Author's note: I do not own anything remotely related to Harry Potter including the characters. I merely intend for this story to be a what if situation. I do not intend for any of the characters to be out of their character. If I seem to have made any large character or plot errors, please let me know and I will fix it to the best of my ability. There will be no romance in this story, if you were wondering.
Professor Severus Snape lay awake in his room. He could not understand why he had responded to the child like he did. He decided that he pitied the child and that was all. He merely wanted to insure that the child would get some sleep. He turned over and tried to fall asleep. He sincerely hoped he was not forming a soft spot. That would put such a dent in his reputation as a greasy git at school.
The child in question was having a difficult time staying asleep. She was having a nightmare of the previous night when her life was destroyed. She kept seeing dark figures killing her parents. Her parents never showed her much love, but they still talked with her. They used to be quite loving, until they found out that she would not speak, even with spells and potions.
She sat up quickly and looked around. No, she was not in her room. She remembered a man reading her a bedtime story. She had fallen asleep. She did not know where she was.
She pushed her covers off and crawled out of her bed. She held on to her teddy bear and looked around. She noticed the door and walked to it. She stuck her head out of the doorframe and peered out. There was no one around. There was a stairwell. She crept down the hall and then down the stairs. There was a light coming from one of the rooms. She walked to in and cracked open the door.
Inside the room were four people talking. Two of them had red hair. One had graying brown hair. And the other one had long hair the color of snow. She fidgeted. She did not know how they would react to her being out of bed. Her parents had never acted well to her being out of bed.
As luck would have it, one of the two with red hair, the woman, noticed her.
"Hello there, Little One," She said kindly. She walked to the door and opened it.
Everyone turned to the door and looked at the child. The child looked up at the woman and began to cry. There were too many people looking at her. She did not know how to react.
The woman, Mrs. Weasley, noticed this and immediately scooped the child into her arms. "Hush, there there. It's alright," She whispered and patted the child's back.
This only caused the child's tears to flow even more.
Mrs. Weasley was at a loss. Most children stopped crying when they were held. This one was only crying more. She gave a confused look to the three men in the room. Remus Lupin held out his arms. He could sometimes do well with children.
The child's tears, if possible, flowed even more. Remus looked to Mr. Weasley with a lost expression. Mr. Weasley shrugged his shoulders. He may have had a lot of children, but that didn't mean he understood them. Remus looked over to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore held out his arms. Children always liked Dumbledore.
The child calmed down a little. This man smelled like candy. She had always liked candy. Her parents would give her some when she would try to talk to encourage her to speak.
Dumbledore sensed the child calming and reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out a lemon drop. He held it out to the child. A small hand reached out to grasp the piece of candy. She sniffled and looked at the candy strangely. She put it into her mouth.
She tasted salt from her tears and something else. Something sour. With a face she pulled it out and looked at it hatefully. She threw it to the floor and cried again.
Something was being held in front of her. She couldn't see it well from her blurred vision. It was chocolate. She calmed a little and took a bite. She calmed even more.
Snape turned over in frustration. He was not getting any sleep. He doubted he would sleep at all. He gave up and got dressed. He held his wand and apparated. He appeared in a kitchen to see an amusing site. The child was being held by Dumbledore. She was crying while Lupin and the Weasley's looked on helpless. When he appeared, they looked at him as if he had some magic with children. He was a teacher, after all. Surely he loved children?
He walked over to where the child was getting Dumbledore's robes very wet. He noticed with some amusement that there was a discarded lemon drop on the floor. He reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of chocolate and held it in front of the girl. She took it and visibly calmed.
"I thought you knew what to do with a crying child," he drawled while looking at the Weasley's.
Mrs. Weasley bristled, "My children would always stop crying when we held them. She just cried more.
"That would explain why your boys are such Momma's Boys," Snape replied.
Thank you, Severus," Albus Dumbledore broke in before a fight could break out.
Snape turned to Dumbledore. The child was looking at him. A small staring contest broke out. Cold, black eyes stared into innocent, hazel eyes. The child broke her gaze to stuff the rest of her chocolate into her mouth. She looked up and held out her arms.
Severus stared at her, dumbfounded.
Everyone in the room hid their grins again. Dumbledore spoke up, "Severus, I think she wants you to hold her.
"I am aware of that, Albus. She seems perfectly fine with you," Snape said and walked to the other side of the room, to put as much distance between himself and the child. "Are you not all supposed to be working right now?" He barked.
"Severus we were discussing what to do with the girl. Perhaps you could take her?" Lupin suggested with a smile, "She seems to like you.
"And perhaps Potter and I will have a bonding session as well," Snape retorted. He did not want to take care of a child. He was not parent material. "Does she not have a name? We all can not very well keep referring to her as, "The girl".
Everyone in the room exchanged glances. Dumbledore spoke up. "Her parents never gave her a name. They found out she was mute and decided she was not worthy of such an honor. But I do suppose a naming is in order. Any suggestions?
Lupin stifled a smile. "Harriet?
Snape frowned, "Absolutely not.
Many more suggestions for names were mentioned, but Snape disagreed with all. The Weasley's had long since left, deciding to sleep on it.
"Well, Severus, since you have found fault with all of Remus's suggestions, perhaps you can grace us with a suggestion of your own?" Albus asked.
Snape thought for a moment. "I cannot think of anything. Albus, have you any ideas?
Dumbledore looked at the child who had fallen asleep in his arms.
"What about October?" Dumbledore suggested.
Severus was about to object when Lupin beat him to it, "October? Is that not a month?
"You cannot name a child after a month," Snape added.
"Then what about Piper?" Dumbledore asked.
Neither wizard could find fault in the name.
"Piper October it is," Dumbledore declared.
Both wizards began objecting, but their attempts were futile. Dumbledore went to put the child back to bed.