Mount Greylock, Massachusetts. Ilvermorny

Severus had no idea how he had ended up in this situation.

One moment, he had been happily buried in a pile of books, devouring every piece of information he could find, and the next, Nia was pulling him through the hallways of Ilvermorny.

"Where are you even taking me, you crazy girl?" he grumbled, trying to dig in his heels. Nia just laughed, not slowing down at all. "You'll see. Just trust me!"

"Trust you? We just met, and you already stole my food," he shot back, rolling his eyes.

She turned and gave him a playful wink. "That's exactly why you should trust me. I know all the best spots in this castle, and you look like someone who could use a little fun."

He sighed heavily, feeling like he was getting dragged into something he didn't sign up for. "If this turns out to be some ridiculous prank..."

"Relax, Severus," she interrupted with a grin. "I promise, you're going to love it."Despite himself, Severus felt a flicker of curiosity. What could be so special that she was so determined to show him?

Before he could reply, Nia shoved open a heavy wooden door and yanked him inside. He blinked, momentarily blinded by the sudden burst of light reflecting off the surface of clear, shimmering water.

"A pool? Really?" he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Nia grinned, clearly pleased with his reaction. "Not just any pool. It's enchanted. Look closer."

Severus stepped forward, his brow furrowed. As he approached the edge, he noticed that the water seemed to sparkle with flecks of silver and gold, tiny whirlpools swirling here and there. He glanced back at her, intrigued despite himself. "What's so special about it?"

Nia leaned in close, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Think of it as a magical oasis. It changes according to your mood. Whatever you're feeling, it'll show it back to you."

He raised an eyebrow. "And why, exactly, do you think I need to see my emotions in a swimming pool?"

She chuckled. "Because you're Severus Snape, and I have a feeling you keep a lot more inside than you let on. Plus," she added, giving him a nudge, "it's fun. So, come on, what do you say?"

He stared at the water, watching as the whirlpools shifted and danced. It was tempting, he had to admit. "Fine," he muttered, still a bit skeptical, "but if this is another trick..."

Before he could finish, Nia gave him a firm shove, sending him stumbling backward. His arms flailed in an attempt to regain balance, but it was too late—he splashed into the pool with a loud, surprised gasp.

For a split second, the cold shock of the water took his breath away. But almost immediately, he felt a peculiar warmth spreading around him, wrapping him in a comforting embrace. The water wasn't cold—it was like stepping into a bath that adjusted to his body temperature. The shimmering silver and gold swirls danced around him, reflecting the flickering emotions swirling in his mind.

He surfaced, sputtering, wiping the water from his eyes. "You—" he started, but Nia was already laughing, her grin wide and mischievous.

"I told you it was fun!" she teased, leaning over the edge. "Come on, what do you see?"

Severus glared up at her, but he couldn't suppress the small smile tugging at his lips. "I see a girl who's about to get hexed," he threatened playfully, though his tone held no real anger.

But as he treaded water, he noticed something else—the pool around him was glowing with a soft, ethereal light. The colors shifted from a calming blue to a deep, vibrant green, the silver and gold flecks merging into delicate patterns that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat. The whirlpools slowed, and he felt a surprising sense of tranquility.

Nia's laughter softened into a gentle smile. "See? Not so bad, is it?"

Severus rolled his eyes as he reached out and grabbed her ankle. "Wha- Severus? No, let go...don't you dare.."

But he didn't let go. Instead, with a quick tug, he yanked her off balance, sending her tumbling into the pool with a loud splash. She resurfaced a second later, sputtering and wiping the water from her face, her hair now plastered to her head.

"You... absolute fucker!" Nia exclaimed, laughing despite herself as she playfully splashed water in his direction.

Severus chuckled, a rare sound for him, feeling a bit of his usual guardedness slip away. "Fair's fair, Nia," he replied, raising an eyebrow. "You push me in, I pull you in. Consider us even."

She swam closer, her smile wide. "Even? We're just getting started, Snape." With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she flicked her fingers, and a small wave of water surged toward him, catching him off guard.

He wiped his face, unable to hide his grin. "Oh, it's war now, is it?"

"Bring it on," she challenged, laughter bubbling in her voice.

Before he could yank her under, the door slammed open and Chris rushed in, his glasses crooked and his hair tossled.

"Why are you two in the pool? Did you not tell him about the photos?" Severus froze, his hand frozen in his hair, while she quickly turned to face Chris, her expression caught somewhere between surprise and guilt. "Photos? What photos?" Severus asked, looking between the two of them.

Nia bit her lip, trying to suppress a laugh. "Uh, I might have forgotten to mention... there's this, uh," she began, glancing sheepishly at Chris.

Chris sighed, exasperated. "We're not the only wizarding school that wanted you and 'The New York Ghost' wants to get the picture of you as soon as possible."

Severus's mouth dropped open. "You're telling me there's a newspaper that's dying to plaster my soaking wet face on their front page?"

Nia shrugged, still grinning. "Well, not just any newspaper. It's the most widely read one in all of wizarding America. Think of it as... free publicity."

Severus groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. "Great, just what I needed. I was hoping to lay low, not have my face splashed across the wizarding world's headlines."

Chris snickered. "Too late for that. They already know you're here. And honestly, if you want my advice, it's better to just embrace it. You're kind of a big deal, you know."

Severus rolled his eyes, wading through the enchanted water to the edge of the pool. "Thanks for the heads up, Nia," he muttered dryly.

