VII
The next morning Severus stood at the quidditch pitch waiting for his unpleasant teammates to arrive. To his surprise none them were more than a minute late. Usually they would be half an hour late. Maybe they finally found a reason not to be? Regulus stood next to him, no doubt still angry at Severus because of the words he had spoken yesterday. But Severus knew that he would never show his anger out on the field. He cared too much about quidditch to do something like that. "We all know how important it is to beat Gryffindor. But I have to admit they have some good players on their team. You would be a fool not to."
"Yeah, but they're still not as good as us," Mulciber stated.
"Oh really, then why do they keep beating us?" Severus asked in such an aggravated tone that even Mulciber could notice. Mulciber turned red. "No matter, just listen to what Reg has to say. He knows how to conduct this better than I do."
"Our biggest problem is their chaser right now. We solved our problem with the seeker by gaining Severus."
"What are you talking about? Potter is a terrible chaser!" A Slytherin girl shouted. Slytherins always hated admitting someone is better than them. It's a stereotyped nature.
"He is a great chaser. Our keeper great too. Timing is the only problem," he said, trying not to provoke a battle. "If we can find a way to get through Potter we'll be able to win the games. Now I know the games are about catching the snitch, but Potter is the one who orders his team around. The only reason he does this is because he lets the victories get to his head. If we diminish that the team will be weakened. But the problem is I have no idea how to do that."
It was quite obvious actually. But only one person in the whole group could ever think of a plan like Severus had stirring up inside him. After everyone looked around to see if anyone had the slightest idea of what to do, he finally spoke up. "You dunderheaded masochists are complete idiots. It's simple to get through Potter. You never open your eyes, nor use your minds!" He sat on the ground and took out a black paged book and an ink filled quill from his coat pocket.
"Severus you aren't supposed to keep books in your pocket while playing quidditch." Regulus said.
He ignored him. "Everyone sit down around me." His teammates were like student and he the teacher. He felt like a potions professor again. It was a terribly great feeling. Some things just cannot be extinguished. He began to draw the quidditch pitch on the field. There were three goals on each side and he used the center fold of the book to represent the divided sides. "These are the stands," he said pointing to the rectangles he drew that were scattered across the edge of the paper. "Potter is on the right side of the field. And McKinnon you're on the left."
"Yes we all know that."
"Interrupt me once more and we will keep losing the matches against Gryffindor." No one spoke out of turn. "Now these circles are the beaters. The ones filled in are on our side. The S is the Slytherin seeker and the G is Gryffindor's. The chasers are the stars. Again, the ones filled in are ours. Is that clear to everyone?" They all nodded, including Mulciber. At least they aren't completely brain dead. "Good, now as well all know Potter's one true love is his hair. He's quick so many people don't notice him messing with his hair in the games. I doubt that you have ever seen him touch it during them. Also, he keeps his eyes on the seeker as soon as he sees the snitch." He drew a snitch on the piece of paper. He drew a line from Potter to the snitch. "Those are two moments when you can get the quaffle, before him. Potter may be good, but he is careless." He colored in the right side of the paper next to Potter. "Potter is left handed. Anything to hurt his left side will weaken his playing abilities. As for the chasers, if you pull stunts at the right moment, when there is seemingly minimal action in the games Potter will get distracted." He wrote the word 'stunt' next to the Slytherin chasers. "Reg, you have a perfect example from your brother. I suggest you use some of them during the games. "
"Okay, I'll be sure to do so."
"McKinnon, this is important, so I implore you to listen. Potter is fond of showing off every time he catches the quaffle. If you ever took the time to show off when you block he will start showing off even more, thus reducing his performance on the field." He nodded as Severus wrote 'show off' next to McKinnon.
"Now, this is something I'm surprised you haven't come up with yet. If you knock off Potter's glasses he won't be able to see a thing. Do that and I'm sure you could score ten times before he could ever find he glasses." He drew a pair of glasses falling away from Potter. "Lastly, the beaters need to hit the bludgers toward Potter, but you need to barely miss him. If you hit him the Gryffindor team will fight back. This game isn't about foul play. Foul play won't get you anywhere in this game. If you cheat you lose." He drew bludgers and drew an arrow the led to the area just next to Potter.
