"Daddy," she whined from among the pillows on her bed, "I don't want to go to bed. It's summertime!" Even though Eliza hated having a bedtime, she did enjoy being tucked into bed. It was one of the few times her father was openly sentimental towards her.

"As long as you call me Daddy, you'll have a bed time," Snape replied, brushing a kiss over her brow. "Now, get some sleep. We're going into Diagon Alley tomorrow morning to gather your things for school."

Eliza wrinkled her nose and hugged a pillow. Even though she was the top student of her year, Eliza Snape despised doing work. No one could really understand how someone so adamant against work could be so smart.

"Don't make that face. We're going to get your books so that you have plenty enough time to do your summer homework," he said. "Your mother's returning tomorrow after breakfast, so as soon as she comes home, we're going to leave. Be ready."

"Yes sir," she muttered miserably.

Snape tucked the sheets in tighter around her and kissed her head one more time. "Good night."

"Mmmhhmm," she muttered before rolling over.

"Eliza! Get out of bed and down here!" Snape yelled up the stairs. His deep voice resonated through the stone hallways and into the open door of Eliza's room.

The twelve year old glared through barely opened eyes and rolled out of bed. Literally. She rolled onto the hard stone floor and landed on her hands and knees. Quickly, she stood and dressed in summer robes. Just as quickly, she hurried downstairs in time to see her mother and father kissing in the dining room.

"Ahem! Impressionable eyes!" Eliza announced as she took a roll from the sideboard. "Couldn't you find somewhere less public to snog?"

"Eliza!" Hermione Snape admonished. "Honestly. You'd think that the brightest girl in her year could be a little more mature."

"That's only 'cause both my mum and dad are professors," Eliza muttered under her breath. "So, are we going to go or not? I know there's a great game of pick-up..."

"If you say Quidditch, you'll be doing your Potions homework double. You spend too much time playing Quidditch," Snape said before biting into a roll.

"There's no such thing as too much Quidditch! Besides, *you* taught me to play Keeper in the first place," Eliza replied quickly.

"She does have you there, love," Hermione observed from her chair. "Now, let's get going before you two start a fight."

In Diagon Alley, there was the usual crowd of daily shoppers in from the country. There weren't many Hogwarts students around since there was nearly a month and a half before start of term. Eliza let out a long-suffering sigh and slumped over. It was going to be a long day if she couldn't escape her father's watchful eye.

"Mum?"

"Yes?" Hermione was eyeing the latest shipment in Flourish and Blotts.

“Can I go get my stuff from the apothecary while you and Daddy get my books?"

"I'll come with you to the apothecary," Snape said suddenly. "I need to replenish my private stores for school."

"Can't you do that later? I want to go by myself," Eliza whined.

"I'm coming with you," Snape said with a tone daring her to contradict him.

"I'll be in Flourish and Blotts. Meet me there when you're through because you need new robes, Eliza and so do you, Severus," Hermione said before starting in the direction of the wizarding bookstore.

"Come along now," Snape said, making a beeline for the apothecary.

Eliza followed along silently, wishing to get this over with as soon as humanly possible. It wasn't that Eliza disliked her father. It was just that he had a tendency to intimidate the shopkeepers to the point where they weren't friendly. It was going to be a long day.

At the end of the day, Eliza and Hermione took the Floo Network back to the house while Snape Apparated. In the dining room fireplace, Eliza tripped over the grate, losing hold on her packages and dropping them. Hermione followed her quickly, not giving Eliza enough time to move. Hermione trodded on her daughter's robe hem and fell forwards. When Snape Apparated into the room, he saw his wife and daughter sprawled onto the ground with packages all around them. Snape put the items he was holding on the sideboard and helped Eliza up. "Gracious, Eliza. Can't you even get out the fireplace without falling over?" he asked, handing her the boxes she was previously carrying.

"Obviously not," she said curtly, taking the items from him. "I'll be in my room."

Eliza went upstairs and dumped everything unceremoniously onto her bed and then sat at her desk. She took out a peice of parchment and a quill and started a note to her best friend (and nephew, but that was a little strange to think about), Jack. 'Help! My parents are being...parents. We went shopping for my school stuff today in Diagon Alley, so I won't see you there at the end of the summer. My mum said you could spend the last two weeks here, but Daddy's still saying no. Do you think that Jacob's parents would let him come? Maybe if there were two of you, Daddy wouldn't fight it.' Eliza looked up just then because Snape had walked into her room. 'Gotta go -- Daddy just walked in. He doesn't look too happy. Wonder what I could have done wrong now? --Love, Eliza' Eliza purposefully ignored her father, who perched himself on her desk, and went to her owl, OtherJack. She tied the letter to his leg and he nipped her ear as he flew out the window.

"Eliza, I've got some ...interesting.. news for you," Snape said. He picked up a miniature of an Egyptian pyramid and turned it over in his hands.

"Which would be...?" she asked, taking the pyramid from him.

"Your mother's expecting."

"Expecting what? A hippo?" she asked, even though she knew what he was talking about. Eliza just wanted to hear her father say it.

"A baby. Eliza, you're going to have a sibling. Or two," he added as an afterthought.

"Two? Nu uh. One's fine. Two is pushing the line!" she declared.

"Well, you've got no control over it. Also, Jake's head is in the fireplace." As soon as the words left his mouth, Eliza was downstairs, seated in front of the fireplace.

"Hey Jack."

"Hey Eliza. Uncle Bill and Uncle Charlie are in town today with their kids. Want to come? The Weasleys are gathering at The Burrow. If you come, we'll have enough for two Quidditch teams."

