"Sin cannot be undone, only forgiven."

-- Igor Stravinsky

"A father's a man who expects his child to be as good as he meant to be."

-- Carolyn Coats

It all seemed anti-climatic and almost too easy. Akemi, or Kaiya as she now knew herself to be, was sitting on the bed in Snape's quarters not really watching him prepare tea. He hadn't looked her in the eye since the play fight earlier that evening. She watched his profile and studied it in a new light. He was someone she remembered loving, once. She remembered the Coven, Garridan, Radella, Mayon, and the Sires and Nurses. She remembered the magic they taught, she remembered how to kill but then, on the night of her baptismal she remembered running… and then she remembered waking up in Gideon's arms on a ship going towards America and Hecate.

She was still cold too. "What happened to me?" She asked, looking at his profile. She was watching him for any sign of truth or the willingness to reveal such a thing. "Who were those twins? Who are you and who am I?"

Snape stabbed a hot ember in the fireplace. "They are Coven. You are Coven."

"What is Coven?"

"Coven is power. Coven is Dark Magic, darker then all the sins people like Dumbledore can possibly dream of. It's being born inside pure power, pure evil. It's living a shared existence with the darkest evil alive. It's being bound to that evil from childhood and to constantly be connected to it."
"Voldemort." She said more then asked. "It's him, isn't it? The person I feel in my nightmares? It's him."

Snape nodded. "Children like Garridan, Radella and Mayon were breed for the Coven. They had no purpose but to live and die for Voldemort, to give their lives in order to preserve his. The Coven was one of his measures against a mortal death."

"I don't understand."

"A child, especially a pure blooded Wizard, possess the potential for great magic. Voldemort thought if he could culture that strength, yoke it at its beginnings, it could seal his quest for immortality. The Coven was the realization of that plan, ones born into and raised immersed in the Dark Arts. He breed the children like horses, using his best male Death Eaters to sire the children like studs against the strongest females. He corrupted their souls at the earliest opportunity- using the dark magic Aett to bind them to each other and to him."

Akemi felt sick. "And me?"

"You were different. Your mother was different…"

"Tell me." She said, realizing he was hesitating. "Please, tell me."

"Your mother's name was Melanie Reyes but everyone within the Death Eaters called her Madame de Noche, the lady of the night. She was a Valkyrie, one of Voldemort's prized paramours and most skilled followers. She had been one of the first Death Eaters and had pledged undying fidelity to the Dark Lord." Snape's face darkened with some unreadable tragedy. "There was an arrogant and lofty Death Eater who was quickly earning the trust and admiration of Voldemort. But there was fault in him for he coveted Melanie, wanted her and desired her above all else. He sought to win over Voldemort to gain access to Melanie and for this woman he was willing to risk everything.

He soon learned that his affections were known to her and even returned. Melanie and the Death Eater began an illicit affair. It was foolish and dangerous but neither cared. They were young and in love. They were married in secret."

The flames in the fireplace spark and pop and danced in Snape's eyes as he recounted this tale. His eyes glistened very strangely and when he spoke, his voice was sad. "The Death Eater had so raised himself above the others that he had made enemies but he was too stupid to see them. He believed himself untouchable. But there were enemies and one was named Silas Malfoy. He entered the Death Eater's home one night, just minutes after the young man had left his wife." Snape tried to keep the hate from his voice but it flowed past his lips to complete the story. "Silas ravaged her. He took her and tortured her. Melanie was left blind and broken."

Akemi finished the story numbly. "With a baby girl growing inside her."

He looked at her and nodded. He walked towards the bed and sat down on the floor with his back against it. Akemi lay down to be near his head. Their eyes met. "Melanie didn't know who the father was and I never had the strength to find out for myself."

"Did you ever want to?" She asked.

Snape pulled out something from pocket. It was a small, glass vase with silver around the neck. It was filled with a clear solution. "I made this on the night you were born, it's designed to discover the truth behind your parentage." He asked her for her knife, which she relinquished. He opened the bottle, cut his finger and let a drop of blood slip into the clear potion. The water swirled and turned blue. "If you are my daughter- when your blood touches the potion, it will returned clear, if not it will stay blue." He handed her the bottle.

She took it with trembling hands.

It was an unforgiving morning that found the newly dubbed Kaiya in Snape's dungeons. She was sitting alone on the bench, staring at the blue potion in front of her. She wasn't sure she truly understood everything Snape had told her last night but she was certain that things would never be the same. She had been thinking about Snape all night. As a child, she had loved him. But people who love you don't send you to live in orphanages an ocean away do they? And they don't turn you over to evil like Voldemort.

Still…

Kaiya drew her knife over her hand and watched as the blood impacted the blue potion. She watched for a few moments as the potions swirled…

And remained blue. She felt her heart sink.

"He loves you, you know."

She looked up and saw Gideon standing in the doorway. He pulled his hands from his pockets and picked up the vial to sit down. He kept it clutched in his hand and looked down and smiled at her. "He loved you very much. Still does."
"Then why did he abandon me to the Coven?" She demanded. "Why did he leave me for you to rescue me from them?"

"I didn't rescue you, Kaiya, he did. In fact, you changed everything for him. For the five years you were here in England Severus Snape acted as a spy for the Ministry. He saved countless lives because of you. And in the end, he risked his life to save you. He knew Voldemort would go looking for you if he thought you were alive, so Snape chose to give you the best chance he could. He had to let you go…to save you."

Kaiya closed her eyes as her lips trembled against the tears.

"Do you know what Kaiya means? What your whole name means? Alchemy was Severus' nickname in school." Gideon smiled. "Kaiya means forgiveness, Akemi. Your name, Kaiya Alchemy Snape means Severus' forgiveness." He brushed her hair away from her face. "You're his, Akemi, you're everything to him. Does it matter that his not your true father? It's our choices that define who we are; more so then anything else… he chose you. What are you going to do?"

Kaiya looked up at Gideon and smiled. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, kissing him. "You've always been like a father to me, I'll never forget that."

"Good." Gideon said, returning the embrace. "Now, go find your real father."

Kaiya smiled at him again and ran out to find Snape. Gideon watched her go with a content smile. He opened his palm and studied the potion in his hand.

The clear water like substance gleamed up at him nonchalantly. Gideon smiled. "Fancy that."

The grave marker read Drucilla Anne Dumbledore, beloved daughter, niece and savior. Kaiya leaned down and placed the bouquet of roses at the head of the marker and took a step back into the waiting arms of her father. Severus tightened his grip around her, determined not to let go ever again.

"You know one day, he's going to come back." Kaiya said softly. "I can feel him, inside of me even now. One day, he's going to return."

Severus Snape sighed heavily. "I know." He whispered. "But when he does, we'll be ready for that."

"I'm scared." She admitted, "Father."

He buried his nose into her hair. "That's okay, just remember whatever happens don't let go of my hand."

Kaiya slipped her hand into his and nodded.

Choice Blade stepped outside Hecate and waited. A moment later, he felt a shiver of cold air behind him and he didn't bother to turn. Instead, Choice didn't wait for the visitor to speak. "She knows everything now?"

Garridan shifted. "Not everything but enough."

"So what now?" Choice asked. "She'll find out soon enough."

"You worry to much, Blade." Garridan chastised. "One day, Lord Voldemort will return and we, his children, will be given everything we desire. In that day, traitors to the cause like Snape will suffer and prodigal children like Alchemy will be returned."

"And until then?"

"Until then, we wait."