"Everyone has weaknesses. You just have to find them. Now, we cannot form patterns, nor can we use all of these in a single game. Not all Gryffindors are idiots. They will notice, and they will use it against us. We have to do this using skill." Every word he said appeared on the back of the pages. Using a multiplying spell he copied the pages of the book and handed them to everyone. "This is for those of you who forget. I can't guarantee that this will help, but it's worth a try." His Slytherins had always come to him, asking him for advice on how to play the game. Somehow, they had gotten the idea that he knew something about it. Luckily after years of instructing them he had developed a sense for the game.
"Severus, you should have joined the team ages ago." Reg said, clearly not mad at him anymore. With that said they began to practice. It had gone well, even though Severus had shouted insults at his teammates for their lack of skills. He had helped Slytherin win the cup twelve years in a row when he was the teacher. When Malfoy made the team the streak was as good as gone. But he knew winning didn't matter, not once was it worth it. You can win games, win trophies and win war, but it never got you anywhere. Soon, everyone would forget what you had done, and it wouldn't matter anymore. But he knew if he didn't tell them how to win, then there would be a group of Slytherins pestering him for some plan, until he finally would have an ocean of words flow out of his mouth.
After practice he got off his broom and stumbled onto the ground. He was not one for flying on a broom. Why use a broom when you can simply fly without one? His thoughts were interrupted by Reg. "Everybody. This was our only practice time we had before the game. I apologize to the new players. I think we might have a shot, thanks to Severus. For now, I need you all to dream about quidditch. Then maybe, we will be one step closer to winning the cup! You can all leave, except for Severus."
They two waited until everyone was farther than an earshot away. "Severus, I thought about what you said yesterday." He raised an eyebrow. "I can't change without a reason. Severus, I know you may not like it, but I'm going to do what I think is the right thing."
"No Reg, you don't know what you're falling into. By the time you figure out what is wrong and what is right it will be too late. This isn't a game of quidditch. If you mess up you don't have a second chance. You're throwing your life away."
"How can you know? You said you aren't a Death Eater." Severus couldn't reply. He knew all too well what price you pay for becoming one, but that happened in the future, before his second change. How could he possibly explain?
"You just have to trust me. I know more than you think I do. Reg, before you do anything rash, I need you to think about what you think, instead of what someone else thinks. I won't be able to look out for you once you're in too deep. Once that happens, no one can help you."
Reg nodded. "I can't promise anything."
"I know." He said it, but he knew it meant Regulus would consider not joining the Death Eaters. Regulus was smart; he just never believed it enough. For now, the only thing both of them could do is wait and see what will happen in the near future.
"Don't be late for the game."
"You shouldn't worry about that." Reg walked away, leaving Severus out on the quidditch pitch. As he starred at the field he thought of Lily and Potter. They were both on the Gryffindor quidditch team. What will happen when they see him as the new seeker? This won't be good. Luckily, Lily wasn't the seeker.
After the game I'll talk to her. Hopefully we don't win so she will be in a good mood.
The stands were filled with students and professors. The teams walked out with their brooms in hand and a plan in their minds. As Severus mounted his broom he saw Lily. Even in her ridiculous outfit she looked absolutely beautiful. Lily caught sight of him and as everyone began to rise into the air. She nearly fell off. What is he doing on the quidditch team? He hates quidditch. Things are getting stranger every day. . .
Severus wore a gold and crimson colored bracelet, with a doe charm hanging on its strap on his wrist, hidden beneath his quidditch robes. After OWL's he had planned to give it to Lily, but things hadn't gone that way. He had worn it every day since then. It was a nostalgic pleasure for him. He used it as a good luck charm. It had never changed his luck, but he kept wearing it, because it reminded him of Lily after she was gone. It helped ease the pain sometimes. Despite the fact that she was back now, he could never take it off.
Professor McGonagall was referee. "I want a clean game today. Anything suspicious will automatically cause points to be taken away. With that said the game can begin!" She threw the quaffles into the air and the game began. Severus watched his team, to see if they were following his instructions. For now, everything was going well.
A beater threw a bludger toward Potter, while he messed with his hair. It had just barely missed him. As the game progressed Slytherin had shattered Gryffindor's score completely. The bludgers did a great job of distracting the opposing team's players. Mulciber finally had a purpose. For every three goals Slytherin would score Gryffindor would score one. The thickheaded, conceited Slytherins had actually listened to him. Who would have thought?
