Severus had never really cared very much about his looks. He knew that he wasn't a handsome man, by any stretch of the imagination, and he had no reason to bait the opposite sex into some ridiculous, farcical, romantic relationship.

Even before he'd lost Lily to Potter, Severus hadn't spent much time in front of the mirror, trying to improve upon his looks. He'd had other, more important endeavors to consider. Besides, he'd known, deep down, that nothing he ever did, as far as his looks were concerned, would ever be good enough.

Instead, he focused on developing a keen intellect and honing his magical abilities. He'd become a wizard to be reckoned with, and had a well-earned reputation, as a hardnosed professor, and as a formidable master of potions.

Potions had come easily to him, as had the dark arts. The former, he could lay at Lily's feet, and the latter, at his drunken, abusive father's. Lily's influence had led him to hope that maybe he could have a future brighter than what his father had dictated through his fists and harsh, demeaning words. In the end, however, it was his father's predicted fate as a, 'good for nothing freak,' that he'd lived out.

Until now.

Severus scowled at his reflection in the mirror. He felt a little like that silly witch in the Muggle fairytale who'd foolishly put her trust in a talking mirror. Vanity was not one of his faults, and he hated that Dumbledore had forced his hand, insisting that he 'clean himself up' a little before meeting his grandfather for dinner that afternoon.

His hair, silky and shiny (thanks to some Muggle shampooing product that had come from Granger), was gathered into a loose ponytail, and his robes were pressed. The Headmaster had even gone so far as to ask the Granger girl what she'd done to improve the condition of her teeth, and had applied a similar charm to Severus' that had not only straightened his teeth (and quite painfully), but had also whitened them.

His normally sallow skin had been treated to some kind of skin cream that had come from Parvati Patil, who thought she was sharing it with the Granger girl. It had some flowery smell to it that made Severus feel queasy. But it, along with all of the other 'beauty' products he'd been plied with, had done their work well.

He looked unnatural, and doubted that it was due to the lighting as Dumbledore had suggested.

Both Weasley and Granger had been, at the Headmaster's discretion, let into the loop, so to speak. Granger had shed some tears at Potter's plight, but had immediately started putting things into motion, conducting research that could have put him and Lily to shame in their years as students at Hogwarts.

Once she'd done her research, she'd been fully onboard with the plan for Severus to officially adopt Potter and elect him as his heir to the Prince name and fortune. She'd somehow managed to convince Weasley that it was a good idea as well. In spite of his desire for Severus to help Potter, Weasley had been highly vocal about why the Headmaster shouldn't allow Snape to adopt his best friend.

After Granger had explained blood adoption, and the magical claims which would protect Potter, Ron been won over (reluctantly), but had still expressed some reservations over Potter's living arrangements. In the end, only the promise that he and Granger could visit the Prince manor at any time they wanted, had swayed the ginger haired wizard.

Oddly enough, it had been Weasley who'd been instrumental in convincing Potter that becoming Severus' heir - Harry James Potter Prince - wouldn't be, "...such a bad thing, living with Snape..." after all. Severus shook his head as he remembered the conversation he'd inadvertently overhead between the two boys when he'd gone to the hospital wing to check up on Potter.

He felt strangely indebted to Weasley for what he'd said to Potter, and wondered what had prompted the boy to consider him, "...not half bad..." and, "...kind of a good guy...for a git..." - though the jury was still out on how many points he would deduct for Weasley's insubordination.

'You're a good wizard, Severus.' Lily kissed him on the cheek, and laughed when he scowled and wiped the remnants of the overly wet kiss off with the palm of his hand.

'And you, Lily, are a delusional witch,' Severus rejoined. 'Easily given to fancy.'

Lily shook her head and reached out to Severus, ignoring his flinch as she tucked a lock of hair behind his ear.

'You're my best friend, you know that, right?' Lily asked.

She'd grown sober, and her green eyes were shining with the truth of her statement. Severus' heart hammered like a madman when she reached forward and pressed her lips to his.

It was a chaste kiss, and it lasted for less than three seconds, he'd counted. It was far different than the playful one she'd placed on his cheek just moments before.

