A/N: This story came to me a while back and while my readers wait for my next update on my other story, I thought I post this story here in the meantime. The story is about 20000 plus words long so I decided to separate it into four to five chapters. It's already completed and I don't intend any changes. Here are the first two chapters for you to read.
I got the idea after watching the movie Cinderella, the 1950 Disney version and somehow, as me and my sister started to talk about how Cinderella transformed herself into a princess and how the fairy godmother seemed like a witch, this idea kind of stuck with me.
I wrote this story based on my experiences with love and as such, take the story with a pinch of salt. I will post the other two chapters by the end of the week as I need to get back to my other story. So please, feel free to tell me what you think of it and review!
Disclaimer: I do not own HP or Cinderella. Furthermore, FYI, some rather adult language and innuendos used in this story
CINDERELLA
"So this is love…this is what makes life divine."
CHAPTER ONE: ONCE UPON A TIME
1971
"Only two more months, Severus!" Lily cried excitedly as she leapt up and down from her bed. Snape chuckled at the sight as he continued to pull her books from her shelves. Lily's enthusiasm was infectious as Snape soon found himself laughing even louder as she pretended to use a pillow as a makeshift pretend flying broom. He couldn't blame her, of course. Both Snape and Lily had been looking forward to going to Hogwarts for some time and each had their reasons. Lily wanted to know more about her powers while Snape just wanted to get away from his parents.
"Lily?" Snape said as he pulled out a large book with a cover of what looked like a girl in rags holding a slipper made from glass. "What's this?"
"Oooo!" Lily said as she grabbed the book off from Snape. "This is Cinderella! My mother used to read me this story when I was younger. She even took me to see the movie when Disney re-released it about six years ago."
"Disney?" Snape asked. Though his father was a Muggle, Snape still very much unfamiliar with the Muggle world, especially considering he had hardly ever left Spinner's End. He knew about movies, those Muggle motion pictures that Lily loved talking about but Disney seemed like an odd name to him."
"Walt Disney?" Lily replied, surprised Snape had never heard of the man. "He's this genius who loves to create all these types of animation movies for Muggle kids to enjoy. He even has a theme park, Disneyland! But it's in America."
Animation? Theme park? Snape thought, trying to rack his brains to see if he could recall anyone mentioning such words to him. It then dawned at him that while he and Lily were best friends, they were still from two very different worlds. All that will change once we get to Hogwarts. Especially if we both are in Slytherin Snape thought, vowing to do all he can to convince Lily to be in the same house. Snape enjoyed Lily's company greatly and the thought that the pair might be separated did sadden him quite a bit.
"I wish I was Cinderella." Lily sighed.
"Why? What's this story about?" Snape asked as Lily smiled at him.
"Come here," Lily said, motioning to her bed as Snape made his way from the floor onto her mattress. As Lily started to tell him the story of Cinderella, Snape couldn't help but notice a few things. Like how Lily's green pupils would dilate as she started to talk about something she was really excited about. Or how her red hair would sway slightly from side to side. But more than anything else, it was her smile. That wonderful, gorgeous smile that made Lily so very different from anyone he ever met. Her smile radiated a sense of warmth so alluring that Snape couldn't help but notice each and every movement of her lips as it complemented her already beautiful face.
"And they live happily ever after." Lily finished as Snape absorbed the tale of Cinderella. Lily watched as Snape's face appeared to frown before he let out a snort of laughter.
"That is, without a doubt, the stupidest story I have ever heard," Snape said, unable to control the thoughts running through his mind.
"Excuse me?!" Lily cried indignantly as Snape, upon seeing her expression, changed his to an apologetic look.
"Sorry, it's just that…well…the story really doesn't make sense!"
"Okay, which part?"
"You really want to know?"
"No, I just asked you that because I had no intention of knowing, Severus," Lily replied sarcastically as Snape smirked at the indignant witch.
"Fine," Snape said as he began to explain. "Let's go to the part about Cinderella and the ball. She was upset because she couldn't go and her clothes were in tatters but then a fairy godmother pops up and helps her to go to the ball. My question is, why in the world would Cinderella want to go to the ball?"
"What do you mean?" Lily asked.
"Think about it," Snape said. "You finally find out after years of suffering that you have a fairy godmother that would use her magic to give you what you want and your first thought is that you want to go to a ball? Why not ask her fairy godmother to take her away from her awful home? Isn't that more important?"
"Not if your dream is to attend a ball and meet the person you're destined to fall in love with." Lily countered.
"Then it's a wasteful and stupid dream, is what it is!" Snape cried incredulously. "If I had a chance to choose between escaping my family and going to some stupid ball just so I could meet some girl, I would most certainly not pick the latter!"
