New Year, new story. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me and my stories throughout the past few months. You guys are the absolute best. I will be hopefully updating Miles Apart and Another Heart Calls. I had this story idea floating around in my head and then it was mostly written over Winter Break and I just had to post it before I exploded. I know this is not the most original story line, and like the marriage law fics, it is a little overdone, but oh well, 2018 is about making me happy.
Sun poured over the perfect homes and lawns of Number Four Privet Drive. As people woke and were preparing for work, there was a child who was waking herself who knew she didn't belong in this perfect world she was in. As she opened her eyes, the green eyed, dark haired ten-year-old stared at the ceiling of her cupboard, one that was covered in spider webs and dust. Her aunt had deemed the space under the stairs to be unworthy of being cleaned, as it was never seen by anyone important to her and more often than not was locked from the outside, regardless of the girl inside.
Elizabeth Evans wasn't a special person, and she wasn't one who knew what love felt like. Her aunt and uncle cuddled her cousin, Dudley, and spoiled him with toys and outings. Often Elizabeth had to stay behind and was given a long list of chores to be completed by the time they returned to the house. Today, Dudley was being taken to the zoo, while Elizabeth was to stay and prepare for their return, making sure the house was spotless. Her aunt had written up a list of chores for her to complete the night before and had taped it to the wall in the kitchen.
Pulling herself up, she put her socks and shoes on, shoes that were stuffed with newspaper so they fit as best as she could get them to, as they were about three sizes too large. Shuffling to the kitchen, Elizabeth filled the coffee maker for her Uncle and started a kettle of water for her aunt for her morning tea. She had to stand on her toes, for she was barely able to reach the countertop and she couldn't reach the cabinets without a stepstool. Once that started, she quietly pulled pans from the cabinet beside the stove and started the bacon and eggs. Elizabeth knew that if she woke them before her aunt and uncle were supposed to, she would be punished severely. Her uncle wasn't opposed to using his belt on her and the welts from the last time were finally almost gone, prompting her to move silently to keep them that way.
As she put the last of the breakfast on the serving plates, she heard her aunt and uncle walking down the stairs to the kitchen. She put the plates of food on the dining table and then added three sets of dishes for the family to eat from at their respective places. Pouring coffee and making her aunt her tea, the mugs were placed at the table with milk and sugar. As Petunia and Vernon walked in the door, with Dudley in tow, Elizabeth moved to the corner of the room and stood quietly, with her eyes down, looking at the floor. She tried to ignore her stomach rumbling as she smelled the food she had cooked, but she knew better than to ask to eat at the table with the family. She would have to wait until her aunt and uncle left before she made herself something. She had to be careful, though. She couldn't take too much, or her aunt would know and tell her uncle. The last time that happened, she had been locked in her cupboard for three weeks and had been beaten almost nightly for theft.
Once they were finished and Dudley left the table to get dressed, Elizabeth moved over to clean the dishes and to put the scraps of breakfast away. Refilling her uncle's coffee, she took the stack of plates to the sink and made quick work of scrubbing them clean.
"I better come home to a clean house; do you understand girl?" Vernon barked at the child who was trying to get the stubborn egg off the pan.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Elizabeth replied; her voice soft. She was always afraid of making too much noise around her aunt and uncle. They hated when she spoke without being spoken to first, so most days she said nothing at all. Even in school, she rarely spoke, and at recess, while all the other kids were playing, she would sit in the grass by herself, pulling up the blades as a source of entertainment. In the winter, she would wrap herself in her oversized shirt, as she was very rarely gifted a jacket, and clean off the bench nearest the door of any snow. There she would curl up and try not to freeze. Dudley made it very clear that she had no friends.
Once the dishes were done, and Uncle Vernon had smacked her twice to make sure she was listening to him, they finally left the house and Elizabeth could breathe a sigh of relief, despite her throbbing head.
*S*S*
At the same time as the Dursley's meal, Severus Snape was in his living room at Spinner's End, drinking from a cup of tea. Next to him was a plate with toast and a scone, his usual breakfast fare. He never ate more unless he was dining with others, like in the Great Hall. Severus placed his cup down and picked his book up, turning the page before taking a bite of toast.
After twenty minutes of blissful silence, his floo roared to life and Albus Dumbledore stepped out. "Good morning Severus. I know it's early, but I need to ask a favor of you."
