Severus sat in a mostly empty potions class room. He was reading a
letter he had received at dinner just before he had left the table to start
out the year doing yet another detention because of the Marauder's, thats
what Potter and his gang were calling themselves now. He really did wish he
could catch them doing something. He focused his concentration back on the
letter from the Dark Lord. He apologized for being to busy to see him off
and wished him a good third year and again asked him to write like he did
last year, which he hardly did.' He wouldnt want to hear about my problems
he has better things to worry about then me', he mumbled to him self as he
put the letter away. He sat and enjoyed the quiet thinking for what potion
the could have used to do that would have made them think that it was Him
and not someone else that had made the train car that contained those first
years smell and the seats turn slimy and green. "They cold come up with
better pranks", He said out loud to him self, "It is the first of the year
maybe they are just getting warmed up." He shuttered at the thought of them
getting warmed up. Soon they would be after him specifically.
" It is just horrible that you are the one that got blamed for it, too." a small voice came from behind him. He turned to see the small red- headed mudblood he had told off first year standing in the back of the room with a terrified look on her face.
"Why are you here? Don't tell me that perfect little mudblood Evans has detention." tears began to fill her eyes. She only ever did that when he called her a mudblood or insulted her in some other way, the other Slytherin boys did it all the time and it never invoked any emotion from her.
"I am not in trouble," she sniffed, " I came to help with the potions that needed to be finished for Madame Pomphrey." She started wiping he eyes with the ends of her sleeves and walked to a desk on the other side of the room. After several minuets of silence the professor walked in gave them instructions and then left quickly. They were told to finish one batch of the pepper up potion and then leave it on her desk to be tested and bottled. This was the stupidest thing that Severus had ever heard. If you left the potion out and it cooled before it went in to the bottle it would lose some of its properties and wouldn't cure any thing. He tried to point this out to the professor but the woman wouldn't listen she just told him to follow her instructions and then left after threatening him, with more detention.
He was letting his potion stew like the directions called for before the remainder of the ingredients was added. He looked over to see that Lilly was having trouble chopping some of her ingredients and was now hacking them up. Severus sighed and shook his head, " You silly girl." he said as he crossed the room and took the knife away from her. She watched as he cut everything she hadnt already mutilated into the exact same size pieces. " They might work better for you this way." he handed back the knife and went back to check his potion.
" Thank you," she smiled, " I didn't think you were capable of being nice." she giggled and went back to work. Severus caught her staring at him every now and then. Luckily the time to leave came quickly and he gathered up his things and practically ran from the room. Why had he helped her now she will never leave you alone.
"Um.... Severus. Severus wait. You dropped this." Lilly was running up the stairs behind him. She was holding the letter. "It fell out of you pocket as you were leaving. Who's it from?" she said as she started to examine the writing on the out side of the letter. Severus yanked it from her hand and gave her the nastiest look he could. "Not like its any of your business but its from my father." He stuffed the letter in his pocket and then turned to walk away.
"Severus I am sorry, I wasn't going to read it. You don't have to be mad."
"Who said I was mad Evans, I just want to go to bed now if you will excuse me."
She reaches forward and grabbed him arm as he turned the second time. "I was wondering if I could ask you something? See I was wondering if you might want to help me with my potions, I really haven't been doing to well in there and with our OWLs only two years away I thought that I might need the extra help. If you don't want to I under stand. I know you don't like me and I am not asking you to do that I just want help." she stood in front of him shuffling her feet and looking at them nervously.
"You'll do fine Evans. But if you need help with anything you can always ask and I will see if I can explain it in small enough words for you to understand." No you idiot. The answer was no. What are you thinking just tell her no. The screaming in his head had become so loud that it was giving him a headache. He headed straight for bed. Why had he said yes?
The next morning Severus walked slowly into the Great Hall and plopped down at the table. He was starving. He reached across the table to grab the eggs. He began to stuff his face full off food when he looked up. His eyes had met Lilly's long enough to see her smile and sort of half wave at him before turning around talking with her friends. What had he gotten him self into. He looked over his schedule and then grabbed his things and headed off to class. The rest of the day went by with out anything happening. She hadn't so much as looked in his direction at dinner. He wasn't so sure if he was happy or up set by this. He had two classes with Gryffindor the next day and for the first time in his life he was actually looking forward to them.
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Lilly stood out side the Great Hall waiting for Remus to join her. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Why had she agreed to in the first place. James Potter. That's why. Maybe this would get him to notice her. That and Severus Snape deserved every thing he got or calling her a mudblood. But he was being so nice last night, in his own twisted little way.
" Hey Lil," Remus jumped at the same time Lilly did, " Sorry didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. How did it go the other day?"
" He said he would help me if I needed it and he...... well he agreed. I sort of waved at him yesterday morning. I am not sure how thick you want me to lay it on. Where were you yesterday anyways?"
" I was sick. I am sick a lot. But you think its working you don't think he suspects anything do you?" Lilly watched as Remus looked around the hall nervously.
" No. He doesn't seem to yet. How long do I have to keep this up Remus. Why wont you and James tell me what you guys have planned?"
