DISCLAIMER: I am not J.K. Rowling nor do I claim any ownership of the Harry Potter franchise, names, or characters. Merely an aspiring writer who wishes to add on to the already wonderful story.
Taking a deep breath of the fresh, spring air, Severus descended the front steps of Hogwarts Castle. It was strange to him, looking down upon the horizon and seeing Hogsmeade in the distance. This place, which had been his home for nearly three decades, never seemed brighter and more picturesque than it was now. He knew the danger remained; after all, Voldemort was still at large, as was James Potter in the prime of his delinquency. Yet somehow, Severus found comfort in the fact that he was equipped with the knowledge to make a difference. He also had the skill, assuming he could decipher the meaning of that cryptic rune.
The clock tower struck four in the afternoon. Time was always something so vital to Severus. After Lily had been killed by Voldemort, he had to keep himself grounded, to be organized and scheduled. He knew it was a trait that, of the rest of the Hogwarts staff, was only shared by Minerva McGonagall, which was probably why he had such a high respect and rivalry with the head of Gryffindor.
Catching himself in that thought, the young Slytherin sighed in frustration. He was no student. Despite all of his desire to blend in and not attract attention, it would be impossible for him to truly act as he or any other student was supposed to. He knew that already, he was defying expectations with his behavior, Lily's in particular.
"Isn't that a good thing, though?" came the loud voice within himself, far louder than it had been during his previous life. He thought it might be, with his sudden burst in maturity, hostility towards his vile housemates, and a sudden tolerance for Muggleborns. Still, if it were too much, he'd risk revealing his secret to Lily, which he couldn't bring himself to do until he was sure she could wrap her mind around the concept. And even if she did understand, how would she react to him having been everything she feared in the past? Would she care that he changed everything he was for her? Or would that matter at all?
His thoughts were once again broken by that ever-present voice that sent tingles through him. "Sev!" He snapped to attention, seeing Lily rapidly approaching him with a smile and a wave. Clearly, she had arrived early from the Hogsmeade trip.
Lily couldn't hide the astonishment in her face as she approached her friend. The fact that Severus was already out walking both surprised and concerned her; she knew how stubborn he was and how restless he could be during stays in the Hospital Wing. The shock only heightened as she got closer, and noticed the uncharacteristic shine in his hair. Not only that, there was also the unmistakable aroma of fresh, Spring rain, which had been her favorite.
"Merlin, he smells good…" she thought, unable to stop herself from staring, just feet away from him.
Severus dimly noticed her sudden change in demeanor and tried to diffuse the situation in his usual way. "Lily? Going to tell me how your patrols went, or are you content in staring at me?"
"Wha...oh!" she broke from her trance, blushing at her behavior. "R-right. Sorry, Sev. Well, it was mostly uneventful like you said it might be, but…" she drifted off, starting to giggle.
It almost felt like a crime for Severus to interrupt such a sweet-sounding laughter, but after a moment, it was clear she was waiting for a response. "But..?"
Lily's giggling had become uncontrollable at this point. "But what's a low-end Prefect supposed to say when the Head Boy and Head Girl are the violators? Frank and Alice were in the back corner of The Three Broomsticks, snogging each other silly!"
Smirking at Lily's amusement, Severus joked. "Your hands are certainly tied on that one, Lily. Should have told Professor McGonagall; she'd have dealt with it.
Lily gently slapped his shoulder in a false anger. "You rude, little git! I guarantee they'll be engaged before Summer's End, so why would I be that petty? Why punish what's inevitable?"
Severus shrugged, content to merely gaze into those eyes which always had such a profound effect on him. Unfortunately, the moment was broken by a VERY unwelcome interruption. "Hey, Evans! He bothering you?"
Severus noticed the gentleness in Lily's eyes turn into annoyance at the intrusion. After a moment of ignoring him, she called back to the voice behind them. "Bugger off, Potter! I'm only going to warn you once!" she spoke sharply.
The pair turned to see James Potter descending the castle steps with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew trailing closely behind. "Don't feed me that rubbish, Evans! I saw you hit him! Surely he's done something to offend so lovely a lady!"
"As it happens, Potter, Severus and I were in the middle of a pleasant conversation before you came trying to play hero!"
James' face curled into a sneer. "And when has anything about this greasy prick ever been pleasant?"
Lily's face puffed in anger at her housemate's insult, but before she could react to the comment, Severus started walking towards James. His stride was swift as he walked with an intimidating sense of purpose. His school robes were billowing behind him in the wind, not dragging sluggishly on the ground as she had remembered.
The anger faded somewhat as she observed yet another change in her childhood friend. "Sev, when did you start walking so...confidently..?"
"I'm right here, Potter. Assuming you still possess that Gryffindor bravado, try speaking to me directly."
James' eyes twitched with absolute revulsion before turning to Sirius. "Look, Padfoot! Snape's gone and washed his hair!"
The long-haired Gryffindor boy laughed at his friend's observation. "Pity he can't get himself a new nose while he's at it! Nice shampoo can only do so much to help, Snivelly!"
