Albus Dumbledore, pt. 3

A week later, Lily sat down next to Harry, beaming. “Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!” 

“You too. Er, I mean—” Severus fumbled with what to say. 

Lily smirked. “It’s okay. I know what you mean.” She turned to the others. “So, what are you all planning on doing in Hogsmeade?” 

Raven took Remus’ hand. “We’re going to the bookstore for tea and…there’s a few books we want to read. What about you two?” 

“Er, us three.” Lily glanced at Harry. “I was thinking we’d get a Butterbeer.” Severus and Harry nodded. 

Raven squeezed Remus’ hand, then gave them a small wave. “Okay, well, see you around.” 

“Hang on, Remus.” Lily took his arm and looked him in the eye. “Do James and Sirius have anything planned for today? Any pranks we should watch out for?” 

Remus scratched his head and squirmed a bit. “No pranks,” he replied carefully. 

Lily glanced at Severus, relieved. “Okay, then we’ll see you ‘round.” 

The three finished their breakfast before heading to Hogsmeade. They shopped for a few hours before going to the Three Broomsticks. As they finished a second round of butterbeers, Severus’ eyes locked on something behind them. “I thought it was a coincidence at first, but Potter has been following us since we left. Wait, don’t look!” He grabbed her arm. “Sorry. We shouldn’t let on.” 

“I thought Remus said they wouldn’t prank us!”

“Well, technically Potter’s just stalking us.” 

Lily scoffed, then became thoughtful. “I feel bad, Remus being torn between our friend groups—” 

“It’s his choice to be friends with them.” 

Harry crossed his arms. “It’s his choice to be friends with us.” 

Severus pursed his lips, holding back from arguing further. 

“So what should we do?” 

Severus thought for a moment. “How about a Love Potion?” 

Lily shook her head. “Not on me, you’re not.” 

“No. No, of course not.” Severus pulled a vial out of his cloak. 

“You carry Love Potions with you?” Lily raised an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned?” 

Severus blinked. “No, I have more potions than just this. They’re in case of…emergency.” 

“Oo, watch out, it’s the Potions Master.” 

Harry raised an eyebrow at Lily. 

Severus smiled a little, relieved. “Well, this is a potion for temporary love at first sight. It’s a lot easier to induce love for the first person the drinker sees than to induce love for someone specific.” 

“Who should Potter see, then?” 

The three looked around the pub for ideas. Harry’s eyes fell upon the shrunken heads guarding the entrance. “How about them?” 

Lily looked to Severus. “Would it work?”

Severus’ eyes darkened with a sort of deviance that could be matched with his past self, the one on his way to becoming a Death Eater. “I believe so. Does anyone have a chocolate, or something?” 

Harry looked to Lily and Severus, then realized he had one. “Here.” 

Lily raised her eyebrows. “Who’s it from, Jacob?” 

“I don’t remember her name.” Harry didn’t understand what it was about Jacob Walker that attracted girls; it wasn’t as though he were famous, and he hardly spoke to anyone outside his immediate group of friends. 

Severus set the chocolate on the table and poured a few drops of potion onto it. The droplets sank into the chocolate, which was now bright red. “That should do it. Alright, here’s how this’ll work: Lily, you leave the chocolate here, okay, and write a note that says…here’s a quill and parchment…that says, ‘Dear James, Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope you like the chocolate,’ or something along those lines.” He waited for her to finish. “And then write, ‘Jacob and Severus think I’m writing a note to tell you to bugger off. Really, though, I want to meet you in private. Go to the shrunken heads and…they’ll tell you where to meet me.’” 

Lily took a few moments to finish. “Well, then you and Harry should leave. Meet me across the street.” Then she spoke more loudly, making sure Sirius and James heard: “I’ll meet you over at Zonko’s.”

Harry and Severus left the Three Broomsticks and headed across the street to hide. A couple minutes after, Lily came out and hurried across the snowy road.

She shuffled to a stop and grabbed Harry’s arm to steady herself. “The heads agreed to relay my message after I told I them I was getting revenge. They were pretty understanding.” 

Severus put a hand on her shoulder. “But you didn’t tell him the real point was for James to fancy them, did you?” 

“Should I not have?” 

The door of the Three Broomsticks opened and James came out, and although it was hard to tell from their distance, he appeared hopeful.

James carried the chocolate in his hand. 

Lily gripped Harry’s cloak. “Oh, no, he didn’t eat it.” 

“Well, of course he didn’t eat it. The heads didn’t want to be licked by such a pri—” He noticed Lily’s embarrassment and redirected her attention. “Look, there, he must be going over to Sirius and Peter.” As he made his way, James ate the chocolate. His stride faltered momentarily, then he continued with new purpose.

“Who did he see?” Lily craned her neck around the corner. 

“Either Black or Pettigrew.”

“But which one of them did he see first?” 

James said something to Peter, pointing at the parchment in Peter’s hand. He seemed to say, “Can Sirius and I have a moment?” 

As Peter shuffled over to Zonko’s Joke Shop, James confronted Sirius, his dramatic expression evident even from where the three watched down the street. Confusion deepened in Sirius’ expression. 

