JaySM's Challenge Responses
- Challenge 08: Snape’s Secret Ally
Characters: Severus, Fred, George, Umbridge
Rating/Warnings: Gen
For Fred and George, the day started like any other under the oppressive rule of Umbridge. She had created another educational decree that required students to consent to have their post checked for contraband. George thought it stemmed from their owl order from Zonko’s the day prior, the one they had intended to replenish their stocks but Fred wasn’t so sure. It could have been anything really. Never mind that said supplies were confiscated within minutes of its arrival after accidentally dropping a dungbomb in the Great Hall and it coincidentally rolling under the High Table activating right against the foot of one High Inquisitor.
It’s a real mystery.
George being the more even-tempered of the two often deterred his twin from blatantly harming the toad, especially after serving detention with her. He often had to remind Fred their mother would fall short of murdering them if she ever discovered they even thought of it. Fortunately, most teachers despised their new DADA teacher enough to look the other way but they never went as far as to actually assist in a prank.
All were this way except one.
Snape.
The Professor who was least likely to help.
Their tentative alliance with the Potion Master was conditional at best. Snape never gave the impression he liked their pranks, if anything, he abhorred it, particularly when it was directed at him. Fred thought Snape could build up a tolerance to it and initially, George was against the idea but as time passed and the threat of expulsion came and went Snape’s tactics changed. Instead of following through with his threat, Snape redirected their mischief. It started with an offhanded comment about the DADA teacher in their first year. A comment that would lead them to slip an entire bottle of pompion potion into her drink during Halloween which resulted in their pockets being weighed down by two large vials of Babbling Beverage after their detention with Snape.
Relabelling the student stores had never been so rewarding.
One vial they tested on Filch who turned a comical shade of puce when attempting to control his speech. The other was given to Dumbledore who they discovered was quite partial to the prank and spread its humour by engaging his staff in conversation.
Fred immediately understood this conditional alliance and over the years they indirectly reaped the benefits of their pranks. One of their biggest finds was through detention with Snape who in their first year had them copy the properties of snake fangs from Alberic Grunnion’s third-year potion book who had scribbled the recipe of how to create dungbombs alongside the printed text.
George was highly sceptical of the innocence of such a trade and wondered what Snape’s agenda truly was. The man was inconsistent in his tolerance. Hot and cold. He alone controlled the initiation of his participation and the benefits of such an advantage supplied their inventions for years. There were never any qualms on whether Snape would ever deliver if they did pranks in his stead, their uncertainty came with which ones he was willing to partake in.
They didn’t know his motives.
If it was as simple as targeting anyone filling the DADA position, it would have made things easier. They would understand Snape’s jealousy vying for a job he couldn’t get but things weren’t that simple. When hinted to go after Dumbledore a handful of times, they understood but when the mark switched to Trelawny who had never interacted with the Potion Master. They were confused.
What was special about her?
The thing that truly baffled them was when Quirrell returned to teach as a DADA Professor. They expected Snape to initiate something, anything, but he surprisingly stayed silent and distant. His incentive was once again difficult to understand despite the years of evidence they had of him actively targeting DADA Professors.
They had built enough rapport to know when not to ask him for assistance but surely Umbridge who appeared to be the bane of his existence would warrant his inclusion. Especially when they intended this to be their last hurrah.
Pinning Snape down was problematic. Neither Fred nor George passed their Potions O.W.L.s to get into the N.E.W.T. classes even though to everyone else they seemed likely to do so. Their creativity was dampened in the classroom setting and it appeared Snape agreed when he rewarded them a Potions self-study guide and an A-Z Encyclopaedia of Common Ingredients after pranking Lupin just before their O.W.L. exams in their fifth year.
They had to get creative to grab Snape’s attention and the only way to do that was to prank him.
George unravelled the wrinkled parchment in his hand, rereading the list of ingredients they would need that was left uncrossed and let out a stressed sigh. He leaned his head back against the stone wall of the corridor staring unseeingly at the dark ceiling deep in thought. There were two things left on the list. Neither could be harvested within Hogwarts grounds due to their scarcity but they presumed Snape would have it in stock because of how versatile his net of ingredients he had on hand contingent to Hermione’s recollection when asked.
The first uncrossed ingredient was a drop of erumpet fluid. Based on the list, it was easy to deduce they were building something explosive but just in case that painted them in a bad light, George had the foresight to write on the top of the list Wildfire Whiz-bang Fireworks. The second ingredient was listed under Portable Swamp, a binding agent used in modern healing potions when dealing with plant matter. It was damning evidence but they felt they needed to be transparent with him just this once considering they were asking him for help. George for the third time that night, internally questioned Fred’s insistence on pranking the Potion Master. He doubted Snape would feel very generous after a dose of mischief. Come what may, George would faithfully follow his brother to the ends of the world. Even if that involved facing the overgrown Dungeon Bat himself.
George’s gut churned as the seconds ticked on. His anxiety pooled at his feet leading him to push back against the wall and pace the mouth of the corridor. Minutes went by agonizingly slow. The only audible sound was the steady pace of each of his steps before he pivoted to once again continue the same rhythm. He briefly thought of how calming the repetitiveness of it was when he heard footsteps slamming against stone from the staircase that led to the dungeons. George retreated back into the darkness, unaware of how every muscle in his body tensed as the shadows along the wall grew bigger before Fred’s beaming smile came into view and ushered him back to take his place.
