Chapter 9: A home.
Skye's POV
Shadow came running towards me and waited for me to pick her up. I put her in the basket. I smiled at Snape, making him understand that I was ready. He walked towards the big door and held it open for me. I found this a bit odd, but that's fine. Everything in this world is odd when it's around me. We walked until we were sure no muggles could see us before he instructed me to hold onto his arm again and Appararting. I decided that I didn't like it. It was an uncomfortable feeling, and I was afraid of suffocating. Snape began to walk again, and I had to stop myself from skipping next to him.
I was away from the Orphanage.
I never have to go back there.
Professor Snape had saved me.
Then, it hit me.
Professor Snape was my father.
How was I to handle this? In the back of my mind I could hear Ron's voice saying 'just wing it'.
We'd reached a part of England that I've never been in. A street sign told me that I was in a place called 'Spinner's End'. Snape led me to a house that looked a bit shabby from the outside. He unlocked the door and motioned for me to go in before him. I carried Shadow in her basket; she had stuck her head out in curiosity.
"Hey, girl." I said to her softly. She purred in response. Snape passed me.
"This way." He said, walking down the hall. He stopped in front of the second door to the left and opened the door. "This is to be your room."
"Thank you, sir."
He took my trunk from his pocket and enlarged it.
"You can settle in. I shall give you a tour of the house once you are done."
"Thank you, sir."
Snape nodded and left me alone. I looked around the room. It was a handsome room. In the middle stood four-poster bed, like the ones at Hogwarts. It was draped in green and silver. There was also a dresser and a desk in the room. They were rather old, and I wondered what their value was, but only just. I smiled to myself; the professor had actually gone through trouble for me. I closed the door behind me and let Shadow out. I took out my books, parchment and quills and placed it on the desk. I took out my clothes and realized that I needed new ones. I had second-hand clothes, that was why, at Hogwarts, even on weekends, I remained in my school uniform. I had kept the clothes McGonagall had bought me for special occasions. Nonetheless I put the clothes in the dresser before turning my attention to the rest of my things. I now had to pace Draco Jr. somewhere, and that somewhere was on my new bed. My wand I placed on the nightstand. I took some time to change and arrange the room as I wanted it to be, but that's okay. I now had room that I could make my own.
123
Snape's POV
The child was in her room. Changing and redecorating it, no doubt. I sat at the kitchen table and let my head fall into my hands. I, personally, liked the child. I would never admit it to another, though. Except to myself, Lily and now, perhaps, the child. But there were more pressing matters to think about: the Dark Lord. He could never find out about the girl, he would make her his follower, and that is something I don't want. I also knew that the child would want to talk to someone about it. And she would want to talk to me about her mother. I sighed and thought of Draco. Who would've thought I would place my trust in a twelve-year old boy.
Wait, that's it!
I stood up and hastened to her room. The door was closed. I knocked on it.
"Come in." Her voice called. I swung the door open and was surprised at what I saw. The green and silver of the bed stood out more, now. On the desk and on top of the dresser stood books. I made a mental note to go and buy her a bookshelf. There weren't any posters on the wall, but photographs. Wizard photographs, because the pictures were black and white - and they were moving. There was one of Skye and Draco. Skye was smiling happily at the camera, and Draco, surprisingly enough, wasn't wearing the signature Malfoy sneer, but a look of amusement as he watched Skye from the corner of his eyes. There was another one of Skye and Granger, sitting next to each other at the lake, both poring over one book. I also saw a photo of Potter, Granger and Weasley, one of Draco and Zabini and another of Skye and Parkinson.
"Yes, sir?" Her voice brought me back to reality.
"Please join me in the kitchen once you're done here."
"I'm finished, sir."
"Then come along, Miss Night."
We sat down on opposite sides of the table.
"First of all, no one can know that you are my daughter." Her face fall, but only a bit. "Allow me to explain, do you know who the Dark Lord is?"
"It's that bloke everyone keeps calling 'You-Know-Who', isn't it?"
