Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, and things, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J. K. Rowlings. Desiree Snape and Eleanora Snape are mine.

Chapter 2: Unpacking sweaters and secrets.

Severus watched from his chair at the head table as Minerva called the first-years to be sorted. They will never appreciate how much thought and worry she puts into this, he thought. Minerva suddenly hesitated on one of the names and glanced over her shoulder at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Eleanora Snape," she called.

A slender girl in her third year stood, her meter-length raven-black hair behind her in a ponytail, and walked over to the stool. Her crystal-blue eyes stared curiously at the strange raggedy hat as it was placed on her head. Severus strained himself to hear what that hat said, but finally decided that he would ask Minerva about it later.

"My, this is interesting. Your mother was here for a brief time, in Ravenclaw. You've got many Slytherin relatives; that house would almost be expected of you. However, you are very different from your predecessors. You have a task that will take courage and integrity. I think you would do well in… Gryffindor!" the hat proclaimed.

Severus spat out the water he had just sipped. Gryffindor? How on earth did that girl end up in Gryffindor? I had better speak with Minerva about her, he decided. Minerva had noticed his peculiar reaction to where the girl had been placed and cleared her throat to hide her amusement.

Minerva, being Deputy Headmistress, took her usual seat next to Albus, Headmaster, for the Welcoming Feast. Before the children began to eat, she looked toward the side door and noticed as a woman with the same raven-black hair as the third-year girl entered the room. The woman looked slightly worn, but took a seat in the empty chair by Severus. Minerva also noticed a face she had not seen in many years, seated on the other side of Severus: Remus Lupin. Albus stood and began the announcements.

"Before we begin the feast, I have two new people to introduce you to. This year Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taught by Professor R. J. Lupin," he paused for the applause as Remus gave a short bow and resumed his seat. "I would also like to introduce Ms. D. C. Snape. She is training to be a professor and will be working with certain classes," Albus let her curtsy before addressing the third matter of importance. "Also, this year Care of Magical Creatures will be taught by our own Rubeus Hagrid. There is one more thing; because Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, Hogwarts will play host to the dementors until he is found. Please try to stay out of their way. Now let the Feast begin."

After the meal, Severus grabbed Minerva's sleeve as she was walking through the door. "Do you need something, Severus?" she inquired in her usual professor's tone.

He paused and looked at the students passing by before answering. "I need to speak with you in your office later tonight."

"Severus, I really have a great deal of paperwork to finish before class begins and certain people I need to speak with tonight. Are you certain this cannot wait until tomorrow?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"Minerva, I wouldn't trouble you if it was not important," he replied curtly.

She gave a sharp nod. "Very well, meet me in two hours."

Not a moment after Minerva had walked away, Severus felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned to see Desire. "So? What house did she end up in?"

He noticed that her bruises were almost completely healed. Offering her his arm, he pointed toward a group just leaving the Great Hall. "She's in Gryffindor."

"Gryffindor? I'm shocked to say the least. Will she be alright?" Desiree questioned.

He nodded. "I plan to speak with the head of the house about her tonight."

She smiled kindly. "Thank you. I know our dropping in like wasn't what you had in mind."

He patted her hand. "I'm only doing what needs to be done. I will walk you to your rooms if you could show me where they are."

When they eventually arrived at her rooms, he realized with disgust what they were next to. She opened the door to find her luggage in her room and offered him a seat in one of the two chairs. He looked at the wall to his left and scowled. "Do you know that you are right next to Lupin's office?"

She sat on her couch and kicked her shoes off. Then she pulled her feet onto the couch and curled up at the end closest to him. "I wasn't aware of that, but now that you've pointed that out so bluntly, I don't see the problem."

He sighed heavily and shook his head. "The problem is that I do not trust him and I think he is too dangerous for you to be around."

She slid off the couch and stood, drawing herself to full height. "Just because my parents willed that you should be legal guardian of my daughter doesn't mean that you are my legal guardian!"

When she saw the deep confusion in his eyes, she slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing that he had never received her second letter. "Severus," she began in a quieter tone, "I never told you what my parents did, and for that I'm sorry. They took her away from me, as you know, but they never returned custody to me. In their will they insisted that she come to Hogwarts."

"What they failed to realize is that I haven't the time to play nanny to a teenager among dozens of other teenagers that I have to keep an eye on. How do I give you custody of your daughter then?" he inquired after a long, befuddled pause.

She sighed and looked away. "This is the really unbelievable part: the will states that I can only have her back if I'm married."

"That's preposterous! I never realized that Roger and Karen could be so harsh," he responded.

She took a seat on the couch again. "There's a good deal you were never meant to know about them. They pretended to be perfect in order to get whatever they wanted. I messed up their illusion and they punished me for it by trying to keep me from my daughter and always sending me away."

"How did they die?" he asked gently. "You only said that they were dead and you were coming here."

"They died in a car accident, but it wasn't an accident. They were killed because someone thought that Nora was with them. We came here for protection because they were after Nora," Desiree admitted.

Severus sat back in his chair and sighed. "Who's after Nora and why?"

At that moment he heard a knock at the door. "I'll explain later," she stated as she stood to answer the door.

Minerva had not expected to find Severus there, but nodded politely before turning back to Desiree. "Hello, Ms. Snape. May I come in for a moment?"

