#´ ･ . ✶ ━━ EILEEN PRINCE ⧼ she smiled even after death ⧽

[snapeysister]

Vulnera Sanentur

New one-shot consisting of 5 different time episodes about Severus Snape’s signature healing spell. My headcanon is that the spell had been passed down to him by mother Eileen and not having been used before by any other wizard except those from the Prince family. // This and other one-shots can be found on my newly opened AO3 account https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hayalee8 <3

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 "Watcha sayin', mummy?"

His voice sounded feeble, dropping with exhaustion. Just a short while ago, his shrieks of pain and terror had been filling the room; now, however, a soothing dizziness took over, his mother's quiet singing voice lulling him into sleep.

"Be silent, darling, it's almost over. Just a wee bit and I'll be done. Don't move yet."

Gentle fingers continued tracing along his naked back, and he obediently held still, and yet wanted an answer to his question.

"But watcha sayin'?.."

His mother sang a few last tunes, voice trailing off, the words turning almost into a whisper.  Her movements stopped and she rose from his bed which she had been sitting upon for the last minutes.

"Something good, something very good, Sevvie. It's a song which makes your back feel alright again. It's not hurting anymore, is it?"

"Nah, it isn't, mummy."

"I'm happy, darling. Now let's make sure you're going to sleep well, shall we?"

He wanted to protest, as he always did, he never wanted to sleep, he hated being left alone and the nightmares only increased the fear; but his lids did not obey him anymore.

"I see you won't need a calming draught this time", he heard his mother chuckle quietly, "good night then."

He felt being tucked in and a light kiss on his forehead, yet was too tired to even smile back as he usually did, as his mind traveled off into the land of dreams.

***

"Please, please come! She's going to die, you have to heal her!

"I can't."

"Please, she will die!! You know how to do it, you always know!"

"I said I can't, Severus."

"But why!? Just come and sing that song, you've just been doing it on my arm when father hit me yesterday, why can't you now?!"

"Just let it go."

"No!! I won't! If you don't want to, I'll do it myself! Tell me the spell!"

"It won't work."

"Because I don't know how to, but you do, mum! Help me save her!!"

"Be quiet, Severus."

"I won't! That's evil! She doesn't deserve to die!"

"I said be quiet!"

"You are just as evil as him!"

"Shut up, will you!? Is it my fault that your retarded father had to kill this sodding cat?! The spell doesn't work on animals! Besides, he cut her throat; she must have bled to death already."

"I don't believe you!!"

"Leave me alone, now!!"

***

Severus riffled through the drawers in desperate urgency. Nothing. The bookshelf didn't have anything to offer either. The floor was littered with papers and pencils and books and whatever else he had thrown around in his frantic search. He hadn't still mastered the spell well enough to be able to follow the exact sequence of melody and words, but his notes could help him out, they most definitely would, he had no doubt in his abilities, he just needed to find those notes. The ones he had scribbled down after having listened carefully to his mother performing it on his body, following yet another broken bottle having been thrown in his direction, slicing up his skin. He didn't want to ask his mother as she would inquire  in turn what he would need it for, or even worse, for whom... Severus had no intention whatsoever to elaborate on who he had been sharing his magic with the past weeks. Never were they to know who he was meeting with during those lazy afternoons filled with absolutely nothing but him sitting behind the bushes, staring at the road behind them and waiting for the tiny figure with the long, wavy red hair to approach the playground and whistle three times. Then he could leave his hiding place and allow himself to smile and be him, actually enjoying his existence, for the next few hours, until the darkness fell and they both had to leave, each one to what they were able to call home.

Severus threw himself on the bed. The notebook was nowhere to be found. And yet he had promised it to her. That he would help her get rid of the ugly red scar on her leg, the result of the recent tryouts of their magical abilities. How he hated himself for that stupid idea of his. What was he thinking, attempting to cut that bloody orange with her sitting right next to it? To be honest, neither of them had deemed it possible to actually make something happen just by staring at it and doing imaginary cutting movements with the fruit knife. When she had tried it, nothing at all happened, whereas him... Of course it was Lily who had kept her nerves and swallowed the pain and the tears and promised she wouldn't tell anyone how the knife ended up slashing her leg instead of the orange.  And that she didn't believe he did it on purpose, like when the branch had fallen on Petunia back then, before she got to know who he really was. Severus, devastated as he was about his lack of damage control, and astonished by her bravery, gave his most sincere and heartfelt promise to find a way to make it disappear. So Lily could attend her first day at Hogwarts without this disgraceful injury, the screaming proof of him having failed her in both his abilities and their rightful application.

Their first day was due tomorrow. Lily was waiting at the playground for him to arrive and fulfill his promise before the sun would set and she had to go home and prepare for her big day. And here he was, in his bloody room, all his efforts in vain, the notebook gone and so the healing spell.

Severus sighed deeply.  Never before had he dared taking anything of his mother's, neither ingredients which she kept  in a box in the storage room, nor vials or lotions she used to store in an empty cupboard in the attic. But drastic times called for drastic measures. He had to make up for the spell somehow, and if he remembered correctly, dittany was another way of healing scars. Luckily for him, his mother was at work. Severus quickly climbed the ladder to the attic. He had no time to lose. Thankfully enough his mother knew how to keep things in order. Every vial and bottle were meticulously labeled. He grabbed the bottle with "Dittany" written on it and stormed down the ladder and out of the house. He would take care of the chaos in his room later and if his father arrived before him to see it and punish him for this, so be it. Perhaps he'd get another chance then to listen to his mother singing the spell and would write it into another notebook. Right now, Lily was what mattered most.

***

"He must have it written somewhere!"

"We've searched through all of his stuff so far, there is nothing here!"

"Who told you he really knows how to do it?! Perhaps it's just a rumour!"

"A rumour? Are you daft?! I saw him perform it with my own eyes, on Evans! They were practicing with their brooms and she flew into the Whomping Willow by accident and had her face and arms cut badly. Snape rushed to her and began moving his wand up and down the cuts and do some singing, so by the time the patrol arrived the cuts had disappeared and she was walking on her feet with him leading her up to the castle."

"You are the daft one, Prongs; isn't it clear then that he must know it by heart??"

"It still has to be written somewhere. He could've hardly made it up on his own, could he?"

"Yeah, rather not; it's Dark magic the git is into, not healing spells. He must have found it in the library and written it down."

"What for then?"

"To impress Evans? He fancies her no less than you, Prongs, and that's the sort of thing she'd appreciate, mind you, so he can cover up for all his Dark stuff."

"Oh shut up and search, Padfood, the class will be over soon and we've got to get out of here before everyone comes back!"

"What if we don't find anything?"

"We cannot let anyone know it was Moony who scratched the boy. If there won't be another option, we'll drag him personally to the hospital wing to make the cut disappear."

***

This was not the enemy he had invented it for. This was not the spell he would have expected to make its way into the halls of Hogwarts, of all places. And even though it was by far not the first time he had to resort to Vulnera Sanentur to heal cursed injuries of students or colleagues or Death Eaters, he would have never thought it to be possible that he had to use it to undo the damage caused by his very own curse, casted by Lily's son, of all people.

Of course he believed Potter. He could have never known what force the curse carried. If Potter knew, he certainly wouldn't have applied it. As much as Severus felt repulsed by the boy, he knew that Potter was as far from Dark magic as the Dark Lord from valuing mercifulness, or love. He contemplated if a simple detention had been enough an appropriate punishment to bestow upon Potter. If he should have made him to return the book, which Potter undoubtedly had laid his hands upon, regardless of the lies the boy had told him. His apparent leniency for the infliction of such a powerful curse by a student on another was obvious, and it worried Severus. Sectumsempra  had by far not been the only dangerous spell he had written down in his book. On the other hand, he reasoned, as easily impressible as Potter was, the messy result he had created would probably serve as a deterrent, powerful enough to keep him from attempting another tryout with any of Severus's spells. At least not without the knowledge of their counter-curses, first and foremost Vulnera Sanentur, which Potter had not the slightest possibility of mastering.  

