Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, J.K. rowling does.
My seventh and final year at Hogwarts is finally here at last; it seemed so unbelievable to me. It was only seven years ago that I got the letter explaining that I was to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, telling me that I was meant for something more than the average muggle lifestyle that my sister and parents lead. I knew that the letter was coming, but nonetheless I was still thrilled at the single thought and knowing of that I was different.
Severus was with me the whole way through school, summer, and holiday helping me with some things that I still didn't understand and he did. He was my best friend until two years ago.
I walked out from the entrance hall and down the worn away path that I took to sit by the lake, my book bag in one hand and my Sherlock Homes novel in the other. I loved the muggle story of the man that was meant for greater things than the muggle life, and how he seemed nearly wizard like, yet still being the muggle he was.
I sat on the edge of the Black Lake, leaning against a tree as I opened the book to the page I left the book mark in. I got ever so wrapped in the cold confines of catacombs when I heard loud and obnoxious voices coming from behind me. I turned my head to see James Potter sitting against his favorite tree with his three friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. Remus was wrapped in a book of his own, you could hardly even see the bridge of his nose it was buried so deep in the pages. Sirius was speaking to James, as to be expected. Peter looked positively exited, like he was going to wet his pants shall someone say the wrong thing.
James was throwing his nicked Golden Snitch in the air and catching it right before it flew away from his grasp. His tousled black hair seemed even messier than it usually did when he was done taking a test. His round glasses sliding down his straight, angular nose slowly showing his round bright blue eyes. He was only quick enough to catch the snitch because he was our house's seeker at Quidditch games, and we normally won by a landslide because of him.
Sirius seemed to be down, and I turned my attention right back to my book wanting to know if Mr. Homes would catch the thief in the end even if I already knew he would.
Then I heard three words that immediately caught every ounce of attention that my teenage body held.
"All right, Snivellus?" The all-too familiar voice of Sirius rang out from behind me. I quickly placed my bookmark in the crease between the pages and closed the book looking behind me at the scene playing out just like normal.
James and Sirius were stalking their way towards Sev in a lion like manor, causing several peers to pause and look as well. Severus acted immediately as well, knowing what was about to happen. He jumped and dropped the papers he held in his hands and reached into his robes for the wand that rested with him always. He pulled it out and raised it halfway as quick as his arm would allow, but it wasn't quick enough for the mind of James.
"Expelliarmus!" James yelled, pointing the tip of his dark wood want at Severus's own wand. The wood went flying from his hand and into the air, landing on the grass five feet away from him.
Sev dived for his only defense against the duo but Sirius was too quick thinking for him and beat him to getting the wand.
"Impendimenta!" Sirius shouted, pointing his wand at Severus. Sev was knocked to his feet and he seemed to have all the air rushed right out from his body.
Several students had gathered around to watch the fight that they knew was going to happen, or to see yet another student get picked and teased by James Potter and his friends.
Sev was panting in the grass, giving the plant more air to clean. James and Sirius were edging closer to the Sev's body, wands raised ready for Sev to jump up at a moments notice and hex them. James stole a glance over his shoulder to the edge of the lake, looking to see if I was watching the fight. I averted my eyes away from the fight and down to the closed book in my lap, not wanting James to know that I was watching the entire thing and give him an idea that I wanted to go out with him. I waited a few minutes, biting my lip, and then I turned around once again.
Peter was up from his spot now and was scrutinizing the fight and edging around Remus to get a better view. Remus didn't look up from the text book he had lying in his lap, not caring what was going on — he lived in this from day to day.
"How's the exam go, Snivelly?" James asked, raising his voice to try and grab my attention.
"I was watching him," Sirius said smugly, "his nose was touching the parchment." He continued viciously. "There'll be grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word." He insulted. I hated it when they did that. It wasn't Severus's fault that his hair seemed to retain the oil that I produced, he tried everything but he couldn't change anything. He was an intelligent boy and he would no doubt get a O on the exam and all the others from his brain.
