"My dear man, might I asked how your night finished out?" The old headmaster said looking at a tired Severus Snape before him.
"We had a moment last evening… but we have much to discuss."
"Yes, yes, and I am glad she is more receptive, now that we have established your connection… does Alexander know?" He asked the dark man.
"Yes, I spoke to him about it this morning. They're in our quarters, finishing breakfast together."
"I see, I imagine it wasn't all that much of a surprise in it's own respect, I imagine, considering the relationship the two had as friends." Snape merely nodded. The headmaster was silent and the whirling objects in the office made quaint little sounds that made the office have a life of its own.
"Severus. At one point during this holiday, we will need to sit down and explain to Emily and Alexander about their ability." He spoke in a calm voice. Severus's head shot up.
"Albus! We can't, they're only children!" He said, panic rising in his chest. This is the very reason he had lost his wife and daughter in the first place, he would never let anything happen, now that he had been given this miracle.
"Emily has manifested her ability, albeit as a life-or-death reaction, no doubt, but they're going to have questions, and now that they have each other, they're going to talk. I think it best that we give them the proper knowledge now, so they may not be manipulated in the future." He said. Snape was staring at him and the bottomless black eyes that met the headmaster held so many emotions, that the old man cleared his throat and diverted his gaze for a moment.
"I understand your reasons, and as much as I loathe to admit, I see the reason in your logic. I would like to take this holiday to get to know Emily properly, to at least give the children a chance to relax. We can tell them closer to the start of term." Snape said in a distant voice. The headmaster nodded.
"That is most agreeable, now I believe I shall let you go, you must be eager to spend time with your daughter." He said. Severus felt his stomach flop once, and then he gathered himself and flooed back to his quarters.
XxXxXxXxXxXx
Alex had an appointment with the headmaster the same morning, so Emily had taken the opportunity to head to Gryffindor tower to shower and change. She had sat and mostly listened to Alex talk about him and his Dad. She had drank in everything she heard, how they had a house in the midlands, but they never really stayed there, how professor snape had gotten him an owl for his tenth birthday, and how his father would often take him to the coast in Brighton before term started. Emily tried to imagine professor Snape doing such things but they were all things she had trouble imagining at all.
She made her way back towards the dungeons. She raised her hand to knock on professor Snape's office door, but it swung open before her. She went up to the portrait of Vermeer but he swung open, revealing the warm entrance hall to the professor's quarters.
She walked into the rooms and saw the crackling fire. The chill from the walk down to the dungeons had already seeped through the layers of clothing Emily had put on. Despite her best efforts, her old clothing was just old, and did little to insulate her temperature, and Emily immediately went over to the fire by instinct and stood, letting the warmth flow over her. She looked over the room and her eyes met a picture that at first glance showed an older woman, a severe look on her face, her dark eyes sharp and piercing. But as Emily stared at the picture it seemed to shift, it was blurry for a moment, and what was revealed instead of the woman was a portrait. Emily felt her stomach churn and she stared at the picture. It showed a picture of a much younger professor snape, with a woman with light brown hair. In her arms she had a small boy who looked like a much younger version of Alex and Emily saw that professor Snape held a small bundle in his arms. The picture moved and Emily watched the two adults look out and smile, then looked down to their children. The couple kissed once and the whole thing repeated. She looked on, watching it over and over again, seeing the family, the happy children, the infant child. Emily realized she was looking at her family. She stared, not knowing how much time had passed, but it was another thing that had so completely consumed her that she jumped when she heard someone clear their throat.
"That is our only family picture… with all of us." He said. Emily turned looking at the professor, who was not dressed in his usual back robes, but instead in his black cotton pants with his white cotton shirt. He seemed much more casual and less severe than he normally did. He looked more like the professor Snape in the picture, the Snape who was cradling the small infant… the infant that was her.
"That's my mother?" Emily asked in a whisper, her eyes glancing back at the picture.
"Yes, her name was Sarah. We met when we were working on our masteries." He said. Emily watched him, still afraid to do so much as move around the feared potions master.
"Did she go to Hogwarts?" She asked.
"Yes, actually. She was in Hufflepuff. She was gifted in charms and transfiguration. She did her mastery in both." He said.
"Both?" Emily gasped. He held out his hand to the couch and Emily timidly sat down. He sat down in the overstuffed chair next to the couch and a tea service appeared on the side table.
"Yes. She had an exemplary mind… " He said. His voice lost volume, as he seemed to remember something. There was a silent pause.
"We're once of each." Emily said. The man looked up at her. "She was a Hufflepuff… you're slytherin, Alex is in Ravenclaw and I'm in Gryffindor." She said her eyes looking up at the picture.
"So we are." Severus said.
"Professor… oh, erm, sir, I… why did you hate me? This whole term?" Emily asked. She was looking at the fire and wouldn't meet his gaze.
