August 20, 1971
Lily and her inner Hermione were shocked. Gobsmacked. Astonished. Surprised, and every synonym of the word.
Who knew Lily Evans was closer to magic than they thought?
Severus had been excited that they were related albeit distantly and that they were cousins several times removed. It made him feel much closer to his pseudo-family. It did take over a month for Mr Evans to get used to the magic the two of them experimented more often in front of them. Kit barely blinked as she was used to it and had grown up with it while Petunia had already known the two were magical since they were barely nine. Additionally, Mr. and Mrs. Evans had been going on dates at least once a week. In Florian's words, "Get closer and get to know each other once again, this time without any secrets".
Much to the delight of Hermione, Petunia had been more accepting of magic because Lily and Severus included the teenager in their projects. She reckoned part of the reason her elder sister grew weary of magic in addition to her younger sister going to boarding school was because Lily got closer to Severus after finding out about their family connection and would rarely spend time with her family. She still made sure to watch over Tuny just in case something happened that would change her mind —well, as much as she could as Lilliane's conscience anyway.
"Are you ready, Lily?" Severus whispered as they trailed after the half-giant in front of them. Hagrid barely changed throughout the years except for a few gray hairs here and there in the nineties. He was also cheerier than the Hagrid in Hermione's memories which made Lily happy.
"Of course… cousin ." She winked and Sev grinned giddily.
"Welcome, you two. To Diagon Alley!" A younger Hagrid exclaimed.
I see he never lost his enthusiasm.
Lily didn't reply. She was too busy gawking at the most wonderful place she'd ever seen in her entire life.
The brick walls shifted to reveal a bustling street lined with various shops. She and Severus gaped (Hermione smirking at their reactions) at the cobblestoned area where wizards and witches of all kinds were entering and exiting the stores, fellow first-year students in tow. Most of them were carrying a cage with this kind of owl or another. Others were waving wooden sticks - wands - to cast spells and charms.
Lily felt a little wave of sadness and regret wash over her. She knew they weren't her emotions. Hermione missed the lightness of the wizarding world, and most importantly, the woman missed her family— Harry and Ron included.
I'm sorry Harry might not exist this time.
She heard the soft echoes of crying within the deep trenches of her mind and she subconsciously bit her lip, eyes tearing up.
It's okay. We promised to be happy together, right?
Right…
Harry would want that even if it meant he wouldn't exist.
Lily didn't know why but there was an uncomfortable squeezing sensation in her heart when Hermione said that.
A hand came to rest on her shoulder and she glanced to the side to see her brother's delighted and excited face. He looked at her with an expression of happiness and wonder and she felt the uncomfortable feeling in her chest ease, somewhat.
"Well, come along!" They were snapped out of their moment by the loud voice and the half-giant led them to a very familiar building standing in the middle of the alley.
Gringotts . A frequent visitor in her dreams.
She clenched her fist over her heart when the squeezing sensation came back, taking a deep breath to try to swallow the forming lump in her throat.
How can one grieve for someone they've never even met?
She felt Severus shift closer to her, angling his body so he covered hers with his as they entered the wizarding bank. They've read all about Gringotts and Lily had seen Hermione stealing from them once. She shivered when she recalled the abused dragon hidden in the Lestrange vault.
As they walked down, some of the goblins looked up from their documents and stared after them with intimidating looks in their eyes.
Hagrid cleared his throat when he stopped in front of one. The goblin's nameplate said Jarx . He had dark beady eyes, tiny circular glasses, and a balding spot in the middle of his oversized head.
Lily watched as the creature promptly ignored them and the groundskeeper cleared his throat again, properly catching the goblin's attention this time.
Jarx raised a bored brow at the huge man opposite him while he continued stamping the papers on his desk at a slow but steady pace.
"Withdraw." Hagrid cleared his throat again .
Lily thought she ought to get some water for the half-giant afterward. Mrs Chips had told them it wasn't healthy to repeatedly clear one's throat.
The goblin paused and leaned forward to look down at Lily and Severus before sneering. "Names?"
"L-Lilliane Evans a-and Severus Snape." Lily stuttered.
Geez, goblins give her the creeps.
I guess that's another thing we have in common.
Lily didn't mind the woman's voice. She was glad Hermione seemed less sad.
"One second." Jarx climbed down his tall stool and disappeared for a few minutes but the faint clicks of drawers opening and whispers could be heard behind the tall wooden bench.
The two eleven-year-olds glanced at each other and shrugged.
The goblin grunted when he climbed back up and looked down at them again. "There are no vaults for Lilliane Evans and Severus Snape."
Hagrid looked mightily confused and started rifling through his coat while the two children grew nervous.
"Err. Are you sure, sir?" Severus asked and flinched when he received a growl.
"Aha! Yes, they're registered as Severus Prince an' Lilliane Ollivander. Sorry." The tall man squinted as he read from a piece of parchment, scratching his chin over his overgrown, thick beard. Severus gave him a look and he returned it with a sheepish one. Lily just wanted to get out of there as quickly as they could. She felt like everyone was peering at her accusingly and she didn't even do anything!
(Yet.)
Jarx grunted and climbed back down, Hagrid leaning over slightly to look where the short creature was rummaging through a bunch of drawers.
...
It had been several minutes and their assigned goblin still hadn't come back from the maze of drawers under his desk. Severus stayed quiet while Lily started rocking back and forth her heels from boredom. Hagrid just kept clearing his throat whenever he made the slightest eye contact with the other goblin clerks.
"Mudbloods and a half-breed?" A voice sneered. "They should tighten security to keep this filth out."
Lily stepped back as Hagrid pulled her and her brother behind him, covering them with his towering height.
"Move along now would 'ya." Hagrid said gruffly.
They heard an offended scoff at the same time as a snort.
Lily felt Hermione perk up in her mind. No way.
"HOW DARE YOU! Do you know who I am?! You filthy half-breed! You should be placed in Azkaban for even existing..." The voice, which Lily had finally discerned as belonging to a woman, screeched.
"Well, aren't 'ya just a ray o' sunshine." The half-giant mumbled.
