DISCLAIMER: I still do not own Harry Potter or it's characters, although I love them very much =).

2

Harry grasped the next vial labeled with the year of his birth, but a few weeks before the actual event. Hesitantly, he poured the pearly memory into the penseive and followed it down into the depths of the basin. He found himself in a small village after dark. It was a cool night for summer but Snape, who was standing next to Harry in a back alleyway, glistened with sweat and his breathing was labored. He had his wand out, ready for a fight it seemed.

They turned in unison as footsteps sounded from behind. Harry recognized the wild mane of bushy hair instantly and gazed at Bellatrix LeStrange loathingly as she came to stand next to Snape.

"Did you see which direction she went?" Bellatrix rasped, breathing just as hard as Snape. Snape swallowed and shook his head, making too much of an effort to look around the building corner so as not to face her. Just as Bellatrix spat in anger and turned away, Snape froze, seeing something. Harry moved closer to peer around the corner as well.

There was his mother cautiously stepping out of the shadows of another alley, her wand out as well. She was wide-eyed, on the defensive. Snaped looked down quickly searching for something, seemed to find it, and kicked a nearby rusted drink can toward the street. Lily stopped and slunk back into the shadows, her eyes darting in their direction.

"Shh! Severus, she'll hear you!" growled Bellatrix as she came back to stand beside Snape. Harry stepped away hastily. She may have only been a memory, but he didn't want to be so close to her. "If she gets away the Dark Lord will be furious with us!"

"With you, Bella," Snape sneered. "This was your task to complete. I only offered to assist you. Funny though… I can't seem to remember the Dark Lord requesting that you capture the woman. If I am not mistaken, I believe he only wants to know where she lives."

Bellatrix stood nose to nose with Snape, eyes blazing. "Seems as if you are doing more to hinder me than to help."

Snape rolled his eyes then glanced down at Bellatrix's arm where a nasty burn shown fresh in the moonlight. "She got you, did she?" he said with a smirk.

"The pregnant cow," she murmured. "She'll pay for it!"

There was a sudden crash along the back of the alley in which the three of them stood. They turned toward the sound, Snape cursing under his breath. Harry could've sworn he saw a cat dart away, perhaps the cause of the commotion. Snape surely saw it too, for he motioned for Bellatrix to investigate.

"I'll go this way," he whispered, indicating the direction in which Lily was last seen.

Bellatrix nodded. "Remember," she said before slinking away. "Once we've got this one – or at least know where she lives – we're to find the Longbottoms next. The prophesy could refer to either child."

"I am aware!" hissed Snape, impatiently waving her away.

So they knew of the prophesy already, thought Harry. He hadn't even been born yet and Voldemort was trying to kill him. He'd sent Bellatrix, whom Harry knew to be one of his most loyal followers, to trail her. But why was Snape helping? Hadn't he loved Lily?

Shaking his head, Harry hurried to catch up to Snape who was racing faster than Harry thought him capable of. They were headed around the same building in whose shadows Lily hid. It was apparent to Harry they – Snape – was going to sneak up on her form behind. He wished desperately that he could shout a warning to his heavily pregnant mother when at last they found her crouched behind a great stack of cinder blocks. She was still facing toward the street, wand held aloft. Harry noticed her having some difficulty breathing and her hand, which clutched her swollen stomach. She grimaced. Harry's heart began to beat faster. Where was his father?!

Snape tiptoed soundlessly toward her and swiftly covered her mouth with his hand and wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Lily let out a muffled cry, her eyes shining with terror. She lost grip on her wand and it clattered to the street leaving her utterly helpless. "Shh, Lily," Snape whispered in her ear.

Harry saw recognition dawn on her face and Lily cut her eyes to try and see her captor. "Hush, now," Snape continued. "Bella's gone the other way. We need to get you-"

Snape's sentence was cut short. Lily jerked away, catching him off guard, and freed herself. She backed away slowly to where her wand lay. The look on her face was accusing, angry. "Get away from me!" she spat.

"Lily, listen to me!" Snape shot back. "I can get you home."

"You honestly believe I would trust you anymore, Snape?" she said, astonished. Harry was astonished that she'd think about carrying on a conversation when a crazed lunatic was out to get her.

Snape looked exasperated. "Alright," he said. "Choose not to believe anything I say. Take it with a grain of salt that Voldemort has targeted your family, specifically your unborn child!"

Lily looked absolutely furious. "You're trying to scare me, you-"

"Yes, you should be scared," Snape urged. "I'm not making this up for my own amusement. Lily, you must get home at once. The Dark Lord has sent us to find your residence. I am not mistaken that Dumbledore has it fiercely protected?"

Lily looked at him suspiciously. "You say he's after my son…"

"Yes, a prophesy has been made…. About a boy that will destroy the Dark Lord."

"Divination is a joke, Severus," Lily said angrily.

"The Dark Lord has taken the prophesy quite seriously," Snape said ominously. "We must get you home now. You must not tell anyone where you are living. Who is your secret-keeper? Is he trustworthy? He cannot tell soul…" Snape stopped speaking abruptly to rush back to Lily's side. She'd let out a gasp and clutched her stomach, another grimace on her face. After a moment the pains seemed to lessen, for Lily straightened up and jerked her hand away from Snape's. She looked far too weary.

