Insomnia | Fred Weasley |

0. Let the journey begin...

Severus Snape had begun his day as he normally would.  He woke up, made breakfast for just himself while reading the Daily Prophet, and waited for any owls to bring him the post for the day. Then he began to look over his lesson plans for the upcoming year at Hogwarts.

It was just beginning to come around lunchtime when he was sitting in his study when there was a frantic knocking at his front door. He immediately stood with his wand drawn and made his way to the front door, cautious in his step.

The knocking became louder and frantic, causing him to throw the door open, wand pointed at whoever was outside, only to see two cloaked figures, one shorter than the other. The pouring rain outside caused his view of their faces to be obscured, but the taller person pulled their hood off, revealing a face he hadn't seen in years.

"Severus," she spoke softly, "I had nowhere else to go and I need your help desperately."

After a quick glance around, Severus stepped aside, letting the pair walk in before quickly shutting the door behind him.  The smaller person removed their cloak and looked up at Severus. She had long black hair and piercing blue eyes that watched him with curiosity.

Upon looking at her, Severus felt his stomach tighten with familiar anxiety as to how much she looked like an old foe from his younger years.  His wand tightened in his hand before relaxing when he reminded himself that she wasn't him and that he was somewhere far away.

"Severus," the older woman spoke softly, "it's me, Alliana. I desperately need your help."

He guided the two of them to his study where there was some tea boiling. He conjured two more cups and the young girl immediately made herself a cup of tea to warm up as the two adults watched her.

Severus remained silent as he watched her stir in far too much milk and sugar in it before looking at the older woman with a raised brow.

"She drinks her tea just like you," he commented.

"I know," she told him with a soft smile, "this is Alexandria."

"Alex," the young girl corrected. "I prefer Alex."

"Sorry," Alliana told her with a wink. "Why don't you go and explore a little bit so the adults can talk?"

Alex finished off her tea before nodding and exiting the room. Alliana watched her walk out before looking back at Severus, who was already watching her.

"I need to leave her with you," she told him, "I don't know for how long but I need to."

"What's happened?" He asked, his chest tightening again with the anxiety of having to care for his old foe's child, even if he was friends with her mother.

Alliana sighed. "Someone has been attempting to kill me, Severus," she told him, her voice shaking as tears began filling in her eyes, "I thought it was just a coincidence, but there have been several attempts, especially when we were at the dragon sanctuary. And I can't put her through that, she's so young.  She had to witness a close friend of ours die protecting me."  Alliana let out a shaky breath at the memory of what happened and how Alex had seen it firsthand.