Title: A bit of Chance…
Background: Set in Severus Snape's 3rd year at Hogwarts
Disclaimer: I don't own this…
Notes: This is an intro chapter. Not extremely exciting. Still...If you've read my other fic 'Christmas at Hogwarts' that was an alternate reality, something I wish would have happened. This is more of what I think could have happened (if indeed Severus met Lily, etc.) It's from Snape's Point of View, at least in this chapter.
Reviews are appreciated, thanks!
Chapter 1: A bit of bad luck
Severus Snape was sitting alone in the back of the Potions Classroom, perusing his textbook. It did not occur to him that no one, save himself, in the class was reading. He did not notice that everybody else was chatting hurriedly with their friends before class started, trying to get in those last bits of gossip. He did not care that someone had just thrown a rolled up piece of parchment at him. If he did, what could he have done about it?
Indeed, Snape would not have looked up from his book at all, had it not been for the commotion that came suddenly from the hall. He looked up abruptly towards the door, as did many of his classmates, to an unseen student shouting in the hallway.
"Potter! Leave me alone! For the last time!"
Ah, so James Potter has taken to bothering other people than me, he thought. Severus Snape did not like Potter one bit. He was an arrogant show off, who thought that time spent behaving himself was time wasted.
A scarlet haired girl burst through the door followed by Potter who said something too low for Snape to hear. The girl - Snape knew her to be Lily Evans, a Gryffindor - spun around and slapped Potter on the cheek. Giggling erupted from the classroom. In spite of himself, Snape smiled. It was nice to see Potter embarrassed in front of all of his peers.
Laughter bellowed from the doorway as Sirius Black swaggered in the class. Black seemed always to be somewhere in the vicinity of Potter – their worlds seemed to revolve around each other like a binary star system. The rest of their gang of friends followed.
"Evans…" Potter sighed, "I didn't mean it like that…"
Lily Evans blushed, noticing that the whole class was watching the scene.
"I'm sure you didn't!" Evans said sarcastically, lowering her voice.
Potter rolled his eyes and took his seat at the table that he usually sat with select Gryffindors. He put his feet up on the desk, and leaned idly back in his chair. Lily folded her arms and looked away from him. She looked uncertain. Usually she worked at Potter's table.
Black took the chair next to Potter, flinging his bag on the table. The rest of their friends, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, followed suit and seated themselves.
"Come on Evans, sit down," Potter called.
"I wouldn't sit with you for a million galleons," Lily spat. Snape was impressed by her fortitude in this matter. She looked around for another seat.
The class was set up in such a way that there were two tables of Gryffindor Students and two tables of Slytherin Students. There was no rule that it had to be this way, but the two classes did not generally mingle. In this case, no seats at the other Gryffindor Table were available.
The only empty chair was at the Slytherin Table – the space where Snape should have been sitting. Instead Snape preferred to sit in the back by himself at the auxiliary table. Professor Slughorn indulged him because he was the best student in the class. Besides, it was not as if he was missed.
"Sit down, Evans," bellowed Black. He was always so loud. It was obnoxious.
She didn't look back at the boys, but seemed to make a decision. She walked over toward the Slytherin Table. This was interesting. Snape couldn't take his eyes away, now. He was transfixed as if she'd been walking into a pit of vipers. She reached where Snape's seat would have been; it was next to Narcissa Black.
"I think not, mudblood," Narcissa said placing her hand on the seat, and throwing her head back haughtily. A few Slytherins laughed.
Snape was disgusted. Not that he would have done anything different. There's no way he would have let a Gryffindor sit next to him, and Evans should have known better. He didn't care what became of her. Still, he undeniably didn't like Narcissa Black; she was such a snob.
To Snape's horror, he noticed that Evans was moving towards him. Oh, lovely, just what I need. Snape furrowed his brow.
"Can I sit here?" she asked sheepishly.
Snape didn't answer, but he looked over her shoulder to see James Potter standing, mouth agape. He looked angry. Snape decided that there could be a small advantage to letting her sit down, but said nothing.
He glanced back down at his book as if he hadn't heard her. Lily apparently took this as a 'yes' for she sat at the end of the table, around the corner, but right next to him. She was close, too close. She smelled like
Lilacs.
Snape was annoyed. No, annoyance didn't begin to breach the feelings that were crossing his mind. The first was irritation. The second was embarrassment – to be sitting by a Gryffindor, a muggle-born no less. He could hear people sniggering. The third was fear. No, not fear. Why would I be afraid of this girl? That's irrational. Wariness…maybe.
The last feeling he felt was the worst, and he was trying to push it down as he always had in the past. It was hope. It was the same yearning he always vaguely suffered, but it seemed to intensify with the proximity of her, or anyone for that matter. It was the wish that people would notice him, appreciate him, and like him. Friends, he wanted friends. It was only when people were near that he remembered how utterly alone he always was.
But at the same time as this ridiculous feeling pulsed through his heart, his head knew better. Why would he want to be friends with a stupid Gryffindor? He had enough problems with his own house. Gryffindors were all stuck up anyway. Even if she was nice to him (unlikely, but for arguments sake) he could not endure the criticism from other Slytherins. It was just unfortunate that it was her who sat next to him and not someone else.
He wondered why he was so pathetic that he would be considering non-existent friendships and their repercussions when she'd only sit next to him because there was no where else to sit. Anyway, friendship – he didn't really believe in it. People just used each other from what he could tell.
He peeked up at her from his book. She was looking at him. His heart thudded. It startled him. He wished he could tell her to stop it. He quickly looked back at his book.
"I'm Lily Evans," she said quietly.
Oh, don't talk to me. This is humiliating. He could feel people staring at them. "Yes," he answered, barely moving his lips.
"Are you on a delayed reaction?" Lily asked.
Was she trying to be funny? Snape looked at her blankly.
"Oh, never mind, it just seemed a more appropriate response to the first question I asked."
Snape didn't answer.
She seemed irritated by his rudeness. He didn't care. "It's fine…I would've expected for you to say, 'I'm Severus Snape' or something like that, but it's okay. I know who you are."
She did? Snape blinked. It surprised him, but probably shouldn't have. It's not like their year was so large. Besides, he certainly knew who she was, and all of her loathsome, bloody friends.
He tried concentrating on his book again. After he realized that he was reading the same sentence for the fifth time he gave up. He obviously couldn't focus on anything with her sitting next to him. He looked back up at her. She was staring at him.
He really wished she'd stop. As if her presence wasn't bad enough, she was scrutinizing him, or so he felt. He hated being watched.
"Why do you have a Newt Level Textbook?" she asked.
This girl did not seem to understand that he did not want to talk to her. He was saved, however from answering by Professor Slughorn, who had just walked in. He was trying to get the class under control. Snape sighed. This was going to be a long hour.