Chapter 1: Narrow Escapes
Julie Potter's eyes fluttered. Things were coming into focus. The effects of the potion were beginning to wear off. She was slowly coming back to life. She could feel the clammy palm of her boyfriend stroking her forehead and whispering her name. She opened her eyes fully and looked at him. His eyes were black and cold, his hair was long and greasy and he gave off the distinct aura of an overgrown bat. "Severus," she murmured, "is he gone?"
"Yes." He replied. "He just wanted information on the Polyjuice potion I am brewing for him." Severus Snape looked down into her twinkling Hazel eyes. He loved the way her hair seemed to fly out behind her. It was like there was a constant wind at her face. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, yet, she was the twin sister of his mortal enemy.
He hated to do what he did, but it was the only way to keep her alive. Their relationship was top secret. Julie couldn't face her brother to tell him that she was hopelessly in love with Severus. For him it wasn't family, it was the fact that he was You Know Who's right-hand man. He had worked hard on learning and using Occlumency, so that he could block out all thoughts of her. He always kept instant death potions around to feed to her, incase You Know Who ever showed up. He couldn't risk the dark lord finding her. It would mean death for both if them.
Severus and Julie naturally hated each other in the beginning. It was a very cold December day and the weather had caused the Herbology classes to be cancelled. The snow was so thick that no one could drudge through it to get to the greenhouses. Julie and James were squashed in the corner at a table with a peaky looking Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. "Merlin's beard Julie, it is a free period and you are still pouring over books?" James said, poking Julie in the arm in a teasing way.
"James it is our O.W.L. year just because you don't have to work hard to get top marks doesn't mean I can do that." she retorted.
"Oh sure you could." Sirius piped in. "You've just never tried hard enough." He slipped his arm around her neck and gave her an innocent peck on the cheek.
"Dream on Sirius." Julie said turning her head toward him. "Now if you would please remove your arm before I have to jinx it off."
Sirius flashed his dazzling beautiful gray eyes at her the sides of his mouth curled into a smile. "You know Julie, you are going to be my wife someday."
At that remark Julie arose from the table and walked out of the disused classroom. Her original intent was to go straight to the library, but she turned left at the statue of a crazy haired witch and began to walk down the stairs. Sirius always got to her. He was handsome, charismatic and outgoing. Every girl wanted to be adorned on his arm. She had thought about it herself, but he was her brother's best friend. There was defiantly something missing, to make him more attractive. Sirius was always very insistent that they were meant to be together, but Julie was very reluctant. Every time he made an advance toward her, she would get uncomfortable and ignore him. She usually left the room.
Julie ran her long fingers across the banister of the staircase. She tossed her long black hair back with her hand and giggled. "Forget about him." she thought as she hopped up on the banister. She began to slide. She loved the freedom of sliding down the school staircases, and not knowing which way she would end up.
When she was reaching the bottom of the stairs, she noticed a brooding figure lurking in her path. By the time she was able to register that she was going to collide, she hit him with excessive force and the two went toppling to the ground with a THUD.
Julie stood up and brushed off the front of her robes. She reached out her hand and started to brush off the person she ran into. "I'm sorry…" she began, but her voice trailed away when she saw that she was talking to Severus Snape."Oh it's you." she said. "Why aren't you with everybody else? Why are you lurking around the halls?"
"I don't have to justify myself to you." He said. "You Potters are all the same so arrogant. You think because you and your brother are really good chasers on the Quidditch field, people owe you praise. If you weren't a girl, I would curse you where you stand. Little baby Jamesette." Julie pulled her wand out of her robes and pointed it straight at the teenage Severus.
"Don't call me that. That is not my name. I am my own person. If I hear that out of your mouth again I will show you what a girl can do."
Snape's Mouth curled into a sneer. A laugh escaped from his nostrils. "Struck a cord I see"
"If I were truly a Jamesette, I would curse you were you stand and laugh about it to the gang, but I am not like that." She lowered her wand and finished brushing off Snape's robes. She turned to walk away when the sound off her name startled her and she spun around to see Snape fully smiling at her. It intrigued her because she had never seen him smile in that way before.
"There is a Hogsmeade weekend on Valentine's day. Mostly everyone will be out of the castle. I wonder if you fancy roaming the empty corridors with me.
Julie sat for a few seconds in shock of what was just asked of her. She shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds like it could be a lot of fun." She paused. "I'll meet you in that Entrance Hall once everybody leaves.
That Valentine's day, the marauders woke up, got dressed and accumulated in the Gryffindor common room. Once they reached the common room, Sirius' eyes fell upon Julie, and he gave an audible gasp. She was wearing her usual school robes, but her eyes gave an extra sparkle and her lips were a deep shade of red. He walked over to the chair she was sitting in and sat down on the arm of it. "Wow!" Sirius said. "Did you do all this for me?"
"You wish." She giggled. "I am not going into Hogsmeade today, but you guys have fun without me."
"Not going?" James said, startled. "I think it'd time you pulled that stick out of your bum Jules, C'mon Sirius." Sirius shrugged and the marauders disappeared through that portrait hole.
