| Dugbog
Join Date: May 2010 Location: Iowa , United States
Posts: 141
Second Year | 
Chapter 2
“Nervous?” He asked
“Yes.”
“Me too.”
Ella smiled, at least she wasn’t alone. Sneaking through the alley ways of spinners end wasn’t the most appealing task handed to her. Luckily on this hot day, not to many people were out in about. Looking about, Ella realized that most of the houses seemed boarded up, and left behind.
Spinners end seemed like a sad place.
“Follow me.”
After a few minutes, Ella could tell they had arrived at the right house, because the already pale Snape got paler.
“There home.” He whispered.
Snape motioned for her to stand behind the banister of the porch, so no one would spot her.
Seeing her in place he knocked.
Hearing the footsteps coming to the door made Ella’s stomach flip.
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“ Severus, what are you doing here? We haven’t seen you in years”
It was plain to Ella that from the older women’s angle she couldn’t see Ella.
“ Can we talk inside?” Snape said looking around.
“ Yes of course Peter is in here, I will make some tea.”
Ella behind Snape followed in still not seen by the women.
Finding a seat, she sat there shaking, hearing the clanking of the china.
“ Be calm.” He whispered.
Giving Snape a cold look, she began to look around. Fifteen years ago they lost their daughter, but from the décor she still lived on. Photographs lined the walls of the house and old newspapers were stacked everywhere. The house had not been cleaned, and the air smelt of sorrow and grief.
“Severus, What the hell are you doing in my house? And who is this girl?” The man looked at Severus in disgust.
“ Oh Peter relax its been years since we have seen him and who knows he might have information about Jane, I always remain positive, and wait a minute what girl?”
Jacqueline came out of the kitchen with the tea and Ella finally came face to face with the lady. The older women had deep circles around her eyes, and short sandy brown hair. She once was attractive, but the loss of her only child took a toll on her.
“Why are you here Severus?” Peter asked still standing in front of her and Snape.
“I am here to tell you, that your daughter died giving birth to our daughter fifteen years ago.” He spoke slowly as if saying the very words was painful to him. The tension broke when the china was dropped on the floor
Ella turned her head in shock at his words. “ Just a suggestion, next time be a little wary on how you say something.” Ella whispered
Trying to cut the silence Ella decded she would be the first to speak. “ My name is Ella, I have recently found this information out myself.” Seeing there agape expressions Ella just kept talking. “ I am going to be spending a few weeks with my father, and I wanted to meet you.”
“You’re our granddaughter?” Jacqueline Said.
“ Yes” Ella gave a nice smile.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
“You don’t look like her.” “You look more like him, and his side of the family.” “Plus your American.” Peter was brash and angry. Unlike his wife who maintain a positive although obsessive attitude, peter had given up on being happy.
It wasn’t exactly the reaction she was expecting to receive but she nodded none the less.
“ Even there your expression as you told us, was not our Jane it was him.”Peter just stared at Snape . “ Severus, what sick joke are you playing at.” " Trying to replace our daughter , is just sick!"
“ I assure, you we have proof, and no one can replace Jane, but this is her daughter.” Snape his tone sharpening.
“ Well lets see it.” At this point Peter drew a chair from the kitchen and placed it in front of Snape and Ella.
Ella felt the cold sting of there reactions, did no one want to have her in their family? The cold sting of loniless and Ella couldn’t help put tell them more, “ She died after giving birth to me, I was adopted. In America.” Ella voice was straining in an almost pleading tone.
“You do not have to try and convince them. I cant believe this.” Snape was getting angry.
Ella glanced over at him.
“Do you think I just paraded this girl in here for you two to deny? Your daughter wasn’t a saint. She fled to America in fear in stead of helping. It’s disgusting how fifteen years have gone by and you still live like it was the past. This young lady wanted to meet you, and frankly I cannot bear the thought of you two as her grandparents.”
“Lets see the proof then Severus; you insist on berating me in my own home then give me the proof.”
Snape reached in his robe and pulled out and old folded letter.
After a few minutes of reading the letter, Peter stopped and stared at him. Giving the letter to his wife he coughed and then spoke. “ So its true.”
