Eileen was crying softly into Severus’s shoulder by then, clinging to her father for dear life. Sev was rubbing circles on her back and whispering, “You're all right, sweetling. I’m here. You’re safe now.” He turned and walked back to the house, calling over his shoulder as he did so, “Harry and Lexy, you did an excellent job of rescuing your sister. I’m very proud of you both.”

His oldest two beamed happily, then fell in to walk beside Tobias, who paused to set the skimmer back near the pool. “Grandpa, how did Eileen call all those deer?” asked Lexy. “I thought she didn’t know how to use her magic yet.”

Tobias coughed. “Search me, kitten. All I know is I heard Sev yelling her name, and it sounded like trouble, so I came out here and see what looks like every deer in the forest on the lawn and Eileen was stuck in the middle of ‘em. Your dad and I couldn’t do too much, we were afraid we might spook ‘em. Lucky for us you two came along when you did.” Tobias reached out and ruffled both of their heads affectionately. “That was a mighty nice piece of flying, Harry.”

“Thanks, Grandpa.” Harry grinned up at the elder Snape.

He adored Tobias almost as much as he did Severus, respecting the older man for his determination and courage to leave the bottle behind and sober up for good so he could spend time with his family. Tobias had been sober for over seven years and everyone was quite proud of him. He had a small part-time business making furniture and carved wooden animals, which he sold at the local craft market on the weekends. Almost all of Tobias’s stock of wooden animals went in a weekend, and often people requested custom made animals as well, for they recognized the big man’s talent in wood carving.

“And that was smart of you, Lexy, for thinking about drawing off those deer with the cereal,” he praised his granddaughter as well, knowing it was important that he show his approval equally so neither child would feel resentful.

Lexy blushed. “I just thought it was a good idea, because the deer always love food. They’d follow you over a cliff probably, if you had an apple.”

They had reached the back deck and entered the house, interrupting a heartwarming scene of Alaina hugging Eileen and crying into her thick ebony hair, “Oh, baby! I was so worried, I thought those deer had trampled you! I’m so glad you’re all right.”

Eileen was sniffling, her face all blotchy, but her fright seemed to be abating, because she answered softly, “I was scared too, Mummy. I just wanted Firefly to come play, not all those other deers.”

“Who’s Firefly?”

“My friend the fawn, Mum,” her daughter explained, still sniffling.

“The fawn? I don’t understand. Here, blow.” Alaina held a tissue to her child’s face. She gently wiped Eileen’s face and hugged her again. They were sitting at the table, and Severus was next to them, trying once more to get Toby to sleep.

“She means the fawn she fed this morning,” Severus clarified.

“Uh huh. My best friend,” Eileen added. “I just wanted to play with her, but all those other deer came too when I called her.”

“Called her how, honey?” Alaina frowned.

“I sang to her.”

Alaina paled. “You mean you used magic?”

The little moppet nodded. “Uh huh. My special magic, Daddy said I have magic in my voice.”

Alaina was horrified. “You mean to tell me that you only meant to call one deer and instead over thirty came? Dear sweet God in heaven! Why did you do that? Don’t you know you could have died?” she shouted, terrified at how close she had come to losing her daughter to a miscast spell or whatever.

Eileen began to cry. “I’m sorry! I just wanted Firefly! I didn’t mean to, Mummy!”

“Alaina, it was accidental magic,” Severus attempted to soothe his wife. “She has no control over it.”

“Severus, she just told me she knew what she was doing!” Alaina exclaimed angrily. “That she called those deer.”

Tobias, sensing a quarrel in the offing, made haste to get the children away. “Harry, take Toby and put him down in his crib,” he ordered his grandson. “Lexy, bring Eileen in your room and get her washed up.”

The two teenagers obeyed, quickly removing their younger siblings from the room while Tobias retreated to the den to inform a sleepy Bill and Sue about what had happened while they had been taking a snooze.

