Ha-ha! Three chapters in one night! Aren't I spoiling you? Lol. As for my two reviewers ( I wasn't really expecting much because of how I'm posting but anyway! Lol : P )

A.S. Leif--Are you even happier I updated again? Lol. Well check your e-mail again because this should make you happy again. Wisdom teeth hurt when they come in, all of my were impacted, meaning they were pressing against my other teeth and causing them too shift. I just keep thinking that the pain that it costs me now is less than if I had let them come in. I've never been able to update my stories everyweek because I just write when my muse hits. And if my reviewers have yet to kill me than they won't kill you. Lol. Yeah, I was trying to make the parchment make sense as well as the coversation about the potions. Remember Leo knows next to nothing about Sev because of how much she hated him. He and Stef were great at potions. Everyone knows that Sev is the best in England, the only thing is do you think he's better than Stef? Lol. As for the mistake blushes sheepishly Well, I was trying to get the chapter out. You'll find out about the box in this chapter, obviously because of it's title. I'm glad I keep Leo 'wonderful and charming' in the chapters, it's how I want it. I want her to be a brat sometimes but still be loved. I hope I don't that well. Yeah, I was trying to make the conversation where they didn't yell at each other good but it wasn't as awkward as I hoped. I'm glad the removal of my wisdom teeth has no effect of on writing (though I'm still not a hundred percent positive that it's good). I don't like making things too cut-dry-clear, because I like mystery and how it leaves time for things to be explained. The thing is I have to get this story moving soon because I spent about five chapters on one day and I need to speed it up to get it to the point where I introduce Harry and the other Weasleys. Which will be very, very soon. : P I'm glad you like surprises, I love surprises to be honest, just not the waiting for them. Lol. As for the P.S. you added at the end of Runnign From Life, when I said it'll go through HBP I meant it will go as closely to the book as possible. Trust me, it'll work out. You don't have to wait long for the next chapter though. Lol 'cause here it is! Mind-reading would always be useful in my mind. Especially on tests. Lol.Ttyl! DoD (ever notice that my name has funny initials?)

Mesaqt--It keeps going, and going, and going, and going, and going...lol. I'm glad you think it's good. Tell me what you think of this chapter too.

REVIEW PLEASE!


Chapter Eighteen

Her Mother's Box

Lenore shifted, her sense returning to her around ten the next morning. She wasn't completely awake until she remembered what had happened the night before. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought of how venerable she had been and how Snape hadn't taken advantage of it. She fought the tears that were threatening to escape as she sat up slowly. She brought her knees to her chest as she thought back.

A tear fell from her eye. This wasn't the man she had envisioned and started to hate from the moment she came. She didn't understand. He loved her mother; she could see that in his eyes when he was trying to calm her down. "Why did he leave?" she whispered more to herself than anything else. She glanced towards the door and pulled the covers off of her. She had barely started to slide off the bed when she realized something. "No pain," she said softly, touching her back. She winced slightly as she touched a bruise but she didn't feel any pain while sitting up. She swallowed hard and reached for the balance bar. She quickly got into her chair and moved towards the bathroom.

It took her nearly an hour to show and get clothed, deciding that she'd rather dress herself by hand than with magic. She stared at herself in the mirror wondering if she should play with her hair colors. Her shirt was a light olive-green with the words: Always forgive your enemies—Nothing annoys them so much. –Oscar Wilde written in hunter green outlined by white in bubble-letters. She decided to wear jeans today and, though her left leg, the one she had shattered, was throbbing slightly she liked the feeling of wearing jeans again. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail, strands falling in her face with a thick strand just below her ear in a nice braid with four beads at the end of it, each bead the color of one of the school's houses, red, yellow, blue, green.

Deciding against coloring her hair she moved towards the door as her stomach growled. She opened the door and wheeled into the living room, looking around for Snape. She glanced towards his bedroom door, which was closed, and then into the living room. No one was in the room. She moved to the table, in the spot that had been cleared for her chair. "Dobby?" she called the house elf.

There was nothing and then a pop and the house elf that had been serving her, her meals was next to her. He had two scarves, one a vivid Gryffindor red and another a mix of blues, around his neck and about twelve socks on his feet, giving the poor creature a look of having legs that were way too fat for his small body. She smiled at him as his large eyes stared at her excitedly.

