Hello everybody! I'm terribly sorry for the long wait- its been what? Forever.

I just wanted to say thank you to all those who wished me a speedy recovery, it meant a lot to me. So, thank you all for that. :)

Anywho, I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations and please let me know if it seems out of place considered to the chapter before. I had taken quite a while to write this chapter and I'm afraid that it may have skimmed over things I had included in the chapter(s) before. The adults will address Hope's habits probably in the next chapter as well as shopping with 'Aunt Cissy'.

I do not own any of this, it all belongs to JKR!

So, let me know how I did and Review, Favorite and Follow!

Enjoy! :)

Previously:

"So, you suspect the Dursleys starved her, along with making her sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, and abused her?" Narcissa seethed, gripping the arm of the chair roughly.

"Along with whatever else we have yet to unearth."

"What else do you think she's hiding?" Lucius asked Severus.

"Could be a multitude of things..." He mused aloud.

CcCcCc

Vivid green flames erupted in the fireplace, parting ways as Severus appeared. The man walked out of the fireplace, cloak billowing from the smoke and gas the flames emitted.

Albus looked up from an old piece of parchment and smiled. "Severus, my boy. What brings you here? Lemon drop?"

"No thank you." Severus conjured a seat and sat down. "Albus, this concerns Hope Potter."

"Hope Potter? The girl hasn't even started school yet." Albus frowned, placing his arms upon the table and clasping them together. "What does this have to do with the girl?"

"I just left Hope Potter at the Malfoy Manor after healing a variety of bruises she had acquired from her relatives."

Albus froze. I guess that was the last thing he had expected to be said. Albus cleared his throat. "Please explain."

Severus then proceeded to tell Albus everything. Visiting the Durlseys. What had happened at the manor. Hope's resistance to eating. Everything.

By the end of the speech Albus had gone pale, silent and angry. "If I had known- that something like this was happening. I would have had her removed immediately."

"What were you thinking?" Severus demanded hotly. "You knew as well as I did how much Petunia hated Lily, how jealous she was. Did you think she could have changed?"

"I thought she could have changed." Albus admitted a bit sheepishly. "I thought that Petunia could have put aside her feeling for her sister and taken proper care of her niece. But, most importantly, I thought about the blood wards. I knew that Petunia didn't like magic much, but I thought she could have forgone all that and taken care of Hope. I even sent them a monthly total to help them."

"Well they never spent it on her. Unless I'm mistaken she had been wearing hand me downs from her whale of a cousin." Severus breathed deeply through his nose. "Did you ever go and check up on her?"

"No-" Albus sighed wearily. "That is something I will regret for the rest of my life. Arabella Figg lived near the girl and she said that Hope was a very polite, young girl, if not a bit skinny. She mentioned she stayed with her often, but never mentioned anything that seemed amiss."

"Talk with her to be sure, but it's plausible she didn't know. Most of the bruises were upon her chest and back." Severus said.

"She can not go back there." Albus said, most likely thinking out loud. "So, that leaves two options."

"Those two options being?"

"Seeing the current circumstances the best home for Hope would either be Lucius and Narcissa or you. Seeing as both Lucius and Narcissa are already parents-"

Severus held up his hand to silence the man. "Hope had already stated she would prefer to live with me."

"That's fantastic my boy!" Albus cried, overjoyed. "And you would take her in?"

"I will. I have realized my mistake and will not let my hatred towards the girl's father cloud my judgement any longer. She is her own person. Not her father and- not her mother either." Severus studied Albus for a moment. "If I am to take in the child I will need a room added to my chambers. Not only does Hope need to be introduced to magic, but Spinners End is not currently fit for a child."

"This would be most acceptable. I'll have the house-elves look into it immediately. I am sure they would also be delighted to spruce up Spinners End for you also. I can have the guardianship papers brought up soon."

"Thank you, Albus." Severus' face darkened slightly. "Now, what are you going to be doing with those Muggles? Her relatives. I have a few choice punishments I deem fit to be of some good use."

