//_// = Telepathy
~_~ = Parseltongue
*_* = Thoughts
::_:: = Sorting Hat
~~....~~
The doors to the great hall swung open as Professor Magonagall entered with the first years and a fifth year. Many of them were nervous, while others seemed bored. One student seemed to stand out from the others. He was skinny, pale, had a crooked nose, and greasy hair, but that wasn't why he stood out from the others. This student had a large book in his arms, which he was currently reading.
He silently followed the rest of the first years, aware of the numerous pairs of eyes that were on him. When they stopped, he finally looked up from his book and caught the headmaster's gaze. He gave a slight bow and the headmaster nodded. He then resumed his reading. While he was reading, he was still aware of everything that went on around him and who was sorted where.
When his name was finally called, he closed his book and took a seat on the chair. The sorting hat was placed on his head moments later. He stared straight at the Griffindor table emerald eyes met obsidian eyes. He stared at owner of those eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to the hat. ::Severus Snape. Hmm. You're a very smart student. Perhaps Ravenclaw? Ooo, you are very loyal to those you love. That might place you into Hufflepuff. No, you would be perfect for Griffindor. Yes, I think Griffindor would be the perfect choice:: Severus closed his eyes. //Place me into Slytherin. //::Are you sure? Griffindor would be perfect. No, I think Griffindor is the right house for you. :: //I don't care what you think. Place me into Slytherin. Unless, you want a student's death on your conscience and I don't think you do. My father wants me in Slytherin and I will be placed there. NOW! //:: All right:: "SLYTHERIN" Severus opened his eyes and breath a sigh of relief. He looked at those emerald eyes one last time before going over to the Slytherin table.
Severus quietly took his seat at the end of the table, coincidentally right next to Malfoy. He opened his book to the page he was previously on, and continued reading, ignoring the voices around him. Suddenly, he heard a voice that did not come from the hall. He looked up from his book and saw a forest in front of him. A unicorn stood in the middle and looked straight in his eyes. //Come to us, young master. You belong in the forest. Come to the-// "Forbidden Forest is not for students hence it is forbidden. As you may have noticed, we have a new fifth year. His name is Severus Snape and I want you all to give him a warm welcome." Severus suddenly returned to the room and turned to the headmaster, having heard his name as well as, being curious about the forest. The headmaster laid down the other rules and started the feast. Food suddenly appeared on the table, but Severus continued to look at the headmaster. Finally, he shrunk his book, placed it in his robes and started to eat.
After the feast the first years, as usual, were led to the Slytherin common room. The room was spacious and richly decorated with different shades of green and silver. The room had a fireplace with a rich mahogany table in front of it. Around the table were a love seat and two comfy chairs.
Above the fireplace was a large painting. It held a large dragon with green scales and bright red eyes. At the end of the tail was a large claw- like blade. It opened and snapped closed menacingly while swishing through the air dangerously. Its body was covered with silver spikes as well as its head. It's neck held several spikes around it that made it look like a collar. The dragon seemed to fix its gaze on Severus and bowed his head to him. Severus nodded and the dragon sat still watching the students in the room.
Severus turned to Lucius who was trying to catch Severus' attention. He led him to the dorm. The dorm, like the common room, was furnished in green and silver materials. The beds were arranged in a semicircle around a rather large Persian carpet. Snakes and serpent dragons were wrapped around the bedposts. The bedding was a deep forest green and metallic silver made in the finest silk.
The carpet portrayed a large serpent that with its tongue flicking out. Its scales were black in colour and in the background you could faintly see a figure hidden beneath a black cloak with their hood drawn around the face. Before he could further examine it, Lucius spoke to him in a low icy voice, while his other schoolmates surrounded him.
"You follow me and no one else. I am the leader of the fifth years. Do. Not. Cross. Me. You will wake up when I wake you up and you will sleep when I tell you to sleep. I must approve all your decisions first. Disobey me and suffer the consequences. Am I understood?" Severus gazed right into Lucius' eyes, before turning swiftly and walking over to his trunk.
"Fine. Crucio!" Severus fell to the ground writhing and screaming in pain. Everyone in the room smiled at the obvious pain the new boy felt. Lucius lifted the curse and crouched to where Severus was curled up on the floor.
"Any questions?" Severus shook his head and Lucius smiled before heading to his own trunk. Following his example, the others moved to their trunks as well. Severus slowly got up and walked over to the bed, pretending to be under the after effects from the curse. The fact was that the whole scene was an act although no one knew this.
Lucius smirked when he saw Severus shaking as he grabbed his pyjamas and went to change into them. Everyone got ready for bed, spent a few hours telling each other of the different types of curses they had learnt over the summer and finally went to bed.
~~....~~
Severus lay awake in his bed thinking about the forest. He was not used to sleeping in a comfy bed and missed the coarse earth of the forest. Severus was not like any other kid. He grew up in a village that was surrounded by think dense forestation. He used to play and sleep in the forest, surrounded by his many forest friends.
When his mother was murdered, Severus was forced to live with his father. His father lived in a house, but thankfully near a forest. It wasn't like the one he grew up near, but it was a forest none the less. At night he would sneak to the forest to sleep and in the morning before his father awoke, he crawled back into bed. He never had to sleep for very long, for his father woke him up to begin his training.
With a sigh, Severus got out of bed and wrapped himself in his mother's shadow cloak. It allowed him to blend into the shadows. Only those with a trained eye would be able to spot him. He took his wand and spoke a spell that created the illusion of him being still asleep in bed, it would only last until day break but Severus knew he'd be back by then.
Severus crept out of the common room and headed outside. He walked by a small house and went to the first tree. He removed his hood and embraced the tree, instantly feeling like as if he was home. He was so lost in this feeling that he never heard a person come up behind him.
"Yer students are suppose t'be in yer dorms asleep. What is a young master such as yerself doing out 'ere in 'is ungodly hour of t'night?" A deep voice spoke behind Severus. Severus froze and turned around. The sight shocked him at first and then he visibly relaxed when he saw it was the half giant.
"Sorry, I suppose you could say I got a little home sick. I'm not used to sleeping around people, much or less sleep in a bed. I hope I didn't wake you." Hagrid softened when Severus said he was home sick and invited him to his house for some tea. Severus gratefully accepted the offer and followed the half giant into the house.
"You're a half giant aren't you?" Hagrid was taken back by the whispered question, but answered truthfully with pride, tinged with a little fear. Severus smiled at the half giant.
"I'm glad to hear that you are not ashamed of what you are. Some people believe they are monsters and are afraid to admit it, afraid that it'll be true if they admit it. Those that do, are met with nothing but hostility and contempt." Hagrid nodded his agreement in sadness, but listened tentatively when Severus told him of his past.
"I'm from a secret village that's in the heart of a particular forest. I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not. Because it was in the middle of the forest, I grew up around the trees. I slept on the ground, surrounded by the creatures of the forest. I've gained most of my knowledge from the village. Like you I am only half-human as well. I'm half vampire. I gained the strength, speed, and magical abilities of the vampire, but none of its weaknesses.
"My mother was hunted and killed by the ministry for a murder she never committed. Another vampire had bitten a little girl and my mother helped her. The ministry arrived and they saw her with her teeth in the little girl's neck. You see my mother had to check how far the girl was turned and they misinterpreted the act. I had a constant telepathic link with her and I felt her death that night. I also felt her pain as she was slain.
"I was then forced to stay with my father. He's been training me to be the top student in Hogwarts. My father wanted me to be placed in Slytherin. I don't know why, but I was. I miss how it used to be." Severus revealed to Hagrid, but he left out the part about his twin sister.
No one knew that Severus had a twin sister. The only ones that did know, were the villagers and his mother. Even his father didn't know about his sister. Like his mother, Severus shared a telepathic link with his sister. Everyday he constantly reassured her that he was indeed still alive. He often wrote to her as well. Instead of using an owl, he used his most trusted friend, Raven.
Hagrid revealed his past as well and soon it was almost 3 in the morning. Severus had classes in a few hours so, Hagrid sent him back to the dorms for the remaining hours.
~~....~~
Severus woke up as the Crutciatus Curse hit him. This time he felt the spell, as he hadn't enough time to deflect it. The spell didn't hurt him as much, but he still pretended to scream in pain. He took a look around his surroundings and realised Lucius and him were the only two in the room. He dropped the act and let the spell flow through him, drawing the power from the spell as well. He got up and looked Lucius in the eye. Lucius stumbled back in confusion as he realised he had not lifted the spell.
