FIC: Accidental Magic (G)
Title: Accidental Magic
Type: Fic
Age-Range Category: One
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Eileen Prince/Tobias Snape
Author: goddess47
Rating: G
Click to View [Warning(s)]None.
Summary: "Oh, Sev," Eileen said. She wavered between being proud and sad for her boy.
Eileen was cleaning the house so that she could start to prepare dinner. Tobias had gone off to work in a good mood and she hoped it would extend to the end of the day. But she had learned that even when Tobias was in a bad mood, a good dinner - ready when he came home - would keep things calm. Calmer.
The radio played softly in the background but her head lifted when she heard a cheerful tune. She turned it up slightly and danced along. Tobias wouldn't spend the money on a telly, but she had seen the teens dancing to the tune when she had been at her friend Gwendolyn's house. "The Twist" was an odd dance but it was fun and up-beat. She did her own version of the Twist as she picked up the small handful of toys strewn about the living room. She put the toys in a basket, to take upstairs.
When the song was finished, she turned the sound back down. Sev was taking a nap and she didn't want to disturb him.
Eileen turned back to preparing dinner. She had minced beef and potatoes, so she thought a cottage pie would be good. It was hearty and if there were any leftovers, she and Sev could finish it up during the day tomorrow.
She heard a noise from upstairs and shook her head. Sev hadn't slept long enough today. She hoped the short nap wouldn't make him too cranky tonight. Oh, well. She could pop him off to bed if he got too bad after dinner.
Picking up the basket, she climbed the stairs to the small second floor. She - again - noticed that the carpet on the stairs was getting threadbare but she doubted that they could afford to replace it anytime soon.
She opened the door to Sev's room and sighed.
Sev was standing up in the crib - they'd have see if they could find a regular bed by the time Sev turns three. Sev was standing against the railing, reaching out for the stuffed dragon that Eileen had set on top of the drawers on the opposite side of the room. It was Sev's favorite toy but needed to be mended. The seam along one leg had split and the stuffing was starting to come out. Eileen had put the toy on the chest when she put Sev to bed for his nap, meaning to fix it while he slept. She had forgotten it when she had gone downstairs.
"It's okay," Eileen cooed. "I can get it…"
Sev gave a hiccup, leaned over the railing and reached toward the dragon. "Come Dagon!" Sev called. The dragon flew across the room to land in Sev's hands.
Sev sniffled and hugged the dragon to his chest. He sat back down on the bed and stuck a thumb in his mouth.
"Oh, Sev," Eileen said. She wavered between being proud and sad for her boy.
She was proud that he managed what she suspected was his first accidental magic. Her magic had told her that Sev would be a powerful wizard, so it wasn't a total surprise. That he could summon a toy across the room at only two years old was surprising. She had wondered if being a Half-Blood would affect Severus' magical ability. Evidently not.
But this was also sad and, to be honest, somewhat scary.
Tobias had not taken well to the idea of magic. She had done some small spells to show him some of the simpler things she could do. He didn't see how magic could help him and refused to discuss it further.
Keep that shite out of this house. I won't have it! he had shouted at her.
Frightened, she could only nod.
"Sev," she chided. "You need to ask mama for your dragon."
"Dagon come!" Sev held up the toy. "I do it!" he said proudly.
She nodded. "I know, sweetie," she said softly.
At two years old, there was no way to make Sev understand how his Da would act if he saw Sev doing magic. She and Tobias had never talked about what her magic might mean to Sev and she doubted that Tobias would be happy to know his son was a Wizard.
"Dagon ow!" Sev held the toy up to show her the broken seam.
Giving in to the inevitable, Eileen quickly went to her bedroom and got her wand from the dresser drawer she had hidden it in.
She went back to Sev's room and took the toy away from her son. "Just for a moment, sweetie," Eileen said as he pouted at her. She pointed her wand - apple-wood and unicorn hair - at the dragon and said, "Reparo." The stuffing moved back into the dragon and the seam sewed itself back together. She handed the toy back to Sev. "See? All better!"
"All better!" Sev echoed as he hugged the toy closely.
"Well, looks like you're not going to get much of a nap today," Eileen said. "Ready to get up?"
"Up!" Sev replied, holding an arm out toward Eileen. "Mama up!"
Eileen grabbed hold of Sev and brought him out of the crib. "Bathroom first."
"Potty," Sev nodded.
Luckily, Sev had taken well to toilet training. Sev was mostly a typical boy but soiled nappies had been something he despised. Learning to use the toilet had been something Sev had embraced eagerly.
When Sev was finished in the bathroom, she set him on the floor in his room.
"You stay here for mama," Eileen said. "Play with your dragon."
Sev nodded and wandered over to a corner of the small room where Sev played some imaginary game with the dragon. She took advantage of his momentary distraction to put her wand back in its hiding place.
Deciding to bring Sev downstairs, she picked him up and started to carry him.
"Me do it!" Sev proclaimed as he wriggled in her arms.
"Be careful," Eileen said, giving in. "Hold on to mama."
"I careful," Sev replied solemnly. He held her hand and toddled down the steps.
Eileen realized she should get some kind of a gate to keep Sev from going up and down the stairs on his own. She knew better than to count on any accidental magic preventing him from coming to any harm.
"Play here while mama makes dinner," she said.
"Hungry!" Sev demanded. "Dagon want food!"
Eileen laughed. "Okay. How would Dragon like an apple?"
"Appa!" Sev crowed. "Yes!"
Eileen cut up an apple and put it on a saucer. "Here you go!"
"Mmm…" Sev said as he bit in to a slice. He 'fed' a slice to the dragon before finishing the slice himself.
Hoping Sev would be amused for a bit, she started on dinner. She browned the mince and started the potatoes to boil. She assembled the dish, wishing for some cheese to shred for the top but she had used the last of the cheese for Tobias' lunch. She'd have to run to the grocer's tomorrow. Luckily, there were plenty of eggs and she could fry some up in the morning to make egg sandwiches for Tobias' lunch tomorrow.
Sev looked up as Tobias came into the house. He ran to the door and held his dragon up.
"Da! Mama fix!" Sev said proudly.
"She did, did she?" Tobias replied without really looking at the toy. "Good for you!"
"Dagon happy!" Sev replied.
"That's good, little man," Tobias replied. "Go and play. Let your Da get cleaned up."
Sev nodded and went back to whatever he had been doing in the living room.
"You have time for a shower if you want," Eileen offered. "Dinner is almost ready but can wait for you."
Tobias nodded. His kiss was perfunctory but at least he was in a decent mood.
There were no leftovers when Tobias was done but he had bought a newspaper back with him. He settled into his chair to read while Eileen cleaned up. She put a sleepy Severus to bed, covering him - and the dragon - with a light blanket.
She pulled Sev's door mostly shut and went back downstairs. She'd do some mending while Tobias read the paper.
Tomorrow would be another day.