Severus came out of the house, entering the backyard to find his daughter, finding her in the treehouse with Remus, standing on the small porchlike area, Elizabeth sitting on the railing, being supported by Remus. Severus was glad that Remus had her supported, the sight alone of her on that railing was giving him chest pains, afraid that she would fall backward out of the tree.

"Having fun?" Severus called up, looking at the two, shading his eyes with his hand to see them better as he stood below them.

"Severus, come up here!" Elizabeth looked down at him, jumping off the railing to kneel on the floor by the hole in the floor, looking down at him, reaching out a hand to him, trying to get him to climb up.

"Don't you think I'm a little old to be climbing into a treehouse?" Severus came to stand at the ladder, an eyebrow raised.

"No you're not. Remus came up here." Elizabeth laid on her stomach so she could reach farther down, before being dragged back by Remus so she didn't fall.

Severus sighed, climbing up the ladder to the treehouse, not really wanting to climb into a tree, but doing it for his daughter, since it clearly meant a lot to her. When he emerged from the hole, he pulled himself through, standing on the porch, looking down at his daughter. "Have you chosen the furniture you want in here?"

"Mhmm!" She rushed into the tree house, coming out with the catalog, with a series of items circled. "Remus and I looked through this and picked some things!"

Severus took the catalog from her and flipped through it, noticing she had chosen the cheapest options. When they went shopping for furniture, he would have to address that. "I can see that." He rolled the catalog up and put it in his back pocket, gesturing for her to follow him down. "While you and Remus were up here, your grandmother called. She's invited all three of us to dinner tonight."

"Grandmother?" She looked confused, jumping off the last rung before taking Severus' hand, walking through the back garden to the house.

"Yes, I told you about her. I also told her I would have to talk to you about it, Rennie. Today was a lot, with a lot of new people." He held the back door open for her and Remus, shutting it behind them all. "You don't have to say yes if you don't want to go."

"But she's family…"

"Family doesn't mean you have to bend to every whim. Think on it, I told her I would get back to her later." Severus opened the refrigerator, pulling out sandwich supplies. "She's rather desperate to meet you."

"Meet me? Didn't she see me when I was a baby?"

Severus exchanged a look with Remus, before he set to work making a sandwich for Elizabeth. "No, she didn't."

"Why not?" Elizabeth furrowed her brow in confusion.

"She and I had a…. bit of a falling out right before you were born. She and I only started talking again two years ago, so no she has never met you."

"Oh." Elizabeth accepted the sandwich but eyed the milk he poured her with a critical eye. "I hate milk."

Severus looked up, confusion on his face. "You've never said anything about it before." He sighed. "You need the calcium, Rennie." He cut an apple into slices and put them on her plate, remembering how she had enjoyed them before.

"But it doesn't taste good." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the glass. She never liked how milk tasted and once the Dursleys' found out her distaste for it, that was all she was given when she could eat, other than the tap water she drank. Dudley was allowed soda and other such beverages and loved to rub it in her face that she only received foods she had a distaste for. "Do I have to?"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, but I would prefer if you had something calcium rich at least twice a day. Milk is just the easiest way to get it in you. You need it to grow taller." Severus pulled a few jars out of the fridge, placing them on the table before he sat down.

Remus sat beside her, getting her attention. "Is there anything else you don't like, love?" He pulled the bread and sandwich meat toward himself, assembling a sandwich for his own lunch, spreading spicy mustard on one of the pieces of bread.

"Mayonnaise, cooked carrots, oranges, and olives." She made a face. "My aunt and uncle used to make me eat those all the time. The texture is wrong for all of them… I don't like it." She watched Remus make his sandwich.

"What's wrong with the texture of carrots?" Severus tried not to laugh. "He had a feeling she wouldn't like it if he expressed the amusement he felt at her choice of unworthy foods. When he was her age, he ate everything he could get his hands on, not knowing when his mother would be able to afford more.

