Chapter 3: A Royal Weekend
Regulus I
Friday, 3 September 1976
Regulus had finished dressing, methodically putting on his robes and pinning his Prefect badge to his left breast as he nodded at himself in the mirror. He ran a comb through his hair before tying it back, shaping it in the same ponytail worn by Lucius. Today, he had Divination, Care for Magical Creatures, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Divination was the class he was looking forward to. It didn't sit right with him: the contents of the prophecy. Or rather, the interpretation of the prophecy.
But enough of that. Right now, Regulus had to retrieve Snape from his room and, hopefully, sit him at the Slytherin table; surely, Snape wouldn't wish to sit with his tormentors, let alone a girl who had, by all accounts, severed ties with him. And yet, Evans had been the one to invite him to sit with Potter and his blood-traitorous friends…. Perhaps, she was doing it out of cruelty? The thought made Regulus feel uneasy; he found it difficult to believe that Snape's former best friend would be as cruel as to arrange such a meeting at the Gryffindor table, especially when Snape was unwell. Then again, he'd seen the Black Lake incident, and he'd watched the exchange between Potter and Evans… and he'd seen her lips twitch, as if she were about to smile.
Regulus knew body language better than most currently attending Hogwarts, with the exception of Snape. And there was no doubt that Snape had seen Evans's lip twitch; his eyes were open and fixed on the Gryffindor girl. And the level of raw hatred Regulus had seen on Snape's face was something he'd only ever seen on Sirius's; that stinging look of betrayal. Perhaps Evans wasn't as golden as people claimed she was… well, it was almost a certainty, considering Snape's reaction that day. If Regulus could somehow show or remind Snape of the truth, if he could cultivate the seeds that had been sown, he could reap Snape for Lucius's cause. Or rather, his cause.
Regulus left the Slytherin common room and made his way to the disused classroom where Snape was staying. He'd had time to think about the arrangement, and the more he thought, the more peculiar it seemed. Snape was reserved regarding his condition, and Dumbledore had felt the need to separate him from his friends in Slytherin. Granted, it was a fairly convenient location, relatively equidistant from the various classes Snape would be taking; however, Regulus had his own suspicions.
As much as he wanted to put the prophecy out of his head, he couldn't. And there were certain pieces of evidence that made him believe something was wrong. Snape was a half-blood, born to Muggle and witch; Regulus was unsure of his birthday, though he could find out from someone. Dumbledore had adopted Snape, something most people wouldn't have expected, given the headmaster's duties. The witnesses of the prophecy, not including the Ravenclaw girl Trelawney, were Dumbledore, Slughorn, himself, and Lockhart; as Dumbledore had heard the prophecy, and assuming Snape's birthday was both in January and known by the headmaster, it was possible the old man was trying to groom Snape into becoming the enemy of the Dark Lord.
That wouldn't do at all.
Arriving outside Snape's door, Regulus was about to knock when he heard a noise from inside. It sounded like heavy breathing and whispering. He leaned a bit closer, careful to stop his shadow from passing beneath the threshold of the door, as he listened.
"... how the hell am I supposed…. Oh, so you want to spend a class with Potter?! Please…. I know she's probably there, but…. How do we do this…? But what about wandwork…? You saw what happened in the corridor yesterday. If I can barely…. No, no, you're right…. How do we deal with Potter? If he has that cloak…. Obviously, but that doesn't mean I can see him…. If he has that- wait, something feels wrong."
Regulus froze in place, his heartbeat picking up speed. Suddenly, the door swung open, causing Regulus to stumble back. "Goodness, Snape! You startled me!"
"Sneaking, are we?" Snape's demeanor was… Regulus felt a chill go down his spine.
"I was about to knock," Regulus said, quickly recovering. He hoped Snape would believe the lie.
"I see…. I'm not sure if I'm well enough to attend breakfast. Also, I have quite a bit of revision to attend to before today's classes."
"What do you have today?"
Snape seemed hesitant to answer. "Too much." No matter; he'd open up eventually.
"In that case, should I send for a house-elf?"
"No, thank you. I've already had one bring me my breakfast." Snape gestured to a plate of what appeared to be scrambled eggs.
"Not much," Regulus remarked. "Are you eating well?"
"My stomach can't handle richer foods. Right now, scrambled eggs are the best I can manage."
Regulus looked back to the plate and started second-guessing his earlier theory. Was Snape actually ill, and what effect was it having on the older boy's body? If it was simply a restricted diet, it wouldn't warrant separation from the Slytherin dorms. Although, he'd overheard something to do with wandwork being affected.
"Should I send for Madam Pomfrey, then?"
"The headmaster has already arranged for my daily intake of potions."
"I'm surprised you don't brew your own." Regulus gestured to the small potions lab in his line of sight.
"I've tried; it will take time before I can properly brew anything."
That was disturbing. Snape was, by all accounts, the single best Potions student while attending Hogwarts; based on what he'd heard from the likes of Slughorn and Belby, the latter whom Regulus's parents and cousins corresponded with, Snape was possibly the best Potions student Hogwarts had ever seen. He'd heard about Snape attending class while suffering a high fever and outperforming everyone, save Evans. If Snape couldn't brew potions properly, either he was lying to Regulus's face or Snape's condition was crippling. And based on the 'wandwork' comment, the most likely explanation was the latter.
"That's unfortunate," Regulus finally said, realizing an awkward silence had come. "I'd ask if you were planning on attending the House Nobility competition, but-"
"What?" Snape sounded disgusted. "Why would I waste my time in a drinking contest?"
"A what?" Regulus was confused.
"Lily told me the competition was a drinking contest."
"The Gryffindor told you that?"
Snape nodded.
"Ah, I see the confusion. Each House has a different contest. I didn't realize the Gryffindors did that. Rather vulgar, yes?"
Snape nodded again. "And very Gryffindor of them."
Regulus couldn't help but chuckle. "No, Slytherin has a bit of a different rule set. I'm surprised you don't know about it."
"I'm not a very social person," Snape replied. "Speaking of which, I need to continue my revision."
"My apologies," Regulus quickly said. He quickly looked over Snape's body and realized the older boy was barely keeping balance. "I'll leave you to your work."
Snape nodded before shutting the door.
As Regulus walked away, he found time to process the encounter. He'd been careful not to let his shadow pass beneath the door, and Snape hadn't noticed him until something had 'felt wrong', whatever that meant. Wandwork and appetite, and potentially basic movement, seemed to be affected. One thing that stuck out was something about Potter and a cloak…. Why would that be something Snape would talk about? But there was one thing that bothered Regulus, even more than the idea of Snape underperforming in Potions.
Who had Snape been talking to?
Lily I
"I don't think he's going to come," Marlene said. She had stolen some of Remus's eggs for herself, much to the boy's dismay.
"You know there's an entire table you could take food from," Remus said.
"I know," Marlene grinned, shoveling eggs into her mouth.
"But honestly, I don't blame Snape for not showing up," Remus said. This earned him a few looks from Potter, Black, and Pettigrew. He looked at them and said, "Oh come on now, you know why."
Potter sighed. "Right, that's fair."
"What's up with you three?" Marlene asked. "One minute, you're hexing Snape left, right, and center, and the next you're Saints James and Sirius."
"Hardly a saint," Black muttered.
"What about me?" Pettigrew asked.
"And Saint Peter."
Pettigrew grinned.
"Turning over a new leaf," Potter said. "Mum and Dad had a talk with me, and now I'm trying to start fresh. Funnily enough, I met Snape in Diagon Alley the day after we had that conversation."
Lily hadn't forgotten what she'd learned the previous day, how Potter and Black had exposed Severus in front of everyone, and that, somehow, she had been the last person to find out. Potter could turn over as many leaves as he pleased, but it wouldn't mean anything.
"How'd that go?" Lily asked, choosing not to bring up the topic now.
"Well," Black said, "Considering Dumbledore was there, Snape was on his best behavior."
Lily was about to ask why Dumbledore had been there, but then she saw Regulus Black enter the Great Hall, unaccompanied by Severus. "One moment," she quickly said to the group, standing up and making her way to speak with the younger Black.
"Black!"
Black the Younger turned his head in surprise, before seemingly composing himself. "Miss Evans. May I help you?" The disdain in his voice was palpable.
"Where's Severus?"
"Indisposed," Black replied curtly. "He's elected to stay in his room for revision."
"He needs to eat," Lily said.
"He has. There was a plate of scrambled eggs on his desk. It seems he has a poor constitution when it comes to food."
He could at least have porridge to settle- Lily stopped. Severus wasn't an idiot; if he wanted porridge, he would ask for it…. No, he wouldn't. "Have you noticed anything else about him?"
"He was irritable," Black answered. "It might be related to his condition."
"Black," a voice called over. "Didn't peg you for a mudlover."
"If you don't mind," Black said, turning to the voice, "Two Prefects are having a conversation."
Lily heard a few grumbles at the table, but they quickly died down after Black gave them an odd stare. "Is he receiving any help?" Lily asked.
"I'm not one to pry," Black said. "You can ask him when you see him, assuming you share a class with him today."
"Maybe Transfiguration," Lily replied. "I don't know what his schedule is for today."
"From what I gathered, he seemed rather busy…. Anyway, I should eat." Without so much as a farewell, Black turned and went to a free seat.