"It's a fairytale, Snape." Lily sighed. "And besides, as cruel as her family was to her, Cinderella didn't want to leave her family. She cared for them too, in her own way."
"But why? They were cruel to her."
"It's who she is. Cinderella is very kind and forgiving."
"Fine!" Snape exclaimed as he threw his hands up into the air. "Then let's talk about the fairy godmother and her magic. To me, it's obvious the fairy godmother isn't really a fairy godmother. For one thing, fairies don't come in those sizes and they don't need a wand to use their magic which doesn't even go as far as what she did."
"So what are you saying?" Lily said though she was grinning at Snape as if she could anticipate what he would say next.
"She's a witch," Snape replied. "She used Transfiguration to turn things like the pumpkin into a carriage and Engorgio charms to increase the size of objects. She must have been a very poor witch if she can't even maintain those spells by midnight."
"Snape…" Lily sighed.
"I mean, it's obvious, isn't it?" Snape continued, as he ignored Lily. "She wears a cloak and uses a wand. Says things like Bippity Bobbity Boo just to hide the fact she uses non-verbal spells. She's obviously a witch with poor skills but the thing that really gets me is the glass slipper."
"What about it?" Lily asked, sounding curious.
"If the rest of Cinderella's outfit and other things were magical and turned back to their original state at midnight, why didn't the glass slipper do so as well? It's not like Cinderella had glass slippers to begin with. So did the fairy godmother spend all her energy on that one slipper, knowing it would bring the prince to Cinderella? Is she a Seer now? And what kind of shoe would only fit one person? None of it makes sense!"
"It's a fairytale, for the love of Merlin!" Lily replied, sounding slightly exasperated. "You're not supposed to take it so seriously."
"Okay, but you do. You seem to be caught up with this whole idea of romance with a prince." Snape said, sounding much more bitter than he would have liked. Lily gave him a strange look before bursting out in laughter.
"It's a fairytale, Severus! And yes, of course, I would be interested in going out with a prince!" Lily replied as her mind started to wander. "I mean, which girl wouldn't want to be swept off her feet by a handsome stranger, let alone a prince, who would love her and give her everything she wanted? Just because it might not come true doesn't make me want it less."
"A prince." Snape scoffed at the words. "They also seem like smug, poncy gits to me. You'll never hear me call myself a prince."
"Awww, Snape, not even for me?" Lily said with a grin as Snape's frown started to falter at the sight of Lily's smile. Merlin, she's beautiful Snape thought as his lips formed a grin on his own.
"I mean, is it really the best start to a relationship?" Snape said as he tried hard to distract himself from being drawn uncontrollably by the witch. "What if the prince is a pompous git? What if he's all wrong for Cinderella? I mean, the story ends with happily ever after but do we really know that?"
"You're such a party pooper, you know that!" Lily moaned as she gave Snape a mock frown, complete with her hands on her hips. "You can't even let a girl dream."
"It's just so unrealistic! Meeting your one true love on a single night without knowing much about them? How does Cinderella even know that she's in love?"
"What do you know about true love, Sev?" Lily asked as she smirked at Snape who threw his arms into the air.
"Honestly, not a clue! But I do know that love takes time. Love isn't something that happens overnight. It might take years for it to happen and even then, you don't get a guarantee that it's going to make you happy. Trust me, I know what happens when you just throw all caution to the wind and wind up with someone you think you're in love with." Snape replied as his mind slipped towards the thought of his parents. Snape recalled how his mother had mentioned about why she was with Tobias, how they met, how beautiful the first few months were. How excited she was when Snape was born. And then, just like that, it started to fall apart. The arguments started getting louder and more physical. The distance started growing longer. Snape recalled one particular night when he asked his mother if she ever loved his father.
"I did, Severus. And I do. And I try and try each day to love him but…"
"But what, Mother?" Snape asked as Eileen place her hand on his head, a bittersweet smile breaking out from her lips.
"But life got in the way."
"I understand," Lily said with a sympathetic look on her face. "And you're right. Love takes time and true love, well, you can't just fashion that in a single night. But falling in love takes only no time and all and honestly, where else are you going to start?"
Snape turned to look at Lily who had now inched closer to him.
"That's why I love Cinderella so much. It's about a girl who, after a whole life of suffering, decides to go for what she wants and she was rewarded for it. Sure, she did take a risk in doing so but guess what…sometimes, dreams do come true."
"Especially if you're lucky enough to win the charms of a handsome, dashing prince who will love you forever," Snape replied sarcastically as Lily laughed.
"Oh, Severus! I think the reason you feel so strongly about it is because…well…you're Cinderella!"