"Yes, Voldemort. Well, I used to be one of his followers, but that changed. You see, the Dark Lord had threatened one of my friends. My only friend. I went to Professor Dumbledore, one thing led to another and I am fighting for the Light side." I knew I had to tell her about Lily, but I would do that later. She was much too young, now.
"But you're a spy, aren't you?" She asked.
"Yes, how..."
"It made sense."
Clever Child. Observational.
"Moving on, if the Dark Lord finds out that I have a daughter, he will force you to be one of his followers."
"Sir, might I ask you something?" She asked.
"I'm listening?"
"Were Draco's parents' followers of him?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean that, should he return to power, Draco is doomed to be one of his followers?"
"Yes. He's destined to be a Death Eater."
"Is that what they're called?"
"What we're called."
"Oh."
"Do you understand why I wish for you to remain a secret?"
"Yes, sir." She said as she lowered her eyes to the table.
"I will allow you to tell one person, though." I said. She looked up at me, hope shining in her eyes.
"Who?"
"Your best friend."
"Draco?" She asked with confusion in her voice.
"Yes. I shall sent an owl to Malfoy Manor and ask his parents if he can come and visit me."
"Thank you, sir." She smiled a bright smile. She seemed to do that a lot. Smile, I mean.
"You're welcome. You can stop calling me that, along the way."
"What?"
"Sir and professor. We are outside school; therefor you can call me Severus."
"Only if you call me Skye."
"We've reached a compromise then."
"Yes, we have."
"I suppose you wish to know about your mother?"
"You're right."
"All I can remember of her is that she was a Veela named Storm."
"What's a veela?"
"It's a creature that's very beautiful, but turns ugly when things don't go their way."
"Oh. How was I conceived?"
I looked at her, shocked. I knew that it was written on my face, but her question threw me a bit off guard.
"The Dark Lord wished for us to create a hybrid species. He thought a Veela and a wizard might make an interesting combination."
"Oh."
"I'll quickly go send that owl, then." I stood up and went to my room to write the letter.
'Lucius and Narcissa
I am sorry if I'm bothering you, but I was hoping that you would consent to Draco visiting me for a week or two this holiday. As you are aware, I live alone, and I would like some company in this time. If possible, could he come over tonight?
Yours sincerely
S. Snape'
I thought that that would be all right. I sent it to Malfoy Manor with my owl, Morgana. I had wanted to call it Merlin at first; then I realized that the owl was female, so I settled for Morgana.
Within the next hour I got a reply.
'Severus
Draco would very much enjoy that, Severus. He will be over tonight at eight.
Please take care of my Draco.
Narcissa.'
I looked at my watch. It was six now. I was in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and Skye was sitting at the kitchen table, absorbed in a book.
"What are you reading?" I asked, out of lack of anything else to do.
"A book."
I almost laughed. Almost.
"What is the title of the book?"
"King of Shadows."
"What book is that?"
"It's fiction. It's about a boy that gets sick; then he wakes up, about a century earlier, to meet William Shakespeare."
"Sounds interesting."
Her eyes flitted to the end of the page before she closed it and looked at me.
"It is. You can borrow it, if you'd like."
"What? You've finished it?"
"Yeah."
"Then, please."
She handed me the book. It was ratty, the cover was faded and the author's name slightly blurred. I made a mental note to buy her a proper version of the book.
"It has a sad ending, though."
I didn't reply to this.
Skye and I ate dinner in silence. She didn't seem to mind, though. She stared at her plate after she'd finished, and when I was dome she collected my plate and went to wash the dishes. Hmm... She was a helpful child.
After she'd washed, dried and packed away the dishes, she returned to the kitchen table.
"What's your favorite color?" She asked me as she sat down. I stared at her for a moment before answering.
"Black. You?"
"Black. What animals do you like?"
"Deer." I said. When she shot me a questioning look, I pretended not to notice. "How about you?"
"I like wolves."
"That's nice."
Just then the flames in the fireplace turned green. Another second later Draco stepped out of the fireplace. He looked up to greet me, and was surprised to see that I was not alone.
"Hi, Severus." He greeted me. He then turned to Skye. "Hey, Skye, what're you doing here?"
