Chapter 5
A skinny little boy was walking through a bright, golden clearing. The setting sun lit up every blade of grass like drops of water in the ocean. The boy closed his eyes and smiled up at the sun, opened his arms wide, in what was then a characteristic gesture, and fell back onto the soft grass. He lay soaking in the warmth and squinted toward the glinting light; his short black hair falling away from his forehead. Turning to the side, he saw a line of ants marching through a gap in the grasses. He propped himself up on an elbow and watched their progress in wonder.
Suddenly, movement! He sat up carefully, scanning the area around him until he saw the small brown mass in the distance. He got to his scuffed knees and parted the grass to have a better look. Yes, it was exactly what he had thought. He began to crawl slowly along the ground, the grass smoothly swishing past his skin.
The brown blur began to take shape as he approached it. Two long, slender ears interrupted the never-ending waves of thin blades, twitching and turning for the slightest sound.
When the boy felt that he could go no closer without being noticed, he gathered his legs underneath him and crouched, focused on the two dainty ears not ten feet from him.
He sprang! The ears instantly spun around and raced in the opposite direction. He galloped after them, bringing his knees up high to avoid tripping through the grass. The rabbit was outrunning him slightly, but he could still see it not fifteen feet away, veering madly. They raced across the clearing and down the hill that the boy knew so well to the edge trees. The grasses had faded away to soft, leaf covered ground that had settled flat from a recent rain. The boy knew that the stream was approaching, and abruptly the racing rodent had stopped at the bank. He stood just a few paces from it, and its glittering eyes that were widened with fear met his own black eyes.
"I won't hurt you, little fellow," he cooed in his youthful voice, inching closer. Small beams of light fell through chinks in the foliage, making the ripples in the stream sparkle like jewels. The little rabbit twitched its nose and shot down a thin log leaning across the waters.
He knew when he was beat. There was no following it now. Sighing good-naturedly, he pulled his expensive, brown leather shoes off along with his socks and sat on the edge of the stream. The water splashed pleasantly, cool between his toes. He hastily rolled his slacks up to mid-thigh, revealing olive skin that had been tanned from weeks of romping under the summer sun. He grinned as he slid down the short bank and into the lapping water. It came up to his knees, but then no further. The water was clear like glass and looking down, he could see the smooth river stones. They felt slimy beneath his soles as he teetered his way across the stream, his shoes and socks gripped tightly in one hand.
He scrambled up the opposite bank and flopped down onto the dry leaves. He decided to let his feet dry in the warm air before putting his shoes back on, which made him notice that the air was becoming cooler. Glancing up at the sun to see that it had sunken far lower than he had expected, he leapt to his feet and sprinted off into the woods.
Minutes later he reached the break in the trees, panting and looked back at the sun long enough to know that it was very late. Over one more hill, and he could see the gray stone of the manor in the distance. There were already orange glows coming from a few of the many windows and his stomach sank.
Then he heard it. It was very faint, but he knew that he heard it. It rode the chilly wind up the hill to meet him, causing his stomach to sink even lower with dread. His pace slowed, as if his feet were willing him to turn away from the orange lights, but he knew that he had to trudge on or it would be even worse.
The sky was clouding over as he neared the end of the mall. Normally green trees surrounding the estate had turned to black silhouettes against the skyline. The smell of an impending storm filled the air; the smell of earth and rain and electricity. Now the sound was unmistakable. Nasal notes flowed from the windows of the bottom floor of the house with growing volume.
The comforting grass under his feet came to an end much too soon. At the front steps, he sat and slipped on his shoes and socks silently, though the abrasive music blasted through ever crack in the house. He stood and slowly reached for the doorknob as if it might bite him, and pushed the door open with a creak.
Scottish bagpipes blared through the entrance, throbbing in his ears. He cautiously stepped over the threshold, darting his eyes from side to side. In the empty lounge at the front of the house, the enchanted record player spun with ferocity. Seeing no one, he tiptoed through the entrance hall and towards the great curved staircase in the middle of the dark room. The sounds bounced off the high, ornate ceiling of the hall in an eerie fashion as he carefully climbed each step.
Dreading the possibility of confrontation, the boy reached the landing and walked swiftly past other doors to his own bedroom. The room was dark as he pushed through the door and closed and locked it behind him. He realized he was panting as he fumbled in the dim light for his candlestick and matches on the table next to the entrance. Hands shaking, he tried to light the first match and the box slipped from his fingers. He dropped to his feet frantically, but stopped himself.
He took a deep, calming breath and began to feel around in the blackness for the matches. In the new silence, he heard a sound that made him freeze. Cold tingles ran up his neck and covered his scalp.
A low, raspy wheezing was coming from the other side of the room.
Miraculously, his fingertips found the matchbox and he madly struck another match and bent to light the candle. The light cast up onto his cheekbones as he swallowed and turned to face the wheezing. His eyes snapped open in shock.
"Mother!" he gasped and rushed to the jumbled heap of emerald skirts and robes lying on the floor behind his bed. He lifted her head from the floor as if it was a bird's egg and, supporting her back, brought the figure up to his chest.
"Don't worry Mother, I'm here," he panted. He looked anxiously from her face to the bed, weighing whether he could lift her or not. He decided she was too heavy; he was tall for his age but possessed almost no muscle. He gently laid her crumpled form down on the floor again, and started to stand when he looked to his hands and gasped.
They were covered in blood.
"Oh my god..." he whispered, slowly backing away. His back hit something solid and warm and he snapped around. In the dim candlelight he made out the tall form of a man standing behind him.
"Father? Oh Father, help me! It's Mother! She's hurt," he gasped, turning to point to the woman on the floor. Suddenly, he heard a murmur and felt his arms snap to his sides. Rough hands grabbed him around his middle and threw him down onto the bed. He managed to turn his head to see the man raising his wand.
"Father? Stop! Let me go! We've got to help Mother!" he yelled, struggling against the spell that was binding his limbs. The man advanced towards him and he suddenly felt cold fear seeping into his chest. The candle had gone out, and the end of the wand began to glow orange and slowly turned white.
"Father...please..." he whimpered pitifully. The white-hot light drew closer and closer to his face and he turned his eyes away from it and gritted his teeth.
Searing, unbearable pain erupted on his neck! He screeched into the mattress underneath his face, and was just about to turn when the pain hit him again. This time, it didn't just touch his delicate skin, but felt as if it was being driven through to his very spine. Just when he thought he would pass out from the excruciating burn, it pulled away, leaving him sobbing into the fabric of his quilt.
As if the sensation was far away, he felt his pants being violently ripped from his legs.
"No-...why--..." he sobbed. Without warning, the white-hot wand jammed back into his neck and he screamed until he couldn't breath. His cries mingled with the bagpipes still emanating from the room below. A new kind of pain began to wrack its way through his body as he lost the last sliver of thought and his mind succumbed to the darkness.
"No!" Severus yelped and snapped up. His eyes raced around his surroundings and his hands clutched the damp sheets. Sweat and hair clung to his face and neck.
Where am I?!
The previous night came back to him in a rush: detention, Black, the bed in the attic. He sat with gritted teeth for a moment longer, and then succumbed to the shuddering sobs that had been aching at his throat.
Slowly, he lowered his head back to the pillows, sob after sob wrenching through his lips. Clutching the back of his neck, he desperately tried to grasp what he had been dreaming about. As always, the pain was still there but the memory had vanished into the night. This is why he had been so angry with Black for asking how he received the scars:
He couldn't remember.
