Disclaimer: It's all mine! I own it all! Buahaha! (Gets carried away by government) Oh come on, it was just a joke. I swear, I don't own anything but my own imagination. I swear!

A/N: To better shape the story this chapter is NEW! It's been squeezed in to become the previously known "chap 15". Bu don't worry as this will be the only "add in" chap for the entire length of the story. :-) Enjoy! Reviews are highly encouraged.

Song of the Melodie
by Greenleaf7

- Chapter 15: An Awakening

"Look Papa! Come look at me." The cheerful voice of a tiny raven haired girl seemed to echo across the open meadow. Above the field, the sun was high in the sky with a few scattered white clouds of cotton. Beneath the radiate sun were small hills covered in moss and bright green grass that smelled of fresh apples. Cherry blossoms were everywhere, each one different from the last with some blossoms being pink, blue, and even white. In all respect, this place was the Heartland of paradise, yet nothing short of a memory…

The girl looked about the age of six, her frilly dress spinning with her as she ran and twirled across the field towards her father. The scene surrounding them resembled a water color portrait. It felt somewhat unreal but still beautiful with its array of hazed colors and the corners shimmering in the sunlight like fresh tears blurring the vision.

In an all too familiar daze, Severus watched his baby girl dance and twirl within a gentle swirl of winds that began to encircle her. Riding on the cool breeze were fresh white blossoms, each one giving a faint glow whenever they floated around Eliora.

Not too far from where he stood and Eliora played, was a singular delicate beauty with eyes of bright lavender and a smile that could warm the coldest of hearts. And he should know, since it was his heart that Aura had warmed. There she was, as she was always, leaning on that blue matt and smiling towards her husband and child. She would never speak, instead she would smile and softly wave at him.

He remembered the first few times, he use to try and run to her. But no matter how fast he ran, he always seemed to end up exactly where he started from and no closer to his beloved wife. In face, it was as if she were waving from some great distance.

This truth was both a shattering and haunting reminder that all of this was nothing but a dream and that Severus Snape was indeed alone.

Ever since Eliora had been taken from him, Severus would dream of this fragmented memory. It was a poor way to fill his empty heart, but he didn't care. If he could just go along with it, then maybe he could hold on a little longer to what he lost. At first, the illusion worked. Waking from it was the worst, but the sweet memory was worth the bitterness of reality. But when the years continued to build up on each other and the truth began to sink in deep that he would never see his family again… The dream started to become the bitter poison, slowly eating away what was left of his soul. Soon it became too much to bare and all too soon Severus was mixing concoctions of his own to make the right potion that would keep his tormented dreams at bay.. And for four long years, he's been taking it diligently every night.

So why was he even here? Dreaming all of this?! Why was he being tormented again? Why?

Forcing himself to turn away from the mirage that was his wife, Severus instead found himself watching the now ghostly figure of his little girl seating herself beside his large emerald green easy chair that had appeared in the middle of the field. That had never happened before…

Confused, he blinked once and suddenly found himself seated in the chair. "Merlin's beard! How did this get here?" Sharply he looked around, forgetting this was a dream as his fogged mind tried to think of how he was one second standing and the next sitting.

Curiously, he looked down on his daughter as she began to sing a soft sad hymn in Melodian, her mother's language. It sounded Celtic, but with a blend of Latin and gentle words that were unknown yet was still pleasing to hear. However, the tune itself gripped his heart and soul; bringing forth memories he would have liked to stay buried. Yet he wondered why Eliora chosed to sing this song now. Still, without realizing it, Severus found himself quietly humming the tune. The song itself rumbled in his quivering heart as it stirred emotions of love and loss. As his deep velvety voice began whispering those ancient words into the winds, he allowed his eyes to drift close his eyes close. Eliora's soft voice had long since stopped when he started to sing, but he barely paid noticed. Until that is, a sudden strange and unfamiliar gasp split the very air that surrounded Snape and forced him to stop humming almost immediately.

Frowning in his sleep, he could already feel the veil of reality beginning to pull back thereby forcing the dream to slowly end as his mind stilled between being asleep and awake. He didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to face reality, not after having this dream after so many years without it. It was like an addictive drug, it pained him but he still wanted it. Frowning further with his eyes still closed, Severus felt a warm gentle hand cover his own. The feather warm touch was a contract to his cold hard hand.

His eyes betrayed him as they snapped open, immediately looking down upon the owner of that small warm hand. His daughter with her beautiful purple eyes seemed to glow softly as she gazed up at him, her expression full of wonder. That alone would have peeked Severus curiosity, because again this was all new to the dream he was use to having.

But for the moment, he was more interested on the sudden appearance of a silver-white light that began to swirl around his and his daughter's hand. The light itself twinkled like diamonds, like hundreds of tiny stars that swirled and glowed with every passing as it bounded their hands and wrists like a ribbon of light. In a way, it resembled how the unbreakable vow would be performed, but this was no vow. It was in fact…an awakening.

