CHAPTER 8

The post owls arrived precisely on schedule at lunch, almost a week after the Tongue-Teasing Elixir incident. Sirius Black had required a night's stay in the Hospital Wing as Madame Pomfrey tried to determine how exactly to repair the damage done to him by Anne Warlow. Lucius, Bella, and Narcissa were gathered together at their table when a Howler dropped at Bella's place.

"A Howler?" cried Narcissa in disbelief, staring across the table at her sister.

"What did you do to deserve that?" asked Lucius in a sinister, yet oddly pleased, tone.

Bella looked horrified. Suddenly, the letter started smoking and shaking, and then it exploded into a voice that rang throughout the Great Hall.

However, it was not the thunderous tones of her mother, nor was it the ear-splitting shrieks of her Aunt Walburga. It was the low, husky, and subtly accented voice of Rodolphus Lestrange that fell upon everyone's ears.

"Dearest Bellatrix," said the note, calmly but quite loudly. "There comes a time in every wizard's life when he must choose the person with whom he is to spend the rest of his life."

Bella smirked triumphantly at Lucius, who was glaring at her from across the table.

"I have always cared deeply for you, Bella," the voice of Lestrange continued. "I love you madly and always shall. I ask you now, in front of your family and friends at Hogwarts: Bellatrix Black, will you marry me?"

Narcissa shrieked in a sound that was half excitement and half disgust. Lucius rolled his eyes.

"Please write with your reply," concluded the Howler, and it folded up and landed back at Bella's plate.

"Finally," muttered Bella as she reached in her bag for a quill.

"Writing back so quickly?" asked Lucius curiously.

Bella glanced up at him, correctly deciphering a bit of jealousy and a hint of longing in his stare. She penned her reply and smiled up at him evilly. At this, Lucius extended his arm and wrapped it tenderly around Narcissa, whose eyes were the only thing betraying her nervousness as she snuggled against him.

"I would really prefer not to go to Potions today," said Severus, looking rather nauseous.

"Really, Sev," said Anne in a very McGonagall-sounding tone. "I thought we were over this."

"We were," he replied. "But this is the first time I'll have to be around her-"

Anne raised an eyebrow at him, and Severus flushed pink.

"Around Black and Potter is what I meant," he grumbled quickly, and Anne nodded sceptically.

Severus stuck close to Anne as they walked into the damp Potions classroom, averting his eyes completely from Potter, Black, Pettigrew, and Lupin, and most importantly, Lily Evans. He was almost certain he heard some sniggering coming from their general direction, but he followed Anne's lead and ignored it.

Before Hogwarts, he and Anne were close; he would often visit her at her family's house in Wales while her brother was away at school. It had been a welcome reprieve from life at home with Tobias Snape, who never understood his wife and son's abilities. Sometimes, his mother would even join him for a weekend with the Warlows. The moment that the Sorting Hat placed Anne in Slytherin was the moment their bond had been cemented. He had resented Anne so much for the first two months of school. Lucius Malfoy adored her, Bellatrix Black tolerated her, the Slytherins as a whole welcomed her, and even plenty of the Ravenclaws were friendly. Anne was overall very well-liked, even after just two months of classes, and Severus . . . well, Severus had never been much of a social butterfly.

But even more than that, Severus resented her because, even as she made new friends and gained some social status in her House, Anne still stuck beside him. She didn't desert him or ridicule him; she made a point to include him and remain close. It was so good of her that he had only resented her more. And when she stood up for him against Black, Potter, and Pettigrew, he hated that she helped him.

The incident with Lily Evans and the Tongue-Teasing Elixir had reminded him why it was good to have Anne Warlow on his side. He loved her dearly. She had let him swim, and he had sunk miserably, but she just remained faithfully by his side, handing him a life raft and never once mentioning his failure.

"Ingredients are in the cupboard at the front of the classroom!" Slughorn announced. "Now, get to work! You shall be graded on your efforts at the end of class."

Anne was so miserable at Potions. Severus took pride in the fact that he could help her. Potions was something he could understand: a precise drop of this, a level teaspoon of that. There was an exact formula. With people, there never was.

"Oh, no!" whispered Anne. "Sev, look! It's gone all funny-colored!"

"Just add some hemlock seeds," he replied quietly. "It'll turn out fine."

"But that isn't in the list of ingredients," Anne said.

"Trust me!" said Severus.

Anne did as he instructed her, following his exact directions, and soon, her potion was simmering at least close to the color it was supposed to be.

"How did you know to do that?" Anne whispered, astonished.

"Natural properties of hemlock seeds," he said nonchalantly. "They slow the reaction of the newt blood to the catalyst-"

But at Anne's glazed-over countenance, he just smiled and shook his head.

"I just know," said Severus.

Anne giggled.

"I like it when you smile, Sev," she announced quietly.

Severus smiled again, despite himself. He spooned his mixture into a vial and helped Anne do the same. He had saved her at least half credit with his help, and for that, he was proud. Slughorn began walking around the room grading their potions.

"Mister Lupin, that's quite up to standards," said Professor Slughorn, nodding. "Full marks. And Miss Evans!"

Slughorn beamed at the redheaded Gryffindor, and Severus was finally forced to look at her. She looked shy and embarrassed to be pointed out in front of the entire class, but proud of herself nonetheless.

"Miss Evans, this potion surpasses my expectations. Excellent job. You're a natural!" praised Slughorn. "Five points to Gryffindor!"

Lily smiled shyly as her friends congratulated her. Severus scowled as he watched Potter and Black clap her on the back. They made it look so natural. He could never be that way.

"Mister Pettigrew," said Slughorn to the watery-eyed boy paired unfortunately with a Slytherin First year. "This potion should be green. As you may see, it is purple. It is, however, the correct texture, so you will receive two points of credit today."

Professor Slughorn graded Potter and Black's mixtures, who both got half credit, and took two points off of Anne's potion before finally checking on Severus's own.

"Another phenomenal potion!" Slughorn exclaimed. "Far beyond standards! Tell me, Mister Snape, how did you get it to such a vibrant hue?"

"Hemlock seeds," Severus muttered.

"Hemlock! My goodness, that's incredible. How did you think to use hemlock?" said Slughorn excitedly, but didn't bother to listen to Severus's reply. "Miss Evans, come over here and look at this!"

Severus's face lost its colour. He felt Anne tense up next to him. Potter and Black were both fuming in their seats, and Lily looked totally mortified. Slughorn motioned for her again, and Lily reluctantly hopped out of her seat and joined the professor.

"See, Miss Evans? Your potion is remarkable. Absolutely marvelous! But Mister Snape has added hemlock seeds, which help mitigate that sort of drab color that your potion had," said the Potions professor. "Do you see?"

"Yes, sir," said Lily quietly.

For a very brief moment, Lily's eyes met Severus's. Her amazing eyes. They were green, like Anne's, but unlike Anne's, they were a vivid emerald that stood out against her red hair. Severus noticed them instantly, and was suddenly ashamed of his own coal-black eyes. Before the moment had begun, it was over, and Lily had returned to her seat, earning jeers from Potter, Black, and Pettigrew. Severus scowled. Anne was nudging him and softly whispering, "Great job!" but Severus didn't hear her. He had just noticed Lily Evans's eyes