For the purposes of my story, I am taking liberties with Severus' family details. The books do not say exactly what happened to his mother, and I am writing her in this story as being dead and creating a sister for him.

Chapter 2: Meetings

******Sunnydale******

Severus was able to take a portkey out of Scotland to California. It landed him right outside of the city limits. Because of the dark magic from the hellmouth, Albus felt it was best he not try to port so far with all the possible interference. Once he got his bearings, he walked slowly down the road that entered the town. When he crossed into the city limits, he could feel it. The dark pull was both seductive and disturbing to his senses. How could his daughter live and thrive under such darkness?

It was three days after he spoke to Joyce. He hadn't called her to tell her when he was arriving because he knew that she would expect him to come by muggle transportation. Although his daughter was a slayer and in the know about magics and such, Severus was inclined to believe Joyce didn't know what their daughter was. When they had spoken, she gave no indication that she knew Buffy Anne had died the night before.

As he walked, Severus considered all he knew about his daughter and the new things he had learned. He couldn't help but make the connection that the problems Joyce said Buffy Anne had the previous school term coincided with her new calling. Severus speculated that Buffy Anne tried to tell her mother about it, and her mother decided that she was crazy. Or maybe it was the father Hank? Maybe he was the one who insisted doctors check the girl over for instability and mental illness. Severus hadn't realized the doctor they had taken his daughter to was one of those head doctors muggles took such stock in. However, every word Joyce ever said or wrote about their daughter was memorized by him, so he went to an internet café in London and looked it up after Albus' revelation.

Now he knew the picture of his daughter's life wasn't the happy and safe one he had previously thought. The new reality of her life made him seriously consider his actions. Could he in good conscience bring her back to his home? There was a war there, and his daughter would most definitely be a tool the Dark Lord would want to use. It would be a dangerous gamble to bring her into the fold. Not to mention, his daughter was a fighter for the light, and she would probably be appalled at the man her father was. He was a teacher who went out of his way to abuse and humiliate students, playing clear favorites. Although it was true that everything he did was part of the role he played as a double agent, he couldn't deny that he had no patience for fools and idiots. Rarely did he enjoy teaching students who were lazy and indifferent, driven by hormones and easily distracted. Students who loved potions like he did were rare. Would his daughter be ashamed to have him as a father?

The thought consumed him as he walked the few miles into the center of town. Foolishly, he realized his mistake. It was daytime when he left London, but the time difference made it dark in Sunnydale. He was walking alone at night on the hellmouth, a dangerous and foolish pastime. It wasn't a surprise then, when he was accosted by three vampires.

As this was an entirely new experience for him, he felt a strong burst of fear at the two snarling faces. The clear leader looked entirely human. "Well, look at this. Dinner came to us, and we didn't even have to order in," the vampire said.

He managed to set one of them on fire quickly before he was rushed by the other two, and he dropped his wand. Horrified, he watched it roll a few feet away from him. A bored voice called out, "Hey, your homosexual fantasies shouldn't be played out on a public street, loser!"

Severus couldn't believe it. A very attractive young girl was holding a bright orange weapon of some kind and pointing it right at the two vamps.

"Hey, we're not homosexuals. We're vampires about to have dinner!" the one holding his arms protested.

The surrealism of the moment struck Severus, and it increased when the girl moved closer and shot water out of the weapon. What the hell? Water? However, the vampires started screaming and smoking.

"Wow! Giles wasn't lying when he said holy water was the safest weapon for someone that wasn't Buffy," the girl said in bemusement. "Invisible psycho girls trying to kill me, witches trying to steal my spot on the squad and blind me, frat boys trying to feed me to their pet demon, and huge vampires trying to eat me. This town sucks!" She squirted the vampires more, and they released him. Howling in pain the vampires ran off. "But payback is such fun!" She grinned in satisfaction.

The girl looked smug and bent down. "I think you dropped your stake," she said, picking up his wand. "You shouldn't try to stake a vampire by yourself. Not unless you have the strength of that super freak Buffy."

"It's not a stake. That's my wand," he said automatically. Then he winced. Why was he talking to this muggle?

Cordelia Chase grinned at the dark and creepy man. She took in his dark robes and laughed. "Oh, is this your magic wand?" she asked in a mocking tone that offended Severus profusely.

"Please give that to me," he said slowly, holding out his hand.

