Disclaimer: Don't own it.

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Chapter Twenty-Nine: Healing?

Hope awoke the next morning in her bedroom and got up to look around. She searched the dressers and chest and made it over to the desk. She opened each of the drawers until she found the adoption papers from earlier.

"I remember these…" Hope said. She had pushed off signing them, not because she didn't want it, but because she didn't know if it was for sure what they wanted.

While she was looking at them, Severus walked in and noticed. "We are still waiting for you to make up your mind on that. It's been since Christmas."

"I made up mine, just wasn't sure if you had yours," Hope whispered, staring at the papers with his signature on them.

"Lea…come here," he said, sitting on the bed and motioning for her to do the same. Hope did as he said and found herself facing a very serious expression.

"I don't know what it is going to take to convince you that I love you, and nothing would make me happier than to have you as my daughter. I left the decision up to you because I didn't want to make you feel as if I was trying to take the place of your real parents."

Hope tried looking away but Severus' hand cupped her face and kept eye contact. "I want you in my family, with Draco as your brother. I adopted him awhile ago because of his father." Hope nodded, expecting that after last night. "The only question you need to worry about is whether you would like to be a part of that family."

Hope got up and walked over to the desk again. She took the papers in her hands and turned back to him. "Explain to me something first. Why don't I know what's happened?"

Severus sighed. "Something happened in my class yesterday, a potion covered you and you lost your memory. It was only supposed to affect the past two days, but my guess is it's affecting everything you've not completely dealt with yet. Draco is brewing a memory restorative potion as we speak."

Hope nodded and took out a quill. She set it down on the papers and turned to face her godfather. "When I get memory back, I'm signing those papers, and we're making it official."

Severus smiled and pulled the girl into a hug. "I'm glad, Lea. It's time to accept it," he whispered to the girl embracing him.

Hope felt tears falling and didn't know how long she stayed like that, hugging her soon to be father, but she knew she was happy, and she really was wanted in a family.

Later that evening, Hope had taken the potion and had her memories back, and was feeling rather embarrassed by how she had acted. She wouldn't make eye contact with anyone, and therefore was making her lesson very difficult.

"Hope?" Dumbledore asked, getting her attention. "You're wand has healing capabilities, because of the phoenix tears in it. For you to be a match for that wand, I have to wonder if you have natural healing powers."

"Healing? I've never been interested in healing things before. Why would that be me?"

"Did you ever plan on talking to animals?" Draco smirked beside her, causing her to laugh.

"No, can't say I did. Okay, so how do we find out?"

"First, talk to Fawkes. He should be able to tell you. If you do, we work on mastering them. They could be a huge asset to this war."

Hope nodded and turned to the bird perched on her shoulder. "What do you think Fawkes? Any special healing in me?"

The bird softly trilled before answering. You're a natural Healer. You won't even need a wand eventually.

This caused Hope to start, scaring the bird into flying off her shoulder. "How does he know stuff like that?" She asked the headmaster.

"Phoenix 's are natural Healers. They can determine whether others are as well. Your mother was talented with healing charms and could even do a few wandless."

"He said I would be able to do it completely wandless. How?"

"We'll get there later. For now, come this way," he said, leading her over to a cupboard. The aged wizard pulled out two snakes, one green and one dark blue. Hope smiled at the resemblance.

"One of them is sick, and won't make it through the evening without care. Use your powers to figure out which one and heal them."

Hope looked at him like he was crazy. "I don't know how to do that!" She exclaimed.

"Trust your instincts. They are not often wrong."

Hope sighed and closed her eyes, allowing one of the snakes to crawl onto her arm. She focused on the creature and sensed nothing wrong with it. Placing it gently back into the box she heard it hiss.

"What's wrong, little buddy?" She whispered to the snake.

Rather than hearing an answer, she heard it hiss again. "Woah!" She said, turning back to the other four. "I can't talk to him…" Hope said worriedly, causing everyone else to chuckle.

Harry stepped over to her and looked at the snake. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "But I can." He turned back to the snakes and began talking.

"What did I do to it?" Hope asked, afraid she had hurt him.

Harry reached inside and put the snake in a different position before lifting out a piece of broken egg. "You set him on something sharp. He didn't like it," he said, petting the green snake.

Hope sighed and allowed the blue one to wrap itself around her wrist. She focused again on it and found something in its aura. Taking it over to the empty table, she laid it down and brandished her wand. Incanting a spell she'd never learned, she felt the snake's aura change from in pain to healthy. She smiled, turning to the others.

"I did it!" She exclaimed, putting the snake back. "Harry, ask if they both feel okay now!"

Harry did as she asked before nodding his head and hugging his girlfriend.

"Well, that was certainly entertaining. Hope, where did you learn that spell?" Severus asked.

"I don't know, it just kind of came to me. I trusted my instincts and it was there."

"And that, my dear girl, is what makes you a natural healer," he said with sparkling eyes. "Now I believe that is enough for today," he said, causing everyone to stand. As they were almost out the door, he stopped them again.

"Watch how you use that power of yours. It could be draining and it will weaken you," he said with a wink before turning and shutting his door, causing the three teens to start laughing, and a very amused Severus to lead the way to dinner.

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A/N: And finally, this is tonight's chapter. Sorry. I'm going to go ahead and post tomorrow's also since I have to work.

Thanks to the reviewers, and to my beta, Nita. I love you all. If you're not one of those people, please go review!!

Kayla