Disclaimer: I (the author) state that I don't own these fantastic characters, and they all belong to J.K. Rowling. I am also not making any money off of this.

A/N: Sorry this took a little longer to get out. This chapter, so far, has been the most difficult to write, because I didn't know exactly how to make Severus act, but I think I got it right. Sorry if the writing on this chapter is a little messed up, I'm having computer problems. Well, here's a new chapter, enjoy! And thank you to all who reviewed on the past chapters, I really appreciate it!


It was the Thursday after he last saw his daughter in person. Now, he was currently sitting in his quarters, fuming about Filch.

Filch had awoken the professor at 2:30 in the morning, because that damn old cat of his had been hacking up fur balls for an hour straight, non-stop. He wanted him to find a potion that would stop her from forever hacking. Snape was going to wring his neck right there, but had decided against it.

It was now 3 A.M. and there the Potion's Master sat, wide awake, with an empty bottle of firewhiskey. When he went to get the fiery-red drink, he had found the bottle already empty, which only added to his sour mood. To calm his mood, he turned on the crystal ball and watched his daughter soundly sleep.

It went on like that for fifteen minutes and surprisingly, he felt much calmer, until he saw a bright flash shine through her window, which made him tense. He immediately took out his wand and tapped the ball twice, hearing a loud "BOOM."

Just a thunderstorm, thank God. I thought somebody was attacking the house.

He saw another brilliant flash and then an earsplitting "crack."

He watched as his daughter sat bolt upright and take a look out the window. As another flash was seen and another loud boom, the little girl got up and flew from the room while an earsplitting yell filled the house.

"MUM!" The little girl screamed, running down the stairs and into her mother's bedroom while jumping onto the bed.

"What's the matter Janie?"

"It's thundering outside."

"Oh, come here," she said, hugging her daughter. "It's alright, it's alright. I'm right here."

"Can I stay with you tonight, please?" She asked while giving her mother her puppy-dog eyes.

"Alright, c'mon," Hermione said while lifting up the blankets for her daughter to crawl under.

"Thanks Mum."

"Anytime sweetheart."

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Mum, what's Hogwarts like? I mean, are there storms like there are here?"

"Sometimes; the ceiling in the Great Hall is enchanted to look like the sky outside."

"Does it show thunder and lightning?"

"You see whatever you would see if you were standing and looking up at the sky."

"Can you hear the thunder?"

"Sometimes, but not all the time."

The young girl was quiet for a little while, probably almost near sleeping when Severus felt his eyelids getting heavy. He was just about to turn around to go to bed when he saw a flash that was brighter than all the other ones. He watched as his daughter yanked the blankets over her head and squeaked.

"It's alright Janie, I'm right here," her mother tried reassuring her.

The little girl looked up to her mother and said something that caused a pain in Severus' heart.

"Mummy, I wish daddy was here."

A few moments of silence went by when Hermione sighed,

"Me too, Janie, me too."

"Then why don't you go and get him, if you miss him?"

"I can't at the moment."

"I still want to know where he is."

"Remember honey, that he works at a boarding school, in another country? I can't just go and get him."

"Yes you can, you're a witch. And, I bet he's a wizard, like Uncle Harry and Ron. Do that 'poppy' thingy."

He scowled at the mention of the two dunderheads.

"It's not that simple Janie."

"Well, you can at least try something."

Several minutes were spent in silence as Severus watched the crystal ball intently.

"Mum?"

"Yes?"

"Does dad know I exist?"

What?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"I mean, I've never heard of him before, and the closest person I ever had to a father was Uncle Harry."

I'm going to kill him.

"Of course he knows about you, why would you think of something like that?"

"I dunno, it's just that I never got any Christmas presents or anything like that. Every year I get a beautiful charm for my charm bracelet from him, but I never hear anything about him, or get a card."

WHAT?

"Honey, it's hard for him to come out here."

"I would just like to know who he is, and even if I have a father, Mum."

Severus had had enough. He turned the crystal ball off and got dressed. Before he really knew what he was doing, he walked out of the school's front doors and down the dark path. His daughter needed her father, and he could not deny her of it any longer.

He walked to the edge of the path, and with a 'pop,' he was gone.


Hermione was silent since her daughter's last comment, until she heard banging at her door. This time, it was her turn to fly upright.

Who the hell is knocking at my door so late? If it's Harry or Ron, I'm going to kill them.

"Mum, who's that?"

"I don't know, stay here," Hermione said, while moving cautiously to the door.

Does she not realize that it's pouring out here?

Looking through the key hole, she sighed.

What the hell is he doing here? Does he not realize that it's past 3:30 in the morning?

Remembering it was still raining, Hermione swung the door open and ushered the wet professor inside.

"Professor," she said in acknowledgment.

"Ms. Granger."

"What are you doing here?"

"Checking on my daughter."

"At 3:30 in the morning?"

"At anytime she needs me."

"How did you-"

"Hello Professor Snape, what brings you here at this time?"

"Janie!" Hermione scowled, "That's no way to greet him."

"Sorry Professor," she mumbled.

"You don't have to call him professor, at least, not yet."

She raised a questioning eyebrow.

"He works at Hogwarts."

"You do? That's so cool! I'm going there in September!"

