Disclaimer-The universe and characters don't belong to me, but sometimes if I'm good, they can come out and play. Thanks for sharing, JK! Since the prose is mine, please ask before printing or posting elsewhere.
Author's Note: I know this looks like an AU right now, but my intention is to have the relationship between Severus Snape and the Maurauders end up like that in the books. Please read and review!
Thanks to Rainbow Dreamer and Llyana for the nice reviews! I'm really glad to know someone is enjoying my story. And I liked the idea of putting Lily in Hufflepuff, too. Hufflepuff gets overlooked a lot (so does Ravenclaw. :-( ) and it seemed appropriate because Lily's sacrifice for Harry sort of reminds me of Cedric's death. :-)
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Tearing down the complicated prank he had helped James and Sirius set up took most of the night. Severus regarded it as something of a minor miracle Filch hadn't found him out, but detention was minor compared to James' reaction when he found out what Severus had done. Reflecting the experience might, at least, come in handy if he ever had to write an essay about how the living dead might feel, Severus lurched into the Great Hall just before the end of the breakfast serve. He dug into eggs and sausages listlessly, careful not to look at anyone else in the room.
"Don't look now," murmured Lucius, his voice cool, cultured, and even in spite of the inhumanity of the hour, but tinged with disdain. "The commoners are trying to get your attention."
Confused, Severus jerked his head in Lucius' direction, and caught a flicker of movement from the Gryffindor table in the corner of his eye. James was unmistakeably waving--at him. Sirius was even throwing himself into the act, making outrageous faces. Severus could feel his heart stop beating--as if it were afraid to break the spell with any sudden motion. Both Lucius' eyebrows had risen to extraordinary heights. His veiled eyes seemed to be ski-ing along the sharp slope of his nose. Severus hardly noticed, but the shock of the expression still seemed to restart his heart, for which he supposed he ought grateful. "You don't associate with them--do you?"
Severus' stomach knotted with something akin to angry disgust, but one thing his mother had taught him was how to bury a gut reaction so deeply and so quickly he was almost unware he had ever had it. He looked at Lucius with his lips compressed ever-so-slightly into a near-smile and raised one shoulder a minute fraction. "It's not much good to be a king among wizards if you can't hold court," he said, kissing irony.
Lucius stared at him a moment and threw back his head and laughed. "I knew I liked you."
Severus inclined his head in a gesture regal as a bow and swept off to the Gryffindor table before he could change his mind.
"Looking a little beaten, Sev, old boy," Sirius greeted cheerfully, "Too excited to sleep?"
Severus blinked as he tried to sort out why Sirius would give him credit for being excited about a prank it had to be obvious he had ruined. New to the school as they all were, they knew enough to realize that if the prank had worked the whole school would have been abuzz with rumors by now--
"We're disappointed, too," James sighed, "but there's no need to take it so hard, Sev--we can try again some other time."
"Yeah," snarled Sirius, looking unnervingly similar to an angry dog, "Wish I knew how Filch found out about it."
The rest of Severus' body had become incredibly heavy, at least according to his legs, and he was blinking so rapidly his eyelids were fluttering like batwings. A warm rush of terrible hope was crashing through his veins. In an amazing burst of luck, he had managed to run interference on the prank without interference in his friendships.
"I still think," Peter Pettigrew muttered darkly, "one of us had to tell him." His dark eyes glistened beadily.
Severus fought the sudden urge to swallow.
"Don't be ridiculous," James said sharply. "The three of us haven't been out of one another's sight--and Sev wouldn't sell us out."
"Are you sure?" Pettigrew kept staring at Severus.
"I've known him my whole life," James said firmly.
Acutely aware of Lucius at the table behind him, envisioning the disproving stares of the other Slytherins, Severus pushed the sudden urge to clap James on the back aside, fending off guilt with a furious internal reminder the Slytherins were the ones he had to live with. Part of him wanted desperately to confess, but the words stuck in his throat. Even as he tried to sort out what possible harm could come from just letting things lie, James was seizing the moment. "We didn't call Severus away from breakfast to debate this--we wanted to introduce him to Remus."
For the first time, Severus noticed the slight boy sitting on the other side of Sirius. He had a sensitive, eloquently-drawn face so pale it looked as though it had been washed in moonlight, and huge, expressive silver eyes drawn oddly tight around the edges...as if weighted with pain or some heavy knowledge. The boy was appealing, but something about him made Severus want to frown. "Severus Snape, Remus Lupin. Remus, this is the boy we've been telling you about," James said.
Normally Severus would have felt a shimmer of gratified pride at such an introduction, but his attention already occupied by the name--he remembered with a jolt thinking how odd 'Lupin, Remus'' absence at the Sorting had been.
Sirius poked Severus impatiently in the side. "Say something."
"Oh--nice to meet you," Severus mumbled in a rush. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to get a move on if I want to manage breakfast before first class." He turned and fled with his much-occuppied brain, trying not to notice the startled looks on the other boys' faces.
Severus was actually relieved to find himself in his first class--History of Magic--where he could drop off with very little to disturb him.
By the time Slytherin had Double Herbology with Gryffindor, Severus was secretly looking forward to seeing James and his trio. He wasn't disappointed--they had a great time following Professor Sprout around Greenhouse One as she introduced them to an assortment of interesting plants. Trying to catch one another off-guard when Professor Sprout wasn't looking was even more interesting than the plants. As they headed across the lawn for lunch, Severus was surprised to find he was feeling more light-hearted than he had in a very long time.