"When are you due, Lily," Snape asked quietly, looking around to make sure they were still quite alone.

"Two weeks," she breathed, bracing herself against the brick wall of the building.

"H-have you gone into l-labor?" Snape sputtered, panicked.

"No, I don't believe so. But if I keep running around like this…"

"Please, Lily," Snape said, putting an arm around her waist again. "Let me help you home. Why are you even out on your own? What have you been doing?"

She heaved one last great sigh before standing fully on her own again. "On business with the Order. Which is to say, none of your business."

"Dumbledore sent you out? Nine months pregnant and he - ? And James allowed -?"

Lily sighed again. When she spoke her voice was much stronger. "Oh, Severus I was only checking on Sirius. He's been hurt and… Oh, never mind. Where is my wand?" She bent low to retrieve it where it lay, supporting her lower back with the other hand as she righted herself.

"Where is James?" Snape asked with a sneer.

"The Order had an emergency meeting. He's there," she explained, then pointed her wand at Snape unexpectedly. "Tell me more about this prophesy."

Snape glanced around again; Bellatrix seemed to be nowhere near. He cast an invisibility charm along with others that muffled their voices nonetheless. "There is no time to discuss it fully. Just know that Voldemort plans to destroy anything and anyone who stands in the way of his glory. The rumor of a prophesy about a boy who would destroy him has reached his ears."

"That could be anyone!" Lily interrupted.

"It could be your child," Snape indicated Lily's stomach. "Or the Longbottom's. Doesn't matter. He's after you and the boy."

Lily was silent for a moment, taking it all in. But suddenly, a sob burst from her. "Oh, God! I'm so tired of all this!"

Snape seemed at a loss for what to do, how to react. Harry actually sympathized; he'd never known how to comfort an emotional female either. Snape probably had less experience than Harry had in his short 17 years. There was no crying involved when it came to Voldemort, he imagined. However, Snape seemed to bolster his nerve and wrap her in an awkward embrace. He snapped his eyes shut as if their closeness caused him pain.

"Listen," he said softly. "I've already met with Dumbledore. Once I knew of the Dark Lord's plans I went to him at once. Turns out he's known about the prophesy for a while now, hoping it would never reach Voldemort's ears. Now, he knows it has. In fact, it is probably the subject of Order's emergency meeting this evening. I've only just talked with him –"

"Dumbledore spoke with you?" she asked suddenly, skeptically. Lily jerked out of his embrace, composing herself quickly. "Forgive me. Pregnancy can cause one's emotions to run away… Anyway, Dumbledore does not negotiate with Death Eaters. He wouldn't take the time to talk with one –"

"He did. He spoke with me," Snape said, his arms still slightly outstretched as if he wanted Lily back in them. "I… I made him swear to protect you."

Lily let out an exasperated puff of air. "Dumbledore doesn't take orders from Death Eaters either, Snape."

Snape looked down at his feet, then toward the road, anywhere but Lily's eyes. "I've promised Dumbledore I'd do anything for him if only he'd protect you. I even made an unbreakable vow…" Lily said nothing, so Snape continued. "He wants my undying loyalty. And I'd have given it freely even if the vow hadn't been made."

"Why?"

Snape finally looked into her eyes. "I've never stopped loving you, Lily."

Tears shown in her eyes and a look of pity marred her features. "No, you love your dark lord. You might have had me once, but you chose him. Why now? Why after all this time have you chosen to betray your beloved Voldemort?"

"If I'd deserted them when we were kids… they would've found out why. You would've been killed. In my opinion I chose the lesser of two evils. But now, unbeknownst to you until tonight, you've become involved. I would rather betray Voldemort and keep you safe."

Lily really looked at Snape now, assessing, as if she were seeing him clearly for the first time in quite a while. "Oh, Severus…" Another tear trickled down her cheek. Snape was silent, so Lily nodded saying "Ok, take me home. I… I'm trusting you with my son's life, Severus. With my life as well."

Next thing Harry knew, they were standing outside his parent's home in Godric's Hollow. The lights inside were coming on one by one quickly and he could hear a man, his father, shouting Lily's name frantically. He must have just returned home to find her gone.

"You better go inside," said Snape.

Lily nodded and unexpectedly hugged Snape hard. After he overcame his surprise, Snape hugged her back fiercely. "I've missed you, Sev," Lily whispered before letting go and hurrying along up the walk to the front door. It opened right as she reached the steps, James rushing out in a traveling cloak and broomstick in hand. Once he saw her he dropped everything and locked her in his own embrace, just a fierce as Snape's.

"Oh, Lily!" he gasped, relieved. "Where have you been? I've just heard the most awful knews and I come home to find you missing…"

"I'm sorry, Love. I've just been to see Sirius. And… and I know. You won't believe who I ran into…"

The front door shut behind them, cutting off her sentence. Snape stood in the shadows for a moment longer before he and Harry were once again in the alleyway. The various charms cast to protect Snape ans Lily's conversation seemed to have lifted, for an angry set of footsteps was advancing toward them rapidly.

"Where the HELL have you been?!" spat Bellatrix. It seemed to be the golden question of the night, Harry thought as his vision grew blurry again and he reappeared in the headmaster's office.