"How?" Lucius questioned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Severus seemed unfazed by this and ignored him. He started to get ready when he was suddenly slammed against the wall, Lucius' wand pointed at his throat. Severus calmly looked down and pushed Lucius away with amazing strength. Lucius looked dumbfounded as Severus continued to get ready. He finally snapped out of it and sent a curse at Severus. Severus held up his hand and easily deflected the attack, promptly leaving for class.
Lucius watched him leave through narrow eyes. He thought of ways in which Severus would suffer for his disobedience. *You'll pay for this Severus Snape*
Severus created a cold exterior for himself. Either snapping sarcastic comments at others or ignoring them completely. By the end of the day, no one tried to initiate a conversation with him let alone try to be his friend. At meals, he sat away from the others and ate quietly while reading his book. The teachers were used to his behaviour by the end of the day, but the headmaster watched him intently.
Severus felt the headmaster's eyes on him during the meal and met his gaze, but after awhile he continued to eat his meal. When he was finished he stood turned to the headmaster and caught his gaze one last time before leaving the hall.
Soon it was bedtime again and Severus found himself drawn to the forest. This time he ventured into it, looking for the unicorn that he had seen prior to this day. He ventured deep into the forest until he finally found what he had been looking for. A gorgeous unmarred white unicorn trotted up to him and bowed her head.
//Young master Severus. My name is Moonlight and it is a pleasure to finally meet you. The creatures of this forest have sensed your arrival. Many wish to meet you, especially two in particular. // As the unicorn spoke this telepathically, two creatures appeared from the shadows. One was a Centaur and the other was a hydra. The hydra had black scales and two heads. The crown on their heads were silver, eyes blood red. It looked a little bit like the dragon in the picture. Both the creatures bowed and spoke to him.
"My name is Firenze and I have heard about you from the centaurs that lived in the forest in which you grew up in. They have told me about the lessons you took from them about reading the stars. If you wish I could continue to teach it to you." Severus nodded and turned to the two-headed hydra. It spoke in unison and in parseltongue, but Severus understood it perfectly.
~ Our name isss Octave. We are the leadersss of our pack. You have our allegiance young dragon massster. We will protect you during the nightsss asss you sssleep on foressst ground. No creature would dare attack you, but there are thossse whom are consssumed with bloodlusssst. We alssso wish to help you feel more at home. I underssstand that you usssed to sssleep with the dragonsss at timesss. Perhapsss, I could be a poor sssubstitute for now ~ Severus smiled and hugged the creature.
~ Nonsense. You will be as great as the dragons themselves. I wish to know all three of you, but I'm afraid I am quite tired at the moment ~ Severus stated yawning. The three creatures nodded and Severus curled around the hydra. Severus was soon sandwiched between Moonlight and Octave, as Firenze moved in front of Severus and soon the four were fast asleep.
~~....~~
Morning came and yet Severus slept on. Soon it was night and still Severus slept on. The teachers had begun to search for him, now that they found out that no one had seen him since the day before. Teachers were sent all over the school and grounds, while Dumbledore took Hagrid to check the forbidden forest.
Firenze met the headmaster during his search and told him to be silent as he led him to the young master. Dumbledore relaxed slightly when he saw Severus, but grew alarmed at the hydra that slept beside him. Firenze pulled the headmaster aside and explained why Severus was asleep in the forest.
Dumbledore nodded in understanding and looked in the direction of the sleeping boy, but caught the gaze of the hydra instead. The hydra studied the headmaster before returning back to sleep. The unicorn chose this moment to appear and eyed the headmaster warily before returning to Severus' side.
Dumbledore watched in surprise at the sleeping figures. Firenze assured Dumbledore that he would send Severus straight to his office once he had awoken. Dumbledore nodded and went to find Hagrid. When he found Hagrid, he only told him that he knew where Severus was and that he was safe. He told the other teachers the same thing as well and silenced them when they started to question his answer.
Soon the teachers accepted it and left with Dumbledore to alert the student population. The students began to speculate on the whereabouts of Severus Snape and what had become of him. As soon as the feast was over, speculations and rumours were flying all over the place. Some ridiculous and others very close to the truth.
It was sometime during the night that Severus awoke and Firenze told him of his promise to Dumbledore. Severus nodded and traipsed dreadfully to the headmaster's office. He was sure the headmaster was asleep, but knocked softly on the door anyway. The door opened and revealed a very tired looking headmaster.
"I'm sorry headmaster I did not mean to wake you, but I was sent here by Firenze. I was told you wanted to speak to me." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and reassured the boy that he hadn't woken him up. He gestured for Severus to sit down and when he did, Dumbledore began to question him.
"Mr Snape, I would like to know why you chose the forest as a sleeping area. Your centaur friend has explained it to me but I would like to hear it from you."
"Headmaster, I must ask that the information I reveal tonight may not be repeated to anyone else. I feel that I can trust you and I hope my instincts are correct in this matter." The headmaster was taken back by this question, but gave Severus his promise.
"I am The Dragon Master and I'm sure you know what a dragon master is." The headmaster gasped and regarded the boy in front of him.
"I understand, but I simply can not allow you to go unpunished. There are rules in the school and it must be followed. You will have detention with Hagrid. There are a few things he has to do in the forest and he could most likely use your help. 50 points will be taken from Slytherin as well. The school will be alerted that you went into the forest and got lost. Is there anything else I may have over looked?" Severus shook his head and when he was excused, he made his way back to his dorms.
The headmaster sighed and inserted his thoughts into the pensive, charming it so no one would be able to access this particular incident.
~~....~~
Once again Severus found himself waking up to Crutciatus Curse and once again he screamed as he took in his surroundings. This time, Lucius and Severus were not the only ones in the room. The rest of his dorm mates were there as well and they were enjoying the sight of Severus going through pain. Finally the spell was lifted and Severus drew in a shaky breath.
"You lost 50 points from Slytherin you imbecile. Unless you want to wake up to the Crutciatus Curse every morning, I suggest you not lose us anymore points. Understood?" Severus nodded and everyone left for breakfast.
Severus entered the great hall as though nothing had happened. In his hand he held his book and he started reading as soon as he had his food in front of him. During his meal, a black owl swooped down and landed on his arm. The owl bowed to him and handed him a letter. After Severus took the letter and nodded at the owl, the owl was off.
Everyone in the hall was staring at him from his little exchange with the owl. The only one, who seemed unfazed by this, was Dumbledore. Opening the letter, Severus smiled as he saw it was from his sister. He pocketed the letter, gathered his book and went to the dorms to read it. As soon as he sat down on the bed, he opened the letter once more and began to read its contents.
Skyfire,
How is Hogwarts? I have heard it's the best school in England. Lita and Sid are doing fine, although it's not me they want. Centauru has missed teaching you about the stars and I am no replacement for your absence. Raven often visits, as she is sick of the owl disguise you have placed on her. If you wish, you may use midnight and I will look after Raven. Terra misses the night rides the two of you used to have. On a happier note, I have decided to become a medi-witch like mother. Terra and Darkstorm have fallen for each other, as we knew they would. Terra is expecting her first foal in a few months. I wish you could be here to witness the birth. Sid and Lita are on their 2nd batch of eggs. Ruby's gone off to mate with another pack and so has Cerulean. I think that's all the news for now. Can't wait for your reply.
Steel Feathers
Severus smiled when he heard all his friends were doing well. Lita and Sid were Norwegian Ridgebacks which whom Severus used to sleep with. Centauru was his Centaur instructor. Terra and Darkstorm were black unicorns and Midnight was the black owl that had delivered the letter. Skyfire and Steel Feathers were nicknames Severus and Salena were given as children.
Severus folded up the letter neatly and stored it in his trunk. While he was placing it in his trunk, he noticed he forgot his mother's cloak in the forest. Deciding that he would get it tonight, he closed his trunk and went off to class. Lucius chose that moment to step out from beneath his invisibility cloak. He quietly went over to Severus' trunk and tried to open it. There were charms on it so no one may open it except for Severus. After trying to disarm it, but failing, Lucius decided to give it up and went off to his class as well.
Divinations were interesting, for the teacher was completely wrong about how to read the stars. He should know, after all a centaur himself trained him. All the other classes were uneventful and plain boring as Severus already knew most of this knowledge.
Potions proved to be the most interesting class of all. First of all, potions had always held Severus' attention. Second of all, the class was joined with Griffindor and that promised that the class would be quite interesting, as the houses were rivals. Last, but not least, he was partnered up with a emerald-eyed girl by the name of Lily Evans. She was the same girl that had caught his gaze at the sorting ceremony.
