Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

That Time of Month

The rest of the week went smoothly for the Snape family, and Harry was beginning to grasp basic reading skills, quickly catching up to his peers at school. Throughout the week, Severus had Harry practice his questions for the trial twice simply by asking at random to see how well Harry knew how he was supposed to respond. Harry was getting better at taking his medicine and drinking his potion when it was needed, and Severus was beginning to feel that Harry was transitioning well to being a permanent member of his family. Hopefully, attending the trial didn’t set Harry backward.

               Iris, however, was having a miserable week, and Severus didn’t quite understand why. She seemed to take a lot of her attitude out on Harry lately, and he had assumed that she was becoming jealous of the attention Harry was receiving. She was constantly correcting and arguing with Harry on every little subject she could, such as when homework needed to be done, how long a bath should be, when bedtime was, and even how their day at school went. Severus always figured the last question was subjective, but who was he to argue with a six-year-old. Severus tried talking to her about how she was feeling with Harry as a new addition to the family, but those discussions didn’t seem to get him anywhere. In the end, he would just tell her to drop her attitude and leave it at that.

               He didn’t really connect he dots until toward the end of the week, when he had been practicing his reading with Iris.

               “No, I only disss-trib-bute,” Iris said, slowly working out the word on the page of Charlotte’s Web, by E. B. White.

               “Very good,” Severus encouraged her.

               “. . . distribute pigs to early risers,” Iris continued. “. . . said Mr. Arable. “Fern was up at daylight, trying to rid the world of innn-juss—”

               “Injustice,” Harry said as he paused in front of the armchair where Iris was sitting on Severus’s lap.

Iris huffed and pulled the book out of Harry’s sight.

“I was getting there,” Iris said. “Go away. You read with Dad when I’m done.”

“Sorry,” Harry said, looking down.

“Iris,” Severus chided, “he was just trying to help. We’re almost done with this chapter, then we’ll take a break. Harry, why don’t you pick out a book for us while I finish with Iris?”

“I don’t want to read anymore,” Iris said, closing the book.

“You’ve been wanting to read this book for a while now,” Severus said, “Let’s at least finish chapter one.”

“You always forget!” Iris shouted as she pushed the book away and slid off her father’s lap, running out the room and down the hall.

“Iris!” Severus called after her, standing up. He paused to look at Harry. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

Harry nodded. Severus followed after his daughter, moving down the hall to her bedroom. He went to open the door, but found it locked. Knowing there were no locks on the door, he figured Iris had used accidental magic to keep it shut.

“Iris, let me in, please,” Severus tried.

“Go away,” Iris yelled.

“Honey, talk to me. What did I forget?”

He was met with silence, then Iris pushed her puppy calendar out from under the door. Severus picked it up, looking at the date marked in red. He closed his eyes and shook his head. How could he have forgotten? Every time, too. She would tell him the next date after each one, yet it seemed like too little time had passed until a month was up, and it was easy for him to think that not enough time had passed, but Iris was clearly keeping track of the days.

“I see.” Severus said. “It’s that time of month, isn’t it?”

At least he knew why Iris had been so moody lately. He needed to keep better track of the dates himself. He kept telling himself he would do better, but then Harry had shown up and he had been so caught up getting to know his son and getting him caught up in school, the dates had once again slipped his mind.

Time for Dahlia’s weekend with Iris.

 

The next day, after school, Dahlia Flater was punctual to Severus’s house at four in the afternoon, pulling up into his driveway behind his Ford Escort. She stepped out of her rather beat up 1970 Morris Minor, dressed in what appeared to be a brand new silky green winter robe. Severus quirked a brow at her as she smiled and held her arms open for Iris.

“My baby girl!” Dahlia cooed while Iris trotted up to her mother, wrapping her arms around her.

“Hi, mum,” Iris said before pulling back and adjusting her backpack over her shoulders.

“Severus,” Dahlia greeted her ex as he strolled up to them.

“What in Merlin’s name are you wearing?” Severus said.

