Chapter 3

Even if the two didn't speak to eachother, The students still talked. They had seen Rosaline flounce out of the classroom after the others, and they saw Snape, looking crestfallen, exit five minutes later. The torments had still not died down after about three weeks. Neither Snape nor Rosaline had the courage to go speak to eachother yet: there wasn't enough recognition between them, not yet, anyway. Rosaline was working on her Potions Essay when Hermione nudged her. Rosaline looked up, and saw a pair of green eyes staring at her from the other table. Hermione grinned when Harry Potter blushed scarlet and looked down as soon as Rosaline looked up at him. Confused, she turned to Hermione.

"Why isn't he sat with us?" She asked the other girl. Hermione smirked.

"He likes you, dumb-dumb! It's obvious!" Hermione broke into giggles, and Rosaline glared at her, though she was struggling not to laugh, herself. She packed up her thing and headed to her dormitory. She plopped her things down onto her bed and headed towards the bathroom. She went to the sinks and stared into the mirror. She noticed, for the first time, that she looked awfully similar to Snape, minus the hooked nose and eyes. Her eyes were a dazzling blue, and her nose was small. Her eye shape was larger than Snape's, but everything else looked pretty much the same; Rosaline wondered why she didn't recognize the man when she first saw him. Her skin tone was pale, and her long hair was a raven black, though it was less greasy than his. Well, Rosaline thought, smirking. I know how to use shampoo. Then she felt guilty at teasing him, even if only inside of her head. She resolved to speak to him tomorrow – Saturday. She then noticed her face in the mirror again, and smiled. Damn, I'm gorgeous.

23rd September 2016

Knock Knock.

"Come in," Came Snape's voice from behind the door. He was planning on seeing Rosaline today, but when the door opened and the student came in, He needn't have worried, for it was her who stood there. He looked at her in surprise, and smiled warmly.

"Rosaline," He said. "What a nice surprise. Please sit down, tell me what caused you to visit me."

Rosaline sat and looked around the study. It bore pictures of potions, and lists of ingredients and recipes. She turned to look at Snape, who was watching her, waiting.

"Well," She stammered. "I was just wondering.."

"You want to know how we're related?" Snape asked calmly, though his heart was bursting with happiness, he did not show it. She nodded.

"Yeah," She said. "I guess so, it's been bugging me lately." This was not a lie.

"Rosaline, you see," He started, but Rosaline had sighed, showing signs of wanting to say something. Snape paused in his sentence to let herspeak, and she took the chance.

"Professor, I was wondering if you could tell me why I was adopted, aswell?"

Snape sighed; He as fully expecting this. He looked at Rosaline wearily.

"I'll make a cup of tea for the both of us – it's a long story."

Snape looked at the woman infront of him and smiled. It had been a long year, or so to speak. His wife was holding a newborn child, a baby girl. He scooped up the child and cuddled her closely, never wanting to let go. He was a death eater, yes, but it didnt mean he couldn't enjoy the simple pleasures of a normal man also. When he looked over at his wife again, his happiness turned into a powerful ache as he found a nurse bustling around her, hooking her up to some machine. Snape, intrigued, stepped over and asked the nurse what was wrong.

"She's dieing," Said the nurse firmly. Snape looked at the child in his hands, then gave her back toher mother so his wife could spend her last moments with her baby. Snape sat next to his wife and tried to talk to her, yet tears were running thick and fast down his face. They were at a Muggle hospital, but it didn't mean anything to him at that moment. He just wanted his wife back. The machine (that the nurse called "Life Support") was going to help her live a while longer.

Two hours later, she had taken her final breath. The machine stopped, and a long lasting 'Beep' was heard. The nurse came and gave the child to him, and she helped him stand up and away from the room. Snape looked down at the child, and realised that he had to try and take care of her. He had Muggle money, of course, and he paid the nurses a big amount of money, before leaving with the child in the carrier. Instead of apparating, he called a taxi to take them to the Leaky Cauldron. He needed to get to Diagon Alley to get things for his firstborn child. When they got there, he paid the taxi driver a fair amount of money, then headed towards the Leaky Cauldron. He hid the child in her carrier beneath his vast cloak, and no-one knew a thing. He headed into Diagion Alley, and he produced his child, wrapped in a blanket the Hospital had given him. There, he bumped into a colleague of his – Minerva McGonagall. She gasped, and looked between the baby, and Snape himself. She stepped backwards, shocked.

"You- You have a child?" She yelled looking as though she was about to faint. Snape grimanced.

"Hush, Minerva," He said moodily, because his daughter had just started whimpering. "She's just born, I need to get some clothes and whatnot for her."

Minerva looked interested, and asked him a question that had just occured to her. "Can't her mother do that?"

Snape looked at his child, and was relieved to notice the striking resemblance between the two of them.

"She's just died, Minverva." Snape couldn't hold it in. One, two, three, four tears dropped to the floor. Minerva looked shocked, and went to comfort him.

"Severus, I am so sorry," She gasped. "Is there anything I can do to help? Do you know what to get for a little girl?"

Snape jumped in realisation. "No, I don't, Minerva," He said. He had a thought. "Could you help me?"

Minerva smiled gently. "Yes, Severus, I suppose I could. You look worn out; Go do yourself a favour, and have a drink in the Leaky Cauldron. I'll come find you with your baby girl when I'm done getting things for her."

If she had been anyone else, Snape would have refused, but as she was McGonagall, he accepted. It had been a long day, and he needed some peace. He handed the child to Minerva with shaking hands, and Minerva must have noticd it, because she said re-assuringly, as she took the child from him: "She'll be alright, Severus. Go have a break."

