Thanks, Sev
A/N: Another oneshot from me. However, this oneshot is dedicated to a certain Potterhead... Snowdrop! This fanfiction is for you! Be prepared to feel sad! [If my literature can actually move people, which I doubt it can...] Anyway, this is a tragedy. If you have any complaints about that, please press the back button now. If you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything at all.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, its characters, plot line, places, ideas, or anything included in the series. I only own my way of writing and several headcanon bits in this story. Thank you J.K. Rowling!
"Thanks, Sev," she said, and kissed him on the cheek.
Sev blushed as he helped Lily off the tire swing. The rope was still secure to the oak tree. Lily was pretty light. Sev grinned as she gave him a friendly hug. The tree that held the tire swing was swaying slightly due to the breeze. The afternoon sun wasn't hot at all, yet Sev felt like sweating.
"Now it's your turn!" she giggled, trying to push him onto the swing. Sev laughed, trying not to get on the swing while not hurting his best friend. It was quite tricky, so he gave in anyway.
"Wow, Sev, you're heavy!" she exclaimed, trying to push him. Sev smiled weakly. He would just have to let himself be lighter.
The swing reached the top of the tree as Lily giggled with a tone of worry in her voice. "Are you okay, Sev? The swing looks like it's about to do loop-de-loops…"
"No, it's okay!" Sev laughed. He had a rare smile etched upon his pale face, his greasy hair flying as the wind hit it. Lily was laughing too. She was happy, Sev was happy, and that was all that mattered.
Sev got off the swing after five minutes of giggles and laughter. He lay down on the short grass, next to Lily. Lily smiled as she gazed up into the near-night sky.
"Let's always be best friends, okay, Sev?" Lily rolled over to face her friend, who was still smiling softly. Her emerald green eyes were beautiful in the light.
"Of course, Lily," Sev replied, "Of course."
"Thanks, Sev!" she exclaimed, and grinned broadly. Sev had presented her with her first Chocolate Frog. She carefully took off the wrapping and bit into it. It was much better than any chocolate she had tasted. And it felt even better that she had gotten it from her best friend. She knew how Sev's family didn't have much money. He knew that she was still upset about her sister.
"How does it taste?" Sev asked, though he could read it from her face.
"Amazing, I love it! You're the best!"
The two were sitting in a lonely compartment on their first train ride to Hogwarts. Lily had finished her Chocolate Frog, and was now reading the card.
"This is Dumbledore, then?" Lily pointed at the grinning picture on her Chocolate Frog card. Sev nodded. Even if Dumbledore was a kind person, Sev felt like there was something he was going to loathe in him.
"Well, we're going to Hogwarts! This is it!" she exclaimed, grinning broadly.
"You'd better be in Slytherin," he said with a smile.
"Slytherin?"
The two turned around to two boys who had been in the compartment beforehand, though they didn't happen to notice them. One had messy, black hair and glasses; the other was handsome and had dominating, brown eyes that seemed to be filled with enthusiasm.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" the black-haired boy said, grinning at his companion. However, his friend did not smile back.
"My whole family have been in Slytherin," he merely said. He had a blank expression.
"Blimey, and I thought you seemed alright!" he exclaimed, laughing, as though it were a joke. The boy then grinned. "Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Sev grimaced.
"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad."
Sev scoffed. Lily gave him a worried look. She didn't want any fights on their first day of Hogwarts. She tried to shush him up, but then the black-haired boy turned to him.
"Got a problem with that?" the boy raised a brow. Sev merely rolled his eyes. "Well, if you'd rather be brawny than brainy—"
"Where are you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected the brown-eyed boy. The two roared with laughter. Lily looked annoyed, her face flushed with anger.
"C'mon, Severus, let's find another compartment." Lily dragged Sev over to the door.
"Oooooo…" the two boys imitated her lofty voice as she opened the door. The black-haired boy tried to trip Sev up as he exited the compartment. "See ya, Snivellus!" And the compartment door slammed shut.
"Thanks, Sev," she whispered, and held his hand tightly. The first-years were lining up to be Sorted, and Sev had wished his best friend good luck. Lily's eyes were filled with excitement, yet Sev's were filled with worry. What if they were to be separated? Lily could never be a Slytherin… she was muggle-born, and far too nice… The line slowly diminished as Sev kept the worried look on his face.
"Evans, Lily!"
Lily trotted over to the stool and carefully put the hat on. She waited for a few seconds.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Sev groaned a little. He wanted to go over to the stool and strangle the hat… but, no. That would ruin everything. He would just have to keep talking to Lily. That would keep their friendship up.
The Potter boy and his friends joined Lily at the Gryffindor table. Sev snarled. He didn't like them. They would snatch her away. Them and their ability to charm people.
"Snape, Severus!"
