Los Angeles, California. Creed Estate
When Severus woke up, he felt relaxed and calm.
That was until he came downstairs for breakfast and found his mother sitting on the floor in the living room, covered in letters from the waist down, looking overwhelmed. The sight was almost surreal—Mary-Anne, usually so composed, now surrounded by a sea of parchment.
"Mama?" Severus called out, his voice tinged with concern as he stepped closer.
She looked up at him, her expression a mix of confusion and astonishment. "Severus... these are all for you," she said, holding up a handful of letters. "From schools... from all over the world."
Severus blinked, the calmness he'd felt upon waking up rapidly evaporating as he processed her words. "What do you mean, schools?"
"They want you, Severus," Mary-Anne replied, her tone almost disbelieving. "They want you to come to their schools. Some are offering scholarships, others... they're practically begging for you to join them."
Severus stood frozen, trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing. "Did you put pain pills in your coffee again, thinking it was your vitamins?"
Mary-Anne huffed, throwing a handful of letters in the air, making them rain down around her. "Severus, No, you dumb boy," she muttered, watching the letters flutter to the floor. "This is real. These schools, these people—they see something in you, Severus. Something worth fighting for."
Severus watched the letters drift to the ground, the weight of the situation finally sinking in. "Wh-..What? Why? What the hell is going on?"
Mary-Anne sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know, Sev. Maybe the world finally woke up. Maybe they saw you while at Hogwarts. Or maybe they see potential where others see trouble. But whatever the reason, these opportunities... they're yours for the taking."
Severus looked down at the letters scattered around his mother, feeling a mix of emotions—confusion, disbelief, and a flicker of hope. "So, what do I do now?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Mary-Anne ushered him closer, placing a hand on his cheek. "You do what you've always done, Severus. You fight. You prove that Dumbledore wrong."
Severus looked into his mother's eyes, the determination in her eyes clear. He gave a slight nod before stepping back, the reality of it all crashing down on him. Without another word, he turned and walked into the kitchen.
He needed space to think, to process. The kitchen felt like the only place in the house that wasn't overflowing with the weight of expectations, with the pressure of being more than what the world had tried to make him.
As he reached for a glass, his mind raced. Schools from all over the world were reaching out to him. The chance to start over, to prove himself beyond Hogwarts and Dumbledore's shadow... it was all right there in front of him.
But with that opportunity came the fear—the fear of failing, of not being enough. He gripped the edge of the counter, staring down at the granite as if the answers were hidden in its cold, smooth surface.
Pushing the thought aside, he filled the glass with apple juice, the simple act grounding him in the moment. With a deep breath, he headed back into the living room. The sight of his mother, still surrounded by a sea of letters, brought a small smile to his face despite the chaos.
Taking a seat on the floor next to her, Severus cast a glance at the letters, his fingers brushing over the thick parchment. He could feel the weight of each one, the unspoken expectations and hopes that came with them.
"Hey, Mama," he said softly, turning to her with a gentle expression. "Why don't you go shower and freshen up? I'll go through these."
Mary-Anne hesitated for a moment, her eyes searching his face. But when she saw the resolve there, she nodded, letting out a tired sigh. "Alright, Sev. Just don't get overwhelmed, okay?"
He nodded, watching as she got up and made her way upstairs. Once she was out of sight, Severus turned his attention to the letters.
It was time to see what the world really wanted from him.
Two Hours Later
"HA! What the actual hell?"
Severus couldn't believe his eyes. He had spent the last two hours sifting through the mountain of letters, barely making a dent in the pile. But what really threw him off was the sheer absurdity of some of these offers.
He picked up another letter, staring at the fancy, embossed seal on the envelope before reading aloud, "Lady Whiny's School For Witches and Ladies… What even is this?"
The absurdity of it made him laugh, a short, disbelieving sound that echoed through the otherwise quiet room. Why would he, a male wizard, attend a school for witches!? It was clear that some of these places were just desperate for the prestige of having him, Severus Snape, among their ranks, regardless of whether it made sense or not.
