All Previous Disclaimers Apply

It was the day before the first Quidditch game of the season. It would be Slytherin going up against Hufflepuff. Severus' stomach was doing backflips inside of his body, which was why he wasn't eating any of his breakfast.

The United were in the Great Hall that Friday at Hufflepuff table. Meaning Severus and Sebastian weren't the most welcome people to be sitting there. However, seeing as how they were friends of Sam's, both were welcome.

Lily rubbed her boyfriend's hand. "Sev quit your worrying. You haven't eaten your oatmeal."

Severus was sweating bullets. "I can't help it, Lily. I'm nervous."

Sebastian took a swig of his milk. "Relax Severus. You're doing yourself no favors by worrying. We either win, or we don't."

"Well at least one of us can be so nonchalant about this." Severus sighed. He played with his oatmeal for a bit before pushing it aside.

Then like clockwork, the owls came to drop off their letters and post for the day. Severus leaned his head on his hand when a beautiful black eagle owl flew through the Great Hall and landed gingerly before Severus.

He marveled at the black coat of the owl before him. "Well hello, who are you?"

His friends all looked at the owl.

"Beautiful…"

"She's gorgeous!"

"…what makes you think it's a she?"

"Look at its coat!"

Severus saw it had a letter in its beak. "Is this for me?"

The owl dropped the letter before Severus. He took the letter and opened it to read from its contents.

'Dear Severus,

First, let me say how proud I am to hear that you've made the Slytherin Quidditch team. It has been too long since the great House of Prince has had a flier in our midst. Your great great grandfather Julius was the last to be a Quidditch Player and was very good too. Until his career was cut short due to a stray bludger to the head.

I digress. Your mother, uncle, and I shall be in attendance at your first game to cheer you on. If you find yourself stressing over your first game. Just remember this, you will always have the love and support of your family. Also, if you were to get injured during this game I'll have Dumbledore's head on a plate for what happened to you!

Again, I digress, I look forward to seeing you after the game. No matter the outcome.

Yours sincerely,

Grandfather Darius.'

Severus smiled, he could feel the tension leave his body before reading the postscript.

'P.S.

Your mother told me what had happened to your previous owl. I am sorry to hear that, and as a replacement, please take this Black Eagle Owl as a replacement familiar. His name is Uriel, and shall serve you faithfully.'

Severus looked at the owl before him. He stroked Uriel's head affectionately and heard the soft chirp from the owl. "Hello, Uriel."

"Is he yours, Sev?" Lily asked her boyfriend.

"Yeah, my grandfather gifted him to me. His name is Uriel."

Lily smiled and softly pet Uriel. "What a beautiful name for a handsome owl," She complimented the eagle owl, who allowed Lily to pet him further.

Over from Gryffindor table, James, Peter, and Sirius were looking over at Severus with disgust. "Ugh, looks like Snivellus got himself a new owl," Sirius growled.

James snarled. "An ugly owl, for an ugly rotter." He turned back to Sirius and Peter. Remus wasn't there as it was nearing time for the full moon. Where Moony would come out, and when Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail would play.

Peter leaned in, "When are we going to use the Polyjuice?"

James drank his Apple Juice. "I don't know, I'm still thinking,"

"Oh, come one Prongs! After what those arseholes did to us last week? It took us ages to get that green off our skin! You still have a green tinge to your hair!"

James shuddered. "Don't remind me! Let's just wait for the right opportunity, or when I feel like it."

Just then another owl came by Severus and dropped off a package shaped suspiciously like a broom in front of Severus. Uriel leapt out of the way, and right into Lily's arms.

"Whoa!" Severus ran his hands across the brown wrapping paper.

"Another gift from your grandfather?" Sam asked him.

"I don't know. Is there a note?" Severus looked at the package for a note.

Xeno found the note and handed it to him. "Here you are Severus!"

"Thanks, Xeno." Severus read the note under his breath.

'Severus,

I heard you were playing Quidditch. Cool.

Every Quidditch player needs a broom. Am I right?

So, take this one. It was collecting dust in my father's study. He was always ranting for the past fifteen years on when it'll ever get some use.

So, I figured, it'll get some use with you!

Use it wisely, and make sure to bond with it sooner, rather than later.

-Savion.'

Severus turned his head at the note. "Bond with it? What does that mean?"

"No clue," Sam added.

Riley smiled. "Open it Severus!"

"Yeah!" Maxwell grinned. "Let's see what we're dealing with!"

