"Elizabeth!" Ron and Hermione were bounding toward them, the Weasley family and Hermione's parents behind them.
Elizabeth hurriedly shrugged off Severus' arm and ran forward to meet her friends, while Severus rolled his eyes. Nothing more embarrassing than being hugged in public, he thought, wishing again that he hadn't missed the time when she didn't mind if people saw her with him.
"We're on our way to Flourish and Blotts," Hermione informed them. "Hello, Professor Snape."
"Miss Granger," Severus inclined his head. "Mr. Weasley."
"My mum says we can go ahead if we stay together," Ron said, in way of greeting.
"Dad?" Elizabeth looked up at him. "We'll be careful, I promise."
Severus frowned, while the rest of the Weasley children ran up. "Hey, Professor," the twins chorused.
Percy followed, holding Ginny's hand at a slower pace. "Good morning, Professor."
"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," Severus leaned down to look at his daughter. "Be careful, go only to the bookstore." He paused. "And stay with Percy."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Thank you!" And the children were off, toward the bookstore.
Severus walked back toward the adults. He exchanged good mornings with the Weasleys, pulling Arthur away from Mr. Granger as the wizard pumped the other man for Muggle information.
"Severus, these are Hermione's parents, Jean and Emma Granger," Molly introduced. "This is Severus Snape, the children's Potions professor."
"Pleased to meet you," Emma Granger, extended her hand. "You're Elizabeth's father?"
Severus shook her hand and her husband's. "I am. I'm sorry we weren't able to meet this summer."
"Hermione assured us that we could use the… flow?" Jean looked confused.
"Floo," Severus supplied.
"Yes, the floo. She said that we could use it, Muggles or not, but we decided that we were just not adventurous enough."
"We really aren't the kind of people that send our child to a house when we've never met the parents," Emma added. "But you're a teacher at the school, so it seemed silly to quibble over it."
"Yes. Well," Severus was unsure what to say to this monologue. "I need to stop by the bank before the book shop."
"We were just on our way there," Molly said. "The Grangers need to exchange their Muggle money."
"I never can remember all this Wizarding money…" Jean poked through his pockets, and
Severus resisted rolling his eyes. Clearly, Hermione's intelligence was not genetic. "29 knuts to a sickle, 17 sickles in a galleon. It's just like Muggle money, just different denominations. 4 farthings to a pence, 12 pence in a shilling, 5 shillings in a crown, 4 crowns in a pound." He looked at his companions, and saw that he'd only succeed in confusing all of them, the Grangers with the Wizarding money and the Weasleys with the Muggle money. "Nevermind."
*S*S*
"You were in Knockturn Alley?" Ron looked at Elizabeth in awe.
"Oh Elizabeth, you weren't! There are terrible things down there!" Hermione was already worked up into a rule-breaking induced tizzy because Ron had insisted on stopping at the Quiddich store. "Professor Snape said to go straight to the bookstore!" She'd protested, but the other two were busy looking in the windows.
"It wasn't that big of a deal," Elizabeth shrugged, emboldened by her current state of safety. "Malfoy's dad was there, at Borgin and Bukes."
"As if they don't have enough money already," Hermione glanced down the street. "Percy is really far ahead."
"Relax, Hermione." Elizabeth turned to Ron. "You want to go in? We probably have time."
"You are out of time," Severus' voice floated over her shoulder.
"Hi, Dad." Elizabeth grimaced.
"Hello, indeed." His hand settled on her back. "Come along, before you outright disobey me instead of just hovering on the edge."
"Elizabeth," Mr. Weasley's voice had lost it's enthusiasm he'd been using to discuss bicycles with Mr. Granger. "Did Lucius buy anything?"
"Draco's dad? No, he was selling—
"So he's worried." Arthur mused. "I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy on something…"
"Careful, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley warned. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew—
"Molly," Severus cut her off. "Maybe there is a more appropriate conversation in front of the children?"
