When Alexis arrived at the airport, managing several massive suitcases that contained not only her belongings but also some of Scarlet’s things left behind in Japan, she was surprised to find Scarlet waiting with Meiko - and also with Sirius Black and a girl Alexis didn’t recognise.
She figured Black was probably there as a bodyguard for Scarlet. With Peter Pettigrew still on the loose, the ever-calculating headmaster was no doubt keeping everything tightly controlled. Not that Scarlet-sensei needed the extra protection, Alexis thought. She could probably handle herself just fine.
Still, Alexis gave Scarlet a nod with a cheerful smile, and held out her hand to Black. “Hi, Mr. Black. I’m Alexis. Super nice to finally meet you – I've heard so much about you from Harry. But, like, I know you’re on duty right now, so I’ll keep this short. Wouldn’t wanna distract you from your job or anything. Anyway, nice meeting ya!”
Meeting one of the iconic characters she’d loved for years felt...surreal. It was easier to read about them in book, but seeing them in person made her nervous and little timid. Even so, she figured she’d adjust with time, just as she had with Fred and Goerge.
But for now, Black’s matter could be set aside, and her focus shifted back to Scarlet. The last time they’d met – at Itami Airport - Scarlet had looked pretty frazzled, no doubt from all the chaos surrounding the news of Pettigrew being on the loose.
Sensei is probably tensed up with all these “wanted fugitive” business. So, as a nice student...Alexis mused. She approached Scarlet with a playful smirk, bowed mockingly, and said in a tentative tone with a sheepish expression, “Hiiro-sensei?”
Scarlet’s eyes widened briefly before she rolled them with a sigh, “...shut up.”
“Ehehee!” Alexis straightened up and chuckled. “Never thought you’d have a Japanese name! ‘Hiiro’ sounds super elegant compared to ‘Scarlet’. Like, Scarlet’s all tough warrior vibes, but Hiiro? Totally refined. And the hiiro colour? Way prettier – though I guess it’s technically still considered scarlet in Japanese culture.”
“...what do you want?” Scarlet raised an eyebrow, seeing though Alexis’s flattery.
Grinning, Alexis quickly pulled a book out of her bag. “Your autograph, Sensei! As ‘Sato Hiiro’, please?”
“You got a Japanese copy?” Scarlet blinked, eyeing the book with its Japanese cover art clearly depicting the first book of Akahime’s Diary series. “But you don’t read Japanese.”
“I’m like, forced to,” Alexis groaned, dramatically dropping her shoulders. “I’ve gotta learn now if I wanna stick with my current career path. Uhm, it’s a whole thing - I’ll tell you later. Anyway, who’s this cute girl I’m about to meet?”
Jessica giggled at Alexis’s lively demeanour. Most people around her were polite and reserved, so seeing someone so energetic and expressive was refreshing. Scarlet had told her there’s be more like Alexis at Hogwarts, and Jessica awas starting to look forward to it.
“She’s Jessica White,” Scarlet said, gesturing to the younger girl. “I consider her my sister, and she’ll be attending school with us soon. Jessica, this is Alexis Everhart, my assistant for novel drafting. Don’t mind her goofy antics; she’s probably brainstorming character ideas or stuck in some creative headspace.”
“Cool!” Jessica said, her eyes lighting up. “Are you going to be an author too?”
“Eh, probably not – at least, not right now,” Alexis replied with a casual shrug. “I guess you could call me, like a pop-culture consultant? Maybe a future producer, if I can get all my ducks in a row.”
Scarlet led the way back to their van in the parking lot, casually asking, “I thought you were working as a part-time extra on Hollywood movie sets and saving money for your game studio?”
“Ugh, long story. I’ll explain when we’re in the car - or van - or whenever we’re settling down,” Alexis sighed dramatically, then waved off her frustration. “So, how about you? Long story? Short?”
“Pretty short,” Scarlet replied. “The rat got away; I didn’t manage to catch it. Precautions are in place, so there shouldn’t be any immediate issues. Oh, and the shopping list came in batches. Luckily you registered my house as your contact address before leaving school, because yours arrived much earlier. Don’t worry about that – I sorted it out for you. Just pay me back later.”
“Thank you, Sensei!” Alexis chimed in cheerfully.
Scarlet continued, “Also, Jessica, is being sponsored by Professor Snape.”
“Snape?” Alexis suddenly froze mid-step, then hurried to Scarlet’s side, “Wait - she’s not sponsored by you?”
“No,” Scarlet said simply. “By Professor Snape.”
“Professor Snape?” Alexis repeated, her jaw dropping in shock. She turned to Jessica, “Seriously?”
Jessica nodded with a bright smile. “He’s a nice teacher.”
“He’s...nice?” Alexis’s face twisted as though she’d just tasted something sour. “Never thought I’d live to hear someone call him a ‘nice teacher’.”
“Why?” Jessica asked curiously. “Is he bad?”
