Severus was having a problem.

After testing a theory about the voice he had heard nearly a week ago, he concluded that he could only hear it thanks to his blackthorn wand. Not his hazel wand, not the beech and certainly not the elm.

He suspected the blackthorn wand's core had played a part in his ability to discern the strange voice. And he didn't know what to feel about it. Oh, he had heard the legend of the Chamber of Secrets from his mother and his friends, but he never thought it was actually true. And Myrtle's death had put an end to the numerous attacks beforehand.

The idea of having one (or rather, the remaining) legacy of Hogwarts' Founders still existed in the ancient castle… well; one would be very stupid to expose it to everyone else.

So Severus had remained quiet about the basilisk's existence underneath the very building students and teachers alike had roamed around. During his patrol rounds, he would secretly try to talk with the ever elusive snake (which was understandable, given its deadly gaze) but it had felt one-sided. He could understand it well due to his blackthorn wand, but he thought their conversation would be much better if it was in Parseltongue.

And so, he had searched high and low about books regarding anything Parselmouth-related, much to no avail. No one in the school had ever had a basilisk horn core in their wands, with his research told him the only family that ever spoke the language of snakes was the Gaunts and they were dead nearly two decades ago.

Severus absent-mindedly drummed his fingers on the wooden table in his room. He had checked his family tree's tapestry, remembering there was a distant Gaunt married into the Princes, but sadly she was a Squib and never felt the need to share her family magic with his.

He sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair, now glancing at the letter he received earlier that day. It was from Lucius Malfoy and Marvolo Riddle (he had respected the latter's wish to be referred by his middle name), telling him they would like to meet him on 13th February in the Three Broomsticks. The date brought a groan out of him.

Professor Slughorn's Valentine's Day party was also held on that night. And as expected from the members of the Slug Club, they were to bring a partner to the event.

Now, Severus Snape would very much want to hide himself for the rest of the night, perhaps finishing his schoolwork or doing one of his experiments. But, Severus Prince needed a strong connection with other people, a foundation for his alibis of pretending not to be associated with the Dark Lord.

Slytherins do value their own safety above other things.

But just who would he invite? No, he didn't want to think about that just yet. The chance would come in due time, he just needed to keep his eyes open.

Severus took the black notebook Marvolo had given him and wrote of his request of any books about basics of learning Parseltongue. A few seconds later, he smiled and put the book back into his satchel before going into the Slytherin common room.

"Zabini," he greeted with a raised eyebrow, "just what are you doing here?"

Francesca Zabini was a beautiful woman, being a year older than him. Many boys had drooled over her after Narcissa Black had graduated three years ago and she was infamous among the other girls due to her numerous flings.

"Hello, Snape," she spoke, dark brown eyes glinting in delight upon seeing him.

Severus remained quiet as he took his seat on a couch near the fireplace.

"…It's so hard getting a good man these days," Francesca sighed and Severus refrained himself from rolling his eyes.

"Not getting a date, then?" he said instead, "How sad."

"And apparently, so are you.

"I'm not going to play your game, Zabini."

"I assure you it won't be," Francesca purred, leaning forward toward him. "Think of it as… a treat."

If possible, Severus' eyebrows would have risen any higher than ever.

"I'm sure you will want to pull the smile off Lily Evans' face after what she did to you, Snape. We've been telling you over and over that she's not worth it, so now's your chance to prove that you've finally move on from her."

At this, Severus frowned. Yes, the deal was just as good as it could get, but no Slytherins would do something without expecting a reward on their end. "And what will you get from this?" he queried.

"Not being embarrassed, for one. Oh, the scandal that will rise if I don't have a partner to Sluggy's party; would've put Rita Skeeter to shame," Francesca joked and he snorted. Trust her to care of her reputation above anything else.

"…This is just a one-time thing, right?" Severus couldn't help asking.

"Of course, though I won't oppose if we were to have more in the future." She winked.

"…Deal."

13th February came by, and Lord Voldemort couldn't contain his excitement.

