Summary: AU Children at her playgroup scare Snape's little daughter about the monsters that live under the bed. What's Snape to do? Just a piece of fluffy sweetness that wouldn't leave my head.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story except for Snape's daughter.
Monsters Under the Bed
"Daddy?" The little girl tiptoed into the dimly lit room, clutching tightly to Mr Cuddles and the blanket dragging behind her across the floor. "Daddy?" she whispered again, "I'm scared Daddy."
Twenty-four year old Severus Snape twisted up from his writing to look at his four-year old daughter. Seeing her standing there, unconsciously sucking slightly on the edge of her teddy's right ear, looking up at him with big, wide brown eyes, complete trust and unconditional love shining through, he laid his pen down and moved to her.
Kneeling down in front of her, he spoke softly, "What's the matter child? Why aren't you in bed? Did you have a bad dream?" He picked her up as she said "No Daddy. I'm scared."
Settling on the cushioned sofa with her and Mr Cuddles on his lap, Severus asked her patiently, "Why are you scared?"
"Sean Reilly said he saw a monster under the bed when we were a'playin' today Daddy. He heard it when he was in bed and he puh-tended to be a'sleepin' a'cause then the monsters didn't eat him. And Harry Bailey said they would come to my bed today, a'cause they went to Amy Collin's bed first. He said they look at the Name List to see who to go to next and my name's after Suzy Smith's, Daddy, Harry said so. He can read the names on the list see, a'cause his sister's in year 3! She's eight!" she exclaimed in wonderment and awe. This was quickly overtaken by the returning fear, "The monsters are gonna come when I go to sleep Daddy, I don't wanna be eated."
Severus held the frightened girl tightly, trying to console her. "The monsters won't come to you tonight Lina, nor will they ever come. I promise."
"But Daddy, what if they do come?" she pouted into his shirt, "Then what Daddy? I don't wanna be eated!"
"Don't want to be eaten," he corrected her. Then he sighed softly, as he stood, turning to her room. "Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep child?"
"No!" Her face shot up suddenly, her hands gripping his shirt in a death grip almost. "No Daddy, I don't want to be 'lone!" she spoke, remembering what her Daddy just taught her and knowing he wouldn't agree with her unless she used it. "I want to sleep with you!"
He sighed again and changed his course to the next room. "Okay then child, but I have some work to do before I get into bed myself OK?" he clarified, looking at the green numbers glowing 21:13 from the alarm clock on his nightstand.
"OK Daddy," she replied, as she disentangled herself, Mr Cuddles and her blanket from her Daddy's arms onto his King size bed. Severus pulled back the covers and let her settle down into the middle, then pulled them tight up to her chin, placing her blanket over them, as she hugged Mr Cuddles.
He gently tucked a lock of her dark brown almost black hair behind her ear and tenderly kissed her forehead. As he made to rise however, his little girl snatched the sleeve of his shirt and whimpered quietly, "Daddy, will you stay with me 'til I go sleep? Please Daddy?" she pleaded and, looking into her big, wide brown eyes, Severus knew he didn't have the heart to deny her her request, 'Especially,' he thought to himself, 'as she's scared enough as it is. I don't think I'd be able to handle her tears if she started crying.'
He made to lay back down next to her, but she interrupted him in a small voice, "Daddy, will you hug me more please?" He didn't say anything, simply acknowledged her request by pushing back the covers slightly and lay on his back, gathering his daughter, teddy and all, into his arms, humming a lullaby.
"Daddy?" she mumbled, a few moments later, half asleep. "Yes child?" he prodded. "Daddy, will you scare 'way the monsters please, so they never ever come to eat me?" she asked innocently, snuggling into her Daddy's warm body, as though it would keep the monsters and terrors away.
He smiled at sweet naïveté, rubbing her back lightly "I promise to you Selene, my child, that as long as I live, I won't let anyone hurt you, ever. And if they do somehow manage to do so, I will make sure they live just long enough to regret it!" He murmured his heartfelt confession softly, already trying to think of a way to reprimand the young boy, Harry Bailey he thought, who had scared his child today.
A heavily sleep laden "Daddy? What's 'regret' mean?" was the last thing he heard as he too succumbed to a land filled with hopes and a life where both he and his deceased wife raised their sweet, innocent daughter together.
The End
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