CHAPTER TWO

DEAR BROTHER

I smiled as I looked up to the familiar looking castle of Hogwarts. How I had missed the days I had spent here at Hogwarts with Remus, Sirius, James and Lily. I sighed, thinking to Lily and James and poor poor little Harry, my own Godson that I had been forbidden from taking in by Albus. I had managed to convince – well more like threatened – Petunia into sending any photos that may have Harry in, which wasn't many, only school photo's. When Harry started Hogwarts, Hagrid took up the job of sending me photos of Harry.

I saw the wimping willow off to the side and smiled at the memories I had had close to that tree. Whenever I saw that tree I always thought of Remus. I had missed Remus the most, even after the war we didn't see much of each other, we sent the occasional letter but other than that, nothing.

I walked up into the school. The familiar walls and paintings greeted me. I smiled at several that greeted me. I even ran into Sir Nicholas.

"Hello Sir Nicholas, long time no see" I greeted him.

"Ah, my darling Isabella, how wonderful to see you back at Hogwarts" he smiled. "And how charming to have you teaching my favourite subject"

"Oh, Sir Nicholas, isn't it wonderful, Astrology." I gushed. "And the DADA professor is Remus. Isn't that brilliant?"

"Delightful my dear. Now, I shall not keep you. I believe you need to see the Headmaster" he said. I nodded so he continued. "I'm sure you know where to go thanks to your many trips up there during your Hogwarts years"

I smiled and nodded. "See you later Sir Nicholas"

I waved as I headed off towards the headmasters office. I had been smiling as I walked through the corridors. I was now grinning as I knocked on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Come in my dear" he called.

I immediately opened the door and headed in.

Albus was stood behind his desk, smiling his glamorous smile towards me. His eyes were sparkling. It seemed he couldn't stop grinning either. Though mine flattered a little when I saw who was sat in a chair in front of him. My one and only brother. He hadn't changed at all since I had last seen him. His hair was still black and greasy, his nose still hooked and crooked and his skin still a pale white.

"Severus" I said with a cheery tone. I couldn't help but hope that perhaps he would talk to me this year, especially as we were going to be work colleagues.

He didn't reply vocally but just nodded in my direction as I sat in the seat next him.

My smile was completely gone as the disappointment flooded through my body. Professor Dumbledore gave me a sympathetic smile to which I gave a small smile back to.

"Welcome back Isabella. I'm glad you accepted my invitation to the Astrology position" welcomed Professor Dumbledore.

"As am I Dumbledore" I replied.

He nodded. "I've arranged for Severus to show you to your dorm room. I'm sure you'll like you new room. It's not that far from the dorm room that belongs to Mr Lupin I believe"

I blushed. Near enough everyone had known about my crush on Remus Lupin, during most of my time at Hogwarts, apart from the man himself, which was exceedingly annoying. "Thank you Professor Dumbledore"

"Please my dear, you are no longer a student. Albus will do nicely" Profess – Um, I mean Albus said.

"Well then, thank you Albus." I corrected. "When is Remus meant to be arriving?"

"He is arriving on the train, I believe. It will be a full moon the night before and he would rather spent the night in his own home." Albus told me. "Now we mustn't delay. Severus can show you to your dorm and then bring you back for the pre-term meeting"

Both Severus and I nodded before standing. Albus gave me one last smile before Severus and I slipped out of the office together.

Severus lead me through the corridors in the direction of the Astrology tower, which is actually quite close to the defence against the dark arts classroom. About three quarters of the way there, all in silence, I decided to talk.

"So, how have you been Severus?" I asked.

He didn't respond. Another wave of hurt ran through me.

"I have written to you but I never received a reply" I continued.

He still didn't respond. My temper was rising.

"Are you going to spend the whole year ignoring me Severus?" I asked him thoroughly annoyed.

He still didn't respond. I had completely lost my temper now.

"Severus Snape, answer me. Are you going to be ignoring me for the whole year?"

