Severus Snape died among frenemies on the filthy floor of the depressing shrieking shack, 1998. Except, he, in fact, did not.
When he opened his eyes again, he found out that he was sitting in Hogwarts express. He was not alone, as somebody else was sitting right next to him, too close for his liking; so he was quite alarmed as this felt a bit shady; people did not wake up in the afterlife sitting in Hogwarts's train you see. There were only two possible ways that the afterlife experience was supposed to go and none involved this. Something was definitely wrong.
So he took a squint of the other person in the car. He felt his breath catch, This was Lily in flesh and blood, Lily freaking Ann Evans was next to him, laughing at something he might have said at some point. She was wearing that bracelet he made for her when he was about 10, to wear at Hogwarts for good luck or some utter shit like that. He looked at his hands and they were small. Too small to be a 38-year-old, actually. They were the size of his 11-year-old, hands, he hastily looked at the back of his hand, there was no sign of that ugly burning mark left by his bastard of father's cigarette when he went home after his first year.
Was this a cruel joke? One last nasty joke at his expense that the universe sent its way? Was he sent back in time?
When Lily tried touching his shoulder, he flinched back, hard, hitting his back to the seat and hurting his newly healed belt mark, courtesy of his fucking father.
Lily's eyes widened in horror: SEV, are you okay? Did I scare you?
But Severus couldn't, wouldn't take it AGAIN. He had fought in not one, but two freaking wars that left him with nothing, nothing but ashes and tears. Even his tear ducts dried last year. So he shot from his seat and ran. Ran away from Lily, from this train, from the reality he seemed to be trapped in. He tumbled and fell to the floor two or more times. How in hell was he supposed to live it all again? Lose his mother again, Lose Lily again, Lose Regulus again, Lose Charity, kill Albus, and Lose his sanity and humanity bit by bit. He did not have the energy to go through all that. Severus did not even understand that he was crying his eyes out, sobbing painfully until he went right into some unfortunate guy's stomach.
Oof!
Because the voice was girlish, the person he had hit was a miss and not a mister.
He looked up and upon seeing said the girl, burst into tears again. And who would blame him? With the kind of year he had, and now finding out, he had to experience it anew.
The girl was in fact a 17-year-old Amelia Bones, the dead head of auror office who was mangled beyond recognition by that sodding brute, Greyback. When he was tasked with getting rid of the body, he cried then too.
Amelia, alarmed by firsti's sudden tears, tried calming him by hugging the scrawny boy with large obsidian eyes. Then shushed him softly. But the guy was either hurt or scared. From what or to whom she was not sure. She was not being too head girly, was she? Then she looked closer.
The boy's nose was broken. No wonder the poor dear was wailing like that. As the train was somewhat dark, she did not notice that or the blood all over his front. She cautiously held the boy in her arms and left him up. He was so in pain, he did not stop sobbing. And Morgana's curly hair! Was the boy light! Were they this thin and little, or were the firsties getting smaller each year?
First, she yelled out her counterpart, Malfoy's name, to help her deal with the situation. But the arrogant Lord-to-be was nowhere to be seen. Probably was having oh-so-important speeches about politics with pure blood sods or snogging his lady friend. No use whatsoever that guy had. One would assume he was a delicate flower with the way he manicured his nails, or carefully styled his blond mane. Merlin even knew his girlfriend to be fiancé Narcissa Black, the Ice Queen herself was not this vane.
So She went into 6th years compartment praying to every deity not to be ambushed by a prank or two, called the two trouble troop AKA Fabian and Gideon Prewatt.
They were there, thankfully: oooh how is bossy Bonsy doing here, Fab?
But then they saw the boy, clutching her robes and quietly weeping.
One went to find a calming draught, while another put the boy to sleep, his nose break did not look good, and it certainly needed Pomfery. They spent the rest of the ride together, in silence, in order not to wake the pale-looking raven-haired boy in their care.
When Severus woke up, it was nearly the end of the ride. He felt calm and collected. But his nose felt funny.
He sat upright and saw a pair of warm brown eyes. The Prewatt twins...
His mind went into the past (or future) where he had cut George's ear. He felt like crying but found out he was on a calming draught. He scratched the back of his head: umm, hello?
: hey!kiddo! How are you, sleeping beauty?
: 'm not pretty!
: right, don't get your knickers in a twist, handsome fellow, care to share the name? My name's Gideon, and that's my dumb and far less pretty twin, Fabian.
Fabian protested while batting his eyelashes at him rapidly: oooh, you wound me, bro, hey darling am I not the better-looking one?
