A/N: So Summer ends, and it's back to Ilvermorny for Severus and Lily. I plan on introducing some new things this year, so look out for that, and I hope to expand on American magical culture more than what we were given in canon. As such, I plan on there being a more noticeable divergence from we saw at Hogwarts in this year. More on that later though.
Chapter 25 Fifth Year Commences
As their summer wound on through July and into August, Lily decided to switch up her approach of her relationship with her sister. Her talk with Severus had given her a newfound sense of clarity on how best to bridge the gap with Petunia, and so she strived to talk to her older sister more on things she enjoyed doing, rather than the reverse that usually dominated their forcedly-polite conversations. Heck, Lily didn't even know what Petunia wanted to do once she'd finished school, let alone anything else about her personal life. At least once per day, provided the two sisters didn't have a shift at work, Lily strived to talk to her older sister about anything and everything. She ended up finding a conversational olive branch in discussing Petunia's relationship with her longtime boyfriend Robert, as well as her post-secondary education plans. It would still be up to both Lily and Petunia—not just one of them, to maintain the strength of their bond across oceans when Lily went back to school.
While Lily had busied herself with trying to make amends with Petunia, the second half of Severus' summer centered around his potions projects. The news of him and Lily losing out on Barton's potential apprenticeship hadn't altered Severus' commitment in the slightest. If anything, he worked even harder now, drafting up alternate recipes in his old notebook so that when the time came, he could submit them to the best potions masters in America and Britain to attain a strong mastery. Even when he was at work, he'd find time to conjure up inspiration for his recipes surrounded by flora of all kinds—it served as great inspiration in his opinion. He had every intention of finding another Potions Master to learn from, and perhaps even using Barton's connections in finding a master for him to learn under.
Lily's focus had shifted in recent weeks to pursuing something different, though, and she now had her eyes set on a career in charms. When Lily informed him of her wish to begin charm and spell-crafting work, it only hardened Severus' resolve to be a Potions Master. By hook or by crook, Severus Snape vowed to one day become the best Potions Master in the world. And when he reached the highest of peaks, standing at the very top of the world as the Greatest Potions Master in history, he knew Lily would be there to join him in the Stratosphere as the Greatest Charms Mistress the world would ever see.
In the last weeks of the summer, Marlene visited Cokeworth for a few nights, much to Violet's delight. Out of all her friends from Hogwarts, Lily found Violet got along best with Marlene. While Marlene was staying over, Lily even found the time to write back to her old friends, Dorcas, Mary and Evelyn, but only after consulting Severus on the matter of course. Lily and Severus both agreed that her friends seemed genuinely sincere and remorseful for their actions, so with Severus' granted approval Lily wrote them back. With Mary and Dorcas overseas at the moment—visiting relatives, and Evelyn entrenched in a demanding summer job at Eeylops Owl Emporium, the earliest date they could agree upon to meet up was half a year away over the coming winter break. Beyond the prospect of seeing her ex-friends again after she and Severus deemed their apologies to be genuine and sincere; Lily was most grateful to Severus for allowing her this. When she went to thank Severus however, he just feigned apathy and disinterest—saying that he couldn't care less.
Once Marlene returned home from her short stay in Cokeworth, the second half of their summer seemed to pass them by even more quickly than the first, and before they knew it, they were already making their preparations to return to Ilvermorny as Fifth Year students. Lily had been made Prefect so she received a shiny black and blue badge in the mail which she proudly paraded to her parents. Unfortunately, Severus missed out on the honor being made prefect by the slimmest of margins. Lily's male counterpart amongst fifth year Horned Serpents would be Michael Tsao, the top of their class in the end of year exams. It wasn't much of a loss to Severus in any case, especially considering that he didn't even want to be made Prefect in the first place.
The break zipped by with alarming speed, and so on the final week, Severus and Lily made plans to go to Diagon Alley to purchase their new books for the year. They took the bus from Cokeworth into Manchester, and the train from there into London. They had five hours to buy their things, before Mark would pick them up from the train station in Manchester so they wasted no time heading for Diagon Alley. They arrived in Diagon Alley just before noon with the rain pouring down upon them—typical late August weather, and quickly headed for the bank to make a withdrawal. After retrieving their funds, Lily and Severus went about making their purchases for the new year, books, scales, and in Lily's case—a new copper and bronze cauldron, all added to their growing list of items. They'd finally finished their shopping at half past one and headed into the Leaky Cauldron for a spot of lunch.
