Welcome to the third and final part of Act II. Had a bit of a scare when uploading the previous part with my laptop (it died), but everything turned out alright in the end (I bought a new one). I want to thank everyone who's been leaving reviews on both FFN and AO3 since the release of the previous chapter; it's really encouraging to see that so many people like the direction this is going and can't wait for more!
This final part will encompass the remainder of Severus's sixth year.
Chapter 14: Dementors
Severus I
Tuesday, 15 February 1977
Severus awoke to darkness, although he knew it was morning. His eyes had a thick, globular salve spread over them, as well as a blindfold that blocked out what little light there was in the ice-cold cell in Azkaban. Dumbledore had fought tooth and nail to have Severus detained within the Dark Tower instead, but Scrimgeour and Moody had concluded that, given Severus's demonstrated power and suspected vampiric nature, the Dark Tower wouldn't be enough to restrain him. Instead, they felt that a windowed Azkaban cell, in the middle of winter, was an acceptable choice. His only consolation, prior to being detained, was that Madam Pomfrey had been allowed to call a Healer from St. Mungo's to do as much treatment as possible before he was sent away.
Severus had been allowed very little personal effects, and even those had been confiscated as soon as he arrived. The on-site wizards took away his wand (whose core had withered since the battle), his pocket watch (within which Severus had placed a picture of a lily), and his scarf. He was left with nothing but the rags and holey blanket that had been provided to him. Despite this deprivation, what bothered Severus was that, despite being stripped naked before the wizards (much to his shame), not a single one of them had mentioned anything about his Dark Mark. They'd seen his forearm, there was no way they couldn't have, but all they commented on was the cigarette burns that the Mark concealed.
All this aside, Severus was focusing on keeping his mind clear; Occlumency was one of the few natural defenses against the cold aura the dementors radiated, but there had never been a case of someone withstanding the overwhelming cold of Azkaban. If Severus wasn't careful, he could fall into a state of despair, and the blue and green flasks could shatter just as the red one had. He didn't think he was capable of feeling angry at this point, but only time would tell.
Severus wrapped the blanket around himself as a bowl of food (technically, based on the smell) slid into his room. This was the first meal he had received since yesterday, and thinking about it made him remember how much life could change within less than a day. He crawled to where the bowl ought to be, and he unfortunately found it as he struck the side of it. He heard it tip over, with whatever was in it spilling onto the floor. He let out a tired sigh as he crawled back to where he had been, probably, and continued to clear his mind, except for the good memories he had with Lily and Mary.
Severus was reminded of the conversations he'd had with Lily about Azkaban, and he couldn't help but be slightly amused, or he would be if the prison was dementor-free. She had been so worried that she would be the one to end up here, and here he was, living out her worst fears…. Lily must have been devastated that he had been sent here, but Severus wasn't sure if that's what he wanted or not. On the one hand, he would want his friends to be concerned for his well-being, but on the other, he didn't want them to suffer. He'd never actually stopped to consider his own well-being in relation to them as much as he did now, but thinking about it made him realize how selfish he had been. Neither Lily nor Mary would want him to be unwell, and his insistence on pushing himself had only made them worry. Well, he trusted Mary worried, but he knew Lily pitied.
Severus had the feeling that people thought he didn't know the difference, but that was far from the truth. He knew the difference between compassion and pity, and he hadn't felt compassion from Lily— Severus stopped himself. If he followed down that path, especially while in Azkaban, he would spiral downward, and he knew from his original life that he wouldn't recover until it was too late. Professor Snape was silent, so that must have meant that they were in agreement.
Severus controlled his breathing, the cold air slowly coming in and out of his nose, and with each inhale and exhale, he repeated softly, "Expecto… Patronum…."
Mary I
Friday, 18 February 1977
Mary hadn't bothered pulling the covers off from over her head. She didn't want to see or speak to anyone; she didn't have the strength to. Monday had been the worst day of her life, and it wasn't even because of what Mulciber had done to her. It was what happened to Brandy, and it was the aftermath of Severus's rampage (which everyone had referred to as the Snape Incident), where he had been taken away to Azkaban.
Sev was in prison, and it was all her fault.
Mary thought about everything she could have done differently that day. She could have kept the loop on Brandy's leash around her wrist, or she could have swallowed her pride and asked Remus to come along if he was available. Or she could have waited until the next weekend, tomorrow, to go shopping with Sev himself. Or she could have…. Mary's chest was tight, tighter than it had been when surrounded by the Slytherins, and she held her hands over her mouth to stop herself from making any sound. She curled in on herself as an ache began to build behind her eyes—
"Mary?" It was Marley's voice.
Mary felt the covers being pulled off of her head, and she felt the light from the Hospital Wing nearly blind her. Her eyes adjusted, and she saw that both Marley and Lily were here.
"How are you feeling?" Lily asked. Her eyes were swollen, as if she had cried recently, and she looked like she hadn't slept.
Mary opened her mouth, but her throat refused to make any sound. She simply shook her head.
"I know it's hard," Lily continued, "but Brandy will be fine. She's responding well to Madam Pomfrey, and Kettleburn and Hagrid have visited her as well to keep her company. She'll need time to heal, but—"
"What about Sev?" Mary choked out.
Both Lily and Marley seemed to be mildly shocked, which would have infuriated Mary if she wasn't in such a state. Finally, Marley said, "I got a letter from Alice. She can't give too many details, but she heard that his hearing was delayed again."
Mary sat up in bed, and some of her grief started to shift. "Why the hell did they have to send him to Azkaban?!"
"Dumbledore tried to stop them," Lily said. "They think he's too dangerous."
"… it's winter," Mary said. "What if he's freezing to death?"
"… he's stronger than that," Lily replied, her voice shaking. "If he can survive fighting off a dozen people, he can survive Azkaban."
"They almost killed him," Mary retorted. Her anger was starting to return. "They were throwing Killing Curses at him!"
Lily seemed to pale, but she said, "I can speak with Dumbledore and try to have him…." Lily's voice trailed off as she looked behind Mary.
Mary turned and saw that Boyfriend Black's younger brother had just entered, and he was carrying what Mary recognized as the quill box she had handed Crouch.
"What do you want?!" Marley hissed.
"I came to bring this to MacDonald," Black answered. He set the box by Mary's bed. "Crouch handed it to me after the attack."
"You must be so proud of your housemates," Marley continued. "Luring a girl into the forest to…." She couldn't finish.
"I had no idea what they were planning," Black said. His voice was off. "I—"
"You must've known about the rumors about Mulciber," Lily said coldly.
Black said nothing, but he nodded.
"… get out," Lily said sternly. "If I see you anywhere near Mary, you won't live to regret it."
Black looked between Lily and Marley before giving Mary an odd look. He soon turned and left, leaving the three girls on and around the bed.
"You should have Dumbledore look that over," Marley said, gesturing to the box. "Black might have put a curse on it."
Mary nodded. "Can I have it back when you're done?"
Marley nodded. "I'll show him now." She picked up the box and made her way out of the Hospital Wing.
Mary turned to where Brandy was sleeping; the cruppy was yipping in her sleep, her forepaws twitching as though she was chasing after someone or something to bite them. If she had to guess, she was chasing Sev…. "I should've been more careful," Mary said weakly.
