Taking Flight

Prologue:

A woman dressed in ragged robes ran down the streets of Spinner's End, wind tearing through her dark red hair. In her arms, her newborn daughter lay wrapped in a blanket. Brown eyes pierced her own as she looked down. Her daughter's face was white from the cold wind. If only she could just get to Sirius, he would be able to help her and her daughter.

Her poor, aching legs wouldn't be able to push her forward much longer. Her breathing was ragged and quick. The only thing keeping her going was the little bundle in her arms. She looked back to where she was running and nearly missed the turn. She needed to get to the tree. There, Sirius would be waiting for her. She could see the tree now. Though, when she got there, Sirius was nowhere to be seen.

"Sirius!" She called. Where was he? She hadn't thought he would abandon her when she needed him most. She heard a twig snap and started. "This isn't funny, Sirius! I mean it!" She saw a tall silhouette coming out of the shadows, walking towards her. Whoever it was, this was not Sirius.

"Daisy, stay where you are and we won't have to harm you. We just need that child." She looked down at her little bundle of joy before staring at the man. "This can be the easy way or the hard way."

"Well, it's going to have to be the hard way then, because I won't let you have her." Daisy stood her ground, carefully unwinding her wand from the blanket, trying not to be seen.

"Don't even bother. You would just be signing your death certificate." The man finally got to the streetlight and on his face was a mask: a Death Eater. Now, Daisy was truly scared. Not about her own life, but about her daughter's.

"Who are you?" She stuttered.

She was answered with a cackling laugh, "Your end."

"Please, spare my child. Take my life, just don't take her. I'll do anything!" Now, she was desperate. She would do anything for her daughter.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, now, hand her to me." Seeing that Daisy wouldn't do it the easy way, like he had expected, he sighed, looking down. What he didn't know was that Daisy had her wand at the ready, she was starting to pull it carefully out. But then, when she finally got her wand out, it fell to the ground. "Accio Daisy's wand!" The Death Eater bellowed. With those three words, the wand flew to his hand. There was a snap, and Daisy's wand was destroyed.

This was it, Daisy thought; He's going to kill us. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She tore off the blanket just as the Death Eater shouted, "AVADA KADAVRA!" She threw the cloth, and miraculously, only the blanket was destroyed .The Death Eater was flabbergasted: how had the killing curse been blocked with a . . . blanket? All thoughts forgotten about the baby, he looked down at the spot the blanket had been. Nothing was there. So what had happened?

Daisy was already on the next street, ready to collapse. She had been through so much today. She had given birth to her daughter early in the wee hours of the day, when not 12 hours later Death Eaters attacked the hospital. And now, she had just escaped death with a blanket. Well, a blanket with charms and protections on it. That must have been why they had survived. Now, Daisy stumbled and almost dropped her precious daughter. She had just decided that she would just rest for a few minutes when she heard a popping noise. She screamed and clambered up, searching for her wand, that was when she remembered her wand had been broken.

"Wh-who's there?" She was shivering from the cold, Halloween air.

"I won't hurt you." A familiar voice said wearily, it sounded as though the one who spoke had been crying, or still was.

"Who are you?" Daisy repeated, but she knew. A figure emerged from the shadows, exposing himself. "Sev?" She was astonished. Now, she was worried. He was showing emotion. Severus Snape was showing emotion. "What is wrong?" She needed to know.

"Lily. She's gone." He croaked.

"No." She whispered. "No, no, NO!" She stepped up to him and, with one arm cradling her daughter, slapped Snape. "Don't lie to me."

"I wish I were. You know I would never lie about her. Not Lily." He stared into her eyes. Daisy saw honesty in his. Honesty, sadness, and nothingness all at the same time.

"No." She repeated. She held out her daughter. "Take her. Now!" She commanded. He quickly obliged as she collapsed.

Severus couldn't just leave Daisy and her child here in the street, especially not with all of the Death Eaters out, hungry for revenge. He brought the child to his house, set her down on the chair, and grabbed a pillow, which he used to stop the infant from rolling over. If it was even capable of that yet. He apparated back and got Daisy, lifting her up into her arms. He made sure to do this gently; he knew that she had only given birth recently, judging by that baby and her appearance.

