Disclaimer: Don't own it.

A/N: This is not one of my usual stories. It is dark and disturbing and deals with content that is incredibly unpleasant. Of all my stories, this one truly deserves an M rating.

Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts, stalked into the Room of Requirements filled with self-loathing. "Room of Requirements, huh? So you can give me whatever I need? Fine. Find some way to make this tragedy called my life right itself. Find some way to make the past go away, make Lily love me like I always wanted her too."

Snape froze as he heard an ethereal voice say "granted."

…

Snape woke into a feverish haze. He could vaguely tell that he was in a hospital bed, but his mind was fuzzy and time passed in a blur. Slowly, he regained some sense of self. To his shock and disgust, he found himself in the body of a young girl with Slavic features and long black hair. Over the next few weeks, healers came and went, poking and prodding. Snape learned his/her name was Severina Snape, and that s/he'd somehow regained consciousness after suffering the Demetor's Kiss. Slowly, the harsh reality of her newfound femininity settled, and she learned of the world around her. Apparently, Harry Potter was still the boy-who-lived, except they called him 'the-boy-who-transfigured.' Since she'd never been born, Voldemort never learned of the prophecy, never recruited Pettigrew, never killed the Potters. Voldemort did, however, learn of the 'power he knows not' during an attack on Hogsmeade. In a fit of accidental magic, Harry Potter transformed the dumbfounded psychopath into a bronze statue. They say the look of dumb surprise on Riddle's face was permanently cast in metal, and the statue graces the entryway to Azkaban.

Finally, the healers determined that they could glean no more information about Severina's miraculous recovery, and the Ministry stepped in to find her a new home. Snape nearly fainted when Lily Potter entered her room and knelt before her, introducing herself as Severina's new foster mother.

'Oh ha ha,' Snape thought, 'how terribly ironic.'

…

The next few weeks passed quickly, with Severina becoming accustomed to her new home. Harry Potter wasn't the horrible hellion she expected from a boy raised by James Potter; rather he was a sensitive, soft-spoken and inquisitive lad hurt deeply by the instinctive fear that other witches and wizards held him in. Evidently the mindless masses, although thankful that Voldemort's reign of terror had ended, were utterly terrified that Harry's accidental magic might repeat itself. So, the boy was shunned, and grew up almost as isolated from the wizarding world this time around as he had the last.

…

Severina couldn't bring herself to let go of her hatred for James, and he noticed. Still, that didn't keep him from trying to be a good foster father. Severina overheard a conversation between James and Albus one night, early into her fosterage.

"It's hard, Albus," James said quietly, sipping his brandy. "She hates me. I can feel it."

Albus just shook his wizened head. "I can't say I'm surprised. Mr. Snape was a foul man, and your foster daughter's occlumency skills worry me far more than you could ever imagine. I wouldn't be surprised to find out she knows far more than we'd ever expect, and I shudder at the cost to the poor girl."

Severina froze. She'd never considered just how horrible her father would have treated a girl, considering how he 'loved' his only son.

"What can I do?" James asked desperately.

Albus sighed. "Not much more than you already are, I'm afraid. Treat her well, and encourage her education. I'm sure, over time, she'll return your affections in kind."

Snape snorted internally. 'Not bloody likely,' she thought spitefully. She snuck back to her room, and crawled into her comfortable bed.

…

The next night, James had to stay at the Ministry overnight due to his heavy workload. As Severina prepared her bath, she stiffened as she heard the door open. Turning, she saw Lily enter, clothed only in a thin robe. Severina blinked, for she was quite nude.

Lily simply smiled, and walked over to the bath. She delicately dipped her hand into the water.

"Mmm… perfect," she said quietly. "Would you mind company?"

Severina stared dumbfounded. Was this some muggle thing she'd never heard of? Without waiting for Severina's reply, Lily slipped out of her robe. Severina gasped in awe. Before her was the sight she'd longed to see for decades, a thought that haunted her dreams and nightmares.

Lily smiled, giving her foster daughter a heavy-lidded glance as she slipped into the waters. "Come on, dear, it's perfect."

Stunned, Snape slipped gently into the tub next to her. Lily began lathering and washing herself. Severina tried not to stare, but found herself entranced by the soft curves and dripping water.

"Come over here," Lily said gently. "Let me wash your back." Severina sloshed her way towards Lily. She inhaled as Lily's soft hands gently washed her back before dancing about to clean her chest, then legs, then…

Severina inhaled sharply. "Sssh," Lily whispered. "It will be our secret, just you and me, between girls." Lily hugged her tight with one arm, the other gently kneading, pressing, circling. Severina knew that this was wrong, that if she were truly girl of eight years that Lily's actions were unforgivable, but she cried out from the release of two decades' yearning and wept into Lily's soft breasts.

…

Harry Potter followed Severina around everywhere, in the manner of younger brothers everywhere. Finally, after Harry stood shuffling his feet for an hour while Severina explored and exploited the Potter family potion lab, her temper frayed. "If you must follow me, then make your time useful!" Harry stared at his foster sister with wide eyes, amazed that somebody actually snapped at him. "Listen carefully, I will not repeat myself. This is ashwood, and its properties are…" Snape lectured Harry for hours on the different properties of each ingredient, and the young boy drank deeply of her mastery.

It didn't take long for James to discover their daily sessions in the laboratory, but he never said a word. 'If I ever meet the man who called himself her father,' James vowed, 'I will do things that would make Bellatrix vomit.'