"Yeah okay," Severus put the note in his pocket and started playing with the edges. He cleanly undid the twine keeping the paper together, and started unwrapping it.

"Merlin! Will you hurry up! It's not like you're unhooking Lily's bra strap!" Michael boorishly exclaimed.

Lily scoffed as Severus glared at him. "Nate?"

Nate shook his head once and slugged Michael in the arm.

"Ow! Fuck!" He rubbed his arm. "Sorry! God!"

"Thank you." Severus unwrapped the paper from the broom.

"What do you think Riley? Is it a Comet 220?" Maxwell asked his cousin.

"No, it's too small. What about a Tinderblast?" Riley responded.

Macbeth shook his head, "Tinderblasts haven't been released in the U.K. yet."

Now, this whole unwrapping had gotten Hufflepuff table's attention.

Ted Tonks was looking over towards Severus' way. "Heads up Amos, Snape got himself a brand-new broom."

Amos looked at that way too, "I'm not worried. No broom could turn a green flier like him into a viable threat."

And soon the attention was brought over to Ravenclaw Table. "Hey Regulus, check it out! Severus got himself a new broom." Adam Bernstein informed him.

Regulus, being the Seeker for the Ravenclaw team looked on. The Black Blur, as he was known, was interested to see what type of broom Severus had received.

Slytherin had taken notice as well. Lucius looked over at Hufflepuff table. Mulciber also looked onwards. "What's Snivellus got over there?"

Lucius turned a nose towards Mulciber. "I don't know, and his name is Severus, Ian."

The Marauders looked over as well. "What the hell does Snivvy have over there?" James frowned as he put his silverware down.

Severus had unwrapped the last of the paper and revealed the broom in all of its magnificent beauty.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!" Riley shouted so loud, the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest could hear him. "THAT'S A FUCKING CENTURION SIGMA!"

The United all gathered around Severus' new Centurion Sigma. Severus marveled at the black wooden broom as his fingers ran over the gold lettering, 'Centurion Sigma.'

At the uttering of the word 'Sigma' by Pretty soon everyone was dying to get a peek at it.

Amos' eyes bugged out of his head as Ted looked over at his Quidditch captain and struggled not to say anything.

Regulus was excited to see if his pure talent could out-perform a broom like a Centurion Sigma.

Lucius could hardly contain his pure joy; the season was sure to be theirs. Mulciber was gritting his teeth in such loathing you'd think he'd chip a tooth.

James Potter, in quiet loathing, got up and stormed out of the Hall. With Sirius and Peter following suit.

Severus looked around and felt trapped. With the entire student body trying to sneak a peek, he turned over towards his friends. "You think we can get out of here?"

"Yeah right, great idea." Sam turned to Macbeth and Nate. "Make a hole you two!"

Nate and Macbeth both used their strength to push aside grabby-handed students and gave their friends breathing room to get out. The United all surrounded Severus as he carried Uriel and The Sigma out of the Hall and up to the Grand Staircase.

They walked up the first two flights. "I just have to put the broom, and Uriel in the clubhouse for safe…" Severus was jerked towards the edge of the staircase, nearly over the barrier. Uriel flew out of Severus' arms and took the sky. Thankfully Macbeth caught Severus but was struggling to keep him from falling over. The Sigma barely grasped in both of his hands.

"What the fuck?!" Severus swore as he looked over to see James Potter, trying to summon the Sigma out of his hands. Potter and his cronies were below him at the ground level.

"Potter!? Have you lost your mind, you dunderheaded idiot?!" Lily yelled at her hated classmate.

"Shut up Evans! Snivellus doesn't deserve that broom! He doesn't deserve anything, but to be paraded around in his underpants!"

Macbeth groaned. "He's using a powerful Accio. I don't think I can hold on much longer!"

"Severus let go! We can get it back later!" Xeno pleaded with his friend.

"I'm not giving anything up! Not this time!" Severus held on to the Sigma with all of his might.

James growled with a laced venom. "Then you can fall all the way to the…"

James did not get to finish that thought as Sam's fist connected with the side of his face. Releasing his Accio, and making sure Severus, and Macbeth were gonna be okay. "Fucking arsehole!"

James fell to the ground, and Sirius drew his wand and pointed right at Sam's throat. Now! He finally had Yalarad right where he wanted him.

Sam didn't flinch, he stood up straight and looked Sirius right in the eyes. "I got you right where I want you." Sirius grinned, his wand poking into Sam's neck.

