Disclaimer; All Harry Potter content belongs to J.K ROWLING. I do not claim to own anything, Apart from my own Imagination.

Chapter 4

The memories

Alice let go of Severus and looked around, she was standing in the middle of a small village with very pointy roof tops. « Where are we? » she asked forgetting that questions annoyed him.
« Hogsmeade » he shortly said walking towards a stone pathway. She followed behind him as he lit his wand.
They walked for what must have been twenty minutes in the warm summer breeze. Her thoughts towards her mother. Where was she? and where did she go? She was soon snapped out of her thoughts as Severus stopped, climbing into a horseless carriage. She followed clambering up after him. She was very small for her age and she struggled to get in. She watched as he grabbed her from the back of her dress and pulled her in, the front getting caught and her pastel green undies showing. She quickly pulled it down as her face went red. Oh gosh how embarrassing she thought as he looked ahead. The carriage continued on winding its way along a narrow path. She caught her breath as the castle loomed into view. Its high pointy towers and its beautiful glass windows were charming. It was really a magical sight to see. She tried to look at everything but it was hard as the carriage turned left and made its way to a set of huge doors. Severus Stepped out and she follow, clambering down to stand before the huge set of doors. She watched as Severus opened them, walking in and waiting for her. As soon as she stepped in, he took off at a fast pace leaving her running beside him. A long black cloak appearing from black smoke, It flowed around him as he walked through hallways and up stairs. He suddenly stopped at a statue of a gargoyle, She ran panting behind him. « Pepper imps » he said as she watched him step onto the stairs that were now coming up from the ground. She quickly follow a few steps down from him.

Severus opened the door, his face turned up into a scowl. Dumbledore look from his desk. « I have brought the girl to you, my job is finished. » He said as Alice stepped into Dumbledore's office.
Severus turned to leave as Dumbledore began to speak « Severus your services are still needed » Dumbledore said smiling towards Alice. Severus spun around glaring at him. « And what is it that you need of my service » Snape hissed through clenched teeth. Dumbledore still looking at Alice asked her « Do you mind waiting outside please Miss Grace » His voice calm. « I'm sorry for your mother, I have no idea where she is. » he added as she opened her mouth and closed it. Severus turned to look at her, his face sour « Well! Get out! And hurry up ». He said thinking that she must be missing half her brain. He watched as she moved out onto the landing and he slammed the door in her face. « Severus! » Dumbledore said his voice stern.
Severus cast the silencing spell so she couldn't hear and turned his eyes towards Dumbledore. « Please go easy on the girl, she has had a long and hard day. With her mother gone and your bad temperament, I think she's had enough for now don't you think? » Dumbledore said his eyes looking up through his glasses.
« What is it that you want? » Snape asked he was not in the mood for a lecture from Dumbledore.
« I would like you to take Alice in » he lightly said.
Snape's eyes grew wide with anger « What the HELL for? I'm not going to live with that SPOILED BRAT! ». he cried. « Please Severus she has nowhere else to go and you are the only person that I can trust. » Dumbledore added « I assure you; you wont regret it. »
« why not place the damn girl in an orphanage? I don't have time for her. » Severus yelled his pale face red with anger. « Why cant another teacher take her? » Dumbledore pushed his glasses closer to his face. « You will be taking her! The extra room has already been added to your quarters, by the house elves And no amount of arguing will excuse you from your services Severus. I hope you have not forgotten your oath.» Dumbledore said his eyes burning into his.
Severus bowed his head « Yes professor » he swiftly said and turned to open the door. Alice was standing there her eyes red with tears running down her face. Had she heard? He thought, turning to look at Dumbledore. « Where's my mommy? » she sobbed into her hands.