He was free to move, but he chosed not to. Instead, he watched in silent amazement as the light traveled up his arm and wrapped itself into his very heart and soul. Something had opened a part of himself that had been locked away. He knew this feeling, could feel the re-opening of a connection he thought lost forever. However, he wondered if it was even real. It wouldn't be the first time he dreamt about having the connection to his family return, always hoping that it was true, only to wake up and realize that he was still just an empty shell.

"I'm back papa. I'm back…"

There it was. The very words he always dreaded to hear. They were the same, always feeling like a plunging dagger to his breaking heart. And yet, why did her voice sound so different? Why did she...

Severus Snape forced himself to breathe. His eyes were still tightly shut when he gripped his free hand into a tight fist while mustering up the courage to open his eyes and face reality. Already he could feel the warmth of the fire and hear the crackling of wood, but still some part of his mind was in the dream since he could still smell the fresh apple grass and the cool breeze across his face. And of course, he could still feel the feather touch of his daughters hand over his own.

He knew it was time to tell the haunting image of his little girl to leave him alone. It was time to end this torment. An inner battle but one that had to be overcome. In the end, reason won and his eyes snapped open. Though he was not at all prepared for what met his steady gaze. Completely stunned, he watched as Eliora began to change before his very eyes. Surrounding him, the meadow began to haze and fade away. Like some colored chalk painting on a muggle side-walk being washed away by the rain. It all seemed to vanish, leaving him alone in his dark cold-stoned room beneath Hogwarts. But was he really alone?

As the dream faded, Eliora did not. To him it was like a metamorphosis from his little girl before him to a much older version of her, a teenage girl. She was kneeling before him, her hand covering his own…just like in his dream, which made him wonder if he was still dreaming. Still, he couldn't help himself but stiffen when the girl looked up at him. Those eyes, a bright pair of amethyst eyes, brighter than Aura's and Ariel's put together, gazed right up at him.

She appeared to be surprised when his black pools met hers, but he knew better. He knew he was still dreaming, a dream within a dream, though it never happened before. Of course, when he was awake he'd usually see visions of Eliora's ghostly form everywhere he turned in the castle. But this, this was different because he never had dreamt her being older.

"Papa?" Softly, almost hesitantly her voice seemed to tremble but by the stars she sounded so much like her mother. Did she know? The thought suddenly angered him. He hated more than anything when his mind played tricks on him, playing images of a daughter that he knew he'll never see. Worse was when he started to believe in these delusions.

"Leave me." Sharply he replied. His voice was cold as he swiftly snatched his hand from underneath the 'haunting' image before him.

"Stop haunting me." He dangerously said as he sharply rose up from his chair, his demeanor towering over the 'mirage' of his daughter forcing the illusion to shrink back in sudden fear. The roaring of the flames stopping her from scooting back any further, this he caught when she took a quick glance behind her before looking back at him. He almost bashed himself when he saw the fear reflect in her eyes as she stared wide-eyed. But he forced himself to remain firm. He would not give in to this illusion, this he repeated to himself.

"Papa? Daddy, it's me. It's Eliora." Her voice pleading as if that would make him believe she was any realer. He wanted laugh, cry, scream; all the above and more because of how much he wished that she was real.

It was on that very minute that the unthinkable happened. The girl that he had thought was nothing more then an illusion, suddenly launched herself forwards and grasped a tight hold on his hand. She gripped it so lightly he thought it would go numb. Immediately he stiffened, his mind going blank, but not before she sharply pulled on his arm. He had no choice but to bend over a little, unknowing allowing her to hug his arm now. Tightly she gripped it while never looking away from his face.

For the first time, in a long time, Severus was at a loss for words. He was awake, he was sure of it! Had he finally lost his mind? Had he gone mad? This illusion was now gripping his arm as if for dear life, and it felt very very real. If this indeed was a dream, then he would have hexed the unlucky twerp seconds ago. So why was he standing still, completely stiff as if paralyzed.

"It's me…your daughter! I remember now. I remember you and momma. I never could before; I couldn't even remember her voice or yours. But I can now, I remember it all." Her desperate cry almost broke his heart, but he couldn't tear his gaze from hers nor could he move.

"Remember, remember how you use to read to me about potions instead of bedtime stories?" The corners of his lips twitched ever slightly into a small barely noticeable smile as Severus too remembered. How could he forget? It was a memory he always cherished, all those bedtime potion lessons. When it was his time to tuck Eliora in, Aura would simply stand at the door and listen to his tales of how he performed some new potion. She would just smile and shake her head, sometimes scolding him after saying things like 'the appropriate way of making an antidote potion for most poisons is definitely not a bedtime story for Eliora.' He would just smile and kiss her. Above everything, he had wanted his daughter to be intelligent when it came to potion making. After all, he was the Potions Master. So why wouldn't he want to teach his child everything he knew. In the past, he would often dream that as soon as Eliora was old enough to go to Hogwarts, she would be sorted into Slytherin and become a high-marked potions master herself one day. Those were the dreams of a father for his daughter.

"Daddy, please! Please say that you know me. Say that you remember me. Please!"

