Snape sat behind his desk in his Hogwarts office, hunched over the large, leather-backed volume of eleven-year-olds throughout Britain who had been sent Hogwarts letters between the years of 1969 through 1974. He knew that he himself was listed in this particular book, as was his Lily and the rest of their class.

After spending more time with Jillian and her mother, Snape was convinced that she should have also received a letter, for it was obvious that she was not a squib like her father had been. He also suspected that her daughter harbored magical ability within her blood, as the two of them continually practiced unintentional magic without even realizing it. The avocados appearing out of nowhere at the Farmer's Market was a perfect example, as was Jillian's ability to skip rocks all the way across the river, giggling as they bounced twelve, fifteen, sometimes even twenty times before landing softly on the opposite bank. Lily had laughed and clapped in amazement, saying that they obviously had a Bowler in the family who would do marvelously well at Cricket; Snape, on the other hand, was of the belief that Jillian would make an outstanding Quidditch Chaser one day.

After a bit of sly questioning about birthdays (he was a spy after all, and knew how to get the information he was after), Snape was able to determine that Lily was three years younger than he, having been born in October, 1963. As such, she should have received her letter in 1974. He scoured the pages for that year, quickly reading through the information provided for each student: name, date of birth, blood-status, parents' names and blood-statuses, siblings, and area of residence. It was rather like the Wizard version of Muggle Cenus data, all laid out in equally giant leather-bound tomes from the founding of the school onwards.

Snape combed through page after page, refusing to stop until he found Lily's name. And suddenly, after so many hours of trying to puzzle out her circumstances, looking for undeniable proof that she was a witch, there it was…

Name: Lilith Elizabeth Prewett.

Date of Birth: October 18, 1963.

Blood-Status: Half-Blood.

Parents Names: Phillip Charles Prewett (FATHER, Squib); Marjorie Amelia Prewett (nee: Revell, MOTHER, Muggle).

Siblings: None.

Area of Residence: London, England.

Snape had been right from the beginning… Lily wasa witch! But why had she never received a Hogwarts letter, especially when she was listed here in the school's archive? He read the information over again, looking for anything that might answer his questions.

It was only as he read the information a second time that he noticed a small red "x" next to her name. Marking the page with his finger, he flipped forward and backward, looking for any other names with the same marking. But she was the only one he could find with the mark in the entire five years listed.

Why?

Although it was the last thing he wanted to do, Snape contemplated going to Dumbledore with what he knew. Merlin knew the old codger was already too enmeshed in Snape's existence, conducting his every movement as if he were the director in some freakish play. That play, however, was Snape's life, and he wasn't sure how much more he was willing to hand over to the scheming old headmaster.

He sat there for quite some time, brooding on other ways that he could possibly get the information he was after.

The Ministry was not an option – he was too mistrusted, his reputation still too damaged from the previous war. He'd immediately be noticed and more than likely followed throughout his entire stay in the damned building. Worst case, Snape would be arrested on some trumped-up charge; best, they'd detain him until Dumbledore could collect him, warning the headmaster to keep his pet out of Ministry business. Either way still led to the old codger finding out what he was up to.

He supposed he could go to McGonagall. The letters to students were her responsibility as Deputy Headmistress, and as such she had to know something about what the mark meant. But that wouldn't do either, as the woman would undoubtedly go to Dumbledore with questions about why Snape was snooping around in old school archives.

With a long-suffering sigh, Snape ran a resigned hand over his face. There really wasn't any choice if he wanted answers. As much as he didn't want to involve Dumbledore, Snape's burning curiosity – as well as the desire to help the woman he loved – refused to let the matter lie.

He knew that if he was ever going to reveal to Lily that she was a witch, her lack of magical education would eventually become a topic of conversation. And if he ever wanted to introduce Lily to the obnoxious, constantly happy Weasleys – which he grudgingly admitted that he did, if only because he knew it would give her great joy – then he'd have to have a good reason as to why the system had failed her.

The other reason he was so eager to introduce her to the family was harder to admit to himself, but no less true.

