Love potions & a little luck
Lily was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Marlene Mckinnon and Mary Macdonald. She had been trying not to let the events of the day before get to her and was swapping theorys on their potions homework with Mary who sat cross the table.
All of a sudden Mary fell silent. Her face contorting to one of plesent surprise "oh my merlin! Is that Snape?" she said pointing behind Lily and Mckinnon.
Lily's head snapped behind her, face immediately dropping into a frown. She scanned the great hall, looking for a head of greasy black hair. Her eyes stopped on a ravenette as he walked to the closest end of the Slytherin table and sat down.
Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance. From this far she could only see so much, but gone was the grease from his head, replaced with soft black locks framing small face and accentuating his larger black eyes.
She noted, fleetingly, that he resembled something of a cat.
She stood up to get a better view but her vision was blocked by Lebedova moving to sit across from him.
She heard Mary wolf whistle from behind her "gosh! Lily you should have seen him when he was closer to the door. I almost didn't believe it was him!"
Mckinnon giggled and pat Lily on the back "hey, are you good?" she asked tilting her head to make eye contact.
"Hm? Oh, yeah. I just haven't gotten a chance to talk to him about Friday yet. I couldn't find him at all yesterday or today. We've been kind of drifting apart this year, and I thought It was him pushing me away, but now? I don't know. Something about what they girl said? I don't know, it just got me thinking. Maybe Im the one pushing him away."
Her two friends looked at her, concern present on their faces. "Well, you can always talk to him tomorrow, isn't he your potions partner?"
Lily smiled softly at their concern "yeah, I guess I should. Thinking back on it now, on how that girl referred to him, I feel kind of silly for assuming he was trying to get an in with the death eaters. Death eaters are the most biggoted of all and I doubt they would even consider a "filthy" half blood. Hell-" her voice dropped into a whisper as she leaned forward "I doubt they would even follow their "dark lord" if his blood was any less then" they all giggled at the absurdity of it before leaning back and continuing their meal.
(the line about the dark lord is too foreshadow how nobody expected him to be halfblood if I see y'all taking this to defend the blood puritists I'm gonna kms)
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He had been in that bathroom almost two. Fucking. Days.
Lebedova sat in front of him raving on as per usual. When she COMPLAINED about how long he took.
It was fucking Sunday! He had spent the majority of today and the end of Saturday, sitting in that chair in near blinding pain while his teeth shifted into place.
They were in Britain for merlins sake! The ONLY person who would give a right damn about dental appearance was the Russian witch sitting a cross from him still blathering on.
"you do look quite nice tho, Koshka. hmm, wait, I know!" was the only warning he got before her wand was whipped out and another spell was aimed directly at his face. He barely had time to put his fork down before he felt a sharp sting and then a sudden coldness around his eye brows.
"There! Finally perfection! I've trimmed and shaped your eyebrows of that needless business you men find so appealing!" she said triumphantly. Finally turning back to her food. Severus felt exhausted. This witch was like a social battery siphon.
He let his head fall to the table only to feel a sharp sting on his hand "hey!" he let himself shout at her. "It is un Princely like to slouch, let alone laying your head down on the table. You are MY comrade now, so you must keep your head held high." she said, not baring him enough of her attention to even remove her gaze from her food.
He let his face stay in one of indignation before sighing and turning back to eat.
"By the way Severus dear. I have negotiated moving your dorm with the other Slytherins. You should now be dorming with two filthy muggle bornes, one in 5th year and the other in 6th. From now on I don't want you associating with any of those dumb death eater, nazi wannabe's" she said finally looking up at him.
He was struck by her now serious tone, finally seeing the commanding aura which had gained her attention and and respect within the house.
"What! Why? I need those connections to get my mastery?" he felt himself snarl ar her.
Suddenly she was slamming her hand on the table and reaching a cross the table to grab him by his tie and force him to look her in the eyes.
"Do you know why my family chose to move here? What those brutish muggle germans did?! What those foolish Death eater wannabes are trying to replicate?!" she seethed at him before dropping his tie and leaning back into her seat to glower at him. "You. Place your muffli-what ever charm." she said handing him his wand that he only now remembered she had tooken.
He did as she said, muttering a soft "muffliato" his eyes training on her to observe her facial expressions and how her eyes tracked his and movements.
She sighed "if you wish to know the true reason for taking you under my wing its that I am in desperate need of some help around here. All of the other students of respectable blood are too loyal to their "cause" to recruit from the get go, luckily you don't have the luxury to deny me. You will be helping me convince and prevent the other slitherins into staying away from that Fascist marvolo." she said, crossing her arms to give him a sharp glare before her face dragged into one of boredom "and I guess if that impedes on your ways into a mastery then my family wouldn't mind paying for it. It is mere pocket change anyways" she said waving her hand noncommittedly.