"You couldn't have known," Lily said, pulling Mary into a hug. Mary hugged back and let her shoulders relax, but they stiffened as Lily followed up with "I don't know how we didn't hear you earlier."
"You and Potter?"
Lily pulled back a bit. "Why don't you call him 'James'?"
"Why do you?" Mary pulled away, out of Lily's arms, as the frustrations of the year began to rise up. "He bullied Sev for five years, and now you're going on dates together?"
"He's— why are you bringing this up?!"
"You can't be that thick! Do you have any idea what this does to Sev? I had to talk him into leaving his room while you two went to Hogsmeade together."
"I know he cares about me," Lily said defensively, "which is why I planned on telling James that I wouldn't go out with him after the date was over."
"… what?" Mary couldn't believe how stupid that sounded. "You were leading him on?!"
"He wouldn't stop asking after I said 'no', so I thought that he'd stop if I gave in once."
"Gave in to a date or a kiss?"
"It's not my fault! I didn't think he'd move that fast!" A deafening silence filled the space between them as Lily's eyes widened and her face reddened.
Mary felt something bubble beneath her skin. "… you kissed him…."
"He kissed me!"
"Did you kiss back?"
Lily didn't answer.
"… you're awful," Mary said. "You really are awful, you know that?!"
"Mary—"
"How could you do that to Sev?"
"Why do you have to keep bringing—?"
"Because he loves you!" Mary exploded. "He's always loved you!" Her eyes widened with horror as the words left her mouth. She'd broken her promise.
"… he…." Lily looked stunned, as though she'd just been struck by something. "N— he wanted to be friends… and…." She couldn't finish her sentence as a heavy realization seemed to settle in. "He's in love with me…."
"No," Mary said shakily. She'd already broken her promise not to say anything, so she might as well tell Lily everything. "It's not just romantic. You're more than that. You're—"
"— everything," Lily said quietly. "Dad said something like that…. I thought…."
"He's never going to trust me again," Mary said. "He told me not to say anything."
Lily's breathing had grown unsteady. "I… he could have said something—"
"You fancy his bully," Mary said. Her blood was up, and she didn't want to come down. "What makes you think he could tell you something like this?"
"I don't—"
"Do you have any idea how much this is going to hurt him when he finds out?"
"You wouldn't tell him," Lily said shakily.
"If you don't, I will."
"… Mary…." Lily had a look on her face as though she'd been betrayed. "You wouldn't."
"I wouldn't date my friend's bully," Mary continued. "Neither would Marley, nor would Potter or Black or Remus. But you would."
Before Mary could finish what she wanted to say, Lily stood. "You're upset," Lily said, her voice uneven. "Maybe, I should let you rest." She was out the door before she'd finished her sentence.
Lily I
"Maybe I should let you rest." Lily couldn't wait to leave the Hospital Wing, and she barely made it out and far away enough that the guilt became overwhelming. She knew that her friendship with Severus meant everything to him, and that maybe he fancied her, but Mary's outburst had put everything into perspective and rid Lily of any doubt.
Severus loved her.
Everything started fitting into place, why he was bending over backwards and putting in the effort to make things right between them… and here she was, dating someone who made his life hell for his first five years at Hogwarts. The worst part is that she hadn't even called things off with James; the attack on Monday had pushed everything to the sidelines, and James had been under duress ever since Dumbledore announced the cancellation of this year's Quidditch season due to a vast majority of the Slytherin team being among Mary's attackers. The only one left was Talkalot.
Lily had just entered the common room, where she found James and Sirius playing wizard chess while Remus sat back and watched. Remus looked up at Lily and asked, "How are they doing?"
"… Mary's still a bit upset," Lily half-lied. "I'm going to lie down for a bit."
"No dinner?" James asked. "You ought to eat."
"Not hungry," Lily said. She hurried up the steps to her room and shut the door behind her. As she sat down at her desk, she stared at the unopened envelope from Dad. She'd written home as soon as she'd heard that Severus had been sent to Azkaban, but she'd been too nervous to open up the reply. And now that she knew how Severus felt about her, she was scared of what Dad might have written.
Lily slowly picked up the letter and the letter knife on her desk, cutting it open before pulling out the folded paper and unfolding it.
Dear Lily,
It's taken me longer than I had hoped to respond to what you had written. While we haven't met Mary in-person before, your mother and I wish her a speedy recovery, and we both hope that you'll be there for her in her time of need. I've known my fair share of cruelty in life, but the little that you described is abominable.
We have written to Headmaster Dumbledore so we can get in contact with Mary's family; we know they live in Liverpool, but neither your mother nor I have the time to drive up and visit. We'll do what we can on our end.
As for Severus, I sincerely hope you can be there for him when he's released. The boy is clearly in the right, and I am disgusted that wizards would send someone his age to a place like Azkaban. If half of what you've said about it is true, then I will be praying for his safety.
Which brings me to a final point. I need to apologize to you for how I've viewed Severus. Any man willing to fight to the death to protect a child is a good man, in my book. When he's released, if time allows, I want to invite him over for Easter Sunday. I'm not sure if he's actually celebrated Easter or not; Tobias never struck me as religious.
We'll see you in April. And remember to bring Severus along.
Love,
Dad
P.S. Tell him to bring more of that mulled wine he made. It's positively bostin.
A few drops of water landed on the letter, and Lily set it aside so it wouldn't get any wetter. She opened up the black book to talk to Tom.
Tom? I need to tell you something.
What is it? Lily, has something else happened?
Lily?
If you keep this up, you'll need to hang me out to dry.
Mary told me Sev loves me
Is that so?
Am I a bad friend?
Do you want my honest answer?
Lily, I'm sorry.
I know I'm a bad friend
You made a mistake.
I shouldn't have listens to you about James
I agree.
What if he doesn't come back out? He's freezing to death
Yes, the North Sea at this time of year would be
Lily, get a napkin.
Sorry
You need to rest. Give your badge to Marlene when she comes up. Maybe she can do your shift tonight?
Lily opened the drawer where her badges were— Lily froze. There were two Prefect badges in her drawer. That was impossible; there was no possible reason for two badges to be here, under any circumstance—
Lily felt a pain shoot through her head, and she grabbed hold of the table to steady herself. She felt one hand slip into the drawer as she breathed in and out to help ease the sensation. She thought she'd gotten over her migraines, but it seemed as though that wasn't the case. Her palm pressed atop one of the badges hard, almost with enough strength to break the drawer from the desk. The pain soon began to dissipate, and she settled down in her seat again, looking back at the two-
At the badge and galleon.
Lily blinked as a sense of panic started building. She couldn't help but feel that there'd been… she didn't remember, actually. If it wasn't important enough to remember, it couldn't have been important to begin with. She took the badge out and set it on the desk, looking it over before shutting the drawer.
There was a stack of parchment on the left side of the desk, and Lily took a single sheet, setting the black book aside as she reached for her quill. Mary's words had cut deep, deeper than she could have given the girl credit for; she was right. What sort of friend had Lily been to even consider dating someone who'd tormented her friend, her supposed best friend, for five years? It didn't matter if the friendship ended, and it didn't matter if James had changed for the better; if Severus was still troubled by it… and she'd kissed James back…. Severus deserved the truth.
