Chapter 6: Benefactors
Severus sought out Prefect Attwater the next morning after breakfast. He'd made sure to arrive early, so that he would be prepared when the older student was ready to leave. By the time Attwater arrived, he was halfway through with his own breakfast (he was surprised Lily had remembered his preference for oatmeal with a little cream and honey, but it was the perfect start to the morning). By the time Attwater finished, he'd left and taken up a place in the Entrance Hall to avoid questions from his Housemates.
He waited until Attwater emerged from the Great Hall with two other Hufflepuffs before he moved. "Prefect Attwater? I was wondering if I could speak with you."
Attwater saw him and nodded. "Certainly." He waved his two friends away, then followed Severus over to the disused classroom to the side.
Severus put aside the sneering thought that a Slytherin would have been more wary. If he'd been helped by a Slytherin, he wouldn't be in this position in the first place.
He waited until the door was closed. Attwater didn't put up any privacy wards, and Severus forced himself to follow the older Prefect's lead. "I've never formally introduced myself. Severus Snape, of Slytherin House."
Attwater looked him over with appraising eyes. "I know who you are. Although, I suppose formal introductions are in order. Jeremy Attwater, Hufflepuff." He held out a hand. Severus shook it, trying to keep himself from stiffening or flinching as he did. "I have to say, you look a lot better than you did a few days ago."
"I feel a lot better." Severus agreed. "I wanted to thank you for that. For the potions, and the care. There aren't…there aren't many who would have bothered."
"Well, it's a Prefect's job to take care of other students, and I'd be a poor one if I didn't. Besides, I'm not the type to stand by if someone needs assistance. Hufflepuff and Healer and all that." Jeremy shrugged. "So you're welcome, and don't worry about it."
"I appreciate that. But I was wondering about the clothes. I haven't much, but if you'll tell me the cost, I'll work on getting the money for you." He had a few Slytherin classmates he could ask for money, in payment of debts, and what that didn't cover, he could sell potions for. Slughorn let him work in the labs unsupervised these days, and it wouldn't be any trouble to brew a few things to sell to other students. It was how he'd paid for necessary supplies in the past.
"You don't owe me anything for that." Attwater shrugged again.
Severus stared at him a moment, then recovered. "I appreciate your kindness, Prefect Attwater, but I know that new clothing is not free. I'd rather pay for it."
"If you want to pay me back, then take care of the clothes. And your appearance in other respects." Attwater caught the disbelieving stare on Severus's face. "Look, Snape. I understand your position. But here's mine: This school is meant to be the premier school in Europe. That means we've a reputation to uphold. And while plain clothes for weekends are each student's responsibility, when it comes to uniforms and such, all students should be presentable. I don't know why your clothing was in the shape it was in, and I won't ask, but I believe that things like that should be taken care of by the school, if the students can't. Your Head of House ought to have made sure that you were taken care of, whether you needed a trip to Diagon or Hogsmeade because you couldn't go this summer, or you needed spare clothes out of the stores. Since it didn't look like anyone in your House had handled it, I did. And that's that."
"I see." Put that way, he understood. It wasn't the Slytherin way of thinking, but he supposed that to a Hufflepuff, who prized loyalty and solidarity, it made sense. "But all my clothing has been replaced. Not just my uniforms. So I still owe you something for the casual wear."
"No. You don't." Attwater shook his head.
Severus met his gaze in challenge. "And why not? You said yourself that casual clothes are meant to be the responsibility of the student."
"Because the welfare of the students is meant to be the responsibility of the Prefects and Professors. And your welfare has been neglected. I mean to put an end to that this year." Attwater's voice was firm.
Severus stared. "What?"
Attwater stared back, his gaze level. "You're a brilliant student, Snape. Everyone knows that. And everyone knows that you've been targeted for some pretty nasty tricks. And I've been with Madam Pomfrey, working on my Healer's training, since I passed the required O.W.L. You may not realize just how often you've been seen to, or how often you've been injured, but we have." His voice dropped. "I heard about the incident at the lake after the fact, but I was shocked you hadn't been in then. And I heard from Madam Pomfrey too, when you nearly got mauled by something last year. She wouldn't tell me what, but I was surprised you didn't wind up in the Infirmary longer."
