Author's Note: Thank you so much for your reviews! I really appreciate the feedback. I hope that with subsequent chapters the family dynamic is better explained, but just for you mypseudonym, a brief family history.
Savannah Jane Snape born 1/1/2008
Samara Nicole Snape born 7/12/2009
Anouk Jolie Snape born 2/11/2011
Cornelius "Nico" Giovanni Snape born 6/22/2012
Ayasha Mahsa Snape born 10/31/2017
Ayasha is the narrator.
The story begins in early November 2037, our narrator is just 20. Snape has died within the first week of the month.
Chapter Two
Two weeks later I was sat on an overstuffed love seat, surrounded by discarded tea bags and various books, some of them my father's diaries while others were photo albums or history books. Each journal had been carefully numbered by my father and placed in a specific order and I read them in the way he grouped each book, knowing I could be risking an eternal haunting if things were not done in the proper order. The first books were easy to get through. They were filled with faded drawings and large print letters, a very young boy first recording his thoughts onto paper. In fact the first journal encompassed 5 years, from six to age eleven, the entries were short and spaced far between but it was to be expected, even from my father.
"1 September, 1970
I am satisfied having been sorted into Slytherin. Anything less and I admit that I would be too frightened to return home ever again. Classes begin tomorrow and I am afraid that I am already left out of all the groups everyone has already formed. I know now that I will be on my own from now until the day I die and I need to get used to it. I appreciate being well versed in magic already, I sense I may need it in the future.
Only one person has so much as said 'Hello' to me. That person is Lucius Malfoy. I was warned about him. Not so much warned as told he is from the Malfoy family, someone not be messed with, but to respect with the highest dignity and honour. I can already tell, as is usually the case with people of such reputation, he is an incoherent moron."
I closed the book and shut my eyes, trying to imagine my father at age eleven. He was already writing like the sarcastic, arrogant old man he would turn out to be. My tea had long turned cold and the milk had curdled slightly in the cup. I got up from the settee, poured the cold, curdled tea down the sink and proceeded to walk out the sleepiness from my limbs. Every extremity tingled, whether from lack of blood flow or my growing knowledge as to the true nature of the man who fathered me, I do not know. I flipped through a few of the books sitting on top of my counter in the kitchen. One was dated for 2030, the year Savannah was married.
"11 June, 2030
My dearest Savannah,
Words cannot express how proud I am of you this day. The sweet little girl I once held in my arms, whom I walked hand in hand with during her first steps, is now being married.
I know that we do not always get along. In fact we never get along. I need you to understand and to know that I never loved you less than than your sisters or your brother.
When you were born it was at 1:11 in the morning on the first of January. There was nearly 3 feet of snow on the ground and we barely made it to the muggle hospital on time, but what can you expect? Your mother was the only one of us who could drive and she could barely fit behind the wheel.
Once you had entered this world I realized how perfect you were, little blonde curls and big blue eyes, looking exactly like your mother. The rest of your siblings did not fare so well in the genetics lottery.
How I cherished that first year we had one another. In fact I was so pleased that Samara was born so quickly afterwards because it gave us some quality time to spend together. You had absolutely no table manners, but I loved you anyway, and though your command of the English language was severely limited, you still made great conversation, responding to everything I ever said to you.
When you were six and still had not come into your magic I was very worried. Both of your sisters, Samara, then just 5 and Anouk 3, had already come into theirs and the house was in a constant state of crisis with two magical little ones and a baby and you, my dearest Savannah. I tried so hard to will the magic into you. I took you with me to Potions seminars, we toured magical cities of America, everything I could think of but it never happened for you and I panicked.
My withdrawal from your life was not because I had given up or because I was disappointed in you. Later I realized I was disappointed in myself, not because my daughter was a squib, but because I let her feel that there was something wrong with her. I didn't know what to do. I was raised as a wizard in a wizard family, even if I was half-blood I was still a wizard. I didn't know what to do with a squib daughter. I immediately put you into school so you would have a chance to make friends with others who were non-magical. Your mother agreed that this was the best possible course for you. I wanted to give you the best possible chances for survival and acceptance in this world and I see now that all I ever succeeded in was pushing you further from me. But if one good thing ever came out of the growing canyon between us, it was the closeness you fostered with your mother. She knew full well I was a wizard but I think that she was bitter about my closeness with the 4 youngest children and she relished every moment the two of you spent together.
When your mother died last year, I tried to be as available as I could be for you, but it was too late. The damage had been done and you were poisoned against me. You are an adult, about to be married and I am a graying old man full of regrets. My biggest regret, however, was forcing you on the muggle world while alienating my precious daughter for her own protection.
I hope that one day you might see it in your heart to forgive an old man.
You loving Father"
I closed the book gently and began to think to myself. Should Savannah read this letter that was very obviously written for her?
I opened the journal back up and tried to read further, but the question nagged in my head and I wondered if there were any more child-specific entries that should be relinquished to the child.
The journals were mine to read, his letters and books and photo albums are now mine to go through. I decided to build a scrapbook of copies for all of us and I would start with Savannah as I think she needed hers the most.
Another note: Sorry for the super short chapter, I've been ill and I am trying to pack for vacation as I leave tomorrow night. When I return I will have a totally new chapter for you all. I hope you enjoyed this one.