People!
New chapters!
Thank you for the comments and kudos on the earlier chapters.
These might have mistakes too, so, please bear with it, because I had my exams till Friday.
IT'S CHANGED (SNILY)
CHAPTER 32 Magic
The Christmas Eve was magical even for the wizarding world, who lived under magic every day. Things happened that were pending for a very long time, and people were grateful that their wait ended. Well, more of it perhaps, only would have resulted in their deaths whose cause could only be blamed on the await.
Severus and Lily walked to the Ball room, together this time, an arm linked with the others. They kept themselves till one of the corner seats because what they saw amazed them. Hogwarts was changing… and acknowledging.
Many things happened together when they got there.
The dance that was going on was rotating partners and all of a sudden all of it came to be perfectly in order and with the people each one of them wanted to be with.
Sirius turned around and his face came face to face with Remus. They weren't very far apart, but whatever the space was between them was cancelled by Remus. Sirius, still seemed off his rockers had to do something crazy, so, he rolled his neon pink feather boa around both of them. But Remus didn't wait any more time. He got the inside werewolf of himself out and kissed Sirius.
Severus and Lily's breath hitched and their eyes widened.
Both Sirius and Remus rolled out of the circle where people were dancing and hastily hid behind a pillar, never breaking the kiss.
Severus and Lily laughed.
"Those two are crazy" he exclaimed.
"Sure, they are, but after all they acknowledged the fact…" she trailed off, and looked Severus straight in the eyes. "How long have you been in love with me?"
"How long do you think?"
She shrugged. "Shane told me on the last Hogsmeade visit of the fifth year"
Severus jerked his head. "Shane told you!?"
Lily bit her lower lip. That wasn't to be told. "Well, I got that out of him… so, it wasn't his mistake"
"And you still acted so normally? How?" he breathed and Lily chuckled.
"You do that too…" she trailed off. "How long have been in love with me?" she asked again.
He twirled his hands in his lap, nervously. "You don't want to know. You'll start seeing me as a creep"
She held his shoulder and made him look at her. "Since when?"
"Since the day I met you" he pronounced.
She gasped. "What?"
Severus shook his head and began to get up from the chair and leave. He shouldn't have told. "I-I am s-sorry. I'll leave-"
She didn't let him say any further or get up, as she hugged him tightly. Not wanting the very treasured person of her to get hurt in any way. How was she so blind for so long? How did he keep all of the feelings hidden? How would he have felt at the time of their fall out? He must have been deeply hurt and she wasn't the one to understand any of the feelings. He deserved so much more than she could ever be.
She sniffled on his shoulder, while he sat stunned and stiff. "You deserve so much more than me, Sev"
He brought his arms around her and closed his eyes, breathing in the air filled with the smell of her hair. "Why would you say that?"
"Because I never even saw your feelings. You loved me since then! Why?" she choked.
He rubbed the back of her head, resting his cheek above it. "Because you were the best person, I ever met… you weren't disgusted by me like anyone else… you made me feel wanted… you comforted me from my father… you studied with me… discussed the wizarding world… made me feel special… I had fun with you… pranked Petunia with me… did all kinds of stupidity we do when we were kids… you defended me to the entire school… to your own house, in fact… always tried to get me on the right path… gave a second chance… took me in your own home… gave me a place to live… loved me at least like a friend… made me come out of the shell and meet some very great new friends… was there beside me when my mum died… you didn't let me feel alone… I know you never left me, even you never voiced… and that I love you the most, even if you don't"
Lily was in tears till he ended. He thought so highly of her and she didn't know if she actually was as great as he made her feel.
"You are a fool, Sev" she kissed the side of his neck.
Severus chuckled. "If you say so" he frowned, then. "You don't have to love me just because I do. You are not forced for anything"
She tightened her hold on him. "You have no idea how much I am in love with you"
"Why? What have I ever done other than to disappoint you?"
