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Disclaimer: I don't own any Harry Potter characters and any OC's that resemble real people are entirely coincidental.

My sincere thanks to xantishax277 for allowing me to use their drool worthy pic of Snape for a cover image.

A/N: There is a list of characters and their descriptions at the end of the first chapter of the first book for the curious.

A/N 2: I'll try to explain things just enough so that reading the first book isn't entirely necessary, but not so much that the people who did read it don't get annoyed with all of the recaps. :D

A New Past

Book 2 of the Back to Snape series

An Offer Of Sanctuary:

Mon, Dec 18, 1977.

Severus arrived at the main gates of Hogwarts with a deliberately massive crack of Apparition to help vent his frustration, anger, and guilt. In his arms, his mother moaned, almost waking. She was frail and broken and almost no burden at all considering that he wasn't exactly buff (understatement) and she was 5'7", which was so wrong.

So very, very wrong.

When he'd left his vile, abusive father in the not so tender hands of Lord Voldemort, he'd had a moment of doubt that maybe he'd gone too far in his quest for justice and revenge, but now, as he shifted his much too light mother higher in his arms so he could shake his wand out of his sleeve, his doubt evaporated. Fucking bastard deserves every ounce of pain my new Lord cares to give him, he snarled to himself.

Touching his new Blackwood wand to the closed gate, Severus muttered, Alohomora. And then again when nothing happened. Still nothing. The gates didn't swing open with a subtle creak the way they should have. Didn't let him in like every other time he'd snuck up to them after a trip to Hogsmeade in the dead of night when he should have been sleeping to sell his potions for food money for his mother. (Food money she clearly didn't get to spend much on herself.)

Glaring at the gates that were being too stubborn for their own good, he was very tempted to just blast them off their hinges, but reason told him that angering Dumbledore for destruction of property at the moment wasn't the best idea; not when he was about to beg sanctuary for himself and his badly injured mother.

So he closed his eyes and just felt the magic around him for a few moments.

The anti-Apparition ward that surrounded the grounds was readily apparent like a glare of red in his face. Under that was the anti-Muggle charm that kept the school invisible to eyes that did not need to see anything more than a disinteresting and crumbling pile of rocks. And below that was a new, and very complicated anti-trespassing charm that he'd never felt before; which made sense, considering it was the holidays and after midnight. He was fairly confident that he could unravel it, given enough time and patience, but he didn't have much of either at the moment.

Severus was exhausted after a long day of shopping with a very enthusiastic Lucius, meeting Lord Voldemort for the first time and subsequently joining him (his arm still ached from the Dark Mark), and then fulfilling his side of their bargain by erasing everyone's memories about who he truly was (a Half-blood Prince who's mother's sister was married to Abraxas Malfoy). And his mother needed professional medical care as soon as possible. He'd given her what potions he had that he thought would help, but Madam Pomfrey would be much better suited to ensuring a full recovery from a fall down a very steep set of stairs that had resulted in several life threatening injuries.

Which left him with summoning someone to come open the gates.

Normally, he'd pick Hagrid, having a good relationship with the half giant, but he doubted that the groundskeeper could undo the very serious anti-trespassing ward: Hagrid was sweet and fun, but powerful, he was not. Which left him with the vaunted Headmaster, who had undoubtedly been the one to set the ward in the first place; Dumbledore liked to pretend he was just an assuming old wizard with the personality of everyone's favourite grandfather, but he really wasn't. Saying he was powerful was like saying that the sun was merely warm.

Now, the only question is how?

Elehootay isn't here yet, or she'd already be circling overhead, so that's out. I could try and make enough noise to wake up the old wizard and hope he comes out to investigate. Or… I could send him my Patronus.

As his mother's weight, frail though it was, started to make itself known to arms unused to holding up another body (And doesn't that say something for the pathetic state of my love life?), Severus made the only decision he knew that was guaranteed of success.

He went for the Patronus.

The only problem with that was that he was in anything but a pleasant mood, so it took some work to summon something to mind happy enough to make the beyond-advanced-level spell work.