Albus paused for a moment, slightly baffled by the Potion Master's sudden malice. "I am sure that we can address that problem some time in the near future. As for now I am sure there is a little girl at Malfoy Manor currently wondering to where you had went. We can arrange another meeting, say in a few days, and can discuss progress and also what to with the Dursleys. Momentarily I don't believe I have anything that I wish to discuss with you that is more important to spending time with one young Hope Potter."

Severus considered the older wizard for a moment before he nodded once. "As you wish, Albus. I will contact you if any problems occur that you should know of."

"Sounds good, my boy."

The black haired man stood up, swishing his robes out of the way of his legs so that he wouldn't get caught up in them. "Goodnight."

"Yes. Goodnight, Severus."

The professor nodded his head in goodbye and stepped back into the fireplace, taking a handful of a silvery powder and yelled 'Malfoy Manor'.

Albus Dumbledore let out a large breath he didn't know he was even holding, falling back into his tall chair forcefully.

CcCcCc

Narcissa glanced up from her spot on the sofa, setting aside her book and placing it on her lap. "Hello, Severus."

"Narcissa." He greeted in kind, crossing the rather expensive floor tiles and sitting in the seat across from her. "Lucius?"

"He's just went to go and check up on the children. Last time he went to go check they were both awake still, whispering. You should have seen her, Severus, she was so terrified she would get punished for not being asleep. Normally we would have punished Draco, nothing to serious, mostly a light scolding, but we just let it slide. Wouldn't do to scaring her off her first night." Narcissa informed him with a small frown gracing her usually stoic features.

He visibly winced.

"I'm guessing Draco isn't the best role model." He said in a teasing tone, emitting a soft laugh from the female. "But I thought Lucius had the house-elves prepare a room for her?"

"He did, but Hope freaked a bit at the prospect of being alone so we simply switched the guest bed into Draco's room. She seemed to calm down quite a bit at that so we didn't see anything wrong with it." Narcissa explained.

Severus nodded his head in understanding.

"So, Sev, how was your meeting with Dumbledore?" She inquired after a brief moment.

"Fine. Dumbledore had agreed to bring up the adoption papers that will give me custody of Hope and will add on a bedroom to my chambers at Hogwarts."

"That's wonderful!" The blonde literally squealed, her blue eyes lighting up. "She wasn't going back to that hell hole she used to call home. I wouldn't have allowed it."

"You would have hexed that old man had he tried." Came a teasing reply, coming somewhere from up the stairwell.

Narcissa looked up and rolled her eyes at the Malfoy man, a smirk gracing her lips as she looked at the face of her sneering husband.

"He's not that much of a fool." Severus commented with a wry grin.

"Besides, why leave Hope in an unsafe environment? Even if it keeps her safe from threats on the outside, but not the inside."

"How are you though, Severus? Seeing as these were quite the sudden changes?"

"I've- come to the realization that Hope isn't her father, she may be more like her mother, but she could also be much like her father... I've come with the terms that I shouldn't allow my prejudice to cloud my judgement."

"Good for you. The thing that matters most of all is that you give her all the love and attention that she deserves."

"Yes, Hope is welcome here anytime." Lucius added, knowing wholeheartedly that his wife agreed and would have probably brought it up herself if he hadn't.

"Thank you. Really. Thank you both for everything you two have done for me today." Severus said earnestly.

"It's no problem at all, really. I'm just glad that Hope will be going to such a loving home."

Severus smiled softly at Lady Malfoy. "You think so?"

"I know so." She replied in all seriousness, meeting the questioning brown eyes head on with her own confident blue.

There was a cushioning silence, one filled with a comforting quietness that they had all come to notice and accept.

"I had meant to ask," Narcissa looked at her husband with a questioning tilt of her head. "How are the children?"

"Both are sound asleep, or they'd like me to think that they were anyhow. I'm nearly positive Hope is still awake." He replied, giving Severus a longer lasting look, one the other man knew the meaning of. "I'm not absolutely sure if Draco is or not, he's getting pretty good at hiding that fact from us."

