Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches
"Something's different about your hair," Severus blurted, breaking the silence of their study session.
Their winter holiday was fast approaching. It felt as if all they'd been doing lately was eat, attend class, study, and sleep. Aside from their study sessions in the library, the only other times Lily had seen Severus was in class, at mealtimes, and in the corridor. She was eagerly looking forward to their Christmas holiday, which was only two weeks away.
Lily straightened in her chair and regarded her friend quizzically.
"Oh?" she prompted an explanation with a raise of her eyebrow.
He suddenly seemed unsure of himself, as though he hoped the ground would swallow him whole.
"Yeah," he ran a jerky hand through his oily hair. "It's a nice sort of different."
This gave Lily pause for thought. As far as she was aware, her hair looked the same every day.
"Did my hair look bad before now?" Lily queried, appearing somewhat affronted.
Severus sighed and covered his face with his hands. "No," he said, mildly-frustrated. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant it as a – a compliment."
He dropped his hands and regarded her intensely.
"A compliment?" she parroted, clearly startled.
"Yeah," he said.
"Oh."
"Yeah…"
An uncomfortable silence descended upon them. They each watched one another from the corners of their eyes. Severus rubbed the back of his neck and Lily tugged on the hem of her flower-printed sweater.
Severus had been acting odd around her that day, ever since her heated debate with Mary earlier that afternoon. It made her wonder if he had eavesdropped on the conversation, and if something they said was responsible for the sudden shift in his attitude. It didn't explain why he was suddenly complimenting her, though, unless…
"Are you sure you two are going to the party as friends?" Mary's doubtful voice echoed in her mind.
Does Severus think I fancy him? Lily wondered with a note of anxiety.
Lily Evans was what one would consider a popular girl. She was intelligent, kind-hearted, and possessed an irreverent sense of humor. People enjoyed her easy laugh, her lively demeanor, and her nerve for standing up to Potter and his mates. Despite her popularity, Lily had never been one to do things by the book, as was evident by her close friendship with Severus – a Slytherin, no less! What others didn't know, however, is that somehow, despite the resistance their friendship faced each day at Hogwarts, Lily had managed to develop a secret crush on the most disliked boy in their year.
It all began the summer before their fourth year, at the playground where they'd first met. The memory of that day was clear as glass in her mind: Lily and Severus were sprawled on the grass in the shade of a large tree. Severus absently tore apart blades of grass as he spoke, his voice faltering as two older girls walked through the playground gate and took seats on neighboring swings, the same ones Lily had flown from countless times. They lit long, thin cigarettes, smoke curling idly from their painted lips as they exhaled their first drag. They traced circles in the sand with their bare toes as they talked, smoked, and threw their heads back with laughter.
She noticed his eyes travel to them from time to time. It was obvious he thought they were attractive. Lily watched them too, envying their confidence and their coy femininity. She tugged on the hem of her knee-length skirt, feeling ridiculously naïve compared to the two older girls. Until that moment, Lily had never viewed Severus as being the same as other blokes in their year. She had been so wrapped up in the memory of him as a child (ill-fitting clothes, badly cut hair, a gigantic book nestled in his arms at all times) to realize he was maturing into a young man, just as she was merging into womanhood. Suddenly, she became hyper-aware of the fact that they weren't just childhood friends – he was a boy and she was a girl.
That weekend, Lily's mother took her clothes shopping and she used her allowance money to purchase her first two-piece bathing suit. It was a dark green color that complimented her pale skin and vibrant hair. She admired her reflection in the full-length dressing room mirror, feeling positively sexy and grown-up. Her father threw a fit when he saw what she'd gotten from the store.
"Don't you dare wear that outside the house," he instructed firmly, "especially around that Snape boy. I don't like the way he looks at you."
"Really?"
Perhaps she had sounded too eager. The look in her father's eyes was enough to kill.
"Honestly, Richard," Lily's mother admonished, "you worry far too much. Lily is a young woman now, not a little girl."