Shaking his head, he tossed the letter aside, leaning back against the couch as he stared up at the ceiling. This was madness.
As he sat there, giggling at the thought of dressing up in his mother's clothes and going to Lady Whiny's school, the sound of his mother walking down the stairs caught his attention. Mary-Anne appeared in the doorway, her hair wrapped in a towel, looking far more refreshed than she had earlier.
"Any good news?" she asked with a small smile, taking in the sight of Severus surrounded by the sea of letters.
Severus glanced at the letter he'd just tossed aside and smirked. "Well, if I ever decide I want to trade in my wand for a corset and join an all-girls school, I know where to go."
Mary-Anne chuckled, shaking her head. "You're something else, Boy. So, what's the plan now?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Honestly? I have no idea. I'm still trying to figure out how all this happened." He gestured to the mountain of letters. "Do you think they all want to clone me for wired stuff?"
Mary-Anne stared at him before snorting. "Why would someone want to clone you, Severus?" Ignoring his faux-hurt look, she continued. "I'm going to get dressed and head to the store, Do you need anything?"
Severus pretended to think for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, can you pick up some anti-cloning spray? Just in case."
Mary-Anne rolled her eyes, laughing as she stood up. "You're impossible, you know that?"
He grinned, watching her head upstairs to get dressed. As the sound of her footsteps faded, Severus leaned back against the couch again, the smile slowly slipping from his face. The joking aside, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
All these opportunities... all these choices... What if he made the wrong one? What if, after everything, he wasn't good enough?
Severus closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "One step at a time," he whispered to himself, echoing his father's words. "Just take it one step at a time."
South Korea, Haneulsaem Academy
"Mama, When I said I was craving gimbap, I didn't mean take me to freaking South Korea!"
His mother simply stared at the men walking by like he wasn't even there. He had fallen asleep twice while going through the letters and putting them in groups so his mother took it upon herself to take him to check out all the schools from his 'Not bad, But I don't know' group.
"Mama," he continued, "couldn't we have started with somewhere closer? Like, I don't know, France?"
Mary-Anne finally turned to him, a small smile playing on her lips as she tore her eyes away from the man picking up papers. "Severus, you deserve the best, and I want you to see what's out there. You've been through so much already. You need a fresh start, and I'm going to make sure you find the right place."
As he slouched into his seat , Severus couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and dread. This school, with its towering pagodas and students dressed in uniforms of deep emerald green, seemed like a place where he could fit in—yet, the idea of starting over in a foreign land was daunting.
"After this, can we-" He was cut off by Mary-Anne's hand covering his mouth. "Severus, your mother is man-hunting, zip it."
Severus mumbled something incoherent against Mary-Anne's hand, his eyes widening in mock horror. She gave him a knowing look, removing her hand with a chuckle.
"Man-hunting, really?" he teased, trying to shake off the nerves that were building up. "What if he's like... a magical emperor or something?"
Mary-Anne shot him a sly grin. "Even better, darling. You could use a rich daddy, pay for everything."
Severus rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. This banter was familiar, grounding. It helped him forget, if only for a moment, the weight of everything that had brought them here.
Salem, Massachusetts. Salem Institute of Magic
Severus watched in shock as a girl dressed in green face paint and a witch's hat jumped out from behind a bush, scaring the soul out of a group of kids.
"Was this even in the good group, or did you just say screw it and go crazy?" he asked, staring wide-eyed at the spectacle.
Mary-Anne shrugged, clearly unfazed. "I didn't know what to expect. It's supposed to be a modern school with a strong magical curriculum, but it seems they have their own way of making things memorable."
Severus shook his head, trying to process what he was seeing. The grounds of the Salem Institute were vast and filled with oddities that made him question if he was dreaming. Kids ran around in bizarre costumes, and magical creatures seemed to frolic alongside them. It was like stepping into a different world.