“Do you like?” Dahlia said, twirling around in the expensive wear. She reminded Severus so much of Iris doing so, with her matching red hair and brown eyes. “Jason bought it for me.”

“And who is Jason?”

“He also goes by Healer Lee.”

“A healer, now?” Severus smirked. He glanced at her car. “What, he couldn’t upgrade your car, too?”

“You know, he’s a real gentleman,” Dahlia said. “He’s been nothing but courteous to me, and he knows how to treat a lady well. I will not stop him from spoiling me if that is what he wishes to do.”

“You mean until you get bored of him and move on to the next?” Severus said in a bored tone.

“Oh, don’t start again! You did the same thing with my ex. You always assume the worst of me—this is why we never worked.”

“That is not why, but that is not a discussion to have at this moment. Iris packed a few of her personal care items as well as some of her favorite snacks. Try not to spoil her meals with candy and sugar. And remember to drop Iris off at her school on Monday, not at the house.”

“That was one time, Severus,” Dahlia said with an affronted glare. “Stop holding it against me.”

“Can we go, now, mum?” Iris asked, a small pout on her face.

“Of course, sweetie,” Dahlia said. She opened the door for Iris. “Hop in, dear.”

Iris did as she was told, and Dahlia closed the door for her. Before getting in herself, Dahlia turned back to Severus.

“Is that Harry over there?” she asked, looking past Severus to the little boy sitting on the first step leading to the house.

“Yes.” Severus answered without even a glance backwards.

“I’ve read the paper on his case. Poor baby.” Dahlia made a pouty face in Harry’s direction. “He’s always welcome to join Iris on our visits if you think he’d like a stepmum.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Severus shook his head at the very thought of that absurd idea. He watched Dahlia shrug and climb back into the car. “Drive safely. Goodbye, Iris. Be good for mum.”

“Bye, Daddy,” Iris said, waving back.

Severus watched the Morris Minor chug down the driveway and down the street until it vanished beyond the horizon. He sighed heavily, then glanced back at Harry. He smiled.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, kiddo,” Severus said. He walked back over to his son and picked up his discarded backpack. “Let’s take a look at your assignment book for the weekend.”

 

               Iris excitedly ran into Twilfitt and Tatting’s clothing store in Diagon Alley. She had never been in this particular store, and she couldn’t wait to try on new dress robes. Dahlia proudly walked in after her, clutching an emerald satchel that matched her robe. She watched her daughter run from one rack to the next, admiring the fashionable attire longingly.

               “Okay, dear,” Dahlia began, “we have enough for one new dress robe and accessories. Choose wisely.”

               So, Iris began modeling several dress robes for her mother, from long, silky ones to elegant flowy ones that she could twirl in for hours. Dahlia helped her find a correct size in different styles, as well as making any adjustments on the dress so Iris could decide if it was the one for her or not. Finally, Iris fell in love with a short ruby winter robe, and Dahlia was quick to find black leggings and shoes to go with it. Iris wore her new outfit out of the store, holding her mother’s hand and skipping at her side while they explored the many stalls set up that day. Dahlia treated her to ice cream, and while passing a stall with jewelry, Dahlia gasped excitedly.

               “Iris, you could get your ears pierced,” she told her daughter. “This nice lady says she could do it for a bargain.”

               “Is it gonna hurt?” Iris asked, staring nervously at the needles the piercer lady was holding.

               “You won’t feel a thing,” the woman said with a thick Scottish accent. “I’ve got a potion to numb your ears.”

               “Oh, you would look so cute with peridot earrings,” Dahlia said, picking up the little gemstones in question. She held them out to Iris. “It is your birthstone. It’s supposed to protect you from nightmares if you wear them.”

               “Really?” Iris said. She looked at the pretty silver earrings her mother was wearing, then back down at the olive-green gemstones on the tiny stud earrings in her mother’s hand. “If I do it, can I have these ones?”

               “Of course!” Dahlia said. She helped her daughter up onto the chair and held her hands as the piecer applied the numbing potion on her ears.

