LOST CHILD

Prologue

January 30, 1960

The tall thin woman crept from the house, heart beating wildly. Her faded green eyes frightened, but a determined scowl across her pallid features. She knew what she had to do to protect her children. Her son would know pain and sorrow, but he would be her parent's heir, of that she was certain. She had been an only child, and despite being disowned for marrying a Muggle, her father would not deny a male grandchild, especially if he turned out to be a wizard. He did not want his cousins to inherit what was left of his fortune, let alone Prince Manor. No, he would see her in Hell first, for defying him, but even Tobias was better than being forced to marry into the Goyle family. This way the Prince line would remain with her son, and he would be free from the darkness. Unfortunately, she also had a daughter. The twin birth had been unexpected. Tobias had not been happy; having to support two more mouth's to feed. To top it off, the little girl did not look like either of them, except that she had green eyes. Tobias did not believe her when she tried to explain that she looked like her great grandmother's side of the family. He had actually threatened to kill the baby if she did not get rid of it herself. He believed that her red hair was a sign of bad luck and witchcraft starting that he would have no Magic done in his house! The boy, he said, could be useful around the house, but he would make sure he understood his place for her adultery. Besides, he was a scrawny thing and he sincerely doubted he had inherited his mother's cursed abilities. Then he had gotten drunk and beat her once again. No, she could protect her son, but her daughter would not survive in that house. Her parents would not take her back, even if she begged. However, her pride refused to allow her to even try.

The January night was cold. The wind was biting into her through her thin shawl, but her three week old twins would be warm enough, wrapped in a wool blanket she had gotten at the local thrift store. She held the blanket tightly to her body, knowing that soon she would only have the one child. Her heart wanted to break, but she refused to allow the tears. The family she sought did not live too far, and maybe one day she could be reunited with her daughter. At least the child would be happy and well cared for. She knew the woman had just given birth an hour ago to a stillborn baby girl. She had heard one of the couple's neighbors who had been talking to the distraught husband in the market and saw her opportunity. Using a wandless Oblivate on the woman outside of the store she had followed him home to get the correct address. They also had another little girl at home named Petunia. She had seen the happy family at the park during the summer on one of her rare escapes from her drunken husband. It would be easy to put her baby in their dead child's place. Being the second twin she had been small, and the three weeks since her birth had brought her size up to that of a single newborn. Sneaking her wand from beneath a loose floorboard where she kept it hidden from Tobias, she had taken the children and left the house, her husband in a drunken stupor on the couch. She knew a simple memory charm would suffice. The couple had no other family nearby and the man had told the woman in the store that he had not yet contacted any relatives about the tragedy, preferring to wait until morning.

Reaching her destination, she stopped for breath. Her lungs were hurting from walking so fast, and she had not yet recovered from the twin's birth. The lights were on upstairs, and she could see shadows moving across the windows. 'Good,' she thought, 'the midwife is still there. I can charm all three of them. Their little girl should be asleep at this hour. Then I'll just dispose of the dead baby.' She felt a twinge of guilt at this thought, but steeled herself for her task. Casting a silent Alohomora, she opened the door, silently making her way upstairs, where she could hear a woman crying softly. The closer she got the more she wanted to cry herself. The new mother would never remember losing her child, but she always would.

The door to the bedroom suddenly swung open, and a tall Muggle man with reddish brown hair stood framed in the arch. He looked kind, and this gave her some comfort, before she quickly stunned him and made her way into the room. It was over in a few minutes. The woman and the Midwife were taken totally unaware. The desolate young mother stunned in her bed with the Midwife sitting in the chair beside her. Placing her precious bundle down on one side of the dead child's cot, she cast a banishing spell, disposing of the small corpse. She then picked up her son, placing her daughter where the dead baby had lain, cold and blue, and wrapped her in the swaddling blanket she spotted on a nearby dressing table.

"Say goodbye to your sister, Severus. I know you will find her some day and love her just like you do now," she whispered to the baby boy in her arms. The small thin bundle simply opened his eyes, black orbs staring back at her, as if he were trying to see into her very soul.

Turning from the cot, she quickly disillusioned herself and woke the three Muggles separately, modifying their memories, before leaving the house. They would have no knowledge that she had ever been there. As she quietly made her way back downstairs to apparate back to Spinner's End she heard the voice of the young father, 'We should name her Lily…'

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