Severus felt the color drain from his face and his eyes grow wide in shock.
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Monday morning was always a drag to Sirius. He woke up early for Quidditch practice and then had to head directly to potions.
His only reprieve was that his mates were in just the same boat as him.
He waited boredly for slug horn to arrive. Leaning his head on the desk as he mourned the loss of his beauty sleep. James doing similarly next to him while Remus and Pettigrew chatted animatedly behind them.
Lily was in front of him flitting about nervously but he really didn't care enough to ask her the matter. He heard someone walk passed his desk and looked up to see Snivellus. He snarled on reflex before pausing as surprise colored his features.
He patted James on the arm hurriedly. Earning a groan In return before the mess of hair finally conceded and raised his head, adjusting his glasses. Sirius pointed to the former dungeon bat that sat in front of them.
"Bloody hell! The fuck happened to him?" James said making eye contact with Sirius.
Sirius shook his head before turning to stare at the head of soft, fluffy, black hair. He felt the urge to touch it which resulted in him reaching foreword and tugging sharply on ol Snivellus' hair. It was just as soft as it looked.
"Hey" he heard Snivellus shout before turning to glare at them. Just when Sirius was about to say something taunting about finally taking a shower he paused now observing the changes in snivellus' face.
His skin had cleared, appearing soft and squishy, His hair fell around his large black eyes, eyes Sirius had always reluctantly admitted to being his best feature, framing them, but out of his face more then its ever been. His nose was still hooked though it was no longer crooked now, but he had heard about Lebedova disappearing his nose already so he had kind of expected that. He wondered off handedly how his eyebrows seemed softer too.
"Well?" Severus broke him out of his stupor. His brow arched expectantly. Just when Sirius was about to say something, Severus sighed, rolled his eyes, and turned back around.
Lily reached her arm to Severus, seemingly needing to tlk to him, but that's exactly when slughorn decided to make his entrance.
Snape just sighed and muttered "later" to her. Which seemed so uncharacteristic of him since, much like James, it always seemed Snivelly was wrapped around the red heads finger to Sirius.
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Slughorn droned on for a good 20 minutes before inviting them from their desks to gather around his cauldron.
“Do I trust you all did your homework correct? Ispent this morning brewing a few potions can anyone tell me what they are” he asked scanning the group for raised hands. Peter snickered when Snivellus raised his hand.
“Ah Mr.Snape! Can always count on you to complete the homework; And it seems you've also been working on some other things as well!” Slughorn smiled,Patting Severus on the back.
Severus made a face, which usually would have resulted in the teacher backing off, but with his new apearence lost any real bite to it.
“There is veritaserum, a truth telling potion, used by the ministry as well as aurors while havinv interrogation” most Gryffindors working towards becoming aurora straightened at that, flashing their buddies large grins.
“Then that one there is polyjuice potion, terribly tricky to make, and allows the user to disguise themselves as another. Its banned in some countries” a group of Slytherins shuffled their feat at that one.
“And this is Amortentia. Though known as the most powerful love potion in the world, it generates feeling of obsession or infatuation, as creating real love is actually impossible. One of the most dangerous potions and also one of the most potent. supposedly smelling differently to each person.” Severus said as slughorn walked around him, grabbing him again by the shoulder and walking with him closer to the couldren “quite right you are! Why don't you go on and give us an example!” Slughorn said, gaining a grimace in return as well as another sigh.
“For example. I smell… Rain, parchment, and fresh linen.” Severus said, quickly stepping away, his cheeks faintly dusted pink, yet keeping an air of nonchalance.
Severus turned his attention to the vial in the back “and that last one is Felix felices, also known as liquid luck, one who ingests such a potion will be successful in all endeavors until then effects wash off” Snape finished, stepping back into the crowd with the rest of the students who were all now eyeing up the potion as slughorn grinned
“right you are my boy! Quite a curious little potion indeed” slughorn finished. Moving to unscrew the vile from here it sat. “It is also, what I offer to each of you today. One tiny vile of liquid luck to the student who in the hour that remains, manages to brew an acceptable draft of living death! Recipes for which can be found on page 10 of your books.”
Near all students rushed to look for the recipe, Snape however looked directly at Slughorn. The man laughing under his breath “I should point out however. That no students so far have managed to brew a potion of sufficient quality to claim this prize”
‘Oh it was so on old bastard’ Snape thought to himself as he turned to his desk, seeing the old mans challenge.