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Chapter Three 'Potions and Plans'

Severus yawned as pointed his wand at the shop door to remove the protective anti-theft charms he had put in place the night before. It was going to be another long day. September was approaching, and that meant lots and lots of children coming in to buy potion ingredients for the school year. Severus closed the door behind him as he entered the shop, and flicked his wand at the candles scattered around, lighting them one by one.

Severus had been working here since he left school, three years ago. His employer, Zacharias Stimms, had died last year and left his Potions shop in Diagon Alley to Severus, since he had no living relatives. He had taken quite a liking to Severus, and saw himself as a mentor to him. Although Severus often taught him a thing or two that he didn't know about potions.

Severus sighed. Thinking about Zacharias got him down; he missed the old man terribly. He was more of a father to Severus then Tobias Snape ever was. He helped Severus in ways Tobias never did. Severus was a bit afraid when he first left school, coming out into the world on his own. After he secured the job at the potions shop, Zacharias had helped him find a little place to live, and even offered to pay the rent until Severus could get on his own two feet. Severus had never told Zacharias about his parents, and how badly he wanted to leave home, but he guessed the old man had sensed his eagerness to leave. He was the kindest person Severus had ever met, and renewed his faith that some people were still good in this world.

Zacharias was the only person he was ever close to. Except Lily, of course. It broke his heart when she chose Potter, so after Lily, he vowed never to get close to anyone again, but somehow he couldn't help getting close to the old man. And now look what happened: Zacharias had passed on, and left Severus alone again.

Severus' thoughts turned to Lily as he picked up a broom and started sweeping the rough wooden floor. He had had a dream about her last night. She was wearing a beautiful white gown, walking through a field of blood red lilies, and calling out to him for help. Severus tried to reach out for her, to grab her hand, but she couldn't see him there, and continued calling. When Severus woke, he felt disoriented. He often dreamt of Lily, but they were good dreams, usually of him and Lily walking hand in hand along the beach, eating dinner together, or laughing. But this was different.

He wanted to go and see her so many times, but he was afraid of being rejected again. And who knows? Maybe she was even married to Potter by now, the love of her life, her hero. He would protect her if something bad was happening.

Yeah, right. Severus snorted aloud at that thought. If there was a fire, Potter would push everyone else aside to get out first.

Severus felt uneasy for a while, still thinking about the dream, but as the day wore on, and the shop got busier, he forgot about it. He refilled shelves and straightened bottles in between rushes of students coming in to buy what they needed for school.

Even though the school rush left him feeling tired and exhausted at the end of the day, it wasn't that bad. Severus rather enjoyed helping people find what they needed, although many students had no interest in potions. The big thing now was Defense against the Dark Arts, as Voldemort and his followers were roaming the streets, preying on muggles and wizards alike.

It had been the most popular class when Severus had been at school, too. Although Severus had preferred potions over DADA, he liked learning about all the defensive spells and dark creatures. Severus' Slytherin classmates, however, hated DADA. They preferred learning about the Dark Arts, rather then how to defend themselves from it, since they believed in Voldemort's cause.

Many students had assumed that Severus was into the Dark Arts at school, and supported Voldemort, because all the other Slytherins did, but the truth was, Severus didn't see the point of torturing and killing muggles and achieving a new world order. He thought things were fine just the way they were. That's why he had stayed away from the other Slytherins, ignoring their requests to join them once they left school, and serve under the Great Lord Voldemort. After he kept refusing, the Slytherins eventually gave up. But they started calling him a coward, and warned him that Voldemort would win the war, and then he would be sorry he didn't join.

Severus frowned upon their use of the word coward, because in his opinion, he was being anything but a coward, standing up to others, refusing to give in, to break. To be a pawn in the fight against the Ministry. He didn't want to fight. He had had enough of fighting in his old life, between watching his mother and father argue, and being bullied by just about everyone at Hogwarts. And that's how Severus came to be here. Keeping to himself, going quietly about his work. He enjoyed this life, and didn't want it to change.

The bell on the front door tinkled again, and Severus stood from where he had been kneeling on the floor, replacing jars of yarrowroot that been on the bottom shelf. He had expected to see more students, but there were two men standing there instead. Severus' mouth gaped open when he realized who it was. He tensed up immediately, and made sure his wand was in his pocket.

Obviously, the men didn't recognize him. Severus had changed much from school: he was no longer a scrawny, pale, greasy-haired boy. He had bulked up a bit, and cut his hair short. And he was tanner, from spending time in the summer in the garden behind the shop, tending the plants from which some of the potion ingredients he sold here came from.

"Are you just going to stand there like a dullard, or are you going to help us?" Sirius Black said.

"How can I help you?" Severus asked politely, although he felt like taking the jars behind him and smashing them in Black's face.

"We need these ingredients," James Potter thrust a list into Severus' hand. "And be quick about it, we don't have all day."

"I'll be right back," Severus said, crushing the list in his fist, trying to restrain himself from pulling his wand out and hexing Potter. He did not want to start a confrontation, and he didn't want Potter and Black to recognize him, and to know where he worked.

Severus walked through the shop, scanning the list and finding the ingredients as quickly as he could, wanting to get Potter and Black out of his shop as soon as possible.

Potter and Black waited by the front counter, talking quietly.

"Don't worry, James," Black was saying as Severus came back with the ingredients. "This potion will work until we find something else."

"It better work, Sirius," Potter warned. "If Lily leaves again, I'll blame you. You were the one who found that other curse, and now she's becoming immune to it."

Black noticed Severus standing there, and nudged Potter to be quiet. "You have everything?"

"Yes," Severus said, and handed them the items. "If I may ask, I never saw those ingredients combined before. What potion are you trying to brew?"

"None of your business," Potter said, and threw a bag of galleons at Severus. "Here, that should cover it."

Severus stared at Black and Potter's retreating backs, fury burning in him. They were no different then they were in school; they never grew up. They were still the same arrogant, pig-headed bastards they always had been.

Severus looked again at the list of ingredients on the paper in his hand. Either it was a potion they had invented, or it was a dark potion, because he had never heard of it.

Severus recalled what they were saying when he interrupted them, something about Lily becoming immune to a curse. Was that why Lily had stayed with him, because Potter was controlling her? And now she was fighting it off, and they were trying to find another way of controlling her?

Maybe Lily didn't really want to stop talking to him and stop being friends with him, maybe she was forced to.

He had to go see if she was alright. The thought of that pig controlling Lily, doing anything he wanted to her...It was different when Severus thought that Lily had gotten together with James on her own free will, but now...

He would go to her old house first. If she wasn't living there anymore, her parents would know where she was.

Another bunch of older students suddenly came in, chatting and laughing.

"I'm sorry, I'm closed." Severus said.

"We have to get our Hogwarts things," A student said.

"I'm sorry, if you come back tomorrow, I'll be open, and I can help you."

The students gave Severus dirty looks and cursed at him under their breath before leaving.

Severus sighed as he closed the door and replaced the protective charms. Why did everyone hate him?

Yay! Severus is here!