"I'm WHAT?!" Snape exclaimed so loudly and in shock that he nearly fell off the bed. Lily giggled at his response.
"Think about it…you're always wearing all these weird, hand-me-down outfits" Lily said as she pointed to his clothes. "And not to mention, but when I first saw you, I always noticed you like to talk to animals. You seemed to have an affinity for rats."
"That's because I was lonely back then!" Snape snapped as he groaned at the thought of him playing with the animals in the playground, often speaking to them about his family woes.
"I'm sorry," Lily replied with an apologetic grin. "But here's the good part, Snape. As Cinderella, you get to be a Disney princess! I mean, after all, isn't your mother's maiden name called Prince?"
"Then wouldn't I be a prince rather than a princess?!" Snape replied hotly although he found it difficult to get angry at Lily whose giggling Snape was starting to find adorable.
"True, but you said all princes were poncy gits so a princess you are!"
"You are so…unbelievably….arghhhh!" Snape cried in frustration as Lily let out another giggle before throwing her arms around Snape. The sudden contact of his best friend froze Snape on the spot. Merlin, she smells amazing! Snape thought as he caught of a whiff of the apple scent of Lily's crimson hair.
"I'm just messing with you," Lily said as she pulled away, giving him a smile.
"Well, no harm done," Snape replied with a smile of his own.
"So, Severus, or should I say Cinderella," Lily spoke as Snape groaned once more. "Imagine for a moment, that after all these years of bad times, you finally come face to face with a stranger whom you fall in love on first sight. Do you risk it all for the sake of love or would you rather just live your life the way you've always pictured it to be?"
Before Snape could answer, a familiar screech echoed from down below as Lily gave a groan.
"Damn that Petunia! I'll be right back." Lily said as she headed for the door.
"Hey, Lily," Snape called out as Lily turned her back. "Maybe you are Cinderella too!"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you have an evil sister like in the story?" Snape said as Lily narrowed her eyes for a moment before giving a giggle. "You're so mean, Snape!"
"Just like you, Evans!"
"True." Lily laughed as she opened the door. "Maybe I'll meet my prince someday," Lily said she left her room.
"Maybe you already have," Snape muttered sadly as he watched the door close behind her as the thought of Lily's last question lingered heavily in the air.
….
1976
"And Ilvermorny has a much better curriculum program than the one you have here."
Why did Slughorn invite this fool to the party?
Snape let out an internal groan as he forced himself to nod at the wizard's response. Perrault was a wizard from Ilvermorny, the American Wizarding School from across the Atlantic. Slughorn's Christmas Party was in full swing as dignitaries and students from other schools were invited to join Slughorn in celebrating the holidays. Though the party had been nothing but a glorified attempt by Slughorn to recruit more individuals into his club, Snape had very much looked forward to it for one particular reason.
Lily Evans
It was no secret that Lily, being a master at Potions just like himself, was a favourite of Slughorn and one he tried desperately to recruit into his club. Though Lily had turned down the invitation to join the club on the reason that she had to focus on her studies, Snape knew the real reason as he felt his heart twitch slightly in pain.
She's avoiding me
After that horrible day in his fifth year, Snape had tried desperately to win back Lily's affections but to no avail. All his efforts to talk to her had been shut down and Lily seemed to have surrounded herself with Gryffindor students, thus preventing Snape on getting to her one-to-one. He had hoped, perhaps, that Lily would change her mind about joining the Slug Club. Even attend one of their parties. Nonetheless, Snape was disheartened to see that the witch had not come.
"Snape, you okay?" Perrault spoke as Snape took a moment to study the wizard. He was a tall and muscular wizard, one with blonde hair and a perfect set of white teeth. His impressive jawline and built made him quite the head-turner, especially with the witches which Snape noted bitterly. His looks came with a price though, as Perrault thought highly of himself and had disdain for much of Hogwarts due to his silver spoon background. In some regard, Perrault reminded Snape a lot of Potter which made Snape dislike the wizard even more.
Yet, for some reason, Perrault had liked Snape's company as both wizards shared a liking towards the Dark Arts. Though not a fan of the Dark Lord, Perrault did have quite the taste for power and that made conversations with Snape a lot easier.
"I'm fine, Perrault," Snape replied, realising he never bothered to learn the wizard's first name.Perrault seemed to take it as a sign to continue speaking of things.
"So, Snape, what seems to be the word on the Death Eaters? Talk is, they seemed to be laying low at the moment. Rumour has it, something big is coming up."
