Summer's Eve

⚡️54⚡️

Ron had invited me and my family to spend Christmas at the Burrow, which we happily accepted. Mrs Weasley opened the door, looking exasperated but glad to see us. "Joy! Remus! Sirius, lovely to see you all!" 

She greeted us with hugs as we walked in. "No Tatiana?" 

"Up to her eyes in work, unfortunately," Sirius told her. Mrs Weasley asked us our security questions, once we were clear, we joined the others. "Joanna!" Fred ran up to me and hugged me. "Quick question, did Lavender Brown suffer from an extensive brain injury?" 

"Possibly," I joked. Ron proceeded the throw a knife at us but Fred turned it into a paper aeroplane. "Be lucky my dad didn't see that," I said to Ron. 

"Bill will squeeze in with you two," Mrs Weasley said to Fred and George. "Remus and Sirius will take Bill's room. Ron and Harry will take the attic. Joy will stay in Ginny's room as will Fleur..." 

I walked around the corner to see Harry and Ron preparing sprouts. "Look at me, dating a master chef," I teased Harry. "Don't get used to it," he laughed as I kissed him on the cheek. "So, what's with this Snape thing?" Ron asked me. "Either he's up to something or he's just a really good actor," I said. "But it's clear Malfoy doesn't trust him." 

"You think Snape was doing it for the Order?" Harry wondered. "Then why would he offer to help Malfoy?" I raised the million dollar question. 

Mrs Weasley had put on a Christmas broadcast of her favourite singer, Celestine Warbeck, while waiting for dinner. Fleur didn't find her entertaining, I was sat in the corner, reading Cordelia's diary once again. Sirius and Harry were having a laugh but Dad just started absentmindedly into the fire, like I usually do when I'm deep in thought. 

I've picked up more of his mannerisms than I thought. Tia had arrived late that evening, clearly exhausted. She sat next to Harry and Sirius when she arrived and Harry beckoned me over, wanting to tell Tia about Malfoy. Once Harry dived into the explanation, Dad turned his head ever so slightly to listen in. 

"The last thing I want to do is give that slimy git the benefit of the doubt," Sirius grumbled. "There's no way that Snape was pretending?" Tia wondered. "Because me, Beth, Tonks, all the Aurors turned that place upside down and found nothing." 

"We thought so," Harry sighed. "But how do we know?" 

"It's none of our business," Dad joined in the conversation. "It's Dumbledore's, he trusts Snape." 

"And he's never been wrong?" I questioned him, curiously. "Depends on whether you trust Dumbledore's judgement or not. I trust him, therefore, I trust Severus," Dad told me. "Your wife trusted Dumbledore, look what that got her," Sirius said bitterly. 

Dad, Tia and I all shot him a foul glare. "We'll leave Alivia out of the conversation, thank you," Dad said a little irritably. "But you trust him?!" I asked my father incredulously. "The same man who outed you and tried to out me?" 

"Ah yes, we can't forget that," Sirius backed me up. "The slimy git can't be trusted!" 

"Last I checked, the only reason Severus knew of my condition was because of you," Dad shot back. "I'm not saying we're friends, we never will be...." 

"Let's go through his greatest hits, shall we?" Sirius suggested. "Let's not," Tia sighed. "Then why did he brew me the Wolfsbane potion?" Dad asked Sirius. "If he wanted to harm me, he would've tampered with it." 

"He got you fired," I pointed out. Dad merely brushed that off. "Tell Dumbledore if you wish but don't be surprised if you don't get the reaction you want." 

The song on the radio ended. "Voldemort's side is growing stronger," Dad sighed. "Most of my kind are on his side, believing that life will be better under his rule. Especially with Greyback."