Snape gently placed the ring back into the bag and put it in a pocket of his robes. Tirza returned to her room with another armful of clothes, dumping them into the box and shoving it under her bed. She grabbed her CD player and headed for the sitting room. He followed her and opened the next box. "What kind of music do you like?" she asked. "Classical." She snorted. "Boring! So that counts out most of my CDs; I might have something you would like." Tirza flipped through her large CD holder and finally pulled one out and placed it in the player. "Fly me to the moon. Let me play among the stars," a relaxing sort of voice crooned. Snape nodded. "That's quite nice compared to the monstrosity I have heard you listening to." She smiled. "It's Frank Sinatra. Mom really liked his stuff." He sat on the couch and pulled out the blue velvet bag. "Do you know what this is?" Tirza flopped onto the couch next to him; she caught the look on his face and giggled. "Sorry, I always forget. I really think you would change your mind if you tried jumping on the couch once." He shook the ring into his hand and held it out towards Tirza; she picked it up and slipped it on her ring finger. "Ooh, it's really pretty. Where'd ya get it?" "I found it in your box of clothes." "I've never seen it before," she said. "It was your mother's; I gave it to her." Her face lit up. "Really? Tell me all about it! Please!" Snape nodded and sighed, memories flooding into his mind. "You know that your mother and I went to school here, correct?" she nodded. "I was a Slytherin and your mother was a Gryffindor." Tirza's eyes grew wide. "YOU dated a Gryffindor?" He nodded. "Not at first. Your mother and I hated each other for a long time because our houses were enemies. Back then, there was a very bad wizard who did horrible things. People were very afraid of him. One night when we were in our fifth year, your mother was called into the headmaster's office; people from the ministry of magic were there. They told her that the bad wizard had attacked her home because her parents refused to follow him. Her parents and her three little sisters were killed by the bad wizard."
"I didn't know my grandparents were murdered! And I didn't know that mom had sisters. What were there names? How old were they?" Tirza interrupted. "Let me think," Snape paused, searching his brain. "Well, if I remember correctly, your grandparents were Nathaniel and Honor; Magdalen was ten, Genevieve was seven, and Athena was four. You might want to ask Professor Dumbledore, their names would be in the records." Tirza's eyes shined with tears. "They were so little; that's horrible!" He put his arm around her and she snuggled against him. "Yes it was. Your mother was terribly upset; she ran from the office and all the way to the astronomy tower. She didn't see me at first, but I was sitting up in the tower in the dark. I liked to think up there, it was very peaceful. I watched your mother crying; I had never noticed until then how pretty she was. I moved to sit next to her in front of the large open window and asked her what was wrong. She yelled for me to go away; but I didn't want to. I had a feeling that I shouldn't leave her." "What did mom do?" Snape sighed and stroked Tirza's hair gently; he could remember the night like it was yesterday. "She just sat there and cried. I didn't know what to do. Then she told me that I was Slytherin and we were all evil and I wouldn't understand. I told her she might be surprised; she started moaning 'He killed them.' I asked her what she was talking about and she told me what happened. 'I wish I was dead,' she said. I told her not to think that way. 'My parents and my sisters are dead, what do I have to live for?'" Silent tears were running down Tirza's face. "I know how it feels to want to die," she whispered. Snape nodded and held her close. "Your mom suddenly turned and threw herself into my arms, crying hysterically. I didn't know what to do," he continued. "I slowly put my arms around her, I was really nervous. Then she pushed me away, wiped her face and started walking towards the open window."
