The weekend had gone fast in the Snape household, Minerva was stuck in her bedroom most of the time they were there. She played better with her things when she was alone, and Severus did not mind the silence. Monday came, and they had to get up so Severus could go to Hogwarts and teach, Minerva was resistant. "Severus, I do not want to go and be stuck in you chambers. It is so boring, why can't I walk around the castle? Why can't I go somewhere else?" She sighed as she was still in her pajamas, and they were already running late.

He shook his head at the small child sitting in the center of her bed pouting. "Minerva, I have told you before that you cannot walk around the castle and that is that. Now would you stop acting like a baby and get ready, you are going to make me later then I am already." He snarled and went to the sitting room to wait for her.

She slowly drug herself out of her bed and she picked out her dress for the day. She looked at her doll sitting on her pillow. "Lucy, why is everyone that is around me such big meanies. They never let me do anything, yeah I may be young but still." She sighed and she took her doll with her to meet Severus in the sitting room.

She curled her lip at him and grabbed his hand. "I am ready whenever you are." She sighed.

He hid the smile that came across his face, and they disaparated away to his chamber at Hogwarts School.

She sat there on his sofa in his corridors as he gathered all his teaching supplies. "Severus why can't I walk around? It is not like there is anyone bad around here." She looked out of his window at the grounds.

He picked up the last of his lessons for the day and he turned around to her swiftly. "Minerva it is a lot more complicated than bad people. Someday you will understand everything but for now will you just sit here and behave. The house elf will check on you like she always does." He walked out and locked the door.

She slumped herself into the sofa, it was in front of the fireplace. She wanted to get out of there, but how would she do that, just then it hit her how.

Minerva walked over to Severus' large collection of books in the corner, and she looked through all of them, she picked the one out that said "Charms" on the front. She rummaged through the pages looking for a spell that she had heard Remus use once to unlock the door. She got to the page where the spell was, and she read it to herself for about ten minutes.

The child was wise beyond her years and she knew more than an average seven-year-old would know, so she walked to Severus desk, and she went through his drawers. In the very back of the bottom drawer was a wand that he had taken from a student years ago, she picked it up and walked to the door carrying her doll.

Minerva smiled at her doll and sat her on the floor beside the door. "Ok Lucy, are you ready for this? Let's see if it will work." She moved the wand in front of the lock, and she smiled. "Alohomora…" She looked at her doll and she turned the handle, to her surprise it opened.

As she walked out, she was grinning from ear to ear, she was walking around the castle not knowing where she was going. Minerva ended up going outside and she followed a pathway that led to a small hut and a Pumpkin patch. She was curious who would live so far away from the school, so she knocked on the door. The small child froze when she seen the man open the door, he was a giant and she knew that this could be dangerous. "Don't eat me!" She yelled and covered her head.

Hagrid began to laugh at her. "Well, me dear why would I eat yeh, I am not tha kind a giant. I am Hagrid I take care o' the grounds here at Hogwarts. Who migh ya be?"

She looked up at him with her big green eyes. "Well, I am Minerva Lily Potter, and I am here with Severus. He is watching me for Uncle Remus because it is a bad time for him. So, you will not eat me? Are you sure?" She hid her doll behind her.

He knew who she was right away, and he had tears build in his eyes as he remembered the death of her mom and dad. "Me child I wouldn' 'arm a ya. D'ya wanna come in?" He moved over for her to walk in.

She sighed. "I would love to, but you see I am not supposed to be out right now. I am going to be in trouble if I get caught, so maybe another time I will come and see you. " She waved and walked away.

He waved at her and sighed at how much she reminded him of her mother. He turned away and he closed the door to his hut.

The hours went on and Minerva was now seeing all the students come out of their classroom. As they walked by her, they looked at her oddly she was a little small to be going to Hogwarts and they did not think any of their professor's had children. She smiled at them all and one boy stopped, he smiled. "Hello, are you old enough to be here?" The older redheaded boy grinned at her knowing the answer.

She smirked back at him, and she shook her head. "No, I do not attend this school I am here with Severus he is looking out for me, but I sort of lost my way back to his chambers. This place is so big, and I do not know which way I came from." She looked around.

