GUESS WHO'S BACK, THIS CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG I HOPE THE LENGTH OF IT MAKES UP FOR IT. Also, for any of you reading my regulus fanfic I have a chapter in the making. I feel so bad for not updating that one once in a while, but inspiration is hard! enjoy! also comment nicely thanks
and thank you to those certain commenters (pearlm21, cookeroach, azla hachi) you guys rlly do keep me going seeing your comments every time a new chapter comes out ;-; and just every comment i get
Professor McGonagall sat in the Headmaster's office, her leg thrown over her knee and her foot tapping impatiently as the Headmaster prattled on about his day. He always did this before he even let her get a word in about her concerns.
Maybe she should have brought the boggart with her, maybe he would have shut up then.
"How has your day been, Minerva?" Albus asked jovially, eyes twinkling and it seemed like he was ignoring her stern expression.
"I have concerns about a student, well, honestly a whole house of students," she started, wiping the smile off of the Headmaster's face, "Severus Snape is my first concern, I believe something is happening deep within the Slytherin house that is a cause of huge concern."
"Horace, have you tried to speak to him about his house-?"
"It is deeper than that, Albus!" She exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat and giving him a stern glare, "this is so much deeper than some drama, and Horace barely gives the Slytherins his time of day unless it benefits him directly! This is about Him!"
Albus' unconcerned expression melted away and he gave her a grave expression, "are you sure, Minerva?"
"Yes! I am!" she told him with exasperation, sighing softly as she continued with a more defeated tone, "Mr Snape, ran out of my classroom today while I was trying to speak to him about private matters. When I caught up to him there was a boggart just dumped and abandoned in the hallway, and the form it took for Mr Snape has caused me some concern."
The Headmaster's thoughts turned to a terrifying thought that Voldemort was Severus' boggart, and the fact that it could be him could mean an array of different things.
"It was himself, Albus, but he was dressed in some sort of outfit that hid his identity until he took off a mask and he was showing some sort of mark to Severus, I believe it is connected to Him somehow, have you not heard the rumours?"
"Marking?" Was Voldemort using students to recruit other students now? Did the students being indoctrinated know what they were actually stepping into?
"Yes, I believe it terrified Mr Snape, and I'm afraid it is connected to Him. I could not get a good look at it, but I believe the Slytherins are beginning an inner turmoil that will go unnoticed because of Horace's neglect," Minerva told him, a frown on her face, "and I do not know how to help, but I am afraid that it is too late. The Slytherins won't trust us, the rivalry between them and Gryffindor is just hurting us all."
"Rivalry, Minerva? There is healthy competition between all the houses," Albus started trying to convince himself of his words only to be cut off.
"No, Albus, there is not. Gryffindors and Slytherins are at each other's throats and I let myself wear rose-coloured glasses to it all," she told him with a sigh, shifting her glasses back up her nose, "either you address these things or I will take things into my own hand. We are failing students who should be able to count on us, what does that make us?"
"You've said it yourself, Minerva, the Slytherins will not trust you and your intentions. Whatever can you do?" he questioned, obviously infuriating her beyond belief and she was close to hexing him at that moment.
McGonagall gave him a slight glare, aghast at how uncaring Albus seemed about the students he should be caring for. "They are not beyond redemption, Albus, who else will care but us?"
Severus tapped his quill incessantly against his parchment, his leg bouncing up and down as he paid no attention to the potions lesson. It had been a few days since the Boggart incident yet it still haunted his mind, especially in his dreams. He tended to occlude it back and pretend to forget about it but in his sleep his mind always let things slip through. He was always woken in the dead of night by long-forgotten guilts and horrors, somehow only ever remembered when the sky darkened into night.
He hadn't had the energy to entertain the thought of trying to impress Slughorn like he and Lily had planned to do lately and had just worked quietly to finish his potion and be on his way. Though the professor always complimented his and Lily's work like clockwork.
"Sev!"
He was elbowed in the side by Lily, his usual potions partner when Gryffindors and Slytherins shared potions. He jumped slightly as he looked at her with a slight glare, unsure why she had to hit him roughly.
Lily nudged her head towards the front of the class, and he turned and saw Slughorn was expecting him to answer something he hadn't heard.
"What was that Professor?" he started, ignoring the snickers he could hear from some people behind him that caused a spike of irritation, "I didn't quite hear it."
"That's alright, Mr Snape! We all get those days!" Professor Slughorn said jovially, stomach shaking with his chuckle before he reiterated the question, "what happens if you overdo the ingredients in a Draught of Peace?"
"If you are too heavy-handed on your ingredients you will put the drinker to a heavy or even irreversible sleep," he said automatically, something he warned his own fifth-year students of before they always attempted the draught at the beginning of the year. It was a difficult brew if you didn't know what you were doing, so he did not understand why they as a fourth-year class were speaking about it at all.
"You're quite right, Mr Snape! Five points to Slytherin!"
"Thank you, sir, Lily and I have been researching different effects if only certain ingredients were over-added or under-added," he told him casually, watching the gleam in Slughorn's eyes appear. He might as well get it started, he had delayed it enough as it was.
He kicked Lily in the shin when she opened her mouth, confusion written on her face. She didn't say anything else when she realised what he was doing, he was trying to impress Slughorn with their potion skills to get into the Slug Club as they had discussed. It was obvious she had nearly forgotten about that conversation.
"And what have yours and Ms Evans' research revealed?" Slughorn asked, almost completely forgetting about his lesson to find something to gloat about later on, that he didn't think of the implications of Severus' next words nor did he question their experiments being safe and legal. Slughorn was always too boastful for his own good.
Severus was sinking his teeth into Slughorn's gluttony for the right to brag, and if he thought that he and Lily were inspired to research potions in such depth then he could use that right to brag and pretend he had inspired that curiosity within them. He lifted his quill and began to inconspicuously write something for Lily to say when she was left floundering for any semblance of an idea of what he was talking about.
"Using more than the allotted powdered unicorn horn is a guaranteed endless sleep," he told him as he leaned forward feigning interest, this sort of experiment was proved around 1979 by a more unknown potioneer, Sandra Tully and he didn't think too much in borrowing a revelation or two, "too much powdered porcupine quills caused a trance rather than an irreversible sleep. A walking zombie."
"Yes," Lily agreed, trying to wrack her brain for anything to add when she had no clue about any of the things Severus was saying. She was nudged with a slight piece of paper, and she looked down to see a sentence from Severus.
She smiled lightly as she cleared her throat to continue, now Slughorn's attention on her, "yes, and the potion has a slight differentiation in colour when all the other ingredients are measured out correctly. The typical turquoise blue colour becomes more lagoon breeze colour with too much powdered unicorn horn. With too much powdered porcupine quill it becomes a dark canton jade colour."
"How peculiar! How peculiar indeed! Five points to Slytherin and Gryffindor, you two are absolutely brilliant with your creativity," he sang with praise, turning and beginning to tell the rest of the students about more of the dangers of brewing the Draught of Peace.
