AN/- kind of a long chapter seeing that I wanted to make you guys happy-also just so you know there is a passage in this chapter taken from the book itself-because it is one of my favourite passages about Neville after the boggart one-so just so you know I don't want to be held for any copyright infringements-because I do not mean to steal JRK s credit-because she's awesome way more awesome than Barney how claims that he's awesome. Anyway-I hope you enjoy and review-sorry it took so long!
Chapter 44
Audrey woke up early that morning, earlier than anybody had, she went straight to the bathroom too shower up and brush, she changed into a yellow t-back and light blue jeans she pulled her favourite grey jacket over it as she made her way down to the kitchen, all she wanted was a nice hot cup of tea that would hopefully make her day better. She didn't really have much hope for it anyways as she was going to go meet Mr. Weasley in the hospital today. She felt extremely guilty, she had been there, she could have helped but didn't, she could have saved him from a week in the hospital healing with medicines that hurt like they did everyone, but she hadn't, she hadn't done anything and she felt pathetic about it.
The kitchen was empty, she was surprised not to see Remus and Tonks there sleeping on the chairs, in fact she was surprised they were absent from the whole of the ground floor. She pushed it aside, where could they possibly be? How did it matter—it wasn't like they were shagging each other anyway.
Audrey pulled out her wand as she poured some water into a mug and heated it with her wand, she then proceeded to push some tea leaves and sugar into the mug, a final heating charm and she strained the tea into another mug, washed the first one and sat down with a boiling mug of what seemed like a normal brew of tea, it didn't taste normal—it was far from normal—it was horrible.
"What are you drinking?" asked Severus walking into the kitchen with his hands behind his back as if hiding something.
"Tea," said Audrey as shortly as she could as he picked up her glass and poured it down the sink, he placed the covered parcel in front of her and then looked around the kitchen for some actual tea.
"That wasn't tea—they were dried pixy wings that the elf has been collecting for his dinner," he said as Audrey gagged and couched a bit as she stuck her tongue out in disgust while her father worked on two mugs.
"Here," he said handing her the mug with the hot amber liquid in it, she took a sip—this tea wasn't normal either, it was brilliant.
"Thanks," she said looking away from him as he placed his mug down gently.
"Open it," he said pushing the parcel to her as she looked up at him.
"What if I don't want to?" she asked a little suspiciously, she was still quite mad at him.
"I—don't know then," he replied unstably, he really didn't have an answer to that, but she didn't say anything, she pulled the box to her and neatly opened the brown paper wrappings. It contained a rectangular black leather box, she clicked open the fasting buckles as the tiny suitcase revelled something inside it.
"My father taught me how to play it before I went to Hogwarts—the only thing he ever did for me, I suppose—I thought—well—maybe you should have it," he said as her fingers traced the outlines of the black violin in the case, it was beautiful.
"I don't know how to play it," she lied—one melancholy instrument—she wasn't going to choose the cello was she?
"I could teach you," he replied hoping she'd agree.
"Play something for me," she demanded as he looked at her, he smiled and picked up the instrument, he placed it gently into position and smoothly placed the bow on the strings his other hand controlling the strings. He played while she listened, his skilful fingers roaming the strings like they were made just for them a few minutes into the tune he stopped.
"Can I try it?" she asked him as he nodded handing the instrument to her. Audrey hadn't held a violin in a long time almost four years, but the feeling off the cold strings felt welcoming to her fingers as she played something very similar to what he had, although she was much better seeing Severus hadn't touched the instrument in a very long time.
"You lied—you play magnificently," he said frowning wondering the reason for her lying.
"Yes, but if I told you the truth—you wouldn't play me anything," she said smiling as his face broke into a smile as well as she continued to play for a while till all his tea was gone.
"Was this your fathers?" she asked him as he nodded.
"I would like to meet him," she said touching the instrument fondly.
"I haven't seen my parents in ten years," she said bluntly as she looked at him quite depressed.
"Why not?" she asked as he shrugged.
"Don't you miss them?" she asked again.