Author's Note: I know this looks like an AU right now, but my intention is to have the relationship between Severus Snape and the Maurauders end up like that in the books. Please read and review!
Thanks to Rainbow Dreamer and Llyana for the nice reviews! I'm really glad to know someone is enjoying my story. And I liked the idea of putting Lily in Hufflepuff, too. Hufflepuff gets overlooked a lot (so does Ravenclaw. :-( ) and it seemed appropriate because Lily's sacrifice for Harry sort of reminds me of Cedric's death. :-)
*******************
Tearing down the complicated prank he had helped James and Sirius set up took most of the night. Severus regarded it as something of a minor miracle Filch hadn't found him out, but detention was minor compared to James' reaction when he found out what Severus had done. Reflecting the experience might, at least, come in handy if he ever had to write an essay about how the living dead might feel, Severus lurched into the Great Hall just before the end of the breakfast serve. He dug into eggs and sausages listlessly, careful not to look at anyone else in the room.
"Don't look now," murmured Lucius, his voice cool, cultured, and even in spite of the inhumanity of the hour, but tinged with disdain. "The commoners are trying to get your attention."
Confused, Severus jerked his head in Lucius' direction, and caught a flicker of movement from the Gryffindor table in the corner of his eye. James was unmistakeably waving--at him. Sirius was even throwing himself into the act, making outrageous faces. Severus could feel his heart stop beating--as if it were afraid to break the spell with any sudden motion. Both Lucius' eyebrows had risen to extraordinary heights. His veiled eyes seemed to be ski-ing along the sharp slope of his nose. Severus hardly noticed, but the shock of the expression still seemed to restart his heart, for which he supposed he ought grateful. "You don't associate with them--do you?"
Severus' stomach knotted with something akin to angry disgust, but one thing his mother had taught him was how to bury a gut reaction so deeply and so quickly he was almost unware he had ever had it. He looked at Lucius with his lips compressed ever-so-slightly into a near-smile and raised one shoulder a minute fraction. "It's not much good to be a king among wizards if you can't hold court," he said, kissing irony.
Lucius stared at him a moment and threw back his head and laughed. "I knew I liked you."
Severus inclined his head in a gesture regal as a bow and swept off to the Gryffindor table before he could change his mind.
"Looking a little beaten, Sev, old boy," Sirius greeted cheerfully, "Too excited to sleep?"
Severus blinked as he tried to sort out why Sirius would give him credit for being excited about a prank it had to be obvious he had ruined. New to the school as they all were, they knew enough to realize that if the prank had worked the whole school would have been abuzz with rumors by now--
"We're disappointed, too," James sighed, "but there's no need to take it so hard, Sev--we can try again some other time."
"Yeah," snarled Sirius, looking unnervingly similar to an angry dog, "Wish I knew how Filch found out about it."
The rest of Severus' body had become incredibly heavy, at least according to his legs, and he was blinking so rapidly his eyelids were fluttering like batwings. A warm rush of terrible hope was crashing through his veins. In an amazing burst of luck, he had managed to run interference on the prank without interference in his friendships.
"I still think," Peter Pettigrew muttered darkly, "one of us had to tell him." His dark eyes glistened beadily.
Severus fought the sudden urge to swallow.
"Don't be ridiculous," James said sharply. "The three of us haven't been out of one another's sight--and Sev wouldn't sell us out."
"Are you sure?" Pettigrew kept staring at Severus.
"I've known him my whole life," James said firmly.
Acutely aware of Lucius at the table behind him, envisioning the disproving stares of the other Slytherins, Severus pushed the sudden urge to clap James on the back aside, fending off guilt with a furious internal reminder the Slytherins were the ones he had to live with. Part of him wanted desperately to confess, but the words stuck in his throat. Even as he tried to sort out what possible harm could come from just letting things lie, James was seizing the moment. "We didn't call Severus away from breakfast to debate this--we wanted to introduce him to Remus."
For the first time, Severus noticed the slight boy sitting on the other side of Sirius. He had a sensitive, eloquently-drawn face so pale it looked as though it had been washed in moonlight, and huge, expressive silver eyes drawn oddly tight around the edges...as if weighted with pain or some heavy knowledge. The boy was appealing, but something about him made Severus want to frown. "Severus Snape, Remus Lupin. Remus, this is the boy we've been telling you about," James said.
Normally Severus would have felt a shimmer of gratified pride at such an introduction, but his attention already occupied by the name--he remembered with a jolt thinking how odd 'Lupin, Remus'' absence at the Sorting had been.
Sirius poked Severus impatiently in the side. "Say something."
"Oh--nice to meet you," Severus mumbled in a rush. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have to get a move on if I want to manage breakfast before first class." He turned and fled with his much-occuppied brain, trying not to notice the startled looks on the other boys' faces.
Severus was actually relieved to find himself in his first class--History of Magic--where he could drop off with very little to disturb him.
By the time Slytherin had Double Herbology with Gryffindor, Severus was secretly looking forward to seeing James and his trio. He wasn't disappointed--they had a great time following Professor Sprout around Greenhouse One as she introduced them to an assortment of interesting plants. Trying to catch one another off-guard when Professor Sprout wasn't looking was even more interesting than the plants. As they headed across the lawn for lunch, Severus was surprised to find he was feeling more light-hearted than he had in a very long time.