She blushed as she sat in the seat beside him. She developed a slight crush on him the moment she saw him and being paired up with him, was the cause of her blush. They soon started their first potion and Lily couldn't help, but become mesmerised by the way those elegant pale hands moved to cut the ingredients. She shook herself out of her thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand.
Severus felt the gaze of the girl beside him and found it a bit hard to concentrate on his work. He had to keep reminded himself not to pulverise the ingredient. He could smell the sweet fragrance of jasmine that came from the pretty girl by his side. It was intoxicating!
After what seemed like forever, the potion was finally complete and the pair noticed that they were the first two to finish their potion. The teacher praised the pair and they sat down, counting the seconds till the class was over. The bell finally rang after what seemed like hours and Severus was the first one out the door.
His thoughts kept focusing on why the girl was effecting him like that. Somehow he ended up in his dorm and started doing his homework. He was done just in time for dinner. Once again he brought his book and was reading it. He felt someone watching him and turned just in time to catch a certain pair of emerald eyes looking at him before they turned away, cheeks red of the girl to whom those eyes belonged.
He brushed it away and continued to eat. When he was done he retired to his bed, but he was far from sleeping. He couldn't stop thinking about Lily! Every time he closed his eyes, he would see her. He had given up all hope of sleeping when he remembered he still had to retrieve his mother's cloak from the forest.
He quietly got up and saw that everyone was already in bed. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the others come in to go to sleep. * Damn! I'm falling for the Evans girl. Never mind this. I must go to the forest. The walk will do me some good.* Severus reassured himself and headed towards the forest.
As he crossed the field to go to the forest, the headmaster was watching Severus through an orb in his office. He watched as Severus sought out his friends and he saw Moonlight with a cloak around her horn. Severus took the cloak and wrapped it around himself before explaining to the others that he wasn't allowed to sleep here anymore. The others argued with him that they would wake him up when it was time for him to go back to the dorms. After a while, Severus finally gave in to them and curled up with them to sleep. The headmaster stopped watching and sighed, heading to bed himself.
~~....~~
Severus woke up to a raven's call. He smiled when he recognised the raven and nodded at it. He then got up and went to his dorm. Unknown to Severus, Lucius was awake at the time and watched him sneak back into bed. Lucius went back to sleep and decided to wait till night to follow Severus, determined to find out where he was going.
The day passed similar to the day before and soon it was nightfall again. Instead of going back to his dorm after dinner, he decided to take a walk before curfew. He walked to the lake and took a seat there. After a few minutes, a mermaid surfaced. She eyed him warily, but swam closer. Severus smiled and introduced himself. The mermaid smiled as well and did the same.
"I am Ariana. The forest has spoke of you and those words have made their way to the waters of Hogwarts. What brings you here young master?" the mermaid questioned silently.
"I have yet to speak to the creatures of the water. I only meant to make myself known. I also find myself in need of someone to talk to. I have many friends in the forest, but it is nice to speak to others as well. Do you not agree?" Ariana shook her head and soon the two were engaged in a deep conversation. Suddenly, the mermaid vanished below the water and Severus turned to the voice that spoke from behind him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare your friend away. I just wanted to see if you wanted company, but I see you already have some. I'm just going to leave now." Lily started to walk away when Severus' voice cried out to her.
"Wait. It's all right. Thanks for the offer of company. Shouldn't you be inside? It's getting pretty close to curfew."
"I could ask the same about you." Lily retorted and Severus sighed.
"Yes, I suppose you could and even if you did, I would not be able to answer." Confusion flashed across Lily's eyes at Severus' statement. She waited for an explanation, but was soon interrupted by Hagrid's deep voice calling out.
"Wat're yer kids doin' out 'ere? It's gettin' close ter curfew. Now go on, before yer caught by 'nother teacher." Hagrid ushered them into the castle and returned to his house. Lily went in the direction of the Griffindor room. Severus headed back to the dorms and waited for everyone to fall asleep, before heading to the forest.
Lucius followed Severus silently. He nearly screamed when he saw the hydra, but remembered that he was invisible. He prayed that the creature would not be able to catch his scent. Unfortunately, the hydra stared in his direction and started hissing. Lucius watched as Severus turned around to look in his direction before whispering something to the hydra. The hydra stepped back from Severus while one head looked to the left and the other looked to the right. A centaur and unicorn appeared. They gazed in his direction as well before turning to Severus. He heard Severus sigh before turning around.
"Lucius you may reveal yourself now. We all can smell your scent, even those whom you have not yet seen." At this statement, Lucius started looking around him. Different pairs of eyes greeted him from the shadows. When he turned to look in the direction of where Severus was, he came face to face with Severus. Startled, he took a step back and tripped on a branch of a tree that was not there. His invisibility cloak fell from around him and he looked up at Severus with fear.
"Lucius it's all right. The creatures will not harm you, but I'm afraid you cannot stay, nor can you remember this event ever occurred. It's all just a dream. " Severus voice faded away and soon darkness enveloped him.
~~....~~
Severus watched Lucius carefully as he woke up. There was no evidence of Lucius remembering what occurred last night. The day went by quite quickly and Severus decided to go by the lake again to see the mermaid, but Lily had beaten him to it.
Severus had a clear view of her and it was obvious that she hadn't noticed him yet. Her auburn hair blew back as the wind swept past her. Her jasmine scent made it's way to him with the breeze. Moonlight fell upon her, as it was a full moon. The moment was perfect and Severus conjured up a sketchbook. He quickly sketched her as accurately as he could. It was almost curfew by the time he was done and as he went to bed, his thoughts were of Lily.
Severus spent the following days on completing a true painting of Lily. He painted the portrait in the forest and charmed it so no one could go near it or see it. It took him almost a week to finish it, but when it was done Severus made a duplicate copy. Whispering a quick dry spell, he shrunk the paintings to the size of A4 paper, then conjured up some wrapping paper and wrapped it. Satisfied with his work, he placed it in his bottomless trunk and went to sleep.
The next day went by uneventful and Severus hoped he could catch Lily alone. As he had hoped, there she was by the lake. Severus slowly approached Lily and greeted her. Lily was startled, but stood up to greet him. Severus reached into a hidden pocket in his robes and pulled out the painting. It was shrunk to fit into his pocket and so he unshrunk it. Hesitantly, he gave it to Lily. Lily saw his nervous attitude and grew even more curious about the gift.
"I couldn't resist." was all Severus whispered as she tore the wrapping gently. Lily gasped at the painting of herself. Like the other wizard paintings, this painting moved. Her hair was whipping in the wind while the lake glittered from the moonlight. Tears sprung into her eyes and Lily sprung her arms around Severus, hugging him tightly.
"This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you." Lily released Severus and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Do you always come down to the lake?" Severus asked her politely.
"Yes. It helps me think when I have a million thoughts in my head and when my emotions are pulling me in a million directions. The smell of the lake calms me and the breeze that's almost always here, seems to take my troubles with it as it flows past. Before we moved to where I'm living now, I used to live near the ocean and I always used to go there to think. I guess this place reminded me of the ocean. I suppose you think that's dumb." Severus studied her for a moment before replying truthfully.
"Actually I don't. I can understand why you would come here. It's absolutely dazzling! I go to the forbidden forest when I need to think. Instead of the ocean I grew up surrounded by trees. I always found the forest my home and all the creatures that live in it my brothers and sisters. I'll let you in on a secret. I still go to the forest sometimes to sleep." Lily gasped. "The creatures might hurt you!"
"They won't and they never will." Lily stared at him sceptically and raised an eyebrow.
"What makes you so sure?" Severus smirked and replied, "I'm afraid I'd have to kill you if I told you, but as a sign of good faith I will tell you. Two words: Dragon Master. Look it up if you don't know what it means." Severus started walking away. Lily stared after him confused by his words. She decided that she would heed his advice and look it up the following day.
~~....~~
Lily spent a few hours in the library looking for a book that would tell her what a dragon master is. So far she had been unsuccessful. She was about to leave when something caught her eye. A large black leather bound book sat on one of the tables. It looked extremely worn out and old. Actually, it looked a lot like Severus' book. Lily looked around the library and saw that no one was there except for her. She quickly took the book and ran to her dorms.
When she sat on the bed, she opened the front cover. The first page was an introduction to the book.