Alice was now standing In front of a small door. She looked like she was in some sort of caller, there were no windows. It wasn't like the other parts of the castle she had seen. The man named Severus Snape was called The potions master, She had read about potions but never fully understood. She watched as he opened the door with his wand and pushed her inside. The room was big but not to big that she could get lost. Jars of slimy stuff stood around the room and she gasped at them. She didn't want to look anymore as she caught a huge jar of dead spiders. She shivered and watched as he opened a door on the right of the room. She followed. Through the door she found an empty room apart from the built-in white shelves that lined one wall. The walls were a pastel pink and made the room look soft compared to the outside office and hallways. She looked at his face and saw that it had an air of disgust on it. « This is your room » he sneered looking at her with his disgusted face. « Give me your trunk » he said in a cold voice. She handed him her tiny trunk and he tapped it again. When it was back to normal he opened it and pointed his wand, all the things flew out and re-sized themselves finding a place to rest. He used his wand to arrange everything in place. She watched with amazement as her sleepy bear woke, his arms and legs stuck out in panic as he flew to the bed. She giggle at the look on his face. Once everything was done. He turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him. Does he not know how to close a door? She thought looking around the room. She changed into her pajamas and sat on the end of her bed. She was staving and didn't know if it was a good idea to ask him for food. She then lay down as her teddy walked over and cuddled up to her. Tears were in her eyes again, as she looked from side to side. Her whole childhood lay around her, it looked so unnatural in this strange place and without her mother she felt alone for the first time in her life. She cried deeply and silently as not to disturb the man in the other room. Soon she was fast asleep and didn't notice the door open.

Severus walked up to the girl, he placed the plate of sandwiches and glass of pumpkin juice on her bedside table. He looked at her face, it was stained with tears and her eyes were red where she had been rubbing them. He felt a wash of guilt across his chest and pulled the blanket from the end of the bed over her. He turned the bedside lamp on and walked towards the door he waved his wand and the other lights went out. He turned one more time to look at the sleeping figure her face half lit, he then closed the door softly. Slowly walking back to his desk he reached into his pocket and pulled out an old photo he had been carrying. Half of it had been ripped, out of anger for the boy looked like a potter. He hated him so much, the smug look on his face just like James.

He was now staring at the little girl, her green eyes blinking up at him and her arms and legs flicking out around her. He placed the photo back into his pocket. I wonder what happened to her, then suddenly he sighed. Maybe she was killed and no one ever knew she existed. He didn't get his hopes up that he would be seeing her anytime soon. He thought back to Alice and wondered if she could be her. No he said shaking his head, There were many girls with the same features many girls that looked the same. He place the photo back in his pocket, the half of lily he had left. He then continued onto scribbling down some potions that he was to make for Madame Pompfy. He didn't realize the time as he sat back in his chair and drifted off to sleep, That night he dreamed of Lily cradling a baby in her arms, she was singing softly to her and lent down to give her a kiss. « SEV » she cried as the last night he had seen her swam into view. « SEVERUS! » she yelled again as the baby appeared beside her crying, blood running down its face. Lily screamed in pain and vanished. Leaving the crying baby alone with him. He tried to move towards her, but his feet were stuck fast to the ground. « Emily » he called as the baby stopped crying and stared at him. He tried to reach out a hand, but just as suddenly there was a green flash and the baby lay still, her frozen eyes still open. « NO! » Severus cried as the image darkened into nothing. « NO! » he cried again as he felt himself falling.

« SIR! » Alice screamed not knowing how to wake him. He was stuck in his chair crying out names and words. « SIR! » Alice screamed louder as his eyes shot open. She was sitting on his lap looking right at him, A small amount of fear showed in his eyes and suddenly it went away. « Sir, are you alright? » she asked half afraid. She still had her hands resting on his shoulders. He glared at her « WHAT are you doing out of bed? » she cringed at the ice in his voice.
« Sir you where screaming in your sleep, you woke me up so I had to come see what was the matter. Who is Lily and Emily?» she asked before she could stop herself.
He eyed her coldly and pushed her off, she fell backwards hitting her head on his desk. He stood up towering over her. She stared fearful at him and backed away. « I would like you miss Grace TO STAY IN BED! » he finished his voice raised and his eyes burning with hate. He pulled out his wand « YOU are not to leave your room unless I tell you so » he said as she rubbed her head and backed away further. « I don't want a little rat running around my office or the castle pestering me. Do I make myself clear? Alice nodded her head afraid he would curse her if she spoke aloud. « GOOD! NOW GET OUT! » his voice raised. She looked at him, then his wand, then suddenly her eyes moved to his other hand. A mark of a Snake and skull half showed on his left forearm. He saw her gaze and covered it up. He moved closer to her, his wand at her forehead. « MOVE!» He yelled. She got up and dashed to her room slamming the door as fast as she could.
Why did he have to be so upset? What was his problem?, She thought about the mark she had seen, she new instantly what is was as she chewed down her sandwiches and drank her pumpkin juice. The Dark Mark! She thought, trying not to choke on her food. She couldn't believe it. Now it hit her why he hated her so much. It wasn't because he accused her of being annoying, it wasn't that she was slow or dumb. The real fact was that he hate muggle borns, blood traitors and squibs. She drank down some of her juice and whispered with wide eyes. « He is a Death eater » she had remembered her mother reading about a Dark lord and a boy named Harry potter who had defeated 'you know who' . She had mentioned Death eaters, they had marks on their left forearms and followed that dark lord. They were known for killing muggles and muggle born witches and wizards. She shivered as she thought about him in the next room. He's going to kill me, she thought. That old man was nuts to make me stay with him. And then she thought about her mother. Maybe Death eaters got her, She shivered with fear. That night she didn't sleep at all, school was going to start in two weeks. she hoped she would make it till then. She rubbed her head, the pain had calmed down slightly and she snuggled down into her blankets.

