As he approached the entrance of the stone statue guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, he lifted the disillusionment charm he had applied to himself. Just as he did so, Filch appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Aha!" shouted Filch, limping forward triumphantly. "Aha!"

Severus turned his head in annoyance. He was in no mood to deal with Filch right now. However, the caretaker seemed to think otherwise. His face bore an expression as if he had been chosen 'Wizard of the Year.'

"Now you're in trouble! Roaming the corridors at night, eh-"

"It's only nine-thirty. It's not even ten yet."

Filch did not seem to care about this minor detail. Instead, his maniacal grin widened on his ugly face. He was even uglier than the statue behind Severus - carved by who knows which tasteless sculptor. Severus suddenly felt incredibly handsome. Maybe he should hang out with Filch more often, so others could appreciate his beauty too. He laughed at his own thoughts. Filch looked angry.

"Oh, we're laughing now, are we? You're in trouble, big trouble! A good detention is coming, or- or even better, expulsion-"

"Come now, Argus! Mr. Snape doesn't strike me as the type to be plotting anything sadistic."

Pomona Sprout… Her fingers were covered in dried mud. She was holding a grotesque-looking plant in her hand. And she reeked of manure. On her face, however, was a smile that seemed sure she was the most elegant lady at an important party.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted to see me," he stated briefly. He grabbed the paper he had pulled out of a beam of light from his pocket.

"Is that so?" said Professor Sprout. She looked surprised. "What did he want to discuss with you?"

"He's lying, Professor! He was sneaking around. I caught him. Mrs. Norris told me she heard footsteps. My sharp-eared precious-"

"Well, we are right at the entrance to Albus's office. Let's go ask him then."

Severus snorted internally. Arriving an hour late for the meeting, followed by Sprout and Filch, was really quite impressive... He glanced again at the note in his hand. What did it say?

"I'm sure you're happy where you are. However, you need to come now.

Note: The Raisin Cake has changed. I don't really like the new version."

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans…" he murmured. The stone statue came to life and slid aside. The trio then had to climb the spiral staircase.

Bertie Bott's Beans, indeed… The problem wasn't the damn password, really; the problem was him knowing which bean the eccentric old man liked or disliked. Noting in his mind to gift the most horrid-looking Bertie Bott's Beans to the old man next Christmas, he knocked on the door.

Albus Dumbledore, with a large smile on his face, gestured to the chair opposite him as Severus just entered the door. Snape, annoyed, looked back to see Filch and Sprout still making their way up. As he settled into the chair, he murmured, "We have visitors." True to his words, the visitors entered through the door.

"Ah, um, sorry, Headmaster," said Professor Sprout, appearing embarrassed. It was clear from Severus's immediate seating that he was telling the truth. However, Dumbledore stood up with his arms wide open in joy, as if old friends he hadn't seen in years had just appeared.

"Pomona! Argus! What a pleasant surprise!"

"We caught him in the corridor, Headmaster. He was up to something. Caught him red-handed!"

"Mr. Snape said he had a meeting with you, Professor Dumbledore," said Sprout respectfully.

"And how nice of you to come all this way to check, Pomona! But the boy is telling the truth, I indeed asked him to come!"

Pomona Sprout's round, kind face turned red. Filch's face, on the other hand, shifted from red to purple. The 'Wizard of the Year' award he seemed to have won earlier could now be considered as roughly taken back. Severus chuckled again at this thought. When the Headmaster's knowing gaze turned to him, he stopped his chuckling. What was he laughing at, anyway? Was there something funny? No…

"I'm listening?" said Albus Dumbledore, once the visitors had left.

"How did you know?"

"Know what, my dear boy?" the older man asked, feigning surprise.

"Don't play games with me! How did you know I was with Lily? That's what the note said: I'm sure you are happy where you are! Ha…"

"I just assumed it would be so. Otherwise, why would you ditch me?"

"I didn't ditch you!"

"Is that so?"

"You're setting up meetings at your convenience. Maybe I'm busy at that time! Instead of summoning me by your whims and sending wanton girls to me, why not come and ask, right?"

He stood up and began pacing. He was unreasonably angry. It was as if he wasn't the same calm boy who had just been with Lily. Adrenaline was coursing through every vein in his body. He was thirty-six years old! Thirty-six! What was this, being summoned like an ordinary student?

"You need a lemon drop!" said Dumbledore seriously. Severus looked as if he might throw something.

"I DON'T WANT ANY LEMON DROP!"

