Harry x Hermione Short Stories

Xanthippe

Summary:

Xanthippe means an ill-tempered woman. So, Lillian Joy doesn't understand why her father uses that word as an endearment for her mother. Deciding to just ask her Dad, Harry Potter shares his memories of the hilarious origin of his pet name for his wife, Hermione.

Rating: G

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XANTHIPPE

By: tweety-src-clt9

Fifteen-year-old Lillian Joy Potter, the eldest child of Harry and Hermione Potter, has heard of the word 'Xanthippe' for most of her life. In fact, it's the first most complicated word she could ever remember as a toddler. With its odd pronunciation 'zan-thi-pee', the word used to make her giggle as a little girl. What's even weirder is the fact that ever since her childhood, her father only uses the word 'Xanthippe' as an endearment to her mother.

During her playdates with her friends or when she attended muggle pre-school, she recalls that her friends' parents addressing each other with endearments that are usually something sweet. Words such as love, darling, honey, and sweetheart are the most popular ones. Because of that, she does not understand why her father chose a very difficult pet name for her mother.

Since the Potter children have long been accustomed to hearing this fancy word, it's just something normal to them. Her curiosity about the meaning behind her father's special moniker for her mother piqued when she stumbled upon a book in their family library. It's Christmas break so she and her two younger brothers are back at the family manor. Being the only daughter of the Brightest Witch of the Age, she decided to do some advanced reading for her upcoming OWLs. Since Muggle Studies is one of the subjects she plans to take a test in, she's perusing this book on the history of Ancient Greece when she found a rather unfavorable account of the word 'Xanthippe'.

According to the book, Xanthippe is the wife and mother to the three children of the classical Greek philosopher, Socrates. While that tidbit of information is impressive, the famous anecdote about her is what makes her father's endearment rather upsetting, to say the least. Xanthippe is famous for being a shrew. There's this story that Xanthippe threw a bucket of washing water on her husband because of anger. Hence, the word is now used to describe an ill-tempered woman.

This new information is so confusing to her. Why would her father use this endearment in the first place? Better yet, why would her mother allow it? Okay... So, Mum could indeed be a very scary woman when she's angry. Uncle Ron calls her 'brilliant but scary... And of course, there's this whole business about her political influence... As the dynamic and determined Head of the DMLE and sure-win successor of Minister Shacklebolt upon retirement, Hermione Potter is one formidable woman...

"But it still doesn't make sense," she muttered while haphazardly stirring her teaspoon to blend the honey and milk to her green tea.

"What doesn't make sense, Joy?" Her father asked with an amused grin as he leaned on the kitchen's door frame.

"Dad!" She gasped in surprise.

"Hello, Joy! Why is my bookworm princess still awake at eleven in the evening?" Her father sat on the stool in front of her.

"I've been doing some light reading. You know, some early prep for OWLs," she shrugged.

"You really are your mother's daughter," her father's green eyes, which she inherited, sparkled with pride.

"You say that all the time!" She huffed which made her father chuckle.

"I heard you muttering about something that doesn't make sense though... So, pray tell?" Her father whispered conspiratorially. In as much as she loved her mum and dad, they could be so annoying and invasive sometimes.