A/N: I'm sorry for not updating sooner! I just got back from my vacation in the Caribbean. Yes, you are jealous, I know. Anyway, I've decided to respond to all the individual reviews. Thanks again for reviewing, everyone!

Queen of Frizz: Thanks a bunch! Oooh, and I'll definately have to read your story!

IdaPida86: I'm very glad you think I blended it in well. That means a lot, especially since I didn't know how to write it without it being awkward and confusing. As for the year, I didn't really bother with it. I suppose they could be in their 3rd year or past, since Lupin is in it.

tiffyrose: Gracias!

ValidHacker: Oooh, you flatter me! Thanks a bunch for adding this story to your alerts. As for the connection between Bella and Lily Evans. . . that will have to remain a mystery until later on in the story. Bwahaha! But then again. . . who won't be able to guess that connection? So I guess it's not really a secret, hehe.


"Daddy! DADDY! Oh, daddy, wake up! NOW!" A giggling voice screeched into his ear.

Snape slowly opened his eyes and noticed Bella standing right next to him on his side of the bed. She had poorly dressed herself in a pink sweater and white pants. Her hair was knotted, since she always let her father brush it. She was wearing no socks or boots.

"Daddy, let's go!" Bella tugged on Snape's elbow and tried to pull him out of bed.

"One moment!" Snape responded tiredly. Bella hopped up and down excitedly.

Snape got out of bed and dressed himself in his usual black attire. The only clothing that was a bit different was his green and silver Slytherin scarf.

Snape took one look at Bella and sighed. He sat her down and brushed her hair properly, letting her curls bounce happily. He handed Bella some socks which she quickly put on, and some tan boots that she also slipped on. Snape went over to Bella's small closet and found her fluffy pink coat. He put the coat on her and tugged some warm mittens onto her little hands. Snape was about to put her hat on her head when she exclaimed,

"Daddy! I can't move!" Bella squealed. She bounced her little arms up and down and ran around in circles. She looked like a penguin trying to dance.

Snape couldn't help but chuckle. She looked adorable, but she also needed to be warm. Snape put the hat over her head and covered her ears.

Snape examined her as Bella stared at him impatiently. "It looks like you're missing something. . ." Snape muttered to himself. After a few moments, he snapped his fingers and rushed over to Bella's closet. He found a nice warm scarf and wrapped it around her face. Now only her eyes were showing.

"Dadddddddy!" Bella complained, but Snape held onto her hand and they walked off onto the grounds.


Snape and Bella had entered Honeydukes. Once they had stepped in the doorway, Bella wiggled herself free from Snape and rushed further into the store. Snape sighed and waited by the entrance counter.

Bella knew exactly what she wanted. She had been planning it the day before. She grabbed a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, Chocoballs, a few Chocolate Frogs, and Jelly Slugs. She was about to run over to her father when she noticed a tall blonde man talking with him. It looked as if they were arguing.

Bella started to wander off towards different shelves when she noticed her three best friends.

"Hi!" She exclaimed gleefully.

"Bella! How are you?" Hermione smiled brightly at her.

"Good." Bella smiled back.

Hermione knelt down so she was Bella's height and asked her, "What is it you have there?"

"Beans, Frogs, Balls, and Slugs!" Bella exclaimed, looking at only one word on each package.

"Your father lets you eat all that candy?" Ron asked. "I wish my parents would let me do that." Ron checked his pocket, felt a few coins, and rushed over to the Licorice Wands.

"I can share!" Bella smiled up at Harry and Hermione.

Harry stuffed his hands into his pocket and smiled. "That's alright, Bella."

"By the way. . . where is your father?" Hermione asked nervously, afraid Snape would come behind her and deduct fifty house points.

"He's over there!" Bella pointed over to where Snape was still arguing with the blonde man.

Harry and Hermione craned their necks to look at the man. "Lucius Malfoy?" Harry murmured.

Bella giggled. "Who's Loosis Cowboy?"

"Oh - he's nobody." Hermione shrugged, then glared at the man.

Bella skipped over to Lucius Malfoy and tugged on his long black coat. Startled, he looked down at her quickly.

"Hi Loosis!" Bella smiled up at him.

"That would be Bella," Snape told Lucius. "My daughter."

For a moment, Lucius still stared at the girl. But then he exclaimed, "Ah, yes! Little Bella. I've heard much about you."

"Weally?" Bella asked cheerfully.

"Do you have everything, Bella?" Snape asked suddenly. Bella nodded and Snape took the sweets that were in her arm and set it on the counter to pay for it.

Lucius smiled at the young girl, and then continued. "Why yes. Your father has told me all about you, and how adorable you are."

