Yours Regardless

The Girl Who Was Found

            Within the next few years the children grew, the boy who lived and the girl who was found. Each lived lives separate from each other, potions and charms to a cupboard and missed birthdays. The apple of a father's eye and the vermin that plagued family members with memories of the deceased, yet both the boy and the girl were special in a common way that was very much uncommon, both had magic in their blood and neither of them could know less of the other.

Harry had grown up with his aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursleys. Shoved under the stairs in a cupboard he'd soon outgrow if it weren't for the invitation to Hogwarts, giving him the opportunity to stretch his legs and his talents. Harry, now starting his third year at Hogwarts, was rather happy. Despite the recent news of a lunatic wizard escaping from Azkaban who is apparently looking for him, he was away from the Dursleys for another school year and for Harry that was always a reason to be happy. He was also with his friends again for the first time in two months, which was quite exciting. Ron Weasley, a fiery haired boy from a fiery haired family that had cared for Harry more than anyone in his life ever has, Hermoine Granger, a muggle born witch who was unmistakably far more talented in witchcraft and wizardry than any pure blood, and Charlize Snape, the daughter of the moodiest teacher Hogwarts had ever seen and unbeknownst to them, the girl who was found with Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

Charlize grew up with her father, a brooding man who stood tall and proud. His nose was naturally upturned (though only metaphorically), his skin pale and wrinkled, the signs of time and stress evident on his complexion. His hair was dark and brushed his shoulders barely, it was just greasy enough to be menacing. The students at Hogwarts referred to him as Professor Snape, with an evident shudder that accompanied the name, Charlize called him father.

From a young age she could see past the leathery exterior of her father, she saw his pain and his torment, she also saw the love he had for her, how much he cared, the size of his barricaded heart. Severus Snape was all Charlize had ever known, she always worked to make him proud, always felt as though she was in debt to him for some unknown reason. He brushed that idea away with ease and calmed her unexplainable feelings with the smallest of smiles and a gentle hand on her shoulder. She trusted her father with her life, she wanted to be just like him, something that would be far more difficult than she thought.

Charlize's first year was also Harry's, that was when they met, right after she seemed to disappoint her father immensely, however this was only in her mind, Professor Snape couldn't help but see it as inevitable. She remembers the day it happened, the pit still fresh in her stomach when she thinks about it. Charlize walked up to put the sorting hat on her head, Slytherin, she was sure of it. She was just like her father, she had already met a few of the kids that are now in Slytherin, the hat was going to announce Slytherin before it even reached the crown of her head, never having the golden brown waves of her hair get messed up.

           "GRYFFINDOR!" Her eyes grew wide, eyebrows nearly touching her hairline. Charlize seemed to sit on the chair a moment too long as Professor McGonagall put her hand gently on her back as a sign to go to her table, her Gryffindor table.

With a huff she looked around and saw a table of orange and red, some cheering and some staring, amazed. She found a few others her age and sat next to the wild haired girl with a plop. The dark haired boy across from her looked toward her with curiosity, and she couldn't help but feel as if she knew him, as if he were an old friend.

She watched them carefully before starting, "I'm Charlize Snape, pleasure to meet you." And she stuck out her hand with intent.

The dark haired boy was the first to respond with a kind smile, "Harry, Harry Potter."

           That was three years ago now, and Charlize had changed an awful lot. Disappointing her father was no longer her greatest worry, she wanted to live, to have fun. She ran through courtyards barefoot and laughed loudly. Charlize saw everyone and no one, she was close to anyone she deemed worthy but still kept her distance. To know her was to know freedom, to be acquainted with bravery, and to shake hands with the wind. Charlize was aware that she couldn't be any further from how her father was perceived, her father knew it too, but she couldn't help the call of her wild blood, and he couldn't help but love his wild cub.

Charlize was best of friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, the four of them inseparable from the first day of Hogwarts. A giant, and basilisk can bring friends together far better than a weekly sleepover or school gossip. Harry and Charlize side by side as if friends from a forgotten past life, each calmed the ache of abandonment for the other for reasons they couldn't understand. But all found the ability to be themselves in each other, putting them in an unpayable debt to the other. Charlize also grew quite fond of Fred and George Weasley, she was also incredibly close with the mischievous twins. They ran barefoot together, and laughed as they hung off each other. They ran amok through the halls, a whiz of fiery red hair and the bounce of golden brown waves, the twins would protect her with their lives and she them.

However, not all parties saw the princess of Gryffindor as others did, the Slytherin house saw her as a betrayal. Slytherins knew her, knew her father, they glared at the girl and what could've been as they passed her in the halls, the girl that could've dawned green and silver, brooding and dangerous with the house of Slytherin, she was the one whose thoughts rejected those of her father's former house. Charlize was seen as the enemy to Slytherins, call it jealousy, hurt, what could've been; they weren't fond of Charlize Snape and her father, the ever rule abiding Severus Snape, did little to address the bad blood. Professor Snape always did favor his house over others.