"Margaret," he replied sharply, "she doesn't yet understand that the way she looks and behaves can have a significant impact on a fourteen-year-old boy. Believe me, I was once that age. I guarantee that no adolescent boy can be trusted!"
"I believe Lily has been a good influence on Severus," her mother speculated. "His parents have been very neglectful of him over the years, and it's important that he learns to hold accountability to others. Otherwise, he will wander through life with no sense of direction."
"He follows her around like a stray dog," her father protested. "I don't want him to drag Lily down. She has far too much potential."
"I understand your concerns, Richard," her mother replied soothingly. "I have many of my own. But I trust Lily's judgment enough to allow her to make her own decisions. What if, in the end, she motivates Severus to work hard for a stable and successful future?"
Lily glanced between the two. "You two are talking as if I'm not here," she interrupted, clearly uncomfortable.
Her parents looked at her with a jolt, as if they had forgotten she was standing beside them. After a moment of awkward silence, they began discussing her father's work, though by the twitching of his mustache, Lily could tell he was itching to say more on the former subject.
Since she doubted her father was planning to build a swimming pool inside their house anytime soon, she hid her new bathing suit beneath a pair of jean shorts and a red and gold striped t-shirt. She grabbed a book, sun cream, and a floppy hat before making her way to the small clearing by the river. Her stomach twisted and turned the entire walk there. Severus was already cooling his feet in the river when she arrived. When he glanced over his shoulder at the sound of twigs crunching beneath her sandals, Lily's face flooded with heat.
"It's about time!" he greeted in tones of mock-agitation. "I was about ready to assemble a search team."
He climbed to his feet and walked toward her, eyeing the red and gold striped t-shirt. "Typical Gryffindor," he clucked, tucking his hands in his back pockets.
She narrowed her eyes and swatted him with her book. "Be quiet, you."
As she was unloading her belongings on the grass, Severus jerked his head toward the trees.
"I'm going to take a piss," he informed her.
"Thanks for the play-by-play," she muttered, as her friend disappeared into the thicket of trees.
She seized the moment of privacy as her opportunity. By the time Severus returned, she was kicking off her shorts, her t-shirt lying crumpled on the soft grass. From the corner of her eye, she watched as Severus halted at the edge of the clearing. She glanced at him shyly, feigning ignorance. Why am I doing this? She wondered. I'm acting so stupid, fishing for attention like this. She allowed herself to feel somewhat pleased at the way his shoulders rounded and eyebrows rose, in what seemed to be alarm.
"What're you doing?" he demanded, his tone a mixture of horror and alarm. "What happened to your clothes?"
"They're right there," she gestured to the discarded clothing on the ground.
It took every ounce of her strength to maintain her composure. Even if she appeared calm and collected on the surface, she was really flying by the seat of her pants. Severus inched along the edge of the clearing, eyeing her with a level of apprehension and distrust, as though she were a wild animal.
"Why're you acting so dodgy, Sev?" she called his bluff, smearing sun cream on her bare midriff all the while.
Lily supposed he had a reason to distrust her. She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted him to notice her the way he'd noticed the girls in the park. She'd never been flirted with or asked out. Perhaps she was too young, or maybe something was wrong with her. Either way, Severus was her best friend. She felt comfortable and safe around him. She could share things with him she wouldn't with anyone else. This accessibility gave her the courage to test her feminine wiles, or whatever her mother referred to them as.
Perhaps Professor Slughorn was right – maybe she did belong in Slytherin.
"C'mon, Sev," she coaxed. "I won't bite."
Severus didn't look reassured. As he stepped closer, he nearly tripped over a rock obscured by the long grass. He cursed under his breath. Lily fought to restrain a grin.
