Severus spent Lily Luna's first term at Hogwarts receiving detailed and passionate letters about everything. The Slytherin common room was awful (too dimly lit), the staircases were wonderful (she won over fifty sickles all told by making daring leaps—Severus thanked Merlin she had inherited her parents' Quidditch-related agility), the food was okay (Harry was a better cook), Potions was amazing (why didn't he come teach a special lesson?). Among other favorite topics was Lily's best friend Maggie.

Maggie was many things, Severus learned. She was a Muggleborn, a whizz at Potions and Herbology, terrible at Transfiguration. She was smart, funny, fun, such a neat freak, so annoying about this, so amazing about that. Severus had to chuckle at the sheer emotion Lily poured into every page. Everything was a life or death matter when you were eleven.

Lily made no secret that she bragged about her family endlessly, especially her grandpa. She had gotten into fights with students two years ahead of her because they'd called him a war criminal. ("I mispronounced 'hero,'" she wrote, "and then I hexed them.") So, it was no real surprise that Lily was bringing her best friend to the Burrow the first afternoon of the Christmas holidays.

"Don't forget Harry's stopping by with Lily and Maggie," Molly said, knitting the last of the Christmas jumpers.

"I know I can finally meet this Maggie-girl," Severus said with a dry laugh. He thought fondly of the stack of letters that currently resided in his desk's drawer. "I feel like I know the girl already."

"How much did Lily tell you?"

"Everything," Severus said, his lips pressed together in a tight smile. Molly just smiled, humming to herself as she finished up with the jumper. "She's a muggleborn, has two little sisters, and the two are making plans of owning a potion shop. Or be professional Quidditch players."

"Ah, best friends," Molly sighed dreamily. "I remember my best friend at that age. Her name was Evie and we were intent on being friends forever."

"What happened," Severus asked slowly, beginning to clear up the dishes. He had a bad feeling that he knew the answer.

"She spread false gossip about me in third year. We separated."

Or maybe he did not.

"Oh, I'm done," Molly said, her old friend forgotten as she cut off the yarn. "I'm finally finished for this year."

She held up an emerald green jumper that glistened and glittered in the light. A bronze M was knitted on the front with a badger wrapped around the last leg of the M. The jumper seemed much too small for their granddaughter Molly and Molly was a proud Gryffindor lion, not a loyal badger.

"For Molly?" Severus reasoned that he did not know his grandchildren's clothing size like his wife did.

"No for Maggie," Molly said as if she was merely discussing the weather. "She's family."

"Everyone's family to you," he retorted with a slight eye roll.

Molly smiled, a glint in her eyes which all disappeared when the fireplace roared a green smoke. "Lily! Is that you?"

"No, it's us!" Lily shouted, bounding out of the flames. "Grandma! Grandpa!" She flew to hug Molly and then Severus, holding onto him for twice as long. Molly merely smiled at this evidence of the bond between grandfather and granddaughter.

"I'm glad to see you again, Lily Luna," Severus said, holding her at arm's length. "I've been lost without my potions assistant."

Lily beamed. "Don't worry, we'll have two whole weeks to work things out. Oh! Here comes Maggie!"

The fire flared again and another small figure appeared in the whirling flames. Out stumbled another girl with ashes on her Muggle street clothes. She was taller than Lily, a little plump, with long blond hair in a braid. She clutched a cat carrier in her hand. The calico inside was meowing in protest.

"Let's never do that again," she moaned and covered her mouth with her hand like she was going to be sick.

Lily ran to steady her and took the cat from her. "It's okay. It's not worse than a fast car, really."

"So much worse."

Severus and Molly graciously ignored the nauseated eleven-year-old. Harry had just stepped out of the fire, and so they spoke to him. Or rather, Molly did. Severus contented himself with a nod.

Maggie rallied with surprising speed for an eleven-year-old. With a brave gulp, she straightened up. Lily dragged her over to Severus. "Maggie, this is my grandpa, Severus Snape," she said proudly.

Severus froze, for the young girl had made eye contact with him. He was looking into Lily Evans' eyes, precisely her eyes: emerald green and almond-shaped. He had only ever seen those eyes in Lily's immediate family members: her son and her younger grandson.

And then Lily Evans' eyes grew shockingly wide, the greens brightening to an extraordinary hue.

"You're Sever...us... Snape," the blond girl said faintly. Severus curtly nodded. Harry and Molly looked at each other, silently judging whether or not to step in.

"Of course, he is, Mags," Lily giggled. "I only talk about Grandpa every day. Or correct people when they mispronounce hero."

"I know, it just never, well," Maggie stammered, clearly lost for words. "My gamma told me about him and what you said," she blushed, her cheeks coloring to a rosy pink (much like Lily Evans, unlike the scarlet that Lily Luna inherited from her grandmother and mother). "I guess I didn't know what to expect."

