New Love Stems From Old Love
Chapter 2

Snape walked into the room, pocketing his wand.

"That it is," Snape drawled, looking bored. "Now what can I do for my almost non-existent son-in-law today?" Fred tried not to let Snape get to him. Right now he needed Snape more than Snape needed him.

"I need your help," Fred said, cutting to the chase. If Snape refused he wanted to have enough time for the Healers to try something – anything – else. Snape raised his eyebrows but said nothing else. Fred took this as a good sign and continued. "I need your help saving my family," Fred said, feeling and sounding ashamed and disappointed in himself. Snape inclined his head.

"Joke shop not doing too well, then? Very well. How much do you require?" Snape asked, already walking towards the door, indicating for Fred to follow.

"No, no that's not it." Fred took a deep breath and continued walking behind Severus, keeping his distance however.

"Ella is in St. Mungo's." Severus stopped walking but didn't turn around.

"Did you want me to cover the bill or send you the money to do so?" Severus said still facing away from Fred, sounding cool and aloof. Fred's frustration grew.

"No, dammit! For Merlin's sake, Ella needs you, Severus." Severus snorted.

"Don't fool yourself – she has never needed me." Severus resumed walking down the hall that Ella' room connected to. Fred continued to stay stationary.

"Ella is in the process of giving birth, but she has grown exhausted. She's giving up, Severus." At those words Severus stopped walking again. Fred took this as encouragement and continued. "The baby is dying, Severus…. And so is she."

At those words Severus whipped around, his cool façade broken and worry holding onto his features with a vice-like grip.

"What?" his whisper came out strangled. Fred nodded and explained the whole situation to him.

"I was told to find someone else that she has a strong connection with and bring them back to her to help her try to find the drive to fight again. Of course the only person I could think of was you," Fred concluded. Before Fred even finished speaking Severus was already shaking his head.

"It won't work," he murmured, continuing to shake his head. Fred grew frightened.

"What? Why not?" he exclaimed, hating the complexity of the whole situation and how little he actually understood of it.

"Because from the sound of it the connection that is needed of Ella needs to be one of love. I am clearly not the person to help with this problem – I am sorry," Severus said, and, eyes downcast, he turned around and walked away. Fred just stared on in shock.

Severus turned a corner and collapsed against the wall, his hand on his chest. He didn't bother stopping the tears cascading down his face. He didn't know what to do. Ella's past angry words kept resonating in his mind, as well as his to her and her reaction. He closed his eyes, feeling his heart constrict. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"She didn't mean anything she said you know. And I'm sure she knows that you didn't mean anything you said either. I know you didn't. And if I can have that kind of faith in you, then I'm sure she can too." Fred hadn't really believed what he was saying at first, but after he said that he realized that he truly believed it. Severus looked up at Fred, surprise and anger in his face.

"And what happens if she reacts badly to seeing me, huh? Have you even thought of that? And if that happens are you just going to leave me to drown on my own again?" Severus drew himself up to his full height, pulling away from the wall and Fred's hand. "I think not," he sneered. "I will not put my faith in you again, only to be betrayed once more. I am not a Gryffindor," Severus spat. "I do not put myself on the line over and over again for no apparent reason." Severus inclined his head and turned away from Fred, clearly about to walk off.

"No apparent reason?!" Fred shouted. "Are you kidding me right now? Your own daughter is "no apparent reason" to you?!" Fred took a deep breath to calm himself. "Please, do not punish her for my mistake. Your anger with me is justified, but she is your daughter. Please start acting like the father that I know you are… I'm begging you." When Severus didn't say anything and remained where he was, Fred continued speaking. "It doesn't matter what she told you that night – I know she didn't believe any of it. She still wants you in her life… she just didn't think you wanted to be a part of it anymore. Especially after what she told you and what you responded with." Severus closed his eyes at those words once more and his hands balled into fists.

Before Severus could stop his mind, it was filled with memories; memories of laughter, happiness… and most of all contentment. He knew he couldn't squash his desire to see his child any longer. All the tension left his body and his hands relaxed. He sighed and turned around. Fred noticed how unsure he looked and for the first time applauded the man's courage. Fred knew if he was Severus he probably would not have been able to do this. The potential rejection would have been too difficult to bear. That was why he had betrayed Severus in the first place, wasn't it?

"Do you really think that it will work?" Severus asked, terrified more than he would ever admit to anyone including himself. Fred nodded slowly.

"I know her well enough to know she missed you more than she has ever missed anyone in her entire life," Fred said slowly. He hadn't been planning on telling Severus all this but he realized that this was probably the only thing that would be able to fully convince Severus that it would work. "She charmed a picture of you and her to look like a page in one of her books that only she could see the true appearance of." Severus' eyebrows knit together in thought.

"If it was charmed then how do you – "

"How do I know that it was a picture of you and her?" Fred interrupted. Severus nodded slowly. "Because she had the same expression on her face that she used to have whenever she spoke about you when we were younger – and even up till… well, you know."

"Expression?" Severus asked, trying to ignore the rest of Fred's statement. Fred smiled.

"She always had an expression of tenderness whenever she spoke about you. No matter how often she talked about Sirius, she never ever even had an expression close to the one she had whenever she spoke about you on her face. She could just have said one word that was related to you and you just knew whom she was talking about. It was especially present when she said the word Dad. I have never seen her more happy in her entire life than when she was staying with you and you became her father. I have also never seen her more miserable in her life than when you were injured from a Death Eater meeting – or even at one, were upset with her… or when you two weren't speaking." Fred looked down at his feet and then up at Severus again. "Her pregnancy was supposed to be one of the happiest times in her life – the least lonely – and yet I have never seen her feeling more lonely or more alone than in the last 8 months. I can guarantee you, Severus, that she still loves you just as much as she did the day you adopted her – if not more."

