Disclaimer: all original characters and ideas belong to the original owner, not me.

Chapter 1

My first mistake was signing the papers,….actually my first mistake was probably drinking two…or three bottles of Dragon's Flame while going through the papers on my desk thus leading to me signing them in a drunken stupor. Of course I also blame the persons who left those papers on my desk for even having them drawn up, but we will come back to that later.

The reason why I was in a drunken state…I suppose it was the emptiness. I was alone you see, alone in Grimmauld Place, because everyone else was dead.

The ministry was still trying to figure it out, or at least what was left of the ministry. But I had disappeared, taking the whole story with me. I knew no one would find me because everyone who held the secret of Grimmauld Place had taken the secret with them to the grave.

I started for a moment as I heard laughter and was slightly shocked when I realized it was my self and it had a slightly hysterical edge to it. I stopped immediately.

I lifted my last bottle into the air with fake bravado. "Well here's to you Tom! I may have killed you, but at least you left knowing you'd driven me to insanity!" Another slightly hysterical laugh or sob (I couldn't tell) came out before I took a large mouth full of alcohol and then hazardously tossed the bottle at the fire place.

I couldn't see, my glasses having been misplaced at some point, but I did wince slightly as I heard the glass meet a floor that was most definitely not that of the fire place.

With a half hearted muttered curse I crawled over to the glass and tried my best to clean it up. Nicked a few of my fingers, but I managed to get most of the pieces cleaned up…I think.

I sat there on the cold stone floor for a moment just dazed and staring into space before my eyes caught sight of blurry brown shapes. I staggered to my feet and walked as if on a tight rope over to the shapes. As my hands connected with the objects I realized they were trunks. My lungs froze and I couldn't breathe for a moment. Choked gasps were all I could manage for a moment.

I knew what they were. They were what ever any one had left behind. We had all made one. Trunks with precious things and last wills to appear when we…well you get the point.

The latch clicked open easily on the first one as I opened it and I had to let out another hysterical laugh.

Socks, a trunk filled with socks.

I stumbled around a bit before seating myself in the trunk and pulling all of the socks on top of me. I cuddled an arm full close to my face and couldn't help smiling as I smelled lemon drops, but something was digging into my back.

I reached back and hissed as I picked up the object only to immediately drop it as I reopened the wounds on my hand. Carefully I reached back again and picked up the object and held it close enough to my face to at least recognize.

A dagger?

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Kreacher jerked awake in his room as he felt the Potter boy disappear from the house.

Strange.

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Sanjirou (SAN jee ROH) Prince was an established man of wizardry. A pureblood with ancient ties. You could still recognize some of his distanced ethnic background in his visage, but he was thoroughly an English wizard, with a healthy respect for his own grandfathers history and ethnic background. Sadly his family seemed to have departed from any respect they had for the old ways.

Sanjirou was the third son in a family of four. His two older brothers had died in previous wars and his sister had married into a pure blood family.

Sanjirou himself had married a pureblood witch, but she was a frail little woman and passed away as she brought his daughter into the world. His daughter who had scorned everything of the old ways and instead ran off with a muggle who got her pregnant with a baby boy.

Severus Snape, he would be about 15 now.

Eileen had been clear that he was never to see the boy. She ran off six years ago and disappeared leaving her son alone with her scum of a muggle husband. But even gone he could not go against the magic that forced him from seeing the boy.

But late one evening in September the magic was broken and he received news of his daughters death, and news of a child.

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Severus Snape glanced cautiously at the man seated in Dumbledores office. He knew who he was of course, his Grandfather, but he had no idea what he wanted. The only thing that he knew about the man was that he was a rich pureblood who his mother and father equally had hated.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and smiled at them.

"Severus I'm sure you recognize your Grandfather?"

Severys nodded.

" Severus, …you have voiced your desire to stay at the castle during summer break and you often stay here during the school year holidays. Your Grandfather is here to see if you would like to spend those times with him." Albus was beaming at he stared at both of the dark featured men.

Severus glanced at his Grandfather.

What did the old man want? Was it because his mother had recently died? Did he have regrets of some kind? Why now?

" I would like for you to come to my home this weekend actually if your studies do not interfere."

Severus stared at his Grandfather, a strange man to be honest. Tall with dark features and dark eyes that hinted at an Asian background, but those eyes were sharp and completely focused on him. His clothes spoke of his wealth even though they were black, he could see the detailed work in the bright light of Dumbledores office and the fine shimmer that spoke of expensive materials and protection spells.

"I would be happy to come visit you this weekend Grandfather."

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And that is how Severus found him self in an opulent bedroom being waited on hand and foot by house elves. He tried to reign in and control his emotions, but a little bit of childish glee slipped out as he suddenly wondered if all his dreams were coming true. He had once wished that some foreign relative would come whisk him away from his drunken and abusive father and lavish him with gifts like Oliver Twist or David Copperfield.

"Master Severus, Sir! Master Lord Prince be waiting for you in the dining room!" Squeaked a house elf. Severus nodded and quickly hurried down to the dining room he had remembered passing on the way to the room. He couldn't help but run his hand along the smoothly polished banister of the staircase and stare at the portraits of his ancestors that watched him with neutral eyes and soft smiles.

Severus entered the dining room and paused for a moment wondering how to great his Grandfather who was already seated. He settled on a curt bow and then took the seat he was motioned too.

"I trust the bedroom is to your liking?" Said Sanjirou as the house elves brought in dinner.

"It's perfect Grandfather, thank you." Severus mouth watered as he took in the food of a quality he had never touched, but only come close to at Hogwarts.