Severus quickly cast a Muffliato Charm about the kitchen so neither of them woke up the baby and they could argue without disturbing anyone. Then he fixed his wife with an exasperated look and said, “Alaina, remember she’s only four, the same age I was when I summoned a glass from a cabinet and had eight come down in response and break all over the floor. Yes, she used her talent to call Firefly to her, at this age the magic only awakens in response to a burning desire or need. But since she’s a strong witch, her magic took things too far, and instead of calling just one deer, she called an entire herd of them.”

“And by using that . . .that spellsinging of hers, she nearly got herself killed! Sev, she could have been trampled!” Alaina’s voice rose sharply and then broke.

Severus reached for her, but the petite brunette drew away from him. “I know, blackbird. But you have to understand, it was unintentional.”

“I do understand. I’m not going to punish her for it. But Sev, what if it happens again? It’s too dangerous for her to have this gift right now. She’s too young to handle it properly. Can’t you just . . .do what your mom did and make it go to sleep?”

Severus shook his head. “No. I don’t know what spell my mother used to make my magic sleep, but I was two when it first manifested and then you might be able to do that sort of thing safely. But all magical children have bouts of accidental magic, Alaina. Lexy did, and so did Harry. It’s part of being a wizard.”

“But this isn’t the same. You said it yourself, Sev. Eileen has something neither of the other two did. And after today, I can’t trust her not to use it and get herself hurt. Can’t you try and make her magic go to sleep? Invent a spell, for Merlin’s sake.”

“Alaina, you’re being unreasonable. It’s not safe for me to try and bind a child’s magic like that. It could result in terrible harm to her magical core and her psyche. Now calm down, please. Eileen’s magic will settle down soon.”

“Not soon enough. Sev, I want you to bind that ability of hers. It’s for her own good.”

Frustrated and angry at his wife’s insistence, the Healer snapped, “No, it isn’t! No magical child should ever be bound, and I won’t risk my daughter that way. Accidental magic is a part of growing up a witch, and I’m not going to try and make her into something she’s not. You know where I came from, and how my father never allowed me to practice magic around him. I refuse to do that to Eileen. Fear can cripple a magically talented child worse than anything, and I won’t have my daughter being afraid and ashamed of what she is.”

“I’m not ashamed of her, Severus Snape!” Alaina shouted, her eyes blazing. “I just want to keep her safe, why can’t you understand that?”

“You can’t keep her safe by locking up her magic,” Severus retorted. “It needs to be nurtured and she needs to be tutored in how to use it properly. I don’t know many wizards who have that talent, but I’ll ask around once we’re back home and hopefully one will be agreeable.” He sighed and pulled his wife into his arms. “Don’t be scared, Alaina. I’ll have a talk with her about not using her magic unless we’re with her and then I’ll make sure I watch her like a hawk. But I won’t bind her.”

She curled into his embrace, relishing the feeling of his arms about her, and slowly some of her fear began to abate. “Are you sure, Sev, that this is the best way?”

“Yes. Making Eileen afraid will not teach her anything useful about controlling her gift. Believe me, I know. My dad forbade me to even discuss magic around him when I was growing up and all it ever taught me was to sneak around and practice when he wasn’t looking. I don’t ever want my child to have to do that, or to be afraid of her special gift.” He began to run a hand through Alaina’s hair. “Or for you to be afraid either, blackbird. You have a beautiful talented little girl and we should be proud of her. We’ll get through this. Trust me.”

“I do, Sev. But I’m just worried that she’ll do something when you’re not around and then what do I do? I don’t want deer or . . .or dragons or something tramping through the house.”

“You tell her, calmly and firmly to stop and then call me if you need to.” Severus told her firmly. “You handled Lexy and Harry with their bouts of accidental magic.”

“Yes, but neither of them could do what Eileen did.” Alaina sighed. “Oh, Sev, I was so scared. My heart nearly stopped when I heard her screaming.”

“Mine too,” he admitted softly, holding her close while she wept.

* * * * * *

Harry carefully placed the sleeping Toby down in his crib and gently tucked a small receiving blanket about the little mite. Luckily, Toby was sound asleep and didn’t notice when he was transferred from the warmth of a person’s arms to the crib.

