Hermione walked into the stately hallway. In front of her was a grand staircase with polished dark wood banisters leading up to the second floor. The ceiling was high and the walls were covered in tapestries depicting ancient mages and creatures. She could see large rooms through open doors on both sides of the hallway and glancing McGonagall in the one to the right she headed that way.
The room was a large sitting room. Probably big enough to hold a small ball. There was a huge fireplace on one side of the room and along the wall on the other side, large french windows were opened out towards a massive patio with a beautiful natural garden beyond that.
McGonagall walked towards the fireplace where a large settee and two comfortable looking wing back chairs were placed. She sat down on one of the chairs and motioned to Hermione to sit down on the settee. As Hermione sat down Snape entered the room with a scowl on his face. He opted to stand up, looking down on the women in front of him.
"Talk." Was all he said.
McGonagall who still looked amused cleared her throat and looked up at her former pupil, then colleague and now friend.
"Severus, please sit down, you look like a petulant fourteen year old, in fact, you look exactly like you did when you were fourteen. You and I both know you need help, and here I have brought you a solution. I should say that Hermione was as oblivious to you being here as you were to her coming so don´t go blaming her now. And before you start arguing with me, tell me this. How will you manage to take care of Celia without some help. The girl is too scared to even look at anyone, and after seeing you with hundreds of children through the years I am not sure you will be the one to lure her out of her shell. You need someone, and Hermione will be that someone."
The room went quiet for a long time. The two women looked at Snape not knowing what kind of response to expect.
Hermione took the opportunity to study her former teacher. He looked just as he had six years ago at first glance, but there was some notable differences. It seemed like he did not spend all of his time in dungeons any more because his skin had lost it's sallowness and even though it could not be said he had a tan, he certainly looked healthier. He appeared to have gained some weight as well and his hair only reached a little below his ears. All of the changes was in his favor Hermione decided.
With a sigh Snapes body visibly relaxed a bit and he sat down on the remaining chair.
"I can't pretend to be happy about this Minerva, but you are not wholly wrong. Celia seems to pull away more each day, she will only speak to Wiggly and only in short sentences. She has yet to look me in the eyes after being here for weeks. I realize her life so far has been hard. But if she will not talk, I have no idea of how to help her."
Hermione was take aback by this. The Snape she thought she had known would never been so sensitive to a child's needs. She had only heard harsh words and seen angry stares for years. But, she assumed that her views of him when she was still a child might have been very one dimensional. She now knew everything he did during both wizarding wars and he could obviously make sure people would only see what he wanted them to. He had also been Head of house for Slytherine for years, he must have encountered countless children that needed comfort and support. She had just never really thought of him in that way.
McGonagall reached over towards Snape and put her hand on his shoulder.
"Perhaps we should tell Hermione how Celia ended up here with you, if she is to stay here, as I will insist she will, she has to know what has happened."
Snape nodded and snapped his fingers.
"Wiggly! If I am to talk about this I need something strong."
A big eyed house elf wearing a clean pillowcase embroidered with an ornate P appeared next to Snape and looked up at her master.
"Fire whiskey for all of us Wiggly."
Almost before he had finished the sentence three glasses filled with an amber liquid had appeared on a small table before them. Snape took one of the glasses and after drinking a few sips leaned back in the chair and locked eyes with Hermione.
"I have been living abroad since the war and have not had any contact with anyone except for Minerva. She is one of very few that both know that I am alive and where I have been. One day I received an owl from Hogwarts from her with a message I had never in any way expected. Minerva had been up to look in the Book of Admittance to see if any new names had been added. And it had, in it there was a name that had been added within the last few days. The name was Celia Prince.
Had it been ten years ago, it would have been nothing strange about it, Prince was a well known wizarding family. But they were believed to all have been killed in the war. Death eaters wanted their allegiance, and when it was not given they were all slaughtered, we thought. But we now know Celia survived the attacks on the rest of the family and somehow ended up in the muggle foster care system. She has been moved around from family to family and no one even knew who she was.
After a lot of searching we finally found her in a family of ten, being treated worse than the family dog. She had started to show signs of magic and even though the others did not understand what was happening, they treated her like a freak. She is just a little girl. We have no idea what she has gone through these years. She is only seven years old, and all the world has given her is cruelty. And now the only family she has left is me. We are not closely related, and few months ago I had never heard her name or knew that she existed, and now somehow, I have to be the family she needs."
Snape was visibly shaken.
Hermione took a shaky breath overcome by the story of the horrible things that had befallen to the child. She had come to the mansion without knowing at all what she was getting into. But now, even before meeting the girl, she knew she would do anything to help her. And help the man sitting in front of her with dark sad eyes locked into hers.