A/N: I do not own Harry Potter.
A/N II: This takes place in the same AU as my story, Rose, you do not need to read it to understand this piece.
Severus Snape had just sat down in his red leather chair trying to ignore the sounds of the storm outside. He pulled out a book he'd managed to procure through several unorthodox channels. He opened it breathing in the musty smell of something that been in a vault way too long. His eyes skimmed the page.
A thud from upstairs pulled his attention for a moment. Hermione had taken the twins shopping, Rose was at school. That left five year old Hera and two year old Onyx. He glanced over his to his right. Onyx was sitting in her playpen. Before he had a chance to investigate the sound, Hera's screaming filled the house. Severus was on his feet, hand on his wand when Hera ran into the room.
"There's a dementor upstairs!" she screamed her eyes wide in fear. "I...I..." she sobbed wrapping herself around her father. Severus held her close.
"A dementor? In our house? How did it get in?"
"I dunno...it's in your an mommy's room." Severus held the shaking child.
"Let's go see, how do you know it's a dementor?"
"It's black and hovering and it was all cold!" Severus felt himself pale slightly. The ministry never had managed to find all the dementors after the war. Hera's description was more accurate than he would have liked.
"It'll be alright, Hera. Do you want to stay down here with Onyx or come with me?" Hera shuddered taking a deep breath.
"I'll come with you, I need to know it's gone." Severus nodded knowing Hera was going to be a Gryffindor like her mother and her sister. The pair walked up the stairs, Hera nearly hiding behind her father. The girl was right. It was colder upstairs. A slight mist hung in the air. Severus held his wand tight, already focusing on his happiest memory.
He pushed open the door to his room. A cold wind blew around them. Hera was shaking worse, but wasn't backing away. In the center of the room was a dark sharp.
"Lumos," Severus shouted lighting the room. He bit back a laugh.
"Hera, there's your dementor," he said pointing at one of his black cloaks hanging from the wall. A cold draft blew in through the open window causing the cloak to wave in the wind.
"It's just one of your cloaks," Hera whispered walking out from behind her father. She walked over, touched the cloak while Severus closed the window.
"Are you alright Hera?"
"Yes. I'm alright, Daddy. I'm sorry."
"For what Hera? You saw something and made a logical guess as to what it was, your description did fit that of a dementor. I might have looked twice myself. Now, how about a cup of warm milk to help calm your nerves."
"Okay! Race you down the stairs." Severus shook his head following his second youngest daughter to the kitchen.