Chapter 6

Olive Trees

~.o.~

"Peace is the only battle worth waging."

- Albert Camu

~.o.~

September 18, 1978

"Well, Padfoot. I think you've just been humiliated for the first time in your whole life. How does it feel?" grinned James as he piled food up on his plate.

They were having roasted chicken and braised potatoes for lunch, and James was starving. He wasn't so sure if he could bring the topic up now, since he wasn't able to at breakfast, after the whole "episode" happened. Sirius seemed too shocked to register anything that James would have said, so James saved it 'til Sirius was sober enough.

Well, Sirius was looking sober enough. He's gotten over the initial shock of it all, and was back to his "i -don't-give-a-damn" demeanor. He was eating his potatos with as much dignity as he could muster, which made James laugh out loud.

"I must say, Prongs, that it's a worthy experience. Remind me to thank the lady later," replied Sirius, grinning back.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her, Sirius. She's a nice girl, and you know you deserved it," scolded Lily from across him.

"Relax, Evans. I'm not going to hurt her. I'm actually quite interested-"

"Don't," interrupted Remus suddenly.

Sirius, surprised that Remus spoke (he hadn't said a word the whole day), raised a brow. "Pardon?"

"Don't put her in your 'list'," Remus said, eyes all serious.

"What are you going on about-"

"Your 'list' of women to go after," Remus clarified. "Don't put her in the same category as those other...other.."

"Sluts?" James supplied casually, taking another forkful of chicken.

His remark earned him a slap on the arm by Lily, to which he mouthed a "What?" to.

"Well, yes. That," said Remus. "She's different-"

"I know she is, Moony. And I don't intend to steal her away from you, so relax," chuckled Sirius.

"W-What?" stammered Remus, turning pink.

"Aww, look, Padfoot. You made him blush," teased James.

"Little Moony's finally found his special someone!" Sirius continued, grinning.

"It's nothing like that, it's just-"

"Cut it out, you guys," laughed Alice. She placed a hand on Remus' shoulder. "Remus, I, for one, think you should go for it. She's really nice, and I can feel that she's a unique person."

"We just met her yesterday, how can you say that?" chuckled Sirius.

"Well, look at how much of an impact she made on you, Black," grinned Alice.

Sirius muttered incoherently as he took a sip of juice.

"Really, though. It's nothing..romantic. I agree that she is a nice witch, though. And unique, perhaps. But it's nothing like that. I...well...I have someone else that I like," mumbled Remus.

Alice and Lily exchanged a look.

"Oh, really now, Moony? You have to introduce her to us," Sirius said, grinning.

"Tomorrow's a Hogsmeade weekend, isn't it? Bring her with you!" suggested James.

"Let's meet in the Three Broomsticks," nodded Sirius.

And before Remus could even get out of it, the matter was settled.

Sweet Merlin, now what am I going to do?

"An Eglantine Rose?" Severus asked skeptically, as he sat by the windowsill.

Hermione was back to sitting in one of the table's chairs that she had just transfigured. "Yes. 'a wound to be healed'."

Severus snorted. "I have no wounds in need of healing."

A lie. She's right.

"That's what everyone says when they want to sound strong," stated Hermione matter-of-factly.

"'Sound strong'? I am strong. Students who know what I'm capable of fear me," Severus argued.

"That's not strength. That's merely toughness. It's so easy to be tough, but it's difficult to be strong," said Hermione, as she leafed through the book in her hands.

"If I'm not mistaken, those two words mean the same thing," said Severus, his eyes narrowing.

"No, toughness is all physical. An outward appearance. Something that's only for show. Strength, is inside one's heart. It's the light in the dark. The good in the bad."

"That's ridiculous. I don't know why you Gryffindors insist that there is always 'light in the dark' and 'good in the bad'. Why can't you accept that there are truly evil people in this world, and that they have no ounce of good in them?" he said, the bitterness evident in his voice.

"The dark is merely the absence of light. The fact that light is capable of being absent means that it is there, and exists, in the first place. How can something be absent if it was never present? It's the same thing with evil. For something to be evil, it had to be good, first. The fact that it's evil means there was a good. That's why I believe there's a good in everybody."

Severus mulled over her insights. It was frustrating that he couldn't find a flaw in it...yet. But he didn't want to lose this argument – he never did like losing. So, to put it on pause...

"For how long do you further intend to invade my personal space?" Severus drawled.

"I saw no sign outside the door that indicated this was your room," Hermione simply replied.

And it was true. She had found this room accidentally during her first year. When she first entered it, it looked like a room that wasn't frequently used, but certainly used. She had thought that students from centuries past used the room for private matters.

Fed up with her stubborn, know-it-all attitude, Severus took a book from his satchel and rested his back against the window pane.

