This story started out as a rewriting of "Snape's Worst Memory" from Snape's point of view, and spiralled into much more. It is told in three acts. The first covers years one through four. The second covers year five -the most important year, if you will. The third covers year six, year seven, and two separate years some time afterward. I will post a new act every week. All three have already been written, though they can be subject to change.
Summary: My enemy's enemy is my... lover? The tale of Severus Snape's abiding love for Lily Evans, and how it came to change the world. SSLE, but only barely... for you see, he didn't get the girl in the end.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. Pity, eh?
Please review! I loved constructive critisism, but flames will be ignored.
A Stolen Love
In his first year, Severus met her.
"Welcome to First Year Potions," Slughorn said jauntily. "Now, many of you may be at first intimidated by the intricacies of the art of Potion Brewing, but, with strong perseverance–" He was interrupted by the door of the potions room, which burst open.
A skinny girl with long red hair braided messily down her back was standing there, looking mortified as the entire class turned to stare at her.
"Sorry, Professor," she said hesitantly. "I… I got lost…"
Slughorn waved that aside, "Oh, well, first day of class… I'll forgive you of it this time, Miss…?"
"Evans," she said, a bit more boldly. "Lily Evans."
"…Miss Evans," Slughorn concluded. "Now, please take your seat! And no talking, please!" he reminded the rest of the class, glancing around at Potter and Black, who were whispering to one another.
Potter and Black… Severus hated them already, especially Potter, who was so cocky, and this only the first week of class! Already he was strutting around as if he owned the place, accompanied by Sirius Black, (who, according to all of his cousins in Slytherin, was a blood-traitor and all-around arsehole who had caused his poor mother endless grief by not being sorted into Slytherin as he was supposed to,) that pale boy, (what was his name again? Loopy, or something?) and the short, chubby Peter Pettigrew.
Severus hated the lot of them. On the very first day of term, James Potter had jinxed him for glancing his way in the hallway.
"Keep your eyes to yourself, Snivellus!" Potter had shouted, (Severus assumed he had come up with the nickname impulsively,) whipping out his wand and attempting to hurl a jinx while Black barked out a laugh and Loopy frowned mildly.
Of course, Severus had retaliated; he hadn't been about to let some stuck-up arsehole push him around! But Potter had Black at his side, and Loopy, (though Loopy just stood by and watched interestedly,) and soon they had left Severus in the hallway, his face covered in oozing pustules and his fingernails growing uncontrollably.
I'll get you, Potter, Severus remembered having thought as he made his way toward the hospital wing, trying to avoid the eyes of all of the people who insisted on staring at him. He had tried, several times now, to get Potter back for what he had done, but every time a teacher had walked by, or else Potter had repelled his curses.
Lily Evans had come to sit beside Severus, that being the only remaining chair in the classroom. "Could I sit here?" she asked clearly, looking at him with her bright green eyes.
Severus stared at her eyes for a moment. They were so very green. "Go ahead," he replied offhandedly, moving his bag out of the way so that she could put down her own.
Potions class proved to be quite enjoyable. Severus found that he had a natural talent for the art, and that the manner in which ingredients were combined was, in fact, highly intuitive. Several weeks later, glancing at the list of ingredients needed for the day's potion, Severus smiled as he recognised the patterns that emerged among the differing plants and essences.
This was why he was shocked when the instructions on the board suggested that the brewer stir his potion for three minutes before adding ground Murtlap in small doses; a large dash of Murtlap at the beginning would, logically, have the same effect.
Severus shrugged and added his dash of Murtlap. Instantly, his potion turned the desired shade of yellow.
"How did you do that?" Lily Evans demanded pleasantly, her head jerking over from her own potion as she saw his emit a large puff of sweet-smelling steam.
Severus turned to look at her. "Well… you don't really need to stir it for three minutes, Evans… I mean, think about it…"
She did. She frowned at him, and then at the list of ingredients, and then back at him.
