A/n: Thanks to everyone who faved or followed. I would really like to hear from you guys!

Special thanks to AUOverHere for your kind words. I'm really glad you enjoyed the story and the writing style, as I wasn't quite sure if the chapter was up to parr. And thanks so much for pointing out the mistake where I accidentally put godfather instead of goddaughter, I fixed it immediately after you did so. I hope the story continues to please. :)

Also special thanks to Penny is wise for taking the time out to review.

Prompt: Nobel Peace Prize (#86)

"But these problems aside,
I think I taught you well."

-Of Monsters and Men, King and Lionheart

The first few days spent in Grimmauld Place were certainly an adjustment. As Tracey had never before had reason to interact very much with the Weasley's, and as she was a Slytherin and Snape's goddaughter, her reception by them was not exactly a welcoming one. For the most part, at least where the youngest two Weasley's were concerned, she was someone not to be trusted or treated kindly.

For the twin's part, they at least left her alone. Mostly. Tracey guessed that in part, this was because of their mother, but also because they too were at least giving her the benefit of the doubt for the moment. Tracey was a bit appreciative of this, though she would never admit to it.

As for the elder Weasley's, Tracey felt more wary of them then almost anyone else. Even Sirius Black's treatment towards her, which varied from ignoring her existence to treating her like an unwanted guest, depending on the day or his mood, did not bother her. However, the sincere kindness from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and their nurturing and warm natures, set Tracey a bit on edge. She wasn't particularly use to such open care, and she wasn't sure how to deal with it.

While her grandmother had been doting and loving of her, she was also getting quite on in age. A lot of times, near the end, she would sometimes look at Tracey like she didn't know who she was. And there were times when she'd confused Tracey for her mother, though Tracey wasn't sure why, as her hair rather set her apart from her mother, who's hair had been chocolate brown.

Sometimes growing up, Tracey wondered if her grandmother loved her because of who she was, or who her grandmother thought she was. It was a thought that so often made her heart clench in her chest with hurt, hurt that she tried desperately to ignore and put a brave face to, but sometimes she was just too young. Her little chest simply couldn't take it.

But her grandmother had a biological imperative to love her. The Weasley's had no reason to care for her, to be kind to her, especially as Tracey had never given anyone any particular reason to be warm to her. Tracey was unabashedly a hard girl, with a difficult personality which pushed others away. But the Weasley's treatment towards her puzzled her, and made her uncomfortable.

Unlikely as it seemed, Tracey found herself acclimating to Grimmauld. Even when it was disrupted with the arrival of Hermione Granger, the same week that Tracey arrived there.

In the Gryffindor girl, Tracey found someone a bit more friendly, though still reasonably wary. However, Hermione Granger had never been someone Tracey liked very much. In their four years together, Tracey noticed that just like Pansy Parkinson, Hermione seemed particular desirous of praise and attention. Though, while Pansy sought this from her peers, Hermione sought it from their Professor's, which to Tracey was no less vexing. Having never been one for flaunting, she didn't understand Hermione's pathological need to be noticed for her intelligence or cleverness.

But despite her unkind opinion of Hermione Granger, Tracey did at least try to be more polite towards the bushy-haired girl. After all, Granger was making a decent attempt, the least Tracey could do was be a bit more civil to her. Though, nothing could quite make her be particularly friendly. It was simply no longer in her nature.

Apart from the regulars, and a grouchy house-elf that Tracey rarely even saw, there was a stream of people constantly coming and going from the house Mrs. Weasley was trying to put to rights. While Tracey minded her business for the most part, putting up with aiding the Weasley troupe in making Grimmauld place livable with her usual stoicism, the other's weren't quite so content, gathering every bit they could to discuss just what was going on in the Order's meetings.

Tracey meanwhile was preoccupied with other things. She didn't care so much what the Order was doing, she was more concerned with one particular Order member, and that was her godfather.

Since Severus had dumped her at Grimmauld, Tracey didn't get to see very much of him. While she had known to expect this, she had hoped she would see him a bit more than a few minutes once a week or so. The situation was highly irritating and unbearable, that her outer facade was cracking ever so slightly.

She was concerned for Severus. As much as it embarrassed her to admit it, as much as she would never admit it out loud, she had grown to think of Severus as a bit of a father figure. Having never really had one, having no hope for ever meeting or being able to have a normal relationship with her own father, Severus was all she had. And she couldn't bear the thought of something happening to him, and knowing the nature of his work for the Order, Tracey knew that his dependable presence in her life was being threatened.

By comparison, everything else paled in importance.

The muffled sound of shouts broke Tracey's concentration. Looking up from the book she was reading, she momentarily glared at the ceiling and the ruckus from overhead. Though, she couldn't make out too many words, muffled as they were by the floorboards, she definitely heard the distinct sound of someone shouting. Someone male.

