It was the Halloween feast at Hogwarts. It was loud with laughter and celebration. Students were enjoying all the special treats the house-elves had put together for the feast. Minerva was in the middle of her meal when Hazel her elf dropped a note in front of her. It said that Acacia was in her quarters. Minerva knew that something had happened to the Potters. She got up from the table and walked swiftly to the side door and flooed into her quarters. There on the floor sat a crying Acacia, cuddling Merlin to her.

Minerva crossed the floor to pick up the crying child."Shh. It's alright now, you're here with Aunt Minnie." Acacia clung to her for a while. She sat in a comfy chair and consoled the child while thoughts ran rampant through her head. What happened to the Potters? Did they make it out safe and just get separated or did he get them? She realized that Acacia had cried herself to sleep. "Hazel?" She summoned her elf. "Could you go tell the Headmaster I need to see him?" Hazel looked at her and replied. "The Headmaster left right after you came up here." "Very well could you bring me some tea and tell the Headmaster to come to see me when he gets back?" Hazel nodded and disappeared to get the nervous woman some tea.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Castle, Severus had just appeared back in his quarters. He was numb. Lily was gone, he had killed her. He was in the privacy of his rooms now. Severus didn't need to hide his emotions from anyone now. He broke down and sobbed. She had been his first and one real friend. His caring for her in later years had turned to love. He realized he was in love with her in 3rd year. She hadn't felt the way he had. Yes, she had loved him but not in the same way. Things fell apart with their friendship in the 5th year when James and his friends had embarrassed him. He was angry and called her mudblood. He thought things were over between them until that one day in October in their 7th year.

Flashback: Lily was sitting under the tree by Black Lake watching the ripples in the water made by the giant squid. She had gotten into a fight with Petunia over her wedding to that stupid oaf she had been dating. Yes, her sister had been jealous initially when she had gotten into Hogwarts, but they had gotten past it, that was until she had started dating that oaf. He had brought out the jealousy and hate again. Petunia had told her that Vernon didn't want any freaks at their wedding. This was the last insult in a long list that drove Lily to this point. Severus walked up and sat down next to her. They had called a truce at this moment. They both were having problems. His were that he was under pressure to join The Dark Lord's ranks. He did not want to. Severus just wanted to focus on his potions and start a business. So they got drunk on Firewhiskey, it ended up in them having a night of passion. She was his first sexual encounter. The next day she told him nothing more could come of it. Nine months later Acacia Potter was born.

Severus was sitting in front of the fire and feeling none of the warmth from it. He had a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand, he was getting ready to open it and drown his sorrows. It wouldn't be anything unusual because there had been several nights since he had joined Voldemort that he had to drown his feelings and thoughts. The things that he had seen and had to be a part of had been downright horrible. He took the first sip, it burned going down. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander away. He heard a pop, felt an elf touch him, and pop away again. When he opened his eyes he found a letter on his side table. It had the Potter coat of arms on it and it had a white lily with it. It was addressed to him.

My Dearest Sev,

If this letter finds you then you know that he found us. You were my first and dearest friend. We went through a lot together, I wish that we had been able to reconcile and be friends once more. You always understood things when others didn't, like when it came to my hateful sister and that dolt of a man that is her husband. I have something that I must tell you. I have kept it from you for four years. I hate that I had to, but with you being among the ranks of the Dark Lord it was a secret I had to fiercely protect. Are you sitting down? Severus, we have a child together. That one night of passion produced a beautiful little girl. I'm sure you are putting things together and reaching a conclusion. Your daughter's name is Acacia Grace Potter-Snape. We forgot to use a contraceptive spell that night because we were both too drunk to remember it. I never told James that we had a drunken night together, I told him that it was a spell gone awry. He loved me enough to protect my secret and loved her as his own. He, Sirius, and Remus are the only ones who knew that this amazing child was yours. She has your eyes and your smarts, sometimes she can have your temper. Please take care of our child, you are the only thing she has left. Please remind her often that her Mummy loved her. She has a stuffed cat that she loves, his name is Merlin, cookies are her favorite sweet. You have to read her a bedtime story every night. Her favorite story is The Littlest Dragon. Sometimes she has my stubborn nature and puts up a fight. She already shows a knack for charms and probably will show one for potions. You will find your daughter with Minerva, Merlin has a portkey that takes Acacia straight to her. One more secret, Peter was our secret keeper, not Sirius. Please make sure that Harry does not end up with my sister, Petunia. I will always love you, Severus.