George’s heart hammered against his chest, his head angled to hear any footsteps coming their way. This was it. They’ll finally know…
…know what?
Snape’s motive?
Whose side he was on?
George couldn’t convince himself having Snape help them would answer anything or what it meant. His restlessness settled in his gut and it tensed in protest. George peered over Fred’s shoulder, stunned to see the Potion Master was already there.
He didn’t hear him come at all.
He spared a glance at Fred who after so many years of being a twin naturally met his eyes exchanging a serious expression. For a moment he saw uncertainty cross his brother’s face, a change from his normally merry persona before returning to look back at the scene unfold.
That didn’t bold well.
Regardless of what happened, they were in this together.
George laid a reassuring hand on his brother’s bicep and watched their prank activate.
Except that it didn’t.
Snape didn’t move. He stood still in front of his office door as if he were reading something in front of him but there was nothing there. At least George didn’t think there was. He was starting to doubt his own memory when Snape glanced along the length of the corridor before facing them. George heard Fred’s squeak of disbelief in front of him as he watched the tall figure of Snape the Dungeon Bat take slow purposeful steps in their direction, the white of his eyes striking in the dark.
“Now what do we have here?” Snape’s black eyes met each of theirs. It held no malice but the sheer presence of the man and the years of being under his tutelage brought George back to feeling like a firstie. Fred stiffened next to him.
“Well I-“ Fred tapered off. George wondered if he failed his twin at that moment by not completing his sentences like he usually does. Fred would have to forgive him. His mind was running blank.
“Hmmm,” Snape raised an eyebrow sardonically, waiting. “How riveting.”
George reflexively took a step forward in his brother’s defence, mouth ajar to speak but whatever he was going to say slipped his mind as he realized how Snape towered at least half a foot over them. They were fully grown wizards, months from passing their N.E.W.T.s and still being in close vicinity in this way was nerve-wracking. The darkness only heightened it.
What could they say? This wasn’t going according to plan at all.
Snape seemed unphased by the distance or lack thereof because he took another step and looked down to meet George’s eyes. George was arrested by the bottomless pit and for a moment, time held no meaning. He could only focus on the eyes that seemed to pierce right through him, right into his very soul. He felt bare.
A sad looked flashed across Snape’s eyes and if George wasn’t looking at it, he wouldn’t have noticed.
“I see…” Snape looked at them blankly and George felt the disconnect deep in his heart as if it were a physical wound. He had a sneaky suspicion Snape could read minds.
Snape turned, stepping into the light and slashed his wand in a perpendicular motion effectively dismantling and removing any evidence of their practical joke, the door swung open in greeting.
“Wait,” called out Fred, hand raised to stop him. “We have a list to-“ He motioned for George to move forward just as Snape turned to face them. “Tell him, George,” Fred sounded desperate. It’s been years since those words had ever been uttered, and it was just the thing to spur him forward.
“Here!” George presented Snape with a heavily creased parchment
A door creaked open on the other side of the floor and audibly closed.
Snape snatched the parchment from his hand and refolded it, tucking it in the inner pocket of his robes in one smooth motion.
“Still here?” He asked silkily.
The tone of dismissal was clear.
In unison, the twins used their unchanneled emotions to speedwalk through the corridor. Luckily they didn’t pass by anyone on the way to the stairs. George looked back over his shoulder at an off chance he may have missed someone and nearly tripped over his own foot upon seeing Snape still standing in the middle of the corridor right outside his office. He didn’t look as intimidating at a distance. He looked more forlorn if anything.
“C’mon! Let’s go.” Fred hooked a finger in the sleeve of his jumper and almost dragged him up to the seventh floor before he slowed.
“Bloody hell,” Fred cursed with a laugh, combing his finger through his ginger hair. “That was risky.”
George could still see the last few seconds he saw of Snape playing on repeat in his mind’s eye. “Yeah,” he responded absentmindedly.
Fred smacked his brother on his chest with the back of his hand to get his attention. “I could hear your knees knocking when he came.”
George snorted, playfully pushing Fred away. “Did not.”
“Too bad it was all for nought.” Fred rubbed under his nose, leading the way to the portrait of the fat lady.
“Yeah,” George smiled sadly. “Maybe.”
Fred wrapped a hand around his shoulders. “Cheer up. There’s still time for a plan B.”
“And C,” added George.
Fred chuckled. “If we continue on we’ll start adding numbers.”
“Plan B2.”
They both laughed unusually long for a while, dispersing their accumulative tension as they neared the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower.
Hours later, in the dead of night, a crack of apparation sounded softly in their dorm. It almost went unnoticed if George wasn’t already awake. He watched through lidded eyes as a house elf deposited something at the foot of Fred’s bed, before bowing and disappearing from sight. George waited to see if anyone would return before standing up. It was no surprise when Fred sat up too pulling the parcel up to his lap making room on the bed for George to sit.
With a tap of his wand against the bed frame, George brought down the curtains from the bedpost and cast a simple privacy charm.
“Do you think he came through,” asked Fred excitedly.
“I hope so.” George lit the end of his wand to see.
Fred tore through the brown wrapping ignoring the twine that held it in place and opened the parcel whistling when he revealed the two things inside.
