Severus Snape A Soul Undiminished

Chapter 45 - Reuniting

Sirana's grandfather was to arrive today. She waited in Dumbledore's office for their return. Dumbledore had spoken to her before he left to bring her grandfather. She felt
at ease with Professor Dumbledore. He was good natured like her grandfather, but his eyes held a sadness, whereas her grandfather's held a fire. She often heard that her own eyes were like his—eyes of blue flame. Professor Dumbledore wanted to prepare her for the fact that her grandfather would be older than she remembered, as more than a decade had passed since she'd seen him.
She was used to the idea that her previous life wasn't completely as it seemed. Part of her regretted that she'd missed out on so many years of knowing that she had magical abilities. She could have attended Hogwarts if things had been different. She wondered what house she would have been sorted into.
She heard and felt the air in the room change. She stood to see Professor Dumbledore with her grandfather by his side.
"Sirana!" her grandfather called, holding his arms out to her.
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Sirana ran to him, and he wrapped his robe around her as he did when she was a child. She wept in his arms.
"Sirana, I have missed you. We have so much to talk about," her grandfather said, unwrapping her and holding her face in his hands. "I still see my beautiful Katherine when I look at you. I have often regretted not telling you how much I adore you, Sirana. After all these years, I hope that you know how much you are loved." Sirana saw that her grandfather's eyes were misty now.
She smiled up at him. "Grandfather, you never needed to worry about that. I felt your love always. I always thought we were so much alike. I never felt that we needed to put into words what was here all the time," Sirana said, holding her hand on her heart.
"So, you felt it too then?" her grandfather asked. "The feeling that you and I were tied, as if by a string. It's how I knew you hadn't died that night—because it never went away. It faded, like you were sleeping—for fifteen years—then, it was like you'd returned. I didn't know what it meant. And then, the Professor contacted me. It was like a miracle. A wonderful, magical miracle," her grandfather reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. "I do not understand the magic that has returned you to us, but I know that it is—I've had dreams—momentous."
She looked at Professor Dumbledore. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore—Albus—for bringing my grandfather to me."
Her grandfather turned to him as well. "Yes, thank you, Albus, for reuniting us."
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Albus smiled, both at her and at Professor Cadogen. "You are both very welcome. Please, both of you, sit. We do have much to talk about."
Albus poured them all drinks, and they spent at least an hour catching up on all that had transpired.
"What about my parents? Do they know I'm still alive?" Sirana asked.
"Yes, I told them that you had been found, and that you had been in a coma all these years. They are awaiting your recovery, and I assured them you had the best of care," her grandfather answered. He continued as if he'd just remembered, "Oh, by the way, here is your wand." He drew it out from inside his robes, handing it to her.
She accepted it, holding it gingerly. "I'm sorry for the circumstances that led me to have to hide it from you—both it and the memory of it. Those were dark times," he said, and his eyes held the haunting memories for a moment.
"It is a fine wand," Albus remarked. "I believe it will be well-suited for you. We will begin your instruction tomorrow afternoon. Until then, I would recommend you try not to use it. Your magical abilities are already quite powerful, and your wand will make them doubly so."
Sirana tucked the wand in her sleeve. "Yes, sir," she replied. "I look forward to it."
Albus shifted in his chair, looking more serious now. "There is another matter," he said, looking at them both. "The night you
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disappeared. The night the Potters died. What do you remember of that night, Kane?" he asked her grandfather.
"I'm sorry. I don't think I can offer you what you are looking for. My memory of the night is...hidden. I assume that whatever magic was at work that night also dulled my memory of it," he said sadly.
"Would it be too much to ask of you to draw out your memory for the Pensieve?" Albus asked. "Perhaps it may more easily be seen through another's mind's eye."
Sirana had read of all of this, but she hadn't imagined seeing it firsthand.
"Yes, Albus. I will do whatever is needed to help," her grandfather said, drawing out his own wand.
He held the wand to his temple, drawing out what looked to be threads of silver light. Albus held a vial, and helped her grandfather direct the memory into it. Albus retrieved the Pensieve, poured the memory into it, then submerged his face into the liquid of the Pensieve. After he was done looking at the memory, he stood, looking wide-eyed at them both.
At that moment, Severus strode into the room, meeting eyes with her only briefly. "Is it there, Albus? What did you see?" he asked brusquely.
Sirana was surprised to see Severus again so soon. She wondered why he had not told her he was coming. He hadn't greeted her—or anyone else for that matter—when he walked in either. She had seen Severus's awkward nature before, even
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around her at times, so she simply attributed it to his single- minded focus.
Albus politely corrected his misstep. "Severus," Albus said. "I was hoping you could make it. First, let me make introductions. This is Professor Kane Cadogen, Sirana's grandfather. Kane, this is Professor Severus Snape."
Severus turned to him. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Sirana has spoken fondly of you," Severus said, and Sirana smiled at his words.
"It's wonderful to meet you, too," Her grandfather replied. "Sirana has spoken fondly of you as well." He said the last part with the mildest hint of a smile, and Sirana blushed as Severus looked nonplussed.
Gratefully, Albus spoke quickly, "I'm sorry to say that the memory did not hold more than what Sirana has told us previously. It seems her presence here may remain a mystery."
Severus stepped forward. "There is something I would like you to consider, Albus. Since Sirana now has her wand in her possession..." He paused to look at Sirana, raising his eyebrow as if asking for her confirmation, and she nodded in affirmation. He continued, "She may be able to extract her own memory from the night in question. I could not see far enough into her mind when I tried, and I did not wish to cause injury by pushing farther, so this may help to better reveal what we are looking for."
Sirana thought about that and felt her heart swell knowing that he could have forced himself into her mind but didn't. She
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truly trusted him, and she would try to provide them with the memory for the Pensieve if she could. She looked at Albus and nodded her silent agreement.
"I will show her how," her grandfather said before Severus or Albus had the chance. "Please, allow us a moment."