She stifled a sob. "I don't have words to tell how much you mean to me and I had never realized that before. But when I did, I wasn't able to keep all of that out of my head"
Severus smiled and the realization suddenly struck him like a full-blown punch. His breath hitched and he held Lily even tighter. He squeezed his eyes shut. What if this was just a dream? He didn't want it be just that. This was the day he had always hoped for. And now, when it was right in front of him, he couldn't believe his fate.
He pulled Lily so close to himself, that she was practically in his lap. So, she climbed up and he just kept holding her as tightly as he could.
"Sev…?" she whispered when he didn't say anything for a long while. "Sev?" she pulled away a little from him to look at him.
He kept his eyes closed, though. As stupid as it sounded, he didn't want to come out of the dream by opening his eyes. This dream was the sweetest one he had ever had. Lily said she loved him. What did he want any more than that?
Lily started getting anxious when he again didn't speak a word. Did she upset him in a way?
"Sev!" she shook him, urging him to open his eyes. "I am sorry if I hurt you in any way"
Severus opened his eyes eventually and finding his face so close to Lily's he kissed her lips gently. He laughed, though it sounded more like sobs and shook his head. "This is real" he whispered.
Lily gave him a peck and nodded. "It is and I am glad it is. I love you"
"Even though, I don't know how to hold chopsticks?" he brought back some humor.
She smacked his cheek before they locking their lips together once more. They broke apart, flushing and chuckling. Lily got away from his lap but kept her head on his shoulder, while his one hand remained around her.
"Even though, you don't know how to hold chopsticks" she whispered back, answering his idiotic question.
He smiled and kissed her head before laying his cheek on it.
Lily frowned and then broke into a laughter.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Look…" she pointed towards the gates of the Great Hall. He turned there and shook his head in amusement.
Lea and Regulus were running out of the Hall when they suddenly paused and started with their kissing session just there on the huge doorframe. Lea pulled apart then, and whispered something in his ear making him blush deeply. She smirked and dragged him out of the place to who knew where.
"The night is insane" Lily said happily.
"They are at least not licking chocolate from each other's faces" Severus rolled his eyes, getting swatted on the chest.
"So, two couples down… Oh, no three. Let's see how much more magic is still left in the Christmas Eve" she breathed.
"I hope Selene's gets off her rockers for a night and kills Tvora" he grunted.
"I hope that too"
"Ah… see, Austin and Marlene are together again. I knew they wouldn't be away for so long, fighting"
"Yeah…" she chuckled, looking at the couple sitting on a bench and having their wildest acts cleared. No body knew whey the hell were Austin and Marlene so, shy about their relationship. They would make the wildest people if someone ones saw what they did in private.
Their eyes fell on another pair dancing in the very corner of the Hall. After all. Charm and Elias were rocking slowly, holding each other and looking straight in the others eyes. They looked entirely oblivious to the world around. It was like nobody existed other than who was in front of them.
Their eyes closed and faces drew closer and the lips locked. Severus and Lily sighed happily and leaned back on the seat, holding each other.
"I always knew this was going to happen" Severus said matter-of-factly.
Lily rolled her eyes. "Hah, you hated him"
He shrugged. "He irritated me"
She shook her head. "Who doesn't?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Let's see… Selene, Shane, Austin… Charm, Remus is fine too and… yes, just these"
She swatted his chest and he laughed. He purposefully left her name. "And?"
"And I remember someone… I don't know… she has red hair and green eyes, perhaps, is her name Lily…?"
"You are stupid, Sev" she shook her head, before kissing him.
"Fin and Peter…" he pointed on another of the seats that were very far from theirs but close enough to see who the people were.
Lily straightened. "Yes… wow, it makes the number five"
"But they haven't kissed yet" he pointed out.
"They will…" she urged them to, almost on the edge of the seat.
"Lily, sit back" Severus pulled her back to his side. "Excitement will make you rip your robes into half"
"Yeah…" she didn't pay much heed to what he was saying, her concentration remained on the other two.
Fin and Peter seemed to be having a long talk about something. They kept laughing and being touchy to the other but didn't seem any closer to kissing. They looked like friends that have been apart for a long time and met just now, to share all the stories of their lives.
And then they sobered and seemed to be really awkward. Their hands left the other's side and their frames straightened.