Lily shared a look with Severus.
She shot him a questioning glance. Do you know who it is?
He simply answered with a shrug. No idea.
"Just shut up, woman! You're embarrassing me and Reggie." A younger voice groaned in annoyance, halting the woman from her long rant.
"Sirius!" A quiet voice as young as the boy's hissed in alarm.
Severus and Lily saw the woman's shadow shift to turn to the shorter one beside her, a smaller shadow from beside it stepping away, and before they knew it, the resounding sound of flesh hitting flesh violently echoed through the room.
It was silent.
Lily felt very awkward. Severus looked shaken and Hagrid had his eyes closed.
" Ahem. "
All of them turned to look at the displeased face of Jarx. He slammed down the folder he was holding on his desk before glaring at his coworkers. Not wanting to further anger the boss, the other clerks fumbled to continue their work.
The head clerk narrowed his eyes and sneered. "If someone would be so kind as to escort Mrs. Black and her sons to the private room?"
Another Goblin with purplish skin and sparse hair quickly obeyed, politely directing the three people into the next hall.
"You won't get away with it next time, half-breed." The woman said with a dangerously cold voice as she walked away. "Sirius, Regulus, hurry up."
Two more pairs of footsteps followed before they faded into the next room.
" Ahem."
Hagrid turned to Jarx and raised a brow. "Yes?"
"There is one vault under a Severus Prince but nothing under the name Lilliane Ollivander."
"What?!" The groundskeeper was as puzzled as Severus and Lily. He fumbled around with the piece of parchment from before and glanced back at the two children behind him.
Jarx sighed in annoyance and tapped his sharp nails on the counter. "Since Ms Lilliane is underaged, her vault may still be unclaimed. We may perform a blood check to authenticate your identity if you wish to claim it."
A very expensive blood test.
"How much?" Lily asked.
The clerk considered her for a moment before smiling widely. She felt goosebumps at the creepy-looking expression but held her ground when Sev angled his body in front of hers.
"Seven galleons."
Severus and Hagrid gaped at the downright highway robbery.
"That is such a scam!" Severus scoffed in disbelief but faltered when the goblin glared at him scarily.
"I dunno. It's your decision, Lilliane." Hagrid sighed, clearly hesitant about letting a child spend that much money.
Lily didn't need to think about it much. Money's not too important to her.
It should be. It makes the world go 'round.
The little girl ignored her conscience and nodded. "I would like for the blood test to be done."
Jarx raised his brows. "Very well. Follow me."
…
Jarx led them to the hall where Mrs Black and her sons were taken earlier.
Lily had flinched and averted her eyes when they met the pureblood matriarch's sharp grey ones. She gulped and felt her cheeks flush when the action only led to her making eye contact with a boy around her age.
The boy had eyes matching his mother's, though he had a more considerable amount of mirth and a lack of general disgust, black wavy hair that reached a little past his chin. He had given her a warm smile and waved lightly, making the similar-looking younger boy beside him scold him while worriedly looking over to see if their mother saw the action.
They're adorable. He was so intimidating in my lifetime.
I can't imagine that boy being intimidating.
Hermione chuckled after studying her for a few seconds. I see you have a little crush.
Lily flinched and instinctively looked around to see if someone heard Hermione but then remembered the fact that the woman's her conscience and immediately blushed from embarrassment.
He's cute.
I guess he's at least a little better than John Harrow.
The eleven-year-old girl coughed and pressed her palms to her red cheeks.
Severus looked at her weirdly. "What's with your face?"
Lily glared at her cousin and slapped his arm.
"Ow!" Sev scowled at her, rubbing the appendage up and down. He glanced at something from behind her then turned to look back at her flushed face before he rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath as he sped up his pace to walk beside Hagrid. "Bloody girls."
.
.
They reached a narrow hallway and Jarx stopped in front of a wooden door. He stabbed his fingernail into the small keyhole and twisted.
The room was plain and empty except for the metal table in the middle where a basin, parchment, and a large silver needle were laid out neatly.
"Please be seated."
The two children obeyed without difficulty but Hagrid's chair creaked under his weight.
"Finger?"
Lily placed her left hand onto the goblin's rough one. He turned her hand palm side up and not so gently pricked her pointer finger with the large silver needle.
She heard Severus gag despite watching interestingly.
A drop of blood fell onto the small basin, red staining the silver liquid inside it.
The liquid swirled gold and a puff of smoke rose, followed by a series of whispers that soon faded into silence.
"That's it?" Severus asked, disappointed.
The goblin let go of his cousin's hand and he gave her a quill and laid out the parchment in front of her.
"What's that?" Hagrid asked.
Jarx smoothed out the material. "This is a contract stating the conditions of claiming a vault."
The three of them read the paragraphs.
Hermione thought it was quite simple and nothing looked out of place. She made Lily read the whole thing at least three times to make sure there was no unmissed fine print before letting her sign it.
It was a basic privacy policy.
The three of them are not permitted to speak, write, or reveal any information they heard or saw about the bank as well as its processes and a few other things.
"This will also serve as proof that you have claimed ownership of your vault and we will notify the heads of your houses shortly."
Lily nodded.
So, Mr Ollivander will be notified of this?
I guess so.
"If that is all," Jarx stood up and the three of them followed him back out into the hall where Mrs Black and her sons were still sitting.
The goblin turned to them and raised his brow. "Keys?"
Severus handed the small metal key his mother gave him before they left. Eileen had given it after making sure Tobias was asleep inside their room, instructing her son not to bring the things he bought home and to leave them at Lily's house till the day he needed to leave for Hogwarts.
He and Lily were both given a very strict lecture about spending money wisely by Florian.
"I don't have one yet," Lily said meekly.
" Bentarm ! Escort Mr. Prince and Ms. Evans to their vaults." Jarx ignored her, inspecting the key as he called and ordered the shorter goblin who was wearing a white shirt smudged with dirt and black trousers held up by suspenders. The head clerk tossed him Sev's key as well as another gold one. Bentarm eyed them and Hagrid with a mixture of disdain and false politeness.
