The Embittering of Severus Snape

The Christmas holiday rolled around more quickly than Muriel could have imagined. Severus went home, but she was staying. Her mother had been hit by an experimental spell, and her father had decided it was best for Muriel not to see the results.

Only a few of her housemates were staying, so Muriel was glad to be able to use the common room without much interruption. It beat lugging all her books downstairs. But shortly before lunch, Kyle, a second year boy, came down and began playing exploding snap by the fire. Kyle's father was a pureblood, but his mother was a muggle. But more important than that, the boy was just extremely inconsiderate.

She packed up her books and headed to the library after all. It was deserted. She sat down gratefully and pulled out the beginnings of her History of Magic essay. She'd nearly finished when someone cleared his throat in front of her. "Lupin?" She had hardly spoken to him since just after Halloween.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Be my guest," she said, gesturing to the chair on the other side of her stack of books. She could hear his mind ticking off questions. He wanted to know what she knew, but he wasn't bold enough to come out and ask. She laughed to herself. Well, she could play dumb with the best of them. She had Crabbe to emulate.

"So," he said when she'd marked her page in the book and set it aside. "What did Sirius do to deserve the wrath of the entire Slytherin house?" She was impressed how collected he was now that the Sorting was over. Perhaps he'd been afraid that as a dark creature, he'd get shunted into Slytherin whether he belonged there or not. She longed to ask him, but didn't want to give away what she knew.

"Last year at the Malfoy family Halloween party he turned my head into a pumpkin and left with his parents before he fixed it." Muriel looked at him shrewdly. "Why didn't you just ask him?"

Remus was suddenly very uncomfortable. "We aren't getting along too well just now," he said vaguely. He couldn't tell her that his dorm mates were asking pointed questions about where he went every month, and he was avoiding them.

She nodded. Since he was silent, she pulled her History of Magic essay in front of her again and finished the last few inches from memory. Her mother had made her learn all this stuff years ago, and she didn't feel like looking it up again. She was pretty sure it was right.

"So, why would you hex James and not me?" he asked finally. She waved her essay in the air to dry the ink, thinking up an answer.

She leaned forward. "Well, Potter was foolish enough to throw a dung bomb at me just the week before the match, so I was already annoyed with him," she whispered. "And I'm going to get him back for it, too. I wouldn't walk with them in the hallways too often next term if I were you." She winked, and he looked relieved. "Where are the gits anyway?" she asked then.

"They went to James' house for Christmas. Peter went home too."

"So did Sev. Why don't you have lunch with me today? You'd be much better company that the giggling girls from my dorm."

"Because I'm on Snape's list?" Lupin asked suddenly. He remembered hearing about it from one of the older Gryffindors. Severus had a list of people who were acceptable to befriend.

Muriel was startled to find that he knew about that, and even more so that he had the guts to ask her. "No," she said quietly, never breaking a smile. "Because you don't giggle."

Remus and Muriel sat alone at one end of the Ravenclaw table. She was pretty sure that the few Slytherins remaining were staring at them. But the worst of them were all gone. This year the Averys were having the Christmas party, and everyone important was there. She was immensely thankful not to be included.

"I should warn you to be on your guard when everyone gets back," she said suddenly, reaching for a piece of pumpkin pie as it appeared in the center of the table. Remus raised an eyebrow and she continued. "The goons will probably tell Severus I ate with you, and he was upset enough after I let you and Black go without hexing you."

He smiled. "If you're referring to the Slytherins as goons, then there's hope for you yet." They laughed, but then Remus became serious. "Aren't you a little young to have a boyfriend?"

"I don't have a boyfriend, but it's sort of understood that Severus and I will get married one day. We don't talk about it, though. It just makes him angry." She shuddered, remembering his response the last time she'd asked, and the punishment she'd given him for it. Remus was looking at her incredulously. She was surprised that he didn't seem to understand. "You're from a pure blood family. Haven't they told you who they want you to marry? It's happened to everyone I know." Remus looked uncomfortably at the table. Marriage was a little bit more than any 11 year old boy was ready to discuss. He couldn't give her the real reason why his parents wouldn't dream of 'intending' him to someone.

But as he thought of it, she caught the gist. His parents didn't discuss that because he was a werewolf, and any marriage arrangement they came to would require the bride's family to know. She decided to get him off the hook.

"Well, you ARE a Gryffindor. Maybe your family doesn't set much stock by pure blood marriages." She smiled as he looked up, suddenly himself again.

"No, they really don't," he said, wishing he'd thought of that excuse sooner. He'd have to remember that one.

When classes resumed for the next term, Remus did find himself dodging hexes in the hallways more often than usual, but not more often than Sirius and James. At least Muriel wasn't trying to get him. She almost never missed, and Sirius was starting to get annoyed.

The Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Tantry, was at his wit's end. He had always looked forward to Gryffindor / Ravenclaw classes before this year. It was his own fault, he knew, since he'd insisted upon seating the students in alphabetical order. Black and Deesia. He should have known better. Since the very first day of classes neither of them had set down their wand for an instant. Even when all he asked them to do was READ, they still sat warily, using their wands as they read to underline the text, their wand tips pointed continuously at one another.