Severus looked over at Lily, smirking slightly at her. They were one step closer to impressing Slughorn enough to be invited in, it was honestly easier to manipulate a teacher when you knew how they worked. The man didn't even question what or who he was using to find out those results. Now, all he had to do was be patient and as "charming" as Severus could be. Which wasn't much, he was like talking to a brick wall most days, he couldn't deny that when he barely enjoyed most peoples' company.
She gave him a smile back before she went back to listening to the lesson, scribbling down her notes.
They were singled out several times during class as Slughorn asked them several of the functions of the ingredients and how they interact with each other, and Lily could not say that she didn't at least know this from the readings they had been assigned. Severus always got everything right with ease only because of the fact he had taught potions for so long that it was second nature for him.
The questions to him were basic and for the amateur, but he couldn't say that Severus at this age would know all he knew now. He was clever and knowledgeable but lacked all the experience he had. He definitely wasn't looking forward to getting his Potions Mastery again, considering that Lucius had been the one to sponsor it in the first place. He wasn't sure that would be an option this time around.
As they began to pack up their things Slughorn approached the two, the look on his face made Severus know what he was going to say before he even said it.
"I'd like to hear about your experiment with Draught of Peace more, it absolutely fascinates me," he told them lightly with a gleam in his eye that showed he was waiting to grab up any of their information with hungry teeth, Snape nodding curtly and Lily buzzing with nervous energy.
"Well, we used rodents to gauge their reactions to the different brews," Lily started giving a glance over to Severus who knew more about what 'experiment' they'd done.
He hoped Tully would forgive them for this, but he wasn't exactly willing to speak on the newer potions he was creating for Lupin for his lycanthropy. He was not one to overshine Damocles Belby despite the fact he could, he was not Gilderoy Lockhart. Even if this felt eerily similar to what the Ravenclaw had done to boost his career.
"Yes, we were not about to use witches and wizards as test subjects," he stated, stopping when Slughorn laughed.
"Of course, that would be quite illegal!" He said jovially.
"Yes," Lily agreed, "using those test subjects we got those results we've described earlier and thought it was interesting, and now we are looking into theories and such for other potions. Who else to share it with but the potions professor?"
"Yes, yes, let me hear all the details you have!" He said, another hungry look in his eyes.
Severus took a breath and was about to begin when an idea struck him, he cleared his throat and said, "we would love to, but we would be late to our next classes with the amount of information we have about this experiment and our research on others."
"Oh, of course!" Slughorn started, looking a bit disappointed before he came to a conclusion of his own to get a better holster on them, "I'd like the two of you to come to an upcoming Slug Club Christmas party, as my guests of course. See if it is a good fit for you to help expand your knowledge to do more experiments, what do you say? Several of my former students who are skilled in potions are coming and I'm sure they would like to hear about your experiments."
This meant that Slughorn would prattle on about it, and they'd stand there like spectacles, but it was a start Severus supposed.
"I'd love to!" Lily said with a sudden excitement, a grin spreading across her face as she nudged Severus and nearly jumped around the room.
"Of course, Professor. It would be an honour," he replied evenly even as Lily punched him in the arm for the monotone response.
"How wonderful,-" Slughorn started but Lily cut him off.
"We'll both be there! Don't worry, Professor Slughorn! We have to get to our next classes!" she said as she began to drag him out the door with a slight skip in her step, and once they were out the door she shook him, "this is so exciting! You really knew how to impress professor Slughorn, didn't you?"
"I suppose, though I did not assume one 'experiment' would do the trick, not one so simple," he admitted, not realising how gaudy the man could be but he did have to remind himself how Slughorn had practically been grovelling at the Potter boy's feet all of his sixth year. The boy had dared to use his old textbook just to gain an advantage in class and make Slughorn not believe Severus about Harry's dismal potion skills. Though, he did have to fault himself for accidentally misplacing it when he moved to the defence classroom.
He was loath to admit but he would have to update Lupin about this update because it concerned their plans for the future, they needed to be in good graces with Slughorn to learn what he knew about Tom Riddle.
Lily giggled lightly as they emerged from the dungeons, chatting pleasantly between themselves as they went.
"We are in our fourth year! It is good prowess for one so young! Well, it looks like we will have to show evidence of that sort of thing, how did you know about those effects of the Draught of Peace?"
"Well, I might have done it by myself with a few rodents," he explained, not precisely true but he had been interested in Tully's discovery and tried it out for himself. All of the information from the potioneer themselves made up his work, but he didn't have all his notes and findings considering he did this a few years in the future.
"Wicked," Lily exclaimed, "we are definitely doing experiments with each other in the future!"
"You're very by the book, Lily. You'll have to challenge yourself," he pointed out.
She huffed and stuck her tongue out at him, "I know! You'll be there to help me! I have to branch out at some point, don't I?"
"I suppose so."
They reached the hallway they would have to split up in to get to their respective classes. He turned to go to the right as Lily turned left, but then she stopped and turned to him and hesitated for a moment.
"Sev?"
He stopped and turned to look over at her, his eyebrows raising slightly. "Yes?"
She didn't respond at first, hesitating in whatever she was trying to say before she seemed to get some courage and asked, "would you like to help me with my Christmas shopping this Hogsmeade weekend? I understand if you don't want to, I know how you feel about the Holidays and such."
Severus hesitated for a moment on responding, mouth slightly ajar before he closed it with an audible click. "I'll go, I've got shopping to do as well since we've gained a plethora of friends this year."
She brightened up, giving him a grin. "Splendid! You'll have to help me get gifts for everyone else too!"
"Alright," he acquiesced with a slight snort at her, but she only smiled even larger.
"Okay! See you later, Sev!" she said before she was down the hall quickly, practically hopping with each step. Catching up with a few of her Gryffindor friends and disappearing into the crowd.
Severus wasn't used to having her so happy at the prospect of spending time with him, but it warmed his chest, he had forgotten how considerate Lily could be. The money he had been getting that his mother refused to accept would come in handy, and he would actually listen to his mother and buy some new robes as she had demanded a few letters ago. He wouldn't let her know lest she let it get to her head he was obedient.
He smiled slightly to himself, in a better mood that not even Herbology with Lan'Jy and the Hufflepuffs could ruin.
Remus and Severus sat in the unused classroom after dinner after he had made eye contact with the Gryffindor, motioning his head slightly before he was off towards their unused classroom where they used to meet with each other when they weren't in the library. Lupin had returned to classes a few days earlier than his recoveries in the past, only a few new scars instead of his usual battered self but they honestly hadn't had the chance to interact much since Halloween, Severus handing him the potion nearing the next full moon but that had been the most of their interactions. The Marauders had calmed down on their antics as of late, most likely due to Remus.
He busied himself tweaking the potion he had created for Lupin to see if he could ease it into the typical awareness of mind that the Wolfsbane potion usually provided while still bringing huge relief from pain. Lupin had recovered much quicker with his potion, a success in his book with a potion that was early in its making. He was hoping this would achieve what he wanted from it to help soothe the wolf inside him, or at least mellow it slightly. The potion had worked better than Severus had hoped for.