"Oh trust me, Perrault." a silky voice spoke as Snape and Perrault turned around to the source of the voice. It was a gorgeous witch, a year older than Snape, with long, raven hair and mesmerizing green eyes though Snape doubted that wizards would notice this as much as they noticed her heaving bosom which with the silver dress she wore tonight, only accentuated her growing breasts more so than usual.
"Lady Zabini," Perrault spoke as he bowed slightly to give the witch's hand a kiss. Snape rolled his eyes at the wizard's overly dramatic performance while the witch smirked at the pair. "Let me get us some drinks," Perrault said as he walked away towards the bar while Snape snuck another glance at the witch.
Ariana Zabini
Ariana Zabini was a seventh year whose reputation of breaking wizards' hearts were reaching the status of legendary. Zabini never had a boyfriend for more than a few months, her reason being that there was always a better model just right down the corner. The witch, whose beauty, filled the lustful and wanton dreams of most men knew exactly how to use her assets and in the years she's been at Hogwarts, managed to amass an assortment of gifts that could rival the entire school on a Christmas morning. Snape had been wary of Zabini at first, the witch's reputation made her a snake to which other snakes would try to avoid, but it seemed just like Perrault, Zabini took a liking towards him, particularly when she would ask Snape for help in her Potions. It was Zabini, of all people, who had given him the most effective advice about dealing with Lily back in his fifth year.
"Merlin, you're pathetic," Ariana spoke as she narrowed her eyes at Snape's parchment. Snape had been busy writing Lily a letter to apologise for his behaviour and had not noticed the witch sneaking up from behind him.
"Do you mind? This is private." Snape snarled as he glared at the witch. Before he knew what was happening, Snape felt the parchment being yanked from his hands.
"Hey! Give that back!" Snape exclaimed as he tried to reach for it, only for the witch to pull it away from him as she continued to read. With a look of disgust, Ariana crumpled the parchment before throwing it onto the fireplace.
"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Snape roared as he tried in vain to save the parchment which was now fully burning amongst the coals.
"Merlin, Snape!" Ariana exclaimed as she looked at him in disgust. "Are you that fucking stupid? Do you honestly think a letter is going to get Lily Evans to shag you?"
"What the hell is that matter with you?!" Snape retorted as he turned to glare at the witch. Standing up to his full height, which was several inches above the witch, Snape walked to confront her. Yet Ariana stood her ground, her expression a telling sign that she was not at all intimidated by Snape.
"You're pathetic, you know that. Not only are you openly trying to covet a Mudblood, but you're acting like a pathetic, clingy bastard at that."
"Leave me alone!" Snape roared as he went back to the common room table and sat between two fourth-year boys. As he reached for his quill, Snape noticed Ariana following him to the table. Flashing a smile at the boys who seemed mesmerised by her beauty, both wizards left their seats, allowing Ariana to sit next to Snape.
"Honestly, do you even want Evans to talk to you again?" Ariana said as Snape let out a frustrated groan at the pestering witch. "Why is she so special, anyways?"
"You wouldn't understand," Snape replied bitterly as a smirk broke across Ariana's face.
"Oh, I think I do. You want to shag this witch, don't you? Make her your Mudblood whore?"
"Don't call her that!" Snape snapped as he glared at Ariana who laughed in his face.
"Merlin, look at you! Lusting after a Mudblood and you think that writing her a letter will be the solution to all your problems. You'll never get her to talk to you, much less fall in love with you with what you're doing."
"Oh, and I suppose you're an expert on love all of a sudden!"
"Of course, haven't you seen the guys that want to be with me? Not to mention, all my relationships." Ariana said proudly as Snape gave her an incredulous look.
"You think that's love. You don't know the first thing about love!"
"No, you don't!" Ariana snapped, sounding serious as she glared at Snape. "If you knew the first thing about love, you wouldn't waste your time writing her a stupid letter!"
"Oh and I suppose you do?"
"Of course!" Ariana exclaimed as she reverted back to her arrogant self. "Attraction is the first of love. You can't love what you don't want to fuck."
"You're confusing lust with love, Zabini!" Snape retorted.
"Am I?" Ariana spoke as her eyes glinted dangerously. "So all these boys who profess to be in love with me, they're all liars?"
"Yes!" Snape replied, not caring if he sounded harsh. "Just because you open your legs to every wizard with half a brain doesn't mean you know what love is! I don't love Lily like how you think I do! She's more than that!"
Ariana glared at Snape for a moment before smirking at him. "Liar."
"What?"
"I called you a liar," Ariana whispered as she leaned into Snape's ear. "Tell me something, Severus. Would you ever consider going out with Bulstrode?"
"What?" Snape said, confused as to her question.
"Bulstrode. If she had all the characteristics of Lily, if she had been Lily back when you were kids until now, would you feel the same way as you do towards Lily?"
