Prologue: The Passing of the Shadow
A cool breeze wafted through the streets on this late autumn night, sweeping across the houses and gardens of the small town of Godric's hollow. The trees' leaves rustled, whispering softly, and nearby a nightingale hummed a sad tune. If anyone had been listening they may have heard the ominous message, the warning of the figure that stood outside, shrouded in darkness, red eyes staring. Staring at what, you ask? At the scene through the window of the house that stood before him.
A man sat on a comfortable looking couch before the fireplace, his hazel eyes sparkling with laughter, as he ran a hand through his unruly jet black hair. The woman curled at his side had dark red locks and intelligent emerald green eyes. A smile played across her mouth as she watched the two before her...
At that moment, the door to the kitchen swung open, and in stepped a beautiful woman with the same hazel eyes and messy black hair as the man. She was carrying a tray of warm milk and chocolate chip cookies. He could smell the aroma from all the way outside, but it did not distract him, only served to further his disgust. How could they stand such sweetness? He'd never understand. The taste of such things always made him feel sick.
The woman placed the tray down on a small, glass table, before moving to sit on the floor in order to join the other two...the children. The boy looked just like his father, what with his wild black hair and lightly tanned skin. In one hand he held a stuffed animal in the form of a golden lion while in the other was clutched a small golden ball, which struggled in his grasp, trying to fly away: a snitch. He had his mother's eyes though: a brilliant, sparkling green. The girl beside him was quite a beautiful child as well. That is, she would be, if he knew the meaning of innocence and beauty.
The dark figure shifted its weight, causing a slight rustling sound. It was as if the small child herd: her head swiveled around, her eyes focused on the place where he stood. He was perfectly still, wondering, could she have heard him? No, no, it wasn't possible. There was no way. She was just a child after all, if one of noble birth. What a shame it would be to kill her. Finally, she looked away and he smiled a dreadful, cruel smile, one of such evil it would cause the bravest to shudder.
As he stepped forward the nightingale hummed again, a worried, fearful tune, but the happy family inside didn't notice. The children playfully chased each other around the carpet, running as fast as their chubby little legs would carry them, while their parents laughed at their antics. As the figure reached the front door he unsheathed his wand, tapping it lightly on the door knob. There was a soft click as it unlocked and he gently pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, and everyone in the other room went quiet, save the infants.
"Who's there?" called a voice, deep and commanding. The figure was silent.
There was the sound of footsteps as the door to the family room swung open. The man from before stepped into the hallway, wand drawn, his expression wary. When he saw the figure before him he paled, but straightened his stance, a defiant look on his face. "Lily, Julianna, take the kids and run. He's here. Run!"
"James!" called Lily, horrified.
"Get out of here! I'll hold him off!"
The Dark Lord sneered coldly at the man before him. "In your pitiful dreams, Potter. Stupefy!"
The other man dodged the curse, before yelling, "Incendio!"
There was a scrambling of footsteps coming from the other room. The second woman shouted, "Lily, the children! We have to save the children! Lily, come on!"
The Dark Lord re-focused just in time to dodge another curse. Potter scowled at him. "You won't touch them, Voldemort. I won't let you. You won't get anywhere near them. Ever."
"Is that so? Crucio!"
The man dodged this one as well, but a cry from above momentarily distracted him. The Dark Lord took advantage. "Sectesempra!" There was a flash of light, a scream, and he collapsed to the floor, silent and unmoving, blood pouring from wounds in his neck and chest. The Dark Lord sneered down at his body, brutally kicking it aside, before walking past to the sitting room. It now stood empty, but he paused for barely a moment before heading towards the staircase. As he reached the landing on the second floor he stopped, listening. Everything was eerily silent. Then...a quiet gasp and the creak of floorboards. He knew where they were.
He headed for the bedroom two doors down the hall, not even bothering to test the handle. He flicked his wand, blasting the door off its hinges, watching as it splintered into a million pieces. Someone cried out as the wood went flying into the room, knocking over and breaking several items. When he stepped inside he saw that the women each carried a child in their arms, who were unharmed, though the women themselves had scratches on their faces and arms from the explosion. They backed away from him, and though he knew they were afraid he could see the fierce determination in their eyes. Fools, he thought, you cannot defy me!
