question things; not if everyone acts as if it's normal."

Remus hummed. For a moment, they both just basked in the kids and their antics. George and Ron were taking turns bouncing the football on their knees. It seemed to Sirius they were in the midst of some kind of contest.

"Eileen is a clever girl," he told Sirius at last and he looked again at the girl. The brunette was Eileen, Snape's oldest. If what he'd heard over the year was true, she was the one with a dead twin. He wondered if Eileen had always been a dour girl or if the death of her other half wizened her early. "It's more than possible. It is also just as likely she's not bothered. Snape treats them all the same as far as I saw and heard."

He nodded and watched as half of the kids gave up on George and Ron's football contest in favor of running to Harry's dad, Raymond, who held a plate of sausages fresh from the little grill he'd brought to the park today.

Harry was one of the kids hanging back, but so were Eileen and Gail. Gail was yammering away at Eileen who appeared to be listening with a half-ear as she glared reproachfully at Sirius's godson. Harry, who had walked a few feet off and was bouncing the football on his head again, was oblivious to her distaste.

Sirius didn't think things were going to end well if someone didn't do something soon. An idea came to him. "Do you think we can chat with Snape's girls for a moment?" he asked.

Remus furrowed his brows. "Perhaps," he answered. He gave Sirius a searching look before he suggested, "Why not ask Harry to introduce you to all his mates?"

He grimaced. He'd wanted to distract Eileen from ruining Harry's party. Disrupting Harry's fun didn't feel right. He also fretted it would weaken his new, tenuous relationship with the boy. "This is supposed to be his party—"

"—Nonsense, Harry will like showing them off to you a bit," cut in Remus, loud, and grinning merrily. "He's a bit like James in that way." Stepping away and in the direction of the boy, he waved for Sirius to follow. "Come on," he urged and, with reluctance, Sirius did. Not ten seconds later they stood before his godson.

The boy immediately stopped bouncing his ball and tucked it beneath his arm. His green eyes were thankfully only curious as he stared up at them. "Harry," said Remus warmly. "Happy birthday. Your party has been lovely so far. I'm eager to see how the cake your aunt made for you turned out."

The boy brightened at Remus's praise and interest. "Hello, Mister Lupin. Thank you for coming!" he said. "I'm excited to see Aunt Meryl's cake too. She always makes something wicked. Last year it was shaped like a castle."

"Impressive," said Remus. "I wanted to let you know I was very happy to receive your invitation."

The boy's eyes flitted to Sirius. He smiled. It felt a bit strange to him because he was wearing a charmed grill that made it appear that he had a gap between his two front teeth. Harry, thankfully, didn't seem bothered by the stiffness of his smile. He just returned his attention to Remus and remarked, "Sirius told me when I met him for the first time you and he were friends with James. I didn't know that."

Remus turned his gaze to his glass. "Ah, well, I wasn't entirely sure how to bring it up at Hogwarts…"

Harry's lips pulled into a sympathetic grimace. "I know I didn't make it easy turning down the tutoring you offered," he mumbled.

Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's water under the bridge," he assured.

Harry took in a deep breath and nodded. Smiling once more, he offered, "If you want, you can write me. Dad won't mind. Or you can visit sometime? I'd like to hear a bit about James and Lily if it's not too much trouble."

Sirius felt his heart soar as Remus's adam's apple bobbed. He'd offered to tell Harry about James and Lily during their meeting in June. The boy had asked for time to think about it and now, it seemed, he'd come to a decision.

Sirius was relieved he wanted to know about his first family. It would have hurt to be made to keep all his stories about his best friend locked behind his teeth when around his son. For Harry, his godson, he would have done it but Sirius wouldn't have been happy. He'd have felt the war, Pettigrew, stole yet another thing from him.

"I'd be delighted to visit and exchange letters," Remus told the boy with a rough voice. "We— I know your parents are wonderful people who love you and shared so many important things with you. You're their son, no doubt there, but I still see James and Lily in you at times. It'd make us – me – happy to tell some stories about them and show you a few photos and things."