"Of course not," Snape replied. "Bulstrode and Lily are two very different witches."
"I agree," Ariana said. "Although she might be a Mudblood, Evans still quite the looker, isn't she? Whereas Bulstrode is fat and ugly and even trolls would be disgusted with themselves to be compared to her."
"You're such a –" Snape started to speak before Ariana placed her hand on his thigh. Rubbing it up and down his thigh, Snape felt something stirring in his chest as his body started to betray his thoughts on Ariana.
"What are you doing?" Snape exclaimed as he turned to look at her, only to gasp slightly. Ariana had removed her robes, revealing the white top uniform which she had unbuttoned the first few buttons. Snape stared at Ariana's cleavage, the heaving bosom of her breasts taking all his attention as Ariana traced the goosebumps emerging from her left breast.
"Like what you see?" Ariana whispered softly into his ear, the sound of her voice making every nerve in Severus's body tingle. As hard as he tried to fight it, Severus Snape was a boy. His eyes trailed to Ariana's fingers which were tracing her slightly tanned perky breasts as her finger while pulling at her shirt came dangerously close to revealing her nipples.
"I…er…" Snape stammered as he shut his eyes in an attempt to sound coherent. Ariana leaned in closer, her nose now pressing against his cheek while her right hand, which had been busy rubbing his inner thigh now seemed to be making advances towards a certain area that Snape knew, despite all his thoughts not to, was probably growing in size.
"Tell me, Severus. Can you feel that?" Ariana said as she removed her hand suddenly from his thigh, much to Snape's disappointment and felt his wrist. "Your pulse elevated. Open your eyes, Severus."
Snape did as he was told, Ariana's voice casting some sort of spell over him.
"Your pupils are dilated," Ariana whispered as she smiled at the wizard. "Tell me, Snape, if you had to choose between Bulstrode, who is like Lily in every way except her looks and me, who do you think stands a better chance at winning your heart?"
"What do you mean?" Snape said as he found himself, leaning towards Ariana who smirked at him.
"Sorry, but I don't make out with losers," Ariana said as she pulled herself away. Upon hearing her words, Ariana's spell over him snapped as Snape pulled himself away, repulsed by both the witch and himself, whose body, unfortunately, seemed to still desire for the witch's touch.
"What the hell was that about, Zabini?" Snape asked hotly as Ariana shrugged at him.
"Just wanted to prove a point. It doesn't matter who a person is. Before we can fall in love with someone, we have to be attracted to them. Physically or in other ways. And you, my friend, are not an attraction. And Lily sees it. Even if you and she were on good terms, Lily Evans will never be attracted to you."
"You don't know that!" Snape retorted.
"Oh yes, I do. Do you think Lily Evans is some sort of saint? Please…she'll probably spread her legs for James Potter sooner or later."
The mention of James's name drew a fire inside of Snape as his knuckles turned white. Snape turned to face Ariana, who upon seeing the lines of hatred on his face, cowered slightly under his smouldering gaze.
"Lily will never fall for Potter," Snape growled. "She thinks he's an arrogant toerag."
"But Potter's quite the catch, isn't he?" Ariana replied. "Handsome, cocky, confident, Quidditch captain and star and rumour has it, in line to becoming Head Boy next year. Despite what Lily thinks, her body will be attracted to James and once you have the body, it's easy to work your way around the mind and heart. Why do you think people make excuses for those they find attractive? We give sympathy to bad boys because deep down, we like the way they look. How they get our pulse racing."
Snape said nothing as he continued to glare at Ariana.
"It's an aphrodisiac. Something that just gets the chemistry between two people going. The essence of love, if you want to go down that particular path. And what's more, the only reason Lily hasn't made a move towards Potter is because of you. How you constantly try to undermine him. You're the biggest cockblocker I know, Severus but even you can't stop it, especially now when she doesn't have you around to tell her how to feel."
"Shut up," Snape growled menacingly as he reached for his wand.
Yet Ariana was unperturbed. "And then there's you. Not that good looking, slimy, greasy. And then you hang around her like a little dog, clingy and possessive over everything she does. Nothing, nothing is more of a turn off than a clingy, needy guy and that's who you are, Severus Snape. So you can write your letters, you can beg, you can crawl but that Mudblood will never, ever feel for you as she does for Potter."
"SHUT UP!" Snape roared as the common room, which had watched the pair with a matter of interest now seemed to be interested in other things as the younger students fled away from the two. Snape turned on his heels, intending to get as far away from Ariana as possible.
"But I can tell you how to get her."