As Severus waded in the knee-deep water, scouting for toads on the river bank with a glass jar in hand, Lily set up shop on the grass with her floppy hat and sunglasses in place. Lying on her stomach, she peeled open her book and began to read. It was peaceful listening to the birds chirp overhead, the wind rustle through the trees, and the river steadily flow by. She put down her book and lifted her nose in the air, inhaling the warm sweetness of summer. She glanced over at Severus and realized with a jolt that he was watching her. He looked away and suddenly found the dirt beneath his fingernails keenly fascinating.
Lily heard a few splashes come from the water. A moment later, he wandered over to her with a large toad in his cupped hands. He sat cross-legged on the grass and presented it to her.
"Look what I found," he said. "His legs would be perfect for that potion I was telling you about the other day."
Lily rolled onto her side and propped her body up with one arm.
"Aw, Sev, he's darling!" she exclaimed, petting its head. It croaked in response. "Look at his little face. You're not going to cut him up, are you?"
"I'm a Potioneer," he stated, matter-of-fact. "What else am I supposed to do with it, dress it up in a bonnet and push it around in a baby buggy?"
"Exactly," Lily grinned. "You're learning quickly, Sev. I'm proud of you!"
He rolled his eyes. "You're such a girl," he sneered.
"Well," Lily began sagely, "I'm glad to see your Hogwarts education hasn't gone to waste." She glanced at the toad again, an odd thought popping into her mind. "D'you reckon if I give it a peck, it'll turn into a prince?"
"Dunno," Severus shrugged noncommittally. "Try it."
Lily scooped the toad from his hands and brought it to her lips. It felt cold and slimy against her flesh.
"Bad luck," Severus remarked, as the toad leapt from her hands, unchanged.
"I suppose I should've seen it coming," she shrugged, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
Severus mirrored her position in the grass. Supporting himself on one elbow, he moved his fingers over the soft, sweet-smelling ground, appearing thoughtful. Lily pretended not to notice the way his black eyes darted up and down her lily-white body. It was a nervous, paranoid sort of movement, as though he worried she might catch him in the act, but he was willing to risk a glance anyway.
Suddenly, as if the words could no longer be contained, he burst out: "You know why I like you?"
The words sounded clumped and rushed. His fingers were knotting themselves together.
Lily leaned forward, eager for him to continue. "Why?" she breathed, hardly daring to blink.
Severus began tearing at the long grass and forced his gaze to level with hers. Something in them must've spurred him on, for his next words were carried with a trace of more daring.
"You're the only girl I know who comes home from school with their pockets full of frogspawn and you go around kissing stray toads, as if it's the most normal thing in the world. You're fearless, and different, and unabashedly you."
They stared at each other for a moment. Suddenly, it felt as though the air had evaporated from their clearing . Lily nervously wet her lips, noticing the way his eyes darted quickly to her mouth, his ears reddening, and the bob of his Adam's apple.
Just as Lily was titling her head forward and Severus's eyes were widening, Petunia stomped though the thick underbrush, emerging into the clearing with her hands firmly placed on her hips. Lily jerked away from Severus, her face burning with shame.
"Lily!" she called shrilly, her tone laced with disapproval. "What're you doing dressed like that around him?" she pointed an accusing finger at Severus. "I thought Mummy and Daddy told you not to!"
"Tuney, what're you doing here?" Lily was breathless from her sister's sudden appearance. "Spying on us again, are you?"
"Mummy wanted to know where you were," she spat, crossing her arms. "She's been worried sick because you never bothered to tell her where you ran off to. Wait till she hears what you two have been getting up to out here. She and Daddy will forbid you from seeing that awful boy, like they should've done years ago."
Petunia turned on her heel and stomped back through the thicket of trees.
"Tuney – wait!" Lily cried, struggling to pull her shorts and t-shirt back on.
She cast an apologetic look in Severus's direction. He stared at her in a mixture of confusion and disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Sev," she panted, "I have to catch up to her before she tattletales on me."