"What the fuck is happening?" Lily said anxiously.
Severus rolled his eyes and cleared his throat in amusement. "Look…"
She turned her head and gasped.
The very next moment, Fin and Peter were kissing! One of each's hands were in the other's hair while the other massaging the side of their torsos. They had involved the tongue in the process and were moaning so loudly that some noises were even reaching them.
Severus got up. "Lily, we must leave"
"Sure, we must" she got up with him too and they sat on another seat that accidently came behind Shane and Selene's.
Well, they had nothing left to be called new other than a wedding now. They seemed practically married anyway and now also were having a baby together. After some months they will be parents and still their parents were oblivious about the fact. Though, they knew that Selene would get the perfect ways to irk everyone with the situation and Shane will be the one to calm the situation. They were weird but perfect…
And… now, seemingly in a very hot fight.
Severus and Lily sat quietly, listening to what all they were having an argument. They knew eavesdropping was wrong but they happened to be accidently sitting where they were having a conversation.
"And you are telling about this now!" Selene shrieked.
"Shush, Selene, voice down… I know I must have told you but he is fine now" Shane tried to be calm.
"And how do you know he is fine?! You know what Tvora is capable of! And Merlin forbids, if something happens to him, I'll not hesitate in killing that bitch!" she fumed.
"They are arguing about me?" Severus whispered to Lily.
"It is seeming so" she answered back. "Should I go and tell the that you are fine?"
"Lily, no… let them resolve it on their own" he pulled her back in the seat when she began getting up.
They were amazed to see, Shane smiling. "Is it a joke, Shane?! Why are you smiling?" Selene practically yelled at him. She even refused to look at him.
Shane brought his arms around her, that she tried to shove away but couldn't break his tight hold.
"He is fine" he said again.
"How?"
"Lily went with the antidote to him and-"
"You had put the tracing charm on Lily" her eyes widened as she completed.
Shane chuckled. "No, just the one to know that she found Severus and she is not distressed"
"So, she is with Severus?"
"Well, it seems so. And they are… oh, it seems Severus just removed the charm from her" Shane chuckled. "Now, I don't know what she is feeling"
Severus and Lily sighed in relief from the seat behind them. At least they know that he was fine and Lily was with him.
"They perhaps, are having a stroll in the castle" Selene suggested, and Severus and Lily stifled a laugh.
"And what are you doing this night, Selene?" Shane whispered in her ear, seductively.
She blushed but raised her eyebrow to hide it. "Well, I have work to do and then take my potions… and then-"
Shane cut her by sucking all the breath out of her by one kiss. He smirked when they broke apart, panting. "Now?"
Selene face was flushed but she crossed her arms on her chest, defiantly. "Still no time for you in my schedule"
Shane blinked and seemed to have gone into a deep thought.
She frowned. "Shane?"
"Y-Yes?" he came back.
"Whom are you thinking about?"
"Our baby"
Selene looked away. "Oh…"
"We are going to be parents, Selene. That's seems so surreal" he breathed and took her hands into his.
"We are just eighteen" she whispered back.
"We are of age, to marry and have a kid" Shane placed a hand on her lower abdomen and smiled. "Our kid"
Selene shook her head. "You are insane"
"How do you think our baby would be?" he asked, dreamily.
"Are we already getting the parental feelings?" she looked at him.
"Well, I surely am" he laughed and settled her between his knees, resting her back on his chest. "Are you?"
Selene didn't say anything for some time. "A little…"
"We are still in school" Shane mused.
"And haven't even told our parents or seen Madam Pomfrey"
"Are you ready for it? You aren't thinking on abortion, are you?" he asked in a voice that held a little anxiousness.
Selene laughed softly. "You want the child. Are you ready for it? For becoming a father?"
Shane hesitated. "I-I… I don't know- but the decision is yours, if you want the child or not"
"What do you want?"
"If we have done the mistake, then I believe it will be fun in embracing the consequences" he smiled.
"Not everything is fun, Shane. I am anyways, going insane and you know that-"
"I believe you are just getting hotter by the day" he kissed her.