"Hello Miss Lenore! What would you like?" he asked excitedly.

"Um…I'm not sure. I'm hungry for something I just—" the door to Snape's potion's lab opened. Both of them looked at the man that emerged.

He glanced at her and nearly froze. "Good morning, Lenore." She nodded back to him. "I was just about to see if you'd like to join me for lunch,"

She motioned to the chair that was across from her, his normal chair. "I'm not sure what to eat."

Snape sat down and looked at Dobby, who was hopping from one foot to the other before raising his eyebrows at the scarves and socks. He looked back at Lenore. "Did you eat dinner last night?"

She shook her head. "Nutrient potion."

He nodded slowly. "Then I'll have a grilled-cheese sandwich with a small salad. She will have the same along with a slice of bread." She felt annoyed at him for ordering for her but she realized that he probably could figure out what she could handle better than herself.

"Water, pumpkin juice, or tea?" Dobby asked moving his feet nervously.

"Tea, light," he glanced at her. "You may have what you wish?"

Her eyes light up. "Really?"

"I'm not in the habit of lying."

She stuck her tongue out at him before looking at Dobby. "Do you think you can get your hands on some Cherry Coke?" she asked Dobby excitedly.

"That Muggle drink you like?"

She nodded fervently. "Yup. Do you think you can get it for me?"

"I'll be back in five minutes." Dobby said before disappearing, water appearing on the table the moment he did.

The two were quiet for a moment before Lenore spoke. "Thank you," Snape glanced at her. "For last night…I know I was a little…weird." She reached for the water.

"There is no need to apologize for last night." He said firmly as he sipped the water.

She shifted nervously in her chair. Never had a meal with him been so awkward, not even after she had pranked him a few times. "Um," she swallowed hard. "About…about what you said last night," He froze in his movement in putting the glass back on the table ever so slightly. "Were you…" she looked down. "Were you…"

"Was I lying?" He finished for her. She nodded slowly. "No, I was not."

She looked at him, their eyes locking. "You…you really loved her?" Lenore asked, needed to know more than anything.

Suddenly the meal was in front of them. He motioned towards the meal and she took a bite but waited for an answer. He took a breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, Lenore. I really loved her."

She chewed the sandwich, staring at her plate before looking at him. "Then how could you spent seventeen years away from her and then one time you do see her you watch her die?"

Snape's hand shook slightly as he poured himself some tea. "There is no answer I can give to that, Lenore. You know that. I watched…I watched because if I hadn't I would have been more than tortured. You would have been brought and killed as well."

Lenore shuddered slightly. "And you know that?"

"I do."

She looked at her food and at the rest of her sandwich in silence. "Did you want children?" she asked after she had started her salad. He looked at her sharply. "According to mom you said goodbye just after she told you she was pregnant." He stared at her. "Did you want children?"

He looked away. "Yes, I did but not at that moment."

She set her fork down. "Because of Voldemort,"

"Don't say his name."

She sent a glare his way. "It's just a name." She sneered. She wheeled her chair back. "If you wanted children, how could you leave her, if you loved her why did you leave?"

"I told you why."

She moved back towards her bedroom. "I just don't understand." She felt his eyes on her all the way to her room. She shut the door and stared at the box across the room. "I just don't understand, mom. How could he love you and leave you at the same time?"

She levitated the box onto her bed and raised her chair up so that she could lift the things out of it one by one. She sliced the box open via magic and slowly opened the box. Many miniature things were in side. She fished out the first thing and enlarged it. It was the portrait of her mother and Snape. She fought the urge to throw it across the room; instead she simply placed it against her dresser, facing the wall. The next thing that she pulled out of the box was a beautiful emerald green notebook with gold paper.

It was one of the many notebooks she had copied for Laura. She opened the book to the first page. Tears sprung to her eyes at her mother's writing, describing one of her potions. She shut the notebook and sent it to the bookcase across the room. Ten minutes later she had a variety of colored notebooks on her shelves, all filled to the end with different potions. She pulled out another book, this one a hunter green cover with the letter 'S' pressed into the cover and the edge of the pages were tinged silver and there was a white ribbon that tied it shut.

