Paradise Found

Soul Dust

Disclaimer: snarls not as if I'm gonna take ownership of any know characters am I!?(apart from Haven obviously) see before!

Summary: see before!

Chapter 7: A new Identity

The two other men stared at that piece of wall, momentarily speechless. Their silence however was quickly interrupted by a small voice from the other side of the room.

"Please...who's Harry Po-I mean Snape?" Haven clutched at her blankets fearfully as all three men turned their gazes onto her. "You've been arguing about him for an awfully long time" She looked at each of them in turn, and rested a questioning gaze on her father.

"F...Father?" she said tentatively, holding out a delicate hand. Snape felt this little alien flutter deep within him as the walls around him snapped...my child! My daughter! Mine! Without hesitation, he took her hand, and gathered her into his arms. Haven clutched blindly at a handful of robes, and sobbed out all her confusion and fears into the shoulder of her father.

"Sshh, child, hush. It's ok. You are safe with us. No one is going to hurt you." He stroked her fine silky hair and rubbed her back in soothing circular patterns. Gradually her sobs ceased and her breath came out in shaky unhappy gasps.

"I'm sorry. I'm such a baby." she wiped her eyes and buried her face further into her father's robes.

"It's ok fledgling. You have every right to be upset and confused. You've been very brave." Severus Snape sent cold glares at the Headmaster, who is suppressing amused smirks, and Remus, who openly gaped at this show of emotions.

"Tonight child, tonight I will tell you. But first, we have to find him, he is your half brother." Setting Haven down into her bed, he strode to rejoin the two other men. Dumbledore started: "Severus, I know you want to go find Harry now, and I know you are worried. But it would not be advisable for you to go at all. The map revealed that Harry is indeed in Knockturn Alley, whether by his own choice or not, I don't know. But whatever the situation, there will be Death Eaters there, who would not pause to report to Voldemort if you were seen trying to find Harry for me. Your cover would be blown in an instant. That is why I'm sending Remus, and Remus only to look for Harry. He will hold no suspect at all."

Snape tensed and opened his mouth to argue. How dare he? Harry's my son; I have every right to go find him myself! But a part of him silently acknowledged that perhaps the Headmaster's words are true after all. But before he said anything, Dumbledore cut in with a few vital words:

"Severus, all we want is for you to be alive to love you daughter, and, when we find him, your son."

Haven was scared. Is this man, he father, going to die? Is he in some grave danger? Is his brother ok? Lines of worry formed on her forehead, and it was partly because of these lines, Severus decided to do what he decided to do.

"I will stay Albus." He said with a defeated tone.

"Good man!" the Headmaster clapped him warmly on the back, and immediately instructed Remus on how to get there, how to look for him, how to bring him back etc. Within minutes, the man was gone again.

Turning to Haven and Severus, the man said: "I daresay you two will need to get to know each other. Miss Charis, we need to sort out quite a few issues. First of all, where we should place you. You have not been sorted into the school, so I cannot place you any of the dormitories. However..."

"I want to live with...with my father." She quickly said, then blushed at he rudeness. Glancing at her father, whose face remained frighteningly blank. "If...if that's ok with you, father? I mean if you don't want to..."

Her father enveloped her into a surprisingly tight hug. She even thought she felt something that was wet and cold slid down her forehead, but she wasn't sure, and didn't dare ask her father. She was content, with herself, with her situation, with having a father. A warm dizziness rose within her body as she snuggled deep into her father's robes. She was shocked as she realised that it is the feeling of being protected, a masculine protection, a fatherly protection, a feeling that she never felt before.

"Haven?" She was startled out of her reverie by her father's soft baritone voice. He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her tearstained face up to look into her eyes. His ebony eyes shone with sadness, happiness, and...love? She gazed at him unsurely.

"My dear girl. Of course I want you! You're my daughter, my flesh and blood, the last thing your mother left for me to remind me of her. I will never let you go! You're my heart."

"Oh father!" she buried herself once more into his robes, and murmured in a relieved voice: "Your face was so blank, I was so scared, I...I thought you didn't want me. I thought you were going to take me to that...monster!" Haven let out a soft sigh and clutched tighter at the folds of black robes smelling of curious herbs.

