Chapter Five: Holidays
Severus Salazar Snape went home to one of the best Christmas holidays he had ever spent. His twelfth birthday on January ninth seemed just a continuation of the celebration that had begun when he arrived at Kings Cross Station, and had only intensified slightly for Christmas itself. He was the first Snape or Prince anyone could remember who had a Malfoy patron. He had challenged and beat the Gryffindor Black in a formal duel. He was getting advanced lessons in Charms, and he was a member of the "Slug Club."
Also, with Eileen's extra income now that she was working full-time at the apothecary, the Snapes were doing better than they ever had. Tobias, especially, was proud that they were able to pay their son's tuition and expenses without arranging terms or accepting charity.
Eileen met Severus at platform nine and three-quarters. There was a bit of a commotion several cars down, but not where her son was. Lucius Malfoy was met by a family servant, who had to wait while he made a production of personally saying goodbye to all his favorites, which included Snape.
Severus stood tall as he strode proudly over to his mother, black eyes glinting, and a smug expression on his face. She controlled her nearly overwhelming urge to hug her son, and simply took his proffered arm, as she had at The Party.
************
Rodolphus, standing next to Lucius, who was now finally ready to go, leaned over to the other Slytherin and indicated Snape with his eyes. "You've got that one firmly in your pocket," he murmured.
"Yes," drawled Lucius. "His kind are so easy. And he's by far the most talented I've gotten in a long time."
They walked off together. Rodolphus would be spending the holidays with the Malfoys, and the Cygnus Blacks.
**********************
Sirius Black went home to the worst Christmas holidays he had ever spent. Both parents had owled him with tirades over getting put in Gryffindor and the humiliation of his duel with Snape, but it was easy to forget at Hogwarts with his new friends. Once at home, it was impossible.
He had hoped to postpone the explosion until he actually got home, expecting his parents to send a servant or a house-elf to meet him at the station. But his mother had come in person, and she was not happy.
"Sirius Nigellus Arcturus Black!" she screamed as soon as she saw him stepping from the train onto the platform. "You are a disgrace to the name of Black!"
James, still on the car behind him, whispered in his ear, "Not very original, is she? Sounds just like one of your Howlers."
Sirius elbowed him, trying and not quite succeeding in suppressing the snicker that was struggling to get out.
"Young man, don't you smirk at me!"
"No, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."
Sirius finally made it all the way onto the platform, giving James a chance to disembark.
"Madam Black," said James, with his most formal and gallant bow. "I am so delighted to see you again."
Walpurga Black sniffed, but could not completely hide her pleasure at the greeting. "Good day, Mr. Potter," she answered with equal formality.
During this lull in the hostilities, Remus and Peter managed to make their way to the platform as well. They were both somewhat in awe of Madam Black, having been treated not only to her Howlers, like everyone else at Hogwarts, but also to the many other tirades she had sent her son. Sirius had enjoyed giving dramatic readings of his letters from home to his three friends. James had thought them unreservedly hilarious, and while Peter and Remus had thought Sirius' delivery was funny, they had also found his mother rather scary.
"And you must be Sirius' ... friends." She managed to make "friends" sound like a dirty word.
Peter was taken aback. He knew he didn't tend to be particularly popular with other boys, but he had always gotten along fine with parents, who saw him as a polite boy and a "good influence." Although he knew Mrs. Black's views on Wizarding ancestry, he also had the middle class tendency to think that everyone was really the same class (middle), and that it was somehow gauche to notice anything that set oneself or someone else off from the middle class.
Remus' first reaction was, "She knows." The young werewolf, middle class like Peter, had similar views, and couldn't think of any other reason for an adult to disapprove of him. Instead of feeling ill used, however, he turned pale with dread at being found out. He'd only made it through the first term of the first year, and it was already over.
"Let me introduce you, Mum," Sirius said, acting as if she hadn't just insulted his friends. "This is Peter Pettigrew."
Peter had watched how James had greeted Mrs. Black. He would show the idle rich bigot. He copied James' bow exactly. "Madam Black, what a pleasure to finally meet you. Your son has failed to do you justice."
She looked mollified, and managed to get out "Mr. Pettigrew," with much condescension, while James had turned aside to have a coughing fit to keep from laughing out loud. Her face hardened when she saw Sirius once again trying to suppress a snicker.
Before she could start going through all his names again, Sirius turned to Remus. "And this is Remus Lupin," he said, using the French pronunciation for Lupin.
Remus, whose mind had been blank of every thought but "It's all over," realized that Sirius was giving him a hint. Which meant that, possibly, he hadn't been found out. Remus had French relatives that they still saw from time to time.
He bowed politely as he had been taught for formal occasions, but without the dramatic gallantry of James or Peter.
"Enchante, Madame Black. Je suis a votre service."
