Dad's staying on your feet rule finally worked, the only bad part: this was the last memory. I landed in the den of I think was the house my parents bought and lived in perfectly decorated. Behind me my mother was sitting on a long brown couch with baby-me listening to a bunch of piano music on a muggle CD player. The first song was the love theme from Romeo and Juliet. "How fitting" I laughed.

"You like this one Mya?" she cooed, baby-me laughed. The theme slowed to an end and a new one played, this one slower and more relaxing. I recognized it almost immediately.

"Debussy..." I smiled.

Baby-me started dozing off so she took me upstairs. When we got to my room, thanked god it wasn't pink, and she put me to sleep. "Good night Mya. I love you."

I knew this wasn't goin to work, but I felt like I had to do it anyway "I love you mum..." I choked and hugged her. She stayed there for a little while though went right through me when walking away. My dad was in the doorway, two large suitcases were at his feet.

"Severus... what's g-going on?"

He looked away "I'm leaving you... I'm going to the manor, to re-join the Death Eaters..."

Mum looked as if she was slapped in the face. "I can't believe you" she spat; pushing past him.

"Evelyn...." she ignored him "Evelyn" They started going down the stairs, I followed close behind. "Evelyn just let me explain—"

"Explain what Severus?" she snapped "How you choose a group of murderers over your own family?! If so I don't want to hear it!"

Dad placed a silencing charm on the den. "Evelyn I don't want to go back to them, I have to!"

"What do you mean 'have to'?"

"Eve... let's, let's sit..." he gestured to the couch "I don't choose them, I want to stay here. They're threatening to kill both you if I don't leave..."

Mum chuckled "Is that all? Sev they've said those things a million times..." she kissed him "...we're still alive."

"I know... it's... just my mark's been burning. It always does that when they're planning something big or when there are a lot of participants." He lifted his sleeve the dark mark was branded in jet black. The snake moved with the bottom jaw in sideward motion. It was terrifying because of the way it looked like there was something moving under his skin that made it look like it was going to explode. "It's never been this bad before."

She pushed his sleeve down "I already lost you once to them. Remember graduation?"

"...all too well..." he whispered.

"That was a difficult time for both of us. But the main things was that you came back to where you really belong—"

"But I brought back more trouble than I'm worth."

"Dumbledore—er Albus trusts you. He trusts you probably more than he does Minerva." Faintly I heard baby-me crying. "I'll be right back." She jogged up the stairs and disappeared. Dad started twirling his wedding ring on his finger then looked back at the dark mark.

"LET HER GO! YOU BITCH!!!!" Immediately both dad and I bolted up the stairs up to my old room. My blood boiled at the Death Eater holding me.

Bellatrix Lestrange.

"What the fucking hell are you doing here?!" dad hissed poisonously.

"The dark lord requested that I convince you to re-join us..." She smirked and put me on her hip "And since your daughter is just the perfect way.... I think she'll enjoy the life of a Death Eater..." Mum lunged at Bellatrix, but was hit by a stunning spell. The door slammed shut. Everything went quiet.

"They're here my lord." Bellatrix bowed.

Voldemort nodded "Brilliant work Bella. A mother cannot ignore the cries of her child...."

He brought his wand to dad's throat "You're a disgrace Severus. Leaving a winning race for a Mudblood."

Bellatrix pointed her wand at mum "Crucio!"

While mum was crippled and screaming dad tried to block out everything "Hurts doesn't it Severus?" he taunted "Wanting to save the love of your life while she's tortured at your feet..." Bellatrix lifted the curse dad took the opportunity and lifted the stunning spell but Voldemort hexed him in the face. Mum punched Bellatrix in the face making her stumbled backwards and throwing her wand halfway across the room.

"You deserve that and much, much more" she hissed and picked me up.

"Sectumsempra!!" Bellatrix cried but it hit dad in the back. Voldemort took the opportunity and hexed him in the shoulder.

"Severus—!!" Bellatrix jumped out of nowhere and punched mum in the face. Her nose started bleeding. I charged at Bellatrix and swung at her temple but she just turned to smoke around my fist. I swore violently. Mum cradled me to her chest Bellatrix kicked her in the left elbow. A sickening crack exploded from her joint.

She went down, still cradling me "Protego" she waved towards dad and over me. "Oh gods please, please don't let them take my family....please..." Bellatrix yanked her up by the broken arm and forced her to stand.

"Last chance." Voldemort hissed "Come back to us Severus. If not..." Bellatrix shoved mum back onto the carpet floor "Your family pays.." Dad was heavily panting because of the blood loss, Voldemort lazily flicked his wand and new wounds were spread across his upper torso. He looked towards mum who was obviously afraid, then at me.

"Don't do it." She mouthed "We'll be fine!"

"Shut up!" hissed Bellatrix and she slapped mum's head and her face was pretty much buried in the carpet "Damn Mudblood..."

"Don't. Touch. Her." Dad snapped.

"Yes Bella. Don't touch her, don't want to damage her anymore than she is..." Voldemort agreed coldly. Mum whimpered slightly because Bellatrix was crushing her arm.

"Evelyn..." Dad started to walk towards her but Voldemort fired "AVADA KEDAVRA!!" right in her chest...

