Hey! Back with another chapter! Hope you guys continue to enjoy and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Twilight.
…
It was a major relief. To hear Dumbledore retelling of how Bella had used magic, it felt like a weight had lifted from his shoulders.
As Dumbledore spoke, Snape looked over to the Lily, in its pristine condition. It was hard to believe that earlier that day; the lovely flower had been passing. He turned his head slightly over to look at Isabella, who was now sitting on one of the steps leading to Dumbledore's abundance of books. She was not paying attention to the adults in the room at all, fully enthralled, once again with her mythical creature's book.
But something was nagging at him. "-Why didn't she show it before?"
Dumbledore stopped speaking from the interruption. He knew sooner or later that question would be asked. But he didn't have an answer.
"I don't know, Severus. I truly don't know."
Fawkes came in at that moment through the ajar window. And as he nestled in on his perch, he bent his head over to his back and stretched. He grabbed one of his tail feathers with his beak, and plucked it.
…
For some reason Bella's magic hadn't made another appearance since that day.
More time went by, without any more of her magic being shown. But Snape didn't concern himself with worry anymore. She had proven it. And he should be content that she was going to be enrolled at Hogwarts and she would be able to live life the way she pleased and be happy.
But there was this constant nagging in the back of his mind. A continuous form of questions, on why she'd shown it so late, and why she hadn't done magic since.
But each time one of these questions popped in his head, he'd cast it away.
He didn't want to think about that now. She would be happy and he would be content.
…..
Bella was growing leaps and bounds, and Snape knew it. He saw it every day. Physically, she had grown to become a duplicate of her mother. Petite, pale skin, dimples, freckles, and even her perfect smile. Her hair had stopped changing its colour around her ninth birthday, and had settled into a lovely deep auburn, with natural red highlights, and she had even inherited Lily's ringlets. Bella was still a wallflower and bookworm, but she for some unknown reason had grown to become fairly clumsy. She was constantly tripping over things, or bumping her head, or spilling drinks, despite her trying to be graceful.
Harry on the other hand was the reverse, becoming more like the twins father. He had messy, straight, deep brown hair, a fair completion, and a slightly off kilter smile. He also received the same kind of glasses his father wore when he was in school. He was still outgoing and loud, and was amenable on his feet. He appeared to make friends quickly, and was good at socializing, but not so good at focusing. He seemed to get distracted fairly easily. Over all he was an energetic boy who was quite handsome.
Bella had grown to be a beautiful little girl, and had no problems with grasping the content from books. She loved to continually learn new things and absorbed information quite well. She also listened to authority figures, and respected all those around her. Snape thought that –in those regards- she would do wonderfully in school. He was far more concerned with her lack of social skill.
Whenever confronted by an adult, Bella was fine. As a matter of fact she presented herself with a maturity, and air of confidence that Severus doesn't think he's ever seen on a nine year old, before. But when she was around kids her own age, trouble stated. Bella couldn't keep eye contact, her throat seemed to close up, and she blushed like there was no tomorrow! For some reason all the confidence she had in herself when she was with adults depleted to nothing around kids her own age. She would much rather be in a corner, reading a book, rather than socializing with other people.
Bella was quick to find a place that she could be alone, and not be bothered. As she was older and didn't need to be constantly watched, she was allowed to travel around the castle. As long as she stayed within Hogwarts walls, and was back in her room before five. She learnt very quickly that there was no exception to these rules.
Bella had located the Room of Requirement one day whilst exploring the castle. She was trying to find a small, quiet room with little or no people, so that she could read her book; Hogwarts: A History. She was very disappointed, as her time for searching was coming to an end when she saw it. Two small doors in the middle of a large corridor. She opened one of the doors and peeked inside to see exactly what she wanted. A small room, a tad larger than her own bedroom, with bookshelves, fully stacked to the sides and a large, plush, comfy looking chair in the middle. A grandeur fireplace was in front of the chair, with a warm fire brewing inside it.
Ever since that day, it was her happy place. There she was able to be alone, and have peace. And no one else knew about it, except of course Snape.
She didn't keep anything from him. He was her confidante, and she was very close to him. He was after all her guardian, and he took care of her, her entire life. However she wished she could say the same for him.
It seemed to her that her guardian was keeping secrets. But not just any secrets -dangerous ones. She didn't know what the details were, and she probably never would. She did know that it had something to do with her parents, though.
