"The past is something you wake up to."

--Unknown

The next night, Akemi went to Snape's dungeons after dinner. When she entered, she was greeted by the rich spicy smell of boiling dragon's blood and nightshade. Snape was once again posed over his cauldron and nodded his head when she came in.

"Circe's Kiss." Akemi whispered.

He didn't even look up and seemed to forget her detention tonight. "What?"

"You're making Circe's Kiss."

"Very perceptive, Miss Akemi. Yes, I am."

"That's why it needs to be constantly moving…" She made a face. "And why you made me harvest the dragon's blood. My shirt's ruined by the way."

"Sorry to hear that." Snape muttered. "I could have used the blood you wasted."

Akemi smirked. "Need help?"

"Yes, stir."

She obeyed. She watched as Snape turned his attention to mixing the nightshade with other flora and herbal ingredients- including one dark orange and red flower that took seven years to mature and only bloomed during the full moon. He maneuvered each ingredient with lazy precision that belied his great care. He really was the best for good reason; the Circe's Kiss took three years (not including the red flower's seven year maturity) to culture and brew it to perfection. It was a potion commonly labeled as a poison, with effects similar to the Imperius Curse. Although technically a Dark Art's brew because it took so long to make, the Ministry had yet to outlaw it. She glanced up at Snape and smirked. "So tell me Professor, why are you making a semi-illegal potion?"

"Because its truly an honor to undertake such a momentous task." Snape looked at her and did something odd: he smirked. "And it's a delicious thing to boast about."

She started to laugh. Snape kept stealing glances at her, watching her fall into a chair and throw her head back in sheer joy. He enjoyed watching her laugh. She glowed when she laughed. Snape found himself smiling and even chuckling with her.

Akemi was watching him with the same interest he was giving her. She felt a whisper of fear crawl up her spine. There was something about him, in the way he moved that reminded her of a dream, a nightmare. She tried to place what it was that frightened her about him but she couldn't.

Then his voice answered for her. "What are you thinking?"

She looked into his eyes that were unnaturally kind. It was his voice that scared her. "I was thinking how…" Her mind was searching for something to break the mood between them. "I was wondering how you'd look with powdered Bat's Wing on." She grabbed the nearest jar and tossed the contents on his face before fully weighing the consequences.

His face was covered in fine gray soot. He opened his eyes and regarded her coolly. For a moment she feared she had overstepped her bounds or angered him. He picked up the bottle of bat's wing and regarded that half full glass. "Not nearly as attractive as you would." That said he tossed the soot at her.

Akemi grabbed the nearest bottle and dived behind a cauldron before pitching the bottle over head. He retaliated and she returned. Together they sparred and warred half hidden between cauldrons till in no time at all, the classroom was veiled in a smoke of powered wings and needles littered the floor. Snape discovered that dried bat's wing made for good boomerangs as well.

"Ow!" Akemi yelled as she scrambled away from the battle zone. "Something's in my contact!"

Snape dropped his boomerang and walked over to help. His hand brushed over her face barely touching it. She felt a shiver run down her spine as the nightmares came to the front of her mind. "So why contacts?"

"Too many late nights with books."

"And why colored? What's your natural…" Snape's question died on his lips as he stared into her natural brown eyes, so dark they appeared black.

Snape felt his blood turn to ice. He suddenly realized and recognized the girl he was holding. Nine years of separation and torment melted away suddenly and he cursed himself about not seeing it before. The name should have triggered something…It fit perfectly: the time with her age. The skin color of warm brown…everything fit. It took a moment for Snape to realize the gravity of the moment.

"Alchemy." He whispered hoarsly.

The daughter of Melanie Reyes flinched in his arms.

"Get out." He continued. He released her and took a step back from the ghost of his past. He felt his heart rush up and land in his mouth. It tried to memorize this moment in the seconds it was happening, too long in his opinion. He tried to memorize every facet of the face before him. His Alchemy had grown up. The child he had always wanted, had always loved was standing before him.

