"Aurelia!" Ron yelled as he entered the Slytherin common room. It had only been about twenty-five minutes since I left.

I looked up from the copy of Witch Weekly Pansy had lent me before she left, "Ron."

Ron looked around frantically, "Is Rookwood here?"

"No, she's still in the library. Honestly, someone should really check up on her. Highest grades in her year and her exams aren't for months."

Not that I could blame Zinnia for making sure she's as qualified as possible for a healer's position. What with her uncle being… That Rookwood. But Zinnia was always cordial to me, so I didn't fault her for her family.

I could kinda relate, in a way. Snape is an on-record ex-Death Eater, after all.

My be-freckled friend looked to be absolutely vibrating with excitement and I had an idea as to what was up.

"Alright, mate, show her!"

Just because I knew it was coming doesn't mean that seeing one of my best friends appear out of freakin' nowhere wasn't startling.

"¡A la verga!" Sweet son of the Lady of Guadalupe, these kids were gonna give me a heart attack.

The boys laughed at my mini panic.

"Harry's got an invisibility cloak!"

"No shit, Ronald."

I hopped to my feet, tossing the magazine on the glass coffee table, "Alright, where the heck did that come from?"

"I don't know," said Harry, "but the note said it used to be my father's."

Harry was looking as though he'd burst from the sheer joy flowing through his body. My heart ached for him. Anytime this kid learnt anything about his parents it lit him up like a candle. He should have grown up with Sirius and Remus hearing non-stop about James and Lily. No, he should have always been with James and Lily. He should have grown up getting into mischief with that cloak. He shouldn't have been so desperate for a connection with his parents. No child should ever be.

I was suddenly very angry. Once Voldemort was no longer after the Philosopher's Stone, I was going to take care of that fucking Malinche snoozing away on Ron's bed. I hadn't forgotten about Pettigrew. The minute, and I do mean that literally, Voldy wasn't an active threat at school anymore, I was taking him down. I was always planning on doing so out of sheer human decency, but it was personal now. He hurt one of my dearest friends. He was a dead rat walking.

"Sounds more like someone's returning something they borrowed than an actual Christmas present, but alright. I'm glad it found its way home."

Harry frowned, "You don't seem very excited about this. Just think! You and Ron could come up to Gryffindor Tower even after the holiday now! I don't think anyone will say anything. You've become legend since the troll incident. And Ron's a Weasley so nobody will think him being there is out of the ordinary."

Harry, my sweet summer boy, I would kill for you if you asked.

I smiled, "Yeah, I guess that'll be pretty cool. You forgot about Hermione, though. She might kill us for breaking the rules, though."

Ron rolled his eyes, "You and I make up the majority of Hermione's friends. She'll be bossy and complain, but she won't say anything."

You know what? He had a point.

Suddenly, there was a noise, and Harry was too slow to get his cloak off the floor.

"Is that Harry Potter?" asked a disheveled Zinnia Rookwood. Apparently, she had decided to crawl out of the library and stop studying for the day.

"…No?" said Harry hopefully.

Her sharp blue eyes examined the three of us critically. "You brought a Gryffindor into our common room?"

Ron and I gulped, terrified. Harry, the outsider, looked even more afraid.

It stayed that way for a few moments before Zinnia sighed, "You know what? I don't care. Just don't get caught by Snape. I'll let you off this time. Think of it as a Christmas gift. Next time, though, I'm making you work for my silence. Cheerio."

"Thank you!" We all chorused.

"Whatever," she made her way towards the seventh-year girls' dorm.

The three of us all let out a breath, "Oh my god, that could have been so much worse."

Harry nodded in agreement as Ron shivered, "She looked like she was going to hex our faces off."

"She made a good point about Snape, though. Snape's already probably not too happy with me at the moment. Had he walked in, we'd all have been in huge trouble."

"What did you do?" asked Ron.

"Remind him of your existence too much lately?" Harry joked.

I placed my hands behind my back and looked the other direction, "Well," I said sheepishly, "I may or may not have given him a hair care kit for Christmas. Used up all my pocket money to get a fourth-year Ravenclaw to have it mailed to me."

My boys looked at me blankly before falling to the floor laughing.

"Shut up, this is probably going to get me like, grounded or something."

"Genius," said Ron, "You're an utter genius, 'Relia."

Snape's office was a lot nicer than the man himself. The walls were covered floor to ceiling in potions and ingredients; and the few sections that weren't were full bookshelves just as tall. There was an inviting fireplace with warm, dancing green flames. It was too good for him.