               “Now hold very still,” the lady said.

               “Look at me, dear,” Dahlia encouraged when Iris glanced at the piercer with wide eyes as she picked up the needles. Iris stared at her mother, taking a couple deep breaths.

               With practiced ease, the piercer used her wand to drive two needles through both of Iris’s lobes at the same time, then flicked her wand at the earrings which settled nicely in place. After a muttered healing charm, the piercer handed Iris a mirror. Iris smiled at her ears, turning her head this way and that to see the new gems.

               “Do you like them?” Dahlia asked, smiling at her daughter as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

               Iris nodded, looking at her ears one last time before giving the mirror back to the piercer.

               Dahlia paid the lady and took Iris’s hand once more.

               “Now, no one will be able to tell us apart,” she said to Iris, who smirked up at her.

               Not long after Iris had her ear’s pierced, Dahlia drove to Jason Lee’s flat in London rather than her house in a small town nearly forty minutes away from Lee’s. Iris had never been to the flat, and she was amazed at how fancy everything was, from the large, modern kitchen to the sweet leather chairs and sofa. Even the bathroom had a huge tub that could fit five people in it, and she decided she was taking a bath later that night. Dahlia showed her to one of the three bedrooms where she would be staying for the weekend. There was a queen-sized bed that Iris plopped herself down on, staring up at the motionless ceiling fan.

               As it was getting late, Dahlia whipped up a quick dinner of shepherd’s pie, and they were the only two eating at the table. Iris took a glorious bubble bath afterward, where mountains of bubbles surrounded her, and she pretended she was climbing Mount Everest until an avalanche buried her. Dahlia came to her rescue and dug her out.

               Finally, it was bedtime, which turned into a long pillow fight before Iris felt tired enough to lie down and allow her mother to cover her up in her blankets. She feel asleep quickly, exhausted from her busy afternoon.

               The next day came quickly, and Dahlia invited a few of her girlfriends over to hand out at Lee’s place. Dahlia had told everyone that Lee had given her permission to do so and was ordering lunch for everyone while he was at work. Iris had yet to meet the man. He had to have come home very late then left early in the morning while she slept the whole time.

               When five of Dahlia’s friends arrived, Iris was quickly included in their tea party. The ladies were first given a tour and awed at the flat before settling in the living space with tea to do nails and hair. One girl worked on Iris’s hair while Dahlia painted Iris’s nails a light pink with tiny white flowers on each one at Iris’s request. Iris didn’t bother trying to learn everyone’s names, she knew she would forget soon enough, and she would probably see a new set of friends the next time she saw her mother. The only consistent one seemed to be Amber, who was currently zipper braiding her hair in a half updo style.

               “I just love her hair,” Amber, a petite blonde, said while she made a small accent braid to the side of Iris’s zipper braid. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages, Iris, you are growing so fast.”

               “She looks so much like you,” another girl said. “She is so cute.”

               “She’s my pride and joy,” Dahlia said with a smile to her daughter.

               Iris smiled back. Dahlia blew on her nails to dry the ones that were done before moving to her next fingernail.

               “I can’t imagine how awful it must have been to lose the custody battle,” another lady, an older brunette, said. “What happened to the tender years doctrine?”

               “Yes, a woman always has first rights to her child,” another girl spoke up.  

               “Well,” Dahlia started in a big voice, “Severus’s lawyer made the whole courtroom think I was an unfit, unstable parent to my child.”

               “No.”

               “Yes! He slandered my name—oh, it was so painful, I can’t even think back to it. I’m lucky I even get a weekend with Iris. It’s not enough time, personally. She’s growing up so fast, and I’m missing so much of her life. Aren’t I, Iris?”

               Iris wasn’t sure how to respond, so she simply nodded in agreement.

               The door to the flat opened then, and a tall man with lush, lode gold hair perfectly groomed moved gracefully through the flat, a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his hands. He wore a white Healer robe that contrasted against his bronze skin. He paused behind Dahlia, resting a hand on her shoulder.

