An Unlikely Savior ~ (Edit) COMPLETED

Chapter 45 ~ Surprises

Alsop and Albus were moving furniture around in the living room, mostly wrestling and choking each other, breaking holds and reapplying them.

”You’re going to stop saying things about Eileen,” Alsop grimaced, his arm around Albus’ throat, the wizard’s back resting against his front.

Albus tore at his arm, then fell forward, flipping Alsop over his back.

“You’re so—soft, I don’t see what she sees in you,” Albus hissed back at him, ready for another attack as Alsop scrambled to his feet. But he didn’t attack his brother. Instead, he stared at him, flabbergasted. Then he thrust a finger at him.

”You—you fancy her, Albus!” he declared.

Albus’ narrowed eyes went round.

”I do not!”

”Yes, you do. That’s what this is about, isn’t it? You fancy Eileen!”

“I don’t.”

”You do!”

”I don’t!”

Albus charged Alsop again, but Alsop slipped out of the way.

”You’re jealous that we’re friends. That she won’t give you the time of day,” Alsop said.

“I’ve never tried to get the time of day from her. You’re mad,” Albus shot back at him rather sullenly.

”You’re a year younger than she is. Plus, you’re a prat, Albus. She wouldn’t look at you twice unless it was to get a bead on you with her wand,” Alsop told him while straightening his clothes. Both boys were disheveled, but there were no real injuries.

“Shut up. I don’t fancy her,” Albus said, straightening his own clothes now. “She’s a Slytherin.”

”That doesn’t mean anything,” Alsop told him. “That’s just her house. You fancy Eileen. That’s why you say the things you do, go out of your way to make it seem you don’t like her, and to put her down. It’s sour grapes.”

”You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Albus hissed, leaving the living room and getting his coat and Weasley gear from off the coat rack. He pulled everything on and stormed outside, Alsop looking after him.

So, Albus had a crush on Eileen. Wow. Who would have thought it? Well, it was too bad. Alsop saw her first. Besides, Albus was too immature to ever have a chance of attracting Eileen. Insulting and putting a witch down was no way to get into her heart.

Alsop shook his head and pulled out his wand to reset all the overturned furniture.

He wondered if he should tell Eileen about this.

***************************************

Two hours later, there was a knock on the front door. Alsop, who had entertained himself by playing with Albus’ abandoned puzzle and thinking over his situation, hurriedly answered the door. Snape stood there with narrowed eyes.

”I’ve come for my daughter,” he said softly.

”Oh, come in, sir. She’s still with Lily,” Alsop said, stepping aside.

Snape entered, his black eyes shifting about the cozy little home. It smelled of baking.

”Would you like me to take your cloak, sir?” Albus offered.

”No. I will not be staying that long, Mr. Potter. Please retrieve my daughter. Time is money.”

“Yes, sir. Just a minute.”

Alsop hurried down the hall and knocked on Lily’s door.

”Alsop, go away! I know it’s you,” Lily called out.

”Eileen’s dad’s here to pick her up,” Alsop said, frowning at the door.

Lily looked at Eileen in shock.

”It’s been two hours already? I can’t believe it,” she said to her cousin who rose.

”I’d better hurry. Dad’s losing customers,” she told Lily. “But, I enjoyed the tea and cakes.”

”I’m glad. You’re welcome to come back anytime, Eileen,” she said, then walked up and hugged her around the middle.

Eileen was stunned for a moment, then gave her a stiff little hug back.

Alsop knocked on the door again.

”He’s waiting,” he called. Suddenly the door was ripped open and Lily stood there frowning at him.

”We heard you the first time,” she growled, walking past him.

Eileen followed.

”Did you have a good time sipping tea with all the fluffly little toys?” Alsop teased her.

”There weren’t any toys at the table, Alsop, you git,” she snapped back at him as she walked into the living room to see her father there, again looking at Lily as she smiled up at him.

