A/N: Sorry it has been so long. This is a shorter chapter, but with school coming up things have been craaaazy. The kids come back Tuesday and I'm busy preparing for them…It's really overwhelming! Let me know what you think of this chapter.
Disclaimer: Don't own…you know the drill…Rowling owns, etc.
Chapter 2: Revealing the Truth
"But I don't understand" Sarah hurried to keep up with Severus. "Why is Harry at the Leaky Cauldron? And why are we picking him up? And why is he staying with us?"
"Stop asking so many questions" Severus barked. "You may ask Harry himself when you see him. As for why he is staying with us, I thought you would like that."
"I do" Sarah argued. "But, Uncle Sev…"
"Sarah" Severus interrupted, groaning as he whipped around and bent down to look her in the eyes. "Do not make this harder for me than it already is. Just be quiet please. I will explain later. For now, keep up" Severus straightened and gently placed a hand on her arm, pulling her along.
They entered the Leaky Cauldron and Severus greeted the bartender. "Hello Tom"
"Hello Severus" Tom greeted them. "Is this your niece?"
Severus nodded, tersely. "This is Sarah Black."
Sarah studied her uncle. She just wished they could be a normal family and that her uncle wouldn't have to pretend indifference to the world around them. She knew that he loved her, but she wanted more. She wanted him to be proud that she was his adopted daughter.
Tom nodded grimly. "It's a real pleasure Miss Black. It surely is. Are you here to pick up Harry?"
"Yes" Severus rolling his eyes dramatically. "On Professor Dumbledore's orders. I, for one, do not want the brat in my home, but reasoning with the Headmaster has proved futile. Will you show us where he is?" Severus asked.
"Follow the way" Tom led the two through a dark hallway with the light of a single candle. Sarah edged closer to Severus, holding her breath. Severus reached for her, tightened his grip on her arm, massaging it gently until her breathing evened out.
"There you go" Tom knocked on the door.
"Come in" Harry answered.
He was sitting on his bed, flipping through a book, looking thoroughly bored.
"HARRY!" Sarah pushed past Severus and ran to give him a hug. Upon seeing his friend, he jumped up and embraced her. "I'm glad to see you" Harry whispered, pushing up his glasses that had gone askew when Sarah toppled him.
"Are you glad to see me too Potter?" Severus sneered.
Sarah whipped around. "Uncle Sev" she glared at him. "Be nice"
"What are you doing here, Snape?" Harry spat.
"The Headmaster saw it fit for me to pick you up and for you to spend the rest of the holidays with myself and Black."
Harry was shocked. On the one hand, Sarah was one of his best friends. On the other, it was Snape's house for Merlin's sake.
"I see you are speechless. Don't worry, Potter. You and I are going to be discussing your atrocious behavior with your aunt at length" Severus gave him a hard look.
Sarah threaded her hand through Harry's arm. "What happened with your aunt, Harry?"
"I sort of blew her up."
Sarah laughed. "You what?"
"I sort of blew her up. Like a giant balloon" Harry explained and Sarah started rolling with laughter, tears rolling down her face and she had to bend over to catch her breath.
"You blew her up like a balloon…what did she do? Float away?" Sarah giggled.
Harry gave her a sheepish look and Sarah laughed some more, before Snape cut her off with a smack.
"It's not funny Black. She was seen by muggles all around. It caused a huge disturbance. Many memories had to be modified" Severus eyed her sternly.
Sarah's smile faded. "It was an accident, right?"
Harry nodded. "I sort of lost my temper."
Severus bristled. "You sort of lost your temper? What did she do? Refuse to honor your celebrity?"
Sarah glared at her uncle's insensitive comment. "SNAPE" she yelled.
"SHE CALLED MY MOTHER A BITCH! YOU DON'T THINK SHE DESERVED IT?" Harry screamed, his fists balled and his face red.
Severus walked over to him and grabbed his arm. "Lower your voice. Both of you" He said sternly.