"No," he replied bluntly.
"I would like to meet them," she replied placing the instrument in the case.
"Why?" he asked.
"Well—they are my grandparents—am sure they'd like to see me too—and then—I am sure they miss you a lot," she said trying to convince him, he chuckled darkly, his parents miss him? That had to be the joke of the century.
"I am not an ideal son," said Severus getting up to wash the mugs as Audrey frowned.
"Well—why don't you try?" she asked.
"Because I am certain I will fail," he replied, he had had this argument with himself so many countless times.
"You aren't an ideal father either—but I still love you—besides making mistakes is part of growing," she said, she herself was a little taken aback by her own words, he turned to look at her, she couldn't read his expression, it was something different in his eyes, something she had never seen before.
"So you don't hate me?" he asked slowly kneeling down next to her chair, as she smiled and shook her head.
"I don't think so," she replied as she pushed her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"But you must promise to take me to see them—today," she said demandingly, he shook his head slowly into her hair.
"I promise to do anything," he replied as she smiled into his hug and forgave him, Neville and Harry were right—he did love her, a lot and she felt that after so many years of waiting she deserved it.
"I'll see you after I visit Mr. Weasley at the hospital?" she asked him as he nodded.
"I'll see you after lunch in kitchen and we could—go," he said making her happier than she had been previously.
Severus was glad to see that Rachel's idea had worked out, that his daughter had forgiven him that she was smiling for him again, for a second he thought he had lost her for good, but like he had thought the girl was as stubborn as her parents.
Saint Mungo's was one the world's most renowned wizarding hospital, but for a status like this it was most definitely situated in the oddest of places. They had to take a muggle bus to the Big Ben and then walk down to another road which connected to the muggle markets and road side stalls. There in the middle of the market was a rundown old building with a door. No one even threw a second glance at the structure as Mrs. Weasley huffed her way through the muggles, her red head kids shuffling behind her along with Audrey, Harry and Hermione who looked way out of order to be her children, one looked sulky, the other too bright and studious and the boy just didn't have red hair like the others wore spectacles and was probably not as lanky as the rest of the boys, he had to be their friend.
Mrs. Weasley looked around as she pulled open the door to the run down building as she asked the children to hurry inside letting the door shut behind them. The Weasley walked ahead as Harry stood there gaping at the surroundings, for a run down building cum hospital this place was pretty good, in fact it looked like one of those hospitals were only the really rich people could afford getting treated.
"Wizard hospitals don't charge people for treatment—healers get paid by the government—it is said to be a noble profession in the wizarding world," said Hermione as she stood behind Harry along side Audrey who stood with him so she didn't feel out of place.
"Right," said Harry nodding as they walked into the white tiled lobby, Mrs. Weasley was talking to a mediwitch on the counter as she smiled and talked to her casually. Then the Weasley proceeded to walk towards the lift that said that it only went up. They all squeezed into the lift which shot up like pulled elastic.
"Alright come on," said Mrs. Weasley as they reached the seventh floor and walked down an aisle to find a room with Hestia Jones talking to Mr. Weasley.
"Molly!" smiled Hestia as Molly smiled at her. A few seconds later Hestia left the room and went down to find the healer boyfriend she had been talking about to everyone in the order since summer.
The Weasley siblings greeted their father each with a strong hug as Ginny stayed there in Mr. Weasley's arms the longest, when she let go of him she kissed his cheek lightly and stood besides Ron smiling. Mrs. Weasley gifted everyone a neatly wrapped box as they opened it excitedly. Audrey looked at hers as if it was the best gift in the world, these people were odd, why did they want to gift her anything, they weren't very well off—they weren't well off at all so why did they buy her anything?
"Just what you wanted actually," said Mrs. Weasley as she asked Ron to put on his jumper while his brothers did excitedly.
"Go on open up," said Mrs. Weasley as she pushed Audrey's box in her hand again a little tentatively as Audrey looked up at her and then opened her gift box. She pulled out a maroon jumper with gold 'A' on the left chest. She smiled at the inscription; it was her very own jumper. The soft wool felt rather nice under her hand as she smiled at Mrs. Weasley.
