Little Cora Snape was clever for one so young as 4 years. Her daddy told her so every day. Her daddy would also say that her mummy was always right, and her mummy would say that her daddy was the smartest man she knew. Daddy would also say that mummy was right even more so now that little Charlie was growing in her tummy. He said if mummy finds out she is wrong after all, that she would apologize later, but we have to keep mummy happy because bad emotions can hurt little Charlie. She knew better than to argue with her mummy and daddy. Especially when both were the smartest people in the world! They always encouraged her to speak what she wanted, which was why she could talk better than Cousin Scorpius.

Right now, they were in her absolute most favorite shop! Lady Bertram's Books was located just down the street from their home, and just within walking distance of her second most favorite place, Central Park. It had wide open grass areas to run in that reminded her of mummy's cottage near Hogwarts. She could not wait to go to school. It didn't matter if she went to Hogwarts or any of the other seven or so well known schools in the world, so long as she got to learn. But it wasn't time for that yet.

No, this was the time for her to get a familiar. Her daddy said she could finally get on if she was the one to take responsibility for it. She was hoping for a hedgehog, like Radaghast in The Hobbit, or a flying fox because they just looked so cute to her. Or maybe a jackal, because she loved ancient history, especially Egypt. She wanted to be prepared, so she asked her daddy if he would take her to the book store, so she could read up on all sorts of animals.

She had so many already, and her mummy and daddy never did put a limit on how many she could get this time. They usually say only two or three. She supposed they didn't mind her being prepared for anything. Soon, she had so many, it was hard to see where she was going, and she ran into another bookshelf. Her daddy would be cross with her. He was always telling her to pay attention to where she was going. And now all of the books she wanted were on the floor around her and her nose hurt from ramming it into the books before she took a tumble. She could feel the tears coming and sniffled as she started picking up her books.

That's when she saw a pale hand reach out with one of her books to hand it to her. She looked up to thank the person for their help and stopped dead. Fear suddenly racing through her worse than when she had nightmares after hearing the story about her mummy and daddy fighting the bad man. She froze, both of her hands filled with books. Then she remembered what her daddy told her. He always told her to listen to her feelings. If you are scared, you are scared for a reason. When she told him she was afraid of the dark, he said there was a reason for it. That many bad things use to dark to hide. But, he also said that at home, with mummy and him there, she was safe, because they would fight the monsters with magic!

This man was definitely one of those monsters. He looked normal at first glance. But if you were to get a good look, this man was pretty. Really pretty. He was pale, had reddish hair, and golden eyes. Golden eyes that she watched turn black, and his nose twitch as he took a deep breath. She got even more scared. So scared she couldn't help the whimper she let out. Suddenly, the man's hand shot out and took her arm. He gripped her so strong, that she knew that it would leave a bruise. That's when her fear reached a tipping point. She pulled and pulled but the man wouldn't let her go. So she started screaming, just like her mummy told her to. And that's when she felt her magic help. Her magic bubbled up inside her as she screamed and she could feel it as her magic shocked the scary man.

He let go and looked at his hand in surprise, and that's when she made a run for it. Leaving her books where they lay, she rushed around the bookshelves, hoping to make it to the front of the store where her daddy said he would wait for her, but she didn't have to go that far. He must have heard her scream, because she saw him turn a corner just in front of her and she leaped into his arm, holding onto him tightly and crying her eyes out into his shoulder.

"Cora, are you alright?" he asked her. Holding tightly, but still pulling her back enough to make sure she didn't have an ouchie. Her daddy must have been able to tell that she wouldn't be able to tell him about the scary man because he looked into her eyes, the same dark eyes she had, and she could feel the comforting presence of him in her head.

"What is it, little one? What has you so scared?" He asked.