Severus snorted with amusement, unable to believe such childish words had ever meant anything to him. His black eyes settled on the leader of the Marauders. "Tell me something, Potter. Thursday, at the lake, you told Lily why you loathe me so. Care to repeat why to my face?"
James' eyes showed a hint of uncertainty before staring right back at his rival with annoyance. "You practice dark magic. You're well on your way to becoming Death Eater scum. You deserve everything I've ever given you and more, Snape, because you exist. What is there to like?" His eyes darted to Lily's in the briefest of moments, almost as if he were trying to convince her of his words.
Severus' smirk returned as he noticed the motion. "Checkmate, Potter. I hardly need magic to defeat you anymore."
"Wrong. You've had it out for me since the day Lily and I boarded the train. You, the pampered little brat who wouldn't know the first thing of hardship. You've been handed everything you've ever had in life and take it almost as a challenge when you get rejected. Yes, I have no doubt that you despise my existence, Potter." he started circling around James with that predatory march he'd gained while he was a teacher at Hogwarts. "But what you hate is my existence in Lily's life. You hate the fact that to her, you're just Potter, while I am Sev."
There was a resounding pride in each word Severus spoke. For so long he had known why James Potter had issues with him, why he had thrown the first stone with his insult on the Hogwarts Express when they were kids. And for years, he had harbored that grudge, albeit unfairly, against Harry Potter that he had never had that true opportunity to rattle his Gryffindor opponent's confidence. But until now, he was in no position to feel anything short of regret about it. Now, however, there was reason to speak with defiant pride to his long-time nemesis.
A hint of rage spread through James' features as he drew his wand and pointed it at Severus. "What you ARE is nothing, you Slimy bastard! Stu-"
"Expelliarmus!"
James' wand shot out of his hand as all three of the present Marauders turned their shocked faces to Lily, who had her wand in hand. The look in her eyes was all too familiar to Severus; that absolute disgust she had given him outside of Gryffindor Tower was now aimed solely at James Potter.
"You have a lot of nerve trying to attack my friend the day he gets out of the Hospital Wing! Where, may I add, you put him in the first place!" Lily's lips were trembling with fury, unable to believe the audacity of her housemate. "I told you to get lost, Potter, but you couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?!" She marched up the grassy hill, taking her place beside Severus as her glare hardened further, if such a thing were possible.
"Seventy points from Gryffindor for your BLATANT disregard for a fellow student's well-being!"
"Wh-SEVENTY?! That takes us out of the lead and puts Gryffindor way behind Slytherin! You can't do that this close to the end, Evans!"
"I can, and I did, Potter! McGonagall's already furious at what you did to Sev. Any more of this stupidity and you can bet the 'Star Chaser' on Gryffindor will lose his spot next year!"
Lily turned to Severus, her eyes lightening considerably with relief that she had stopped something from possibly complicating his recovery. "Come on, Sev. Let's go for a walk and continue without any interruptions." she said, gently taking his hand in hers and leaving after one, final glare in James' direction.
"So I believe congratulations to Slytherin are in order?" Lily announced, turning to her friend with a grin.
"That was hardly necessary, Lily. I don't care about who wins the House Cup."
"No, but he did. Been boasting about it in the Common Room every night this week as if he's the reason we were winning." The frustration was obvious in Lily's voice. Despite her physical attraction to James, her likeness for his personality was clearly at an all-time low.
"What about your other friends in Gryffindor? Won't it reflect poorly if you taking points away is the reason you don't get the Cup?"
"Sweet of you to ask, Sev. But I had to do something. I've sat there and watched Potter humiliate you enough times that I'd feel guilty if I weren't there for you again…" She turned to him with a sweet smile, gripping his hand affectionately. "Especially since you were there for me yesterday with Avery."
Lily and Severus had arrived at the edge of the school grounds, looking down at the beautiful sight of Hogsmeade in the distance. Having stopped walking to take in the view, Lily realized after a minute that she had unconsciously leaned onto his shoulder and was once again taking in the fragrance of fresh rain. She could feel from the heat in her cheeks that she was blushing intensely, though from what specifically, she couldn't decide.
"Sev? How can someone change so much in such a short time..? It's like a new you. Everything about you, the way you speak, the way you walk, your posture, even around James Potter when you'd normally become prickly and explosive...You carry yourself like a prince…Erm, not like your mum's family, I mean a real prince." she caught herself, unable to believe how rude that sounded. "I mean...I didn't mean that as a bad thing, just that I don't know what your mum's family was like…" Lily ceased her rambling, unable to believe how much this new Severus was unravelling her composure around him. She was embarrassed at her implication that Severus' wizarding side was not one of the elegance and grace he was showing.
Lily's head was down; she couldn't bear to look at Severus lest he see her face blushing almost as red as her hair. Yet she relaxed when he put his arm around her far shoulder and pressed her closer to him, relieved to hear a slight chuckle from her dearest friend. "I understand what you meant, Lily. Thank you for the compliment."
