Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's just the way it's gotta be. Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

My 125th fanfic…wow.

When Lily Met Severus

Twenty six year old Lily Luna Potter was pissed. Very pissed. So pissed that she was tempted to set things on fire, and on purpose for once too. But instead the Gryffindor was baking herself some chocolate chunk cookie, since she unfortunately couldn't go on a pyromaniac rampage. To Lily's way of thinking she could go on a calorie binge instead, which would upset her just as much after she calmed down, but wouldn't bring law enforcement to her door, wearily asking what she'd done this time.

If she weren't Harry Potter's daughter Lily was willing to bet they'd have stopped visiting her house a long time ago to make sure she was all right.

But she was his daughter so they came every time she caused something to accidentally explode or catch on fire, or at least they did when the incidents were reported to them. Her nearest neighbors, who thankfully lived far enough away that she'd never noticeably destroyed their property, were so used to seeing her property alit with signs of chaos that they hardly reacted anymore.

And it was her unfortunately habit of making things go boom that brought about the constant quitting of all of her former personal assistants. Which was why she was currently pissed off and looking forward to gaining a couple stones thanks to the cookies she was baking, Lily thought darkly, imaging the fun she'd have stuffing her latest deserter into the oven along with the cookies.

Good help was so bloody hard to find.

Maybe she should just do what every other mad scientist worth his or her salt did and make her own helper, Lily mused as she got up from the table to take her last batch of cookies from the oven. Then she would not only have an assistant made to her specifications, but he or she would have to call her Master which would be pretty sick.

But that was illegal and those assistants tended to die or do really horrible things she'd be obligated to feel guilty about. "Damn conscience." Lily muttered under her breath as she turned off the oven with an angry jerk.

Sighing over that and her current state of affairs, Lily's mood was starting to shift from anger to self pity. There was a big competition coming up for the country's Potion Masters and she'd really wanted to wow them all this year. Of course she'd won every year since she'd become a Potions Master, but this year she'd really wanted to go all out. Too many people still thought that she'd achieved the coveted title of Potions Master because of her father, because the organization wanted to suck up to him like everyone else tended to do. They'd said that given her young age and somewhat eccentric personality there was no way she could have won the title fair and square.

Needless to say there were a lot of people aside from her former assistants that were currently on her shit list.

She had a few things she could enter, things that would probably get some well deserved applause and appreciation. But not that would render them speechless and nearly catatonic, which was what she'd really been aiming for this year. Lily angrily kicked one of her cupboards in frustration at that thought.

Walking over to grab a container to put some of the cookies in Lily paused when she sensed a flux of magic in the air, taking her mind her now sore big toe. Turning around the girl watched as the stag, made of silvery mist, came to a stop in front of her and began speaking in her father's voice.

"Lily, I need you to come directly to my department immediately. Something's…come up and I need your help with it. If you're in the middle of an experiment finish it, then come please. We'll be waiting."

Huh. Well that was interesting. Looking down at herself and what she was wearing Lily quickly stripped off her apron, hung it on its peg, and apparated herself up to the second floor of her house and into her bedroom. Hastily discarding the at home, nobody else will see comfort clothes Lily quickly donned an outfit that to her was suited to going out to see what she could do to help her father out.

Adding accessories and her usual bangles to the mix Lily was pleased with the overall effect as she stared at herself in the full length mirror.

She was short, unfortunately, but the three inch stiletto heels on her black leather ankle boots took care of that so that she could look most men in the eye without craning her neck back. Her well worn jeans lovingly hugged her ass but flared out at the bottom since skinny jeans had never made an ounce of sense to her. Her tank top was a bright, bold gold that contrasted appealing with her hair, which was a short but vibrant, eye catching red. The large hoops in her ears and the upper arm bracelets wrapped around her upper arms completed the look to her way of thinking. She wasn't big on make up, so she just went the mascara and lip gloss deal.

The girl in the mirror would never be beautiful, but Lily thought herself attractive and unique. She wouldn't have minded losing a couple of pounds or toning down her boobs and butt, but as a whole she was comfortable with who she was.

One of the few good things about having Veela relatives, Lily thought as she apparated back down to the kitchen, where she quickly loaded some of her cookies into a container to take with her for her father and his men. When you had Veela cousins to compare yourself to from birth you realized quickly that unless you were willing to magically alter every one of your physical features every day of your life you would never be able to compete with them. So to try was just pointless.