"Daddy, there was a scary man. I was getting the books I wanted to read about different types of animals, when I ran into him. I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. My books fell all over and I was picking them up when he started to help. I was going to say thank you, like you and mummy always said I should when someone helps me, but then I saw him and I got scared. He's different, daddy. He's really white, like he never goes outside, and his eyes were gold. But then they turned black. All black. No white. No gold. He grabbed me. But I screamed like mummy told me to if a stranger grabbed me and I shocked him with my magic and he let go. I ran away as fast as I could, because he was scary, and you said I should listen if I felt scared," she explained in a ramble. Her daddy shushed her like he would when she scraped her knee after falling down, or woke up from a really bad dream. He also gave her one of her favorite kisses on the top of her forehead.

"You did very well, little Cora. Why don't we get you home so you can have some hot cocoa with Mei Mei and Ani, while mummy and I make sure the bad man goes away and never comes back," he suggests, and Cora nods her head into the crook of his neck.

"It seems we aren't going to find what we want here. I didn't really expect it anyway. Why don't you, me, and mummy all go to the Alley tomorrow with your aunts and uncles Malfoy and Scorpius? They will have books on how to properly care for familiars in any case," her daddy said calmly as he walked out of the store and into the nearby alley. Cora nods her head again, and hugs him all the tighter.

"Ani," he calls, and not half a blink later, her daddy's house elf appears. "Ani, would you please take Cora home and give her a big mug of hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows. Make sure she's well cared for and then kindly ask the mistress to meet me here. We have a monster to take care of."

The little creature nods, and holds out his arms to receive the little girl. "Of course, Sir. Ani will make sure Little Miss is feeling better in no time!"

Cora didn't want to let go, however. "Cora, you have to go with Ani now. So mummy and I can take care of the monsters."

