“Give it a second,” Morgan said gently. Although she was a bit irritated by the fact that her usually capable daughter had failed to do so much as a pregnancy test to ascertain her situation.
Viviane paced restlessly, turning sharply on her heel as she reached the far point of the room in a manner very similar to her father, “Mum, I’m absolutely terrified,” she said in a husky tear-filled voice as she completed another trek across the room.
“It’s negative,” Morgan said calmly as the test results scrolled from the end of her wand in a thin line of blue script.
Viviane dropped into the nearest chair and buried her face in her hands as sobs shook her small frame.
“You’re not quite sure what you wanted, are you?”
“No,” Viviane offered miserably.
“I really don’t think I’m the one that needs to be here. And I think you’re finally ready to agree with me.”
Viviane looked up at her mother in confusion, still shaking with emotion as she tried to breath.
Morgan sighed, “I’ll be back, I’m going to make you a cup of tea.” As soon as I get your husband back here. She made sure Viviane was at least somewhat settled before quietly slipping across the hall to the Weasley residence to request Colin’s presence.
“What’s wrong?” Colin instantly asked, the concern evident in his tone and expression.
“I think it would be best if Viviane told you.”
“Well she hasn’t told me yet.”
“Colin, I believe there are some times when a woman, even a married one, just needs to talk to her mother. I can’t say I understand that, I never really had that option. Make sure you tell her how you feel about all of this. I have every confidence that you will work through this splendidly.”
“I agree, but…” Colin quickly cut himself off, not wanting to say anything against his wife in front of her mother.
Morgan smiled gently, “go on, say what you want to,” she encouraged him, having a good idea of what he wanted to say.
“She is incredibly stubborn and doesn’t want to except help from anyone.”
“Colin darling, you’ve got the watered down version. Only half of her genes come from the Snape bloodline.”
Colin snorted, well remembering the hours spent in his father-in-law’s classroom, “I suppose I do have it easy.” He accepted the mug of tea that Morgan pressed into his hands and cautiously stepped into the bedroom to see how his wife was faring. He nearly spilled the tea over both of them as she launched herself into his arms.
“I thought I was pregnant and I was so scared,” Viviane choked out as Colin tried to set the tea down while his wife practically strangled him.
Morgan let herself out and went to catch up with Molly Weasley, she knew she wasn’t needed for anything else at the moment.
~~~~~~~~~
“Your mother is not back yet.”
“You’re tired of watching me.”
“I have some work to do, and I cannot have you hanging about.”
Olivia sighed, “that’s ok, I can entertain myself if I must,” she looked up at her father with serious blue eyes, “it’s not your fault, I understand. You can’t be expected to entertain me all the time.”
“You have the unique talent of incurring guilt.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that if I were not obligated to spend some time in my Common Room I would allow you to continue to try my patience.”
“I could come with you,” Olivia proposed hopefully.
“I think not,” Severus said as he led her towards the library, correctly guessing that he would find at least one of his other daughters there. “Dierna, I need you to watch Olivia for awhile.”
No response.
Severus’ temper flared, he knew very well that she had heard his request. Even if that request had been phrased as an order.
Olivia tugged on his sleeve, “I think she’s still not talking to you,” she whispered looking confused, she couldn’t understand why anyone would want to do that, of course nothing had yet happened to give her cause to not idolize their father.
“Adelaide, cease this childishness at once!” Severus hissed in a dark tone, extremely relieved that there were no other students close by to witness this open defiance to his authority.
“You can go,” Olivia told him, knowing that something wasn’t right, but not sure how to fix it, “I’ll stay with her.”
Severus scowled in the direction of Dierna, who was refusing to even look in his direction. “Behave!” he commanded, although he wasn’t sure which one he was really directing it to, as he swept out of the library.
“Mum says you’re too stubborn for your own good,” Olivia said as she climbed up onto the chair next to Dierna.
“And Mum always takes Dad’s side, no matter what he says or does,” Dierna retorted acerbically.
