Remus stepped through the floo at precisely 6:30, brushing ash off his threadbare sweater, following the voices and smells of dinner to the kitchen, seeing Severus helping Elizabeth take out a dish from the oven, putting it on the stove top.

"There you go." Severus took off the oven mitt he was wearing, taking the ones from his child, putting them back in the drawer they came from. He then looked up, seeing Remus in the doorway, hands in his pockets. "Hello Remus."

"Hello you two." He wanted to reach out to Elizabeth, but he wanted to give her the space she wanted, so he was surprised when she threw herself in his arms, beaming up at him.

"You came!" She barely came up to his waist, her arms not long enough to reach around his body. She jumped up, moving her arms to his neck, climbing up his body, struggling a little to get up.

"Of course I did!" Remus lifted her into his arms, holding her under the thighs to support her weight. "I was sent a lovely invitation from a lovely young lady and it is very rude to ignore such a wonderful social event!" He carefully pressed a kiss to her cheek, smiling when she laughed at his moustache tickling her face. He went to put her down, but she wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping herself up. "Alright, up you stay." He put his arms back under her, keeping her in his arms.

"Look at what Severus and I made!" She pointed at the stove, pride showing on her face.

"You cooked tonight?" Remus looked at Severus, who nodded.

"Elizabeth did everything but man the stove alone. I'm immensely proud of her." Severus put his hand on her back, not taking her from her godfather. His daughter looked at him, a small smile on her face, before she looped her arm around Severus' neck, transferring her weight to him, allowing him to hold her as Remus had.

"Really?" Elizabeth looked at him, not really believing him.

"Yes, of course." Severus kissed her cheek and went to place her down when she reached out to Remus again, smiling once more when he took her back. "Rennie, you're not a baby. You can stand on your own."

"Severus, I don't mind. Are we eating in here or outside?" Remus shuffled Elizabeth more securely in his arms, heading toward the backdoor when she yelled,

"Outside!"

"Alright, outside it is." The two headed into the backyard, Remus putting her on the garden chair, before going back inside to help Severus bring out the plates and utensils.

Severus came out carrying their supper, putting it on a trivet on the table, sticking a serving spoon inside, before he took his own seat. "Here we are." Severus waved his wand, serving the three of them quickly.

"So, how has the day been for you two?" Remus picked up his fork, scooping up a bite, but held off eating, looking at the two. "Other than cooking supper, did you do anything fun?"

"Severus and I drew the treehouse we're going to build!" Elizabeth picked up her fork, digging into her meal. "Will you help us build?"

"I can if you want me to." Remus smiled warmly at her exuberance. He wasn't sure where this was coming from and made a mental note to discuss this with Severus after Elizabeth was sent to bed at 8:30, though the last time he was there, she managed to persuade her father to let her stay in the living room till quarter to ten.

"Yes, the entirety of Hogwarts staff in my home, a real treat. It's not like I see them 9 months out of the year, so why not have them all over for a light construction project?" Severus rolled his eyes at Remus, but smirked a little nonetheless.

"We don't have to built it, I was just excited is all!" Elizabeth's eyes went wide. Her head flung back and forth from Severus to Remus, her fork falling closer and closer to her plate.

"Your father is just being sarcastic, love. He tends to be that way, no matter the company." Remus gave his friend a look, raising an eyebrow.

Elizabeth fixed her stare to Severus, who reached across the table and patted her hand. "Rennie, I want to do this for you. You'll see when the professors I work with come here in a few weeks. They are… well quite unlike me."

"They're quite a cheery and talkative bunch, love. They're everything your father isn't." Remus joked, making a face at his friend.

"Oh." Elizabeth nodded once, then took a bite of her meal, taking a sip of her milk, the drink Severus preferred she have at mealtimes. She wasn't complaining, though she hated the taste. It was better than the lukewarm tap water she was given to drink at her Aunt and Uncle's. Severus said she was lacking the calcium she needed to grow taller, but she wasn't too sure about the science, but she trusted Severus' judgement on the matter.

"I would never make a promise like this and yank it out from under you. That's not fair to you, Elizabeth." Severus picked up his fork, scooping up his meal, taking a bite. "We can start looking at furniture tomorrow if you would like?"

"Yes, please!" Elizabeth looked more excited than she did in the hospital wing when Severus told her that she wasn't going back to the Dursleys'. "Can I get anything I want?"

"Yes, within reason." Severus looked at Remus before taking a sip of his wine. "I'll give you a budget and you can get anything within that."

Elizabeth grinned, taking a large bite of her meal. "Brilliant!" She leaned forward in her seat, tucking her feet under her backside. "Are we going to the store or…?"