After dinner Sanjirou took Severus into the living room and they sipped tea and gingersnaps.

"Severus, I feel that I must make my self clear to you."

Severus cringed for a moment, this was it, the moment were everything ended and all his silly hopes were crushed again.

"It was never my intent to not know you. Your mother and I differed on views and I suppose she felt that I would not like you if we met since you are a half-blood. In her mind she was protecting you, but I assure you that I do not hold you in contempt simply because of your blood. I do not like muggles, but that doesn't mean I hate them. In general I am happy to ignore them as they do us. Your father however I despised the moment I met him and told your mother as such, a rotten muggle to the core, but she chose not to listen to me and instead ran off with him and had you. I doubt things have been easy for you especially with your mother leaving you and her sudden death, but I would like you to consider becoming my legal ward. I do not know the state of your relationship with your father, but if he is as I remember, I doubt he is very endeared to you."

Severus sat stunned, could this be real!?

The abused and weak little child in him immediately wanted to jump up screaming yes at the top of his lungs, but he was a Slytherin for a reason.

"And what…as your ward would be expected of me."

Sanjirou smirked, proud that his grandson didn't just immediately jump at the offer before him. " Your name would change, you would be Severus Prince instead of Snape. I would expect you to learn all the decorum and manners required of a Prince heir, and until the time that you are legally independent I would expect you to live here and abide by my rules. Also you would sever all contact with your father."

It wasn't a bad offer at all and Severus knew it, he was being given the chance to be completely cared for as he should have.

"Will I still attend Hogwarts?"

"If you wish, it is a good school, but if you are unhappy I could see to a transfer."

Severus thought of Potter and Black and for a moment was tempted, but then he realized that he would be leaving Lily as well. Lily, maybe he would finally have a chance with her if he wasn't the outcast of Slytherin. Only his potion skills and Lucius friendship had kept him from being murdered in his sleep in the Slytherin dorms. If he was adopted by his grandfather he would no longer be a target. He would be under the protection of the pureblood name.

"Alright, I agree."

Sanjirou smiled at his grandson. "My lawyer will bring by all the necessary paper work and potions tomorrow. By the time you return to school you will be Severus Nicolae Prince. You will also be, …a bit different. One of the potions will nullify your father's genetic influence on you. You will still be his son, but will resemble your mother more."

Severus felt a flicker of hope in his chest, look different? Could it be possible! He knew he was no beauty and years of malnutrition and experimenting with potions hadn't helped, but nothing had every permanently helped his less attractive attributes.

"Now, off to bed, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

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Sanjirou had not been exaggerating. First thing in the morning the lawyer came and all paper work was filled out. Next a visit from a medi witch who was more thorough in Severus check up then he was honestly comfortable with, but she cleared him leaving some potions for various things she said he was deficient of, mainly vitamins and minerals, all nutritionally related potions. Next came the tailor and cobbler who took his exact measurements and promised new clothes and shoes by the time he needed to go back to school.

Next were the tutors who quizzed him and estimated what level he was at and what he would need some help in. Mainly just etiquette as he was a good student.

After everything Severus hardly noticed that it was quickly approaching evening and that all that was left was the potions. The potions that would completely seal him to his new name and nullify the influence of his fathers genetic code.

They were three small little vials, each containing a different color. Sanjirou looked him in the eye and would have probably asked if Severus was sure about this, but Severus was all ready downing one and reaching for the next.

When all three vials were empty he looked at his Grandfather and smiled, something so rare on his face that it seemed strange and foreign a look.

"Go to bed, tomorrow Severus Snape will be completely behind you."

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Severus woke up quickly as he always did, but it took a moment to comprehend all that had happened. Slowly he stood up and looked at the full length mirror leaned up against his wall. He gasped.

His hair no longer seemed to drip from his scalp, but instead seemed even a bit bushy and thick as if with the right attention it would do anything. His face was still his face but the sallow pallor was gone. His face was more rounded, but his cheek bones were still prominent and his nose…god his nose!! Once a hook it now angled perfectly like that of a proper aristocrat. Eyes were still as black as a raven, but he had filled out a bit. Instead of gaunt he was lean and his legs which had been the longest part of him now were proportional.

He wasn't drop dead gorgeous and he never would be, but now instead of resembling some creature hidden away in a dark room he looked more like a foreign dignitary.

He quickly changed into the new clothes laid out for him and hurried down stairs.

Sanjirou smiled when he saw him. "No one would doubt you for a Prince heir now."

Severus felt his chest tighten, but he forced him self to hold it in, no way he would cry in front of his Grandfather. "Thank you." He managed to choke out.

Sanjirou gently touched his shoulder. "I have one more gift."

He led Severus up the stairs past his bed room and to Sanjirou's own set of rooms. They entered a room adjacent by a door to Sanjirou's bed room.

Inside a little boy sat being read to by a woman. He looked up and glanced at Sanjirou before focusing on Severus. Bright green eyes met black.

Severus glanced at his Grandfather confused. Sanjirou just smiled at him and motioned for the little boy to come closer. He stood before them and Severus studied him carefully. Wavy black hair and bright green eyes covered by a slim pair of spectacles and shrouded in an angelic face unmarred and innocent.

"This is your half-brother Severus, Emris Lucien Prince."

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Please REVIEW!!!!

I love your comments! And I try to respond to every one!!

I decided to write this because it got stuck in my head, and I'd never read one like this so hopefully even if I don't continue (but I plan to continue as long as I can) hopefully it will inspire other bright minds!