"Thank you," she said genuinely looking at the gift as she decided to join the twins and where her jumper along with them as Mrs. Weasley smiled at her happily noticing that she actually did like it.
"Harry—Audrey—I'm so glad you could come," said Mr. Weasley trying to sit up on his own, as his wife hurried around his bed and fixed his pillows for him. Audrey noticed the bandaids around his hands and neck as the other casts weren't seen threw his hospital robes.
"Hope you're doing well Mr. Weasley," was all Audrey could muster out of her guilty mouth as she tried to smile at him as the man positively beamed at her and Harry. A few minutes and everyone was standing comfortably around Mr. Weasley's bed as he spoke to them about his days in the hospital.
"I told them—to try and use the muggle method to fix it—apparently they stitch up your skin by giving to anisthediya or something like that," he said as Audrey couldn't help but smile at the man as his children looked at him a little horrified.
"Arthur dear—must you tell everybody," asked Mrs. Weasley a little annoyed as Arthur sighed and smiled and chuckled.
"Odd thing, you see that man there in the opposite bed with the curtains around, the man just got bitten by a werewolf was pleasant when I was talking to him about my stitches but then when the healer told me about his reports he flipped out and pushed the curtains around, I went to tell him that one of my friend's was a werewolf and he'd love to help him understand but he began growling at me and told me that if I opened his curtains again he'd bit my head off," said Mr. Weasley thinking about something as Mrs. Weasley's eyes went as round as saucers, she edged away from the end of the bed towards her husband.
"So how's school going?" asked Mr. Weasley as his children began to complain a little most of which were against Umbridge. Audrey felt a little out of place to be standing there so she excused herself and went out of the room by saying that she wanted a cup of tea from the cafeteria down the hall. Mrs. Weasley allowed her but only when Harry said he'd accompany her.
"Felt out of place?" he asked her as she nodded while they took a stroll around the corridor and down in to the cafeteria.
"Do you ever?" she asked him.
"Sometimes—although they are extremely nice," said Harry nodding.
"They are—I mean she made me a jumper and the woman hardly knows me!" said Audrey agreeing with him as Harry told her about his first Christmas present from Mrs. Weasley. They settled down on a table in the cafeteria as they got a tea and some biscuits.
"Bloody cold isn't it today?" asked Audrey as she began a rather interesting conversation with Harry, they went from weather to politics in the Hogwarts prefect bathrooms to quidditch to the DA to fighting about Krum and whether he was better than Troy to laughing about Audrey's first encounter with Mourning Myrtle and how she was a complete freak and spoke to Audrey about her first snog and how she detested it. Audrey was surprised at how much they could go on and on talking about anything possible, they had a lot in common, Audrey had never released boys were able to talk this much but with Harry she knew she would never run out of things to talk to, she felt that she could tell him almost anything, he seemed to be one of her closest friends now that Leon and Gabrielle weren't there for her so very often, after all letters did take time to deliver.
"Harry?" called someone from behind, Audrey wiped her head to see Cho standing behind her chair looking at Harry oddly while she threw silent glares at Audrey.
"Cho!" said Harry happily as he jumped out of his seat to greet his girlfriend.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her as she pushed herself into his arms and kissed him lightly.
"My father is a healer in the magical disorders department," said Cho as Harry pulled away from her.
"And you?" asked Cho looking between Harry and Audrey.
"Nothing really—we came here with Ron to meet his father—he's just down the hall on the right," said Harry.
"And you came alone—with—her?" asked Cho as Audrey could sense the animosity in her voice, she turned tried to smile at him.
"No—Ron and his family are in the room with Hermione," said Harry as Cho nodded unsure of whether she wanted to believe him.
"Can we talk—in private?" asked Cho as Harry frowned while Audrey got up from her seat.
