Nope, I don't own any of the characters that aren't made up by me. Wait, that didn't sound right. Try again. I don't own any of the characters except for: Morag Snape, Morganna Snape, Montgomery the owl, and all characters in the Montaque family. Oh, the story line is mine. Other stuff like Professor Snape, Harry Potter, that's all property of the author of the Harry Potter series (whose name currently escapes me –bashes head against the wall-)

Note to Reader: I worked pretty hard on this chapter – it's way longer than I intended. 'Chapter Two: Secrets and Lies' will be up as soon as I can manage it, but please people, I'm just getting started. I've never done a Harry Potter fanfic before (I role-play it on neopets.com instead…). My writing skills are distinctly limited, so if any 'real writers' out there think that you could do a better job – go ahead. You're probably right.

Thanks to: my friend Shannon for being such a great role-player so that I had such a great base for Professor Snape (who Shannon plays on neopets.com). My friend Chrissie, for playing Lily Evans (Lily Potter) so well so that I had great things to use as Morganna's memories. My little sister Sorcha for being so annoying I had to do something to escape her. My old teacher Mr. Bros. and my old principal Sister Jane for liking and encouraging my writing two years ago when I was just writing medieval/fantasy stuff that wasn't even very good. My English teachers through the years, I always liked writing stories and poems and English class was great for me. My friends, without you guys I'd never get out of the house. Now, I've thanked enough people, and if this gets reviewed, I'll be thanking even more people at the start of the next chapter. I'd better let you go so you can read my story, huh? Please review it – but if you don't like it, only helpful criticism, I'd rather not hear "Your writing is so bad that I'd rather watch grass grow", or "Did you wake up one day and decide to start torturing the world?" okay? Thanks, read on!

Chapter One: Keep Your Friends Close – And Your Enemies Closer

Morag Lillith Snape, fifteen year old daughter of Professor Snape and his wife Morganna Snape. Tall, already taller than her mother – though since Morganna Snape is barely over 5", this wasn't hard – with deep blue eyes and long silvery-blonde hair. Slender, classically beautiful, Morag, like her mother, was part veela. She stood in Diagon Alley with her mother, looking at owls in the window of a shop. Her owl, a talking snowy owl named Montgomery, was getting very old (he used to be her mother's), getting senile, and since he could talk – getting annoying. Her father made it clear he'd like nothing better than to beat Montgomery to death with rolled up copies of the Daily Prophet. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, and stopped looking at the owls when she heard Montgomery's outraged "I'm still a perfectly good owl, you stop looking at them this instant, Morag!"

"Relax, Gom. I was just window shopping, I wouldn't really replace you." She smiled at the silly old bird, adding silently, Not until Daddy has seen to it that you're good and gone, anyway.

"I don't like the look of them." He grumbled.

Morag's mother laughed. "Gom, just you make sure you don't chase any more squirrels this year, or you will be replaced."

"Squirrels – damned little devil worshippers. Out to get me, I'm telling you." Gom muttered, but quietly, so Morganna didn't hear him. Just then, Professor Snape walked out of Gringotts.

Gom tried to hide behind Morag's head, and wasn't really succeeding. Professor Snape narrowed his eyes at Gom, but didn't say anything because he was too busy sighing and handing his wife and daughter money to buy school things, something to eat, and perhaps a new set of dress robes, since they're there anyway… (Morganna was a born shopper, and the Professor was having a hard time not giving into the combined effort of Mother & Daughter)

"You aren't taking that damned owl, Morag." Snape said irritably. "He's a menace."

"I'm a menace?! You murderous old…" Gom trailed off when he saw Snape glaring at him.

"I couldn't very well just leave him behind, Daddy." Morag said in that coaxing tone she normally reserved for extra pocket money or a new dress.

"If I see him chasing any squirrels, he'll be back home so fast he won't know what happened to him." Snape threatened.

"Yes, Daddy." Morag said submissively. They both knew she'd won the argument.

