This story is the plot bunny posted on WIKTT by Totallycrazed. I thank her
for her idea and for letting me take liberties with it. I also thank her
for acting as a beta, though I'm looking for a second one, so if anyone is
interested, just email me or put it in your review.
Just so you know, much further down the road this is going to be SS/HG, so
if that bothers you, don't read this. Thanks for the kind words. Well,
that's it. Read and Review, pretty please. Oh, I don't own anything.
Chapter 2- Start of War
"In time of war the first casualty is truth."
~Boake Carter
Severus's 5th Year, Sarah's 4th Year . . . January . . .
Sarah was settled at a small two person table in a corner of the library, studying. She wasn't the only one, though. OWLs were coming up for the 5th Years and NEWTs for the 7th Years, so the library was packed. She dearly wished that she could be in her room doing this, but there were too many books here that she needed.
A quiet voice interrupted her train of thought. "Excuse me, but would you mind sharing this table? Every other one has been taken."
Sarah looked up into the tired face of Remus Lupin. She sneered at him more out of habit than real enmity. At least once a year she had a run- in with the Marauders, usually in connection with her brother. "Why should I?" she snapped.
"Sarah, please. I've never done anything to you, that was James and Sirius and Peter," Remus explained wearily.
Sarah realized that today was only three days after the full moon. She had figured out his secret last year but had told no one. Remus did not know that she knew. "Sit down, Remus," she said softly. "I know you've tried to stop Potter and Black more than once. It's just the way they treat my brother really bothers me." She made room for his books on the table.
"Thank you," he murmured, sitting down.
They worked quietly side by side even after other tables opened up. Sarah asked Remus a few questions on the paper she was writing. This led to them engaging in an enjoyable debate over who really discovered that gremlins actually existed.
Madam Pince had to kick them out so she could close the library.
Remus paused just outside the library doors, and then blurted out, "Do you want to do this again, Sarah? I really enjoyed it."
She looked at him and a genuine smile came across her face and reached her eyes. It took his breath away. "I would like that, Remus. Next week, same time, same place?"
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He had admired her from the first time she had stood up to them, in her First Year. Since he had started noticing girls, she had been the only one that he'd liked, though he could never mention to his friends that he had a crush on "Snivellus's" sister.
"Great!" Sarah said. "See you then, Remus."
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Sarah and Remus met every week from that day on. She helped him to study for his OWLs and in return he helped her to study for finals and even taught her some more advanced spells.
It was two weeks until OWLs and Remus was desperately trying to come up with an excuse to miss their next study session. The full moon fell right on that day. This had never been a problem in the previous two months, since the moon had fallen on a part of the week that wouldn't cause a problem for them.
He finally broached the subject near the end of their study time. "Sarah, my mother has sent for me and I'll be gone part of next week. I'll miss our time."
She looked at him, face blank and eyes unreadable. He hated it when she looked like that, all Slytherin cool. "I know," she said simply, a hint of some emotion, sadness, maybe, in her voice.
"What do you mean, you know? No one else except the Marauders know."
Sarah leaned closer to him and put a hand on his. He could see her dark eyes clearly now and they were full of sympathy, pain, and . . . something else. She whispered even though there was no one near them to hear. "I know your secret, Moony. I've known for a long time."
His eyes filled with fear and he pulled away jerkily, his chair falling over with a clatter. Sarah lunged forward and grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer. "I don't care, Remus. It doesn't matter." This didn't calm the panic that seemed to be overwhelming him. "Remus, look at me. I. Don't. Care."
"Who else knows?" he hissed.
"No one, I swear. I've never told a soul."
"Not even your brother?"
"Not even Sev," she swore fervently.
He relaxed gradually and she pulled him closer. With a shaky sigh he leaned into her embrace, burying his face in her shoulder. They collapsed together into the upright chair, Sarh sitting on his lap. His arms held her waist; she gently stroked his hair back, soothing him.
"I'm sorry, Sari," he mumbled against her neck.
She leaned her head on top of his, suppressing a shiver at the feeling of his lips there. Really, she had matured earlier than many girls. "All is well, Remus. All is well, don't-"
Whatever else she had been going to say was lost because just then Sirius and James appeared in their secluded corner. "Remus, what the hell are you doing?!" Sirius shouted in surprise.
Remus jumped, nearly dumping Sarah on the floor. He caught her at the last moment and pulled her closer. "Moony, what the bloody hell are you doing with Snivellus's sister?" James demanded to know.
"Studying," Remus said blankly.
"Studying what, Remus, anatomy?" Sirius leered at her. "How to get this Slytherin whore to bed you?"
Rage blazed through Sarah but before she had a chance to do anything, Remus leapt up, placing her to the side, and his fist connected with Sirius's jaw. "Padfoot, shut your mouth. We're friends but so help me, if you insult her again, you'll regret it." Sirius and James both were looking at him in shock, Sirius with a hand clamped over his cheek, sprawled on the floor. The only time they had ever seen this fury in his eyes was when he was a werewolf.
Remus took a deep breath, fighting to suppress his emotions. They were always closer to the surface at this time of month. "Sarah and I are friends, nothing more," he explained quietly.
James helped Sirius up and both turned dumbfounded gazes on Remus, then suspicious ones on Sarah. "Don't worry, boys. Your Moony is safe from the clutches of evil little ol' me," she drawled, face blank and eyes icy, every inch a Slytherin. She gathered her things calmly but quickly. "I'll see you later, Remus," she said, touching his arm gently, her eyes softening for an instant before becoming impenetrable once again.
She walked right between the two boys, knocking her elbows against them deliberately as she passed. No one saw the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes as she exited the library. After all, it wouldn't be very Slytherin of her to let them, would it, and she had a reputation to uphold.
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When she was out of sight, James burst out. "What the hell is wrong with you, Moony?!"
For a moment James thought he saw a glint of the animal fury from earlier, but it was gone so fast he figured he must have imagined it. Remus sat wearily back in the chair he'd just recently vacated. "Just the pull of the moon. I'm sorry, Padfoot, for hitting you."
Sirius nodded, accepting his apology, but there was still a hint of anger and hurt in his eyes. "Man, you sure do pack a punch, mate," Sirius joked, trying to dispel the tension and take attention from himself. He righted the fallen chair and sat with him. James pulled another one over. Remus flushed guiltily. "So," Sirius brought up the subject carefully. "What were you doing when we came up?"
