Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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Two weeks after the interesting encounter with his double, Severus lurked by the small window in his dungeon office as he ripped a piece of parchment in his hands to tiny, insignificant shreds.
Slowly, the bits of James Potter's latest letter crumbled to the stone floor at his feet.
As the pieces gathered around Severus's black leather shoes, the original message could nearly be read:
To the thief,
Give me back what is mine. You can keep the red if you have one, but I'll need the miniature. Return him to me promptly and I'll spare you from harm. I've grown tired of waiting, I'm searching for him as I write this.
Perhaps this letter is your last chance,
The Better Wizard
Once Severus had finished tearing the letter to fragments, he opened his hand and allowed the last of its pieces to fall onto the cold floor.
His brooding, black gaze stared straight ahead as he murmured a single incantation.
The pieces of parchment at his feet immediately burst into flames and burned away, without leaving any marks on Severus or the floor.
Professor Snape silently stared out the window as he thought........
It had been incredibly difficult not to seek James out.
He could easily find his enemy and kill him, but that would arouse suspicion and worst of all.......Lily's scorn.
Not to mention that Voldemort would be angry the father had been slaughtered before the son, on the rare chance that James had information about his missing child which he could offer.
Severus had become so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the second owl that entered his office that morning and promptly dropped a single, black letter down onto his desk.
A few moments before classes began for the day, he turned around at last and frowned at the unusual envelope.
Had Potter not tormented him enough?
Did he feel the need to send blackened envelopes to prove his point?
Severus snatched the letter up with a growl and hastily tore it open.
His tormented face relaxed as he read over the silver words that had been elegantly placed on the black page inside the envelope:
To Mr. Severus Snape,
Your order is ready. Please stop by as soon as possible for inspection and pick up.
Slindelyn's Shimmering Somethings
With those words, Severus's anger about James Potter evaporated as a new and exciting anxiety swelled his chest.
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In Dumbledore's office that morning, Hogwarts' headmaster blinked over his spectacles at his unexpected visitor.
Across from him, James Potter sat with a frown as he regarded his leader.
"Professor Dumbledore, surely you must know something! Isn't there anything at all that you can do to help me?!" James hissed as he furrowed his brow, "I know that my son is alive! Snape has to have information about his whereabouts! Lily was living with him here, Lily was-"
"-James, I am very sorry for your loss, truly, I am." Dumbledore interrupted him with a nod, "You're correct. Lily was indeed here in the castle with Severus. However, she left Hogwarts before the baby's birth. I understand that the child was born elsewhere, but Severus and I aren't sure where that was, or what was done with mother and child after death."
Dumbledore kept his expression perfectly calm, but James grit his teeth while he spat, "The casket was empty! You-Know-Who opened it and left it lying there in the mud! Everyone saw it!"
"..........Who is 'everyone', James?" Dumbledore blinked.
James frowned for a moment.
"Are you telling me that you've switched sides and agreed to aid Tom instead?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, of course not!" James hissed, "I meant to say that I heard the casket was empty.........that must mean something!"
"Do you not believe it to be possible for Tom to have stolen the child's body and lied?" Dumbledore asked.
"......Why would he do that?" James asked doubtfully.
"There are several reasons that I can think of......" Dumbledore replied with a shrug, ".....To give his followers an excuse to target greater numbers of innocents, to use the child's body for dark magic.......perhaps even to draw you out."
"Me?" James blinked.
He hadn't batted an eye at the possibility that his son's corpse may have been stolen for dark magic purposes.
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, "What reason would the Dark Lord have to keep you alive? The man who sired the boy with the power to destroy him?"
James suddenly looked very pale.
Dumbledore peered over his spectacles once again as he nodded and spoke, "As the leader of the Order, James, I will keep my eyes and ears open. If I hear anything about your son, then I will notify you immediately, but please, look after yourself. Go home, stay quiet, at least until the danger passes. I'll contact you if the Order needs your help."
James let out a resigned sigh as he stared at Dumbledore.
Reluctantly, he left the Headmaster's office and took the advice that he had been given.
James decided that Dumbledore was right, he needed to mind his own safety as well.
He would give the elderly wizard some time to discover information.
With a few simple words, Dumbledore had made Severus's life that much easier.........at least, for a little while.
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As soon as the academic day concluded, Severus answered the black letter and went straight to Slindelyn's Shimmering Somethings.
He stood at the counter in the largely desolate jewelry shop and watched with a frown as Lendall opened a small, velvet pouch.
"Ah, here we are!" Lendall exclaimed as a very small but very sparkly ring slipped out of the pouch and tumbled into his open hand.
Severus carefully took the piece of jewelry from the artisan and frowned at it closely as he inspected it for any flaws.
There were none to be found.
Lily's ring had cost Severus more than a fair bit of money, but as he blinked in awe at the piece's craftsmanship, Severus enjoyed the feeling of knowing that he had purchased something truly spectacular for his lover.
"Well, Mr. Snape?" Lendall asked as he leaned on the counter and watched his customer, "What do you think?"
Severus's black eyes narrowed to slits as he scrutinized the ring.
Made from fine gold, a flawless diamond glittered in the center, surrounded by prongs populated by bright, green emeralds that fanned out in the shape of a........Lily.
