The soft sounds of bird calls and the light filtering through the curtain awoke Severus before his alarm did. He rolled over to find Lupin's bed empty, probably 'ill' again. It was a pity, the rest of the so called Marauders seemed to leave him alone under 'Moony's' slightly cool, disapproving gaze alongside the important glinting of his prefect badge.

It had been nearly five years since the sorting hat had placed him in Griffyndor, which was, Severus was sure, the hat's first mistake. His peers were well insipid, reckless, irresponsible and uniformly well-liked whereas Severus himself was no less private and sullen than he was at the beginning of his first year. This had made him a frequent target for their….amusement…especially since the close proximity of the dormitories made such activities nearly undetectable not that McGonnogall would have cared…she thought the sun shone out of Potter's ass and probably agreed with Severus that his sorting had been an error. Lily remained the only bright spot of Griffyndor ,although he had grown rather fond of Aubrielle's wise, reserved nature as well. Severus had a few Slytherin friends which fuelled not only Sirius and Potter's mockery of him but also Lily's vocal disapproval. Aubrielle wasn't quite as unimpressed and when asked her thoughts on Severus' new friends Aubrielle had studied Severus quietly for almost thirty seconds then replied that

the Slytherins that Severus befriended could only be helped with Severus' friendship and that she didn't believe him to be corruptible. The rest of luch had been awkward as both he and Lily chewed on Aubrielle's knowing words.

Severus was unsure how well founded Aubrielle's faith was. He hasn't exactly dissuaded the Slytherins from their activities and it was only in his own self-interest that he quietly but adamantly insisted that the Slytherins let his fellow Griffyndors be, at least in his presence. However, Avery and Goyle weren't much interested in dueling Griffyndors anymore. The so-called "dark magic" that they had used in their school-boy endeavors were simply darker versions of pranks and there were whispers of bigger things. There were rumors of a leader rising who would ensure the power and protection of wizards; a wizard so great he could ignite fear into Dumbledore himself. His followers, it was said, were to be honored once he had control of the wizarding community – with loyalty, preservation and some had said even the promise of ever-lasting life.

Initially, Severus hadn't believed the rumors about this Lord Voldemort character but, throughout the past year, the rumors were turning in to facts and the whispers into open conversation. Things were changing and it seems like those who were on this new Dark Lord's side were to be the ones to benefit from the change.

The hangings were open on the other beds indicating that James and Sirius had probably gone to visit Lupin in the hospital wing Pettigrew was still snoring loudly and Severus was grateful to be able to change and slink down to the great hall without fear of the Leg-locker curse.

Lilly and Aubrielle were already sitting at the table both looking grimly at a picture in the paper.

"Miles Harvinger have disappeared." Lily said by way of morning greating.

"The nutt who's proposing to let our world be known to the rest of the muggles?" Severus asked helping himself to toast and jam. Truthfully, a few months ago Lily's revelation would have garnered a more extreme reaction but the Daily Prophet had been reporting death after disappearance for weeks now.

"Yes….though I suppose know that he's disappeared it's not very polite to call him a Muggle-loving nut is it?" Lily retorted, a slight sharpness in her voice. Along with the disappearances of the last few months – mostly of known protectors of Muggles and muggle-borns – there had been an increasing tension between Lily and Severus that he couldn't quite understand. She viewed his hanging-out with Nott and Avery to be an implicit statement of his apathy on the matter insisting that, if he cared at all about people like her, he would not associate with those kind of people.

Severus had argued that Voldemort wasn't just about blood-purity it was about strengthening the wizarding community, gaining power and being strong and that there would always be people in any group who would take it too far but, in general, Voldemort seemed to be going in the right direction. Lily hadn't spoken to him for a week and even Aubrielle, who often empathized with both of them when they fought, had shaken her head and clearly stated that she was unsure Severus was considering the bigger picture. Severus was about to change the subject when an unwanted voice cut him off.

"Hey Lilly…Aubrey." James sat down across from Severus and promptly stole the piece of toast from the toast rack. Aubrielle, who detested being called Aubrey, pinked and went back to reading the paper. Lilly, who detested James, didn't respond.

