A/N: this is an answer to the Adoption Act Challenge over at WIKTT. I don't know how long this is going to be, but bear with me please.. thanks! :-)
Severus Snape scowled down at the parchment, which listed his appointment time with the agency. Today at eleven o' clock in the monring, he would become a father. He was clearly not looking forward to it, but he and a group of others from the Ministry and Hogwarts were scheduled to go to St. Merlin's Home For Wizarding Children for their adoptions. Severus was on time, as usual, waiting in front of the gates alongside Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin.
"This way, ladies and gentlemen." a small, elfin woman said as she unlocked the gates and ushered in the small group of witches and wizards. "The children are awaiting you in the playroom. If you find something that pleases you, inform us and we will take care of the paperwork."
Severus scowled down at the woman, who took a few nervous steps away from him, eyeing his dark clothes with a glint of fear in her eyes. As the double doors to the playroom opened, Severus's eyes widened and his mouth contorted in a sour frown. Children were everywhere, didn't the world ever run out of those brats? His eyes scanned over the throng of children, watching Minerva approach a quiet small girl with a stack of books at her side. Remus was quietly conversing with a boy wearing ragged robes, sitting on a bench in a far corner. Severus looked over the children in the room with a frown of distaste curling down the ends of his
mouth.
"Don't scowl, Severus, it's unbecoming of you." Minerva McGonagall said as she held the hand of the girl she was conversing with. "You'll scare off the children."
"Isn't that the point?" Severus whispered mainly to himself in a dry tone. Minerva harrumphed and shook her head gently at the potions-master. Severus watched Minerva converse with the elfin woman, clearly Minerva had found a child. As well as Remus, Severus thought dryly as the little boy was swung up into Remus's arms, a beaming smile on his face. Severus sighed, knowing he had to make his decision. He did not like being rushed into decisions...although, there might be something here, Severus thought as his eyes caught a boy with long hair sitting in the corner, nearly obscured by shadows. He could see many scars on the boy's arms, as well as a dark purple scar on his temple, from a burn sustained not too long ago.
"Who's that?" Severus whispered to the elfin woman, startling her with his quiet presence. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, he still hadn't lost his skill. The woman glanced at the boy in the corner, shaking her head.
"Sir, I suggest you choose someone else. The boy.. he's trouble. You don't want him. He's a mudblood." Severus's eyes turned icy cold at the term, his mind's eye recalling the brown frizz of Hermione Granger's hair covering her tear-stained face as the Malfoy boy called her mudblood.
"I will take him." Severus said coldly, looking down his nose at the elfin woman, who was pratically trembling in her robes. "The name is Snape, Severus Salazar Snape."
"Very well, Mr. Snape." The elfin woman whispered quietly as she beckoned for the boy to approach them. The boy remained still, refusing to move out of the shadows. The Elfin woman sighed, shaking her head. "If you can haul him out, he's yours." the woman said, taking a scroll of parchment out of a drawer in a nearby desk. "Just sign here, and the boy is yours."
"What's his name?" Severus asked as he held the quill just above the parchemnt, pausing before he signed his name. The woman shrugged.
"Came here screaming himself hoarse. He hasn't spoken since, not even to reveal his own name. Name him yourself." The woman said with a sharp sniff. Severus's mouth twitched as he signed the parchment. A muscle worked in his jaw as he set eyes on the boy, knowing that by adopting the boy, this was a form of redemption for all of his sins as a Death Eater.
Severus Snape scowled down at the parchment, which listed his appointment time with the agency. Today at eleven o' clock in the monring, he would become a father. He was clearly not looking forward to it, but he and a group of others from the Ministry and Hogwarts were scheduled to go to St. Merlin's Home For Wizarding Children for their adoptions. Severus was on time, as usual, waiting in front of the gates alongside Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin.
"This way, ladies and gentlemen." a small, elfin woman said as she unlocked the gates and ushered in the small group of witches and wizards. "The children are awaiting you in the playroom. If you find something that pleases you, inform us and we will take care of the paperwork."
Severus scowled down at the woman, who took a few nervous steps away from him, eyeing his dark clothes with a glint of fear in her eyes. As the double doors to the playroom opened, Severus's eyes widened and his mouth contorted in a sour frown. Children were everywhere, didn't the world ever run out of those brats? His eyes scanned over the throng of children, watching Minerva approach a quiet small girl with a stack of books at her side. Remus was quietly conversing with a boy wearing ragged robes, sitting on a bench in a far corner. Severus looked over the children in the room with a frown of distaste curling down the ends of his
mouth.
"Don't scowl, Severus, it's unbecoming of you." Minerva McGonagall said as she held the hand of the girl she was conversing with. "You'll scare off the children."
"Isn't that the point?" Severus whispered mainly to himself in a dry tone. Minerva harrumphed and shook her head gently at the potions-master. Severus watched Minerva converse with the elfin woman, clearly Minerva had found a child. As well as Remus, Severus thought dryly as the little boy was swung up into Remus's arms, a beaming smile on his face. Severus sighed, knowing he had to make his decision. He did not like being rushed into decisions...although, there might be something here, Severus thought as his eyes caught a boy with long hair sitting in the corner, nearly obscured by shadows. He could see many scars on the boy's arms, as well as a dark purple scar on his temple, from a burn sustained not too long ago.
"Who's that?" Severus whispered to the elfin woman, startling her with his quiet presence. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, he still hadn't lost his skill. The woman glanced at the boy in the corner, shaking her head.
"Sir, I suggest you choose someone else. The boy.. he's trouble. You don't want him. He's a mudblood." Severus's eyes turned icy cold at the term, his mind's eye recalling the brown frizz of Hermione Granger's hair covering her tear-stained face as the Malfoy boy called her mudblood.
"I will take him." Severus said coldly, looking down his nose at the elfin woman, who was pratically trembling in her robes. "The name is Snape, Severus Salazar Snape."
"Very well, Mr. Snape." The elfin woman whispered quietly as she beckoned for the boy to approach them. The boy remained still, refusing to move out of the shadows. The Elfin woman sighed, shaking her head. "If you can haul him out, he's yours." the woman said, taking a scroll of parchment out of a drawer in a nearby desk. "Just sign here, and the boy is yours."
"What's his name?" Severus asked as he held the quill just above the parchemnt, pausing before he signed his name. The woman shrugged.
"Came here screaming himself hoarse. He hasn't spoken since, not even to reveal his own name. Name him yourself." The woman said with a sharp sniff. Severus's mouth twitched as he signed the parchment. A muscle worked in his jaw as he set eyes on the boy, knowing that by adopting the boy, this was a form of redemption for all of his sins as a Death Eater.