Love,

Lily

To say that Severus was shocked would be an understatement. He had a child? He didn't know how he didn't make the connection between their night together and then her having their daughter nine months later. It probably was because Potter had been around, they announced that they were a couple a week later. Severus had to go to her. He ran out of his rooms and to Minerva's quarters. He knocked on the door. Minerva opened it. "Can I help you, Severus?" "My child, Minerva where is my child?" The Deputy Headmistress looked at him strangely. "What are you talking about Severus, you have no children." He teared up and handed her the letter. "Lily had my child, I didn't know. I thought she was Potter's." Minerva scanned the letter. She was shocked she had no idea that Severus and Lily had ever been a thing.

She led Severus to a small room right next to hers. "Shh." She told him. He looked in the room and there lying on the bed was his daughter. She was snuggled up with her stuffed cat, Merlin. She had Lily's fiery red hair. She looked very much like the Lily he saw for the first time in the park at Spinner's End. He had watched her from afar for years, too shy to say anything until he had seen her perform magic. He loved this child already, he was going to do right by Lily and raise Acacia right, she will always know that she was loved. He was going to do for his child what his parents never did for him. He was a bit calmer now that he had set eyes on his child. He wasn't going to disturb her because he knew that she had a rough night and it was going to continue to be rough on her as she learned to live without her mother. Severus bid Minerva good night and went back to his rooms. He knew he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

Severus laid there trying to sleep, but his mind was going a million miles a minute. He just couldn't believe that he had a child now. He wished that he had been able to be a part of her life from the time she had been born, but he understood why he hadn't been. He was going to make sure that he was never out of her life again. One of the school elves popped in and told him that Dumbledore requested him in his office. When he arrived he saw the Headmaster with his head in his hands. "Is everything alright Albus?" "No, I'm afraid it's not. I'm trying to find a place to put the Potter children. I can't put them with Sirius because he went and got himself arrested for going after Peter Pettigrew."

Severus sat there and stared at Albus. Leave it to the dog to mess things up. It was going to make it much harder to keep Harry from Petunia. He knew he had to speak up. " Albus, it is not going to be an issue to find a home for one of the Potter children. Acacia, she will come to live with me." The Headmaster looked at his Potions Master. He could see the sadness in his eyes and was thinking that he only wanted the child because she looked like Lily. Albus spoke up. "I'm sorry Severus, she has to go to a godparent or a blood relative." Severus sat forward in his seat, about to argue with Albus. " Severus, I know that you loved Lily, but she's gone. Her children need to be cared for."

Minerva cleared her throat. "Albus you might want to listen to Severus before you make an utter fool of yourself." She glared at the Headmaster. She was going to do everything in her power to make sure that Lily's children were cared for and stayed in this world. Albus had a letter thrust in his face, which was in Severus' hand. "Please read this, Lily left it for me. You will understand my want of the child." He heard the wavering in Severus' voice.

To say Albus was shocked was an understatement. He could not believe what he read. "Severus, we have a child together. That one night of passion produced a beautiful little girl. I'm sure you are putting things together and reaching a conclusion. Your daughter's name is Acacia Grace Potter-Snape."

"Please take care of our child, you are the only thing she has left." He had no idea that Severus and Lily ever had a thing. It seems like nobody knew. Albus felt horrible about what he had been thinking. Severus had just lost the love of his life and then to find out that he had a child with said woman. Then to have someone try to deny you what was rightfully yours. He realized that Acacia belonged with Severus.

Albus handed the letter back to Severus. "I'm Sorry Severus, I didn't know. I can't separate a father and a child. We will go to the Ministry tomorrow. We will put things right, as for Harry we will find out who his other godparent is."

Severus nodded his head. He would not be separated from his child. She was all he had left in this world.