He set her in the guest bedroom and laid her down, pulling covers around her to tuck her in. Then, he went into the kitchen, grabbed two chairs, and set them in the bedroom where Daisy was. He grabbed a thin pillow to lie on the bottom of it and a small blanket. Walking back to the living room, he thought about how he would tell Daisy what happened if she asked. No, when she asked. He had no clue. Snape picked up the baby, and carried her to the makeshift crib, tucking her in.

He then went to his own room, exhausted, though he never found sleep.

xXx

Daisy woke up a few hours later. She hadn't gotten much sleep, but she got more than Severus, who had gotten none. She was first aware that she was in a strange bed. Looking around, she saw two chairs together with pillows and blankets in it. She sat up, now she saw that her baby was in the makeshift crib, fast asleep.

The baby shifted, hitting her head on the side. The result was a high-pitched shriek, followed by a cry. Daisy rushed to her baby, aware that her body was aching. Not just physically. The floor creaked outside of the room and, frightened, she picked her child up and ran to the closet, carefully shutting the door. She heard the door opening, and someone walking in.

"Daisy?" They called quietly. "It's Severus." Realizing she had overreacted, Daisy opened the closet and walked out.

"Sorry," She didn't have the energy to explain. "Do you have something to eat?" She added as her stomach growled.

"Yes," He looked down.

"Good." She hadn't noticed him glance down as she set her daughter down. She walked past him without looking at him, only looking for the kitchen. When she found it, she was shocked. The only food in it was some stale bread, over-ripened fruit, and some old orange juice. "Okay . . ."

"Sorry, I'm never here for long." He hung his head.

"That's fine; I wasn't even that hungry anyways." Her stomach didn't agree though, as it decided to grumble just as she said those words.

"Clearly." He smirked. He almost turned to leave, to get food, when he remembered something. "Where is your husband? Why wasn't he there to protect you from the hospital attack?"

She looked up, unfazed. Of course he would've known about the attack. He ran in the same crowd as her husband. She held her bare left hand in her right hand, massaging it anxiously. Severus noticed, but didn't comment. He didn't need her to say anything more. He knew the temperment of Tenebris Drake. Another reason he had failed the Evans family.

"Severus?" He met her eyes. "Does Lily know I'm here?" His face told her everything she needed to know, last night, that part wasn't a dream. "So she's . . . she's really gone?" He nodded. "But . . . but how? The o-order was s-sup-pposed to p-protect them! W-what ab-bout Harry? T-tell m-me he's ok-kay." Severus nodded again. She was crying, and he wanted to comfort her, he just didn't know if she would want him to. "W-what happened? Severus, t-tell m-me, o-or I'll assume t-the w-worst."

"It already is the worst." He said, with no emotion. Daisy slapped him. He remained still as he watched her, looking for any further signs of violence. She glared at the man who broke her sister's heart years ago.

"You don't deserve to mourn her."

Her words hurt more than the slap. If only she knew the whole truth, how right she was. Severus looked away, unable to bear the hateful glare from one of the women he let down the previous night.

Daisy gave him one last look before turning back to the stairs leading to the bedroom. She wrapped her daughter in the blanket and held her close. When she returned downstairs, Severus hadn't moved.

"You need to rest." Her voice was low, but the house was quiet enough that she might have heard a whisper.

"Not here." She continued to the door.

Severus finally broke free of the paralysis he suffered and stood between the door and the woman determined to pass through it.

Daisy inhaled sharply. "Let me go."

"You're not being rational. There are Death Eaters out there, looking for revenge." He looked into her green eyes, trying to convey how perilous her situation would be outside.

"There's a Death Eater in this house." She challenged him.

Severus' shoulders dropped. "I'll leave, if that's what you need to feel safe." He stared at her. If he let her walk out the door, she was in no position to defend herself. Did she even have access to money?

Daisy watched him watch her for a moment before working up the courage to ask him the question she wished he had answered years ago.

"Why?"

"Harry was a threat-"

"Harry is a baby. Why did you call her a mudblood?" He flinched when he heard the fowl word. "Why?" She whispered. "If you loved her like you say you did, then why hurt her like that?"

"I was in a bad place." He looked at her eyes, those emerald orbs just like Lily's. Her hair was darker though, a lot darker than Lily's.

"You were in a bad place." She repeated, laughing without a trace of humor.

Severus remained quiet. Nothing he could say would change the past. Nothing would bring Lily back.

"Fine, I am done here. You'll never grow up." With that, she pushed past Severus without another word. That was the last time Severus had seen Daisy Drake. Or her him.