The Boy Who Found a Home

Severus saw Lily in her favourite corner of the library with a partially written essay spread out before her. A stack of books, piled three feet high, was on the table. She used the tip of one quill to scratch her scalp, while she flipped through pages in her notebook with her other hand.

He heard Madam Pince's 'tsk' of disapproval at seeing her treasured books in a teetering tower. Hoping to avoid further reprimand, the young witch quickly rearranged the books into two neat columns. The librarian moved on to a group of Ravenclaws who were speaking well above the hushed whisper deemed appropriate in that hallowed room.

Avoiding Evans had been his goal; she'd undoubtedly begin to demand answers about why he'd missed class; she'd probably assume he'd be in trouble again. Moving with all the stealth he'd practiced over the past year, he tried to glide without a sound along the row to find the book he'd been hunting for.

Creak; his shoe betrayed him.

From the corner of his eye, he saw that the girl had looked up and seen him moving among the massive shelves. Turning to another bookshelf, he eased out several books without print on the spines to examine the frontispiece. Perhaps if he looked busy she'd take the hint.

Long, slender fingers flittered over the spines until they found a rather battered volume. Removing the book from the shelf, Severus, with his attention already deep in the tome, turned toward the tables.

Feeling something touch his arm, he glared balefully down at her.

"Damn. Why didn't you wait to find that book? See where it's got you now! Evans is like a damn Crup that just won't leave go!"

"Where were you today?" Evans asked.

"What?"

"Where were you?" she repeated. "You weren't in Potions."

"None of you business," he replied brusquely.

He could tell that she was biting the side of her mouth at his tone. "What's wrong?"

What's wrong? Everything! the voice in his head cried. Severus' face was glacial.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just want to know if you're all right."

He shrugged his shoulders noncommittally, afraid that everything would pour out in an uncontrollable flood if he said anything about--them.

She knew him well enough to know something was wrong, "Would you like me to go away?"

Severus felt one of his hands cramp from his tight clenching of the book he'd been holding. Shifting it to his other hand, he realized he'd been opening and closing it spasmodically. Irritated with his display of feelings, he forced several deep breaths into his lungs.

Lily also took in several deep breaths before she moved closer to him. "Severus?"

"They're dead," he choked out painfully.

The witch's mouth and eyes formed an 'o' with her shock, and her arm moved upward to touch him, but when she saw him tense angrily she caught herself and forced it back to her side. "Who died?"

Lily sat back down on the library chair. She leaned forward, resting her weight on her elbows; her hands grasped her biceps so tightly that she'd surely have bruises the next day.

Severus quickly glanced around, anxious about who might have overheard. No one else was in that section of the library.

"I don't want to talk about it, Evans," he said firmly.

"I want to help you," she insisted.

The sonorous clock bells tolled the end of the school day.

"I have to leave, it's almost curfew," Severus said, relieved at the chance to change subjects.

"Would you help me put the books back before you leave?" Lily asked. She'd apparently decided not to pursue the subject.

Grudgingly, Severus put his book and book bag on the table, and took a pile to replace on the shelves. Deftly he found the proper places on the shelves. Returning to the table, he saw Evans looking at the book he'd left next to his book bag. Glaring at her, he seized the volume from her and roughly pushed it into his bag.

"You haven't signed for it--" she began, but when he began to reach for his wand, she sensibly closed her mouth.

Turning on his heel, Severus stormed from the library. He could hear the click of Lily's shoes following him out and down the corridor.

"Wait!" she called out from behind.

Irritation burned within him. Why did she always have to stick her nose into everyone's business? The red-haired girl was practically trotting to keep up with his long-legged stride as he rushed back to the main corridor. She struggled to keep her bag of books from banging into her hip.

Then he heard voices echoing on the hard stone walls. He froze and cocked an ear to hear more closely. Lily had stopped beside him, her head also tilted to hear who was making so much noise.

Suddenly turning the corner, Severus saw James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus, blithely unaware of anyone else in the area, roughhousing with each other.

He saw Remus fall onto the irregular granite floor after Sirius pushed him into a wall. Remus glanced up as he began to push up off the floor and saw them in a shadowed area. He cried out in surprise, alerting his friends that they were not alone.

Lily moved forward, motioning him to leave the area.

"What're you doing here?" James demanded.

"I was in the library, as if it's any of your business," Lily said, immediately going on the offence. "I'm rather surprised to see you up here; I didn't think you knew where the library was."

Feeling the sting of embarrassment for the Gryffindor's quick thinking, Severus began to back into the security of the shadows.

"Well, well. Evans isn't alone. Look who's over there," Peter Pettigrew said as he pointed a stubby finger.