“What are you doing?” Olivia poked at the papers her sister had spread out about her.
“Transfiguration homework.”
“What kind of Transfiguration homework?”
“The morality of vertebrate transfiguration and Ministry laws concerning it.”
“That sounds boring.”
“I’m inclined to agree,” Dierna muttered. She noticed Madame Pince glaring at them, “come on, lets go up to the Common Room, we’re going to get kicked out of here in about five seconds anyhow.” She stuffed her papers into her bag and gave Olivia a book to carry.
“I wish Kamen would come to visit,” the younger girl bemoaned as they climbed the stairs to Gryffindor tower. “I miss him.”
“I know how you feel,” her sister sympathized, but she wasn’t thinking of their brother. She sighed as she shifted her bag to her other shoulder. She didn’t notice as Olivia got further and further behind her.
“That looks awfully heavy for someone so small to be carrying.”
“That’s ok, I can carry it, I’m big enough,” Olivia said matter-of-factly.
“Olivia, has Dad said anything…” Dierna suddenly noticed her sister’s absence and she spun around it a panic. She swore her heart stopped when she turned around to see Stefan walking towards her with Olivia comfortably riding on his back.
“Shut your mouth dear, you look like a fish out of water,” Stefan teased as he bent to kiss his still gaping girlfriend.
“How?” Dierna asked, still wearing a rather blank look.
Stefan cocked an eyebrow at her, normally his feisty girlfriend wasn’t at such a loss for words, she usually had a rather overabundance of them.
“How is it that you always show up here right when I’m needing you the most?”
“You mother is an excellent pen-pal.”
“You’ve been writing my mother?!” Dierna squealed, although she wasn’t quite shocked enough to keep from shooting Olivia a dirty look over the way she was giggling about the whole thing.
“Yes,” Stefan replied unapologetically, “I’ve also been corresponding with Nick,” they had resumed walking and now reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Dierna quickly gave the password, “Olivia, go find Serena and stay with her for awhile.” She waited until the portrait hole swung shut again “I think I’m actually afraid to ask what Nick has been telling you.” She grabbed Stefan’s arm and pulled him into an empty corridor, her head still swimming a bit from his unexpected presence.
“It hasn’t been very flattering,” Stefan confessed.
“I’m sure it hasn’t,” Dierna agreed, scowling as she recalled the amount of teasing Nick had done recently.
“But, he did guarantee me that it wasn’t anything I couldn’t fix if I set my mind to it.”
“Why exactly are you here Stefan? Not that I’m not thrilled to see you of course.”
“Why are you being so standoffish?” he countered.
Dierna turned away to avoid his gaze, “I don’t know… I miss you, but you’re never around, and then all of a sudden you show up and I…” she was cut off by his mouth firmly covering hers.
“I’m here because I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. We’re fighting a battle that we may very well lose.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Slytherins, dissimilarly to what the rest of the school would have done, did not cringe as the door to their common room slammed open and their Head of House entered looking very displeased indeed.
“Misters Bulstrode, I was just talking to Filch, you will be in detention for a month!”
“What did they do?” Sophia asked as she plopped down on the couch next to Kay and Mark.
“No idea,” Mark said lazily, “considering it’s the three of them it could be anything.”
Sophia twirled a strand of red hair around a finger as she eyed their Head of House carefully, “do you think it’s true that Malfoy is alive and here at Hogwarts?” she thought about what that would mean to her guardian.
“No idea,” Mark flipped through his Potions’ text, not really paying attention to the two girls on either side of him.
“We should ask Snape…” Sophia mused.
“Professor Snape, watch how you refer to him when he’s in the room,” Mark absently corrected her.
“I still think we should ask him.”
“I wouldn’t suggest it,” Mark suppressed a wry grin, “not when he’s already in a foul mood. Kay hasn’t been in a trouble for awhile, have her do it.”
“You ask him,” Kay hissed as she poked Mark.
“Not bloody likely,” Mark hissed back, eyeing their Head of House, who was currently chewing the terrible trio out, warily.
