A/N: This is a Severus Snape/Andromeda Black fanfiction, which takes place in Severus's 7th year at Hogwarts. It is being written by two Severus Snape freaks, which you can call, for now, Sev and Ad. Please enjoy reading it and be kind with your reviews!

Chapter 1 - The First Encounter

Severus walked out of the wagon and headed to the castle with his head lowered. He still had fresh in his memmory the last encounter with the famous Marauders on the Hogwarts Express, and wanted by all means to stay out of their way. He had just nearly escaped when the trolly-lady had arived.

The darkness had already fallen, but there were no stars on the sky. The only source of light was coming from the countless windows of the castle. Severus wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and slipped up the road. It had just stopped raining and there was mud everywhere.

He had almost managed to get all the way up to the castle, when he slipped in the mud and fell backwards into the person behind. Lying in the dirt, he heard the oh, so familiar voices laughing. He closed his eyes, breathed deeply and looked up. He had not been mistaken. There stood the four boys he loathed the most, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, better known as the Mauruders. But before he even had gotten his thoughts so far as to reach to his wand, all of the four of theirs were out and pointing at him.

"Give us your wand Snivellus, said Sirius in a mocking voice, - if you know what's best for you."

Everything in Severus said not to give it away, but what was he to say against four risen wands? Reluctantly, he reached a muddy hand into his robes and feched it out, hesitating. James bowed down and napped it violently out of his hand before giving him a slap in the back of his head so his face went down in the mud. Coughing and trying to get the dirt out of his eyes he glared up towards them.

"You'll pay for this if it's the last thing I do!" he spat, the mudd dripping down his robes. The boys all laughed and Sirius bent low so that his face was at Severus's level.

"You really think you can do as much as to move a hair on our heads?" He kept laughing, - "what are you going to do, eh? Grease on us?" All the guys laughed again, while Severus tried to get up on his feet. He could see other kids stopping and staring on their way up to the castle, but no one dared to stay for very long. This wasn't exactly a new scene.

Severus had almost managed to get up, when he was forcefully pushed down again, the breath beaten out of him.

"Where do you think you are going?" Sirius asked, - "you are staying here as long as we want you to stay." Severus could see Remus Lupin tripp a bit nervously beside his friends.

"You know, Sirius," he said, uncertain, - "haven't we had enough fun for tonight? We won't miss the feast will we?" James looked towards Remus with his eyebrows raised.

"Don't tell me you are chicken out?" he said and laughed, - "besides, this is a thousand times funnier than to watch kiddies getting sorted!" And with this he kicked a struggling Snape down in the mud again.

"He is in his right elemnt all right," Sirius barked, - "down in the mud!" Peter laughed his squeeking laughter so loud and so long for this little joke that the rest of the Mauruders started to glare at him.

"Ey, calm down Peter," Sirius said, - "it wasn't that funny." And while everyone was glaring at Peter, Severus took his chance and napped James's wand out of his hands. Quickly getting to his feet, James's wand raised, he looked at each of them with glittering eyes through a curtain of black hair. It was difficult to see wether he was smiling victoriously, or shivering with fear. Maybe even both.

"That wasn't supposed to happen," said James, getting Severus's wand from Sirius, - "you have become quicker. We have to make sure that won't happen again." And then they all rised their wands again, pointing them straight at Severus' chest.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" All five boys turned their heads to the misty figure, but all they could perceive at first was the slim silhouette of a girl.

"Who are you again?" James raised his eyebrow, annoyed by the fact that someone did actually dare to interfere in the matter, handing Severus's wand back to Sirius.

"This is of no interest to you. What does matter, however, is that you shouldn't be lingering outside the castle at this time."

"She's right..." Remus pointed out silently, afraid of displeasing his friends.

Sirius wanted to give a harsh reply, but just as he opened his mouth to do so, he got the feeling that he knew the girl's voice from somewhere. Suddenly, realisation struck him.

"Andromeda?"

"Oh, so you finally figured it out... Funny, I didn't think anybody would remember the pathetic little Ravenclaw girl..." she answered coolly.

James and Severus hadn't paid any attention to these last exchanges of replies, though. The first one glared with fury, while the latter clutched to the wand as for dear life.

"Lower your wands, guys..." Andromeda demanded the other three Marauders, who reluctantly and hesitatingly obeyed.

"Are you mad ?!" James yelled at his companions in disbelief – it seemed this girl had an odd effect over their minds.

Ignoring the angry boy, the girl stepped forward, gently pushing Severus's hand down and slowly taking the wand from him.

"I believe this is yours..." she handed the object to James. "Cousin...?" she said, reaching her empty hand towards Sirius.

"Yeah, sure! You wish!" he snapped, hiding Severus's wand into his robes.