She and Severus heard Mrs Black's delighted gasp from the other side of the hall. "A Prince! And he'll be at Hogwarts! Now, Sirius…"
They weren't able to hear the rest of Mrs Black's sentence because the grumpy goblin waved his hand at them.
"Follow me, please."
They were led underground to a cave where a wooden gondola cart was waiting for them. Two other goblins were standing by and inclined their head to Bentarm as they passed. The young goblin told them to get on and they obeyed. The cart creaked as Hagrid lowered his body and Lily was mildly worried it'd break and they'd fall to their deaths. Hermione had only ridden the thing a handful of times with her parents and when she was pretending to be Bellatrix but there wasn't a half-giant beside her then.
"Hold onto these." Bentarm passed the two keys back to Sev.
Just as she was going to ask if it was safe, Bentarm pulled on the lever and they were shot forward at a dizzying speed.
Severus was exclaiming excitedly, gripping the wood tightly, his knuckles turning white as they were jostled up and down, left and right. They passed countless vaults each with uniquely made; others bronze, gold, or just plain iron (she swore she saw a pink one but Hermione and Sev had simply simultaneously called her an idiot) but all of them had at least one rune drawn onto the door.
"Vault 472." They stopped abruptly in front of a vault with tall platinum doors taller than Hagrid himself.
Bentarm grunted as he jumped off the cart and pulled on another lever to lock the cart in place with a loud click.
With one hand, he swiped his pointer finger through the ridge in the middle of the door.
"I need a drop of blood, Ms. Evans." He showed her a massive silver needle (even bigger than the one used in sewing machines but smaller than the one Jarx used earlier) and she was a little alarmed but gave him her hand anyway.
She winced when he pricked her finger and she did as she was told to smear the substance onto the door and she gasped when three emblems carved themselves onto the metal, a myriad of runes spreading out to engulf the whole thing. The left symbol had a unicorn and a feather, the middle had two wolves facing away from each other with axes crossed at the bottom, and the last one had a shield with a five-petaled blossom in the middle. There were words written in a cursive script but it was in a language she didn't know.
The runes adjusted and realigned to reveal a tiny keyhole.
"Key, please." He asked and he handed Hagrid the small oil lamp he was holding.
"Which one?" Lily asked. Severus gave her an are-you-daft look and rolled his eyes.
She looked to Hagrid as her cousin was obviously not going to answer, and he pointed to the silver key Lily was holding. She handed it to Bentarm who nodded and placed the key through the keyhole, turning it.
The loud clicks of the huge doors unlocking echoed in the empty tunnels and with a deep groan, it fully opened.
"Wicked." Lily and Severus breathed as they saw the stacks upon stacks of galleons, sickles, and knuts.
Hermione had no clue how Lily had that much money or how she had a vault at all (since Kit was a squib and was disowned) but she decided to ask Hagrid later.
Her cousin nudged her forward and she took around forty galleons just in case. She'd have to escape a bit later to go to Knockturn Alley to see if they sold any bags with undetected extension charms. She could see some jewelry gleaming on a vanity table encrusted with rubies and other types of gems. Several dusty tomes of books were placed neatly on the bookshelves but runes were drawn around them. The inside was deep, almost as huge as the Lestrange vault but she didn't have enough time to peruse today.
Once she was done, she quickly exited the vault and stood beside her best friend once more.
"Another, Ms." Bentarm motioned to her hand.
"Why do you need another? Didn't you already get one?" She asked, a little nervous that someone would use her blood for some type of spell.
"One to open, another to close." Bentarm looked like he'd heard the question a hundred times from other people. She gave him her hand and he pricked her again where he did the first time. It stung more the second time but it was tolerable.
The goblin twisted the key back in place and removed it. He then placed her finger on the emblem again and once the ridges returned to their original places, he swiped his nail through it once again, locking it with a deafening clack that made her, Severus, and Hagrid cover their ears.
They boarded the cart again and it was an even longer ride of twists and turns before they arrived at Severus'. The vault had a bronze door a bit smaller than the first vault they went to but big nonetheless. The runes were different and instead of multiple carvings, there was a single ridge in the middle similar to the one where Bentarm swiped his finger.
He repeated the same procedure but didn't ask for Severus' blood which made both of them curious.
"You don't need his blood?" Lily asked.
Bentarm glowered at her and glanced at her money pouch making her roll her eyes. She stuck her hand inside and took a sickle, passing it to the greedy goblin who pocketed it quickly as he asked for the key which Severus gave him.
"Vault 963 does not. Unofficial Prince descendant account. Not… as heavily protected… as vaults made from legitimate ancient family magic." The goblin grumbled as he turned the key, making the bronze door creak open with a groan.
The vault was filled with a lot of money although there weren't any jewels or books inside. A few trophies and some dusty male robes. Still impressive.
"Ancient family magic?" Lily asked while Severus entered his vault.
She handed the greedy creature another sickle when he put out his hand expectantly.
"A few dozen wizarding families to be exact. Ollivander, Prince, and Perrot in your case which is why you have a larger vault. You may have a few more but you'd have to request another blood test for that. Ancient wizards-" He suddenly stopped and Lily thought something happened but he just opened his hand again, making her scoff and hand him another coin.
"Ancient wizards made a deal with Gringotts. Any born magical descendants would automatically be added to the family register and made an account, though the vaults needed to be claimed and the heads of the families must be notified when someone does so. They charmed it so the family crests would appear the first time their blood touched the metal. A great way to find out which man is the true father of a child during affairs but the account is merged and passed to their descendants if unclaimed." The goblin finished his explanation just as Severus stepped out of the vault with pockets filled with golden and silver coins.
"Why doesn't Severus have one, Hagrid?" She asked the half-giant who had been quiet the whole time.
"Eileen was disowned, ya see? Anyone under her won' appear in the family tree." Hagrid hummed. "Unless he's personally reinstated by his patriarch."
"But my mother was also disowned." She was so confused. She frowned to herself and jumped when a hand with sharp fingernails appeared in her line of vision. She glanced at the awaiting goblin and glared when she saw his mouth twitch.