"We can get a furniture catalog I think. We can order one tomorrow morning and it should be here before lunch." Severus settled back in his chair, watching his daughter's face glow with happiness. "With any luck, the whole thing will be done before your friend comes to visit. Don't forget to put that letter in the mailbox tomorrow morning. I'll remind you, but it's your responsibility to take care of it."

"I won't forget!"

"Letter? Who are you writing to, love?"

"Jenny. Remember I talked about her a few weeks ago. I'm trying to get her phone number so we can talk…" Elizabeth wiped her face when Severus handed her a napkin, a light blush creeping up her face. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, you did nothing wrong." Severus looked at Remus, trying not to make a face.

"Let's talk about school. Are you ready?"

"I dunno." She poked at her meal for a few moments, then looked up. "I don't know anything about Hogwarts, you know? I know I'm really good at school, I really like it, but this is a completely new school with new material and new kids…. I dunno, maybe I'm being stupid." She looked up, a small frown on her face.

"If it worries you, it's not stupid. We should have told you about Hogwarts a little sooner. What would you like to know?"

"Severus," Remus interrupted. "That's a bit much. Perhaps we should start a little smaller?"

"Perhaps… To start, on September 1st, we're going to go to King's Cross station, where you'll get on the Hogwarts Express. From there, you'll come to Hogwarts, where you'll be sorted into one of four houses."

"Gryffindor, which was my house, tend to take students who are brave, courageous and determined. But you don't have to be a knight to be in Gryffindor. Bravery comes in many forms." Remus said, smiling at her, as she looked at him with wide eyes, taking in all the information.

"Slytherin, which was my house, and the house that I am the head of, favors those who ambitious and resourceful. Professor McGonagall is the head of Gryffindor." Severus scaped his fork along his plate, picking up another bite. "She and I are quite the same, when it comes to house discipline."

"What are the others?"

"Hufflepuff, who's head of house you already met. Professor Sprout is in charge of them. They value hard work and loyalty."

"And lastly, Ravenclaw. Professor Flitwick is their head, they're what we called the smart house." Remus laughed. "Both your mum and dad were nearly Ravenclaw and from what your dad has told me so far, you seem to take after that trait fairly well, so perhaps, it's Ravenclaw for you?"

"They value learning and wit, Rennie. Just being smart doesn't mean that you're just cut out for one house. There are plenty of people who fit into multiple houses. The sorting just puts you where you'd fit the best, but you can have all of these traits." Severus pointed at her plate, which she had abandoned to listen. "After the sorting, there's a dinner and classes begin the next day."

"That doesn't seem so bad…"

"See, nothing to worry about." Severus took a sip of his wine, shaking his head.

*S*S*

Elizabeth walked between Severus and Remus down the street into town, grinning as she skipped down the cobblestone road. Remus had done a beautiful job convincing her father that they should go out for ice cream instead of staying at home, even getting the stern man to agree to a fire after they got home.

"Hand, Elizabeth." Severus offered her his own hand, taking her smaller one carefully. "I don't want you crossing the roads here without me. The drivers here don't watch where they're going."

Elizabeth grinned up at him, continuing to skip as she babbled away at Remus, who answered all her questions with vigor. She reached out and took her godfather's hand, same as Severus', using their stability to jump off the curbs, ignoring Severus' warnings that she would hurt herself if she kept jumping.

"Severus, I'll be fine."

"The streets are uneven, Rennie. Please, I twisted my ankles on these same roads when I was your age many times. Listen to me, just this once?"

"Only this once?" she sassed, but she stopped jumping regardless. "I never have to listen to you again?"

"Only if you want to not have any freedoms when I ground you for life." Severus shook her hand a little, bumping her a little with his hip when she laughed.

"You wouldn't." She turned to him, eyebrow raised very much like her father's.

"Oh yes I would." Severus swung her hand a little between them, smiling down at her.

"Okay, you two, truce." Remus said to the two on his left, holding the door open to the ice cream shop, ushering them inside. "Let's put this to rest, alright?"

Elizabeth let the men's hands go, running forward to press her face into the glass of the ice cream bar.

"Elizabeth, come back here, please." Severus reached his hand out to her once more, pulling her to his side while they waited in line. "Don't run off without me, please."

"Sorry, I'm just really excited." Elizabeth dug her toe into the floor. "I haven't gone out for ice cream in a really long time."

"I know, but I don't want you to get taken or hurt. When we're out in public, stay with me."