“An entire Erumpet horn,” Fred said his eyes wide in awe. “This could last us years.”
There was a tightness in George’s chest, a bitter taste filling his mouth.
“What’s this,” Fred pulled out a bottle of red liquid and angled it closer to George’s wand to see the label. “Matagot Blood. Wicked! This will be loads better.”
Fred summoned a familiar book from his school trunk, the Potions encyclopaedia they got from Snape in fifth year.
A hard lump formed in George’s throat.
“Fred?”
“Look! It says here that Matagot blood is used for Blood Replenishers and is a good binding agent for plants in potions. We don’t have to use all of the stinksap for the swamp. We could just multiply it. Could you imagine? Three drops of this would flood the entire fifth floor. We would just need a charm to both contain it and make it portable.” Fred rearranged his legs to lay back more comfortably on his bed. “I’ve got some ideas- What’s wrong?”
“Do you think we’ll ever stop missing this place?” George asked gloomily.
Fred let out a long sigh, canting his head until it touched his brother’s. “I don’t know. But I could see us visiting years down the road. We’ll have our joke shop to keep us afloat and with our inventions, we can take on You-Know-Who. We’ll come back to Hogwarts not as pranksters but as heroes. Snape might even acknowledge us.”
“Yeah.” George smiled at the vision it painted. “I suppose you’re right.”
Fred smacked his lap, a sure sign of the finality of the topic and adjusted the covers so it covered his brother. “I’m feeling pretty sad, George. Stay, yeah? For old times sake?”
George snorted out a small laugh. “Yeah, okay.” He turned to face the edge of the bed pulling the cover under his chin. “Thanks, Fred.”
“Stay on your side this time.”
George chuckled.
I liked this one, a unique take where Snape is secretly aiding Pranksters. 😹😸
Challenge 06: Snape's Unwanted Gift
Characters/Pairings: Snape/Lily
Rating/Warnings: Brief mentions of nudity making it NSFW, Cringe Comedy
Alternate Warnings: One-Shot, Female protagonist is a walking red flag, Severus has “You only Live Once Mentality”, Rushed Ending, Cringe, Awkward Moments and misunderstandings, Beta is Grammarly
Summary: (AU) Set in a folklore. Perceived to be blessed by the gods, Lily has worn out her welcome in her village and has been chosen to be a human sacrifice.
Lily had always been different.
For as far back as she could remember, the most unusual things happened around her. The flowers would stand a little straighter, and plants would appear a little greener as she walked by. The tides would always come to greet her and expose the colorful shells covered by the sand when it receded. It was dismissible at first, until one day the flowers not only stood, they bloomed. When the ocean ejected fish from its waters at her feet in piles, it could no longer be ignored.
Lily was special. Unique.
For years, her parents tried to hide her from the local villagers. Traditionally, when a cursed one appeared, famine and death would follow but with Lily it never materialized. It lead to her parents’ complacency one evening when Lily ventured alone deep into the forest in her kinder years and was caught by a god. At least that’s what the villagers believed, based on the runic protection on her forehead when she returned. But the person she encountered wasn’t a god at all.
It was a witch.
Eileen was her name. She explained the routine trips she made to collect ingredients from the forest. At first, Lily was skeptical, but when Eileen proclaimed Lily was a witch as well, she knew it to be true and everything else that came from the stranger’s mouth did not seem so suspicious anymore. Lily stayed in the forest late into the night, listening to tales of witches and wizards and their capabilities. Through those stories, she learned about herself and felt empowered when she realized that the unusual things that occurred were not happenstance but a byproduct of her own emotions, her own power. When Lily was beckoned home by the echo of her parents’ cries, Eileen offered to take Lily as her own and bring her into the fold of the magical world where she belonged, claiming she had a son her age Lily would get along with. Concerned for how her parents would react, Lily declined. Eileen instead left her with a sigil on her forehead to protect her from nefarious animals, including humans.
Years passed since that night, and the villagers treated her no differently. Her magic, once hidden, could no longer be stifled. The villagers took it in stride and explained it away as the gods' approval. Initially, Lily found it immensely amusing that the villagers never caught on that the “gods” aligned with whatever she wanted but fear reined her in when disease began to spread and the villagers’ prayers were left unanswered. The villagers judged her for winning the favor of the gods but to them they felt betrayed because she never asked for blessings on their behalf.
They didn’t care to notice that Lily sympathized with them as their village dwindled and the last of her family passed on. They left her ostracized and left to fend for herself.
Forlorn, she frequently pondered what would have happened if she left with Eileen that fateful day, years ago.
In her twentieth Spring, a month after her first bleeding, the villagers unanimously decided she would return to the gods. They set up a sacrificial altar deep within the forest and took her to it in the dead of night. Lily let them take her under the guise of heavy sleep, uncertain what thoughts prevailed over her to take such a course: The eagerness to meet Eileen again and to finally be accepted as an equal within her society or the guilt she felt in her inability to aid her family and the local villagers when diseases took over.
When they reached the clearing, Lily was startled out of her pseudo-slumber when the village men laid her on the cold, hard ground and forcibly ripped the clothes from her body. Fearing the worst, she blindly kicked and fought to the best of her extent but physically she could do nothing to stop them. Her magic came to her aid and lashed out but by then it was too late.