He sneered at them as the raven haired woman placed the little girl down in the crib and stood protectively before it, the red head, Evans, doing the same. He raised his wand. "Move aside."
The first lifted her chin proudly. "No."
"Move aside. Now!" he snarled.
She shook her head, her eyes alight with fury. "I said no."
He sneered at her pitiful attempts to stop him. "Avada Kadavra."
The other woman screamed as her griend'sbody collapsed to the floor, her once sparkling hazel eyes cold and lifeless. "Julianna!"
The Dark Lord laughed cruelly at her. "Now Mudblood, I'm giving a choice. Do not be a fool like her," he said, lazily flicking a hand in the direction of her fallen comrade. "Move out of the way and you will not be harmed."
She glared at him, the tears never escaping from her lashes. Taking a deep breath she glanced back at the two infants behind her before looking him in the face. Blood red met brilliant green, eyes that shone with courage and strength and love. "No. I won't. You won't touch my son or my niece. Not now. Not ever. Don't you dare lay so much as a finger on them!"
He sneered at her. "If that is how you wish it. Avada Kadavra!" There was a scream, a flash of green light, and she too fell, motionless, empty. A mere shell.
Finally, finally, he reached the two children. The girl was holding her cousin as if trying to protect him. Both of them looked at him, unblinking. He glared down at them, fury rising within him. The whole bloody Wizarding World feared so much as to speak his name, and yet here sat two children, mere infants, gazing up at him without fear. Both their eyes shone with power, the boy's eyes literally glowing his mother's emerald green, the girl's eyes flashing silver. He raised his wand once more, slowly, anticipating, not wanting to rush it. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for, to rid himself of the only thing that stood in the way of his power. He savored the words on his tongue, drawing all his power into the spell. "Avada Kadavra."
As the spell reached them, green and silver light burst from the two children, enveloping them in a warm and loving embrace...their mothers' last protection. The curse hit the shield and rebounded upon its caster, ripping the Dark Lords soul from his body, which disintegrated into ash and was blown away with the following explosion, leaving two small children alone in the rubble.
"You promised, Albus. You promised to keep them safe."
"I'm sorry, Severus," the Headmaster said gravely. "The Potter's put their trust in the wrong person. Much like you. Weren't you hoping that Voldemort would spare them?"
The man shuddered at the name and covered his face with his hands. He did not want his tears to be seen. "How could this happen?" he choked. "It wasn't supposed to end up this way! It's not fair!"
"Life isn't fair, as I'm sure you know. Even more so than most."
Severus looked up, tears in his eyes. "Is this all that you have called me for? To tell me that they have died?"
"Not quite."
The young Potions Master looked at the man before him, tense, waiting.
"You see, the children survived. Harry, he will need protecting, as will his cousin."
"Protection?" he spat. "From what? The Dark Lord is gone!"
"Voldemort is not gone Severus, as you well know. He will return, I fear, greater and more powerful than before. When that happens I will need you Severus. They will need you. Will you help me? Will you aide me in protecting the children of the woman you loved and your best friend?"
"Why? What more do you need from me?"
Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, letting out a quiet sigh. "The boy has been given to his uncle and aunt to be raised. He has his mother's eyes. I suppose you remember the exact shape and color of Lily Evans' eyes?"
Severus swallowed.. "What has that to do with me? He has a home, what else-"
"Ah, you forget the other. As her godfather cannot take care of her because of the legal issues involved, Julianna and her husband personally named you her guardian should anything happen to them. It's a magical contract, so no one may interfere with it unless you yourself say you will not take her in. I ask that you do this, my boy, for the child's own good."
The Headmaster lifted a bundle out of the large basket he had next to him on the floor and handed it the young man before him. It was a small, sleeping child, a girl. She had raven black hair as wild and messy as her cousin's, and her mother's button nose and slightly pointed ears, but she had her father's handsome features and fair skin. As she was handed to the young man she yawned sleepily and her eyes flickered. They were a beautiful, icy blue. She looked at him, curious, and he instantly fell in love with her. He looked up at the Headmaster. "Alright. I'll do it." He brushed the child's hair back from her eyes and smiled. "Welcome home, Betony Julianna Snape."
Albus' blue eyes sparkled. Finally, he thought, some sort of happiness.