Severus swallowed hard, ice in his belly. "If...if you're just feeling sorry for me..."
"I'm not." Attwater shook his head. "I don't know you, but I know enough. You'd hate pity, and I wouldn't fault you for it. Think of it as an apology, for not helping you more than I have done. The kind of shite you've put up with is something the Professors and Prefects ought to have done something about. And if a few new clothes helps, then that's a small enough price, all things considered." He smiled tightly. "Think of it as helping me assuage my conscience, so I can get on with my chosen profession without feeling bad, if you like. It's true enough."
A debt of conscience. He'd never heard of such a thing, but he supposed that if anyone would feel that way, it would be a Hufflepuff. More to the point, he was fairly certain that Attwater wasn't going to let him win this argument. "You...what is it you wanted me to do? You said the price was caring for myself?"
"Yes." Attwater looked him up and down. "You've been eating well enough the last couple of days from what I've seen. Keep that up. To be healthy you ought to have a good stone more on your frame, at least. And get Madam Pomfrey to double check the healing for those injuries. I did the best I could, and I left every potion I thought would be useful, but you should get her to look at them anyway, just in case I missed anything. And get some more sunlight, at least until winter comes. You're too bloody pale."
He'd have to see if he could find a place where the Marauders wouldn't accost him. But he would try, if only because he didn't want Attwater to rethink his generosity. "Anything else?"
"Keeping your hair and all neat wouldn't hurt. I know you're a Potions enthusiast, and Potions can be hard on hygiene, but I think you're smart enough to get around it, if you tried." Attwater smirked. "Prove me right on that, if you like. I've heard it said that you're a Potions genius. Come up with something and show it to me. That'll work."
Severus relaxed. Finally, something that felt...appropriate. A payment of sorts. It would be a challenge, but he enjoyed challenges. "I can do that."
"Good. Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?" Attwater cast a quick Tempus charm.
He had class in five minutes. "No, I don't think so." He ducked his head in a respectful nod. "Thank you for your time, Prefect Attwater."
"You're welcome." The older student flicked his wand to open the door, then jerked his head at it. "Get to class Snape, before someone has to dock you points for being late."
Severus nodded and hurried away.
He'd have to talk to Slughorn about using the Potions classroom. He wanted to start his research as soon as possible, if only so Attwater wouldn't think he was slacking.
***ASiSF***
Remus had been watching Severus since he entered the Hall. From the amount he ate, the House Elves in the kitchen were still following the suggestions he and Lily had provided, and it seemed to be doing Snape some good. He'd gained some color, and was starting to look a little less like a ragged scarecrow. The new clothes helped too, and they seemed to have helped Snape's self-esteem a bit. At the very least, he was sitting a bit straighter at the table.
He saw Severus track Attwater when the older prefect entered the hall, and how the Slytherin boy hurried through the rest of his breakfast and left, as Attwater finished his own meal. He ducked his head to hide a grin.
They'd expected Snape to confront Attwater, and he knew what Attwater would say to him. He wondered what Severus would think about Attwater's words. Hopefully, between the Hufflepuff and Lily, they'd be able to start softening that hard shell of suspicion and anger around Snape.
He wondered how Snape would take the next phase of their plans.
Between them, they'd sorted out all the classes Severus had. James and Sirius had gathered enough money to pay for the books, once Remus had gotten close enough to verify that Severus was in fact using second-hand books. One or two of them, his Potions text in particular, looked like they could have belonged to his parents. Or his mother, at least. They weren't in bad condition, of course, but Remus knew quite well how uncomfortable using second-hand books or outdated texts could be. Especially in subjects like Charms or Transfiguration, where things were often changing between new editions.
In the end, they hadn't just scraped together money for the textbooks. They had also gone looking in the library for books that might prove interesting or useful for Snape, given what Remus had overheard him saying. They wouldn't get them all at once, of course, since that would be too hard on the owls, and suspicious otherwise. Instead, they had planned out a timetable of deliveries. James and Sirius would alternate purchasing and selecting owls to carry the purchases (school owls for better anonymity), while Remus would write notes to accompany the parcels.
