Lily was relieved to see her friend back and looking more or less unharmed. Things started changing rapidly after that first Monday back. She could tell the news must have got out about him being announced as Voldemort's heir as when he left the great after breakfast he was flanked by an escort of older students and apparently admiring girls and young students, something which had never happened before and which left James and Sirius gaping and looking jealously after him unable to understand what had happened.
This quickly became a regular occurrence so much so that it became almost impossible to actually see him. Everywhere he went he was flanked by older students acting like bodyguards, pushing and shoving aside anyone who stood in their way. They had even given him a new title, the Dark Prince, was what she'd heard them calling him. He'd confirmed this in her journal sounding disgruntled, she gathered that he wasn't entirely pleased at being compared to his father, but was gratified that his new title did at least make reference to his mother's noble line, plus he admitted that it did have an impressive ring to it.
It soon became clear he was now considered the leader of the group and even the Marauders quickly learnt not to mess with them, this Snape was not the weedy and helpless Snivellus who had been abandoned by his housemates to their tortures, he was now untouchable when flanked by them. This young man was barely recognisable now he held himself with an almost arrogant confidence in his stance. He wore better quality robes and kept his hair clean, he appeared dangerous and radiated power and confidence. When he looked at her, his eyes were cold and uncaring, and even though she knew, it was all an act and was reassured by reading his messages it was a very convincing and scary act.
His constant companions also looked to him as their leader they would confer amongst themselves before pointing out certain students who would be considered targets before looking to him for confirmation before carrying out an attack. He issued the orders and then stood back and watched as they hexed students with an almost lazy air of apparent indifference, the heir to the Dark Lord did not dirty his hand with throwing childish hexes.
Whilst everyone else appeared scared or disgusted by this change she alone recognised it for what it was as an attempt to distance himself and hide his discomfort and he would call them off before they did anything too horrific. He would even sometimes go over to inspect their work before subtly slipping something into their hand, which she assumed was a healing potion or salve.
It was a dangerous game he played for if they ever spotted him it would call into question his loyalty but it was also a relief to see that he still cared behind the mask besides which he was so deft and it was such a quick and clever sleight of hand that even the victim didn't know what had happened, he covered his movements with his billowing robes and long sleeves and with his genius with potions he could always claim that he had slipped them some form of experimental torture potion that he was planning on bringing to the Dark Lord.
Before she knew it the months had passed and it was March, the weather was slowly warming and the grounds were gradually coming to life as more bulbs started to flower and the trees showed the first signs of greening up. As the month progressed, she started to notice herself feeling more prone to bouts of nausea and cramps and pains around her abdomen, symptoms which she'd never, experienced before and which worried her sufficiently to seek out the advice of the nurse.
With this in mind, she went down to the infirmary and explained her symptoms to Madam Pomfrey who ran a scan over her before looking over the results, she frowned at her disapprovingly and instructed her to take a seat on the bed saying that she would be back in a few minutes and disappearing into her office. Lily frowned, wondering what that was all about, and was quite shocked when she returned a few minutes later with a stern-faced Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster.
"Now then Miss Evans I've had a look at your results and I think I can explain why you're feeling ill. The symptoms you have described fit with what many women experience during the early months of pregnancy and the results of your scan appear to confirm that you are roughly 2 months pregnant" she said crossing her arms in disapproval, her expression matched by her head of house while the Headmaster looked disappointed in her.
"Pregnant!" she exclaimed in shock "but how?" she wondered in disbelief.
"That was rather what we were hoping you'd be able to tell us. Do you have any idea of when this could have happened?" Dumbledore asked her.
"What no" she replied in shock, then blushed as she remembered that one night, "well, there was one night I suppose when it could have happened."
"Miss Evans?" he prompted.
"Oh, right. It was uh Severus" she mumbled guiltily.
There was stunned silence she heard Professor McGonagall mumble "I should have guessed" to Madam Pomfrey, who nodded her agreement while Dumbledore simply sighed and rubbed his brow "I see" he said tiredly suddenly looking much older.
She glanced at all of them and suddenly realisation dawned on her as to what they must be thinking, "No, please it's not what you think! I know you all think he's turned dark but he's not like that really" she clamped a hand over her mouth, looking at the headmaster pleadingly and wondering if she'd said too much.
He met her eyes, "it's alright they are aware of his situation" she nodded in relief, "and what pray tell do you imagine we think it is that happened?"
"He didn't" she fumbled unsure what to say, "he didn't rape me" ignoring the gasps of shock as she continued focusing on the old man's face who simply raised an eyebrow at her questioningly "it was all my idea, honest it was me who encouraged him, he didn't want to at first, he thought it wasn't a good idea but well I encouraged him to let loose for once"
"Miss Evans!" her head of house exclaimed quite shocked and ashamed of the behaviour of one of her favourite students, who was normally so sensible.
She felt herself well up with tears "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any harm. I just wanted to help him relax. You see, I knew he was being initiated the next day I wanted to have just one night together before it became impossible. I never meant for anything like this to happen I swear"
"I am very disappointed in you this falls far below the normal standard of behaviour I have come to expect from you, Miss Evans. To think I was planning to put you forward to be head girl next year" she hung her head at the reprimand hating having disappointed her head of house.
Dumbledore raised a hand to intervene before looking at her severely "I see, while your actions were noble and well-intentioned, they could potentially have put both of your lives at great risk, not to mention the life of your unborn child. I assume you have not been in a proper relationship with anyone recently?"
She shook her head, she had been leading Potter on, but nothing that could have led to her being pregnant. "As I thought, it would be highly suspicious for you to have the baby now particularly if the child bears a resemblance to Severus, it would be very hard to explain, not to mention the detrimental impact it would have on your studies"
She looked at him panicked he was right, she'd never considered any of this. Truthfully she had never expected that their one night together could possibly lead to them producing a child, but he was right she couldn't have a child whilst still in school, particularly not if it put Severus at risk, she would do anything to protect him and now by extension her unborn child.
"Please Sir, isn't there anything we can do? I can't study whilst caring for a baby. I won't have to give it up will I?" she begged desperately looking at the assembled adults and thinking of muggle abortions, she didn't want to lose this precious child, this last precious part of Severus that connected her to him.
"Well there is one thing" Madam Pomfrey said thoughtfully, "I suppose we could put the foetus in stasis."
"You could really do that and it wouldn't harm the baby?" Lily asked feeling excitement and relief wash through her
"Yes, they will simply be in suspended animation. I can put a stasis spell on the baby for 6 months initially along with protective spells around the foetus since you are potentially at risk of being attacked, after that it would have to be reapplied every few months until you were ready to have the baby"
"Thank you" she breathed in relief as she cast the spells on her that would halt her pregnancy until she had finished school.
"Miss Evans Severus can not know of the true parentage of this baby if word got out about whom the father was it could put them both at terrible risk particularly if his father were to find out do I make myself clear?"
She looked at him and gulped of course he was right again even though her heart ached at having to keep the fact from him that he was to be a father. She nodded, someday though she vowed that she would tell him when it was safe and they didn't have that monster's presence looming over them.
