His Greatest Wish, by AndromedaMarine

The Room of Requirement

"Isn't."

"Is."

"Is not!"

"Is so!"

The bickering had gotten out of hand, and apparently Molly Prewett was thinking along the same lines as Severus. "Girls! This is honestly not the place. Stop arguing or take it somewhere else."

Mary Macdonald glared at Tess Worthington, who glared right back. The two had been fighting, already, about who was cuter: Gryffindor seventh year Andrew Brown or Ravenclaw seventh year Ryan Clearwater. Mary flipped her hair and stalked off to sink onto the couch in front of the fire and tug out her Defense book, which she hid behind unconvincingly, still apparently up in arms about Tess's refusal to agree with her.

Lily eased herself next to Severus on an overlarge chair, watching the silent exchange between the two girls. "Daft," she muttered. "They've been like this for about a week now. I have half a mind to march over there and tell them that their taste in boys is awful if they fancy Brown and Clearwater." She looked over at her best friend and smiled. "If it puts you at ease I'll tell you right now that I don't care in the slightest what they were arguing about."

Sev blinked. "I know," he said. "You're smarter than Mary, Tess, and their corresponding crushes combined."

Lily's cheeks tinged pink and she directed her gaze back at her lap. "Thanks." She held out a piece of parchment to him. "Hagrid wanted to know if we'd like to have tea," she said, already having pushed his compliment to the side. "I told him we would."

Sev took the parchment and watched as Lily gazed out the tower window, at the pelting rain that had started up halfway through October. It was mid afternoon the Saturday before Halloween and most of the upper year students were still in Hogsmeade, but Molly and Arthur had come back early from what apparently was a successful date: after admonishing Mary and Tess, Molly had climbed the boys staircase with a grin on her face. Frank and Remus retreated to the library with Peter, intent to get the week's homework done and help their newest friend as much as they could, but they still deferred to Severus when it came to Potions and Defense. Sev unfolded the letter and read.

Lily,

Would you and your friend Severus like to have tea with me tonight at 4:30 before dinner?

Hagrid

A few weeks before, after a Herbology lesson, Lily managed to convince Severus that an exploration of the grounds was in order. They ended up investigating the edge of the Forbidden Forest close to Hagrid's hut, and happened to meet him as he tended to the massive pumpkins in his garden. Having known Hagrid for most of his life, Severus found it just as difficult as hiding his skill from the rest of the teachers to feign sincerity when meeting the half-giant. But Hagrid, in his merry warmth, hadn't noticed a thing out of place.

"What time should we start down?" Sev asked Lily, trying to ignore the fact that when she'd sat down the entire length of her arm became pressed against his.

"Well it's not quite half three yet, and I want to do some exploring." Her eyes twinkled. "Let's see what's up here, on the seventh floor, and work down."

We'll end up in the Room of Requirement sooner or later. "Lil, the seventh floor is as enormous as the castle. You don't expect we'll be able to explore the whole of it before tea with Hagrid, do you?"

"No," she said hastily. "How about this side, then?"

At least the Room of Requirement is on this side of the seventh floor. I still need to see about my Animagus and Patronus forms, though obviously without Lily...

Lily tucked the letter back into her robes and they walked out the portrait hole, away from the sounds of James giving Sirius a sound thrashing at a game of Wizard's Chess. "Pott—James has asked me if I know how to play," she said conversationally, although she knew Sev had caught her slip. "Wizard's Chess. I don't even know how to play regular chess..."

It had not taken long for Sev to realize that he would not be able to spend every waking moment with Lily; for Lily, like all girls, needed space occasionally and some "girl time" with Alice and Mary, although he suspected she kept the girl time to a minimum as Hermione had. "I can teach you Wizard's Chess, if you like," he offered softly, trying to guide her in the direction of the Room of Requirement and make it seem unintentional.

To his surprise, she stuck her tongue out at him. "There's another thing you're better at than me."

"To be fair, you've always been top in Charms and Herbology." And it's true. He hadn't needed to try as hard to conceal his skill because in those cases his skill had a limit. A high one, for sure, but it existed. "And honestly, how many goblin riots could there possibly be that Binns is still on about them two months in?"

Lily giggled. "How I even manage to stay awake is a miracle."

"It's a miracle that anybody actually passes that class," Sev quipped. He looked at their surroundings: in the next corridor up would be the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching ballet to trolls in tutus, across from which existed the concealed entrance to the Room of Requirement. A sudden idea came to mind. "You know how Remus keeps going on about there not being any really private places in Hogwarts?"

"How could I not? He complains every other day about the Slytherins finding him whenever he's studying alone and mocking him about his clothes." Her last few words had a quiet, sad tone. "It's awful that older students think they have the right to pick on us because we're younger, or poorer."

In his former life, the Marauders had banded together before September was at an end. But after two months in this life, Severus had broken up the Marauders without even having any Marauders to break up. The only two of the original four that became fast friends were James and Sirius. But that was to be expected, as they had obviously met at Platform 9¾ and taken an instant liking to one another.