Severus swallowed his tea and looked at his employer as he marked his page in his book. "I don't expect anything less from you Headmaster."
Albus sat in the armchair on the other side of the sofa, placing his fingertips together. "It has come to my attention that the letters we have been sending to Elizabeth Evans have not been opened. I need you to go to the home and check up on the girl."
"I'm sure your golden girl is fine Albus. I fear this is just a large waste of time." Severus looked at him with distaste.
"Whatever your feelings are Severus, if you need to, consider this an order from your employer." Albus stood. "You don't have to go now, but I would like you to go before lunch today. After all, you did make a vow to protect the daughter of Lily Evans." He flooed away from the room, leaving Severus cursing.
"I never should have agreed to protect the Evans brat…" Severus muttered, waving his wand to clear the plate and cup. "I might as well get this over with." He heaved himself to his feet and straightened his robes.
*S*S*
Elizabeth had just tucked the last of the dishes away when there was a loud knock at the door. Her aunt and Uncle had left, with a promise that she wouldn't be able to sit comfortably for a week if the long list of chores was not completed in the time they were gone. She was wiping her hands off on a towel as she approached the door, her eyes narrowed a little at the wood. Moving the towel to be thrown over her right shoulder, she opened the door as far as the chain would allow, her eyes widening at the man who stood on the stoop before her.
"May I help you sir?" Elizabeth looked up at the dark-haired man who was clad in black dress pants and a black button up shirt that was rolled up to the elbows.
"Are you Elizabeth Evans?" the man asked, coming closer to the door. "I need to speak to your relatives, if they're home?"
Elizabeth froze. She had never actually answered the door, and she didn't know what to say to make him leave.
"Oh, my aunt's busy right now, can you come back later?" Elizabeth tried to slowly close the door and lock it tight.
"Miss Evans, I can tell that you're lying. Now, please let me in so I can tell you about the letters that have come to your home the past few weeks."
Elizabeth thought for a moment before she shut the door and removed the chain, pulling it open fully and letting the man in. "I can make you some tea, sir, if you would like?"
"That's alright, Miss Evans." Severus walked into the kitchen, looking around the home.
Elizabeth watched him as he sat at the table. She moved back to the counters and started to scrub them clean, unable to remain still for even a moment. She was fearful of the man, but the idea that her aunt and uncle could come home and see the chores not done scared her more than anyone strange coming into the home.
*S*S*
Severus was shocked at how thin the girl was. He had expected to see a well fed, spoiled little girl, who was given everything she wanted. However, that was not what he saw. She was gaunt and flighty, like she had been beaten. He knew better than anyone what that was like, as his own father had beaten him for as little as getting a glass of water without begging permission. Severus knew that he couldn't leave the child here until September. There was no guarantee that she would make it that long. She needed to be taken care of and she obviously needed medical attention.
"Elizabeth," Severus sat a little straighter in his chair. "Come here and sit down. I need to talk to you about some things."
Elizabeth stopped her scrubbing and froze. "Sit sir? On the chairs? My aunt and Uncle don't allow me to sit on their furniture."
Severus' eyes narrowed a little. "Well they aren't here, Elizabeth. So come and sit so I can talk to you."
She slowly laid down the sponge and shuffled over, lowering herself on the wood like it would bite her.
"Now," Severus leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I need you to tell me about your aunt and uncle. How do they treat you?"
"Alright sir, I can't complain." Elizabeth shuffled a little on the seat.
"Child, I can see that you aren't fed, you've been left alone, and you just told me you aren't allowed to sit on the furniture. Do they hit you?"
"What?" Elizabeth froze.
"It's alright, do they hit you?" Severus looked at her bright green eyes.
"Yes sir. Uncle Vernon hits me sometimes, but it's not that bad. I mostly get locked in my cupboard with no food."
"Your uncle uses a belt or something close, doesn't he?" Severus gave her a soft look of understanding. He didn't understand the cupboard comment, thinking she as referring to the size of her bedroom, likening it to a small space.
"How did you… please don't tell my uncle that you know!" Elizabeth stared at him with wide eyes, tears brimming in them. The last time someone had brought up Elizabeth's wellbeing to the Dursley's', Vernon had whipped the young girl raw for the investigation that had happened.