The on watchers laughed at the comment, knowing the meaning that it held behind the words. Sev tried to rise to his feet, but the hex was still on him and he was beginning to struggle harder and harder.
"You wait," He panted loudly. He glared at James that showed how much he loathed Potter and his mates, his eyes screaming with hatred. "You — wait…" He continued to repeat the unfinished threat.
"Wait for what?" Sirius questioned. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?" He joked once again.
Sev opened his mouth and a throng of swear words and hexes came from his mouth, but his wand was at least ten feet away from his possession and him just shouting the hexes wasn't going to do anything.
"Wash out your mouth." James sneered coldly. "Scougify!" He yelled, flicking his wand hardly, and suddenly soap bubbles and suds erupted from Sev's mouth. The pink suds filled his mouth and throat and over flowed and ran down his pale jaw and chin. I stood up, dropping my book on the grass, trying to see what was going on. Sev was having the hardest time breathing, the suds and bubbles blocked his wind pipe chocking him. He was going to die if someone didn't do something quickly, and no one makde a move to help. I'm going to have to do something before he dies.
"Leave him ALONE!" I shouted, making my way from the edge of the lake and towards the fight.
James and Sirius looked around to see where my order had come from, James's free hand automatically jumping to his hair to mess it up because he knew that it was a girl who yelled.
I pushed my way through the students, facing James and Sirius and looking them in the eyes.
"All right, Evens?" James asked, using my last name instead of my first. He tried to make his voice and tone more deeper and pleasant trying to make him appear more mature than I knew.
"Leave him alone." I repeated, glaring at him with the most hate that I held. "What's he done to you?" I asked, knowing that there wasn't any real reason for him to be hexing anyone.
"Well," James contemplated, "it's more of the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" He trailed off, trying to make a point. All I saw was red right then.
Most of the surrounding people laughed at James then, Sirius and Peter included. Remus looked up from his book but didn't find the comment amusing in the slightest, and neither did I.
"You think you're so funny," I sneered at James. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone." I ordered again, hoping that it would be the last time.
"I will," James agreed, and I felt relief for Sev that James was going to stop, but if I knew Potter he was going to have a condition for me to follow. "if you go out with me, Evans." He added quickly. "Go on… Go out with, and I'll never lay and wand on old Sivelly again." He prompted.
I could see that the Impediment Jinx had worn off on Sev and he was inching towards his fallen wand, desperate for his defense. He was spitting out the soap suds as he crawled slowly. I needed to keep James distracted while Sev tried to get his wand.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," I spat.
'bad luck, Prongs." Sirius sympathized his best friend, then his attention turned to Sev behind James. "OY!" He yelled, effectively gaining James's attention as well.
Severus had directed his wand right at James; a flash of light come from the tip and the next thing that happened was James had a deep gash on the side of his face. The blood trickled down his skin and splattered onto his school robes, the crimson liquid staining his shirt and tie. A second flash of light came and Sev was hanging upside down by his legs in midair and his robes were falling over his head, his skinny, pale legs showing a pair of grey underpants.
The crowd gathered cheered loudly, while James, Sirius, and Peter roared with the laughter doubling over and clutching their stomachs. I felt that this was pretty funny indeed, but Sev was my friend and I was standing up for him. I fought the smile that was pulling hard a my lips, but I pressed them into a hard line.
"Let him down!" I screamed.
"Certainly." James agreed, and flicked his wand up and Sev fell in a crumpled heap against the green grass. He pushed his tangled robes out of the way and stood with his wand raised once again.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Sirius shouted, and Sev froze in place, unable to move from the hex.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I reached down and pulled out my own wand and pointed it at James and Sirius, having no problem with hexing them and making sure that they won't so much as jinx again. I knew the spells and I could counter them quickly and say a handful in my mind so that they didn't know what to expect. James and Sirius eyed my wand warily, knowing that I knew the spells they did.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you." James begged. I fought the smile, he was scared to fight and girl.
