Chapter 14 – Memories
When Harry got back to his and Draco's room he took out his Pensieve and set it down on his bed quietly so he didn't wake Draco, who was already sound asleep.
Moving towards the bed, Harry sat down, leaning against the headboard, deciding whether or not to look through some of the memories. Sighing slightly, Harry leaned forward like he did with the Headmaster's pensieve, only this time he knew how to get out.
*~*~*~*~*
It appeared to be the Hogwarts express, and by the looks of all the children, on its way to the school. Harry looked around only to find himself standing next to a small Severus, apparently in his first year. Looking around the compartment, he could see the other students were giving Severus a wide birth, all except a short redhead.
'Mom?' Is all Harry could think as he watched the scene play out in front of him.
"Hello, I'm Lily Evans, what's your name?" The red head asked, ignoring the sneer that was sent her way.
"Severus Snape," he replied coldly, not once losing the sneer.
"Nice to meet you, what house do you think you'll be getting into? I think I'm probably going to be a Ravenclaw."
"Slytherin."
Lily looked a little put out by the tone of voice Severus, her new friend was using so she decided to ignore it.
"That's the house that my Aunt was in, she wanted me to be in it too but I don't think I would fit in there."
"Figures. Besides, Slytherin isn't fit for Mudbloods."
"Mud-what's?"
"Mud. Bloods. Namely, you."
Lily looked shocked for a moment before tears started to well up in her eyes, looking at Severus one more time, she fled out through the doors, nearly knocking over an older, blond headed man who was approaching Severus.
Before the vision blurred, Harry could have sworn he saw hurt flash through his father's eyes.
*~*~*~*~*
"Lils, come on, we're going to be late for our meeting." A voice slightly familiar said as Harry focuses on where he was. It appeared to be the library and Severus, when he was in his third year by the looks of it, sat reading a book on Potions.
'Figures,' Harry thought to himself as he focused back on what was being said a few rows down.
"I'm sorry Siri, but I can't come tonight, I have to tutor some students."
"Aww, but Lil, you're always tutoring someone at one point or another, why can't you just come to the Marauder's Meeting, just once, please."
"Don't you dare give me your puppy eyes, Sirius Black, you know very well they don't work with me."
Harry could just imagine the lost look on Sirius' face as Lily reprimanded him.
"All right all right, you win, I'll just tell everyone that you're tutoring the mysterious student again, any chance you'd tell me who it is?"
"No, now go on, tell James and Remi I'll talk to them later."
"Fine, See you later Red."
As Sirius said that, you could hear his voice drifting farther away, complaining about one thing or another.
Turning around slightly, he realized Severus had cleared a spot on the table, which was filled by books a minute later accompanied by a 'sorry I'm late.'
"It's fine, I heard the mutt complaining all the way over here."
"Sev, you know I can't just ditch those three guys, they're pretty much impossible to evade."
"Yes, they are aren't they. Anyways, what are we working on tonight?"
"Actually, I was wondering if you could help me with potions, I don't understand the procedure Professor Bicket gave us."
Severus smiled slightly at the pouting look on Lily's face. "You know, the way we first met, on the train, no one would guess we ever became friends would they?"
Lily smiles too, "It took me forever to get around your masks and walls, but I never gave up. I never give up on anyone who I consider my friend."
"If it wasn't for Lucius, which is surprising, we would have never become friends in the first place. You never did tell me what he did to you."
Lily's smile faltered before she answered. "That's because I haven't told anyone, but then again, I think you deserve to know. After all you've done for me, even if you didn't realize it."
Lily's eyes drift away as if she was seeing something that wasn't there.
"I was returning from the kitchens because I missed dinner. It was pretty dark out because there was a storm raging, and I was about halfway back to the Gryffindor Common room when someone grabbed me from behind, one hand over my mouth so I couldn't shout out. He took me into an abandoned class room and put silence charms up, when he turned around I could see that it was Lucius. He went on a long rant about how muggle borns were going to pay soon, and that he was going to start punishing all of them in school.
"I just happened to be the first one he had seen I guess because he got this mad glint in his eyes. He reached for his wand and sent some minor pain curses at me, those that I could handle without too much problem. But then he sent Crucio at me when he realized I wasn't going to show pain. God, that was the worse curse, I thought I was being torn from the inside, anyways, before it went too far he stopped.
"At first I was confused, but then I heard shouting coming from outside the door, it was Remi looking for me, since he was the only one that knew I was gone. I guess he scared Lucius off because he left through a secret passageway, I was too weak to take down the charms, let alone call for Remus, so he continued down the hall. I guess I blacked out after that because the next thing I knew was waking up in the Hospital wing with you next to me.
"You can imagine the shock I had from seeing you, after all, the last thing you ever said to me was an insult." Lily stopped to take in a deep breath before smiling and looking over to Severus, who, like Harry was in a state of shock.
"You know, when I saw you sitting there, the only thought going through my mind was like, 'oh God, I do not need this now.' It's safe to say that I was completely wrong about that. When you started speaking, and explaining why you acted the way you did, and that you really wanted to have a normal life with friends, my heart broke for you. I couldn't stand anyone feeling the pain that you were showing.
"And when you said that you were the one to find me and bring me to the Hospital Wing, I vowed to myself that I would always be your friend, no matter what you did or said to me."
"Lily, I never knew, God I want to kill Lucius."
"Calm down Sev, it's in the past, I just thought you deserved to know."
"I'm truly grateful for that, but now I think we should get back to school work don't you?" Severus said, distractedly organizing his books, not looking towards Lily.
Lily just shook her head bewildered, moving closer to the table and picking up a book.
