A/N

Iwillrunforever did a wonderful job with polishing this chapter. Thank you very much.

Warnings for character deaths, blood... well, this is rated M for a reason.

I always like to hear what you think, feel free to leave a review. Enjoy.


31st October 1986, hidden residence of the Potter-family

Rose occupied her favourite place in the house: the sill of the biggest window in the cosy living room. It overlooked the street and she watched the dressed-up children, age varying from toddlers to teens, marching through the autumn weather.

She liked Halloween, even though she had never been allowed to join the other kids. And no one rang on the door of the Potter-household, naturally. She knew it was due to the many wards that surrounded the house, but it still made her feel slightly left out. Nonetheless it was nice for once to not be around her friends. Draco, Neville and Esther celebrated Samain with their respective families. And Dora was at Hogwarts.

Neither of the elder Potters cared much for The old ways, hence they were out doing 'Phoenix stuff'. She was used to them leaving regularly. She hated it when her parents or Sirius or Sev went out to fight. Or any other of the order members for that matter.

She looked to her right at her second godfather, Severus Snape, who sat next to her and read a new book. It was written in French, but judging by the cauldron and flowers on the cover it was about potions.

Sirius thought the very idea of staring out of a window utterly boring. He would beg her to do something else instead. Inventing pranks, flying, or play with Padfoot.

Sev had merely crooked his head, when she had asked, smiled ever so slightly and made hot chocolate. And kept her company. He was calm, smelled of the things he used for his potions.

He could spent hours telling her stories and myths of old. Or answering her endless questions.

"You are awfully quiet today, Corbillat," he remarked softly, feeling her gaze on him.

"You know it makes no noises when you move, don't you, Sev?"

He shoot her a amused smirk and closed his book. "I am aware - What is bothering you?"

She took a sip of her hot chocolate before answering. "Mum was very angry yesterday."

Severus was bewildered hearing this. "Why would you think that?"

Lily rarely showed her anger and sorrow around her daughter, wanting to protect Rose as much from the war as possible. Apparently, she had taken the news of Fabian's death harder than expected. He himself had never been overly fond of the Prewett twins, but seeing Gideon breaking down over his dead brother...

It was another memory to keep him awake at night. What had possessed him to teach Bellatrix of all maniacs his Sectumsempra curse?

"She knifed the counter," Rose told him, sounding far more casual about it than a six-year-old had any right to, "again. Yesterday was a really bad day, wasn't it?"

"Corbillat... Your mother is worried," Severus tried to explain.

He was not 'good' with children, neither particularly kind nor patient. But he loved both his goddaughter and his godson, Draco. He would make every imaginable effort to maintain their affectionate relationships. Part of him still did not believe that he had one with a child of James Potter in the first place.

Rose nodded at his words but didn't seem convinced. He could not blame her for it. The evening was peaceful and filled with the warmth of hot chocolate, stories and dancing flames in the fireplace, but the house in which she lived in was an island in an ocean of war. And she was not stupid. She may be too young to understand it fully, but she felt the changes in her parents and the Order members when they came home after battles. Soaked in blood and darkness clinging at them.

"I wish the war was over, Sev," she said and moved to watch the hustle and bustle outside again. Rose was the only one allowed to call him by this moniker. Sirius had tried once, Severus' death glare made him refrain from further attempts.

"Everyone wants that, Corbillat," as lovely and fitting he thought the nickname 'Bambi', there were limits to self-induced torture.

He read a bit more about the new discoveries of moonshine vines as ingredient for healing potions, enjoying the comfortable silence until his goddaughter spoke again. "So why is it going on?"

"The war?" he clarified and she nodded, frown still on her face.

"If everybody wants the war to be over, why is it not?"

And there was the youngest Potion-Master of Europe, asking himself why the Hogwarts curriculum held no 'How to explain your goddaughter that Voldemort desires to slaughter everyone she loves, without traumatizing her for life' course. "The... sides very much... disagree."

