Her Father's Daughter

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. More information is coming, so hang in there for plot questions!


Questions and Answers

The weeks passed quickly for Ginny. Because of her classes, Head Girl duties and working with Professor Snape, she barely kept up her schoolwork. In reality, she was doing very well in everything but Defense Against the Dark Arts, and that was only because Malfoy's teaching style was puzzling. He involved a lot of psychoanalysis and self-reflection in his lessons before allowing the students to actually perform the spells. And for Ginny, who was having a difficult time understanding herself, she had a difficult time performing the spells, too. It took two weeks and several tutoring sessions before she could master a corporeal Patronus in class, something she'd done during the War many times.

Before Ginny knew it, the end of October had arrived, and she was looking forward to the first Hogsmeade weekend that term. All the students were keyed up the week before, and the professors were on edge as well, trying to retain control of the wayward students during class and in the halls. The Head Boy and Ginny were forced to increase their evening patrols as a result, and both were exhausted by midnight when they were done.

Thursday afternoon, Christian Zabini approached Ginny after classes.

"Ginny, I need to ask a favor," he said hesitantly. "We had to move Quidditch practice because of Hogsmeade weekend. It's this evening; can you cover for me on patrols tonight?" His indigo eyes were hopeful as he looked at his female counterpart.

Perhaps it was the stress of the week or her naturally short temper, but whatever it was, Zabini had just pushed her over the edge.

"Are you bloody kidding me?" she yelled, tossing her hands into the air. "You want me to do all the patrols myself? Did it occur to you that I wanted to finish my homework tonight so I could go to Hogsmeade, too? You're Head Boy, Christian. You have to do the patrols."

Zabini's face fell, and his eyes darkened. "I'm also Slytherin Quidditch captain, and we have a match against Ravenclaw next week. Professor Snape will have our arses if we don't win. As Gryffindor captain, I figured you of all people would understand," he hissed.

"You dolt!" she yelled. "I've resigned as captain and quit the team. You have to make priorities, Christian. It's called being responsible."

"Look, will you cover for me or not?" Zabini asked, exasperated. "If you won't, I shall speak to Professor Snape. We'll see what he says."

"Sod it," Ginny grunted, stamping her foot. "But you owe me for this."

Zabini grinned as he hurried away before she changed her mind.

"Bloody bastard," she mumbled on her way to dinner.


The halls were dark as Ginny finished her rounds that evening. It was well into the early morning hours, and she dreaded the homework that awaited her upon returning to her room. She dragged her feet down the corridor to Lupin's office where she could sign the list, indicating her patrol was complete.

Suddenly, movement caught her eye as she passed an alcove. On instinct, she drew her wand and whispered, "Lumos."

She glanced around, but, seeing no one, she started back down the corridor. She soon heard footsteps behind her, however, and quickly whirled on her stalker.

"Easy, Weasley," Professor Malfoy breathed, obviously surprised. "It's only me."

"Sorry, Professor," Ginny said, lowering her wand. "You startled me."

"My apologies," he said with a nod of his head. "Why are you out so late?"

She looked at him dumbly and replied, "Just finishing my patrols."

"Where's Zabini?" he asked conversationally as they walked. "Has he finished already?"

Ginny tutted and shook her head, increasing her pace. But Malfoy caught up to her petite frame in two long strides and grasped her elbow.

"What's wrong, Weasley?" he asked harshly. "Have you two had a lover's spat?" He smirked as the young redhead blushed under his gaze.

"Me and Zabini?" she asked in disbelief. "Sorry to disappoint your vivid imagination, Professor. No, he's ditched patrols tonight for Quidditch practice."

"What?" Malfoy questioned. He grabbed her arm more forcefully and all but dragged her down the corridor to Lupin's office.

They burst through the door, startling Lupin who'd been dozing on his sofa. Malfoy thrust Ginny towards the sofa, where she fell onto the spot immediately vacated by Lupin's legs. Malfoy quickly Floo'ed Professor Snape, while Lupin rubbed his eyes in a daze.

"What's wrong?" he asked groggily. "Ginny, what's happened?"

