When Pasts and Presents Collide

You couldn't say a bad word about her. She was pretty; she was kind, and was intelligent. Nearly everyone at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry liked Katharine Karven; the only person who didn't was Lucius Malfoy (and then again there wasn't much he liked at all). Severus Snape couldn't help but like her; after all, the two had been friends since the dawn of time. They had always stayed friends, even though they were in different houses - he in Slytherin and she in Gryffindor. Katharine, though she always preferred Karen, and Severus had been friends for many years before going to Hogwarts. But I've jumped the gun here; allow me to go back several years.

///

Karen sat on Platform 9 ¾, watching her cousin go off to school. She couldn't wait to go to Hogwarts, although she was only eight and still had to wait a few more years. She'd heard it was the best school in the world for witchcraft and wizardry, better the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang put together. She looked around and saw that there was only one family left on the platform waving to a young man as he got on the train. But it wasn't the young man she was looking at; it was the boy, about her age, that she noticed. It was mainly because of the waxen complexion that he had, but what really caught her eye was the book he was reading. He was sitting on a trolley reading a book about magical herbs, entitled 'Magi Herbs of Southern England and their Properties'. She went up to him.
"Hello," she said, smiling at him. "What are you reading?" she asked, acting as if she didn't already know.
"A book about herbs," the boy said, marking his place with one of his long fingers. He had brown, nearly black, eyes, which were a stark contrast to Karen's bright sky blue eyes. "Who are you?" he asked.
"Katharine Louise Josie Anna Karven," He looked at her with a shocked expression. "Though I prefer just Karen," she said at seeing his expression, still smiling. Somehow she liked this boy. "What's yours?"
"Severus, Severus Snape. You have a lot of names."
"Yeah, blame my dad; he wanted to name me after every woman on his side of the family, including Gertrude. But according to my mum, at the sound of that name I wrinkled up my nose."
"Gertrude? Yuck!" the boy exclaimed. "And I thought Severus was a bad name."
"I think it's nice," Karen said, sitting down beside him, as her legs were hurting from standing so long. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing towards the boy getting onto the Hogwarts Express.
"That's my brother, Josephus. It's his first year."
"That's my cousin, Dalliel, it's her first year as well," Karen said, pointing towards a girl getting on the train. "I can't wait to start Hogwarts; I'm so bored with just sitting around my aunt's house and not doing anything."
"Why are you staying with your aunt? Why not your mum and dad?"
"My-" Karen stopped, took a deep breath and finished, "My parent's are dead, they died over the summer." Karen looked as if she was about ready to cry.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Severus stuttered; he then put his arm around her shoulders, and he'd forgotten all about his book.
"It's alright," Karen sniffed. Severus pulled out a large black he and handed it to her, she blew her nose on it and said, "Thanks. You weren't to know. You have many friends?" Severus was rather taken aback; he'd never been asked that before.
"No, not really," he replied, still a bit stunned. "My father doesn't really like me mixing with other children. Says it can ruin a good mind when you have friends, as they can lead you astray."
"What a load of rubbish! Friends are there for you when you need them most! Sure blood's thicker then water, but love and friendship are more important than blood." Karen paused and looked at Severus. He looked very lonely; she could see it in his eyes. "It shouldn't matter what your father thinks."
"I know, but he was always such an influential character to me when I was younger. What about you? Do you have many friends?" Severus inquired.
"No, I don't. I grew up in America, but I wasn't really accepted there. I tried to make friends when I first came here to England, but I found it to be very hard. I'd like to have a friend though." Severus looked at her. She looked so lonely. 'I can't imagine what it must have been like for her,' he thought. 'Losing your parents and not having any friends must be hard. At least I have my mother.' Severus then said to Karen, in a kindly tone, "If you want to be my friend, I don't mind; my mother always says that a friend would do me good. But all the people she's tried to 'set me up with' have all found me rather odd." He paused. "I'm not the most likable
person and I don't like going outside. I love reading though."
"Me too," said Karen. "Reading is fun, and I've already read that book," she commented, pointing to the front cover of Severus' book. "But reading isn't any fun if you haven't got someone to share books with or to read to." She paused. "I used to read to my mother but she's gone now, and my aunt is too busy looking after the house. My uncle is ork most of the time so I don't see him until the evening and he usually falls a asleep after dinner."
"My mother doesn't like me reading all that much." Severus
looked over at a tall woman with long black hair standing next to the train door. "She thinks it isn't good for you to read, that it dulls the reflexes or something like that."
"My mum encouraged it," Karen said, "She made me read ALL sorts of books. Even Muggle books, which are actually very good and come pretty close to the truth is some cases. For example, Anne McCathery writes about dragons and what she says about them is so true. My favourite is by a guy called Tolkien; it's called Lord of the Rings."
"Must be a jewellery book," Severus assessed, based on the title.
"It's not," Karen said, looking rather shocked. "It's about a hobbit, they're half the size of a normal man, called Frodo Baggins who has to destroy this ring which can make you invisible but is very evil."
"Sounds good," Severus liked books about magic, not the sort his parents read but magic of the olden days and The Lord of the Ring's sounded like it was set in the olden days. "Maybe if I ask my mum, she'll let you come over and you can bring the book along with you."
"And if I ask my aunt she'll let you come over and I'll show you the HUGE library we own," Karen replied with a sly grin.
"You own a library?" Severus jumped up off the trolley with a smile on his face, he loved books and had never been in side a library.
"Yeah, it's my uncle's and I've read nearly all the books in it. Word of warning though," Karen said, sounding a little sheepish, "My uncle's a Muggle, that's why I've read so many Muggle books, because it's a Muggle library."
"I don't mind. Muggles are O.K. Some are stupid, but most are O.K.," Just then Karen's aunt came over.
"And who's this, Karen?" She was a sweet sounding lady and when Severus looked at her he saw a tall woman with auburn hair and bright blue eyes. She looked a little Elvish, her ears were a little pointed and her face had an Elvish look to it.
"This is Severus Aunty June," Severus got up and gave a little bow.
"Severus Snape at your service," He said as he bent up from his bow.
"My, what a charming young man. My brother would do to learn from you Severus."
"Aunty June can Severus come over some time? I think he'd like to see Uncle Bill's library."
"Well..." Just then Severus' mother came over.
"Is my son being a nuisance, Madame?" She looked over at Severus as if he'd just been caught in the act of kicking the cat.
"Not at all Mrs. Snape. Your son and my niece actually seem to be pretty good friends. My daughter was asking if it was O.K. for him to come to our home sometime."
"I see," Mrs. Snape actually looked rather surprised. "Well it's O.K. with me, as long as he behaves himself," she said as she again gave Severus a withering look, "And as long as it's O.K. with you," Karen cheered; she finally had a friend. Severus just looked excited, he was grinning from ear to ear, if such a feet is possible.

