Severus looked deep into those emerald green eyes as he lay dying. The boy, so much more like his mother than Severus ever wanted to admit, held him until he gave his last breath and his vision darkened into nothingness.

'Did I do enough, Lily?' he gave strength to that last thought before he succumbed to Nagini's poison. Strangely, death did not hurt as much as he believed it would. He felt warm and protected. He felt as though someone was lifting him up in a delicate embrace.

"You did enough, Severus," a soft voice whispered to him. "Just rest."

"Lily?" he called out.

"Yes, I'm here to help you," she replied. "You are being healed. The decision has been made to send you back with the chance at a happy life."

"I don't understand," he said. "What do you mean? I feel so helpless."

"Just rest your mind," she answered. "You'll be found soon. I'll explain the rest then."

A panic instantly welled up inside of him. If he was still alive, he was most certainly facing a life in Azkaban; if not worse. No one but Dumbledore, and now Harry, knew who he really was. Was he really being kept alive only to suffer more?

"Rest your mind," she soothed softly. He felt his entire body being rocked. "No one's going to put you in prison."

Harry made his way through the dark passage to the Shrieking Shack where they'd left the body of his once hated professor. He couldn't leave the man to rot; not after all he'd sacrificed for Harry. He lit the passage carefully, making sure that he was well concealed beneath his Invisibility Cloak as he went so he would be able to see any rogue Death Eaters, if any lingered about. He somehow doubted it since most of them abandoned their dark Lord as soon as Harry 'resurrected'. There was a candle flicker in the room ahead of him. Harry kept his newly repaired wand at the ready, just in case. He wasn't protected as he was before and he would be damned if he lived through all that, just to be killed by some Death Eater.

He inspected the room through the open door and saw the professor's clothes lying where he'd fallen earlier but his body was nowhere to be found within them. If a Death Eater had wanted to steal his body to desecrate it, he doubted they'd take the time to strip him first simply because it would take too long and the risk of getting caught would be too great.

Once he scanned the room and ensured that the door was flush against the wall, he stepped inside to see his mother's ghostly form standing by the window holding an infant in her arms.

"Mum?" he asked, confused.

"Yes, Sweetheart, it's me," she replied. "I knew you would come for Severus."

"What happened to his body? Did someone steal it?" Harry questioned, looking around.

'Oh wonderful,' Snape thought. 'Did someone break his glasses? I'm right HERE.'

"No, he's right here," Lily said, rocking the infant she held gently. "An ancient magic is at work. I don't know how far reaching it is, but Severus has been resurrected. This baby is him."

'What?!' Severus attempted to shout but it came out as a squeak in his newly infant voice. 'You have got to be joking!'

"It is no joke, Severus," Lily informed him. "Right now, he is fully aware of what is being said but soon his memories of his former life will leave him and he will be a normal baby wizard like any other."

The infant babbled something that sounded as though he were trying to communicate.

"I'm just guessing he doesn't care for that idea too much," Harry replied.

"No, he does not," Lily chuckled. "I don't know if his reluctance will affect his ability to remember or not. This is ancient magic that I am not familiar with. I just know that I was called to wait until someone safe came for him."

"Are you coming back too?" Harry asked his mother.

"No, Sweetheart. I've been dead too many years and my body far too decayed for this kind of magic. Severus was newly dead and his body easily healed. Do find him a good family to raise him up this time. Someone who wants and will love him," Lily told him. "I trust you to find someone who can. Professor McGonagall always had very sound advice. You can confide to her if you need a person to talk to. Please take him now. My time is nearly up."

Harry took the baby from his mother and she disappeared with a final smile for her son. He looked down at the dark haired baby who was staring back up at him with unfocused eyes. Unlike the adult Severus Snape, this baby had soft downy black hair with no trace of greasiness and his eyes were more of a brownish hazel than the dark nearly obsidian ones Harry had been used to seeing. Even his nose, which was buttonlike rather than hooked, was entirely dissimilar to the adult. One thing, however, was obvious. He was terrified and shaking.

'Of course I can understand you, Potter. Weren't you paying attention?' was what Severus wanted to snap at the foolish boy but all he managed was a sound that sort of mimicked, "Aye."

