Hola! Groar, I'm tired, it's late, and so that's my excuse for this chapter.

I'm starting a Mini-series in the A/N's because I'm strange like that. It's called 'Why it's a good idea that my parents don't let me get my own place'. I'm talking besides the obvious lack of job. I have very little common sense, so that's what this is centered around.

Why It's a Good Idea that My Parents Don't Let Me Get My Own Place-

Reason 1

The old cake soup.

Okay, for my mom's b-day, I was a little short on cash, so I made her a cake. Weirdest combination, Cinnamon Swirl cake with Chocolate and Strawberry icings, but hey, I was PMSing at the time, so forgive me for it.

Well, it was so pretty, but no one would eat it, due to the strange combination. So it sat in our fridge forever. And ever. And ever. Well, about a month ago, my mother finally told me to throw it away. I got all huffy about it, saying I had worked to hard for it to go to waste, so I left it in there, and went on my merry way.

So it continued to sit.

Well, last night, I got tired of it, so I decided to throw it away. But it wouldn't come out. It was so stale that I couldn't even get out of the pan, or even get a sharp knife into the damned thing.

Thus, I got a not-very-brilliant plan. I covered the entire thing with soap. It was the lemony kind and it smelt really pretty. Well, I then poured a whole bunch of water on top of it and poked it a whole bunch. Then, I let it sit for a night. When I came back to it, it was like sludge. It wouldn't move very well, so I added more water.

I came back the next day, and it was soupy. So I, being the creature of intelligence that I am, poured the entire mess into my toilet. The toilet gurgled at me. I gurgled back. (My midget walked in and promptly walked back out upon hearing me gurgle at the toilet.) It, thankfully, didn't get backed up, but I now use the upstairs bathroom in fear I will get old cake soup spit back at me.

See, I am so totally ready for a place of my own.

DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME! I AM A PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED IDIOT, AND THIS STUNT IS NOT TO BE REPEATED WITHOUT A TRAINED IDIOT ON THE SCENE!

Heh heh.

Oh, fine. Here's the chapter.

Disclaimer: Hold up, lemme check under the Kissymess tree. Nope, still not mine. But I'll keep waiting.

Oh, just one more thing. I'm not sure if I made this clear, but there is two kids in this story right now. Victoria Epanss and Hermione Lupin. Victoria is Mya's daughter, and her nickname is Ria. Hermione is Remus and Ginny's daughter. If you're disturbed by this pairing, well, I guess you're just screwed, since you're in a Hermione/Snape story, which is just as bad.

So, well, here it is!


Harry looked to Albus.

"Professor… what just happened?"

"I believe we just got a taste of what Ria is capable of." Albus answered, looking toward the five-year-olds breakaway path.

After a moment's hesitation, Mya followed her daughter up the steps, a look of worry evident on her face.

"Prafesser, isn't she too young ta be doin magic?" Hagrid asked him.

"Just a bit, yes. Tapping into the mind is one thing. Wandless magic is another entirely." Dumbledore admitted.

"Professor, isn't Mya a squib?" Harry asked.

"To my knowledge, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Well, then her father can't be a muggle, can he?"

"Why would you think that Harry?"

"Well, I doubt that Ria could be like that if she was born to genes like a muggle born."

"Never doubt Harry. You haven't forgotten Hermione already, have you?"

Harry bowed his head in shame. "Of course not Professor. It's just, not even Hermione could do magic at five."

"None of us know that for sure."

"I've spoken to her parents, Professor. She didn't even show any powers until four months before her letter showed up."

"Harry, parents, although they try to pretend they do, are no where near knowing anything."

Mya sat on the edge of her sobbing daughter's bed, waiting for Ria to initiate conversation.

"Mommy, why haven't you told him?"

"Ria, it's selfish reasons. He hurt me deeply. To the point I didn't want to live anymore. I finally got over that. I don't want to go back."

"But maybe if you guys met, you'd get better and-"

"No Ria," Mya corrected gently. "It's not going to happen. He's not the man I fell in love with."

"What's it like to be in love?"

"Ria, is it really the time for this conversation?"

"Is there any time for a conversation such as this?" a voice from the doorway asked.

Mya looked up to see Draco.

"Hey, Draco." She said calmly, almost as if she was expecting him.

"Hello, Mya. Hi, Ria." He said politely to the little girl lying on the bed.

"Hello, Mister Draco." She said shyly.

"Don't be shy now. Not after you told me how much you like my hair." Draco teased.

"She always gets like this after a surge of magic. It tires her out to the point of being almost respectful."