///

It was from that moment that the two became friends. That year, they spent most of their time exchanging letters about the books that they had read. The rest of the time they spent around each other's houses, mostly reading. Sometimes Karen managed to drag Severus outside to read and she ev got him to play a game of tag with her cousin when she came home for the holidays. It was the year before they were to go to Hogwarts and both were out on the grassy knoll they had made their reading place. Severus was reading The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe for the eighth time when Karen asked him a very surprising question.
"Sev?"
"Yes Karen."
"Are we friends?" Severus dropped his book in surprise.
"Karen what a stupid thing to ask me. Of course we're friends, what makes you think we're not?"
"Nothing. It's just, well, you know about the sorting ceremony?"
"Yeah, we know it as well as your cousin. We've both read 'Hogwarts a History' several times, so we know the ceremony by heart. Don't tell me your scared."
"No, it's not that I'm scared of the ceremony itself. It's just that, well, what if we get put in two different houses? Will we still be friends, or..."
"Karen," Severus paused and sat down beside Karen, "nothing, I repeat, NOTHING is going to change anything between us. I've known you longer then I'd care to think about sometimes, but we will always be friends, especially after that little incident with that idiot Malfoy when he came over to my house. You got me out of one hell of a sticky mess."
"Promise?"
"Promise what?"
"Promise me that we will always be friends," Snape looked at Karen, took her hand in his and said.
"Karen, I promise that no matter what, and I mean no matter WHAT, we will always be friends." With that they knew they would remain friends for as long as could be deemed possible. No matter which house they go in to, they would remain friends.

///

7 years later
It was the end of the school year and everyone in their seventh year was looking forward to the end of year dance; the theme this year was a Muggle disco. Karen was nervous; James and Lily were going together, Remus had asked Martha Desmon, and Sirius had asked Helen Darkraven, a Ravenclaw. Every guy in Gryffindor, even those mentioned with dates, had asked Karen to go with them. Karen had refused them all though; she'd been asked months and months ago to go to the dance with someone while it was still being arranged. This dance gave a chance for all the houses at Hogwarts to get together and have a good time without all the pressures of the House Cup and exams getting in the way. Karen looked at herself in the mirror; she was wearing her short, sapphire blue velvet dress and black shoes. The dress only had two straps on it, which kept trying to slip off her shoulders. She was very nervous as the person who had asked her was her best friend, Severus Snape. They had been put in the two rival houses at Hogwarts, Gryffindor and Slytherin, when they had come to the school. Karen had been very upset when the Sorting Hat had shouted out 'Slytherin' when Severus had put it on. Karen and Severus had remained good friends though, and meet most days in the library so Severus could help Karen with her potions homework. Potions wasn't one of her best subjects. Severus always needed help with Charms and Herbology, which were two of her best subjects. When Karen had told Remus, her second best friend, that Severus had asked her to the dance, he didn't know what to make of it. That was until Karen explained that she had known Severus since she was a little girl and that they were the best of friends. Thankfully, he hadn't refused to listen to her; he had listened and understood.
"But what will the others say when they see you with him?" Remus had asked.
"I don't know Remus, and to be honest I don't care very much. Severus and I have been friends since the dawn of time, or so it feels to me."
"I just hope you and Severus don't get beaten up. You know how the Slytherins and the Gryffindors hate each other."
"I know." Karen clutched at the locket around her neck; it was gold with silver detailing of a snake and a lion holding a heart. Severus had actually made it for her for her birthday some years ago and she loved it. The locket contained a small mirror, which could show you what any person was doing. You had to 'tune' it to a certain person, so to speak. Karen had tuned it to Severus. As she walked down the main stairs to the Gryffindor common room she looked in the locket to see where Severus was, she saw different students all dressed in different Muggle clothes; jeans and shirts, dresses and who knows what else. Then she saw Severus. He was wearing black jeans (tight ones) and a black t-shirt, which was also tight, and black boots. Severus had gained a new feature though, a broken nose. He and James had gotten into a fight on the Quidditch pitch and somehow James managed to grab a beaters bat and whack a bludger a Severus. Severus had dodged it, but got hit in the nose with a speeding quaffel. Karen stared at Severus. He was no longer the skinny little boy she had know eleven years ago, he was a little bit more muscular now. He'd tied his long black hair back and he looked almost handsome. Karen put the locket away and said goodbye to Remus. She stepped out of the Gryffindor common room. She weaved her way in and out of the crowds until she reached Severus, who was standing with his friends, Jules and Markson just outside the Great Hall.

"Hey Sev."