He cleared his throat and pocketed the several knuts she angrily gave him before speaking. "Mrs Snape was blasted from their tree and was legally removed from the family registry. I believe Mrs Evans was only told she was disowned."
…
Hermione was angry. It was unfair that Harry hadn't known all of this. His mother's heritage, and only barely knew about his father's. She blamed Dumbledore who had chosen to give him to the Dursleys instead of Remus who could've stood a chance of winning custody if the chief warlock backed him up. The manipulative wizard had done enough exploiting and this time, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of orchestrating their lives.
"Are you okay? You've been quiet since we left the bank. Did the goblin say anything?" Severus asked as he added the bag containing their robes to the trolley Hagrid borrowed from an apothecary owner he knew. They've already gotten most of their supplies. They decided to share the small tawny owl which Sev named 'Zeus' because he's a nerd while she bought a half kneazle that reminded her a lot of her familiar as Hermione Granger.
She missed Crookshanks and hoped that she'd get to meet him again one day.
"Yeah. I was just thinking. There were three crests on my vault. Bentarm said one of them was Perrot but I don't remember seeing that name in the genealogy book you showed me." She explained. Severus hummed and frowned.
"You're right. Do you think it's a dead line?" He asked.
"Well, if it was, I'll try not to take too long to revive it." She smirked at him.
She heard Hermione gasp, scandalised. You're eleven!
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sev's face was scrunched in confusion.
"You'll understand when you're older, little cousin." She giggled.
"I'm older than you. Just tell me." He poked her arm when she turned away to pet Sir Bluewumps.
"Why did you even buy that one? It's so ugly," he grimaced. "And it looks like it swallowed another cat."
The cat eyed him evilly and he shuddered, adding, " Whole ."
"Sev! That's so mean! He's perfect." She cooed and earned a satisfied meow from the ginger cat who was sitting almost aristocratically in his carrier. "Awen't you, Siw Bwuewumps?"
He was a very large and quiet cat with a judgemental look that was more severe than Crookshanks had on his squished face. Bluewumps had the same ginger coloring but with white socks on his paws. Like Hermione Granger's familiar, the seller was glad to get rid of him for the low price of five galleons. She would've bought him either way but it was a steal.
Sev cringed at her use of baby talk.
"Let's get ya wands, eh?" Hagrid came back with three large pouches of an assortment of bite-sized cookies and gave each of them one.
The three walked down the street past the tea shops and bookstores, passing by other Hogwarts students who would either sneer or greet the half-giant walking in front of them. Some that were their age who didn't know him just stared in either awe or disgust. Severus explained that giants weren't treated well by wizarding folk and even if Hagrid didn't explicitly state it, anyone who had eyes and a brain would know that he had giant's blood coursing through his veins.
"I'll wait for you two outside." Hagrid motioned for them to go ahead and they did.
The bells chimed as they opened the door and a spritely Garrick Ollivander greeted them. Lily was sad that the old man had been imprisoned for two years in Hermione Granger's timeline and she took her time to compare this Ollivander to the one in her dreams. Contrary to the emaciated man she saw as Hermione, the one in front of her had full cheeks with fewer wrinkles and his pale eyes shone brightly despite the gloomy interior of his shop.
"Mr Snape, lovely to meet you. And Ms Evans , it's always nice to meet kin. "
"Y-Yes." Lily stuttered.
"I have a son around your age. Fifth year. Maybe you'll see him at school." Mr Ollivander raised an amused brow at her skittish demeanor and motioned for Severus to come forward. "Wand arm?"
"Right." The boy answered and the measuring tape quickly flew to his right arm before returning to its owner's pocket.
The man stepped away and went behind the counter to climb up his ladder. He hummed a tune under his breath as he gathered a few boxes from various heights and depths within the dusty shelves. He hesitated at one but shrugged and took it anyway before he climbed back down and placed the boxes on the counter. He took the one on top and opened it, tilting it so Severus could grab the handsome black wand inside.
"Larch and Dragon Heartstring, 10". Unyielding."
Severus tried waving it but he flew backward and hit the wall with a yelp. Lily snickered but stopped when he sent her a glare.
"Nope." Mr Ollivander helped him up and passed him another one. This one was slightly shorter and its wood was less polished. "Blackthorn and Unicorn hair, 9 ½". Bendy."
The boy eyed it warily and swished it tentatively. The wandmaker snatched it from his hand when the oil lamp near them exploded violently.
Biting his lip, Severus sent a warning look to his best friend who was turning red from holding her laughter.
"I think this one would work." He was given a sleek jet-black wand that had fine rune carvings on the handle. "Ebony with Dragon Heartstring, 9 ¾". Supple."
The moment Severus touched it, a curious gust of wind blew through the store, making the bells chime softly. The boy perked up when Ollivander beamed at him, nodding happily. "Versatile, excellent for dueling and alchemy. Perhaps some transfiguration, as well. A powerful wand you have there, Mr. Snape. I look forward to seeing what you will do in the future."
Finally, Garrick turned to the eleven-year-old redhead who froze when her green eyes met his silver ones. "Wand arm?"
"Err. Left." She answered quietly. The wandmaker - her uncle! - nodded and the tape measure flew to her left arm, taking various measurements with lightning speed before it ricocheted back to his hand.
He pocketed it and told them to wait for a bit before he went to the shelves once again. He didn't climb the ladder this time and instead, crouched lowly to rummage through the lowest tier. He grunted and stuck his whole arm, reaching for something in the depths of the wall. Lily shared a look with Severus that made her shake her head and chuckle.
"Got it!" Ollivander cheered and raised an extremely dirty box that looked like it hadn't been touched for centuries. Severus gave Lily a disgusted grimace and she couldn't help but agree.
The wandmaker also took a couple of other boxes from the bottom shelf which were dusty as well. With a great oof , the old man stood up and walked back toward the two children.
His hands and right arm past his elbow were covered in grime. He opened one box and gave her the wand in it. It was a very short reddish wood and quite unpolished compared to Severus'.
