Hey all! I still need a couple more reviews until the poll goes up!

I'm not going to do the character talk thing THIS TIME; which do you prefer? Okay, okay, I'm side-tracking again.

Review replies: Thanks to guest and archerm99, I'm glad you like Snape's changes. I was afraid it was too OOC...but if you liked that you'll probably enjoy this...?

Enjoy and review for the poll! Oh, and I've given up trying to not be mushy. Some people like fluff. *shrugs* If you're looking for a story with blood and gore every second, don't look here. If you're looking for action and drama and fluff, look here.

I DON'T OWN A THING!

Celia's POV

I sat straight up. He apologized. Well, he did it in my "sleep", but still. I opened my mouth to call him back and demand an explanation.

But then I froze. There was something wrong...there was something he wasn't ready to share.

I took a deep, shattering breath and sunk back into my covers. When I heard the office door close, I slipped off the bed and went to his room.

There was a pile of neatly stacked parchment on the desk, and I grabbed one. The quill was easier to write with than I thought. Blotting the tip with the ink bottle on the desk, I scribbled down something.

I'm giving you a chance. Take it. I thought.

3rd POV

Professor Snape dismissed his class and snatched up his students' papers with a resigned weariness. First Lupin, his childhood enemy had to become professor here. Now, his own daughter thought she hated him. He had long given up trying to avoid her, but he wasn't about to get all cuddly, either. He barked a "Move!" to some Hufflepuff first-years, and strode to his office.

His hand hovered above the doorknob for a fraction of a second, then he opened it. There was a parchment on his desk, folded. His eyes caught it instantly. He never folded his papers.

It read Celia on it, and his breath hitched. Fingering the side of the paper with his rough hands, he opened it.

I'm confused. You seem to hate me, but I don't know why. Do you want me here? I need an explanation. Thanks. I'm sleeping now.

And then on the bottom...on the bottom...

Love,

Celia. ;)

Yes, wink-wink to you, too.

He was breathing hard as he read it, and by the time he finished, he let out a huff of relief.

"Hey." He whirled around to find Celia smirking behind him.

Celia's POV

"You sneaky little brat!" He snapped as he turned around. I grinned.

He took a deep breath. "Ready?" He asked me. I fingered the frays of my shirt and nodded.

We walked to lunch together, and this time, he didn't walk fast. He walked normally, so I didn't have to run like I was in the marathon. We reached the stairs and he raised one eyebrow at me.

I laughed. "I'll try not to kill myself this time." I promised, and he smirked. We made our way down the stairs, and I hopped down the last few stairs. He turned around to stare at me. I shrugged. "No promises."

The teachers were already eating, so I quickly scrambled up the stage and sat down, licking my lips at the juicy beef on the plates.

"Hey." I reached for a piece of meat. Dad shot me a look. "Hay is for farm animals." He told me.

I frowned. "Moo."

Headmaster laughed heartily. I smiled. Celia one, Dad zero.

Hermione waved and I waved back. Draco, on the other side, sniffed. I raised my eyebrows at him and waved. He allowed himself a grudging smile and waved.

It wasn't until I looked back at the table until I realized the teachers were staring at me. My cheeks flushed and I smiled sheepishly.

"Perhaps you would like to go eat with your friends?" Headmaster offered kindly. Dad coughed. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll be fine. Thanks, and I think I will." I assured Dad, and stood up with my plate. Dang. Where to sit?

Draco waved me over, and Hermione frowned. I mouthed a 'be right there' and she glowed with happiness. I made my way over to Draco, and noticed some teachers frowning. Okay, so maybe Ron wasn't completely a liar.

"Hey." I sat down. He ran his fingers through his hair and tossed a "Hi." At me. A girl strutted up to Draco and snuggled up to him. Draco grimaced and I stifled a laugh. "Hi."

She squinted at me and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. "I'm Pansy Parkinson. Draco's girlfriend." Um…

I smiled. "Draco must be so…lucky." NOT. Draco looked at Pansy with bewilderment. "You're my what?"

Pansy giggled and beamed at me, ignoring Draco. "That's what I said! We'll be totally good friends!"

Draco shot me a look that said, 'If you ever force me to hang out with her because you two are friends I will die.'

"What are you?" She asked me, flipping her hair again. I chewed my bottom lip. "I'm a witch, Pansy, and that's all you need to know." I ate a mouthful of beef so she wouldn't ask me anything else.

Pansy furrowed her eyes into little ugly slits, and turned to Draco. "So, Dray-Dray, do you have anything to do tomorrow? It's going to be a snowy, beautiful Saturday!" Completely ignoring me now, she whipped her hair in my face and snuggled her green robes into Draco's chest.

"Pansy, please don't call me that. I…actually do have something to do tomorrow. The entire day, I'll be busy." Draco grimaced and peeled a pouting Pansy off his chest. I choked down a gag at her fake bubbly pouts.

"Really? What?" Pansy whimpered and dug her head back into him. He sighed and edged away, pushing her off. My eyes widened as his desperate face turned to me. I fought back a laugh.

"Actually, he's going-" I looked out the snowing window and caught a glimpse of the lake. "-ice skating. It's a muggle activity, and he agreed to try it." I finished. Draco nodded enthusiastically, teeth clenched into a pained smile.

Pansy wrinkled her nose and plucked lint off my shirt. "Whatever. You look like a total muggle, by the way. You should change." I brushed her hand off and stood with my plate.

