Author's Note:
This is the time paradox chapter. It can get confusing, but hopefully it'll work through. Buffy wasn't supposed to be born in the first place, but she was, luckily for her.
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Chapter 22
Once Upon A Time
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Rain splattered against the windows late that first night. Severus Snape sat in his office, staring out the miniscule window, watching as rain rolled down the dark glass.
He sighed and turned back to the text he'd been reading through. A stack of notes sat next to the book. His eyes couldn't focus on his work though. His thoughts kept dwelling back on the Potter girl.
He hadn't been surprised to see her. He just never expected he would ever see her again. He had only glimpsed her once, with those crystal green eyes and that soft head of golden hair. But there she was, in the flesh, at the Welcome Feast. She had grown in the eighteen years since he'd seen her.
He was slightly curious as to how she found out this world existed. From what the rumors in Slytherin had been, she'd been deported and left in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix.
Snape had been away for the better part of the summer, working on his own work for the Order.
The Potions Professor sighed, rising and walking away from his desk. He had been so closed off for so long that he had forgotten what the real reason was. The reason why he had walked away from being a Death Eater.
It had been nearly a decade since the Potter girl had been born. Harry had been nearly eight years old. It was the earliest part of summer when a man walked into a tavern. Severus had been sitting alone with his back to the door. He didn't expect to see a cold, blue-eyed gaze staring at him. Before Severus could react, he'd been stunned and dragged outside by the stranger.
"Who are you?" Severus asked, once the curse had been lifted. He felt groggy and his tongue felt like wool as it moved about inside his mouth.
"A friend," the cold voice replied, dumping an envelope on his lap. "You've been asking too many questions, Severus. People are going to think you've changed sides."
Snape said nothing as he opened the envelope. Inside were five images, all solid and non-moving. "Muggle filth," he spat out, until his eyes saw the one thing he never thought he would see again. "It's her."
"Girl goes by the name of Buffy Summers now," the man retorted. "Apparently now she's a Muggle, or being raised as one."
"She looks like her mother," Snape muttered, setting the pictures down. The image was still burning brightly in his eyes even eight years in the future. He had made the decision that night. He was a man of his promises and he wasn't going to break this one, especially since it was just an accident that had caused her birth so many years before.
It was before summer break in their sixth year. The Gryffindor Prefect Lily Evans was sitting in the Library, writing an essay on a concealment Potion she'd been concocting for a bit of extra credit in her N.E.W.T. level Potions class. She was soon joined by the other Gryffindor sixth-year Prefect, Remus Lupin.
"Remus," she said with a slight smile in greeting. He sat down across from her.
"Lily," he said with a firm nod. "How's the essay coming?"
"I'll be done in about three weeks," she said with a sigh, glancing at the roll of parchment she'd already written and her notes that were stacked eight inches high. "The Potion itself will be done within the next three days."
"Do you need any more samples?" he asked her kindly as he took out his own work and spread it out on the other end of the table. Lily leaned over and made room, brushing extra quills and two textbooks into her already overflowing book bag.
"James gave me one this morning," Lily replied, sounding surprised. "Did you put him up to it?"
"Did I ever have any influence over him?" Remus asked, chuckling as he shook his head. "No, he was happy to do it, Lil. You know how he feels about you."
"He has changed this past year," she replied, setting down her quill and turning to Remus. "You're one of his best friends. You tell me."
"He's in love with you, Lil. And you still won't give him the time of day."
"Do you think I need to spend my precious time sucking up to that guy?" she asked in disbelief. "Oh, come on, Remus! I might as well go out with Sirius Black!"
"He might enjoy that too," Remus said lightly. "I think any girl who was interested in him could get somewhere."
"Remus," Lily said heavily, with the air of someone who was frustrated and needed to vent her anger, "you know that I will never be able to love James. We're too... different."
"He has changed, though. You said so yourself."
Lily picked up her quill again, dipped it in ink, and studied her essay. "That's right," she replied as she started adding notes to her margins. "I said he's changed. He's grown up a bit. But unless he can prove to me that he's something more than just a big-headed prat... I'm afraid the only thing I'll accept from him is a sample of his skin tissues. I really need to finish this potion and I think we both know why."
"You're working too hard to prove yourself, Evans," Remus told her kindly. "You do enough for this school. You're a Prefect and you have the highest grades in the year. Any sixth and seventh-year would love to go out with you. Not to mention the fact that you're attractive."
"At least I have something to look forward to from all of this," she said dryly, looking back up at him. "Just pass along my message, okay? If I use his sample in a few days, I'll probably have to lower myself to his existance."