"Come on! Teach me some magic. What do I have to say? Abracadabra?" she asked as she waved the wand. However, her flicked produced a powerful wave of energy, hitting a parked car that started wailing out a blaring noise.

"Oh my God! You weren't kidding!" she screamed, throwing the stick at Severus.

Severus was stunned. The teenager had wizard abilities and clearly didn't realize it. "Thank you," he said. She had, after all, saved his life. Then he realized that she mentioned her daughter's unusual name. "Do you know Buffy Anne Summers?"

"That's her middle name?" the woman said in surprise. "Sure, I know the big freak and her loser friends. It's a school night, and my car is in the shop, so I had to walk back from cheerleading practice, which is a dangerous endeavor in this screwed up town."

"I am Severus Snape. I have her address, but I am unfamiliar with this town. Do you mind pointing me into the right direction? She is expecting me," he said.

"Her house is that way," the girl said, pointing. "But she's at the school, which is just two blocks down that way."

"I did not realize that American schools lasted this late in the day," Severus said.

"Oh, they don't," the girl said. "But she hangs out in the library with Mr. Giles, the British librarian. You sound just like him. Do you know him?"

"No, I do not, but I am from Great Britain," he said.

"Well, come on. I'll walk you to the library. Giles would get really annoyed if I let you get eaten by vamps," she said. "I'm Cordelia."

Severus blinked, the name causing a pang. Finally, he said, "That's a lovely name."

Cordelia gave him a brilliant smile. Would his own daughter look at him with the same bright smile? He followed her and noticed that she remained vigilant.

It didn't take long before he saw a school in the distance and increased his pace, excited to finally meet his daughter. "May I ask what type of weapon you are wielding? I am unfamiliar with it," Severus said.

"Well, Mr. Snape, it is called a super soaker squirt gun. It's used normally by kids to have a water fight," Cordelia said, unfazed by his lack of knowledge. Giles didn't know lots of American things either.

"Yet you found the ingenuity to utilize it with holy water as a weapon to fight vampires? That is most impressive," Severus said, surprised that a muggle would show such intelligence. Of course, her ability to use his wand showed that she was not really a muggle.

The young woman flashed him another beaming smile—she did love the compliments. "Thanks! They think I'm helpless 'cause Buffy's needed to save me a time or two, but I'm so not an idiot," Cordelia said with a superior smile.

Knowing that this young woman was a classmate of his daughter made me want to ask so many things, but he could tell by her derisive tone that the two weren't close friends. However, he had to ask, "So you are friends with Buffy Anne?"

"You know she goes by Buffy, right? This isn't the South," Cordelia said, grinning.

"That is the name her mother gave her," he said haughtily. Of course, Anne came from both of Buffy's grandmothers. Joyce's mother and Severus. His mother's middle name was spelled Anne. His younger sister also had the same middle name. He didn't know if Buffy spelled it that way or not, but it is how he thought of her. It gave him a small bit of pleasure that some part of her had a connection to him, no matter how fleeting.

"Some parents have weird ideas. My parents stuck me with the ancient name of Cordelia!" she said. "You are the only person I've ever met to say it was a lovely name."

"Well, most people are idiots," he said.

Cordelia laughed, enjoying the creepy Brit. Maybe he wasn't as creepy as his dark look showed him. "I totally agree!" she said. Then she pulled open the front doors and led him to the library.

Severus became more and more nervous as he followed her into the very large library. The size of it distracted him a moment until Cordelia let out a most annoying bellow.

"Giles! We have a British visitor! He thinks he's a wizard, I think!" she said, revealing the bratty tendency she hinted out earlier. When he started to protest, she winked at him.

Rupert Giles came out of his office. "Must you yell, Cordelia?" he asked, his eyes took in the strange appearance of the guest. The man was dressed in a dark cloak that could be considered a wizard's robe. He had met a few in England long ago.

"This guy almost got eaten looking for Buffy, but I saved him," Cordelia boasted.

Willow looked up from the book she was reading. "What? You saved someone?" she asked incredulously.

"Yep. Holy water in my soaker," Cordelia said, proudly holding it up.

"You mocked me when I suggested holy water bombs to throw," Xander complained.

"Because you'd miss, and the water would be wasted, dweeb," Cordelia said, rolling her eyes. "This, though, is really easy to hit your target with." She demonstrated by shooting Xander in the face, causing him to jump up and knock the chair back. A giggling Cordelia ran out of the library as Xander chased after her.

