Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter along with Scholastic and whoever else. I only own my characters so DON'T SUE!!!
Six Feet and Fallingby Saerry Snape
Chapter 4 :: July 31, 1995 :: Somewhere in the Welsh Highlands
"So – magic is real?"
"Quite real, Miss Snape. In fact, you have it."
Sheyne blinked at the old man, who had introduced himself as Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They not sat in his office, having installed a fainted Stephen in the Hospital Wing with – oh, what had he called her? – ah, Madam Pomfrey.
"Me, sir? Surely not."
Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon spectacles. "Are you so sure?"
Sheyne frowned and began to nod. But not before she remembered what had happened when Macnair had come at her and Stephen. She could still remember the feel of being in that panther body. And then there had been that incident in her sixth year at Hartshire. She had thrown a boy three times her size across the dining hall without touching him when he had been about to punch Stephen, who had only been five at the time but still remembered the incident.
Dumbledore smiled warmly, blue eyes twinkling.
Sheyne shook her head and said, "That doesn't prove anything, sir."
"Ah, but it does, my dear. If something truly strange happened to you – something than cannot be explained – it is magic."
Sheyne looked at the old wizard for a moment, the pendant underneath her shirt pulsing with warmth for a second, then said stiffly, "I'd like to go see my brother."
"As you wish. I'll lead you…"
Dumbledore trailed off as there was a knock at the door and the man who had saved Sheyne and Stephen entered, still dressed in the same clothes but looking a little worse for wear.
"Albus, I…"
He trailed off as he saw Sheyne sitting there, her amber eyes turned towards him. He paled to chalk-white and swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I'll come back later."
Dumbledore lifted a hand and said, "No, no, Severus, stay. I was just about to show Miss Snape to the Hospital Wing but as you're here, you can take her. But please do tell me what is so urgent first."
"O-of course, Albus." Damn that crafty old man!
"Good, good. Miss Snape, would you mind waiting outside for a moment?"
"Of course not, sir. Excuse me, sir." This was to Severus as Sheyne rose, moving past him out into the stairwell. As soon as her footsteps stopped echoing through the door, Dumbledore spoke, casting an Anti-Eavesdropping Charm just in case.
"The Outlaw's?"
"Dead. The Ministry is taking care of it. I managed to collect their things without being spotted."
"We were lucky they only managed to do that much harm," said Dumbledore. "If they had taken her… Ah, she looks so much like her mother…"
Severus' lips pressed into a thin line and he said in a rough, tight voice, "Yes. She does. Excuse me, Albus."
The younger man turned on his heel and left the office, causing Dumbledore to sigh heavily.
He should never have mentioned Rowena.
* * *
Sheyne sat at the base of the spiral staircase that led up to Dumbledore's office. One foot propped up on the bottom step upon which she sat, she reached to her neck and tugged at the silver chain there. Out it came, revealing a round stone at the end the size of a robin's egg. The stone was a deep, flawless royal blue with veins of green twisting through its center like bolts of lightning. As she held it, the stone warmed, filling her with the same warmth.
At the same time the last moments of her adoptive parents played through her mind. They had given her everything, a home, love – love as though she was their daughter, a daughter of flesh and blood not simple writing on paper. And they had given her her father's name, the name that had been written on the sheet of paper tucked into her blankets when she'd been left on their doorstep, the name that she might use one day to find her real parents.
God, they had been good to her.
Tears pricked at her eyes but Sheyne brushed her away, refusing to let them fall. Should she let them, she feared they would never stop. And she could not cry in front of Stephen. She had to be strong, for both of them.
A hand suddenly fell gently onto her shoulder and Sheyne looked up, letting the smooth stone fall from her hand back down into her shirt.
It was the man – Severus, Dumbledore had called him – peering down at her.
"Sir?"
"I'm to take you to the Hospital Wing," said the man. Sheyne noticed the tightness in his voice. Something had upset him…
"Yes, sir."
Sheyne rose to her feet and followed the man as he walked out of the stairwell past the stone gargoyle that had moved aside at a touch.
* * *
"Severus, I'm telling you to take that girl up to one of the teacher's room. That boy will be asleep for another five hours!"
"You gave him Dreamless Sleep Potion?"
"And a Sleeping Potion! I suggest the girl get some as well." Madam Pomfrey leaned forward, eyes darting to the bed where Sheyne sat on a stool looking down at Stephen before coming back to Severus. She laid a gentle hand on his arm and whispered, "You shouldn't wait too long to tell her, you know. She may look a great deal like…" Pomfrey paused here, then continued, "But she looks like you as well. Your cheekbones I think."
That brought a slightly smile to Severus' lips as he whispered back, "Thankfully not my nose."