"My dear dear child." He cried with feeling. "Nothing, no one will give you to that monster to be his daughter. Last of them will be me. My face was blank because I daren't keep my hopes up. I was afraid; I thought you will be ashamed to be my daughter."

After allowing them as much time to sustain this wonderful moment as an old man's patience can provide-which, believe me, is really quite long-Albus Dumbledore, smirking widely, cleared his throat. As a return for that lovely noise, he received identical glares, almost to the last lash. Being the kind-hearted man he is, Albus merely cocked one brow, and said: "I almost wish that young Mr Creevey is here with his camera, to capture this priceless moment." And winked innocently at the two Snapes glaring daggers at him. If looks could kill, he would have keeled over a long time ago, withering into ashes as well, probably...In a stroke of humour, the old man laid a bony hand over his heart and faked a gasp: "Oh Merlin! The wonders of genetics! Why Severus," he winked at the very much annoyed Potions Master discreetly, earning more death glares in return, chuckling to himself, he continued in a mockingly shocked voice: "Why, your daughter and you share the exact same glare! I wouldn't put it past dear young Harry himself to be so stubborn as to inherit that particular trademark either!" spluttering uncontrollably, the old man finally gave into his mirth and clutched his midsection in laughter at the identical faces glaring and scowling at him with all their might.

"Albus, if you have had enough laughter at our expense, can we please get to the business?" a sharp remark from the sour looking Potions Master was all that the old man got.

"Dad!" Haven looked somehow torn from annoyance at the ridiculousness of the old man in front of her, and amusement at his antics. Obviously, the latter won. Lips curled in a bemused smile, she chastised her father teasingly: "Dad! You were supposed to laugh, like any good natured gentleman should!"

Thin lips pressed firmly together, the Potions Master turned to his daughter with his best "evil Potions Master" glare, who shrank back a little, missing the mischievous gleam to his eyes.

"Oh and I suppose you qualify to judge Miss...Snape?" his heart nearly missed a beat as he saw something akin to joy in his daughter's eyes as he addressed her by her real name, and ploughed on. "May I remind you that you, are a child, and I could easily pick you up and retaliate by doing this." In a swift movement, he picked up his child and held her firmly in his arms, whilst performing a tickling charm on her, holding her arms and legs mercilessly in place. The Headmaster almost doubled up in laughter as he saw the younger man's unpredicted action. He smiled inwardly and happily as a younger version of Severus came back, breaking through the cold mask he normally placed on his face, breaking through the malicious and frigid man he had become.

So it is not surprising that when Madam Pomfrey returned to the Hospital Wing, she nearly fainted as she stepped into the spectacle that has risen in her Wing. The occupants of the room is all but howling with laughter, including the usual sneering and insulting Potions Master for Merlin's sake! That has to be a shocking sight. She, however, quickly gathered her wits about her and returned to her full Matron mode and started to order the offending people out of her Wing, treating them like insolent first years.

"Now gentlemen, and lady, as you are all sound and kicking, literally, and obviously can't behave in a rational and sensible way, you will all have to get out of here! Shoo! Now! Continue this childish behaviour elsewhere! Out!"

Chuckling madly to themselves, Albus and Severus stalked briskly out of the white room, the latter carrying a still squirming girl in his arms, as he so conveniently "forgot" to lift the curse. The girl gasped and wheezed in between violent giggles. And soon she protested, thought with difficulty: "Um...d...dad? sounds of wheezes and giggles D...DAD! more sounds of violent laughter and giggles, gasps and choking wheezes L...lift...th...the...gasps...bloody....Curse!"

Breaking into waves of new mirthful laughter, the older man grudgingly relented and lifted the tickling curse, much to the gratitude of the gasping girl. Haven turned a glaring eye to her father, who good-humouredly said: "Now if you carry on doing that Miss Snape, I shall not give you a nice name and call you something ridiculous like...Hogarth for instance."

"You won't!" Haven gaped at his in horror. "That's a boy's name dad!"

