Snape's Daughter (Book Two)

Chapter Three : The Ministry

"Now then Ellia, you mustn't let anybody know who exactly you are, and if they do ask you are a cousin of mine. Understand?" Arthur told me as we approached a line of public toilets. Entering a cubicle, Ellia slammed shut the door before turning towards the toilet.

"What do I do now?" She asked Arthur, unsure of what to do.

"Flush it," Arthur informed her, before she was transported down to the Ministry of Magic. Following the crowd, Ellia stumbled across people who apparated inside the Ministry, before finally reaching the middle. Scanning the area for Arthur, Ellia couldn't see him anywhere, and before she knew it, she was lost. There wasn't a single face that she could recognise. Running through the crowds to the nearest opening, Ellia pushed her way past a petite woman, before falling onto the ground.

"I'm sorry," Ellia muttered, pulling herself off of the ground. The petite lady blinked for a minute, her ringlet hair mopped over her wrinkled skin.

"I don't believe we've met, Umbridge. Dolores Umbridge, and you are?" The woman squeaked, holding out a hand covered in a pink glove.

"El.... eanor. Eleanor Weasley," Ellia lied, lightly shaking the woman's hand.

"A Wealsey, hmm. I can't see the resemblance," Umbridge started. In order to cover the truth, Ellia quickly replied,

"Hair dye, my Uncle Arthur introduced me to it. I believe it's a muggle thing."

"No, you look like somebody else actually. A newly documented man," Umbridge squeaked. Ellia held her breath, knowing exactly who she meant.

"Really? Who?" Ellia stuttered, still looking around for Arthur. Yet he was still no where in sight.

"Severus Snape," The words stung Ellia like a wasp.

"The Hogwarts Professor?" Ellia asked as if she had no idea whom Severus Snape really was.

"Yes, I would have thought you had known, Ms. Weasley,"

"My parents sent me to Beauxbattons across the sea, decided it was more adequate education,"

"You must meet Severus Snape, I insist, and then I shall confront him of your appearance as it's quite.... peculiar."

"You needn't worry," Ellis insisted, attempting to force her way away from Dolores.

"Oh," Dolores chuckled, her voice sickly like sugar honey medicine, "I think I do."

He paced the width of the office, anxious to hear of her condition. Dolores Umbridge strode in one hour ago with an unconscious Ellia in her arms, and ever since Severus has distanced himself from Lucius. He mustn't show emotion, he mustn't show emotion. It circled around his head and almost made him feel sick. He didn't even know why she was unconscious, all he had done was sit in Lucius's office awaiting orders. There was a slight knock at the door, before it gently opened.

"Who is it?" Severus snarled. Narcissa peered past the door to look at the distressed man.

"She's awake. Confused, stressed out and frustrated, but awake and healthy," Narcissa informed him. A bag full of weight was suddenly lifted off of his shoulders, but his relieved expression couldn't be shown off. Instead, his eyebrows remained furrowed, his lips straight, and his eyes drained of any hope or happiness.

"I need this information why?" Severus snapped.

"Don't play cold with me Severus. I know you care for the girl as much as I do, take the mask of and show the girl some love. She's craving her father's love," Narcissa scolded him.

"Well, she'll have to find somebody else to love her. I cannot. And I wish not to," Severus snarled. Narcissa stepped into the room, her arms crossed over each other. Wiped across her face was a stern scowl.

"Severus, Ellia needs you. Your are her father and it is your duty to stand by her no matter what has happened," Narcissa warned him, "Or else she'll continue the rest of her life drowning in hate."

"Then hate she will drown in," Severus muttered, turning his back to Narcissa and biting his tongue. Narcissa sighed, and begun walking out the room.

"It's a shame," She sighed,"For a minute I thought she had a hope of having a family there." Severus was soon left alone, his mind broken into pieces. He wouldn't be able to see Ellia anyway, she probably hates him more than words can say. He'd turned into his own father, a hateful, sour being. He just wished Ellia would inherit her mothers genes and fight back at the anger and hate, maybe then she'll be happy. But for now Severus couldn't let Ellia dominate his mind, he had things to do. It came as a consequence of being a Death Eater.

Ellia stood inside of Narcissa's room, a black dress fitted on to her body. It reached the ground of the floor, and the sleeves were extra large, yet it hugged Ellia's body tightly. She looked over to see Narcissa, who was busy picking out a cloak to go with the gown.

"Narcissa, why am I even here? Why can't I leave?" Ellia asked the motherly figure, who pulled out a long black cloak with a hood.

"Please, Ellia. It's Mrs Malfoy now," Narcissa insisted, handing Ellia the cloak.

"Mrs Malfoy, why am I here?" Ellia asked her, draping the cloak around her body and securing it with a broach.

"The Dark Lord wishes to meet you after a mission tonight. Dolores brought you here because she recognised you at the Ministry, although I do not understand why you were there," Mrs Malfoy informed Ellia, grabbing some hair pins.

"I've already met him," Ellia sighed.

"Yes, well he'd like to meet you when you're present with your father. He didn't like the sound of you running of, and was pleased when Dolores found you in the Ministry," Narcissa informed her.

"I was there with somebody, he must be really worried now. I don't want to meet him, miss. I just want to go home," Ellia said, lowering her eyes.

"I'm afraid you'll have to stay here until your father takes you back to Hogwarts," Mrs Malfoy informed her, brushing Ellia's dark hair.

"I can't go back there," Ellia snapped, pulling away from the brush, "Especially not with him."

"You have to, I'm afraid. It's the safest place," Mrs Malfoy sighed. Even she had to keep her distance from Ellia, so their relationship was even more strained.

"Nowhere is safe anymore. You're not a fool, Narcissa. This is all ridiculous. I have to go," Ellia demanded, pushing past Narcissa and out the door. However, as soon as she stepped foot out of the door, she was met by the unfortunate familiar eyes.

"Narcissa, I thought I told you to tame the child," Severus snarled as Narcissa rushed out the door. Ellia stood there, waiting for him to wrap his arms around her and apologise. Even if she hated him, she craved the attention she needed. Even though he still killed Dumbledore. Dumbledore. Angered bubbled through Ellia as she remembered what had happened.

"Surely it should be you who needs taming you murderer!" Ellia cried, plunging herself towards Severus and throwing hits at him, "You killed the only man who ever stood by me and protected me. He trusted you and you cold heartedly killed him!" Ellia felt Narcissa try to drag her backwards, yet she couldn't keep Ellia at a stand still.

"Enough child," Severus said, throwing her against the wall. His actions brought back vivid memories in his mind of his own abuse from his father, but times, and circumstances, were different.
She blinked for a second, before looking into her father's eyes. She couldn't tell if there was sorrow or anger in his eyes, but there definitely wasn't guilt.

"You ... are ... a ... monster," Ellia spat, pulling herself off of the ground. She held herself together, looking back at her father one last time before making a run for it down the corridor. She found the first door she could before barging in through the door, into a large open room. The balcony doors were pushed open, the curtains flying everywhere as the wind spun around the room. Picking the dress up off the floor, Ellia ran towards the balcony before slamming the doors shut once she'd gotten outside. She was unarmed, afraid and trapped. Yet one person stood there, staring out at the distance before Ellia caught his eye.