“Well...not exactly bad,” Alexis said, narrowing her eyes as she looked Jessica over. Slowly, a realisation dawned on her. “He’s just...really strict. And super sharp with his words. Some students cry just from the way he stares at them.”
Jessica blinked in understanding. “Then it must be because they made mistakes during experiments. I’ll make sure I don’t make any silly mistakes.”
“Uh...yeah, that’d probably work,” Alexis said stiffly, her suspicions growing as she studied Jessica more closely. “So, um, do you always keep your hair long?”
“Yes, I prefer it this way,” Jessica said, picking up a strand of her hair. “Though I’ve been thinking of cutting it. It’s started getting curly as I’ve grown older.”
“No!” Alexis blurted, her sudden intensity drawing curious glances from both Jessica and Black. Realising her outburst, she softened her tine and flashed a broad grin. “No, I mean - you look totally perfect with long, curly hair! Oh, check out my bangs – I got them highlighted with neon pink. Wanna try something like that?”
Jessica tilted her head thoughtfully. “Are we allowed to dye our hair at school?”
“I think so...” Alexis turned to Scarlet, “Right, Hiiro-sensei?”
Scarlet nodded in response, and Alexis confidently turned back to Jessica. “Yup, no restrictions on hair colour!”
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
“Cool!” Jessica beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
On their way back to the Red House, Alexis couldn’t help but marvel at Matteo’s driving skills. She even managed to convince him to her a few tricks during the next school break, to which Matteo agreed with delight. Later, her conversation with Jessica shifted to hair dye, and Alexis eagerly shared her latest idea for the Weasley twins’ product line.
“They should totally make a magical hair dye! Like, seriously, how have they not come up with that already? It’s be so dumb if they haven’t thought of something to prank people by changing their hair colour - and they’re not dumb.”
Scarlet, busy with some embroidery using a fallen strand of her own hair, replied without looking up. “They did think of it. I’ve got a list of their inventions. They came up with something that could change hair colour but eventually abandoned the idea to focus on snacks that make people appear ill.”
“Ugh, to skip class? Figures,” Alexis said with a smirk. Then she straightened, her expression suddenly serious. “But a magical hair dye product would totally sell like crazy.”
“Maybe,” Scarlet said evenly, still focused on her embroidery. “If they’re interested in inventing it. Or,” she added with a raised brow, “if you can convince them.”
Alexis raised an eyebrow, “I swear I’ll make them do it. Hey, I’ve got another idea! What about something that makes people ugly? Like extra freckles or pimples? That’d be such a hilarious prank, right?”
“I don’t research pranks,” Scarlet replied flatly. “Jot it down and tell Fred and George yourself.”
“Oh, I will. Totally!” Alexis said, pulling out her notebook and a quill. She started scribbling, her enthusiasm contagious under Jessica’s bright gaze.
The two sat in the back of the van, their heads nearly touching as they dove into an animated discussion about whimsical product ideas.
That night, after everyone had gone to bed, Alexis grabbed her pillow and quietly knocked on Scarlet’s door. Scarlet, already expecting her, opened it and welcomed the blonde with a small smile. Without hesitation, she shared her bed, but before settling down, they sat on couch, the soft glow of the nightstand lamp illuminating the room.
“Jessica and Snape,” Alexis began tentatively, her voice low. “Are they...related?”
“Father and daughter,” Scarlet replied calmly.
Alexis nearly jumped out of her seat, “It can’t be!”
“It can’t be?” Scarlet raised an eyebrow, amused.
“Well...wait.” Alexis froze, her expression blank for a moment before realisation hit. “We’re in a fanfic. Anything is possible.”
Scarlet rested her chin on her hand, silently urging Alexis to continue.
Scratching her head, Alexis processed the revelation. “Jessica is Snape’s daughter – okay, let's just ignore who the mother is or how that even happened – and Snape is a hot, good-looking dude. I mean, seriously, he’s so good-looking, he should totally be the main character or something. But, if he’s not the MC, then...it’s gotta be Jessica! Snape’s daughter who didn’t even exist in the original storyline!”
“Maybe,” Alexis muttered, her mind racing. “Maybe this isn’t a story about romance at all. It’s about family! It’s about a father and daughter slowly healing each other’s broken hearts! Oh, that makes so much sense now...”
“Or,” Scarlet interjected, snapping Alexis out of her imaginative spiral, “it could still be a love story. Just not with Professor Snape as the main character - Jessica is.”
“Jessica? As the female lead of the fanfic?” Alexis paused, considering the idea.
“For some readers - or authors - it’s fun to imagine how Professor Snape would react if his daughter brought home a son-in-law,” Scarlet said matter-of-factly. “Normal protective dads would hold a rifle when any boy dares to tough their precious daughter. So, what would Professor Snape do?”
“...Dang you’ve got me hooked with just that!” Alexis groaned, glaring at the red-haired novelist.
