They Didn't Know We Were Seeds
When students are finally being dismissed from dinner, Lily makes eye contact with Severus across the Great Hall and quirks an eyebrow. He nods at her. First, she gets up and leaves. A minute later, Severus looks to Sage beside him. "Let's go," he says.
Sage, who's spent the whole evening giving Severus concerned looks instead of eating the sheppard's pie on his plate, is more than happy to agree. "Are we meeting with Lily?" he asks.
"Yes," Severus answers. In many circumstances, Severus prefers to leave Sage out of things between him and Lily. But this… He wants – needs – both of them at his side for what's to come with his grandfather. Rising to their feet, the two of them keep their heads down as they leave. Severus, because the last thing he wants is to see his grandfather's eyes trailing him, and Sage, out of nerves.
When they are safely out of the Great Hall, Lily springs herself on them. "Merlin! I can't believe this. Did either of you know he was going to be our new defense professor?"
Severus shakes his head and grabs Lily's arm. "No. Come on, let's go find a classroom to talk in."
The three of them head off in the direction of the grand staircase. Traveling up the stairs at a brisk pace, they don't talk much beyond Sage suggesting they duck into one of the unused classrooms near the study hall. When they come up near the study hall, Severus opens the door to one of the first classroom's they pass. Lily and Sage quickly following him into the little room, he casts a number of spells on the room as a whole. Ones that will discourage eavesdropping, others that will repel people away, and, finally, he charms the door to lock should anyone try and come in. It won't stop anyone who's insistent on getting into the classroom, but it will alert them and give them the time needed to prepare themselves to face the person on the other side of the door.
Finished with his spellcasting, Severus walks over to a chair and collapses into it.
Sage and Lily share a look. "Are you… This is bad, isn't it?" Sage whispers.
Putting his head in his hands, Severus mutters, "This is what she was meant."
"Sorry?" Lily asks, befuddlement clear in the way her brows furrow.
Severus pushes his hair out of his face and sighs. "Mum. She told me to be careful before we left this morning. This is what she must have meant. But how did she know? Did she talk to Demitri? Did Aunt Vesta tell her?" He turns his gaze to Sage, searching his brother for any signs of guilt, of knowing, but all he sees is an honest concern. A concern for Severus. "If Aunt Vesta knew, why didn't she say anything to us? I know she and I don't necessarily get along, but surely she'd have told me about my grandfather becoming Hogwarts new defense professor?"
"There's no way Mum knew," Sage defends. "She would have said something. Mum wouldn't have just let both of us go off to school without one of us knowing. Especially after that disaster of a Christmas dinner last year."
He nods. Feeling slightly better in regards to Aunt Vesta. Sage is right. Aunt Vesta is not much of a secret-keeper, she always has to tell someone what she knows or her plans. Severus realizes perhaps the one she told could have been his mother, but he highly doubts it. His mother was gone from the Montague manor for much of the time he and Sage were staying with Boyd. In addition to her being absent, Mum really doesn't seem to like spending time with anyone. And as much as it's obviously pained his cousin to watch his mother close herself away in her room, Aunt Vesta has respected Mum's want for space.
She's just happy Mum is finally back in her life.
"What are you going to do?" Lily asks.
Severus shrugs. "I can't not go to defense. I'll end up with a troll grade and have to repeat fourth year."
"Why do you think he's even here? Great Uncle Demitri's never said anything about wanting to teach before," says Sage.
He and Lily look at each other. It's more than obvious to them why the man is here. It's because of Severus. He damn well never taught during their first lifetime. However, what it is he's looking to get out of Severus exactly is a mystery. Severus isn't sure he wants to know, either.
Carefully, Lily replies, "I think we have to accept whatever his reason is for taking the defense position is, it's probably not out of the goodness of his heart."
Sage's shoulders slump and he sighs. "Yeah." He returns his attention to Severus. "Is there anything you want us to do for you in class? Gryffindor and Slytherin do take defense together."
"Let me handle things. I don't want him targeting either of you for ridicule or worse should he do something that you think I need to be defended from." He turns a hard stare on Lily. "I mean it."
She frowns. "I'm not promising that. If he's going to be a prick to you, I'm not just going to bite my tongue and watch. I'd rather suffer alongside you than let him pick and dig at you all year."
"Lily–"
"No, she's right, Severus," Sage breaks in, a look of determination settling in his jawline. "If Great Uncle Demitri is going to be nasty to you, I'd rather he be nasty to all of us."
"It'll be a lot more bearable when he has to split his attention three-ways," Lily chimes in. Then, with a speculative look, she adds in, "I'm sure Sirius will act belligerent if he notices your grandfather mistreating you as well. Perhaps even James too." She smiles. "Before you know it, he'll be awful to everyone. Peter and Remus won't just sit there and let him be an arse to James and Sirius. Once Peter and Remus are being targetted too, Mary will start fussing, because she fancies Remus right now, and then the rest of the Gryffindor girls will be throwing fits about his behavior too." Lily chuckles a little. "Everyone will think he's just an all-around git and hate him for that by the end of the month."