She blushed but shook her head. "But Shane, these responsibilities are huge and you must be aware-"
"I am"
Selene turned around and looked him straight in the eye and hesitated to say the next thing. "Are you ready to spend your whole life with me?"
Shane smiled, took his wand out and waved it that made a zooming box come to his hand. He knelt before her and took her hands in his.
"Did I mention you look beautiful tonight… well, you mostly do"- he spoke while Selene could only stare at him in disbelief. – "Would you become my wife in the near future? Would you marry me, Selene Solace?"
Severus and Lily stifled each other's gasps with their hands, wide eyed.
Selene opened and closed her mouth plenty of times before finally speaking. "You don't have to do this. You could have just answered in yes or no, Shane. You are taking hasty-"
"I love you and if I am absolutely correct, you do too. And I don't believe any reason would be bigger than that wish to spend my entire life with you" he whispered.
"We haven't even been dating for a year, you-"
"Selene, we have been practically dating since eleven, we only made it official a few months ago" he countered. "Though, there were some little distractions like Tvora, but I have always loved you"
Severus and Lily flushed at their seats. Their situation was so much similar.
Selene seemed out of words. She blinked rapidly, urging the tears to not escape her eyes, that did. Shane wiped them away with a thumb and smiled again. "You actually don't have to do that"
"I want to" he stated confidently.
"Then I love you too and am ready to spend my entire life with you and have a child with you"
Shane gave her a watery smile and opened the box he had Accioed earlier. He took the ring out and slipped it in her left hand's ring finger.
Severus and Lily gasped again.
"The night is even making commitments" Severus breathed.
Lily nodded. "Well, something is wrong with the night"
"I can't agree anymore"
Selene instantly wrapped her arms around his neck and made his lips meet hers. They broke apart and Shane in his enthusiasm lifted Selene up in his arms, still kissing her.
"Now, are you free?" he winked.
Selene laughed. "Well, you know I am, my fiancé"
"Then let's walk up, my fiancée"
And they left the Great Hall like that, never noticing Severus and Lily or their shocked faces.
"Where do they even go?" Lily narrowed her eyes.
"Who know?" Severus said distractedly.
"They are engaged now!"
"That is what it seems… I knew it wouldn't be long"
"And when we thought, this night couldn't get any crazier…" she pointed towards the middle of the circle where everyone was dancing.
Severus' breath hitched. James and Mary were standing there with their lips locked. James had his hands around her, pulling her closer to himself while Mary had one of her hands on his shoulder and the other on the side of his neck. They looked oblivious to the living world too. People stared at them, but that did nothing to make them break apart.
They kissed until they were out of breath and had to pull away to fill their lungs.
James seemed to be apologizing for something then. He looked ashamed. Perhaps, kissing Lily. Mary kissed him in answer.
"McDonalds and Potter were together?" Severus asked confusedly.
Lily rolled her eyes. "You have no idea. The common room is filled with tales of theirs"
"Would you like to go for a walk, Lils?" he asked.
She nodded and got up with him. They walked out of the doors in the moonlight.
Neither of the said a word, they just kept their hands locked with the others, as if they would never separate. Severus was watching her in the white light that graced her face. Her hair shone and her eyes looked even greener than normally. Half her face remained in shadow but he knew she had a small smile on her face. He smiled at that. They were together.
"Stop staring, Sev. One would think we are dating?" she teased.
He took it a little more seriously. "Are we not?"
She turned around and loosely hung her arms around his neck, while resting her forehead on his. "Of course, we are"
Severus kissed her, lightly. "Do you give the gift on Christmas Eve instead of the Day?"
"Huh? Oh… This isn't the gift. It's a pleasure, that I got" she said breathily that sent chills to Severus' spine.
"Well, then one remains with me too" he wrapped his around her waist, pulling her closer that made her gasp and then smirk.
"It's Christmas tomorrow" she said, not letting him kiss her again.
"So, we are going home tomorrow, aren't we?"
"Home? From Lily's house, it's home now?"
"I apologize, I didn't mean to-"
"Shush, Sev, you panic too much. Obviously, it's your home too" she assured.