He was anxious to see Harry…

However, he worried that the boy would be angry enough to want nothing more to do with him. So in a very Slytherin move, Snape had redoubled his efforts to find proof of the family connection between Lily and the Weasleys, knowing that Harry would have a difficult time turning his back on him if Snape was side-by-side with the woman Harry so admired. He admitted that the move was a little underhanded, but Snape was head of Slytherin House for a reason, and he was desperate.

So with that in mind there was only one thing left to do, and Snape was not looking forward to it. As he rose from his chair and headed toward the fireplace to floo call the headmaster's office, he couldn't help feeling that he was only tightening the chains that already bound him to the insufferable old coot.

As it was still early afternoon Snape knew that Dumbledore was more than likely at his desk, so he didn't hesitate as he tossed the green powder into the fire and knelt before it, calling for the headmaster's office. His head spun for a few shot seconds, and then he was staring up at the man, sitting behind his desk peering thoughtfully down at a missive in his hand.

"Headmaster?" he called out.

The man looked up at the unexpected interruption. "Severus! What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

"May I come through?"

"By all means."

Snape removed his head and closed his eyes as he felt the spinning sensation before it reconnected with his body. Then he rose, marking Lily's page as he gathered the large tome on his desk, and stepped into the flames. The headmaster smiled warmly as he came through, and Snape felt his stomach clench ever so slightly.

This could possibly be one of the worst decisions I've ever made…

"It's nice to see you," Dumbledore murmured, sounding completely truthful. "You seem much improved since our last conversation. Forgive me for saying Severus, but you look… happy." The infernal twinkle was there in his eyes."It suits you."

As irritating as it was, Snape knew that in all honesty he could not argue – he felt happier than he ever had, perhaps in his entire life. But he arched a sardonic brow to deflect Dumbledore's all-too-penetrating insight. Even if he did need the headmaster's help, he wasn't going to make it that easy for the man.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Headmaster."

The old coot smiled as the twinkle increased, knowing full well that Snape did know, but allowing him his privacy. Or what was left of it before now, Snape thought with a defeated sigh.

"Well then, what can I do for you, my boy?" The older man asked with an irritatingly omniscient smile still firmly in place.

"You could keep your monstrously crooked nose out of my business, for a start," Snape grumbled, but the headmaster's smile only widened. As much as he hated involving the man in his personal affairs, he nonetheless took a seat on the opposite side of the large wooden desk and opened the book to Lily's page. Sliding it across to Dumbledore he explained, "I was hoping you could answer a question."

The headmaster adjusted his half-moon spectacles, reading the proffered page.

"Lilith Prewett," he murmured thoughtfully. "I don't remember a student with that name ever attending Hogwarts…" He glanced up at Snape over the rim of his glasses. "Do you know this woman?" he asked shrewdly.

Snape ignored his question, instead pointing to the small red "x" and replying, "What is that mark next to her name? I could not find it anywhere else within this book."

Dumbledore glanced back down at the page before looking up at Snape once more. "I'm afraid I don't know. Perhaps I should call Minerva. She has been in charge of sending out Hogwarts letters since her appointment as Deputy Headmistress. Perhaps she will know more." And with that he rose and made his way swiftly to the fireplace.

Wait… What?!

"Well… You… I don't…" Snape stuttered, trying desperately to think of a way to back out of this quickly escalating situation. The way this is going, I may as well post a play-by-play of my life in the Daily Prophet for everyone to read about! What the hell was I thinking?!

But it was too late. The woman was already stepping from the floo. Snape ran an aggravated hand over his face and glared darkly at them both as they drew nearer.

"Albus, Severus," McGonagall greeted simply, taking the seat next to Snape as Dumbledore settled himself behind the desk once more. "What is this regarding? How may I be of assistance?"

"We were hoping that you could tell us what this mark meant," Dumbledore said, sliding the open book over to her. "Lilith Prewett. I do not remember her ever being a student here."

McGonagall glanced down at the parchment page, then looked quickly back at the headmaster. "Yes, well… You wouldn't remember her because her Hogwarts letter was never sent."

"Why is that?" Dumbledore queried as Snape looked at the older woman in shock.