Owing to the inclement weather, there were fewer patrons at the Leaky Cauldron than one might expect, so the two rising Fifth Years had no trouble finding a table. Severus went up to the bar to order their food leaving Lily behind at the table. As she waited, the door bell chimed and in walked the last people she wanted to see. Samuel Avery, Vincent Mulciber and Evan Rosier strutted into the restaurant looking as if they owned the place. Lily quickly averted her eyes when she saw the sinister, dark blue irises of Mulciber gazing in her direction. She kept her hands beneath the table and drew her willow wand from her jean pocket, wisely keeping it out of sight. Severus was just making his way back towards her and he seemingly hadn't spotted his old school mates just yet—but they most certainly had spotted him.
"Oi Snape!" Rosier called out, as Severus neared the table.
Severus sighed, and motioned with his head for Lily to stay seated. She noticed the bulge in his pocket where his wand was, and Lily eyed the three boys warily from her seated position as they crossed the room towards them. Severus turned to face them, his face schooled into a mask of neutrality that he often wore when he addressed his 'betters' back in school.
"What do you want Rosier?" he said calmly, eying the three boys he once shared a room with in Slytherin.
"Nothing," Rosier said nonchalantly. "We were just surprised to see you here after all, what after you skipped town to America and all that. I noticed your little mud—"
His wand was drawn in a flash, and Rosier hadn't a prayer of reacting in time as Severus jabbed his wand into Rosier's neck. "Don't, you, fucking, say that word," Severus snarled, his lip curled into the most vindictive sneer Lily had ever seen. "Leave me and Lily be. I have nothing to say to you, and clearly—" he spat the word with disgust, "—you have nothing of importance to say to me."
"You'll get your's one day Snape," Rosier growled, stepping back from Severus' wand. "And when you do, you and your little bitch will pay. The Dark Lord is rising and if you're not careful, you'll find yourself on the wrong side of this war," he said ominously.
"I could say the same of you," said Severus coldly, words flowing from his lips like an icy river. "I have nothing to say to you, nor to you, Avery, or you, Mulciber. So why don't you three leave us alone, and take your little recruitment drive for your lovely Dark Lord somewhere else where it may actually be appreciated—"
"Why you little, jumped-up, halfblood shit-head!" Rosier screeched, his shrill voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard to Severus and Lily—they both flinched. "I'm gonna—"
"Not here," Avery growled, grabbing Rosier's arm as he plunged it into his robe pocket for his wand. "Don't be an idiot, the trace'll get you," he scolded his roommate.
Mulciber turned to face Severus and Lily, who had now stood from her chair and moved to her boyfriend's side. The hulking boy's face held a dark look of deep disgust for the blood traitor and the mudblood stood before him. He spat his next words out with a sense of vehemence neither had ever heard from him before.
"You'll get your's Snape, and you too Evans, you filthy, upstart—Oi!"
A large, red welt appeared on Mulciber's hand, but no one had drawn a wand. Instead, Lily's arm was outstretched, her palm was open-faced as she directed a burst of wandless magic in the form of a stinging hex. Severus had rarely if ever seen Lily do wandless magic since they were children before Hogwarts, she could do it then, making flowers bloom on demand and other small things of that nature. She used it so scarcely these days to the point that he'd almost forgotten that his multi-talented girlfriend was even capable of performing wandless magic.
"Call me that one more time and I'll do much worse," Lily threatened, her wandless hand still outstretched. "And unlike you, I don't need a wand to cast a stinging hex, so if I were you, I'd leave," she added, her venomous voice lathered with honey in a sickeningly, sweet poison.
"Mark my words Snape, Evans—you're on the wrong side of this war, and before you know it, you'll meet your own sticky end," Rosier snarled. His pupils had become pinpricks of pure, and utter hatred. The trio of menacing boys—who at one point in time all shared a room with Severus, sent one last look of loathing their way and then marched off to the counter of the bar. Only when the trio of Slytherins had approached the bar did Lily lower her outstretched hand. Before Severus could speak, she shook her head and placed a finger to his lips. "No trace. It only works through tracking wands, right? So, I should be fine then."
"In theory, yes," Severus muttered, wearing a thoughtful look. "Come on, let's sit down and eat before our food gets cold."
They settled into their seats while keeping a watchful eye on those three boys.
"Is it true, Sev? What they were talking about…was it something to do with You-Know-Who?"
Severus swallowed thickly and shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know. I've been just as much out of the loop as you have been. Why do you ask?"
"I'm just thinking of the best way we can have an impact on this…war, but I don't know…" she heaved a defeated sigh, "I don't know if…if creating spells and doing things from the sidelines is the best way to go, d'you get what I'm trying to say?"
"I do. And I must ask you to exercise caution, Lily…you're dangerously close to slipping back into Gryffindor habits," Severus warned. He took a harsh stab of his steak, Lily noted, and swallowed the bite. He chewed the steak for a moment, using the time he'd gained to sift through his thoughts while Lily sat opposite to him with an expectant look on her face.
