Disclaimer: No, I'm not the original author of the Harry Potter series, nor do I take credit for any of the characters or concepts of the world in those seven, magical books.
"Sev, you promised!"
Severus let out an exasperated breath as he and Lily exited the Library an hour after lunch on Sunday afternoon. "Apparently her blushing like a schoolgirl over me yesterday is already passed. Teenagers and their fickle hormones."
In truth, he was disappointed that her outward fascination with him hadn't lasted long. Whether Severus could admit it or not, being inside his younger body was leading to a number of involuntary reactions that left a timid emptiness in him whenever he failed to impress Lily. It was a longing that had been absent for decades, yet started up soon after his revival just as strongly as in the past.
"Lily, I don't trust him. The man knows everything about everybody yet so few know anything about him. Besides, what makes you think he'll take any pity on a Slytherin?"
Immediately, Severus knew that was the wrong question to ask his friend as he could feel the irritation bubbling in her eyes.
"Listen here, Severus…" the fiery temper radiated clearly in her tone, and the fact that Lily had used his full name told him that he was sure to receive an earful. "We are ALL his students! I'm tired of you ragging on so great a man just because he was a Gryffindor and you're paranoid that he takes favorites! Why would he keep four houses under his care when you seem so convinced that only one truly matters to him?" The level to which he had offended Lily was evident in her next words. "Why does a gifted Slytherin find friendship with a Muggleborn Gryffindor like me? Do you hear the hypocrisy in your words?!"
Severus was stung by her blazing attitude, and it wasn't long before he was reminded of that red hair of Lily's being the fiery embodiment of the Gryffindor lion. It had been silly, looking back, that his childhood self would ever think Lily belonged in Slytherin. "Why can't you see that this is the man that sent your son to die with no indication that everything would be alright in the end?!"
"We were friends before being sorted into the houses of Hogwarts and we'll be friends after we leave them, Lily...All I meant to say is that I wonder if his priorities are in order."
Lily's piercing green eyes softened as her voice mellowed. "Are YOUR priorities in order, Sev?"
Severus' eyebrow raised questioningly. "What?"
"Don't you want to take every avenue you can so that this problem with your magic is sorted out before too long? I didn't set this meeting up so that the big, bad Gryffindor-favoring headmaster could reject you. I want to help too, and I'll be going up with you…" Her eyes started to reflect a deeply-wounded pain. "Is it so wrong that I want to help my best friend with something important to him?"
With a sigh, Severus shut his eyes, unable to let those hurt emeralds cut him any deeper than they already had. "Lily...I don't want us to row so soon after everything that's happened. I appreciate your concern, really, I do."
"But?" Lily looked on the verge of tears, unable to believe that her friend was going to casually reject the offer she'd spent a while convincing Professor McGonagall to approve. Especially since he had promised to go to Dumbledore if she could make it happen.
Severus could see in Lily's eyes what she was expecting, shaking his head. "No. I'm not going to make two mistakes in the same day with you, Lily."
"No buts...if it's that important to you that I meet with him, I suppose I can spare a few moments with him."
With a bit of surprise in her eyes, Lily's frown curled upward into a content smile. "Thanks, Sev."
Upon entering the Headmaster's Office, the pair of Severus and Lily took in the set pieces around the room. To Severus, it was the same as always. Dumbledore had all manner of magical artifacts on display, as well as Fawkes the Phoenix, who had clearly rebirthed recently as the creature was but a hatchling.
The cheerful voice of Albus Dumbledore came as he emerged from his private chamber.
"Ah, Miss Evans, Mr. Snape, please sit." As they did so, the old headmaster took his place opposite the pair at his desk, that ever-shimmering twinkle in his blue eyes.
"Would either of you care for some sherbet lemon?" he asked, motioning towards the candy-filled bowl on his desk. Severus politely declined while Lily took a piece with a delighted smile.
"Now, before we begin, you must forgive my ignorance. Professor McGonagall did not give me specific details on what this meeting entailed. All she said was that you, Miss Evans, had something important to share regarding Mr. Snape's injury. Why don't we start there?"
Lily, who had always admired Dumbledore, nodded with a polite smile. "Thank you, sir; I appreciate you seeing us on such short notice." Her gaze frequently darted between Severus and the headmaster as she described what happened. "Well, you obviously know about the incident at the lake. Severus took a terrible blow to the head after another...show by James Potter. He suffered a concussion and was held in the Hospital wing for the better part of two days."
Dumbledore nodded, turning to Severus with a hint of an apology in his eyes. Lily noticed, however, that her friend's gaze remained downcast, never forming eye contact with the old wizard. "Why does Sev distrust the headmaster so much? He's such a kind wizard…" she dimly thought before continuing.