Elizabeth nodded, leaning into his side. "Okay, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, love. Just be more mindful." Severus walked with her to the head of the line, Remus on Elizabeth's other side.

"What are you getting, sweetheart?" Remus crouched down to her level, pointing at the case, before looking at her.

"Can I get mint chocolate? And sprinkles?" She looked from Remus to Severus, a small smile on her face.

"I think we can swing it." Severus laughed, pointing out the sizes. "What are you thinking about getting for your size?"

"Can I get a two scoops? On a cone?"

"I don't know, Rennie… Cones are messy…" There was one thing Severus hated and that was sticky hands on children. He was always so disgusted by sticky hands. But the look on her face, the completely deflated look, he hated to see her like that. "Tell you what? Why don't you get it in a cup, with the cone on top? So it doesn't get on you?"

She beamed, nodding her head vigorously. "Yes please!"

Severus tucked her closer to his side, turning to address the young girl behind the counter. "Hello, can we get two scoops of mint chocolate in a cup, with a waffle cone with sprinkles? Remus, what are you getting?"

"Can I get a scoop of chocolate raspberry and one of black cherry, in a cup?" Remus picked Elizabeth up as he returned to his normal height, so she could watch them make their ice cream easier. She hadn't grown any noticeable height since she came to live with Severus, which was concerning, but now was not the time to address it.

"And can I get a scoop of vanilla?" Severus rounded out their order, handing the cashier a handful of bills, waving away the change. "Keep it. I remember working summers here in Cokesworth."

"Thank you so much sir!" The girl tucked the small wad of bills into the jar on the counter, titled "College fund".

The three walked to the other side to pick up their order, Elizabeth having been returned to the floor to walk. The group walked outside, settling on the patio furniture in the summer heat, Severus handing Elizabeth a pile of napkins before she started eating.

"Here." Severus leaned forward, peering into her bowl, taking his plastic spoon, stealing a bite of her dessert.

"Hey!"

"What? I always get vanilla, a safe option, but I was curious to how yours tasted." He laughed at the face she was making. He batted her spoon away as she reached over to steal from him, chuckling as she tried to get through his defenses. "Excuse me, Remus!" He turned to his friend, eyes wide as Remus stole a large scoop, splitting it with his goddaughter.

"Elizabeth, can I try some of yours?" Remus asked, laughing at his friend.

"Of course, Remus, thank you so much for asking before you STOLE." She shot eyes at Severus. She scooped up a spoonful for him, offering it to him, watching as he carefully ate it from the spoon she offered, contemplating the taste.

"Not bad, though, here, try mine." He offered her some of the two scoops he had.

"That's really good," Elizabeth wiped her mouth clean, before digging into her ice cream. "Is that fruit based?"

"Mhmmm. I prefer fruit desserts." Remus said, taking a scoop of his two scoops, making sure to get both flavors. "Ice cream is always a favorite with cake of some sort being a close second."

"I make a really good three berry tart that was always a hit at my Uncle's business get togethers. I can make it sometime, if you want to try it." Elizabeth nibbled on her waffle cone, watching the men's reaction.

"Rennie, I don't want you using the oven unattended." Severus said, scraping the top of his scoop with his spoon, leveling her with a look. "Please don't use the stove without one of us there."

"I don't have to be unattended. You both can make them with me if you want to." Elizabeth shrugged a little, looking around the table. "I can cook very well, thank you very much."

"I'm not surprised, given what your relatives put you through, but still, I need you to be careful around the kitchen. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." Severus ate another bite.

"Alright, I guess." Elizabeth knew when to pick her battles and this one was not it. She had learned the hard way with her aunt and uncle, so she knew it was especially a bad idea to push it in public as well.

"There is no 'I guess.'" Severus raised a eyebrow at her. "There is yes, I understand, but no 'alright, I guess'."

"Yes, I understand." Elizabeth fought an eyeroll, focusing on her own dessert, not wanting to make him mad. He had been so good to her and she didn't want to repay his kindness with attitude. She had always been fine at the Dursleys', rarely burning herself anymore, but she figured she could weasel her way into Severus' good graces and get back into the kitchen. She liked to cook, but she didn't want to make her father mad by pressing the issue. Not when he had been so good to her.

*S*S*

Severus was about to flip the lights off in his daughter's room, after tucking her in for the night when he heard her quiet voice call out to him from her bed.

"Severus?" She was burrowed into her blankets, the covers pulled up to her mouth, muffling her voice to the point her barely heard her.

He turned back, going back to the armchair next to her bed, sitting down in it. "What is it, child?"

