Hey everyone! Thanks to those who read the last chapter. Here's a new one. Severus gets bossed around by Narcissa in this one, and by Minerva! Hope you like it. Please leave a review!

August 1st - 5th 1981

Saturday August 1st – Mid Morning

Having a young child, I very quickly decided, was a lot of extra work that even a dunderhead first year Gryffindor would not be able to create. I had to move all of my potions to the other end of the dungeons so that Abigail was able to live in my quarters without possibly killing herself and then I had to move all the books from the study to my Potions office so that light could come through the enchanted window once more. After that I had to lock the other cabinets, make sure she couldn't get hold of anything dangerous in the kitchen (which in her case probably meant moving everything) and ensuring that she couldn't get into the bathroom.

All of that was on Narcissa's insistence and I was inclined to believe that she was being a little over the top with how safe she was making everything. Abigail would soon learn what was dangerous and what was safe, what was allowed and what was not. At least that was my opinion. Narcissa didn't seem to think so. Narcissa seemed to think that as soon as she was left alone Abigail would destroy my rooms before I even realised she had done so. Fortunately she offered to look after Abigail whilst I moved everything otherwise I would have had to do all that whilst keeping her in sight.

Moreover Dumbledore kept coming down to the dungeons to try and talk to me. One of the few ways to grate on his nerves was to ignore him when he knew he was in the wrong and so that was what I did. Not only that but the only word that came to mind when he asked for a direct answer was Sectumsempra. Keeping my mouth closed was definitely the safest option, safest for Abigail as well. If I attacked Dumbledore then our deal was off which would mean her death.

"Severus!" Minerva called as I was part way though moving the books to my office. She hurried down the corridor towards me. "Dumbledore has called a staff meeting in five minutes."

"I do not have time to attend a staff meeting, Minerva. I have a child to look after."

"Bring her to the meeting if you must, Severus, but you are coming." Minerva used her stern voice that I hadn't heard since I was a student and I still immediately obeyed it even though I was twenty one and her colleague.

Dumbledore as ever was glad to see me making me think that he had only called this meeting to check up on me. I was one of the last to enter the room and, predictably, many of the female staff were making cooing noises over Abigail who was currently in the arms of Lucius Malfoy. She was wide awake and was sucking on the paw of her blue bear and trying to hide from the attention she was receiving.

I strode over to crowd who were scaring my sister and pushed through them to take her from Lucius.

"Sev!" she squealed and held out her arms to me. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as Professor Vector and Charity Bell continued to gossip about her.

"Stop cooing over her, she is a child not a pigeon!" I snapped.

The ladies moved away and huffed amongst themselves.

"Protective." Lucius said I took Abigail from him. "I do believe your Death Eater reputation may be in danger of crumbling."

"Don't be rotten." Narcissa gently scalded and bumped her hip against his.

"Ab..." Draco said.

Narcissa and Lucius looked down to him with wonderment and smiles on their faces.

"Ab!" he said again and pointed to Abigail.

"That's right, Draco!" Narcissa encouraged. "Can you say Abigail?"

"Ab! Ab'ail!"

"Good boy!" Both Narcissa and Lucius praised.

Abigail looked around at him and threw her bear in his face. Draco began to cry.

"Abigail!" I scalded. "Naughty. Don't throw."

Lucius gave me the bear and I hid it in a pocket. Abigail tried to reach for it but I pulled her hand away. She began to protest, loudly, as everyone else made their way to seats.

"Abigail!" she stopped squirming. "Severus said no."

Ignoring her further protests I walked over to the seats at the far end of the staffroom where everyone else was sat.

"Mmmm." Abigail smiled and pointed to Minerva. "Mmmm."

"Yes that's Minerva." I said softly as I took a seat between Filius Flitwick and the Malfoys.

Flitwick smiled a little and left it at that perhaps remembering me to be less than fond of ostentations shows of attention. Abigail waved at him and giggled for no apparent reason. Dumbledore then called the meeting to attention.

"Welcome, all. I see most of you have brought lesson plans with you already which has helped move things along swiftly. I shall, if you do not mind, look over those later. Pomona, your seedlings will be here in two days I am told. Poppy, I have asked Severus to aid you with the making of the potions you need making up."

"I'm glad he remembers that conversation." I muttered under my breath so that only those closest to me could hear.

Abigail hit me on the leg and made a 'ssss' noise. So that's what it had come down to, I was being berated by a one year old.

"Now on to more important matters. I would like to welcome the Malfoys as they will be residing in the castle for a time."

The rest of the staff applauded. I ask you what's so impressive about residing in the castle? Hundreds of children managed it year in year out without… too many problems.

"And you have all been informed of Severus's relation to Abigail. I hope you will help him if he so asks for it. My boy, I notice that you do not have any lesson plans with you."

"That is perhaps because, Albus, this one year old child is not imagery but real and takes up much of my time. You'll get them when I give them to you."

Sunday 2nd August
Evening

Lucius and Narcissa were staying in my rooms tonight and would get their own quarters tomorrow in the guest area. Narcissa was going to stay here for the rest of the war with Draco and said that she would be more than happy to look after Abigail when I was busy teaching. Until the school term started I was determined to do as much as I could by myself. She was my responsibility and no one else's. At the moment she was sleeping in the cot with Draco and I was sat in the lounge making lesson plans with a glass of cold raspberry juice in my hand. Narcissa was sat opposite with Lucius and were listening to the wireless.

