Lily sighed as she finished writing the last letter. This letter had been the hardest to write, especially seeing as James hated the man, and the feeling was obviously mutual. The two had absolutely loathed each other for years. And though he hadn’t exactly been enemies with Lily, Severus Snape certainly had no feelings for her. But…Lily firmly believed he deserved to know the truth.

Suddenly James’s voice came from downstairs.

“Lily, it’s him! Take Alexia and run!”

Lily didn’t even hesitate; she scooped Alexia up and grabbed the three envelopes. “Fowl,” a large brown owl hooted. “Take these letters now!” Fowl hooted again and took off with Lily’s last words. Fowl didn’t even turn around when he heard his mistress’s voice plead.

“Please! Please, not Lexy! Kill me instead! Not Lexy, not my baby!”

There was a flash of green and a scream. Then there was silence. The house appeared abandoned, which it nearly was, for only one living soul was still inside. A tiny baby girl with bright green eyes and a bloody lightning bolt scar. Sniffling, little Alexia crawled over to her mother and stared intently into the woman’s now dull, lifeless green eyes, “Mama?” But Lily didn’t reply. Never again would Lily come when Lexy needed her, or called. She was gone.

“Mama, Mama?” Tears welled up in Lexy’s emerald eyes. “Da, Dada?” James never came either. He too was gone. Alexia Lily Potter was alone.

************

Albus Dumbledore was about to announce the end of the meeting when Fowl flew in, barring three letters.

“Albus,” Professor McGonagall said quietly, “Isn’t that the Potter’s owl?”

“It is, Minerva.” Dumbledore took the envelopes from the owl and excused himself from the hall.

Only once he was alone in his office did he open his letter.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

For years you have been a good friend and mentor to me. And it is because of this that I entrust this knowledge to you. My daughter, Alexia, isn’t James’s child. Lexy’s father is in fact, Severus Snape.

I should probably start at the beginning. You are of course aware that I was captured and tortured by Death Eaters last year. What you did not know was that Severus was forced to rape me. At first Severus wasn’t aware of who I was, but as time went by we recognized each other and Severus did everything he could to make my time as a prisoner as bearable as he could.

The rest you know. Severus rescued me and I returned to James.

A few months latter I learned that I was pregnant. At first I thought nothing of it. But as time went by I began to wonder who my baby’s father was. I did certain tests and learned that Severus was in fact the father.

Before I was able to do the tests however I did confront Severus with the fact that he could be my baby’s father. It pains me to say that he wanted nothing to do with the baby. He said he wanted nothing to do with the child. And that there was no way he had fathered one.

I never got the chance to see him again.

Of course I told James that he wasn’t the father. But James didn’t care. He, like myself, had fallen in love with little Lexy.

Albus, I tell you this because it is my wish that Severus know that he is in fact a father. I want Lexy and Severus to at least have a chance to know each other if they wish to. Enclosed with your letter are two others, one to Severus and one to Lexy. Please see to it that they receive them. I trust you Headmaster. Please do what I didn’t have the courage or time to.

Your student and friend,

Lily Ann Evans Potter

Dumbledore sighed. This complicated things. If only he had received this letter sooner. When he had found little Alexia the poor child had been curled up beside her lifeless mother silently crying. Lexy had called again and again for her mama and dada. The child’s innocent and fearful plea had broken the old man’s heart. It had been a hard decision to make, but Albus had decided that the safest place for Alexia Potter was her muggle aunt and uncles. It had been the only place she had to go. Or so he had thought.

Sighing, Albus Dumbledore wondered when would be the best time to tell his grouchy, bitter, and lone potions master that he was indeed a father.

*************

Little Alexia lay shivering in her cupboard silently crying. It had been two months and her Mama still hadn’t come. Where was she? And why had her eyes been so…different. Lily Potter’s eyes had always been bright with mirth and love; never had they been that dull green almost grayish. After what had to have been hours little Lexy finally fell asleep and dreamed of a beautiful woman with red hair and bright green eyes. Her Mama told her that someday her Papa would come for her. That he would love and protect her. She just had to wait a little while.

As Lexy slept Lily’s spirit smiled sadly at her child. Never did she want to see that sadness and pain her baby’s eyes.

Instantaneously she appeared in the potions master’s rooms. Severus Snape was seated in his favorite chair, a bottle of fire whiskey held loosely in one hand, starring unseeingly into the flames inside of the fireplace. Lily noticed a letter lay open on the table beside him.

Dear Severus Snape,

I’m writing to you now because I was never able to tell you to your face after that one night at the Hogs Head. I performed the paternity tests. And they revealed that YOU are Lexy’s father. Please, please hear me out Severus. I know you have no feelings for me. And I also know that you hate James. But Alexia is a part of you whether you like it or not. I know I should have said this before but I do want you to know; I don’t blame you for what happened to me. You did what you could to help me and in the end you did rescue me. But there is another reason I wanted to write to you and tell you you are Lexy’s father. I wanted to thank you. Yes, you heard me right. I am thanking you; because of you I now have a beautiful little girl. She does look somewhat like you. She has your strong facial features and your black hair. Though she doesn’t have you nose. Thank Merlin, no offense Severus. Lexy’s does have my eyes though. I’ll say it again. Thank you Severus Snape; because of you I now have Alexia and I will cherish her forever.

I have one final thing to say before I finish this letter. Severus, I know you said you wanted nothing to do with Alexia, but I beseech you to reconsider. I have a strong feeling James and I wont survive this war. And if that is so then you will be all she has left. Please, please Severus reconsider.

My deepest respect,

Lily Ann Evans Potter

P.S I have also enclosed a picture of your daughter on the day she was born. Her name is Alexia Lily.

Lily eyed the letter that she had written. Had Severus read the entire thing? Or had he only read the first few sentences? It was then Lily noticed the piece of crumpled up paper in the now sleeping potions master’s hand. It was the photo Lily had given him. Lexy was the only one in the photo. She was smiling a toothless smile and her eyes were as bright as ever. Sadly Lily eyed the man before her; she could sense the goodness inside him. But there was also a great deal of pain and bitterness. For not the first time Lily wondered if she’d done the right thing.

Suddenly Severus Snape awoke. Rubbing his temples he looked down at the crumpled piece of paper. And, for one fleeting moment, Snape considered throwing it and the letter into the flames. Lily held her breath and waited. Slowly Snape righted the picture and stared at it. The little girl’s eyes mesmerized him. He quickly set the picture beside the letter. After taking a long swig of the alcoholic beverage Snape summoned a small black box. He placed the letter inside first, and then he placed the photo beside it. Snape proceeded to say a complex locking charm upon the box. Intending to forever seal away the letter and their daughter’s eyes.