…

The years passed by. Severina found herself growing fonder of Harry by the day, regarding the child as a sibling, and a particularily gifted one at that. With every passing lesson, she saw more of Lily in the child than she saw James, and even managed to forgive Harry for wearing his face. She never warmed to James. Sometimes hatred ran too deep.

Lily… Severina danced on the razor's edge of delirium. As the weeks turned to months, her visits and shared baths grew more frequent. Some nights, Lily would creep into Severina's room, and they would share a bed and each other. "I love you," Severina whispered one night after Lily had taken her pleasure. Lily gently kissed Severina's cheek. "I know," she whispered, and kissed away Snape's tears.

…

Finally, the time came for Severina to reclaim her wand. The entire Potter family took the occasion to visit Diagon Alley. Snape smirked in amusement when Harry found himself accosted, then enthralled, by a bushy haired young girl. 'Some things never change,' she thought ruefully to herself. An instant friendship formed, as this Harry was studious and bright, and easily softened Hermione's rough edges.

Still, Severina couldn't help but feel a sharp pang of jealousy over Lily's bright tones as she discussed a tutoring and play schedule with the Grangers.

Severina shook off her melancholy. 'Lily loves me,' she thought, 'more than James. She's a wonderful person.'

…

Snape left her foster family behind to attend Hogwarts. She smiled at the present James gave her and Harry: A set of two-way mirrors charmed to let them talk to each other even though they were separated. To her disgust, the Sorting Hat ignored her desire for Slytherin, or at least Ravenclaw.

"Oh no," that hat said smugly into her mind. "I'm the expert here, and while you are ambitious and clever in spades, your bravery is second-to-none! Best be GRYFFINDOR!"

Severina could feel the Fates laughing at her dismay.

…

And so her second first year passed in pleasant normality. Snape reveled in the attention and praise she gathered from the professors, especially Slughorn, for her brilliance in the classroom. She reveled more in the terror she wrought amongst her former House. The Slytherin students learned quite rapidly that the pale young girl knew more painful hexes and nasty curses than their most enterprising seventh years, and that she was brave enough to use them. For the first time in a decade, the Slytherin/Gryffindor rivalry cooled. Minerva controlled her Lions, and Snape kept the Slytherins cowering in fear.

…

Finally, the year drew to a close. Late one night, the day after exams ended, Severina received a frantic call from Harry.

"Severina!" Harry said, pale and trembling, "You have to help me!"

"Calm down!" Snape commanded. "Why can't Lily help?" She heard a girl's sob in the background.

"That's just it," Harry said frantically, "Hermione was over to spend the night and she went to take a bath and then a few minutes later she ran out wet and screaming and naked and she won't let go of me and she won't stop crying…"

Severina's blood turned to ice. "Harry," she said softly, "lock the door and don't let Lily in for anything." She ran out of her dormitory, not bothering to dress. She ran out the door, past the sputtering form of Filch, until she reached the gargoyle protecting the Headmasters office. "Move!" She hissed. The gargoyle leapt out of her way. She scrambled up the stairs and, without pausing to knock, threw open the door and headed directly for the fireplace.

Dumbledore stopped pacing and stared in shock as the slender slip of a first year student brushed past him without pause. His jaw fell open as she, without hesitation, grabbed a handful of floo powder, cried out "Potter's Cottage" and vanished into the green flames.

Terrified that something was wrong, Dumbledore attempted to follow after, but the wards blocked his entry. Frantically, he called James at Auror headquarters.

…

Severina flew out of the fireplace and without bothering to dust of the ashes scrambled up the stairs towards her brother's room, wand ready. She froze as she saw Lily's naked, wet and flushed form banging on the door, pleading with her son to just open it and let her talk. Snape could smell the cloying scent of Lily's need. Rage warred with disgust, battled with self-loathing.

"Stupify," Severina whispered. Lily collapsed in a heap. She bit back bile, nauseated and aroused.

"Harry," she said softly at the door, "it's Severina. Lily won't hurt you now, let me in." Harry cracked the door open. Severina tried to smile comfortingly at the pale boy, to keep him from seeing the shame sprawled out behind her. Harry let her in and then quickly slammed the door shut again. Severina saw Hermione, naked and shivering, clinging to her brother's back, her face pressed between his shoulder blades. Her stomach lurched again, assaulted by the sudden overwhelming feelings of pity, guilt and jealousy that the sight of Hermione, still trembling from Lily's touch, elicited.

Not ten seconds later, James Potter burst into the room. He stared at Severina, Harry and Hermione, the missing pieces and long-suppressed suspicions clicking together to paint a tragic tapestry. He took in Harry's fear filled eyes, Hermione's shuddering unclothed body and, most distressingly, Severina's blank occluded stare. Falling to his knees, he let the pain and horror show through his eyes.

"Severina," he asked, his voice the barest whisper, "did Lily… touch you."

Severina nodded, ashamed that she'd let Lily go so far, that in her selfishness and petty need she'd ignored the monstrosity of her lover's actions.

The soft keening wail of pain that escaped James' lips brought Snape out of her self-loathing. In the darkest corner of her mind, she reveled at the sight of James heart-broken tears as he begged her forgiveness for his weakness, blindness, and stupidity. Severina's vision blurred, as she was given the only thing she'd ever wanted more than Lily.