"Gamma," Severus looked over at Molly, who was having a silent conversation with Harry. "I know your grandmother." Then he paled. Oh no, this girl's - Maggie - beloved gamma was one of his yoga students.

Most of his yoga students had…good opinions. Gushing, even, Molly had said. Some of them could be quite articulate in their admiration of his physique (not that he was at all good-looking, he really didn't understand why), and the older they were, the more shameless the tittering. Oh, what had this girl heard?

But more importantly, why did she have Lily Evans' eyes? Lily's mother had had the same color. He knew she had cousins through her Evans uncle, but he'd never met them. Maybe one of them? Unless there was a secret half-sibling or child he didn't know about, both of which seemed highly unlikely.

Maggie appeared to be trying very hard to be proper and polite. It reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place who. Percy, maybe, when she held out her hand to shake. He returned the favor, still trying to place her grandmother.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Snape."

Severus had never been one for meaningless politeness, but when it came to his granddaughter's friend, he just couldn't be as abrupt as he wanted to be. As Molly pressed hot chocolate and fudge on the girls (prior to the tour Lily was insisting on), he tried to fish for clues. "How…is your grandmother?"

"She's all right." Maggie shrugged. "She's only ever all right, really."

"Is her health poor?" Geraldine had left his class recently due to health problems. Maybe…

"No, she's fine. So's my granddad."

Severus seized on that. "What does your granddad do again?"

"He's retired." Lily's—Harry's—Al's—Maggie's eyes were regarding him narrowly over her steaming cup. "Is it true you one dropped a tree on my gamma?"

"A tree?" Severus said blankly.

"When did Grandpa do that," Lily asked, fudge smeared over her face. Even Maggie had chocolate, but not quite to the same degree as the redheaded little girl for she was using a fork.

Harry let out a snort.

"Sorry," he said, pushing up his glasses. "It was, in fact, a branch. I saw the memory."

"It's true," Maggie said surprised. "I thought Gamma was pulling my leg. She and your grandma were playing, Lily, and your grandpa magicked a branch to hit Gamma."

"Grandpa," Lily squealed, shocked that her grandpa would do such a thing.

Severus just lowered himself to a seat. Replaying in his mind what Harry had said. He only remembered dropping a branch on a tall blond muggle girl with a rather horse-like face. Then it all clicked into place.

Maggie's impeccable manners.

Maggie's pointed ears, unlike the round ones that Harry and James had inherited from Lily.

Maggie and Lily's shared cheekbones.

Maggie's emerald green eyes.

Maggie's emerald green Christmas jumper.

Molly's hidden meaning in "She's family."

"You knew," he murmured, Molly bit her lip. She was never going to hear the end of it. Severus looked up and meet those same green eyes and asked a question that should have been asked a long time ago, "Who is your gamma, Miss -?"

It couldn't be true. It just couldn't.

Maggie looked briefly embarrassed, then was right back to prim and proper. "I forgot to introduce myself," she hissed in distress to Lily, then turned back to Severus. "Petunia Margaret Dursley. It's nice to meet you."

It was true. Just to be sure he wasn't wildly mistaken, Severus asked as calmly as he could, "Your father is Harry's cousin, then?"

Harry was just returning from the kitchen with a sandwich he'd thrown together. "You didn't know?" he asked in surprise, completely blowing Severus's cover.

"Lily neglected to mention it," Severus said, clipped.

"Grandpa, how could you not know?" Lily exclaimed. At first, she looked shocked, then a rather wicked gleam entered her brown eyes. She was never going to let him forget this. "I've known Maggie for years."

That caught Severus off guard. Only the most recent in a new holiday tradition, it seemed. "Have you?"

"Dudley and I get our families together…what? Every two years or so?" Harry said. "It's awkward as all get out, but we wanted the kids to have some family."

Severus swept an ironic glance at the wall, which was crammed with moving photographs of the many Weasley aunts, uncles, and cousins. "What a tragedy, to have no family."

"Yeah, it's not like both sides of the family are important or anything."

"And you never bothered to tell me that Petunia Evans's granddaughter is a witch?"

"It's not like we knew," Harry said defensively.

Maggie—Petunia Margaret—had been listening quietly. Now she straightened proudly. "My accidental magic was very subtle. The professors say I have a delicate touch."

That was the sort of boast that Severus could easily imagine having come from Petunia Evans's mouth, though her granddaughter seemed to him to be a much more likable child.

"And you couldn't have been bothered to mention Maggie's full name, or that she is your cousin, Lily Luna?"

Lily frowned deeply. "I thought you knew. You know everything."