Draco gave Ria a big smile. "She's respectful enough for her age. When I was that age…. Well, we just won't go there."

"Mister Draco?" Ria asked.

"Yes Ria?"

"Do you know who my Daddy is?"

Mya laughed.

"Don't ask someone else like I'm not in the room, Miss Victoria Epanss."

"Sorry Mommy."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not right now."

"I'll be back later."

"Okay."

Mya shut the door quietly after her and Draco were both out of the room.

"I believe, Miss Mya, we have something we need to discuss."


"Professor Snape, did you really have to prod her like that?" Ginny asked Snape.

"I was simply telling her how life works when there's a war going on."

"You didn't know Mya after Ria's father ended their relationship. It was horrible. She thought about suicide at least a thousand times. The only think keeping her alive was that little midget up there."

"Do you really think she would have gone along with it?"

"Sometimes, I fear it more then You-Know-Who himself."

"Mrs. Lupin, why was she so edgy about losing Victoria?"

"Wouldn't you be? Ria's all My has. You remember, that day about five years ago? You were tormenting some girl about being out of school, and she asked you why, if she were skipping, would she be at Wall-Mart? That was Mya. Remember the baby I came over with? That was Ria. Two months old, she was. Tiny little thing. She was two pounds, three ounces when she was born. Didn't grow much during the first few months. Mya was afraid she was going to die. All the muggle doctors I took her to said she wasn't big enough. Wanted to keep her in the hospital. Mya was scared, so she had me do all these enchantments on her. Enchantments to keep her heart beating, lungs working. Wouldn't work against any Unforgivables, mind you, but I must say, they were pretty damn good for a sixth year."

"She needs to know, if she's so insistent on helping, that the ones she loves are going to be put in danger."

"She knows. She just doesn't push away, Professor."

"What do you know?" He asked her.

"Enough."

"How?"

"She wrote me a note… before she died. Draco brought it to me. Told me everything."

"What did it say?"

XxXxXx Flashback xXxXxX

Ginny,

If you're reading this, Draco kept his word to me. He told me he'd give this to you after I died.

That also means I'm dead.

Ginny, is protection really worth it? Didn't he realize the target I already had on my head? I already had so many marks against me.

I'm a Muggle born.

I'm close to The Boy Who Lived

I'm at the top of my class.

I'm a threat to the 'Perfection Society'

I'm not your typical MudBlood

I refused to be scared of him

I could have taken care of myself, Gin. I would have managed. But he didn't give me that chance.

Take care of Harry, Ron, and Neville. Make sure he passes Potions, even without me telling him what to do. That's my last wish to you Gin-Jam.

Make him pass Potions.

As I write this, I'm squinting into the diminishing light from the room beside the dungeon. It's cold in here, and the only light source is the room next to me. The only one who visits me on a positive note is Draco. The rest don't care about me, they only want to use me.

Draco's the only friend of mine that knows I'm alive. And I've made him promise not to tell anyone until I'm dead. I've given up hope on getting out. It's just not going to happen.

Ginny, you're like the sister I never had. I can't tell you everything with out getting all sappy, but let's just say that you're my best friend, no doubt about it.

It's strange, the thoughts you think when you're going to die.

I don't know when you'll get this, but I love you and tell Harry to be damn careful. I have to go, I have two other notes to write.

Love ya,

Hermione Jane Granger

Remerging Into Society is the Hardest ThingI Ever HadToDo-

Author Unknown

XxXxXx End Flashback xXxXxX

"And she died…."

"According to Draco, she wrote two other notes, and died not an hour after they were all done."

"Who…."

"Draco wouldn't tell me, only that they were delivered. His father was not happy though. Draco was pissed that she made him promise under a Wizard's Oath not to tell anyone, and he blew the cell up after her death. The body was never found."

"How could he tell you that?"

"After she died, the Wizard's Oath was lifted, and he could tell anyone anything. Although he doesn't."

"How…"

"Starvation… exhaustion… blood loss. She was abused Professor."

He massaged the bridge of his nose. "Damn it!" he yelled.

"Shhh, shhhh. We have two children upstairs."

"Ginny…" He trailed off.

Ginny was shocked. She had known the man since she was 11, but he had never used her first name, let alone her nickname.

"Do you want to borrow a pensive?"

"Yes. And a stiff drink, if you please."

She nodded. "There's a room downstairs… Remus uses it for his 'time of the month'.

He nodded and headed for the staircase heading downstairs.

"Thank you, Ginny."

She nodded and busied herself with his drink.

He sighed and started down the steps.


