Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Ew summer holidays :)

The following morning, Silvanna was up bright and early, as usual, except this time she and Severus weren't alone. Her mum woke her, placing a crisp white blouse and blue skirt on her bed while Silvanna washed. "Just be careful," Eileen Snape said as they gathered near their fireplace, pot of floo powder in hand. "You don't know what they're capable of."

"What's going on, Mum?" Silvanna asked softly, so as not to wake her dad. "What's the big deal?" Why don't you talk to each other? Am I in danger? Should I be worried? What's this got to do with the war? Won't this just push Severus further away from me?

"It doesn't matter," said her mum. "You just watch your back. Remember, it's Whitechapel House."

So Silvanna picked up her borrowed case and stepped into the fireplace, twirling through. When she stepped out, it was into what looked like an hallway, with a very high ceiling and a wide front door. There were people there too, four of them, all looking at her. Three of them had dark hair and heavy brows, like her mother, and one had mousy brown. They were dressed very well, everything neat and not a hair out of place. Silvanna suddenly wished she'd not rolled her sleeves up.

"Um - hi," said said, clasping her hands in front of her so she didn't fidget. "I'm Silvanna Snape?"

"Let me look at you," said the older woman warmly, stepping forward. Silvanna tried very hard not to flinch away, as the woman took her shoulders, inspecting her. "Just like Eileen," she said in approval. "I'm Evelyn. Your Grandmother."

"Oh," said Silvanna. She didn't know why she was so surprised. "Nice to meet you."

Evelyn looked at her fondly. "And this is your grandfather, Quintin." Silvanna looked to the older man, and saw he had strong streaks of grey in his hair. She shook his hand firmly and he produced a stiff smile.

"And I'm your Aunty Colette, Eileen's sister," said the other woman with the light brown hair, starting forward and planting a kiss on Silvanna's cheek. Silvanna tried very hard to keep her cool - she wasn't used to being touched quite so much.

"And I'm your Uncle Floyd," said the final man. Silvanna hastily stuck her hand in front of her, and thankfully he took it, smiling faintly. "Their brother."

"I'll show you to your room first," said Evelyn, starting off down the hall and leaving the others behind. Silvanna picked up her case and scurried after her, through a door and up some stairs. "I was sorry to hear your brother didn't want to come."

"I'm not sure he believed the letter," Silvanna lied.

Evelyn turned and looked at her up and down. Her face had changed now, and showed frown lines that looked as though they were carved in stone. "Yes, well," she said as they reached the top, where there were three doors leading off. "Perhaps you can change his mind."

"I'll try to," Silvanna lied again, being led through another door. Inside was a huge bedroom, with a towering king-size bed. It was decorated in rosebuds and pastel pink, and two large windows let light flood in. Placing her case on a blush-coloured armchair, she walked over to them to see a view of expansive lawns, framed by the rolling hills of the countryside. It was beautiful, just like looking out a window at Hogwarts.

"Your bathroom's through there," Evelyn said, her smile having returned as she indicated a door that led off the room. "But for now I'd like you to come and meet everyone else."

So back downstairs they went, this time passing through a large hall and into a drawing room, which was just as light and airy as her room. Inside was another woman, about the same age as her mum, sat on the floor with a child who couldn't be any older than three. Silvanna attempted to keep her mouth firmly shut as his hand changed colour, right before her eyes.

There were also two girls, no older than ten, who were sat at a table with some pencils, colouring in. "I'm Eidth," said the woman, climbing up from the floor and picking up the boy. "Floyd's wife."

"Silvanna," said Silvanna, watching in astonishment as his hand changed colour again. "What-?"

"Oh, this is Joules," Edith explained. "He's a metamorphmagus." Silvanna had read about those. Was this what Dumbledore had meant when he mentioned the ideals of the Princes?

"Cool," said Silvanna eventually. Edith laughed.

"And this is Nola," said Evelyn. The older of the two girls waved with a wide smile. "She's a parcelmouth. And Maude." Nothing was said about any special magic Maude possessed, and Silvanna didn't see fit to pry. But that little girl could talk to snakes? Wasn't that something Salazar Slytherin did?

"Edith is a seer," Evelyn carried on, and Silvanna looked back at her Aunt, curiosity bubbling up inside. "If you'll permit, we'd like for her to take a look at your future to see if you possess any rare magic."

"I don't think I do," said Silvanna, smiling all the same. She'd been at Hogwarts for four years now, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Evelyn and Edith looked extremely disappointed. "But it can't hurt to try," Silvanna reasoned. They brightened significantly at this.

"I'll just need your wand hand," said Edith, as Evelyn took Joules from her. Silvanna offered it, aware of its clamminess, and Edith placed hers on top, closing her eyes slowly. They snapped open moments later, and Edith frowned at her. Were those tears in her eyes?

"What did you see?" asked Silvanna urgently.

"Oh, not much," said Evelyn, taking back Joules. "Boring life you've got coming." Silvanna didn't believe her. "But a fantastic ability range. I think there was some legillimency there, but also invisibility and flying."

"Me?" asked Silvanna, jaw dropping open, but she was drowned out by Evelyn's cry of triumph.

"Oh, marvellous!" she said. "I just knew you'd do us proud!"

"I don't understand," Silvanna said quickly. "I've never even done any of those things."

"Not in here," Evelyn said quickly, ushering her from the room and back into the huge hall. But Silvanna still had so many questions for Edith about her future! "Come, this way. I'll explain everything to you."