Author's Note:

Once again a BIG thank you to all those who have reviewed and/ or added this story to your favourites and alerts lists, I get really excited when I see how many hits this story is getting : )

Quick reminder: In this story characters may at times appear to be ooc and although it will follow the time line of the books I have created scenarios and events which did not occur in J K Rowling's novels to suit my plot.

DISCLAIMER:

Sadly I make no money from this story and do not own the Harry Potter series, it belongs to J. and WB, I just like to play with her characters : ) Anything/ anyone you recognise belongs to her but the rest is all mine!

In the previous chapter...

It was his fault that the Dark Lord had learned of the prophesy and had killed her, now he would protect the woman who still held his heart with his dying breath if he must.

The sound of the fire roaring up and then settling back down again caught his attention and he turned to investigate. Sat on the hearth was a torn piece of parchment with just four words written on it:

Green Street, Mayfair, London.

oOoOoOoOo

Chapter 8.

After a long hard day of shopping in Oxford Street and Regent Street Grace was thankful to be out of the rain and warm and comfortable in the back of her Black Cab, speeding towards Mayfair and watching the busy London streets flash by with interest.

The woman jogging with her Labrador at her side and earphones blocking out the world around her. The man in his suit, marching along the pavement under a huge black golfing umbrella shouting into his phone. And as the black cab turned onto Green Street, the tall lanky man in a long black wax jacket with the collar turned up against the pouring rain. He stood leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets seemingly seeking shelter from the rain, and this wouldn't have attracted a second glance from the cab's passenger if it weren't for one thing...the man was under a disillusionment charm.

To Muggles or Wizards he would – as the charm intended – not be noticeable. However, to Grace's sharp eyes the charm covered the man in a fog like substance which rather than helping to keep him hidden only served to make him more noticeable! It disguised his features somewhat but still drew her attention to him.

Intrigued, she reached out with her mind until she felt the familiar presence of her maker.

'Lils?'

'Yeah?'

'Take a look out the front window. Be discreet.'

'...ok...what am I looking at?'

'The man in black. Top of the road.'

'...yeah, what about him?'

'I think he's a Death Eater. He's tried to disillusion himself and other than us this is an exclusively Muggle neighbourhood.'

'...crap'

"Indeed" Grace mumbled as she paid the driver and grabbing all her bags sprinted at Human speed up the steps to the front door which opened to admit her as soon as she approached and closed itself and reapplied the wards as soon as it clicked shut. Dropping her bags in the hall she made her way to Lily's room on the top floor of the town house and found the door open.

Inside she saw her maker kneeling on the window seat behind the curtain staring intently at the man. As Grace knelt behind Lily and peered round her shoulder she saw that he remained in the street below, but he had moved closer (almost directly opposite now) and seemed to be focusing on the house.

"Bit of a coincidence don't you think?" Lily murmured "Years without seeing another member of the Wizarding community then one rescue mission later we have a Wizard under disillusionment watching the house."

"But how would they find us here? We've only just arrived, we used false names and documents when we bought the house, we stay away from the wizarding areas of London and we held Pettigrew at the old house in America so even if by some miracle someone broke through the memory charms he couldn't direct them here. It's got to be a coincidence. Nobody knows we're here."

As Grace kept on thinking aloud, an alarm bell rang in Lily's mind. 'Nobody knows we're here"...except that wasn't true. Someone did know. Dumbledore knew, because against her better judgement she had told him of her change of address. In the back of her mind she was already thinking of ways to get in contact with her son and she had wanted the Headmaster to know her address so that if ever it seemed the Order could no longer protect him, he would send Harry to her.

Dumbledore knew. And the shady and suddenly familiar figure on the street below seemed proof that Dumbledore's spy was also privy to their location.

"Snape" Lily hissed, cutting through Graces list of possible explanations for their shadow. "It's Severus bloody Snape."

Upon correctly identifying the man, unbeknownst to him, any protection against the vampires' eyes that the disillusionment charm had given him melted away giving them an unimpeded view of the man in question.

The years had not been kind Lily thought to herself. Always tall, pale and somewhat lanky, Severus now seemed gaunt with sallow skin and the deep shadows under his eyes suggested insomnia. She wondered idly if his hair was still as silky as it had once been. Frowning, Lily straightened her back and hardened her heart to the sorry state that her former best friend was in.

"The question is: which master sent him to spy on us? Dumbledore or Voldemort?"

oOoOoOoOo

A week. It had taken the brave Slytherin a week to get the courage to visit Mayfair in London and for a while he had been unsure what to do next. There were so many houses and apartments on Green Street he wasn't sure where to begin till Lady Luck gave him a rare helping hand.

