Hermione had volunteered all of her friends to help set up decorations for extra credit claiming that they all needed it.

"I say we all just go play Quidditch." Kate said with a pout as they walked towards the Great Hall.

"Now, Kate. You know you're not doing very well in potions." Hermione said.

"Well maybe if Snape had a personality and people skills I'd be able to do better!"

At that moment, they arrived in the Great Hall. Random students and all of the staff were helping set up decorations. Even a few people who didn't go to the school anymore were there...

"Bill!" Ron shouted, running towards his older brother.

"Ronnie!" Bill Weasley shouted, throwing his youngest brother high in the air.

Snape approached Ebony and looked at her companions. "I must speak with Miss Epans alone, please." Obediently, they left. "Why are you here?" He demanded.

"I told you I'd be here..." At least she thought she did.

Before either could utter another word, Bill Weasley ran over to the two and Ebony's face dropped. She remembered him, and suddenly knew why her uncle wouldn't want her here.

When she'd been very little, her parents would go out of town and leave her with her uncle. Bill Weasley was a student then and took care of her when Snape had been busy. Snape always thought he wanted extra credit, but in reality, Ebony reminded Bill of the young siblings he had at home and missed.

"Professor! This can't be little Ebony Snape, can it?" Bill inquired loudly. "Your little niece! She was only three last I saw her!"

The room went dead silent. The secret was out. Nobody except for Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry Potter knew. Now the entire school would know in a matter of hours.

Bill's face dropped at the sound of silence. "They didn't know, did they?" He asked Snape.

"No, Mr. Weasley. They didn't." Snape stated matter-of-factly.

"Ebony..." Ana said slowly, walking up to her. "You lied to us. You told us you weren't related."

"Look, there's a very good explanation for that..."

By now, Dumbledore had started to usher everyone who wasn't involved out of the room.

"Save it." Kate said softly. "We don't like liars."

"No, look, you don't understand." Ebony insisted.

Ana turned around. "Maybe we don't, but that gave you no reason to lie to us."

Snape's heart fell. The only world his niece had known was taken away from her, and the new one had been crushed by something that was meant to protect her. He suffered even more knowing she had his pride and would never cry about it.

"You're right, Ana." Ebony said cooly. "I had no right to lie to you. If you want nothing more to do with me, it would only be just punishment."

"If she lied to you, then so did I." Harry said defiantly.

"Harry? You knew?" Ron asked.

"Yes. I knew. I overheard a conversation they had one day."

Cold glares of the people who had once been her friends gazed upon her. Ebony didn't know where to turn.

"I... I must be going, I promised someone I'd help them with Herbology." She stuttered and walked out of the room, her head held high.

That evening, she didn't attend the feast.

The next morning, people ran up to her with a thousand questions.

"So," Draco Malfoy said casually. "I hear you're sleeping with Professor Snape. Is it true?"

"No, Draco, it's not true." She said evenly. "And I might suggest to tell the person you heard that from to pull their lip over their head and swallow. It would be doing the world a favor."

In potions that morning, everyone had a million questions for Snape. He settled the class and explained.

"Whatever you have heard about Ebony and I, forget it." He said sharply. "She is not my daughter, nor my cousin, nor my lover. She is my niece. Ebony, please stand up and reintroduce yourself."

She stood. "Hey all." She said in a shaky voice. "My name's Ebony Snape. My parents died a few weeks ago and I'm living at Hogwarts with my uncle because he's my only living relative. I said it before, and I'll say it again. Don't mess with me. I'm a New Yorker." She sat down.

The next week was living hell for poor Ebony. No one really talked to her. People looked at her differently. She usually ate by herself at meals with the exception of when her only friend, Harry Potter, would eat with her.

Saturday night, Snape decided to eat dinner with her.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise." Ebony said upon her uncle's appearance at the abandoned end of the Gryffindor table.

"I have to talk to you." Snape said, sitting down. Ebony looked up at him as he spoke. "I've been thinking about what's happened and I think it would be in your best interest if I sent you back to New York. You'd stay the year there and come back to England in the summer."

"Uncle Severus, you think I'm giving up?" Ebony asked, sounding very hurt.

"I'm just saying that it would probably be better for you if you're with people you know."

"Uncle Sev, I don't quit. I may have no friends except for Harry, but hey, that's one. Plus," She grinned an evil grin that reminded Snape painfully of his brother. "I'll make a comeback. You wait and see."

"That really frightens me when you're up to something. If you're anything like me, and I know you are, that something won't be very nice."

She gasped, pretending to be offended. "Why, I'm shocked you would think me evil, dear uncle." She smirked again.

And make a comeback she did. Not with her old friends anyway. She started to talk to the teachers and made a fast friend of Professor Sprout. She went to see Hagrid often, sharing his love of animals. Soon, Ebony was a regular social butterfly, but never spoke to Ron or Hermione. Not even to her room mates Ana and Kate. Which didn't bother Ebony because they had no desire to talk to her.