”Thank you for bringing Eileen, Uncle Severus. We had a wonderful tea. The time just flew by,” she said to him.

Snape gave her a little bow.

”You’re welcome, Lily,” he replied, a slight smile on his face.

Eileen stared at her father. He was acting so nice toward Lily. He usually didn’t pay children any more attention than he did adults. He treated all of them like non-entities. She suspected he was being nice to Lily because she reminded him so much of her grandmother. It seemed he never got over her.

That was rather sad.

Snape looked at his daughter.

”Are you ready?” he asked her.

”Yes,” she replied, walking past him toward the front door. He followed with a billow of robes.

”Bye Eileen. See you at school,” Alsop called after her.

”Bye Alsop. Bye Lily,” Eileen called back.

”Bye, Uncle Severus,” Lily’s voice rang out. He turned in the doorway.

”Goodbye, Lily,” Snape said softly, then exited, closing the door behind him.

”Bye, Uncle Severus,” Eileen repeated with a cheesy smile.

Snape scowled at her and caught her arm a bit roughly.

”Come along,” he snapped, Disapparating with her.

************************************

On Christmas Eve, Eileen found a stack of presents on her doorstep. There were presents from Hermione, Hugo, and Rose, from Lily and Alsop and from Molly and Arthur.

Eileen brought them inside and placed them under the tree. Snape, who had been sitting in the living room putting memories into a medium-sized Pensieve, looked up at her.

”Presents from the family,” he said, stating the obvious.

Eileen frowned at the presents. She hadn’t gotten anything for anyone other than Hugo, Lily and Alsop.

”Having this many relatives is going to be expensive,” she said. “Then, there’s birthdays.”

”I wouldn’t worry about it for this year, Eileen,” Snape told her. “Being a new addition gives you some leeway.”

”I guess,” she replied, then looked at him. “Dad, why are you making that Pensieve?”

”It’s a gift of sorts—for your mother,” he replied softly.

”I hope it’s not the ritual,” she said, frowning at him.

”No, it’s not. It is definitely suitable viewing for all ages,” he responded, starting to add more silver threads. His expression was a bit strange. Eileen was immediately curious.

”What is it, then, dad?” she asked him, walking closer.

”Take a look,” he replied.

Eileen stared down into the Pensieve, then came out of it a few minutes later, her eyes wet.

”Oh, dad,” she said softly as he gave her a small smile and continued adding memories.

**************************************

On Christmas morning, Hermione found a package on her front doorstep. She brought it into the house and set it on the coffee table, reading the tag.

It was from Severus. What could he possibly give her? Well, she’d find out after the children opened their gifts. They’d already had a nice breakfast and Hugo and Rose were opening their presents under the tree. Hugo was ecstatic as he opened a small hinged box and a Snitch flew out, hovering in front of him. Delighted, he watched it zip about, but then his face fell.

A Snitch was no fun without a broom to chase it with.

”Hugo, look behind the tree,” Ron suggested with a smile.

Hugo’s brows furrowed, but he did as his father asked, then let out a whoop, pulling a long slender package from behind the tree. It could only be one thing.

”Wow! A broom! My own broom!” he cried, pulling the wrappings away.

It was a CleanSweep broom, nowhere near as expensive or fast as a Firebolt, but Hugo didn’t care. It was his, all his!

”Thanks mum! Thanks dad!” he cried, bolting for the door and quickly pulling on his coat, hat, scarf and gloves.

”Be careful, Hugo!” Hermione said, smiling after him.

He didn’t say anything as he shot outside, Snitch and broom in tow.

”Well, he seems happy,” Hermione said to Ron.

”He is,” Ron said with a grin. “He was dying for a broom of his own.”

Rose opened her present. It was a journal with a magical lock and very fancy quill and ink bottle. It was nice, but nothing compared to Hugo’s broom.

”Thanks mum and dad,” she said shortly. The journal was made of very fine leather, but still . . .