“Cowards,” Sophia said accusingly as she sprang up from her seat and crossed the Common Room in long strides, “Professor Snape, may I ask you something?” she interrupted him mid-scathing remark.
“Miss Lupin, I fear you will never learn the subtle nuances of society.”
“Sir?”
“Do not interrupt me!” He turned back to Marcus, Agrippa, and Posthumous, “if you ever put a…”
“Professor, about my question…”
“Miss Lupin!”
Sophia boldly rushed forward, “is it true that Draco Malfoy is alive and in the hospital wing right now?”
“My office right now Miss Lupin, I shall be there momentarily to deal with you.”
“But I didn’t do anything,” she watched his face twitch in anger, “sir,” she quickly added. “Ummm…” she looked at the murderous glare she was getting, trying to ignore the goofy faces the triplets were giving her, “I think I’ll go wait in your office now.” However, something in her tone must have still been offensive, because she left rubbing her ear, which had been used to propel her towards the door. She ignored the sympathetic looks she was getting from Mark and Kay where they were sitting with hands twined on a couch.
Upon entering the dimly lit office she decided that it would be less than prudent to take a seat, so she stood by the edge of her Housemaster’s desk, hands clasped behind her back. While she waited she amused herself by looking around at the jars that lined the walls, naming as many ingredients as she could. The floating eyeballs and spleens placed in between jars of pickled raven feet were rather more comforting than any thoughts of what Snape might have in store for her once he returned. Especially as subtle inquiries of her House mates had revealed that the terrible trio’s accounts of their Head of House thrashing his students when he felt it necessary was very much true. Hmpf, but I’ve very nearly a priestess, the better of or at least the equal of any man living or dead.
The door crashed open and Snape strode to his desk, robes billowing out behind him, “explain yourself,” he demanded as he sat down, folding his arms across his chest.
Sophia noticed that she had not been invited to sit as well. However, her courage faltered a bit when faced with an irate Housemaster. Or perhaps it was just her common sense kicking in. “I’m sorry sir, I just asked the question that everyone else wanted to. I suppose I could have picked a more opportune time.”
“Perhaps it would have been prudent to think of that before you spoke out of line.”
“Better to seek forgiveness than ask permission?” Sophia asked hopefully. She thought it a rather good sign when Snape snorted in response to that. She also noticed that he had not yet answered her question. “Please sir…”
“Do you really want to do that?” he interrupted her, a questioning eyebrow raised.
“I wouldn’t want to aid in the spreading of rumors, especially when I can find out the truth on my own through some well planned snooping.”
Severus sighed and leaned back in his chair, “take a seat Miss Lupin.” He waited until she had dropped into a chair on the opposite side of his desk, “yes, Mr. Malfoy is in the Hospital Wing for the time being. Feel free to let your Housemates know that any Slytherins caught trying to sneak in or faking illness to confirm this will find themselves making a trip over my desk.”
“Duly noted sir.”
“As for your rudeness in the Common Room,” he paused as he watched Sophia battle herself over whether she should quickly come up with an excuse. She wisely chose to hold her tongue. He assigned a number of lines that made Sophia flinch as she thought about how much her hand would hurt by the time she was done. “You may go.”
As Sophia headed for the door something suddenly occurred to her, “Sir, may I ask a question?”
“If you must. However, if it has anything to do with Draco Malfoy…”
“It doesn’t. Why do you assign lines?” She wasn’t brave enough to ask about his views on corporal punishment, but she wondered if one was somehow linked to the other.
“Because you, and your Housemates, seem to have trouble behaving yourselves.”
Sophia didn’t know if he had purposely misunderstood her or not, “I mean, why do other teachers deduct points from their Houses or assign detention and you don’t usually do that to us?”
Severus silently observed the Greek girl for several very long seconds before he addressed her, “that will be another part of your assignment for me. When you deliver your lines to me I want you to tell me why writing lines is different than deducting points. Now, get out of my office Miss Lupin.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
