Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12709866.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      James_Potter/Severus_Snape, Sirius_Black/Severus_Snape, James_Potter/
      Severus_Snape/Sirius_Black, Lucius_Malfoy/Severus_Snape
  Additional Tags:
      Marauders'_Era, Top_James_Potter, Bottom_Severus_Snape, Top_Sirius_Black,
      Top_Lucius_Malfoy_(Fifth_Year)
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-11-13 Updated: 2017-12-09 Chapters: 2/? Words: 8439
****** Arc of Deliverance ******
by Siraun
Summary
     Yaoi. James Potter/Severus Snape & Sirius Black/Severus Snape.
     Featuring the Middle Ages, but mainly occurring during the Marauder
     Era.
     Severus Snape's a pureblood wizard, because Tobias' no muggle.
Notes
     Disclaimer/Warning: The Harry Potter series, King Arthur, Merlin, and
     Morgan Le Fray don’t belong to me, this is merely fan-based. This
     fanfic contains mature contents. It contains homosexuality as well as
     heterosexuality. Please read it at your own discretion.
***** Chapter 1 *****
                                    Part I
Tobias Le Fay was the illegitimate bastard born to King Arthur Pendragon and
one of his older, half-sisters Morgan Le Fay, Queen of the Island of Avalon.
However, she was most prominently remembered as the dark witch Morgana, as well
as, one of Merlin's greatest adversaries and lovers. She was quite unlike her
younger half-brother, Arthur, whom the people revered as a valorous and
benevolent king. She was as beautiful and enchanting as she was sly and
cunning. She was quite deceptive and clever for a woman of her era. She'd
garnered the love and affection of a young Arthur, who at the time of their
encounter possessed no prior knowledge of their familial relations; for he was
whisked away from their mother's breasts at birth and put under the care and
tutelage of Merlin to become 'The Promised King'.
Despite being a descendant of pureblood wizarding ancestors, Arthur Pendragon
was no great wizard, or a wizard of any nature for that matter, as the years
under Merlin's care and tutelage proved. But he was to become a great king
indeed, as Merlin's prophecy foretold. As a wee lad, Arthur had become deeply
infatuated with the beauty of the dark Witch Morgana, who was to become his
guide throughout his journey under Merlin's instructions. Although she wasn't
quite impressed by young Arthur's adoration for her at the beginning, she'd
slowly succumbed to his boyish charms at the end. However, her affections for
him were rather short-lived as she was a woman bound by no man, except for
Merlin himself. Even her own husband, King Urien of Rheged, she held no deep
sentiments or great regards for. By nature, she was a wanton and sexually
aggressive woman with several lovers, younger and older alike.
Still, as the years carried on, young Arthur Pendragon wasn't easily
discouraged by her neglect of him or her utter disregard of his devotion.
Instead, as he grew to a ripen age, he'd only sought her out in his own way.
Though he was a kind and compassionate lad, he was human by nature and all
humans acted in their own favors from time to time. And one night when he could
no longer rein in his desires for the fiery-haired witch, he followed her up to
her living quarters and violated her like he'd never violated another woman
before. And of course, being the wanton, covetous whore she was, she'd eagerly
spread open her thighs wide for him as he penetrated her to the depths of her
being. He'd never been more satisfied with himself than he was that night. It
was the first time he'd ever acted in his own self-interests and he'd enjoyed
every single moment of their fornication.
In the upcoming days, the two of them would slowly drift apart from one another
– Morgana more so than young Arthur – as they reached the gates of the Island
of Avalon, the dark witch's home. Once settled in, for the time being, they
both encountered their mentor, Merlin, who they greeted eagerly. Morgana, who
was yet unaware of her pregnancy returned to her most beloved lover's side. And
young Arthur too would briefly return to the great wizard's side before he was
to set off again on another long, tedious journey; this time without Morgana's
guidance or any knowledge of his unborn bastard. Alas, it was only several
months after his departure that the Queen of Avalon came to learn of her
pregnancy and the possibility of young Arthur's bastard son. And so, she sought
to keep it hidden from the prying eyes of her King and her people through the
disguise of witchcraft for as long as she could. But only Merlin would know the
truth of young Arthur's bastard son, Tobias Le Fay, and he would watch over the
infant as he'd done with his father before him.
===============================================================================
                                    Part II
Abandoned at an orphanage in infancy, Tobias Le Fay grew up with all the other
children of the old, worn-down house he'd come to call his home. He was just a
wee lad of five years of age with nothing but his first name for an identity.
He had no family name which he knew of; for whoever had left him at the
doorsteps of the orphanage had only gifted him the name 'Tobias' and nothing
more. None of the children of the orphanage had family names, or actual
birthdays for that matter; though, the caretakers were generous enough to give
some of the children, who were too young to remember, birthdays upon their
arrivals. Tobias was one of them. Although the orphanage was the only home he'd
ever known, he'd never felt truly at home. Tobias wanted more. He longed for a
family name because he wanted to 'belong to a family,' who was warm and kind to
him. He wanted his own family. He wanted a place he could truly call home.
As two cold winters had come and gone, however, he remained at the orphanage.
