Severus couldn’t help but tug at the uncomfortable robes that Lucius had gotten him. He couldn’t understand why he had to wear these and why he couldn't just wear his school robes atleast those didn't itch.
He sighed, Lucius would scold him if he tried to wear his school robes to such an event. He had been invited to a Christmas ball by the older boy and Severus still couldn’t fathom why Lucius would invite him to something so high class.
Still he felt giddy with excitement, he had never been invited to a party before. Granted he had been to Lily's house to celebrate her birthday but only on the day after her party. He had gone once on the day of the party and Lily's friends seemed to deem it their job to taunt him.
Since then he and Lily would throw their own little party with whatever was leftover from her party.
But now he was attending a ball filled with elegant and sophisticated people, and that thought alone killed all his giddiness and filled him with fear.
What if they didn't like him?
What if they taunted and sneered at him like the kids did back home...
He felt himself start to panic, maybe it wasn't to late for him to cancel. He could fake sick or just say something happened at home.
His breathing began getting heavy and he felt tears start forming in his eyes. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, it was already bad enough that he was being bullied by 4 other boys. Severus also didn't want to embarrass Lucius, because he had been kind enough to give him a helping hand.
Lucius had helped him learn more about the magical world, he had also told him everything he wanted to know about his mother and her family. Something he longed to learn ever since his mother died when he was five. That was the sole reason he wanted to be a slytherin. He knew nothing about hogwarts or it's houses, so he couldn't understand why people felt the need to boo anyone who ended up in slytherin.
Severus was lost in thought when he heard a knock on the door. He jumped in surprised and quickly wiped the tears he didn't know stream down his face. He was about to answer but the door was slightly opened and he was met with the face of one, Wes Don Avery.
Wes, was one of his roommates and because of this the pair had become friends or acquaintances, he wasn't so sure exactly.
"Hey, are you ready? It's time to go and it would do us no good in arriving late" Wes stated with what appeared to be a serious face but Severus could tell Wes was bored and would rather stay at the castle then attend some ball.
Severus flushed embarrassingly hoping he didn't look like a mess "Y-yeah I'm ready" He spoke in a quiet tone that would had been missed if they weren't the only one there.
Wes nodded "Professor Slughorn is here to escort us to the Headmaster's office so that we can floo to Malfoy Manor, come on" With that Wes closed the door.
Severus took in a deep breath before going after the boy. His nervousness had lessen when Wes came to retrieve him. He was happy that he had someone to attend the ball with, he feared going alone. He had asked if he could invite Lily and Lucius was skeptical about it but agreed to think about it.
Sadly Lily had told him that she was going to visit some family for Christmas so even if she was given an invitation she wouldn't be allowed to go. Severus had grew sad and when he told Lucius about it, Lucius had asked one of Severus’s roommates to stay behind so that they could accompany him to the ball.
Severus was internally greatful but he also felt annoyed. He didn’t want pity, not from anyone, he very well could have gone to the ball on his own. Still he would find a way to thank Wes for agreeing to stay at the castle with him during winter break.
Severus walked downstairs into the main room and caught sight of Wes speaking with Slughorn. He began to feel nervous again and he did his best not to show it. "I'm ready" He announced, hoping his voice didn't come out a bit shaky.
Slughorn was the first to acknowledge his presence, if Severus’s voice was shaky, he didn't comment on it. Either out of respect or lack of caring.
"Brilliant, let's us go the headmaster is expecting us, c'mon now"
Slughorn began ushering the two boys out of the Slytherin common room and up to the Headmaster's office. Both Severus and Wes stumbled a bit, it seemed Slughorn had somewhere to be or he simply wanted to get rid of them.
Only he would know.
After a while they reached the entrance to the Headmaster's office, Slughorn stepped forward and spoke the password.
"Lemon Drops"
Severus and Wes gave eachother an odd look but simply shrugged as the stairs began to appear. Slughorn motioned for them to follow as he walked up the stairs. They nodded and quickly followed him. Severus couldn’t help but gasp as he saw the inside to the Headmaster's office.
He slowly turned in a circle as he walked further inside. Wes was also amazed but their attention was soon interrupted by Slughorn clearing his throat. They both grew flustered as Slughorn chuckled at their reactions.
"Now, Mister Avery I assume you know how to use the floo"
Avery nodded
"Mister Snape, given your blood status I must ask, do you know how to use the floo? If not I could give you a quick demonstration on how it works"
Severus wanted to curl in on himself at the mention of his blood status. It seemed his status as a halfblood caused quite an uproar in the Slytherin house. If it weren't for Lucius, he'd have been a complete outcast and lose whatever safety he hoped to have in the Slytherin house.
"I know how to use the floo, sir" He said as confidently as he could.
Slughorn eyed him with uncertainty but he choose not to question him. Instead he insisted Wes go through the floo first and Severus grew upset.
He wasn't upset about Wes going first, knowing Wes would be on the otherside waiting for him calmed his nerves, no he was upset that Slughorn didn't believe him when he said he knew how to use the floo.
