XVI: And the Past Will Come to Haunt You

Thanks go to JKR, for creating the HP universe, to my wonderful beta Apple Blossom and all you faithful readers.

Chapter XVI: And the Past Will Come to Haunt You

'A spring ball, Headmistress?'

Severus couldn't believe it. He would have expected a ridiculous idea like this from Dumbledore any day. But Minerva? He had thought her more sensible than that!

'Yes, a spring ball, Severus. It has been a dreadful winter. According to Poppy, there have never before so many students come down with the cold or the flu as this year. Or teachers for that matter.'

She turned away to blow her nose, and Severus made a mental note to brew her another potion. Her sinuses were – obviously – still not clear. Neither were his, and the headache this was causing was slowly but surely driving him insane. Yes, a spring ball would just be the icing on the cake.

'Due to the circumstances,' Minerva went on, tucking away her handkerchief, 'Pomona, Filius and I find it advisable to organise something nice for the children.'

Frivolous Sprout and bobbing Flitwick! But of course! Severus groaned inwardly. He should have known that those two were involved somehow.

'I am not going to teach any dancing classes this time, Minerva,' he stated firmly, glowering at the Headmistress. He had been there, done that and certainly not liked it. The dancing classes he had had to teach during the Triwizard Tournament had been pure horror. Never in his life had he seen so many uncoordinated, clumsy people gathered in one room. Merlin's pants, even Draco Malfoy had had two left feet. Considering his genes, Severus had expected better from that boy. And he sincerely hoped that the dancing genes had jumped only one generation in that family and that there was some hope for Scorpius.

'Why ever not, dear Severus?' Minerva asked, a twinkle in her eyes that would have outshone Dumbledore's. 'You did a wonderful job the last time. I recall Slytherin House making quite the impression at the first Yule ball.'

Severus snorted. Yes, Slytherin House had made a very good impression that time. This had, however, had less to do with his skills as a dancing instructor than with the fact that he had threatened his students with detention should they dare to make fools of themselves. And so they had danced like fairies, and those who had been unable to – Crabbe and Goyle, for instance – had wisely kept to the buffet.

'I assume that your decision is final, Headmistress,' he inquired, 'and that there is no possibility of changing your mind?'

'Yes, Severus,' Minerva replied with an almost mischievous smile. 'My decision is final. The ball will be held on the first of May, and the Heads will be responsible for instructing their Houses in dancing and proper behaviour. And not even you will be able to wriggle yourself out of it.'

~ ~ ~

Approaching the Great Hall felt like being called to the Dark Lord. Severus' palms were sweaty, his stomach was turning and if he continued clenching his teeth, he would surely need a headache potion in an hour or two. How he hated this!

Everybody in the castle – students, teachers, ghosts, even Filch – had been talking about nothing else than this blasted ball for the last couple of weeks. Last week's staff meeting, for example, had been torture. Pomona and Filius, the two masterminds behind the whole event, had had a million questions to solve and had decided that the rest of the staff should help. Should there be lilac or pink flowers in the Great Hall? Should the table cloths match the flowers or the candles? Should the first-years be sent to bed earlier than the seventh-years? Should additional wards be put on the rose garden to keep couples from sneaking off in order to ... ehm, get cosy, as Filius had put it?

Severus had tried to hold his tongue. Oh, he truly had. But Pomona had kept nagging him, and in the end, he had just given her a piece of his mind. However, his suggestion of decorating the Hall in black and hexing any male student who got closer than two feet to a female student while not on the dance floor, had not been met with any enthusiasm whatsoever. Hence, he had held his peace for the rest of the meeting.

And now it was too late to say anything.

Severus paused at the entrance to the Great Hall and peered inside. It seemed as if Pomona and Filius had decided on white table clothes, rose-coloured candles and lilac and white flowers in the end. Not too bad, but still horrific.

'You just can't wait to go inside, now can you?' Eydis' question was followed by a giggle, and Severus turned around to face his daughter. When he caught sight of her, the biting remark he had had on his tongue disappeared into thin air.