He was now seven years of age and he felt even more lonely than before, as most
of his peers were adopted by childless families who came to visit the
orphanage. The families who had come by always seemed to look beyond him as
they selected their potential future children to bring home. The younger
children were usually taken in by families faster than the older ones. He
assumed it was because they weremorefriendlier and cuter to have around. The
older children, on the other hand, were most often chosen based on their
ability to do chores around the household. He was neither an older or younger
child. And although he was trying his best to help around the orphanage more,
he wasn't quite efficient at doing housework yet. Moreover, he'd long outgrown
his childlike innocence, or so he'd come to believe. Alas, it would seem he had
no chance at all, but he really did hope he wouldn't have to wait much longer
before he found a family of his own.
Another cold winter had come and gone by already and he was quickly losing hope
of ever having a family to call his own. He was eight years of age now and it
seemed the only home he'd ever have would be this run-down, shabby children's
orphanage. But by now, he'd also grown used to it. There was a flood of fresh
faces almost every month. But it was also true that the friends he'd taken the
time to make disappeared from his life forever once they were adopted. And by
the time Tobias had reached age ten, he'd given up on making new friends and in
the hope of ever finding a family to call his own. He soon realized he was on
his own and that the children's home would be his only home. And so, he'd learn
to live with that in his heart.
It was only by his eleventh winter at the children's orphanage that Tobias'
long-forgotten prayers were finally answered and he was soon taken in by a poor
muggle couple who had lost their only son to a fire outbreak earlier that year.
The young couple wasn't particularly interested in having another child just
yet because the loss of their late son weighed heavily on their conscious. But
upon seeing Tobias just outside the orphanage gate, they were immediately
reminded of their deceased son. The two boys shared quite a lot of similarities
in their small stature and general appearances, except for Tobias' slightly
hook nose. Although minor, it was a rather distinguishing feature on the boy's
face. Other than that, he was quite a good-looking lad. He'd surely grow up to
become a dashing, handsome, young man.
All the doubts, anxiety, and loneliness that had slowly consumed the orphan
throughout his early days at the orphanage soon vanished upon moving into his
new home. The young muggle couple was everything that he'd ever hoped for in a
family. They were kind, warm, and welcoming to him. They provided him with
everything he could ever yearn for, given that it was within their reach and
means. They spared the rod and spoiled the child. For, that's exactly what he
was; a child. And so, they treated him as if he were their own flesh and blood,
their own son. Inevitably, he became their only son, Tobias Snape.
===============================================================================
By his sixteenth winter, Tobias had grown to become the dashing, young lad he'd
shown great promise for. Though, he didn't quite consider himself much of a
ladies' man. If he were more honest with himself, he was more into blokes than
the young ladies flaunting themselves at him. He was a not a shallow lad at
all, but he knew he was quite handsome by the dreamy, star-dazed gazes he would
receive from both his female counterparts and fellow males alike. And although
he would sometimes entertain the opposite sex with a wink or two, he would
always refrain from reacting to his fellow male peers, who sought him out from
time to time. He was quite homophobic and in denial of his sexuality.
Especially, since he didn't know how his beloved family would react. Above
everything else, he held the utmost respect for his parents who'd brought him
home from the orphanage on his eleventh winter. He was ultimately grateful to
them for everything they've done for him and he couldn't stand to bring
dishonor and shame to their names.
Furthermore, while homosexuality wasn't outlawed in their community, it wasn't
openly practiced either. People had eyes and ears everywhere. And queer
behaviors were best left unseen and out of sight. He knew for sure, while his
father wasn't quite openly against homosexuality, he'd never appreciate this
kind of behavior in their home either. And so, he taught himself that his
longing and desires for the touch of other men were unclean and immoral. He was
a coward he knew, but he was certain he would never want to become the cause of
great turmoil or distress in family's hearts.
It was on the eve of his seventeenth birthday, however, when he felt the most
unease. Over the past few months, he'd come to make acquaintance with a thin,
wiry lad, a year younger than himself, whom he'd become quite smitten with.
He'd brought him home for dinner with his family under the guise of an old
friend; which he truly was as well. But if they were both more honest with
themselves, they were closer to lovers than mere friends. After dinner with the
family, when the dining area was cleared, all the wares were washed, and the
pots and pans were returned to their proper hanging place, they retreated to
Tobias' private quarters where both remained unseen and unheard by either
parent. Or at least, so they'd believed. It was rather unfortunate for them
when Tobias' father walked into his private quarters, where they were
supposedly discussing agricultural techniques and catching up for old times'
sake.
And then the floodgates broke as all hell ensued.
Tobias didn't know how or when it happened, but it did. A large fire broke out
of nowhere and consumed a vast portion of his bedchamber before spreading
wildly outside his private quarters. He was just so upset with his father's
contempt and animosity towards his queer behavior that he couldn't rein in his
anger. He'd never seen his father in this light before, he was just so
unrelenting in his onslaught of accusations and prejudice, which only served to
provoke Tobias's own fury. Thus, it was too late before he could comprehend how
a fire outbreak was even possible. Of course, there was a candle flame in his
room, but it could hardly be considered a potential fire hazard; as for the
most part, it was still contained. A wildfire was impossible under these
circumstances. All anger and fury quickly drained from Tobias' face to be
replaced with utter fear and panic as he soon realized the red, hot, scorching
flames were slowly but surely eating away at anything and everything in its
path. He desperately tried to carry his father and lover outside to safety, but
both collapsed from smoke inhalation before they could make it beyond the
entrance. And then he remembered his mother was still inside their home which
was presently ablaze.