He decided to leave her alone, passing by a sallow-faced sixth-year Slytherin boy with a hooked nose and long, black, greasy hair. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. What he'd neglected to tell Lily Evans was that James Potter had secretly switched her real sample with his. So, technically, whatever Lily had already done with the sample had been done with James' sample. He had told James he was going to tell Lily, but she was still clearly irritated with the Potter boy.
He returned to the Gryffindor tower, ducking through the portrait. James and Sirius were sitting in the chairs near the fireplace, both of them eyeing the flames warily. James was still dressed in his Quidditch uniform and he appeared to be slightly flustered. Gryffindor had lost that day to Slytherin, and James was in a dark mood.
"James, mate," Remus greeted his two best friends as he sat down in the third chair, "and Sirius, of course."
"What did she say?" James asked in a quiet voice., the room suddenly filled with blue sparks. They were all directed towards the source of the raw rage and quickly permeated Lily's skin. She let out a tiny gasp before collapsing into James' arms. He caught her easily. "Lily? Lily? Lily!"
"She didn't care," Remus said easily, and then noticed the suspicious look on James' face. "All right, I couldn't tell her. You try explaining that her Potion she's been working on for the past four months rests on a few scraps of skin cells that the man she absolutely despises donated and then switched with her original sample. That's just an accident waiting to happen."
"It won't happen," Sirius growled, glaring at his Transfiguration essay. "Evans has done everything she can to ensure that the Potion goes right. If James did do a little switching, there's nothing that can go wrong."
"I hope," Remus muttered under his breath as he rose to go to bed. The full moon was just a few days away and he knew he wasn't going to sleep much when that came about.
Lily returned to the common room near midnight. She set down an armload of books as well as two scrolls. She felt drained and exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep, but concern over her project kept nagging at her mind. She sat down and folded her hands, staring at the remnants of a fire. All she wanted was for this project to go right. She would be the first Gryffindor female in fifty years to attempt this potion. If it worked, she would be the first in any house in nearly a century to prove its existance. Something good at to come out of that. Her Muggle-born parents would be so proud of her, fulfilling such a goal and brandishing such an accomplishment.
The holidays would begin in only four weeks. Exams were still two weeks away and Lily was looking forward to all of them. Her Potions final would be the easiest, she realized. She had spent so much time on this latest Potion that she had reviewed everything she had learned since her Outstanding O.W.L. the year before.
Brushing her dark red hair from her eyes, she curled up in the chair, letting her head fall back against the soft fabric. Her eyes welcomed sleep and soon only the gentle sound of her breathing could be heard through the dark room.
Three days later, Lily Evans brought her Potion to the Potions classroom. She was excited, anticipating the end of a project which had taken her nearly a half year to complete. She set down her essay, which was reaching three feet in length.
She held a tiny vial with a few scraps inside of it. Removing the miniscule cork, she overturned the bottle and watched as the tiny flakes landed on top of the soft blue mixture. She was just bending down to stir it when a hand touched her shoulder. She cried out and turned to see James Potter standing over her right shoulder, grinning. "James!" she cried in reproach, her eyes glittering angrily. "You startled me!"
"I didn't mean to," he said, easily walking to her side and staring down at the mixture. "So this is it, eh, Evans? This is your pet project?"
"Yes, it is," she said grumpily. "And I'd really appreciate it if you just left. I don't need you in here to distract me."
"I distract you?" he asked lightly.
"Not in a good way," she snapped, stirring her potion carefully one dozen times clockwise and then repeating the motion in the opposite direction. "I'm about ready to try this."
"What do I have to do?"
"You want to try out this potion?" she asked in disbelief.
"What does it do?" James asked curiously.
"Oh, I don't believe you!" she gasped in indignation. "You bastard!"
"Hey!" he said angrily, gripping her arm. "Don't talk to me that way."
"How am I supposed to treat you, Potter?" she asked shrilly. "Get your hands off of me!"
He released her and she glared at him as she pulled out her wand, the very tip of it touching just under his chin. "Let me put one thing straight, James. Get the hell out of here. I spent too damn long on this project for you to come along and mess it up. I am not about to let you or anyone else destroy my hard work and you can either get out of here or go to Hell."
His hand reached up and gently took hers, the wand tipping away from his chin. "Why don't you watch where you're pointing that," he said, his eyes blazing with anger. "You could kill someone with that."
As they fought, neither one of them noticed the potion bubbling behind them. It responded well and fed on the anger surfacing in the locked classroom. Lily didn't know James had magically sealed it. A perfect royal blue bubble burst at the surface and tiny blue sparks began emitting from the smoldering cauldron.