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Severus woke early the next morning to a sharp rapping on his bed frame.
"Severus? Are you awake?" came the whisper. Severus squinted his eyes at the red hangings. Golden light twinkled through their fibers like...grasses?
He shook his head and sat up. "I'm awake."
There was a pause. "Severus, if you're saying something, you'll have to pull back the curtains, remember?"
He sighed impatiently and tugged the curtain back. The light momentarily blinded him, and he could then make out the form of a boy holding a towel.
"Black?" he said, rubbing his eyes.
Remus chuckled. "I'm afraid not. I'm your friendly morning wake-up call." He grinned. "Come on. We'd better hurry if we want to avoid traffic."
Severus saw out of the corner of his eye that his trunk was sitting next to the bed. He slipped his feet out from under the covers and down onto the icy floor. As he opened the trunk, he didn't even notice that the hinges were both functional. His eyes widened when he picked out a perfectly round, unbroken record. Looking further into the trunk, he saw that there was a stack of them, good as new. He turned to Remus with a confused expression.
"How did these...did you-" he began. Remus looked equally confused. "Did you go through my things?"
Remus replied with a bemused smile. "I haven't touched it, mate. I just brought the thing up here. Why?"
Severus looked back to the perfect record in his hands. "These were...all broken."
Remus walked over and gently took the record. He turned it over a few times. "Well, they don't seem to be broken anymore, do they?" He squinted at the label. "Ah!"
Severus started. "What? Do you know how it happened?"
Remus grinned down at the disc. "No, but I love this album. You've got good taste," he said, handing back the record to a scowling Severus.
"Hurry now," Remus said again. "The prefects may sleep in, but not 'til noon."
Severus gingerly stood and followed Remus quietly to the door of the attic.
"Come to think of it, though," Remus whispered as they reached the common room, "Sirius always has been a crackerjack repair charmer."
¥
Sirius finished his third O.W.L. with relative ease. Transfiguration, though it generally didn't show in his grades, was one of his best subjects. Instead of leaving the Great Hall immediately after the exam, he picked up his bag and leaned against one of the archways, waiting for the long tables to reappear for lunch.
McGonagall walked to the center of the room and surveyed it. Satisfied that there were no students left at the desks, she walked to one of the archways and turned back to face the enourmous room. She withdrew her wand from her robes and with a quick jab, the hundreds of desks began to rattle and move across the floor. They butt up against one another into the shape of four lines, and for a moment, Sirius thought that they would simply pile up. With a loud crack the desks instantly melted together. Only then did Sirius realize that the finish on the desks had been the same as the house tables.
No matter how long I am at this school, it always finds new ways to amaze me, he thought with a smile. Chattering students began pouring in and taking seats at the newly formed tables. Sirius walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat, throwing his bag underneath his seat. Remus emerged from the arches and Sirius greeted him with a wave. Upon reaching the table, Remus swung his leg over the seat next to Sirius.
"How did our friend fare this morning?" Sirius said quietly. Remus began pulling sandwiches from a platter in the middle of the table and gave the other boy a sly grin.
"Oh, fine," he said. "No problems. It was actually kind of funny. He thought that I was going to get in the big bath too. Turned bright red, he did."
Sirius felt a sudden flash of anger. He confusedly pushed it back down, but eyed Remus suspiciously. "And you didn't, right?"
Remus snorted into his milk. "No," he said, rolling his eyes. "You know I don't like baths. Showers are much better... Why?"
Sirius shrugged and bit into a turkey and salami sandwich. Remus glanced briefly around them and leaned closer.
"He was a bit confused this morning about his trunk, though. Apparently somebody had been...messing with it. Any idea who that could have been?" he asked, smiling mischievously.
Sirius faltered for a moment, then continued eating his sandwich. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Hands clapped down on both their shoulders and they jumped. "Hey fellas! What's for lunch?" James hopped into the seat on the other side of Sirius and began piling his plate with food.
"By Jove! Salami! My favorite!" he managed to say before stuffing his face. Sirius calmed down and rolled his eyes.
"Everything's your favorite, Prongs."
James didn't seem to hear the comment. "So guys, I was thinking about that new flying technique I was trying, right? Well, I've been going over it in my head, and I decided that it would really work a lot better if I added a twist at the end and gradually turned to..." he began, but Sirius didn't bother to listen to the rest. He loved playing Quidditch, but not talking about it all the time. Instead, his gaze slowly drifted down the table, while trying to nod to James in the right places. His eye caught on a black head that was much higher above others.
Well he looks a bit out of place, he thought with a smile as he saw Snape. I wonder how long he's been eating down there. Snape was sitting, slightly hunched over, in the middle of a group of girls. Squinting, Sirius could see that Lily was sitting at the scrawny boy's side. Now that's a surprise. I guess they're getting on all right then. It explains him sitting at our table...
Snape looked at Lily and gave what could have almost been a small smile. He picked up a sandwich and began taking small bites from it. Sirius raptly watched the way Snape held out his pinkie as he ate the sandwich. The way his shirt bunched at his elbows. The way his hair fell over his collar. The way his hair curved along his jaw...
Sirius shook his head slightly. I was thinking about the scars, that's what it was, he assured himself. Those scars... He was still very curious about the marks, especially after Snape's reaction to the mention of them. He went over the events of the previous evening, cringing at his hasty words, and stopped at the moments after he had been revived.
"Black...please. My parents cannot be contacted." Snape had said. Sirius's breath caught.
Those scars... And when he mentioned his parents, his expression... It was almost like he was- frightened. Yes that's what it was... He was frightened! His eyes widened at the possibilities.
Suddenly the absurdity of the idea hit him. It just couldn't be possible. The Snapes were one of the most esteemed families in England. It simply couldn't be. Someone would have known. Thoughts of his own, highly esteemed, family floated through his mind and he felt a drop of comprehension.
He glanced back again at the scrawny boy who was now sipping out of a flagon. What he had always seen as malicious black eyes suddenly softened before his gaze into something very sad...sad and alone. Somebody would have known...Snape turned and looked over his shoulder, and for one electric moment their eyes met.
"Sirius!" someone yelled in his ear and he started. James was looking at him intently.
"You don't have to shout, Jim," he said, rubbing his ear. James looked at him seriously.
"You weren't answering me." He paused. "Padfoot...are you sure about Lily? I mean about me giving her a try?"
Sirius gave his friend a look of disbelief and sighed. "Jim, I told you already, it's fine. Why won't you just believe me?"
"Then what were you looking at just now?" James said, puzzled. "You looked positively lovesick."
"What? I did not! I was just..." Inspiration hit. "I was just wondering why Snape was sitting down there with her."
James seemed confused for a moment and adjusted his glasses. He leaned back and very noticeably looked down the table to see Lily punching Snape in the shoulder. Sirius suddenly realized that mentioning this information was probably a mistake. James started to get up from his chair.
"Why that greasy-"
"James!" Sirius whispered, grabbing James's arm. "Don't. Remember what happened the last time you bothered with Snape?"
James grudgingly sat back down and folded his arms across his chest. "Why's he over there? I don't want that greasy Slytherin at our table." Sirius frowned.
"I don't know, but he wouldn't be sitting with Lily unless she wanted him to, would he? Just cool it."