No doubt Severus would be highly suspicious of everything he received, but they intended to be careful. In time, they hoped he'd get used to the gifts. Remus fully expected Severus to try writing back to him, but that was no issue. In fact, he looked forward to it. For one, it would provide a way to prove their intentions, when Severus finally discovered the identity of his benefactors. For another, he suspected Severus would be an intelligent and engaging pen pal, and he hoped to learn more about him. Having discovered how wrong they'd been in their assumptions, all of the Marauders were curious to learn about the 'real' Severus Snape.
In the meantime, Lily would continue working with Severus, rebuilding their friendship, while the rest of them worked on a separate project.
They were going to find someone to mentor Severus Snape before the end of the year. Someone trustworthy, who wasn't a supporter of the Dark Lord, and would know how to take care of a boy who'd been through as much as Severus had. Someone who was willing to take a summer live-in intern or apprentice.
Remus was determined to look up Alchemists, while Peter and Sirius researched Potions Masters, and James wrote to his father about any Unspeakable contacts he might have, as well as the Prince family. They'd already vetoed Dumbledore, Slughorn and Flitwick, on grounds that Snape was unlikely to trust or respect the teachers who hadn't helped him.
Now it was just a matter of doing the research. And writing out the note to accompany the first of the books that Severus would receive.
***ASiSF***
Getting Slughorn's permission to use the lab after classes was easy. Slughorn already knew of his skill with Potions, and he hadn't been at all subtle about his expectations for Severus's talents. Or about his expectations that he would share some of the recognition Severus obtained.
As if Slughorn had done anything for him. His talent was his own, and the ingredients he used were, often as not, things he provided. His equipment certainly was. And Slughorn hadn't ever bothered to notice his home problems or his Marauder problems. He was far too Slytherin to give the man credit he hadn't earned and didn't deserve, even for the sake of potential alliances later.
Severus had arranged to spend Saturday morning visiting the Infirmary, then the afternoon studying with Lily, but he'd decided to go ahead and start his new project Friday evening, after dinner. The Fire was mostly banked and under his control. He'd had several days of decent meals. Even better, the Marauders hadn't pranked him once. They hadn't even insulted him. He didn't expect that to last, of course, but he was going to enjoy the respite while he had it.
Actually, given that they hadn't pranked anyone so far, either they were dealing with schoolwork, or someone really had given them a talking to. Whoever it was must have put the fear of Merlin into them. It still wouldn't last, but he was glad that someone had seen through their charm and good looks.
He set that aside and turned his mind to the problem at hand. He'd brought the school shampoo, and the stuff he'd nicked, so that he could determine what ingredients were in it. It would at least give him an idea of what bases were used in hair products, as well as what didn't work to solve the problem.
In theory, he supposed he could just cast Impervious Charms on himself every time he worked on a potion. That had been his first avenue of research. But as it turned out, Impervious Charms didn't guard against everything, and that included fumes. Bubble-Head Charms might work, but keeping a potion on track required using all your senses, not just sight, and Bubble-Head charms would obscure his sense of smell. More than once he'd rescued a potion that looked right because it smelled wrong.
Then there was the fact that magic and potions tended to react in odd ways sometimes. Some potions ingredients didn't like certain spells, in the same manner that some ingredients required specific metals for the cauldrons, or the stirrers, or the knives to cut them. He didn't know as much as he would have liked about those reactions, since it was Mastery level theory, but he knew enough after some research to conclude that there was a reason Slughorn hadn't just spelled every student Impervious when they walked in.
Of course, there were similar problems with several hair-care products. The fumes could react with different ingredients in different ways, causing any manner of reactions.
He made a note of what was in the bath products he'd brought with him, then considered his options.
It might be best to start with ingredients that were stabilizers. Stabilizers were usually used to balance potions, and keep normally reactive ingredients from interacting as violently as they might otherwise. A stabilizer, mixed with a cleanser...that might have promise. And in a water, or water-soluble base...that had potential.
He vaguely recalled that he'd heard a housewife at the park telling her neighbor about the benefits of a lemon juice wash. He made a note of that. The acidity of lemon juice made it fairly reactive, but the reactions could be tamed with the right other ingredients. It also smelled pleasant.