Before she could answer, Snape's head appeared in the fire, and he glared angrily at Malfoy.

Never giving him a chance to chastise him, Malfoy launched in a tirade.

"That sodding git Zabini ditched patrols tonight for Quidditch practice. Weasley was still out patrolling when I found her just now," he yelled.

"It's after two in the morning!" Lupin bellowed, now fully awake.

"Malfoy, go get Mr. Zabini and bring him to my office immediately," Snape said through clenched teeth. "Miss Weasley, you should not have agreed to this."

"Excuse me?" Ginny asked, standing and stalking over to the fire. "Zabini said they had to practice because you wanted them to beat Ravenclaw next week. He said if I wanted to ask you, you'd just say it was alright."

"Oh, that little prat," Malfoy hissed.

"Enough, everyone," Lupin called. "Draco, you and Severus deal with Mr. Zabini. Ginny, you go straight to bed. You're excused from morning classes tomorrow."

Ginny nodded and left hastily, before Malfoy or Snape could refute Lupin's decision. She hurried as fast as her tired legs would carry her and dropped immediately onto her bed, not bothering to change out of her uniform. Sleep came almost instantly.


Friday afternoon classes were a blur to Ginny. Christian barely looked her way, and when he did, Ginny would swear he was trying to cast a wandless Unforgivable. Finally, Hogsmeade Saturday arrived, and Ginny looked forward to spending her day looking in shops and catching up with her friends.

As she exited the carriages, she glanced around for her friends. She spotted Colin Creevey a few carriages down, but before she could start towards him, two hands clamped over her eyes from behind.

"Guess who?" two voices chimed in unison.

Ginny grinned as she turned around. "Fred, George!" she exclaimed happily.

Though she exchanged letters with some of her family, they'd mostly been trite missives, containing vague comments about school and friends. She'd not truly spoken to her family since she'd departed for school.

The boys engulfed her in twin hugs, and she clutched onto them tightly.

"We thought we'd spend the day with you," George said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leading down the High Street.

"Yeah, especially since we haven't heard anything from you except how tough school is this term," Fred added. "Where to? Honeydukes?"

His companions nodded gleefully, and the trio practically skipped down the road.

"You didn't close the shop, did you?" Ginny asked as Fred held the door open for her.

"Nah," he replied. "We left O'Malley in charge for the day; he can handle it."

"Besides, he can't sell anything dangerous," George continued as Ginny and Fred looked hungrily at the sweets. "We charmed the cabinets locked!"

The three left Honeydukes several minutes later, their pockets full of candy and the twins' wallets lighter. They went to the bookshop next, much to Fred's and George's chagrin. Ginny purchased a new novel for herself and a new Potions research book for Professor Snape. In Gladrags, Ginny bought a new scarf, hat and gloves set for the upcoming winter; they also ran into Malfoy there, and though Fred and George scowled at him, he nodded politely. Ginny returned his nod with one of her own, to the dismay of the twins.

Ginny suggested Madam Puddifoot's for lunch, but the boys both made faces. Instead, they headed to the Three Broomsticks, which was crowded with Hogwarts students. Rosmerta smiled broadly at the twins, Fred in particular, and he blushed to the tips of his ears. George snickered at his twin, as the older barmaid pointed them to a quiet table in the very back of the pub.

"What'll it be?" Rosmerta asked after they'd all seated themselves.

"Soda with cherry syrup," Ginny said.

"Butterbeer," George said, turning to Fred.

Before Fred could order, Rosmerta winked at him. "I know what you'd like, love," she said cheerily before heading back to the bar.

"What was that about?" Ginny asked, watching George poke his twin playfully in the ribs.

"In a minute," George whispered, eyeing Rosmerta as she meandered through the pub, their tray of drinks levitating in front of her.

She set their drinks before them and saw that they weren't ready to order. As she left, George coughed loudly, distracting Fred from watching Rosmerta walk away.

"So, it's like this," George began, his voice low. "Remember when Angelina ditched Fred last year? Well, the poor bloke was heartbroken for weeks. Finally, our very good friend Oliver Wood gave young Fred, here, some sound advice."