Lily turned and went back her own way, sitting with Marlene, Remus, and the other boys. Mary had just shown up and was helping herself to some sausage and eggs.
"Morning, Lily," Mary said. She seemed more tired than usual.
"Morning, Mary. Bad night's sleep?"
"A little," Mary said. She turned to Remus and asked, "I was going to ask you later, but-"
"If it's about gobstones, I'd love to come," Remus replied, smiling. "I imagine it'll be more peaceful than the contest."
"Great!" Mary grinned back.
"Oh, speaking of which," Lily asked, "when is it?"
"Tomorrow night," Marlene answered. "Gives the winners and losers all of Sunday to recover."
"Sounds unpleasant," Remus said, smirking.
"But that's what makes it fun," Black grinned, wrapping Remus into a headlock. "Better to suffer together than suffer alone."
Remus let out a painfully exaggerated sigh. "Well, you can enjoy your suffering while I enjoy a peaceful night of gobstones."
Mary said, "Everyone else in the club will be there too; they don't want to be involved in the competitions either."
"Right," Potter said. "I guess some people don't like a good old fashioned drinking contest."
"Drinking contest?" Black asked.
"Isn't… isn't that what we're doing?"
"That's the Gryffindor contest. The other Houses do different things."
Potter looked surprised. "Really?"
"Yeah. Slytherin's all about prestige, scheming, and networking. Whoever has the best social standing in the school among the sixth-years gets to become the next Prince and Princess. Though they call them the Heir and Heiress, respectively."
"What about Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?"
"Not sure," Black admitted. "I could write to the Tonkses about it. Ted used to be the Prince for Hufflepuff until he and Andy started their love affair."
"That'd take too long," Marlene said. "Just ask… Lily, you know someone in Hufflepuff, right?"
"And in Ravenclaw," Lily replied. "I'll ask them about it if I get the chance-"
Suddenly, a boisterous voice echoed through the Great Hall. "Well, this is a rather good morning! The day before the House Nobility competitions, no less! It's lucky I'm too young to compete, or else I'm sure I'd be Ravenclaw's next Prince!"
Lily didn't have to turn her head to know it was: Gilderoy Lockhart. She could barely pay attention to her own group's conversation as the loud second-year Ravenclaw continued his way through the Great Hall.
Lockhart continued, "I'm sure my portfolio will help in the competition, after becoming Ravenclaw's youngest Seeker, not to mention its youngest Prefect…."
How Lockhart was Sorted into Ravenclaw was beyond Lily.
"A bit loud, isn't he?" Mary asked. "Xeno tells me it's non-stop."
"Must be exhausting," Marlene said.
"A little," Mary said. "I also heard something really weird. Apparently, Lockhart's been talking non-stop about some sort of prophecy made about him."
"Pff," Black scoffed. "Leave it to the resident narcissist to make up a prophecy about himself."
"Yeah," Mary said. "I don't really know much else, aside from the fact he's calling himself the Half-Blood Prince."
"Prince?" Pettigrew asked. "Like the House Nobility competitions?"
"Maybe," Remus said. "Anyway, whatever keeps Lockhart occupied is fine with me, as long as he doesn't give us Prefects any more trouble."
Lily nodded. Lockhart had a habit of showing off his 'excellence' in the form of vandalization and/or disruption. "Right. I'm going to check on Severus."
"Again?" Black asked indignantly. He suddenly jerked up, as though something had hit him under the table. "Right, it's natural to visit people… more than once."
"Before I go, may I speak with you, Potter, and Pettigrew? And Remus."
The four boys stood up and followed Lily out of the Great Hall, standing against the wall as she stared right at Potter's infuriatingly blank expression. Potter, seemingly sensing her animosity, asked, "Alright, Evans?"
"Did you expose Severus in front of the entire school?"
Black and Pettigrew's eyebrows raised up as they looked at each other. Remus's mouth had slightly opened.
Potter let out a sigh and replied, "Yes, we took off his pants and… yes, everyone saw-"
"Remus," Lily said cooly, "you didn't mention that."
Remus swallowed. "I was reading-"
"Hold up," Black said. "Everyone knew what we did, even the people that weren't there. How didn't you find out sooner?"
"No one said anything," Lily shot back.
"Because it was pretty bloody common knowledge!" Black retorted. "It'd be like saying 'Oh Evans, the sky is up, isn't that something? I didn't know it did that'! Everyone was talking about it, and somehow you didn't hear about it until, what, two months later? Maybe three?"
"Padfoot, calm down," Potter said. Black grumbled as Potter continued, "Look, Evans, I'm fully aware of how I was acting before-"
"I don't buy it," Lily interrupted. "I don't think you could change that easily."
"Well, how do you want me to prove it?"
"Stop hexing people," Lily replied. "Stop hexing people, stop bullying and belittling people, and how about trying to be a decent human being for once in your life?"
Potter was silent for a moment, his face turning a bit red. "Right. Yeah, that would be a good starting point, wouldn't it…? Deal."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Deal?"
"No more of the old James Potter," Potter said. "Clean slate, fresh start. What do you say, Lily?"
Lily's breath caught. Lily…? "Fine, Potter-"
"James. If I'm going to call you Lily, would you call me James?"
Lily swallowed. "Fine… James."
"Excellent!" Potter's- James's face lit up. "Well then, I'll see you in Transfiguration, yeah?"
"Yeah," Lily replied as the four boys went on their way. She was glad the blush hadn't crept onto her face until after their backs were turned. Potter- James would never let that go.
Lily went back to the table and said, "The boys are going to Transfiguration class."
"We have thirty minutes," Marlene remarked.
"Well, they might want some free time back at the dorms," Lily replied. "Although, knowing them…."
"Remus is with them," Mary said. "He'll keep them in check, right?"
"I hope," Lily answered. She stood up and said, "Right, now I'll check on-"
"-Snape." Marlene finished. "Want me to bring your books from the dorm?"
"I think I can get them in time," Lily replied. "I'll see you in class."
Lily walked out of the Great Hall, quickly making her way to the fourth floor and to Severus's room. With each step, he thought about the blush, and the more she thought about it, the worse she felt. James Potter and his friends were notorious for their behavior in the past five years, and even thinking about having any form of attraction to Potter- James was disgusting. But she'd called him James on more than one occasion, albeit not to his face. Most of the time, it was in conversation with Remus, but last night…. If Lily could turn back time, she would have stopped herself from saying it.
Eventually, Lily found herself outside Severus's door. Before she could even knock, the door opened, and Severus, understandably, nearly jumped out of his skin.
"... it's not dinner time," Severus said.
"You didn't show up for breakfast," Lily replied.
"I ate-"
"Scrambled eggs, I know. Black told me."
"Which one?"
"The cleaner one."
Severus almost smirked at the comment, and Lily felt a pang in her heart. For a moment, he was almost Sev again.
Where did he go wrong? "Anyway, I just came to check on you. Will I be seeing you in Transfiguration?"
Severus nodded. "I was just about to go to class-" Suddenly, Severus froze.
"What is it?"
"N-nothing," Severus replied. "Anyway, I was going to class."
"Let's go together," Lily suggested.
"... together?"
Lily wanted to say 'just like old times', but she knew it wouldn't be the same. Hell, she and Severus hadn't even properly reconciled. "And while we do, maybe we could talk… about everything?"
"I…." Severus struggled to speak. "I would have preferred to do that somewhere private."
"We can, if you-"
"I'm sorry." Before Lily could respond, Severus continued. "I… I really can't talk to you until I've figured out how to manage my time."
Lily felt her brow furrow. "So let me see if I understand: you want to talk when I don't want you, and you don't want to talk when I want to?"
"I-"
"You're making more excuses, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not!" Severus stepped out from his room, shutting the door behind him. "I want us to be friends again, but I… I can't do it right now."
"When?"
"What?"
"When can you?"
"I don't… I don't know, but that's why I have to sort out my schedule-"
"What could you possibly be busy with?"
Severus was about to respond, but he fell silent. Lily raised an eyebrow in anticipation, before Severus said, "Not important."
"So unimportant, that you can't make time for me?"
"You didn't make time for me before, so why should I do the same?" Severus's words were venomous.
7:30. "I-"
"Let's go to class," Severus said quietly. "We don't have to talk."
The two walked in silence, and Lily felt Severus's words twist deeper into her. She wanted to ask him how long he'd waited, but it didn't matter; what mattered was that she hadn't shown up. She recalled how he'd appeared following the incident, that abject expression on his face. He had looked as though he had given up… but now, maybe that could change? He'd just said he wanted to reconcile, so maybe they could find a time to meet so he could explain what he meant?
Lily glanced over at Severus. He had dark circles under his eyes, as though he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. His hair wasn't as greasy as it had been last year, something which had started after their friendship ended, for some reason. And his eyes, usually brilliantly intense, were dulled and unfocused.
"Did you sleep well?"
"I slept fine," Severus replied blankly.
"You look exhausted."
"I went to bed late. I was busy with revision."
"Black said you were doing revision this morning."
"It is possible to do so more than once. It's not as if I can memorize the words on the page after one reading."
"... I didn't know Potter and Black exposed you."
Severus was silent for a moment, but Lily could hear him let out a quiet breath. "Would that have made any difference?"
"It might have-"
"Like how you're suddenly interested after learning about my parents, no doubt."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Pity," Severus spat out. "It's nothing but pity with you lot. Do you think I want that sort of attention?"
