A/N: Hello, my lovelies. I'm only bringing you a short update because it's been forever since I touched this thing and I really do apologize but I've been rather busy and I suffered from a bad breakup and I'm picking up the pieces in a bout of depression with the help of a new person. So we're good now. I'm hoping you don't mind the length but I just wanted to do something…
OOOOOOOOO
Avonlea stepped out of the fireplace and into the brothel that she had lived in for so many years of her life, brushing off a stray ember before setting her bag down. Her blue eyes took in the bright decorations that littered the parlor that she now stood in and she smiled to herself, despite where she knew she now stood. The brothel had felt just as much as home as Hogwarts had, despite the men that loitered it and her mother's constant harassment. The other mistresses there and the Madam of the house were nice to her and treated her with love.
"About damn time you got here!" Carissa exclaimed, running into the room with Katia and Cassius and Katia hot on her heels.
Avonlea let out a small sound when she was crushed between three bodies, Carissa hugging her the tightest. "Whose hands are touching my ass?" she demanded, looking at the faces of the people around her.
Cassius gave her a small smirk. "That'd be me, Lea."
"Off, now," Avonlea said, squirming slightly. "That's not yours for the touching, Cassius."
Carissa laughed at that. "That's right. That ass is for Snape to touch, right Lea?"
Avonlea smacked her best friend on the shoulder. "You're not supposed to talk about that like that, Rissa! What if someone walks in and hears you talking about me and him? I don't need that to happen…not to him."
"Fine," Carissa said, rolling her eyes as she released Avonlea. "I won't talk about you and him in the open, but I will tease the hell out of you when we're alone." She glanced at her boyfriend and girlfriend. "I expect you two to do the same."
"On it," Katia promised while Cassius gave her a small salute.
"You three are terrible," Avonlea muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I seriously don't know what to make of you."
Cassius toed her bag. "Are our gifts in there?"
"Yes. And you're not getting them until later, so paws off, Cassius." Avonlea grinned at him, flashing her teeth. "I'll bite you if you try to get into my bag."
Cassius leaned into her face. "I have a bite kink, Lea, remember that." He snapped his teeth playfully at her flushed face and straightened. "Someone's coming through the fireplace again."
Avonlea quickly scooped up her bag and moved out of the way as the fireplace roared to life with bright green flames. Snape stepped out of the fireplace, looking surly as ever in his all black outfit. His eyes lingered on Avonlea for a moment and she felt his thoughts brush against hers, bringing some peace and warmth to her.
"Hey Dad," Carissa greeted, giving him a small wave. "Didn't really think you'd show up, but guess that's what you get for this new development, eh?"
Snape scowled at his daughter. "Your subtly is lacking, Miss Marina. I suggest if you wish to keep true to your word to provide cover for your friend, that you learn to be more discrete in this matter." He stepped farther out of the fireplace and moved to stand next to Avonlea, but refrained from touching her. "There are things that cannot be revealed to the people of this house and for reasons that hang heavily on the shoulders of Miss Raven as well as I. So keep your tongue silent. Understood?"
"Bastard," Carissa grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Carissa!" someone exclaimed, stepping into the room and putting her hands on her curvy hips. "Is that really any way to speak to your father?"
Carissa glanced over at the woman. "But Mom, he started it."
The woman shook her head and looked at the dark professor and the Veela-Halfling. "It's good to see you again, Severus, Avonlea."
"Mama Dara," Avonlea said, leaping forward and wrapping her arms around the woman.
Dara hugged Avonlea tightly and smoothed her hand through her blonde hair. "Avonlea, it's so good to have you back home. Morgana has been driving this house insane about whether or not you were going to show up as a vampire or not…" She tipped the girl's face up. "You are all right, aren't you?"
Avonlea nodded. "I'm all right, Mama Dara. No vampire here." She smiled slightly. "I wouldn't have come back here if I was a vampire, now would I? Except maybe to drain a few people dry."
Dara laughed and let Avonlea's face go. "When do we get to meet the lucky boy that saved your humanity, Lea dear?"
Avonlea's face fell and she suddenly grew uncomfortable. Carissa and the others shifted behind her. She could feel Snape's thoughts brushing against hers, trying to bring her strength, but she didn't want it. She wanted to disappear.
"Um, he probably won't come here," Avonlea said, looking at the charm that hung at the top of Dara's cleavage. "He – he doesn't find it a pleasant thought to visit a brothel for even a few days, Mama Dara."
"Oh…" Dara glanced over Avonlea's head for a moment. "I see. Well, that's his loss then. There are a lot of people here that would love to thank him for saving one of our favorite little blessings." She patted Avonlea on the shoulder. "You'd better go get your things situated back in your room. Carissa, you go with her."
"Yes Mom," Carissa said, hooking her arm around Avonlea's. "C'mon Lea, I want to show you what Cassius got me and Katia as an early Christmas present this year. You're going to love it!"
