Hello everybody! I am sooo happy to be here!! You just can't imagine!!

Anyway, this is one of my first fics so be nice. Please?

Also, I have to say that I have read all the books, except 5 (I'm halfway through), but I shall still stress that I am nowhere near an expert so if I make mistakes or ask questions, which I will, be nice and tell me.

Another note (Don't ya hate these?): This is defiantly an AU and most likely a Mary-Sue. You'll have to judge that later. As for the rating... Snapes have nasty mouths.

Since I don't want to keep you away from my fabulous fic, I'll stop.

Prologue- Found

The Death Eater approached his lord and master, crawling cowardly on his hands and knees until he could kiss the hem of the dark robes respectively.

"Report." The voice was deep, cold and cruel. The kind inducing nightmares.

The man flinched and sweat began to pour down his face and into his beady eyes which he kept lowered submissively.

"T-the W-wicca is d-dead, my l-lord. I k-killed her in the m-muggle fashion and r-ransacked the house so it a-appeared as a break-in."

Voldemort leaned back in his throne like chair with a satisfied smirk. No one would suspect.

"What of the child, my faithful servant?"

The man seemed to make himself smaller, if that was possible. Fear shot threw him. He couldn't lie. His lord would know. Perhaps he could get away without telling everything.

"G-gone, m-my l-lord."

"Excellent."

---------------

"Shay! You're late, girl!" a rather large, burly man shouted at the teen that came dashing into the restaurant.

"Sorry, Big D. No one could give me a ride."

"Did ya get your homework done?" he asked as the raven haired girl wrapped an apron around her slender body.

"Yep."

"Good. Now get to work!"

David Smith, otherwise known as Big D, watched as Shay worked her way through the tables and booths taking orders and eliciting laughs from the small children with a few of her 'magic tricks.' He never could figure out how she did do half the things she did, and apparently neither could she.

He had taken the jade eyed rogue under his wing when she had come into the restaurant begging for a job, nearly a year ago. She looked so pathetically malnourished that he didn't have the heart to deny her. She was barely anything more than skin and bones. Her eyes lacked luster and looked impossibly large. Her cheek bones terribly pronounced. She wormed her way into his heart, into all the workers' hearts. Then it happened...

She came to work one Saturday beaten and bruised. A swollen eye, split lip, and bruised cheek. Lastly her knuckles were swollen twice their normal size indicating that she gave as good as she got, or at least tried. When Lucy, another waitress, questioned her about it she replied that she had gotten into a fight at school, not a big deal. Concerned for her safety the woman managed to convince him to follow her home.

Thinking back to that night his blood still boiled. He could remember clearly walking through the dark, dank alley ways New York was famous for. The rancid smell seeped through his conscious, forcing him to gag. It certainly didn't help matters when she disappeared into one of the run down buildings and into a mangy apartment.

Sounds of a scuffle and a shout of "You little bitch!" brought him bursting into the room.

A man in his early thirties lay on the ground, Shay crouched above him. Her lip was once again sprouting blood and her already abused knuckles continued to find their way to his face, even though her eyes were tightly shut and tears were streaming down her pale cheeks.

Dave was forced to pry her from the unconscious man and drag her kicking and screaming out of the apartment. On the way out the door her arm shot out and grabbed her most prized possession from the back of the old, dingy couch that had once served as her bed.

He watched her now, smiling at customers and expertly weaving her way through running children to serve the food. She had changed much in the last year. Transforming from a bony, unhealthy girl to a beautiful vibrant young woman. She was quick to laugh and did her best to please those she cared for, as long as said actions were within the range of her beliefs. She was still a fighter though, capable of taking care of herself, more so since he'd been training her.

By the time her break rolled around Shay was exhausted. It was Friday, and only two more weeks until summer vacation. After that, two more years until High School Graduation. Two more years until she started anew.

As she sat sipping at her iced tea she spared a glance at Big D hunched over a pile of paperwork.

He was more of a big brother than a father figure and while most teens would rejoice at the lack of authority she longed for it with all her heart. She was grateful and loved the ex-boxer, but she wanted more. No surprise there. What teenager didn't?

Was she weird?

She certainly thought so. Not only did she have no semblance of a normal childhood but she learned early on she had abilities that no one else did. If she concentrated hard enough little things could happen, floating objects, transformations, reminiscent of magicians tricks. The only difference was, hers were the real deal, no trick involved. Also, she was oddly perceptive, especially towards danger. There was no doubt in her mind that it was this particular ability that saved her ass on the streets on numerous occasions.

Did that sound normal to you?

She was liked well enough, but she was an outcast. People tended to be intimidated by her. Her fighting skills and temper. Her dark beauty. They might have been fascinated by her 'magic,' but were nonetheless weary of it. Plus, the fact she was poor certainly didn't help matters.

Another reason why she was a freak, she liked school. At first because it was an excuse to get out of the house and away from her 'father.' Later because of the learning that it involved. She figured early on that the more you knew the less chances life had to harm you and she was all about protection.

Her 'father.' At one time he was decent. Not exactly loving, but he saw to her needs, to the best of his abilities at least. That was a long time ago. Somewhere along the way he got worse. In his fits of drunken rage he would attack her and she learned real quick how to fight back. It wasn't often and rarely serious so she let it pass. Besides, were else did she have to go?

Shifting her gaze Shay looked down at her school bag, catching a glimpse of green. Her one hope. The only reason why she never believed that her parents hadn't wanted her, abandoned her, despite everything her 'father' told her. Why give a child something so beautiful if she meant nothing?

Her baby blanket. The thing she took everywhere and that somehow managed to remain spotlessly clean, no matter what happened to it. Her most prized possession.