"I'll meet you later Harry," said Audrey as Cho threw her a last glare making Audrey feel like she was looking her down, so Audrey cleared off quickly while Harry watched her leave as Hermione, Ginny and Ron came out and Audrey waited with them for Harry to join them.
"Mum—said we can go to the cafeteria on the second floor, they have really good plum cake right now," said Ron smiling as Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.
When they were using the staircase to get to the cafeteria they came across several portraits of healers who commented on Ron's freckles making them sound like he had some dreadful disease making Ron run down in a fury.
When they made it to the second floor they were meet by a excited eccentric man dressed in a lilac patient gown his blonde hair was sparkling and shinny just like his prefect set of teeth that he barred into a smile for them.
"Professor Lockhart?" called Hermione surprised as Harry and Ron gawked at the man Ron's wand was responsible for knocking him off his rocker.
"Hello—would you like an autograph?—where should I give it? Your face—what about your lovely bosoms?" asked Lockhart sniggering like a wolf as he smiled at Audrey, Audrey looked at him indignantly, if she didn't see his patient robes she would have punched the daylight out of him.
"Gilderoy—Oh! Dear," called a fat nurse coming in and grabbing Gilderoy by his arms.
"Hello Griselda—how is little boo-boo?" asked Lockhart a childlike smile on his face.
"I'm sorry—this is the ward for the patients of magical and mental disorders—he was a famous author before he lost his memory in a mishap—would you please stay with him for a few minutes till I get his potions?" asked the nurse as Ron looked rather uncomfortable.
"Of course," replied Hermione as they helped Gilderoy into his bed.
"And - oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?" called a Healer.
Harry's head span round. The curtains had been drawn back from the two beds at the end of the ward and two visitors were walking back down the aisle between the beds: a formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakably a stuffed vulture and, trailing behind her looking thoroughly depressed Neville.
With a sudden rush of understanding, Harry realized who the people in the end beds must be. He cast around wildly for some means of distracting the others so that Neville could leave the ward unnoticed and unquestioned, but Ron had also looked up at the sound of the name "Longbottom", and before Harry could stop him had called out,
"Neville!" Neville jumped and cowered as though a bullet had narrowly missed him.
"It's us, Neville!" said Ron brightly, getting to his feet.
"Have you seen -? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?" Ron asked
"Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" said Neville's grandmother graciously, bearing down upon them all. Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. A dull purple flush was creeping up his plump face and he was not making eye contact with any of them.
"Ah, yes," said his grandmother, looking closely at Harry and sticking out a shriveled, claw like hand for him to shake.
"Yes, yes, I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you."
"Er - thanks," said Harry, shaking hands. Neville did not look at him, but surveyed his own feet, the color deepening in his face all the while.
"And you two are clearly Weasleys," Mrs. Longbottom continued, proffering her hand regally to Ron and Ginny in turn.
"Yes, I know your parents — not well, of course — but fine people, fine
people… and you must be Hermione Granger?" Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew her name, but shook hands all the same.
"And you must be Rachel's daughter—lovely girl your mother she and Frank got on very well," said Mrs. Longbottom smiling as Audrey smiled and Mrs. Longbottom turned to Harry.
"Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy," she said, casting a sternly appraising look down her rather bony nose at Neville.
"But he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say." And she jerked her head in the direction of the two beds at the end of the ward, so that the stuffed vulture on her hat trembled alarmingly.
"What?" said Ron, looking amazed. Harry wanted to stamp on Ron's foot, but that sort of thing is much harder to bring off unnoticed when you're wearing jeans rather than robes.
"Is that your dad down the end, Neville?" asked Ron.
"What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply.
"Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?" Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. Harry could not remember ever feeling sorrier for anyone, but he could not think of any way of helping Neville out of the situation.
"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" said Mrs. Longbottom angrily.
"You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"
"I'm not ashamed," said Neville, very faintly, still looking anywhere but at Harry and the others.
Ron was now standing on tiptoe to look over at the inhabitants of the two beds.
"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it!" said Mrs. Longbottom.