"Nothing," Remus answered honestly. "I was just upset about something stupid and she was upset because I unnerved her. No big deal."
James felt the urge to snort in disbelief but refrained. "I didn't know anything could unnerve the Slytherin Ice Princess."
Once again he thought he saw the dangerous emotion flicker in Remus's eyes, but dismissed it again, blaming it on the lighting. "Please don't, Prongs. She's nice when you get to know her."
The two dark-haired boys shared a skeptical glance but didn't comment. Sirius somehow diverted the topic to Quidditch and the trio tried to forget the incident ever happened.
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Remus was relieved that OWLs were almost over. There were two more to go after today's, which had been Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was now free to relax with his friends for the afternoon, so he was reading under their usual tree while his friends talked and James showed off with the Snitch he had nicked. He only wished that he could hand out with Sarah too, but knew that it wasn't wise.
He already missed their studying together.
He was pulled from his increasingly melancholy thoughts by Sirius saying that he was bored and wished that it was a full moon. "You might," Remus told him darkly, not looking up. He then offered to let Sirius quiz him on Transfiguration. Needless to say, Sirius refused. James suddenly spotted Snape- Severus, he corrected himself, and started to taunt him. He tried desperately to ignore it, pretending to read his book. He hated being in the middle like this.
Severus reacted quickly, sensing what was coming, and reached for his wand, but James had the advantage of already having his wand in his hand. James disarmed him and immobilized him, drawing a crowd of student spectators. Remus didn't dare try to interrupt, even when they started to viciously attack him with words. His friends were still unsure of him from the library incident. He wasn't surprised when Snape- Severus- let loose a string of curses and hexes, though they were useless without his wand.
Lily came running up then, full of righteous fury on Severus's behalf. While Lily had James distracted, Severus managed to get a hold of his wand. He had never hated anyone like he hated the Marauders. He felt a thrill of pleasure at managing to wound the arrogant Potter on the cheek.
The tables were turned, though, and suddenly he was hanging upside down, revealing his underpants. He felt a deep surge of humiliation and anger course through him. Remus wished he had the courage to help him, no one deserved this.
He listened as Lily threatened to hex James. //He deserves to be taken down a notch// he thought fiercely, and then blinked, wondering where that had come from.
What shocked him into looking up was Severus calling Lily a Mudblood. Despite all of his Slytherin airs, he had never heard the word cross his lips before. Remus was even more surprised to hear the derogatory nickname of "Snivellus" spoken by Lily. She had been angry with Severus before, he knew, but had never retaliated in such a way.
James decided to take his rage at Lily out on Severus after Lily stalked away in a huff. He turned him back upside down and said cruelly, "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
Remus decided that things had gone far enough. He set his book down and stood up. "Stop it, James. This is wrong! Leave Snape alone."
Sirius glared at him. "You don't have to defend him just because you and his sister are boinking each other, Remus," he joked.
Remus's eyes narrowed to slits. So, for that matter, did Severus's. Before either boy could say or do anything, however, Sarah appeared out of the crowd, shoving people out of the way. "James Potter, you set my brother down this instant!!" she ordered in a deadly sounding voice.
"As you wish, Ice Princess." James released the spell abruptly, letting Severus plummet towards the ground headfirst. His ploy didn't work, however, because Sarah caught him with her own spell and lowered him down gently.
Severus stayed kneeling for a moment, catching his breath. While he was doing that, Sarah glided over to where Sirius was standing. Sticking her face in his, she said, "Just so you know, Remus and I are not 'boinking' each other, as you so inelegantly put it."
"Bitch," Sirius spat.
Immediately several things happened. Severus and Remus both lunged at Sirius. James managed to catch Remus by the arm, though it earned him an elbow in the midriff for the trouble. Sirius was already on the ground when Severus reached him- Sarah had punched him in the nose.
It didn't stop there. The whole crowd suddenly became one big brawl. The Slytherins were taking Severus's and Sarah's part. Even though Severus wasn't a favorite in his House, they considered such a stunt as this an insult to them all. The Gryffindors, of course, took the Marauders' side, though they wondered at Remus's odd behavior. Anyone that tried to harm Sarah invariably got cursed by his wand.
The other students present from the other two Houses chose sides or merely defended themselves from attack, both physical and magical.
It took five teachers and the Headmaster to quell the riot.
Most of the students were not punished, since they had not started the fight. The Marauders, minus Wormtail, who had fled at the first sign of trouble, and Sarah and Severus, were all sent to Dumbledore's office to be punished.
Sirius's face was a sight to see. Both eyes ere blackened, the left worse that the right, his nose was obviously broken, and he had a split lip.
James and Remus weren't without bruises, either. Come to think of it, no one except Dumbledore was without marks. Sarah's left cheek was swollen and bruised, and she had a couple of small hex marks on the other. Severus, of course, was battered and bloody. Remus was probably the least marked of the five, testament to his skill with Defense spells.
Dumbledore studied the five of them, his eyes sparkle-less for once. He observed the way they stood. James and Sirius stood close together, Remus slightly apart next to Sarah. Sarah stood with her feet planted shoulder-width apart, her eyes glued firmly on the floor and her arms clasped behind her back, like she was a soldier in parade rest. Severus was apart from everyone else, even his sister.
"I am very disappointed in all of you," Dumbledore started. "You are all old enough to know that violence is not the only solution to a problem."
"It is when you're left with no other option, when you are defending yourself and others," Sarah spoke up, her eyes raising to meet his, her tone respectful but firm.
"Why would anyone need to defend themselves or anyone else at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked.
She pointed at James. He noticed that her knuckles were scraped and swollen. "Because *he* and Black were messing with my brother. Again. Torturing him for no reason," she accused. "Just ask anyone!"
"Why would they do that?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Because they're . . ." she took a deep, calming breath, just barely cutting off the bad language that wanted to spill from her mouth. "Because they've done it before."
"We would never attack him unprovoked," James declared.
"You see, Miss Snape, something more must have happened that you do not know about," Dumbledore told her.
With those words, Sarah saw red. She lunged at James, whose smug expression fueled her fury. //How could Dumbledore do this? Believe they just because they're Gryffindors?!//
Her fist didn't even connect with James' face. Dumbledore stopped her with a wave of his hand, keeping her suspended in midair. She was furious, he could see that. After a moment of struggling she managed to control herself enough that he felt safe letting her down. He released the spell carefully, just barely above the floor, but as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out. She remembered being hit with some sort of hex earlier. She hit the floor hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs.
