Harsh Realization
Over the last several months, Lily had seemed to cheer up little by little thanks to one she saw as almost like an older sister, and when the end of the term approached Lily teased Tonks a little. All due to how the older girl said she had thought for a while she would die during her O.W.L. exams. Something that Lily thought was amusing all due to how when she was not spending time with her dad, or out playing with Tonks, Lily was curled up reading one of her father's potion books or any spell books she could get her hands on. Something that had led to Severus trying to tuck the books away out of Lily's reach until she had a violent outburst with her developing magic. One that ended with Lily throwing a little bit of a fit since it had been during exam week and Tonks was not available to play with her so she wanted to just bury herself in books since even with the protective charm she had promised her father she would always wear; she was not allowed outside of their quarters unless Severus or Tonks were with her.
So after Severus had told her for what felt like the millionth time that day that the books she kept wanting to look at were far to advanced for an eight year old he had walked out of the room only to hear what sounded like a mini explosion. He had rushed back to the room only to find that all of the books he had put away back on the floor and the shelf in splinters around Lily. She swore up and down that she had not meant to do it, and Severus had been upset with her but nowhere near as shocked as he was. She was only eight and her magic was already developing in leaps and bounds. Something that led to him thinking to at least start teaching her a little over the summer, at least in potions since the child had an interest in the subject. However, when she compared it to cooking he about lost it.
Thinking back on that brought a smile to Severus' face as he sat before the fireplace that had a gentle blaze within the hearth. He stared into the flames as the memory began to play back through his mind as he closed his eyes allowing himself to see the memory even clearer. It had been during mid spring when Lily had been playing in the Potions classroom with Tonks while Severus had been listening to the bell like sound of his daughter laughing while he was working on a fresh batch of dreamless sleep potion for the Hospital Wing. All due to how at this time in the year the fifth year students started having extreme anxiety attacks and nightmares of their fast approaching exams, so it was normal for Severus to have to brew a few batches of the potion each year.
He had been waiting for the potion to need to be stirred as he was studying the potions book on his desk only to hear a soft sound followed by a tug at his black cloak. Glancing down he saw that Lily was trying to hide behind him, making him think that maybe Tonks had scared his daughter. His dark gaze shifted to a glare as he looked toward his hyperactive student only to see she was facing the wall and counting? 'Are they really playing hide and seek?' Severus thought as he gave Tonks a confused look as she finished counting to twenty before turning around to start looking for Lily. Shaking his head, he turned back to his book as the game continued around him, as he was just happy that his daughter was finally seeming to get over how much she missed having Harry around. But deep down, Severus knew that wound ran deep and it may not heal until she was allowed to see Harry again. Something Severus was planning to set up for during the summer, more so since their birthdays were so close, so surely he would be allowed to watch Harry for Lily's birthday so she could be with her friend.
But Severus was brought from his thoughts about an hour later when Lily came over and tapped at his side to get his attention. So he looked away from what he was reading as he looked to his daughter who was smiling up at him. The smile was not quite the same as before, but it was a step in the right direction for her to smile at all. "What is it, Lily?" Severus asked.
"Are you cooking again?" Lily asked as she looked up at her father with an innocent expression as he stared down at her in pure shock.
"What?" Severus asked in pure confusion as he looked down at the sweet innocent smile on his daughters face, though he could still see the sadness shining through.
"Cooking." Lily said as though she thought it was normal to ask her father such a thing. "Isn't potion making similar to cooking?" she asked as Tonks in the back of the classroom looked like she was about to run from the room out of fear that the potions master would assume she had been the one to put such thoughts in Lily's head. "Because from what I read, cooking is taking different ingredients and making something with them." Lily said as Severus was still dumbfounded by the question and how Lily had explained it.