Lily was in awe because there was a vast improvement with their team. What had happened to Slytherin? There were three new players, but from what she knew, they weren't all too good. Severus just sat there floating on his broom with his eyes closed most of the time. The other two just fooled around the whole time. What's their plan? As she thought a bludger had flown past Lily and barely missed James. She was terrified for a moment, before she saw that it hadn't hit him. Just as it had missed James a quaffle had made its way into the goal. There was something going on, but she couldn't quite figure it out.
She had the quaffle in her hand and raced toward the goal, swerving around the Slytherin players quickly. She purposely avoided Severus. She threw the quaffle and just as she did so the bludger had hit her shoulder. Severus opened his eyes and he saw Lily began to fall. He was just as scarred as Lily felt as she fell. He started to fly toward her, hoping that he would catch her in time. She noticed him. She had fallen several feet before she caught her broom. Severus stopped flying as she began to fly higher into the air. She wasn't hurt. He sighed in relief.
Lily was quite distracted for the rest of the match. Did he try to save me? Did he want to? He had saved me once? Why hadn't James done anything? He keeps wanting to protect me. I'm not much of anything. I'll never understand this. Things ended between us long ago. Everything happens for a reason. We aren't meant to be with each other as friends. That much was made clear, earlier… She drifted into her thoughts and completely forgot about the game. Luckily, no bludgers had made their way towards her.
Severus caught sight of the snitch, and suddenly his position on the team was clear to everyone. He raced toward it while the Gryffindor's seeker tailed him. Severus was fast, despite the fact that he was on an old, worn out broom. The snitch suddenly was behind Severus. He turned around, his fingers where inches away from the snitch. Swiftly he reached for it. Just as he did a bludger hit Potter and he fell. He crashed onto the ground. Something inside of him told him to go to Potter, despite his relentless hate for the man. He let go of the snitch in less than a second and flew toward Potter. The Slytherins yelled at him, but he ignored it. He made it to Potter just before Lily.
Lily was crying; tears streamed like a waterfall down her face. "James," she choked out. He grunted in pain. Severus noticed that a wand had pierced his left hand. It was gruesome. Even if wands were allowed to be brought onto the field, it was not advisable. Why Potter had brought his was beyond him. Above the three the game still went on, because there was still one seeker left.
"Snivellus," James whispered. "Don't you dare touch me." He looked towards Lily. He whispered her name before he passed out.
"Severus, he's hurt. He's going to be really mad when he wakes up. Help me get him to the hospital wing. Please." She begged him. He nodded; he could never refuse her. Lily grabbed the top half of James, while he grabbed the other. If he weren't doing this for Lily he would have been laughing while making snarky comments. As they looked up they saw that the people in the stands were standing up, staring at them, wide eyed, confused, but mostly wondering if they were seeing things. Severus was not one to help Gryffindors, much less carry Potter to the infirmary.
They met Professor McGonagall outside of the stands. "What are Mr. Potter's injuries?" she asked, clearly concerned for the boy.
Lily was crying, too wrapped up in her own emotions to respond. "He's unconscious. He probably has a concussion. His wand has somehow bored itself through his skin and out through the other end as you can see. He made the idiotic decision to bring his wand to the game, without making sure it wouldn't fall out of his pocket. I'm not sure what has been done to the bone in his arm, but I am positive that his Metacarpals are broken. As for the area in his wrist where the wand pierced through the bone is probably greatly damaged. He won't be able to play quidditch with that hand, and considering that he is left handed it's a great loss…for him." He noticed Potter jerk as he said those words, like he could hear that he wasn't able to play quidditch anymore.
McGonagall nodded. She was in shock. Students usually aren't able to access this kind of injury. Metacarpals—how does a student even know that part of the body? Severus might make a good healer, if he doesn't join Volde—he who must not be named… He's a smart boy. He shouldn't fall into the wrong hands. It would be a great loss to the wizarding world.
