Severus Snape stood in frustration, his dark gaze fixed upon the gateway to reincarnation. He couldn’t fathom why everyone else seemed to pass through so effortlessly, while he alone was barred. The gate remained resolutely closed to him. Did it deem him unworthy of another life? Or were his sins so heavy that they anchored him here, unable to move forward?
With a sharp, irritated sigh, Snape scoffed. Heaven or Hell, it mattered little to him. All he wanted was to escape this endless waiting place.
“Severus Snape, is that you?” A young man approached him with a polite inquiry. Snape didn’t reply, merely giving a curt nod.
“We apologize for keeping you waiting so long,” the young man said with a smile that was professional, almost mechanical.
“Your case requires a considerable amount of deliberation and review,” he explained calmly.
“Please, follow me to the office so we can provide a full explanation.” With a practiced gesture, he invited Snape to follow.
Snape let out another exasperated huff. Was it truly this difficult to allow him a new life? Yet, despite his annoyance, he strode quickly after the young man, determined to uncover what had kept him trapped in this limbo.
Entering the office, Snape noticed a middle-aged man seated at a desk, with a young woman assisting him from the right. The young man who had guided Snape took a seat to the left of the older gentleman. Snape, without hesitation, sat directly across from them, his expression as stony as ever.
“Good day, Mr. Snape,” the older man greeted him with measured politeness.
“Good day,” Snape replied flatly, devoid of emotion.
“I am the one overseeing your case,” the man began, his tone deliberate and composed. “I trust my colleague has provided you with a brief overview of your situation.”
"Very well, if you would be so kind, I would like to know why I cannot move on to my next life," Snape said, cutting straight to the heart of the matter, his tone sharp and impatient.
"The reason is quite simple. There are hundreds of cases like yours," the young woman beside him began, "but the solution is what makes your situation particularly challenging."
"Precisely," the young man chimed in. "You still harbor regrets and attachments to your past life. Moreover, your soul remains incomplete. These factors prevent you from reincarnating."
"I’ve let go of everything! What regrets or attachments are you talking about?" Snape demanded, his confusion edged with frustration.
"Mr. Snape," the woman replied gently, "we understand your feelings. It’s common for those with deep regrets or strong attachments to deny their existence. In some cases, they reject them outright due to psychological resistance. Yet, no matter how much you deny them, those regrets and attachments still linger."
"We’ve explored hundreds of potential solutions to resolve this for you," the middle-aged man interjected, his voice steady and authoritative. "None of them proved viable. In the span of hundreds of millennia, very few cases have necessitated the special method we’re proposing now. That is why we’ve called you here."
Snape narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the trio before him. Was his case truly so exceptional?
"What exactly are you planning to do?" he asked coldly.
"We’ll send you back to the mortal world, along with one other person," the young man explained. "We’ve arranged everything—home, finances, the essentials. All you need to do is follow the general directives we provide. Of course, the specifics of how you go about them will be entirely up to you both."
"Ridiculous! Utter nonsense! The dead returning to the living world?" Snape scoffed, his disdain cutting through the air.
"In this realm, Mr. Snape, nothing is impossible," the woman replied with a serene smile. "Do you think the logic of the human world applies to the workings of the afterlife?" Her calm tone carried no hint of concern for his disbelief.
Knock knock. The sound of knuckles rapping against the door broke the silence. The middle-aged man called out in a firm voice, “Come in.”
“Hello, I was told by my supervisor to come to this room and meet with you,” a timid-looking young woman entered, her voice soft but clear.
“Please, have a seat, Miss Erica,” the young man gestured politely toward the chair beside Snape.
“Hello,” Erica greeted as she sat down, offering Snape a small nod. He returned the gesture with a curt inclination of his head.
“This will be your partner, Mr. Snape. Meet Lita Erica. And Miss Erica, this is Severus Snape,” the young woman introduced them with practiced ease.
“I’m supposed to work with her?” Snape’s displeasure was evident, his tone sharp and cutting. Erica remained silent, her expression unchanging.
“Indeed,” the middle-aged man confirmed. “According to our calculations, the likelihood of success with this partnership is ninety percent. Furthermore, the probability of you earning reincarnation rises to ninety-five percent.”
“He hasn’t been allowed to reincarnate?” Erica asked suddenly, her voice soft but curious.
“That’s correct, Miss Erica. For certain reasons, which we will explain to you in detail later,” the young man replied.
“No need,” Erica said with a gentle wave of her hand. “Thank you, but I don’t require the details.”
“You’re not curious about your partner’s history?” Snape asked dismissively, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
“Not at all,” Erica replied with a calm smile. “I believe the past is but one chapter of a person’s story. What matters most is how we experience the present. I don’t want my judgment to be clouded by preconceived notions. Of course, on Earth, such thinking would seem foolish to most. But here, I trust that those overseeing this process have ensured nothing catastrophic will happen.”
Her words were deliberate, yet she ignored the scornful look Snape cast her way, her demeanor unwavering.
“Very well,” the middle-aged man interjected, raising a hand. “Here are the mission cards and the identities you’ll assume in the mortal realm.” With a wave of his hand, two cards materialized before them, hovering in the air.
“Due to the unique nature of this assignment, you two cannot separate for extended periods. Should Mr. Snape attempt to distance himself too far from Miss Erica, the task will fail. The moment he strays beyond a certain range, he will find himself transported back to the house we’ve prepared for you—no matter where he might be.”
The young woman’s gaze was steady as she directed her words at Snape.
Snape scowled and turned his face away, irritated. His intentions, carefully veiled, seemed to be effortlessly unraveled in this place where nothing escaped notice.
“And because each person’s temperament is different,” the young man continued, “the primary responsibility for the task will fall to Miss Erica. Therefore, we kindly ask that you, Mr. Snape, cooperate and follow her instructions.”
Snape, ready to stand and protest, was restrained by the invisible force of his chair.
“Don’t worry, Miss Erica, he won’t be able to do anything to you,” the young man said, turning to her with a reassuring smile.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I believe he will cooperate with me just fine,” Erica replied, her smile still intact.
“Wishing you both a long and pleasant partnership,” the middle-aged man said, standing and waving his hand. In an instant, Snape and Erica vanished from sight.
“Boss, do you think this will work?” the young woman sighed, relieved.
“Indeed, Snape is notoriously difficult to force into cooperation if he doesn’t wish it,” the young man replied, rotating his neck as if to relieve the tension.
“For hundreds of thousands of years, there have been many stubborn souls like Snape. They’re tough, but once you find the right person to deal with them, they can be easier to manage than the average soul,” the middle-aged man explained calmly.
“Moreover, based on our calculations, the probability of success is ninety percent. I trust Erica will succeed. After all, she has been a regular client of mine for the past century.”
“A regular client of yours?” The young man and woman spoke in unison, their expressions one of surprise.
“Her soul remains incomplete, and for a hundred years, she’s met untimely ends, her nature far too fragile. If she could learn to be as stubborn as Snape, that would only be beneficial,” the middle-aged man said, his tone matter-of-fact as he turned to leave the room.
“I still think this is going to be a tough one,” the young man said to the woman.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s head back to the office and monitor the situation. We still have to assign other tasks as they arise,” the woman replied, gathering her things quickly and heading out of the room. The young man followed behind her.
When Snape and Erica opened their eyes, they found themselves in a house. Erica stood up, walking around the space to examine it. She took out her ID card, confirming that this was indeed the house she was supposed to stay in for the time being, then furrowed her brow.
Snape glanced around the house, but he had little interest in inspecting it like Erica did. Living one life had been exhausting enough; now he was being forced to live again. His discontent was palpable.
“Snape... may I call you Severus?” Erica asked suddenly, after reading her card.
“Kh... Fine, then I’ll call you Lita,” Snape replied, initially answering by habit, but then catching himself. He realized that cooperation was necessary for his reincarnation, so he corrected himself.
“Our task is to raise a child. For how long, I’m not sure,” Erica informed him.
