Authors note:
not my characters. Enjoy.
Chapter 11
Once Adora had had returned to her dungeon rooms, she realized that there would be no talking with her father. Severus had the house elves lay out plain black robes for her and left instructions for her to go down to Hogsmede that afternoon with the money he supplied her and do her school shopping. She'd be leaving in a few days. Adora felt her face flush and she stomped her foot on the ground.
"Stomping won't do any good." she heard a silky voice drawl from a dark corner in her room. Severus stepped forward into the light.
"I'll stomp if I want to." she argued, trying to hide the tears in her eyes and her voice. He raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised at the defiance his daughter showed. He took one large stride and sat down on the corner of her thick green quilt, folded on the end of her cherry-wooden bed. She glared at him, from the corner of her eye before she turned around to face him. "What do you want?" She asked, shortly.
"To sit and talk." He uncurled long, callus fingers towards a chair, telling her to sit down. Adora dragged her feet en route to the chair, then threw herself in it, careless of the skirt she was wearing. "Could you act any less like a lady?"
"Probably. You still haven't told me what you want here. I doubt it's because you want to talk to me." Snape shut his eyes for a moment and gathered his thoughts.
"Look, Adora, you probably want to know why I'm making you go away. It isn't because I hate you. Simply I don't like the way you act with Malfoy's son. Aidan, like his father, Draco, won't be any sort of a good person for long. His Grandfather was the worst of people, and I don't want any of those traits coming out in Aidan and hurting you. Believe it or not I do worry about you." He finished and took a deep breath, anticipating an outburst from her.
"You're so selfish."
"What?" He demanded, jumping up from the bed.
"You're selfish. You won't let me learn anything on my own, so every time I have a problem to face, you isolate me from it. You're sending me away from my only friend, so you won't have to worry about me. I think that's selfish."
"There's no talking to you is there?" He shook his head and sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore. I'm just a man Adora. I can't raise a daughter. I don't know what to do! Believe it or not you didn't come with a manual. We'd be better off if you had." He ran a hand through his hair.
"Well you're not the easiest person to get along with either. How do you think I feel?" Snape sat quietly for a moment. He had never thought about that.
"I have something for you. Kind of a going away present." Snape turned to her and gave her a small, flat square box. "I don't know if you want me to stick around for you open it or not. If you don't want it just put it on my desk." He blabbered on.
"Oh Dad." Adora gasped as she opened the little box. It was her mother's ring on a gold chain. The ring was small, pale gold with a beautiful Celtic knot work design with small diamonds set in it. Snape stood around uncomfortably for a moment before he turned to leave. "Dad." Adora called. "I'll need help with the clasp." It came out as more of a question than a statement with implied request. Snape turned on his heel, with a genuine smile peaking out on the corners of his mouth.
"Of course." He strode over and helped her with the necklace. "It looks beautiful on you." He remarked in his usual brutally honest voice. Adora put her hands to her neck and felt the ring. She had something of her mother's and it felt perfect. Like a piece of her heart had come back to her. Adora didn't feel so empty anymore. Snape had turned to leave again, when Adora asked him,
"Dad? Will you come to Hogsmede with me? I want you to help me pick out my school robes and everything else I'll need." Snape sighed, and rolled his eyes as he turned around.
"Let's go." He grumbled.
Snape was weighed down by bags by the time he made Adora stop inside the Three Broomsticks to give him a rest. She had bought far to much straying from her list frequently. He let her packages fall onto the table, causing a great disturbance to Belle, Adora's new elf-owl. She had been cooing over her for several minutes when Severus finally looked up and commented.
"You know, the first letter you try and send me with that pigeon will be blown of course and end up in India."
"How do you know I'll be sending you letters?" Adora asked.
"Father's intuition. I arranged for you to go tomorrow morning to Durmstrang. Your Aunt Atra will be apparating here, to the Three Broomsticks and you'll be going back with her. You can take a few books and your new wand, and some change of robes with you, I'll send your trunk later, before school starts." He said in more serious tone. Adora just nodded her head. She wasn't going to fight it because of all the money Snape had spent on her that afternoon. She wasn't in-grateful for him, she just wanted to stay. She picked up some of the boxes and Belle and continued on way to Hogwarts with her father. They had missed dinner, but the house elves had brought them a light supper to get them through the night. She picked up a plate, piled on chicken and ham, soft carrots in coconut sauce, yams, and bananas, a bit of everything, then stalked off to her room, without so much as a good night to Severus. He didn't notice and took a plate of ham into his room and began grading the 2nd years parchment pertaining to the multiple uses of Mandrake root in potions.
He spent almost all night making marks and corrections in bats blood ink all over the chicken scrawl that the 2nd years called their homework. As the deep blue night sky turned pale with streaks of light pink and purple among the clouds and the remainder of the stars, Hedwig let herself in the open window. She fluttered down to Snape's desk and offered him a piece of parchment with a look of superiority for him. He recognized Hedwig instantly and reluctantly opened the sealed parchment. It was a letter from Harry expressing his concern for Adora going to Durmstrang.
Severus,
It has recently come to my attention that Adora has been accepted into Durmstrang. Given the history that Durmstrang has for turning out witches and wizards steeped in the Dark Arts, I felt it necessary to express my concern, not only as her Godfather but also as the Minister. I feel that it might be best for you to stay on your toes for the first few years, until we can uncover whatever reason for Adora not being able to attend Hogwarts.
-Harry
Severus crumpled up the piece of parchment and tossed it away, rolling his eyes. He wasn't worried about anything, he didn't need to be. Severus stretched his arms into the air and then stood up and stretched his legs. He'd spent all night awake grading papers and today Adora was leaving. He shrugged in order to stretch his hunched shoulders, and rubbed his eyes, shaking the want for sleep from them. Luckily is was Saturday, but knowing his sister she was already in the hall, waiting for them to appear. She had always been the kind of woman who wanted everything to be done quickly, without hassle, which was odd since overall she was extremely laid back and loved to laugh. He silently walked over to his door, which opened into the common room, and turned the knob, but voices made him stop suddenly. He leaned forward to hear his daughter speaking.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"You know very well what you can do! Stand up to him! tell him no, that you'll just stay here for the extra year." Aidan said in an exasperated tone.
"You want me to talk to my father?"
"Yes I do."
"I don't see you talking to your's"
"I don't know why I associate with you! My father has nothing to do with this. Bundle up when you leave, it's cold at Durmstrang." Aidan glared at her and walked off to his room. From the other side of the door Snape stood up straight, pleased that they were no longer on speaking terms. He opened the heavy wooden door with great expression, sweeping in and wrapping his long fingers around his daughter's shoulders, handing her her bag.
"You seem quick to get rid of me." Adora sighed.
"Not true. My sister is downstairs. she's very impatient. Probably wants you both to leave by about 5 minutes ago." He stated, in a more sour than usual manner. Snape left the room and Adora grabbed her bag and continued behind him. As he turned the corner, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.