*note: none of the characters are mine, they are the product of the great J.K Rowling*
Chapter 1
"So it's come down to this has it? The great Severus Snape must choose but either way he will fail." A light snake-like hissing laugh was emitted from Lord Voldemort and he clutched his stomach, obviously entertained by the thought. As he gasped for air and let out another howl the ground began to shake and Voldemorts large yellow eyes were reduced to the eyes of a small child. Snape reached out to grab the child but fell through the dividing earth into nothingness.
And so began Snape's day, like it always did, rising from bed sweaty and exhausted and alone. He growled menacingly as he pulled his unruly black hair in a messy tail at the nape of his neck. Slipping into the robes he had worn the previous night, he left his chambers to goto the study, where he knew an old friend was waiting for him. As he began down his long, forboding hall, his house-elf, Peachy, jumped out of Snape's way and scrambled back down to the kitchen to retrieve more sausage and toast for her master's breakfast.
"Ohh..master Snape is in mood today. He is wearing dirty robes. Dirty dirty dirty robes and will not be happy after breakfast, no no no. If he would clean himself maybe he would be happy." Peachy ranted out loud to what ever other elf would listen as she gathered the food up onto a tray.
Meanwhile Snape had already made his entrance and was recieving criticism already from Albus Dumbledore.
"Severus, you know that it is imperitive that you speak to her. You need to talk to her and let her know who she is."
"I don't need to talk to anyone," Severus roared at Dumbledore as Peachy appeared. "She has people to wait on her hand and foot. She doesn't need me and I know I don't need some old wizard putting his crooked nose where it doesn't belong!"
Dumbledore pursed his lips thoughtfully and replied,
"Severus, you have no place commenting on other people's noses."
Dumbledore chuckled to himself for a moment then asked, straight faced,
"How long has it been Severus? and how long since you stopped teaching?"
"I quit working 5 years ago. It's been almost 6 years since..."
"Ahhh yes." Dumbledore interrupted. Severus knew why he did. So he wouldn't break down.
"I think you should go." Severus choked out under his breath.
"I understand," the old wizard started as he took the floo powder from the small marble basin it rested in next to Snape's large black fireplace.
"No you don't." He looked at Dumbledore with sleepless eyes and clenched his teeth then turned and left as Dumbledore shouted "Hogwarts Headmaster".
The afternoon ticked by as Snape continually paced in the Library. His lunch went untouched outside the great oak doors, since no one but he was allowed inside it's threshold. The room had been converted from an upstairs parlour for his former wife and since her death, it was kept in pristine condition. His afternoon excerise of walking back and forth the room's length was interrupted by a knocking on the closed doors.
"What!" Snape demanded as he opened the doors. He towered over a short round woman, whose white hair was tied up into two braids pinned to her head. She has soft, pleasant features and an even more pleasant demeanor.
"Oh Severus, stop your barking. You'll wake up the child." The old woman smiled and stood tippy-toed and pinched his cheek.
"You always did love to play the brute. But I know you're a soft one. Why didn't you eat? You haven't slept or eaten in days and it shows, I can see straight through you I can. Like a skeleton, that's what you are. Oh! the state of this room! So dusty, you'll catch a fate worse than death in here. It's drafty Severus, put on the fire." She walked into the room and began tutting instantly. Books were off the shelves and opened and collecting thick layers of dust and cobwebs.
"Don't touch anything."
"Severus, this isn't healthy, you need to move on. Now your father and I know a splendid little witch from the north, she's more your age this time and..."
"STOP IT MOTHER! I don't need your lectures on my life. I like the way I live just fine and if I plan to starve myself to death I will. I don't need you to take care of me anymore!"
"Oh stop it you. You do need someone to take care of you. And Adora. It can't be me anymore. I'm tired and I'm old and she needs a parent. If you plan on being like this for the rest of her life that elast you can do is marry someone and give her a proper mother. Not some half-crazy old grandmother to look up too. But, whatever you descide to do, it's your decision. In the end you only hurt yourself,"
"Gran?" A little girl with deathlike marble skin and a head full of obsidian curls stood in the doorway clutching a worn out brown bear.
"What is she doing here?" Severus demanded quietly, not looking up. He turned around and sneered in a gutteral manner "Get her out of here."