"Excuse the children," Giles said. "They are Americans."

His reply was so British that Willow laughed, and Severus cracked a smile. "You know who I am?" he asked.

Giles nodded. Then he looked at Willow. "My dear, would you mind calling it a night? Our visitor has business that is personal in nature, and I need to speak with him alone," he said.

"Oh, okay," Willow said. "Should I wait outside for Buffy and tell her?"

"No, this concerns her," Giles said.

Willow's eyes widened as she realized who Severus was. "You look like the portrait Buffy showed me. Are you her father?" she asked.

Severus felt a warm glow that his daughter shared who he was with her friends, and he nodded. "I am Severus Snape," he said.

"I'm Willow, Buffy's best friend," she said. She held out her hand to Severus, and he shook it. Instantly, he felt the girl's magical power.

"You are a witch?" he asked.

Willow's eyes widened. "What? No! I'm not a witch. Witches are bad. I mean Amy's mom was. She tried to kill Buffy and stole her daughter's body. Of course, we used a small spell to identify her, but I'm not anything really. I don't have the power Amy has," she gushed. "It's fascinating, though."

"You have tremendous power. I felt it," he said.

Willow's mouth fell open, and she looked at Giles.

"We will discuss this more tomorrow, Willow. Good night," Giles said dismissively.

When she walked out of the library, Severus said, "She is not the first witch I encountered tonight. Cordelia is also a witch."

Now it was Giles' turn to look flummoxed. "Cordelia? Really? How fascinating and surprising," Giles remarked. "I take it that she wasn't using hyperbole like American teenagers are so fond of. You really are a wizard?"

"I work as a potion master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Severus said. "As you are obviously Buffy's Watcher, I hope you will be discreet on what you share with muggles."

"Xander Harris is your daughter's other best friends. Those kids share everything, so don't expect much secrecy," Giles said. "Buffy has a hard time hiding her light under a bush."

Severus smiled, loving that his daughter shone so bright. When you spend so much time in darkness, the light is ever more appealing. "I do not know how such a creature could be mine, but I would like to know her. The spell I had on her cloaking her presence was shattered when she died," he said.

"Spell? What spell?" a voice asked.

Severus turned and met the eyes of the young girl he knew was his.

She was so much shorter than Severus, tiny like his own mother. Her eyes, though, were light, reminding him sharply of his late sister. As she drew closer to him, stopping just a few feet from him, he knew that the green of their color was exactly like his sister's had been. She had been the only green-eyed member of her family for three generations, but now his daughter had the eyes. Severus could see nothing else of his blood in her. Her coloring and features were mostly like Joyce's. Unlike his own mother, Buffy Anne did not get the family nose. This made him smile.

"Hello, Buffy Anne," he said.

Buffy looked at the tall man, who seemed the opposite of Hank Summers in every way. He was intense and not really handsome. However, his broody intensity reminded her sharply of Angel's.

"Hi," she said. "You're my bio dad, right?"

The title caused a sharp pain inside of him, but he nodded. That was all he was to her.

Buffy saw the pain that he masked so quickly and frowned. He ignored her for sixteen years, so why did he care suddenly?

"So what spell did you do? You're a witch?" Buffy asked.

"Wizard," he said.

"Right 'cause nothing in my life is allowed to be normal," Buffy said with a touch of bitterness.

"I am sorry," Severus said.

"For what? Never bothering to know me for sixteen years? That's okay, Hank Summers has been a wonderful dad to me," Buffy said with a shrug.

"How about we all sit and discuss this?" Giles suggested, coming around to the large table Willow and Xander had been sitting at. He sat at the nearest head, and Severus sat on his left. Buffy sat across from him, looking at him intently.

"I did not contact you because it hasn't been safe," he said. "When I found out your mother was pregnant, I was seventeen. My younger sister disappeared soon after your mother left. Her disappearance caused all kinds of suffering in my family, destroying my mother. Joyce met your father Hank before you were born and seemed extremely happy with him in her life. What place could I have had? Should I confuse a young child with my presence? It is difficult for wizards to interact with muggles."

"What's a muggle?" Buffy asked.

"A person who lives in the regular world without magic," Severus said.

"Did you find your sister? How old was she?" Buffy asked, curious about a relative of hers that she didn't know.

