November 1992
Saturday evening
Severus arrived at home and was instantly surprised by loud conversation and laughter coming from the kitchen – which had him smiling and remembering that the twins were going to spend that weekend home.
He entered the kitchen and his four kids exclaimed at once: "Dad!"
"Hey there, darlings," he replied, picking up Christopher and kissing Liz's forehead.
"We were about to launch a search party to go after you, dad," joked James, giving his father a hug.
"But mum didn't let us," added Nicholas, hugging him next.
Florence shook her head, "Can you imagine the chaos if those two showed up at the castle looking for you?"
"Not a mess I want to deal with," Severus shook his head as well, looking at the twins, "It's so good to see you two home. And your mum is right, you know…" he sighed. "You're growing too fast."
"Not you too, dad!" complained James, rolling his eyes.
Florence smiled looking at the three of them by the door of the kitchen, "You know... I remember eleven years ago, the three of you by the door of the library, you two trying to copy your dad's pose- you barely reached my hips then, and now..." her eyes were filled up with tears again, "You're so tall. I really can't believe it's been 14 years I gave birth to you two."
"C'mon, mum," said James, hugging her, "Stop crying," he kissed her cheek and Nick hugged her on the opposite side.
Severus watched that sweet scene while Liz and Chris hugged him; he knew why Florence was so emotional near the kids – she was afraid of the future, afraid of the small signs they had been seeing. Since the Quirrell episode, they had had the petrification of Mrs Norris, a bloody message on the wall and Parseltongue whispers around the castle, so he understood why she was more worried than before.
He was too.
"Go to the table, kids," Severus said, moving towards Florence, as their four children walked out of the kitchen.
He pulled her into his arms, reminding her of their promise: "Together, Flor."
"I know. Together," she looked into his eyes and kissed him, "Love you, husband."
Severus sat down at the head of the long dining room table, and Christopher quickly jumped onto his lap.
Florence sat on the chair to his right, looking around the table and smiling – their family was safe under one roof that night.
Melody and Tiffany floated their dinner onto the table and they began eating.
"Mmm," James moaned as he chewed, "I really missed Tiffany's cooking."
"Why's that?" Florence frowned, "I remember the food at Durmstrang being very good."
"It's not bad, mum. But... Tiffany's is the best!" said Nick, winking at the elf.
"Thank you, Master Nicholas," Tiffany said, blushing.
Severus cut some steak for Chris and the boy went to sit on his own chair to eat; then he turned to his wife, suddenly seeming to choose his words: "Harry is spending the night in the hospital wing."
She immediately looked at him, worried, "Why? What happened to him?"
"A bewitched Bludger followed him around the Quidditch pitch earlier today," Severus explained, "But that's not the worst of it; the Bludger only managed to break Harry's arm and he caught the Snitch anyway. The worst is that Lockhart decided to fix it."
"Oh, no," Florence whispered, looking at him in apprehension.
"Oh, yes," he nodded with a small wince, "I had just got to my office when Pomfrey came running through the dungeons, asking for some Skele-Gro."
Florence stared at her husband, her green eyes getting lighter in fury: "You're telling me that that imbecile Lockhart simply made all the bones in Harry's arm disappear?"
"Exactly. The boy is going to spend the night drinking Skele-Gro," finished Severus.
"Eww," grimaced James, "I remember how horrible that thing tastes."
"Don't remind me of that episode, Jamie…" Florence rolled her eyes, starting to eat.
"What episode?" asked Elizabeth, "Why did you have to drink Skele-Gro, Jamie?"
"We were six, Nick accidentally broke my big toe and I was crying because it was hurting a lot. Mum wasn't home and grandma was changing your diaper in your room," began James.
"And I was feeling so bad about breaking his big toe that I was crying with him," added Nicholas, smiling.
"Well, we knew the spell to put my toe back in place but we didn't have our own wands. So Nick found grandma's in the living room and tried to Episkey my toe, but…"
"I made four of his toes lose their bones instead," Nick finished, wincing.
"And that's why I had to drink Skele-Gro for a whole night. I still remember the taste and the pain…" James shuddered, "It was horrible."
"Maybe... I'll go to Hogwarts after dinner," Florence said, avoiding looking at her husband.
"You know you can't," Severus said, "Harry doesn't know a thing about you, love, the boy would freak out if you began treating him as-"
"As if I cared about him?" Florence interrupted him, raising her voice, "Because I do! I am his godmother and I love that boy! I should be the one looking after him-" then she stopped talking, knowing she would end up crying if she went on.
