Title: Finding Severus
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: T
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and write with the sole intention to entertain.

A/N: I repeat, this is a not a slash Severus/Lucius fic, but there will be some mild interaction amongst other characters in the form of remarks and maybe one or two contacts. Nothing graphic at all. Nothing deep.

Severus was out of the class before the bell even stopped ringing. Keeping his head bowed, he hurried out the door. He could still hear some students snickering behind him and someone called out something, a name of some sort. Not even looking up, he walked away from the jeering remarks, face as red with shame as it had been 40 minutes ago since he had picked himself up from amidst the wrecked desk and chair. The entire class had exploded with laugher for the second time that hour at his expense.

"I fear you have gained some extra pounds, Snape!"

"No, his nose weighed him down!"

"The rest of him is as greasy as his hair; he simply slipped off!"

They would have gone on forever had Syntrad not broken his ruler on the edge of his desk, eyes now more red than brown. A few more hysterical students had refused to calm down and the DADA teacher had hexed one girl who had been applauding loudly. Her hands now stuck to each other and despite her best efforts she could not unglue her palms. That had been more than convincing and they had all fallen silent.

Given any other day Severus would have simply allow them their cruel amusement, he normally wouldn't have really cared. But today was so different. Today the very image of perfection had witnessed everything and had heard all the names they had called him. The one person he had hoped...

'To be what? A friend? Lucius Malfoy, who has not even been in Hogwarts for two hours yet already his name and looks have been spread to over half the student body, would never be my friend. Even Hogwarts' most pathetic students don't want to be seen with me. Why would someone like Lucius?'

Syntrad has effortlessly repaired his desk and chair within seconds with a 'Reparo' charm. While the DADA teacher had then gone over to Sirius to give him enough punishment to last a century, plus confiscate his wand till the end of the week which was four days from now, Severus had sat back down gingerly, afraid the whole thing would cave in once more. The whispered taunts were still flowing so that only he could hear them.

"Snivellus did it again!"

"Trying to improve your position in class? The floor is definitely more suitable for you!"

"Sirius: 2, Snivellus: 0!"

Pretending to return to his book, he could feel the vibrant green eyes on him but he refused to meet them. He knew Lucius felt ashamed to have associated himself, even if but for a few minutes, with the class loser. He didn't want to see the clear eyes as they watched him with disgust and contempt.

Now, as he walked down the hall, shoulders hunched and face hidden by his hair, he quickly made his way outside to the courtyard and was hugely relieved to see that is was empty. Free hours were very rare in the morning and right now the rest of his class were in Divination.

Though the teacher, Mrs. Lunar, was a decent, if not eccentric, woman, he had always found that subject to be a complete fraud. The only good thing about Divination was that Potter and his cronies had it and he didn't so he was granted some respite from their tricks. Two hours, to be precise, since the schedule was double Divination classes.

Severus shivered when he realised that he now had Sirius' wrath to deal with. And though he had done him nothing, he knew that Potter would be out to get him too, claiming to avenge Sirius, just for the sake of amusement.

'All I can do is enjoy this brief peace the next class.'

Settling down beneath a large oak tree that stood in the very corner of the courtyard, its massive roots actually having lifted the courtyard's wall several feet above ground level, he took out his Transfiguration homework; a book, a notepad and his pet toad, Pewter, who he always carried in the front pocket of his satchel. The big bulbous eyes blinked at him and he smiled slightly and placed the fat amphibian on the grass.

"I'm afraid I am going to have to try and turn you into a mushroom again, my friend."

Pewter croaked and waddled onto the open book, experimentally sticking out his tongue to taste the page only to find it very unsatisfying.

"I will feed you later," Severus assured absentmindedly as he picked up the toad and read the instructions. Clearing his throat, he placed the tip of his wand between the round eyes.

"Kelvari!"

Pewter made several strange sounds before he started to tremble and shift. The warted skin turned smooth and the stickiness melted off. Soon a perfect mushroom rested in his palm. Or, near perfect anyways, as two big, bulbous eyes blinked up at him from the head of the mushroom.

Sighing, he reread the page but he had followed the instruction perfectly. It was simply a matter of concentration.

"As if I can concentrate," he muttered and, having pity on his mushroom-toad, tapped the smooth top with his wand. "Iravlek!"

