Thunder, lightning, rain and storm. The thunder roared adjective, the lightning flashed and lit all in sight; it struck down and burned trees. The rain battered the ground in a furious drumbeat, never relenting, never weakening.

Any being with common sense was hiding away somewhere, far from the ferocity of the storm.

But Severus Snape himself was busy with a much more important matter than his own safety.

"AAAGGH!"

"Push, Destiny, push!"

His wife and child.

They were in a small, abandoned cottage deep in the forest in the heart of England. Why they were there was not important now. They were there, and right now Destiny was about to deliver his child, the child that they had been waiting so long for.

"It…hurts…" Destiny panted, and clenched her husband's hand tighter. Severus squeezed back reassuringly.

"Push once more, and it will all be over," he reassured her. And she did.

"GAAAHH!"

And his child was born.

He took her in his arms after magically cutting the umbilical cord, and healed the small wound with another flick of his wand.

And he took a good look at his daughter.

Her skin, cinammon brown as her mother's, black beetle eyes of her father's, and black hair the mother and father both shared.

The child was mysteriously quiet for a newborn; no wails or cries issued from her mouth; but she smiled and gurgled once in her father's arms.

On the infant's left shoulder, was a small scar…in the shape of a crescent moon. It faced downards, the open side facing down. A small dot was in the open face.

The child herself paid this abnormality no mind; she was busy reaching for her father.

His wife groaned softly, weak with exhertion, and gazed up sadly at her husband. Severus's face fell as he realized what she was about to say.

She had seen it coming in her dreams, and knew what would happen immediately after the baby was born. They had gone over it many times.

"Severus, it is time. You know what to do. I will soon die. Burn the house behind you, and don't look back. Not once, Severus."

"Destiny, there must be another way…" Destiny smiled sadly and shook her head. "You know there isn't, Severus. I love you." She lay back as her breathing began to slow. "Don't forget me, but at the same time, live, Severus…live…"

And she drifted away. Severus fell to his knees beside her, clutching her now cold hand.

"Please! Please come back! Please…" he sobbed.

But to no avail. Tears streamed down his face, and the newborn now saw fit to also begin crying.

His wife, and the girl's mother, Destiny Victoria Snape, was gone.

The storm suddenly became stronger, and the little cottage rocked as it was buffeted with one blast of wind after another.

The crescent moon glowed brighter, and turned a crimson red. Severus noted this, and stood.

It was time to go.

Severus lovingly caressed his wife's cheek one last time. "Good-bye, Destiny," he whispered softly, before gathering the child up in his arms and rushing out of the cottage.

The rain battered him from all sides, and the baby girl in his arms wailed and curled up closer to her father's chest. Severus covered her with his cloak and began to run at a faster pace. If he Apparated here, as Destiny had warned him, someone would detect it. He was also not to use any magic until the clearing in the middle of the forest. Inside the cabin, yes, but it was warded. He had to get to the clearing.

The storm grew fiercer more, and struck the trees the hardest. With a loud CRACK! a tree was hit by lightning and fell in the middle of the path, burning fiercely even in the heavy rain. The flames blazed out at him, like hell's demons reaching for him and his child. He swerved around it.

And he turned back, to glance behind at the happiness he once had, one last time, and pulled out his wand. And barely heard above the storm, came the incantation, "INCENDIO!" And the cottage burst into flames, disintegrating before his eyes.

Then he turned, and ran, not looking back once. The clearing was just up ahead, he could reach it—and he did.

Once in the middle of the clearing, he clutched the baby girl tighter to his chest, and with a loud CRACK! he Apparated to the agreed location: Hogwarts.

At the gates, he opened them and hurried up to the castle, where he rapped on the doors. He was met by a bewildered looking Minerva McGonagall. "Severus! What are you doing—oh…"

She had spotted the child in his arms, and stepped aside to let him in. "Albus is in his office." He nodded, and strode swiftly to the office.

Once he spoke the password, he entered the office. Albus Dumbledore stood and rushed down to meet him.

"Is this your child?" he murmured quietly. Severus had discussed this with Albus, as well; he knew about Destiny.

"Yes. She is."

The rain and the storm raged on outside, but they were now safe from its full wrath. Severus

"We're safe…for now." He glanced down at her. "Your mother's sacrifice will not be in vain." The little girl made a small noise, and reached towards the window.

A raven sat there, perched on the windowledge, staring at the girl. It gave one caw, and as lightning flashed at the same time, time itself seemed to slow, leaving only the girl and the raven.

And then, in another flash of lightning, the raven was gone. Severus nodded.

"Raven…Your name." Raven yawned and snuggled into her blankets. Severus sighed and stroked the girl's hair as she fell into a deep slumber. "And it begins."