The old man tiredly rubbed his face with a wrinkled hand, glasses resting on the desk in front of him. The dark haired young man sitting in front of him sat quietly in his seat as he watched his old Headmaster, whom was now his employer. The news he had just reported to him stressed the old man greatly. The fact that Tom, as Albus called him, knew about the prophecy and was now focused intently upon killing either Harry or Neville was bad enough, but now that he had just discovered that Tom had been creating Horcruxes all this time was even worse.

Albus finally dropped his hand and put his glasses back over sad blue eyes and stared at the young, dark man in front of him. Severus Tobias Snape. His spy. A valuable asset.

"Severus, when does he plan to attack?" The young man looked distraught, though he hid it well, as he looked into the eyes of his employer.

"I…I don't know." Albus sighed as the young man looked down at his hands folded in his lap, obviously berating himself for the lack of answer.

"Severus, where are you staying?" Severus looked up in confusion, clearly not understanding the man's jumps from subject to subject. But no matter, it was probably his old age, he reasoned, so he answered.

"At the Leaky Cauldron. Why?"

"You should go home, fix the place up." Albus said, ignoring the question. He looked down to his desk and began rifling through his things. Severus desperately asked him why.

"Sir, why, there is no reason for me to go!" But it was no use, the man had already closed himself off.

"Lemon Drop, my dear boy?" And the old man was once more smiling. The young man only side and stood up, leaving the room.

=^.^=

Albus sighed as Severus left and looked back down at his desk, to the letter sitting on top. He took a Lemon Drop, one of the ones he infused with a Calming Draught, and began to suck on it as he once more looked over the letter.

-Albus,

She performed magic. Today. I tried to take her locket off so that I could wash it - she was playing in the mud today. But she shocked me. I thought it was nothing until I tried it again. I've been nursing my hand for the last two hours. Yes, she cut me. I've tried everything to stop the blood, but it won't stop. You will get your wrinkled self down here and heal me. Now. And I expect answers as to why you lied to me.

-Rose Callaway

He sighed and rubbed a tired hand over his face. This can't be right. The girl is a muggle. She can't have magic. While it is true that all muggles have a small amount of magic in them, it is even less than what a Squib has, and twice as less reliable. No muggle has ever been reported of performing accidental magic. Only witches and wizards are capable of accidental magic.

So how was it that she could? Muggles just don't turn into witches and wizards, it was impossible. He sighed once more and stood, he may as well comfort rose and assure her that her mind was only playing tricks on her.

He slowly walked out of his office and down the spiraling stare case and down the lonely halls, void of students for the time being. It was July 29, 1981. A day before Neville Longbottom's first birthday and two before Harry Potter's. Severus was not sure which one Tom planned to attack, but no matter what, both would have to be protected. The Longbottom's were enough protection as two powerful aurors, though he had a few more aurors taking shifts to check on them. The Potter's were under the Fidelius Charm, Sirius as their Secret-Keeper. He only hoped it was enough.

As he walked closer to the gates of Hogwarts he could see the young man whom had only recently left his office standing outside the gates, as if confused as to where he should go.

"Severus, my boy, why don't you apparate with me? I happen to be going to the same place as you." He smiled pleasantly at the young man. Severus looked reluctant to accompany, but he finally relented and nodded, linking his arm with his employer.

A moment later and they stood in a dark alley of the poor city. Walking down Spinners End only brought bad memories of the times he lived here. He scowled at the things he recognized.

That path over there leading to the playground he used to play at as a child. The market over there, where the meat cutter used to give him some raw meat to place over his eyes whenever the bullies or his father became to rough. The church over there, where the old woman used to straighten his mismatched clothes and force him to sit up straight during sermons. The lady who used to pull him from going to the playground to instead join her for tea time with her old friends.

He looked at the old man in front of him with slight shock as he realized he had been led onto the very same porch of that old woman. And he now looked into the bright green eyes of said woman before she looked away with a glare to instead stare angrily at Albus.