"Sit down, my dear boy, sit down. Why are you so angry? What have I done to you? Even Harry was calmer than you, I mean, when Sirius died…" he said, lost in thought.

"Harry?" said Severus, who was now seated, staring disdainfully at the lemon drop in front of him. "What Harry?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten Harry, Severus, please! The Boy Who Lived?"

Snape nodded his head as if bored. Dumbledore, however, seemed more disturbed by the mention of 'Harry.' He was no longer there, the boy with whom he shared so much, who remained cheerful despite everything. They had destroyed him! Without a second thought… Wasn't that murder? And what about the others?

"What does Potter have to do with it now? His existence is even uncertain-"

"Severus, I'm begging you. You're not planning to separate James and Lily, are you?"

"That's exactly what I'm planning. I will separate them, no matter the cost. Nothing else matters!"

"What about Harry then? He will never come into the world then-"

"So what? One less human in the world... Let him not be born! Without him, there will be no prophecy. Keep Potter away from Lily. When those two get together, we see what happens. A cursed child borns! Didn't the Potters die because of him? If he wasn't there, everything would have been so much better… Potter and Lily should not marry! They won't! I won't allow it!"

"You can't fight fate-"

"But we did! Here we are! I will stop it! Even if it causes my death, I swear to you, that wimpy kid will not be born! So you'd better forget about Harry!"

He spat out 'Harry' as if it were poison. He was breathing heavily, as if he had run miles. Not to separate Lily and James? Then why were they here? Severus wasn't suffering enough, was he? To see how well Lily and James matched, how happy they were, to be tortured by it! Was that why they were here?

"I just don't want you to suffer!"

"Then stop telling me what to do!"

"Are you going to repeat your old mistakes?"

"I am thirty-six years old! I'm not a child!"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. You are seventeen, not a day older!"

"What does that mean?" he immediately snapped.

"It means this; you know what will happen in the future. Therefore, you can still retain the spells and knowledge you learned back then. However, most of your body, intellect, and control abilities have gone. You've reverted to your seventeen-year-old self."

"I'm fine! I'm in control!"

"Are you?"

Well, he wasn't. Damn it!

"I was fine just a moment ago, like my old self. Calm. You're the one who's making me angry!"

"You're being very foolish!"

This time, Severus didn't fall into the trap. He leaned back calmly. He even managed to put an expression of supreme indifference on his face, so much so that Dumbledore internally impressed by it.

"I won't reiterate that you should have left the Lily matter to me. And if you think I have no plans, you're mistaken. I've made some adjustments, of course."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Dumbledore, looking over his half-moon glasses with piercing blue eyes. "Because it seemed to me you were more occupied with flubbing. So, tell me, what have you planned?"

"If we can make our camaraderie a bit more conspicuous-"

"You can convey the information that you are capable of spying on Voldemort, yes."

"Quite logical... That's what I used to do. I'll do it again. The Dark Lord trusts me."

"Voldemort doesn't even know you much yet…"

"Well, we will have time to know each other. My story is ready."

"Are you sure he will trust you?"

"He will. I know him well."

"You don't know him well."

"I know what I need to do!"

"You shouldn't go to Voldemort right now. Give it some time, get yourself together."

"I'll go when he calls. He sends messages to us."

"Does he? Was he sending you messages in your seventh year?"

"Yes," he said involuntarily, clutching his left arm. "He's not doing that now – I mean, in the future. But back then – I mean, now," he paused, calming himself down a bit. He really should not have stutter. He closed his eyes and calmed himself again. "Right now, he's busy recruiting young people into his ranks in groups. He's not waiting for us to graduate. I had joined his ranks right before my seventh year. Our whole group did. Regulus wanted to join too, but he was too young, we didn't take him with us. Not yet."

"Ah, poor Regulus, how old was he when he died, seventeen, wasn't he? Such a pity!"

"He brought it upon himself! I'm not going to pity him!" Snape grumbled.

"Are you sure you can handle it when the time for your meeting comes?" Dumbledore asked, his face tensed with seriousness and concern.

"Of course, I'll handle it, Albus. Okay, I panicked, acted foolishly, I admit it. But I'm getting myself together, I'm better now."

"Do you know who came here while I was waiting you?"

He didn't answer; he didn't know.

"At first, I thought you had sent him to distract me. Alas! I wish it had been so!"

"What-"

"It was Evan Rosier."

"Evan-?" What had he gotten himself into now? If someone had told him that this kid would be in such trouble at this time, he would probably have laughed.

