1978. Before Harry's birth.

Severus ignored the thunder outside and the unnecessarily loud sound of his front door slamming as he kicked it closed and approached the fireplace. It had been two years at least since he had last heard from Lily and yet he had just received an owl that she would be floo-calling him at seven. He glanced over at a clock on the wall and noticed that it was indeed that time. Staring intently into the flames he had just conjured, he wasn't surprised that her face did not appear there. He half believed the letter was fake or that he had imagined it. Therefore, to prevent further disappointment, he refused to prepare for her call until it actually occurred.

The minutes ticked by silently as Severus settled into the armchair and bitterly noticed that she was already fifteen minutes late. He had no expectations and yet there he sat, waiting.

And when it was almost twenty-five past seven that Saturday evening, it happened. The flames flared and her fiery hair and gaze came into sight. It was obvious she no longer appeared as the fierce and determined lioness she once was. Instead, she was a tired and sad witch with all the obvious signs of having just been crying.

Severus stood and stared at her, jolted from seeing her again after so long and shocked to her expression that pulled strings at his heart.

'Sev, is that really you?' Lily asked, her voice steady and soft, but only through struggled control.

'It's me.' Severus nodded. 'What happened, Lily? Did Potter do this?' He scowled at the memory of her husband and his past school bully.

'In a way.' Lily sighed. 'Sorry I'm late. Will you come through?'

Severus nodded without thinking upon her request and waited for her to step back before he approached the fireplace and moved through it. He looked around at the house and noticed an odd mark or cracked picture frame, which made him further worried and curious.

'Lily?' He asked her when she appeared to be struggling with herself again.

'I know I haven't spoken to you in...too long.' Lily swallowed, preferring to stare at the floor rather than at his face. 'But I wasn't sure who else I could trust.' She exhaled and like the brave Gryffindor she was, Lily lifted her gaze to meet his.

He wished she hadn't.

'Last week, James and I divorced.' Lily explained. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. One side he was thrilled that Potter was out of her life, but the other saddened by the pain it had obviously caused her.

'I didn't feel as though...it just wasn't right.' Lily exhaled and sank into the sofa behind her as she continued to detail the situation to him. 'We hadn't been together long, but...I don't know, it was mostly just a feeling in my stomach that this wasn't going to work. He was far too immature and wasn't around very often.' She shook her head. 'And I think...I mean, we had an argument about you because I wanted to see if we could still be friends. But you know James, he hates you.'

'It's mutual, really.' Severus said, having no idea what else to do as he listened.

'Yes, well...we fought and he even accused me of loving you more than him.' Lily frowned. 'And I...hesitated.'

Severus swallowed with those words. He was not sure what they meant and tried to force away the once dimmed sensation of hope.

'I don't know why I did, but a part of me wondered...' Lily looked up at him again with the tiniest shadow of a smile. 'If you hadn't become so interested in the Dark Arts...would I feel differently? Would we be closer?'

'You...called me here to tell me that?' Severus wondered. 'I mean, I...just...wondering.' He sighed, feeling as though he had ruined the moment when his curiosity had leaped ahead.

'I called you because I need a friend.' Lily stood. 'And you always made me smile, even sometimes unintentionally.' She admitted. 'And I...missed you, Sev.'

Severus stood stunned as she approached him and hugged him around the middle, pressing her face and hair against his chest. He awkwardly hugged her briefly, feeling as though things were as they should be, even if he had just been chased by Death Eaters for refusing their support of Voldemort.

'I stopped that stuff.' Severus felt he should add. 'I refused the Mark...I'm not going to follow that path. I don't want to. It's already cost me too much.'

'I know.' Lily whispered with a hidden smile.

--

1980. Harry, five hours old.

Severus stood in the doorway of the room, staring at his sleeping fiancée with a small smile. He watched her until his gaze finally shifted to the small baby several feet away. Stepping into the room and being convinced that his nerves wouldn't have him running for the waiting room again, he continued to stare at the small boy.

'Hello.' Severus whispered, not wanting to wake Lily while he met their son for the first time, as she would surely embarrass him with how soft he was being.

