Restlessness

At last a kind of routine was established, in a tense calm. Sev kept in communication with the Guard through Anthony, in Arithmancy classes and when they saw each other alone in their bedroom, which was quite often, since they both went to bed early whenever they could.

He was the one who benefited the most from the fir ritual, since he acquired Sev's talent in all subjects, and since he was already a diligent student, his improvement was immediate and very noticeable, so he was finally able to aspire to get the Defense OWL as desired.

He was deeply grateful to him for it, and Sev to him for having advocated for him before his friends, and they also established a relationship of close complicity and camaraderie. Sev kept helping him in every subject he could on the sly, and sure enough, they moved to the front row in Arithmancy and Anthony began to help himself and probe out their two yearmates, both about joining the Guard and what they thought about Sev.

Lauren kept reading both girls, and after two weeks she discovered that they were willing to join to defend him if they were trained thoroughly in Dueling, so Anthony finally proposed it to them and they joined the training. They were pleasantly surprised to discover three Gryffindors from their year also involved.

As Remus was already in charge of training Cecile and Lily in depth, Sev dedicated himself especially to them, who took it with great interest and learned quickly, although they did not risk teaching them the magic of the fir tree as well, since they did not want to imply for the moment to more people in such a compromised secret.

They became very fond of each other, since he treated them very well, as he had done with Lily at the beginning, they were grateful to him for helping them with their subjects through Anthony and he to them for taking such risks for him. There were already six older Slys, four fifth-years.

Afternoons during the week, from Monday to Thursday, they dedicated to the Mental Arts. Sev dedicated himself in the first place to instructing Jack in Occlumency and Legilimency, who indeed continued to come with Ariel to cover himself from the others. The boy was content to be with his two older brothers, the real one and the adoptive one, and he was delighted. Jack had a harder time learning to occlude than reading. He was soon able to read the boy more deeply and check that he occluded perfectly. Lauren did too, to make sure the little boy was no longer in danger.

From that moment on, the two third-year members, Ariel and Shelley, Jack's sister, rejoined the Guard's training, much to Ariel's delight. That morning he and Sev walked together all the way to the chestnut trees clearing holding hands, and his little friend was finally able to expand and tell him many things excited.

That he admired him since he entered Hogwarts and had always wanted to be his friend but the others wouldn't let him because they didn't trust him, but since he always saw him with Lily, he knew he wasn't bad, if he hung out with those it was because of the Gryffindors attacked him.

He also told him how he found out that Sev was staying at the castle for Christmas. It was when, sitting in his corner of the Common Room, reading the letter from his mother, he told Mulciber rudely that he didn't know if he would take the Express. Wow... So he wasn't even sure I would stay, he risked spending Christmas alone.

Also that he had spent the best holidays of his life being able to be with him every morning. Sev felt overwhelmed for having provoked such a torrent of feelings in someone he had never met, and once again regretted not spending more time with him.

Nobody, except for Lily, had ever shown me so much affection, and in her it is explained, because it was mutual from the beginning, but this boy, who showed me blind trust without even knowing me and despite the warnings of his friends… he is a real mystery to me.

That first day with the younger ones, he devoted himself almost completely to them. He spent the morning fighting Ariel, who was dying to fight him alone, and when the Gryff girls arrived in the afternoon they organized a group of four, two against two. Sev with the girl, Shelley, Jack's sister, who was the laziest of the Guard and who hadn't been told the secret of magic yet either, and Lily with Ariel.

This way the four of them strengthen ties. Ariel and his friend were like Lily and Sev, the best friends who were already looming to be a couple, and the two couples felt fully identified with each other. On the way back to the castle they continued doing it, the four returned in a group. Lily thought, My little siblings-in-law…

That way there were already eleven in the Guard. Eight Slys, three Gryffs, Sev thought. Nine older and two children.Two from sixth-year, seven from fifth and two from third.The clearing is too small for us.

