Severus Snape growled in frustration as he surveyed the seemingly endless stacks of papers that littered his desk. Knowing that they had to be graded before he could retire for the night, he decided that he'd best get started. He picked up the first one.
His eyes narrowed in hatred as he noticed the name at the top of the page. "Harry Potter," he spoke the name in a cold voice. Scanning the page, he grudgingly noted that Harry had made a decent grade. Well, there's a first for everything he thought. After about thirty minutes of grading paper after paper, he started to wonder if perhaps he should have chosen an entirely different career. How do they manage to miss even the smallest questions he asked himself for the hundredth time.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. He dropped his quill in agitation. "Enter," he called in a sharp voice. The door swung open to reveal Albus Dumbledore. He hesitated as if unsure about whether or not he should enter. "Was there something you wanted Headmaster," he asked in an irritated voice.
Dumbledore approached the desk slowly. "Severus," he began. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I feel that I have no choice." Severus immediately became worried. Dumbledore rarely interrupted him. It was usually something urgent, and the look on Dumbledore's face told him that it was something unpleasant that he had to tell. "Severus, I'm afraid that Darion and Serena have been killed. It happened a couple of days ago."
Severus felt as if someone had punched him right in the stomach. He looked up in shock. Dumbledore's blue eyes were full of concern as he studied the younger man. Sadness showed clearly on Severus' face for a moment. Then, he quickly managed to clear his face of all emotion.
Albus was filled with sympathy as he watched Severus struggle to control his emotions. I'm sure he never meant for me to see his sadness he thought. "What about Regina," Severus asked. "Is she okay?" Dumbledore immediately answered, "She's safe, and she has asked to come live with you if you will consent."
"My only brother and his wife are dead," Severus began in a steely tone. "Of course I'll let my only niece come live with me. I'm all she has now. In fact, she's all I have. We're the last of the Snape family left."
"Well, I'll go and send an owl out immediately to inform her of your decision," Dumbledore replied. Severus' voice stopped him in his tracks. "Don't bother. I intend to go and let her know tomorrow, in person. That is, if you consent." Dumbledore replied, "Very well." He then walked out the door and closed it behind him. Severus stared into space for a moment before he finally got up and headed for his chambers for the night, his mind no longer focused on grading papers.