Lupin showed nearly twenty minutes later as he was prepping a few ingredients that he was slowly sprinkling into the bubbling cauldron, slowly lowering the heat and not bothering to greet him as he continued.
"I feared I wasn't clear enough," he deadpanned after finishing his last step for the night and throwing a stasis charm over it so he could come back to it. He looked over and saw the look he got from the other.
"I can't exactly follow you on a whim unless you'd like my friends to come after you thinking you bewitched me," he pointed out with pursed lips, looking a bit irritable.
"Didn't enjoy my humour, Lupin?"
"You, joking? It might be the end of the world," Remus shot back as a slight smile cracked onto his face, leaning back on the desk he was sitting in and putting his feet up.
"You are well rested for the full moon not being so long ago," Severus observed back, ignoring Remus' cheek.
"Oh, yes, your potion helped wonders," he admitted, "not sure what you did to it but the wolf didn't injure me very much this full moon. Typically it's full of violence."
"I know."
"Right," he cleared his throat awkwardly thinking of both Shrieking Shack incidents, "right, well, is that what you've called me in here to talk of?"
"No, but I will ask and take notes afterwards of your experience," Severus said as he moved and opened his journal, jotting down a few of the things Remus had already described, "I want to inform you Lily and I have earned some points with Slughorn and were invited to scope out a Christmas party of his."
"Really? Did you knock his knickers off with a random potion fact?"
He glared at Remus, gritting his teeth for a moment before he calmly supplied, "I might have spoken about how Lily and I were collecting data on the effects of differences in added ingredients in a Draught of Peace."
"And were you?"
"Of course not, I already knew this information."
"Sounds like early work done by Sandra Tully," Remus pointed out, remembering when he had read the article a couple of years after he had graduated. It was old news then but he had enjoyed it nonetheless.
"It is an insignificant experiment to borrow from for a greater purpose, I did not know you had an interest in the potions world," Severus replied evenly, surprised Lupin was even remotely interested in potions.
"I'm not condemning you, merely surprised," he said, leaning back and balancing on his chair, "congratulations to you and Lily, we're one step closer to being on Slughorn's good side. How we are going to get the memories we need about Tom Riddle, I don't know."
"Patience, Lupin, and charisma."
"You have neither."
Snape bristled but occluded back his outburst, shooting Remus a glare, "and you are?"
"Charismatic? Not really, but I imagine I'm quite patient."
"Dealing with your so-called friends must have granted you the patience of a saint."
"I mean, honestly, you're not wrong," Remus mused slightly, though a twinge of sadness leapt up into his eyes, "they aren't exactly the easiest people to get along with sometimes."
"Mm," Severus replied, "tell me the experience with the potion you had."
"Well, it made me sleepy and a bit shaky because I was too relaxed, but honestly I have never felt better," Lupin started, "it calmed my nerves as well."
Severus sniffed indifferently as he jotted down the experience, mind buzzing with the ingredients and how they reacted together. New ideas developed in his mind that he would have to experiment with. He just needed the resources to do so that didn't have access to, which just frustrated him. He would have had it when he was a potions professor because he had a steady salary.
"Any symptoms after several uses?"
Severus found he understood now why his mother told him to buy some new robes as he stood there miserably in the snow as Lily gawked at something through the window of a jewellery shop of some sort, she had been quick to try and break into the Slytherin common room when he had been late getting out and to her for their Hogsmeade Christmas trip. He had to embarrassingly hop out of bed. He had overslept due to barely sleeping the night before because he had gotten distracted reading a book on dark theories.
He had hurriedly shoved himself into his warmest clothes and hurried out the door, Regulus and Urbek hooting and laughing at him as he went and he let slip a stinging hex or two that had them both yelping. Though he would never admit that and hadn't when Lily asked what the noise was all about. Two Slytherin girls eyeing them as they'd been the ones to find Lily trying to figure out the password.
"Oh! Look how beautiful that one is! Tuney would love that! Oh, that one is so beautiful as well," she murmured, face nearly pressed up against the glass, she pointed at them as she tried to beckon Severus closer.
He sighed, shuffling closer and wishing that his warming spell worked more than it was right now and stopped when she pointed out the two necklaces and looked closer at them. "Ah," he said after a moment when he recognised the two flowers, "a petunia and a lily. How cute."
"Sev," she whined at his slight sarcasm, "come on, I was just saying how cute they are, like little sister necklaces, but I could never afford them!"
"We can still look around inside, even if you don't get much of an allowance from your parents for Christmas. Maybe you can find something small," he suggested, his ulterior motive was to get out of the snow for a few minutes while she gawked at the jewellery. They had several other places to go, as well as Miss Lee's Robes for at least one robe for himself or he might freeze to death before they could get back to Hogwarts.
She gave a slight squeal as she tugged him inside, letting go as she moved over to some bracelets and began to look through them with gleaming eyes. The shopkeeper gave the two looks, almost looking smitten at what she thought was a couple.
Severus gave an uncomfortable clearing of his throat, standing behind Lily and watching the bracelets she was looking through before he decided she was distracted enough that he wandered over to the flower necklaces that Lily had been gawking at earlier. He glanced at the price and cringed. Three galleons and eight sickles. That was a third of the money he had earned through his dubious potion business at school. He rarely spent more than two galleons on himself unless it was necessary. Such as nice clothing for special occasions with the Malfoys, he had needed more clothes often when the second war had sprung up. The Dark Lord hadn't been very forgiving, and he was fond of his tricks and tortures even when you had done nothing wrong.
He sighed heavily for a moment before he picked up a box of each necklace. It would make the two Evans sisters go wild, and it could be a hidden apology for things that hadn't come to pass and he wouldn't let come to pass again. It would make a lovely pair of sister-matching necklaces.
He moved over towards the counter when he made sure Lily was still enamoured in one of the rows of jewellery and set the two boxes down quietly, his tone a near hush whisper as he said, "I would like to buy these. As secret as possible from…," he motioned over towards Lily.
"Ooh, buying them in front of them is always the best way to keep it secret," the shopkeeper giggled to herself, "what colour wrapping would ye like? Free of charge."
Severus' ears became hot as he gave a slight scowl, "a light purple and light blue, please."
"Alright, which colour for which necklace?"
"Purple for the petunia necklace, blue for the lily," He answered and watched as she went about wrapping them, eyeing Lily out of the corner of his eye to make sure she hadn't caught wind of what he was doing. Once they were bound and inside a small bag he quickly paid for them and settled the bag in his pocket in his cloak, nodding in thanks and trying to give the shopkeeper a smile but it most likely looked like a grimace.
"I bet yer bird will love it, don't you worry," she said soothingly, but all it did was colour Severus' face from embarrassment and he just nodded rigidly before hurrying over to Lily who had finally made a decision as she picked up a bracelet with a charmed unicorn galloping along the bracelet.
"Tuney is going to love this! And it is in my budget," she said with a huff, her cheeks puffing up as she let out her breath, "find anything you like, Sev?"