Bella blushed and hid behind her father's leg. When Snape had finished paying and had grabbed the brown paper bag that contained Bella's sweets, he told her, "Bella, you must stop acting so childish."

Bella extended her arms up to her father, indicating that she wanted him to carry her. He managed to hold Bella and the brown paper bag in his arms.

Once Lucius had left the shop, Snape noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He thought about telling them the news now, but then decided to save it for later. He didn't want Bella around.

The day went by quickly for Bella. Occasionally she would see stores that she liked, run off, and Snape was left to chase her down. On the other hand, the day went by slowly for Snape. He hated coming to Hogsmeade, but he knew that Bella loved it, so he had no choice.

When the time came to leave Hogsmeade, Bella was exhausted. She rested her head on her fathers shoulder as he carried her in his arms. A few hours passed and it was time for dinner. Snape knew that he would have to explain to Potter, Weasley, and Granger the plan that he dreaded.

Once seated at the staff table, Snape filled up Bella's plate with small turkey slices and green beans. Bella cringed at the green beans, but happily ate her turkey.

"Daddy, guess what!" Bella exclaimed.

"Yes?"

Bella looked confused for a moment. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again. Then she giggled. "I forgot!"

"That's nice, dear."

Snape waited for most of the children to file out of the Great Hall. When only a handful of children were left at the tables, he said to Lupin whom was sitting next to him, "I would appreciate it if you could put Bella to bed. I have important matters to attend to."

Lupin agreed as Snape walked from the staff table and down to the annoying Gryffindor trio. He did not want to do this.

"Good evening," Snape remarked as he approached the table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked confused but then muttered the same. "I must speak with you of important matters containing my daughter."

Ron gulped and said, "We didn't tell her to get all that candy, sir, I swear! We told her it wasn't good for her and -"

"Not that," Snape spat. "I am leaving tomorrow for an important meeting. I should be home late Friday. The reason I am telling you this, is because Dumbledore requests that I leave Bella in the care of you three while I'm gone."

The trio said nothing, but simply stared at each other. Snape continued,

"Of course, if it were up to me, I would never leave my daughter in your care. I don't fully trust you. But it isn't up to me, now is it?"

"Professor," Hermione began. "How will we watch Bella? We have classes and -"

"Dumbledore insists that you do not attend these classes. Of course, you will still be given the assignments."

Harry asked, "Where will she sleep?"

Snape looked down at Hermione. "I assume she can stay with you?"

Hermione nodded. Snape looked at them all before saying, "Good. I will leave her in your care tomorrow after breakfast. The other staff members are already informed of this. You will each receive your assignments for the week."

The three students nodded. Snape was about to walk away, but then remembered something important. He walked back to them and added, "Try not to give her too much sugar. Also, make sure that she is warm when she goes outside. If I come back and find out that she is with a deadly cold -" He didn't need to finish the sentence, he simply glared at each of them. "I am giving Bella a suitcase with her belongings, so you do not need to enter my private quarters. Understood?"

Once the three students had nodded and assured that they would keep Bella under control, Snape stalked off towards the dungeons.

"Blimey! Did you hear that? No classes for a week!" Ron exclaimed.

"I still don't understand why a teacher can't look over her." Hermione said, looking confused.

"Well, watching a three-year-old shouldn't be too bad. Besides, we'll get to relax for a week." Harry responded, taking a drink of pumpkin juice.

"We're babysitting, Harry. It isn't exactly a time to relax. We need to watch over Bella." Hermione told him sternly.

Ron's eyes popped wide open. "Wait! What if she gets lost? Bloody hell. Snape will kill all of us! Or - what if she ends up getting a cold?" Ron looked at Hermione and Harry then added, "We're dead."

"No, we're not!" Hermione stated. "Bella is a sweet girl. Snape doesn't seem to be too frustrated with her, anyway. I mean, in class he's pretty harsh on her. She must be pretty obedient."

Harry nodded. "Hermione's right, Ron. Bella's great, it'll be a piece of cake watching her."

"I hope so." Ron muttered. "Well, we might as well head to the common room. We've got a long day ahead of us."


The next morning at breakfast, Bella was more bouncy than ever. Snape had told her about how she would be in the care of Harry, Ron, and Hermione for a week. Bella shrieked with joy and bounced up and down repeatedly.

"Bella," Snape told her sternly. "Eat your pancakes."

Bella stuffed a forkful of pancakes into her mouth and looked over at the Gryffindor table. She could not wait for breakfast to be over!

Lupin leaned over to Snape and asked, "Is Bella excited for the week?"

Snape glared at him. "No. She's miserable that I will be leaving her."

Lupin ignored Snape's sarcasm and replied, "Harry, Ron, and Hermione will take good care of her. They're good kids, Severus."