There was a moment of silence, where Severus just looked at her with compassion. But Florence didn't say anything else.
"Sometimes I think about him," James said softly.
"We remember him," added Nicholas, "We remember a few things about him. He used to stay with us at grandma's. I liked playing with him."
"And I remember the times we visited Aunt Lily…" James continued, "I hated him so much."
"Yes, you did. I remember that," Florence gave a small smile.
"I feel sorry for him," Elizabeth said, sipping her strawberry juice, "He could have grown here, with us, with a loving family, but he never had any of it. And now dad says that Harry would freak out if mum treated him as a kid must be treated, with love… it's just sad."
"Yeah, it really is," the twins whispered in unison.
Christopher looked at his mother and added: "Poor Harry."
Aren't they the most empathetic group of Slytherins you've ever seen? Severus asked, trying to make his wife laugh.
It somewhat worked, for Florence smiled at him.
He picked up her left hand and kissed her wedding ring.
"Oy, you two!" said James, throwing a balled-up napkin at his father, "Don't start that!"
Florence chuckled and quickly kissed her husband's lips.
"You're exaggerating, Jamie!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Dad only kissed mum's hand!"
"Shut it, Liz. I'm protecting you and Chris from the things I've seen!"
Florence scoffed, "You've never seen anything, James."
"I've seen enough," James replied seriously.
Can you imagine these kids in Hogwarts? Florence asked her husband. The amount of trouble they'd get themselves in.
Severus just shook his head, adding through their bond: James wouldn't even need to put the Sorting Hat on, he'd cross in front of it and the thing would shout: 'DURMSTRANG! Take this one to Durmstrang!'
And Florence laughed.
December 1992
Hogwarts
High table
When Lockhart approached him during lunch one day, Severus knew it couldn't be anything good.
"Prof. Snape!" Lockhart exclaimed cheerfully, "Headmaster Dumbledore has given me permission to reopen the Duelling Club!"
Florence and her husband glanced at Dumbledore who was sitting two chairs away from them that morning.
"And?" Severus asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Well, he told me to ask you to be my assistant in a demonstration. And I hope Madam Delacour accepts my invitation to watch us duel," Lockhart looked at Florence and winked.
Will you do it? She asked her husband.
He keeps winking at you. What do you think?
Florence hid her laughter with her glass of juice.
"Of course, Lockhart. I'll be your... assistant," Severus drawled, his expression of disgust showing how he truly felt about that whole idea.
"And I wouldn't miss that for the world," said Florence, smiling.
"Excellent!" exclaimed Lockhart, leaning forward to speak to the man, "And don't worry, Severus. I'll go easy on you."
They watched Lockhart walk to Dumbledore and probably tell him that Severus had accepted to be his assistant.
"Tell Pomfrey to have a bed ready for him," Severus whispered to his wife.
"I wouldn't expect anything less," but Florence paused, thinking: "However, I wouldn't put it past dear Albus to make me, and not Poppy, look after Lockhart just to spite you."
Severus grimaced at the prospect, "You're right. I'll just humiliate him then."
"No injuries? That will be no fun," she playfully pouted.
Severus smirked, Love that sense of humour, princess.
Duelling Club
Later that day
One of the four big tables of the Great Hall had been turned into a long stage with a moon plastic cover over it to protect the wood from damage.
All students stood around it, waiting expectantly for the two professors to duel.
Florence was standing near the stage, close to Draco Malfoy and his friends, while Severus stood at one end of the table, both hands clasped behind his back, looking like he'd rather be cleaning cauldrons.
Lockhart saw Florence and walked quickly towards her, taking her right hand and laying a kiss on it, holding it longer than necessary.
"What a delight to see you here, Madam Delacour! Hope you enjoy this little demonstration of my abilities!" there was another wink, before he walked onto the stage.
"Can everybody see me?" asked Lockhart loudly, "Can you all hear me? Excellent! In light of the dark events of recent weeks Prof. Dumbledore has granted me permission to restart this Duelling Club to train you all up, in case you ever need to defend yourselves – as I myself have done on countless occasions," he smiled at Florence.
"Let me introduce you my assistant, Prof. Snape," he pointed at the other end of the table/stage and Severus walked onto it, looking bored, "He has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you to worry," he winked at Florence again, "You'll still have you Potions Master when I'm through with him. Never fear!"
"My godfather is going to end that pompous git," Draco Malfoy murmured to his friends.