"They're too soft. I don't like mushy things. If I have to eat oranges, I pick all the white strings off and mayonnaise is just gross. Olives taste like metal and are a bad texture too." She ripped one of her sandwich halves into another half, nibbling on the edge.

"Good to know." Severus nodded. "You still need to drink your milk though." He pushed the glass closer to her. "We can figure out an alternative for next time. You need the calcium to get taller. What did you used to have when your friend's mother watched you?"

"Regular milk. I didn't want to complain." She drained the glass, wiping the back of her mouth, grimacing at the taste before she set the glass down.

"You're not complaining if you don't like something." Severus waved his wand, summoning a clean glass for her, filling the new glass with pumpkin juice. "It alright if you don't like something, but I would prefer if you tried a food before you decide that you don't like it."

"It's a good thing that you're comfortable expressing what you like and don't like with us." Remus ate a half of his sandwich. He offered her a piece of his, after tearing a piece from the half that remained on his plate. "Here, try this."

She took it hesitantly. "What is it?" she looked up from the sandwich piece to Remus' face, trying to find answers before he spoke, as if there was the possibility of finding answers before he spoke.

"Ham, cheese and mustard. It's a little spicy, but its good. Try it." He gestured for her to put it in her mouth and to try it.

Elizabeth examined the sandwich, noticing there was lettuce and tomato slices in between the ham and cheese. She had never had anything like it before, the sandwiches Severus had made for her being either plain turkey or peanut butter, to be easier on her stomach, to get her used to eating properly. Taking a bite, she contemplated the taste, finding it to be a little spicier than she had ever had before, as her aunt and uncle did not like much spice, but she liked it.

"It's good." She finished the little piece Remus had given her. "What are those?" She pointed to the jar on the table next to the sandwich stuff.

"Pickles." Severus answered, eying her, a smirk on his face. "Do you want to try one? Have you ever had a pickle before?"

"Kinda… and no, I haven't. Dudley really liked them, so they were only for him. I always wanted to try them though, but I was always too nervous to sneak one."

"Here," Severus cut a portion of one of the spears on his plate, handing the smaller piece to her. "Try this. I make them myself, so they won't be like the store bought ones."

"Well, since I never had a pickle before, I don't really have a way to compare them." She ate the piece in her hand, enjoying the satisfying crunch. There was a bite to them, and they were a little sour, but even so, there was something about them she liked, a little disappointed she was never allowed to try all these foods when she was younger. "Can I have another?" she gestured to the jar again, about to get up and get one for her own.

Severus nodded, sticking the tip of his thumb in his mouth to consume the mustard that stuck to it from his own sandwich. Wiping his finger off on the napkin on his lap, Severus stabbed a pickle with the fork resting on the lid of the jar, placing it on her plate. "I'm glad you're trying new foods, Rennie." He returned the lid to the jar, tightening it to close it. "I was a little worried you were going to have some food phobias."

"I wish I could have tried more foods when I was younger." Elizabeth finished her sandwich and started on the apples and pickle. "She sighed a little. "Mrs. Ashter used to try to give me something new every time I came over, to attempt to get me to experience different things, but she was worried that food might get me sick. I feel like I missed so much."

"Even so, we have plenty of time now to rectify that." Severus took another bite, tapping the table next to her plate, to prompt her to eat more. "I will be honest, it makes me feel a little more comfortable that you want to try new foods, seeing that once you get to Hogwarts, there usually isn't much someone can do about the food, if they are picky."

Remus nodded in agreement. "There are plenty of options, Elizabeth, don't worry too much. You usually will always have something you like at mealtimes."

Elizabeth looked at her plate, biting into an apple slice, mulling over the information she was given. "Will I still be given that potion or will I be done with them by now?"

"Poppy wants to see you the week before school starts again to see how you're growing and how fast you're gaining weight. If all looks well, you shouldn't need them any longer, but if you aren't growing as fast as we need you to be, yes, you will need to keep going on with them until you are."

"Alright… But it won't stop me from going to school?"