For his part, Sev told Jack what Lauren had told him, that the people in their House whom she had been able to read were afraid of him and admired him at the same time, and as Lauren recommended, he encouraged him to strengthen ties with the good warriors of his year and to probe them to find out if they would join the Guard and keep the secret when they found out that he was involved, since such a hypothesis was impossible to read about events that had not happened.

Jack understood perfectly, he got to it and as soon as he was able to read without a wand, he himself did it with that couple with whom he was most confident, confirming what Lauren had told Sev, that they were totally willing to join an organized group even if it was small, since they could attract more people, in fact they were already waiting for him to propose it, since they had also observed their absences on weekends. From that he could deduce that they would keep the secret. Now he just needed to win them over about Sev.

Jack didn't tell him anything about his progress until the weekend before Easter, to ask him permission to tell them his story during the holidays, in which he would met them privately and outside of school. He also took the opportunity to confess that they had been about to propose it to them in January after returning from holidays and they had aborted it because he got in the way. What a mess, how they have sacrificed for me.

In all that time, no hints were thrown about Lauren again, everything had already been made clear between them, and Jack tried his best to learn to occlude. And I'm sure he suspects that my 'reserved' Fridays are for her. By then Sev could already read quite deeply and he himself was able to confirm that he was doing it well. He suggested that Lauren check it out too but she didn't. She couldn't conceive of reading Jack without his permission and trusted in Sev's ability.

He delegated to Jack the task of teaching the other two Slys, who stopped going to Hogsmeade to spy. Jack already had the basics, but Sev continued to met with him two afternoons a week, after training and some school day, to continue advancing. He must also suspect that I am learning with someone, with her.I gave him a lot of clues.

Regarding the Gryffs, Sev met them one afternoon the first week, to teach them how to extract thoughts with the wand, and from then on he delegated the training on Lily, since he was already teaching her when they met at night and it was credible that they did like this. They took advantage of the small clearing whenever the Slys didn't need it, both after classes on school days and on weekends, also communicating with them by signs in the Great Hall or the Library.

Thus they advanced in Dueling and Mental Arts, in the latter more slowly than the Slys, since they had less time than they to practice and had to dedicate themselves to both tasks. And sure enough, though they swarmed the Forest on a daily basis, Hagrid never bothered them, which confirmed Lauren's suspicions that Dumbledore was letting them off the hook.

By delegating to Jack and Lily most of the training in Mental Arts and to Remus the Dueling for the Gryffs, Sev was soon able to relieve himself of overexertion, and sleeping and eating well, he resisted without missing a beat in his studies.

They all collaborated as a great team, Lily did not demand to meet him again, she settled for seeing him alone one night a week and the afternoons in the training of the Guard, and she was involved in doing her best to learn Dueling and Occlumency, because she knew that the first was going to be very necessary as soon as the Guard was revealed, and she needed the second to hide two important secrets.

Sev never got to read her in depth when they were alone, since they had no Pensieve in the Haven and he couldn't check if she was doing it right. He, too, had not yet told her anything about the fact that they would have to stop meeting after Easter, nor that she should also have the protection of Potter and Black.

In March he did not receive a letter from Malfoy either, since the Scottish spring had begun and it rained uninterruptedly. Oof... And from that date, as the Slys had already advanced a lot in Legilimency, especially Jack, they all coincided to discover that the seventh-year students who wished to be Death Eaters received invitations from Voldemort's supporters, including Malfoy, to meet on the Easter holidays. Sev was afraid that he would also write to him and it was a very tense stage, in which they designed the strategy that they would follow when he received the letter. They did it one morning when the Gryff girls weren't present.

If he did it in private, he would simply return it, reading the other snakes in case they knew. But the chances were that it would get to him at breakfast, in the regular mail, like he got the one at Christmas. In either case, he should sit alone in the Great Hall, either at the next meal if he get it in private, or immediately after returning it.