Cora's hold again tightened on her daddy before she nodded one more time and went willingly to the little house elf's embrace. Ani took Cora home, and not five seconds later, Isa replaced him. Just as the man who scared his daughter entered the mouth of the Alley. And not just him, but it seemed all of his coven as well.

~~~~~~~~~)O(~~~~~~~~~

Severus, since the end of the war and his new life in America, had become a rather level headed man. He hadn't felt true fear for the better part of 6 years. That all came crashing down the moment he heard his daughter's terrified screams from the next aisle over. He had been waiting for her in just the next aisle, letting her think she was on her own, but keeping an eye on her from in between the books that separated them. He would have been a poor parent indeed to let a mere four year old out of his sight in such a large store.

He had to hold back a laugh at how many books she wanted to get. Being the daughter of two bibliophiles doomed the child to a life with her nose all but stuck to the pages of a book. He closed his eyes and shook his head at the absurdity. That one little action ensured he would never take his eyes off his daughter again. For the next thing he saw was Cora running as fast as her little legs would carry her to the end of the aisle of books, screaming as if her life depended on it. In four strides of his long legs, he reached the end of his own, and his daughter all but bowled him over in her attempt to flee whatever had frightened her.

Once he understood what had frightened her, and the image of the man, he knew that the time for his wife to finally have closure and peace from a time in her life that still left her with serious issues of abandonment and self esteem. He quickly took his little girl to the ally they had used to apparate here and home and called for Ani, who assured him that he and Mei Mei would care for her and that he would send Isa to him.

She appeared just as the boy that used to claim her affections and his coven entered the mouth of the alley. Both he and Isa ignored them for the time being, both looking at the other to see if they were both well. Him physically and she emotionally. Once assured they were, Severus lifted a hand to her cheek, and she leaned into the touch. Gaining strength and comfort from the long familiar action. It was then she turned her focus to the vampires, and they all gasped to see her.

"Bella," said the one who had grabbed his daughter. Both he and Isa were far from fools. Both had their wands in their hands. Their bodies angled in such a way that they had them drawn at their sides, but their guests couldn't tell.

Severus angled his body so that he was in front of his wife, and he addressed the boy in front of him.

"You will address me. Your association with my wife ended years ago, and your transgression against my daughter will be addressed. What do you want, leech?" Severus asked the child.

They all gasped.

"You-you told him? Bella, you know what happens to those that know of our existence. What will happen if it is found out you told anyone. Why would you risk that?" the red headed leech asked Isa.

"My knowledge of your kind is standard learning for those aged 13 and over where we are from. And again, you will speak only to me. One more word to my wife, and you will not like the consequences. Not that you will already find the ones concerning the attempted kidnap of my daughter a walk in the park either. You will answer my question," Severus growled in as low a tone as he could make his voice.

"Can she not speak for herself?! Are you her master?" the boy dared ask.

"She has a voice and will use it shortly. For now I asked you a question. What do you want?"

The red head, Edward, if he remembered his wife naming them correctly, growled at him. Severus, however, faced up to the Dark Lord and lived. Barely and by the sheer grace and skill of Isa, but the point stands. This little pest could growl all he want and still wouldn't be half as terrifying as Voldemort. Severus raised a black eyebrow in challenge.

"Please," said a blond male, stepping forward. "Please, we only wanted to come and apologize to the girl for frightening her. May we speak with her?"

"No. Cora is safe, and forever beyond your reach," Severus said before turning his attention to his wife. She nodded and took out her cell phone, dialing the number they had programed into her speed dial almost 6 years ago.

"Who are you calling?" a little black haired female asked from beside a heavily scarred male. Severus decided to keep an eye on him. That many scars indicates a lot of fights. A lot of fights he has obviously survived.

His Isa merely held up one finger in the direction of the vampires. Knowing this was going to be a shock to the vampires, he cast a nonverbal shield in front of them. Just in case.

"Ciao, Gianna Volturi speaking," said a voice on the other line. There were exclamations of surprise from the vampires in the ally, but they went ignored.

"Aro Volturi, now," Bella snapped.

"I am sorry, my master, Aro is busy at the moment, may I take a message?" Gianna asked.

"Get him now, and tell him it is to do with the Emrys Accords," demanded Isa. She apparently wasn't feeling too generous to the, in all likelihood, human wishing to be a vampire, receptionist.

There was a gasp of surprise from the other line, "O-of course, miss. Right away," stumbled Gianna.

"I'm not familiar with the Emrys Accords," frowned the blond male.

"Of course not. One, they are new to the last five years, and two, they are way above your paygrade," Isa said with no patience towards the vampires.

