The dry evening air, of summer draught floated over the river, carrying it's dirty stench. The evening stars glimmered in the night sky. The last house in Spinner's end stood out in it's gloom, alone among the other structures. Suddenly there was a loud pop. A wizard with long, greasy black hair walked up the street taking brisk steps to reach the warmth of his house.

He knocked on the black peeling door with his freezing knuckles. A few moments later, there was the sound of locks opening and the door opened a little, with only a creaking sound.

"Your mother's maiden name?" the young girl standing in front of him asked quietly, peering through the small opening.

"Prince." he snarled and the door opened wider, to let Snape enter his own home.

Shine walked in as he hung up his cloak. As soon as he stepped inside he heard the sounds of the television echoing through the house. Shine lay on the couch one leg dangling over the armrest, a packet of chips in one hand, the remote in her other.

She flicked the channel to cartoons. Tom the cat followed Jerry around and banged into doors and windows. Watching the cartoon mindlessly, bored as hell, she stuffed her face yet again with chips.

"Go out for a walk or run or something." Snape advised. She shook her head no, sitting up.

"How was your meeting?" she asked turning to face him.

"Can't say any better than always." he replied grimacing. She frowned.

"Here, have some chips." she offered blankly. Shine knew she couldn't do anything to help him. The dark lord tortured him the night he joined him. He had returned with multiple injuries, after effects of continuous use of torture curse and too tired to keep on his feet.

That had broken her confidence beyond repair. She had assumed him to be invincible. To find her father so broken, so much in pain was a horrible, torturous experience. She would do anything to stop it. But there was nothing to do, and that frustrated her. He sat down beside her on the couch and closed his eyes.

"Why do you have to serve him?" she asked for the millionth time.

"You know why, Shine." he replied not opening his tired eyes. His face was paler than usual, the dark circles under her eyes were prominent.

"I don't quite understand." she whispered. She did not, really. He was not under some Unbreakable vow. Then, why? Why did he have to do everything that Dumbledore asked of him?

"I don't wish to have that argument again." he said in a voice so low, tired and grave that she stopped the topic and flicked the channel again, to a movie channel. The terminator was busy shooting the other robot.

"We start the works with your mother tommorow." he muttered. Her head snapped up. She merely nodded, realising he was changing the topic.

"So.. I wanted to have a talk with you." he said quietly. She nodded to give him a go ahead.

"The day of the third task... you behaved wierd..." he hesitated. Shine sat up to face him. "You told me, you were Iris." he sighed frowning, gauging her expression.

"I told you I am Iris...?" she asked unbelieving.

"Yes and you said, er... you love me."

"Well, of course I said that, I do love you Dad." she interrupted confused.

"Yes, but you, after that, you kind of kissed me." he muttered under his breath, mustering up his courage after weeks of locking it in. Shine looked shocked, her face set in a snarl.

"What?" she shouted.

"You kissed me, you weren't in your senses, of course." he said defensively looking at her expression.

"Obviously, you aren't quite right in your head, right now." she replied after a minute of looking confused, glaring and opening and closing her mouth without saying anything. And she turned back to the T.V.

"I think-" he started again but there was a loud rap on the door. Both sat up completely alert as their eyes snapped to the door.

"Am not expecting any visitors." they said at the same time. Confused beyond belief they got up to open the door. Snape pulled out his wand and went to get the door.

Holding his wand carefully in his right, such that it was concealed from view he opened the door only a little. His black orbs peered out into the darkness to see Albus Dumbledore sitting on the porch of his home, alone.

"Albus?" he asked carefully, still not stuffing his wand into his pocket.

"Ah Severus, am glad you thought of opening the door. I wondered if no one was home and planned to sit on the porch waiting for you." he said getting up elegantly, for an old man. "My knees are weak, my boy, my age is finally catching up. I expect your old master will soon get what he wants within a few years." he rambled on, with the twinkle in his eye still intact. Shine frowned. She had no desire to see this old man again after what he had put her father through. Severus Snape meant too much to her.

Much more than her biological father, Sirius Black. Severus Snape moved aside to grant the old man entry to his home. Shine switched off the television as the two men settled on the couch. She prepared to go up when Dumbledore stopped her.

"It is nothing that you already haven't found out. You can wait if you did like." Dumbledore said and she settked on the couch.

"That is not what he wants." Severus Snape replied knowing Dumbledore wanted an answer to his earlier subtle question. "He wants the prophecy. He wants to hear the complete version of it."

"The one that currently resides in the Department of Mysteries? Ah, that is to be expected of old Tom." Dumbledore sighed. "How does he expect to lay his hands on it. Certainly, he will not be so stupid as to waltz his way into the ministry?"

"Of course not, he plans on using other people to find it and get it for him. People working in the department. It is my guess that he would use Augustus." Snape replied calmly in a monotone voice.

"Anything else?" Dumbledore asked. Snape shook his head. Dumbledore sighed and conjured three glasses of mead.

"I hope that relieves the stress, I am putting you through my boy, drink." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.

"I wish to talk about something else." Shine interfered, grabbing her glass and swirling it.

"Anything, my child." Dumbledore smiled.

"He claims I kissed him. If you assume this is true..." she hesitated. "Then, why would I say I am Iris? And why would I have no memory of the incidence?"

"The first half is logical, however I don't understand the why of it. How, I think I can explain. Ever since you told me of the memories, I researched and found some things. I visited an old friend of mine, an ancient family who could reveal the secrets of chors." Dumbledore explained. Snape heard attentively.

"Our conclusion is that the soul may be seeking freedom, however with the frozen mind it cannot seek a release. Hence, it can split. Your powers work at soul level. So we think a piece of her has latched itself to your soul. The day you visited, it found your mind and body to be a healthier substitute, however the whole of her couldn't latch itself to you. That is the reason why you seem to have only parts of her memories. That is why, you now have a better control on your powers. That voice in your head? It's her. It is somewhat good. It keeps you connected to her." he paused to sip his drink.

"However, it has it's drawbacks, like when you are magically weak and cannot control her she can control you. Which can lead to situations like what you mentioned." Shine nodded in understanding.

"But I never knew this Iris woman." Snape interrupted. Dumbledore smiled a knowing smile.

"I think it is time you know the truth about your mother." he said softly.

"There's more?" Shine asked confused.

"Of course there's more, Shine." he replied taking another sip of his drink. "Your mother left memories with me, she had a feeling, she wouldn't survive to see you grow up. She wished you to see the memories when you were mature enough. You will find your explanations in them. If you wish to see them now, you can. I wanted to wait till this November, when you would be of age. But things are moving too fast. I think it would be appropriate to let you see those memories now."

A/N: So erm guys, this is the fourth installment in the Shine Snape series, I hope it was good enough and in sync with the others... just got back from a road trip, and it was lots of fun, but had zero network for the last four days.... so I didn't update.

Tell me how you liked this one...plz comment