Round the corner swept a black London cab, identical to all others except for the magical atmosphere surrounding the vehicle. Interest piqued, he watched as an attractive woman with wavy caramel hair bounded out of the cars laden with bags from various Muggle fashion houses and ran straight into one of the houses.

From standing here in the rain for the past few hours he had noted that this was undoubtedly a Muggle neighbourhood, filled with upper-middleclass and upper-class families and couples all except this house. This house had drawn him to it with its powerful magical signature and his hunch was now further proved when he made his way closer to the house, cast alohomora wordlessly from his place against the wall and felt the houses wards repel his attempt.

This is it! He thought, stomach flipping with nerves and excitement. This is the house. This is her house! Elation and adrenalin pumping through his body, Severus was suddenly aware of the hair on the back of his neck standing on-end, letting him know that he was being watched by someone close...someone behind him.

Trying not to draw attention to the movement, Severus reached for his wand in its hiding place up his sleeve but before his fingers could grasp the wand he felt a pain on the back of his head. As the pavement rushed up to meet him he slipped into unconsciousness.

oOoOoOoOo

Watching from the upstairs window Lily and Grace watched the stealthy approach of Rose and Sophia, saw them flank the Master Spy and Rose take him down swiftly and efficiently. Checking that nobody had seen them her two children half carried half dragged him across the street, up the stairs and into the house.

Lily rushed down to meet them stopping on the bottom step to survey the scene in the hallway. "What the HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" she hissed.

"He's the Death Eater that got away, he was watching us." Rose explained while she shucked her bag off her shoulder and pushed it to the side of the hall with her foot. "If he's found us then Lord Moldyshorts won't be far behind. We should kill him and leave right away."

"Or," Suggested Sophia nervously watching for Lily's reaction "we could just modify his memories and dump him somewhere isolated like the New Forest? Or Mount Snowden?"

"No." Lily bit her bottom lip and played with the wedding ring on the chain round her neck absently while she thought. "No. First we need to find who sent him. If it's the Dark Lord then we need to leave as soon as possible. If it's Albus then he may be bringing us a message."

"Then why would he be skulking around?" Rose shrugged the unconscious wizard's arm of her shoulder and unsupported by either of his attackers he slumped to the floor with all the grace of a sack of potatoes.

Lily smiled ruefully, gaze fixed on the man she once knew and let out a choked laugh. "Skulking, spying, scheming...that's what Severus does best." Shaking her head to clear it of the conflicting emotions and memories she pulled herself together and took charge of the situation.

"Grace, Sophia, take him to the guest room. Search him, take his wand and anything else you find then secure him and ward the room against any escape or rescue attempts. Rose, I want you to use the Blood Connection with Pettigrew to see if he knows of any Death Eater plans involving Severus hunting us down or killing us, or any planned Muggle attacks in London; specifically Mayfair."

The trio rushed to obey and in another situation, on another day, Lily might have found the sight of them practically falling over one another in their haste to obey amusing. But nothing about this situation was amusing. Nothing.

oOoOoOoOo

Slowly, consciousness dawned for the 'guest' of number 9 Green Street in Mayfair London though he soon wished he was still out cold. Once the initial relief of feeling a soft feather pillow against his face set in he became all too aware of a pounding in his head that made him grit his teeth while fighting down waves of nausea that followed each wave of pain. He wouldn't open his eyes, the light was sure to make him feel worse.

Dimly he was aware of voices nearby, though muffled as if through a wall or door. The voices were discussing him. And Wormtail. And The Dark Lord, and The Headmaster. Little made any sense to him through the fog of pain but he gathered that they had examined a 'Blood Connection' with the rat to find if he knew of his being sent here to spy on or attack them.

Of Course they created a Blood Connection! The reason why the memory charm placed on Wormtail was so strong and they were able to sift through the traitors thoughts, memories and emotions at will! Severus felt another tremendous surge of admiration for his former best friend and love of his life. If the know it all Hermione Granger was the 'brightest witch of her age' then Lily Ev – Potter was without a doubt the brightest of her age. Of any age in Severus' humble opinion.

At some point in his internal ramblings the voices had vanished and the only sound was the click of the door and soft foot falls on the carpeted floor. The bed sank by his hip on his left side as someone sat beside him and the movement caused his prone body to shift so that the surprisingly warm hip of his captor was pressed against his own. Even through the layers of clothes that separated them, the heat burned him. His sensitive Potion Master's nose detected Casablanca Lily, Spicy Incense, gardenia and jasmine. He inhaled deeply, feeling his eyes begin to sting with unshed tears and his heart felt as though it were bound tightly by iron.