The baby turned his gaze towards his father's voice and swung his clenched hand in his direction. Severus watched his son and examined his small, but strong features. The baby had a patch of very dark brown hair that could easily be black, which matched his dark eyes that shone up at him. Everything else, Severus was sure the boy had inherited entirely from Lily.

'Nice to meet you, son.' Severus lightly brushed his finger against the baby's little fist still swinging towards him.

'I want to name him Harry.' Lily spoke. Severus straighted quickly and was already halfway blushing at being caught. 'After Harold, my father.' She added while smiling at him.

'I approve.' Severus nodded and released an exhale of breath when she didn't mock him. He stepped closer to her and kissed her forehead slowly, looking down at her tired, happy face.

'Middle name: Severus.' Lily continued. 'Last name: Evans.'

'Evans?' Severus frowned and his gaze demanded an explanation.

'Only for now, love.' Lily smiled at him. 'I want it to be official when we marry. I just...seems right.'

Severus didn't complain. How could he with her perfect face staring at him and their perfect son falling asleep nearby?

-- 

1982. Harry, two years old.

Lara Sanders was on duty, as much as she hated sitting at a desk all night and checking records. She sighed and shifted through folders of details and what she considered that “boring but important paperwork” in which she was in charge of. That's not all she was in charge of, but this was her least favourite task of all.

Deciding to take a break, she stood and ventured out of her office and down the stairs where a bit of argument was going on between two of her employees, Jerry and Hannah.

'It's not proper!' Jerry was saying as he waved about papers with a frown.

'No, but what else can we do? This is an orphanage!' Hannah scowled back in all her determination to prove him wrong.

'What's going on?' Lara demanded to know. 'And hush this nonsense before you wake the children.'

'A man came to us, all distraught and strange-looking.' Hannah explained with a sigh. She brushed blonde hair from her eyes with one hand, as she stared back and forth between Lara's aging and short appearance and Jerry's tall and scruffy one.

'Really, he was dressed all in black - some sort of robe or whatever.' Jerry commented.

'Shush!' Hannah growled. 'Anyway, he handed us his son and a bunch of papers, saying he must go to a very loving foster home or anyplace where the child will be loved and properly cared for. She exhaled. 'We glanced at the boy and the papers for just a moment and he was...gone.'

'Gone?' Lara repeated.

'Gone.' Jerry nodded in confirmation. 'Disappeared into thin air.'

'How old is the boy?' Lara wondered, falling into her role as head of the Riverwave orphanage. 'What is his name?'

'He's two years old.' Hannah sighed sadly as Jerry flipped through the papers in his hands for a name.

'Harry Severus Evans.' He answered.

'Did you catch the name of the man?' Lara pressed, staring at the photo of an adorable and happy boy.

'Severus Snape.' Hannah recalled. 'That's all he said. His name and to find someone to love his son better than he could provide.'

'Well...' Lara sighed. 'It's true. We are an orphanage. However, I believe this may not be an option.' She stared at the papers now in her hands. 'The mother is Lily Evans, so see if she has any family.'

Hannah nodded and rushed to check while Jerry remained silent and Lara read some more of the boy's paperwork.

'She has a sister!' Hannah called over. 'Petunia Dursley nee Evans. Married to a Vernon Dursley and they have a small son.'

'Perfect.' Lara nodded in relief.

'I agree.' A voice spoke from the doorway and they turned to see a man who proceeded to introduce himself as Albus Dumbledore.

1990. Eight years later.

'Over here!' A boy called out and waved his arms, hoping to be passed the ball.

'No, over here, Harry!' A girl yelled.

Harry stood there and wondered who to pass it to. Instead, he decided to take a risk and ran towards the goal, but the kids of ages similar to his own ran up to him and tackled him to the ground, all laughing as they did so.

'Alright! I lose.' Harry chuckled and released the ball. He moved to the side in preparation to tackle those not on his team, if they tried to run for a goal.

'Children!' Hannah called out to them. 'It's time to come inside.'

Some groaned and others merely shrugged as they followed her back inside the orphanage and into their classroom. Harry sighed and sat at his desk, but his mind did not fall with Science, it shifted towards the past years of his life.