Vulnera Sanentur. Such tremendous power in only two words, reversing unforgivable, unfathomable harm, healing what would've never been expected to heal. A song of life, the melody of which he had inherited from his mother to be able to put a stopper in pain and destruction and death. This time it had saved the soul of his godson and his former enemy's son alike, the one from being killed, the other from becoming a murderer.

Where would he meet it again, waiting for him to be evoked to secure the survival of another miserable being? How would that fateful crossroads look like, where would the paths it offered lead to? There was one thing he knew with dreadful certainty - it would not be destined to save the Headmaster's life. And the more he thought about it, the more he felt his other conclusion to be affirmed - neither would it save his.

Severus sighed, feeling a wave of exhaustion overpowering his senses. Before he closed his eyes to gain a few hours of sleep which were left for him until the break of dawn, a peculiar thought crossed his mind, perhaps for the first time in his life: If his mother had mastered the healing spell for a human body and taught it to him, wouldn't it have been assumable she had  knowledge of a spell to relieve the pain of a human mind as well?  And if she had, would there have been a reason not pass it down to him? If only...

His mind drifted off, and so did the thought.

#severus snape #vulnera sanentur #one-shot #finally writing #fanfiction #young snape #marauders #eileen prince

[asheshq]

STATISTICS.

name: eileen prince  birth date (age): 10 august (23)  faceclaim: lizeth selene gender identity (pronouns): cisfemale (she / her)  blood status: pureblood  occupation: part-time shop assistant at miss evelyn’s vestments, a muggle shop; part-time paralegal

AESTHETICS & MOTIVATIONS.

standing at the edge of the sea cliffs, salt spray in your hair. there’s a whole lot of world out there. you’ve seen a little of it, between custody shuffles from dublin to derry and an exchange trip the summer of fifth year, but you’d like to see a whole lot more. you could be a nameless junior reporter in new york, you could be a secretary sneaking across berlin, you could be a stock broker in tokyo. you could be anything. instead, you’re here.

BIO.

the prince family was mediocre at best — they had had money in the beginning of wizarding britain, were there for the start of it. but now their funds were quickly dwindling down, making it hard to live up to the reputation they had once held. the matriarch had taken to selling some of the family jewels and the name was at risk of being extinct what with the only child being a daughter.

growing up, the luxuries were smaller than the rest of society realised — less presents by the years, new vestments only on special occasions, rejected invites to social functions... all of her hogwarts material was new, but no spending money was sent for hogsmeade trips. still, eileen smiled and posed gracefully, trying to emote opulence because there was enough gossip with her mother exiled to dublin. summers were spent with her while the rest of the year was reserved for her father — once she started hogwarts, however, things became more complicated. being shuffled around was not fun.

perhaps it was then that her rebellious streak started — with the increasing fights because of her. eileen’s contact with muggle world started with gossip and information passed through by another, but soon she was escaping into muggle towns to interact directly, eager to know more about a whole world that was denied to her for so long.

once out of hogwarts, she interned at a law firm as part of a “law office study program” under the mentorship of a senior lawyer and got her law degree. it was then that she became better acquainted with the image of tom riddle, even if he seemed quite uninterested in her. she had known some from renault, but had tried to keep away as best as she could. now, she would hang around older wizards who, after a few pints, would open their mouths and tell her all about the mysterious riddle fellow. as always, eileen’s ears open for information.

still, she hesitated on getting involved, greedy for safety and stability after years of knowing neither. this hesitance seeped into every area of her life and so the young woman stays in england for its familiarity, even against her wishes to flee. eileen keeps in contact with the muggle world, dreaming of being just someone else — someone common, without her last name and the history that come with it. she doesn’t want for someone to start a war on them, but she is also too scared to move to their defence..

CONNECTIONS.

renault lestrange (death eater). oh, fuck him. you stood by renault through the trials, drank firewhiskey all night in his parents’ basement while you waited to hear who they’d rounded up this time, cleaned up his mess when his boss asked where he was. this is how he repays you? you hope he and tom rot in hell together.

ambrosius flume. you don’t know if am strictly meant to do it, but the things he taught you about the muggle world did you a lot of good. it’s good to slip in and out of it, to make a bank account that isn’t subject to the gringotts gossip. to do an odd job while no one watches too closely,

dahlia prewett. that’s the one good thing tom ever did, introduced you two so that you could haul doll to a healer when he hexed her. or maybe it wasn’t. it sounds bad to say, but maybe she’d finally have some peace if he’d actually managed to ruin her face. or got rid of fawley.

octavia xeep. for two people who seem so similar, octavia and dahlia couldn’t be more different, and eileen could tell you without hesitation which of the pair she prefers. maybe if octavia cared about more than just having a good time she would know how to be a better friend, but doll doesn’t need tavi; she’s got you.

podrick batworthy xxiii. your mum made you promise you’d keep an eye out for batty when he started school. maybe she didn’t mean for you to still be keeping that promise now, years after he finished, but hey. a promise is a promise.

EILEEN PRINCE IS PLAYED BY RACHEL.

#new rp #hp rp #skeleton rp #harry potter rpg #hprpg #ashesskeleton #ashesskeletonclosed #rachel

[reinedangoisse]

Layla

@snapeloveposts

Prompt: 7. Snape leaves the Death Eaters for a reason other than saving the Potters, but hides this fact from Dumbledore.

Word Count: 2,283

Warnings: Murder

Cold was the night, the wind howling harshly, but it was not what had woken Severus up that night. A harsh knock came from downstairs, and it seemed that it would not stop. The tired man groaned, throwing the duvet off of his chilled body and walking barefoot down the stairs of his lonely home.

By the time he had reached the last step, the knocking had stopped. the twenty year old was ready to climbed the steps again, mumbling something about “annoying children and their stupid pranks” when he heard something.

‘It can’t be’, he thought to himself as he reached the door, but it was.

Severus looked around, hoping that they were still around, for lying on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, was a baby. Severus cursed when he saw no one around , picking up the sleeping child and bringing it inside, away from the cold.

The sleeping baby laid at the center of the bed, still sleeping and hopefully warm, Severus had cast a warming charm on them. He was sat on an armchair he can transfigured from a rickety old wooden chair, holding a crumpled note in his hand.

The baby was his, the elegant cursive words had said. From a woman he did not remember, but he knew he had met. How had she found his home? He had no idea.

I leave to you, our daughter. Give to her what I cannot. I beg for you to please care for her. I am sorry.

What was he to do now? He knew nothing about being a parent, he was not prepared for this. He has lived alone since he left Hogwarts, only staying a few days with his parents, then packing up and leaving. His home was old and terribly flawed. The wooden floors creaked, the ceiling did little to protect him when it rained, the kitchen was no better. Not to mention the bathroom had its own issues, horrid plumbing and lack of hot water. This, this was no place to raise a child. Screw the note! Maybe he could take the baby to an orphanage, or find a couple-

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard soft gurgling noises from the child. He tentatively walked to the bed, hoping she was still asleep. Her eyes were wide open, looking around in curiosity, then stopping when they met his own. He knew right away he could not get rid of her, he just could not.

She gave her father a dimpled smile, making cooing noises at him. Severus hesitantly picked up the smiling babe, sitting on the bed and resting his back against the propped pillows. She continued to stare at the man holding her, a chubby hand coming out from under the loosed blanket she was wrapped in and resting it against his face.

Severus squinted his eye when her little finger poked his eye, he hissed softly but did not shove her hand away.

“What am I going to do with you?” He whispered softly, “I can barely take care of myself, how will I take care of you?”

She cooed up at him, then let out the cutest laugh Severus has ever heard.

Yes, he was definitely not going to give her up, how will he care for her? He did not know, but he knew someone who might.

Eileen Prince never thought she would ever see her son again, to say she was shocked at seeing Severus was an understatement. He was holding a little someone in his arms, wrapped in a blanket and he looked at her with a nervous smile.