He handed James a flagon of pumpkin juice and turned to put his things back into his bag. "Here, drink this. I'm going up to the tower. I'll be right back." He rose and started out of the room.
Severus had been having a pleasant lunch. Lily had found him in the hallways a few hours before and they had gone to take the Transfiguration exam together. She had looped her arm through his, which he had thought was very peculiar behavior. Being so close to the girl had made him feel very tall and awkward, and as they had walked into the Great Hall, he could feel eyes boring into him from all directions. But Lily seemed to enjoy his company, and he decided that he would be a gentleman and not pull his arm away.
Now they were eating lunch and Lily's arm was once again touching his. She must just not realize it, he thought, thoroughly aware of the warm weight against his skinny bicep. She turned to him and gave him what he thought was a warm smile and offered him another sandwich. He unsuccessfully tried to smile back and took the plate from her gently.
"So how do you think you did on the exam, Severus?" she asked.
"Oh, fair I think,' he replied and began to eat his sandwich. He then realized that he should ask her the same. "Do you think you did well?"
Lily scoffed. "Are you kidding? Transfiguration's my worst subject. I've already accepted the fact that I'll do lousy on it. I've just got to ace all my others." Severus smirked and took another bite of sandwich.
"It's hard to believe you're bad at anything," he commented, missing Lily's blush completely. "If you'd like, I can help you out with it." He felt the weight of Lily's arm press even tighter against his own.
"Oh Severus, that would be wonderful!" she said, beaming. Severus was briefly surprised but went back to quietly eating his lunch. He picked up his glass of pumpkin juice and took a sip but felt a strange tingling on his neck. He glanced down the table to see that Black was looking right at him.
"Isn't this cozy?" said a sneering voice behind them. They both turned to see Malfoy and his cronies standing in the aisle.
"Snape and his Mudblood," he said mockingly. The two boys at his side guffawed.
"Well boys, now at least we know where he's been sleeping," he said contemptuously.
Severus was vaguely aware of Lily shouting something and a hand holding him back, but he brushed it away and drew back his fist. Malfoy's smirk melted away as Severus began to swing and imagine knocking out a few of those perfect white teeth.
Suddenly, a hand stronger than Lily's gripped his elbow. He was shocked to see Sirius Black standing between himself and Malfoy.
"Get lost, Malfoy," Black almost growled.
Malfoy looked stunned, but quickly regained his composure. "I was leaving anyways," he smirked, though obviously dubious about the taller teen standing before him. He flipped his platinum hair over his shoulder and stalked off, followed closely by his two thugs.
Sirius swung around, gripped Snape's shoulder and roughly pushed him towards one of the archways. He tightened his grip on the skinnier boy to almost bruising as they stumbled into a dark corridor. Snape wrenched free of his hand and stopped, glaring. Sirius glared right back.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sirius shouted.
"What am I doing?!" Snape snarled in disbelief.
"Yeah, you! Just because I let you take a pot-shot at me, it doesn't mean you can go knocking everyone out!"
"I'll knock out whomever I please, and it's no business of yours!" Snape roared.
"Oh, yes it is! If you get in trouble again they'll tell our parents!"
"You said you didn't care about that!"
"Well you said you did!" Sirius retorted. Snape paused for a moment and seemed to be calming himself.
"You didn't hear what he said. You would have done the same thing," he hissed.
Sirius was taken aback by this subtle comparison and realized he was panting. "You're probably right. But I wouldn't have been lucky enough to have someone there to stop me."
"I could have handled it on my own! I don't need your help!"
Sirius smirked. "Oh, yes. You were doing a simply bang up job. And what were you going to tell McGonagall, huh? 'Sorry professor, but he had it coming to him.' Crabby old professors aren't nearly as forgiving as I am."
Snape's eyes flashed at him. "And what do you care about whether or not my parents are told? You're supposed to hate me!"
"I do hate you!"
"I hate you too!
They stood panting and glaring at each other. Slowly, a smile began to tug at Sirius's mouth. His face broke into a grin and he shook his head. Snape looked positively livid.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry," Sirius said, chuckling. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at what we just said."
Snape rolled his eyes, but seemed to relax a bit. Sirius stepped towards him and extended a hand.
"Truce?" he asked with a tired smile. Snape hesitated for a long moment before grasping Sirius's hand with his own.
"For now." They shook hands firmly and Sirius looked Snape directly in the eyes. In the dim light, Snape's eyes looked almost purple, and his skin was soft and cool to the touch. Looking down, Sirius realized that their hands had stopped shaking and his stomach fluttered. He quickly pulled away.
"Well," he began, carding his fingers through his hair, "I'll let you get back to lunch."
Snape was looking at his hand with wide eyes, but shoved it hastily into his pocket. "Yes, I... I suppose so."
"I am serious though," Sirius said, cringing at the horrid pun, "You've got to control that temper of yours." They turned and walked back down the corridor and out into the daylight.
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Sirius was going to walk back up to the tower, but after the encounter with Snape, he found that he couldn't remember why he had wanted to go there in the first place. So after he was sure that Snape had made it back to his seat, he looped around and headed back to James and Remus.
"Well you sure look happy. D'you win the Galleon Draw or something?" James said into his flagon.
Sirius hadn't realized he was smiling quite so widely and immediately straightened his face as he sat. At that moment, Peter raced up and slid into the next seat.
"Sorry I'm late fellas! Boy, do I have something to tell you!"
Sirius stifled a yawn and tried to look interested. Remus seemed to be honestly paying attention. "Yeah Petey? What is it?"
Peter clutched his fists excitedly. "Well, I had this idea! For a business, like." He leaned in closer.
"I've come across something really special, see? And I'm just positive I'll make a killing with 'em," he whispered. Peter wasn't usually so enthused about any of his own endeavors, so Sirius leaned in, genuinely curious. James simply leaned back and rolled his eyes.
"He told me already. Don't listen to him...you'll just be disappointed," he sighed. Peter huffed and squinted at the bespectacled boy.
"You're just jealous 'cause you didn't think of it first," he squeaked.
James leaned closer and nodded sarcastically. "You're right Pete. It's a brilliant idea. Go ahead and tell them."
Peter didn't seem to notice James's sarcasm as he turned back to Sirius and Remus. "All right, as I was saying, I've found something really important. I'm going to try to sell them around school for at least ten knuts a piece!"
This caught Sirius's attention. "Ten knuts a piece! Merlin, Pete! What are they? How many do you have?"
Peter gave a nervous little smile and gestured for them to gather closer.
"Five...thousand!"
Sirius nearly fell out of his seat. He grabbed Peter's arm. "Peter...mate...are you telling me that you have five thousand of something worth ten knuts each? Why that's almost-"
"Just over one-hundred galleons," Peter beamed. James scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, frowning. But Sirius didn't hear, and neither did Remus for that matter. They were imagining all that one hundred galleons could buy.
"All right, Pete. You've got me convinced," Sirius said. "Now, what is it exactly that you have?"
Peter gave a wary look up and down the aisle before pulling his satchel out from under his seat.
"Now, you mustn't tell anyone," he began, clutching the bag to his chest. Sirius and Remus exchanged an excited grin.
"All right...here!" Peter whipped something out of his bag and dumped its contents on the table. Sirius grinned and peered down to see that it was a pile of...
He picked up one of the brown rings, pinched both ends of it and pulled. It stretched. He cast a confused glance up to Peter, who grimaced excitedly and gave a little squeak.
"I say, Peter...Aren't these...ah, rubber bands?"
