Ah, here it is- the much awaited additions to 'Dandelions'! Soon, I need to think of a title and begin posting the other HP fic I'm working on, a prelude to this one. To clarify beforehand, Orenda is my sister's creation- Severus' half sister who was intimately close to Sirius. Time frame is Year 6. Hm... guess this means I'll have to work on these stories more often now... darn, there goes my free time. Insert standard disclaimer here.

The Funeral

Celestina J. Snape stood in front of the mirror she had hung on her bedroom wall. She smoothed her long black hair back into a bun, held with her favorite green ponytail bands, and stared into her own eyes a moment. There was no redness or any other signs that she'd been crying last night, so she picked up her black eyeliner and began applying her makeup. After a few minutes, her skin was satisfactorily pale and her blue-green eyes were rimmed with black. She almost put on her black lipstick, but decided to go with some clear gloss instead. As much as she had loved disobeying her mother, her father and uncle never liked her black lips.

There came a gentle knock on her bedroom door. "Celine, are you decent? We need to get going now," Severus called as gently as he could. Celine could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable using such gentle tones, and she appreciated the effort (though she'd never admit it).

Celine wrapped her formal black robe around herself, covering the short black dress she'd chosen for the day, and silently walked out the door and downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs she paused a minute, not looking behind her. Severus soon followed, his formal cloak billowing around his slender body like it always seemed to, put a hand on her shoulder, and Dissapparated to the cemetery.

Once there, Celine allowed herself to be led to the gravesite, where other relatives had begun to gather. There were murmurs of "oh there's the poor dear" and "I wonder how well she's taking it?" but Celine ignored them all. 'Some kind of family I've got. Half of these people I didn't even know about until now- they probably just came for the free food. Such wonderful, caring people. Why don't they just go sod off?' Celine thought to herself. Then her eyes came to rest on the two coffins directly ahead of her. All the while, Severus kept his hand protectively on Celine's shoulder, his eyes always scanning the surroundings, sometimes nodding at relatives. He felt somehow that he should draw Celine closer, wrap his arm around her shoulders maybe, attempt to be more affectionate and comforting. Then again, that would only serve to make himself and Celine more uncomfortable than necessary.

The pair stopped beside the coffins and looked down, almost in unison. There lay Samuel and Heather Snape, their eyes peacefully closed. Samuel had always kept his black hair shorter than Severus; so short in fact that he'd gotten teased about trying to be a 'pretty boy'. Celine's eyes lingered on her mother- warm dark brown hair against alabaster skin, hazel eyes now closed. How often had she and this woman squared off? How many times had those hard eyes glared at her, those thin lips scolded her, and those hands pinched her shoulder? Yet, Celine was sure she'd miss her, though she had no clue why. She reached inside her robe and pulled out a dandelion. 'Dandelions are sometimes misunderstood as being bad, as just bothersome weeds,' she could hear her father telling her. 'But they're always stubbornly there, whether you want them there or not. I admire the spirit of a dandelion.' Now both of them dead at the hands of Death Eaters. Celine closed her eyes and placed the dandelion on her father's folded hands. Severus, sensing that Celine was done here, led her to their seats on the front row.

A few moments later, a black haired lady walked up to Severus, followed closely by twin girls. "Severus," the lady said softly.

"So nice of you to come," Severus replied, not looking at her.

"If you want me to leave just tell me and we'll go."

"Nobody asked you to come, but the free food's in the next tent," Celine said softly, in the trademark Snape deadpan.

"I didn't come for the food, I came for my family."

"Really? Because I came for the food myself," Celine toned, rising from her seat and wandering to the buffet.

Severus rose also and watched Celine walk off.

"Severus, do you want me here? If not then I can leave as easily as I came," Orenda said, a slightly hurt tone in her voice.

Severus looked from Celine to Orenda and back again. Satisfied that Celine was fine for now, he turned his attention back to Orenda for the moment. "Please don't leave again, Orenda. You don't know how I looked for you, especially after- well after you left. It's just- I can't leave Celine alone right now."

"Of course I won't leave," Orenda responded. She dropped her voice so that only Severus could hear her, "Does she know?"

Severus shook his head and opened his mouth to explain when a flash of light from the buffet tent caught his eye. Celine had somehow gotten hold of a sharp knife and, as Severus ran over to her, slit one wrist vertically and watched the blood drip onto the grass.

"Celestina Judas!" Severus said, yelling without raising his voice like only he could do. He snatched the knife away from Celine and, pulling his wand from his robes, healed the wound. He then wiped the blood from her skin with his robes. Celine just looked at him, her eyes seemingly dead, and then she collapsed on the grass. Though she didn't make a sound, tears started rolling down her cheeks, smearing her eyeliner all down her face. Severus took her into his arms and carried her away, just letting the girl cry silently. He looked over his shoulder at Orenda and the girls just behind her, and Dissapparated.

Once back to Celine's house, Severus carried the girl into her room and laid her down in her bed. She had stopped crying for the moment, and was half-asleep, so Severus left her alone and sat on a chair right outside her bedroom door. Severus then attempted to reach Orenda through a mental link unused but still strong. At first he just searched for her, then he called to her.

