Boy-Snape

Severus had thoroughly enjoyed his trip to Diagon Alley with Sirius, Joan, and Professor McGonagall. His favorite part had been going to Ollivander's wand shop. It and Mr. Ollivander had been just like his mum described and it was fascinating to watch Joan try out a handful of wands until they finally came to one that suited her. Severus had wanted to wave around his replacement wand after Mr. Ollivander brought it out. He'd desperately wanted to know if he could create something like the butterfly Joan had from just flicking her wand, but Professor McGonagall had told him that it really wasn't a good – or safe – idea and he would be given it the second he was sixteen again and not a moment sooner.

Sirius had completely disregarded that judgment, however, when he got his own replacement wand and handed it over for Severus to look at. He'd even encouraged Severus to give it a swish, which created several small sparks. It wasn't as exciting as a butterfly, but Severus had still been rather chuffed it did anything at all in his hand since the wand wasn't suited to him. Professor McGonagall had given them both a stern look for their antics, but sighed in the end and paid Mr. Ollivander before shepherding them out the wand shop for lunch and then to Sugarplum's Sweet Shop. There, they all got a chocolate frog— Even serious Professor McGonagall. Severus had just been pleased with his new Professor Armando Dippet card, but then Sirius gave him his Roderick Plumpton card due to the fact he already had that card in his collection, then Joan let him have her Merwyn the Malicious frog card because, "It's the chocolate I like," and finally, Professor McGonagall gifted Severus her Beatrix Bloxam card as she'd long since stopped collecting chocolate frog cards herself.

Now, several hours later, he happily ordered and re-ordered his cards due to different specifications, such as which one he liked best to which he liked the least, or from oldest to youngest, and who sounded most important to the wizarding world to the least. It was far more interesting than the gossiping Sirius and his mates were doing about their classes and fellow students. Joan hadn't agreed with his judgment, however, and was listening intently to their conversation from between Sirius and Lily. After realizing he couldn't organize the handful of frog cards in another interesting way, Severus put them back in order from oldest to youngest and stuck them in his pocket before slipping off his bed behind Sirius to go and see if maybe Madam Pomfrey had a book he could read in her office.

Approaching the nurse's office at the back of the infirmary, Severus paused at the door when he realized there were people speaking on the other side. While he knew people hated sneaks and he shouldn't be one, Severus couldn't help himself. Pressing himself against the door, he strained his ear to hear what was being said on the other side of the door.

"…Haven't received any kind of reply," a male voice (Professor Dumbledore's?) said.

"How much longer do you plan to wait for one? The poor girl will realize in another day that they've rejected her."

"I'm aware we cannot put off telling Miss Moon much longer. As of this moment, I'm seeking other possible families or individuals who may be willing to take her in while she's caught up education-wise to where she should be according to her age. I hope it will, in some small way, soften the blow of her family's rejection to have someone else who is willing to take her in."

"I doubt anything will lessen the hurt," Madam Pomfrey replied. "Still, I can't quite believe they all have refused to so much as even see her. I spent the better half of Janice Moon's first year giving her doses of sleeping draught every night so she wouldn't have night terrors about her sister's disappearance. Even after that, she'd visit now and then for sleeping draughts during particularly stressful times here at Hogwarts to ward off any potential nightmares."

"The prejudice against those with lycanthropy is strong in our community."

"I know. It's just you would think that the love those girls shared would trump a disease."

There was a quiet moment between Madam Pomfrey and the man who Severus was now certain had to be the headmaster. "I will come to see Ms. Moon in the morning and inform her of her family's non-response and offer to let her meet a few of those I've been in contact with about homing her until she's of age."

"Thank you, Albus."

"It's no trouble, Poppy. I should be the one to tell Ms. Moon, I had written her family initially after all."

"Even so. She's in such a fragile state and to have to deliver such news… It's not easy to watch a heart break."

There was a sigh from Professor Dumbledore. "No," he agreed. "It's not."

"Before you go, Albus, what of Mr. Snape?"