"Not quite everything," Severus said with a short laugh.

Lily remained silent. It was disconcerting to her that her beloved grandfather did not know something, such as an important fact of her best friend. Both her father and friend noticed Lily's change in demeanor and acted in different, but effective ways.

"It was a surprise," Harry said, taking the approach of empathy. "Neville - Professor Longbottom," he amended for the two girls, "actually told me. He was the professor assigned to deliver Maggie's letter and wanted my help since her father's my cousin. I supposed, we never thought about announcing it. There's another witch in the family." Maggie looked up at that, beaming at her first cousin once removed.

And to her second cousin, Maggie chose the sympathizing approach: "I was surprise about my grandparents' reaction. Granddad is still getting used to it, I don't know if he likes it." Lily rested her head on her cousin's shoulder at that remark. "Gamma was taken back. But she was surprised." She cracked a grin. "She's been telling me stories non-stop of Aunt Lily, the magic tricks she did, and how she discovered magic. She did not want to tell that story though," Maggie frowned. "It made her sad." Her head tilted to the side, touching Lily Luna's auburn curls.

Severus was stunned at the mentioned of "Aunt Lily" and then again when the two little girls' heads touched, when blond met red. He knew the Evans Sisters were extremely close. Total opposites, but two peas in a pod. Petunia was quiet and demure, always doing as expected, while Lily was determined and daring. Lily fought for restoration of their sisterly bond, all the way through Hogwarts even sending a wedding present that she had carefully picked out (Severus should know, it was one of the last things they did before he said that horrible word).

Looking at the two chocolate-smeared girls before him, comforting each other their own secret, silent language. Both named Petunia and Lily - a fair haired Petunia and a red-haired Lily. A quiet, neat Petunia and a loud, daring Lily. Two girls that seemed impossibly perfect in an imperfect way.

"Two more questions," Severus said, his voice dropping and both girls separated. Green eyes and brown eyes meeting his dark ones solemnly. "Why Gamma? Petunia Evans," To Severus, he could not call her Dursley. Perhaps it was in memory of his childhood friend, who had a strong dislike of Vernon, "does not seem like a 'gamma.' And what did 'Gamma' say about me?"

"It was supposed to be Grandma," Maggie said, almost as if she were reciting it. "But I called her Gamma." Then she squirmed, eying Lily nervously. "She's not a fan, sir."

"Why," Lily said, frowning again. She knew she could not beat up her great-aunt Petunia. Her parents will ground for eternity and Maggie will despise her. Molly looked on from a distance, then looked over at Severus. Urging him to say something, it was his battle to do something for their granddaughter.

"Because, Lily Luna," Severus said, leaning across the table in his most solemn voice. "I broke the Evans Sisters apart. Petunia and Lily Evans had a strong bond, then I met your grandmother Lily and I was," he paused, both girls looking at him intently. He stood up, walking around the table and kneeling in front of both witches. "Petunia Margaret, Lily Luna, I won't make the same mistake. Your friendship is very much like Petunia and Lily Evans' and the world needs this."

"Molly," hissed Harry to his mother-in-law. "What did you do to Severus Snape?"

"Nothing," Molly said, barely audible to her son-to-law. "I do not know who this is."

Maggie looked taken aback. Everything her grandmother had ever said about Severus Snape was running through her mind, juxtaposed against what Lily had said. One was awful, the other was glowing with praise. She supposed the truth must be somewhere in the middle. She hadn't thought her friendship with Lily was that important. Wonderful, yes, but not important. That was one of her traits that her grandmother had most praised and built up: she was realistic. "Th-thank you, sir," she stammered. "I hope Lily and I will always be friends, too."

"If you need any help in the wizarding world, Petunia Margaret, I will be here for you, as well as the Potters," said Severus. He went back to his seat in the living room and opened his book, a clear signal that the moment was at an end. He could feel Harry's astounded eyes on him, which he ignored. He had done his duty by both Lily Luna and by Lily, and he would stand by his word.

—SEVEN YEARS LATER—

The Potters and Granger-Weasleys were throwing a combined party to celebrate the graduations of Lily Luna and Hugo from Hogwarts, as well as their first steps toward their careers. Lily had a scholarship to study at the highly regarded International Potioneers Guild in Cairo for the next year, while Hugo had a business grant to open a magical mechanic shop. He hoped to make flying cars the next big thing. Finally, it was also a celebration of Lily's engagement to Scorpius Malfoy (much to their fathers' mutual discomfort and their mothers' mirth). All their friends and family had been invited to the party in the back garden of the Granger-Weasley house (which was rather spacious, given Hermione's successful career at the Ministry).