"About the sorting…"

"What's got you so worked up?" Severus laid a hand on his daughter's forehead, pushing her bangs out of her face. He really needed to trim those back, now that he was looking at them.

"No, nothing, but… what if I'm not in Slytherin?" She pulled the covers back down, sitting up little, propping herself up on her elbow, looking at Severus.

"Then you're not in Slytherin." Severus smiled a little. "You don't need to be in Slytherin for me to be proud of you, if that's what you're nervous about."

"But what if I am in Slytherin? Will… will things change?" She brought the covers up to her mouth, to hide her worrying her lip with her teeth.

"No, things won't change." Severus sighed and leaned down to kiss her forehead, gently coxing her to lay down once more.. "And besides, I would be shocked if you were in Slytherin."

"Why?"

"Because," Severus got up to turn off the lights. "You're too much like your mother."

*S*S*

Elizabeth sat on the pile of wood the adults had stacked a few days later, watching Severus and his coworkers wave their wands, erecting walls and reenforcing the structure. She was excited to have her own place to hang out and she was so grateful that Severus thought of making it for her.

She jumped when Remus wrapped his arm around her, looking around wildly until she saw Remus, putting her at ease. She smiled when he handed her a donut, pressing a finger to his lips with a smile.

"Don't tell your dad," he whispered, taking a sip of the coffee he had in his hand. Elizabeth nodded, taking a bite of the chocolate donut in her hand, leaning into his side.

"Where did you get a donut? We don't have any in the house." Elizabeth looked up at him, questioningly. "You know how Severus feels about too much sugar."

"I snuck out to get you a treat." Remus put his arm carefully around her shoulders. "I'm sorry Hagrid scared you this morning. We thought he would be calmer than that. Your dad and I tried to tell him off beforehand, but he can get excited. Sometimes a little too excited."

"It's not your fault." Elizabeth shrugged. "Did Severus tell you that Jenny wrote me back and her mum said that she would be really excited for us to go to Surrey for the day sometime this summer? But, until the ministry says that I'm 100% here to stay, Severus wants to stay away from Surrey so we're going to ask her mum when she's able to come here!"

"Really? He told me that a friend of yours had written, but not that she was coming over." He ruffled her hair. "With luck, we'll have this finished by the end of today."

"Severus was really surprised that the tree was healthy so soon." Elizabeth nibbled on the edge of the donut, smiling more and more. "But all the professors came over really short notice. Even Hagrid, but I'm not sure how I feel about him yet. He's a little scary." She eyed the half giant carefully.

"Hagrid is a very nice person, Elizabeth. He would never dream of hurting you. He may be a little excited and a little quick to move, but he loves you. He loved you a lot when you were a baby and I know he loves you a lot now." Remus squeezed her to his side with one hand.

"Are you sure?" She watched the large man saw a series of boards to size, handing them off to the professors to put in place.

"I'm one hundred percent sure." He let her go, before reaching a hand out to her, helping her off the stack of wood, leading her over to the adults.

"Elizabeth, please keep your distance." Severus said, waving his wand to stabilize the boards they had just placed. "I don't want anything falling on you while we do this."

"Can I help?" Elizabeth stopped on the edge of the circle of materials, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"I don't know how you'll be able to…." Severus looked around for something for her to help with. "Here," Severus handed her a measuring tape and a pencil. "Mark the boards for Hagrid at 9.5 feet so he can cut them." He pointed to the wood that had been brought down off the stack.

She took the tape measure and pencil, heading over to the wood, measuring it carefully, happy to be allowed to be a help. She was working her way through the stack when Hagrid came over, taking a set of boards to cut.

"Hullo, Elizabeth!" He said quite loudly, causing her to jump, looking around wildly for her father, who was working with Professor McGonagall, a woman who had been kind to her when the professors had arrived that morning, to erect the boards, not paying attention to his daughter. "How are you today?"

"Fine…" Elizabeth was scared of the man. She knew in her head that he wouldn't hurt her in the backyard of her home, but he was very tall and very loud, with hands as big as trashcan lids. He had stepped through the floo that morning with the group, immediately heading over to the young girl, who had been deflected by Severus, who instructed the man to keep his distance while Remus held Elizabeth to his chest, holding her in his arms as strangers flooded her house.

"I'm glad to see that you're here, you know. I haven't seen you since you were a baby, so I'm very happy to see you're well!"

"Thank you," Elizabeth knelt on the ground, marking the boards with the pencil, moving out of the way for Hagrid to take away.

"Do you want to help cut these?"

"I'm not sure Severus would want me to work with a saw…" She turned to watch Severus hand a board up to Remus, who was in the tree. He wasn't watching her at all, and she did want to do more to help.