"Well what you don't know, something only Sev and I know, is that there was a...side effect from the injury. He's…" she turned to her friend, searching for any sign of protest for what she was about to say. Seeing none, she continued. "Sir, he's been unable to control his magic. He's only casted two spells successfully since then, and both times were in the heat of some serious moments."
Throughout her explanation, Lily noticed something she'd never seen before slowly grow in Dumbledore's eyes. She couldn't quite place the emotion. Haunted, melancholy, shaken: all were words that could appropriately describe what she saw. The headmaster had always been an image of constant strength and composure. To see him like this made her even more fearful for Severus' well-being.
"Thank you for confiding this to me, Miss Evans. You and Mr. Snape have my word that news of his condition will not be spread; to do so prematurely would attract unwanted attention. If you'll excuse us, Miss Evans, I think your friend and I will need to be alone to further discuss it."
Lily nodded before she got up from her chair, and placed a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder. She knew what his magic meant to him; if Dumbledore was this taken aback, who was to say how serious it actually was. After a moment, she slowly made her way out of the office, passing a final glance in their direction before heading out the door.
The awkward silence between Severus and Dumbledore continued for a moment before the headmaster rose from his seat to gaze out the window.
"Mr. Snape-"
"Severus is fine, sir. I'm not much for formality." It was partially a lie, having demanded utmost formality and respect from his students for years while teaching. He was simply growing irritated with his former confidant addressing him as if he were an ordinary student.
"Very well, Severus. How are you feeling today?"
The question was so simple yet so unlike anything Severus had known Dumbledore to say to him.
"With all due respect, sir, what do you care? The last time I was in this office, you demanded that I keep a student's status as a werewolf secret, despite nearly being killed. Compared to that, what's a little difficulty casting spells?"
Severus finally raised his eyes to meet the back of the elder wizard, firmly safe behind his Occlumency in case Dumbledore tried to read him.
Dumbledore shook his head, still gazing endlessly into the blue sky outside his window. Severus could see from the slight reflection in the glass that there was a deeply troubled look on the headmaster's face, and the fact that he wasn't looking him in the eyes told him that it was something very personal.
"What Miss Evans described wasn't 'a little difficulty', Severus. I've only heard of one other case like it, and I assure you that I have seen a great many things in my life. The school year is nearly done, Severus, and if this problem persists, as it did with the...other case...I fear that your continued education here will be in jeopardy if the ministry were to catch wind of it.
"That is why it is important that you give me every detail of the accidental magic you casted. I'm very sorry that such a thing has happened to you, and I apologize on behalf of James Potter and his reckless actions. I'm sure that's of little consolation; you're obviously still bitter about the situation with Mr. Lupin and I can understand why. But rest assured, Severus: I want to help you. Now. Am I to assume these castings were accidental in nature, like when you were a child?"
Severus shook his head slightly, still unsure of why Dumbledore had changed his tune so suddenly and wanted to genuinely help someone who was at odds with his favorite Gryffindor students. "Not necessarily. They weren't random like most underage magic is." He carefully described his casting of Langlock and the Bluebell Flames charm, determined to not leave anything out in case the old wizard's vast knowledge could prove useful.
"The first time was when Lily and I were interrupted by a rather loathsome housemate of mine. He was being exceedingly rude to her and called her a…" Severus couldn't repeat the word; he had vowed long ago in his previous life never to tolerate the word Mudblood again. Thankfully, Dumbledore seemed to understand the implication as he turned to face Severus with a nod of acknowledgment.
"In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to shut that little cretin's mouth. There was so much anger in that moment...the audacity to insult someone like Lily to me even though she was my guest. I demanded him to apologize, but he just said it again...like it was of little consequence...that's when it burst. I had no idea that it would work, but I still spoke the word Langlock to him."
"Langlock?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"It's a spell of my own creation. It affixes the tongue to the roof of one's mouth and prevents them from speaking. Useful for trumping wizards who aren't capable of nonverbal magic or just for shutting annoying mouths…" Severus briefly noted that should his control of magic return, he should like to use it on James Potter.
"Fascinating. I knew you were a gifted wizard, but to create one's own spells at such an early age is remarkable, Severus. Am I to assume that this attempt to cast worked?
Severus nodded, feeling the faint sensation that the old wizard was trying to enter his mind to look for something. The young Slytherin would have none of it and strengthened his mind further.
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously. "And the second time?"
"Lily and I were deep in conversation about...personal matters." He spoke vaguely, not wanting to violate the privacy of Lily's boggart, nor wanting to reveal his own, haunted reaction to the subject. "The short of it is that she was asking me to forsake something, another spell of mine, Sectumsempra."