After they had left a woman with dark red hair and bright green eyes sat down opposite Julie. "I know how you feel." she said to her. "Your brother treats me like that all the time, always calling me Evans. I admire you for standing up to him like that. Most girls are too entranced by his arrogance, fawning over him all the time making fools out of themselves."
"It isn't that I don't think he's gorgeous. I just don't fancy myself the bearer of bad news to all those poor girls." The girls had a hearty laugh at the expense of a few others who were giving Julie a dirty look across the room. Lily shrugged and got up. She too disappeared through the portrait hole with a few other girls.
When the common room thinned of students, Julie made her way out of the room and down the stairs to the Entrance Hall. She wasn't sure whether or not she should be meeting Severus at all. It could very well be a trap and then she would be absolutely embarrassed that she had put herself in that situation. There was something that she couldn't quite explain, luring her there. She had never seen Severus in any light but hate. It felt weird to be having all these strange new emotions of attraction to him. She was sure that he felt the same way. The way they were looking at each other at the foot of the steps gave her a weird tingle in her tummy. Even though his eyes were cold and black, there was subtle warmth there that only she seemed to notice. It was almost as if there were certain horrors in his past that gave him his dark facade. She was sure there was still that loving child in there just waiting on someone to show him some kind of affection. She was determined to be the on to give it to him.
When she neared the Entrance Hall she heard a terrible tousle. She peaked around the corner, and saw James and Sirius bullying Severus into a corner. Remus was hiding behind that Patil boy pretending that he didn't notice them. Peter was guffawing at the idea of Severus being tortured. Julie crossed the Entrance Hall and tapped James on the shoulder. "What," she asked "do you think you are doing?"
"Don't interrupt me Julie I can't take my eyes off this maggot for a second."
"James can't you go one day without making trouble for yourself and everybody else?"
"C'mon Jules it's just Snivellus. I have to make my day worth while"
"Sirius STOP!" Julie yelled pulling out her wand. She held it toward Sirius while her other hand was clamped to James' shoulder. "JAMES!"
Sirius rolled his eyes and grabbed Julie's wand hand "are you going to keep me company, keep me out of trouble?"
"You can't be serious!" She yelled.
"In the flesh."
"Sirius get out of here."
"Merlin's beard Julie you are no fun." Sirius and James dropped their wands, collected Remus and Peter, and left out of the castle. The crowd slowly began to shift their attention toward their Hogsmeade weekend visit and the Entrance Hall became void of all students.
"So," said Julie tensely "what are we going to do?"
Severus wasn't looking at her. You could tell that he was extremely embarrassed by having to be saved from her brother's torment. Julie was fuming at her brother at the moment, for ruining the day she had planned. She was not going to let him live this down. "C'mon Severus say something."
He sighed and grabbed her hand and they begin to walk around the castles great many floors and halls. They walked and talked for the better part of the day. Severus found out her favorite color was the marble shade of orange marmalade, and she couldn't fall asleep at night without listening to Celestina Warbeck's witching hour.
Julie learned that Severus had an innate sense of potion making that gave him great pride. She also learned that his father was a muggle who hated magic. He sometimes would beat Severus if something strange happened around the house and his mother was strictly forbidden to ever use magic. Thankfully he had died when Severus was ten so he was now free to attend Hogwarts.
They walked until they reached the fourth floor corridor. They said their goodnights. Then with all thoughts of the world forgotten, they leaned in toward each other and shared a kiss. An explosion of happiness spread over the two like a warm gentle fire.
Severus pulled back and held out something in his hand. "For you." He told her. Then he dropped it into her hand. It was a ring. It had a rock set into it that was pitch black. The instant that the ring dropped into her hand it changed into a bright blue color.
"It's a mood ring." He told her. Then he smiled and began to walk away.
Julie picked herself up off the floor and sat down on the sofa. She held her head in her hands. She didn't want to keep living this way. The potion Severus gave her rid her off all life signs and thoughts, while still keeping her alive, so that You Know Who couldn't sense her presence. She also wouldn't be able to show up on any sneakoscope the Death Eaters would be carrying. She would be fed the anecdote when things were clear.
This was the third time, the third time that she and Severus had defied You Know Who by using the potion and escaping death. Now there was a child growing inside her. Julie had yet to confide this to Severus. She was not sure how he would react. This child would merge the worlds of the Death Eaters and The Order of the Phoenix. She knew in her gut that her child would be more special and more important to the wizarding world than he would ever know.
She looked up at Severus who was pouring her a hot cup of tea. She shook her head. "We can't keep doing this. It is too dangerous." Julie looked down at the mood ring that Severus had given her on their first date. For the first time since she got it, it changed colors. It flashed a deep red.
"I know you cannot renounce You Know Who." She put her hand to his face and felt tears began to trickle down over her fingers. He grabbed her hand from his face and held tight to it
"You cannot do this to me Julie. You cannot leave. We have been together too long. I love you; I would do anything, kill anybody or be killed for you!"
"I know Severus." She grabbed his hand which was still clamped over her own. "It is crucial that you stay in the position you are in because I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. I cannot take that potion anymore."
"WHY?"
"Because." She kissed the man she loved gently, removed her hands from his and walked out the door. She did not turn around. She walked out into the night and disappeared from Spinner's End with a faint pop.