A/N: I'm very sorry it took so long to update this story. To be honest,
I've suffered from a minor writer's block and lack of time. I still know
where I want to take this, it's only taking a little longer than expected.
I hope you've enjoyed yourselves with the rest of my stories. I've found
that OneShots and short stories are my stronger side, but I'll try to keep
updating this.
Second Chance
Chapter Three: First Days on Hogwarts
Soft light fell through a gap between the heavy velvet curtains in Severus Snape's guest quarters. It was eleven in the morning, and the sun was finally turning its path to the right side of the castle.
In the large four-poster in the middle of the room lie a small shape, seemingly lost in the sheets and blankets. Four pillows were strewn across the bed, and the small person lie between them.
Snape himself came into the room, his robes rustling softly. He stopped on the doorstep to watch the mop of dark hair just visible above one of the blankets. He stared. Blinked. He was not certain what this sight did to him, but he was suddenly reminded that he was dealing with a very young boy by the sight of the small, white, left hand protruding from somewhere under the sheets.
He took a few careful steps forward, trying to keep his robes from rustling too loudly, afraid to wake the boy up before he could get a closer look.
When his shadow fell over the bed, the boy moaned slightly and turned in his sleep. Snape could now see his face. It was smaller than he had thought, and pointy and white. Small freckles were visible on the boy's nose, which pointed slightly upwards, as if in defiance. All in all, if Snape would have wanted to, he could have called the boy pretty, were it not for the fact that he envied him.
Loathed him, even.
Snape started at his thoughts, and sank down onto the bed. He was interrupted in his musings by the boy, who had woken at the sudden sinking of the mattress.
He sat up sleepily, yawned and stretched himself. Snape couldn't help watching in amazement. It was an odd thought for him, and he knew it, but the sight of the boy invariably made him think that life was some sort of miracle. Something magical, mysterious... He shook the thoughts off him.
"Uh," said the boy, blinking against the light. "Good morning."
"Morning," said Snape shortly, quickly getting up from the bed. "Get up quickly. Today, the other students arrive." He walked towards the door.
"Yes sir," the boy said, jumping out of bed quickly.
"Oh, and Sirius," Snape said, turning back, "just this time I will consider to allow you to sit at dinner with the rest of the students. If you show good behaviour."
"Aye, aye, sir!" Sirius said, his face brightening up, saluting. He rummaged around for his clothes and got dressed quickly.
"Teeth!" he heard Snape's voice from the next room. With a sigh, he took up his toothbrush to brush his teeth.
They spend the entire afternoon around the edge of the forest, searching for herbs Snape needed for Potions. Sirius enjoyed being out a lot, and sometimes wandered off to chase a butterfly. He was always called back by Snape almost instantly.
Hagrid and Dumbledore watched them from a large wooden bench in front of Hagrid's hut, while they were sipping tea.
"You think it good, Headmaster?" Hagrid asked, squinting at the two dark figures, one frolicking around, the other bowing down to look at something, a basket dangling from his arm.
"No," said Dumbledore, pouting slightly. "I do not think it good at all. But such is Severus's plan. And you know Severus, Hagrid, once he has a plan..." His voice trailed off as he watched the boy chase another large butterfly and bump straight into his guardian. He sighed.
Hagrid looked around at his Headmaster. "You think I should 'ave a word with 'im?" he said. Dumbledore shook his head. "But what are yeh goin' ter do about it then?"
"Nothing," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly as he now turned to Hagrid. "I think this might even be beneficial to both of them and us, but only if Severus lets us give him advice now and then. After all, he is no parent." Hagrid chuckled.
"Nah, he ain't really," he said, offering Dumbledore some self-made biscuits.
~*~*~
The Great Hall was buzzing with voices and excitement. Everyone anticipated Dumbledore's speech after the Sorting Ceremony was over. It did not take long; the Headmaster rose from his seat and everyone fell quiet, except perhaps a few at the Slytherin table.
"Dear students," Dumbledore began. "It does me great pleasure to have all of you back in one piece. Before I start this year and this feast officially, I would like your attention for a few things.
"First years, please note that the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden to all students. Mr Filch, the caretaker, has an expanding list of all objects now prohibited to be in your possession. This includes a large number of products from the Wizard Wheezes catalogue." Quite a few older students groaned, and Dumbledore paused to smile.
