Five years.

It had been five years since he'd last seen his wife, his dear beloved wife Hermione. Taken from him and their daughter by ex-death eaters who wanted revenge on Severus for betraying them. He blamed himself for it. He knew who they were and he could have prevented her kidnapping if he had only told the ministry the names of those who fled the battle.

He wanted so badly to join in the ever continuing search for her but the ministry forbade it. Told him they would take his daughter from him if he dared to leave his home. So he agreed to listen and stay.

His daughter was going to be eleven years old in a few months, which meant she'd going to Hogwarts soon after. And soon after that, he'd be alone in their home. Getting the few letters she'd probably send.

"Daddy?"

He glanced up from staring out the window to see his daughter standing in the doorway of his office and noticed she looked frightened "Ellie, what's wrong? Was it another nightmare?" She nodded before running over to him and hugging him tightly. He hugged her back and began to rub his hand up and down her back in a soothing way "It's okay Ellie.. they'll find her, I promise"

"I know.. but-"

"They will find her" He interrupted her as she pulled out of the hug "They will find her and we'll be together again, I promise"

It always tore at his heart whenever she had nightmares about the night her mother was taken.

The fireplace suddenly flared up then Harry Potter walked quickly out "Severus! You need to come quickly! We found a clue about where Hermione might be"

"Ellie, go and stay in your room until I return" Severus ordered as he walked over to the fireplace "I will be back as soon as I'm finished"

"Yes daddy" Ellie knew not to disobey her father so she quickly left the room as she headed to her bedroom.

"Sorry Severus, I hope I didn't interrupt anything" Harry stated as he grabbed floo powder "They were going to send someone else later but I insisted that I come inform you as quickly as I could"

"Not a problem, Potter"

Harry left first and then Severus did.

Ellie sat down on her bed and let out a sigh "I wish daddy would let me go with him.. I want to know what they found" She reached over at the table next to her bed and picked up a picture of her mother "Mama.." She sniffed as tears began to fill her eyes.

Despite the fact that she could barely remember her mother, she always loved whenever her father talked about her. Her favorite story told was always about when her mother revealed that she was expecting her. Hearing that her father had been so overjoyed at finding out he was going to be a father, made her smile. He told her that as long as she was healthy, it didn't matter to him what gender she was going to be born as.

She set the picture back on the table before curling up on her bed and closing her eyes.

Noise downstairs woke her up hours later.

She sat up and stretched out her arms before getting off her bed to stand up. She headed out of her room before walking down the stairs "Daddy?" She rounded the corner to the living room to see her father "You're back!"

"Ellie, go pack some of your things" He saw that she was about to protest so he quickly added "The ministry has granted me permission to go with a few Aurors, including Harry, to go see if your mother is where they think she is.. so you'll be staying with your grandparents"

"Y-You'll be careful, won't you?"

"Everything will be fine, Ellie" He walked up to her and hugged her tightly "Don't worry, I'll bring your mother back" He pressed a kiss to her head before letting her go "Now go pack your things.. the sooner I take you to your grandparents, the sooner I can bring your mother back home"

"Okay!" She raced off to her bedroom to pack.

After she left the room, Severus let out a sigh as he walked over to a chair to sit down.