"Take the curse off him then!"
James sighed and muttered the counter curse, giving his wand and half hearted waved and Sev was unfrozen. "There you go." He spoke to Severus. "You're luck Evans was here Snivellus—"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Sev shot back at James, clearly making the point that I wasn't welcome to help him as my friend, and I was no longer worthy of being is friend.
I felt my heart squeeze and all the juices fall out and stain the grass bellow my feet. My stomach lurched, he hated me. I knew that he wasn't acting, he meant what he said. I blinked once. I pulled on my mask, "Fine." I snapped back coolly. "I won't bother in the future." I stated, meaning every word that I said. "And I'd wash your pant if I were you, Snivellus." I used the nick name that James and his lot had given to him to show my new found loathing and to him showing that I wasn't even going to bother being his friend in the future either.
"Apologize to Evans!" James ordered, coming close to Snape's face.
I rolled my eyes at James, and rounded on him. "I don't want you to make him apologize. You're just as bad as he is…" I spoke the words that ran through my mind all the time ever since I knew Snape was using dark magic.
"What?" James demanded, his face twisted in shock at my comment. "I'd NEVER call you a —" He didn't want to say to word Mudblood, "you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think that it looks cool like you've just gotten off your broomstick, showing off with the stupid snitch, walking down the corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can — I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it." I listed and insulted. "You make me SICK." I spat.
I turned on my heel and strode away with what little dignity Severus and James had left me. I knew that I would once again be in the spotlight of gossip around the school for weeks. I wanted to go into Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom and cry from the pain churning in my stomach.
"Evans!" James called after me. "Hey, EVANS!" He called again, no doubt trying to get me to go out with him or trying to say that he was different from Severus Snape. I turned the first corner and flushed my back against the stone wall. The tears flew down my cheeks and sobs wracked through my chest, I could still hear James and his friends.
"What's with her?" James asked.
"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate." Sirius answered, hitting right on the target.
"Right," James seemed to have taken on quite the temper now, on what I'm not sure, "right." He repeated and I knew that the fight had taken off again, but I didn't go back to help. I wasn't Snivellus's friend any longer, all I was to him was the Mudblood that tried to stick up for him but got thrown away like yesterday's Daily Prophet and never looked at twice.
I ran into Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, locked a stall fell to the ground and cried.
That Summer Severus sent me several owls, explaining that he was sorry and that he just let the single word slip out from his mouth. I didn't talk to him all Summer nor did I carry a conversation with him last year, and I didn't intend to this year either.
I pulled my cat out from her cage and set her in my lap, my left hand instinctively going to stroke her jet black fur. I pulled my novel out from my saddle bag and opened the thrilling tale to page that left off at, immediately leaving the train and the all the students and going deep into the scene playing in my mind from the novel. The door to the compartment was open and I tuned out anyone that walked by and just lost myself in the confines of the wondrous pages of the book.
I don't know how much time passed, all I knew was that the train was off and I was still reading my books, but someone else was in the compartment with me. I didn't look up from the book, knowing that if it was Mary or Annie they would say something to get my attention, but the person sitting across from me didn't say a word. I sighed and placed my novel in my lap, placing the bookmark where it belonged and looking up to see that last person that I would want to see after my Summer holiday.
"What are you doing in the empty compartment that a Mudblood is sitting in, Snivellus?" I asked, the loathing I felt towards him leaking through the cracks in my voice. I saw the greasy haired boy flinch at the harsh name, but he didn't get up from the seat. I quirked and eyebrow, waiting for the reply or I was getting up and sitting with someone that was kinder to me.
Severus let out the breath he as holding and looked at me, his nearly black eyes frozen and cold. "I came in here to say that we are no longer friends, and that you're nothing more than some filthy, dirty, ungrateful little Mudblood that doesn't deserve to be a witch." He stated in a cold and collected tone.