Lily didn't respond immediately, but she said, "Isn't it possible that I just care that my friend lost his family?"
"... we're friends?"
The question stung. "W… well, we… it might take some time before we get back to that point." Lily hoped it wouldn't take long; if Severus had seen the error of his ways and made the effort to change, she could rest easier. "But for now… maybe we could take small steps."
"Like what?"
"Firstly… stop spending time with your friends in Slytherin. They're a bad influence on you-"
"Done."
Lily's heart skipped a beat. "... what?"
"I haven't spoken to any of them since the year started. Black doesn't count; he's not my friend."
"Oh." Lily wasn't sure where to go from here. "Okay… well… good."
"... would you like me to do more?"
"No, that's…" Where am I going with this?! "That's a good start. Maybe…."
"Maybe what?"
"Are you coming to dinner tonight?"
"No. I'm too busy then."
"With what?"
"Essays. Given my condition, it will take me a bit longer to write them."
"Do you need help?"
"Dumbledore's helped me enough."
I meant from me! "I see. Would you like me to check on you tonight?"
"I might not be available. After classes, Dumbledore will want to visit him in his office."
Lily was starting to grow frustrated. "When is the best time to visit you, then?"
"Any evening before dinner that isn't a Friday. But again, I need to manage my time. Can you give me one week to figure that out?"
While Lily's frustration grew, there was some small comfort in knowing that Severus wasn't trying to shut her out entirely. "One week, right?"
"Right. I think I should be available the Saturday after tomorrow, assuming my essays don't stop me."
"Speaking of Saturdays, the House Nobility competition is-"
"I don't give a toss about that nonsense. Just a bunch of hormone-fueled trainwrecks playing Prince and Princess, doing who knows what to win."
Lily's mouth twitched, almost forming a smile. "So, I'm not the only one who thinks it's stupid, then?"
"We're too uncivilized to appreciate it," Severus replied snarkily. "Two kids from the Black Country wandering into the king's court."
"Well, we're not exactly typical Yam Yams, are we?"
Lily saw a small smirk on Severus's thin lips. She remembered a time when she'd first let slip her native dialect to Severus, something she hadn't done since her parents had forced her and Petunia to speak more properly….
"I brought some cobs," Lily said, handing Sev one.
Sev took the cob and tore it in half, the heat flowing out and into the cooler November air. He took a bite and chewed slowly. "Mmm," he said, smiling a bit. He paused. "Wait… cobs?"
"What?"
Sev held up the bread. "You called it a cob."
"I did?" Lily felt the heat rise to her face.
Sev smiled. "Here I thought you were all proper; didn't think you knew a word of Black Country Spake."
"W-well, I live here, don't I?!" Lily looked away. She couldn't believe she'd made that slipup, especially in front of Sev. "I've heard other kids speak before."
"Why don't you speak like them?"
"Mum and Dad want me and Petunia to be proper," Lily said. "What about you? How come you don't talk like a Yam Yam?"
"I…." Sev went quiet for a bit. "I don't really… have friends."
Lily's heart sank. "What about me?"
Sev turned to her, his eyes wide. "... we're friends?"
"Best friends."
Sev blinked a few times in quick succession, before a smile spread across his face.
Lily couldn't help but smile back. "Maybe I can teach you some slang."
"Like what?"
"Bostin."
"Bostin?"
"It means 'really good'."
"Oh…. This cob is bostin!"
Lily giggled. "See? You're a natural already. And food is called 'fittle'."
"Bostin fittle, this cob is!" Sev was really leaning into the accent, causing Lily to snort-laugh. Soon, Sev was joining in.
"Very good," Lily said, calming herself down a bit.
"You mean 'bostin'?"
Lily fought back the laugh that threatened to erupt from her throat. She nodded.
"Do you know slang from other dialects?"
"Not really. I've only ever been to Birmingham, and they have pretty similar slang…. Do witches and wizards have slang?"
"A bit," Sev answered hesitantly. "It's more about phrases rather than individual words. The only phrase I know for certain is 'Merlin's beard', but I've only heard it once."
"Merlin's beard?" Lily grinned.
"Well, I think there's also 'Merlin's pants', but I'd rather think about his beard than his pants." Sev smirked a bit.
Lily loved being with Sev. She'd only met him a few months ago, but she loved his imagination. God, she wished it was all real. No, it had to be; she was doing things no other child could, and Sev was the only one who seemed unfazed by it. "Sev?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you learn to do magic?"
Lily brought herself back to the present and glanced over at Sev… at Severus. Instead of the small, eager boy she'd known, she saw a tall, grim young man who'd gone down a dark path. What went wrong?
They finally arrived at the Transfiguration classroom, and Severus asked, "Didn't you bring your books?"
Lily's eyes widened. "Right, I completely forgot-"
"Lily!"
Lily turned to see Marlene sitting at one of the desks, along with an empty chair where Lily's things were set up. "Thanks, Marley," Lily said. She turned to Severus and said, "I'm going to sit with Marlene…. Do you want to sit with us for-"
"She doesn't like me," Severus said. "I'll find another seat."
"Oh. Okay, maybe we can talk more after-" She stopped herself. Severus had said he was going to be busy for the week. "Never mind, you should figure out your schedule first…. If you change your mind, you know where to find us."
Severus nodded and sat down at the desk closest to the door.
As Lily sat down next to Marlene, the latter asked quietly, "What's up with him?"
"I don't think he slept," Lily whispered back. "He said he stayed up doing revision."
"That explains it. Looks like he could pass out. I thought he was ill?"
Lily nodded, feeling a bit of anger well up. Severus was too stubborn for his own good. "He told me he wants to wait a week for us to start talking again."
"Why?"
"His schedule. He said his illness makes it hard for him to write, which I saw in Ancient Runes."
"Good day, Lily!" Lily turned as Potter- James walked in with Remus, Black, and Pettigrew. "Looks like we'll have two hours together, yeah?"
"Together," Lily replied, "along with the other students in class."
"Right." Potter- James and Black sat directly behind Lily and Marlene, with Remus and Pettigrew sitting at a table nearby. "So, we're on speaking terms, right?"
"For now," Lily replied again.
"Good, good." Potter- James went quiet as class began.
McGonagall's lesson for the day involved the study and practice of non-verbal spellwork. During the writing portion, Lily glanced back a few times at Severus. He was writing slower than he normally did, much like how he had in Ancient Runes. He occasionally glanced up at the board before going back to his parchment, but surely too quickly to read everything McGonagall had written down.
The practical portion of the lesson was what confused Lily. Naturally, Potter- James performed outstandingly, a cut above the other students in class; that wasn't where the confusion laid. The confusion was Severus's performance; he barely picked up his wand, and the few times that he did was when McGonagall's eyes were on him. Lily could tell he wasn't putting any effort into the lesson, and it showed when McGonagall told him his work for today was barely acceptable.
Eventually, class ended, and Potter- James came up to Lily's desk and asked, "Good work today, Lily. I'll see you in the Great Hall?"
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"I mean for lunch," Potter- James clarified.
"We'll be there in a bit," Marlene replied. As Potter- James walked off with his friends, Marlene turned to Lily and said, "Sorry if I spoke for you-"
"Don't worry," Lily reassured her. "I wasn't expecting him to come up to me like that."
"Like what?"
"Casually."
Marlene looked back at Severus. "I'm assuming you're staying behind for a bit?"
Lily nodded. "I won't be long."
"I'll save a spot for you," Marlene said, smiling as she went on her way. Lily couldn't help but notice the girl making some distance between herself and Severus's desk. Severus remained seated, despite having packed up his belongings.
Lily stood and walked over to him. She wasn't sure what to say, considering what he'd said to her before. "Severus."
Severus looked up, snapping himself out of a daze. "Yes?"
"I'm going to lunch."
Severus nodded, saying nothing.
Lily waited patiently for him to say just about anything, but Professor McGonagall had come up behind her and said, "Miss Evans, I wish to speak with Mr. Snape alone."
Lily turned, surprised. "Oh, sorry."
"No need to worry," McGonagall said. "Although, I would like to have lunch at some point without students in my classroom."
Lily nodded before saying to Severus, "I'll talk to you later, then?"
Severus nodded.
Lily left the classroom, still wondering what was wrong.
Severus I
"Well, Mr. Snape," McGonagall said, after Lily had left. "Would you care to explain your underperformance?"
Severus looked up at the stark woman. He wished she hadn't noticed his performance, but of course, it was her job to pay attention to her students… in certain aspects, anyway. "It won't happen again. Just wasn't paying too much attention."
McGonagall seemed to see through the lie, and her face softened, something Severus was foreign to. "I am somewhat aware of your condition, Mr. Snape. How much is it hindering you?"
Severus broke eye contact and showed her his notes. "It's hard to write."
McGonagall looked it over. "Why, this is barely half the notes on the board!"
"I'll improve," Severus quickly said, hoping he sounded confident. "I just need to keep writing-"
"If my class is too much for you, then perhaps you should consider not attending until you've recovered?"
There it was. The one thing Severus didn't want to hear. What should I say?
Schoolwork is a means of rehabilitation.
"My schoolwork is a way for me to recover," Severus said. "Walking, writing, and wandwork."
"And how much are you resting, exactly?"
Severus was starting to grow irritated. "I'm resting enough."
"With those circles under your eyes?"