So off Snape went, into the pub, and ordered a weak drink. He didn't want to be drunk when he had to look after his baby, did he? He sat in a corner, and sipped his drink. The taste was good, but he had sense.

Minerva came back after an hour so so, with a baby girl in the carrier. She was wearing a dinky pink dress with a duck on the front, with white, woolen socks. She had no shoes on, but she did have a hat on, much to his relief. He knew enough about babies to know they needed hats. Minerva sat next to him,. And passed a big bag of stuff towards him, along with his daughter. Snape looked relieved, and smiled gratefully up at the older woman. Minerva smiled a back, then tilted her head.

"What are you going to name her?" She asked. Snape shrugged, they hadn't decided yet. Minerva raised her eyebrows.

"May I make a suggestion?" She asked, and Snape shrugged again. She cleared her throat. "Rosaline sounds like a good name," She said kindly. Snape looked at the little baby's rosy, plump cheeks, and smiled.

"Yes, Rosaline seems a perfect name." He scooped up baby Rosaline and cuddled her. As they were in a secluded corner, no-one was there to see, besides Minerva, and..

"Severus." Snape looked up and saw Tom, the bartender, looking at the baby in surprise. "I didn't know you had a daughter!" He exclaimed, though quietly. Snape rolled his eyes and smirked.

"She's a few hours old," He said. "I need to feed her, haven't you got customers to tend to?" Tom jumped, and scurried out. Snape frowned again, and looked at Minerva helplessly.

"How do I feed her?" He asked. She chuckled, and rummaged in the bag. She produced a bottle, and powder.

"I'll be right back, Severus." She said, and skipped off, looking much like a child by the way she was walking. She seemed excited. Two minutes later, she came back with a bottle of milk.

"I asked Tom to mix the powder with some water once he had a spare moment. He did it for free, bless," She said, handing him the bottle and showing him how to hold her, supporting her head. "All you have to do is tease her with the bottle. I've done it with plenty of Nieces and Nephews, I know what to do."

Snape did just that, and she soon was fastened onto the bottle, a small determined look on her face as she guzzled as fast as possible. Snape laughed and looked at Rosaline's face with clear love upon his own. His smile was radiant; Minerva had never seen him like this before, and her face lit up into a small smile, watching the father and daughter.

He got to his Muggle house, and looked at his bedroom. There was a crib waiting in the corner, for they knew they were having a child. He changed his daughter, and put her in her sleep suit with a hood on it, and placed her into her crib. He rummaged into the bag Minerva had given him, and there was a pink blanket in there. It was small, and Snape lay it over Rosaline and she fell asleep, snuggled up and happy. Snape bent down and kissed her forehead.

Yes, it was a lovely night.

Their routine had lasted for about two years. There were pictures of Rosaline and Snape everywhere. By then, Rosaline had moved bedrooms, and she took up the Guest Bedroom. She surprisingly had a dislike for pink, and wanted blue walls. Her toys weren't much, but she was quite the artist, so they'd say. Minerva came around occasionally, to see how Rosaline was doing, much to the liking of all of them. It was one sad day when Snape recieved a letter. It read:

Dear Mr. Severus Snape,

We have recieved intelligence that you have been the father of a child for little under two years now. While we congratulate you, we are sorry to inform you that you have been discovered as a Death eater. The war is over, and as we discovered you have not murdered or harmed anyone, you will be called to a hearing. We must also, by the law, remove your child from your care.

Hoping you are well,

Cornelius Fudge

Minister for magic

Snape read the letter, and his stomach dropped at the last line. They were going to take his baby away! He seethed, then called up the stairs.

"Rosaline," He called. He heard a bang, then she came down the slide he had put in when she had started to walk so she could get downstairs if she needed to. She looked up into Snape's face.

"Yes, Daddy?" She said. She saw his face, and hers screwed up.

"Darling, I have bad news." He said. He wasn't usually one to beat around the bush, he usually got straight to the point.

"Daddy sad. Why?" She said, forlornly.

"Darling, you have to go with someone else, Daddy can't have you anymore."

Rosaline and Snape woth started to cry, and while Rosaline being loud, Snape hugged her, tears falling silently as he felt agony, for he maynever see his child again.

"Wow, were you really a Death eater?" Present Rosaline asked. Present Snape nodded, and Rosaline gaped at him. Then she frowned.

"Wait, so you're my dad?" She said bluntly, and Snape smirked. He nodded, and Rosaline grinned. Rosaline seemed infectious when it came to happiness, because if you were to walk by that door at that moment, you'd hear the laughter of father and daughter. Coincidentally, someone was. When Minerva McGonagall peeped in to look what was going in, her heart warmed at the sight of the two finally seeing eachother again.

At dinner, Rosaline told Harry and Hermione everything, except the part about him being a death eater. She just said that she didn't know why she had to go. While she told the story, Hermione gasped frequently, while Harry stared at her, as usual. He had become much quieter towards her recently, and both the girls had noticed it.

"Wow," Hermione said. "Imagine that, Harry. Wouldn't it be weird, having Snape as a dad?"

"Mmm," Harry said, still staring at Rosaline with a far-away look in his eyes. Rosaline grinned, and glanced up at the Teacher's table. Snape sat up there, sitting up straight. He was watching Harry with Narrowed eyes. Rosaline raised her eyebrows at him briefly, and turned towards Harry again.

"You know, if you like the look of me that much, you could always take a picture," She said, loudly. Their neihbors laughed heartily. They had just come to accept Rosaline as a Snape. Snape had heard, and he smirked and he turned to his food again.

Life was good, very good indeed.