Hi everyone! I'm back! This took me forever to write, but I want to thank my friend, KittyKatNadine, for the idea for this fic. I loved the idea and got slightly carried away with the fluff. Also, I've got a poll up for a new name for this fic, so feel free to submit any ideas. Also, I've got some links on my profile to the pictures of the dress Sera wears in this chapter and I found some pictures that look like what I think Sera would look like. There's four or five pics, so check them out if you get the chance. Enjoy the chapter, I really enjoyed writing this one.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with it. Everything Harry Potter related belongs to J.K Rowling. Though I wish I owned Snape. :(
Sera stood in front of the gargoyle that blocked the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Biting her lip, she looked around. Coming up the hall was a tall, lanky boy of seventeen. He had brown-black hair, ice blue eyes, and a handsome face. Sera smiled sweetly at him as he kissed her hand.
"Good afternoon, Vincent." Sera said coyly, giving him a hug. "Ready to meet my father?" She asked, acting as if this was a business deal that occurred every day.
"Are you sure he won't Avada Kedavra me as soon as we walk in?" Vincent asked worriedly, a hint of fear in his husky voice.
"Of course he won't!" Sera said exasperatedly. "Why is everyone so scared of him? The cruel, harsh attitude is just a mask. He's a loving, caring person who's been hurt a lot."
When Vincent didn't look convinced, Sera rolled her eyes and sighed. "If you're gonna be like that, I'll stand in front of you when we go in. I have faith that he won't hurt me."
Vincent instantly looked relieved. Rolling her eyes again, Sera whispered the password, 'Selene', to the gargoyle, unheard by Vincent. It slid out of their way and Sera and Vincent stepped onto the moving staircase up to Headmaster Snape's office.
oooooooooooo
When they reached the door, Sera knocked twice and waited until a harsh 'Enter' replied. She pushed the door open and the two slipped quietly into the room. Snape was sitting behind his desk, doing paperwork. He looked up at their entrance, raising his eyebrows and narrowing his eyes as he saw Vincent enter with his daughter.
"Good Afternoon, Papa. May we talk to you in the other room?" Sera asked sweetly, subtly attempting to keep her father calm.
Snape stood and walked into the adjoined sitting room, with Sera and Vincent following behind him. Snape sat in a large black armchair, while Sera and Vincent sat on the black sofa across from him.
"Papa," Sera began in a quiet voice. "I'm sure you remember Vincent. He's an eighth year Gryffindor." Snape's eyes narrowed at the mention of his least favorite house. "I wanted you to meet him because we plan on going to the Halloween Ball tonight, if it meets with your approval."
Sera kept her eyes locked on her father's while she spoke, ready to move if he became angered. Severus' eyes moved from Sera's to Vincent's, an icy glare directed solely at the eighth year student. She gestured for Vincent to return to the office, so that she could speak to her father alone.
After he left, Sera stood and walked over to her father, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Papa, please don't be angry." She whispered.
Severus placed a hand on his daughter's arm. "Do you like him?" He asked quietly, knowing he had no right to deny Sera this, not after what happened to Selene because he wasn't there to protect her.
Sera smiled lightly and answered. "Of course, Papa. Would I have brought him to meet you and risk your disapproval if I did not? I was worried you'd be upset, but I thought it better I tell you, than for you to find out tonight at the ball and risk truly angering you."
Severus stood up and wrapped his arms around Sera, enveloping her in his black robes. "Forgive me for making you feel as though you couldn't come to me about this. I'll admit that I've been dreading the day you would bring a boy to meet me since the day I learned you were my daughter, but that doesn't mean that I would be angered by you doing so. If he makes you happy, than I won't stand in your way."
Severus tightened his arms around her. "I love you, my daughter, more than life itself." Severus whispered, holding her as if she too would disappear, as her mother had.
After a few minutes, he released her. He nodded to her to summon Vincent back into the room. With a "Don't threaten him to badly, Papa. I need my date." Sera left the room, sending Vincent in her place.
