Okay, okay, it's time for Severus to come down off of cloud 9 and come back to canon. We know what's going to happen.

Red Panda - Thanks! That's a good thing, right? :)

Guest - Crazy for Severus to mess up his tenses like that. I've since corrected him! Thank for you knowing though, by the way; I don't want things to be messed up.

Steve - Thank you!

LM Ryder the Batty Bat - That sounds interesting! There's a lot of really bad things that could have happened to Snape's parents. It could make for a really good fanfic, though it would be pretty dark. I can just imagine his dad killing his mother, because the guy was abusive, and that is what sometimes happens with abusive couples...

Red Furry Demon - Lily was a pretty badass girl. She hung out with a Slytherin and she defied Voldemort three times. A lot of the times, people like to paint her as really innocent and everything. I say she was a bit of a daredevil, myself! And, she had the talent and ability to make Veritaserum. It isn't here because they're all from Severus' point of view, but I say that Lily talked with her friends on the train home fifth year about Severus, they tell her he fancies her, she decides to forgive him over the summer, and then she sets about making the potion at the beginning of sixth year, because it takes about a month to make. She's known him for too long to believe he'd every admit anything to her on his own accord!

"That is just as well, Potter," said Snape coldly, "because you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Easters."

"No - that's your job, isn't it?" Harry shot at him.

He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in temper. For a long moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone too far. But there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on Snape's face when he answered.

"Yes, Potter," he said, his eyes glinting. "That is my job."

- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter twenty-six

September 1980

The meeting was to begin at five sharp. No one was allowed to get there early or late. That was because Dumbledore needed the time to take Severus to headquarters and tell him the plan of action.

"You'll stay out here until I have had time to talk with them all," Dumbledore was telling him. "And then, Severus, I'll come get you."

"What do you want me to do, sir?" Severus asked, feeling uneasy.

"Severus, you're twenty years old. You don't need to call me 'sir.' First names will do. And you are going to explain everything you know about Voldemort's plan to kill Harry Potter -"

"Oh no, I can't -"

"You said 'anything.'"

Severus swallowed. "What are you going to do to protect them?"

"Well, unfortunately, I will not be sharing that information with you, Severus."

Severus felt put-out, even though he understood Dumbledore's reasoning. "So you don't trust me?"

"On the contrary," Dumbledore said seriously, peering at him from above his glasses. "I do. I do trust you. However, I know James will certainly not. Therefore, I have to respect his future skepticism. It is his family that is in danger, after all. No, Severus, I remember you in school. I remember looking into your mind, despite your inexperienced abilities to shut me out. I believe you are indeed trying to save Lily's life because you love her. Most definitely. You may have made grave mistakes, but you are motivated by the highest of reasons... You have truly mastered Occlumency now, though, Severus. You'll need that if you are going to fool Lord Voldemort -"

"I know the risks."

"Hmm," Dumbledore muttered as he looked around the room. "Yes, I know. Now you will remain behind these doors" - he indicated the door behind Severus - "until I come get you. It will be a shock for everyone. I instructed them to not arrive and go through that entrance. Lily and James and Harry have been at Sirius' house. I tipped them off to leave their home immediately with Harry and not take anything with them. They'll be very interested to know why."

"Great," Severus mumbled.

"They'll start getting here in a few minutes. Go on, Severus, through the door."

And so, with his heart thumping, Severus went to his hiding spot. As he heard the other Order members arrive and sit at the gigantic table, Severus reminded himself why he was doing this. He didn't want to face Lily. Potter was fine, Black was fine, but not Lily. He had become what he always swore to her he would never be. The Dark Mark was never going to go away. Lily was never going to forgive him. Her last name was Potter now. And everything was Severus' fault. All of it.

A hush fell over the room and Severus heard Dumbledore speak.

"I know," Dumbledore said, "That you are all wondering why I gave you such peculiar instructions regarding this meeting, especially James and Lily... I can announce that we now have a spy."

There was some muttering at this.

"A Death Eater?" Severus heard his old teacher, Minerva McGonagall, say.

"A former Death Eater," Dumbledore corrected. "He has come to me willingly, on his own accord. And he brought with him information. Unfortunately, the information he has brought with him is not good news. However, thanks to him, we now have an advantage over Lord Voldemort. We are now one step ahead of him. He is someone most of you will remember from Hogwarts."

Severus could hear Dumbledore was walking toward him. Everyone in the room was completely silent.

"I am going to ask you all to give your utmost respect."

Severus squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of dread washed over him. Dumbledore opened the door and motioned for him to walk in. So, with a hammering heart, Severus walked into the room full of people that recognized him.

Severus heard Lily gasp and Potter immediately began to protest.