Sirius moved around to see who had attracted Peter's attention. "What're you doing here, Snivellus? Spying on Evans?"

"You've been warned before to stay away from Gryffindors. I'm gonna make you regret the day you were born," James snarled angrily as he pulled out his wand.

Lily placed herself between her four house mates and the lone Slytherin.

"You think you can tell everyone what to do, but you can't," Lily said. The girl dropped her book bag onto the floor with a thud.

"You think?"

"I know."

Severus knew it was near curfew and he began to walk away from the four boys to an adjunct hall. I don't need this now, he thought to himself.

"You're nothing but a bloody coward hiding behind a girl's skirts," James Potter called after him.

From behind him, Severus heard the sound of scuffling. He looked over his shoulder and saw Lily push James' wand aside with her hand. James roughly shoved her, and Remus pulled the girl out of his friend's path.

"Yeah, you're nothing but a coward, Snivellus!" Sirius called after him.

Severus whipped out his wand and held it in a shaking fist. "I. Am. No. Coward."

"Looks to me like you are, walking away from a fight with your tail tucked between your legs," James taunted.

"James..." Remus began only to have Lily twist out of his grasp and push her way in front of Potter.

"Leave him alone!" she cried out.

"Aw, isn't that sweet? Evans is trying to protect Snivellus," James said sarcastically.

With a minute flick of Severus' wand, Pettigrew's wand landed with a clatter at the Slytherin's feet. Severus kicked it further down the corridor from where they stood.

"You bastard," Sirius said menacingly. "Accio..."

His fingers tighten their hold on his wand as he deflected Black's spell before he turned and cast a hex at the weakest link, Pettigrew. "Globulus!"

Peter was bound tightly in a white substance and stuck to the wall. The Slytherin saw James' wand move upward, close to Evans' cheek.

Lily sent her elbow into the boy's ribs. Potter gasped as the air was knocked from his lungs and a foot came down hard on his instep.

I wonder where she learned to do that?

Sirius managed to send a hex at Severus just as Professor Sinistra exited the library. Spotting Peter stuck to the wall, the professor pointed her wand. "Finite Incantatem!"

"Stop this now!" she called with the shrill noise of a howler monkey. "Miss Evans, you have been nothing but trouble from the moment you walked into this school!"

Pointing an accusing finger at her house mates, Lily began to defend herself. "Th-they..."

"Enough! A young woman who throws herself at boys will quickly find herself a girl with a bad reputation."

"I never...!" the Gryffindor girl argued explosively.

The five boys stood open mouthed as the professor chastised Lily.

"You, Miss, will go immediately to your head of house. I hope Professor McGonagall punishes you like the common hussy you are."

"She's no more a hussy than you are," Severus snorted derisively.

Professor Sinistra turned on him in a hissing whisper. "You, Mr. Snape, will report to Professor Illingsworth and explain why you were encouraging wanton behaviour in a young witch and disrespecting a professor."

Peter Pettigrew began to giggle as the Astronomy professor reprimanded the Slytherin. Severus' wand came up and Peter found himself unable to open his mouth.

"Mmmm! M-muth wun opan!" he tried to cry, his eyes large in his face.

"Mr. Snape, you will go immediately to the Headmaster's Office!" Sinistra ordered as she pointed down the corridor.

A very livid Slytherin sneered sarcastically, "Gladly!"

He stormed down the corridor toward the office he knew only too well by now.

Who does Evans think she is? That annoying pain in the neck keeps getting me into trouble. If she'd just left me alone in the library, I'd have never run into that group of immature pests. I swear those Gryffindors will bloody kill me, and no one will do a thing about it!

Professor Dumbledore should do something about them. But of course he won't, he's one of them! Stupid Gryffindors! They all pretend to be so damn noble, when all they are thinking about is how good it'll make them look.

It's all his fault; if he hadn't introduced us, I wouldn't feel so badly. Oh, he says he cares about me. If that's caring, I don't want it. He hit the wall with a fist. I should have known this would never work out. How could they leave me?

I hate my life!

Severus continued to fume as he rode the moving staircase up to Professor Dumbledore's office. The door opened as he reached the landing. The headmaster was speaking into his fireplace. Professor Sinistra's voice could, in all likelihood, be heard in Antarctica. Finally the howl died down and Professor Dumbledore turned.

"Sinistra overreacted!" the boy cried, pointing at the fireplace. The Headmaster flicked a hand, putting out the fire.

"Professor Sinistra, Severus, Professor Sinistra. I expect you to show proper respect to your teachers and the staff."

"She's lying. I wouldn't 'flirt' with anyone--especially a Gryffindor!" he said defensively. "And she completely ignored them starting trouble--again!"