               “I managed to escape during my lunch break to bring you these, my love,” the man said.

               Dahlia touched a hand to her chest and made a face that clearly said, “aww.” The girls around her awed aloud for her.

               “Thank you, that’s so sweet of you. I have left over shepherd’s pie you should take for lunch before you go back to work.” Dahlia stood up and accepted the flowers, breathing in their subtly sweet smell, reminding her of a summer wine she once enjoyed.

               “This must be your daughter,” the man said, smiling at Iris. Iris nodded her head, though she didn’t move from where she sat. “My name is Jason Lee. It is pleasure to meet you. Your mother has told me a lot about you.”

               “It’s nice to meet you, too.” Iris accepted the man’s outstretched hand and shook it.

               “You look just like her.”

               “I know. I get that a lot.”

               Lee smiled at her, then followed Dahlia to the kitchen. The girls giggled among themselves as they talked about what assets they liked the most on Jason Lee.

               After the Healer had rushed back to work on emergency call, the girls returned to chatting and gossiping about anything that Iris quickly grew bored of. She retreated to her bedroom and played with her doll for a bit, making sure she was changed and fed and settled down for a nap. She ate one of her cracker snacks and decided to work on her homework, something she knew her father would want her to do. The day passed quickly, and Iris wondered when dinner would be ready. She had managed to complete most of her homework, and her stomach growled hungrily.

               “Mum?” she called, stepping out of her bedroom and into the living room.

               All the girls were gone, and Dahlia was on the phone talking to one of the many people Iris was sure they had gossiped about. Iris stepped closer, trying not to be rude by interrupting her mother’s conversation, but also wanting something to silence her growling stomach.

               “Mummy,” Iris tried, tapping her mother on the shoulder.

               “One moment please,” Dahlia said into the phone. She pulled it away and held a hand over the speaker portion of the corded phone. “What is it?”

               “I’m hungry,” Iris said. “What’s for dinner?”

               “There’s left over shepherd’s pie in the blue container in the fridge,” Dahlia said, “go eat some of that.”

               “But we had that yesterday.”

               “So? It needs to be eaten up before I make something new. Mum is on the phone, right now. Let me finish this conversation, okay? Then we can talk.”

               Without waiting for a response from Iris, Dahlia raised the phone back up to her ear.

               “You still there?” She paused. “Sorry, my daughter needed something. No, I don’t need to hang up, it’s all sorted out, but thank you for your concern. That’s so touching.”

               Iris sighed as she shuffled away. She found the container with the shepherd’s pie, then searched the kitchen for bowls, cups, plates, and silverware, but only managed to find the latter. Looking up, she could see what looked suspiciously like plates and bowls in a cupboard way above her head. She really wanted to climb up the counters, but she also didn’t want to get caught by Lee should he happen to reappear at any moment. He wasn’t sure what he might think of a little girl crawling around his counterspace.

               Not knowing what else to do as her stomach growled once more, Iris used her fork to eat the cold shepherd’s pie out of the container. When she was satisfied, she put the dish back and dropped the fork in the sink.  She moved out of the kitchen and back to her room. She did her nightly routine and prepared for bed, pausing in the bathroom to stare at her ears in the mirror. She did like how the gems gleamed, and she wondered what her daddy might think of them. She smiled and ran out of the bathroom, jumping in the bed and then waited for her mother to get off the phone so she could ask to read with her. She had packed her Charlotte’s Web book and had hoped to get in another chapter or two that weekend. She tried to be patient for her mother to finish up, but when it sounded like Dahlia was done talking, she would start back up with someone new on the other line.

               When another conversation started up, Iris picked up her doll and her book and shuffled out to the living room once more. She paused in front of her mother, tapping her shoulder once more. Dahlia sighed and pulled the phone away from her ear.

               “What is it now?” Dahlia asked.

               “Can you come read with me? I brought Charlotte’s Web.”

               “Aw, I used to love that book when I was a little girl.”

