For Our Parents Willed So

For Our Parents Willed So

*

Thunder Storm

*

"Hey, Snape? Is James around somewhere?"

Once again, Severus didn't open his eyes. "You know, paying attention to the fact that this is supposed to be our private dormitory, there are quite a lot of Gryffindor intruders," he said dryly. "And paying attention to the fact that James and I are supposed to stay together everywhere, he's quite a lot somewhere without me knowing just what he's doing or where." With a sigh, he added, "And that meant, 'No,' Black. James is not here - like you can clearly see. Do you wish to wait for him here, or shall I give him a message once he returns?"

"No, it isn't that important. I just thought you two could come with me and Lily outside for a bit, it's a very nice day out there." A sudden smile lit up the Marauder's face as he added, "Hey, what if you came with us? We can leave a message to James, he'll surely find us."

"Somehow, I have the feeling that I should not," mumbled Severus. "But as I have nothing better to do, I shall accept your offer. Very well, Black. I'm coming with you and Evans."

"Great!" With a bright smile, Sirius came to the room, snatching a piece of parchment and a quill from the desk. Quickly scribbling a note to his friend, he added, "Oh, and my name is Sirius. Not Black."

"And my name is Severus. Not Snape," said Severus back. "So I think we're quite equals in the name matter. Or are you willing to change that detail?"

"First name basis would be fine with me," the Animagus replied, shrugging. "But that might cause a mass heart attack, don't you think?"

"Point taken," replied Severus levelly. He knew that James knew that he and Sirius weren't as hateful towards each other as they acted to be. What his fiancé didn't know, however, was that they were at least as good friends as Severus and James, if not better. They'd made up for their fights after the Willow Incident on their fifth year, mostly because of Lucius forcing them to it. After many conversations in Lucius's quarters whenever Sirius's and Severus's visits happened to be at the same time, they'd noticed that they had a lot in common. Their fights were just for entertainment and act. Like Sirius had said, the hatred between them had become even more famous than the hatred between James and Severus. Most of the student body as well as the staff would be likely to have a fit if they acted openly friendly towards each other.

Lily waited for them outside the rooms. As Sirius explained her the situation, not forgetting to glare at Severus, who did not see this but knew him well enough to reply with a sneer, she just nodded, not surprised. Therefore, they all set to walk through the long, twisted corridors and stairways to get outside. Lily even offered her arm to Severus to guide him - it was ahabit James had been taught by their professors, and one he'd also taught to his friends. That way, it was much easier to Severus to follow his guide than if he'd only been dragged by hand.

They'd just got outside as somebody called after them. They all recognized the voice immediately, and turned to look at the person coming to them, although Severus's line of gaze missed its goal by about ten feet.

Remus soon came nearer, his long, quick strides closing the distance between them. Once getting to his friends' side, the werewolf grinned broadly. "You're not getting anywhere without me," he said teasingly. "I shall not allow that!"

"I'm afraid it's not up to you," Severus muttered, but didn't argue any further. So, Remus joined them on their way, cheerfully bickering with both Sirius and Severus.

"So, Severus, have you been reading the book?" the werewolf asked once they'd reached the Marauders' favourite oak tree by the lake and made themselves comfortable under it.

"Yes, I have," replied the Slytherin simply. "And most of it all is well beyond me. How could I imagine the form of anything in front of me, when I cannot see anything?"

Chuckling, Lily said, "And here I was thinking that Transfiguration is difficult to me. Honestly, Snape, every day I'm more and more fascinated by the fact that you've even survived life in Hogwarts this far, leave alone passed all tests with flying colours."

"Don't forget Astronomy," Severus said with a smirk. "In that, I'm horrid, although only for obvious reasons." He slipped a tiny book away from under his belt, where he'd tucked it when he'd left the room, and returned it to its original size with a tap of his wand.

"Odd," Sirius said, frowning. "It seems rather thick."

"And it is thick," replied Severus calmly. "You see, my edition is written in Braille, so it naturally is thicker than your books."

"Braille?" echoed Sirius, his eyes widening. "As in, the blind-writing?"

