Morning November 1, 1981
Severus Snape was consumed by grief. His Death Eater ways caused the repercussions that ended the life of his one and only love—Lily Potter. He felt anger and resentment towards Albus Dumbledore. Albus promised to keep her safe so long as Severus became a spy for the light. Severus recalled the conversation he had with Albus moments earlier.
"They put their trust in the wrong person, Severus. Sirius Black betrayed them…"
Severus had promised Albus he would watch out for their son; he promised he would protect Harry, but Severus required no one was to know. Whenever the idea of Lily and James's son entered his mind, Severus felt fury. He knew it was incorrect displacement of his feelings; he knew it was jealousy of the father. The innocent toddler had done nothing wrong, except be the spawn of James Potter…
Evening November 1, 1981
Alone in his private chambers at Hogwarts, Severus sat near the fire, a large glass of mead in his grasp. He felt alone and empty as he gazed at the flames.
The flames suddenly went from their natural color to a bright green. Severus was not expecting any visitors; he couldn't remember the last time he even had a visitor.
A woman in her thirties stepped from the flames. She had silver eyes and long light hair that fell in waves, her arms born many bracelets of all different colors and materials. A tight black top clung to her bodice, and below her waist was a skirt with as many colors as her bracelets.
"Pandora?" Severus put his glass down. He had not seen her in years.
"Severus, is it true? Is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gone? I spoke to members of The Order, but I wanted an opinion of someone with, well, a bit of Dark…"
Drawing a long breath in, "Yes, but I do wonder where he has gone now."
Pandora moved to a nearby chair in the living space. "I do wonder where his spirit has gone. It was an unusual way to encounter death. And Lily and James…" Her voice trailed off. She was close to Lily in school; however, not so close that she could not date someone Lily was once interested in—Severus.
There was silence until Severus spoke, "How does your husband feel about you visiting the home of a past flame late at night?"
Pandora looked at him across the room; he noted something in her eyes that wasn't the usual look of happiness and optimism. "Xenophilius?" She ran a hand through her long fair hair. "He is no longer the man I married."
Severus noted Pandora was looking around the room. The room they were in now resembled a small personal library. She noted doors surrounding her: one to the Potions office, one to the kitchen, and one to the bedroom. He didn't need to use Occlumency to know what her intentions were for her late night visit. He tried to remember the last time they were together; Severus presumed it was a broom closet encounter in their later years at Hogwarts, before she became serious with Xenophilius.
Then Severus remembered something he had heard, "Pandora, do you not have a daughter?"
The joy returned to her eyes. "Luna… The love of my life… Luna in not even a year old, yet she has changed me so much already, Xeno as well, but not in a way of positive growth."
The situation became clearer to Severus now. Pandora was using the longing for answers as a reason to visit Severus in the hopes of some sort of intimacy. Severus still had not determined if it was emotional support she was longing or physical…
Pandora continued, "I love my husband, but he isn't the father I thought he would be. I feel like an only parent sometimes. He can be so elusive at times."
If Severus were to describe Pandora he would have called her elusive, so for Pandora to be using that description herself, Severus knew her husband must be quite unavailable.
"How selfish of me, Sev… You were so close to Lily. How are you holding up?" Running a hand through his dark hair, he sighed and shook his head. Pandora moved closer to him, sitting on the arm of his chair.
I am sorry, Severus. The grief you must be feeling…" She put a soft hand on his cheek. Severus put a hand over hers and pulled her fingers to his lips; how he longed for anything that could take his tortured mind off of Lily.
His yearning was soon fulfilled. Pandora slid off the arm of the chair onto his lap. Severus ran a hand through her hair and then cupped her face, pulling her lips towards his. Pandora wrapped her arms around him, straddling his lap. Severus sighed with the comfort of another's touch. He moved his hand up her long skirt until his hand was resting upon her outer thigh. His fingers crept closer to her groin until he heard a familiar moan escape Pandora's lips.
The dark eyes of Severus looked into Pandora's light ones. With a smirk and one quick movement, Severus lifted Pandora into his arms and carried her through the door to the bedroom.
Moments later
Severus and Pandora lay in each other's arms. Their hair sprawled across the emerald bedsheets, looking like a perfect yin and yang sign.
"I wish I chose you." Pandora finally broke the silence once their breathing returned to normal. She rolled over to face the man lying on his back. A finger traced his strong jaw line. "You would have been a wonderful father, so responsible yet nurturing."
Severus was surprised when a small laugh escaped his lips. Not many individuals in the world would describe him as nurturing. Pandora was one of the few that saw another side to the Potions Master.
"You will be an ideal father someday, Severus."
Shaking his head, "I can't imagine I will ever have the opportunity for children." Then he moved towards his bedside table, opening the top drawer he pulled out a vial of a liquid, swirling pink and blue color. "Before we forget." He handed Pandora the birth control vial.
She smiled, "I'll be back. I dislike the taste and need water with it."
"Let me—" Severus began.
Pandora put a hand on his chest. "I know how to pour myself a glass of water, Sev." She pulled one the blankets from the bed and wrapped it loosely around her body as she went into the bathroom. Severus found it odd that she shut the door behind her, but he figured she had other matters of freshening up to attend to, and his mind was returning to Lily.