"Which was?" Ginny coaxed.

"No, let's stop there, please?" Fred whined. "George, please, she's too young to know."

"I'm of age!" Ginny insisted, as George laughed loudly.

"Fine," Fred grumbled, leaning back into his chair. George looked at him sympathetically before continuing.

"Oliver told Fred that the only way to get over his broken heart was by… er… enjoying the company of another woman," George said. "Apparently, when Wood busted up with his girlfriend in seventh year, he came here on a Hogsmeade weekend, crying into his butterbeer. Rosmerta listened to his sad tale. Before Wood realized it, they were upstairs in her room, or in her bed, I should say, and Rosmerta was telling him Katie was nutters for not wanting him."

Ginny's eyes widened in shock, and she fell into a fit of giggles, as Fred banged his head onto the table. George, meanwhile, sat back and waited for Ginny to recover.

Suddenly, realization hit her, and she guffawed even more loudly. "You mean, Fred and Rosmerta?" she asked as she tried to regain breath. She and George laughed as Fred looked at them sullenly.

"Yes, Rosmerta and I shagged, okay?" he said rhetorically. "And you know what? It worked; I got over Angelina."

"Well, whatever works, I suppose," Ginny said, wiping tears from her eyes. They were silent for several moments, each just sipping their drink. Finally, Fred cleared his throat and spoke.

"So, how are you, Ginny?" he asked tentatively. "Really?"

"Fine," she answered automatically. "How have you both been?"

"Ginny," George said with a sigh, "stop being so passive. We're worried about you; everyone is."

"Don't be," Ginny said, closing her hand over his. "I'm really as fine as I can be under the circumstances."

"You know we love you, right?" Fred asked. "And we'd do anything for you."

She turned her eyes towards him and smiled. "Really?" she asked, and they both nodded. "I need your help.

"I want to know about my mother," she continued. "I want to know what she looked like and how she acted. Can you find a picture for me, maybe in some of Mum's old things? Can you get some information for me? Please?" she pleaded.

Fred looked to his twin with a guarded expression and thinned his lips. He slowly shook his head, and George nodded in response.

Turning to Ginny, George's expression was stern. "No, Ginny," he said firmly. "We can't do that."

"Why not?" she asked, fighting back tears. "Please?"

"We just can't," George insisted. "Please, we just want to protect you; we all do."

"But why won't you tell me anything?" she begged.

"Ginny, you have to understand, we just don't want you to get upset by what you discover," Fred said.

"It's too late for that," she replied, standing abruptly.

"Ginny, please don't go," George said.

But Ginny didn't listen. She rushed through the crowd and out of the pub. She hurried through the streets of the village as tears stung her eyes. She ran all the way to the castle and steadied herself as she burst through the doors. Feeling lost, she dried her eyes and breathed deeply before turning and heading to the Potions lab.


"Miss Weasley," Professor Snape said, opening the door for her. "Shouldn't you still be in Hogsmeade?"

"I came back early," she replied with a shrug. "I brought something for you." She handed the Potions book she'd purchased. "I thought maybe we could do some work this afternoon?"

Snape glanced at the book and then at his troubled student. "Thank you for this," he said, indicating the book. "Are you alright?"

She nodded forcefully. "Yes, I just want to get some work done," she said. She looked at him hopefully and bit her lip.

He nodded his assent and led her back to the private lab. She went about gathering their materials and ingredients while Snape produced the cauldron. They sat side by side and began to work in quiet.

After several minutes, Snape decided to attempt to get Ginny to open up.

"How was Hogsmeade?" he asked casually. "Crowded, I presume."

Ginny nodded and concentrated on slicing the shrivelfigs before her. "I saw Fred and George," she said absently.

"Oh?"

"Mm-hmm," she said idly. "Spent the day with them."

"And how was that?" he asked, watching her closely.

She sighed and turned to him. She clenched her jaw and said, "What is it, Professor?"

"Nothing," Snape said innocently. "You just seemed upset when you came in. Do you want to talk about it?"