Struggling to breathe, she stood up shakily, her vision swimming. "Six months detention, Miss Snape, for starting a fight and for attacking a fellow student. What you don't serve this school year will continue into the next school year. Also, 100 points from Slytherin."
Everyone stared at the Headmaster. Even the Gryffindors were shocked by the severity of the punishment. Sarah glared death at Dumbledore as she wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, where her split lip had broken open again. "So be it, old man," she said, not bothering to hide the hatred in her voice. She whirled around and slammed the door as she left.
Silence ruled the office for a moment. Severus was shocked at the Headmaster's unfairness. Remus was torn, he wanted to take both sides. Sirius wasn't sure what to think. James, however, had one distinct thought. *Why did we ever call her Ice Princess?* he wondered *When it is obvious that she's a Fire Queen?*
Albus Dumbledore assigned everyone else 2 weeks of detentions and deducted House points. No one said a word, but filed soundlessly out of his office and down to the Hospital Wing.
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Sarah barely made it down the stairs, her head spinning. She knew that she should go to the Infirmary since she was reasonably sure that she had a concussion, but right now she didn't care. All that did matter was getting as far away from Albus bloody Dumbledore as possible without actually leaving Hogwarts.
She ended up at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest, collapsing under a large tree that she sometimes came to to think. She clasped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. She hurt all over.
Sarah started to regulate her breathing like her brother had taught her, to deal with the pain, but her concentration wavered at the thought of Severus. It might not have seemed like it to anyone else, but she knew that he was very angry at her associating with Remus, especially in the way that Sirius had inferred.
Tears pricked at her eyes. Her brother was changing for the worse and she didn't know how to stop it. Today he had used the word Mudblood, which he had never said before, at least in front of her. //Damn Lucius Malfoy for doing this to him// she thought savagely, letting a sob shake her. It had been a long time since she had let herself cry.
An hour later she heard Hagrid's booming voice calling for her. She realized that dinner was past, but couldn't make herself care. //Let them search// she thought wearily.
She fell into a light doze to be awakened by the sound of light footsteps coming in her direction. She tensed, gripping the wand she hadn't dropped since earlier that afternoon even harder than before.
A soft voice reached her ears. "Can I come close without getting hexed, Sarah?"
"What do you want, Lily?" Sarah was surprised at the bitterness in her own tired voice.
Lily padded over to her, the light from her wand brightening the area. The two girls had been good friends since her First Year, along with Severus. It had started as a way to vex the Marauders, but had become genuine very quickly. "I heard about what happened in Dumbledore's office this afternoon. If it's any consolation, even Potter and Black were upset about your punishment." The red-head knelt next to the darker headed girl.
"As if that makes me feel better. Two bastards feeling sorry for me." Her anger was apparent.
"I'm sorry I made things worse earlier."
Sarah looked up into Lily's green eyes. "Severus isn't going to forgive your words, Lils."
"I'm finding it hard to forgive his," Lily replied, her lips thinning.
"I know." To her dismay, Sarah felt a tear fall down her cheek. She'd thought that she had cried herself out. "I don't know what to do to help him."
Lily cupped Sarah's injured cheek gently, compassion shining in her eyes. "Just be there for him. I would be there, too, only he won't want me anymore." Severus and Lily had no romantic interest in each other, but they had been very good friends.
Sarah just sobbed harder, grieving for a loss that hadn't come yet but knew would. Lily pulled her into a hug. She sometimes forgot that the Slytherin was a year younger than herself, because she carried herself so well and was very smart. She stroked her hair, wondering if anyone besides Severus had ever cared for the girl, really cared.
Both the Snapes had so much to offer, but no one seemed to notice. Once you got beneath their cold outer masks, there were two hardy souls who had survived so much. No one but Lily and apparently Remus had ever discovered that contrary to the belief that they felt nothing, the truth of the matter was that they felt everything, perhaps even a little too strongly sometimes.
Like she'd thought before, a pity no one ever bothered to find this out. They were missing out on a lot.
After about another half an hour, Lily led the slightly less distraught girl inside, escorting her to the door of her Common room. She was a prefect, so she knew where it was.
"Good night, Sarah. I'll see you later," Lily told her.
"Night," Sarah replied softly. Taking a deep breath, she added, "Tell Remus not to get angry with anything I say tomorrow, okay? I won't be looked on as anybody if I don't say anything to the group of them."
"Sure," Lily agreed easily. She understood, since she would have done the same thing. She also knew that Remus deserved someone who would love him, and she was certain that Sarah did. "Do your worst."
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The brawl incident did not end that day by the lake. It escalated into a full-out war between the Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses. Of course, except for the day after the Incident when Sarah chewed the Marauders out, she could never be connected to anything that happened to any of them. At least not directly.
Sarah did manage to talk to Remus privately shortly before the final full moon of the school year. They were able to reconcile their differences, especially after Remus apologized for not putting a stop to things sooner.
Sarah realized with a start that she had fallen in love with him.
It scared her half to death.
But it also gave her the extra courage to go to Potter when she heard of a trick that Sirius Black was pulling. "Potter, a word, please," she said almost pleasantly, at least compared to how she normally talked to him.
"Why?" James sneered. He was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, nearly finished with supper.
Lily was sitting nearby and saw the look of barely restrained panic in Sarah's eyes. "I'd talk to her if I were you, Potter," she said smoothly.
James looked at her, surprised. She hadn't spoken to him since the Incident. Reluctantly, he stood and followed Sarah out of the Hall. "What do you want, Ice Princess?" He had decided to continue calling her that even though he knew it didn't fit anymore, mainly because he thought Fire Queen was too complimentary.
"Your friend is out to kill my brother," she said, some of her fear coming into her voice.
"What do you mean?" James said, his voice taking on a dangerous quality.
"I heard Black telling Pettigrew that he had told Sev that Remus and I were having a tryst somewhere tonight. Something also about the Whomping Willow." James paled. "Potter, Remus will kill him and when he turns back he'll go crazy."
"You know?" James hissed, grabbing her arm.
"Yes, have for quite some time, and no, he didn't tell me. Please, James, I don't know where to go. Please, save my brother and Remus," she had never begged anyone for anything ever before, but she was now.