The young wizard stood looking down at his sleeping brother and smiled. “Sweet dreams, kid. And let’s hope you don’t have any weird talent like Lee does. But with the Snape genes, you’ll probably end up able to walk through walls or something.”

He grinned when he saw his baby brother put his fist in his mouth and suck it. Watching Toby sleep caused Harry to feel a wave of protective love flow through him, erasing the tiny core of jealousy he had felt at knowing that Toby was Severus’s real son, by blood a true Snape, instead of an adopted one. Though he knew that didn’t mean that Severus loved him any less or Toby any more, when he had first seen the baby he had felt an irrational flare of jealousy . . .and fear that Severus’s real son would supplant him in his father’s affections. But Severus had been quick to reassure Harry that he loved both of them, though it had taken Harry months to truly believe it. Now, watching the baby sleep the sleep of the innocent, Harry felt only love for the child and no jealousy whatsoever.

“Just wait till you’re old enough to fly a broom, kid. I’ll teach you every trick on a broom I know, and by the time you’re ten, you’ll be able to outfly the wind and probably make Dad’s hair white and Mum’s too.” He bent down and stroked Toby’s cheek, which was petal soft. “Have a good nap, baby brother.”

Then he tucked the stuffed purple dragon, Smokey, that had once been his favorite toy when he was a toddler, into the crib next to Toby and left the room on cat’s feet.

* * * * * *

Meanwhile, Lexy had taken Eileen into the bathroom and wet a soft cloth and washed her sister’s face free of tears. “There. How’s that, snippet?” she asked, calling Eileen by their father’s pet name for her, coined when Eileen was a baby, because she was “just a little snippet of a thing”.

“Okay, I guess,” the child said, her mouth turned down. “I really messed up the holiday and now Mummy’s mad at me.”

“You didn’t mess up the holiday, silly!” Lexy said, kneeling down and tweaking Eileen’s nose playfully. “You just made it interesting. But that’s okay, because that’s what makes a holiday with us Snapes the best. Because you never know what’s going to happen.”

Lexy performed a quick cleaning charm and Eileen’s shorts and shirt were sparkling clean. “C’mon, let’s have lunch and then we can prank Grandpa.”

But Eileen balked. “No. M’not hungry.”

“Why not?”

“B’cause Mum’s mad at me for using my song magic and now she and Daddy are fighting and it’s my fault.” The little girl’s lower lip quivered and she sniffled. “I hate my magic! It’s nothing but trouble.”

“Eileen, no!” Lexy cried, gathering her into her arms and carrying her into their bedroom, where she sat on the bed with her sister in her lap. “Mom’s not mad at you for using magic, she knows you couldn’t help it. She was just . . .scared that you might have gotten hurt and sometimes when grown-ups get scared they get loud and kind of mad.”

“How come?”

“Because they feel bad when kids get hurt and they yell to cover up how scared they were. But it doesn’t mean anything, really.”

“But I didn’t mean to call all the deer, Lexy.”

“I know. It was a mistake. Everyone makes them.”

Eileen thought about that, then she said, “But I don’t want Mum and Dad to fight.”

“They’re not fighting, kid,” Harry put in from the doorway. “They were just having a discussion—you know, talking.”

“Really?” Eileen gave him a suspicious look.

“Promise on my magic.” Harry said solemnly.

“I wish I had magic like yours.”

Harry chuckled. “Blazes, kid, you’ve got a better talent than I do. You could make Dad give you dessert for dinner every night.”

“Harry! Don’t tell her that!”

“Why not? It could happen.”

“I doubt it. Dad’s too strong for me to magic him, and if I ever did, he’d probably spank me.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Lexy agreed. “Don’t listen to your big brother, Lee, he’ll just get you into trouble.”

“Ha! You’re one to talk, doing a backflip off your broom.”

Lexy made a face at him. “Whatever, Harry. My point is, Eileen, that you shouldn’t hate your magic. Magic’s a part of you, like your hair and eyes.”

“The best part,” Harry added.

“You think so?”