Florence just smiled at the boy, hearing the pride in his voice when he called Severus his 'godfather'.
She looked at the stage again and Lockhart seemed ready to begin.
"On the count of three," said Lockhart, "One. Two. Three."
"Expelliarmus," Severus cast.
And Lockhart lost his wand before stumbling backwards a few meters, nearly falling on his arse at the far end of the stage.
Some students cheered, while others (mostly girls) seemed worried.
Lockhart slowly regained his balance and walked back towards the centre of the stage, picking up his wand on the way.
"Excellent idea to show them that, Prof. Snape. But if you don't mind my saying so, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy-" Severus was looking at him with murder in his eyes, which Lockhart certainly noticed because he suddenly said: "Enough demonstrating! Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter. Weasley. How about you?"
"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells," Severus drawled, "Madam Delacour will be taking Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Mind if I choose someone from my own house? Malfoy, perhaps?" and then he pointed to the boy and Draco got up on the stage.
Florence shook her head. Feeding the animosity, Severus?
If Harry can't hold his own against Draco, we'd better send him back to the Dursleys.
She nodded once, finding she had to agree to his logic.
Both boys bowed and, before Lockhart had finished counting, Draco was casting his first spell:
"Everte Statum!"
Harry fell on his back with the impact of the Throwing Spell, but quickly got up, casting:
"Rictusempra!"
And Draco flew up in the air, laughing and falling next to Severus's feet; but Harry's spell was weak and the effect soon wore off.
Severus pulled his godson up by the shirt and Draco walked towards Harry, casting:
"Serpensortia!"
Then a big black snake was unexpectedly on the stage, raising itself, choosing its target, getting ready to strike a Hufflepuff student.
Severus, do something! The snake will attack Fletchley! Florence told him, a little alarmed.
He quickly walked towards the hissing animal, "Don't worry, Potter. I'll get rid of it, no one move!"
"Leave it to me, Prof. Snape," said Lockhart, casting a strange spell that sent the animal flying up in the air.
"What an idiot," Florence muttered, receiving a smiling glance from the students around her, Draco amongst them.
Once she hit the stage again, the snake was really angry, furiously hissing and going towards the Hufflepuff student again.
Florence got closer to the stage, watching that scene, waiting for her husband to do something. But then everybody heard a second hissing sound – and it was coming from Harry.
No one in the Great Hall said a word and both teachers looked shocked.
Severus quickly looked at his wife.
He's calming the snake down. She let him know.
And he just nodded.
Once the animal had stopped hissing and was just staring at Harry, as if waiting for his next order, Severus pointed his wand at it and muttered:
"Vipera Evanesca."
And the snake vanished.
Florence and Severus ran to the Headmaster's office, where they found Dumbledore alone, but the paintings had already told him what had happened at the Duelling Club.
"I told you Harry was a Parselmouth!" Florence shouted at her husband, "I heard Granger's thoughts that night and I told you that Harry had heard the whispers the same as I!
"I can't understand how this is possible!" Severus looked at Dumbledore.
"I don't understand it either-" the Headmaster said.
"Of course you don't," Florence murmured sarcastically, "Does either of you think it's Harry who is opening the Chamber of Secrets?"
"No, Florence. Harry has a good heart, he wouldn't attack muggleborns," said Severus, "Hermione Granger is muggleborn and she's one of his best friends."
"We both know that having muggleborn friends doesn't guarantee a person won't turn against them, Severus." Florence said, looking at him pointedly.
He returned her stare, knowing she was speaking about his choosing to become death eater even though he grew up having Lily Evans as his best friend.
"No, let's not fight, children," said Dumbledore noticing Florence was reacting too angrily at that situation that didn't seem that worrisome, "Florence, you don't seem yourself, dear, are you alright?"
"No! I'm not!" she exclaimed, glaring at him, "My father possessed a teacher and was walking these hallways until months ago! Now I'm hearing Parseltongue, there's an unknown creature on the loose and Harry can talk to snakes too!"
Dumbledore glanced at Severus, seeing that he was also worried, and then he said: "I understand."
"No!" she interrupted, "I don't think you do! You knew about Quirrell and yet you let him stay!"
The Headmaster didn't deny.