Elizabeth finished marking the boards before she got up, heading over to Hagrid, who was working by himself with a two handled saw. "What can I do?"

Hagrid beamed at her, offering her the other end of the saw. "Take that side and help me saw these to size." He pointed to the box that had been overturned, the one that has been held all the tools they had brought over to the Snapes'.

Elizabeth carefully climbed up onto the crate, taking hold of the handle, warmed wood under her small hands. "Now what?"

"So, push it toward me." He waited until she got a good grip, pulling the handle, taking most of the brunt of the saw, but nodded when she fully extended her arms. "Now pull it toward you."

Elizabeth's shy smile turned into a big toothy grin as they sawed through the boards, getting through a few of them with Hagrid, feeling more useful then she had in the last two hours. She wasn't thinking about the stress of a new school, or the fact that she wouldn't know anyone there, or the fact that her father would be a teacher there, which was sure to draw attention. She wasn't thinking about how her best friend was still in Surrey and she certainly wasn't thinking about her aunt and uncle finding her in Cokesworth, dragging her back to Surrey to be their slave once more.

She was so wrapped up in the fun she was having, she didn't see her father stalking across the lawn, a deep frown on his face.

"Elizabeth Renee!" His voice cracked, anger in his tone.

She jumped, letting the saw go like it burned her. "Severus!"

"What are you thinking? A saw?" He picked her up off the box, setting her on the ground. "Hagrid, what were you thinking? She's ten!"

"She was looking for something to do, Professor. I was just trying to help her stay out of the way. She wasn't in any danger, I promise."

Severus took a deep breath, trying not to be angry with the half giant or his daughter. After all, when he noticed his daughter was handling the double saw, he did notice that Hagrid was doing most, if not all the work. It was the idea of her getting hurt that pained him more than anything. "Even so, I don't want her handling the saw. "Come, Elizabeth," He took her hand, leading her back to where he could watch her more easily.

"Severus, I promise I will be careful, can I please go back to Hagrid?"

"Elizabeth, you're ten years old. There is no way I'm going to allow you to use a saw. I told you there wasn't much you would be able to do. Construction is dangerous."

"Are you mad?" Elizabeth looked up at him as he looked at the pile of materials that had just been delivered.

"I'm not happy, if that's what you're wondering. But you're not going to be grounded for that. But you are going to be exiled to the patio, so off you go." He pointed to the garden furniture, waiting until she trotted off, settling onto the chair he pointed to.

"Severus," Minerva called, waving him over, as the others began to finish off the house, putting the roof on.

"Yes, Minerva?" He walked over to her, hoping she would not be trying to give him a parenting lecture. She wasn't a parent and he refused to be lectured to today.

"She just wants to help."

"Not with a saw. She can help by staying out of the way." Severus frowned, not understanding why she was trying to let it slide. She could have been hurt, if the saw had slipped, if the half giant had pushed too hard and had hit her with the saw, if she had fallen off that box, hit her head, anything, he would never forgive himself for letting her get hurt.

"Severus, she's going to get impatient and want to help anyways. Just find her something to do or I will." She walked off, heading over to the other professors to help attach the roof securely.

Severus ignored her advice until they had the structure completely up and secured. The other adults had sent Hagrid up into the tree to rock around in the structure, to shake it back and forth and to test the slide and ladder before Elizabeth was summoned to her father's side, staring up with bright eyes.

"This is mine?"

Severus smiled at her, picking her up and settling her on his hip, brushing her hair out of her face. "Yes, Rennie, this is all yours. I think you, Remus and I can handle painting this later, but all the furniture you picked out is in there and Hagrid testing it, so there is no way it can fall with you or any of your friends in it. He jumped in it, threw his weight around and went down the slide. It's finished and it's yours."

"Can I go check it out?"

"Of course." He put her down, moving to stand with his colleagues who were chatting in the yard, drinks in hand. Severus had called for take out for an early dinner, as a way to thank them all for their help, more grateful than ever that they were so excepting of him.

"She seems happy with it." Flitwick commented, looking over at the treehouse where Elizabeth was climbing, getting picked up from the ladder by Remus.

"I'm glad. The point of this was to make her feel like this was her home. I wanted her to have her own space. We might have to weather proof it for the winter, but for now, it's good."

"Well, for now, I think this is a great start. I mean, look at her." Pomona pointed at the girl, who was beaming up in the tree with her godfather, who looked equally as happy to be there with her. "I think you really turned her life around, Severus. I'm glad you found her again. Elizabeth just being here has changed you for the better. The both of you."