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Chapter 9: Meeting Another Snape.
As the silence in the Headmasters’ office slowly started to turn into questions, another silence started to settle down in the Dungeons. Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts, ex-Death Eater and spy, had had one of the strangest mornings he could ever remember. The Dark Lord had summoned all of his more important followers in the early hours of the morning, and now that he was back in his private chambers, Severus was contemplating everything he had heard. He knew he needed to speak with the Headmaster soon, but somehow he wanted some time alone first.
It was strange. The Dark Lord had never before summoned him this early in the morning. He was a dark creature. Most dark creatures loved the dark of night; the Dark Lord was no exception. But it was the second thing that was stranger. When he had arrived, the Dark Lord had been happy, Severus was sure that if the former Tom Riddle could have smiled, he would have. It still made Severus uneasy and tense when he thought back on it.
“Welcome, my Death Eaters.” That almost smiling look was on his face. “We have work to do, most noble work. We have a damsel in distress to rescue, a pureblood damsel, to be precise.”
Severus felt uneasy when he saw and heard this; he could even feel the uneasiness of his fellow Death Eaters around him. They had realised, just like he had, that this was nothing like how the Dark Lord normally spoke or acted. Something must be up, and he had better pay attention. “Information has reached me about a little pureblood girl. She is young, but extremely powerful already. She has the potential to become more powerful than any of you, and today we will be making her one of us. The child will be my own. Malfoy, Nott,” he motioned for his two followers to come forward.
Thinking that it might have been wiser that the Dark Lord hadn’t told them anything about the power of this child, Severus watched as the two men carefully walked up to the Dark Lord, keeping their heads down. Pretending not to be interested, he had to strain his ears to pick up the next few words that were said to his fellow Death Eaters. “Go now. You will find the girl in Paris…bring her here, there will be no one protecting her.”
Severus had not heard everything, but the mention of Paris made him feel uneasy. He desperately wished he had heard a more precise address, but before he had more time to think about it, Malfoy and Nott had left. Now the Dark Lord turned towards the rest of them. That almost happy look was back upon his face. After a few minutes had passed, he spoke again. “This girl is very special to me. Her powers are unusual and I have great plans for her, and I want her to meet my family, her new family.”
Before any more words were said, Malfoy and Nott Apparated back into their midst. Severus immediately noted that they did not have a little girl with them, and he knew his Master would not be pleased.
Indeed, he was beyond angry. “EXPLAIN!” he shrieked. Malfoy fell to his knees in front of the Dark Lord and started to explain. When he and Nott entered, somebody had been leaving with a portkey. They hadn’t been able see who it was or trace the trail of magic.
It took quite some time before the Dark Lord had stopped punishing them for their mistakes. Finally Severus had been able to go back to Hogwarts. Now, after he decided that it was just another meeting, even if it was a very strange one, he knew he needed to get to Dumbledore’s office and explain everything to the old wizard. A little pureblood girl, extremely powerful with hardly any protection, was in danger. ‘Not if I can help it!’
After what seemed ages of silence, the three adults in Dumbledore’s office finally seemed to come out of their stupors. “Sir?” It was Hermione who spoke first. “What are we going to do, sir? It isn’t safe for her to leave the castle anymore, is it, sir? And what about Professor Snape, what do we tell him?”
Draco turned to her with an angry look, which could have rivalled his godfathers’. “What do you mean, what do we tell him. We’re not telling him anything! Didn’t you see those two back in Paris? They were Death Eaters, Hermione, and Severus Snape is one of them! What do you think he would do to her, even if she is his own daughter? Hell, even I’m supposed to become one of them in two weeks!”
“You know my daddy?” The question was very quiet, and somehow full of hope, and everyone heard her. Even Draco went quiet and closed his eyes as if the hopeful question caused him great pain, but it was Albus who answered her.
“Yes, Selena, we all know your father. You will meet him soon if you would like.” He gave Draco a look that told him not to interrupt and continued. “First, however, I would like to talk to your brother alone. Do you think you could go with Hermione into another room, to drink some tea, and maybe have a biscuit?”
Hermione gave a quick nod to Draco and Albus to indicate she would take care of Selena. She had a feeling what the discussion would be about, and it was not something a three year old should hear. She knelt next to Selena and took the little girl’s hand in her own. “Would you like some tea, Selena?”
The little girl nodded and walked with Hermione into the room next to Dumbledore’s office. As the door closed behind them, Draco and Albus could hear her last question floating back to them. “Am I going to meet my daddy?”
“Please sit down, Mr. Malfoy. We are going to have another long conversation, but this is one that will require the presence of your Godfather.” As Draco sat down, Albus walked over to the fireplace and called, “Severus, could you come up to my office, please?”
Moments later, Severus came through the floo. “Headmaster, I need to speak with you, I was summoned….” Here he spotted Draco looking highly uncomfortable and remembered the funeral the day before. “Albus, Draco, is everything alright?”
Draco gave him a cold look, but before he could say anything, Albus started talking again. “Please, Severus, sit down.” As he spoke another tea service appeared. “I know that the two of you have known each other for a long time, and you think that you know each other well. However…” He gave both wizards another look and held up his hand to make sure he could continue. “However, you both have kept secrets from one another. Severus’ secret is as old as Mr. Malfoy’s is new, but it has brought you here together in my office…”
“You’re a…a spy?” Draco was shocked to the core, and instantly the old emotions flared to life. “You betrayed me, my father, our Lord?” He was almost yelling the last word, before realising what he was saying and the situation he was in.