"I…" Severus felt his own confidence waver. How could he explain it? He stared at the small girl, the wounded look she carried in her eye, and her threadbare jumpers and old trousers only further presenting him with evidence of his error. "It is difficult. It was not your fault; it never was your fault. It was me… you reminded me of hazel, of Sarah, and it made me angry that you were there and until yesterday, I thought it impossible that you could ever be her. I thought of you as a horrible reminder of what I had lost…" He said. Emily closed her eyes and allowed herself to absorb what he had said. It made sense in many ways, and it did make her feel better that it wasn't something that she hadn't specifically done.
"Hazel… is that my real name?" Emily asked.
"Yes. Hazel Charlotte Elieen Snape, Charlotte for your Mother's mother, and Elieen for my mother." He said. Emily thought about the idea of her being Hazel Snape and this person felt alien to her. She felt like a different person.
"You look so much like your Mother." He said. Emily looked to him, and she looked back to the picture on the mantel. She couldn't help but feel tears escape and she almost couldn't stand to look at the picture. It was such a terrible reminder of what could have been. A loving mother and father and brother, all together. But even now, she had a brother and father… but she barely knew them.
"Emily. I want you to be a part of this family, you are a part of this family." He said looking her in the eye. She nodded, feeling her shoulders shake again. As her vision clouded with tears once more, she saw the dark figure move from the chair to sit next to her. She felt warm arms wrap around her and her father awkwardly hugged her. The warmth she felt from the hug was still very alien to her, and she still was trying to sort out this new professor from the one she had come to fear.
"I know this is all new, any there are many things we must discuss, so we may take this as slowly as we need. Things like this mustn't be rushed." He said. She quietly pulled away from the man and sat looking at him.
"What happened the night that all of this… that Sarah…my mother, died?" Emily asked and she saw his eyes darken as his thoughts went back through the memories.
"That is something I cannot answer right now… before the end of the Holiday I will be able to tell you and your brother the truth in full." He said looking intently at her. Emily felt a wash of fear roll over her and she stared at the man. She nodded at him slowly, and for a moment she was transported back to potions class and this was the mean potions master, but the setting was all wrong. Emily watched the fire crackle, and she absently pulled at the frayed strings on her jumper.
"Would you tell me about your life?" The professor asked. She regarded him momentarily, and found a particularly interesting spot on the stone walls. They were old and ancient walls but they held interesting patterns and the light colored stone made the dungeon feel fairly warm and inviting.
"I grew up at St. Martins Children's Home in Brighton. I can't remember anything before then, I've just always been there. They said I was brought to them by the muggle police, I had been found on the street somewhere I guess." She glanced at him to gauge his reaction, but he was silent, listening intently. "I like swimming. I go to the beach as often as possible, and I like drawing. I've never really been outside of Brighton before, until now. " She said thinking back. The home had been a fairly dull existence but the children did the best they could.
"Do you know why you were never adopted?" He asked.
"I didn't want to be." She said quickly. Then she paused, looking down at her the string again and tugged a bit, pulling another stick free on the old jumper. "Well, I did want a family, but no one wanted a baby that was thrown away on the street. They didn't like the circumstances of my birth, and were concerned by it." Emily said, remembering the explanations she overheard in the offices, when families would look at her, fall in 'love' with her, but for some reason find offence when they heard her background.
"You were not thrown away! The circumstances of your birth were something we rejoiced in! Your mother and I love you." The professor said angrily. Emily flinched at his booming voice, and absorbed his words with wide eyes. He stood and took to pacing in front of the fire. "I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am that your life… that your childhood so far has been this way. Things will be different, from now on." He said looking down at her. Emily watched him rub his hands for a moment, in a way very similar to how she did. She gave him a hesitant smile and he watched her. She could tell that Snape wasn't necessarily a man who smiled, but the corners of his mouth upturned in the slightest and his eyes softened.
"We start by giving you proper school supplies and a proper wardrobe." He said, and Emily felt her chest tighten. He was going to buy things for her? "The three of us can make a trip to Diagon Alley tomorrow. I have a supply of polyjuice potion available." He said as he thought out loud.
"Polyjuice potion?" Emily asked. He removed himself from his pacing and sat on the chair opposite once more.
"Polyjuice potion allows the drinker to take on the appearance of another for a specified about of time." He said in his professor voice. She wondered what he would need polyjuice potion for? Seemingly sensing her question, her continued, "As you might know, the circumstance of Alexander and my relation is kept a secret. No one knows I have a son outside of the most trusted staff at this school."
"Does this have to do with why my Mother was killed?" Emily asked suddenly. He regarded her with a pained expression that crossed his face for a split second.
"Yes, I'm afraid it does. Your relation to Alexander and me must be kept a secret. I imagine we can produce a story of some sorts to connect you and Alexander, perhaps found cousins of the sort, simply because you both look so much alike. However my distance must be kept. When we go on public outings I mustn't be Severus Snape. I must be a stranger." He said. Emily nodded. She wondered what could possibly the cause of so much worry for so many people, but as she sat, she thought back to the strings and her gut told her that it was in some way connected.