"Of course." James was scared. "I would never curse anyone, even Snivellus, with what Remus goes through, and I even though I hate your brother, I don't wish him dead. And Remus would kill himself if he hurt somebody." He saw one tear fall down her face. "I'm going right now, I swear everything will be alright."
He took off at a dead run out of the castle, heading for the Whomping Willow. //How could Sirius do anything so stupid!// When he felt far enough from the castle he changed into is Animagus form and bound even faster towards the place that Remus went every full moon.
He quickly transformed back and grabbed a nearby stick, prodding the knot and leaping inside. Snape was frozen in fear about halfway down the tunnel, and Remus, now a werewolf and not himself, was running towards him. James jumped in front of Snape and pushed him backwards, breaking his deer- in-the-headlights stance. He yelled, "Go, Snape, get out of here! No, Remus, stop! It's me, James, it's Prongs! Stop!"
Snape scrambled backwards, never tearing his horrified gaze from the tableau before him. James Potter was screaming and pleading with the beast, who paused at the sound of his voice. For a moment Severus swore that he saw the eyes of the werewolf change back to the eyes of Remus Lupin.
James saw this and continued talking to the creature, though he was backing up fast. So fast, in fact, that he bumped into Snape near the exit of the tunnel. "Go, go, go, touch the knot, get out," he urged.
Severus wasted no time, crawling out quickly, followed by James. However, they didn't quite make it out unscathed. Moony didn't get them, but the Whomping Willow did. Touching the knot didn't last long, and the two boys were stumbling in their terror, so the Willow knocked them sprawling several meters away.
James was the first to get up. He clutched his side; he was pretty sure that he had a few broken ribs. Snape was sitting on the ground, his eyes unfocused. James wondered if it was because he had a concussion or because he was reliving what had happened. He decided that it was the latter when Snape jumped and struck out at him when he put a hand on his shoulder.
"Snape, calm down! We have to get to the castle!"
"He's a werewolf! A fucking bloody werewolf! My sister is with a werewolf!" Snape seemed to be freaking out.
"Remus is a good guy! He wouldn't hurt . . . well, anyone but Sirius and perhaps myself at the moment. He would never hurt Sarah!" James defended his friend.
"He's a beast!" Severus snarled. He was going to say more, but was cut off by three figures that were running towards them.
The one in the lead was Sarah. She ran up to Severus and threw her arms around him, crying. "Thank Merlin you're all right! I was so scared, I didn't know what to do, Gods, I love you so much, Sev! What would I do if I lost you? And him! Oh Gods!"
Severus held his sister until he heard that last statement //And him!// "What do you mean, Sari? 'And him!' You're worried about that werewolf?! I can't believe you're worried about that beast!"
"Of course, but you come firs-"Sarah protested.
"You knew before, didn't you?" At her look of guilt, he exploded. "Don't touch me, Sarah! Get away from me if you want to defend him!"
"Mr. Snape, calm down. Let's check you out," one of the other people there was Madam Pomphrey. Sarah had not wanted to go to Dumbledore, but had been reasonably sure that the nurse knew of Remus's condition, so she had fetched her.
Sarah drew away from her brother, her eyes full of hurt, leaving Severus to the nurse's kind attentions. She wrapped her arms around herself, struggling to stop crying. She deftly avoided Dumbledore's gaze; he was the third member of their little entourage, at Madam Pomphrey's insistence.
James watched her standing alone, hugging herself. It struck him again that she felt things keenly and wore ice only to deflect more hurt. It also occurred to him that she really cared for Remus, or those words would never have crossed her lips in front of her brother.
He approached her. She looked up at him, her black eyes wide and full of pain, soul deep and raw edged. He put his hand on her shoulder, offering a measure of comfort. When she didn't shrug it off, he pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shirt. She pulled away a few minutes later, looking embarrassed.
"Don't get me wrong, Princess, I still don't like you. I'm just not a cold-hearted bastard," he told her.
"I understand, Potter. Feelings are mutual, but thanks." She gave him a quirky half-smile, and for a moment he could see what Remus saw in her. He watched her as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When she opened them again, the difference was apparent. It was like a door had closed on her emotions; her eyes held nothing of what she was feeling. Her face was the same way, blank and impassive, back to the Sarah he knew and hated. "See you around, Potter, Madam, Headmaster." She hesitated. "Severus. I have a detention to attend."
With those pointed words towards Dumbledore, she strode back up to the castle, her back straight, and never looked back.
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James watched her walk to the castle. At the doors she was met by someone else. Though he was too far away to even tell the gender of the person, he still knew that it was Lily Evans. Her hair was unmistakable even from a distance in the dark. He frowned. He wasn't sure if Lily was doing right by befriending the Slytherin or not.
He shrugged. It didn't really matter, anyway, since he had no say in anything that Lily did, though he wished otherwise. Strange as it was, he had loved Lily from the moment he'd laid eyes on her, just like he'd hated Severus Snape at first sight.
James sighed, looking at the other boy, who Madam Pomphrey was still fussing over. He scrutinized him; Snape still looked a little lacking in wits, but the anger in his eyes when they met his was still palpable.
No, nothing would change. Why should it? This was the way Destiny wanted it to be.
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It became apparent that James had been wrong when he had thought that things would not change. They did, in ways that would lead them to their ultimate Fate, which lay unknown for now.
Remus remembered what happened that night in the tunnel of the Shrieking Shack. He remembered all too well. He had fought the wolf inside him with all he had to give James enough time to get Severus out. It scared him that he had barely restrained his wolf-self. It was something that would haunt him for a very long time.
He was also very angry with Sirius, and Sirius knew it. He wasn't sure if their friendship would ever be the same again. He no longer trusted Sirius, at least not like he once had. Remus was also grateful to James for saving his sanity; if he had killed or cursed Severus, he would never have forgiven himself.
And oh, how he loved Sarah. He wondered sometimes, usually in the middle of the night when he had trouble sleeping, why he was so sure of this. After all, he was just over 16 and had most of his life open in front of him. Still, it felt real, moreso than anything he'd ever felt before.
It hurt, to have to pretend dislike of her now. The two of them had agreed that it was in both their best interests to pretend animosity. He would be able to keep his friends and she would have her brother again. James had told him what had happened after the Willow Incident.
