Hello, everyone! I have finally rewritten and edited the first chapter. I feel a lot more confident about this now than I had before. My writing style has really changed and matured since I was 19, which is how old I was when I originally began this story. I am now 23 and about to start my last year of college (university for anyone outside the US). I hope the characterization is better this time around. Do please let me know what you think!

Until the next edit/update.

TSA

Severus peered into his bubbling cauldron, watching as the ingredients began working together to brew the potion the Dark Lord had requested him to make. His greasy hair fell past his shoulders and into his face, the long strands almost dangling into the potion. He quickly magicked it into a messy ponytail to keep it away from the dangerous brew. The potion was almost complete when a sharp, sudden knock rapped on his door. He growled and turned to stare at the door as if the object was making the noises just to irritate him. The knocking didn't stop, so Severus growled and stalked over to the door, grumbling about being disturbed at such a late hour on a Wednesday night. He knew it wasn't any of the Dark Lord's followers as they always came right in without notice, so who could possibly be knocking on his door as no one ever came to actually visit him.

He wrenched the door open and was about to shout at the offending persons or persons when he came to a dead standstill.

Lily Evans, now Lily Potter, was standing on his doorstep, her hand still poised to knock and her eyes as wide and scared looking as his felt.

"Sev," she breathed, breaking the silence first. He blinked and took in a breath, not realizing he'd stopped as they stared at one another. As soon as he broke out of his trance, his scowl returned and he glared at her.

"What do you want, Evans?" he spat.

"Sev, I need your help," she pleaded.

He laughed mirthlessly in her face, blocking her way into his home as she tried to squeeze past.

"Why should I help you?" he growled, turning his black eyes on her. It pained him to be so cruel to her, especially after what had happened, but she was the one who had turned her back on him. This was her doing. "We haven't spoken to each other in years. You show up, unannounced, when I could have dangerous company over, company who would love nothing more than to see you dead, and you just expect me to help you, just like that?"

"Sev, please, you're my best friend—"

"No!" he shouted, bearing down over her. She almost cowered but stood her ground. "You can't just show up after two years of nothing! You can't just show up and expect me to drop everything to help you! I won't let you push me around like that anymore! Not after what happened two years ago."

"That's what I'm trying to talk to you about, Sev," she said, finally getting into the conversation. Severus finally relaxed infinitesimally and crossed his arms over his chest, though he still blocked her entering the house. "I never talked to you after what happened because I felt so… so guilty." His scowl deepened. Saint Evans should have felt guilty after what they'd done. A small smirk pulled at his lips at the memory, but he didn't allow himself to dwell on the past. "But there's a very good reason for why I didn't speak to you, other than my guilt."

Severus remained unmoved as he waited for her to explain, his scowl deepening as the silence dragged on.

"Evans, if you're not going to tell me—"

"No, I am, I am," she said, sighing deeply as she gathered her nerves. "A few weeks after what happened, I… I was…"

"Spit it out, Evans."

"I found out I was pregnant," she said, voice small yet strong. Severus' scowl completely fell apart and his knees almost buckled as the weight of what she'd said fell on him. His gaze dropped down to Lily's stomach and noticed her hands were wrapped around herself as if to ward off the chill of the autumn air despite the thick cloak she wore.

"You… you were?" he asked, his voice coming out much shakier than he would have liked. His black eyes met her green ones and she nodded. "Was it… was it mine?"

"She still is, Sev."

"She?" He felt his heart skip a beat and his throat suddenly felt dry. "I… I have… We have a daughter?" Lily nodded, a small smile finally gracing its way onto her features. "Where is she? May I meet her?"

"Of course," she said. "But I think it would be best if we did this inside. May we come in?"

"Yes. Yes, of course." He finally stood aside and allowed Lily to enter. It was then that he remembered the potion he'd been brewing. "Just… just give me a moment. I need to put a potion away."

"Shall we wait in the sitting room?"