The ring's sides had been engraved with a delicate filigree and at the very bottom of the central flower sat one brilliant ruby, for Harriet's birthstone.
Any woman would have been thrilled to receive such a ring.
Most people would have openly fawned over its beauty, but Severus's reaction remained understated as he nodded and handed the ring back to the artisan.
"............It's satisfactory." He declared after a moment with a simple nod.
Lendall had worked for many hours on the piece.
Severus's subtle acknowledgment of his grueling toil caused a wide smile of amusement to break out across his face.
"Only satisfactory, Mr. Snape?" Lendall asked with a bittersweet grin.
"I'm sure that its wearer will think very highly of it." Severus stoically replied, "Can you tell me the balance that I owe?"
Lendall said nothing else as he totaled up Severus's bill for the ring.
It made him smile when he noticed the look of contentment on his serious customer's face.
Lendall had dealt with men like Severus before, and although they never levied praise for his extensive efforts, their hearts were always genuine.
That was what made men like Severus the most rewarding to work with, it was a pleasure for an artisan to build a piece that really commemorated honest and true love.
As Lendall watched Severus walk out of the shop a few moments later with the ring in his robe pocket, he smiled to himself.
From the look in Severus's eyes to the way that he kept his hand hovering over his pocket to protect what was inside, Lendall knew.......the ring's recipient was already a very lucky woman to be loved that much.
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While Lily waited at the cottage with Harriet for Severus to come home that evening, she thought to herself.
She held her baby girl against her chest while they cuddled on the sofa as the fire crackled in the hearth to chase away the winter chill.
Lily took a deep breath as Harriet pulled at the buttons of her robes.
She hoped that however the evening went, Severus wouldn't be angry with her.
A loud pop rang out.
Harriet and Lily both looked over to watch Severus appear inside the cottage's living room.
Harriet squealed in delight but Lily sat up quickly.
"You're home a bit late, Sev. Is everything alright?" Lily asked as she stood from the sofa with Harriet in her arms.
"Everything's fine, my love." Severus replied as he glided forward, kissed Lily's lips, and patted little Harriet on the head, "I had an errand to run.......there's no need for concern."
"Oh....." Lily frowned, "Was it the worst type of errand?"
"No, actually, it was the best type of errand." Severus replied cryptically.
He glanced over at the empty kitchen and Lily quickly explained, "I-I'm sorry dinner's not ready yet. I haven't been well today."
"That's alright." Severus said quickly as he slipped his wand out, gave it a flick, and let their meal begin to prepare itself behind him, ".....What do you mean you haven't been well?"
Lily blinked as Severus moved towards her with his black eyes narrowed and asked, "Are you having any pain? Should I send for a healer? Have you had a fever?"
"No, Sev!" Lily laughed as she bounced Harriet in her arms, "I'm a bit better now. I haven't run a fever and I'm not in pain. Perhaps we could chat after dinner?"
As Harriet cooed and poked Lily's necklace, Severus narrowed his eyes at his lover as he nodded, "............Of course."
Lily's engagement ring threatened to burn a hole in his pocket and soul.
Severus genuinely hoped that nothing was wrong.
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Severus and Lily ate their dinner together in a tense silence amid Harriet's happy little coos.
The bracelet that Severus had given Lily for Christmas glistened on her wrist.
They tried not to stare at each other, but as both waited anxiously for their separate turns to speak, their gazes kept accidentally connecting.
Severus looked anguished.
Lily was visibly nervous.
Severus wondered if Lily had discovered his receipt for the ring?
He had been confident that he had hidden it well enough.
Lily wondered if Severus had read her thoughts?
Had her suspicions upset him?
Surely he wouldn't be too angry, nothing had been confirmed yet!
Harriet fell asleep at Lily's breast shortly after dinner and while Lily carried their daughter to the nursery, Severus waited on the sofa.
He tried not to let the color drain from his face as he watched her walk back down the stairs a few moments later.
Some men would have spent months dreaming up a grand proposal, but Severus saw no benefit in delaying his question to Lily.
He loved her, had loved only her, and would ever only love her.
Mortal danger swirled around them on a daily basis, why should he wait another second to ask her to become his wife?
Severus was prepared to wed his darling flower that night if she would agree.
Lily sat down on the sofa and placed her hands in her lap as she turned to Severus with a weighty sigh.
"Severus.......?" She asked quietly.
"..........Yes?" He answered in a voice barely above a whisper.
"I.......why do you look so pale?" Lily asked as she narrowed her eyes at him incredulously.
"........I am pale." Severus shrugged.
His body tensed as he waited for the right moment to withdraw the ring from its hiding place.
As words formed in Lily's mouth, he decided to wait and let her speak first.
He could see that she was troubled.
Once he had listened to her concerns, surely nothing would take away his darling's worries like a marriage proposal.
"There's something that I need to talk to you about." Lily sniffed.
"Oh......?" Severus asked, "What's that, my love?"
A frown came over Lily's face that looked so dismayed it caused Severus to mirror her forlorn expression.
It physically hurt him whenever he saw Lily be anything less than happy.
Severus's brow furrowed and his lips turned downwards as he watched his darling stare off for a moment.
After she gathered her courage, she turned her emerald eyes onto him and confessed, "Sev.........I think I'm with child."