Chapter 11

Hermione Granger was stepping off the train platform onto the long-suffering grass when she heard it: a shrill scream right at the upper register of her hearing. Curiosity piqued her taut nerves, leaving her feeling like a guitar. She turned towards the noise, sure that she could pinpoint it. Better I find it than some other unsuspecting person. At least I'm trained; Hermione stepped off in the direction of the sound. She quickly found herself at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest that protected Hogwarts outer flank from ill-wishing guests. Who would have thought that the very place that most of our life-threatening adventures was the entity that kept us the most safe? Hermione laughed inwardly at the irony. The mirth that sparkled in her eyes must have kept it out of her sight until the last moment. As she stepped forward into the forest, wand outstretched before her, she didn't even see what approached her from behind.

~*~

"I wonder when mother will be coming home?" Lianna asked on the long trip down to the dungeons. "She said she'd be gone for the day, but it's almost lunch time!" Lianna didn't know why she was babbling like this- sure, she usually talked a lot, but this was a little superfluous, even for her. Lianna searched out her inward reason for it. Her eyes were pensive to any who looked at her, and Adrienne just assumed that she was worried over their mother. Even so, it did jangle a nerve- Lianna was almost never inward in her thoughts.

Lianna found what she was looking for- she was nervous. She nearly laughed at her inability to divine this earlier, but she managed to contain the inappropriate expression. But what about? Lianna queried herself. She looked a little harder. She gasped. Adrienne glanced, worried, at her sister.

"I think that we'll have to go and find my father when this is all over." Lianna murmured, still looking at nothing. Then she was just walking, as she had been before. Adrienne might have noticed something wrong if she had been fully aware, but she was quite preoccupied with the impending confrontation.

Minerva knocked on the door, and it opened, just as silently and inexplicably as it had when the girls had first started having Potions tutoring lessons. Adrienne tugged her sister behind her; Minerva led the way. She paused before a seemingly normal section of the wall, spoke a few words and touched the outer edge of a stone, and it began to crumble. Adrienne looked a little nervous, but as the controlled decomposition continued, she began to see a room behind it. Minerva finished the incantation when the hole was big enough for the three of them to walk through, and turned to reverse the reaction when they were through.

Snape was sitting in a comfortable chair beside a dead fireplace, dozing. He didn't rouse when they stepped close to him. Adrienne grimaced, setting her teeth, ready to wake him up. Minerva, however, beat her to it. She stepped over to the door and opened it suddenly.

The fire flared, and Snape's eyes burst open at the wave of heat. He sprang to his feet when he saw the twins before him in his room already. Adrienne merely gazed at him, waiting for him to initiate conversation.

"What the hell are you doing in my rooms," he spluttered, his gaze swinging rapidly between Adrienne, Lianna and Minerva, who walked up calmly until she was standing behind Adrienne. She then proceeded to prod Adrienne in the back. This is your conversation, she seemed to be saying. Damn, Adrienne thought vehemently.

"I have something to tell you." Adrienne nearly fainted when she felt a soft pressure against her ankle- she whipped her eyes down to the floor to see Mist weaving around her legs. She sighed in relief.

"Well," Snape snapped, "get on with it then. I was sleeping, if you hadn't previously noticed." His face contorted into a snarl. His lank, black hair was wispy around his face.

Adrienne set her shoulders, her mind frantically whirring for a polite, yet tactful way of informing him of their relation. She couldn't find one. "I'm your daughter."

Snape's eyes narrowed, hard chips of black abyss. "How could you be my daughter?" But Adrienne could see that he could see it as well. She didn't answer right away.

"I'm your daughter because you raped my mother," she finally replied, and she did nothing to hide the tremor in her voice. Snape slumped back into his chair, his eyes wide, disbelieving. Adrienne remained standing, though her knees were weak; she could see Snape's hands visibly shaking.

"I'm sorry, but we felt you should know. Adrienne grabbed Lianna's unyielding hand.

"Who is your sister's father." Snape replied dejectedly, his tone betraying his unsettledness.

"Malfoy. Draco." Snape's eyes lifted to meet Ri's before dropping again to the floor.

"Didn't know he was there." Adrienne could almost see the thoughts assailing her former teacher.

"Neither."

"Your mother told you what happened?" His eyes reached her face again.

"In a letter."

"Not face to face. Non-confrontational." He snorted. "An Auror."

"A woman. A hurt woman. Still."

"I know."

"You knew it was her."

"I did."

"You never told her."

Snape just glanced up at her from the floor.

"Good point."

"Adrienne, we'd better go now. Leave Severus to his thoughts." Minerva butted in.

"Ok, Aunt Minerva." Adrienne looked at Snape, not quite sure how to address the man. "Goodbye." She said clearly, neutrally.

"Goodbye," just as neutral. Adrienne tugged on Lianna's hand and the small, blonde girl followed her taller, dark haired sister out of the room.

~*~

"Damn," Snape muttered at the closed door. "Damn and damn."

~*~

A/N: Ooh… and the plot thickens!

*kitten