"Yes. That's fine. It's safe there."

Lily nodded and strode inside, her hands gripping something in front of her that Severus couldn't see. He rushed into his dining room, though it mostly functioned as his potions room, and quickly stored the potion into appropriately labeled vials. Once everything was cleaned up he quickly sterilized himself so as not to get his daughter ill from the effects of the potion.

Lily was sat on the sofa, a large baby carriage now visible beside her. She was holding a small bundle in her arms and was singing a soft lullaby to her. Severus's hands suddenly felt clammy and he wiped them on his jeans. He sat on the chair across from Lily and waited for her to stop singing. Lily smiled up at him and he finally saw their daughter, his heart stuttering in his chest.

She looked remarkably like her mother, despite being only two years old. The only difference was her pitch black hair, though it was thick and wavy like her mother's.

"Sev." He blinked and looked up at Lily. "This is Rose. She's two-and-a-half years old now. Her birthday is April 13, 1979. She can say Mama and Dada and a few other words she's still trying to make sense of. She's a very fussy eater, but she loves anything mashed, especially peas. She's still learning to walk, but she's getting better every day." She smiled down at the sleeping girl in her arms and smoothed her hand through her hair. "Her hair is always unruly; much like yours was when we were kids. And her eyes, God, her eyes, Sev, they're so beautiful. She's got your eyes, though they're just a tad brighter. Not quite black, but more of a very dark, bright grey if that makes any sense?"

"No, yeah, it… it does," Severus said, clearing his throat which had strangely become thick with emotion the longer he stared at his daughter. "Lily, why are you telling me all this? Why now, after all this time?"

Lily's cheerful demeanor vanished, all brightness gone from her face. Without looking away from her daughter's face she said, "Because it's not safe anymore, Sev. The Dark Lord is growing stronger by the second, and I'm scared for my children. Dumbledore put us in hiding for a reason, and I'm so scared that we could be discovered any day now. I've been trying to contact Dumbledore to get Harry somewhere safe, but he's not answering any of my owls. I just thought that since you're so well-versed in the Dark Arts you'd know how to protect a child from the Dark Lord. And… I thought it was time for you two to finally meet." She gently bounced Rose in her arms, her lips twitching into a smile once more. "Would you like to hold her?"

Severus swallowed, his palms suddenly clammy again. He subtly wiped them on his jeans, making sure they were completely dry.

"Yes," he said after a few moments of tense silence. "Please."

Lily's smile returned and she stood up, Rose gurgling in her sleep as she was moved.

"Hold your arms out like mine," she said. "Good. Now adjust as necessary, but be sure to support her head." She lowered Rose into Severus's arms, making sure not to wake her. He quickly adjusted his arms to better support her and gazed down at his daughter. Up close she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, apart from Lily, of course. A rare, genuine smile formed on his lips as he gazed down at the sleeping bundle in his arms.

"Hello, Rose," he whispered, his arms naturally rocking in gentle motions. Lily smiled as she watched Severus's cold demeanor melt away. His face was lighting up as he smiled down at their daughter and his whole demeanor appeared to be brightening, some color returning to his complexion. Lily knelt down beside them, her hand resting on Severus's bony knee.

"Sev," she murmured. He hummed to acknowledge he'd heard her but his gaze never left their daughter's face. "Sev, I need you to look after her. At least for a few days. Until I'm sure it's safe to move her again."

He turned to look at her, his smile and color fading. "Lily, are you sure about this?" he asked. "I'm not sure I'm responsible enough to look after a child."

"She'll be fine, Sev," she tried to assure him. "You're her father. I know you'd never allow her to come to any harm."

"That's not what I'm really worried about," he said, biting his lip. "What if my… 'friends' stop by and see her?"

"You and I both know you can use concealment charms on her. I know you'll take good care of her. I just… I needed you to meet her, for her to meet her real father, just in case—"

"Don't say it."

"—I don't make it out of this war alive."

