Disclaimer: Don't own nothing not even a smidgen. All works owned by J.K. Rowling Bloomsbury paperbacks and a few others.
Summary: A gift has arrived to none then Severus Snape and due to reasons, will not accept it. Will Dumbledore be able to persuade him to keep it, to open his heart and trust before it's all too late? 1st ff be nice RR
Love and Trust of the Heart
Chapter 4- Uncle Severus
Severus stormed down to his dungeons, doors slamming open automatically as he neared them. 'The school board had no complaints about Remus teaching, and neither did parents as you would of thought Severus,' Albus' words echoed. 'You just wanted to protect your precious Gryffindor from fellow deatheaters. Plus he's a friend of your precious golden boy. If it were any other house, you wouldn't have done much about it. Now you want me to brew up the blasted potion, I'll make sure I can make it taste as horrible as possible.' 'Least the mutt isn't here,' another voice reasoned. 'True, I'd rather the werewolf then that insufferable imbecile.'
Before long Severus had everything ingredient out cut, shredded and crushed perfectly. He added the ingredients in the cauldron in the correct order stirring in a clockwise direction. He just took the potion off to cool when he heard Albus call him through the fire.
'What now? Want me to go rescue your precious golden boy from his palace or check if there reading him the right bedtime stories,' Severus thought coldly as he took his dragon hind gloves off, before entering his office.
"Yes Albus."
"Could you come to my office immediately please," Albus said before leaving straight after, before Severus could argue.
Severus just rolled his eyes. He walked quickly to Dumbledore's office; Severus said the password before knocking on the headmaster's office closed door.
"Enter,"
Severus entered to see a well-built man cradling a child who was clutching onto him, at if any moment he would disappear.
"Uh Severus, I'd like you to meet Mr. Murray. Mr. Murray, Severus Snape."
"Nice to meet you," the chocolate brown haired man replied, shifting the child slightly, before extending his hand, but Severus didn't take it. The man looked and sounded like a ministry worker, with a foreign accent.
The man shifted uncomfortably on his feet, when Severus didn't take his hand.
"Relax Severus," Albus replied, "he isn't from the ministry- well not the English ministry anyway."
Severus hesitantly extended his hand out, still staring coldly at the man; there was something about this man he just didn't like. Severus caught eye of the child, she didn't look more then two, two and a half. The toddler was fast asleep but the grip she had on her father's robes looked like a death grip. She had midnight black hair. The man shook his hand smiling slightly.
"Severus sit down," Albus replied politely.
Severus looked at Albus who motioned to a chair at his desk.
"Severus Mr. Murray-"
"John,"
"John is an Auror in Australia."
Severus tensed in his chair.
"I believe this is the time I leave. Mr. Murray has a few things to discuss with you."
"No," the Auror replied. "I need a witness, that I have done my job correctly, it's normal Australian Auror procedure."
"Why is-" before Severus was cut off by the Australian Auror.
"Mr. Snape when was the last time you saw your sister?"
"Sabrina," Severus looked straight at the Auror.
He nodded his light green eyes with a sad glint.
"Years why?"
The Auror sighed softly with a hint of sadness.
"Did you know Hunter-"
"Yes, Sabrina ran off with him when she was 20," he spat.
The Auror nodded, "I am sorry to inform you but your sister Sabrina is dead."
Severus faced paled, "Dead... how?"
"She was killed."
Severus stared at the man, 'Killed!'
"For the last five years, your sister as been under AAPP."
"AAPP?"
"Australian Auror Protection Program."
"W-Why?"
"You see Mr. Snape your sister's husband, he was caught up in illegal potion brewing and dark spell castings. Not only that he had also abused her." The Auror now was trying to control his voice form shaking. "H-He then began killing people, he was very skilled with charm glamories and potions. That is what took us so hard for us to find him- he regularly changed his identity. He somehow found where your sister was hiding and casted a glamori charm mixed with a potion as one of the Aurors, and killed her," the Auror tried to disguise a sniff.
Severus sat stunned. His baby sister killed. He had lived longer then her that wasn't how it was suppose to be. Sabrina was supposed to live happily, with lots of children. He- He was not supposed to out live his younger sister. I knew there was a reason why he hated Hunter. Anger began to build up inside Severus, he was going to kill him, there's just no justice in the world. Severus caught eye with Albus, who was just as white as he was. His eyes filled with sadness. I should of wrote to her, I should of went and looked for her. I-. Suddenly he felt something on his shoulder, it was Albus with a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was saying something but Severus didn't know what he was saying, not that he wanted to hear his pity. Albus' voice was distant but he could hear it, it was starting to get louder. "Severus!" Severus then felt himself come back to reality. He looked at Albus, "S-Sorry Albus what were you saying."
Albus had a sad smile before motioning around him. Severus noticed Albus' usually well-kept office was now a total mess. All off his book were now all over place, parchment everywhere, ink spilt, the window in Albus' office even had a crack in it.
"I-I'm sorry Albus, I didn't mean to do that." Severus fought hard to keep his voice steady. Severus was not going to let himself fall apart with that Auror watching.