Not half an hour into the get-together, Molly had already accused Severus three times of skulking against the garden wall. Severus had already congratulated both grandchildren and so felt his job was done. He hated large gatherings, as he was guaranteed to receive looks and even hostile words. The last thing he needed with Lily deciding to hex someone on his behalf again. She might lose her scholarship if she got in trouble.

So, Severus leaned against the wall, sipping butterbeer and watching the happily milling guests. Then, through the crowd, he saw her. He went very still and watched from under his eyelids, sure that he had been mistaken. Maggie was there, of course, as she and Lily were still best friends, still inseparable (she had a starting job in the International Magical Trading Standards Body). But Maggie had not grown up to look much like her grandmother. She was fairly short, plump, and pretty, wearing her blonde hair at just above her shoulders, with the same stunning green eyes that she set off to her advantage with just a touch of green eyeshadow.

This silhouette had been different—tall, bony, almost a scarecrow cutout. And yes, there at the refreshments table, stood a woman he knew.

Severus didn't know what he expected. He simply felt that he owed it…to whom, he wasn't sure. Her? Lily? Maggie? Himself? However it was, he pushed away from the wall and went to stand with Petunia Evans.

She was overdressed, in a salmon-colored dress suit, with her grey hair tightly curled. She was sipping thimble-fulls of butterbeer and looking about with beadily focused eyes that quickly found Severus.

"Petunia," Severus greeted her with a cordial nod.

"Maggie told me you might be here," she said. Her tone of voice was cool but not hostile, so Severus made himself comfortable a few feet away. Close enough for conversation, far enough to not overlap their personal space. "That you'd married a war widow with an unholy number of grandchildren," Petunia added.

"It's the grandchildren that number in the unholy," Severus said calmly. "How is Vernon?"

"He's fine," Petunia said shortly, with a jerk of her chin. Severus followed the gesture to see, to his mild shock, a grey and balding Vernon Dursley in the midst of a small circle of grandfathers, regaling them with many emphatic gestures on the subject of drills. They found him quite the novelty, and he mistook it as a respect for his authority.

"I'm surprised he came."

"I'm surprised we both came," Petunia sniffed, "I don't think much of these Weasleys—obviously working class—but it's for Maggie."

"I want to apologize," Severus said. Petunia slewed toward him, shock in her eyes. "For driving you and Lily apart," he continued. "It was no accident. I was jealous of your friendship. I thought that she could only really be loyal to one of us, and I was determined it would be me. I'm sorry for that."

"I didn't exactly need any help driving her away, did I?" Petunia gave a most unladylike snort and pulled out her handkerchief to dab at her eyes. "Isn't it funny, how Maggie and Lily have found each other? Petunia and Lily, together again. Like it was meant to be. Maggie has everything I wanted, and I'm happy for her, but it's too late for me."

"Too late for what?" Severus asked. He doubted she meant magic.

"My sister hated me when she died," Petunia growled, wiping at her eyes again. "She hated you, too, from what I've heard. I've been good to her granddaughter, but she's nothing like Lily, really. And there's nothing we can do."

"You're right, Lily and I were estranged for the last years of her life. But there is something we can do." Petunia followed Severus' eyes to where Harry stood joking with Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and a circle of their friends.

"No," Petunia balked. "I couldn't possibly."

"You said Lily Luna is nothing like Lily Evans," Severus said implacably. He remembered going through this same thought process himself with Harry. At the time, he would only accepted Lily's son if he had been her exact match in looks and spirit. He had been his own person, though, and so it had been less painful for Severus to write him off as entirely James'. With Lily, things had been different. He had been ready to love her on her own account and at the same time to recognize and treasure the similarities that were there. "I concur that she is more her mother's daughter than her father's in surface appearance and personality, but there is much the same there—her passion, her instinct for justice, even her talent for potions. She is like our Lily, but Harry is even more so."

"I can't," Petunia said with something approaching panic. "Do you know how horrible I was to him? I haven't said a word to him in more than twenty years, not since he left Privet Drive. I couldn't bear to."

"There's nothing you and I can do to reunite with Lily herself," Severus said. The words were brutal, but his tone was neutral. "That will have to wait until we, as Harry says, catch the next train. But by treating her son and grandchildren well, we can at least reconcile with Lily's blood. And I've learned just how powerful that can be."

Petunia looked at him with something like longing. "Does it…feel any better?"

"There is peace," Severus said firmly, "in time."

"Harry will never want to—"

"Harry made peace with me, Petunia. I can assure you that he will."

Petunia looked for a moment that she might run. Then, with an audible swallow, she came up to his side, and together Severus Snape and Petunia Evans walked up to Harry Potter.

Lily Luna Potter and Petunia Margaret Dursley saw them talking and smiled.