Chapter 2
"How is it?", Margat asked timidly. The mediwitch nodded her head happily,
"All is well. Everything develops quite alright. Just take it slow for the rest of the week and listen to your body when things become too much."
"Of course, I will do that.", Margat was relieved that her injuries were healing.
"Can we go playing again then?", Eileen asked excitedly thought Madame Pomfrey hushed the little girl carefully,
"Your mother still needs rest. Playing must wait for a while. You want your mother to feel better quickly, right?"
Eileen nodded her head enthusiastically and the Mediwitch explained to her the importance of resting when ill. The little girl listened intensely and even asked a few not so dumb questions. Margat watches her with a smile on her face.
Eventually, Eileen's thirst for knowledge was satisfied and she came up to her mother again, waiting for the next thing to happen. The Mediwitch excused herself since he needed to tend to some injured students.
Right after, a new student came in with a group of friends.
"Madame Pomfrey, a Potion accident!" The older woman rushed to the hurt girl and asked what they were making. Eileen watched curiously.
The girl's hand had been exposed to some Potion which made the hand wrinkly and gray, it seemed as if she had the hand of a dead person. Eileen stepped closer,
"A salve made out of salamander blood, bear claw and bezoar should help.", she commented almost next to the Mediwitch. All eyes turned to her,
"This is a serious injury, there shouldn't be any experiences made of random ingredients.", the mediwitch scolded her. Eileen took a shocked breath and straighten her back,
"This looks like a side effect of a failed aging potion or a too strongly made one. I have seen that before! Daddy had shown me!", Eileen turned to the hurt girl,
"You put too much newt beans and banana extract into the potion to increase the aging agent of the Potion! Your hand is literally dying. Salamander blood helps with healing, bear claws give back stamina to the skin cells and bezoar is a basic ingredient in healing Potions which brings together the three agents and focuses their effects!"
The students look at the little girl, partly horrified, since Eileen sounded quite like a known grumpy Professor. Eileen had determination in her eyes which reminded Madam Pomfrey of Professor Snape when he knew that he had been right. Then, she realized that this little girl is indeed his daughter. She reflected the ingredients in her head and understood the girl's reasoning.
"Well,", she said and stood up,
"please wait here, Miss Bluewood."
She hurried into her office. Eileen stood by the bed with the older girls.
"Put the hand down.", she suggested.
"And why should I do that?", the injured student replied. Eileen looked up to her,
"Because then there is more blood flowing in the hand and you have a better chance of not losing the hand.", Eileen smiled sweetly before turning around and going back to her mother. Margat really tried not to laugh and kissed her daughter on the head.
"Let's go, Liebling." She said.
"Okay, Mummy!", Eileen walked ahead of her mother out of the infirmary.
The students looked after them, not knowing how to feel.
"Yeah, that definitely IS Professor Snape's daughter.", One of the students said. The others nodded.
-
Margat and Eileen wandered around the castle, they saw students coming out of classes and hurrying to the next one. Eileen watched everyone with curious eyes, Margat watched that her little girl would stand into the way of the busy students. After some time though, Margat became tired and was thankful for a sitting arrangement in the middle of a hallway. She sat down and called to her daughter not to wanted around too much. Eileen nodded and came up to them mother,
"Are you feeling bad again, Mummy?", she asked worriedly and with big shiny eyes. Margat petted her daughter's hair.
"Just a bit tired. Ist alles okay. Go, sieh Dich um.", she assured Eileen. The girl watched her mother to see if she spoke the truth. Then, she nodded and walked around the hallway but never too far away.
"A lovely daughter.", an older man commented and Margat looked beside her. The Headmaster stood next to her,
"May I sit beside you, Mrs Snape?", he asked politely.
"Of course, please.", she allowed him and they sat together. He asked her how she was dealing and Margat explained what the Mediwitch had told her. Headmaster Dumbledore nodded knowingly and satisfied.
"I am glad you are feeling better already. I am sure Severus will be comforted by that knowledge." Margat smiled,
"He will be. He worries too much sometimes."
"That is what makes love so intense, the worrying about the other person."
"True indeed.", Margat agreed.
"How is the little Miss Snape doing? She wasn't injured, right?"
"No,", Margat confirmed.", she wasn't hurt, thankfully. She is doing fine. She always is happier when Severus and I are there at the same time. It took much of her to be separated from her father."
Dumbledore smiled,
"Well, then she will flourish now that you two are staying at Hogwarts."
Margat huffed unsettled and shifted in her sitting position.
"You don't like that idea?", the Headmaster asked her without judgment. Margat took a deep breath,
"It's not that I don't like Hogwarts. It is… . All potions Master's share one trait. They are all restless. I don't know why, perhaps because most ingredients are difficult to obtain thus collecting them is a journey in itself. Maybe it's the scientific aspect of the Mastery. But again, we are restless folks. I don't know how Severus can stand staying at one place for almost all year. Not having the adventures of collecting Potion ingredients, making and exploring opportunities for various potions, elixirs, tinctures…"
The Headmaster stayed silent for a while,
"I believe I know what you mean. Severus indeed inherits this trait as well. After everything, it would have made sense for him to leave eventually. But I believe the safety of familiarity draws him back every school year. I have yet to receive his resignation."
"The safety of familiarity?", Margat wondered.
"Mummy! Look what I found!", suddenly Eileen came back with a skinny, gray and very annoyed cat in her arms.
"Eileen, what did I tell you about stealing people's cats?", Margat stood up, Dumbledore followed.
"But she is so cute, Mummy…", Eileen put her face in the cats fur and pretended to be innocent. The Headmaster came forth,
"Oh, well, Miss Snape, you are right. Mrs Norris is a very attentive and smart cat. But I am also sure that her owner doesn't like his cat being taken away from its duties."
"Oh..", Eileen expressed sadly and let go of Mrs Norris. The cat's yellow eyes focus on the little girl.
"I cannot play and cuddle right now. I am sorry.", Eileen whispered to the cat and blinked at the cat slowly. Mrs Norris meowed in response, pressed herself against Eileen's legs before hurrying away.
"Hmm, interesting, Miss Snape. You seem to have a good sense for animals.", the Headmaster commented. Eileen looked up at the older man.
"Only with cats. Birds hate me, normally. Though I believe snails like me too!"
"I may know a bird which wouldn't hate you."
"Woah, really?", Eileen's face opened up more and her eyes shined happily. The Headmaster nodded,
"Yes, you will meet him eventually. He is a phoenix and his name is Fawkes. He lives with me in my office."
"I would love to meet Fawkes!"
"You will, you will.", the older man promised happily,
"Though, unfortunately I must return to my duties now. I am glad that both of you are well." The Headmaster said his goodbyes and went his way again.
"That was nice of him to check on us, right Eileen?", Margat expressed after the man was gone.
"Yes! But Mummy?"
"Yes, Liebling?"
"Who was that strange man?"