Eleven.
Chapter 11 of 15
SS LupinIt had started off as an ordinary night for the girl and him, until he received the news that threatened to erase ten years of quiet joy.
ReviewedDisclaimer: The following characters and places you recognize do not belong to me and are the property of JKR and her affiliates.
~*~
As with most people who travel, Snape found that he had left Hogwarts with much more than he had arrived with. And I only stayed there for a day, Snape thought ruefully as he felt in his pocket for the shrunken items Minerva had given him before he had left.
“Feel free to take whatever books you need from your library.”
“Thank you.” Despite the fact those books had been his to begin with.
“And please owl me regularly. I want to know how you and Marie are faring.”
“Only if you owl me back and notify me about the Slytherins winning both the House and Quidditch Cups.”
“Hmmph.” Minerva had taken Snape’s hands in hers and had said, “Please be careful, Severus. Things are changing again after Potter woke up, and…” She had looked away.
“Why, Minerva, I didn’t know you cared.”
“Oh, shut up, you arse. Can never take concern when it’s right in front of you.” She looked up at Severus sternly. “Hermione is sacrificing quite a bit to provide you a home. I don’t want to hear any nonsense about your behavior there. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I used to be your professor, and this is the disrespect I get.” But the upturned wrinkles around her eyes had indicated her hidden smile. “Take care of yourself, Severus.”
“You too.” After a final squeeze of her hands, Snape had released them and had left Minerva’s office in search of a newly discharged Marie and Hermione.
~*~
“Ready to go, then?” Floo powder jar in hand, Hermione gestured to the fireplace in the infirmary.
Snape reached into the jar and pulled out a pinch of the powder. “I’ll go in first – to make sure the place is habitable as you say it is.” Caustic barbs aside, Snape wanted to be the first to defend themselves if there were any unexpected attackers within the house. He threw the powder into the fire, watching the flames brighten into green.
Hermione rolled her eyes. “I suppose you might be surprised in what you find.”
Snape had already stepped into the fire and had murmured the words granting him entry into Hermione’s home, so he had no way of knowing what she had meant as the Floo brought him into her fireplace.
When Snape walked out of the fireplace, disoriented from the dizzying swirl of Floo powder-green flames, he almost tripped over a small boy staring out into the fireplace.
“Good Merlin, boy! What are you doing in front of the fireplace?”
The boy flinched away from Snape, as if he had been hit. “Waiting for… M-Mum,” he muttered.
Snape stepped forward and gave the boy a cursory glance. Julius Byron Weasley looked like he still had to grow into his name, standing up to a height that was puny when compared to other boys his age. Like a plant trying to grow without enough sunlight, the boy was stunted and thin, reaching for some wayward ray of light.
Snape hadn’t seen him in person before, though Hermione had shown him pictures of her son before, the last one being at the boy’s eighth birthday party. He barely looked any different then, almost swallowed up by the cake and his cousins and half siblings. His coloring was also nondescript. He was freckled with a mop of curly brown hair – probably the first Weasley in several generations born without red hair – and a timid expression. The only startling feature the boy possessed was a pair of eyes so blue they almost glowed.
Those eyes stared up at Snape now with an intense curiosity. “You’re S-Severus,” he said in recognition. “Mummy’s friend.”
A flash of green flames interrupted Snape’s refuting the idea of him and Hermione as… friends.
“Severus!” Marie ran to Snape as if he hadn’t seen him moments earlier. When she saw the boy, she surprised Snape by stepping in front of him to address the boy. “Who are you?”
The boy seemed as surprised as Snape. “I’m Julius Byron Weasley,” he said, the utterance of his name giving him some kind of confidence – or at least an inability to stutter. “And you must be Harry Potter’s daughter.”
Hermione had entered during the exchange and shook her head. “She has a name, and it’s Marie.”
“It’s okay,” Marie said cheerfully. “I forgot Hermione had a son anyway.”
“Marie!” If Snape had been surprised with her entrance, he was gobsmacked with her most recent words. Hermione shot him a look as if to say, “She’s been living alone with you for far too long.”
Marie looked at the floor. “Sorry.”
Hermione nudged her son, who said, “Not a problem, Miss Potter.”