"He brought me a book. He's doing research on defensive spells. But he wasn't sure who could help him. Then he thought that, as his teacher, I might be knowledgeable in this harmless spell and could assist him. Do you have any idea?"

Severus felt a tightening in his chest.

"Occlumency?"

"Yes, occlumency. He must also be curious about Legilimency, but of course, he didn't mention that to me… After all, it's not considered a defensive spell. But he seems quite determined to learn how to shield his mind."

"Leave that to me, alright?"

"I can leave everything to you. But I need to trust you. I want the old Severus back, the one who knows what he's doing-"

"Don't worry, I said. I'll handle it."

Oh, as if all he needed an Evan Rosier and his curiosity about occlumency! And there was also the Lily matter. What would Dumbledore say if he knew what he had told Lily? Well, he wasn't about to enlighten him on that.

"Ok then, let's see what can we do."

Severus nodded in response.

"Treacle tart?"

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Where were you?"

Her heart skipped a beat as she turned around. It was James. He looked at her drenched hair, his robe. Through his round glasses, his eyes were wide open in surprise. The idea of Lily wandering alone in the outside must have shocked him. The wet girl took the cloak James unclasped and handed to her, draping it over her shoulders. She often couldn't stand such chivalry, but for some reason, she liked it when James did it. And also - for some reason, she began to feel guilty towards him.

"Yes?"

"Just wandering around," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"In this rain? Come on, Lily…"

"Where's your team?"

James looked annoyed.

"I think they had an argument. It's never good to leave them alone for five minutes… Anyway - Sirius is now in the dormitory and wants to be alone. He kicked me out, can you believe it? Even though he supposedly came to support me…" He started giggling as if cheered up, then became serious again. "He suddenly stopped and asked me to go outside."

"Really? Why?"

"He wanted to be alone apparently. Of course, he had to put some effort into convincing others."

He casually waved his hand towards a group of seventh-year students standing in a corner in their pajamas. They all looked angry. One was rubbing his hand as if it had been subject to a jinx. Another, with a troubled expression, was dozing off in an armchair. This time, Lily started to giggle.

"He kicked them out? By waking them up? Haha…"

"They shouldn't be sleeping at this hour anyway. What are we, house-elves?"

"House-elves work late into the night, James, in case you didn't know-"

"Anyway, never mind. Why did you go out?"

"I wasn't alone," said Lily, fiddling with something on the ground with her foot, looking down.

"Not alone? What do you mean- Not alone how?! Who? At this hour? Who- what-?"

"Well, he insisted on meeting. And I – it's really not that important."

"Who? Who insisted? Someone, a – a boy? A guy?"

"James, please!"

"A guy? A guy? But Lily – look, you're going to get sick! You're all wet!"

"Thanks for the cloak. I think I should go and change." Lily interrupted , helping him not to say anything more foolish.

"Where did you go?"

"Ugh! It's none of your business!" Now she was really annoyed. They weren't a couple. James would do well to stop acting like they were.

"It is my business! Don't tell me, I'll find out anyway!"

"Sev-" She stopped herself. Snapping at James in a moment of irritation wasn't wise. "I should go. We can talk later."

"Sev- what? Sev- who?"

"It's nothing, James! Goodnight, I'm tired."

"Who? Who is it? It's a guy, isn't it? In this rain, with whom-"

But Lily had already disappeared towards the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory. James watched her go, feeling unhappy. He murmured, "Don't go, don't go." What a fantastic night! First, Snivellus had embarrassed him in front of the whole school. Then, he had been kicked out of bed by his best friend. And now Lily – she was going out with someone else! Sev? Who could that be? There was a boy in Ravenclaw – in the sixth year. His name was Seymour. Could it be him? He hadn't really noticed the boy before, but it seemed like he was always looking at Lily. Yes, he was. His eyes were always on her! So it was Seymour! Well, he'd do well to have a word with him tomorrow. If Snivellus sending him a spell had given others such courage, it was time to show his strength. Wow, Seymour the Slug! You with Lily? What had Lily seen in him? That boy could compete with Snivellus in ugliness!

"Blueberry Poison."

The hidden stone door in the wall slid open. The Slytherin Common Room was an underground room with a long, low ceiling. It had rough stone walls and a ceiling, from which round, greenish lamps were suspended by chains. Ahead, in a fireplace with elaborately carved edges and a mantelpiece, a crackling fire was burning. The silhouettes of a few Slytherins sitting in carved chairs in front of the fireplace were visible. Severus moved towards the figure closest to him.

"Evan? Can we talk?"