Severus was done. "I was led to believe Pomfrey was the Matron?"
"I won't tolerate any student disrespecting or giving cheek to a teacher or member of staff," McGonagall shot back, her softness vanishing. "Five points from Slytherin."
Severus bit his tongue, avoiding eye contact. At least he was in familiar territory now.
"Now then, I will be having lunch. I think it would be best if you spent this time resting." With that, McGonagall walked out of the room, holding the door open for Severus.
Severus kept his head down, still avoiding eye contact, as he left the classroom.
Why?
You know why.
Are you trying to make your life harder?
Weren't you?
I have time and experience on my side. What's brought this on?
You can read my mind; you tell me.
Yes, you're stressed, congratulations. Why aren't you Occluding?
Severus didn't want to answer, but he knew he couldn't escape it. It didn't stop him from trying, though. What do you mean-
You know exactly what I mean! I've taught you Occlumency specifically for these sorts of situations! And in case you had forgotten, you told me you would heed my advice!
Severus didn't respond.
You will accomplish nothing if you don't work with me.
I don't need you-
Without me, you'll become me.
Severus stopped in his tracks. I thought the whole point was for the two of us to-
Without my return to the past, you would have lived my life, suffered my trials, and carried on a miserable existence. Do you want to become me?
… no.
Then control yourself. I'm trusting you to make the right decisions, but only if you heed my advice. No matter the circumstance.
Severus remembered glimpses of the life he would have lived, and he remembered the worst of what he had felt. If he ever became as bitter, as spiteful as Professor Snape, how could he ever hope to make things right with Lily? But he knew Professor Snape's darker qualities had been born at Hogwarts, and Severus was at the turning point; unfortunately, he had been too close to turning to the Dark.
Severus wasn't ignorant of what his problems were, but he knew he had a bad habit of willfully embracing them instead of trying to fix things. His spite was something he would have to overcome, especially now that he'd been given a second chance. And now that he was technically on speaking terms with Lily, he needed to sort himself out.
How do I fix this?
Your spite?
Severus nodded to himself.
I've told you: Occlumency.
But that didn't solve everything. We both remember what you've done-
Yes, hindsight. Professor Snape was quiet for a moment. I can offer no other advice.
Severus had just arrived outside his room. As he turned the doorknob and opened it, he found Snarky busy with dusting. The house-elf looked Severus's way, and Severus noticed his ears droop a bit before turning back to his work. In the moment the two made eye contact, Severus caught something in Snarky's eye; bitterness.
"Snarky."
The house-elf turned back to face the Slytherin. "Yes, sir?"
"How are you feeling?"
Snarky sneered. "... feeling, sir?"
"Emotionally."
Snarky's sneer grew even more severe. "Sir, feelings are useless to Snarky."
"What happens when you feel them? Both positive and negative?"
Snarky's ears drooped more. "Snarky…." The house-elf struggled to finish the sentence, "... Snarky's emotions are not a priority to his work, sir."
"I see." Severus thought about it. Snarky seemed to be just as bitter as Severus usually was, prior to the Black Lake incident, at least, and yet he managed to continue his work as though nothing was wrong. "How do you prioritize your emotions?"
"Least-important," Snarky replied quickly. "First comes duty, then associates, then emotions."
"Is this common for house-elves?"
"No, sir. Snarky is aware that he is an exception." Snarky said no more on the matter…. oddly enough, he almost sounded proud.
"How do you remain in control?"
Snarky seemed to stop his work entirely. "In control of Snarky's emotions?"
"Yes."
"Hmm… Snarky may not be the best person to give advice on this matter."
"I disagree; you're perfect."
Snarky's sneer twitched, and his ears perked up slightly. "Is that so?"
Severus nodded.
"Well," Snarky replied, seemingly in deep thought. "In terms of negative emotions, Snarky burns them away through work. Doing what needs to be done, in spite of how Snarky feels. A better way of putting it might be 'spitefully helpful'."
"So, helping people…."
"... to spite myself, yes."
Severus was having second thoughts about the advice. The idea of-
He seems to have had the same work ethic I did.
Did you know him in your past life?
No; I never spent too much time with the house-elves, but I don't recall his name being used. Either it simply never came up, or he died.
You can't expect me to be on my best behavior to spite myself, can you?
If you can't remove your spite, control where it's focused. I've done the same; so can you.
Severus knew Professor Snape had told him to trust his judgment and heed his advice, but the way he was hearing about how the latter's spite had been used, and how Snarky's spite was being used… a chill went through him. Was this what he would become? Was this the sort of thing he had embraced? No, I….
No?
Severus didn't want to be him. I… "Snarky."
"Yes, sir?"
"About yesterday…." Severus trailed off.
"Regarding the corridor?"
"Yes…. It was… unfair to speak to you that way."
Snarky's sneer grew worse, but his ears didn't droop. "Severus Snape is unwell. It is normal for him to feel stress under such conditions."
Severus wasn't sure what else he should say, so he switched subjects. "When you're done, could you bring me one cup of porridge?"
"Of course, sir. Does Severus Snape wish for Snarky to prepare it personally, or the other house-elves?"
"What do you mean?"
"Snarky is more precise."
Severus recalled times when the house-elves… overdid what was asked of them. Especially when it came to food. "Snarky should prepare it."
Snarky nodded, his sneer vanishing. "Very good, sir."
Severus sat down at his desk and opened up his books on Divination…. Divination….
Yes.
Of all the classes-
So you understand my disdain, then?
After what I've seen, yes. Severus remembered that damn prophecy, the one that had endangered- He Occluded. He cracked the book open and skimmed the pages, allowing Professor Snape to memorize them. As he turned the pages, he thought about the Divination classroom…. Bugger.
The ladder?
The bloody ladder…. Why is there no staircase to the Divination classroom?
To spite us.
Severus scoffed. Typical. How many times do you think we'll slip and fall?
Not enough for the faculty to make changes.
Right. Well, at least Arithmancy's next. No wandwork for that class. As for Astrono…. Severus trailed off.
You're thinking about Dumbledore.
Severus subtly nodded, careful not to alert Snarky. He didn't have any fond memories up in that tower, especially not after viewing Dumbledore's last moments, hearing his last words. I killed him.
I killed him. Your soul is still in one piece.
We share the same soul.
But not the same experiences. In a way, we are different people.
For now.
For now….
Severus managed to finish the book as Snarky popped off, returning with exactly what Severus had asked for, and nothing else. Severus took the porridge, saying, "Thank you," before spooning it into his mouth.
Regulus II
Regulus wasn't enjoying Divination, to say the least. He'd briefly skimmed through Unfogging the Future and The Dream Oracle before class had started. Today's class, the first class of the year, was focusing on Astrology, something which Regulus was already quite familiar with; in this case, the class was briefly reviewing the twelve astrological signs of the western zodiac, and they were currently on the qualities of Capricorn. Living in a family where naming conventions derived from celestial bodies, it was almost certain Regulus would learn about.
Regulus should have been honored and somewhat eased, knowing that the author of the former textbook was teaching the class, but one of the major troubles he was having was getting past how boring the class was. Professor Cassandra Vablatsky hadn't attended Hogwarts, but instead hailed from Durmstrang Institute. While her blood status wasn't clear to Regulus, she certainly had magical ancestry, as Durmstrang was sensible enough not to allow the spawn of filthy Muggles into their halls. Given her education, she would certainly be learned in the Dark Arts, something Regulus could use as a means of forming a kinship with her. As long as he could learn more about Divination, something to help him with the prophecy, he would need to put his foot in the door.
"Mr. Black," Vablatsky said in surprisingly fluent English, "can you tell what planet rules Capricorn?"
"Saturn," Regulus replied immediately.
"And what can be said of this?"
"As Saturn's prominence at the time of a person's birth can affect a person's physical appearance and induce tragic losses in early life, it is typically believed that Capricorns have these traits."
"Physical traits?"
"Dark hair and shorter height, although this is a generalization."
"Very good. 4 points to Slytherin."
Regulus smiled to himself.
"It is typically said," Vablatsky continued, "that Capricorns are cursed to live tragic lives. But this may not necessarily be the case, as Saturn's prominence may vary. It also depends on the temperament of the Capricorn, which may also be affected. Does anyone know what character traits are typically associated with Capricorn?"
Regulus raised his hand and waited to be called upon before answering. "The typical behavior associated with Capricorn is the prioritization of empirical logic, practicality, problem-solving, energy, and initiative."
"5 points to Slytherin." Vablatsky continued on about the subtleties of sign reading, with Regulus answering questions when he could before the class was split into reading each other's signs. Before he knew it, class was over, and the students began descending the ladder.
Regulus used this time to approach Vablatsky. "Professor?"
"Yes, Mr. Black?"
"I was wondering if I could ask you more about sign reading?"
"Very well. Shall we walk to lunch?"
"Of course, Professor." As they descended the ladder and made their way through the castle, Regulus continued. "I was wondering… I'm uncertain how to ask."
"Is it a complicated question?"
"Somewhat." Regulus paused. "Certain signs may influence a person's life, specifically life events out of their control. Is this predestined?"
Vablatsky replied, "I do not claim to know the workings of fate. One school of thought believes there is a higher power that influences mortal affairs, while another believes that individuals that align with the personalities of their signs are most likely to experience these uncontrolled life events."
"And what would be your view on the matter?"