"Bonjour, Monsieur Lupin. Avez vous connu mon fils depuis longtemps?"
"Non, Madame. Je lui a rencontrait le premier fois a Hogwarts."
Walpurga Black was completely charmed by the modest boy with the perfect French accent.
"See you in January," Sirius said to his friends, and as they turned away it seemed for a moment that they would get away from the station with no further unpleasantness.
Then Madam Black's glance happened to land on Lucius Malfoy taking leave of his followers. Avery, Crabbe, Wilkes, and then ... that boy. That low-blood, low-class son of a Muggle and a half-blood who had ...
She began to scream at her son again.
************************
Once on the Muggle side of the platform, Severus saw his father. Tobias gave his son the hug that Eileen had not dared to, and pounded him on the back several times before letting him go.
"We're going to Diagon Alley, Salazar. You have some shopping to do." He dropped a pile of Galleons into his son's hand. "That's from the Tinderblast," he explained.
Severus loved going to Diagon Alley with his father. The man's pleasure in everything Wizarding was contagious. And he had money to spend as well! The first thing he did was get two new school robes from Madam Malkin's that fit.
************
Lucius used Snape for "correction work" occasionally that year, and the boy always performed admirably. However, the pureblood believed in economy of effort, and thought it much more efficient to use the threat of his follower than to require action too frequently.
Sirius was not the target of any further threats or "correction." Lucius considered his point made, and Walpurga Black was doing quite well enough on her own to make sure her eldest son knew the error of his ways.
************
When the summer holidays came, they were just as bad for Sirius as Christmas had been, but longer. He spent as much time as possible with the Potters, and even managed to break free to visit Peter and Remus once or twice. But by the time he returned for his second year at Hogwarts, he was thoroughly sick of the name of Snape.
************
Remus was relieved to have gotten through his first year at Hogwarts with his secret intact. Although he missed his friends, Sirius gave him quite a scare by showing up at his house unannounced the morning after a full moon in July. Remus had transformed back to himself and was lying in a pile of blankets in the garage. His dad usually came in with hot chocolate and something to eat, and sat and chatted while Remus put on a dressing gown and ate. Then they usually went to his room and he got a massage before he went to sleep for a few hours.
This time, it was his mum instead of his dad. He was immediately worried. They always told him before he transformed if there was any change of plans. Since he couldn't remember what happened when he was in his wolf form, he always came to himself with a fear that he had bitten or killed someone, and it was kept somewhat in check by having everything as he expected it afterwards. His dad should be here. He wasn't. Had Dad showed up just a little too soon? Had Remus ... ?
Mrs. Lupin knew her son's worries, and immediately reassured him. "Dad's fine." Then she continued, "Sirius Black is here, and your father is keeping him occupied in the sitting room while I 'go up to your room to wake you up'. We told him you'd stayed up late reading, so have a book in mind when you see him."
Remus pulled on his dressing gown under the blankets, and sat up, bleary-eyed and aching. Although normally he would have been thrilled to see Sirius, right now he just wanted his hot chocolate, massage, and at least four hours sleep.
"Okay," he said, pulling himself to his feet, and starting to stumble in the direction of the door to the house.
"Just a minute, dear," his mother said, putting an arm around him. "You can't go that way. You might be seen from the sitting room." Remus looked at her blankly. "I'll Side-Along Apparate you to your room."
Remus understood that. "No!" he said. Apparition was uncomfortable at the best of times, but just now, with every muscle aching ...
His mother paused.
"Sirius Black is here to see me?" Remus was starting to think a bit more clearly.
His mum nodded.
"OK, go ahead," he said softly. He had tears in his eyes as he steeled himself for Apparition.
Afterwards, Sirius told Remus he had looked like death warmed over when he met him that day.
*******************
Severus spent his summer holidays brewing potions at home for the apothecary where his mother worked. He saved all his money, and when it was time for the next Slytherin Start of Term Ball, his mother also had robes that a Malfoy would deign to wear to a lesser Ministry function. His own dress robes he just had Madam Malkin alter to fit, at the same time she was altering his school robes.
*******************
Author's notes:
The Cygnus Blacks are Cygnus Black, Druella Rosier Black, and their daughters, Bellatrix and Narcissa. Their other daughter, Andromeda, will be disowned by at least Sirius' family when she marries Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks, but we don't know exactly when that was.
The French is mine, for better or worse. Corrections are accepted gratefully. Here is the translation:
Remus: Charmed, Madam Black. I am at your service.
Madam Black: Good day, Mr. Lupin. Have you known my son very long?
Remus: No, Madam. I met him for the first time at Hogwarts.
On Eileen Snape's blood status -
I realize that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince implies that Eileen Prince is a pureblood, but for the purposes of this story, I'm making her a half-blood.
Posted by Madmaxime at May 12, 2006 05:16 AM