Peter squeaked again. "Oh, is that what their called? They're wonderful aren't they?"
Sirius gaped at Peter with disbelief before shaking his head again. "Uh...yes! My, they are very...stretchy. Right, Remus?
Remus looked equally dumbfounded, weaving a band around his fingers. "Yes Pete, they're...brilliant. Yes, that's right. Brilliant." He forced a smile.
"Oh, I knew it! And you won't believe how cheap they were!" Peter squealed.
Sirius couldn't hold a smile any longer. "Peter, are you saying you actually bought these?"
Peter's face fell. "Well...yeah. I mean...that's usually how you get things, isn't it?"
Sirius found himself shocked beyond words. "Er...yes! Yes, of course, Peter. How much did you say you wanted for those again?" Sirius asked quickly, digging into his pockets for any change.
"Oh, Sirius, you don't have to buy one! I'll give it to you. After all, there are five thousand." Peter beamed, though he was looking a bit unsure. Sirius began to pull his hands back out of his pockets when Remus pinched his side.
"Of course we'll pay for them, Peter. We want to be your first official customers, don't we Sirius?"
Sirius gaped back at him. "We do?" Remus pinched him again. "I mean, we do! Yes, of course we do! Ten knuts then, Petey?"
Peter shook with excitement. "Yes, that's right! Ten a piece."
Sirius gave Remus a dirty look as they each passed over ten of the little bronze coins. Peter giddily pocketed the money and turned back to his friends.
"All right. Your choice," he said, gesturing grandly towards the huge pile of rubber bands.
Sirius surveyed the pile before picking one right off the top. "Yes," he said, stretching the band. "This one seems particularly...resilient. It's mine."
Remus picked one off the side and gave Peter an earnest grin before pulling it over his wrist. Peter grinned back and began stuffing the bands back into his satchel.
"Well, I'm off then! You two have proven to me that this is indeed a market worth pursuing!" He squeaked once more, swung his bag over his shoulder and scurried off.
Sirius sat staring at the bit of brown rubber that he held between his fingers. Remus snapped his own gently against his wrist.
"Remus, old boy...are you sure that was an entirely wise thing to do?" Remus looked back at him annoyed.
"Well what you have me do, Sirius? Tell him he was off his rocker?"
Sirius rested his face in his hands. "No, but he'll be a bloody laughing stock if he tries to actually sell those to anyone!"
"Well," Remus said thoughtfully, "who knows? Maybe people will buy them..."
James pounded Sirius on the back. "Sure Remus. And Sirius here will kiss Snape full on the lips. It just isn't going to happen." He slowly stood and picked up his own bag. "I'm going down to the pitch to try that Quidditch thing I was talking about earlier. You two want to come with me?"
Sirius cringed at the reference of him and Snape, and then sighed. "Sure Jim. Come on, then, Remus." Sirius slid the rubber band over his wrist and followed the other two boys out of the Hall.
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What just happened? Severus wondered as he went back to his own seat at the Gryffindor table. Lily greeted him with a worried smile.
"Well? What did he say?" she asked patiently. Severus sat rigidly on the bench and withdrew his hand from his pocket to give it a brief glance.
"Severus...? Are you all right?"
He shoved his hand back into his pocket again. "Yes, Lily. I'm fine."
Lily gave him an appraising look. "You don't look fine. Merlin, what did he say?"
Severus straightened up and relaxed. "Nothing really. Just told me to watch my temper. He's just scared for himself. If I get into trouble, McGonagall will notify our parents, you know."
"Oh, Severus, you don't really think that's the only reason he's helping you, do you?"
Severus did his best to look incredulous. "And why else would he want to help me?"
"Oh, I don't know," Lily said thoughtfully. "I know that you two have always hated each other, but he seems to be...coming around or something. I think he likes you all right."
"Ha!" Severus scoffed. "Bully for him... I'll just be glad when these detentions are over." Lily picked up her bag and stood uncertainly.
"Severus...could you come with me for a minute? There's something I'd like to show you." Severus absentmindedly rose with his satchel and followed Lily out of the hall. He didn't notice all the amused faces turned to watch them.
They strode down the corridor outside the Great Hall, and after a minute Severus found Lily's hand in his. This action didn't puzzle him anymore; Lily had held his hand so many times before, it had almost begun to comfort him. Over the last few days, Severus had taken an extreme liking to Lily. It could have had something to do with the fact that she didn't hate him like everyone else, of course, but she was also a very nice girl. It was just pleasant to have a friend.
Yes, he mused as they walked, If I could have a sister, I'd want her to be just like Lily.
In truth, he really did want the detentions to end. There was something peculiar happening during those hours that was really a bit frightening. He couldn't even explain it. He thought that he was just imagining things during the first detention. That moment when he had first touched Black's hand...
"Severus?" Lily asked quietly, jerking him out of his thoughts. "We're here."
He suddenly saw that Lily had led him through a great stone doorway into what looked to be the Astronomy tower. The afternoon sun shone across the large, open balcony and glinted off of the empty telescope stands lazily. Lily slowly walked from the entrance where they stood to the short wall around the perimeter of the balcony.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said, folding her arms. Severus walked over to stand next to her. He glanced over the edge to see that they were at least twenty stories off the ground. From this height, he could see almost all of the north side of the Hogwarts grounds. The trees surrounding the land were already turning red and yellow for the fall. There were students lounging on the grass next to the lake and the sun painted everything a rich golden hue. Off to the right was the Quidditch pitch, where Severus could see a few Gryffindors practicing. Lily took Severus's hand again.
"I come up here sometimes," she said softly. "To think and stuff." Her other arm was swinging idly at her side and she was biting her lip.
Strange. She seems...nervous or something.
"There are almost never any people up here during the day. Everyone comes here at night. I don't know why...I think that the night time is seriously overrated."
Severus squinted distractedly out at the scenery. "People come here at night? Other than for classes, you mean?"
Lily gave a little anxious laugh and blushed. "Oh yeah. For, uh...extracurricular activities."
"I see..." Severus said, although he didn't see at all. On the bank of the lake, he could make out Pettigrew standing with a group of younger students, obviously showing them something that they were raptly interested in.
"Hey, isn't that-" he began, turning to Lily. He was suddenly aware of just how close she was. And she was leaning closer. His stomach went cold.
"I really like you, Severus," she said, squeezing his hand. Severus's eyes darted from her hand to her face and he stepped backwards involuntarily.
"Uh...I like you too, Lily," he replied uncertainly. He didn't like where this was leading; not one bit. She gave him a soft smile.
"The way you stood up to Malfoy earlier...or tried to...it was just...great. Wonderful." She reached around and took his other hand as well.
"Guh- um, yes! I mean...I mean, anyone would have done the same, Lily." She was only inches from his face now. She sighed happily.
"Perhaps. But somehow, it meant more coming from you." She was so close that he could see all the little pores on her nose. Even though he took another step back, she was moving even closer. He felt his heels butt against the wall on the lip of the balcony.
"Lily...wh-what are you doing?" he asked a bit frantically. She just smiled again and squeezed both his hands.
"Shh..." she whispered closing the distance between them. Severus braced himself just as her lips brushed his, his eyes wide. But suddenly she wasn't close anymore. His stomach flew into his throat as he realized he was falling backwards, his mouth open in a silent scream.
There was nowhere to go but over the edge of the balcony.