"Aunt Alice says if you have an argument, you sit down and talk about it!" Enthusiasm shone in green eyes and Severus had to smile. "And she is right, one should try to discuss with another first. But if the other doesn't want to talk you can't help it."

Rose pondered over his words, hands together and the tips resting against her chin, unconsciously mimicking her father.

"But the war will end someday – And then you can dress up and beg for sweets," he added, causing her to squeal with delight. "Oh yes! I want to be a pirate! Or Robin Hood! Or..."

Severus listened while she rattled of a long list of possibilities, outright laughing when she talked about wearing a Dumbledore costume. He hoped that there would be a time to make her wish reality.

But Voldemort tried everything in his power to get a hold on her again. The prophecy left room for interpretation, who 'The Chosen One' was, but... As things stood Rose was the most likely candidate. And the Dark Lord had seen how strong developed her affinity for magic was already. He wanted her gone.

He suppressed a shiver at the mere idea. His bright, little goddaughter.

Over my dead body! he decided for himself. Not for the first time and it would not be the last.

Rose interrupted his chain of thoughts, which grew darker by the second, by climbing on his lap and cuddling against his black robes. "You're glaring into thin air again, Sev."

"I know."

"What did the air do to you?"

"The usual, Corbillat," he replied with a small smile. "The usual."

The noise of a key turning was coming from the front door. One moment he was perfectly still, hand on his wand and ready for a fight. Then Lily´s voice announced. "We are back!"

"Mum! Dad!" Rose immediately ran off to greet them. When Severus reached the entrance hall, she was already in her mother's arms.

"How was your day, sweetie?" she asked with a wide smile.

"We had so much fun! It was great! - Look!" She stretched her hands out, making a butterfly of greenish light appear. It flew around James. "It likes you!"

"It's amazing, sweetheart!" he praised her while the small spark of magic landed on his head and disappeared. Although not before turning his hair into various shades of green. "And you were a good girl, weren't you?" He asked, without a clue to his new hairstyle.

"Of course," Rose said with such sweet innocence, it made it even harder for Lily and Severus not to get a laughing fit.

He glared at potion master, partly because his whirlwind of a daughter was always on her best behaviour with him and he had no idea what the other man deemed so funny.

"I'll take my leave now," Severus announced and gave James a curt nod and a rather amused smirk.

Rose followed him towards the door, along with her mother.

"When will I see you again?" she asked him while he controlled the wards around the house. Even with the Fidelius charm in place it never hurt to check twice.

"Not tomorrow, but probably the day after." He squatted down at her eye-level. "No sulking, Corbillat."

"… Maybe," she murmured but she already smiled.

He gave her a hug and stood up, only to be surprised by Lily giving him a hug. "Be careful out there, okay?"

"As careful as open war can be approached," he answered too lowly for Rose to catch.

"Please," she insisted. "I... have a bad feeling. We cannot lose you."

"Yes, I am irreplaceable for the order."

"Stop that!" Lily shock her head upon the taxing men in her life: "Roselyn is easily influenced at her age!"

"... What do you wish to tell me?" he asked a little confused.

"When James complained about the talking mirror yesterday, she said he 'should be glad it isn't laughing'."

He bit his tongue, looking over at his goddaughter, who wore a rather cheeky grin, "Clever child."

Rose laughed and for that Lily gave his arm a slap, albeit a playful one. "Severus Tobias Snape! Don't encourage her!"

As if on cue a horrified scream reached them from inside the house. "MY HAIR!"

"She does very well without me," he chuckled lowly, imagining Potter's face before he left.

"So…" Lily started to speak when she had finally been able to stop laughing. "Want to hear a story, Bambi?" she asked her daughter after she has closed the door. She refrained from checking the protecting spells once more. Dumbledore had casted the Fidelius charm and the secret was safe with Peter. Severus' paranoia was rubbing off on her, it seemed.

"The Hobbit!" Rose said without even thinking.

The all-time favourite it was. "Very well - Run and get the book."

o ~ O ~ o

Godric's Hollow, Castle lane

Neither the Potters nor Severus had taken notice of the unfriendly eyes watching the house from afar. A thick wall of concealing and privacy charms between them and their target.