True to his words, he had traveled to Hogsmeade with some flasks filled with Polyjuice Potion, hoping to spend the entire day with the boy he would meet later. Unfortunately, Lucius Malfoy was away doing Ministry business, so he sincerely wished Severus Snape wouldn't mind the small inconvenience.

He kept himself alert of any sights of a Slytherin boy with black shoulder-length hair as groups of students passed through the gate and finally found him alongside five other students. As it was, Severus Snape's hair shone against the dull winter light and his outfits were a bit scuffled compared to his peers.

The Dark Lord frowned over the boy's condition and beckoned Snape over as soon as they made eye contact and he parted ways with his friends before joining him into the Three Broomsticks.

"You're not Lucius," Snape spoke the moment they took their seats.

Lord Voldemort smiled thinly. "I'm afraid our dear friend is doing some important errands as we speak," he supplied his answer and pulled out a package from inside his suitcase. "I do believe this is what you want." He then handed it to the boy.

Snape blinked before taking the item and put it into his satchel. "Marvolo, then. Nice to meet you, sir," he greeted and they shook hands.

The smile never left the Dark Lord's face. "I will advise you on one thing however. Don't rely on it too much. Just give in to your inner Slytherin blood and you'll be surprised. May I call you Severus?"

The boy only shrugged.

"You know, I actually want to ask you of so many things," the man began.

Sn- Severus quirked his eyebrow, "And I'm sure Lucius had told you all of them already."

"But I want to hear it from your own perspectives."

With a roll of his onyx eyes, Severus sighed. "Which one do you want to know?" he asked.

And they talked, be it political issues or mundane occurrences in their lives. The Dark Lord noted gleefully upon seeing Severus' dismayed look when the conversation veered to Horace Slughorn's party later that day. He too, wanted nothing to do with such events during his school years but even he couldn't deny the benefits he got from them.

"Have you gotten your dress robes?" he asked.

Severus sniffed before taking a sip of his Butterbeer, "I will buy one after we're done. You're changing back; best drink your potion now."

Lord Voldemort's wonder about Severus Snape only increased as time passed. He quickly drank up two gulps of the Polyjuice Potion and smiled as his disguise stayed put. "Thank you," he said, to which the teenager hummed offhandedly.

"Now, I want to ask you of something important, Severus," he started slowly, hoping the boy in front of him wouldn't be offended.

Severus simply raised his eyebrows.

"What do you think of 'Mudbloods'?"

At that, Severus frowned in deep thoughtfulness and the Dark Lord waited patiently for his answer.

"…Which form of Mudbloods are we going to talk about? Is it the general term, or a specific group?" the boy queried and Lord Voldemort appreciated his concern. But that also had made him felt vulnerable. He had prided himself as the new Dark Lord, yet a mere boy somehow had managed to lower down his mental defenses. Would it worth in the end?

"…Those with Muggle fathers," he almost spat out the last two words. He already could deduce Severus Snape was the same as him, and wanted to know of the boy's opinion.

Severus only blinked before exhaling out a deep breath. "I try not to think of it, Marvolo," he started wistfully, "Now I may be biased here, though there was actually a time where we lived happy enough, but…" He shook his head and continued, "I wish it had been better. That she had married someone else, or simply ran away. I hate him but I tried to think of his views too. Anyone would feel tricked and jealous of not being able to be a part of something. We're ultimately victims of circumstances."

Lord Voldemort was speechless at his words. "…I see," he finally said.

He was ready to move on from the topic when Severus suddenly cut in, "Is that why you change your name, Marvolo?"

The Dark Lord froze in his seat. How dare the boy have figured out his secret?! He was ready to reach for his wand but was utterly puzzled upon seeing the weak smile in Severus' face.

"Don't worry; I did too, though not as extreme as yours. I really like the one you chose," the boy complimented.

For once, Lord Voldemort could see why Lucius Malfoy was smitten by the half-blood teenager. And he was now, too. Only they both could understand each other, and he couldn't wait for Severus Snape to enter his ranks.

"Would you want to join me?" he asked, taking another gulp of the Polyjuice Potion.