She dashed after her sister, leaving the rest of her belongings strewn on the ground. Even though she managed to catch up with Petunia, Lily couldn't convince her to keep her mouth shut. She was forced to stand by as Petunia ratted her out to their mother, wildly exaggerating the details of what she had witnessed.
Lily and her mother had a very long talk about the importance of respecting her body, especially in front of teenage boys, and how she didn't like that Lily and Severus played in an area so removed from supervision, and blah, blah, blah. Much to Lily's relief and Petunia's disappointment, her mother promised to say nothing of it to her father, claiming he was far too protective of his daughters and that she didn't want to drag "poor Severus" into something he wasn't to blame for.
That night after supper, Lily had more time to reflect on the day's events. She replayed what Severus had said to her several times in her head. Despite getting into trouble, she didn't regret what she had done. Knowing she was capable of flustering Severus made her heart flutter strangely. She wouldn't say she found him attractive (at least by conventional standards), what with his wide black eyes, thin face, and abnormally large nose... but there was something endearing about his pedantic manner of speaking, his horrid fashion sense, and the tenderness he occasionally expressed when he allowed his guard to visibly dissolve.
It dawned on her that she hadn't needed to show off to gain his attention, that she had already done so simply by being herself. Lily didn't know what this meant, in terms of Severus fancying her or simply paying her a friendly compliment. Either way, she figured she had something the two older girls in the park did not: Severus cared about her for who she was and ultimately, that meant more than being admired for her looks.
In the soft glow of lamplight, she decided it wouldn't be all that bad if Severus fancied her – and perhaps she was beginning to feel more than friendship for him, too.
In fourth year, boys began to notice Lily Evans. They asked her on dates to Hogsmeade, Christmas parties, and spring formals. They flirted, and gave her cards on Valentine's Day, and passed notes to her in class that read: "Do you like me? Check yes or no." James Potter was the most insufferable of the lot. However, she was never reduced to beating any of them off with a broomstick because Severus did it for her, whether she wanted him to or not. Every time a boy expressed interest in her, Severus would miraculously turn up with some kind of dirt on them and when she demanded how he knew such rubbish, he said he supposed he had the kind of face people could trust.
Matters came to a head when Lily agreed to go on a date with Derek Atlas one Hogsmeade weekend. It was horrible. He made her pick up the tab on their food and drinks, walked far ahead of her instead of at her side, and didn't do nice things like holding doors and pulling back chairs. Perhaps she was being silly over such trivial things, but her parents had raised her to expect such etiquette from a young man. Upon confronting him, Atlas admitted that he'd asked Severus for advice on how to act around Lily in order to impress her. The little twit had advised Derek to not bother being chivalrous because Lily was a self-proclaimed feminist, and believed such things were dead.
When Lily returned to the school, Severus was lurking in the Entrance Hall.
"How did your precious date go?" he sneered.
Lily chucked her shoe at him.
"Keep your nose out of my business!" she shouted at him.
She stomped off, leaving him to rub his shoulder and sulk. They weren't on speaking terms for two weeks.
By the time summer rolled around, Lily was forced to give up. For all his sulking and bitterness, Severus never made any move to claim her as his own. There were no passionate declarations of his feelings for her, just heated arguments that increased the already mounting tension between the two. Lily supposed it wasn't entirely his fault. She could certainly make more of an effort to make her feelings known, but there was a part of her that dreaded what others would think.
As a friend, it was easy to disregard his unkempt hair, oily skin, crooked teeth, and the raw acne that marred his cheeks and forehead. Being romantically involved with him would mean other students passing judgment on why Lily, in her right mind, would feel inclined to go out with Snivellus, the oddball Slytherin with the surly disposition.
Aside from his unhealthy preoccupation with her love life, Severus was hanging around Mulciber and Avery more than ever and the animosity between he and Potter was spiking to new levels.
All of the combined events were hurtling them towards an eventual downfall. Lily could sense it fast approaching, but it was easier to pretend nothing was wrong than acknowledge the cracks forming in she and Severus's once solid friendship. She could no longer ignore the reality of Severus's aspirations the day he called her a Mudblood. That single word froze her insides, as if an icy gust of wind had swept through her.