===============================================================================
Tobias Snape should have realized it sooner, but he didn't. There were several
small signs underlying his peculiarity since early childhood that he was quite
unlike his fellow peers, but he'd always thought very little of them and simply
turned a blind eye to their unusualness. And that was his gravest mistake, for
he'd come to learn it was his sheer abnormality that had set his home ablaze
and killed his only family and lover. He couldn't even give his beloved ones a
proper burial because the flames had eaten away at their flesh and bones. Now
all that remained of them were their ashes mingled together with the ashes of
their family home burned to the ground. He would always wonder how he'd even
survived the fire outbreak when he should have beencharredto the bones along
with his beloved ones, but now he knew it was his very freak nature, which had
shielded him from the scourging flames.
With his beloved ones gone, Tobias no longer had a family or home to return to
at the end of his days. And as the winters passed, his condition only worsened.
He was nineteen years of age now and once again, he felt as lonely as he'd been
as a child growing up in the children's orphanage. He was no longer a child and
so, his only option was to fend for himself. Thus, he'd managed to survive on
scraps of food doing odd jobs here and there whenever he could and for a while,
it'd worked for him. But wherever he went, strange things started occurring
around him and the narrow-minded people of the village he lived in grew to
suspect his peculiarity. He was living in an era when the villagers' hearts
were flooded with great turmoil and desperation and they were eradicating
anyone and anything that they believed brought ill-omen to their lives. Before
the villagers could turn even more of their attention on him, Tobias thought it
best to fled to the outskirts of the village and it was there where he would
encounter a rather peculiar looking old man, who took him under his care and
tutelage for some time.
Tobias learned the old man's name was Merlin. He was said to be a great wizard,
whatever that meant. But he'd witnessed Merlin's strange wizardry firsthand,
for the old man never lifted a finger to do any of the work around the tree hut
he'd build for himself. His nose was forever buried in a book as he mumbled
something or the other to his talking owl…? He'd never seen anything quite of
this scale before, this phenomenal called magic. He would always feel a similar
burst of energy, although small and near insignificant, bubbling from within
himself, but he never knew how to handle it. Thus, he suppressed it for as long
as he could during his early years. And he even grew to loathe its very
existence after it took his loved ones away from him and caused him to flee his
village. As much as he abhorred his freak nature, however, he knew he needed to
learn to control it before it controlled him and caused further ill-omen in his
life.
As the winters had come and gone, Tobias had grown tired of living such an
isolated life. But he didn't want to return to the village he once called home,
as he had nothing there to return to; no family or home. In the forbidden
forest, he'd grown used to living in union with nature and its wildlife. He
quite liked it here, but still, he wasn't happy. Even Merlin had moved on to
greater and better adventures, but not before gifting him with an elixir he,
himself, had concocted. The old wizard said it was a gift for his hard work and
it would lead him to his purpose in life; that he would know when the time came
to enjoy it. He was twenty-eight years of age now and he felt there was no
better day in his life than on this day to enjoy the elixir gifted to him.
However, it never occurred to him that a gift could also be a curse. Thus,
after drinking the elixir, he wouldn't awaken from his curse until after
several centuries have come and gone and the world as he left it was nigh
nonexistent.
===============================================================================
                                   Part III
Eileen Prince was a descendant from the House of Prince, one of the most
politically influential and ancient wizarding houses that survived eradication
throughout centuries of witch-hunts, where both males and females were either
hung or burnt alive at the stake. The House of Prince, although both powerful
and influential, remained a neutral party in the world of wizarding politics
for most generations. The Princes mostly kept to themselves and didn't usually
interact outside of their family circle unless it was necessary. And they even
went as far as to interbreed amongst themselves to keep their pureblood free of
any muggle contaminants.
Thus, it was quite a scandal in the wizarding world when young Eileen Prince, a
bright and promising witch of Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,
eloped with a muggle man, Tobias Snape, after her graduation to the muggle
world. Despite her family protests for her to return home and their threats of
disownment if she didn't, both Tobias and Eileen were secretly wedded. And a
year later, evidence of consummation of their union was presented when little
Severus Snape was delivered into the world. Shortly after the birth of their
infant son, she'd received confirmation of her disownment from the House of
Prince; because not only had she contaminated their immaculate Prince bloodline
by marrying outside of her family, she'd also married and procreated with a
muggle.
Nevertheless, Eileen couldn't be any happier than she was already. She married
the love of her life, Tobias Snape. Although, if she were honest with herself,
she knew it true that her love was unrequited, for the only reason Tobias Snape
ever 'agreed' to marry her was because he truly never had any say in the
matter. He was put under a very compelling love-spell of her own invention,
which caused him to become deeply infatuated with her. After he'd declined her
confession of love and she'd found out the true reason for his rejection, she
bewitched him so that he would love only her. But she would later realize that
the effects of the dark, compelling love-spell she'd used on her husband
wouldn't bind them together forever. And so, for the first six years of their
marriage, they lived in a blissful and peaceful union with their beloved son,
Severus Snape.