The three made their way into the castle. At times like these apparition would have been useful, but it was strictly prohibited. Lily had slowly gotten more and more tired as they winded through the castle. It didn't matter to her much. She just wanted James to be okay. He has to be okay. If he wakes up and finds out he won't be able to play quidditch anymore it will crush him. It matters so much to him. Please be okay Jamie. You're a good healer. Maybe Severus is wrong. What am I saying? He's always right about these things. But when did he learn all that about injuries? Too much time has passed. I don't know him anymore. He would never have helped James in a situation like this. It's so unlike him. He's changed…it's a trick. She had told herself over and over that he was tricking her, not able to believe anything, but that. Lying to herself was the only way she could live life sanely. The moment she would admit she was wrong about him, would be the moment her world would crumble slowly, until finally all that would be left was the remainder of what used to be.
Severus noticed that Lily had grown tired. She used up most of her energy crying. Where is the strong Lily that I used to know? She used to be able to handle situations like these. Things have changed far too much. He stopped. "Lily, help me put Potter on my back."
"You can't carry him all the way alone."
"It doesn't matter you're tired. Don't argue…this is a battle you will never win." She listened to him. She wasn't in the mood to fight Severus. He carried the unconscious body all the way through Hogwarts without stumbling once. He hadn't the strength for it, but he ignored the pain. A thousand cruciatus curses were far worse than this. Lugging Potter's heavy body across the school was like a walk on the beach compared to what he had suffered through. His muscles tightened with every step, his arms grew weaker and his spine would suffer from this unfortunate choice in the morning. Yet, he was sure that Potter would suffer by the hands of Madame Pomfrey soon enough.
They had finally made it to the infirmary. Severus threw Potter onto the bed as gently as he could. Afterwards he collapsed into a chair, hoping his back pain would soon dull. McGonagall explained what had happened as Madame Pomfrey listened intensely. He could hear her making comments on how foolish it is to bring a wand to a game. When he got bored of their frivolous conversation, which had reduced into gossip he had turned to see a sight that had made his heart stop for what seemed like forever.
Lily was lying next to James, stroking his hair with great care. The look in her eyes was that of true love; love that was meant to survive no matter what. She looked at Potter the way Severus looked at her his entire life. Her red hair intertwined with Potter's unruly black. Severus felt a rock in the pit of his stomach. He felt himself stand up. Unknowingly he began to walk towards the other end of the room. He couldn't turn his head away from the scene. Suddenly it was completely obvious to him why she had been so hurt by this. Seeing Potter like this made her suffer as much as he. He squeezed his thigh slowly, hardening his grip with each passing moment. There was no doubting it. Even now, she loved James more than anything. He had no chance with her, even if he came back for the sole reason of being with her. Dumbledore had tricked him.
He was an idiot to ever believe that Dumbledore wouldn't have an ulterior motive. It was his nature. The lying, manipulating, senile man had used him once more, but this time there was no way to back out of it. His fate was sealed permanently. He has to live through this once more. There was no telling what life had in store for him.
Lily had felt Severus leave the room. She held James close to her, hurting on the inside. She felt so much for him. The agony he had gone through was felt equally by her. Love does unimaginable things to a person. Fairytales were never true. The tales of great loves, and great loves lost were never to be lived. But one thing in all works of fiction is very real. Love, and love lost can cause the supernatural to occur in the inside of a human being, so magically that words could not express it.
But there was fault in this feeling. There was a sharp thick line cutting through it, consuming whatever she felt for Potter. The way Severus had saved him so willingly, or so it seemed began to spark something deep inside of her. It was the same thing she had felt when Severus told her he wouldn't join the Death Eaters. But this time it burned bright and didn't burn itself out just as quickly. Had her feelings for her old friend returned? She couldn't deny them completely. They had too much history in between them. If he is someone she could truly trust then why wait any longer? She always knew he would turn around and right his wrongs eventually. She had lost hope for him the moment she had fell for James.
That night they both drifted off to sleep uneasily. Lily was still unaware that Severus had never truly left the infirmary. They had to wait for James to wake up. Madame Pomfrey had decided that his injuries could wait until morning. That night Lily had dreamed of the three being friends, instead of the constant war between them. Unlike Lily, Severus slept completely occluded.
A/N: Please review, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to PM me with any questions, as I will not be answering them in any Author's Notes.
School will be starting soon. I will not be able to update as frequently, but I will try to update at least once every one to two weeks.
I am taking this time to thank my readers. I am happy that there are people out there who enjoy my writing. It means a great deal to me.
Take care, all of you.
-Elaine