"What makes you think I wouldn't want you dead?" Lily asked sharply. "Honestly, Potter, you are so irritating. I wish I could deduct points off of you."
"Anything to make you feel important, eh, Evans?"
"Oh, why don't you--"
She never got a chance to finish her sentence. Her cauldron exploded
For a moment, he didn't know what to do. He gently lay her down on the cold classroom floor and rose, seeing that only a small trace of the potion remained inside the cauldron. The rest was gone.
"What the hell..." he muttered, glancing back down at Lily. Her eyes were fluttering open and she looked terrified.
"Oh, my God," she whispered, feeling as though her entire being had changed. Tears started flowing freely from her eyelids. "James?"
He bent down, stroking her hair as she sat up, openly crying. "Shhhhh, Evans... shhshsh. It's all right."
"It's not all right," she said, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "It's all wrong. It's gone, isn't it? It's all gone."
"Except for this," he said, showing her what remained of the Potion. Her eyes widened in horror and she clapped a hand to her mouth. Her eyes filled with fresh tears and the next thing he knew, she was sobbing into his shoulder.
"Lily, what's wrong?" he asked gently as she pulled away. "What is it?"
"That potion was a concealment charm," she said in a tiny voice, the tears still flowing freely. "If it were to backfire, the consequences would be huge..."
"What do you mean?" he asked, helping her stand up. She clung to him on shaky legs. "What would happen?"
"I need to know," she said, grasping at the small vial with trembling hands. "Damn it, I need to know..."
"The sample," he said, easily taking the vial from her hands. "You need to know who it was."
She nodded, a tiny hiccup escaping her terrified mouth. "I... I..."
"I don't suppose this would be the right time to tell you," he said slowly, trying to gauge her reaction, "that I switched samples. This one contained my skin. The other one is still locked in your box."
She looked as though she were going to be sick. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him. "It was you?" she whispered. "The Potion could feel your anger... it could feel mine, too. And if that vial contained a piece of you..." Her shaky hand suddenly fell to her stomach. "Oh, God... oh... oh... oh God..."
He held her as she fainted again in his arms. Unsealing the door, he ran out into the darkness, cradling the young woman in his arms. "Come on, Lily," he muttered as he felt for her pulse. "Wake up. You have to tell me what you know. Please, you have to tell me what you know!"
Lily was in a blind state of panic. The concealment potion was only supposed to work if one was pregnant. Since she wasn't pregnant or desired to carry a child, the addition of a sample of someone else, particularly James', would have devastating effects on her body.
She didn't know how right she was.
One week after exams, he finally found out what it was. She approached him the night before the Quidditch Cup. James was sitting with Sirius, Remus and Peter near the fire. "Can I borrow him away for a moment?" she asked them all with a charming smile. She took James by the arm and tugged him out into the corridors, away from the prying eyes of the Fat Lady and the rest of the gossip-mongering Gryffindors.
"We have to talk," she said, taking a deep breath.
"About that night, Evans," James said, putting a hand over her mouth. He was afraid she was going to start crying again, or even faint. "I'm really sorry about what happened. I promise I won't mess with anything of yours again. I won't switch any samples or bitch at you in front of an emotional cauldron. And I won't--"
His voice was cut off as she forcefully removed his hand. "It isn't that, James. In fact, it's better than you were the one that helped instigate this accident... it makes it easier because I know how you feel about me."
"I love you, Lily."
There were tears fluttering on her eyelashes. He desperately wanted to wipe her eyes, but he was held silent by the look on her face. She looked as though she was so sad, yet happy at the same time.
"It's a miracle, James," she said, smiling through her tears. "It's a beautiful miracle."
"What is?" he asked blankly.
"I'm pregnant."
"WHAT?" he yelled, his voice filling the entire corridor. "What do you mean... why are you telling me this?"
"Because the potion worked exactly like it was supposed to," she said quietly. "It was supposed to conceal me for childbirth. When you gave me your skin... it... it..."
She couldn't tell him. She couldn't tell him that the concealment charm alone without the sample of his skin would have protected her from pregnancy. Instead, the addition of his sample with hers was responsible for the pure miracle now growing inside of her.
He didn't need to hear the rest. He knew what was going on already. "Lily... I don't know what to say..."
"You asked me to give you a chance," she said in a low voice, reaching out and touching his stunned face. "This is your chance, James. You cannot abandon me. I need you right now more than anything. This accident has proven to me that miracles do happen. This child... whoever he or she is... is half yours. We're having a baby together."
"And you hate me," he said, his eyes still full of disbelief. "I love you and you can't stand the sight of me. I don't know what to say."
She did something completely unexpected then. She looked him deeply in the eyes. "I don't hate you," she said softly. "I just wish your head would shrink a little."