"No, love it won't stop you from going to school. You will be on that train September 1st, heading to Hogwarts." Severus took a sip of his drink.

She smiled, ducking her head a little. "Good. I'm really excited to go to school."

"That's great, Elizabeth. It's good that there isn't any fear surrounding school." Remus leaned back in his chair, watching the girl.

"School has always been a safe space for me. The staff at my old school always kept Dudley and I apart and I had teachers who fed me and stuff. My fourth grade teacher used to let me pick from the lost and found for jackets and stuff so I could go out at recess and not freeze. They made sure that none of Dudley's friends were in the same block as me and neither was he. Even though I was weird, or at least the other kids thought so, I really liked school."

"The lost and found?"

"Well, yes, if they bought me a jacket, most likely, there would be trouble with my family. But if I took them from the lost and found, which often was used for clothes if you forgot your physical education clothing or if you had the wrong shoes or something, so it wouldn't look out of place." She shrugged. "I didn't mind. When you don't have anything, getting anything at all is wonderful. It's better now, especially now that I have my own clothes, but I'm still pleased at all that anyone cared, no matter how little they could do."

"Like I said before, you are never going back to that house." Severus took her empty plate, along with Remus' sticking them in the sink for washing, before he wrapped up the sandwich stuff. "In fact, I have half a mind to get it in writing with the court that if anything is to happen to me that Remus here is going to be the one to take over custody. I can't even take the chance that they might be able to get their hands on you ever again."

"Isn't that a little overkill?"

"Not if it keeps you safe and away from them, it isn't." Severus waved his wand, sending the food that was on the table into the pantry and refrigerator, before he handed a sponge to his daughter for her to wipe the table down. He tried to have her included in all chores, to make her feel included in the running of the household, but he also wanted to make sure she wasn't doing things that were not appropriate for her age. The other day, he had allowed her to help him do the laundry, with him carrying the basket to the living room and her helping him fold the clothes before bringing the clothes to their bedrooms to be put away.

"I dunno, it just seems a little crazy." Elizabeth wiped the crumbs into her hand, while Remus went to the sink to help Severus wash and dry dishes.

"If you ever have children, you'll understand." Severus rinsed the soap from his hands, drying them on a dish towel before he turned to face her. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do if it kept you safe." He waited until she handed Remus the sponge to put on it's tray on the sink before he opened his arms to her. "I love you very much, my child."

She burrowed her face into his chest, looping her arms around his waist. "I love you too." She pulled back, looking up at his face. "Can I go back outside and play?"

Severus nodded, gesturing her out, watching her run outside to the tree house, settling on the swing set they had built that afternoon. "It seems like things are too good to be true, doesn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Remus clapped Severus on the shoulder, looking out the kitchen window at his goddaughter, who was pumping her legs, trying to get the swing going higher and higher.

"She seems to be thriving, does she not? She's eating, doing her therapy, not panicking as much when strangers come to her home. I don't think I could have asked for a better outcome in such a short span of time." Severus joined him at the window, watching as she tried and failed to get the swing higher.

"Then maybe we should enjoy it as long as we can." Remus turned, grinning at Severus. "Now, I don't know about you, but I am going to spend time with Elizabeth before we traumatize her with your mother." He left the kitchen, heading out to the backyard.

"Hi Remus!" Elizabeth waved, pumping her legs forward, letting one hand go off the chain.

"Hi, Rennie." Remus came around her, standing behind her in order to push her on the swing, taking the seat of the swing in hand, pulling her up over his head before he broke out in a run, pushing her swing hard, running under her as he got her momentum going, listening to her laughter as it rang out.

"Severus, look at how high I'm going!" Elizabeth cried out, letting go of the chain with both hands, leaning on the chains, supported by the chains on her armpits.

"I can see that. Please hold on, Rennie." Severus came out of the house, walking across the lawn toward them, hands in his pockets.