The deep hunter green was the softest velvet and she often rubbed her cheek against it for comfort. In the middle, in silver, was an elegantly curved S with a cauldron situated at the base and near the top two wands crossed. Under that in sprawling silver embroidery was the name, "Shawna Ellesar Snape."

---------------

Hogwarts' Potions Professor stalked down the hall, his black robes billowing behind him. The Headmaster wanted to see him, though he had no idea why.

Summer was almost here and he was glad for it's approach. No more staring at the faces of those who reminded him of what he lost. Sometimes he found himself wondering why he became a teacher in the first place, but deep inside he knew. It was his own twisted form of punishment for his failure. The students were the embodiment of his lost dreams.

In his mind's eye he could still see her, lying in her mother's arms. Her small red face... Those eyes she had inherited from his wife wide with curiosity. When the baby reached a hand out for him he only stared at her in awe. Christina laughed in that soft way of hers and reassured him that their daughter would not break. Only then did he bring a finger to her cheek. The skin was warm and silky soft as only a newborn's could be as he traced her small face. When her tiny, chubby hand grabbed and wrapped around his finger, all was lost.
To this day he still cursed himself for not taking heed of Christina's warnings. Back then he had dismissed it all as Voldemort's energy she was sensing. He knew that his wife's perception was great even for a Wicca, but he was so elated over their daughter's birth he wouldn't allow anything to trespass on his happiness. It was all his fault, his fault that he was now alone.

The guilt and pain started to surface, ready to choke him with their intensity, but he forced them back down. He always was good at bottling his emotions.

He came to the stone gargoyle and muttered the password. Upon entering he immediately sensed Dumbledore's happy aura. Happiness for him it seemed.

'What the bloody hell do I have to be happy about?'

"She has been found, Severus."

'Found? Who? Could it be...'

He would not get his hopes up only to have them dashed. He would not. Even he had his limits before he broke and when that happened he would prefer to be in the comfort of his dungeons.

"A former student was taking a vacation in Muggle America. New York, to be exact. In a small restaurant he found a young woman performing magic. Granted it was small, but magic nonetheless and wandless at that. He thought to report his findings to me."

"What does this have to do with me?" Snape demanded, impatiently.

Dumbledore smiled knowingly, not fazed in the slightest, as he moved behind his desk.

'Infuriating old man,' Snape thought with mild fondness. After all, it was Dumbledore who gave him a second chance. Dumbledore who knew the truth. The hard, cold truth.

"Mr. Lindon, poet that he is, commented that 'her hair was raven black, skin like ivory, and eyes the palest of jade.'"

Snape just stood, non moving, processing the information he received. His child, his baby girl, was alive?

"How long have you known?" he questioned, doing his best to suppress his excitement and growing anger.

He didn't miss the old wizard's slight grimace.

"Nearly a week."

And there went the anger.

"A week! You've known about Shawna for a week and you hadn't told me! Damn it, Albus!"

"I believed it to be for the best," was the calm reply.

"The best?!" Snape was beyond mad, he was damn right pissed. "You deliberately held from me information concerning my daughter and you thought it for the best?!"

"I know you're angry, Severus."

"I am past angry, Albus."

The Headmaster continued, unperturbed of the low, cold voice. "I wanted to learn about her to better approach the girl."

"And..."

"You've better sit," the old wizard gestured to the chair the younger was currently pacing around, while sitting himself. "From what I gather she was found by a man who had no right in raising a child. Until about a year ago she was under his care, if care is what you would call it."

"What are you getting at, Albus?" Dark eyes narrowed suspiciously as thoughts filled with dread.

"The reason why she was not discovered sooner was because she kept herself well hidden from the world. Not to mention her... unique heritage." Taking a deep breath, the Headmaster continued, the light in his eyes lessening. "She was malnourished and sometimes beaten."

Snape froze. Slowly he turned to face Dumbledore, silently begging him to say it wasn't true, that it was just a joke, that his beautiful baby girl was raised in a warm, loving household.

Sensing the dread threatening to consume the younger wizard, Dumbledore forged on.

"She is now staying with her employer, a former boxer, and is doing much better. However, she is still unhappy."

The old man waited to catching Snape's wandering gaze.

"I believe she misses you as much as you miss her."

The Death Eater finally sat down, landing heavily on the chair. He stared at his hands, the same that had once caressed his daughter's skin. The same fingers she used to cling onto with such delight. Finally, he broke the silence with a deep sigh.

"Can I retrieve her?"

"Yes. I will send a letter explaining who she is. No need to give a girl a premature heart attack," he chuckled, his good humor returning. "Come summer you may collect her, if she so chooses. If she wants to stay with others her own age she will need to learn five years of magic in three months, but I have confidence in both of your abilities."

The dark head snapped up.

"Me?"

Blue eyes behind half moon spectacles twinkled in amusement.

"You are her father. Surely you would want to teach her our ways."

"Of course."

Dumbledore smiled lightly.

"You may want to prepare a room for her in the dungeons."

Snape just nodded while standing and turned to leave, still silent.

The office's silence was disturbed by soft laughter. Fawkes gave a hoot from his perch and ruffled his scarlet feathers.

"The boy is in shock, my friend," he told the phoenix who trilled in acknowledgment. "And I have a feeling it will only grow."

-------------------------

So how was it? Nobody hurt? REVIEW wink wink to tell me.

Just to warn you all ahead of time.... I am a VERY SLOW updater. Terrible, I know. Can't help it though. Sometimes I want to write, others I don't. So if I disappear for weeks, perhaps months, don't worry, it's natural.

However, I will NOT quit this fic, so don't forget me during those periods of quietness.

Enough said. I'm tired. I'll 'see' everyone in the next chapter, which, since I'm half way done, might actually be up in a couple weeks. No promises though.

Remember... REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW Need I go on?