Both Severus and Narcissa gave low chuckles. Severus rose from his armchair gracefully. "Well, I might as well go up and check on her. After that I'll head back to Hogwarts, but will meet with you all in the morning."

"Alright." Narcissa also rose and kissed the man on the cheek. "Goodnight, Severus."

"Goodnight Narcissa, Lucius." Both men gave each other a nod in farewell. "I will see you both in the morning."

Severus headed up the stairs for the second time that day, reaching the small Malfoy heir's bedroom easily. With a small pause to compose himself he turned the door knob and quickly went to stifle a small chuckle.

Upon hearing the doorknob rattle and turn both children had dived into their beds to feign sleep, but they didn't quite manage. Hope slowly peeked out from beneath the mattress covers and pressed the silky fabric against her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle her own set of giggles. She shifted towards the end of her bed and squinted down at the floor, giggling again. There came a soft groan from the floor- emitting another soft giggle from Hope- and slowly a very ruffled Draco popped up from the carpet. He looked up hastily. "Mother, father, I can explain- oh... Hi, Sev!"

The small blonde beamed at him happily, jumping back upon his own bed and ran a hand through his hair in an effort to flatten it. There was a slight blush creeping its way up his pale skin and Draco rubbed at his neck sheepishly. "You're gonna tell mother aren't you?"

Letting out a soft sign that could have easily been played at a chuckle he shook his head, sitting down on the edge of Hope's guest bed. "No, I suppose I won't this time."

Hope blinked at him in confusion, her green eyes widening slightly. She slowly lowered the blanket away from her mouth. "You aren't gonna tell?"

Severus looked over at the small girl and shook his head. "No, not this time. Say, what are you two doing up this late?"

Draco considered the question for a moment before he shrugged indifferently. "Hope couldn't sleep and when I can't sleep I usually go to mother or father, but she didn't want to do that so I stayed up with her! That's about it, Uncle Sev. We just haven't fallen sleep yet."

Despite himself, Severus couldn't help but raise one of his eyebrows comically. "Is that it then?"

"Y-yes." Hope spoke up, almost hesitantly. "I couldn't sleep so Draco stayed up with me, sir."

Severus glanced back towards the girl and they both seemed to stare at each other for quite a while, almost lost in a staring contest.

Draco, the ever energetic child that he was, couldn't take the long stretch of silence so he did the only thing he thought logical. He broke it. "Sev," He spoke up loudly in exasperation. "did you know that Hope beat me at chess and she had never played before."

"Did you now?" Severus asked her with a hint of surprise.

Hope blushed heavily. "Well I only beat him once. Draco beat me the other times."

"But still!" Draco threw his hands up in the air as if to claim/exaggerate how important this really was.

Severus gazed down at his godson in amusement. "Well, Hope, that feat isn't taken lightly. It is quite an accomplishment, as Draco here tells it."

Though really in a way it was quite impressive, stating how Draco was only six and he was getting to be quite the expert at chess anyhow. Having Hope, being only five- though she was due to be six in a month or so anyway- and not even knowing the principals to the game to suddenly beat Draco was impressive. Draco didn't take playing chess lightly.

Draco suddenly gave a gasp of delight, he turned hopeful, grey eyes towards his godfather. "You want to play a round with us Uncle Sev? Come on! You against Hope and I!"

He opened his mouth, ready to turn down the boy with the excuse that it was getting pretty late when he glanced over towards Hope and saw the hope (no pun intended) and excitement shining in her eyes and he knew immediately that he wouldn't be letting those two down. He gave a sign that gave a hint of defeat. "Oh, I suppose one game wouldn't hurt. Right to bed though after, okay?"

"Okay!" Draco agreed quickly, jumping up and running to go and fetch his chess set.

Hope giggled, glancing over at the Hogwarts professor and gave him a tentative smile.