"Don't!" he snapped, causing Rose to hiccup in his arms. He began to gently rock her again as if his body was doing it without his knowledge. "Don't you dare say that, Lily. You are a strong, competent, capable witch. You'll survive."

"I might be strong, but I'm not strong enough to defeat the Dark Lord if he were to ever find us." She rested her head on the arm of the chair, her hand squeezing his knee tight. "Please, Sev. Promise me you'll take care of her. Promise me."

"I will, Lily," he whispered, his chest tight. "I promise. She'll be safe here."

"OK." She looked up at him, her eyes wet with unshed tears. "I'll be back on the first of November. You'll be able to watch over her for a few days, right?"

"Right. Yeah. I can do that for you."

"I have all the necessary supplies in the carriage. There's nappies, bottles, milk, toys, and some instructions should you need them."

"OK. I can work with that." A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "I'll keep our Rose safe, Lil."

"Thank you, Sev." She rose to her feet and straightened her robes. "I should go before James notices I'm gone." Severus instantly stiffened at the mention of his name. He rose too and put their daughter back in her carriage to sleep. He turned to Lily and was caught by surprise as she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug.

"Please take care of yourself too," she whispered into his chest. "You're far too thin, Sev."

"I'll try," he murmured as he finally returned the hug, burying his nose in her hair. He breathed in her scent, his arms tightening around her as if holding her there would protect her from everything he knew was going to happen.

Lily pulled away and lifted a hand to his cheek, her thumb smoothing over it. He relaxed at the gesture and she smiled at him.

"Sev, just promise me, if I don't come back, keep our daughter safe," she whispered.

"I will," he promised. She rose up on her toes to press a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. His heart almost stopped altogether at her soft press of lips. He quickly turned his head to capture her lips with his, his arms tightening around her waist once more. She gasped into his mouth, her hand sliding back to tangle in his hair, pulling it loose of its magicked tie. His hands slid down her back, resting on the swell of her arse, and squeezed.

"Sev," she breathed into his mouth, pulling away as she pushed against his chest. "I can't. I'm sorry. I can't." He immediately removed his hands and backed away, his chest rising and falling quickly as he panted for breath.

"I'm sorry," he groaned. "I'm sorry. I know we shouldn't. You've got to go back to your… your family."

"I wish we could," she whispered, making his heart swell. "But I can't stay." She moved back over to him and kissed him once more, hugging him close. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pet her hair with the other as they stood there, holding on to one another, his chin resting on top of her head.

"I need to go," Lily whispered after a while.

"I know," Severus whispered back.

They kissed once more and parted.

"Sev, just in case this is the last time we see each other, know that I love you."

A warm smile pulled at Severus's lips. "I love you too, Lily. Always." She smiled back at him, her heart swelling with a great mixture of emotions.

"I'll send you an owl when I can."

"OK. Goodbye, Lily."

"Goodbye, Sev." She waved before apparating back to her safe house. Severus looked down at the baby carriage, his daughter sleeping soundly inside it. What did he do now?

…::-::…

The next couple of days ran Severus ragged. Once Rose woke up and saw him for the first time she screamed bloody murder. He was a stranger to her and he scared her. He did everything he could to calm her down, but nothing worked until he found a teddy in her carriage. He held it out to her and tried to make soft, soothing noises to calm her down. She reached for the teddy and sniffled, her crying finally stopping. She still didn't trust him yet, but at least she'd stopped screaming.

He fed her whenever she pointed to her mouth, making strange noises that sounded like she was chewing food. He made sure to make everything mashed if it allowed. Lily was right when she'd said mashed peas were her favorite. He made them for her constantly as he knew she would eat them, and she would devour them in a matter of minutes.

He let her explore his home only after he'd baby-proofed everything. She was still learning to walk, but she could move pretty well on her feet. By the second day she was toddling around laughing as he chased her, making sure she didn't knock anything over or hurt herself as she raced around corners or low tables. She'd definitely warmed up to him, but she was still quite wary of him. And she kept asking where her mother was, and he could never answer her.

