Unaware that the prophecy had already been revealed, Severus returned the following night to the Hog's Head. This time, he stayed the whole night, having told Lily what he planned on doing. He was extremely disappointed when dawn came and nothing had transpired.

He went into work groggy and short-tempered that day. By nightfall, he was considering whether or not to return to the inn for a third time.

"But, Sev," Lily gently argued, "you're a mess already. Why do you have to take it upon yourself? Don't you think if it pertained to us that Dumbledore would let us know?"

"Indeed, he would let us know when he felt the time was right and convenient for him," Severus sneered, glaring into the flames in the fireplace.

"And do you honestly think it's a real possibility that the prophecy would refer to us? We don't have a child, and even though last time it was about a baby yet to be born, we aren't planning on having children anytime soon."

"It might not be about a baby at all for all we know, Lily," Severus murmured, running his hand over his tired face. "Maybe there is to be no prophecy at all this time."

"Maybe," Lily said hopefully. "Wouldn't that mean anyone could defeat him, then?"

"Or possibly that no one would be able to defeat him," Severus pointed out. "Although, the important thing to remember is this: The prophecy was self-fulfilling last time. Voldemort chose to let it mean something, and if there is indeed a prophecy and he gets wind of it, he won't hesitate to put it into action. He is extremely paranoid and would want to end the life of whomever might destroy him."

"I don't like this whole prophecy thing," Lily remarked. "It's dodgy at best."

"It is what Voldemort wishes it to be, for surely he will act. That is what matters," Severus said witheringly.

Lily sighed. "I just... I wish he had never been born."

Half-surprised his normally compassionate and understanding wife would dare utter such a bold statement, even if it was about the Dark Lord, Severus nodded. "You're not the only one."

x x x x x

A week later, while he was staring moodily into the flames of the fireplace again, swirling a glass of bourbon, Severus nearly dropped his drink when Dumbledore's head suddenly appeared in the fire.

"Dumbledore!" Severus exclaimed, alarmed, angry, and annoyed. Recovering himself, he inquired, "What is the meaning of this intrusion?"

"My apologies for calling so late, Severus," Dumbledore replied, nonplussed. His eyes settled on Severus's glass of alcohol. "Taken to your Muggle father's old habits, have you?"

Severus glowered at the infernal man. "No," he said curtly. "I was simply having a single drink. What consequence are my father's past actions to you, anyway, Dumbledore?"

"A mere observation, that is all," Dumbledore said mildly, fueling Severus's ire.

Placing the glass on the nearby table, Severus implored, "What do you want? Surely you haven't called at this absurdly late hour to merely chat about my father's alcoholism."

"Is Lily about?" Dumbledore asked.

"She's in bed," Severus replied, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "Why? Won't you just get to the point already?"

"Severus, I realize I have not been welcome in your house in the past, but it might be best if I stepped through to discuss this with you... unless you wish to step through into my office."

"I can come to your side. I don't want to disturb Lily. Let me leave her a note just in case she awakens and finds me mysteriously missing."

Severus Summoned a pen and a small piece of paper and jotted a quick note to Lily, leaving it on the table. Giving Dumbledore a nod, Severus watched as the old man withdrew his head, leaving the flames to return to normal again. For a second, Severus considered not going to the man. Holding a handful of Floo Powder, he hesitated.

What does he want? If conversing with him about Order business and Horcruxes weren't so important, I'd have closed off the Floo connection months ago.

Sighing, Severus tossed the powder into the grate, announcing his destination, and stepped through to Dumbledore's office a moment later, brushing soot off his robes. He didn't take the proffered seat. Instead, Severus stood leaning against the mantle, his arms crossed impatiently over his chest.

"Well, Dumbledore? This had better be good."

"Severus, really... Must you always be so difficult? This bit of news is worth sitting down for, I assure you, my boy," Dumbledore said gravely.

"Let's get a few things straight, sir. I'm not 'your boy.' And if I wish to stand, I shall."

A sinking feeling filling him, Severus kept his face nonetheless impassive. He already had a good idea why Dumbledore had summoned him.

"Severus, there is a prophecy." His arm waved over the Pensieve on the desk, and Trelawney's wavering form ascended from the murky depths and uttered the words Dumbledore had heard more than a week ago. After her form was finished, she sank back into the Pensieve, and the contents went still.

"And?" Severus questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You heard what she said. The 'reborn' part must be referring to you. It would seem you are destined to defeat Voldemort."

Severus gave a snort, despite the gravity of the situation. "Me?" he asked, feigning disbelief. "And what about this rubbish about there being two, not just one who can defeat him? Two of the same name? That would have to mean my child, but as you can plainly see, Dumbledore, Lily and I have no child. We aren't planning on having one anytime soon, either... not until this war is over."