"You did just bring me back down to Earth," he said, his fingers roughly brushing the tears from her eyes.
"Never leave me?" she asked him softly.
He felt like he had to do something. Or else all of the anger and all of the regrets would come out again. He leaned over and wrapped his arms tightly around the other girl, feeling as though his moment of triumph had come at last. He never knew that victory could be so bittersweet and that a miracle the size of this could bring Lily Evans into his arms. All he knew now was that he was sixteen and he had a pregnant girl as the result of a vicious Potions accident.
"I'll never leave you," he said, kissing her forehead. "I promise."
It would be a promise he held to the day he died. And she returned the favor. The summer was the hardest for both of them. James continuously sent owls to Lily's Muggle house, but they were never answered. For all he knew, her parents weren't taking the news of their eldest daughter's pregnancy very well.
Lily's sister Petunia was thrilled. Her sister had fallen back to Earth at last, and her parents had been less than happy knowing their youngest daughter was carrying a child. Even as she tried vainly to explain what really happened, Petunia just sneered at the idea of her parents brushing the ever-perfect Lily off. It was the most satisfying feeling, Petunia decided. Her sister was no longer the perfect one.
When they returned to school that September, James was shocked to see that Lily looked as thin and vibrant as ever. When he'd asked her about it, she'd told him it was because of a concealment charm she'd performed on herself. She didn't want anyone to know that she had a child on the way.
As the months stretched on, James and Lily were inseparable. He went everywhere with her and asked his friends to watch over her when he couldn't be. Lily's own friends rose magnificently to the challenge.
January was a difficult month for Lily. With the rise of Voldemort and the rebellion of the Slytherin house against the rest of the school, Lily's pregnancy was taking a turn for the worse. James was in a blind panic until one night when she asked to talk to him.
"I just wanted to let you know something," she said, and from the look on her face, he knew she was about ready to break into tears. "I'm putting the baby up for adoption. We can't keep her. I'm not nearly fit enough to be a Mother and you, well... look at you! We're both seventeen, James. We can't do this."
"You're right," he said, automatically agreeing with her. It was becoming second nature nowadays.
That was the end of it. Two weeks later, Lily went into labor and was transferred to St. Mungo's. Eight hours later, after a particularly nasty day of classes, James joined her. An hour after he arrived, their daughter, Elizabeth Anne Potter, was brought into the world.
As the Doctor set the blanket-wrapped baby in Lily's arms, she burst into tears. "Look at her, James," she whispered, touching the baby's chubby cheek. "Have you ever seen anything more perfect?"
James was looking at both of the women in his life, feeling as though he could never be so proud. "I never have," he said honestly, dropping a kiss on top of her head. "She's beautiful, Lily. I can't believe we made her together."
"I know," she said, taking a tremendous deep breath as making little cooing noises to the baby, who gurgled happily in her arms. "I love you," she whispered, her nose nuzzling the infant child's delicately. "I love you, oh, yes, I do."
And she began singing a song.
James waited until she was finished, his fingers idly stroking her long, ruby hair. "I love you, Lil."
"I love you, too, James," she said, turning to him. His lips met hers and they deepened for a moment before their daughter began fussing. "Oh, oh... Elizabeth! You poor little angel."
James watched as Lily held her even tighter. He watched as his daughter squealed in her mother's arms. "Can I hold her?"
Lily edged over to the end of her bed and he sat down next to her, taking the infant into his arms. "Hey, there," he said softly. "I'm your Daddy. Yes I am. Look at those eyes. They're so green, just like yours."
"I know," Lily said, sniffling. "Aren't they precious?" She leaned over and held onto Elizabeth's tiny hand. "Precious girl, precious girl..."
Lily was still crying when they gave the baby back to the Doctor.
A nurse hustled in behind him. "Lily, James... we need your final decision."
Lily nodded, her heart breaking. No matter how precious the child was or how beautiful she seemed, there was no way she would ever be able to take a child into the home of her parents. She could feel James' arm tighten around her shoulders. "Our decision is final," she whispered.
"Then we may have found your family," the nurse replied, handing James and Lily a photograph. "They're an American couple. They've been married for three years and have been unable to have children of their own. If you look through my file, you'll see that they would be the best parents for little Elizabeth. Their names are Hank and Joyce Summers. If you don't mind, we're going to contact them. They'll be in England as soon as they can."
This news seemed to overwhelm Lily; her head fell back onto James' shoulder. He wrapped his arms easily around her and turned his attention back to the nurse. "It'll be fine. Just contact us when we're supposed to meet the Summers', please."
The nurse agreed and left the room.
