Knowledge is Power

Chapter 31

It felt strange to have a Christmas party after the department Mag's parents worked in at The Ministry was so recently attacked by Voldemort. One would think the party spirit would've deflated, but Mag's parents decided to push through rather than send everyone away when they showed up. Mira had prepared a lot of food, and at this point it would be more of a bother not to have the party.
"All these years we tried so hard to just stay out of it, and now look," Raislen grumbled to Heather and Mag as the doorbell rang to announce the first guests.

"I'll get it," Mag said.
"Mira is all the way in the kitchen and she shouldn't have to."
Dashing out of the library and down the long hall toward the front door, Mag called to Mira that she'd get it. When she opened the door, Severus Snape was literally the last person she expected to see standing on the other side of it. For a moment she just stood stunned as she stared at him.

"Hi! It's so great to see you! Come in!"
She flung the large door wide and stepped back.
"I...Well I don't need to," Severus said, remaining where he was.
For the first time, he came across as uncertain. Though odd this made him seem even more human to Mag. She couldn't decide how she felt about that.
"Why ever not! It's a Christmas party. I thought you must have come for that...to work things out with Mum and dad in the spirit of Christmas...that maybe Nightshade had talked you into it...But apparently that isn't the case."

Why was she babbling? Though it would've been very nice of Nightshade to bring her Severus for Christmas, that apparently wasn't the case. The two looked fine, though, so it hadn't occurred to Mag that there was a problem...until now.

"Is something wrong," she asked, gesturing him inside again.
"Whatever it is, shouldn't you come inside where it's warm?"
"We're fine. I just heard about the attack on the Department of Mysteries today and I wanted to make sure your parents were safe," Severus said, expression nearly ashamed.
"We're fine," Raislen said.
Mag hadn't heard her father approaching, and turned quickly to see him staring at Severus as though he'd seen a ghost.

"We went for help when the first department alarm went off while the others were busy trying to track the source. Thanks to your warnings, Heather and I weren't bothering with that," Raislen said grimly.
"Thank you for that, by the way."
Severus shrugged.
"It was no problem...The warning...and I am glad you were quick on the uptake with the situation."

"Oh great! You guys are talking...that's great...Severus why don't you come in," Mag said, stepping forward and tugging at the sleeve of Severus's customary black robe.
By all the dreamy gods, he looked dashing in it, she couldn't help thinking, and Nightshade rolled his large owl eyes at her in open disgust.
To her relief, Severus allowed Mag to tug him inside when Raislen didn't protest.

"He can control that snake or else it's smart like Nightshade, but I could never glean anything from its mind to know which, and didn't want to push it too hard and draw unnecessary attention just to satisfy my curiosity," Severus said.
He was still speaking of the attack on the Department of Mysteries. Mag hoped he and her father would talk of better times from the past instead, but at least they were talking and that was most definitely something.

"Mag told me that Nightshade is helping you. It goes against my wishes to keep us out of it, but Mag is of legal age and she swears you're all being careful...and in the end there isn't anything I can do about it," Raislen said, tone mildly resentful and scowl a bit more than mildly so.
Severus frowned back.
"I never asked her or Nightshade to do anything and attempted to dissuade them because I knew how you would feel about it."

Raislen sighed, wide muscular shoulders relaxing somewhat as his expression relented.
"Thank you for that. I do appreciate it."
Severus shrugged.
"I'd better go. I don't have any information to share at present...I only wanted to make sure you and Heather were alright."