"We are cross-checking the spell Filius found with a charms expert at the ministry to ensure it will work as we expect. We should hear back from them early tomorrow. I imagine we'll have Mr. Snape sorted shortly after lunch."

"Excellent. I'll have Mr. Black return to classes in the morning then."

"Indeed. Goodbye, Poppy."

"See you in the morning, sir."

Severus fell away from the door at that moment. Since he hadn't ever seen the headmaster enter Madam Pomfrey's office, he imagined the man had traveled by floo through the castle, but on the off-chance, he chose to walk back to his offices… Severus didn't want to be caught with his ear to the door. He didn't think he would be punished (or at least not very severely), but he didn't want to risk it either.

After a few seconds of nothing, Severus knocked on Madam Pomfrey's door and then grabbed its handle and pushed the door open. Inside, Madam Pomfrey sat behind her desk, expression troubled.

"Hello, Severus," she said. "What can I do for you?"

He looked behind her to the bookshelf she had beside her filing cabinet. "May I have a book to read?"

The nurse looked behind her at her collection of books. "There's really not anything a boy your age would probably like, let alone be able to read…"

"I can," Severus assured Madam Pomfrey. "I'm reading, er, was reading Mum's sixth-year history textbook. You'd really think a book on wars would be quite interesting, but it's not. I liked the glossary in the back of Mum's herbology text more than I do it."

She stared at him a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know why I'm even a little surprised," she said. Getting up, she pulled an anatomy text from one of her higher shelves. "You are such a clever child," she remarked as she handed the book over to Severus's eager fingers. "Eileen told me when I visited you for the mumblemumps your Muggle primary teacher wanted to put together an advanced curriculum for you to take home, but she hadn't allowed it because she didn't see a point when you'd be going to Hogwarts to learn to be a wizard, not a Muggle university."

"Mrs. Hancock gives me extra worksheets, sometimes," he told the nurse as he cracked open the textbook to browse its table of contents. "I just thought it was because she didn't like me staring out the window so much."

"It was likely a little of both, I imagine," Madam Pomfrey replied with a small smile as she settled back in her seat. "Cheers, Severus."

"Thanks," he mumbled, starting for the door. However, before he left, he stopped and turned to look back at the nurse. "Did Professor Dumbledore write each of the Moons? Or just Joan's parents?"

"Just Joan's parents," the nurse said, a hint of befuddlement leaking into her tone. "Why do you ask?"

"Sirius said her big sister graduated last year and I think her brother has to be too since Sirius didn't say anything to Remus or Lily about making him pop into the infirmary to see Joan. I know I don't know all about the wizarding world because I live with Mum…" Severus frowned to himself and shook his head. "Lived with Mum and Dad in the Muggle world, but I know there Muggles go to live on their own after they become of age lots of the time."

"That's the typical way of things here too," the nurse said. "But I'm still not following. Why were you asking who the Headmaster wrote exactly?"

Severus shrugged. "It's just we haven't heard anything from any of them. If you just wrote Joan's Mum and Dad… Maybe they didn't say anything to her brother or sister because they don't like she's a werewolf and didn't want them to know Joan was one like they do now."

Madam Pomfrey stared at Severus with a shocked expression. Finally, she whispered, "Perhaps."

Severus nodded. "Thank you for the book again, Madam Pomfrey. Listening to Sirius and his mates rabbit together is boring," he told her, nose wrinkled.

The nurse laughed and said, "Yes, I imagine teenage-gossip is for you!"

Satisfied, Severus left and returned to read in his infirmary bed. Sirius, Joan, and the rest were still so entirely absorbed in their conversation that they didn't so much as look Severus's way as he crawled onto his bed and beneath his covers. As he settled in and flipped through the textbook to the chapter on the nervous system, Severus smiled to himself. He was sure Madam Pomfrey was going to go straight to the Headmaster now to ask him to write Joan's siblings. Maybe she'd even do it herself. Severus was sure at least one of them would come through for Joan so she didn't have to go live with strangers. They had to. Joan deserved something nice after years of awfulness.

How did you like Severus's cleverness? And the rest of the chapter?

Thank you so very much for reading :)