"Not in my taste," he answered immediately, he typically didn't wear jewellery. Especially when it could ruin a potion in a moment if it fell in or touched an ingredient and gave any sort of residue. He stuck to tight button clothing that wouldn't accidentally slip in and cause a catastrophe.
"Boys!" Lily said with a pout before she spotted another bracelet and squealed slightly, "Merlin! Mum would love that!"
She moved over and plucked it up, it was a bracelet with an array of flowers that bloomed and shook with your movement. She wiggled it back and forth with a smile before she glanced at the price and a frown marred her face, "that's more than the budget I had placed aside for mum, oh no!"
Severus hesitated before he dug some of his money out, "how about we split and make it from both of us? Do the same with your father as well."
"Really? Oh! Thank you!'' She crushed him in a quick hug before she was tugging him up to the front, where the shopkeeper lady was looking at them with a smile that made Severus' face heat up again. He gave her half of the money for the bracelet for her mother and let her pay the rest as he moved away and surveyed the selection of jewellery with little interest. He hadn't anticipated spending so much in a jewellery shop but here he was, he didn't even know what to get his mother. Would she wear jewellery again now that Tobias was gone? She used to wear some until his father had destroyed or pawned them for his booze addiction.
Something caught his eye, a simple necklace that looked nearly identical to the one she wore so long ago. A simple small diamond on a thin chain, its colour similar to an emerald but it was obviously not the gem it was similarly coloured as. Not exactly like the one his mother had had that he used to twirl in his fingers when he was small enough to sit in her lap but similar enough.
"How much is this one?" he asked looking over at the woman when he couldn't find a price.
She smiled, shaking her head. "On the house, lovelies. Ye've been such a lovely bunch for me tonight, usually, the Hogwarts lot is a rowdy bunch of bampots."
"What? I could not," he started but she waved her hand to stop him from arguing, though he found no plausible reason why he would deserve a free necklace. Especially one this finely made and not already packaged to be bought like the rest of the jewellery they purchased.
"On the house! Ye both come in here more often and give me a roving tale o' two and we will be even!" she said as she boxed it up from the case it sat in and then brought out a few ribbons, "which colour?"
Severus stared at her mutely until Lily kicked him in the shin, he cleared his throat and said with as much dignity as he still had, "green, please. Thank you, ma'am."
"It's no problem," she said with delight as she handed over the wrapped box.
He took it and slipped it into the small bag already in his cloak pocket. "Thank you," he said numbly, letting Lily start to drag him towards the entrance of the store.
"Merry Christmas!" the shopkeeper shouted after them.
"Merry Christmas," both of them said in unison, but Severus' voice was barely audible.
He was dragged down the street before Lily had a slight giggle, swinging her bag slightly. "She was so nice!" she exclaimed looking back at Severus, "did you get that necklace for your mum?"
"Yes," he answered, trying to figure out what he had done for anyone to be this nice to him. No one had been kind like that to him for a very long time unless you counted the few staff members he had gotten along with until his 'betrayal' of Dumbledore. That last year had been spent in isolation besides the occasional conversation with Poppy or being forced to speak with the carrows or "deliver" punishments to the students. Poppy was the only one who didn't completely hate him, but he would never truly know.
"Brighten up! I know you're in shock but we best enjoy the rest of Hogsmeade! We still have others to shop for!"
She was right but he hadn't gone Christmas shopping since his fifth year after Lily had dropped him as a friend, he shook himself out of the slight stupor and gave her a slight smile. "Right, who's next?"
He was dragged to every shop that Lily had any interest in, managing to make a stop at Miss Lee's and got himself a set of winter robes and a nice-looking dress robe for the Slughorn Christmas party despite protesting the very idea of attending.
Her father got a bathrobe that changed colours with his mood, which Lily found delightful and Severus pitched in for the price so it was from both of them. He was unsure what else he could get for Mr Evans otherwise.
Purchased for Pandora were several bracelets depicting popular designs from astronomy per Lily's insistence because he didn't know the girl very well. Then they found a journal for Xenophilius to keep his elaborate stories in and a fancy peacock quill that he always spouted of when he spoke of nargles disliking them and would stay away if he had one. Lan-Jy got a set of film and a photo album the two split their costs for, though Severus wouldn't have gotten the busybody anything if he had had any say in it. Mary, Ravenclaw Mary, got a complex book of puzzles that she was always doing whenever she came around to hang out with them. Regulus and Urbek got an array of Quidditch merch from both of them as the two were a bit too quidditch crazed at times.
It left Lily with her Gryffindor friends who Severus had no interest in gifting anything and mostly followed her after that, very much feeling like a pack mule with the bags he was carrying. He stopped following her when he found a sweater with knitted moons on them, and almost smirked to himself. Lupin. It would be a nice present, wouldn't it? He grabbed one that he was sure would fit the lanky werewolf before he shuffled to the books and settled on a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. he had to get something else if he didn't want Remus hexing him for the obvious jab of a present. He would pay to see him open it.
After purchasing his items, without realising he was actually buying a present for the Gryffindor, he made it back to Lily who was choosing an array of scarves for her friends, turning and showing him when he noticed. "I think these work! All their favourite colours! They match the perfumes I got!"
"If you believe your friends would like them then I say purchase them," he said, not giving his opinion because they were the ugliest scarves in the world to him.
Lily just gave a slight huff but went off to buy her items, and then they were back to travelling the streets of Hogsmeade. Mostly for Lily's enjoyment because he would rather be settled in a chair reading the day away than wandering around Hogsmeade. He had chaperoned visits way too much and had to deal with unruly teens for that he did not have much joy for the small town.
"Lily! Severus!"
The two turned to see Xenophilius making his way down the sidewalk at a fast pace, waving some sort of book in the air. "Oh, how glad I have found you. I thought I saw your heads in the crowd! Me, Pandora, and Lan-Jy are headed to get a few butterbeers. Would you like to accompany us?"
"We'd love to," Lily answered for the both of them with a gush, getting a lopsided grin from Xenophilius who steered them towards the rest of his group.
Lan-Jy snorted when she saw Severus, who had way too many bags to carry. "Shopping spree, hmm?" she asked, only getting a glare in response.
"Oh! We are Christmas shopping!" Lily piped in explanation, holding a few bags of her own but Severus held the majority of all their things; it was an annoyance despite his featherweight charm on them.
"So were we!" Xenophilius said as he nearly tripped on air as he held his own bags up, "let's go get those butterbeers now. I need a story to tell the blibbering humdingers tonight!"
"Ooh, yes, I'd like to come and hear you regale your tales to them," Pandora added, clapping her hands together with delight at the thought of being near a blibbering humdinger.
Xenophilius looked absolutely smitten at that, nodding his head a bit violently as they all started towards the Three Broomsticks. Severus trailed towards the back so he could avoid interacting with the irritating Hufflepuff of the group, listening to everyone occasionally give a guffaw of laughter when one of them said a joke or something ridiculous.
