Her Father's Daughter

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: My goal was to finish this before Deathly Hallows came out. But alas, I am a couple hours late. Thanks for all who have been patient with me and this story. I am glad to have finally finished it, and I hope the faithful are pleased with it.


What May Come

Ginny's house was situated on the main road into Bath. Muggles and tourist buses drove regularly past her front door, but as soon as she'd moved in, Sirius had suggested a Muffling Spell so that the noise wouldn't bother her.

"It's what I did when I lived here," he'd said with a shrug.

Of course, he was right, as Ginny quickly learned.

The house was one of two on the road into town with a thatched roof. It was two-story; on the ground floor was the kitchen, sitting room, another living area and a half-bath. On the first floor were two bedrooms and another loo. The Weasley boys had decorated it as best they could. Really, they had just thoroughly cleaned it and moved some furniture in. Ginny only had two weeks to get settled before she would start her Healer training at St. Mungo's. She was eager to get started and have a house-warming party for her friends and family.

After she'd arrived the first night, it was easy to spot the gift from Snape. A large rectangular package was wrapped in brown paper and set against the small side table in the sitting room. Without opening it, she instinctively knew what it was.

As she pulled the paper away, her breath hitched in her throat. Snape had painted her portrait.

Ginny knew that she was an attractive witch, but in Snape's portrait, she was radiant. She'd been painted in midnight blue robes that accentuated her figure. Her hair had been half-swept back and twisted into a loose not at the nape of her neck. As Ginny stared, her portrait-self smirked and reached back to loosen her hair, letting it cascade over her shoulders. In spite of herself, Ginny smiled. She remembered Snape had once said that he liked her hair down.

Ginny gingerly arranged her portrait on one side of the far wall of the room, and arranged Sirius portrait on the opposite wall. She giggled as she watched Sirius and her portrait-self wave at each other from across the room.

As she was unpacked a few of her boxes, Sirius whistled to get her attention.

"I just noticed something, love," he said. "Look down on your portrait, in the lower right corner. There's some kind of symbol there."

He was right, Ginny noticed. Two S's were intertwined and then laid horizontally. She hadn't noticed Snape's mark on the portrait when she'd first examined it, but upon seeing it, she knew she'd seen it somewhere else before.

Quickly, she crossed the room and examined Sirius' portrait. Sure enough, his had the same mark. When she'd first gotten her father's painting, she'd noticed the symbol and assumed correctly that it was the artist's mark, but she'd never considered that Snape had been the artist.

Tears filled her eyes, and she looked up to Sirius. "He painted you too," she said softly.

"If that's true, Ginny," Sirius said bitterly, "then he must really love you. There's a lot of hate between us, and if he managed to get past that to do this…." He left the statement open-ended. When Ginny began to cry in earnest, Sirius desperately wished he could comfort her.

"Ginny, can you do something for me?" he asked. At her questioning glance, he smiled. "Humor your father, please? Would you put my portrait next to yours, close enough so that the frames touch?"

Ginny quickly levitated Sirius' portrait across the room and settled it next to her own. She watched as her father drew in a deep breath and walked determinedly to the edge of his frame. Instead of stopping, he passed through his frame and into Ginny's picture. He didn't pause to celebrate his achievement, though. Instead, he drew his daughter into his embrace and held her close.

At once, Ginny felt a warm and comforting sensation cover her from head to toe. She felt herself melting into Sirius' hug and felt better immediately.


Over the next few days, Ginny considered writing to Snape several times. Twice, she even tried to reach him through the Floo network, but he was never in his chambers when she called. She wanted to thank him for both portraits, but at the same time, she knew that there was so much more to say to him. She just didn't know how.

She and Sirius had talked it over, and he actually came up with a good idea. He suggested inviting Snape to her housewarming party. Of course, Sirius was planning on Snape not bothering to show up, but he wanted Ginny to feel like she was making an effort.