Severus wanted to laugh( he horribly found out that his body had the functions and feel of an 11-year-old, this meant he had to go through freaking PUBERTY too!!!!) but he realized his nose hurt, a lot: ouch!
" Young Sir, I dunno, but is your name Ouch?
: no, me name Severus
: oooh, hear hear this young mister is a wanna-be emperor brother! Can he Fabian?
: Ickle firsty is a sharp one, going right to head girl's arms and gaining the feisty and mighty Bones support, and name's Severus. Like Septimus Severus, the Roman kingsie. Why can't he?
When he wanted to say he was going to leave their car, thank you very much, he realized they had transfigured his shirt into robes, put a disguise on his face, and readied his cloth from the blood, all the while distracting him with talks.
He smiled softly: "Thanks." For calming draught and robes and disguise.
That took them by surprise, as first years were not accustomed to magic yet, except purebloods( they being pure blood themselves probably knew all this year bunch from when they were in nappies, so they knew he is either a muggle-born or a half-blood), Fabian whistled: oooh!aren't yard a genius!
Severus felt reddened up to his ears: thanks. I'm gonna get out of yor way...
:nope!
: not gonna happen, Bones will have our hides!
: first we ganna have a chat with dear old tabby, to get you sorted first..then...
Severus refused: no.
They looked at each other, confused: what? Why!
Severus calmly said: that will just put a target on my back, if you two, light pureblood heirs, have my back. And Miss Bones too, as she is a powerful light witch. And as a lowly half-blood...( he tried to show fear in his face) they will haunt me down. The political climate is against...( pause for emphasis, trembling lips, loath as he was to do so) ..my kind. And ...
Fabian looked worryingly at Gideon, thinking that maybe the kid's nose break was not a total accident, sharp half-blood with potential, and wits about him, and Merlin the boy had that! Recognizing disguise charms and calming draught as well as their subtle aversion... they nodded to him: alright Severus, after the feast, we or the big bad girl herself gonna come and get ya to Pomfery, alright buddy? ( he tried so much not to ruffle the boy's somewhat oily hair, which was totally down to being poor and being washed by soap instead of shampoo because he smelled like peppermint and baby soap)
Severus nodded and left the compartment.
Some minutes after he went to go to his first car, but hearing Potter, Black, and Lupin laughter ( he would not ever forget their sound, as they had laughed at his expense too many times) he decided against it. So Lily had again fucking chosen Potter against him, she had seen the way he left the car, and she still remained in her fucking seat, chatting up the sodding marauders. Not that he had been her friend, had her back, and defended her against her sister. Not that he had put his life on the line for her bastard son. She didn't even respect him, liked him enough at this point to come and get him? Or be a little worried? He knew if the roles were reversed, he would not sit like a hen and do nothing. Was he this delusional about her friendship? Clinging to her scraps of kindness, she showed him out of pity and said oooh, look at me! I AM SO GENEROUS, I AM SHOWING THIS LOSER Kindness! How Great I am!
He made a decision then and there, fuck her and Potter, He would be the hero this time.
So He needed allies.
So which house? He needed to remain unnoticed, under the radar...maybe all the house's hands on?
He smirked, wasn't he lucky? Already met Bones and Prewatts?
He first wanted to make sure his robes remained like robes and not muggle things he wore, but he need not worry. The twins were good, and it would last till the end of the night.
Arriving at the gate, he took a glance and went in the boat occupied by Frank Longbottom, Benjamin Fenwick, and Charity Burbage. (He was good friends with Charity in that life, why not now?). He did not spare a moment to that chit named Lily or her future husband ( nor to the stupid meddling headmaster or his biased deputy), when he was called, the hat hummed.
: ooh, a surprise! Gonna have to put ya in Slytherin, are we?
: shut your gub you worthless hat. I dare you to put me there! With sodding Mulcibor of all people!
: so Gryffindor?
: no, Not a chance in hell. Put me in Hufflepuff.
: but..
: Hufflepuff or I swear I will find the basilisk" and soak your old threads with its venom and destroy you even if it's the last thing I would do in my life.
The hat almost shrieked: Hufflepuff!
Sev
Notes:
Amelia smacks Lucius Malfoy's head: where the hell were you when I was screaming at the top of my throat for you?
Lucius: You are a brute! Look what you did to my precious hair! There were 10322 of them, Now it is only 10321! I have to go to the hospital wing for this!
Amelia: Cissa, If I request your father for your hand, will you accept?
Narcissa takes a look at Malfoy crying over his single hair loss: Curse him bald for life and we have a deal. We can adopt Severus as our son, too.
Lucius, runs for his life, while being chased by the two witches.