Okay, so Chapter two is back up. I couldn't find the original so I had to rewrite it. Please enjoy. I'll be jumping over to chapter three to tie up any loose ends that this chapter may create.

Thanks for sticking with me! Enjoy!

Daddy Issues

"I remember a time you choked on truths you couldn't spit out. Like smoke, like a bad taste caught in your mouth. I remember the sound of you coughing. I realized today it's been ages since I've heard you clear your throat. "

FlashBack

It was Kayne Barnetts second year of Hogwarts but it was not the first time she had seen her new professor. She already knew who he was. They all did. There had been a huge outcry from parents as Severus Snape was taken from Azkaban and brought into the teaching profession. Not that her parents cared much. She had heard this from her Ravenclaw friend, Veyah who was also the one who sent her the Daily Profits that held the articles. Severus Snape was the one sitting at the Head table with the night back hair that fell past shoulders, his orb black eyes that stared at over the students that looked back and a very sour expression on his face.

Among the table, there were whispers from the older students that she listened to. Apparently, he was also very young. Young enough to still have enrolled students who knew him in his school years. He had been rather rebellious in his school days and there were people who held crushes and even more who would form new daydreams of the sulky, misfit professor. His doom and gloom was the perfect picture in the eyes of the Slytherin teenagers. She would be one of them in the later years for but now, her home life and school torture would take her attention over that of her hormones.

"And finally, as many of you can see..." Albus Dumbledore wrapped up his speech, "we have a new potions master as well as Head of House. Professor Slughorn has decided his talents are better used for Ministry rummaging which we all wish him well with. In the meantime, as some of you may remember from when he was a student, your new Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master, Professor Snape."

There would be clapping and chatter among the populous, but the teacher would give no speech, no welcoming words. The man didn't look like a man of attention or an overall positive style. He looked already mad which created an anxiety in her traumatized state. She just couldn't handle having an image of her father in her school life.

The second-year Kayne sighed a deep sad sigh as she looked away from her new head of house who looked to be a far colder, far angrier set looking man who couldn't possibly be anything good for her or her situation.

Hermione:

The summer break had come and gone and soon the days were winding down with the talk of the impending year passing over dinner tables. That summer had gone too fast the students would decide as Hogwarts letters were arriving and dates and times were being set up to go and purchase their sixth-year school supplies. There had only been a few Order meetings since that night and things with Kayne had fallen back to just occasional talk among the Gryffindors. The girl wasn't alone long enough to talk with anyone past a few back and forths, and it didn't seem like Snape was all that keen on allowing a long stint to go on when a conversation was picked up. She would always leave with Snape after every meeting and would always arrive with him every time. But just when Hermione would think Kayne was just like the dark man she accompanied, Hermione would never go without a small wave and a smile from Kayne when the coast was clear. Maybe it was just her way of saying hello. Maybe it was Kayne's way of telling her that they were on good terms. Wherever the meaning of her motions came from they were created from warmth and that would have to be good enough for now.

It had been a particularly quiet day at Grimmauld Place and Hermione was tiptoeing around the top floor more out of boredom than anything else. She was looking through rooms for a book or something to do as Harry and Ron were doing their boy things that she didn't want to be around for. She had just picked up a dusty notebook when a sudden voice came from behind her.

"Hello."

Hermione jumped, spun around and instinctively put her hand on her wand. It was Kayne who had appeared in the doorway without a noise and even though Vex couldn't be seen, Hermione knew better than to think the dog wasn't watching somewhere close by. Kayne's hands remained behind her back but her eyes were focused on Hermione's wand hand as she stood silently. Hermione dropped her hand and caught her breath.

"I'm so sorry!" She let out a smile and a small laugh, suddenly feeling quite foolish. "The portrait already has me on edge and I swear I didn't hear you!"

"It's ok. You weren't expecting me." The older girl shrugged and looked around the tattered bedroom. "I wasn't expecting to be here either. Molly asked for us to stop by."