One bloodline to protect them, one bloodline to rule over all, they are the Dragon Masters. Dragon Masters protects dragons and ensures that no harm befalls them. They are the most respected and most powerful creatures on this Earth. Like all creatures they too have an enemy. Dragon Slayers hunt the dragon master; it is the only way they can die. Dragon Masters and Slayers are immortal and can only be killed by one another. Like any rules exceptions can be made. When a Dragon Master mates, they mate for life. To complete the bond, they must surrender their immortality, thus being vulnerable to any attack. They still wield their powers, but can be killed by a deadly attack. By law, Dragon Masters are forbidden to interfere with human affairs. They may co-exist with their own species, but can not reveal themselves to the public. They may not help them in their troubles and they may not fight in their wars. All dragon masters are expected to follow this law.
Current Dragon Master: Severus Simone Snape
Previous families: Talon, Lazarus, O'Hara, and Williams
Lily closed the book after reading Severus' name as the current dragon master. After taking a deep breath, she opened the book and turned to the next page. It was written in a strange language. Realising that she was probably not meant to read it, she closed it and laid it on her bed. She quietly brought it with her to the lake, where she hoped Severus would be. True to her mind, there he was talking to the mermaid. Sensing her arrival, the mermaid disappeared and Severus turned around. He raised his eyebrow when he saw her carrying his book.
"If you weren't allowed to tell anyone, why tell me?" Severus stood straight and looked right into her eyes.
"It might have something to do with me wanting a friend." Lily blinked astonished by the confession.
"Okay. Okay I'll be your friend, but you tell me about yourself first." That earned her another raised eyebrow.
"I thought I did."
"All you told me was what you are. I don't know about your family, if you have other friends, what you like, what you dislike etc." Lily handed the book back to Severus and sat down near the edge of the water. Once she had made herself comfortable, she looked up at him expectantly. Following her example, Severus took a seat beside her and looked at Lily.
"I don't know much about you either and I'm in more of a position to get into trouble than you. A lot could happen if I'm discovered, but I will tell you about myself.
"First of all, I am half vampire, but I don't go around sucking peoples blood nor do I need to. I received it from my mother's side of the family. My mother was a noble woman and a great warrior. I learnt most of my hand to hand combat from her. She also taught me my morals. She had naturally white hair that looked like the moonlight. I guess that's why I like the moon a lot. The ministry killed her a year ago. She was caught with her teeth in a little girl's neck. She was just trying to help her. I felt her death." Severus whispered the last part and Lily hugged him.
For once, Severus allowed himself to grieve over his mother's death. Hot tears ran down his pale face as all his emotions that he had suppressed resurfaced. *What am I doing? Why does this girl effect me like this? Why am I revealing all this to her? Why did I tell her that I am the dragon master? So many questions and all with one answer: I trust her! * Severus' eyes widened and he withdrew from Lily. He stared at her through teary eyes as he finally figured it out. *I trust her because I'm falling for her. *
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah I just realised something."
"What?"
"I haven't done this before, open up to anyone. This is new territory for me." Severus admitted quietly. Lily just smiled and stuck out her hand.
"Well, I'll help you through it. After all, what are friends for?" Severus looked at the hand, gave a smile of his own and shook her hand.
"You milady, have a deal."
~~....~~
Over the rest of the school year, Lily and Severus grew closer. At first all the houses started teasing them about their relationship and how it must be something more than friendship, but after a while they grew bored of it. While the other houses were bored of their relationship, Griffindor and Slytherin were very disgusted with it. It was common knowledge that James Potter liked Lily Evans although they didn't know if she reciprocated his feelings. Remus excepted the friendship. In fact, he thought it was wonderful that the two of them were pushing aside the house rivalry. He wished he had the Slytherin's friendship, but knew that his friends wouldn't approve. The truth was that he felt a deep respect for Severus Snape.
Sirius, being James' best friend, decided to take in upon himself to make Snape' life a living hell. Of course, Snape feigned ignorance and never fought back. The whole school thought he was a wimp, but that changed when Sirius made a comment that truly insulted the Slytherin. Black had accused him of raping Lily and saying that shame was what forced Lily to stay with the slimy git.
Black knew he had pushed to far when he saw anger flash in those piercing obsidian eyes. Prior to this moment, no emotions had ever been betrayed in those eyes. They were carefully concealed, even to Lily. Severus raised his wand and in a deadly icy whisper, he whispered the words of a curse, unknown to all.
Black's skin suddenly felt as though it was on fire. Actually, it felt as though he was burning from the inside out. The pain was enormous and Sirius collapsed to the floor. This curse felt almost like the Crutciatus Curse. James and Remus moved to help him, but were thrown back by an invisible force. Lily boldly stepped up and touched the arm that was pointed at Black. Severus looked into Lily's eyes before releasing the spell and walking away.
Everyone stood silent and watched Severus leave with fear evident in their eyes. Remus and James helped Sirius of the floor, but Sirius felt fine. There were no after effects to the curse. He felt as though nothing had happened when the curse was lifted. He told this information to his friends and they all looked at him in confusion.
Lily was still looking in the direction that Severus had left in. She was shaken out of her thoughts when James touched her shoulder asking if she was all right. Lily frowned at the absurdity of the question; after all she was not the one who had been under the curse. Nodding anyway, she started going to her next class. Soon everyone followed her example and left as well.
The Marauders searched the entire library; restricted section and all, but came up with nothing that could indicate what curse Severus had used against Sirius. Soon they gave up and went to the hall to eat. Everyone in the hall saw that Severus was not amongst the Slytherins nor was he in any of the other classes and once again began to speculate where he could have gone. Lily was the only one that was concerned and as she looked at the Slytherin table, she caught the gaze of Lucius.
He seemed to star intently at Lily and Lily grew uncomfortable under the intense gaze. She broke it and mumbled an excuse before leaving the hall. She searched the whole castle for any signs of Severus, but found none. She then made her way to the lake, the only place she hadn't checked, where she hoped to find Severus. Her hopes were dashed when she saw no signs of anyone being there at all. She sat down near the water's edge and began thinking of where else he could have been.
Suddenly, she heard the soft sounds of a violin being played. She moved towards the source of this sound. As she grew closer, the sound became louder and clearer. It was a slow haunting tune and Lily found herself weeping to the sounds of it. It was coming from the forbidden forest. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched, and ventured into the forest, following the haunting melody. The sight of the source that was making the sound brought fresh tears to her eyes.
Severus had his eyes closed and poured his soul into the melody. His sorrow and anguish wove with the phantom melody. He was hunched over and the stain on his cheek was evidence that he had been crying. A sob escaped from Lily and the music suddenly stopped. Severus froze and after a moment, he opened his eyes.
His bloodshot eyes that usually concealed so much emotions showed the deep sorrow and anguish that had gone into his music. He gazed deep into Lily's eyes and it felt as though he was reading her soul. He suddenly broke eye contact and rose shakily to his feet, leaving the violin on the ground. Severus started to turn around, but was embraced by Lily before he could move. He held her as she cried, her tears soaking his black robes.
Unknown to them, the forest had also cried as he played his music. They kept away from him, respecting his privacy, except for a raven. It was perched high in the trees watching the pair through glistening eyes. It watched as the girl lifted her head from his chest having no more tears to shed. Severus wiped her cheek and stepped away from her. She looked at him in confusion, but he turned his head in shame.
"You should not have made friends with the likes of me. It is unwise and unsafe to do so. As you can see, I couldn't control myself today. I do not even know the extent of my abilities. You are not safe around me and neither are the others. Black will undoubtedly have alerted the headmaster of what I had done and I will most likely be expelled. There is only 2 more days of school left. I would like to be left alone tonight."
"I cherish our friendship and I will owl you. Whether you reply or not is your choice. No one understands me better than you do, not even myself. I will hope for your return next year." Lily then kissed Severus on the cheek and left.
~~....~~
Severus was silent for the next 2 days and everyone avoided him like the plague. Because of James' request, Sirius decided not to tell the headmaster or any of the teachers of the incident between Severus and himself. Everyone else had avoided the subject at all costs. Lucius watched Severus closely having heard of what had happened. He had not been able to witness it himself, but had squeezed the information out of one of the other kids.
Soon the school year was over and Severus left as everyone else did. He was shocked to hear that Sirius had not told the headmaster and he thanked him for it, as well as apologised for his actions. Sirius was shocked by the apology and the thanks but shrugged it off telling him that it was for James.
The moment Severus got home, he wrote a letter to his sister explaining everything that had happened in detail. He had not written to his sister since the beginning of the school year. For once in a long time, he was looking forward to something. Severus Snape could not wait till he was able to see those bright emerald eyes again.