The little one looked beautiful. She had chosen a light green dress made of the finest fabrics adorned with tiny roses, and Ginny had helped tame her unruly red hair. The dress had cost Severus a fortune, but he did not care. Nothing was too expensive for his little angel.

Eydis smiled at him and spun around, making fairy dust rise from her skirt. It tickled Severus' nose, and he smiled back at his daughter. He was very proud of her and endlessly pleased to see her happy.

'I see you have chosen spring colours as well,' Eydis stated as she had come to a halt and eyed her father with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her voice was dripping with irony, and Severus cocked an eyebrow at her.

'Do enlighten me, Miss Snape. Whatever is wrong with black?'

With an innocent expression on his face, he looked down at his clothes. He was wearing high-collared dress robes made of black velvet. Plain and simple, nothing fancy. He had for some moments contemplated wearing something green – he was, after all, the Head of Slytherin House – but had decided against it. Pomona and Flitwick had turned down his suggestion of black decorations, and he was not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing him wear colours.

Eydis grinned. 'Nothing's wrong with black, Daddy. It would just have been fun to see people faint had you shown up in white robes.'

Mischievous little witch!

Severus smirked and looked around the Entrance Hall. 'Where is your escort, Lady Snape?' he wondered. 'I figured you and Scorpius would come up from the dungeons together.'

'Didn't I tell you?' Eydis frowned. 'I am not going with Scorpius.'

Severus gave his daughter a questioning look, and she started fidgeting with her gloves.

'He's been a real prat lately,' she explained, 'showing off the new broom his grand-dad has bought him and boasting about how great a family the Malfoys are. And yesterday he graciously reminded me how grateful I should be that he asked me to go to the ball with him. So I told him to buzz off and shove up his broom where the sun doesn't shine.'

'Miss Snape, language,' Severus reprimanded his daughter, not because that he disliked the idea of a broomstick up any Malfoy's behind, but because it wasn't good manners to say it out loud.

Eydis scowled. 'Ever since Scorpius' dad went to work abroad, his grand-father has been swamping him with gifts. He has even come to every single Quidditch match to see Scorpius play. And after that, he always comes to the common room, hands out sweets and tells stories about the Malfoy family and how wonderful they are. If you ask me, he is a slimy git. And he's rubbing off on Scorpius.'

Severus narrowed his eyes. He did not like Lucius Malfoy worming his way into the hearts of the Slytherins again. But, unfortunately, he was still school governor and patron of Slytherin House, and therefore, Severus could not simply ban him from either the school grounds or the Slytherin common room. All he could do was keep his eyes and ears open and make sure Lucius didn't gain too much influence among the youngsters.

Before Severus could give his daughter any advice about keeping away from the Malfoys, they were approached by James Potter.

'Are you ready, Eydis?'

Eydis beamed up at the stylish boy and took his outstretched hand, winking at her father before she let herself be escorted into the Great Hall.

And Severus looked after them, sending a silent prayer to every deity he could think of. When Scorpius Malfoy found out that he had been replaced by a Potter, there would be hell to pay.

~ ~ ~

Everything happened incredibly fast. There was a commotion on the other side of the dance floor, and before Severus – or any other teacher for that matter – had been able to intervene, Eydis had punched Scorpius Malfoy right into his pretty face.

The boy had gone down like a wet sack, and now Eydis was towering over him, her eyes narrowed and her wand pointed at Scorpius' chest.

'Once more, Malfoy,' she hissed. 'Open your filthy, lying mouth once more, and I swear you will regret the day you were born.'

'Miss Snape, lower your wand,' Minerva commanded. 'Lower it this instant.'

Eydis did not seem to hear the Headmistress. She was still pointing her wand at Scorpius, who was now casually wiping blood off his face with his sleeve. Any other boy would have trembled, but he looked rather smug, almost triumphant.

'Eydis!'

Severus' imperious voice made Eydis flinch.

'Lower your wand now.'

Her head jerked up, and her eyes met her father's. Now it was Severus's turn to flinch. He had never seen his daughter like this. Her face was pale as a ghost, her pupils dilated as in fear. Her hands were shaking, and her breathing was shallow.

'What is the matter, Eydis?'

