Secret Daughter (A Harry Potter FanFic)

Chapter 11

Elliana walked into her father's office and looked around. Noticing that he wasn't in the office, she walked over to the door that led to his chambers and let herself in. Severus Snape was sitting in his high-backed armchair reading the Daily Prophet. She cleared her throat quietly to get his attention.

"You're ready?" He questioned, without looking up from his paper.

"Are we going to do schoolwork?"

"That; and Professor Dumbledore wishes for me to teach you Occlumency."

"What's Occlumency?"

"Occlumency is the art of closing off one's mind, the ability to protect your thoughts from intrusion."

"Why would I need to learn Occlumency? Aren't charms and transfiguration more important?"

"You know things that others don't need to know. If we are to keep you safe, your mind can't be an open book for anyone who cares to look into it. Occlumency will teach you to discipline your mind."

"What do you mean? Protect me from what?" Elliana was taken aback by the harshness in his voice. 

"None of your concern right now. As I said, your mind is an open book, and I don't need every single person to know our secrets." The look he gave Elliana at this moment let her know that this discussion was over. She would have to wait to find out what it seemed he and Professor Dumbledore were keeping from her. "Now, let's begin. Take a seat." He said as he stood and gestured for Elliana to take his seat in the armchair. "Clear your mind. I'm going to attempt to look into it. Your goal is to push me out once I'm in. Once you can do that, we'll work on keeping me out to start with." 

Elliana nodded her head in response and closed her eyes. She couldn't quite clear her head, so instead she focused her mind on a single image. She visualized her father's face, hoping when he entered her mind, all he would see was his own face. "Ready." She said, once she had solidified the image as the only thing on her mind.

"Legilimens." She heard Snape say, and she immediately felt pressure emanating from her temples and moving inwards. The sensation was unexpected and caught her off guard. She lost her focus as her father began to sift through her memories. Her mind had already been on him, and suddenly the images in her head shifted to earlier that day in Potions class. She felt the same nerves that she had felt during the lesson. Then the scene shifted and she was standing in Dumbledore's office the night she met her father, she felt the fear and the apprehension of that night, felt the hurt of the realization that her father did not seem to be a loving man. The scene shifted again as Snape dug further into her memories. Suddenly she saw her father- her adoptive father. It was one of the last memories that she had with him. The pair was having a picnic in the park as they did many times. They were laughing and walking next to the lake when he scooped up Elliana and swung her around in a hug as she smiled and laughed. 

"STOP!" Elliana shouted, tears running freely down her face. "Please." She sobbed defeatedly.

Snape took a step back and fell onto the couch across from his daughter. He replayed the images he had seen in Elliana's memories. She feared him. And she loved the stupid Muggle who had raised her. He looked up at the girl in front of him to see her sobbing quietly. She had brought her knees up to her chest, curling herself into a protective little ball. His heart panged seeing how he hurt her, fearing that she would never feel for him the way she felt for her adoptive parents. He opened his mouth to say something to her, but closed it again without saying a word. 

After a few minutes of sitting, with only Elliana's hiccuping sobs occasionally breaking the silence, Snape stood up and moved to stand in front of his daughter. He held out his hand to her and she reached out her small pale hand and placed it in his. He gently pulled her to her feet without saying a word and led her to her bedroom.