Chapter 2- My niece! My Uncle!

The chapters will get longer; I know the first was short. This is my first Fic so bear with me please; I'm just getting it started. It will get more interesting but I have to set the scene (so to speak). R & R please- If you have any suggestions to improve the story I'm all ears!

" " means speech

' ' means thinking

Later that day Autumn was picked up by a smiling Maggie Hawkins. The older witch helped the teen shrink her luggage, talking happily all the while.

"Oh dearie, how are you feeling? My deepest sympathy... I'm glad you found a relative to live with...Hogwarts should be a great place for you...Wish I went there myself."

Autumn tuned her out then, now feeling many butterflies in her stomach. A million thoughts were spinning through her head. 'I really don't know anything about this man, what am I doing? Wonder what he's like. What if he hates me? Should I really care?'

"Dear?" the teen snapped back to reality at Ms. Hawkins distant voice. "Yes? Sorry Ms. Hawkins I just spaced out."

"Of course dear, and by the way, call me Maggie. We are ready now and the portkey for Hogwarts is set to be activated in about a minute. Here take this." Said Maggie as she handed Autumn a purple umbrella. Both witches grabbed an end and Maggie activated the portkey ("Quidditch"). With a swirl Autumn disappeared from the only home she ever knew.

Spinning, spinning, THUNK! Autumn landed hard on a stone floor in a large entryway. Looking past Maggie she saw a tall silver haired man come through the doors.

"Hello Miss Snape, welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster." She shook hands with the man saying "Thank you Sir." It had been a bit startling hearing herself called Miss Snape but she tried not to show it.

"Ahh, Severus, I see you have finally come." Autumn turned back to the door and stared at the man that had just entered. Severus was wearing his usual black robes, greasy hair, and scowl. The teen openly gaped at him. 'This is my Uncle and guardian? My mother's brother?, but he's so cold and creepy.' Snape came up to Autumn who determinedly met his gaze trying not to show her uneasiness. Noticing this, he gave a slight sneer and she grew a little more worried.

"Miss Reiner, pleased to meet you." Came the silky, somewhat mocking voice. The witch swallowed hard before replying "Nice to meet you Sir."

Silence followed this and Maggie looked uncertainly at the pair, while Dumbledore eyes twinkled merrily. "Well" said the headmaster finally "I suggest you go get settled Miss Snape." At this way of address Snape turned his gaze from Autumn to Dumbledore. "Snape is it now?" her guardian sneered. Autumn, who decided not to be bullied by this imposing man answered, "Yes, Snape, you know, my last name?" At her reply Snape glared at her and Dumbledore tried not to laugh. "Come on then Miss SNAPE" growled her Uncle and he quickly turned and glided out of the room. She gave one look back at Maggie "Thank you."

"It was nothing dear." Maggie replied. With that, Autumn speedily turned to catch up with her guardian. 'What have I gotten myself into?'

Snape's POV

Stealing a glance back at the teen Snape saw she was managing to keep up with him. Their footsteps echoed in the hall as he lead them to the dungeons. Severus strode up to a portrait, muttered a password "Gillyweed." With that the door opened and his niece followed him in.

"sitting room, my office, dining room, master bedroom" he said pointing to each as they moved through the rooms and past doors. Snape stopped before a door, opened it, and stated unceremoniously "your room, you can unpack now." He walked off into the sitting room leaving his niece and sat down on the couch, talking to himself. 'Yes, after she unpacks I'll explain how everything will run and go back to grading those finals. Hope she doesn't think I'm going to be social.' he thought darkly. 'What have I gotten myself into?'

Back to Autumn...

Autumn stood stunned for a moment as she watched her Uncle's robes disappear out the doorway. 'Well that was cold.' 'What did you expect, a warm welcome?' a voice in her head mocked her. 'Well, yea, I guess.' She admitted guilty to herself.

Unshrinking her trunks she entered her room and looked around. It was cold and uninviting ('Kind of like my guardian'). 'Well if my Uncle thinks he's going to get the better of me he is mistaken.' Rolling up her sleeves the young witch set to work. Starting with her clothes, she hind them up and rearranged her pictures and other trinkets on the dresser. Spying a bookshelf she dusted it off and filled it with school and other various titled books. Her walls, which had been extremely bare, now had multiple posters of singers, muggle actors, and even animals. 'Something is still not right though' the teen thought. 'Yes, That's it! The dull gray color of the walls, how depressing.' Pulling out her wand she re-did the whole wall in pale blue. "Much better" It looked more like a room she was used to occupying. Autumn looked around at a hard, loud, knock on her door.

Severus, who was tired of waiting, had come to see what was taking so long. He opened the door and froze. "What in Merlin's name did you do?" he snapped, taking in the colors and posters in disgust. "Well, if I'm going to live here I need something livable in!" she retorted quickly. Her guardian scowled but she realized he was going to let it go. The teen smiled inwardly; 'Autumn- 1, her Uncle- zip.'

"Come into the living room, we need go over some things, and hurry up, I don't have all day." Sighing at his cold impatience but choosing not to respond Autumn got off her bed and followed the man into the sitting room. As she sat in a grebe chair Snape turned on her and stated "There are two rooms off limits, my bedroom and my office. Also stay out of the forbidden forest."

"Yea, because I would really be stupid enough to go into a place called the forbidden forest." She replied. Anger raised Snape continued, "Breakfast is at 8:30 which means you will not be getting up at 10 in the morning." Autumn grimaced at this; she was not a morning person. "Since you are older I expect you to get your own lunch because I will not be responsible for it, and dinner is at 6:00. All are in the Great Hall. You are free to amuse yourself during the day but I want you back here by 9:00 pm understand?" at her nod Snape stood up "It's almost dinner time so follow me and remember where the Great hall is I don't have to find you if you get lost."

"Whatever." "Excuse me?" said Snape with a raised eyebrow. "I, umm, yes sir." Replied Autumn absentmindedly and saw a smirk on Snape's face. 'Damn, Autumn- 1, My Uncle- 1. They were neck in neck now.'

Snape's POV

Severus Snape led his charge into the Great Hall thinking 'she sure is confident for such a petite, young girl.' Approaching the head table he took his seat by Dumbledore and McGonagal who were the only teachers that stayed for the summer. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Autumn sit and glance nervously at the empty plate in front of her. Deciding to save her a little embarrassment ('he sure knew what it felt like') he looked at his plate and spook clearly "Turkey, gravy, and potatoes." Following his lead his niece said "Spaghetti and meatballs" and was rewarded with the exact meal. The potions master saw her shoot him a look between gratefulness and embarrassment and he inwardly smirked although felt no malice in it this time.

The four ate in silence for a while until the headmaster turned to Autumn, asking her what she planned to do in her spare time. Severus raised his head; his curiosity of his nice peaked for the first time. "Well Sir, I always have school work to do but I love flying." She continued softer this time "My dad was from a muggle family so I took on dance class and I was hoping to continue them, if that's Ok."

"Of course." Exclaimed Dumbledore as Snape sent him a look. 'Of all the bloody muggle activities there are my nice had to pick dancing!' the man groaned but at seeing the relief on Autumn's face he couldn't bear to take away one of the few connections she had of her former life.

After finishing their meal McGonagal took Autumn on a tour of the school, leaving Snape alone with the headmaster. "Severus, my boy, I know this is hard for you but you have to realize what Autumn has been through. You have got to put aside what happened with your sister, you can't hold what she did against your niece."

Snape, for the first time in many years, dropped his scowl momentarily replying, "I suppose Albus, I suppose."

These next weeks would be hard on both uncle and niece Snape knew and he would have to find a way to get through to Autumn.