Learning of Worlds-Private

[HopesWings]

The girl was too frightened to even attempt to break away from his grasp or speak. She only stared up at him, her dark eyes shining with fear. "Wh-whose Sage?"she finally manage to whisper. Her terror had crept into her speech. Severus was petrifying her. As his hand crept up her arm, she couldn't bare it any longer. She stepped back, desperate to get out of his contact.

Snape's touch confirmed more than eyes could see. Beneath the skin was only bone. The girl had no fat or muscle. In the darkness, it was hard to tell for sure, but touch confirmed the child had missed several meals over a long period of time. Despite this lack of nutrition, her skin was still child soft.

"Severus!"an ancient voice called from the direction of the castle. By the light of his wand, Albus quickly came up to him. No one else appeared to be with him. His gaze instantly fell to the child, and he was stunned into silence for a moment. Regaining himself, he forced a smile. "What is your name little one?"he asked gently.

The girl looked away from them, perfering the view of the ground to their eyes. "I'm not suppose to tell anyone my name,"she confessed.

Albus gave a light-aired chuckle. "Come now dear, surely it wouldn't hurt to tell us your name? I'm Albus, Albus Dumbledore, and you are?"

His gentle nature seemed to have calmed her, for she shifted her gaze to him with a small smile. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. I'm Lily Eileen, but just call me Ellie,"she told them, her smile never wavering. Dumbledore looked at Snape, knowing both of those names very well. Lily, Severus' love and Sage's best friend, and Eileen, Sage's and Severus' mother. Even he was stunned into silence.

[Orion]

"Who's Sage?"

Severus sat stunned. This was not his sister, yet he so dearly wanted to believe that it was. A cold gaze just stared off into her features as thoughts rushed through his head, eventually leading to his eyes meeting up with her scar once again.

Dumbledore's words broke the ice, causing the lonely man to raise up and step back without missing a beat. His loyalty to Albus was undying. Thankfully, the older man had came to his rescue, as he usually did and he would soon acknowledge that. Still, he had seen Severus break down before. Albus was known to break down his walls, but in the moment, he did not want to appear weak to his boss and dearest friend. Things, though, didn't go as planned.

"Lily Eileen."

There was no way. Severus, figuring that this was some sort of unlogical situation that was made to bring him down, stood stunned with a cold expression. "What a cruel joke," came his lowly, almost snarl-like, words in the midst of the silence. Prone to growing angry quick, he tried to hold true this time. If this girl was his descendant or a memory left unchecked, Severus needed to know where her fate lied. If not, she would be fixed up and sent on her way... if he could allow that to happen.

With shadowed eyes, Severus craned his head towards the headmaster. "Albus," he enthused, "You should explain." After all, he seemed to know all of the secrets that he did not. From the dark lord's plans to the death eater's screeches in the nights, Severus knew all, but when it came to social cues and the secrets of the wizarding world, Dumbledore was an expert. For God's sake, he knew about Lily and him. This child had to be something that he knew about.

[HopesWings]

Albus was staring hard at the child, even he in shock. The child before him appeared just like Sage, and in all reasoning was her child. But Sage had never had a child by all accounts he knew. He looked at Severus as he spoke, casting him a warning glance. The girl didn't need to be frightened more than she already was. He looked back at her, deciding to question her further. "What's your last name dear?"

Ellie's face twisted more into confusion than it had at Severus' words. "Last name? I don't....have one," she uttered slowly. She appeared to be thinking deeply, trying hard to remember something that refused to resurface. "That's all I have ever been called. Lily Eileen or Ellie."

Albus considered her words with a small hmm. "Perhaps Severus,"he mused softly, tilting his head slightly to look at him, "we should investigate this further. But in the meantime, little Ellie will need some seeing to." He offered his hand to Ellie. "Come. We'll get you something to eat and a place to rest for the night."

Ellie took a step back with a shake of her head. "I have to go home. Nan will be up all night worrying if I don't show." Albus nodded slowly. "Then allow us to escort you home. The forest is a dangerous place at night,"he reasoned. Perhaps if he saw where the child lived, he could figure out who she was. The girl shook her head again.

"I can't show you where I live. Nan would be mad,"she argued. Albus raised an eyebrow. This was sounding worse and worse with every word that escaped the girl's lips.

"We can't allow you to wander about in the forest alone Ellie,"he finally said. Ellie crossed her arms, glaring up at them with defiance. "I live in the forest. Nothing in there will harm me."

Albus' gaze darkened. The forest had more than enough dangers to kill Ellie. He looked back at Severus, confusion in his ancient eyes. Even he wasn't sure who this child was, or how to go about this. She clearly needed food and shelter, at least for the night, but was refusing to take it. He didn't like the idea of forcing her. He nearly refused to even consider it. But sometimes, things could not be avoided.

[Orion]

//my apologies, things came up

No last name, but two other names, yet she knew what liability her family name held. Severus stood silent, listening intently. Every word from her mouth sounded so forced... so strained. It hurt him deeply. There was little he could do if she wasn't willing to give away information but he so dearly needed it for his own good. For once, crossing the line didn't seem so bad. Yet he held himself. This was a child, not a simple pawn.