"She was sixteen and not a witch, but she was unusually attractive for the people in my family—like you," Severus said. "You have her eyes."

Buffy blushed at the compliment and looked down at her hands, feeling shy. Then she wondered, "Did you find your sister?"

"Yes. She was murdered by a muggle," he said bitterly. "The man who did it held her hostage for several months before throwing her body in the river." Her death by a muggle was what had pushed him to embrace Voldemort and take the dark mark. He had flirted with it when Lily embraced Potter, but he gave himself over to the darkness when his sister was taken from him. It was only after Lily was murdered that he realized how far he'd fallen. Voldemort wasn't any better than the muggle her murdered his sister.

Buffy gasped in horror. "Oh God! That's horrible! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed.

Severus was not normally the kind of man to confide in anyone, but he wanted his daughter to accept him. He found himself wanting to share who he was with her—to be open. Not only did he not think he could bear her rejection, it wasn't safe for her to either. Although he found the presence of her Watcher annoying, he knew that Buffy Anne trusted the man. It was important that she trust him, too. "By the time things settled down, your mother was married to Hank Summers. I was barely an adult and didn't know how I would be a part of your life," Severus admitted. "Your mother sent me photos when you were born and then did so ever year. I was content with that. I thought maybe when you were older I might reach out, but then things became very dangerous in my world. I became a tool in our war, and I was afraid. When you were just a few years old, the head of my school helped me cast a cloaking spell to conceal your presence from my family tree. There were people in my life—Dark Wizards—who could use you as a way to get to me. I wanted to protect you. Your death a few days ago broke the spell."

Buffy's head felt like it was going to explode with all her father told her. Finding out she had a whole new family was a lot to take in. Knowing that some of her new family had been violated in such a gruesome manner pissed her off. "I drowned for a minute, but my friend Xander gave me CPR and brought me back," she said.

"I owe him a debt," Severus said, never believing he'd feel indebted to a muggle.

"He's pretty great. He's completely normal, but he wants to help me fight the monsters that live in this town," Buffy said. "He and Willow used to have a different best friend, whose name was Jesse. He was taken by some vamps my first week here. I couldn't save him before he was turned, and Xander ended up slaying him."

Severus winced, feeling sympathy—a foreign feeling for him. These children were fighting in their own war except they fought every day. He glared at Rupert Giles. "I cannot believe you let powerless children fight in battle," he said.

Buffy was loyal to an extreme degree and did not take kindly to anyone criticizing her Watcher. "Giles can't stop my friends! They have just as much right to protect themselves and help protect others as anyone else. This is their home. It was long before it was mine. They were born here," she said.

"Is that true of your friend Cordelia?" he asked.

"I wouldn't exactly call her my friend. She's mean to Willow and thinks she's better than everyone," Buffy said. "I was exactly like her before I was called. But yes, as far as I know she was born here. Or started kindergarten here. Xander and Willow have hated her for a long time."

Severus hadn't exactly detected hate from Xander as he chased after Cordelia, but teenagers were often driven by their hormones. "The hellmouth produces a lot of dark energy. It's probably why she and your friend Willow were never invited to one of the American schools of witchcraft and wizardry. Normally, they're invited by age eleven," he explained.

"Seriously? Cordy's a witch? That explains a lot!" Buffy said smugly.

Severus didn't like the implied insult and couldn't resist saying, "You probably are one, too, you know."

"What?" Buffy asked, shocked. "I'm not magic girl. I'm hit-in-face-with-my-fist girl!"

Her manner of speaking was so peculiar, and he looked at Giles. "Do all American teenagers speak thus?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that Southern Californians have their own way of speaking that is painful to the ears," Giles said.

Buffy grinned. "It makes Giles nuts!" she agreed.

"Buffy, I'm going to head home. How about you take Severus home with you? I'm sure your mother would want him to stay on your couch rather than an unsafe hotel room," Giles suggested.

"How about he stay with you?" Buffy said. "Mom doesn't know about the supernatural, and Severus looks exactly like what he is."

Severus didn't know if he should be offended, but he did want to speak further with Mr. Giles. "I would like to speak to you, sir, about a great many things," Severus said.

Giles nodded. "Okay. Why don't you both walk to the diner across from my apartment? It's open for two more hours," Giles suggested. "Spend some time getting acquainted. I will call your mother and let her know that Mr. Snape is in town."

