Metamorphoses

Metamorphoses

Chapter 2: A Branching of Paths

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?"

"My brother said there's a giant octopus in there."

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Anthony. Like I'll actually believe that."

"Yeah? And I see both your hands are now back inside the boat. Go on, stick them back out, if you really don't believe me..."

It seemed to Severus like he had been listening to the two boys' constant banter for hours. Anthony and Peter had latched on to Remus ever since they got off the train, and Severus had no other recourse but to follow them into a boat. It was either that, or get in a boat with complete strangers, or worse, the bullies (who turned out to be first years themselves). Not that this idiotic chatter was that much better than being bullied. He was barely containing his impulse to throw the two boys over the side, into the lake.

Remus was not any help, either. He had lapsed into an uneasy silence from the moment they had exited the train. Now, he was resolutely staring at his shoes.

"Hey, Remus," Severus whispered, tugging on the boy's sleeve to get his attention.

Remus remained unmoving. He sat hunched beside Severus, his forearms resting on his thighs, hands tightly clasped on his knees. If he heard Severus, he did not give any indication. Were it not for the occasional blinking of Remus's eyes, Severus would have thought he was petrified.

"Nervous?" Severus tried once more. "Too bad we don't have any more chocolates left, huh?"

"..."

He considered tugging at Remus's sleeve more violently, but decided against it. Maybe the boy was afraid of boats. Or lakes. Or giant octopuses. Or maybe he was just trying to block out the others' inane talk, like Severus was.

Giving up trying to coax Remus into conversation, Severus turned to study the lake. Its silky surface, barely rippled by their boats, perfectly reflected the night sky. The moon was only a sliver, faintly illuminating the world -- glossing over its grace, but hiding all of its flaws. Their boat was headed to what he supposed was the Hogwarts castle, a dark shape haloed in soft yellow light, standing atop a small mountain at the other side of the lake.

Severus felt the boat rock, and saw Anthony and Peter leaning over the side, scrambling to get a better view of the lake. They were talking in hushed, excited voices. Clicking his tongue irritably, Severus turned to face the lake once more, in a vain attempt to forget about the two. Disappointingly, he found that their boat had entered a tunnel, which had completely cut off his view of the sky.

"Er, Severus?" he heard Remus say.

Severus blinked, surprised, and looked at the boy sitting beside him. Remus was waving one of his hands in front of his face, and it was with a start that Severus discovered he was still holding on to the boy's sleeve.

"Oh, sorry," he said, releasing the sleeve quickly, as if burned. But Remus grabbed Severus's hand back and led him to the front of the boat, where the others were already getting off.

"We must be directly under the castle," Remus said, turning around slowly, his wide eyes seeming to study every square inch of the cave. It looked like a natural hollow carved underneath the heavy gray rock, but for the large marble steps at the end. Remus smiled at Severus, his eyes glinting with obvious excitement.

He's back to his old self, Severus thought, relieved.

Anthony and Peter crowded against them, almost tripping over each other's feet in their mad rush to get off the boat. Peter was vigorously rubbing his wet hand on his robes. "There was something slimy in there, I'm not kidding!"

"Did you see it? Do you think it was the giant octopus? I heard it once bit a student's hand off," Anthony said, looking furtively back at the lake.

Severus rolled his eyes. He could not believe they were still on the topic of giant octopuses.

"What are you girls screaming on about?" a voice loathsomely familiar to Severus drawled. Even without looking, Severus could imagine the cruel smirk on the speaker's face. He shook his head. Two more victims, he thought. This was not going to be good.

"Gi-giant octopus. In the l-l-lake," Anthony stuttered, obviously intimidated by the boy as well. Peter's mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. He looked like he wished he were anywhere else but here beside his friend, in full view of the gathering crowd.

"Giant octopus, eh, Nancy-boy? Bit you with its jelly teeth, then, didn't it?"

Several girls near them giggled. Figures. Mr. Bully got himself some fans, Severus thought.

"Actually, it's a giant squid. I saw a drawing of it in Hogwarts: A History," Remus's soft voice cut in.

Severus, who was just about to walk away, nearly tripped on his own feet. Remus! Can anyone be THIS naïve? He looked back, and saw the bully take a step towards Remus, brows lifted, one side of his mouth curled upwards in a predatory smirk. Anthony took advantage of the distraction to run away, dragging Peter with him. Severus grabbed at the back of Remus's robes, intending to pull him away as well, but it was too late.

