Tirza sat in Snape's office wearing her headphones; he had asked her to wait there for him, but he wasn't back yet and she was getting sick of sitting there. Finally Snape entered with room, with an unhappy looking Draco in tow. The two kids stuck their tongues out at each other as Snape steered Draco into the chair beside Tirza. "Will you two ever stop acting so childish?" Snape questioned, sounding extremely annoyed. The two looked at each other, then at Snape, and started laughing. "Um, dad, I thought we WERE children? So isn't that, like, our job?" Draco nodded his agreement and Snape groaned. "Never mind that. I have brought both of you here because I am fed up with all of your practical jokes. Look what it got Flint?" Draco and Tirza watched Snape as he lectured, wondering where all this was heading. "So I have decided that the end of all jokes and pranks is NOW. I will be keeping a very close eye on both of you; if anyone plays or attempts a prank again, the culprit will find him OR herself over my knee before they can say quidditch, and with the victim or intended victim of the joke watching." Tirza and Draco's mouths dropped open. "That's not fair!" Draco yelled. "Yeah! You can't do that!" Tirza added. Snape looked at her, his eyebrow raised. "I most certainly can and will; you know me better than that young lady. I am always true to my word. And I promise the both of you that it will not be a pleasant experience should one either of you end up over my knee." Both of the kids frowned at the rather annoying smirk on Severus' face. "You can't spank me in front of a girl!" Draco protested. "Of course I can Mr. Malfoy. I assure you both that no one will be punished without conclusive proof of guilt, as that would be a miscarriage of authority." Tirza giggled. "Is this funny to you young lady?" Snape demanded. She shook her head no. "It's not funny, it's horrible! But I didn't understand a thing that you last said except for I and both and you and one. Oh and I understood no, too. And of! Can't forget of, poor thing, always being ignored; it's not right, I tell ya." Snape groaned. "I mean that I won't spank anyone without proof that they did the prank or is caught red handed, so the saying goes, as I do not feel that would be fair." She nodded. "Good, glad we're all speaking English again." Draco laughed at her comment and Tirza's face grew dark. "You think I'm funny? Wanna make something of it, pretty boy?" she yelled. "Yeah, I do!" Draco shouted back.

"ENOUGH!" Snape thundered. He turned to look threateningly at Tirza. "You start a fight for your own entertainment and not for protection, and your bare bottom will SERIOUSLY regret it, young lady." Draco laughed again, pointing at the blush on Tirza's face. "That is plenty from you Mr. Malfoy." He continued to laugh and Tirza stepped forward, her hands balled into fists. Snape quickly stepped between the two. "I will NOT warn you again," Snape told Tirza, his voice dangerously low. With a murderous glance to Draco, Tirza relaxed her hands and stepped back, knowing she was dangerously close to being spanked. "You may go Mr. Malfoy; just remember what I said." Draco nodded, and with one last smirk to Tirza, left the room. Snape sat in one of the vacated chairs and sighed, then pulled Tirza to stand in front of him. "You try my patience, do you know that child?" She nodded a slight smirk on her pretty face. "Good, then my mission is nearly complete," she told him seriously. Snape shook his head and kissed her forehead. "I really do not understand what gets into you sometimes," he mused. Tirza gave him a funny look and laughed. "You sit with me almost every meal; how can you not know what goes inside my tummy?" Snape playfully swatted her bottom and chuckled, then pulled his giggling daughter onto his lap. "You, my dear, are a smart alec." She giggled. "Is that like a smart as... I mean acre?" He nodded. "Ah, another mission nearly completed. The Big Giant Head will be much pleased," she told him. (Okay, Big Giant Head is from the show Third Rock From The Sun, with John Lithgow and Jane Curtain, who used to be on Saturday Night Live, though she was never my fav. My fav on the old Saturday Night Live was Roseanne Rosanna-Danna. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then don't waste your time trying to figure it out, it's not worth the energy, LOL!) "Or was I supposed to report those missions to Ardeth Bay (from The Mummy movies) and all things pink and loud to The Big Giant Head?" she wondered. "What!?!?" Snape asked, a hilarious look of confusion clouding his face. She giggled and kissed his face. "Daddy, sometimes you annoy ME." He chuckled. "Do I now?" "Yep. I think I should torture you," she replied and began tickling his neck. He soon was the one "torturing" her. "Okay, I give up!" she yelled between giggles. Snape kissed her cheek and released her feet.