Morganna smiled brightly. "Now, darling, why don't you take Gom and get your books and such, and I'll see about those new dress robes."

Snape seemed rather out of place, on this shopping expedition with Morag and Morganna. Morganna turned and beamed at him, having just told Morag to meet them at a relatively new shop, a french wizarding wear shop, Les chiffons aux Richesses ('Rags to Riches'). A shop which Morganna owned – a label that had been in her family for years, and was doing fabulously in France, a designer label now.

"Come along, Severus," Morganna hurried him as they walked to the shop.

Harry was dumbstruck. Ron and Hermione turned.

"What are you looking at, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"That girl – with Snape. I've seen her at Hogwarts before, and that woman must be her mother, but why were they with Snape?" Harry replied, slowly.

Hermione glanced at her, she was walking towards them. "Well, we can ask her."

"Excuse me," the girl (Morag…) asked them, "but have you seen an elderly sort of snowy owl? He's probably muttering to himself, something about squirrels and potions masters?" she seemed very polite.

"Muttering to himself?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I know it sounds odd, but he's a talking owl." Morag smiled at them.

"Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked.

"You can ask me another question." Morag grinned. Ron had been distracted by what looked like Morag's owl trying to hide behind him.

"Why were you with Professor Snape?" Harry blurted it out.

"Oh…oh! He's my father." Morag replied, somewhat amused, then she spotted Gom. "Montgomery Montaque, come over here this instant or I'll stick you in a cage."

Before Harry, Ron, or Hermione had a chance to say anything, Gom whimpered and came out from behind Ron to perch on Morag's shoulder.

"You wouldn't really put me in a cage?" he asked petulantly. "Your mother put me in a cage once. Got one of her friends in the dormitory to let me out. Sneaked back and bit Lucius Malfoy's finger." Gom sounded almost proud. "You were just a baby then, Morag."

"Gom, can we not have the family history in the middle of the street? I was talking to these nice people." Morag complained. "Sorry, he's always like this." She apologized to them, and went on, "He likes talking about the 'good old days' with 'Morgy and Lily and Sev'." She rolled her eyes.

"Who?" Ron asked, curious.

"Morganna Montaque, my mother, Lily Evans, my godmother, and Severus Snape, my father." Morag explained. "Morgy, Lily and Sev. I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Morag Snape, and this is my owl Montgomery, and you are?"

"Hermione Granger." Hermione said promptly. "This is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

"Harry Potter?" Morag looked perhaps a little surprised, but she didn't stare at his scar, or look particularly interested.

"Yeah." Harry said, and then asked suddenly, "Lily Evans?"

"Umm, yes. She married – oh." Morag stopped. "You're mum."

"Professor Snape was friends with Harry's mum?" Ron's eyes widened.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I've got pictures as well. Mum gave them to me, when Gom started telling me about everything. He could tell you guys his stories too, if you want." Morag said, a little shyly.

"Aren't you a Slytherin?" Hermione interrupted.

Morag went red. "Yes, I am. So?"

"Slytherins are supposed to hate Gryffindors, aren't they?" Hermione looked skeptical, as if Morag was just playing some silly game of her own.

"Or Draco Malfoy'll 'do something about' me? Hardly, Draco's pretty easy to get around." Morag rolled her eyes again. Harry could see how Morag could 'get around' Draco, she was one of the prettiest girls he'd ever seen – she was a veela, he realized. Like Fleur. It must have been on her mother's side, he decided, recalling the definite silver sheen to Mrs. Snape's hair, the almost ethereal beauty.

Ron grinned at Morag. "We're just going in to get our books, you want to come with us?"

"If I'm not imposing, I am after all a Slytherin, you wouldn't want people in your house thinking you were 'fraternizing with the enemy'." Morag grinned back.