"Is Snape leaving?" Peter flinched violently hearing the voice behind him.

"Y-Yes," his stammering got worse by the second. "S-Shall I go after him?"

Cruel laughter came from the man wearing the crimson mask. Voldemort's lieutenant. "Do not make yourself a laughing stock, Wormtail, he would tear you apart. And we need you right here, do we not?" his voice was like velvet, but the steel behind it was almost tangible.

Peter was terrified of him, in a way he was less human than the Dark Lord himself.

"We deal with the traitor in due time. How fitting that he will first lose what he betrayed our Lord for. Do you not think so as well, Wormtail?"

Having suddenly the attention on him again, the tremor in his hands grew worse. The shackles around his wrists rattled. "O-Of c-course."

"Such a waste of space and magic you are..."

The almost inaudible 'pop' announced the coming of Voldemort. Peter fell on the ground more than anything, while the other man knelt down gracefully. "My Lord."

"Sothis."

His lieutenant stood up, not bothering with the trembling figure face first in the snow. "Everything is prepared, my Lord. The Potters are home."

"Wormtail!" The voice was more a hiss than English. "So, you betrayed me as well?"

"No, my Lord! I would never -"

"Crutio!"

The church bell started to ring while Peter screamed.

"Well?"

"I-I did as I was told! I swear!" he sobbed violently. "I gave her the toy with the rune stone to b-block a-appareting, the floo and p-portkeys."

"And I did not find you, packing your miserable belongings mere hours ago?" Sothis asked silkily.

"Enough! – The secret, Wormtail."

Lord Voldemort smiled to himself, finally hearing the words. "The Potters h-hide at Godric's Hollow. C-Castle lane 7."

Peter Pettigrew cried harder with every syllable he spoke. He had just sold out his best friend and his family.

The Dark Lord watched, eyes filled with malicious glee as the house appeared seemingly out of thin air. It was time to end the charade.

"Sothis." It was an order and his lieutenant raised his wand, making Peter screech, "Please don't kill me! I did everything! I -"

"Avada Kedavra." The curse came natural to him and the pathetic wailing stopped. He had murdered the other man without blinking, not even his breathing changed.

He let his mask disappear, pulling his black hair back in a plait again.

"Very good, Sothis," At the praise a spark of life entered vacant eyes: "Thank you, my Lord." He bowed before his master, basking of the feel of his magic. He leant into the hand that touched his cheek lightly, soaking up the caress.

"Allow me to come with you, my Lord?"

"No - Go meet the Order or something the like. I will need you to reach Dumbledore, when it's time to deal with the old man."

"Of course, my Lord." He knelt kissing the hem of Voldemort's robe.

"Go now - We celebrate soon enough."

o ~ O ~ o

Godric's Hollow, Castle lane 7, residence of the Potter-family

James required half an hour to turn his hair to the usual black again.

When he (finally) came to the living room, he needed a moment to comprehend what he was seeing. Not because it was an unusual sight, but the sheer beauty of it made him stop in his tracks. His wife and his daughter. He loved them both so much, it almost took his breath away.

The ladies of the house snuggled on the big couch completely absorbed in the muggle tale. His gorgeous, fierce redhead and their beloved little princess she had gifted him with.

Roselyn had the unruly hair the Potters were kind of famous for, but there was wine red mixed in the black. The beautiful green, almond shaped eyes and freckles doted over her cheeks were all Lily. There were other familiar traces, of her paternal grandparents: Fleamont's straight, aristocratic nose; the rich golden skin that made Euphemia stand out in overcast Great Britain.

He could not wait to see which house she would be in - he and Sirius obviously rooted for Griffindor. But he knew she was probably a Ravenclaw in the making. If not a Slytherin. He grinned at the thought. The snakes wouldn't know what hit them before his girl had turned the pit upside down for the better...

"James?" Lily asked as she noticed her husband seemed to be lost in thoughts.

