Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Forty-Six

:)

Silvanna was sorely disappointed by her exam results. She hadn't done badly of course; she'd beaten Sirius in Arithmancy at least. But that wasn't saying much.

In Astronomy, some stupid Ravenclaw had beaten her because she'd mislabelled Thebe as Valetudo. At least in History of Magic she beat all the other Gryffindors. Herbology saw her at average too, and she hovered about two thirds of the way up the class for Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures.

In Transfiguration, Silvanna had thought it was just a competition between her and James, but this time she'd been proven wrong. James had come top, which she'd expected. But second place had gone to Sirius. Sirius! How had he got better than her? He spent a whole month not speaking!

In Potions, Severus beat her, which was an even bigger blow, but at least he didn't come top. No, that spot went to Lily Evans. But one thing Silvanna didn't mind was that Remus had beat Lily in Charms. That almost cheered her up enough to make up for her abysmal results.

Needless to say, Silvanna felt very bitter as she sat on the Hogwarts Express, going aback to her miserable little world at Spinner's End, and trying and failing to read her book that Remus had got her for her thirteenth birthday.

Eventually, it was too much. "Can I join your study group next year?" she asked the boys. She tried to sound casual, but her voice wavered.

They all grinned at her. "I was wondering when you were going to mention that, Little-Miss-Third-Place," said Sirius, giving her a teasing look.

"Well," said Silvanna, feigning nonchalance, "Can't have Snivellus beating us, can we?"

"We'll never beat Snivellus in potions," said Peter, shaking his head.

James looked outraged. "We might!" he said hotly. "But anyway, we didn't study."

"What do you mean you didn't-?"

"Don't need to," said James with a shrug. "We're just that good." He dropped her a wink, and Silvanna shook her head, smiling. That was some good news, at least. It meant that she could work to overtake them.

*****

The house was surprisingly quiet when Severus and Silvanna got back. And dark, as the curtains had been drawn. It was as if someone had died. Or was going to die. Silvanna could feel the fear and dread that she'd bottled up all year tearing away at her insides, threatening to destroy her, reduce her to a mush so that she'd never be the same again.

Their dad was sat in an armchair facing the front door. He stared at them, eyes narrowed. Severus shifted next to her. Her mum went into the kitchen to prepare tea. "Sit down," he said in his low voice, staring at the pair of them intently. Severus rushed to the sofa. Silvanna went slower, eyeing her dad carefully. What was going on?

He stood up, looming over them. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"

Severus opened his mouth to speak, but Silvanna got there first. "No." After all, she wasn't sorry.

Her dad looked like he was struggling very hard against some sort of curse, but eventually calmed once again. "You're getting older now," he said, looking at the two of them. "Going out into the world soon. Need to start taking more responsibility for your actions." Silvanna hated that word. She always had to be responsible, didn't she? She was sick of it. "So, I'm not gonna hit you anymore."

Silvanna couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Instead, we're going to see some harsher punishments, you get me?" he continued. Silvanna swallowed nervously. "Trust me, you'll hate it just as much." Silvanna had no doubt in her mind that would be the case. "So, we'll start with you disobeying me, and not coming home when we told you to." His eyes flickered angrily in the dim light. "You're not using that bloody owl of your mum's all summer, Silvanna. Not writing to your freaky little friends, not visiting them at all. Clear?"

This was much, much worse. She spoke up in protest. "That's not fair!"

"I don't give a shit what you think is fair, young lady!" he said, raising his voice. "And you-" He jabbed a finger into Severus's chest. "-Are going to come with me to work, and help me clean that school. Understood?" Severus just nodded. "Get upstairs." Spit flew from his mouth as he spoke his last command, and the two of them immediately jumped up, grabbing their trunks and hauling them to their respective rooms.

Silvanna thought she was going to cry, or be sick, or both. No visiting the Lupins. No writing to anyone. At least Severus still had Lily, she didn't have anyone here, not since Severus decided he hated her. And her mum was a starkly different person when she was with and without her dad.

She unpacked quickly, shoving her things carelessly into draws, onto shelves, and under her bed. She wanted to cry, very badly, but decided against it, instead taking a deep breath and poking her head out her door. It was silent.

She tiptoed down the stairs and opened Severus's door a crack. She heard a book drop to the floor and jumped, ready to dart back up the stairs. Nothing. The door opened some more and Severus ushered her inside, closing it behind her.

Silvanna rarely came in here since they started Hogwarts, and even before then they usually had their whispered talks in her room, where the wind and the rain would sometimes mask the carry of their voices. He'd drawn his curtains, allowing minimal light to stream through the window that looked down onto the street.

Books were stacked carelessly onto his shelves, and there was one already open on his bed. It wasn't definitely a schoolbook, but it didn't look like any of the texts she had, and they did all the same subjects. Perhaps a library book, but they weren't allowed to take them home in the summer. And it was in very good condition, like it had been bought new. She peered at it, but Severus darted forward and snatched it up, placing it between two other books on the shelf. The spine didn't have any writing on it. She shrugged; it was none of her business what her brother got up to.

"What the fuck?" she whispered, nodding her head to downstairs.

Severus sat on the end of his bed and it creaked under his weight. "I don't know," he said. "Maybe it was Mum?" A sudden, very horrid thought occurred to her.

"There was blood on my Christmas letter," she said. Horror swept across her brother's face, but it was soon masked by his neutrality.

"Don't be ridiculous," he snapped, keeping his voice low. "She was fine, look at her." There were shouts from downstairs; the arguing had started.

"So what is it then?" she asked. It didn't make any sense.

"Maybe it was since you snitched to school," he spat, looking her up and down.

"I didn't-" she began, but he cut her off, standing up with a creak.

"Just piss off," he said, ushering her to the door. Reluctantly, Silvanna left. She knew one thing for certain, though. She'd rather be beaten than this.