Marie’s face reddened, and Snape was glad he hadn’t purchased her wand yet.
“Come on, Marie,” he said to avoid any outlets of pre-Hogwarts magic from the two children. “Let’s have a look around the house.”
Hermione put up a protesting hand. “Wait, Severus. I still have to–”
Snape cut her off with a wordless message of his own. You take care of your own child; I’ll take care of mine. “I wonder where this hall leads to,” he said aloud, guiding Marie away from the boy. He went along the hallway, which led into the kitchen, filled with cauldrons and cooking ware.
And one Harry James Potter.
~*~
Author's Note: Beta'd by Southern_Witch_69.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Recovery
55 Reviews | 5.95/10 Average
I just discover this story and I like it very much! I can't help but see it has been a while since who write it... Hope inspiration strike one day, until then I will wait I guess!!
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thank you! As of yet I haven't been able to continue, but I still have hope to finish, too.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thank you! As of yet I haven't been able to continue, but I still have hope to finish, too.
Glad to see the update. Looking forward to the next.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thank you very much! :-)
I loved the comment about Julie having a girl's name. LOL I've b een thinking that since I first saw it. Ahahaha
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I'm glad you did... I wanted him to have a 'distinguished' name, but to still keep the feel of him being a little boy. =]
The point is that I'm not getting this story. It seems like a slow, increasing agony for Severus. In the beginning, he had found a reluctant hapiness with a girl he 'almost' calls his own, then things become more complicated and he suffers. With each new introduced character (Harry, Julius, Ron, Millicent (oh, my!)), Snape's grip of his life is slipping ever so slightly more. He does not only have his new social interactions to deal with, he is threatened by some Dark organisation. What you set up in store for him is frankly astonishing. I sincerely hope you plan a happy ending, although I can't phanthom one just now.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Yikes... I think the one word that hit me was slow - I hope it isn't getting boring... First off, I hate angst or anything that has a character anguishing in horrible circumstances. I'm just thinking of Snape adjusting to post-war life in the Wizarding world, after being for the most part isolated for so long. It can't possibly be perfect, so this story is working with a flawed world that Snape is trying to make his own. Although, yes, Millicent is on the random side. If you have any other questions, please let me know. :-)
Well it was worth the wait. Your writing of the everyday happenings in a very crowded house is sublime.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thank you very much! The next chapter is being written.
Haha and wow! The laugh is for the arse comment and the wow is for being able to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Glad you liked the arse bit... silly humor has to enter my fics one way or another. ;-)And I take no credit for being able to spell it; I got up to 'fragilistic' when I gave up and looked it up online. Thanks for the review!
Fun chapter! This is quite an intriguing story. I'm looking forward to more.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Yay! It was fun writing it. More is up soon; thanks for the review!
I'm really enjoying this, especially the getting along.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thanks so much - the relationship between Marie's fathers is an important part to this story, and I really want to 'get it right.'
My, my, Snape seems to be softening towards Harry - are you setting this up for some spectacular row or something? :D
I had been wondering how you would handle things once Harry was released, and must say I really like the way you have them interacting.
More, and soon please :)
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
lol, they aren't out of the woods yet - more rows are up ahead. :-) The next chapter is in the works. Thanks for reviewing!
hehehe. I'm with Severus! At least it wasn't the whole Weasley lot! Now, I wonder what's next?!
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I really couldn't write them all with poor Snape... that will have to come later. I think I will be going back to the attack on the house in the next chapter.
Snape a father figure? - the poor girl! Nice start though. I look forward to the rest of it.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
He's definitely not the best choice, but it was part of the challenge. Thanks for the review!
Hey there!
I found this story over Southern witch's fic rec, and I love it - I like your characterizations, like Severus and Maries interactions and am definitely looking forward to more! Oh, and I can SO see Hermione doing what she did - for one cause she's overjoyed about Harrys recovery and then to help Marie - even if living with Potter sucks for Severus, I think it's a real chance for Marie.
Thanks for sharing!
Fran
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I was recc'd! :-)Thank you so much for your review; the next chapter should be finished soon.