"Of course, and it's Desiree. Why don't you have a seat?" Desiree offered.

The older woman took the other armchair as the younger returned to the couch. "I thought you would like to know whom you will be working with," Minerva began. Desiree nodded, wanting her to proceed. "I teach Transfiguration and you will spend Monday with me. Friday will be spent with Severus in his Potions class. Wednesday is your day for personal studies and grading or checking work from the students that we give you," she glanced at Severus and paused before continuing, as if trying to guess his reaction to her next comments. "Tuesdays and Thursdays you'll help our newest professor in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room."

She had expected protesting from Severus and was not disappointed. "Minerva, have you lost your senses? I don't want her working with Lupin! That man's a-"

"A perfect gentleman, that's what he is. And I am twenty-eight years old, old enough to make a few decisions for myself, cousin," Desiree reminded him. "Deputy Headmistress McGonagall, I accept."

He tried to argue again. "Minerva, you cannot be serious! She-"

"Severus, she has spoken for herself and agreed, therefore you do not have a say in whom she helps with," Minerva coolly interjected. Then she turned back to Desiree. "I must be going."

Desiree stood and walked Minerva to the door. "Thank you for stopping by, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall. I look forward to working with you and your class."

"Call me Minerva. I think you will be a very positive influence here," she remarked. Severus stood and neared her, clearing his throat. She met his gaze and nodded her head. "We will speak in an hour or so. Good evening."

He watched her saunter down the corridor and sighed. Well, you've done it again, Severus. She probably ranks you with a garden slug again, he thought to himself. He did not notice that Desiree had observed him. "Why do you argue with her if you don't want to?" she asked.

Startled that she had paid close attention to him, he turned and sat in the other armchair again. He spoke when she sat on the couch. "She and I derive our entertainment from taunting and irritating each other. There has always been a bit of ice between us and I don't know how to melt it, therefore I don't try," he answered plainly.

She put her hands on her hips. "I'll bet that if you actually found points to agree with her on, you might actually find that she's not as frozen as you think."

He dealt her a half-smile. "I'd say you just made me a challenge. Of course, any attempt will probably fail."

Countering his expression with a wry smile of her own, she walked over to him. "I guess you'll find out in an hour, won't you?"

Minerva dropped her quill for the third time since she had taken her seat at her office desk and begun to outline topics for the next staff meeting. Why on earth does he always make me nervous? He isn't even here yet and I continue to drop things. Why do I give myself so much anxiety over these matters? I know it won't be like that other meeting. I cannot believe this; it happened twenty years ago and I am still bothered by it, she realized.

A sturdy knock at her door jarred her from the reverie. "Please come in," she invited.

Severus entered and paused. "Good evening."

She glanced up at him. "Hello again, Severus. Please have a seat. Would you like a cup of tea or something else to drink?"

It annoyed him, the way she offered him something to drink as if he were still a student. Yet he restrained himself. "I would like some tea if it's not too much trouble."

After pouring a cup of tea and handing it to him, she poured herself a cup and resumed her seat at the desk. "Now, care to tell me what all the fuss is about?"

"The third-year that joined you, Eleanora Snape, is the daughter of the teaching assistant you spoke with earlier. The girl tends to get into trouble, but it's not her fault. She just has the unfortunate luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She's very bright and all I am asking is that you have an open mind in dealing with her," he politely requested, taking a sip of his tea.

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "Why is she such a large concern to you? Actually, why are they both a concern to you?"

He fiddled with a pen on her desk before answering. "Desiree and Nora are my only living relatives. Desiree's parents were killed recently and the situation is rather complicated regarding the legal guardian of her daughter. I just wanted you to be mindful of the fact that she sometimes finds herself in these insurmountable messes and requires help getting out of them."

His compassion had been unexpected. Perhaps he's not as cold as I figured him to be. Perhaps neither of us are, she pondered. "I'll do what I can, but she is a student who needs to follow the rules like anyone else. Thank you for telling me that she may need a little extra support," she commented, drinking some of her tea.

She noticed that his gaze had drifted away from her to the set of her favourite books that she kept on her desk: The Art of Transfiguration, Scotland: A History of the Castles, Sense and Sensibility, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, and William Shakespeare's Macbeth. "Looking to borrow a book?" she asked him wryly.

He shook his head. "No, I was just wondering what you thought of Macbeth."

She set her empty cup down and rearranged her pens before replying. "I thought the play was fascinating, especially how Macbeth questions the morality of his actions in some of the earlier scenes. I also found the part when Macbeth thinks he is invincible and Macduff kills him terribly ironic."

He dealt her a half-smile. "I thought it was interesting how Macduff and Malcolm discussed matters. It appeared to me that Malcolm wanted to be certain that Macduff was sincere in his hatred of Macbeth."

"And Macduff did succeed in avenging himself. And that is fine for the theater, but how far does one really want to take revenge in day to day life," she paused and touched his hand. "Don't let revenge consume you," she whispered.

In that moment he knew that she could see that he despised Remus, and that she remembered why. He quickly stood and headed toward the door. "Thank you for your time, Minerva, I really must be going," he stated as he dashed out of the door.

"Goodnight, Severus," she called after him.

When he reached his rooms, he poured himself a glass of brandy and sat in front of the fireplace, letting his mind drift back to the beginning of his troubles with her.

(my thanks to Leta McGotor for reviewing :D)