K, this chapter to me, is not my best, but I needed it to establish some things at Hogwarts, and this chapter does it.
Chapter 22
Hogwarts, Evens, and Sinclair
He looked to be about eleven now.
"Prince Ashitaka," the priest said smoothly, placing a hand on the tense boys shoulder, "you are going to be sent for schooling,"
"Schooling? But I've already had my Elemental Training!" that earned him a slap in the cheek.
"Yes, boy, shut up, go to the Stewardess so she can give you a disguise, I don't want to see your face in here again until next summer! Out!"
Ashitaka scrambled away and out.
………
"Prince Ashitaka, has the High Priest explained to you what is happening?"
"No, my lady,"
The Beautiful Lady smiled at him, "You are being sent to a school in the Human World, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there you will be taught to defend yourself the human way. Your books have been bought for you as has your wand."
"My wand? Why do I need a wand? I can do magic without it, it's just a waste of wood," the Lady smiled.
"Ashitaka," she crouched down in front of the eleven-year-old and placed a hand on his shoulder ignoring the flinch at her touch, "they can't know you're a demon, Prince Ashitaka, you will be given a human disguise,"
She stood, preparing herself to do magic, she placed the palm of her hands together, and as if she was dancing through the air twirled slowly letting her hands fall one resting on his shoulder the other just gently brushing his forehead. Light floated from her fingertips and he (and the Order) was blinded for a brief moment. When they all could see again, there was a young Severus Snape, hooked-noise, greasy haired and all.
………
Severus pushed his way through the crowded train and found himself an empty compartment in the back, he was muttering curses under his breath as people pushed past him, screaming at him to move, and he just silenced them with a glare. When in the compartment he roughly pushed his finely carved black trunk under the bench and opened a book, propping it on his leg.
"Excuse me?"
Severus briefly glanced up, "yes?"
"Mind if I sit here?"
"It's a free country," the girl was already in her robes, as he was, a book tucked under her arm also. She curly brown hair was pushed back into a braid and glasses rested on a slightly upturned noise enhancing the brightness of the blue eyes behind them.
"I'm Sarah Sinclair, by the way," she said sitting opposite of him opening her own book.
He glanced up briefly, "Severus Snape," was his only response.
They sat in silence.
………
From the looks Hermione interpreted some of the Order recognized the girl, she had never heard of her, but Remus seemed interested and amused, he was smiling. That only made her mad. How dare they even find some of this remotely amusing? They were raping his mind, taking away all of his dignity probably the only thing that kept him sane. They were destroying him and she couldn't do a thing to stop it.
Hermione watched Snape again; he didn't look as stressed as before. He had the same look he got when he was teaching, with out the scowl, the look that he had complete control over the situation.
………
The girl kept glancing at him and him at her. There was a growing air of frustration.
"So…" she said finally slamming her book closed. He glanced up briefly and seeing the stubborn look in her eye, closed his book slowly and drew his legs up, crossing them comfortably.
"Yes?"
"Do you know any magic?"
He looked as if he was about to burst with information but then smartly clamped his mouth shut, "Some, you?"
"Not much," she glanced briefly at the book, "Potions, eh?"
He glanced at her book, "Potions, hm?"
They were reading the same book.
………
They got into a conversation the Order couldn't follow; they both seemed interested in potions, though Severus' knowledge was much more than Sarah's.
They were about to start a conversation on Severus' theory of Wolfsbane (since Severus WAS the inventor it wasn't a complete recipe yet), there was a knock on the compartment door and in bounced a green-eyed red-headed girl that they all knew, Lily Evens.
"Hiya Sarah," she plopped down next to Severus who looked her up and down with a raised eyebrow.
"Hello." He said curtly scooting away from her slightly.
"Oh, Hello," she waved at him smiling, Sarah hid a smirk, "forgot to introduce myself, names Lily Evans, you are….?"
Severus let the question hang for a moment as he studied her, coming to a conclusion he shook his head lightly and smirked softly at her, "Severus Snape," and they shook in a greeting that would start years of friendship.
………
Severus stood in the Potion's classroom looking slightly amused, "Sinclair," he said as his only greeting as he sat down next to her, "small isn't it?" he said nonchalantly.
She stared at him eyes wide, "you must come from a very wealthy family, and this is one of the largest holders of some of the rarest ingredients in the world,"
Severus blushed lightly, "yeah…" was his only reply, "to bad Evans isn't in our class, eh Sinclair?"
Sarah glared at him playfully, "do you insist on calling everyone by their last name?"
Severus shrugged and she just sighed, mock frustrated, "she's a Ravenclaw, I'm a Gryffindor, and you're a Slytherin, what bunch we make, eh?"
Severus rolled his eyes.
………
"Well, hello there, Sarah," James Potter leaned casually on his broomstick in front of where the trio sat reading under a tree by the lake.
"James," she said coolly.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your….friends?" the annoyed smirk was obvious as he glared at the two that sat opposite of her that were completely and utterly ignoring him.
"No, I don't see why I have to subject them to your….personality,"
Severus snorted with laughter at them, "I'm rubbing off on you, Sinclair,"
Potter turned his glare to Severus, "what gives you the right to hang out with a Gryffindor anyway, Slytherin?"
Severus didn't even flinch, "the same right that gives you the permission to speak to some one who has such a higher intelligent level than yourself,"
Potter didn't respond for a moment. At this point in time he had apparently felt confident enough to take them on alone, no Marauders yet.
"Do you we need to break it down for ya, James?" Lily chimed in.
Potter again didn't respond just smirked at turned away, "you wait, Slytherin," he called over his shoulder, "sooner or later they will realize what filth they are hanging around with,"
………
Hermione knew how hard it must have been for Harry to watch his father be a complete ass to his future wife. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt that maybe Severus had a right to hate Potter so much, and to think Harry would turn out the same way. James Potter was after all so popular and friendly and noble to the teachers, but he was two-faced, that was her only conclusion as soon as the teacher's back was turned he turned into the devil's son.
She found it hard to believe that Severus was friend with Harry's mother AND a Gryffindor. They were an odd group, and from the looks of it, they were all the outcasts of their houses, which was a sad thing to see that the only way they could be friends was if they weren't welcomed by their own houses.
………
It was Christmas now, they could tell by the giant trees in the Great Hall and the snowy ceiling above them.
"Hey, Sev," Severus visibly cringed at the name as he moved his knight forward.
"Yes, Evans?"
"Are you staying for Christmas?" she took out the knight with a pawn and Severus smiled, they could all see the trick that he had set up for her.
Severus shrugged, "haven't really thought about it, probably," he then muttered to himself, "Get away from the damn priest at least,"
"What? Didn't catch that last part,"
"Nothing," he covered up quickly, "are you?" he quickly clobbered her queen with his other knight, checking-mating the king.
"Yes – this game is an insult to my intelligence," she snapped.
"What intelligence?" Severus quipped good-naturedly.
Evans glared at him and grabbed his arm roughly ignoring the fact that he visibly tensed, "that's it, buster, you're in for an atomic snow ball fight,"
Severus' eyes went wide with horror, "no! I will not! Last time I got the chills for a week because you recruited that stupid 5th year."
"Yep! But you can have Sarah on your team this time,"
He allowed himself to be dragged out of the hall, "yeah like that'll help,"
End Chapter 22
Hogwarts, Evans, and Sinclair
Hope that did it, I really had to show the more care-free side of Severus, I know I made it seem like he trusted those two really easily but when I thought about it, he was being abused by men so maybe he is less timid around woman and besides he's 11 and kids are always a good judge of character!