Shaking his head Severus forced that memory away as he could still remember how Lily had reacted in shock when he tried to explain they were not fully similar due to how potions was dangerous and cooking was far from dangerous. Though at the moment he heard the door to his quarters open as he turned to see Lily skipping in as he got the feeling she was still not fully happy with how things were. 'She is putting up a front…' he thought with a pang of sadness since he wanted nothing more than for her to be truly happy again, that was when it dawned on him. "Lily, come here." He said as she came over only to sit beside him looking at him in confusion as he spoke again. "Why don't you write to Harry? I am sure the elder Weasley boy in the same year as your friend Tonks will gladly send it." He said as suddenly the true smile found its way back onto the face of his precious angel.
"I am allowed to do that?" she asked, a hint of doubt but hope evident in her voice as she stared at her dad as he smiled at her and nodded.
"Of course. Harry just went to live elsewhere, it isn't like the two of you cannot write and possibly set a time to visit this summer." He said since in truth there was one more week of school as all of the exams were wrapping up, mainly the first through fourth and sixth year exams since O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. were being done separate from the regular exams.
"I will do that!" Lily said before she threw her arms around her father in an enthusiastic hug as she then jumped down from the couch and ran to her room to grab some parchment she had along with a quill her father had gotten her while he was supervising a trip to Hogsmeade while Lily had been going around to the shops with Tonks. Something that Tonks had been beyond happy to do for Lily since seeing the excitement and wonder in the small girl's eyes has been something that beyond made Tonks happy since she was an only child and had no younger siblings.
'How is it that Dumbledore could believe even for a second that my daughter will bring nothing but misfortune when her smile brings happiness and light into people's lives when they have nothing?' Severus thought as he knew that Lily had been the one to bring new light and meaning to his own life when he had allowed his cold heart to be open again to the love from another. Then there was how even Harry had been in a dark place only for Lily to smile and offer him a chance to be part of a real family, even if both had been growing up without a mother in their lives, they had been beyond happy being together with Severus. 'Damned old fool!' Severus thought in frustration as he heard a soft sound as he looked toward it to see Lily had come back and was sitting at the table where they sometimes ate when they didn't go to the Great Hall.
Lily was beyond focused as she spread out her parchment and started to scribble and cross out bits for her letter to Harry. Mainly because of how there was so much that had happened since she had last seen him, and how she wanted to know how he was, yet at the same time part of her wanted to ask if he wanted her and Severus to take him back after how he had been forced away from them. After almost two hours, Lily smiled down at the letter she had written as she picked it up and read over it to be sure it came out right.
Harry,
I hope you are doing okay since it has been so long since I saw you! Dad and me both miss you and wish you were still here. I made a new friend who is really funny. She is able to change her appearance at will and sometimes walks around with bright pink hair, something that always gets an upset look from dad. She is really nice, and even is almost like a big sister to me.
Oh, and with how your birthday will be in just over a month, do you think the ones who took you away will let you spend the day with dad and me? Or maybe allow us to meet you somewhere so that we can do something like we used to? I really hope so because I miss you! The little amount I have been able to ask Charlie, he says that you were not too happy there, so I do not see why you had to be taken away. Please write back soon. Dad and me will be going home in the next few days to a week once school lets out for the summer holiday.
Lily
Severus had stood and walked over to be behind his daughter as he looked over her shoulder at the letter thinking that surely Harry would be allowed to meet with them if not be allowed one day to not be at the Burrow. Mainly because of how it was not like he would ever harm the boy, and neither would Lily so there was no reason at all to deny them being allowed to see one another for Harry's birthday. More so when he saw a certain line in the letter his daughter was writing before she had fully completed it. That Harry was not happy there. 'So you place him somewhere that you assume he will be happy instead of leaving things be…' Severus thought in frustration as he forced himself to not appear upset when Lily had turned in her seat to look up at him with a smile on her face.
"We will send it in the morning." Severus said since it was later in the evening and he thought it best to have Lily get some sleep after she had been playing with Tonks all day. They enjoyed a small dinner together after Lily had cleared the table of her parchment and put her quill and ink back in her room. Not long after dinner, Severus sat on the couch with Lily laying against him as he had a book out that he was reading to her. He had never thought he would become accustomed to the stories from muggles, but he had because of how when he tried to read her some other stories when she had been younger she had gotten scared. Though for obvious reasons he avoided reading her some that portrayed wolves as bad characters, since he did not ever want her to have that mentality.
