Severus Snape would arrive in the Potion's classroom two minutes too late, as he had the night Emerald Potter was forcibly taken to Little Hangleton for the first time. He hardly noticed the small, dark mass on the cobbled floor; her frame barely recognisable as his ebony eyes trailed onto it. A small lock of burgundy hair appeared from it. All the time in the world ceased, reality began to set in.
The Potion's Master knelt to the floor, pointing his wand at the figure, "Lumos." A strangled cry escaped him as the whites of Emerald Potter's eyes gazed up at him; mouth agape and body limp. "Emerald!" He cried her name, lifting her lifeless body into his arms. His arms cradled her, his heart breaking at the mere thought of the girl he had grown to adore so dearly being gone from the world.
The night in Godrick's Hollow forced itself upon the man; the night she died. And how he, too, held her in his arms and begged for someone-anyone-to bring her back to him. That night, however, his prayers were answered in a different kind of way; for he was gifted Lily Evans' daughter in her place. Emerald Potter came into his life when he needed someone to aid him in his grief. Someone who, too, had lost Lily Evans. Slowly, Emerald helped Severus Snape heal.
And as quickly as the eve of all Hallow's came into his mind and Lily Evan's was laying in his arms...She vanished, leaving only the young Potter girl to remain. And Severus now saw Emerald Potter differently than he had ever seen her before. She was not Lily. Not even Lily's ghost. And he stopped seeing Lily in her eyes, from that moment onwards. The girl in his arms was Emerald Potter. Yes, she shared similarities with her mother, what child would not? But the woman Severus Snape was, once, infatuated with could no longer compare to the thirteen year old in his arms. And he needed her to live...
"You're not gone," He sobbed, placing his hand over her stilled heart, "I won't let you." The man's voice cracked, as he fought to find a happy memory in this ocean of darkness. "Expecto patronum." All good memories had ceased; for they all contained her.
He let out an angered grunt, thinking of a different memory. One not even Emerald would know they shared...
"Emerald Lily. That's what we'll call you." Severus Snape soft voice echoed through the house in Spinner's End as he cradled the new-born in his arms; finally healthy enough to leave the hospital and return home with him after a long five months.
The babe stirred in her sleep at his words; she must have had good dreams. Severus Snape found himself questioning what a new-born baby could possibly dream about; nothing but milk? Her mother? He tried not to allow a stray team cascade his pale cheek at the memory of Lily. It had only been a few months, after all. Grief was a daily occurrence in Severus Snape's life. For he had grieved what he and Lily Evans could have had for many years. Now, he grieved the loss of her, entirely.
The baby in his arms with fiery hair must have sensed this feeling, her glittering, green eyes opening to glance up at the sad Potion's Master, watching him curiously.
Suddenly, just above her head, an array of sparks began to ignite, creating a small fireworks display in the room. Every colour imaginable beamed as the baby so wished, Severus Snape's eyes wide in wonder and disbelief as he watched her perform the enchantment. Something began to churn in his stomach and warm his heart at the sight, the tears now rolling down his cheeks being that of happiness, contempt and, dare he say, love. And that was the first moment he truly felt love for someone other than Lily Evan's; in her daughter...
A jet of white light beamed from his wand as a dove began to take form; but Severus no longer missed the previous Doe that would greet him upon the usual enchantment. It was a new adjustment, of course. Now, however, he welcome the beautiful dove with open arms; it was his only salvation, after all.
"Dumbledore. Come to the Potion's classroom, immediately. I need you." His voice was pleading, the dove flying from the room towards the Headmaster's office, the man himself arriving moments after receiving the Potion Master's message.
His glittering eyes widened in disbelief as he entered the room and saw the dead girl in Severus' arms. "Severus." He gasped, lost for words at what could possibly be done to save the young Potter girl. "What can I do?"
The black eyes found the blue, "In my drawer. Lily's wand. I need you to bring it here." Dumbledore was confused by Snape's instructions, but did as he commanded and brought the wand to him. This was Severus Snape's failsafe; his only way of insuring Emerald was protected in the event of a worst-case-scenario. However, he was not confident it would work. For it had only been successfully accomplished by one known wizard, Herpo the Foul.
Lifting the girl from the floor, Severus laid her on a table with her mother's wand beside her; his chosen object. The ritual began...
It was kept to a very miniscule group of people; the events that occurred the night Emerald's soul was brought back to her physical body. The only ones who knew the full truth were Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin, Emerald's sole guardian. Alastor Moody, or whomever had been impersonating him for the school year, had vanished.
But Voldemort's plan was already underway; the Triwizard Cup still containing a portkey that would forcibly take Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory to Little Hangleton, the eve of the third task. During this time, Emerald Potter had been taken to St. Mungo's hospital in London, for she was yet to awaken from her unconscious state. Severus Snape had left Hogwarts for the remainder of the year; taking up his usual residence in Spinner's end so he could be close to Emerald, were she to awaken. He did what was necessary, he would often remind himself...
Alas, Bartemius Crouch Jr had escaped, Voldemort had risen to his full power, once again and Cedric Diggory was murdered. Emerald did not know any of this, remaining in a slumber she wished to never awake from. But that inevitability soon came to fruition, the week succeeding the third task; when all was done and the young Potter girl was far too late to prevent the unpreventable...
***
"Miss Potter?" A woman's voice, softer than velvet, called my name. I did not recognise it, but I opened my eyes to find I was in a hospital of sorts. "Alert the school and her next of kin she is awake." The voices faded a little, my vision slightly blurred as I fought to make out two faces surrounding my bed; healers, they appeared to be. But I didn't know them. Which meant I couldn't trust them. They could be working for him.
Before either of them had a moment to stop me, I grabbed my wand on the table beside me bed, shot up and made a run for it, pushing anyone and everyone over as I fought to find a door. Fighting to dodge the various spells shooting past me, I shoved the double doors open and began running for the exit sign. It was right there. And I was so close. Until the exit doors opened for me and a man entered, dressed in clad-black with long hair to match.
Sharply halting, I began to scan him familiarity. He looked terrible; the dark circles under his eyes making his skin appear even paler, sicklier than before. His hair was a dishevelled mess and his robes were crinkled, dirty and looked as though they could have been worn several nights in a row. Shouting was sounding from the corridor behind me, footsteps quickly approaching to, no doubt, incapacitate me and force me back to the hospital bed.
The moment his dark eyes looked up from the floor, they latched onto my own. I recognised him in an instant. His shock at my appearance was evident, his hand suddenly dropping the bouquet of flowers he held to the floor. The double doors behind me burst from their hinges, I only had a moment.
I took off, running towards him as he dropped to his knees and opened his arms. But I merely ran past him and outside into the world, the rain pouring down onto me as I continued running, not stopping for even a moment to breathe. I recognised these streets, the many confused muggle faces staring at me in my hospital gown as I fled from St Mungo's. I was in London.
Traversing the roads, I soon found myself in Grimmauld Place, my feet bloody and sore as I had ran the entire way without shoes. The rain had soaked through my gown and hair, now. And I was utterly exhausted. The door to number 12 made itself visible, opening as none other than Sirius Black stepped outside, running towards me and wrapping me in his jacket, "Emerald!" He gasped, walking me inside and out of the rain. I was safe, at last, I thought. Grimmauld Place was secure. No-one could hurt me there...