"It would be difficult to say… but I have a mixed view on such things. Under normal circumstances, I would say that it is chance and not fate; however, the existence of prophecies has made me reconsider."
"How reliable are prophecies?" Regulus was careful not to smile. This was going exactly as he had hoped.
"It is a complex subject," Vablatsky replied. "Some prophecies are fulfilled soon after they are made, while others may take years, perhaps centuries. There are those that believe that prophecies are self-fulfilling, while others believe they are events set in stone."
"And your view on it?"
"I believe a prophecy is only worth as much as its witness."
Regulus thought about the professor's answer. "In what way?"
"Consider this: do you know how many unwitnessed prophecies exist?"
Regulus shook his head.
"Exactly. To know of the existence of a prophecy, there must be a way to witness it. And, if witnessed, the prophecy is no longer unwitnessed. As many in the field of Divination have no way of measuring unwitnessed prophecies, it is my belief that prophecies must be witnessed."
"Would the Seer not count as a witness?"
"No," Vablatsky replied. "A Seer has no recollection of making a prophecy; this is a time when the Seer loses consciousness. And if the Seer is alone while the prophecy is being revealed, it is unwitnessed and forgotten, making its existence pointless."
"I see." Regulus took time to digest this. "Would a person's sign have any influence on a prophecy?"
"If the prophecy denotes when the subject is born, then it would be very possible."
"This is rather interesting," Regulus said. The prophecy stated the Half-Blood Prince was born in January, meaning their sign could either be Capricorn or Aquarius. "Professor, the time when one is born is shared by others. Regarding prophecy and signs, if many people are born at the same time, and thus share the same sign, how would one determine the subject of the prophecy?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Prophecies are a fascinating subject to me," Regulus answered. "And as you mentioned them in relation to signs, something I have more history with, it piqued my curiosity."
"I understand the interest," Vablatsky said. "Usually, the more similarities one has to their sign, the higher the chance they have of being the subject of the given prophecy."
"As I thought would be the case," Regulus commented. He realized they had reached the Great Hall. "Thank you for discussing this with me, Professor."
"You are most welcome," Vablatsky said, nodding. "Now, I will eat. I will see you next week, yes?"
Regulus nodded. "Have a good lunch, Professor."
Regulus found his way to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Avery, Mulciber, and Rosier. Rosier was this year's Basilisk, a House Nobility title unique to Slytherin and the equivalent of Gryffindor's King. From what he could hear, the three older boys were talking about candidates for the Heir and Heiress.
"... Wilkes?" Mulciber sounded disinterested.
"Wilkes," Rosier answered. "She already has good standing with the rest of the Slytherin girls."
"What about outside of Hogwarts?" Avery asked.
"Consider this," Rosier explained. "Other girls in our House have connections. As Wilkes is already first among her peers, she would have access to those connections."
"So Carrow's not an option?" Avery asked.
"Neither of the Carrows," Rosier replied.
"Planning the House Nobility competition?" Regulus asked.
"Indeed," Rosier answered. "Unfortunately, this is for seventh-years only."
"I would have thought the Basilisk would consult with his Queen," Regulus commented.
"We've spoken before," Rosier said. "She selected the potential candidates, while I'm making the final decisions."
"Of course, carry on." Regulus eyed the table and found a particularly appetizing roast beef sandwich. As he ate, he continued listening in on the other boys.
"Now then," Rosier said, "We should think about-"
"Snape," Mulciber said, almost instantly.
"... Snape?" Rosier didn't sound too pleased. "You want a half-blood to hold the title of Heir?"
"Well…." Avery almost sounded like he wanted to side with Mulciber. "Rosier's got a point."
"What are our other options?"
There was a pause in the conversation, until Rosier replied, "The other boys in Snape's year are pure-bloods with connections."
"Fair," Mulciber said. "I just thought being the ward of the headmaster would be a fairly big connection."
"... that's true," Rosier said carefully. "Black, if I recall, Damocles Belby has attempted to contact Snape?"
"Correct," Regulus replied. "Lucius mentioned Belby's interest. Apparently, he had the wrong mailing address."
"Right," Rosier said, looking away briefly. "Well, it must have been miswritten."
"Most likely," Regulus lied. Rosier was the one to look through Snape's file and deliver the address to Regulus, but he wasn't about to call him out in front of everyone.
As the older boys continued, Regulus digested what he'd heard from Professor Vablatsky. What stuck out to him was the idea of a prophecy's value being tied to the witness. Of the witnesses present when the Trelawney girl had made the prophecy, only Dumbledore concerned Regulus for obvious reasons; the old man had been responsible for defeating Grindelwald, and he had attained great influence throughout the wizarding world. Slughorn was less of a threat; as far as House Heads were concerned, he was notably hands-off with most students, not including his favorites… although, the idea of 'collecting' the Half-Blood Prince might entice him. And then there was Lockhart….
If Lockhart was the Half-Blood Prince, and if Slughorn believed Lockhart was the Half-Blood Prince, then it could be possible that the professor might invite him into the Slug Club… and if that was the case, Regulus would have an easier time keeping an eye on the boy. The same idea could work with Snape if, on the off-chance, he was the Half-Blood Prince, although that would depend on his birthday.
One thing bothered Regulus, admittedly more than it should: why was the subject of the prophecy called the 'Half-Blood Prince'? 'Half-Blood' made sense, as it was a means of identifying blood status, but 'Prince' was another matter. Did it denote a royal bloodline, or was it purely symbolic? If the latter was the case, why even list 'Prince' as part of the subject's name? Was it a reference to the maiden name of Snape's mother? No, that would be too simple. Why even list the name at all? It had to be specific, it had to be something tangible.
Regulus continued lunch, mulling over the various questions swarming his head. He could ask for assistance from Rosier again, but he didn't want to. If he could prove himself to Lucius without additional assistance from within Hogwarts, he might gain favor with their shared acquaintance. Of course, accessing student records would be suspect, even with his Prefect privileges; he would need a good excuse to be in the office in the first place.
There was much to plan.
Remus I
"We'll be there in a bit," Marlene replied, turning back to Lily.
Transfiguration had just ended, and Remus was walking with Sirius, while James and Peter were up ahead. The two boys seemed to pick up the pace, and Sirius would have joined them if not for Remus taking hold of his arm.
"Everything alright, mate?" Sirius was looking at Remus curiously.
"Yeah," Remus replied. "I just wanted to apologize for opting out of the competition coming up-"
"No worries," Sirius interrupted, patting Remus on the back. "You don't want to compete, you don't compete."
"Right…. Sirius?"
"Yeah?"
"How are you holding up?"
Sirius seemed to withdraw a bit, reminding Remus of how he had been in their first year. Finally, he answered, "Well, it's a bit jarring, seeing Regulus as a Prefect."
"... and at home?"
"Monty and Mia are lovely-"
"Not what I meant."
Sirius furrowed his brow. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"It's just-"
"Sirius! Remus!"
Both boys turned to see Marlene join them. Remus asked, "Lily's coming along shortly, I presume?"
"Yeah," Marlene replied. "Wanted to talk to Snape, for some reason."
Sirius groaned.
"Stop that," Remus reprimanded. "New leaf, remember?"
"It's not as if I have to like it," Sirius grumbled.
"Why the change?" Marlene asked.
"Well," Sirius answered, "our parents gave us a bit of a talking to. Let's just say I'm not particularly happy with it, though Monty and Mia managed to talk me into it."
"Who?"
"James's parents," Remus replied. "They prefer their shorter names. Something to do with James's dad in school."
"Right," Sirius said. "Having 'flea' in your name might cause problems."
"Could probably come up with a few nicknames with that," Marlene grinned. "Not flattering, but still."
"I'd hold off on that," Sirius said. "He's not fond of anything but 'Monty'."
"Hey, I'm here." Lily walked up just then.
"That must've been a short conversation," Marlene remarked.
"Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to Severus alone," Lily said.
"Really? Why?"
"No idea. Maybe something to do with his performance today. He didn't look as though he was even trying."
"Snape? Not trying?" Sirius nearly barked with laughter. "You can't be serious."
"I am," Lily replied.
"Is that why you were glancing back at him?" Marlene asked.
"It is, yes," Lily answered.
Sirius grumbled, "I still don't get why you want to be friends with him. Hanging around with Mulciber and Avery and-"
"I'll have you know," Lily interrupted, "that he hasn't spoken to any of his housemates since term started, excluding your brother."
"Right," Sirius shot back, "Snape's personal escort, is he? Or is that just you?"
"Excuse me?!" Lily's face had turned a deeper red, the veins in her head nearly bulging. "This, coming from James Potter's lapdog?!"
"Lapdog?!" Black was baring his teeth.
"You heard me," Lily said, doubling down.
Remus and Marlene took a step away from the two as they began a verbal duel. Remus nudged Marlene and muttered, "Should we wait for them in the Great Hall?"
"Probably," Marlene muttered back, nodding.
Remus and Marlene subtly broke off from Lily and Sirius, and Remus said, "Was it too much to hope that Sirius would change?"
"Can I be honest with you?"
"Certainly."
"I hate this."
Remus took a moment to respond. "Talking to me?"
"No, I hate that Lily's trying to be friends with Snivellus again."
Remus couldn't help but let out a sigh. "I'm not the right person to talk about this with."
"I need a fresh perspective; there's a certain point where talking about Snape with James and Sirius gets annoying."
