They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

Severus watches with a half-interested eye as a svelte black owl flies toward Duffield. His interest grows keener as it swoops a foot lower in front of her before releasing the letter clutched in its talons into Duffield's porridge. The teenager pulls a face at the action but otherwise seems too shocked to be angry at the bird. After she plucks it from her breakfast and cleans off the porridge-covered end with a napkin, she turns it right-side-up to stare at the seal on it. She frowns, unable to hide the puzzlement she is feeling any longer. Flipping it around so those gathered close can see the seal, she asks, "Who is this from?"

Roger Avery begins to cough up a storm, drawing the attention of Duffield and others alike. When he finally stops, the fourth-year, bug-eyed and pale, says, "That's my uncle's seal!" His heavy, black eyebrows slanting downward to darken his gaze, he demands, "What's he owling you for, Duffield?"

Duffield, much like Scabior, does not cower from the glare of one of her "betters". Instead, she scowls at Avery and snarls, "I don't know!"

Before the two can start on a proper, going nowhere row, Severus decides to speak up. "I do," he tells them.

Avery's angry glower snaps to him. He jeers, "Oh yeah, Snape?" Shooting a scornful look at Duffield, he demands, "Why has my uncle written Duffield a letter?"

Severus remains calm in the face of the other's contempt. Picking up a knife, he uses it to cut a bit of butter from the dish in front of him and put it on his toast. Sage, sitting next to him, starts to snicker, knowing exactly what Severus is doing. Severus keeps up his bored, unconcerned air and takes a bite from his toast. Just as Avery's ears turn a brilliant, furious shade of red, he replies, "My grandfather persuaded him, I reckon."

The fourth-year gapes, clearly having not expected such an answer. Duffield herself looks utterly baffled. "No!" she decries. "Your grandfather actually agreed to help me after you asked?"

"Why wouldn't he have?" returns Severus.

"Maybe because you're a dirty half-blood!" shouts Wilkes from a few spots down the table.

Severus curls his lips back into a sneer and prepares to snap something back at his fellow fifth-year, however, Sage beats him to it. Standing up, he puts his hands on the table and leans forward to look around Severus and yell down to the teenager, "Shut up Wilkes! People who live in glass houses shouldn't cast hexes."

The redhead crosses his arms and demands, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Sage scoffs. "Like you don't know," he says. "My mother's told me the rumors about your father and uncle and the circumstances of their birth and your grandmother's death."

Wilkes turns very white a moment, the freckles on his face becoming pronounced, before they are hidden by an ugly, cross pink. "You shut your mouth right now or I'll make you, Montague," he growls.

"I'd like to see you try," counters Sage, hand already wrapped around the hilt of his wand.

Severus, who had watched Regulus get up from the middle of the table from the corner of his eye after a second-year told her what was happening, is not the least bit surprised when Scabior abruptly appears behind Duffield. The third-year, hands on his hips, barks, "Oi! Both of you knock it off." This startles Wilkes and Sage out of their row, which seems to satisfy Scabior as he turns to his cousin and says, "Posey, open the letter!"

The sixth-year rolls her eyes. "I already have," she replies, giving it a shake to show that, yes, she had broken the seal and looked at the contents.

"An' what's it say?" demands Scabior, not the least bit put-out by this revelation.

Even as Duffield attempts to sound smug, there's an air of surprise to her as she explains, "Mr. Travis Avery has offered me work over the summer helping him to translate some dense, runic texts for a book he is writing on runes and Roman-age witches and wizards."

Avery loudly complains, "He said I would be helping him this summer!"

Duffield gives the younger teenager a bland smile. "I guess he decided there was enough work for two," she says in a faux-chipper tone.

"I don't want to work with you," grumbles Avery, just short of pouting at her.

"You tell him you don't want to work then because I do," Duffield shoots back.

Avery scowls. "I'll write Uncle Travis!"

Duffield scoffs and says, "He's not going to rescind his offer after having sent it!"

"You just wait and see, Duffield," the fourth-year grumbles as he picks up his fork to stab it aggressively into the ham he's eating.

She laughs. "I will," Duffield says, smirking, "but it will be you who sees."

-o-O-o-

Severus waits in the corridor outside the care of magical creatures classroom leaned against the wall opposite the closed classroom door with a potions journal in his hand. As he absently thumbs through it, the sound of approaching footsteps catches his attention. He's not surprised to see its Sirius. He raises an eyebrow at the other boy. "Are you here to meet Peter?" he questions.

"Mostly, yeah," he answers. Putting his hands in the pockets of his robe, he joins Severus in leaning against the wall. "How much longer d'you think Lily and him will be in there?"

Severus turns another page in his journal and shrugs. "Kettleburn's exams are not known for their difficulty, but they are lengthy."

"Sooo a bit," he replies.

Severus snorts.

Sirius is quiet for all of a minute before he asks, "What was that commotion about at the Slytherin table this morning?"

