The next morning Severus woke up early and quickly had a shower, being careful not to wake all his housemates up. It did appear, however, that he wasn't the only one awake at the early hour. Most would have to wake up soon, regardless. After showering, he cast a quick drying charm, through on his uniform and made his way down to breakfast, where, as was custom, they all received their timetables for the year.

Severus had opted to continue with Study of Ancient Runes, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. He'd also elected to take Alchemy which was only offered in the last two years. He opted to discontinue Astronomy and History of Magic. He didn't know of anyone in particular who had actually opted to continue History of Magic now that the mandatory O.W.L for the subject had been obtained. Nobody was a fan of Binns' class. As for the others. he didn't see them being any use to him. He did enjoy history, just not the way that Binns taught it. Severus intended just to study it more on his own time, which was hardly unheard of for him to do. He was, as his friends had not so delicately put it more than once, a swot.

He helped himself to some eggs, sausage links, black pudding, English bacon, and breakfast potatoes, while some of his housemates started taking their seats.

"You were up early," came Avery's voice.

"Not that early," he said with a snort.

"I know, but still," Avery said, pouring a glass of pumpkin juice. "You're feeling better then?"

"You said you were quite ill this past summer?" Rosier chimed in.

"Yes," he said. "I am feeling quite a bit better though, thankfully."

"Good to hear," Avery said approvingly as he took a bite of sausage. "You were in the hospital wing a lot last year."

"Hmm."

"So, where did you end up staying, anyway?" Mulciber asked.

"Why do you care?"

"Just curious," Mucliber said with a shrug.

"Foster home," he grumbled. He was decidedly not saying that he was living with the Evanses. He would never hear the end of it and they'd just be relentless. He would stay mum on this one, and it was true.

"Ah."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better, Snape," said Rosier. "Like Avery said, you were in the hospital wing a lot last year."

"Gryffindors are hazardous to your health," he deadpanned.

"True enough," Rosier said with a snort. "But still - if I didn't know better, I'd swear you've caught whatever that Lupin bloke's got. He's practically lived in the hospital wing since first-year."

"Why are you watching Lupin of all people, Evan?" he said wryly. "You've got a crush?"

"You little -!" he said, before chuckling. "Not even. However, I just find it curious. It's weird."

"Any theories on what's wrong with him?" he asked, hoping to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"Just that he's an arse-licker," Rosier said with a snort, taking another bite of eggs.

"I've never agreed with you more," he said wryly.

"Oi, Taurin, did you hear about that new chaser from the Wimbourne Wasps?" Regulus Black inquired, swiftly changing the conversation.

"Actually, yes." And just like that, the conversation took a different turn. Severus had never been so thankful for a Black in his life. The entire conversation did concern him, however. Did Rosier know? What would happen if news got out? He'd have to warn Dumbledore and Lupin and he would have to be a lot of careful from now on or someone really would make the connection. Rosier was dangerously close already. Severus wasn't fooled. Rosier knew more than he was letting on. It was only Slytherin not to reveal your hand after all. He was sure, however, that Rosier hadn't settled on any one theory yet.

He didn't think he could handle it if news got out, and the fact that it might soon rather scared him. How much longer could he and Lupin keep the secret for?

To say that he was stressed when he made his way to Study of Ancient Runes would be an understatement.

At least it was the first day, and they started doing anything too complex as of yet. But still, he'd need his wits about him as much as possible in Alchemy. It was far from being an easy class. If he hadn't known that before, then he quickly learned that.

Professor Barnes, as he quickly learned, was rather strict but did seem fair enough - not unlike McGonagall.

He'd gotten an elbow from his neighbour to pay attention, which luckily the professor hadn't noticed. Severus had quickly shaped up and tried to focus on the lesson. All in all, it went rather smoothly.

He did make a mental note to read ahead a bit though, as there was one aspect that was rather confusing to him that the professor said they would be discussing next class. He just hoped that missing the occasional class do to the full moon wouldn't harm his grade as much as he feared it might.