On a hunch, he hunted out the 'Skowers Magical Mess Remover' that Slughorn kept for cleaning cauldrons. It was formulated to handle even the worst stains and disasters. It would likely be too strong for what he wanted. Still...most shampoos and hair products weren't strong enough to protect a brewers hair. He'd need something between the two extremes.
He worked for a good two hours, until it was nearly curfew, writing out different possibilities. That was something most people never understood. You had to plan and prepare before you started experimentation. He knew far too many students in the N.E.W.T level classes who still thought you could just implement an idea with no proper research or preparation. He was always meticulous and careful, though he had to admit that the state of his often haphazard notes wouldn't reflect that.
He made another few notes, about ingredients from the Muggle world that might be helpful. He might not like his Muggle father, but there was no sense wasting the advantages of a dual upbringing. Besides, Muggle solutions might not react as much with Potions fumes, and it was well worth trying. He'd heard some things about baking soda and vinegar...though he wouldn't want to smell like vinegar. But perhaps baking soda and lemon juice?
He returned to the Slytherin Common Room moments before curfew. There were some pointed looks, and a few questions, but he ignored both. Wilkes cornered him, having wanted to ask him about some Potions homework, but backed off when he said he'd been working on repayment for a favor. It was an unspoken rule of Slytherin House, after all. No one asked too closely about favors, not unless they wanted their own business to become public knowledge. And since Severus knew his housemates would have noticed his new clothes, it was a safe response.
He helped Wilkes with his homework, then retired to work on his own for an hour before he went to bed.
The next morning, he went to breakfast early, then to the Infirmary for his appointment with Madam Pomfrey. She fussed at him, but accepted his explanation about Prefect Attwater, then submitted him to a full medical exam. He'd rather have avoided it, but he didn't want Attwater to find out that he'd skimped on getting care. Though at least the intervening days had given him time to heal the burns, so Madam Pomfrey had no reason to ask about what had caused them. The bruises and welts from his father's beatings were almost gone too, and faded enough that he could convince her that it had been an accident, a little bit of a tumble.
He told her about his collapse, but passed it off as light-headedness, because he hadn't felt like eating, and hadn't slept. Since his medical scan did show him as a bit malnourished, she believed him. She already knew about his touchy stomach, anyway, so it wasn't a stretch. He told her about Lily's solution, and she confirmed his suspicion that someone had told the elves to give him nutrient solution, which he attributed to Attwater. He hoped he wasn't getting the prefect into trouble, but suspected that if Attwater had told the truth, then it would be fine.
Knowing Madam Pomfrey's temper, he'd get a scolding for not reporting a collapsed student, followed by a commendation for his actions in caring for him.
After his exam, the Head Nurse told him he would be on Potions, which the elves would continue to administer since that seemed to be working, for the remainder of September. She wanted him to gain at least two stone rather than one, since signs indicated he might have another growth spurt soon. Like Attwater, she recommended more sun and some exercise, while it was possible, then released him.
He returned to his dorm to work on his schoolwork a little more, then got lunch, then went to the library to find Lily at their favorite table. She greeted him with a smile. "How was your research last night?"
He shrugged. "Not so bad, I suppose. I've some ideas. But I was wondering if you could help me with some of it." He pulled out his notes. "See...I've been thinking that maybe some Muggle things would work, because they haven't any magic to react with the fumes and all. I heard a neighbor muttering about lemon juice..."
"That's a bit reactive though, being a citric acid. Besides...it's also used as a hair lightening product." Lily grinned at him. "I don't think you're trying to lighten your hair, are you?"
"Err...no." He doubted he'd have much luck, with the midnight black locks he'd inherited from both parents. "But if it were mixed with the right other things….I also had a thought about baking soda. Your mum swears by it as an odor neutralizer and a cleaning agent, I know..."
"That might be worth trying. I can owl her and ask about it. And perhaps some other things that might help." Lily scribbled a quick not on her own parchment. "It's worth a try. And I know the girls would love it if you could come up with something that neutralized the effects of potion fumes. Mary's always going on about how it ruins her hair."
"I've a lot of work before I'm ready to do any testing." Severus shrugged, then rolled up his notes. "Anyway, you said you had another question about the Arithmancy, and I had some stuff about the Ancient Runes homework..." He tugged the relevant books and notes out of his bag, and soon they were engrossed in their studies, exchanging ideas and explanations back and forth.