Samual though gave him no ground on which to stand. "Go ahead. I'm not armed. I ain't got my wand. Go ahead! Prove to me you're nothing more than Potter's little attack dog!"

Sirius gritted his teeth at that statement Sam made.

Peter was helping James up to his feet. "Hex the bastard Padfoot!"

The United could only watch, as they dared not move unless Sirius were to blow Sam's head off.

"Expelliarmus!"

Sirius' wand went flying and landed in the hand of Gabriel Schell. "What…the…fuck? What the ever-loving fuck Sirius Orion Black?!"

Sirius shrunk as Gabriel approached him. "Gabriel, I can explain…"

"THAT…is Professor Schell to you!" Gabriel pocketed his wand. "Attempting to hex a fellow student, unarmed I might add!?"

Sirius looked down at the ground.

"Look at me Sirius, I've earned that much."

He reluctantly looked up at his father's trainee. A man Sirius regarded as an older brother.

"I have never been this ashamed of you. You should know better. Well, don't you?" Gabriel asked him.

Sirius muttered a yeah as his eyes wandered away from Gabriel's gaze.

"Look at me," Gabriel growled out. Sirius met his gaze once more as he rubbed his arm. "Merlin, what would your father think? I have half a mind to owl him over this!"

Sirius shot his head up, but Gabriel raised a hand to silence him before the Black Heir could speak.

"But I don't think I am. This is going to be settled in house," The professor coldly stated. He looked over at Sam, "And you! Don't think you're getting off lightly. That's Twenty points from Hufflepuff for striking a fellow student, no matter how well-intentioned it was!"

Gabriel turned to Potter, "Fifty from Gryffindor for the attempt to do bodily harm upon a fellow student, and I will be informing your Head of House about this!"

He then looked over at Sirius, "And detention for the next week for attempting to hex a fellow student!"

He rubbed his temple, "Now all of you do one before I take away more points, and give out more detention!"

Sam went up to join his friends, as The Marauders skulked off into the lower hallway. Gabriel sighed as he pulled out a flask and drank the entirety of its contents.

James growled as he held his cheek. He looked over to Peter. "Get the Polyjuice ready. Next week, Snivellus and Yally Boy are going to get it!"

Eileen and Silas were relaxing at her home after a dinner date at The Golden Unicorn. Their 'United' friend, Jeremy Blythe was the general manager of the hotel the restaurant was inside of, The Paramus Waldorf.

The two were on Eileen's couch sipping on a bottle of red wine that Silas had brought over.

"This evening was nice," Silas whispered in Eileen's ear.

She smiled in return and finished her wine. "It was nice of Jeremy to get us seats without reservations."

He shook his head in agreement. Silas looked at Eileen. Her lips looked inviting, the shade of red lipstick looked like rose petals. The black dress she wore fit her figure like a glove and was black like her hair. "Merlin, I love you, Leena," He quietly said to himself.

Eileen's eyes shot open, she then turned to face Silas. "What was that?"

Silas's eyes bugged out as he realized what he said. "I ugh…nothing."

'Dirty liar,' Eileen thought to herself she gently grasped Silas' chin and kissed him deeply. He returned Eileen's kiss and the passion began to really heat up, when the phone started to ring.

"Who the hell could that be?" Eileen growled as she broke off the kiss. "Excuse me, if you please?" She got up and left a breathless Silas to catch his breath.

She brushed off her dress of the wrinkles as she picked up the phone. "Hello? Oh! Hester!"

Silas wondered who this Hester was.

"No, I was just…wait…wha…oh dear." Her eyes widened. "Oh no! Okay, just…" She put the phone up to her forehead to think.

Silas got up from the couch and walked over to Eileen, "Is everything okay?" Eileen put her finger up to Silas, he saw that something was up.

Eileen put the phone back up to her ear, "Listen! Hester, calm him down! I'll be right over!" She hung up, took off her heels, and bolted down to her basement.

After a minute, she came back up wearing flats, a sweater, and a wooden box full of vials. Each one containing some sort of potion. Eileen kissed Silas, "I'm sorry Silas, but I have to go!"

Silas looked confused. "Go? Go where? Is everything all right?"

"There's no time to explain. We'll continue this at a later date," Eileen kissed Silas before walking out her front door. "Lock up when you leave, thank you!" She apparated away leaving Silas alone in her hallway.