It made his lips tingle, and his toes curl, and he felt like his head had been separated completely from his body. He'd gone from considering Lily as his best friend, to love, in two point five and a half seconds.

Severus shook himself from that memory, and turned away from his reflection. He knew that it hadn't been his greasy hair and crooked nose and teeth which had caused Lily to turn away from him, but, looking at himself now, he couldn't help but wonder if he'd have been able to win her back had he looked like this.

He still wasn't handsome, not like Potter and Black had been, but he probably could have held his own in their company. Looking more like this, and less like the, 'greasy bat of the dungeons,' Severus might have been able to win Lily's hand in marriage. He wondered what Black was up to, and what his plans for Harry Potter were, and he was even more determined to keep the young wizard safe from the deranged Black. It was a foreign feeling for him, caring about what happened to Harry Potter, and he wondered where it was coming from, but he had no time to ponder it now.

"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore's voice boomed across the room when Severus walked out into his living room. "There you are."

If Severus wasn't mistaken, the Headmaster did a double-take when he looked at him. It made him feel more than a little self-conscious, and Severus brushed at his robes.

"Are you ready?"

Severus nodded, but his throat was tight and his mouth was dry. His palms were sweaty, and he really shouldn't be feeling so much like a little kid right now. It was ridiculous, as was the way that Dumbledore was looking at him, like he really was a first year just starting out his academic career at Hogwarts.

"You'll do just fine," Dumbledore assured him, patting him on the shoulder. "And, maybe you'll gain something that you didn't even realize that you wanted."

Severus raised an eyebrow at his mentor, and Dumbledore chuckled in response. "You're a fine young wizard, Severus; don't allow anyone to cause you to believe otherwise."

Severus paced in the foyer of what was to become his new home, provided that he didn't hex or curse his grandfather, or otherwise alienate himself from the aged wizard. He'd apparated, instead of using the Floo. Dumbledore, and the teens (why on earth the Headmaster had decided that they needed to be involved in all of this was beyond him) had insisted that apparating was better as it wouldn't 'soil' his reformed appearance.

The doorman had answered his knock, and now Severus was waiting for his grandfather's welcome. He wasn't nervous about meeting his grandfather, but rather about what he might do to the wizard once he finally set eyes on him.

'Severus, stop pacing, you're going to wear a path in the corridor,' Lily said, placing a hand on his arm.

He ran a hand through his hair, and scowled at her, even as he stopped in his tracks. He was nervous, and had every right to be. Securing an internship with one of the most renowned Potions Masters was something to be nervous about.

'It'll be fine,' Lily insisted.

Severus shook his head. He was only fourteen years old, far too young to be requesting such an audience, but when Lily had encouraged him when he'd told her about it, he'd been hard-pressed to deny her, even though he knew that it was a longshot at best. Yes, he was good at potions, but good enough to be considered for an internship? That, he had doubts about.

An elderly wizard stepped into the faint light of the foyer, causing Severus' memory to flee. At first glance, Severus could see no family resemblance. His grandfather's back was slightly hunched, which, oddly enough, only seemed to emphasis his considerable height. Even with the slight hunch, Prince was a good half foot taller than Severus.

Though he could only see the wizard in profile, Severus could make out the man's crooked nose. The nose that he thought he'd earned from his father's fist was more than likely an inherited trait from the Prince family. The thought made him feel strange, like his childhood memories were twisted and untruthful, making him doubt the memory of the time his father had broken his nose.

"Severus Tobias Snape?" the wizard's question startled him, but he recovered quickly.

Severus raised an eyebrow in response, and struggled not to sneer. Instead, he held his wand hand out, and grasped his grandfather's gnarled hand, shaking it firmly.

"Welcome," Prince said, and he gestured toward the interior of his home. Severus followed, warily eyeing his surroundings. As they walked, the lamps adorning the hallway lit themselves. It was impressive magic, and Severus wondered if it was endemic to the manor itself.

"I'd say, make yourself at home, but..." Prince trailed off with a slight chuckle which sounded more like a hoarse cough. He looked askance at Severus, the trace of a smile on his lips. "I have a feeling that you'd hex me from here until tomorrow if you got the chance."