After a short moment spent chewing and thinking, he spoke. "Answer me this. Who had a greater impact on the course of a war? A foot soldier on the beaches of Normandy? Or Robert Oppenheimer?"
Lily found herself smiling and on the verge of laughter at Severus'…odd comparison. "What's with the historical reference?" she asked.
"Sharing a dorm with a history nut like John McInroe for a year will do that to you," said Severus flatly. "He's constantly blabbering about History 'til the point where I've picked up a thing or from him; but that's not the point. Answer me who had the greater impact?"
Lily licked her chapped lower lip as her visage adopted a far-away look of thought and contemplation. "Hmm…Oppenheimer developed the Atom bomb, right?"
"That is correct."
"So I'd say him, then," Lily murmured, as she twirled her pointer finger through her auburn curls. "'Cus it helped the Americans end the war with Japan."
Severus smiled triumphantly and leaned back in his chair. "And there you have it," he said proudly, wearing that smug-looking smirk of his. "You've answered your own question. Do you see the lunacy of choosing to fight in the field when you've been gifted by the gods with such otherworldly talent in charm-creation?"
Lily's pale cheeks reddened slightly with Severus' praise, but she took it all in stride. "Why thank you Sev," she purred sweetly. "I didn't know you thought so highly of my charms-casting abilities." She laid a delicate hand across her chest in a display of faux-flattery.
"It's not flattery, it's fact," Severus muttered. "You are one of the best charm casters I've met, and as I said just now, when you're gifted with talent like that, you'd be a fool to not use it for the things that really matter and can make a difference. Could you imagine Oppenheimer or Von Braun or someone like that trading a pencil for a rifle?"
Lily shook her head firmly, eliciting a confident smile from Severus.
"I couldn't either. And perhaps your impact won't be as profound as theirs, but you can have a far larger impact on this war with your brain than you ever would with a wand, Lily. Trust me when I say this."
"I think I know what I need to do then," Lily said decisively. She popped a few chips in her mouth and chewed, letting the salt parch her throat as her consciousness travelled far and wide to all the ideas she had in store, but lacked the knowledge at present to execute. She yanked herself from her introspective musings and lifted her gaze to that of her loving boyfriend across from her. "Thank you, Sev. For that. I know we're still young and foolish and all that…but I think I know what to do with my life."
Severus had to admit to himself that he might have been laying it on a little thick when he called Lily's talent 'otherworldly', but he wasn't wrong in his view either. Lily indeed would be of far more use developing and crafting charms and spells rather than on the front lines where she'd be just another foot soldier. Severus might have been exaggerating just a bit, but he could still be happy that Lily truly realized what he'd seen all along; that her talent and skill would be put to use far more productively with quill and parchment, than with wand and holster.
The days flew by, and before Severus or Lily knew it, it was time to make their trip across the ocean to America. This time, their Portkey was a small and ratty handbag. The Ministry had delivered it by owl, and promptly collected the fee for the transportation device in lieu of it. Now, the day for their departure had arrived, and with it came the usual feelings of excitement for what lay ahead, as well as sadness for whom shall be left behind. On the day of their departure, a gloomy and raining late-August day, The Evanses plus Severus gathered around in the sitting room. Lily and Severus had their trunks all packed and ready to go, and like last year Lily would be leaving behind her beloved Hunter.
"Promise me you'll write," Lily begged her older sister.
Petunia gave a stiff nod, and that was all Lily could have realistically hoped for. Her watery smile conveyed her gratitude, and in turn, earned the younger sister a slight lip-twitch from the elder.
"You'll be writing us this year as well, won't you Severus?" Violet asked, not giving the boy time to reply to her query before pulling him into a tender hug.
"I…will strive to," Severus said whilst in the woman's embrace.
"Good. We want to be kept appraised of all the goings on in your life just as much as Lily's," Mark said. He ruffled Severus' long hair and pulled the teenager into another hug just as soon as his wife had released him.
Severus and Petunia hugging was a rarer occurrence than a blue moon, so as per usual they settled for a handshake and a neutral look of passivity.
"Be safe dears," Violet said, wiping her teary eyes with a handkerchief. "Watch out for each other and be there for each other, alright?"
"Always, Violet," said Severus, the sincerity and raw emotion in his tone took Lily and her parents by a bit of surprise, but their surprise quickly gave way to smiles of happiness.
"I will mum. Sev and I'll be just fine," Lily said confidently. "What between his common sense and my on-the-fly-thinking, we're an unstoppable duo, the two of us."
"Unstoppable's a bit to generous, but we are a mightily capable duo, that I can't deny," said Severus.