"No we won't tell him, but you're not staying here. You're going to come with me and we're going to go to Hogwarts, which is where those letters of yours are coming from." Severus frowned, and drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Have you eaten today?"
Elizabeth stared at the man with wide eyes. "Not yet sir. I was trying to finish as many chores as possible before I took a break."
"I see." He leaned forward and pressed his fingertips together in thought. "I think it's best if we get you to Hogwarts and away from here." He stood and pushed the chair in. "Come. Where is your bedroom?"
Elizabeth slipped off the chair and hesitantly went to the cupboard. "Right here, sir." She opened the door and showed Severus the cot and hole filled blanket on it.
Severus was seething with rage but managed to keep it contained so the girl before him wouldn't be afraid. Dumbledore had left this girl for ten years and she had been treated like a slave. Severus crouched before the girl and smiled a little. "I want you to get anything that belongs to you, alright? You're never coming back here ever again."
Elizabeth frowned a little. "I don't have anything that belongs to me, sir. Not even the clothes I'm wearing. They belong to my aunt and uncle."
Severus closed his eyes for a moment and tried to calm himself down. "We're going to have to fix that then, hmm?" He stood up and moved toward her slowly. "We have to apparate to Hogwarts so I'm going to have to pick you up, child." He carefully lifted her into his arms, feeling how light she was and how thin her torso was. He noted that even though she was afraid of people, the girl still buried her face in his neck, her breath warm on his skin. Tightening his grip just a little, Severus turned on his heel and with a POP, the pair was gone.
*S*S*
Upon the pair arriving at the front gates of Hogwarts, Elizabeth twisted out of Severus' arms and vomited on the grass. Severus calmly held her hair out of her face and cleaned up her mouth with a folded handkerchief
"I'm sorry!" She cried as he moved to pick her up again. Severus stopped moving as she flinched away, covering her head with her arms.
"Elizabeth, listen to me," He crouched again to be at her level. "I'm not going to hit you for getting sick. Everyone gets ill their first time apparating. I was just going to pick you up to carry you to the school. It's a bit of a hike and I don't think you're well enough to make it on your own."
"Okay…" she sniffled and looped her arms around his neck, allowing him to stand with her in his arms. "I'm sorry, sir." She laid her head down on his shoulder, feeling tired.
"You don't need to be sorry, child. No one deserves to be treated the way you have been. I'm sorry that no one has come to check on you before." Severus shifted her to his other arm, freeing his wand arm as they approached the doors.
Once they reached the hospital wing, Severus held the girl tighter as she panicked a little. "Elizabeth, what is it?"
"I've never been to the doctor's before… I don't want to come here, please, sir, don't make me." Elizabeth twisted hard, but Severus had enough experience with children trying to escape him when he caught them out of bed after hours to catch her before she fell.
"Poppy!" Severus called, kicking the door shut with his foot. "I need you out here please."
Madame Pomphrey came rushing out of her office, pulling up short at the girl in his arms. "Severus what is going on?"
"This is Elizabeth Evans. Elizabeth, enough, you need to calm down." Severus moved to a bed and sat down on the mattress. "Her relatives weren't exactly the kindest to her and I need you to check her for illness or injuries."
Poppy's eyes widened but she sat on the other side of the girl and tried to take her from Severus to lay on the bed. "Dear, I need you to lay down. Severus can stay right here with you, but I can't check you if you're hiding in his shirt."
Elizabeth clung tighter to the man, shaking her head against his chest. "I'm fine. I don't need to be checked over. Please don't make me…"
Severus shooed Poppy away for a moment and he gently pried her from his arms. "Elizabeth, I need you to lay down and be calm. I promise you I am not going anywhere, and I won't let anyone hurt you." As he was speaking, Severus laid the terrified child on the bed and allowed her to clamp onto his hand, casting wide eyes at Poppy.
The Mediwitch waved her wand and read from the parchment that appeared. "Oh my goodness…" she muttered, covering his mouth with one hand. "Severus, can I speak with you in private, please?"
"NO!" Elizabeth pulled his arm so hard that Severus nearly lost his balance when he tried to stand. "You promised!"
"Hush, I'll be right over there." Waving his wand, the lock on the hospital wing door bolted shut. "And now no one other than the people who are already in this room can come in, so no one can hurt you. I need to go talk to Madame Pomphrey for a minute, but I'll be back."