He wouldn't know if it worked, however, until next year. Summer hols were now here and he wouldn't see her for months.
Much too long, in his opinion.
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Chapter 2- Start of War
"In time of war the first casualty is truth."
~Boake Carter
Severus's 5th Year, Sarah's 4th Year . . . January . . .
Sarah was settled at a small two person table in a corner of the library, studying. She wasn't the only one, though. OWLs were coming up for the 5th Years and NEWTs for the 7th Years, so the library was packed. She dearly wished that she could be in her room doing this, but there were too many books here that she needed.
A quiet voice interrupted her train of thought. "Excuse me, but would you mind sharing this table? Every other one has been taken."
Sarah looked up into the tired face of Remus Lupin. She sneered at him more out of habit than real enmity. At least once a year she had a run- in with the Marauders, usually in connection with her brother. "Why should I?" she snapped.
"Sarah, please. I've never done anything to you, that was James and Sirius and Peter," Remus explained wearily.
Sarah realized that today was only three days after the full moon. She had figured out his secret last year but had told no one. Remus did not know that she knew. "Sit down, Remus," she said softly. "I know you've tried to stop Potter and Black more than once. It's just the way they treat my brother really bothers me." She made room for his books on the table.
"Thank you," he murmured, sitting down.
They worked quietly side by side even after other tables opened up. Sarah asked Remus a few questions on the paper she was writing. This led to them engaging in an enjoyable debate over who really discovered that gremlins actually existed.
Madam Pince had to kick them out so she could close the library.
Remus paused just outside the library doors, and then blurted out, "Do you want to do this again, Sarah? I really enjoyed it."
She looked at him and a genuine smile came across her face and reached her eyes. It took his breath away. "I would like that, Remus. Next week, same time, same place?"
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He had admired her from the first time she had stood up to them, in her First Year. Since he had started noticing girls, she had been the only one that he'd liked, though he could never mention to his friends that he had a crush on "Snivellus's" sister.
"Great!" Sarah said. "See you then, Remus."
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Sarah and Remus met every week from that day on. She helped him to study for his OWLs and in return he helped her to study for finals and even taught her some more advanced spells.
It was two weeks until OWLs and Remus was desperately trying to come up with an excuse to miss their next study session. The full moon fell right on that day. This had never been a problem in the previous two months, since the moon had fallen on a part of the week that wouldn't cause a problem for them.
He finally broached the subject near the end of their study time. "Sarah, my mother has sent for me and I'll be gone part of next week. I'll miss our time."
She looked at him, face blank and eyes unreadable. He hated it when she looked like that, all Slytherin cool. "I know," she said simply, a hint of some emotion, sadness, maybe, in her voice.
"What do you mean, you know? No one else except the Marauders know."
Sarah leaned closer to him and put a hand on his. He could see her dark eyes clearly now and they were full of sympathy, pain, and . . . something else. She whispered even though there was no one near them to hear. "I know your secret, Moony. I've known for a long time."
His eyes filled with fear and he pulled away jerkily, his chair falling over with a clatter. Sarah lunged forward and grabbed his wrist, pulling him closer. "I don't care, Remus. It doesn't matter." This didn't calm the panic that seemed to be overwhelming him. "Remus, look at me. I. Don't. Care."
"Who else knows?" he hissed.
"No one, I swear. I've never told a soul."
"Not even your brother?"
"Not even Sev," she swore fervently.
He relaxed gradually and she pulled him closer. With a shaky sigh he leaned into her embrace, burying his face in her shoulder. They collapsed together into the upright chair, Sarh sitting on his lap. His arms held her waist; she gently stroked his hair back, soothing him.
"I'm sorry, Sari," he mumbled against her neck.
She leaned her head on top of his, suppressing a shiver at the feeling of his lips there. Really, she had matured earlier than many girls. "All is well, Remus. All is well, don't-"
Whatever else she had been going to say was lost because just then Sirius and James appeared in their secluded corner. "Remus, what the hell are you doing?!" Sirius shouted in surprise.
Remus jumped, nearly dumping Sarah on the floor. He caught her at the last moment and pulled her closer. "Moony, what the bloody hell are you doing with Snivellus's sister?" James demanded to know.
"Studying," Remus said blankly.
"Studying what, Remus, anatomy?" Sirius leered at her. "How to get this Slytherin whore to bed you?"
Rage blazed through Sarah but before she had a chance to do anything, Remus leapt up, placing her to the side, and his fist connected with Sirius's jaw. "Padfoot, shut your mouth. We're friends but so help me, if you insult her again, you'll regret it." Sirius and James both were looking at him in shock, Sirius with a hand clamped over his cheek, sprawled on the floor. The only time they had ever seen this fury in his eyes was when he was a werewolf.
Remus took a deep breath, fighting to suppress his emotions. They were always closer to the surface at this time of month. "Sarah and I are friends, nothing more," he explained quietly.
James helped Sirius up and both turned dumbfounded gazes on Remus, then suspicious ones on Sarah. "Don't worry, boys. Your Moony is safe from the clutches of evil little ol' me," she drawled, face blank and eyes icy, every inch a Slytherin. She gathered her things calmly but quickly. "I'll see you later, Remus," she said, touching his arm gently, her eyes softening for an instant before becoming impenetrable once again.
She walked right between the two boys, knocking her elbows against them deliberately as she passed. No one saw the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes as she exited the library. After all, it wouldn't be very Slytherin of her to let them, would it, and she had a reputation to uphold.
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When she was out of sight, James burst out. "What the hell is wrong with you, Moony?!"
For a moment James thought he saw a glint of the animal fury from earlier, but it was gone so fast he figured he must have imagined it. Remus sat wearily back in the chair he'd just recently vacated. "Just the pull of the moon. I'm sorry, Padfoot, for hitting you."
Sirius nodded, accepting his apology, but there was still a hint of anger and hurt in his eyes. "Man, you sure do pack a punch, mate," Sirius joked, trying to dispel the tension and take attention from himself. He righted the fallen chair and sat with him. James pulled another one over. Remus flushed guiltily. "So," Sirius brought up the subject carefully. "What were you doing when we came up?"
"Nothing," Remus answered honestly. "I was just upset about something stupid and she was upset because I unnerved her. No big deal."
James felt the urge to snort in disbelief but refrained. "I didn't know anything could unnerve the Slytherin Ice Princess."