"Suit yourself. Just don't expect me to keep you company," he sneered.

And with that, he shut her out.

Hermione, seeing that she was being ignored already, continued reading the Floriography book in her hands.

The two stayed like that for a long time. Severus was surprised that he actually got to read in peace. Most of the time, the presence of other people around him unnerved him so much that he couldn't concentrate well. The books he had with him wherever he went was more on a shield, rather than something he actually read. It was so that people wouldn't approach him and make fun of him straight to his face. It would seem like a cowardly exit, using books to shield himself, but he'd rather that people make fun of him behind his back, or a few distances away from him, than right in front of his face.

He might be tempted to Sectumsempra them if that were to happen.

And he didn't want to end up in Dumbledore's office again.

Hermione, engrossed in the book she was reading, only tore her eyes away from the pages to check the time. Once she saw that lunch was almost over, she stood up, left the book on the table, and silently left.

Remus could barely just keep himself from banging his head on the table. He just had to open his big mouth and tell them he fancied someone. Was the feeling he felt deep down inside him even considered liking someone? That feeling you get, when the person you fancy is with someone else? When you wish you had more time to spend with the person alone?

Oh for Godric's sake..

Merlin knows how long he struggled with the fact that he liked a bloke. And now he's done it. He's told his friends he fancied someone.

Well, he couldn't possibly tell them it's...

He raised his eyes from his desk. Sirius was sitting in front of him again, beside James, this time. They were having Transfiguration with the Slytherins, and there was no way Sirius or James would ever sit beside a Slytherin, given a choice. So when it came to classes with the Snakes, they would immdiately sit beside one another.

Peter seemed like he couldn't care less who he was sitting with, since he was sitting with one of the Slytherins.

"Well, where's Granger, Moony? She bolted right after she ate lunch," Sirius asked, turning around in his seat.

"She said she was going to give her Hogsmeade letter to McGonagall then stay in the Library," replied Remus nonchalantly.

"I told you he knew, Prongs. Probably memorized her whole bloody schedule," Sirius grinned, nudging James.

"Cut it out already, Padfoot. Moony said he fancied someone else," sighed James.

"I don't believe him, not in the slightest. I know for sure it's Granger."

Remus, smelling the scent of warm vanilla and roses near by, and hearing the clacking of heels on stone, shushed Sirius and James.

"She's coming," muttered Remus.

"Committed her scent into memory already, eh?" teased Sirius.

"Shut it, Padfoot," Remus hissed, just as Hermione entered the room.

Sirius raised a challenging brow to Remus.

Oh sweet Melin, not again-

"Hermione! Kitten! Remus saved a seat just for you-"

"Finally recovered, Black?" Hermione said, rolling her eyes, as she took the empty seat beside Remus.

Sirius had been pretty sulky after the whole incident with the Levicorpus.

He ignored her remark. "We were just talking about you. You see, James and I think Remus is particularly fond of you-"

"I happen to know that he fancies someone else," said Hermione nonchalantly as she pulled out her Transfiguration textbook.

The three Marauders were silenced with that.

"What's this, eh, Moony? You've told the lady, and yet you haven't told your best mates?" Sirius pouted, faking his hurt.

"He didn't tell me anything. If you just observed more, you'd know, too," she said matter-of-factly.

Beside her Remus was tensing up. Was she serious? Did she really know?

Before any of the Marauders could say anything else, Professor McGonagall walked in, and lessons started.

September 19, 1978

Hogsmeade weekends were never really a big deal for Severus. He usually just restocked on quills, lingered in Dervish & Banges, then spent the rest of the day in the Three Broomsticks Inn, reading. That was his usual cycle, and he always stuck to it.

He was on his way to the Three Broomsticks Inn, having just come out of Dervish & Banges, when he collided into someone.

"Oh, sorry, I-"

One glare from Severus silenced Hermione Granger.

Of all people to run into, why did it always have to be her? She just wouldn't leave him alone. She insists on bringing him food all the time, which he doesn't touch at all and ends up being returned to the kitchens. She brought him dinner last night, in his not-so-secret-anymore room, and stayed there to do her homework. He hadn't said a single word to her since yesterday lunch time. He was officially ignoring her. She was getting on his nerves, and so he was ignoring her.

Severus didn't give her a chance to say anything else, and just continued on his way with a sneer. He turned a corner, into one of the alleyways for a short-cut. It was noon time, and the sun blinded his eyes. He held a hand up to shield himself, and proceeded to walk blindly for a few seconds.

Suddenly, he halted.

He thought he heard a sound...

There it was. Again.

He looked down. Sure enough, there was the source of the sound.

"Mreow," the kitten cried.

Severus took in it's grimy fur, boney frame, and concluded it must have been orphaned. He gave it a look, something that was a cross between sympathy and difference, and walked on. Only, he was halted yet again by a yanking on his coat.

