the_debt_of_time

"We believe it would be safest for the children to be born either here at Potter
Manor or Longbottom Keep," Dumbledore told Alice. "Both have wards that will keep
you protected until it's time to move both of your families to a permanent safe house."
After the meeting ended, Snape slowly drifted across the room, approaching the
Marauders and Lily with caution.
Sirius gave him credit that he never willingly turned his back on any of them. One
wrong look in Lily's direction, and Sirius thought he would be willing to kill a friend, never
mind a foe.
Snape cleared his throat. "Lil—er... Mrs... Potter. Might I have a word?"
Sirius stepped forward and growled ferally. "Over my dead body."
Snape slowly raised a questioning brow. "If you like."
Before Sirius could strike, James placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ease up, Pads.
What do you want, Snape?"
"To speak to your wife."
"That's not going to happen," Sirius said with another growl.
Lily sighed in frustration, one hand resting on her large stomach, the other on her
back. "James, Sirius... please."
James hesitated for a long moment, but then nodded and leant forward to kiss his
wife as though marking her. Snape rolled his eyes at the display.
"I'll be right over there," James insisted, gesturing to where Moody and Dumbledore
were speaking with Alice and Frank. He turned on his heel and left, dragging Remus and
Peter with him.
Sirius lingered.
Lily smiled softly at him and touched his face affectionately as if to draw his
attention away from Snape and back to her. "Sirius, go. I'm fine."
Though he hesitated just as long as James did, Sirius eventually conceded and made
his way over to the other Marauders, leaving Snape and Lily alone to speak. He did,
however, keep close enough to eavesdrop on every single word.
"Is Black aware that a marriage includes two, not three people?"
"What do you want, Mr Snape?" Lily snapped.
"Mister Snape? How formal," he drawled. "I don't exactly appreciate the moniker.
You knew my father."