Snape froze in his tracks, his ears trying to process what he had just heard. "What?" Snape cried as he turned around, his voice more curious than it was annoyed. Ariana skipped towards Snape, a grin on her face as her green eyes twinkled in the light of the fireplace.
"Do you know what a girl's number one aphrodisiac is? What makes her desire someone more than anything else?"
"A good body and good looks?" Snape replied icily as he pictured James. Ariana shook her head.
"Power."
"Power?" Snape repeated her answer as he stared bemusedly at the witch. "What do you mean, power?"
"I mean, power!" Ariana said as she balled her fists. "Looks are immaterial, especially when you think about the number of ugly guys getting together with pretty girls in our school. Hot guys are a dime a dozen but a guy with power, now that's something special. Why does a girl go crazy over singers, over actors, over Quidditch players? Because they're attracted to the power that these guys have. Look at You-Know-Who."
Snape's eyes widened at the mention of Lord Voldemort.
"Think about him. Rumour has it, he has the face of a serpent and those red eyes are more likely to make you fear him than want to kiss him and yet, witches by the dozens would gladly give themselves over to him, body and heart and mind and all so long as he requests for it. I know Bella would and she's the last person you think would ever love anything. The Dark Lord could have a harem of witches, all because he has power."
Ariana placed a hand on Snape's shoulder.
"You have power too, you just too weak and distracted to realise it. You're the best in Potions, you create your own spells and you have more knowledge on jinxes, curses, and hexes than anyone I know. You could easily defeat James if not for his band of idiots. Be who you are supposed to be. Be the Death Eater."
Snape gulped at the mention of her last words. It was no secret that Snape harboured a real desire to join Voldemort's circle but a Death Eater? They were the best of the best.
"You can do it," Ariana said as she read his thoughts. "Lucius said you had the most potential, more than prats like Mulciber and Avery. Become the Death Eater, not just any Death Eater but one that is more powerful and dedicated to the Dark Lord than all the rest. Use that brain of yours and transform yourself, Severus and trust me, though she may be a Mudblood and may be against our Lord, Lily Evans will still be attracted to you. And once you've accomplished that, you will become her…Prince Charming." Ariana said with a smirk as she emphasized the last two words.
Pecking him on the cheek, Snape watched as Ariana sauntered away. She was right, of course, Snape thought as he realised that everything he had done to win Lily over had been in vain. Lily was attracted to bad boys like James, wasn't she? Well, she has no idea just how bad a boy can really be Snape thought furiously as he walked over to the table. He had left his Potions-Making textbook there and flipping through the pages, Snape picked up a quill.
"This book is the property of..." Snape wrote before pausing. Something about what Ariana said lingered in his mind.
"The Half-Blood Prince," Snape muttered under his breath as he wrote the words. His eyes lingered on the parchment in which he had wanted to write to Lily. Feeling a sense of anger and disgust at seeing the parchment, Snape crumpled the piece of parchment.
"I'm going to get you back, Lily Evans," Snape swore as he grabbed his things before throwing the crumpled parchment into the fireplace. Snape watched as the paper burnt until there was nothing left as Snape put out the fire while staring at the dark and cold hearth filled with cinders.
"Still trying to find your Mudblood?" Ariana whispered as Snape shook himself away from the memory. He glared at Zabini for a moment before shaking his head. Ariana rolled her eyes at the gesture yet before she could speak, Perrault walked over with his face holding an expression of frustration.
"You forgot the drinks," Ariana spoke curtly as Perrault waved her off.
"Forget the bloody drinks. I have a problem."
"What is it?" Snape asked, now finding Perrault's company more welcoming than Ariana's.
"The New Year's Ball. I can't attend." Perrault sighed as Snape nodded. The New Year's Ball was the social event of the year in Hogwarts. Orchestrated this year by Slughorn and Dumbledore, the Ball would be open to all sixth and seventh years from magical schools throughout the world as per their invitation. It was an aim to help foster as well as strengthen ties amongst the communities and Snape was to attend, seeing that he was a member of the Slug Club, though he couldn't be the least bit bothered. As incredible as the New Year's Ball may seem, it paled in comparison to Snape's event on the first day of 1977.
"There's going to be an initiation." Lucius had told him excitedly weeks ago. "The Dark Lord himself might even be there but no matter, once you've passed the initiation, you're almost guaranteed to become one of us."
"So just don't go," Ariana spoke as she stole a glass off one of the other party attendees. "It's not compulsory."
"But they've already assigned me a partner." Perrault sighed.
"Partner?" Snape asked.
"Yes, it's part of our exchange program for the Ball. Some of your classmates have been chosen to accompany each of us as part of the program for the party. It's something to do with wanting to strengthen ties or some nonsense of the sort. I just need to figure out how to tell my partner."