She was naked.
Her magic angrily lashed out in a fiery arc as she tried to cover as much of herself as she could with her hands and legs, glaring at the village men in challenge, daring them to step towards her again. It was a short wait before she realized they had no intention of moving towards her but instead met her with all the disappointment and betrayal their eyes could muster before throwing her a wreath of baby’s breath and a thin ceremonial blanket. Lily scrambled to pick it up and hurriedly cover herself preparing to meet their stare head on but by the time she looked up, the villagers had already turned their back on her and walked away. Back to the direction of the village. Back to their families and their warm beds.
It was not long after that Lily’s tense body began to relax and she began to wonder what she could do, where she could go especially this late into the night. She considered leaving the area and braving the wilderness in hope of another village willing to take her in but immediately discarded the idea when she remembered her nudity. Her village may have thought she was favored by the gods but other villages would not fall under such delusions and she could quickly see herself falling prey to the assault most of the females faced. She had avoided such confrontations through the fabrications and she had no intention of willingly undergoing such violent acts just to survive. Feeling she would have a better chance sticking close to the piles of food laid atop the stone altar, she created a bed by breaking off branches from nearby pine and wrapped the white blanket around her like a cocoon, grateful for the warmth of late spring. She laid down on her makeshift bed and stared at the stars in exhaustion, watching them twinkle brightly in contrast to the light of the full moon. The night was alive with sound and music. A loud cacophony. She felt too drained to stay awake any longer and fell asleep to the wild’s lullaby.
Snap!
Lily’s eyes snapped open and blearily looked around as she sat up, the blanket pooling at her waist. She mechanically gripped the blanket pulling it to her chest, her green eyes scanning the area. Everything looked the same as it did before she fell asleep. The only difference was the deafening silence. Lily’s fine hairs stood in alert. Her head angled to allow her ears to hear the smallest of sounds. The full moon cast a bluish-tint in the surrounding areas. It was difficult to discern what was beyond the trees. The moonlight penetrated the surface of the foliage, leaving a lot of what could be hiding behind it to Lily’s active imagination.
It could be a boar preparing to charge at her from behind the bush.
Or a wolf waiting on his hunches ready to bite.
Snap!
Lily’s head snapped to the right, slowly standing up and bringing her blanket up for cover.
Or it could also be a stranger waiting to see what tools she had at her disposal before running in to attack.
Lily frantically searched the ground for something, anything to help. She spotted her wreath and gripped it tightly in hand, tracing the pink ribbon that was decoratively tied in the back. Maybe she could use it to choke someone. Feeling better prepared with a plan in place, Lily faced the direction of the sound and took several cautious steps back, preparing to drop her ceremonial blanket in case she needed to run. Something strikingly white appeared behind the tree, an eerie glow seemed to be emitting from it. With another backward step, she caught the end of her blanket and fell with an oomph.
The white being across the clearing suddenly became clearer.
A horse.
An ethereal, horned horse raised its head in her direction before ignoring her to go back to eating the red cosmos peppering the ground. Lily wanted to laugh.
Of course.
Weird horse but harmless enough.
For lack of anything to channel her nervous energy, she plopped the wreath on her head and pulled the blanket back up to her chest.
Just when she thought she was safe a huge shadow emerged silently from behind the bushes. Lily would not have noticed it if the glowworms didn’t light up from the disturbance. Her heart began to hike up her chest as a growing sense of horror filled her. She sat frozen on the ground, watching how things would play out as if in slow motion.
It was a man! A man!
His hair was long and inky black so strikingly different against the pallor of his white skin. He seamlessly disappeared into the shadow with his long dark robes billowing in the non-existent wind. His eyes were intense and focused and most certainly not directed at her but at the horse. The strange, horned horse grazing on the cosmos.
The man noiselessly stepped into the clearing exposing his long two-pronged staff clenched in his hand aimed at the horse like a weapon. Lily watched transfixed, wondering what would befall the poor horse. No, what would happen to her if he discovered her?
The man sidestepped in silent steps until he was almost in front of her. He pulled back his staff and jabbed it in the direction of the horse. A beam of light shot like lightning from in-between the prongs of his staff before hitting the horse right in the jaw.
A wizard!
The horse stood unnaturally in place, unmoving for several seconds before trotting as if marionetted until it reached the man and bowing its head. The man fished a leather from within his robes and unrolled it holding it under the horn of the horse as if it were a tray. Then, he used his staff to slowly and methodically shaved the horn letting its fine powders be caught by the leather.
Lily’s fear was replaced with excitement.
Yes! He was a wizard! What were the chances?
Even though she was eager to leave, there was still the small problem of her nudity. Frozen by indecision on whether to make herself known, she sat in place simply watching him until he released the horse from his spell. The horse let out a disgruntled snort in the man’s direction before cantering off into the woods.
Lily’s heart beat a mile a minute in growing anticipation as the man rerolled and pocketed his leather. He turned to leave but stilled when he faced her, his eyes widening in alarm as he slowly brought his hand to join the other on his staff to point it at her.
Looking at him now and knowing he was a wizard, the man seemed less villainous and more foreign and intriguing. His dark eyes burrowed into her very soul and she could sense his confusion.
When he spoke, his deep voice pierced the thick silence in the air. The cadence in his voice was slow, and it held a unique, almost melodious air that came from speaking a foreign tongue.