The rest of the Guard would be watching for that move and they would all rise to sit with him. This would show that it was not he who sought his support, but that he already enjoyed it. Wow...

From then on, all the Slys of the Guard would move around the castle together wherever possible. During school hours, the four fifth-years. And at night, in the dungeon dormitory, where it would be two against four, Anthony and Sev would take turns watching and sleeping with the aid of sleep potions until it was safe to stop. They would know it by reading the others, since Sev could already do it from a distance and without looking into their eyes. What a sacrifice Anthony is going to make for me, I will never be able to repay him.

For their part, the Gryffs would not respond, not giving themselves away, and from then on, Sev asked Remus not to be separated from Lily at all and, if possible, to always be accompanied by the trio. He told him not to tell Lily just yet, either to wait until it happened or that he would do it himself if he didn't got news before Easter.

Lily and Sev had decided to spend these holidays together, either in the castle or at home, and therefore she told her parents so, since she had the excuse of staying at school to study for the OWLs.

The week before the holidays they both received letters… from their parents. Oof… Lily's encouraged her that if they decided to go to Cokeworth, Sev could stay at their house without problem. And that, in any case, they would pick him up at the train station. Eileen wrote to her son that she had put anti-Muggle wards on the house as soon as his father left and that he hadn't shown any sign of life since.

So they decided that they would go to Cokeworth, each to their own house, since in Easter holidays many more students stayed at the school, including the Gryff quartet, so they could see each other every day. Cecile chose to stay with Remus. Lauren and the entire Guard were leaving, as were Sev's year snakes.

The afternoon before taking the Express, Sev had his last training session with Lauren. He had been reserving for that last day of a brief farewell, since they would not see each other again until more than a week later, to teach her to conjure the Patronus.

They did them at once and it came out corporeal her first time. Maybe she had already practiced it on her own. And at that moment he was able to verify that indeed, his was a lioness, since Lauren's was a panther, and they also played.

When they took the Express, in which they still had to hide, Lily stayed with the rest of her companions and badgers who used to hang out with them, refraining from participating in the spicy conversations, although she now had a lot to tell.

Sev, for his part, opted for an empty compartment at the back of the train, like on the last trip he made. He had his trunk with those of his year. But surely this time they leave me alone.In any case, if they come I'll pretend to be asleep and in peace.

I'm kind of embarrassed that Lily's parents are taking me to Cokeworth. At this point I realize that I have not been polite to them all these years, and also now they know my problems at home and at school. But for that very reason, I must see them and talk to them, otherwise they will fear that Lily will come to my house as she always has.

They had planned the strategy for the move. No one must notice that we left the station together. Lily got off the Express with her classmates, when she left platform nine and three quarters, she met her parents and they asked her about Sev, she told them that the Slytherins had the trunks at the back of the train and that it would still take a while for him to leave.

Using the excuse of having something hot, since she hadn't since breakfast, she led them to a cafeteria near the station, telling them that he would met them there.

Sev, for his part, went for his trunk when the train was already on the platform, meeting the snakes of his year who were preparing to go down. They made as if to wait for him. "Don't wait, I still have to change," he told them in a dry and authoritative tone.

"Well, a good time, Snape. Haven't you had time before?" Avery scolded him.

At this point asking me for explanations and daring to speak to me like that? He sneered at him. "What explanations do I have to give you about what I do?" he answered him with marked disdain.

"Well, then we're leaving," fearful and respectful. "See you at the return."

I wish not, but well… And I already have these ones totally dominated, the others haven't even opened their mouths, they already consider me their future commander. They are going to shit when I uncover and they are not going to dare with Lily.

He changed in the compartment, taking his time as the platform emptied. There is no hurry to get off the train, it remains detained here until the return trip.

When at last he got out, he walked along the platform in utter solitude for the first time. The border of the Wizarding World. He did it quickly. I don't want to keep Lily's family waiting too long. He left the station, he already knew the cafeteria beforehand, from some other time he had been there with them, going to or coming from King's Cross.