Review. Go to my site. askandrea.com/soliloquy
A skinny little boy was walking through a bright, golden clearing. The setting sun lit up every blade of grass like drops of water in the ocean. The boy closed his eyes and smiled up at the sun, opened his arms wide, in what was then a characteristic gesture, and fell back onto the soft grass. He lay soaking in the warmth and squinted toward the glinting light; his short black hair falling away from his forehead. Turning to the side, he saw a line of ants marching through a gap in the grasses. He propped himself up on an elbow and watched their progress in wonder.
Suddenly, movement! He sat up carefully, scanning the area around him until he saw the small brown mass in the distance. He got to his scuffed knees and parted the grass to have a better look. Yes, it was exactly what he had thought. He began to crawl slowly along the ground, the grass smoothly swishing past his skin.
The brown blur began to take shape as he approached it. Two long, slender ears interrupted the never-ending waves of thin blades, twitching and turning for the slightest sound.
When the boy felt that he could go no closer without being noticed, he gathered his legs underneath him and crouched, focused on the two dainty ears not ten feet from him.
He sprang! The ears instantly spun around and raced in the opposite direction. He galloped after them, bringing his knees up high to avoid tripping through the grass. The rabbit was outrunning him slightly, but he could still see it not fifteen feet away, veering madly. They raced across the clearing and down the hill that the boy knew so well to the edge trees. The grasses had faded away to soft, leaf covered ground that had settled flat from a recent rain. The boy knew that the stream was approaching, and abruptly the racing rodent had stopped at the bank. He stood just a few paces from it, and its glittering eyes that were widened with fear met his own black eyes.
"I won't hurt you, little fellow," he cooed in his youthful voice, inching closer. Small beams of light fell through chinks in the foliage, making the ripples in the stream sparkle like jewels. The little rabbit twitched its nose and shot down a thin log leaning across the waters.
He knew when he was beat. There was no following it now. Sighing good-naturedly, he pulled his expensive, brown leather shoes off along with his socks and sat on the edge of the stream. The water splashed pleasantly, cool between his toes. He hastily rolled his slacks up to mid-thigh, revealing olive skin that had been tanned from weeks of romping under the summer sun. He grinned as he slid down the short bank and into the lapping water. It came up to his knees, but then no further. The water was clear like glass and looking down, he could see the smooth river stones. They felt slimy beneath his soles as he teetered his way across the stream, his shoes and socks gripped tightly in one hand.
He scrambled up the opposite bank and flopped down onto the dry leaves. He decided to let his feet dry in the warm air before putting his shoes back on, which made him notice that the air was becoming cooler. Glancing up at the sun to see that it had sunken far lower than he had expected, he leapt to his feet and sprinted off into the woods.
Minutes later he reached the break in the trees, panting and looked back at the sun long enough to know that it was very late. Over one more hill, and he could see the gray stone of the manor in the distance. There were already orange glows coming from a few of the many windows and his stomach sank.
Then he heard it. It was very faint, but he knew that he heard it. It rode the chilly wind up the hill to meet him, causing his stomach to sink even lower with dread. His pace slowed, as if his feet were willing him to turn away from the orange lights, but he knew that he had to trudge on or it would be even worse.
The sky was clouding over as he neared the end of the mall. Normally green trees surrounding the estate had turned to black silhouettes against the skyline. The smell of an impending storm filled the air; the smell of earth and rain and electricity. Now the sound was unmistakable. Nasal notes flowed from the windows of the bottom floor of the house with growing volume.
The comforting grass under his feet came to an end much too soon. At the front steps, he sat and slipped on his shoes and socks silently, though the abrasive music blasted through ever crack in the house. He stood and slowly reached for the doorknob as if it might bite him, and pushed the door open with a creak.
Scottish bagpipes blared through the entrance, throbbing in his ears. He cautiously stepped over the threshold, darting his eyes from side to side. In the empty lounge at the front of the house, the enchanted record player spun with ferocity. Seeing no one, he tiptoed through the entrance hall and towards the great curved staircase in the middle of the dark room. The sounds bounced off the high, ornate ceiling of the hall in an eerie fashion as he carefully climbed each step.
Dreading the possibility of confrontation, the boy reached the landing and walked swiftly past other doors to his own bedroom. The room was dark as he pushed through the door and closed and locked it behind him. He realized he was panting as he fumbled in the dim light for his candlestick and matches on the table next to the entrance. Hands shaking, he tried to light the first match and the box slipped from his fingers. He dropped to his feet frantically, but stopped himself.
He took a deep, calming breath and began to feel around in the blackness for the matches. In the new silence, he heard a sound that made him freeze. Cold tingles ran up his neck and covered his scalp.
A low, raspy wheezing was coming from the other side of the room.
Miraculously, his fingertips found the matchbox and he madly struck another match and bent to light the candle. The light cast up onto his cheekbones as he swallowed and turned to face the wheezing. His eyes snapped open in shock.
"Mother!" he gasped and rushed to the jumbled heap of emerald skirts and robes lying on the floor behind his bed. He lifted her head from the floor as if it was a bird's egg and, supporting her back, brought the figure up to his chest.
"Don't worry Mother, I'm here," he panted. He looked anxiously from her face to the bed, weighing whether he could lift her or not. He decided she was too heavy; he was tall for his age but possessed almost no muscle. He gently laid her crumpled form down on the floor again, and started to stand when he looked to his hands and gasped.
They were covered in blood.
"Oh my god..." he whispered, slowly backing away. His back hit something solid and warm and he snapped around. In the dim candlelight he made out the tall form of a man standing behind him.
"Father? Oh Father, help me! It's Mother! She's hurt," he gasped, turning to point to the woman on the floor. Suddenly, he heard a murmur and felt his arms snap to his sides. Rough hands grabbed him around his middle and threw him down onto the bed. He managed to turn his head to see the man raising his wand.
"Father? Stop! Let me go! We've got to help Mother!" he yelled, struggling against the spell that was binding his limbs. The man advanced towards him and he suddenly felt cold fear seeping into his chest. The candle had gone out, and the end of the wand began to glow orange and slowly turned white.
"Father...please..." he whimpered pitifully. The white-hot light drew closer and closer to his face and he turned his eyes away from it and gritted his teeth.
Searing, unbearable pain erupted on his neck! He screeched into the mattress underneath his face, and was just about to turn when the pain hit him again. This time, it didn't just touch his delicate skin, but felt as if it was being driven through to his very spine. Just when he thought he would pass out from the excruciating burn, it pulled away, leaving him sobbing into the fabric of his quilt.
As if the sensation was far away, he felt his pants being violently ripped from his legs.
"No-...why--..." he sobbed. Without warning, the white-hot wand jammed back into his neck and he screamed until he couldn't breath. His cries mingled with the bagpipes still emanating from the room below. A new kind of pain began to wrack its way through his body as he lost the last sliver of thought and his mind succumbed to the darkness.
"No!" Severus yelped and snapped up. His eyes raced around his surroundings and his hands clutched the damp sheets. Sweat and hair clung to his face and neck.
Where am I?!
The previous night came back to him in a rush: detention, Black, the bed in the attic. He sat with gritted teeth for a moment longer, and then succumbed to the shuddering sobs that had been aching at his throat.
Slowly, he lowered his head back to the pillows, sob after sob wrenching through his lips. Clutching the back of his neck, he desperately tried to grasp what he had been dreaming about. As always, the pain was still there but the memory had vanished into the night. This is why he had been so angry with Black for asking how he received the scars:
He couldn't remember.
