They Didn't Know We Were Seeds
His shoulders are hunched inward and his hands tucked tightly into the crooks of his elbows to stave off the cold that comes with being so high in the quidditch stands. Severus's eyes track Lily as she completes the obstacle courses meant for those trying out for Gryffindor's quidditch team. He smiles when she expertly weaves around a pair of older students who are acting as beaters. She's going to make the team, he just knows it. She'll probably be a chaser. Maybe a seeker, like her son.
Severus stiffens when a boy sits down on either side of him. Glancing out of the corners of his eyes, he frowns when he sees that it is Lupin and Pettigrew. Chin in his hands, the werewolf stares straight ahead at those trying out. On his right, Pettigrew nervously looks down at his lap.
"Some of the older students think you're here to spy for Slytherin," Lupin says.
He scoffs. Like his house needs him to spy on Gryffindor. They've won the last three quidditch cups and will win this year's if things for the Slytherin quidditch team haven't changed too much between Severus's first lifetime and this one.
On his other side, Pettigrew whispers, "They're thinking about cornering you after the tryouts are over."
"I'd like to see them try," Severus growls.
Lupin turns his head to look at him. "You're here to watch Lily and Sirius, aren't you?"
He's not here for Sirius. Sirius doesn't need him. He's more than cocky enough to believe he's a shoo-in for a spot as a beater for Gryffindor alongside Potter. Even so, he just says, "Yes."
"Are you going to try out for Slytherin's team on Tuesday? It would be awkward to face Lily in a game if you got on, I reckon," Remus remarks.
"No," Severus replies, "I hate Quidditch."
This causes both boys to look at him with wide, incredulous stares. "Are you having a laugh?" Pettigrew asks.
He shakes his head. "If I have to pick a sport, I'd pick football. And that's if. I'm not much of a sports person at all."
"But you're here?" the werewolf murmurs questioningly.
Severus shrugs. "I'm here to support Lily." He glances between the two of them. "If you two like Quidditch so much, why aren't you trying out?" While he knows very well why Lupin isn't, he can't say the same for Pettigrew. There's no way he would make a first choice player, but second or third string? Probably.
Lupin is quick to avert his gaze. Ears pinkening ever so slightly, he says, "My mum gets sick a lot. I'd miss too much practice from visiting her."
Severus nods at the lie and then turns his attention to Pettigrew. "Um," he mumbles. "I'm not very good on a broom."
"Perhaps you should look into the gobstones club then," Severus suggests. It would do Pettigrew well to have friends beyond the Marauders and to carve an identity for himself outside of sidekick to Potter and Sirius. Perhaps the change would stop him from becoming a Death Eater. "All you need to do is be able to aim well, really. I'm sure you could manage that."
Pettigrew blinks his beady eyes at Severus. "Maybe," he says.
On his left, Lupin smiles. "You really should, Peter. It could be fun."
"Yeah, alright," he agrees after a few moments of the werewolf and Severus staring expectantly at him.
Turning his attention back to the tryouts, Severus says, "I'm going to hold you to that. I'll be checking to see if you made it into the club after their tryouts finish this week."
Pettigrew looks a little shocked by Severus's firmness, but Lupin laughs and says, "I'll have Sirius tell you the minute we find out!"
-o-O-o-
As he finishes packing his things away after potions, Professor Slughorn calls, "Mister Snape? May I speak to you for a moment?"
Severus bites back a sigh. "Yes, Professor," he says. Turning to Lily, he asks, "Meet you at the library after your Charms class?"
She nods. "See you, Sev." And with that, Severus and Professor Slughorn are all alone in the classroom.
He tamps down hard on the nerves he feels. While it seems silly for him to be nervous after the life he's lived, he knows there's a good reason for it. To be held after class in this lifetime is highly unusual. Severus has been a next to model student for the past two years and this is the first time the professor has wanted to talk to him in private since he started his second year at Hogwarts. Severus tries to appear confident as he asks, "What did you want to speak to me about, sir?"
"Mister Montague, if that's alright with you," the fat man says.
Severus considers this. Chances are he either wants to know how the boy is doing from the perspective of a fellow student or he wants to know if Severus knows something about Montague or the situation itself that could help solve his familiar's death. "Yes," he answers.
"I've talked with a few of your other housemates already, but do you know if he's not getting along with anyone right now? They don't have to be in Slytherin, either."
He shakes his head. "He gets on with everyone just fine."
"Even you?"
Severus frowns sharply. Intensely scrutinizing Slughorn, he asks, "Are you implying I killed his owl?"
The fat man startles and throws up his hands in a placating gesture. "No! No…"
"I was with Lily all that morning. People saw us together. I might not be chummy with my dormmates, or most of Slytherin if you must know, but I would never kill a student's owl." Still furious at the thought of being accused of something so despicable and out-of-character for the image he's crafted of himself this year and last, he begins to pace. Is there some kind of air about him that makes people think Severus is a villain? Does he do something that reeks of psychopathy or does his upbringing in a chav-infested neighborhood show? What is wrong with him?
He lifts a hand and begins to tick off a mixture of facts and proof for how there's no possible way it's him who killed Montague's owl. "I was with Lily. Lily will say so. Sirius Black who spent nearly an hour with us in the library will say the same. So will two of Lily's dormmates who stopped to talk to her on our way to the owlery. Now, since you're so keen on finding the killer, here are some things for you to think about!
"One: not a single familiar died or disappeared last year. Two: There are very good chances it will happen again if you don't find the killer soon. Three: If you're looking for a suspect, perhaps you should take a look at the first years!" Grabbing his stuff, Severus swings his satchel over his shoulder and sneers, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a paper to write for Herbology!"
Slughorn, in a complete state of shock, doesn't say anything or even so much as move to stop Severus from leaving.
-O-
Later, when Lily sits down next to him in the library, Severus can't look at her. Eyes trained on the herbology paper he's not even half-written, he says, "Lily, I've cocked things up."
"What do you mean?" she asks.
Curling inward on himself he tells her, "I've done everything to be an exemplary student in the eyes of the professors!"
Lily puts a hand on his shoulder. He flinches away from it. She sighs. "I know. What happened?"
"I… Slughorn…" Severus pauses and licks his lips. Chancing a look up at his friend, a small fraction of his guilt ebbs away when he sees the concern on her face. "I assumed things I shouldn't have and definitely gave away information that I shouldn't of."
She leans in, face becoming even more worried as she asks, "About what?"
"Lily, I told them I think it was a first year who did it. Slughorn is going to tell Albus. He's going to want to speak with me," he says.
"Shh…" Lily whispers, she reaches out and curls a lock of his hair behind his ear. "Calm down, that's not so bad. We can come up with a fib or something before he comes looking for you."
"Yes, but will he believe me?" Severus asks, pulling away.
Lily's expression becomes determined. "You made the Dark Lord believe you were a faithful follower until your death. I think you can pull the wool over Albus's eyes on something like this."
He doesn't even bother to smother the smile forcing its way onto his lips. "Thank you, Lily."
Thoughts? I finally brought in the last of the Marauders! What about the scene with Professor Slughorn? The one after with Lily? Which scene did you guys like best?
Thank you for reading!