"Mom," she whispered, knowing immediately that it was her mother's journal. She opened it and turned to the first page. The date at the top was the month before her marriage.

I can't believe that I'm actually going to marry him. It is so surreal to me that I keep asking Lily to pinch me. Severus is not every happy at having her in the wedding but he understands that she's my best friend. But we're getting married! I can't believe it! Everything is ready. We're getting married in a small church pretty much in the middle of nowhere, partially his idea but mostly mine. I don't want an uproar in the Elvin community or…my other community. It wasn't very pretty when I told my parents that I was getting married to Severus. I knew that they didn't like me going to Hogwarts but it felt right. I was normal, not like my sister.

Lenore froze. Sister! My mom has a sister! She looked up towards the door, thinking about finding Albus but instead she looked back her mother's journal.

I still feel sorry for poor Tanith. Because of what mother is her skin is not normal. Her brow furrowed as she read, staring at the words. Papa wanted me to stay home with Tanith, said that we had to stick together but Tanith fits in with Mom's Community. I never have. I've been too human for that. Too normal for human standards and too abnormal for their standards. I've brought Tanith things from the Magical world, she is fascinated by them but…mother takes them away. She is angrier about this than papa is.

My hand shakes as I think about what they did two nights ago when I told them that I accepted Severus' hand. Mother hit the roof shouting, screaming, she even began to throw things. Tanith retreated into her corner, staring at the scene wide-eyed. Papa for several moments had just stood stone still, watching mother throw a fit. Then when she asked him if he was going to say anything about it he merely stood up and…he beat me. Never before had he ever beaten me but he did. Donar, Tanith's boyfriend snuck her out of the room but Hayden refused to leave.

He was shouting at them to stop but they wouldn't listen to him, telling him that he would understand later. He was only fourteen but he fought like a man. My poor brother, he was sent flying back into the cupboard when he was trying to get papa to stop. I'm not sure what happened after than, the next thing I remember was Donar waking me up and carrying me to Adem, who had agreed to carry me to Severus' house. I found out today, Hayden, my brother, died trying to protect me. Fourteen, he barely had a life and he was trying to protect me.

There was a tear spot that had started to run a few of the words together but Lenore could still read it. Her mother not only had a sister but a brother as well who died the day she announced her engagement to Severus. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" Lenore asked the diary softly.

I arrived at Severus' house around three in the morning but I didn't quite remember it. It had rained that night but Adem didn't stop, he continued running until we were at one of the manors that the Snape family owned. Severus filled me in on how Adem pounded on the door until someone opened it, bless his soul. I was still unconscious but I woke up a few hours later as he treated my wounds. Adem was still with us, elsewhere in the house and is going to stay with us until the storm lets up, which it shows no hint of doing yet.

My papa broke my arm and jaw, mother caused a rib to crack and I have so many bruises that it looks as if I'm a purple and blue human. It's strange. I never thought that they would get that angry about it. I knew they didn't like the choice of Severus but…I'm not sure what to think; only I can't believe that Hayden is dead. If I ever have a son I will request to name him Hayden in honor of my brother and perhaps Adem or Donar. Hayden Adem…it rhymes I wouldn't do that to my children. So Hayden Donar because of the help they gave me or the middle name will be on of Severus' choosing.

I don't think that Severus will mind if I name all of the kids, I think he's just happy that I'm alive. I've chosen a name if our first child if it is a girl but I think that if it is a girl Severus will actually want to have a say in it. I've chosen about ten names: Lenore, Helen, Cyntheria, Isis, Shyla, Tanith, Susan, Violet, Latanya, and Cassandra. Severus has a few names, a middle name being his mother's because of how much he loved her. I know he wants nothing to do with his father and the moment he turned eighteen he disowned his father from his inheritance but he won't change his name. I think he enjoys the idea of both of us having the initials 'S.S.' I think he finds it amusing though he'll never say so.

I must go because Adem wishes me to walk with me in the indoors garden. He wants to speak with me. He makes me nervous sometimes with how 'in tuned' he is with the future but he says that there is something that he can do to give up the future, why he would do that is beyond me. He said something about protection but he told me he'd elaborate more when we talk so I am going to leave for our walk now. I still must thank him for his help. Severus is tetchy about letting me out of bed but my blood is helping me heal faster. I'll write more later. Though I wish I had my other diaries, the ones of Hogwarts. They are back…home with everything else I own. I'm concerned Severus might try to go after my parents but that is to be worried about another day. I'll write when I get the chance.