"Daddy, have you thought about my sleepover yet?" Tirza asked that night at dinner. Snape groaned. "Another sleepover? Why Severus, you're just becoming a regular little hostess aren't you," McGonagall teased. Snape shot her a look of death. "No, don't tease him auntie Min or he'll say no cuz he's crabby," Tirza interjected. Snape turned his attention to Tirza, completely ignoring McGonagall. "Yes I have thought about your sleepover and have decided that you may have it." "Yippy!" Tirza shouted, throwing her arms around him. "I've also decided that because you have been a good girl, except for the Hogsmeade incident, that your grounding in now over." Tirza began smothering him with kisses, much to Snape's embarrassment and the enjoyment of those around him. "Really child, calm down," he gently scolded. Tirza giggled and returned to her own chair. "Am I really not grounded anymore?" He nodded. "Daddy, you're the coolest ever!" Tirza announced with a bright smile. "Just be good and don't make me regret this, alright?" She saluted him and giggled. "Javohl herr kommandant!" (Loosely translated, it means yes sir, though I know I am spelling it badly) "Here we go with the bilingual things again," Snape replied with fake disgust. "Ah daddy, just admit it, you're a softie inside and you know it!" Tirza prompted. "Yes Severus... you certainly have seemed to get a rather marshmallow consistency to your rather thorny nature," McGonagall added. Snape ignored them both and finished his dinner.

"Daddy!" Tirza yelled as she stomped into the empty Potions classroom. He looked up from the cabinet at a very angry and very wet little girl. "And what, may I ask, happened to you?" She scowled and stood there dripping, her clothes totally soaked. "The OLDEST trick in the book! I didn't know he could stoop THAT low!" she yelled. "What do you mean?" Snape asked as he steered the dripping girl into their quarters. "Draco! He used the bucket of water on top of the door joke. And he used magic to keep it there and spill ONLY when I opened the door! It's not fair that he gets to use magic, cuz that makes it hard to get him back," she whined as Snape deposited her in the bathtub. "Hey?" she asked, giving him a funny look. "I'm going to give you a towel and bring you some dry clothes, but I don't want you dripping all over the place." Tirza nodded and stood there with her arms across her chest as Severus went to find her something to wear. He sat on the couch in the sitting room while she changed and could hear her grumbling from inside the bathroom. "Daddy, you said you were gonna spank the next one to play a trick, so go spank him!" she ordered as she emerged from the bathroom, her hair wrapped in a towel. "Did you see him do it?" She shook her head no. "Then how do you know it was him?" Snape questioned. She plopped onto the couch with a huff. "Who else would? Duh!" she retorted angrily. "Tirza, as I told you last time, I can't do anything without proof that it was him," he reminded her. "That's not fair," she whined. Snape remained silent, knowing that anything he said would not make her any less angry. "How am I supposed to fight him when he gets to use magic?" she mused to herself. "You WILL NOT fight him. If I catch YOU playing a prank, I WILL carry through on my threat to spank the culprit in front of the victim and you can also expect a continued spanking on your bare behind after Mr. Malfoy leaves," Snape warned her sternly. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, but the look on his face told her that he was absolutely serious. "You're being mean," she pouted. "No," he replied. "I am trying to keep you from causing trouble, which is a very difficult job I might add." Despite feeling mad, she giggled. "It can't be THAT tough," she told him. Snape smiled and pulled her onto his lap. "You have no idea," he stated, kissing her head. "Are you sure that I can't do something back? Please daddy?" Snape shook his head. "Absolutely not. You are forbidden from playing jokes against Malfoy." Tirza's eyebrow rose. "Forbidden? What is this, 1847?" Snape's eyebrow rose. "What was so significant about 1847?" Tirza sighed, sounding slightly exasperated. "Well it was ages ago, that's all! Nobody tells people things are forbidden anymore. That went out even before disco died!" "Well whether or not it passed on before disco, I am very serious young lady. I don't like having to be angry with you, so be good, alright?" he asked gently. Snape rubbed her arm, and then hugged her close. "Alright?" he repeated. Tirza scowled, but nodded.