"Is this that cutting curse that I've heard you using with James Potter and Sirius Black?"
"Yes," Severus answered, ignoring the accusatory tone in the headmaster's voice. "It's been the cause of a rift between Lily and myself as of late, among other things...She asked me, no, begged me, tears in her eyes, never to cast it again. She and I have been drifting apart for so long that I wanted to make it up to her.
"I keep all of my custom spells and potions recipes noted in a textbook of mine. So I ripped the page the page with Sectumsempra out of my book, but I knew it wouldn't be enough to convince her of my resolve. That's when...I felt something start to erupt, and then they came. Bluebell Flames. They engulfed the page just as I promised her I wouldn't cast it again."
Dumbledore had returned to his seat across from Severus in the middle of the story. His mouth curled into a smile that extended to the gleam in his eyes. "A very romantic gesture. It's obvious from these two castings that you care a great deal for Miss Evans, forsaking some of the unfortunate vices common to Slytherin House. I'm quite proud of your change in attitude, Severus...as well as fascinated by your talent in Occlumency."
Severus' eyes widened in shock that Dumbledore had already deduced it so quickly. It was all he could do to glare defiantly back to that mischievous grin of the headmaster.
"Tell me, Severus. When you cast those spells, were you Occluding like you are now?"
Severus shook his head firmly, wishing the old wizard would get to the point.
Dumbledore nodded with a hint of understanding. "Very well. Is there anything else you wish to share about your condition that may shed more light, Severus?"
His eyes narrowed. Dumbledore still thought that whatever was causing his condition was rooted to the actions of James Potter when Severus knew otherwise. His mind flashed back to the rune on his chest, which he had inspected again following his shower that morning.
With a sigh of defeat, Severus removed a quill, ink, and a loose piece of parchment from his bag. He drew the mark, making sure to distort the lemniscate properly before handing it to Albus. "That mean anything to you?"
Dumbledore took a brief look at the mark, curiosity vanishing when he took a sudden, sharp breath. His blue eyes glanced back up to meet Severus' unwavering gaze, as if he were searching for something. The raven-haired boy refused to let down his armor of Occlumency; it was too early to give the headmaster too much information.
"Tell me what that is and I might consider letting you in." Severus smirked, determined to be careful in this mental game of chess with the old wizard.
Dumbledore merely shook his head. "I fear I am not an authority on runes, Severus. If I'm not mistaken, you have an O.W.L. makeup exam with our dear Professor Babbling next Saturday. She will likely tell you all you wish to know if you bring the mark to her."
Severus merely snorted. "You liar. Always withholding information from me, one life to the next, Albus."
"Very well. I believe we're done here, Headmaster, so I'll take my leave." He set his supplies back into his bag and started towards the door in frustration.
His leave was interrupted by a cheerful call from Dumbledore. "Severus, I do hope to see you again after term resumes. I'd be interested to hear what results might occur if your Summer contains more time spent with Miss Evans and less time Occluding…"
Severus merely shut the door without responding or looking back, and descended the moving staircase.
Author's Note: Only a couple chapters left until the closing of the school year and a much clearer explanation of Severus' magical problem is given. I'd love to read any speculation that fans care to share in the meantime!
So ends the meeting with Dumbledore and a few questions may have been answered. Obviously, Dumbledore's softness with Severus' teenage self is due to the similarities to his dead sister Ariana, though we're going to find out that the circumstances are far different. That should be obvious since the readers know that Severus' magical struggles started immediately after his rebirth and not after the incident at the lake which injured him, but I needed a way to start off the Snape-Dumbledore relationship that didn't revolve around Severus immediately going to Albus and revealing his second life. My hope is for their friendship to be a rather trusting one even before that plot point comes around, though Severus is understandably bitter at the moment to Dumbledore for all the sacrifices he made to go unappreciated by being left in the dark in the books.
Thanks so much for all the reviews the last couple of chapters have received. Special thanks to Amar 2 for showing your concern that Severus-Lily may be progressing too fast. That was never my intention, though his adult behavior has continued to surprise her, their relationship will settle back into normalcy for the time being as she grows used to the changes. Sudden shifts in routine have a tendency to jar people out of their normal behavior, and the blushing/embarrassment from the last chapter was made more to illustrate all the tiny changes in his habits that she's noticing. You have to remember that even though he's still cynical and a bit snappy (as I tried to show in this chapter) the man HAS aged 20 years since last being friends with her, and all of the things that have changed about him have come crashing down on her at once. Once those become normal to her, the affections will progress at a natural pace.