Then, he paused, an expression passing over his features. Sarah glanced at Harry, unable to read the look on her uncle's face.
Harry shrugged and tried to pull away from him. Sarah continued to study him, puzzled.
Severus didn't release the grip on Harry's arm. "She called your mother what?" Severus asked in a deadly low voice.
"A bitch" Harry repeated. Sarah stared at Severus. "Uncle Sev?" she asked tentatively.
Severus quickly schooled his features suddenly aware that Sarah was studying him. "I think I might have lost my temper too" Severus conceded. "None-the-less, you should have tried to maintain it. It caused a huge uproar and you could have lost your wand. We will discuss this further in private. Grab your trunk Potter. It's time to go."
Harry gave Sarah a quizzical look and she nodded encouragingly at him.
Yet still, she wondered what had made her uncle stop and pause.
--
Back at the house, Snape immediately took charge of the situation.
"Black, go to your room. Continue your potions reading. We will still have our session in the lab later" Severus instructed, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Sarah ran a hand through her black hair, hesitating. She absently tugged at her light blue top, which matched her eyes. She looked at Harry, whose emerald eyes gave a silent message, pleading her not to leave him alone with Snape.
"Uncle Sev, can't I stay with Harry?" Sarah asked.
"No Sarah" Severus's voice was brisk, leaving no room for argument. "Go now, please."
Still, Sarah paused. Snape, seeing her reluctance to leave them, put a hand on her arm.
"Now, Black" He growled. His expression softened a bit at her look of worry. "I need to talk with both of you this afternoon, but right now this conversation is for just Potter and myself."
Sarah twisted the blue bracelet on her arm. She grabbed his arm and stood on her tippy toes and Severus leaned down to allow Sarah to whisper in his ear.
"You aren't going to kill him or hex him or anything, right Uncle Sev?" Sarah whispered.
Severus straightened back up and rolled his eyes at his niece's dramatic antics. "Of course not" he managed to say in a calm voice. "But Black, you will be grounded, if you do not start making your way up to your room this instance."
Knowing that he would be true to his word, Sarah gave yet another sympathetic look to Harry and left the two alone.
Severus turned to look at Harry. "Now, Mr. Potter, follow me"
Snape led Harry into his study, shutting the door. "Sit down" Severus gestured towards the couch and Harry hesitated only a moment before seeing Snape's unyielding expression.
Severus walked around his desk, sat down in his chair and threaded his fingers together lightly before speaking. "Do you realize" his voice was firm, "how much trouble you should be in right now?"
Harry crossed his arms. "But I'm not" he answered somewhat smugly. "Nobody cares what I do as long as I prevent Voldemort from coming back"
Severus slapped his palm on his desk. "Damn it, Potter. You truly are just like your father- an arrogant know it all, who had no regards for authority or the well being of others"
"That's not true!" Harry's face flushed in anger. "You have no right to say that about my Dad!"
"But I have a right to say it about you?" Severus asked silkily. "Come now, Potter, you could at least act somewhat repentant"
"Why should I?" Harry's eyes narrowed. "I didn't mean to do anything wrong"
"Just because you didn't mean to, doesn't mean that you shouldn't feel bad that it did! And it is not a matter of what you did, it is a matter of you not being able to control that blasted temper of yours!"
Silence followed as Harry's face contorted in rage. "She called my mum a bitch" he growled. "My mum, who died to protect me. She didn't even know her."
Severus rubbed his temples. "Indeed" he paused, choosing his words cautiously and taking the edge out of his tone. "And neither did you and that is why you are truly upset"
Harry blinked several times, turning his head to the side and swiping at his eyes. "You don't know me, don't tell me why I am upset. You hated me from my first day at Hogwarts. Sarah tries to tell me that you're different and it's an act, but frankly, I don't believe you are that good of an actor"
Severus laughed. "If only you knew, Potter…"
Harry looked at him incredulously. "If only I knew what?"
