Author's Note:

Alright, so this is the second fanfic I'm writing. I was thinking of holding it off until I finished The Otter, the Doe, and the Time Turner (which will continue to be my primary one), but I had a rather strong inspiration for this, and wanted to write at least a baseline down while the idea was still fresh.

In short, this is sort of my interpretation of the backstory of Eileen Prince and Tobias Snape – trying to piece it together via what little information is given in the books. Obviously the majority of this is just conjecture, but I'm trying to make it as feasible as possible.

The first chapter is more or less from the point of view of Snape/Lily looking back at "flashes" from Eileen's life in a pensieve. Second chapter and onwards will be from Eileen's point of view though … most of her life as I imagine it. I have the story arc more or less all plotted out.

Finally, I was somewhat unsure exactly when Eileen was born. I'm guessing that if her book was "over fifty years old" in 1995 – as seems to be indicated by the text – she'd have to have been born prior to 1930. Just… to sort of help a plotline along, I made it 1927; meaning she'll be the same year as Tom Riddle. Which, I shan't say too much on yet, but will play a rather major role in things later on.

For now though, this chapter serves as sort of a cryptic summary of her overall life, which will be the basis for the subsequent chapters of the story. So if you have any commentary, please, please comment.

January 12th, 1976

Slughorn's Potions class was in full swing, students leaning over odd-smelling concoctions – one unfortunate pair of Slytherins' cauldrons suddenly boiling over and shooting a foul-smelling smoke in their faces – much to the chagrin of a certain four Gryffindors.

In most cases, the enmity between the Houses was such that both kept chiefly to their own – with one quite glaring exception: in the back corner of the room, huddled together over a cauldron, a dark-haired Slytherin stood beside a young woman – both her hair and badge a brilliant shade of red. Severus Snape and Lily Evans; despite all their circumstantial differences, despite what the world might say of them, the closest of friends.

Needless to say, such a matter caused a certain degree of trouble for them in each of their respective Houses, but for now, any such troubles were the furthest things from their mind. It'd been Sev's – as Lily liked to call him – sixteenth birthday the past Friday, and remarkably, they'd had the weekend at Hogsmeade almost to themselves in the first week back after holidays. And now, here they were in Potions, Snape's absolute favorite class. The "two most brilliant young potioneers" Slughorn claimed to have ever met – perhaps not even in hyperbole – stood rapidly engaged in finishing off their particular brew, expecting nothing more than to be the top of the class again – five points to each respective House – almost a routine by now.

When something happened. Something certainly neither of them, nor anyone in the class as a whole, would have expected.

He walked in. Dumbledore. The grey-robed, grey bearded Headmaster of Hogwarts. None of the usual joviality could be found in his eyes. "Severus," he spoke, rather solemnly, approaching the named student. "I'd like a word with you in my office…"

"Professor!" Lily interjected, "Whatever it was, Sev didn't do it. We were together almost all weekend, and I can vouch for…"

"It was nothing that Severus did, Miss Evans…" Dumbledore shook his head. But strangely, his tone did nothing to relieve either of them. There was an unspoken undertone, indicating that something much, much worse than any matter of Hogwarts discipline. "But I'm afraid that something rather serious has happened. Though, in times like these, I find our friends, our true friends matter more than ever. If you'd wish it Severus, I would have Lily accompany us as well."

By now most of the room had fallen into an eerie silence, broken only by the whispering of the other students, hypothesizing about what Dumbledore had to say to Snape.

"I…" Snape looked down for a moment, bewildered, and rather distraught over this sudden intrusion and Dumbledore's rather foreboding words… "Yeah, she can come with…"

"Well," said Dumbledore, in a rather kind, if somewhat solemn tone. "We'd best be off then…"

The walk to Professor Dumbledore's office was again eerily silent – all the students still in the classes. Snape and Lily had hardly ever seen the corridors so empty. Though he tried not to show it, Snape's heart was racing as they reached the top of the stairs. Just what was going on? What could have happened that was so terrible that it couldn't be said in front of others…?

"Please take a seat…" It was said in a rather quiet tone, but because of the implications of it, Lily was nearly trembling. Snape was still rather stoic in appearance, but it was becoming an increasingly difficult task to maintain.

"There's no easy way of saying this, I'm quite afraid…" Dumbledore began, "And, I feel it would be a great disservice to you to not tell you everything." He paused a moment. "This past Saturday, your mother, Eileen Prince, was found dead in her home at Spinner's End."

The expression in Snape's eyes was if someone had literally stabbed him. Lily looked as if she were about to cry, placing her hand on Snape's arm in an attempt to offer him some small comfort.