"Good, then let me say something to you that you'd never allow, if you were your adult self," Harry started as he held the baby close to his face. "You may or may not believe me, but I am making this vow. I will never let anyone hurt you again. What you did for me, all that you sacrificed; I owe you this."

"Oh." came the reply from Severus which was as close to a 'no' as he could manage.

"Yes, I do. I don't care that you did it because you loved my mother; that doesn't change the fact that you saved my life," Harry told him. "I don't know how long your memories are going to remain but I hope you will find it in yourself to trust me to figure this out."

The baby hiccuped and he scowled. Another hiccup came and a few cries of irritation emerged. Harry figured that he had no other real means of communication like any other baby, which was what he was meant to be. After a moment or two, the cries died down and the hiccups stopped as the baby's thumb found its way to his mouth.

Harry started back through the passageway, sending out a brighter light with his wand than when he came up as he was now carrying an infant that he had no desire to drop. Severus realized they were moving through the passage beneath the Whomping Willow and breathed a sigh of relief. He hated the Shrieking Shack, now more than ever before.

After what seemed to be an eternity, they emerged from beneath the Willow and stepped out of its reach before it started moving again. Ron and Hermione were approaching quickly from the castle.

"You've been gone for ages," Hermione said. "We thought you might have been attacked. Where's Professor Snape's body?"

"What do you have there, Mate?" Ron interrupted.

"It's a long story, but this IS Professor Snape," Harry answered.

The other two peered into the blanket and the baby tried to give the sternest look he could manage, but it only served to make all three teens smile.

"We've got to find someone to take care of him," Hermione said. "Someone who will treat him well."

"I know," Harry replied, "but who?"

"Us," Ron declared.

"What?" Harry and Hermione said in unison.

"Let's face it," Ron snorted. "No one is going to take a baby Snape and treat him good. Even if you tell people a hundred times, he has some powerful enemies. We destroyed horcruxes, fought Death Eaters and survived this war beyond any expectation of it. It has to be us."

'God help me,' Snape thought as he made a sound that vaguely reminded them of gagging which made all three laugh.

"Too bad, Sir," Ron said, indulgently. "You invited yourself into the mix the second you risked yourself to bring that sword to us. You could have been exposed by one of the Snatchers that night, you know."

"I didn't tell you about that part in his memories," Harry interrupted.

"I figured it out ages ago. Griphook told us, after all," Ron replied before looking at Hermione. "I'm surprised you didn't reason it out."

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed. "He said that Snape put the fake sword in Bellatrix's vault so who else could have brought it to us? That's clever, Ron."

The young ginger's ears went red with embarrassment. "Yeah, it's been known to happen."

'I never would have expected Weasley's the one with some semblance of sense in all this.' Severus thought to himself. Truth be told, even Severus had to admit that he'd watched the younger man when he played Wizard's Chess in the Great Hall and he could be an effective tactician. Perhaps in a smaller family, his talent would have been encouraged but in one with seven children; he supposed that there was no time for that sort of attention.

Severus felt a huge pain in his stomach and he let out a wail of discomfort, against his will. It did serve its purpose in letting the three teens know that they could discuss whatever the hell they wanted; once his needs were met. It worked brilliantly as they stopped to see what was wrong with him.

"Poor bloke's probably starving," Ron suggested.

'Got it in one, Weasley,' Severus thought. 'Now, how about doing something about it?'

Ron took baby Snape from Harry and headed immediately toward the castle kitchens. Even if none of them were there, he figured that there would still be some manner of food. They'd tackle the problem of how to get it into him when they got there.

When they arrived, the three found almost every House Elf in the surprisingly pristine kitchens; cooking and cleaning. One could barely tell that anything at all happened in the castle from the state of the kitchen. The elves jumped in attention to the wizards who had saved their lives. Eager would be an understatement to the willingness to locate a bottle and mother's milk for the infant with the three heroes. Within seconds, Ron was coaxing the nipple into Snape's unwilling mouth, who was steadfastly refusing.

"Look," Ron whispered, "I know you're not thrilled about this but it's the only option, save finding a woman with breast milk to nurse you. You need to eat."

Severus took the nipple in his mouth and tried to suck on it but except for a trickle of milk, the nipple suctioned closed. Ron tapped on Severus' bottom lip gently in an effort to get him to release the nipple a little bit.

"You need to let some air in a little bit to keep the milk going. There, that's it," Ron said.