               “Really?” Iris asked hopefully.

               “It was one of my favorites.” She smirked at her daughter. “You’ve got good taste. I wonder where you get it from?”

               Iris laughed, then held the book out.

               “Do you want to read with me?”

               “Maybe another time, sweetie,” Dahlia said. “I’m on the phone right now. Okay?”

               “Oh.” Iris lowered the book and adjusted her doll in her arms. “Okay.”

               Dahlia narrowed her eyes at the doll.

               “Aren’t you getting a bit old for security toys?”

               “You mean Honey?” Iris said, hugging her doll to her chest protectively. She shook her head. “No.”

               Dahlia hmphed at that, then turned back to her phone call.

               “Still there?” A pause. “Oh, no, no. Nothing important, I just had to take care of something real quick, let’s get back to you . . .”

               Once again, Iris shuffled away from her mother, then stomped over to her bed and threw her doll and book across it. She plopped down on the bed with her arms crossed, tears welling in her eyes. After a moment, she reached across the bed, gathered Honey in her arms, and squeezed the doll to her chest, closing her eyes tightly. She stretched out on the bed toward the book, her doll tucked at her side. She opened to the second chapter, and in a small whisper, read:

               “Fern loved Wilbur more than anything. She loved to stroke him, to feed him, to put him to bed . . .”     

 

               Meanwhile, back at Snape Manor, Severus was lying down next to Harry in the boy’s bed, working on his reading with the book Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel. Harry was under the covers, while Severus was lying on top of them, looking down at the pages as Harry read on. Harry had really improved in his reading skills, and Severus was impressed with how well Harry was doing after just a couple weeks. He smiled as Harry made it toward the end of the book.

               “So the toad went to bed and the frog got up and told him a story,” Harry read, “the end. How was that Toad? But Toad did not annn-ssswwwuu—”

               “Answer,” Severus corrected.

               “Answer,” Harry repeated. He finished the chapter. “He had fallen asleep.”

               “Very good, Harry,” Severus praised, ruffling Harry’s hair. “You are doing so well, I’m very proud of your progress so far.”

               Harry smiled up at Severus. Before he could say anything, the doorbell rang. Severus frowned.

               “Now who on earth would be knocking at this hour?”

               “Do you want me to answer it for you?”               

               “No. You stay in bed.” Severus kissed Harry’s temple. “And go to sleep. Goodnight.”

               “Night, Daddy. “

               Severus stood up from the bed and moved quickly down the stairs as the bell rang three times more.

               “All right!” Severus shouted. He muttered about impatience and swung the door open, ready to give the rude guest a piece of his mind. His eyes widened when he saw who was standing on the other side of the door.

               “Black?” Severus snapped.

               “Where’s my godson?” Sirius Black demanded.

               “What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?”

               “I’ve come for Harry,” Sirius said, pushing his way into the house and looking around. “I’ll take him off your hands for you.”

               “Absolutely not!” Severus said, shutting the door behind them. “You cannot just waltz in here and demand to take Harry from me. Who the hell do you think you are?”

               “He’s my godson, too!” Sirius shouted, glaring at Severus.

               “And he’s my son.”

               “Like you ever cared. How could you let those horrible muggles take Harry? How did you not know he was suffering? You let this happen to him!”

               “Do not speak of things you know little of,” Severus snapped, pointing an accusatory finger at Sirius. “And if you were so against it, why didn’t you step up and offer to take him in for a while?”

               “I was hunting that traitor who murdered my friends,” Sirius defended himself. “And what were you doing that you couldn’t take in your own son? Sleeping with that whore?”

               “Watch your mouth in this house!” Severus seethed for a moment as he took a deep breath, trying to reign his temper in. And here he thought he had been rid of Sirius Black for good. While they had found a truce for the sake of their shared relationship between Lily, and then Harry, they had never been on friend terms. This was the first he had seen Sirius since the day before the Potters’ murder. Severus sighed and asked, “And where have you been all this time?”

               “That is none of your concern.”