The morning arrived, she spent most her time looking around her room. Thankfully she found a hidden door in the wall that housed a bathroom and she quickly went to the toilet and washed up. She cleaned her room a bit and was reading her new school books when a man opened the door and walked in.
She froze as he walked over to her. He stopped just at the side of her desk handing her some breakfast. She glanced up at him, his tired face looking at hers. « Thank you » she said her hands shaking as she took the tray. She was sure that he was going to kill her right now. She was afraid to look at him but afraid to look away too. He looked down at her past his nose. « I am sorry for last night » he said using a mono tone. He then went on to say « I will be going out to gather a few things from the green house. You are to stay in your room. » She looked at him as he started to walk out the door, she breathed a heavy sigh. So he wasn't going to kill her. She got up and walked to the door, she was about to close it when something caught her eye. A silvery shallow bowl was lying on the table. The small amount of water was glowing with in. She looked at the main door and back to the object. She was just going to see what was making it glow. No harm in that, he would never know. She walked towards it, her eyes eager to see what was inside. As she looked in her heart stopped. The face of a woman with red hair and green eyes stared back at her. She knew this woman from somewhere, but where had that been? She was staring at her as her face dissolved away and there was suddenly a figure standing in a forest. She looked closer trying to see who it was. Her nose tip touched it and as she was about to pull her head back, she found herself being thrown in. A tall figure stood before her, his eyes cold and cruel. She screamed « Um… professor! I'm so sorry she said running towards him crying, But she ran right though him. His lips curled into a sly smile and he laughed cruelly. She watched as he waved his hand and a horrible scary mask appeared. Suddenly he was accompanied by three others. « Its going to be a fest tonight » one of them said as they moved towards the little cottage that she hadn't spotted. A bang was heard and they were off, shooting through the windows pulling out a woman with a newborn, a man holding a small girl and three other children. They all tried to huddle together as the mask figures surrounded them. Thankfully they couldn't see her. She stared at the family, terror on their faces, One of the masked figures raised his wand and the family flew into the air. They were hanging upside down and even the newborn was dangling there unaware of what was going on. The man asked what was happening, as his wife tried to reach for her baby who had started crying. By now all the children were crying and the woman had started screaming. She watched as Severus walked up to the woman and preformed the cruciatus curse on her. Her screams echoed around the forest. « Dirty muggles » he spat as everyone turned their wands on the children. Alice was finding it hard to watch as their screams filled the night. Severus waved his wand at the little girl and the man, they fell to the ground. The girl look like she was about four or five. « come on Severus give us a good show » the three others screamed impatiently. « Impero » Severus said pointing it at the man. He then proceeded to give him a sharp knife from his pocket. « I want you to kill her » he said pointing at the crying girl. Alice screamed no! as tears filled her eyes. She could not take her eyes of them for a second. The girl tried to run from him, her mother screaming at her husband to stop as the girl cried at her daddy. It didn't take to long for the man to catch her. He stabbed her twice in the legs and a few times in the shoulders and arms as she was moving around trying to get away from him. Alice felt sick as everyone cheered and she turned around, Trying to block her ears. « NO DADDY! The girl cried, the blade cutting through her more then ten more times before she lay still and lifeless. The woman's screams could be heard over Severus laughter.

She was about to turn around and find a way out when she came face to face with Severus. His eyes were cold and he was wearing the biggest scowl on his face. If it wasn't for the other Severus laughing she would have died of shock and thought she was next. « Having fun? » he asked grabbing her roughly by the arm. They floated up into the air his cold cruel eyes never wavered their stare at her.

Disclaimer; All Harry Potter content belongs to J.K ROWLING. I do not claim to own anything, Apart from my own Imagination.