Summary: Lily, Evie, and Severus have been best friends since their first meeting before their Sorting in the Great Hall, their friendship seemingly unshakeable. But now that they're in their 4th year and quickly growing up with new interests and relationships, will their bond be able to survive? Severus desperately hopes so…
"Scoot over, you're hogging the seat!"
"Well you're the one trying to drag in your giant trunk. I can't help it if I'm squished in the corner."
"Sev, just help her put her trunk up, please?"
"Yeah, be a gentleman for once and help me."
"Fine." Severus snapped his book closed and with a huff suggesting that this was a huge inconvenience, he snatched Evie's trunk away from her fumbling hands. In one swift motion, he hoisted the heavy trunk up onto the rack, his wiry strength coming in handy.
"Was that so difficult? You're welcome." He sat down with an exasperated sigh and resumed his reading, his large nose nearly touching the pages.
"It's so good to see you too, Sev. Glad we have a ton of time on the Express to catch up, huh Sev? How was your summer, Sev? I'm so happy we get to talk since I'm one of your best friends and haven't seen you in months…"
"Yes, yes. I'll speak to you when I'm done with this chapter."
Evie shot Lily a bemused smirk before going over and giving her a bone-crushing hug. Lily squealed with excitement and was practically jumping up and down in the jostling train.
"Oh my god, Evie, this year is going to be so much fun, I just know it! We're 4th years - upperclassmen!," Lily was out of breath with excitement and pulled Evie down next to her on the seat.
"I know! I can't wait for Quidditch tryouts, and Hogsmeade, and I hear this year there's a Yule Ball…" Both girls shrieked and laughed at how grown up they felt compared to the last few years. Lily and Severus met Evie right off the Hogwarts Express their first year and became unlikely fast friends. They spent as much time with each other as possible in the Great Hall and outside of classes, seeing as Lily was in Gryffindor, Evie was in Ravenclaw, and Severus was in Slytherin.
Severus groaned. "A Yule Ball?"
"What's wrong with that, Sev?" Lily asked, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder. Severus narrowed his eyes at the both of them.
"It's a stupid way to socialize," he said matter-of-factly, turning another page. "Who wants the stress of having to get dressed up for just a few hours to dance to crappy music, and the whole hassle of bringing a date…?"
"Oh, don't you worry, Sev. I'm sure you'll sweep some lucky girl off her feet with a romantic date proposal for the ball, what with all of your charms and wit." Severus' ears turned pink at Evie's joke while she and Lily howled with laughter. Mind you, he knew it was their idea of a friendly jest. If it were anyone else, he would have hexed them. He simply ignored them to the best of his abilities and jammed his nose into his book once more.
The trio spent the rest of the journey catching each other up about their summers and plans for the upcoming year. Lots of laughter and eye rolling ensued once Severus actually put his book down and focused his attention on his two best friends. Some time later, the Hogwarts Express rolled into the station. They were home.
The group of first years walked into the Great Hall, looking around them with their eyes wide and mouths open in awe.
"They're so cute! I remember when we first entered the Great Hall, I'm sure we looked just like them!" Evie said to Anne, one of her friends in Ravenclaw.
Anne laughed. "I feel so old compared to them and I'm only 4 years older! Were we ever that small, Evie?"
"You still are, you dim bowtruckle."
"Oh, shut up, Jeremy. At least I don't resemble a filthy troll in looks and brains," Anne shot back as she chucked a dinner roll at him.
"I surrender. You got me there." Jeremy put his hands up in mock surrender and gave Anne a wink. Evie rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, you two. Merlin, just go out already and save everyone else the pain of having to endure your horrible attempts at flirting."
Jeremy ignored her comment and swiveled around to tease her instead. "And just who do you have your eyes set on this year, Morrell? Could it be the charming Mr. Williams from Hufflepuff or the dashing Mr. Baker in Slytherin?"
"We've been back for less than an hour, calm yourself. Can we just get back to the Sorting, please?" Evie laughed and turned her attention back to the first years.
Professor McGonagall announced each of their names. One by one, the Sorting Hat distributed the students to each house. Evie and Anne politely clapped when one was sorted into Slytherin while Jeremy roared with enthusiasm at each new member.
Across the Great Hall, Severus rolled his eyes at the obnoxious display coming from the Ravenclaw table. In fact, most people and a few bemused staff members were doing the same. Lily caught Severus' less-than-impressed expression and sent him a thumbs up, trying to ease his discomfort. He gave a slight smirk in return and tried his best to ignore that 5th year idiot, Jeremy Clark.