And Snape felt his strength leave him. How many times had he wanted to throw away everything to look for her. How many times had he spent sleepless nights and restless days thinking about her, picturing her as she grew up and longing everyday to be with her. How he had wanted to be there for the most trivial yet important days of her life: first flying lesson, first day of school, and each and every birthday. How many times had he just wanted to call her by her name.

But he knew why he hadn't. Somewhere, out there, was his Master and hers. Despite nine years, she was still a Coven child and her Death Eater family had given her far more had been given to her then a Mark on her shoulder. He had stolen her from that life. He had stolen her and abandoned her in order to save her. He was not safe for her.

"Get out." He repeated, this time with more feeling. "Get out. Out, you silly girl!"

The intensity of his voice scared her and Akemi scrambled to escape. Snape turned away and leaned on his desk, gripping the back of his chair very tightly. He listened to the fading echo of her running and felt it in sync with the rapid beating of his breaking heart.

There were times, Dumbledore thought coolly, when Snape could appear as normal and innocuous as any other staff member. Private, collected and cultured, Snape could portray the role as talented, if rude, Potions Master, with great ease and one would never assume he was anything more. But then there were times when the cold fire and steely hatred in the man's harsh eyes scared even Dumbledore and the Headmaster was reminded of Snape's murderous past.

"She's Alchemy." Snape hissed in an oddly dead voice. He had burst into the Headmaster's office not noticing the guest Albus was entertaining. "Isn't she?"

Dumbledore lifted his head and looked at Snape calmly.

Snape spread his hands over the Headmaster's great desk and hung his head. His eyes were closed and he suddenly heaved a great, weary sigh and spoke. "Why didn't you tell me?" The words came out broken and filled with immense pain.

"Would you have done anything different?" Asked the guest who spoke for the first time since Snape entered. "Would it have done any good, Severus?"

"You don't understand, Gideon." Severus' words had begun at a hiss but ended in a sort of plead. "You can't understand."

"Why?" Gideon demanded. His face set in determination, his clear eyes ablaze. Mallory stood and met his eyes fiercely. Severus in a rare sign of defeat broke contact first. "You think you're one the only one who loves her? Let me tell you something you heartless son of a bitch, I love her more then you can possibly imagine. More then you ever did! I wanted to take her away from all the filth, take her to America and adopt her. I didn't want her to grow up knowing the truth, knowing you or what you almost made her become!"

Snape watched Gideon with a look that would have made even the most brutal Auror flinched. The Auror and the Dark Prince regarded each other for an eternity. His voice was soft and cold. "If you ever say something like that to me again, I'll kill you Malfoy."

Gideon was showing no signs of relenting. "You left her to the Death Eaters, left her to become like you!"

"I don't have to explain anything to you!"

"Yes, you do! Because Heaven help you, you owe her that! You owe her an explanation!"

"Yes Miss Cole, what is it?" Dumbledore interrupted the arguing men. Severus swung about and saw his prefect standing before them.

Carolyn Cole seemed a little concerned and very anxious to be in the room with the Headmaster, her Head House and the Auror legend. Carolyn shifted and almost forgot why she was there. Then Professor Snape asked her the question and she answered quickly. "It's about the newest girl- Miss Akemi. She's…"

"What's wrong with Akemi?" Snape and Mallory asked in unison.

Carolyn paused again. "She's gone sir."

"What?" The two shared the same reply.

"Nadia saw her leaving the Common after detention. She left sir."

Snape didn't answer, he was already halfway down the hall by the time Carolyn finished. Gideon followed close behind.

Akemi couldn't take it anymore. She hated everything about this: Hogwarts, England and most of all she hated Snape who could make her feel safe and terrified all at the same time. She walked down the streets of Hogsmeade and weighed her options. She could go back to Hecate and forget all this hell. She could go back to Nell and Choice. She could grow up there and never remember of even think about those dark eyes that made her feel like she had seen him before and had lived another life- probably with him.