He had consulted with Lauren and the Guard if it was convenient for them to tell their parents about Druid Magic and they all recommended that there was no problem with Lily's, but that if he told his mother something, he should warn her of the danger of meeting Dumbledore. Bah, Mum hasn't been back to Hogwarts since she graduated.I'll tell her anyway, they'll know why they're telling me.

Therefore, Lily was entertaining her parents by talking animatedly about her progress in studies, also about the Druid Magic they had discovered. She knew that they were greatly interested in everything related to her gift and they were so amazed that time flew by.

When Sev entered the cafeteria, saw them sitting at a table in the back. Lily in front of him and her parents with their backs to him. He took a deep breath and headed towards them. My in-laws… he thought for the first time. She saw him come in and smiled at him, to immediately continue talking to her parents. When he was halfway there, the three of them stood up and turned to him, smiling, waiting to receive him. He smiled back to them as he reached them. "Good afternoon, Mr. Evans, excuse me for keeping you waiting."

Lily's mother replied, "It was nothing, Sev, don't worry, Lily has already explained it to us."

She kissed him on his cheek, and her father held out his hand. "We are glad to see you, it has been a long time," Mr. Evans said.

"Me too you."

"How much you've grown, and you look very good," Mrs. Evans told him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Evans, you are very kind," Sev replied.

"Come on, sit down and have a drink," Lily's mother said. "Lily was telling us about the new magic you're learning. We are surprised that they don't teach it to you at school." That gave rise to an interesting conversation in which the thorny issues were not yet dealt with. Sev spoke animatedly for the first time with Lily's parents, finally building that trust that he had never given them.

They are interested and close, and by giving them the opportunity to do so, I may discover that Lily has inherited that trait from her parents. Lily let him speak, marveling once more at the profound change he had undergone.

It didn't take long for them to head to the car. "Let's go now, your Mum might worry if we're too late," Mrs. Evans told him.

They got into the car, the parents in front and they behind. They held hands and gave each other furtive smiles. Soon Lily's mother changed the topic of conversation, "How about the rest at the school? Lily told us that her own housemates bothered you."

I deeply appreciate her waiting until we weren't face to face to talk about it, Sev thought. "They haven't done it during the whole school year. A friend of Lily's, who is now also my friend, is protecting me from his own housemates."

"Yes, that's what she explained to us, and you don't know how relieved we are to know it," the older woman said. "But if they do it again, do not hesitate to tell us and we will contact the Headmaster."

Ugh... not that.

"On top of what you had to go through at home, you only needed to be abused at school as well. When Lily told us about it, we were very worried." Mrs. Evans's tone was anxious, true to the feeling she was expressing. "Will you be safe in Spinner's End? You already know that you can stay in our house whenever you want, consider it yours. We'll see that Petunia doesn't bother you."

Ugh… she is very worried about me. Sev tried to convey security to them, "You don't know how I appreciate it. And so I will if necessary, but I don't think so. I really want to be with my mother, she also with me and I am sure that this time she will protect us. After all, I'm only here for a week."

Now the father spoke, in a sympathetic but firm tone, "In any case, we would prefer that Lily go to your house only the minimum, understand that we no longer feel safe. Although we know that if nothing has happened to her in all these years, it is because you yourself have avoided it."

This man knows how to judge, and we already expected something like that, Sev thought.

Mr. Evans continued, "Of course, we are not going to forbid you from seeing each other, but you can do it at our house. Your mother works in the mornings, doesn't she, Severus?"

"She does."

"Well, come to study at home, we won't be there. You both go into Lily's room and Petunia won't bother you."

This is the second time they talk about Petunia being annoying.I haven't seen her in years and Lily never tells me about her.Does she still harass her like when they were little?But she must already be nineteen years old. Sev questioned Lily with his gaze, who raised her eyebrows at him. Well yes... what was missing.