"What did you find?" Severus asked quietly, his back to Elizabeth. He was handed the list of ailments, each one horrible. There were broken bones that never set right, belt marks that currently covered her back and bottom, malnutrition and general sickness that needed to be treated. "I'm going to kill these people, Poppy. How can they treat a child like this?"
"I don't know Severus. But she needs care and love right now. And with how attached she is to you; I think you're going to be the one she wants to provide her with that. Are you prepared for this?"
"I'll have to see what the headmaster says first, Poppy. If he has no objections, then I don't have a problem taking her in. She reminds me of myself at her age, if you can remember." Severus handed her back the list before the pair moved back to the child. Severus took a seat next to Elizabeth on the bed, letting her latch onto his hand once more.
"Hello dear. I need you to take some potions for me, alright?" Poppy handed the girl a few vials, and at Severus' nod, the slight girl drank them. Severus took the empty vials and waited until the sleeping draught that Poppy slipped her kick in before he pulled his hand from the girl's grasp.
"We need to flip her so I can see the injuries, so while I do that, can you fire call the headmaster?" Poppy asked Severus as she moved the ten-year-old to lay on her stomach. Severus moved to the fireplace and called for Dumbledore, who came in moments later.
"Where is she?" he asked, following Severus to the bed. The two teachers watched the Mediwitch peel back the large grey shirt to reveal long, raised welts crossing her back. Severus' face grew stormier as Poppy waved her wand repeatedly, making the marks fade to a dull pink. Carefully pulling her sweatpants down enough to show her bottom, Poppy repeated the motions before replacing the clothing to its previous state. Transfiguring the old sweat suit into clean pajamas, the little girl was flipped over once more and tucked into the bed.
"I had no idea that they were doing this to her," Dumbledore sank into the chair next to the bed. "I would have removed her long before this, but she's safe now."
Severus transfigured both the headmaster's chair and the one he was going to sit in into comfortable armchairs. "She needs a home, headmaster." Severus sat down, looking at her peaceful face.
"Severus was so good with her when he brought her in. He should be the one to take care of her, Albus." Poppy was using her wand to roll bandages and prepping the next round of treatment for Elizabeth.
"Well, about that," Albus started and then took a deep breath. "Severus, I need to tell you something I should have told you about ten years ago. I am the one at fault for the treatment that Elizabeth received from her relatives." He held up a hand to stop both adults from screaming. "Please, let me finish. When James and Lily went into hiding, it wasn't their decision, Severus. You told the two that they should go."
"I have no memory of this, Albus. You're not making any sense." Severus glared at the man before him.
"I modified your memory after they went to Godric's Hollow, so they would be protected. I never thought it would drive you to Voldemort's service." Dumbledore ignored the two winces at the name. "There is a reason I sent you to check on her today. Lily never married James all those years ago, Severus. She married you and the two of you had Elizabeth together. She's your daughter."
Severus sagged against the cushion, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that he was married to his long-lost love. It was difficult to wrap his mind around the idea that not only had he been married, but that he had a child, and that child was here, bruised and ill. "Albus, if what you're saying is true, that I've spent the last decade thinking Lily was dead, and you knew all this time, how could you keep that from me?"
"It was to keep you safe, Severus. I-"
"Dammit Albus! You should have given me back those memories as soon as the war was over.I want my memories back then, Albus. You should have fixed them after the Dark Lord was killed so Elizabeth wasn't abused for ten goddamn years! They could have killed her!" He slammed his hand down on the arm of the chair, giving the headmaster a glare so fierce, it had the potential to melt him where he sat.
"I can fix them now, if you like." Albus drew his wand, gesturing for Severus to turn toward him. With a gentle push, Albus entered Severus' mind, shifting through the past ten years until he was met with the block he had placed all those years ago. With a whispered spell, the block was dissolved, along with all the false memories that had been planted. When he stepped out of the potions master's mind, the black eyes were wide and the man's breathing shallow. "Severus, are you okay?"
Severus stood and walked to the window on the far side of the room where he stayed for what felt like hours, his arm braced on the side of the sill. "You should leave Albus."
"Severus, I don't think that I should. We should talk about this."