Looking back down, he saw the kitten pulling his coat back, all four paws grounded to the floor. Sighing, he knelt down and faced the tiny cat.

"What?" he asked harshly and irritatedly.

"Mreow," the cat merely said, letting go of his coat.

Severus raised a brow.

Have I gone insane?Why am I talking to a cat?

He shook his head and stood up, walking on. As he exited the alleyway, he looked back, and was relieved to see that the cat was nowhere in sight. Relieved, and ...worried? The cat was definitely orhpaned. It was stick and bones, and probably hadn't eaten for days...

And he remembered himself, starving, as he stayed locked up in his room as a child. No food, no water, no anything...

It's not your problem, Severus. It's just a measley cat, and-

"Mreow."

Severus' head snapped down.

He settled for an "I knew it" harrumph.

The only day Severus Snape would smile is when hell froze over.

"Come along, then, but you pay for your own meals."

"Mreow."

"So, Moony. Where's this wonderful girl of yours?" said Sirius, downing another mug of butterbeer.

The four Marauders have been in the Three Broomsticks for awhile now, and were on their third round of Butterbeer each (courtesy of the ever-wealthy Sirius Black, of course). There was actually no one else in the Inn aside from them, since all the other shops were having a sale and have cut down on the prices of their items. Everybody else was out shopping while the Marauders took that as an opportunity to have the Inn to themselves.

"This again? I was really hoping you'd forget all about it," sighed Remus, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"When has Padfoot ever forgotten gossip?" James chuckled as he pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose.

"That's the only thing he ever remembers," snorted Peter, causing him to slosh around a bit of his Butterbeer.

"Har-har, very funny. I just-"

The door chime tingled, and in came Severus Snape. He cast a narrow look at the Marauders' table before sitting by the counter, his back to them.

"Look, there's Snape. Go bother him instead of bothering me," said Remus, gesturing to the general direction of Severus.

"You're not getting away from me that easily; I refuse to be distracted. So now, cough it up. Who's this new girl of yours?" said Sirius, leaning in towards Remus, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

"Why are you so curious about my personal life, anyway? You were never curious about anything else about me," sighed Remus, shaking his head.

"That's a lie, I was curious about a lot of things-"

The door chimed again, and the Marauders noticed that Severus Snape had left.

Sirius' attention returned to Remus.

"Stop being such a priss and just tell us already, it's just a simple little thing. I can't comprehend why-"

Remus, for some reason that he himself couldn't understand, was now angry. He was tired and angry. Tired of Sirius' prodding and trying to evade the question. Angry at Sirius for making him feel so confused and for all the sleepless nights Sirius caused him. Angry for all the days he spent banging his head on the wall, punishing himself for being gay. Angry for all the times he argued with himself, telling himself he wasn't gay, until he couldn't deny the truth anymore, and now he was just so freaking angry-

"BECAUSE IT'S YOU, ALRIGHT? YOU'RE THE ONE I LIKE! I'M GAY! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE WRONG WITH ME? I'M GAY, AND I'M A BLOODY WERE-"

Remus was knocked back, and fell to the floor, pushing some chairs back. His hand automatically flew to his jaw, where he had been punched. Sirius loomed over him, James holding him back a bit with a hand on his arm.

The instincts kicking in, Remus pushed himself off the floor and took a jab at Sirius, who took the blow almost..intentionally.

After a few seconds of silence, Sirius said, "Feeling better?"

"What on earth was that for?" Remus asked.

"To help you get over yourself," Sirius said simply, as he massaged his aching jaw.

When no one said anything else, James put an arm around both of them.

"So. When do you kiss and make up?"

That earned him two smacks on the head.

"Hey, I was just lightening the mood."

Severus was in an empty field beside the Shrieking Shack, where there were numerous Olive trees scattered in the area. He had bought some milk from the Three Broomsticks, and he watched as the cat licked it up at lightning speed.

"I don't suppose you'd want to be my familiar?" Severus said, as he sat down and rested his back on one of the tree trunks.

The cat stopped drinking. "Mreow," it said, before it got back to its milk.

Severus looked up at the trees' leaves, watching it sway and rustle with the wind.

Olives..symbolize peace, he thought, picturing a particular page in the book in his mind. Well, it surely has been a peaceful day. No bratty Gryffindors to torture me.

Severus studied the cat again. It was probably just a few weeks old, judging from its size. It was difficult to see the exact color of its fur, what with all the grime and dirt in the way, but it looked as if it could possibly be brown. It's face looked abnormally flat, and it looked very much like a Kneazle. Aside from it being almost skeletal due to the lack of food, it also had weird, bandy legs.

Bandy legs, Severus thought.

"How about Crookshanks as a name?"