"Are you going to watch the Quidditch tonight? It's against Slytherin. I imagine we can win if Creyton can keep his eye on the snitch." James says it casually but the slight arrogance in his tone was clear.

"Of course." Lily remarked casually. "Just cause I don't like you doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good came of Quidditch." James smiled taking her verbal barb in stride. It was hardly a secret that James Potter fancied Lily, his advances were forthright and consistently rebuffed by Lilly. Potter had come to regard her denial as flirting and, when she ranted about James for hours, Severus couldn't help but wonder if he was right. Aubrielle had asked her once, after an impassioned rage on his arrogance, if he was wearing her down because Aubrielle had never seen anyone so impassioned about a person they didn't care about. Lily hadn't spoke to Aubrielle for a week.

"How's it going Snivellus?" Potter's tone would have been affectionate if it weren't ozzing with insincerity. "You or your Slytherin buddies know where Mr. Harvinger is?"

"If you want to accuse me of something Potter I daresay you can do it in a less passive-aggressive manner." Severus snarled, ignoring the accusation.

"Death-eaters right that's what you all are calling yourself?" James eyes were hardened as he stared at Severus. James' feelings about Voldemort and Death-eaters were quite clear and well-known. A view his parents had no doubt indoctrinated him with. What was it to Potter if the wizarding world was exposed? If muggles started a literal witch-hunt or started to infiltrate their world preventing them from getting jobs or a magical education Potter would still have his fortune, his security. It would be the poorer witches and wizards, living in cheap muggle neighborhoods because they couldn't afford to live in the few well hidden, well-warded neighbourhoods. Witches and wizards likes his mother and father.

Snape stared at the jug of water in front of him and said a mental wingardium leviosa causing the water to rise and pour itself all over James' perfectly gelled hair. Lily snikered and Aubrielle passed him a napkin with a faux-innocent smile.

"Why you greas - "

"Tarantellegra" Snape replied almost lazily although his insides were burning with satisfaction and laughter. Some nearby Hufflepuffs were laughing.

"Point your toes it creates a much better line." Lily smirked at Severus before turning back to her paper. Severus was pleased with himself for choosing a simple, laughable spell over the few darker spells Avery and him had come up with. Lily didn't like any mention of dark magic, even magic that was hardly dark at all, and Severus had a feeling she would have been scowling in disapproval not laughing if had choosen of those.

"Finite Icncatatum" Severus wasn't really all that interested in watching Potter dance he was just interested in showing that he was the winner in this confrontation. Potter fell gracelessly to the ground and stood up at once, red-faced.

"Why don't you go Potter before you manage to make an even bigger fool of yourself?" Snape drawls, his voice deliberately cool and monotonous. It's one of the only times he gotten on up on James and certainly the only time it's happened in front of Lilly. It's like Christmas and his birthday both came early. Potter shot him a glare that promised retribution.

The moment James was out of earshot Lily burst out laughing followed quickly by Aubrielle.

"Did you see the look on his face!" Lily exclaimed. She wasn't usually one to delight in the embarrassment of others but she must have made an exception for James.

"Maybe Sirius will be too embarrassed by proxy to ask you out today Aubrielle." Lily continued laughing. The sound made Severus' heart dance. Aubrielle just glared in response. Over the summer Aubrielle had grown several inches and matured in several other ways that were appealing to teenage boys. Sirius, who Severus was loathed to admit had both grown and filled-out, was emblazoned with even more self-confidence and had promptly made it his goal to date Aubrielle. Thus far she had remained coolly unreceptive. This, of course, had only fuelled Sirius' ambition.

"I don't date 'tupid little boys" Aubrielle replied, her accent stronger in her displeasure as she huffed away from the table leaving Lily and Severus to trot to catch up to her outside of their Potions class.

The potion on the board was a relatively simple pain-relieving salve and Severus took out his textbook and quickly assembled his cauldron. This was his favorite part of the day where he felt completely and utterly in his element.

For once the instructions in the textbook weren't completely ludicrous but he added an extra lace-wing fly, which brought the color closer to the deep blue Slughorn had requested. He also stirred the mixture two times less than instructed, preventing the potion from losing the proper consistency. Aubrielle swore loudly in French and Severus turned around to find her glaring at a grey, clumpy looking mixture. Potions had never been Aubrielle's strong suit, she preferred magic that required a wand.