She sighed cheerfully at his assurances, even more content that she was closer to him. "I feel so safe with him now...like Voldemort himself could come to Hogwarts and I know Sev would sooner protect me, the Muggleborn, than kneel to him. He's blossomed so...wonderfully...it can't just be from that Boggart he saw, no matter how horrifying it was."
That thought provoked Lily's question out loud, not wanting to hold anything back from her best friend anymore. "It wasn't just meant as a compliment, Sev. I don't understand why you act so...mature, so adult about everything now, not just your old Slytherin politics. It's jarring to me every time I'm around you because I notice a handful more things that surprise me about you. Will you tell me why that is, Sev? It's not just that Boggart, is it?"
Severus took in a sharp breath which he was sure Lily noticed. "I said I would answer you honestly about anything, Lily. The truth is, I'm not sure I know quite how to explain it myself" He turned her head to face him, those onyx beads almost magnetized to the deep emeralds. "I promise, I will tell you this Summer, once I have everything straight. But it's extremely important that I can explain it to you properly…" his voice shook, giving in to the inevitability that he'd have to tell Lily everything sooner than he'd wanted.
She nodded gently, feeling the aura of protection his black eyes offered once again. "Alright, Sev...Oh! I'd forgotten to mention, I spoke with Professor McGonagall today, and you, Mr. Snape, have an appointment with the Headmaster after lunch tomorrow afternoon! It'll probably be the last opportunity you have before next term, so make the most of it and don't hold anything back, okay?"
Severus nodded in return, his meeting with Dumbledore another thing that was sooner than he'd have preferred. But Lily had gone to bat for him and had given him the opportunity to speak with his former confidant; it would be poor form to waste her efforts.
As their conversation stopped again, Lily once more found herself completely drawn into Severus' endless, black eyes. The way he looked at her was different, though that had honestly been the first change she'd noticed in him. With everything that had occurred in the past 48 hours, all the words spoken and looks exchanged, it was obvious to her that Severus' affections were more than just a passing, schoolboy's fancy. But...that couldn't mean…
"Don't be stupid, Lily, he's your best friend! Even if he's changed in all these wonderful ways, that's no reason to suspect that he's in….love...with you. We're still young!"
Lily's reverie was interrupted by a loud groaning coming from Severus' stomach. "Oh no! I forgot to bring you breakfast today, Sev!"
Severus merely shook his head calmly. "Don't worry about it, Lily. I'm content like this."
His denial did little to dissuade Lily from taking her friend's hand once more and dragging him back towards the castle. "It's almost time for dinner, and you haven't eaten! We'll get you off to the Great Hall and feed you; you'll need your strength tomorrow for your conversation with Dumbledore."
Unable to break the iron grip of the determined redhead, Severus merely sighed and let himself be led by Lily. His thoughts drifted to another concern that was more immediate than his meeting with the headmaster, though he didn't dare vocalize them for Lily. "Don't remind me; I've still got to bunk with the Slytherins tonight before that debacle occurs…"
There was little in the way of a welcome back fanfare once Severus returned to the Slytherin common room after dinner, not that he expected one once they'd heard about his incident with Avery. Swiftly making his way past the wide eyes of first-years, the distrust of the fifth-years, and the absolute disgust of the seventh-years, he made his way to the fifth-year dormitory to get some rest in a bed far less pleasant than the fluffy, white beds in the Hospital Wing.
It was an uneventful evening even after Rosier, Mulciber, and a wide-eyed Avery joined in the dorm. Avery seemed petrified of Severus, though no fear seemed to radiate from the other two. Upon shutting his eyes and feigning sleep for a moment, he could hear the pathetic voice of Avery.
"Bloke's lost it! Nearly used his spell to cut my tongue out even when he was in the hospital bed!"
"Shut it." Mulciber's deep voice silenced the cowardly whimpering. "Snape's a part of good blood; just because he wanted to shut your annoying mouth up doesn't mean anything. Potter did a number on his head; I'm sure that softness toward the Mudblood will go away again. He was progressing so well, after all."
"Regardless, keep an eye on him, you two. I told my cousin Bella to put in a good word to the Dark Lord, so I have a lot more invested into him than either of you." Rosier's voice spoke with a sinister tone. Of the three, Severus remembered that he had easily been the most dangerous, with his family ties to the Blacks, yet always with something to prove due to not sharing the powerful name. Before drifting to sleep for real, Severus dimly noted that he'd have to be careful during the process of discovering what was wrong with his magic. If not for his sake, than for Lily's until he was strong enough to protect her.
Author's Note: I had wanted to go further into the week than simply Saturday night with this Chapter; those who read may remember that my original intent was to end it Wednesday night. But I thought it was important to devote Severus and Dumbledore's interactions to a chapter on its own, so what was originally one chapter will now be two for the weekend, and one stretching across the O.W.L.s before the ever-important Ancient Runes exam (where I promise an explanation to Severus' problem will be given). Though in the meantime, I do welcome any speculation the readers might have as to what they think the issue is.
Also, I encourage and love to see reviews and feedback given from the followers my story has picked up. It truly is a pleasure to read from all of you as much as it is to write.