"Never mind" Snape responded briskly. "It isn't fair that you never got to know your mother, Potter. Just like it isn't fair that my sister died two years ago. But that doesn't give you an excuse to do whatever you want. If you want to survive, you must learn to control your temper" Snape raised a silencing hand when Harry started to protest. "Take even now, you are losing control of your temper. Take some breaths and try to get control of it before speaking, because I will not listen to you with your attitude, Potter."
"I don't get to do whatever I want. That's only what you believe"
"Well, we will see these few weeks, won't we Potter? In the meantime, you will be writing me an essay on the best way to control your temper before it comes to you blowing up people" Snape said firmly.
Harry sighed, not seeing that he had much of a choice. "Yes, sir"
Snape stood. "I need to talk to both you and Sarah about a serious situation. One moment and I will have Wiggles get her" He paused before turning. "Potter, Sarah isn't going to take this news very well. She is going to need the both of us when she hears it. But this news won't be easy for you either."
Harry shuddered. That did not seem like a good sign and yet he was surprised that Snape took the time to warn him about the news. That did seem unlike the Snape that he knew.
--
Sarah snapped her book closed. She drummed her fingers on her desk, wondering what was happening with her uncle and Harry. She knew well enough that her uncle was not happy with his behavior.
She got up and pulled out a hair tie from her dresser drawer. Pulling her hair back into a pony tail, she looked in the mirror and sighed. On the corner of the dresser was the picture of her and her mum taking a few days before her death. Two years later and she still missed her mum every day. She wondered if she would ever stop. Lying down on her bed, she stared at the ceiling.
After a few minutes, there was a knock on her door. "Come in" Sarah said absently, lost in her memories.
A house elf, Wiggles, opened the door. "Miss Sarah, Master wants to see you in his study."
Sarah sat up and stretched. "Thank you Wiggles" she said as she started for the study.
When she reached Snape's door, she was surprised to find it closed. She knocked and waited for her uncle.
"Come in"
Sarah opened the door. Snape was sitting in his arm chair by the fire place and Harry was seated on the couch. Severus rose to greet Sarah.
"Did you finish your potions reading?" He asked quietly as he walked over to her.
"Yes, sir" Sarah replied.
Snape put a gentle hand on her head. "Good" he said, with a tenderness to his tone that caused Harry to sit up and study their interaction.
Sarah looked up at her uncle. Snape's eyes filled with an expression that Sarah could not understand, but she understood whatever it was, it was serious. She suddenly felt scared, her heart racing.
Severus noticed this. "I need to talk to you. Sit down, Sarah" Sarah walked over and took a seat beside Harry, picking up one of the pillows and hugged it.
"Are you ok?" She asked in a low voice.
"Yes" Harry responded. "You?"
"I'm not sure" Sarah responded honestly. She knew something was wrong. Harry reached to squeeze her hand once.
Severus moved his chair until he was close to the children. He took a deep breath and his dark eyes studied them. They shifted back and forth between the two of them, trying to decipher which one of the two children was prepared for this news. He determined that neither of them was, but he had little choice but to tell them anyways.
"There is a serious matter I must discuss with both of you. The Minister of Magic visited Headmaster Dumbledore. During this visit, he informed him that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban" Severus began. He leaned his elbows down to where they were resting on his knees as he looked Black and Potter in the eyes.
Sarah clutched her pillow tightly and Harry gave Snape a look of confusion.
"Dad escaped?" Sarah asked, twisting the pillow further still. Her voice was timid and hesitant. She knew how Severus felt about her father and was unsure how she should feel about the news.
Severus cringed at Sarah calling Black "Dad". It was much too personal. This did not bode well.
"Yes" Severus's eyes boarded into Sarah's. "The ministry believes that he is dangerous. Furthermore" Severus's eyes traveled to Harry, "the ministry has reason to believe that his target is you, Potter."
Harry sat up taller and stammered. "M…me? Why?" he exclaimed, surprised at why Sarah's father would be after him.