”You can write out anything on your mind in there, Rose,” Hermione said to her encouragingly. She used to keep journals, too. She still had every one.

”Yeah, thanks,” Rose said again as Ron stood up and exited the living room.

Rose flipped through her journal morosely, Hermione’s eyes resting on her. She could tell Rose was disappointed. Ron returned to the room, carrying a box with holes in it.

”Ah, Rose, we forgot to put this one under the tree,” he told her. Rose popped up and ran over to her father, taking the box out of his hand. She pulled the lid off and gasped.

”Oh! Oh mum! Dad! He’s beautiful!”

She carefully removed a jet black kitten with green eyes from the box. It mewed at her and she hugged it.

”She’s beautiful,” Hermione corrected. “It’s a female. She’s been fixed so we don’t have a slew of little kitties about.”

”She’s beautiful. I can take her back to Hogwarts with me, can’t I?”

Hermione nodded.

”I’m going to call her ‘Ebony,’” Rose gushed, rubbing the kitten’s nose with her own. “I can’t believe it. My own familiar. Thank you, mum and dad!”

”You’re welcome, Rose,” Hermione replied as her daughter happily bounced off to the kitchen to fix Ebony a saucer of milk.

Ron patted Hermione’s hand.

”We did good,” he said, then he frowned slightly as he looked at the wrapped package resting on the coffee table. “What do you think Snape sent you?”

”I’m not sure,” Hermione said, looking at the package a bit apprehensively.

Ron pulled out his wand and checked it for dangerous wards. It was clean.

”Open it. Let’s see what the git sent you,” he growled. He didn’t like Snape sending his wife presents.

Hermione cautiously unwrapped the present. A box was under the wrapping. Inside the box, was a Pensieve.

”It’s a Pensieve, Ron,” Hermione said in a low voice. “I hope it isn’t memories of the ritual. Viewing that once was enough.”

Ron thought he might go punch Snape in the nose again if he sent Hermione memories of having sex with her. What was he about?

”Let’s view it together,” Ron suggested.

Hermione nodded and set the Pensieve on the table. She removed the seal with her wand and both she and Ron leaned over it, looking down into the swirling silver liquid. They were immediately drawn in.

The first thing they saw was Snape standing in a nursery, holding a squirming bundle, his eyes soft as he looked at his new baby.

”Welcome to the world, Eileen,” he said softly, then gently kissed the child on her forehead. “I’m your father, Severus Snape.”

”It’s Eileen,” Hermione said softly, her eyes shining as Snape gently rocked his daughter, cooing at her. “These are his memories of Eileen as a child. He’s sharing them with me.”

Hermione and Ron watched the memory sequences. Delores wasn’t in the Pensieve at all. It was just Snape and Eileen. Snape bathing her, feeding her, brushing her hair, encouraging her to his arms as she took her first steps.

Eileen sitting on the floor playing with potion bottles as he brewed, then having her own little cauldron at a small table with a very low flame, adding water and safe ingredients to it, imitating her father as he measured and brewed, smirking down at her.

Then Eileen sitting on his lap and leaning against him as he read to her from books, some were fairy tales but most of them were books about potions, ingredients and spells.

Then, there was a memory of him walking across a desert, wrapped up in heavy robes, and Eileen with him, bundled up and riding on a—

“Is that a yak?” Ron asked Hermione

Hermione watched as Snape and Eileen visited other cultures and bartered for ingredients, Eileen always riding on some beast or her father’s shoulders. She wore a little translation charm and talked to the children as Snape and the adults haggled.

It appeared they had traveled extensively.

She saw Eileen with her first wand, and was shocked to see her little girl blasting full grown wizards in Knockturn alley. Then, there was another image of Snape and Eileen outside of their home, Eileen on her first broom, Snape protectively hovering over her as it floated three feet off the ground. Eileen started going faster, Snape telling her to slow down then running after her as she zoomed away laughing. He ran back to the house and got his own broom, taking off after the naughty little witch.

