Chapter 2: Where to place her?

Well Minerva was right, Albus called on Severus as soon as he got back. Severus checked on Melody before he went up to the headmasters office, His little niece was fast asleep still, for this he was thankful. He left the apartment that was attached to his classroom, once in the halls; he quickly made his way to the headmaster's office.

"Albus, what do you plan to do with Holly?" asked Minerva, "I know you don't plan to have me keep her?" Albus sat behind his desk with his head in his hands. Minerva knew that he had gone to check on the Potter's safe house after dropping off Harry, She knew that he would not believe that along with the Potter's that the Lupin's, the Black's, and Severus's sister and her husband where dead as well. "Albus, did you see them? Are they really all dead?" she asked him as she sat in a chair in front of his desk.

"Yes...they all are, and...why would they be so foolish as to go to one house?" he said more to himself than Minerva.

"I heard that they were gathering for a meeting and having a play date for the children" said Snape as he walked into the room, Albus raised his head and looked at him with a face of wonder.

Minerva's eyes flashed, "you knew of this?" she said with a shout.

"I knew of their plans but I never knew when, I asked but Elaina wouldn't tell me. So don't stand there and accuse me of my Sister's and her friend's deaths!" Snape shouted at Minerva, Minerva only glared at Severus. Even though severus knew he deserved everything he was receiving he would not be scolded like a child by his rival.

Then from the sofa on the other side of the room a baby's scream ripped through the air, Minerva jumped to her feet and rushed to the other side of the room. From the sofa she picked up Holly and softly bounced her up and down. "There, there Holly, don't be afraid of that grouches yells. He is only sad and angry like you are" Minerva said whispering to the baby girl, Holly quieted down slowly. She stopped a minute later and opened her tear filled eyes to look at Minerva, Holly's face was red from crying so hard, but when she saw Minerva her face settled to a soft pink. "Hello pretty girl!" said Minerva with a happy whisper, Holly smiled and giggled. She reached out to touch Minerva's face with her soft pink hands, but caught her fingers as Minerva's free hand came up to hold the little girls. Albus watched as Minerva cooed over the baby girl, Severus watched Dumbledore before he let out an irritated sigh. Albus had asked Minerva to come and to bring Holly with her because of the arrangement that he had for the baby Potter girl.

"If you do not need me Albus I'm going to return to my quarters and get some rest, while I still can" he was about to turn and leave when Dumbledore spoke.

"Severus, you shall take Holly. You will raise her as your own; this will give little Melody someone to play with, and a sister to guide her and help her with things you cannot."

Severus turned to him and gave him a look of pure hatred, "I can barely handle my own kin and now you want me to care for the Potter child!" he roared. Albus was not fazed by Severus's reaction he knew he would act like this and he also knew that he would not refuse. Severus looked over at Minerva to see that she and the baby must have not heard him, she had casted a silencing charm over her and the baby.

"Yes Severus I do!" said Dumbledore calmly but firmly as to end the discussion. Albus raised his hand and in it was his wand, his wrist twitched and the silencing charm fell. Minerva looked to them and then noticed that Severus was looking at her and the baby with a stone face, she understood that face all too well, Albus had just made Severus do something that he really didn't want to.

But she was confused as to what, and then Albus spoke. "Trust me Severus; she will be no trouble for you I assure you".

Minerva now really did understand, Severus was to take Holly, "Albus you couldn't possibly…he already has Melody. How will he handle two babes? You should have seen the state he was in when I went to check on him!" she said in hysteria.

Severus gritted his teeth and said "Thank you very much Minerva!" he stalked over to her and took Holly from her and then left, slamming the door behind him making the pictures on the wall shack.

"Albus I hope you know what you are doing!" said Minerva furious with him at thinking that their potions master could handle something like this.

"trust me I do believe I know what I'm doing, in this case of his and the children's well being". Albus stood and said goodnight to his Deputy before he turned to a door on his left, and left his office to head to his chambers. Minerva walked over to the door to enter Abuses office and left to go to her own chambers, she couldn't help think that everything that the people were saying about Albus being off his rocker was true. But she laugh out loud to herself and thought 'but this is what he does, this is how he stays in control, by him being…Dumbledore.' "Whether he is crazy or not" she said out loud to herself before she turned down the hall to her chambers.

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Severus now was feeling his anger resurface, he wanted to hex that old manipulative bastard, but he also knew that Albus was right. Damn, he hated it when the blasted old coot had him trapped in a corner and no way to wiggle out of it, Severus cringed at the thought of him wiggling to get out of anything. He finally made it to his apartment, he walked inside and when he closed the door behind him, he stopped and listened to hear for Melody to see if she had awakened. When silence met his ears he gave a breath of relief, he entered Melodies nursery and walked up to the crib. He looked down at Melody and smiled, he was happy to have his niece, he truly was, but he knew nothing of raising children. Now that he got landed with the Potter brat this only made his job more difficult, but only to his train of thought, little did Severus know that when he put his new daughter down to sleep with Melody that night. It was she who would keep Melody quiet through the rest of the night to give Severus sleep, and it is the 'Potter brat' that would help him to raise Melody and keep her safe.

Severus went to his chambers and changed into his night clothes, and crawled into bed. He had a sleep that he hadn't had in a while. A sleep without dreams, a sleep with not even a thought running through his head, for Severus it was just wonderful to have a normal sleep.