"However, if these objects are not in your possession when you walk through the corridors, I will be the last to object." Filch scowled at this news. His temper had taken a turn for the worse now that everything was back to normal and there was no prospect of Umbridge returning.
"I would also like to introduce our new teacher Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Benighty." It was Snape's turn to scowl. Professor Benighty was a kind looking man in his fifties, with a large, chocolate brown moustache, big, hairy eyebrows and slightly hollow cheeks.
"Last, but not least, I would like to introduce a first year student who has not been Sorted, and who will not be Sorted, on the explicit wishes of his guardian, Professor Snape," Dumbledore went on, a slightly unhappier note in his voice. He gestured to the small boy sitting next to Snape. He was looking curiously at all the faces, turned to him about as curiously. "He will be attending first year classes," Dumbledore went on, "but he will not sleep in a first year dormitory, nor will he eat most meals here."
There was a murmur among the students. Snape glared around murderously, daring anyone to speak up about it. Harry did not like it at all, but there was little he could do. Sirius seemed to genuinely pleased with all the attention, though. On closer look, Harry thought, he looked even quite healthy, as if he had been out a lot in the past two weeks. It puzzled him.
After the feast, everyone slowly left for their common rooms and dormitories. Snape took Sirius down to the dungeons without speaking to him.
When Sirius had undressed and stepped into his bed, he said, "Why can't I eat in the Great Hall?"
Snape was contemplating his answer for a moment, tucking the boy in. "Because you are an outsider, like me," he said. "You do not really belong to a group anymore."
It was not the full answer, and Snape knew it. He wanted Sirius to be more unbiased than anyone else. If any generation had a chance on building a peaceful world after the Dark Lord, it would be those of Sirius's current age. It was also a twisted way of getting revenge, but he was unwilling to admit that.
"Can I please have a friend, sir?" Sirius asked, looking up at him with large, puppy-dog eyes. Snape could not prevent a small, lopsided grin to appear on his face.
"I will see if I find anyone fit amongst the students," he said, turning to leave the room.
Pondering over the request, he could come up with three students he would allow in Sirius's vicinity.
A/N: well, that's it for now. Hope you liked it sufficiently. Next chapter: who IS Sirius allowed to talk to?
Second Chance
Chapter Three: First Days on Hogwarts
Soft light fell through a gap between the heavy velvet curtains in Severus Snape's guest quarters. It was eleven in the morning, and the sun was finally turning its path to the right side of the castle.
In the large four-poster in the middle of the room lie a small shape, seemingly lost in the sheets and blankets. Four pillows were strewn across the bed, and the small person lie between them.
Snape himself came into the room, his robes rustling softly. He stopped on the doorstep to watch the mop of dark hair just visible above one of the blankets. He stared. Blinked. He was not certain what this sight did to him, but he was suddenly reminded that he was dealing with a very young boy by the sight of the small, white, left hand protruding from somewhere under the sheets.
He took a few careful steps forward, trying to keep his robes from rustling too loudly, afraid to wake the boy up before he could get a closer look.
When his shadow fell over the bed, the boy moaned slightly and turned in his sleep. Snape could now see his face. It was smaller than he had thought, and pointy and white. Small freckles were visible on the boy's nose, which pointed slightly upwards, as if in defiance. All in all, if Snape would have wanted to, he could have called the boy pretty, were it not for the fact that he envied him.
Loathed him, even.
Snape started at his thoughts, and sank down onto the bed. He was interrupted in his musings by the boy, who had woken at the sudden sinking of the mattress.
He sat up sleepily, yawned and stretched himself. Snape couldn't help watching in amazement. It was an odd thought for him, and he knew it, but the sight of the boy invariably made him think that life was some sort of miracle. Something magical, mysterious... He shook the thoughts off him.
"Uh," said the boy, blinking against the light. "Good morning."
"Morning," said Snape shortly, quickly getting up from the bed. "Get up quickly. Today, the other students arrive." He walked towards the door.
"Yes sir," the boy said, jumping out of bed quickly.
"Oh, and Sirius," Snape said, turning back, "just this time I will consider to allow you to sit at dinner with the rest of the students. If you show good behaviour."