===============================================================================
                                    Part IV
At the very tender age of nine, Severus Snape couldn't wait any longer to find
his sanctuary in Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd learned
everything he possibly could through the stories his fragile mother would tell
him regarding her great adventures while attending the renown wizarding school.
Although he was quite young and couldn't fully understand everything she'd
mentioned to him, he'd memorized every word that would leave her thin,
trembling, rosy lips. She was much paler now than he remembered her being four
years ago, which was about the time his father started acting strangely toward
both him and his mother.
Severus just couldn't understand the reason for it at all. But he was much
happier now that he would be away from his father, although, he didn't quite
feel the same towards his mother. He didn't want to leave her behind, but he
didn't want to remain tormented in their home either. And his mother knew of
his conflicting feelings, which was why she'd requested of the headmaster of
Hogwarts a great favor for her only son's safety away from their toxic home.
And so, here little Severus was on the platform of King's Cross Station,
clinging to the pale, thin leg of his frail-looking mother, as he eagerly
awaited the arrival of the Hogwarts Express Train. Besides him, a young fiery-
haired girl two years older than him grasped onto his free hand as she smiled
brightly at him. Her name was Lily Evans, and she was his only friend in the
world.
"Ready Sev?" the fiery-head girl called as she watched the train zoomed into
its tracks. He didn't know how he'd managed to, but he gave her a confident nod
and hugged his mother's leg tightly before racing forward with Lily Evans'
slightly bigger hand in his to the entrance of the train. He felt as if he'd
waited for this moment his entire life. Upon boarding the train together, they
searched for a compartment with enough room for two, but they were running out
of luck fast as all the compartments were filling up with loud, chattering
students, both older and younger alike. Just when they were about to lose hope,
they stumbled upon an empty compartment big enough for them. And so, they
settled there with their luggage, ready to embark on their journey.
Around him, he could hear the excited discussions of his peers about how they
hope to start the new academic year or what clubs, activities, social events
they hoped to be a part of this fall. But both he and Lily were quite content
with simply enjoying whatever peace and quiet they could finesse for themselves
for the time being. Severus retrieved one of his mother's old potions books
from his belongings, spread it opened on his clothed thighs and immersed his
quick mind in the thick volume. All the while, Lily had contented herself with
staring out the window at the beautiful, passing sceneries she'd always
wondered about.
It wasn't long after when the door of their small compartment slide opened and
two young, sheepish-looking lads poked their heads through, asking if it was
okay to join them, as theirs seemed to be the only available compartment.
Immersed in his reading, Severus hardly paid them any mind. But young Lily was
glad for new friends, so she welcomed them both into the soon-to-be crowded
compartment. The two boys sat directly across from them. The brunet with hazel
orbs sat facing Lily, while the raven with smoky-grey orbs situated himself
directly in front of Severus, who was now occupied by reading the marginal
notes written by his mother.
"Hi, I'm Sirius Black," the raven was the first to introduce himself, looking
at both Lily and Severus. "And this is my best mate, James Potter," he threw a
slender arm around the brunet's shoulder for reference with a cheeky grin
plastered on his handsome face. "And you are?" James Potter finished for him,
looking pointedly across from himself at the fiery-haired, emerald-eyed girl.
He noticed the girl was slightly blushing as she tried to look him in the eyes.
"I'm Lily Evans," the slightly taller girl answered and introduced her best
friend as well, "And he's Severus Snape." When the slightly, long-haired raven
still didn't look up from reading his mother's old potion book at the mention
of his name, Sirius Black with an audacity only he could manage, reached
forward and shut the cover of the volume. Well, that had immediately garnered
the other raven's full, undivided attention. Staring nonchalantly into the
heated, glaring obsidian abyss of Severus Snape's dark, dark gaze, Sirius
graced him with the most delinquent smile he could muster, all the while
demanding, "What are you reading?"
"Not that it's any of your business," the younger raven was quick to retaliate,
his thin rosy lips pulling back to sneer at the older raven, "But I was reading
before you so kindly interrupted me." Black seemed slightly taken back for a
moment at the sheer animosity on the smaller boy's face, but it was only a
momentary relapse before he reverted to his sheepish, mischievous nature with
ease. Besides him, James Potter was too busy snickering at his best mate's
childish antics to notice the dark obsidian abyss glaring at him now. At least,
he was until Sirius grasped a handful of his shoulder to divert his attention
to the hostile boy. And when he came face to face with the smaller boy, he felt
a small thrill of cruelty crawled up his spine. And so, with the most charming,
charismatic smile he'd ever fostered, he chose that very instant to properly
reintroduce himself, "Nice to meet you, I'm James Potter." He didn't even wait
for the younger boy's response, whatever it was before he reintroduced his
companion as well, "And he's my best mate, Sirius Black."