"Precisely, Black. Again, you surprise me with your momentary lack of ignorance."

"I'll be sure not to let that go on. So, why can't you just read it normally? I thought you had a spell for that. Or have you forgotten it?"

Severus sneered. "For your information, Black," he said coolly, "I have Madam Pomfrey and the Headmaster to thank for that. They're all the time ever more insisting that I should behave like any blind person, and not try to stick to the seeing people's way of life. It'll be much easier to me that way if I some day couldn't use my magic for one reason or another, they say."

"Don't you agree?" asked Remus curiously.

"Of course I do. I'm intelligent enough to realize that I must not get dependant on anything but myself. Not James, not magic, not anything."

"That could be one really lonely way to live," said Sirius with a grin, "if you didn't have us cheering up even your dullest day!"

"And the world rejoiced," muttered Severus under his breath, making sure that everyone, especially Sirius, heard his sarcastical comment.

However, it did not hit its goal. "Oh, so it indeed does!" the Grim Animagus exclaimed. "We're bringing joy and cheerfulness everywhere in the Wizarding World! Then we'll get our own TV program and bring it everything to the Muggle World, also! And then, Sevvy dear, then you'll be HAPPY!" Nobody could miss the half teasing, half threatening tone in the last word.

Severus crawled away from Sirius, leaving Remus between them. "He's your friend, Lupin," he murmured, "I'm only here because of my fiancé. It's your duty to save me from his insanity."

As an answer, Reus turned into a wolf, giving him a toothy smile. Sirius soon followed the example.

After a moment, they sat in a relative silence, Severus and Lily both concentrated on their textbooks and scratching one canine behind the ears. Moony pressed his head affectionately against Severus's legs, begging to be petted and scratched more, while Padfoot lay on his back in a perfect picture of a completely, utterly happy dog.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of lightning, then loud thundering. I an instant, Padfoot and Moony were on their feet, running towards the castle on the speed of something escaping a frightening thing.

"Sirius! Remus!" exclaimed Lily, half standing, half sitting, reaching her hand after the dog and the wolf. "Come back!"

"Let them go, Evans," Severus said dryly. "Almost all canines are afraid of thunder, Animagi or not."

"But - maybe we should go after them?" suggested the girl. "Try to make them calm down, or something?"

"Sure, go ahead," Severus replied. "I'll follow you in a bit."

"But can you get back by yourself?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm blind, Evans, not an invalid," the boy snapped sharply. "I can assure you, with the Bat Radar I'm fully capable of getting back to the castle myself. There are no monsters around here who might eat me."

"No, but..." She trailed off. Shaking her head with a sigh, she said, "Be that way, then."

"Oh, I do believe I will."

And with that, she started to walk towards the castle. When she was about the halfway to there, it suddenly started to rain. Heavy, wet drops fell down to her back, making her speed up, until she was running towards the castle.

*

When Lily got to the castle, she couldn't find the two Animagi anywhere. After many questions she found out that Padfoot had ran towards his living quarters, and Moony had been seen escaping to the Gryffindor Tower. Therefore, they were most probably already being calmed down by Peter and Lucius.

Then, another worry came to her mind. Severus was still outside, alone. A brief glance out of the window was enough to tell her that it was now raining dogs and cats, as well as thundering loudly. She had to doubt whether the boy could get back safely.

Just as she was going to go back outside to search for Severus, she heard James's voice shouting, "Oi, Lily! Where's Severus?"

"He's outside," the witch replied, half fearing what James would say. "We were sitting by the side of the lake, under the big oak tree. Moony and Padfoot got frightened by the thundering, so Severus told me to follow them."

"And you left him there?" exclaimed the bespectacled boy.

"He said he'd be fine -" she started, but was interrupted by her friend's sharp reply.

"He's damn well not fine, and you know that! The rain's completely spoiling the Radar. Severus cannot see where he's going, he could just as well be heading towards the Forbidden Forest now! If he falls and hurts himself, or gets burned by a lightning bolt, or somehow gets hurt it'll be your fault, because you took him outside and left him there!"