On the night of the party, Ginny's house was bursting at the seams. All the Weasleys were there, as well as Harry, Hermione, and Lupin. Ginny's friends from school stopped by; even Draco stopped by and shared a glass of wine with Ginny and her family. He'd resigned from Hogwarts on the last day of term, and somehow he already had a job lined up at the Ministry.

Bill had heard from some of his coworkers that Malfoy had actually bribed his way into his new job, but Ginny defended him. He was her family too and definitely wanted to keep him in her life.

Ginny had moved the portraits to the lounge on the ground floor. All her guests oohed and ahed over hers and Sirius' portraits, but Ginny didn't say who painted them. Professor Snape wasn't a topic that she wished to discuss with everyone just yet.

Late in the evening, as her friends and family started to leave, Snape knocked on the open front door and cautiously poked his head in. He nodded at Lupin, and when the werewolf gestured to the kitchen, he went in search of Ginny.

She was magically washing out glasses and opening a fresh bottle of wine. She heard someone behind her and turned to see who it was. When she found herself face to face with Snape, she dropped her wand, causing a glass and a bottle of merlot to crash to the floor.

Snape smiled weakly and flourished his wand, instantly cleaning the mess and retrieving her wand.

"Thank you for the invitation," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"I'm glad you came," she said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to speak to me." She ducked her head shyly. "Thank you for the portrait. Both of them."

"I wanted to do something for you," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Anything to help you, just as you've helped me."

"I didn't know you painted," she said, trying to keep the conversation going.

Snape flushed slightly and cleared his throat. "I haven't in a long time," he replied, his expression clouding slightly. "I loved painting as a child, but my father didn't think it was an appropriate hobby for a young wizard," he said and laughed bitterly. "I wasn't much for him to be proud of."

Ginny reached to lay a hand on his arm and was about to respond when Lupin, Bill, Fleur and George stuck their heads in the room.

"We're buggering off, Ginny," George called, casting a look of contempt at Snape. "Unless you need us to stay?"

"George!" Lupin hissed. He turned back to face the young witch and smiled apologetically. "We're leaving. All of us," he added firmly. As they left, Lupin magically bolted the door closed behind them.

Ginny led Snape back into the sitting room and marveled at how well he seemed to be getting along.

"Do you think you'll have to use the cane forever?" she asked, nodding at the black walking stick he carried with him.

Snape nodded in reply and grimaced slightly as he sat on the sofa next to Ginny.

"I think so," he replied, setting the cane aside. "Some days are better than others."

The sat in awkward silence for several moments before Ginny finally spoke.

"Severus, when you came to my room that day, I didn't know what to do," she confessed. "I was trying to get over you, and when you told me that you loved me, I got so angry. More at myself than at you.

"But now that you're here, I realize that all those feelings are still there," she continued. "I just don't want to get hurt again."

Snape reached over and tipped her chin up to gaze into her eyes. "I will never do anything to intentionally hurt you," he promised. "Just tell me if I have a chance, and I promise that I will endeavor to make you happy."

Ginny took in a deep breath and smiled hopefully at him. "Severus, you do make me happy," she said. She paused and bit her lip before saying, "Can we go back to the way things were?"

"I'm afraid not," he said seriously. "I don't think that would be the best course of action, in this case." His tone was professorial, but his eyes smiled at her.

He leaned towards her and kissed her briefly. "I think it's best if we start over, my dear," he said. "A fresh start is most assuredly in order."

He didn't wait for her reply; he merely stood, with little difficulty, took her hand and led her to the stairs.

"Where are we going?" she asked, puzzled, but happy nonetheless.

"Upstairs," he replied with a devious tone. "Unless that infernal portrait of your father is up there in your bedroom."

Ginny giggled, but she replied. "No, Sirius' portrait is in the lounge down here with mine."

"Good," Snape said with finality.

He took Ginny in his arms and kissed her deeply. She may be her father's daughter, and he may have hated the man. But she was still the woman he loved, and by Merlin, he would spend the rest of his life making her remember it.


The End