Elizabeth held onto the chain as Remus and Severus stood behind her, each taking a turn in pushing her, as she went higher and higher.

"Alright, Elizabeth, I think that's high enough." Severus said, stepping away to keep her from going any higher. He wasn't expecting her to let go, jumping off the swing, her body seeming to float in midair before gently landing on the ground, Severus holding his wand in hand, breath held in his lungs. "Elizabeth!"

"Did you see what I did?" She laughed, turning before seeing Severus and Remus' face, before her face fell, looking down at her feet. "I'm sorry!" Her hands twisted around and around, clearly nervous.

Severus and Remus snapped out of their stupor, surging forward, Severus gathering her in his arms, settling her on his hip. "I'm not mad, I could never be mad at you for doing magic." He smiled at her, pressing his forehead to her's.

"Magic?"

"Accidental magic happens, love." He smoothed her hair out of her eyes, peppering her face with kisses. "Your mother did the same type of magic when we were children. It happens when you have strong emotions."

"But I only have ever done magic when I was upset, but I'm not upset, promise!" She looped her arms around Severus' neck, looking wildly between Remus and her father.

"You don't have to be upset, Elizabeth. You can be happy. Any strong emotion can trigger accidental magic." Remus took her from Severus, holding her the same way her father had. "You're going to be very powerful; I guarantee it."

"I used to do that in Muggle School all the time. My teachers were always so confused when I did it." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I guess I can't keep doing it here?"

"I would prefer you not unless one of us is with you, just in case anything goes wrong," Severus gave her a small smile. "I am so proud of you, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth leaned over, kissing Severus on the cheek, giving him a bright smile. She wiggled, trying to get down, before Remus let her go, watching her run back to the swing, cartwheeling as she did so. "Will you push me again, Severus?" She asked the man, settling back on the swing.

"I suppose." Severus rolled his eyes at Remus, before he began pushing her on the swing again, listening to her laughter in the summer afternoon air, the other man leaning against the post to watch father and daughter.

*S*S*

Elizabeth sat on the floor, examining the chessboard before her, as Remus' pieces destroyed her's. "Do we have to go to your mum's for supper?"

"No we don't. But if you prefer to stay here, I can order a take away for you and Remus while I go myself." Severus sat in his armchair, flipping through a potions magazine.

"But that's not fair to you…" Elizabeth moved her rook, frowning at the board.

"If you're not comfortable going, I'm not going to force you. Your grandmother will meet you eventually, there is no rush now. She's barely 50, she's not going to die anytime soon."

"Severus." She turned around, making a face at him.

"What? I'm being serious. She's quite young by magical standards. She'll be here for quite a long time." He watched the two for a moment, before returning to his reading.

She was silent for a while longer, up until Remus trounced her queen, beating her in the game of chess. "I'll go."

Severus looked up, looking at her over his reading glasses. "Excuse me?" He said, not believing he heard her correctly.

"I'll go to your mum's. But what if she tries to make me hug her or something? I don't know her." She made a face, the idea of a stranger touching her made her skin crawl.

"When I call her, I will let her know. If she does, worst case, we come home. It wouldn't be the first time I insulted my mother." Severus turned a page in his magazine. "I wont let her make you uncomfortable."

*S*S*

"Hi Mum." Severus stepped through the fireplace, propelling Elizabeth into his mother's living room, feeling her shrink back into him as Eileen came forward, apron tied around her waist, flour on the pink fabric.

"Severus, I'm so glad you made it. It's good of you to visit your mother in her old age." She kissed his cheek, pulling him into her arms, squeezing him tight. "Just having the phone calls isn't enough."

"Mum, you know how busy I am. I can't just drop everything all the time. And you're hardly in your 'old age'." Severus rolled his eyes but patted his mother on the back lightly before she let him go.