Morag Snape, Harry couldn't seem to get her out of his head. And not just because she was pretty, there was something about her. It wasn't a particularly nice thing; she seemed like she was distancing herself from all of them, like there was something she didn't want them seeing, getting near. Something behind her eyes, just barely out of sight. A sort of malicious laughter, always on the edge of consciousness. He could see her, easily, standing there, in front of him, laughing and smiling. But that cold gleam just behind her smile, it was almost frightening.

Harry was jerked back to reality when Professor McGonagall called his name. "Mr. Potter, I will appreciate it if you do not doze off in my class!" she said sharply.

Ron elbowed Harry in the ribs "Thinking about that Snape girl, are you? Dream on, Harry. Snape's daughter? He'd murder you!"

"That's not what I was thinking!" Harry denied – and it was true. He hadn't thought of Morag 'like that'. She was just…there.

"Concentrate, Harry, Ron." Hermione urged. "This might be in a test."

Harry ran into Morag again that day – double potions with the Slytherins. Morag was sitting with Malfoy, laughing at something he'd said. She looked straight through Harry, as if he didn't even exist. Harry tried to ignore her, but it was difficult, she was in the seat just in front of him, silvery hair cascading down her back and almost shimmering in a very distracting way.

"Potter," it was Snape. He stood next to Harry's desk. Harry noted that Morag and Malfoy turned in their seats, watching the Professor intently. "Potter, tell me, why do we forbid love potions?"

"Pardon?" Harry stammered. He saw Morag smother a laugh, turning back around to her work.

"Love potions, Potter. Why do we forbid them? It was in your book, Potter." Snape said impatiently, ignoring Hermione's waving hand.

"Because, messing about with people's emotions is unethical?" Harry tried. He was astounded to see he was correct, Snape turned and walked back to the front of the class.

"Potter is correct. Love potions are unethical, and unfair. Why am I discussing this?" Snape asked, looking directly at Morag. She returned his gaze steadily, and he looked at someone else.

Hermione put her hand up. When nobody else did, Snape sighed and nodded. "Miss Granger?"

"Because there were rumors someone had been using them here." She said quickly. Morag played with her hair.

"Correct, Miss Granger. If anyone is caught using a love potion, what happens to them? Miss Snape?" he directed his question at Morag, his daughter. She sat up straighter in her seat.

"They'll get suspended, temporarily, and their parents will be informed and brought to the school for a conference with Professor Dumbledore and the professor in charge of their house." She replied promptly. "Further punishment is decided at the conference."

"Very good, Miss Snape." He nodded. "Keep that in mind, all of you."

After that, lessons dragged on. Harry wondered why Professor Snape looked at Morag during his odd discussion. She didn't look like she'd need a love potion – but she was part veela (he'd asked Hagrid about it).

Morag bumped into Harry later that day, in the evening. She was headed to the library from one direction, and he from the other. They collided in front of the door.

"Sorry." She said, and picked up the books she'd dropped.

"Whatever." Harry muttered, walking into the library.

Morag frowned, but walked through the door without a word. Her cousin, Elysoun Montaque, was waiting for her by the fire. Harry sat at a table not too conspicuously near, to hear what they were talking about. He wasn't sure who Elysoun was, but she looked like she might be a relative, and there was something about the barely checked cold fury that seemed to emanate from Morag that made him wonder.

"What is it, Elysoun?" Morag hissed. A cold fire burned in her clear blue eyes.

"Just what I told you, Morag Lillith Snape. The truth." Elysoun replied carelessly. Morag didn't intimidate Elysoun, but Harry felt that if Morag had looked at him like that, he'd be a little nervous at the very least.

"The truth about my parents. So you said." Morag folded her arms and stood by the fire. "Start talking."

"For starters, Lilli," Harry started slightly when he heard the nickname Elysoun used for Morag, but was smart enough to keep quiet. "Daddy isn't who you think he is."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Morag was suspicious.

"Oh, Professor Snape's exactly who you think he is – except for one crucial thing. He's not your father."

"Rot." Morag was shaken, but she didn't show it. "How would you know?"