With the Sorting finished, everyone tucked into a hearty meal. Evie was excited to be back for another year with her friends. As an only child, she relished having company her age and was planning on making the most of it. She grew up fully immersed in the Wizarding World, unlike Lily and Severus, and loved learning about Muggle things. She yearned to visit Lily and Severus during the holidays, but her family was as traditionally pureblood in customs and manners as you could get. Evie frowned into her trifle as the memory of her begging her parents to let her visit her best friends was yet again unsuccessful.
At the end of the Welcoming Feast, Headmaster Dippet asked the Prefects to escort the first years to their respective houses. Evie and Anne finished their desserts and grabbed their cloaks quickly, intent on beating the rush back to the dorms.
"I'll meet you in Ravenclaw Tower, Anne. Just want to chat with Lily and Severus before I'm up."
"Sounds good, see you there!" Anne hurried into the crowd, seamlessly weaving her way in and out of the hoard of students and out of sight.
Evie scanned the crowd and quickly caught sight of Severus trying to sneak his way out to the Slytherin dungeons.
"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast, Severus. You haven't said goodnight to me or Lily yet." Evie grabbed his hand and hauled him over to where Lily was waiting patiently by the entrance. Lily chuckled at the sight of the determined Evie dragging a sulking Severus behind her.
"We're in our 4th year for Merlin's sake. Do you really need me to tuck you and Lily into bed and read you a bedtime story?" Severus intoned.
"Lighten up, Severus! We always talk before heading to our dorms for the night. Don't be such a grump! And besides, we know you love hanging out with us." Lily batted her eyes at him and he just stared at her and Evie, who was copying Lily. He ran his hand over his face and said in mock severity, "So help me, if we are caught past curfew on the first night back, I will not hesitate to lay the blame on you both."
"Aw, we love you too, Sev. Now c'mon, we still have more catching up to do." Evie and Lily looped their arms through his as they noisily made their way through the castle. Evie and Lily know how hard a life Severus has and underneath a rather nasty exterior, he was a kind and loyal person. Only Evie and Lily seemed to know that and loved him all the more for his friendship. No one else in the school came close to even talking to Severus. How these two girls wormed their way under his skin is still a mystery to him, but something he wouldn't change for the world.
Severus collapsed face first onto his four poster bed, dragging the curtains around him. He was not particularly looking forward to this year. Not that he ever had previously. At least he wasn't back home with his horrible father. But he hated to admit that he already missed his mother. She wasn't the most loving or comforting, but she meant more to Severus than the miserable excuse he had for a father. What Eileen Prince had seen in Tobias Snape, he would never know.
He turned onto his back, determined to shove the depressing thoughts away and focus on the good. It was incredibly hard when one's life was so dismal. His thoughts eventually strayed to Evie and Lily and let himself a small smile within the safety and privacy of his bed. Severus picked at the coverlet while he thought of his best friends, his only friends. He met Lily the summer before attending Hogwarts and was elated to find that she was magical like him. He couldn't believe how kind she was and how sincerely she wanted to spend time with him. That was an entirely new, and very welcome, situation that he found himself in. He quickly became devoted to her.
When they disembarked the tiny boats that lead them to the great castle, they both met Evelyn Morrell - a bouncing ball of energy that greeted everyone she met like an old friend. Severus was immediately wary of her, she was too extroverted for his rather shy nature, but Lily took to her as if they had known each other their whole lives. Severus was jealous, Lily was his friend. It soon became clear that Evelyn, or Evie, was no threat as she quickly included Severus in her warm personality. She didn't seem to see him as what he negatively perceived himself to be. He was still slightly wary of her, but envious of her easy going nature.
The Sorting Hat placed them into three separate houses and he felt as if he could cry. He didn't of course, as Tobias had beat that reaction out of him consistently. But Severus couldn't help feeling immensely deflated that he couldn't spend as much time with Lily as he wanted.
Over the last few years, the trio had formed an incredibly strong bond with each other. Each of them entirely different in their own ways and personalities, but all of them completely loyal to one another. Evie never got to see them over the summer of holidays because of her prejudiced pureblood parents, but she seemed to try and make up for her family's horrible lack of sense and decorum by being wholly attentive to Lily and Severus.
"This year is going to be good. Don't fuck anything up, Severus. This year is going to be good. Don't fuck anything up, Severus…" he chanted to himself as if it were a wish he was willing to come true. Every now and then he was afraid that this was a dream and he would be alone. He heard his roommates stumble in loudly, and repeated the chant louder in his head, determined to start the school year on a positive note. He pulled the coverlet over himself and whispered so softly that it wouldn't be heard by the other 4th year boys in his dorm, "Lily and Evie….goodnight." Severus closed his eyes and finally drifted off to sleep.
Author's Note: Reviews and critiques are always welcome!