Frowning, Tracey stared a bit longer at the ceiling until it clicked in place why this should be niggling at something at the back of her mind. A few nights prior to today, there had been a bit of a commotion. From what Tracey was able to glean from her quiet observations, it involved Potter using magic illegally, and the Ministry of course found out about it and was trying to get him expelled. The Order, particularly Dumbledore, had been put under strain do to these unforeseen circumstance, and she knew that they were making plans for Potter's defense at the hearing and to get him out of his muggle relative's home.

Was that tonight then? Is he here already? Tracey wondered as the shouting finally seemed to die away. She heard footsteps overhead, but shook her head, wondering at what it had all been about.

Over the last couple of weeks, ever since the arrival of Granger, Tracey knew that she should expect the arrival of Potter at some point during this summer. And given the anxious looks the bushy-haired Gryffindor girl got whenever they received an owl, or the muttering she at times heard Granger saying to herself, Tracey had deduced that Potter's arrival was something that set her a bit on edge. Though why, Tracey was unsure.

From all her years at Hogwarts, she had assumed that the Gryffindor trio was joined at the hips. Granted she'd known of a few row's they had over the years, but she still figured that the arrival of Potter would please his friends. Narrowing her gaze on the ceiling, Tracey surmised that perhaps it was Potter shouting, and it was his pissy attitude that Granger had been worrying about. Although, why Potter should be angry, Tracey was uncertain.

Sighing, Tracey pinched the bridge of her nose. She hoped that Potter's presence didn't upset the routine she'd settle into much. Though, somehow she knew there wasn't much hope... it seemed wherever Potter went, chaos and trouble seemed to ensue.

~X~

A soft knock on her bedroom door had Tracey getting up. Walking over quietly to the door, she opened the door slightly and peeked into the darkened hall, only to find a tall, dark silhouette. However, she would know him anywhere, even in the badly lit halls of Grimmauld Place.

Opening the door wider and stepping back, Tracey wordlessly motioned her godfather in. "The meeting's over, I take it?" Tracey asked as he stepped in and shut the door behind himself. Severus only stopped by to check and visit with her when he was over Grimmauld for a meeting or to give a report, which wasn't very frequent. Tracey imagined this was because most of what he reported went directly to Dumbledore first, and that Severus only shared the parts Dumbledore wanted the rest of the Order to be informed about.

"Indeed," he replied tersely, his tone giving nothing away as he took in his surroundings, taking special note of the books scattered on her bed. "Have the Weasley's continued to pester you?"

Tracey wanted to cross her arms over her chest and huff, but refrained from doing so as she felt his dark gaze turn to look at her questioningly. She knew that he was simply trying to look out for her, but she found it unnecessary. Thus far, the Weasley twins had simply tried to make nonchalant inquiries about what her godfather was up to, which she always craftily avoided.

Though, there really wasn't much for her to tell. While her godfather was open with her, and told her things that perhaps the other members of the Order, Mrs. Weasley in particular, might not deem her old enough to know, Tracey was still a bit in the dark as to what exactly he was up to. The extent of her knowledge of Severus' activities only went as far as knowing that he rejoined the Dark Lord's ranks and that he was rubbing elbows with known and unknown Death Eaters. Tracey didn't know the gory details and she wasn't sure she wanted to know; so long as her godfather was safe, that was all she really cared for.

"I can deal with a few nosey people, I've done it plenty before," Tracey replied monotonously. "It isn't an issue."

For a moment, there was silence. Tracey poised herself, her curiosity coming to the fore, but then she hesitated. She was unsure how wise it was to ask the question. After all, any idiot could see that her godfather absolutely detested Potter. Though, Tracey wasn't really sure why; she knew that the roots of that hate were stemmed from the relationship Severus had with Potter's father.

For her part, Tracey wasn't given to hate the-boy-who-lived. While it was true that she'd never particularly seen anything about him that warranted attention in class, no particular cleverness or talent for magic, Tracey couldn't outright bring herself to hate him. She knew that Severus liked to call out on Potter for being an attention-seeking brat, but being surrounded by two of the most attention-seeking, pompous, idiots in all of the school on a daily basis, she knew that Severus was wrong about Potter; at least in that aspect.

The only thing Tracey thought might be a deficiency in character about Potter, was his nearly pathological need to break rules. But then, Tracey wasn't even sure if that was of Potter's own doing. After all, considering the fact that he'd been marked by the Dark Lord since he was a baby, she couldn't really see how he was to blame for the trouble that followed him.

"I was thinking about perhaps taking you out for dinner tonight," Severus finally said softly, breaking the silence. Tracey's eyes snapped to her godfather, her large eyes widening in genuine surprise that her mask of complete indifference to the world shattered. For a moment, her eyes blinked at him slowly in disbelief as her stomach started uncoiling.