TBC.
~~....~~
The doors to the great hall swung open as Professor Magonagall entered with the first years and a fifth year. Many of them were nervous, while others seemed bored. One student seemed to stand out from the others. He was skinny, pale, had a crooked nose, and greasy hair, but that wasn't why he stood out from the others. This student had a large book in his arms, which he was currently reading.
He silently followed the rest of the first years, aware of the numerous pairs of eyes that were on him. When they stopped, he finally looked up from his book and caught the headmaster's gaze. He gave a slight bow and the headmaster nodded. He then resumed his reading. While he was reading, he was still aware of everything that went on around him and who was sorted where.
When his name was finally called, he closed his book and took a seat on the chair. The sorting hat was placed on his head moments later. He stared straight at the Griffindor table emerald eyes met obsidian eyes. He stared at owner of those eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to the hat. ::Severus Snape. Hmm. You're a very smart student. Perhaps Ravenclaw? Ooo, you are very loyal to those you love. That might place you into Hufflepuff. No, you would be perfect for Griffindor. Yes, I think Griffindor would be the perfect choice:: Severus closed his eyes. //Place me into Slytherin. //::Are you sure? Griffindor would be perfect. No, I think Griffindor is the right house for you. :: //I don't care what you think. Place me into Slytherin. Unless, you want a student's death on your conscience and I don't think you do. My father wants me in Slytherin and I will be placed there. NOW! //:: All right:: "SLYTHERIN" Severus opened his eyes and breath a sigh of relief. He looked at those emerald eyes one last time before going over to the Slytherin table.
Severus quietly took his seat at the end of the table, coincidentally right next to Malfoy. He opened his book to the page he was previously on, and continued reading, ignoring the voices around him. Suddenly, he heard a voice that did not come from the hall. He looked up from his book and saw a forest in front of him. A unicorn stood in the middle and looked straight in his eyes. //Come to us, young master. You belong in the forest. Come to the-// "Forbidden Forest is not for students hence it is forbidden. As you may have noticed, we have a new fifth year. His name is Severus Snape and I want you all to give him a warm welcome." Severus suddenly returned to the room and turned to the headmaster, having heard his name as well as, being curious about the forest. The headmaster laid down the other rules and started the feast. Food suddenly appeared on the table, but Severus continued to look at the headmaster. Finally, he shrunk his book, placed it in his robes and started to eat.
After the feast the first years, as usual, were led to the Slytherin common room. The room was spacious and richly decorated with different shades of green and silver. The room had a fireplace with a rich mahogany table in front of it. Around the table were a love seat and two comfy chairs.
Above the fireplace was a large painting. It held a large dragon with green scales and bright red eyes. At the end of the tail was a large claw- like blade. It opened and snapped closed menacingly while swishing through the air dangerously. Its body was covered with silver spikes as well as its head. It's neck held several spikes around it that made it look like a collar. The dragon seemed to fix its gaze on Severus and bowed his head to him. Severus nodded and the dragon sat still watching the students in the room.
Severus turned to Lucius who was trying to catch Severus' attention. He led him to the dorm. The dorm, like the common room, was furnished in green and silver materials. The beds were arranged in a semicircle around a rather large Persian carpet. Snakes and serpent dragons were wrapped around the bedposts. The bedding was a deep forest green and metallic silver made in the finest silk.
The carpet portrayed a large serpent that with its tongue flicking out. Its scales were black in colour and in the background you could faintly see a figure hidden beneath a black cloak with their hood drawn around the face. Before he could further examine it, Lucius spoke to him in a low icy voice, while his other schoolmates surrounded him.
"You follow me and no one else. I am the leader of the fifth years. Do. Not. Cross. Me. You will wake up when I wake you up and you will sleep when I tell you to sleep. I must approve all your decisions first. Disobey me and suffer the consequences. Am I understood?" Severus gazed right into Lucius' eyes, before turning swiftly and walking over to his trunk.
"Fine. Crucio!" Severus fell to the ground writhing and screaming in pain. Everyone in the room smiled at the obvious pain the new boy felt. Lucius lifted the curse and crouched to where Severus was curled up on the floor.
"Any questions?" Severus shook his head and Lucius smiled before heading to his own trunk. Following his example, the others moved to their trunks as well. Severus slowly got up and walked over to the bed, pretending to be under the after effects from the curse. The fact was that the whole scene was an act although no one knew this.
Lucius smirked when he saw Severus shaking as he grabbed his pyjamas and went to change into them. Everyone got ready for bed, spent a few hours telling each other of the different types of curses they had learnt over the summer and finally went to bed.
~~....~~
Severus lay awake in his bed thinking about the forest. He was not used to sleeping in a comfy bed and missed the coarse earth of the forest. Severus was not like any other kid. He grew up in a village that was surrounded by think dense forestation. He used to play and sleep in the forest, surrounded by his many forest friends.
When his mother was murdered, Severus was forced to live with his father. His father lived in a house, but thankfully near a forest. It wasn't like the one he grew up near, but it was a forest none the less. At night he would sneak to the forest to sleep and in the morning before his father awoke, he crawled back into bed. He never had to sleep for very long, for his father woke him up to begin his training.
With a sigh, Severus got out of bed and wrapped himself in his mother's shadow cloak. It allowed him to blend into the shadows. Only those with a trained eye would be able to spot him. He took his wand and spoke a spell that created the illusion of him being still asleep in bed, it would only last until day break but Severus knew he'd be back by then.
Severus crept out of the common room and headed outside. He walked by a small house and went to the first tree. He removed his hood and embraced the tree, instantly feeling like as if he was home. He was so lost in this feeling that he never heard a person come up behind him.
"Yer students are suppose t'be in yer dorms asleep. What is a young master such as yerself doing out 'ere in 'is ungodly hour of t'night?" A deep voice spoke behind Severus. Severus froze and turned around. The sight shocked him at first and then he visibly relaxed when he saw it was the half giant.
"Sorry, I suppose you could say I got a little home sick. I'm not used to sleeping around people, much or less sleep in a bed. I hope I didn't wake you." Hagrid softened when Severus said he was home sick and invited him to his house for some tea. Severus gratefully accepted the offer and followed the half giant into the house.
"You're a half giant aren't you?" Hagrid was taken back by the whispered question, but answered truthfully with pride, tinged with a little fear. Severus smiled at the half giant.
"I'm glad to hear that you are not ashamed of what you are. Some people believe they are monsters and are afraid to admit it, afraid that it'll be true if they admit it. Those that do, are met with nothing but hostility and contempt." Hagrid nodded his agreement in sadness, but listened tentatively when Severus told him of his past.
"I'm from a secret village that's in the heart of a particular forest. I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not. Because it was in the middle of the forest, I grew up around the trees. I slept on the ground, surrounded by the creatures of the forest. I've gained most of my knowledge from the village. Like you I am only half-human as well. I'm half vampire. I gained the strength, speed, and magical abilities of the vampire, but none of its weaknesses.
"My mother was hunted and killed by the ministry for a murder she never committed. Another vampire had bitten a little girl and my mother helped her. The ministry arrived and they saw her with her teeth in the little girl's neck. You see my mother had to check how far the girl was turned and they misinterpreted the act. I had a constant telepathic link with her and I felt her death that night. I also felt her pain as she was slain.
"I was then forced to stay with my father. He's been training me to be the top student in Hogwarts. My father wanted me to be placed in Slytherin. I don't know why, but I was. I miss how it used to be." Severus revealed to Hagrid, but he left out the part about his twin sister.
No one knew that Severus had a twin sister. The only ones that did know, were the villagers and his mother. Even his father didn't know about his sister. Like his mother, Severus shared a telepathic link with his sister. Everyday he constantly reassured her that he was indeed still alive. He often wrote to her as well. Instead of using an owl, he used his most trusted friend, Raven.
Hagrid revealed his past as well and soon it was almost 3 in the morning. Severus had classes in a few hours so, Hagrid sent him back to the dorms for the remaining hours.
~~....~~
Severus woke up as the Crutciatus Curse hit him. This time he felt the spell, as he hadn't enough time to deflect it. The spell didn't hurt him as much, but he still pretended to scream in pain. He took a look around his surroundings and realised Lucius and him were the only two in the room. He dropped the act and let the spell flow through him, drawing the power from the spell as well. He got up and looked Lucius in the eye. Lucius stumbled back in confusion as he realised he had not lifted the spell.