“What are you doing here,” he jabbed his staff in her direction.
A rush of heat filled Lily’s cheek at his accent and she found herself shyly watching him from under her thick lashes. He seemed perplexed by her reaction and brought his staff down to his side when he realized she meant him no harm.
He tilted his head in curiosity, “Are your people always in this state of undress?”
Lily’s blush deepened and spread to her chest. She brought her ceremonial blanket further up to cover her exposed chest.
“Eileen,” Lily said abruptly, saying the first thing that came to her mind. She shook her head to encourage it to focus. “Do you know Eileen?”
The man’s brows furrowed as he gave her a searching look. “How do you know her?”
“Please,” Lily tried to convey the importance of her finding the witch through her eyes. “I need to find Eileen.”
Several seconds passed of them just staring at each other in silence with only the sounds of crickets chirping and the distant rustle of some small animal in the brush could be heard. The man appeared to be mulling over what to say to her before sighing.
“She won’t come tonight. I’ve taken over her rounds. If you would like, I could pass on that I have met you next time I see her.” He began to walk around her. “Good evening.”
He was several steps away when it occurred to Lily that he was leaving. She dove for his cloak and tugged using it as leverage to stand up.
“Wait!”
He had already stopped and was looking curiously at her hand which scaled up to his forearm. She flushed at their proximity. Inadvertently inhaling the smoky scent of his magic and the underlying spice of his musk. It caused her to feel more feminine and warm.
When she spoke she noticed her voice was more breathy and higher in pitch. “Can you take me to Eileen? Please, I need to see her.”
The man leaned back and averted his eyes, possibly bothered by her closeness and nudity. “I can’t, even if I wanted to.”
Lily’s heart sank in disappointment. She couldn’t stay in the forest. Not like this. Lily wracked her brain to remember something Eileen mentioned that could help her but the man seemingly having lost his patience began to pull away.
“Her son! Eileen’s son.” Lily said frantically, pulling him back to stop him from leaving.
The man’s eyes narrowed. “What do you want with me?”
Lily’s eyes widened in surprise. A seed of hope began to bloom, calming her racing heart.
He was Eileen’s son. What luck! She wanted to tell him about her encounter with Eileen when she was a child and tell him all that transpired that led her to this very moment but something stopped her. A rush of clarity hit her as she gaped at him. Eileen probably didn’t remember her. Their encounter was but a fleeting moment in Eileen’s life but it was everything to Lily. It dawned on her that perhaps her moment to be accepted back into the wizarding world under Eileen’s wing had passed. She was no longer a moldable child that Eileen could integrate into the magical world. She had to think of a different approach. Something that could secure her a place within that world so she could stay forever.
Lily’s green eyes observed the man’s face, noting his raised brow in question. She ignored it and traced her eyes down his high cheekbones and sharp jawline. She paid close attention to his thin lips and imagined what it would feel like to kiss them. Would she be bold enough to initiate such a thing? She imagined giving him a chaste kiss on his lips and being close enough to feel the warmth of his body, and being surrounded by his distinctive scent of herbs and powerful magic. She found she wasn’t against the image in her mind. If anything, the mental image sparked more attraction.
The man seemed perplexed by her silence and looked visibly uncomfortable with her stare. “What are you doing?”
Lily reached out to touch his long, raven-black mane. He flinched at the sight of her hands but stilled as she cautiously stroked it, marveling at its softness. She fingered the small tusks dangling from his ears, briefly wondering what creature it came from before meeting his eyes.
“I’m Lily. What’s your name?”
His other brow joined the first one in surprise at the change in topic. “Severus.”
His mouth twitched as his cheekbones rose when she enunciated each syllable of his name slowly.
“Why were you looking for me?”
His eyes met hers and Lily felt herself drawn into their dark tunnels. She swallowed alleviating the dryness she suddenly felt in her throat.
“A gift,” she mumbled.
“Pardon?” He tilted his head so his ears faced hers.
“I’m your gift,” Lily said more clearly.
He reared his head back in surprise and furrowed his brow, mouthing the word ‘what’ as he internalized what she said.
Quicker than expected he regained his bearings.
“Who put you up to this? Lucius?” He shook his head. “Nevermind. I have no need for a muggle woman. Especially a courtesan. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“No!” Lily tugged him back alarm. Her actions got ahead of her words as she fumbled to say something back. “I’m not a muggle, I’m a witch.”
As if to prove her point, her magic crackled around her reflecting her jittery nerves. The grip she held on his cloak was so tight her knuckles were white.
“Please,” Overwhelmed, Lily’s eyes watered but she refused to let her tears drop. “Just listen.”
At her look, his eyes soften and he laid a calming hand on the one she had fisted on his clothing.
“I’m not a courtesan. I’m to be your wife.”
Severus closed his eyes and let out a calming breath. “And who gifted you to me?” His eyes snapped open in challenge. “My mother?”
“No, no.” Lily took a step forward, closing the distance between them and allowing herself to be reassured by his radiant heat. He was still here. She still had a chance. “It was me. I offer myself to you freely.”
There was a pregnant pause where Lily could hear the leaves rusting from a nearby breeze and see the fight leave his eyes as the seconds ticked.
