IT'S CHANGED! (SNILY)

CHAPTER 44 Never give him that again!

Their faces were turned to Severus, who had just given the name they all had dreaded. They had known the Raquel was a person who couldn't be trusted but doing something so evil, as to kill the students of the school was out of question, until now. They wanted Dumbledore to understand that but after the last encounter of him with Severus, had simply told that he had full faith in Raquel.

"He had also not been in the school for long" Lily broke the silence. "Dumbledore said he'd be gone for a week, but it is way more than a week"

All of the eyes turned to her as they nodded. "He is definitely in the ally with You-Know-Who" Austin said the statement that none of them wished to hear out loud.

"He most certainly is, otherwise, not so many students would have felt the weird air around him" Selene pointed out.

"Keeping that aside, why do you think there was an attack?" Charm questioned.

Severus looked up. "Isn't that clear yet? For me"

Selene folded her arms on her chest. "And how could you be so certain?"

"This is the first Hogsmeade weekend, the champions were getting the chance to the village. He wanted me. If I were there, nothing of that sort would have happened!" he completed, half-panting.

Their eyes grew wider. Not at what he had mentioned but about his statement of him being there would have prevented all of that. He was putting the blame on himself and that wasn't right.

"You don't think that it was your fault, do you?" Shane asked carefully.

Severus looked up in his eyes as if the answer was obvious. "Me putting a blame on myself or not, doesn't matter, Shane. What matters is that he requires me!"

"It could be an attack to simply ask the others to beware…" Lily said anxiously, noy wanting to even believe that Severus' life could be in danger.

"He'll try again soon" he looked down in his lap. "The second task most probably…"

"You can just be making it all up" Selene said, denying his claims.

"I could be" he said helplessly. "But can I take a promise that you all will stay vigilant. I wouldn't like to put any of you in danger because of me"

"We'll stay fine and so will you" Charm stated, much more confidently than she felt. "And don't come up with any stupid ideas… we all are in danger even without being with you. Lily is a 'Mudblood' for them, even without you being her best friend or boyfriend, Austin and Shane are Half-bloods, who hold no value to them whatsoever, and Selene and I are blood-traitors for them"

Severus looked at her with his mouth agape, before chuckling. "Thank you for the summary, Charm, but I was aware of all of that… someone else has given me the same lecture in the summer vacations, so, I know" he side-glanced Lily, who couldn't keep her sly grin in.

Charm flushed. "Uh, okay, I was just making sure, you remembered" she looked around to take everyone's mind off her embarrassment, when a question struck her. "Wait!"

All the heads turned to her once more. "What?"

She narrowed her eyes at Severus. "Why are you in the Hospital Wing? And don't make the excuse that you came to find us, because you are also in your night robes"

Severus flustered and looked around for help against Charm statement, but just found them all waiting for to speak. He forced a grin. "I spilled grape juice on my robes, perhaps. Who would buy that?" he looked around and once more found their unamused faces.

"The truth, Severus" Selene glowered at him, making him sigh.

"Fine" he huffed exasperatedly. "I jumped into the Black Lake" he said hastily and looked down in his lap, clenching his eyes shut for the anticipated outburst.

They all sucked in sharp breaths. "On what happy occasion, Severus?!" Lily hissed.

For a moment he forgot all of the fight that was between them and flinched at her wrath. "Don't get angry, I had a plausible reason"

"What, if we may ask?" Austin raised his eyebrow.

He swallowed. "Well, it isn't complete, a cool thing happened to me there" he looked around cheekily, at their raised eyebrows. "I was also gashed by a Grindylow" he rushed.

"Severus!" they all roared making him flinch even harder. But it was fun, now; pissing them off.

"What were you thinking!?" Selene hissed.

"Better say, not thinking"

"The very point I was implying!" she glowered at his gall.

"What did you go there for?" Shane asked, narrowing his eyes even further, in a way to keep patience until his explanation.

"Long story" he sighed.

"We are ready to hear" Charm prompted, holding her chin in the air.

Severus shrugged. "Okay… so, I was sitting on the alcove with my beautiful golden egg… I must say, it looks amazing, wouldn't you agree?" he laughed as the others kept looking at him with a bemused expression. Why was he acting so weird?

Lily held on his arm. "Severus?" she frowned as he hummed. "Did you drink something?"