¥
Severus woke early the next morning to a sharp rapping on his bed frame.
"Severus? Are you awake?" came the whisper. Severus squinted his eyes at the red hangings. Golden light twinkled through their fibers like...grasses?
He shook his head and sat up. "I'm awake."
There was a pause. "Severus, if you're saying something, you'll have to pull back the curtains, remember?"
He sighed impatiently and tugged the curtain back. The light momentarily blinded him, and he could then make out the form of a boy holding a towel.
"Black?" he said, rubbing his eyes.
Remus chuckled. "I'm afraid not. I'm your friendly morning wake-up call." He grinned. "Come on. We'd better hurry if we want to avoid traffic."
Severus saw out of the corner of his eye that his trunk was sitting next to the bed. He slipped his feet out from under the covers and down onto the icy floor. As he opened the trunk, he didn't even notice that the hinges were both functional. His eyes widened when he picked out a perfectly round, unbroken record. Looking further into the trunk, he saw that there was a stack of them, good as new. He turned to Remus with a confused expression.
"How did these...did you-" he began. Remus looked equally confused. "Did you go through my things?"
Remus replied with a bemused smile. "I haven't touched it, mate. I just brought the thing up here. Why?"
Severus looked back to the perfect record in his hands. "These were...all broken."
Remus walked over and gently took the record. He turned it over a few times. "Well, they don't seem to be broken anymore, do they?" He squinted at the label. "Ah!"
Severus started. "What? Do you know how it happened?"
Remus grinned down at the disc. "No, but I love this album. You've got good taste," he said, handing back the record to a scowling Severus.
"Hurry now," Remus said again. "The prefects may sleep in, but not 'til noon."
Severus gingerly stood and followed Remus quietly to the door of the attic.
"Come to think of it, though," Remus whispered as they reached the common room, "Sirius always has been a crackerjack repair charmer."
¥
Sirius finished his third O.W.L. with relative ease. Transfiguration, though it generally didn't show in his grades, was one of his best subjects. Instead of leaving the Great Hall immediately after the exam, he picked up his bag and leaned against one of the archways, waiting for the long tables to reappear for lunch.
McGonagall walked to the center of the room and surveyed it. Satisfied that there were no students left at the desks, she walked to one of the archways and turned back to face the enourmous room. She withdrew her wand from her robes and with a quick jab, the hundreds of desks began to rattle and move across the floor. They butt up against one another into the shape of four lines, and for a moment, Sirius thought that they would simply pile up. With a loud crack the desks instantly melted together. Only then did Sirius realize that the finish on the desks had been the same as the house tables.
No matter how long I am at this school, it always finds new ways to amaze me, he thought with a smile. Chattering students began pouring in and taking seats at the newly formed tables. Sirius walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat, throwing his bag underneath his seat. Remus emerged from the arches and Sirius greeted him with a wave. Upon reaching the table, Remus swung his leg over the seat next to Sirius.
"How did our friend fare this morning?" Sirius said quietly. Remus began pulling sandwiches from a platter in the middle of the table and gave the other boy a sly grin.
"Oh, fine," he said. "No problems. It was actually kind of funny. He thought that I was going to get in the big bath too. Turned bright red, he did."
Sirius felt a sudden flash of anger. He confusedly pushed it back down, but eyed Remus suspiciously. "And you didn't, right?"
Remus snorted into his milk. "No," he said, rolling his eyes. "You know I don't like baths. Showers are much better... Why?"
Sirius shrugged and bit into a turkey and salami sandwich. Remus glanced briefly around them and leaned closer.
"He was a bit confused this morning about his trunk, though. Apparently somebody had been...messing with it. Any idea who that could have been?" he asked, smiling mischievously.
Sirius faltered for a moment, then continued eating his sandwich. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Hands clapped down on both their shoulders and they jumped. "Hey fellas! What's for lunch?" James hopped into the seat on the other side of Sirius and began piling his plate with food.
"By Jove! Salami! My favorite!" he managed to say before stuffing his face. Sirius calmed down and rolled his eyes.
"Everything's your favorite, Prongs."
James didn't seem to hear the comment. "So guys, I was thinking about that new flying technique I was trying, right? Well, I've been going over it in my head, and I decided that it would really work a lot better if I added a twist at the end and gradually turned to..." he began, but Sirius didn't bother to listen to the rest. He loved playing Quidditch, but not talking about it all the time. Instead, his gaze slowly drifted down the table, while trying to nod to James in the right places. His eye caught on a black head that was much higher above others.
Well he looks a bit out of place, he thought with a smile as he saw Snape. I wonder how long he's been eating down there. Snape was sitting, slightly hunched over, in the middle of a group of girls. Squinting, Sirius could see that Lily was sitting at the scrawny boy's side. Now that's a surprise. I guess they're getting on all right then. It explains him sitting at our table...
Snape looked at Lily and gave what could have almost been a small smile. He picked up a sandwich and began taking small bites from it. Sirius raptly watched the way Snape held out his pinkie as he ate the sandwich. The way his shirt bunched at his elbows. The way his hair fell over his collar. The way his hair curved along his jaw...
Sirius shook his head slightly. I was thinking about the scars, that's what it was, he assured himself. Those scars... He was still very curious about the marks, especially after Snape's reaction to the mention of them. He went over the events of the previous evening, cringing at his hasty words, and stopped at the moments after he had been revived.
"Black...please. My parents cannot be contacted." Snape had said. Sirius's breath caught.
Those scars... And when he mentioned his parents, his expression... It was almost like he was- frightened. Yes that's what it was... He was frightened! His eyes widened at the possibilities.
Suddenly the absurdity of the idea hit him. It just couldn't be possible. The Snapes were one of the most esteemed families in England. It simply couldn't be. Someone would have known. Thoughts of his own, highly esteemed, family floated through his mind and he felt a drop of comprehension.
He glanced back again at the scrawny boy who was now sipping out of a flagon. What he had always seen as malicious black eyes suddenly softened before his gaze into something very sad...sad and alone. Somebody would have known...Snape turned and looked over his shoulder, and for one electric moment their eyes met.
"Sirius!" someone yelled in his ear and he started. James was looking at him intently.
"You don't have to shout, Jim," he said, rubbing his ear. James looked at him seriously.
"You weren't answering me." He paused. "Padfoot...are you sure about Lily? I mean about me giving her a try?"
Sirius gave his friend a look of disbelief and sighed. "Jim, I told you already, it's fine. Why won't you just believe me?"
"Then what were you looking at just now?" James said, puzzled. "You looked positively lovesick."
"What? I did not! I was just..." Inspiration hit. "I was just wondering why Snape was sitting down there with her."
James seemed confused for a moment and adjusted his glasses. He leaned back and very noticeably looked down the table to see Lily punching Snape in the shoulder. Sirius suddenly realized that mentioning this information was probably a mistake. James started to get up from his chair.
"Why that greasy-"
"James!" Sirius whispered, grabbing James's arm. "Don't. Remember what happened the last time you bothered with Snape?"
James grudgingly sat back down and folded his arms across his chest. "Why's he over there? I don't want that greasy Slytherin at our table." Sirius frowned.
"I don't know, but he wouldn't be sitting with Lily unless she wanted him to, would he? Just cool it."
