Severus walked into the sitting room to find his mother and Dumbledore deep in conversation. This will not end well he was thinking as he inched closer to where they were.
"Albus I don't care what it costs, I don't care who has to be bribed or bought! Just do it!" Eileen stated flatly.
Severus cleared his throat to make his presence known.
"Well Severus…. I hear you had an eventful night." Dumbledore eyeing him over his spectacles.
"Yes sir, we did. It was unintentional in the moment but it is what it is and Lily is very happy about it and I cannot say I didn't wait this. Maybe not at this exact moment but none the less I'm not unhappy, just worried." Severus said standing his ground.
"Severus dear, we have been tossing around ideas to help conceal this marriage until such time that things can be set right." Eileen trying to ease her son's fears.
"Good Morning!" Lily beamed as she pranced through the house stopping next to Severus and hooking her arm through his.
"Good Morning dear. Congratulations! I so wish I could have been here." Eileen said smiling at Lily then glaring at Severus.
"Mrs. Prince I am so sorry about that. My parents will be very upset as well. We honestly had no clue it was real. I don't remember Sirius saying anything last night. We honestly thought it was a joke." Lily said apologetically.
"I heard sweetheart. I do hope Shelby managed to take pictures. I was told she was sent after a camera and came back with a camera and your rings." Eileen smiled.
"I'm sure she did mother. You know how Shelby is; she would never fail anything asked of her. She probably took so many if you flicked them quickly it would show you the entire thing." Severus laughed.
"One can only hope." Eileen bit still a little bitter.
"Lily dear we need to discuss the consequences of last night. You have to return to school in four days. We must keep this a secret until it is safe." Severus told her with a bit of disappointment in his voice.
"Do I have to go back? Why can't I stay with you? I don't want to leave you for six months." Lily said almost begging.
"Yes. You are returning. You are safer there and you know I am called at all hours and you would be alone. Not to mention you must take and pass your N.E.W.T.S. You are not giving up your dreams because we are married. We will still be married in six months when you finish." Severus stated sternly.
Lily huffed and looked to Mrs. Prince and Dumbledore for help but neither would agree with her. Knowing she was defeated finally asked Dumbledore "Headmaster, I will gladly return to Hogwarts and finish this year and continue on as we had planned but I would like to respectfully ask to be allowed to come home to my husband on the weekends."
Dumbledore gave her a half smile "I think we can work around that as long as Severus says it is safe for you here."
"Have you figured out what to do about her name?" Severus asked anxiously
"What about my name?" Lily asked confused.
"Love in our world when one marries their name automatically changes. When those vows were sealed last night your name changed from Evans to Snape; everything at Hogwarts now has the name Lily Snape." Severus informed her with a voice laced in worry.
"Oh! That's a problem huh…" Lily said peering up at him.
"Yes, a rather large problem." Severus eyeing Dumbledore silently pleading for an answer.
"What about everything before last night? Will that remain Evans or has my whole existence as Lily Evans magically disappeared?" Lily asked trying to figure out this craziness.
Eileen lightly giggled, "Lily dear, you did not lose your existence as an Evans. Severus has failed to explain this properly. I am sure you are familiar with name changes in the muggle world, where the wife after the wedding goes to the correct places with her marriage certificate and legally changes her name in the proper places." Lily nodded her head to acknowledge she understood so far. "In our world the same thing happens only magically. Everything before your marriage will remain the same. The exception being you don't have to visit several places to change your name and we don't have marriage paperwork. Magical marriages are made by vow not by paper. Every piece of paper you turned in at Hogwarts that was there before Christmas break still has Lily Evans on it. Your return will be the problem dear."
Lily stood there thinking of the things that could possibly change that would be a problem "What about my apparition license? Did that change?"
"No, dear. You obtained that before your marriage, it isn't like muggle drivers license; it doesn't renew every few years. Albus and I talked about this at length this morning, you should have nothing at the Ministry change, for now." Eileen trying to soothe Lily's fears.
