Severus returned home to an empty house. He hadn't expected his Father or his Mother to want to see there only son, but he was still a bit hurt that they weren't there. It had been an entire year, after all.
He walked into his room, equipped with a bed, a stack of books, a dresser, and a lot of dust. He dropped the suitcase he'd been carrying unto the floor and walked lazily to his bed. He lay on the lumpy mattress, his eyes staring up at the cracked, gray ceiling.
He had important things to think about- what classes he'd take next year, how to tell Rosier and Avery that he no longer intended on becoming a Death Eater, how to admit to himself that he was no longer going to serve the Dark Lord, how to help Narcissa…
But with all the things he had to consider, his mind was entirely engulfed by a simple pair of green eyes. Lily hates you, he reminded himself. What are you thinking, a snide little voice kept asking, you know Narcissa can't improve your looks. She isn't even trying. She doesn't care about you. The only person to ever care about you lives a few houses down, but she hates you now.
He rolled onto his stomach and buried his face in his hands. He was able to focus for a moment. Lucius had to drop Narcissa, but how? Severus considered getting Lucius a new love interest, but then he knew Lucius wouldn't marry for love. No other pureblood families beside the Blacks would be good enough for Malfoy. Severus inhaled deeply. This seemed entirely useless.
He was almost asleep when a familiar, angry voice cried, "Severus? You here yet?"
Severus got up, and scurried out to the living room. "Hi, Mum," he said to the tall, gray woman standing before him.
"Hello. Oh Merlin, you need a hair cut."
"Erm… Where's Father?" he asked.
"Does it matter?" she snapped.
"I suppose not…" said Severus, confused.
He could tell his mother was upset, and knew better then to ask questions. So he was left wondering where his father was for days and eventually grew used to the house without the drunken bastard.
His summer was filled with reading the same books he already knew by heart, and working out. He was surprised to see the muscles forming in his legs and arms. He didn't spend much time with his mother, or anyone else, for that matter.
One day, while Severus sat on his bed reading Hogwarts: A History, he looked up from his page to see Narcissa Black standing before him. "I was worried about popping in on you, thought you might be chaffing the carrot. Should'a figured you'd only be reading."
She had come with a large bag, which she threw onto his bed.
"Did you just appareate?" he asked, knowing well that she was under aged.
"Nope, but you recall those running shoes I gave you?" Severus nodded. "Well, one of them was a portkey, incase I needed to see you."
Severus considered this for a moment. "You know, your sort of brilliant. Are you sure you need me?"
Narcissa sat down beside him. "Oh, trust me, I need you. Have you thought of anything yet?"
He shook his head solemnly. "I'm working on it. So, what's in the bag?"
"Presents," she chimed. First, Narcissa pulled out a set of black robes, lined with green thread. They were extremely well made and exactly his size. "These are for you, if you ever encounter my parents, and for next year."
"I'm not a charity," Snape spat.
"And these," she said, ignoring him, "are potion ingredients for the Balzam potion we'll be making."
"Balzam?" he asked, surprised to come across a potion he hadn't read about before.
"It's a Slovenian potion. Conditions your hair like a charm."
Severus sneered, "I need a potion for what shampoo will do?"
"Sev, trust me, I use this stuff and its brilliant."
"What did you just call me?" Severus choked.
"Sev. What? You don't like?"
"No." He slammed his book shut and got off the bed. "Give me the instructions. I can brew the potion."
"It's rather difficult," she warned.
"I can brew the potion," he repeated. "Is there anything else?"
"Yeah," she said, sounding more conscious. "This is acne wash."
Severus had taken to pacing the room. "For what? I don't have acne."
"I know that," she said, "but it'll brighten you up, make you look less…"
"Like a living corpse?"
"Yeah," she laughed, "also… Mum's turning 40 and, of coarse, is throwing the biggest ball in Black history. You're going, so I'm taking you to buy dress robes."
"Why must I go?"
"Because," she wined, "Lucius'll be there, and Mum will be forcing our acquaintance the entire time! And I'll be miserable! I'll need a friend there."
She came forward and met the pacing Severus. She pouted her lip and mumbled, "please?"
Severus was surprised more then anything else. He could use a lot of words to describe Narcissa, but 'friend' wouldn't be one of them. Should he? No, we're more like business partners. "Fine. I'll go."
"Wonderful," she said, her lips stretching into a huge smile.
They sat down and begun to make the Balzam potion. Severus was still baffled that the incredibly popular Black sister would choose him to befriend, and it made him paranoid. She knew so little about him. In fact, Narcissa wasn't even aware that he was half-blood, because he had told all the Slytherins that he was from a very small, pure family from America.
"Keep working out, by the way. I can see the muscles already," she said, as she unpacked the ingredients.
"Thanks," Severus replied awkwardly.
"Wait a moment," she gasped, covering her hands with her mouth, "What is this?" She pulled from his dresser a ragged, brown teddy bear. "A stuffed toy, Severus?"
Severus' face turned bright pink as he attempted to snatch the bear from her grasp.
"How did you acquire this little delight?" she asked, whilst laughing and holding it out of his reach.
"It was a gift!" He managed to grab hold of its little velvet ear. He pulled, and there was a horrible sound of ripping fabric. "Oh, look what you've down now!"
"Me? You're the one!" Her laughing barely ceased.
Severus took the bear from her, and looked down at it. Damn you, Severus Snape, why do you care about this piece of trash?
"My dear," said Narcissa, just beginning to quiet down, "did that have sentimental value to you?"
"No."
"Then why's it so worn?" she asked.
"cause' it use to be Lily's favorite toy, is all. She gave it to me the day before we left to Hogwarts, and I gave her my first potion book. It was one of those stupid things kids do to say they'll be friends forever," he grumbled and tossed the bear against the far wall.
He expected to have to hear Narcissa laugh and make more jokes. But instead, he felt her arms warp around him and she laid her fluffy blond hair against his shoulder.
"So, dress robe shopping on Saturday?" she asked.
He was deeply thankful for the change of subject. "Yeah, sure."
It took her a while to stop hugging him. When she did, they got right to work on the potion.
It was an easy potion for Severus to brew. Narcissa instructed him to wait 4 days before applying.
"Okay," he said, "I will."
"I was thinking…" she said, "are you any good at Quiditch?"
Severus gulped and shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no. I'd only humiliate myself on a Quiditch field."
"Oh, c'mon. I'll get you an instructor. Girls love Quiditch players. Just look at that bloke James Potter."
"I don't wish to be anything like him."
"Just a few lessons?"
"No."
She looked at him disappointedly. "And here I was, thinking you wanted Lily back." Narcissa took hold of one of his running shoes and disappeared. Severus had the wicked idea of taking those very shoes and shipping it off to Japan.