“Raise a child?” Snape frowned, taken aback by the revelation.
"Actually, you don’t need to do much," Lita said quickly, her tone light. "I have experience with this. It won’t trouble you."
"I’m going to fetch the child now. You can stay here and do whatever you like," she added, before heading out the door.
Snape sighed in frustration. With nothing to do, he grabbed a book at random to read. If he had paid attention, he might have noticed that it was 1968 and they were in England. Unfortunately, his mind was far too occupied to take note of the newspapers in the corner.
Three hours later, Lita returned with a young boy. The child seemed strangely familiar. Had he met him before? It wasn’t until the boy looked up at him that Snape froze. This… this was him, as a child.
"You…" He struggled for words, unable to speak.
"Ah! Severus," Lita said with a smile, ruffling the boy's hair. "This child has the same name as you, and his face is almost identical. They truly resemble father and son."
Snape’s heart clenched as the boy stepped away, avoiding her touch. Lita simply smiled and patted the boy’s shoulder before turning toward Snape.
"I’ll take him upstairs," she said, grabbing the boy's hand, though he jerked it away. Without a word, Lita walked ahead, the boy trailing reluctantly behind.
Once they had settled the boy upstairs, Lita returned to the living room where Snape waited.
"Honestly, I’m not fond of how things are being handled," she confessed, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction. "How can they just pay to take the boy in like that?"
"The boy’s father heard the large sum of money and took him in an instant. That money was meant to help him rebuild his company. What took time was me comforting the boy’s mother," she sighed softly.
"The boy’s mother... truly weak, always wanting to please her husband. Though she had some reservations at first, she ultimately agreed to let me take the boy in. She believes it’s better for him."
"I... I’m not sure if it’s better for him, but it’s definitely going to hurt his self-esteem," she murmured, her voice hesitant.
"Oh, he’s probably going to hate me. This mission is going to be even harder..." Lita whispered to herself.
"Well, never mind. It’s getting late. I’ll go start dinner," she said, shaking off the heaviness of the conversation. Without waiting for Snape to reply, Lita went into the kitchen to begin preparing the meal.
Snape remained silent. Up until this moment, he still couldn’t understand how he was supposed to raise himself. As for Lita’s words... he confirmed that the "him" she was talking about, the young boy, would indeed resent her. The damage to his self-esteem was undeniable.
Merlin, whose idea was this? Why was he being forced into such a difficult mission?
That evening, the three of them sat down to dinner, but the atmosphere was tense and uncomfortable. Each person was lost in their own thoughts, and no one touched the main dish. Lita, however, was the first to snap back to reality. She sighed inwardly as she noticed no one was eating the main course.
"I think I made the chicken pretty well today. Try it," she said, placing a drumstick on Severus’s plate.
"The chicken is really good, try it too," she added, handing the remaining drumstick to Snape.
Seeing the brightness in the young Severus’s eyes, Lita knew the chicken had hit the spot. The boy was easier to read than Snape—after all, he was just a child.
"Try this one too," she said, offering another dish to both of them.
Thanks to her proactive nature, the table was soon empty. For as long as she could remember, Lita had always been confident in her cooking skills.
The first day of Lita and Severus’s journey on Earth ended peacefully.
In the days that followed, nothing seemed to change, at least not for Snape and young Severus. But Lita had gathered plenty of information about their tastes and habits. Not only that, she explored the surroundings of their home.
Lita thought to herself that the task and the life she had been given by the higher-ups were not too difficult. All she had to do was live, and after all, as a soul, she could no longer die.
Today is another beautiful day, perhaps it’s the perfect moment to take those two out for a picnic. I’ve already packed the food, and I just bought a car the other day. The higher-ups were generous enough to provide unlimited funds, so I managed to buy the car quite quickly.
But raising a child who isn’t your own... Lita wasn’t confident she could complete this mission. Raising a child to grow up perfectly depends on many factors. She had failed once before in raising her own child. So, naturally, she was worried about this task. She couldn’t rely on her partner either, for he was just as troubled as she was. Not to mention, part of her mission was to help him achieve spiritual fulfillment. Heaven knew she herself was still uncertain about how to fulfill her own soul, let alone help someone else with theirs.
The task had been assigned, and there was no turning back now. Lita sighed, deciding to just live and handle everything as best as she could. After all, the higher-ups had already made their arrangements; all she had to do was fulfill her part to the best of her ability.
"Severus, little Sev, how about we go on a picnic today?" she announced as the two walked into the living room.
"A picnic?" Both of them asked, their voices identical in confusion.
"The weather’s lovely today. A picnic will be a nice change of air, good for our health. Being cooped up inside all the time is no good. I’ve already put everything in the car, Severus, if you need anything, just bring it. Little Sev, if you want to bring something to play with or eat, feel free." She smiled and grabbed the picnic basket, heading toward the car, leaving the two of them standing there, puzzled.
Snape furrowed his brows. What was so special about today that warranted a picnic? Or was it just another part of the mission? Little Severus, too, was confused, not understanding why today should be a day for a picnic. As far as he could remember, he had never been out for a fun day, even on special occasions, let alone on a normal day.
"What are you two standing there for? Hurry up!" Lita’s voice called from outside.
Snape and little Severus exchanged glances, still unsure, but they began preparing their things to go outside.
While driving, Snape finally asked, "Why are we going on a picnic today? Is there something special about today, or is it just…?"
"Why not? What’s the need for a special day?" Lita shrugged, explaining. "Today, none of us have anything pressing to do, and no one’s going anywhere. So why not a picnic? The weather’s perfect, there’s no better time for it."
"Little Sev has been stuck indoors all year. He looks so lifeless. You, too," she added with a side glance at Snape.
They arrived, and Lita was right—it had taken longer to drive from home than expected. But she promised Snape that the scenery was worth the effort. She parked the car and began unloading the items.
The three of them settled under a tree, facing a small river. Along the riverbank, flowers grew in a neat row, creating a beautiful scene.
Lita took out her camera and walked over to the riverbank to take pictures of the flowers. Back then, cameras were a rare sight, and everyone around her was watching curiously. Lita didn’t mind. She snapped photos leisurely, giving the two men time to adjust to the outing.
Occasionally, Lita glanced up to check on them. Snape sat reading his book, unmoved, while little Severus, curious, was examining everything around him. The boy even wandered to the riverbank to admire the view. Lita raised her camera and snapped a photo of little Severus. This felt like a small victory in her mission.
By noon, Lita returned to the blanket, but not before taking a photo of Snape reading his book. Hmm, her photography wasn’t too bad—it looked quite good.
Even though they had been living together for a week now, little Severus and Snape were still amazed by Lita’s cooking. Her picnic food was different from the meals they’d had before. She smiled contentedly at their reactions. After lunch, each of them resumed their own activities, while Lita kept an eye on them. Her camera was never far from her side, capturing moments of them both.
Lita thought to herself—perhaps building a family with these two wasn’t such a bad thing. To help them open up to each other, she would have to try even harder. She also worried about little Severus’s education. Should she find someone to teach him about magic?
When Lita first received feedback from the higher-ups, she was genuinely surprised to learn that little Sev was a wizard. When he turned eleven, he would naturally receive his letter to attend school. However, in Lita's opinion, it would be best to start teaching him beforehand, to help him get accustomed to magic and make his learning smoother later on.
"Hey, Severus." She approached and quietly called out to Snape.
"What is it?" he responded, his tone indifferent. He wasn’t used to responding to others at first, but after a few days together, he had slowly grown accustomed to answering when spoken to.
"I think we should find some books for Sev to study before he goes to school," Lita suggested.
"No need. He won’t study at..."
"I mean magic books, Severus. The boy is a wizard," Lita interrupted, already knowing what he was about to say.
"I’m not a wizard, and I don’t know anything about the curriculum or textbooks," Snape retorted. "Maybe you should look into it with me. Sev is already eight years old. In three years, he’ll be going to school."