He sighs. It seems he will have to wait to finish his journal. Closing it, he tucks it under his arm and looks at Sirius. "You heard that, did you?" he asks.

"It was sort of hard not to," Sirius replies, looking at Severus. "There was a lot of shouting and a couple of the professors at the staff table looked like they were deciding whether they should intervene."

Severus nods. He hadn't paid the professors too much attention while the row between Duffield and Avery was happening, but he isn't surprised they'd noticed or almost gotten involved. "Duffield just got an offer for work over the summer from Avery's uncle," he explains to his friend. "To say the least, few were happy with this news."

"Makes sense," says Sirius as he turns his gaze to the classroom door. "I hope you don't take this wrongly since you like him, but Scabior's family, the Duffields too, for that matter, aren't exactly highly regarded in the Slytherin house."

"I know," replies Severus, a thin smile stretching across his face. "They're right down there with the half-bloods like myself."

Sirius stiffens and he takes his hands out of his pockets. Turning to face Severus, he says, "I always forget you're half." A thoughtful furrow coming between his brows, he remarks, "You just don't seem it. You don't talk much about Muggle things. Remus always has some Muggle book in his bag from his mum. Usually sweets too. She sends them together about every other week."

His jaw tight from clenching it as Sirius spoke, Severus remains quiet a moment as he cobbles together a reply that won't start a duel in the corridor. Finally, he tells Sirius, "I never much connected with it. My father didn't care to try and share his world with me."

Sirius gives him a pitying look that Severus wants to slap off his face. "That's really too bad," he says, "the Muggles got some really wicked music, you know? Remus has taken me to record shops and stuff when I visit with him."

"I'm content with the connection I have currently," he replies crisply. Then, in an attempt to take the conversation away from him, he asks, "Now, speaking of visits, when should I tell my mum to expect you coming around?"

"Late July for a week," he answers without hesitation. Tilting his head, he adds, "maybe a weekend before that and day here or there?" Sirius's eyes darken. "My parents are insisting I be home for June, though."

Severus decides to probe the statement with a simple question. "Are you all right with that?"

"I don't know," confesses Sirius, shoulders falling. "Maybe? I'm not sure why they want me to be home." He sighs and mumbles, "I…"

"What?" demands Severus when he fails to complete his thought.

"I think I'm a bit afraid," admits Sirius. "I'll be seventeen this fall, they've been saying for years I need to shape up because soon the responsibilities of the Black name are going to rest on my shoulders."

Severus turns this over in his head. He also reflects on what happened in the other reality before he asks Sirius, "If something goes very wrong, do you have an escape plan?"

"…I've had one of those for a few years, actually," admits Sirius after a long silence.

He nods, satisfied. "Good," says Severus.

"Really?" questions Sirius, sounding surprised. "I talked to Reg once about my plan and he said that it was stupid to have one." Not looking at Severus, Sirius tells him, "He thinks our parents won't force me to do anything I don't want to if I really dislike it."

Severus purses his lips in displeasure before he says, "Regulus has not had the experience you have had with them as their second-born." He quiets a moment and considers Sirius. The teenager is watching him, eyes surprisingly vulnerable and thirsting for Severus's thoughts. It's an odd sight to him, something he never expected to receive from Sirius, yet he is — has. Sirius is now Severus's mate and Sirius holds his mates dearer than anyone else in his life. They, Severus, are people Sirius has chosen to have at his side. After a childhood of no choice, that made them special and their words held more weight in his mind than anyone else's. Severus swallows.

"I suspect," he says quietly, "that will change should staying with your parents prove untenable."

Sirius stays silent and appears to take the time to read into Severus's words as his gaze turns sharp, demanding, as he asks, "Do you think I should take him with me if I have to leave?"

"You can ask him to come with you, but he may not want to," he replies honestly.

Sirius's eyes grow tense and a frown turns his lips downward. "If he won't, I'll call Narcissa and tell her to look out for him," declares Sirius. "She will, I know it."

"Yes, she will," assures Severus, though, he is not sure that's what Sirius needs from him. It will have to do, however. Severus doesn't know what else there is to say.

Wilting in place, Sirius whispers, "I hope I don't have to run."

Severus reaches out to place a hand on Sirius's shoulder. When the teenager looks at him, he offers a faint, sympathetic grimace. "Just remember if you do and Regulus won't follow, it's not your fault. Sometimes people need firsthand experience before they realize the truth."

"Thanks, Sev," replies Sirius, the start of a small, relieved smile on his face.

-o-O-o-

The headmaster looks up from the stack of parchment he's straightening at the sound of Severus's entry into his office. His mouth shapes into what should be a smile, but Severus knows is not, as he remarks, "Ah, paying me another visit so soon?"

Severus shrugs. "The train for King's Cross leaves tomorrow, sir," he explains in a pragmatic tone. Words becoming more flippant, he says to Albus, "It was either come now or cross my fingers and hope you didn't do anything stupid."