“What house are you in?” “At Hogwarts, I mean.”
A little taken aback about the content matter of the question, Ella straitned up and said proudly. “Gryffindor”
“ We come from a long line of Slytherins, and as do you Snape, how did she get into that house.”
“Because she is brave, brash and most of all she has courage.”
Trying to justify why she wasn’t in Slytherin, Ella became desperate. “I do hate transfiguration, and I have won awards in Potions.” Ella said trying to keep the conversation light. “You have to realize , I was raised by two different people, had three other sisters, I am going to be different than her.” Ella pointed at the photograph of Jane. She giving a sheepishly grin, that Ella could tell was fake for the camera.
“Dumbledore thinks she resembles Jane, and her mannerisms are mine.” Snape voiced.
Getting angry, at the lack of emotion from either Peter of Jacqueline, Ella felt her temper rise.
“I don’t care who I look like or act like, the truth is I am her daughter, now I wanted to meet you and I didn’t expect this reaction. I guess I have a more wholesome thinking about grandparents.”
Standing up and brushing the dust off her worn jeans Ella turned to Snape “Let’s go back to the house, please.”
“Do you remember the way?” He asked
“Yes.”
“Then go, I need to say a few more things.”
“Ok.”
Ella opened the door and closed it hard. Frustrated with their reaction and heartless manner she made her way to the house where she would be staying.
Opening the door, she felt the stench of must. Although the tiny house was pact full of books and notes, it didnt feel lived in. The kitchen had some cobwebs, and the stack of books were dusty. There was so many books. Even the doors had books hanging on them. Glancing at his books, she spotted one that said PHOTO ALBUM.
Grabbing it she pulled open the pages with strong curiosity.
It was of his childhood. Baby pictures, his parents ,all were in here.
Jane and Severus 15 years old.
They weren’t hugging or even close for the matter. They just stood there. There was no spark, no love in his eyes.
Flipping the page she spotted a young red headed girl with beautiful eyes playing in a sand box. Severus was besides her watching her. His eyes were open and happy , he seemed elated at the chance of being beside her.
She had seen those eyes before. Where she couldn’t remember.
As soon as she had snapped the book shut, he came in through the door.
“That is precisely why I wanted to get the introductions over with.” “ They blame me and always will.”
“I am sorry, But I am not going to lie and say I knew it wouldn’t go this way. They live in the past and not the future, sad really.”
“ Why did you stay?”
“ I needed them to make an oath, never to tell anyone.”
Ella shudderd.
“Are you hungry?” He said casting away an old book.
“ Oh yes.”
“We need to go to a muggle place.”
“Your going like that?” Ella’s raised her eyebrows at his attire.
“Yes.”
“ Ok then.” Ella smiled .
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Sitting in a small muggle café was just what Ella needed.
“ So why are you grounded?”
“ I was afraid you were going to ask that.” Ella said laughing. “ I cant keep my mouth shut, and let things be” Ella said shuffling her salad around.
“My sister Jenny, who is married to Sirius. Thinks I should just allow things to be the way they are.”
“ When someone or something is wrong, I am not going to let it just pass by”
Snape nodded.
“ You need to learn some basic spells.”
“ For instance the patronus, by the end of these few weeks you should be able to conjure up one.”
Ella almost spilled her coke.
“Are you kidding me, seriously?”
“Expecto Patronum” Its what I did at the house earlier. It’s good for not only communication, but fighting off dementers and other things.
Ella shook her head.
“Listen , I know I have frightened you, but I want you to know, there will be a time where you will have to fight, and I want you to be able to defend yourself. Dueling clubs in the Gryffindor common might be fun, but they will not help you defend yourself against a skilled death eater.”
Ella’s face turned red.
“ Now, enough worrying about that for now, lets enjoy this meal”
Ella looked at her seemingly delicious salad and couldn’t help but to get nauseous.
“Oh, I will be leaving for periods of time throughout the day and night, but I will see you everyday.”
“Do you have a television?”
“No.”
Ella sighed and took a drink of her coke.
“ Ella, I want you to know this isn’t my ideal situation.” “ I want things to be normal, but frankly my life is anything but normal.”
“ Its ok.”
At least she hoped it would be |