Throwing down her knife, she stood. "You know what I want? I want answers!" Ginny yelled. She knew she was crossing the line of Snape's patience, but she didn't care. "No one will tell me anything about my mother. Surely you must have known her, sir. Can't you tell me anything?" Her tone was taunting and demanding.

She glared at him in what, she hoped, was a menacing manner. No matter what, she refused to back down. After a brief moment of consideration, Snape relented.

"Fine," Snape sighed and closed his eyes for a few moments.

"Your mother, Fiona, was quite a beautiful young lady; you resemble her very much. She attracted the attention of several young suitors, the most persistent being Black," he began.

Ginny sat down in the chair next to her professor, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest. She listened with a scowl plastered on her face.

"Fiona didn't fit in with the other Gryffindors," Snape continued. "She was bright, but she had a knack for manipulation, not unlike some of her Slytherin counterparts. She was never completely deceitful, but neither was she entirely honorable, much like Black, himself.

Though she was a year behind him and his friends, once she had Black's attention, they were inseparable. It fit really; Black and Fiona, Potter and Lily. Lupin had his solitude, and Pettigrew became bored. I believe that's when he began to befriend some unsavory sorts."

"And when did my mother…?" Ginny interrupted.

"It was at least a year after she finished school," Snape answered. "I don't know what happened with her and Black, but she wasn't happy about something. She said he wasn't using his abilities to his full potential, and she knew he would be better served to change sides. She promised to convince and deliver him."

"So she was killed because Sirius refused to turn to Voldemort?" Ginny asked.

"Not exactly," Snape replied, pushing his wheelchair around the desk to sit closer to his troubled student. "From what I'd heard, Black had somehow found out about her activities and broken off their relationship. To my knowledge, he was never aware she was with child."

He paused and sighed heavily. "Miss Weasley, it's getting late. Perhaps you should return to your dormitory before dinner," Snape said. He was clearly uncomfortable.

"No," she said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere. I want to know everything. I deserve to know." Her voice was pleading, and Snape knew she would not relent.

"All right," he said, taking a deep breath. "Before you were born, Voldemort asked Fiona to do something- ordered her, more like. She refused, and it cost her her life," Snape said sadly.

"And who killed her?" Ginny asked in a small voice.

"Lucius Malfoy volunteered," he answered, ignoring the string of expletives that exited the young witch's mouth. "He waited until Fiona was least expecting it, shortly after you were born."

After several moments of silence, she spoke again.

"Professor, what was my mother asked to do?" she questioned.

Snape sighed and turned to gaze at her. "Another Death Eater wanted out of the game," he said. "That simply was not allowed. She was ordered to murder Regulus Black, another sick twist of Voldemort. He knew she wouldn't kill her former lover's brother."

"And since she didn't, who did? Did Malfoy do that, too?" Ginny asked, knowing that Sirius' brother was killed several months before the Potters were.

Snape sighed and looked down at his lap. "No, I'm afraid I was presented with the unlucky task," he said bitterly. "It was a task to prove my loyalty, and in a way, it did. After that, I went to Dumbledore."

He paused. "One day, I shall ask forgiveness for murdering your uncle."

Sensing her growing disappointment, he spoke again. "I've done things in my past I'm not proud of, Miss Weasley," he said sadly. "But I've tried to make up for them. You were part of that."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

Snape put his hand on the back of her chair.

"We all knew that Fiona had a child, and Malfoy made it his mission to find you. He thought you were in hiding," Snape explained. "When I caught wind of his plans, I searched for you myself. I returned to your mother's house, hoping to find a clue as to where you were. I heard you crying before I was inside.

"I didn't know what to do with you, but I also knew that your mother's cousin had married into a very prominent wizarding family and had several children. I took you to Arthur and Molly, and I never saw you again, until you were a first year in my class."

He bowed his head and whispered, "When I saw you as my student, I didn't know who your father was. It was only during Lucius Malfoy's confessional before his death last year that it was revealed. For your protection, the record was sealed."

Ginny turned and buried her head into her teacher's shoulder. "Thank you," she murmured. For his part, Severus Snape displayed a warmth that was seemingly foreign to him as he returned the young woman's embrace.