"What is there to talk about? You kept me as your puppet because it was convenient for you." His voice was low, like it was when students were caught out of bed or misbehaving in class. "I refuse to play your game any longer. I will not spy for you anymore. Find someone else."
"Severus, think about what you're saying-"
"I am. I'm putting that little ten year old girl first because no one has since she was a baby. Ever since her mother died, not one person has cared enough to help this child. I will not risk my life or her's for your greater picture bullshit." He then went back to ignoring the headmaster, staring out at the lake, not speaking to the an seated behind him nor the Medi-witch who was puttering around, wrapping bandages and restocking potions for the upcoming school year.
He didn't move until he heard the girl asleep on the bed shifted and moaned as she started to wake. Turning around, Severus sat beside her on the bed and brushed the hair off her face, ignoring Albus who sat with a guilty look on his face, even after he was told to leave.
"Sir, you stayed?" Elizabeth whispered, trying to sit up.
"Of course I did. I promised I would, didn't I?" Severus pushed her gently back on the bed, tucking the blankets around her once more. "Stay laying still until we get you checked out."
"Yes sir…" Elizabeth saw Dumbledore and started to scuttle back away from him.
"Easy, child. He's not going to hurt you. I wouldn't have let him in if he was dangerous." Severus brought her back to the center of the bed where Poppy waved her wand over her again. Elizabeth shrank back into Severus' arms, still afraid of Poppy. "Elizabeth, no one here is going to hurt you, I promise."
Elizabeth looked up at his face and then at Poppy's before she nodded, settling back onto the bed. "I'm sorry…"
"You have nothing to be sorry for, dear." Poppy smiled at the girl, handing her another vial. "Drink that, love. It'll help with your nerves."
"It's not going to make me fall asleep again?" Elizabeth struggled with the cork for a moment before Severus took hold of the vial and unstopped it for her. Severus sniffed the liquid and shook his head.
"It's a calming draught." Handing it back to the girl, the three adults watched her drink the liquid, and she visibly calmed, making the adults relax.
"So, when is my aunt and uncle coming to get me?" Elizabeth looked at Severus next to her, her bright green eyes wide.
Severus look at Albus and Poppy confused. "You aren't going back there, Elizabeth. I already told you that. Some things have become clear to me while you were sleeping, and you're going to be living with me from now on."
She nodded, and tried to sit up once more, only to be pressed back down by Severus again. "You need to stay laying down."
"Yes sir. What things made you want to keep me, though? My aunt and uncle always told me I was a financial and physical burden to them."
Severus pulled her so her head was laying on his leg. The girl curled up to accommodate this new position but didn't protest.
"I found out that I am your father, child." Severus looked down at the girl he was next to, who looked up at him. "I would never even begin to think that you are a burden of any sort."
"If you're my father, than why did I live with my aunt and uncle? Why didn't I live with you?" Elizabeth heard Madame Pomphrey leave the room but didn't turn around to see where she went.
"Until about an hour ago, I didn't know. Albus- excuse me, the headmaster modified my memory to keep you safe. But, unfortunately, my memory wasn't fixed until today. I didn't remember who you were to me. But I assure you, if I had known, I wouldn't have left you there. But I know now, and I can make sure you never go back there as long as I am alive." This time when Elizabeth tried to climb up into his lap, he didn't stop her and he was content to recline against her headboard and hold her, feeling her breathing even out against his neck. "You need to eat, child." He muttered, shifting her to sit more comfortably in his arms. "Maybe a few more hours of sleep before that." He said, feeling her relax into slumber once more.
*S*S*
When Elizabeth woke up, she noticed that the arms that had been wrapped around her were slack. She rolled out of Severus' arms and landed on the mattress, looking back at him. She found him asleep, his head back against the headboard. She looked over to the chair that Dumbledore had occupied and found it empty.
Poppy noticed her looking around and carefully approached, gesturing for the ten-year-old to follow her. Elizabeth slid off the bed and padded over to the woman in her socked feet. "Ma'am?"
"Here," Poppy slid a plate on the table. Elizabeth sat down and looked at a sandwich and a small bowl of chicken noodle soup. "You need to eat, but if you haven't eaten in a long time, I don't want to overwork your stomach."