"How?" Lucius questioned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Severus seemed unfazed by this and ignored him. He started to get ready when he was suddenly slammed against the wall, Lucius' wand pointed at his throat. Severus calmly looked down and pushed Lucius away with amazing strength. Lucius looked dumbfounded as Severus continued to get ready. He finally snapped out of it and sent a curse at Severus. Severus held up his hand and easily deflected the attack, promptly leaving for class.
Lucius watched him leave through narrow eyes. He thought of ways in which Severus would suffer for his disobedience. *You'll pay for this Severus Snape*
Severus created a cold exterior for himself. Either snapping sarcastic comments at others or ignoring them completely. By the end of the day, no one tried to initiate a conversation with him let alone try to be his friend. At meals, he sat away from the others and ate quietly while reading his book. The teachers were used to his behaviour by the end of the day, but the headmaster watched him intently.
Severus felt the headmaster's eyes on him during the meal and met his gaze, but after awhile he continued to eat his meal. When he was finished he stood turned to the headmaster and caught his gaze one last time before leaving the hall.
Soon it was bedtime again and Severus found himself drawn to the forest. This time he ventured into it, looking for the unicorn that he had seen prior to this day. He ventured deep into the forest until he finally found what he had been looking for. A gorgeous unmarred white unicorn trotted up to him and bowed her head.
//Young master Severus. My name is Moonlight and it is a pleasure to finally meet you. The creatures of this forest have sensed your arrival. Many wish to meet you, especially two in particular. // As the unicorn spoke this telepathically, two creatures appeared from the shadows. One was a Centaur and the other was a hydra. The hydra had black scales and two heads. The crown on their heads were silver, eyes blood red. It looked a little bit like the dragon in the picture. Both the creatures bowed and spoke to him.
"My name is Firenze and I have heard about you from the centaurs that lived in the forest in which you grew up in. They have told me about the lessons you took from them about reading the stars. If you wish I could continue to teach it to you." Severus nodded and turned to the two-headed hydra. It spoke in unison and in parseltongue, but Severus understood it perfectly.
~ Our name isss Octave. We are the leadersss of our pack. You have our allegiance young dragon massster. We will protect you during the nightsss asss you sssleep on foressst ground. No creature would dare attack you, but there are thossse whom are consssumed with bloodlusssst. We alssso wish to help you feel more at home. I underssstand that you usssed to sssleep with the dragonsss at timesss. Perhapsss, I could be a poor sssubstitute for now ~ Severus smiled and hugged the creature.
~ Nonsense. You will be as great as the dragons themselves. I wish to know all three of you, but I'm afraid I am quite tired at the moment ~ Severus stated yawning. The three creatures nodded and Severus curled around the hydra. Severus was soon sandwiched between Moonlight and Octave, as Firenze moved in front of Severus and soon the four were fast asleep.
~~....~~
Morning came and yet Severus slept on. Soon it was night and still Severus slept on. The teachers had begun to search for him, now that they found out that no one had seen him since the day before. Teachers were sent all over the school and grounds, while Dumbledore took Hagrid to check the forbidden forest.
Firenze met the headmaster during his search and told him to be silent as he led him to the young master. Dumbledore relaxed slightly when he saw Severus, but grew alarmed at the hydra that slept beside him. Firenze pulled the headmaster aside and explained why Severus was asleep in the forest.
Dumbledore nodded in understanding and looked in the direction of the sleeping boy, but caught the gaze of the hydra instead. The hydra studied the headmaster before returning back to sleep. The unicorn chose this moment to appear and eyed the headmaster warily before returning to Severus' side.
Dumbledore watched in surprise at the sleeping figures. Firenze assured Dumbledore that he would send Severus straight to his office once he had awoken. Dumbledore nodded and went to find Hagrid. When he found Hagrid, he only told him that he knew where Severus was and that he was safe. He told the other teachers the same thing as well and silenced them when they started to question his answer.
Soon the teachers accepted it and left with Dumbledore to alert the student population. The students began to speculate on the whereabouts of Severus Snape and what had become of him. As soon as the feast was over, speculations and rumours were flying all over the place. Some ridiculous and others very close to the truth.
It was sometime during the night that Severus awoke and Firenze told him of his promise to Dumbledore. Severus nodded and traipsed dreadfully to the headmaster's office. He was sure the headmaster was asleep, but knocked softly on the door anyway. The door opened and revealed a very tired looking headmaster.
"I'm sorry headmaster I did not mean to wake you, but I was sent here by Firenze. I was told you wanted to speak to me." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and reassured the boy that he hadn't woken him up. He gestured for Severus to sit down and when he did, Dumbledore began to question him.
"Mr Snape, I would like to know why you chose the forest as a sleeping area. Your centaur friend has explained it to me but I would like to hear it from you."
"Headmaster, I must ask that the information I reveal tonight may not be repeated to anyone else. I feel that I can trust you and I hope my instincts are correct in this matter." The headmaster was taken back by this question, but gave Severus his promise.
"I am The Dragon Master and I'm sure you know what a dragon master is." The headmaster gasped and regarded the boy in front of him.
"I understand, but I simply can not allow you to go unpunished. There are rules in the school and it must be followed. You will have detention with Hagrid. There are a few things he has to do in the forest and he could most likely use your help. 50 points will be taken from Slytherin as well. The school will be alerted that you went into the forest and got lost. Is there anything else I may have over looked?" Severus shook his head and when he was excused, he made his way back to his dorms.
The headmaster sighed and inserted his thoughts into the pensive, charming it so no one would be able to access this particular incident.
~~....~~
Once again Severus found himself waking up to Crutciatus Curse and once again he screamed as he took in his surroundings. This time, Lucius and Severus were not the only ones in the room. The rest of his dorm mates were there as well and they were enjoying the sight of Severus going through pain. Finally the spell was lifted and Severus drew in a shaky breath.
"You lost 50 points from Slytherin you imbecile. Unless you want to wake up to the Crutciatus Curse every morning, I suggest you not lose us anymore points. Understood?" Severus nodded and everyone left for breakfast.
Severus entered the great hall as though nothing had happened. In his hand he held his book and he started reading as soon as he had his food in front of him. During his meal, a black owl swooped down and landed on his arm. The owl bowed to him and handed him a letter. After Severus took the letter and nodded at the owl, the owl was off.
Everyone in the hall was staring at him from his little exchange with the owl. The only one, who seemed unfazed by this, was Dumbledore. Opening the letter, Severus smiled as he saw it was from his sister. He pocketed the letter, gathered his book and went to the dorms to read it. As soon as he sat down on the bed, he opened the letter once more and began to read its contents.
Skyfire,
How is Hogwarts? I have heard it's the best school in England. Lita and Sid are doing fine, although it's not me they want. Centauru has missed teaching you about the stars and I am no replacement for your absence. Raven often visits, as she is sick of the owl disguise you have placed on her. If you wish, you may use midnight and I will look after Raven. Terra misses the night rides the two of you used to have. On a happier note, I have decided to become a medi-witch like mother. Terra and Darkstorm have fallen for each other, as we knew they would. Terra is expecting her first foal in a few months. I wish you could be here to witness the birth. Sid and Lita are on their 2nd batch of eggs. Ruby's gone off to mate with another pack and so has Cerulean. I think that's all the news for now. Can't wait for your reply.
Steel Feathers
Severus smiled when he heard all his friends were doing well. Lita and Sid were Norwegian Ridgebacks which whom Severus used to sleep with. Centauru was his Centaur instructor. Terra and Darkstorm were black unicorns and Midnight was the black owl that had delivered the letter. Skyfire and Steel Feathers were nicknames Severus and Salena were given as children.
Severus folded up the letter neatly and stored it in his trunk. While he was placing it in his trunk, he noticed he forgot his mother's cloak in the forest. Deciding that he would get it tonight, he closed his trunk and went off to class. Lucius chose that moment to step out from beneath his invisibility cloak. He quietly went over to Severus' trunk and tried to open it. There were charms on it so no one may open it except for Severus. After trying to disarm it, but failing, Lucius decided to give it up and went off to his class as well.
Divinations were interesting, for the teacher was completely wrong about how to read the stars. He should know, after all a centaur himself trained him. All the other classes were uneventful and plain boring as Severus already knew most of this knowledge.
Potions proved to be the most interesting class of all. First of all, potions had always held Severus' attention. Second of all, the class was joined with Griffindor and that promised that the class would be quite interesting, as the houses were rivals. Last, but not least, he was partnered up with a emerald-eyed girl by the name of Lily Evans. She was the same girl that had caught his gaze at the sorting ceremony.
