Disclaimer: See Prologue. Nothing has changed…

Chapter 1.

After the bus pulled into the driveway of the Hyperion Hotel, Willow hands Buffy one of those heavy duty envelopes and says," I found some papers in your house when we were getting things ready for those last few days. This envelope was buried in your mom's dresser drawer and I figured that now that we are kind of not uber busy now, I would give it to you and you can see what your mom had set aside for you." Willow babbled without taking a breath as she was a bit nervous about her best friend's reaction.

The envelope in question had written in Joyce's very neat hand "Buffy, if something should happen to me please open this and try not to hate me too much for what is contained in here. Remember that I love you more than even life itself, and I hope that some things will be explained when you do open this. I love you baby and you will always be my little girl. Mom" Buffy looked down at the envelope in her hands still a little surprised and a little saddened that Dawn wasn't mentioned on it. It was a little heavier than she would have figured, but after living on a Hellmouth for 7 years, not much took her by surprise anymore. She opened the back pack that had been waiting on the bus for her and slid the envelope inside; she would look at it a little later, she had injured slayers to take care of and a future to start figuring out.

Dusk had long since fallen and the AI team had helped take care of the injured slayers. Thankfully the only injuries were minor cuts and scrapes and a couple minor dislocations that were easily reset. Angel was handing out keys to various rooms for the girls to rest in and clean up in and to generally just relax and start to recover themselves in. For the original Scoobies, he handed the girls a set of keys to the presidential suite, and the guys had another suite. Giles was handed his own room key; not as large as the one his "kids" had gotten, but large enough that he could relax and not feel cramped.

Buffy, Willow, and Xander went up to the room Angel gave the girls and sat on the extremely Large King sized bed in one of the 2 bedrooms. The blond who looked even tinier on the bed pulled out the envelope and looked at her 2 best friends. "Well, let's see what mom left for me."

With that comment, Buffy tore open the tab and emptied the contents of the envelope out onto the bed. There was some paperwork, several pictures, a strange ring made of a gold snake and a silver snake with emerald eyes that was twisted together, and a long skinny stake? The first thing to catch Buffy's attention was the ring; she had never seen anything like it. A pair of snakes coiled around each other making an elegant band; similar to what a "goth" couple might use as a wedding ring. The next thing that took her attention was the strange looking stake; it made her "spidy senses" tingle a little bit. Finally she started to look at the papers and noticed a photo that she recognized as a much younger Joyce standing in what looked to be a very elegant Silver and Green wedding dress standing between two men, one with pale almost white hair and gray eyes and the other who had very dark eyes and almost black hair. Both men wore what looked like flowing black dresses that she could tell were actually robes kind of like what she wore for graduation before blowing the 150' long mayor up.

"Wow, looks like your mom was married before… " Xander said stating the obvious. "Just wonder who she is marrying, cause neither of those guys looks like Hank Summers."

"Look Buffy, here is a marriage certificate, a birth certificate, British passport, and a letter from your mom." Willow stated as she started to look through the papers.

Buffy took the papers and looked at all the names and dates. The marriage certificate was for one Elizabeth Joyce Malfoy bride married to one Severus A. Snape groom; married August 7th 1978. The birth certificate was British as well listing one Elizabeth "Buffy" Anne Snape born May 6th 1979 to Joyce and Severus. The passport was Joyce's as well. Inside the passport was a copy of a citizenship application for mother and daughter along with a picture of each dated July 30, 1984. By this point Buffy had reached the letter from her mom.

My dearest daughter Buffy,

If you are reading this, then that means that I am no longer with you and I did not survive the tumor that was found in my brain. There is so much I should have told you in the past about us, but I wanted with all my heart for you to be able to grow up and know a life safe from what I knew. To start with, you are not an American born; you were born in a hospital in the London area called St. Mungo's. We lived near the outskirts of London until you were almost 5. At that time, there was a very dark wizard who was trying to take over the world and destroy any non-magical families. (Yes I knew about this "stuff" before you told me of vampires and such). This wizard had started his reign of terror in 1977 when he graduated from a school dedicated to the witches and wizards of Brittan. I have never told you this because I didn't want to get your hopes up that you would ever be a witch, especially after you became a Slayer (which where I grew up was considered a myth… How Professor Dumbledore would love to hear that you are very much real) I was born to a pureblood wizard family. I was the younger child with only one older sibling. His name is Lucius Malfoy, so you have an uncle in England. He lives with his wife, your aunt Narcissa and your cousin Draco at our family home known as Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire.