"That mark means that she was living in an orphanage at the time that she would have received her letter. This circumstance was… frowned upon and highly suspect by the Ministry at the time," she said, her lips tightening into a tight line and making it perfectly clear how she felt about the subject. "Although the situation has not arisen often, those idiots at the Ministry thought that any magical child raised in an orphanage could be dangerous, since He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was raised in the same manner." Her thin nostrils flared and her eyes shone with furious indignation when she angrily said, "As such, these children were denied their rightful admission to this school. It is a prejudiced and detestable mandate, but I have never been able to make them see reason."

Snape couldn't help the feeling of outrage and injustice on Lily's behalf. As if losing her parents hadn't been enough, she had also had her birthright of learning magic ripped away from her.

Dumbledore looked as if he felt much the same way, his eyes flashing as he steepled his fingers against his lips. "This is a matter I will most certainly be looking into," he said quietly. "How many children has this mandate affected since its inception?"

"Two. A boy – Alexander Smith, I believe his name was. And a girl, who I assume must be this Lilith Prewett." She looked thoughtfully down at the page for a moment before slowly continuing. "Wait a moment. 'Prewett'… As in Molly Weasley? Those Prewetts?"

"Yes," Snape sighed in resignation. "Lily's father was Molly's cousin." The cat was well and truly out of the bag now.

McGonagall's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Dumbledore quietly probed, "Lily?"

"Yes, yes! I know it's a strange coincidence," snapped Snape, running an exasperated hand through his hair.

McGonagall looked as if Snape had just revealed that the giant squid would be taking over Dumbledore's position as headmaster. "Do you… know this woman, Severus?"

He glowered at her in response.

"But… How? I assume she's been living life as a muggle since she never attended Hogwarts?"

Snape's back was rigid with tension as his dark gaze shot back and forth between the two meddling fools. They were both staring at him with open curiosity, and he almost gave in to the urge to hex them into oblivion and storm out of the office. But as magnificently glorious as that moment would be, it wouldn't help him in his quest to right the wrongs that had been done to Lily.

He sighed in unwilling acquiescence. "Yes, she has been living as a muggle. Her parents died when she was young, and since her father was a squib, she has no idea about our world."

McGonagall stared at him as if he'd grown three additional heads, but Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily behind their spectacles. More than ever he wanted to toss a couple Instant Scalping Hexes their way and flee from the discomfort their gazes stirred within him.

McGonagall hesitated, "Don't you think that dropping something this significant into her lap would… distress her unnecessarily? What makes you think she would thank you to know about something this life-altering? How well do you know this woman?"

"Well enough," he muttered, suddenly feeling like a self-conscious teenager caught doing something wayward. He squirmed in his seat beneath their scrutiny as the silence lengthened.

"Oh…" McGonagall said, suddenly looking just as uncomfortable as Snape felt. "Oh, well. I see." Dumbledore, damn him, looked to be immensely enjoying himself.

Snape plunged on despite his embarrassment, knowing that Lily deserved anything he could do to help her. "And the fact that she is raising a daughter singlehandedly, believing that she is completely alone in the world—"

"She has a child?" McGonagall choked out, her eyebrows practically disappearing into her hair. "You are dating a—well, for all intents and purposes, a muggle— who also has a child?"

"Careful Minerva, or the disbelief may give you an apoplexy," he growled at the older woman. Dumbledore had a small coughing fit at that moment, but Snape had the striking suspicion that the coughs were actually covering up his damnable chuckles. Snape scrubbed his face with the palms of both hands in a desperate attempt to keep his temper in check.

"YES,alright?!" he finally snarled, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation. "I'm in a relationship with a muggle who doesn't know she's a witch! And YES, even though up to this point in my life I've made no secret of the fact that I hate children, she also hasa young daughter. I'm just as flabbergasted as you are Minerva, but…" He ran a hand through his hair, his voice suddenly growing quiet. "But I care for both of them. And Lily doesn't deserve to be alone. Not when we can do something to help her."