“Oh, Severus.” She tutted

“Hi ma.” He mumbled quietly, the little one was sleeping, and would wake up soon, hungry. The woman forgot to give him any kind of baby supplies (food, clothes, diapers), but a few cleaning charms helped.

“And who is this?” She asked him, closing the door after he had walked in. The sleeping tot had shifted in her father’s arms, but remained asleep.

“She left ‘er on my doorstep, ma.” Severus replied, probably not the best way to tell your mother this is her granddaughter you are olding, but he had no other approach.

“She?”

“Just knocked and left.” He then tried to balance the sleeping infant on one arm, reaching into his pocket with the other for the note. Eileen took it.

“Are you sure she’s yours?” She asked after reading, Irresponsible children!

“I sure hope she is.” Severus replied immediately, looking down at the child.

Eileen looked up in shock, not really expecting those words. Her face softening when seeing how her son looked at the little baby. “Only one night with her and she’s already got you wrapped around her little finger, does she?”

The young parent let out a soft laugh, going to answer, when the thudding of footsteps came from the other room.

“‘Leen, ‘ave you seen-” Tobias Stopped dead in his tracks, his face turning dark, “What ‘re yer doin’ ‘ere boy?”

“Da! I just-”

“Leave us in the night without a word. ‘Nd now yer think we’ll welcome yer back with open arms?” Tobias yelled

Before he could answer his father, the loud cries of despair ring from the tiny bundle in his arms. “Yer woke ‘er up da!”

Tobias, just now noticing the baby in his son’s arms, takes a small step back. “What ‘ave ye done boy?”

“She’s mine ‘kay! I-I just-”

“Just wanted to drop ‘er ‘ere, escape yer responsibilities-”

“That is not it da!” Severus declared, rocking his daughter gently back and forth. “Please da, I jus-” Severus let out a strangled cry, startling his daughter and almost dropping her in the process.

“Severus!”

Panic started to course through Severus’ entire body. This was the first time he has ever summoned them during the early hours of the day. Mostly he calls them at the dark of night

He shoves his daughter into the arms of his father

“I- I’m sorry!” he shrieked, running out the back door

“Where are you going! Eileen yelled over the loud cries of her granddaughter

“I’ll be back!” And with that, he disappeared.

“That irresponsible son of a-!”

“ Enough Tobias! You’re scaring her!” she walked back into the kitchen, leaving Tobias with the crying baby

“‘leen! Wait! What der I do with ‘er?!”

Severus had never wished to go home more than he did now. Not to mention he really wanted to hold his daughter, after today’s events, he really needed reassurance that his little flower was okay.

He knew the dark lord was vile, he knew the man had no heart, but he hoped he would have a little mercy for his victims.

Severus did not even know how  he got to the front door of his parents home, all he knew was that his daughter was inside and probably so were a pair of angry parents. He quietly opened the door, the living room was dark and vacant, but light shined from the the kitchen. As he approached, he could hear the loud giggling of his daughter and the soft cooing noises of his father.

A small spark of jealousy went through Sev, as far as he could remember, his father had never blown raspberries or even looked in his direction as a child. Now his daughter was getting all the attention he ever yearned from his father. The jealousy quickly vanished, it was better that he treated her so sweetly and played with her instead of hating her and neglect any kind of affection.

He stood at the entrance, not announcing yet his presence. Tobias Snape sat on a stool, with the baby on his lap. They stared at each other, the grandfather making silly faces and noises while the little granddaughter laughed at him. Silly grandfather!

Eileen stood at the sink, probably cleaning dinner’s dishes. Severus could hear her humming softly, something she only did when she was in high spirits

He cleared his throat, finally.

Severus had zoned out whatever his father had started to yell at him and took his daughter when the man placed her in his arms. “Hi love, didja miss me?”

The warmest and happiest laugh was sent in his direction, along with the brightest eyes.

“Where have you been? You left her here the entire day!”

“It’s a long story Ma.”

“We still have the entire night,” Eileen sat down on the stool Tobias had been on, “tell me.”

Even after Severus had confessed, even after showing her the mark on his arm, she could not believe. She refused to believe.

“Out of all the idiotic things you have done, this is the worst!”

“I know.”

“You joined the same man who started his entire war! You joined a group of psychopaths who kill innocent families!”

“I know.”

“Well apparently you don’t, Severus!” she shook her head, rubbing her temples in annoyance, “We did everything! We did our best, to give everything to you! To make sure you had food in your stomach! A roof over your head! A bed to sleep in! The clothes on your back! Whether it was the best or not, we gave you what we could!

“I gave you what I could. My knowledge. My support. My proteccion.My love.” She sobbed into her hands, “I know we could have done better, we could have tried harder. But we did our best to make sure you had what you needed. And this is how you repay us?” Her eyes, red and cold stared directly at his, “By throwing away your life, being that man’s slave. A criminal?

“You have a daughter now Severus, if you really want to keep her, if you really want to have her in your life, and you in hers, then tell me. Is this really the life she deserves?”

No, no it isn’t

“No.”

“Then what are you going to do now Severus?”

This could work. He could use this! God thank his lucky stars! And thank his Dark Lord for this!

He patted down the dirt from his robes and set course for home.

Eileen and Tobias babysat again. Severus had never seen the ‘kind’ side of his father, so it was odd to see the man once again make cooing noises at his granddaughter while tickling her tummy.

“What will you be naming her?” Eileen continued to clean the kitchen, her son sat at the table with his daughter sleeping in his arms

“I haven’t got a clue.”

“That’s a really long name don’t you think?” Eileen snorted, “What would be her nickname?”

He let out a soft laugh and looked down at the sleeping baby

“Layla” he answered

“Interesting name, can I ask why though?”

“They left her to me during the night. It fits.”

“Ah, very pretty name for a very pretty girl” Eileen smiled

“Layla.” Severus singsonged. Immediately the baby’s attention switched from her grandpa to her father. She kicked her legs excitedly and made motions towards Severus. “Did you miss me?” he cooed, taking the baby from his father

She made little baby noises, slapping at his face

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Incredible, Severus would of never believed it if someone had told him a week ago that he would be completely wrapped around the tiny finger of a baby. His daughter. Severus would of hexed them to the next universe and hope they’d die for even suggesting he was weak.

But it was the truth. He was so completely wrapped around her tiny finger. He would move mountains and rivers for his little Layla. He would do anything for her. Even leave Voldemort and everyone else behind, just so she would be safe.

Instantly, the image of a few days ago returned.

The family had screamed in pain. Screamed until their hearts stopped beating. But it wasn’t over, no. He had saved the barely two month old baby for last. Crucio’d the poor child before feeding the still alive baby to Nagini.

However, this was not the first time he has experienced an infant being killed at the hands of the Dark Lord. There had been so many more. It just proved, the man had no heart, no mercy, even for the youngest of his victims.

He had not realized he was shaking, nor he felt the tears drip down his face until his father placed a hand onto his shoulder.

“Alright there lad?”

Severus turned around, making eye contact with his father and seeing the worry in his eyes.

“Yes da, remembered somethin’.”

“Yer sure? Yer practically holding onto ‘er for ‘ear life.”

He looked back down at Layla, who had sensed the sudden change in her father’s mood and stared with wide, curious eyes.

“Yeah we’ll be okay da.”

“So what will you do Severus?” Eileen leaned against the door frame, looking after her son and granddaughter as the walked away.”

“Do ‘bout what ma?”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused, “Ya know what I’m talkin’ ‘bout.”

“He asked me to take part in a interview Dumbledore was havin’ down in Hog’s Head. Something one of the others mentioned durin’ a meeting. I heard somethin’ between ‘im ‘nd a woman.” Layla was sleeping soundly in his arms, “I can’t tell ‘im ‘bout ‘er, but if I use this against ‘im, he could help me keep ‘er safe.”

“How will he do that if he won’t know about Layla?”

“Yer married a Muggle ma. Sooner or lat’r he will go after you and da. ‘Nd I want yer two in Layla’s life.”

“So you will tell ‘im yer want us protected?”

