"Did you see the look on Snape's face when we walked in?" asked Ron as he and Hermione headed down to lunch. "It looked like he was angry or something."

"I know, I saw." said Hermione. "Something's bothering him, but even I don't care to find out what it is."

"Who would? He'd probly yell at us for asking." They walked into the dining hall and sat down next to Neville and Seamus.

"Where's Harry?" asked Neville.

"He's not feeling well." said Hermione.

"Neither was Snape, by the look of it." said Seamus.

"I know. What was wrong with him? He didn't yell at me for screwing up again."

"I don't know and I don't care." said Ron.

"Me neither," said Seamus.

"It might be marital problems," said Hermione.

"Marital problems?" asked Neville questioningly. "But you'd have to be married to have those."

"He is married," persisted Hermione. "Or at least he may have been, once. Haven't you ever noticed that he wears a wedding ring?"

"But who would want to marry him?" asked Ron making a disgusted face.

"Must be a blind person," said Seamus. Ron and Neville laughed, while Hermione just grinned.

"Either way, this could get interesting." said Ron.

"Nothing gave you the right to attack Rhanda," said Principal Sandler. "I don't care how angry you were. You need an attitude adjustment, Sarah." Sarah slumped in her seat and made no eye contact with him. "I'm afraid in order to make sure this doesn't happen again, I'm going to have to suspend you for five months." Sarah jumped up from her seat.

"Five months?!" she cried out. "What about Rhanda?"

"What happens to Rhanda is none of your concern or business. I've called your mother and she should be here soon to take you home." Sarah's jaw dropped and she fell back in the chair. The principal stared at her, with a bit of sympathy in his gaze. "Sarah, I'm sorry it had to happen like this." Tears fell down her face and she nodded.

"Yeah," she said shakily. "yeah me too." Just then the door opened and Sarah's mom walked in.

"Hello, Principal Sandler. Sorry I'm late."

"That's quite alright. I guess you will be taking Sarah home now?"

"Yes, and I'm really sorry about this. Honestly, I don't know what could have gotten into Sarah."

"Well, I suggest that you consider sending her to some sort of program to help her shape up." Samantha nodded solemly.

"Believe me, I will."

"You are dismissed then." Samantha turned to Sarah who was shaking from trying to hold back tears.

"Come on, honey," said Samantha softly. Sarah stood up, her mother put an arm around her and walked out of the office with her. The drive home was quiet. Sarah pressed her head to the window and tried to dissolve away from the world.

"Sarah," said her mother after a while. "I want you to know I love you as you are." Sarah nodded. "But I am very dissapointed in how you behaved today. I know what those girls said were wrong, but you need to control your anger."

"I know," said Sarah. "But they're preps!"

"You could have given that girl brain damage, the way you were bashing her head on the ground."

There's nothing there to damage, Sarah thought to herself.

"Well, you know what? She's right," said Sarah angrily. "Everything she said about me was true."

"No it wasn't," said Samantha, putting an arm around her. Sarah pushed it off and scooted away from her. "You're father loves you very much."

"Mom, you don't have to lie anymore. I know what he thinks of me. I heard you and him talking this morning. He called me a filthy muggle. I know that's all he see's me as. I'm nothing but a big screw-up to him."

"Honey," she said, reaching over and giving her left hand a squeeze. "Your father does love you. He just hasn't realized it yet."

The rest of the drive home was silent. Once they were home, Sarah went to her room and locked the door. Samantha sighed and went to the fire place. She threw in some floo powder and said, "Hogwarts school, potions room." She stuck her head in a peaked into the empty class room. She waited patiently and after five minutes, he walked in the room. He spotted her almost instantly, almost as though he was expecting her.

"Come back to argue some more?" he asked.

"No, Severus. I'm tired of fighting with you. I really need to talk to you." Snape noticed that there were tears forming in her eyes. He stooped down so he could meet eye level with her.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he asked sympathetically.

"It's Sarah," she said softly. Snape cringed. "Severus, listen to me please!"

"Alright," he sighed. "What about her?"

"She just got suspended for five months for beating a girl at school to a pulp." Snape raised an eyebrow.

"Well aren't you proud. You raised your daughter to be a scraper."

"She's your daughter too and you ignoring her had a lot to do with it. Do you know why she attacked that girl?"

"I'm not a mind reader by nature Samantha."

"She attacked her because the girl was making fun of her for having a father who didn't love her. Severus, doesn't that mean something to you?"

"Sorry to say it doesn't."

"Well anyway, the principal told me I should send Sarah to a program to help her manage her anger and I think I've found the perfect one."

"Who?"

"You." Snape's eyes widened.

"Me? No. You are not sending that.... that... thing here! You already know that muggles can't get into Hogwarts."

"They can once they're inside. Severus, I'm desperate. Please. You did love her once. Would it kill you to do that again?"

"Yes."

"Severus, she wants her father. She needs you now more than ever."

"I don't care."

"Severus, what has she ever done to you besides love you? She cries herself to sleep everynight and yet still hopes that one day her father will come home. I know you know that feeling. Dumbledore told you to love her and she'll love you back. You haven't loved her, but she still loves you."

"She's building that love on empty hopes." Samantha closed her eyes, wondering why she ever married this stubborn man.

"Please, I'm begging you. Take her for... a month at least. Let her meet her father. Please."

"He accepts." said a voice from nearby. Snape turned and saw that Dumbledore was now lowering himself in front of the fire. "Send Sarah over here as quickly as possible. We have an extra room in the Gryffandor house we can put her in."

"Thanks, Dumbledore." said Samantha with a smile. "Talk to you later, Severus."

"Don't count on it." he said coldly, moving away from the fire. He turned to Dumbledore with a look of shock mixed with anger in his eyes.

"How dare you!" he said.

"Now, now Severus. Calm down before you do something you regret. Sarah will be here whether you like it or not and she will spend the whole day under your supervision. I'll even arrange for a Hogsmeade trip so you two can spend quality time together."

"If you think that I will spend a month with a filthy muggle then you are sorrily mistaken."

"And if you think you will keep your job if you ignore her, then you are sorrily mistaken." said Dumbledore cooly. Snape opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it. "Good, it's settled then. Sarah should be here in a few days."

"Yes, Headmaster," said Snape glumly. He waited till Dumbledore was gone before cursing to himself.