Silkily: Chapter Two
By: Emma
Disclaimer: I own Maureen and Sylvie and this outta character Severus. This story was started about two years ago, I just feel like writing about something that isn't Sirius-related.
Snape was getting very annoyed. Why was it that every time a new girl showed up at Hogwarts, she would steal the attention of every boy in the room? He'd already taken ten points off Gryffindor for Seamus Finnigan touching Sylvie's straight long hair. Actually, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were shooting Snape grateful looks. His eyes narrowed as Harry Potter's eyes turned her way and said something that brought smiles to both of their lips. Then Ron Weasley showed up behind Harry and cracked another quiet joke.
THEN Draco Malfoy started to eye Sylvie as she and the Wonder-twins talked her up. This was getting to be a bit too MUCH!
"Enough!" he bellowed, and the only noise left was the giggles of his daughter.
No special treatment, Sev, he reminded himself.
"Miss Candlehard," he tried to say with an icy undertone that melted nearly instantly, "what is it that you find so amusing?"
Her green eyes (identical to her mother's) swept over his face in appraisal, "Well, sir," she began, looking straight into his eyes, "Harry was just telling me a story about a teacher turning a boy into a bouncing ferret."
The Gryffindors roared with laughter, and Draco Malfoy flushed with anger.
"And you found that amusing?"
"Quite, sir. Amusing, imagery created. In my head. It sounded like a grand old time," she paused to look directly at Draco, "I guess the saying is true. Blondes DO have more fun."
Even some of the Slytherins snickered at this, and Severus felt a twinge of pride that he pushed away immediately. He couldn't really believe it. Sylvie? A troublemaker?
"Well, there is no special treatment for new students, I am afraid. Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Candlehard, for the disruption of my classroom."
"Mr Snape-"
"Professor Snape, Miss Candlehard."
"Professor, that isn't fair." she set her mouth on a determined line as his eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.
"Shall I dare to ask...why not?" he said silkily, gaining his spine back.
Family feuds were what she wanted? At least he would have an excuse for calling her to his office after class.
"Because I'm sorry for disrupting the class, sir."
WHAT? This girl...more confusing than her mother...
"Well, I admire your need to express that, Miss Candlehard. However, apologies don't earn you lost points. Just think before you act next time."
She rolled her eyes.
"And Sylvie?"
"Yes, sir?"
"My office. After class."
*
Snape sighed as he sat behind his oak desk, "Have a seat."
Sylvie sat.
"I need to ask you a few questions, Sylvie."
"Like what, Severus?"
He was taken aback, and before he could respond she continued, "Severus is your first name. If you can call me mine, I can call you yours."
"Not in my class, I'm afraid. Against school policy."
"Oh," she paused, then raised her eyebrows, "So, you want me to call you Daddy during class instead? Oh, no. You don't suit Daddy. Or even, Dad. I think you could pass as a Father, though."
Severus mouthed like a goldfish. He could not speak.
"My Mum didn't tell me, in case you wondered," she kept going, looking at him in dislike, "You saw her and went goldfishy at dinner yesterday. Then you two kept looking at each other and at me and walked off together. Then I saw you watching me in class earlier...I'm not stupid. Mother doesn't have my nose, my skin or my hair. But wow! You do! So, has she forgiven you for leaving us? Do you want to be all father-daughter even though the first fifteen years of my life I'd never seen your picture or known your name? Did *she* put you up to this?"
"She wanted me to tell you, yes." he admitted finally, "but I wanted to speak to you. How much do you...know? About me?"
She blinked, "You went with my mother. Then you left to work. Never came back."
"That's all you know? Look, let me tell you...that's not how it was. You know about Voldemort, right?"
"Duh."
"Ok. I went on a mission against him while I was engaged to your mother. But it ended up taking five years. Not five weeks, like we'd hoped. When your mother talked to Dumbledore, he said that I may not even be alive and if I was, I'd hardly be the same man. Your mother...found herself pregnant while I was gone. When I returned, you would have been about four. But I didn't know about you. I just figured that your mother would have moved on. She didn't even know I was alive until last night, at the feast. I know that I can't make up for the past fifteen years, but I want to try and get to know you. You're my daughter by blood even though we've never even spoken before now, and I didn't get to hear your first word, see you take your first step, get the chickenpox-"
"Dad," she stopped and managed a weak smile, "I haven't had the chickenpox yet."
"Really? Aren't you a little old?"
"Aren't I little old for meeting my father for the first time?"
"Touche. I wish that I could say I missed you...if I'd known about you, I would have missed you very much."
Sylvie looked at her hands, "I missed you. But mostly I hated you. You hurt my mother."
"I know...I missed her...incredibly. Not a day went by...Sylvie, I loved your mom so very much."
"Do you still?"
He smiled, "Of course. You should be getting to your homework, should you not?"
"Yeah...hey, do I get a detention?"
"Not this time. Next time, though, you polish everything in the trophy room. Thrice."
She smiled, "Yes, sir."