“I know so.” Lexy told her. “And you’re going to be one of the strongest witches ever, I’ll bet.” She smiled at her sister, and finally Eileen smiled back. Then Lexy gently set her on the ground. “C’mon, snippet. Let’s go eat lunch, I’m starving.”

“And then we go swimming and do the prank?”

“Right. Only the prank’s a secret, so zip your lip,” Lexy told her, and made a zipper motion across her mouth.

“Okay,” her little sister whispered, then she grabbed Lexy’s hand and Harry’s and dragged them down the hall to the kitchen. “Mummy! I’m hungry, got any grilled cheese?” she bellowed.

“Hush, Lee! You’ll wake up Toby!” Harry scolded.

“Oops! Sorry!”

In the kitchen, they found Tobias, Severus, Alaina, and Sue. Sue and Tobias were preparing lunch, which was hot dogs and chicken salad and crisps.

Eileen looked warily at both of her parents, until Alaina held out her arms. Then she ran to her mother to be snuggled and hugged, happy that her mum wasn’t mad at her any longer. “Did I hear someone ask for grilled cheese?”

Eileen nodded. “Me! Me! That’s my favorite, you know that.”

Alaina laughed, silently thanking God for leaving her child unharmed. “Well, I think your Gram and Grandpa can manage that.”

“Sure we can,” Sue said.

While Sue was making his daughter’s sandwich, Severus turned to his wayward daughter and said seriously, “Eileen, I know that what happened today was an accident, but you need to promise me something. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“Good. Now, I want you to promise me that you’ll never use your song talent unless I or your mum are with you and you ask permission first. You could get badly hurt by disobeying, young lady. Not to mention that you would be in serious trouble with both of us.”

“Like spanked and grounded to my room for a week?”

“Yes, so if I were you, I’d make sure I kept that promise. Understand?” He leaned forward in his chair and looked her directly in the eyes.

“Yes, sir,” she replied. “I promise. I don’t want you or Mummy to be mad at me.”

“Mad at you? Honey, we’re not mad at you,” Alaina said.

“You yelled at me.” Eileen accused.

“I . . .well, yes, I did. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. But I was scared. You frightened me to death, Eileen Lily.”

“And that’s why you yelled at me and Dad?”

“Yes . . .and if you do happen to use your magic accidentally, Lee, I promise I won’t yell. But only if it’s accidental, young lady. And no more calling up deer or any other kind of animal.”

“’Kay, Mum.” Then she threw her arms about Alaina and hugged her.

A minute later she had hopped down from Alaina’s lap and moved over to Severus, hugging him as well. Right then, all was right with the world again.

* * * * * *

Later on that afternoon, the kids decided to go swimming. Alaina and Sue had to run to the store because they had run out of mayonnaise for their macaroni salad and left Tobias, Severus, and Bill home to watch the children. Toby was fussing, Severus was almost certain he was cutting a tooth, for he was running a fever and was beyond irritable, whimpering and crying when anyone except Sev held him.

It was then that the three children decided to play a highly amusing joke on Tobias.

All three Snape children could swim like fishes, but Eileen was not allowed in the pool unless an adult was also nearby, and since Tobias was outside already on the deck, having a cigarette, she asked him to watch her swim in the pool.

“Grandpa, come on!” she cried, tugging his hand. She was wearing a cute lime green suit with Ariel upon it. “I wanna go swim!”

“One minute, miss.” Tobias sighed, unable to resist his granddaughter’s pleading gaze. He stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it in the ashtray. He rarely smoked much anymore, since all three of his grandchildren and his son as well kept scolding him, saying he was ruining his health.

He took a quick glance about to see where Harry and Lexy were. “Where are your big brother and sister?”

Eileen shrugged innocently. “Don’t know. Harry went inside to get something to eat, I think. And Lexy was getting into her suit,” she lied glibly.

In actuality, Harry and Lexy were hovering out of sight upon their broomsticks, for the first phase of the prank was Eileen’s show.

“Oh. All right.” Tobias followed Eileen as she ran down the path to the fenced in pool, since it was an in ground one, they needed a fence to keep all the animals out. But there was a nice concrete patio surrounding it with lounge chairs and small tables.