Yes Buffy, I am a witch. The stick looking object that you would find in this envelope would be my wand. It is 14 ½ inches ebony with a phoenix tail feather from Professor Dumbledore's own phoenix Fawkes. I was like the rest of my family and in the house of Slytherin. Your father and I got married the day after graduation, with my older brother having given his consent. There is a lot to explain about the world that I grew up in, and the decisions that I made in hiding us here in America.

When your father and I graduated, Tom Riddle had graduated the year before us, and changed his name to Lord Voldemort. He was starting a reign of terror on anyone who was considered a muggle (non magical) or a half blood; basically anyone he saw as being not of the pure blood lines. Severus at one point had followed his ways. Why did I stay with him you may ask, two reasons, one was because I loved him and two was that I saw that there was good in him, and we just needed to find a way to get it out of him. The day we left for America was the day before lord Voldemort had planned to go kill an entire family because they would not join him and his "death eaters". Your father wanted us out of the area because by that point he and I both were working for Albus Brian Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix. It had been decided that you would grow up as far from that world as possible since whatever Voldemort tried to do seemed to backfire and there were still those who followed his ways, and may have taken you to hold sway over Severus.

I want you to go to England and find your father. Let him know who you are and that I loved him until my death and I will love him for my entire undeath. I am sorry to have told you these things under this circumstance. And you may be wondering; yes, you are a witch as well as a Slayer. You should be able to use my wand, and if you follow the directions on the bottom of this letter (have Willow help you if you need it) you will be able to find where I have hidden my old books (try to find Angel if you could, he helped me to secure them for the future). I have every confidence that you will be both welcomed into my family (you look so much like my brother did when he was younger and more carefree as a Malfoy could be).

Also remember this address, commit it to memory and then burn this letter. Number 12, Grimmauld Place. And for as much as you love me, be loyal to Albus.

I love you my dear and I will see you in the future, but know I am watching you from above…

Love always, Mom

Tears coursed down Buffy's face as she read the letter then picked up the wand and spoke the enchantment. Since they were in the Hyperion, a glowing ball of silver light came out of the wand tip and drifted to the closet in Buffy's room. The Scoobies followed it and looked up when Buffy opened the door. There stood a steel box with snakes etched into the front with emerald eyes. Xander took the box down and found a secret button on one side which opened the lid revealing 14 thin books. The gang went back to the bed and sat back down.

"Wow that was heavy; especially for us" commented Xander as he patted Buffy on the back.

"To think that there is actually a school for witchcraft out there and no one told us," Willow replied," who would have guessed your mom was a witch especially after how she wigged when she found out that you were the slayer."

"Guys, no offence or anything, but I think I want to be alone for a little while to absorb some of this stuff for a little while kay?" Buffy asked with a voice that was thick with tears.

"No problem Buffster, we shall endeavor to find some sugary goodness while you decide what you want to do now. After all you aren't the Chosen ONE anymore. You can look for your dad now and maybe start to heal a little better from everything that has gone on for the last 5 years." Xander said as he grabbed Willows shoulders and started to exit the room.

"Wow Xander, when did you get so psychological and stuff?" giggled a teary Buffy

"I am like an onion, I have layers… better yet, make that a jelly doughnut, all squishy on the outside, but sweet filling on the inside, or was that supposed to be a chocolate cake cause the ladies love that chocolate…" Xander started to mumble as Willow covered his mouth with her hand and they exited the room.

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A/N sorry if some of my dates seem inconsistent, this is mostly AU as far as dates go. I don't know where Snape lived so I kind of just threw a dart at the map and took a guess.

I know the letter from mom was a little long winded, but how to write something like that to your only child to find after you die is kind of hard to do.

Please read and review, reviews feed the muse, and the muse is hungry… there are no pairings as yet, but I have a few rattling around in my brain… such as maybe Buffy/ Sirius,,,, wouldn't that just make daddy one very angry potions master….