snape's daughter, harry's sister

reconciliation.

"Fred, George, why don't you go and introduce Maggie to your brothers and sister?" Molly more so ordered, rather than requested. Their mother seemed to be less than pleased with what she'd obviously overheard.

Having realized that the man behind the short woman probably heard everything she had just said about him, Maggie's eyes widened and her mouth clamped shut. While she certainly didn't fear Haley's father, he was still going to be her professor soon.

"Um," the blonde began; unsure of whether or not she should apologize. But before she could finish, George gave her side a gentle nudge, silently saying for her not to.

"Go on," Haley succeeded in finally finding her voice. She then removed Fred's arm from about her shoulders (which had been there since she'd cried earlier) and gestured for him to leave.

"I'll be fine," she mouthed when the trio didn't budge. Their eyes were filled with concern and uncertainty. "Honest," Haley added aloud, seeing the pressing stares from each adult.

Maggie looked between her friend and the professor for a moment, as if searching for something. As to whether or not she found it remained unclear as she soon warily left the room, followed shortly after by the defeated-looking twins.

"Well," Molly brushed off her apron, "I'll just be in the kitchen if you need me," she said more so to Haley than the man beside her.

The eleven year old merely nodded her head, feeling too anxious to verbally respond, as Mrs. Weasley gave off a reassuring smile and exited the room; undoubtedly to deal with her sons.

"So, I suppose you're here to take me back, then?" she asked her father bravely once the door had shut.

Severus sighed stressfully. The girl whom practically insisted on being difficult was the reason as to why they could never manage to hold a civil conversation. Maybe her father's impatience was a bit to blame, as well...but the professor would never admit to it.

"No," he replied firmly, leaving little room for any uncertainty in his tone.

Haley watched him carefully, regardless. Her black-speckled eyes were filled with a mixture of both disbelief and self-doubt. Trust was merely not something she handed out carelessly.

"Then why did you come?" she wanted to know.

A bit of time passed before Haley got a response. "For the same reasons as yesterday," Snape replied evenly.

His daughter spoke up again before he could proceed. "Because I'm not meant to be here?" she pried.

"Because you belong with me," Haley's father informed her tightly, as if it had taken every fiber of his being to push those words from his mouth.

It was then, she knew, that a pin could be heard, had one dropped in the room.

"What?" Haley choked out. Certainly her hearing was off because never in a million years would the man standing before her say such a thing.

"You ran," Severus stated, ignoring the question as he wished not to repeat himself, "why?" he pressed.

The girl looked down at that, suddenly finding her hands to be the most interesting things on the planet as she fiddled with them. "I dunno," Haley mumbled.

"Is it me whom you are speaking with, or the floor?" the potion's master slightly snapped.

The child's head shot up upon the harshness of his tone. "I was scared, okay?" she admitted angrily, not liking the turn this conversation had taken.

Severus took a moment to respond. There were many who feared him (most of those people being his pupils), and while he sincerely did not mind that fact, he couldn't help but to feel differently when the person in question was his own child.