He smiled at them. "I love you, Lily Potter, and you, my little princess."

Lily's eyes grew soft and their daughter beamed at him. "I love you, da -"

A strong wave of magic rolled over their home, cutting off Rose, breaking down the wards that were covering the house.

"Take Rose and run!" James had his wand ready and sprinted towards the entrance hall.

Lily picked her pale daughter up and tried to apparate, only to feel something blocking the magic.

Internally cursing she ran up the stairs, just as the front door splintered to a thousand pieces of wood.

Inside the nursery she moved the tall and heavy chiffonier to block the door.

"Rose, your portkey!" She did her hardest not to tremble, hearing the fighting downstairs. She had to get their daughter into safety and get to James' side as fast as she could!

"Phoenix guide your way," she forced out with a shaking voice, holding onto the raven pendant on her necklace. Only to discover that nothing happened.

"It isn't working!"

Her mother embraced her one last time, as she said, "I love you, Roselyn - Now go stay back by the window."

"... Mum?"

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

They both heard the curse and James' scream. Lily pushed her daughter deeper into the room, praying for a miracle. She did not even have her wand.

Steps on the stairs and then. "Expulso!"

The small barrier exploded and the empty doorway revealed a figure that had haunted Rose in her nightmares. Tall, clothed in a cloak darker than the night, a white face missing the nose and blood-red, demon eyes searching for her.

"Voldemort," she nearly choked on her own whisper.

"Roslyn," and that voice: icy, sharp like a blade and always on the edge to hissing. "How much you have grown..."

o ~ O ~ o

Townhouse of the Longbottom-family, Headquarter of the Order of the Phoenix, Manchester, England

Severus was swearing inwardly as he was softly singing the Vulnera Sanentur chant to treat a nasty gash in Frank Longbottom's chest. As soon as he had set foot over the doorstep, the sight of the injured Auror, along with two helpless healers and a desperate Alice, had practically greeted him. As if he had needed another reason to hate Bellatrix Lestrange. Using his curse! The nerve of that wench!

The flesh of the last wound knitted together, a silver scar, one of five new ones, the only reminder of the injury.

"I'm leaving the rest to you," It was more of a statement than an actual question towards Madam Pomfrey, the Head Healer of Hogwarts, who had just arrived.

"Of course," Her eyes had not left him the whole time. "They never quite manage the counter-curse like you do."

"It is mine after all."

He was already at the door when Alice called him. "Severus?"

"Yes?" her eyes were misty, but she smiled gratefully. "Thank you so very much!"

Severus simply nodded, still not exactly comfortable with such situations (something Lily teased him relentlessly about) and excused himself. He was on his way to check their stock of healing potions and herbal remedies, when a searing pain shot threw his body, forcing him to his knees and leaving him breathless.

After a short eternity someone was approaching him with hurried steps. "Severus? What is wrong? Are you hurt?"

Splendid, he sighed inwardly. Out of all people to see him in such a state it had to be Remus Lupin. Although it was still better than be found by Potter. Or one of the other Aurors. Or Black. Okay, maybe the werewolf wasn't that bad after all.

"It's nothing," he murmured while forcing himself back onto his feet.

Remus was clever enough not to try and help him, but watched him with concern. He had seen the former Death Eater brush of a Cruciatus Curse like a mere trifle.

"Are you injured?"

"No," the pain was slowly ebbing away, but he still leaned against the wall trying to get his breathing back to normal. "I have no idea…" he trailed off.

"… no idea what?"

Severus ignored him, his mind was racing. He had placed wards around the Potter's home, just in case, long before Dumbledore had worked the Fidelius Charm. For such a violent reaction, his protections would have to be broken down all at once. So how...

"No," he whispered under his breath. The next instant he storming towards the front door - And praying that he was wrong.

o ~ O ~ o

Godric's Hollow, Castle lane 7

Dead silence lay over the village like a cloak. The home of the Potter's had been a refined, about 200 years old, house. Now all that remained was a smouldering ruin.