Then James kissed Sirius.

Lily put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my.” She stifled a giggle. 

But none of them expected Sirius to reach into James’ hair, pushing his lips back with equal force.

A few students stopped to make sure that what they were seeing was actually happening. 

As Sirius and James continued in their embrace, Lily and Harry maintained a shocked silence, whereas Severus started to laugh. 

Harry was the first to speak. He turned to Severus. “Did you give Sirius a love potion, too?” 

“No,” Severus managed between bouts of laughter.

“Do you think Sirius knows that Potter…?” Lily processed their realization differently; she then made a decision and started toward the two boys.

Severus groaned, and his smile faded. “What is she doing?” He and Harry rounded the corner and jogged to catch up. 

“Clear out, everyone.” Lily put her hands up, dispersing the crowd. “We gave both of them a Love Potion. We were just getting payback for James being a creep. That’s alright, you can laugh. Ha ha. Okay, nothing to see here.”

Sirius parted from James, still gripping his friend’s coat collar. He studied James, realizing the true cause of his dopey expression. Sirius’ face cracked in horror and he pushed James away before storming off. 

“I’ll go after Sirius,” Lily offered.

Severus held James back from chasing after Sirius as Harry uncorked the cure. He persuaded James to drink it, then Severus and Harry both sprinted in the opposite direction. 

When they were at the outskirts of the town, they slowed to a walk. “There’s Lily and Sirius.” The two had stopped by the fence that surrounded the Shrieking Shack.

Upon seeing Harry and Severus, Sirius nodded a curt goodbye to Lily and hurried past them.

“Well?”

Lily considered them. “Can I trust you not to tell anyone?” 

Severus and Harry nodded.

“Okay. So Sirius wasn’t under a spell or a potion. But if anyone asked, he was, and we’re responsible. Got it?” 

Severus’ eyes widened. “So he is a fairy.” 

Lily crossed her arms. “He said he doesn’t know, he can go either way. And, besides that, it’s none of your business.” 

Severus stared at Lily, mouth ajar. “Why are you protecting him?” 

“I’m not protecting him. It’s a stupid thing to be made fun of, you know. He’s a jerk, but people should focus on that instead of something silly like…well, you know.” 

Harry felt the full force of what it meant to not have known Sirius at all. Sirius had fancied his dad. If he had in this timeline, it was possible it happened before. “We’d better go before James comes after us.”

That evening, Sirius and James were awkward around each other, even when doing something as innocent as studying. It was strange; the ease they always expressed in each other’s presence was gone. This was heightened by the whispers and stares that followed their every move. 

The turn of events satisfied Severus immensely, but it was clear he wished for James to know the truth. His promise to Lily was all that held him back. 

The next month, word spread through the school that the Ministry had won a significant battle over the Death Eaters. The excitement was quickly distinguished amongst the students; the Slytherins collectively did not speak for the entire day. 

It wasn’t a relief to have the Slytherins silent because they simply stared, faces unreadable like the masks of Death Eaters, their expressions dark. At breakfast and lunch, their table was devoid of sound. The other students became queasy with dread and began to doubt the success of the Ministry. The professors took points from Slytherin and gave dozens of detentions instead of sending them to their dorms. The professors kept the Slytherins around only because they valued the students’ education. The Marauders spent their time trying to get the Slytherins to react; whispering in their ears, singing to them, dry-humping them, insulting them. The Marauders’ failure to make any progress worsened the mood of the students. 

Severus was quiet throughout the day, which he explained was because, “…I’m just thinking.” Then, two hours before dinner, he left for the library. Harry, Lily, and Raven remained in the Study Hall, squirming uncomfortably under the glares of the silent Slytherins. 

Severus reappeared that evening. Halfway through supper, Severus said, “You know what you do to a Boggart when it shows you your worst fear?”

Harry still stared at the Slytherin table. “You turn it into something that you’re not afraid of.” 

“We haven’t learned about Boggarts yet. How do you two know?” Lily looked between them. 

Severus swallowed, composing a lie. Harry could tell the boy was suffocating the memories of the incident from fourth year. “I…read ahead. Anyway, just wait…” He looked over at the Slytherins.

As the Clock Tower chimed seven thirty, the faces of the Slytherins changed. The pallor of their skin turned white. They gradually began to realize what was happening, rather comically, by pointing at each other’s faces. Some turned in their seats, garnering the attention of the students around them. Harry realized what the pale face and black lips and eyes added up to—Severus had turned the Slytherins into mimes. 

All at once, the Great Hall was filled with laughter. Even Dumbledore, Harry noted, had trouble hiding a smile. He glanced over to their table. At first Harry thought Dumbledore assumed it was him, but he must’ve been studying the Marauders, who were in hysterics just beyond Harry. 

Raven regarded Severus. “How’d you do it?” 

“First, I figured out which curse they used. I realized, as soon as Sirius pretended to do something very graphic to Mulciber—” 

Lily couldn’t hold back a giggle. “That was in Potions, right? With his wand?”