Elizabeth watched as her grandmother moved her attention to Remus, squeezing him just the same. She was taller than Elizabeth had expected, the top of her head coming to rest just under both men's chins, her hair the same dark color as her's and her father's, with streaks of grey forming from the roots to the tip of the strands. The wrinkles that were on her face were deep in some places, her face looking a little tired, but she seemed friendly enough. But with her energy, Elizabeth felt jumpy, wanting to back either into her father or into the wall behind her. But she was frozen, rooted to the spot.

As Eileen turned around, she spotted the younger witch, a grin splitting her face. "Elizabeth!" She came forward fast, spooking the girl, causing her to back up, her back pressing into Severus' front, his arm coming around to rest around her collarbones, tucking her close before he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, giving her comfort.

"It's alright, love. You're safe."

"I didn't mean to scare her!" Eileen backed off, standing a few feet away, in order to give her space. "I just wanted to hug her."

"I told you Mum; you need to be slow. Give her time before you rush her." Severus waited until Elizabeth pulled away on her own, going to Remus, standing a little behind him, her hands holding onto his arm, peeking out at her grandmother, trying to be brave, but not wanting to trust too blindly.

"I'm not going to hurt her!" Eileen scowled at her son, before turning kinder eyes to her granddaughter.

"Mother, if you continue to demand her attention, we will be going home. I told you this afternoon that she will be the one to decide how relationships play out from now on." Severus crossed his arms over his chest, stepping in front of Elizabeth, breaking the eye contact Eileen had with the younger witch.

Eileen huffed, before she gestured to the three to follow her into the kitchen. As Severus followed, Remus and Elizabeth lingered behind.

"Are you alright?" He put his hands on her shoulders, bending a little to look into her eyes. "I know that must have been scary."

"I'm alright. She just scared me." Elizabeth took a shaky breath. "I'm fine, I promise."

Remus wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "If you need to leave for whatever reason, just let me know and I'll take you home."

"Aright. Thank you." She kissed his cheek, then took his hand, going into the kitchen, where Severus was with his mother.

She sat next to Severus, feeling his hand on the chair she sat on, pulling her close to him, his arm coming to wrap around her shoulders. "Are you alright?" Severus whispered, bringing his mouth close to her ear, to keep their conversation private.

Elizabeth nodded, sitting up straighter in her chair, taking in the kitchen she now found herself in. The pale yellow walls were decorated in shelves, covered in little knick knacks, little ceramic birds and small dolls, with frilly dresses lined the walls, along with bunches of herbs that hung drying from the ceiling. It was quite homey and everything Elizabeth had always imagined a grandmother's home looking like. She had never gone to her Uncle Vernon's mother's home, always being left home to clean while they visited. It reminded her of Ms. Figg's home, without the cat smell.

"Well, I am quite glad that you three decided to come and visit me tonight." Eileen stirred a pot on the stove, twisting at the hips to look at the three sitting at the table. "You need to do that more often."

Severus sighed, standing up from the table, heading to the stove to help his mother prepare dinner. "Mum, we have this conversation nearly every time I call. I have to work. I have to prepare for my classes and for my head of house duties. I visit as much as I can. Now that Elizabeth is back in my life, unfortunately, the spare time I have cannot just be given over to you." He dropped his voice, making Elizabeth strain to catch his words. "You know how it was when you had spare time when Dad was around. Don't make this about you."

There was a tense moment as Eileen digested his words. Then she turned around, with a smile on her face. "Well, I hope you're hungry!" She waved her wand, sending plates to land on the table along with silverware.

Elizabeth looked at Remus as food began to land on the table, trying to not react. There was so much on the table, she hoped in her mind that she would not be expected to eat everything there. Remus smirked at her, nudging her foot under the table with his own, before he squeezed her hand under the table.

"Oh yes, Eileen, thank you for going through the trouble to fix all this." Remus said, pouring pumpkin juice in Elizabeth's glass, something she had seemed to enjoy before.

"Oh it's not trouble at all." She smiled, before sitting across from Severus and Elizabeth. "It's just what I do." She laughed lightly, before gesturing to the platters. "Well, dig in!"