Harry nodded and looked yet again at Sirius. "It was my sister Gail who convinced me I should listen to you about them," he explained. "She was abandoned, you see. She says Lily and James loved me and that I should appreciate it. Get to know them however I can. They were as real as parents to me as Mum was, as Dad is."

"Wise girl," murmured Sirius.

Harry laughed. "Sometimes," he said. "Really I think she's more curious than me. She found the Potter name in one of my textbooks last year. She's been bothering me to find out if I'm related to the bloke or not. Gail thinks it'd be brill if I'm related to some famous inventor."

Sirius bit his tongue. He almost pointed out Harry was famous.

"Yes," said Remus with a chuckle. "I can help you find out that sort of thing too if you want."

Harry beamed.

Sirius nudged Remus, making the other wizard blink. "Ahem," he grumbled, glancing between the two.

His mate's mouth briefly turned into a small 'o' before he grasped Sirius's arm and said, "Harry, this is my mate Simon."

The boy snickered. "Nice to meet you, Simon," he said while putting out a hand for him to shake.

Sirius smirked and played along. "You too," he replied.

"We were wondering if you might introduce us to your mates and sister," Remus explained. "I doubt Simon in particular will have the chance to see many of them again."

Harry hesitated. "I'm not sure the Snapes—"

"I do still remember how to be polite," he broke in brusquely.

The boy fidgeted with his fingers.

"It might make them feel excluded if you don't introduce them, don't you think?" pressed Remus softly, persuasively.

Harry sighed. "Yes," he grudgingly agreed. "Just—" he stopped and turned big, begging eyes on Sirius. "Eileen might be short. I think she recognizes you."

He gaped. "How?" he demanded, looking over in the direction of the girl. She and Gail had joined the other children in eating lunch. They were sharing a plate of potato salad and scones. She seemed to be quite attuned to Sirius as she picked up on his gaze quickly and narrowed her eyes.

Harry waved at her.

She nodded and returned to rabbiting with Gail. "I think her mum probably told her to be careful," admitted Harry. "She'd know then to keep an eye out for suspicious people."

Exasperated, Sirius gestured to himself. He was wearing a pretty good disguise he thought. What, with the charmed hair, grill, and his only slightly dated Muggle leather jacket and sunglasses. "This looks suspicious?"

"You're with Mister Lupin," answered Harry. "She likes him just fine but knows he is mates with you."

He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Snape shouldn't have told them," he complained. "You kids should be kept out of what goes on between us."

"Sir— Simon," warned Remus.

Harry looked up at him, solemn. "If he did that we could get hurt or find ourselves in dangerous situations," the boy told Sirius. "No one knew Pettigrew was the real bad guy at first."

He deflated a bit at the kid's sensible words. That wasn't a James trait. He wasn't really sure he'd call it a Lily one either. Perhaps it was his adoptive parents who taught him pragmatism. Or just growing up with an ill mother had.

Sirius was sorry he'd missed out on meeting Lynne Cross. What little Harry had shared about her told Sirius she was a strong woman. He was sure she and Lily were getting on like a house on fire in the afterlife right now.

"I suppose you're right," he conceded. "He still could have tried to be a bit more vague," grumbled Sirius as he raked a hand through his fringe.

Harry shrugged. "Nothing to be done about it now," he said. "I guess I can at least try to introduce you to them along with everybody else." He shuffled a bit. "Just don't be cross if they don't want to talk to you. Darla told me Mister Snape was very blunt about how badly you two got on when it came out you escaped."

Sirius hadn't even known the bastard had kids until halfway through the school year. When he did learn about the girls he hadn't cared. Plenty of people he thought were awful had children now. His focus had remained on killing Peter and protecting Harry. That's still where it was, honestly.

He was only curious now because he'd been informed and shown that Harry was mates with them all. All Sirius wanted to do was meet them and make sure there wasn't anything blatantly wrong with the girls. Sirius would never forgive himself if Harry ended up hurt or worse because he was friends with bad children.

"Sure, I can do that," he promised.

Harry exhaled and nodded. "Okay, let's start with Gail and Eileen then."