"No, why would I? Just Selene gave me some ice-cream… and before that Madam Pomfrey would have given me some of her clear draughts for the cold. I can never actually remember the name of that one, do you, love?" he leaned on Lily and she pulled back, looking at him confusedly.

"I believe the combination had an alcoholic effect on him" Selene seemed guilty for that.

"Perhaps, Selene" Severus almost screamed. "You are rarely correct, anyway… but still Shane has no problem with that… unlike Lils" he looked down clutching the blanket to his chest.

Lily gulped. "I believe you must go to sleep, Sev"

"Screw sleep, Lily… my mum asked me do that when I was young too… but my father never let me. Now, the sleep isn't that good, you know?" he batted his eyelids at her.

"Let's leave that story for now, Sev" she requested.

"Story! That reminds me… me and my egg. I have made Muffliato better, you know, Charm, you said it was gorgeous when I showed it to you for the first time"

Charm looked at him helplessly. "I said, genius, Severus"

"The same, Charm, what's kept in words, anyway?" he leaned back on the headboard. "Yes, so, I got the charm off and a Mer-person came to see what was it… I leaned to the window and the song was beautiful… even more than the one Mrs. Evans sing, you know, Lils? Even better than that. Like angels were singing in my ears"

Not much was making any sense but they were trying to get the gist of his incoherently made sentences.

"Then, I went with the cloak… the invisibility one, that I got at the quidditch pitch when I was sad because Lily wasn't talking to me" he threw himself on Lily suddenly, startling her. "Don't do that again, Lily. Please, don't leave me. I wouldn't be able to live" he sniffled in her shoulder.

"Sev…"

"Yes, call me that, I like it… even better than the song by the angels" he smiled. "Yes, then, I got out and, in the library, I found and found and found until I got the book… it was boring. People think I like reading even the boring stuff, but I actually hate it…" he brought his mouth close to Lily's ear and whispered. "I mostly see the illustrations and get the meaning… don't tell anyone that I don't actually read. It's a secret, Lily"

Lily chuckled with the rest of them. "I won't, Sev… your secret is safe with me"

He kissed her on the cheek, innocently, making her furiously go red. "I believe you"

"The story, Sev" she reminded.

"Oh, yes, you always bring me back on the right path, don't you?" he replied, now, playing with her auburn hair. "By the way, I found that Mer-people like singing and the one… at the window, remember? It was singing, initially, I had thought that the lake was producing it, silly me" he laughed, making others sit back and amuse themselves with his monotone.

"So, is the story, completed?" Lily asked, tucking one of his black strands of hair behind his ear.

"No, Lily… I told you, it is long" he rolled his eyes, as if she was the foolish one. "You keep forgetting things. What if one day you forget me too? What will I do, then? Hmm?" he cupped her face, making her look into his eyes.

Lily blinked at him, before keeping her hands on his pale ones. "What if I never forget you? Never ever"

He grinned. "Of course, that is good. I can live forever then" he kissed her hands. "Well, then I got a brilliant idea of going down the lake… don't worry, I thought abut the Grindylows too, but I also read that Mer-people can tame them. So, easy, Charm, use your brain" he rolled eyes on Charm who was looking at him confusedly.

"So, you got a spell or something?" she asked.

He laughed. "No, fool… I took the egg in the lake with me. It looks good but never better than you, Lily. Yes, so, the egg's screeches had attracted Mer-people and so, I thought it would do again and they would also shoo the Grindylows away" he sniffled.

Austin frowned. "What's wrong in that?"

Severus let out a tiny sob. "The Mer-people ditched me and never came. I saw the scary Grindylow sticking on my leg. It didn't hurt me then, but when I blasted it and came out of the water it was paining badly" he buried his face in Lily's shoulder.

They all snorted and sat back again, as if had expected something even more frightening to have taken place. What he said was, but simply not the scenes they had made in their heads.

That did offend the practically-drunk Severus. He looked up from Lily's shoulder. "You think it was easy to blast it off?! It was terrifying! And so much blood was coming out of my leg… you believe me, don't you, Lily?"

She kept a comforting hand on his arm. "Shush, I believe you"

"I knew, you would" he smiled and brought her right leg up that was highly bandaged. They all hissed, as if feeling the pain. "See? I told you it was a big wound"

"Severus…" they all looked at him helplessly, almost trying to make him understand that what he did was rather foolish than heroic.