She was who she was and anyone who didn't like it could kiss her round ass.

)

Harry knew his daughter had arrived by the sound of loud wolf whistles coming from the bullpen. It was hard on any father, the man thought in resignation, to know that he had a daughter who inspired that reaction in men who were by and large old enough to be her father too. But his baby, his angel, his precious little girl, was the sort that seemed to drive men nuts simply by being herself. It was like she subconsciously challenged them with her spiritedness because his daughter was a real firecracker.

It was of some small comfort to him that in general Lily sent all the interested men running screaming after less than a month of dealing with her…eccentricities.

And if that didn't do it her overprotective brothers stepped in to make sure the guy was worthy of their precious baby sister.

They never were.

"Daddy!" Running down the aisle with arms outstretched, a cloth bag hanging off one of them, Lily threw herself into her father's embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Cuddling close Lily smiled happily before drawing back to grin at him. "Hey. So what's up, Daddy-o?"

"Are those cookies I'm smelling?" Harry asked, distracted by the scent coming from her skin, assuming correctly that there would be cookies in the bag she was carrying that she'd recently baked.

"They are." Handing over the bag Lily smiled and let her father heard her into his office, taking her favored visitor seat which he sat behind his desk, helping himself to a cookie before giving her his attention.

"Lily, what do you know about a Potions Master named Justin Prince?"

The girl's brown eyes narrowed automatically. "Narcissistic, self centered, egotistical prick. He was in Ravenclaw when you were at Hogwarts, though he was a few years younger, right? And unlike me he really did get his title of Potions Master because of who his father is. Who his ancestors are to be more specific. Nobody knows what the prat actually looks like because the prick takes polyjuice potion like it's his daily dose of vitamins. He carries a flask around with him and he's always drinking the stuff. He looks like a buff surfer in his late twenties, all tanned and blonde, but I bet he's butt ugly in real life. Pinched my butt once so I bent his fingers back and told him the next time he tried that I'd cut them off and shove them into all his orifices."

Harry's lips twitched, even as his eyes shone with pride over his girl. Then they darkened, hardened, and went Auror serious. "That's the one. As it turns out he was the one who stole the portrait of Snape from Hogwarts two months ago. He's been trying, apparently, to transfer the…well whatever it is in the portraits that make them somewhat sentient, into himself, in the hopes of making himself a better Potions Master."

"He was trying to steal Snape's intelligence through his portrait?" Lily couldn't have said she was surprised. "Figures. He's the take the easy way out sort. So why were you called in about this? I mean obviously he broke the law, but it's not like he killed anyone."

"Actually he did. He killed his gardener when his potions lab exploded during his latest experiment. To make a long story short Prince was taken to St. Mungos and when he woke up he asked for me specifically. Because, according to the man even now sitting in one of our interview rooms, he is Severus Snape, not Justin Prince. What's more, having talked to the man, I can't argue with that. Because he might not look like Snape, but he sure as hell sounds and talks to me like him. He knows things only Snape could know. I believe him."

Sitting back in her chair Lily considered the possibilities. "So what do you need me for?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me if it's possible, what he claimed happened."

Lily shrugged, honestly having never considered the possibility. Why would she? She wasn't even a hundred percent sure how they made the portraits to be special the way they were. "I don't see why it couldn't be possible. You more than anyone knows that objects and people can be possessed by the consciousness of others, Daddy. A damn stupid thing to do in my opinion, but I would guess it's possible. Could I talk to him? If he's been trying for over two months then the portrait…Snape should know something about what Prince did."

"I thought you'd say that. Let's go."

Getting up Harry brought the container of cookies with them as they headed out, setting it on the break table for his men to devour in his absence. Ignoring the cheers and stampeding of feet the two headed through the maze of offices until they came to a stop in front of one being guarded by two seasoned Aurors. Nodding at the two men Harry and Lily waited until the men opened the door before walking through to face off against the man calmly sitting at the table within.

Lily took one look at the man and gasped. "Holy cow! He looks like a middle aged Alan Rickman with too long black hair! That's what Prince actually looks like? Why the hell would he want to look like a pretty boy when he could look like this? The man is even stupider than I thought. And how is that even possible?"

Blinking, Harry stared at the man with new eyes. "I knew he reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it."

"Do I want to even know who that is?" The man drawled out in a voice Lily recognized as Prince's, though the tone and look in the man's eyes were more man than Prince could have ever hope to have or be.