"Aye, aye, sir!" Sirius said, his face brightening up, saluting. He rummaged around for his clothes and got dressed quickly.
"Teeth!" he heard Snape's voice from the next room. With a sigh, he took up his toothbrush to brush his teeth.
They spend the entire afternoon around the edge of the forest, searching for herbs Snape needed for Potions. Sirius enjoyed being out a lot, and sometimes wandered off to chase a butterfly. He was always called back by Snape almost instantly.
Hagrid and Dumbledore watched them from a large wooden bench in front of Hagrid's hut, while they were sipping tea.
"You think it good, Headmaster?" Hagrid asked, squinting at the two dark figures, one frolicking around, the other bowing down to look at something, a basket dangling from his arm.
"No," said Dumbledore, pouting slightly. "I do not think it good at all. But such is Severus's plan. And you know Severus, Hagrid, once he has a plan..." His voice trailed off as he watched the boy chase another large butterfly and bump straight into his guardian. He sighed.
Hagrid looked around at his Headmaster. "You think I should 'ave a word with 'im?" he said. Dumbledore shook his head. "But what are yeh goin' ter do about it then?"
"Nothing," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly as he now turned to Hagrid. "I think this might even be beneficial to both of them and us, but only if Severus lets us give him advice now and then. After all, he is no parent." Hagrid chuckled.
"Nah, he ain't really," he said, offering Dumbledore some self-made biscuits.
~*~*~
The Great Hall was buzzing with voices and excitement. Everyone anticipated Dumbledore's speech after the Sorting Ceremony was over. It did not take long; the Headmaster rose from his seat and everyone fell quiet, except perhaps a few at the Slytherin table.
"Dear students," Dumbledore began. "It does me great pleasure to have all of you back in one piece. Before I start this year and this feast officially, I would like your attention for a few things.
"First years, please note that the Forbidden Forest is indeed forbidden to all students. Mr Filch, the caretaker, has an expanding list of all objects now prohibited to be in your possession. This includes a large number of products from the Wizard Wheezes catalogue." Quite a few older students groaned, and Dumbledore paused to smile.
"However, if these objects are not in your possession when you walk through the corridors, I will be the last to object." Filch scowled at this news. His temper had taken a turn for the worse now that everything was back to normal and there was no prospect of Umbridge returning.
"I would also like to introduce our new teacher Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor Benighty." It was Snape's turn to scowl. Professor Benighty was a kind looking man in his fifties, with a large, chocolate brown moustache, big, hairy eyebrows and slightly hollow cheeks.
"Last, but not least, I would like to introduce a first year student who has not been Sorted, and who will not be Sorted, on the explicit wishes of his guardian, Professor Snape," Dumbledore went on, a slightly unhappier note in his voice. He gestured to the small boy sitting next to Snape. He was looking curiously at all the faces, turned to him about as curiously. "He will be attending first year classes," Dumbledore went on, "but he will not sleep in a first year dormitory, nor will he eat most meals here."
There was a murmur among the students. Snape glared around murderously, daring anyone to speak up about it. Harry did not like it at all, but there was little he could do. Sirius seemed to genuinely pleased with all the attention, though. On closer look, Harry thought, he looked even quite healthy, as if he had been out a lot in the past two weeks. It puzzled him.
After the feast, everyone slowly left for their common rooms and dormitories. Snape took Sirius down to the dungeons without speaking to him.
When Sirius had undressed and stepped into his bed, he said, "Why can't I eat in the Great Hall?"
Snape was contemplating his answer for a moment, tucking the boy in. "Because you are an outsider, like me," he said. "You do not really belong to a group anymore."
It was not the full answer, and Snape knew it. He wanted Sirius to be more unbiased than anyone else. If any generation had a chance on building a peaceful world after the Dark Lord, it would be those of Sirius's current age. It was also a twisted way of getting revenge, but he was unwilling to admit that.
"Can I please have a friend, sir?" Sirius asked, looking up at him with large, puppy-dog eyes. Snape could not prevent a small, lopsided grin to appear on his face.
"I will see if I find anyone fit amongst the students," he said, turning to leave the room.
Pondering over the request, he could come up with three students he would allow in Sirius's vicinity.
A/N: well, that's it for now. Hope you liked it sufficiently. Next chapter: who IS Sirius allowed to talk to?