Mr. Evans was going on, "You can also stay for lunch or dinner whenever you want."

Ugh… studying is fine, but at the table with Petunia, no way. Tense situation.

"Thanks, Dad," Lily said. "We'll do that."

Luckily she has answered for me.

"We are not going to forbid you to leave the house and go see Sev's Mum some afternoon," now the older man was addressing her daughter.

Oh… He calls me Severus, but when he talks to Lily he calls me Sev, like her. And he is not so strict, his heart beats him.

"But please, Severus, be extra careful," Mr. Evans added.

Wow... Another one who delegates security on me, I already tell you that he knows how to judge. Sev was laughing to himself.

"I know that it is not necessary for me to ask you, you have always taken very good care of our daughter," Lily's father continued.

If they only knew the trouble I've gotten her into. Sev responded with absolute confidence. "You can be sure, Mr. Evans, that I won't let anything bad happen to her. I plan to have a serious talk with my mother, and if I don't feel safe, Lily won't come to my house. We'll walk around the neighborhood or stay at yours if the weather is bad."

Lily squeezed his hand hard.

"We expected no less from you," the older man replied. "By the way, do you need to go to Diagon?"

They did need it, they had to buy ingredients for sleep potions and also wanted to find more books on Druid Magic. For both expenses, the Guard had made a collection and Lauren had also contributed money, since they had found nothing in the Hogwarts Library, not even in the Restricted Section.

"Yes, Dad, and it may take us time, because we want to continue investigating what we have told you," Lily answered.

"Then we'll do the following, so you don't have to Floo from Spinner's End or take the train to London," Mr. Evans said. "On Monday I will go to work by bus and I will leave the car with your Mum, so she can take you after lunch, and the same if you have to go back some other day."

How great! I'm amazed, this is a family. But what a problem, Lily's mother in Diagon, with the news about Voldemort in the Daily Prophet and us having to pretend that we are going separately. Ugh…

Lily immediately responded, "Dad, I feel very bad that you have to make that effort. We'll go by train."

Her Mum spoke to her, very kindly and almost pleadingly, "It doesn't cost us anything, honey. You are not at home all year, it is the little we can do for you both, let us help you."

She is speaking in the plural, they are treating me as one more.We cannot refuse, we will figure out a way. Sev answered her, "Thank you very much, Mrs. Evans, you are doing us a great favor."

Lily looked at him fearfully. Now it was he who raised his eyebrows and squeezed her hand.

Her father spoke, "Don't thank us, Severus, you've been family to us for a long time."

Wow... and now he's telling me on top of that.

"Last summer we were worried when we saw that you were no longer together," continued Mr. Evans. "We thought that you had fought and we felt very bad."

They have been suffering since the summer because of that damn Tobias. How many people has my father made miserable?

"And stop calling us by our last name," the older man went on. "We already know each other well enough, we will not consider it disrespectful."

Merlin, how easy everything is turning out. How I regret not having come for Christmas, and even more so for having kept my distance for so many years. Lily's parents would have been a safe haven for me if I had opened up to them much sooner.

During the rest of the trip they continued to ask him about his studies. What OWLs he was preparing and what NEWT he was planning to take, and they were pleasantly surprised that he was willing to do two at a time. Wow… he hadn't told me that, Lily thought.

"Lily always tells us how talented you are."

"No more than her," Sev replied.

The new treatment seems strange to me. But he soon got used to it. They spoke to me so animatedly and with such confidence, they seem happy to finally be treating me like this, they must have been wanting to do it for half their lives, but I haven't given them the opportunity.

They arrived at Spinner's End and the four of them went down. Peter helped Sev with his trunk. They waited at the door for Eileen to open it, and when she saw her son, she threw herself into his arms. "Severus, my son, long time no see, how you have grown…"

Everyone tells me how I've grown, wow… He hugged his Mum with much love and relief. "I've missed you so much, Mum."