"Am I still dreaming? Why does she think I don't remember her? There hasn't been a day gone by since I lost my girl that I haven't thought about her." His thoughts were chaotic as the slow realization began to sink in. But not before he felt a strange sudden sensation on his arm. It felt…wet?

Looking down, his eyes instantly widened as he saw the reason. She was crying! Fresh tears were streaming down her cheeks, soaking his long sleeved arm that she was now hugging tightly. His eyes were still wide with shock when he looked back and stared into the eyes of his daughter. And that's when it hit him, full force. Gripped at his heart, mind, and soul; the realization…the true reality…the miracle that was now crying before him.

"Eliora…" His mouth felt dry, but still he whispered her name, hoping that she wouldn't fade away. But somehow he knew that she wouldn't. She wasn't some mirage, not a trick of his mind or a haunting memory of a lost child. No, she was really here. Somehow, a miracle no less, his daughter was right here. Eliora was real. She was real!

"Eliora." His voice trembled so, swallowing a lump down his throat. Without realizing it, he began to move his free arm and outstretch his hand towards his daughter. He wanted so badly to tell her everything. To give her the answer she pleaded to hear, to calm her fears. But all he could say was her name, which he repeated over and over again. Half of him not believing it, but now knowing it was all true.

After what felt like forever, finally, his hand reached his daughters tear-stained face. With a gentleness that would have been strange to see from the potions master, Severus placed his cool hand against her daughters' cheek and softly rubbed away the tears that stained it. Any doubt that had been left in his mind was immediately burned away as he broke out into a small smile that matched his daughters. Together, they smiled at one another. In a way, no words were needed just the knowledge that they had found each other.

Only now, Severus didn't know what to do. There were so many questions. Like, why now? Where had she been all these years? When had she started to remember him? Had Ariel's curse on his daughters mind been lifted? Would Hogwarts accept her? Of course they would, they'd be crazy not too. Only she is a good six years late… But all that didn't matter now, because after so long without hope; here she was. And he'd be damned if he was going to let anyone separate them again.

But fate had other plans and it came with the sudden and sharp inhale from his daughter. Frowning, Severus immediately kneeled before her, his wide eyes frantically searching hers to see what was wrong. Before his very eyes, he watched her lips turn a shade of purple while her skin grew pale. She started shaking, no, trembling! Since she released her hold on his arm, he used his free hand to cup her face but she seemed not to notice. In fact, she seemed distant…like she was barely even here. Her whole body shook violently as she rocked and hugged herself tightly. She could barely even speak, though her eyes pleaded for help. Only Severus didn't understand what was happening and for the moment didn't have any ideas other than to keep his daughter warm. She looked like she was freezing from the inside out!

When Severus lowered his hands from her face, the connection was severed. The link keeping her here was gone and instantly she began to dim. Her eyes fluttered closed as she began falling back. Worried that she would hit her head, Severus immediately reached out to catch his daughter…only for her to pass right through him. In horror, he watched as she passed through his arms and completely disappeared into a haze of sparkling lavender light.

"NO!" He cried out, dropping his hands to the floor as if expecting to fall in and reach for her. But she was gone, completely without a trace of ever being there.

Before the events of this night, Severus would have emitted himself into a psycho ward after witnessing his daughter disappear like she was an illusion. But that was before and this was now. And right now, Severus Snape began to rise from the floor in a graceful slick fashion. The sleeve to his arm was still soaked by his daughters' tears, but he paid no mind. His thoughts were right now on something he hadn't done in over ten years.

His daughter had been here and now she was gone, but only because she couldn't yet control her gifts. And as he stared into the fireplace, Severus could feel the familiar burning sensation in his chest. He had that feeling before, ten years ago to be precise. It was the day that he lost his wife and his world, had felt her own life-force tremble in its wake as danger lurked nearby. Only now, that's what he was feeling for Eliora. Danger, her very life was in danger.

The black pools in his eyes flashed in the dark as a furious resolve settled into his very bones. He lost his wife because he couldn't reach her in time. He lost his daughter because he didn't fight the one who took her. He'd be damned if he was going to lose her again.

With that, Severus focused on his daughter and reached out to her with his senses. Upon marriage to his wife, a link or connection deeper than anything had been made with his family. But when Ariel took Eliora and wiped her memories, she also severed that link. So as Severus reached out, he half expected it not to work…not to mention how rusty he had become. But after only a few seconds went by, he suddenly gave a jolt when he found her. In a flash, Snape opened his eyes and concentrated on the magic link. Like a vision before him, all Snape could make out was dried up well. Or at least, he thought it was a well. It was covered by a circular piece of wood and sealed by a thick muggle lock. Furious as he realized that his daughter was being kept inside that well, Snape didn't think twice when he grabbed for his cloak and wrapped it around himself. With his wand at the ready, he took one last look at the portrait of his dearly departed wife hanging on the mantelpiece before closing his eyes and disappearing with a loud bang. Pieces of parchment scattering about as he apparated on the spot.

~Authors Note~

Thank you, thank you one and all for reading my story. Your words of encouragmet and enjoyment is what brings me to return and finish this magically spun tail just for you. So from the bottom of my heart, Thank You! :)