Hey guys! This is an AU, which means a lot of things will change - so don't come at me for something that didn't happen in the original Potterverse. There is going to be many OC's that will be very meaningful towards the story. A lot of non-cannon ships, too. I am so excited to write this story, and I hope you all are eager to read this. So, with nothing else to say, welcome to Renegades!
"I am frankly tired of hearing of the Dark Lords propaganda. Do you want to kill your non-existent brain cells by reading his propaganda? If yes, then be my guest, but please shut up." Severus Snape said, tired of hearing the ramblings of a fellow Slytherin.
"Oh yeah? What will a filthy half-blood like yourself going to do about it?" Barty Crouch Jr. snarled, having been excited of joining the ranks of the Dark Lord.
Severus being used to the to the foul words used by blood-purists in his house for years only pushed past Crouch and stalking towards his dormitory. Feeling the dozens of eyes staring daggers at his back.
That night warded his bed, knowing that his dorm mates had a nasty habit of hexing anyone who dared to utter a negative word about the Dark Lord. The following morning during breakfast, he was hit by a stinging hex. He suspected Potter, but that idea was quickly dissolved when he saw Avery give Rosier a high-five.
He felt another gaze on him. Severus turned to look at the direction of the stare, to see Regulus Black looking at him with curiosity. He sighed inaudibly.
This was going to surely be a long year.
By mid-October, Regulus and Severus had formed a strange friendship. It was nothing compared to what he and Lily had but a friendship nonetheless. Regulus was the only member of Slytherin who continued to associate with him after the incident in the common room. Which alienated the both of them with the housemates as well.
It took Regulus a few days to convince Severus to go to Hogsmeade. It was something along the lines of 'I will hex you into oblivion' or 'I'll make sure you can never make a potion again' that made the final decision.
The mid-autumn snow was a not so pleasant surprise for Severus. It had caught many students of Hogwarts off guard, the many who decided to go out to venture out to Hogsmeade were confined to the many stores. Severus accompanied Regulus to Flourish and Blotts, where they were comparing what they could find in the back of the store.
"Hey Snape, check this out," Regulus said, showing him the cover of Phoenix Tears to Sphinx Tongues: Rare Ingredients and the Potions They Create.
Severus looked up from the book he was scanning. "Professor Slughorn has that in his private laboratory," he replied. "He only lets his N.E.W.T students borrow it.
"And of course, you have read it already," Regulus added. "What do you have?"
"Spell Creation: Jinxes, Curses, and Latin," Severus acknowledged.
"I don't see why you'd ever need to know that, you already know the process."
"Yes, but I have also had my own creations being persistently used against me. I want to make something more… advanced and potent."
"Something mere dunderheads wouldn't be able to cast, even in their wildest daydreams," Regulus smirked.
Severus snorted. Though he would never admit, having Potter use his own spell against him in front of all those had been humiliating. And even more than having his manly honor in full display to half of Hogwarts. His plan was to make a new line of self-defense spells, and he had been uncontrollably researching the creation of these spells since the other unfortunate incident with Lupin last year.
"Well, I will leave you to it. I need to go to Honeydukes." Severus nodded. "I'll meet you outside Scribbulus' around four?" Regulus proposed. Severus nodded again, thankful that his friend had suggested the cheaper of the two quill stores.
When he was still friends with Lily, she would call him Scribbulus while they completed homework. But after the incident last year, she like all the others had a preference over his other off-putting nickname.
Veronica Ivanov smoothed down her sepia colored sweater. Her hands traveled towards her charcoal skirt, pulling it down to her knees. Fidgeting with the sleeves of her jacket, Veronica let her eyes travel around Hogsmeade, observing some of her fellow Hufflepuffs walking past her.
She was heading towards Honeydukes, hoping to get some sugar quills before they ran out of stock. Veronica loved that thing more than anything else in the world.