Pomfrey smiled in return and tapped the mentioned member with a finger. Severus did not blink or sound out any indignation. He and Poppy Pomfrey had been friends for years. In fact, the mediwitch had introduced him to Rowena…
"I think that great honk of yours is quite dashing," said Pomfrey in a teasing tone.
Severus snorted softly, careful not to alert Sheyne to their conversation.
"On me perhaps. Not on anyone else."
"I daresay not! Now, you escort that child up to a room and give her these." Pomfrey handed him the tiny vials of the two potions, each enough for one dose. "And you make sure she takes them."
"Of course, Poppy."
"And remember to tell her."
"I will, Poppy."
Pomfrey sighed and patted his hand before walking over to Sheyne. She placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and whispered in her ear. The mediwitch was a half-inch shorter than the tall girl but could tilt her head back enough to make it to her ear. Sheyne nodded slightly and Pomfrey led her over to Severus, nodding to him. He nodded slightly in return and gently took Sheyne's arm.
"Come, child," he said gently. "I'll show you where you can get some rest."
Sheyne nodded, turning her head once to look at Stephen's sleeping form, then let him lead her out. They walked down two different corridors before they reached the place they needed. The professors quarters were a hidden part of the castle, only reachable through a Traveling Mirror placed in the Entrance Hall.
Severus pulled Sheyne towards the mirror, reaching one hand out to touch the pattern of runes on the left side of the frame. There was a brief glow from the runes then the surface of the mirror shimmered. Sheyne pulled back slightly but Severus gave her a reassuring look.
"Its safe," he murmured, pushing her gently towards the mirror. "Just step through."
When the fifteen-year-old looked rebellious, he took her hand, squeezing her fingers reassuringly.
"Don't worry, child. I have you."
Sheyne looked at him and Severus' breath quickened. Rowena was gazing at him out of those amber orbs but so was his daughter. And trusted him, even though she knew not that she was his child. With a nod, she stepped through and Severus followed her.
On the other side she let out a laugh, her fingers tightening against his own.
"See," said Severus, smiling down at her. "Nothing to it."
Sheyne smiled and repeated, "Nothing to it."
Severus continued to gaze down at her for a moment then led her down the hall until he reached the room he knew would be empty. It was the room he would have occupied had he not insisted on making his residence down in the dungeons.
Opening the door with the password that had been placed on it, he led Sheyne inside. At another word, the sconces on the walls burst into argent light, followed by the fireplace. Sheyne stared around at the room and breathed, "Its beautiful."
Indeed the room was. The furniture was all old, darkly polished wood with deep green satin seats and backs. The walls were all dark stone, covered with tapestries in deep black's, muddy brown's, blood red's, shimmering silver's, and pulsating green's. There was a roll-top desk in one corner, made of the same dark wood as the chair. All in all it was a fine room.
"This way," said Severus, pulling Sheyne from the main room into the bedroom. Much was the same in there. The bed was also of old, dark wood, its sheets and pillows and coverlet all dyed a deep green with silver edges. A room for a Slytherin, thought Severus bitterly.
Sheyne pulled away from him to run her hands over the blanket. She sat down on the bed, looking up at him and asked, "Is all this for me?"
"Until the new term starts in September. Then you will be placed in a House. We will talk of that later. Now, you must follow Madam Pomfrey's instructions and rest."
"I don't think I can rest after all this."
Severus held out the two tiny vials. "That is why we have these. This one – " he held up the Dreamless Sleep Potion " – will keep away any dreams or nightmares. And this one – " he held up the other vial " – will help you sleep. Here, take the Dreamless Sleep one first."
He handed the vial to Sheyne and she took it, looking at him once before pulling out the cork and downing it. Immediately she grimaced. Severus smiled slightly.
"Yes, it is quite bitter but the effects are marvelous. Now, this one."
Sheyne swallowed the Sleep Potion in the same manner as she had swallowed the other and handed him back the vial. She yawned and suddenly collapsed, nearly sliding off the bed. Severus caught his daughter in a well-practiced move. Rowena had often needed Sleep Potion herself. He had learned to catch her after the first three times she had fallen off the bed.
Propping the girl up in a nearby chair, Severus pulled back the sheets then turned and removed Sheyne's boots, placing them by the head of the bed. He then picked her up, feeling himself filled with warmth as she curled in towards his chest in his arms. God, she was beautiful… Just like her mother.
Severus laid her down on the bed and pulled the sheets over her, stroking back a lock of errant hair. He let his hand cup his daughter's cheek for a moment then gathered the vials and left. Pausing in the door to look once back at her, he smiled – not the small smiles he usually used, but a full-lipped smile. Closing the door, he placed a charm on it that would alert him when Sheyne woke then left the apartment, a slight bounce in his step that had not been there for a long while.