Lily stared at the blank sheet with hesitation, wondering if she should even write the letter or if she should wait until he was free… but what if they never released him? What if he was found guilty? Lily didn't think Severus was responsible for the attacks, and fighting and injuring Mary's attackers was justified, even if they were underage. But there was still the chance of him being a vampire, and the rumors around the school, as well as a few eyewitnesses seeing him fly from the castle to the forest, not to mention the letter- Lily nearly let the quill slip from her fingers as she remembered what she'd written to Tuney. If Severus was found guilty, she would be partly to blame….
Lily dipped the quill in the ink and started writing. If she never saw Severus again, she had to tell him the truth, to get the events of Valentine's Day off her chest, and she needed him to know that everything was going to be okay.
Remus I
Wednesday, 23 February 1977
Remus was sitting in the common room with Mary and Peter while the three of them were waiting for James, Sirius, and Marlene, who were still upstairs. For some reason, Peter looked rather at ease, despite what had happened a week ago. He'd almost gone back on his former eating habits, if not for James and Sirius reprimanding him rather harshly. However, that didn't dissuade the boy's good mood, and he had been excited for the coming Easter holiday; it would be the time when they would go visit Andy, Ted, and Dora.
James and Lily had been on and off since Friday, and it seemed that the two of them had kissed, just as Sirius had said. Lily had been actively avoiding James, sometimes stopping a conversation with someone entirely whenever he approached. James either didn't seem to notice or didn't seem to mind too much, because he kept at it with the same enthusiasm. Something was off about him, much like the way Peter had been acting.
The same could be said for Sirius and Marlene, although there's was different. Marlene didn't seem to mind Sirius's company too much, although her overall enthusiasm had dwindled; instead, she seemed to place herself away from James, either by sitting on the opposite side of the table or by making sure someone sat between the two of them. Even when they were walking together, Marlene would try, and occasionally fail, to walk on Sirius's other side.
As Remus looked over at Mary, he thought she looked empty inside, and she had a blank, unreadable expression on her face as she stared into the fire. She hadn't spoken to any of her friends in the Gobstones Club, nor had she so much as picked up her bag. Every day, her routine was the same: eat meals, go to classes, study, and visit Brandy. But any time apart from that, she was in her room, and from what Lily and Marlene could tell, she stayed in bed.
Brandy's leg had been mended, and she was in relatively good shape, but her skull still required extensive healing. For now, she was on a sedative that kept her in a rather mellow mood, but there were occasions where she would whine for attention from anyone who passed by; Mr. Hagrid had a habit of stopping in and giving her a scratch on the paw or side, depending on how she was oriented on the bed. Students from all Houses, even the younger Slytherins (oddly enough), would stop by to see and pet her, which mostly resulted in Brandy over-exciting herself and wetting the bed.
While Remus mused on the most popular patient in Madam Pomfrey's care, he saw Marlene coming downstairs, with James and Sirius following behind, talking about dinner.
"... perhaps something light," Sirius was saying. "Are they serving soup?"
"I would think so," James replied. "Hey, Moony. Wormtail."
"Are you going to dinner, then?" Peter asked.
"We'll wait for Lily to come back," James replied. "Prefect duties, you know."
"Actually," Marlene said, "I've taken over for tonight. She has a bit of a headache."
"You wait until now to tell us that?!" James sounded irritated.
"Honest mistake," Marlene replied. "I need to go get the badge from her." She hurried back upstairs before Sirius could say anything.
"Right," James muttered. He turned to Peter and Mary and said, "Right, we'll be heading down if you two are ready."
Peter was quick to stand, but Mary barely responded.
"Mary?" Peter asked. "Are you coming?"
"I'm not hungry," Mary said, and with that, she went upstairs.
"Just the three of us, for now," James said. "We'll see you later, Moony."
"We'll meet with you soon enough," Remus returned. As the three boys left, Remus turned his attention to the bottom of the girls' stairwell. While he understood why Mary wouldn't go to dinner, she ought to at least eat something.
Marlene soon descended, wearing the badge given to her by Lily, as she said, "Right, so we're walking the seventh floor?"
Remus nodded as he stood. "After you."
The two of them walked out of the common room and into the corridor, and they began their watch. Remus noted Marlene's deliberate slowness and decided to keep pace with her, and he watched as she took the time to check every single inch of every single brick that came their way. She soon took out a hand mirror in case the basilisk, if there truly was one to begin with, came out and attacked them.
"Marlene," Remus began gently, "are you alright?"
"What do you mean?" Marlene asked. "I mean, Mary's only just been attacked, and Lily's been trying to break things off with James-"
"She has?" Remus wasn't too surprised, if he was being honest with himself. "Well, that's not exactly what I mean. How are you doing?"
"... I'm fine," Marlene answered.
"We're alone," Remus said, pushing the conversation. "Nothing you say will get back to Sirius or James."
Marlene turned to face him. "I told you, I'm fine."
"It's James, isn't it?"
Marlene didn't answer.
"Have you talked to Sirius?"
"You said you would."
"I did, and yet here we are. Have you talked to him?"
Marlene shook her head. "No, he'd defend James."
"Defend him for what?"
"Remus, I know you're worried, but I really don't want to talk about this!"
Remus stopped himself from responding as he had planned. If he pushed too hard, Marlene would grow unresponsive, and there'd be no hope in finding out what was wrong. "Sorry."
"... it's not your fault," Marlene said. "I… Remus, I… what have I been doing?"
"What?" Remus realized the two of them had stopped in their tracks.
"I spent… oh, God knows how long trying to get Sirius's attention, and now… he's not a bad boyfriend, but he… and I've been trying to set Lily up with James…."
"Marley-"
"Forget it," Marlene said with a shaky exhale. "I should… we should finish our rounds."
Before she could continue walking, Remus stepped in front of her and took her by the arms, pulling her into an alcove. "No," Remus said, "If something's bothering you-"
"Remus." Marlene's voice was hard. "I just want some peace and quiet."
Remus's eye contact faltered as he realized Marlene's motivation for wanting to patrol. "I'm sorry, I didn't… I should have realized sooner."
"... now you're making me feel bad." Marlene started walking again, almost passing Remus had he not turned and started walking beside her.
"I'll be quiet," Remus said. "We're not talking… just walking."
"You're a natural poet," Marlene said with a small smirk.
Remus smiled back. He didn't like that Marlene had shut down the conversation that he knew she wanted to have, but at least she was starting to settle down a bit. If she wasn't comfortable right now, he would have to wait, and he understood why. Some things were hard to admit, and he himself was no stranger to it. He had never confessed to being a werewolf to anyone, not even the boys; they'd simply followed him one night and witnessed the transformation after noticing his pattern. He knew, logically, that there was a difference between having relationship troubles and being a werewolf, but the point still stood.
But while Marlene probably had the strength to open up to Remus eventually, Remus wasn't sure if he had the strength to admit his secret to anyone. And he realized, with more shame than he could admit, that Snape had been candid about his rumored condition, as though he was mocking everyone, and he'd gone to Azkaban for it. For a rumor Marlene-
"Marlene?"
"What is it?"
"I was just thinking about the rumor surrounding Snape. The vampire one."
"... yes?"
"How did everyone else find out?"
"I assumed it was at the costume party."
"Right… but his costume was Dracula."
