Harry Potter's parents were dead. Yes, yes everyone knew that. Everyone knew that the famous Harry Potter's parents were dead. Irrevocably. Dead. But what if they weren't?
PROLOGUE
Spinner's End, July 30th:
Severus Snape stood with his back to the witch whom he had just allowed to enter his home. Even with his back to her, he could feel her piercing amber eyes watching his every move. Her dark russet hair was cut fashionably short, throwing into sharp relief her high cheekbones, and short, straight nose. She was of an average height, a little shorter than the Potions master himself, and her skin was lightly tanned. She was dressed casually in jeans and a dark green blouse. This woman's name was Esmerelda Evans, and she was Lily Evans' cousin. He hadn't seen her for years. She had been a year ahead of him in school, and he remembered her as a silly little fluff brained girl who couldn t string two coherent sentences together as she sat beside him in Potions. Surprisingly, she had become an auror after graduation, and then disappeared at almost the same time that Lily had been...killed. Snape sighed. She brought back memories he didn't wish resurrected.
Her eyes continued to watch him now, even as he paced. She exuded confidence, something he didn t remember about her from school. If anything, she had been even more backward than he.
Severus could not believe what he had been hearing, although Esmerelda had repeated herself quite a few times.
"Severus? Severus, are you even listening to me?!" asked the auror.
"Yes, yes Esmerelda! Of course I'm listening! Now go on."
"He's looking for something, Severus, and he's using the boy to help him find it." She stated slowly, allowing Severus to take in the information.
"That is ridiculous. He...would not do that. I know the man, and he is above reproach." Severus finally turned to her, pinning her with his dark eyes. She could see his barely held-in-check temper.
"He hasn't been above reproach for a long time, Severus. The Potters are..." she began, but was interrupted abruptly.
"I know the Potters are dead. You don t have to remind me of that " It was still a painful subject for him; Lily's abandonment, her marriage to Potter, their death at the hands of the Dark Lord. The miracle of their son's survival against the Dark Lord's killing curse. Snape turned away from her again to look out the window of his house into the narrow alleyway of Spinner's End.
"Severus, the Potters are not dead." Esmerelda said flatly.
What?! And suddenly, Severus world spun out of control.
A/N: This is my first attempt at something like this. Hope you like it. Please read and review, and let me know if it's worth continuing. Thanks!