" You will know soon. Just keep it up. Your doing great. We had better get to class don't wanna be late. Mind if I walk you." Lilly smiled slightly as she took Remus's arm and they walked to class.
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Severus stood behind the pillar and watched as Lilly and Remus walked down the hall. 'So it was all just another one of their pranks'. He whispered. But why had they involved Lilly? Did they think he liked her? Me like a mudblood he started to laugh, but remembered how he had acted when she was asking for help last night. Stupid hormones. He stepped out form his hiding place and walked slowly to his potions class. He had never been late to a class before and was wondering where he would have to sit. And what they were going to do to him, and how he was going to retaliate. If he was going to be picked on and they weren't going to get into trouble with the teachers he would have to take matters into his own hands. He entered the class room and took his usual seat.
"So nice of you to finally join us Mr. Snape, Would you mind taking a seat and getting out your book. We are on page 20. Oh and before I for get 50 points from Slytherin." She smiled at Severus and went back to her lecture. She never has missed a chance to publicly humiliate him since he showed her up first year. He opened his book and began to write ways to make the potion they were going to make in the next class taste better and not lose any of its properties.
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Dumbledore sat in his office with a book placed across his lap he was staring into space. The door to his office opened and he listened as the foot steps got closer to his chair. He really didn't want to deal with her now. "Good morning Minerva, Is there something that I can help you with?"
"Yes, I was wondering if you have noticed how strange Potter and his friends have been acting. I actually caught Sirius in the library with a book and it was open. I even think he was reading it." "Nothing wrong with studying, maybe he decided to stop having Remus do his work for him and try to learn on his own."
" He was reading beyond his year. Potter and Peter were there too. They are up to something and I have a feeling that they have Lilly involved somehow. And don't you give me any of that ' She would never break a rule' crap, you know as well as I do that she would do any thing to get Remus's attention or James. You know what's going on don't you!"
Albus sat looking at the book in his lap it was older than he was and it showed. The pages were turning from yellow to brown and the cover looked like at any moment to could fall off and turn to dust. He ran his long boney finger across the words on the page. She was right he did know what was going to happen but no matter how much he liked and he wanted to help Severus out he just couldn't. He had spent to long in thought and looked up just in time to see the professor storm from the room. Which she would have done any way if he would have answered. He looked down at the book and slammed it shut. What if he did do something to stop it? Just this once it couldn't change things that drastically, could it? Albus picked up the book and tossed it in to the fire, he then left the room in search for Minerva. He would need her help after all.
As he shut the door the book that he had left burning in the fire place turned to ashes and began to reappear on the coffee table in front of his favorite chair.
A/N OK I know that this was a short chapter and its really choppy, but I did the best I could. Its also a lot shorter than I thought but it just seemed like a good stopping point. So good, bad, or ugly read and review. Please! I would also like to apologize for this chapter taking so long. School and work have sucked away most of my free time. I do promise to try and keep updating more often than I have been.
" It is just horrible that you are the one that got blamed for it, too." a small voice came from behind him. He turned to see the small red- headed mudblood he had told off first year standing in the back of the room with a terrified look on her face.
"Why are you here? Don't tell me that perfect little mudblood Evans has detention." tears began to fill her eyes. She only ever did that when he called her a mudblood or insulted her in some other way, the other Slytherin boys did it all the time and it never invoked any emotion from her.
"I am not in trouble," she sniffed, " I came to help with the potions that needed to be finished for Madame Pomphrey." She started wiping he eyes with the ends of her sleeves and walked to a desk on the other side of the room. After several minuets of silence the professor walked in gave them instructions and then left quickly. They were told to finish one batch of the pepper up potion and then leave it on her desk to be tested and bottled. This was the stupidest thing that Severus had ever heard. If you left the potion out and it cooled before it went in to the bottle it would lose some of its properties and wouldn't cure any thing. He tried to point this out to the professor but the woman wouldn't listen she just told him to follow her instructions and then left after threatening him, with more detention.
He was letting his potion stew like the directions called for before the remainder of the ingredients was added. He looked over to see that Lilly was having trouble chopping some of her ingredients and was now hacking them up. Severus sighed and shook his head, " You silly girl." he said as he crossed the room and took the knife away from her. She watched as he cut everything she hadnt already mutilated into the exact same size pieces. " They might work better for you this way." he handed back the knife and went back to check his potion.
" Thank you," she smiled, " I didn't think you were capable of being nice." she giggled and went back to work. Severus caught her staring at him every now and then. Luckily the time to leave came quickly and he gathered up his things and practically ran from the room. Why had he helped her now she will never leave you alone.
"Um.... Severus. Severus wait. You dropped this." Lilly was running up the stairs behind him. She was holding the letter. "It fell out of you pocket as you were leaving. Who's it from?" she said as she started to examine the writing on the out side of the letter. Severus yanked it from her hand and gave her the nastiest look he could. "Not like its any of your business but its from my father." He stuffed the letter in his pocket and then turned to walk away.