Tobis watched as Eileen jumped into the shallow end, making a huge splash and screaming like a banshee.

“Ahhh! It’s cold!”

She popped up from underneath the water, sputtering and shivering.

“Swim a bit, troublemaker. You’ll get warm,” Tobias laughed indulgently. He adored all of his grandchildren, but Eileen held a special place in his heart, since she so resembled his dead wife in looks and personality. Eileen Prince Snape had been a spitfire just like her namesake, and yet her heart had been large and forgiving. Her granddaughter was much the same.

Eileen splashed and swam about, playing with some pool toys for a few minutes.

Tobias went and sat down in one of the lounge chairs, content to relax in the afternoon sun while Eileen played.

Eileen swam close to the opposite side of the pool, peering up through the trees to where her siblings were flying. She waved a hand at them, asking if it were time to put into practice the next part of the plan.

Harry waved back, signaling a “yes”.

Hiding a smirk, Eileen paddled back over to the side of the pool closest to where Tobias was sitting, idly paging through a magazine. She glanced up and saw that Bill was out on the lawn, clearing away a patch of ground for the fireworks later on. She hoped this prank wouldn’t get her in trouble, because she didn’t want to be forbidden to see the fireworks. Then she recalled Harry saying he would make sure she didn’t get into trouble and she grinned and called, “Grandpa! Grandpa! Come quick! There’s a frog in the pool!”

Tobias yawned, he was growing sleepy in the heat. “A frog? Eileen, how did a frog get in the pool?”

“I dunno. But it’ll die if you don’t get it out. Help me, Grandpa! Get the skimmer!” she urged, throwing him her most pleading, pouty lower lip look. “Hurry, Grandpa!”

“Oh, for the love of Pete!” muttered Tobias, shooting the little girl a glare, but he rose and got the pool skimmer.

Then he came over to the edge of the pool, leaning over slightly with the skimmer. “Okay, sweetie, now where’s that frog?”

“Over here, Grandpa!” Eileen swam a little further from the edge of the pool and turned and pointed to the far side of the pool.

Tobias peered hard and thought he saw something small and black swimming through the water. He thrust the skimmer out over the pool, trying to capture the frog . . .

Next thing he knew he felt two pairs of hands grab him by the shoulders and shove him hard.

“Surprise, Grandpa!” yelled Harry and Lexy.

Tobias windmilled his arms frantically, but he was too over balanced and he toppled over the edge and into the pool with a tremendous SPLASH!

“Yes! We did it!” the three Snape children cheered.

A minute later, a very wet and irritated Tobias Snape came up from the pool’s edge. “Why, you rotten little buggers! You tricked me!”

Harry and Lexy were hovering just over the pool, giggling like twin fiends and Eileen was sitting on the edge of the pool, laughing her head off.

“We fooled you! We fooled you!” she chanted, her dark eyes sparkling.

“Little brats!” scowled Tobias, pretending to be angry.

Severus came outside, having heard the huge splash, he had finally managed to get Toby to sleep with the aid of a mild Children’s Sleeping Draft, and saw his father in the pool, dripping wet with his clothes on, and his three children laughing like imps.

“Slip and fall, Dad?” he asked, coming into the pool area.

“Ah, shut up, Severus! You ought to tan your brats’ hides for what they just did,” Tobias mock-growled.

“Oh? For an accident?” Severus said slyly.

“Accident my eye!” sputtered his father. “That one over there—” he pointed at Eileen, who contrived to look as innocent as a fawn. “—was the decoy . . .tricking me . . .” Suddenly he eyed his son. “You sly son-of-gun! You were in on it too, weren’t you?”

“Me? Now, Dad, you’re overreacting . . .”

“Like hell! You knew about this, Severus Tobias Snape!” Tobias growled. He half-swam over to the side and held out his hand. “Don’t you try and play innocent with me, boy.”