He could tell that Slughorn assumed he was lying by the way he was looking at him and Severus felt urge to push Wes aside and show Slughorn that he wasn't a liar. Instead he stood still forcing himself not to move and watched as Wes went through the floo. Severus went through the floo before Slughorn could even tell him it was his turn.
And before Severus disappeared into the flames, he hit Slughorn with a heated glare.
Severus’s anger quickly faded when he stepped through the floo. He couldn’t stop himself from gasping at the sight before him.
The ballroom within Malfoy Manor was decorated from top to bottom in the most beautiful decorations he had ever seen. It looked like a fairytale and what made it even more beautiful was the snow falling from the ceiling that was enchanted to look like a starry night sky.
Severus was so in awe at the sight that he failed to notice Lucius approaching him and Wes. He was snapped out of his daze when he felt a hand on his shoulder. This had caused Severus to flinch which must have been bad given that Lucius was staring at him with concern.
He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment and luckily for him Lucius spoke up and avoided bringing up the flinching much to Severus’s greatfulness.
"Welcome, I'm glad that you two have arrived, I was worried you both would be late" Lucius spoke with calmness and serenity that Severus felt himself relax at the sound of his voice.
Wes was the first to speak "It's our pleasure, if we had arrived late just know it would have been Professor Slughorn's fault" He stated with such ease that made him sound like he was possibly older. He had given a side glance to Severus and luckily for him the boy hadn't noticed it.
Severus was busy staring at Lucius, enamored by his clothing. He tugged at his own clothing slowly getting irritated by it again. He listened to Wes's words and was filled with dread about the fact that he would at fault for their tardiness. Luckily the name Wes said was not his own and he had let out a sigh of relief.
He nodded his head in agreement "Thank you for inviting us" He said as he fiddled with the sleeves of his robes. Lucius gave them a warm smile and nodded "Well, I hope you both enjoy the ball, now if you'll excuse me there's some other guests I need to greet" He stated before bidding them goodbye and leaving them be.
Wes turned his attention to Severus "Come On, I'm sure Klaus and Evan are here already"
Severus nodded and the pair went off in search for their other two friends. On their search for Klaus and Evan, Wes was called over by his parents.
"I'm sorry, you go ahead and find the others"
Wes walked off before Severus could give a reply. Severus felt panic take over him completely, this couldn’t be happening. He felt so out of place now that he was alone, like a fish out of water.
He wasn't meant to be in a place like this, he knew nothing about how to act. He looked in the direction in which Wes had gone and saw that he was no where in sight. He took in a deep breath and forced himself to move.
He wasn't sure where he was going but he hoped that he would come across Klaus or Evan or that maybe one of them would see and greet him. As he walked in random directions, he took in the sight and allowed the scenery ease his nerves.
Well they didn't ease his nerves but they distracted him a bit. Tho they seem to do a good job because he failed to notice that he was about to walk into someone.
Luckily for Severus, he never collided with the unknown person in front of him.
Because someone had grabbed hold of his arm and stopped him in time.
Severus practically leaped out of his skin at the sudden contact. He turned around so fast he felt his brain hit his skull. He was greeted with the sight of what appeared to be.....Lily?
No...not Lily...this is a guy...he tilted his head in confusion as he stared at the unknown guy in front of him. The man infront of him tilted his own head before breaking the silence that fell over them.
"You should watch were you're going, wouldn't want to upset anyone here"
Severus felt his face heat up in embarrassment "Right...um- I-I was distracted by all the decorations, eheh" He gave out a nervous chuckle before going silent again.
The other boy hummed "That's understandable, the Malfoys have really out done themselves this year"
Severus gave a weak nod in agreement. He wondered what the previous parties Lucius and his family had thrown looked like. This was his first time attending one but he agreed none the less not wanting people to know the truth.
As if God decided to finally grant Severus a break in life, the pair were interrupted by a boy with dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes wearing fancy deep navy blue robes with the a family crest stitched directlfy on top of where his heart is.
'Evan' Severus thought and whatever nervousness he had faded away completely.
The other turned his attention to Evan and gave him a weak smile "Hello Rosier" He greeted. Evan smiled back as brightly as ever "Hey Rabastan" He said before turning his attention to Severus.
Once his eyes landed on Severus his smile only grew and he quickly enveloped him in a hug "Severus you came! You actually came!" He said excitedly.
Severus felt his whole body stiffen and attempted to push Evan away but the boy didn't budge. He gave up after awhile and simply sighed.
Rabastan couldn’t help but chuckle to himself. This caught Evan's attention who finally let go off Severus and went to hold his hand instead.
"Rabastan, this is Severus Snape," He gestured to Severus "Verus, this is Rabastan Lestrange" He turned his attention to Severus and gestured to Rabastan. Severus was thankful for Evan because somehow that boy always knew what to say or do inorder to help out of and in a situation.
Rabastan hummed "It's a pleasure to meet you" He said as he held out his hand towards Severus.