Severus shouldn't feel so relieved because Lily and Sage are putting themselves in harm's way for him, but he is. To know for once in his life that there are people who are willing to both stand up and take a hit for him is strange and uncomfortable. Yet he is so grateful as well.
"Alright," Severus relents. "And… Thank you."
Lily smiles sadly. "You don't have to thank us, Severus. We love you. This is what you do for someone you love."
-o-O-o-
Their first defense against the dark arts class is not until the end of the week, so while it is uncomfortable to take meals in the Great Hall, Severus feels alright for the first couple of days at Hogwarts. He distracts himself with helping Sage and Sirius get back into the swing of schooling. On their fourth day back, he rescues Scabior from getting his arse kicked by a couple of fifth years after he "accidentally" knocks over one of their inkwells when he bumps into the table they are writing letters home at in the Slytherin dorms and later, the same day, when he runs into Clara Parkinson on his way to the library, he and her have a short discussion about their summers.
She heard about his act of bravery in Hogsmeade and commends him for saving the Jones girls. In return, he talks about the spell he heard from Boyd she had published in a Defense Spell anthology and congratulates Clara on the success. By the time they reach the library, Severus awkwardly ends their conversation and suggests that when it comes time to have their dress robe measurements taken for Boyd and Violet's wedding that he, Sage, and Clara should go together. Clara readily agrees before waving goodbye and continuing onto her destination.
When he steps into the library, he goes straight for the defense textbooks. He has a feeling that tomorrow Demitri will try and catch him off guard with an obscure question of some kind. While his knowledge of defense spells and dark arts is both expansive and detailed, he'd rather refresh himself on the finer points than risk making a fool of himself tomorrow in class. As he's gathering a handful of textbooks, he notices out of the corner of his eyes some Gryffindor second or third years whispering amongst themselves and, occasionally, looking at him.
Severus sighs. Picking the last tome he wants from the shelf, he spins around and barks, "What?"
Two of the Gryffindors jolt, another drops the quill they were holding, and the fourth shrieks.
Predictably, Madam Pince appears from behind the end of the bookcase Severus stands beside. Eyes narrowed, she asks, "Is there a problem here masters and madam?"
Calmly, and with practiced aloofness, Severus turns his head and looks at the middle-aged witch. "No, Madam Pince."
"Let's keep it that way. It would be a shame should I have to ban any of you from the library so early in the year," she warns. Then, just as quickly as she appeared, she is gone.
Once again, Severus is alone with the rabbiting Gryffindors. He raises an eyebrow. "Well? What is it about me you're saying?"
While the three sitting at the table are looking at each other, daring one another with their wide-eyed gazes to be the one to tell Severus, the ginger from the floor stands up and brushes himself off. "Is it true you saved two little girls from a killing curse?" the ginger-haired boy asks.
Severus blinks. He should have predicted the Hogsmeade attack and his part in it was what they were gossiping about (what, with the way Sirius has been bragging about everyone about being there), yet… Even going on four years back in time, he expects the same hatred he always received from Gryffindors. Once it'd been for nothing more than being an ugly, poor Slytherin with a penchant for creating "dark" spells (most were and are far from it). Then during his second tenure at Hogwarts, it'd been for being a strict, ugly, Slytherin professor (who may or may not have been a Death Eater).
"There's no way of knowing if the spell was a killing curse," he replies. Which is a lie. Of course it was. There had never been a Hit Witch Gwendolyn Jones, Manticore Specialist Gwendolyn Jones, or just bloody Gwendolyn Jones at all in his first lifetime.
The Gryffindors don't appear the least bit unhappy with his answer. In fact, they seem even more impressed. "But the rest's true?" the girl of the group asks, "you really saved some girls from a spell?"
He shakes his head. "Inadvertently, I assure you. I couldn't just leave them alone in an alleyway to fend for themselves. The spell happened to hit where they were after I lead them away."
"Wicked!" another boy of the group breathes, green eyes sparkling.
Uncomfortable with the awe he sees, Severus lifts his books a little. "If you'll excuse me, I have some studying to do."
The group looks thoroughly disappointed by his words, but do not fight him when he hurries away to hide in some isolated corner of the library.
-o-O-o-
When he walks into Demitri's class, his grandfather hardly lets any of the students sit down before he directs them to stand up and organize themselves first by their house (Slytherin on the left, Gryffindor on the right), and then alphabetically by surname. Sage ends up sitting beside Mulciber, Severus by Rosier, and Sirius next to Lily. No one is particularly happy with this arrangement – even those who end up sitting beside mates, such as James and Peter, or by those they fancy, Mary MacDonald and Remus.
