Disclaimer: If only my diabolical plan of a card board box, a length of string and a carrot had worked, I would have captured JK Rowling and now own Harry Potter. But, alas, she not only saw through my attempt, but laughed. So, sadly, I don't own Harry Potter but am only playing in JK Rowling's world.

As if I have to put this up, this story is AU. It is not compliant with any cannon book, movie or scribbles hidden away in JK Rowling's desk.

Silas Snape

Prologue

August 1, 1980

The nursery in St. Mungo's was kept dimly lit to protect the sensitive eyes of the newborn babies. Rows of bassinets with little blue of pink bows filled a bulk of the room. Each corner had a chair and curtain for privacy when the tired mothers or wet nurses came to feed their assigned children.

In one corner sat a very proud James Potter, showing off his newborn bundle of joy to his two best friends. His son, Harry James Potter, had been born just the other day and James wanted to spend time with his on while his wife, Lily, slept. His two best friends, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, stood on either side of him, making faces and cooing over the sleeping baby.

"He looks just like you, James," said Sirius. He was a handsome man with short black hair, piercing eyes and an aura of dangerous bad boy that made the women swoon. He and James had been friends from their first day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "Little Prongs will have quite the legacy to live up to."

"Just don't let Lily hear you teaching him any of our secrets," cautioned Remus. He was a little shorter then Sirius with mousy brown hair, tired hazel eyes and strange scars on his body. "She's been talking about how he'll grow up to the new Minister of Magic or something like that."

James laughed. "I know. Lily wants him to be respectable and not wild like I was."

"Did you hear about the Longbottoms? They had a son just two days ago." Remus said. "It sounds like everyone is having babies now."

"Yeah, Alice's room is next to Lily's. Those two are already planning how to spend the kid's birthdays," said James. "This whole being pregnant together has really brought them closer."

Remus nodded before adding cautiously, "And, what about Edna Longbottom? I heard she was pregnant, too."

Sirius snorted. "You mean, Edna Snape? Don't forget, she married that greasy git after school. What she saw in him, I'll never know."

"I haven't heard a thing. Frank has been careful to not talk about his sister." James told them. Sirius ignored him, tickling little Harry under his chin. Only Remus looked worried. Frank Longbottom was a good friend of theirs and loved his only sister with all his heart and soul.

James kept his head down over his son. He knew why Frank hadn't talked about his sister lately. Frank knew that James and his friends had hated Snape, and now that he was Frank's brother-in-law, Frank felt some kind of loyalty to the man. Any time Snape's name was mentioned around Sirius, the man would rattle off everything wrong with their childhood enemy. James knew that Frank finally got tired of sticking up for his sister's husband.

James looked up as one burly nurse came marching in. She pulled a curtain between the men and the rest of the room. Curious, the three men peered around the curtain as another healer brought a man into the nursery. James sucked on his teeth as he recognized the man.

How could he ever forget that pale skin, greasy hair or dark, piercing eyes? It had been over a year since they had last met, since they had graduated from Hogwarts together. He had thought that he had seen the last of him. However, now his twitchy spider-like walk had morphed into a silent glide, he was more confident then he had been in school, but James could still see the loner he had once known and tormented.

"Severus Snape," hissed Sirius. "Speak of the devil."

"What is he doing here?" Remus asked. "I thought Edna wasn't due for at least another month or so."

James glanced back at his normally reserved and quiet friend. Remus would be the kind to learn when Edna Snape was due. He cared enough about everyone, even sticking up for Snape at school. Though Remus never stopped them from hurting Snape, he had a way of making them feel guilty afterwards.

"This way, Mr. Snape. Please, sit in the chair and I'll bring her over to you," the healer said.

"Is she all right?" Snape's silky voice questioned. James frowned. Was that a tremor to his nemesis' voice? "I was told it was an emergency."

"Your daughter is fine, Mr. Snape. She will live."

"And my wife? I thought she would be here. She wasn't in a room! No one will tell me what happened!"

The healer ignored Snape's outburst as she lifted a tiny pink-wrapped baby and placed it in his arms. "I am sorry, Mr. Snape, but your wife didn't make it."

"How! How can she die from childbirth!" Snape glared at the healer as he lovingly cradled the baby in his arms. "This is the best Wizard's hospital in all of England, possibly the world! How can you let a woman die!"

"Mr. Snape, we did not let her die. It was not in our control."

"Was it the labor? Did she have complications? Why wasn't I summoned earlier! No one came to tell me until it was too late! Why!"

