A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 33: Sticks and Stones

Thanks to Camille for her hard work on beta-ing this and finding loop-holes.

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"I'm okay, Mother. I must have fallen asleep." Senga stirred in Snape's arms. He looked down and quickly set her on her feet.

"Just what is the meaning behind all this, Severus? And what on earth have you got on?" Odile stared in horror at her brother and daughter.

"J...Jeans... we had to blend...." Senga stammered under the icy glare of her mother.

"And exactly why did you have to 'blend'?"

Her question was directed at Severus. She hadn't even acknowledged Meg at all; she hadn't even glanced in her direction.

"As you are aware, it was Senga's birthday. We took her out for the day. I felt it wise not to draw too much attention to ourselves." Snape's voice was completely devoid of anything except infinite hardness.

"Won't you sit down? I can get us some tea?" Meg tried to diffuse a potentially dangerous situation.

She was aware of Senga's retreat behind her blank expression. She didn't want the child to get hurt in the crossfire.

Odile looked faintly horrified as her eyes took in the room around her. It was a direct insult, one which made the hackles on the back of Meg's neck rise. It took all her self-control not to react to it.

"I think not," Odile replied crisply. "This dress is relatively new, and I don't want to spoil it."

Meg made a choking noise in her throat. She clenched her hands into fists and glared at the woman.

"I can assure you, it is quite clean in here," she said sharply, her voice almost as cold as Odile's.

Odile regarded her for the first time and raised a sharp eyebrow at her.

"If you insist," she said, giving Meg a sweeping look, which took in her mused hair and her old clothes. She shuddered delicately and turned once again to Snape, dismissing Meg with a slight wave of her hand.

Meg gasped and looked to Snape for back up, but he was just standing there, his face impassive, his arms folded, and he was back in his traditional clothes. His hair had been pulled loose of the ponytail and was hanging limply around his face.

Meg blinked, she hadn't seen him change his clothes back again, but there he was, long frock-coat covering a white shirt and black trousers. Meg felt betrayed, and she made a clicking noise with her tongue, but still he made no move to look at her.

"Severus?" she spoke clearly, even though she wanted to shout at him.

"Tea would be acceptable," he said slowly, walking toward the settee to sit down, his long legs crossing easily as he looked up at Odile.

Meg blinked. That was not what she had been asking, but she found herself heading to the kitchen, aware that she had just been dismissed in her own home. Anger raced through her veins, pure hot anger, but she bit it back. She had to keep Senga in mind. She could not afford to loose control in front of the girl.

"What is going on, Severus? Where did you take her?" Odile's imperial voice drifted through to where Meg was banging the kettle onto the counter.

"She was in no danger, Odile," came the soft reply.

"That's not what I asked you! Morgana! Where have you been?"

Meg came back into the room just as Senga replied, "We visited a Muggle Theme Park." Her voice was oddly flat and reflected no emotion whatsoever.