The boy then trotted over toward the two, Remus and him on his heels. As they got nearer, Eileen's eyes grew more shifty while Gail hurried to finish the scone in her hand. "Hey," said Harry as he stopped in front of the girls. "This is my old professor Remus Lupin and his mate Simon."

"'Lo!" chirped Gail. Her eyes were wide as she said, "Mister Lupin, you're the one who taught defense against the dark arts, right?"

"I did," answered Remus with a smile.

Gail nodded. "Harry said this was the first year he really liked the class!" She turned toward Eileen whose eyes had fixed themselves on Sirius with an uncomfortable intensity (he wondered if she knew legilimency. Did Snape know legilimency? It was more than probable Sirius reckoned. Such a skill would be conducive to being a spy for the Order). "Eileen," she said, grabbing at her pale arm and shaking it. "You liked his class too, right?"

"Yes," she answered. "It was much better than Lockhart's." Eileen then pursed her lips and said, "Are you a wizard too, Mister Simon?"

"Ah, yes," he stuttered.

Gail made a noise of interest. "Oh?" she said. "You blend in very well! You dress like my dad's friend Terry. He likes to ride motorbikes."

"I do too," admitted Sirius. "I learned about them from some Half-blood mates when I was a kid and have been interested in them since."

Gail laughed. "That sounds like Harry's friends and footie."

"Oh yeah?"

She bobbed her head and turned her gaze back to Remus and Harry. "Did you tell him yet about the footie league at Hogwarts?"

"No, they didn't," replied Sirius before Remus or Harry could say anything. He turned a curious eye on his friend and godson. "Slip your minds?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "There's been other stuff to talk about. I'd have brought it up eventually."

"And you?" Sirius asked Remus. "I've seen you a lot more than Harry here."

"I suppose it did slip my mind," Remus answered. He fiddled with the hem of his sleeve. "You never had much interest in the game the couple of times I tried to explain it to you, growing up."

"Darla sort of started it," said Eileen, startling Sirius. He hadn't expected her to say much at all since it'd taken Gail prodding her to speak before.

Gail bumped shoulders with the other girl and supplied, "That's Eileen's aunt."

"Ah," Sirius murmured.

Eileen looked away from Sirius at last. He itched to see what had caught her attention instead but didn't want to seem rude to Gail. "She was trying to help Harry. Hermione and Ron didn't get along well at first."

Gail nibbled at her lip. "I remember that," she murmured. She leaned propped her chin in her hand and asked Harry, "Do you remember that you wrote me to ask what to do?"

Sirius's godson lowered his gaze to his toes. "You've always had more friends than me…"

He raised an eyebrow at that. What did that mean? Had he been shy before? Or—

Eileen cleared her throat. "Anyway," she broke in. "Trish Stimpson is supposed to be in charge of the league now that Darla's graduated. I heard she doesn't handle stress well."

"She's just got to organize when the games and practices happen," Harry said. "That shouldn't be too much. The teams are already made."

Eileen scoffed and flicked a lock of wavy brown hair over her shoulder.

"If you think she's going to do such a bad job why didn't you say anything to Darla?" asked Harry, frowning at his friend.

The girl pursed her lips. Sirius, who couldn't say what compelled him, asked to diffuse the row brewing, "Do you, uh, play on the league with Harry, Eileen?"

The girl turned her attention to him. She blinked at Sirius as if he'd said something stupid. Sirius ground his teeth together. Eileen didn't look an ounce like her dad but she sure as Hell could inspire the same anger in his gut with a bat of her dark lashes. "No."

"Eileen draws like me!" proclaimed Gail, narrow chest puffed out as she smooshed her cheek against the other girl's. "She's very good."

Snape's daughter flushed. "I'm not better than you," she told the other girl. "Professor Sinistra is just nearby to critique my things." A tentativeness softened over her previously rigid features. "Would you like to send some of your pictures to me sometime? I can ask her to look at them and write down her notes on what to fix."

"Would you Eileen?" pleaded Gail.

She lifted her lips into a closed-lip smile. "Of course."