Over the next two days, Draco did everything he could to bother Tirza without getting caught. Another bucket of water trick, a dead leech (stolen from Potions class) in her sandwich, which she narrowly missed eating, her sweatshirt that she left at the quidditch game turned up shredded in her pink bag. She complained and whined to Snape many times, but she could not prove that he had done those things and of course, there were no witnesses. Tirza was getting extremely frustrated and angry, but Snape was watching her like a hawk and she wasn't sure if she wanted to risk getting caught and get spanked in front of Malfoy. It was very difficult for her to fight her urge for revenge, especially when Molly was mysteriously turned green on Wednesday night. On top of trying to stay out of trouble, Tirza was worried about Friday. The Ministry had written to Snape that Tirza would need to testify at the trial against Flint on Friday. She was nervous about being in the same room as him again, in case he might try and use magic on her. She had never been in court before either and she HATED talking in front of strangers. The trial was added stress that she did not need, but quietly suffered through anyway. Snape always got so worried when she asked for the special potion or the Dreamless Sleep potions and she didn't want to be fussed over.

The next morning Snape rolled over in his bed to shut off his alarm that was beeping incessantly. Or at least he tried to roll over, but a small, fuzzy lump next to him was in his way. Snape sat up in surprise and Tirza's head popped out from under the covers. "Hi," she said with a yawn. She looked up at him with a sleepy smile; the look on his face was not a happy one. It was his 'I am cranky, get the hell outta my way or else' look'; usually that look was not a problem for Tirza, so she didn't pay attention to it and sat up. Snape made a soft growling noise and looked sharply at her. "Why is it that I have nearly rolled on top of you for five mornings in a row now? I don't know if you've noticed, but you do have your own bed; perhaps you might try using it!" he snapped. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Tears welled up in Tirza's dark eyes, her face full of devastation. "Tirza, I..." he started. She scooted away from him. "I have to go to the bathroom," she whispered. He watched her silently leave his bedroom, closing the door behind her. But instead of hearing the bathroom door, he heard the larger door of their chambers open. "Tirza!" he called. He heard the door slam and jumped out of his bed and hurriedly threw on his robe, then took off after her. He could hear her sobbing somewhere down the hall, but wasn't sure where she was going. He decided to go to Isabel's quarters; she was probably heading there like last time.

Tirza ran sobbing down the hallway in her fuzzy slippers and long red flannel nightgown. She was crying so hard that it was difficult to breath and she could hardly see through her tears. Snape wasn't following her and she was glad; she never wanted to see him again! She wanted to leave and go anywhere; she couldn't run away though. But she knew where she could go, and knew the way there like the back of her hand. Blinded by her tears, she ran into someone and momentarily stopped crying. "Hey, where are you going so fast?" Remus asked. Tirza started to cry again and attempted to move around him, but Remus put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. "What's wrong? What happened?" he asked. Tirza was even more upset then the night that Marcus attacked her and when she had gotten sick in his office, so he knew that something terrible must have happened. Tirza continued to sob as she tried to tell him what was wrong; the only thing he could understand was the word Grandpa, and he knew exactly who that meant. "You want to see your grandpa?" he asked softly. Tirza nodded and Remus kept one hand on her shoulder and gently guided her to Dumbledore's office. He whispered the password and the gargoyle sprang to life. As soon as the office door came into view, Tirza threw it open and ran into Dumbledore's arms. "Wanna go way," she told him, crying into his shoulder. Remus quietly left the office as Dumbledore picked up the distraught little girl and sat down, placing her on his lap. "Shhh, calm down sweetheart, you'll make yourself sick," Dumbledore whispered.