"I don't know, little one," he'd say. "But she'll be back soon. How about we go over the alphabet again?"

She was so easily distracted by learning. She was incredibly smart and picked up on new words very quickly, as he'd learned the hard way. He'd sworn repeatedly whilst brewing a complicated potion and she was soon repeating the words for the rest of the day. He only got her to stop when he said little girls who said bad words had to eat sprouts for every meal.

Severus was quickly falling in love with the little girl. It broke his heart knowing that he'd never be able to raise her with Lily. If she survived, their Rose would go back with her mother and live half a life. She'd never know her birth father, living under the impression Saint Potter was the man from whom she received half her genetics. But he knew Rose was far too smart to realize Potter wasn't her birth father. He wagered she would know by thirteen. And the look of devastation and betrayal that would be on Potter's face when he found out was the icing on the cake.

…::-::…

Everything was going swimmingly the evening of Halloween. Rose had been incredibly well-behaved, allowing Severus to brew a potion in peace. She was playing with her teddy in the sitting room when Severus felt his Dark Mark begin to burn.

"Oh no," he whispered. "Not now. Please, not now." But the burn persisted until he answered the call. He was being summoned to the Longbottom residence. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that Lily was still safe. But he couldn't leave just yet. Rose needed to be put to bed and protected with various concealment charms to keep her safe.

"Rose," he said, drawing her attention. "It's time for bed."

"No!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "No, Sss." She'd taken to calling him Sss because she couldn't pronounce Sev or Severus. She always hissed like a snake when she pronounced it, and it usually made her laugh and smile because it felt funny on her tongue. But tonight she was in quite a foul mood. And she'd been having such a good day.

"Rose," he said sternly, fixing her with his no-nonsense stare. "It's time for bed."

"No!" She scrambled to her feet and tried to run away to escape bedtime. He chased after her and easily caught up to her, but catching her was rather difficult as she kept sliding under his various tables to escape. After five minutes of chase, he finally grabbed her and held her close to his chest as she wriggled around.

"No, no, no!" she cried, her little arms and legs kicking out in protest.

"What's wrong, sweet Rose?" he asked her, trying to calm her down. "Why do you not want to go to bed?"

"No, Sss," she hissed, this time the sound making her giggle a bit.

"Would you like me to read you a story?" he asked. She stopped wiggling and looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Boo?" she asked, her wide eyes staring up at him.

"That's right," he said, nodding. "A book. Would you like me to read you a book?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" she cheered. Severus laughed and shook his head.

"OK. Let's find you a book and I'll read to you." He picked up a potions text to read to her. She seemed to favor them over any other books he owned. He got her settled in her carriage and made sure to put a fresh nappy on her before tucking her in.

"Be-Be!" she said, pointing to the teddy on the floor.

"Oops," he chuckled as he plucked the teddy up and handed it to her. "Here you go, sweetheart."

"Dada," she cooed, smiling at him. His heart stuttered in his chest and his throat went dry. Did she really say that to him?

"Me?" he asked, pointing to his chest.

"Dada," she repeated, her smile widening. Severus felt his heart break and swell at the same time. She'd called him her dad. She'd begun to trust him so much she called him by the most loving name she knew. He was so proud of her for recognizing the term had so much meaning, but his heart broke because he knew she would never see him again after that night. Lily would come for her in the morning and they'd be on the run once more. He would never see his daughter again, and she would never know him as her father.

"Dada?" Rose broke him out of his thoughts with a touch to his cheek. He took in a deep breath and wiped at his eyes, unaware that he'd been crying.

"Yes, little one?" he asked, feigning a smile to comfort her.

"Boo," she said, nudging at the book in his hand.

