Chapter 3: Legilimens

"Lily?" The name escaped his mouth before he could control himself. It was impossible but who else could have THOSE green eyes? He could not believe that she could be seated right there across from where he stood. Could she have come back to life? He had seen her corpse. She couldn't have been brought back to life. Severus could not believe his eyes.

"No Severus," she said softly, as tears welled up in her beautiful eyes. "Rose. Do you remember me old friend?"

"Rose? It can't be! You drowned. You're dead."

"No Severus. Lily and James thought You-Know-Who would try to come after me and so we pretended that I drowned and I was hidden away by Sirius. I was only supposed to be in hiding until it was safe to come back but there were a few snags along the way."

Rose put her head down and wiped a tear away. Severus could now see the differences between Lily and her. Rose's hair was more vibrant, more auburn than red. Her skin had a faint hint of freckles on the bridge of her nose. She was also a bit slimmer than Lily had been. But she was supposed to be dead, how could she still be alive? He himself had attended the funeral, in disguise albeit, but he had seen Lily weep for her sister's death.

"Severus, I need you to verify that this is the real Rose Evans. We can't have Harry be put in danger again."

"Of course Headmaster. Shall I use Legilimens or Veritaserum?"

"I think we should let Miss Evans decide."

"Legilimens, Severus please."

Snape stalked over to her, gently took her chin into his hand and lifted her face up. She looked into his eyes. It took all of Severus' will power not react to her eyes.

"Why did she have to look so much like Lily?" Severus asked himself. He tried to focus; concentrated and entered her mind.

Memories swam all around him and he began to enter them one at a time, trying to find the ones that would confirm her identity or prove her a liar.

He saw Rose in a pink dress playing with Lily who looked to be about 7. They were picking flowers and making them float in their hands. He remembered watching them while they were doing so. He moved on to another memory. The girl was a bit older, talking to a boy with stringy black hair and overly large clothes. He recognized himself when he was 13. He remembered that day. She was asking him if she would go to Hogwart's too. He had spent the afternoon telling her about his classes. They had gone to the park while Lily was out shopping for her birthday.

He exited the memory and soon found himself locked into another. She was a student, a third year from the looks of it, she was standing on the ledge of the Astronomy tower, looking down. She was crying. He remembered that evening. She had been walking the ledge when he found her. She had nearly thrown herself off the tower that night.

Severus let Rose go and looked at Dumbledore incredulously.

"She is no impostor, Headmaster." Severus whispered. "Rose, how is it this happened?"

"It's a long story, Severus, old friend." She looked tired from the Legilimency. He knew it was because of the memories he had visited. Her eyes were tearing up. "Professor Dumbledore, would you like to see the letter Lily sent me? As extra proof?"

"I would love to Miss Evans. I may call you that?"

"Of course, I have been waiting 14 years to be called by my real name." She smiled. Severus could not take his eyes away from her. It was as though he was dreaming. The friend he had had since childhood had come back to life. As much as he had always loved Lily, it was her younger sister who had been his confidant. When she had drowned he had lost the only person who knew his deepest darkest secrets.

Rose handed her letter to Dumbledore. He read it quietly and handed it over to Severus.

Rose's heart was beating out of her chest. Severus, her Severus, was standing right there in front of her. The childhood friend who always had her back. The boy who had taught her how to magically turn a paper into a bird and fly it around the room. The teenager who had stood up for her when the Marauders had teased her, the man who had saved her that evening. The man who had loved her sister with all his heart.

Severus cleared his throat and Rose could see that he had tears in his eyes as he handed the letter back to her.

"Headmaster, she is telling the truth. No one could imitate the letter and no one would have been able to show me the memories she has shown me." He stood and walked away.

"Severus!" Rose exclaimed. "Old friend, will you not speak to me?"

"I have rounds, we shall speak later." With that, he stepped into the hall and shut the door.

"Miss Evans, would you prefer waiting to meet your nephew or would you rather do so tonight?" Dumbledore said, breaking into her thoughts.

"Tonight sir, I think it he has been left to think that Petunia was his only living relation for far too long."