“Yes, somethin’ like that.”

#snapeloveposts #severus snape #eileen prince #tobias snape #THIS IS TERRIBLE #AND TERRIBLY LATE #By one month #THE SHAME #THE EMBARRASSMENT #UGH #AND IT IS TERRIBLR WRITING TOO #I AM SO SORRY #Now I must go hide in a hole for 10000 years #Byeeeee

[spaz8550]

Stay

Ch 16

"Do you want to help me make dinner?" Sinead asked with a grin.

"Sure." Bill came out of his room and glanced at Sinead and Severus.

"Bye." He said hurrying out the door before they could reply. Severus helped Sinead make a stir-fry chicken.

After dinner Sinead and Severus returned to their spots on the couch and continued to look through books. Severus seemed to be full engaged in the task but Sinead's mind was wondering, she had so many questions to ask so much she wanted to know.

"What are you thinking about?" Severus asked noticing Sinead staring at the wall.

"I-nothing." She said quickly knowing it was going to take some time before Severus felt comfortable enough to share with her information about himself. "You were thinking about something because your expression kept changing." He said glancing up from the book.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable with questions." Severus sat a bit straighter and paused before answering.

"I can answer a few questions about myself. You've been telling me all about your family." Sinead half smiled.

"I just don't want-"

"You said that already. Go ahead and ask your questions." He said a bit un-patiently but stopped. "My parents names were Eileen Prince, she was a witch, and Tobias Snape, he was a muggle. I grew up in Spinner's End and I still own the family house there. The neighborhood is all muggles, my father hated magic and my childhood wasn't happy. You love your family and are close to them, neither of my parents showed me much affection and I can't say that I really loved them." Severus paused and finally met Sinead's eyes. Her smile had faded and she had a sad look on her face. "Don't feel sorry for me. I don't like to talk about my past because I always get the same expression." Sinead moved closer to Severus on the couch and she felt him tense.

"Severus, as much as I want to know about your past the present is more important." Sinead took Severus's hand in her lap and smiled. "You don't have to say anymore if you don't want to." Severus nodded as Sinead continued to hold his hand giving it a light squeeze. "We can take a break from the books, that is if you want to." Severus nodded as Sinead used a spell to summon a photo album. "This is from when I began my apprenticeship with Nathaniel." She said using a spell to keep it suspended between the two of them the pages turning slowly.

"So that is Nathaniel." Severus asked seeing an older man with a long white beard.

"Yes."

"Albus mentioned he attended Hogwarts for school than traveled around Europe before settling in America."

"Yes, he taught at Durmstrang Institute for a few years but didn't agree with their selection of students. The man with the brown hair is Trent."

"The one who is coming here with his wife?"

"Yes."

"Who is the red haired woman?" Severus asked as the pictures showed Sinead getting a certificate.

"That's Maggie, one of my best friends."

"You two look like sisters." Severus said with a small smile on his lips. It was true both women had red hair and pale complexion. They may look alike but their personality was completely different.

"She is an astronomy expert took after her grandmother, Artemisia Westfield, she just retired as Astronomy Professor at the Salem Witches Institute."

"She has written a few articles on astronomy that were featured in the Daily Prophet."

"Artemisia raised Maggie, Maggie's mom took off with a boyfriend when Maggie was 3. She came back a few years later to drop off another daughter and left for Las Vegas. Maggie and her sister, Megan, haven't seen their mother in years."

"This is your friend who has the child?"

"Yes, Maggie is Caleb's mom." Sinead summoned a picture from the mantel and looked at it with a grin. "This is a picture of Caleb and I with Mickey Mouse in Disney World." Severus looked at the picture as Sinead continued. "Caleb loved it there. I was five the first time my parents took me and I thought he would have a good time. The little guy didn't want to leave. Caleb's dad is not around, he started beating on Maggie while she was pregnant. I miss having Caleb around."

"He is lucky to have you." Severus said as Sinead used a spell to put the picture back then the photo album. "I mentioned to you before that I was friends with Harry's mom, Lily. I want to tell you a little more." 

Sinead gave him a reassuring smile and let him continue.

"Lily and I met a few years before we both started at Hogwarts. Her family lived not far from Spinners End in a much nicer area. Lily showed signs of being a witch right away and I was happy to have someone around who was like me. Her horrid sister, Petunia, gave her a difficult time but Lily was so kind. She didn't care my family was poor and she wasn't scared that I had learned all of the hexes from my mother's old books. I told her all about Hogwarts and we spent a great deal of time together. Her parents were also nice, they had me over for dinner often. Petunia started to come around asking about magic and if people could ask to attend Hogwarts. On her 11th birthday Lily got her Hogwarts letter, I had gotten mine earlier the same month. When we got there she was sorted into Gryffindor and I was sorted into Slytherin. Right away James Potter had made friends with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Petter Pettigrew. Lily and I continued to be friends even when James and Sirius tormented me. James's attention was focused on Lily but things changed during our fifth year. During one fight Lily stood up for me and I was embarrassed so I lashed out and called her a mudblood. From that day on Lily never spoke to me again. James ended up winning her over and within weeks of graduating they were married. I had already been drawn to the dark arts since before starting at Hogwarts. During my years I met many of the Death Eaters. Most of them assumed I was pure blood since I was in Slytherin. Since I lost Lily I figured the best choice was to join the Death Eaters. I didn't see eye to eye with Voldemort but I was so angry. When I knew that he was going to kill the Potters I changed sides." Severus became silent and Sinead turned to face him.

"You did what you thought was right. You tried to save them."

"But they died anyway." Severus was quiet as Sinead tucked her legs under her and faced him.

"I think you’re a good man, your risking your life everyday to defeat Voldemort." Sinead said softly and Severus was about to reply when she leaned forward and kissed him. 

The kisses became more urgent and Sinead swung one of her legs over so she was sitting on Severus's lap. He seemed to get tense and Sinead moved back breathlessly. 

"Sorry, I-" She started to move when he pulled her back to him. Sinead and Severus remained in a heated make-up session for sometime until Sinead's legs started to fall asleep. Sinead finally moved off Severus's lap with a small smile.

"Sinead, I-I've never really done this before...the whole relationship thing." Sinead bit her lip and nodded.

"I shouldn't have rushed you-"

"No, that was amazing." He said his cheeks flushed.

"Good, it was amazing for me too." Sinead said grinning.

#spazie85 #stay #severus snape x ofc #severus x ofc #severus snape fan fiction #severus fiction #severus snape #harry potter fan fiction

[morsmordrehasbeensaved]

♔ MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE LIVE SOLELY TO TELL OUR STORY ♔

✤  Severus Snape. ✤  Slytherin / Seventh Year. ✤  Halfblood. ✤  Death Eaters. ✤  Taken character.

You never liked your father, hated being forced to wear his name. What you hated even more was your mother’s undying love for him, always allowing him to come back no matter what he had done. It made you think all Muggles were disgusting, like him. The only thing that colored up your life was moments spent with her. When you both went to school started out as the happiest day of your life, only to end as the worst. While you thrived at school, you and her were growing apart. It made you bitter and unkind. You lost the one light in your life, and fell into the darkness head-first.

BIOGRAPHY.

There was power in a name, just look at Lord Voldemort. Like the Dark Lord, Severus Snape had always hated his name. It was nothing, meant nothing. If there was power in a name, then Severus had none. He was born to Tobias and Eileen Snape on a viciously cold day in January and was unable to remember a time in his childhood where he truly ever felt happy. His mother was a pureblooded witch, hailing from the Prince family. Oh, how Severus longed to have her old last name. Now, that… that was a name that held command. It was the mark of an old, pureblooded family. It demanded respect, held authority. Severus longed for both of those things. His father, on the other hand, was a muggle– and an angry one at that. There was no power in his name. He couldn’t even do magic! Severus didn’t quite understand why his father was so irate all of the time, but it was a fact that he had to live with.