"Little sister."

The voice was familiar and haunting and against her will, Akemi turned. She saw twins, a girl and boy not much older then her. They looked about 16. They both had familiar faces and she felt an innate affection for the twins. The girl stepped forward and smiled warmly. "We've been looking everywhere for you sister."

"Who are you?" Akemi asked.

The girl looked at the boy who shook his head. He spoke, "Garridan told us she wouldn't remember us."

She recognized the name Garridan another swept of endearment overpowered her. She studied them and felt a shutter of recognition and she stepped back from them. "Radella." Radella nodded. She turned towards her brother, towards Mayon and Akemi knew them both.

The Memory Charm broken, she saw for the first time the children that she had been raised with to consider them as brother and sister, she knew them as her family. Her dearest dream in turn revealed her darkest secret.

And she remembered who she was.

She was a child of Death Eaters and Voldemort's beneficiary.

She was Coven.

Nameless and limitless, she remembered the past she had been ripped away from.

By the dark eyes and strong arms that always made her feel safe. By her guardian and the man she never called father but always knew he to be. By her Sevie.

"It's time to go." Radella said, reaching out for Akemi.

Mayon spoke for the first time. "Garridan is waiting for us."

He lifted his finger and drew a mark in the air, it glowed white and lit away from the main plaza. Akemi considered her options. Hecate held only secrets and Radella and Mayon held answers and powers unknown.

"And from what corner of the gutter did you crawl from?" Akemi heard the voice of Severus Snape behind her. He was looking at Radella and Mayon.

Mayon had taken a step forward, protecting his sister. "Same as yours, Snape."

"That's Master Snape to you Mayon," He said softly, holding his wand in front of him as a not-so-subtle reminder. "Or to be more precise…"

Mayon's eyes flashed and nodded. "Of course dear prince…"

"It's time to go, sister." Radella repeated, her voice a little tense.

"Leave Akemi. She doesn't belong anymore. She's mine."

"Father will not be pleased."

"Lord Voldemort is a rumor, he doesn't existed anymore. Tell that to your brother. If you come again for my daughter, I'll make you regret you ever had that Mark burned into you."

"Father will deal with traitors when he returns." Mayon promised. "Even a prince won't stand against his wrath."

"So I'm told." Snape said in his bored voice. "Good for him. Now crawl back to you brother and tell Garridan I said, hello."

Mayon was about to curse him but Radella reached over and tapped his shoulder. She shook her head no. He nodded and drew another mark. One of flight and escape. Radella and Mayon Apparated wordlessly leaving Akemi alone with Snape. She stood with her back towards him, not moving, watching where the twins had been.

A cold winter wind blew past her and suddenly she became aware of her lacking clothing. "I'm cold."

She heard Snape's footsteps towards her and him slipping out of his coat. She felt the warmth his body had left behind in the thick coat. For the first time, she tore herself away from where the twins had stood.

It had only lasted a minute perhaps but the encounter changed everything. Akemi felt her world had suddenly made sense. Her nightmares, her memories that had now all been returned to her made prefect sense, except for one thing. Still not looking up, she began to ask him a question.

"Give me your hand, Miss Akemi." He said gently. "There is time for questions when you are warm."

"You called me your daughter a moment ago…"

"Give me your hand and don't let go." He said.

She reached up and like a toddler took hold of his hand. It was warm to the touch. She felt safe within his grasp and safe enough to feel all the emotions she had kept hidden for most of her life. She allowed herself to feel the comfort of a fatherly touch. Only one thing remained before she could start picking up the pieces. "I've always felt like I had a name, a real one, given to me by my father…"

Severus closed his eyes, tightened his grip and continued walking. Then, he spoke in with tenderness and returned to her his only gift. "Your name is Kaiya."