"My son and his wife," she said, turning haughtily to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, "were tortured into insanity by You- Know-Who's followers." Hermione and Ginny both clapped their hands over their mouths. Ron stopped craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Neville's parents and looked mortified.
"They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the wizarding community" Mrs. Longbottom went on.
"Highly gifted, the pair of them. I - yes, Alice dear, what is it?" Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress. She no longer had the plump, happy-looking face Harry had seen in Moody's old photograph of the original Order of the Phoenix. Her face was thin and worn now, her eyes seemed overlarge and her hair, which had turned white, was wispy and dead-looking. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions towards Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.
"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well -
Neville, take it, whatever it is." But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Drooble's Best Blowing Gum wrapper.
"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder.
But Neville said quietly, "Thanks, Mum." His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh, but Harry did not think he'd ever found anything less funny in his life.
"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves.
"Very nice to have met you all," she added.
"Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now." She grunted. But as they left, Harry was sure he saw Neville slip the candy wrapper into his pocket.
Audrey sat down opposite Remus as he scribbled on some letter he was posting to someone; it looked like a Christmas card. She chewed on the gum Fred and George had given her.
"Rem—who are you writing to?" she asked coming around to his chair as Remus continued scribbling.
"No one in particular," he replied in between pauses as he smiled a few times while writing.
"Ok—you're freaking me out," she said trying to get her eyes into the card as she frowned as he blushed a little and tried to cover it with his arms.
"Come on Rem!—show me!" said Audrey trying to pull his hands away but he was way to strong, he pulled her head under his arms and locked it there.
"How are you going to get out now Drey?" he asked evilly as she laughed, she missed her godfather this way, they hadn't goofed around since she grew older, he found it awkward and she found herself getting more absorbed with her friends—it wasn't like she had forgotten her first friend ever, they just never seemed to have the time.
"Rem!" she cried as she bit his arm lightly, he pulled her in harder. She used her hands to tickle herself free so when Remus laughed she pulled the card away from under his hand.
"Drey give it back-," he snarled as Audrey dodged him around the table and read the card while he tried to reach for it. She stopped moving around as she reached the last line "I think I am falling in love with you" A smug smile crossed Audrey's lips as she held out the card at arm's length as Remus pulled it to him angrily. She still gave him that smile, the smug little smile like a chesire cat that spread all across her face.
"Merlin—am I going to get a new god mother?" asked Audrey excitedly as Remus sighed and sat down, his blush was making his ears go red.
"I am so happy!" she laughed as she threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek, Remus looked at how happy his god daughter was.
"I am glad this pleases you," he said smiling.
"Of course it pleases me, you have a girlfriend—it's something worth bloody celebrating!" she announced happily as Remus blushed even deeper.
"So you finally grew up—I am so proud off you Rem!" she said as he raised his eyebrows while she mocked cried the tears of happiness for him, she teased him so much that a few minutes later she found herself being pushed out and into the living room by her angered god father who even though glared at her could not help but smile out and roll his eyes as he shut the door while she still sang, "Remus has a girlfriend—he's going to get lucky!"
After being chucked out from the kitchen Audrey went to the living to sit by the fire, she noticed Sirius entering the door behind the piano forte she hadn't noticed before. She followed him in. The room was empty but what covered the walls was what Sirius stared at loathefully.
"What is this?" she asked him as he jumped on the spot and turned to look at her, Audrey noticed Harry walk into the room stop too, she turned to him it seemed as if he had come to look for her.
"This is the black family tapestry," said Sirius a little distant as he walked over to where Audrey was standing, pushing a finger and pointing at a face.
"My deranged cousin," he said pointing at a young woman whose name was under her youthful face, Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rudolphus next to her and on the other side was on other than Narcissa Malfoy and her tiny family line. Audrey noticed a hole before Narcissa's face that meant her sister had been on that spot.
"Andromeda—Tonks's mum married a muggle born Hufflepuff—my mother did this when Tonks was born—I was five then," said Sirius shrugging as he stood up straighter looking at another hole in the tapestry.