Severus rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Anyhow, I realized that it’d be impossible for anyone to keep calm through that, and I know none of them are very good as an Occlumens. It was described in one of the first books I bought; the curse ensures that the person is unable to speak or move suddenly. It’s almost an Unforgivable, but not completely binding, so even the Ministry uses it, especially when transporting prisoners.” Severus noticed their attention was fading. “Well, anyway, I invented a potion to make them look like mimes. I convinced the house-elves to let me put the potion in their drinks—”

“How’d you manage that?” Harry asked. 

“It was simple: purebloods treat them the worst.” 

Raven cut in. “Because purebloods are the only ones who can afford them. Given the opportunity—” 

“Hang on—” Lily continued to gape at Severus. “You invented a potion?” 

Raven and Severus glanced at each other, both having history in the area. Severus shrugged. “I’ve done it before.” 

“Oh.” Lily blinked. “Carry on with the story, then.” 

“So the potion should last for twelve hours. Since I came up with it, that’s how long it’ll take them to invent an antidote. And because the potion forces them to be quiet; now they can only move their lips slightly.” 

“Sev, you’re brilliant.” Lily hugged him. 

The four looked back to the Slytherin table; some of the younger students who had been the most afraid came up to the Slytherins and mocked them, or, more appropriately, mimed them. There was nothing the Slytherins could do to retaliate while the staff was right there. Some of the Slytherins got up to go back to their dorms, others tried to seem as though they weren’t bothered by their transformation. 

James had noticed the hug and approached their table. Many students had come to the Marauders’ table to congratulate them, so convinced they’d done it that they were oblivious to half-hearted protests by the Marauders that they were innocent. 

“Do you know who did this, Snape?” James asked, voice low. 

Severus didn’t respond at first, surprised at James’ calm tone. “I did.” 

James’ eyebrows flickered up, then he extended his hand. “Well done, mate.”

Severus stared at the hand before reaching out and shaking it.

James averted his eyes, conflicted and awkward, then rejoined Remus, Sirius, and Peter.

Lily was too shocked to comment, but something else struck her. “Severus, I thought of something. Are they—the Slytherins—gonna know it’s you?” 

Severus nodded gravely. “I’m expecting them to.” 

Lily rested her hand on his arm. “Look, you should know that it was worth it. What you did last year when they attacked us—that was certainly not cowardly. But I think, now more than ever, you are truly brave to stand up to them.” 

“I’m not becoming like Potter, am I?” 

“No,” Raven replied immediately, before Lily could reply. “I mean, you stand up for what you believe in, but a lot of people do that, not just James.” She nudged Harry. Raven had previously made it clear to Harry that he wasn’t like his father. He found it odd, then, that so many people in the original timeline been convinced that they were so like each other. 

Lily took her hand off Severus’ arm and put a slice of toast on her plate. “Severus, we just need to make sure they don’t spring anything on you, alright?” 

Three days later, Severus left Lily’s sight. It was as simple as her venting while looking out beyond one of the Hogwarts courtyards. She didn’t notice when Harry and Severus pulled away from either side of her. 

Mulciber and Avery took their wands and threw the two boys behind a stone pillar that bordered the courtyard. What about Lily? Where’s Lily? Harry thought, head in agony. Perhaps they underestimated her.

“Mulciber.” Harry heard Severus say. 

“That was very clever, what you pulled the other day. Your only flaw? You forget that house-elf scum have a tendency to provide information to anyone who asks. Or, rather, whoever has the right methods of persuasion.” 

Severus’ words were labored. “Who said…I didn’t want you to…know it was me?” This statement was punctuated with a gasp of pain. 

Harry saw Avery pull Lily over toward him. Head pounding, Harry tried to get to his feet. He was knocked back by a Body-Binding spell.

Avery held Lily’s wand in his other hand. Before Avery realized the carelessness in keeping it so close to her, Lily kicked him in the shin, grabbed her wand, and disarmed them both. Before they could make a go for a wand, she stunned them. 

They were flung into the courtyard. Professor Sprout, who was on her way to the greenhouses, started and looked around. When Mulciber and Avery recovered and got to their feet, they ran.

Lily, breathing hard, waited until they were gone before she dropped her arm and went to Severus’ side.

“Are you okay?” Lily looked around; there were no other witnesses, except Harry, whom she remembered upon seeing. “Jacob?” 

Harry couldn’t respond. 

“Finite Incantatem!” 

Harry, freed, gave a weak thumbs up, then forced himself into a sitting position.

Lily propped Severus’ head on her lap and brushed his cheek with her hand. “I’m sorry. Are you badly hurt?” 

Severus’ voice came out as a whisper, his eyes closing momentarily with pleasure as her fingers brushed his face. “Of course not. I’m fine. I think we should break their wands.”

“No, it’s not worth it, and you’ll get in trouble. This is fine.” Though probably unintentionally, “this” seemed to refer to be their intimacy in that moment. 

Harry got to his feet, realizing that almost two years ago, when Lily protected Severus, he had rejected her in favor of the Dark Arts. Now, he had accepted her protection. 

More than that, they had accepted each other’s.