"Maybe we could look for a place that's secluded and where we're unlikely to be disturbed."

"That's a great idea, Sev! And if we find a place we wouldn't have to study as much in the library! Remus would be thrilled."

I wonder, Severus thought on a sudden tangent, if the Room of Requirement could become a soundproof place, conducive to Lupin's transformations, which remains locked from the outside until the full moon is over? Obviously if he could supply the werewolf with an alternative means to Poppy smuggling him to the Whomping Willow every month... And this month his absence had not gone missed by the rest of his roommates.

"Where's Remus?" James had asked as a general question when the five of them were preparing for bed.

"He looked peaky just before dinner and told me he was going to the hospital wing," Frank supplied. "I don't think he was being entirely honest, though. He was downright pale and looked as though he'd caught the flu or something just as bad."

Worse, Severus couldn't help but mentally add. "We can ask him in the morning," he said, so his silence wouldn't be misinterpreted. He wondered when the confrontation would take place, and he wondered if Lily would believe his suspicions this time around, now that he spent time with Remus on a near daily basis.

"I hope he's all right," Peter said in his squeaky voice, "especially since there's an exam in Defense tomorrow morning."

Sirius, however, did not say anything, and for a moment Sev had interpreted this as suspicion.

Sev and Lily started down the corridor with the thought of a study room in mind, and when they passed the tapestry Sev thought about it extra hard. He opened one eye and looked in the direction of the opposite wall, trying to appear surprised when he saw the dark outline of a door appear. "Lily! Look!"

She jumped nearly a foot when he exclaimed this, but indeed she looked and her eyes grew wide. Her hand reached for the doorknob and she twisted it, pulling. They ventured inside, which was furnished with several bookcases and a table fit for five people: Sev, Lily, Remus, Frank, and Peter. "This...this is incredible! We just happened to come across a room fit for what we need..."

"Lil, I think it's the Room of Requirement," Severus said in a voice he usually used when talking about the castle.

"The what?"

"The Room of Requirement. It becomes a place fit for the needs of the seeker."

Lily pondered this. "So if I really needed to hide something...?"

With a jolt, Severus remembered that the diadem of Ravenclaw, also one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, lay half-forgotten on top of a pile of junk in the Room of Hidden Things. The abrupt desire to find it and destroy it made him falter in answering his best friend. He coughed. "It would become a place to hide things." In quick succession he mentally listed the Horcruxes: diadem, locket, cup, ring, diary, snake...and Harry, at least in his first universe. Six to worry about instead of seven, and if he had any luck at all, Nagini would be dead before Voldemort even placed part of his mangled soul in her.

She had pulled a volume off one of the bookshelves and flipped it open, her eyes hungrily absorbing the information. "Sev, this is so amazing! It's got a book on the different uses of potions ingredients—and look, here, a list of what wormwood is for! Just like what our essay's on!" She made to reach for the book bag that wasn't on her shoulder, as if she wanted to start the assignment that minute.

"Lily," Sev commented, amused. "Lily, we've left our bags in the Tower and I thought we were, oh, you know, exploring, not doing homework."

Flustered, she re-shelved the book and stuck her tongue out at him again. If she realized they were completely alone, with no chance of anyone else entering the room, she didn't show it. "Well then, Mr. Know-it-All, let's remember where this room is and continue exploring!"

Lily wrenched the door open and brazenly stepped out into the hallway, with Sev close behind her, and promptly ran right into the caretaker: Ward Arcturo.

"Wandering around the castle?" he asked in a soft, dangerous tone.

This man seems worse than Filch. "It does happen to be the weekend," Sev said with icy calm. "We're allowed to wander around the castle." Maybe he thinks that since it's a Hogsmeade weekend, all students should be in Hogsmeade or else their common rooms. Idiot. Just like Filch.

"Two first year Gryffindors wandering the upper levels of the castle, all alone..." the caretaker started again. "You want to be more careful. Hanging around like this, people will think you're...up...to something."

A nasty prickle shot down Severus's spine as he heard the exact same words he'd said to Harry, Ron, and Hermione in their first year, the afternoon before Harry's first face-to-face battle with Voldemort. But before Severus could give a scathing reply, Lily seized his hand and dragged him back down the hall the way they had come, seemingly very intent on finding the main staircase.

They were on the fourth floor before Severus thought to stop her and ask what had just happened. "Lil—Lily!" He managed to dig his heels back into the stone landing and she swung around, nearly running right into his chest. "What...what's wrong?" Her eyes glistened. She tried not to look at him, averting her gaze to the eavesdropping portraits, including one with an old man and an ear trumpet. When she settled for looking at her feet, Sev's heart hurt. He squeezed her hand and used his index finger to lift her chin so she would look at him. "All the caretakers have been prickly like that," he said quietly.

"But why was he so mean? We weren't even breaking any rules!" When she finally met his eyes his insides clenched and he smiled softly, sadly.