"Have it your way then, we're mightily capable," Lily agreed. She turned to her parents, seeing the thin veneer of tears in her mum's brown eyes, and the twinkling green eyes she'd inherited from her father. "We'll be fine, mum, dad, don't worry about us."
Severus and Lily grasped the handbag between them, and in their other hand held on to their trunk.
"We love you very much my dears," said Violet, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"We'll be counting the days until Christmas Break," added Mark.
Severus and Lily only barely had time to echo their parents' well-wishes before the Portkey activated and magicked them away to Boston. Just like last year, they were picked up by Professor Rosier, who was still Aunt Esmerelda to them since the school year hadn't started yet. They side-along apparated to the clearing at the base of mount Greylock, and then rode the Hippogriff-drawn carriages up the side of the mountain to the peak just as they did last year. Upon stepping down the carriage in the familiar cobbled, courtyard, the two fifth years were swamped with waves of nostalgia. Esmerelda levitated their trunks down to the ground and stepped down from the carriage, before the two Hippogriffs promptly took the skies again, bound for their stables adjacent to Professor Sawyer's Hut. The flying horse-like creatures had been trained for many months and months by the Groundskeeper/ Magical Creature Professor, and resided just beside the Professor's Hut. The Head of house then waved her wand and sent their trunks away to the Fifth Year boys' and girls' dorms.
"Severus, Lily, do follow me please," said Esmerelda.
The two teenagers nodded and did as they were asked by their head of house. From the route she took, they quickly recognized that they were headed for Esmerelda's office. Lily and Severus greeted the portraits they recognized along the way as they trailed after the short Potions Mistress towards her office. They wound through the maze of corridors and hallways, re-familiarizing themselves with their home away from home on their way to the Horned Serpent Wing. Eventually, they arrived at Esmerelda's office on the Ground Floor of the Horned Serpent Wing. Walking into Esmerelda's Office immediately gave the two fifth years a heavy sense of deja vu. The fittings and furniture was as lavish as ever, and it seemed that their dear Potions Professor had expanded her own personal book collection.
The short, raven-haired Professor approached her desk and sat in her expensively-upholstered chair, then motioned for her two students to do the same.
"Have a seat," she said.
Esmerelda then summoned her house elf and tasked the creature with preparing them a spread of Brunch. Once the goggly-eyed creature popped away to the kitchens to carry out its task, Esmerelda turned her sea-green eyes on the two students sat across from her.
"Last we spoke, it wasn't about the best of news, I'm sure you remember what I'm referring to."
Both Severus and Lily nodded. They clearly remembered Professor Rosier informing them both that Francesca had secured Barton's apprenticeship and that their chances of gaining one themselves were pretty much gone. Barton had written the two teenagers themselves not long after, expressing his commiserations that they'd missed out on his program, but also with the assurance that should they need a letter of recommendation or anything of that sort in the future, he'd willingly assist them.
"We remember Professor," Severus said quietly, with a hint of bitterness in his tone at missing out on that golden chance.
"Mmm, it wasn't the news you were hoping to hear I'm sure. If it's of any consolation to you, Miss Marconi is enjoying her time with Master Barton, and he's re-iterated to me his willingness to help you two find other Potions Masters or Mistresses to apprentice under once you complete your NEWTs."
"Umm…about that Professor, I…I'm not so sure I want to pursue a Potions Mastery any longer," Lily confessed with a sheepish look.
To her relief, Esmerelda merely looked confused, not angry or disappointed. "You don't wish to become a Potions Mistress, Lily?" she asked, her head cocked sideways in an expression of her confusion.
"Yeah. I…I think it would be best if I try for a Charms or Spell-crafting mastery. After you told me and Severus about Master Barton choosing Francesca…it kinda put some doubts into my mind about becoming a Potions Mistress." She grimaced slightly as she added; "I don't want to disappoint you professor, because I know—"
"Don't you worry about that dear, you and Severus are about as far from a disappointment as can be. As for my nephew Evan on the other hand…" she heaved a sigh and sunk back in her chair, "but that's besides the point. If you don't want to become a Potions Mistress and instead want to make a career out of Charms-casting and Charms-development, then I suggest you get in touch with Professor Lambert."
"I'm planning on it before the end of term," Lily said resolutely.
"Good. Charms Masteries fill up rather quickly here in the States, so if you want to secure a position with a competent Charms Master or Mistress, I suggest you begin searching for one soon."
"If I can't find one, I could always approach Professor Flitwick as well I guess," Lily surmised, wearing a thoughtful look. "Thank you, Professor. I'll do my best."