Severus took Elizabeth's plate, dishing her up a serving, to eliminate food insecurity. He could see the new foods were overwhelming her, if the paling of her face was any indication.

"Oh Severus, let her serve herself." Eileen put the spoon back in the potatoes after she served herself. "She is much too old for you to do everything for her."

Elizabeth shook her head, shrinking back into her chair, tucking her hands under her legs as Severus continued to take a little of everything before passing the plate over to her.

"Mum, we talked about this. She isn't sure about food yet. She hasn't had most foods someone her age would have already been exposed to. I serve her to make sure she eats a balanced meal, not just the little she might have had." He got his own plate together, settling down on his seat, unfolding his napkin, placing it on his lap before he indicated for Elizabeth to do the same.

"Eileen, Elizabeth is doing very well adjusting. Give her credit where credit is due. She's trying her best and we need to support her."

"I'm not saying I won't support her, but I am just questioning the logic. She should be making her own food choices."

"Mum, I need you to just let it go, let things happen naturally." Severus pointed to his daughter's plate, noticing she was only picking at her supper, staring down at her food.

"I just think that-" She was cut off as Elizabeth pushed back from the table, leaving her plate behind as she quickly watched out of the house, into the backyard.

"Elizabeth, come back here!" Severus called, his voice stern.

But she didn't answer, just shut the door behind her, standing out in the garden, breathing heavily. She moved away from the door, wrapping her arms around herself. She didn't want to come to her grandmother's for this reason. She knew there would be some comment about her eating or her weight or how jumpy she was with strangers, and she didn't want to deal with it, not so soon.

Standing in the middle of the yard, she didn't hear the door open or close, but she felt the arm that draped around her shoulders, making her jump and cry out. Turning toward the person, she saw Severus, standing beside her, looking across the garden, looking out at a set of cauldrons being used as planters.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, sir, I am." She leaned into his side.

"Are you sure?" He pulled her closer. "I know she can be a handful. We can go home, if you want."

"No," Elizabeth sighed. "I just…. All the talk about food…. It's hard to talk about it, you know, what my aunt and uncle did…" She shook her head, dashing a hand across her eyes before the tears forming could fall.

"Oh Rennie," Severus sighed, picking her up, settling her against his shoulder. "You're okay."

"I know," She mumbled into his shirt, wrapping her arms around his neck. She sniffled, laying her cheek on his shoulder, taking a steadying breath. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He smoothed her hair away from her face. "You have nothing to be sorry for, love."

"But I shouldn't have-"

"Hush." Severus cut her off. "My mother shouldn't be sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. You're doing wonderful, Elizabeth. You're making more progress than anyone expected in such a short amount of time. Just keep doing what you need to be doing, rather than what others think you need to be doing." He kissed her forehead before he placed her on the ground once more. "Now, we need to go inside and eat, yes?"

She nodded, allowing him to usher her back into her grandmother's kitchen, sitting back on her chair, taking up her knife and fork once more.

"I am sorry for what I said, dear. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Eileen looked a little ashamed, taking a sip of her drink.

"I accept your apology," Elizabeth said, nibbling on a piece of bread, looking up briefly before returning to her plate.

"Now, I do have a question." Eileen stated, leaning forward. "Severus, when are you going to tell that headmaster you work for that you need more time off to visit your dear old mother?"

Severus groaned, dropping his face into his hands as Elizabeth and Remus laughed.

*S*S*

Severus tucked his daughter into bed, kissing her before he got up, heading to the door to let her sleep.

"Severus?"

He turned, his hand on the light switch. "Yes, love?"

"I know your mum thinks I should be more independent, but…" She picked at the quilt, not making eye contact with him. "I'm glad you're here, taking care of me."

Severus smiled, going back over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I will always be here to take care of you, as long as I am alive." He brushed her hair off her face, fussing over the blanket. "I'm your father, you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." He kissed her once more, before he got up once more, heading to the door, snapping off the light. "Now," He stood in the light of the hallway. "Get some sleep. You've had quite a long day." He left, shutting the door most of the way closed behind him,

*S*S*

Severus and Elizabeth were picking up the dishes from dinner a few days later, putting them in the sink to be washed when the phone rang, the sound making Elizabeth jump.