"Of course, love," he choked out, more tears falling. Dammit. Why couldn't he get ahold of his emotions? He cleared his throat and opened the potions text to a random page, reading out the list of ingredients before launching into a dramatic reading of the preparation. Rose listened with rapt attention, though her eyes began to droop the longer he read. His Mark burned again as he read but he ignored it. If he stopped reading now, Rose would wake up and wouldn't go to sleep for ages.

Soon, she was sleeping peacefully, soft little wuffles of sound escaping past her lips. Severus closed the book and set it back on the shelf. He made sure Rose was comfortable and tucked in before standing. He muttered every concealment charm he knew, tossing them around his house but mainly focusing on his baby girl. When he finished, he returned to her carriage and gingerly ran the tips of his fingers down her cheek.

"I'll be back, sweetheart," he whispered, his chest tight as he gazed down at her. "Daddy… I love you." She breathed out against his hand and he smiled, hoping she'd heard him.

His Mark was still burning so he finally answered the call. His brow furrowed as a new location had been passed around. What had happened at the Longbottom residence? Why had the Dark Lord summoned them to the Hollow?

The Hollow.

His heart stopped.

Lily.

He quickly apparated to the location but he was too late. The quaint home was smouldering and a huge chunk of the second floor was gone. A baby's wailing cry was coming from the gaping hole in the building.

"Lily!" Severus yelled, hoping there was a chance that she was still alive, but he knew, deep down in his gut, that there was no way she'd survived.

He began running toward the house, shouting, "Lily! Lily!" as he burst through the front door. He ran up the stairs, jumping over James Potter's lifeless body in the process. When he reached the nursery he found the source of the crying—but he also found Lily Evan's body.

All motor functioning in Severus' body seemed to stop. He crumpled in a heap on the floor and began sobbing, crying Lily's name between gasps. He crawled toward her and pulled her lifeless body into his lap and buried his face in her red hair, sobbing as loudly as her son who was, incredibly, still alive.

"Severus." A cool, bony hand rested on his shoulder. Severus jumped but his grip on Lily remained firm.

"P-P-Professor," he choked out, still in the habit of calling the Transfiguration professor by his title. "You p-p-promised, to k-keep, her, safe."

"Severus, the Aurors will be arriving soon. It wouldn't do well for you to be here."

Severus nodded but didn't move. He nuzzled Lily's hair and sobbed.

"Severus," Dumbledore said again. "You have to go. If the Aurors find you, your daughter will be left alone with no one to care for her."

Of course Dumbledore would know about Rose. Dumbledore knew everything about everyone.

"You should go to her. Keep her safe, like you promised."

"Yes, because you're one to lecture on keeping promises," Severus spat, turning to glare at him. "You promised to protect Lily, keep her safe from the Dark Lord if I would become your spy. But look where that got us! Lily is dead, the Dark Lord has vanished, and now only Lily's children survive! So don't you dare lecture me on keeping promises when you yourself don't practice what you preach!"

"I know you're distraught, Severus. But you must leave if your daughter is to be kept safe. Do it for Lily, as Rose is a part of her too."

"You summoned me here, didn't you?" he asked, ignoring Dumbledore's requests to leave, even if just for a few minutes more. "You tricked me into thinking the Dark Lord was summoning us all here. You tricked me."

"I did," he admitted, looking slightly smug about it. "I know how you felt about her. I thought perhaps you'd want to say your goodbyes before the Aurors arrived and took them away and put their son under protection."

"He doesn't need protection!" he snapped. "The Dark Lord is gone!"

"Lord Voldemort will return," Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly. "And when he does, the boy will be in terrible danger."

Severus didn't argue. He knew Professor Dumbledore was right. Lord Voldemort had seen to it he would live on forever. He'd made Horcruxes in preparation for his death. All anyone had to do was find one and trick someone into swapping their life for his. Though he imagined it wouldn't happen for years after what happened today. His loyal followers would be too scared to be imprisoned to begin again so soon.