"I'm sure you will," Esmerelda agreed. "Now to what I was going to say, I would not be averse to apprenticing either of you myself once you all pass your NEWTs of course. Given what Lily just said, that offer falls to you, Severus," she said, addressing him directly.
Lily's hands covered her mouth in an attempt to hold her gasp of surprise, she was unsuccessful, of course.
"Provided you can keep your grades up, I'd be prepared to take you on as my apprentice should you need or want it."
"I…don't know if I can commit to that right this moment Professor," Severus confessed, "b-but I would like to tenuously accept, if that's alright with you."
"That's more than alright with me, Severus. I would like an answer sooner rather than later I must confess, so perhaps by the end of the year I'd like to hear from you whether or not you are still willing to pursue and apprenticeship with me."
"I will have an answer for you by then, professor," Severus said, his eyes and tone firm with promise. "I just…need some time, to figure out my options first."
"Of course."
Esmerelda's house elf made its reappearance, and with it came their meal. A pitcher of pumpkin juice, alongside a platter of sandwiches and a bowl of potato salad made up their meal. Esmerelda's house elf had even remembered Severus' love for all things lobster-related, and had taken the liberty of making him a lobster roll. While eating, they conversed about the upcoming school year, with particular emphasis on Lily's upcoming role as a Prefect. When they had finished their lunch, Lily and Severus asked if they could retire to the common room, a request that Esmerelda granted. Esmerelda informed the two that Horner's password was set to 'Ashwinder' and that Dinner would be served in the Meal Hall at six thirty. With a firm warning delivered 'not to be late', they were at last excused from the Opulent office and sent on their way to the common room.
"Let's take a walk," Severus muttered as soon as they'd shut the door to Esmerelda's office behind them.
"Wasn't that the plan?" asked Lily, her brow arched sarcastically.
"It is," Severus concedes with a subtle tilt of his head. "But what I meant is, let's not head back to the common room immediately."
"Whatever for?"
Severus shrugged. "I just want to clear my head a bit, and enjoy the school in all its quiet before the horde returns, y'know?"
"The horde?" Lily's brow quirked upwards and her hands planted themselves on her hips. "Is that what you refer to your classmates as?"
"Would you call them any different?" Severus asked in turn, daring her to disagree with him. "They stampede through the halls as if they own the place, and well, they travel in packs and droves, like a horde of animals."
Lily remained stony-faced, but Severus could just, barely make out a humored sparkle shining in her almond-shaped eyes. "Alright then Severus, let's take a walk then," Lily agreed, laying her hand in his.
Lily and Severus walked the halls of the old castle, passing through the various add-ons and wings at their own pace as they worked their way from the Horned Serpent Wing, a recent addition to the Castle's structure, over to the front Courtyard. Like it was twelve months ago, the castle was eerily quiet with hardly a soul in sight, not even a ghost. They meandered through the corridors and passageways until they arrived in the courtyard, from there they headed for the Snakewood tree. A heavy blanket of mist seemed to have descended upon the castle and its surroundings, lending them practically no visibility of the spectacular views usually available to them from the peak of Mount Greylock. Still, Severus' excellent sense of direction meant they had little trouble navigating the mist to reach the Snakewood.
They sank down to the base of the tree, hardly able to see one another through the thick, soupy mist that reminded them all too much of the weather they suffered back in Cokeworth. To ward it off, they quickly drew their wands and banished away as much of the mist they could in their vicinity, allowing them to see one another clearly for the first time since they'd stepped out of the castle.
"This mist is a real menace," Lily muttered, as she cast another banishing spell on the invasive, soupy, cloud.
"You're telling me." And angry jab of his wand punctuated his words.
Lily heaved a sigh. "Y'know what? Forget it, just scoot over next to me so I know where you are."
Severus did as he was asked and shifted along the base of the tree until he and Lily were shoulder to shoulder. Suddenly, the mist began to abate, thinning out slowly but surely; and in the process, earning them a view of their picturesque surroundings for the first time since they'd returned.
"You're not gonna change careers on me, are you?" Severus murmured softly, casting her a sidelong look through his hair.
"What makes you think I'd do that?"
"Oh I don't know…" Severus sighed, his exasperation offset somewhat by his bantering tone. "Perhaps the fact that initially, you said we'll both become Potions Masters, then you decided on being an Auror, and then it was back to being a Potions Master, and now…you've settled on Charms and Spell Creation."
Lily scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I think I've got my mind set this time around, Sev," she said sharply.
"And I must admit," she continued, speaking more softly in a tongue that matched his. "You played a large role in convincing me of this."
Lily shifted closer, their sides pressing into one another as she laid her head on his shoulder. "If I invent some war-winning spell, Sev, something like…I dunno, something that can track Death Eaters…or along those lines…I'll be sure to credit you for helping choose this path in the first place."