Once again he thought he saw the dangerous emotion flicker in Remus's eyes, but dismissed it again, blaming it on the lighting. "Please don't, Prongs. She's nice when you get to know her."
The two dark-haired boys shared a skeptical glance but didn't comment. Sirius somehow diverted the topic to Quidditch and the trio tried to forget the incident ever happened.
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Remus was relieved that OWLs were almost over. There were two more to go after today's, which had been Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was now free to relax with his friends for the afternoon, so he was reading under their usual tree while his friends talked and James showed off with the Snitch he had nicked. He only wished that he could hand out with Sarah too, but knew that it wasn't wise.
He already missed their studying together.
He was pulled from his increasingly melancholy thoughts by Sirius saying that he was bored and wished that it was a full moon. "You might," Remus told him darkly, not looking up. He then offered to let Sirius quiz him on Transfiguration. Needless to say, Sirius refused. James suddenly spotted Snape- Severus, he corrected himself, and started to taunt him. He tried desperately to ignore it, pretending to read his book. He hated being in the middle like this.
Severus reacted quickly, sensing what was coming, and reached for his wand, but James had the advantage of already having his wand in his hand. James disarmed him and immobilized him, drawing a crowd of student spectators. Remus didn't dare try to interrupt, even when they started to viciously attack him with words. His friends were still unsure of him from the library incident. He wasn't surprised when Snape- Severus- let loose a string of curses and hexes, though they were useless without his wand.
Lily came running up then, full of righteous fury on Severus's behalf. While Lily had James distracted, Severus managed to get a hold of his wand. He had never hated anyone like he hated the Marauders. He felt a thrill of pleasure at managing to wound the arrogant Potter on the cheek.
The tables were turned, though, and suddenly he was hanging upside down, revealing his underpants. He felt a deep surge of humiliation and anger course through him. Remus wished he had the courage to help him, no one deserved this.
He listened as Lily threatened to hex James. //He deserves to be taken down a notch// he thought fiercely, and then blinked, wondering where that had come from.
What shocked him into looking up was Severus calling Lily a Mudblood. Despite all of his Slytherin airs, he had never heard the word cross his lips before. Remus was even more surprised to hear the derogatory nickname of "Snivellus" spoken by Lily. She had been angry with Severus before, he knew, but had never retaliated in such a way.
James decided to take his rage at Lily out on Severus after Lily stalked away in a huff. He turned him back upside down and said cruelly, "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
Remus decided that things had gone far enough. He set his book down and stood up. "Stop it, James. This is wrong! Leave Snape alone."
Sirius glared at him. "You don't have to defend him just because you and his sister are boinking each other, Remus," he joked.
Remus's eyes narrowed to slits. So, for that matter, did Severus's. Before either boy could say or do anything, however, Sarah appeared out of the crowd, shoving people out of the way. "James Potter, you set my brother down this instant!!" she ordered in a deadly sounding voice.
"As you wish, Ice Princess." James released the spell abruptly, letting Severus plummet towards the ground headfirst. His ploy didn't work, however, because Sarah caught him with her own spell and lowered him down gently.
Severus stayed kneeling for a moment, catching his breath. While he was doing that, Sarah glided over to where Sirius was standing. Sticking her face in his, she said, "Just so you know, Remus and I are not 'boinking' each other, as you so inelegantly put it."
"Bitch," Sirius spat.
Immediately several things happened. Severus and Remus both lunged at Sirius. James managed to catch Remus by the arm, though it earned him an elbow in the midriff for the trouble. Sirius was already on the ground when Severus reached him- Sarah had punched him in the nose.
It didn't stop there. The whole crowd suddenly became one big brawl. The Slytherins were taking Severus's and Sarah's part. Even though Severus wasn't a favorite in his House, they considered such a stunt as this an insult to them all. The Gryffindors, of course, took the Marauders' side, though they wondered at Remus's odd behavior. Anyone that tried to harm Sarah invariably got cursed by his wand.
The other students present from the other two Houses chose sides or merely defended themselves from attack, both physical and magical.
It took five teachers and the Headmaster to quell the riot.
Most of the students were not punished, since they had not started the fight. The Marauders, minus Wormtail, who had fled at the first sign of trouble, and Sarah and Severus, were all sent to Dumbledore's office to be punished.
Sirius's face was a sight to see. Both eyes ere blackened, the left worse that the right, his nose was obviously broken, and he had a split lip.
James and Remus weren't without bruises, either. Come to think of it, no one except Dumbledore was without marks. Sarah's left cheek was swollen and bruised, and she had a couple of small hex marks on the other. Severus, of course, was battered and bloody. Remus was probably the least marked of the five, testament to his skill with Defense spells.
Dumbledore studied the five of them, his eyes sparkle-less for once. He observed the way they stood. James and Sirius stood close together, Remus slightly apart next to Sarah. Sarah stood with her feet planted shoulder-width apart, her eyes glued firmly on the floor and her arms clasped behind her back, like she was a soldier in parade rest. Severus was apart from everyone else, even his sister.
"I am very disappointed in all of you," Dumbledore started. "You are all old enough to know that violence is not the only solution to a problem."
"It is when you're left with no other option, when you are defending yourself and others," Sarah spoke up, her eyes raising to meet his, her tone respectful but firm.
"Why would anyone need to defend themselves or anyone else at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked.
She pointed at James. He noticed that her knuckles were scraped and swollen. "Because *he* and Black were messing with my brother. Again. Torturing him for no reason," she accused. "Just ask anyone!"
"Why would they do that?" Dumbledore questioned.
"Because they're . . ." she took a deep, calming breath, just barely cutting off the bad language that wanted to spill from her mouth. "Because they've done it before."
"We would never attack him unprovoked," James declared.
"You see, Miss Snape, something more must have happened that you do not know about," Dumbledore told her.
With those words, Sarah saw red. She lunged at James, whose smug expression fueled her fury. //How could Dumbledore do this? Believe they just because they're Gryffindors?!//
Her fist didn't even connect with James' face. Dumbledore stopped her with a wave of his hand, keeping her suspended in midair. She was furious, he could see that. After a moment of struggling she managed to control herself enough that he felt safe letting her down. He released the spell carefully, just barely above the floor, but as her feet touched the ground, her legs gave out. She remembered being hit with some sort of hex earlier. She hit the floor hard, knocking the wind out of her lungs.
