The Other Snape

Chapter 20

"Honestly, what is this place now?" Amelia asked, spraying a bit of Windex on the window, "It was never this dusty before. No wonder you told us not to go here, Siri!"

"Harry said the same thing," Sirius grumbled, "Hey, where is he anyway?"

"Ugh, not again, I can't with this. I don't know where everything and everyone are, Pads!" She started to walk down the hall, having no idea where she was going, though she'd walked these corridors before.

"— COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE —"

Oh, wow, it's Bella's old room, she thought, before opening it, trying to drown out the shouting.

"Oh, sorry!"

There, standing in the middle, were the Weasley kids, Granger and Harry.

"Am I...am I intruding on something?" Something brushed her leg and there was Kreacher. He was muttering, as usual.

"Hello, Kreacher," said Fred very loudly, closing the door with a snap.

The house-elf froze in his tracks, stopped muttering, and then gave a very pronounced and very unconvincing start of surprise.

"Kreacher did not see Young Master," he said, turning around and bowing to Fred. Still facing the carpet, he added, perfectly audibly, "Nasty little brat of a blood traitor it is."

"Sorry?" said George. "Didn't catch that last bit."

"Kreacher said nothing," said the elf, with a second bow to George, adding in a clear undertone, "and there's its twin, unnatural little beasts they are."

Amelia pursed her lips.

The elf straightened up, eyeing them all very malevolently, and apparently convinced that they could not hear him as he continued to mutter. ". . . and there's the Mudblood, standing there bold as brass—"

"What did Reggie and I say about that word, Kreacher?" Amelia said, louder than how she would usually speak.

"That Kreacher should never say it in your company," Kreacher mumbled.

"No, that's not what we said."

"...That Kreacher should never say it! Master said Kreacher should never say that word! Oh, but Mistress said that not saying it meant Kreacher was weak! Master Reggie must forgive me! Please forgive me—"

"Don't give him anything to hurt himself with!" Amelia instructed as she grabbed hold of the house-elf. "Kreacher! Kreacher! What did Reggie say about hurting yourself?"

"Kreacher should not hurt himself but it is Kreacher's nature!"

"Right..." Amelia looked at the kids, "So, it looks like I got my hands full. Honestly, I'm pretty sure this guy's mine, but he's been in the House for so long, he just doesn't know."

"He's yours?" said Sirius from the doorway. Somehow he had opened the door without anyone noticing.

Kreacher slowly stopped flailing his limbs and trying to hurt himself.

"Kreacher, why don't you go help make Lunch? Yes, he's mine, didn't you read Reg's Will?"

"Couldn't bring myself to." Sirius came around and sat on the floor.

"Well, I did," Amelia said, "I think he gave you a few pairs of socks and a piece of parchment."

"What a drama queen."

"Look who's talking."

"Okay, all Blacks are drama queens," Sirius said defensively. "But why'd he give you the house-elf?"