"Cousin, you'd better give it back!" she threatened, pulling out her own wand. James, Sirius and Peter also grabbed their wands, but, at that very moment, an awkwardly amber-coloured moon in its last quarter slowly appeared from behind the leaden clouds. Remus unexpectedly turned his face away from its light. On Andromeda, however, this had another effect – as the light grew stronger and stronger, it revealed the girl's crystal-blue eyes, shining like the clearest of waters and her deeply-black hair, fluttering freely in the freezing wind. This produced Severus's eyes to widen in wonder – he was speechless, not that he had spoken anything previously, either, but this sight left him empty of all words.

"Sirius, please give me the wand." her cousin nodded, much too worried for Remus now to care of anything else.

"Here." he handed it sharply. "But this is not the last you've heard of us, Snivellus! The school year is very long..." he glared at the boy he had addressed to, following his friends, who had already begun to walk away, heading to the castle.

"There you go." Andromeda smiled, retrieving Severus his wand. "Oh, dear! You're cold, aren't you?" she gasped, watching him shiver. Next, she took off her own black, expensive, furry cloak, wrapping the boy in it.

Severus wanted to thank her, to smile to her, to just say something – but he was petrified: his lips wouldn't move, but his heart kept beating faster and faster.

"Don't worry about giving it back – you can keep it as much as you want to. And when you don't need it anymore, simply ask one of the Ravenclaws about Andromeda. Andromeda Black. Well, I should be going now, I think they're waiting for me... I'm a Prefect you know... See you around, then! And stay out of trouble!" she smiled to him once again, patting him encouragingly on the shoulder before hurrying to the castle.

Severus felt as if lightning had just struck him. He had been in front of a nice girl who had willingly and freely helped him and he didn't have the courage to address her a single word. He angrily kicked with his foot into the earth, spreading mud all around him. Then he stopped. Black? Andromeda Black ? He let his wand slip from his hand as he stared blankly at a moving figure in the distance.

------------- Severus ----------------

I was walking towards the castle, my feet slipping through the mud, hiding under my cloak. I had more to hide from that just the cold though. Glaring behind me to see if my archenemies, the Marauders, where there, but could see nothing. Heading up a very difficult and muddy curve of the road, I managed to slip and fall backwards over none other than James Potter. The most arrogant brat in Hogwarts, and, of course, his friends, were having their way right behind me. And since they were four and I was only one, it ended up with them taking away my wand. They should just have known how uncomfortable I could have made them if they didn't have the chance to take it. But wandless and mud covering me, I didn't stand a chance. Curse them, one day I will get back to them, I swear it with everything that magic stands for! I am not helpless, they should only have known.

And during an unwatchful moment of theirs, I managed to take James's wand, but still, there were four against one. And as I was lying there in the dirt, none other than Sirius's cousin, Andromeda Black I think her name was, turned up and managed to pursue them to leave me alone. Of course, I could have handled the situation alone, but she had been nice. She even lended me her cloak, which took me by surprise. I guess I have to give it back tomorrow.

------------- Andromeda ----------------

I was simply walking to the castle, alone, as usually, blank stare, cloak wrapped around my body in a futile attempt to keep myself warm, when I heard laughter: at first, nothing seemed odd to me – people laugh, don't they? – but as I recognized the voice of Sirius, my dreadful cousin who always thinks he's the greatest just because he's in Gryffindor, curiosity took me over. I approached his "gang" quietly, trying to see what they were doing. As I came closer and closer, I distinguished the figure of a Slytherin boy whom I didn't really know – all I knew was that Sirius had the obsessive habit of mocking of him. The mere fact that I deeply despised my cousin made me interfere exactly when the Slytherin boy was in more trouble. Sirius didn't recognize me at first – I hadn't even expected him to. I had a few harsh words with his pesky friend, Potter, I think. There's nothing much about that guy, in my opinion.

Anyway, my cousin eventually got aware of the fact that it was really me, thing which didn't change the situation. I somehow managed to make him, the Gryffindor Prefect and another pathetic friend of Sirius's to lower their wands which were threateningly pointing at that poor Slytherin boy, whom I also made to lower his hand and give back the wand which seemed James's. Good, his gaze was so distant, so terribly sad that it made me shiver! Who knows what the poor boy had been through until then... However, Sirius, being a total git, refused to retrieve the boy's wand. That is, until something odd happened – the moon revealed itself from behind the clouds, causing the Gryffindor Prefect to turn his face away from its light and to feel sick. That was when the pesky Marauders hurried away, leaving me and the Slytherin boy in peace. I noticed that the boy was shivering, so ignoring my own coldness, I gave him my cloak for him to wear it for as much as he'd like. Afterwards, I left him, speechless, the poor thing, because I had to subscribe to my Prefect duties. Nonetheless, the mysterious Slytherin fascinated me, and his image still lingers in my mind – there's something about him... Maybe his chaotic black eyes, who knows...