She turned to her mother, "If I can't call him 'Professor' yet, what do you want me to call him, Mr. Snape?"

"No, that's not what you call him."

"That's not what I call him? Well, what do you want me to call this 'Snape guy'," she asked, pointing her thumb towards the Professor.

For the first time that night, Janie heard the Professor address her,

"Well Janie," he said, bending his legs so that he was now level with his daughter, "you may call me your father for starters."

The young witch's eyes widened; she quickly looked at her mother who nodded in agreement. Then, Janie looked back to her father, her eyes sparkling.

"Daddy! I've waited for so long!" The young girl said, tears streaming down her face, running towards her father.

The force of his daughter almost knocked Severus over as he was unbalanced to begin with, and she enveloped him in a much-awaited for overdue hug.

"I'm so happy; my wishes were finally granted! Every year on my birthday, I wish that that one day I'll get to meet my dad. Even if it was only for a minute; just so he knew who I was and I knew that he knew."

She pulled away from her father just long enough to look up at her mother.

"Mum, why didn't you tell me that Professor Snape was my father?"

Hermione didn't say anything. She just stood there, with one hand that was fisted resting on her lips and shrugged.

Luckily, Hermione and his daughter weren't looking at the Potion's Master, because they would have seen a silent tear roll down his cheek.

"Wow Mum, this is so cool! My dad is one of the best wizards of all time!" Janie exclaimed, jumping into her father's arms. Janie wrapped her arms around her newly-found father's neck and started to cry.

"Ssh Janie. It's alright, I'm here now, don't cry," Severus said while wiping a tear off his daughter's face with his thumb. The young girl in return, yawned and buried her face between her father's shoulder and neck.

"Isn't she getting heavy?" Hermione asked, shocked that her old professor could hold an eleven-year old for so long.

"No, Ms. Granger. When you carry around cauldrons for several years, one builds a strong upper-body."

"I see."

"Well, I'd better be going, it's getting late. I'll come back in the morning; show me where to lay her down."

"You don't have to go back, I can set you up something out here."

"No, it's alright," he said while following Hermione into her bedroom.

As he laid his daughter down on the mattress, her eyes flickered open.

"Dad, where are you going? You just got here!" His daughter inquired with a hint of a whine.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in the morning," he said while kissing the top of her head.

"Why can't you just stay here?" she asked, holding onto her father's sleeve as if her life depended on it.

"I can't," Severus said almost apologetically.

"Mum, can dad stay, please?"

"If he wants."

"Please dad?" She looked up at him, using her puppy dog eyes again that night.

Seeing as he wasn't going to win, Severus gave into his daughter's pleas.

"Alright, but just for tonight," he said as his daughter let go of his sleeve.

"Do you need any help?" Hermione asked, following him out of her bedroom.

"No, I think I can manage."

"Oh, alright then," she replied, turning around to go back into her room.

"Mum, where's dad?"

"He's out in the living room."

"Why?"

"Because that's where he's going to sleep tonight," she replied as a flash shone through the window. Luckily, the storm's intensity had died down; it was finally moving away.

Janie thought about what her mother had said for a few minutes and then jumped out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"You'll see."

"Janie-"

Janie cautiously made her way into the living room, where her father stood by the entertainment center, viewing the pictures on the top.

"Dad?"

Severus turned around to face his daughter who was currently mesmerized by the crackling fire that was drying her father's wet black robes.

"Yes?"

"I'm scared," she lied.

"About what?"

"The thunder, it's too loud."

"It's not going to hurt you."

"I know, it's just that I don't like it. What are you doing out here?"

"Getting ready for bed."

"Why?"

"Because it's time to go to bed, it's getting pretty late."

"I know that. But why are you sleeping out here, alone?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because, it's complicated."

"That's what Mum said about her bringing you here. What is it, don't you two love each other anymore?"

Severus froze. For one of the first times he could remember, he didn't know what to say. Thinking quickly, he knelt and spoke,

"It's complicated, Janie. But of course I care about you and your mother."

"But do you love her?"

"We'll talk about this in the morning, alright?"

"Alright," she said, and then paused. "I have to show you something," she said while taking his hand.

"What?"

"You'll see," she said, leading him into her mother's bedroom.

"Janie, where are you taking me?"

"In here," she said while walking through her mother's doorway.

"Janie-"

"Ssshhh," his daughter said, while putting a finger up to her lips.

Hearing her daughter, Hermione sat up, shocked at the sight before her eyes.

"Janie, what are you doing?"

"Dad's lonely out there."

"Janie-"

"Well, you are, I can tell. Mum's lonely in here, and I'm lonely by myself, not to mention a little scared."

"Janie, the thunder has died down," Hermione informed her daughter, tiredness written in her voice and her features.

"No, I'm not scared of that anymore now that I have you two. I'm scared of loosing my dad again. This way, I won't loose my mum or my dad, we'll be together," she said while tugging Severus down onto the bed.

"You're not sleeping out there, neither of you. We're staying together like a family," the young girl said while talking hold of each parent's hand in each one of hers.

"If either of you two tries to leave," she informed them while raising both of her hands, "I'll know."

Several minutes of silence passed, when both mother and father heard their daughter speak,

"I'm so happy, I finally have my mother and father together. I finally have a family."