Ophelia had recovered enough of her sensibilities by the time she left the changing room. She had selected three bras out of what she had tried on and put them in her bag. More had fit of course, but three would be enough for now. Bras weren’t inexpensive and while her family had certainly left her with more than enough to get by, she wasn’t about to spend it on lingerie. She placed the rest on a rack on her way to the register. Tonks was waiting by the front; she gave her a little wave and flashed an encouraging smile. Ophelia paid with the Muggle bills they had exchanged for Wizarding coins in Gringotts before coming to London.

            Tonks beamed at her as though nothing had happened when Ophelia met her outside the store. Ophelia didn’t return the warmth of her smile, giving a half-hearted smirk instead. Surprisingly Tonks didn’t burst into conversation, not that Ophelia was anxious for any sort of exchange.

            As they left the mall, another store caught Ophelia’s eye. She stopped in her tracks and excused herself quickly. She didn’t know how she had missed it on the way in with the huge display of children’s books in the windows. She browsed through them, smiling as she recognised some of the titles. It didn’t take her long to find the one she was searching for; it had been Muriel’s most recent favourite. Feeling some sense of relief at holding the book again in her hands, Ophelia took it to the register to purchase it.

            Tonks was looking at her quizzically when she returned, holding a children’s book to her chest like a precious treasure. Ophelia smiled in spite of herself. She looked down at the book just long enough to read the words “Hansel and Gretel”, before hugging the book again.

            *****

It was two days after Ophelia had bought new bras and panties before she admitted how comfortable they were. She had been less than convinced at first, but she had to admit she looked a bit fuller than before. She studied herself in the mirror, liking what the bra did for her and the panties were a smart match too.

Ophelia drifted downstairs with the air of a person who held a secret. She felt more feminine than she ever had in her life, and it wasn’t at all a bad feeling. She settled herself down at the table for breakfast, a little smile tugging at her lips. Being the last to arrive at the table, she received a general glance from everyone, and quite a few lingering looks. Grinning inwardly, Ophelia turned her attention to her breakfast.

“Mind passing the salt, Ginny?” One of the Wesley twins asked.

“Think you could pass the butter knife as well?” The other asked.

“Oh, and how about the napkin holder?” The first chuckled.

Ophelia watched in mild interest as each thing was passed down to the other end of the table where the brothers were lining each item up. It wasn’t until she caught the heated look on Potter’s face and the gestures of size the twins were making to him that she understood. Stifling a laugh, Ophelia turned back to her plate. The Weasley twins had delighted in making references to Ophelia’s comment about Potter’s endowment, or rather, the lack thereof since the shower incident a few days prior.

She had been left to her own amusements since then, and she was quickly running out of ways to amuse herself. So when her cousin showed up rather unexpectedly later that day, she jumped at the chance for socialization.

He was sitting in the parlour, perhaps reading or maybe just staring blankly at the Daily Prophet’s pages. She walked up to him casually, “Waiting for Professor Fin, again?”

Snape folded the newspaper together irritably, “He has no concept of time, whatsoever.”

Ophelia was taken aback by the relaxed attitude of his venting.  “So I’ve noticed.” She replied just as conversationally, bordering on superficial. “One would have to wonder if he follows time the same way we do.” She received an arched eyebrow for that, as though it might be actually something to consider asking him.

“You’ve something on your mind.” He said, direct and to the point as usual.

Ophelia didn’t necessarily have anything on her mind in particular; she just needed to waste some time doing something else besides drawing runes on the ceiling with her eyes. Since he had asked however, something did come to mind.

“Actually,” She began thoughtfully, trying to remember just what it was as she sat down next to him. “I was rather curious about something. Do you think you could tell me what a clitoris is?” Several strange looks crossed his face in a matter of seconds before he looked plainly flabbergasted. Ophelia hesitated, wondering if she should continue. “You see, when I was in London with Tonks –we’d gone to a Muggle store- there were two women next to me, discussing piercing and I…”

Snape held up a hand, “I think I’d rather not hear the rest of that.”

Ophelia waited for him to say something more, but he seemed a twinge uneasy with her question. “Well?” She prompted, secretly enjoying his discomfiture.

“You don’t … know?”

She was surprised he even asked that. “Of course I don’t know. If I did, why would I bother asking you?” More silence. Ophelia was beginning to wonder whether or not he knew. “I figured it was something of a slang term Muggles used, or something relatively simple.” Somewhere in the distance crickets were chirping. “You don’t know what it is, do you?” She asked suspiciously.

His mouth opened as though he was going to answer, but instead he simply scrutinised her with a look and a cocked eyebrow. “I know what one is.” He replied stiffly, “I’m just not going to discuss it with you.”

“Why not?” Ophelia said, ready for a good argument.

“Because it’s nothing you need to worry about at the moment.” He replied, standing as if he could regain his composure by towering over her.

“Well when will I have to bother with it then?”

He made another face, one that looked mildly traumatized, “When you’re twenty.”

“Oh for Merlin’s sake!” Ophelia fumed, “I’ll just go ask Granger –rotten twit knows everything anyway.” Muttering, she stalked off, leaving a rather indescribably disturbed Severus Snape behind her.

End Part III

Part II     Flashback Part II