"What? I didn't cry" he stated proudly. "Don't worry, it wasn't that big… Don't take stress, Selene, that can harm the baby"

Selene wiped away the deep worried frown that was creased on her face, shaking her head at his nonsensical words.

Lily kissed his cheek. "All sorts of things you do"

"Yes, and then I was shivering too… and then I was about die. That is how it felt like. But I still walked till the gates of the castle… and then everything went black"

They looked at him sympathetically, almost furious on him. All sorts of things he did! Jumping in the lake, that too in winters and on top of that getting bitten by a Grindylow! Cold and loss of blood! Stupid Severus, no doubt he seemed so pale right now. He could have died for Merlin's sake!

"How did you reach here then?" Austin asked.

Severus shrugged. "I don't know"

"Tvora" Shane supplied with disdain.

All of their eyes widened except for Selene, who nodded just as Severus' hands tightened their hold on Lily's arm. He turned sharply to her.

"Yes, she was here" he whispered sadly. "She said you all were dead" he sniffled. "But I am happy, you are not. She even pulled my hair, Lily, just like father used to. I am happy he is dead"

She rubbed his arm, directing his head to the nook of her neck. "I am too… am also happy that you are alive"

She felt him smile. "I love you, Lily"

She chuckled and caressed his arm in her hands, that was crossing her upper body. "Do you think, you could go and sleep now?"

"You smell good, Lils" he whispered, though, loud enough for everyone to hear and raise their eyebrows in the hilarity of the situation.

Lily blushed and cleared her throat. "I believe you really need some sleep" she tried to pull away but he didn't let her.

"I want to know how you taste, Lily" Severus continued to whisper, making Lily go as red as her hair.

"Okay, so, he is getting horny, now" Charm got up from the bed. "Let's leave Lily with him"

"So, true" Austin got up before the situation becomes even more awkward.

"Severus!" Lily called loudly, making him jerk up and look at her with half-lidded eyes. "Sleep, now"

He shrugged and spread his legs, making Shane and Selene stand up too. "I'll sleep, don't get angry with me, okay?"

"Hmm" she nodded, distractedly, covering him with a blanket.

"Smile" he demanded, quietly, making the best puppy eyes he could.

Lily looked at him and rolled his eyes before giving him a small smile.

"Good, you are not angry. Father took his belt off when he was. You wouldn't hit me, I know. Night, Lils… and everyone" he whispered, before turning to his side and dozing off.

Lily sighed and got up, glaring at Selene. "Never give him ice-cream again, Selene… at least not after you see him wrapped under a blanket"

Selene shook her head, meekly. "Never ever"

"I hope he forgets… but then, I don't want him to forget"

"I hope he remembers it all" Charm smirked. "I'll give him the combination one more time, to see what all he has to say"

Lily side-glared at her too. "Dare do that, I'll hex you into oblivion"

Charm kept smirking. "Okay… but it was fun, don't refuse that"

"I wouldn't" Shane said from the back, raising one of his hands.

"I wouldn't either" Austin followed the suite.

"Well, if we see it that way. I would say, Severus Snape could be a well entertainer" Selene prompted, leaving Lily to roll her eyes at them.

*Page Break*

After fighting with Madam Pomfrey for almost an hour, he was free to roam around in the castle again. His leg was fine, although, Madam Pomfrey had asked him to not pressurize it much. He had rolled his eyes at that. Of course, he'd take care.

He walking to the library when he saw people crying in the corridors and the realization dawned to him. He remembered that people had died in the Hogsmeade attack. He sucked in breath. He almost had forgotten about that. How many people had died?

He rushed to the library then. Was meeting his friends all a dream? He had to check again, because he didn't even remember himself falling asleep. His chest heaved with pants and he rested his hands on his knees, as he halted in front of the table where everyone was sitting.

"Severus?" Selene raised a questioning eyebrow.

He went and took a seat, before looking up at them. "So, you all are alive? This isn't a dream?"

Charm rolled her eyes. "Of course, we are alive. We even told you the stories, don't you remember?"

"I do. But I feared it was all a dream" he sighed in relief.

"And do you remember anything else?" Austin asked, hiding a grin.

