It was a crisp cold beginning to the new semester at Hogwarts, with all the students returning after a very exciting Christmas break Branin stepped outside waiting to see his best friend Jack. His blue and white scarf wrapped loosely around his neck his eyes scanning the crowds of students. At last he spotted two boys, the dirty blond boy who was and the shorter boy,Elliot. As they approached Branin noticed Jack's hair was shorter, and not so in his face. Branin chuckled as Jack saw him "hey mate what have you been up to?" Branin raised an eyebrow and smiled "like i can tell you here" he said cracking a devilish smirk. Jack rolled his eyes as they entered the warmth of the school. Just in time for the snow to start falling gracefully outside. Elliot nudged Jack with his elbow and pointed to a black haired 5th year hufflepuff who they had bothered on the train. Jack laughed and turned to tell Branin about the girl when he saw his attention was focused on none other then Alice Snape. A girl who Branin spoke in his sleep about, someone who he could not get out of his head.
Branin's slight scowl on his face told Jack more of his thoughts than he could speak. Branin watched as the light snow fell delicately onto her hair then melted in the heat. Her beautiful black hair outlining her face perfectly. Branin's already abnormally fast heart beat skipped as his already higher body temperature rose. "oi, come on loverboy before you explode" Jack grabbed Branin's arm and dragged him away up the stairs Elliot laughed and followed them. "don't call me loverboy" Branin mumbled as he pulled away from Jack's grasp. Jack laughed "fine" He let go of Branin when the three were on the second floor. "i'm going to go get changed into my robes, i'll see you both later" Elliot waved to them and ran up the stairs to the fat lady picture to the gryffindor common room. Branin and Jack rode the staircases up to the 6th floor where they could go to their secret room that they discovered last year by accident. Branin had talked Jack into skipping his potions class to explore the upper levels of the school, with just the slightest encouragement from Branin,Jack was off following Branin up the stairs. When they reached the 6th floor they walked around the nearly bare floor. "there are only windows up here...Branin we should go back now" Jack looked around the corners nervously. Branin just kept walking,but stopped when he came to a door. "ha told you there would be something up here, not just windows and halls" He opened the door to a plush cozy room. A fire started as soon as they stepped in. "was this room here before?" Jack asked trying to recall seeing the door. "no but that's the beauty in magic" Branin said making himself at home. Jack walked over to the window and looked out "i-its not night time" Branin looked over at him confused "i know that...wh-" he looked up out the window and froze. "t-the moon..." He stood up from the couch he was sitting on and backed away to the door. "Come on" the two boys walked out of the room and from that day on they went back once a week finding new things in the window each time.
"you'll never believe what was in the window yesterday" Branin said opening the door. Jack stepped in and froze "did you decorate?" Nearly all the room was pink. Branin walked in and sighed "really, come on peeves..." He closed the door behind him and heard the annoying laughter of the ghost. "thought pink would be better for the wolfy-pup" Jack hid a giggle "he knows?" he asked turning to Branin. He just stood there pinching the bridge of this nose in annoyance "GET OUT!" he yelled as the ghost floated above them. He looked as if he were about to say something but he backed down. "alrighty then miss grumpy pups" He disappeared through the wall. Branin rolled his eyes and went to sit on the now grey couch,Jack went to sit with him. "what was that all about?" he asked with a slight laugh. Branin looked at Jack not amused "he found out i was a half-wolf and uh...helped me outside" Jack's eyes went wide "you turned in the castle!" Branin waved it off and stood up going to the small kitchen. "i was sleeping when it happened" Jack nodded finally understanding "so that's why you look like complete rubbish" Branin shot him a warning glance "shut it" He opened the mini-fridge and pulled out two cans of butterbeer. "catch" Branin tossed one of them to Jack, he caught it but it dropped out of his hand. "damn" he picked it up as Branin laughed "you still can't catch to save your life, and i have been meaning to ask" he poked Jacks hair "whats up with your hair?" Jack rolled his eyes "mum's been throwing fits about it so i just took a pair of scissors and cut it, of course she took me to a hairdresser after but i still didn't want to cut it" Branin laughed even harder "the lion finally cut his mane" Jack looked at Branin trying not to laugh at the reference to his nickname. "you heard about that huh?" Branin nodded "i think everyone would hear about a student who changes his own bed into a lion" Even professor snape got a good laugh at that. Jack looked at Branin confused "what?" Branin opened his butterbeer and took a large gulp "yea, he had to stay here for a few days after the students left to make sure all his stuff was here and so he could get future lessons planned" Jack still didn't get it. "i helped him out we've...come to an understanding on some levels" he grinned remembering the bet he had with his potions teacher.