"Professor," Severus corrected. "Mr. Snape sounds strange. It's professor."

Giles gave him a small smile. "I'm actually Dr. Giles, but these informal teenagers normally just call me Giles," he said.

Severus gave Buffy a disapproving look, but she just smiled. "Hey! I'm an American! Not some uptight Brit, and I figure once you save a person's life, you can call them whatever you want!" his cheeky daughter said.

She stood up and gave Giles' shoulder a fond squeeze. "Thanks, Doctor Giles. We'll see you later," she said. Then she turned to her father. "Are you coming, Professor?" The emphasis on his title made Severus grit his teeth, but he rose to his feet.

"Thank you, Dr. Giles. My school is out for the summer, so I do have time to linger in town," he said, shaking the watcher's hand before leaving with his daughter.

Buffy wasn't sure how she felt about Severus being in town or how it might upset the dad, who raised and loved her all her life. Did she call this man Dad, too? It was all so confusing.

They walked out of the school in silence with Severus keeping pace with her. "So how long have you been with the magic?" Buffy asked.

"Do you mean how long have I been a wizard?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrow.

"That's what I said," Buffy said, giving him a cheeky green.

"You are going to be incorrigible, aren't you?" he asked before he could stop himself.

"Absolutely," Buffy said smugly. "Adults either adore me or hate me. Principal Snyder is all about the hating of the Buffy."

Severus looked at her in bemusement, knowing that Albus would adore her. "The headmaster at our school—it's what we call our principal—would adore you. He loves incorrigible students the most, I believe," Severus confessed, thinking of the Weasley twins and Potter.

"I want to hear all about your school," Buffy said.

"I'd rather hear about you," Severus said.

"My life isn't that special. I mean, sure, I'm the slayer. I kill vamps and prevent the end of the world sometimes," she said. "I burned down my high school gym in Los Angeles, fighting a group of vampires. The master vamp killed my first watcher—I got expelled. My parents committed me when I told them I was a vampire slayer."

Severus frowned, not liking the reminder that Joyce had glossed over some important details in your letter. "She said you were have difficulty and had a doctor check you over," he said. "She took you to a hospital for the criminally insane?" He had been raised by a muggle father, so he did know more than many wizards about the muggle world.

Buffy could sense his anger, but she didn't want him upset with her mom. "They didn't know what to think. I went from being like Cordelia—vapid and self-involved to running around with this guy named Pike, who was my slaying friend at the time. Students saw me fighting vampires and saving their lives, but they did what humans do—explained it away. It's how normal people cope," she explained. "My parents had to cope the best way they could. I stopped talking about vampires and my destiny, so I was allowed to go home. It was the worst three weeks of my life."

Although he'd researched the hospital Joyce sent her to online, Severus still couldn't believe that Joyce had done that to their daughter. "You didn't get a chance to prove to them you spoke the truth?" he asked.

"What was the point? My trouble basically blew up their marriage. Finding out I was telling the truth only would have made it worse for them, especially my mom," Buffy said with a shrug.

"In my world, parents are sent letters at age eleven, inviting students to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he shared. "My father was like Hank, not magical. My mother was from a prominent family that mostly disowned her for marrying a muggle."

"I guess that isn't done, huh? Like marrying beneath her?" Buffy guessed.

Severus nodded. "Yes. I don't know what attracted her to my father because he was a miserable and mean drunk," he said.

"I think that's how Xander's dad is," Buffy admitted. "He doesn't say much 'cause he jokes. But sometimes I get the feeling that there's some truth behind his jokes."

"Most likely," he agreed. "My time at school was mostly good. There were some bullies. My family wasn't wealthy like many of the other students."

"I hate bullies," Buffy said. "Willow was always bullied by the Cordettes. They mostly stopped since I've been here because they're afraid of me."

"Cordettes?" he asked.

"Cordelia and her group of stuck up bitches," Buffy said. "Excuse my language, but Willow is the sweetest, most selfless person I've ever met. Like Xander, she wants to help me just because she can. I try to keep them out of it because I'm afraid for them, but they're determined to help me. I didn't know friends could be like that. Pike was like that, but he was a guy who had a thing for me. Willow's just a girl who is my friend. I won't let any of them bully her. I'm sure they try sometimes, but Cordelia told everyone I knew gang members, so they're intimidated by me."