"Let's go talk to the others," Harry said to Sirius and Remus. "They're going to start discussing colored pencils or something."

"Oh?" replied Remus, eyes bright.

Harry smiled, eyes crinkling with amusement before he started off again. Sirius and Remus hurried after the boy. With confidence, Harry walked up to the other Snape-girl. She, unlike her sister, was alone. There were a pair of abandoned paper plates at her right, however, and her eyes were on the Weasley siblings. The two were at the picnic table turned food table and wore glazed expressions as they were talked at by a middle-aged woman.

Sirius chuckled. He had suspicions about what had happened there. Snape's daughter was wise to keep herself parked beneath the tree the three had been eating under.

"Essie!" called Harry and the girl's black gaze snapped to them.

She turned her head in their direction "Hi, Harry," she said, lifting a hand. Her eyes then landed on Remus and him and she shrank in on herself a bit. "Mister Lupin and, um?"

"Simon will do," he tells the girl while sticking his hands in the pockets of his trousers and going for what he hoped was a relaxed stance. Maybe if he seemed at ease she would become more comfortable too. Snape's girl or not, he didn't like a kid being so nervous around him.

She nodded. "Mister Simon."

He cracked a smirk at that. "Aren't you polite?" he chuckled.

Essie frowned and glanced towards the Weasleys. "Harry," she started, "Ron and Ginny—"

"Are fine," broke in Harry, looking at the siblings. "Aunt Meryl's just telling them a story about my cousins or something." He then held down a hand to her. Essie eyed it warily and Harry huffed. "Come on, I know Eileen's told you he doesn't bite."

"You're not funny," the girl snapped as Remus cringed beside Sirius.

Harry drooped. "Please, Essie? Please?" he begged, wriggling the fingers on his still-offered hand. "This is my birthday party."

The girl bit her lip. Remus brushed past Sirius and laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry, it's all right," he murmured. "If Essie would be more comfortable elsewhere…"

The boy sighed. "Fine," he relented, retracting his hand. "Go on, go rescue Ron and Ginny from Aunt Meryl."

Essie didn't hop to her feet. Instead, she glanced once more from Harry to him and Remus. "What," she began as she pushed herself up onto her feet by her own violation. "What did you want?"

Harry's wilted figure sprung back to life as he half-turned from them to wrap an arm around Essie. The girl, Sirius saw, pressed into Harry. This one, if he remembered correctly, was the Gryffindor daughter. He imagined sharing a common room made them a closer pair than Harry and Eileen; even if the age gap between them was bigger.

"Just to introduce you to Simon," explained Harry. He grinned up at them. "He's Remus's friend."

"Oh?" replied Essie, eyes narrowing on Sirius. He did his best not to react. The girl had probably realized now he wasn't who he purported to be. "You're meeting everybody?" she asked, looking past him and Remus and at the other party-goers.

Sirius nodded. "I hope to," he answered. Truly, he did. These people were Harry's family and mates. He wanted to know their names, learn a bit about them all, and be reassured Harry was well-loved.

Essie smiled at last. "I suppose that's okay then."

He almost rolled his eyes. Sirius didn't need her approval to meet those closest to his godson. All the same, it was going to pay to be nice right now. "Thank you," he replied. Then, cocking his head a bit, he asked, "I've been told you're in Gryffindor with Harry?"

"Yes, I am," agreed the girl, sharing an affectionate look with Harry. "I help Harry with potions and he helps me with charms."

"That so?" murmured Sirius. He found he wasn't all that surprised. Essie was definitely younger but she'd grown up with a potions master for a dad. Snape probably had the kid learn to identify ingredients in her sleep. "You must be pretty good at potions then."

"I am!" she chirped, confident and comfortable at last. Face lifting with pride, she bragged to Sirius, "My dad tells me all of the time if he could he'd have me in classes alongside his fourth-year students."

"Impressive," he complimented, more amused than annoyed by her bad behavior. And Remus had said this girl was the anxious one? He wasn't seeing it at all now that they were on a topic she apparently liked.

"Thank you," she said, pale cheeks rosy from the praise. "Do you like potions too?" she inquired, a hopefulness gleaming in her large, black eyes.

Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "It was one of my better subjects," he hedged. He had done well in the class. Though, that was more because James was his partner than because he cared about it. He'd certainly liked some of the things they made, though. "But I always preferred Transfiguration and Muggle studies," he admitted.

"Oh," said the girl. Her eyes flickered to Remus and her nerves, which she'd lost, made a reappearance. "And, um, What did you like, Mister Lupin?" she stammered out.

Sirius's mate blinked. He could tell he was surprised the kid was addressing him directly. Merlin, what kind of things had Snape been telling her about them for her to be so scared?

"Me? Charms hands down," he answered.

The girl perked a bit at this. "Edie likes charms too," she imparted. "Sometimes she gets advice from Professor Flitwick when one gives her trouble."

"Edie… That's your mum?" he replied as he processes this tidbit.

It was interesting. Snape hadn't been bad at Charms when they were all students (then again, he hadn't really been bad at anything, the prat). His wife must be outpacing him, however, if Snape's letting her chat with Flitwick about her Charms problems.

"Yes," said the girl. Hurriedly, she tacked on, "She doesn't mind us calling her by her name."

Sirius hummed. He bet Essie (and the rest) had to explain that one pretty often. It was quite unusual for children, especially magical ones, to call their parents by their first names. "Ah, right. Harry told me that, once," he said.

Essie squinted at him a moment before relaxing once more. She then focused her attention to the right, from the direction he, Remus, and Harry approached her from. "Eileen's waving at us," she commented to Harry.

The boy shook his mess of black hair. "No, at you, I think."

Essie pulled herself out from under Harry's arm. Sirius looked over his shoulder to see Eileen waving — insistently — at her little sister. "Oh, you're right," she mumbled to Harry. Taking a tiny step in the direction of her sister, she started, "I should—"

"Hey, Essie," cut in Harry before the girl could trot off.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming," Harry said and Sirius couldn't help but smile at his godson. He was a sweet kid. His adoptive parents had done very well with him. Sirius was almost grateful they'd been the ones to raise him.

He didn't think any kid he raised would be half as polite.

"You should thank Edie when she picks us up," Essie replied as she made a "wait" gesture at her sister. "She rowed with Sev to let us come. He didn't like the idea of us being here without him."

Sirius's previous good mood simmered into something cool and displeased. Remus, beside him, sighed. He didn't think his mate was happy about this news either. "I will," promised Harry.

"Okay, I got to go see what Eileen wants now," said Essie as she turned her back on them. Her pigtails slipped from her front to her shoulder blades as she murmured, "She's wearing her Sev-frown."

Harry laughed at that. "Go on," he urged, and with that, Essie took off toward her sister.

"Sorry," said Harry as he looked back at them. "Maybe I should have had us meet her later. Essie is kind of sensitive; Eileen probably didn't like it was just us and her."

"No, that was fine," Sirius comforted, reaching over to ruffle his godson's hair. "It sounds like she's a clever girl; it's good she's helping you out with potions. Your— Lily used to get potions help from Snape too, back in the day,"

"Yeah? I can see it," replied Harry, rubbing his chin. "He's sure taught Essie and Eileen a lot."

Sirius chuckled. "Eileen's good at potions too, is she?"

"Yes but I don't think she likes it the way Essie does," explained Harry. He then spun around and, with excited eyes, asked, "So who do you want to meet next? Ron and his little sister? Or we could go talk to Hermione, George, and Susan."

-O-

Sirius watched with mild interest as a woman, a touch on the short side, approached Harry's adoptive dad, Raymond. She wasn't overly remarkable at a first glance, a dark brunette with pale, average features. Raymond smiled at the woman when she spoke and the two grew more expressive as they conversed. The woman turned, tucking a long lock behind her ear. The movement had him choke back a gasp. A scar covered her lower face. She had to be the Snape girls' mother.

He grabbed Remus's elbow and leaned close to hiss in his ear, "That's their mother?"

"Yes," answered his friend as he followed Sirius's stare to the duo.

