Disclaimer: All things that are recognizable belong to the magnificent genius that is J.K. Rowling. They are not mine as I am not her (I wish I was cause then the epilogue would have been much different...) All things that are new, are mine specifically and most importantly to this story Eileen.

Rating: T (cause of Severus and his sarcasm mostly)

Author's note: So this was supposed to be the first chapter of a longer fic, however that fic is not happening as I am writing something else. So therefor there is no specific timeline for this story nor is there any attempt at logic. It's just a one shot that I did to practice POV writing.

The closet monster

The little girl stood in front of her bed stroking her unruly hair out of her eyes and nose. She felt tears at the back of her eyes. She wasn't going to be laying here alone, she decided not with that monster in the closet. He was there, she could sense him and he was after her. She winched grabbing her pillow and blanked tightly in both hands and pulling them from the bed. Bear fell to the ground and she knelt to pick him up in her already overstuffed hands too. Luckily Bear was not that big and could be carried together with her pillow. She made her way out of the room stumbling over her blanked a couple of times. The door to her brothers room was open slightly and she could see a corner of his bed and the overstuffed book case inside. She contemplated going into his room for a moment before dismissing that idea. He would laugh at her, or go try and defeat the monster in the closet forcing her to actually look at the thing.

Her brother was like that. He liked defeating monsters. It was utterly stupid the little girl thought, to go in there alone and being so little while there were two perfectly good grownups in the house as well. They had wands, and could defeat all monsters she thought. With that in mind she headed further down the long corridor towards her parent's bedroom. The door was firmly shut and the little girl stood there for a moment clutching her blanked and pillow and trying to listen for any sounds. She could hear none though and grabbing Bear firmly she gently opened the door. The room was dark, curtains being closed and she couldn't make out anything in that darkness.

'Mama?' she called out into the dark room and the room seemed to whisper the word right back to her. The fear that had faded a bit upon entering the room returned to her. What if her mother was not there? What if something happened and she was alone in the dark house? Alone with the monster left back in her own room. Tears filled her eyes at that mere thought and she tried, unsuccessfully , to hold Bear closer. But at that moment she heard a movement, and a sound something between a cough and an intake of breath reached her ears.

'What is it love?' her mother asked sounding a bit out of breath. The sound of her mother's voice filled the little girl with joy and longing. She wanted, needed, to find her mother in this darkness.

'I want to sleep with you' she said sobbing as the tears that she had been holding back finally started to spill. She moved further inside the room trying to establish the direction from which her mother's voice had come. She took a few steps to her left when another voice startled her keeping her form moving any further.

'Get in line' her father's deep irritated rumble came from the direction she had been going in. The little girl stood uncertainly moving from one foot to the other and clutching her blanket, pillow and Bear to her. Daddy wasn't half as scary as the monster in her closet but it was still better to wait and see. Her mother let out a giggle and she heard her shift in the bed.

Lumos.

The light shone in the darkness, falling on her mother's face as she held her wand up to make the light fall on the little figure in the middle of the room. Her brows knit together in mild concern as she took in her daughters appearance. The little girl stood looking at her feet the blanked half fallen to the ground around her. Her mother sighted.

'Oh sweetie, pick that up it's going to get all dirty on the ground like that. Have you had a nightmare?'

The girl obediently bent trying to pick the blanked up with both hands and dropping her pillow and Bear in the process.

'Oh sweetie' her mother sighted getting out of bed, she reached the girl in two steps picking up the blanket and pillow as the girl reached one hand towards her and the other towards Bear. He would get cold on the ground like that.

'There is monster in my closet' she informed her mother matter of factly. There was nothing to fear now with her mother being so close. The older woman sighted.

'Eileen there is no such thing as monsters' she said reproachfully. The girl looked up at her.

'Yes, there is' her father's voice interrupted 'and they are all in this room'

The little girl called Eileen looked at her mother with eyes widened with fear.

'For the love of Merlin! Severus!' her mother exclaimed tossing the pillow in the direction of the man sitting up in the bed now. He caught it effortlessly but then winced rubbing his left shoulder with his free hand. Her mother sighted turning concerned eyes on him now.

'You shouldn't do that, your shoulder' she said moving back towards the bed again one of her hands outstretched towards the man almost unconsciously.

'Well stop throwing things at me' he offered smirking at her. The little girl smiled, delighted. Daddy was not mad, he wouldn't be smirking like that if he was.

She took a couple of steps and then ran and leaped up on the bed smiling brightly at both her parents and proceeding to place her pillow firmly next to her fathers with both hands. He reached over and messed up her already messy curls and the girl looked up at him. He was smiling but there was something in his eyes. Pain?

'Are you hurt daddy?' The smile disappeared instantly.

'No'

She continued to take in his appearance. He was way too thin, thinner than other daddy's she had seen, then anyone she knew actually, except for her brother but he didn't count. His chest, or what she could see of it in the semi darkness contained a couple of funny looking shapes. The most permanent one ran from his neck up disappearing behind his ear somewhere. It looked cut up and whiter than the rest of him like someone had stitched two parts of skin back together again.

'Are the two of you going to be gaping at me all night like a couple of hawks or is there a chance I might get some sleep?' he growled and the little girl blinked a couple of times startled. She felt her mother's hand firmly on her shoulder.

'It's called concern' she said softly but in a firm voice. 'right Eileen?' she winked at the little girl who smiled up at her reassured.

'I don't need concern Hermione' her father said mockingly pronouncing the strange word. 'and don't drag that child into it.' Her mother merely smiled lifting her up, 'Scoot over all right so that I can lay back down too' she sat the girl back on the edge of the bed and climbed in tucking the covers over herself and her husband.

Eileen took her blanked proceeding to mimic her mother's actions, tucking herself and Bear firmly under the blanked.

'Your pillow dear' her mother offered tilting up her head to slide the pillow back under it. The little girl closed her eyes and sighted contently sinking back onto it. There was silence for a while and then the room was pitched in darkness once more as her mother turned her wand off laying back herself. She felt her breath tickle her cheek for a moment as her mother bend over her to check whether she was sleeping. Eileen kept very still as still as she could, maybe her parents would assume she was asleep and she would be able to hear something interesting. Something she could perhaps taunt her brother with before telling him…

Her mother moved away from her again.

'Are you all right?' she heard her whisper. Her father sighted.

'I'm fine' he said.

'Think you'll be able to get back to sleep?' Even in a whisper the little girl heard the concern in her mother's voice.

'Perhaps if you stop talking' her father said irritably. 'Do you think she is asleep?' the little girl took in a deep breath. Now, if they only thought she was asleep now. All the interesting things she might hear.

'She is your daughter Severus, which means probably, or most defiantly not' her mother said firmly. The little girl released the breath she was holding. Bummer. She heard the sound of a kiss. 'Try to get some sleep darling'. Her mother's voice was softer then a whisper. Barely audible if it wasn't for the overwhelming silence of the room. Her father chuckled and she heard him shift .

'I love you Severus'

'I love you too'

The room was silent apart from her parents breathing. The little girl kissed Bear and rubbed her head against his furry one. Well that was not interesting at all she thought as sleep took hold of her.