Lily couldn't say anything, she just nodded miserably. James gave him the last furious glance, then headed towards the outdoors. As soon as he was outside in the rain, he transformed, running as a stag out to find his fiancé.

Lily watched as he went, a sinking feeling in her heart telling that everything was not okay with Severus.

*

Prongs ran through the rain and thundering, the human part of his mind forcing him to continue despite the stag's natural fear of storms. He had to find Severus, no matter what.

At first, he ran to the oak tree Lily had mentioned - he knew the way better than well. There, he started sniffing the air for any signs of Severus. His sense of smell was hardly as good as Moony's or Padfoot's, and the rain was making his job even more difficult, but with a bit of trying, he found a more recent trail of Severus's scent than the one that had led him to the tree.

Prongs leaped forward, hoping to find the boy for one obvious reason - he wasn't walking towards the school, but towards the Forbidden Forest, just like James had feared.

Fear and relief fought inside him as he just after a moment saw a dark, huddled form in the ground. Relief won as he got nearer and saw that not only it was Severus, but that he was very well alive and kicking.

The Slytherin glanced up to him and sighed in relief. "I stepped into a hole on the ground, and then, I think, I twisted my ankle," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Or at least it hurts too much to walk, whatever it is."

"Just great," muttered James, who'd already transformed into his human form. They were both soaked through in the rain that just continued to fall, accompanied by a lighting bolt and thundering every now and then. "Let's see. We'll get to the castle fastest if you get to my back. The stag is very well able to bear your weight."

"Otherwise, that sounds good to me," said Severus, "but how the hell am I supposed to get onto your back, when I cannot even stand up?"

"Easy," James replied, trying to get a cheerful tone into his voice. "I'll go on all fours now, you get to my back and hold tightly on my neck, and I transform."

Severus's expression showed better than well what he thought of this plan, but after some coaxing from James, he agreed to the plan.

Prongs couldn't get as quickly forward as without the burden on his back, but after some time, the thoroughly soaked couple appeared to the castle's front door. Lily was already there, her expression that of guilt, and even Sirius had dared to come, even though he flinched every time he saw lightning or head thundering. He had obviously picked some traits from his Animagus form, like they all had. Remus couldn't come - the animal traits were too strong in him, as he was a werewolf - and Peter had remained inside, soothing his boyfriend. Lucius, however, was there, looking slightly worried.

"Oh my God," whispered Lily, covering her mouth with her arm as she saw Prongs carrying Severus. "What happened?"

"I twisted my ankle," the dark-haired Slytherin replied in a hiss. "Now, could you please let me down, James?"

"I'll help you," Lucius said, and stepped forward to help the young wizard slide away from the stag's back. Then he supported Severus, and James, transforming back into his human form immediately, supported his fiancé from the other side.

With some effort they got Severus to the Infirmary. Madam Pomfrey told that Severus had not only twisted his ankle, but also fractured it. Therefore, she demanded him to stay in the Infirmary for at least two days - a condition he was not happy about.

Lily was now sniffling constantly, blaming herself for the Slytherin's injury. "I'm sorry, Severus," she said miserably. "I'm so sorry for leaving you there - I never should have -"

"Shut up, Evans," Severus snapped, unable to bear her weeping anymore. "I told you to leave, remember?"

"It doesn't matter!" the witch exclaimed tearfully. "You could have been seriously injured or - or - or died! And then it'd been my fault, and mine alone!"

Severus poked James sharply on the ribs. "Whatever you said to her, take it back," he muttered angrily. "I'll stand anything rather than her weeping over something that didn't even really happen."

James sighed and rolled his eyes, then looked at Lily. "Stop crying, or he'll beat me unconscious," he said, attempting to get a serious tone now. He was truly relieved to know that Severus was, even if not all right, then at least relatively so.

Severus didn't say anything to this, but he glared at him rather effectively - the only thing spoiling the threatening effect was that the glare missed his fiancé with about a foot. James merely smirked in response, ruffled Severus's hair, and then ducked the pillow the Slytherin had thrown towards him.