The healer seemed taken back. "I thought you knew, Mr. Snape. She drank some poison at the house, which is what caused her go into labor early. We weren't able to save her, we were barely able to save your daughter. It was only the sheer luck that Dumbledore found her when he did or we would have lost both of them. We think she might have been trying to kill herself."

"Anything to get away from Snape, I bet," whispered Sirius. James turned to shush his friend. As much as he disliked Snape, it unnerved him to see the greasy slimeball on the verge of tears, rocking the only thing he had left of his wife.

"Poor Edna," whispered Remus. "Frank will be devastated when he finds out about his sister."

Snape had married Edna Longbottom, a lovely Ravenclaw girl who had developed some strange fascination with him. Her brother, Frank, was in Gryffindor with James and his friends. In the war against the dark wizard, Voldemort, Frank and James were now part of the same army for Light. He had learned that something was bothering Edna, that she was unhappy. Though there was no proof that Snape was the cause of her unhappiness as even Frank admitted that the Slytherin boy was attentive to his sister's needs.

It was through Frank's eyes that James learned a different side of the boy he hated in school. Snape sold his home and bought one closer to Hogwarts, so he could spend more time with Edna while he was training to be a Potions Master. He always cooked for her, taking her well-being into account. Though Frank didn't like Slytherins, he admitted that Snape was all right.

"Is my daughter all right?" Snape asked. "The poison didn't effect her? Should babies be born two months in advance?"

"She'll live, but it is doubtful of how long. She was poisoned, too. There is a slight chance she's a Squib." The healer's voice turned cold as she spoke the most feared fate of all wizards. To be born in a magical family, without magic, to live a life deprived of the joys and wonders that other wizards have and to sit and wish for that spark to come into their lives. Most Squibs, upon learning they would never do magic, never attend their parent's school, or ever learn the joys of flying on a broomstick or using a wand, end up killing themselves.

Snape held his daughter tighter, but when that little pink-wrapped girl whimpered, he immediately adjusted his grip. "A Squib? Do you know what poison it was? What are you doing to keep her alive? Was it something Edna found in the house?"

"We are doing all that we can. It is best if you spend what time she has left with her. As I mentioned, we don't know if she'll live, or if she will ever be a witch."

"It won't matter, she will only know love. Magical or powerless, she's still a Snape."

"I'll leave you with the girl, Mr. Snape. You should really think of what you want to name her."

Snape said nothing as the healer left. James felt like an intruder as he and his friends huddled in the back, his son sleeping in his arms, witnessing his enemy's pain. The Slytherin man slowly rocked the baby in his arms, crooning softly.

"You'll need a strong name, then," whispered Snape. "A strong name to make you healthy."

Sirius snorted, his lips right next to James's ear. "A strong name won't help that kid. Getting it way from Snape might."

"I swear, Sirius, you have all the heart of a rock," Remus muttered.

"I do not," muttered Sirius. "Can you imagine what kind of father he'd be? That kid will be a Death Eater before she's cut her first tooth."

"We have no evidence that Snape's a Death Eater."

"We have no evidence that he's not."

"Will you both shut up? I don't think it'll go over too kindly if he finds us back here."

Snape leaned over the baby in his arms, placing a kiss on the tiny forehead. James felt a shiver of relief that they hadn't been heard as Snape continued to talk to his daughter. "I had always thought my first child would be a boy. I planned on naming him after my grandfather. He was a strong man, a good man. I wish you could have met him and my mother."

Snape sighed. "Your grandmother would have spoiled you rotten. She died young, while I was in school. But I know she would have loved you. Edna, your mom, reminded me of her. So kind and caring, seeing beyond what others saw. You'll be like that, I know. You're special."

The door to the nursery opened and James saw Frank Longbottom enter the room. He and his friends moved farther back in the shadows and watched as Frank walked up to Snape.

Frank Longbottom's dark hair was plastered to his round face from sweat, evidence that he had ran here from the Apperation point in the lobby of St. Mungo's. He was a round, clumsy man with a quick smile and an eagerness to please. At the moment, he was out of breath, one hand clutching the front of his

Auror robes while the other gripped the door to steady himself.

"I heard about Edna," Frank said. "I'm so sorry, Severus. I got here as soon as I could."

"Don't be," Snape whispered. "None of it was your fault. I must have made her unhappy, some how. I'm the one that is sorry."

"Severus, you couldn't have known. Edna was good at hiding her feelings when things were wrong. I know she loved you."