"...I’m a wizard too. A dark wizard," Snape finally replied after a long silence. He wasn’t sure what kind of reaction he was hoping for from her—fear, disdain, or annoyance? He had faced too many of those kinds of looks already.
"Ah, you’re a wizard too? Well, that’s great! You can tell me about the curriculum then. And you can even teach little Sev," Lita said, to Snape’s surprise. Instead of the reaction he had expected, Lita seemed slightly pleased, even... lucky?
"I’m a dark wizard," he repeated, his voice flat.
"Yes, yes, a dark wizard. Are you going to tell me that dark wizards are evil and do terrible things like murder, blah blah blah?" Lita replied casually.
"But Severus, do you remember what I told you? I don’t want to judge someone based on their past. Besides, even if you really are what you say, you can’t kill me anymore. We’re already dead. And you’re not really that kind of person anyway. Part of it is my observation, and part of it is just my intuition telling me so. So, stop repeating, ‘Oh, I’m not a good person,’ or ‘I’m not what you think I am…’"
"You..." Snape began, but Lita cut him off.
"I know you’ve got a few unpleasant traits. But overall, you’re like a hedgehog, just bristling with spikes all the time, afraid that if someone touches you, you’ll get hurt. It’s all the same—your pride, your nature, your heart," she said, placing her hand gently on his.
"Either way, we’ve lived our lives, and we’ve died. You shouldn’t hold on to that past anymore. Try accepting this new life. You see, there’s no need for a special occasion to go somewhere. If you want to go, just go. Life between you and me is simple now, just like this." She patted his shoulder lightly before stepping away, giving him space.
If, after her advice, he still didn’t change his attitude, then Lita would accept it. She had done her best. Only by letting go could he be reborn, and honestly, she wanted him to be reborn successfully and live a happy life.
From the beginning, Lita had known he was difficult, possibly one of the worst kinds of people she had ever met. Looking at him like that, it was impossible not to think of the worst kinds of people. She knew that if she asked, the higher-ups would send her a detailed report about his life.
At that time, Lita had refused, because she was afraid—afraid that after reading it, she would truly disdain him, hate him. After all, he was already dead. At least she had to give him a chance to start over. Everyone deserved a chance to change. So she had refused to read it, wanting to treat him like any other person she had met and lived with outside. Of course, if he didn’t change, Lita would know. But so far, aside from his silence and occasional harsh words, he had been cooperative. That showed he was truly trying to change, and he wasn’t as bad as he appeared. She could try to help him let go and be reborn into a new life.
Snape thought about what Lita had said. Indeed, why not try to accept this new life? Ever since he made the wrong decision at Hogwarts, had he ever known a peaceful night? Had he ever been able to sit down and enjoy a meal in peace? Or read a book peacefully, looking at the sky, feeling the cool breeze of nature? How long had it been since he had experienced that? He couldn’t remember.
If those days were long gone, then now that he was "living" once more, why not let go of the past and enjoy the present? Even though he wasn’t truly alive, wasn’t this a rare opportunity? Lita was right—perhaps he needed to slowly release everything, so he could be reborn into another life. A life where he would do better, free from mistakes, sleepless nights, and the heart-wrenching pain he had carried with him every night. There would... be no more of that.
He stood up and slowly walked over to where Lita was focused on taking pictures of little Sev playing, sitting down next to her.
"You’re right, Lita," he said softly, "Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to the wizarding world."
Lita looked at Snape in surprise, and then smiled at him.
"Alright then, I’m really curious about your world," she replied cheerfully, continuing to take pictures.
As she concentrated on capturing the beautiful scenery and little Sev, Snape felt a rare peace fill his heart. He smiled inwardly and slowly began to open up, taking in everything around him.
After the picnic ended, Lita smiled and asked little Sev, "Did you have fun today, Sev?"
"Yes!" Sev answered simply, though the joy in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Shall we go somewhere else next time?" Lita crouched down to Sev’s eye level and asked.
"Y-Yes," Sev replied hesitantly.
"Just say if you like it, no need to hesitate," Lita said, ruffling his hair. By now, Sev no longer pulled away from her touch.
At least today, they had made some progress, and Lita felt particularly happy. Another peaceful day passed.
A few weeks later, the photos Lita had taken during the picnic were developed and placed into an album she made herself. Months after that, she continued to find games for little Sev, and it seemed that ever since the outing, Sev had stopped being so distant with her. Now, he truly saw her as a mother, and that filled Lita with an indescribable joy. She remembered how uncertain she had been when she first arrived here, but now, everything seemed to be going so smoothly.
"Mom! Dad and I are going to Diagon Alley!" little Sev poked his head into her room and announced with a smile.
"Okay, go ahead, but come back early. There will be your favorite meal waiting for you," Lita winked at him, and the boy happily ran downstairs with Severus to Diagon Alley.
Lita closed the album. Since that picnic, Severus had made significant progress. She could see that he had started to open his heart to the world around him. His lessons with Sev were also progressing smoothly, and Lita felt very satisfied with their current situation. Above all, she felt herself growing more and more in love with this family. She was truly looking forward to the day Sev would start school, to personally take him to Hogwarts and pick him up afterward.
Sigh... she wondered, though, would she be sad when Sev spent a whole year at Hogwarts? But if she were sad, wasn’t Severus still here? She seemed to understand him a little, yet at the same time, she knew there was still so much she didn’t understand. She would try her best to learn more about him.
The weather in August began to cool, and before she knew it, a year had passed since Lita and Severus adopted little Sev. Sev had become even more attached to her, and Severus smiled at her more often. Lita never expected that today, she would meet a neighbor who would become very close to her and have a significant influence on Sev later on.
The house was quiet today, as Severus had to go out for a bit, and Sev was playing in the yard. Since she rarely had free time, Lita decided to sit down and finish reading the book she had bought just the day before. While reading, Sev ran in excitedly.
"Mom! Mom! I found a friend who’s just like me!" he exclaimed.
"How do you know?" Lita slowly put down her book and asked him.
"I’ve been watching her play for days, Mom. She’s really a witch!" Sev said, full of excitement.
"Actually, you can go play with her, but don’t think it’s good to watch someone for so long. Just don’t do it anymore in the future," Lita said, gently ruffling his hair as she offered some kind advice.
"Yes, Mom," little Sev obediently nodded.
"But have you become friends with her yet?" she asked again.
"Well... I tried, but when she heard that I’m a wizard, she ran away," Sev said, his voice downcast.
"Where does she live? Do you know? I’ll take you to introduce yourselves," Lita thought for a moment before speaking.
"She lives over there," Sev pointed.
"Alright, then, let’s go," Lita said, standing up and taking Sev's hand as they made their way to the girl’s house.
"Hello, my home is over there. I just wanted to say hi to my neighbors," Lita greeted politely as the woman opened the door. Behind her, a little girl around Sev’s age peeked out.
The woman noticed Lita looking at the girl and immediately pulled her back. "Thank you, but we’re not interested in making acquaintance," she said, her tone cautious.
"I really have no ill intentions. To be honest, my son saw your daughter outside earlier. He wanted to be friends, but he couldn’t. So I brought him over to say hello and kindly ask if it’s alright for them to play together?" Lita explained, gently holding the door open, her voice sincere.
The woman studied Lita from head to toe. Her gentle appearance seemed trustworthy, and after a moment, she finally opened the door, allowing Lita and Sev to enter.
"To be honest, my son thinks your daughter is also a wizard, which is why we came by to introduce ourselves and ask if they can play together. He doesn’t have any friends, so I thought I’d take the chance. I hope you don’t mind," Lita politely got straight to the point.
"He’s been spying on her for days," the little girl suddenly pointed at Sev and exclaimed loudly.
"I’m truly sorry about this, both to you and your daughter. My boy isn’t very good at these things. I’m still teaching him," Lita said, feeling guilty.
"It’s alright," the woman replied politely.
"Are you... a Muggle?" the woman asked.
"M-Muggle?" Lita repeated, a bit confused.