Two days later, James and Lily returned to Gryffindor heroes. Sirius and Remus had a large party waiting for them and their newborn daughter. Although it was only a small group of people who could celebrate it, little Elizabeth became an instant celebrity. Not one of their closest friends would ever tell anyone about Eliza's birth.
One month after Elizabeth Anne was born, James got an owl. He motioned for Lily to come and sit next to him at breakfast. She walked over, kissing him quickly on the cheek before dropping down next to him. "What's up?" she asked cheerfully, digging into her waffles.
"It's St. Mungo's Child Services Department," he breathed into her ear. "Apparently Hank and Joyce Summers are going to be coming up to London the weekend after next."
Lily swallowed hard and pressed a napkin to her lips. "So soon?" she whispered, mortified. "James... they can't come yet. We've only had her for a month!"
"We made this decision in her best interest," he said in consolation, rubbing her back. "Don't worry, Lil. This is the best thing we can give Elizabeth, with Voldemort and all of his evil minions around. Hogwarts is no place for a baby, no matter how powerful this school is."
"I know," Lily said, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "I know."
She was sullen and withdrawn through most of her lessons that day. As soon as she reached Potions, she saw James and his infamous gang near the front of the classroom, laughing and joking.
As much as James loved her, and Lily knew he did, she couldn't help but feel spite towards him. It wasn't his decision to send their daughter to a house of total strangers in a land thousands of miles away. It had been Lily's.
She didn't notice that a group of Slytherins were mocking her. It wasn't until the end of class that one of them pulled her aside. "What do you want?" she asked in a tired voice, gazing up into the cold, hateful eyes of Severus Snape. "I'm really tired and I really don't have time to--"
"Are the rumors true?" he asked, his eyes glittering. "Are you really pregnant?"
For a moment, her mouth went dry. She shook her head vigorously, but the look in his eyes grew more suspicious. "I think we have to talk," he said coldly, dragging her outside the classroom and into a dark corner. "Are you telling me that you and James are not carrying a child?"
She shook her head again, almost desperate. Where was James or Sirius or Remus or even that little snout Peter when she needed them? "I'm not pregnant, no," she said quietly.
His eyebrows lifted. "I can say we can extinguish that particular rumor."
"Wait," she said suddenly, catching his arm as he moved away. "I don't know you, Severus. I know that James doesn't like you, but that doesn't mean I don't." He stared at her incredulously, but she just smiled flippantly and tossed her long, red hair. "Can you keep a secret?"
After walking through the different Hogwarts corridors, Severus found himself in a completely different area of the castle. Lily leaned over to the portrait and whispered the password. The door swung open, revealing a young witch carrying a small infant.
His eyes widened in disbelief as Lily relieved the Witch of her charge. "Severus, please. I don't want anyone to know, but you've never done anything to hurt me, except to call me a Mudblood, and these things are forgiven. I just needed to talk to someone who isn't close to James. Everyone he's ever met knows we have her." She showed him the smiling, angelic face of an infant girl. "This is our daughter, Elizabeth Anne Potter."
"Y-Your daughter?" Snape sputtered, his eyes on the little green-eyed baby in the woman's arms. "When did you two..."
"Do you remember that Potion?" she asked him, concern flashing in her own green eyes. "There was a mistake. I got pregnant and it never showed once. James was partially responsible and the tests confirmed he was indeed Eliza's father."
"Eliza?" Severus asked, his black eyes dropping onto the golden-skinned little girl. "She's as beautiful as her mother."
Lily blushed slightly as she gently rocked the fussing baby back and forth. She bent over and began singing to her daughter, bouncing a bit on her heels. "Isn't she precious?"
I'll be seeing you;
In all the old, familiar places;
That this heart of mine embraces;
All day through.
"How are you going to conceal her the rest of the year?" Severus asked, aghast. "There are N.E.W.T.'s in less than six months!"
Lily sighed and turned back to the Slytherin sixth-year. "We're giving her up for adoption."
His eyes widened. He had to get this straight. Somehow, without anyone knowing, James had managed to get Lily Evans pregnant, although the entirety of Hogwarts knew she despised the arrogant git. They'd had a baby not even a month before and now she was giving up this precious miracle.
"Why?" he asked finally.
"It's complicated," Lily admitted as she sat down, gazing affectionately at her daughter. "I can't take her back to my world with me. And what's James going to do? Go to his parents and say he had a child out of wedlock? At seventeen? I'd be murdered by his father and then my father would probably kill him..."
"That's not such a bad idea," Severus said, grinning.
Lily glared at him, holding her daughter even closer. "Don't you be getting any ideas, Severus Snape," she retorted playfully. "Leave James alone."