Severus didn’t like to compare himself to his father, but one day he would look back and realize that they had more in common than he had thought. Tobias, like Severus, also craved power, only he didn’t have the means to get it and this made him bitter. Tobias had loved having a witch for a wife, but as he grew up and was burdened with the responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood, he began to resent her, jealous of the freedoms she had to make life easier. The only way Tobias was able to feel in control was when he was tormenting his family. One of Severus’ earliest memories was seeing his father standing over his mother’s fallen form in the corridor of their shabby, two bedroom home. Tobias had asked Eileen to purchase milk before he was home from work and she had forgotten. Tobias considered it his husbandly duty to correct her mistake. Eileen tried to do better for him, she really did, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Eileen finally realized this when Severus was approaching his fifth birthday, and from then, his mother had checked out for the most part. Eileen kept her head down, taking Tobias’s insults and fists in silence. Severus remembered her leaving once when he six, and then once again when he was eight, but she always came back. She took to alcohol to get through her life. Most of his later memories of his mother involved her being drunk. Tobias, to his credit, did not have alcoholism on his list of vices, but he did have gambling. Tobias already worked a job that didn’t pay much, and since he demanded that Eileen stay home, it was suffice to say that the Snape family was very poor.

It was because of his upbringing, that Severus grew to despise muggles the way that he did. His father was the one he knew best, and he was a terrible example. Severus found them weak and embittered because of that. Muggles had no means to achieve true power. They might not know that consciously, but somewhere deep inside, muggles knew that they weren’t powerful and this is why they were so awful. Everywhere he went in the muggle world, he encountered a high volume of unpleasant people. They judged him for his too shabby clothes, his hair that he wasn’t able to wash because Tobias had not paid the bill, and for the disheveled appearance of his constantly drunk mother. They made him feel small, and he hated feeling small.

One day, when he was nine years old, Severus met a girl that made him feel larger than life. He’d stumbled upon her one day, at a park near his house. She was with another girl and they seemed to be sisters. Severus didn’t spare her a glance upon first notice, thinking that she was a muggle. He went out of his way to avoid talking to muggles, he wasn’t about to make an exception, and he went back home. A few days later, Severus spotted the two girls again, only this time, she was doing something quite peculiar. Upon further inspection, he realized that it was magic! He would always remember that moment; the way his heart rate picked up and how his eyes widened. He’d never met another witch his own age. His father didn’t allow Eileen or Severus to be too involved in the magical world outside of their home. It was an out of body experience, almost, the way his legs brought him forward, away from the safety of the bush he had previously been hiding behind. It was the greatest decision he had ever made.

Lily Evans – he learned her name that day – quickly became Severus’ best, and only, friend. Her insufferable muggle sister, Petunia, was the bane of his existence back in those days, but he put up with her annoying muggle ways for Lily’s sake. At least, he tried to. There was that one time she was harping at him for explaining the ways of the wizard world to Lily, and he’d accidentally broken a tree branch over her head. It was an accident, truly, but he hadn’t been a bit sorry for it. Petunia Evans was a jealous, angry little girl. And that was coming from him. The moment he shared with Lily before they ever went to school are some of Severus’s most fond memories. It was, perhaps, the only time he felt at peace with himself. Lily Evans was his balm, to all of life’s wounds.

Each day of his life continued to flip away, like the pages of a book, until it was finally time to go to Hogwarts. Most of his school supplies were the same ones his mother had used when she herself was a child, but Severus was too excited to care. He would finally be going to school! He’d finally be away from his parents and the horrors of his home life. He would finally be at school, with Lily. Oh, he just couldn’t wait to be there with her. She didn’t know anybody there, except for him. He wouldn’t admit it if anyone asked, but he was happy about that. When he and Lily boarded the train, she was in a bad mood from a fight with her sister, and he desperately hoped he could find a way to make her smile again. After minutes of searching, they managed to find a compartment with two boys inside. Severus had preferred to sit alone, but it seemed that this was the best they could do. He’d begun to tell Lily all about Slytherin, clearly the greatest house of Hogwarts, and that was when he met James Potter. It only took one conversation for Severus to know that he didn’t, and would never, like this boy.

Later that night, when he was lying under the sheets of his new bed in the first year Slytherin boy’s dorm, Severus did not think about how happy he was to be there. He didn’t think of how nice his new bed felt compared to his old ones and he didn’t think about how peaceful it was to sleep without his father’s yelling making it hard. All he could think about, over and over on replay, was the sorting hall exclaiming “GRYFFINDOR” as soon as it was placed upon Lily Evans’ head. How could this be? Lily was no Gryffindor, she was better than that! She was Slytherin material, certainly. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. Thankfully, he and Lily stayed close friends. Even more importantly, she seemed to dislike James Potter. He was so happy to have this in common with her.

School, though it wasn’t everything he had hoped it would be, was Severus’ safe haven, and he excelled. He quickly became the best Potions student of his year, and he wasn’t too far behind in his other classes. In his third year, he began to study Occlumency and Legilimency. These were extremelyadvanced areas of study for a boy his age, but that just goes to show how smart Severus Snape was. By his fourth year, he was moving steadily along in his training and decided to up the ante. He began to study magical theory, and the crafting of spells, hoping to one day create something of his own. By fifth year, he had done it. His first ever spell, Levicorpus, was a jinx that would hoist the victim up by their ankles. Somehow, through his nosy dorm mates no doubt, the spell was leaked to the other students in the school. This, inadvertently, led to the worst day of his entire life thus far. He’d been minding his own business, having just finished Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W., and was enjoying the nice weather underneath a shaded tree. All right, Snivellus? He knew the moment he heard those words that he needed to grab his wand, but he wasn’t quick enough. Potter beat him to the punch and the next thing he knew, he was being dangled in the air by a spell of his own invention, with pink soap bubbles coming from his mouth. It had all happened so fast, the entire thing, and then Lily was there trying to defend him.

The thing is, Severus didn’t want Lily to defend him. He wanted to be able to defend himself. Over the years, he had grown stronger and smarter, but Severus still, more than anything, wanted power. He’d aligned himself with people who sought the same thing– Mulciber, Dolohov, Black, Lestrange. They hated muggles too, and despite him being only a half-blood, he was still welcomed into the fold. His friends, they wanted to follow the Dark Lord, and Severus could see why. The Dark Lord held ultimate power, and if they followed him, perhaps it would trickle down to them too. This was very appealing to Severus, almost intoxicatingly so. He too, believed that the Dark Lord was the path to power, and his friends were his path to the Dark Lord. So, when Lily Evans stepped up to defend him, Severus lashed out. He didn’t mean to, but he’d been angry and upset and humiliated and it just tumbled out. He would give his life to take it back. He didn’t think that about her; that word. Mudblood. Lily Evans was no mudblood. She was beautiful, pure in every way. Nothing about her was muddy. He had made a mistake, choosing to save his reputation over his friendship. That night, he spent hours outside of the Gryffindor Common Room, hoping to fix things. When Lily emerged, she was still angry. When she asked if he would continue to spend time with the more sinister Slytherin boys, he’d remained quiet. Of course he was going to. It was his ticket to power. And that had been it. From that moment onward, Lily Evans was his friend no longer.

Severus slipped into a deep, dark depression. He’d been depressed for most of his life, really, but this was new… this was… terrifying. On more than one occasion, Severus had considered brewing a potion that would end it all. There was one time he had actually done it, but he had poured it out. Without Lily, his life was lonely. He had no one that knew him– that really knew him. He lived an entire year with this hopelessness, allowing it to nearly pull him under the surface. Somehow, he managed to not drown in it. The summer after his sixth year, more than a year since he’d lost Lily, Severus finally made the decision to join the Death Eaters. He isn’t a purist, per say. His only issue was with muggles themselves. The muggleborns weren’t a problem. What Severus wanted, was to be powerful. To make people feel the way he had been forced to feel for his entire life. The Dark Lord was the way for him to do that. Grindelwald's presence has sparked an interest within Severus. Grindelwald's beliefs line-up easily with Severus’, but he doesn’t have any clue how to even go about that side, but that’s fine. The Death Eaters were enough.