It was like they'd never been apart, and Severus was determined to keep it that way.
The rest of the weekend passed pleasantly enough. Severus studied with Lily until nearly dinner time, ate another full meal, then returned to his Common Room. He spent the evening working on homework, and helping those who needed it and were willing to trade him. There were a few subtle attempts to inquire about his new wardrobe and his new eating habits, as well as his newest research project. Severus dodged all of them, revealing only what he had revealed before. Eventually, the rest of them stopped asking.
Sunday morning he rose early for breakfast, then went for a long walk around the Black Lake. He'd always been an early riser, and he'd never needed much sleep. The air was crisp and biting, but pleasant rather than uncomfortable, now that he had clothing that could actually keep him warm. He found a comfortable outcropping of rock and stayed out until nearly lunchtime, enjoying the fall air while he made little, random notes on a spare piece of parchment. There was nothing particularly specific about the notes, just thoughts he'd had that he hadn't yet written down.
For the last hour, he practiced spells, everything from first year up, testing his power levels and his control. The Fire had burned down to embers, and soon the energy would be fully merged with his core. It wasn't an entirely comfortable thought, but he was resigned to it.
On his way back to the Castle, he thought about what he and Lily had discussed, Thursday night in the library. Specifically, his relationship with his fellow Slytherins.
He hadn't lied when he'd told her that he didn't care for 'blood purity' propaganda. He was a half-blood himself after all. Besides, it didn't take that much work to figure out the half-bloods and Muggleborn, and where they ranked in the school in terms of skill and power. It also didn't take much thought to see that most of them did far better than the pure-blood students. They were certainly more driven to succeed, not having family prestige and wealth to fall back on if they didn't make a future for themselves.
He hadn't lied when he'd told her he didn't care for hurting people either. He had a wicked temper, he'd never denied that. He had inherited the worst of both his parents in that area, including a fairly vicious streak when he was riled. And he had no problem with seeking vengeance for a wrong done to him, or with fighting back and fighting dirty if the situation called for it. But five years had taught him that he didn't particularly care for targeting someone just to target them. That was too much like what his father, the Marauders, and to a certain extent his housemates, had done to him.
He could defend himself, and would, but…well, he didn't mind reining himself in a bit. If there really was an alternative to following the Dark Lord, and if he chose to take that alternative...well, the Fire wouldn't help him much, and there was no sense feeding it.
Still, he did have to deal with his fellow Slytherins for another eighteen months out of twenty-four. If he wasn't careful, he could get himself in trouble on that front. Particularly with Avery, Wilkes and Rosier.
It was fortunate, given the way things were going, that he'd given himself such a heavy schedule. He'd be able to plead schoolwork to avoid a lot of trouble. The problem would be if they discovered his renewed friendship with Lily. He'd been harassed about his feelings for her before, and congratulated for breaking it off. If his dorm mates found out they'd patched things up...well, that might be a problem. He'd have to be careful.
He spent that evening preparing for his Monday classes, isolating himself with the excuse that he'd missed the first classes and didn't want to be too far behind. It was an acceptable enough excuse to get his housemates to leave him alone.
Monday and Tuesday passed quietly enough. Severus attended classes, made his excuses to the Professors whose classes he'd missed the week before, and worked on his assignments. He spent Monday night working on more of his theories for the Hair Protection Potion, as he'd marked it. Tuesday he met Lily for an hour before dinner, discussing their mutual Charms homework and some more ideas he'd had about the potion. After dinner he made himself visible in the Slytherin Common Room, to avoid unwanted attention.
Wednesday morning, however, things changed.
He was eating breakfast, his favorite oatmeal with some bacon on the side as protein, when an owl swooped down and landed almost directly on his plate.
Severus stared at it in surprise. He never got owl mail. His mother certainly never sent him anything, too concerned with incurring his father's wrath. No one else ever sent him anything. The only real correspondent he might have had outside the school was Lucius, or his fellows, but they relied on other Slytherins to pass messages, if they were important. Or made arrangements to meet in Hogsmeade, if it were worth a face to face meeting.