Young Severus couldn't have cared any less for these two blundering dunderheads
in front of him and his facial expression relayed exactly how he felt. He
wasn't impressed or even interested in what they had to say. He couldn't be
bothered with their ideas of friendship either. He already had the only friend
he'd ever want, Lily Evans. And so, he chose to ignore them as he was doing
before the idiot Black interrupted him. And hell would freeze over before he
abandoned their compartment since he and Lily were here first.
Seeing as they were blatantly ignored, both James and Sirius turned their
attention to the fiery-haired girl, asking in unison, "What's with him?" Lily
merely giggled at the two of them before stating, "He's just being Sev. He
isn't usually this much of a sourpuss, though." At the mention of his nickname
and at being called a sourpuss by his best friend, he scowled her, not even
looking up from his mother's old book. He was somewhat glad to be left alone,
but somehow, he felt a bit betrayed that his only friend was making new
friends. Nonetheless, he kept to himself as the three of them chattered
animatedly amongst themselves.
"So, Potter…Black." Lily enunciated each of their family names, looking from
the hazel-eyed brunet to the smoky-eyed raven, respectively. She didn't feel
quite comfortable yet addressing them by their first name. Worrying her lower
lip in her nervousness, she asked them, "Will this be your first year at
Hogwarts?" She was surprised when an ecstatic Potter answered her instead of
the more eager, laidback Black, "Yes, it is! And yourself?" Of course, she'd
answered for both herself and her best friend, "So are we, this will be our
first year. Sev has been waiting for this moment all his life." She was a
little bit surprised when they both asked in unison, "Is that so?" Somehow, she
missed the slightly dark gleam in both of their eyes when she nodded her
affirmative; instead, she was more focused on how they could pass off as
brothers, if not a pair of fraternal twins.
"Do you know yet which of the four houses you'd preferred to be sorted into?"
Potter asked the slightly taller girl. Lily nodded eagerly as she responded, "I
don't particularly have a preference, but I'd quite enjoy being sorted into the
same house as Sev." Both boys looked on in concealed interest as the beautiful
fiery-haired, emerald-eyed girl leaned in closer to the smaller raven's side as
if trying to give him protection and comfort. They almost smiled in awe at the
display of affection and was surprised when the younger boy only continued
reading, his attention undivided.
"And do you know which house he would like to be sorted into?" It was Sirius
Black who had posed the question, as they'd both expectantly awaited the girl's
answer. "Yes. Sev would definitely want to be a part of the same house as his
mother, the House of Slytherin." Lily Evans stated matter-of-factly. Of course,
she would know this much about her dear, best friend; or else, what kind of a
best friend would she, herself, be? Both James and Sirius, on the other hand,
openly gaped at the young girl's no-nonsense response. And because Sirius was
the first to recover from the temporary shock, he lunged forward at the
unsuspecting lad across from him, hissing through clenched teeth, "Why would
you want to join the House of Slytherin, they're full of evil, vile snakes and
dark wizards!" He grabbed a fistful of the surprised boy's tattered, second-
hand robe and hauled him up off his feet, proclaiming, "I would know, Snape. I
live with them. That's why I want to be a Gryffindor!"
"I'll have you know, Black, my mother's neither a dark witch nor an evil, vile
snake," Severus snapped, struggling against Black's steady hold of him by his
collars, "And what's so good about being a cowardly lion anyway?" Black looked
down at him shrewdly, but he didn't care. Having finally come out of his
stupor, Potter joined Evans, in trying to separate his best mate from her best
friend. She was busy shouting at Black and pulling on his arms to loosen his
grip and let go of Severus, but he was immovable. The Black heir, however,
reluctantly let go of the younger raven after James chastised him, but not
before shoving Snape back onto his seat and hissing into his ears, "We'll soon
find out who's the coward, won't we?" Thus, for the remaining duration on the
Hogwarts Express, all four of them kept to their corners, with the exception of
Lily trying to comfort Severus as only she could.
***** Chapter 2 *****
"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat bellowed and the young witches and wizards
belonging to the House of Gryffindor cheered at the top of their lungs as they
boisterously welcomed the smoky-eyed raven to their region of the Great Hall.
The deputy headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, removed the Sorting Hat from atop
the curled, disheveled, black strands of hair on Black's head as he casually
jumped off the cushioned pedestal, sauntering off to join his new housemates, a
cheeky grin plastered on his face. Severus had to admit, he was a bit perplexed
by the Sorting Hat's decision to place Black in Gryffindor of all places after
he'd experienced firsthand the raven's violent behavior earlier on the Hogwarts
Express. The hat was barely atop Black's head before it'd declared the raven a
Gryffindor; the talking hat must have gone senile or something; why else would
it have made such a grave mistake? Anyone with a pair of functioning eyes could
see that Black was teetering on the brink of madness. He belonged in Slytherin.
Not to say that everyone belonging to the House of Slytherin were "evil, vile
snakes" as Black had 'kindly' put it. Eileen Snape was a Slytherin; she was
also a good mother to Severus and though she enjoyed learning about the dark
arts, she was no dark witch. Anyway, he was just glad that Black wouldn't be in
the same house as him, assuming the talking hat wouldn't misplace him as it did
with Black. He would demand to be resorted if he was sorted into a house other
than his mother's.
