A Serpent Among the Eagles

Prologue

  Severus Snape looked down at the baby girl in his arms.

  "Does he know?"

  "No... He's on a business trip, and I only told him about the one. He doesn't know about her."

  "Can't we -"

  "No, Severus. We can't make it work. It's too late."

  "But -"

  "No." Tears began to flow down her cheeks. "Please, Severus. Don't make this harder."

  "Are you sure that she's my daughter?"

  "She has features that aren't mine, aren't his. Features I would recognize immediately. Yours."

  "You're certain that -"

  "Severus..." She laid a hand on his cheek.

  He said nothing. She kissed the man she had once loved, kissed him one last time. "Goodbye, Severus."

  He was unable to reply, he couldn't say goodbye.

  He turned around and walked away, holding the infant girl close.

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  "Ah, Severus. I believe you have made up for that past... blunder."

  "Thank you, my lord."

  "You are dismissed."

  "Yes, my lord." Snape left the room, and was soon approached by a fellow... co-worker.

  "Snape, you might want to check on your daughter."

  He paled. That had been his fear, that the Dark Lord would punish him for that past mistake by hurting her... or worse.

  "Thank you," he said feebly.

  "No problem, but look, if anyone asks..."

  "You didn't say anything." He didn't wait for the man's thanks, but immediately apparated to his home. He took a deep breath as he quickly went inside.

  The first person he saw was the young lady who he had hired to watch his daughter. her body lay on the floor, it looked like she had been trying to run away when she had been hit.

  But Snape wasted no time examining her body. He went straight to his daughter's room.

  He first worried that she was dead. It was quiet in the little girl's room. Please, no. He made his way to her crib.

  That's when he noticed her slow, precise breathing. She was asleep! He began to breathe again as he picked her up. He cradled the infant in his arms and examined her. There were tearstains on her cheeks, indicating she had cried herself to sleep. There was one more thing that was different.

  A lightning-shaped cut was on her forehead, evidence that an evil curse had touched her.

  She suddenly awoke, as if she could feel her father's presence. "Da-day."

  He smiled, a little, not something he did often. "It's okay, Lily. You're safe now."

  It's okay, Lily.