Disclaimer: I do not own anything other than the one original character in this story. Other than that, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling, and I am just borrowing them for play.

A Newfound Gift

Here I am, sitting waiting for my third year at Hogwarts to begin… a lot has happened to me since that day when he came to rescue me…

(2 months earlier)

I am sitting here in my cupboard at the Dursley's, and there is a knock at the door. Professor Snape comes bursting in, and from then everything is a blur, all I remember is…

Snape came and got me from the Dursley's, and took me to his summer home after he found out that I was his daughter, but he doesn't tell me that. I have cuts and

bruises and Snape gets mad because I have never told anyone about the Dursley's abusing me, because I don't see it as abuse. I see it as a punishment for being

alive, and imposing on my aunts and uncles hospitality. Once we arrive at his house, he quickly takes me to his lab. He heals me, and then goes to his room to relax

and deal with all of the anger coursing through him. He can't believe how anyone could do that to a child, and then he realizes that I am not just any child to him

anymore, I am his daughter. A whole new wave of rage rushes in at that realization. Somebody has abused his daughter that he didn't even know he had. Then

comes dinner and when he gives me my plate full of what I'm sure is a delicious meal, I don't touch it. He then realizes how malnourished I am, and proceeds to

question me about how the Dursley's fed me. When I finally concede to tell him about my life there, I can see the anger growing in his eyes. Part of me wants to run

away, frightened that he will use that anger to hurt me, but then a I stay, because deep down, I know he is not mad at me. He then orders me to follow him down

to his lab once again so that he can create a potion to help me get back to a healthy weight. When I go to bed I start to head to the stairway, then I stop. A door

leading to the closet under the stairs has caught my attention. I automatically head there, and as I open the door he asks me what I am doing. I tell him that I am

going to bed, and he looks at me sadly before he tells me that I have my own room and I don't notice that he looks even more sad when I act like he has given me

one million dollars. Only then is it that he realizes that I used to live under the stairs, and he advances on me. I automatically see my uncle barreling at me ready to

strike, and I back into a corner whimpering. I am begging him not to hurt me, and constantly whispering, "I am an idiot. Stupid. Not worthy of love or care." Snape is

at a lost, and slowly sinks down to the ground. Only then does he fully understand what the true extent of living with the Dursley's has caused, and only worsened

by how he treats me in class. He feels awful, I can tell, and he slowly bends down to pick me up. He cradles me against his chest, feeling how light I am makes his

stomach turn. He carries me to my bed and sets me down, tucks me in, and turns to leave. But I cry out for him to stay. That I do not want to be left alone. I am

afraid of what Uncle Vernon will do to me if he finds me now. So he sits back down comforting me and telling me to go to sleep, that I have nothing to worry about.

He won't let anything happen to me. As I am falling asleep, I stop and think, "this must be what its like to have a family, a father that loves you." Right before I

completely succumb to the darkness that is so welcoming, I unconsciously murmur, "goodnight daddy." But I do not see him look down at me with a deep love in his

eyes, nor do I hear him say "goodnight sweetheart, I love you."

A/N: Thank you so much for reading this. Please leave a review, and let me know what you think...