Severus felt a tear slip down his face and closed his eyes. How had he even debating helping his daughter? Severus nodded.

"Take me to her," he whispered, not sure he could speak any louder without his voice breaking.

Severus and Fred dashed down the halls of St. Mungo's, looking for the room that Ella was in. They hadn't said two words to each other since Flooing from Snape Manor. Fred didn't know what to say to him, and Severus was too busy panicking over what his daughter was going to say once she saw him. Severus knew that he should have tried speaking with her before now, but he just wasn't able to get over all that she had told him – because he had believed her. The words that broke his heart into a billion tiny pieces he believed whole-heartedly. That's why he had been so surprised to know that she had actually missed him over the past few months.

Reaching the door to the room she was in, Fred stopped, hoping to whichever Gods that existed that he made the right decision. Fred swallowed and turned to Severus who was right behind him.

"Only one person is allowed in at a time." Seeing how uneasy the potions professor looked, Fred forced a weak smile. "You are both her mother and father. If anyone can do this, it's you. I promise you she won't react the way you think she will." Fred clapped Severus on the shoulder and walked away without another word.

Fred walked straight into the waiting room where he knew his family was sitting in anticipation. As soon as Molly saw him walk into the room she was at his side in an instant.

"How is she? What happened? Is she going to be okay? The Healer said – " Fred raised a hand, interrupting his mother. He took a deep breath.

"The Healer said that Ella is giving up, and so she told me that since I wasn't able to keep her going, someone else needed too. And obviously there is only one other person in her life who can do that." Molly nodded.

"Of course, Severus is the only one who can do that. But, will he come?" she asked, hesitant. Fred smiled.

"Why do you think I'm not in the room with her right now?" Molly smiled.

"Oh that's wonderful!" She clapped her hands together in happiness. Suddenly she lost her smile. "But why had they fought in the first place? I know he wasn't happy about her keeping this baby, but why haven't they worked it out until now? And he hasn't answered any of my owls or Fire Calls either. Dobby keeps telling me: "Master Severus is out". Obviously he's lying but I know if I call him out on it the poor thing will punish himself for not doing a good job at lying," Molly said, shaking her head sadly. Fred sighed, knowing he had to tell his mother everything now.

"It wasn't just an argument that they had, it was a full blown fight… where both their tempers sort of got out of hand." Fred winced, remembering the argument word for word.

"Well?" Molly asked. "What happened?" she asked, expecting a blow-by-blow account of the fight from her fourth son. Fred took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

Severus Snape in his whole life never ever considered himself a coward. Until now, that is. He was still standing outside the door; terrified of what would happen went he went inside. What if she didn't forgive him? What if she panicked when she saw him and she….

"No!" Severus said, breaking himself out of his spiraling downwards thoughts. "She will be okay. I am going to help her be okay. I am going to support her the way she always supported me. And I am going to be the father I should have been 8 months ago when she decided to have this baby," Severus told himself softly. He was determined to help his little girl.

Taking a deep breath and clearing his face of emotion, Severus pushed open the door. What he saw made him gasp. Fred had told him everything that had gone on before his arrival, but seeing his daughter looking as vulnerable as she was knocked the wind out of him.

Ella was lying on her back on the bed, her eyes closed and her face as pale as death. For a second Severus grew terrified that he was too late, but then he noticed her body moving up and down as she breathed in and out. Severus let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Severus slowly approached the bed, not wanting to startle her. At the bed, Severus just stared down at his daughter's ashen face, trying to rememorize the details of her face, surprised at how much of it had changed. Worry lines that Ella was never in danger of having covered her face. Even asleep they made their presence known and that bothered Severus to no end.

Slowly Severus placed a hand on Ella's forehead and stroked the spare strands of hair that had fallen on her face back, wincing at how hot and clammy her skin was.

"Ella," he whispered, not sure if he was ready to see her reaction at seeing him. Ella moaned and turned a bit. After what seemed like forever to Severus, she opened her eyes slowly. It took a second, but Severus knew she had recognized him when her eyes had widened to double their original size. Severus' voice caught in his throat at the look on her face, but he forced himself to swallow so he could speak to her. "Ella, honey, how are you feeling?"

Ella didn't respond to him; she just kept staring at his face like she couldn't believe that he was really there.

"Ella?" Ella just blinked. "Ella, can you hear me?" Severus was beginning to grow worried at her lack of response. Did something happen? Was he too late? "Ella, sweetheart, it's Severus." Severus didn't dare use the word… father… for fear of upsetting her because Fred wasn't there at the moment, and she was having trouble with the baby. Or at least that's what he told himself. Truly, Severus was worried that Ella would no longer feel the same way about him, and would not want to be known as the offspring of someone of the likes of him.

Ella blinked again before her eyes filled with tears as recognition filled her eyes.

"Dad," she whispered out, her voice sounding strangled.

Hey guys! So I wanted to know how you guys are liking it so far? Also, I got a review saying that Ella is a Mary Sue, and I see your point. She really does seem like one at this point, and I guess in a way she is. She is as close to perfect as one can get - which is why Severus let her stay with him in the first place - she didn't remind him too much of Sirius. Then they got close and blah blah blah. But this story isn't going to be very long, and it won't show Ella's faults - I'm saying this now. It's not that she doesn't have any, it's that I don't want to show her with faults at this point in the story, you know?

PM me if you disagree or think I should still change something for the benefit of the story! :)

Thanks to all who favourited and reviewed!

Please REVIEW! I enjoy constructive criticism!