It's rather ugly, isn't it?
Lily had to agree.
"Rowan and Unicorn Hair, 8". Rather Bendy."
"Ow!" Lily made to touch it but she flinched away when her finger felt electrocuted.
Ollivander pulled the box away with wide eyes and he closed the box quickly.
"Well, that's curious. Never happened before!" Lily heard him mutter to himself.
Do you think it heard me?
It's a piece of wood, 'Mione.
Maybe it sensed the judgment.
He took another box and gave her a dark brown wand quite similar to Hermione Granger's own. The wood twisted around itself and it had a fairly decent handle. "Vine and Dragon Heartstring, 9 ¾". Swishy."
"I think I quite like this one." She smiled but her grin was erased when she gave it a wave and boxes upon boxes of wands were thrown out of the shelves. She squeaked and shoved the wand back into the box that was still in the wandmaker's grasp.
She heard Severus snickering. "I don't think it reciprocates those feelings."
She sent him a dark look before smiling sheepishly at the wizened man in front of her.
She was given a few more wands and with each came a disaster. She shattered a window pane, broke a lamp, and even sent the owner of the shop several feet backward with the most recent one. With each wand, she grew more helpless and even the wandmaker was wondering what the problem was. He had tried to make her use her right arm instead but they instantly found out it was a bad idea when she shot up six feet into the air and the man had to levitate her down again.
"Let's see…" He panted, stretching his back as he finally snatched the oldest-looking box which was the only one remaining from the pile he got from the shelves.
He handed her a dark brown wand marbled with a lighter almost reddish coloring. The handle had almost elegant carvings that looked like vines wrapping around it and rune markings climbed up as it tapered slightly to the tip. "Rosewood and Unicorn hair, 12 ¾", Unyielding."
Lily took it and almost instantly felt the familiar feeling of her magic rushing to her fingertips. "Woah."
"How curious. It's quite surprising that my cousin wields a wand of another's making and such a stubborn one at that." Ollivander mused.
"Pardon? Another's making?"
"Yes. It was not an Ollivander who created that wand." He smiled and tapped on the wand she was holding.
"Who made it?" Severus spoke up curiously.
"We do not know. My grandfather guessed it was part of the dowry of someone from one of the old French wand-making bloodlines who married into the family far beyond his own time." He asked for the wand and she gave it.
"Like the Perrots?"
Garrick smiled but shook his head. "I am not familiar with the Perrots, unfortunately."
He twirled her wand around, studying it before continuing. "But as I was saying, Ollivanders do not use Rosewood. A very picky wood, it is. More experimental wandmakers try it and end up stopping. Another reason why it gained the reputation of being a more ornamental material. It does not work properly if you do not gain its loyalty. Great for healing and charmwork, and this one would be quite a faithful wand once you win its allegiance."
"Faithful?"
"It judges its owner's character and abilities to see if they are deserving of it. Once it has chosen you, it will not work for anyone else even if you are disarmed or worse, killed. Kind of like Mr. Snape's."
Lily took the wand and nodded slowly.
"Look, we match." Severus pointed at one rune that was carved on the handle.
The two Ollivanders squinted to see and the wandmaker looked impressed. "Yes, it's a rune for protection. Defense purposes."
After Severus was done trying to point out the similarities between their wands - which weren't much but she humored him - the shop owner took them to the register to pay.
"Ms Evans, 8 galleons. Mr Snape, 13 galleons."
"What?! Why's her's cheaper?" The boy grumbled and counted his money before giving it to the older man.
"Family discount and her wand isn't an Ollivander original." Garrick distractedly answered as he recounted the gold coins in his hand.
"By the way, how did you know I'm-"
"Part of the family?" He shot her a secretive smile. "Gringotts has yet to send an official owl, but the tapestry is fireproof, my dear."
They paid and once they bid their goodbyes, they met Hagrid who was lounging on the patio tables at Fortescue's. He greeted them with a large smile and offered to buy them ice cream but it was getting late so the two decided to go.
…
"What took ya so long?!" The half-giant yelled so he could be heard over the motorcycle's thrum.
"I had to try a dozen wands before I found mine! Quite a distressing experience, really!" The girl shouted back, holding her red hair to the side so it wouldn't go inside her mouth.
"Understatement of the week." A quiet voice muttered which earned the owner a swift kick to the shin.
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September 1, 1971
The Evans family and Severus Snape panted as they rushed through King's Cross station. Petunia glared at her little sister who had woken up late due to staying up all night reading a book about their new wizarding school. Severus felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement build inside him. Despite the day starting stressful, with Lily waking up an hour over the time they were supposed to, his mother had kissed him on the forehead as a farewell, and even his father had surprisingly ruffled his hair and silently patted him on his back gently with no sign of the usual animosity.
"What platform was it?" Kit asked hurriedly.
"Err. 9 and ¾," Lily answered.
"This is not the time for your jokes, Lily!"
"-Little flower!"
Petunia and her father looked at each other in surprise and Lily looked sheepish.
"I swear it is 9 and ¾!" The redhead whisper-yelled, careful not to let anyone hear. "Tell them, Sev!"
"Yes. It's the one in the middle of 9 and 10." The boy nodded and stopped in front of said platforms.
The family stared in confusion at the brick wall in front of them and scratched their heads. The deputy headmistress had visited again to explain that nonmagic folk couldn't cross the border a week prior, the three decided to say their farewells at the side of platform 10.
"Now, the both of you stick together!" Kit said sternly.
" Fend off the boys, Severus!" Florian ordered passionately.
" Papa, Sev doesn't know French." Lily groaned.
"I'll do my best, sir!" Sev answered with equal fervor.
The redhead whipped her head and scowled at the boy who looked mightily impressed with himself.
"Have fun, Lily. I love you." Kit bent to give her a tight hug. "Be safe."
Lily grinned. "Love you too, mum."
The red-haired woman stroked her hair gently with a proud smile before she turned to Severus.