Severus studied the owl. It was a fairly generic barn owl, it's only identification the markings that labeled it a Hogwarts owl. It was carrying a rectangular parcel, on top of which was a letter, clearly addressed to him in neat handwriting.
"Oi, Snape. What's with the owl?"
"Just...something." He wasn't about to admit he had no idea why the owl was there. He deftly unfastened the parcel, gave the owl some bacon to get it to go away, and tucked the still-wrapped package into his bag. "Wasn't expecting it today is all."
"Sure. But I've never seen you get owl post before." Avery frowned at him.
Severus forced himself to shrug. "Well, things change. Besides, we're graduating next year, and I want to be ready. I'd prefer to start on what I want now."
"If you like. But there are...easier ways. Patronage, maybe." There was a gleam in Avery's eye that Severus knew, and the implications of his words were plain. "There are people who might sponsor you."
People like Lucius, and his Dark Lord.
Severus kept his face a bland mask. "That might be so, but what sort of Slytherin would limit themselves to only one option? Or depending on another? You might like that, but I don't intend to be that sort."
Avery's expression darkened. "Careful Snape. You wouldn't want certain parties to think you're rejecting their offers."
Severus sneered at the older boy. "If they're foolish enough to feel that pursuing multiple options is a rejection, then I'm not certain they are intelligent enough to be worth my time. Though I suspect the people you're referring to would appreciate my reasons for my actions. Unless...you meant to imply that Lucius is too foolhardy to understand the benefits of diverse approaches?"
Avery scowled, but there was no good answer to that and they both knew it. Severus returned to his meal, eating quickly. He wanted to find a place to open up the parcel in peace. And, with any luck, figure out who it had come from.
He finished his breakfast with time to spare and took his leave, making for an abandoned classroom halfway to his first class. Once inside he put up several Notice-Me-Not charms, cleaned off a desk with a quickly muttered spell, then sat down and pulled the package from his bag.
Several spells later he had to conclude that either there were no malicious spells on package or note, or that they were so obscure he was never going to find them anyway. He considered, then opted to open the package first, to see if that could tell him anything. He tore the paper away carefully, on guard for both damaging the content, and for any dangerous spells. Once the enclosed item was free he sat back, staring at it.
A brand new edition of the Charms book for his year. So new he could smell the ink and the leather of the binding. He flicked it open, feeling the hesitancy of a spine that had never been bent before, the crispness of pages that had never been marked, never been bent or torn or written on or subjected to the wear of book bags and classes.
He'd had to borrow Lily's book last night, because they'd been talking about new techniques that weren't in his mother's copy. It had been frustrating, all the more so knowing the favors he would have paid if he'd had to ask one of his housemates. And now…
He snatched up the letter and broke the envelope open, almost tearing it in his haste. There had to be an explanation, something. Someone whose debt he was now in, some sort of overture…
The letter was short, and to the point. And almost as confusing as the package itself.
Dear Mr. Snape,
I have observed that your school materials, in particular your textbooks, are somewhat out-of-date. I do not say this to insult you, or to reflect poorly on you. However, I have taken it upon myself to set about rectifying the matter. Consider this particular text to be the first installment. Others will follow, though I have no particular schedule. If you should like a scheduled delivery, please owl me back your preferences, and we shall arrange something.
I know you are an intelligent and gifted student. I expect that you will use this and all other texts presented you to further your potential and skill. I look forward to seeing how your performance alters.
An Associate
Severus stared at the letter for several minutes, trying to sort out what clues were there.
The formal address at the beginning and tone of the letter suggested a teacher or other adult figure. But the final salutation was one of equals, of sorts. It was the type of self-address that implied distant association, but on equal footing.
Lucius would never be so vague, not with this. He'd want Severus to know who his debt was to. The same could be said of most Slytherins. No Slytherin would make such a gift without making sure the favor could be called in. If it had been a Dark Arts text, he might have understood the subtlety, but then there would have been other clues.
He had few associates outside of school, and none he would expect gifts from.
He thought. It had to be someone close to the school, or at least someone who had access to the school owls. Someone who could get a hold of or find out his schedule. After all, they'd have to know he was taking N.E.W.T level Charms class to get him this book. And it had to be someone who had at least some moderate interest in his welfare.