"He's a Squib. He can't do magic, and so he's jealous of all the little kids running around who can, and he likes scaring them."

She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe. "He rui—"

Sev cut her off. "No, he didn't. He didn't ruin our day because we're still going to tea with Hagrid and then to dinner. And we found the Room of Requirement, which I've heard not many people know about. I don't even think Dumbledore knows about it. So no, not ruined."

"You're sweet, Sev," she murmured so quietly Severus thought he must have imagined it. "Hagrid's it is, then. You don't suppose he'd mind if we're a bit early, do you?"

Shaking his head, he said, "No, I don't think he'd mind in the least. If anything, he'll be ecstatic."

So, not ten minutes later, Severus found himself beside Lily at Hagrid's hut, rapping on the door with her. Right when it swung open Fang leapt on the two of them, knocking Lily down and prompting Sev to stagger backwards awkwardly down the stone steps.

"Fang! Back inside!" Hagrid roared, and the great boarhound cowered and retreated back into the hut. "Lily! Severus! You're early, aren' yeh?"

"We had meant to explore a bit inside but the caretaker—"

"—interrupted us with his prickliness and tried to scare Lily and me away," Sev finished as he dusted himself off and seized Lily's hands to pull her back to her feet.

"Ruddy git," Hagrid said much to Lily's contentment. "Well come on inside, then. The kettle's on the fire."

To his eleven year old self, the chairs at Hagrid's table looked large enough to seat three of himself side by side. Hagrid gestured his dustbin-sized hands for them to take a seat, and Lily and Sev climbed onto the chairs, their feet dangling several inches above the floor. For the first time, Sev missed his adult body.

Hagrid lifted the squealing kettle off the hook over the fire and poured it into the three oversize mugs on the table with tea leaves already in them. "So, Lily, Severus, how've classes bin goin' for yeh?"

The two first years exchanged a glance. Lily spoke as Severus gripped the handle of his mug with both hands and attempted to take a sip without burning himself.

"Wonderfully! Sev's top in everything. He knows so much about the castle, it's almost like he's lived here his whole life!"

Severus choked on the tea and ended up spilling a quarter of it down the front of his robes. Hastily he pulled out his wand to dry himself and abate the burning sensation. "Honestly, Lily, you're exaggerating." He stowed his wand back up his sleeve and leaned over the mug on the table, blowing on it so it wouldn't be as likely to cause damage.

"I am not!" she protested. Hagrid watched them, amused merriment evident in his eyes. "You're much smarter than you credit yourself." No, I credit myself. She looked up at Hagrid. "He's so modest about everything."

"Wha' abou' you, Lily?" Hagrid asked.

Since Lily had answered about Sev, Sev answered about Lily. "Lily is top in Charms and Herbology," he drawled before Lily could open her mouth.

"But Sev is better than the fourth years in Defense and Potions!" Seventh years. Actually, better than Slughorn and Hardgrave too.

"It sounds like yeh two are fightin' about who's smarter than who. I have ter say I don' come across many studen's here who fight abou' that." The half-giant chuckled. "Now wha's this yeh were sayin' about the caretaker?"

Lily immediately dropped her gaze to the fire and then looked over at Sev. There was a curious gleam in his eyes, one Lily couldn't quite read but piqued her interest nonetheless. "It was nothing," Sev said, still gazing at Lily. "We were exploring the seventh floor and came across a curious room...when we left Mr. Arcturo accused us of being 'up to something.'" Finally, Sev turned his gaze to the groundskeeper. "He upset Lily," he finished in a quiet voice.

"Great ruddy git," Hagrid repeated. "He's bin after studen's for as long as he's bin here. Takes pleasure out of scarin' kids, don' matter if they're eleven or seventeen or anywhere in the middle. You don' worry abou' him, Lily, not unless yeh break some rules." He chuckled as he watched the start of a smile creep onto Lily's features.

They stayed in Hagrid's hut until fifteen minutes had passed into dinner, and then the jolly groundskeeper escorted them back to the castle, where they joined Remus, Frank, and Peter at the Gryffindor Table. Dinner proved a relatively quiet affair, as Sev had asked Lily in hushed tones on the way back inside to wait to tell the rest of their friends about the Room of Requirement. In his head, Severus counted the days...two nights until the next full moon. He looked across the table at Remus, who already sported darkening circles under his eyes, disheveled hair, and a distinct haggard appearance... it would be his third transformation at Hogwarts.

Despite himself, Sev felt a stab of pity sear through him, and he directed his attention back to the plate. Altogether, he had not been surprised by his reaction. In his two months here he'd been friendlier with Lupin than ever before in his former life, and he found himself feeling guilty about all the motions he'd put Lupin through during Harry's third year. It was years of influence by Potter and Black that cowed him, Sev thought angrily as he stabbed his at mashed potatoes. Years of being forced into Marauder-ship by the fear of his secret being revealed. Potter and Black never deserved his friendship. And he only wanted to be accepted.