He was only halfway through the chapter he was reading to her of a book she had recently picked that he thought was far too complex for a child, something dealing with something small being dangerous, when he glanced to his left side only to see Lily sleeping soundly beside him. 'How could I have ever thought to never open my heart to her?' Severus thought to himself as he put the book to the side before he shifted, gathering his daughter up in his arms as he went to stand and carry her to her room. Once in there he relied on the dim light from her nightstand candle that came to life when he flicked his wand in his hand. He walked over to her bed as he placed her down after pulling back the blankets as he brought the blanket up and tucked it around her before kissing her forehead, whispering his wish for her to have sweet dreams and that he loved her. He went to straighten and leave her room as the candle went out.
/
The following morning Lily woke early only to rush and get dressed in jeans and a light blue t-shirt as she even scrambled to pull on her tennis shoes and run a brush through her black hair before running to her dad's room to find him sound asleep. She wanted to be sure she got the letter to Harry as soon as possible, so she figured she could make it up to the owlery and back by the time her dad woke since he had been up late a lot lately. However, remembering how her father tended to worry when she was not in her room or in their quarters in general should he wake while she was gone, she quietly called out to Twinkle. And as though the house elf had sensed that there was a need to remain silent, she appeared with only a faint pop already bowing to the small child before her.
"Twinkle, I am going to the owlery, so can you let dad know when he gets up if he does so before I get back?" Lily asked as Twinkle looked at Lily with worry in her eyes even as Lily was smiling at Twinkle. "I promise I will be careful; it is just that I need to send this letter as soon as possible to Harry." Lily said as she pulled out the letter from her pocket to show to Twinkle so she could fully verify for her father that was all she was wanting to do. "I want to send this so that I can hear back from him quickly." Lily said as there was a sad tone in her voice as Twinkle gave Lily a concerned look. All due to how in that look, Lily had reminded Twinkle of her former mistress she had served, Lily's mother. Just before she had gone into labor due to worry for the unborn child she was carrying.
"I will, though mistress, please do be careful. You know Master Snape does worry so!" Twinkle pleaded as Lily pulled Twinkle close into a hug, something that surprised the small house elf for a moment before she recovered and returned the hug. "Just avoid that one boy, please mistress." Twinkle pleaded as Lily let go of her.
"I will, because he should not even be out in the corridors yet." Lily said as she walked over to the door and opened it before slipping out into the corridor. She saw Twinkle one last time before she let the door close behind her as she heard and could even feel the protective spells go into place that would only be released with her uttering the password or even just resting her hand against the door or the pendant her father gave her. Shaking her head, Lily turned and headed up the corridor knowing to find the owlery she would need to first make it up to the Entrance Hall since that would at least mean she was going the right way.
It only took half an hour for Lily to find her way up to the Entrance Hall, all due to how a few stray portraits on the walls had distracted her with engaging her in conversation on where she was going without her father or her new friend to escort her. She had laughed and insisted she was alright to be in the corridor alone, even when some other portraits had insisted that she should be more cautious due to how not all even in the school were safe for a small child to be around. She knew that all too well, all due to Levi who even in the last few months had taken to being even more cruel to her, at least when he could since she was always around either her dad or Tonks most of the time. But when Lily had finally gotten a portrait that kept her in conversation for ten minutes to tell her if she was on the right course for where she was needing to go, she finally found the right staircase, one that she usually had a hard time finding since she did not usually pay attention to where she was going when she was with her dad or Tonks.
Once she was in the Entrance Hall she glanced around to the Grand Staircase that led up to the next floor of the castle. She started running up the stairs only to hear a strange voice she had never heard before call to her as she stopped abruptly to look back down the stairs to see it was what appeared to be one of the professors. A woman wearing shawls on her shoulders and large glasses that magnified her dark cold eyes drastically to the point Lily was reminded of an insect. As Lily stood there staring down at the woman she walked up the stairs toward where Lily stood until she was a few steps down to be only half a head taller than Lily as she reached out her hand.