As he walked through the grounds, he was approached by a tall, stern-looking woman who introduced herself as the headmistress. She greeted them warmly, despite the chaos around her.
"Welcome to the Salem Institute of Magic. We pride ourselves on a unique blend of traditional and modern magic. You'll find our curriculum challenging, but rewarding."
Severus tried to focus on the headmistress's words, but his mind kept drifting back to the girl with the face paint and the general mayhem surrounding him.
Mary-Anne seemed to be enjoying herself, nodding and asking questions about the programs. Severus, on the other hand, felt overwhelmed by the sheer difference from what he was used to. He couldn't shake the feeling that this place was both exciting and intimidating.
After the tour, as they made their way back to the car, Severus glanced at his mother. "I have to admit, this place is...different. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing."
Mary-Anne chuckled. "Sometimes different can be exactly what you need. We'll keep it in the running and see how it compares to the others."
Severus nodded, still processing the experience. As they drove away from the Salem Institute, he couldn't help but slouch at the craziness of his life.
Los Angeles, California. Creed Estate
The sound of his mother's favorite show, Supergirl, blared from the screen, but Severus barely registered the words as he stuffed his face with the hearty meal. The TV was showing a report on the recent scandals involving Hogwarts, the backlash against Dumbledore, and the widespread media frenzy over Severus's situation.
His eyes flicked from the TV to the letters strewn across the living room floor, a constant reminder of the monumental decisions he had to make. He took another bite, savoring the comforting taste of home, yet the tension of his predicament gnawed at him.
The news anchor's voice droned on about the impact of Supergirl, and the camera panned over to photos of said girl saving her sister's plane from crashing.
Mary-Anne walked into the room, still in her pajamas, carrying a fresh cup of tea. She plopped down beside him on the floor, her face lined with concern. "How are you holding up, Severus?"
He shrugged, not looking away from the TV. "I don't know, Mama. It's a lot to take in. Every time I think about choosing a school, it feels like I'm just adding more pressure on myself."
Mary-Anne sipped her tea and looked at him sympathetically. "You did like a few of those schools. Just pick from them. How many was it—four? Six?"
Severus sighed, leaning back against the couch. "Something like that. It's just hard to pick. Each one has its strengths, but they all feel so... different."
Mary-Anne set her cup down on the floor and began gathering the scattered letters. "It's not about finding the perfect fit; it's about finding the right one for you right now. Think about what you want to achieve, where you'll feel the most at home."
Severus rubbed his temples, the weight of his decision pressing heavily on him. "It's just overwhelming, you know? I've never had to make a choice like this before. Hogwarts was always my world. Now it's like... everything is new and unfamiliar."
Mary-Anne reached over and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I know it's tough. But remember, every challenge is an opportunity. You've always been strong and capable. You've got this, Severus. Just take it one step at a time."
Severus nodded, feeling a bit of comfort from her words. He glanced at the letters again, trying to picture himself at one of those schools. "I guess you're right. I just need to focus on what feels right and not get bogged down by the pressure."
Mary-Anne smiled, her eyes warm with encouragement. "Exactly. And no matter where you go, you'll have people who believe in you. And no matter where you choose, I'll be there cheering you on."
Severus gave a small, appreciative smile. "Thanks, Mama. I think I'll start by making a list of what I liked and didn't like about each school. It might help to see it all laid out."
"That sounds like a good plan," Mary-Anne agreed. She stood up, stretching a bit. "I'll clean up here. You take your time with the list. We'll figure this out together."
As Mary-Anne began tidying up, Severus took a deep breath and started organizing the letters into piles based on his initial impressions. It was a small step, but it made the task ahead seem a little less daunting.
As he sorted the letters one stood out the most and he knew..he knew right then and there.."I found the one."
Tell me what school you can think of and want Sev to join!