When Pandora returned she sat on the bed, Severus didn't know if she was regretting their act. He pulled her into his arms where they remained until Pandora needed to return to her husband.
When she disappeared in a swirl of green light, Severus did not know when he would see her again. He moved back to his room, a glass of mead in his hand. With a flick of his wand, the bedding returned to its orderly state, and with another flick, the empty vial of birth control was cleaned and sent zooming through the air to a basket in the library of other empty vials.
Spring 1982
Ache filled Severus when he read in the Daily Prophet about a death. The pain didn't fill him as much as it had when Lily died, but he still entered a grieving process. Pandora Lovegood had died during labor of her second child. Severus hoped her widowed husband, Xenophilius, would be a more accountable parent now that the responsibility of two children rested upon him.
Callista Lovegood was the name of the second daughter. For a moment, Severus thought of the timing. The corners of his mouth turned up. If Pandora hadn't used protection that night then Severus could be a father now. His heart longed for the idea of a daughter, but he knew that wasn't plausible. Severus was never going to find a woman, and a dungeon was not suited to raise a family. He shook his head at the idea then rose from his kitchen table; he had a class to teach.
Fall 1991
"Hermione Jean Granger!"
"Luna Elizabeth Lovegood!"
"Harry James Potter!"
"Ronald Bilius Weasley!"
Minerva McGonagall finished reading the list of first years to be sorted. The new students were nothing notable for Severus, except for two names. He looked at Luna Lovegood, sitting at the Ravenclaw table. She looked so similar to her mother. Xenophilius had such light features as Pandora did that Luna truly looked like a young Pandora.
Severus remembered watching Pandora being sorted when he was a student. He thought to himself, for the first time in many years, he may have a student that isn't a Snake that he favors. Watching Luna, he saw she was carrying herself with the same gentleness and softness as her mother. The corners of his mouth turned up when he noted the odd jewelry she was wearing, so similar to her mother.
Glancing across to the Gryffindor table, Severus noted Harry Potter. Severus's face filled with distain. He looked so much like he father. Severus realized Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood were both children of mothers he loved and fathers he did not appreciate. Yet he had already formed strong opinions on the both of them, much to Harry's misfortune.
Spring of 1991
"The Potter boy did what?" Severus snarled in Albus Dumbledore's office as Albus placed the Sorcerer's stone upon his desk. Shaking his head in abhorrence, "I have never met a child that is so disobedient. Actually I have—James! The boy is just like his father, too arrogant to follow rules."
Albus shook his head, but Severus didn't let him speak. "I'm keeping my promise, Albus. I am keeping him safe, even if it is a constant burden upon me. I have a class to teach." Severus turned from his spot and left the office, his robes billowing behind him.
Severus was relieved when he stepped into his classroom of first year Ravenclaws and Slytherins. He would hopefully have an outburst free class period.
With a flick of his wand, the instructions appeared on the board. "Begin." Severus stated.
After a few moments, Severus began to move around the classroom. He noted Luna; she was playing with one of her odd earrings as she was making faces while reading the board. Then she began getting to work. Severus moved towards her. Most students, first years or not, flinched when he moved in their direction but not Luna.
"Hello, Professor Snape." She said cheerily as she looked up from her messy work station.
"Miss Lovegood." Severus replied, the corners of his mouth up in the nearest form of a smile he ever was to offer a student. If any other student, especially a usually neat and organized Ravenclaw, were to have a work station like Luna he would disrupt their class and banish the continents from the desk, but something about those silver eyes and the long light hair brought calmness to him.
Fall 1993
Severus scowled at Harry Potter from his seat at the head table during the sorting of first years. The boy continued to prove himself to be similar to James. It was only months ago Harry nearly died in The Chamber of Secrets. Sirius Black had just escaped from Azkaban weeks ago. Severus hoped the boy had enough sense to not go looking for a mass murderer.
"Callista Lily Lovegood!"
His eyes moved from Potter to the small first year walking towards the sorting hat. Severus's heart raced. This child did not look like Luna. Callista did not have silver eyes or light blonde hair, which was peculiar since both of her parents were incredibly fair.
Callista moved towards the stool. The sorting hat was placed upon her dark blonde hair that fell down her back.
"Ravenclaw!"
Callista smiled at Minerva, Severus instantly knew she was Pandora's daughter from her warm smile to a stranger. Callista moved to the Ravenclaw table and her third year sister hugged her. Seeing the two of the together, Severus noted they didn't quite resemble sisters.
Then his thoughts entered another place… He recalled that night he spent with Pandora. She took the contraceptive, but then he remembered. He never saw her take it. But why would she? Sweat began to appear on his brow as he remembered the conversation they had that night about Severus becoming a father.
Severus shook his head. He was reading too much into this. Many children do not look exactly like their parents; who was he to pretend he knew anything about genetics?
However, Severus did not take his eyes off of Callista Lily Lovegood for the rest of the night.
A/N: Please review! I'm not sure where I'm going with this. I got this idea less than a few hours ago when I couldn't sleep last night. I never thought I'd start another FanFiction (minus one shots to sequel His Precious Daughter), but here I am with a whole new character! Please tell me your thoughts.