'Excuse me for not knowing, Weasley. It has been nearly thirty seven or more years since I last required this skill, Severus thought but soon became too focused on the sweet flowing nectar that quickly filled his stomach. He hadn't even realized he was so very hungry. Occasionally, Ron would pull the nipple out to let some much needed air into the bottle as Severus wasn't completely able to manage on his own.

"How do you know so much about babies?" Hermione asked Ron as he patted the baby's back after he finished nursing.

"Grew up around little ones," Ron offered. "After Fred and George went to Hogwarts, Mum took to looking after the neighbor's baby, Reina, when Mrs. Leister went back to work. She wasn't much bigger than he is when we first started sitting. Mum taught Ginny and me all about how to diaper, feed and entertain a baby. The Leisters moved Nova Scotia right before I started school, so I'm good for the first two years. After that, we're all in the same boat."

A loud, rumbling belch escaped from Severus that surprised even himself.

"Charming," Hermione mused as she wrinkled her nose.

"Better out than in with a baby," Ron told her with a grin. "Gotta get that air out of the stomach or it'll give him pains and he'll spit up more."

'Because that's not completely humiliating,' Severus thought with a frown.

"We need to get back," Harry said finally. "Your parents are probably worrying."

Ron hadn't thought of it since they came upon Harry and baby Snape but reality crashed in on him again. Fred was gone. His big brother died. Fred, who had always made him laugh when things were bleak; he would never smile or crack stupid jokes or make his own bottom explode for a laugh again. For the last hour, Ron had been so busy taking care of the baby that he'd completely forgotten. His face fell and Harry took baby Snape while Hermione took his hand and embraced the young man before they left the kitchen.

'What's Weasley crying about?' Severus wondered as they traveled to the Great Hall. He was suddenly feeling very tired and couldn't work his brain to figure out what the problem was. He just wanted to sleep. Without even realizing it, his fingers had worked their way to his mouth and he was in a blissful slumber so deep that not even the din of the Great Hall could wake him.

As soon as they entered, Molly charged her son and hugged him tightly. "Ron, come quickly and see what happened. You won't believe it!"

"Try me, Mum. I think I'll believe just about anything today," Ron replied as she tugged him over to the family, tears flowing freely down her rosy cheeks.

When they got where his siblings were gathered, the first thing that Ron noticed was George sitting with a chubby small baby with a shock of ginger hair and crying and holding the baby close.

"We don't know how it happened," Molly said, "but look! It's Freddie. He just... transformed!"

"Everyone that died from our side seems to have resurrected in one fashion or another," Ginny explained. "Remus and 'Dora are in the hospital wing being looked over right now."

"What about..." Harry began as he looked around wildly. .

"No one from their side," she replied. "Not one."

"I want to make sure," Harry said. "I intend to destroy his body once and for all. Burn it. As for the rest, that will be up to their families, I reckon."

"Potter," a tired, soft female voice called to him.

He turned to face Narcissa Malfoy, her husband and son. He instinctively held Severus just a little closer.

"Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy," Harry greeted. "Draco."

"Will you take my sister's body and destroy it too?" Narcissa asked the young man warily.

"Are you certain?" he returned. "I plan to ensure he's burnt to a cinder."

"Please," she halfway begged. "I want this nightmare to be over. They wanted to kill my son."

"As you like," Harry nodded. "I'll take care of both bodies."

"I want to help," Draco said. Harry thought that his classmate looked tired and much older than his eighteen years. Harry extended a hand, much as Draco had done in their first year. Draco shook it. They would likely never be close friends, but respectful acquaintances would suffice, in Harry's book. He was entirely too fed up with hatred.

"Let's end this then," Harry said, looking for Hermione and handing the still soundly sleeping Severus off to her. "Take care of him while I'm gone. We can talk about how we're all going to take care of him later. Right now, I just want to get those bodies out of this castle and out of this reality."

Without even thinking about it, Harry leaned over and kissed baby Severus' forehead. "I promise to make this world better for you."

Author's Note: The obligatory 'I don't own this' applies. This is a quick little thing that came to mind after several nights of not sleeping. I know it's been done before and just about to death but I thought I'd type it up and put it out there anyway.

Right now, I'm leaving it as a one-shot with the opportunity that I may go back to it again after my other fic is finished.