Before the vision faded, Harry could have sworn that Severus blushed when they accidentally touched while reaching for the same book.
*~*~*~*~*
As Harry's vision cleared, he found himself outside standing next to the lake which was frozen over. Looking around, he saw Severus standing silently, staring out over the lake and a figure coming towards him from the opposite direction that he figured was his mother.
"Sev, why did we have to meet out here, it's freezing." Lily complained slightly while rubbing her hands together for warmth.
Severus turned around, watching Lily as she came up beside him, putting an arm around her waist, he pulled her close. "I'm sorry, I thought it would be nice to go for a walk or something, enjoy our time together before everyone returns from their homes."
Lily smiled slightly, totally forgetting she was cold. "That sounds wonderful, can you believe that the entire school went home for Christmas Break? It's almost unbelievable."
Severus just nodded his head while starting to walk around the lake, Lily in his arms.
Harry had to trot to catch up with them.
"Lily, there's something I have to tell you, but I want you to keep an open mind, please."
"Of course Sev, why wouldn't I?"
"Just listen. Do you remember a week ago when I had to go home for a few days on my father's orders?"
Lily nodded her head, wondering where the conversation was going.
"Well, he made me meet someone, a friend of the family as he put it. I had known for a while that my father was submerging himself in the dark arts, but I never knew he was so far gone. The night that I went home, I met Voldemort, my father put me under an advanced form of Imperio and forced me to take the mark.
"I know you'll probably hate me, but I had to tell you, I couldn't keep lying to you, I care too much about you."
Lily just stood there stunned for a second before her features took on the form of compassion. "Sev, you have to get help, you can't go to Voldemort, he'll kill you."
Severus sighs, "I can't, if I do, he'll just kill me faster, I have to do this alone, I can't tell anyone else, I shouldn't have even told you."
"Severus, if you don't tell anyone, I won't talk to you anymore. I won't be a friend to someone who puts their life at risk so foolishly."
Severus abruptly released Lily, turning around, his features icy. "If that's the way you feel, then I suggest you go back to your dormitory Evans."
Lily looks hurt before turning around and running back towards the school, she missed the longing look Severus sent her, but Harry saw it before the vision went dark.
*~*~*~*~*
As the vision settled once again, he found himself to be in the Headmaster's office with both Severus and Albus looking extremely grave.
"What you have told me is extremely serious, and extremely dangerous. Are you one hundred percent sure you can handle being a spy? I could organize it so you never have to go back to your home."
"I know you could, Headmaster, but with all due respect, I at least owe this to the community after all I've done, all that Voldemort and my father have forced me to do."
Albus nodded gravely before standing up, "I'll see what I can do for you now, but I suggest you go and get some sleep Mr. Snape, you'll need it for tomorrow."
"Yes sir, good night sir." Severus says as he heads out the door.
Harry follows, wondering why his father had put this memory in the pensieve, only to figure it out as Severus headed towards the library.
As Severus entered the library, he walked towards the table that was in the first memory, only to find it filled with a couple snuggling, reading out of a book.
Catching a glint of red hair, Severus paled before sneaking behind the row of books, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"James, are you sure Madame Pince won't come back here?"
"Don't worry Lil, besides, all we are doing is reading aren't we, the library only had one copy of this…umm…book."
"James!" Lily said in mock outrage, "you don't even know the title of the book? This excuse is going to work well isn't it?"
"Hey," James says in surprise, "I make up very good excuses thank you very much."
"Sure you do, that's why you got a detention earlier for helping the house elves make breakfast?"
"Okay, I admit that was one of my poorer excuses, but everyone makes mistakes sometimes don't–" James started to say before he was cut off by Severus walking into the open.
"I thought you might have been here Evans, I wanted to tell you something but it seems you're occupied." Here Severus glared at James who looked surprised, Lily just looked shocked.
Severus just gave the two another glare before heading out of the library, his eyes, and stance forbidding.
Harry shook his head before waving his wand in a circular motion while muttering 'finite Incantatem.'
*~*~*~*~*
As Harry fell back onto his bed, he realized he pretty much went through all of the memories inside the pensieve, and that it was almost time for lunch. Getting up and setting the Pensive on a stand next to his bed, Harry starts to put away all of his presents.
By the time he was finished with that, he started wondering where Klara went, the last time he saw her was right before he went into the Pensieve. His question was answered by the soft hissing coming from the floor.
ßMasster, where did you jusst go?ß
ßSsorry, I wass looking through ssome of my father'ss memoriess of my mother.ß
ßMother? Father?ß
Harry looks confused for a moment before reaching down to pick up Klara. ßYess, don't you have parentss? The two peo– umm ssnakess who gave you life?ß
Klara does what would be a snake shaking its head. ßNo, they are jusst what we call the life giverss, the more livess they make, the more respected they are.ß
Harry just smiles at Klara's or rather, snake's philosophies of life. ßIn that case, then I wass looking at memoriess from my life giverss.ß
ßI ssee, anywayss, thiss place hass a lot of mice Masster, plenty for me and lotss of snake-kin.ß
Harry just shook his head while getting up, Klara curling herself around his upper arm. He then walked towards Draco's bed to wake him up for lunch, before heading down to his father's office to tell him that it was time for lunch.
TBC…
AN: OMG sry for the delay...again guys. But at least met me explain plz lol. I've had trouble with my Word program and it's deleted this chapter twice…and then I got grounded…not going into specifics…but anyways….here's chapter 14…and I'm already working on chapter 15…enjoy…R&R
PS: I was hoping for 100 reviews you guys….only three off…o well…guess you can't have everything right?