She was hinting towards the man that normally accompanied her as she stepped into the room, her own arms dropping to her side as she looked around. Hermione suddenly felt a little awkward, made worse by Kayne raising an eyebrow and smirking after a few seconds of silence would pass.

"What?"She asked. "Do you want me to leave?"

Even though she hinted on leaving, Hermione watched as Kayne came over, bent down and picked up the dusty notebook she had dropped during her startle. Hermione watched as Kayne dust the cover off and then looked at the younger girl for a moment before handing the notebook to over. Hermione smiled, she couldn't lie to herself, Kayne's mannerisms came off so similar to Snape that it threw her off and Hermione found herself regrettably treating Kayne as she would treat the bristled professor. Honestly, she felt bad about it as she stood with the girl attempting kindness.

"No. It's just the after-spook nerves," Hermione took the book back as she shook her head. " It's really good to see you, Kayne. For a minute I thought you were Snape."

That last part slipped out without her realizing it and now it was Kayne who was thrown off and stood silently with a small uncomfortable smile playing uncertainly on her lips. What could anyone respond to that with? Hermione realized what she said was probably more of an insult than compliment and her own smile weakened.. She slowly pulled the notebook to her chest.

"If you're looking for a good read..-" Kayne reached inside of her shoulder bag and pulled out a hardcover. "This is a good story." Kayne handed the book to Hermione.

"Thank you. I would love to, but I'm leaving for Hogwarts next week and I couldn't possibly finish it in time to give it back."

"It's ok." The book was placed on the dusty, ripped blanketed bed next to them and Kayne began backing out of the room. "I'll be at Hogwarts too."

With not a word or moment later, Kane turned and disappeared down the darkened hallway, leaving Hermione's jaw open as she tried to formulate just one question.

Kayne:

She was in her childhood bedroom finishing her packing. It was a simple bedroom with a radio in one corner on a desk, a television in the other sitting on a dresser, and various posters and pictures that scattered the space. Lights on poles lit the space in an electric haze and in the corner an owl stand sits by the window. This wasn't where she lived. This was her fathers home. She lived in the Isles with her friend Veyah, running a herbal shop in their two-floor apartment/shop. She had come here to gather herself for Hogwarts as her fathers home was in London. It wasn't a happy place, but it was a place where she needed to be and wouldn't stay for long. Her mind had been in a frenzy since she was offered to go to Hogwarts for the year. Severus had been the one who formally invited her and Kayne would be foolish if she were to believe it was because he was interested in furthering her job skills. The war was growing closer and even though Severus didn't show it, his actions over the past summer was evidence he was getting nervous for her safety. She had been to Hogwarts before, of course, that's where she went to school, but since her graduation, she had only visited when it was night, and she never had the time or reason to explore much further than her task.

She was going as an apprentice. Which is a fancy term for being the teachers lacky and doing all the grunt work. She was told by Albus she would aid Severus, Severus said she was to aid any staff who needed her. She could converse with student's and even sit in on classes if she wished. She was to explore and help and be known as an equal party in the school grounds as faculty. She was looking forward to being able to spend time with Hagrid, whom she had met a long time ago and enjoyed the company of quite a lot. Plus he had Fang, and Fang loved Vex.

As she lists the reasons for her excitement, Kayne still frowns and slows her folding. No matter what she thought to make her happy, she couldn't shake what always had held her. Ever since she could remember she hated surrounding walls. Feeling trapped. The entire start of her life involved locked doors. It started with locked bedroom doors after she did something "strange". This turned to locked Dr's offices as her parents screamed about curses and "weird occurrences." Next, to the inside of the closest door lock that she would use when either her father or mother were on one of their violent drinking binges. Well, when bruises were found at the locked grounds of her primary school, locked therapy offices captured her and forced her to "discuss her emotional problems." This went on for years until she was eleven, but by then the damage had been done. She flinched, she hid, she crumbled under yelling.