And so Sev walked over to the stool. He picked up the hat and placed it onto his head; it called out 'SLYTHERIN!' without hesitation. He took one last glance at Lily, his best friend, and then joined the cheering Slytherins at the other side of the Hall.
"Thanks, Sev," she softly spoke, and hugged him tightly. It was the rare occasion where Lily's potion had gone wrong. Luckily, the 'potions geek' was there to save her. Her potion, which was once a vibrant orange, turned a light purple in a few seconds. She hugged him, then proceeded to finishing her potion.
Sadly, however, Sev's potion had turned a murky green.
"What happened, Severus? You're usually really good at Potions," Slughorn remarked, gazing at his thick, bubbling potion, "Well, I'll have to give this one a P. I'm truly sorry, Severus…" And Sev gave a sorrowful smile to Lily, who looked crestfallen.
Students causally walked out of the large dungeon in which Potions was held, Lily and Sev side-by-side.
"I'm really, really sorry, Sev, you didn't need to. You shouldn't have helped m—"
"No, it's fine," Sev insisted, "You're my closest friend." Students surrounded them as all of them moved to their next class together; Defense Against the Dark Arts. It was almost lunch, and the sun was shining bright.
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?" She flipped her reddish-brown hair back.
"What do you mean?" Sev asked cautiously, his forehead tensing. "I thought we were supposed to be friends. Best friends."
"We are, Sev, but I don't like some of the people you're hanging round with! I'm sorry, but I detest Avery and Mulciber! Mulciber! What do you see in him, Sev, he's creepy! D'youknow what he tried to do to Mary Macdonald the other day?" Lily seemed furious. Sev was taken aback. He stopped walking. Lily stopped too. She leaned against a nearby pillar.
"That was nothing," he replied thinly, "It was a laugh, that's all—"
"It was Dark Magic," she interjected with a dark look in her eyes, "and if you think that's funny—"
"What about the stuff Potter and his mates get up to?" Sev's voice rose with indignity. People started to stare. However, the two didn't care; this was between them.
"What's Potter got to do with anything?" demanded Lily, her eyes becoming narrower and narrower. Her voice was as sharp as a knife, and it seemed to cut into Sev with every syllable.
"They sneak out at night," Sev explained, his voice shaky, "There's something weird about that Lupin. Where does he keep going?" He gave an interrogative look at Lily, but then it softened. He couldn't stare angrily at that face, she was his best friend…
"He's ill," replied Lily, "They say he's ill." Sev couldn't believe his ears. Was she actually defending Potter and his gang of delinquent friends?
"Every month at the full moon? Are you sure?" Sev asked, his voice shattering slightly. "Lily, I don't want to argue with you—"
"I know your theory," she said coldly, "Why are you so obsessed with them anyway? Why do you care what they're doing at night?"
"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are," Sev mumbled, seeming grumpy. The leaves in the trees rustled as the surrounding people began to make their way to class. It was just Lily and Sev, alone. Sev gazed at her. She blushed.
"They don't use Dark Magic, though," she said, "And you're being really ungrateful. I heard what happened the other night. You were saved by James Potter when you went sneaking down that tunnel near the Whomping Willow—"
Sev spluttered, laughing slightly at Lily's naïve nature. "Saved? Saved? You think he was playing the hero? He was saving his neck and his friends' too! You're not going to- I won't let you—"
"Let me? Let me?"
And so Sev took a step back. Lily's eyes were glazed with tears, yet they were burning with ultimate fury. He spluttered again, but this time in guilt.
"I just—I don't want you to be made a fool of… He fancies you, Potter does, he fancies you!" Sev seemed to thrust these words at her, as though he felt upset to admit them, "And he's not… big Quidditch hero…" His words dissolved into mutters.
"I know James Potter's an arrogant toerag," she said, cutting across her friend. "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber's and Avery's idea of humor is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."
Yet Sev ignored those words. He walked to class with Lily, relaxed and trying to hide his happiness. His greatest fears were merely nightmares; they wouldn't affect him in reality.
"Thanks, Sev," she smiled, and linked her arm with his. The summer breeze swept over them as the cloudy day began to end. They had just finished their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., and Lily had asked Sev to inquire Professor Flitwick about the Protego Charm, and whether hers was valid. Flitwick, of course, had responded yes.A gang of Ravenclaw girls were busy going over the test again, debating on the answers. However, Sev wasn't interested in them. He was trying to bring Lily and himself near enough to the Marauders to be within earshot.
"Did you like question ten, Moony?' asked Sirius as they emerged into the Entrance Hall. He was the brown-eyed boy from their first train ride to Hogwarts.
"Loved it," replied the shabby, light brown-haired boy that he was referring to, "Give five signs that identify a werewolf. Excellent question."
"D'youthink you managed to get all the signs?" James, the bespectacled boy from the train situation, asked in mock concern.