Veronica's step faltered though, feeling a gaze burning into her back. Frowning she glanced around Hogsmeade again. Veronica gasped as a hand roughly grabbed her elbow and pushed into a nearby alley. She pushed against the brick wall. Her face was pressed harshly against the jagged material. A wand was jabbed to her rib cage.
Veronica fought against the rough hold. "You move and I'll kill you."
She knew that voice. She had heard it before when she was in the Great Hall and when going to next class. He was a Slytherin. Veronica shook with fear. This is how I'm going to die, she thought. She could feel his hand yanking down her skirt and knickers.
"Please don't... I've done nothing," She begged. A cry left her throat, a sudden pain in her lower regions. A hand clamped down to her mouth. Veronica was a whimpering mess.
It was done as soon as it started. She stared into the cold, seaweed colored eyes. "Sectumsempra." He hissed. And Veronica fell down on the thin layer of snow. Surrounded by blood as she pleaded silently to be saved.
Regulus walked out of Honeydukes, shoving his purchases in his bag. His dragonhide boots crunched against the fresh layer of snow. Regulus walked past an alley, he paused hearing a small whimper coming from the depths of it. He frowned debating whether to ignore it or not. Deciding against his common sense, Regulus grabbed his wand. He carefully wandered towards the sound. He saw a pair of muggle combat boots, a blood trail leading to them.
Panicking, he rushed forwards. "Veronica Ivanov?" He murmured in shock. The said girl whimpered, "Please help me." Regulus grabbed his wand, knuckles turning white. "I'm going to get help." He whispered. Regulus stood up from his crouching position. He ran towards Flourish and Blotts, silently hoping that Severus was still there.
He rushed inside the shop, immediately seeing the greasy-haired Slytherin. "Snape!" He hissed, grabbing Severus' elbow. "I need your help. Now."
Severus frowned. "What is it now, Black?" Regulus pulled Severus harshly out of the shop. He pushed him back into the alley. Severus grumbled bitterly, not liking the way Regulus was grabbing him. He watched as the youngest Black moved a box. Severus recognized the muggle combat boot, something he had seen Lily wear countless times.
He winced noticing a familiar Hufflepuff bleeding, because of a spell he knew all too well. His spell that he created. "I found her and came to you as soon as possible." Severus nodded. Both he and Regulus helped the whimpering Hufflepuff up.
"I can't go back to Hogwarts," Veronica choked out. Regulus has taken off his cloak, covering her blood-soaked body. "Who did this to you?" Severus asked, after healing her injuries. Veronica shook her head, refusing to answer. "I'm still not going back to Hogwarts," Veronica whispered.
"Why not?" Severus said, confused.
"Dumbledore wouldn't believe me nor would he care. I am not one of his little Gryffindors." Veronica ranted as she pulled her knees up to her chest.
"We can't just leave you here!" Regulus spoke, silently fuming. "And even if you did run away, the minute you're found, they'd drag you back."
"What if I don't want to be found?" Veronica remarked. It was followed by a pregnant pause. "You want to fake your death?" Severus wondered out loud.
Veronica nodded her head in confirmation, "What else am I supposed to do? I can not go back to Hogwarts for anything in the world, and I don't want to be found." More silence greeted Veronica. "Exactly," she mumbled.
"I would do it if I had the chance," Severus said, "fake my death. To start all over again, somewhere new… as someone new."
Regulus and Veronica nodded in agreement, and soon the small group made a plan. Regulus would transfigure one of the nearby crates into Veronica's body. The fake body would later be placed the same way he had found her, lying in the puddle of blood. Severus would later place all the other crates back on her body to make the scene look untouched.
After all this, Regulus called for Kreacher. He instructed his house elf to take Victoria to the abandoned Black cabin in the Irish mountains and to get the other house elf there to tend to her needs. Regulus ordered Kreacher not to tell anyone that the Hufflepuff girl was there.
Both Slytherin boys promised Veronica that they'd join her at the Black cabin as soon as they could. With that, the house elf apparated away with the girl, and the two boys walked back to Hogwarts.