Note: I only own Ina and Adora and Peachy the house elf. The rest are J.K Rowling's. If you wish to purchase my characters please make the check out to.... also: fizzysoda: your wish is my command!

On with the story!

Chapter 3



Adora sat in her room playing with her pink *Little Lass 3000* broomstick. She never cared much for the thing and threw it onto the fire that house elves were keeping in her room for her. The fire hissed and spat and she turned and glared at it, giving a perfectly "snape" look. She climbed up onto her bed and looked around. The walls were high and dark blue with gold details. In the center of the room was her dark wooden bed, which stood about 4 feet off the ground, so she has a stand that she pulled out to climb into bed. It was an antique canopy piece with a large feather mattress and thick blue quilts and soft sheets that matched. On the north end of her room was a large white marble fireplace with two French doors leading onto a balcony on either side. These doors were always locked, and the blue velvet drapes were always down. The east side of her room faced the many gardens that she used to spend time in everyday with her Gran, but since she had left, Adora had locked herself into her room and seldom left, unless for dinner.

As she sat and thought about what she could do next there was a rude knock at her door. She rolled off of her bed with a thump and toddled over to the large door which took both her arms to open. Severus stood at the door with a sober look on his face. It had been about 3 months since he had been sick in bed and his mother had left him and his child together, and since then he had filled out again, and was back to his normal, rigid self.

"Today is your birthday," He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "So you may have dinner with me. If you wish to I expect you to be downstairs in the dining room dressed appropriately by 7 o' clock. Good day." He bowed shortly to the 5 year old and turned and left. Waiting for him outside his study was an ex student, Harry Potter.

"That was smooth" He nodded towards Snape and gave a sarcastic smile.

"Don't critique the way I raise my child"

"But you don't raise her. She raises herself."

"That's none of your business." Snape hissed.

"Look, Ginny and I just thought that she'd enjoy coming to our house for awhile. Word does get around that she holds herself prisoner in her own room you know. She'd have plenty of fresh air and"

"Kids to play with." Snape sneered at Harry, making a reference to the well known fact that Ginny was more fertile than her mother and that in the 9 years they had been married, they had 8 children and were expecting another.

"That's really mature. I don't know why anyone comes and talks to you. I don't know how Dumbledore can stand you. He sent me here you know, he talked to Ginny and I and we agreed and this is how you treat our kindness?"

"Your kindness?" Severus gave a hearty laugh "Look, I highly doubt, Mr. Minister of Magic, that even on your salary you can hardly take on another child. So why don't you take your nose out of my life and help someone who needs it. Adora has everything here."

"Except a father."

"Leave now. You know the way." Severus whispered hoarsely. Harry stood up and walked out quietly. Severus knew what he had said was right. He wasn't a proper father, but he also knew that he never could be and at this point there was no point in trying. He looked over at a long box that was wrapped in silver foil wrapping paper that had been sitting there all afternoon. Copellia, his housekeeper had gone out and bought Adora a doll for her 6th birthday. She'd gotten one every year from him, but this time he would give the doll to her. Snape let out a sigh as he stood up and picked up the box. It didn't feel right in his hands, and made his heart grow heavy and hurt. He dropped the box back onto the table and walked to the other side of his study and pulled a large leather bound book from a glass box that held several more books, of identical characteristics. He sat down on a long green chez lounge and opened the book. A tiny Adora wiggled on the first page, in a green velvet dress with red accents. Her first Christmas picture. He turned the page and saw Hermione's smiling face holding Adora and cooing at her gently, outside, by the lake at Hogwarts. As he turned the page several small pictures fell out onto the floor. He stooped to pick them up and was charmed by what he saw. Hermione had obviously learned something from sneaking around with Weasly and Potter because the picture were of Himself. He was holding the baby and humming a song, bouncing Adora around and getting her back to sleep. He didn't smile, just wiped his face and put them back in the album as Peachy came and knocked at his door.

"Master, the food, it is ready." she said slowly.

"Come in here and take this box down and put it on the table next to Adora's seat." Peachy nodded and took the box and lefty the room quickly, with a shiver down her spine. She didn't like being in the rooms, to many bad memories.



Snape began down the grand staircase, peeking into the dining room to see if she was there yet. Adora was climbing up, into a chair opposite from the end he sat on. Snape grumbled to himself. The table sat 25 people, he was going to need a spell to make his voice louder if he hoped to talk to the child. As he walked into the room, which like every other room in the house was illuminated by fireplace and candles, he didn't stop at his chair, instead walked further down and sat in a corner chair next to Adora. She gave him the oddest of looks that a young girl could muster up but then finally just decided to keep her scowling face.

"Don't make faces at me. You'll get wrinkles." He stated.

"I don't care."

"You look very pretty today." He said, looking away. It was true, she wore a calf-length white dress with a matching bow in the hair to hold it in a plait.

"And you look the same." A comment that was also true, since Severus was just wearing hid dress robes, which were just a nicer material really. Still black as night though, and no one can really tell the difference.

"Look what I bought you." He insisted, pushing the box towards her. Peachy brought in their dinner and left. Adora knitted her brow at the pasta in front of her and took the box into her lap. She tore open the paper and lay the doll,still in the box, aside.

"What's wrong with it?" Snape asked, getting irritated.

"I have enough dolls. Christmas is coming soon and I don't want anymore." She folded her arms and looked away.

"Well then what do you want?"

"A mother. Or at least a new Father." She pushed her plate away and jumped off her chair and toddled off to her room.

Severus sat back, looking at the doll, whose face was lit by dancing flames. He knew that there was nothing he could do to bring back Hermione and he also knew that if he stayed here any longer he'd go mad. He asked Peachy to bring his food up to his room and he stalked off to the owl-house, a letter in hand he had written 5 years ago.

He attached the letter to a large, male snowy owl named Zeki.

"Take this to Albus Dumbledore immediately." The owl gave a sort of nod and took off. Snape watched the figure until it disappeared and clutched his robes tighter to himself to keep warm.



Albus Dumbledore was sitting in the great hall ready for dinner when a large owl swooped in and dropped a piece of parchment in his curry. He gave the owl some chicken and sent him off.

"What is it Albus?" asked Minerva McGonagall.

"I have a feeling that we'll have a new Defense Againist the Dark Arts professor this year after all." He chuckled to himself.



** Next chapter is just the letter. Please R&R and get all your friends to read too :) thanks for all the reviews so far. Toodles!