It was never Lily's intention to look back the night she said good-bye, but Severus proved to be far more persistent than she would've ever given him credit for. A month passed before she reluctantly agreed to meet with him on her front porch. Parting from him had been more difficult than she cared to admit. Most days, she puttered around the house in her pajamas, munching on crisps, and watching the telly.
Severus didn't look any better. His face was thinner, his hair disheveled, and there was a frenzied undertone to his words and gestures. Out there on her front porch, Lily and Severus were more honest with each other than they had been in years. They talked – really talked – about the problems in their relationship and what it would take to move forward. Their reconcilement was tentative, at best. Severus made many promises about what would be different when they returned to Hogwarts, but Lily didn't fully believe him until he began following up his words with actions. Only then did her shattered trust start to mend.
Now, here they were sitting across from one another in the library, like old times, and Severus was complimenting her hair, of all things! Worst of all, her face had the nerve to flush with heat, and her stomach performed one of those peculiar backflips that signaled trouble.
Lily twirled her quill between thumb and forefinger, glancing up from her textbook to find Severus hunched over his copy of Advanced Potion-Making, scribbling furiously in the margins.
"Won't you get in trouble for doing that?" she asked – and not for the first time.
"I can't help it if the writer of this textbook is a complete dolt," he replied matter-of-factly. "Honestly, I'm doing Professor Slughorn a favor."
Lily sighed. It was best to leave him alone. He would only dig his heels deeper if he felt like she was trying to lecture him, and that would certainly get them nowhere.
"Have you gotten your invitation to the Christmas party yet?" she casually inquired, feeling the need to make light conversation rather than being genuinely curious.
"No, but we don't really need it, do we?" He looked up from his textbook. "We're invited every year. It's more of a formality, at this point. You know Slughorn – he likes things fancy."
Lily nodded. They were quiet for a moment.
"You're still going with me, right?" he asked, not quite meeting her eyes.
Lily perked up. "Of course!" she said. "Why, do you have plans to go with someone else?"
Her tone was harmless – teasing, really – but she watched him more closely than she would have otherwise.
Severus snorted. "Don't be stupid," he replied in his own reassuring manner.
"Good," she smiled, almost flirtatiously. "I was beginning to feel jealous."
Severus looked at her in befuddled surprise, a dull flush mounting his sallow cheeks. Although he kept conversation to a minimum (on his side, at least), Lily noticed his arm bump against hers once or twice on their way out of the library.
They wandered to the Great Hall for dinner, where they were forced to part ways. As she made her way to the Gryffindor table, she glanced over her shoulder at her friend's retreating figure. They were so different – she and Severus. It was a wonder they were still friends, at all. She supposed it helped that they were both willing to fight for their friendship, imperfect as it was, and it was more than she could say for anyone else.
"Hey Evans!" a familiar voice called from behind Lily as she studied before the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.
Oh no, she cringed, squeezing her eyes shut. Potter.
Of all the people she wanted to see at the moment, he was certainly the last; but seeing as they were in the same house, it was virtually impossible to avoid him. She hadn't spoken to Potter much since the M-word incident, but he wasn't easily deterred. Perhaps if she ignored him, he would go away.
"Oy, Evans!" he called again. "I know you can hear me!"
If only I were deaf.
Perhaps if she closed her eyes, she would become invisible. No such luck.
"Bad luck, Prongs," she overheard Sirius Black sigh. "Like I've said before, this one is seriously mental."
A few nearby students chuckled.
James made a tsking sound. "She's been hanging round our favorite greasy git for too long, eh?"
"Who knows," Sirius began, "our dear Snivellus has an apt enough hand at Potions. D'you ever wonder if he might've slipped her something?"
"It's certainly a possibility," James agreed heartily. "I wouldn't put anything past that slime ball."