"Mya, how did it go… after…?" He gestured wildly to represent what he meant

"I moved into my parents old house. They sold it to me, and that blew through all the money you gave me. I lived for a while doing odd jobs until I got too far along with Ria. Then I had enough for the first few months. Then I had to ask for help. You had already done so much… I had to go to Ginny. She came to help for a while, and then I got back on my feet. I wrote novels… and textbooks… and articles for magazines. All under Epanss, of course."

"You could have come to me, you know."

"I know… but pride stopped me."

"Damn Gryffindor pride."

"I thought pride was a Slytherin trait?"

He smiled, "I think it's universal."

"Of course."

"What then?" He asked her with interest shining in his eyes.

She shook her eyes. "I hid. That's all there is too it. I stole her life because I was afraid of the Death Eaters. We both saw her in there. She's not used to people."

"I'd say she wasn't exactly shy. She adjusted well."

"Too well, that's what scares me. That's not one of my qualities. When I switched worlds… I wouldn't speak for the longest time."

"So… what? You think her father has some genetic influence over her?"

"I guess."

"Mya, are you afraid she's going leave you too?"

Mya didn't answer.

"Oh, God, you are. Mya, who could replace you?"

"I'm sure he's found someone who would work." Mya spat, suddenly feeling sick.

"No. You know that he didn't."

"Oh, yeah. How could he not be picked up? Oh, I'm sorry, he's to busy PROTECTING US ALL to notice how damn miserable some of us are!"

"He's miserable too."

"How would you know? Have you gone up to him. 'What a lovely day? Oh, please don't hex me as I ask you about the girl who threw herself at your feet, desperate and alone. Never mind the fact she loved you. You only saw the RISKS of being together and looked over the fact she was PREGNANT WITH YOUR BLOODY CHILD!'"

Draco steped forward and looked her in the eyes, and Mya sickly noted that he was the spitting image of his father, except for his eyes.

"Did you ever tell him about that 'bloody child'? Did you ever let him know how you felt? Did you ever tell him you loved him?"

"Once. But he brushed it off like the dirt on his boots and kept walking."

"Cowardly." Draco pronounced.

"What, only telling him once? Not pushing myself to his feet, telling him how much I loved him? How I couldn't live with out him? That might piss him off more then even I'd try."

"Have you ever thought of the fact that maybe that's the only way to get through to him?"

"Well, then he's too damn blind for me to deal with, because I sure as hell left enough hints."

"Hints don't work with men, Sweets."

"Then fuck men. I wish I swung for the other team."

"No you don't."

"Maybe I do. Then what would happen?"

Draco rolled his eyes and brushed his lips up against Mya's. "Then that would have meant nothing."

She shook her head.

"It didn't."

Draco stared after her, shaking her head at the obvious pining after the man who didn't deserve her,


Snape sat in front of the large stone bowl, glaring down into it. He needed to get rid of these thoughts, these memories. They were slowly eating him from the inside out.

If she were here right now, he'd….

You'd what? The inner Voldemort in him sneered. Go all sappy? You left her Severus, not the other way around. Are you really expecting her to forgive and forget?

He sighed and buried his face in his hands. Did he?

No, he realized She's dead. It doesn't matter. At all. As a matter of fact, I believe I'm going mad, right here. Thinking about her as if she's right here. She's gone Severus. She's NOT coming back. So get over it.

But could he?

He didn't know. The past seven years had been hell for him. She was always on his mind. He couldn't forget her.

It was his fault she went back out to the battlefield. HIS FAULT she was dead. If he had waited a few more minutes….

That's when he started to process the little Weasley's information. The letter, it had said she had been kidnapped. That meant that she didn't die in battle, but in some dungeon. That was even worse. That meant while he was in self-pity, while he was trying so desperately to forget, she had been alive, wondering if he was going to come rescue her.

He felt his heart rip in two.

Violently, he began to conjure up every single memory he had of her. Every conversation about her, every time he brushed past her in the hall, everything.

His eyes fell on one particular memory as it swirled in the stone basin.

XxXxXx Flashback XxXxXx

He stood in his classroom, staring blankly out at the rows and rows of incompetent students. He waved his hand at the blackboard where a extremely difficult potion's instruction was written in his neat, thin writing. "You have exactly one hour. Begin!" he snarled out at his students before collapsing into his chair. He wildly massaged his temples, trying to disperse any hangover the potion seemed to have missed. It was time to check the dates on his ingredients.

The last thing he needed right now was to hear a student's voice. But he wouldn't. They were all too scared of him for that.

One bloody child thought it safe to look him in the eyes. The second the connection had been made he regretted it.