CONNECTIONS.

LILY EVANS ━ Former best friends, estranged, misses her company. JAMES POTTER ━ Blames him and the Marauders for losing Lily, despises. THORFINN ROWLE ━ Enjoys ridiculing him.

THIS CHARACTER’S FACECLAIM IS RICHARD HARMON.

#hp rp #harry potter rp #marauders rp #marauders era rp #severus snape #slytherin #m #taken #tm

[darlingimaginethat]

The British Invasion

Word Count: 995

A/N: This is @faith-in-dean and my rewrite for “The British Invasion” where Mick doesn’t die. We are currently working on rewriting 12x18 as well but it’s a lot to edit so I’m not sure when it will be up. Hope y’all like it and don’t hesitate to give feedback! :)

“Ketch. Why'd you call me here?” Mick said walking into the conference room. He had been wondering what the fuss was about ever since he received the alerting message.

“Oh, I didn't. Mr. Davies.” Ketch responded as confusion swept across Mick’s face, even more so as his boss that was supposed to be in London walked in.

“Dr. Hess. I didn't think you left London.” Mick almost accused, stopping in his tracks.

“I don't. But I have been tasked by the other elders to fix this rapidly deteriorating situation.”

“Ma'am, please. I'm --” he tried to reason with her, to no luck.

“Are you about to tell me that you are doing the best that you can?” Dr. Hess questioned, “two days ago, according to your own report, you let a Prince of Hell escape and the mother of Lucifer's child. And one of my best men was murdered by an American Hunter, whom you allowed to live. If I might -- These Hunters are out of control. The brothers Winchester, in particular, which Lady Bevell has exhaustedly documented.”

“Ma'am, if -- if you could just listen --” Mick tried to interject again but Dr. Hess wouldn’t have it. She just wouldn’t let him talk.

“To what? More excuses? No. I don't think I will. Hunters are dogs, Mr. Davies. You give them an order, and they obey. That's how it works. So tell me, do they? Do they obey you?” Dr. Hess asked him even though she knew the answer to her own question.

“No. Of course not. So this Eileen Leahy will be found and killed in accordance with the Code. As for the Winchesters, like any rebellious Hunter, they will be investigated. And, if found guilty, executed,” she said, no hints of mercy in her voice.

“If. If they're found guilty? Aren't Hunters always found guilty?” Mick exclaimed, he knew he was hitting a sensitive spot here but for once in his life, he wanted to stand up for himself.

“Be careful, Mr. Davies.” Dr. Hess warned. But Mick wouldn’t listen.

“No. My entire life with the Men of Letters, I never broke a rule. And yes, at first I was shocked at how Sam and Dean operate. But what Lady Bevell doesn't mention is the lives they've saved, monsters destroyed, and outcomes made better not because of the Code, but because of Sam and Dean Winchester's sense of what's right. And that is the crux of the matter.” Mick challenged, trying to convince her that there was another way to deal with things. That the Code didn’t always have to be the right thing to do.

“The Code is not a suggestion. It's an absolute. The Code is what separates us from the monsters. It is the order by which we all live.” Dr. Hess shot back sternly, her patience decreasing with each argument Mick brought on.

“No. The code is what makes a young boy kill his best friend.” Mick stammered with tear pricked eyes at the memory, “When I was a child, I had nothing. I owed you everything, and I obeyed. But I'm a man now, Dr. Hess, and I can see the choices, and I choose to do the right thing!” He said storming out of the room.

Mick knew exactly where he was headed but he had to make a couple stops first. Opening the door to his room he quickly pulled his only duffle bag out of his small closet and began packing up his room, or what he could fit into the small bag.

After stuffing his bag full of what he deemed necessities he spared one more glance to what used to be his room before he shut the door and headed to the garage, going straight to the Bentley. Throwing his bag into the back he was about to climb into the car, that was until he saw Ketch standing across from him, gun in his hand.  

Fear shooting through his body he tried to reason with him, “Look, Arthur, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to answer to the Code, you can come with me.”

“I should shoot you just for thinking that Mr. Davies--”

“Yes but you don’t have to,” Mick said quickly, losing hope of making it out of this alive.

“Would you let me finish, Mick?” Ketch barked sharply, quieting Mick’s protests.

“Go now and go quickly, I’ll say you were already pulling out of the garage when I arrived,” walking around the back of the car Ketch shot the back window out.

“I tried to stop you but failed, there wasn’t a clear shot and all I was able to do was break the back window,” he finished walking back to the front of the car.

It took Mick a moment to realize what was happening but before he knew it he was climbing into the front seat and started the engine, “Thank you, Arthur,” he said pulling the door closed.

“Don’t thank me yet, there’s still a death sentence out for your head,” Ketch nodded as Mick pulled out of the garage.

After Mick was gone all Ketch could think about was how he was going to live to regret his decision.

“Mornin',” Dean said to Sam as he walked into the Bunker’s war room.

“Mornin'.”

“Hey, you, uh, you hear anything from Cas yet?” Dean questioned slightly worried.

“Mm. No. Still MIA,” Sam shook his head, “you think he's all right?”

“I don't know. Where's Eileen?” Dean said switching the topic.

“She took off. Uh, said she's heading back to Ireland for a while. Just needs some time, I guess,” Sam answered.

“Mm. Yeah, I get that.”

“Ah. I got something for you,” Sam said handing Dean a object wrapped in cloth. Looking down at Sam questionly Dean slowly revealed what it was that Sam had handed him. The Colt. Smiling, Dean lifted up the Colt and cocked it, “Welcome back, sweetheart.”

#mick davies #arthur ketch #supernatural #mick #british men of letters #BMoL #Ketch #12x17 the british invasion #spn 12x17 #supernatural 12x17 #the british invasion

[alcoholicseraphim]

The Year Before Tomorrow

Chapter Twenty- Year III- Variegated Vectors

For several weeks after that informal vow, Vici accompanied her everywhere. At Hermione's request, Vici maintained her own low-level Notice-Me-Not, and the pair of them essentially did as they pleased. During classes, Hermione kept up a running commentary explaining everything and teaching Vici how to read. It was the most useful Hermione had felt in a long time.

As a happy result of Vici's magic, Hermione was never subjected to the same treatment that Luna had endured during her time at Hogwarts, even though Hermione was at this point every bit as odd as Luna had been, if not more so.

("Perhaps talking about your friends will help you get better," Vici suggested. Hermione could see the logic in that. Indeed, it no longer hurt her just to think their names.)

The Notice-Me-Not, while sparing Hermione from most of the attention of students and staff alike, was not infallible. Dumbledore, with his irritating ability to see magic, was nigh on immune, and the fact that Hermione- and Vici, now- bothered with a Notice-Me-Not at all drew his focus. Not that he approached her with any questions, not so soon, but Hermione knew beyond a doubt that he was watching her.

She could live with that, for the time being.

Vici, while a lovely companion, could only slow the spread of loneliness. She hated seeing Sirius and Lily every day, perfectly happy without her there. She wouldn't have wanted anyone else from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw to notice her, anyway, and she couldn't even look at the Hufflepuffs without wanting to cry. That left only one House: Slytherin.

Of course, she'd halfheartedly tried to become friendly with a few, select Slytherins during her first year. Regulus had made it clear that he didn't trust her, being a Gryffindor Mudblood who was friends with the brother who hated him. Hermione could understand that, but now she was none of those things. That didn't guarantee that he would accept her attempts to befriend him, but it did increase the chances.

And Severus Snape. Still hurting from losing Lily, well on his way to becoming a Death Eater. She'd given up on him before, as much as she didn't like admitting it to herself. She'd left the Severus of that timeline to his fate, having unwittingly accelerated Voldemort's rise to power. Hermione could change that. She could. She was no better than he'd ever been, much less this teenage version of him.

If she was no better than Severus, who was to say he and Regulus were the only ones worth saving? What about the low-level Death Eaters? Gods, they were all so young. Who was she to say that any of them were beyond hope?