Remus didn't want to have this conversation. "Marlene-"
"Tell me what you think about him."
Remus really didn't want to have this conversation. "... fine. I think…." He hated being put on the spot. "... I don't hate Snape, but I don't trust him. If I'm honest, I'd rather have nothing to do with him." He was struggling to keep his composure.
"I mean, neither would I-"
"No," Remus snapped. "You would. You and James and Sirius-" He stopped.
"What?!" Marlene was glaring. "What exactly are you saying?"
"I'm sorry," Remus said. He hadn't meant to make her angry. "I- that came out wrong-"
Marlene's expression softened, and she calmed down almost as quickly as she'd been angered. "Wait…. Last year, I promised you could open up to me. Let's start over, nix an angry Marlene McKinnon." That got a chuckle out of Remus. "You said you want nothing to do with Snape, but James and Sirius and I would."
"Until this year," Remus started slowly, "James and Sirius went out of their way to make Snape's life hell. Apparently, it started on the train, before any of us had been Sorted. And you haven't made that any better."
Marlene broke eye contact for a moment. "But, he's a Slytherin-"
"I don't care what he is," Remus said. "I don't care. All I want is one quiet year. I just- I've spent too long mucking about with the boys, getting in trouble for pranks, sometimes things getting worse…. I couldn't be happier, knowing that finally, they're growing up."
The two walked in silence for a moment, before Marlene said, "I've promised Lily to ease up on Snape-"
"You called him 'Snivellus' not a moment ago."
"Old habits die hard," Marlene said. "Anyway, I'll put in my best effort." She was silent for another moment. "I'm sorry to hear about your mum."
Remus hadn't expected that. "How did-"
"Sirius."
Ah. "I see. Thank you."
"Also, I may have made a 'that time of the month' joke about you as you were walking away yesterday. You looked moody."
"I just wasn't looking forward to the competition. Too loud for my taste."
"So, it's Gobstones with Mary?"
"Seems like the plan so far. God knows the dorm'll raise hell with the noise they make."
"Leaving us deaf the next day," Marlene grinned.
"And hung over- is this competition even allowed?"
"Officially, probably not," Marlene said, "but when has that ever stopped a Gryffindor?"
Severus II
I'm going to kill the old man….
Divination was, needless to say, Severus's least favorite class. It was bad enough that he had to climb up the ladder to the classroom, but it was another thing entirely to bring his supplies. He didn't even know why he would need parchment and quill just to stare at a bloody crystal ball the whole time.
Severus was surrounded by people he didn't care enough to remember, only that they were in his year. Maybe, if he tried, he could identify them, but considering his current mood, he couldn't bring himself to stare at anything other than his table.
"For those of you who remember last term," Professor Vablatsky said in an unidentifiable accent, "we were studying the art of dream interpretation."
Looking forward to that.
"Can anyone remind the class of how to interpret dreams?"
A few students looked around, unsure of how to answer.
"Mr. Snape, if you would."
Suddenly, all eyes were on Severus, and he could tell they were thinking about more than the answer he was going to give.
Fucking- "Yes, professor. Based on The Dream Oracle's description, the interpretation of dreams relies on two factors: repetition and association."
"Continue."
"The repetition of a dream can be used to determine its significance; the more repetitive, the more significant. Meanwhile, the contents of the dream are most likely not literal, but rather symbolic in meaning; for example, if the Grim was a recurring figure in a witch or wizard's dreams, it could indicate the dreamer is in mortal danger."
"Very good. 4 points to Slytherin."
Severus kept his eyes from looking around the room, but he had that same sense that no one had bothered to look away.
Remain focused.
You can remember everything for me-
That is not an excuse to be lazy. Focus.
"Now then," Vablatsky continued, "with this in mind, let us rotate pairs, yes? Ladies will remain seated-"
No-
"- while gentlemen walk."
Severus held back a groan as he stood from his seat. His first partner was Lucinda Talkalot, a fellow Slytherin and the current captain of their Quidditch team. "Talkalot."
"Snape," Talkalot replied. "So, you think you're suited for Divination without taking a single class of it?"
"Knowing how to read helps," Severus said back. "Now then, what have you dreamt about?"
Talkalot gave him a dirty look before saying, "Well, I've had two recurring dreams, not recently though."
"Good enough. What would the first one be?"
"In the first one, I'm in Slughorn's class, and we're brewing Amortentia. For some reason, I steal some of it and hide it away to use on someone, but I never find out who."
… do I have to try?
Would it not be better to get it over with?
"Right," Severus said. He decided to dragonshit his interpretation. "Well, Amortentia signifies either love or infatuation. As for stealing some and hiding it for future use, as well as not knowing who to use it on…." Severus paused. "Have you been on a date?"
"What?"
"For a special occasion, such as Valentine's Day."
"Well, I was thinking about asking someone… well, two people, but I couldn't decide-"
"And did you begin dreaming this dream before or after that point?"
"After."
"You're feeling regret over your indecisiveness."
Talkalot's eyes widened slightly.
"Does this even count as divination?"
"W-well," Talkalot replied, "it's… that was rather spot-on, actually."
"I see. And the second dream?"
"The second dream," Talkalot continued. "I'm standing near a hill, and I see a burrow. A badger comes out and tries to lick my hand, but an eagle swoops down to attack it. After a while, both of them attack me-"
"A Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw are fighting for your affection," Severus quickly answered. He couldn't have cared-
"Merlin's beard, how did you know?!"
… what the hell is happening right now?
"I- I've never told- no one should know-"
"Time to switch partners," Vablatsky announced.
Severus stood from his chair and moved on to the next table. Now that he had a grasp of how to approach this, it would be easier. It gave made-up answers to the rest of his partners, which, surprisingly, they seemed to believe wholeheartedly. "You'll marry the love of your life, but he'll cheat on you before your honeymoon begins…. Don't eat the fish at dinner tonight…. Stop putting your shoes beside your bed…. You're going to fall down the ladder after class…."
By the end, Severus's mind was numb with boredom and frustration, and the students began funneling out of the classroom and down the ladder. Severus heard two shrieks.
"Oh my God, are you alright?!"
"M-my nose!"
"I think I landed on my arsebone!"
"I'll take them to the infirmary!"
Severus finished packing, but as he was about to leave, Vablatsky stopped him. "Mr. Snape," the professor said, "I have been watching your behavior in class today."
… right, then. "I see. Have I done something wrong, professor?"
"Wrong? My child, of course not! You have the Sight!"
If a half-arsed answer is the Sight, then the field of Divination is sorely lacking. "How so?"
"I noticed how you answered the ladies you spoke with," Vablatsky continued. "And moments ago, the Stebbins twins fell down the ladder."
"Is that so?" Severus thought the female shriek had sounded familiar.
"Have you ever experienced any… feelings before?"
Severus pretended to think about it, until he realized he was actually thinking about it. There had been times before when he had felt… something. Usually, it was related to someone else in relation to him; Potter and Black attacking him in the corridors came to mind, but there was also the time when he'd sensed MacDonald coming up the stairs to the Owlery… not that he wanted to remember that, but the point remained. "Sometimes," Severus replied.
"And have you ever had dreams that predicted the future?"
Too many times. "Hard to say, in hindsight."
"Very well," Vablatsky said. "Perhaps this is all new to you, yes? What I can say for certain is that you show promise. I will see you next week."
"Take care, professor." Severus left with his things and made his way down the ladder.
Suddenly, he had a bad feeling that something was-
Severus's foot slipped, and he fell down the ladder, barely catching onto one of the ladder rungs before he could hit the ground. However, his fingers slipped, and he landed on his back with a thud.
"Fuck," Severus groaned.
"Mr. Snape, are you alright?" Vablatsky climbed down the ladder to inspect Severus as the latter sat up.
"I'm fine," Severus grumbled. "Why do we have a ladder to get to a classroom?"
"I can see the future, not the past." Vablatsky pulled Severus to his feet with wandless magic. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Severus shook his head.
"Good. Well then, I will see you next week." With that, the professor left.
Severus's thoughts were on what Vablatsky had implied as he walked to Arithmancy. The Sight….
Do you believe this to be the case?
Don't you?
I never had the Sight, and yet you somehow do. Before, you have mentioned feeling differently, immediately before something happened.
It started right around the time you showed up.
Indeed, I had started to think our connection may be responsible for this change. I have gained perfect recall, while you have gained foresight.
… gestalt….
Greater than our sum. We may examine this at a later date, but let us focus on finishing today.
Of course…. She might just be mental.
Possibly.
Arithmancy was tolerable to Severus. While he wasn't fond of the connection to Divination, it was a simple matter of numbers and calculation. The class reviewed the symbolism of numbers, excluding zero, and each student was expected to calculate the outcome of hypothetical scenarios based on relevant numbers in the problems. While Severus was grateful that he didn't have to take notes, he found himself rather bored when he realized he would have to wait for everyone else to catch up.
Eventually, Severus arrived outside his room, only to find Lily standing there, pacing back and forth. She had somewhat of an irritated look on her face, which quickly dissolved as she saw him approach. His heartbeat quickened pace, and he could feel his breath almost catch.
"There you are," Lily said. "Where have you been?"
"Sorry," Severus replied. "I was busy with something. I don't think I'll be going to dinner tonight."
Lily was silent for a moment. "I see."
Severus said, "Remember when I said I needed a week? I meant a full week, including today."