"Are you sure Lily is not pregnant?" Dumbledore asked.

"Quite sure!" Severus exclaimed, outraged. "I will not stand here and discuss my private affairs with you!"

"Severus, calm down. Tell me... Was there a prophecy the first time?" Dumbledore now raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

Severus avoided Dumbledore's gaze. Shifting uncomfortably, he stated stiffly, "And what if there was?"

"Then I should hope you would have told me."

"Yes," Severus said softly. "There was a prophecy."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "You should also be informed that one Regulus Black overheard this prophecy and has no doubt relayed it to his master by now."

"What?!" Severus yelled, removing himself from his position near the fireplace. "You didn't think to tell me this sooner? You already waited a week to tell me there even was a prophecy, one that you think may be targeting me and/or my unborn child, and now you're telling me that the Dark Lord knows it, too! Of course, I shouldn't be surprised..."

"Why is that, Severus? Why aren't you surprised?" Dumbledore inquired curiously.

"Damn it," Severus muttered, upset with himself. "What night did you hear this prophecy?"

"It would have been very early on the second of July, although for all intents and purposes, we may say July the first."

Damn it.

Clenching his teeth and balling his fists, Severus now knew if he had only waited longer, he could have stopped Regulus.

"You still haven't answered my question, Severus. You obviously knew about the prophecy in your first life. How did this come to be? Did it involve you then as well?"

"I wasn't the one the prophecy was about, if that's what you mean," Severus muttered, now realizing he needed to tell the truth. Since his failure to stop Regulus, Severus now had lost control over the prophecy situation.

Taking a deep breath, he resumed, "The prophecy was about a boy named Harry Potter. James Potter married Lily, and they had a son. I... I was the one who overheard it. I didn't hear the entire thing, but I told the Dark Lord what I knew. He later figured out who it meant. When I realized Lily's life was in danger, I came to you. That's when I started spying for you. Are you happy now, Dumbledore? Are you pleased to know that no matter what I do, you always seem to come out on top, always the one in control, with me at your mercy? Do you have any idea how much I hate that?" He spat the last words harshly, feeling a sour taste in his mouth.

The words seemed to have been wrenched from him. Something Severus wished to have kept a secret from the old man had now been revealed. In his bitter failure, Severus sighed and dropped into a chair.

Dumbledore remained silent.

"I don't know... if I can keep doing this," Severus whispered, staring at the floor. For once, he was defeated and undone, and it made him resent the old man in front of him all the more.

Suddenly, Severus felt a hand on his shoulder. He cringed, but did not shake it off.

"Oh, Severus," Dumbledore said sadly. "You have little reason to believe me, but I am terribly sorry. This is not something you should have had to have placed upon you, not after everything you've already endured."

"Who's to say anything about anything?" Severus asked the room at large, his tone weary and ragged.

This is the irony of getting another chance. Maybe nothing I've done so far is enough to right my wrongs.

To be stuffed into Harry Potter's place, the very boy whom Severus had taken a certain joy in tormenting with his unfair treatment but protected nonetheless, was a cosmic joke, to be sure. Fate was having sweet revenge now.

Dumbledore shook his head. "There is little rhyme or reason to anything in how this crazy world operates most of the time, Severus, but..." Sitting across from the young wizard, Dumbledore spoke sincerely, "...but I believe in you. No lies, no deceit, no manipulations... just good, plain truth. I think the hardest lesson you've struggled with has been forgiving yourself all these years."

"You will help?" Severus asked in almost a whisper, choosing not to respond to Dumbledore's words.

"I will do all I can," Dumbledore reassured him.

x x x x x

Severus returned home that night feeling numb and drained. It was true enough that he had hoped to play an instrumental role in bringing Voldemort down or perhaps even be the one to personally defeat him, but those had been thoughts, ideas, ambitions... not born reality. If Voldemort interpreted the prophecy to mean Severus or his offspring, then Severus realized his predicament was just like Harry's.

He didn't want to be "The Chosen One." If his son or daughter had to finish off Voldemort instead, that was a horrible nightmare and all the worse. The very idea of his own child having to undertake a task that enormous pulled Severus into a pit of despair. If Lily and he died trying to protect the child... just like Lily and James...

Severus groaned, tugging at his hair. How could he have been so cruel to Harry before? How could he have taunted the boy, thinking he enjoyed his fame? How could he have used the memory of his father against him and been so petty? How could he have never once, until his death, revealed the truth about his love for the boy's mother?

Severus glared at the half-empty glass of bourbon sitting on the table and went for it. He downed the rest of the contents and filled it once more. Swirling the liquid around, he held it up and stared at the fire through it. He drank again.

