Elizabeth tiptoed around the house for three days. Severus was polite. He sat at the table during meals. He sent her to bed on time. He checked that her trunk was appropriately packed. But the gnawing feeling in Elizabeth's gut didn't go away.

On September 1st, he took her to the Weasleys' house and went ahead to Hogwarts with her trunk. Mrs. Weasley was hovering over the twins as they finished packing. "Honestly, George! We have to leave soon! If I find one more joke product in this trunk, I'll—

"Come on, Mum!" George whined. "We won't use them on anyone!"

Mrs. Weasley glared at her son, and turned to Elizabeth. "Did your father take all your things already, dear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Molly cocked her head to the side. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little flushed," She put her hand on Elizabeth's forehead.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly frowned. "Alright. But if you don't feel good, I can call your father."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, don't."

Mrs. Weasley was distracted from responding by a series of little explosions from Fred's trunk. "Fred!"

"It's not a big deal, Mum!" Fred winked at Elizabeth.

*S*S*

"I'm going through with Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said. "Everyone else should follow us."

Elizabeth stood with Ron as the Weasley family disappeared through the barrier. "What's with you?" Ron asked.

"What?" Elizabeth looked at him.

"You're all quiet."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Nothing. Let's just go through, okay?"

Ron shrugged back. "Whatever." He pushed his cart at the barrier, faster and faster and then… crash!

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth picked her friend up off the floor.

"Something's wrong with the bloody…" Ron glared at the wall as if it had done him a serious injustice.

Elizabeth looked up at the clock. "We're going to miss the train!" Her stomach knotted further. Severus was already angry; he wouldn't like it if she missed the train.

"We've missed it." Ron leaned half-heartedly against his trunk.

"What are we going to do?"

Ron shrugged. "How long will it take for Mum and Dad to get back to us?"

"I don't know." Elizabeth looked around at the throng of Muggles rushing about. "We should go wait by the car."

"Elizabeth! The car!"

"What about it?"

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

Elizabeth looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "We absolutely cannot."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You sound like your dad. It'll be great!"

Elizabeth's stomach twisted so hard she almost fell over. "Look, Ron, Dad's already brassed off…"

"Since when has that stopped you? We don't have any other choice."

"There's a floo," Elizabeth gestured back toward the center of the terminal. "I think you have to pay, but I have some money."

"I can't floo with a trunk and a rat."

"Then you stay here. I'll floo to Hogwarts and get help." But then she thought about Severus, and how cold he'd been the part few days. He refused to… notice her. What was the worst thing that could happen if they got caught? He was already angry…

*S*S*

Severus Snape was sitting at his desk in the living quarters when there was a frantic knocking at the door. He opened it to reveal Minerva, her eyes wide, and her breathing heavy.

Severus felt his heart leap into his throat. "What's wrong?"

"Molly took Ginny through the barrier first," McGonagall said, her voice shaking. "Ron and Elizabeth never came after her. When she went back through, she couldn't find them, and the car was gone."

"What car?" Severus said, remembering a rumor he'd heard about Arthur and a flying car.

Minerva pressed her lips together. "They've been spotted in the sky, over the train."

Severus closed his eyes. "She'll be killed."

"Albus has gone to the Aurors, hopefully they can be brought down safely," Minerva soothed, but her voice was unsteady.

"I'm going after her," Severus said, coming out into the corridor and striding toward the castle entrance.

"Severus, you can't! There's no way for you to get to her without being seen, and you might make the situation worse."

"My twelve-year-old is flying a car that a crackpot dreamed up in his garage." Severus said, shaking off her arm. "The situation can't get worse."

He arrived on the main floor as Albus came through the front doors. "They can't bring her down," Dumbledore said. "But they are tracking her, and trying to keep the car hidden."

Severus went toward the door, only to find his feet stuck to the floor. "Let me go, Albus."

"Severus, you cannot draw attention to them. The Aurors will keep her safe, but if there is someone out there looking for her to be vulnerable…" Dumbledore met the younger man's eyes. "I think they've found it."

"At least let me pace," Severus said through gritted teeth, glaring at the Headmaster until the sticking charm was reversed.

*S*S*

It was hours before the car came into view, after the train had arrived and the students had filed into the Great Hall. Severus was certain that he'd worn a path in the stone, and when the feast started, he moved out onto the lawn, where he could pace and watch the sky.

When the car finally came down, it crashed, hard into the Whomping Willow, and Severus ran toward it, wand drawn. "Immobulus!" He shouted, freezing the tree's thrashing branches as one came hurling toward the car.

Striding across the lawn, he reached the car and yanked open the passenger side door. Inside, the Second Years looked terrified, but unharmed.

"Get. Out. Now." Severus said, his voice dropping far below his usual danger zone. Elizabeth had to force her legs to move. She'd wanted his attention. It appeared that she had it now.

When his daughter's feet hit the ground, Severus seized her by the upper arm. "Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice still low.

Elizabeth shook her head, and in the next moment, she found herself spun to the side, Severus' hand smacking the seat of her jeans before turning her back to look into his blazing eyes. "Weasley!" The professor said, louder, his eyes not leaving Elizabeth's. "Let's go."