"Do you know why you are here?" The Bat asked me.

"Is this because I didn't get you a Christmas present?" I asked innocently.

It was the early afternoon of December twenty-sixth.

Snape glared at me, black beads to black beads. "How is your reading coming along?"

"Haven't started," I said. "Figured I'd wait till April to crack it open. You know, Harry received a single coin for Christmas from his uncle and his aunt Petunia. That along with a brief note. I wonder why that's so familiar? Who knew you and a muggle housewife would have so much in common?"

Instead of yelling at me like I thought, Snape got eerily quiet. But not in a way that said he was reconsidering who he was as a person. No, this was the kind of silence that reminded me I was the daughter of a Death Eater who's probably killed more people than I've met in my left.

Before I could process what was happening Snape was over at my side, my head jerking as he grabbed my cheek and nudged it upwards. I was looking back in the mirror that was his eyes once more, "Had you not been my flesh and blood," he said venomously, "you would have never left this room alive. Watch yourself."

"Do you love me?" I blurted out.

Snape's eyes widened and suddenly he was as still as a statue. "What did you just say?"

The real question was why did I say that. Oh well, too late to back out now. It was something I'd been secretly wondering.

"Do you love me?" I asked again.

He dropped my face and turned around.

"You're my daughter."

"And you are my father, unfortunately. But that doesn't answer the question. You've known about me since before I was born. It's not like you're just now getting used to the idea of my existence. Do you love me?"

I couldn't see exactly what he was doing, but I was pretty sure he was looking at his hands now. In silence, of course.

And more silence.

And more.

My throat tightened. I wasn't sure what I expected. I didn't exactly love the man either, but it still kind of stung that he didn't even bother to lie. If I were a normal twelve-year-old who had lost her mother, I think this would have been the start of my villain origin story.

I sighed, "So why am I here?"

Snape snapped back to reality and turn around, black robes swooshing. "There are people who'd like to meet you. I will be escorting you off school grounds and introducing you to them."

I was extremely confused. Who would want to meet me? Was this the obligatory Malfoy Winter Ball that every Slytherin OC had to attend?

"To where? Hogsmeade?"

Snape listed some random town in Britain that I've never heard of. Well, it wasn't Wiltshire, so that meant it wasn't the Malfoys. I briefly wondered if it was a town of JK's creation, like Cokeworth.

"Who am I meeting? When are we leaving, tonight? Tomorrow?"

"Now," he said.

I choked, "Like, right now–right now?"

"No, right now in twenty years. Yes, right now!"

I coughed as I exited the Floo, Snape joining me soon after.

"Could we not have apparated? The risk of getting splinched is far more pleasant than the Black Lung if you ask me. I suppose I'll just die, though. Bury me in California beneath a palm tree, would you?" I draped my arm over my forehead.

Snape rolled his eyes, "Could you be anymore histrionic?"

"Is that a challenge?"

I ignored Snape's cursing and looked around to find myself in a rather fancy parlor decorated in black and deep green. Whoever lived here was a) rich and b) probably from a long line of Slytherins. The Notts, maybe? The Parkinsons? Oh! The Greengrasses?

"You're late, Severus," said a feminine voice.

I whipped around to see a stern, matronly woman with icy blue eyes and greying brunette hair glaring at Snape. She was dressed in fine black robes and was accompanied by a tall, balding man with black beads for eyes that looked rather familiar. His face was shaved apart from his grey sideburns. He was just as stern-looking and well-dressed as the woman.

"Elsinore. Marius." He greeted coldly.

I looked between the adults and started putting pieces together. "By any chance," I asked, "Would you happen to be his grandparents?"

"I see you told her nothing," Elsinore's eyes narrowed at Snape before turning to me, her eyes softening greatly. "Clever girl. I'm Elsinore Prince, your great-grandmother. It's a pleasure to meet you, dear."

"Likewise… I'm sorry, this came out of absolutely nowhere for me. I'm so lost. What exactly is happening here?"

Marius sighed, "I suppose you didn't tell her she's staying here for the rest of the holiday either?"

"I'M WHAT?!"

He most certainly did not tell me!

"Tch, typical," Elsinore sneered at Snape. I see the sneer is genetic.

"I can't stay here! I'm sure you both are lovely people, but this came out of absolutely nowhere! Ron and Harry will worry about where I've gone! Who will feed Clawdius?! When was this decided?!"

There was absolutely no foreshadowing of getting dropped off here, and I was very upset about it.

Snape turned to me, a mocking smirk on his face, "Last night."