When he glanced from his Godfather to the Headmaster, all sorts of questions started to rise up from within. ‘Yes, he betrayed them, but me? Does this mean I can trust him? Will he take in Selena, will he love her? What about me? Did he pretend all this time to love me? Did he even like me?’ Knowing the questions were not about things he had ever concerned himself with before, he none the less decided to voice some of these thoughts. He looked Severus straight in the eye, wanting to know the truth. “What about me, did you pretend to be someone else with me as well?”
The question came as no surprise to either Severus or Albus, and the latter encouraged the other to give another answer in this conversation entirely made of confessions.
Taking a deep sigh and gathering his thoughts he looked at the only child, no man, that he had ever cared about. ‘He looks so much like his father, but I can still see Narcissa in him.’ Aloud, he said, “There are few people I really care about, there are even fewer that I would consider friends or family. To be honest, the only two people alive that I care about are sitting in this office. You must believe me, Draco, that I have always cared for you. I promised your mother I would take care of you and I intend to keep that promise.” Here he stopped talking because at the mention of his mother Draco had become wide eyed and obviously sad. “I’m sorry, Draco. I miss her as well.”
“Maybe it is time for young Mr. Malfoy here to tell us a bit of his secret.” Albus carefully settled his gaze on the student before him, hoping that the man he considered a son would take the news as calmly as Draco had. “Mr. Malfoy?”
“I don’t know what to tell, sir. Can’t I just show him the letter, sir?” Draco was pleading now, something a Malfoy would normally never do, but he felt incredibly lost, even more so when he saw Severus raise his brows in surprise at this non-Malfoy attitude.
“In a moment, Mr. Malfoy. But why don’t you tell the professor here how you came by that letter in the first place.”
“Can I read it?” If a simple letter could turn Draco Malfoy’s world upside down, he was very curious to see this letter. Very curious indeed. The fact that the writer was Narcissa Malfoy, a woman he had loved and already missed very much, made him only more interested. Severus gratefully accepted the letter Draco now held out to him. He was about to read its contents when he abruptly felt Albus’ hand on his arm.
“Severus, be careful, please.” The older wizard looked at him with a piercing blue gaze. “The contents of that letter may be shocking, to put it mildly. Please, Severus.”
Looking at the parchment he instantly recognized the Black crest and the handwriting. Soon he was absorbed in the letter and like every one before him, he had to read it several times to let the words sink in. Finally, he looked up and it was his own blurred vision that made him realise he was crying. His words came tumbling out. “You found her this morning, didn’t you? You picked her up in Paris and travelled back here with a Portkey. Lucius and Nott were supposed to pick her up, but they came back without her. The Dark Lord wanted her and punished them severely for failing him. He wants her, he wants my daughter. Oh my God, she…she’s my…he wants my daughter!”
Draco had never seen his Godfather this emotional; Severus had always been the image of self control and now he was losing it. Draco wanted to comfort him, tell him that Selena was safe in the castle, but Severus kept on talking.
“She was all beaten up. Lucius had attacked her and she didn’t want to go back. She was scared for her life and that of Draco. She called on me to help her; it was as if she had always known that I was no longer on the Dark Side. I helped her recover; brewed the potions she needed, held her when she cried. They were the three most beautiful weeks of my life. I had always admired her, had fallen in love with her long before, but it was the first time I felt as if someone I loved, loved me in return.” The last bit was said so softly that both Draco and Albus had to strain themselves to hear it.
Finally, Draco could not keep himself quiet any longer. “We picked her up this morning. We were supposed to go back to my apartment, but Hermione noticed that something was wrong and then the House elf started screaming, so we came back here instead.”
At the name of Hermione, Severus' head had snapped up and he looked at the older wizard. “What does Miss Granger have to do with all this?” There was iciness to his voice, but Albus soothed his nerves.
“Miss Granger found the letter yesterday by accident and brought Mr. Malfoy to my office. She is the only other person who knows about all this and she will keep this secret. Mr. Malfoy, why don’t you ask Miss Granger and Selena to come back here?”
Draco slowly stood up from the chair he had been sitting in for a few hours now and carefully walked over to the side door. Opening the door, he saw Hermione talking and laughing with his sister. With a sudden smile on his face, he caught their attention. Once again he felt thankful that these two girls were here with him. He motioned for both of them to come back into the office.
Lifting the girl up in her arms, Hermione silently walked through the door and looked at her Potions Professor. It was obvious to her he was very emotional. Even without the red eyes she would have noticed the lack of the normal cold mask. ‘Well no one can blame him for being emotional, really,’ she thought.
Slowly she walked over to where he was sitting. Never breaking eye contact with him, she finally stood before him and said, “Professor Snape, I would like you to meet Selena Anarya Snape.” Then turning to the girl in her arms, she continued, “Selena, this is Severus Snape, your father.” Quietly placing the girl with her father, Albus and Hermione left the room together.
AN: I am very sorry it took so very long. My beautiful beta Hells has gone missing and I miss her very much. It took me a while to find someone to replace her, but Broken Dreams has stepped in. Thank you for finding all my mistakes.