Mrs. Weasley looked slightly abased. "Of course, you're right, Severus. Nevermind, Arthur. Ron, do you have your book list?"
Ron handed it over as they neared the bookshop.
"What is going on here?" Severus raised an eyebrow at the over-crowded store. Elizabeth scanned the crowd, and then looked up to see a banner stretched above the door.
GILDEROY LOCKHART
Will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
Today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
"Oh, Ginny, look!" Mrs. Weasley had seen the banner as well. "We'll get to meet him!"
Elizabeth glanced at Hermione and found her in a similar state of excitement. In fact, every witch around her was suddenly patting her hair. She looked up at her father, who raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. "It seems that your earlier question is about to be answered."
"Who is Gilderoy Lockhart?" Ron asked.
"Honestly, Ron! Don't you know anything?"
"Hermione," her mother scolded. "Be nice."
"Sorry, Mum, but he wrote like the entire book list." Hermione said, not looking sorry at all.
The pack pushed their way into the store while Elizabeth hung back. Severus pulled her to his side. "I know how you feel, hatchling. Let's get in and out, alright?" She nodded vigorously. They made their way to the front of the store, where Severus pointed out The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 for Elizabeth to pick up.
Severus then steered her towards the back of the store where the rest of their group was huddled.
"Oh, there you are," Mrs. Weasley was brushing invisible dust off her robes. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"
Gilderoy Lockhard was sitting at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, wearing blue robes that matched his eyes.
"Hey!" Ron was jostled by a photographer looking for a better shot.
"Out of the way, there," the man growled. "This is for the Daily Prophet."
Ron made a face that made it clear what he thought of the Daily Prophet. In response to the commotion, Lockhart looked up from the book he was signing, his gaze traveling from Ron to… "It can't be Elizabeth Evans!"
Before Severus could block for her, Lockhart dived forward, seized her arm, and pulled her to the front. The other witches in the crowd grudgingly clapped, obviously irritated that if Lockhart was going to grab someone, it wasn't them.
Elizabeth's face was on fire as Lockhart put his arm around her.
"Nice big smile, sweetheart," said Lockhart. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
Severus, seeing his daughter's mortification, stepped in front of the camera and held out his hand for her to take.
"Severus Snape!" Lockhart exclaimed, not relinquishing his hold on the child. "Ladies and gentlemen," he waved his free arm for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement!"
"When little Elizabeth stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, she only wanted to buy my autobiography," he grinned at Mrs. Weasley, and went on in a voice that oozed smoothness, "Three weeks atop the best seller list, so who can blame her?
"When she stepped in here to fulfill a fantasy of so many witches," Elizabeth felt ill. Lockhart rushed on, "she had no idea that she would shortly be getting much, much more than my book. She will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" He squeezed her shoulder again.
"Yes, not only will Elizabeth be receiving all my books today, and my services as a teacher, but seeing as her father and I will soon be colleagues, she will doubtlessly be receiving mentoring from me throughout the year." He flashed his grin again. "I will be glad to assist this young lady by being the person who treats her as a normal person, as I understand the pain that can come with fame."
Severus' patience was wearing thin. He didn't want a scene, not with photographers there, but the thought of his daughter spending any time with this oily-smooth man made his stomach turn. He stepped forward and held out his hand for Lockhart to shake, forcing him to let go of Elizabeth.
"Welcome to the staff," Severus shot a look at Elizabeth, who fled to the front of the store. Severus untangled himself easily, Lockhart didn't want him, after all, and followed. When he found Elizabeth, she was standing with the Weasley children and Arthur. He looked down at his daughter. "Are you alright?"
Elizabeth shrugged and made a face. "He called me sweetheart," the word dripped off her tongue like a profanity.
Severus smirked. "Remus calls you that."
"It is not the same thing," she said, the vehemence in her voice rivaling how she'd spoken to Quirrell.