"I heard Aunt Maria talking to Papa about it, about 'Jonathan O'Connell' and the 'family tree incident', and how 'Severus looked like he might murder somebody'." Elysoun looked like she was enjoying Morag's pain. "Wake up, Lilli."

"You're lying." Morag said flatly.

"Why would I lie? What do I get out of this?" Elysoun mocked Morag. "It's you who's been living a lie."

"I have not been living a lie! Elysoun Montaque, I swear to you, if you've lied to me," Morag was cut off by Elysoun's interruption.

"Like I said, Lilli, I'm not lying. Not many people not family know, two of those people are dead." At this Elysoun glanced briefly at Harry, and he was a little confused. His parents knew about some strange drama in the Snape family?

"Get out of my sight." Morag bit out. Elysoun shrugged, stood up, and sauntered calmly out of the library.

Morag collapsed into a chair, tears running down her cheeks. Harry saw that her anger had only masked the pain – in her heart Morag knew that Elysoun wasn't lying. Elysoun didn't need to lie when the truth was so hurtful anyway.

Morag looked up as Gom came flying in, and he perched next to her, oblivious to Harry's presence. "Morag, darling girl, I came as soon as I could – I heard that cackling little banshee was up to something."

"It's true, isn't it Gom?" Morag asked quietly. This bird had entertained her when she was just a baby, had been her 'Wom' until she'd been able to say 'Gom'.

"I'm sorry, Morag." Gom said. "It is. Morganna loved Severus – he was engaged to someone else. Akira Black, I believe. Sirius's sister. Well, he told her this just after she confessed her love. So she went out and found some silly Slytherin, a real jerk named Jonathan O'Connell." Gom paused. "Do you want to hear this?"

"Yes, yes I do." Morag too seemed to have forgotten Harry.

"All right. Well, she tried to leave England, go back to France. But Lily, she was such a good friend, talked her out of it. I recall James asking Morganna if she still loved Severus. She lied, and said no. Weren't a very good liar, but no matter. Well, when she went to ask Severus to be godfather of you, he told her he wasn't engaged anymore and that he loved her. Terrible timing they had. So she married Severus, and they were happy. You were born by the lake, Severus mucking about with a friend of his before that, Morganna with friends from France, and Lily." Gom would have smiled at the memory, but he only had a beak. She could hear the softened tone, and knew how he felt.

"Gom, why didn't they tell me?" Harry heard the catch in Morag's voice, the ache.

"They were going to, poppet, but not until you were much older. Elysoun beat them to it, evil catty little thing that she is." Gom made 'Elysoun' sound like an insult. Just then did he realize that Harry was there. "Good lord, is that Lily's boy?" he asked, curious.

"Gom! Manners!" Morag said sharply, wiping away her tears. Gom tried to help, using a wing, but just succeeded in getting feathers in her mouth. She spluttered, standing up. "Gom, I'll be okay. Tell Mum I found out, or Daddy, whoever you see first. They'll probably want to 'talk' with me."

Gom nodded. "If you're sure, pet." He flapped out of the library, and Morag was left alone with Harry.

She lifted her chin defiantly. "Go ahead, Potter," she invited, "say something vicious. Daddy lied to me, Mum lied to me, and now I find out from my evil cousin. I'm a Slytherin, aren't you as a Gryffindor supposed to celebrate my downfall?"

"And you said that didn't matter." Harry reminded her.

"The hell it doesn't matter." She was angry and upset, lashing out at whomever was handy. Malicious light flickered in her eyes. "Shouldn't you be pleased? Poor little Potter lost his Mummy and his Daddy, well now the daughter of his most hated professor finds out she's not really the professor's daughter – why aren't you already dancing with glee?"

Harry saw why she was in Slytherin. She was fascinating, and beautiful, but she was viciously cruel when she wanted to be. Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Run away, Potter. Every rose has thorns, and I'm in a particularly thorny mood."