Few of them would respond to straight kindness, and she didn't know if she was capable of giving that, anyway. Ultimately, most became Death Eaters for their own sake or their families'. Just being nice could hardly change that. What she had to do was convince them that Voldemort would lead them to the deaths of their family lines. It wouldn't be a lie. The Malfoys and the Blacks, for example, were completely extinct in her time. The Princes, naturally. The Flints, the Carrows, the Lestranges, not to mention the neutral or Light houses. Voldemort would bring the demise of the Wizarding world, purity and all.

It would be easy enough to convince them- if she could get them to believe that she was a Seer. She did have... intimate knowledge of the future. But what could she say? "Oh, Sev, you die on May 2nd, 1998, of a snake bite after one of your masters believes that since you killed your other master, the fabled Elder Wand belonged to you. He was wrong, by the way, so it was kind of pointless." Even if telling them how and when they would die would be sure to make them believe her, her goal wasn't to scar them for life.

There was little point in being subtle.

While she may not have had direct access to Regulus, she did have several classes with Severus. Ravenclaws and Slytherins were often paired in classes, just as Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were. Even though the Seelie and Unseelie courts were long disbanded in the West, inter-House tensions were passed down through blood. It was the easy answer for why Gryffindors and Slytherins especially hated one another, but not the entirely correct one.

"Severus Snape," said Hermione, turning to face the boy. His hair hung in a greasy sheet around his face, blocking her view. At the sound of his name she saw him twitch, but did not acknowledge her. She went on. "Son of Eileen Prince and Tobias Snape. Self-styled 'the Halfblood Prince'. Childhood friend of Lily Ev-"

"That's enough," said Snape, gripping his quill so hard it snapped.

"Childhood friend of Lily Evans. Particular enemy of James Potter and Sirius Black. Future follower of the Dark Lord. Future spy for Albus Dumbledore. The man responsible for the murders of James and Lily Potter."

"You're lying." He revealed his face, finally, glaring up at her.

"All I speak of is true, but it doesn't have to be."

"You're saying I can change it," Severus sneered.

"I am. The solution is easy: do not follow the Dark Lord. He leads you, your allies, and your godson to an early death." For Draco, a very early death.

He must have seen the sorrow that she hadn't quite managed to hide, and his eyebrows bunched together. The expression made him look fierce, but Hermione knew better. "How early?"

Hermione shook her head. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"No," said Severus, and that admission made her respect him just a bit more. It took maturity to think ahead and realize that he might not be strong enough to go forth to his death.

"I will say only that without the Dark Lord, you would likely live to be as old as Dumbledore."

"Are you a Seer?"

"Yes, after a fashion," Hermione said, the corner of her mouth twitching. Subtlety was, indeed, pointless.

He didn't look entirely convinced, but that was fine. He would watch her now, and listen to what she said, even if he wouldn't admit it for a while.

*|II8II|*

Even with the help of Vici's alterations to Hermione's bed, it didn't take very long before sleeping once again became impossible. Once again she padded down to the seventh floor and trapped herself within the Room of Requirement. She needed a cot, like the one she'd slept on in Azkaban. Beds were beginning to feel too comfortable, decadent, even. A cot, and a blanket, in a room only big enough to admit one person.

It would be her hiding place, even from herself. It was what she needed.

She wished that Echo was there, but until she came of her own volition Hermione wouldn't force the issue. She did miss her.

She'd been visiting the Shop on her good days. Keane ignored her most of the time, and Echo pretended to follow his example. Hermione sometimes caught Echo creeping around, and then she would have to leave so she could cry.

Still, things had been worse. When Minerva died, for example.

At the mere thought of her name, Hermione burst into tears, and the Room rocked her to sleep. There was still progress to be made on that front.

In the morning, Hermione woke up an hour too early for breakfast. She used the extra time to come up with a plan- or, rather, a non-plan.

Upon entering the Great Hall, Hermione made a beeline for the Slytherin table, sliding in directly across from Severus. "Good morning," she said, channeling her inner Trelawney.

"Morning," said Severus. At least, she thought that was what he said. He clutched a steaming mug of tea between pale spider-leg fingers, and dark circles pressed like bruises under his eyes. He didn't look up at her.

"What a lovely day to just focus on being children, yes?" She glanced up and down the table, but nothing appealed to her. She served herself some porridge anyway.

Severus mumbled something that could have been "Sure" and could have been "Bugger off".

"I've been wondering about superiority complexes," Hermione said, trying to find levity and failing, "and their inevitability. An undisciplined mind will naturally divide the world into insiders and outsiders, and most will then furthermore decide that the outsiders are somehow of lesser value than the insiders."

He still didn't look up, and Hermione suspected he was hearing very little of her monologue. She went on anyway.

"With a bit of work and discipline, those prejudices can be tucked down where they belong." Hermione paused. "I would say that the whole problem may be solved by blurring that line, but I'm quite certain that people like James Potter wouldn't even want to understand why, say, Lucius Malfoy does what he does. The world is yet simple to him and people like him."

At the sound of James's name Severus finally looked alive, and his face twisted for just a moment before he controlled himself.

"It's hard to tell for certain whether the reverse would work, either. Ultimately, there's no foolproof way to force someone to understand something when they don't want to." The porridge tasted like sludge in her mouth. She added cinnamon.

"Why are you telling me this? You have to be aware that everyone within earshot is listening to you," Severus said, sipping his tea.

Hermione smiled. "Of course I am," she said, deciding not to tell him about the Notice-Me-Not. "It's a message for anyone who will hear it. I can't have respect for those unwilling to improve themselves. You're- we're young yet. There's still time. Not much, in some of our cases, but I hope to change that."

"You're mad," Severus said, less of an accusation and more of an amused observation.

"If I am, I have reason to be," Hermione said cheerfully.

"That's not very reassuring," Severus said.

"On the contrary!" Hermione said. "It's far more comforting to know that it's the things I've seen that drove me loopy instead of some early onset chemical imbalance."

"Is it your intention to announce to the world what you are?"

"Hm, not exactly. I wouldn't be pleased to find out that the very people I'm trying to save have gone and reported me to their master. I'm entirely capable of disappearing, you know. It's not my loss if the future doesn't change. Did you know that in little more than twenty years from now the pureblood population will have been cut down by over half? He doesn't actually care about blood purity, it's just a ready-made launch for his career."

Severus was beginning to look uneasy. "You could get killed for saying these things," he said.

"I could, yes," Hermione agreed. "It's time to get to class. Would you care to escort me?"

"Do I have a choice?" he grumbled, standing and sliding his bag onto his shoulder.

"Not really," Hermione chuckled. As far as he knew, this was a political choice only further complicated by the fact that she was a Pureblood lady. There was no right answer. She couldn't bring herself to feel guilty for it, since the choice was an illusion. No one noticed their conversation or that they were even leaving, save perhaps Albus.

"You find this amusing," said Severus, glowering. "You do know that there will be social repercussions, yes?"

"Of course I do. Come, it's time for Herbology. And no, before you ask, I don't know what possessed them to schedule that so early in the day." She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, refusing to allow him to distance himself from her.

He more than made up for it with his stony expression. "I hadn't planned on asking you anything." The implication that she was both stupid and insane didn't escape Hermione, but she allowed it. After all, the boy was under some stress.

Herbology was both chilly and boring, for there was little practical application and Hermione already knew everything she could possibly find out about the flora that Pomona- Professor Sprout- meant to introduce to the class. Malefic Spores- what a joke.

Every class was becoming boring, as much as Hermione tried to ignore it. Even Arithmancy was becoming redundant, though she still took pleasure from discussing it with Professor Regent.

It was possible, by now, that Hermione knew enough about Arithmancy to apply it to her situation. A time-consuming, complicated project it would be, but could hardly do anything but ultimately assist her. And if she had so much free time, so little of her brain engaged-

Yes, that was it. She would throw herself into studying Arithmancy, for probability would be her strongest ally. Hadn't she already been wishing she could map out the consequences of her actions? She'd never read into such an encompassing project as this, but surely there would be documentation.