"Like you are even on the payroll, human," sneered the blond female. Severus, growled lowly at the tramp who dared insult his wife.

"This is your one warning, leech. There will not be a second," Severus said to her, never raising the tone of his voice.

"Rosalie. I wouldn't," warned the scarred male. Everyone's attention was drawn to the phone as a voice came through.

"Aro Volturi speaking."

"Aro Volturi. You do not know me beyond my name and reputation. I am Isabella Swan. Cousin to Hermione Granger. Survivor and hero of the Battle of Hogwarts. I am invoking my rights under article 12 of the Emrys Accords," Isa said succinctly.

There was a brief pause before the vampire on the other end of the line sighed.

"The name of the coven in question?" Aro Volturi asked.

"Cullen. However, I understand the leader is a friend. I will not exercise my rights to the full measure of the law, only to my satisfaction. They will live unless they interfere."

You could hear a pin drop in the ally, so the hitch in breathing on the phone was easy to pick up.

"Are they there with you now?" asked Aro.

"They are. I'll put you on speaker," Isa said before pulling the phone away from her ear and doing just that.

"Carlisle, my old friend, what have you gotten yourself into," asked Aro with a heavy sigh.

"I don't understand, Aro. What is going on? How do you know Bella?" The blond now known to Severus as Carlisle asked.

"That is a long story. One you may get to hear. I wish for you and your family to come to Volterra once your meeting with young Isabella is concluded," Aro requested, though everyone knew it was an order.

"You may want to call and remind them tomorrow morning, Aro. With what I have planned, they will not even remember this conversation," Isa said without any inflection in her voice.

"Ah, that is your plan. Very well, I shall call in the morning. I am sorry this has happened, Carlisle. I regret it, and so will you," Aro, what are you talking-, but he never got to finish as the phone went dead on the other end. Isa looked at Severus, who nodded, and they moved in tandem, stunning the vampires. All were on the ground in the ally before they knew what hit them. Isa stood over the scarred blond male and looked down on him.

"I'm thinking that the punishment should fit the crime. Not all deserve death, just like not all deserve life. This will take some legilimency to figure out, my love," Isa said looking to Severus. He sighed, knowing that her compassion would show itself in some form. He just wanted to kill them all and get the threat out of their lives for good. But to Isa, only the one known as Edward was the one who may have deserved death and even that wasn't a done deal.

"Very well, I shall take your lead. Might we at least put up privacy wards. We don't want any unkown onlookers poking their noses in," he said, gesturing to the mouth of the ally. Isa merely made her way there, and began waving her wand.

"Protego Maxima. Fianto Duri. Repello Sapiens. Salvio Hexia," she mumbled under her breath. Severus again sighed at his wife, knowing that this was difficult for her, before getting back to the task at hand. The sooner they got this done, the sooner they could both go home to their little girl. Not to mention, all of this stress wasn't good as it was to Isa, what with little Charles on his way.

"Incarcerous," he said pointing his wand at the leader, Carlisle, before he woke him. "Rennervate."

Carlisle blinked rapidly as he gained awareness, and then realized he was bound. He tried to break through the ropes, but was unsuccessful.

"Try as you might, vampire, you will not break through those ropes. They are conjured by magic, and only magic will remove them," Severus said.

"Magic?" Carlisle asked in a disbelieving whisper.

"You all left before I had the chance to tell you. I wanted to make sure you could be trusted. Ironic that I should find out you couldn't the night I was going to divulge everything," Isa said, stepping into his line of sight.

"Let's get this done, Severus. I want to go home."

"Look at me," Severus demanded of Carlisle, and when Carlisle looked up to him, Severus entered his mind. It only took moments before he left again.

"He is guilty of nothing but being a fool, my love," he said looking up to Isa. "He puts forth that he is the leader of the coven, but allows Edward and Alice to constantly make decisions for them because of their supposed gifts. Gifts I will be placing blocks on when I enter their minds."

"I could have told you that, dearest," she said before pointing her wand at him. "Obliviate," she said as she erased any knowledge of her from his mind, before she stunned him again. It went on like this through his mate, Esme, and the big one, Emmett, both were blameless, for all that meant, and both had their memories erased.

Then they came upon Alice. It took a little longer for Severus in her mind as he locked away her ability, but soon, she too followed suite. He stayed the shortest amount of time in Rosalie's mind, to that point.

"A more vain creature I have never encountered. It is sad. There are vestiges of the young woman she was, but it seems the ordeal that changed her into a vampire stunted her in a way. It would be a mercy to put the poor creature out of her mind," Severus said.

"What of Emmett? She is his mate and I know from experience taking one with drive the other mad," Isa replied.

