He had memorized the picture in the file, taken in every facet to the girl who could very well be his own. The picture had been a muggle one, unmoving in its frame with the familiar glare leveled at the observer. But seeing her now, in the flesh, was like seeing a different person. Her dark eyes took him in, seemingly searching as they moved across him. There was no scowl upon her face, making her look, in his opinion, far prettier for it. The piercings in her nose and eyebrow had made him frown when he had seen them in her picture, though he refrained from doing so now.
She was smaller than he'd imagined, about two heads shorter than he was. Her clothes were faded and torn in places, but relatively clean. Old memories of his own younger years long buried rose close to the forefront of his mind. As a small child his clothes had been old and mismatched, but always clean. In the later years he'd gotten hand-me-downs from his father that had seen better days, but he still kept them as clean as he could, no matter the wear and tear. When he'd gotten out of school and was able to afford new clothes, he swore he would never wear anything so old and used again. If she left with him tonight, he vowed that she would be given better attire.
She stood still, yet he had the feeling that at any given moment she might bolt through the other door of the room if she felt the need to run.
'Wary. But then I would be too in her shoes.'
His dark eyes seemed to study her so intently that Alice couldn't help but look away after a few moments. It had always made her uncomfortable when others stared at her. She turned her attention instead to the other man that had entered.
It startled her when she recognized him as Albus Dumbledore. She had seen his picture many times, both in her history book and the chocolate frog cards that had she had amassed since she was five. His bright blue eyes behind the half moon spectacles were just as she remembered, as was the shock of white hair. He gave her a polite smile, but even if she was the type to return smiles, she would have been in too much shock to do so.
'Just who the hell is this guy that Albus freaking Dumbledore is here with him?'
The white robed man who had been preparing ingredients said something that caught all the mens attention, though Alice missed what it was. It became apparent, however, what he had wanted when the dark eyed man went over to the cauldron and used the wand he pulled from his right sleeve and used it to make a small cut on one of his fingers. Alice watched as he put his hand over the potion that had been brewing and let three drops of his blood fall into it.
She watched as the drops were slowly stirred clockwise into the green liquid, until it had become a pale gray. Five sprigs of baby's breath were added, one at a time, and the mixture was stirred counterclockwise.
Alice found it strange that no one besides the man in the white robe had spoken yet, which added to her suspicions about everything. The late hour, the silence and the presence of the man who most considered to be the most powerful wizard in the world was beginning to unnerve her. Her eyes darted to the door she had entered from. It was closed, but she wondered if it was locked as well.
It was as she thought this that the man working at the counter spoke again, and she didn't miss his words this time.
"Your turn, miss."
She blinked twice before realizing that he wanted her donation to the potion. She walked over to the cauldron and stared down into the gray-white mix. It hit her hard in that moment that once she added her blood to it that her life might change drastically. If the man, Severus Snape, was her father, he very well could want her to go with him. If he wasn't, she knew that until she came of age, she would be put in the system with all the other children who didn't have anyone to take of them. Or worse, if he was her father, and didn't want her. She wanted to tell herself it wouldn't matter, that she didn't care, but she had never been in the habit of lying to herself. It would hurt her if he rejected her.
Regina, for all the turbulent years that had passed since her birth, had kept her, but made no secret that she didn't love her daughter. That had hurt enough.
Alice didn't know the spell that Snape had used to make the cut on his finger, but she was saved the embarassment when Mr. Jackson went to her side and raised his hand. She slowly raised her hand and allowed him to take her index finger, which he pointed his wand to and, with a small motion, silently made an incision. It stung, but Alice hardly noticed as the older man guided her hand over the cauldron and let three drops of her blood fall into it. As he pulled her hand back and healed the cut, the mix was stirred clockwise once more.
All eyes were on the cauldron, never moving as the color changed from the pale gray.
Alice wasn't familiar with this particular potion, as it certainly was not taught to those in her year or below, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what the baby pink color meant.
Several things happened at once: Bradley Jackson spoke quietly with the lab technician, who was quickly cleaning and putting away his tools, Albus Dumbledore had taken Severus Snape over to a corner of the room to speak in private, someone had banished the contents of the cauldron, and Alice stood very still, trying to listen in on both conversations.
Jackson was talking about obliviation and false memories, which the young man had apparently agreed to beforehand, while Dumbledore spoke of a return portkey to Hogwarts. After a few more moments Jackson approached Dumbledore and Snape, saying the paperwork would be in order, the dates appropriate. All he needed was a signature, and everything on his end would be sorted. A wave of his wand and a file folder appeared along with an inked quill. Snape snatched the quill from where it was in midair and signed where Jackson told him to.
As this was happening, Dumbledore looked over to Alice and motioned her to join them. She did so, hoping that maybe one of them would shed light on what was going to happen next. He offered her another smile, a twinkle in his eyes as he did so. "Our apologies my dear, for lack of introduction, but I fear everything must wait still. Once we are safely home, everything will be explained."
Her eyes widened at his words. Home? So this man was taking her with him? And all this secrecy would be explained? She was relieved until she heard Snape speak for the first time. The simple word of "finished" wasn't so bad, but the accent sent her mind into chaos. It shouldn't have surprised her really, after all Dumbledore had said something about returning to Hogwarts, but adding the two together made her realize just where 'home' was for the man who had just been revealed as her father.
'England!? They're taking me across the damn ocean?'