Marlene was probably going to respond to that, but something stopped her. Finally, she said, "Well, you told James and Sirius, didn't you?"
"Of course, I… did…." Remus froze. "Do you think…?"
"... maybe," Marlene said quietly. "I just assumed that…."
The silence that followed almost deafened Remus's thoughts. He'd told exactly three people: James, Sirius, and Peter. James and Sirius would barely have known the full details; if anything, Peter would be the most knowledgeable about Snape's condition… but could it have been Peter? He didn't seem the type. He wasn't going to ask any of them; he'd just have to stay silent and observe as best as he could.
Severus II
Friday, 25 February 1977
Dear Sev,
I don't know if I have the strength to send this letter, especially not considering what I have to confess to you; this is my eighth attempt. I know that I shouldn't be sending this to you while you're in Azkaban, but I need to send it in case I don't see you again. I just hope that you can eat enough and stay warm until your hearing.
When I agreed to go on a date with James on Valentine's Day, I did it so that I could prove to him that I didn't want to date him. Our lunch wasn't very pleasant, and he had a bad habit of making decisions on my behalf. When we were alone together, I called him out on it. One thing led to another, and he kissed me, and I kissed him back. I shouldn't have, and I stopped it as soon as I could, and I need you to know that I feel horrible for it, knowing what Mary told me.
Mary said that you loved me, and that it was more to you than romance. Dad said that I meant everything to you, but I didn't know if he meant that you valued our friendship or if you wanted something more. Hearing Mary say it, in no uncertain terms, cleared everything up for me. I know now, for certain, how much I mean to you, and I'm sorry for how I've been treating you this past year. If I see you again, and I know I will, I want to tell you in person. You deserve to hear it from my mouth instead of reading it from a letter.
When you're released, Dad wants to invite you to Easter; he's convincing Mum to allow for it, and I think he'll win her over before the holiday comes. I want everything to be the way it was before; I want us to be the boy who told me about magic and the girl who'd ask silly questions and buy food for the two of us. If you're allowed, please write back to me and let me know how you are.
I'm not giving up.
Love,
Lily
It was a good thing that one of the human guards in Azkaban was willing to read the letter aloud, because Severus didn't think he would've had the strength or patience to read it if he could see. His left eye could technically see light at this point, but his right eye couldn't. While he was tempted to be angry that Lily would send a letter to a blind man (although anger had become foreign to him in these walls), he was more focused on what she'd written.
Potter had kissed Lily, Lily had kissed Potter back, and Mary had betrayed Severus's trust.
Divorced from anger, Severus had spent his time contemplating his relationships with Lily and Mary, but with particular emphasis on Lily. He had thought back to their first meeting, and every meeting leading up to their fallout, and then every meeting after Professor Snape had come into his life. He knew Lily well enough, at least he hoped he did, to know her views on certain people and how easy it was for her to change her opinion of them. She could be incredibly stubborn and set in her ways without some sort of extraordinary event to influence her; it hadn't been until news of his parents had reached the newspapers that Lily seemed to shift her opinion of him, and it seemed to shift in his favor whenever something bad happened to him. And now that he was in Azkaban, her letter told him too much of how she felt about him. Lily had never loved him; she'd only pitied him, and it had taken seven years for her to give up on pity.
But only one year to stop hating Potter and date him.
As much as Severus tried to justify the math, it was impossible. Certainly, Lily had rushed to the Owlery because she'd forgotten the meeting, but at the same time, she'd forgotten the meeting, and this was only just after Severus had called her that word; this change of heart was out of guilt, out of her own wrongdoing, rather than actually caring about him or what he was trying to do. But he remembered, from Professor Snape's lifetime as well as his own, how she'd warmed up to Potter within a year, and it was in their seventh year before the Christmas holiday when they started officially dating. There was absolutely no way that Lily Evans would go from despising Potter to getting down on her knees for him within the span of two years. And Severus knew what was wrong.
Lily had started fancying Potter in their fourth year, if not earlier.
The timeline added up; it was during fourth year that Lily started playing devil's advocate for Potter, as well as the time she started spending more time with her housemates and away from Severus. And it had been this very reason that Severus had found himself spending more time with his fellow Slytherins. Mulciber and Avery had whispered unkind things about Lily and Potter into his ear, although they had said it out of false concern; funnily enough, they seemed to have been right. If Lily had fancied Potter this whole time, then what was Severus even doing, trying to reconcile with someone who had gotten into bed with his enemy? His bully.
Severus realized that the only person who genuinely cared about him was Mary, and she had betrayed him by telling Lily how he'd felt about her. He couldn't be upset with Mary; it was his own fault for trusting her and opening up to her, not to mention that she was still a child who had yet to mentally mature…. Now that Severus thought about it more, he was starting to realize a similar pattern with Mary as he did with Lily. Mary had only really gotten closer due to his misfortune, not because she cared.
If Severus's tear ducts weren't damaged, he suspected he might cry. Pushing the thoughts out of his head until they inevitably returned, he muttered softly and emptily, "Expecto Patronum… Expecto Patronum… Expecto Patronum…."
Mary II
Tuesday, 1 March 1977
"Class dismissed," Slughorn called out, and the class began to empty.
"Shall I see you in the Library?" Xeno asked Mary.
Mary nodded as she continued packing her belongings, and Xeno left. As she finished up, she caught Slughorn approaching her gingerly, and she fought back the urge to groan out loud. She just wanted to go and read.
"How are you feeling, Mary?" Slughorn asked. He was awfully informal today.
"I'm well," Mary lied.
"I'm… I'm rather sorry to hear that the hearing was delayed again," Slughorn said somberly. "Has Snape written to you at all?"
Mary shook her head. It hadn't been too long ago that Lily told her about the letter she sent, and how she'd mentioned how Severus loved her.
"Oh, yes, well… well, we need to keep our chins up, yes? I think he would want us to continue on, you know. In fact, I had planned on hosting a St. Patrick's Day dinner party for the Club, if you were interested."
"I'm not sure if…." Mary's sentence trailed off as an idea came to her. "Sir, do you know anyone who could help Sev?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean, you're so well-connected, and I thought that you could tell them about what was going on."
"Oh, my dear, I doubt there's a single witch or wizard that hasn't read about Snape's upcoming hearing." Slughorn took out a pocket watch and checked the time. "Now, I think you should be off. My seventh-years are due to arrive any moment."
"Please consider it," Mary said quickly. If there was any hope of helping Severus, this had to be it. "Maybe… do any former members know anything about vampires?"
"Oh, well… actually, do you recall Eldred Worple?"
Mary recognized the name; Worple was a magizoologist. "Yes, sir."
"He's been rather fascinated with those suffering from vampirism. I just might be able to contact him."
This was the first bit of good news Mary had received since Brandy's back leg had become functional again, and she felt her mouth curl. "Thank you, professor."
"Oh, not at all," Slughorn said with a smile. "I'll do what I can. Now, off you go."
Mary hurried out of the classroom as the seventh-years made their way in, and she took out her hand mirror before making her way up the steps and into the Library. Xeno was sitting at a table near a bookshelf, and Mary sat beside him.
"I've found the book," Xeno said, gesturing to the cover. It was related to their lessons in Creature Care; apparently, there was an entire book dedicated to salamanders. "We'll need to find a book containing peppers."