"Hmm, probably the only reason I don't go through with it. So long as she remains on the diet, I suppose there is no true harm in letting her go on as is. I might take her memories of the event in any case. They are merely doing more harm than good. She isn't moving on, even after sixty or so years." And then he moved on to Jasper, who he recoiled from almost immediately. So much so he stumbled and fell back.

"Severus!" startled Isa and she ran to his side. "Are you alright?" Severus took a deep breath and looked at her, cupping her cheek in one of his large hands.

"I am fine, petal. His mind is chaotic. Filled with memories darker than any Death Eater," Severus said.

"You fought against the Dark Lord," Jasper said calmly, looking at the couple.

Isa and Severus turned their attention to him, and both nodded.

"Yes. I was one of his inner circle. A spy for the light," Severus said just as calmly. Isa was quickly reaching the end of her patience.

"And I was a medic during the final battle. What of it? How do you even know of the Dark Lord?" she snapped at him.

Severus covered her hand with his to calm her. "There is a history here you do not know of, my love."

Jasper nodded. "You do not know this, Bella, but I have a history of war as well. I am known in America as the most dangerous vampire on the continent. Your Dark Lord tracked me down and attempted to recruit me. The others don't know it, but I may have thinned the ranks a bit for you by eating the messengers," he said with a wide grin. The couple froze for a second before they both began laughing. It took a moment for them to regain their composure before Isa stood and banished the ropes holding him.

"I'll make you a deal, Jasper. You can keep your memories of me, of us, and you are welcome to a visit every once in a while, so long as you never bring the know it all twins. Sorry. I know she is your mate, but-"

"She's not," Jasper interrupted.

"Say what?"

"She's not my mate. She came to me and said she saw us as mates, but you can't emotionally blackmail someone with the gift of feeling an manipulating emotions. She is not my mate."

There was silence once more in the wake of their shock, until Isa broke it. "Huh. Go figure. You know, now that you mention it, I can't help but think that someone as mundane as a human or vampire would be a good fit for you. Maybe your mate is magical," Isa smirked at him.

Jasper gave a chuckle. "Maybe, Bella. Maybe."

"Isa. No one in my life calls me Bella, anymore. My name is Isa," she informs him.

"Isa it is. As for your deal, I accept. I will be in touch. Maybe I'll try my hand at finding my actual mate," he muses.

"Head to England. With the end of the Blood War, people's views on what is dark has changed drastically in the last few years. You'd have more luck in that magical community. Head to London, and find a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. That's as good a place as any to start," Severus told him.

"I would ask if you will be willing to remove the memories of me from Alice. I don't particularly want that shadow," he requested.

"It shall be done," he said. Jasper nodded once to the couple before he disappeared. One moment standing there, the next he was gone.

"Wow. Faster than copper top. I still managed to see Edward blur away in a split second. Jasper is a ghost," Isa said.

"Like I said, a history you are unaware of. I may tell you about it later. First, let's finish this," he said before making his way back to Alice to take her memories of Jasper.

Once that was done, he made his way to Edward. "I will not listen to him speak. I will wake him, and then petrify him so we can get this done quickly."

"I knew you were the smartest man I knew," she said, giving him a loving smile. Severus gave her a swift but passionate kiss before turning to do his task.

Once he entered Edward's mind, you could tell almost right away Severus wasn't liking what he was seeing. With a growl, he dislodged himself from the red head and set him ablaze with a non verbal incendio.

Isa raised an eyebrow at the display. "He had found another singer in our daughter, and wasn't planning on letting her go as he had you. I refuse to leave such a threat unanswered," he said by way of an explanation.

"Good. Well, then. Now that the threat is gone, what say you to us going home and comforting out daughter. I could use a little comfort myself tonight after we retire," Isa hinted.

"You are always in the right, petal. And tend to come up with the most simple and brilliant ideas. But what of his family? They will wonder where he went," Severus asked.

"My dear husband, put that Slytherin mind of yours to work. You have done your part. Why should we go out of our way to do more for them. We can banish his ashes," she said as she demonstrated her idea as she went, vanishing the vampire's ashes with a wave of her wand.

"And let them think that he merely ran away. They are no longer our problem."

Severus growled at the witch he managed to snag as his. He adored it when she put her brain to use like this. Taking her in a punishing and needy kiss and placing a hand over her slightly swollen belly that now housed his second child, he apparated them home, where their daughter awaited.

A/N: Alrighty guys, So I was hoping that this story would shake something loose for ABOOT, but I'm still not having any luck, but it seems my mind wants to make a sequel for this story, following Jasper. So, that's what I'm going to do, and hopefully, HOPEFULLY, then, it will shake some inspiration from my brain. Because I really want to get that story out of Hiatus. This story, however, is now done. I hope y'all liked it. As far as short stories go, I'm quite proud of it. lol