There was a growing silence, and when Snape finally looked up to meet the gazes of the others, he was shocked to see warm smiles on their faces. McGonagall's eyes even looked a bit glassy as she gazed fondly at him – a look he was not accustomed to seeing coming from her. Or anyone, for that matter.

"Well then," the headmaster said into the silence. "Seeing as we've robbed this poor girl of her magical education, the least we can dois reunite her with a loving family. Minerva, if you'd care to accompany us? I believe that a visit to the Burrow is in order."

. . . . .

Snape carried the leather-bound book beneath one arm, as well as a recent muggle photograph of Lily and Jillian that he had surreptitiously replicated with a Copying Charm during his last visit in his robe pocket. Marching through the empty corridors alongside McGonagall and Dumbledore, he had to continually remind himself that the visit he was about to carry out was only to disclose to the Weasleys the good news of two additional, unexpected family members.

He knew it for the blatant lie it was, though.

In all truthfulness Snape wanted to judge for himself how Harry was faring, and if there was any possible chance at reconciliation. The thought of seeing the boy again made his insides twist in apprehension, but his feelings about the boy far outweighed his fear of rejection, so he continued on.

As they reached the Apparition point outside the gates, Dumbledore paused and held Snape back. He spoke softly, as if sensing his trepidation.

"Although it may not be my place," Dumbledore murmured so that only Snape could hear, "I think it needs to be said that Harry's capacity for forgiveness is much larger than you may realize. Just speak from your heart, Severus."

A muscle ticked in Snape's jaw from clenching it hard enough to break a tooth. But he gave a single, jerky nod to the older man.

"Well then," Dumbledore announced, a smile returning to his face. "Shall we be on our way? I can't help the feeling that Molly may suffocate us within her embrace when she hears the news. And yes, that includes you, my boy," he said with a chuckle when Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously at the thought of Molly Weasley's arms anywhere near him.

"Remember, the wards have been expanded past the orchard," Dumbledore reminded them all. Then they spun on the spot and were gone.

They landed with a thud on the opposite side of the thick copse of trees. Snape was immediately drawn to the sounds of spells being thrown back and forth between opponents. He knew that most of the wizards here were underage, and immediately dismissed the thought that they were the ones practicing their dueling skills, as he knew they would not risk breaking the Decree for Underage Magic.

The twins then, he thought dismissively, knowing that they were now of age and making his way toward the Burrow.

But after a few paces, he slowed. His eyes widened in horror and his gaze shot to the headmaster. "Albus… I don't feel the wards…" The sounds of dueling suddenly took on a threatening sensation. Snape charged through the trees, leaving Dumbledore and McGonagall behind, their warning shouts unheeded.

The scene that met his eyes through the branches as he sprinted through the orchard tore a guttural sound of fear from his throat.

Bellatrix Lestrange, her eyes maniacal and bulging in their intensity, laughing as she threw curse after curse at a group of teenagers. Ginny Weasley was on the ground, crawling toward another battered and bloody body, her face slashed and bleeding. Only one Weasley twin was still standing, the other collapsed on the opposite side of the garden. Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley fought side by side, both bruised and battered, but remarkably still on their feet.

And Harry… Oh God, Harry…

He was the closest to the demented, laughing woman. Even though he was still standing, what he couldn't know was that Bellatrix was only toying with him. She was an accomplished dueler and could easily hold her own against a group of untrained teenagers. She seemed to be luring Harry close enough to Apparate away with him, most likely directly to the Dark Lord's side.

"Stupify!" Harry shouted, aiming the spell directly at her chest.

Bellatrix easily deflected, still laughing manically. "Come on, Little Potty!" She taunted. "Give it all you've got. I killed Sirius Black, remember?"

Harry's steps visibly faltered. "Confringo! Incarcerous! STUPIFY!" He yelled, each one deflected with a small flick of the mad woman's wrist as she continued to laugh.

Her eyes suddenly alighting with a wicked smile, she screamed, "Crucio!"

Harry dropped to the ground screaming and jerking in agony just as Snape broke from the trees.

"NOOOO!"

And with his vision going red, he charged the woman who dared to attack his son.