And so, Severus watched with little to no interest as the Sorting Hat ceremony
carried on and Professor McGonagall called out the names of the students
awaiting their turn to be sorted. Other than himself, he was waiting for one
other person's name; Lily Evans. He was especially curious as to where the
fiery-haired girl would be placed and he'd only hope it would be with him,
otherwise, he feared their friendship might come under strain. And he really
didn't want that to happen to them, even if he'd only known Lily for a small
period of his life. They'd met shortly after he'd become seven years of age and
he could honestly say their friendship was the best gift he could've ever hope
for; it was a blessing really. Anyway, he knew he wouldn't have to wait too
long to find out where Lily would be placed, considering they were being sorted
alphabetically and her family name was usually the first of many to be called
upon. His instincts were proven correct as the deputy headmistress removed the
Sorting Hat from atop a young witch's head after her house was announced and
she joined her new housemates.
"Lily Evans," Professor McGonagall called and Lily gave Severus one of her
nervous smiles before she gently squeezed his smaller hand and moved to the
front of the dining hall where the Sorting Hat ceremony was taking place. Upon
reaching there, she greeted the elder witch and sat down on the wooden stool as
the magical hat was placed atop the long vibrant, silky-red locks of hair on
her head. With her eyes pressed tightly, she prayed to be sorted into the same
house as Severus's mother, as she knew that where her best friend wanted to be
placed. However, before she could even spare another thought, the old hat
declared, "GRYFFINDOR!" and Lily's whole body stiffened for a moment as her
heart rate sped up and her mind raced to catch up with her body. With her head
slightly cast down and a small frown on her pretty lips, Lily stood up from the
wooden stool, promptly thanked Professor McGonagall, and walked in the
direction of her fellow Gryffindors who were cheering their warm welcome of
her. Somehow, she felt she'd let Severus down, she couldn't even look him in
the eyes as she passed him on her way to join her new housemates.
Although Severus was feeling a bit betrayed that Lily wasn't sorted into the
house that he, himself, hoped to become a part of, he tried to salvage the
situation. Lily was still his best friend and he was sure that the older girl
would have tried to convince the sorting hat had she had more time before the
hat's swift decision to place her in the House of Gryffindor. As young as he
was, he was most certain of his and Lily's friendship. Even if the fiery-haired
girl couldn't look him in the eyes right now, she was still his best friend.
Severus could only hope that the house rivalry at Hogwarts, which was renowned
among those of the wizarding world, wouldn't cause them to drift too far apart
from each other; he didn't know if he would be able to bear losing Lily's
friendship. Thus, he decided he would do everything in his power to remain by
his best friend's side. And even if their friendship was to come under any kind
of pressure, he would try his best to rectify it before it crumbled.
Recovering a bit from his state of brooding, Severus soon realized he'd zoned
out halfway through the Sorting Hat ceremony thinking of Lily when the deputy
headmistress called out the next student's name, "Peter Pettigrew" and a timid,
round, mousy-looking lad stumbled up to the front of the Great Hall. After
greeting the professor meekly, he sat on the wooden stool as the Sorting Hat
was placed atop the light-brown tendrils of hair on his head. Unlike the
previous young witches and wizards called before him, however, the hat seemed
to struggle in its decision of where exactly to place Peter Pettigrew. After
about five minutes of indecisiveness, Severus thought for sure the hat had
indeed gone senile. After all, this should've been an easy placement, as there
seemed to be nothing courageous about the meek, cowering boy. Severus could
sense that there was something off about this boy. Although he couldn't quite
put a finger on it, there was about the mousy-looking lad that turned on all
the alarms in his body and he'd only hoped that the boy wouldn't be placed in
Slytherin with him. Thus, it was a great relief to Severus when the Sorting Hat
announced a decisive "Gryffindor." However, it would've been an even greater
relief to him if the boy had been sorted into either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw;
far away from his dear Lily.
===============================================================================
"Fancy seeing you here, Evans" Sirius Black murmured to the fiery-haired girl
as she'd come to sit across from him due to limited vacancy at the dining
table, "I'd thought for certain you'd be sorted into Slytherin along with that
vile, little snake of yours." Black was grinning from ear to ear as he
continued to berate her best friend to her face, "What happened? Had a change
of heart or did you finally come to your senses about that vicious cretin you
call friend?" Lily was quick to defend her best friend from any further insults
from the Black heir. And so, with her teeth gritted and a fierce glower in her
vibrant green eyes, she readily snapped at him, "Watch your mouth, Black,
Severus is none of those things! And you would know that too if you took the
time to get to know him instead of constantly antagonizing him every chance you
get." Lily huffed and puffed, her cheeks becoming slightly red with anger as
she continued to scold Black under her breath, "For goodness' sake, it hasn't
even been our first full day yet at Hogwarts and here you are already making
him out to be the enemy." Of course, everything she said to him went in through
one ear and out the other.
"Who would ever want to become friends with that slimy git, no offense to you,
Evans," Black interrupted her angry rant, an incredulous look on his face as he
let his mouth run away with his words before she could continue to bleed his
ears, "Much less, you expect me to take precious time out of my social life to
become personally acquainted with that venomous, little serpent of yours?"