She gave him a playful shove. "Oh, come on, Severus! Think of it as... initiation. Everyone here goes through something embarrassing their first week. You're just getting yours out of the way early!"

Severus smirked. "If I had known, I would've brought a comb." He climbed out of the pool as Chris helped Nia out.

"Can one of you dry me off? I've yet to get a new wand." Nia grinned and flicked her own wand, muttering a quick drying charm. A warm breeze swirled around Severus, drying his clothes in seconds.

"There you go, all set," she said with a wink.

Chris rolled his eyes. "Next time, try not to drag the new guy into a pool before he even gets a wand, yeah?"

Severus chuckled, running a hand through his now-dry hair. "Yeah, thanks for that. Now, When am I taking these photos?"

Chris pushed him to the door, Nia following closely behind. "Now."

"Wha- Now?"

"Yes. Now."

Hogwarts, Giffindore Girls Dromatry

"And then he got down on one knee and asked me, 'Lily, will you be my girlfriend?' and I was like, 'Yes!'"

Lily flopped onto Alice's bed, papers crunching under her as she threw them aside. Alice, who was already fuming, scrambled to pick up the crumpled homework.

"Lily, seriously? That was my homework!"

Lily rolled her eyes dismissively. "Oh, come on, Alice. It's not like it's a big deal. We're talking about me and my new status as James Potter's girlfriend!"

Mary, sitting at her desk with an exasperated look, shook her head. "Lily, you know not everyone cares about your drama with James. Some of us actually have real problems."

Lily's face tightened into a scowl. "Real problems? Like what? Your endless rants about your grades? Please. At least I have something exciting happening in my life."

Alice, having retrieved her homework, sighed in frustration. "It's always about you, isn't it? Maybe if you paid more attention to the people around you, you wouldn't be on the brink of losing your friends."

Lily's expression hardened as she sat up. "Oh, spare me the lecture, Alice. Not everyone can be as self-sacrificing as you. Maybe if you weren't so obsessed with your perfect little world, you'd realize how much I've got going on."

Mary and Alice exchanged looks of disbelief as Lily walked over to Mary's dresser and picked up her lip gloss.

"Lily, that's mine," Mary said, her voice tight with irritation.

Lily waved her hand dismissively as she applied a generous layer of the gloss. "Oh, come on, Mary. It's just lip gloss. I'm sure you have others. And, it looks better on me."

Mary's eyes flashed with frustration. "It's not about the lip gloss, Lily. It's about you constantly taking what you want without a second thought for anyone else."

Lily raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Really? If that's the worst you have to deal with, then you're living a pretty charmed life. Maybe you should lighten up."

Alice stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Lily. "You know what, Lily? We're tired of being your doormats. Maybe if you actually paid attention to your friends, you wouldn't be pushing us all away."

Lily huffed and tossed her hair back, clearly unfazed. "Well, maybe you should all focus on your own lives and stop worrying so much about mine. I have better things to do than listen to your complaints."

As if the dam had broken, Alice picked up a shoe, ready to chuck it at Lily's head when the door slammed open. Marlene McKinnon, one of the girls' friends, burst into the room, waving a magazine in the air.

"Guys, you won't believe this!" Marlene exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "Look what I just found!"

Alice and Mary looked at each other, their anger momentarily forgotten as they turned their attention to Marlene. Lily, clearly annoyed but curious, raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe.

Marlene flopped onto the bed, still holding the magazine aloft. "It's the latest edition of The New York Ghost," she said breathlessly. "And guess who's on the cover?"

Lily's interest was piqued despite herself. She snatched the magazine from Marlene's hands and began flipping through it. Her eyes widened as she saw the headline: Severus Snape: Ilvermorny's New Boy Wonder.

Alice and Mary gathered around, peering over Lily's shoulder. The article was filled with photos of Severus, looking both enigmatic and intriguing.

What is this?" Lily's voice cracked as she read the headline: "Severus Snape: Ilvermony's New Boy Wonder". Her mind raced, her heart pounding. No, this can't be real. How could he? How dare he?

She stared at the article, her expression twisting into one of fury and confusion. "This is fake! This has to be fake!" she shouted, shaking the magazine in Marlene's face. "How can he be at Ilvermorny? Why is everyone talking about him like he's some kind of celebrity?"

Marlene, taken aback by Lily's outburst, tried to calm her down. "Lily, just calm down. It's not that big of a deal—"

"Not that big of a deal?" Lily screamed, her voice echoing through the room. She grabbed Marlene by her collar, shaking her with unrestrained anger. "Do you have any idea what this means? This is a slap in the face! How dare he just waltz into another school and get all this attention!"

Alice and Mary rushed to intervene, their voices overlapping in an attempt to soothe her. "Lily, stop! You're overreacting!" Mary pleaded.

But Lily was beyond reason. She threw the magazine across the room, sending it skidding against the wall. Her rage was uncontrollable. She kicked over a pile of books, sending them scattering, and grabbed a nearby shoe, hurling it with a wild cry. This can't be happening. He's supposed to be nothing, insignificant. Why is everyone suddenly so obsessed with him?

Her breathing was heavy, and her face flushed with anger. Why does he get all this attention? I'm the one who's supposed to be in the spotlight! How dare he take this from me? The room was a whirlwind of chaos as Lily's emotions spiraled out of control.

As the girls struggled to calm her, Lily's mind was a storm of jealousy, disbelief, and fury. She was enraged by the thought of Severus, once so insignificant in her world, now becoming the center of everyone's attention.