Return of the Taken
Disclaimer: The Characters, World, and Harry Potter back story belongs to J.K. Rowling
A/N: I started this fic under a different pen name, and unfortunately I've forgotten both the email account and the password to that pen name, the story was started four years ago, and unfortunately I wasn't much of a writer back then. I've decided to redo the fic and fix it so that it is much better, with the char's more in character than before, however it will still be ridiculously a/u. I've also decided to change the plot some, and make the age of our main character match the time line, Rowling has said Harry's birthday is July 31st 1981, I was born December of 1984, so the main character will be three years younger than Harry, and thusly since the story takes place in Harry's 2nd 7th year their respective ages are 18 and 15 that said, let us begin.
Prologue:
Severus Snape, faithful death eater turned spy for Albus Dumbledore, paced the corridor outside of the delivery room. His nerves were frayed and he snarled at a passing nurse, who fairly ran the rest of the way to the nurse's station. Inside the room, a woman he barely knew lay fighting for her life, and the life of their child. Severus ran his hands through his long hair. In the future, this habit of running his hand through his hair when he was nervous or frustrated would lead to permanently greasy hair.
Snape resumed his pacing, and thought back to how he had gotten into this mess. He had been doing a mission for Dumbledore, had come to America to track down a young American witch whom had a particular talent with potions. The witch had produced a greatly improved version of the Wolfsbane potion. He had met the witch, and learned her technique so that he could produce the potion for that animal that Dumbledore was so fond of. Snape had spent three months with the witch, catching odd moments when she could get away from her abusive husband, and had a good baby sitter for her two young girls. The last two months of the trip they hadn't discussed potions at all, but rather spent all of their precious few stolen moments in each other's arms. Then Severus had left to take up his post as Potions Master at Hogwarts, and had done his best to put Tena out of his mind. He had nearly succeeded when he received a letter from her, a letter that changed his life, the letter that told him he was soon to be a father.
He had come a week early, thinking that maybe he could catch at least one alone moment with Tena while her husband wasn't around, he had been shocked to find that Tena's husband wasn't going to be an issue, the vile man had walked out on her and the two young girls a week before. Severus's mind had went into overdrive calculating exactly how he could bring Tena and her two small children, plus his own child, to England, to be with him. Then Tena had cut his heart out with a few simple words. She would not leave America and take her two girls away from their father's family. Snape had raged at her, said she was taking his child away from him. She insisted she was sorry, but she couldn't leave America.
Severus heard a scream that rent his heart in two, followed by a flurry of activity, he rushed into the room to see the doctors working quickly and tersely on a small form that was not breathing. If not for the nurse he had snarled at earlier Severus wouldn't have remained upright. She gently guided him back out the door, explaining the doctors needed space to work, Severus tried to object, but she placed a firm hand on his chest.
"Sir, do you really want to watch that baby die?" Her eyes held sympathy but he could tell she wasn't going to let him in.
"How do you know that my child is going to die?" He asked, unable to believe the words he had just said.
"There never was much hope for that baby, the mother has cervical cancer, she should have never kept the baby, her stubbornness to have the baby will only bring her pain now, when she loses it." The nurse said, and turned back into the door.
"You're wrong! My child will not die this night" Severus shouted at the retreating back of the nurse. She returned five minutes later to tell him the doctors had done everything they could, but the child had died.
"I want to hold the baby, I want to see for myself." Severus begged, the nurse shook her head.
" I'm sorry but that's just not possible, they have to do an autopsy on the body to see why the baby died, it's standard procedure when a baby doesn't live." Then nurse returned to the room. Severus slowly walked out of the hospital his heart broken into a million pieces. He reached an apparation point, gathered himself enough to make the apparation without splinching himself, and returned to Hogsmeade. He had thought about just letting got and letting the magic rip him apart, but at the last moment he pushed forward, and landed shaking onto the high street.
From Hogsmeade he made his way to the castle, to his home, to Dumbledore. Severus was a private man who did not share easily, but he knew only Albus would be able to stop him from drinking himself to death on this cold December night. He made his way to Albus' office his head hung low and his eyes blurred with tears. Albus met him at the door, and upon seeing his demeanor, hugged him. That night Severus vowed he'd never allow anyone into his heart.
While Severus was being consoled by the Headmaster, Tena was holding her small child and looking deep into the tiny child's eyes. The baby's mouth opened and a weak plaintive cry was heard. The nurse who had deceived Severus brought in a small bottle of formula.
"You sent him away?"
"I did"
"He can never know, even if it's what's best for him."
"I don't understand how this is what's best for him?" The nurse looked at the woman, who was also her cousin.
"Voldemort is not dead, and until he is, Severus will be in danger. He needs to look after himself, he can't be worried about us… Someday he'll know the truth, but not this one. When Voldemort is gone, then they can be together."