Where plunge the rays of love
Horace Slughorn enjoyed a comfortable life, shadowed by feelings of guilt and his own cowardice, blaming himself for Voldemort's uprising. All this changed the moment Lily Evans entered his life. A true, unavoidable love started baking, giving him something valuable to fight for.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything nor seek any economic benefit from this universe, who belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 1: The beginning
-Evans, Lily
-¡Gryffindor!
Professor Horace Slughorn applauded politely as a graceful, pretty-faced little girl walked down the hallway. She was smiling confidently to an obviously soon-to-become Slytherin boy, if he was not mistaken (and he hardly was).
He revised mentally the list of pureblood surnames he knew and concluded quickly that the girl's father was probably a muggle -the girl seemed too comfortable around to be a muggleborn-. Then he felt it, no, he actually knew it: great things were to be expected from that Lily Evans, great things… And Horace Slughorn would be there, of course he would, as he had always been… to help her and those, like her, born to succeed.
It was not as if he had better things to do, really. Horace had reached his forties having no wife and no children of his own, but a huge amount of grateful and talented friends. All of them had in common the fact of having been his students once, except from Albus Dumbledore, of course. Horace considered Albus to be his most valuable and selfless friend, because he didn´t need anything from him, what´s more: having asked Horace only one thing throughout their years of acquaintance, the Headmaster has accepted being refused without ending their honest friendship.
Dumbledore… it really amused Horace that, after fifteen years of teaching at Hogwarts, the most powerful and admired wizard in the world still struggled to discover how he did the only thing he surely could do better than him: talent-spotting. Albus had even made the effort of researching his extensive family tree, looking for possible forerunners of Horace's alleged seer abilities… and had failed to find anyone.
Lost in his own thoughts as he was, he hadn`t noticed that the sorting ceremony had come to an end. He gazed avidly at the Slytherin table, which was his own House, and confirmed, with satisfaction, that the boy who had drawn his attention was, indeed, a new Slytherin. It was a pity he hadn`t been following the ceremony, because the physical features of the boy didn`t revealed his lineage the way the Malfoy`s or the Weasley`s did.
He noticed that, in fact, the boy continued staring towards the Gryffindor table, where Lily Evans was already talking animatedly to Alice (a clever and kind second-year), turning her back on the Potter boy (that untidy hair was unmistakable) in an obvious way. James Potter was laughing noisily at some funny remark which the strikingly handsome Black boy was telling him (Horace had almost fallen off his chair when the Hat had cried Gryffindor while sorting the later).
Both boys were grinning maliciously looking themselves at the very same spot in the Slytherin table. Lily Evans must have heard something because she chose that precise moment to turn her face to the boys and rewarded them with a glance full of distaste. Horace chuckled.
-Are you going to ask me to exchange your house headship with Minerva's, Horace?- Albus asked, teasing him.
-And why would I ask you to do such a thing, Albus?- Horace answered.
-You seem very intrigued with the Gryffindor first-years. Very intrigued indeed…- The Headmaster explained.
-Well, Albus, you must understand... a Black? In Gryffindor?- Dumbledore directed his gaze towards Sirius Black and, after a few moments, he nodded appreciatively.
-I don´t pretend to be as perceptive as yourself, Horace, but I suspect that Mr. Black is a Gryffindor head to tail.
Horace observed the boy, which seemed to be making some blunt comment, causing the quiet, sandy-haired boy on his right to flush violently.
-Yes, yes, not a Slytherin, not definitely-. Horace paused. -Even if you don´t believe me, I`m sorry that the Potter boy hasn´t been sorted into my House, or even to the Ravenclaw`s… Gryffindor traits and potion-making don`t get on well. The blood running through his veins, though…-
-Someday you´ll eat up your own words, Horace- Albus smiled. -Both of us perfectly know that there isn´t a true correlation between the qualities which determine the Sorting and the abilities required to excel at the subjects we impart.
-This is easy to say for you, Albus, as you excel absolutely in everything you do- Professor Minerva McGonagall intervened, who had been following the discussion silently till then.