"Lily" the name soft and reverent as a prayer on his lips. A small warm hand was placed on the small of his back and was jerked away when both gasped at the electric current that seemed to pass between them.

Severus struggled to turn to see her, to be sure that this was real but was prevented by Lily cooing at him to remain still.

"That's quite some bump on your head. You need to rest a while, and then we'll send you on your way." Stunned into silence by the whirlwind of events Severus could only nod carefully and fix his eyes on the window while he concentrated on breathing. In, out, in, out.

oOoOoOoOo

The sky beyond the window was still dark with rain clouds, the only sound the heavy beat of the rain on the glass and water being wrung from a rag into a bowl.

Focusing on the wound on the back of Severus' head Lily began cleaning away the dried blood and decided to test the information taken from Wormtail' mind...and test the waters between them after so many years.

"So" she began conversationally "you're here as ambassador to the Dark Lord then." Severus hissed as she applied a little too much pressure whilst cleaning. "First he wants me and my family dead then he wants me as an ally! He can't seriously think that I would ever side with him against my own Son?"

"He doesn't know it's you"

"..."

"He only knows what Wormtail could tell him – well done by the way, the memory charm has taken well – and I only told him what he already knew. However, it weren't for the false memories of you pursuing Wormtail in daylight the Dark Lord would be none the wiser but now he's determined to bring a coven of Day Walkers into the Death Eater ranks."

Lily rinsed out the cloth once again and gently patted the area dry with an old towel. For a few seconds the rain was the only sound again, till the Slytherin cautiously broke the silence just as his captor/ nursemaid began gathering soiled cloths and dirtied water bowl ready to leave.

"He didn't send me." Lily paused, arms full standing beside the bed. "Neither did the Headmaster, although he did give me the address. I came because I...because...I had to see you." She turned, and found herself looking down into warm chocolate eyes that implored her to believe him. "I failed you before." He croaked and Lily's grip on the bowel tightened "That day beside the lake, and again when I couldn't...couldn't save you."

Lily began shaking her head, backing away to the door, unable to cope with these reminders of periods of her life she tried so hard to forget.

"I failed you, but I will not fail you again. I won't let him find you, or hurt you again. I promise you" he swore vehemently. "I promise you Lils".

That was it; the use of her old nickname broke something within the powerful coven leader and reduced her to a quivering wreck on the floor. Not caring that she was kneeling in the mess of dirty water and cloths, or that she was supposed to be the powerful, cold and ruthless enemy of the Dark Lord she could do nothing to prevent the bloody tears that ran down her face before her supposed enemy.

He had searched for her! Neither he nor any of the others had ever replied to her letters over the years and she had thought him lost to Darkness years ago, but a small part of her had always mourned the loss of her best friend. The boy she had grown up with, learnt magic with...and eventually had begun to have feelings for. At school she had suspected the sullen, socially awkward boy had a crush on her and once she began to examine her own blossoming feelings realised that she felt something for him too. She had even been thinking of ways to make the first move because clearly Severus was too shy to do anything!

But everything had ended the day he had called her a Mudblood and by the time she had calmed down enough it was too late for them. He had chosen his path and she had chosen hers but she had never stopped missing him, or wondering what might have been if only she had forgiven him when she had the chance.

Now as she ruthlessly dashed the tears from her face she saw before her not the Snarky Hogwarts Professor, the formidable Death Eater or cunning Spy but Severus – her friend. Her Severus.

With as much dignity as she could muster she cleared her throat, tossed her head high and strode towards the door before a thought occurred to her. Not feeling strong enough to face him again she half turned at the doorway directing her question in his direction.

"You said he didn't know I was one of the Vampires that attacked his Death Eaters, so you didn't tell him...why didn't you tell him it was me?"

A small self-derogatory laugh reached her ears "Don't you know by now? Can't you guess?"

Feeling her stomach swoop and turn summersaults with something akin to happiness Lily softly closed the door behind her. And despite the growing danger all around and the tears threatening to fall again, Lily had a smile on her face and hope in her heart.

A/N: So Severus and Lily have met again! I'd love to hear what you think about them meeting again.

Did you like/ dislike the way they interacted?

What do you think will happen next?

Please comment/ review, I love to hear your thoughts on the story so far, what you like, what you don't like, your predictions for what might happen in the future of this story.

Come on, don't be shy! ; )