"A Muggle is someone without magic, Mom," little Sev whispered to Lita.
"Oh, yes, I’m an ordinary person, a Muggle, as you said. But my son and his father are wizards," Lita explained, noticing the woman scrutinizing her again before turning her gaze toward little Sev.
"Alright, the two of them... can play together," the woman said after a long pause.
"Great!/Hooray!" Lita and the little girl exclaimed in unison.
After receiving her mother’s approval, the girl joyfully ran over to introduce herself to Sev. "Hi, I’m Emily Casita. You can call me Emily or Emy," she said cheerfully, in stark contrast to the shy, cautious behavior Sev had encountered earlier.
" H-Hi, I’m Severus Snape. You can call me Severus or Sev," Sev stammered as he introduced himself.
"Thank you for trusting me and my son. I think it’s getting late. Would it be alright if I brought him over to play tomorrow?" Lita smiled at the woman, who nodded in agreement.
After Lita and little Sev returned home, Sev couldn’t contain his excitement and joy.
"So I have a friend now, Mom!" His eyes sparkled with happiness as he looked at Lita.
"But Sev, remember what I told you. If you want to make friends, go ahead, but you shouldn’t follow people around and observe them like that, alright? I know it’s good to observe others before making friends to avoid bad ones, but that’s different from following someone and constantly watching them. You can still run into people in many places, but it’s not the same as stalking them like you’ve been doing," Lita gently explained to him again.
"I understand," Sev said, lowering his head with a hint of guilt.
"Alright, tomorrow we’ll go over to Emily’s again. Now go prepare for dinner," Lita patted his head, and Sev nodded before running off.
"Severus isn’t back yet, huh?" Lita sat down on the couch, glancing out the window.
When Snape opened the door, he was immediately met with Lita’s face and gaze.
"You’re home. Go change, and then we’ll have dinner," Lita smiled warmly at Snape.
It was hard for Snape to put into words what he felt in this moment—having someone waiting for him at home... It wasn't so bad. He truly felt peace whenever he returned home. The house, which before had been nothing more than a cold, indifferent place, now felt like the one place he always wanted to return to. At this moment, Snape deeply understood the phrase "home is where the heart is," something people often say when talking about home and family. He couldn’t help but be grateful to those who had given him the opportunity to experience this, and especially grateful to Lita for giving him the feeling of what a true home could be.
"Thank you, Lita," Snape whispered into Lita’s ear after she finished setting the table.
Lita’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly regained herself. "Thank you, Severus," she whispered back, wanting to thank him for acknowledging her role in their home.
This time, Snape’s heart skipped two beats. His face showed no emotion, but his ears flushed slightly. Lita smiled as she noticed it. Another day had passed with a small but significant achievement, she thought.
In the following days, Lita regularly took little Sev to play with Emily, and she grew closer to the girl's mother. It was then that she learned the woman’s name was Emma. Emma was five years older than Lita when she died, and the girl took her mother’s surname. Over the next few weeks, the two women became much closer, and Lita felt comfortable enough to ask about Emily’s father.
"Do you know why I was cautious about you and Severus at first?" Emma asked slowly.
Lita shook her head, signaling she didn’t know.
"Because Emily’s father was killed by a wizard, even though he was a wizard himself. Since Emily was born, he had her take my surname, so that she and I wouldn’t be harmed," Emma said with a sadness in her voice.
"So... that’s why you were wary of wizards?" Lita asked.
"Yes, when I learned that Emily was also a witch, I was terrified that she might be harmed, just like her father. I even heard her father mention a wizarding school, and when she turns eleven, they’ll send her a letter to invite her to attend. I was so scared that I thought I would burn the letter if it came, to stop her from going."
"Actually, not all wizards are bad, Emma. I think you should let them attend the school that belongs to their world," Lita comforted her.
"Just like how not all Muggles are good. My Sev was beaten by his biological father just because he wasn’t normal."
"Severus isn’t his biological father’s son?" Emma asked in surprise.
"No, we adopted him. His birth mother was rather weak, so... Anyway, she thought he would have a better future with us, so we adopted him," Lita explained.
"I think his birth mother made the right choice. He seems very happy now," Emma said.
"Exactly, so it’s not that Muggles are good and wizards are bad. Letting Emily go to a magical school might not be such a bad idea. I was planning to send Sev there too, so they could be friends and study together."
"If Severus goes to school with Emily, I would feel less worried," Emma nodded.
"Now the children are nine, and in two more years, they’ll start school. I’d like to ask your permission for Emily to come over to our house to play. I think it would be good for Sev and Emily to get familiar with magic and the magical world, so they’re not so overwhelmed when they start school. My husband is a wizard as well, and he often teaches Sev about magic," Lita asked Emma.
"That’s fine. Although we haven’t known each other for long, you give me a sense of trust and peace," Emma nodded in agreement.
It wasn’t until Lita and little Sev brought another girl home that Snape realized that Sev had long since made a wizard friend. After teaching them a bit about potions, Sev led the girl out to play in the garden.
"Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?" Snape asked Lita softly. It had been a long time since he had spoken to her in a harsh tone.
"The girl’s family is a bit... unique. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to make friends, so I didn’t say anything. But luckily, everything worked out," Lita smiled.
"You... personally took Sev to make a new friend?" He asked again.
"Yes, you know Sev isn’t exactly great with communication. And besides, I haven’t taught him how to approach making friends yet, so I took the chance to teach him how to make friends politely, not by stalking people rudely."
Snape was reminded of the first time he met Lily. It wasn’t exactly a polite encounter. He felt as though he had forgotten Lily’s face, and didn’t think about her anymore. Now, the only two people in his mind were Lita and little Sev.
Even so, he couldn’t help but reflect on his relationship with Lily. Many things that had confused him before were now gradually becoming clearer. The truth was, he and Lily could never have been together. Their five-year-long relationship had been built on their childhood friendship, and Lily had always valued her old friend. But in the end, his mindset had led them down two opposing paths. He wondered whether he should intervene in Sev’s relationship with Emily, or whether he should let things play out. Would Sev and Emily follow the same path he and Lily had?
But just as quickly, Snape rejected the thought. Sev’s circumstances were entirely different from his own. Sev had a wonderful mother like Lita, and a father who understood him and was ready to teach him about the magical world. Essentially, Sev was being raised as a normal child, surrounded by the care of his mother and the guidance of his father. Moreover, wasn’t he the one who would intervene if Sev ever strayed toward dark magic? Could he really let that happen? No, that would never happen. His own life was proof enough, and he didn’t want Sev to follow the same tragic path.
And Lita—he wouldn’t allow her to suffer. Every time he saw her upset, it broke his heart. If Lita were to witness the child she had poured so much love and care into walking down the path of darkness, how much pain would it cause her?
Sometimes Snape wondered, when had he fallen in love with her? Their first time here together was in August 1968, and now it was August 1969. They had been living together for a year. A year might seem short or long, but for Snape, it was the time it took for him to slowly open his heart, to slowly fall in love with her, and to place her in his heart. Thanks to her, he had come to understand the difference between being loved and not being loved. She always made him feel the most at ease, always caring for him, always understanding his preferences.
On the contrary, he also began to understand her preferences, and he, too, would learn how to care for others in a way that made them feel at ease. Unlike the love he had once felt for Lily, his feelings for her were more about obsession and possession. Back then, aside from Lily, he had no other friends. But now, as he opened his heart more, he found that talking to and building relationships with others wasn’t so difficult. In fact, in the past six months, he had even made a few friends who shared his passion for potions, and they would invite him to one of their homes to study or learn how to brew a new potion. More than that, he had also come to understand what it meant to love someone.
He thought, perhaps she loved him too, but maybe not. Regardless, as long as he knew he loved her, it no longer mattered whether she loved him back. She had already given him the most precious emotion in the world. Dumbledore was right, after all; the most precious thing was love. He couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for that dark lord, Voldemort. His whole life was devoid of love—did he even understand what it was? It was love that had allowed Potter to survive the killing curse.