"The whole point of the Murtlap is to counteract the dried spiders," he prodded.
Lily's mouth opened in surprise as the logic hit her. "Of course… so, extending the addition process isn't necessary, 'cause it won't affect any of the other ingredients regardless of when you mix it in!"
Severus nodded. "Exactly."
Lily grinned. "Cool. Thanks, Severus."
He smiled at her. "Any time."
Soon, Lily was drawing her own conclusions regarding the order in which ingredients were added to potions, aided by Severus when she got stuck. The two were soon Slughorn's favourite pupils, and their potions expertise constantly impressed him.
"Mr. Snape… Miss Evans… fantastic work, once again!" he remarked one afternoon as he made his way from table to table, prodding people's potions with his wand or else ladling small amount up to examine. "I must say, this really is the most talented table in the classroom!"
Severus smirked slightly as he caught sight of Potter, who was glaring at him from across the room, and of Black, who was giving him a rude hand gesture.
-
In his second year, Severus appreciated her.
"Leave him alone, Potter!" Lily shouted, as Potter fired a hex at Severus on the way down to dinner.
"Oh, shut up, Evans!" Potter retorted, ducking as Severus sent another spell back at him.
She stamped her foot angrily. "Leave him alone, Potter! He didn't do anything to you!"
Potter shot another spell at Severus and said, "I never said he did! Now nose out, Evans, or I'll hex you, too!"
Black laughed. "You'd best listen to him, Evans," he called. "He hexed a first year this morning who got in the way, and I reckon the chap's still up in the hospital wing!"
Lily turned to glare at Black. "He wouldn't dare hex me, Black!" she snapped.
"Lily… Lily, let's just go," one of her friends prodded, tugging at her arm. "C'mon… let's just leave them to it…"
Lily frowned at her friend. "No, I'm sick of–" but just then Professor Dumbledore came sweeping up the staircase behind them.
"Not fighting in the hallways, boys?" he remarked mildly. Potter lowered his wand quickly, and Severus got to his feet, scowling.
"Oh, of course not, Professor!" said Potter cheerfully.
Severus glared at him, wishing he could tackle him right there.
"Good. Don't start, then," Dumbledore said, and Potter and his cronies had no choice but to go on their way. Severus narrowed his eyes after them, fighting the strong desire to send a really harsh dark curse at Potter… and Black, too; he deserved it nearly as much…
He turned to face Lily, who was watching him. "You didn't need to get involved," he stammered, trying to steady his voice. "I can handle him on my own, I don't need you…"
"I'm sorry, Severus," Lily said quietly from where she was standing, her friend still clutching her arm. "It's just… Potter deserves to burn in hell, he really does…"
Severus smiled slightly. Everywhere he went, it seemed, people were talking about Potter and his stupid quartet, and most all of them were talking about how funny they were, and cool they were, and how entertaining it was to have them in class. The Slytherins disliked them, of course, but that wasn't so much because they were jerks as because they were Gryffindors. But here was Lily Evans, one of Potter's fellow Gryffindors, plainly stating that Potter was an arsehole. Severus had never appreciated any opinion more in his life.
-
In his third year, Severus helped her.
"I don't understand this at all," Lily observed wryly in Arithmancy one afternoon. Severus, who was seated a few tables over, looked up. Professor Vector had left the classroom momentarily, leaving the students to complete rune translations.
"I'll help you, Evans," piped up James Potter, who was sitting with Black and Lupin at a table behind her.
Lily turned around to frown at him. "Thanks, but I'd rather not spend the next hour having you make me feel inferiour."
Potter gave an exaggeratedly affronted gasp. "What? Evans, how dare you? I most certainly will not make you feel inferiour!"
Lily gave him a scathing look and turned back to her parchment; Potter looked at the back of her head distractedly. "Evans… c'mon… let me help you," he prodded. Then he smiled slyly. "Say… how about you come to Hogsmeade with me next weekend, and we can discuss it there?"
