Severus Snape thought it was over for him when the Dark Lord set Nagini on him in the middle of the Battle. So when he appeared in a white room that looked very much like Kings Cross, he didn't know how to react. Was this the midway point to moving on? He was tired. Tired of everything he's had to go through his whole life. A wave of relief filled him that he knew no more pain.

That is until he felt a stinging slap across his face that left him seeing spots. Straightening himself, he finds himself in front of a highly furious Lily.

"You are a fool! Such an idiot!! To let that man compulse you to hate my baby boy!!! Idiot!!" She kept smacking him across the arm. "For being so good at shielding your mind, you're sure easy to manipulate!! He left him with Petunia! Did you now that?! She beat him! Let her husband beat him and her son bully him!! You let your mind be obliviated of the day you and James apologized to each other and became friends! Dunderhead!! All those children you were mean to as a teacher!!"

Even through his flinches, he was impressed by her not taking a breath through her rant. He was listening though. He fucked up. A real git at his promise to protect Harry.

"If you want those students to do well in class, you tell them and show them the hows and whys!! And you let that Bitch mother my child!! She was just continueing what that git had started when hee left Harry with my sister!!! My baby starved for love on purpose!!" She finally falls to the floor and cries.

"I am NOT allowing you to abandon him now. He needs you," she says through the tears. He didn't understand what she meant. He hadn't even been able to say a word since she appeared. As he opened his mouth to apologize for his mistakes, he felt a pull at his navel. Then everything went dark around him.

"Save Harry," he hears the last whispers of her voice before he knows no more.

--

He gasp for breath upon awakening. He looked around to found himself in his bed at Spinners End. He had forgotten how unlivable the place was. He cast the tempus charm.

June 15, 1986

Well that explained what he was doing here. It was his last week here before it was to be torned down. He had just claimed the Prince Lordship the summer before and during the winter break from the school, had sent all the Prince furniture and possessions to the vaults before selling the property. He didn't want either home. He had planned to be a brand new one but never got to it, with his mainly being at Hogwarts. It had been easier to stay at malfoy Manor for a few weeks.

86' ...He remembered what Lily told him. He didn't really know how to care for a child but she was right. Harry should have never been given to Petunia. The question was how to get him out without Dumbledore realizing it.

He slips out of bed and that is when he notices the vial on the old bedside table. A memory.

He gets dressed, shrinks what few items were left for his everyday and slipped them into an inner pocket of his robes. He left with no returns of coming back.

He apparates to Malfoy Manor.

"You are here ealier than expected, " Lucius greets him from the breakfast table. "Didn't want to linger, I bet. Not that I blame you. Should have done it sooner. You are always welcome to stay here indefinitely. " Severus just rolls his eyes. It was a common discussion since he came of age all those years ago. It felt like a long time ago. He had to remind himself he was back to being 26 years old.

"I need to use your pensieve," he just says instead of being pulled into the discussion about his living situation.

"No need to ask, it's in the office as usual." Lucius waves him along.

He quickly pulls it out of its hidden closet built into the wall and pours the liquid in.

He found himself in the living room of Potter Cottage. the 20 year old Severus stood before him looking awkward as he held a baby Potter.

"I know he's tiny but it won't hurt him if you relax as you hold him," Lily adjust her son in his arms. "Alright, now that that is setted, we have something to tell you Severus." James comes up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"What is it Lils? Something wrong?" He looks at them concerned.

"No, nothing like that. So, as you know Sirius got first dips on being Godfather to Harry, however we know if something happened to us in this war or later, he is not ready to be any kind of father figure. He doesn't even have thoughts of one day marrying and having children of his own. So after much discussion, we want you and Sirius to work together to raise Harry. We put it in our wills."

"What brought on this thinking? It couldn't have been the dog and his lifestyle. He has been this way since he noticed girls back in Hogwarts," he frowns at them. Did they think they were going to die?

"Well...you know who our secret keeper is and well the boys have finally been seeing my concerns towards Peter. And we are sure Dumbledore knows. He's always been a certain way, but ever since that prophecy was told to him..." she takes a deep breath. "I don't trust his intentions towards Harry and Alice worries about the same for her son Neville. The man pretty much does what he wants. He's detached from reality sometimes. I've heard him muttering to himself. He didn't even know he was doing it. He makes decisions with risk to us on his side. He justifies it with his view of 'Its for the Greater Good'.

I've noticed patterns form. And his footprint is all over the Wizarding world. While in the muggle word that might mean you become an easy target, he uses his for power and fame. I've seen the days when he was still the Transiguration teacher. He used to wear suits and looked well kept together. Now look at the man. Weird colored robes. The twinkle thing in his eyes with is half moon glasses and the really long beard? It's just an image. Looking Grandfatherly is just an act for him.

He's too powerful for us to escape death if that is what he chooses. So if he succeeds...We need you and Sirius to protect Harry. We know Harry has been chosen for this Prophecy. He's going to take advantage of that. We are just obstacles in the way. Minor chess pieces that can easily be thrown away to reach the other side of the board." Tears were falling now. James pulls her into his arms and hugs her. Severus was lost for words but she was the brightest of them all. The smartest and honestly, if she sees something, she is rarely wrong when its finally revealed. So if the Headmaster had bad intentions towards this innocent child in her arms, he will protect him as much as he was capable. More so really.

"Of course Lily, I'll do whatever is needed to protect him from either man," he side hugs her, trying not to wake the child.*

Severus was crying when he came back out the pensieve. He had indeed failed her. He had failed Harry.

"Are you okay uncle Sev?" 6 year old Draco Malfoy was standing just outside of the office entrance looking confused at the sight of his tears.

"Yes Dragon, I will be," he needed a plan. He might have an idea. "You're father still eating?" The boy nods. He pats Draco on the head as he heads that way.