"No way!" Potter was shouting. Severus looked at him and saw he was holding a baby. "No bloody way is Snivellus -"

"He's not a spy for us," Black shouted. "He's a spy for fucking -"

"Sirius, Harry's in the room," Potter shouted at his friend.

"Sorry, mate, there's no way Snape is a spy for us; he's a spy for Voldemort!"

Severus didn't answer them. The only chair that was open was the one that was directly across from Lily and Potter. He knew Dumbledore did this on purpose. He lowered himself into the seat and kept his eyes on Dumbledore rather than Lily or Potter.

"Fortunately," Dumbledore told Potter sternly, "I was not born yesterday. Don't think I am not cautious about this, James. Severus is not going to be given any information that can truly be used against us. But he has brought to me - and you - information that will probably save your lives. Severus, go on, tell us all what you know."

Severus looked at the water glass that was sitting in front of him and told it, "The Dark Lord is no longer focusing on killing muggle-borns and Albus Dumbledore. He has a new target. A prophecy was made; I don't know its full contents and neither does the Dark Lord, but... He thinks the prophecy was made about Harry Potter."

Severus regrettably looked up at Lily and Potter and saw Potter looked stunned. Lily's face was white as a sheet. The dark-haired baby called Harry Potter remained asleep, completely oblivious that this meeting was all for him, and Severus felt jealous of him.

"Why?" Lily finally asked.

Severus spoke to the water glass again. "The prophecy stated that only one person has the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. That person, he believes, is Harry Potter. If he could choose between killing Dumbledore versus killing Harry Potter, he would choose Harry Potter. Actually, the prophecy could have also been referring to your son, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom," he said, looking at them. "But the Dark Lord decided the prophecy meant Harry Potter instead... Make no mistake, the Dark Lord is obsessed. All of his other objectives have been put aside and will remain that way until he sees Harry Potter killed."

Neither Lily nor Potter said anything. Severus had expected them to go into hysterics, but they only stared at him as he tried to avoid meeting their eyes.

"I know the full contents of the prophecy," Dumbledore said, "that I will share with you both. There is magic that can be used to help protect you, James and Lily. I will discuss this with you privately, as soon as this meeting is adjourned. Severus - though I completely trust him and I know his story - will not be told what this protection against Voldemort is."

"Because he can't be trusted," Black hissed.

"No," Dumbledore said, turning his gaze onto Black. "Because in case Voldemort realizes he is a spy and decides to torture Severus for information, Severus honestly won't know anything."

September 1980

During each meeting, Severus tried not to look at Lily or Potter or Black or really anyone, but he found himself watching her out of the corner of his eye anyway. She was looking toward him a lot and it made him feel uneasy. As soon as the meeting was over, Severus took off like a bullet as usual and went through the door into the back hallway, but he could tell someone was pursuing him quickly and he knew who it was.

"Severus!" Lily said as she followed him.

He didn't stop walking.

"Sev!" She grabbed his right hand.

He yanked it from her grasp as if she burned him. He stopped walking and glared at her.

She let out a sigh and looked down before looking back up again as he waited with impatience. "I wanted to thank you," she said finally.

"Okay," he said shortly, not looking at her. "You're welcome." He turned back around, but she grabbed his hand again.

"Wait!"

He turned back around to face her, feeling distinctly uncomfortable about the whole atmosphere. She looked pretty, far too pretty. Her green eyes were sparkling. He had not talked to her in over three years. The last time she had said anything to him at all was when she screamed at him and called him a son of a bitch, but he tried to not think about that right now.

"I also wanted to apologize too," she said.

Still he didn't say anything.

"Listen, Sev, I'm sorry what I've put you through... I'm sorry things went the way they did. I know that growing up makes things complicated, and what was once simple can't be anymore because we make it that way, but on some level, I'll always be your friend... and with what you've done for my family and me, I'll always be in your debt."

He swallowed but didn't speak.

She smiled gently and looked down again. "I knew you were good... I'm glad the Slytherins and Voldemort didn't take that all away from you, even though James still thinks you're evil."

"Don't say his name."

This time her smile was real. "Voldemort or James?"

It took everything in Severus to not smile. "I don't deserve your gratitude," he said. Because really, he didn't. He had told Voldemort about the prophecy. It didn't matter whether or not he knew Voldemort would interpret it to mean Harry Potter. If he hadn't joined and served Voldemort, she would not be in the danger she was in now. He considered telling her this, but he decided he was too cowardly.

"Leave me alone," he said tersely. This time when he turned around, she did not follow or stop him.

Do you know how you're getting old? When you realize Snape was only twenty years old when Harry was born. He was barely an adult. And then he was only twenty-one when he began teaching - only three years older than his oldest students. And then he was only thirty-one when Harry began his first year. Holy crap, Snape was actually young.