"Herbology section?" Mary asked.
Xeno nodded.
Mary got up and quietly made her way to the Herbology section, passing through one of the aisles and skimming the titles of the books until she came across something related to non-magical vegetation. As she reached for it, another hand reached as well, and Mary jerked her own hand back and turned to see who it was.
"Oh, sorry." It was Crouch. He seemed to be carrying a few books already. "I see you were… reaching for that one."
"... I was." Mary took the book from the shelf slowly and awkwardly. "Thank you for returning the quill."
"I wasn't sure what to do with it," Crouch confessed, "but Black was passing by, and I thought he could take it to you. It probably wasn't the best idea, considering…."
"Yeah." Mary wanted to go back to Xeno so they could get the reading over with and she could go visit Brandy. "I'll see you around, then?"
Crouch nodded and gave a cordial smile. "Take care."
Mary returned to Xeno and sat down, setting the book between the two of them before they started taking notes on what peppers they ought to use and what they ought to avoid. While extremely hot peppers could provide a sudden boost in a salamander's health, it was better to utilize peppers with slower-releasing spices; it would allow a salamander to go longer without food while also preventing them from fattening up. It was the sort of thing Sev would emphasize when-
Mary stopped herself from finishing the thought; she'd fixate again if she gave it any more attention. She refocused on the book, clearing out the rest of her thoughts aside from Brandy, and readied herself for the rest of the day.
Lily II
Wednesday, 9 March 1977
Dear Lily,
Your father had one of his episodes last night, and we had to go to hospital. He's currently on a ventilator, and the doctor says he may have to stay for the next seven to eight days to monitor his breathing. The episodes have been growing more frequent, and if the doctor's suspicions are right, he may need to operate.
I've called Petunia and let her know what's happening, and she says she'll drive up to Birmingham with that Vernon boyfriend of hers. I haven't met him yet, but your father mentioned he works at Grunnings as a junior executive. Anyway, they're only going to spend two nights here, but it would be enough time to get to know him.
A few nights ago, your father mentioned inviting Snape over for Easter. Given recent events, I think that might not be a very good idea, but that might change if your father recovers.
I'm sorry this letter is short, but I have to go now.
Love,
Mum
Lily set the letter down uneasily. If what Mum said was true, then Dad might…. She quickly dug through the piles of papers she had and found Severus's notes on anticarcinoma agents and their relation to potioneering. She had summoned Snarky two weeks ago to ask if she could have Severus's notes on the subject, to which the house-elf agreed with extreme reluctance. Currently, Severus seemed focused on the method of treatment; his current notes indicated that his idea was to form a vapor and have the patient 'breathe the cancer away', but he hadn't completed his notes. Due to the difficulty in controlling where the vapor would spread, Severus had done a quick drawing of a ventilator.
Lily set the notes aside for now and wrote a letter to Severus; he ought to know what was happening for Easter, and she wanted to tell him that she would go ahead with working on his notes… if she could manage it. She'd never been good with deviating from recipes of any kind, and she was now realizing that she might need help when it came to this project. Slughorn would have to be her best bet, so she could bring it up during their meeting this evening.
Lily packed up her notes on the party, as well as Severus's notes on anticarcinoma agents, and made her way downstairs and into the common room. As she did, she spotted James and Sirius sitting on the couch with Marlene. James turned his head and immediately stood up before saying, "Alright, Lily?"
"Fine," Lily said, forcing herself to lie. She didn't feel like talking to James. "I just need to send a letter before I meet with Slughorn."
"How about I walk you there?" James offered.
"I'll be fine by myself." Lily turned and started walking to the portrait hole.
"I'll walk you there," James insisted, making his way behind her.
Lily turned and said, "James, when I told you I can go by myself, I meant it!"
"And we're not supposed to walk alone in the corridors," James shot back.
Lily bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something stupid. James was right; they were supposed to travel in pairs, and she knew that, as much as Severus might disapprove, he would say she ought to walk with James rather than alone. "Fine."
The pair walked through the corridors and down the staircase until they reached the fourth floor. As they did, James asked, "So, is there a reason you've been avoiding me?"
Lily was already furious enough as it is that James had forced himself into walking with her. She said coldly, "You mean, aside from the fact that you kissed me?"
"You kissed me back!" James said, sounding offended by what he probably thought Lily was silently accusing him of, which she was.
"I won't make that mistake again," Lily shot back angrily.
"Are you trying to be hostile?" James asked. "Because it sounds like you're being hostile."
That was it. Lily wasn't going to tolerate James turning this back around on her. "What I hate is when people stick their noses where they don't belong!" Lily exploded. "I just wanted to mail a letter to Severus and go talk to Slughorn-"
"So, this is about Snape."
Lily realized they had stopped walking entirely, as though James's voice had some power over her. "Of course, it is!"
"I stopped!"
"I don't care," Lily said. "He's been in Azkaban for almost a month for saving Mary, he's blind…." Lily froze. She'd written a letter to a blind man…. "Forget it; I'm going to Slughorn." She turned and made her way to the staircase, but James stepped in front of her. "Get out of my way."
"Like it or not, I care about you." James's voice was quiet, and Lily felt her face heat up as a chill went down her spine. "And I'm going to make sure you're safe."
Lily couldn't bring herself to reply, so she shoved past him and kept walking, quickening her pace. She was annoyed to find that James was following behind, but even more so that she knew she shouldn't be walking around alone. If she'd asked Marlene to come with her instead, James and Sirius would most likely follow them to keep them safe. Soon enough, she found herself knocking on Slughorn's door, and the old professor opened it hesitantly.
"... oh, it's you, Lily! And Potter!"
"Am I too early?" Lily asked.
"Not at all," Slughorn said with a smile. "Both of you ought to come in."
Lily wanted to protest, but James had already made his way past her and into the office. Lily followed in with her notes, which she set down on the table between Slughorn and James before taking a seat herself. The conversation about the Easter dinner party seemed… inconsequential, at this point, as though it was simply a way to pass the time. Anything Slughorn, or James for some reason, seemed to say was met with either an empty suggestion or approval on Lily's part; neither of them seemed to notice. By the end, Slughorn and James had built up a rapport, and due to the latter's connections and overall progress throughout the year, it seemed he'd finally earned an invitation. If Severus was in the room, he'd explode….
"Well, I suppose you'd better hurry along," Slughorn said. "I have to correspond with one of my old students, Eldred Worple."
"Of course, professor," James said with a smile. "Coming, Lily?"
"One moment." Lily focused on Slughorn and asked, "Could we speak in private?"
"Don't mind me," James said.
"In private," Lily said, ignoring James.
"Oh, well… Potter, don't wander too far away from the door. And keep safe, yes?"
"Certainly." James turned and left, opening and shutting the door behind him.
"Is something bothering you, Lily?" Slughorn asked with a note of concern.
"I… sir, my father's in hospital."
"Oh…." Slughorn's demeanor shifted. "Is it to do with his lungs?"
Lily nodded. "He had another episode, and he has to stay in hospital for a week. Before we came back to school, Severus said he would look into something that might help, but he never… he got arrested, and I got my hands on his notes." She took them out of the papers she'd brought and gestured for Slughorn to take them. "I'm not very good at experimental potioneering, but Severus has an idea for something that could be used in a ventilator. Since you know so many people, I was hoping you could help me."