"Wonder why we weren't chosen as partners?" Ariana muttered to Snape as the latter smirked at the rhetorical question. It didn't surprise Snape in the least. He, together with a few Slytherins, had already gotten a reputation and Snape doubted that Dumbledore would risk partnering someone up with a would-be Death Eater.
"Who did you get?" Ariana asked as she passed her drink over to Snape.
"Some girl," Perrault said as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a card. "I only recall her name being similar to a flower or something…ahhh yes…Lily Evans."
Snape nearly spat out his drink as Ariana's eyes widened to the size of saucers.
"Wait, Lily Evans?!" Snape exclaimed as Perrault gave him a confused look.
"Why? You know her?" Perrault asked as Snape nodded. How in Merlin's name did I not know about this?! Snape thought as Perrault let out a sigh.
"Would you mind terribly if you told her for me?"
"I…well…" Snape stammered as Perrault handed him the card. Snape sucked his breath as he noted her name written in red ink on the card.
"Snape would love to," Ariana spoke as she took the glass from Snape and linked her arm around Perrault. "Snape and Lily go way back. It's not going to be a problem."
"Fantastic," Perrault said as he smirked at the beautiful witch around his arm. "You're a real sport, Snape."
"Follow me, Perrault. I want to hear more about your family back in America. I heard you're one of the richest families there." Ariana said as she led Perrault away, leaving Snape along with his thoughts as he stared down at the card.
…
"There you are, Snape," Ariana spoke as Snape looked up from the tree he had been leaning against. It was one of his favourite spots on the Hogwarts grounds, a clearing in the outskirts of the forest, close to Hagrid's Hut. "What are you doing?" Ariana asked as she noticed a thin wisp of silver escaped Snape's wand and hovered like a mist before him.
"Trying to make a Patronus," Snape said as Ariana stared at him bemusedly. "I still can't get it to take on a corporeal form."
"Why? Aren't you going to be a Death Eater?"
"It's required for us to do one for our NEWTs," Snape said as he let out a frustrated sigh before stuffing his wand into his pocket. "I can't seem to concentrate."
"I wonder why," Ariana said sarcastically as she picked up the card that Snape had lain next to himself before smirking at the name on the card.
"So what are you going to do?" Ariana asked as she sat next to him.
"I have no idea." Snape sighed as he took the card from Ariana before pocketing it. "Probably just going to give it to one of the first-years to hand it to her.". Snape had considered using the card as a means to talk to Lily but each time, his mind would shut down that idea, particularly when Snape realised he had no means of even getting the chance to speak to her.
"I see," Ariana said with a frown. "By the way, Severus, do you still have the Polyjuice Potion you made for Slughorn a few weeks back?"
"Yeah, but there's not much left," Snape replied. "Why?"
Ariana flashed him a smile. "Because I might have a proposal for you. What if, instead of giving her the letter, you could take Lily Evans to the ball instead?"
"Are you barmy?" Snape replied as he frowned at her. "Why would Lily want to go with me?"
"Not with you," Ariana said as she pulled out her handkerchief. Inside it, Snape could see several strands of blonde hair.
"Is that…" Snape began to ask as Ariana nodded.
"Had to yank them out of Perrault's hair while we were making out," Ariana said dismissively. "I wonder if that's why we call them Yankees?"
Snape stared at Ariana as he looked at the strands of blonde hair before his mind caught on as to what Ariana wanted him to do.
"No! Are you crazy?" Snape said as he shook his head.
"Why not?!" Ariana asked huffily as Snape shook his head once more. As a master in Potions, Snape had considered on several accounts about using his Potion knowledge to get to Lily. He had shut down the idea of a Love Potion, one he felt too guilty to use and would not be effective considering Lily knew how to detect Love Potions seeing that she was good with Potions as well. His idea for the Felix Felicis was also scrapped on account that some of the ingredients weren't in the Potions stock and the idea to use the Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as one of her classmates would also not succeed given the fact that there were too many variables to consider.
"Why would I want to disguise myself as Perrault just to take Lily Evans to the ball?" Snape spoke as Ariana rolled her eyes.
"Oh please, don't pretend like that idea hasn't crossed your mind. I really don't see an issue here. Perrault can't make it and wouldn't care less what you do. He hasn't spoken to anyone and reassures me that he won't. You could pretend to be him and finally get to spend some time with your precious Mudblood."
"Don't call her that!" Snape snapped as he glared at Zabini.
"Oh come on." Ariana pleaded, unfazed by Snape's reluctance. "I've thought this through. Nothing can go wrong!"
"Lily would be able to tell it's me," Snape replied. "She knows me, Zabini. Sooner or later, I'm going to say something that might give me away."