"You are the child adopted by the Potions Master who has had a dark cloud following you since your destiny began at birth." The woman said as Lily gave her a shocked look while her blue eyes were very wide. "Do not be surprised, dear." The woman said as she came up two more steps so she was a little taller than Lily as she let her hand move back to her side. "I am one who has been watching what fate has in store for you for some time. I am Professor Trelawney, the Divination professor." Professor Trelawney said as Lily was still staring at her in disbelief. "Though I must say I am surprised you have the gift and that it is fast developing." She said keeping her large bug like eyes locked on Lily.
"G-gift?" Lily asked as she gulped slightly not sure what to think of this professor. All due to how she had met near every other professor that taught at the school, but not this one.
"A gift of sight beyond that of what mortals see." Professor Trelawney said in an airy tone as she continued to look at Lily in a way that obviously made the child uncomfortable. "If you would come with me for a brief moment, since it is on your way to the owlery, I would like to show you a sample of what you will be capable of once you are able to be trained more. Without even seeing if Lily would follow, Trelawney had started up the stairs once again.
For a few brief seconds, Lily hesitated as she decided there was no harm in at least seeing what exactly Trelawney had been talking about. So Lily rushed up a few steps before slowly to be about two steps away from the professor as they walked in silence until they reached a tower that Lily had never been to before. A ladder fell to allow them to climb up, though Trelawney insisted that Lily go up first and that she would follow. So without hesitation, Lily started to climb as once she got to the top she found herself in what appeared to be the oddest classroom she had ever seen. She moved so she was standing not too far from the trapdoor as she glanced around. The fumes from the fire were near overpowering as she started coughing as Trelawney climbed up into the room and shut the trapdoor behind her, immediately sending Lily into a worried state.
"Do not worry, child. I was merely closing the door so as to block out the mass of energies that will be surging soon since everyone will be waking and making their way down to the Great Hall." Trelawney said as she seemed to glide past Lily over to a table that was draped in various colored clothes with a crystal ball resting on a clawed stand. "Come closer." Trelawney said as she sat down behind the table as Lily walked over closer. "I have been wanting to test your current ability, and now is the best time. You are at one of the many pivotal moments of your young life. So many around you already have influence over your life, yet you are firmly set on the path you were destined for." She said as Lily sat down opposite of her.
"What do you mean? There is nothing special about me, so why do you keep talking like there is?" Lily asked as Trelawney gave her a sad half smile.
"Child, there is so much that you are destined for, but it would not be enough for you to be told that you hold power and that you are destined to sway the outcome of things. It is not yet time for that, but for now it is time for you to start developing this budding power that you hold within you." Trelawney said as she then focused on the crystal ball between her and Lily, while Lily mirrored her by focusing on it. "For you see, as I told you, I have been following your path for some time. All because of a unique power that you and only you possess." Trelawney said as Lily remained focused on the crystal ball only to see things as she felt that her body was going limp, even though she remained upright on the cushion. Her eyes going out of focus, yet remaining fully focused on the swirling mists of the crystal ball before her.
The mist swirled into the shape of a figure she did not recognize, one that was clad all in black, with red snake like eyes glowing from deep within the hood. Lily tried to look away but the swirling mist held her captive as the figure moved closer as she could hear a low hiss from it.
"You will be mine. The cursed child of the moon."
Before she could try to make sense of it, the figure exploded into black smoke that swirled all around Lily's vision as she soon saw under the light of the full moon. As her attention shifted to three figures that formed she saw that she was the one in the middle with two standing beside her, all she could tell was they were around her age and male, nothing more due to how their faces and features cast in shadows. A new hooded figure appeared before the three of them as she tried to see the figure but all she could see was a skeleton within the hood. The figure held out their hand as a strange shape appeared in the air between them, that of a triangular eye. Suddenly each of them held something in their hands that appeared to glow in accordance with the triangular eye before them…
Lily felt someone shaking her as she found she could not open her eyes but remained limp on the ground, not even recalling how she had gotten there, just that it was strangely soft, and the assortment of scents that had been flooding her at the time when she had looked into the crystal ball were gone, replaced by the scent of lemon. There was only one place in the school that she knew of that held that scent, the hospital wing. Slowly forcing her eyes to open, the fell on her father who was sitting on the edge of the bed she was on as he looked like he was in the midst of having a panic attack before his dark eyes fell on her to see that her blue eyes had opened.