"Think I did," the shabby boy said sincerely. "One: he's sitting in my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin." Three of the boys laughed. The last, a mousy-haired boy with a weak build, was still in a worried state. Sev was aghast. He was right; Lupin was a werewolf.
"Lily, Lupin's a—"
"Sorry, Sev, not now," she muttered, reading her Defense Against the Dark Arts book, "Busy."
Sev sighed. He would just tell her later. He continued to bring Lily over towards the tree where the group of boys had settled. James was playing with a Golden Snitch he must've stolen, and Lupin was reading quietly. Sirius seemed to be tired, unlike the mousy-haired boy, Peter, who was staring in awe at James.
"I'm bored," said Sirius, "I wish it was full moon." The conversation went on, yet Sev couldn't hear it. Lily seemed to notice that Sev was dragging her around.
"Sev, why do we keep moving?" she asked with an annoyed tone, trying to read the paragraph on werewolves. Sev couldn't hear the boys talking; he only saw James pointing at him.
The boys stood up. Knowing what was going to happen, Sev whipped out his wand; but James had gotten there first.
"Expelliarmus!" he exclaimed, and Sev's wand flew into the air and into the grass twelve feet away. He smirked. Lily looked up, only knowing what was going on at that time. She seemed scared. "Sev, don't!"
"Impedimenta!" yelled out Sirius, and Sev was knocked away mid-dive. His attempt to get his wand was in vain. A crowd soon formed, Lily disappearing behind them. The Ravenclaw girls looked appalled and upset, whereas the fellow Gryffindor boys seemed to cheer. Sev lay panting on the ground.
"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" James sneered, kicking his shin.
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment,' said Sirius viciously, his eyes wild with excitement. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word." Most of the people in the crowd laughed, mainly that the unpopular, greasy boy was being beaten up by the most popular gang in Hogwarts. A shrill laugh echoed throughout the crowd, obviously from Peter. Snape tried to get up, but someone had jinxed him. It was like he had been bound by invisible ropes.
"You… you wait!" he yelled out, glaring at Potter with extreme loathing, "You—wait—"
"Wait for what?' said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Sev swore loudly. He tried to hex them, but his wand was too far away. Nothing happened. The gang, and the crowd, merely laughed. "Wash out your mouth," James said in a steel voice, "Scourgify!"
Sev's mouth began to bubble with pink suds. He spat them out onto the grass, but more appeared. He choked on them, still trying to escape the imaginary ropes that bound him.
"Leave him ALONE!"
Sev's eyes burst open. Lily came storming in, her wand clutched at her side. She eyed Potter with loathing, just as Sev did, yet in a way that suited her better. James put his free hand to his hair, acting as if it had all been a misunderstanding. Sev grinned… but then he saw his other friends, shaking their heads and grimacing in disappointment. Sev felt his face flush red.
"All right, Evans?" James asked, his tone kinder and soothing.
"Leave him alone," Lily spat at him, her voice bitter, "What's he done to you?"
"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…" The crowd roared with laughter. Lily seemed solemn.
"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone." Lily prodded her wand against the Adam's apple of his throat, and he gulped.
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," he said quickly, "Go on… go out with me, and I'll never, ever, lay a hand on old Snivelly again." Lily's eyes narrowed.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily, lowering her wand arm. James' face fell. Obviously, he wasn't used to rejection. Sirius said something to him, but then he spotted something happening behind him.
"OI!"
Sev's jinx had worn off, and he was standing straight, sweat rolling down his temples. He muttered the spell in his mind, and James' robes were splattered with crimson blood. James, furious, yelled out, "Levicorpus!" Sev was hoisted up into the air, revealing his greying boxers and weak, pale legs. The crowd cheered; Lily seemed apprehensive. However, her mouth twitched as if she was trying not to laugh. "Let him down!"
"Certainly."
And so Sev crumpled to the ground, his robes tangling him. But, as soon as he was able to stand up, Sirius had cast the Body-Binding curse on him, and he became rigid once more.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she demanded, holding her wand up again, the veins in her neck popping out.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James.
"Take the curse off him, then!" she insisted. James sighed. He mumbled the counter-curse resentfully. "There you go." Sev struggled to his feet, blushing a furious red. His friends were glaring at him like an outcast, people were laughing at him, and worst of all, Lily had seen him at his weakest.
"You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus—"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" he spat. Lily blinked back tears, and only then Sev felt regret for what he had said.
"Fine. I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." Sev felt like crying. He had messed everything up, and it was all Potter's fault. Potter was the biggest git in the world. He wanted to murder him. He would do anything to kill him on the spot, even if it meant a lifetime in Azkaban.
"Apologize to Evans!" James screamed at him, shoving the wand between his eyes.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily turned to James, "You're as bad as he is."
