Rose walked down the empty corridors of the castle, hearing her footsteps reverberate across the stone floor. She looked at Severus's wand as she rolled it on her fingers. She found it was exactly where she dropped it.

It reminded her to get herself a wand. She chuckled wondering what Mr. Ollivander might assume, knowing that it was a nineteen year old girl's first wand. Last thing she wanted was the Ministry to knock her door and ask about herself.

She reached hospital wings' door, amused what kind of wand might suit her the best. Pushing the door by a chink, she looked through the crack to make sure Madam Pomfrey wasn't in there. Seeing her nowhere, she opened it wide open.

Severus was sitting up in his bed, engrossed in a book. There was his trademark sneer on his face, making him look like his old self again. But it disappeared as soon as noticed Rose there. "Afternoon, Rose." he said a bit softly than usual, dropping the book on his lap.

The former doubted if he was still going to treat her as a special case, when he acted like his sarcastic self to rest of the world.

"Well, afternoon, Severus." she replied, walking up to the foot of his bed.

"Severus?" His eyebrow raised in question. "I thought we had a relation of-"

"NO!!" she shouted, nervously turning to the open door. She took place on chair beside his bed.

"No, never. I know it would be hard on our part but still. I can't bear if anyone comes to know about. No."

Severus open his mouth to say something but closed it. "OK, you win it. No one knows it. It will be between us."

Rose suddenly remember about the wand and returned it. "Well, I took it last night and forgot about it."

Taking it from her hand, he realized that something deeply troubled her. "Is everything fine?"

"I don't know, Severus." she sighed. "I don't know. I have started fearing what choice I made. To let my soul spilt."

He lifted the book to his eyes. This was one question he didn't like answering. Creation of horcruxes was the work of a Dark witch or wizard. And neither proved to one.

"If you wouldn't have, you wouldn't have known the truth. You did what you felt was right." He said, avoiding her eyes.

But Rose noticed it. "You can tell me about it. I want to get over with it."

Severus dropped the book down again. "Horcruxes are meant to be created by Dark witches and wizards like Voldemort. I don't know how but infact I didn't want life. I couldn't repelled yours when you offered, you were eager to let me live. I settled for a half-life though forcefully. I can understand that the spilting of soul has left you emotionally unstable but it's something you must get used to."

This left the young witch more confused. She was having a dilemma if it was right to save her father, forgiving him. Now, she wondered if it could have happened some other way.

"Oh, Merlin. Someone make me forget all this." She whispered, resting her pounding head in her hands.

Severus looked at Rose blankly. He never knew how it was like to have ones soul spilt. But looking at his daughter, he understood that it was painful and unpleasant.

"Imperio." He said, pointing his wand at Rose.

For a moment, she froze and relaxed. She looked around, totally unaware to things that had bothered her a few moments ago.

"Did something happen?"

"No…nothing." He said blankly, lowering his wand.

Rose saw it and it all came back to her. "Oh no. I need a wand before the start of the year."

"Get one." He said, raising the book second time.

"Easier said than done."

"Alright, you don't have to do anything. The wand choses you. You just pay for it."

Rose felt an ache build in her head. He is one difficult person to make understand.

"Dad, I am nineteen. Wouldn't Mr. Ollivander know that I didn't use a wand until now? People say he remembers each and every wand he sold."

Severus tilts the book to get a glimpse of her pitch black eyes. There was fear in it curtained by wonder. Sighing, he straightened his book.

"You are worrying about nothing. Get some proper sleep and think about it tomorrow."

Rose grumbled something and walked out of the room. Severus's eyes followed as she did.

As she yanked the door behind her, he pulled out a long wooden case from under his pillow.

"13".Cedar wood. Dragon string core. Ollivander was a difficult one to convince but I managed to get a wand for Rose."

That night, she sat in the astronomy tower. Working in her room was becoming monotonous. She needed a change.

Under the moonlight filtering through the ceiling panels, she propped against one of the walls, writing the pending lesson.

When she scratched last word on paper, she slammed the book shut and dropped her quill in the ink pot beside her.

She drifted off to sleep as she closed her eyes.