Black paused for a second, a predatory smile tugging at his lips as a malicious
idea came to him, "Actually, that's a rather brilliant idea, Evans, if I do say
so myself. I think I'd like very much to 'get to know' littleSnivellus." Lily
Evans was fuming on the inside at the raven's dark, impetuous nature as she
chided him, "Don't you dare call him that, Black, he has a nam-." But before
she could continue her vehement ranting, a round, mousy-looking lad interrupted
their little skirmish. Both Black and Evans turned their attention to the
newcomer; Black with a dark eyebrow arched perfectly and Lily with her frown
turning slightly upside down. She really needed a distraction from the raven-
haired dunderhead.
"May I sit here?" he asked Lily timidly, looking directly at the empty space
beside her. Although he noticed there was a vacant seat to the raven's right,
it seemed reserved for someone else and the seat to his left was already
occupied by a blond, greenish gray-eyed Gryffindor with a kind, albeit wolfish
smile on his face. And so, he favored the seat beside the fiery-haired girl
because not only was it the closest seat to him but she also seemed the least
intimidating of them. Thus, giving the newcomer a small, uncertain smile, Lily
nodded her assent and scooted over a little to the side to leave ample room in-
between them. The short, round boy took a seat beside her and introduced
himself, "I'm Peter Pettigrew, nice to meet you." He looked shyly from the two
boys to the girl, a nervous smile appearing on his face as he fiddled with his
pale, chubby fingers. Lily was the first to introduce herself to the boy
followed by a nonchalant Black and the blond, who announced himself as "Remus
Lupin." At their introductions, the boy seemed to relax a little since he
wasn't completely ignored by his peers. Discarding their previous conversation
regarding a certain long-haired, charcoal-eyed boy for the time being, both
Black and Evans returned their attention to the Sorting Hat ceremony. And as
soon as they did, the name "James Potter" echoed throughout the Great Hall.
Sirius grinned eagerly, excitedly; he'd been waiting impatiently for Professor
McGonagall to call upon his best mate since he, himself, was sorted into
Gryffindor. And now that James Potter was sitting atop the cushioned pedestal
with the Sorting Hat placed atop the wild, unruly, auburn strands of hair on
his head, he knew for certain that his best mate, too, would be sorted into
Gryffindor.He was a Potter, after all.The suspense, however, was killing him!
What exactly was taking the bloody hat so goddamn long to decide the fate of a
Potter; especially James Potter, who was nothing short of being a valiant,
courageous, wild-spirited daredevil. He was pretty much the epitome of a
Gryffindor. Sirius was growing even more restless as the seconds ticked by and
not a sound left the orifice that was the mad hat's mouth. Nonetheless, he
never doubted for a moment that James would be sorted into any other house than
his own. He just knew they were destined to become Gryffindors together at
Hogwarts!
===============================================================================
'Oh my, it's a Potter,'the Sorting Hat murmured in James' mind, sounding
absolutely delighted, 'Why, it's been over two decades now since I've last laid
upon the head of a young Potter. They're very few in numbers,unlike the
Weasleys.' James chuckled a bit upon hearing the sheer displeasure in the
Sorting Hat's voice at the mention of the Weasleys, who he'd learned multiplied
as if they were a dying breed on the brink of extinction. 'Hhm…now let's see
here, where exactly I shall place you, James Potter,' the hat deliberated and
James was a bit impressed that it knew his name. The hat chortled gleefully at
his naivety as it continued speaking for his ears only, 'It occurs to me that
you are just as brave of heart and courageous as you are clever, loyal, and
intelligent. But you are also quite cunning and ambitious at your age, aren't
you young James Potter? I believe that of the four houses at Hogwarts, the
House of Slytherin would best suit you.'
'N-No, I don't belong there! Put me in Gryffindor! I want to be a Gryffindor
like my father,'James insisted urgently with the Sorting Hat, his eyelids
pressing into themselves tightly and his jaw clenching in
apprehension,'Besides, you have to put me in Gryffindor, otherwise, Sirius will
never let me live this down.' The Sorting Hat snickered at his predicament and
he could literally feel its happy vibrations on his head. When it seemed to
calm down from its excitement, the magical hat proclaimed, 'Ah yes, the Black
heir. He's something else entirely, that one. But there's still hope for him.'
James was a bit perplexed at the Sorting Hat's odd statement, but didn't
overthink it. He wasn't one to overthink every little thing. Instead, he was on
the verge of making a very compelling argument as to why Gryffindor suited him
best when the mad hat interrupted his thoughts, 'Very well, James Potter, I'll
have you know while my intuitions are never wrong and I reckon Slytherin suits
your best interests, I suppose I can make an exception for you.'James felt a
weight lift off his chest at the mad hat's words and waited eagerly for its
declaration.
"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat barked and James Potter heaved a sigh of relief
at its final decision. He had to admit, he was a bit worried there, he really
didn't want to be sorted into any of the other houses, especially the House of
Slytherin. He wanted to be in the same house his father and forefathers had
been a part of before him; or as his father would proclaim proudly, the house
where "dwelled the brave at heart, with their daring, nerve, and chivalry." At
his early age, while James might be recklessly daring and spoiled rotten, he
really did try his best not to disappoint or dishonor his family, who meant the
world to him. Thus, it was his sole desire to follow in his father's footsteps
and become a student of the House of Gryffindor; and now that he was a
Gryffindor, he couldn't wait to write to his parents about his good fortune.
