A/N: Harry talks very little in this chapter. He is still intimidated by Professor Snape. Poor thing. Lily talks a lot in this chapter. I think I've forgotten to mention this before, but the part of the story that takes place before school is Lily centric, with Harry's thoughts thrown in at points.

Snape's Maiden

On a warm summer's day Lily found herself standing in front of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry wearing a jumper, holding onto her son's hand that was also dressed in attire inappropriate to the season.

Lily had to borrow Petunia's clothes since she didn't have any of her own. But since all of Petunia's summer clothes were 'in the wash', she had to wear one of her jumpers over her underclothes and it was made out the same itchy material the bedcovers at the police station were.

Lily frowned. She was on the run from the Muggle law. Granted, it wasn't anything bigger than trespassing but it still worried her.

She raised her hand and knocked on the large wooden door three times. She was praying that he still taught here and that he would answer the door. The door opened a crack, and luckily it was Severus Snape on the other side.

"Sorry, the castle is currently closed due to summer break." Snape said snarkily.

"Don't you remember me, Severus?" Lily screwed her face up in mock sadness.

"If that is you again, Gilderoy, I have absolutely no desire to purchase any of your 'books'."

"I guess that Gilderoy Lockhart does sound like a woman, but I assure you that I am not him."

"Then who are you?" Snape replied irritably as he threw the door open. His eyes looked shocked as he took in the sight of the woman standing in front of him. But it was only lingered for a moment.

"Well, well, well…Lily Potter…I'd never thought I'd live to see the day." Snape sneered.

"SNAPE!" Harry yelled, shocked. "Why do you want to meet with him?" Everything in hearing range turned to look at Harry, three owls and a pigeon. One of the owls looked disgusted and flew off.

"I'm sure she has her reasons, too complex for your miniscule brain to understand."

"Don't talk to him like that!" Lily growled angrily.

"Oh…a mother lion with her cub. How…cute. Why don't you come into my office and discuss this…matter in my office rather than having a shouting match through the doorway like uncivilized children."

"If you're only including yourself as the uncivilized child…sure." Lily mumbled under her breath.

Snape's eyes narrowed. "I do not have to help you, Evans, but I am doing this purely out of the kindness of my heart."

Lily could vaguely hear Harry say "What heart?"

"Fine. And by the way, it's Potter." Lily replied coldly, but she felt her stomach summersault as she said the name.

Snape's eyes narrowed further at the mention of the surname of his school enemy. Lily noticed this and rolled her eyes.

"People would think you were still sixteen keeping up petty school-boy grudges."

Snape ignored this last comment and changed the subject. "I believe I made an offer to go inside?"

Harry coughed, which Lily took as an indication to take up on Snape's offer.

Lily walked into her former school, Harry following closely behind. She looked around. Hogwarts was just as magnificent and beautiful as she remembered. Harry smiled. Hogwarts was well and truly his home.

"Hogwarts." He whispered.

"It's just like I remember!" Lily blurted out.

It was Snape's turn to roll his eyes. "You mean it's so dull it hasn't changed."

"As a matter of fact, that's not what I mean at all."

Harry let out his cough again. Snape lead the two into the dungeons, and into his office. He sat down in his chair, as Lily and Harry sat down in the seats across him. Snape was glaring at her in a way he might glare at a misbehaving student. Harry wriggled slightly in his seat. He did not like Snape's office all. It was a little heavy on the green, silver and serpents.

"Well, Potter, I'm assuming you came here for a reason, other than to have a debate loud enough for all of Scotland to here." Snape smirked, showing his yellowing teeth.

"I am currently in need of your services. In layman's terms, I need your help." Lily replied.

Harry snorted.

"That is obvious. The only information I require now, is how to help you. "

"I would have thought this is 'obvious'. I need a disguise to get into Diagon Alley so I can purchase a wand. I also need to gain entrance to the Ministry of Magic to arrange a meeting to alter my records and regain custody of my son."

Harry smiled when he heard this. After years of being called 'freak' and 'boy', it was nice…no; it was amazing, that someone was finally calling him son. Warmth filled his heart and he felt happy, content. Happy was not a common emotion for him, and prior to this moment, he wouldn't have been able to accurately describe the emotions. But now he could.

Lily looked at Harry and hugged him. Harry instantly felt safer. The moment was short lived however, since Snape started talking again.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "The first is simple with a few glamour spells, but the latter I can not do. You're better off asking Dumbledore."

"Oh…yes…and one more thing. Do not, under any circumstances inform Albus Dumbledore that you saw me." Lily said. She did not need Dumbledore's interference at this stage. Closer to the start of the year, she would need to meet with him. But not now.

"Is that all?"

Lily nodded while Harry coughed. They stood up in perfect synchrony and headed out the door. Snape followed them out, headed for his potion lab. They didn't get very far, since they managed to walk straight into someone. The nearby portraits sniggered, and one yelled out "Watch where you're going, you greasy haired fool!"

A certain someone who was the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the exact same person who Lily didn't want to meet.

"Hello Severus, and who is this lovely maiden?" he asked, his clear blue eyes twinkling their ever-annoying twinkle. Lily let out a breath she hadn't know she was holding. He didn't recognize her. She hoped the senility had finally gone to his head. But Harry ruined her chance.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry yelled. He had previously gone unnoticed due to his height or lack thereof. The only people Dumbledore had seen were Snape and his 'maiden'. But as senile as Dumbledore was, he could not hear Harry's outburst.

"Mr. Potter!" Dumbledore said in astonishment. "What on earth are you doing here?"

Lily giggled. When she was younger, she had thought that nothing could faze the great Albus Dumbledore. She was just about to be proved wrong. Maybe Harry would keep his head and not tell Dumbledore about Lily. But that wasn't to be.

"It's Mum!" Harry yelled excitedly.

"Yourmother's dead Harry. The dead…do not come back to life…death is after all, the next great adventure." Dumbledore told Harry, looking over his half-moon glasses. Harry thought this felt very familiar.

"That's where you're wrong." Lily declared. "Remember me, professor?"

Dumbledore turned to Severus. "Am I supposed to know this lovely maiden of yours?" he questioned.

Lily blushed. She had the most annoying habit of blushing at the most inopportune moments. She regained her self and growled, "I. Am. Not. His. Girl. Friend."

Dumbledore looked appalled; "I never implied that, did I? Then…who are you? I am getting quite forgetful in my old age." He replied, his eyes ever twinkling.

Lily batted her eyelids. "Why I'm Lily Potter of course!"

Yes, this was going to be fun!

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Coming up: A sad chapter! And that's all I can say without giving too much away!

Review Responses:

vampire: Nope.

IamSiriusgrl: There's very little where Lily comes back on her own. Poor Lily…

Tears-Of-Love-Tears-Of-Hate: Well…they DID meet with Dumbledore, but it wasn't whom Lily wanted too!

Jeran: Correct! It was pretty obvious, since I did say in the last chapter that the person started teaching roughly about the times of Lily's death. And those two were Snape and Trelawney, and I would've laughed if someone had actually said Trewlawney!

Yami's Guardian Angel: You are also right! And your dark is on its sugar high from the sugar pop.

dweem-angel: Yup. Our favourite (and only) potions master!

Miss Piratess: I am pretty good at what would be going on in a twelve-year-old's mind, since I was twelve last year…That note was mainly to remind people how old Harry is.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

'Til next time,

Thoughts and Pondering.