Elizabeth picked up the sandwich and took a bite, savoring the taste. The last time she had eaten was four days before, and she had snuck the food from the garbage before Aunt Petunia had forced her to take it out. She shot a look at the sleeping man on the bed she had vacated.
"Severus- I'm sorry, your father, he doesn't get enough sleep as it is, he'll be awake soon. He only sleeps a few hours at a time." Poppy chuckled and poured the girl a glass of pumpkin juice. "It's nothing to worry about, darling. He's been like this since he was your age."
Elizabeth took another bite of her sandwich, taking a small sip of pumpkin juice afterward. Poppy turned to the small kitchenette and put a kettle of water on to bowl. After the water boiled, she poured herself a cup and rejoined Elizabeth at the table.
"How come he didn't come and get me?" Elizabeth took a spoonful of soup, looking at Madame Pomphrey.
"Dear, I don't know if it's my place to tell you…" Poppy looked at Severus, who had shifted to on the bed. "I hate to wake him…" Poppy sighed and shook her head. "When your father wakes, I'm sure he'll answer all of your questions."
"My aunt and uncle said that asking questions is bad."
"I don't think your father holds the same ideas." Poppy took a sip of her tea and pointed to the bowl. "Eat, love. You need to start getting good food into your body."
"Yes ma'am." Elizabeth took a small bite of the soup, more content to stir it around the bowl. "Are you sure it's okay to eat?"
"Of course its okay for you to eat, dear." Poppy looked shocked at her question and a little confused. "Why wouldn't it be, especially if I gave you the food?"
"My aunt never liked to feed me, that's all. She used to pour bleach in the trash before I took it out so I couldn't eat from the bin."
"Well, rest assured that your father is nothing like her." The Mediwitch's face was stormy, but she tried to keep calm. Part of her job was dealing with abuse cases, but this was one of the worst she had seen. How this child was so calm in a stranger's presence was beyond her, even though she had panicked a while before. She had allowed Severus to hold her on his lap and the girl had been the one to go there, not put there by her father. Poppy hoped that her mental recovery would be as smooth as her physical one, but she was comforted by the fact that the pair had about two months to fix the mental and physical damage done to the girl before school started.
As the pair were talking at the table, Severus woke up quickly, looking around for Elizabeth. When he saw her at the table, he calmed and joined the little girl at the table. When he approached, Poppy got up and made him a large mug of tea, bringing it to the man, who nodded his thanks.
"How are you feeling?" Severus asked.
"Alright, I guess."
"You guess?" Severus took a sip of tea and gave the girl a kind look. "What's going on, do you hurt anywhere?"
"Not really…. It just feels odd not being there I guess." She shrugged, before taking another spoonful of soup and a small bite of sandwich.
"Alright, if you're sure. Do you have any questions for me?"
"I just wanted to know why you didn't come for me. I understand if you don't want to tell me." Elizabeth scraped her bowl and ate the last bite of her sandwich.
"Okay," Severus sipped his tea. "Poppy, if you could…"
"Of course." She took her mug of tea and left the room, retreating into her office.
Severus took a sip of tea to calm his nerves. "When you were a baby, your mother, I and several of our friends were involved in a war. When you were about 15 months old, your mother and I were in danger, so I sent you into hiding. It didn't work out as we had planned, and as consequence," He swallowed and took another sip of tea. "Your mother and her friend who went into hiding with you and her…." He took a deep breath and cast his eyes down on the table. "were killed by a wizard who we called you-know-who." He wiped a hand over his face and tried to calm his breathing. Not a day went by that he didn't think of Lily, but now he knew that she had forgiven him that day. Now that he knew that he had been married to his lost love, his heart was less heavy, but it now ached knowing that he had lost her to the Dark Lord.
Elizabeth scooped up another spoonful of soup, swallowing the warm liquid. She really didn't know her father yet and knew that his reaction was one of controlled grief. She had seen it once before when her fourth-grade teacher's father passed away and she had come to school the day after the funeral. Mrs. Jameson had been holding back tears and often ducked into the teacher's bathroom. The school's principal had given the woman two weeks off and Elizabeth's class had been given a substitute.
"Sir, you don't have to tell me anymore if it's too hard." Elizabeth drained her glass and placed it back on the table. "I understand."