Voldemort was behind this, there was no way he would only sent his followers.

Wand drawn, Severus made his way quickly through the wood and stone scattered front garden. It was James, who he found first. The body of his once nemesis laid half on the stairs with his limbs oddly twisted. Thick lines of blood trailed from his eyes and mouth.

Strangely saddened he carefully stepped over the corpse, towards the gaping hole that had been the door to his goddaughter´s room. The fear of what he might find made it feel like he walked through morass. But all the pictures his mind had vividly imagined couldn't compete with the horror of reality.

Lily.

She laid in the middle of the nursery, fire-red hair outspread around her and radiant green eyes already turned to grey. Tears started to blur his vision, but not before he caught a glimpse of Rose, half tangled into the fabric of the torn down curtains.

Get a grip on yourself, Snape! You can collapse once Roslyn is out of danger!

If she is not dead as well, a malicious voice in the back of his mind added, crackling sickly.

He carefully picked her up. In an instant he felt Rose' warmth and heartbeat. His knees finally gave out. Embracing the small body of the child, he couldn't have loved more, had she been his, and feeling eternally grateful that she was alive. For a long moment Severus was not able to do anything else.

When he roughly wiped his tears away, he could think straight again.

Rose was unconscious with blood covering the right side of her pale face. He cursed himself for not noticing the injury earlier and summoned a wet cloth and tentatively cleaned the caking liquid off her skin. After a quick healing spell to stop the bleeding he exanimate the wound.

Three thick, straight cuts, it faintly resemble a sharp-edged 'S'. Like the Futhark rune he could not quite remember the name of. It cut her right eyebrow in half, went just shy of the outer corner of her eye and ended next to her ear.

A curse-wound if he had ever seen one, but what had happened? Why was Rose alive and Lily…

There would be a better time to dwell on such thoughts. He got up with his wand in one hand and in the other arm the form of his goddaughter. Like he had carried her countless occasions. When Severus turned he stared at the slumped body at the far end of the room and his heart nearly stopped.

Voldemort.

He didn't even think about it consciously, an Expelliarmus and a Binding Spell were casted before he had fully registered what he saw. The yew wand flew to him without any resistance and Voldemort did nothing when rusty chains moved quickly around his form like the snakes he was so fond of. Was he…? The haunting red eyes stared empty and aimless, while Severus fingers on his pulse-point only confirmed what he deep down knew already. The Dark Lord was dead.

Did Lily did manage to… - No, then Rose would be uninjured, so how… His train of thoughts stopped when he heard hurried steps downstairs and cursed his foolishness. He had lingered to long.

His goddaughter in one arm was not an optimal fighting-stance, but hell would freeze over before he let go of her. Severus considered apparation for a moment, but doing that with someone unconscious was never a good idea, even worse if said person was a hurt child.

Quiet like a shadow he darted to the corridor and casted a quick glance downstairs. Sirius Black knelt weeping over the corpse of his best friend - brother in everything but blood - while Remus stood next to him, clearly unbelieving.

If someone had told Severus ten years ago, that he would be relieved to see the two of them, he or she would've experienced a few of his more malicious-intended curses first hand.

They looked up at the quiet creak of the stairs and visibly paled.

"No!" Remus' whisper seemed loud in the grave of a house.

"Rose is alive," Severus told them, while he made his way downstairs.

"And… Lily?" he only shook his head, not trusting his voice.

"What happened?" Remus carefully examined the wound on Rose's forehead. "This cut looks like some kind of curse mark!"

"We need to treat her properly when we're at headquarters, preferably before your manic cousin pays us a visit," he directed the words at Sirius, who was beside himself with grief, but tried his best to pull his act together.

"We can't leave them here," Sirius smoothed James hair, a loving caress.

"We need to go now, Pads, but we will come back. I promise – What about Voldemort?"

"Upstairs. Dead." The other men looked at him with a mix of disbelieve and relief.

"But… Why Lily is gone but Rose is just wounded?!"

"I don't know. But I want her at headquarters and treat her! Everything else can wait until later."