"We'll see." Muttering the password ("Ferox") to a portrait of a magnificent Darcorn, Severus walked briskly into his own quarters. Opposite to what many students would expect of his personal quarters, the room is not all the blackness and coldness of the slimy dungeons. A large lustrous marble fireplace sat stately in the middle of the blue and green oriented living room. Handsome furniture lined the room, the settee and armchairs look plush and comfortable, silver balls of light erupted from the torches along the wall at the words of "lumos amplus" uttered by the dark man.

Albus Dumbledore sat down in one of those plush armchairs and sighed. "Severus, have you thought of a name for our young lady yet? We'd better get on with this; I want to send off the legal papers as soon as possible, I don't want to keep my great grandson in his office so late into the night after all."

"Well..." Severus fidgeted nervously beside his daughter in the dark green settee. "I have a few ideas..."

"Well my boy, they'll be of no use to us inside that brain of yours! Carpe diem Severus, seize the day! Out with it!" the older man chuckled excitedly, eyes twinkling madly in the firelight.

"What about...Aeolia Serena Snape? Serena for my mother, she is dead now."

Almost instantly, Haven pronounced: "No way in all nine hells."

Severus was taken back by the point blank refusal; wandering thoughts entered his brain at this critical time though:

Are there really nine Hells?

Well, that depends on the point of View really doesn't it? Some people don't even believe that there is one hell. A snide voice popped up rather unexpectedly in his head.

Great, I'm talking to myself...SNAP OUT OF IT YOU IDIOT OF A SNAPE! Gee am I really that stupid?!

Couldn't have put it better myself! And yes, you are indeed rather stupid. The voice chuckled to itself.

When did I ask you?

When you asked that question in your head, my dear self. More chuckles.

Can we please get back to the situation at hand? I really didn't think there was anything wrong with that name.

Shrugs I believe your daughter has written something down, and is looking at you rather oddly.

Oh thank you so much, by the way she's your daughter as well, since you are me and I am you.

That is rather a good point.

Of course, all my points are good.

Now now, don't get too full of yourself.

Anyway...

Shaking himself out of that rather...disturbing conversation with...himself, Severus saw that Haven has indeed written something down, and is looking at him expectantly whilst the headmaster is chortling merrily on the sofa, a hand clutching his midsection. For scribbled onto a piece of parchment, was his daughter's new initials. The man looked at the offending parchment for one second and burst out laughing, for written clearly on the parchment, was the word "ASS" in capital letters. Still chuckling, Dumbledore patted the younger man on the head, rather like an indulgent grandfather.

"My my Severus, you have to be more careful than that!"

Still spluttering, Severus scratched his chin thoughtfully, and finally said: "Aeolia Iris Serena Pallastro Snape."

Silence. Complete silence in the rooms, save for the merry crackling of the roaring fire, dancing in the marble fireplace on the wall. At length Haven enveloped Severus in a tight hug, and said as-a-matter-of-factly: "That, dear father, is the most heavenly name I have ever heard. But...are you sure I need three middle names!?"

Both men chuckled. "Child, you are still new to this world I daresay, long names such as this is not uncommon." The old wizard stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. "After all, I have three of them, same as you here, and your father, has two, am I correct Severus?"

"Yes Albus. Severus Ferox (after my father) Sadiron (after my grandfather) Snape, quite a mouthful I must say. Apparently they nearly replaced my father's with my great-grandfather's name, Salazar he was called. That'll sound just lovely wont it? S.S.S.S!" Severus proceeded to make snake faces and hissing loudly.

"Children, children, lets get down to the business at hand."

"Heeh, yes Albus."

"Yes Headmaster."

Settling into a mountain of parchments, the trio worked deep into the night. Glancing at his daughter, Severus realised that having done her part, Aeolia has already fallen into a deep peaceful slumber, a slight smile tugging at her lips. Smiling inwardly to himself, he breathed a little sigh, and carried his daughter carefully into her room, and brushed her forehead in a feather-light kiss.

"Goodnight, dear heart."

The smile widened as he left the room and blew out the candles.

Asha Ice: heehee yeah totally, I love clulesssarky Snape! Anyway Haven's already been here for at least 2 chapters!! Dear me! ;-)

Jewelclaw Lady of Wind: thanks!

tbc

Soul-Dust

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