Severus took his hand, with the one that wasn't held by Evan, and shook it "It's, um, a pleasure to meet you too" He said nervously. He was never really good at meeting or talking to people so he was greatful for Evan's presence.
Evan watched the two shake hands for a second and he decided that that was a second to long. Like an upset child he pulled their hands apart and then gave both boys a smile when they each gave him a confused and questioning look.
"Anywho, guess what Rab!" Evan exclaimed happily.
Rabastan tilted his head.
"Verus here is a potion prodigy and not only that but he knew more spells than anyone else in our year. I can guarantee you he'll be a master duelist if he wanted to be." He proudly spoke as if Severus were his child.
Severus felt his face heat up completely, he wasn't use to such praise. It made him feel a bit uncomfortable, yes he was aware of his talents but he didn't see any reason to voice it out to anyone. Especially to someone he just met. He wanted nothing but to run and hide at that very moment but Evan was still holding his hand and Severus knew it would be futile to try and remove it.
Rabastan was surprised by Evan's words...ok he wasn't exactly surprised by what he said. It was common knowledge throughout all of Slytherins about a boy with high intelligence who had practically bested those in the year above him on his first year.
He never caught sight of the boy so when Evan revealed that Severus was the boy many have whispered about in envy. He was shocked that it was the very same boy that everyone believed would amount to nothing. Even when he was well acquainted with The Lucius Malfoy.
"My, I've heard rumors about a boy with such talent but no one ever said who it was. I must it's an honor to meet you, I see why Malfoy has taken you under his wing" Rabastan praised and if he caught sight of Evan glaring daggers at him, well that was for him to know.
Severus’s face grew redder and he lowered his head. He was beginning to feel nauseous 'Merlin is this what it's like being praised?' He thought and if he was right then he didn't like it and never will if it made him feel ill.
"Um T-thank you" He forced himself to say.
Severus unknowingly squeezed Evans ervene hand and the boy with blue about intervened without question.
"Well Rab, it was great running into you but me and Verus have to go meet up with Klaus and Wes" Evan stated with a wave of his hand.
Rabastan nodded "Of course, well I should go and search for my brother, I got to make sure he doesn't get completely wasted cause if he does I'm stuck with taking care of him" He stated with a hint of annoyance "Tsk I might just leave him in the Malfoy's garden" He added with slight amusement lacing his voice.
Severus couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at the thought of Lucius finding a drunken Lestrange within the garden.
His laughter caught both boy's attention.
Evan was staring at him with complete admiration and Rabastan was more focused on Evan than Severus.
"Hehe well I'll leave you two be, it was a pleasure to meet you Severus, may our paths cross again" Rabastan said with a small smile on his face.
Severus had stopped his chuckling before Rabastan spoke "Right, it was a pleasure to meet you too, I uh look forward to that" He spoke with a bit more ease.
Rabastan gave Evan a knowing look and Evan in turn glared at him.
"Well see ya Rab!" Evan said and began to tug Severus in a random direction.
Severus felt his eyes widen with realization, he pulled at Evan's arm causing him to stop. Severus turned around to face Rabastan and called out to him.
Rabastan, who had his back turned halfway to them, turned back to face Severus and tilted his head in confusion.
Severus took in a deep breath "Thank you, for earlier, for helping me" He stated and smiled shyly at the other boy.
"You're welcome" Rabastan gave him a small smile in return.
Severus nodded and allowed Evan to pull him away in order to search for Klaus and Wes.
Rabastan spun around and went in search of his own brother.
That night went off without a hitch.
Severus and Evan had found Klaus and Wes at the snack table. The four boys spent that night eating what they could before Lucius came around and scolded them for stuffing their faces like animals. Lucius warned them that they would regret it if they didn't stop and the next day Severus had wished he listened because he awoke with a horrible stomach ache.
Rabastan had found his brother alongside Bellatrix. He didn’t seem to be intoxicated but hey if he did, Rodolphus was now Bella's problem. Rabastan chuckled to himself at the thought and left to go speak with his own friends. And if Rodolphus woke up the next day with a hangover well that's what he gets for trying to out do Bellatrix when it comes to holding in one's liquor.
The day after the Christmas ball, fate had granted Rabastan's request. He and Severus meet in Malfoy Manor when Lucius had called for Rabastan to come retrieve his drunken brother who was found passed out in one of the empty rooms. Severus had spent the night, having felt to tired to go back to hogwarts.
The Lestrange brothers were offered to stay for breakfast at request of Lord Abraxas Malfoy, who spent the entire time glaring at the older lestrange brother and being passive aggressive towards him. Rabastan, spent his time watching their interaction with glee while also speaking with both Lucius and Severus.
Eventually both Rabastan and Severus began to exclude Lucius in the conversation. They had taken interest in speaking about herbology and potions. Lucius didn't mind being excluded, he watched the two speak with fondness.
'Well looks like he made a new friend' He thought and went about finishing his breakfast.