Severus' brows furrowed. "No. That's the thing. I don't remember anything much…"

Charm and Shane banged their hands on the table in disappointment, while Lily lowered her head, sighing.

"Why? What happened?" he asked, confusedly.

"Nothing at all" Selene gave him an exaggerated smile. "Just never drink the clear draught with ice-cream, Severus… it can cause food-poisoning"

"Food-poisoning? And the clear draught?" he frowned even further.

Charm suppressed a laugh. "Pepper-up potion, Severus"

"Oh… so, did one of you, have it? Or something?"

"One of us" she murmured, snickering, earning a kick from under the table by Selene.

"Just never have it, Severus" Selene repeated.

"Aren't you all acting weird, today?" he raised an eyebrow, totally confused by what they all were taking amongst themselves.

"We are?" Charm teased once more. "Wasn't that someone else"

Severus huffed and crossed his arms on his chest. "Okay, now, tell me, what is wrong? What had happened while I was off?"

Lily tried to talk. "Is your leg fine, now?"

He looked at her coldly for a second before raising an eyebrow towards the others. He had actually forgotten whatever had happened. He paused for a second. How did she know about his leg?

He narrowed his eyes. "Did I tell you anything about the Black Lake?"

Shane snorted. "Everything"

"Then why don't I remember telling that to you?"

He shrugged, hiding a smirk. "Perhaps, some potions that Madam Pomfrey gave you"

"Perhaps…"

"So, did you find the clue by your stupid expedition?" Austin asked.

"I couldn't have told you everything" Severus was still confused. His conscious self would never ever disclose all the happenings that took place.

"Well, yes, Severus, we know everything about the Mer-people, Grindylows, the egg, jumping in the lake ang your leg injury" Selene took a deep breath after completing.

"Oh…" Severus still didn't understand a bit, but he dismissed it. "By the way, I found out that the egg didn't screech in the lake… or under water, it sang. Like angels. So, well, most probably, I have to face the Mer-people"

"Hmm… I believe so" Austin nodded. "Wait! Under water?!"

Realization suddenly dawned to Severus as well, as his eyes grew wider. "Under water. Yes. And… and the song of the egg said… wait let me remember" he knocked his fist on his head in contemplation, as if that was going to get the answer.

"Take your time…" they all sat back, crossing their arms.

"Ah, yes… it went like… come and seek where are voices sound, we can't sing above the ground… and while you are searching ponder this: we have taken what you'll sorely miss… and hour long you'll have to look to recover what we took… past an hour the prospect is black, too late it's gone, it won't come back… yes, somewhat like that"

Charm raised an eyebrow. "Now, sing it, so that we can understand better"

Severus gave her a mild sneer. "You wouldn't want to hear me sing… do with the lyrics"

She sighed. "Yes, of course, now we have to do with just that… it isn't that difficult, though. The Mer-people are going to take something you love and you'll have to get it back in an hour, if you don't… you'll never get it back"

He tapped his chin in thought. "So, what would I sorely miss?"

All the eyes turned to Lily, expect for his and she kept looking in her lap.

Shane shook his head. "How about potions… I mean, something related to potions?"

"Something related to potions? What? My textbook, where I have written… well, many things. But I know almost everything from that. I wouldn't miss that sorely" he shrugged.

Selene huffed. "Is that even important? What you need to know is that how are you going to survive in water for an hour. The Mer-people live deep down! You can't come to the surface time and again… or else you'll lose the control over time"

"You are right" he sighed and got up. "I'll have to search for that"

"So, you are going to do that now?" Austin asked.

"Nah… just going for a walk to clear my head… and deduce that how don't I remember last day" he frowned.

"Well, then you haven't got much time… not more than a week"

"Hmm… I'll search soon after coming back… and for all these days" and with that he left the place.

*Page Break*

Days passed after the conversation and he still had no clue to how would he get into the lake and survive for an entire hour. He didn't even know how to swim properly. He groaned and leaned on the railings of the staircase he was near at, looking out of the window. What would he do?

He was just about to run away from there when he heard a shriek. He frowned and looked back. Who the hell had gone bonkers at this time of the night? Yes, he was out at night, in his invisibility cloak, because his dorm mates were snoring heavily… making it uncomfortable for him to sleep.