Making it into the building Severus didn't need the crowd bumping him and the bags around and shrunk them with his wand and settled them into his other cloak pocket, irritated he didn't think much of it earlier. He took Lily's bags and shrunk them and handed them back, getting a smile in return for the small gesture.
Xenophilius led them through the crowds of other students and found themself a booth that would fit them all, and they began to get settled into it not paying attention to the tables near them except Severus. He was making full eye contact with Remus Lupin as he had practically been staring the Gryffindor down the second he had spotted him and his gang of idiots. The other three turned to see what their friend was staring at. Looking almost scandalised at the thought of Severus even stepping into an establishment would make it suddenly disgusting.
He slowly sat down next to Lily who was sitting beside Lan-Jy, smirking when Potter's face turned red from his anger at the scene. Remus just smiled slightly, looking ready to burst into laughter while the rest of his friends were angered at the sight of Severus actually enjoying his time with Lily.
He just turned to listen to the conversations amongst his friends, adding a few comments when he deemed it appropriate. Occasionally shooting a look over at the Marauders.
Maybe today was worth freezing a bit over if he could see the look on Potter's face over and over again, his satisfaction made the butterbeer taste a little more bearable.
Severus shifted uncomfortably in his dress robes, looking himself over in the mirror as he made sure his appearance was as acceptable as it could be. He was acting like a nervous teen getting ready for their first-ever date when it was just a stupid Slughorn party. He might have not cared so much for his appearance as an adult because he was too busy being a spy for the war, but he was free here. He could try and look more acceptable, and besides, he needed good impressions to even be remotely considered a favourite of Slughorns.
Unless he deployed Lily upon the man as he had always enjoyed her presence in class. He couldn't, he couldn't inform her of his and Lupin's plans unless he told her what they knew. She would never forgive him if she knew what he knew. He would be back to fifth year grovelling and begging at the Gryffindor Common room door, holding his heart out to her and praying for forgiveness for something she shouldn't forgive. She would crush his heart and sprinkle the dust back into his hands, and he would understand this time. Anything he did to redeem himself didn't matter, and it would break his pride. It would break him.
The one thing he did have to hold proudly when everything else about him was nasty and rude.
Dread blossomed in his stomach, weighing his body down until he occluded it back and took in slow deep breaths. It didn't matter, she wouldn't ever know, and he would find a way to defeat the Dark Lord before her life was in danger of ending prematurely.
He sighed as he pulled his hair back in a low ponytail that Lily often enjoyed sneaking up on him with a hairband to tie it back. Forgoing his permission to do so at this point, always giggling and proud of herself despite the death glares she received from him. He gave himself a critical glance, finding himself appropriate.
Heading back into his dorm he completely ignored a jeer from Mulciber as he retrieved his shoes, slipping them on and knotting them tightly.
"Fancy tonight, finally getting laid?" Avery's voice came from the mountain of blankets on his bed. His head poked out, making him look absolutely ridiculous.
Severus glared at him as he finished tying his shoes, "if you weren't so incompetent in potions maybe Slughorn would let you into the Slug Club. I hear they spike the punch."
"Spike the punch? I'm missing out," the other complained as he shifted some of the blankets off him, "though I bet my pure blood would give him enough incentive to let me in, get myself a few drinks and pretend I know what I'm talking about."
He knew he was right, but it didn't mean he had to acknowledge it. Influence and ties to the wizarding world to make himself look better were what Slughorn prioritised. He only wanted him and Lily there to boast about them being potion prodigies. It was the only thing he could offer the man to get even a step further in his plan.
What did Slughorn know about the Dark Lord that he was hiding?
Severus ignored Avery as he left, his wand secured on his wrist in case he needed it at a moment's notice. He descended the stairs and headed towards the entrance intent on heading towards the Gryffindor common room to retrieve Lily.
"Snape! Wait up!"
He turned to see Regulus bounding down the stairs, in his own pristine set of dress robes. Which then registered in Snape's mind that Black was attending the same party. Wonderful. Hopefully, Regulus wouldn't question the sucking up he was about to do, but then it clicked. Being friends with him could be seen in a good light.
"Regulus," he greeted, stopping by the entrance as the other caught up and began straightening out his robes.
"Going to the Christmas Party as well?" Regulus asked and got a nod in response, "it's a bit early! I'm off to help Slughorn make the final details of it."
"I am retrieving Lily, she was invited as well. We are Slughorn's guests," he told him as they exited the common room and started down the hall.
Regulus' face dimmed slightly in emotion, giving a slight smile, "of course, I have heard you are top of your class in potions and Evans is battling for your spot in second place."
"Yes, she is top in class in charms. Very adept at potions, but I believe I will stay top student in that subject," Snape said though he gave him a critical look at his new expression, the boy had been pleasant to Lily when she had gone to their Quidditch practice. Has something changed so quickly?
He didn't have much time to dwell on it right now, focusing back on the topic at hand. He was at an advantage in several subjects compared to the other students because he was a Potions Master, at least in his previous timeline.
"Of course, I wouldn't doubt that."
Severus hummed in response, stopping when they met the separation point. "I'll see you at the party," he told him as he turned to head off towards the stairs out of the dungeons.
"See you!" Regulus shouted after him, Severus turning and seeing a more relaxed expression which had him nearly rolling his eyes before he headed off towards the Gryffindor Tower.
By the time he arrived at the common room, Lily was in front of the Fat Lady, pacing back and forth with a small scowl on her face. Her blue dress robes billowed with her movement and he got a sense of deja vu from the thought of his old teaching robes. Her scowl disappeared when she caught sight of him as she bounced lightly. "There you are! Here I thought you were going to leave me to walk there alone- wow!"
She stopped in her tracks as she stared at him, and he shifted uncomfortably by her gaze. If anyone should be gawking it was him, she was beautiful in her outfit.
"I am punctual, Lily," he started but she cut him off.
"You look good, Sev! I never see you in such fancy robes!" she exclaimed as she closed the distance between them and straightened out his front as he gave an indignant scoff. "Oh, come off it. We should be celebrating getting into the Slug Club!"
"He didn't say we were officially a member, merely invited us," he reminded her.
"Okay," she relented with an eye roll, tugging him in the direction he came from to start their trek towards the party, "well, we are still at a Slug Club party. It'll be fun! Who knows what influential people Slughorn got to attend."
"Potioneers most likely," he told her, unable to recall who attended any of the Slug Clubs throughout the years. It had been about twenty years since he had wanted to impress his head of house to get into the prestigious club. He only needed to now get the information necessary for him and Lupin to continue their planning on the downfall of the Dark Lord.
"Obviously, swot," she said with an eye roll, trying to punch him on the shoulder but he was quick to move away and dodge her. She gave him a pout but it didn't last very long before she was back on topic. "You think Damocles Belby will be there? He graduated just last year, right?"
"The year before that, I heard he was working towards his mastery. Always terribly swottish he was, wasn't he?" he hummed, remembering the awkward Hufflepuff who constantly has his nose in potions and magical creature textbooks. He had obviously been developing the Wolfsbane Potion long before he graduated, or at least had the formulated idea of it.
