Authors notes: Characters aren't mine, they're just puppets for my sick little ideas. They really belong to the great J.K Rowling.

Thanks everyone for reviewing. It means a lot because I deleted all my other stories so I could put all my time and effort into this one. This may be the last chapter for awhile but I promise to post 4 or 5 more sometime before the 19th. After that you won't have anything until mid January because I'll be recovering from surgery. Hope you all keep reading and reviewing, because this story takes time.



Chapter 6



"Dinner went off without a hitch, as usual." Minerva McGonagall stated in a matter-of-fact manner. Dinner had gone off without a hitch, but she was worried what would happen after dinner.

"You're worried about what will happen now aren't you?" Dumbledore shouted so he could be heard beneath his desk. He dropped a Cadbury's milk chocolate bar a student gave him and was searching for it.

"Yes... exactly!"

"A ha! I found it!" Dumbledore stood up with a glee full look on his face and sat down, nibbling on it, facing Minerva.

"Well?"

"Well what? Oh yes. If there's any trouble they're both grown men, they can handle it."

"But you know what damage Severus can do. Draco is still only a boy compared to him."

"Well then he should be aware of that and not start trouble. Considering their past, it could brew up something terrifying, but I hope for Adrian and Adora's sakes they don't." Dumbledore closed his eyes and put the chocolate down and shook his head. "It has been ten years Minerva and from the look on Draco's face I doubt he's ready to forgive and forget even after such a span of time.

"You think they'd learn. Why should Draco care so much, he has his wife, even if no one in the wizarding world approves of her." Minerva shuddered at the thought. He had married Pansy Parkinson but it didn't mean anything to her. He affairs were always back-page news in the Daily Prophet and everyone in the wizarding world knew about them from day one. There were even disputes as to whether Aidan was his son or not, but as he grew up, it wasn't discussed anymore because he was a Malfoy through and though.

"Maybe he cares because he loved Hermione as much, if not more than Severus did."

"His father would never have approved." Minerva responded shaking her head.

"No, perhaps not." Dumbledore concluded and the pair sat in his office for sometime shaking their heads in wonderment. Downstairs in his dungeon rooms, Snape paced quickly thinking about what he should do with Adora. Having the child around would create a lot of problems between Malfoy and himself, and since Malfoy's son didn't know how to keep his mouth shut, it could also create a problem for Adora.

'I'll just send her to a muggle boarding school until she's old enough to receive her letter to Hogwarts.' He thought to himself and nodded definably

"Deciding on where to send her?" Severus spun around, wand ready facing Dumbledore's green face in the floo. Severus narrowed his dark eyes and put his wand back into its proper pocket. "You always find some excuse not to have her around. I think she's quite taken with the castle."

"I haven't always found an excuse."

"When she was first born, you made sure that Hermione took care of her and protected her."

"For obvious reasons. If Voldemort had found Adora he would have killed her, then Hermione and finally me."

"After Hermione died, you had your mother come take care of her and now, you're thinking about sending her away to some," his voice dropped "boarding school."

"Why does everyone feel the need to criticize my parenting skills?"

"Maybe because you have none. Care for some chocolate?" Dumbledore smiled. Severus shook his head and ran his fingers through his long, black hair.

"Am I really that bad?" he asked in a whispering voice.

"Not bad no. You're just distant. Not a very good trait in raising a little girl if you ask me." Dumbledore placed a book on the center table in Severus' room. "Personally I hope you let her stay. Some of the first years in Hufflepuff are quite taken with her and she's already calling me 'Dumblebee'." Dumbledore laughed into his beard and took the floo back to his rooms. Snape continued sulking around for a moment before he marched into the short hall the seperated his chambers with Adora's bedroom. He hesitated, but finally knocked on the door.

"May I come in?"

No answer. Severus opened the door slightly and saw Adora sitting, playing with three yellow balls of light. Fire flies.

"Adora?" He asked, walking into her room. The girl spun around and jumped into her bed.

"Sorry. I'll goto sleep now."

"No, I want to talk to you." He replied, staring at the floor as he sat on the end corner of her bed.

"OK." Adora replied, crossing her legs, Indian-style, and began to brush her hair.

"You have to help me make an important decision. You can either go to a school in London, where you'll stay for about 5 years, until you can return here. By going there you can receive an education you wouldn't get by staying here with me, and you can make friends your own age. Or you can stay here with me."

"I can?" She looked at him with wide eyes. Severus nodded slightly and held his breath. "Oh Daddy!" She threw her arms around his neck and held tight.

"Ad...you..chok...n..me..." Severus gasped for air and pulled away from his daughter's constricting grip. Her eyes grew wide and she shrank away to the head of her bed and pulled the comforter up to her chin.

"I'm going to sleep now." She said to him.

"OK. Goodnight."

"Daddy?"

"Yes?" Severus asked as he turned down the lamp in her room.

"I love you daddy."

Severus turned to her bed and watched her as she burrowed deeply into her covers. He nodded and closed her door.