Struggling to breathe, she stood up shakily, her vision swimming. "Six months detention, Miss Snape, for starting a fight and for attacking a fellow student. What you don't serve this school year will continue into the next school year. Also, 100 points from Slytherin."
Everyone stared at the Headmaster. Even the Gryffindors were shocked by the severity of the punishment. Sarah glared death at Dumbledore as she wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, where her split lip had broken open again. "So be it, old man," she said, not bothering to hide the hatred in her voice. She whirled around and slammed the door as she left.
Silence ruled the office for a moment. Severus was shocked at the Headmaster's unfairness. Remus was torn, he wanted to take both sides. Sirius wasn't sure what to think. James, however, had one distinct thought. *Why did we ever call her Ice Princess?* he wondered *When it is obvious that she's a Fire Queen?*
Albus Dumbledore assigned everyone else 2 weeks of detentions and deducted House points. No one said a word, but filed soundlessly out of his office and down to the Hospital Wing.
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Sarah barely made it down the stairs, her head spinning. She knew that she should go to the Infirmary since she was reasonably sure that she had a concussion, but right now she didn't care. All that did matter was getting as far away from Albus bloody Dumbledore as possible without actually leaving Hogwarts.
She ended up at the very edge of the Forbidden Forest, collapsing under a large tree that she sometimes came to to think. She clasped her arms around her legs and rested her head on her knees. She hurt all over.
Sarah started to regulate her breathing like her brother had taught her, to deal with the pain, but her concentration wavered at the thought of Severus. It might not have seemed like it to anyone else, but she knew that he was very angry at her associating with Remus, especially in the way that Sirius had inferred.
Tears pricked at her eyes. Her brother was changing for the worse and she didn't know how to stop it. Today he had used the word Mudblood, which he had never said before, at least in front of her. //Damn Lucius Malfoy for doing this to him// she thought savagely, letting a sob shake her. It had been a long time since she had let herself cry.
An hour later she heard Hagrid's booming voice calling for her. She realized that dinner was past, but couldn't make herself care. //Let them search// she thought wearily.
She fell into a light doze to be awakened by the sound of light footsteps coming in her direction. She tensed, gripping the wand she hadn't dropped since earlier that afternoon even harder than before.
A soft voice reached her ears. "Can I come close without getting hexed, Sarah?"
"What do you want, Lily?" Sarah was surprised at the bitterness in her own tired voice.
Lily padded over to her, the light from her wand brightening the area. The two girls had been good friends since her First Year, along with Severus. It had started as a way to vex the Marauders, but had become genuine very quickly. "I heard about what happened in Dumbledore's office this afternoon. If it's any consolation, even Potter and Black were upset about your punishment." The red-head knelt next to the darker headed girl.
"As if that makes me feel better. Two bastards feeling sorry for me." Her anger was apparent.
"I'm sorry I made things worse earlier."
Sarah looked up into Lily's green eyes. "Severus isn't going to forgive your words, Lils."
"I'm finding it hard to forgive his," Lily replied, her lips thinning.
"I know." To her dismay, Sarah felt a tear fall down her cheek. She'd thought that she had cried herself out. "I don't know what to do to help him."
Lily cupped Sarah's injured cheek gently, compassion shining in her eyes. "Just be there for him. I would be there, too, only he won't want me anymore." Severus and Lily had no romantic interest in each other, but they had been very good friends.
Sarah just sobbed harder, grieving for a loss that hadn't come yet but knew would. Lily pulled her into a hug. She sometimes forgot that the Slytherin was a year younger than herself, because she carried herself so well and was very smart. She stroked her hair, wondering if anyone besides Severus had ever cared for the girl, really cared.
Both the Snapes had so much to offer, but no one seemed to notice. Once you got beneath their cold outer masks, there were two hardy souls who had survived so much. No one but Lily and apparently Remus had ever discovered that contrary to the belief that they felt nothing, the truth of the matter was that they felt everything, perhaps even a little too strongly sometimes.
Like she'd thought before, a pity no one ever bothered to find this out. They were missing out on a lot.
After about another half an hour, Lily led the slightly less distraught girl inside, escorting her to the door of her Common room. She was a prefect, so she knew where it was.
"Good night, Sarah. I'll see you later," Lily told her.
"Night," Sarah replied softly. Taking a deep breath, she added, "Tell Remus not to get angry with anything I say tomorrow, okay? I won't be looked on as anybody if I don't say anything to the group of them."
"Sure," Lily agreed easily. She understood, since she would have done the same thing. She also knew that Remus deserved someone who would love him, and she was certain that Sarah did. "Do your worst."
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The brawl incident did not end that day by the lake. It escalated into a full-out war between the Slytherin and Gryffindor Houses. Of course, except for the day after the Incident when Sarah chewed the Marauders out, she could never be connected to anything that happened to any of them. At least not directly.
Sarah did manage to talk to Remus privately shortly before the final full moon of the school year. They were able to reconcile their differences, especially after Remus apologized for not putting a stop to things sooner.
Sarah realized with a start that she had fallen in love with him.
It scared her half to death.
But it also gave her the extra courage to go to Potter when she heard of a trick that Sirius Black was pulling. "Potter, a word, please," she said almost pleasantly, at least compared to how she normally talked to him.
"Why?" James sneered. He was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, nearly finished with supper.
Lily was sitting nearby and saw the look of barely restrained panic in Sarah's eyes. "I'd talk to her if I were you, Potter," she said smoothly.
James looked at her, surprised. She hadn't spoken to him since the Incident. Reluctantly, he stood and followed Sarah out of the Hall. "What do you want, Ice Princess?" He had decided to continue calling her that even though he knew it didn't fit anymore, mainly because he thought Fire Queen was too complimentary.
"Your friend is out to kill my brother," she said, some of her fear coming into her voice.
"What do you mean?" James said, his voice taking on a dangerous quality.
"I heard Black telling Pettigrew that he had told Sev that Remus and I were having a tryst somewhere tonight. Something also about the Whomping Willow." James paled. "Potter, Remus will kill him and when he turns back he'll go crazy."
"You know?" James hissed, grabbing her arm.
"Yes, have for quite some time, and no, he didn't tell me. Please, James, I don't know where to go. Please, save my brother and Remus," she had never begged anyone for anything ever before, but she was now.