He scrubbed his chin and found himself studying her more closely. She was dressed in a long, teal-colored dress and wore a cardigan over the top. The outfit didn't scream witch but it also didn't look overly Muggle. Either way, she seemed quite comfortable in it and the park. Sirius wondered if Snape's wife spent a lot of time flitting between this place and Hogwarts with her girls.

This afternoon had shown him Harry was indeed good mates with Snape's daughters.

"Huh," he said at last.

Remus looked at him a moment and then at the woman, who was drawing to a close in her conversation with Raymond. "I think we could say hello if that's something you're interested in," he offered.

Sirius breathed out a breath of air. "Maybe," he dithered. "I — I just want to understand," he confessed as he took a little step toward her, a frown tugging at his lips. "The sister's not that different from Snape but the girls," he murmured, reflecting on the three. He tilted his head back to look at Remus whose expression had grown tight around his eyes. "It's got to be their mum, right? That's why they're nice kids?"

His friend pursed his lips and the tightness in his eyes intensified. "Sirius," he chided. "I told you, he's a good father."

He didn't believe it. Couldn't. Snape was— He had wanted to be everything Sirius rejected. Sirius had rejected those things because they were wrong. It meant Snape was wrong (had been, he would add, when feeling generous). A man like that, he could only bring out the worst, not the best, in others.

"She's got to be doing most of the raising," he said finally, quirking his brows at Remus, daring him to disagree.

"…Yes, I imagine she is," his mate relented after a hesitation.

He got the impression Remus didn't think so but wasn't interested in arguing with him. Sirius wanted to end this day on a good note. So, he nodded. "Just a quick hello," he asked of the other man.

Remus exhaled and strode past, forcing Sirius to follow him on his heels as they strode toward Missus Edie Snape. "Let's hurry up then," his friend muttered under his breath. Thankfully, Sirius was taller than Remus and had a good view of Edie over his shoulder as they approached. Her eyes widened a fraction while the rest of her face stayed placid and non-threatening.

She'd be good at poker, Sirius wagered.

"Hello, Remus," said the witch when they came to a halt just steps from her. "An' mate," she added, tipping her head at him.

"Afternoon, Edie," replied Remus, inflection friendly. "How are you?"

"Well," she replied, corners of her lips turning up in a small, cordial smile. "Yerselves?"

"Good," answered Remus as Sirius blinked at the accent he was hearing. Where had Snape met this witch? "It was a nice party."

"Happy ter hear tha'," said Edie, her eyes settled on Sirius. "An' wha' am I ter call yeh?"

"I'm Simon," he supplied after an embarrassing beat of silence on his part.

"Simon," echoed Edie. Her face turned toward the kids who remained (Harry, Gail, the Snape girls, and Bones children). "Harry's dad told me they all had fun," she told them.

"They definitely did," assured Remus with a little laugh. "There was lots of footie had and I think everyone enjoyed the food."

Edie sighed. "Good," she said. Her lips parted a moment before she closed them and firmed her expression into something less tentative. "Sev'rus worried."

"I'm sure," murmured Remus with emphatic sympathy. He, carefully, brushed a hand over Edie's arm to capture her full attention once more. When blue eyes landed on Remus, he told the witch, "If you think it would help, do let him know we — No, I will always do my best to not make your daughters uncomfortable."

"Thank yeh," replied Edie, eyes mellowing from what Sirius hypothesized was relief. "I'll try."

Then, before he or Remus could try to find something else to say, one of the kids — Susan — shouted, "Edie!"

The three of them looked over to see the two Snape daughters seemed to have fallen into some quibble. Their pale cheeks were both flushed and Essie was waving one of her arms around while Eileen vehemently shook her head. "I see duty calls. Take care, Edie," said Remus as he stepped away, allowing her to pass them easily.

She nodded at the two of them as she strode away. "Yeh too."

Once she was out of earshot, Sirius felt compelled to remark, "She's definitely responsible for the manners those girls have."

"Absolutely," agreed Remus with a grin.

And that's all the Snape ladies! What did you all think?

Thank you so much for reading everyone!