"Oh, Lily!" Severus breathed as he suddenly snatched Lily up off of the bed so she was more or less sitting up held only by the strong arms of her father. "I was so worried, Twinkle said you had gone to the owlery but when I found Tonks and she said she had just come from there and had not seen you…I was so worried something had happened…" Severus said in a low worried tone as Lily tried to remember what had happened as it was suddenly all a haze.
"I…I was on my way there, but…I ran into Professor Trelawney…" Lily said as her father stiffened and pulled back from her giving her a confused look.
"That is not possible, Professor Trelawney was still asleep in her office when you were found alone unconscious in her classroom." Severus said as he was not sure why his daughter would say that she had been with a professor she should not have even known. "What did the person look like?" he asked as he gave Lily a worried look.
"She was wearing a lot of shawls on her shoulders, wearing big glasses that magnified her dark cold eyes." Lily said as she saw her father give her an even more worried look before he suddenly put her back down on the bed. "Dad?" Lily asked in a confused tone before the door at the far end of the wing opened as a familiar pink haired student came rushing into the hospital wing and ran over to the bed where Lily was with her dad still holding her. "Tonks…?" Lily asked as her dad suddenly lowered her down.
"Tonks, I need you to stay here with Lily while I go take care of something." Severus said as he was suddenly back on his feet and rushing from the hospital, even as Lily called after him, he did not stop because he had to get to the headmaster since there was something not right about what Lily had said, more so because Trelawney had admitted under a small dose of veritaserum that she had not gone near Lily but had been in her quarters and office the entire night until Severus had all but knocked down her door.
However, now Severus was rushing down the corridor to the headmaster's office since he was wanting answers on what had happened, and it seemed that only the old man would have them. So as he approached the guardian of the headmaster's office, he growled out the password and waited impatiently for the stairs to reach the top where the door was. Without hesitation, Severus went into the office demanding answers from Dumbledore who looked not at all cheerful since the twinkle in his blue eyes was gone, no now he looked weary.
/
An hour later, Madame Pomfrey released Lily, resulting in Tonks reluctantly taking the confused child from the wing. Though it became apparent they would not be allowed to wait for Lily's father there as Madame Pomfrey came outside of the wing and shooed them away saying for them to go enjoy the weather that some sun and fresh air would do Lily some good as they called for Twinkle to take Lily's letter to the owlery to get it sent to Harry and to also meet with Severus to let him know that Tonks had taken Lily outside for a little bit after being released from the hospital wing.
As they walked outside Tonks looked down toward Lily noticing how she did not seem to be herself at the moment, something that had Tonks worried since her friend was almost always smiling later only for her to look pale and her expression hard. "Lily?" Tonks asked as she stopped down the lawn from the castle heading toward the lake. It took a brief second for Lily to seem to register what was said as she soon stopped and looked back at Tonks. "What is wrong?" Tonks asked stepping closer and kneeling down before Lily to be closer to her height. "Did something happen before you were found?" she asked worried about what could have happened since from what she had heard someone had impersonated the Divination Professor for a bit.
"It is…" Lily started as she looked at Tonks only for her to look away and shake her head ever so slightly. "Nothing…" she said as she was sure anyone she tried to tell the full story to would think she was crazy for how she had seen something in the crystal ball that had terrified her more so because she did not know who the one she had seen in the first bit was, only that something about him terrified her. Then what she saw in the second one seemed like a distant dream she had once before, but it was shrouded in a thick fog.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Tonks asked in a worried tone as she looked at Lily full of concern more so since it seemed that Lily was straining to remain awake at the moment. Within seconds Lily looked like she was about to say something but her blue eyes seemed to be focused on something off in the distance before closing as she fell to toward the ground but before she could hit the ground, Tonks caught her. "Lily?" Tonks said in a worried tone as she lightly shook the limp child in her arms. "Lily!"
