PERFECT SECRET, Severus Snape

𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲'𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻

Ellie Potter took a deep breath as she apparated outside of her brother's house. She knew it was a long shot her even returning. But she needed to do something.

She had been hearing whispers about how the dark lord was rising. And she needed to come back. For her daughter. The daughter she had given to her brother when she was a few hours old.

Ellie had fallen pregnant after a one night stand with her professor. No one knew who the father was. And she wanted to keep it that way.

Severus Snape was the man who had gotten her pregnant. And she didn't want anyone to know. As far as anyone was concerned, Ellie had gotten pregnant from a fling one night.

Ellie had kept it quiet. Knowing how much trouble it would cause. Severus didn't even know Ellie had given birth to his daughter. He didn't know how James Potter, the man he hated most of all was raising his daughter as his own. And Ellie wanted to keep it that way.

Ellie knocked the door and sighed. After a few moments, the door was answered. "Ellie."

"Hi James."

James Potter was in absolute shock at seeing his sister there. He hadn't seen her in fourteen years. Not since she had turned up on his doorstep begging him to raise her daughter.

James looked to Ellie and sighed. "You're obviously back for a reason. What's wrong?" He asked.

"I've been hearing things. And I came back. To protect her," Ellie said. She knew how things weren't easy. And she knew that she was back to keep her daughter safe.

James nodded. "It's true. There are signs he's rising. She's happy though. She's safe," he told her.

"But she's mine. She always will be mine."

James looked to his sister. He sighed. "Why have you never told me who her father was? I happily took her in. I've raised her as my own. But you never once told me her father," he said.

Ellie shook her head. "It doesn't matter who he is. I'm not here to take over and become her mum. I'm just here because when the time comes, she'll need everyone there for her. Harry too. There is still a target on your back. And Lily."

James nodded. He knew Ellie was right. He looked to her and smiled. "You've been missed Ellie."

****

Lily walked into the kitchen. Getting an absolute shock when she saw Ellie Potter in front of her. "Ellie."

"Hi Lily."

Lily looked to her. She sighed. "I gather you came back for Skylar?" She asked.

Ellie shook her head. "No. As far as I'm concerned, she will never need to know. You're her mum and dad. Not me. I'm her auntie. And that's what we're going to stick with," she said.

Ellie knew how it was breaking her heart that she wasn't able to be a mum to her daughter. But she didn't want to disrupt her life. She just wanted to be there and look out for her.

James saw the look of relief on Lily's face. He knew it would be hard for her to just hand over Skylar as though she hadn't been her mum for the last fourteen years.

Ellie smiled. "I don't want to take her off you. You're her mum and dad. I just... I want to be in her life."

James nodded. He knew how he wouldn't be able to just let Ellie take over with being Skylar's parent. Knowing he was the one who had raised her.

Ellie looked to them and smiled. "I got a job. At Hogwarts. Potions for the first to third years. Albus seems to think Snape doesn't listen to them properly so he wants a kind soul," she told them.

****

James looked to Lily and sighed. He smiled. "Say it. Go on," he said.

"Do you really think she's going to happily sit by and allow us to go on being Skylar's parents? James, I've raised that girl as though I gave birth to her. And now she's back," Lily said.

James knew Lily was worried about Ellie being back. But he knew Ellie. And he knew she wouldn't disrupt Skylar.

He took Lily's hand and smiled. "I know Ellie. And she won't do anything we don't like. We're Skylar's parents. And that's not going to change because Ellie is back."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise you. Skylar is ours."

****

Ellie looked up as Severus walked into the potions classroom. He scoffed. "I heard you were here. Decided to quit your game of hide and seek?" He asked.

Ellie turned to him. She rolled her eyes. "You don't intimidate me. You know? You had sex with me once. Didn't mean anything. Won't mean anything. You were there. I was horny. One night hasn't changed anything," she said.

Knowing in fact it had changed everything. Their one night together had given them a daughter. A daughter he had no idea existed. And Ellie was going to keep it that way.

Severus didn't need to know that the girl who everyone assumed was Harry Potter's twin was actually his daughter. Ellie knew how it would change everything if he had found out.

Severus looked to her. It was as though he was trying to read her mind. "Right you are. You are just as meaningless now as you were back then," he said as he turned and walked out.

Ellie had no idea how it was all about to change. Especially when a threat was made against her daughter.