"Cordelia seems to know about vampires," Severus said, surprised. "In fact, I was being attacked by three when I came into town, and she saved me with her toy gun filled with holy water."

Buffy looked surprised. "Really? Well, the girl is full of surprises. She was really nice to me when I first came here, but when I walked away from her popular clique, she decided I was just a freak," she shared.

"No one likes rejection," Severus pointed out.

"There's the diner," Buffy said, pointing.

She took him into the small diner that reminded him a bit of the Leaky Cauldron. He sat across from her in a booth, feeling nervous again. When the server came up to them, Severus ordered a cup of tea.

Buffy shook her head. "Don't do that. If you're British like Giles is, you'll just be upset," she said. "How about a hot chocolate or coffee?"

"What are you having?" he asked.

"Hot chocolate, of course!" she said, grinning. "Lots of whipped cream."

"Make that two," he said, deciding it would be simpler. His daughter gave him an approving smile.

"Giles would totally never drink that!" she said happily.

"I am sure that your Watcher and I are very different," he said.

"Maybe. But the people from the land of tweed are very different from Americans," she said.

"True, but I do not own a single piece of tweed," he informed, causing her to smile that dazzling smile of hers.

"Maybe there's hope for you after all," she said. The waitress came back with their hot chocolate.

Both stirred in the whipped cream, making it sweet. Buffy felt pleased that her bio dad drank his cocoa like she did. What else did they have in common?

"So do you really think I might have magic inside me?" she asked.

"Well, as a slayer you are considered a magical creature," he said. "But you have a fifty percent chance of inheriting my magical abilities."

"Cool," Buffy said. "A slayer with magical powers has to be harder to kill, right?"

Severus didn't like the knowledge that his daughter lived such a dangerous life. "You know the head of my school contacted your Watcher's Council. Your death was long enough to call another slayer," he said. "Your duty to this hellmouth could be over if that's what you wanted."

Buffy's eyes widened in dismay. "I can give up being a slayer?" she asked, the idea both tempting and disturbing.

"You will always be a slayer. Your powers are yours," he said. "But your duty to this hellmouth could be over if that's what you wanted."

"I'm a slayer. Darkness and bad things are drawn to me," she said.

He nodded. "Here they are. If you were at my school, the magic from it would shield your presence," he said. As soon as he found out that another slayer had been activated, he thought of getting her away from this very dangerous place. Although the war with Voldemort and his role as a double agent would make life dangerous for her, it would not be a nightly war. He'd be on hand to protect her. Of course, she, too, would be able to grow in her power. He hadn't tested her yet, but he knew that she had magic, not just slayer ability. There was too much energy coming from her. Like Willow, she was brimming with power.

"You want me to live with you in England? Leave my mom?" she asked.

"Do you think your mother would consider living this town? It's a dangerous place," he pointed out.

Buffy was silent as she contemplated his words. To not have to slay every day was a dream come to true. Balancing her home life with slaying was so hard sometimes. Her mother didn't know anything about her life. Going to a magic school would be so cool, but she couldn't leave Willow. Her friend needed her. "I can't leave Willow," she said flatly.

Severus was surprised that was her main objection and proceeded to play his ace. "Your friend Willow is a witch. Her potential is so great that I could feel it when I shook her hand," he said. "I am sure we can get her a spot at Hogwarts even though she is American."

"Really?" Buffy said.

Severus nodded. "We have to tell your mother the truth, however," he said. "I'm not going to deceive her. She is your mother and deserves the truth."

"I tried to give her the truth," Buffy said.

"Dr. Giles and I will speak with her, and then you will give her a demonstration of your strength. I'll show her a bit of magic," he said.

"What if she freaks and does something crazy?" Buffy asked, scared at the thought. "She could keep me from seeing you or Giles. She could send me to live with my dad in L.A."

Severus frowned, having a hard time picturing Joyce, the young, sweet girl he knew behaving so irrationally. "Your mother loves you," he said.

"I know," Buffy said. "But fear makes people act wonky. Finding out about the supernatural normally inspires fear."

"Do you want to live your life on a hellmouth, fighting every day for your life and constantly having to save others?" he asked.

"I like saving people. It's what I do," she said with a shrug.

Severus had a sinking feeling that his daughter was a bleeding Gryffindor just like Albus suggested. What would they all think when it became known that he, the head of Slytherin house, had created a daughter that was pure Gryffindor?

*****To Be Continued******