So now that you got to know a little more about Severus here is a chapter that introduces some new characters and some already familiar characters. I don't own Harry Potter, sadly. Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 2 Dark

Severus would secretly visit Lilly now and again; just to make sure she was doing alright, but on the night that Voldemort came was the night that not only Harry, but Severus lost everything as well. Severus had thought many times about taking Harry and raising him, but how could he raise Harry and teach him right from wrong when he had done so much wrong in his life? The years passed and Severus became more and more troubled and lost.

At this moment Severus was found walking around his room, too alert to go to sleep. His gray darker streaked furred pit bull, Erika, was asleep in her doggie bed. Severus could only think of one thing at the moment.

"Tonight was the night four years ago when Lilly lost her life. How I miss her so" he thought.

Severus sat down on the bed and sighed. He lay down and pulled the covers over himself. He was going to try to go to sleep again and this time he did manage to fall asleep. Severus walked slowly across a beautiful spring meadow with a rainbow of colors in wild flowers, all in full bloom. He stood still and looked all around him and then he saw her. Lilly sat on a hillside picking flowers, smelling each one before placing them in her bouquet. She looked beautiful with a crown of flowers placed perfectly on her shimmering red hair. She smiled at Severus as he just stood frozen, not sure what was going on. Lilly didn't seem to notice this as she stood up and opened her arms wide, Severus walked over to her. After a seconds pause he embraced her, glad that she felt so real. He had missed her warm embrace.

"It is so good to see you Severus. Tell me, how have you been?" Lilly asked when they broke apart. She only held her hands in his now.

"Lilly, I can't believe it's you. I've been good. Well not good..." Severus said, never once taking his eyes from her in fear she would disappear the moment he did.

"Yes I see that you are hurting, why is this so?" she asked. Her voice was kind and gentle just as Severus had remembered it.

"It is because of you. I feel so guilty that I couldn't do anything to save you. I miss you Lilly. You were everything to me."

"Oh Severus, you shouldn't feel guilty. I'm fine and besides our son still lives."

Severus turned away at the mention of Harry.

"You know I can't take care of him Lilly, even if the dark lord is gone, I wouldn't be a good influence for him" he said.

Lilly glided in front of him and tilted his head so that he met her eyes and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Severus had forgotten what her lips felt like against his, the way they fit perfectly together. When she pulled away she still had one hand on his cheek. Her eyes staring into his, "I know you don't want to tell Harry and I'm not saying you have to, but you should at least protect him while he is at school. Please"

After a couple moments Severus nodded, "alright I can do that. I just hope he doesn't start acting like James."

Lilly laughed her soft laugh and it filled Severus with warmth he hadn't felt for a long time, "You haven't changed a bit Severus. You know who Harry is more likely to end up like anyways. Remember that my heart has always belonged with you. Now I have to go, but before I do I think you need something in your life to get you happy again"

"But I'll never be happy, not without you" Severus said.

"I know, but you must try. When you wake go for a long walk, you might just find someone just as lost as you are. I must go, dawn is coming, I love you Severus"

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and slipped her hands out of his. The vision faded and Severus woke. It was morning now as he sat up in his bed. Lilly's voice still echoed in his head, "Go for a long walk, you might just find someone just as lost as you are."

Severus rose from his bed and got dressed. Though he wasn't really sure what Lilly meant he would do as she requested anyways. As Severus walked he gazed around him at strangers that passed him. What exactly was Lilly wanting him to look for? A soul mate? A stray animal?

"Come back here!" came a shout, jostling Severus out of his thoughts.

Up ahead of him were three children. Two boys and a girl. The boys looked infuriated at the girl who's eyes were wide with fear as she ran. Her eyes met Severus's in a silent plead for help. Severus quickly held his hand out to the girl and pulled her behind him where she was safe. The girl hid behind his legs and clung to him like he was base in a game of tag.

"Well what's all this about then?" Severus questioned as the boys skidded to a halt.

"She stole food from us!" one of them exclaimed.

"And papa always says that stealers must be punished" said the other.

Severus glanced down at the girl and noticed an apple in her hand. He gently took the apple from her small hands despite her protest and handed it back to the boys, "there now, you have your apple. Now run along."

The boys looked like they wanted to say more but the glare from Severus had them turning and dashing off the way they'd come. Severus turned his attention back to the little girl, he kneeled down beside her as he took in her appearance. She looked to be about four years old. She was a cute little girl, but there was something wrong with her. Severus could sense that the child was surrounded by dark clouds, not sunlight. She wore a pretty faded pink dress with ladybugs on it that was slightly torn at the bottom and her long black hair was slightly knotted and greasy.

Severus also noticed that she had the most beautiful blue eyes, but there was much sadness in them that clouded their beauty, a sadness that didn't belong to such a little girl. This little girl reflected what Severus was feeling and he suddenly understood this child was the one Lilly had spoken of.

"Why'd you give them the apple?" she asked softly.