Serafina Stef Keller-Soon-To-Be-Snape

Lenore put the book down, tears in her eyes. There was so much her mother never told her. She wheeled out of her room, unable to stand the idea of her mother's secrets. She set the book in her lap and moved towards Snape's lab. She pounded hard on the door.

"Snape! Open up!"

A few moments passed and she was about to pound on the door again when it opened. "What? Is something wrong?" he seemed panicked and it took her a moment to notice his hair was pulled back into a ponytail and his sleeves rolled up, his hands reeking of what she recognized as aconite.

"Did my mother have siblings?"

He stared at her. "What makes you think that?"

She raised the book that was in her lap. "This is my mother's journal. She must have started it the day she arrived at your manor." She knew hurt and confusion was clear in her eyes, despite her attempt to hide it. "After her parents nearly beat her to death for saying she'll marry you."

Snape stared at her for a long moment before he sighed. "Follow me into my lab, I can't leave the potion alone too long," he said turning around and walking back towards a cauldron that he had on a flame.

Lenore wheeled the chair in and the door shut behind her giving her full view of the potions lab. There were four islands in the middle of the brick floored room. The walls were a dark green lined with a rich wood that was stained a color that was nearly black. On each island were at least two burners and against the wall was a line of four sinks. Against the other wall were cabinets from floor to ceiling and wall to wall of potion ingredients.

"What do you know?" he asked bringing her attention back to him as he added the aconite to the potion.

She traced the cover with her fingers. "I read the first two pages of my mother's journal of just after Adem dropped her off at your manor. Is it the same Adem I know?"

"Yes."

Lenore stared at him. "Did my mother really have siblings?"

"Yes."

"So Hayden is dead? My uncle…" she said the name awkwardly. All her life she had grown up knowing that she was an only child, her father was an only child, and assuming that her mother was an only child.

"Yes. The funeral was held a week later. She and I attended under disguise."

"And my aunt, Tanith?"

Snape added another ingredient to the potion. "Tanith Susan Keller, she snuck the rest of your mother's things to her before we got married."

"Where is she?"

"She died along with her husband, Donar, in an attack on a village for Almost Humans."

Lenore's eyes widened. "She was an Almost Human?"

"Yes. Your mother was half Elvin and Half Almost Human."

"Why didn't she ever tell me this?" she asked staring at the journal.

He stirred the brew. "Because she didn't think that you needed to know. She and I agreed that unless you asked we would not tell you."

"What was her full name?"

"Serafina Stef Keller-Snape," he answered cutting up another supply.

She was beginning to recognize the potion as wolfsbane but said nothing. "Why did she go by Stef?"

"If she went by Serafina her parents would find her too easily but after the attack on the village it didn't matter much. She also enrolled in Hogwarts under her middle name." He said calmly.

She nodded slowly. "She really loved you, did you know that?" she asked suddenly.

He looked at her sharply. "I beg your pardon,"

"Mom. She loved you a lot. I could tell by what she wrote." She glanced towards the door and then sighed. "I have something that you might like," she summoned the portrait from her room and opened the door via magic. She handed it to him, refusing to look at it. "I found it in the attic back home." She turned towards the door, wheeling back towards her room.

"Lenore," his voice called after her, merely feet from her room.

She didn't turn around. She didn't want him to see the tears of confusion, betrayal, and pain in her eyes. "Thank you." Snape said softly.

She nodded. "It's fine."

"If…if you want to talk about anything you find you may come and find me, I will answer your questions to the best of my ability." He said quietly.

Lenore blinked back the tears. "Thank you."

"Therapy session is after dinner tonight." He said in a shaking voice.

"Dinner is at six?" she asked, still refusing to turn around.

"Yes." She started towards her door again. "Did…did the therapy work? Are you in any pain?"

She shook her head. "My back is fine, my legs ache a little but it worked just fine."

He was staring at her. "All right, I'll see you at dinner."

She pushed the door to her room open and looked back at him. "Thank you," she said holding his gaze for a moment. She swallowed hard. "Thank you for explain it to me….Severus."