He watched for a few more silent moments until she finally stood up, a sleeping baby resting peacefully in her arms. She handed her back to the witch and tucked her arm through the other boy's, leading him from the small room. "Now, you have to promise me you won't tell a soul about what you just saw," she said softly.
"I promise."
"And..." She paused, not knowing whether or not to continue, but going ahead anyway. "Can you promise me that, if anything should happen to me and if she were to come back to this world... could you promise me that she'll know who I was?"
"You are her mother," Severus replied in a voice of deadly calm. "Of course I will tell her."
"Thank you, Severus," she said with a smile, walking away. "I knew that you weren't the bad guy everyone thought you were."
How wrong she'd been.
He'd joined the Death Eaters before the N.E.W.T. tests. He'd spat on Lily and James, who'd been forced to give up their daughter for adoption, with only a small handful of photographs to remind them that they had indeed had a child.
The day before Lily gave Eliza up for adoption, James had asked her to marry him. He promised that he would love her and cherish her and do anything for her, including give her another child once they were married. Lily agreed, but only so that Elizabeth could know the love in her parents' lives.
On that same night, Lily sat in front of the fire with a small black book open in front of her. Dipping her quill in ink, she opened the front cover and wrote: Elizabeth Anne Potter. Below that, she wrote 'Daughter of James and Lily'.
She had already decided to use the book to display all of the pictures she'd taken of their small family, along with everything she could think of. She had already purchased a flat, black box to store it inside of. Someday, when Elizabeth found out her true identity, she would inherit the box and realize that her parents had truly cared for her.
She turned to the first page and paused. She thought about calling down James, but decided against it. He could write as much as he wanted, but she wanted to leave her marks first.
Dearest Elizabeth,
If you are reading this now, then you have found out your true existance. I wish that I could be there for this troubling time as I am sure you have many questions. Where did you come from? Who are your parents?
My name is Lily Evans and I am your Mother. I'm eighteen and a seventh-year Gryffindor at Hogwarts. I'm sure it'll be explained to you when the time is right. There is so much more I can tell you, but I'd rather show you. This is a diary preserving our love for you during the short time you have been with us. I am so proud of you already, even though you are so small. I cannot wait to see what a beautiful young woman you will be. Enclosed are many photographs of me and your Father and our lives together. I hope you'll like what you see.
If you find this and I am no longer with you, please remember I love you dearly. Your parents love you more than anything, but there were reasons we were forced to give you up. Maybe someday, if we're not around, one of your Father's friends can explain them to you.
We will be together again, someday. I promise.
All my love,
Your Mother
Lily set down her quill and smiled, turning to a small package of pictures and other decorations she'd purchased during her last trip to Hogsmeade. She began decorating each page with the moving pictures and adding little charms to each page, so that the little lines and glitter she added wiggled. Some of the pages even included an audio note she magically sealed to it.
James came downstairs around midnight, his hair wild and his eyes showing that he was half asleep. "Lily?" he asked with a huge yawn, dropping in the chair across from her. "What are you doing?"
"Shhh!" she said, putting a finger to her lips. "I'm making this scrapbook for our daughter."
He became instantly alert. "Really?" he asked, watching as she gently attached a picture of James, Sirius and Remus at the last Yule Ball to one of the remaining pages. "Can I add anything?"
"I'd really like you to write a letter and maybe add some commentary," she replied, touching the picture with her wand and frowning. "I already got these pictures from Sirius and Remus."
"I have a few we can add, too," James said brightly, and disappeared back into his dorm for a moment. He returned five minutes later with a small envelope in which he pulled out his own pictures.
One of them was the small image that had been taken the night Eliza had been born.
"Here," she said, handing him the black book. "Why don't you write your letter first and then we'll add your pictures? I'm thinking about putting them in my old vault. Now that we're engaged, we can change the name so that she can use it in the event she actually finds out who she really is."
James nodded and turned to the blank page, his mind scrambling for a passage to write.
Dear Eliza,
Hi. This is your Dad writing you. I really don't know what to say and there isn't much time. I can say though that you truly are a miracle child. The first time I saw those chubby cheeks of yours, I knew you were mine. Your eyes even resemble mine. I hope they're hazel when you're older. Otherwise, you look so much like your mother.
I want you to know that I love your Mother. I have loved her since I first met her and that was seven years ago. She will never admit it, but I think she loved me too.
I only hope we've done the right thing in adopting you out. Neither one of us is old enough or mature enough to be parents, especially in the war that we're fighting. I'm hoping that you don't have to worry about any of this. No Dark Lords, no murders, no brutal fight against the dark arts... I want you to be safe and happy and complete, but always know your parents are watching out for you and in the event we don't make it through this war, we'll always be watching over you.