Albus stopped watching Severus from the corner of his eye when the angry old woman in front of him glared at him. She held up her bloody hand covered with layers of cloth, all stained red. She angrily raised a white brow.

"Well? Are you going to explain? And what is he doing here?" She angrily glared at the young beside him again. He sighed and turned to Severus.

"Severus, my boy, there is a little girl inside. I believe she is in…" He paused, as if listening for something before nodding and smiling to himself. "the kitchen. Take her to the playground." He turned back to the old woman and ushered her inside and up the stairs, not giving Severus a choice in the matter. The dark man sighed and walked into the house, following the sounds of bangs until he got to the kitchen.

=^.^=

"Albus, I want answers now, or so help me…" She let it trail off as Albus sighed at her angry expression.

"Rose, it is impossible for her to have performed magic. She was a muggle when I found her and gave her to you. That has not changed. I can't explain what happened to you, but please, let me heal you." He patiently held out his hand for the stubborn woman, a hard glint in his eyes. She finally nodded and lifted her covered hand for him to heal.

"But why is that boy here? He is dangerous." the old man paused in unwrapping her hand before continuing.

"Like I said before, Rose, you do not have to worry about him." She glared as he began performing the necessary charms and spells.

"You're hiding something from me again." He was silent for a moment as he looked over her hand.

"There, all better." She sighed and followed the mysterious and secretive old man down the stairs.

=^.^=

Severus lunged for the nearly two year old girl as she once more tried to run. Her short, ear length bushy brown hair, flew around her ears as she ducked under his arms and continued her run for the swings. He groaned and stood up from the ground, ignoring the looks he was getting from the drunks on the bench, and chased after the little girl. He was growing tired of this game. Who knew a two year old could be cunning enough to outrun him.

He jumped as the little girl tugged on his pants leg. He looked down, slightly surprised to realize he had stopped moving.

"Mister Nose," His eye began to twitch at the name, remembering the times others had made fun of his nose. "why did you stop playin'?" He blinked in shock at the little girl, unaware that two year olds could even speak in coherent sentences.

But Hermione only looked up at him in confusion. Her brown eyes looked up with curiosity as she looked at the man, Mister Nose, as she had dubbed him since he had yet to give her his name. growing bored at his wide eyed expression, she turned and began to skip clumsily away.

She sat on a swing and picked up the pretty locket around her neck, picking some dirt off it as she looked at the snakes that Rose couldn't see. She looked up from her locket and watched the dark haired man walk towards her, anger spreading across his face. She stood from her swing and ran as fast as she could, occasionally jumping from the mans arms.

=^.^=

Albus walked silently along the narrow, cobblestone alley that lead to the run down playground. It had been hours since he had healed and yet, neither had returned. He was worried that Severus had been summoned, that maybe Hermione was all alone in the dark playground, crying in fear. He held in the shiver of worry for the young child he remembered chewing on his beard.

The old man with nearly glowing silver hair, stood out amongst the dark and dingy surrounding of the playground as he watched his dark haired potions professor chasing a little brown haired girl that was no taller than the young mans knees. He began to chuckle as he watched the two, Severus sliding in the mud every time he made a lunge and Hermione deftly ducking from his arms.

He sighed tiredly as he sat down on a rotting bench to watch the two as they happily ran about. Well, happily on Hermione's part. He chuckled again as Severus once more took a face dive into mud. It was a wonder the young man hadn't used his wand yet. But no matter, Albus was content to simply watch the two, smiling gently to Rose as she appeared from the alley, looking at the two still running about.

=^.^=

A/N: Ok, so this chapter was lighter. I hope you guys enjoyed this! I would like to again thank Burnedx2 for their kind review and also coomelove, and Ultanered. Anyways, I would like for people to review. I'm curious as to what you all think about this.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR IT'S CHARACTERS.