               “Oh, but I have to answer to all of your questions?”

               “Harry,” Sirius whispered, looking past Severus.

               Severus snapped his head around to see Harry slowly tiptoeing down the stairway, his face a bit apprehensive. He looked between Severus and Sirius.

               “Harry,” Sirius said louder, moving around Severus and toward the child with open arms to engulf him in. He was surprised when Harry darted away from him and ran to Severus, peeking out at Sirius from behind Severus’s legs.

               Severus couldn’t help the smug look he threw Sirius’s way.

               “Harry,” Sirius tried again in a softer voice, one that sounded a bit devastated that Harry was afraid of him, “it’s me, your Uncle Sirius. Don’t you remember me?”

               “Why would he remember you, Black?” Severus answered for Harry. “He was a baby when you last saw him.”

               Sirius kneeled on the ground and gave Harry a sad look when Harry shuffled closer to Severus. Severus sighed audibly before reaching back and resting a hand on Harry’s head. Harry glanced up at him.

               “It’s okay, Harry,” he told his son. “He is in fact your Uncle Sirius. From a long time ago. Go say hello. Go on.”

               With an encouraging push forward, Severus managed to pull Harry around him and send him Sirius’s way. Harry looked back at Severus then slowly walked toward Sirius. He paused a foot away from the strange man and gave a soft, “Hi.”

               “Hi, Harry.” Sirius smiled at him but didn’t move any closer. “You know, you used to call me Si-us. You had a lot of trouble with three syllable names. Your father would always keel over laughing.”

               “Daddy?” Harry asked, pointing back at Severus.

               Sirius froze for a moment, then shook his head sadly.

               “No, your other father.”

               “Oh.” Harry said, frowning slightly. “James?”

               Sirius’s eyes fell to the floor. “You used to call him Daddy.”

               “Oh,” Harry said, scratching his head as he tried to think of what to say now. He looked back at Severus, who thankfully came to his aid, stepping closer and resting a hand on the small of his back.

               “Go back up to bed,” Severus said. “It’s getting late, way past your bedtime.”

               “Okay, Daddy. Night. Night, Uncle Sirius.”

               “Goodnight, Harry,” Severus said.

               Sirius did not reply. He watched Harry head back up the stairs with a distant stare before he stood back up.

               “He didn’t even know me,” Sirius said. “And he doesn’t remember his father.”

               “Or Lily,” Severus added. “He was just a baby when he lost them. When he lost all of us. I’m not losing him again. I will not make that same mistake twice.”

               “Can’t be that much harder the second time, can it?” Sirius glared at him.
               Severus had quite enough of this reunion. He half expected Remus Lupin to invade his house next. He knew he couldn’t deny Sirius or Remus the chance to get to know Harry. The child was as much apart of their lives as he was in Severus’s, and even more importantly, Harry was a link to a lost friend. He would have to make arrangements that included the dog and the wolf, but now was not the time.

               “I suggest,” Severus spoke, “that if you want any role in Harry’s life that you leave my house right now, and floor call me at a later date so we can discuss it like mature adults. Because if you don’t leave this instant, I’ll have aurors physically remove you from here.”

               “I just had to make sure he was okay, all right, Snape?” Sirius said. “I came as soon as I got wind of the news.”

               “You should have called. You’ve confused Harry plenty enough for one night. It’s time you left and we try this again some other time. As much as I hate to say it, Harry will probably want to get to know you.”

               “Isn’t that such a pity?” Sirius smirked.

               “Black,” Snape growled. He pointed at his door. “Leave. Now.”

               “I’ll floo call Monday night, eight pm sharp,” Sirius said.

               “Then it’s settled.”

               Sirius nodded once, flashed a look up the stairway one last time, then left the house, disapparating once he was outside, leaving a rather frustrated Severus behind.