Silas would have left, but he had an uneasy feeling. He hesitated for a one second but pulled out his wand. He wasn't proud of it, but when they started dating again; Silas placed a tracking charm on Eileen in case anything happened to her.

He walked out the door and locked it before apparating to the location near Eileen's destination.

Silas arrived at a neighborhood that seemed to resemble a quiet countryside town. Somewhere away from the city. He looked around and found himself in front of a two-storied home, made of stone. He wondered if he was in the right place. The gunshot that went off inside the house quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

He dashed into the house and went inside. Unaware of what he might find inside, he went into the entryway where there were pictures and decorations strewn about.

The box of vials was broken into a million pieces. He came across Eileen standing in front of an elderly woman on all fours, as if she was getting up. Then he saw an old man with a pistol aiming it at the two.

The old man pointed the Mauser Pistol at her. "D-Don't come any closer! You Jerry!" The old man was tall, and rather thin for his age. His hair was thinned out. Like most people his age he needed to be held up with a cane. He wore a wool sweater that seemed to be a size too big for him.

Eileen raised her hands and kept calm. "Elijah, please. Tobias wouldn't want this!"

Elijah Snape grasped his head with his free hand. "D-Don't mention my boy! You're just one of them! A spy! S-Sent to try and kill me!"

The Old woman got up to her feet, "My love! Please, Eileen isn't a spy! Or German! She's our family! Please, calm down!" The old woman had her grey hair up in a bun and wore glasses. She looked to be a bit younger than her husband by a few years.

"D-Damn it all Hester! G-Get out of t-the way!" Elijah stuttered, as he pulled the slide back, and aimed it at Eileen.

Silas approached the three as he put away his wand, he hoped he could disarm the situation without more conflict.

Eileen was the first to spot Silas, and her eyes widened in concern. Elijah saw this and turned around to face the stranger in his home.

"Hold you…" Elijah's mouth dropped when he saw Silas. Tears erupted from his eyes as the pistol in his hand began to shake. "T-Toby? I-Is that you son?"

Silas looked a bit confused, his eyes caught on a picture of him, his wife, and a younger man; if you really squinted your eyes you could say that him and Silas looked similar. He looked over at Elijah. "Yeah, Da, it's me."

Elijah choked back a sob, his body shook as he silently cried. Eileen took this opportunity to help Hester to her chair. "Where've you been boy? I-I haven't seen you in s-so long."

"I've been busy Da." Silas kept up the charade.

"Oh right, at the steel mill. How stupid of me."

"It wasn't stupid of you Da." Silas could feel himself getting a bit emotional as well.

Elijah looked off to the side and pointed at Eileen. "I got a German Spy here! She's trying to kill me!" He waved the gun around, but Silas caught his hand.

"Da! What year is it?"

"W-What?"

"What year is it?" Silas repeated himself.

"Well. It's. I…I uh. Uhh." Elijah racked his head. "I-I can't remember."

He pointed over at Eileen, "Look at her, Da. It's not a spy. It's Eileen. Remember Eileen?"

Elijah looked over at Eileen and slowly began to realize what had happened and cried. "Oh God!"

Silas swallowed his heart as he reached over and grasped the Mauser. "Let go, Da. Please?"

Elijah let go of his pistol, Silas took it, and put it aside after emptying the gun of its ammunition.

"Oh God, Eileen! Eileen, I'm so…"

Eileen shushed her father-in-law. "It's okay Elijah. Come now, let me make you some tea." Eileen went to make a pot of tea, took an unbroken vial of the potion, and went to the kitchen.

Silas helped Elijah over to a loveseat, next to Hester, and helped him down. "There you are." Elijah sat back on the chair.

Elijah dried up his tears with his handkerchief. He stared off into the distance. "W-Why didn't I die?"

Silas and Hester looked at him. "What do you mean Eli?" Hester asked her husband of nearly fifty years.

"I sh-should have d-died. I f-sought in t-two world wars, and th-this is how I die? With me, losing my f-fucking mind?!" He ran a hand through his thinning white hair.

"Oh, honey!" Hester hugged her husband tight as she could. "You don't mean that."

Silas tried to make him feel better. "You were a soldier. The war is won, both of them. Your country is indebted to you, and service is over."

Elijah took a hard look at Silas. "You never s-stop being a s-soldier. It s-stays with you. It's imp-printed on your soul. I did my duty for Queen and country! I did it so you wouldn't have to."