"Sit down!" Snape ordered harshly. Vincent immedently obeyed.
"First off, you are to treat my daughter with respect. Rest assured, if you don't, I will know and I will make sure you are punished, severely. Second, should you hurt her…" Snape paused and moved to a cabinet on the side of the room. He opened it and pulled out a clear vial with a blue tinted liquid. "I won't hesitate to use this. Do you know what it is?"
Vincent studied the vial in Snape's hand and gulped, recognizing the poison. "Avimitia." Vincent stated. "It makes you feel as though your body is on fire as you slowly and agonizingly die over a forty-eight hour period. The antidote can only be made from the ingredients used to make it, making it virtually impossible for someone to cure themselves."
Snape nodded once, jerking his head. "Apparently you're one of the few Gryffindors to pay attention in my class. That may keep you out of my distaste for now. Now, what do you plan to do after you finish school this year?" Snape asked, the interview obviously beginning.
"A researcher, Sir. On potions and their ingredients. I'm one of two Gryffindors in your N.E.W.T Potions class." Vincent answered immedently, as if he had this career path chosen for quite some time.
Snape simply nodded. A quiet knock drew both men's attention to the doorway. Standing in to the doorway was Sera, who looked slightly timid, worried she'd interrupted something important. A harsh gesture to enter from her father seemed to confirm her fear as she slowly entered, careful to stay out of their way.
Snape returned his attention to Vincent. "I trust you have clearly understood everything spoken tonight, as I have no wish to ever repeat it to you. Is that clear?" Snape asked in a business-like tone. Vincent silently nodded. "Good." Snape smirked. "You are dismissed."
Vincent stood quickly, bowed slightly to Severus and Sera, and left the room. Sera, thinking her father didn't desire her presence at the moment, moved towards her room. As she moved, Severus stood and moved towards her side. Sera turned to him, nervousness in her features. Severus placed an arm around her shoulders and led her towards her bedroom.
Once they were inside the room and Sera was sitting on her bed, he spoke. "I will allow you to go to the ball with him as your escort." He said, sneering at the word 'escort.' "But should he disrespect or hurt you, you are to come straight to me. I shall know if you don't and there will be consequences."
Sera nodded, a small smile on her lips. Severus moved to leave and Sera stood and touched his arm to stop him.
"Thank you, Papa." She whispered. "I know how hard this must have been for you and I promise to earn the trust you have in me. And please remember, no matter whom I am with, should I marry someday or not, I will love you and you will always be my papa."
Severus placed a calloused hand on her cheek. "Though," Sera smirked. "Should this relationship not work out, I'll likely have to find someone outside of Hogwarts. Most the boys here are too afraid of the idea of having you for a father-in-law to pursue me." Sera laughed and walked around her father to the door. "Oh, and excellent choice in choosing to threaten Vincent with Avimitia. I believe he was truly terrified." She laughed again and left the room to prepare for the ball, leaving her father standing there, wondering how he'd forgotten to use the eavesdropping spell.
oooooooooooooo
That Evening
Severus sat at the staff table which overlooked the dance floor, food tables, and entrance. He watched the entry staircase, watching the students enter. Minerva McGonagall sat down next to him, temporarily drawing his attention.
"She'll be fine Severus, and if he does somehow hurt her, you'll be there to comfort her and, I'm sure, find some way to make the boy's life here immeasurably miserable. Ah! There they are!" Minerva exclaimed.
Severus' eyes flew back to the entrance to see Sera and Vincent enter. Sera looked radiant in her black ball gown with violet flowers stitched onto it and her black hair falling down her back in slight waves. Vincent looked very handsome in his black tux and all eyes in the room were on the two. Severus' eyes narrowed at the couple who walked onto the dance floor.
The night pasted slowly for Severus as he watched his daughter dance with her date, and with other boys, including his least favorite student, Harry Potter. Minerva had to literally restrain him from marching up to the two and throwing Potter across the Great Hall. Sera shot him an apologetic look, knowing he was upset, but she hadn't been able to find an excuse to deny Harry the dance. Around ten that night, Sera left Vincent at the side of the dance floor and slipped up to the staff table. Giving a small bow to the other professors, Sera turned to her father.