"Severus I am sorry, I wasn't going to read it. You don't have to be mad."
"Who said I was mad Evans, I just want to go to bed now if you will excuse me."
She reaches forward and grabbed him arm as he turned the second time. "I was wondering if I could ask you something? See I was wondering if you might want to help me with my potions, I really haven't been doing to well in there and with our OWLs only two years away I thought that I might need the extra help. If you don't want to I under stand. I know you don't like me and I am not asking you to do that I just want help." she stood in front of him shuffling her feet and looking at them nervously.
"You'll do fine Evans. But if you need help with anything you can always ask and I will see if I can explain it in small enough words for you to understand." No you idiot. The answer was no. What are you thinking just tell her no. The screaming in his head had become so loud that it was giving him a headache. He headed straight for bed. Why had he said yes?
The next morning Severus walked slowly into the Great Hall and plopped down at the table. He was starving. He reached across the table to grab the eggs. He began to stuff his face full off food when he looked up. His eyes had met Lilly's long enough to see her smile and sort of half wave at him before turning around talking with her friends. What had he gotten him self into. He looked over his schedule and then grabbed his things and headed off to class. The rest of the day went by with out anything happening. She hadn't so much as looked in his direction at dinner. He wasn't so sure if he was happy or up set by this. He had two classes with Gryffindor the next day and for the first time in his life he was actually looking forward to them.
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Lilly stood out side the Great Hall waiting for Remus to join her. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Why had she agreed to in the first place. James Potter. That's why. Maybe this would get him to notice her. That and Severus Snape deserved every thing he got or calling her a mudblood. But he was being so nice last night, in his own twisted little way.
" Hey Lil," Remus jumped at the same time Lilly did, " Sorry didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. How did it go the other day?"
" He said he would help me if I needed it and he...... well he agreed. I sort of waved at him yesterday morning. I am not sure how thick you want me to lay it on. Where were you yesterday anyways?"
" I was sick. I am sick a lot. But you think its working you don't think he suspects anything do you?" Lilly watched as Remus looked around the hall nervously.
" No. He doesn't seem to yet. How long do I have to keep this up Remus. Why wont you and James tell me what you guys have planned?"
" You will know soon. Just keep it up. Your doing great. We had better get to class don't wanna be late. Mind if I walk you." Lilly smiled slightly as she took Remus's arm and they walked to class.
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Severus stood behind the pillar and watched as Lilly and Remus walked down the hall. 'So it was all just another one of their pranks'. He whispered. But why had they involved Lilly? Did they think he liked her? Me like a mudblood he started to laugh, but remembered how he had acted when she was asking for help last night. Stupid hormones. He stepped out form his hiding place and walked slowly to his potions class. He had never been late to a class before and was wondering where he would have to sit. And what they were going to do to him, and how he was going to retaliate. If he was going to be picked on and they weren't going to get into trouble with the teachers he would have to take matters into his own hands. He entered the class room and took his usual seat.
"So nice of you to finally join us Mr. Snape, Would you mind taking a seat and getting out your book. We are on page 20. Oh and before I for get 50 points from Slytherin." She smiled at Severus and went back to her lecture. She never has missed a chance to publicly humiliate him since he showed her up first year. He opened his book and began to write ways to make the potion they were going to make in the next class taste better and not lose any of its properties.
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Dumbledore sat in his office with a book placed across his lap he was staring into space. The door to his office opened and he listened as the foot steps got closer to his chair. He really didn't want to deal with her now. "Good morning Minerva, Is there something that I can help you with?"
"Yes, I was wondering if you have noticed how strange Potter and his friends have been acting. I actually caught Sirius in the library with a book and it was open. I even think he was reading it." "Nothing wrong with studying, maybe he decided to stop having Remus do his work for him and try to learn on his own."
" He was reading beyond his year. Potter and Peter were there too. They are up to something and I have a feeling that they have Lilly involved somehow. And don't you give me any of that ' She would never break a rule' crap, you know as well as I do that she would do any thing to get Remus's attention or James. You know what's going on don't you!"
Albus sat looking at the book in his lap it was older than he was and it showed. The pages were turning from yellow to brown and the cover looked like at any moment to could fall off and turn to dust. He ran his long boney finger across the words on the page. She was right he did know what was going to happen but no matter how much he liked and he wanted to help Severus out he just couldn't. He had spent to long in thought and looked up just in time to see the professor storm from the room. Which she would have done any way if he would have answered. He looked down at the book and slammed it shut. What if he did do something to stop it? Just this once it couldn't change things that drastically, could it? Albus picked up the book and tossed it in to the fire, he then left the room in search for Minerva. He would need her help after all.
As he shut the door the book that he had left burning in the fire place turned to ashes and began to reappear on the coffee table in front of his favorite chair.
A/N OK I know that this was a short chapter and its really choppy, but I did the best I could. Its also a lot shorter than I thought but it just seemed like a good stopping point. So good, bad, or ugly read and review. Please! I would also like to apologize for this chapter taking so long. School and work have sucked away most of my free time. I do promise to try and keep updating more often than I have been.