"So it's come down to this has it? The great Severus Snape must choose but either way he will fail." A light snake-like hissing laugh was emitted from Lord Voldemort and he clutched his stomach, obviously entertained by the thought. As he gasped for air and let out another howl the ground began to shake and Voldemorts large yellow eyes were reduced to the eyes of a small child. Snape reached out to grab the child but fell through the dividing earth into nothingness.
And so began Snape's day, like it always did, rising from bed sweaty and exhausted and alone. He growled menacingly as he pulled his unruly black hair in a messy tail at the nape of his neck. Slipping into the robes he had worn the previous night, he left his chambers to goto the study, where he knew an old friend was waiting for him. As he began down his long, forboding hall, his house-elf, Peachy, jumped out of Snape's way and scrambled back down to the kitchen to retrieve more sausage and toast for her master's breakfast.
"Ohh..master Snape is in mood today. He is wearing dirty robes. Dirty dirty dirty robes and will not be happy after breakfast, no no no. If he would clean himself maybe he would be happy." Peachy ranted out loud to what ever other elf would listen as she gathered the food up onto a tray.
Meanwhile Snape had already made his entrance and was recieving criticism already from Albus Dumbledore.
"Severus, you know that it is imperitive that you speak to her. You need to talk to her and let her know who she is."
"I don't need to talk to anyone," Severus roared at Dumbledore as Peachy appeared. "She has people to wait on her hand and foot. She doesn't need me and I know I don't need some old wizard putting his crooked nose where it doesn't belong!"
Dumbledore pursed his lips thoughtfully and replied,
"Severus, you have no place commenting on other people's noses."
Dumbledore chuckled to himself for a moment then asked, straight faced,
"How long has it been Severus? and how long since you stopped teaching?"
"I quit working 5 years ago. It's been almost 6 years since..."
"Ahhh yes." Dumbledore interrupted. Severus knew why he did. So he wouldn't break down.
"I think you should go." Severus choked out under his breath.
"I understand," the old wizard started as he took the floo powder from the small marble basin it rested in next to Snape's large black fireplace.
"No you don't." He looked at Dumbledore with sleepless eyes and clenched his teeth then turned and left as Dumbledore shouted "Hogwarts Headmaster".
The afternoon ticked by as Snape continually paced in the Library. His lunch went untouched outside the great oak doors, since no one but he was allowed inside it's threshold. The room had been converted from an upstairs parlour for his former wife and since her death, it was kept in pristine condition. His afternoon excerise of walking back and forth the room's length was interrupted by a knocking on the closed doors.
"What!" Snape demanded as he opened the doors. He towered over a short round woman, whose white hair was tied up into two braids pinned to her head. She has soft, pleasant features and an even more pleasant demeanor.
"Oh Severus, stop your barking. You'll wake up the child." The old woman smiled and stood tippy-toed and pinched his cheek.
"You always did love to play the brute. But I know you're a soft one. Why didn't you eat? You haven't slept or eaten in days and it shows, I can see straight through you I can. Like a skeleton, that's what you are. Oh! the state of this room! So dusty, you'll catch a fate worse than death in here. It's drafty Severus, put on the fire." She walked into the room and began tutting instantly. Books were off the shelves and opened and collecting thick layers of dust and cobwebs.
"Don't touch anything."
"Severus, this isn't healthy, you need to move on. Now your father and I know a splendid little witch from the north, she's more your age this time and..."
"STOP IT MOTHER! I don't need your lectures on my life. I like the way I live just fine and if I plan to starve myself to death I will. I don't need you to take care of me anymore!"
"Oh stop it you. You do need someone to take care of you. And Adora. It can't be me anymore. I'm tired and I'm old and she needs a parent. If you plan on being like this for the rest of her life that elast you can do is marry someone and give her a proper mother. Not some half-crazy old grandmother to look up too. But, whatever you descide to do, it's your decision. In the end you only hurt yourself,"
"Gran?" A little girl with deathlike marble skin and a head full of obsidian curls stood in the doorway clutching a worn out brown bear.
"What is she doing here?" Severus demanded quietly, not looking up. He turned around and sneered in a gutteral manner "Get her out of here."