"Well, I'm going to go sit with my other friend, too. See you tomorrow at my dad's office door, Draco. Bye, Pansy." I waved, Draco waved, Pansy sniffed, the rest of the table glanced.

I made my way over to bushy-haired Hermione and sat. Her grin went up to her ears, almost literally.

"I almost thought you'd stay there." She smiled politely now, and put her fork in her mouth, chewing slowly.

I raised my eyebrows. "With that Pansy girl there? No. Way." She giggled. I noticed Ron and Harry. "Oh, hey guys."

"Hello." They chimed, wariness on their faces. I plastered a smile on my face.

Two hands covered my eyes and I smiled. I heard Ron suck in a sharp breath. "Uh…this can't be Draco, and the only other people I'm not sitting with is…Fred or George!" I guessed.

"Yeah, mate, but which one?" A twin laughed. I frowned…their voices were completely the same…"Fred?"

"Lucky guess." Fred took his hands off my eyes, and I turned around, grinning. "What's up, guys?" They cocked their heads, and I shook my head. "Sorry. New York slang."

"I knew it! Your accent gave it away!" Hermione exclaimed, and she made the worst impression of a New York gangster ever: "What-is-up, dude?"

I broke down laughing, holding my stomach in a desperate attempt to hold in my hysterical gasps of giggles. I wasn't the only one; even Ron was roaring. Harry's glasses fell off, and he tried to reach over to get them but failed as he laughed. It might not sound that funny, but the way Hermione said it-unexplainable.

I put on a thick, obviously fake British accent: "Hullo, Hermione! Would you like some crumpets and tea-?" We all started laughing again, and Hermione protested between laughs, "We do not-sound like-that!"

We all calmed down after a while, and went back to wolfing down food. I got tired of the beef and went to pick on the pumpkin pie. "So, Ron. Did you open my present?" I inwardly smiled.

Harry laughed and ruffled his messy hair absentmindedly. "He did! That was hilarious, Cecelia!" My teeth hurt from smiling, but I didn't care.

Ron scowled. "My hair was pink-PINK-for the entire two hours!" He complained, not bothering to finish chewing. Fred and George laughed and went back to eating at the other side of the table. Harry grinned. "You were also wet."

There was a slight cough, and I turned to find Dad. The entire half of the table quieted down. Hermione managed a brave, "Hello, Professor." He nodded. "Miss Granger." Formalities. Ugh.

I told him, "I'll be right there." He frowned but nodded, sweeping towards the door and pausing to wait for me. I turned to the trio. "Hey, meet me at my dad's office tomorrow at ten in the morning with outdoor clothes." I paused. "If you want to, that is." I added. Wouldn't want to sound bossy.

Hermione piped up with a perky, "Sure!" as the boys nodded strangely. Well, Ron didn't; he sniffed and shrugged. I bid them goodbye and left the room, following Dad upstairs. There was silence as we ascended the stairs.

"There was quite a lot of laughing there." Dad said finally, mouth in a scowl. My mouth curved up into a soft smile. He was trying to make small talk. Failing at it with the scowl, but still.

"Yeah…I have a question." We entered the room, and I sunk into his chair. He raised one eyebrow at me but sat, or rather, perched, on the edge of his bed.

"Yes…?"

"It's snowing. And I was wondering if I could go out and play in the snow. And ice skate on the lake. At ten. Tomorrow. Can I?" I blurted out. He leaned back, surprised.

"Can you?" He pressed. I groaned. "I thought you were a potions teacher, not a grammar teacher!"

He didn't speak. "May I?" I relented finally.

"Yes, you may. I expect you to be back at the most, seven." I let out a quiet whoop. He gave me a disapproving look.

I practically danced to my room, and did a little shimmy as I changed into my PJ's and laid out my clothes for tomorrow.

There wasn't much to do, so I basically just looked up how to transfigure shoes to skates and vice versa, then fell asleep.

The next time I woke up there was a note on the drawer, a tray of food, and a bottle. A new thing added in my room, was a Pensieve( AN: I feel like I spelled it wrong….did i?) and a tiny corked bottle. I took the note and read it hesitantly.

Celia-

If I hadn't wanted you here, you'd be back in the orphanage already.

I read it again, stunned. I had asked for an explanation; he had given me his life story. Quickly, I crunched my way through an apple, chewed through a slice of pie, gulped down a goblet of juice, and bit my way through a steak.( AN: Wow, I'm running out of food! What else can I put?)

It was nine forty already, but I knew from the dim light peeking under the closed door that he wasn't yet asleep. I went outside and jiggled his doorknob.

There was a flurry in the room and it opened. I covered my mouth to keep from laughing. He was in a shirt and loose pants, with mismatched socks in mismatched slippers. Dad's hair was disheveled and messy. I had never seen him so, ahem, vulnerable.

"I was changing. You startled me." He scowled and I bit back a laugh. A smile escaped. "What is it?" Dad frowned down at me and I grinned.

"Just wanted to say good night." I said softly, and before I could think twice, I hugged him. He froze at my touch.

There was a moment of silence as I let go. Then I dashed into my room, shut the light, and dove into my covers. It was a start, at least. A really, really tiny start. But still.

Sorry this was a bit short, but I wanted to save the next day for the next chapter. Ice skating with Draco and the trio…considering that probably only Harry and Hermione know what that is, it's going to be fun to write!

Until next time! Please PM or review for the poll!