Maybe someday we'll see each other again.
You truly are my daughter.
Dad
He handed Lily the quill and she took it. "Now let's finish these pictures."
The following day, James and Lily arrived at the agency at the same time that Hank and Joyce Summers arrived. The couple discussed things for nearly four hours before James and Lily returned to Hogwarts. Little Elizabeth was going to stay with the her parents for the last time, overnight. Their final decision would be made the next day.
Later that night, Lily and James ever spent with their daughter was spent in enraptured silence. James just held Eliza in his arms while Lily lay against him, her arms around his waist. They really were the perfect little family, James decided bitterly as Elizabeth fell asleep against him. It was too horrible to think that the next time they ever saw their daughter, she could be a grown woman.
"She is going to be so beautiful when she's older," Lily whispered into James' ear. He nodded, grinning.
"She looks a lot like you, Lil."
"Except your eyes, James. She has your eyes."
"But she has your nose... and those tiny little hands... and that adorable little chin..." It was getting harder for James to talk now. "I can't believe we're doing this, Lily. I can't believe we're just giving her up like this."
"Don't make me feel any worse about this than I already do," Lily said, pulling her gaze away from his. "I love her more than anything right now... and this is the last night I will ever..." her voice choked up and she felt the tears start again. James gently began wiping them away, kissing her softly.
"It'll be okay, Lil. We'll see our little Eliza again. I promise."
That had been the end of their conversation. They had all fallen asleep on that spot in his room, feeling as though life couldn't get much worse.
Until the next day, when they were forced to say goodbye.
Lily had held onto her daughter tightly while Joyce Summers stood in front of her, almost expectantly. The real mother turned her back and held Eliza to her heart one last time. "I love you, my little sunshine," Lily whispered through her tears. "I'll be seeing you again." She glanced up and turned to Joyce. "Are you a fan of Sinatra? I've been singing her a lullaby the past few weeks. I'll Be Seeing You. It's one of my favorites."
Joyce smiled. "My husband is quite fond of Frank's music. I can assure you she'll have some classical music in her uprising."
Lily smiled and kissed her daughter one last time, the last shard of her heart shattering as she put her baby in Joyce's loving arms.
As soon as Lily left the room, she collapsed against the wall, feeling as though a piece of her had been ripped brutally away...
Severus glanced back at the harsh rain still drumming against his window. The fire was starting to fade as darkness overtook his office.
James and Lily never forgot their daughter until their dying day. Although Snape had been part of the plot to murder the Potters, he had no dealings whatsoever in their tragic deaths. He never forgot his promise to Lily. She had been the most decent Mudblood he had ever met, and that was saying something.
When Harry had been born, James and Lily had been thrilled. They were two years out of Hogwarts and had been married nearly as long. Their love had been united over the birth of their daughter. It was solidified over the birth of their son.
The night Voldemort came to their home was one of the worst nights in the memories of any of the witches or wizards of age.
James had seen the Dark Lord on approach. He shouted at Lily to take Harry and get out of the house. But she refused. "James," she'd whispered, pure terror in her eyes. "What if he--"
"He won't," he said, silencing her with a quick kiss. "Please, Lil. Take Harry and go!"
But she couldn't leave him. She wasn't going to leave him to die. What happened to him was exactly what she expected to be done unto her. She loved her son, but she and James were connected on a far deeper level than even Lord Voldemort had failed to realize.
They both died that night.
And the rest became history.
It was the stuff legends were made of.
Severus sighed and stared at his fire, which had now died.
The Order of the Phoenix had hired a private investigator following the Potter's deaths. They had been sent to California to find the girl they knew as Elizabeth Anne Potter. It was just pure luck that Severus had found out about it. He'd been a Death Eater and had been asked to find out any information about the Potter boy. He had been quite astounded to learn the Potter girl was still alive. He'd discovered the Investigator and had performed a harsh memory charm on him, forcing him to expel the whereabouts of one Elizabeth Potter.
Instead, they'd found Buffy Anne Summers.
The ten-year-old girl was easily recognizable from the small infant Severus had seen eighteen years before. For one thing, she was certainly prettier. And her eyes were a brilliant green, with traces of her Father's hazel in them. And her smile reminded him affectionately of Lily's.
This had been the promise which had influenced his decision to return to the Order of the Phoenix. Although he was easily the most despised member, he had proved useful in the past year in tracking the Death Eaters.
It was also the promise that bound him to the elder Potter girl. Even at eighteen, she was delicious to look at. She really had grown up, although her height was the slight exception. She carried long blonde hair and her father's twinkling hazel eyes. She and Harry were already getting along well.