Once satisfied they've done as he commanded, Demitri introduces himself and hands out a syllabus with the year's curriculum. Despite himself, Severus's rather impressed by what his grandfather has planned. Most of his lessons are both practical and highly applicable to the lives of the students in the classroom today. The first couple of weeks will be on the history dueling, then they will move into theory and practicing the basics, such as foot placement, ducking, dodging, and weaving, along with rudimentary reflecting and shielding charms. Then they will learn offensive spells, what's best in such and such duel or when against x, y, or z creature. Finally, they will hold a dueling tournament where all students, first year through seventh, can participate and in the final weeks of school, the two students who make it to the last round of duels will face off in front of all of Hogwarts.
He looks at Demitri. Does his grandfather know war is on the horizon? Or is this simply what he has to share with the students of Hogwarts? It is an unknown that Severus is determined to find out.
Thankfully, when the old man asks if there are any questions, half a dozen hands shoot up in the air. It's obvious they are terribly excited by the idea of a tournament and want to know more about how it will work and when it will start. By the time he's answered all their questions, defense class is over. Demitri looks mildly frustrated at this.
Not wanting to give the man a chance to hold him back, Severus quickly gathers all of his things together and makes for the door. Unfortunately, Severus's plan does not work.
"Mr. Snape," his grandfather calls, voice booming against the stone walls of the classroom.
He freezes. Turning slowly, he stares right at the old man. "Yes, Professor?"
Gathering the papers on his desk together, Demitri says, "If you would, please come here."
Severus shares a look with Lily as he passes her. I'll be outside," she mouthes at him.
Almost imperceptibly, he nods at her.
While the rest of the students file out – Lily included – Sage attempts to linger. His grandfather sighs at the sight of him. "Please leave, Mr. Montague." Sage frowns and reluctantly starts for the door. Demitri calls, "Take Ms. Evans to lunch with you. Mr. Snape will be just fine with me." A smirk tugs at his lips. "I'm not Cronus."
Sage pauses mid-step as Severus scowls at the old man. "Yes, Professor," Severus's brother says before leaving the classroom.
When they are finally, and utterly alone, his grandfather asks, "How many know of our relationship to one another?"
"Just Sage," Severus lies.
He raises an eyebrow. "Really? You and Miss Evans appear to be quite close."
Severus looks away and says nothing. The less Demitri knows about him the better as far as he's concerned.
His grandfather sighs. "Your mother has visited me several times since your father's death."
Severus's head snaps up. "What?" he demands.
"Your mother. The first time she came, it was to murder me. She was certain it was I who killed him."
He frowns. "If that's what she believed, why aren't you dead?" Because despite all her faults, all her weaknesses, his mother's determination should have seen either Demitri or her death through.
"I happened to have some Veritaserum on hand."
Severus quirked a disbelieving brow. "Really?"
The old man glares at him. "You should speak with more respect to your elders."
He scoffs. "That's never going to happen."
"Five points from Slytherin."
Severus sputters, "That's not– You can't–"
Demitri smirks. "Ah, that's where you're wrong." Snootily he remarks, "Perhaps having myself for a professor will teach you some manners yet."
He bares his teeth in a snarl. "Why are you teaching at Hogwarts?" he spits.
The old man places a hand on his chest. "For your mother," he answers. "You may not believe me–" he cocks his head, as if a new has just come to him – "Nor may your mother, but I love her. She is my only child. Had the circumstances been different some sixteen years ago, she would still be my daughter." Quietly, he continues, "Out of my love for your mother, I agreed to help her discover your father's killer." He eyes Severus. "Even if he was a poor excuse of one, he meant a great deal to your mother and if it will make her happy, I will help. While investigating several different leads on his death I… I came to learn many unsettling things are afoot."
His grandfather looks greatly upset at this admission and so, Severus asks for no clarification. Doesn't need it anyway. He knows what festers on the edges of their society. What is soon going to spill over into its whole.
Instead, Severus demands out of frustration, "Why are you here?"
"To teach you, and all the rest of the students of Hogwarts, how to protect themselves."
It is both a surprising and suspicious answer. Finally, Severus settles on a reply. "You're too late. I've known how to protect myself for years."
His grandfather starts, "Severus–"
He cuts him off, "Is there anything else you wish to discuss or am I dismissed?"
Demitri tries once more, "Severus–"
Louder, he repeats, "Is there something else or am I dismissed?"
"Dismissed," the old man finally answers after a long pause.
He nods his head. "Thank you."
With that, Severus leaves. He feels his grandfather's gaze on his back long after he's left the defense classroom.
How did you all like this chapter? Any favorite moments? Concerns?
Also, remember, that one-shot for being the 750th* reviewer is still going on! *The conditions for it are listed in the author's in the last chapter.
Thank you all a ton for reading!