Which only caused Florence to grow angrier, "You exposed us to him! You-"
"I'll have to stop you there, my dear," Dumbledore interrupted her, "You two haven't really been trying to hide anymore, have you? Tom would know about you being together sooner or later. The whole wizarding world knows at least one rumour about you two," he looked at them both over the rim of his half-moon glasses, "Now, about the Chamber of Secrets: although Harry is a Parselmouth, I don't think it's him who is opening the Chamber," he looked at Florence again, "And, for the record, I don't think it's your presence here either – if that was the case, this would've happened years ago," he slowly shook his head, "No. Someone is actually opening the Chamber and controlling the monster."
"But who?" asked Severus, "Who else has connection to Slytherin?"
Dumbledore let out a sigh, seeming sincere, "I don't know, and for that reason, I think it would be good if you, Florence, stayed a couple of nights here in the castle, maybe you'll hear someone speaking Parseltongue again."
She looked at the Headmaster, still a hint of anger in her light-green eyes.
"Sure, Dumbledore," she said, getting her veela under control.
"She'll have a fake room in the dungeons," added Severus.
"But not near your quarters," Dumbledore said, "We already have enough gossip about you two going around the castle."
"But she'll stay in the dungeons," Severus repeated, "I don't want Lockhart anywhere near her. You have no idea how much I want to strangle him just for kissing her hand."
Florence looked at her husband and rolled her eyes at his jealousy.
As agreed, Florence stayed in the castle for four nights, but she didn't hear anything.
However, more students – and even a ghost – fell victims of the unknown monster. The Gryffindor ghost, Nearly-Headless Nick, was petrified, as well as a Hufflepuff second-year student, Justin Finch-Fletchley and a Gryffindor first-year, Colin Creevey; but no new clues were uncovered.
The petrified victims were kept in the hospital wing and Florence stopped sleeping in the castle, for her kids needed her home.
But, on Christmas night, Florence was called by Pomfrey, right after dinner, to go quickly back to the hospital wing for she needed someone better at spells than herself.
"Pomfrey! I'm here!" Florence exclaimed, walking out of the infirmary's fireplace and instantly finding out the reason she'd been called: "Miss Granger!" she said as she saw the half-girl half-cat sitting on one of the beds.
"I believe she needs the counter-spell for Polyjuice Potion," Said Pomfrey, angrily, adding: "Don't you think we already have enough problems, Miss Granger?" she pointed at the petrified victims on the other beds.
Florence walked closer to examine the girl, identifying right away what had caused her condition.
"I know you are clever enough to not use animal hair on a Polyjuice Potion, Hermione."
"It was an accident, Madam Delacour! I thought they were human hair!" Hermione cried, "Will you be able to help me, won't you?"
"Yes, dear. But you'll have to stay here a few days. Now lie back and I'll cast the counter-spell, which I'll probably have to cast a few times... and Pomfrey will give you something for the fur balls."
"Fur balls?" the girl asked, shocked.
"You're a cat now, Miss Granger!" explained Pomfrey, "Well, half-cat. Some fur balls are to be expected!" then she went to her potions storage to get some vials.
"Now," Florence said, pointing her wand to the girl's face and casting: "Polyfluis reverso," and some of the fur vanished.
"In a few hours, I'll cast it again. And in about two days, I believe, you'll be back to normal."
"Thank you, Madam Delacour," Hermione whispered, trying to relax on the bed.
"Now, I know you're brilliant enough to be able to brew a N.E.W.T.s level, highly-controlled Potion as Polyjuice, even though you're just twelve; however, I have to ask you: what did you need Polyjuice for, Hermione?"
The girl averted her gaze, her little hands fidgeting on the bed covers, showing her nervousness. Then she whispered: "We wanted to make Malfoy confess he's the one opening the Chamber of Secrets. But it turns out he's not."
"Of course he's not, dear," exclaimed Florence, "Any Genealogy book in the library would tell you that! The Malfoys' only connection to Salazar Slytherin is having worked for You-Know-Who."
"So you're saying that..." Hermione looked at Florence, surprised at the fact she hadn't thought of that: "...I could've just got a book about wizard families instead of-"
"Instead of spending a month brewing a potion that would help you learn nothing except the feeling of having a tail?" added Florence, nodding. "Yes. I still have to congratulate you, though, for being able to successfully brew it."
"Will you tell Prof. Snape?" the girl grimaced.
"I won't," Florence lied, to help the girl relax, "I know you've stolen some ingredients from him. Don't worry about any more punishment," She covered the girl with the duvet, "Take whatever Pomfrey gives you and I'll be here in five hours to cast the counter-spell again."
"Thank you, Madam Delacour."
Note: Some dialogues and scenes came from The Chamber of Secrets movie but I, of course, added some personal details.