"I you too, you don't know how much." She separated from him. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, for having brought him. I would invite you to come home, but you can't, I have put the ward."

"It's okay, Mrs. Snape," Violet replied. "We're glad it's like that."

Eileen took their hands in hers, profusely apologizing. Ugh… poor Mum. How embarrasedshe must be.

Then she gave Lily a hug and told her just for her, "Thank you, honey, for opening my eyes. I always thought Severus was fine at school. How's it going?"

What a piece of shit... Lily thought. She goes to Hogwarts every once in a while, and even though she says she's Ariel's aunt, Slughorn knows full well that she's Sev's Mum, they're identical.He hadn't told her anything in all these years, he still hasn't, and she doesn't dare ask him because she doesn't give herself away. Too much to trust the teachers. "Much better, Eileen, but ask him," Lily replied. "Now I'm sure he'll tell you."

When they broke up, Lily's Mum told Eileen. "We're leaving, Mrs. Snape. You're invited whenever you want to have dinner at our house, you just has to let us know through Severus, it's about time we got to know each other better."

Wow… they accept my mother despite everything, Sev thought. They are fantastic.

"Thank you, Mrs. Evans," Sev's Mum replied. "You're absolutely right, I accept your invitation."

That's how it's done, Mum, taking courage. Sev observed the scene with a tender smile and hopeful look. 'Our united families… this is indeed a engagement. Despite they don't know that now we are dating.

Lily's parents gave Sev hugs… the first, and reiterated that they hoped to see him at home. The last one was between the two of them, in full view of their parents, also for the first time. They arranged to meet the following afternoon in the park, as they had already agreed. The next day was Sunday and they both wanted to take advantage of the morning to be with their families.

Lily returned to the car with her parents and on the short drive to their home they said to her, amazed, "What a change Sev has made... He's unknown, right, Peter?"

"He certainly doesn't look the same. Is it because of Druid Magic, Lily?"

She was smiling to herself. "It is possible, we not only transmit our talent, but also our feelings, and he is making new friends."

"You have no idea how happy I am," said her Dad. "A boy with such a good qualities and who was not able to show them more than to you. You are very lucky to have him as a friend. "

"I know, Dad. I have always known."

When they got home, her father carried her trunk up to her room, asking her to come up with him. As soon as she entered, she observed a change, a new, larger desk. He closed the door. "Dad... there was no need."

"Shhh… don't say anything," Peter replied. "We bought it before we found out that Sev could be at his house. And anyway, you're going to need it to study together here. And this," he told her, pointing to the latch on the door, "so that Petunia doesn't bother you."

Lily's eyes widened. Whoah!It seems to me that the last thing we are going to do is study…

"And take this too," he handed her an envelope, like the one he gave her at Christmas with money.

"No need… I still have of what you gave me."

"Don't protest, Lillian," he changed in a firm tone. "We can afford it and we know you won't waste it. You give us very little expense, you know. You wear uniform all year and you eat at school. This corresponds to you for justice and we do not want you to lack anything. So whatever you have left over, keep it. Besides, haven't you told us before that you want to investigate that ancient magic? You do not know how much the books can cost you and you should not miss the opportunity."

"Thanks Dad." She gave him a tight, tight hug.

"Come on, daughter, let's have dinner. Let's see if your sister doesn't get too annoying today."

At this point in life, it already slips me, Lily thought.

Meanwhile, in Spinner's End, Eileen levitated Sev's trunk into his room. When he entered the house, he was able to observe, Everything is much neater and tidier than usual and it smells deliciously of food.

His Mum asked him, excited to have him there, about the OWLs, about Lily, about his friends. I know that she is aware of everything that happened until Christmas.She's probing me… Sly.I'm not going to tell her anything compromising until we build some trust, mimicking the tactic of Lily's parents.I'll wait until we eat dinner and then I'll explain everything except Lauren and Malfoy's letter which I'm expecting.That would be too much for her.

