Severus Snape's Sister

X. Heal

Natasha Prince

They were on a beautiful hill looking over a beach. Natasha couldn't appreciate it because Dobby was injured. She knew it was fatal by her powers. She put her wand to the knife wound and focused on taking away the pain. Dobby said something she couldn't understand. Then, he died. Natasha took a second to grieve and pull herself together again. She went inside the cottage and worked on easing Hermione's pain.

As Harry dug the grave for Dobby, the others sat at Bill and Fleur's kitchen table. Bill and Fleur were polite enough, but Natasha felt uncomfortable. She knew no one necessarily wanted her there and no one trusted her. Hermione tried to be polite, "What spell were you using?"

"It's not really a spell per say, more of an internal power. I know that doesn't make any sense, but there's no incantation. It's just power, I guess," she explained.

"I've never read of that anywhere," she said automatically.

"Me either. It's hard to explain; sort of like trying to explain how Harry survived without all the information. I don't have all the information. It's difficult to explain."

"Okay. Where'd you learn it?" she asked with interest.

"That'd be the information I don't have," she replied with a dry smile.

"Ah. So Malfoy was very protective of you. Why?" she inquired.

She smiled in a self satisfied way. "He's my boyfriend."

Ron looked up at her dumbstruck.

Hermione made a sound like she was choking. "You're muggle born!"

"From what I heard though, he had a crush on me for a while. That's why he wasn't as mean to me. His attitude's improved recently. This whole thing seems to have opened his eyes."

"I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but you see how far that got us with Snape," she said in a voice that changed to acid by the end. Natasha cringed at the sound of his name. "Did he hurt you?" she asked concernedly.

"He's my brother. If it weren't for his and Draco's protection, Voldemort would've killed me."

"Snape protected you?" she asked. "That doesn't make any sense. He's evil."

"Hermione, hear me out, there's no such thing as inherently good or evil in people. And no, Voldemort isn't a person; he's scum. There's bad within the good, good within the bad, and the equilibrium."

"That was deep. True too, especially the Voldemort part," Ron said.

"Mhmm," she hummed. "Say, do you've got any books I could borrow?"

"Of course! Anything in particular?"

"A History of Magic, if you have it."

"Of course."

"I like reading and learning. It feels like it's something productive even if it's not related."

"Finally someone who understand!"

"I know, right!"

The girls laughed and talked. Hermione gave her the book, and Natasha flipped through the pages. After a while, Natasha said, "So we're in the same boat: we don't know anything about anyone."

"Guess so."

Harry came in and told Bill he needed to talk to Griphook and Ollivander. She lost interest and wandered to the kitchen. Fleur was cooking. "Thank you for allowing me to intrude."

"Zhere is no problem. We don't 'ave very much room, but a few nights won't 'urt," she said kindly.

"Very gracious of you," she replied brightly. "I'm just glad I haven't been denied residence, considering my reputation. Although why would I side with them when I've got this from it?" She pulled down her robes to reveal the nasty scarring of the MB.

"When did zat 'appen?" she asked with a shocked expression.

"At Hogwarts, the same night Bill received his own scars. Lucky me wasn't found for a while."

" 'ow long?" she inquired with sympathetic fear.

"After Remus finished talking with all of you. He found me."

"You are lucky to be alive," she marveled.

"Very."

After a nice meal, Fleur and Bill told Natasha they'd probably take her to Auntie Muriel's with Ollivander. She agreed it would be better for her to be somewhere else for the sake of space.

Natasha had just arrived at Muriel's when the first excitement came. Remus had apparated looking nervous and happy at the same time. He announced Ted Remus Lupin had been born. Natasha clasped her hands together at the news. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

He turned to face her at the sound of her voice. His eyes grew wide immediately. "Natasha? It's been so long!" Natasha nodded as she stood and approached him. He leaned closer to her and made his voice low and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I am now," she promised. "What about you? You're a father!"

"Yes, well," he muttered and his agitation seemed to raise a few notches.

"Come on," she ordered and led him to a less crowded room. "Do I need to make a speech?"

He didn't reply.

"Remus Lupin," she began with her usually quiet voice gone. "You will be a wonderful father and are already a wonderful man." He began to interject, but she said, "Don't interrupt me or I will make it impossible to do so. Whatever happens to this baby, he has already been blessed with a wonderful father. You know that already." A powerful silence filled the room. "Act like it," she ended.

He was speechless for a second until he seemed to remember his true fear and deflated slightly. "What if I-"

She cut him off immediately. "Not possible. If need be, I will make a Wolfsbane potion every full moon for life no matter how difficult it is." He started to add something else. "Ted too if the fuzzy little problem passes to him. I don't care how difficult this will be; I will, for you, for Tonks, for the baby. If you question my sincerity, let's make an Unbreakable Vow right now," she said fiercely.

"I... I don't know what to say." He looked like he was going to tear up at the uncharacteristic compliment from her. She wrapped her arms around him silently. For a moment, she felt something she'd never experienced before: a fatherly embrace. She felt her features twist to a grin. It'd been so long she'd actually grinned for more than a few moments her facial muscles hurt when they diverged. "I'd better be off."

"Wait, let me take a guess at my own question. Harry's godfather."

"Yep."

"Lucky boys," she told him.