Pewter crawled out of his palm and began waddling about, never straying too far. Severus leaned back against the large trunk, watching the toad in its care-free explorations. Even toads had it better than him!

Disgusted with himself for comparing himself with a frog, he grabbed his book and buried his nose in it. School work was normally all he needed to relax but today it was not helping.

A loud croak of fear brought his attention back to Pewter who had curled himself into a ball in the grass. Looming over him was a midnight black cat with bright green eyes. She sat with her head tilted to one side in curiosity as she studied this strange little thing before her. With a soft meow, she pawed at Pewter. When the toad croaked again she nudged it with her nose, sending Pewter rolling a few inches. Delighted with her newfound toy, the feline bounded after her 'bumpy ball', batting it between her paws.

"Shoo! Leave him alone!" Severus raised his wand, hex at the tip of his tongue. But before he could send the black feline into near paralysis, a smooth voice spoke up.

"Vanima, leave it alone."

Lucius emerged from the shadow of the hallway.

The paw froze in mid-air before lowering. With a loud meow, she ran over to him, jumping with a graceful arch into his arms and nestling herself comfortably there. Lucius stroked her head affectionately as he walked over.

Severus looked around nervously, trying to find a way out of this. First he had been unveiled as a total loser right before Lucius in class and now he had almost hexed the blond's cat!

Finding no way out, he sat up straighter, watching with apprehension as Lucius drew nearer. However, the blond stopped for a moment to bend down and pick up Pewter, who had yet to unroll himself. With an unreadable expression, Lucius walked over to where he was sitting and, placing the black cat on the ground, he sat down himself in a fluent movement, like a feline in fact. Holding out his elegant hand, with a quivering Pewter in the palm, he said,

"I assume this is yours?"

"Yes...yes, he is..." He slowly reached out and took the toad from Lucius.

"What's his name?" Lucius asked with a polite voice as he wiped his hand off on a handkerchief.

"Pewter."

"Nice name. Please forgive Vanima." He motioned to the black cat that was nosily sniffing Severus' bag and school supplies. "She tends to cross many boundaries. She wouldn't hurt a fly though."

"Okay." He didn't know what Lucius had expected him to say and bit his tongue nervously. Before he could even think it through, he blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

A perfect brow rose at that and he blushed, lowering his head and tried again.

"I mean, don't you have class?"

"Divination?" Lucius scoffed. "Please, it's the most ridiculous subject there is. Since when does my food preferences depend on Saturn's rings' coloration?"

Despite himself, Severus chuckled.

"Yeah, I also find it a waste of time."

"My mother is a strong believer in it, though. Father and I are always trying to make her see the nonsense behind it all but she stays on it. That's why I wear my hair long. It has never been cut ever since I was born. According to her it was foretold by the star constellation of Draco that if I keep my hair long I will have a son when I am 28. Can you believe that stupidity?" Rolling his eyes, he opened his satchel and withdrew some books.

Severus watched the blond with nervous and curious eyes. Why was Lucius being so nice to him? Surely the blond had heard lots of things about him already from other students?

"A-are you sure you want to sit here?"

Lucius looked first at him and then looked around, studying the grass and the oak tree's massive branches above them.

"Is it not safe here?"

"Well, it is, but...are you sure you want to be sitting here...with me...?"

The green eyes lit up in understanding. With a soft sigh, he closed his book and leaning his elbows on his knees, he looked him dead in the eye.

"Look, about what happened back in the class...I am sorry if I had brought that upon you."

"You didn't. I guess you can say that I am not a class favourite."

Looking back down at his book, he watched as Pewter attempted to climb up, fat fingers clutching at the edge of the book as stubby back legs waved in the air. From where she sat near her master, Vanima watched his ascent with a cocked head.

"I found it very immature and distasteful for that student to do that," Lucius said. "He is simply full of himself, and very rude as well."

"He is one of the most popular students in Hogwarts."

"That explains much," Lucius replied, picking up his quill and started to write on his scroll. "I personally hate people of his likes. They allow others worship of them to go to their heads. I have yet to meet a level headed popular student."

"What about you?"

"What about me?" Lucius' eyes were trained on his book, smooth brow furrowed somewhat in concentration as he read the questions.

