Arabella Black, The Daughter Of Padfoot (Redux)

Chapter 2

"Blabberdash."

The portrait didn't budge. Instead, the women in the portrait glared at Severus from her perch. "That door dear finally stopped crying. Do try and have some sympathy."

Severus scoffed as the door swung open.

"Go on, my boy." The Headmaster patted him on the back before giving him a gentle push forward.

"She just witnessed the death of her mother, what would you have me to do?" Severus crossed his arms over his chest. "Wouldn't she be better off with someone who has a more... maternal touch?"

"Just follow your instincts."

Severus stared down the Gryffindor common room, he knew better than to argue with Albus Dumbledore but his instincts were telling him to run the other way. Albus finally lost it, that was the only sane explanation for his crazy plan.

Severus Snape could not raise a child - especially not the daughter of his childhood bully.

"Albus..."

"I believe this will be good for both of you."

Severus stepped deep into the common room, immediately cringing as the red and gold berated his vision. It was uncomfortably hot, like somebody left the heat cranked up all summer.

This was no place for a young child but neither was his dungeons. Maybe he should turn around and tell Albus to find somebody else. Much to her husbands dismay, Narcissa Malfoy desired a daughter.

"I've seen you before." Arabella was peering over the couch, shaking like a leaf despite the crackling fireplace.

Severus frowned, another casualty of a war she didn't belong in. "I am Severus Snape." He announced as he sat a respectable distance away from Arabella on the couch. "I was a friend of your mother in school, perhaps you've seen pictures? You're coming to live with me now." He winced at his own bluntness, shifting uncomfortably as she stared owlishly at him.

He couldn't help but imagine Bellatrix Black looked similar as a child - and what a chilling thought that was.

"Mama come?"

Severus thinned his lips and shook his head.

Arabella dissolved into tears once again and Severus didn't know what to do. Should he hug the child or ask first? Did he tell her everything would be okay or did he tell her the truth? But the girl decided for him, hiding her face in his robes as she wept.

As Severus patted her back with a stiff hand, he sighed - he couldn't leave now.

~~~

Fatherhood was exhausting.

Relocating a child into his home was enough but she insisted they repaint her new room the same color as her old room. Severus bit his tongue and allowed the ugly canary yellow to spray from his wand. Arabella was delighted, he hated it.

She was boundless bundle of energy, which Severus both detested and envied. She required to sleep with the blankets pulled up to her ears, every plushy beside her and no less then two bedtimes stories.

And when that didn't work, Severus turned to nefarious means - bribing.

"You may not come into my study without my permission. You may not touch anything unless I say so. There will be no running or yelling, understand?"

"Understand!"

Except the mysterious room wasn't as magical as Arabella expected. It was just as dark as the rest of the house, lined with shelves holding books, weird floating objects and liquids in tiny glass jars.