Chapter 12
A/N: Every time I get an e-mail with the subject [FF Review Alert], I start freaking out that it's going to be negative. So far, I have 41 good reviews and 1 negative. Thank you guys so much for not throwing bricks at me c: And a super thank you to all of you who point out mistakes I make! You make my story better. Every one of my readers is invaluable.
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The next several months passed in uniform contentedness. Severus's odd dreams stopped, the good and the bad. Kisses were exchanged, potions brewed, Olive chased anything that moved, Horace Slughorn named his goldfish Francis. The weather warmed and the days lengthened until, finally, the dreaded exams were upon them: O.W.L.s.
With McGonagall's favor, Lily had quickly become adept at Transfiguration, and, with Lily's help, Severus improved in his Charms work. The only test Severus was truly worried about was the Defense Against the Dark Arts exams, both written and practical. While he excelled in the subject, he was unsure of how difficult the exams would be.
The morning of the written test dawned bright and sunny, the air already possessing some of the warmth of the coming summer. Severus and Lily sat in the shade of a large beech tree, studying in the time remaining before the test.
Severus, for his part, was unable to concentrate; Lily was wearing her summer uniform already, and the skirt was proving to be distracting. She smelled of vanilla and sunshine and the raspberry tea she was drinking, and days spent in the sun had freckled her skin even more.
Lily made a face at Severus and shoved the book in his face. "We're about out of time, Sev."
Reluctantly, Severus stowed his books in his bags and followed her back into the castle, turning left into the Great Hall, where Professor Flitwick would be administering the test.
"Wish me luck," said Lily, and he knew she was keeping her voice low so he couldn't hear it shake.
"Good luck," he replied bracingly, and they both took seats in the side of the Hall designated for their House. Groaning inwardly, Severus watched all four of the so-called "Marauders" take seats near Lily. Much to her credit, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, buried her nose in her notes, and made studious work of ignoring them.
Shaking out his thoughts like a rug, Severus turned to his own O.W.L. paper, reviewing the defensive spells for what felt like the hundredth time. He didn't have long to study, however—after just a few minutes, Professor Flitwick got their attention from the front of the room, and the exam began.
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Ages into the exam, Severus ran a hand through his hair, wishing for the tenth time that he had remembered to bring a hair-tie. He was, he thought, quite done with the paper, and breathed a sigh of relief when Professor Flitwick called "Five more minutes!"
Just as Severus was beginning to get restless, Professor Flitwick shouted, "Quills down, please! That means you too, Stebbins!" He brandished his wand. "Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"
More than a hundred rolls of parchment went flying towards the diminutive Professor, knocking him backwards off his feet, inciting a bit of laughter. The couple frontmost students left their desks to help him to his feat again.
"Thank you… thank you," huffed Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"
Nearly everyone stood at once, causing a flurry of movement and sound. Severus, still absorbed in the question paper, made for the lawns of the school, hoping to find Lily so they could review the papers. Question ten (give five signs that identify the werewolf) had been an easy one, considering his now-distant run in with that werewolf, Lupin, and his stupid friends….
Severus settled himself in the shade of a dense clump of bushes, looking around him for Lily. With dread, he realized that he had seated himself right near the Marauders. Stowing his paper in his bag, he got up and started walking back towards the castle, but it was no use—Black had spotted him.
"All right, Snivellus?" Potter called loudly.
Instinctively, Severus reacted, dropping his bag and drawing his wand. But before he could get it fully into the air, Potter shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Severus's wand went flying and landed in the grass not far behind him.
Black laughed as Severus turned to get it and raised his own wand. "Impedimenta!" Severus was knocked off his feet, unable to move much.
Much to his embarrassment, a crowd was beginning to gather. Potter and Sirius, too cowardly to face anyone alone after Potter's defeat last Christmas, began advancing on the fallen Severus as he panted, struggling to get up.
"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" asked Potter.
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Black with venom. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they don't be able to read a word."
Several of the gathered students laughed. Severus continued his attempts to get to his feet, thrashing as though bound by invisible ropes. "You—wait," he panted, staring up at the pair of them and Potter in particular with an expression of purest loathing. "You—wait…."
"Wait for what?" asked Black disdainfully, tossing his hair. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Severus muttered a desperate stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but as his wand was still several feet away, nothing happened.
Potter eyed the boy on the ground with utter disgust, as though Severus were something he'd found on the bottom of his shoe. "Wash out your mouth. Scourgify!"
At once, the bitter taste of soap filled Severus's mouth, and he felt bubbles stream from his lips. He couldn't breathe, the froth was choking him—
"Leave him ALONE!" someone nearby shouted, and Severus looked up with relief to see Lily, wand drawn.
Potter's tone immediately switched to something a bit more pleasant, but with an undertone as slick and greasy as oiled glass. "All right, Evans?"
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, looking at him with hatred. "What's he done to you?"
"Well," said Potter, mock-thoughtfully, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…." Several people laughed at this, and he mussed up his hair like a peacock preening itself.
Lily wasn't laughing. "You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just a bullying, arrogant toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said Potter eagerly. "Go on…. Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Finally, the Impediment Jinx began to wear off. Severus inched towards his wand, gagging soapsuds as he crawled.
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," Lily growled.
"Bad luck, Prongs," said Black briskly, turning back to Severus. "OI!"
But his warning was too late—Severus had his wand trained on Potter. Sectumsempra! he said silently. There was a flash of light, and a long gash appeared on his cheek, matching the one he had received from Severus all those months ago.
Potter reciprocated with a spell of Severus's—Levicorpus—and Severus felt himself jerked into the air by his ankle, robes falling over his head. Due to the warm day, he hadn't bothered wearing trousers under his robes, a fact that made everyone watching cheer and laugh.
Lily was so furious she felt her eye twitch. "Let him down!"
"Certainly," replied Potter, and he performed the counterspell—Liberacorpus—and Severus fell to the ground in a heap. Immediately, he extricated himself and leapt to his feet, raising his wand, but Black said, "Locomotor mortis!" and Severus's knees buckled as his legs went rigid.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted, her wand trained at Potter's face.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you."
"Take the curse off him, then!"
Potter gave an exasperated sigh, and then muttered the countercurse obligingly. "There you go," he said as Severus struggled to his feet once more. "You're lucky the Mudblood was here, Snivellus—"
"Don't call her that!" Severus roared, raising his wand, but Lily wrenched his arm out of the way.
"Don't even bother with them, Sev, they aren't worth the trouble." Reluctantly, Severus turned and followed her away.
Before they'd made it more than a couple feet, James called after them, "I'd wash my pants if I were you, Snivellus!"
Lily whirled around, shoulder-length hair flying. "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can—I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK. C'mon, Sev." She grabbed his wrist and strode away, leading him with her.
"Evans!" Potter shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"
But she didn't look back.
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A/N: This is the end of "Part 1" of this story. "Part 2" is on its way.