Looking back on his past, Snape felt that it had all been a cruel joke, filled with mistakes. And once again, he was grateful to those above for giving him this opportunity. Now, the only thing he wanted to do was to figure out what was still missing in Lita’s soul. His task was to find that missing part of her soul to help complete her, but he wanted to search for it not just because of the task. Even without the mission, he would still search to help her.
Lita watched the man before her, lost in thought for ten minutes. As she saw his distant gaze slowly brighten, she felt a great joy. She had been with him for a year now; how could she not understand his moods? When her task board vibrated, indicating that his soul had been completed, she knew she had fulfilled her mission. Now, all that was left was to help him resolve his lingering regrets.
It wasn’t hard to guess that little Sev was him from another timeline. From his demeanor to the way he spoke, and even his appearance, it wasn’t too difficult to tell. After all, Lita wasn’t blind. She thought that Snape’s regret might be that if, as a child, he had had a better family, perhaps his future wouldn’t have turned out so dark. Don’t ask how Lita knew; it seemed rather common. When a child comes from a broken family, faces failure, and lives a hopeless, miserable life, they often wonder, "What if I had a better family?"
Of course, life would take a different turn, Lita thought. Different starting points, different environments—so many factors shape a child’s psychology and personality. Every child is a blank slate, and the way they are raised and the environment around them form their mind and character. She believed it was impossible to expect a child raised in a gloomy family to have a healthy mindset. If that child were good-natured, it would be an extremely rare case.
Lita could vaguely imagine how dark Severus’s early life must have been, just by seeing little Sev’s circumstances when she adopted him. She imagined that Severus’s life couldn’t have been any better than what she thought. If Sev were to have a bright future, that would be the moment Severus could let go of his final regret. He would become a complete soul and move on to another life.
Thinking about the future, where both he and she would eventually have to be reborn, Lita felt a deep sadness. How could she not feel sad? She didn’t even know when she started to love him. They had been living together for a year now, and her life before this... well, it wasn’t anything to be proud of.
Her parents didn’t love her, and even though her brother and sister had everything, they still tried to take everything from her. Money, she gave it to them whenever they needed it; debts, she paid them off; buying houses, she did that for them and their parents. They badmouthed her to anyone she knew, and even her parents only ever praised them while criticizing her. Lita always wondered if she hadn’t done enough, if that was why her parents and siblings denied all her efforts, always blaming her, always criticizing her.
The irony was that the act of saving her brother from being hit by a car while he was drunkenly stumbling into the street became a duty she had to fulfill, and even death held no regrets for her. They continued to live well under her roof, spending her savings, while her death didn’t spark a trace of regret from them. Now, looking back, Lita still felt heartache. How could she not? The family she had poured her heart into loving treated her so indifferently, how could it not hurt?
Living with Severus, although he wasn’t always the easiest person at first, never took her efforts for granted. Even as an outsider, the simple acknowledgment from them brought her great joy, and she gave her all to please both him and little Sev. But one cold winter day, Lita still remembered clearly when he told her that if she didn’t like something or couldn’t do it, she shouldn’t force herself; making others happy was not a duty she was bound to fulfill.
Since that day, Lita had always kept his words in her heart, and perhaps it was from that very moment that someone had truly cared for her. Her life had been overshadowed by her brother and sister, and woven together by the words of her family. His words seemed to brush away that layer of dust. The feeling of being cared for was truly comforting. He remembered her preferences, paid attention to her words, even when they were casual or trivial... All these things slowly made her heart stir, and she began to love him more and more.
And Lita also thought, perhaps... what was missing from her soul was the strength to care for those who truly mattered. At that moment, Snape's task card notified him that he had completed the mission of finding what was missing from her soul.
Snape blinked when he received the news. How had he managed to complete his task so quickly, just from a moment of contemplation?
Lita raised her head to look at him after everything had fallen into place. If you love someone, you’re supposed to say it, don’t people often say that? So, why not tell Severus now?
"Severus." She whispered softly into his ear.
"I love you." Her words were followed by a kiss on Snape’s cheek.
Snape, already slightly dazed, felt even more confused, but he quickly regained his composure. He pulled Lita into his arms and softly whispered in her ear, "I love you too." Lita smiled in contentment, wrapping her arms around him in return.
Neither of them noticed little Sev, who had been watching them for quite a while. Without hesitation, he rushed over and opened his small arms to embrace both of them.
"I love both of you!" little Sev declared loudly.
Lita laughed and released Snape, and he did the same. Together, they knelt down and embraced little Sev in the middle. "We love you too." Lita and Snape both said.
Although their journey began with resentment and frustration, driven solely by duty, in the end, it culminated in love and the formation of a complete family.
Time passed swiftly, and in a month, Emily and little Sev would start school. Though Lita had taught Sev so much over the past two years, she still felt it wasn’t enough. But teaching children couldn’t be rushed; it was all about patience and steady progress.
"Emma, are you sure you don’t want to come with us to Diagon Alley to buy things for the kids?" Lita carefully asked Emma.
"Of course, you all go ahead." Just as Emma finished speaking, she began to cough violently.
"Well, we’ll go quickly and return as soon as we can." Lita nodded, and she and Snape each took one of the kids’ hands and made their way to the carriage to head to Diagon Alley.
They parked near the area and walked into Diagon Alley. Normally, Lita wouldn’t be able to enter, but since she wasn’t an ordinary person—she had been sent on a mission—she could pass through without issue.
The other items were easy to purchase, just like the Hogwarts list, but the tricky part was choosing pets and wands. As soon as they entered the pet shop, Sev and Emily began debating which animal to buy, while she and Snape considered which pet would suit them best.
"I think the brown owl over there looks good. It’s big and strong," Lita pointed to the owl perched in the corner.
"Not bad, but I think the gray one over here is better," Snape said, pointing to an owl on the lower shelf.
"Sev and Emy are debating whether to get an owl or a cat. Should we get one of each, an owl for one and a cat for the other?"
"The real question is which one should get the cat and which one should get the owl?" Snape pondered.
"Why not ask them?" Lita suggested, and he nodded in agreement.
"Sev! Emy! Come here, let’s talk for a moment," Lita called the two children over.
"Your mother and I are thinking of buying one of you an owl and the other a cat. Between the two of you, who wants the cat?" Lita asked.
"But... if we get a cat, we won’t be able to send letters to my mom and uncles," Emily pondered.
"That’s not really a problem. You two are studying together, so you can share the owl with Sev, and Sev can share the cat with you. Besides, we live close enough that you can play together," Lita smiled as she shared her thoughts.
"Then... I want the cat, and Sev can have the owl," Emily decided.
"Do you have any thoughts?" Lita turned to Sev, and the boy shook his head.
"I’ll go with Emy," little Sev nodded.
"Then let’s get one owl and one cat," Snape said. The two children eagerly went to choose their owls first, then moved on to the cats.
"This gray owl looks pretty nice. What do you think, Emy?" Sev asked his friend.
"Let’s get it," Emily nodded firmly.
"How about this cat, Emy?" Sev pointed to a white one on the other side.
"Wow, its fur is beautiful, Sev! And it’s so soft! Let’s get it!" Emily exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
After paying, Lita and Snape led the children to the wand shop to get their wands. The shop was so old that Lita often felt it could collapse at any moment. Sev and Emily were excited, eagerly anticipating their wands, and Lita noticed a gleam of excitement in Snape's eyes as well. She thought this must be a very significant moment for him, so she paid close attention to their wand selection.
The first to try was Emily. After three failed attempts, she finally found a wand that suited her.
"Wood: Alder, with a Phoenix feather core, twelve inches. Try this one," Mr. Ollivander said, handing it to Emily.
As soon as Emily took it, a warm sensation flowed through her fingertips. She flicked it gently, and sparks of gold and red shot out, like fireworks, forming dancing dots in the air.