But right now, he needed to go celebrate with his best mate. They were both
officially housemates now and all they had left on their agenda was to join the
Gryffindor Quidditch team!
James immediately leaped off the wooden stool as the deputy headmistress
removed the Sorting Hat from atop his dark, shortened, wildly tousled mop of
hair and eagerly surveilled the masses of Gryffindor students for a particular
smoky-eyed raven. Upon sighting the raven in question, he sauntered over to the
table where the raven sat surrounded by several other students. He instantly
recognized the fiery-haired beauty seated across Sirius from the train earlier
in the day and a wide, ecstatic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he
approached the long, crowded dining table. Barely a foot away, Sirius jumped up
from his position at the table and threw an arm around James' shoulder in
welcome, exclaiming to him, "We made it, mate!" James pulled him in for a
tight, momentary embrace as he, too, professed his excitement. They were both
thrilled for the start of the school term and couldn't wait to play Quidditch
and pull pranks together; after all, they were partners in crime.
Once settled in-between Sirius and a blond-haired boy at the rather crowded
Gryffindor table, James grinned at the fiery-haired girl who he was purposely
sitting across from. He'd taken quite a liking to her since first meeting her
on the Hogwarts Express this morning. However, he couldn't say he felt the same
regarding her dear best friend. He wasn't especially fond of the other's
presence after the prat had not only managed to provoke Sirius but him as well.
He didn't particularly know what it was about the black-haired boy that
unnerved them both, but it seemed all it took to get under their skin was a
simple glare in their general direction and they were itching to goad him into
submission. Not to mention, between Sirius and himself, usually he was the
least likely to become riled up over the smallest of things. But he was
genuinely surprised when he found that Snape could provoke him just as easily.
His blood was boiling just thinking about it. It was barely their first night
at Hogwarts and here they were antagonizing each other already. He just knew
their newfound enmity couldn't bode well for the rest of their school years at
the wizarding school.
However, just because he wasn't on the friendliest of terms with the black-
haired imp didn't necessarily mean he couldn't befriend the lovely Lily Evans
either. And as far as he knew, Snape's and Evans' friendship wasn't on par with
the muggle proverb "can't have one without the other" like his friendship was
with Sirius; but even if it was, it wouldn't be for much longer, not if he had
anything to do with it. From his observation of the fiery-haired girl, he could
tell just by the way her face flushed lightly every time he was within range of
her or by how she couldn't quite look him in the eyes when they together that
perhaps she mightn't despise him as much as he first anticipated. Perhaps,
they'd merely gotten off on the wrong foot and he'd be able to set things right
with her. Thus, it seemed there was still a possibility that he might have a
chance at becoming her friend if he didn't screw things up; especially now that
they were both students of the House of Gryffindor.
And so, with this new growing hope and perception of life, James smiled
brightly at the fiery-haired girl, clearly taking delight in her self-
consciousness. He was eager to have a normal conversation with her without the
younger raven around to interfere. But just before he could open his mouth to
begin speaking to the girl of his interest, he heard the deputy headmistress'
voice echoing "Severus Snape" loudly throughout the Great Hall, successfully
dispersing his train of thoughts and any palpable words following it. Somehow,
he found himself shifting his attentive gaze from the fiery-haired girl sitting
in front of him to the summoned raven slithering to the front of the Dining
Hall where Professor McGonagall stood patiently awaiting him.
James looked on in concealed interest as the shorter raven struggled with
himself to sit atop the cushioned pedestal; he was clearly at a disadvantage
due to his smaller stature compared to the rest of his peers. James also
noticed that the raven appeared much younger in age than the rest of the first
years, but that couldn't be right. As far as he knew, the young witches and
wizards of Hogwarts only ever received their letters of invitation the year
they would become eleven years of age. And so, he figured the little snake had
to be their age despite his diminutive form. Nonetheless, Severus Snape was a
quite sight to behold as the Deputy Headmistress raised her wand-hand and with
a flick of her wrist, he was lifted off his feet and settled onto his arse atop
the wooden stool, the Sorting Hat coming to lay upon his raven head shortly
after.
James heard a snicker come from his right and turned to see his best mate with
a gleeful, sinister look on his face as he failed miserably at hiding his sheer
delight at the other raven's expense. The rest of the student body wasn't any
better off either as most of them laughed and whispered amongst themselves.
However, Lily Evans was another story altogether, as she glared heatedly at the
two boys in front of her; but especially at the Black heir, who dared to
ridicule her best friend to her face, "I'll wager the only place of for a slimy
git like Snape would be with the rest of the snakes in Slytherin, wouldn't you
say James?" Both he and Sirius exchanged a smug, knowing look before he nodded,
conceding with his best mate, "I couldn't agree more."
Neither of them faltered at the withering glare Evans bestowed upon them;
instead, their mischievous gazes only sought the smaller raven at the front of
the Dining Hall, patiently awaiting his life sentence.
===============================================================================
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