"Are you joking?" Tracey asked in a tone of disbelief tinged slightly with suspicion, even as the feeling of excitement bubbled in her stomach. In the two weeks she had been in Grimmauld Place, she hadn't been outside or had fresh air once. Though, Tracey was used to darkness (living almost year round for the last several years in dungeons) and though she tended to prefer the indoors, she was starting to go a bit stir-crazy.

Severus arched a brow and sneered down at her. "When have I ever been known to... joke?" Severus asked, distasted for the word joke entering his tone as he finished with a twist of his lips.

Tracey stared at the man before her, but decided against saying anything. Contrary to popular belief, Severus did have a sense of humor, a rather dark, morbid, one that very few could appreciate. But then, she guessed if she pointed that out, she would be arguing semantics. Instead she merely flashed a rare smile at her godfather, "Where to then?"

An hour later found the Slytherin seated very comfortably across from each other in a chinese restaurant in muggle London. As the risk of running into someone who would recognize Severus and ask too many questions about his being accompanied by one of his students, outings were a rare treat for Tracey, usually restricted to muggle parts of England.

"So, what's the occasion?" Tracey asked as she sat back in her chair, only raising the question when they were through eating and she didn't have to worry so much about Severus cutting the outing short because of an ill-timed question.

"Who says there's an occasion?" Severus asked as he paid the bill.

"I'm not stupid, Severus. There has to be a reason you arranged this outing. You wouldn't risk taking me out, not this summer, and not when you've dumped me at Grimmauld," Tracey explained in a tone carefully calculated not to show any emotion, specifically the exasperation she felt and the slight since of abandonment that had been steadily mounting over the course of two weeks.

Severus sighed, setting the bill and muggle money aside as he sat back and glared over at the girl before him. "Sometimes you are far too bright for your own good," Severus stated dryly, mentally berating himself for allowing her chatter through dinner about her studies, and the trivial every day activities of Grimmauld, to lull him into a false sense of security. He told himself he should have known better, should have known she was simply waiting for the opportune moment to ask.

"Well you have no one to blame but yourself for that," Tracey said off-handedly. Being as Severus was her godfather, almost everything with him was a lesson. From the moment he had taken her into his care, he had placed special attention in her education and he accepted nothing but the best where her homework and school work was concerned.

If Severus was demanding in his standards where his Slytherins were concerned, it was doubly so in Tracey's case. Were it not for Tracey'd determined nature, and thirsty sense of curiosity, she might have buckled under the pressure of such expectations.

"Potter was delivered tonight," Severus stated, in a tone that barely contained his loathing for the boy. An impressive feat, when considering just how much hate lay there.

"I thought that might be him, shouting I mean," Tracey stared thoughtfully. "What does that have to do with me?" she asked after a moment.

"I imagine Potter might be overwhelmed with information, and your introduction being postponed might be for the best," he explained simply and tersely in hushed tones. However, Tracey caught every word and found her eyebrows contracting marginally in thought.

"You're doing this for him?" Tracey asked, her tone arch as the idea was laughable.

"Of course not," Severus spat, sending a heated glare for even making such an asinine remark. "I imagine Potter's mind, feeble as it is, is currently under duress and that his Gryffindor sensibilities would be far too strained tonight to contain himself from an idiotic outburst where you are concerned."

"I can handle Potter," Tracey said in a bored tone.

"I don't want you to handle Potter. I want you to stay away from him," Severus said, giving her a pointed look and in a tone that allowed for no argument. "An acquaintance with Potter, will cause nothing but trouble and would draw too much unwanted attention for you."

"I'm not sure why you're so concerned. Are you forgetting the house divide? Potter would never allow himself to become even remotely acquainted with someone from our House. If anyone did breach the Slytherin-Gryffindor divide, I'm sure they'd be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize," Tracey deadpanned.

"Then it shouldn't be difficult to make yourself as scarce as possible when he's near, will it?" Severus stated dryly, getting to his feet. For a moment, Tracey didn't move and peered looked at Severus through long, dark, curly lashes. Her face was an inscrutable mask as she watched her godfather, wondering why he cared about this so much.

While it was not the first time that Severus made restrictions on who she was allowed to have contact with, as it was in Severus nature to be highly controlling, he'd never been so adamant and immovable on the subject. Not even where Theodore Nott was concerned, and when considering the reasons why that particular friendship was not feasible and the fact that she was eleven when he told her his reasoning, Tracey was baffled at the lack of explanation where Potter was concerned.

But then, as her godfather hated the boy so much, she suppose she could understand why he was not bothering to explain it further. She guessed too that his concern for her somehow becoming a target because of Potter was his main reason.

"I still say that you have nothing to worry about," Tracey said as she stood, "But if it will make you feel better, I will do my best."

TBC...