In front of him, he saw a bushy-haired child being taunted to tears by a tall, burly looking girl with vibrant red curls. The small girl was shaking as the older figure grabbed her by her hair and shook her violently. Her head flopped about.

A younger, still bushy head was bounding down the steps on Christmas morning to find her parents distracted with a baby's coughs and pay her no mind. The tears welled up in her eyes as she looked on to the attention the baby was getting while another brunette slowly came down the steps.

An older child was trying to avoid the teacher's eyes as he asked a question.

A young teenager sat in the front of the dungeons, waving her hand around, simply trying to do what she had never head the courage to do before she received her letter.

A girl, well into her teens, was standing at the front of the Gryffindor common room, resisting the urge to plug her ears as her two best friends chatted on about Quidditch instead of doing their homework.

This time, the girl was about the same age as in the last one was blinking tears out of her eyes as a red-head boy glared down at her, looking extremely rejected.

He managed to tear his eyes away from hers, and judging from the wide-eyed stare he was receiving, she had seen as much about him as he had about her.

He groaned inwardly, knowing she was going to tell the rest of the Dream Team.

"Out!" he barked.

Everyone nearly ran for the door.

"Granger!" Snape snapped, "Detention tonight, seven o'clock and do not be late. I am in no mood for you to test my patience, for I fear the nice-guy façade you have seen slipping, fast."

Granger looked confused as to what she had done, but nodded and turned to leave.

XxXxXx End Flashback XxXxXx

He quickly pushed the pensive away and stood up, pacing.

He had always been so cruel to her. Why? Was it just for his hard-ass reputation, because Voldemort wouldn't have it any other way, or was it more? Did he think she wasn't living up to her own potential?

No, that wasn't it; she got no less then eleven out of tens in his class. How much better can you get?

Was it that he didn't want to join her fan club?

No, that was part of it, but it went deeper, more into his own past.

He didn't want her to end up like himself.

He had always been the smart-ass. He knew everything, read the material backward and forward and remembered it as such. He knew more about the subjects before he opened the book then the author themselves, but he couldn't stop himself from delving in and reading the book countless times, until every word was memorized in his head.

He had never been worried about appearances, thus his greasy hair. He supposed he could wash it more often, but the potions made it greasy to begin with, so he didn't see the point in upping his shower amount to more then every other day. He was a busy man, and did it really matter how perfect his locks were? He was a teacher, not a model.

He saw himself in Granger, in a way he hadn't realized until just now. He saw the thirst for knowledge, to the point of breaking any rule to get it. Bloody girl slept in the library half the time, going out to reread a book he knew she had memorized. She didn't wear make-up, and her robes were huge, more then likely Potter's or Weasley's, and she didn't care if her hair was bushy. She was her own person and stood out for it.

He knew what could happen if she started to get overly cocky. It had happened to him. She'd start thinking she was better then everyone and go join raving lunatics called the Death Eaters and kill innocent people for no other reason then they were just like that.

But no, she couldn't join his raving lunatics, they were against her kind. She'd have to find her own.

He could also see things in her that if he had possessed in himself, maybe his fate would have worked out differently. She had friends, who, although Severus would never admit this out loud, were better then his. Potter and Weasley would have given their right hands for her, and she would have done the same. They truly cared for one and other, and they were inseparable.

She also had compassion for every innocent thing. She would never have been able to sneak into a muggle's home and slowly torture their baby, just because they were there.

She believed in purity, and that made her all the more pure.

At least, she had been until he got to her.

After he had gotten to her, she was no longer pure. She was red. Blood red. Dead, in fact.

He had killed her.

Inadvertently, of course, but still, her blood was on his hands and conscious, mocking him every step of the way.

He had practically pushed her out the door, telling her he never wanted to see her again.

Pushed her into the arms of a Death Eater even more deadly then himself.

He sighed and told his mind to regroup and go to another subject. He had a potion to brew soon, and unless he wanted to do it and blow up the entire house, he'd better calm down.

His mind, did, indeed travel to another subject.

Mya Epanss. A pretty blond girl, in a stereotypical situation for pretty blonds. She had a kid, with no father. The child seemed to be coming up well, though, bright as the sun and sharp as a tack. The girl must be doing something right, even if she forgot her birth-control charms.

She was brazen and bold, with no clue as to when to shut her mouth. She was disrespectful and ill mannered. She acted as if family was to come before war. If they didn't win this war, families would suffer even more then they had.

But even in his head, that didn't sound right. He had already sacrificed one innocent bushy head to this war, would he let another die?

So there ya go. We see some of Snape's internal conflicts and some Draco/Mya kissies.

Review please!