Deciding he wouldn't do himself any favors by staying, Harry left quietly. As he walked towards the Gryffindor Common Room, the viciously malicious look in Morag's eyes haunted him, refusing to budge from his memory. Gom's 'Good Lord, is that Lily's boy' too, it was imprinted in his memory, as if hearing anew every few moments. The owl seemed to know so much about things so long ago – maybe he knew about Harry's family, about what happened to them. He recalled what Elysoun had called Morag, 'Lilli'. Short for Lillith, he assumed, since there wasn't much you could do with the name Morag. He was so ensconced in his thoughts that he didn't notice Professor Snape until it was too late, and he'd already bumped into him. Behind Snape was his wife, Mrs. Snape, didn't that owl say her name was Morganna?

"Sorry, Professor." Harry managed after a few moments of Snape's glaring.

"Watch where you're going, Potter." Snape told him coldly.

"Severus, we've more important things to do than harass Harry about looking where he walks," Mrs. Snape interrupted. Harry felt rather grateful to her, when Snape turned to regard his wife. After a few moments of Snape's dark eyes against Mrs. Snape's brilliant blue, he shrugged and turned. "Out of the way, Potter."

"Morag's by the fire in the library." Harry said as Snape passed him. He saw the Professor stiffen, but didn't turn, or say anything. Mrs. Snape glanced briefly back at Harry, with a questioning glance, a soft, almost motherly look in her eyes. But she blinked it away and walked into the library after her husband.

Snape wasn't the only person Harry bumped into on the way back to the common room. Malfoy was next.

"Watch it, Potter, you're a walking disaster area." Malfoy sneered.

"Morag tell you that?" Harry asked, purely out of spite.

"She didn't need to!" Malfoy retorted. "She's not got time for Gryffindors like you, Potter."

"Her mother had plenty of time for Gryffindors like me." Harry shot back. "Didn't you know? She and my mother were best of friends."

Malfoy paled – he hadn't known that. "I doubt that very much, Potter."

"I can prove it one way or the other." Elysoun had sauntered up behind them, without their noticing. "I've got Aunt Maria's sixth year journal."

"Well then, why don't you?" Malfoy invited her. She went and stood between them, not facing either.

"23rd of December, Morganna Maria Montaque's sixth year." Elysoun read aloud. "I fell out of a tree today. Trying to get Montgomery down so he would stop harassing the squirrels. No such luck and I twisted my ankle when I landed. I do wish it had been Lily that came instead of Severus, I really do think he's going to murder my silly old owl. I can't imagine what it would be like if Lily and James weren't together, or weren't around. Lily's been my very best friend ever since I came to Hogwarts, along with Severus." Elysoun stopped reading. "I think that's proof enough, don't you boys?"

"Impossible." Malfoy said flatly. "Not Professor Snape's own wife."

"I didn't write it." Elysoun laughed, and handed the journal to Harry. "There are some things in there you might be interested in, Potter. Just don't let Morag know you've got it – my dear cousin has something of a temper on her."

Harry stared incredulously at the retreating form of Elysoun Montaque. Malfoy recovered first. "Don't think this means you've got a chance with Morag Snape, Potter. She's more likely to date Crabbe or Goyle before you."

"Did I ever say I wanted a chance with Snape's daughter?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrow. "Shove off, Malfoy."

The next day, Slytherins and Gryffindors had flying practice together. Morag was on her Firebolt, next to Malfoy. Malfoy was admiring her broom, and Hermione frowned as she saw Harry watching the two of them.

"Harry, she's a Slytherin. What did you expect?" Hermione asked patiently.

"She seemed…different that day." Harry said lamely.

"Friendlier, more relaxed?" Hermione suggested. Harry nodded. "Well, she was. But now she's back at Hogwarts, with Malfoy at her elbow, and her father just behind. Stop brooding."

"I was not brooding." Harry denied, kicking off the ground to hover in the air. If he'd been watching her still, he would have seen Morag look at him, with an almost quizzical look on her perfect features.