"I understand," Lily said. Severus wasn't sure if she was being genuine or not. "And I take it you won't be sitting with me during breakfast?"
"I might not be going to breakfast for a while."
Lily looked down at the ground before looking back up at him. "Well… I'm still coming here to check on you every evening."
Severus said, "You don't have to-"
"I promised the headmaster."
Severus nodded. "Okay. I'll be in revision if you need anything."
Lily opened her mouth, as though she was about to say something, but she closed it and nodded back, walking away.
As Severus entered the room, he felt his grip loosen. He hurried to the desk to set his things down, barely managing to get there in time before he completely lost his grip. His supplies clattered on the desk, and he steadied himself with the chair. After some time, he sat down, relaxing his body as he processed what had happened.
The conversation that had just occurred between Lily and himself had been one of the coldest conversations he'd ever had with her. He would've been happier if she'd exploded at him, but it was now as if she couldn't care if she tried.
One week.
I know.
We have endured a summer of suffering. We can endure one week of schoolwork.
But-
I know this is about Lily. As it should be.
You don't think she'll move on?
I cannot say for certain. Keep in mind that there is more than one purpose for our schedule.
Slughorn.
Our priority, yes. We will have a weekend to write our essays, and, should all things fall in place, we should be rested enough for Monday.
We have Defense and Alchemy before that.
I never said it would be perfect. Do what we can. Will you be ordering dinner?
"Snarky?"
Pop. "Yes, sir?"
"What's being served for dinner tonight?"
"Shepherd's pie and grilled salmon are the main dishes."
"Can I have a small bowl of mashed potatoes?"
Pop. Pop. "A small bowl, sir."
"Thank you, Snarky."
Pop.
Severus ate a spoonful of the potatoes, feeling a lump form in the pit of his stomach. He slowed his chewing, feeling uneasy. One more class tonight….
Eat what you can, and you can finish the rest later.
Severus nodded, setting the bowl down. Later.
Remus II
"Why is he here?!" Sirius whispered to Remus.
Remus turned his head to find Snape arriving. Why Snape was in Astronomy was beyond Remus. "No idea," Remus muttered back. "By the way, Lily came to lunch alone. Where did you go?"
"Went to blow off some steam," Sirius replied. "Didn't want to say anything more that I'd regret."
"I think Snape might be an off-limits topic."
Sirius muttered something under his breath.
"Is it really that hard?" Remus asked.
"Harder than you might think," Sirius admitted. "But I promised Prongs."
"And you didn't promise me?" Remus feigned offense. "You wound me, sir."
Sirius smirked. "By the way, how come you chose Astronomy? You hardly need to study more about it."
"Paranoia," Remus whispered. He added jokingly, "Never know when my star sign might be affected, you know."
Class soon began, and Remus and Sirius shared a telescope as the professor instructed the students to chart out a selection of constellations. Each pair of students was given their own selection to prevent cheating; the exception to this was Snape, who was, unsurprisingly, alone.
"What's the first one?" Sirius asked quietly.
"Let me check." Remus looked over their selection. "First one would be Andromeda."
"Oh, Andy!" Sirius grinned as he adjusted the telescope. "Shame we couldn't visit her over the summer."
"Right," Remus said awkwardly. "Are she and Ted doing well?"
"Yeah," Sirius replied. "Dora seems to take after her dad a lot. Caught her saying 'wotcher' a few times."
Remus chuckled. "The joys of raising a three-year-old."
"No doubt," Sirius said. "Oh, I found Andromeda."
Remus peeked through the telescope and quickly marked his parchment with a few guiding dots, before properly tracing them and filling in the coordinates. "Next one is Perseus."
Sirius readjusted the telescope and allowed Remus to peek and chart it out. "I think I needed this."
"What do you mean?" Remus asked.
"Astronomy. Always seems to calm me down a bit."
"Are you still feeling heated from earlier?"
"A bit. That, and obviously about…." Sirius trailed off. "Well, you get the idea."
"I bet finding your namesake helps."
Sirius let out a laugh. "Narcissist that I am, absolutely."
Remus grinned. "So, are you looking forward to you-know-what?"
Sirius nodded. "As much as I love Prongs, I'm afraid I'm not one to concede. I'm almost certain I have him beat in that particular field."
"Practice?"
"Naturally," Sirius said in a snob-mocking way. "Next?"
Remus continued to guide Sirius in finding the listed constellations, and Sirius found them with ease. "Is there anything between you and Marlene?"
"What?" Sirius seemed surprised. "Oh, Marley? I know she fancies me."
"... and?"
"Well… she's not unattractive. And she's funny…. Why?"
"I was just wondering," Remus replied. "If you wanted to ask her on a date-"
"Hold on," Sirius interrupted. "Let's not get carried away here."
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, I'm just… don't laugh."
"Promise."
"I'm nervous."
Remus raised his eyebrows. "You kissed the top of her head-"
"I know, that was an impulse," Sirius said, keeping his voice down. "Scared the hell out of me after the fact…. What should I do?"
"... you're asking me for dating advice?"
"Yeah."
"And not James?"
"I've asked him, but I wanted a second opinion."
"What did he say?"
"Flirt with her and keep asking until she says 'yes'."
"And how has that worked with-" Remus stopped himself. Technically, Lily and James were on a first-name basis, so maybe…. "Never mind. Well, the two of you already fancy each other, so I think all you really have to do is… ask her."
"She's a bit nervous about it."
"Would you like me to ask her in your place-"
"Merlin's beard, man! Having someone ask on my behalf?! That's the least Gryffindor thing I could do!"
"What if… if I were to talk her into asking you out-"
"Isn't that the man's job?"
"For God's sake, Padfoot, I'm trying to help you."
"Right, sorry."
"If I can talk her into asking you, then she might be more receptive to you. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work."
Sirius nodded. "Are you sure that would work?"
"No, but I know Marlene doesn't like being at the mercy of others. If she has control over this, she'll be more confident."
"Right, then!" Sirius grinned and smacked Remus on the back. "Thanks, mate!"
Remus returned the grin. He thought it would be good for Sirius and Marlene to start dating; he knew Marlene was making an effort to curb her behavior, and perhaps she would rub off on Sirius a bit.
After class, Remus and Sirius headed down the tower. Remus asked, "So, what's your idea for a date?"
"Probably take her to Hogsmeade."
"The first weekend trip is quite a bit away."
"I know, but that means we have time to plan."
"Sirius Black, you are anything but a planner!"
"You'd be surprised," Sirius said, smirking.
Severus III
Severus had barely returned to his room when he felt his legs give way. He instinctively leaned toward the wall to brace himself, but he was at an off-angle and ended up sliding down the stone onto the hard floor. Quickly shutting the door, he used the doorknob to balance himself. He almost wished it was because of pain; at least then, he would retain some control over his body.
We have the entire weekend to write your essays. Lay on the bed for now.
Severus nodded and stumbled to the bed, bracing himself against the post. He slowly slid onto the bed, not bothering to remove his clothes. I was doing so well before.
Well enough, but it may be the case that your nervous system is struggling to adjust.
Our nervous system.
Have Snarky bring you Dreamless Sleep.
"Snarky?"
Pop.
"Can you bring me Dreamless Sleep?"
"Snarky will need permission from Madam Pomfrey, sir."
"As long as it renders me unconscious."
"Of course, sir." Pop. Pop. "Madam Pomfrey has permitted Severus Snape a Potion of Dreamless Sleep."
"Thank you." Severus nudged himself closer to the edge of the bed, taking the bottle and attempting to remove the cap.
"Allow Snarky, sir." Snarky snapped his fingers, and the cap appeared in his other hand.
Severus drank the potion, careful not to spill a single drop. "Thank you."
"Of course, sir. Snarky must now attend to the kitchens; tomorrow, the Gryffindors will ask for the butterbeers." Pop.
Right… House Nobility….
You have nothing to worry about. No one will expect us when the competition is held.
Maybe….
You have doubts?
Just a feeling.
A feeling?
Something niggling at the back of my mind…. You really don't get that same feeling?
No…. Can you rely on every feeling you have?
Perhaps not, but denying it doesn't make it go away.
Then it would be best to Occlude it for now. Rest….
Severus, now drowsy from the effects of the potion, fell fast asleep.
Lily II
Lily found herself lying in bed, unable to sleep. Why was Severus not in his room? Had he been in class? If that was the case, he would have been in Astronomy, and Lily knew Severus wasn't fond enough of the class to sign up for sixth-year. How much work could he possibly have-
"Lily?"
"Hmm?" Lily broke herself out of her daze as she responded to Marlene's voice.
"Do you think I should ask Sirius to Hogsmeade?"
"I don't see why not. Why do you ask?"
"Remus suggested I ask him before he can ask me."
"Do you want to?"
"Of course, I do. I just don't know if he'll say 'yes'."
"Marley, he kissed you in the middle of the Great Hall."
"Well, it wasn't exactly snogging!"
"No, but I don't think he'll reject you."
Marlene didn't respond immediately. "Well… it's better than waiting for him, I suppose. When should I ask?"
"How about tomorrow night, after the competition?"
"Wouldn't we be too drunk for that?"
"I'll bring some potions for when the competition is over, then." Lily sat up and sat at her desk, unstopping the inkwell and picking up a quill. She reached down and pulled out one of the notebooks she'd bought in Diagon Alley, something to help her keep track of this year's schedule. As she set it down, she frowned. She hadn't bought this one.