He handed James a flagon of pumpkin juice and turned to put his things back into his bag. "Here, drink this. I'm going up to the tower. I'll be right back." He rose and started out of the room.
Severus had been having a pleasant lunch. Lily had found him in the hallways a few hours before and they had gone to take the Transfiguration exam together. She had looped her arm through his, which he had thought was very peculiar behavior. Being so close to the girl had made him feel very tall and awkward, and as they had walked into the Great Hall, he could feel eyes boring into him from all directions. But Lily seemed to enjoy his company, and he decided that he would be a gentleman and not pull his arm away.
Now they were eating lunch and Lily's arm was once again touching his. She must just not realize it, he thought, thoroughly aware of the warm weight against his skinny bicep. She turned to him and gave him what he thought was a warm smile and offered him another sandwich. He unsuccessfully tried to smile back and took the plate from her gently.
"So how do you think you did on the exam, Severus?" she asked.
"Oh, fair I think,' he replied and began to eat his sandwich. He then realized that he should ask her the same. "Do you think you did well?"
Lily scoffed. "Are you kidding? Transfiguration's my worst subject. I've already accepted the fact that I'll do lousy on it. I've just got to ace all my others." Severus smirked and took another bite of sandwich.
"It's hard to believe you're bad at anything," he commented, missing Lily's blush completely. "If you'd like, I can help you out with it." He felt the weight of Lily's arm press even tighter against his own.
"Oh Severus, that would be wonderful!" she said, beaming. Severus was briefly surprised but went back to quietly eating his lunch. He picked up his glass of pumpkin juice and took a sip but felt a strange tingling on his neck. He glanced down the table to see that Black was looking right at him.
"Isn't this cozy?" said a sneering voice behind them. They both turned to see Malfoy and his cronies standing in the aisle.
"Snape and his Mudblood," he said mockingly. The two boys at his side guffawed.
"Well boys, now at least we know where he's been sleeping," he said contemptuously.
Severus was vaguely aware of Lily shouting something and a hand holding him back, but he brushed it away and drew back his fist. Malfoy's smirk melted away as Severus began to swing and imagine knocking out a few of those perfect white teeth.
Suddenly, a hand stronger than Lily's gripped his elbow. He was shocked to see Sirius Black standing between himself and Malfoy.
"Get lost, Malfoy," Black almost growled.
Malfoy looked stunned, but quickly regained his composure. "I was leaving anyways," he smirked, though obviously dubious about the taller teen standing before him. He flipped his platinum hair over his shoulder and stalked off, followed closely by his two thugs.
Sirius swung around, gripped Snape's shoulder and roughly pushed him towards one of the archways. He tightened his grip on the skinnier boy to almost bruising as they stumbled into a dark corridor. Snape wrenched free of his hand and stopped, glaring. Sirius glared right back.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sirius shouted.
"What am I doing?!" Snape snarled in disbelief.
"Yeah, you! Just because I let you take a pot-shot at me, it doesn't mean you can go knocking everyone out!"
"I'll knock out whomever I please, and it's no business of yours!" Snape roared.
"Oh, yes it is! If you get in trouble again they'll tell our parents!"
"You said you didn't care about that!"
"Well you said you did!" Sirius retorted. Snape paused for a moment and seemed to be calming himself.
"You didn't hear what he said. You would have done the same thing," he hissed.
Sirius was taken aback by this subtle comparison and realized he was panting. "You're probably right. But I wouldn't have been lucky enough to have someone there to stop me."
"I could have handled it on my own! I don't need your help!"
Sirius smirked. "Oh, yes. You were doing a simply bang up job. And what were you going to tell McGonagall, huh? 'Sorry professor, but he had it coming to him.' Crabby old professors aren't nearly as forgiving as I am."
Snape's eyes flashed at him. "And what do you care about whether or not my parents are told? You're supposed to hate me!"
"I do hate you!"
"I hate you too!
They stood panting and glaring at each other. Slowly, a smile began to tug at Sirius's mouth. His face broke into a grin and he shook his head. Snape looked positively livid.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry," Sirius said, chuckling. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at what we just said."
Snape rolled his eyes, but seemed to relax a bit. Sirius stepped towards him and extended a hand.
"Truce?" he asked with a tired smile. Snape hesitated for a long moment before grasping Sirius's hand with his own.
"For now." They shook hands firmly and Sirius looked Snape directly in the eyes. In the dim light, Snape's eyes looked almost purple, and his skin was soft and cool to the touch. Looking down, Sirius realized that their hands had stopped shaking and his stomach fluttered. He quickly pulled away.
"Well," he began, carding his fingers through his hair, "I'll let you get back to lunch."
Snape was looking at his hand with wide eyes, but shoved it hastily into his pocket. "Yes, I... I suppose so."
"I am serious though," Sirius said, cringing at the horrid pun, "You've got to control that temper of yours." They turned and walked back down the corridor and out into the daylight.
¥
Sirius was going to walk back up to the tower, but after the encounter with Snape, he found that he couldn't remember why he had wanted to go there in the first place. So after he was sure that Snape had made it back to his seat, he looped around and headed back to James and Remus.
"Well you sure look happy. D'you win the Galleon Draw or something?" James said into his flagon.
Sirius hadn't realized he was smiling quite so widely and immediately straightened his face as he sat. At that moment, Peter raced up and slid into the next seat.
"Sorry I'm late fellas! Boy, do I have something to tell you!"
Sirius stifled a yawn and tried to look interested. Remus seemed to be honestly paying attention. "Yeah Petey? What is it?"
Peter clutched his fists excitedly. "Well, I had this idea! For a business, like." He leaned in closer.
"I've come across something really special, see? And I'm just positive I'll make a killing with 'em," he whispered. Peter wasn't usually so enthused about any of his own endeavors, so Sirius leaned in, genuinely curious. James simply leaned back and rolled his eyes.
"He told me already. Don't listen to him...you'll just be disappointed," he sighed. Peter huffed and squinted at the bespectacled boy.
"You're just jealous 'cause you didn't think of it first," he squeaked.
James leaned closer and nodded sarcastically. "You're right Pete. It's a brilliant idea. Go ahead and tell them."
Peter didn't seem to notice James's sarcasm as he turned back to Sirius and Remus. "All right, as I was saying, I've found something really important. I'm going to try to sell them around school for at least ten knuts a piece!"
This caught Sirius's attention. "Ten knuts a piece! Merlin, Pete! What are they? How many do you have?"
Peter gave a nervous little smile and gestured for them to gather closer.
"Five...thousand!"
Sirius nearly fell out of his seat. He grabbed Peter's arm. "Peter...mate...are you telling me that you have five thousand of something worth ten knuts each? Why that's almost-"
"Just over one-hundred galleons," Peter beamed. James scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, frowning. But Sirius didn't hear, and neither did Remus for that matter. They were imagining all that one hundred galleons could buy.
"All right, Pete. You've got me convinced," Sirius said. "Now, what is it exactly that you have?"
Peter gave a wary look up and down the aisle before pulling his satchel out from under his seat.
"Now, you mustn't tell anyone," he began, clutching the bag to his chest. Sirius and Remus exchanged an excited grin.
"All right...here!" Peter whipped something out of his bag and dumped its contents on the table. Sirius grinned and peered down to see that it was a pile of...
He picked up one of the brown rings, pinched both ends of it and pulled. It stretched. He cast a confused glance up to Peter, who grimaced excitedly and gave a little squeak.