Memories of Lily were out, thanks to her recent engagement to James Potter; even thinking about her for a moment hurt too much to bear, so he quickly pushed her image aside.

He couldn't make himself summon a happy memory with his mother, either, considering that she was currently unconscious in his arms.

The only other bright point in his life was his friendship with Lucius, and even that was up in the air now that he'd been forced to alter the younger Malfoy's memories of him so that they were no longer cousins; he had no idea how Lucius would react to him now with the familial connection removed. And thus, Lucius wasn't a good option either.

With no happy memories available to draw on, Severus tried for a happy dream, which he'd been told by one of the string of forgettable Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers was also a viable option, but he had yet to explore that option for obvious reasons. (It hadn't been necessary.)

Not wanting to recall any of the daydreams he'd had about himself and Lily, he made up a new one on the spot.

A dream where he showed up at Lucius' and Cissa's wedding next week with a beautiful, smart, and powerful witch on his arm. And she won't look anything like Lily. Maybe curly hair instead of straight. Not red. Slender and fit instead of curvy and soft. And definitely NOT green eyes. A nice shade of brown would be interesting, I think. Different, anyhow. And she'll carry herself like royalty without even trying.

The Wizarding world's elite would gawk at him in a good way for once as every person who'd ever said or thought that he was too ugly and/or awkward to win a girl would eat crow for their dinner. Maybe even literally, he thought with a smirk. I'm sure I could work up a spell to pull that off.

As the mental image of nearly everyone's dinners (Lucius' family and his beautiful imaginary date's were exempt, of course) turned into crow pie that burst in their faces played through his mind on repeat, Severus moved the arm behind his mother's back into as sweeping of a circle as possible and firmly said, "Expecto Patronum!"

A silvery blue light shot out of the end of his powerful wand and formed into a… Pegasus?

Well, that's new. I guess I really am over my obsession with Lily if it's not a doe anymore.

Fucking yay.

The shimmering winged horse snorted wisps of incandescent smoke at him and pawed the ground impatiently.

Right. Instructions.

"Go find Headmaster Dumbledore and bring him back here! Quickly!"

The Pegasus snorted again in agreement and then reared up on its hind legs as he spread his wings wide. And then with a leap, the magical horse was flying like a shot of lightning though gates and towards the castle up the hill.

A Pegasus. I like it. I bet he's a black one, too, like Eclipse. That's so much more me than a wimpy doe.

Merlin, why did I cling to Lily for so long after she fell for Potter? It's not like I was ever going to win her away from him. He's got everything I don't; money, looks, status. I'm just a no-one and I'll always be a no-one.

Well, a no-one who's now indentured for life to possibly the most powerful and evil wizard on the planet, that is.

I'm not entirely sure that's an improvement.

Exhausted with his even his own thoughts, Severus shifted his mother again as his arms were definitely starting to ache (but he couldn't make himself let her go to float her instead) and leaned forward a bit to rest his forehead against one of the bars of the locked gate. Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes and just shut down for a minute until Dumbledore decided to show up.

"The attack on the Potter household last night has the Minister very concerned," Albus Dumbledore said to his younger brother's fiery head, who had sparks crawling up and down the wiry locks of his hair like friendly fireflies. "The Dark Lord's attacks are escalating."

Via the fireplace floo in the modest sitting room a floor above the Headmaster's office, Alberforth gave his brother-who'd-spent-the-better-part-of-century-playing-the-hero a knowing look. "Why do I get the feeling you're about to make this your problem to deal with?"

Albus twinkled at his brother, blue eyes crinkling even deeper at the corners. "Because I am. The Aurors are overwhelmed and I think it's time for those of us who can to join the fight."

Alberforth sighed. "And you expect me to help you."

"Of course, Ab, I can't do this on my own," Albus said sincerely as he leaned forward in the iridescent green dragonhide armchair that had been in the family for generations.

The head in the fire rolled his coal-like eyes. "Finally. He admits that he's not Merlin or God."

"Very funny," Albus grouched good-naturedly.

"I thought so."

Albus smiled indulgently. "You always did fancy yourself as the smarter one."