He sighed in relief and flushed a little. "So, are we going home tomorrow?"
"Of course, we are, Sev" Lily rolled her eyes.
"And then we also have to for the Gaunt House" he reminded.
She groaned. "You-Know-Who would kill us with these mysteries"
Severus gasped in realization and broke apart.
"What happened?" she asked.
"I know, now, what Dumbledore kept in his pocket" he said in an undertone.
Lily frowned. "He kept something in his pocket? When?"
Severus rolled his eyes, despite of the seriousness on his face. "When we were strolling out here, in the evening… probably two days ago"
"Oh… so, what is it?"
"The picture"
Lily groaned loudly. "Sev, come to the point. Don't go so slow. What picture?"
"The picture we got in that weird room… where we got the diadem" he urged her to remember.
"If you remember, Sev, I was the one to get possessed, so, I don't know" she huffed.
"Oh, yes and then when Charm and Selene went with me, you weren't there… so, there was a picture that had a cave hill near a seaside…"
"So, what are exactly implying, Sev?"
"That Selene dropped it and now, Dumbledore is in the possession of the picture, it wouldn't take him long to match the dots and understand what the picture means"
"Oh… well, you actually were overthinking about what was with Dumbledore? Stupid, Sev" Lily rolled her eyes.
"But now, he knows too" Severus slumped.
Lily inclined her head and sat on the ground. He looked at her, confusedly. "What are you doing?"
Lily smiled and beckoned him to sit. He did so, still keeping the clueless face. She drew closer to him and made both of them fall their backs on the damp grass beneath them.
"Lily-what…?" he began.
"Shh, Sev… I had always dreamt of being with someone I love at night and looking at the stary sky. Now, I don't want to lose the opportunity" she whispered, looking at him.
He blushed and drew even closer to her, making her head rest on his chest. "Well, then this is one of the best things that could happen"
Lily laughed softly. "Forgot about Dumbledore, have you?"
Severus blinked. "Yes…" he was almost feeling sleepy.
"Sleepy?" she yawned.
"It might be late… and yes…" he trailed off as closed his eyes.
Lily smiled and held him tightly before closing her eyes too and drifting to sleep.
*Page Break*
He blinked his eyes open but then instantly shut them. Who the fuck was standing over him with the biggest lumos charm? He frowned. There was something on his chest too. No- it was someone. Who? He could feel the person breathing and that froze his breath in his chest. He opened his a little, warily to only find a bunch of red hair, resting on his chest. He gasped. Could that be…?
Lily.
She was Lily. He was sleeping here out with Lily. He blinked and touched her cheek. He pulled his hand back immediately. She was indeed Lily. And then he realized that everything that had happened was actually not a dream. He almost laughed with joy but restrained himself. He wanted to watch her like that ever. Every morning. His day would definitely go good now, that he saw her face, the first thing in morning.
She looked so peaceful. And then her breath sequence changed and she blinked open her eyes.
He instantly closed his eyes.
Lily smiled and looked at him. She traced a finger on his nose and he twitched. She gasped and slapped him lightly.
"You are awake" she whispered.
"No" he said automatically and then bit his tongue to have let it lose. So, he had to open his eyes.
"We fell asleep here"
"Yes" he sat up straight and stretched. "And now, we are going to look like fools roaming in the castle with dress robes on"
Lily bent forward to kiss him but then pulled back.
Severus blinked and blew in his hand. "Morning breath. Risk it?"
"Risk it" Lily smirked and kissed him which he returned.
"Let's go in then. We even have to board on the train"
"Come on" she stood up and dusted her dress that was wrinkled from each corner.
"Come on…" he put a hand on her waist and took her hand with the other.
"What-Sev?"
"We didn't dance last night" he winked.
Lily gave him a knowing look and put her hand on his shoulder while slipped the other in his free hand.
They danced, care freely, now… There was no one to see this time.
"You dance nice. Who taught you?"
"Charm did. She is a damn good dancer"
"Remus is too" she said to make him jealous, just like he was unintentionally.
