1 Chapter 3

Severus walked into the potions classroom after all the class where sat down. It was the first potion class the new students were to have. Silently and almost keeping to the shadows he walked to the front of the room. When he was there he surveyed the class. They were the usual bunch of students. All chatting and oblivious that the Professor was at the front of the class. He saw the Gryffindors exchanging looks of hatred with the Slytherins and he saw the Slytherins intimidating the Gryffindors.

"I would say good morning class but then I would by lying." He said quietly but just audible to everyone in the room. The sort of voice that told you not to cross him.

"I will get straight to the point today. Open your books at page 5 and copy down all the points of safety to follow when making potions. Then we will try the simple laughing lotion." He stood and looked at them.

Immediately they pulled out their equipment and began to write. He watched as Diana wrote down all the points in the same sort of tiny neat handwriting that her mother had used.

Sitting down at his desk he pulled out some of the lesson plans for this year. After about 20 minutes he looked up. Diana slowly raised her hand.

"Excuse me sir. May I begin with making the potion? I have finished the writing and have copied out the method for the potion too." She said in her usual neat curt tone.

"No Miss Granger you may not. I do not wish for you to show off in class by proving you are better than the rest of the students." He said in nothing more than a whisper.

He expected the girl to look hurt or complain. But she didn't she merely nodded and pulled out another piece of parchment and began to write on it.

At the end of the lesson Diana approached Severus' desk. She walked so stealthily that he didn't realise her presence until she gave a slight cough. He looked up and saw her standing there. She looked so calm and composed, which was unusual for any student that approached him. Usually they wee trembling or cursing him but never there merely to talk, well except perhaps Hermione.

"Yes?" he asked slowly.

"Sir I was merely wondering if you have received an invitation off my mother, you know to meet her?" asked Diana as she shifting her weight form side to side due to the weight of the books she was carrying.

"Diana, why do you insist on this persistent behaviour to sort things out between your mother and me?" he asked as her laid his quill down and sat back in his chair.

"For your welfare." She said plainly.

"My welfare? I hardly think being followed by my own daughter and being pestered to suddenly start up a relationship with her mother, is conducive to my welfare." He said irritably.

"Well your redemption then." She said and looked at him to see what he made of this new information.

"Redemption? I hardly think I can redeem myself." He snorted.

"I think it is also because I want to see you almost happy, I know form what people have told me and from what I have observed that you are no happy man, but you don't look for it do you? I mean you believe the world to loathe you, but did you ever give it a chance to like you? You mourn for the love you lost when my mother let, but did you ever try and find her?" Diana said and then stood silent and looked at him.

Severus hated this because it felt as if she was looking into his mind, trying to find a way of breaking the mean barrier he had built for himself. That was it was after all, a barrier, to stop his feelings from being hurt. But Hermione had broken it and very nearly broken him too. Why hadn't he gone to find Hermione? Wouldn't it have made sense too? She was the person that had managed to break the barrier after all.

"Professor," said Diana breaking into his thoughts, "I think that because of the harshness and deceptions in your past, you find it hard to believe that someone can show you compassion."

This was just a simple statement. Severus looked up at the child in front of him. That's all she was a child and yet she had the wisdom of one who had lived many times.

"Diana does your mother forgive for not ever trying to find her?" asked Severus curiously.

"That I do not know." She said as she stared him straight in the eye, "I don't know because I have never searched for the answer. The reason being that if the answer I received is contrary to the one I anticipated then I should be very disappointed. It would show my mother to be stupid, which I know she isn't."

Severus thought for a minute. No Hermione was stupid sometimes. She was incredibly intelligent and had an amazing academic aptitude but she was very stupid sometimes. Maybe naive was a better word for it.

While Severus was pondering this Diana placed a small crystal vial on his desk. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and left the room. Severus sat there in shock. His daughter had just kissed him! He felt a warmth flow through him. There was someone out there that did care for him. Actually there were two people.

Severus looked at the small vial on his desk, there was a note attached to it.

"In cases when the truth needs some help to come into the light.

Diana"

Was all it said.

Severus looked at the vial intently. It was full of a crystal clear liquid. Could this child have made veritaserum? It was a challenge to even the most talented potions maker. Severus held the vial tightly.

After about an hour of sitting there at his desk Severus heard a small knock on the door.

"Enter," he said expecting it to be Diana again.

"Ah Severus!" it was Albus, "I was hoping you would be here."

"Albus you knew I would be here, you seem to know everything." Said Severus absently.

Albus chuckled.

"Have you had the delight of talking to Diana yet?" Albus saw Severus nod, "rather an amazing child don't you agree?"

Severus looked at Albus wondering if there was a point to this statement.

"Yes Albus quite. I take it you have known about the child from the start?" Severus asked as he looked straight at Albus.

Albus sighed and the smile started to leave his face.

"Yes I did. I have been in close contact with both Hermione and Diana since Hermione left. She wished to continue her studies even though she was pregnant.

Severus I understand this is a huge shock for you. To find out you're a father is very awe-inspiring anyway. But to find you are a father and that the child is starting her secondary education is even worse. But you can't pretend it isn't here or that it will sort itself out. She is your daughter you have to take some responsibility. You have to talk to Hermione. She loves you Severus, you know she does." Said Albus and placed a hand on Severus shoulder.

"But Albus what about her marriage to Harry?" he asked sadly.

"I would like to think of it more as a safety precaution. I mean think about it from her point of view. She was 17 pregnant and unmarried. She didn't know if you stilled would want her or love her after you found out about this child so she gave up hope. She said she would marry Harry, she wanted someone to protect her and Diana and someone to act as a father to Diana." Albus said.

"Well she has a second parent, Diana has a father! She has me!" said Severus sadly.

Albus looked sadly at Severus. He was so childlike as he sat there, confused and he felt rejected or replaced.

"Can you offer them safety Severus?"

"Can Potter? He gets the girl just like James did, but look what happened then? Lily died because she chose James over me. What if the same danger is there?"