Tirza looked shocked. "Mommy was gonna try and jump, wasn't she?" Snape nodded. "I know what she was going to do; I knew I couldn't stand there and let her jump." "But you didn't like her and she was Gryffindor," Tirza whispered. "Yes, but I didn't want her to die, even if I was a Slytherin; so I grabbed her and tried to pull her away. She swore at me and hit me, but I wouldn't let go of her. She did wrestle out of my grip and made a run for the window, but I got a hold of her again and knocked her out." "You hit a GIRL? I thought you told Malfoy that it wasn't right to hit girls?" Snape smiled. "Yes, I did tell him that and it is wrong to hit girls; if I hadn't hit your mother, she might have jumped. So I carried her to Madame Pompfrey and got the headmaster. I realized I was worried about her and stayed with her until she woke up." "Wow, Madame Pompfrey must be ancient! And then did you try to live happily ever after?" Tirza asked. "No, not happily ever after. Your mother and I discovered that we cared about each other very much and were together for the rest of our school years. On our graduation day, I gave her this ring; I wanted to marry her." "Did mommy say yes?" Snape nodded and blinked away the tears gathering in his eyes. "Yes, she did. It was because of her that I stopped following the evil wizard and became a spy for the good wizards." Tirza giggled. "You were a spy, like James Bond? Did you kiss all the girls so they would give you information?" "No, dear." She sighed. "You shoulda watched his movies, you coulda learned stuff!"
"So when did I come along?" she asked. "Well, a few months after I asked your mother to marry me, she told me she was pregnant." Snape paused and took a deep breath. "I told her to get an abortion." "You didn't want me?" Tirza whispered. Snape hugged her tight. "Yes, I wanted you very much. But if the evil wizard found out I was a spy, I thought he might hurt you and fathers aren't supposed to put their children in danger. And I didn't want to be killed and leave you without a father. I was very worried that I would be a bad father because I was a spy. Your mother was very mad and we fought for a long time. She finally left and never came back. I never knew what happened to her or to you until you came and I was mad that she would just leave like that." Tirza nodded. "Mommy went to the USA to New York and I was born there. Can I have this ring? Please daddy?" Snape thought for a moment. "I will put it on a chain for you and you can wear it, how is that?" "I would love that," Tirza wrapped her arms around Snape's neck. "And I think you're a good daddy." She planted a wet kiss on his cheek. Snape blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, it is time for supper." "Good, I'm hungry!" she said.
Tirza was surrounded by redheads; George and Fred sat on either side of her, excited to find that she loved playing pranks. "You two are going to get her into trouble," Hermione admonished them. "Ah, who cares? I'll worry about that later," Tirza said. "I think Hermione might be right," Harry said. "Aren't you worried that one of these days you're going to push Snape off the deep edge?" She giggled. "Nope. So who is for starting a food fight?" The twins nodded their approval and support and even Harry and Ron had to admit to would be fun. "Ok, here goes!" Tirza scooped a big spoonful of bread pudding and took aim. The pudding landed messily Malfoy's forehead and slowly dripped down his face. Tirza and the boys were laughing hysterically and Hermione looked extremely nervous. George helped himself to a large spoonful of the pudding and flung it at Percy, who got it right in his eye. At the look on Percy's face, even Hermione had to laugh. "My turn," Ron grabbed a cookie and flung it at Pansy Parkinson. The cookie slammed into her head, breaking into tiny pieces. "Hey!" Pansy yelled. Tirza looked at Fred and George and winked. The three of them stood up and yelled "Food fight!" The Great Hall suddenly erupted in yells as the students pelted all the food they could get their hands on at each other.
Snape watched in horror as his daughter began covering students in food and well as getting her fair share. He stood up. "Stop this foolishness this instant," he yelled angrily. His suddenly felt something warm and gooey hit his chest; he looked down to see pudding running down his robe. Looking into the crowd, Snape saw Tirza pointing at him and laughing. Students, walls and furnishings were quickly becoming plastered with food and the yells and laughter were deafening. Of all the tables, Slytherin was getting the worst. Half of them started towards Gryffindor table lead by Malfoy. The Gryffindors turned their table over like a shield and continued to throw puddings, bread, pumpkin juice and anything they could get their hands on. The approaching Slytherins hastily retreated. Within moments, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had joined the Gryffindors in pelting Slytherin. Percy Weasley was standing and trying to gain control over the Gryffindors but was only rewarded with becoming covered in food, compliments of Tirza and the twins. Snape strode over to the Gryffindor table, anger evident in his every move. He tried to yell above the noise, but the twins and Tirza silenced him with several handfuls of pudding. Suddenly, all the food disappeared. The students looked at each other, eyes wide, and then looked at Snape who had his wand out. He grabbed the twins and Tirza, who were the clear instigators, and dragged them into the hallway, where he was shortly joined by McGonagall.