"Was that where you—?" began Audrey as Sirius nodded feeling the burnt tapestry under his hand as he moved it over the word Sirius.
"My family was full of their pure blood mania—were ashamed that I made Gryffindor—were ashamed I had different friends—were ashamed that I wasn't like them—my mother did this after I ran away—I was sixteen," he said a little painfully, Audrey felt terrible for him.
"Where did you go?" asked Harry curiously as Sirius smiled at him.
"Well you're dad's of course," replied Sirius as Harry thought of how stupid his question sounded, his father and Sirius had been like brothers.
"I was always welcomed at the Potter's—you're a lot like him you know—soon you'll know just how much," said Sirius a little proudly as Audrey smiled at the lot.
"I'm not sure about that," replied Harry as Sirius looked at him curiously.
"Well—I don't—Sirius in Dumbledore's office and after that—I wasn't myself—these days—I just feel so angry—all the time-I mean what if something's gone wrong—what if I am becoming bad?" asked Harry extremely upset as Sirius looked at him.
"Harry—listen to me—you're not a bad person you're a very good person to whom bad things have happened to and besides Harry— the world isn't split into good people and death eaters—everybody has both good and bad inside them—what matters is what you use more—after all this is over we'll be a proper family you'll see," said Sirius as he pulled Harry into a tight hug smiling over the boy at Audrey. A few seconds and Audrey could tell that Harry seemed extremely relaxed. He turned and smiled at her but then smacked his head and spoke urgently.
"You father was looking for you," he said feeling rather sorry that he had forgotten to tell her. Audrey nodded and said goodbye to the two of them as she went down to the kitchen as her father sat there dressed in muggle clothes, his dark blue jeans and black t-shirt over which he wore a grey hoodie that was covered with a black jacket.
"Hey dad," she said entering the kitchen as Severus turned to look at her.
"Right then are you ready?" he asked her hoping she had changed her mind about their visit.
"Yes, I was ready an hour ago seeing that you got late," she said using his own lines against him, he rolled his eyes and then gave Remus his greetings as they were out of the house in record time. It was still snowing a little so they decided to take shelter in the empty bus stop.
"Are we going by bus?" she asked as he nodded hoping the muggle transport would come faster.
"Awesome," she said smiling as he shook his head, he didn't know what was so awesome about this anyway, if it were up to him he'd rather stay indoors where it was warmer, rather than going for a half an hour bus ride to Spinners End, it was odd that the muggle area was actually named after a skilled wizarding profession.
The bus arrived in a few minutes as they boarded it and he purchased their tickets settling down in one of the long side panel seats.
"Ok, listen up—there are somethings you can not and I mean— cannot do there—and only if you promise me that you will listen to these rules will I actually take you to meet them," he said as she frowned upon his conditions but nodded motioning him to speak further.
"Ok—first and foremost—no magic, so keep your wand in all the time," he said as she shrugged.
"That's easy—seeing I don't really have one," she replied as he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Do you really want me to believe that you actually gave away your wand to your mother?" he asked her as she went red.
"You know?" she asked him as he smirked.
"My dear girl—I'm no fool," he said with a straight face as she smiled at him.
"How come you didn't tell on me?" she asked him as he looked at her.
"Why would I do that?" he replied as her smile beamed larger.
"Besides—it's too much fun to see Rachel panties caught in a bunch," he said randomly as Audrey giggled.
"I shouldn't have said that," he corrected himself as Audrey laughed a bit more, they were silent for a while before she asked him a question.
"Dad—why does you father despise magic?" she asked him as he looked at her.
"I don't know—suppose he was jealous—truthfully—he never really liked much off anything I did," said Severus shrugging as Audrey looked at him.
"Trust me your better off without parents—you were much better off without me—I mean at least you wouldn't have so much trouble in being accepted," he said looking outside the window as the bus was stuck in traffic.
"I don't really care about that anymore—and no—I was not better off without you—in fact—I craved to know you better—I was miserable to myself sometimes—sometimes—I used to think I deserved not to have a father—I mean imagine a five year old believe that she didn't deserve a father," she said a little sadly as he looked disheartened at her, he slowly put a hand around her shoulders.