-Oh! You flatter me, Minerva…- Dumbledore smiled humbly. -But I must remember you that my skills at Divination are…- McGonagall`s ironic snort interrupted him… -lacking, to say the least. Horace, though...- His eyes twinkled -My dear friend, did you wish to share with us your legendary sixth sense and bet us a dinner? Which newly arrived student do you think will be our outstanding incorporation?-
-You know I can`t give you an answer without having met none of them, Albus…- Horace said exasperatedly.- He paused and peered at the Gryffindor table again. The students were nearly finishing their desserts. Several of them had already sleepy faces. Potter and Black continued talking loudly and several students, some of them older, have gathered around them, with obvious interest. It was not the case of Lily Evans, who had removed herself to a distant chair and was… making the teaspoons dance, Horace confirmed in amazement. She didn´t seem truly aware of what she was doing with her wand, yawning noticeably. Neither was she noticing the attention she was drawing, not only from Horace, but also from a pair of awestruck fourth-years. Horace turned brusquely to Albus. He had noticed, too.
-Have we ever met, by chance, the mother of Ms. Evans?-
-I highly doubt so, -Albus answered, smiling -being a Muggle, you know.-
-Then- Horace interrupted -Where do the Evanses come from? I am unable right now to remember any Evans…-
-That's because there is none- Albus' smile widened -Ms. Evans is a muggleborn witch, and a very promising one, I daresay…-
Horace observed the girl's face, trying to recognize any of the hundreds of faces he had ever met, failing to do so. The teaspoons were already lying on the table, and the fourth-year girls who had been observing Lily were now questioning her, appraisingly. The girl was smiled back a charming and shy little smile. Horace turned back to Dumbledore -You`re pulling my leg-.
-No, I´m not. And, I must say, Horace, that it disappoints me to see that, even if you say the contrary, you do preserve such prejudices….-
-I thought you know me better, Albus…- Horace raised his voice this time, a little annoyed. -It`s a fact, not a prejudice, that muggleborns arrive at Hogwarts and spend their first weeks overwhelmed by the continuous display of magic. Besides, nobody had previously taken the time to teach them to control their first outbursts of magic, so they don´t display it till they begin their classes. And she does. She is too much calm to be her fist time…- And too much good, thought Horace to himself, remembering the dancing teaspoons, surely a third-year piece of magic...
-Ah! But I do have an explanation for that- Dumbledore smiled -Did you see the Snape boy, a Slytherin of yours? They come from the same neighbourhood and they met each other before Hogwarts. I know that because we used the Snape`s fireplace to send Minerva to the Evanses. Poor boy- He paused -Her mother studied here, good girl, that Eileen Prince.-
Horace' s look turned to the boy and, in a few seconds, he seemed to realize something, because he nodded vigorously. Albus continued speaking.
-She married a muggle and her family disowned her. It was quite a scandal then, it appeared in the news. I don´t think he realized that she was marrying a witch… And neither I think he`s very happy with the idea of Severus being one…- Albus watched the sloppy boy sadly, who has started a conversation with Avery, a second year, but at the same time continued glancing over the Gryffindor table intermittently.
-He seems very fond of Ms. Evans indeed- Horace commented casually.
-Well, I wish they will be able to preserve their friendship despite that dreadful and tiresome rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin… We´ll see… now… I think it`s time to withdraw- Albus concluded and got up to start the farewell speech.
A few minutes later, Horace found himself giving his house prefects a few last-minute instructions and leading his way toward the dungeons. Before crossing the main door, however, he was forced to stop to give way to a gang of distracted Hufflepuffs.
When he resumed his pace, he had to move the arms forward to avoid colliding with someone. It was a student, a student who, by coincidence, was non-other but Lily Evans.
A pair of spectacular big green eyes were looking straight at his eyes, a worried expression in her harmonious features. -Sorry, Professor- She apologized.
Horace took a few seconds to recover from the impression. Then, shaking his head faintly, he returned his gaze, smiling politely. -Nothing to worry, Ms. Evans-.
The fact that he knew her name cause her eyes to grow even bigger.
-You first- He made a gesture with his hand, inviting her to pass.
-Thank you very much, professor- She thanked him, courteously.
She had already walked a few steps ahead when Horace, unable to restrain himself, added -Nice dancing teaspoons Ms. Evans, I should hold mine, just in case…-
She spun around and offered him a huge understanding smile, then, she walked away.
Horace turned to the right and made his way to the dungeons, feeling happier than ever before with the prospect of the years of teaching to come.