He remembered his parents very briefly. His mother was beautiful and had red hair as well as emerald green eyes, while his father dressed in black, had black hair and the same eyes as his own. He thought about them a lot, but it was often clouded by the nasty few years he spent growing up with his aunt, uncle, and bullying cousin. They made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, do chores all day, and they almost never fed him. It was horrible and Harry still had nightmares.

He recalled the day he finally fought back; he had only been seven-years-old and was tired of how much they hated him. He yelled and cried until he was sore all over, although Vernon's fists hadn't helped. The following day they had also had enough and Harry was taken on a two-hour drive to the Riverwave Orphanage. He has been there for three years...still unwanted and unloved.

'Harry Evans!' His teacher scowled and he nearly dropped his pencil in surprise. 'Are you listening?'

He said nothing and merely nodded. She knew he was lying because he wasn't entirely good at it, but she didn't punish him or quiz him so he wasn't too concerned with being caught daydreaming.

It wasn't the first time.

--

Class ended and Harry got to his feet, dragging them slightly as he left the classroom and ventured down the stairs. While the others laughed and grouped, he walked alone towards his bedroom, which he had shared with another boy until recently. That boy was two years younger than him and had been adopted yesterday. It had been then Harry had once again found himself hating where he lived and how no one seemed to want him at all.

Harry peeked behind himself to check no one else was around, then snuck into Lara Sander's office. He was sure he was going to be in so much trouble, but he didn't care. Sighing, he pulled open a filing cabinet (he thought she really ought to lock it, since the documents inside were so important), and trailed his finger along the “E's”. Harry spotted his name and pulled out the file, staring and searching for any detail that would satisfy him.

Hearing a noise, Harry gasped and clutched the files. He turned towards the door and winced when he saw Lara glaring down at him.

'And just exactly what are you doing, young man?' She scowled.

'Erm...' Harry swallowed and placed his files back where they belonged before he gathered his courage. 'I wanted to know if I have any family...besides my aunt, I mean.' He stared at the floor.

'Than perhaps you should have merely asked?' Lara shook her head.

Harry said nothing because he knew a lot of people lied to him about the important things, like how no one told him that not all families loved each other. They said he had just as much chance of being adopted at ten as others did at five, and they also told him he would never be left behind. All lies, and all hard lessons to learn.

'I know it can be hard, waiting to be adopted.' Lara sighed as she sat behind her desk. 'But maybe you simply haven't found the right family yet?'

Once again, Harry remained silent as he kept his thoughts to himself.

'If you...' Lara trailed off and exhaled as a man appeared at the doorway. She excused herself for a moment.

Harry inched closer to the doorway and eavesdropped on the conversation, although he could only catch parts of it.

'He's in my office right now, actually.' Lara said.

'Harry Evans?' The man asked. 'The boy whose father dropped him off when he was two and begged you to find him a loving home?' He sighed. 'You sent him to his aunt's...'

Harry tried to press closer against the door, but a thought occurred to him about the age he had been sent here. Two? No, he had been seven! Frowning, he turned towards the file again and flipped through it desperately.

'Yes, I'm afraid it may be time to send him to a foster home. For a little while, at least.'

Lara's words caught his ears and Harry straightened quickly while clutching the files to his chest. Send him away? No! He wanted to be adopted and loved by someone who had chosen him, not sent someplace temporary where he was a complete stranger again. And besides, he now knew...he did have a family.

Harry slowly pushed open the door. Since both their backs were turned many feet away, he ducked out of sight around a corner and waited until he was up a flight of stairs. He broke into a run while still clutching the files to his chest.

Fearful of being caught, Harry grabbed an old bag and some new clothes as he started to pack. He loaded in the files, clothes, books, and several other things (he was now glad he didn't own very many possessions), into his backpack. He strapped it over his shoulders before he pulled up the hood on his light jacket and checked the hallway. Seeing it was clear, Harry rushed down the stairs and snuck into the main lobby. Hannah was on the phone and didn't notice him as he slipped out of the tall building and into the streets.

Staring around for a short moment, Harry looked over at the setting sun and took off at a run. He wasn't going to stop until his muscles gave out. And only when he finally collapsed to a halt in an unfamiliar place, whilst being surrounded by darkness, only then would he come to realize that he had no idea where his father lived.