Severus took a tentative step forwards and extended his hand towards his daughter. That was when she dropped her wand and started backing away from him. The look in her eyes was one of a trapped animal. Severus looked towards Scorpius, who was still lying on the ground. What in Hades had this boy said or done that had upset Eydis in such a way?

'Tell me he's lying.'

Eydis voice wasn't much more than a whisper now, and Severus doubted if anyone except him had heard her. He had, however, not the faintest idea what she was talking about.

Then she ran. Out of the Great Hall and down the stairs that led to the dungeons. And Severus was right at her heals.

He was surprised when she turned left at the bottom of the stairs. The Slytherin dormitories were situated to the right. Where was she going?

Then he heard a heavy oak door slam and fell dead in his track. Why would the little one run away from him and then seek refuge in his chambers? It didn't make sense.

He opened the door slowly, carefully, mentally prepared to duck in case some heavy object came flying in his direction. But nothing happened. In fact, his quarters were filled with an almost eerie silence.

'Eydis?'

He received no answer.

He pushed the door open and stepped inside the room, calling for her once more. 'Eydis?'

Nothing.

He lit the candles with a wave of his hand and looked around. The door to Eydis' old room stood open, but the room was as empty as the rest of his quarters. Wherever had she gone?

When he entered his study, he found the little box of Floo Powder lying on the rug in front of the fireplace, and it didn't take him many seconds to put two and two together. He threw a handful of the powder into the flames and called for Potter.

'Severus, what happened?'

'Is Eydis with you?'

'Yes, she is with Ginny. What's the matter, Severus?'

Severus never answered. Instead he grabbed a second handful of Floo Powder and stepped into the flames.

'Will you please tell me what's going on?' Potter requested as Severus stepped out of the fireplace in the Potter kitchen. 'Eydis was in quite a state when she arrived, totally distraught. Aren't you having the spring ball today?'

'We were,' Severus replied curtly. 'There was an incident. Where is my daughter?'

'She is in here.' Ginny closed the door that led to the sitting room behind her, but she did not seem to be ready to give anyone access to the room. Instead, she nodded towards the kitchen table. 'Have a seat, Severus. Harry, would you get us something to drink?'

'I demand to see my daughter,' Severus barked and remained standing.

'And I tell you to have a seat.' Ginny's tone was calm but firm and reminded Severus very much of Molly. 'It's just as well. I don't think Eydis is quite ready to talk to you just yet.'

'Why is she so upset?' Harry asked as he put three glasses and a bottle of Odgen's onto the kitchen table. 'Don't tell me James did something stupid.'

Ginny smiled faintly. 'No, James didn't do anything. It was Scorpius Malfoy.' She looked at Severus once more. 'Would you please sit down now?'

'What did that little cretin do?' Severus hissed, still ignoring Ginny's request.

'Scorpius didn't do anything,' she explained. 'But he told Eydis something. Something that was not his to tell.'

Severus felt his breath catch in his throat. Heavens, no, he thought. Not this.

Ginny stepped away from the door and made her way slowly towards the table. 'He told her about the Death Eaters. He told her about the most trusted followers of Lord Voldemort.'

That was the moment when Severus' knees gave way and he let himself fall onto a chair.

'But Eydis knows,' Harry started, sounding slightly confused. 'She knows about Severus having been a Death Eater.'

Of course she knew. Every child in the Wizarding world knew. They knew what stood in the history books. They knew that Severus Snape had turned his back on the Dark Lord already before Harry Potter had been born, that he had spied for Dumbledore and that his deeds had given Potter the tools he had needed to bring Voldemort down for good.

What the history books did not tell, however, was how well Severus Snape had played his role. Yes, there had been Death Eaters who had all along doubted his loyalties, but the Dark Lord himself had always believed Severus Snape to be his truest and most loyal servant. And there were those who still believed this, and those who still believed that he was nothing but a turncoat, a cunning opportunist whose smooth talking had made Dumbledore save him from Azkaban. Surely Lucius Malfoy was one of those people. And Scorpius had probably heard that story already when he had been lying in the cradle. And now the little pest had decided to share.