"Don't think of all this on Christmas—don't think off it every again," he said softly but demanding that she'd listen to him, she nodded as she sniffed silently and lifted her head when his hand fell back to his side.
"What was your father like when you were young?" she asked him, he had been dreading that question but she had to know someday.
"Terrible—he was an abusive drunkard who refused to understand me or my mother—thought we were freaks—forget that he made it quite oblivious as to what he thought about us," he said rubbing the scar behind his ear, it had been the brunt of standing up against the bastard one morning, he had been pushed the floor straddled beaten and burnt with a cigarette butt, it had been pain and oddly the scar was still present.
"What?" she cried as he looked at her a little surprised.
"That's terrible—and you're actually taking me to see this man?" she asked angered of his choice.
"I thought you said you wanted to go," he replied.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean you must take me!" she snapped back at him.
"I was just trying to make your Christmas a bit better I suppose," he said oddly, he was really making an effort and Audrey could tell.
"I am sorry pappa—I shouldn't have made you do this—I thought you were being silly—but I didn't know—I'm sorry," she said as the bus halted at a stop.
"It's alright—my mother was pretty much normal I suppose," he said lightly as she still seemed shocked, but truth was and Severus himself knew it was, that however much he wanted to deny it, he most certainly wanted to see the new and improved Tobias his mother kept writing to him about, of how much the man truly loved her, he too wanted to see the bastard who had begged for forgiveness but had not received any in response but most off all Severus wanted to see his mother—check on how she was doing?
"Do you want to meet them?" she asked a little sheepishly hoping he'd say yes, truth was although her father had just spoken to her about her grandfather, she still wanted to know him, to see what he was like to decided who her father looked more like.
"Yes," he replied in his smooth voice, he wasn't ashamed just a little worn out, she smiled at him as the bus stopped once again and a few more people came on board scurrying for seats.
"Why does your mum still live with him?" asked Audrey as Severus smiled, hadn't he wondered why? How could that woman be so kind hearted as to forgive the man so easily—how could she forgive that sullen muggle? must have licked her feet once begging for her to take him back—promising her change—a new personality—a new him—a new person she'd be married to—the new and improved Tobias Snape.
"I don't know really—I suppose he apologised to her like he did to me," he spat distastefully.
"He apologised," she asked a little hopefully.
"Yes, apologised—and that too through Dumbledore—saying he wanted to meet me immediately—said he was sorry he was a bad father," said Severus angrily.
"And did you forgive him?" she asked curiously
"Why should I?" he snarled at her as she pushed a little back into her seat.
"I'm sorry," he muttered as she placed her hand in his and leaned into his shoulder.
"It's alright pappa," she said closing her eyes for a bit before opening them again her head still on his shoulder as the old couple in the seat opposite them smiled at them. Severus shifted a little uncomfortably.
"Second rule—" he began as Audrey frowned looked up as his hand pulled away from hers and he pushed himself towards the emptier portion of the seat. Audrey looked at him tentatively, listening.
"This is rather unnecessary seeing the chances of this happening are rather scanty but—if—if we are spotted by a know face—you will tell them you are living with me because Dumbledore has ordered that you do—and that it is not on your choice—what are we doing in Spinner's End?—merely going to greet a muggle friend of yours who shifted to Britain—understood?" he asked her as she nodded readily.
"Good—now are you going to be sitting here all day—we're here!" he said getting up and off the bus as she followed him hurriedly before the bus left with her in it.
AN/- yes, Audrey and Severus are going to go meet his parents-because she demands it!-i mean people visit their families of Christmas and I thought I'd use that to my advantage. Also as you can tell Tobias in this story has decided to turn a new leaf-I always felt bad for Severus and his relationship with his father-so I decided to see how Tobias would be with his grand daughter... anyway-it's a super OOC Tobias in the next chapter but I'm sure you'll enjoy him-take care and read on-DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!