Raising Eleanor

2

CHAPTER 2 - A CHILD HE CALLED HIS OWN

Days turn to weeks, weeks turn into months, and sooner or later 7 years has passed. She has grown into a beautiful girl with dark brown eyes and black-ashy colored hair that goes down to her shoulder. She may not be related by blood, but their appearance are similar, which makes it hard for others to think that this girl had not been Severus' blood line at all.

What differentiates them both are their personalities. Severus is more into dark brooding manner that kept his feelings to himself, but Elaine was a complete different person as she was more acknowledge for her cheerful attitude and her big determination to see the good in everything, even going on the length where she always find a way to make her father happy every single day. But of course, others don't have to know of such things. Not everyone knew what Severus had done during these past years, or maybe it's because Severus had no one to share it with.

"Eleanor!" Snape's voice rings out, echoes into the walls of his house. "Explain yourself." he grunts, he had just came back from work to witness a mess in his kitchen. "I..I was just getting the cereal." she shifted her foot, her hair as a curtain that covers half of her face whom had turned red, not eyeing her father's eye.

"But do you have to knock everything out of the way. Is that cereal's so important to get?" he sighed, with a wave of his wand all the shattering glass and fallen containers went back to the way it was before.

"But dad, I'm hungry! You went on for too long." It's true, Severus were having an all nighter grading his student's test at Hogwarts and he simply lost track of time.

"Can you teach me that spell, dad?" referring to the wand waving movement that repairs and reorganized the mess. "No, it's too advanced for you." said her father, which brings a sigh from Elaine's lips. The other teachers does not have to go home everyday just because they should have stayed on the school grounds, but Snape doesn't really have a choice to leave his home with a 7 year old wandering around alone.

With the permission of Dumbledore, he let Severus apparate back and forth everyday since he has a child now, but that does not cover the fact that Severus would most likely lose track of time.

"You know what.. tomorrow, you're coming to Hogwarts with me." he stated, and Elaine could only jump around because she too had wondered of where her father works and how big Hogwarts could be.

"Is it as huge as you say it was? I mean I've seen the headmaster's office before, you brought me there but I never really see the rest of the castle. Is it truly beautiful? Is it haunted and full of ghosts? Will there be strange creatures lurking around the grounds? Or maybe a-" he clamped her daughters babbling mouth as she goes on and on. "You'll see for yourself." he rolled his eyes, and when it seems that Elaine had stop talking, he releases his hand.

"Behave yourself." he warns, and Elaine throws a wide grin in return. "Of course! I always behave!" which earned a scoff from Severus, she had been nothing but trouble since she set her foot inside his house.

He ruffles her hair as he walk over to the fridge, gathering ingredients for their dinner. Severus have his reasons for not wanting a house elf to accommodate them, he would rather do things on his own especially with a child like Elaine walking around the house.

The day after tomorrow has come, the day whereas Elaine had been excited for since yesterday. She was very giddy about it, and Severus were not as ecstatic as she was.

After all, he works there instead of attending as a student like he used to or visiting like what's Elaine going to do. She is wearing a casual sweater yet comfortable that goes down to her knees since it was too big for her, Severus never really understand clothing options whenever trying to find the perfect fit for the girl. She completed the look with black jeans that surprisingly were a perfect fit for her petite figure.