Severus, his hand still clamped on his daughter's arm, started to march toward the castle, not bothering to look and see if the boy followed. Elizabeth, however, turned her head back and saw that Ron was already several yards behind her… and the branches of the Whomping Willow were starting to move.

*S*S*

"You were seen!" Severus threw a copy of the Daily Prophet on his desk and glared at Ron. "Do you have any idea what this will do to your father's career? What's more, you risked the exposure of our world! You idiot child!" The patented Snape stare went darker, if possible. "The damage you've caused to the wizarding world, your family, and a very valuable Whomping Willow… have you a brain in your head, boy?"

Ron stared at his shoes. "The tree did more damage to—

"To whom, Mr. Weasley? Because it seems to me that you are the only one in this situation that emerged unscathed!"

"I had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."

"You had many choices, Mr. Weasley," Minerva glare rivaled her son's.

"I didn't think—

"You didn't think what, Mr. Weasley? That you wouldn't be seen? That you could have a joy ride and arrive to school with a story to tell?"

"I have yet to hear an acceptable explanation," Albus had, until then, been quiet, but his soft voice was deafening to Ron's ears.

He hung his head. "I'll go and get my stuff."

"What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?" Minerva ground out.

"You're expelling me, aren't you?"

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said softly. "But I must impress upon you the seriousness of what you have done. This is your one second-chance. I will have no choice but to expel you if you do anything like this again."

Severus gritted his teeth. "Headmaster, the boy flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry—

"And Professor McGonagall will decide his punishment for that, Severus. For now, We must return to the feast. Mr. Weasley will find food in his dormitory. You should return to the tower, young man." Albus pointed at the door.

"I won't be going to the feast, Headmaster, I have business in the hospital wing." Severus glared once again at the redhead.

"Sir," Ron squeaked. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Against every effort of yours today, Mr. Weasley, she will be fine." Severus spun on his heel and strode through the door in the direction of the hospital wing, leaving Ron standing in the middle of the office, trying to avoid Albus' gaze.

*S*S*

"Let me see," Severus ordered. Elizabeth rolled over on the hospital wing bed and lifted the back of her shirt to show the deep bruise that was forming across her back.

"Your spine could have been severed, you foolish brat." The fury in his voice contrasting the gentleness with which he prodded her skin with his fingertips.

"I'm assuming that you have an explanation," Severus said, inspecting the bruise.

"I didn't think—

"That," Severus said dryly, "is obvious. I don't want to hear it right now. Rest assured that we will be discussing it later. At length."

"Professor?" The two turned at the sound of a voice from the door.

"Mr. Weasley," Severus said. "Your brother is in the Tower, I believe."

Fred nodded. "Yes, sir, I was just there. But Ron said that Betsy got hurt, so I came to check." He looked at Elizabeth. "You okay, kid?"

She blushed. "I'm fine. Is Ron okay?"

Fred snorted. "From the car ride and the tree? Sure. From the pounding that George is giving him right now? Less likely."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Mr. Weasley," Severus said and stood. "You ought to let your parents handle Ronald's behavior."

"I understand, sir, but he doesn't always listen that great." Fred grinned. "We'd rather not lose a brother, unless it's Percy." He looked at Elizabeth. "I'm sorry he roped you into it. Are you coming back to the Tower?"

"Elizabeth makes her own choices," Severus said firmly, " and she will be staying with me tonight. Please give Professor McGonagall the message."

Fred gave Elizabeth a sympathetic look, but retreated out of the room. Severus turned back to his daughter. "You and I need to have a discussion."

"My back hurts," Elizabeth said lamely, and Severus narrowed his eyes.

"Would you like to add lying to the list of your transgressions?"

Elizabeth grimaced, and stood, letting him take her arm and lead her down the stairs to the dungeons.

*S*S*

Severus paced the living room slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, as Elizabeth lay on the sofa, an ice pack behind her back, and listened to her explanation. When she finished, he was quiet for a long time, before sitting on the coffee table so he could look down at her.

"You know what you did today was unacceptable," he said softly. "It was so wrong, that you can barely tell me the story, you're so embarrassed. I suppose that's something." He tapped the place between his eyebrows with two fingers, carefully considering the situation. "I think that I hardly need to lecture about stealing, and flying a car, and exposure of the Wizarding world. You know that was wrong. You knew it before you did it, and you know it now." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You knew it was wrong. So why did you do it?"

"Ron—

Severus shook his head, cutting her off. "As I told Mr. Weasley, I do not subscribe to the idea that you were shepherded by a wayward influence in this, Elizabeth Rose. You knew that there would be consequences for your actions." He looked at her carefully. "You are going to spend the next two weeks in detention every evening after dinner," Severus said. "Detention, homework, and then you will go to bed down here."

Elizabeth nodded, and his tone softened. "Your sentence has been levied, Elizabeth. It's time to come clean about the motivation. You can't make it any worse." He reached over and brushed hair off her forehead. At his touch, her eyes filled with tears.

Severus moved to sit on the edge of the sofa. It had already been the longest day of his life, and he wanted nothing more than for it to end. "Elizabeth."