Snape only glared over at the trio at the Gryffindor table. "If I come back and Bella is sick to her stomach or full of red dots all over her face, I swear I'll -"

"Severus," Lupin told him. "She won't be sick or full of red dots. I know they'll take excellent care of her."

"They had better," Snape sneered. "Or else."

Once breakfast was finished for most of the students, Snape spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione waiting patiently at their table. Snape looked down at Bella and said,

"I'll be leaving now, Bella."

Snape had figured that Bella was too excited for the week ahead of her to even take notice that she wouldn't be seeing her father for a week. But, when Bella's eyes started to water, Snape was thrown off guard.

Bella flung her arms around her father and asked, "But D - Daddy! I won't see you for a whole week!"

"Six days, actually." Snape smiled. But when he realized her eyes started to water even more, he added, "Don't worry, dear. Potter and his friends will take care of you." I hope, he added silently.

Snape held his tiny daughter in his arms and closed his eyes. It was moments like these that made Snape grateful to Dumbledore and the rest of the staff members. Children that were younger than eleven years were not permitted to live in the school. But since Bella had nobody to take care of her after her mother died, she was allowed to live with her father at Hogwarts.

After blinking a few times, Snape kissed Bella on both cheeks and held her hand. "Come along." He led her to the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting. They smiled nervously when Snape approached.

Bella wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and waved to her guardians for the week. "Hi!"

"I expect you all to keep an eye on her at all times." Snape demanded. The trio nodded.

Snape squeezed Bella's hand one last time before walking away to exit the Great Hall. But after a few strides, a pair of little arms wrapped around his waist. Snape looked down and saw Bella standing there. "Bye, Daddy!"

Snape knelt down before Bella and kissed her cheek. "Goodbye, darling. I'll see you soon."

Bella ran back over to the trio once Snape had left the room. Ron whispered to Harry, "I didn't know that old bat could love anyone."

After a few moments of sitting at the table in silence, Hermione asked, "What should we do now?"

Harry thought for a moment before responding, "Maybe you should go take Bella to the common room so she can unpack. Ron and I will meet you outside."

So, Harry's plan was arranged. Hermione took Bella to the Gryffindor common room so she could unpack her suitcase. Before going outside, Hermione made sure that Bella was bundled up nicely in warm clothing.

"Mione, can we play a game?" Bella asked, as she held Hermione's hand and skipped merrily towards the grounds.

"Sure. What game do you have in mind?"

"Tag!" Bella exclaimed.

Hermione smiled. "Sure we can." This week will be a piece of cake, Hermione added silently.

Once Hermione and Bella reached Harry and Ron, Bella squealed, "We're gonna play tag!"

"Sounds good to me." Harry shrugged. Bella smacked Harry's arm and yelled, "Tag, you're it!"

Bella quickly darted away, and Hermione and Ron followed her lead. Harry laughed and yelled at Bella, "I'm coming for you!"

Bella squealed delightedly and ran even faster. It was difficult to play tag in the snow, especially since Hermione had packed bundles of clothing on her. But Bella managed to wobble very quickly.

Harry pretended that Bella was too quick for him, so he purposely tagged Ron and ran in the opposite direction. Just then, Harry ran smack into Draco Malfoy and they both tumbled into the snow.

"Watch it, Potter!" Draco sneered. Crabbe and Goyle attempted to help Draco up, but he smacked their hands aside and spat, "Don't help me."

Harry stood up and brushed the snow off of his shirt and pants. "Maybe you should watch where you're heading, Malfoy." Harry mused.

Draco ignored this comment and asked, "What are you doing, anyway? Running around like a bunch of five-year-olds? It's disgusting."

Just then, Ron, Hermione, and Bella came running in Harry's direction. Bella ran up to Draco and smacked his stomach. "You're it!" She then started to run away gleefully.

Draco stared after her and spat, "What the hell was that about?"

Since Bella didn't notice that anybody was chasing her, she kept running further away. Hermione started to sprint after her. Ron then added, "Leave it, Malfoy. We're watching Bella for a week."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "You three?" He chuckled. "She'll be dead by the time Snape arrives."

Ron was about to punch Malfoy in the face when Harry held him back. "Leave it, Ron. Come on, let's go." They ran off in Hermione's direction, where she was still trying to chase down Bella. Draco smirked and walked away with Crabbe and Goyle.

Hermione managed to grab Bella before she ran into a group of 5th year Ravenclaws. Hermione was panting by the time Harry and Ron caught up to her. "Let's play a new game, shall we?" Hermione coughed. "I'm losing my breath here."

Bella considered this and said, "Otay! Let's play Dolls!"

Ron groaned. "You're kidding, right?"

Hermione nudged him and Ron let out a tiny squeal. "I mean, sounds like fun."