"What?" James exclaimed, jumping back, "I'd NEVER call you a—a you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down 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. You make me SICK." The last words echoed in Sev's mind. His heart did a little skip. So Lily hated Potter too?
But then his happiness ended. Lily ran away, tears forming in her eyes, and disappeared beyond the horizon. James seemed just as furious as he was. "Evans! Hey, Evans!"
The two, Sirius and James, had a quiet little conversation that Sev couldn't seem to hear. James still seemed upset.
"Right," he muttered, "Right—"
Sev hung upside-down in the air once more.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
"Thanks, Sev," she groaned sarcastically, and she slapped him harshly. "How nice of you to stalk me to say ." Sev gave a guilty smile to her, but her frown didn't budge. Sev sighed. He was outside the Gryffindor common room holding a throw pillow in the middle of the night, yet this made him look like the biggest idiot ever.
"I'm sorry," he breathed, gazing down at the stone floor.
"I'm not interested," replied Lily coldly, turning away.
Sev grabbed her shoulder. "I'm sorry!"
"Save your breath."
Lily turned on her heel to face Sev, a stern look on her face. Her lips were pursed. She was like an intimidating mother, and Sev was the cowardice child waiting for their punishment.
"I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here," she stated.
"I was planning to. I never wanted to call you M-Mudblood, it just—"
"Slipped out?" Lily showed no signs of sympathy whatsoever. She merely glared at the Slytherin boy, her eyes piercing him like daggers. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends- you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"
Sev opened his mouth, but then closed it. He was lost for words. Lily raised a brow, as if it proved her point.
"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine. There's no going back."
"No—Listen, I didn't mean—"
"—to call me Mudblood?" Lily interrupted, "But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Sev, why should I be any different?"
Sev stuttered and mumbled for a while, but Lily had had enough. She swiveled around, and crawled back in through the portrait hole, leaving Sev there, alone.
"Thanks, Sev," she breathed, and then shook his hand quickly. "But don't start going up to James. He'll be super upset that I invited you, you're not supposed to be on the guest list."
"Don't worry. I wasn't planning to anyway," Sev explained, handing her a small, maroon box wrapped in a golden ribbon. He winked, and then went to the back of the church. But, instead of feeling happy, he felt hurt inside.
Yes, Lily was going to get married to the Potter boy, the one she said she had 'hated' in their youth. But she had fallen for him, and Sev had let her. Sev wasn't even a guest of honor, he was merely the shadow in the back of the church, having to hide away from the groom.
Sev narrowed his porcelain-like eyes. Lily set the small gift beside many larger, more extravagant gifts. The hem of her snow white dress swept the floor. It was a beautiful, v-neck dress with spiral patterns on the skirt, and a lily on her heart. However, Sev didn't feel that James' suit was fit for the occasion, though it was mostly out of bitterness. It was a black tuxedo with a velvet red tie and a collared shirt. He wore black pants and closed work shoes. Sev found it a bit showy; but, of course, that was James' personality.
Everybody started to settle down and take their seats. Sev strained his neck to see what was going on, but his sight was blocked by a big, floppy, sunhat worn by a lady two rows in front. He scowled.
"We are gathered here today to witness the binding of James Potter and Lily Evans."
Sev blinked.
"Before we start this ceremony, is there any soul who would like to object to their marriage?"
Sev wanted to raise his hand and yell out, but he bit his lip to keep it shut. Tears welled up in his eyes.
"Now, may we all stand up and sing the opening hymn."
Sev immediately stood up.
And he ran away.
Thanks, Sev.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he reread his letter from Lily. He kept it in his robe pockets, and he would always.
I loved the wedding gift you gave James and I. It was so nice. Who would've thought of making a golden dove that sung when you stroked it? You always have the best ideas. But I had to keep it away from James; he didn't like it because it was from you. I'm sorry, Sev.
I'm glad that we were able to find a house in the Wizarding Community. Petunia doesn't want me near her anymore. She still thinks I'm a freak. Sometimes I miss her, but it's okay. I have other friends, right, Sev?
Please send an owl back.
Love, Lily.
Sev held back his tears and thrust the letter into his robe pocket. He continued to rummage around for more letters from Lily, even if it meant stealing them away from the drawers of other people. At the current time, he was at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, and was ready to take all the letters he could.
Soon enough, he found a two-page letter in an oak drawer. He kept the last page that bore Lily's signature, and took off into the night.
He read over the last letter, tears already forming in the corners of his graying eyes.
could ever have been friends with Gellert Grindelwald. I think her mind's going, personally!
Lots of love,
Lily.
He kissed the signature lightly, and then stuffed it into his pocket where the other letter lay. He stopped by the nearby lamppost, which was being splattered with the falling raindrops, and whispered under his breath.
"Thanks, Lily," he said, "We'll be together. Always."