Walking over to take the seat across from the man Lily propped her head up on her hands and watched him with fascination. "He's a Muggle actor. One of my Aunt Hermione's favorites. Are you really Severus Snape? Inside I mean."

"Unfortunately."

Wanting to do some testing of her own Lily locked eyes with the harshly handsome man across from her. Looking at him certainly wasn't hard on the eyes, especially for a girl who had always liked older men. It was probably a good thing that Prince had always disguised his real looks, Lily thought as she formulated her first question. If he'd always looked like this she might have made a mistake of going out with the prat a couple of times before she'd wised up.

"What was the first thing you said to me the day we met in the Headmaster's office?" Lily asked, figuring that that was a question Prince couldn't possibly know the answer to.

The man who was Snape in mind didn't have to think about it. "I said that naming you after Lily was the worst insult your father could ever have paid her."

"You said that?" Glaring at the other man Harry could feel the urge to give the man hell well up inside of him. It was one of the reasons he was so sure the man actually was being possessed by Snape's consciousness, the Gryffindor thought with dark humor. Only Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape elicited this kind of hotheaded reaction from him so easily.

Lily's just waved her father off, not being insulted in the least. She knew that the man before her had put her grandmother up on a pedestal that no woman, including Lily Evans Potter, could ever hope to live up to. She and Snape had argued plenty in the Headmaster's office while she'd attended Hogwarts, and she'd heard how he regarded her grandmother in his voice. So she got the fact that she could never be good enough in his eyes.

"He did indeed." She told her father dryly so that he'd know Snape had gotten the answer right. Then she asked the man her next question. Or started to. "What is your secret ingredient for-."

"Young lady, you hounded me for over four years trying to get me to tell you the secret ingredient for my Gemini Potion. I'm not telling you."

Looking over Lily met her father's gaze and nodded her head. "Yup. It's him all right. I'd know that snotty tone of voice anywhere."

"And every time you open your mouth you advertise that you're a Potter and a Weasley."

"Wow. And here I thought you'd NEVER have a nice thing to say to me, Snape." Lily grinned at the man, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly. "Thank you. I don't think you're all bad either."

Turning his head the man gave Harry a dark look, trying to pretend that the obnoxious girl was no longer in the room with them. "Couldn't you simply end my life now? Given our past relationship the idea has to appeal to you, and technically it wouldn't be murder as I'm already dead. It would resolve this mess for everyone."

"But Prince isn't dead. We need to figure out how to get you back in your portrait and out of him so that he can be charged for his actions." Harry reminded the man sternly. "And if I hated you that much I wouldn't have named my second son after you." He pointed out.

"The second son that looks so much like you and his grandfather." Was Snape's less than thrilled response. "Yes, thank you so much for that."

"Stupid dumbass." Lily muttered, grinning when both men looked at her. "I didn't mean either of you, though that phrase has probably fit you both a time or two in the past. I meant Prince. He's the serious dumbass. I mean how did he think he was going to be able to control you, Snape? Did he really think you'd just give him access to all your knowledge for the hell of it? Please. You're more secretive about your personal potions than I am. And it's not like you were close to your mother's side of the family from what I've heard. The family card wouldn't have worked on you. Besides, you're the type that expects people to succeed on their own merit. You'd never let someone take credit for your work."

Harry's lips twitched in amusement at his daughter's little rant. "What I can't figure is, how is it Snape is in control of Prince's body, given how little of his personality must have been in the portrait to begin with. It just makes no sense."

Lily snorted, giving her father a disbelieving look. "You aren't serious. That part is obvious."

Snape gave the annoying woman a disdainfully superior look, not about to believe for a moment that she would be able to answer the question so easily. Since he couldn't figure out how he'd come to be in control of Prince's body there was no way she could have.

"Okay, I'll bite. Why is Snape in control, Lily?"

"Well, duh. This is Severus Snape we're talking about. Former badass Death Eater and double secret agent spy. The man who lied multiple times to Voldie, to the snakey bastard's face I might add. Prince is a self centered, image obsessed, cry over a splinter weakling." Lily rolled her eyes expressively. "You don't have to lay them out to know whose is bigger. Seriously bigger in this case. Even a small piece of Snape's being would bitch slap Prince's whole being into submission. It goes without saying."

Harry winced. "Thank you so much for that mental imagery, sweetie."

Snape glared at the girl before turning his penetrating gaze back to Harry. "I'd like to go back to being dead now, Potter."

"Can't say I blame you."