"No, you won't," Ariana replied. "She won't suspect a thing, not if you attend the Ball as well."
"What are you talking about?" Snape asked dryly as Ariana flashed him a wicked grin.
"What if I told you, this situation would benefit both of us?"
"Huh?"
"It's like this, Severus," Ariana said as she placed an arm around him. "I'm going to graduate from the godforsaken school soon enough and the last thing I want is to leave this school empty-handed especially when it comes to my future. What I propose, my slimy friend, is that while you pretend to be Perrault, I will pretend to be you and attend the party which will be filled not only with students but other dignitaries, comprising of horny old men with lonely social lives but very large pockets. If you let me be you, I could strike up a conversation with some of these gentlemen and find out what makes them tick. That way, once I graduate, I will know exactly who to target. A lady must do her research if she intends to get what she wants."
"So then go to the party as yourself!" Snape barked as he pulled himself away from Ariana's arm. "Why go as me? Surely you can get these gentlemen or whatever you call them to tell you whatever you want?" Snape said as Ariana shook her head.
"I realise that people tend to be more honest with you when they're not trying to impress you," Ariana explained. "Besides, I'm not looking to shag and break up anymore. I'm looking for something along the lines of a more permanent and personal relationship. And I can't do this without you. So what do you say, Severus, will you help me?"
"I don't know…" Snape sighed as he stood to his feet. "How about I just give you the Potion and my hair to use? You can still go to the party without me."
"Why don't you want to do this?" Ariana said as she stood to her feet. "It's obvious to me you still have feelings for the Mu…I mean, Evans. So why not get something out of the deal? You're going to be a Death Eater the next day anyways. So have some fun beforehand."
"I can't." Snape sighed.
"Why not?!" Ariana replied indignantly, her face looking slight cross. "You're acting like a real wimp here, Snape."
"I'm not being a wimp!" Snape replied hotly before looking slightly resigned. "I just…I can't do that to Lily."
"Are you serious?!" Ariana exclaimed. "A year ago you would have jumped on a chance like this!"
"Well, I'm not the same wizard as I am a year ago, now am I?" Snape cried. "You said it yourself, I'm going to be a Death Eater the next day. So why risk doing something that might get me caught and punished?"
"No one is asking for you to sweep her off her feet!" Ariana countered. "Although it would be interesting to see if she would fall for you."
"It wouldn't be me," Snape said. "It would be Perrault."
"Yes, and think about the talk we had previously about attraction. Only a blind witch wouldn't be interested in Perrault." Ariana spoke excitedly. "You would already have the attraction part down and all that's left is for you to talk to her and see if she would fall for you by the end of the ball."
"And then what?" Snape retorted. "I just tell her that it's all a trick? It's not like we can have a proper relationship."
"Why are you thinking so far ahead?!" Ariana cried exasperatedly. "All I'm asking for you is to give yourself one night of happiness. You finally, finally get to have a night out with Lily Evans and the best part is, you could even try anything with her. See if she falls for any of your moves. If she does, well then maybe you'll get some action for once! And if she doesn't, you would still get a chance to hang with your former best friend. All I'm talking about is one night. One night to make all your dreams come true."
"I'm sorry," Snape said as he started to walk away. "I can't do that to Lily."
"She's going to say yes to Potter, you know," Ariana said as Snape stopped in his tracks. As Ariana walked beside him, he could see a triumphant look on her face.
"Word is, Evans is seriously considering finally giving in to go out with Potter," Ariana spoke in a high, arrogant voice as she poked his chest. "Is that what you want? For Lily Evans to go out with James Potter?"
Ariana smirk grew larger at the sight of Snape's face turning red.
"All you have to do is go to the Ball with Lily and maybe convince her that there are better guys out there. Or maybe get her to fall in love with you. Who knows? Who cares? All it takes is one handsome…prince like Perrault and just like that, you become the monkey wrench in James Potter's plans. Imagine that look on Potter's face if you and her are dancing in the Ball and when the clock strikes midnight, you kiss her right in front of his sorry, Muggle-loving face."
Snape started to tremble again, only this time it wasn't due to fear. He could picture Lily staring back at him longingly with her piercing, green eyes as Snape tucked one of her strands of long red hair behind her ear before leaning in to press his lips against her.
"All you have to do is reach out for it. One night where all of your dreams can come true." Ariana whispered as she held out the strands of blonde hair. "Think about it."
Ariana placed one of the strands of hair onto Snape's glove as she sauntered back into the castle. Picturing Lily in his head as well as Potter, Snape let out a frustrated sigh before closing his hand around the strand of hair, his black eyes flashing with determination.
…..