She did not even turn around; she just shook her head.
Black laughed. "Aw, give up already, Prongs," he said. Potter gave a forced laugh, but then frowned and continued to stare at the back of Lily's head. Black and Lupin glanced at one another and fought hard not to chuckle.
Severus sneered at Potter despite himself. The ridiculous, hormone-driven prat… as if he, of all people, had any chance with Lily Evans! A new idea formed in his mind, a fabulous in-your-face that he felt sure he could accomplish. Turning back to his own parchment, Severus put the finishing touches on his own Arithmancy work and coughed slightly.
"Er… Evans," he said delicately, "not to bother you, only I've finished my work and thought… I mean… if you needed help…" He turned to glare at Potter as he did this. Potter had opened his mouth in shock and turned to sneer at Severus.
Lily turned, too. "Oh, that's very kind of you, Snape," she said (she no longer called him Severus; the ingrained amount of anti-Slytherin sentiment that was programmed into all Gryffindors had finally taken a small amount of hold, with the result that Lily no longer called Slytherins by their first names).
Now, Potter turned to stare incredulously at her. "What? Evans! Don't get help from him, the lying scumbag! I doubt he understands it, anyway… and besides, I doubt he can teach for shi–"
"I'd rather he tutor me than you," Lily interrupted coolly.
The door to the classroom opened and Professor Vector swept back in. "Is everybody still doing all right? Does anybody need assistance?"
Lily now gave Severus a thankful smile, ignoring Potter completely. "Thanks so much for the offer, but I can just ask Vector now," she said pleasantly.
"No problem," Severus replied briskly, smirking to himself at the look on Potter's face.
After class, Lily escaped Potter's harassment by darting out of the door to find her friends, who were coming down from Divination. Severus spotted her as she hurried past, her red hair, which was cut in a straight line at her shoulders, flipping behind her. Suddenly, she turned and faced him.
"Oh, Snape, by the way," she said quickly, "thanks so much for helping me out with Potter; I'll never quite forget that look on his face!"
Severus smiled at her tolerantly. "Don't mention it," he replied mildly, and she flashed him a grateful smile before hurrying on her way.
-
In his fourth year, Severus liked her.
"Ah, my two aspiring potions masters!" Slughorn exclaimed exaggeratedly as Lily joined the Slug Club members currently seated around the table in Slughorn's office, Severus following hesitantly behind her.
Glancing around at the students at his sides, Severus felt a growing sense of disgust. There was scarcely a person here for whom he did not harbour rancour. With the lone exception of Regulus Black, (Sirius's twelve-year-old brother, who, excluding their similar good looks, could not have been more different from him,) nobody was even from Slytherin.
"We're still waiting for more people to arrive," Slughorn said pointedly, noticing Severus's countenance. Severus nodded slightly; Regulus Black winked at him.
Sirius Black entered the room with a bang of the door, followed by a pretty Hufflepuff girl who was clutching his hand rather possessively. Regulus gave Sirius a smile, but the older Black acted as if the younger did not exist. Turning toward Severus, Regulus shrugged and frowned unconcernedly; he was, by this point, used to being ignored by his brother.
Several more Slytherins followed next, and Severus was pleased to see them, despite the fact that none were in his year.
He thought back to the day before, when he had been the only student in Potions to successfully complete the day's complicated assignment. Slughorn was making his way from table to table, ladling up bits of potion for examination. He held his nose at a chunky one that gave off a sulfurous smell, and frowned deeply at one that was bright turquoise and bubbling as if carbonated.
"True, that one was a bit more difficult than what we're used to, but really, with all of you Slytherins… I must admit I did hope–" Slughorn stopped triumphantly when he spotted Severus's cauldron, which was hissing appropriately.
"Ah-ha!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Now, here is the real work of a master! Twenty points to Slytherin, and full marks to you, Snape!"
