Chapter 1:

*No One's POV*

Night terrors scare the almost eleven-year-old little girl in her sleep, but they aren't just usual night terrors. They are memories of her past. Sweat wets her ebony black hair and pale neck. Finally, her eyes open to show piercing emeralds.

She sits up quickly and feels her heart racing.

Her window shows the night sky of stars and no moon in sight.

A sigh escapes her small lips. It happened again. A moonless night means nightmares from the past for the little girl.

Suddenly, she feels even more scared and lonely. There's only one other person in the home she lives in. The summer night's coldness shivers her body even with the black long-sleeved pajama top and matching pants covering her.

Her pale bare feet try to make hushed footsteps towards where the sitting room is. She tries to keep herself hidden when she gets to the door frame entrance.

Hogwarts' Potions master and professor, Professor Severus Snape, is reading a book from his collections of books with the fireplace lit up. He's wearing his sleepwear.

"You shouldn't be out of bed….this late of night," he speaks in his usual cold tone, startling her a little. "Come forward, daughter," he tells her while still reading the book.

She straightens up her posture before walking over to him with her head bowed. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she calls him by what she always calls him for years, softly.

"Which one is it this time?" he asked her.

"Mother's and Father's killings," she answers quietly.

Severus finally looks up from his book to the sad little girl. "Zelenia," he sighs out her name and closes his book. "I have made a lifelong promise to your birth parents that I will raise you as my own daughter….and protect you from everything," he tells the truth.

Hearing that makes her smile a little.

"Come now, let's make some tea with a sleeping potion to help you," he speaks while standing up.

"Daddy, can you be with me while I try to sleep, please?" she asked him, looking up to him.

"Of course," he smiles softly.

Zelenia smiles big with her eyes closed.

Severus always knows that once a moonless night comes, his adopted daughter will be reminded by the horrible memories of her past before he took her in.

She watches her adopted father make her an earl grey tea with a small amount of the sleeping potion. He really hates it whenever he gives her a potion that will only be food for one night and nothing else for countless amounts of time. It's not good for her.

He watches her take the tea with the potion.

The little girl drinks every single drop in her favorite black teacup. Her pale eyelids begin to feel heavy as the potion takes effect.

"Come now, Zelenia," Severus says softly, gently picking her up in his arms. "Let's go to sleep…..tomorrow is a big day for you."

Zelenia can barely hear his words as the potion takes full effect over her into a deep sleep.

By the next day, she feels a little better than last night. She has woken up with the thought of getting her school supplies for her new school - her very own supplies. Zelenia missed Hogwarts very much over the summer and now that her dream is coming true. She's going to be an actual student now.

The full-length mirror shows her reflection when the almost eleven-year-old girl begins to put on her outfit for the day after taking a shower. A sleeveless black dress with a high neck covers most of her body as it falls to her knees when the black tights cover her pale legs. Lastly, a black cover-up is like a cape around her upper body.

Severus is cooking breakfast from the kitchen like he does most mornings over the summer holidays. He hears the familiar footsteps coming down the stairs and towards the dining room.

"Morning, Daddy," his adopted daughter greets him with a smile. "Do you need help with anything?" she asked, offering help.

"Morning, Daughter," he greets back in his usual tone. "You may…..help with setting up the table."

"Yes, Daddy."

The dining room table is set up for four people. It's always been like that since he was living here in his youth.

"Zelenia," Severus speaks up, coldly as he pours some of the porridge into her bowl. "We will be leaving for Diagon Alley after breakfast….for most of the morning."

"Will we be getting some there as well? Or at least a snack?" she asked curiously, accepting the bowl of food and sitting across from him.

"We will see…..how things go….as the morning processes," he answers and takes a sip of his drink.

A silence covers over them.

Zelenia's mind has something else, but she's nervous to ask about it to her adopted father.

"You seem to…..have something on your mind, Zelenia," Severus sees past her quiet behavior.

"Umm," she speaks softly, feeling nervous now. "I wanted to ask if it's okay to get a pet," Zelenia finally says once she found the right words to say. "I remember you saying when I was younger than once I'm older, I can have a pet if I'm more responsible."

He hums as he thinks about it. "You have gotten more responsible as you grew…..but having a pet will be your own responsibility…..taking care of the creature is all about you…..do you understand?" he asked, looking at her.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Allow me to think about it more…..than I will tell you if you are allowed to," he suggests.

"Yes, Daddy," she says softly before eating the remainder of her food.