"And you, young man," She pulled her distant nephew into an identically rib-breaking hug. She pulled away and placed her hands on his shoulders, telling him the farewell speech she prepared.
Lily rolled her eyes and glanced up at her father who was already looking down at her with a red nose and tearful green eyes. He sniffled and hugged her tighter than her mum did.
She gasped, patting his back. "Papa– Can't….Breathe…."
"Oops, sorry ma petite fleur." He chuckled. "Now, remember what I said."
"Yeah, yeah. Stay out of trouble."
"And-"
" Boys are evil so I should either curse them with my newfound magic or ward them off with Severus." Lily and Hermione rolled their eyes. Another thing they had in common was an overprotective father.
Florian nodded proudly, wiping a stray tear off his cheek. "You're growing up so fast and next thing we know you'll have a suitor asking for your hand."
As if suddenly remembering something, the blonde man grew serious. "He will meet me-"
"Us." Kit intervened absentmindedly from where she was still crouching in front of Severus.
"- us. Right?" Her father raised a brow.
Lily blushed when she heard Petunia chortle. " Dad! I'm just a kid!"
"Well, you can never be too careful." He said before his face melted back into an expression akin to the face of a parent sending their children to war. "Just stay safe. I'll miss the both of you."
"Stay out of trouble. See you at Christmas." Petunia's voice broke making the two eleven-year-olds stare at her weirdly. They returned her smile and Lily wrapped her arms around her elder sister's waist, sniffling. She always got emotional even as Hermione.
Florian burst out crying and gathered the four of them into a smothering group hug.
Severus looked happy, Petunia and their mother looked like they were one second away from tearing up. Lily honestly just wanted the ground to swallow her up from embarrassment.
Several other families were also bidding farewell to their own children. They watched as the other students crossed the border quickly and turned to their family.
"We have to go. Bye Tuny, Papa, Mummy!" Lily gave them each one last hug as she sobbed, red splotches on her cheeks. Her family chuckled and nodded.
"See you later Tunes, Pops, Maman!" Severus waved as well.
The two pushed their trolleys in front of the wall and with one last smile for their family, they pushed off; Severus with sparkling eyes, and Lily with swollen ones. They felt a wave of magic go over them and suddenly they were on a bustling platform with other students of Hogwarts. They gaped in awe (Hermione in nostalgia) as they watched the black steam locomotive whistle as a warning that they'd be leaving soon.
Weren't your parents able to cross the border, 'Mione?
I'm guessing they changed the rules sometime this decade when the first war started picking up.
"Let's hurry, sis." Severus pulled her by the hand.
An older student who introduced himself as a prefect helped them put their trunks on the train. Lily was holding Sir Bluewumps in one arm because the cat wouldn't stop yowling until she took him out of his carrier while Severus had Zeus' cage with the owl hooting curiously in one hand. They strolled in the cramped hallway with Lily in the lead, peeking inside the compartments but most of them were already filled with groups of other nervous first years or intimidating older students.
When Lily saw a compartment with only four figures inside, she knocked on the door and slid it open to put her head through.
"Excuse me, do you mind if we stay here? All the other compartments are full." She asked politely, adjusting the cat she was holding.
The four boys looked up and Lily almost fell in surprise when her eyes met a boy almost identical to Hermione's best friend she saw often in her dreams.
Bloody Hell. Harry looks just like him.
Lily concurred. He had the same black hair that stuck up in different directions but this one… Instead of the viridescent eyes she saw every day in the mirror, wide hazel eyes behind thin elegant frames looked at her curiously.
"How many other people?"
Her gaze turned to the more familiar boy with wavy shoulder-length hair and interested grey eyes. He really looked so much softer than the Sirius Black Hermione once showed her in her dreams. That Sirius had eyes steeled by hardships and features sharpened almost dangerously from malnourishment and stress.
"Just me and my brother." She tried to keep her blush in as she let out a breath and glanced at Severus who was looking bored as he picked at the lint on her robe's sleeve.
"Sure." The small blond boy in the corner gave her a warm smile and stood up awkwardly.
Lily nodded and slid the compartment door wider to reveal the rather large cat in her arm, the two large trunks at her feet, and her apathetic brother standing behind her with an owl cage in his hand. Severus glanced at the four boys with a guarded face before helping Lily put their trunks overhead. Zeus screeched and Bluewumps wriggled from her grasp. The girl cleared her throat uncomfortably when she felt four pairs of eyes watching their movements.
After they arranged their things, Sev pulled her to sit on the other corner beside the young Professor Lupin, trapping her between himself and the wall.
"Wumpy!" Lily scolded when the orange cat jumped from her lamp to circle on the shocked young werewolf's lap before settling there. She gave the boy an apologetic wince but he just shrugged and accepted it.
"I'm Remus Lupin." The skinny boy beside Sev had honey-brown hair, lighter green eyes, and a shy smile. His scars weren't as prominent as she had imagined; he looked healthier and less worn. He stroked Wumpy's fur and the small animal responded by purring loudly.
"Lily Evans." She shook his hand with a wide grin, ignoring her brother's displeased look. "You're Welsh?"
Remus flushed, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah. "
"Great! My father's a Welshman as well. If you like James Bond you two might get along."
The werewolf laughed and shook his head.
Hermione had been the closest to her 3rd year Professor who later then became her mentor. "This is Severus." She elbowed her cousin who scowled at her before giving the other people in the compartment a barely seen nod.
"You may call me Snape." He corrected. He had not forgotten the mission Mr Evans had given him and sitting in a compartment filled with the things he was supposed to fend off only made it more difficult.
"That on your lap is Sir Bluewumps."
Remus looked like he agreed that the name was fitting.
"James Potter." The boy she had been avoiding looking at introduced himself enthusiastically. He had a stronger jaw than Harry and looked relatively healthier than Hermione's best friend did at this age. While the latter had a shy air around him at eleven, this one exuded confidence. "And that right there's Sirius."
"We've never officially met, Ms Evans." The Black heir stood up and took her hand, bowing politely to place a kiss on the back of it. "Black, Sirius. Son of Orion and heir to The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."