"You boys should know better than to pull this young girl into your schemes," McGonagall fumed at Fred and George. "Whoa, lady, nobody pulled me anywhere; I'm the one who started it!" Tirza interrupted. "Silence!" Snape growled at her. She glared at him. Fred and George shook their heads. "It was all our idea Professor," George said. "Was not!" Tirza yelled. "I find that hard to believe, knowing these boys as I do," McGonagall argued. "Okay, do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? I- started-it!" Tirza sassed McGonagall. The twins looked at her, their faces a mixture of pride and shock. Snape grabbed Tirza and turned her around, swatting her bottom, hard. "Ouch! Shit!" Tirza yelled, her hands flying back to rub her bottom. "You do not speak to adults that way," Snape growled at her. "Wait a minute Professor Snape, it was our fault; don't blame her, we started the whole thing," Fred said, not wanting Tirza to be punished. "Yeah," George chimed in. Tirza was still shooting Snape a look that could have killed him. "Shut up guys!" she yelled. "Am I not speaking English here? For the love of god, people!" Snape made another grab for Tirza, but Fred and George pulled her back and shoved her behind them. "We convinced her to do it." "Yeah, we influenced her young mind," they spoke up. McGonagall sighed. "You two get in there and start cleaning up, I'll decide your punishment later." Fred and George nodded and tried to pull Tirza with them to the Great Hall. "Oh no young lady, you're coming with me," Snape said. He walked towards her and grabbed her hand and started dragging her down the hallway. Having an idea of what might happen to her, she shot a pleading look at the twins. "Help me guys!" "Be quiet!" Snape ordered. Fred and George watched Snape drag her down the hallway wondering if there was anything they could do to help her. "Come along you two; Tirza's going to have to sort this out all by herself," McGonagall said as she ushered them into the Great Hall.
The other students began leaving the Great Hall and were intrigued at the yelling that could be heard. "Noooo! Lemme go!" Tirza was yelling as Snape continued to drag her along. Malfoy recognized Tirza's voice and ran down the hallway. "What are you going to do to her Professor? Can I watch?" he asked. "Fuck off Malfoy!" Tirza yelled. Malfoy laughed maliciously as Snape swatted her bottom for her poor choice of words. Snape quickened his pace, but Tirza's yells echoed in the hallway. "He's gonna murder me! Somebody call the police! HELP!" Snape slammed the door of his quarters and glared at Tirza, who looked white as a sheet. "I have had enough of your smart alec attitude and your predilection for starting trouble!" he yelled as he approached her. "Oh no you don't," Tirza said as she made a run for her room. Unfortunately, Snape was faster than she was; he easily caught her and headed for the couch. "Noooooo!" He ignored her yells and laid her across his knees. A few minutes later, Tirza was jumping and rubbing her bottom; crying. "Now you will go and help the Weasley boys clean the mess you three made," Snape told her. He tried to sound stern, but he had never felt so horrible in his life. "I hate you," she mumbled, running from the room. Standing just outside the door was Malfoy, a huge smirk on his face. "Not such hot stuff now, are you? All though, maybe you are?" he said with an evil laugh. Without a word, she walked up to him and punched him as hard as she could. Malfoy screamed like a girl as Tirza took off down the hallway. At Malfoy's scream, Snape stuck his head out the door. "Serves you right Mr. Malfoy; perhaps you will now mind your own business."