Severus simply smiled as he leant forward. "I won't want to have your Mark, though," he said

With a heavy heart, the Dark Lord agreed. It's best not to push his luck, after all. "Let's get that dress robe, shall we?" he suggested.

When Lord Voldemort returned to Malfoy Manor later that day, he looked at the ring he had stolen from his uncle years ago. Its obsidian stone was glinting in the candlelight as he held it in his hand and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Immediately, the item felt much lighter.

Lily Evans had hoped the night would go well.

She had invited Remus Lupin as her partner for Professor Slughorn's Valentine's Day party, and at the moment she was deeply conversing with the werewolf about one thing: Severus Snape.

"I never thought I actually have to say this, but I really want to thank Severus for the re-Sorting," Lupin began with a weak smile before taking a sip of his punch. "The 'Puffs were very nice, and had smuggled up lots of chocolate from the kitchens for me."

Lily could only do the same. "He always has a kind heart, even if he doesn't show it often." She then sighed morosely; just how could she get his forgiveness? Admittedly, his 'Mudblood' comment still stung her heart but had it really be the ultimate end to their friendship? Could a letter explain so much of her regrets?

"Snape, you dog!" someone shouted excitedly and Lily turned around to see what the ruckus was about.

She immediately wished she hadn't.

Wild whistles and cheers entered her ears as she witnessed Severus Snape and Francesca Zabini walked into the room with hand in hand. She couldn't care less about what his partner had worn or whatever everyone else was gushing about; all she focused on was her childhood friend.

He was dressed in a nicely cut black dress robe with dark green cufflinks, and a silver short scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck. Part of his shoulder-length hair was tied into a ponytail while others covered up his high cheekbones well. His sallow skin looked pale under the countless lights in the room. And the smile on his face was so genuine she had a hard time believing it.

"Why, Severus! And Francesca!" Professor Slughorn greeted them with a wide grin, "What a lovely couple we have here!"

Immediately everyone in the room clapped over their appearance, to which the duo bowed and curtseyed lightly to the crowd.

"Now that everyone's here, let's boogie!" someone called.

A romantic song by Celestina Warbeck warbled across the room, with some couples began to twirl around along the beat while others were chilling about at the foods and drinks section.

"Lily, do you want to dance?" Lupin asked but she ignored him. Instead her eyes tailed after Severus and his partner who were waltzing at the middle of the room with other students, refusing to accept Francesca Zabini, a girl so well-known of her countless flings was willing to snare up her ex-best friend.

She couldn't let that happen, even if they were nothing more than strangers.

So with her Gryffindor bravery, Lily marched toward the Slytherin couple and barged in between them, snarling at Francesca, "Don't you dare playing up with his heart!"

The whole room quickly fell into silence, with Warbeck's song still played loudly.

"…What are you talking about, Evans?" the older girl asked coolly, raising her ebony eyebrows.

Lily bared her teeth. "He's not like what you think, Zabini!"

Francesca, for all her part only blinked at the accusation. "You've got quite a problem here, darling," she finally continued with a small smirk, "Severus here had been kind enough to be my date for the night. Oh, would you rather have him? I'm afraid he's quite adamant about his decision of having me, dear."

"A shame for your friend, though. Why don't you entertain him instead, he really could use a companion." The Slytherin girl pointedly looked at Lupin who was distraught by the scene.

Lily could only see red by then. "YOU-!" she snarled.

"I think, it's best for you to leave, Evans," a cold voice joined the conversation and Lily could feel shivers running down her spine. Slowly, she turned around to see her childhood friend, who was staring down at her in utmost disgust.

"If I remember well, I have told you to not appear in front of me ever again. Do I need to repeat it, Lily Evans? Or is your Gryffindor head so thick that you can't follow such a simple order?" Severus' onyx eyes were blazing in anger and Lily never felt so small in his presence before.

"Severus-" she started.

"Are you alright, Francesca?" he asked the other girl and gently took her away to the drinks section. Of course, Lily didn't miss the concerned look on his face and finally came down to the unpleasant truth.

She walked out of the Potions Professor's office and sobbed into her pillow, mourning over her regrets.