Sarah was shocked as well. "I don't understand" she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"It is complicated. However, Dumbledore agrees that you should only know the bare minimum. The only reason I am telling you both is so you can be vigilant."
Sarah shifted in her seat. A pink twinge started creeping up on her face as she twisted and untwisted the pillow. "We have the right to know Snape" Sarah said. Severus knew her well enough to know that she was growing agitated. Her calling him Snape was a sure sign of it. "He is my father" She growled.
"And it's my life" Harry added, his green eyes flashing for a second. He was tired of the grown ups making decisions for him.
"I will tell you what he was imprisoned for. You will find out anyways as it is all over the news and it will be quite the talk. However, I will not tell you why he is after Harry" Severus said firmly. "On that matter, that is my final judgment. It is for the best."
Harry glanced at the red face of his friend and as much as he hated to agree with Snape, conceded to his wishes. It would only hurt Sarah. He could find out later from someone else. Mr. Weasley, perhaps. As much as he wanted to pound the information out of Snape, he didn't want to do it at Sarah's expense.
"What was Dad in jail for?" Sarah held on to her pillow as if holding on to a life jacket. Severus scooted his chair up so his knees were touching Sarah's. He reached over to brush a stray piece of hair away from her face.
"You are so much like your mum, Sarah" Severus said softly. "Gracie would have been so proud of you and of the person who are becoming."
Harry's mouth opened in shock. He had never seen Snape so gentle or kind. He was beginning to understand what Sarah meant about her uncle having two sides to him.
Sarah fought the tears that were forming in her eyes and Snape took one of her hands. With a glance at Harry to tell him that he was talking to him as well, Snape took a deep breath.
"Sirius Black was imprisoned thirteen years ago when he killed 13 muggles with one spell."
Sarah shook her head. "But my dad, he loved me and mum. I saw that from your memories. Why would he do that?" Her little hand shook in Severus's big one and she clung to her pillow tightly.
"We don't know Sarah" Severus responded as he squeezed her hand.
"Is the ministry looking for him, sir?" Harry asked quietly.
"Yes" Severus answered simply, surprised at how quickly Harry accepted his decision not to tell him the full details of Sirius Black and why they suspect he is after him. Perhaps, he wasn't as selfish as Severus once thought him to be.
Sarah's heart pounded and her chest felt tight, making it hard for her to breathe. She felt the heat radiating from her face, as if it was on fire. She knew what the ministry did to prisoners who escaped. And yet, somehow she still had to ask the question.
"And when they find him?" Sarah asked, her voice filled with emotion.
"Sarah…" Snape rose and moved to take a seat beside her and Harry scooted over to give him room. He put his arm around her.
"What are the chances he will get caught?" Sarah asked as she leaned to put her head on his chest. As tempted as she was to get up and ran, she fought the urge with everything that was in her. She knew that Snape was the only one who would be able to give her answers.
"It is unlikely that he would be able to escape the ministry's notice for long" Snape responded gently.
Sarah wiggled out of her uncle's grasp, suddenly feeling smothered and lowered her head to bury her face in her hands. She sucked in her breath and held it. It was so much easier knowing her father was in jail and that there was a possibility that something would happen and they would find out it was such a horrible mistake. But now knowing what he was supposedly in jail for, it changed everything Sarah believed and felt. Still, she didn't want her father to be killed.
"Breathe Black" Severus reached over to softly rub her back. Sarah exhaled and started to cry. She didn't know why, but somehow this seemed like the best reaction. There had always been that hope and now just like so much else, it had been snatched away from her. She would never know her father.
"It's ok. Let it out Sarah" Snape reached around her and Sarah didn't fight him as he pulled her close to him and she cried, burying her face into his chest.
Harry watched on as Snape comforted Sarah. He understood her. He knew that Sarah desperately wanted to believe that her father was innocent. While Snape was her family now, Sarah needed to know her father. Harry understood this quite well. It was because the hunger to know his mum and dad still gnawed at him daily. It was a hunger that nothing in this world could satisfy.