“Why?” He asked weakly. He sounded very vulnerable and he held an indecipherable look.
Lily battled internally for what to say as he patiently waited. She settled for a bit of truth.
“I come to you unsullied and pure. Willing and able to learn. The men here won’t appreciate me like I know you can because you are Eileen’s son. I know you would take good care of me.”
As she spoke, she could see Severus’ intelligence, the sharpened focus in his eyes. She loosened her grip and placed the flat of her palms on his robes, running her hand upwards feeling the soft material underneath before stopping at his collar. She fiddled with it unsure if she was trying to distract herself or him.
“My life would be better with you by my side as my husband.”
Severus snorted in amusement and let out a dark chuckle from under his breath. “Forgive me. I find it hard to believe that the very thing everyone has encouraged me to find would wait for me in the woods, scantily clad and unprompted.”
Lily reddened at the reminder dropping her from him to adjust her blanket on her chest. She cast her gaze downward to regroup. She couldn’t blame his cynicism. She would wonder the same things if she were him. But how could she alleviate his concerns? There had to be a way.
“How can I convince you that I’m independent in my actions?”
“Would you swear on your magic?” There was a daring gleam in his eyes.
On her magic? How on earth would she do that? “Yes, I’ll swear on my magic.”
A flash of uncertainty crossed his eyes. “Well, do it then.”
But how was the question.
“Er, I swear on my magic that I come to you independent in my actions to be your wife?” Was that enough? She winced at her own efforts to comply. Wondering if it made her less of a witch not knowing how to vow on her own magic.
Apart from the slight widening of his eyes, Severus gave no other indication of he noticed her fumble phrasing the vow as a question.
“How was such a thing possible?”
Not sure if he was asking rhetorically or not Lily shrugged. “Magic?”
“Magic?” He repeated incredulously. “You claim that magic brought you to me?”
Not willing to challenge his assumption Lily diverted and asked a question of her own. “What’s wrong? Am I not to your liking?”
Severus sputtered. “It’s not a question of not liking you, any man would find you appealing but I don’t know-“
“I think we’ll be a good match.” Lily interrupted, blushing at the small praise. “Don’t you think so?”
She could feel the rise of the heat in his body as she leaned forward. He grew more flustered.
“Maybe.” He sounded like it took a lot of effort to say it.
Feeling emboldened by his admission she straightened her back and raised her chin. “Then what’s wrong?”
“N-nothing! Nothing is wrong,” he rushed to say and as if hearing himself he frowned in thought.
Not willing to let go of this opportunity, she pressed her body against his allowing her ceremonial blanket to slacken exposing the upper portion of her breast. She widened her eyes innocently as he stepped back and raised his free hand in surrender. His face scarlet. “Then you’ll take me as your wife?”
“Ye-yeah?” He took another step back looking every bit like he was cornered by a rabid animal.
Lily watched him feeling a glimmer of triumph. “Promise?”
She watched his Adam’s apple bob as he gulped before nodding.
A wave of giddiness flittered through her, lightening the tension in her heart as a giggle trapped itself in her throat.
She did it.
She sighed in relief as she beamed at him.
Luck was on her side.
I loved the setting of this! Although, I kind of want to know more, what's Severus going to do now with a newly acquired wife? Imagine going ingredient hunting and coming back with a spouse, I think Eileen will be pleased.
Given that Severus mentioned Lucius, I assume he is living among a magical community and not secluded from other humans, I would love to see Lily's reaction to see a village of her own kind. Is there a chance you would expand this???
You said it is rushed. I guess you mean Lily throwing herself at Snape? Well, at this point what choice does she have? If she returns to her village, the people may thing she has offended their deity and will bring their wrath upon the village. They would probably take her back or worst case scenario kill her for angering a "god" and running away when she was meant to be a sacrifice to gain said god's favor. Her best bet is to simply gain her own kind's favor.
There is a piece of criticism I have which is a little hypocritical as I cannot help fix it. It would be more fitting if the characters didn't use modern day language but I can't give instructions on old English either 😅
I wish I was fluent in English. It’s a daily struggle for me.
I can certainly build on the one-shot but I’m not sure if I will expand on this in my current state. It was hard enough finishing it. I rewrite this four times and the word count started to increase each rewrite. It was mentally draining. I’m glad @mmlf started the Writing Sprint or I would not have finished it this week otherwise. 😅
I always have my friend read my work. We swap stories all the time so I trust his judgment. He highlighted my writing fears and now I’m here asking for advice on how to improve so it doesn’t have it again.
Quote from JaySM on July 17, 2023, 3:06 amI wish I was fluent in English. It’s a daily struggle for me.
I can certainly build on the one-shot but I’m not sure if I will expand on this in my current state. It was hard enough finishing it. I rewrite this four times and the word count started to increase each rewrite. It was mentally draining. I’m glad @mmlf started the Writing Sprint or I would not have finished it this week otherwise. 😅
I always have my friend read my work. We swap stories all the time so I trust his judgment. He highlighted my writing fears and now I’m here asking for advice on how to improve so it doesn’t have it again.
You think you're not fluent? So what exactly is all this supposed to be? I'm not a native but I think your command of the English language is nothing to complain about. Please take a look at the native speakers who dotn know the difference there they're and their.
And not knowing old English has nothing to do with fluency, even native speaker would struggle with that.
