For Our Parents Willed So

For Our Parents Willed So

*

Photo Album

*

"Is James here?"

Not even bothering to open his eyes, for he knew the incomer wouldn't buy his act, Severus replied, "Went somewhere. He said he won't stay away for long. You can wait for him here, if you want."

"Oh, sure." Lily stepped into the room, glancing around. Severus sat on his bed, his eyes closed and fingers tracing the text on the book in his lap. The desk was empty minus a couple of school books and something that seemed to be a photo album. The album was open, a quill lying on it. "What's this album?" she asked quriously.

"What? Oh, it's just a photo album my godmother has made for me," replied Severus. "She's Russian, my Mum's cousin, so the picture descriptions are also in Russian. I've been wanting to translate them and make them more accurate ever since I got it, but for obvious reasons, I'm not capable of that. So, James has been helping me with it."

"That's very nice from him," commented the young witch, fingering the pages of the album.

"So it is," said the Slytherin quietly. "I read them aloud in English, and James makes his additions to the descriptions, writing them down. Madam Pomfrey doesn't even allow me to write anything myself anymore, saying that I shouldn't try to live like a seeing person but accept my disability."

Nodding slowly, even though she knew the boy couldn't see her gesture, Lily still kept giving the book curious glances. "May I take a look at it?" she asked after a moment.

"Go ahead," the boy replied, shrugging. "The descriptions are only translated in the beginning, but nothing prevents you watching the pictures even after that point."

Nodding again, Lily took the book, then sat down on one of the chairs next to the desk. Opening the first page, she started to look through the album.

Severus continued reading the text he needed for his Potions essay. Evans's presence didn't disturb him as long as she kept quiet, so he didn't mind the girl watching his pictures. After all, what was the point of not letting others see them, when they weren't of any use to him?

"Who's this, in the picture?" she suddenly asked. Obviously she'd already got to the point where the descriptions were in Russian.

"I'm sorry, Evans," said Severus smoothly, "but I hardly can advise you in the matter from here. If, however, you kindly gave me the album, I might be able to read the description of the picture."

The witch blushed slightly, thanking whatever upper force was watching them that the Slytherin couldn't see it. She handed over the album, leading the boy's fingers to the description of the picture in question.

After a second, Severus smiled slightly. "That's me, when I was six years old," he told, handing the album back to her.

Lily watched the picture closely. The boy seemed to flinch as she watched him, but didn't make any other sign of noticing her. His short, black hair was curled, his nose slightly pointed but perfectly straight, and his eyes intently watching her.

The eyes were what fascinated her the most. They were dark blue on the edges, and the middle areas were so light blue that it was almost white. The tiny black spots in the middle of the contrast of the blue areas were locked at her, the gaze's intensivity well matching the serious expression and the tight line of his lips. All in all, even though the seriousness slightly distracted her, the boy was truly beautiful in an odd, childish way.

"Who could have guessed?" said Lily, smiling. "Severus Snape, the most pretty child I've ever seen."

"Such a difference the years have made, eh?"

Hearing this, she gazed up at the boy now. His hair fell down to his shoulders, only curling slightly in the ends, and his nose had a crook to it that told of being broken at some point. The roundness had disappeared from the cheeks, but the lips were still pressed tightly together. Black orbs looked somewhere to her direction, but not directly at her. A closer examination told her that the eyes weren't actually focused at anything, for they couldn't see anything clearly enough to focus on it.

But the steady, yet delicate features were still there, the high cheekbones, the odd paleness that was a combination of genetics and staying inside. The black locks of hair were still shiny, and even though the onyx eyes couldn't see, their almost hypnotizing intensity hadn't vanished.

"No," she said at last. "The difference really isn't big in the end."

"Geez, Lily," said an all too familiar voice behind them, "So now you're hitting at my fiancé, eh?"

"Alas, no such luck," Severus replied lightly. "You're still stuck with me."

"And that's why I'm crying," said James, mock-sniffling and faking to wipe tears away from his eyes.

"Nobody's believing you," the Slytherin replied evenly. "I know that you really love me."

"In your dreams, Snape."

"No, no, no. It's only you who's having dirty dreams about us. y dreams are completely Potter-free."

Lily observed in slight amusement this interaction between the two boys. It was amusing when Sirius and Remus fought, and especially when Sirius and Severus did that. However, even though this was not really fighting, it was just as entertaining.

Turning the next page of the album open, she giggled. "Oh, my," she said, watching in amusement the scene in front of her. There were James and Severus, somewhere near seven (Severus's nose wasn't broken yet), very eagerly trying to strangle each other. "Say, what did you get for punishment for this?"

James glanced at the picture and smirked. "No dessert for a week," he replied.

Severus reached out his hand, and Lily led his fingers to the right description. Then, the Slytherin said softly, "My father threw me to the floor, breaking my arm."

"Oh." Amusement left Lily very suddenly. "I - I'm sorry. I didn't know -"

"Nothing to be sorry about, Evans," the boy replied, waving her apologies away. "It's not your fault that my father was an insufferable bastard."

James, however, took the album, examining the picture closely. He remembered the scene; it had happened on his seventh birthday party. Back then, he'd been too angry to think at all. Now, however, as he watched the young Severus, he noticed things he'd previously been blind to. The distress in the boy's eyes, for example, or the slightly defending posture. And, most importantly, the hint of fear in the glowing blue eyes.

'Shit,' he thought to himself, 'Severus must have thought that I was going to kill him right there and then.' He genuinely wanted to apologize, but he just couldn't force the words out of his mouth, not with Lily there next to them.

So, instead of apologizing, he tried to lead the conversation elsewhere. "So, you came to look for me, right, Lily?" asked he, watching the girl curiously.

"Exactly." The redhead wiped a curl of hair away from her eyes, then said, "As much as I hate to admit this, I need help with my Transfiguration essay. I guess I could have asked any of you guys, but, well, you're the best one. Oh, and Snape," she then said, glancing at the boy who could not see that, "Remus also asked me to tell you that the thing you asked about is in order, and he'd want to talk with you tomorrow."

Severus nodded, oblivious to the curious look James gave them both. The bespectacled boy decided not to push it, however. He was only glad that Severus was getting along with his friends, and the whatever reason was behind that wasn't important. Most probably Remus was tutoring the Slytherin with something - Merlin knew that the other Marauders would have been in a trouble with their studies more than once without him.

So, he started to explain a particularly difficult Transfiguration theory to Lily - he was truly fascinated by the subject, which wasn't a miracle, considering that he was truly talented in it. Severus merely sat on his bed, seemingly halfly listening to them, and didn't say anything for the rest of the evening.