Severus sighed. "She was your mother and you deserve to know what happened to her. Though I've never been very good at being delicate." He reached over and patted her hand. "We don't know how, but you managed to survive. You're the girl who lived." Severus took a breath. "He's now dead, thankfully. You defeated him, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth brought her green eyes up and looked at her father, noting his eyes were filled with what she could only describe as pride. She had never really had anyone look at her like that. Her teachers in grade school did, but she never really felt that it was genuine. They treated everyone the same way in Elizabeth's opinion. After all, they never stopped Dudley and his gang from harassing her and they never listened to her when she told them that her uncle beat her. She figured that Uncle Vernon had talked to the school and told her she was an attention seeker or something like that.
*S*S*
Elizabeth was tucked back into bed once the sun started to sink in the sky. She looked up at Severus, who fussed with the covers and smoothed her dark hair from her forehead.
"Sir, what happens now?" Elizabeth looked up at his face, his hand stilling on her hair.
"What do you mean, child?" Severus sat next to her and gave her a kind smile.
"How long will I be staying here? I mean, are you sure I'm not going back to the Dursley's'?"
Severus chuckled slightly. "I have told you time and time again. You're living here now." He brushed the hair off her forehead, noting that she would need a haircut soon enough. "We'll be heading to my- excuse me- our home in Cokesworth in the next few days, then come September, you'll be living here with me and the other students."
"Students?"
"Yes, this is Hogwarts, just like on your letter." Severus smiled.
"You mean the letters that were coming through the fireplace?" Elizabeth looked at him with wide eyes.
"Were they?" Severus kissed her forehead, more than ready to get her to sleep for the night.
"Uncle Vernon boarded up the fireplace so they couldn't get in anymore. They even came in the eggs that Aunt Petunia has delivered every morning. They were talking about running away from the house before you came."
He chuckled and tucked her in tightly. "Well, that won't be happening here, my dear." He stood, settling in the armchair next to her bed. "Get some sleep, I'll be back tomorrow, and we'll see when you get to come home." He waited until her breathing evened out before he got up to leave, stepping into the fireplace.
*S*S*
Severus flooed back to his Cokesworth home, as the last rays of the sun dipped below the horizon. He wasn't sure when Elizabeth was going to be cleared to leave the Hospital Wing, but he figured that she should have a bedroom to sleep in. His home had four bedrooms, three of which had become storage for his potion's ingredients and his spare cauldrons.
He marched up the stairs and went to the bedroom across from his to see the size. The room was the largest of the three storage rooms, and he needed to clean up the dust and decide where the items needed to go. Severus pulled his wand and rifled through the boxes, pulling out vials and bottles, deciding what could go back into the basement lab and what could be moved to his upper level classrooms.
After two hours, he had an empty room, with books and other supplies floating down to their respective spots. He looked around at the drab off yellow walls of the bedroom that had been his in his boyhood. He needed to lighten up the place for a child, and he was a little hesitant on what she would like and if he should just assume. To start, he waved his wand and painted the walls an off white, which looked far better than the yellow that had been there before. Next, he added a queen sized four poster bed, with white bedding, with light purple throw pillows and purple pillowcases. There was light purple stitching around the edges of the comforter and there was plenty of storage underneath the bed, with the bed being slightly risen to allow a single row of square cubbies underneath.
In the corner, he added a swing chair that was magically reinforced to the ceiling, and with another wave of his wand, a purple throw blanket was folded neatly in the chair. To the right of the door, he transfigured out of an old wooden crate a desk and a chair, with a cork board above it on the wall with plenty of push pins.
Light purple curtains surrounded the windows and two dressers stood in the corner of the room. A plush white rug was added to the room, covering the stained wood floor that previously stood there. Wooden shelves were added on the walls for books and an empty bookcase was on the left of the door with a lamp on the top. He added another lamp next to her bed.
Lastly, he added in her closet, a shoe rack, so she could stay nice and organized and a hamper so her dirty clothes had somewhere to go. After seeing her last lodging, he was determined to make sure the place she had in his home was warm and inviting.
Pleased with his work, he turned the lights off and left the room, shutting the door behind himself.
Moving into the kitchen, he checked to make sure the fridge was stocked full and the pantry was clean. He wanted Elizabeth to feel like she was welcome to anything in the house, so he decided to get containers for snacks so she wouldn't feel like a burden, asking him to make her food.
