Chapter 10 - Dealing With Daily Life

At some point Nathaira had fallen asleep on his arms and he had found it a difficult, but not an impossible task to manoeuvre her carefully under the duvet of her bed whilst not awakening her and barely having the use of his one hand.

Thank Merlin for wandless magic, he thought as he covered the small girl whose black locks spread over the white surface of the pillow like a halo. Like an angel, he thought.

Severus made his way to the his favourite armchair in front of the fireplace awash with memories of the war and the one woman he had loved and has thought had actually loved him back. Not for the first time during the course of time after Nathaira's arrival and he knew it wouldn't be the last.

On her first birthday with him, Severus took her on a tour of the castle grounds, something she was afraid to do alone. He took her to meet Hagrid who doted upon her as much he had done to the Golden Trio in their time. He gave her a unicorn hair bracelet that had protective powers and Severus gave her a silver pendant with snake coiled with emerald eyes. It had imbedded with protective charms and an emergency Port-key to her room in his quarters just in case she ever needed to get away quickly.

"It's activation word is Pax," he told her and she hugged him in a way that made him feel happy and satisfied. She also flashed him one of her rare smiles.

Nathaira was so well-versed in wandless magic that Severus wasn't sure if she even needed a wand when she would go to school. A thought that he refused to acknowledge too much, because it seemed like the end of a time that he hadn't had the damned right to explore.

Nathaira took to casting a Disillusionment Charm on herself and exploring the insides of the castle. She dared not go far, but as the days went by she became bolder and bolder. Then the students came back.

She was surprised to find herself trapped in an alcove of the beaten trail of corridors attempting to avoid the throng of students. She crept into the very back of the small crevice and curled up into a small ball trying to remain invisible despite the charm.

After the normal beginning of term feast Severus returned to his quarters expecting to find his daughter on the settee dwarfed under one of his heavy tomes reading it with an interest that could grow to be as legendary as his or her mothers'. This was not the sight he found at all. There was no one, anywhere. His throat constricted with a panic he had never felt since his childhood, but it was much more intense than then. He quickly called a house elf giving it instructions to stay there and find him if Nathaira happened to return to the quarters while he was out searching for her. The house elf nodded as he set out.

It was sometime after curfew that he found her in an all too familiar posture in the corridor near the way towards Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers. She had fallen asleep and he carefully uncurled her cradling her in his arms and carrying her all the way to bed.

In the morning he asked her why she had been hiding.

"There where so many," she whispered with fear creeping into her eyes.

"Shh," he crooned. "It is okay. They are students, children only some years older than you. If they ever saw you, you could blend right in and if they ask who you are, you can tell them you are my daughter."

He gave her a wry smile.

"It ought to give them enough of a scare to let you be in peace."

She nodded.

"Why did you not use your pendant?" he asked her then. She shook herself.

"I... I forgot," she managed. "And mother taught me to not use safety measures unless absolutely necessary."

"There is nothing to fear here at Hogwarts. You are safe. And you have no need to be spare now. If you feel uncomfortable, just return to our quarters with any means you have," he told her. She nodded and smiled carefully seemingly more relaxed.

"Now," he continued. "If you want to continue exploring, do so during classes. There is nobody in the halls, excepting teachers, ghosts and well, Peeves. No students should be around then. And if Peeves ever bothers you, threaten him with the Bloody Baron."

And then Nathaira made sound she had never made yet. She giggled. He looked at her surprised and she began laughing first nervously building up to one of the happiest noises he had ever heard and it filled him with warmth and a hope to smile that he didn't even try to suppress.

Nathaira was never seen by students. She still felt more comfortable with adult company. She had a seriousness embedded into her that could not be balanced out by any amount of cheer of her elder peers innocent enthusiasm. She had seen very much of the world and had a frighteningly keen image of how things worked in the world, all though social associations was still somewhat of a conundrum to her.

She was a recluse that tolerated even Severus' presence if he was silent. This trait they shared sitting together in the evenings in a comfortable silence with only the voice of the fire crackling and the occasional page turning made fatherhood seem very easy to Severus. He seemed to have a natural talent in sensing when she was anxious and tense, when she was sad and when she was angry and he seemed to also know exactly what to do to make her happy. It was perhaps there great similarity in looks and tastes.

They fell into a routine. She was still an early riser, like himself and they would eat breakfast together. She would then settle down to do some of the lessons he had organised for her when he either graded papers or taught his classes. He would usually eat lunch with her and the she would explore the castle during afternoon classes.

From the end of the school day to dinner her habits would slightly vary, on some days she helped him with his brewing for the hospital wing, she might have continued with her lessons, read something for recreational purposes. If Severus had nothing to do, they would play wizard's chess which she picked up quickly and got better at the more they played. But whatever she did during those hours, she stayed in Severus' quarters during those hours.

Sometimes they ate dinner together, but because of his job Severus had to appear at least at dinner most nights of the week. Nathaira refused to venture out and would those evenings spend time in the kitchens with the house elves who she seemed to be able to handle. After dinner they would enjoy the silence until it was time for Nathaira to go to bed.