She couldn't see him—owing to her head lying in the crook of his neck, but she could feel the smile that bloomed on his angular face as she spoke. "You're not changing your mind then," he said, smiling softly.
"I won't be, Severus; and in large part, I owe it to you and your foolproof reasoning." Her auburn curls tickled his cheek as she lifted her head off his shoulder, then sat upright and turned so she could look into his eyes. "It's as you said that day at the Leaky, I'd be a fool to not use my…charms crafting to help in this war. And I should thank you for telling me that, because for a time…I thought I'd be more useful on the battlefield, flinging spells and—"
Her ramblings were cut short by his lips on her's, his heavenly touch stealing her breath away and replacing it with bliss. Severus' fingers rose to cup her cheeks, and her own mirrored his as the sun finally broke through the blanket of clouds and lent their cool skin some warmth. Their pale skin adopted a golden hue as sunlight warmed their exterior, just as their lovely kiss warmed their innards in turn.
The rough pads of Severus' fingers left her cheeks, and his lips soon followed suit as he pulled away; the hints of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"You were rambling."
Lily licked her lips and shrugged her shoulders in a 'you're not wrong'-type of motion. "So I was."
The second kiss they shared soon after, was for an entirely different reason than the first.
The final days before term seemed to fly by, and during that time, Severus and Lily learned that the Professors would be starting up a new extracurricular activity. Quidditch was, and had always been one of the staples of Ilvermorny sports for as long as the school had been in existence. Sandra was a part of the Horned Serpent Quidditch Team as a chaser since her third year, and the rest of the team was similarly obsessed with the hair-raising Magical sport. The new sport being introduced this year was similar in part to the No-Maj sport of stock car racing. In America, stock car racing's popularity had taken off in recent years especially with the super star driver in Richard Petty leading the way. Said infatuation with racing had leaked over into the Magical world from the No-Maj, and now even half and pureblooded wizards and witches had succumbed to a serious case of racing fever. Richard Petty, the most successful stock car racer, had taken the nation by storm, and now there was hardly a single No-maj, wizard, or witch who hadn't heard of him. He truly had become a household name and the face of the most rapidly growing sport in America.
Ilvermorny and numerous other Magical schools in the nation had jumped on this bandwagon and embraced the sudden onset of No-Maj racing into their own culture. This year, Ilvermorny alongside the Boulder and Pasadena Schools of Magic would commence broomstick racing as an extracurricular activity. Quidditch was a long, treasured tradition in all American magical schools, but it would no longer be the only magical, broomstick-based sport available. Lily and Severus were particularly intrigued by this.
Their friends alongside the rest of the student body made their return on the night of August 31st, and like one year ago they were greeted by Severus and Lily.
Unlike last year, Severus and Lily decided to wait in the expansive courtyard as a horde of Hippogriff-drawn carriages soared over the horizon. Dozens of carriages soared in low over the treetops, nearly blocking out the setting sun as they approached. One after the other, the powerful, majestic beasts landed in the courtyard—the force of their wings beating against the air sending gusts of wind towards the two fifth years. Out of one of the nearest carriages came their friends with their pets and trunks in tow. Sandra emerged first, followed by Nicole, Caroline, Scott and Thomas and a few other students they shared the carriage with. Sandra was the first to lock eyes with them and waved excitedly at her two friends from across the pond, before leading the rest of the group over to them.
The group of friends eagerly exchanged well-wishes and greetings with one another; many hugs and kind words included, and then headed inside into the Meal Hall. They sat at their usual table in their quadrant as the first years were sorted in the Ceremony Hall next door. Just like last year, the start of semester banquet was incredible, and the group swapped stories about their summers. Caroline and Scott had gone to central America with their parents, and the former had plucked up her courage to come out to them. At first her parents were not pleased, quite the opposite really, and were rather perplexed by their only daughter's statement. Her father had a harder time accepting his daughter's sexuality than her mother had, and things were still tense between them 'til the day she left. At the very least, Caroline had reconciled a bit with her mother, even if things were still a bit strained between herself and Mister Foster.
Thomas, on the other hand, didn't have such good news for the group. His father had suffered an accident during a routine, training sortie that would ground him for the foreseeable future. His A-4 Skyhawk had suffered a catastrophic, hydraulic pressure failure on final approach to land, resulting in the multimillion dollar aircraft plummeting into the ground mere meters from the edge of the runway. Major Adam Baker thankfully survived the accident, but had suffered numerous third-degree burns and breaks in his lower limbs. For the next year at least, possibly more, he was grounded from all flight ops.