"Oh… You are also" he gave a small smile.
That drew her closer and brought both her hands to his chest while his wrapped around her waist. They kept rocking on the same spot for a while.
Severus kissed her and she returned it passionately.
"You are a great kisser" she mentioned.
"Never knew"
"I tell you now… so much better than Potter"
"Oh" he smiled and kissed her again before breaking apart.
"To our dormitories" and they walked to the Entrance Hall where people snickered at them, even though they themselves looked as sleepy as an owl in the morning.
Severus and Lily walked with their faces hidden and red. Then they broke into a run, trying to reach as soon as possible to their dorm rooms.
*Page Break*
They dressed fast and got to the Great Hall in a hurry. Their bones and muscles, all were sore. The result of sleeping on the grass also with snow on it, without even making the place comfortable. Sometimes they all forgot they could do magic.
They hastily had food and went up to their dormitories again. They hadn't even packed yet and the train was in almost an hour. So, the last hour they spent in stuffing the things in their trunks and becoming ready to board soon. This was their first Christmas that would be spent half in the train and half at their home. Their home. Even though they were in different places, both smiled at the thought.
They had never thought of the situation about them ever getting together. Now, when they were, it didn't feel that different but on the other hand plenty different. They chuckled.
The school bell rang then and they dragged their bags and trunks out of their dormitories before pausing. They rolled their eyes and took their wands out.
What had they learnt the hover charm for if they don't use it in the perfect moment? He sighed and walked out with their bags and trunks trailing behind them.
They reached the gates and ran for the last carriages that were left for them. Severus came to be in the one with the crying first-years. Some with joy of returning to their parents and the others with the sadness of getting away from their friends. Severus rolled his eyes. They haven't even made these friends for anymore than four months.
He unintentionally glared at the one, who kept sniveling incessantly. The firstie looked at him and whimpered. Okay, so some of them were even crying because he was intimidating them without even noticing. He closed his eyes and hung back his head. Idiotic kids.
Lily on the other hand got the place in a carriage with some huge quidditch fans. They kept yelling about how great it was and urged her to do so to. She laughed nervously and rolled her eyes. They seemed insane for quidditch. What would someone call a person cheering for the international quidditch teams in a carriage? Moronic. Just a few minutes.
They soon got on the station and got of the carriages. They didn't even where their friends were. They sighed, though not with each other.
They started dragging their trunks before taking out their wands and making them float in the air again.
Now, the task to get till an empty compartment. They groaned and saw in front of them the huge crowd that didn't seem to get any lesser. They began walking again and reached the train after getting pushed, pulled and punched through the crowd.
Getting in the train was easy, but now… the compartment.
They searched and searched for it but didn't get any. Then Severus' eyes fell on one that showed the vacant sign.
Lily on the other hand saw one empty compartment too after feeling all sweaty and battered.
They broke into a run for the compartments they saw.
And the moment Severus reached their someone also came entered. They got stuck at the door.
Well, the same happened with Lily.
"Move, now, let me go in"
"You move and let me go in first"
Severus and Lily looked on their sides to see who was stuck with them and found each other. They laughed and backed off.
"Go…" he gestured her.
She smiled and shook her head before taking her trunk in and Severus followed her in. They sat there for a while without speaking a word, for no one knew how to get started.
Only one thing came to their minds then and both of them jumped from their seats at the same time and kissed.
They heard a commotion out of the compartment and broke away, sitting opposite to each other.
Selene walked in first, rolling her eyes and then came Shane, hovering two trunks over his head and carrying two bags on either side of his shoulders.
They settled in and sighed as if through got through a great work. Well, that must have been the situation of last night. Lily and Severus suppressed their smirks.
Charm entered then, a smile never leaving her face. Sure, Elias and she got together just yesterday and now, they were going apart again. Though, they knew the letters would leave and arrive at her place often now.
Then came Austin, looking as calm and peaceful as always. Trust him to get a committed relationship. His and Marlene's fight was over and his tension levels were back to being nil.
That is when Severus and Lily realized that it was just them who knew what all had happened the other night at the Ball… and in the empty classroom.