So for the moment, as they ate, he spoke only of Druid Magic and how much progress he had made in his subjects, not reprimanding her for having to stay in the castle against his will for Christmas, as it had turned out be a very fruitful and peaceful period in the end.

She listened to him and asked many questions. Of course, she's a witch, she knows what I'm talking about. So he was able to tell her in more depth than to Lily's parents about their experiences. He helped her wash the dishes after dinner and then they both sat on the couch, turning slightly towards each other to look at each other.

She took his hand. "Well, now you seem to be doing better... But Lily told me some things at Christmas... Why didn't you ever tell me what was happening to you at school, Severus?"

"I didn't want to worry you, Mum."

"But I could have intervened, talked to Dumbledore."

No!I must dissuade her at all costs. And remembering what happened after his near murder in the Shrieking Shack, which of course he wouldn't tell her either, he told her, "Dumbledore? Supporting a Slytherin against the Gryffindors? The old man finds out about everything that goes on at the school, and his policy seems to be hands-off, so I'm left to fend for myself. Don't even think about putting him in the way." I'm going to have to explain to her how dangerous it is for her to know the existence of Druid Magic, I've gone ahead talking about it, but well, I have a week ahead of me.

"I always thought you had friends at home, but Lily told me that's not true, that rather the contrary, they put you against her and you had to hide from them."

And Sev summed it up, in his own way, trying not to worry her too much but being honest, his four and a half years at Hogwarts. His Mum was asking him about the names of his 'friends', which he had never mentioned to her, and she became more and more nervous. "You should have told me about these people long before, Severus. I didn't separate from my family just because of your father. I did not agree with the ideas of blood purity and all the surnames that you mention are the staunchest followers of that ideology, intolerant and dangerous."

Indeed.

"I would have warned you long before you didn't frequent them," Eileen continued. "I myself should have taken more interest in your companies, but I left you on your own, thinking that you were fine, being a half-blood I never thought they would accept you among them. It no longer surprises me that they forced you to separate from Lily, but you should have faced them and left them."

I have already lost count of the times that the same refrain has been repeated to me, with good reason.And she has realized full well that I was on my way to become a Death Eater. "That's what I'm trying to do now." He told her, from Christmas with Ariel to his training with the Guard, everything she didn't know yet.

His Mum was asking him, "You say that boy stayed in the castle on purpose to meet you? And that he then convinced his friends that you were trustworthy? That he already noticed you since he entered Hogwarts?" When he finished she told him, "Those are true friends, Severus, don't let them get away. Separate yourself from the others as soon as possible, now you have support."

"We are waiting for more people to join us, but everything is already underway. I won't be long to do it."

"Are you aware that Lily, whatever you do, is in danger?"

"Of course, Mum," Sev replied. "At the moment we see each other very little and with a lot of protection." He told her about the Fidelius, the warded letters, the help of Cecile and Remus and also that he already mastered the Mental Arts.

His mother had shifted from concern to astonishment. "I knew you were exceptional since you showed your magic at such an early age, but not everything depends on talent, you have had to work hard to achieve all of that." Her expression returned to serious concern. She hugged him and said, "I trust that everything will be fine for you. You made bad choices, but you are very intelligent and you have known how to rectify in time. And if things turn sour, trust Dumbledore, listen to me, he won't allow something like that happen. It is no longer about Gryffindor and Slytherin, but about a real internal war in the school, and that cannot be tolerated. And if you still don't solve it, come home even if you lose the year, your father will never set foot on it again. That would not have any importance compared to what can really happen to you."

She knows everything, she doesn't tell me it more clearly so as not to scare me, Sev thought.

Both Lily and Sev went to bed early. She slept like a log, but he... That my own mother, despite the fact that I have not told her the worst of the matter and the years that she has been away from the Wizarding World, has advised that I resign from Hogwarts to get rid of themalefics… worries me more than anything discovered so far.