Despite the bad news that had befallen Thomas, things were looking up for Nicole and Sandra at least. Nicole had been in talks with some Potions Masters and Mistresses in New England looking for an apprentice, she certainly had her eyes set on a future in the Potions Business. Sandra on the other hand was looking into a future Quidditch career and revealed to her friends that she'd been scouted over the summer by a three or four Professional Quidditch teams in the American Quidditch League, or AQL.
The seven friends continued chatting over their expectations for the coming year, as well as their plans for the future long after they'd finished their meals, but were cut short from further discussion by Headmistress Maxwell standing from her throne-like chair and tapping her knife on her goblet. The hall fell silent swiftly, and hundreds of eyes turned to face the stout Headmistress. Like a regal queen, the Headmistress gazed out upon the students like a royal would, their loyal subjects.
"Welcome, all of you, to another year here at Ilvermorny. To all our new students, welcome. And to all our returning one's, welcome back. As usual, the start of semester bulletins have been posted in all of your common rooms, and I only wish to elaborate on them briefly here before I bid you all goodnight. As some of you might be aware, there will be several new extracurricular activities available for this semester and the next. Broom-racing, a dueling club, and a No-Maj studies club are all being planned and I urge you all to consider attending one or more of these clubs. Sign-up for these clubs can be done in your common room, or in a meeting with your head of house."
"Prefects, lead the first years to your dormitories. That will be all for now, goodnight."
Without need for further prompting, Lily stood from the bench and immediately made her way over to the first year's table. She and Tsao corralled the first years Horned Serpents—a lot of whom were captivated by Lily's strange, midlands accent and her bubbly laughter, but equally so by Tsao's friendliness and trivia-knowledge of the castle. Severus and the rest lingered a while longer as the First years and the Fifth year Prefects left the hall. Once the first years had left the hall, the rest of the students filed out and made for their common rooms. Severus and the group quickly wandered over to the bulletin board to take a look at the start of semester notices as soon as they'd entered.
"Huh would you look at that. Looks like activities start next week," Sandra remarked.
Nicole gave her friend a jesting poke in the ribs. "Thinking about doing something else on top of Quidditch, are you?"
The raven-haired girl nodded. "Dueling club sounds pretty neat," she said to Nicole. Turning to Severus, she added; "Say, Severus…you're not half-bad at dueling, aren't you?"
"I like to think I'm better than that, but sure, I'm not half-bad, as you put it."
"Why don't you join up then?" Sandra suggested. "It'd give you a chance to showcase your skills, and who knows…maybe you'll be able to knock Walters and Abreu down a peg or—"
"What's this I hear about me?" came the voice of Hank Walters. The burly fifth year muscled his way through the crowd that had gathered around the bulletin board.
"What were you saying about us, Noble?" Walters asked, staring into the icy, blue eyes of the Muggleborn chaser.
"Nothing concerning you, Walters," she said with forced politeness. They were teammates on the house Quidditch Team, Sandra, a chaser, and Walters, the keeper; but everyone knew the two hotheads didn't get along well. "I was just recommending that Severus ought to sign up for dueling club. He's not half-bad you know."
Walters' grin turned feral. He and Severus didn't get along well either. Owing to the strict nature of the Ilvermorny staff when it came to punishing hexing outside of class, the vast majority of Severus' and Walters' barbs were exchanged through jeers and taunts, not with spellfire. Severus couldn't stand the Quidditch keeper's arrogance and rudeness, while Walters envied the potions-prodigy's prowess in the classroom.
"So how about it Snape?" Walters dared, wearing a cocky-looking grin. "We can settle our little dispute at dueling club. You game?"
For a brief moment, Severus contemplated saying no and storming off, but Sandra's words played again in his head. Maybe you'll be able to knock him down a peg. The choice was obvious to him now. he'd join dueling club, show Walters up, and assert himself where he needed to be, at the top of their year. Maybe then, he'd get some respect from those arrogant prats Walters and Abreu.
"Fine," Severus said curtly, his dark eyes narrowed with distrust. "I'll join dueling cub, and…I can't believe I'm saying this…but I'll actually look forward to seeing you there, Walters."
Walters nodded stiffly, then jerked his head to the sign-up sheet. Severus caught his meaning and wrote his name down at the top of the list. Walters then shouldered past him, knocking the scrawnier teenager out of the way and wrote his name down himself beneath Severus'. Abreu followed him, using the wide berth Walters had made through the crowd and then wrote his name down as well.
In a rare display of gamesmanship, Walters extended his hand to Severus to shake. For all of three seconds, Severus was caught a bit off guard, Walters wasn't a blood supremacist exactly, but he tended not to associate with those of lesser blood purity than he. Still, Severus recovered quickly and shook his hand.