"I know," Severus took her spell book. "I'll finish in here. Go outside with Mr. Weasley," He glanced at Arthur who nodded.
"It's too crowded in here," Mr. Weasley said, turning to usher Elizabeth and his own children out into the fresh air. But before they could make it outside, they were interrupted.
"Well, well, well— Arthur Weasley."
It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, and Elizabeth could see again that Draco had inherited his snippy disposition in addition to his pinched face.
"Lucius," Mr. Weasley was as cold as Elizabeth had ever heard him.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," Lucius sneered. "I'd say you must be doing well… but obviously not," he fished a battered book out of Ginny's cauldron. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
Elizabeth looked around for her father, but could only just make out the top back of his head across the crowd.
A crash made her turn back around to see Mr. Weasley and Draco's dad on top of each other on the floor. Ginny's books had spilled from her cauldron and she was frantically trying to put them back. George was cheering his father on, and Fred was doing a fair amount of encouraging as well, but not before he had one arm around his sister and one around Elizabeth.
"Impedimenta!" Severus' voice snapped like a whip, the spell freezing the two men so that Snape could pull them off each other.
"Brawling, Lucius? Like a common Muggle?" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he dumped the slowly recovering Death Eater on the floor.
Mrs. Weasley was beside him, scolding her equally dazed husband. "A fine example for your children! What Gilderoy Lockhart must have thought…"
"He was pleased," Fred still had a hand on both girls and pushed them through the door and out into the sunshine. "Didn't you hear him? He thinks this will add to his publicity."
Mrs. Weasley pushed a slow moving Arthur outside as well, dodging the quicker-recovering Lucius who swept out the door with Draco in tow. Severus was just behind.
"Thank you, Mr. Wealsey," he nodded at Fred and took Elizabeth's arm. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day." He raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "Ready?"
She nodded. The day hadn't played out the way she'd anticipated.
*S*S*
"I'm going to Hogwarts for the day," Severus said a few days before the term began. "I have less work to do than I thought, so if I go for the next couple of days, you won't have to spend any extra nights in the dungeons."
"I don't mind." Elizabeth had finished breakfast and was laboring over her milk.
"Even so, Remus is coming over to stay for the day while I'm away."
Elizabeth giggled, and Severus raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me?"
Elizabeth shook her head, trying to suppress her laughter. "It rhymed."
"I'm sorry?"
"'Stay for the day while I'm away.'" Elizabeth sing-songed.
Severus raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Heaven help me. Do you think you could remain focused on the content of this conversation and not its poetic value?"
"Sorry," Elizabeth said, looking anything but. "I still don't know why I can't go with you."
"I have a busy day, Elizabeth."
"I could help." Elizabeth sat back in her chair, glaring at her milk.
"You and Remus will have fun here."
Elizabeth knew that was true. For all Remus' bluster, they usually had a good time. Remus was a lot like Severus in many ways, although he wasn't as quick to acid-tongued comments. But since the house elf… Severus had been less enthusiastic about her coming second year.
They'd bought her books and supplies, yes. He'd let her pack her trunk over and over, but they hadn't made plans beyond that, and now he wasn't taking her with him like he had the year before.
"Dad?"
"Hmm?" Severus had moved to the back page of the paper.
"I am going back to school, right?"
Severus took a sharp breath and pushed his chair away from the table. "Come here, hatchling."
Elizabeth, glad to abandon the milk-induced prison chair, went over to stand beside him. Severus put his hands on her shoulders.
"I need to make sure that everything is safe there, Elizabeth. I need to speak with your grandfather about what we can do to make sure…" He looked straight into her eyes. "I have to make sure that it's safe before I can let you go back."
Elizabeth started to feel a little jumpy. "Dad, I have to go back! You can't make me stay home!"
Severus set his jaw. "I won't gamble with your safety, young lady, don't ask me to do so. I will spend time this week assuring that you will be safe at school, and if I deem that it is not, you won't be returning. End of discussion."