"A giant squid?" the bully asked Remus, flicking stray strands of his dark hair with an arrogant sideways flip of the head.

"Hey, hey, who saw the giant squid?" said another boy who just walked over to them.

Oh great, Severus thought disgustedly. James, just the person we needed to add to the mix. Now the Dynamic Duo is complete.

Positioning himself beside the still-oblivious Remus, Severus took hold of the wand in the pocket of his robes. He would wait for a chance to drag Remus to safety, but just in case no opportunities arose, he was going to turn James and his friend into frogs. If he can figure out how. He took a deep breath, ready for the worst.

"I remember my dad telling me about that once. It's there to protect the lake, I think," James said, scratching his head, further messing up his already tousled black hair.

"Your dad's SEEN it?" the larger bully asked, turning to face his friend.

This is our chance! Severus pulled insistently on Remus's robes.

But the boy would not budge. "Did he say where it came from?" Remus asked, his voice thick with curiosity.

Oh, damn the boy!

"I don't think my dad's seen it," James said. "A headmaster before their time is said to have acquired it from somewhere in the Pacific. The Marianas, or something."

"Far out!" Remus said.

"Yeah," James's friend agreed, nodding his head and smiling, finally, at Remus.

Severus released Remus's robes, and found himself being swept away as other students flocked around the three, wanting to hear more about the giant squid. He released his breath explosively, thankful for Remus's stroke of good luck. Although he had to wonder if it WAS just luck. The boy, it seemed to him, had an unbelievable knack for getting people to like him.

"Alrigh' firs' years, follow me! Up yeh go into the castle. Mind yer step! Firs' years!" a booming voice announced. It belonged to a gigantic man who was motioning them to the flight of marble stairs at the end of the tunnel.

Severus followed the crowd, trying not to gawk at the huge man. He almost immediately found himself flanked on both sides by Anthony and Peter. Remus's shadows, he thought, not entirely succeeding in forcing down his scowl.

"Which House do you think you'll get sorted into?" Anthony was asking Peter.

"My dad's Ravenclaw, mum was in Gryffindor. 'Expect I'll end up in one of the two," Peter answered.

"I hope we get in the same house."

"Yeah. And Remus, and Severus, too."

Severus grunted. He tried to extricate himself several times from between the two. Sometimes he walked faster, sometimes slower, but they managed to match him stride for stride each time. He was just about to tell them off when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Slowing his pace, he glanced back and found Remus grinning at him, closely followed by the two bullies, still, apparently, talking about the ever-popular squid. Predictably, the two shadows immediately disappeared from Severus's side when they caught sight of Remus's companions.

"I thought I lost you," Remus said, his eyes twinkling.

Severus smiled apologetically. "Er--," was all he could say, since he was trying to remain unnoticed. Thankfully, he was, at the moment, invisible to James and his loudmouthed friend.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they found the other students standing expectantly outside an enormous door.

"Hey, Remus, over here!" Peter called out. He paled when he saw the bullies look up at him. "Uh... I think I'll just catch up with you later," he mumbled, scampering quickly away.

Remus scratched his head, looking confused. "I wonder what that's about. Anyway, I guess we have to wait here until a teacher comes for us," he said.

"Seems like," the big bully agreed. "Your name's Remus, then? Mine's Sirius. Sirius Black."

"Oh, wow. Another Dead Greek Person name. Is it destiny, do you think?" Remus said, smiling.

"No, it's Roman," Severus whispered absently. He could not explain the sharp freezing sensation that started in the middle of his chest and spread branch-like all over his body when he heard Remus say those words to the other boy.

Is it destiny, do you think?

He was mine first, he found himself thinking. Severus shook his head, surprised at the unbidden thought.

"I'm James," the other boy introduced himself.

"And this is Severus," Remus said when Severus remained silent.

"Hey, I didn't know you were friends with little Nancy-boy!" Sirius said, apparently noticing Severus for the first time. Grinning cheekily, he placed himself between Remus and Severus and put an arm on each of the boys' shoulders.

Severus shuddered. He was not used to being touched by anyone, and he did not intend to start with this thug. Severus moved a few steps away, pretending to look for someone from the crowd behind them. When he looked back, he found himself well outside the tight circle the three boys had just formed. They were laughing animatedly at something Severus did not catch.