"That is not all to the matter… There's more. The reason it took several days to tell you. The Ministry wanted this kept secret, but, as her son, I feel you deserve to know how your mother died. Two spells were registered in the presence of a muggle at Spinner's End that night. Petrificus Totalus and… the Killing Curse… When Ministry agents arrived to apprehend her, they found your father stunned, and your mother… dead by her own hand…"

Any life in Snape's eyes was now long since gone. He didn't even feel pain just… numb, dead… It didn't make any sense. None of it did. Why would his mother kill herself? True, Tobias was a terrible, abusive man; made her every living moment absolute agony. But if she finally stood up to him; used magic in defiance of him, and the law that forbade it; why would she not kill him? Why herself?

It was maddening, insane. It didn't follow. Nothing about it seemed right. This … this had to just be some terrible nightmare. He'd wake up, see Lily, and probably have forgotten about it by the time that breakfast was over. But no; this was real, far too real…

Losing his balance, Severus fell out of his chair, falling to the ground, struggling to hold back the tears. Lily was one thing; she he could trust – but not Dumbledore…

Hurriedly, Lily rushed to Snape's side, holding him for a moment and pulling him back up into his seat.

"There's one bit more. When… the Ministry agents arrived, they found in your mother's possession two items. A letter and a vial. After some negotiations, I've convinced them to allow you to have these…" Slowly, Dumbledore handed Snape a folded letter, and a vial with a strange, glowing silvery substance, somewhere between gas and liquid.

"I… heard students running in the hall I think…" Dumbledore remarked. "I'll leave you and Miss Evans here for now…" And with that, the older man left – much to Snape's relief. He almost nodded gratefully.

Tears were actually coming now, despite all of Lily's attempts at comforting him. It was unfair, so bloody unfair. All her life, his mother was abused by that terrible man; he drove her to her death, when he should have been the one to die!

His hand quivering, he flipped open the letter, his eyes poring over his mother's all too familiar, hastily-scrawled handwriting.

Dear Severus,

I hope you can find it within yourself to forgive your poor, weak mother. I know that there were many times I wasn't there for you; so many things I should have done that I never. I loved you, always loved you, but in my folly and weakness could not protect you as a mother should. I have faltered in my duty, and once more failed.

Still it seems I am too weak. No matter how much he has hurt me, hurt you, I cannot bring myself to kill another. I've seen death, torture suffering. Far more than I would have liked you to see. But when it comes to it, I cannot bring myself to end his life. It's too late now. They are coming I'm sure.

I've lived the last thirteen years of my life in a prison. I won't spend the rest of it in Azkaban. Tonight I make my escape, leave this world behind. It is a coward's choice, I know. To not remain here, to not stay and protect you. I hope, only hope, you can forgive me, for all my many failings.

There were so many things I wanted to tell you, that now I never can in person. For that too, I am so very sorry. I have made many mistakes in my life, but loving you was never one. I hope only that in seeing my life, what I've done it… can bring some closure; perhaps ensure that my mistakes are never repeated.

I'm so sorry for my weakness, so sorry for leaving you Severus. Be strong, like I never could be. I'll always be watching over you, now that I am free.

I love you, so very much.

Your Mother,

Eileen Prince

For several minutes, Severus stared at the letter just… numb. Unable to even fully process what he was reading. In some ways, every word seemed to raise more questions than it answered.

"I'm so sorry…" Lily said softly, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, a tear trickling down her own face.

"It… it doesn't make any sense!" Snape suddenly exclaimed, "How could she…? Why did she…?"

"She loved you, Sev… There had to be a reason…"

"Lily, she killed herself, she…!" He stopped, suddenly feeling a rather hot stream of tears flowing down his cheek. The words he wanted to say couldn't come out. She – in a very real sense it seemed – had abandoned her son. Even if her life was absolutely miserable; even if there was nothing she could really do for her son. At least before she'd been there. Even if it was a ghost of a life; her body alive but not living.

"Maybe…" Lily mused softly, holding the vial out to him. "Maybe you should take a look… Before you take a final judgment. We all deserve to have our stories told…"

Snape nodded slowly, taking it from her. He … didn't know what to think. Didn't know what to possibly expect. It struck him now he knew relatively few things about his parents' pasts. Just that… his mother had been stupid enough to marry a muggle, and his father hated him and his mother. Eileen had rarely brought anything about her life before up with him – aside from her Hogwarts years in brief passing – and Snape never really asked. Even as a child he could tell it was something she … didn't feel comfortable discussing.

His hand trembling a bit, he uncapped the vial, and poured the silvery substance inside the pensieve – evidently already set up in advance by Dumbledore. Holding his breath for a moment, Snape pressed his head against the liquid.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Then, stood a large, rather imposing manor. The sky was dark, a moonless, cold night, the stars barely providing illumination. Yet on the gate, Severus thought he could make out the word "Prince". So, this was his mother's home, when she was a child?