Lily whirled around to face them, eyes blazing and red hair fanning out like a flame. "That's enough!" she exclaimed furiously.
Sirius suppressed a grin, whereas James simply raised his brows in mild awe and rumpled his black hair. "All right there, Evans?" he asked coolly.
"Stop it!" she said through gritted teeth. "I know what you're trying to do, and it's not going to work."
"On the contrary," he mused, stepping forward. "If my plan had failed, then you wouldn't be talking to me right now."
"Prongs is right," Sirius piped, stepping on the opposite side of her plump armchair. "Perhaps you don't hate us as much as you let on."
"Doubt it," Lily muttered, training her eyes on the book in her lap.
James moved in front of Lily's chair, blocking the fire. The moment he stepped near her, a strong, indeterminable scent hit her in the face like a stone wall. She glanced up at him with a jolt.
"Ah, I see you've noticed my new cologne," he said with his usual smugness, having mistaken her look of shock for one of awe. "I made it myself, actually. I found the recipe in an old library book. Supposedly, it makes whoever wearing it completely irresistible."
Lily sniffed the air. "Hmm, smells like grim defeat to me."
Sirius, along with several other students, roared with laughter at the stricken expression on James's face.
"Padfoot!" James growled, glaring at his best friend.
"Sorry, mate," Sirius wiped a tear from his eye, "but Evans is right. You smell like a skunk."
"Padfoot, do you mind?" James huffed.
Sirius lifted his hands in surrender and backed away from the pair. James rumpled his hair again, though somewhat nervously this time.
"Sorry about him," he jerked his head toward Sirius. "He can be a real pain sometimes."
"I suppose that makes two of you," she replied coldly.
She tucked her feet beneath her body and lowered her eyes once more to her book, but it was difficult to read with James standing there, gawking at her.
James cleared his throat. "So, Lily," he began, a small tremor in his voice. "I was thinking we could go to Hogsmeade together this weekend, and have a Butterbeer or two. My treat."
He flashed a winning smile.
"Hogsmeade? This Saturday? Hmm," she tapped her chin thoughtfully, her mind racing to whip up a legitimate excuse. "I… can't. I'm already going with someone else."
"Who?" James demanded.
"Er," she paused. "Severus. Yes, I'm going to Hogsmeade with Severus."
It was a lie, but it really wasn't such a bad idea. She should ask him the next time she saw him.
"Snivellus?!" James exclaimed incredulously. "Why on earth would you do such a thing?"
Lily shrugged and crossed her arms. "I would rather go with him than you. And I would appreciate it if you didn't call him Snivellus. He has a proper name, you know."
Two spots of color appeared on his face.
"What about the weekend after, then?" he asked, causing Lily to wonder how much longer he could sustain the chase.
"I can't then, either," she said. "I'm going to Slughorn's party with Severus. Besides, I haven't forgiven you for what you did last June, so I doubt I'll be going anywhere with you, whether I'm free to or not. You might as well take the hint."
James scowled and ran a hand through his hair for a third time, yet it seemed to her as if he were tempted to rip his hair clean out.
"Fine," he nodded, jaw clenched. "Fine, I get it. You hate me."
"I don't hate you," Lily shook her head. "I just think you're an irksome little berk, is all. You would be all right if you didn't try so hard to show off with that stupid Snitch and didn't hex people, simply because you can. We've been over this before, Potter. This should be old news by now."
"But what about Snivel – I mean, Snape? He calls you a-a you-know-what and gets off the hook scot-free, whereas I end up being the bad guy for having a bit of fun? That's not exactly fair, Evans," he threw his hands in the air exasperatedly.
Lily leaned forward in her chain and squared her jaw.
"That," she said, "is none of your business. Besides, if you call bullying another student 'a bit of fun', we obviously are on completely different pages. I'm not interested, Potter. End of story."
James chewed his bottom lip thoughtfully.