/
The final week of school had been a long one for Severus as he did not make many appearances, even opting out of the end of the year feast to take care of Lily who had suddenly fallen ill even though the full moon was not until about two weeks into the holiday. So Severus sat by Lily's bed day and night to try and make sure she would be alright but she seemed to go into fits during her sleep causing Severus to wonder if he should take her to see Madame Pomfrey or even to St. Mungo's. Though with her affliction being around the corner he decided against taking her out of fear that she would be reported as an unregistered werewolf.
So on the day the students were to leave he left Lily long enough to find Tonks to inform her that Lily was still not recovered from whatever was wrong with her, and that he would write her when it got closer to Lily's birthday for Tonks to come spend the day with her. Upon returning, he found that Twinkle had already prepped everything and had gone ahead of them to try and get things at the house ready to insure that once he got Lily there she would be able to rest. Though when Severus went to get Lily he found her sitting up on her bed with her small face in her hands silently crying. The only clue to her crying was her small shoulders shaking in her silence.
"Lily?" Severus asked in a concerned tone due to how she had not been up much in the last week only for her to be sitting up and crying. "What is wrong?" he asked as he knelt down beside her bed as she shook her head showing she was still trying to bottle things up. "Lily, I need you to tell me." Severus said in a gentle near pleading tone since her silence had been tearing at him worse than prolonged exposure to the cruciatus curse.
After a few more seconds Lily spoke in a small voice. "I…I got a letter…" she said as Severus noticed the letter beside the bed as he reached down and picked it up. "It…it says I…I am not…allowed….to write to...Harry…" Lily said as her voice was breaking from her crying as when she finished speaking her whole body convulsed from the sob that escaped her only for her father to reach out wrap his arms around her in a secure embrace due to how he was worried about her. All due to how he knew at this point they did not know what it was to love another in any specific way, but it was like Harry and Lily had already developed a bond deeper than any love he had ever seen. They remained like that for several moments in silence as Severus started to gently rub circles on Lily's back as he was scrambling trying to think of why it was that she would not be allowed to write to Harry.
"Lily…" Severus whispered as he dropped the letter for a brief moment as he hugged her tightly. "How about you lay down for a moment longer and then I will come get you and give you a potion to help you rest during the trip home?" he asked as he continued to hold Lily until she nodded and he shifted gently lowering her back to her bed as he leaned forward placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before gathering the letter up again before he walked from the room quietly closing the door behind himself. Without any hesitation he rushed to the living room where he rushed to read the letter which was short.
You are never to write Harry again. He is our child and we do not want him to have anything to do with someone like your father. I am sorry you are being raised by such a horrible man who delights in tormenting his students. You may have contact with Harry once he is in school if he so chooses to have contact with you but until then stay away from him!
Severus stood in the center of the living room staring at the letter, his mouth hanging open ever so slightly at the harsh words contained in the letter that had been sent to his daughter for just wanting to see how Harry was doing. That and how Arthur and Molly called into question his parenting in the letter made him feel sick at his stomach. 'This is going too far!' Severus thought in pure frustration due to how they were punishing Harry and Lily when they had done nothing wrong, especially not Lily. Just the thought of what the letter said caused Severus to tighten his hand around the letter as he figured if the Weasley's wanted to be like that, then so be it. He would do all he could to protect his daughter's happiness. And anyone who dared to try and steal her smile and happiness be damned.
A/N: Finally got this chapter done, sorry for the delay. I plan to update again hopefully by midmonth if everything goes as planned but with the holidays fast approaching I do not know how they will play out for me so will just have to wait and see. I want to take this moment to thank Toraach for reviewing the last chapter, which is something I always appreciate. That and I want to also thank everyone who has read this story to this point and all of those who have favorited and followed this story. This chapter is for all of you! I will try to update again soon!