"If you truly loved her," Dumbledore said, breaking into his thoughts, "you'd leave now before the Aurors arrive. Your position as double-agent for me will only help you so much. You should leave before you are accused of a crime you did not commit."

"She was the love of my life, Albus," Severus choked out. "I can't leave her like this."

"I'll allow you time to say your goodbyes, but your daughter needs you, Severus."

He sighed and gazed down at Lily's lifeless body, her eyes dull and glazed over. But she was beautiful, even in death, and this would be the last time he'd ever see her. She was gone, murdered by the man he once thought to be his greatest mentor.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," he whispered, stroking a lock of her flaming red hair behind her ear. "This is all my fault. But I promise I'll take care of our little girl. She'll be somewhere safe. I love you so much. I always will."

Albus rested a hand on Severus' shoulder again and he knew that the other Aurors had arrived.

"Go," Dumbledore said gently. "And I recommend you pack your things. You'll want to stay in the castle until I can guarantee your safety. And be prepared to take over the Potions class. I have a feeling Horace won't want to stay on after tonight."

"I imagine so," he mumbled. He sighed and pressed his forehead to Lily's, his eyes squeezed shut to stop his fresh tears. He placed a gentle kiss against Lily's dead lips before he finally disapparated away.

"She was the love of my life, Albus. I can't leave her like this."

"I'll allow you time to say your goodbyes, but your daughter needs you Severus."

He sighed and gazed down at Lily's lifeless body, her eyes dull and glazed over. But she was beautiful, even in death, and this would be the last time he'd ever see her. She was gone, murdered by the man he once thought to be his greatest mentor.

"I'm so sorry, Lily," he whispered, stroking a lock of her flaming red hair behind her ear. "This is all my fault. But I promise I'll take care of our little girl. She'll be somewhere safe. I love you so much. I always will."

Albus rested a hand on Severus' shoulder again and he knew that the other Aurors had arrived. He placed a gentle kiss against Lily's dead lips before he finally disapparated away.

…::-::…

A few hours later Severus was holding his daughter close against him as he neared Malfoy Manor. He'd promised Lily that he would keep their daughter safe, but with the Dark Lord missing he wouldn't be able to provide that safety without feeling safe himself. Not to mention he couldn't exactly take care of a baby if he were to become the new Potions Master at Hogwarts.

"Severus Snape," Narcissa Malfoy purred when he entered the parlor of the manor. "What brings you here so soon after the tragedy at the Longbottom's and Godric's Hollow?"

"I have come to ask a favor of you and Lucius."

"Merlin's beard! Not another one!" she exclaimed, exasperated. "First Bella and now you? What could you possibly want?"

"I need you…to raise…my…daughter," he stammered.

"You're daughter?!" Narcissa leapt out of her chair and ran to Severus. When she saw the bundle in his arms she squealed with delight. "Severus she's adorable! When did that happen?"

"Almost three years ago," he said, a slight blush reddening his face.

"Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed, playfully slapping his shoulder. "And Lucius, too, of course."

"Because I only just found out she existed a few days ago." When Narcissa gave him a blank stare he elaborated. "I…a few years ago, I—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know how you did it. I just want to know how you just found out? And who's the mother?"

"Well I only just found out because Lily, Lily Evans, kept her a secret from me. We… um… it was before she married Potter. We tried to reconcile our differences." He chuckled and looked down at Rose. "Well, we did reconcile our differences, but not in the way we'd expected. She's the result."

"Wait, Evans the Mudblood Evans?" Narcissa asked.

"Don't use that word," Severus growled.

"Oh for God's sake, Severus, stop trying to be all noble!" Lucius said as he entered the room, an empty glass in his hand. "It's what she was and now her blasted children are tainted with her dirty blood. Those filthy Mudbloods will be our downfall."

Severus ground his teeth together and clenched his hands into fists.

"Um, Lucius, darling, Severus has come to ask a favor of us," Narcissa explained.

