The days passed slowly. Serina didn't leave Hogwarts, but was living out of boxes and refusing to unpack in case it became necessary to leave. She avoided Snape at all costs, which wasn't all that easy. She kept making excuses to eat in her room during meals, unaware that Snape was doing the same.

Molly couldn't stand to see her mother like this. Even though she knew that her mom missed her father, it was horrible to see it in full effect. Never once had Serina shown her true feelings about Molly's father to her in such a dramatic way. It was depressing.

Molly spent a lot of time going over the situation in her head. All this time she had a father and she didn't know it. It was insane.

A week after Serina and Snape's argument, Molly went to talk to him. She headed down into the dungeons, to his office. He was usually there grading papers or working on special project.

She knocked on the door and let out a deep breath. Snape opened the door and looked down at the young girl in front of him.

"Professor Connor, what can I do for you?" he said in surprise. Molly looked up into his black eyes that were so similar to hers and black hair that was just like hers.

"I wanted to talk with you, if that is alright?" Snape stood and let Molly in. She entered and looked around. The room had several cabinets around filled with different ingredients for potions, along with a few bookshelves filled with books.

The desk was covered in papers and quills. She took a seat in the emerald green arm chair in front of the desk, Snape sat in a similar chair on the other side of the desk. Molly placed her hands in her lap and looked up at her father.

"What is it?" he asked placing his hands on the table. Molly's face was expressionless, similar to Snape's own when teaching. "It has dawned on me that I never apologized for hexing you that day in front of one of your classes. I do apologize."

"That is not all you wanted to say," Snape said firmly.

Molly sighed. "No it's not. You're my father," Snape looked down at his hands on the desk and then back up at Molly, who was now looking directly at him rather than at her hands in her lap. "It has just occurred to me that I know nothing about my own father. Things a daughter should know. And there are things about me you don't know, that a father should know. It bothers me that we are related and know so little about each other, and that Mom never took the time to tell me about you."

Snape smiled a genuine smile. "She never told me about you either, remember?" Molly laughed.

"I suppose you're right. Let's get to know each other. It would mean a lot to me."

Snape looked at the young girl who was the perfect combination of him and Serina. Every physical flaw he thought he had didn't show on Molly. Her nose was perfect, her hair was always shiny and beautiful, and her eyes weren't nearly as dark and intimidating as his.

"I would like that, Molly," he said finally. Molly smiled and stood.

She walked over and kissed Snape on the cheek. "I must take my leave seeing as you have so many papers to grade. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night…Dad."

Snape's heart filled with pride when Molly called him "Dad." It was the first time anyone had done that.

"Good night Molly," he said as she crossed the room and walked out of the office.

Serina was sitting in her room, looking through some boxes, when Molly walked in.

"Mom, we need to talk," she said in a forceful tone. Serina turned to her young daughter with a raised eyebrow. Molly sounded serious.

"Okay," Serina said dusting off her hands and walking into the sitting room. They sat on the blue sofa in front of the fire.

"What do you want to talk about?" Serina asked, praying it wasn't Molly's father.

Sometimes you get unanswered prayers.

"My father," Molly said. "Why didn't you ever tell me about him, even after you discovered my powers?"

Serina looked down at her hands in shame. "I hoped that you wouldn't have powers, but after I noticed that you did, I hoped that your father would never be an issue."

Molly jumped up and stared incredulously at her mother. "'Would never be an issue?' Mother, have you completely lost your mind? Every girl imagines their father giving them away at the alter. I lived my life believing that perhaps my father was going to come and we would be a family. I wanted to know him, not find out that he is now my co-worker. Why didn't you say anything?"

Serina suddenly burst into tears. "I was afraid alright?" she yelled. "I didn't want to tell you because I thought you would leave me. I love you. I was afraid that your father would shun us because of what I am. I can't help that I have no magical qualities, that I'm a muggle. I hoped that you wouldn't meet him and that he would treat you the same way he treated me, without respect. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I was afraid and I was hurt."

Molly sat next to her mother on the couch and pulled her into a hug. Both women sat there for a long time, just holding each other. Both oblivious to the dark shadow watching everything from the doorway, wishing he was a part of it.

Molly looked at her mother again after several minutes had passed.

"I know that you were afraid to tell me about my father. I understand. But hiding it from him wasn't right. You need to talk to him, get him to understand your position and your feelings. You may be a muggle and he may be a wizard, but underneath it all you are both still human."

Serina smiled at her daughter's intellect. "She truly does take after her father in the brains department," she thought.

Molly stood and left the room, passing the shadow and still not acknowledging it. Serina waited until the she heard the door shut before speaking.

"I know that you're there," she said. "You don't have to be magical to figure you out Severus."

Snape walked into the light of the sitting room and stared down at the mother of his only child. She was still beautiful, just as she was when he first met her twenty years ago. She had aged slightly, but not enough to really take a toll on her looks. If anything, it added to her beauty.

The fire dancing in the fireplace reflected in her eyes as she avoided looking at him.

"How long were you standing there?" she asked in a neutral tone. Snape sat next to her and looked at the same fire.

"Not long," he replied. "I arrived a few minutes before Molly left. She is truly an amazing woman. She must have been a hard child to raise."

Serina smiled for the first time in his presence due to something he had said in over twenty years. It was a nice feeling.

"Raising any child is difficult," she said her smile fading, "especially when you are alone."

Snape turned to Serina with his dark eyes. "You wouldn't have been alone if you had just told me."

Serina's anger rose quickly. She turned to Snape with fire and anger in her eyes.

"Bullshit," she said rising to her feet. She stared down at him. "I wanted to tell you, but you never even showed up."

Snape's patience ran out and he stood and glared down at her. "I didn't show up because of a horrible mistake on my part. But even so, you should have told me about Molly. A letter would have worked after all these years. I could have been there for her as a father."

"You are a father, what she needed was a dad," Serina said with defiance. This confused Snape to no end.

"Wha…"

"The difference between a father and a dad is that a dad will be there for his child every second of every day. A father is just the man who provides the sperm to create the child. It is very easy to be a father, it is being a dad that is difficult," she said.

She started to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her gently back in front of him, his eyes glaring.

"I would have been a great dad, instead of a father if a certain mother had informed me of the child's existence."

"Is it my fault that you didn't love me?" she asked. Snape's eyes lost their coldness, but continued to bore down at her.

"Is it my fault that you lied to me? Is it my fault that a certain letter was placed in my hands the very night I was going to tell you about your fatherhood? No, Severus, it was yours."

With those words, Serina pushed past Snape was walked out of the sitting room. He followed slowly, pondering her words.

Serina was mad, but what he said next stopped her anger and brought up a feeling of guilt.

"It was my fault, and I take responsibility for it, but you have no idea how hard it was for me to write that letter and then stand on the building across the way looking down into your beautiful apartment, seeing you dressed in that black dress I bought you, knowing that someday someone else would see you in it. When you read my letter, I realized how much I loved you, but my foolish pride and idiotic notions forced me to try and destroy it. But you can't destroy love, Serina. I still love you."

Serina didn't move, even when she heard her door shut behind him as he left. His words weighted heavy on her heart and the thoughts that it evoked.

"I love you too, Severus," she said before walking into her bedroom and lying down on the four poster bed, with her final decision in mind.

Okay, I am getting close to finishing this fanfic. I hope you are all enjoying it and that I get a lot of reviews about this story either now or when it is completed, whichever you decide. Just review, please. I would threaten you with saying I won't finish the story until you do, but I can't do that. I will still keep writing.