Severus clutched his glass so hard that the edges cut into his palm. He had been long since aware that he would have to come clean one day, that one day Eydis would need to know the whole truth about his past life. But he had deemed her too young, had thought that she was not ready.

He was not ready.

He emptied his glass and got up. 'Tell Eydis I await her in my quarters.'

'Severus, wait,' Harry started.

But Ginny cut him short. 'Let him go, Harry,' she said softly. 'He needs time. They both do.'

~ ~ ~

'Please tell me Scorpius lied.'

Severus had heard Eydis Floo in, but he had not turned around in his chair. And even now, after she had addressed him, did he still stare straight forward, into the dark.

'Daddy?'

He felt her small hand on his shoulder and looked up, and dark eyes met blue ones.

He could see that his little angel had been crying, and he hated himself for it. 'I am sorry, Eydis,' he whispered.

She pulled up a stool and sat down, propped up her chin on her father's knees and looked up at him.

'Tell me that you never believed in what Voldemort said,' she started. 'Tell me that you never thought that pure-bloods were better than half-bloods and Muggles. Tell me that you were never like the Malfoys.'

Severus brushed a strand of red hair from his daughter's face and sighed. It was time to come clean.

'There was indeed a time when I did believe in everything what Voldemort said. I did believe that pure-bloods were entitled to rule the Wizarding world. I did loathe the fact that my father had been a Muggle. And I did envy the likes of Lucius Malfoy.'

Eydis frowned, but she did not shrink away. She was still looking up at him with her heavenly blue eyes, and the questioning look in her eyes gave Severus the strength to go on.

'I was dazzled by what Voldemort had to offer. Riches, power, friends. I had never had any of those things, and it took me years to understand that Galleons could not make me happy, that holding power over others did not give me any satisfaction and that those friends were only my friends as long as they could gain something from that friendship.'

'And that was when you went to Dumbledore?'

Severus nodded. That part of the story was well known: he had run from the Dark Lord and become a spy for the Light. His reasons for it were – however – still obscure to most people. And they would remain so.

Eydis started chewing at her lip. 'Scorpius said that everything was a charade, that you never truly left Voldemort.'

'It was a part I had to play, little one. I had to make Voldemort believe that I was his man through and through. And the easiest way to do this was letting everyone else believe it, too.'

He shrugged and closed his eyes for a moment, willed the shadows of his past to go away. 'I played my part well, maybe too well, and I made many enemies over the years. Some of them have not forgiven me to this very day.'

Once more he looked down at his daughter. She was still chewing her lip, and Severus did not need to use Legilimency to know that there was something else bothering her.

He cupped her chin and made her look at him. 'There is more, am I right? Scorpius said more than this.'

Eydis' lip started to quiver, and a single tear made its way down her cheek. 'Scorpius said you went after Mummy because you wanted to cover up your tainted blood-line. He said you had me because you wanted to be a part of a pure-blood family.'

Part of Severus wanted to jump up, Floo to Malfoy Manor and Crucio the life out of Lucius Malfoy. Yes, he would use Crucio. Avada Kedavra would be far too merciful. But he remained seated. Lucius Malfoy did not matter right now. The only thing that mattered was Eydis.

He took her by the shoulders and pulled her into a standing position in front of him so he could look straight into her eyes.

'Never believe anything a Malfoy tells you, Eydis,' he began. 'I fell in love with your mother long before I knew she was a witch. And I would have continued loving her even if she had been a Muggle.'

He brushed away the tear with his fingertips.

'And you, little one ... Your mother and I had never hoped to have children. You were the greatest gift I ever received. And I love you with all my heart. Never let anyone make you believe anything else.'

Slowly, carefully, Severus pulled his daughter into a tight embrace. He had never held her that close, had never been so afraid that she would push him away.

But she wrapped her arms around his neck, and with endless relief, Severus closed his eyes. She would not push him away, not tonight. Hopefully, she would never have a reason to.

'Please, Daddy, can I sleep in my old room?' she asked softly. 'I would like to be here with you tonight.'

And of course, Severus nodded. Because sending away his little angel was the last thing he wanted to do.