"When other little girls wanted to be ballet dancers, I kind of wanted to be a vampire."-Angelina Jolie.
--------------------> SEVERUS, DESPITE EVERYTHING, found himself a bit nervous on a pleasant and slightly damp morning.
It had been a little over a month since he had seen Lily's daughter in Surrey. Severus wasn't sure if he found himself disappointed that she looked nothing like Lily (except her eyes) or glad that she didn't look anything like Potter.
So, Severus decided to keep a free mind and let him see the girl for who she is, rather than look at her as Lily's daughter or Potter's spawn.
Bellatrix had come by his house this morning with a gleeful cackle in order to inform him of the location of the Slytherin Manor where the girl -Rose- had taken up residence.
First impressions matter.
But the first impression he had of her was lip-locking with the Dark Lord, so, to be honest, he wasn't sure what to expect of her yet, but he could already see Potter's stupidity -he assumed it was inheritable- shining through.
So he tucked in his black outer robes, straightened his collar (a force of habit) and then promptly apparated right in front of the Manor.
He walked in to be greeted by the Dark Lord's incredibly handsome face smiling widely.
He would be lying if he said that sight didn't give him a slight scare. He checked all his mental barriers and found them in tip-top condition as always.
"Ah, Severus." The Dark Lord greeted. "I am glad you could make it."
"My Lord," Severus returned his greeting while inclining his head in respect.
The Dark Lord led him to a living room and gestured for him to sit down, seating himself opposite to him.
"I'm sure you remember Rose Potter from earlier..." The Dark Lord said immediately after. "I wish to teach her some basic magic. Would you like to be her Potion's tutor?"
It was phrased as a casual question with an easy-going smile. But this was the Dark Lord. You either agreed with him or ended up dead. There is hardly any in between.
"I would be honoured to do so, my Lord," Severus replied.
"Excellent." The Dark Lord stated. "But first, I would like you to meet Rose. Mipsy! Bring Rose here."
The House Elf nodded and vanished and Severus felt anxious to get to know the daughter of his most treasured friend and worst enemy.
"Hello, Marvolo. You called for me?" Severus heard a feminine voice speak.
An angelic-looking girl glided down the stairs, dressed simple but elegantly with a flowing dress and gold jewellery to match (no doubt the work of Narcissa Malfoy). She was beautiful, almost as lovely as Lily (then again, he was a bit biased). Her golden blonde locks fell loosely down her back, her eye-catching emerald eyes and her heavenly looks completed the effect of giving her an out-worldly ethereal look.
The Dark Lord (Severus remembered that he had told her that his name was Marvolo Slytherin) stood up personally to greet the stunning girl.
"Rose..." The Dark Lord began softly. "I would like to meet your new Potion's Master, Severus Snape."
The girl's eyes (Lily's eyes) slid to him. She was smiling brightly, lighting up her features and making her dimples go so deep.
But when her green eyes met his ebony ones, the smile from her face dropped, her eyes widened in horror and her breathing quickened.
Severus cleared his throat lightly to formally introduce himself. "Good Morning, Miss Potter. I-"
"Vampire!" She screamed, an accusing finger pointing his way.
Severus frowned while blinking confusedly. "I beg your pardon?"
"Vampire!" Rose screamed once again before promptly running up the stairs and slamming the door of what he assumed to be her bedroom shut and bolting it tightly.
Severus found himself quite confused and looked at the Dark Lord who was smiling as brightly as the girl had been previously doing so.
"My Lord.." Severus trailed off questioningly.
"That, Severus, is just another day with Rose Potter. Do not worry, you will get used to it, just ask the Malfoy's..." The Dark Lord smirked. "She is wonderfully entertaining, isn't she?"
Severus just nodded, not quite sure how to comment on that.
------> 0o0 <------
Did you know how it felt to have an extremely beautiful girl wearing a garlic head-band and bracelet, a cross on her neck, a wooden stake in one hand and 'holy water' in the other glare at you in thinly veiled suspicion?
Severus did.
"I am not a vampire, Miss Potter," Severus said for what felt like the millionth time.
The Dark Lord sat on a chair reading a book. But considering the man was smiling widely and his eyes had been struck on the same page for more than five minutes, Severus was willing to bet his Master's degree in Potions that the man was just amused at their argument.
The girl scoffed. "That is exactly what a vampire would say. And then when you have let your guard down, Bam! I become unrecognisable to a blood bag." She said with a glare.
Severus crossed his eyebrows. "You are such a dunner-head girl! I am not a vampire!"
Rose gave him an 'Oh really?' look mirroring the one that Lily had given him many times in their youth."You are pale like you haven't been in the sun forever."
"That's because I practically live in the dungeons!"
"Your skin is cold. There is truth after all to the expression, 'Cold as death'."