"Yes, yes, this is it. Truly a combination to look forward to," Mr. Ollivander said with joy.
"Why do you say that?" Emily asked, confused.
"Alder wood is best suited for casting non-verbal spells, which is why it’s often favored by the most advanced wizards and witches. The Phoenix feather is very difficult to tame. I truly look forward to your future," Mr. Ollivander explained.
"Thank you, sir," Emily said, still a bit unsure, but nodding in thanks.
Next, it was Sev's turn. In truth, Snape didn't expect much, since the two would end up sharing a wand anyway. But not everything went as he had anticipated. The wand that Snape had used in his past life did not seem to suit little Sev at all!
"May I see that wand?" Snape quickly spoke up before Mr. Ollivander could put it away.
As soon as Snape held the wand, a warm sensation spread from his fingertips. He flicked it, and the familiar sparks shot out, confirming that the wand was perfectly suited to him, just as it had been in his previous life. But then... why didn’t it work for Sev?
"Mr. Snape? Could it be that the wand you used when you were eleven has already broken?" Mr. Ollivander looked at Snape, perplexed.
"Ah, that's right, it broke a while ago. We planned to have it repaired, but when we moved one day, it somehow got lost. Besides, we intended to live in the Muggle world, so we weren't in a hurry to get a new wand. In the end, we didn't need one anymore. My husband still regrets that old wand, thinking there’s no other wand that could suit him. That’s why we never bothered to buy a new one." Lita explained slowly.
Mr. Ollivander nodded, then turned to find another wand for little Sev.
"I don’t understand, originally..." Snape began, but Lita raised a finger to stop him.
"Once we find a wand that suits him, we should just buy it. We’re not short on money for a wand," Lita winked at him.
Snape fell silent and tucked the wand into his sleeve, wondering which wand would eventually suit Sev. After all, Sev had already tried three more wands than he did. Finally, with the eighth wand, Sev found the one that was meant for him.
"Pine wood with a dragon heartstring core, twelve and a half inches. Try it." As Sev held the wand, the same sensations and phenomena he had seen with Emily and Snape told him this was his wand.
"You have quite a lot of potential. I truly look forward to the future of both of you," Mr. Ollivander said, much like he had said to Emily.
Lita smiled and stepped forward to pay for the three wands. She then handed the purse to Emily and said, "Emy, take Sev to get your uniforms. Uncle and I need to handle a few things." Emily nodded eagerly and quickly linked arms with Sev to go collect their robes.
"What was that all about?" Lita asked Snape.
"Originally... it was the wand that chose me when I was eleven. Why... didn’t it choose Sev?" Snape looked puzzled.
"You always say that wands choose wizards. I’m sure it’s not a mistake," Lita patted Snape’s shoulder.
"Besides, Sev... he’s not the same as you were. His personality, his thoughts, they’re different. How could your wand choose him? Severus, by now, you should know that he is him, and you are you. Sev is no longer the Severus you were. By this time, he’s already very different from you." Lita explained slowly. Snape stood in deep thought for a long time before nodding in agreement.
"You’re right. I am not Eileen Prince, and you are not Tobias Snape. The boy, of course, is not the same as I was," he said quietly.
"Exactly, our family is so much better now," Lita took both of his hands in hers.
"Yes, our family is very good now," Snape smiled softly at her.
"We’ve got the things!" Emily and Sev had returned just as Snape finished speaking.
"Let’s go home!" Lita placed the children’s uniforms into her bag, one hand carrying the things, the other leading Sev. Snape did the same, carrying the bags and holding Emily’s hand, the two children walking between them, still holding hands. The scene was warm, like that of a family of four.
At last, the day of school arrived. As the students boarded the train to Hogwarts, Lita felt a pang of reluctance to let Sev go. Although she thought so, she didn’t show it.
"Sev, remember everything I told you? Focus on your studies, don’t compete with or cause trouble for anyone. As long as you improve yourself each day, you’ll succeed. I’ve heard your father mention some quarrels between the four houses, don’t get involved. Just focus on learning and studying what you enjoy, like Potions, for example?" Lita gave detailed instructions.
"Also, your father mentioned something about Dark Magic, but I’m not sure. He says it’s very bad, and if you’re curious, just study it, don’t use it, understand?" Lita turned to Emily and asked, "Emy, can you keep an eye on him?"
"Of course! I’ll stay with Sev!" Emily nodded firmly.
"And Sev, remember, before school, Emily only had you as a friend. So, please take care of her and help her. I hope and look forward to seeing both of you grow by summer." Lita patted Sev’s head gently.
"However, if that doesn’t happen, it’s okay," Lita added, then hugged Sev tightly, followed by Emily.
"Have a great year at school!" Snape said after Lita released Emily.
"Yes! Goodbye, Mom and Dad," Sev waved at Lita and Snape, while Emily waved at Emma. A new journey had truly begun.
Sev and Emily found an empty compartment. As they sat talking, a red-haired girl entered, looking as though she had just been crying, followed by two boys who appeared a bit disheveled. However, Sev and Emily paid little attention.
"Do you think you’ll be in which house, Sev?" Emily asked.
"I don’t know, maybe Slytherin or Hufflepuff?" Sev replied.
"Slytherin?" A boy in the compartment spoke up loudly. He had been ignoring everyone until that name caught his attention, and he looked around.
"Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I should drop out, what do you think?" the boy asked another boy sitting opposite him, who was lounging lazily in his seat.
"My whole family’s in Slytherin," the boy across from him answered.
"Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually go for it," the other boy said.
"Who knows, maybe I’ll break the rules. If you had the choice, which house would you choose?"
"Gryffindor, the house of brave hearts, just like my dad," the boy seemed to raise an invisible sword with pride.
"Excuse me, but why is this our business?" Emily said, irritated.
Sev was equally annoyed, but his mother had told him not to engage in petty arguments. Even though he found it rude for these boys to interrupt his conversation with Emily for no reason.
"We just heard someone mention wanting to join Slytherin, so we were surprised," the boy replied, trying to justify himself.
"Even if we wanted to join Slytherin, it’s none of your business. Is it really that rare for someone to want to join Slytherin?" Emily kept her tone polite.
"No, Slytherins are all bad, sly and deceptive. Normal good people wouldn’t want to be in that house," the boy shot back.
"Whatever the case, where we want to go is our decision. No one asked you to judge. Besides, you’ve already said we don’t get to choose, it’s all up to the school. You look well-dressed, so maybe you're just too excited and forgot your manners?" Emily’s tone turned cold.
"I..." the boy started to argue, but the boy sitting across from him pulled him back.
"Let’s go, Sev, let’s find another compartment," Emily said, taking Sev’s hand and pulling him out of the compartment.
"I don’t like those two boys at all," Emily remarked as soon as they sat down in a new empty compartment.
"Yeah, me neither," Sev nodded in agreement.
"I really hope I’m not in Gryffindor. I’d lose it if I ran into them again," Emily added, frowning.
"Come on, it’s just momentary anger, you won’t hold onto it for long," Sev said with a smile, trying to ease the tension.
"I think I’ll be in Hufflepuff. As for you... hmm, I think you’ll end up in Slytherin or Ravenclaw," Emily said thoughtfully.
"Slytherin? I... I’m a little worried about the trouble in that house. My dad once said it’s a house with a lot of class division," Sev said, thinking it over.
"Don’t overthink it. Relax. Besides, we don’t even get to choose," Emily dismissed the whole house discussion.
"Yeah, you’re right. We should relax and maybe go over what we’ve learned in the past two years," Sev added.
"Study! Study! Study! Can you ever put studying aside for once?" Emily groaned, hitting Sev’s arm repeatedly.
"Alright, alright, no studying, no studying. No more studying," Sev chuckled, pushing Emily’s hand away.
The two of them continued chatting happily until they were led into the school. The atmosphere was grand and formal, and Sev and Emily couldn’t help but feel awed by the splendor of the castle’s entrance hall.