Lily giggled at that, throwing him a gentle smile. "As if we aren't the same way!"
"I suppose that's true."
Severus remembered distinctly why he did not enjoy social outings, especially not Slughorn's extravagant events. He stood awkwardly at the side of the party watching everyone move about, Lily had gotten caught up with several people there and disappeared into the crowd after Slughorn had stolen the both of them and paraded them around to the several potioneers there, all more recently having joined the potioneering field. All bound for success as well, Slughorn knew how to pick the right people Severus had to give him that.
"Oh, I would have invited Hesper Starkey, rest her soul."
"Indeed, she was the eccentric of our bunch but a lovely woman. I was saddened to hear of her passing last year."
Severus had listened quietly for the most part as the discussion flowed around him ranging from other potioneers to said potioneers experiments. Though he was itching to throw a discussion into place though he would have to be careful of what he could say considering the knowledge of the potion world was more rudimentary than it was twenty years in the future.
Lily bounced next to him as she quipped out suggestions at random about the experiments the potioneers were speaking of. They took it with stride from her, her demeanour and attitude did not pose a threat to them at all, but the same wasn't said when Severus began to add his own commentary.
He was too gaudy, too sure of himself, too blunt and caustic. He could hear those thoughts bouncing around many of their heads after he spoke, but their expressions were telling enough.
"You're trying to enhance the Girding potion? I wouldn't advise that with your thought of adding more than the allotted doxy eggs- they are volatile and would slow you down and shut your system down instead of upping your endurance," he informed ignoring the sour look he got from the potioneer they were speaking to, "I would suggest messing with the number of seahorses put into it."
Several times he was given warning looks from Slughorn, even Lily began to nudge him for his comments and he grew silent. He was giving them truthful advice they didn't want to hear from the likes of him, he knew it would be taken better if it had been Lily saying his words. It was just the truth about the world, the more charismatic and up-to-beauty standard looks were always given respect first. He had to claw his way into the things he wanted because everyone else was being handed them on a plate.
That caused a bitter taste to rise up into his mouth as he stood near Lily, scowling as he let her do the speaking for the both of them. He had been listened to as a member of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers, he had been respected too. He wasn't used to being what others considered an amateur when he wasn't, and even then amateurs were worth being listened to despite the idiocy they could spout. Damocles Belby had been an amateur when he invented the Wolfsbane Potion.
It only got worse from there as they continued to trail Slughorn when they approached another potioneer, but one more well known, that had what colour that actually resided on Snape's face to slowly drain away. He wanted to turn and pretend he had gotten lost on their way towards the punch bowl where the man resided.
Lily's grip on his wrist was the only thing that kept him from doing such a thing, the expression on her face as she stared at him showed she knew what he was thinking and that she wasn't allowing it to happen.
"Fleamont Potter, how good it is to see you accept my invite!"
The mentioned man turned at the greeting behind him, a lopsided smile appearing on his face that was a stark mirror image of his son, James Potter. His salt and peppered hair were just as unruly, but he lacked the thick glasses.
"Horace! I was wondering when you would be making your rounds to all the potioneers here tonight! Who are these two wonderful students?"
While Slughorn chuckled loudly Severus bristled angrily, finding anything coming from the man's mouth to be irritating and too polite. It was a faux pas, if his son could be so horribly nasty then this man shouldn't be too different. The apple didn't fall from the tree.
He didn't realise the irony and hypocrisy he was displaying, but anything related to Potter brought him into a sense of pettiness and anger.
Lily squeezed his wrist in warning, putting on a smile. "Lily Evans, sir. And this is my best friend, Severus Snape."
"I see! I bet you both are quite talented in the subject of potions since you are both in Horace's club, I presume?" Fleamont asked, taking a sip from his cup and making a slight face before he put it down near the punch bowl intending to abandon it there.
"Indeed we are!" she quipped lightly, nudging Severus who just nodded in response which elicited a curious expression on Fleamont's face.
"Yes, they are partners in crime they are," Slughorn smiled tersely as he gave Severus a glance, a hard look in his eyes.
Severus clenched his fists at the look, this was the opposite of what was supposed to be happening tonight. He was supposed to be impressing Slughorn, making him grab onto him with grubby and greedy hands. Even if it meant becoming some Slughorn spectacle at every party.
"They are? Say, what crimes are you committing then?" Fleamont humoured with crinkled eyes, another feature which the Potter spawn shared with his father.
"Oh, just experimenting with potions and ingredients- the usual crimes," Lily mused softly, though she was throwing a few discrete glances at Severus from time to time because the other was radiating tension.
"Ah, I see! How wonderful, I see we have some potion masters in the making then, hmm?"
'I am one, dammit!' Severus wanted to scream as he took a slow deep breath, pushing it out of his nose quietly as he forced a neutral expression onto his face. "Indeed," he drawled, "I am the top student in our year in potions."
"You are just wildly talented in it!" she defended herself with a huff, "I am the top student in our year with charms!"
"Oh, really? Now that I hear that you sound familiar, my son James is a top student in transfiguration. He mentioned several of the top students from last year, though he didn't mention you, Mr Snape, he did mention Miss Evans."
Of course, he wouldn't.
"Oh, well, I suppose so," Lily answered with a few blinks, unsure of how to respond.
Severus just nodded jerkily, smoothing the front of his dress robes. "Typical of him," he stated dryly but before he could get anything else out he was elbowed by Lily in the ribs, a swirl of pain running up his side. He hissed with a grimace, glaring at her and getting the same glare back.
Fleamont surprisingly didn't respond or look angry, only curious. His eyebrows raised up his forehead creating several wrinkles in the process. He looked ready to laugh at the situation rather than become offended as many would.
"Well, Mr Snape right here has something to do for me," Slughorn started quickly as he settled behind Severus and gripped his shoulder tightly for a moment, "don't you, Mr Snape? Remember?"
"Yes," Severus answered, getting the hint and turning and heading back into the crowd just as Fleamont tried to dispel the situation.
"Let him stay, Horace- he is very endearing I must say."
Severus was gone, washed into the crowd before Slughorn could try and reverse his decision to appease Potter. He gnashed his teeth together as he headed towards the outer edges of the room, swiping a drink from another punch table just to hold something for a moment.
He settled into a more inconspicuous spot, seething to himself as he watched people wander around the room. It was some time before the crowd parted enough that he spotted Lily still accompanied by Slughorn and Senior Potter. They were all amicably speaking to another guest, most likely a student as they looked too young to be anything else.
Once again he was out of place, a dark smudge in the room that had people giving him a wide berth like they always had done. A misanthrope, they'd say with their face because no words were needed to see it full of disgust, how could someone like that exist so bitter and angry?
He swirled his drink angrily, failure was something he did not wear well. Not when he had been living on the edge and one wrong move would have sent him to his immediate death. Though having fooled the Dark Lord into thinking he had his loyalty had done little to stop the man from killing him in the first place, it had only given him borrowed time.
"Is your favourite pastime brooding, mate?"