Severus could see that Potter's potion was far less superior to his own as well. Although Potter had made the potion blue it was far too navy suggested that he had waited too long to add the lace-wing flies – too busy talking to Sirius no double – and he had stirred the mixture too much giving the potion a liquid-like consistency instead of the creamy salve base they were supposed to achieve. Severus held back a smile at the poorly disguised frustration on Potter's face. Although Severus grudgingly had to admit that Potter was an above average student – a student many teachers called excellent but Severus didn't go that far – his grades always seemed to come with a sort of maddening ease and he was never overly troubled by something like a slightly watery potion that was probably still one of the top in the class. This meant that Potter was still most likely reeling from Severus' embarrassment of him, no doubt because it was in front of Lily.

"What are you smiling at Snivillus?" Potter growled when he caught Severus' self-satisfied smirk. When Severus just gave a non-affected shrug Potter pushed on.

"Christmas break is coming up…Are you staying here again? Parents rather not have a greasy git like you ruin the celebrations?" Potter continued, low enough that only Sirius and Severus could here him. Severus' eyes flickered to Lily who was too busy laughing at the state of Aubrielle's potion to notice the exchange.

"Some of us don't need our parents at the same rate others do. For example I am perfectly capable of spending Christmas away from home whereas others prefer their parents write twice a week…minimum." Severus responded calmly despite the mixture of shock and slight hurt rolling around in his gut. Before this moment Severus held a slight glimmer of respect for Potter. Potter dangled him upside down, made fun of his hair, transfigured his robes into women's lingerie but Potter had never once insulted his family. Maybe it was cause Potter had so much money and so much affection that his parent's had drilled into him that making fun of others for not having the same advantages of life was cruel not funny.

"Yes I suppose your Dad is a bit busy to write, kissing Voldemort's ass must take a lot of his free time." Sirius chimed in. There was no hint of humor in Sirius' voice; it was pure cruelty.

"Perfect Mr. Snape as usual." Professor Slughorn cut in before Severus could think of a response. "I do believe this is one of the most well-brewed potions I've seen at this level. May I?" Professor Slughorn continued pointing to Severus' textbook. The Professor had found out early that Severus had made adjustments to most of the recipes and often enjoyed assessing the differences. Potter's face creased in confusion as he watched Slughorn read Severus' text.

"Ah yes the trick to the potion is all in the stirring. I imagine if you stir with a little less fervor though you may get all six stirs in and have an easier time blending the potion." Proffessor hummed over one of the notes. "Ah yes an extra lace-wing fly now be careful if this potion was being used for medicinal purposes the cream may be too strong removing all feeling from the arm instead of just the pain but nevertheless top marks, top marks well done Severus." Severus accepted the praise with an uncomfortable nod of the head. None of his early teachers, who took his accidental magical outbursts as disobedience, had lavished him with praise and his parents preferred to forget his existence so he was always unsure how to act when Slughorn complimented him.

Just as Severus was about to pack up his textbook a tanned arm whipped it away.

"What do we have hear James." Sirius said with a taunting smile, throwing the book to James as they started to walk out of the classroom. Slughorn had already ran out of the dungeon to collect new supplies for his six year class.

"Give it back James" Lily said lunging for Severus' book. James turned and flipped through it lazily. He had outgrown Lilly by a good few inches this summer and was easily able to hold it above her reach.

"Now now Lily, you heard Slughorn. Seems Snivelli hear is a potions master I think we can all learn from him don't you." Snape held his wand out.

"Give it back Potter." Severus snarled. His heart was beating so fast that his hands seem to tingle from too much blood. Potter tugged a spare bit of folded parchment from the back and, for a moment, everything in the room seemed to painfully slow. James unfolded a picture of sketch of Lily that Severus had doodled while he was meant to be completing a Herbology paper.

"Is that Lily?" Sirius asked with a howl of laughter. "Oh my god it is! Looks like Severus has a crush." Although Sirius seemed to find this extremely amusing it was clear from the darkness that flashed over Potters' face before he let out a fake laugh that he didn't feel the same.