At her name, the Gryffindor sat up, ignoring Severus' halfhearted attempts to get her to lie back, and put her arms around his neck. "I missed you," she said her face buried in his shoulder. "You were so mad at me…"

"Merlin, Hatchling," Severus sighed, shifting her so he could hold the icepack against her back.

Severus held her as she cried into his robes, and soon the sounds of sniffles stopped, and her breathing went deep and even. He wasn't surprised. She hadn't eaten or slept well in days. He'd wanted to talk to her, but he'd had been hurt. Hurt was not a feeling he was used to. Physical pain, sure. He knew what to do with physical pain. But the combination of guilt and worry that Elizabeth had him in had no ready solution.

He hadn't handled it well. He knew that. But it didn't keep him from causing her pain over the past few days. You're supposed to be the adult in this situation, he scolded himself. Look at her. She's a child.

Severus knew how she'd felt. Albus had been a master of paternal guilt. The twisting feeling in his gut when Albus was angry left him ready to do anything to feel better again. That was why it was so strange that Albus had been so understanding the night he confessed to taking the Mark. The man froze him out for a week once for sneaking off to Hogsmeade with Lily, but when he'd given his allegiance to the Dark Lord… nothing but understanding.

Severus rocked his child a little. A cycle of guilt. Not what he wanted to pass on to the next generation. Not something Lily would have let him pass on. She was quick to forgive. She didn't believe in the psychological torture of grudges. When she was angry, it was loud and bright and died out quickly like a short match. She would be horrified at how he'd let his own feelings impact their daughter.

"You really should eat," he said softly, as if she was awake, carrying the sleeping girl into her room. "Sleep for a little while."

*S*S*

"You let me fall asleep," Elizabeth accused with a yawn as she padded down into the lab in her socks.

"I wasn't aware that you wished to remain awake," Severus didn't take his eyes off the cauldron he was stirring. "Put some shoes on if you are going to be down here."

"You have my wand."

Severus hit himself in the forehead with the heel of his hand. "Merlin! I forgot that there was no non-magical way to put on shoes! That's why Muggles go around it their stocking feet all the time."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, sighed, and trudged back upstairs to find her shoes.

When she returned, Severus gestured to a stool near where he stood, stirring rhythmically.

"Let me finish this, and we'll have dinner."

"It's late," Elizabeth said, leaning on the table top.

"Your cupcake of hair," Severus said, not responding to her point, "seems to have developed an affinity for the dungeons." He gestured to Casper, who was stationed near his feet.

Elizabeth grinned. "He likes you."

"He is perhaps the strangest creature I've ever met. It seems the less favorable attention I pay to the albino hedgehog, the more it wishes to be close to me."

"Can he stay down here? Crookshanks isn't very nice to other cats."

Severus gave a suffering sigh. "I suppose. But don't expect me to entertain the snowball."

Casper rubbed against his robes, as enthusiastic as a cat could be about the situation.

"Are you still mad?"

Severus sighed again, this time not as dramatically. "I'm mostly glad that you are unharmed," he said, bottling the liquid in his cauldron. "I'm sure I've forgotten something I had decided to scold about in those hours you were in the air, and if I remember, I'll let you know." Snape came around the lab table and pulled her against his chest. "We both need to eat and sleep," he said, walking her up the stairs. When they reached the top, he turned to look at her seriously. "Never again, Elizabeth Rose. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Elizabeth nodded, letting him hold her tight against his robes.

*S*S*

At breakfast the next morning, Fred sat beside Elizabeth, putting his arm around her. "Ron-the-ass is hiding in the Tower."

"Don't you think it's a little hypocritical for you to be mad at him?"

Fred dropped his arm, and looked at her. "There's a difference between goofing off and doing something really stupid. Dad's probably going to get sacked. George and I never did anything like that."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth bit her lip.

Fred didn't seem to accept. "Everyone thinks that we just mess around all the time, but we never do things that would hurt people."

"I know," Elizabeth said softly. "I didn't mean you would. I meant that it was hypocritical to be mad at him and not me."

"It isn't your car," Fred said, shaking his head. "And it wasn't your idea, I'm certain."

"I don't think Ron thought it would hurt anyone."

"Well it did," Fred said crisply. "Smoke bombs and sneaking out to Hogsmede never hurt anyone. He has to think."

"You sound like my Dad."

Fred snorted. "That's low, Evans."

And that was the last that he said to her for the rest of the meal.

Ron slunk down to the table, just before the mail arrived. As if on cue, the owls descended, and a red envelope dropped on Ron's lap.

"— STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE! AN OWL BROUGHT A LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU COULD HAVE DIED! WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

Elizabeth shot a look at the front table as the howler shook the room. Severus was calmly sipping his tea.

Ron was pale after the note burst into flames. Percy gave him a nasty look, the twins weren't looking their direction at all, and Ginny was wildly trying to look as if she was in no way associated with the Weasley family.

"Gotta get something before class," Ron muttered and fled the Great Hall. Elizabeth looked at Fred, but he was staring at his toast.

George met her eyes and gestured with his head toward his twin. Elizabeth just shrugged.