Forgotten Daughter

CHAPTER V

Celeste fell into a routine over the next few weeks. She would study, dance and all together avoid all the strangers in her home. El still had the occasional conversation with Harry Potter but that was pretty much it.

There was only a couple more weeks until school would start again and El was excited for everybody to leave. She was always homeschooled rather then going to Hogwarts. It was a joint decision between both the girl and Regulus that she wouldn't attend until she was fully in control of her gifts.

El walked towards her uncle's office, noting that he was spending more time in there with Kreacher. She quietly walked in and sat opposite the man. He was clearly tired from the bags under his eyes and the bloodshot.

"El, I've been talking with Dumbledore and he's requested that you start attending Hogwarts."

"Oh."

The girl didn't feel ready to start school and would've very much preferred to stay home. With the war looming, the El wanted to stay home, safe with her uncle. Nonetheless, the girl nodded in understanding and walked out the room after excusing herself.

She walked into the dining room to see a man with long greasy hair and a hooked nose. She hadn't seen him before but still politely sat opposite him with a smile.

"Hello, I'm El, nice to meet you."

To say Severus Snape was surprised was an understatement.

"What is your last name." He sneered.

She didn't falter and clearly said, "Black, Celeste Black."

"I wasn't aware Regulus had a child."

"He didn't, my biological father is Sirius."

He was even more surprised now.

"I suppose you're helping those retched twins pull another childish prank."

"I have no knowledge of any prank. I simply came to study." She said with a small smile. She reached for her potions and transfiguration books. She had found them from her uncle's seventh year and taken to reading them.

She mindlessly wrote across the book, ignoring how the man was analyzing her every move.

"What are you scribbling in that book for."

"I am writing some improvements in my potions book."

"And they are."

"In the Draught of Living Death, I prefer to crush the sopophorous bean with the flat side of a dagger. And I add one clockwise turn after the seven anti-clockwise turns."

"Why." He drawled in a fashion that showed utter boredom yet he was anything but.

"You can get more juice and you can obtain the clear color quicker." El answered, without missing a beat.

For the first time in a while Snape smiled. It wasn't a huge grin, more of a curve of the lips but a smile nonetheless.

"Do you know much about potions?"

"I teach it at Hogwarts."

El's eyes widened in excitement, "Really! I start there this coming year. I've never been into school before, Uncle Reg taught me everything." She rambled but the man didn't seem to mind.

So that's how the pair spent the next hour, El receiving information that only the Potion's Master seemed to know.

It wasn't until Sirius Black bathed in the room was the calm atmosphere disturbed. The man had a frown evident in his face as he saw his old nemesis converse freely with his estranged daughter.

"Celeste what are you doing with Snivellus?" He questioned.

"Professor Snape, is helping me on my potions. He knows more then books." She said without glancing up from her book.

"You should go Snivillous."

"That's not nice." She said suddenly, before the man could reply.

"Celeste , he is a slimy greasy git."

"No, he is a person that doesn't deserve to be judged upon appearance." She said knowingly.

"You don't know what he was like in school, don't talk about things you don't know about." He snapped.

"In school! You're like 36, you're a holding a grudge over teenage problems."

"I said don't talk about things you don't know, you're mother was nosy too." He said, muttering the last bit. El still heard.

Not wanting to carry on arguing the girl ran past him as Sirius was filled with guilt and regret.

"I don't like you, but that girl is perhaps one of the most intelligent and kind person I've met. Don't waste time with her." Snape said, speaking to the man without contempt for the first time in his life.