"What do you think Aubrielle? Would Lily go out with Snivellus?" Black asked acerbically. Aubrielle had been silent this whole time, watching the interaction with the clear air of being above such petty disagreements.

"I think you are a fool." Aubrielle said, directing her words to James instead of Black. "To think that Lily would go out with you when you are so cruel to her friend." The approving smile James had been sending to Sirius dropped of his face as Aubrielle shouldered past him and put her arm around Lily who had been frozen in horror the moment the picture had been retrieved. Aubrielle's contact seemed to break Lily out of whatever spell she was under and she snatched the picture out of James' hand.

"I think it's lovely." Was her only response before she turned to Severus. "We're going to be late." Severus' mind still felt like had been doused in molasses. He hadn't been able to decipher Lily's expression when she had seen the picture, he wasn't sure that he wanted to, but he did feel the deep sting of embarrassment.

"Tout suit Severus." Aubrielle called impatiently and Severus pushed past Sirius and James not caring that James still had his stupid book, not caring that he hadn't cleaned up his supplies and certainly not about to cry.

"Hey Snape." Potter said almost conversationally. The moment Severus turned around Potters' wand rose. Severus should have known better, Potter may not hex someone whose back was turned but he would have no problem with a cheap shot.

"Sectumsempra!" Snapes eyes momentarily widened in fear. The feeling of a hundred tiny swords slashing him was followed by Lily's scream and James' own face paling to white. Severus felt his knee begin to buckle into an undignified collapse but two strong arms caught him under the armpits.

"What did you do!" Judging from the close proximity of the voice and the smell of expensive aftershave it was Sirius who had caught him. Severus felt a wave of embarrassment at the mental image his mind was forming of how he looked, limp in his enemies arms.

"James get McGonnogal. " Sirius yelled as he lowered Severus to the ground almost gently. The pain was indescribable, as though the flesh on his belly was being slowly separated from each other.

"Do you know the counter-curse?" Panic was etched on every feature on Sirius' face and the blood-loss was making it hard for Severus to process that a look of such abject concern could be for him, especially when the look was worn by Sirius Black. Severus' eyes were getting heavy and he couldn't quite make out what Sirius was saying.

"Severus the counter-curse? Come on you invented the fucking spell" Sirius had taken off his robes and were pushing them painfully along a gash on Severus' chest. Sirius must have really not wanted Potter expelled Severus thought, his brain-feeling like it had been wrapped in cotton wool. He tried to open his mouth to respond but he couldn't plus he didn't really remember right now. Where was Lily?

"Finite Incatatum" Snape had to applaud his own ingenuity when Aubrielle's charm didn't work.

"Ferula"

Soft hands along with Sirius' panicking ones were pressing the conjured bandages around his expanding wounds. His head was rested on something soft, he couldn't feel the pain anymore, he was too tired. Hair tickled his cheek and Lily was staring down at him, tears in her eyes.

"It's ok. Help is coming." Her voice was unstready. He was dying. Potter would be expelled and Lilly was crying over him. In his haze he thought that, since he had to die at some point, he would much prefer his death getting James thrown out of Hogwarts and with no chance of him ever dating Lily. His eyes shut.

"Severus… no Severus….wake up come on." He was just gonna take a nap.

Please Review!

Alex: Wow…thank you for writing so much in your review! It was very helpful and made me think about a lot of different things. I really wanted Severus to have a magical father as that is a pretty important part of this stories plot…In terms of his life I think, though perhaps more magical, it was still horrible his parents had little money, little power, and Tobias is not a very nice man. As for Lily I think she is so special, not for her magic, but because she's his first introduction to kindness (or at least that's my psychoanalysis)…As for the Griffyndor maraudor dynamic well you've seen a bit in this chapter and there will be more Pettigew and Lupin next(and the werewolf stuff and Snape's intelligence will not be overlooked because I agree)

ILoveFanstasy: Thanks for your review. Your English was just fine! I don't want to say whether or not Snape becomes a Marauder (I imagine Snape would think that at least the name is stupid) but keep giving the story a chance I promise I will try not to be trite with anything I do.

A Morning Star: Thanks for your well-thought out review…I would love your input. I'll send you a PM later on!