He stopped abruptly, and turned to face a painting of a woman that had a wolf cub in her arms. I knew this painting from my time in Hogwarts. The lady was called Aria and the wolf cub was Tia. The story goes that Aria found the wolf cub by the boundries of Hogwarts when she attended, as a third year, and kept her hidden away in her dorm. Tia wasn't discovered until a few days before Aria's very last day at Hogwarts as a seventh year. I believed I knew the reason why Dumbledore had had this portrait guarding my dorm, it represented my love for Remus – I had discovered my feeling for Remus in my third year at Hogwarts and of course it had been the day after the first time I had seen him in his wolf form.

"Password?" asked Aria.

Severus turned to me and nodded towards the painting. I quickly caught on to what he was saying.

"Um, Apollo"

Aria nodded and the door opened.

The dorm room was perfect. It was bright and colourful, the dominant colour being red and gold, the typical Gryffindor colours. Though thankfully it also had yellow and black after Alec's house. I had walked into a lounge. I walked through a door into a small corridor. Two doors were in the corridor. One leading into a gold and red themed bedroom and another into a sweet yellow and black office – the colours of Hufflepuff. I went into the bedroom and quickly changed into my favourite blue dress robe. The only problem I had with this dress was that it showed the scars that I had on my neck and shoulder.

I turned to my bag and unpacked a collection of photo's I had. I placed the picture of my wedding day to Alec on my bedside table along with a scan of what would have been Alec and I'd first baby – I had lost it to the cruciatus curse in the battle that I had also lost Alec in. I placed a picture of James and Lily's wedding above the fireplace alongside a picture of me, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter from our fifth year, a picture of just me and Remus from our third year, a picture of Harry in the arms of Lily and James, and finally a picture of me and Severus from when we were young children.

I carried my other pictures into the office. I place a picture of me and Severus and a picture of me and Alec on his final day of Hogwarts, on the desk.

That left a picture of me and Severus, me and the Marauders, me and Lily, me and Remus, and two of me and Alec left to go into the main room. I walked into the main room with the pictures in my arms. I wasn't expecting Severus to be sat on my sofa. I placed my pictures around the room apart from the one of me and Severus which I placed on the table in front of Severus before sitting down beside him.

I watched as Severus picked up the picture and studied it.

"I miss that Sev." I told him. "We were so close"

He stayed quiet, with his flawless mask still in place.

"Sev" I said gently.

I thought I wasn't going to get a response so I sighed and stood up. I was about to walk away when he asked, "Why?"

I turned back to him. He was looking directly at my scars. "Why what?" I asked.

"Why do you not hate me?" he asked.

"You are my brother Sev. You are my family. No matter what you do I could never hate you." I replied.

"You know it was me that hit you with the Sectumsempra. How could being family matter if I did that? It could have killed you." he asked standing.

"Because I knew that wasn't the Severus that I knew back at home, nor is it Severus that stands before me now." I told him. I walked towards him so I was stood directly in front of him. "I have written to you, sent you birthday and Christmas cards and presents. I wasn't going to let school houses or a war come between me and my brother. Call me stupid but I needed and still need my brother, my best friend"

He looked directly in my eyes for the first time before pulling me into a hug. I couldn't believe it. Severus, my brother, my brother that hasn't spoken a single nice word to me since before our first year at Hogwarts was giving me a hug. And I wasn't about to waste it. I hugged him back fiercely as he buried his head in my neck.

"Forgive me Bella" he whispered. "Forgive me. I have been an idiot. I see that. I was lead by others, too conscious on what others thought of me. And then I was given a chance to spend the last twelve years as your brother and declined it because of guilt."

"I forgave you as soon as it started Severus" I told him quietly.

I slowly attempted to pull back but he held me tight against him. "Um... Sev. I understand this, but we have to go to the meeting."

He suddenly let me go and stood up straight. He looked into my eyes and I gave him a large smile to which he managed a small grin. I had my brother back. He offered me his arm like the gentleman he was. I grinned and slipped my arm through his. Just like when we were young. The twin Snape's.

As we walked to the meeting he asked a question which I wasn't expecting. "Why do not go by the name of Lemming?"

My mind froze as I was reminded of Alec. When my mind started working again I noticed we had stopped, and he was staring right into my eyes. "I... It reminded me too much of what I could have. I suppose you never knew that I had been pregnant before that battle. When people were still calling me Ms Lemming, I could only think of Alec and my lost baby."

He nodded, and we started walking again. The rest of the walk was in silence, but I was just glad that I had my brother back.