Poor Severus. I feel so bad for him, and I'm rather upset at Hermione. Nice of her to tell Severus Harry was staying there until after he'd already moved in. I'm not much of a Harry fan, and I can only imgaine how Severus must feel, to know he's going to have to live under the same roof of Harry - who he definitely isn't fond of.Again, poor Severus. I'm almost hoping he leaves...But either way, I simply can't wait to see what happens next. Please update again soon! :)
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I really am writing Hermione as a she-demon, and I hate that - but I can see her being so excited about Harry's waking up that she'd become a zealot in trying to reconcile everyone. Besides, there may have been some deception on her part, so that Snape could move there in the first place. :-)Thanks for your review; the next chapter is in the works.
Ah, what a twist. ~snicker~ Can't wait to see how things work out. :)
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I do love my plot twists... hopefully, the next chapter should be finished soon.
I love Snape's response to Rita's question about being back in the wizard world.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I love the snark, too - thanks for reviewing. =]
hahaha. the image of severus running in the grass in a grey nightshirt (my mind added grey socks and the dew) is priceless. HAhaha 
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
lol, I'm glad you liked that image; I wanted a slightly a humorous contrast to Snape's escape in HBP. Thanks for reviewing!
I have my suspicions about these people. I must say that I feel so badly for them to lose their home and all the special things (like him reflecting on the loss of her first little artwork and such...). That would be what I'd hate to lose, too.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I know... my mother still bemoans the fact that she had lost/threw away some of my childhood creations :) Thanks for reviewing!
I've just finished reading all six of the chapters that are currently posted. I've enjoyed it because it reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of Masterpiece Theater, Silas Marner with Ben Kingsley as Silas. I just checked it out on IMDb and found out it was first shown in 1985, it certainly doesn't seem like I first saw it over 20 years ago.I had found the novel extremely boring when we were required to read it in 10th grade, but now it has become a favorite. Severus is a perfect Silas, and Marie has him wrapped round her finger just as Eppie had Silas. I love what I've seen of the relationship the two of them have.I'm hoping desparately that you won't turn the story into an SS/HG pairing. Not only do I hate that pairing, but it doesn't go with the story the way you've written it or the way George Eliot/Mary Anne Evans wrote it. It's a love story about a man and a child, about how that child changed the fundamental character of that man with the truly paternal love he developed for her. That's exactly what you have Marie doing for Severus.
I will be waiting for your next update.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Wow. This review was so amazing, and I had to look up Silas Marner because of it (I'm familiar with the book but didn't know much about it). I really do not know if I will write any 'pairings' in this story - characters and plot changes as I go along WIP style, but I do know that the main focus of this fic is the development of Snape's love for Marie. Thanks again for reviewing. =]
It was nice to have some background. What will happen now?
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thanks, I thought I was boring everyone to death with flashbacks... chapter 7 is being written; thanks for reviewing!
Strange ending. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
I know... it was a bit abrupt, but it will be further detailed in the next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
Psychological suspense is what you're giving us, and I like it. Marie is very perceptive, isn't she?
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Psychological suspense? (squees at such an elaborate term for my fic) Thanks for your review. Marie is quite a perceptive character, but I imagine she's been seing Snape and Hermione interact quite a bit in her lifetime. =]
Ah, Hermione always trying to serve justly, without taking into consideration the consequences thereof. Harry really didn't need that shock and Severus shouldn't feel as if he needs to be on the defensive to save his relationship with Marie. Good thing that Marie doesn't have any of the hang-ups her two fathers have. Looks like she will be the glue to cement the future.
I like this story so far, very original. Looking forward to more.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Yes. I'm afraid Hermione might be keeping up that in the future.Thanks very much for your review - the next chapter's in queue.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this story plays out, so far i'm quite enchanted.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Aw, thanks alot! And I know this is random, but I love your username. =]
Response from lupinschewtoy (Reviewer)
Thanks. Now I just have to become inspired enough to get past the starting stage of two stories so other people can see how cute my name is. lol. Your story is still quite wonderful and I am looking forward to more chapters.
I like this beginning. I'd really like to see where you're going with this.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thank you for reviewing! =]
Your description of Snape's flight with Marie had me as breathless as he was. Well done job! now, I wonder what that phoenix was for.
Response from SS Lupin (Author of Recovery)
Thanks alot! As for the phoenix... I'm not telling yet. ;)