Snape shook his head. "They said she drank poison. What if she got it from the house? I kept anything dangerous locked up, but she must have found the key. I might as well have killed her. I left that stuff in the house. It was my fault!"

Frank shook his head. "No. I knew something was bothering her, but I thought it was temporary. The last time we talked, she was looking forward to having the baby. She was smiling and showing me the plans for the nursery. I thought she was better."

"Maybe I wasn't home enough. I though moving to Hogsmead would be a good thing, I could see Edna every day instead of on the weekends. I'm only a month away from being certified as a Potions Master, and Dumbledore said he'd have a job waiting for me. I was on my way to tell her that when I was told she was here." Snape's voice broke as he tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I should have been there for her!"

"No, this was not your fault. The healers told me that she was whispering something about Death Eaters when they brought her in. We think they must have placed her under the Imperio curse or forced the poison in her. It is no secret that I'm an Auror, they might have targeted her because of that."

"They have no rhyme or reason to who they target," Snape said bitterly. "It could have been a whim. I heard Dumbledore was there, he found her."

"Yes, he got there right after she drank the poison. We're lucky he decided to check up on her."

"Did he see any of the Death Eaters?"

Frank shook his head. "Not that I know of. All I know is that he found her, on the floor with a bottle in her hand. She was bleeding and in labor."

"The healers barely talked to me when I arrived. Just brought me here before telling me that Edna was . . ." Snape's voice trailed off as he took in one very shaky breath.

"I got a little more out of the healers and Dumbledore. He didn't know how you'd react, you've always been so closed off. They thought that if they showed you your daughter first, then you'd take the news better."

Snape looked down at his daughter. "They could have done it better. I was led here, thinking I'd see Edna with our child. They handed me the girl before they even told me she was dead. And they think my daughter will either die or be a Squib."

"I heard. They said the poison reached the baby, but they haven't found out what kind yet. She's too early, too weak, and who knows what else. Mother isn't taking it very easily, crying about burying my sister and now thinking of a tiny coffin for the baby."

"She's not dead yet!" Snape snapped. "I am a Potions Master! I can find out how to keep her alive. My daughter will not die without a fight. Snapes do not give up!"

Frank smiled. "Very well. What's her name, then?"

Snape sighed. "I do need to name her. She should have a strong name."

"Any name you were thinking about?"

"Yes. Silas, after my grandfather. I always thought my first child would be named after him. Or maybe Elaine after my mother."

"Silas Snape? For a girl?" Frank paused for a moment as he weighed the two options. He muttered them over and over before saying, "I think that would work. Edna never mentioned any baby names. Silas is a wonderful name."

Snape and Frank stood there for a while, watching the baby sleep. Finally, Snape put her back in her crib and the two men walked away, Frank's hand on Snape's back in brotherly comfort. James and his friends waited a bit before walking out of the corner. Sirius shook his head when he passed by baby Silas.

"Silas, what kind of name is that for a girl?"

"I think it's cute," Remus said. "Poor guy, he lost his wife." He reached down into the bassinet and tickled baby Silas under her chin. The child, smaller then Harry, gave a weak smile in her sleep.

"Why are you touching her?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. I think the poor kid has already been through a lot." Remus said. "Look, she's smiling."

"She's a Snape, Remus. I swear, you are too tenderhearted sometimes." Sirius said. He peered in the bassinet and scoffed. "She's not smiling. That's probably gas."

Remus shrugged. "How can you be so mean? Look at her, Sirius, she's innocent."

"She'll have Snape's nose for sure," Sirius muttered. He glared into the bassinet, watching as Remus cooed and tickled the little girl. When she yawned and curled up in a ball, Remus stopped.

"Ready? We should get out of here," Sirius said.

"Coming," Remus replied. He leaned down and quickly kissed Silas on the forehead, believing the poor girl needed all the love she can get. He kissed baby Harry as well.

Sirus shook his head. He was not one to just forgive Snape merely because of a baby. He left the room first. Remus followed him, but not after tickling the baby one more time.

James placed Harry back in his crib and started to leave. He paused, looking back at Silas, sleeping next to his son. James thought back to what his nemesis had just gone through. He had no idea what he'd do if he lost Lily. "Hang in there, Silas, you'll do that old slimeball some good."

In her sleep, Silas gurgled happily, her tiny pink slippered feet kicking on reflex. In the crib next to her, baby Harry answered her with a small, watery coo of his own.

A/N: I am rewriting all the chapters since my computer ate the original outline I had. I'll be posting new chapters soon after I finish with the old ones, so they all make sense.