'Severus? What is it?' Orenda responded, her concern coming through with the words.

'I wanted to ask a visit of you, if you could,' Severus replied, as if choosing his words carefully. 'There's much I'd like to tell you..'

'Now or later?'

'As soon as you can get away. I believe Celine's asleep for the night.'

'I'm on my way.'

Severus smiled slightly, 'Thank you.'

'Of course' she responded, and in a couple minutes there was a knock on the front door.

Severus rose and, after quickly checking on Celine (fast asleep), he went downstairs and opened the door.

"How's she holding up?" Orenda inquired.

"Hard to tell. She's talking even less than she ever did before."

"Well that's to be expected. I was the same way."

Severus led Orenda into the living room and offered her a seat. "Why did you come today?"

"You expected me not to?"

Severus just watched Orenda. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again. Didn't know what to expect. Why wouldn't you answer any of my calls?"

"After the way we parted last time I was too angry and after I calmed down I didn't think you would want to see me."

"I'm sorry I ever made you think that."

"What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Severus took a deep breath. "Well, mostly wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm alright," Orenda responded in an emotionless voice that was nothing like her.

Severus stood next to Orenda and placed a hand on her shoulder. "In spite of what I might have done and said, I'm still your brother Orenda. You can talk to me."

"I'm fine Severus really," she replied in the same voice not looking up.

Severus knelt down, trying to meet her eyes. "You're not a very good liar."

"Damn it Severus! How am I supposed to be?" she softly exclaimed as a few tears escaped her eyes.

Severus stood up and just looked at Orenda, "I'm just worried about you, is all. You and Celine upstairs are nearly all I have left."

"I know he despised me and we fought whenever we were in the same building but he was still my brother and to lose him so soon after..."

Severus sat next to Orenda and gingerly put an arm around her shoulders.

"How have you been doing? I've been told you're Potions Master at Hogwarts," Orenda commented with a half smile as she quickly wiped away any trace of the tears.

"Yes, well I've begun to sympathize a bit with our old Potions Master. Apparently, your little group left behind a legacy," Severus replied in an attempt to cheer Orenda up. He failed.

"Yeah we were troublemakers weren't we?" she replied in the same emotionless voice.

"Have you talked to Lupin at all?"

"Yeah. I'm staying with him until school starts."

"And then what?"

"I don't know probably go back home. What about you?" Orenda watched Severus, "Are you going to tell her?"

"I'll have to tell her sooner or later. Preferably later." Severus looked down, unconsciously staring straight at his now invisible Mark.

"The longer you wait the harder it's going to be."

"You're right, of course. But she's not an idiot like so many of her peers. Even if I don't tell her who I am, she'll find out. And she'll hate me for it," Severus said softly.

"You'll just have to explain it to her and let her decide what she thinks."

"I will, but not for a little while. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I just got my daughter back and I don't want to risk losing her yet."

"You're not being selfish and I'll be there for you always."

Severus closed his eyes and remembered that night so many years ago, trying to show Orenda in explanation.

"Severus I'm sorry about what happened in the past. We both did and said things we regret but I promise you I will never leave you like that again." Orenda replied as a little sadness slipped into her voice.

Severus slipped one of Orenda's hands into his and gave a gentle squeeze, not quite comfortable with giving her a hug.

"Is there any way you can forgive me and the way I acted?"

"If you can find a way to forgive me. I only ever wanted to protect you."

"I forgave you long ago."

Severus let a small smile slip, then suddenly stood up and looked upstairs.

"What's wrong?"

"Quiet a moment- I thought I heard something," Severus replied. A few seconds later there was a small crash upstairs. Orenda quickly stood concern washing every other emotion from her features.

Severus rushed upstairs and immediately checked Celine's room. Her mirror was broken, but Celine herself was nowhere to be found. On the floor beneath the mirror, amidst the shattered glass, was a now-broken framed photograph of Samuel, Heather, and Celine on her first day of wizarding school nearly five years ago. The three figures in the photo were quite upset, and young Celine stormed out. Orenda had followed Severus upstairs, and let out a soft gasp when she saw the room.

"Celine?" Severus called softly, looking all around the room. "Celestina, where are you?"

Celine opened the door of her closet and walked out. "Don't call me that," she hissed.

Orenda silently turned and headed back down stairs.

Celine watched Orenda leave the room. "Bringing dates over now, are we?"

'Maybe I should go,' Orenda sent from back downstairs.

'Probably. Keep in touch, okay sis? I'm definitely going to need your help.'

'You know how to find me.'

"How insensitive can you be? Trying to have a go at some lady you probably only met today, in my house? Were you going to use Father's bed too?" Celine slapped Severus angrily. Severus grabbed Celine's wrist before she could hit him again and, muttering a simple spell, cleared away the broken glass

"Get your sleep, girl," Severus hissed at Celine. "You'll be packing to move first thing in the morning."

With this, Severus let go and stormed out of Celine's room, slamming the door shut. Sinking into the chair beside her door, Severus sighed, "Merlin help me," and was sleeping in that same chair when Celine awoke and opened her door the next morning.