Then as suddenly as it had appeared, a woman's screams were heard, a violent fire raged across the manor, illuminating the sky in an evil-looking orange glow. A young dark-haired girl, no more than five or six ran out of the gate frantically.

The image faded, and was replaced by one more familiar to Snape. A playground. A group of children surrounded a frightened-looking girl, probably eight or nine. She was pleading with them to stop, but they kept on smashing flowers that had grown in an eerily perfect circle around them. Then a voice shouting angrily; they ran off.

The same playground, the other children now gone. Only a young Eileen, dressed in what were rather obvious witch clothing – of a noble background at that though somewhat dirty. And beside her, a young boy, maybe a year or so older. "You're… not really a witch, are you?" He asked, seeming quite concerned. "You were just pretending, right?"

Snape could see his nine-year-old mother bite her lip – a nervous habit he'd seen far too many times – that evidently she had even in her childhood. "Right." She said forcing a smile. "It's just pretend."

Then it faded to Spinner's End – Snape's own residence, years before he'd been born. Little had changed, however; it was perhaps a bit less decrepit, but still dingy, small, and uncomfortable-looking. A middle-aged man, obviously a wizard was arguing quite heatedly with Eileen, though he couldn't hear the words. Bitterly, she stormed off to her room and started crying on her pillow.

Next, the Hogwarts express, Eileen sitting alone looking out the window – a few tears in her eyes. Then, the door opened. A young brown-haired boy, also a first year –as neither yet had House badges entered.

"You another first year?" he'd asked, in a rather kind voice, "I was wondering if … maybe I might sit here as well?"

"Yeah…" Eileen nodded to both, hoping her tears weren't seen by him. "I'm Eileen Prince." She extended her hand.

"Tom Riddle…" and the other shook, with surprising strength.

It took somewhat longer, but a new scene formed. Eileen, now fourteen or fifteen was standing in front of an unknown house, an older version of the boy from earlier beside her. They seemed to be fighting.

"I'm sorry!" Eileen exclaimed, rather angrily. "I meant to be here for the holidays, but … something came up and I…"

"Something with your boarding school." The male replied bitterly.

Eileen looked as if she was about to burst into tears. "I… Don't you think I wish you could come there with me but…?"

"You won't even tell me where it is. What it is. I can't even write to you when you're there… Why are you always lying to me, Eileen?"

"I…" she whimpered "I'm not lying! I wouldn't lie! Not to you! Uncle just doesn't want me to talk about it, alright? Can I please just come in…?"

"It's too late, Eileen. It's always you and your school, you and your uncle. You've made your choice. It's them you want, not me. It's fine. I don't belong in your world."

And in an instant, the young man turned on his heels, slamming the door behind him.

"Tobias!" Eileen had screamed. "Don't leave me…! I'm sorry… I'll… tell you everything…!"

But the door remained closed.

The scene faded again, and Eileen was back at Hogwarts. Tom was with her.

"Really Eileen, you need to forget him… He's just a muggle… They're all like this…" he frowned a bit, seeming sympathetic, a hand on her shoulder. "My father was the same… Muggles; no matter how kind you are to them, how much you do for them. In the end, they're all the same. They'd destroy us if they had the chance but… We won't let that happen, will we?" He paused a moment, Eileen was near tears again. "I'm sorry though… that he hurt you. You deserve better than a muggle. A purer, nobler wizard. Someone who can help to restore your family's name. Now do you see how I was right about him? It… was a lesson that needed to be learned but I'm … sorry it had to be this way."

"Yeah… I understand…" Eileen nodded weakly. "You were right all along."

A much longer period of time went by, then suddenly it happened. A barrage. There were just flashes, images. Eileen leaving Hogwarts for the last time; a fight, a verbal altercation with several male wizards; Eileen in her mid or late twenties back in Spinner's End, alone, brewing a potion. Her with Tobias again, the two of them smiling, laughing together. Their wedding day, Eileen in a dress of white, looking almost dignified, if in muggle clothing.

Then, their home again. A fight again. Eileen showing signs of pregnancy. Eileen holding a baby Severus in her arms alone, crying softly. A fight between Eileen and Tobias – the latter screaming, threatening her and Snape – screaming that she "lied to him". And from there, it was all scenes that Snape knew far too well. His father abusing his mother and him, making their every day a living hell.

And with that, all ended. Snape was thrust back from the Pensieve, looking distraught, disoriented.

"What… did you see…?" Lily asked softly, cautiously.

"I… I don't know…"