James whistled slowly while Remus and Peter hid their smiles.
Hermione snorted in her mind. What a charmer.
What is going on? Lily stared at him with wide eyes and her heart beat wildly.
Sev quickly stood up and narrowed his eyes, shoving his hand forward rudely to create space between the two. "Snape, Severus. Lilliane's older maternal cousin. I shall be her acting guardian in her father's absence."
Why is he acting like that? The boy just introduced himself.
He did. Titles and all. Hermione snorted in her mind. Noble House, my arse.
So what?
Come on , your dad's technically a French lord. What do you think it meant?
Lily still has no idea. Her father didn't think it was right to teach her all of the traditions yet so only Petunia and Severus got to attend most of the society tutoring Florian arranged. Petunia because she was the eldest and was already thirteen at that time, and Severus because he was a boy. So she only learned the basics like beginners' etiquette and social cues.
Sirius grinned and accepted the hand as if he didn't hear the warning tone in her cousin's voice.
"Delighted to meet you, Mr Snape."
"I'm ashamed I feel the opposite, Black."
Lily thought her cousin didn't look ashamed at all.
The two long-haired boys gripped each other's hands tightly, Sirius still having his polite smile despite the determined glint in his grey eyes. Severus was now outright scowling.
Someone cleared their throat awkwardly, breaking the intense stare-off. Severus harrumphed and sat back down, daring Sirius with a challenging glare.
" Well , that was…" James pursed his lips, eyes darting around. "Peter!"
The blond boy from before jumped in his seat from where he was leaning over to pet Wumpy on the head.
"Why don't you introduce yourself next." The bespectacled boy asked with a pleading expression, glancing discreetly at Severus and Sirius.
Remus and Lily (surprisingly) shared an amused look and tried holding their smiles in.
"Peter Pettigrew." He was so much unlike the spineless coward that Hermione had seen begging for mercy countless times that she couldn't believe he could grow into the man who would then betray his best friends.
She would definitely prevent Peter Pettigrew from becoming that horrible person.
If she and Hermione got a second chance, he deserved one as well.
"Nice to meet you, Peter." She gave him a bright smile and leaned forward to shake his small hand. The blond's blue eyes widened and a happy flush grew on his face.
James and Sirius then continued their exuberant conversation after the introductions. Lily held Severus' hand and squeezed it so he wouldn't fall asleep. That would be very embarrassing and she didn't want to face four dead men (one which she'd never met in her past life) alone.
…
"What house do you think you'll be in?" Sirius asked her.
Lily raised her brows. "Err, not sure."
The Black heir smiled warmly at her. "That's alright. I'm sure you'll get into a good one."
Severus cleared his throat.
James cringed at the awkward atmosphere.
"Gryffindor! Where dwell the brave at heart." He suddenly exclaimed and stood up, miming holding a sword and shield, puffing up his chest proudly.
Lily felt Hermione's alarm and instantly knew what was going on. This was when the animosity between her brother and the Marauders started.
Make sure you shut Snape up before—
"Why would anyone want to be in the House of the oblivious? I'd rather be in Hufflepuff ."
...nevermind.
"Of course. We've got a future puff here boys!" The bespectacled boy sniped playfully and added as a joke, "I'd have pegged you to be a slimy snake!"
Huh. He reacted way better than what Remus told us.
"My whole family's been in Slytherin." Sirius frowned and deflated slightly, not noticing the kidding eyes of his new friend.
"And I thought you were alright!" Potter guffawed and slapped the crestfallen boy's arm. A small smile grew on the latter's face and he was back to his boisterous self in no time.
Nice save . Hermione snickered.
Could you stop with the commentary?
"Maybe I'll break tradition." Sirius laughed.
"Dunderhead," Severus commented under his breath. He obviously didn't like Sirius.
Lily sent a warning look to her companion who shrugged easily and tried to silently plead Remus or Peter to do something but they only shrugged apologetically with amused faces. She internally slapped herself in frustration as Hermione giggled, clearly enjoying this. She almost regretted sitting in this compartment. Almost. She wanted to be friends with Remus and Peter (whose eyes were darting back and forth between a ticked-off Sirius and a stone-faced Severus uneasily).
The grey-eyed boy flushed and glared at Severus, glancing at Lily. "Well with your greasy hair, I don't think any house would want you for fear of stinking up the place."
That comment was uncalled for! He didn't even know anything about her best friend.
Lily frowned, ready to defend her best friend.
Calm down. It won't do you any good to blow up.
"It's fine," She heard Sev whisper. She turned to him and he gave her a barely-seen smile. He didn't seem to be affected. In fact, he looked smug as if he won some sort of competition.
Potter coughed again. ( Seriously, does he need some cough drops or something?) "What about you, Remus? Peter?" He asked them, an almost hopeful look in his hazel eyes.
Severus snorted at his pitiful attempt at fixing the mood.
"Ravenclaw sounds interesting but the others don't sound too bad either," Remus answered, the cat still on his lap. Lily thought he looked a little like those villains in the comics she read with the way he was stroking its fur.
Peter scrunched his face in concentration. "I'd probably be in Hufflepuff. I don't think I fit into the other houses."
Severus leaned a bit forward and considered him. "If you're cunning enough you could get into Slytherin."
"You think so?" The blond boy seemed to take that as a compliment and brightened. "Not that Hufflepuff's all bad but my cousins would never let me hear the end of it."
"Why would anyone want to be in Slytherin ?" Sirius rolled his eyes.
James stayed quiet. It seemed he agreed but he spoke up quietly. "I'm sure they're not all bad. Besides, it's just a school house."
Hermione's jaw dropped.
This is surprising.
What is?
They're getting along. And James Potter defended Slytherins. Granted, he sounded unconvinced of his own words, but still! The best friend of Sirius black - self-proclaimed #1 Slytherin hater.
Lily watched as Potter, Remus, and Peter coaxed Sev further into the conversation, and soon the four of them were deep into a debate about the features of Hogwarts. Even her brother was adding comments and insight.
Yeah… didn't you say they were mortal enemies or something?