Professor Tantry brought a boggart to class in early February, and they spent a double lesson period taking turns casting the Ridickulus curse on it. Muriel, who had read the section in the book before class, had learned that it was possible to cast the curse on humans as well, if you chose something harmless enough.

When Sirius faced the boggart, and it turned into a werewolf, Muriel heard Remus gasp behind her. No wonder he didn't get along with his roommates! She quickly pictured her Aunt Rosa's floppy Italian hat, bushy eyebrows, and flowered, strapless sundress. When Sirius had finished with the boggart, she pointed her wand at him and whispered, "Ridickulus!"

His wardrobe changed abruptly from the traditional black Hogwarts robes to a pink and orange flowered sundress and a huge straw hat. The entire class laughed so loudly that the boggart disappeared with a pop.

Sirius, however, was not amused. His wand arm shook as he rounded on Muriel. "FIX THIS!" he bellowed. Muriel was laughing so hard she could hardly hold her wand. Professor Tantry intervened immediately, but there was no spell to change his clothes back, so he sent him scampering up to Gryffindor tower to change, after several amusing attempts to help him.

"30 points from Ravenclaw, Deesia, and detention for a week!" Professor Tantry was beside himself. "Beginning tonight at 8."

"It was worth it," she whispered to Remus, still chuckling, as they filed out of class. She was grabbed by the arm in the doorway, however, by Marisa Ahles.

"What do you mean, losing 30 points was worth it?!"

As her dorm mates surrounded her, she started to look annoyed. "Oh come on, I earned you far more than 30 last term alone! Surely I'm allowed to burn a few for a joke that good!"

In spite of herself, Marisa laughed a little. The other girls calmed a bit too. "Alright, it was pretty funny," she admitted. It was the first time Marisa had dared to talk to the girl, and she was glad that Muriel hadn't just called her a mudblood and stalked away. Maybe Muriel wasn't such a rotten Slytherin after all.

Mur turned back to Remus, but kept her mind on Marisa. She'd made the mistake early on of calling Kyle, the 2^nd year Ravenclaw who always got on her nerves, a filthy mudblood. Everyone in the common room had gotten very quiet and she'd learned quickly that using that term was bad form. Her mother said it in normal conversation, but she'd been too proud to explain. Maybe today would be a good time. She mentally set aside an hour tonight to talk with Marisa and apologize to Kyle.

"So, who would have thought Black was afraid of werewolves?" she asked lightly. Remus looked up sharply as she continued. "I mean, it isn't like they're dangerous all the time, and all it takes is a little responsibility to make sure they aren't dangerous at all." He stayed silent. She knew better than to ask him what he was afraid of. Her stunt had kept him from having to face the boggart, which was probably for the best. Someone would certainly have learned his secret if a full moon had appeared before him.

They walked toward the Great Hall, Remus looking at the floor. Muriel felt bad that Sirius' fear was affecting her only Gryffindor friend so strongly. She saw Lucius Malfoy, a 4^th year, up ahead with Narcissa Black tagging along behind him, and had an idea. "You know, people overcome their fears on a pretty regular basis. The boggart probably would have turned into Malfoy for me, and look!"

She raised her wand and whispered a spell to turn his beautiful blond hair purple. Then she pocketed her wand and walked right passed him with a straight face, pretending not to notice. When they got to her place at the table, and she was sure that Lucius didn't know it was her, she leaned over to whisper in Remus' ear. "And if a Ravenclaw can do it, certainly a Gryffindor can." She winked at him as he looked at her with wide eyes. She thought for sure he'd leave, and that she'd given the whole thing away, but to her surprise, he sat down beside her with a thump.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"Well, you didn't get to face the boggart. Isn't that why you're so quiet, because you're scared?" She kept her voice even, not wanting to taunt him. Still, this was all she could think of to keep him from realizing that she knew.

"I'm not SCARED!" he said suddenly. But the feeling she got from him wasn't indignation. It was relief. As he walked smartly away, she smiled to herself. Maybe he'd remember what she said and apply it to Black anyway.

She jumped as Severus sat down heavily beside her. "What are you doing with that prat?" he asked sullenly. She laughed and told him the whole story of what she'd done to Black. It improved his mood greatly. "Well, you finally got back at him for the pumpkin head," he exclaimed, grinning.

"Yeah, but it's not over," a cold voice said behind them. Sirius, dressed once again in his school robes and flanked by Potter and Pettigrew, stood rigidly behind Muriel. He laid a shaking hand on her shoulder. "Not by a long shot."

The Easter holiday came quickly. Muriel's mother was finally well again, so Mur and Severus packed their things and took the train home. He was as happy as Mur had ever seen him, since his father was going to be out of town for the entire holiday.

"I'll be spending all my time over at your place to escape Mother," she joked weakly as the train pulled into Kings Cross. He shot her a pitying look and she made a face at him. He charmed both their trunks to follow them out onto the platform, and Muriel caught sight of her father immediately. He caught her in a hug as she ran toward him before shaking Severus' hand.