Severus replied with a tight, almost smile of his own, and inclined his head. His grandfather let out a bark of laughter, and Severus couldn't help but smile in response. He didn't understand why, but he was starting to feel a certain kind of camaraderie with his grandfather. He'd spent most of his life hating the man, and after spending just a few minutes with him, he was starting to like him. It was unnerving, and he shuddered as he thought about Potter. Would adopting the teen have a similar affect on him? Or, was he warming up to his grandfather because of their familial connection? Dumbledore would have a ready answer for him should he ask, of that, Severus was certain.

"The fact that you do not deny it only proves my point," Prince's voice had a sad, wistful note to it. "I only wish that your grandmother could have met you. Though, it was Theodora who contrived to keep us apart all of these years. I am certain that, could she just have met her grandson, things would have turned out differently."

"When did she pass?" Severus asked, breaking his unintentional vow of silence.

"A fortnight ago," Prince said. There was a sad smile playing about his lips, and Severus realized, with a start, that the first letter his grandfather had sent him was on the eve of his grandmother's death. A woman he'd never meet.

"Her passing was peaceful."

"Sorry for your loss." Severus had no idea what else to say.

"I know it doesn't feel much like it, but it was your loss too," Prince said with a sigh. He stood to the side of a doorway, gesturing for Severus to enter before him.

At first glance, it looked to Severus like he'd been brought to a library. There were shelves of books on all four walls, a desk with two stacks of books sat in the middle. There was an armchair across from the desk, and a hard backed chair behind the desk. Severus took the armchair and his grandfather sat opposite him.

"I hope you don't mind the formalities, but I thought we'd take care of business before dinner," Prince said, waving toward a smattering of papers sitting in the middle of the desk. "Then this won't be hanging over our heads as we eat. That is, provided that you've decided to take me up on my offer?"

Severus inclined his head, and looked around the study. It was an impressive room. One that felt a little like...home. It was an unsettling thought, and he cleared his throat a little nervously.

"Yes," Severus said, "and, I've, uh..."

"The heir I've enquired after, you've decided upon one?" Prince eyed him almost coolly. "It was Theodora's condition, not mine, but what's written in magic is written in magic, and it is required for the estate to pass into your hands."

"Why are you doing this?" Severus stood suddenly, and started pacing. His grandfather was not at all he cruel, cold-hearted man he'd envisioned since early childhood. The man who'd turned his back on his daughter and her child.

"Because," Prince's voice was soft and held more than a hint of regret and sorrow in it, "I regret that I did nothing when you were growing up, that I didn't have the courage to stand up to my wife and go against her dictates." He laughed without humor, and Severus turned to look at his grandfather, seeing tears in the man's eyes.

The rest of the evening passed by in a blur for Severus - a blur in which he found that his grandfather's company was rather pleasant, and that he didn't hold the wizard responsible for what had happened. The papers were signed, dinner was eaten, and Severus found himself agreeing to bring Potter and his friends to the manor the next weekend so that Prince could meet his soon to be adopted grandson.

The wizard had indicated that he felt like he didn't have much time left in this world, but that, now that he'd finally set things to right with his sole grandson, he was ready to say his goodbyes.

As Severus was debriefing with Dumbledore later that night, he was surprised to discover that he wasn't ready to let go of his grandfather so soon after just having met him.

"I don't understand it, Albus," Severus said after a particularly long lull in the conversation. "I grew up hating that man with every fiber of my being, and now..."

"And now you are seeing that he was just as flawed as the rest of us," Dumbledore finished with the familiar twinkle in his eye.

"It still doesn't excuse what he did by allowing my grandmother to have the upper hand," Severus said.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Severus, it doesn't. But, I'm sure you, more than most of us, are well aware of how love can be misguiding."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster and acknowledged his mentor's words with a terse nod.

"I, too, am well aware of how love can lead one to do great and terrible things," Dumbledore said sadly.

"I still can't believe that all of this is real," Severus said, pinching himself and wincing when it hurt. He'd be bearing a bruise from that proof of reality for some time to come.

"Yes, you're awake, and this is no dream," Dumbledore said dryly. "But, I do believe that it is time that we do retire for the evening. Monday morning will come all too soon, I'm afraid."