Elizabeth scowled. "Do you think I'll be safer here? If someone wants to kill me, they're going to do it no matter what!"
"Elizabeth Rose, I believe I've given my final word on the subject," Severus' glare was fierce, but his child had a glare of her own, and was unwilling to back down.
"Stop protecting me! You didn't protect me when I was a kid, and I was fine!" She shrugged out of his hold. "I finally have friends!"
Severus was quiet, and when he spoke his voice was a deadly calm. "Go to your room. Remus will be here soon. I'll be home for supper." He stood and went into his study, closing the door, leaving her standing in the kitchen alone.
*S*S*
When Remus entered the house at Spinners' End, he could sense that there was something wrong. He couldn't hear Elizabeth jabbering, the light in the Potions lab was off. Investigating deeper, he found a lone glass of milk on the table before he turned and saw the light on under Severus' closed study door.
He knocked, and received no answer.
"Sev?" He knocked again.
"Come in." His friend's tired voice answered.
Remus opened the door to see Severus sitting behind his desk, quill in hand. "Everything alright? Where's Elizabeth?"
"Everything's fine. She's in her room, if she knows what's good for her." Severus put the quill down and stood. "Thank you for staying here today."
"Sev…" Remus looked at the other man quizzically. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong," Severus gritted his teeth. "My daughter informed me this morning that she got on fine without me for years and that my attempts to protect her now are merely getting in the way of her happiness. So," he gave Remus a tight smile. "I'm off to spend the day assuring that the crazed killer who wants her dead has no way of getting into her school."
Remus frowned. "You want me to talk to her?"
Severus shrugged, a motion that Remus had rarely seen his usually so regal friend make, threw powder into the fireplace in his study and was gone.
Remus took a deep breath and headed upstairs.
Perhaps he could have managed to maintain his stern countenance if he hadn't found her sobbing so brokenly, her tears staining the coverlet beneath her. Casper looked up from where he was crouched beside her head, giving Remus a sorrowful look. Elizabeth didn't hear his knock or his entrance and seemed still oblivious when he sat down on the bed.
"A fine mess you two are in, aren't you?" He commented lightly.
Elizabeth made a sound that he assumed was meant to be an answer, but sounded like more of a moan. He suddenly felt a surge of irritation at Severus. How could he let this child sit up here and cry alone? Who was the adult?
"Alright," He scooped her up so that she was sitting next to him. "Breathe, lion." But her sobs continued, and he pointed his wand, and summoned a calming draught, glad for Severus' obsessive stocking of his potion cabinet. "Drink this, sweetheart."
She shook her head and he mimicked the action in irritation. "Elizabeth Rose, either calm down or drink this to help." He set the vial on the bedside table and pulled the preteen all the way onto his lap, rocking her until her sobs turned to hiccups. "Honestly, the drama you and your father put each other through."
"He might not let me go back to school," Elizabeth mumbled into his robes.
"Ah." Remus raised an eyebrow. "And the mere possibility sent you into this fit?"
Elizabeth shrugged, her face still invisible. "All my friends are there. Dad works there. Where am I going to live?"
Remus pushed her away to look at her face. "Is that what this is about? You think your father's alternative to sending you to a dangerous place would be to kick you out onto the street?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "Could be all alone here, I guess."
Remus groaned. "Honest to Merlin. What goes on in that head of yours? How do you make these leaps?"
She shrugged again.
"Enough of this nonsense. You will talk to your father when he gets home." He held up a hand to stop her protest. "You will apologize for throwing your childhood in his face. It was wrong, and you know it." He stared down at her. "You will put aside whatever teenage girl angst that you have and you will not make his job harder than it already is."
A third shrug was not the response Remus had hoped for. "Elizabeth, I understand the desire to be at Hogwarts. I suffered similarly every time my parents thought it was too dangerous for me. Every year, my mother would try to convince my father that I should be home schooled. Every year, I thought I'd never see my friends again."
