One Final Gift - Lily to Snape
Summary:
Canon, One Shot. Set any time Snape was at Hogwarts as a professor with Dumbledore. Snape walks a corridor he hasn't walked in years, and uncovers a difficult surprise on an early morning.
Morning was rolling over the highland hills, lighting the eastern windows of Hogwarts. The corridors were silent apart from the swooshing stride of Professor Snape on his way to the sixth floor. He had been working all night and was in no mood for insolence.
Halfway up the last staircase he nearly lost his footing when it suddenly decided to change course. Scowling and untangling his robes, he shielded his eyes from the stabbing morning sunlight as he rotated into the bright cast of a stained glass window depicting the tree of life.
Once up the stairs and past the windows his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the corridor beyond. He paused and felt the uncomfortable sensation of a rock stuck in his throat. He remembered the corridor, but it must have been a very long time since he walked this part of the castle.
After a few tentative steps along the corridor something began pecking at the back of his head. Wand out, he spun around to see nothing. He tried blinking the spots from his eyes and stared into a dark corner, but, with no sign of Peeves or mischievous students he continued. Seconds later, the pecking returned and he spun once again to catch sight of a fluttering butterfly dash to the ceiling.
Once his eyes adjusted he could see on the rafter above that it was no butterfly, but only a piece of folded parchment charmed to act like one. Not wanting to turn his back again, he took aim and fired a couple flames at it, missing and nearly setting alight the portrait of a three headed maiden making bread, the heads smiling and happily chatting amongst themselves until startled by the flames. They turned to Snape and let loose a string of curses in a form of English too old to make out. Snape frowned and repaired the damage on the portrait to the huffy harumphs of the maiden. The butterfly swooped down once again, this time to land squarely on Snape's nose, making his eyes cross before he swatted it away.
The butterfly did not pester him again, but instead fluttered down the corridor, inviting him to follow. It flew and settled behind a column near the corner. He peered down the hall and noted he was not far from Gryffindor tower now.
Turning to the column where the parchment butterfly landed, he leaned in for a closer look as it dashed up and suddenly transformed into a single flower petal which then gently floated down to his open hand. Once it touched his palm the entire corner exploded in a symphony of bright flowers. The petal in his hand, he saw, was from a lily.
The rock in his throat grew heavier, and his memory served to remind him, this was the very spot he used to wait for Lily in his days as a student. He would often sit in the corner, cradled between the column and wall, nose buried in a book. He was content to wait for hours in this corner. When Lily returned from class, and he was occupied with his books, she would try all sorts of ways to catch him off guard.
First, she tried to charm over a folded parchment swan, but its wings were too small, so its flight failed and it had to waddle the last few steps. Shaking his head, he would transform the paper into a dragon and make it circle her head until she admitted the swan was feeble and weak compared to his fierce, fiery dragon.
With practice, her attempts became better. She once even succeeded in making him jump out of his skin by crafting a spider out of toothpicks and wine gums. It had managed to crawl halfway down his back before he figured out it wasn't real. There was no scolding then, he knew she had won that round. Silence was enough to know she had won, that was the highest compliment you could get from Severus.
He was never happier than those days waiting in this very corner for Lily. Until one day he waited too long and had to sulk down to his common room alone. Another time she just walked by with a wave as she ran to catch up with her friends, and eventually she was accompanied by the damned Potter-Black rock star duo, not even stopping to wave.
She was gracious enough to punch James and Sirius on the shoulder if they ever called him Snivellus, but she followed them down the hall none the less. He felt the fool for waiting this long to see the obvious. The rift between them had grown too large to cross….
Eyes still stinging and his rage building, Snape crushed the flower petal in his hand and stood, fuming with anger and shame. When he looked up to approaching footsteps, it was to see a long white beard and half moon spectacles walking down the hall towards him.
Dumbledore stepped up, assessed the corner, then turned to Snape.
"My friend, you have been unfairly pranked." smiled Dumbledore.
"You rose at this hour to remark on a simple prank?" lashed Snape.
Taken aback, Dumbledore clasped his hands and responded. "I am often awake at this hour, yes, but there is no malice in my wanderings. I came here to see a friend in need."
"Need… what need, it is just a simple charm, nothing more." Spat Snape, looking away.
Dumbledore turned to inspect the flowers on the wall, holding up one to smell it. "My friend, you must be careful." peering over his glasses to meet Snape's gaze. "To a trained mind you were practically shouting your distress a moment ago. Subtle, yes, but I could still distinguish your unique voice."
Snape's eyes widened and he stood silent, breathing deeply, nodding slowly.
"Remarkable prank" smiled Dumbledore again, "I would delight to have a prank as this surprise me on a lovely morning."
"You delight in many more things than I" muttered Snape.
Dumbledore clasped his hands behind his back, rolled on his heels with an amused expression. "You know, I once had the unfortunate task of scolding a boy who had a funny notion that casting shrinking charms on the undergarments of passing students was a real laugh. You won't be surprised to learn that it did not make him popular amongst his peers."
Snape motioned to speak, but Dumbledore raised his hand and continued.
"Once caught, I kindly reminded him that it's not everyone's ambition to sing soprano in the school choir, the baritone members are to be admired as well." He smiled and winked. "So, a few days later, while walking through the courtyard, a strange plant sprung out in front of me, much like the prank we see here today. I leaned down to see oddly shaped small fruits wrapped in wax paper, which at closer inspection were indeed crude little toffees."
Snape rolled his eyes and said, "I'm certainly glad you were present to vanish them immediately."
"Oh no, I didn't vanish them, I ate them." laughed Dumbledore.
Snape grimaced. "And to what effect?"
"Oh, they were perfectly detestable, and I enjoyed every morsel! You see, in a manner, it was his way of apologizing, and I was delighted that our young prankster had found a new way to show off his charms talent without upsetting his peers. Every time I smell shoe polish I am reminded of that little tale" said Dumbledore, smacking his lips slightly.
Down the corridor, the footsteps and chatter of students on their way to breakfast could now be heard.
Snape looked up quick to the noise down the corridor, then back at the flowers.
"Ah, well, I can see you would not welcome more company on this fine morning." said Dumbledore, extending his hands in a shrug, "Perhaps I could inform them that, say, a dung bomb has gone off to distract them to another route?" He fished around his pockets, "I may even have one with me."
"No need." snarled Snape as he turned to snatch a handful of flowers from the wall, stuff them in his pocket, and turn to leave.
Dumbledore placed a hand on his arm. "Severus, old friend, if you please. Celebrate the moments we have, while we have them. There comes a time when all we have left are memories."
Snape simply straightened his robes and stormed off down the corridor.
Dumbledore stood for a moment, pulling a flower from the wall, twirling it in his hand as the flurry of students approached.
"Ah, good morning!" said Dumbledore to the students on their way to breakfast. He handed a flower to each student as the passed "I'm afraid these will wilt without sunlight, if you could be so kind to bring them to Professor Sprout after breakfast."
They smiled with puzzled looks, but each ran off with the flowers in turn to the bright beam of light at the end of the corridor where the dark swirl of Snape's robes had just whipped around the corner.
End
Luka Stilheere