Snape never talked to Bella about James and Lily. The only time she heard him talk about either of them was when he was telling her how much she resembled her mother. If Bella tried to ask about her father, he would either keep quiet, or just flat out refuse to talk about him.
Isabella learnt most of her information about her parents from Dumbledore and McGonagall. They both openly discussed with her about them, and what happened to them. But when she learnt of what had taken place the night they died, in Godric's Hollow she never asked again.
She didn't like to hear about her parents deaths. She had never known them, but to hear about them dying…was hard. To hear about how 'great', 'brave' and 'valiant' they had been didn't mean much to her. They were still dead.
She did like to hear about how they lived though. What things they liked, what they were good at and how they looked were some of her favourite things to listen to Dumbledore and McGonagall talk about.
One of the first things she had learnt about her parents- from when they went to Hogwarts- was that both of them were Gryffindor's. But she also knew that Severus had been in Slytherin, and was now the Head of Slytherin house.
She often wondered what house she would be put in, and which house her brother would be in. She also thought of the welcoming ceremony, where she would be able to finally see her twin after ten years of separation.
….
"Do you think I'll be like her, Severus?"
He glanced over to the soon-to-be eleven year old. She was in her pyjamas and just settling in for bed. He turned to her, from his previous position, where he was heading for the door.
"Do you think I'll be sorted into Gryffindor?"
He sighed and walked over to stand at the end of her bed. She was looking down at a picture Lily, in her fourth year at Hogwarts.
"That's up to the Sorting Hat, Bella."
She gazed at the picture. "But if you were going to guess where I'd be sorted, where would you put me?"
He thought about it.
Gryffindor's were supposed to brave and chivalrous. Bella was brave, but not in the way that most people see it. She wasn't the type to go into a dragon's den, to battle a dragon on a whim. No. But she is the kind of brave person who would prepare first, and then keep trying and trying until she not only defeated, but conquered the dragon. She didn't think so, but he saw it in her.
Hufflepuff's are loyal and patient. He supposed she was both of those as well. She was always loyal to him, and those that she had grown up with. And being the quiet girl she was, she was extremely patient. She would be the kind of hunter that would sit and wait for her prey, instead of going out and looking for it.
She could very well be placed in Ravenclaw. They were witty, and learnt things easily. She had shown that through the years. She was a quick study, and had developed her mother's quick wit.
As for Slytherin, they were cunning and ambitious. Bella wasn't necessarily cunning, or particularity ambitious. The only time she presented either of these traits was when she was presented with some kind of challenge.
"I'm not sure Bella. We'll have to wait and see, won't we?"
She peered up at him from the picture and nodded. She turned over to her nightstand and placed it there.
Snape walked over to her and sat down. She adjusted and sat with her back against the headboard, and held her knees to her chest.
He didn`t want to have to tell what he was about to. But it was necessary. He had kept trying to find a proper time to tell her all week, and now seemed as good a time as any.
He spoke softly. "Bella, I must ask something of you." He paused. "It is not something that I'd hoped to ask, but I must."
She looked at him; brows furrowed, and started gnawing on her bottom lip.
He sighed. "Bella, you start school in six months, as you know. And during that time many people will talk about your parents' death, and will ask many questions."
Bella tensed. "And they will most likely, ask you about how you've been raised…even who raised you.
Bella, you must not tell anyone that I have been involved with raising you in anyway."
She looked at him. "Why?"
He knew she would ask that. He knows that she wants to know why he's so secretive of her. But he can't tell her. Part of him realizes it's for her safety. If the Dark Lord ever did come back and he found out Snape had been raising one of the Potter twins, it would be detrimental. Not only to her, but to her brother, the Order and him as well.
Another part of him is afraid that if she knows the truth, she will hate him. Like Lily did.
"Bella. I just need you to trust me on this."
As Bella regarded him, she saw that he was distressed. She'd never seen him like this. Frazzled, tense.
"Even if it means I have to lie to people?"
He looked her straight in the eyes. "Yes."
She could see pain there. His eyes were swimming with regret. And she didn't want him to feel like that.
"…Okay."
He sighed and smiled her personal smile.
He lifted himself off the bed and started walking toward the door again before he heard her speak.
"Sev?" He looked over his shoulder.
"What will you do if I`m not sorted into Slytherin?"
He turned back to the door, opened it, and stepped out into the small corridor. He closed the door behind him saying-
"I will love you just the same."
….
Okay, so I hope you guys liked it! And soon we'll be seeing Harry! Yay! Also on a side note, the feather that Fawkes gave will soon make another appearance! So until next time!