He walked slowly in the direction of the voice and rolled his eyes, huffing as he reached the second-floor ladies' lavatory. Moaning Myrtle. He had no idea, why? But he approached her inside! He scrunched his nose at the flooding toilet-water on the floor. He groaned. His shoes!

"Myrtle?" he called.

"Who is it?!" Myrtle shrieked, making him flinch at the shrillness.

"It's me, Myrtle, Severus"

"Severus?" as the realization dawned, she gasped. "Severus!"

"Well, yes, me… I just came to check what was wrong. I heard you crying?" he looked around, still searching for her.

She floated out of a cubicle from the corner, warily. "Oh, it is actually you…" she came close to him.

"Well, yes, there is no other Severus… is there?" he frowned.

"No, not any other… like you" she came close enough, that Severus could even count her eyelashes, but he didn't back. What would it feel like to kiss a ghost? A sudden question floated in his mind. He didn't think much then and closed his eyes, locking his lips with Myrtle.

She gasped as his lips met hers but didn't pull apart. It was a long time after someone had kissed her… that too, fully on the lips. She moaned and Severus' senses came back to him, as he pulled apart almost immediately.

It had felt cold and nothing as good as kissing Lily. But it was there, at least, for an experiment and a conclusion that kissing ghosts isn't pleasurable.

"I am sorry… I didn't mean to" he stammered.

Myrtle looked at him confused before giving a small shy smile. "Well, I always knew you were into me" she circled above Severus.

He made a face, that resembled the most confused and self-doubting emotion. He had shown interest in Myrtle? When? Ghosts probably saw dreams too. He shook his head and looked up at her.

"Why were you crying, Myrtle?" Ahh… he must have used a little more tact because her face twisted in a painful emotion.

She began roaming around the lavatory, shrieking again. "Someone flushed me down the toilet!"

Severus raised his eyebrow. "Someone came down now and flushed you down the toilet?"

"No! The person did so at almost nine… it takes me time to fly back and find the way" she answered.

"Oh… where do you go when someone flushes you down, by the way?" another wrong question as Severus had to see the whole flood of ghostly tears falling down Myrtle's face.

"It is in the Black Lake!" she yelled at him. "It is huge and takes a great deal of time to come back… but who would ever think about the Moaning Myrtle"

Severus frowned. "You go in the Black Lake?"

"Yes" she stopped yelling and came close to him again, looking confused. "What do you want?"

"I have a very inappropriate idea"

"We have to restrict to the kiss, you know? Other body parts of me wouldn't work" she said sadly.

Severus froze for a second. Was she implying that they could have, have sex, if she weren't a ghost?! Had she gone senile?! He wouldn't even kiss her again… but he did. Not just once but plenty of times that night, when he needed Myrtle for a deal. She had even agreed for it and he was glad for that.

He and Lily weren't talking, so, it wasn't cheating her. Just a break. Perhaps. He dismissed the thought and walked out of the girls' lavatory, when it was almost morning. Waking up this night was useful and not even a little waste of time. He was satisfied after a long time and went out to sleep and then plan for a little research work.

*Page Break*

Another awkward and heartbreaking potions class. He sighed. He wouldn't simply start talking to her again, she had to apologize. But this time, the potions class seemed a bit… different. She didn't look that disturbed by the fact that he was talking rudely to her. He would have taken the key that she was getting used to the cold conversations… but this is different. She wasn't being insistent on talking to him, she looked rather happy, as she held a small smile on her face.

He frowned at that, but dismissed it. He didn't care. He obviously, cared, it was just to satisfy his own ego.

Slughorn had motioned them to move out of the class now, as the bell had rung and the class had finished. Severus hastily bottled up the potion they were making and kept it… or threw it rather on the back-table in hurry. He came back to Slughorn, when almost the entire class had left.

Slughorn looked up and smiled. "Anything I can help with, Severus?"

"Yes, sir" he went to stand beside his professor's table, taking out a note from his bag. "I am researching on the ghosts, sir, so, I wished to get this book from the Restricted Section" he pointed at the note.

Slughorn's smile faded. "You are researching on ghosts? Why, my boy?"