But Hogwarts was no better. She wasn't popular, she was bullied, and when Kayne was twelve the very broken little girl ran into the forbidden forest, attempting to get away from both worlds she felt she had failed to die. It didn't matter. She wouldn't answer the questions later in the hospital wing as Poppy stitched up her arm and Severus Snape stood staring down his large hooked nose at her, saying nothing, just watching her as Minerve and Albus pushed for any sort of answer to her midnight run. At thirteen, she'd begin practicing dark magic and would fall into the love for the slight of hand that came from potions...poison... making. This is the year when her freshly placed head of house would find her, toward the middle of her third year, after enough time of practice had occurred to actually grab his attention. The work they would conduct would be her only escape in a world of walls and locked doors, and the only purpose she would feel herself having.

After a while of compulsive thinking, the thought of having no way out of somewhere began to cripple her. This was when Vex would make himself known. Her dog knew her stresses and rose to his feet from the pillows of her bed where he lay and came over to her. His duel brown and white eyes set watched her with every slow step he took.

"Hey, buddy." She says sadly.

The dog sprung forward and licked her face, distracting her and breaking the spinning thoughts.

"Okay, Okay. I know. I'm my own worst enemy."

Vex barked and pushed against her, rubbing his satin black fur against her face and chest in a loving way.

"I know. I know." She smiled, turned around and switched on the television that would drown out her irrationalities.

She wouldn't hear the wrapping on the front door, which would be a mistake as her father's heavy knock came from her bedroom door suddenly.

"Yeah?"

The door opened and her irritable looking father stood in the doorway. He was a late-middle-aged man with a brown mustache and brown short hair. S rugged labor working man, he wore jeans and a button-down shirt and looked at her with angry, blue eyes.

"That cat woman has been knocking for five minutes! Why haven't you gotten the door."

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, I couldn't hear it."

"Well get on with it then, she's standing in the foyer. You're making me look fucking stupid."

"Okay, dad. Thank you." She bit her tone back and quickly zipped up her bag and pulled it from the bed.

As she walked by her father eyed Vex heavily.

"Last I knew they didn't allow dogs... Maybe if you want you can just leave him here. I'll be sure to treat him right."

She'd glare at him and it seemed that so did Vex as they passed by him and started down the stairs.

"Are you ready dear?" Minerva asked quietly.

"We're's Professor, Snape?"

"He going to meet us at the train station but something came up and he requested that I pick you up instead."

"Oh." She said looking back at her father.

"Bye, dad." She said with a nod.

"Goodbye Kayne."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She didn't love him, and he didn't love her. They didn't feel that way anymore and any kindness that she would find would come from that of pure responsibility as a parent. It was a very cold house, a very shadowed family with secrets and broken bones, but you wouldn't be able to tell now. All that all had seemed to wash away with the array of alcohol bottles, smokes and the presence of her mother.

..

Like Minerva had said, Severus Snape was standing by one of the stone columns of the platform, eyes already on her as she, Vex and Minerva approached.

"Here is your ward, Professor," Minerva states confidently, her arm behind Kayne who looked up at her past professor, feeling as though she was again a student under his glare.

He didn't say anything, just turned around and started with his own duffle bag into the train, Kayne, and Vex falling into a silent but fast tow.

She'd ask later why the staff all sat in the six compartments that were all magic into one room with seats that faced each other and tables in the middle. He called it, Forced Bonding. A sort of connection the staff would make over the next two weeks before the official start of term and was one of the many bonding exercises they would all participate in throughout the semester. It was important, Albus had said many times, that the staff trusted and respected each other from the very first day.

The compartment would be loud, but as a standard, Snape would not be. Kayne though, Kayne would take part in the many conversations. Welcomed instantly among the candies, pastries and warm and cold drinks. There was laughter and stories of the summer's adventures, and even a card game or two that would take place as a regular event for the staffs first ride. Kayne would occasionally glance at him as he stayed with his back against the cushioned seat, eyes usually on her already, but sometimes moving to those around or to the few who would speak to him and pull him into the sort of family. But he'd be watching her for the majority of the train ride, whether she noticed it or not.