Walter's hand shook Severus' with the force of an iron-cast vice, and pulled the tall, halfblood closer. Close enough so only Severus would hear what he would say next; "You'd better show, Snape. We'll settle who's best the way the school likes it, for all to see, you 'n me, mano-a-mano." Walters spoke in a low, menacing murmur so that only Severus could hear the malice in his words.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Severus replied silkily, not skipping a beat.
Walters grinned viciously then drew his hand back from their iron-fisted clasp. Loathe as he was to admit it, Severus could acknowledge that Walters was indeed quite adept at dueling and defense against the dark arts—just about the only thing he's good at though, other than flying. Severus was no slouch himself though and he still held the top spot in their year for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Severus couldn't wait to wipe that arrogant smirk off Walters' face come their first duel, he'd put the arrogant prat in his place and finally be free of his arrogance.
Walters' grin broadened and he sauntered off into the crowd wearing a proud smirk with Abreu trailing after him.
Severus turned his attention back to the board, his eyes narrowing and a frown slanting his brows as he read over the bulletin giving the details of the Dueling Club.
Sandra moved to his side and wrote her name down just below Abreu's, then Scott signed his name down after that.
"You're welcome by the way," Sandra said offhandedly. The observant girl was wearing a knowing expression paired with a lop-sided grin.
"Welcome for what?" Severus asked, confusion written over his features.
Sandra folded her arms across her chest and shot him an unimpressed look. "For giving you a chance to kick his ass for free, of course. With the way he's been talking smack about you, I'd have thought you'd jump at the chance."
"Actually, I briefly considered not accepting that ingrate's offer," Severus drawled. His dark eyes travelled to the board, then back to Sandra, who was looking at him inquisitively. "Lily probably won't be too happy about this, she's always been rather…pacifistic, in my—"
"Pacifistic? I hardly think so Severus, I haven't shied away from the odd dust-up in the past, have I?" Lily's sudden appearance by his side shocked the Horned Serpent, having not noticed her approaching him at all. "In fact, I think I'll be signing up for the dueling club as well, thank you," she said.
The redheaded prefect flounced past her boyfriend and the chaser to the board where she flamboyantly wrote her name down on the Dueling Club signup list.
"I saw your name there Sandra," Lily remarked. "But to be honest, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't sign up for the broom-racing tryouts. I'm sure you'd be good at it if you tried."
Sandra shook her head. "Nah, racing's not really my thing. If anything, I thought you'd sign up for that in place of dueling club if I'm being honest."
"Yeah, didn't you mention that you were really into Grand Prix racing or something, Lily?" Thomas asked her. "I'm definitely gonna be signing up for that, so I was kinda looking forward to racing you on a broom, y'know?"
"She won't race you on a broom Thomas; but she is interested in racing you've got that right," Severus said, smirking casually at his roommate. "She even named her owl, Hunter, after a Formula One driver, James Hunt. I think it's rather indicative that she's quite the fanatic about—" smack, "—hey!"
The back of Severus' hand was reddened slightly from the force of her smack, it would sting in the here and now, but would subside quickly. Sandra was smirking, Thomas and Caroline were openly laughing at him. Thankfully, Nicole and Scott seemed to have left the signup board and headed for the dorms, so they hadn't borne witness to what just happened. Severus didn't see any of that though, his eyes were fixed firmly on his annoyed-looking girlfriend who was now glaring up at him through narrowed, green eyes.
"I thought I told you not to mention that," Lily hissed out, glaring deeply at him.
"Yes you did," Severus agreed, smirking deviously at her. "But it was too funny not to mention. Who names their owl after a racing driver anyway?"
Lily huffed and sent one last glare Severus' way before storming off towards the fifth year dorms. During their one year tenure at the school, Lily had built up a reputation of being helpful and kind, always nurturing and patient to those that needed it, but when she got angry—people knew to give her a wide berth. Housemates young and old, from second through seventh year (the first years had already been sent to bed) parted like the red sea before Lily as she stormed off towards the girls' dorms.
Thomas, Sandra and Caroline turned back towards him, all wearing looks of sympathy as the door to the girls' dorms slammed in the wake of Lily's departure.
No goodnight kiss in store for me then, Severus thought.
A/N2: New aspects of American No-Maj culture making their way into the world of Magic will be explore throughout this year, as well as some greater emphasis on what Severus' and Lily's plans are for their Post-NEWT careers. On Severus' side of things, he's pretty much set with the offer in place by Professor Rosier, but Lily's charmwork aspirations are a bit more up in the air at the moment. That being said, her career prospects are looking more promising here in America, like Severus' are, where her blood status won't be held against her. Expect more on American Magical Culture as well as Lily's, Severus' and all their friends' plans for the future throughout the year.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!