"But your father let you go back?"
Remus smiled a little. "You have to remember that it was me who was the danger. At least my parents knew what could happen, and I think that made it easier for my father. It would certainly make it easier for yours." He stood. "I promised Severus that you would do some homework today."
Elizabeth groaned and Remus grinned. "But maybe a game of chess before that, yes?"
*S*S*
Severus Snape did not return by suppertime.
Or an hour past.
Or two hours past.
Remus finally made her go to bed an hour after her bedtime. Just minutes before Severus stumbled through the floo. Where he passed out on the floor.
*S*S*
"Merlin, Sev." Remus rearranged the pillows on the bed. "What the hell happened to you?"
Severus winced. "It's complicated."
"Having to haul your ass up the stairs is complicated," Remus raised an eyebrow at the wounds being unveiled as Severus disrobed. "You look like you were in battle."
Severus shook his head. "Let's just say that the wards at Malfoy Manor no longer welcome me." He went to work on the cuts on his arms with his wand. He changed into a t-shirt and black cotton pants, and lay on the bed, propping himself up on the pillows.
"Dad?" The door opened a crack.
Severus looked at Remus, who shrugged. "I put her to bed."
"Come in, Elizabeth." Severus called, sitting up straighter.
The door swung all the way open to reveal his daughter, long dark hair loose down her back, dressed in her red pajamas.
"Dad? Are you okay?"
"Of course." Severus raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you in bed?"
Elizabeth dropped her eyes to the floor, and Severus took pity on her. "Is there something you want to say?"
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth mumbled at the floor. "I didn't mean it."
Severus sighed. "Didn't mean what?"
Elizabeth had tears running down her cheeks now. "I didn't mean that you shouldn't protect me." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm sorry I said that stuff about before."
Remus excused himself, not getting the sense that there would be any more blood shed.
Severus shifted on the bed and patted the space next to him once. "Come here."
Elizabeth hesitated. There was no name after the command. No "Elizabeth Rose" that would denote anger; no "hatchling" that would mean he wasn't angry; not even "monster" saying that he was angry but would get over it. No "child" or "my girl" or just plain "Elizabeth". Not even "lion" that usually meant that she was being stubborn. Severus chose his words carefully, and if he didn't use a handle, it was because he didn't want her to know what he was thinking.
Severus did something then that he never did. He repeated himself. "Come here." His voice was the same. Even. Unreadable.
She knew better than to ignore the gift of a repeated direction. She arrived at his side in half a second. Cautiously climbing up beside him, she sat silently, waiting.
Severus was silent for a moment more before speaking. "Elizabeth, why did you go after the Stone?"
Elizabeth looked at him quizzically, but it looked like he expected an answer. "I didn't want Voldemort to get it."
Severus didn't wince at the name. "Why was it important to you that the Stone remain safe?"
Elizabeth pulled her knees up to her chest. "I didn't want you to have to be a spy again."
"You were protecting me, were you not?"
"Yes, sir." Elizabeth said softly.
"Do you remember how you felt during the moment of that decision?" Severus' voice was calm.
Elizabeth bit her lip. "Like if I didn't do it, my life would be over. Like I didn't have a choice. There was something that told me I had to."
"Having this information, what makes you think that I have any choice but to protect you?" Severus looked at her for the first time since she'd joined him on the bed.
"Dad, I said I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."
"Yes you did." Severus said quietly. "And it wasn't an acceptable method of coercion. You will not use the misfortunes of your childhood as a weapon. That is not the woman you are going to become."
"Yes, sir." Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably.
"My efforts to protect you are not up for debate. I will not entertain any discussions about it. You will obey instructions, or the consequences will be severe. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"It's late. Go back to bed."
Elizabeth dragged her feet back to her room, a gnawing feeling in her stomach. It wasn't until she lay in bed that she realized that her discomfort was because for the first time, her father hadn't forgiven her.