He was mine first, Severus thought, glaring at James and Sirius.

But he won't be yours last, a cruel voice inside him mocked.

***

"Black, Sirius."

Sirius strutted to the platform and put on the Sorting Hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted. Cheers echoed from the Gryffindor table as they welcomed the newest addition to their House.

A few minutes earlier, a female teacher with square spectacles, who introduced herself as Professor McGonagall, had come out of the enormous doors at the top of the marble staircase. She brought the first years into the Great Hall, where the other students were arrayed at four long tables. She led the first years to the aisle, told them about the four Hogwarts Houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin and Ravenclaw), and introduced them to the Sorting Hat, which would place each of them into a House, depending on his abilities.

"Which House do you want to be sorted into?" Remus whispered to Severus, as 'Bradford, Hilda' took her turn on the platform.

Anywhere but Gryffindor, Severus thought, still glaring at Sirius from under his lowered lashes.

"I don't know. Maybe Ravenclaw," he said aloud instead. One of Remus's shadows (Abercrombie, Anthony) had already been sorted into Ravenclaw. "You?" he whispered back.

Remus shrugged. "I just want to get into the same House you'll be in."

When Remus's name was called, he squeezed Severus's arm with cold, trembling fingers, and whispered, "Wish me luck," before walking to the front.

After a few seconds, the hat announced, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Severus's heart gave a huge thump that he was sure everyone heard. With a great effort, he managed to calm his breathing, but he could still feel his hands fisted at his sides, clutching at the fabric of his robes.

"I hope I get into Gryffindor, too," Peter whispered to him.

"And I care, because...?" Severus growled, thankful for the opportunity to dump his mood on someone.

Peter squeaked, and scurried away, looking injured.

Severus stood stonily as a succession of students was called. Both 'Pettigrew, Peter' and 'Potter, James' had been sorted into Gryffindor. At their table, Sirius, James and Remus sat in a cluster, talking easily, as if they had known each other for years and were just catching up on goings-on during summer. Peter sat beside Remus, occasionally nodding at something one of the other three said. Just a few students were left on the aisle with Severus. His turn was approaching. Quincy, Slytherin. Quirrell and Robertson, Hufflepuff. Rogers, Saint-Claire, Sheppard...

"Snape, Severus."

Severus glanced at the Gryffindor table on his way to the platform. Sirius and James had looked up when his name was called, and both stared at him with unblinking eyes before bowing their heads and whispering to each other. I hope they're not planning anything nasty, Severus thought. Severus saw Remus trying to get his attention, but he walked on, pretending not to have noticed.

His last thought before jamming the Sorting Hat onto his head was, Anywhere but Gryffindor.

"Oh, don't worry, I wasn't going to put you in Gryffindor," a small voice inside the hat said. "You have ambition, and a great drive to succeed, no matter how difficult the situation. You're bound to do well in - SLYTHERIN!"

Slytherin. He vaguely heard the cheers that arose from the Slytherins as he leadenly made his way to their table.

"Welcome to Slytherin," their House Prefect greeted him formally. The boy's cool tone, however, coupled with an aristocratic narrow face and cold lead-gray eyes, did not make Severus feel welcome at all. Severus felt like the older boy had sized him up, and found him lacking. Shaken, Severus chose a seat farthest from the Prefect, and sat still until the last first year was sorted.

Severus had to use all his willpower to stop himself from looking at the Gryffindor table. He felt lost, but he refused to appear needy. He did not need Remus. He was used to relying on himself, wasn't he? He can, too, make friends in this House. The Prefect was just a fluke; there were surely other friendly people in Slytherin as well. In fact, the girl beside him was already trying to draw him into conversation. What was her name again? Moira, yes. She was telling him about her family's collection of crystals. With a topic as interesting as crystals, who would want to look at a group of dorky boys at the other side of the Hall?

***

For the millionth time, Remus glanced at the Slytherin table, hoping to catch Severus's attention. He wondered what the Slytherin girl and Severus were talking about; it seemed to interest Severus very much. Remus had to admit that he did not know a lot about Severus, and had no idea what made him tick. The boy volunteered little information about himself, if at all.