As usual, the Sorting Ceremony began after all the first-year students had arrived. The two boys that Sev and Emily had met on the train turned out to be James Potter and Sirius Black.
"Turns out he really did break the rules, and the other one got exactly what he wanted," Emily whispered to Sev. Sev nodded in agreement.
"Casita, Emily!" The deputy headmistress called out. Emily turned around, gave Sev a quick wink, and went up to the sorting hat.
"Hufflepuff!" The hat only took a second to make its decision. Emily smiled at Sev, and from her lips, Sev could read the silent encouragement: "Good luck, Sev."
"Snape, Severus!" Finally, Sev was called up, a few students after Emily.
"Hmm... I’m truly torn between Slytherin and Ravenclaw for you," the hat whispered in his ear. Sev didn’t respond, thinking it was best to let the hat decide.
"Ambitious, but not cunning... Passionate about books... Exceptionally intelligent... Alright... Ravenclaw!" After a moment of muttering, the Sorting Hat finally declared the house Severus was assigned to.
Sev nodded at the deputy headmistress and winked at Emily. Emily responded by clapping her hands in congratulations for Sev being sorted into Ravenclaw.
That evening, the Sorting Ceremony ended peacefully. Emily immediately wrote a letter to Lita, Snape, and her own mother, planning to send it with Sev the next morning. Meanwhile, Sev was admiring the Ravenclaw common room and dormitories, filled with knowledge everywhere. The excitement he felt was indescribable. Merlin! This was exactly the kind of environment Sev loved!
The next morning, Lita was awakened early by the owl delivering Emily’s letters. She opened the window to receive two letters from Emily.
"Severus, give this to Emma," Lita handed a letter to Snape.
"Why aren't you going?" He asked, slightly surprised.
"If you can pack all the things for our trip, then I'll go," Lita replied with a smile. Snape shrugged and went out to deliver the letter to Emily’s mother.
"So, guess which house our son is in?" Lita asked as Snape came back inside.
"Since you're asking, it can't be Slytherin. Hufflepuff is out, and Gryffindor definitely not. Could it be Ravenclaw?" He pondered.
"Bingo! Yes, it's Ravenclaw. With his passion for learning, it’s no surprise he ended up there," Lita agreed.
"And Emily?" Snape asked.
"She’s in Hufflepuff."
"At least she's not involved in too many troubles," he said, feeling a bit relieved for Sev.
"It seems Severus is slowly letting go of his obsessions," Lita said happily.
"Once you've died and come back, letting go isn't as hard as I thought," Snape nodded at Lita’s words.
"Alright, pack your things. We’re going to Norway for a holiday. I bought the tickets yesterday; the flight’s this afternoon."
"Relieved to get away from them, huh?" Snape teased.
"Oh, come on. We deserve a honeymoon. They're off to school for a year, so why shouldn't we go now? Hurry up and get ready," Lita urged.
That evening, Lita and Snape were on a plane to Norway, promising a fun trip and a long-awaited honeymoon.
Back with the kids, the theory learned at home was quite different from the practice. Although they had studied in advance, both Sev and Emily needed a week to adjust to all their new subjects. After the first week, Sev and Emily started to accelerate their studies to stay ahead of the schoolwork. Emily wasn’t as obsessed with studying as Sev, so even though she was busy, she still had time to make new friends in different houses—except Slytherin. It wasn't that Emily wasn't friendly, but the Slytherin students, who were often pure-blooded, didn't like befriending half-bloods. Emily didn't mind too much; if they didn’t want to be friends, that was fine.
In contrast to Emily, Sev's mind was entirely focused on his studies. Aside from the three dorm mates and Emily, he barely knew anyone. He didn’t see any spare time to make friends either.
After the first month, Emily noticed that Sev was still isolating himself, not making any new friends. So, she decided to drag him around with her, introducing him to her friends. Thanks to this, Sev got to know a few more people from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, and perhaps even Ravenclaw.
"How did you manage to befriend people in Ravenclaw?" Sev asked, puzzled.
"Aside from Slytherin, there's no house I can't make friends with," Emily declared proudly.
Sev silently applauded Emily's boldness. During the first semester, their strengths began to show. Both were skilled in Charms and Transfiguration, equally good at both; Sev excelled slightly in Potions, while Emily had the upper hand in Herbology; they both did well in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures; as for the other subjects, they just managed to pass.
And, just as Lita and Snape had said, there would be conflicts and minor troubles between houses. The students from Slytherin would target Gryffindor students and a few Muggle-borns from other houses, and Gryffindor, of course, would retaliate against Slytherin... But none of this concerned Sev and Emily, as neither of them had made any enemies. When not in the library, they were in their common room, and on weekends, they would research and study together, leaving no time for such petty conflicts.
Yet, sometimes, trouble finds you even when you don’t seek it. While Sev was reading in class, a girl rushed up to him.
"Hello, I’m Lily Evans. We met on the train," the lively redhead introduced herself.
Sev carefully set his book down and looked at her closely, after a moment, he remembered who she was.
"Hello, Evans. You can just call me Snape," Sev nodded in greeting.
"Can I sit with you for Potions?" Lily asked.
"Today, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw are in the same class?" Sev asked, puzzled.
"Yes, I wanted to ask you a few things about Potions. Professor Slughorn speaks very highly of you."
"Alright, then, suit yourself," Sev shrugged and resumed reading.
During the lesson, Lily asked him questions, and Sev answered, though his focus remained on his own cauldron, unaware of the jealous and spiteful glances from someone in the class. After class ended, Sev was planning to head to the library quickly, but a group of students blocked his path.
"What do you want?" Sev asked, irritated, annoyed that they were wasting his precious research time before his Herbology class.
"I just wanted to say, I’m pursuing Lily," said the boy with glasses.
"Lily? Evans?"
"Yes."
"So, what does that have to do with me?" Sev asked, confused.
"Well, she was being all friendly with you just now..."
"If you have the guts, go ahead and make Evans sit with you. She’s been a bit of a distraction to my Potions studies," Sev replied, gripping his wand tightly. Should he cast the Petrificus Totalus on these people in front of him?
"Sev! I've been looking for you everywhere!" Emily called out, running over to Sev.
"Potter? Black?" She scowled at the group before them.
"Isn't this the guy who’s always clinging to Lily? What’s going on today? Are you trying to start trouble with my friend?" Emily glared at them.
"We’re just having a little chat," Black replied lazily.
"At first glance, I thought you were planning to gang up on Sev," Emily continued. "Look, if you’ve got an issue, talk to Lily directly. Don’t drag him into this. He’s busy with his studies and has no time to fight for her attention like you guys do."
With that, Emily grabbed Sev's hand and pulled him through the group of four.
"How did you know they were after me because of Evans?" Sev asked.
"I finished early and was walking past the classroom to see if you were done. I happened to catch you guys talking, and I saw Potter and the others eyeing you like they were about to eat you alive," Emily explained.
"All this petty jealousy and blocking the path... can they grow up already?" Sev shrugged, clearly unconcerned.
"I saw you gripping your wand tightly earlier, what were you planning to do to them?" Emily asked slyly.
"Too annoying, wasting my time before I get to the library. If they had said another word, I would’ve cast a Full Body-Bind curse on each of them," Sev said nonchalantly.
"Good idea! But now, come with me and check out the plant I’ve been growing in the greenhouse. It’s fully grown today!" Emily winked at Sev.
"Really!? Let’s go! I just finished reading about that plant yesterday!" Sev’s eyes lit up.
"Let’s go!" Emily and Sev eagerly made their way towards the greenhouse.
The first year passed in peace, and as summer arrived, Sev and Emily reunited with Lita and Snape. Everything continued as before, just like before they started school. Before the second year began, the four of them visited Diagon Alley to buy supplies and then returned to Hogwarts.
The second year wasn’t anything extraordinary. The only change was that more people at school began to recognize Sev and Emily as a dynamic duo in academics. Every time the top honors were announced, Sev and Emily were always there—if not first place, then second or third. They had never fallen out of the top ten.
