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Sevina and her mother spent a long night packing their belongings then
shrinking them down for easy transit. By daylight they were both red eyed
and exhausted. Mr Snape had refused to help and had forbidden their house
elf to do so either. When Severus had offered he had also been told to mind
his own business. A massive row had ensued and tempers were generally
frayed all round.
Breakfast was eaten in silence with neither of the
children touching much. Sevina couldn't meet her brother's gaze because when
she did she knew her eyes would fill with tears. Ten years together of
constant bickering about each other had made them close never the
less.
Mr Snape finally ate his fill, folded The Daily Prophet then
left the table. His wife went the opposite way and into the kitchen to help
the long suffering house-elf. Any excuse to avoid the father of her
children this morning was a good excuse. Things had been coming to a
head on this for a long time.
"I should have waited until the
children were both settled at Hogwarts," she said, tears falling into the
washing up bowl and mingling with the suds. The elf put down the cup he was
holding and looked up at her.
"Begging Madam's pardon, but it's not
Binkle's place to say, Madam." Two big eyes looked up at his mistress with
concern. "Binkle will miss Madam and Sevina very much." The elf had tears
of his own now and raised the tea-towel to his face where he blew his nose
loudly, then looked horrified at his actions. He clicked his fingers and a
fresh cloth appeared from nowhere. It looked like he was going to venture a
word of comfort but then raised his gaze to the ceiling where a series of
thumps could be heard. "Master Severus is making a pigs-ear of packing.
Madam WILL sit down and have a coffee. Madam has a long journey ahead."
Another click of his long fingers caused a coffee, laced with a calming
potion, to appear before he disappeared in a wisp of houselfishness ...
... And appeared upstairs.
Severus was kicking all colours of
hell out of his trunk in a vigorous and determined attempt to get the lid to
sit flush. Sevina's case was perfectly packed with double the items and
still had room to swing the metaphorical moggy inside it. Binkle cast a
shrinking charm on the contents of the unshuttable trunk then beat a hasty
retreat as Mr Snape bellowed for aid with his buttons. Severus, looked in
at his reduced luggage, gave a whoop at the space which he quickly filled
with some hefty books and a tatty magazine.
"Told you so!" said
Sevina, "I could have done that!" Sevina was one of the lucky ones that
seemed to have a natural talent for the charms. It almost rivalled her
natural talent at bugging her brother.
"Smart arse," came the reply.
"If I can't resize my lucky grey undies when I get there you are SO dead
when the holidays come."
"Ugh! You still have those?" She
pulled a face of undisguised disgust.
"Yes. Your point being ...?
YOU have a signed picture of Newt Scamander you kiss every night! Don't deny
it. Seen you doing it."
"Well, Severus, YOU will never have ANY woman
take an interest in you if they see them grey grollies."
"Not
interested in girls," he lied unconvincingly, casting a furtive eye to the
trunk and the little bit of tatty mag poking from a book, "Females are a
waste of energy and a drain on my study time."
"As you say, Sevvie.
You'll change your tune. I saw you flicking through Mum's Witch Weekly and
looking at the fashion tips. The Muggles call those things bikinis, by the
way." She caught his eyes flick to the books and followed their direction.
Her curiosity was further aroused by him then slamming the lid down
defensively. "Sev's got a girlie mag!" chanted Sevina in abject delight,
"Sevvy is a pervy, Sevvy is a pervy, Sevvy is a .... OUCH!" She was
cut short in her prime by her brother slamming her to the ground and sitting
on her stomach. Totally undaunted by the skinny arse pinning her to the
carpet she added nonchalantly, "You would have found a lot more flesh and
boobies in the undies section of the Floo-Order Catalogue. I regularly
check out the underpants part!"
"Oh really, now?" said Severus,
visibly shocked at either his sister's confession or his stupidity in not
thinking of the catalogue himself. He then proceeded to tickle her until
she almost wet herself.
Binkle appeared, saving her from a fate worse
than wet drawers, and banished the luggage to the waiting car. In due time
they were on their way to London and Diagon Alley. Mr Snape took the front
seat and exchanged miserable grunts with the equally sour wizard driver.
Mrs Snape sat in the back between the twins, engaged in her compulsive
list-making of things to do. Not more than fifteen minutes into the journey
two dark heads were leaning on their mother's shoulder and sleeping soundly
after a night of no rest and a morning of bickering.
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