Severus clasped his father’s hand, about to help him out of the pool, on the verge of protesting his innocence yet again—it was partially true, he had known the kids wanted to prank Tobias, but not the details or when—and so missed the naughty gleam in his father’s eyes.

Tobias gripped Severus’s hand firmly, then heaved.

The next thing Severus knew he was flying through the air and landing with a splash in the pool just behind Tobias.

Tobias smirked at the kids, who were staring at him in shock.

“Bloody hell, Dad!” Severus sputtered, coming up just behind his father. “What the hell was that for?” His hair was plastered in his eyes and his clothes clung to him, revealing his well-muscled physique.

“For being a conniving rascal like all of your kids, Healer Snape!” chuckled his father. “And because you know what they say . . .he who laughs last, laughs best.” Then he burst out in uncontrollable laughter, pulling himself out of the pool, snickering and holding his sides.

“He got you good, Dad!” Harry cried, then he started laughing too.

“Sweet Merlin, but that was like the best prank ever!” gasped Lexy, also hysterically laughing.

“Incorrigible brats!” Sev mock-growled, pretending to be angry. “Young and old.”He eyed his two eldest and then made a sudden gesture.

All of a sudden, Harry and Lexy found themselves swamped by a huge tidal wave, as Severus caused the pool water to swell up and drench them.

“Ahhh! No fair, Dad!” they cried.

Severus smirked. “As my old man used to say, cry me a river, children.” He emerged from the pool and dried himself off with a quick Drying Charm before sauntering off to the house to check up on the cake baking in the oven.

Harry, Lexy, Tobias, and Eileen all looked at each other, half-indignant and half-amused by turns.

“I can’t believe you did that to Daddy, Grandpa,” Eileen said, unsure whether to laugh or be upset on behalf of her father.

“He was asking for it,” Tobias defended. “And you’re lucky I don’t throw you in the pool, missy.”

“No!” Eileen shrieked, backing away. “Harry made me do it.”

“Figures.”

“Tattletale,” Harry scowled. Then he started laughing again. “Did you see his face?”

“It was priceless!” Lexy agreed. “Too bad we didn’t have a camera.” She looked appreciatively at her grandfather. “I never knew you played pranks on people, Grandpa.”

Tobias smiled wickedly. “Lexy, you’re looking at one of the worst pranksters ever to come out of Yorkshire. I can’t count how many times my Head walloped me for playing pranks on all my teachers.”

“Guess it didn’t take,” remarked Harry.

“Nope,” Tobias admitted shamelessly, then he collapsed upon the lounge chair, prostrate with laughter. He hadn’t played a prank like that in over thirty years and it felt good to have fun, especially with one’s family.

* * * * * *

The barbecue went off without a hitch. Bill grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, and steak and also corn in its own husk. In addition to that was the famous Montague macaroni salad and cole slaw, buttered rolls, cucumber salad, and maple baked beans. Everyone ate till they were stuffed.

Then an hour later, they had coffee, cocoa, and dessert, which consisted of a scrumptious fresh fruit flag cake, donuts, and slices of seedless watermelon. All of the Snape children loved the desserts, especially the cake, which had been made with fresh blueberries and strawberries on whipped cream in the shape of an American flag.

Even Severus allowed himself a second piece, for once not denying his sweet tooth. He had admitted ruefully to his wife how his father had pranked him, and Alaina had found it terribly amusing.

“I’m so sorry I missed that, Sev!” she chortled. “I would have so loved to see you soaking wet.” She shot him a lascivious look, running her eyes over him pointedly. “I’m so glad I married you.”

“So am I, blackbird,” her husband answered, gazing at her with love in his dark eyes. “Next time, maybe you ought to stay home,” he murmured and then he kissed her.

Harry made a face. “Ugh! Gross! Get a room, won’t you?”

“Aww! How sweet!” Lexy said, ever the romantic.

Eileen looked at her parents, then back at her siblings, not understanding what the big deal was. Her parents kissed each other all the time. “When’s the fireworks?”

“Soon as I clean up, snippet,” answered Bill, and then he rose to clear the plates away, assisted by Harry, Lexy, and Tobias.