"So, you just want me to come for the Quidditch?" she asked, sarcastically. "Well, let me ask my mum." She got up and ran at an alarming fast speed to the study where Hermione was. "Mum! Can I go to The Burrow?"

"Yes, but be back at... wait? The Burrow? Well, be back before the end of the week," she replied, keeping in mind that Charlie and Bill were in town and they considered Eliza another niece.

"Thanks Mum!" Eliza ran out the study, stopped in her room to get her broom and went back to the fireplace.

"Took you long enough," was all Jack said before disappearing from the fireplace.

Eliza took a pinch of Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. She waited a moment and then walked into the flames and shouted, "The Burrow!"

At The Burrow, Eliza stumbled out the fireplace, shaking soot from her raven black hair. Mrs.Weasley was on hand with a large brush. The plump woman started to brush off the soot from Eliza's robes, against the girl's protests. When Mrs.Weasley was done, Eliza looked around and felt slightly sheepish. Everyone was in shorts and shirts while she was in her summer robes. Quickly, she shrugged out the robes and dropped them into a pile near the fireplace. Suddenly, a group of redheads came towards her.

"Hey Eliza!" Jacob, Ron and Parvati's son, greeted her with a hug.

"Hullo Liz," one of Harry and Ginny's twins said with a smile. Eliza assumed it was Jerry based on the fact he was calm.

"Hullo. Where's Jack? I wanna ask him something," Eliza asked, following the crowd.

"Uhm..he went upstairs with Mum as soon as he finished talking to you. She did NOT look pleased," Jerry's twin supplied with a jaunty salute. "Thomas Snape, reporting in!"

"Right..."

Just then, Bill stood on the kitchen table and pointed his wand at his throat. "People!" Immediately everyone quieted down. "I've got a few announcements." The family groaned collectively. "First off, Mum would like for me to announce that whoever spilled the chocolate milk on her newly-acquired Persian rug will be degnoming the garden tomorrow." A groan was heard from the direction of Fred Weasley, who was sinking lower into his chair. "There you are, Fred! Cheer up! You should be used to degnoming the garden by now. Okay, second of all," he said, consulting a list, "despite the fact that there are 16 fully trained witches and wizards here, anyone still at Hogwarts using magic WILL be punished... hey! who wrote this?! Well, third order of business. There shall be no Quidditch in the afternoons. It has to wait until dark...WHAT?! Dad!!"

"Sorry Bill, but since there are so many of us, we have to be cautious. Quidditch will only be played at night."

The entire crowd groaned and looked expectantly back at Bill. "Well, now that Dad's ruined the party..these are the sleeping arrangements for the next few days: in the monstrosity Charlie dearest calls a tent will be said dearest's children, my children, Gin's children, and Eliza; in me and Charlie's old room will be Ron's kids, Fred's kids, and George's kids, in Percy's room will be Percy's kids, in Mum and Dad's room will be...Mum and Dad! Harry and Ginny are supervising the monstrosity Charlie calls a tent WITH Charlie and his illustrious wife; myself and my own illustrious wife will be in Ron's old room with dearest Perce and Penelope; the twins, Angelina, Alicia, Ron, and Parvati are in the living room. WHEW! Now, there's a postscript here saying feel free to move around, but at least tell someone where you're moving to incase your parents want you. Okay, I'm done."

Everyone cheered and started moving. Eliza followed the twins and Jacob outside, where they climbed into the ancient tree house. "I can't wait for school to start," Eliza said.

"Why?" Jacob asked, chewing on a leaf.

"Because then my parents can't be so overbearing. I mean, I love them to death. But it's just...they're so parental!"

"Aah...Oh, here comes Jack. Wonder why Mum was so mad with him?" Jerry asked, leaning against one wall of the tree house.

Jack climbed up the tree and settled himself next to Eliza. "Remind me that I never want to baby-sit ever again." Three raised eyebrows egged him on. "Well, I was watching Uncle Percy's twins.. you know, the four year olds. Well, the two of them got into Aunt Penny's suitcase and doused everything very liberally with orange paint. So, Mum blames me for not watching them properly."

"So, what's she making you do?"

"Degnome the garden tomorrow with Uncle Fred. And after that, I've got to 'toe the line' until the Hogwarts Express leaves Platform 9 3/4."

Everyone gave him sympathetic looks and went back to their conversation.

In the month and a half until the start of term, Eliza managed to get all her homework done, convince her father that Jack and Jacob were harmless, and basically go nuts since her parents were starting preparations for the new baby. That is, until the day before term started.

Jack, Jacob, and Eliza were in the small field surrounded by trees next to the house practicing Quidditch when Eliza hurled the Quaffle through a window. Snape stormed out his house holding the offending Quaffle and called Eliza down.

"Eliza Antigone Snape! What on Earth are you doing that deems is necessary to through a Quaffle through a house window?! You nearly hit your mother while she was building complex defense charms. See me after dinner for your punishment!" Snape practically barked as Eliza shuffled her feet in front of her.

"Look, I'm sorry, Daddy. We didn't mean for the Quaffle to go through the window or near it-"

"She's right, Granddad!" Jack interrupted, landing next to Eliza. "Besides, it's not her fault. I threw the Quaffle to far for Jacob to catch it. Punish me, but not Eliza."

"No, it's my fault," Jacob declared. "I should have been there to catch the Quaffle. It was astonishingly horrible judgement on my part of the distance I thought it was going to arc. Punish me, not Eliza or Jack."

Snape rolled his eyes. Since the trio had been able to walk and talk and generally create mischief, they created even more mayhem when it came time to doling out punishments. Eventually, instead of trying to sort out who did what, everyone was just collectively punished. Crazy thing was, they enjoyed every minute of it.