The boy smiled and reached out his hand. "Well, I am William Weasley, you can call me Bill if you like. What might your name be?" He grabbed her hand and he led her around the castle.

She held his hand tight, and she trusted he knew where he was going because he looked old enough to almost be out of Hogwarts. "My name is Minerva, and I am only seven. I am not supposed to be out here, but I needed to go for a walk." She held her doll close in her other hand.

Bill nodded at her and he smirked. "I have a younger sister the same age as you. You want to know something she kind of looks like you as well." He laughed.

Her eyes widened and her smile grew bigger. "Really that is so cool?" So, um Bill, do you know where you are going?" She looked as he took her deeper and deeper into the castle.

"Of course, I know where I am going, this is my last year here at Hogwarts and I am head boy. I could take you on a tour someday if you like." He smiled down as he led her down a spiral staircase.

Severus had gone back to his chambers, and he had seen she was missing, he panicked, and he rushed to Albus who was not too worried about her at all. "Severus you need to calm down she is fine, Hagrid seen her today. He offered her to come and so he could look after her, but she insisted on going back to the castle." He smiled.

Severus shook his head, and he paced the office. "Albus, we have to find her she is a very curious child and who knows what she might tell someone."

Albus seemed amused at the way Severus was acting. "We will go back to your chambers, and I bet that she will be there not long after us. She will probably find a student that will help her back to where she needs to be." He grinned and led Severus to the door.

The two men went back to his chambers, and they waited for Minerva to come back. Albus sat on the sofa and read a book, while Severus paced back and forth every now and then looking out the door. "Albus, we have to go and find her. If I lose her Remus will kill me, you know that."

Albus peeked over his book. "Will you sit down and stop, she will be back take my word on it."

As Albus spoke those words they could hear footsteps coming towards the door. Severus ran to the door, and he seen it was her and Bill. He ran over to her and picked her up hugging her in his arms. She was a bit shocked at this because Severus was not the affectionate type in front of people. "Severus are you ok?" She asked looking at him confused.

He looked her in the eyes and sighed a sigh of relief. "You scared me; you were not supposed to leave. Why, and how did you get out?"

She smirked. "I used an old wand that was in the back of your desk and then I used an unlocking charm that was in that book over there." She pointed at the book laying on the floor.

Albus nodded, and he smiled at the small girl. "You are wise beyond your years. Bill as for what you did here today thank you very much, but you must not speak a word of her to anyone. I am saying this for her protection, not even your parents can know about this child." He looked at the boy over his half-mooned spectacles.

Bill nodded at Albus, and he smiled. "I promise headmaster I did not see her or even know of her existence." He looked at Minerva and walked back towards the staircase.

Severus looked over the boy. "Bill! Thank you for bringing her back and keeping her safe." He let out a small grin.

As Bill walked away, he was in shock that the potions master was not as soulless as he thought, and he did care about someone other than himself. It was odd that it was for a redheaded, green eyed seven-year-old.

"Minerva Lily, what were you thinking?" He turned and faced her.

"I told you that I needed to get out, that your chamber is boring." She snapped back at him.

Severus shook his head and returned to his chamber. Albus looked at the small girl. "Minerva, I think that it best you apologize to Severus, you had him really worried about you"

She looked up at Albus. "And who are you?"

"I am Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster here at Hogwarts." He replied.

She nodded. "I am Minerva Lily Potter, and I am a prisoner here at Hogwarts." She stomped back into the room.

Albus watched her as she climbed up on Severus' desk, sitting herself in front of him. "Severus, I am sorry that I had you worried."

He looked at her. "Minerva, I get that you are cooped up when you are with me. That I do not have all the woods, and fields that Remus has, but you need to listen. You think that I do all this to make you mad with me?'

She nodded. "Yes, why else would you do it?"

He knew that she was still too young to explain details. "Minerva, I do not do this to make you mad. I do this because I love you. One day you will understand." He picked her up and put her back on the floor.

"One day, when I am old like you and Remus. By then I will be boring." She went over and sat on his bed, reading one of his potion's books.

Albus snickered at her comment, before he walked away. He in this moment knew that Minerva was going to be a challenge as she grew older, that keeping her a secret was going to get more complicated. Her strong will was going to be the biggest problem of all.