 

               The next day was rather dull for Iris. Dahlia had made pancakes with her for breakfast, then invited her friends back over for a few rounds of muggle cards and tea while they talked once more. Iris was mostly forgotten. She played in her own room silently, only venturing out for a slice of pizza when it was delivered to the girls for lunch. Everyone suddenly remembered Iris and included her in the next round of Karma. Iris caught on fast and surprised everyone with a win, though no one wanted to call her out much anyway.

               Later, when all the girls had left, Jason Lee had returned briefly, and he, Dahlia, and Iris played a game of gobstones while they talked about each other. Iris discovered that Jason Lee was a muggleborn but went on to become a Healer soon after graduating Hogwarts, and he had slowly become one of the best oncology Healers there was, therefore, he was always busy. And to prove his point, his wand vibrated, alerting him that he was needed at the hospital immediately, and he kissed Dahlia before stepping outside of the flat to disapparate.

               Dinner was shepherd’s pie again while Dahlia talked on the phone, and Iris proceeded to prepare for bed. As she was lying down, Dahlia appeared in the doorway.

               “Hey, chickie,” she smiled at her daughter. “It’s our last night together. Did you still want to read together?”

               Iris nodded, a smile spreading across her face. Dahlia moved across the room and settled next to Iris on her bed, waiting for her daughter to grab the book.

               “What do you think of Jason?” Dahlia asked.

               “He’s nice,” was always Iris’s answer. She held the book between them. “Do you want to start?”

               “I can start,” Dahlia said, and she began reading at the start of the second chapter. Iris had fallen asleep while reading last night, so she had wanted to reread the chapter anyway. When Dahlia finished a page, Iris began the next. They were halfway through when Jason appeared in the doorway, knocking softly.

               “I heard you two reading,” he said. “Good book?”

               “One of my childhood favorites,” Dahlia said while Iris nodded. She stood up from the bed. “We were just finishing up though. It’s getting late, Iris, and you have school in the morning. Goodnight, sweetie.”

               Dahlia pulled the blanket higher up on her daughter before kissing her forehead and turning the light out.

               “Night, mum,” Iris said, setting her book down next to her and hugging her doll instead. It was still thirty minutes till her bedtime at home, yet she managed to make herself fall asleep in the too quiet house.

               Monday morning was bittersweet as Iris hugged her mother one last time in front of the school. Her mother had taken the time to help her get ready for school, making sure she had everything, then even French braided her hair.

               “Goodbye, love,” Dahlia said. “I really love spending time with you. I’m going to miss you.”

               “I’ll miss you, too.”

               “I’ll see you again the second weekend of next month,” Dahlia said, and Iris made a mental note to mark the day in her calendar. “It can’t be the first this time because Jason has something planned that weekend for just us two. I think he’d make a great stepfather if this all works out, don’t you think?”

               “Sure, mum,” Iris always agreed.  

               Dahlia smiled at her daughter, fixing a lose strand of her hair.

               “Love you, have a good day at school.”

               “Love you, too. Bye.”

               Iris ran for the school in hopes to make it to class before the bell.

              

               Severus stood outside the school, leaning against his car as he waited. While Addie usually picked up the kids for him, he cancelled his afternoon class to pick them up today himself. It had been too long since he had last seen Iris, and he had always made a point to see her as soon as possible after her visits with Dahlia.

               The bell rang and after a few seconds, the kids started pouring out, He didn’t have to wait long until he saw Iris come bolting out of the doors, running straight for his open arms. He caught her and lifted her into a strong embrace which she returned with equal strength.

Harry paused in front of them, waiting patiently.

“How was your visit, honey?” Severus asked after a minute.

“It was okay,” Iris answered with a shrug. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. Very much.” Severus kissed her cheek, pausing to note her pierced ears. "You got your ears pierced?" Iris nodded, and Severus quirked a brow before setting her down and ruffling Harry’s hair, pulling him into a quick hug as well.

“I’ve not forgotten about you,” he said. “How was school?”

“It was fun,” Harry said. “I missed you, too, Iris.”

Iris hugged her brother, who was surprised at first, but returned the hug.

“Me too.” Iris said.

 


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