She blushed as she sat in the seat beside him. She developed a slight crush on him the moment she saw him and being paired up with him, was the cause of her blush. They soon started their first potion and Lily couldn't help, but become mesmerised by the way those elegant pale hands moved to cut the ingredients. She shook herself out of her thoughts and concentrated on the task at hand.
Severus felt the gaze of the girl beside him and found it a bit hard to concentrate on his work. He had to keep reminded himself not to pulverise the ingredient. He could smell the sweet fragrance of jasmine that came from the pretty girl by his side. It was intoxicating!
After what seemed like forever, the potion was finally complete and the pair noticed that they were the first two to finish their potion. The teacher praised the pair and they sat down, counting the seconds till the class was over. The bell finally rang after what seemed like hours and Severus was the first one out the door.
His thoughts kept focusing on why the girl was effecting him like that. Somehow he ended up in his dorm and started doing his homework. He was done just in time for dinner. Once again he brought his book and was reading it. He felt someone watching him and turned just in time to catch a certain pair of emerald eyes looking at him before they turned away, cheeks red of the girl to whom those eyes belonged.
He brushed it away and continued to eat. When he was done he retired to his bed, but he was far from sleeping. He couldn't stop thinking about Lily! Every time he closed his eyes, he would see her. He had given up all hope of sleeping when he remembered he still had to retrieve his mother's cloak from the forest.
He quietly got up and saw that everyone was already in bed. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't heard the others come in to go to sleep. * Damn! I'm falling for the Evans girl. Never mind this. I must go to the forest. The walk will do me some good.* Severus reassured himself and headed towards the forest.
As he crossed the field to go to the forest, the headmaster was watching Severus through an orb in his office. He watched as Severus sought out his friends and he saw Moonlight with a cloak around her horn. Severus took the cloak and wrapped it around himself before explaining to the others that he wasn't allowed to sleep here anymore. The others argued with him that they would wake him up when it was time for him to go back to the dorms. After a while, Severus finally gave in to them and curled up with them to sleep. The headmaster stopped watching and sighed, heading to bed himself.
~~....~~
Severus woke up to a raven's call. He smiled when he recognised the raven and nodded at it. He then got up and went to his dorm. Unknown to Severus, Lucius was awake at the time and watched him sneak back into bed. Lucius went back to sleep and decided to wait till night to follow Severus, determined to find out where he was going.
The day passed similar to the day before and soon it was nightfall again. Instead of going back to his dorm after dinner, he decided to take a walk before curfew. He walked to the lake and took a seat there. After a few minutes, a mermaid surfaced. She eyed him warily, but swam closer. Severus smiled and introduced himself. The mermaid smiled as well and did the same.
"I am Ariana. The forest has spoke of you and those words have made their way to the waters of Hogwarts. What brings you here young master?" the mermaid questioned silently.
"I have yet to speak to the creatures of the water. I only meant to make myself known. I also find myself in need of someone to talk to. I have many friends in the forest, but it is nice to speak to others as well. Do you not agree?" Ariana shook her head and soon the two were engaged in a deep conversation. Suddenly, the mermaid vanished below the water and Severus turned to the voice that spoke from behind him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare your friend away. I just wanted to see if you wanted company, but I see you already have some. I'm just going to leave now." Lily started to walk away when Severus' voice cried out to her.
"Wait. It's all right. Thanks for the offer of company. Shouldn't you be inside? It's getting pretty close to curfew."
"I could ask the same about you." Lily retorted and Severus sighed.
"Yes, I suppose you could and even if you did, I would not be able to answer." Confusion flashed across Lily's eyes at Severus' statement. She waited for an explanation, but was soon interrupted by Hagrid's deep voice calling out.
"Wat're yer kids doin' out 'ere? It's gettin' close ter curfew. Now go on, before yer caught by 'nother teacher." Hagrid ushered them into the castle and returned to his house. Lily went in the direction of the Griffindor room. Severus headed back to the dorms and waited for everyone to fall asleep, before heading to the forest.
Lucius followed Severus silently. He nearly screamed when he saw the hydra, but remembered that he was invisible. He prayed that the creature would not be able to catch his scent. Unfortunately, the hydra stared in his direction and started hissing. Lucius watched as Severus turned around to look in his direction before whispering something to the hydra. The hydra stepped back from Severus while one head looked to the left and the other looked to the right. A centaur and unicorn appeared. They gazed in his direction as well before turning to Severus. He heard Severus sigh before turning around.
"Lucius you may reveal yourself now. We all can smell your scent, even those whom you have not yet seen." At this statement, Lucius started looking around him. Different pairs of eyes greeted him from the shadows. When he turned to look in the direction of where Severus was, he came face to face with Severus. Startled, he took a step back and tripped on a branch of a tree that was not there. His invisibility cloak fell from around him and he looked up at Severus with fear.
"Lucius it's all right. The creatures will not harm you, but I'm afraid you cannot stay, nor can you remember this event ever occurred. It's all just a dream. " Severus voice faded away and soon darkness enveloped him.
~~....~~
Severus watched Lucius carefully as he woke up. There was no evidence of Lucius remembering what occurred last night. The day went by quite quickly and Severus decided to go by the lake again to see the mermaid, but Lily had beaten him to it.
Severus had a clear view of her and it was obvious that she hadn't noticed him yet. Her auburn hair blew back as the wind swept past her. Her jasmine scent made it's way to him with the breeze. Moonlight fell upon her, as it was a full moon. The moment was perfect and Severus conjured up a sketchbook. He quickly sketched her as accurately as he could. It was almost curfew by the time he was done and as he went to bed, his thoughts were of Lily.
Severus spent the following days on completing a true painting of Lily. He painted the portrait in the forest and charmed it so no one could go near it or see it. It took him almost a week to finish it, but when it was done Severus made a duplicate copy. Whispering a quick dry spell, he shrunk the paintings to the size of A4 paper, then conjured up some wrapping paper and wrapped it. Satisfied with his work, he placed it in his bottomless trunk and went to sleep.
The next day went by uneventful and Severus hoped he could catch Lily alone. As he had hoped, there she was by the lake. Severus slowly approached Lily and greeted her. Lily was startled, but stood up to greet him. Severus reached into a hidden pocket in his robes and pulled out the painting. It was shrunk to fit into his pocket and so he unshrunk it. Hesitantly, he gave it to Lily. Lily saw his nervous attitude and grew even more curious about the gift.
"I couldn't resist." was all Severus whispered as she tore the wrapping gently. Lily gasped at the painting of herself. Like the other wizard paintings, this painting moved. Her hair was whipping in the wind while the lake glittered from the moonlight. Tears sprung into her eyes and Lily sprung her arms around Severus, hugging him tightly.
"This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you." Lily released Severus and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Do you always come down to the lake?" Severus asked her politely.
"Yes. It helps me think when I have a million thoughts in my head and when my emotions are pulling me in a million directions. The smell of the lake calms me and the breeze that's almost always here, seems to take my troubles with it as it flows past. Before we moved to where I'm living now, I used to live near the ocean and I always used to go there to think. I guess this place reminded me of the ocean. I suppose you think that's dumb." Severus studied her for a moment before replying truthfully.
"Actually I don't. I can understand why you would come here. It's absolutely dazzling! I go to the forbidden forest when I need to think. Instead of the ocean I grew up surrounded by trees. I always found the forest my home and all the creatures that live in it my brothers and sisters. I'll let you in on a secret. I still go to the forest sometimes to sleep." Lily gasped. "The creatures might hurt you!"
"They won't and they never will." Lily stared at him sceptically and raised an eyebrow.
"What makes you so sure?" Severus smirked and replied, "I'm afraid I'd have to kill you if I told you, but as a sign of good faith I will tell you. Two words: Dragon Master. Look it up if you don't know what it means." Severus started walking away. Lily stared after him confused by his words. She decided that she would heed his advice and look it up the following day.
~~....~~
Lily spent a few hours in the library looking for a book that would tell her what a dragon master is. So far she had been unsuccessful. She was about to leave when something caught her eye. A large black leather bound book sat on one of the tables. It looked extremely worn out and old. Actually, it looked a lot like Severus' book. Lily looked around the library and saw that no one was there except for her. She quickly took the book and ran to her dorms.
When she sat on the bed, she opened the front cover. The first page was an introduction to the book.