"NO!!!!!" I screamed. I charged at Bellatrix and Voldemort but my hands went right through them, where their necks would be but they Apparated out. "NO, NO, NO!!!" I repeatedly punched the floor "FUCK!!!!!" I cried hysterically. I forced myself to look back at dad, who was just as shocked. When he heard my cries his face lit up again. He pried me out of mum's frozen arms there I noticed that mark. The cursed miniature dark mark on my left arm. Most likely where the curse skimmed me.

"I'm sorry Evelyn..." he grabbed a baby bottle and lifted both of us outside. There was a somewhat large yard outside, dad stopped suddenly and started digging. The memory jumped to after mum was finally buried and dad Apparated with me, next thing was that we were in a staircase, spinning constantly. Then McGonagall and Dumbledore were there.

"Oh Severus, she's okay!" McGonagall exploded tearfully.

"Yes... she's fine..." he mumbled spastically "Could one of you hold her? I don't think my arm will work for much longer..." McGonagall immediately took me. "Thank you."

He flexed his arms a few times and there was now new blood soaking his tattered shirt. Dumbledore muttered a few healing spells and skin re-grew over the wounds "Thank you... Albus..." he checked himself over again. Baby-me reached for him; he held me again "Shhhh, shhhh it's okay hun. It's okay..." he kissed my forehead.

"I'm the reason they killed... E-Evelyn." He mumbled "It's all my fault... The Dark Lord wanted me but he killed her..." he looked at me "Now he wants you... I have to give her up..."

"Severus" Dumbledore stepped forward "Severus you have to give her to a muggle orphanage. It's her safest option..."

"I know... Minerva would you?" McGonagall took me once again.

"She looks just like Evelyn, Severus. Same eyes, hair, probably her attitude also." Dad was blank for a while. He just sat at a table with a piece of parchment and a quill, moving once every couple minutes or so.

After ten minutes or so Dumbledore walked in front of him "We have to leave now..."

"Let's go..."

They all Apparated to the outskirts of London. Dad held me closely but Dumbledore urged him to let go. He kissed my forehead and gently placed me on the doorstep with the note by my face. Dumbledore put his hand on his shoulder pulling him away slightly "It's the best way. You have to let her go."

"I love you... Goodbye... Hermione..." baby-me cooed at him, practically begging for him to come back. Then the three of them left misty-eyed.

The memory jumped again but this time it was about a week, maybe two since dad left me at the orphanage. I scanned my surroundings and he was sitting on the ground in front of mum's grave. His eyes were bloodshot, dead and puffy, he had Wizarding robes on, and a slight beard. He pulled out his wand suddenly and pointed it at his chest "Avada... K-Ked—"

"Expelliarmus!!" his wand flew out of his hand and landed twenty feet away. Right in Dumbledore's hand.

"Severus stop this already."

"Albus this is my fault! It shouldn't be Evelyn in there it should be me!!"

"Think about your daughter. She needs you--You're her father for God's sake!!"

"Don't call me a father." He hissed "She's not my daughter anymore"

"...D-Don't you love her? Don't you love Hermione?"

"Of course I do! But she's gone. Adopted out already—!!!"

"—Adopted or not Severus she's still your daughter! She needs you."

Dad snapped and grabbed him by the front of his robes "CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I'M SUFFICATING HERE?!!?" he released him in shame; backing away calmly "Do you know what it's like to see the one you love for over half of your life being tortured and killed at your feet? After she begged that her family be safe? To see her face twisted in pain under the curse of your enemy.... No... you don't. You don't know what it's like..." he sobbed.

Shocked; Dumbledore walked towards him "Severus it's obvious that you are suffering from depression but you have to think of the other people around you. Evelyn may be gone but your love for each other is strong. Stronger than death. Your love continues on, and it's in the form of your daughter. And don't worry about Hermione she'll understand. She will grow up to be a smart young witch, it's obvious by the blood that runs through her veins. But if I give you this wand back, and you commit suicide... then you will only be weak. A weak person takes the easy way out of a bad situation" he held out the wand "...Take it..." dad's hand trembled as his hand wrapped around the base of the wand.

Dumbledore smiled and walked away "Before I forget, I expect you to get your new classroom ready. We need a new potions teacher now that our old professor is retiring. Remember students report September 1st so you might want to get a move on it." He then Apparated out.

"Dad started to make his way back to the house but turned back at the grave "I'll never fall in love again...." he whispered.

A tug on my pajamas signaled the end and soon enough I was back in my dormitories with too many emotions swimming around in my head at the same time. I checked my watch, 2:03 am. Thankfully today was a weekend so I didn't have to worry about getting up early or too late. I packed the pensieve away, hid the box, lifted the charms, and went to bed. About ten minutes in Lavender started churning a storm in her throat and Parvati was mumbling in sleep. Just as the drowsiness and exhaustion started to kick in a loud tapping noise at the window forced me awake. It was an owl again. I got the letter unattached from it, avoiding the constant pecking, and saw who I'm going to kill in the morning.

Hermione—

Sorry to wake you I just wanted to tell you goodnight... Till tomorrow...

—Fire

Fire! I nearly forgot about him! Meeting a secret admirer tomorrow.

My attention went back to the last memory. The death of my mother, the near suicide of my father, and the words of wisdom by Albus Dumbledore. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted asleep.