Isabel, her hair a mess from being aroused from sleep, wearing her sunshine yellow robe, opened her door to find Severus Snape. "What's up?" she asked, stifling a yawn. "Has Tirza come here?" he asked urgently. She shook her head. "No, why?" Snape took a deep breath. "I made a horrible mistake; I've really hurt her. I didn't mean too, but the look on her face..." his voice trailed off and he could feel tears spring up in his eyes. "What happened?" she asked, wide awake. "Snape!" someone yelled from down the hallway. Both Snape and Isabel turned to the direction of the voice and saw Remus Lupin heading towards them. "Severus, I've been looking for you. I found Tirza nearly hysterical in the hallway. She wanted to see Dumbledore, so I brought her to him, but she's really upset," Remus told them. Snape nodded and hurried to Dumbledore's office. He had really made a mess of things this time.

"But Grandpa, you weren't there. He really meant it, you shoulda seen his face," Tirza wailed. Dumbledore patted her back gently; suddenly his door burst open and he looked up to find a distraught Snape in the doorway. Dumbledore frowned at the younger man as Tirza turned to look at him. "Go away! You're just like mommy and I hate you! You're just like mommy! You don't want me either!" she shouted. Severus could feel his heart breaking, knowing he had been the one to make his little girl feel this way. "Baby, I'm so sorry," he whispered, on the verge of crying himself. "Fuck you!" she shouted back. Dumbledore looked between Severus and Tirza, not sure what to do. Snape suddenly took Tirza from Dumbledore's arms; the little girl began to struggle against his hold. "Tirza, I'm sorry. It was terrible of me to say that and I truly didn't mean it. Please don't cry my baby." She shook her head, still struggling. "I want you very much! I promise that I will never hurt you like this again; I didn't mean a word of it. It was wrong of me to say that and it's killing me that I've hurt you so much." He kissed her forehead and rocked her in his arms. She continued to struggle as he talked, until she felt something drop onto her head. She felt it again; and again. Tirza looked up and saw that he was crying and immediately stopped struggling. "Daddy, why are you crying?" she asked softly. "Because I've hurt you and I never want to hurt you. You are my life; I would be lost if I didn't have you. I don't know how I ever managed to live without you. I'm sorry." She sniffled. "You mean it daddy? I need you daddy and I love you. I won't ever sleep with you again if you really love me. I'll do anything."

Snape shook his head and kissed her cheek. "You don't have to do anything. You haven't done a thing, sweetness. I love you so much," he choked out. Tirza reached up with her thumb and wiped a few tears from his face. "I love you daddy, don't cry. I forgive you." Snape hugged her tight, feeling relieved that she even still wanted to be around him at all. "What did I ever do to get a precious girl like you?" he whispered. Tirza shrugged. "I dunno. Grandpa said you were just cranky, but I didn't believe him. But you've never cried like that before, so you must be really really sad. I believe you daddy and I really do forgive you and I won't sleep with you again if you don't want me too." Snape shook his head and kissed her again as he continued to hold her. "I know you sleep with me because you're scared; you come sleep with me whenever you need to, alright?" Tirza wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "Don't cry no more daddy. I'm sorry I said the f word to you, but don't cry, cuz I still love you, okay?" Snape nodded. Dumbledore cleared his throat and they turned to look at him. "Here," Dumbledore said, handing them several Kleenexes. "Why don't you two head back to your chambers? I'll have your breakfasts sent there." Snape headed back to his chambers with Tirza still in his arms. "I never meant to hurt you, I'm very sorry," he told her. Tirza kissed him again. "It hurted, but you always forgive me when I do bad things cuz you love. So I forgive you cuz I love you. And I believe you daddy; just don't be mean like that again, okay?" He nodded. "I'll try my very best Tirza, I promise."

NOTE FROM KERRY, VIA AARON: Kerry says hi! She's not burnt too bad, but I am making her take care of her hand. She sends her love to all.