"Hrm? And what would that be?" he asked as he poured himself a glass of fire whisky.

"He needs us to take care of his daughter."

The large gulp of whisky Lucius had just taken was suddenly spit across the living room. He then broke into fits of coughing, choking, and laughter.

"His…his daughter?! Oh my God! When the hell did that happen?!"

"A few years ago," Narcissa answered when she saw that Severus was still too furious he couldn't speak. "Miss Evans is the mother."

"Oh my God! You fucked the Mudblood? Wow! Not even I would have guessed that you'd sink that low! Holy shit!"

"Lucius, dear, he needs us to raise her."

"What?! Fuck no!"

"Watch your language!" Narcissa snapped. She took Rose out of Severus' arms and cooed at the little bundle of joy. As soon as his daughter was safe in Narcissa's arms, Severus launched himself at Lucius and, instead of using his wand, he used his fists. He knocked Lucius to the ground and began ramming his fists onto any part of Lucius's that happened to be exposed. They tousled for a few minutes, Lucius trying to get Severus off him as he didn't know how to fight without a wand, and Severus continuing to hit every inch of Lucius that wasn't protected by his arms.

"Severus! Ow! God, Severus, stop!" Lucius screamed as Severus continued to land punches on his face.

"You son of a bitch!" Severus screamed, taking hold of Lucius' shirt collar and pulling him closer. "Don't you dare talk about my daughter like she's some piece of scum on your shoe! She is a part of me and Lily and you will treat her with the respect she deserves!"

"Holy shit, Severus! What has gotten into you?"

"It's that fatherly instinct that you seem to lack," Severus spat. "I can't wait to see how my child turns out when she's raised in this house!"

"Narcissa and Dobby have been raising Draco for the past year and he's turned out fine!"

"So far!" Severus countered. "Wait until he gets older and he becomes just as fucked up as you because he had a father who treated him like he didn't exist!"

"Severus!" Narcissa gasped, holding Rose closer to her as if it would protect the child from the words being said.

"I apologize, Narcissa," Severus said, though he continued to glare at Lucius as he pinned him to the ground. "I didn't mean to undermine your parenting skills."

"None taken, but I do wish the two of you would watch your language in front of the precious widdle darling."

Severus stared at Narcissa as she cooed at Rose, speaking to her in baby talk. Lucius managed to get out from under him and sat up, wiping some blood from his lip and scoffed when he looked at it smeared across his hand.

"I've always wanted a widdle baby girl," she cooed, making Rose laugh. "Yes I have. Yes I have. And you're such a precious widdle baby darling. You look just like your daddy."

"Dada," Rose cooed, clapping her hands.

"Oh, goodness, she knows who you are." She smiled at Severus, now standing as far away from Lucius as he could get while the other man nursed his wounds.

"I know," he whispered, looking at his daughter from afar.

"Narcissa, we can't take care of another child!" Lucius spat, disturbing the moment. "We've already got Draco and now we're watching over Elladora. We just don't have the space!"

"Oh, stuff it, Lucius. We live in a huge estate. We have plenty of space. And Ella isn't that much of a hassle. Besides, Ella is only our niece, but this little angel we can raise as our own!"

"I said no, Narcissa," Lucius growled, standing his ground. Narcissa didn't hear him as she had turned back to Rose and she was babbling to the little girl.

"Damn it, Narcissa! You put that child down this instant! I won't stand to have another child in this house!"

Narcissa just continued babbling to Rose, who was eating up all the attention and was babbling right back. Lucius, frustrated at being ignored and quite obviously losing the battle, stormed out of the room. Severus heard him yell, "DOBBY!" followed by a small scream as Lucius had taken his frustration out on the poor house elf.

"What's her name, Severus?" Narcissa asked as she tickled Rose's stomach.

"Rose," he whispered, unable to hide the smile that spread across his lips as he said her name.

