Learning of Worlds-Private

[HopesWings]

Ellie had been silent through the night. She had curled into a small ball on the bed the night before and had not stirred. Even as faint light streamed in to signal the new day, she did not move. The ordeal of the previous two days had drained her more than she wished to admit. Even now as Snape busied himself with lesson plans she slept. Every so often she would twitch or readjust her position. Otherwise, she slept on peacefully.

There was a soft knock on the door before Dumbledore entered, not bothering to wait for an answer. His gaze landed first on the sleeping child, and his hard face softened some. "The girl was more exhausted than I first believed,"he admitted more to himself than to Severus. He shifted his wise eyes to the man. Whatever he had came to discuss, he was reluctant to do so. That much could be seen.

"There is still much business to be dealt with, Severus,"he mused slowly. He did not wish to bring it to the surface, but the girl would have to be placed permanently into the care of someone. He hoped that person would be Severus, but he knew it would be a fight. A fight he was, for the moment, not wanting to take on. There were other matters to be handled, such as the matter of Siris Black.