Hanging his robes up on the clothes tree, he gathered his wallet that he used in the muggle world and his car keys, for the car he rarely drove. Severus had a license, but it was seldom used.
His father's old Ford Cortina was housed in the garage, and Severus kept it as nice as he could, but he knew soon, he would have to get a new car. It was decent for short trips to the shops but everywhere else he didn't need one.
The car was a sandy beige color, but the interior was black, with wood inside. Severus climbed in the driver's seat and left for the store, planning on getting cereals and other such snacks for his daughter. Parking the car, he moved as quickly as he could, getting as many as, more healthful as not, snacks for his child. He rarely ate snacks, but Elizabeth would, at least he assumed so.
*S*S*
Severus came back to the hospital wing the next morning and saw Elizabeth sitting at the table again, eating breakfast. He smiled and walked over to her, smiling at his offspring.
"Morning sir," she ate another bite of toast, and stirred around her scrambled eggs.
"Good morning, Elizabeth. How did you sleep?"
"Alright, sir." She took another tiny bite of her toast. She jumped when Poppy came over with a mug of tea and a plate of breakfast. There was his usual fare of toast and raspberry jam and a blueberry scone, which was placed in front of him.
Severus took the tea from Poppy and gave her a quiet thank you. He tried to get her to take back the plate, but the Mediwitch gave him a sharp look. With a sigh, he tucked in, if only to get the woman off his back.
"Severus, I got Elizabeth a few clothing items to get her through the rest of the week. She can go home today, but I want her to take it easy and she needs to take a few supplements and a few more healing potions."
Elizabeth looked up with her eyes bright. "Home? Not the Dursley's?"
Severus reached over and took her hand. "Love, you are never going back there ever again. We're going home to our home in Spinner's End."
Elizabeth smiled a real smile for the first time since Severus got her. "So, you're really going to keep me?"
Severus broke his scone on the plate into a few pieces. "Of course I will be keeping you. You're my daughter." He took a bite of his own breakfast, shaking his head a little. "Every time you ask if I'm going to send you away to your relatives again, I'm going to give you the same answer. I am never going to send you back to that damnable house."
*S**
"Severus, she needs to be in bed early tonight. Those welts are still a little fresh and a few more days of rest and those potions should heal her completely." Poppy handed him the small overnight bag full of the clothes that she had had transfigured for Elizabeth.
"Yes, Poppy, I understand. I am a healer too after all." He took the bag and slung it over his shoulder. Placing his hand on his daughter's shoulder, he steered her to the fireplace.
Tossing floo powder in the fireplace, the 10-year-old was whisked into the multi green world of the floo network, and when she stepped out in the Spinner's end living room, where she was covered in soot.
"Oh dear," Severus waved his wand and vanished the ash from his daughter's face and hair. "How about we get these clothes into your room?"
"My room?" Elizabeth was confused. She thought he was going to make her sleep on the couch or something like that.
"Of course. Where did you think you were going to sleep?" Severus put his arm around her shoulders and led her up the stairs. "This is my room," He pointed to the door on the left. "The room next to that is the bathroom and this," He opened the door that was Elizabeth's. "Is your room."
Elizabeth gasped and looked around wildly, trying to absorb all the things in the room.
"If you don't like anything, we can change it." Severus crossed the room and put the few outfits and pajamas away in the dressers and put the overnight bag in one of the storage cubes under the bed.
"Are you sure this is all for me?" She twirled around the room before she kicked her shoes off and threw herself on the bed.
"Yes, this is all for you." Severus picked her shoes up and opened the closet door, placing her shoes on the rack.
He smiled as she went around the room, opening drawers, examining the desk and lastly, swinging in the chair. She clearly was still a little hesitant around him and in the room as well, but they could work on her attitude over being given things. He was reminded of himself, when his father had finally died. Severus was 14 and he came home for summer break to find the house clean and booze free. He had asked his mother Eileen, who was clearly much happier why she was that way and she told him with glee that Tobias was dead.
That night, Severus had full reign of the house and together, he and his mother pulled up the stained rugs and rotten floorboards, and over the course of that summer, they fixed up the house and used the money for good food and proper clothes for the first time in Severus' life.
He leaned against the doorstop to watch her enjoy her new space, already excited for what the future held for himself and his daughter.
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-Erectopatronum