"Because it belonged to them. What I think the question here is why you were stealing the apple in the first place. Where are your parents? Don't they feed you?"

The girl seemed very saddened at his question as she responded softly, "I don't have any."

This saddened Severus, how could someone just dump a poor girl like this on the streets? He knew that he had chosen not to rise a child because of his dark history, but as he gazed into this heartbroken child's eyes Severus knew he couldn't just walk away from her.

"You need a home don't you?" Severus asked softly and she nodded, "would you like to come live with me?"

Her face brightened up, "you mean like you'll be my daddy?"

"Yes I would be like your daddy, would you like that?"

"Oh yes I would, I would!" she said smiling.

"Good" Severus said, he stood and held out his hand for her to take, "by the way I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Emma" she replied.

"And mine is Severus" he said.

When they got to his house he gave her something to eat which she quickly scarfed down and showed her the room that she could call hers. She giggled with joy and looked around.

"Needs color" she stated simply.

"What color would you like it to be?" He asked.

"Pink! That's my favorite"

Severus took his wand and waved it, making the walls a brilliant pink. Emma laughed and smiled at her newly painted room.

"And flowers. Lots of flowers" she said.

Severus waved his wand again and flowers of all colors and shapes were painted on. Emma was very happy with her room. She ran over and gave Severus a hug. Severus was surprised and not sure what to do at first, but slowly he hugged the little girl back and couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face for the first time in years.

"You know I can do stuff like that too" she said, referring to the wand magic he'd performed.

She glanced around the room until she found a small object which she was able to make fly in the air, "is that normal to be able to do that stuff."

"For people like you and I yes, but not everyone can do it and not everyone knows about it either. But you and I, we're special."

"Special…is that good?"

"Yes, it's very good" Severus said smiling again. It excited him to learn that she was a witch, now he could raise her without hiding the world of magic from her, "now let's run a bath for you and see if we can find a pretty new dress that you can put on."

Months past and Emma started to get used to the new house. On Father's day she came into Severus's room early and jumped on his bed.

"Wake up! I got a present" she said.

Severus stirred and slowly awoke, "oh good morning Emma. What was that you said?"

"I made you a daddy's day card" she said holding up a hand made card.

Severus took it and opened it. Inside was a drawing of what he figured was him and her with what looked like flowers at their feet. The writing said happy daddy's day daddy I love you. Severus smiled and gave Emma a hug.

"Thank you Emma it's wonderful" he said.

Emma seemed to grow quickly. Soon she was seven. Severus always would take her to different places on her birthday. She loved going to Diagon Alley to look at all the different shops.

"But why can't I go now dad?"

"Because you have to wait until you're eleven Emma. Don't worry it will go by fast. You'll like Hogwarts too, I know I did" Severus said.

"It just seems so far away" Emma said.

"Well don't you worry Emma you will soon be on your way" Severus replied smiling.

"I don't understand why that Harry kid puts up with Dudley. I mean that stupid bully just makes his life so miserable here. I wish there was something we could do" a girl with slight wavy golden brown hair said.

"Yeah I do too, but you know how Dudley's group is, they will hit girls" the other girl said who had, bushy, mousy brown hair.

"I know, but I still feel bad for him. Maybe if we just said hi…" the first girl suggested, but the second girl cut her off, "No Niena we can't"

"But Hermione…" Niena whined.

"No we just have to hope things get better for him, that's all we can do at this point" Hermione said.

"If only I had magic powers then I'd teach that stupid bully a lesson" Niena said.

"Magic? That stuff only is in story books" Hermione said.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Severus kept his promise to Lilly to watch over their son. He hated the way Harry was treated by the Dursleys but he couldn't do much, he'd already broken his rule once. There was one thing he could do for Harry though, since the poor boy never received any presents on his birthday from those selfish Muggles. One day while Severus was out he had wrapped up a present and tied it to a balloon upon arrival at Privet Drive. As usual Harry was found outside, sad that he once again was ignored on his birthday. Severus took the present and levitated it over the fence, slowly making it float over to Harry.

Harry looked up to see it floating over to him and untied the balloon from the present, setting it free to float skyward. A note was placed on the top of the package and he opened it finding a very simple note inside.

Thought you should know that someone remembers your birthday.

Happy Birthday Harry,

S.S.

Harry tucked the note into his pocket and opened the present to find a box that was full of little soldier toys. A smile lit his sad face and he gazed around the yard, looking for the person that had given him this gift, but finding no one in sight.

"Thank you S.S. whoever you are" Harry said as he got up and rushed back into the house.

"You're welcome son" Severus whispered once he was gone.

So yes it was Severus that gave Harry his little army toys. I always wondered why the Dursleys would give him something like that if they didn't like him so I thought Severus could give them to him. Remember I will not update until I get a review. I won't update either if I just get a person that subscribes to story alerts or adds my story to their favorites. I know that if you have time to read this you have time to review it.