Elodie, her father, and her uncle spent the rest of the day at home. Severus had spent a significant portion of the day brewing downstairs in his private laboratory, leaving his daughter to entertain herself upstairs. Theodore had brought his work from home and he had agreed to stay for the day so that someone could keep an eye on Elodie while Severus worked.

On her father's orders, Elodie had changed out of her pajamas early in the day and she now wore a burgundy corduroy skirt, an oatmeal-colored jumper, and thick black tights. Theodore had pulled her straight, dark hair dry away from her face into a tight French braid. Theodore had also cast a warming spell on the living room for Elodie because even though she was inside and bundled in warm clothes the cold England winters still made her shiver.

It was Sunday, so Elodie's primary school was closed until the following day, but she still had a folder full of work that was due on Monday. Elodie was only halfway through Year 4, but she had already decided that it was way harder than Year 3 had been. Elodie was enrolled at a magical primary school in a wealthier suburb of London. In addition to typical primary school subjects, the school also taught the older pupils basic magic theory, so that they were prepared to matriculate at a proper magic school once they turned eleven.

Elodie had spread her schoolwork out in front of her on the coffee table and she sat on the carpet with her legs tucked under her, frowning at the pages. She had spent the last 20 minutes copying down her new vocabulary words, trying to memorize their spellings and definitions to prepare for her quiz tomorrow. Elodie thought that she had about 15 or so of the words down, but she continued to struggle with the final five. She unfolded her legs, grabbed her vocabulary list, and began walking towards the dining room table, where Theodore was sitting and lesson planning for his classes.

Theodore was a literature professor at a local Muggle university. Elodie was convinced that it was the best job in the world. Sometimes, when she had a school holiday or when Severus was called away on business, Theodore would bring Elodie to work with him. His office was on the fourth floor of this massive, historical, ivy-covered building. Elodie loved to watch the older students walk up and down the long corridors, complaining about their classes and making weekend plans. Besides, Theodore always let her have free reign of the candy jar on his desk. Theodore's profession also meant that he was always capable of helping Elodie with any questions from her English homework.

"Uncle Theodore? How do you use the word 'passage' in a sentence?" Elodie asked, sitting in the chair across from him. Theodore finished writing a sentence and set down his quill, meeting Elodie's eyes over the top of his glasses.

"The professor assigned his students a passage to annotate," Theodore answered.

"What's annotate?"

"It's when you write notes on something."

"Oh." Elodie looked thoughtful. "So a passage is like a story?"

"It's similar," Theodore said. "It's more like a selected part of a story."

"Oh," Elodie repeated. "Okay."

"Let me see the rest of that list of yours." Elodie reached across the table and handed her uncle the piece of parchment.

"Which ones are you struggling with?" Elodie reached across again to point to the five words that she had drawn stars next to.

"I still don't know estimate, traditional, frequent, or revolt. But I guess I know how to use passage now."

"Alright, well what do you say we study these four words and then I quiz you a little bit before your exam tomorrow?"

"Okay, Uncle Theodore, but can it be quick? I want to still have some time to play upstairs before dinner. I already know at least 15 of the words and 15/20 is a good score." Theodore sighed. His niece wasn't dumb by any measure, but her work ethic left something to be desired. Sometimes, on days when Elodie was feeling stroppy or overly energetic, it took several threats (and sometimes a couple of swats) from Severus to get the little girl to settle down and focus on her studies.

"Elodie, you and I both know that your father is not going to be happy if you bring home a 15/20 on a vocabulary quiz. Besides, we have loads of time to study now." Elodie groaned. She appreciated Theodore's help, but she hated it when he went into teacher mode and started lecturing her and setting up studying time tables.

As Theodore launched into testing Elodie, Severus resurfaced from the basement. He walked over to the kitchen table and leaned over his brother's shoulder, peering at the sheet of vocabulary words that Elodie had handed to Theodore. Across the table, Elodie was holding a thick, yellow Muggle pencil in her hand, practicing her spellings on a separate piece of parchment as Theodore read Elodie's vocabulary words out loud, one by one. Severus frowned as he caught sight of what Elodie was holding.

"Elodie, I've asked you to start using your training quill whenever you write. Those ridiculous Muggle writing devices will not help you prepare for your Hogwarts education," Severus said, giving his daughter a pointed look. "Go head upstairs now and retrieve your training quill from your desk."

"Yes, Daddy," Elodie said, dropping the pencil, slipping off of her chair, and running through the living room towards the staircase.

"No running in the house," Severus called up behind her, even though he knew that his daughter was already out of earshot.

"You know, I wish you wouldn't do that." Severus had started moving out of the dining room when he heard his brother's voice. He turned around and squinted.

"Do what?"

"Distract her when I'm in the middle of helping her study. You know how hard it is to get her to settle down and focus." Severus looked surprised at Theodore's words.

"I didn't mean anything by it, Theodore," Severus said. "I've told her multiple times that I disapprove of her using that Muggle pencil. Besides, I want her proficient with a proper quill by the time she boards the Hogwarts Express."