"Didn't see any sense in all of us coming out here, so I came by myself to get you both," he said. "How do you like it so far?" he asked, unrolling a huge carpet and charming their trunks to stick to it.

Muriel had sent him an owl almost every week, but she'd been careful to leave out some of the best stories. She and Severus exchanged a glance, but looked away quickly before either one could laugh. "It's great Papa! All Mother's friends have started being nice to me again, even if I'm not in their house."

"Well, except Malfoy. He isn't nice to anyone," Severus added as the carpet sailed quickly up above the clouds. Mr. Deesia handed them each a bottle with a blue flame in it to warm their hands. The air was still cold this far from the ground.

The trip seemed to take no time at all. Muriel told her father about how Severus was helping her in Potions class, and how Minchew let her borrow his Divination book so she could read up on that before she had to start the class herself. Her father nodded. Minchew's mother was rumored to be very good at such things.

"So you're glad you didn't chose the school in Italy?" he asked as the carpet began to descend.

Muriel looked back at Severus, who was looking away. He had stayed entirely out of that Deesia family debate. Her mother had wanted to send her to Durmstrang, and her father to the school he'd attended in Sicily, but she had begged to go wherever Severus went, and in the end her father had given in.

"Well, Papa, the school was beautiful as you said, but I have friends at Hogwarts, and I think it's the place for me," she answered carefully. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. But he only smiled at her. He'd gone out of his way to raise a child who didn't just blindly follow other people's ideas, and he was coming to terms with the fact that her attitude included him, too. He was also very encouraged that she hadn't been placed in Slytherin.

Mr. Deesia took Muriel's trunk upstairs for her and she and Severus carried his back to his house. The only place on their land where they could safely cast charms on holiday was in the forest behind the house, so they couldn't use magic to move the trunks.

"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Severus asked as she dropped her end of the trunk at the foot of his bed.

Muriel grimaced. "I'd better not. If I don't at least spend the first evening at home, Mother will be offended." He nodded knowingly and walked her back to the door. Mrs. Snape hugged her and invited her for the next day, which she agreed to gratefully.

All in all, it was a restful holiday. Muriel finished all her assignments and began studying for the end of term tests. She was a fast reader and it didn't take her long to read through the books again.

Severus sat on the floor of her room beside her cauldron for several hours, showing her how to make the potions she didn't understand, in case one of them came up on the test.

"So, what do you think Black is going to do when we get back? You know he'll have thought up something by then."

"You don't think cursing all my books to sing vulgar muggle songs when I opened them was enough for him? It got me detention!"

Severus laughed, remembering. "The prat was awfully proud of that one. Maybe he'll give it a rest until you do something else to him." Severus had tried to stay out of Muriel's unspoken duel with Black, but it seemed like walking her to class was enough to get him hexed. Potter, on the other hand, he really enjoyed cursing.

"I've been trying to come up with something good for Potter. He seems awfully fond of that new broom of his. Maybe a nice hurling hex would do. He isn't supposed to have a broom at school anyway." Severus smirked.

"No, save that for next year. There'll be an opening on their team and he'll be sure to try out. Then you could embarrass him in front of more than just the marauders."

"Who?" Severus asked.

"Oh, the marauders. Remus told me that's what they're calling themselves now. I think that he's finally getting along with them again." She watched in amusement as Severus' face took on the look it always had at school. It was a mask, she knew, and there was nothing funnier to her than Severus Snape trying to look forbidding. Except maybe Sirius Black dressed like her aunt.

"What are you still talking to him for? He's a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake!" His voice sounded sour, but she only smiled.

"Yes, and historically there's nothing against Ravenclaws and Gryffindors being friends."

"I thought you were a Slytherin staying in the Ravenclaw dormitory?" Severus asked hotly. Then, "Don't add that yet!" he exclaimed, but it was too late.

Muriel had put half a jar of lacewings into the cauldron between them, and the whole thing exploded spectacularly. Severus picked himself up from the floor - he'd been thrown the length of the room.

"PAPA!" he hollered, running to Mur. She'd had her back to the wall, and the potion that had only splattered him was caked all over her. She had a huge gash on her face, from a shattered piece of the cauldron, and it looked like some of the potion had gotten into the cut. Severus didn't know what this potion would do if it got in the bloodstream.

"PAPA HURRY!" he shouted again as he heard footsteps on the stairs. He shook her, but she didn't wake up.

Muriel's father picked her up gently and took her downstairs to the living room couch, calling for a house elf to bring some towels.

"What kind of potion was it, Sev?" he asked quietly, wiping it from Muriel's face.

"Just a sore muscle potion for rubbing on the skin. I don't think you're supposed to drink it and I'm afraid she got it in that cut."

"What were the ingredients?" Mr. Deesia asked solemnly.

Severus rattled them off from memory, along with the amounts. "But I know she put in too many lacewings, and she added them before the crushed dandelion seeds." He was worried now.

"Severus, go home and tell your mother what happened. I'm taking her to St. Mungo's. You can follow if you wish." Without another word, he lifted his daughter again and apparated to the hospital, careful to keep a towel full of potion with him.