"Why of course, I would." Slughorn took the notes gently and looked them over. "I see…. I believe Belby would know how to… Lily, you realize that providing your father with this would violate the Statute of Secrecy."
"But isn't there a way to contact the Ministry and put in a request?"
"Even if you did, I doubt they would use it the way you intend," Slughorn explained. "On witches and wizards, certainly. But again, they wouldn't make an exception for you."
"I…."
"I'll contact Belby and send a copy of these notes," Slughorn said in a reassuring manner. "But given his work on the Wolfsbane trials, it may take some time, perhaps three weeks."
"Alright." Lily felt uneasy about Slughorn's answer, but it was better than nothing. "Thank you, professor."
"Of course, Lily. Now, off you go. Don't want to keep James waiting."
Lily left Slughorn's office to find James waiting just outside, having just put his hands in the pockets of his robes. "Alright, Lily?"
"I'm fine. We can go back to the common room, now."
"Excellent." As they walked back, James said, "About earlier… I shouldn't have behaved like that."
"No, you shouldn't have." Lily could tell her comment had struck a nerve with James, but he was keeping it in. "Thank you for apologizing."
"Of course." James flashed a grin before looking ahead. "Oh, it's Moony's birthday tomorrow. You can come, if you want."
Lily almost wanted to decline, but there was something different about James's voice. It didn't sound eager or needy; instead it almost sounded hopeful. She replied, "I might."
Remus II
Thursday, 10 March 1977
"Open it!" Peter said eagerly.
"Don't wet yourself, Wormy," Sirius nudged. "He's barely swallowed."
Remus set the plate of chocolate cake down, wiping his mouth and fingers before picking up the box Peter had gotten him. He unwrapped it and opened it up to find a collection of chocolate frogs that had been trapped in a clear plastic bag, along with a stack of their respective collectible cards. He grinned as he picked the cards up and looked through them; among them were Nicolas Flamel, a few duplicates of Godric Gryffindor, and Hengist of Woodcroft.
"Funnily enough, I was looking for another Gryffindor," Remus said with a laugh.
"Open ours," Marley said, gesturing to the gift Lily was holding out.
"Took us a bit to find it," Lily said. "Marley had it stashed away somewhere."
Remus set it down on the table and took off the lid, looking inside as he reached in. He realized, soon enough, that either Lily or Marley (probably Lily) had cast an Extension Charm on it to contain the gift. He set the box on the floor instead and dragged it out, getting help from James, and he found himself staring with awe at an ornate telescope.
"For all those lonely nights," Marley said jokingly.
Remus chuckled and stood it up, and he saw that his nickname had been painted on the side. "I take it that this is in case I misplace it and someone happens to turn it in?"
"Oh, naturally," Marley said sarcastically.
"I love it." Remus said, looking over at the two other presents. One was a small box from Tad, while the other was from James and Sirius. He started with the latter, which was suspiciously shaped like a picture frame of some sort. He opened it and found that it was, indeed, a still picture of all four of them: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, all standing by the lake under a tree. He remembered the day it had been taken, as well as the detention James and Sirius had to serve that evening with Mr. Filch for that head-swelling charm they'd used on Bertram Aubrey.
"Thought you'd appreciate it being still," James said. "You can have it enchanted later on, if you want."
"It'll go well on the mantelpiece," Remus replied. He set it with the chocolate frog cards as he picked up the final gift from Tad. He opened it and took out a silver pocket watch with the initials 'R.J.L.' engraved onto the front, accompanied by a letter. He tucked the letter into his robes before opening the watch to see if there was a picture inside. Sitting within was an older picture of Hope, of Mam, though she was much younger than Remus had ever seen her. She looked as though she was barely out of school, although she was clearly dressed for her job at her office in Cardiff.
"Is that your mum?" Marley asked, leaning in to see.
"She was," Remus said quietly.
"She's beautiful."
Remus nodded. "Most people at her office thought so. You know, they first met when a boggart appeared before Mam; she had no idea what it was and assumed some thug was trying to do her a mischief. Tad was nearby, and he transfigured it. He says she fell for him soon after that, and he eventually admitted what it was and that it wouldn't have hurt her in the first place." Remus smiled a bit as he recounted how Tad and Mam had told the story. "He thought she would be less impressed with him if it wasn't dangerous."
"Proved him wrong," Marley said.
"What was that letter you got?" James asked.
"Oh, I'm reading it later," Remus said. "Probably something to do with Easter."
"You're still coming, right?" Sirius asked. "Andy's hoping for it."
"Of course," Remus said with a smile.
"I'm going to assume you won't come, Lily?" James asked. Something was odd about the way he had asked, as though there was something behind the voice.
"I'm going home," Lily said. "With everything that's going on with… I'd feel trapped at Hogwarts."
"No worries," James said in a calm manner. His grin returned as he said, "Well, we might as well dig in."
"Oh!" Peter hurried over to another table and brought out a separate box, which he gave to Sirius. "I got this for you. You don't like chocolate, so I thought you'd prefer a pecan pie."
"Pecan?" Sirius opened it and picked up the small, round cake. "Mate, this is a bit small to call a pie."
The six of them ate Remus's birthday cake, minus Sirius due to his dislike of chocolate and Mary for… well, more than one reason, least of all that she had refused to come down. By the end, Marley and Lily said their goodnights and went upstairs, as did Remus and the boys. As they made their way into the room, Sirius started changing and said, "I'm surprised you didn't push the question further, Prongs."
"Right," James said, sitting down at his desk. "Well, last night… Pete, where are you going?"
"Loo," Peter said. "I think I ate too much cake." He hurried out of the room.
"... did he eat more than us?" James asked.
"About the same as Lily," Sirius replied. "Anyway, you were saying?"
"Right, last night, I overheard Lily talking with Slughorn-"
"Wait," Remus interrupted. "You weren't together?"
"I had to wait outside," James explained. "Don't worry; I had my mirror with me."
"What did they say?" Sirius asked.
"Lily's dad has some sort of breathing trouble," James said. "Apparently, Snape was working on something for him to inhale, a vapor of some kind."
"How did you even hear them?" Remus asked.
James opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the familiar string with the attached ears. "I brought it along just in case."
"... in case of what?"
"Well, if something's going around and petrifying people, I ought to use this to hear through the stones."
"We both know that's not how that works," Remus pushed.
"Why not? Vibrations travel through stone, don't they?"
"Would they also happen to travel through wood just as well?"
"Well, I suppose, yes."
"Is that why you used it on the train?"
James was silent, and Remus saw an odd look beginning to form. "You listened in, too."
"And that was a mistake," Remus replied slowly. "It was a private conversation."
"Alright," Sirius said, interrupting the conversation. "Let's not ruin Moony's birthday, yeah?"
"... yeah, you're right," James said. "Sorry, mate."
"We should turn in," Sirius said. "McGonagall wouldn't want us to sleep during class."
"If only," James mused. "Night, boys."
"Night."
Remus changed and went to bed, pulling the curtains just as Peter returned to the room. Taking the letter in hand, he opened it up and read what Tad had written.