Severus snape grunted as he lifted a large box filled with flubberworm mucus containers and turned to walk back to his classroom when Branin ran into him, knocking him off balance and causing him to drop the box. It took Branin a moment to figure out what happened, he had been running from some 6th year ravenclaw girls he offended. "mister Salvatore what is the meaning of this" Snape said pushing himself up and checking the items in the box. Branin saw who he had knocked over and jumped to his feet "i-im sorry professor" He noticed a case of the flubberworm mucus fell out of the box, he picked it up and handed it to a glaring Snape. "do you need help with that?" Branin asked hoping he would say no. Severus was shocked by the offer "uh, y-yes actually i would, if you would" he motioned for Branin to take the box from him so he could get another. Branin took the box "careful, it is...heavy" He placed the box in Branin's arms and was confused when Branin looked barely fazed by it. He turned and went back into the cupboard where he got the first box, lifting up another he turned and began leading the way to his classroom. "to be honest mr. Salvatore i was shocked you offered to help" Severus said as he opened the door and stepped aside for Branin to enter first. He walked in "so was i" Branin mumbled so quietly Severus didn't hear. "why?" Severus asked with suspicion in his voice and eyes. Branin set the box he was carrying on a nearby desk and turned to his potions teacher. "i have nothing else to do, might as well, plus it might do me good to spend time with my future father-in-law" Severus was at a loss for words, split between detention for life and curiosity. Branin was shocked at himself for being so straight forward. It took Severus a while to form non-murderous thought "oh really, and who would you-"he set his box down turning away from Branin. Branin smirked as he saw he had caused Severus Snape to be speechless, he was also happy that he could not take away house points at this time. "I know many boys think they can get to Rose but-" Branin shook his head "no not rose, i was thinking of Alice" Severus spun around, Anger, confusion, and slight flattery on his face. "how dare you speak so openly to me" Branin just stood there looking slightly uncomfortable "well better to be honest then to lie" Severus stopped his actions before he started, shocked at what he had just said "w-well..yes...i suppose" He looked at Branin straight on for the first time. He looked like an exact replica of his father. "you look exactly like your father" The only trace of his mother on Branin was his nose, straight but curved up at the end. Branin was shocked "y-you knew my f-" Before he could finish his sentence "and mother, though...i was never...close to them" Severus was caught in his memories while he stared at Branin. Lily had not known that for a short while after that day he confessed his love to her and promised to get out of his circle of friends, Thackory Salvatore had been his friend until he absolutely had to stop. He was a sweet boy and a brave man, If his family had not all been in Slytherin he would most likely be in Gryffindor. A few days after Snape broke his friendships with the future death eaters he found that Thackory had been his replacement. A few years later during their 7th year Severus received an invitation to a wedding. It was Thackory's wedding to a fellow Slytherin Severus knew named Ashlynn Haskell. They both had dark hair but only he had the famous Salvatore ice blue eyes while she had pale grey eyes. The wedding was like something out of a fairy tale with magic, it could have been. They were married right outside Hogwarts in front of everyone with Lucius Malfoy as his best man. Bellatrix Black was Ashlynn's maid of honor which to many peoples surprise she did fairly well at it. When the wedding was over Ashlynn announced she was pregnant with triplets causing a mixture of reactions in the crowd. Thackory was shocked mostly. After that day Severus never saw Thackory or Ashlynn again. He had heard about them having the triplets, then 4 more children before the massacre, He felt horrible about it but had his own family, he felt mixed feelings about it, if lily had not made him promise to stay away from the death eater stuff, he would have been a part of that. Severus snapped out of his memories and looked at Branin with knew knowledge, trying to avoid his past he asked about Alice "and how is it you plan to get my Alice" Branin raised an eyebrow at him "weren't we just talking about my parents?" Severus waved it off trying to avoid it "yes but i would like to stay in the present...now...what were your plans with my...daughter"
Branin felt his cheeks start to warm up "to be honest?" he looked up at Snape who had walked towards him and stopped only a few feet away. "I really don't know, i was just going to go with the flow" Now it was Severus's turn to raise his eyebrows "what...do you mean" Branin wanted out of the room now that all attention was on him. "she doesn't seem to like me much, but i know it's a mask..." He said warily as Severus began to glare at him. "you think you know my daughter...am i right?" Branin stood up from the desk and looked Snape in the eyes "i never said that, i would like to get to know her, and maybe someday get married and have at most 12 kids" Severus looked as if he were about to burst, but instead he appreciated Branin's honesty. Giving him one last glare he turned, "come on...if you would...help me get the rest..of the boxes" He turned and started walking out of the room, leaving Branin completely confused. Over the course of the next day and a half Branin helped Severus Snape get ready for the next semester of potions. Severus did not want to admit it but Branin was already his favorite student in class, he answered every question he threw at him with ease and even shot back some challenging questions. He was not always on time but he made up for it by completing his homework which most of the time only half his classes do fully. His personality did not match his house at all but that was what he did most of the time, not match anything except his clothes. Branin told Severus about Jack's lion accident and they both laughed. When Severus finally left he thanked Branin for helping him out and keeping him company while doing so. "Thanks to you, I get to go home and spend more time with my family than was planned, you shall be receiving 50 points for your house when I return" He went to leave when he stopped and turned back to Branin "and...if you do...happen to get Alice to want to date you...IF...i shall be owing you 10 galleons" Branin grinned and nodded,returned to his book that he had been reading before Severus kindly interrupted. _
Jack laughed "a bet? for what?" Branin got up and threw his empty butterbeer can out "for Alice of course" Jack got up and stretched his arms "wow, who would have thought Snape actually wanting his daughter to go out with a werewolf" Branin froze and Jack noticed his tenseness "you didn't tell him, smart" He added while walking to the door. "well would you tell your teacher you are a werewolf" Jack stopped at the door "well not normally no" He turned to face Branin "but you've never been normal" Branin glared at Jack "when have you ever had a good haircut" he yelled as Jack closed the door behind him.