Avonlea glanced over her shoulder as Cassius scooped up her bag and saw Snape watching her without trying to make it obvious. She frowned and looked ahead again, trying to keep her thoughts calm. She really didn't know what she was going to do when she met her mother once the woman decided to make her appearance.
OOOOOOOOO
Snape stood silent in the parlor to the brothel, watching his mate walk way with his daughter and his daughter's companions. He had tried to bring her strength, but she had stubbornly pushed him away. And Snape knew that had only been a panicked response. Avonlea had been desperate and reacted poorly to his help. If he talked to her about it later, maybe she would accept it at another time because there would most likely be another time in their stay at this brothel.
"You are looking well, Dara," Snape said, looking over at the woman that had given him his daughter in the first place.
Dara's dark eyes glinted as she put her hands on her hips once more. "Severus, I can't believe that you're Avonlea's mate…"
"I never said that I was."
"And you're not denying it either. Why else would you accept my invitation to come when you've denied it so many times before?" Dara moved closer. "Severus, how could this have happened? You're nearly double her age and she's fragile."
"I know what she is and I have no idea how this happened," Snape stated, giving up on the pretext of lying to the woman that could see through him like glass. He moved over to a table and set his bag down on it. "I have heard the word Fate thrown around several times in regards to this situation and I have come to terms with that. Miss Raven needed saving and I was in need of companionship that actually could save me from my loneliness." Snape glanced over at the woman. "You gave me that once, Dara, but you couldn't do it forever. I am not your type."
"I have no real type, Severus. I just knew your heart was in the right place when it came to loving me," Dara leaned her hips against the table. "You are taking care of Avonlea, aren't you? Because I don't want to think that you're just using this Veela bonding thing as a way to get into a young girl's trusting heart and pants…She's way too good for that, way too trusting."
Snape shook his head. "Dara, you obviously know very little about the Veela mate bond. I am not just in this for her sexual desires. I have a connection with Miss Raven that goes beyond that. I cannot put it into words for there are too little." He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, feeling for his mate. "Just know that I am going to do right by her, Dara, and that I will do my best to protect her and learn to love her properly."
"Good because she's going to need it."
"What do you mean?"
Dara sighed. "Kraven is supposed to make a visit to the brothel this week and he wants to see Avonlea for once."
"Kraven?" Severus repeated slowly, opening his eyes.
"He's a bastard," Dara explained, shaking her head. "Kraven only comes around when Avonlea's at Hogwarts and shags Morgana for a few days. He casually asks about Avonlea like he cares, but I doubt he does. It's only because she's finally matured that he's asking seriously to meet her, I think. He wants to see what's happened to her."
"I see."
"I hope she doesn't want to do it. I wouldn't if I were her."
Snape glanced over at the mother of his daughter. "Miss Raven has already decided that she would like to meet her father. Even if it is just to yell at him for being an absentee father."
Dara's eyebrow lifted. "Really? Wow…I wouldn't expect that of my little Lea." She glanced into the fireplace and her lips quirked up into a small smile. "I guess she's changing into something different piece by piece the more she turns into a young woman…" Her dark eyes peered at him as she turned her face back towards him. "I think you're teaching her things, aren't you?"
"I'm her professor, of course I'm teaching her things, Dara."
"That's not what I meant and you know it." Dara elbowed him playfully. "You're teaching her some of the things that you tried to use on me, aren't you, Severus?"
Snape looked away from the dark-haired woman. "Now I see where our daughter gets her lack of subtly from and her crassness."
Dara laughed and straightened, fixing the skirt of her dress. "You're right. I have given our Carissa some of my finer qualities." She wrapped her arms around Snape and gave him a squeeze. "I really am happy for you, Severus, and I'll do my best to see that you and my little favorite get to have some moments together, even though I know you have to keep this a secret for a bit longer." She smiled as she looked into his dark eyes. "I know, Severus, I know. You can't let anything happen that could tear the two of you apart or bring ridicule on her shoulders. So I'll keep my tongue silent too. But try to be kind to the girls and don't be so grumpy. It's the holidays. Lighten up."
Snape nodded. "I'll see what I can do, Dara. Now will you let me go? I have to get my things to a room and unpack before finding something to do in this house to entertain myself in my mate's absence."
"Right," Dara purred, drawing out the word for a moment. "That's a weird word by the way." She danced back and pointed towards the entrance to the room. "I'm sure you know your way to the guest room that you like to stay in. I have a client that's supposed to be coming in for me at any minute now and I can't keep him waiting for me. They hate that. You did."
Snape scowled at her, but said nothing as he collected his bag and left the room. Avonlea, it's gong to be all right, just give these people time to settle down…
OOOOOOOOO
A/N: I told you that it was short. I feel a little bad for doing something this short, but I'm stuck right now and I'm sorry for that. I'll try to get back into this in a bit, but I have a lot of things going on. A lot. Please leave a review or two and I'll get back to you. Thank you! -Scarlet