A bell tolled throughout the castle, signaling the end of class. "Severus!" Slughorn called as Severus shoved his books back into his bag and began to sling it over his shoulder. He turned around.
"Yes, Professor?"
Slughorn smiled. "I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to come tomorrow afternoon for a spot of afternoon tea… just a few of us, you understand… the Slug Club, if you will…"
Severus smiled as well, happy to be included in such an elite society. "I'd love to, Professor," he said honestly.
But now he found himself appalled at some of the people Slughorn admitted into his group… Sirius Black, for one thing! Did Slughorn honestly think that that sadistic arsehole had potential?
Lily Evans was chatting comfortably with a seventh-year Ravenclaw girl as she raked her hair back with her hands into a ponytail. Severus watched her for a few moments, enjoying the sight of her long auburn hair and the way it caught the light.
I must really be bored, he thought idly.
"What the bloody hell is Snivellus doing here?" Black whispered loudly to the pretty Hufflepuff girl, who burst into giggles.
"Now, now, Sirius, let's not be harsh!" Slughorn said cheerfully, waving his wand so that a large plate of scones and a kettle appeared on the table. "Now, I'll be right back–" He stood up and waddled across the room, clearly looking for something.
Black rolled his eyes, causing the girl to giggle more loudly, and flicked Severus off across the table. Severus narrowed his eyes at him, determined not to give in – not with a teacher here, anyway.
"Hey, Snivellus," Black hissed. "Careful you don't get that greasy hair in the tea; we don't want to lose our appetites, now."
The Hufflepuff girl and several others laughed openly. Severus sneered at him and was about to reach for his wand when Lily Evans grabbed his wrist. "Don't sink to his level," she said coolly, before turning to face Black. "Oh, shut your face, Black; the least you could do is come of with some new insults," she snapped.
Black swept his hair out of his eyes and gave her a polite smile. "I feel sorry for you, Evans; you're sitting next to him, you're probably suffering a huge appetite loss already…"
The Hufflepuff girl shook with silent laughter; Lily's green eyes flashed. She opened her mouth as if to say something but then rolled her eyes as if Black were so far below her that he did not deserve consideration. "Mmm-hmm… yeah, of course, Black," she replied offhandedly, turning back to the Ravenclaw girl. "Mmm-hmm, that's right, sitting next to somebody just makes me lose my appetite…" She gave a derisive laugh. "Damn, and I there I was thinking you were smart…"
Black opened his mouth to make a retort, but seemed incapable of coming up with an appropriate one. At last he gave a very forced laugh and said, "Silly you." Lily, however, simply gave him an exaggerated look of confusion before shaking her head in mock pity. Black scowled slightly despite himself, glaring at Severus again, who pointedly ignored him.
He ran his fingers through his hair idly as Slughorn returned bearing a letter he had received from some influential ex-Slug Club member. Severus's hair felt somewhat stiff and greasy, not that he could help it: he showered nearly every day, and had long ago given up using conditioner, but the fact remained that he had overactive oil glands. There was virtually nothing he could do about it.
Meanwhile, Sirius Black was chewing on a cranberry scone and frowning, trying to decide where he'd gone wrong. The pretty Hufflepuff girl was not longer holding onto him possessively; on the contrary, she seemed to have grown bored of his attitude and had taken up chatting with the boy on her left.
Lily Evans was reaching across the table for the platter of scones. "Scone, Snape?" she offered pleasantly, holding the plate toward him.
"Thank you, Evans," he muttered, taking one for himself. She really was a nice girl, that Evans… and she took on Potter and Black and all of their stupid friends so efficiently… Severus decided, right then and there, that it didn't matter that she was in Gryffindor. As he saw it, she kicked arse at Potions, she could stand up to prats, and she was, after all, in the Slug Club; she must have potential. In Severus's book, she was okay.
The first sentence of the next act:
In his fifth year, Severus loved her.