"Of course." James was scared. "I would never curse anyone, even Snivellus, with what Remus goes through, and I even though I hate your brother, I don't wish him dead. And Remus would kill himself if he hurt somebody." He saw one tear fall down her face. "I'm going right now, I swear everything will be alright."
He took off at a dead run out of the castle, heading for the Whomping Willow. //How could Sirius do anything so stupid!// When he felt far enough from the castle he changed into is Animagus form and bound even faster towards the place that Remus went every full moon.
He quickly transformed back and grabbed a nearby stick, prodding the knot and leaping inside. Snape was frozen in fear about halfway down the tunnel, and Remus, now a werewolf and not himself, was running towards him. James jumped in front of Snape and pushed him backwards, breaking his deer- in-the-headlights stance. He yelled, "Go, Snape, get out of here! No, Remus, stop! It's me, James, it's Prongs! Stop!"
Snape scrambled backwards, never tearing his horrified gaze from the tableau before him. James Potter was screaming and pleading with the beast, who paused at the sound of his voice. For a moment Severus swore that he saw the eyes of the werewolf change back to the eyes of Remus Lupin.
James saw this and continued talking to the creature, though he was backing up fast. So fast, in fact, that he bumped into Snape near the exit of the tunnel. "Go, go, go, touch the knot, get out," he urged.
Severus wasted no time, crawling out quickly, followed by James. However, they didn't quite make it out unscathed. Moony didn't get them, but the Whomping Willow did. Touching the knot didn't last long, and the two boys were stumbling in their terror, so the Willow knocked them sprawling several meters away.
James was the first to get up. He clutched his side; he was pretty sure that he had a few broken ribs. Snape was sitting on the ground, his eyes unfocused. James wondered if it was because he had a concussion or because he was reliving what had happened. He decided that it was the latter when Snape jumped and struck out at him when he put a hand on his shoulder.
"Snape, calm down! We have to get to the castle!"
"He's a werewolf! A fucking bloody werewolf! My sister is with a werewolf!" Snape seemed to be freaking out.
"Remus is a good guy! He wouldn't hurt . . . well, anyone but Sirius and perhaps myself at the moment. He would never hurt Sarah!" James defended his friend.
"He's a beast!" Severus snarled. He was going to say more, but was cut off by three figures that were running towards them.
The one in the lead was Sarah. She ran up to Severus and threw her arms around him, crying. "Thank Merlin you're all right! I was so scared, I didn't know what to do, Gods, I love you so much, Sev! What would I do if I lost you? And him! Oh Gods!"
Severus held his sister until he heard that last statement //And him!// "What do you mean, Sari? 'And him!' You're worried about that werewolf?! I can't believe you're worried about that beast!"
"Of course, but you come firs-"Sarah protested.
"You knew before, didn't you?" At her look of guilt, he exploded. "Don't touch me, Sarah! Get away from me if you want to defend him!"
"Mr. Snape, calm down. Let's check you out," one of the other people there was Madam Pomphrey. Sarah had not wanted to go to Dumbledore, but had been reasonably sure that the nurse knew of Remus's condition, so she had fetched her.
Sarah drew away from her brother, her eyes full of hurt, leaving Severus to the nurse's kind attentions. She wrapped her arms around herself, struggling to stop crying. She deftly avoided Dumbledore's gaze; he was the third member of their little entourage, at Madam Pomphrey's insistence.
James watched her standing alone, hugging herself. It struck him again that she felt things keenly and wore ice only to deflect more hurt. It also occurred to him that she really cared for Remus, or those words would never have crossed her lips in front of her brother.
He approached her. She looked up at him, her black eyes wide and full of pain, soul deep and raw edged. He put his hand on her shoulder, offering a measure of comfort. When she didn't shrug it off, he pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shirt. She pulled away a few minutes later, looking embarrassed.
"Don't get me wrong, Princess, I still don't like you. I'm just not a cold-hearted bastard," he told her.
"I understand, Potter. Feelings are mutual, but thanks." She gave him a quirky half-smile, and for a moment he could see what Remus saw in her. He watched her as she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When she opened them again, the difference was apparent. It was like a door had closed on her emotions; her eyes held nothing of what she was feeling. Her face was the same way, blank and impassive, back to the Sarah he knew and hated. "See you around, Potter, Madam, Headmaster." She hesitated. "Severus. I have a detention to attend."
With those pointed words towards Dumbledore, she strode back up to the castle, her back straight, and never looked back.
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James watched her walk to the castle. At the doors she was met by someone else. Though he was too far away to even tell the gender of the person, he still knew that it was Lily Evans. Her hair was unmistakable even from a distance in the dark. He frowned. He wasn't sure if Lily was doing right by befriending the Slytherin or not.
He shrugged. It didn't really matter, anyway, since he had no say in anything that Lily did, though he wished otherwise. Strange as it was, he had loved Lily from the moment he'd laid eyes on her, just like he'd hated Severus Snape at first sight.
James sighed, looking at the other boy, who Madam Pomphrey was still fussing over. He scrutinized him; Snape still looked a little lacking in wits, but the anger in his eyes when they met his was still palpable.
No, nothing would change. Why should it? This was the way Destiny wanted it to be.
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It became apparent that James had been wrong when he had thought that things would not change. They did, in ways that would lead them to their ultimate Fate, which lay unknown for now.
Remus remembered what happened that night in the tunnel of the Shrieking Shack. He remembered all too well. He had fought the wolf inside him with all he had to give James enough time to get Severus out. It scared him that he had barely restrained his wolf-self. It was something that would haunt him for a very long time.
He was also very angry with Sirius, and Sirius knew it. He wasn't sure if their friendship would ever be the same again. He no longer trusted Sirius, at least not like he once had. Remus was also grateful to James for saving his sanity; if he had killed or cursed Severus, he would never have forgiven himself.
And oh, how he loved Sarah. He wondered sometimes, usually in the middle of the night when he had trouble sleeping, why he was so sure of this. After all, he was just over 16 and had most of his life open in front of him. Still, it felt real, moreso than anything he'd ever felt before.
It hurt, to have to pretend dislike of her now. The two of them had agreed that it was in both their best interests to pretend animosity. He would be able to keep his friends and she would have her brother again. James had told him what had happened after the Willow Incident.
He wouldn't know if it worked, however, until next year. Summer hols were now here and he wouldn't see her for months.
Much too long, in his opinion.
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