"Dance with me, Papa?" Sera asked, holding out her hand.
Severus just stared at her hand, looking as if he hadn't comprehended what she'd said. After a few moments of his uncomprehending stare, Sera's face fell slightly before she placed her emotionless mask back on and lowered her hand. Lowering her head slightly, she turned to leave the table when her father finally stood. Sera turned back as soon as she heard the sound of his chair scraping the floor. Severus walked around the table, stopping in front of her. Sera reached her hand out again, looking hopeful. Severus took her hand and led her down the stairs, away from the staff table and towards the dance floor.
The song, "I Loved Her First," started playing as he wrapped an arm around Sera's thin waist. The castle ceiling was letting in the light of the full hunter's moon shine down on the dance floor. He twirled her around as the song played.
But I loved her first
I held her first
And a place in my heart
Will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed,
When she first smiled at me,
I knew the love of a father runs deep.
And I prayed that she'd find you someday,
But it's still hard to give her away.
I loved her first.
A very small smile appeared on Severus' face. Neither of them noticed that everyone else had moved to the side of the dance floor, not wanting to get in the way of the touching scene.
All too soon, the song ended. Severus and Sera pulled apart, Sera smiling widely. Vincent stepped forward slightly and, with a quick kiss on Severus' cheek, she returned to him. Severus simply nodded and walked back up to the staff table. Once he sat down, Minerva turned and smiled at him, wisely choosing not to speak. After their dance, the night flew by in a blur, seeming as if hardly anytime had past when the students departed for their common rooms, Sera among them.
oooooooooooooo
The Next Morning
Severus woke the next morning, still thinking of the ball. He dressed and went to his office to look over some paper work that needed to be approved. Sitting down in his chair, he reached for the small stack of papers. Pulling them towards him, he froze when he saw what was sitting on top of them. It was a picture from the ball of him and Sera dancing. Sera's elegance and Severus' small smile were permanently captured in the photo. Turning it over, he saw an elegant, scratchy writing so like his own.
Vincent took this picture while we danced. I thought you might want a copy. I have one sitting right in front of me as I write. I love you Papa and thank you for dancing with me.
-Sera
Severus smiled slightly as he conjured a simple black frame and slipped the picture into it. He set it on his desk, in plain view of anyone who walked in, the memory of the first time he and his daughter danced.
Well, there you have it! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If anyone is good at drawing and wants to draw a picture of Severus and Sera dancing, let me know. If you've got any ideas for a future oneshot, let me know, as I always try to accommodate requests. The song is called "I Loved Her First" by Heartland. Here are the lyrics.
Look at the two of you dancing that way
Lost in the moment and each other's face
So much in love, you're alone in this place
Like there's nobody else in the world
I was enough for her not long ago
I was her number one, she told me so
And she still means the world to me, just so you know
So be careful when you hold my girl
Time changes everything, life must go on
And I'm not gonna stand in your way
But I loved her first, I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first
How could that beautiful woman with you
Be the same freckle face kid that I knew
The one that I read all those fairytales to
And tucked into bed all those nights
And I knew the first time I saw you with her
It was only a matter of time
I loved her first, I held her first
And a place in my heart will always be hers
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
And I prayed that she'd find you someday
But it's still hard to give her away
I loved her first
From the first breath she breathed
When she first smiled at me
I knew the love of a father runs deep
Someday you might know what I'm going through
When a miracle smiles up at you
I loved her first
It's a beautiful song, perfect for father-daughter dances, especially at weddings. Give it a listen to. Well, I think that's it. See you in the next chapter. I don't know when it'll be up, seeing as I still need to write it, so send ideas. PM me or leave it in a review. I really want to know how I'm doing, especially for this chapter. Thanks for reading and as always, REVIEW!