I edited this chapter after noticing a few holes... Sorry!

Thanks so much for the support and reviews! I know this chapter is short, but I'm already working on chapter four and it should be done in the next few days!

Disclaimer: Though I love Snape and stood by him to the very end, I do not own his awesomely complex character. Rowling does.

"Drink this," Snape said, thrusting a vial in my face as I jolted upright, ignoring the pain that screamed through my chest and shoulder. I pushed his hand away, covering my mouth to stifle the sob that raked through my body. Liz, Laura, they were my fault. And my mother… my mom!

"Where's my mother?" I asked Dumbledore harshly.

"We are searching for her as we speak," he started hesitantly.

I shook my head. "No. Not good enough." I swung my legs off the table, suppressing the nausea that rumbled in my stomach. But I couldn't stand as I held my head, the room spinning slightly. "I have to find her," I muttered, eyes burning as I remembered the last time I saw her face; we'd gotten in an argument shortly before the concert. I'd stormed out of the house, completely furious with her. "I have to make sure she's alright."

"You have to drink this," Snape said again.

"What do you care?" I asked, unnerved by the caring look in his eyes.

"Severus is your uncle," Dumbledore explained, his voice cutting through an awkward silence.

I'm the great granddaughter of Albus Dumbledore, and the niece of Severus Snape. For a moment I was speechless. Then, "How the hell did that happen?"

"I think we've all asked that question," Sirius muttered, the last few words trailing off as Mrs. Weasley glared at him. "What?" he asked, shrinking under her gaze, "It is a good question."

"I don't have time for this," I said, rubbing my temples and trying to stand.

Snape caught me before I fell, lifting me back onto the table while sighing audibly. "Now you're just being ridiculous," he chastised.

I glanced into his dark eyes before narrowing my own. "I'm your niece, right?" I asked softly. He nodded. "Which parent is related to you?" I already knew the answer as his gaze fell to the floor.

"Your mother is my sister."

"Then why don't you care that she could be dead right now?" I screamed, grimacing as the pain in my chest increased.

Snape took a deep breath, angrily leveling his gaze with my own. "Running blindly around England will do nothing for her," he said coolly. "She is bait, and I know her well enough to know that she'd want you to stay safe, even if it meant her own demise."

"Oh, now you know her? I seriously doubt you know a person you haven't seen in years, much less care about her." The words flew from my mouth without warning, and I sat, fuming.

"If your assumption is that I would simply abandon my only sister and her baby girl without a very good reason I can assure you that you are sorely mistaken." His voice was dangerously low, and I could do nothing but nod. "Now take this, or the pain will only grow worse."

I frowned, realizing that my breaths had become ragged in the past few minutes, and finally took the vial of blue liquid he offered me. It immediately warmed my body and dulled the throbbing in my chest and shoulder until I could barely notice it.

"What about my dad?" I asked, guilty that I had forgotten about him until now. Snape looked at Dumbledore, who shook his head at me. It felt as though I'd just been hit by a truck; my vision went fuzzy and I blinked back tears, wondering how much more death I could handle.

"They attacked him in Florida before the Order could reach him," Dumbledore said regretfully. "Voldemort did it himself."

I closed my eyes, embracing the numb sensation that had begun to take over. Suddenly, this world was not what I wanted. My cheeks flushed in guilt, knowing that I'd dreamed about this for the past few years of my life, without thinking once about the consequences it would entail.

"Oh dear," Mrs. Weasley said, bustling towards me with a big bowl of soup. "Why don't you eat this and head upstairs, Katarina? You need a few solid hours of sleep after what you've just been through."

I nodded mutely as the others headed out of the kitchen, save for Snape and Dumbledore.

"When you've rested we'll talk again, shall we?" he said. I nodded again, realizing with a jolt that the two men standing before me were almost the only family I had left. Ironic. But once they left the room I found myself unable to finish my soup.

"That's alright, dear," Mrs. Weasley said after my many apologies, "I'll send some more up for you later. Your room is third on the right. There are pajamas on the bed."

I was too tired to question her, so I headed upstairs, barely noticing the elf heads, or the angry portrait of Mrs. Black. Once in my room, I sat in bed, forgetting the pajamas as I pulled the covers over my face and gave into the tears that had been threatening to spill all night.

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I hate to do this to you all, but in order to post the next chapter, I'm requesting ten new reviews (to make 20 total). I want to make sure that I should continue the story, so yes. Thanks ahead of time for the reviews!