"Say if we somehow ended up on the same page," James proposed. "Would you consider going out with me then?"
Lily looked up at his hopeful, eager face. It honestly put a damper on things to always shoot him down like this. Even if he was an arrogant, bullying toerag, he had some redeeming qualities. She was certain that if he matured a bit, he would be rather pleasant. There were moments she felt so exhausted by his endless prodding that she was tempted to go out with him, simply to appease him. However, Lily knew that as long as she was friends with Severus, she could never be friends with James. Acquaintances, perhaps – but nothing more. Severus would view it as an ultimate betrayal of his trust, in much the same way she felt about him calling her a Mudblood. Lily hoped she could eventually convince Severus to come to a truce with Potter. His hatred and bitterness wasn't healthy.
"I would go out with the Giant Squid before ever agreeing to date you," she replied with finality, staring him directly in the eye.
James stroked his chin. "That can be arranged," he said distantly, as though the wheels in his mind were turning.
Lily snapped her book shut, bid him good-night, and marched up to the girl's dormitory.
Mulciber and Avery noticed a new spring in Severus's step when he entered the sixth-year Slytherin dormitory.
"All right, Snape?" Avery called from his four-poster. "You're acting a bit off."
"Yeah," Mulciber agreed smoothly, "you practically twirled in here like a ballerina."
Severus dropped his bag onto his bed and pulled out his textbooks, promptly ignoring them. Nothing they said was going to bring him down. Earlier that day, Severus had mustered the courage to compliment Lily, like the book had told him to do, and he couldn't be one-hundred percent sure, but he had an inkling she might've flirted with him a bit. It was difficult to pinpoint why he felt that way; it was in the way her eyes glittered and lips softened that gave her an almost… sultry look. Severus had even dared to walk more closely to her than he would normally, causing his arm to brush against her shoulder several times – and the best part was, she hadn't pulled away.
Avery jumped up from his bed and approached Severus with his hands in the pockets of his school robes. He cleared his throat.
"Listen, Snape," he began, business-like, "there's going to be a meeting tonight in that abandoned classroom on the fourth floor. Mulciber, Rosier, Wilkes, and I are going to be there. Can we count on you to be there, as well?"
Avery's blue eyes were cold and piercing. His back was straight, his shoulders squared, and his chin lifted proudly, as if to challenge him. Severus's heart hammered as he turned to face the boy. Since school started, there hadn't been a major confrontation between him and his Slytherin dorm mates over his change in post-Hogwarts plans. It was unwise to stir up trouble, as he shared all his classes and a dorm with them. If anything, Severus was a survivor and preferred strategy over self-righteous indignation, which was Lily's forte. Severus would ease himself, little by little, out of the world he'd once so longed to be a part of someday, until he no longer had to deal with it.
"Can't," Severus replied shortly. "I'm loaded down with homework tonight."
"That's what you said the last time," Avery sneered. "You're chickening out, aren't you? You don't have what it takes to become a Death Eater. You might as well admit it, Snape. You're not fooling anyone."
"That filthy little Mudblood has got you on a pretty tight leash, yeah?" Mulciber chipped in. "Say, once you're done with her, can I have a turn?"
Severus paled considerably.
"Shut your foul mouth!" he snarled, spit flying from his lips.
Mulciber smirked, satisfied with the reaction he was able to elicit.
"Touch-y," Avery clucked. "Didn't know you were such a little Mudblood-lover. You're a disgrace to this house, you know that? You make me sick."
Avery glared at him fiercely before striding out of the room. Mulciber hopped off of his bed to follow him.
"You wouldn't mind writing my essay on goblin rebellions for History of Magic, would you?" he said. "It's due tomorrow. If it's not done by morning, you're little red-haired friend will get it. See ya, Snivellus."
Severus's face felt hot and his nails were making impressions in his skin from how tightly he clenched his fists. So much for avoiding confrontation, he thought bitterly. No matter. I will exact my own brand of revenge.