Severus started slightly, looking over and seeing the owner of the voice. Lan-Jy. His annoying Herbology partner that he could not shake no matter how snappy and rude he was at her. It was like she was immune to it.
"Why are you here?"
"I should be asking you the same question, I've been in the club since last year!" she replied evenly, a smirk on her face.
Severus huffed slightly, turning back to the crowd and ignoring her. He didn't remember half the members of the Slug Club during his Hogwarts years. He would have never guessed she was a member, but he couldn't write her off as idiotic in academics as much as in her ability to take pictures at the most inconvenient moments. She was the worst person to be around when he was in his moods, she only seemed to make it worse.
"Grumpy today, I see," she commented and received a glare, "sheesh, someone's twisted your bollocks. I was coming over to see how a friend was doing!"
"Fine, now I would like to get back to my so-called 'brooding', thank you."
"Pssh, too bad, I'm talking to someone who could use your expertise Potion Whizz," she shot back, not giving him a choice as she began to tug him to a different part of the party.
Severus gave no fight, his curiosity overriding his fury at the Hufflepuff but he did tug himself rather violently out of her grip. She only glanced back at him with pursed lips and made sure he was still following her, eyes meeting him every few seconds as if he would just disappear the second she didn't have her sight on him.
He was tempted to do just that but he continued to follow her. They approached the part of the decor that contained several large curtains to hide the dungeon walls to make it less formidable. He turned his eyes expectantly on Lan-Jy, but she only grinned at him.
"Fawley, is that you?" a shaggy mop of light hair accompanied by the face of Damocles Belby peered out from behind the curtains, he spotted Snape and glanced at Lan-Jy questioningly. "This is him?"
"Yes, you don't remember Severus Snape?"
"Severus Sna- oh! You!" he exclaimed after a moment of confusion, "you and that Evans girl used to take up that corner in the library, hoarding all the books I needed! You two are very advanced in your education taking sixth and seventh-year books as second years."
"What are you doing behind a curtain?" he asked, ignoring his little anecdote of him and Lily being swots in the library.
"Oh, yes, hiding from Professor Slughorn," Damocles mentioned, a light tinge of pink resting upon his cheeks. He was still as awkward as ever. "I was hoping Fawley was here to give me some suggestions on a potion I am working on, Professor Slughorn is ever so eager to know what it is. I swear I haven't had a moment alone from the people he keeps sending my way."
"I think that is absolutely hilarious," Lan-Jy chuckled softly, "but besides that! I brought Snape over here because he is our top student in potions, I'm sure he has some sort of idea up his sleeve for your predicament."
"I would expect nothing less! Those books really paid off on you," Damocles replied before he glanced around and ushered the two of them behind the curtain with him. It was awkward, all three nearly pushed up against each other.
"Get on with the point," Severus snapped slightly, irritable being boxed in.
"Yes, yes, well I cannot disclose my project without certain precautions in place," Damocles started nervously, "an oath not to speak of this outside of here."
"A magical oath? Your project is so important that I risk losing my magic even mentioning it outside of this curtain?" Severus asked in disbelief, though he knew exactly what Belby was speaking about. He was working on the Wolfsbane potion and had to have been for quite some time, but did he want to help him? The man was bound to publish and become famous for his potion around the year 76, it was only 74. His helping might speed up the process of its creation, what sort of consequences would that bring?
"Not everything about it! Just what we discuss here it's simple, but a necessary precaution," he replied in a jittery manner, "you can always deny but we cannot discuss my project that way."
He looked almost desperate for Severus to say yes to him, nearly dying to discuss this with someone. Why it couldn't be Slughorn was beyond him because as far as he knew the two had been on great terms with how much Slughorn constantly rattled on about Belby and his achievements and how he was part of the reason he achieved what he could.
"Fine, I swear on my magic I will not speak of the discussion we are about to have here," he stated as he held up his wand, his decision made. Screw the consequences.
Lan-Jy repeated his mantra, her own wand up and it caused a relieved smile to grow on Damocles' face.
"I haven't been able to put aconite and powdered moonstone together without a chain reaction that destroys the potion as a whole- I cannot find an agent to stabilise their reaction. Fawley suggested valerian roots, a great sedative but it wouldn't stabilise the potion as a whole," he started, "do you have any suggestions, Snape?"
Severus' mind raced through the ingredients of Wolfsbane, the reactions expected of the potion as he brewed it for Remus monthly during the school year the wolf had taught Defense Against the Dark arts class. "What stirring rod are you using?"
"Gold, the best out on the market as of now- why?"
"Bronze, use bronze- and add powdered silver. It stabilises aconite, and the bronze will keep the silver from being too potent," Severus told him, mind still dissecting parts of the steps in the potion.
"Oh,- yes, and the silver helps keep the moonstone from clumping, how could I have not thought of this?!" he exclaimed loudly before quickly quieting down, looking ready to kiss him, "Severus Snape, you have a brilliant brilliant mind."
"Simple things will get lost in the bigger picture," he answered, backing up a few inches in case Damocles decided to follow through on his urge. "Fawley's suggestions have merit, if you are looking for a sedative property it is best you put it in. rather than dice I would crush it. It brings out the juice of the root with a more pure extraction."
"Noted, you both have brilliant minds I will owl you both with the results of this as I test both of your suggestions, this could be a mind-blowing discovery if it works how I want it to," Damocles rambled then paused in his words and a pensive look crossed his face, "- how much liquid do you receive from crushing valerian root rather than through dicing? I have not heard of that method being implemented before…"
"It isn't about the amount more as much as how much more potent the sedative properties are."
It felt refreshing to be heard as the three discussed several different methods of preparation for various different ingredients, straying from the beginning topic. They had finally emerged from the curtain at this point, Damocles idly chattering for the three of them. Lan-Jy and he were quick to add random snippets that kept the man going.
Severus pushed the fact he had just helped the potioneer who created the Wolfsbane Potion to the back of his mind. He had suggested something so simple, yet it seemed to be the breakthrough he needed.
He remembered vividly when Slughorn had bragged constantly at being a huge help in the development of the potion and he wondered idly if he had suggested something as simple as what he had just said. It would be on point with the man, and it gave him great satisfaction that he had potentially stolen Slughorn's spotlight.
He had no desire to ever like him, but he had to act amiable and nice to get what he needed. He was failing so far, and he didn't want to employ someone else to get the information. He was sure Remus would become a blubbering idiot and Slughorn was mostly indifferent to him at times.
Firstly because of his mediocre potions skills and the fact he was friends with Black and Potter, who were great distractions in class and weren't any better in their skills. Severus was sure that Slughorn was greatly disappointed in Potter for not following in Potter Senior's footsteps.
"There you are, Severus!" Slughorn's voice boomed loudly from the crowd, the man appearing with Potter Senior, Lily, and surprisingly Regulus. "We have been looking for you, how great we caught you with Damocles Belby! And Miss Fawley too, what a delight!"
"Professor," Damocles said, a falter in his happy tone from moments ago, "I was wondering when I would catch you."