Theodore waved his hand in dismissal. "She's only eight years old. She has years to learn how to use a quill." Theodore took off his glasses and rested them on top of his lesson plans. "I wish you would respect the time that Elodie and I spend together. I would never interrupt if it was you that was teaching her." Severus looked taken aback.

"I hope you don't mean to imply that I don't teach my own daughter." Severus was angry now and he walked several paces back towards Theodore so that the brothers were only a few feet apart. "I appreciate your role in Elodie's life, but I'm her father, Theodore. Don't get confused." Theodore opened his mouth to respond, but his brother had already turned on his heel and walked back out of the kitchen.

Eight o'clock hit the Snape household and Theodore Flooed home, dinner was eaten, and Severus sent Elodie upstairs to brush her teeth, shower, and change into pajamas.

Elodie stepped out of the shower and pulled a white, fluffy towel off of the rack to dry herself off. She pulled on her pale pink jim-jams, a gift from Theodore for her eight birthday. Elodie pulled her hairbrush from the medicine cabinet and brushed her slightly longer than shoulder length hair until all of the tangles were gone. She returned the brush to the shelf, turned off the light, and started walking down the hallway, in the direction of her father's study.

The door of Severus' study was ajar and the light was on, indicating to Elodie that her father was inside. She moved towards the door, pausing in the doorframe when she arrived. Severus didn't notice his daughter's presence immediately. He was sitting at his large, regal-looking wooden desk, leaning over a thick stack of parchment and using a quill to mark up the papers. His glasses, a recent accessory, were perched on the end of his large nose. When he looked up to see Elodie, he placed the quill down onto the desk.

"You shouldn't loiter in doorframes. It's rude," he admonished. Elodie entered the study and walked towards her father's desk, sitting down in the plush chair in front of his desk when he motioned for her to do so. After ensuring that Elodie was seated, Severus picked up the quill again and resumed writing. Elodie squirmed as she sat in the seat. She hated it when her father made her wait like this. They both knew what was coming shortly. Why couldn't they just hurry and get it over with?

A couple of minutes later, Severus finished his task and again set his quill down on the desk. He pulled his glasses off of his nose and set them down in their open case, which was resting on the desk.

"Elodie Snape," Severus started, focusing his full attention on the squirming child in front of him. "Why are you going to receive a spanking?" Elodie winced at her father's words.

"Cuz I was naughty," she responded, quietly.

"Yes, we know," Severus said, annoyed. "But why was I upset?"

"Oh. Because I did something dishonest," Elodie said, speaking so softly that Severus had to strain to hear her.

"Yes, that is part of the reason. If you act dishonestly, then I cannot trust you and you'll see some of your privileges begin to disappear."

"Yes, Sir." Severus nodded in response, confident that she at least partly understood.

"To me, Elodie Jane." Severus stood and beckoned for his daughter to join him on his side of the desk. Once she stood in front of him, he sat down in the armless chair again, picked up Elodie around the waist, and situated her over his knees. Once she was over his knees, he adjusted her position a little, ensuring that her bottom was propped up nicely. Having achieved the ideal position, Severus hooked a finger into the seam of Elodie's pink pajama bottoms and pulled them down to her knees, revealing her white, cotton knickers. He delicately picked up the seam of her knickers and pulled them down to join her pajama bottoms. Severus then reached into his top desk drawer and removed a flat wooden paddle.

As Elodie heard the familiar sound of her father retrieving the paddle, she gripped onto his trouser leg, grasping onto handfuls of the black fabric. Seconds later he began.

*SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT* *SWAT*

Severus delivered 10 stingy smacks to his daughter's bare bottom, alternating between spanking her right and left bum cheeks. As soon as he was finished, he picked his crying daughter up off his lap and stood her on the carpet in front of him. She immediately latched back on to him, burying her face into his robes and bringing her arms around his neck. Severus returned the hug and began to reassuringly rub her back, making sure to avoid her pink bottom. Elodie had kicked her pajama bottoms and knickers the rest of the way off during her spanking and they were on the floor, a couple of feet away from the desk.

After several minutes of calming Elodie down, her sobs finally dissolved into hiccups. Severus stood, still holding Elodie in his arms, and reached down to grab Elodie's pajama pants and knickers. He disentangled the girl from him and stood her in front of him, helping her step first into her white knickers and then into her long pajama bottoms. Once she was properly dressed again, he picked her up under her armpits and sat her on the edge of his desk. Elodie hissed softly when her still tender bottom met the hard wooden surface. For the second time that day, Severus found himself summoning a warm flannel and wiping snot and tears off of Elodie's face. When Severus finished, he banished the dirty flannel to the laundry.

Sitting on his desk, her socked feet dangling in the air and clad in pink pajamas, Severus suddenly noticed how young Elodie looked. He had intended to send her off to bed once he finished cleaning up her face, but now, she looked so vulnerable, and he couldn't bring himself to simply wish her goodnight and excuse her.

So instead, Severus reached down, gathered his child in his arms, and began walking down the hall to Elodie's bedroom. When the pair reached Elodie's large, canopied bed, he shifted her weight in his arms so that he could balance her in one arm and pull back the covers with his other. He then put Elodie into bed, pulled up the covers again, and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, child," He whispered, retreating back to the door.