When the bell finally rang for Potions, he quickly found out that just over a dozen of them were actually progressing to N.E.W.T. level. There were two Hufflepuffs, and an assortment of students from other houses. Ravenclaws were close to having the majority, however. No surprise there - they were the House of love for all things knowledge, after all.

He and Lily quickly chose a station and began setting everything up when the dungeon door opened and Slughorn's belly preceded him out of the door. As he and the other students filed into the room, his great walrus moustache curved above his beaming mouth and he greeted Lily and Severus with particular enthusiasm.

The dungeon was, most unusually, already full of vapours and odd smells. Severus and Lily sniffed interestedly at the odd smells.

Severus and Lily had picked the table nearest a gold-coloured cauldron that was emitting one of the most alluring scents Severus had ever come across.

The first smell that hit him was fresh parchment, followed by something flowery – Oxlip, like those back in Cokeworth, at their spot, and a waft of strawberry shampoo. He found that he was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion's fumes seemed to be filling him up like a drink. A great contentment stole over him; he grinned across at Lily, who wasted no time in reply with a lazy smile of her own.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapours. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making."

Everyone quickly started rummaging through their things.

"Now then," said Slughorn, returning to the front of the class and inflating his already bulging chest, so that the buttons on his waistcoat threatened to burst off, "I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your NEWTs You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He indicated the cauldron towards the right. Severus raised himself slightly in his seat and saw what looked like plain water boiling away inside it.

His hand hit the air before anybody else's; Slughorn pointed at him.

"It's Veritaserum, sir," he swiftly responded. "It's a colourless, odourless potion that forces anyone who drinks it, to tell the truth under its influence."

"Very good, very good!" said Slughorn happily. "Now," he continued, pointing at the cauldron nearest Lily and Severus' table, which was slow bubbling, mud-like substance. "This one here is pretty well-known. It's featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately as well. Can anyone tell me-?"

Severus' hand shot up at once, "That's Polyjuice potion, sir," he stated. "It allows the drinker to take the form of another, for periods of up to an hour, although it is strictly for human transformation."

This earned Severus a glare from Potter and Black, as they clearly understood the buried insult. Good.

"Excellent, excellent!" chimed Slughorn. "Now, this one here… Yes, my dear?"

The cauldron he was now directing their attention towards had a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and the steam rose in characteristic spirals.

At this Slughorn was looking slightly bemused as Lily's hand punched the air. Severus had, of course, immediately recognised it, but he wasn't answering this question to save his life. Especially not if Lily knew the answer. He could only think of what would go around the Hogwarts rumour mill if he did.

No. It was decidedly not worth it.

"It's Amortentia, sir," stated Lily without hesitation. "It's an extremely powerful love potion, which smells differently to individuals based off of what personally attracts them."

"It is indeed," said Slughorn happily. "Twenty points to Gryffindor and Slytherin."

Lily and Severus exchanged smirks.

"Now, Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. Amortentia will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is for that reason that it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room right now."

"And now," said Slughorn, "it's time for us to get to work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Belby, a Ravenclaw, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the colour of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilt.

"Oho," said Slughorn again. Severus was sure that Slughorn had not forgotten the potion at all, but had waited to be asked for dramatic effect. "Yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. "I have no doubt," he turned, smiling, to look at Severus, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Mr Snape?"

"Felix Felicis is otherwise known as liquid luck," he said. "It makes the drinker lucky."

The whole class seemed to sit up a little straighter. Now all Severus could see of Potter was the back of his messy black head, because he was, at last, giving Slughorn his full and undivided attention.

"Quite right, take ten points for Slytherin. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," said Slughorn. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavours tend to succeed... at least until the effects wear off."

Severus saw Dorcas Meadowes and Alice Fortescue quickly whispering something before Meadowes put her hand up.