I rolled my eyes to the back of my skull and looked at him with some much hatred that I thought my scrutinizing might burn a hold through the train. "Well, I got the message and I hope that after this school You-Know-Who will take pity on you and let you join his little Death Eater group." I tsk-ed at him, and opened my book up again.
Several loud and boyish voices traveled down the hall of the train, and next thing I knew James Potter and his mates were standing right in front of the open door. James grew over the Summer holiday and he looked great.
James's black hair was still as untidy as it can be, and his skin seemed to have gotten quite the tan. His glasses were the same as ever, and I was angry at them for hiding his eyes away from the world. He was taller and slimmer than the end of the school year and his light jeans hung low on his hips. His left arm was propped up against the wooden from of the door and his blue button down shirt rose, exposing a small sliver of tan skin and hard muscles of his stomach. The smile that was gracing on his lips slid down his face like mud when he was Severus sitting in front of me. His lips pressed into a hard line, and I could see his hand twitch towards the wand that was sticking out form his back pocket.
Sirius Black was right behind him, his hair grown out and some pushed behind his ears, his toothy grin falling as well. His skin was still pale, but it was slightly darker than last year. He stopped growing, and his clothes were similar to James's and his wand was in his front pocket, the green shirt falling around it.
Remus stood next to Sirius and he seemed to smile warmly at me, seeming to know that my holiday was rougher than ever. His light brown hair was the same as ever, just enough to the point where it could be messy and he could still keep it tidy. His T-shirt was slightly more wrinkled than James's or even Sirius's and his face held new scars and the dark purple circles under his eyes made me begin to worry. He always looked like this at the same time of the month, and it was horrible. His body was slouching and his arms seemed to be weak and his legs seemed to be giving out under the pressure. Peter was no where to be seen.
"Is there a problem in here?" James asked, his blue eyes traveling from me to Severus and the space between us.
"There's no problem, and I suggest that you keep your little nose where it belongs, Potter, and not where it's not needed." Severus snapped at him. I glowered at the pale man in front of me.
I could feel James's prying eyes on my face but I didn't turn from Severus's pale and twisted face. "Yes, James, there is." I stated, and then I turned my gaze to the group of friends in front of me. I felt happy for them; they stayed friends every school year and they stuck up for one another. It was like they were their own little family, and you were lucky to be let in sometimes. It shocked me that they didn't grow apart over the school years or holidays like Sev and I did, they stuck together — just like brothers.
I looked into James's eyes, and I could see my own eyes right back. He was worried for me, he wasn't the James Potter that I knew, he was different and he wanted to be sure that I was alright. "Severus is just being a total git and won't leave the compartment. I was just leaving, and you and your mates can have this compartment." I stood from the red velvet seat and put my novel back where I had it before the train was off, and my cat back in her cage. I pulled the strap of the bag over my head and let it rest on my shoulder, and I walked past the group of friends and down the hall.
As I walked by, I felt James's free hand and wand brush on mine and I could feel a surge of electricity pass between the two of us. I gasped loudly when I happened and I could feel my green eyes widen at the shock of it, and a red blush colors my cheeks and I ran quickly away from the spot.
I wasn't sure oif he felt it, too, but I soon found out just moments after I began to walk away.
"Hey, Evans!" James yelled, running down the length of the train to catch up to me. I sighed and closed my eyes, hoping that he wouldn't be an arrogant git at the moment. I turned to face him, and I had my mouth hanging open like a moron no words coming out. He stunned me wordless.
I finally regained my stance. "What is it?" I asked, flipping my hair over my shoulder.
"I just wanted you to know that I've changed over holiday, and that I'm going to prove to you that I'm different and that I'm going to get you to go out with me if it's the last thing I do this year." He spoke, his face serious, all traces of joking gone in the instant. He turned on his heel then, and walked back to the compartment that I was just occupying, joining his three friends.
I hope to be sticking to the information that the books gavve me to write this fanfiction, and I hope that you liked the first chapter!
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