Had Albus taken advantage of this resource during the Second War? Surely he couldn't have, if things had gone so horribly wrong. Even taking hindsight bias into account, he couldn't have possibly thought that the probability of the Light winning was strong. Every examination proved that it was a coin toss at the very best.

A coin toss. There were timelines out there where the Light had won. Where Harry and Ron lived. Perhaps where everyone had lived. It was a comforting thought, to know that perhaps not so much rode on her success. The fate of a few timelines, yes, but in the grand scheme of things?

No, she couldn't think like that. It would be too easy to convince herself then that nothing mattered. That none of Voldemort's depravity mattered, that none of Harry's tragedies mattered, just because there were other timelines where they didn't exist. Hermione had to work for the well-being of every timeline she touched, she had to.

Harry would grow up in a happier future, because she loved him most of everyone. He deserved it.

Professor Regent was a valuable resource, as it turned out. She could recommend books, even books which the Library at Hogwarts didn't carry, and Hermione would go to the Shop and read them there. This new goal gave her the will to focus less on the emotional pain of her estrangement from Echo, and from Sirius and Lily. It helped.

It started with determining her own path, including her past and ignoring (for now) the future. It took no little effort not only to work out the equations, but to accurately plot them to create her path. Sure, there were spells which could plot it independently of her influence, but she was unwilling to rely on such things. She had to understand what was going on, as thoroughly as possible, before using anything automatic.

Her line was, fittingly, a charcoal grey. How glamorous.

The next line was Voldemort, and his line was jet black. She had to rely on every bit of information she remember, as even small details drastically changed his line direction.

The Horcruxes were far easier to plot, being based on a pre-existing line and having little autonomy. With every Horcrux she added, Voldemort's main line became more and more diluted until it was thin, barely even visible. That just wouldn't do. It was Voldemort himself, not his Diary, who was a true threat. Short of manipulating the line itself, which Hermione could be sure wouldn't go well, she could only attempt to make it more distinct. It would make more sense to work in three dimensions, anyway, and as a key player a bit of luminescence wouldn't go amiss.

After accounting for herself and Voldemort, Hermione was at a loss as to the next step. Harry was important, yes, but he wouldn't even exist during the year Hermione was confined to. He could have no influence. Hell, the prophecy hadn't been spoken yet. James and Lily hadn't defied Voldemort even once yet, much less thrice.

His birth was important, she acknowledged, but she would calculate that as an event, not a path.

That answered her question. James, Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Lily were all hopelessly tangled this conflict. She knew the most about them, anyway, and the paths would be more accurate knowing their past choices. These five lines took weeks to calculate and plot and revise and calculate again.

Every line was assigned a variable and a numerical value. With those in place Hermione had to re-work the previous equations.

Fine, perhaps she wouldn't do the whole project manually. Just the main players, and then the minor players and events could be automatically plotted and their variables worked into the other equations. Of course, she would have to calculate everything herself, as every Arithmancer had to do.

It took yet another week to compile and learn these spells, but the end result was worth it.

Seven lines, so far: Sirius was a deep maroon, James was a dark gold, Peter was a sickly sort of green, Remus was a navy blue, and Lily was a pastel blue, in addition to Hermione's grey and Voldemort's black. The lines twisted into one another and pulled away, sometimes passing through an un-plotted event and changing direction. In the three-dimensional work space there was so much empty space, and as of yet no purpose.

Albus and Aberforth came next, and Albus was a pale yellow to Aberforth's dark yellow.

The next few weeks saw the inclusion of Severus (brilliant violet), Regulus (mahogany), Minerva (red-orange), Bellatrix (dark green), Narcissa (sea green), and Lucius (pale orange). These complete, Hermione began working on event. They were polygons of varying size, depending on how many paths were affected.

By the beginning of December, she had a rough diagram of the entire situation, but she didn't just sit back and theorize for months. It was obvious from the beginning that her influence was necessary- especially when it came to the Slytherins.

She would have to take his army from him. With his followers would go his power.

The way to do that had been apparent even at the beginning of the cycle- appeal to their sense of preservation. Preservation of self, of family, of ideals, all of the things that Voldemort used against them to spur them into action. She would take those with some doubt already and convert them, and they would help her spread her ideas. She would allow them to believe that she was a Seer.

As was her habit, she made a list, cataloging each Slytherin by future importance, current influence, personal conviction, and pliability.

Hermione was already working on Severus, as his future importance was nearly unparalleled. The next step, however, was to convert someone who was close to Severus, had reason to doubt Voldemort's cause, and would be willing to listen to her. The answer was easy: Regulus Black. Ally of Severus, brother of Sirius Black, and not socially assertive.

"You're worried about your brother," Hermione said, bending over and resting her elbows on the table across from him. He sat alone, A Potioneer's Companion open before him.

He said nothing, only staring up at her with an expression battling between bemusement, suspicion, curiosity, and irritation.

"It's a sensitive spot for you. It's easiest to get your attention that way," Hermione explained. When no response came, she continued, "You help bring down the Dark Lord, a day that comes too soon. Ultimately you only end up making actually destroying him more difficult for those who might actually succeed. You mean well, naturally, but in the end you die in vain."

"Is this your idea of a joke?" Regulus asked, some measure of discomfort evident in his body language.

"Oh, no," Hermione said, sinking down so that her chin rested on her hands. "It isn't funny. Ironic, yes, but not funny."

"How could you know this? And why would you tell me? How do I know that it's true, anyway?"

"Regulus Black, why do you think my family was targeted this summer?" With that, Hermione smiled and stood, walking away.

He would need less of a hands-on approach than Severus, for he was by nature less cynical than his older friend. She only had to provide him with clues and he would come to his own conclusions. He was a clever boy.

She allowed several days before approaching him again. "You've spoken to Severus," she said.

"I have," said Regulus, closing his textbook but bookmarking it with his ring finger. It was An Understanding of Mind-Altering Potions this time.

Hermione smiled. "I'd hoped you would. I believe you both could help one another... marinate these ideas. What are your thoughts?"

"Snape thinks that you're a Seer," he said. "By his account, you've mentioned some things to him that you should have no way of knowing." The look on his face told her that he didn't know what these "things" were, and he was struggling not to let his curiosity eat him alive.

Hermione hadn't stopped plying Severus with her words and company. She'd spoken at him at length, citing his childhood abuse as a factor of his present and future behavior. He'd, predictably, been furious. He clearly wasn't comfortable with anyone knowing his secrets, and perhaps especially not her.

"I asked for your thoughts, Regulus Black," Hermione said. She traced the grain of the wooden table with her fingernail, peering into Regulus's eyes. They were exactly the same shade as Sirius's, and she didn't want to explore her feelings about that.

Regulus met her gaze unflinchingly, though the slight crease of his brow spoke the truth. "I agree with him, for now," he said. "He tells me that you've claimed the future to be changeable."

"I'm glad he mentioned that," said Hermione. "You don't have to die the way you do. In fact, I fully plan on preventing that."

"Why?" It was a word which said so many things, one of those things being a plain inability to understand what her motive was, why she would care if he died. It was a word which spoke of the deaths he'd witnessed, his understanding that he would die nameless in the end. He wouldn't believe altruism of her. Perhaps he wouldn't believe it of anyone.

"As good as your intentions will be, you do end up being a nuisance. Your actions are a roadblock to my ultimate goal, and my job is to clear the way as much as possible. It just so happens that you live longer as a result."

"You didn't lie to me," Regulus remarked, clearly surprised.

She laughed at that. "I have no need nor desire to spare your feelings. Candor is the most efficient option. If you would be more easily swayed by a lie, I would tell you one."

"Another honest answer," said Regulus, smiling himself.

Hermione hummed her agreement, but her patience was wearing thin. There was so little of it, these days, when it came to people. She forgot to say goodbye as she stood and floated out of the room, thinking of her Arithmancy.

#tybt #harry potter fanfiction #multi-chapter