"Well...you must have been very popular at your old school." He faltered when the green eyes met his but went on, "And no doubt you will be very well known here at Hogwarts."

"Believe me, it is not something I encourage. I prefer to be left alone." A slight hint of warning accompanied the voice but still Severus went on.

"That must certainly be very hard to do," Severus said as he watched the sunlight glimmer like sprinkled gold on Lucius' long tresses. Sometime between class and here he had loosened it and it now fell over his shoulders as he read. "You already have the entire DADA class captivated and--"

"Just drop it, okay?" The once green eyes had morphed into ice blue and their stare froze him if only momentarily.

"I-I-I am...I a-am ver-very s-s-sorry."

As quickly as they had formed, the icy walls melted, leaving behind the warm ocean coloured eyes. Lucius sighed and ran his hand through his hair, brushing it out of his face.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I have no right to be taking anything out on you. I simply do not like to talk about it..."

Vanima rubbed her head against his arm, purring in an attempt to calm him.

"Of course. I shouldn't have pushed you."

Lucius smiled softly and returned to his school work. Watching the blond write, Severus felt for some reason at peace. It was the first time in his years at Hogwarts that he had been in the company of someone for no reason. He had been paired up with partners for projects, much to their dismay, but never had he had a simple conversation with anyone.

They worked the rest of the hour. When the bell rang they remained sitting since there was still a second hour of Divination to go. Students crossed the courtyard to get to their classes, chatting and laughing though once they caught sight of the two Slytherins they fell silent, some even stopping with walking all together.

"That's him! That's Lucius!" a red haired girl whispered frantically to her friends who squealed but luckily kept their distance.

"Why is he sitting with Snivellus?

"Maybe he's going to hex him."

"Oh my god! He's so handsome!"

Lucius didn't even blink at their words, intently reading and writing, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Severus admired his ability to ignore people, wishing he had that gift himself.

Finally, everyone was forced to keep moving as the second bell rang. Once again, they were left alone in the vacant courtyard. Several more minutes passed by before Lucius made an exhausted snort.

"I don't get this!"

"Get what?"

"This stupid Polyjuice potion. It takes a month before it is ready, but everybody knows that the Casdratop roots that are needed in it survive only a few days once removed from the soil. Yet they play the vital role in a successfully brewed potion. How is that possible?"

"That is actually a trick question." He hesitated before moving in for a closer look. When Lucius made no comment, he sat down next to the blond.

"How so?"

"Casdratop doesn't actually need to be in the soil. It just needs the minerals found in it. All you have to do is add one spoonful of earth to every litre of potion and it will suffice."

Lucius looked rather impressed. "You are very good at this. Then again, you got an O on your OWL."

Flustered by the sincere compliment, Severus schooled himself not too look too proud and shrugged a casual shoulder.

"I like potion making just as much as I like DADA. I believe that once you get the idea of what you are doing everything just falls into place."

"Do you think...that you could tutor me then?"

Severus' mouth fell open. Tutor Lucius? As in, spend extra time with the blond to help him with his school work? He had figured that Lucius had only sat with him because everyone else had class but the blond had been nothing but sincere and very pleasant and now he wanted to spend more time with him? Severus 'Snivellus' Snape? He found his tongue.

"M-Me? Tutor you?"

Lucius nodded, a somewhat shy smile on his handsome face.

"Potions is one of my...weaker...subjects. I can never follow these instructions and I was just able to creep over my OWL with an 'A' for Acceptable. Not something my father was very proud of, to say the least. Headmaster Dumbledore is planning on having me take extra lessons from our Potions teacher, but I think I would learn much better if I got it from you."

This time he could not stop the blush from running across his normally pale face and he pretended to be intent on removing a small rock from Pewter's mouth.

"If you want."

"Excellent!" He fell silent as he studied him. "You are quite an individual, Severus."

"Oh?" He looked up, throwing away the pebble and putting Pewter back on the ground.

"You're so...different from everyone else. I feel more comfortable around you than the rest of the students. I guess it's because we are two outsiders."

"You want to be an outsider. I am simply dubbed one." Hoping it hadn't sound like an offence, he watched for any sign of the returning cold eyes.

"True, true. But doesn't me wanting to be an outsider make me an outsider?"