He found he could sympathize with Tobias's bad habit and considered making a late visit to his father's flat and asking the man if he wanted to go out for a drink. Reckless and foolish though his behavior was, all rationality seemed to have left Severus that night. He saw the note he had left to Lily and decided if she woke, she could assume he was still with Dumbledore. The old man did have a tendency of keeping him for several hours at a time.

Stepping out into the mild July night, Severus walked to the park where he had often played with Lily as a child. He withdrew into the copse of trees where they had hidden: "their spot." Sighing, he Disapparated, appearing right in the sitting room of Tobias's flat.

Hearing the loud cracking noise, Tobias bolted out of his bedroom, a gun in one hand.

"Bloody hell, Severus!" Tobias exclaimed. "You scared the shit outta me! What are you doing?"

"You're not supposed to have a gun, Father. Isn't that illegal?"

"Well... y-yes," Tobias stuttered, "but you remember what I told Lily's dad the day of your wedding? I don't much care if it's legal or not. With those Death Eaters, or whatever they're called, running amuck, I'm not leaving my safety unchecked."

Severus frowned. "Well, put it away. It's not that late yet, anyway. The pubs are still open."

Staring at his son and frowning, Tobias placed the gun down slowly, disbelieving what his son was suggesting. "Severus, are you quite all right?"

"Just wonderful," Severus stated sarcastically. "Come on, Father. What do you say? There's nothing like reliving old times, is there?" he sneered, thinking much more about his own past than Tobias's.

Coming toward Severus, Tobias hissed, "What's got into you? You never go out drinking in the middle of the night, Severus. I can smell the alcohol on your breath already. It's already past midnight, and no, I won't go out drinking with you."

"A good drink and getting pissed would do wonders for me right now, Father."

Grabbing hold of Severus's shoulders, Tobias shook him firmly. "And what about Lily, your wife? I suppose you've just left her at home, unaware of what you're about to do?" Pausing, Tobias said morosely, "You don't want to do this, Severus. Whatever it is, there are other ways. When morning comes, you'll still have to face whatever it is that's bothering you. Don't... don't make my mistakes. You taught me the right way, Severus. Take your own advice and be the better man that I know you already are."

Something in his father's words struck Severus, and he backed away, sinking into the sofa.

"I'm sorry," he said hollowly, staring at the floor. "I... I don't know what got into me."

Taking a seat next to him, Tobias implored, "Do you want to talk about it? Is it... this war?"

"Yes, it's about the war. Everything is about this bloody war," Severus spat bitterly. "But no, I don't wish to discuss it further. It won't do any good, and there's nothing you can do to help, Father."

"Did I at least keep you from drinking?" Tobias asked sardonically.

Severus forced a wan smile. "Yes, Father. Thank you."

"Good. Then go home to your wife, Severus. It's late."

Severus stood and nodded, returning home.

When Severus opened the front door, he was shocked to find Lily sitting downstairs at the kitchen table, holding a cup of tea in her hands and staring off into the distance, her eyes red-rimmed. When he entered, her gaze turned toward him, and in one swift motion, she rushed to him and threw her arms around him.

"Where were you, Severus?" she demanded, a sob escaping.

Bringing his arms gently around his wife, Severus smoothed her hair down. "Dumbledore called me."

"Then why were you outside? You would have come through the Floo otherwise."

"Didn't you see my note?"

"I did, but... do you have any idea what time it is?"

Severus watched guiltily as Lily's eyes drifted to the open bottle of bourbon and the glass next to it, telling signs of his earlier behavior.

"Were you out drinking?" she asked. "Your breath-"

"No," Severus cut her off firmly, "but I almost... Oh, Lily..." He hugged her tighter, afraid of losing her.

"Sev, you're trembling. What's the matter? What did Dumbledore say to you?"

"There was a prophecy. He thinks it means me or our child or both of us. The Dark Lord has now heard it, too." Severus was surprised how easily the words came from his mouth.

Lily gasped. "No, that can't be, but You-Know-Who, how would he know who it means?"

"He will find a way to figure it out."

"But we have no child, Sev."

"I told Dumbledore as much, but it could refer to a child yet to be born."

"I'm not pregnant."

"Do you know that for sure?" he asked warily.

x x x x x

Two weeks later, Severus paced nervously in the basement, where a small lab of his own had been set up. Lily was at the table, holding a sample of her blood, her hand shaking.

"Should I add it now?" she asked.

"You... you might as well," Severus replied tremulously. He stopped in his pacing to watch Lily.

With a dropper, she added a small amount of clear potion to the vial of blood.

"If it's positive, it will turn green," Severus said. "Negative, yellow."

Lily nodded, swallowing. Severus came to stand next to her. Both of them kept their eyes fixed to the vial of blood. The red started to change color, going brown and then turning...

"Green," Lily breathed.

"That's it, then. You're pregnant," Severus murmured, his fears confirmed.

What should have been a happy occasion was riddled with concern.