"That's a pretty name," Narcissa cooed and Rose laughed with glee. Severus choked back a sob at the sight. "Are you sure you want us to raise her?"

"Yes," he answered briskly, his mask of indifference back on. "I can't take care of a child, Narcissa. I wouldn't be able to provide for her. And with my collection of dangerous potions ingredients and an unfit home, I wouldn't be able to take care of her very well anyway. That, and Dumbledore has offered me the position of Potions Master at Hogwarts, so I wouldn't be able to watch out for her as I'll be far too busy." He sighed and looked down at his daughter in Narcissa's arms. "And… she reminds me too much of Lily. I just, I can't deal with that right now."

"I understand," Narcissa empathized. "I'll take good care of her, Severus."

"I know you will, Narcissa. Just, don't let Lucius corrupt her. I'd like to think she'd be raised without too much of his influence."

"I'll do my best."

Rose made a gurgling sound and Narcissa began fussing over her again. Severus looked at his daughter, Lily's daughter, and his mask and composure washed away. He made his way over to her and looked at her over Narcissa's shoulder. She smiled when she caught his eye and held her hands out to him.

"Dada," she cooed. Severus's throat closed up and he felt his heart stop. That one word was so full of love and devotion it nearly broke him. He must have made a noise because Narcissa had turned around and was easing Rose into his arms.

"Hold her, Severus," she whispered as she handed Rose over to him. "She already loves you. Are you sure you want us to take care of her?"

"I already said I can't take care of her myself." He adjusted his arms so Rose would be comfortable. "My life is too dangerous for a little girl. Now that the Dark Lord is gone the Aurors will be hunting down every known member of his following. We all have to come up with stories to save our skins. I don't want Rose in the middle of that. Who knows how long their investigations will last?"

"Too true," she murmured in agreement. "You should say your goodbyes then." She squeezed his shoulder and stood, leaving him alone with his daughter.

Severus clutched his Rose in his arms and, once he was alone, began to cry.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is for the best. It is. Narcissa will take good care of you. I can't, but I wish I could. You're the one piece of Lily that I have left. I… I love you, my precious Rose." He hugged his daughter close and she giggled as she grabbed his nose. Severus laughed with a joy he hadn't felt in years. This girl was so like Lily, trying to make him smile when all he wanted to do was be a grump. This child was his and Lily's, she was theirs, and she was perfect. He wished he could watch her grow up, be a part of her life; but he couldn't provide for a child when he could barely provide for himself.

"I should go," he whispered. "Narcissa!"

She quickly returned, helping him up off the floor. He handed Rose back to her and wiped at the tears with the sleeve of his cloak. Narcissa looked up at him with sorrowful eyes, Rose cradled in her arms.

"Don't tell her about me, alright?" Severus said to Narcissa. "I wouldn't want her to think… I don't know. I just think she'd be better off knowing I wasn't her father. Or that I didn't exist."

"But what about when she goes to Hogwarts?"

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," he answered, staring out the window. "After all, Professor Dumbledore will probably alert me when it's her year."

"Yes. That man does have a knack for giving you unexpected news." They both chuckled. "Goodbye, Severus. Take care."

"Goodbye, Narcissa." He looked down at Rose and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye, my precious Rose. Daddy loves you." Rose reached for his nose again and giggled with pure joy.

"She loves you too, Severus," Narcissa sniffed, wiping away tears.

"Take care of her, Narcissa," Severus whispered. "Oh, and don't tell Lucius about any of this. If he found out I'd been crying I'd never live it down."

"I promise, Severus. To both," she chuckled.

Severus nodded and disapparated. Narcissa stared at the spot where he once stood and then smiled down at Rose.

"Now, little one, you are a Malfoy." She grinned at the little girl and pet her hair. "But Rose is not a proper name for a Malfoy. If I'd had a daughter of my own, I would have named her for my sister. So, my beautiful angel, you are now Beatrix Mallory Malfoy."

And the little girl smiled.