"I understand magical marriage is by vow but the Ministry has to have some record of it. Do our names magically appear somewhere in a book or something?" Lily asked still in confusion.
Eileen pulled a knowing smirk with a hint of evil "Lily dear, the Ministry is a rather large place and documents go missing all the time." Winking at Severus who finally grinned.
Lily gave a nod knowing that they already had something planned to make a certain something disappear for the time being. "What about Hogwarts? How will it be hidden there?" Lily asked.
"I have a solution that will work until the end of the school year. Lily I can change your name back to Evans at Hogwarts, probably before anyone notices. That will only work until you take N.E.W.T.S; those are legal documents that will go to the Ministry. Upon those being filed at the Ministry, your new name will have an official record. So we have some time to sort through this until then. Of course you will have to hide your rings with a disillusionment charm while at school." Dumbledore giving a weary smile.
"If I were pureblood or half blood this wouldn't even matter." Lily said frustrated.
"Lily I wouldn't want the Dark Lord to know of this even if you were his cousin. The man is evil. He would use you against me like a pawn." Severus said exasperated.
"That's funny because Lucius and Narcissa got married. You can't tell me they aren't a part of this!" Lily bit back.
"Yes they did. I was there. They both are morons and yes, I told them so. Lily do you realize should this get out even if you were pureblood the role you would be forced to take? It must have escaped your notice that you are married to a death eater. I don't think you would enjoy sitting in on these meetings. Wives are not off limits. Vows mean nothing to him. I will not have you in his presence. Ever!" Severus trying to hold back his irritation.
"I didn't think about that." Lily admitted quietly letting his words sink in. Lily finally realized how much danger they were in. "I will do whatever you tell me to do. I won't say a word to anyone but can we please tell my parents before the end of the school year? I'd like for them to know before the Ministry does."
"Yes love, we will tell them when you feel the time is right." Severus smiling at her.
"Lily, Severus, we will work this out. I have the connections and you have the money we will sort all of this out quickly. I wouldn't worry too much about telling your parents. As I understand his focus at the moment is getting into the Ministry. He is trying to take over our world through the government. Torturing and killing muggles have taken a back seat at the moment. I will be working on this diligently but for now I must go." Dumbledore stood walking over to Severus to shake his hand leaving a piece of parchment. Just before apparating he looked to Severus and said "Being your wife now I think she can know." He gave a wink and was gone.
"What can I know?" Lily asked with a questioning arched eyebrow.
Severus shot his mother a panicked look. Eileen nodded and smiled "Lily dear shall we make tea and talk for a few minutes alone please. I feel I barely know you."
Severus never gave her a chance to protest; as soon as his mother started talking he left the room. He went to their bedroom closed the door he opened the parchment he was still clutching knowing what it was.
Madame Lily Snape
Prince Manor and Guest House
Tickenham Road,
Somerset, England
Albus Dumbledore
"Meddlesome man." Severus said to himself. He wasn't exactly ready to tell Lily what all came with his name. He wasn't sure how she would feel about it. The guest house was similar to what most people considered average. To Lily it looked like something he could afford with his grandfathers help of course. She had no clue that when the man passed away just a few short months ago very shortly after he had returned to their lives; that he left Severus everything. Eileen inherited a substantial amount of money but everything else belonged to Severus. Severus had been smart enough to go to Dumbledore before the will was read and have it conveniently disappear much like the record of their marriage would. Eileen and Severus being the last Prince heirs there would be no need for a will reading. The Ministry had no record of Severus owning the Manor and Severus and Dumbledore cast a Fidelius charm upon both the Manor and guest house. They had mutually agreed it would be best kept a secret from the Dark Lord, as they were afraid he would attempt to use the Manor as a gathering place as he did with the Malfoy Manor. Dumbledore being secret keeper had decided with this piece of parchment Severus now was making Lily a secret keeper by willingly giving her the address. I suppose she has the right to know it is her home now he thought. Hell everything I own is hers now. Won't she be shocked. Lily grew up in a nicer home with much better parents but she was about to be in for the shock of a lifetime.