"That's because the dungeons are located underneath the Black Lake. Not to even mention that it is cold in Scotland!"
"You smell weird."
"I am a Potions Master. Potions do not always smell pleasant." Severus said calmly, but a vein in his forehead looked ready to burst. "Besides, you are wearing garlic, and you want to comment on my odour?"
"I am only wearing garlic to keep away from you." Rose retorted.
Severus glared. "For the last time, I am NOT a vampire!"
"I haven't seen you eat anything! You even refused to eat lunch!" Rose accused.
"Have you ever considered that I might just not be hungry?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.
The girl hesitated. "Well, no. But-"
"Then consider it!" Severus snapped, no longer patient.
"Alright then, there is only one way to be sure." She said to herself, nodding.
"What?" asked Severus.
The girl smiled wickedly, and for a second he thought pre-Azkaban Bellatrix was in front of him. She twirled the wooden piece expertly around her slender fingers as one would do with a baton. "Put a stake through your heart of course."
Severus couldn't stop his eyes from widening slightly. "Don't be foolish, girl. Hypothetically say that you do indeed put a stake.. through me. Then what?"
The girl shrugged. "If you die, you are a vampire."
Potter's stupidity is definitely inheritable.
"Anybody would die if you would put a stake through their heart," Severus replied dryly.
The girl paused. "Right." She looked at him up and down once again. "But you look so much like a bat! Seriously!"
Severus swallowed the urge to scream, but he couldn't lose his cool now. Not with the Dark Lord having completely abandoned his book to look at the two of them with amusement shining in his eyes. Severus could also see a hint of fondness concealed in them whenever he looked at Potter's daughter.
Severus looked at the Dark Lord with slightly pleading eyes -not that he would ever admit it-, trying to ask him silently to make her see some sense. The Dark Lord must have understood what he was trying to convey, for he spoke.
"Rose," The Dark Lord said calmly. "Severus is not a vampire."
Rose opened her mouth to argue before closing it again, looking at him with doubt in her eyes -but noticeably less suspicion than before.
"Are you sure?" She asked slowly.
The Dark Lord nodded. "Positive."
Rose shrugged. "Alright then." She took off the bracelet and headband and handed it to a House Elf, telling it to keep it back and thanking the creature for its assistance. The House Elf looked so proud and happy that it looked a second away from bursting into tears. Thank Morgana that it disappeared before it did.
"Hello." The blonde beauty said looking at him with smiling eyes. "I'm Rose. Sorry about earlier... I tend to get a bit carried away sometimes. Aunty Cissa calls it an unfortunate side effect of the disastrous and extremely scary combination of the Potter Luck and the Black Madness." She finished sheepishly, dimpled cheeks lightly flushed.
"Severus Snape." He introduced himself shortly.
"So..." She said uncomfortably, shifting on her feet. "What are we going to do tomorrow?"
"I will test your brewing capacity," Severus told her. "After I access it, I will make and give you a lesson plan."
"Thanks," Rose said smiling. "And apologies about before, again."
"Accepted, Miss Potter," Severus replied.
"Oh god no." Rose groaned. "It's Rose. Just Rose."
Severus was about to disagree with her before he (luckily )caught the Dark Lord's facial expression. It was the same look he wore when Pettigrew had said 'No' to being Nagini's play/chew toy for the day. Severus had never seen such a horrified expression on Pettigrew's face when they met three days after, and that was saying something considering Pettigrew was scared of his own shadow!
"Alright... Rose." Severus said.
Rose smiled in reply. "Thanks and sorry again. I have to go now, Aunt Cissa is taking me out for a spa day. Bye!" She said cheerfully before she skipped over to the Dark Lord, mumbled a 'See you later', kissed his cheeks and left.
The Dark Lord gestured for Severus to sit down once again so that he could take the -very detailed and loopholes free- vow of secrecy regarding Rose and the rest of the day was spent with Severus telling the Dark Lord about the Order's future and current plans.
But the entire time, Severus would confess that he had been thanking Hecate, Trivia, Merlin, Circe, Morgana and every other patron god of magic that he could think of, that Rose Potter did not attend Hogwarts. He wasn't quite sure how he could have handled seven years of her, especially with the rather bizarre incidents that had occurred over the past few years.
The Marauders and the Weasley twins had been bad enough. If Rose Potter had attended as originally assumed, Severus was sure that he and Minerva would have been seen throwing their resignation at Albus's face by the end of the first week of school.
Now all he had to do was teach Rose the delicate and wonderful art of potions.
Potter had been admittedly good at potions -he had to be in order to become an Auror- and Lily, of course, was brilliant and had been one of old Slughorn's favourites.
So teaching Rose potions couldn't be that hard...
Could it?