"No need to worry further, dear boy," he said jovially, giving Severus' shoulder a random squeeze. This time with something else that wasn't disappointment.
He was stunned for a moment but quickly recovered, smoothing his features quickly.
Potter Senior settled into their conversation alongside Regulus, who was just putting up a socialite pretence. He would most likely not speak to the man who spawned James Potter otherwise.
"Oh, wow! You're Fleamont Potter, aren't you?" Lan-Jy gushed as she settled her attention on the aforementioned man, "I am a big fan of your work!"
With everyone's attention preoccupied Lily saddled up next to Severus, nudging him slightly as she gave him a smirk. "Look at that, you might have made it up to Slughorn getting Belby to show up," she whispered quietly, "where did you even find him?"
"Fawley," he stated simply, a slight smirk on his face. Damocles Belby seemed to be his key into Slughorn's fold. He was a step closer after taking several steps back and that was the most he could hope for now, one step at a time until Slughorn finally spilt what he knew. A step closer to defeating the Dark Lord.
"I wish you would spill the beans about what you spoke to Belby about, Sev!" Lily complained for what seemed like the hundredth time since the Slug Club party they attended.
They were settled in their cramped compartment with Regulus, Urbek, Xenophilius and Mary Davies. The few others he associated himself with hadn't made their rounds yet and were dreading when they would because the compartment was brimming with people as it was. They were heading home for their winter holidays, everyone in a joyful mood but Severus sat with trepidation.
This was unknown to him, what sort of environment he was walking back into now that his father was gone. Things had changed, and it was difficult to predict how things would go as he could before. At least in Hogwarts, he had control of his environment, he was familiar with the tensions and the arseholes he had to deal with.
His mother was another source of stress and happiness. He still got surges of warmth whenever he reread the letter from his mother requesting he comes home for the holidays, but he still didn't allow himself to hope for much.
It would only hurt if he dared hope they were going to have their first pleasant holiday together in years, yet he was going home
"I can't nor will I tell you, Lily, he swore secrecy," Severus stated as he got a pout in response, several others in the compartment chuckling and giggling at the interaction.
"Secrecy? Please tell me you didn't make an Unbreakable Vow, Severus," Mary spoke up with alarm, Regulus stiffening at the mention of the vow.
Severus snorted, but an uncomfortable sensation settled onto his arm as the ghost of Narcissa's hand grasped his elbow with tears in her eyes. Begging him to keep her son safe no matter the cost to himself, Bellatrix's magic wrapped around their arms as the vow was made. "No, just a magical oath to not speak about what we spoke about to others."
"Still a hefty promise," Xenophilius murmured as he looked over at them, having been too busy watching the scenery pass them by in a flash. He ruffled his bird's nest of hair before he went back to cryptically watching out the window.
"It is, you could lose your magic for that!" Urbek said with a shrill tone.
"Fawley made the same oath, if anyone loses their magic it will be her and her blabbermouth," he said stiffly.
Lily giggled slightly though was paying attention to the way Xenophilius swivelled around and looked at Severus because Xenophilius' gaze settled on him, "Lan-Jy, not Pandora, Xeno."
Xenophilius' gaze immediately turned back to the window, a dreamy look on his face at the thought of Pandora. The boy was absolutely enamoured and she hadn't shown a lick of romantic interest in him yet.
Severus and Regulus shook their heads with exasperation at the same time, but neither noticed the others' same action. It was near humorous to everyone else in the room though as several rounds of laughter ensued.
"Okay, okay, let's forget about the magical removing oath with Belby and focus on the holidays!" Lily said between her laughs, "what's everyone's plans for the holiday?"
"Oh, my family is going to be visiting the United States. I have an aunt there!" Mary started the conversation which then began to dive into dull topics that Severus tuned out for the most part.
His nervousness continued to grow in his stomach, weighing it down the closer they got to the London station. When the train came to an abrupt halt. As they neared the station his stomach and the train lurched at the same time as it came to a complete stop. Students began to bustle and fight for their way out, eager to get home to their families for the holiday.
He was swept into the stream by Lily as she took a hold of his hand, the rest of them following after the two. Once they had fought their way off the train Lily began scouting for her parents, cupping her hands over her eyes like it would help her see through the density of other students bustling around the station.
Xenophilius had promptly disappeared without a word and Mary had wished them a happy holiday before she hopped off towards what he assumed was her parents.
"Have a good holiday," Regulus said to Severus as he stepped up to his side, lacking his usual companion. Urbek had done the same as Mary, promising to write to them.
"You too, Regulus," he told him with a nod, "hopefully your errant brother won't make a mess of things."
"I pray so, but he has convinced mother and father to let him spend the majority of it with his friend, Lupin. I do believe it will be a pleasant holiday for once," Regulus stated a bit stiffly, finally spotting his parents and excusing himself. He gave Severus a small wave before he disappeared into the flow of people.
Severus didn't have much time to really ponder over Regulus' words before Lily was calling his attention back to her.
"Severus! I see your mum!" she shouted, grabbing his hand again and tugging him through the errant crowd with both their trunks dragging behind them and breaking free of the flow. Vex hooted indignantly from her cage. He caught sight of his mother, who was standing tall and proud despite the obvious poverty in her appearance, though her clothes were new but obviously second-hand.
She spotted two of them, face twitching in a semblance of a smile as she headed towards them. "Severus," she greeted, as warmly as her voice could get, "Lily, it is very pleasant to see you."
Lily was quite stunned by her words because usually when his mother retrieved him (on the rare occasions the Evanses didn't need to give him a ride) she was hunched and silent. She shook off the shock and nodded enthusiastically. "It is nice to see you too, Mrs Snape!"
"Lily!" Petunia's shrill voice carried over the murmur of the rest of the crowd, she appeared as she pushed several people out of the way. She was in a Christmas jumper that looked positively atrocious to Severus, but he refrained from commenting on it. "There you are! I've been looking for you! Mummy and daddy let me go and get you by myself! Getting on the platform was an absolute nightmare!"
"Hi, Tuney!" Lily greeted with surprise and delight, hugging her sister once she was close enough, "I've got so much to tell you!"
"Well, let's get going and tell me in the car, we can't keep mummy and daddy waiting!" she replied, squirming out of her sister's grasp. Turning to Severus and his mother, "hello, Mrs Snape. Severus. Have a good holiday! We would stay longer if we didn't have somewhere to be!"
"It's alright," Eileen answered swiftly, "we need to be off ourselves. Happy holidays."
Petunia started dragging Lily into the crowd before she could say goodbye so she shouted "I'll see you around!" before they disappeared.
Severus watched with some amusement, tensing slightly when a hand settled on his shoulder and he looked up at his mother who he was still an inch or two shorter than. It wouldn't be long until he towered over her by a few inches. Though still short in comparison to the average person likely due to his chronic malnutrition growing up.
"Let's go home," she told him softly, pressing a kiss against his forehead with her own sort of affection.
Severus gave a ghost of a smile and allowed himself to hope.