Thinking it over, it made sense, in a weird way. Chuckling softly, he nodded. Something furry touched his hand and he looked down to where Vanima sat looking up at him with those pine-green eyes. The very tip of her tail twitched every now and then. This seemed to appeal to Pewter more than the blade of grass he was chewing on and quickly wobbling over, he watched the flicking black tip for several seconds before opening his mouth widely and clamping down on it.

The toad had no teeth but the element of surprise was against Vanima and she yowled and started to run in circles, trying to swat at the annoying pest which held on with all its life.

Severus was about to apologise but Lucius was laughing heartedly, knowing his pet was more indignant than hurt. His laugh was clear and Severus knew that he would be looking forward to hearing more of it in time.

Vanima had enough and jumped into her master's lap, lifting her tail in a gesture that meant 'take it off!' However, Pewter was a rather well-fed toad and the black feline couldn't lift her tail very much. With a pleading meow, she nuzzled Lucius' chest. Wiping away the tears in his eyes, he obliged and gently pried the now saliva soaked tail from Pewter's stubborn mouth.

"It would appear that you have met your match, my pet." His only response was an un-amused meow before she set about grooming her mangled tail. "What time is it?"

Severus pulled out his homework planner and opened it to the inner cover. A mini calendar on which a small red dot shifted automatically at the turn of a new day, today it circled Monday September 2nd. Below that was a small clock.

"It's almost 11 o'clock."

"I have to bring Vanima back to the dormitory. I only let her out because she hates being inside for too long." He rose smoothly, picking up the cat that was still intent on her tail. "Do you want me to take Pewter for you?"

"No, I carry him in my satchel. I can't trust him alone in the rooms. Last time he ate Jacob Sedras' plant that he had been growing for Herbology."

"Oh." Lucius commented, stroking Vanima's black fur as she laid purring in his arms, eyes sleepy and content.

'Oh, indeed.' It had taken Madam Pickle two hours to get his eyes back to size after Jacob had vented his 'displeasure' out on him.

"Then I will be right back."

Shaking his head with a small smile, he turned, his hair fanning out like a curtain of gold floating in the wind. His long legs carried him swiftly and soon he disappeared around the corner with a final flap of the black cloak.

Severus could barely contain himself. Someone had sat with him! And not just someone; Lucius Malfoy! And he, Severus Snape, was going to tutor him! He actually had a friend! He wasn't too sure on that last one, but the fact that Lucius had been so nice to him must mean something.

"What do you think, Pewter?"

The toad croaked from where it sat chewing on the end of his quill, the feathers now sticking together with toad drool, resembling Vanima's tail right about now. Pewter croaked stubbornly when its delicious quill was being pulled from its mouth. Teeth or no teeth, the toad had a good grip of the plume and refused to let go.

"Fine, keep it. At least it will keep you quiet." Packing up the rest of his things, he leaned back against the tree, awaiting the blond's return.

What if they did become friends? What type of things would they do together? He hoped Quidditch wasn't one of them; physical activities had never been one of his best talents. He usually ended up standing alone while the captains of the teams argued over who got him.

"You take him!"

"No way! We had Snivellus last week and lost! It's your turn!"

"As if! We already have seven players. You only have six."

"Fine, guess we are going to lose again."

Yes, sports had left some of the darkest, deepest hole in his mind. So deep that he sometimes wished that he could crawl into it and hide.

"Oi, Snivellus!"

And right now he wished he could crawl into the ground. The voice sent a shiver down his spine and back up. Raising his head unwillingly, he looked up into two pairs of burning eyes.

"What are you doing out of class? The bell is not going to ring for another ten minutes." He tried to sound calm but his heart was beating wildly in his chest.

"Miss Lunar ended class early because she got a 'vision' that the floor would collapse beneath us if we stayed any longer," Potter informed from where he stood next to Sirius, a stupid grin plastered on his face as always and dark eyes gleaming beneath the tousled hair.

Wormtail stood next to him, trying to look intimidating though he resembled a mouse guarding its cheese. As always Lupin opted to keep his distance though he did keep track of what was going on.

"Hope you enjoyed your free time, Snivellus," James said with a sneer.

"Especially since you're going to have a lot more of it while recovering in the school infirmary," Sirius growled, cracking his knuckles.

Tbc…

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