They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

While setting up a new unused classroom to be their hideaway for the year, Lily says, "I think I'm going to try out for the Quidditch team."

Severus pauses in organizing his potion stores. Lifting his gaze up from the little glass bottle of frog livers in his hands, he asks, "What's brought this on?"

Lily shrugs. "It's something new to do."

"I did say if you wanted something new to do I could teach you occlumency."

She flashes him a smile. "I may still take you up on that offer at some point," she says. "For now, though, I want to do something that will help me connect with my housemates. They were all a little intimidated by me last year. Mary always started every question she had for me with 'oh wise one' by the end of the year."

"Dunderheads," Severus mutters.

Lily shakes her head. "They're children."

"Yet you want to be friends with them."

She frowns. "Severus, they won't always be children. They were also my friends the first time. I know who they'll become and I liked those people. I want to build a relationship with them so when they are those people again we can be friends like we used to be."

Severus wants to tell Lily she's holding onto an impossible dream. Just like everything else so far, the children are changing. The people she knew and the one she knows now will be different. They aren't going to be the same. What she had she's never going to have again. He doesn't, however. She'll realize it soon enough. Putting the last of his potion ingredients in the classroom's cupboard, he grumbles, "If that's what you want."

Lily's brows are furrowed. She obviously can see he's holding his tongue, but she doesn't call him on it. Perhaps she's glad he is. Perhaps she already knows why. Or perhaps she thinks he's finally learned some tact. Who knows? It's not Severus's problem.

Speaking of Severus's problem…

"Do you know if Sirius is in your dorms right now? I told Narcissa I would speak to him on her behalf."

She gets up from the desk she's been sitting on. "About what?" Lily asks.

He sighs. "About how aspiring to be the next Andromeda is a rather piss-poor idea."

Lily's face twists with something a little defiant. "Being another Andromeda is better than being a Death Eater."

"Of course it is!" Severus snaps. Angrily turning around to face his friend, he gets in her face and hisses, "You need to stop seeing things in black and white. Just because I plan to advise him against becoming another Andromeda, doesn't mean I'm advocating he become a Death Eater! It's not an either-or choice!"

Eyes blown wide, she stumbles back. "Sorry," she says. "I just can't see what else Narcissa would want you to try and set his sights on being instead."

He runs a hand through his hair. "She was quite disenchanted with the cause by the time I died." Moving his gaze off into the distance, he tells Lily, "She's at a weak point right now in her faith. I think, if I do this right, I can keep her questioning her family's ideals and when Sirius is older and needs someone on his side, she'll step up."

"Sirius doesn't like her," Lily says. "He said it quite a bit during our first lifetime, and he says it now too."

Severus nods. "I know. That's what I'm trying to change."

-o-O-o-

In the end, the two find out from a couple of Lily's dormmates that Sirius and the rest of the Marauders are out on the lawn. When they find the boys just where Lily's dormmates said they'd be, the two of them end up chatting for several minutes with the Marauders about classes and the upcoming Quidditch tryouts before Severus suggests, "Sirius, let's go for a walk by the lake."

The mutt cocks his head, evidently confused by the question. "Sure?"

James frowns. "Why just Sirius?" he demands aggressively.

Lily steps between James and Severus before things can devolve. "Severus has something private he wants to speak with Sirius about."

"And you know what that 'private' thing is?" James asks.

She nods. "Yes." Stepping closer to the boy, she almost takes James's hand, but stops short. Severus can't decide if he's relieved by this or if he hurts in sympathy for her. Once, she would not have held back, wouldn't have to. Lily has to be careful with James in ways she never was and he can hardly begin to imagine what that's like. Yet, for all the sympathy he feels, he's glad. James is an arse – always will be in Severus's eyes – and Severus feels better when Lily holds back. When she doesn't let slip just how much she cares for James and he can pretend she still thinks he's a prick like he does.

He's torn from his dilemma when Lily whispers, "I promise it's not bad, okay?"

The bespectacled boy looks between Lily and Severus, face dubious. It seems he finds whatever he's looking for, however, when he turns his attention to Sirius and says, "We'll talk later, yeah?"

Sirius smiles in relief. "Yeah."

-O-

Sirius skips stones as they make a circle around the lake. Once in a while, Severus will throw one of his own. Every time he manages to out skip Sirius's stones. This causes Sirius to huff and whine, but it never really has any heat. It's quite strange, actually. Before last year, Severus never thought it would be possible to talk with Sirius without it ending in a row or duel.

"So, what's this private thing you want to talk about?" Sirius asks after a while.

Severus hesitates. He's been planning this for the past couple of days, but how to start this conversation still alludes him. Finally, he says, "Narcissa is gutted about Andromeda."

The boy scoffs. "Sure she is."

he shoots the mutt a scowl. "Andromeda is her sister."

"Yes, well, Regulus is my brother and I don't like him all that much."

Severus stops walking, which makes Sirius pause and turn to face him completely. His expression is mutinous. Quietly, Severus says, "That is utter rot. I saw you with him at the station. You were showing him off. Then you left him with me and Lily on the train. You were looking out for him then, making sure he met a Slytherin you think is good. You like him just fine."

"I was just doing what an older brother is supposed to!" the boy shouts.

Severus sees an opportunity to turn their conversation back on Narcissa at his declaration. "If that's just what an older brother does, don't you think what Narcissa does is because it's just what a good daughter does?"

Sirius's face contorts to one of incredulity. "So?"

"If your reason for not liking her is because of that, then you're a dunderhead."

Face going red with anger, Sirius snaps, "Belt up!"

Severus steps forward and doesn't. "Like you, Narcissa is upset about Andromeda being disowned. I also know that the one other person Narcissa would turn to in such a situation will offer her no comfort. They are not the least bit upset about it and would likely mock Narcissa for missing Andromeda." Severus pauses and considers Sirius. His expression is more grave than furious and his stance stiff. Severus thinks Sirius might actually be listening to him. "I'm not trying to turn you into mates," he continues, "I just want you to know you're misjudging your cousin. Narcissa loves her family – even you. If you'd just look a little deeper, you would see she's hurting. You would see she could really use someone right now who's as hurt as she is to commiserate with."

Sirius looks away. He's quiet for a time, fingers clenching and unclenching around his wand. "If I tell her I miss Andromeda, then she could use it against me later. She could tell my parents. She could make it seem like I'm not–" he sucks in a breath. "She could get me disowned."

Severus frowns. Sirius's so contrary to everything his family is. It'd seemed from the moment Severus met him all he wanted was exactly that. Why doesn't he want to be disowned? Curious, and doubtful, he asks, "You don't want to be disowned?"

The boy shrugs uneasily. "Regulus would be all alone. He doesn't think. If I'm not around, who's going to make him see just how absurd the stuff Mother and Father say is?"

"What if I can promise you she won't do anything to get you disowned? Would you talk to Narcissa then?" Severus asks.

Sirius nods. "If you could get her to promise that, I'd try to talk to her."

What did you think of the developments this chapter? Like them? Or is dragging it a little for you guys?

Also, can I just say how amazed I am by the attention this fic is getting? Time travel fics are a dime a dozen, but we're not even on chapter ten and I have over a hundred reviews and am at nearly a hundred follows. It's really awesome to see :) Thanks so much for all of the attention!

And as always, thank you for reading