"Whatever you say, Harry." Hermione shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"What're you two arguing about now?" Ron came over, his broom was just one of the school ones.

"Harry's been brooding about the Snape girl." Hermione answered before Harry could say anything.

"I have not, Ron, Hermione's just jumping to conclusions." Harry told his friend, and then with a jolt recalled that he still had Mrs. Snape's old journal. If Snape caught him with that…!

Morag flew like she was born to it, Harry noted. Her motions were fluid, and she never once hesitated at Madam Hooch's commands. Left, right, up or down, she managed everything. Malfoy flew close to her, as if reminding Harry she was out of bounds. Not that Harry wanted her 'in bounds' anyway.

"She's just a silly girl who's used to getting her own way." Harry looked around to see where the voice came from. It was Mad-Eye Moody – he'd come back to have a proper year of teaching at Hogwarts.

"Professor Moody," Harry stammered, "I didn't see you there."

"No, I shouldn't think you did. What's so fascinating about Snape's daughter, Potter?" Moody asked, watching Harry with his normal eye, his magic one was following Morag.

"She knows all this stuff about my parents, she acts like she owns whatever she touches, and she's never hesitated before anything. She always got this rage boiling away just out of sight." Harry responded, wondering why Moody was asking him about Morag Snape.

"You want to know why I'm asking?" Moody asked.

"Well, yes, Professor." Harry replied.

"Because Miss Snape up there doesn't make sense to anybody. I don't think her own parents quite understand her half the time." Moody told him.

"She seems to know Malfoy quite well. I've not seen her much before." Said Harry.

"So she should. The Snapes know the Malfoys – all four of them were at Hogwarts together. I imagine Malfoy finds the self-proclaimed empress fascinating." Moody growled.

Harry, slightly startled by the definite growl to Moody's voice, turned a little to look at Morag and Malfoy.

Morag, as it just so happened, didn't really like Draco any more than she liked Harry. But, her father was once more a spy among the Death Eaters, and she figured the best way to help Daddy was to get close to the Malfoys.

"Draco," she purred, laying a hand on his arm, "can I maybe borrow your transfiguration notes? I think I must have dozed off in class!" she tossed her silvery blonde hair and smiled at him. Draco didn't notice the cold calculation behind her eyes, the iced fury that was always there now.

"Of course you can, Lilli." Draco told her, rummaging through his bag. All her friends called her 'Lilli' now, it was a definite improvement on 'Morag', the name her mother had stuck her with.

"Thanks awfully, Draco." She smiled brightly at him. She turned, bored, only to see Harry Potter. What's he doing watching me? She thought, and then added to herself, he's just another Gryffindor. Like the rest of them. Not worth the air they're breathing.

Draco handed her the notes, not having seen Harry. Morag took them, and when she turned back, Harry was gone.

Harry thought. As he thought, he brooded. As he brooded, things began to become clear. Or rather, clearer. Morag Snape was up to something, of that much he was sure. But what? She knew something…she was doing something…again, but what? Harry didn't see how getting close to Malfoy helped her at all. Maybe he was missing something.

Then, in his mind, something snapped, and he realized what it was Morag Lillith Snape was doing. She was protecting her family in the only way she could – snuggling up to the enemy. Dumbledore had said to Snape last year that he knew what he must ask him to do. It all clicked. Snape was a spy among the Death Eaters – that had to be it! If he was, then especially Draco Malfoy couldn't see Morag with Gryffindors, ever. So, she had turned away from Harry, Ron and Hermione the instant that they came around anyone who might report to the Death Eaters, and now she was abiding by the old saying 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'.

Harry knew then what he had to do. Somehow, he had to tell Morag that he knew. How? She was always with Malfoy now – there had to be a time.

Hermione! Harry knew Hermione would help – if they could get Morag into Myrtle's bathroom, Hermione could tell Morag, and no one else would hear. It was perfect.