Severus shrugged. "They are intriguing, sir, and show a possibility of ourselves after life… I'd like to know about the afterlife and ghosts' differences from living humans and about souls' imprints"

"Well, what you are searching is rather less searched but fascinating" he picked up the note and traced his eyes through it. "I'll sign, Severus… just don't misuse the information, my boy or I'll be sorely disappointed"

"I won't disappoint you, sir" he said politely but with a hidden lie that the entire thing would disappoint him… or rather everyone, if they get to know what he was up to.

"I have confidence in you, Severus" Slughorn gave him the note back with his sign on it, smiling. "Now, you might get going or you'll be late for the next class"

"Thank you, sir" he gave a small bow accompanied with a small smile before leaving the classroom and running to the library.

He reached Madam Pince's table and almost banged the note on her desk making her hiss and look up with disapproval.

"Things must be quiet in the library, Mr. Snape"

"I apologize, Madam Pince, I am just in a hurry"

She looked down to the note and scanned it under her pointed gaze. "You need a book from the restricted section"

"Yes, ma'am" he nodded.

Madam Pince nodded reluctantly and returned him the note. "Go and get the book and don't misuse your rights, Mr. Snape"

"Never in my dreams, Madam Pince" being the sweet one was so easy for a day when he was so happy to get what he wished for.

He slowly walked up to the back of the library and to the restricted section. He grinned as he saw the book once more… this time just allowed to pick it.

The Death Spheres

He removed the book from the shelf and blew the dust on it. Nobody had read this in a long time, judging by the layer of dust covering it.

He thrusted it in his bag and walked off the library to go and read the thing that concerned him at that moment in peace.

*Page Break*

A small smile was fixed on his face throughout the time he was completing his homework with the others in the library. They had noticed the slight change in his demeanor and were trying to deduce why was there a difference.

Selene banged her book and close and crossed her arms on her chest, making everyone jerk their heads up in her direction.

"Severus, do you mind telling us what are you so happy about?" she asked roughly.

Severus blinked for a moment before a smirk took over his face. "I just seemed to have gotten the perfect plan for tomorrow's task"

Charm raised her eyebrow. "What plan? Yes, exactly, you haven't yet told us what you are going to do to stay alive tomorrow"

"That… is something you'll simply have to see" he shook his head.

"Well, I believe you'd make a bubble-head charm or turn into a fish, perhaps?" Shane shrugged.

Severus' mouth hung down. "Why do I always take the most difficult ways to reach the goal?"

Austin frowned. "So, you aren't doing any of this?"

He groaned. "No"

Charm held her chin high. "He would have sneaked in Slughorn's stores and gotten Gilly-weed"

"I could have done that!" Severus shrieked, covering his face, groaning.

"Then what the fuck are you doing tomorrow?" Selene banged her palms on the table making Lily, who was sitting beside her, jump.

"It's obviously, difficult than any of these… and more horrifying too, but it is absolute… I don't even have to fear a single creature in my plan" he told them.

"I don't belie-"

Another laud voice cut her. "Lily! Charmaine!"

They all turned back to see Sirius Black's grinning face.

"Hey, Sirius" Lily smiled at him.

"Well, Professor McGonagall is asking for you two- Lily and Charmaine" he told.

"Professor McGonagall? Why?" Charm frowned.

"She seemed a little pissed off. Did you both prank her?" Sirius winked, nudging Lily on the shoulder. "The Dark horse, huh? Lily?"

"Sirius" she rolled her eyes. "You know I wouldn't do any such thing"

"Uh, yes, I am aware how boring you are" he huffed, and then bent down to her ear before whispering. "Though, I know, you and him, were alone… somewhere… you know what I mean?"

Lily blushed red. "Yes, I get it and shut up about that"

Sirius chuckled before straightening. "So, come on, what are you both waiting for?"

"Yeah…" they both muttered, standing with their bags.

Shane spoke, stopping them. "Were you successful in boiling the golden egg, Sirius?"

"Ah, sure and was also rewarded for that" Sirius said proudly.

Selene raised her eyebrow. "Rewarded?"

"Well, yes, you know… the egg sang when put it underwater, giving the clue to James so easily… and all that because of me" he pointed the index of both his hands towards himself.

All of the eyes turned to Severus, making him realize that how foolish he was to straightaway go to the lake instead of taking a really stupid theory from Sirius' books.

"So, we must be going now…" Sirius took both Charm and Lily by either of his hands and walked out of the library, leaving behind Severus to think of himself as the most dumb person surviving on earth.