There was a slim possibility that it was still a professor, in spite of the final address, but he couldn't think of a reason for them to be so coy. After all, it was a professor's prerogative to aid a student if they chose, and there was no reason to be shy about it. Unless it was someone who didn't want to be seen favoring a Slytherin. But then why would they make gifts to him? Why bother helping him at all? They certainly had done nothing for him in his first five years.
The likeliest suspects were Prefects. In particular, two specific Prefects, both of whom had shown a marked interest in his welfare over the past week.
Severus folded the note, stuffed it and the book into his bag, and left, resolving to think about it later. For now, he had Potions class to attend.
He managed to slip Lily a note while they were gathering ingredients for that day's potion, asking her to meet him in the library after dinner. The bright smile he received indicated she'd be there, and enabled him to turn his attention to correctly brewing Slughorn's latest assignment. The potion they were working on was a variant of a truth potion, tricky but not that difficult if you kept your mind on your work. By the end of class, Severus was confident that he'd managed it perfectly, though he'd also thought of at least two ways the process could be improved, and made notes to experiment with them. After he finished his work for Prefect Attwater, of course.
Waiting for the end of classes, and the end of dinner, was exhausting. He kept turning things over in his mind, rereading the note when he had a moment alone, committing it to memory. He was certain the handwriting wasn't Lily's, and it didn't match Attwater's handwriting from his previous notes, but still...who else could it possibly be?
Finally, the evening meal was over. Severus finished the last bite of food (he'd been eating more over the past few days, and thought he might even be gaining some weight) and left. He'd already made his excuses about needing some time in the library to look up some specific information on his Ancient Runes and Arithmancy homework (two classes that Avery, Wilkes and Rosier had no interest in). He'd even brought his textbooks to dinner with him.
He made it to the library early, well before Lily did. He claimed their usual table, then pulled out his Ancient Runes text, opened it to the page marked for their assignments, and looked up the notes he'd made on supplementary reading. He collected the relevant texts, then began to go over his work, double checking and pulling up references as needed. After all, Lily or no Lily, he did need to complete his assignment, and there was always a chance that someone would be checking on him.
Lily turned up 45 minutes later, carrying her own book-bag. "Severus."
"Lily." He offered her a wary smile, waiting until she sat down before casting a few privacy and Notice-Me-Not charms. If anyone came by to check on him later, they'd never think to look here.
Lily noticed the spells and raised an eyebrow at him. "Severus?"
He flushed. "It's just something to keep the Marauders away. And some of my Housemates. I don't want them spying on us."
Lily settled down in a chair across from him, concern creasing her brow. She reached out and caught his quill as he looked away, forcing him to look back at her. "Can I ask why?"
He knew what she was really trying to ask, and his flush deepened, burning hot under his skin. Almost as hot as the Fire. "It's not...I'm not ashamed or anything. It's not that. It's just...it's not safe. You know it's not. They thought I broke it off with you, and if people like Wilkes and Rosier, or Avery, found out different...well, one of us would be in for it." He took a deep breath. "They've eased up on me this term, thinking I've stopped associating with you. If they find out otherwise..."
"I understand." Lily released him.
Severus scowled. "I hope you don't, really."
Lily shrugged. "I admit, I probably don't understand what would happen to you if your dorm-mates found out about us being friends again. Slytherin and Gryffindor handle things differently. But..." Her tone hardened. "I do understand House rivalries Sev. I understand what it's like when everyone around you is convinced you're making a mistake by being friends with someone from a rival House. I understand how they can whisper and coax and try to change your mind."
Severus flushed again, wincing. "Sorry. I know you do. It's just...well, sorry is all."
Lily's tone softened again as she reached across the table and touched his hand again. "I know. It's hard."
"Yeah." Severus squeezed her hand gently, then pulled away, changing the subject as he did. "Anyway, I wanted to discuss the Runes homework with you, but before that, I wanted to ask you about something." He dug into his bag and pulled out the Charms book he'd received.
Lily blinked, looking at the new book. "Newest edition Charms book. It's a good copy." She ran her hand over the binding. "But I thought...you said before that you were using your mother's old book, and that was why you needed to borrow mine."
