Disclaimer - I wish!
Thank You Lord Voldemort
Chapter 7 - Like A Bird
After his first day of classes Alex had earned a total of 60 points and was now the hero of Slytherin house. This also meant that he was the enemy of everyone who wasn't in Slytherin. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about it, helping the "enemy." But are they really the enemy? Alex did seem to fit in there really well.
Much to Alex's dismay, his third day of classes started out with potions. Alex, who had been enjoying Severus' friendship, was worried that the future potions master would think he was stupid after seeing him try to brew a potion. In all of Alex's classes Severus had voluntarily paired up with him and this was no exception. When the teacher revealed the potion they would be making, a complex healing salve, Alex wanted to be sick.
He quickly volunteered to prepare the ingredients so he wouldn't have to add them. He thought he would be safe until Severus looked over at the desk and saw Alex prepping dragon's liver instead of dragon's heart and snapped at him.
"Alex, if we use that, the potion will explode. Be careful. I'm glad I caught it."
Alex thought that would be it for him having any friends. The Gryffindors hated him and now Severus was disappointed in him. 'I can't do anything right.' He muttered. Luckily Severus caught him.
"I don't want to hear that. You are doing fine with the other ingredients. Now, if you better understood how various dragon parts react differently you would have known that dragon's liver reacts horribly with the thestral feathers we added. That way if someone writes something down incorrectly you will notice it. Understand?"
Alex just stared at Severus with his head cocked slightly. "I ... I've never understood potions that well. But that made sense I think."
Severus continued stirring perfectly without looking. "Well, I can help you there. How about if you help me with charms and I'll help you with potions."
Alex grinned ear to ear. "Thanks. That would be great." Who better to learn from then his future teacher. 'If I ever make it back to my time he certainly won't be able to complain.'
After class Alex's need to fly was getting to him so he borrowed one of the school brooms and headed out to the pitch. He really needed to clear his head after all that had happened this week and once he was high in the air alone he finally let it out. He tried to fly faster and faster to dry the tears on his cheeks. He missed Ron and Hermione badly and maybe even Neville and Luna who had just started dating this year. 'Isn't my life hard enough already?' He positioned his broom straight up and closed his eyes, going higher and higher. When he was as high as he'd ever been he screamed up to the heavens. "Why me? Dammit. What did I do?"
During his tirade he was joined up in the air by a second flyer. He just wanted to be alone so he flew towards the forest but stopped when the person started yelling for him.
"Campione! Campione! Come here, I want to talk." It was his father.
He turned his broom and headed for the Gryffindor. "Can I help you?"
"Yea, I want to know what you're playing at with that patronus."
'Shit'
"Potter, surely you read that you can't pick your patronus. Why, do you not like stags?""Well, just leave me and my friends alone. I'm watching you." James yelled back and flew off.
'That was weird.'
When he finally flew down to the ground there was a fellow Slytherin waiting for him.
"That was a nice piece of flying Alexander. Did you play quidditch in your time?"
"Yeah, I'm a seeker."
"Excellent, we need a seeker if we want to finally get the quidditch cup this year. I'm the captain this year. We haven't gotten the cup in seven years and it's mostly due to us never having a good seeker. Tryouts are in a couple of weeks. See you there."
"Okay, thanks."
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The next couple of weeks flew by. Before he knew it it was time for quidditch tryouts. He was surprised to get to the field and see Severus there. 'Professor Snape played quidditch?'
"Severus, you play quidditch? What position?"
Severus looked down, "Seeker"
Alex wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want Severus to have to quite quidditch because of him. "Oh, I'm trying out for seeker. Are you leaving?"
Severus' face lit up. "Are you any good? I hate playing seeker and I got stuck with it last year. If you are good at seeker than I can go back to being a beater."
Alex smirked. "Why don't you just grab a bat and practice being a beater than."
Severus raised an eyebrow and they both turned to the front as the captain addressed everyone trying out.
Two hours later Severus was a beater again and Alex was the new Slytherin seeker.
That night was their night to practice charms. Since Severus wasn't really bad at charms just not as good as Alex they had moved quickly to advanced charms. They decided last week to practice outside near the forbidden forest so they wouldn't risk damaging the school.
Tonight they were working on an advanced defense shield. Alex first showed him how to perform the charm and how to add power to it to strengthen it.
Severus put up his shield and the time traveler started throwing various hexes at it. Unfortunately the shield broke when Alex through a strong stupefy at it, knocking Severus into a tree.
Alex felt a jolt of panic in his chest. He rushed over and held Severus and checked his friend for injuries. Alex noted that Severus' arm might be broken and that he didn't have any serious injuries. He would definitely have a big bruise on his back from the tree. While he was holding Severus he muttered a weak enervate as not to hurt his friend any more.
As Severus regained consciousness he looked up at Alex and smiled. "Alex" Severus lifted his head to capture Alex's lips in his own. The emerald eyed man froze and tensed up.
"Alex? Oh shit this wasn't a dream. Alex, I'm sorry. If your not gay I understa ..."
Alex cut him off. "It's not that. I don't know. I mean, I haven't really dated much. I don't know if I ..."
This time Severus cut him off. "Alex, it's okay, I understand. Don't worry about it." Severus brushed himself off and carefully stood up, pulling his broken arm to his chest. "I'm going to head to the infirmary. See you later."
Alex jumped up. "No, I mean ... I should walk with you. Open doors and such."
Severus forced himself to smile, "Thanks." 'I sure screwed this up didn't I.' Severus thought.
Walking back to the castle Alex's mind was reeling. 'Did Severus just kiss me? Did he really know it was me? Does that mean he dreams of me? Do I like him? Am I gay?' The questions didn't stop. He would just have to give it time to work itself out.
Back in 1997
Professor Severus Snape was sitting behind his desk as the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins worked on their potion. 'Dammit Alex, why did you listen to me?' He was grading the essays they had turned in at the beginning of class. One of them in particular caught his eye. Hermione Granger, who always excelled at everything, was turning in substandard work. She was clearly distracted and not getting enough rest. After considering his options he decided to talk to her personally. Maybe including Weasley wouldn't hurt either. If anyone was missing Harry more than them right now it was him. Just in a different way. He wasn't quite sure what would happen if Harry ever made it back.
"Granger stay after class."
Hermione looked up at him nervously and gulped. She knew her grades were slipping.
After class Professor Snape motioned her to his office and closed the door, putting up an imperturbable charm and locking charm.
"I can't help but noticed that you are doing worse than your normal Gryffindor self. Normally I would chalk it up to Gryffindor stupidity but I know that you are capable of better. Now spill it."
Hermione gulped, looking at a jar filled with pickled ashwinder eggs and then back to him. "I miss Harry sir. Ron and I haven't even been able to study properly."
The professor sighed and came around to the front of his desk, trying to relax. "We all miss Mr. Potter, even myself. If it makes you feel better I can let you know some of what he is up to. He recently made the Slytherin quidditch team."
She looked perplexed. "Slytherin?"
"Yes, Miss Granger, since he was in his parents time, the headmaster put him in Slytherin to keep him from interfering in the future. I assure you that he is doing just fine in Slytherin. I rather think he liked it there myself. He made a very good Slytherin."
Hermione gaped for a moment and then quickly thanked the professor, darting from the room. Severus would almost like to be a fly on the wall when Granger tells Weasley that bit of information.