I am not a native speaker but I didn't find any faults in your English. As long as writing is decent and language is coherent, I don't find criticism in language. Your piece of writing is really good. 👍
Thank you for the kind words, @darkangel and @naaga
Challenge 26: Contempt (Self)
Characters/Pairings: Severus, Tobias & OC (No pairings)
Rating/Warnings: Gen
Summary: Severus takes matters into his own hands. Set in the Summer after his 5th year.
A car horn blared on Severus’ left as he elongated his stride to quickly cross the street.
The moment his boots touched the pavement, he slowed his steps to a halt and pivoted in place to wait for his companion. He rolled to the balls of his feet, stretching out his neck to peer over the file of cars blocking his view until he saw a copper-haired man bobbing in a sea of people on the other side of the road.
Severus sighed in relief.
As strained as his relationship with his father was he needed a fallback plan in case things went awry. Severus waited until Tobias neared the road to wait to cross before melting into the crowd behind him. He unhurriedly resumed a steady pace. Not truly caring if his companion saw him or not when he knew that their end destination would be the same. His dark eyes were habitually drawn to the floor as he shoved his hands as far as they could go in his pockets. His inky black hair fanned forward like a curtain giving him the illusion of privacy as he submerged himself in his thoughts.
Was he doing the right thing?
He let out a long shuddered breath, finding solace in the predictability of his footsteps as he watched himself place one boot-clad foot on front of the other.
It’s not like he had much choice.
His heart began to tighten as a flash of stony green eyes crossed his mind.
It’s not like she’d care what he did anymore anyway. Not after he…
“I don’t need help from filthy little Mudblood like her!”
Severus winced at the reminder of his words. His hand rose of its own accord to press it against his temple in shame.
Why? What possessed him to utter that loathsome word?
A woman coming from the opposite direction brushed by him and Severus shrank in self-revulsion, hugging the corner of a building as he turned in some effort to contain whatever evilness he had inside before it tainted someone else.
How could he do that to her? Lily was his best friend.
Severus shook his head, absentmindedly weaving around a couple smoking a fag in front of a shop.
No, she was more than that… Lily was always more.
His steps slowed to a stop as he raised his head to the cloudy sky and let out a sigh. The scattered light from the hidden sun pierced his eyes and he forcibly kept them open, withstanding the abuse, feeling as if he deserved it before he caved and closed his eyes. He allowed himself a short moment of reprieve and inhaled the heady aroma of car exhaust and faint traces of perfume before letting out a long breath again and recommencing his walk.
He briefly shot a look over his shoulder to see if he could see anyone resembling his father come around the corner and his heart leapt in surprise as he met tired hazel eyes a distance away. His feet hastened of their own accord already accustomed to keeping the man at a distance due to his father’s constant loss of his inhibitions.
Unexpectedly, Severus created a larger gap than intended and resumed normal pace once he crossed another road.
He hoped his father didn’t notice. It wouldn’t do for Tobias to think he was running away from him when the man was out here braving High Street on his behalf.
One wouldn’t be able to tell by the last week alone that Severus was not a coward. He always took pride taking a stand even when the odds were against him. He’s often been told he had a very protective nature and has always been quick to defend what he stood for.
Until recently, Tobias always treated Severus like he was the bane of his existence. Now, there was an underlying approval under all that disappointment and Severus wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He didn’t choose this path because he wanted his father’s approval. He didn’t give a fig about that.
He was just tired. Tired of being the scapegoat. Tired of going above and beyond for crumbs of acknowledgment. Tired of being targeted. He was tired of being the victim.
The school was meant to be his haven from home and it ended up being his hell.
Severus’ fingers curled into fists of their own accord as a memory enveloped his vision. The urban streets melted away to give way to different pair of hazel eyes, no less haughtier than Tobias’, hidden behind the golden frames of the teen’s glasses. Potter. The world was upside down, Severus could picture his past self pathetically fumbling to push his robes down to cover his exposed underpants. Severus clenched his teeth, helplessly witnessing the memory as one would a car without brakes. He felt it clear as if it were happening at that very moment. The vulnerability. The embarrassment. The overwhelming rage that enveloped him.
Severus’ fingers curled at his side as he propelled them forcibly to walk faster. The locals parted out of his way but he never noticed. Severus instead saw the jeering faces of his classmates gathered around laughing as he stomped back to the school attempting to compose himself.
Never again.
A bystander met his eyes and Severus’ lip curled in a sneer.
Never again!
He gnashed his teeth in challenge at a dark-haired youth that reminded him too much of Potter and the boy reared back with hands up in surrender as he hurried past.
That incident wasn’t even the final straw that broke the camel’s back. It was the lack of support from his professors and his own House. The news of what happened spread like wildfire and yet not one person approached him to inquire if he was alright. There were no repercussions for the ones who assaulted him and as usual they got away scot-free. Then to add insult to injury, when he snapped at his housemates for teasing him about him, he was criticized for being too sensitive. That’s when he knew they held no respect for him either. To tie it up nicely, he ruined things with Lily, the only person he would have stayed for, who decided she no longer wanted to stay friends.
A flash of grey and green stole his attention.
Severus stuttered to a stop outside a seemingly abandoned shop with no other indicators of what was inside except the large posters covering the only window in men in uniform smiling in different poses. His eyes hovered over one he frequently saw in Cokeworth, rereading it to confirm what he already knew.