Hermione watched as Snape nurtured his daughter—he was both kind and strict. She watched him teach her how to waltz, tall and somber as he held her little hands and patiently taught her the steps, him bowing and Eileen curtseying at the end, then leaping into his arms and kissing his cheek.

There were many wonderful memories, such as Snape teaching her how to cook and properly season food, looking a bit silly in an apron and oven mitts. His taking her to the beach and teaching her how to swim, the wizard dressed in dark trunks, his scarred back visible to the world. There was plenty of lecturing and teaching, Eileen hanging on to her father’s every word as he wrote on a portable blackboard and pointed at it imperiously. Then there were memories of her helping him serve customers in the apothecary shop, ringing up their purchases.

Hermione saw when Eileen got her Hogwarts letter. How sober she was, not the least bit excited. Snape looked a bit stricken. Then they were at the train, Snape standing on the platorm watching as the Hogwarts Express pulled off. He stood there until all the other parents left, staring at the small dot that held his daughter. It was easy to see it was a difficult moment for him.

Then there were memories of him at Hogwarts, visiting the infirmary where a number of students sported ears, tails, beaks and muzzles. Eileen had done that. Snape stood up for her staunchly. Then there were the times he received her marks, breaking into the rare smile. And lastly, there he was at the Christmas ball, waltzing with her as she was now.

Hermione and Ron exited the Pensieve, Hermione with tears in her eyes.

”He really has been a good father to her, Ron,” she said, her voice a bit raw.

Ron looked thoughtful.

”Who would have thought that Snape had that much warmth in him?” he replied.

Hermione wiped at her eyes.

”No one,” she said softly. “No one at all.”

************************************

Eileen took the roast goose out of the oven. She had opened her presents. Her mother had given her two very good books. The first was “The A-Z Book of Defensive Spells” and the second was “Turning People into Things,” a book about transforming people into interesting creatures, like preying mantises and koala bears. She loved them.

Hugo gave her a picture of himself waving and saying, “Hi Eileen!” over and over. She cast a Silencing spell on it immediately, it was cute, but him greeting her over and over became annoying very fast. Rose gave her some brightly colored make-up.

”Looks like Rose is trying to give me a hint,” she muttered, tossing it aside.

Lily gave her a box of raspberry-flavored tea from Amhad of London.

Alsop had given her a small heart-shaped silver locket trimmed in green. When she opened it, she found his picture inside. He was waggling his eyebrows. She grinned.

Only Alsop.

Molly and Arthur Weasley had sent her more Weasley gear. A hand-knit green wool sweater with a large silver “E” embroidered on the chest. It looked very warm. And a slew of delicious treats, of course. It was quite a haul.

Her father had given her a gift certificate to have her Firebolt upgraded. She was thrilled.

”Thanks, dad,” she said, giving him a hug.

She had given him a new mortar and pestle, made of pewter, the inside with non-reactive porcelain overlay. Both items had his initials engraved on them. A very nice set.

Now, she set about setting the table as Snape hovered by the door, waiting for Odessa to arrive. He hoped she didn’t try to back out on him. He’d find her and retrieve her in that case. But, if she did that, it would show a lack of character. He might not offer her the job after all. He needed someone trustworthy.

He didn’t have to worry. A timid knock sounded on the door. He opened it and looked down into Odessa’s wide green eyes.

”Happy Christmas,” she said softly.

”Happy Christmas, Odessa, and welcome to my home,” he replied formally, taking her hand and guiding her in.

She was wearing her traveling cloak and a warm woolen dress beneath it, with knee high boots. A little candy cane was pinned to the dark green dress. It fit her nicely as Snape took her cloak and gloves, his dark eyes drifting over her.

”Oh, wait a minute,” Odessa said, reaching into her cloak pocket and withdrawing two small boxes.

”Presents for you and Eileen,” she said with a smile, handing Snape his box.

”Open it,” she said softly. “It isn’t much, because I couldn’t afford anything fancy.”

Snape silently unwrapped the little package, opened the box and looked inside it. He smirked.

”Why, thank you, Odessa,” he said as she took the gift out and pinned it to his robes.

It read: “The World’s Greatest Apothecary.”

”You’re welcome,” she smiled as he led her through the living room. The house smelled wonderful, roast goose dominating the delicious scents.

Eileen exited the kitchen and gave Odessa a small smile.

”Happy Christmas, Odessa,” she said to the witch, who smiled at Eileen affectionately. She was growing up to be a lovely young woman.

”Happy Christmas, Eileen. Here’s a little something for the day,” Odessa replied, offering the little box to her.

Eileen opened it, and took out a little compact. She opened it, peering into the small mirror. Immediately she noticed a tiny blemish on her chin.

”That’s a magic compact. It shows you where you need to touch up if you’re wearing a bit of makeup,” Odessa said softly. “It can be very useful for teenagers.”

”Thank you,” Eileen said. She had been considering wearing a bit more makeup.

”You’re welcome,” Odessa said.

”Excuse me a moment, Odessa,” Snape said to the witch. “Since you’ve given us our presents, I think it only fair that we give you yours.”

Snape walked toward his bedroom.

”You both got me a present?” she asked Eileen, who looked a little shifty.

”Something like that,” Eileen replied obliquely.

Odessa wasn't sure about this. Snape had already paid her rent. What else could he possibly give her? If it were something too extravagant, she’d have to refuse it. She already felt she’d abused the wizard’s kindness enough. She wouldn’t keep doing it.

Snape returned with a soft package and handed it to the witch.

”It feels like clothes,” Odessa said softly.

Maybe it was a warm coat. She could use one of those.

”Open it,” Snape encouraged.

Odessa did so, pulling out what looked like a white lab coat.

”What is this?” she asked, holding it against her body. Was it something for role-play?

”That, Odessa is a standard employee uniform,” Snape told her as Eileen looked on.

”Employee uniform? I don’t understand,” Odessa said.

”Dad wants you to work at the shop,” Eileen said as Odessa’s eyes widened.

”What?” she said, her voice cracking.

”I want you to leave your present employment and work for me. I am in need of someone to handle shop operations while I brew. I am behind and need someone immediately. I will pay you sixty galleons a week to start, and you will have two days off a week. It’s honest work, Odessa and I believe with your people skills you would make a fine employee.”

”A—a job? A real job?” she asked him, her eyes filling.

”Yes, Odessa, and as long as you do your job, you’ll have gainful employment for years to come,” Snape told her softly. “And a steady income. No more living hand to mouth. What is your answer?”

”Can—can I sit down?” she asked him, wavering in place for a moment. Alarmed, Snape caught her arm and walked her into the living room, helping her to sit on the sofa as Eileen stared at her.

”I—I wouldn’t have to work the streets anymore,” Odessa said softly. “I don’t know what that’s like—“

“I imagine it would be a great relief,” Snape said, sitting down beside her.

Odessa looked at him soberly.

”Some of your customers might be uncomfortable seeing me there, Severus. You could lose business by hiring a whore.”

”I won’t be hiring a whore. I’ll be hiring a new employee, a witch starting out in a new line of work at entry level. My customers come to me for the quality of my ingredients and potions. If they wish to purchase inferior products elsewhere to their own detriment, let them. No one is going to dictate to me who I can hire in my shop. No one.”

”Are you sure about this?” Odessa asked him tremulously.

”As sure as I can possibly be, Odessa. You accepting this job will solve both of our problems.”

Odessa blinked rapidly, then looked at Eileen, who nodded slightly in agreement. She looked back at Severus.

”All right. Thank you, Severus. Thank you,” she said, then burst into tears.

Snape handed her his handkerchief and looked at Eileen helplessly.

”She’s just happy, dad,” Eileen reassured him, then returned to the kitchen to set the table.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. ***