I'm pretty sure. Remus told us their rivalry started on the train on the way to Hogwarts.
Are you sure?
Yes. But at the rate it's going, it's possible only Snape and Sirius develops that rivalry - - or maybe a sort of frenemy situation. I don't think he'll influence the other three much. I noticed they're more steadfast this time.
The red-haired girl studied the four boys who were now talking about Quidditch. Sev looked uninterested but one could tell he was just as invested on the topic as the others just by looking into his brightly shining eyes.
They were supposed to fight about the houses and it ends up with you exiting the compartment with Snape.
Lily frowned. So Lily-Lily got angry as well?
Yeah. Pretty sure it's how Lily-Lily started hating James. I heard he insults Snape back and calls him 'Snivellus'. Sirius still called him that and even Remus slipped sometimes.
She snorted. Snivellus ? That was such a childish nickname. She imagined a thirty-something-year-old Sirius and Remus mocking an annoyed Severus.
"Why are you laughing?"
She started. She looked at Sirius who was sitting opposite her, not engaged in the conversation about the best Quidditch team. He had his head tilted slightly as he stared at her curiously.
She blushed.
I'm deeply confused. You're supposed to like James and that's not even till seventh year too.
That was Lily-Lily. Did you forget I'm Lilliane-Lily? And I don't like Sirius!
"O-Oh. I just remembered something funny." She bowed her head, looking at her fingers shyly and using her hair to cover her face.
Oh, don't even. You obviously have a crush on him.
She heard Sirius chuckle and her eyes widened when she felt his hand reach over to sweep some of the auburn strands away, his fingers brushing her hot cheeks.
"Hey!"
Lily jumped when Sev smacked the Black heir's hand away. "No touching, Black ."
Sirius narrowed his eyes, holding his hand close to himself but forced a polite smile. "I apologize, Snape ."
James burst out laughing and everyone turned to look at him weirdly. The boy wheezed, hitting Peter's thigh repeatedly and even standing up to shove Remus. "You guys are so funny."
His laughter was cut off when the door slid open. Taking his chance, the cat in Remus' lap hopped off and quickly ran out of the compartment, contorting its fat body to squeeze through the small space between the door and the food cart. A rounded old lady smiled at them kindly, her hands resting on her trolley's handles.
"Anything from the trolley, dears?"
Peter raced forward, fumbling with some coins in his pocket. "Three pumpkin pasties, one large cauldron cake, ten chocolate frogs, and a pack of Bertie Bott's, please."
The lady handed him his order and the blond grunted as he sat on the ground, digging into the treats he ordered. He seemed to remember himself and he looked up at the disbelieving faces of his newfound friends.
"Uhh… do you guys want some..?" He sounded like he was hoping they'd answer no.
"Don't worry about us, Pete." Remus patted the blond's shoulder. He passed the lady a few sickles and came back with a few bars of chocolate.
"Can I have every chocolate frog plus a treacle tart, please?" James gave his money and settled down to join Peter on the ground.
Sirius ordered some ice mice, salt water taffy, and a few packs of yogurt-covered raisins.
James eyed the package in disgust, face smeared with chocolate. "Ew. You like raisins?"
"You don't like raisins?" Lily and Sirius asked at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise and the boy gave her a small smile.
The Potter heir simply nodded and eyed the raisins with disdain before going back to smothering his face with chocolate and sharing some with the quiet werewolf adjacent to him.
Remus opened a box, caught the frog with one hand, and used the other to pass the card to the bespectacled boy who grinned in approval. Peter was too busy gobbling down his cauldron cake.
"What do you want, Lils?" Sev asked her, money already at the ready.
"I don't know, I want to try everything." She excitedly whispered back.
"Well, Glasses over there took every chocolate frog so you'll have to try that next time." Her cousin nodded in the direction of the busy boy. "Plus, I'm sure you won't be able to finish everything."
Just don't. It's not worth it ruining your teeth.
You know as well as I do that our sweets addiction is the only other thing we have in common.
Hermione stayed silent.
Lily felt smug.
"I can share some if you want. Just give me the cards in return. I'm collecting them." James piped up, hazel eyes dilating from all the sugar he was consuming.
In the end, she and Severus bought two of everything, one for each of them. The Potter heir also ended up splitting all of his chocolate frogs between the six of them (he was high on sugar and Lily managed to convince him it was unhealthy) with the condition that they gave him all the cards, copies or not. He said he was planning on selling them to those just starting their collection.
.
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Sirius was quiet as he studied the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. She had the most beautiful emerald eyes and fiery red hair. A smattering of freckles on her face and dimples on the corners of her mouth revealed themselves every time she smiled her gorgeous smile.
He thought of when he first saw her at Gringotts.
Evans.
He wasn't familiar with that family. He knows Snape's a descendant of the Prince family. The son of Eileen Prince, the cause of the start of Emeric Prince's downfall from society, and the biggest scandal of Walburga and Orion's generation.
He wondered if Lily was also half-blood. Of course, the chances of that would be low. Half-bloods usually inherit a telling physical trait of the dominant magical gene. If not, an ability the family is known for.
For example, it was almost a given that Snape would be a natural Legilimens. He wouldn't be surprised if the greasy-haired boy was reading his mind right now with how deeply he was glaring at him. Another example was the Black family's metamorphmagus abilities, though there hasn't been one born for generations. Sirius reckoned it was all the inbreeding.
He shuddered, shaking the possibilities of marrying a cousin from his thoughts and replacing black-haired grey-eyed girls with the red-haired green-eyed girl sitting in front of him right now, nibbling on a piece of dark chocolate Remus Lupin gave her.
Her hair was too red to be a Weasley and just a tad bit brighter than a Prewett's. Her green eyes were much too emerald to be related to the Lupins (and Remus would know her if they were relatives). He guessed she might have some relation with the Ollivanders or the Lestranges who had records of red-heads popping up here and there but, again, the chances of that are very little.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
He took a deep breath to gather his courage before he asked the question that he had been mulling on since earlier as politely as he could.
"Are you a mudblood?"