Oh my god.

Was this seriously about the freaking hair care kit?!

Marius sighed again and it was now his turn to be angry with Snape, "I do not know what this is about, but Aurelia clearly does. We will not be used as a punishment against our great-granddaughter. She is more than welcome to stay for a few days if she wants, but you will not send her here against her will. I forbid it."

Snape stiffened, "She wants nothing to do with me as her father. What makes you think she would ever willingly speak to you if I don't force her?"

The dilemma was killing me. I could demand Snape take me back to Hogwarts, but I'd prove him right. I could stay for a few days, but Snape would see it as a victory.

I took a deep breath, "I would like to go back to Hogwarts. However, I would love to start writing to you both, if you're interested. You seem like you suck a lot less than he does. Plus it's always nice to have more family."

Elsinore walked over and gently patted me on the cheek, "Of course, dear. If you ever need anything, just owl us. I am so sorry about all of this. We had thought you knew you were coming. I imagine just now must have been rather upsetting for you."

I shrugged, "My father in general is upsetting, so I'm kinda used to it. Did he tell you how he crashed my mother's funeral and dragged me to England against my will?"

Snape's grandparents obviously already had a low opinion of him, but I could tell it somehow managed to sink even lower.

"Oh really?" Her tone was frostier than the blue shade of her eyes.

I felt Snape reach over and he began to pull me towards the Floo, "We'll be leaving now."

"He won't even let me talk to anyone on my mom's side of the family!" I yelled for good measure. I had a feeling I was about to be severely punished when we made it back to Hogwarts, but I was on a roll.

"Severus Snape!" Marius boomed, "Just what have you done to this child?"

"Treacherous child," grumbled Snape as he stepped out of the Floo.

"You did that to yourself. I can't imagine how else you thought that would go," I said.

He had just spent several hours getting his ass reamed by Elsinore and Marius for his bad parenting. It was the most glorious thing I'd ever seen. I like to think that that was Mom's Christmas present to me from beyond the grave. I had new allies in my great-grandparents (I was more than willing to accept them as family) and I'd gotten to see Snape get a bit of what he deserved.

He ignored me and went to sit at his desk. He pulled out what I'm pretty sure was a bottle of firewhiskey and a small square glass.

"I'll be going then," I announced before making my way to the exit.

"Aurelia," he called.

I stiffened but didn't turn to face him.

"I don't."

"Don't what?"

"Love you. I don't love you."

Before I could whip around he continued, "But that isn't your fault."

I glanced back, our eyes met for what felt like the thousandth time today. I briefly wondered if I should stop doing that, considering he could read minds and all. But there was nothing in my head that I cared if he knew about.

"I don't love you either," I said honestly, "And that is your fault."

My lack of love for my father was not simply because he was the character, Severus Snape. It was not because I was reborn. It was not because he wasn't handsome. It was because he was Severus Snape, and that meant he would never care about anything that wasn't a dead redhead who was never even his to begin with.

He said nothing and turned away. Perhaps in shame, although I knew that was unlikely.

I left, not feeling much of anything.

"Aurelia! Where were you? We'd thought you and Snape finally snapped and killed each other," said Harry as I entered the Gryffindor common room.

I smiled and looked into his jade eyes. He had Lily Evans' eyes, or so said everyone. They were very beautiful and suited him well. For a split second, I thought I should resent Lily. I was Snape's daughter and yet I could never compare, not even to her corpse. But I didn't. Not even in the slightest.

I wanted to say Snape wasn't even my real father anyway. But to say that would be to say Margarita Rodriguez wasn't my mother either.

"He took me to meet my great-grandparents. Dude gave me absolutely no heads up."

Ron grimaced, "That must have been rough, mate."

I shook my head and sat down next to the boys on the couch, "Elsinore and Marius are great. Shame they're related to Snape. They deserve a better grandson."

The boys started making comments but I was honestly too exhausted to pay much attention. I zoned out for a moment after glancing at Ron's lap. It looked cozy.

I stretched slightly before resting my head on said cozy-looking lap. Ron squeaked in surprise and I closed my eyes.

"Shhhh. Wake me up in like, an hour."

He protested and Harry laughed, but I ignored them both. Ron's lap was a lot smaller than Mom's, but with my eyes closed, it was easier to pretend she was here. It was as close as I could get to Mom without trekking down to the Mirror of Erised. And Lord knows I was leaving that thing alone.

As I drifted off, I could have sworn I smelt the scent of her perfume. The scent of amber and spice. And home.