Later, that night around eleven-thirty, Harry was trying to sleep when he heard someone knocking on his door. He got up to open it and found Ebony standing on the other side.
"Harry! I didn't wake you did I?"
"No. I was just about sleeping but not quite."
"Good. I need help."
"What?"
"My uncle said if I ever needed someone to talk to, I could go to his chambers, but he never told me where they were. He just said it was in the Slytherin house. Would you take me there?" Harry could now hear the tears in her voice. There was no way he could say no.
"Of course. Hold on a moment, though." Harry went back into the room to get something and returned with the Invisibility Cloak. "Stay close to me."
They traveled down the hall under the cloak, but when they came to the entrance to the Slytherin house, Harry stopped dead.
"We can't get in! We don't know the password."
"He told me that much." Ebony said. "Bug-squash." She whispered softly and the door swung open.
"Who's there?"
Harry's heart skipped a beat. "Peeves! If he sees us, he'll yell for Filch!"
"But he can't see us." Ebony pointed out.
Harry calmed down and started to walk again. He honestly had no idea where Snape's chambers were, nor did he really care to know, but he could tell how upset Ebony was. Harry would have gladly talked to her or given her a hug, but he supposed she needed a familiar face. Finally, after what seemed to be an hour, if not two, they came upon a door that read "S. Snape."
"Well, here we are." Harry said.
Ebony kissed his cheek quickly. "Thank you for taking me. I know you had no idea where you were going."
"Anytime." He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye Harry." Ebony said and knocked on the door. Snape opened it.
"Ebony? What are you doing here?"
"I'm really sorry if I woke you up. I... I just needed someone to talk to. I know I've got my room mates, but I needed someone that I knew. Someone familiar..." She was starting to break down again.
He hugged her. "No, it's all right. I wasn't asleep..." He lied. "Are you all right?" He already knew the answer, but he wanted her to admit it. She shook her head into his chest. "All right. Come on. Sit down." He said, guiding her into his room and sitting her on his bed. "I'll make some tea, and we can talk." She nodded in agreement.
They talked for hours, and he finally coaxed her in to sleeping. Only a few minutes later, there was another knock at the door. This time, it was Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore.
"So it is true." McGonagall exclaimed at seeing Ebony fast asleep in Snape's bed.
"May I help you?" Snape asked.
"Peeves told us there was a girl in your room. He didn't appear to be making it up and now we see that he wasn't." McGonagall stated.
"You think I...? Oh, sweet gods! Never!" Snape shouted. "Minerva, that's my niece! You know that!"
"Yes, Severus, I know, but you know that students are not allowed in teacher's chambers. Especially at night!"
Snape closed the door behind him so that they were all standing in the hall.
"The two of you just made this very personal!" Snape said in a harsh whisper. "She has just had her parents murdered, been taken away from her natural environment, and forced to go to classes with people she doesn't know! And now you two come to my chambers at three in the morning and accuse me of incest!"
"Severus, we didn't mean..."
"Oh, I know very well what you mean, Minerva." He paused and sighed. "She had a nightmare and didn't want to stay up all night crying to herself when I had given her full permission to come to me to talk."
"So you deliberately broke the rule?" McGonagall concluded.
Snape looked her straight in the eye. "If that's what I felt was best for my family, then yes, Minerva, I deliberately broke the rule." He stated defiantly.
Dumbledore broke in. "Minerva, Severus is a Hogwarts Professor, his actions were justified by good reasons. We can take his word."
"Now if you'll both excuse me, I have to go find a comfortable spot on my armchair." Snape said and slammed the door in their faces. As he entered his room, Ebony stirred slightly, waking up.
"Uncle Severus, where'd you go?" She asked sleepily.
"I... I heard some students in the hall. Go back to sleep. You have class tomorrow." She nodded and within seconds, she had fallen asleep again.