It was also during their second year that Sev and Emily began researching and experimenting with their own spells. Though they hadn’t succeeded yet, the potential was clear. They also started practicing dueling, sharpening their combat skills. Emily had always dreamed of becoming an Auror, so now she and Sev began training together to improve their abilities.
Seeing Sev mature, Lita felt a deep sense of relief. It seemed that with just a little more effort, she and Snape could move on to the next life. But as she thought about it, Lita felt a pang of reluctance. She wondered if, in the next life, she would meet Snape again, in a peaceful life, free from the turmoil he had known. For now, she resolved to savor these rare moments of tranquility. Snape shared her sentiments. If he could wish for anything, it would be to meet Lita again in the next life.
In their third year, a small surprise awaited them: Sev and Emily discovered that Lupin was a werewolf! The process of uncovering this secret was long, and it wasn’t until halfway through their third year that they confirmed it. But, of course, it didn’t really concern Emily or Sev, so they said nothing about it. However, it did spark thoughts in them about becoming Animagus. To do that, they’d need to register with the Department of Magical Creatures, which wasn’t a problem for them. The real challenge would be to become Animagus themselves first.
And because this was an issue that absolutely could not afford a mistake, Sev and Emily decided to test it on themselves, one by one. The first to try was Emily. The two of them carefully conducted their secret experiments, and in the end, they succeeded. Emily's animagus form was a wildcat. Sev stared at the cute creature in front of him, stunned. He had read about wildcats before, and this species was known for its fierce hunting skills—completely opposite to its adorable appearance.
Emily, delighted, shifted back into her human form. Now it was Sev’s turn to become an Animagus. He too succeeded without a hitch, and his form was that of a gray fox. This also happened to align with their Patronus forms.
Both Emily and Sev were thrilled with their new Animagus shapes, though they did face a severe reprimand from Professor McGonagall when they confessed they had been practicing the transformation spell for quite some time. Given the influence of their heads of houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Sev and Emily were only given a two-month detention.
Year four came, and with it, the pressure to study hard for the upcoming OWLs exams. Alongside their studies, they continued to hone their dueling skills. By this point, Emily and Sev had become incredibly proficient in both magical techniques and spells.
In year five, both Emily and Sev excelled in the subjects they excelled in, earning outstanding marks. It was also during this year that both Emily and Sev realized they had feelings for each other. Their relationship blossomed naturally, as if it were always meant to be, given they had been best friends since childhood.
Year six brought sorrow when Emily’s mother, Emma, passed away after a prolonged battle with a lung disease that had shown no signs of improvement over five years. Though heartbroken, Emily quickly found solace in the support of her boyfriend, Lita, and Snape.
In year seven, they became one of the most admired couples at school. Whether it was academics or achievements, they were always at the top. Both Sev and Emily were renowned as the best duelists at Hogwarts, capable of casting non-verbal spells and wandless magic. They ended their final year with the NEWTs exams, achieving results that perfectly matched their expectations.
Emily had considered applying to become an Auror in England, just like Lita and Snape, but both of them urged her not to. Sev, now much more calm and mature, had no intention of pursuing a career as an Auror. He wanted to continue his research and write many more papers on a variety of topics. After graduation, both Emily and Sev registered their marriage, and so, their separate families were merged into one. Sev was very obedient to Emily, and Lita and Snape were pleased to see how far he had come.
The four of them began their travels, starting in France, then Germany, followed by America, and eventually Japan, circling the globe. In the end, they decided to settle in Norway—the same place where Lita and Snape had spent their first honeymoon. They chose to stay away from the war in England. No matter how much Voldemort wreaked havoc on England, it had no effect on Emily’s work as an Auror in Norway, France, Germany, and beyond, nor on Sev’s research.
In 1985, Emily and Sev had twins—a boy and a girl. Lita smiled as she saw Snape’s progress in letting go; he had scored ten out of ten. That meant she and Snape would soon be moving on to their next life.
Lita sighed with a sense of bittersweet contentment. She looked at Emily, then at Sev, knowing that she had witnessed a child grow up and achieve so much, her life felt complete. Three months after Emily and Sev’s twins were born, Lita and Snape passed from this world at the same time.
In 1995, the four of them—Emily, Sev, and their ten-year-old twins—returned to England for the first time after nearly twenty years living abroad. From then on, they stayed in England, never leaving again. They lived in the same house where Emily and Sev had grown up.
Many reporters came to interview them, asking how they managed to avoid the war and achieve such success. Both Emily and Sev simply smiled and didn’t respond. They both knew that without Lita and Snape, they would never have reached the success they had.
Perhaps, in this life, the greatest fortune for the two of them was having met Lita and Snape.
After returning to the place where they would wait to be reborn, Lita and Snape held each other for a long time before stepping through the gate. Neither of them said a word, for just looking into each other’s eyes, they understood all that needed to be said.
And then Lita finally let go, choking on her words as she said goodbye to Snape before stepping through the gate. The edges of Snape's eyes grew warm with emotion, and he stood there until Lita vanished behind the gate, before slowly walking toward it. Each step felt heavy, for once he crossed through, he would forget her—forget all the joy of the past twenty-something years of life on Earth.
Just before he entered the gate, the middle-aged man he had met over two decades ago stepped forward and stopped him.
“Mr. Snape, considering your cooperation and all you’ve done for the wizarding world, I have a surprise gift for you,” the man said with a smile.
“I’ve done what?” Snape asked, confused.
“You’ve helped raise Severus Snape and Emily Casita, both of whom have contributed greatly to the magical world.”
“I see,” Snape replied indifferently, no longer interested in knowing.
“I wish you a life as you desire, and I hope you will enjoy the gift we’ve given you.” The middle-aged man said his farewells, and Snape nodded, stepping through the gate.
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In a modern mansion, a lazy boy sat playing a video game, hoping to defeat the game’s boss, but he lost again. He was an outstanding student, surely he could beat this game?
“Housekeeper, I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back soon,” the boy said to the housekeeper.
“Very well, take your time,” the housekeeper nodded.
“Bellamy, there you are! You’re here to show me this lesson again? I’m surprised you came over today,” the boy said as he walked to another boy’s house.
“Alright Finn, stop bugging me with these lessons, you won’t keep up. I’m just bored, thought I’d take a stroll for a bit,” Bellamy replied.
“Can’t do it? Well, by the way, Jack’s group invited you for lunch at the city center. If you leave now, you might still catch them. They asked me to let you know. Since you’ve got nothing else to do, you might as well go,” Finn suddenly remembered something.
“Alright, tell them I’ll be there. I’m heading out now.” Bellamy patted Finn on the shoulder before leaving.
Bellamy entered the subway station, waiting for the train when he saw a girl who felt oddly familiar. She seemed to feel the same, as she turned to look at him. Their eyes met, and suddenly, a flood of memories that didn’t belong to either of them surged in their minds.
"So this is the gift he spoke of?" Bellamy whispered softly, as if Snape's voice still echoed in his mind.
"But I truly do like it." Even as the memories of his past life resurfaced, Bellamy’s carefree spirit remained, unshaken, his words light and carefree as ever.
The girl before him smiled, a knowing smile, and drew closer. "Severus, it’s been a long time."
"A long time indeed. Will you be mine?" Bellamy's smile was playful, his voice light.
"Why not?" she answered with a smile that held the weight of years, and without another word, they understood each other perfectly, their hearts speaking silently in the gaze they shared.
"And your name is...?"
"Mila, Mila Erica. And you?"
"Bellamy, Bellamy Alexander."
"Your name suits you perfectly," Mila chuckled, her voice like a soft melody.
"Likewise," Bellamy replied, his hand gently brushing a strand of her hair from her face.
"Where are you going now?"
"Just out for a meal with some friends."
"Then let’s go together."
"Of course." Bellamy and Mila walked arm in arm, stepping onto the train as one.
A moment of love, a delicate thread of destiny, two souls reunited across lifetimes...