"I didn't lie. This came by owl this morning. With this note." Severus passed her the note he'd gotten.
Lily read it through. "Interesting." She glanced up at him. "And you don't know who sent it?"
"I don't. That's what's bothering me. I was hoping you might have some idea." Severus swallowed. "I thought maybe...since you'd been talking to the House Elves, you and Attwater, that it might be one of you, or you might have an idea who sent it."
Lily nodded. "I can see why you'd think that. But honestly Sev, I didn't have anything to do with this. My family paid for my textbooks and supplies this year, but I paid half out of my pocket money. Sort of a way to pacify Petunia." She grimaced. "Not that it did much good. Still...I've enough this term for some basic restocking of supplies and maybe a little splurge on Hogsmeade weekend, but...I couldn't afford this." She slid the book across the table toward him. "It looks like you've got a good friend somewhere."
"Maybe. But...people don't just give something for nothing." Severus sighed, putting the book back in his bag. "I just...I don't know what to do, Lily."
"Write a thank you note, at least. If you think it's important, ask them what sort of compensation they'd like. Aside from good grades, since they've already said as much in their note. And Sev..." She touched his fingers to get his attention. "I know that you've said Slytherins don't give something for nothing, and maybe not a lot of other people do either. But sometimes...sometimes they do. Try not to let it wind you up if it turns out to be one of those times, okay?"
"I'll try. And you're right. I do need to write a thank you note." Severus sighed. "Let's leave it for now." He offered her a weak smile. "I really do need to work on my Runes and Arithmancy homework. I know the N.E.W.T classes are supposed to be harder, but a four foot parchment on the variations of Elder Futhark runes when applied in offensive versus defensive wardings, and active versus passive spells is a bit much I think."
Lily laughed. "I can't argue. But at least you'll have an easy time with the Potions homework." She looked at the parchment she kept her notes on. "Five uses for each ingredient in the truth potion we made today, and how different combinations produce different results, excluding those where the result is useless, with extra credit if an original result or combination is produced." She grinned in mock-annoyance at him. "I'll bet you're halfway done with it already, aren't you?"
"More than." Severus found himself relaxing enough to smirk back. "I thought of three or four variations while we were working in class today." Lily sent him a half-hearted glare, and he laughed. "There's a couple that were pretty easy to figure out. I'll share if you'll help me with the Arithmancy assignment, and double check my Runes." He knew more about Runes than he wanted to admit, but he wasn't about to write up what he'd learned from his mother, much less how he'd learned about it. No doubt the Ancient Runes Professor would run to Dumbledore if he started describing things like the Fire ritual in his assignments.
And Dumbledore would probably take it as a sign he was going bad. Even if he didn't, the headmaster wouldn't bother to intercede for him. Dumbledore had proved pretty well last year that Severus was unimportant to him.
Lily grinned at him. "You have a deal."
Severus pushed away thoughts of Dark Rituals and the Headmaster and grinned back. "Let's get to work then." Smiling, the two of them bent to their assignments.
By the time they left, fifteen minutes before curfew, Severus was confident he had enough material to convince his housemates about his studies, to say nothing of getting an O or an E on his homework.
He spent half an hour fielding questions (mostly from other Slytherins who were having the same problems with the Potions homework that Lily had), then went to his dorm and shut the curtains around his bed. It was only after he'd prepared himself for sleep that he allowed his thoughts to return to the mysterious textbook.
He believed Lily when she said she hadn't had anything to do with it. He could spot a lie, and she'd been honest. Besides, she'd approached him about repairing their friendship, so she'd no reason to hide something like that.
He didn't think Attwater was involved, because the Hufflepuff Prefect had no reason to hide his identity, but then again...Attwater knew about his pride, after their discussion about the clothes and the healing. And Attwater cared about the appearance of the school and it's students. And giving without expectations seemed a very Hufflepuff thing to do.
Severus rolled over and shut his eyes. He'd ask Attwater about it first thing in the morning.
And if the Seventh Year Hufflepuff wasn't involved, he'd take Lily's suggestion.
He'd write his benefactor a letter.
Author's Note: The plan has begun!
Next time: Severus writes a letter...and gets one back...