One bloodline to protect them, one bloodline to rule over all, they are the Dragon Masters. Dragon Masters protects dragons and ensures that no harm befalls them. They are the most respected and most powerful creatures on this Earth. Like all creatures they too have an enemy. Dragon Slayers hunt the dragon master; it is the only way they can die. Dragon Masters and Slayers are immortal and can only be killed by one another. Like any rules exceptions can be made. When a Dragon Master mates, they mate for life. To complete the bond, they must surrender their immortality, thus being vulnerable to any attack. They still wield their powers, but can be killed by a deadly attack. By law, Dragon Masters are forbidden to interfere with human affairs. They may co-exist with their own species, but can not reveal themselves to the public. They may not help them in their troubles and they may not fight in their wars. All dragon masters are expected to follow this law.
Current Dragon Master: Severus Simone Snape
Previous families: Talon, Lazarus, O'Hara, and Williams
Lily closed the book after reading Severus' name as the current dragon master. After taking a deep breath, she opened the book and turned to the next page. It was written in a strange language. Realising that she was probably not meant to read it, she closed it and laid it on her bed. She quietly brought it with her to the lake, where she hoped Severus would be. True to her mind, there he was talking to the mermaid. Sensing her arrival, the mermaid disappeared and Severus turned around. He raised his eyebrow when he saw her carrying his book.
"If you weren't allowed to tell anyone, why tell me?" Severus stood straight and looked right into her eyes.
"It might have something to do with me wanting a friend." Lily blinked astonished by the confession.
"Okay. Okay I'll be your friend, but you tell me about yourself first." That earned her another raised eyebrow.
"I thought I did."
"All you told me was what you are. I don't know about your family, if you have other friends, what you like, what you dislike etc." Lily handed the book back to Severus and sat down near the edge of the water. Once she had made herself comfortable, she looked up at him expectantly. Following her example, Severus took a seat beside her and looked at Lily.
"I don't know much about you either and I'm in more of a position to get into trouble than you. A lot could happen if I'm discovered, but I will tell you about myself.
"First of all, I am half vampire, but I don't go around sucking peoples blood nor do I need to. I received it from my mother's side of the family. My mother was a noble woman and a great warrior. I learnt most of my hand to hand combat from her. She also taught me my morals. She had naturally white hair that looked like the moonlight. I guess that's why I like the moon a lot. The ministry killed her a year ago. She was caught with her teeth in a little girl's neck. She was just trying to help her. I felt her death." Severus whispered the last part and Lily hugged him.
For once, Severus allowed himself to grieve over his mother's death. Hot tears ran down his pale face as all his emotions that he had suppressed resurfaced. *What am I doing? Why does this girl effect me like this? Why am I revealing all this to her? Why did I tell her that I am the dragon master? So many questions and all with one answer: I trust her! * Severus' eyes widened and he withdrew from Lily. He stared at her through teary eyes as he finally figured it out. *I trust her because I'm falling for her. *
"Are you all right?"
"Yeah I just realised something."
"What?"
"I haven't done this before, open up to anyone. This is new territory for me." Severus admitted quietly. Lily just smiled and stuck out her hand.
"Well, I'll help you through it. After all, what are friends for?" Severus looked at the hand, gave a smile of his own and shook her hand.
"You milady, have a deal."
~~....~~
Over the rest of the school year, Lily and Severus grew closer. At first all the houses started teasing them about their relationship and how it must be something more than friendship, but after a while they grew bored of it. While the other houses were bored of their relationship, Griffindor and Slytherin were very disgusted with it. It was common knowledge that James Potter liked Lily Evans although they didn't know if she reciprocated his feelings. Remus excepted the friendship. In fact, he thought it was wonderful that the two of them were pushing aside the house rivalry. He wished he had the Slytherin's friendship, but knew that his friends wouldn't approve. The truth was that he felt a deep respect for Severus Snape.
Sirius, being James' best friend, decided to take in upon himself to make Snape' life a living hell. Of course, Snape feigned ignorance and never fought back. The whole school thought he was a wimp, but that changed when Sirius made a comment that truly insulted the Slytherin. Black had accused him of raping Lily and saying that shame was what forced Lily to stay with the slimy git.
Black knew he had pushed to far when he saw anger flash in those piercing obsidian eyes. Prior to this moment, no emotions had ever been betrayed in those eyes. They were carefully concealed, even to Lily. Severus raised his wand and in a deadly icy whisper, he whispered the words of a curse, unknown to all.
Black's skin suddenly felt as though it was on fire. Actually, it felt as though he was burning from the inside out. The pain was enormous and Sirius collapsed to the floor. This curse felt almost like the Crutciatus Curse. James and Remus moved to help him, but were thrown back by an invisible force. Lily boldly stepped up and touched the arm that was pointed at Black. Severus looked into Lily's eyes before releasing the spell and walking away.
Everyone stood silent and watched Severus leave with fear evident in their eyes. Remus and James helped Sirius of the floor, but Sirius felt fine. There were no after effects to the curse. He felt as though nothing had happened when the curse was lifted. He told this information to his friends and they all looked at him in confusion.
Lily was still looking in the direction that Severus had left in. She was shaken out of her thoughts when James touched her shoulder asking if she was all right. Lily frowned at the absurdity of the question; after all she was not the one who had been under the curse. Nodding anyway, she started going to her next class. Soon everyone followed her example and left as well.
The Marauders searched the entire library; restricted section and all, but came up with nothing that could indicate what curse Severus had used against Sirius. Soon they gave up and went to the hall to eat. Everyone in the hall saw that Severus was not amongst the Slytherins nor was he in any of the other classes and once again began to speculate where he could have gone. Lily was the only one that was concerned and as she looked at the Slytherin table, she caught the gaze of Lucius.
He seemed to star intently at Lily and Lily grew uncomfortable under the intense gaze. She broke it and mumbled an excuse before leaving the hall. She searched the whole castle for any signs of Severus, but found none. She then made her way to the lake, the only place she hadn't checked, where she hoped to find Severus. Her hopes were dashed when she saw no signs of anyone being there at all. She sat down near the water's edge and began thinking of where else he could have been.
Suddenly, she heard the soft sounds of a violin being played. She moved towards the source of this sound. As she grew closer, the sound became louder and clearer. It was a slow haunting tune and Lily found herself weeping to the sounds of it. It was coming from the forbidden forest. She looked around to make sure she wasn't being watched, and ventured into the forest, following the haunting melody. The sight of the source that was making the sound brought fresh tears to her eyes.
Severus had his eyes closed and poured his soul into the melody. His sorrow and anguish wove with the phantom melody. He was hunched over and the stain on his cheek was evidence that he had been crying. A sob escaped from Lily and the music suddenly stopped. Severus froze and after a moment, he opened his eyes.
His bloodshot eyes that usually concealed so much emotions showed the deep sorrow and anguish that had gone into his music. He gazed deep into Lily's eyes and it felt as though he was reading her soul. He suddenly broke eye contact and rose shakily to his feet, leaving the violin on the ground. Severus started to turn around, but was embraced by Lily before he could move. He held her as she cried, her tears soaking his black robes.
Unknown to them, the forest had also cried as he played his music. They kept away from him, respecting his privacy, except for a raven. It was perched high in the trees watching the pair through glistening eyes. It watched as the girl lifted her head from his chest having no more tears to shed. Severus wiped her cheek and stepped away from her. She looked at him in confusion, but he turned his head in shame.
"You should not have made friends with the likes of me. It is unwise and unsafe to do so. As you can see, I couldn't control myself today. I do not even know the extent of my abilities. You are not safe around me and neither are the others. Black will undoubtedly have alerted the headmaster of what I had done and I will most likely be expelled. There is only 2 more days of school left. I would like to be left alone tonight."
"I cherish our friendship and I will owl you. Whether you reply or not is your choice. No one understands me better than you do, not even myself. I will hope for your return next year." Lily then kissed Severus on the cheek and left.
~~....~~
Severus was silent for the next 2 days and everyone avoided him like the plague. Because of James' request, Sirius decided not to tell the headmaster or any of the teachers of the incident between Severus and himself. Everyone else had avoided the subject at all costs. Lucius watched Severus closely having heard of what had happened. He had not been able to witness it himself, but had squeezed the information out of one of the other kids.
Soon the school year was over and Severus left as everyone else did. He was shocked to hear that Sirius had not told the headmaster and he thanked him for it, as well as apologised for his actions. Sirius was shocked by the apology and the thanks but shrugged it off telling him that it was for James.
The moment Severus got home, he wrote a letter to his sister explaining everything that had happened in detail. He had not written to his sister since the beginning of the school year. For once in a long time, he was looking forward to something. Severus Snape could not wait till he was able to see those bright emerald eyes again.
TBC.