As It Was *Complete*

63. Settling In

"I never knew there was more to the picture." Astra whispered. She had a thought. "The baby pictures that Eileen had were of a little toddler. Are they...I mean is it me?"

"I would say so, yes. She was always snapping pictures of you. Your first bath, your first walk outside, your first spoon-feed. She had it all documented. There is also a baby book somewhere. I am not sure what happened to it after I gave you to the orphanage." He sighed.

"We will have to look through the attic. But first, how about a cup of tea?"

"Love some," he answered as they headed off to the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind but I have ordered a delivery of food too from the grocers. I was sure you didn't have anything here from the summer."

She shook her head. "I have tea bags, and a few cans of food. But I packed my trunk with some food I got in Hogsmeade, milk, butter, sugar, bread, cakes and things. So I am glad you ordered groceries. I will pay you -"

"Not at all. It's the least I can do for my daughter and grandbaby." He smiled as she set the kettle to boil.

They had their tea and ate cakes as Snape told her all about his childhood, growing up with Eileen and Tobias, his father. His father sounded a little unpleasant. He was a muggle who grew to resent Eileen and their son for their abilities and tried to use them for money and power in the muggle world. But Snape made it sound like he was sheltered from his father's abusive behaviour and described his childhood as being a rather pleasant time.

She learnt of her grandmother more and the powerful witch she was, turning against her parents wishes for her to marry a pure blood because she fell in love with a muggle. She was brave and strong willed. She knew what she wanted and she got it. But she was also kind and sweet. Exactly how Astra remembered her in her last few years, which she happily discussed to her father.

"Eileen came to the school one day in June in my fourth year. It was just after Cedric had died. She spoke to Dumbledore at length before they called me into the office and Dumbledore explained to me that Eileen was willing to be like a foster parent to me and take me in for the summer holidays meaning I had somewhere to go."

She looked down at her cup which was resting on her lap and she sat in the living room with her feet tucked up under her as Snape sat at the other end of the couch. "I was so nervous to stay with her. But she was lovely. She met me off the Hogwarts Express and took me to Diagon Alley shopping before we came back here. She bought me my first pair of jean and a few tops and even knitted me cardigans and jumpers. She taught me to cook and bake and the Pure Blood etiquette. I owe her so much."

"I wish I had known that she managed to track you down. I wish I remembered you." Snape sighed.

"Why do you think Dumbledore didn't say anything?" Astra asked. A question that had been playing on her mind for a while now.

"Who knows. Albus was my best friend but he was not exactly the most straightforward person. There was always a method to his madness but no one but him ever understood it. I gave up asking why a long time ago." Snape shrugged.

"He was your best friend? I never knew that."

"Not many did. It wasn't something that we spread around. At the beginning I went to him because I wanted to keep Lily safe but he helped to keep me from becoming pure evil. Gave me a job, a purpose and when it came to you, he helped me to keep you safe. I could never thank him enough for that, and he will never know what it meant to be that he believed in me. No one else did but he never doubted me." Snape looked sadly out of the window as he reflected.

Astra wasn't sure what to say to make him feel better. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting him but but she felt like she needed to say something. She reached over and gave his arm a little squeeze. "One thing I always thought of Professor Dumbledore is that he knew us all better than we knew ourselves. He understood us and knew what we wanted to say without us even having to speak. I am sure he knew how much he meant to you. He was an amazing man."