"Mr. Snape, I apologise for being the bearer of bad news, but that is not all I have to tell you."
Severus glared at the man, "If you are going to tell me that, Hunter is still out there," his voice in a deadly growl. "I am not going to be held responsible for your bodily harm."
The Auror was now pale white looking down at his daughter and back up again.
"No Mr. Snape," the Auror replied. "He got the punishment he deserved. Hunter has received the Death Kiss," Severus watched the Auror spit out the name Hunter with as much venom as he could. The Auror was not fazed by the looks he received from Severus or Albus. "Hunter killed by brother, who was with your sister practically all through those 5 years. I believe he fell in love with Sabrina in the end." John cleared his throat; he was trying hard not to cry. "But that's not what I have to say."
"Then get to it," Severus snapped.
Severus felt Albus hand tense on his shoulder.
"Were you aware your sister has children?"
Severus heart stopped. 'No not them too. I'm an uncle. Uncle Severus that makes me feel old.'
"No."
The Auror looked a bit anxious. "Well... you had a niece and through medical reports say Sabrina was in the quite early stages of pregnancy," with that Severus saw the Auror blush slightly. It then clicked his brother had sex with my baby sister. He stared at the man up and down in disbelief. His brother had sex with my baby sister. Severus then noticed the child was starting to wake up. Amazing really that the child didn't wake up when he did accidental magic.
The Auror shifted uncomfortably under Severus' gaze. The child rubbed her eyes sleepily with one hand. The other hand not letting go of the man's robes. The Auror looked down at the child smiling softly. "Your niece Mr. Snape just survived, the brutal attack Hunter did on her. I managed to get there just in time to get Hunter off her. This Mr. Snape is your niece Isabelle."
If Severus wasn't sitting in a chair he would of collapsed by now. He stared at the child on the man's lap.
"Your sister talked about you often you know, she said if anything happened to her you would look after her kids."
Severus paled. 'Child, me look after a child. What was she, mad? I hate children.'
Severus glanced up at Albus who was smiling broadly the annoying twinkle in his eyes shining bright.
"John why are you delivering the child may I ask?" Dumbledore replied. "Isn't it usually social workers who bring the child."
John nodded slowly, "It usually is, but Isabelle is just so sweet and adorable, it's hard not to like her. I've grown rather attached to her," John added softly.
'Uncle, me look after a child. I can't look after children, especially little children like this. She's only a baby.'
Albus smiled. Isabelle looked around the office curiously. When she caught eyes with Albus she quickly buried her face back in John's robes. Albus chuckled softly.
"Mr. Snape Isabelle is four."
Severus couldn't move. 'I can't look after children, I know nothing about them.'
Isabelle peeped out of John's robes and stared at him curiously. Severus wasn't sure how to act around her. Isabelle definitely had her mother's looks. His heart ached. She had the traditional Snape black hair and the onyx black eyes. She had her mother's petite little nose compared to his hooked one. Isabelle had a light spray of freckles just over her nose, on her vanilla white skin. She looked like Sabrina when she was little. Severus could hardly see anything of Hunter about her, which he was thankful for.
John smiled softly at Isabelle. "Isabelle, sweetheart," he replied softly. Isabelle looked up at John. "Do you want to meet your Uncle?"
The child just buried her face back into his robes. "Isabelle this man here is your Uncle Severus, He's going to look after you now."
Isabelle looked at Severus shyly. Severus tried to look friendly but failed miserably when Isabelle's eyes became glassy and a tear ran down her face. Severus quickly looked away. 'Isabelle just looked at me and started crying.'
Out the corner of his eye was John who was now comforting Isabelle.
'There's no way I can look after her. She maybe blood but I can't look after her. I'm a deatheater for Christ sake. What if Voldemort found out? I'm more of a danger to her then her protector.'
"Hey, don't cry," he heard John choke out. "I'll miss you too,"
"I can't look after her," Severus blurted out.
John's head shot up at him. "What!"
"I-I can't look after her," Severus replied.
John stared at him in disbelief. "I can't. I'm no good with children."
"You're her only family. Hunter killed everyone on his side of the family. You is all she's got!" the Auror snapped hotly.
"Isabelle seems quite happy with you, and you're good with children. You said you were very fond of her."
The Auror looked down at Isabelle and up at Severus again.
"The only reason Isabelle is fond of me, is because I saved her from Hunter."
"See your already doing a great job being a parent to her," Severus retorted. 'Isabelle could get killed. It's better this way. She would have a much better survival rate.'
The Auror smiled slightly, "As much as I'd love to take her, Mr. Snape, I can't, it's against protocol."
Severus stared at the man, "Place her anywhere but with me, anywhere but this country in fact," Severus replied coldly.
"You can't be serious,"
"I am. Now if that's all, I believe I have a potion to store."
Severus got out of his chair and refused to look Dumbledore in the eye or the Auror that was now spluttering. He walked stiffly out the door and towards the dungeons. 'It was for the best.'