"You have not told us yet how you came to be the guardian of a one year old child. I imagine it was not your desire to do so?" Lucius ventured after some time.

"She is my sister. My mother died and I promised to raise her." I replied not looking up from the parchment I was writing on. I turned a page of the text book at the same time.

"Where is your father?" he asked.

"Dead by the hand of the Dark Lord. He was fortunately not her father anyway."

"Then who is?"

I put down my quill and looked up from the parchment. Something in my face must have worried them for they both adopted slightly frightened, wary looks. Lucius's face darkened considerably as if he already had a good idea who was. To be honest even a dunderhead Gryffindor could figure it out if they knew how afraid I was of the man. I debated for a moment whether to trust them or not with this, my darkest secret. When I used Legilimency on Lucius both he and his wife had seemed perfectly sincere but this was enough to turn a traitor back. The Dark Lord would reward them greatly for turning her in. I took a deep breath.

"The Dark Lord."

Colour left both of their faces and Narcissa's mouth fell open.

"You are sure?" Lucius asked.

I nodded.

"We will help you ensure she does not turn into him." Narcissa aid gently with concern in her genuine eyes.

"She's different. I just know she is." I ground.

The words were more for my benefit then theirs. Sure she wasn't living with him, but that did not mean she would not develop his personality and traits, his tendencies and beliefs. For all we knew his hatred had passed onto her the moment she was conceived. It was a fear I had refused to show anyone but now that I was amongst friends I was free to show it and doing so made me feel as if a huge weight had been lifted.

I looked up to see Lucius's steel gray eyes were still clouded over with fear. I knew my eyes were still haunted by that very same expression. Narcissa seemed more confident that Abigail would be different perhaps because she was raising Draco to believe different than her and her husband had been. I wanted to know how she could be so confident. Maybe it was a mothering instinct that Lucius and I would never have.

I slouched in my seat and looked at the ceiling. I felt the sofa dip as someone sat down but I ignored whoever it was and continued staring at the ceiling not sure what to think. All I knew was that I was twenty one and had an infant to raise and I had no idea how to do that. For all I knew when the Dark Lord fell he had some plan in place so that he could come back and he would demand that Abigail be by his side.

I needed a plan to raise her so that she could be whoever she wanted to be, but one that would enable her to easily fit in with the Death Eaters should he return. She'd have to learn occlumeny, know what it is to be a Death Eater, learn about blood purity and his ideology and all from a young age. And if before his demise he found out about her she would have to stay within the castle walls in case Death Eaters who didn't get sent to Azkaban managed to take her away.

There didn't seem to be a swear word bad enough to describe the situation.

I leant forward, rested my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.

"Shit." I muttered and began to cry.

Monday 3rd August
Morning

Lucius and Narcissa didn't talk about my breakdown last night. None of us did. We just got up, ate breakfast (which was a trial in itself when trying to feed a one year old who is being difficult for the sake of it) and got on with our days. Narcissa and Lucius brought clothes from their home to the castle and moved into their rooms and I made my final lesson plans.

At least I thought about making my final lesson plans.

After last night my mind hadn't left that train of thought. What the hell was I going to do? That was the question which spun around my mind. Unfortunately the only person who would be able to help answer that was Dumbledore. Sighing I picked Abigail up in one arm, carried lesson plans in the other and made my way over to the old coot's office.

"Password." The gargoyle asked.

"Chocolate frogs." I guessed.

"Nope. The spy will have to do better than that."

"Cauldron cakes."

"Nope."

"Every flavour sweets."

"Took your time didn't ya?" it taunted and moved aside.

Bluntly ignoring it I stepped onto the staircase and let it take me up to the door. Abigail made noises of amazement and laughed. Not bothering to knock on the door I entered the office and sat in a chair.

"Lemon drop?" were the first two words out of Dumbledore's mouth.

"Here are the lesson plans you asked for." I said ignoring him completely and tossed the string wrapped stack of parchment onto his desk. "Every lesson for the first term. I merely forgot to bring them yesterday."

"Yet this is not why you are here, my boy."

"I need a plan."

"What for my I ask?"

I looked at him in astonishment for a moment. Before speaking I put Abigail down. "Do you not understand what position she is in? The Dark Lord does not seem to know of her existence for now but he will discover her eventually. When we defeat him our attempts will have been futile as he has for sure already devised a means of coming back. He will wish to know where she is and I will have to tell him that I raised her and if still you want me to be a spy she will have to know his ideals, will have to already be a Death Eater at heart, but I won't allow that! I cannot allow that! Not her too!"

"I believe my boy, you already have a plan but are afraid."

I sat back down in my seat for a second wondering just when I had stood up and began pacing.

"You know what you have to do, my boy. It will do you no good to doubt yourself."

Wednesday 5th August
Afternoon

"Severus!" Narcissa almost snapped in exasperation. "How many times do I have to tell you, a potions lab is nowhere for a young child!"

"Then tell me, Narcissa, what am I going to do with her during term?" I asked not looking up from the blood replenisher I was brewing.

"We agreed that I will look after her. Just let me take her out of here before she eats something."

"I never said you couldn't."

Hope you liked it! Please leave a review and tell me what you honestly think. Just one more chapter of Abigail being a baby and then we move to 1984 (all I can think of when I type that is George Orwell's 1984. Ugh I hate that book.) to when she's five and danger comes to the castle. Anyway please leave a review!

J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter