A/N: Hello All! So there aren't too many memories in this chapter, but I hope that's alright. I wanted to give a bit more of present day, a good balance you know. Still wondering how I'm doing and I'd love some feedback if you can! Read and Review?
PS this will be updated as frequently as possible considering the amount of books Severus is in I mean come on, I'm only in Chapter 8 of the first book. I haven't even reached the troll/fluffy or the first quidditch match! Lot's to do, lots to do.
Severus sat silently in his classroom, he had been dreading this moment all day, a double potions with Gryffindor and Slytherin, first years. He could handle the Slytherins, hell he couldn't wait for Draco to put some of his teachings into action, points to Slytherin on the first day was always a good sign. However when the thought of teaching the brainless, arrogant Gryffindors. He suppressed a shudder as the door swung open quietly. His eyes snapped up to see the Gryffindors enter, shrinking from his gaze almost instantly.
He found the Slytherins were just as fearful of him as they entered the room, the only one to smile at him was Draco and his friends, Severus closed his eyes and subtly nodded. Once everyone was settled Severus grabbed his wand and flicked it, the heavy wooden doors swung shut loudly causing everyone to jump. Hands were silently raised as Severus did roll call only pausing when he finally came across his name, "Harry Potter. Our new - celebrity." Severus was aware of Draco and his friends quiet giggles. He finished roll call, lingering only a moment as he glared into those precious green eyes. He turned, placing the list on his desk before turning back and silencing the room with one single glare.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making." He slowly walked to the front row, eyeing each student as he continued, "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic." He followed the rows, staying at the front of the class but moving to glare at each student, "I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with it's shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses..." His long fingers skimmed over Draco's cauldron and only someone within an inch of the man's face could see the change, he smiled, this was his passion his love, his art. The only thing he ever loved more...well that was a different story, "I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death - If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Severus glanced around the class, utter silence. The only movement was the bushy-haired Gryffindor girl who had been talking Potter's ear off the night before, she was leaning over her books, her foot twitching beneath her desk in anticipation. Speaking of Gryffindors, "Potter!" Severus barked, he was glaring at the boy who was shrinking in his seat, but the question that escaped his lips surprised even himself, "What would I get if I added powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
The boy paled, turning briefly to gaze at his dunderhead friend who looked just as confused at the question as he did. The little annoying girl's hand sprung into the air so fast Severus nearly jumped. The boy-who-lived turned back and softly said, "I don't know, sir."
Severus' lip curled into a satisfied smirk, "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" The girl's hand jumped from her book to the air once more, Draco and his friends were practically rolling on the floor in laughter. Severus continued to look at the boy expectantly. The boy however stared straight ahead, Severus could see the emotions of embarrassment and anger swirling in those green eyes.
"I don't know, sir." He said softly.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Severus glared down at the boy, his eyes flickering to the side as the Gryffindor girl stood from her seat, her chair clacking into the cobblestone floor as she stretched her arm as far as she could reach into the air.
"I don't know, I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?" the boy's voice was practically a whisper. There were soft giggles around the room and this only infuriated Severus, if this dunderhead thought he could get away with back-sassing him he was sorely mistaken.
"Sit down." He snapped, glaring daggers at Hermione, who nearly missed her seat in her haste to shrink back from his gaze. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkhood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" The awestruck class instantly began digging for quills, ink, and paper in their bags and over the nose Severus felt the need to degrade the replica even further, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter."
His back turned to the class Severus smirked broadened. The boy may have had his precious Lily's eyes but he had his father's sass. Giving the first years instruction to make a boil-cure potion for the remainder of the class, Severus hovered carefully over each pair.
His black cloak was flowing behind him gracefully, barely catching their papers with the soft wind, his black eyes watched intently, criticizing each and every thing they did. However when his gaze fell on Draco and his partner he found himself beaming. Well perhaps not beaming, but Draco certainly was as Severus gloated about Draco's potion, the perfect way that he had stewed his horned slugs. He was about to award points to Draco when clouds of acid green smoke caught his attention. He stalked to the other side of the room, one of the Gryffindors, Neville had ruined his cauldron. It was pooled in a black mass on the floor, the sickly green potion flowing over peoples shoes and burning anything it came into contact with. With a pained cry Neville stiffened as angry red boils sprouted over his body.
"Idiot boy!" Severus snarled, his wand flicking the cauldron and it's mess from his classroom floor. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" Severus sneered as the boy whimpered, the boils beginning to burst painfully across his nose. "Take him to the hospital wing." Severus spat at the boy's partner Seamus.
"You - Potter - Why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." Severus wasn't sure why he had instantly rounded on the boy, but the little voice in the back of his head screamed that he had done it on purpose. The boy obviously knew that something bad would happen and he was probably going to laugh about it later with that gangly red-head boy.
He watched Potter open his mouth to argue it but was swiftly silenced by the red-head Weasley. They exchanged a glance, the red-head silently warning not to push it, before Severus turned on his a brief moment to explain why the boy's potion was an utter failure he dismissed them and watched as they all silently crept away.
Severus pulled his bag over his shoulder, gripping the strap tightly. He was waiting by the door of the potion's room, a lot of the Gryffindor and Slytherins were already sitting and waiting for class. Severus however, was waiting for Lily. She had the same class as he did and he was excited to see his dear friend. It was a nightmare, watching her from across the Great Hall, that arrogant Potter boy always making her angry. Severus snapped his eyes from the floor when he heard the soft sharp click of her shoes, he'd know that walk anywhere. She was infuriated, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glinting with unabashed hate. Severus shrunk for a moment until she dropped her bag at his feet and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh Sev, those boys are awful."
"L-Lily? What's wrong?" he wrapped his own arms around her, offering her comfort as she hugged him tightly. She sighed shakily before pulling back, a gentle smile on her face.
"Just Potter, the smelly shoe-rag." She grinned, bending down to pick up her bag. Potter and his gang came around the corner then, smiling sweetly at Lily as they slammed their shoulders into Severus. "Oi, quit being such prats!"
"It's alright Lily, manners can't be taught to everyone." Severus sneered. Potter and his gang simply glared at him and took their seats. Lily and Severus sat beside each other on the opposite side of the class room. They chatted quietly until the potion's master stepped forward.
"Hello all! I am Professor Slughorn." He began roll call and Severus smirked, the man was large, his belly pulling at his waistband. He was also perky, and if Severus knew anything that meant this would be an easy class. He pulled out his potions book and waited patiently. "All right my first years, let's have a bit of trivia, shall we?" Professor Slughorn turned to the board and wrote a single word on the board. "What is this plant?"
Severus smirked as he saw Potter flipped through the pages of his potions book, his eyes skimming the words in his search. Severus raised his hand, a proud smirk on his face as the Professor turned and nodded to him. "That is Aconite, also known as monkshood and wolfsbane. The flowers are used in potion- making but the leaves are extremely toxic." His hand lowered and his other was wrapped in Lily's who gave a quick squeeze. His eyes turned a bit to the side to see her smiling proudly of him.
"Very good Mister Snape, two points to Slytherin." He grinned at the black haired boy before turning back to the board and writing again. His wand tapped the word and he looked around again, "And this?"
Severus' hand again raised into the air and the professor glanced around before smiling again and nodding at the boy. "A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it can be used to save one from most poisons." Severus said. The professor grinned and nodded.
"Right again Mister Snape! Another two points to Slytherin!" The professor grinned, thank Merlin Slughorn was Severus' Head of House. The professor thought for a moment and pointing the chalk at the boy he grinned slyly at him, "This one's a bit tougher, worth five house points if it's answered correctly. What do you get when you add powered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" The professor studied Severus face for a moment before turning to see if anyone else thought they knew the ' eyes flicked from side to side, as if reading an invisible text. What was that potion? He knew he had read that before, he had gotten a good smack to his behind when he snuck a peak in mother's forbidden library.
His hand shot up quickly, he saw that Potter's hand also shot up and Severus waved his hand helplessly as the professor looked between the two. However both where surprised when Lily's voice penetrated the cool dungeon air. "The Draught of Living Death?"
"Very, very good Miss Evans!" the professor beamed, "Five points to Gryffindor!" Lily grinned at Severus who was smiling happily for her. he turned to Slughorn who was turning the board around to reveal the potion they would be brewing for the day, "Today we'll start off easy, since it's our first day together. The boil-cure potion. The directions and ingredients are on the board as well as page ninety four in your books."
Lily and Severus gathered their things, Severus pausing a moment to smirk at Potter and his group, and returned to their work stations. They were doing well, nearly done when a strange hissing sound emanated from the other side of the room. When the two looked up from their work they noticed that a hideous green smoke was pouring from the remains of a melted cauldron. Potter and Black were on their desks stiffling giggles at poor Peter Pettigrew who was covered head to toe in painful red boils. Professor Slughorn sighed, flicking his wand to rid his classroom of the mess and before he allowed Lupin, Pettigrew's partner, to lead him off to the hospital wing he asked what had happened, "The porcupine quills." The professor sighed and nodded waving his hand in dismissal as he waddled over to the other side where Lily and Severus sat waiting. "What have we here?"
The man grinned looking over at the cauldron. It shone blue in the soft lighting of the dungeons. He dipped a small vial into the liquid and pulled it to the light to get a better look. It ran slowly, thick from one end to the other. "I-It's perfect! Congratulations Miss Evans, Mister Snape, two points each to the both of you. Fine work, fine work!"
They grinned at each other and Severus felt the heat of a glare on his cheek as his black eyes turned slightly to meet glaring hazel ones. He smirked turning to Lily and pulling her into a hug, her excited and energetic smile buried in his shoulder as she giggled. "We did it Lily!"
He watched the boy disappear out the door, his feet dragging as he rounded the corner and disappeared up the stairs. Severus went straight to his desk, sitting down quickly, closing his dark eyes and trying to dispel the lovely phantom feeling of Lily's hug from his body. His long fingers stroked his temples, swirling in tiny frustrated circles. Severus sighed after a few moments of silence, sitting back and leaning to stare up at the ceiling above the students desks. His black eyes drifted slowly down to his old seat and he stared at it for a moment. Rising from his seat he walked over to the seat and kneeled beside the desk, looking it over intensely before he ran his fingers over the aged wood. Softened wood, marred by some sharp tool made him stop. His eyes darted to his fingers, L&S.
Those letters scarred the desks surface, encircled by a thin heart. He sat down at the old desk, staring at the marred wood, newer engravings were hidden, smaller, and older ones were lightly etched into the ancient wood. It was still there after all those years. His finger traced the L remembering Lily as she engraved it.
"Shh, Sev, you don't want me caught do you?" She grinned turning her green eyes across the class room and taking her wand from her robe, she pointed it at the wood and mumbled a spell, the letters etching themselves into the wood. She stopped after the S. She marveled at her work before looking up to his black, questioning eyes. "Lily and Sev, Best friends forever."
It wasn't until years later that the heart was added, but by then he was long forgotten by the fiery red-head.