"In Lily's Shadow" (Severus/Lily, OC character) K+
"In Lily's Shadow" (Severus/Lily, OC character) K+
My second fanfiction!
Circe Black has always loved Severus, but she cares enough about him to let him fall in Lily's arms. After Severus calls Lily a mudblood, she decides to bring them back together despite her own wishes.
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Chapter 1
Circe remembered watching his anger and humiliation mount, then explode with the force of a bomb. One word and Lily Evans left, leaving him and his stuttered apologies behind. She tried to ignore the flutter of hope in her heart. She knew Severus couldn’t be hers. It was Lily he wanted, and it was Lily that he was going to have, she was going to make sure of that.
Without hesitation, she crept down the staircase. The boy’s dormitory staircase turned into the cold marble slide as it usually greeted Circe and the other girls, but she clung on to the sides and managed to make her way up.
A haze of green wallpaper, lined by silver snakes decorated the room. Severus was the only one awake. His dark black eyes, so similar to her own, widened at the sight of her, but he spoke no words. Circe hesitated, then spoke. “Come with me. To the common room.”
Her eyes spoke the words she didn’t need to say, and he followed her down what to him was a grand sweeping staircase, and what to her was a long silver slide.
“Circe Black,” Severus whispered, after he had regained his ability to speak, “What in the name of Merlin are you doing? You’re making me come to the common room in the middle of the night?” The clock struck twelve as if to prove his point.
“I saw what happened today.” Severus flinched, and Circe could see that his face was wet. “You’re not going to lose Lily. Not if I have anything to do about it.
Chapter 2
Circe carefully led Severus towards Greenhouse 7. A lucky number, she thought. She knew Lily was there. She had heard Professor Sprout assign positions.
“Remember. Speak honestly,” she reminded him. “Don’t hide things. Don’t use your brain. Use your heart. That’s why you started this, isn’t it?” Severus nodded, his face pale, but his eyes alive with determination. He stepped into the greenhouse.
Lily’s eyes narrowed into bright green slits at the sight of him. She firmly turned her back on him and continued to pack up her plants.
“I want to-I’d like to-” Severus couldn’t continue. He whirled around desperately, but Circe only gave him a slight encouraging smile. She knew that any words she spoke were fake, while his were genuine, filled with emotion.
“Please.” Severus dropped down to his knees. “Give me another chance. I’m not going to be like before. I promise. One more chance. I won’t make excuses. I won’t be friends with Rosier, Avery, Mulciber, I won’t dabble in Dark Arts, I’m sorry, I’ll do anything…” He went on as if he had downed a dose of Babbling Beverage. Lily’s eyes pierced him as he continued.
“I don’t need you. Find someone else. If you want to change then prove it. Actions speak louder than words. One month. That’s all I’m giving you.” Lily’s gaze softened — for a moment. Then her icy glare returned, colder than ever. After a while, she said, “People can change. But you, I doubt it. If you think you can, prove it.” She turned firmly on her heel and left without another word.
Severus turned to face her, hope mingled with sadness washing over him. “Do you really think I can change?”
Circe smiled gently. “You don’t need to. You were good from the start.”
Severus smiled back, and Circe felt as if she was filled with Felix Felicis, happiness not meant to be hers. Yet she let the warmth bloom and radiate. Seeing him smile was enough.
Chapter 3
Circe sat at the edge of the Black Lake, watching Severus skim stones terribly — she wouldn’t be surprised if he had killed the giant squid — a textbook in her lap sat there, unread.
He sighed as Circe stood up. “I didn’t mean to drag you into this. It’s my fault.”
“You didn’t,” Circe said lightly. “I walked in willingly — more like snuck into your dormitory and forcefully dragged you to Lily willingly.”
Severus turned away, his sleeves splattered with a trail of water. “She’s not going to forgive me. She was right. Words don’t mean anything, and neither do I.”
Circe hesitated, not sure what comforting words to say. “They do. But not by themselves.”
“I don’t know what to do. I tried to impress her, to help her, to be who she wanted me to be, to make myself perfect, but…”
Circe folded her arms, leaning against a tree. “So be someone else. Be who you really are when you’re not trying to impress anyone or prove anything, or,” she adopted a posh tone, “Perfect your soul, cleanse it of mistakes…” She went into a fit of giggles.
He looked up at her, amusement showing on his sad expression. “I don’t know who that is.”
She smiled gently, brought back to seriousness. “I do. He’s the boy who lent me his entire second-year potions kit when I shattered mine. The one who spent three weeks trying to tutor Aria to pass her test. You’re smart, kind and slightly cunning. You’re probably even smarter than Dumbledore, that dumb old door.”
He stared at her, stunned into silence, the humor of her statement, the fact that she had insulted the headmaster, and that she had accepted him for who he was clouding his thoughts. Then finally, he spoke. “Thank you.”
Circe gave a small smile. “Don’t thank me. Prove Lily wrong.”
“How?”
“Start small. Avoid people like Rosier and Mulciber. Stand up for people. Stop hexing James Potter, though he deserves it.”
“The last one’s hard. And you’re right. He totally does.”
Circe laughed, and Severus joined in. And beneath the clear blue sky, she felt like it didn't matter if Severus wasn’t hers. This time together, this unsteady friendship could suffice.