Dear Remus,
It's not every day that a boy becomes a man, and it seems like only yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital. But, as it stands, you're seventeen now, and that means you've reached adulthood under wizarding law. I hope you like the gift I sent; it belonged to your grandfather.
I've been in touch with the Potters and Mrs. Pettigrew regarding your visit to the Tonkses, and we were wondering if it would be more convenient for them to visit the Potter house instead of the four of you visiting them. I realize that you've already made plans, but I'm considering how large their home is, and how well Mr. and Mrs. Tonks can have company while also caring for a small child.
This letter is shorter than I had planned, but there isn't too much for me to say other than wishing you a happy birthday. Mam would be proud.
Love,
Tad
Remus folded the letter and set it aside, pulling the covers over himself as he got comfortable. It would have been a happier birthday if not for the growing worry he was starting to have regarding James's behavior toward Lily (although it was a relief that she seemed to have some degree of awareness and distance), and whatever was going on with Marley bothered him more than he had expected. Neither one of them had expressed anything today, at least not to his knowledge, but that didn't mean everything was well. Going to the Potters' would be a better way of keeping the boys in check, but it also meant that James and Sirius would behave differently than they did at school. Only time would tell.
Mary III
Thursday, 24 March 1977
SEVERUS SNAPE: HERO OF HOGSMEADE OR VAMPIRIC VILLAIN?
Severus Snape, son of infamous Tobias Snape and Eileen Prince and sixth-year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, was arrested this past Valentine's Day for the violent assault of over a dozen of his classmates. The classmates in question (Alexander Avery II, Barry Barton, Alecto and Amycus Carrow, George Greengrass, Marcus Mulciber II, Norman Nott, Paul Philips, Evan Rosier, Sebastian Selwyn, Wendy Wilkes, Charles Yaxley) still remain missing, leaving only a visceral scene behind that points to Snape's darker nature. A few of the names listed are, ironically, former friends of Snape, particularly Avery, Mulciber, Rosier, and Wilkes, the second of whom reportedly received the worst of Snape's wrath. A few anonymous students had this to say:
"Mulciber has a reputation around the school for going after younger girls," one fourth-year Hufflepuff says. "One time, me and my friend were playing chess in one of the corridors, and we saw him come out of an empty classroom, and five minutes later, a girl one year below us came out. We didn't know what happened, but we didn't want him finding out we'd said anything!"
"Evan Rosier?" a Gryffindor fifth-year says. "Everyone sees him as their leader. He's not a mean bloke…. It's a little unsettling, sometimes, if I'm being honest, but I guess that's what all Slytherins are like."
"Wilkes is an absolute [redacted]," a fifth-year Slytherin reports. "Vicious [redacted] can't go one [redacted] minute without [redacted]ing [redacted]ing about how much she hates mudbloods."
"That Avery's a bit of a wimp," a third-year Gryffindor says. "Everyone calls him the Pettigrew of Slytherin." When asked to elaborate, the student explains that Peter Pettigrew, a sixth-year Gryffindor, is one of the most cowardly students anyone has ever met.
As for questions regarding Snape himself, this was said by a collection of students:
"He gives me the creeps," one second-year Hufflepuff says. "He's always locked up in that room away from the other Slytherins, and I've heard he's taking thirteen classes. Thirteen! And they're all advanced-level, too!"
"Me and my friends kept track of how many people had seen Snape in their classes," a sixth-year Gryffindor says. "And one of them, Lily, stormed off to find him and see if it was true. He confirmed it. If I took thirteen advanced-level classes, I'd drop dead!"
"I swear, I saw him flying from the castle to the forest!" an excited third-year Ravenclaw exclaims. "He had to have been riding a thestral, or something! If he can tame and ride thestrals, then that means he's seen someone die before!"
"I heard he had blood in his mouth," a sixth-year Gryffindor says. "You don't think he bit any of them, do you?"
This last quote has led many students to believe that Snape is a vampire, with several instances backing up the theory. The Slug Club, of which Snape is currently a member of, hosted a Hallowe'en party: a dinner party one evening, and a costume party the next. During both, several students were reported to have seen Snape with bite marks on his neck; while he was wearing a Dracula costume at the time, the bite marks were visible much longer after that, including the Valentine's Day Massacre.
One student, who shall remain anonymous, says this: "I've seen the bite marks on his neck. I've seen how pale he seems to get. I've seen him sucking on one of those blood lollies, and he has wicked reflexes when he wants! One of my mates says he refused to eat a meal because there was too much garlic in it, but no one else had even noticed."
Curiously, and problematically, is the rumor that the Heir of Slytherin, a sixth-year male in Slytherin House chosen by his upperclassmen, is attacking fellow students and leaving them petrified in the Hospital Wing. And even more curiously is the fact that Severus Snape was elected this year's Heir of Slytherin. The current victims, Adrian Creevey (Hufflepuff) and Dirk Cresswell (Ravenclaw) are both Muggle-born members of the Slug Club; could there be a hidden motive?
All will be revealed in the upcoming hearing, which is now scheduled to take place on Friday, the 8th of April. Presiding over the hearing is Bartemius Crouch, current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as current Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore is instead choosing to defend Mr. Snape.
Mary set the paper down shakily, but she wasn't sure if it was from fear or anger. Brandy seemed to pick this up, and she soon found the cruppy nuzzling into her lap and looking up at her. Scratching her behind the ear, Mary lifted her up and carried her over to the bed, where she put her leash on. The two of them made their way down the staircase; she needed a walk to calm herself down.
"Mary?"
Mary halted as Marlene walked over. She turned and asked, "Did you read the paper?"
"... yeah," Marlene said, "but I said more than what she wrote!"
"Why did you have to mention his classes?!" Mary asked. "Now they'll think he's some sort of psychotic genius!"
"I didn't say anything bad about him!"
"What about the blood in his mouth?! About biting people?!"
"I didn't-"
"And about the meal with garlic in it? I know what dinner that was, and you can't pretend you had nothing to do with it!"
"I never said anything about garlic-"
"I'm going for a walk," Mary said, making her way to the portrait hole before Marlene stepped in front of her.
"Look, Mary-"
"Alright, Marley?" Mary tensed up as Potter and Boyfriend Black made their way down the staircase, with Remus and Pettigrew following behind.
"I'm fine," Marlene said with a certain stiffness. "I was just going to walk with Mary."
"Don't worry about her," Potter said. "Remus could go with her, right?"
"Right," Remus said reluctantly. He walked over to Mary and said, "If you don't mind?"
"... okay," Mary said quietly. She supposed Remus was a better option than having Potter and Boyfriend Black following them.
As the two of them walked Brandy down the staircase and out into the open air, Remus said, "I take it that you and the girls aren't getting along."
Mary held back a groan. "Lily hasn't broken up with Potter, and Marlene made everything worse for Severus because of that vampire rumor."
"Well," Remus said slowly, "he has a few traits that-"
"He told me it was a snake bite," Mary said. "And he only took that blood lollipop to freak you and Marlene out."
"... is that right?" Remus paused for a moment. "Well, anyway, that's not what I meant to talk about. Have you noticed how they're doing?"
"Lily and Marlene?"
"Right."
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me how you see Marley's relationship with Sirius."
"Bloody disgusting," Mary spat out. She didn't know she could spit words out, but every day was a new opportunity to learn something new. "I don't know why she'd want to date a bully."
