Blood is Thicker Than Water (REWRITTEN)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: I'll Stay

He was sitting in an armchair with a glass of brandy in his right hand. It had been a couple of hours since Aliah's true lineage was revealed. He took a sip of the liquid when Severus felt a pang in his heart. Something wasn't right.

He stood up and exited his sanctuary. He didn't know where he was going, he just allowed his body to take him to where he was supposed to go. He continued to walk out of the grounds towards the lake. He stopped when he spotted a girl with purple hair crying.

"You need to return to the castle at once," he called. The girl turned and Severus recognised the girl as his daughter. Though she no longer had brown hair and eyes. Instead, she had light, purple hair and light blue eyes. "Aliah,"

"Yes Professor?" Aliah snarled as she stood to her full height.

"Aliah," Severus didn't know what to say. He was astounded that she had the power to change her appearance and that she most likely didn't realise that she had it.

"Last time I checked that was my name and obviously you should know that since you gave me that name!" She took a breath. "As if I care anyway," Aliah tried to walk away but Severus grabbed her wrist. Aliah turned and looked at him. The blue eyes suddenly had turned a copper orange, and her hair became as red as a drop of blood. "Let. Go. Of. Me,"

"I am your Father Aliah, and whether you like it or not, you are my daughter," Severus let go of her wrist.

"I may be your daughter, but you are not my Father," Aliah ripped off her Opal necklace and threw in the water. "And you never will...will," Severus saw her eyes roll towards the back of her head. He caught her just in time before she hit the ground.

Severus turned to the lake and pointed his wand to the dark waters. The necklace shot up through the water, droplets spraying mid-air like a fountain. The necklace soon found it's home in Severus's hand. He tucked it safely in his pocket.

Bending low, he wrapped one arm around Aliah's knees, the other supporting her head. "I'm sorry," he whispered, as he carried the girl to the hospital wing. Her hair, slowly returning to its natural dark brown.

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Aliah woke up in a soft, silver cot that wasn't her own bed. Her head was spinning, her vision was anything but clear. Just many colours blurred. Aliah tried to sit up, but she felt nauseous and fell back onto the pillow.

"Aliah," a voice gasped. Aliah's vision was blurry but she couldn't miss the man with black hair and all black clothing.

"What happened?" Aliah whispered.

"You collapsed," Snape said

"The spell your Father placed on you when you were born, it was supposed to suppress your magic. Now it is coming undone," another voice said. Aliah blinked a few times, her sight became clearer.

She lifted her head and saw Dumbledore standing at the end of the bed. Snape sat on the chair next to her. He looked worn out with red, puffy eyes.

"I don't understand," Aliah said as she turned to her side so she could remain laying down. She closed her eyes for a few seconds as the dizziness came to pass.

"Your magic is resurfacing. Because of all the stress you have felt over the past day, it has caused your magic to wanting to be released at a faster pace. According to Madam Pomfrey, over the next couple of weeks, you will be dizzy, feel nausea and possibly sickness,"

Aliah glared at her Father. She closed her eyes and let out a low chuckle. "Of course this is happening. Since I've been in this god forsaken place, I can never have a moment of peace,"

Dumbledore stared at the girl, not expecting this reaction. He turned to Severus and nodded his head. Severus ignored the old man and watched as his daughter rolled to her other side so her back was facing him. Dumbledore left the hospital wing, hoping that his teacher wouldn't make matters worse.

Aliah was left with Snape and he was the last person she wanted to be alone in a room with. "Aliah-"

"Don't! Just don't," Aliah snapped. She closed her eyes, wishing that he would disappear.

"Don't talk to me like that!" Snape said with anger in his voice. Aliah's eyes snapped open and turned over again. She felt her blood heat due to her anger that was threatening to bust. She opened her mouth to protest. Instead, she pulled herself over the bed and vomited. Snape had picked up the bucket next to him before she could vomit all over the floor.

Once she was done, Aliah flopped back on the bed. Her skin paler from the lack of nutrition.

"Take this," Snape handed her a small vile. She glared at him and smacked his hand away.

'I want nothing from you,"

"Aliah just take the potion. It is a sleeping drought to prevent you from being sick,"

Aliah snatched the vile and gulped it down. She felt her throat burn and dropped the vile. The glass shattered but he didn't care. Her body arched off the bed and started to shake violently. She screamed in agony - a sound Severus never wanted to hear again.

"Aliah!" Snape stood over his daughter, panicked. The drought was not supposed to be painful. Within a second, she went silent and her body dropped onto the bed. Her eyes were closed. Severus reached over her body and pressed his two fingers to the pulse under her neck. It was faint, but it was there.

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Severus never left Aliah's side during the night. He didn't dare close his eyes, fearing that he would fall asleep. He was worried about her. At times, Aliah would start to thrash her arms and legs, while screaming when she was asleep. Severus would carefully place his hand on her cheek and gently whisper reassurance that he was there. Aliah would calm down and moved her head closer to his hand.

It was close to sunrise when Aliah woke up screaming. Severus tried to comfort her, but she was so delirious she didn't realise who he was and moved away from him. "Aliah calm down. Your safe," he whispered. It took her a second to calm her heartbeat. Still in her delirious state, she asked him to lay with him.

A flutter of hope went through Severus as he climbed in next to her. She laid her head down on his chest and fell asleep. Severus felt her calm breaths. This was the first time she had slept so peacefully.

Aliah awoke hours later. She looked around and saw Snape in the bed next to her. Madame Pomfrey walked in the room and opened the curtains, "Aliah, you're awake," she looked at Severus, "and he's finally asleep. Good,"

"Finally?" Aliah asked.

"Yes, he hasn't slept or eaten since you've been in here. You know he does loves you. I remember the day you were born I've never seen him so happy, or more devastated that he had to let you go," Madame Pomfrey wiped away her tears.

"Can I go?" Aliah asked impatiently. She didn't want to hear anymore about her Father. It was still too difficult for Aliah to process. The anger, the confusion, Aliah didn't know what to feel.

"Of course not! You have been delirious for several days. You are to remain here until the spell passes through you," Madame Pomfrey ordered. She placed a jug of water next to Aliah's bed before leaving the hospital wing.

"Remain here my ass," Aliah muttered. She got up slowly and pulled the covers back. She slowly stepped out of the hospital wing, checking left and right before breaking into a run. She could feel her heart beat fast and her head started to spin.

Finally, she made it to her dormitory. Leaning against the doorframe she waited until her dizziness passed. She that as soon as the matron found an empty bed, Aliah would be in bigger trouble than she is.

Aliah packed necessary items into her back pack. She reached for her bedside draw. She spotted her diary. Reluctantly she reached for the book. Her fingertips touched the velvet surface, like they have done thousands of times before.

"I guess everything good turns bad in the end." She threw the book in the bag and closed the zip.