At the mention of the forest, his head craned. How did she survive? or perhaps was there was a way she got here without being harmed? Now he was truly confused. Even so, he felt reluctant to trust her with her own safety.

"You cannot go through the forest, Lily," he enthused. The old word leaving his mouth felt so surreal for him. "It's a matter of your safety." He wasn't going to let this one die in the forest due to her carelessness and oblivious nature.

[HopesWings]

//I understand! It's fine!

Ellie shifted her gaze to Severus as she crossed her arms. "I know how to take care of myself. I've lived in the forest my entire life,"she argued. There was a stubborn gleam in her eyes, the same gleam which had appeared in Sage's so often when she was little. When Albus cleared his throat, she looked back at him.

"Perhaps with the storm coming in,"he suggested, "it would be best if you stayed the night at least. No one enjoys a cold rain, and I assume you don't either." This seemed to get to her. Ellie looked up at the night sky. The moon and stars were beginning to disappear as clouds, invisible in the darkness, covered them. She bit her lip.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt if I stayed the night. Nan isn't coming home until tomorrow afternoon,"she said slowly, clearly uneasy with the very thought of it. Albus clapped his hands together.

"Good! Now I suggest we all return to the castle before the rain comes!" He clearly was eager to get within the walls of the castle before the girl changed her mind. Ellie's eyes flickered between him and Severus, bright with fear.

[Orion]

With puckered lips, Severus watched as Albus concocted a simple lie to convert Lily's opinion, which he felt was done rightly so. "Yes," he echoed, "The storm..." His words were dull. There was not much to say about the situation besides that.

Blackened eyes met with Ellie's as she flickered between them, but he did not respond with an equally as fearful movement. Instead, he gestured in front of him with a small wave to signal for her to move forward. One masterful wizard in the front, one in the back. 'Consider it security.' Even so, he still said nothing. Albus was an excellent deceiver of words.

[HopesWings]

When they entered the castle, Lily stopped to gawk in amazement. "Wow.."she breathed softly, "I've only ever read of places like this. I never knew they could exist."Albus chuckled softly. "The castle is breathtaking, isn't it?"he agreed before beckoning them onward. Lily hurried along after him, seeming to have almost completely forgotten Severus' presence.

Dumbledore led them straight to the hospital wing, which was thankfully empty. "Ellie, stay here with Severus while I fetch our doctor,"he instructed, vanishing into an adjacent room which served as Madam (can't remember her name)'s office. Lily glanced around as she walked over to one of the beds and sat down. She looked back at Severus.

"Where am I exactly?"she asked softly after a few moments of silence. She was swinging her legs slowly, not showing any sign of being tired despite the night's late hour. She gazed at him intensely, seeming to try to figure out who he was.

[HopesWings]

Nudge/Everything alright?

[Orion]

Lurking in the shadows like always of ignorance, it seemed. Severus headed on forward, offering a small nod towards their words as they navigated the castle. He had to admit it was rather extravagant. Even so, if she was in so much trouble, the potions professor didn't think she would be in awe of the castle. Her behavior was rather casual and natural, yet exploratory. Perhaps she wasn't lying. She truly was safe within those woods, but even so, he felt obliged to trudge on with their visit.

As Dumbledore arrived and left as soon as he came to the hospital wing, he was left standing without a word. For a few moments, he searched her up and down cautiously. The tension was indescribable. Luckily, Lily spoke soon.

Severus perked back up into reality, looking her in the face. "Hogwarts," he answered inquisitively. "School of magic and wizardry." Pushing his robes aside, the man took a seat on another bed across from her and hunched forward. "My name is Severus Snape," came his hesitant words, "I am the potions professor for Hogwarts..." He paused. "...Though, you wouldn't know that." His phrase was convoluted and questioning her, hoping that she at least had some sort of root of origin that he could tie her to. For now, he was betting coincidence. Logic simply told him to, but his heart thought otherwise.

(Pomphrey + apologies for such a late reply, dude. The thread was pushed back into a page or two in my notifs and I didn't figure it out until I cleared the majority of it today when you reminded me.)

[HopesWings]

Ellie's interest perked at the mention of potions. "I've read about Hogwarts in Nan's old books. She told me she use to go here, many years ago, but she wouldn't say much else. Just that my mom went here too. They were best friends, almost like sisters. Nan didn't care too much for potions, but she said my mom loved them. I've always enjoyed reading the old potions books too, but Nan won't dare to let me try them. She barely even allows magic." Her eyes sudden widen, as though she had just realized something, and her brightened face twisted into a dark and confused one. She lowered her gaze to the floor, no longer willing to look at Snape.

As suddenly as he had left, Dumbledore reentered with Madam Pomfrey. Upon seeing the state Ellie was in, she went into a fuss. As she began swirling around Ellie, muttering things to herself, Ellie gaze at her with wide-eyes. Meanwhile, Dumbledore beckoned Snape to follow him. He walked just outside of the hospital wing.

"Severus,"Dumbledore paused, clearly choosing his words with care, "Ellie's discovery is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. I too have noticed her uncanny likeness to Sage, but by all accounts I know of, she never had a lover or child. Do you have any idea of who this child could be?"

(It's alright! I've had stuff like that happen to me before!)