Scarlet blinked innocently, then offered a knowing smile. “All we have to do now is wait for the Sorting Ceremony. See if there’s any good-looking boys - or boys with unusual names - worth noticing.”
“Boys?” Alexis echoed, her voice rising. “As in, more than one?”
“I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard this saying, but I’m pretty sure I read it somewhere on the internet,” Scarlet began thoughtfully. “The male lead belongs to the female lead because they’re true love, destined for each other. The second male lead, on the other hand, belongs to the readers – especially the fangirls – because he’s always better-looking and better in every other way than the male lead, but somehow, he never wins the love of the female lead and exits the love triangle in heartbreak. Readers end up feeling sorry for him, wishing they could give this poor, deserving soul the love and happiness of the world.”
Alexis stared at Scarlet, processing the explanation slowly. After a long pause, she finally said, “So, like, in the love triangle of Lily, James, and Snape, Lily and James are the true love, and Snape’s, like, the adorned second male lead? I mean, the movies totally made Snape into this dreamy, tragic lover guy, even though in the book he’s, like, such a bully - throwing dark arts at Muggle-borns and stuff. And, oh my Merlin, they totally downplayed James in the movies, made him look like a brat when he’s actually kinda awesome in the book! This fanfic world is giving major movie-vibe Snape. He doesn’t even look greasy or shady...Honestly, that probably explains why there are, like, way more Snape fanfics than Lily and James ones?”
“Think back to the fanfics you’ve read,” Scarlet suggested, her tone neutral, given her unfamiliarity with Harry Potter fanfics.
Alexis wrinkled her brow, recalling a flood of stories centred around Snape while realising she’d read very few about Lily and James.
“...” She shook her head in disbelief. “Maybe that’s just because I’m picky about the fanfics I choose. There could be tons of stories about Lily and James, and I just haven’t stumbled across them yet.”
“No comment.” Scarlet said with a shrug.
“Hold up!” Alexis’s eyes widened. “Snape’s sponsoring Jessica, so he knew she’s his daughter?”
“Yeah,” Scarlet nodded, her tone calm. “I witnessed it back in the orphanage office.”
“You witnessed it?” Alexis repeated blankly, trying to processing information. “Wait, he’s the one who sent Jessica her acceptance letter? Isn’t that, like usually McGonagall or somebody?”
“It was Professor McGonagall who handled my year,” Scarlet explained. “So, either the staff take turns distributing acceptance letter to the Muggle-born, or fate decided Professor Snape should do it.”
“That’s gotta have been, like, so chaotic and dramatic if you weren’t there,” Alexis rubbed her chin, picturing this fanfic world without her and Scarlet in it. “Like, can you imagine? Jessica’s just chilling in the orphanage, doing her own thing, and then bam! Creepy, gloomy professor shows up and says, “Surprise! I’m your dad!’ And he’s probably super pissed ‘cause no one told him he even had a kid. Then she gets yanked into this weird magical world and probably ends up getting bullied at Hogwarts just for being Snape’s kid. Such a traumatic start. Oh! Wait--does Jessica even know he’s her dad?”
“No,” Scarlet replied, shaking her head. “Madame Brown - the director of the orphanage - Professor Snape, and I discussed it. We decided it’s best to take things slow. So, for now, Professor Snape is stepping in as a friend of Jessica’s mother, offering to sponsor her schooling. I’ll stay by Jessica’s side to help her slowly discover the truth.”
Alexis nodded thoughtfully, a spark of excitement lighting up her eyes. “So you’re, like, the mediator, huh? That’s actually genius. You’ll help Professor Snape adjust to the whole dad thing, easing Jessica into all the magical scene, and keeping the bullies in check before they even get started. And--ooh! If you weren’t around, the male lead would probably swoop in if Jessica does get bullied! Like, full-on knight-in-shining-armor vibes, saving the day, and then she’s all ‘OMG, true love!’? Classic!”
“Possibly,” Scarlet said, narrowing her eyes at Alexis’s analysis. “You sound surprisingly well-versed in these story tropes.”
“Heh, yeah, I read tons of novels in my previous life,” Alexis admitted sheepishly. “Might as well put it to good use, eh?”
“...I think we’ll discuss about you becoming a pop-culture consultant later.” Scarlet muttered, rolling her eyes. “It's a real role offered by my dad, isn’t it?”
“Uh-huh...” Alexis replied, realising that meant Scarlet might soon be managing her career. Which probably meant her freewheeling days were over, and her productivity was about to hit overdrive...
“Now then, let’s get some sleep, shall we?” Scarlet said, flopping onto the bed and pulling her blanket over herself.
“Suuure.” Alexis said, laying stiffly on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. “I think I’m gonna have wild dreams tonight.”
“Good,” Scarlet replied sleepily, muffled beneath her blanket. “Write them down in the morning. You’ll need them for your consultancy work with my dad.
“...Goodnight.” Alexis murmured, eyes still wide as her imagination churned.
“Goodnight,” Scarlet replied with a yawn.