A/N Sorry for the long wait! School has been busy, and now I'm on spring holiday and finally got all my travels done and finally home...finally. Haha, so please don't hate me, and yes this chapter has not been edited, which I will try to do. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it. Love suggestions about what YOU want to read! xxx
Emily stood in the living quarters waiting with Alex. He had his traveling cloak on, and she had hers as well, which was noticeably grey and worn. It had a musty smell that Emily did her best to ignore. She watched as the professor walked out into the main room wearing fairly plain brown robes, and it seemed odd seeing the professor out of his customary black. Emily looked at the potion and flash that he set on the table as he pulled on his cloak.
"For the time being, refer to me as your Uncle Agnoltus. Should anyone ask, you are cousins." Professor Snape said, first directing his attention to Emily then to the both of them. She nodded once and watched as the professor took the potion. It was a few moments and a grimace later that she watched in fascination as the professor suddenly shrunk a solid two inches, his frame grew wider than his normal long figure and his hair lightened to a golden brown. He wasn't an overly attractive man, but he wasn't ugly.
"We shall travel by portkey." He said, his voice was charmed into a slightly lighter tone, and it took away some of his severness, but it wasn't him. Emily stared frozen for a moment, but then Alex touched her shoulder and she was spurred back to life and stepped forward. The portkey was a small empty tin and she touched it, mentally preparing herself for the pulling sensation and not a moment too soon she felt the beginning of the pull. With a sickening wrentch she found herself flying nad suddenly standing once more. As like before Emily lost her balance and she found she was caught by the brown haired man that was severus snape. His arms didn't quite feel the same nad she looked up at him, staring into his face.
"Now then. I think our first stop should be to madam malkins. Alexander, you need a few new jumpers as well." Their father said and the children followed in stride. Emily walked down the street in sheer amazement. Her trip to diagon alley before had been a hurried affair that didn't give her nearly any time to absorb anything that was actually going on. It had been a fleeting trip to procure a wand, and get fitted for old robes, beyond that all of her supplies had been shipped to her by the ministry.
"Good day, can I help you?" the plump woman said, and their father gave her instructions in his regal voice. She then set to work measuring both children and Emily watched in amazement as school robes, as well as various other articles of clothing stacked themselves in considerably tall piles onto the counter by the till.
"Sir." Emily said in a weak voice, unsure of addressing the potions professor. He looked down at her, and even in this different body she could tell it was him. "You, you don't have to get all this…" She said weakly, but he looked into her eyes for a moment before responding.
"You deserve articles of a proper nature, not cast offs." He said straightening. She blushed quietly and watched as the parcels were magically wrapped and disappeared with a pop.
They continued various errands, supplying Emily with basics, and restocking various items that both alex and the professor needed.
"I have business to attend to in knockturn alley." He said carefully looking at the two of them. "Here is some money, I will meet you at the leaky cauldron in approximately one hour." He said handing each of them a few galleons. The nodded obediently and watched as he disappeared into the crowd.
"Where do you want to go?" Emily asked.
"Let's go to Zonkos! We can get sweets for the holidays." Alex said and Emily smiled enthusiastically. She squeezed her money tightly in her hand and they ran through the crowed towards the brightly lit shop. Emily felt a strange exhiliration run through her at the excitement she felt, and the freedom. This was what it must be like to be taken care of? She could scarecly imagine what it would be like to grow up like this, never wanting, things simply given.
They made it to the brightly lit shop and Emily's eyes grew wide. The two children looked through the shop, and Alex showed her all of the crazy and unique things the main Zonkos had to offer that their flagship store in hogsmead didn't. With their pockets stuffed full of sweets and each a bag with a small trinket, they made their way to the leaky cauldron. The light had long faded as it did during winter in London, and the streets were beginning to empty.
"Alex…" Emily said in a worried tone as they walked. He looked down to the younger girl. "Perhaps we should hurry?" She said nervously.
"Don't worry, we've got loads of time." Alex said as they walked. Emily was silent, but she was not worried about the time, but more about the uneasy feeling that was growing on her. The streets were quiet, which seemed odd, even though Emily had little experience to go by. As the snow softly drifted down onto the dimly lit streets Alex took a deep breath and looked around.
"Maybe we should hurry." He said. Both children picked up their pace as they made their way towards the old pub. They finally made it into the warm reception, and a crackling fire lit the room, with oil lamps scattered about. There were enough people there that the pub didn't feel empty, but there was a tense feeling in the air, like everyone knew something wasn't quite right but they didn't want to recognize it. There was the buzz of various conversations here nad there and Emily followed Alex, as it seemed the boy obviously was heading towards their normal meeting spot in the pub.
They passed in front of the bar and in a flurry a man stood, his chair falling back with a crack and he turned sharply on Emily. His movements were simply a flash and there was a look of pure surprise on his face as she stared at the two frozen kids. The man was big, big and thick like a tree trunk would be, and his shaggy graying hair framed a squashed face with beady brown eyes. Those eyes held something of a wild look as he observed the two, and both children were frozen staring at the man.
"Everything okay here, sir?" The barkeep said, sensing the tension that the man had suddenly set off with the encounter. Emily's heart was racing and she knew immediately she didn't like this man. She was barely conscious of grabbing onto Alex's arm, but she could feel a cold fear run down her spine as the man observed her.
"Just… thought I sensed someone." He said, still staring at them. His voice was deep, and he was dressed in heavy robes of someone who spent a good deal of time outside.
"May I help you?" A voice slithered in. Although different, the tone was not lost on Emily and she felt a rush of relief as she spied the unfamiliar, yet familiar brown haired man. He manueverd himself in between the man and the two kids and Emily watched as the large man looked down at the professor.
"Nothing that concerns you." He said in his slow cracked baritone.
"As their Uncle, I do think this is my concern." He spoke, his voice a perfect monotone. The large man was most certainly more braun than brains, because he puffed his chest up eyeing the short man dressed in fairly unattractive brown robes.
"I don't like your tone, who are you to be comin' round here?" The man said. The children watched tensely, and the low hum of conversation in the room had ceased.
"Now listen, I don't want any trouble in here, you both best be on your way." The bar keeper said. The large man, turned on him with an incredulous eye and the bar keep took a step back, looking at the large man.
"We were just on our way, good day." The non-severus said, and he quickly turned ushered the two children a few yards further before producing an old chocolate frog box, thrusting it forward towards the two children who instinctively grabbed onto the box and immediately felt the harsh tug of the portkey.
When they arrived back inside their chambers, Emily watched as the professor immediately downed a lavender potion and his face began to bubble and change and soon emerged the normally dark potions professor, clad in the awful brown robes.
"What happened?" He said in a calm voice to the to of them. Emily felt a chill run down her spine, it was strange seeing the feared potions master appear before her, and it was still true that her feelings about the entire situation were quite mixed.
"I don't know, we just walked past him and he just…" Alex said, throwing his hands out in a frustrated gesture as he sat down heavily on the couch. Emily stood uncomfortably, staring between the two males.
"Does this have to do with the threads?" Emily asked. Alex fell silent and she saw the professor freeze, then slowly look between the two of them.
"I think there is a conversation we need to have with the headmaster." Severus said.