The Professionals.
Join for 3 years.
Start at £17.50 a week.
Still as promising as when he first read it.
He let out a long calming breath even as a wave of nervousness threatened to choke him.
This is it.
It’s now or never.
As Severus reached for the handle, a sudden weakness spread down his legs. Instead of opening the door, his arms refused to budge. In between the cracks of the poster, Severus met the blue eyes of the man inside. Severus’s eyes widened in panic wondering if the man would open the door and confront him then and there with the street as witness, but the man within didn’t move. He instead leaned back seemingly content just sitting there patiently with his hands folded in his lap.
Severus had a strong urge to curse at him. Wondering if the man inside was smugly watching him. Probably finding his indecision entertaining.
A wave of anger simmered within him. One that pushed him into action and made him rise to the challenge. It fueled him with enough energy to open the door but now that it was open, Severus stood uneasily in the doorway.
The man stood up slowly, making a show of pulling down the top of his pressed uniform before extending a hand. “Hello, there. I’m Sergeant Jenkins. What brings you in today?”
Severus bit back a sarcastic remark. Finding the question laughable. There’s only one reason why anyone would willingly come here.
Still, Severus’ hand met the Sergeant’s in a customary handshake before dropping awkwardly back at his side, eyes widening in panic when he still couldn’t muster anything to say.
The Sergeant seemed unbothered by the lack of response. He instead shot Severus a friendly smile and waved him in. “Come on in and take a seat.”
The Sergeant pulled the seat across from his desk out and patted the back before going around it to sit in his own seat. The Sergeant busied himself organizing papers on his desk and Severus got the impression he was doing it to not make Severus feel rushed.
It was working.
Severus closed the door behind him and made his way to the offered seat. Once his bum hit the cushion, the Sergeant cast aside all pretenses and replaced his documents on the desk. Before the man could say anything, the door opened behind Severus and his father’s familiar scent of alcohol and cigarettes filled the displaced air. Severus let out a sigh of relief. This was probably the only time Severus would be relieved to have Tobias so close.
“Christ, you’re fast!” Tobias bellowed by way of greeting.
Severus felt his ears redden in embarrassment. He refused to turn and face his father. It was bad enough being in his presence out in public.
A small smile curled at the ends of the Sergeant’s mouth as he stood and offered Tobias the chair next to Severus. Tobias hobbled his way in his semi-sober stupor and plopped himself in the seat in a sprawl. Severus’ hand rose in embarrassment but fell short of his temple to massage the bridge of his nose.
“Ma boy wants to join the Army.” Tobias clapped the back of Severus’ chair. “Finally gonna do somethin I can be proud of.”
The Sergeant’s smile instantly appeared more forced. “Is that so?”
“Yep,” Tobias scratched his belly exposing the skin in between the gaps of his buttons. “Wants to go straight away. None of that waiting.”
The Sergeant gave Severus a searching look, “Well, in that case, we would need to fill out some paperwork.” The man pulled out a drawer and pulled out a packet, presenting it to Severus just out of his range. “Your name?”
Severus cleared his throat. “Severus.”
The Sergeant handed him the packet along with something to write with. “I will need three forms of ID and one with your current address to process these forms as well as proof of citizenship, Severus.”
Severus swallowed.
“Yeah!” Intervened Tobias’ as he rolled to his side and fished a wad of papers from his back pocket. “I got them here.”
Severus watched the exchange closely. He rubbed his clammy hands against the other as he leaned forward at the edge of his seat.
Did he do it?
Did Tobias come through?
The Sergeant flipped through the papers and some form of rectangular ID. He discreetly looked between the license and Severus before raising a brow looking impressed. “Hmm!”
Severus wondered at the reaction, his heart hiking up his throat in anticipation.
The Sergeant gathered the creased papers and organized them into uniformity by tapping them on the desk. “I’ll make copies.” He pointed to Severus. “Keep filling out your forms.”
Severus nodded dumbly as he left.
Was that it?
Tobias wheezed out a chuckle and leaned towards Severus conspiratorially. “It was easy to change them. They were all magical documents. No defenses against my new Bic pen.” Tobias was so close Severus could see the yellowing in the white of his father’s eyes as they lit up in excitement. “It was easy to change your birthday from 1960 to 58. Magic did the rest.”
The smile on Tobias’ face look out of place as he expectantly looked at Severus.
“Er, yeah. Thanks.” Severus couldn’t meet his eyes when he thanked him knowing his father was part of the problem and one of the reasons he wanted to do this.
Tobias placed a hand on Severus’ shoulder, rocking him. “I don’t have to wait. You’re eighteen now. Out of my hair.”
Severus nodded in agreement.
The hour passed like a blur with Tobias maintaining the conversation with the recruiter. With a date for a medical exam set as well as a potential report date for his training, Severus felt like he forcibly uprooted himself and thrust into some type of Twilight Zone.
As he stood outside the recruiting office with his contract in hand, Severus allowed himself to feel a sense of hope.
Maybe leaving the magical world and escaping into the muggle one wouldn’t be so bad.
Besides, there are worse things he could have done than join Army.
How bad could it be?
I like this challenge response, it is a good premise and can develop into a good story with some work.