"Is this yours?" Lily asked, holding up the notebook.
"It was with your things, so no."
Lily opened it to the first page and found a faded-out name: Tom M. Riddle. "Do you know anyone named 'Tom Riddle'?"
"Never heard of him."
Lily flipped through the notebook; it was completely blank. "Should I return it?"
"Is it important?"
"It's blank, but-"
"If he never used it, he won't miss it."
Lily shrugged. "I suppose." She dipped the quill into the inkwell and made a note:
Reminder for Saturday, 4 September: prepare Antidotes for Butterbeer (and potentially Firewhiskey)
Lily set the quill down and stopped the inkwell before shutting the book.
"Night, Lily," Marlene muttered.
"Night, Marley."
Severus IV
Saturday, 4 September 1976
When Severus awoke, the first thing to cross his mind was what he had seen in the Mirror of Erised, of Lily saying those three words. He lay there for a time, collecting himself and Occluding the feelings that came with the image, before sitting up. He only now realized he had fallen asleep without changing out of his clothes. He swung his legs out of bed and rested his feet on the floor; it seemed he'd also forgotten to remove his shoes and socks. Aside from all this, he felt well-rested.
I might have to make use of that excuse I gave Black.
Regarding Madam Pomfrey supplying you with potions?
Yeah. Severus stood, but his balance was off, causing him to sway. He leaned back, sitting back down on the bed.
Take your time.
There was a knock on the door.
Black. "One moment," Severus called out. He carefully stood, making his way to the door before leaning against the wall. He composed himself, standing straight, before opening.
"Ah, Snape." Regulus gave him a curt nod. "Are you well enough to come to breakfast?"
"Not as well as I would have liked," Severus lied. He had no intention of sitting with the other Slytherins. "I also have to focus on my essays."
"I see. Are you well enough to do your schoolwork? N.E.W.T.-level courses are nothing to laugh at."
"It helps," Severus replied. "Writing takes my mind off of things."
"And I take it you'll be too busy to attend the House Nobility competition, then?"
"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry I can't make it."
"No matter; technically-speaking, your presence isn't required at all. One of the perks of being a Slytherin."
Severus nodded. "Yes, that's rather convenient. Who are the candidates?" Severus didn't actually care, but he might as well sate Regulus's need for conversation.
"For the girls, the candidates are Wilkes and Talkalot, but I suspect Wilkes will prevail. Talkalot isn't as… predisposed to our politics."
"And the boys?"
"Well… to be perfectly honest, I think you're the most likely one to win."
Severus wasn't sure how to respond. "Is that so?"
"Well, being the ward of the headmaster and having Belby's interest places you in the lead…. Anyway, I will leave you to your work." Regulus nodded again and turned on his heels, walking down the corridor.
Severus shut the door. I'm in the lead?
This may pose a problem.
How?
How do you think Lily will react when she hears that you've been chosen as the Heir of Slytherin?
Severus froze. "Fuck…!" If Lily found out, she wouldn't believe he was avoiding Mulciber and Avery. And if she didn't believe him-
Something felt wrong. Something's off.
How so?
Do you remember yesterday, when Lily came to see us before Transfiguration?
Is it that same feeling?
Like we're being watched.
Only the Prefects would know where we are-
The Map.
… Potter's map.
Anyone with that map could see where we are.
Is someone watching us on the Map?
I don't know. Either that, or they've found where we are, and they're outside the corridor in that cloak.
If that is the case, then we have nothing to worry about. They have no means of entering.
Severus was glad that, aside from himself, only professors and Prefects could open the door. We should be safe.
Yes. Now, order breakfast before we begin with the essays.
Severus did as instructed, having Snarky bring him a small plate of scrambled eggs and a sausage, as well as a tall glass of water. He was careful not to eat too much, as he wanted to keep his food down. That being said, Dreamless Sleep seemed to have alleviated much of his stress, and he no longer felt nauseous, as he had the days before.
"I should take a shower," Severus said, standing and carefully making his way to the bathroom.
Good. You need one.
Severus stepped inside, shutting the door as he stripped his clothes off. He took the time to properly inspect his body, as it hadn't crossed his mind before. He had felt as though he had more muscle mass, and he was pleased to see that he was right, although he would still appear malnourished to most people. With enough time and effort, he might be able to bulk up more, even if it wasn't intentional; his priority was making sure his body moved the way he wanted it to.
As Severus continued, he noticed a few new scars.
How is this possible…?
What?
… these are my scars….
Yeah, we're the same- Severus stopped. …you mean… your scars…. Severus took another look, his eyes wandering to his hips. And his heart stopped.
Remus III
Remus found himself just where Mary had told him to come that morning at breakfast; the courtyard with the fountain. At this time, there was no doubt that James and Sirius were busy helping with the set-up for the competition, with Marlene dragging Lily along. He smirked at the thought. Marlene had always been excited about the House Nobility competition, even as a first-year; it was something he knew Lily had slowly, but surely, started to loathe.
"Remus!" Mary arrived at the fountain, along with a group of her friends. "See? I told you he would come."
"Only for a bit," Remus said. "Unfortunately, I'll have to do my patrols later on."
"Oh, no worries," Mary said, smiling. "Remus, this is Xenophilius Lovegood."
"A pleasure to meet you," Lovegood said soothingly. "My friends call me Xeno."
"A pleasure to meet you as well," Remus replied to the odd-looking boy. He turned and saw Adrian Creevey. "Oh, Creevey! I didn't know you played."
"In my free time," Creevey admitted.
"So, shall we begin?" Mary asked. "The others couldn't make it."
"Certainly," Remus said. He sat by the side of the fountain as Mary and Xeno set up the game. "How's this first week for you, Mary?"
"I love Care for Magical Creatures," Mary answered. "Marley wasn't kidding about Kettleburn."
"Ah, right," Creevey said. "The… limbs."
"He had more in our first year," Remus said. "I'm guessing you saw the hippogriffs?"
"Yeah, I even got to ride one!" The game was set up, and Remus sat down on the ground with the other three. "Her name's Cleftilda."
"I think I remember her," Remus said. "That's the one with the larger under beak."
"Yeah, she's a sweetie!" Mary handed Remus some of the gobstones. "You're the guest, so you get the first game."
"I'll play you," Creevey said.
Remus nodded and laid down on his belly, looking at the gobstones set up. He couldn't have asked for a more relaxing night.
Lily III
"EVANS! EVANS! EVANS!" One half of the Gryffindors were thundering Lily's name.
"MARLEY! MARLEY! MARLEY!" And the other half Marlene's.
Lily felt as though she was about to die. She and Marley were neck and neck, having already beat out the other girls in their year. Her stomach ached, and her head was spinning from the lights and sounds, not to mention the amount of butterbeers she had downed. Because she and Marlene were the final two girls, the drinks had been swapped with firewhiskey, which, needless to say, made Lily feel significantly worse.
Lily downed a shot, only for it to be magically refilled by someone whose face was a blur. She hadn't kept count, but she had the feeling Marlene was either ahead of her or behind her… which told her practically nothing at all, actually. James had won the boys' division of the competition, with Peter having emptied his stomach contents into a third-year's cauldron and Sirius having passed out on the table. Hopefully, Marlene would hurry up and win before-
"AND THE WINNER IS LILY EVANS!"
"Whu…." Lily looked around to find an unconscious shape laying on the table. She sluggishly shook the shape's shoulder. "Merlin, wake up."
"... not Marley…." A voice said.
Lily turned the other way to the other unconscious shape as the louder voice announced her as Gryffindor's Princess. "Marlow, wake up."
"Come on," a voice said, "let's… go… up…."
"N…no…." Lily fought the figure's grip. She didn't want to be taken up to her bed, not like this. Before she knew it, her head was tilted up, and she felt something pour down her throat. She swallowed, nearly choking on the drink, as everything grew clearer.
Lily found herself staring directly into James Potter's hazel eyes. "P-Pott- James?!"
"Had to sober you up a bit," Potter- James said. "You were completely out of it."
"Yull ava achin 'n th'murn…." Black had just woken up before vomiting into the same cauldron Pett- Peter had used before. He drank a potion to sober him up, and he took a deep breath. "There we go. What happened?"
"I won," Pott- James answered.
"Fuck!" Black exclaimed. "How?!"
"Persistence," Pott- James said, grinning. "Where's Peter?"
"Fresh air," someone said.
"Right…. Congratulations, Lily! Looks like we're the royal couple this year!"
Lily let out a sigh. "Yeah, seems so…."
"Don't look so depressed. You'll break my heart!" Pott- James feigned being hurt.
Lily scoffed. "You'll manage, James."
Just then, Lily and Pott- James were hoisted up by their housemates, everyone chanting their names in a cacophony of nonsensical noise. Lily turned to look at Po- James, only to find the boy laughing and cheering along with the crowd, mixing between his own name and Lily's.
Lily's mouth twitched as she held back a smile.
Author's Notes
Lucinda Talkalot (Slytherin)
-Date of Birth: 1 September 1959 - 31 August 1960
-Hogwarts Years: 1971 - 1978, Quidditch Captain (1976 -1978)
Wilkes (Slytherin)
-Date of Birth: 1 September 1959 - 31 August 1960
-Hogwarts Years: 1971 - 1978