Eileen came back with a pot of tea. She had a cup prepared already for Elijah to drink. "Here Elijah."

Elijah took the cup of tea and sighed. "I don't deserve such a d-daughter."

Silas looked over to Eileen, who in turn mouthed 'later.'

Elijah grew drowsy and yawned. "I…I th-think I should turn in." He tried to get up, but couldn't. "I don't t-th-think, bugger all! I ain't got enough in me to get up."

Eileen and Hester were about to get to help him. Silas beat them to the punch, picked Elijah up bridal style, and carried him up the stairs to his room.

"G-Goodness T-Toby! You were never t-this strong in the M-Marines! The s-steel mill m-must be doing w-wonders!"

Silas put Elijah to bed, and the veteran was out soon after.

Silas went downstairs where he caught Eileen and Hester finishing a discussion of sorts.

"…he seems wonderful." Hester finished when she and Eileen caught him coming down the stairs. "I don't know what made you come in and help us, but thank you!"

"It wasn't a problem, and it was the gunshot. The gunshot was what made me come in." Silas joked with her. 'My name is Silas. I'm...erm…Eileen's friend."

"Don't be so coy, Eileen told me all about you." She extended her hand. "I'm Hester Snape, and you met…Elijah."

Silas smiled, "I hope she hasn't told you everything about me."

"Hester's privy to our world, Silas," Eileen explained. "I explained it to her right after Severus was born."

Silas nodded, "Okay. Does…Elijah know?"

Hester frowned, "I think he does, but I'm not certain."

The three of them talked for a while before Eileen and Silas decided to turn in for the night. "I'll be back tomorrow night with a new batch of the potions for you Hester."

"Thank you, Eileen," She hugged her daughter-in-law and kissed her cheek. "Silas, thank you so much for your help this evening. I know it must have been a strain on you."

"Not at all Hester. In fact, it kind of put a lot of things in perspective for me," Silas admitted as he received a hug from her.

After they said their farewells, Eileen and Silas apparated back to her house at Spinner's End. They landed on the grass outside of Eileen's house.

"Eileen, what does that potion do?"

She looked back over to Silas. "It's supposed to help retain memories and information. Elijah started having memory problems a few years ago, and I created it to help him but…either it's starting to fail, or Elijah is growing immune to its effects."

Silas shrugged, "Sounds like a problem your father might be able to help you with." Eileen looked at him to explain. 'I mean he has a near limitless amount of resources and materials at his disposal. You could use his laboratories in order to make something a hell of a lot stronger than what you are currently capable of."

Eileen shook her head. She was not thrilled to go to her father for help, but she would help the man who was a surrogate father to her for all these years.

Silas looked over at Eileen, "Now, this Tobias. Was he your husband?"

"Yes," Eileen said. She remembered the man who captured her broken heart and mended it. "I loved him, part of me still does."

"I know what that's like," His thoughts drifted back to Alexandria. "I feel…no. I know, that Alexandria wouldn't have wanted me to…mourn her, for the rest of my life. I don't think Tobias would have wanted that either."

"No, he didn't. In fact, when he was in the Royal Marines, we often discussed what would have happened if war broke out, and he was killed in action." Eileen crossed her arms. "And he told me to find someone else if it ever came to that."

Silas went over to Eileen and took a deep breath. "I love you, Eileen."

She looked over at Silas and softly smiled. She stood on her tippy toes as she kissed him. "Thanks for saying it a bit louder this time."

Silas blushed, "You heard that earlier?"

Eileen shook her head. She walked over to her front door. "Would you like to come in for a nightcap?"

Silas rubbed the back of his head. "It's getting late, don't you think?"

"It is," A rosy blush overtook her cheeks. "So, you should spend the night."

Silas had a red flush the same color of Eileen's lipstick slowly cover his cheeks. "I…uh, I mean if. If you want me to."

Eileen rolled her eyes, "Silas, I think I'm old enough to be sure about something like this. Now come on, don't keep me waiting."

Eileen unlocked the door, and went inside her house, as Silas came following in after her, hesitating slightly when he reached the door.

Read and review! Make my day by leaving your thoughts and/or criticism for me. It's the only way I'll learn.

Preview of the next chapter

Mulciber was about to pull his wand out, Avery and Rosier were doing the same. "Don't try it."

They all turned around to see Pontifex Parkinson walk over towards them. On each side of them were Crabbe and Goyle, the Slytherin Beaters.