Severus went to the base that hung on the wall, picking up the phone and held it to his ear, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen. "Snape Residence." He was quiet for a moment, listening to the person on the other line before he nodded as if they could see him and smiled a little. "Oh yes, she's right here." He offered the phone to Elizabeth.

She took it hesitantly, pressing the earpiece to her ear, listening to the other person for identification. "Hello?"

"Elizabeth?" A girl's voice was on the other side of the phone.

"Jenny?" Elizabeth cried, squealing her excitement with the other girl on the line, making Severus wince. "You got my letter?"

"Yes, of course I did! You live with your dad now?"

"Yeah, I do. Cokeworth, if you know where that is." Elizabeth made a face at Severus, who was smiling at her, clearly glad that she had a friend.

"Kinda… I've never been too far outside of Surrey, if I'm being honest. How far away is it?" Jenny asked.

"About 2 hours I think." She turned back to Severus. "Severus, how far are we from Surrey?"

"2 and a half hours, Elizabeth." He had started on the dishes, scrubbing plates with a sponge while she was on the phone.

"Yeah, 2 and a half hours." She twirled the cord with her fingers, leaning against the wall like Severus had.

"That's like forever." Jenny sighed. "I don't know if my mum will make that drive."

Elizabeth smiled, looking over at Severus, who was still washing dishes. "Severus said he would be able to drive me to Surrey once we get some legal stuff taken care of. Or we could meet somewhere halfway? Or, for another option, there is a lovely park right down the street from my house."

"I can ask my mom if that's something we can do. She should say yes, she's been asking about you. The other day, she went to your aunt's house to ask where you were, since we haven't seen you in a while. Your aunt said you ran away from home, but they still haven't reported you missing, I guess."

"It's probably for the best that they don't. It would be weird for Surrey police to knock down our door here. But they might, since they got money for me, unless someone told them where I was. I'm not sure if that happened yet."

"It will be interesting to see what happens if they report you missing."

"My dad has the legal right to custody… They can't say anything since he never had a say in if they would have me at all in their home long term. He never gave up custody, so they can try to take us to court, but it won't go anywhere. At least that's what I understand."

"Your uncle was screaming so loud the other night about losing out on some money. It was quite amusing actually."

"Was he really that angry?" Elizabeth chuckled. "I suppose it was the money that they would have gotten for taking care of me, actually. My dad and his boss were trying to get the money out of their possession, to make sure that they aren't claiming me as theirs' anymore."

"Oh yes, he was fuming!" Jenny laughed, her voice light and airy. "He was in the front garden, yelling at your aunt that she needed to fix it, that she needed to get the money back, so I am assuming that the money he was yelling about is the money that he got for you."

"Oh wow. Maybe Surrey isn't the best place for me to be any time soon." Elizabeth sniggered. "Make sure you ask your mum about us getting together soon."

"Of course! I am looking forward to seeing you again. It hasn't been the same around here without you." She sounded sad. "I'll talk to my mum. She'll probably want to talk to your dad about it before we get to see each other again."

"That's fine. I'll let him know." Elizabeth grinned. "I need your number so I can call you again." Elizabeth stretched the cord till she could get to the parchment Severus left on the side to take notes during phone calls. Once Jenny gave her the number, Elizabeth bid her goodbye, before hanging up the phone, sticking Jenny's phone number on the refrigerator with a magnet, before she began helping Severus clean up.

"Can we see Jenny soon?" Elizabeth asked, bringing the last of the plates to Severus at the sink.

"We'll see. You know we still need to get the paper work in order, but I'll see if there is any way we can speed up the process."

Severus was taken aback as she threw her arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear." He hugged her back, careful to keep his wet hands off her clothing.