"I say, Peter...Aren't these...ah, rubber bands?"
Peter squeaked again. "Oh, is that what their called? They're wonderful aren't they?"
Sirius gaped at Peter with disbelief before shaking his head again. "Uh...yes! My, they are very...stretchy. Right, Remus?
Remus looked equally dumbfounded, weaving a band around his fingers. "Yes Pete, they're...brilliant. Yes, that's right. Brilliant." He forced a smile.
"Oh, I knew it! And you won't believe how cheap they were!" Peter squealed.
Sirius couldn't hold a smile any longer. "Peter, are you saying you actually bought these?"
Peter's face fell. "Well...yeah. I mean...that's usually how you get things, isn't it?"
Sirius found himself shocked beyond words. "Er...yes! Yes, of course, Peter. How much did you say you wanted for those again?" Sirius asked quickly, digging into his pockets for any change.
"Oh, Sirius, you don't have to buy one! I'll give it to you. After all, there are five thousand." Peter beamed, though he was looking a bit unsure. Sirius began to pull his hands back out of his pockets when Remus pinched his side.
"Of course we'll pay for them, Peter. We want to be your first official customers, don't we Sirius?"
Sirius gaped back at him. "We do?" Remus pinched him again. "I mean, we do! Yes, of course we do! Ten knuts then, Petey?"
Peter shook with excitement. "Yes, that's right! Ten a piece."
Sirius gave Remus a dirty look as they each passed over ten of the little bronze coins. Peter giddily pocketed the money and turned back to his friends.
"All right. Your choice," he said, gesturing grandly towards the huge pile of rubber bands.
Sirius surveyed the pile before picking one right off the top. "Yes," he said, stretching the band. "This one seems particularly...resilient. It's mine."
Remus picked one off the side and gave Peter an earnest grin before pulling it over his wrist. Peter grinned back and began stuffing the bands back into his satchel.
"Well, I'm off then! You two have proven to me that this is indeed a market worth pursuing!" He squeaked once more, swung his bag over his shoulder and scurried off.
Sirius sat staring at the bit of brown rubber that he held between his fingers. Remus snapped his own gently against his wrist.
"Remus, old boy...are you sure that was an entirely wise thing to do?" Remus looked back at him annoyed.
"Well what you have me do, Sirius? Tell him he was off his rocker?"
Sirius rested his face in his hands. "No, but he'll be a bloody laughing stock if he tries to actually sell those to anyone!"
"Well," Remus said thoughtfully, "who knows? Maybe people will buy them..."
James pounded Sirius on the back. "Sure Remus. And Sirius here will kiss Snape full on the lips. It just isn't going to happen." He slowly stood and picked up his own bag. "I'm going down to the pitch to try that Quidditch thing I was talking about earlier. You two want to come with me?"
Sirius cringed at the reference of him and Snape, and then sighed. "Sure Jim. Come on, then, Remus." Sirius slid the rubber band over his wrist and followed the other two boys out of the Hall.
¥
What just happened? Severus wondered as he went back to his own seat at the Gryffindor table. Lily greeted him with a worried smile.
"Well? What did he say?" she asked patiently. Severus sat rigidly on the bench and withdrew his hand from his pocket to give it a brief glance.
"Severus...? Are you all right?"
He shoved his hand back into his pocket again. "Yes, Lily. I'm fine."
Lily gave him an appraising look. "You don't look fine. Merlin, what did he say?"
Severus straightened up and relaxed. "Nothing really. Just told me to watch my temper. He's just scared for himself. If I get into trouble, McGonagall will notify our parents, you know."
"Oh, Severus, you don't really think that's the only reason he's helping you, do you?"
Severus did his best to look incredulous. "And why else would he want to help me?"
"Oh, I don't know," Lily said thoughtfully. "I know that you two have always hated each other, but he seems to be...coming around or something. I think he likes you all right."
"Ha!" Severus scoffed. "Bully for him... I'll just be glad when these detentions are over." Lily picked up her bag and stood uncertainly.
"Severus...could you come with me for a minute? There's something I'd like to show you." Severus absentmindedly rose with his satchel and followed Lily out of the hall. He didn't notice all the amused faces turned to watch them.
They strode down the corridor outside the Great Hall, and after a minute Severus found Lily's hand in his. This action didn't puzzle him anymore; Lily had held his hand so many times before, it had almost begun to comfort him. Over the last few days, Severus had taken an extreme liking to Lily. It could have had something to do with the fact that she didn't hate him like everyone else, of course, but she was also a very nice girl. It was just pleasant to have a friend.
Yes, he mused as they walked, If I could have a sister, I'd want her to be just like Lily.
In truth, he really did want the detentions to end. There was something peculiar happening during those hours that was really a bit frightening. He couldn't even explain it. He thought that he was just imagining things during the first detention. That moment when he had first touched Black's hand...
"Severus?" Lily asked quietly, jerking him out of his thoughts. "We're here."
He suddenly saw that Lily had led him through a great stone doorway into what looked to be the Astronomy tower. The afternoon sun shone across the large, open balcony and glinted off of the empty telescope stands lazily. Lily slowly walked from the entrance where they stood to the short wall around the perimeter of the balcony.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said, folding her arms. Severus walked over to stand next to her. He glanced over the edge to see that they were at least twenty stories off the ground. From this height, he could see almost all of the north side of the Hogwarts grounds. The trees surrounding the land were already turning red and yellow for the fall. There were students lounging on the grass next to the lake and the sun painted everything a rich golden hue. Off to the right was the Quidditch pitch, where Severus could see a few Gryffindors practicing. Lily took Severus's hand again.
"I come up here sometimes," she said softly. "To think and stuff." Her other arm was swinging idly at her side and she was biting her lip.
Strange. She seems...nervous or something.
"There are almost never any people up here during the day. Everyone comes here at night. I don't know why...I think that the night time is seriously overrated."
Severus squinted distractedly out at the scenery. "People come here at night? Other than for classes, you mean?"
Lily gave a little anxious laugh and blushed. "Oh yeah. For, uh...extracurricular activities."
"I see..." Severus said, although he didn't see at all. On the bank of the lake, he could make out Pettigrew standing with a group of younger students, obviously showing them something that they were raptly interested in.
"Hey, isn't that-" he began, turning to Lily. He was suddenly aware of just how close she was. And she was leaning closer. His stomach went cold.
"I really like you, Severus," she said, squeezing his hand. Severus's eyes darted from her hand to her face and he stepped backwards involuntarily.
"Uh...I like you too, Lily," he replied uncertainly. He didn't like where this was leading; not one bit. She gave him a soft smile.
"The way you stood up to Malfoy earlier...or tried to...it was just...great. Wonderful." She reached around and took his other hand as well.
"Guh- um, yes! I mean...I mean, anyone would have done the same, Lily." She was only inches from his face now. She sighed happily.
"Perhaps. But somehow, it meant more coming from you." She was so close that he could see all the little pores on her nose. Even though he took another step back, she was moving even closer. He felt his heels butt against the wall on the lip of the balcony.
"Lily...wh-what are you doing?" he asked a bit frantically. She just smiled again and squeezed both his hands.
"Shh..." she whispered closing the distance between them. Severus braced himself just as her lips brushed his, his eyes wide. But suddenly she wasn't close anymore. His stomach flew into his throat as he realized he was falling backwards, his mouth open in a silent scream.
There was nowhere to go but over the edge of the balcony.
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