That was why Remus had been genuinely looking forward to getting to know Severus better, and had been extremely disappointed when the Sorting Hat put the boy in Slytherin. Severus had been the first person his age (actually, the first person outside of his family) Remus had any friendly contact with. Remus had been home-schooled, and his parents seldom let him leave the house for fear of other people finding out about his secret. He was hesitant, at first, to talk to Severus at Ollivander's (he was so nervous, in fact, that he crammed ten pieces of chocolate squares in his mouth and tried to chew them all at once). Looking back, he realized he was glad the first person he talked to had been Severus. He was close-mouthed, yes, and difficult to draw out. But because of this, he had also not been too prying and inquisitive, and was content to accept whatever Remus chose to reveal to him. Remus had met two other boys later that day, but they were so full of questions that Remus had to be constantly on his toes, lest he say more about himself than it was safe to.

Remus sighed. Severus still had not once looked at the Gryffindor table. If Remus did not know any better, he would have thought that the boy was deliberately not looking their way. But that was impossible. The girl probably had very interesting stories to tell. Of course, Remus had interesting things to tell, too, except most of HIS stories had to be kept hidden from anyone but his closest relations.

His attention was abruptly brought back to his side of the Hall when a rain of golden forks dropped on his head. Sirius had apparently been magically balancing nine forks on the tip of his nose (to great applause), and was just about to add the tenth when a giggly girl caused him to lose his balance.

Sirius grabbed another handful of forks, jumped onto the table, and tiptoed theatrically towards James and Peter, who were in the middle of discussing the Chudley Cannons and, therefore, totally oblivious to the commotion. He shrugged impishly at his rapt audience before lifting his arms into the air, tipping his hands over so that the forks would drop on the two boys' heads.

"Gah!" Peter screamed, falling off his chair.

"Get back here, you bloody bugger," James shouted, getting up to chase Sirius, who had escaped to the other end of the table.

Remus laughed so hard he almost forgot that, just a moment before, he had been brooding about Severus. It was with a tremendous effort that he managed to control his fits when the Headmaster called the Hall to order for the Start of Term announcements.

***

Looks like they're having fun, Severus thought, his faced screwed up as though he had just eaten a green bitterberry. Everyone's attention had been riveted to the ruckus at the Gryffindor table, the cause of which were Sirius, Remus, James, Peter, and a bunch of golden eating utensils.

"Stupid Gryffindors," a fourth year Slytherin remarked acidly.

Severus looked around, and realized that the only people not amused by the boys' antics were the ones at his table. He raised a brow at Moira. "What's going on?" he asked, indicating the other Slytherins' frozen demeanor.

Moira shrugged. "Oh. Old House rivalry. My parents were both Slytherin, you know. They say it has always been Slytherin vs. Gryffindor since the beginning of time. They hate us, we hate them... I thought you knew, you looked like a thundercloud, glaring at them a few seconds ago."

Severus felt the freezing sensation in his chest return.

Is it destiny, do you think?

Yes it was, come to think. Just not the kind of destiny he wished for.

***

"First years, please follow me," the Slytherin Prefect announced, gathering the new Slytherins with him. The Welcoming Feast was over, and the Prefects were supposed to show the new students to their respective dormitories.

"Ooh, let's go Severus," Moira said, her curly auburn hair flouncing on her head as she hastily jumped up from the table. "I hope our dorms are nice."

Severus was just getting up to follow her when he heard Remus shout his name.

"Hey, Severus, wait up!" Remus was running towards him, followed closely by Peter.

Severus could not help smiling. He did not want to admit it, but he was glad (and a little proud) that Remus singled him out and wanted to talk to him.

"Oh, look, Rodolphus. Ickle Gryffindorks," Severus heard a female voice behind him say.

His smile faltered.

Slytherin vs. Gryffindor... They hate us, we hate them...

"Oy, Remus! Hurry up, or we'll be left behind!" James shouted at Remus, who was still only halfway to the Slytherin table, having had trouble squeezing between all the students hurrying to their dorms.

"Are you friends with them, Severus?" Moira whispered to his ear. Her voice sounded tinny and apprehensive.

Severus could see Remus still struggling to get through the crowd. Peter was frantically tugging at his robes, trying to drag him to where the Gryffindor first years were already starting to exit the Hall. James and Sirius were waving their hands at him and calling him back, casting dark looks at Severus while they were at it.

Destiny.

Severus faced Moira. "No, I just met them on the train," he answered, turning his back on Remus, and, without once looking back, followed the Slytherin Prefect to their dormitory.