"Don't wiggle so much," Snape reproved Millicent gently. She squirmed in his arms.
"It tickles."
"Well, how am I going to buy you new things to replace what you lost if you don't let me take your measurements?"
"We could go shopping," Millicent suggested lightly. She knew as well as he did that he abhored shopping, especially the brand of shopping she was suggesting.
"Or you could stand still and let me take your measurements. You'll be very cold soon if you don't."
"I'll wear a blanket," she suggested, thinking back to a game of dress-up she and Ami had played.
"You will not. Hold still, I'm almost finished." Millicent let out an exaggerated sigh, but fell still.
The measuring tape obligingly took the last measurement of her arm, and then after he had written the measurement down, slid off her arm back into the case. Severus closed the lid with a flick of his finger, and then settled in to giving Millicent a frown. She looked up into his eyes, but looked away when she saw the frown.
"I do not appreciate your lack of cooperation."
"I know."
"Then why do you do it?" Severus demanded, irritated to the extreme.
"Short attention span."
"Then perhaps I can hold your attention longer by grounding you," he growled. Millicent gave him an unreadable look.
"If you must."
"Are you done?" he demanded, realizing the game she was playing.
"Yes." Millicent turned away and went to sit in front of the fire. Severus blew out an angry breath.
"Who taught you that?"
"Ami did." She stayed with her gaze fixed on the flames.
"That sounds like her," he muttered under his breath. He came to sit next to Millicent.
"She said she played it with her teachers," Millicent supplied.
"I can only imagine." Severus placed a hand on her head, and ran his fingers through her hair, catching on a tangle. He combed it out with his fingers, admiring her new hair cut.
After the fire, some of her hair had been burned off in odd patches. Millicent had covered this with her braid, but when Severus had given her a bath he was alarmed to find her hair falling out in chunks. Madam Pomfrey had done her best to even out the hair. Taking another look at his child, Severus knew she looked very much like him. Except that she was far prettier than he was.
"You haven't said much," he observed softly.
"I haven't much to say," Millicent told him, with her eyes closed. She rested her head against his hand. Wordlessly, he gathered her up, and sat her in his lap.
"Tired again?" Severus asked her in a whisper.
"Mmhmm," she answered, snuggling against him. His arms went around her protectively.
"I wish I could change this," he whispered.
"I don't. I want to be with you," Millicent said, turning distressed eyes on him.
"I want to be with you too, but this. . . I hate to see you like this." Severus stroked her back tenderly.
"Don't make me go away again," she pleaded softly.
"If you don't get better, I have no choice. I will not let you waste away just because you want to be close to me."
"Then you're making me go?" Millicent asked, unable to keep the tremble out of her voice.
"We shall see," was all he could say. How could he tell her he knew that she had to be protected? No matter what cost to her heart.
"It tickles."
"Well, how am I going to buy you new things to replace what you lost if you don't let me take your measurements?"
"We could go shopping," Millicent suggested lightly. She knew as well as he did that he abhored shopping, especially the brand of shopping she was suggesting.
"Or you could stand still and let me take your measurements. You'll be very cold soon if you don't."
"I'll wear a blanket," she suggested, thinking back to a game of dress-up she and Ami had played.
"You will not. Hold still, I'm almost finished." Millicent let out an exaggerated sigh, but fell still.
The measuring tape obligingly took the last measurement of her arm, and then after he had written the measurement down, slid off her arm back into the case. Severus closed the lid with a flick of his finger, and then settled in to giving Millicent a frown. She looked up into his eyes, but looked away when she saw the frown.
"I do not appreciate your lack of cooperation."
"I know."
"Then why do you do it?" Severus demanded, irritated to the extreme.
"Short attention span."
"Then perhaps I can hold your attention longer by grounding you," he growled. Millicent gave him an unreadable look.
"If you must."
"Are you done?" he demanded, realizing the game she was playing.
"Yes." Millicent turned away and went to sit in front of the fire. Severus blew out an angry breath.
"Who taught you that?"
"Ami did." She stayed with her gaze fixed on the flames.
"That sounds like her," he muttered under his breath. He came to sit next to Millicent.
"She said she played it with her teachers," Millicent supplied.
"I can only imagine." Severus placed a hand on her head, and ran his fingers through her hair, catching on a tangle. He combed it out with his fingers, admiring her new hair cut.
After the fire, some of her hair had been burned off in odd patches. Millicent had covered this with her braid, but when Severus had given her a bath he was alarmed to find her hair falling out in chunks. Madam Pomfrey had done her best to even out the hair. Taking another look at his child, Severus knew she looked very much like him. Except that she was far prettier than he was.
"You haven't said much," he observed softly.
"I haven't much to say," Millicent told him, with her eyes closed. She rested her head against his hand. Wordlessly, he gathered her up, and sat her in his lap.
"Tired again?" Severus asked her in a whisper.
"Mmhmm," she answered, snuggling against him. His arms went around her protectively.
"I wish I could change this," he whispered.
"I don't. I want to be with you," Millicent said, turning distressed eyes on him.
"I want to be with you too, but this. . . I hate to see you like this." Severus stroked her back tenderly.
"Don't make me go away again," she pleaded softly.
"If you don't get better, I have no choice. I will not let you waste away just because you want to be close to me."
"Then you're making me go?" Millicent asked, unable to keep the tremble out of her voice.
"We shall see," was all he could say. How could he tell her he knew that she had to be protected? No matter what cost to her heart.