"And I still do," Alberforth replied smugly.

"Hah."

"Tosser."

"Cocky git."

"Pigheaded, suicidal moron."

"So you'll help me then?" Albus grinned.

"I can't let you steal all the thunder, can I? So, yes, I'll help you be the hero again," Alberforth grumbled.

"Excellent." Albus put on a serious face, losing the grin. "We should start putting a team together tomo..."

The words died in his throat and his eyes widened in surprise as a shimmering Pegasus Patronus burst through the stone wall of his tower and galloped right up to Albus. He snorted and tossed his head, then pawed at the floor, whinnying urgently before looking back the way he'd come from.

"Whose Patronus is that!" Alberforth blurted.

Albus tilted his head as he studied the impatient Pegasus stallion made of pure magic. "I don't know. But whoever it belongs to is quite powerful, has the heart of a warrior, and is in trouble, apparently."

"You'd better go with it then."

"Yes," Albus replied as he rose to his feet. "I'll floo you back later. Or tomorrow."

"Fine. Good night, Albie."

"Night, Ab."

The Pegasus snorted wisps of blue flames at him for taking too long and then trotted through furniture and over to the window that overlooked the gates of Hogwarts.

Amused and curious, Albus followed, opening the frosted glass with a casual wave of his hand. He looked out, but from his vantage point, saw nothing amiss.

"You'll have to explain better than that, horse. It would be helpful if you could talk."

Albus blinked once as an idea formed at his own words. Hunh. I'll have to work on that one.

The Patronus, taking him seriously, leapt out the window and flew to the gates far below in a near instant. Then he stood in front of them and neighed up at Albus loud enough to wake the dead.

"That'll do, horse," he said with a snort of amusement. Turning on the spot, Albus Apparated down to the gates.

Where he found one of the most promising and misunderstood Seventh Year students to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts leaning against it. And in his arms was a frightfully pale and familiar woman. Oh dear.

With a muttered word and a complicated swirl of his wand, Albus deactivated the anti-trespassing ward and then opened the gates as he exclaimed, "Severus! Whatever has happened?!"

The Pegasus pranced over to the boy and nuzzled his shoulder and then tossed his head proudly before disappearing after Severus whispered, "Thank you." Then the boy looked at him with black eyes that were bleak and weary far beyond his years as he walked through the gates that closed behind him. "It's my Mum. She fell down the cellar stairs and needs more help than my pathetic efforts can provide."

Albus almost flinched at the self-hatred in the teenager's tone. "I doubt there was anything pathetic about it. And yes, of course we'll help her."

Sensing that Severus would never make the walk up the hill, Albus touched his arm and Apparated all of them into the empty hospital wing.

The boy reeled before catching himself. "Thank you," he said, shooting Albus a wan smile before gratefully placing Eileen Prince on a bed. (Yes, he remembered his former student, even if she barely resembled her bubbly and much healthier teenage self.)

Albus sent his Phoenix Patronus to wake up Madam Pomfrey and then watched with concerned eyes as Severus brushed a wisp of long and unwashed black hair off his mother's gaunt face with a careful hand that trembled. There's more going on here than just a fall down some stairs. She looks half starved and those bruises on her face are at least a day or two old. Why would he bring her here when his first instinct should have been to take her to St. Mungo's? And where is his father in all this?

Not somewhere good, I bet.

I think I'm starting to understand why his first instinct is always to fight.

"Severus," he said gently. The very tall and thin boy still flinched before turning around, his face set in a defensive mask. Albus rushed to reassure him. "I don't know what is happening in your home life, and it's not my place to ask, but if you and your mother want to stay here for the holidays, you are more than welcome."

The young wizard stared at him for a full half minute with exhaustion bruised eyes like bottomless pits of despair before he nodded once. Dignity radiated from his determinedly squared shoulders even as he swayed on his feet. "We would greatly appreciate that. Thank you."

Albus' chest literally hurt for the boy who he was finally starting to understand. I don't know what all you've endured, but I'm sorry I didn't see that you needed help sooner.