But he knew he would have to talk to her before long. She would have to know her Mother. After all, he had promised Lily he would tell her this.
It seemed like so long ago...
- - - - -
Buffy bent over the table in the Library, concentrating on the flat black box she'd pulled from her Gringotts account only four days ago. She hadn't forgotten about the box, but she hadn't had a moment of privacy since she'd arrived back at the castle.
She opened the top of the box and set it aside.
Inside lay a small black book.
She opened the front cover. A soft song began filling the air.
I'll be seeing you;
In every lovely, summer's day;
And everything that's bright and gay;
I'll always think of you that way;
I'll find you in the morning sun;
And when the night is new;
I'll be looking at the moon;
But I'll be seeing you.
"I really am the daughter of Lily and James," she said happily.
And she smiled.
- - - - -
Chapter 23... Buffy takes on both Professor Pryce and Professor Snape... oddness ensues.
Chapter 24... Wesley has a decision to make. Faith acts on hers. Another Sunnydale update. Short style.
To the Readers / Reviewers:
It took me forever to get this chapter to be the way I wanted it to be. Many rewrites and arguments with my beta over what I was trying to put out.
To answer a question before any of you can ask it, Snape intercepted the information about the Potter girl before it got to where it was going. He managed to get someone else to get the information for him. Does that make sense? Ask away!
Lots of questions... I hope you guys don't mind my over-extended Author's Note section!
kel -- I'm sorry you miss Oliver. I'll make the nice Hogsmeade chapter completely worth the wait though.
Allen -- Doesn't Wesley have some magical powers or something? Would it really make him a squib? And you got it in one, in my book, anyway. As for Faith's lineage, I think I know what'll happen. The only question is when.
JenC -- 266 and 305 pages? Holy hell... I'm not even half done yet! And some of these future chapters are long... yeesh. As for Buffy understanding that potion (and how in the HECK did you know the name of it?), in Chapter 25 she'll find out what the substance is and it'll literally kill her that these people she trusted sent this drug to her expecting her to be weak again. So I think we were on the same wavelength... slightly.
kped -- Buffy? Confide in Snape? Oh, God. I can just imagine her explaining THAT to Harry, can't you? And yes, more Spencer stuff ahead. Buffy's going to have a lot of ammunition on Oliver to use when she sees him again... a long bloody time away yet. And Draco has two paths to redemption and each path takes him via a Potter sibling. It can get messy there... redemption isn't always easy.
RumorGoddess - yes. Too bad the chapter is another few away. There's one more interlude chapter after this.
Goddessa39 -- Okay, three things. One, Faith. I don't see her as someone willing to watch her destiny slide by. Buffy may have sacrificed her destiny for her brother, but will Faith? And she has yet to find her parents. Two, the whole Angel thing. He's in the story, just on the California side of things. Three, the new Professor isn't evil. He's a Watcher, but since there's enough bad guys in the story, I figured we could use another good. And feel free to ask away :)
TimeTwist -- Erm, the guy is actually Wesley's father. I didn't know Wesley's father was even named, since I rarely watch Angel. So just for the sake of pretending, let's pretend he really is Roger, but uses the alias for teaching. Okay?
Lightdemondarkangel -- the necklace will last as long as it takes for Buffy to figure out what's inside of it. As for Buffy sacrificing herself, not really. The dream was meant to show that it takes a sacrifice of sorts to go behind the veil. It'll get cleared up in another dream later on. As for Watcher-man, he was commented on above.
StarBella -- Snape will get bashed enough later on, like in the chapter when Buffy meets him. The box has been opened. And, don't worry, your twins will return. Blame Grace for actually getting me to agree that Oliver was better than said named twins Fred and George. Eeep.
silvernightshade -- I hope I answered your questions above about Professor Pryce. He's a good guy and Buffy will meet him. The "real" him. As for Wesley, he's about to do the hardest thing he has to. You'll just have to read the Sunnydale chapter. If you have more questions, ask.
LunaeDea -- Oops. I was laughing when I read that comment, and then I went back to reread my chapter and you confirmed it... she is one smart little fifth-year cookie to follow Harry and the others to class. I'll edit and reuplink the chapter so it doesn't look too stupid. Otherwise, I'll probably never stop laughing!
Sorry about the late update. FFnet decided to be not so nice and break its own server. Naughty little site. Now that I'm at work though, I can happily post. And you can look for a sparking update come tomorrow, too! So, that's like a weirded out bonus.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Bashing? Flames? Howlers? Just send 'em in.
Be good, and thank you for reading (and reviewing) this thing! :) You guys seriously rock on!