"Look, Sirius is struggling as much as Marley is, but-"
"You know they haven't stopped, right?" Mary stopped and turned to face Remus; she needed to see what sort of Prefect he was; now that Severus wasn't here to stop her, and seeing as she'd already revealed his love for Lily directly to Lily herself, she might as well try to clean up the mess that was his environment. "Potter and Boyfriend Black haven't stopped."
"Who told you that?" Remus asked. He looked confused.
"Severus," Mary replied. "He didn't want me to say anything because he doesn't want to be pitied, but to hell with it. They never stopped."
"No, that's…." Remus stopped whatever he was going to say. "Maybe, you've misunderstood-"
"Severus explicitly admitted to it," Mary pushed.
"Why would he even tell you something like that?" Remus asked.
"Because he trusted me!" Mary shot back. Her throat was starting to sting. "Didn't you even notice anything? You're their friend, for God's sake!"
"Mary, I promise you, I have no idea what you're talking about," Remus said frantically. "Look, how about I talk to them-"
"Why are you even friends with them? You're nothing like them; you're better than that."
"... I need you to understand that James was there for me when no one else was. He and Sirius and Peter are better friends than I could ask for."
"What about Lily?" Mary couldn't help but laugh out loud at the idea. "Who am I kidding? Knowing her track record, she'd start dating your bully."
"You're being very unkind," Remus said sternly, but in Mary's eyes, he only looked more pathetic. "But I understand-"
"I'm finished with being kind," Mary said, her frustration boiling over and her eyes stinging. Brandy was whining, but she didn't care. "And you don't understand. My best friend has been locked away in Azkaban since Valentine's Day for saving my life, and you and your friends made everything worse!"
"Mary-"
"I'm done," Mary said. "Take me to Dumbledore."
Remus seemed to be struggling with what to do, but he relaxed and said, "Alright. To Dumbledore, then."
Remus led Mary and Brandy to the gargoyle where Dumbledore's office was, and they walked up the steps together. He was about to knock on the door when it opened, revealing Professor Wigworthy.
"Oh, Mr. Lupin!" Wigworthy said with surprise. "And young Miss MacDonald! How are you two?"
"Miss MacDonald wishes to speak with the headmaster, if he's available."
"He is," came another voice. Mary peeked behind Wigworthy and saw Dumbledore sitting with Professors Vablatsky and Slughorn. "Do come in," Slughorn continued.
Wigworthy walked back to the other professors as Remus and Mary followed. Mary didn't know why they were here, but they all seemed to be talking about the same thing. Dumbledore said calmly, "Ah, Mr. Lupin. Miss MacDonald. And I see Brandy is doing well. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Sir," Mary began. "I read that you were going to defend Severus."
"That is correct," Dumbledore said. There was a pause, and Mary realized he was waiting for her to continue.
"... do you need another witness?"
Severus III
Sunday, 27 March 1977
… what was the point of it all…?
Have we reached self-loathing, now?
We spent almost a year trying to make things right, trying to save her, and look at us.
We've saved Mary.
If I hadn't antagonized Mulciber, he wouldn't have gone after her….
He went after her on the same day in my life. You saved her from a fate worse than death.
Only because you came back….
What are you talking about?
You said it yourself. Without you, I become you. Without you, I join the Death Eaters, I destroy Lily, I waste my life trying to protect her son….
You do not know that. Perhaps, there was a chance for you to make other decisions.
We'll never know now, will we? You had to defy time and space to come here, bind yourself to me, make me a better person. Without you, I'm rotten… oh my God….
What…?
When you came back, you steered me from my path.
Yes…?
And time was reversed, and the souls of anyone affected were reverted to their earliest possible states of being….
Yes, her son waits to be born again….
What happened to your Lily…?
What do you mean…?
If she reverted… does your Lily still exist? Or did you erase her…?
I….
It's all… it's all pointless…. Your Lily, she….
No, that's not how it works….
Do you believe that? The Lily that never forgave you chose Potter and sacrificed herself for her son. She's the Lily you switched sides for. How can she be that Lily, your Lily, if those memories were never made?
… what have I done….? She can't be gone! She has to still be here…!
Even if she was… I wouldn't be her Sev, would I? I'm not even my own Lily's Sev; I replaced him when you came back…. How can she forgive me if I'm not the right one…? How can she forgive another Sev…?
… Lily….
Lily III
Friday, 1 April 1977
"You forgot your book," Marley said as she sat down beside Lily in Transfiguration class. Everyone but Remus and McGonagall had arrived, but they still had time to arrive before 9:00.
"Thanks," Lily said, taking the book and flipping through it. She was still occupied by the letter she'd gotten from Mum, but if Slughorn had gotten in touch with Belby, then there was still a chance that he had been working on the treatment drawn up by Severus. And that only reminded her of next week's hearing. She was planning on going if she was allowed; she'd stay in London if she needed to.
"Any news?" Marley asked.
"Nothing," Lily said. "Nothing from Mum… Sev hasn't…." She was relieved to know that he had survived the winter in Azkaban, but she was worried for his eyesight. She felt an arm wrap around her shoulder, and she was pulled into a hug.
"He's strong," Marley said quietly. "He hasn't given up yet."
"I should go see him," Lily said. "Both of them."
"I don't think Azkaban takes visitors," Marley replied. "It's one more week. And besides, we're going home tomorrow; you'll have plenty of time then."
Lily nodded as she leaned into Marley. "Am I a bad friend?"
"Are you still thinking about what Mary said?" Marley asked. "She's not feeling well. It's the stress she's under."
"She didn't say anything wrong," Lily mumbled.
Marley didn't respond immediately, but she eventually said, "We both know her. I think that, once everything's settled and Snape's released, she'll start talking to us again."
The door opened, and Remus casually walked in, sitting at Lily's other side. He leaned in and whispered, "Lily, Dumbledore wants to speak with you."
Lily looked up and pulled away from Marley. "What's wrong?" She was starting to worry someone bad had happened.
Remus gestured for her to keep her voice down. "He said to be discreet. Slughorn's with him as well. McGonagall already knows."
Lily nodded and got up, and she said to Marley, "I'll be right back, then."
"Alright."
Lily made her way out of the classroom and through the castle to where the gargoyle was, keeping her eyes on the stone floor at all times while holding a mirror in her off-hand. Upon arriving, she spoke the password and hurried up, entering to find Dumbledore sitting at his desk and Slughorn standing beside him, and a stranger sat in the chair across from both.
"You called for me, sir?" Lily asked.
"Miss Evans, please sit." Dumbledore's voice was soft and quiet.
Lily was starting to feel apprehensive, but she complied. "Is something the matter?"
"... Lily, I'm afraid I have unfortunate news," Dumbledore began.
"Did something happen with Severus?!" Lily asked. "Is he alright?"
"This isn't about Severus," Dumbledore explained. He turned to the stranger sitting beside Lily and said, "If you would."
The man turned to Lily and said, "I'm Philip Greymoor from the Muggle Liaison Office, West Midlands Branch. You are Miss Lily Joanne Evans?"
Lily nodded. "I am."
"Miss Evans," Mr. Greymoor said, "I'm afraid your father, Samuel Evans, has passed away…."
Severus IV
"Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum….Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…. Expecto Patronum…."