The not-smile falls. "This visit is about the ring," the headmaster states, not asks.

He nods. Severus then moves to stand in front of the old man's desk. Exactly opposite of Albus now, Severus opens his empty hands to the man. "Sir, Albus, I implore you to take a back-up when you go to retrieve it," he insists. "It would ease my mind if it were me you took, but anyone will do." He raises his voice some and tells him, "You can take bloody Alastor Moody if you wish! You need to understand, no matter the consequences this will have on our working relationship, I cannot stand aside and let events repeat themselves here."

Severus's frank speech seems to have an effect on Albus, much to his relief. The old man brings a hand to his beard and strokes it a time or two before he asks, "Besides yourself, who would you recommend accompany me?"

He does not need to think about the question and answers almost immediately, "Lily."

The headmaster's eyes take on an assessing quality. "It did not take you long to answer," says Albus after a brief pause.

He does not look away from Albus as he replies, "Lily is highly capable."

Albus nods. "She is very clever," he agrees. "As well as very quick on a broom and her feet. However… She is rather young, even given the circumstances surrounding you four, isn't she?" he questions.

Severus doesn't disagree. Lily is relatively young compared to himself or Priscilla and Dirk. However, it does not mean she is inexperienced with dangerous situations and surviving them. "She died young, yes," he replies, "but she is still more experienced with the dangers you will face compared to Dirk or Priscilla." Sharpening his gaze, Severus reminds Albus, "She fought for your Order from the time she was seventeen until she had to go into hiding at the tail-end of her pregnancy. Before then, she defied the Lord more than once as well." Putting a hand to his chest, Severus says with emphasis, "I trust her. If something goes wrong with the ring, or where it is kept, Lily will be able to act in a way that ends with both of you alive and not on the brink of death."

Albus lowers himself into the chair behind his desk. Steepling his hands in front of his face, he looks at Severus from behind his hands for a long minute. Finally, the old man sighs. "Very well," he says. "I will take Ms. Evans with. I don't suppose you know where she is at this moment?"

Severus holds back the smug smirk that wants to overtake his face and nods. "I will retrieve her," he says. "I will be but a little while."

-O-

Lily opens her eyes slightly when she feels Dirk's hand leave her breast only to find its way beneath her skirt. She begins to caress Dirk's hair anew and is going to praise his actions, but before she can, movement in the distance catches her attention. Sheis startled into gasping when she realizes it's not just a person, but Severus cresting the nearby knoll. Pulling Dirk's hand out from beneath her skirt, she begins to adjust her clothes to look a little more presentable. Dirk, for his part, looks up from where his head rests next to her breasts, eyes questioning.

"Severus is coming!" she tells him.

Dirk pulls away immediately, swearing beneath his breath as he sits ups and smoothes his own hair down before resting his hands in his lap. "Doesn't he bloody know this is the last time we'll be able to do this for months?" he grumbles.

She rolls her eyes. "I'm sure we'll find time again before the new school year," she says. Their families won't always be home when they visit each other this summer. "Besides, I know Severus. He wouldn't interrupt us unless it was important."

Her boyfriend grumbles something more just too low for Lily to hear, but before she can chide him for it (because she was sure it was another uncomplimentary comment), his features turn blasé. Severus is then in front of the two of them. His face is unusually animated as he tells Lily and Dirk, "I convinced him. He'll take someone."

"Who?" demands Dirks as Lily feels relief lighten her heart.

Severus ignores Dirk in favor of meeting her gaze, a satisfied smirk on his lips. "Albus agreed to take you with him when he goes to retrieve the ring."

"He did what?" sputters Dirk as Lily feels her breath catch in her throat. Albus agreed to her? Lily? Who's all of twenty-six and has only an ounce of the experience Severus does with dangerous objects?

Feeling a little shaky at the idea, she asks, "You did tell him he should choose you, didn't you?"

Severus glowers at Lily. "Of course I bloody did!" he snaps. "But he doesn't want me," he tells her. "Albus said he would take you, however, and that is far better than any other alternative I could imagine."

Lily nods. "I just…" she winces. "Am I really the best second choice?"

Her best friend glares. "Would you have I suggested Priscilla? Dirk?" he demands.

"Oi!" decries Dirk. "I can hold my own in a duel," he grumbles.

Lily puts a hand on her boyfriend's knee to calm him. She can see Severus's point. Dirk and Priscilla weren't involved in the wars like them. Neither of them fought. She sighs. Perhaps it's not what she wants, but it seems it is best. "Okay," she says. "I accept, I suppose."

Severus's smirk returns and he holds out a hand to her. "You can tell him you accept yourself. He actually asked I find and bring you back to his office."

Lily shares a look with a Dirk. He dips his chin, urging her to take Severus's hand and go. So, Lily does. She hopes Albus will have been right to choose her over Severus.

Favorite scene this chapter? Do you like that Lily will be accompanying Albus?

Thank you very much for reading :)