"Why isn't more commonly used, sir?" Meadowes asked eagerly.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know... highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally..."

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Belby with great interest.

"Twice in my life," the Potions Master said. "Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days."

The excited murmuring was back in full force. All the while, Slughorn gazed dreamily into the distance. Whether he was play-acting or not, thought Severus, the effect was good.

"And that," said Slughorn, apparently coming back to earth, "is what I shall be offering as a prize in this lesson."

There was silence in which every bubble and gurgle of the surrounding potions seemed magnified tenfold.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."

"Wow," said Lily.

"I know," he whispered back.

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organised competition... sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections," said Slughorn. "So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only... and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win this fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

There was a scraping as everyone drew their cauldrons toward them and some loud clunks as people began adding weights to their scales, but nobody spoke. The concentration within the room was almost tangible. During this Severus made several changes to it, writing them in the margins.

Where the books said to cut, Severus found that crushing the Sopophorous Bean with the flat side of the silver dagger released the juice better. Lily gave him a funny look when he picked up his silver knife until the potion immediately turned exactly the shade of lilac described in the textbook.

Lily's was still a deep purple, although hers was still better than most of the students. She then decided to go with Severus's theory and moved to correct where she had gone wrong.

He could hear quiet murmuring from the table next to him as they noticed Severus was going off script, again.

"How is he doing that?"

"Don't ask me," the other boy asked with a snort.

"You do understand what a rhetorical question is, yes?"

"Hmmm."

"I doubt it was really rhetorical," Severus murmured, causing Lily to giggle.

"True, but I doubt he actually expected his friend to know," she said.

"True enough," he agreed.

Smirking, Severus shrugged and moved onto the next set of instructions. According to the book, he had to stir counterclockwise until the potion turned clear as water. He glanced around at a few cauldrons and quickly glanced over the list of ingredients again.

Eventually, he decided he ought to add a clockwise stir after every seventh counterclockwise stir. It couldn't hurt, and if what he just saw in Lily's cauldron was any indication, it might actually work better. It would help with the amalgamation and all that. He hoped, anyway.

As he did this the effect was immediate. The potion turned pale pink.

Perfect.

Severus glanced around. As far as he could see, no one else's potion had turned as pale as his. He smirked. Lily's was the closest, but even hers still had colour to it.

"And that's all the time we have for today," Slughorn announced. "Please stop stirring."

Slughorn moved slowly among the tables, peering into cauldrons. He made no comment, but occasionally gave the potions a stir or a sniff. At last, he reached the table where Severus and Lily were sitting. He smiled ruefully at the tarlike substance in one of the Hufflepuffs' cauldrons, just beside, before looking at theirs. Lily's potion earned a notable nod of approval. Then he saw Severus', and a look of absolute delight spread over his face.

"Well, well, the clear winner!" he cried to the dungeon. "Absolutely brilliant, Severus! Never in all my years... You're the first person to make a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize. Here you are, then, here you are - one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised. Do use it well!"

Severus slipped the tiny bottle of golden liquid into his inner pocket, feeling delighted at the furious looks on Potter and Black's faces and the impressed expression on Lily's. A couple other students simply looked simply dumbfounded, although a few Ravenclaws looked impressed as well, with a slight tinge of frustration that they couldn't figure out where they went wrong. Severus was rather pleased that he'd thought to write down the alterations he'd made.

Potter had started going off on a tangent about Severus obviously having cheated.

"No, I just study," Severus returned quickly. "Unlike some."

The look he received from Potter was well worth it.

"Don't be too hard on him, Sev," said Lily, still grinning. "He doesn't know his left from his right. How can you expect him to understand such a concept as opening a book once in a while?"

"OI!"

"Off to lunch?" Lily suggested, ignoring Potter. "And then everyone is going out by the lake. You could come. If you wanted I mean -"

"Sure. Lead the way," he said, returning her grin.