Without Warning

CHAPTER EIGHT: Snape's Decision.

Severus Snape was in a delicately foul mood. Not only was he feeling rather disgruntled about Slytherin's once again defeat to Gryffindor, but as a prefect he was now having to deal with many other disgruntled Slytherins swarming the common room, all of whom were in delicately foul moods as well. To top it off, he felt particularly on edge due to his upcoming 'chat' with Lucius Malfoy whom he was sure would also be in an incredibly delicately foul mood himself.

As Snape swept passed, he took out his frustration on a third year by slapping him across the back of the head.

"Oi! What the hell was that for?!"

"Existing," sneered Snape over his shoulder as he kept walking.

"Now now, Snape, play nice with the third years," a voice drawled from beside him.

"Malfoy." Snape nodded his head in greeting.

"Shall we?" Malfoy smirked as he bowed his head slightly and gestured with his hand over to the same table he and his friends had been situated around on previous occasions.

There were a couple of other people already sitting there. Evan Rosier with the sort of expression etched on his face to portray a type of murderous rage. Snape decided that he was probably in the most delicately foul mood out of all them, being the Slytherin Quidditch captain and all. Another seventh year was sitting with him. Snape knew that this guy had very good grades in Care of Magical Creatures. What was his name again? McNair?

"Have a seat." Malfoy pulled out a chair for Snape to sit on.

By this stage, Snape was feeling rather nervous. The situation was very formal and he wondered why Malfoy was being so polite to him.

"I'm sure you know Rosier here from his exploits on the Quidditch pitch, and this here is Walden McNair." Malfoy introduced the boys. Well actually, Snape decided on second thought, that they didn't really look much like boys at all. Rather like statuesque men.

There was a pause after the introductions, and Snape wondered whether he should be polite and say 'pleased to meet you' or something to that effect. Instead however, he nodded his head to both of them.

"You're good at Divination, aren't you Snape?" Rosier had ditched his murderous expression for more of a curiously intrigued look.

"Er ... Yes, I guess so," he replied.

"You guess so? Tell me, why would Dumbledore make you take the class if you were so undecided on your Seeing abilities?" McNair cut straight to the chase.

"Well I don't really - "

"Easy McNair, of course he's good at it, he's just being modest. You should try it some time," cut in Malfoy. McNair glanced at him quickly then stopped his interrogation abruptly by snapping his mouth firmly shut.

"Er, why does this matter anyway?" Snape asked, perplexed.

"Okay..." Malfoy paused and looked at Snape sternly. "Okay Snape, you're either in or you're out right now."

"In on what?"

"You're in then?"

"I ... well I ... "

"We're not telling you anything unless you're in. So...?"

Snape was confused. What did they want him in on? A spectacular end of year prank perhaps? No, they were above pranks. They'd simply send along a fifth year to do their dirty work. Snape scanned Malfoy's face for a hint of what this was all about. But, like always, the only hint Snape received was that Malfoy must have just caught a whiff of something pungent by the way he was sneering.

He was curious now, just like he always was. Of course, that wasn't always a good thing. In fact, it had got him into a lot of trouble last term in an incident concerning Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and the Whomping Willow. However, this thought didn't seem to deter him. He knew in an instant his decision.

"I'm in."

Malfoy's lips curled into a truly sinister smile.

"Excellent. Tell me Snape, you're interested in the Dark Arts?"

"Well...curious, yes."

"I see. And would you like to get a first hand glimpse of what it's like?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Are you aware of the current affairs of today?"

"Not really," answered Snape. He hadn't read the Daily Prophet today at all.

"A rising wizard - a Dark Lord in fact - has just revealed his true powers. Heard of him?"

"Of course. Er, Lord Voldemort isn't it?"

"Indeed. Lord Voldemort has today risen to his full prowess and will now be putting his plan into action."

"Which is?"

"Well let's just say he'll be starting off by showing Mudbloods and Muggles everywhere why he's the wizard they should fear the most."

"Er ... What's this got to do with me?"

Malfoy looked to both sides and over his shoulders to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation and then leant in towards Snape.

"The Dark Lord cannot achieve everything by himself. He requires assistants that will remain loyal to him until the very end."

"I...so, you want me to be his assistant?" Snape's eyes widened at the very thought.

Malfoy scoffed. "The Dark Lord does not just require one servant Snape, he requires a group of highly alert and trained individuals such as Rosier, McNair and myself here."

"Okay..." Snape had always known Malfoy had a taste for all things dark, but actually being involved with a Dark Lord? It was very intriguing.

"We are in a group known as the Death Eaters. We are the Dark Lord's most loyal servants. There are many Death Eaters all over the UK awaiting instruction from him. We carry a mark ... the Dark Mark. When it burns black we know we must disapparate from wherever we are and apparate to his side immediately. With our help, Lord Voldemort will become the most feared wizard of our time."

"Hang on, what's this got to do with my Seeing abilities?"

"We need someone of your capabilities in our fray, Snape. Someone whom is able to foretell events before they happen."

"Right."

"So the question remains...are you joining?"

Snape thought for a minute. The Death Eaters did sound kind of cool. He'd always wanted to be regarded with fear by others. By becoming a Death Eater, he could accomplish this. If Malfoy could do it, surely Snape himself could. Anyway, it wasn't like he was going to have to kill anyone or anything right? Finally he'd be able to show his father that he wasn't some sissy little boy who hid behind the couch to avoid a beating. He would show him. He would show everyone.

"Yes, of course I am. I've already told you I'm in, Malfoy."

"Excellent. Now, obviously we cannot apparate or disapparate inside the school grounds. During holidays however, we are to obey the orders of the Dark Lord and are free to travel as we please. Rosier, McNair and I are in charge here at school. Outside however, the authority is passed on to members in higher positions. Don't speak to the Dark Lord unless you are spoken to. Never resist him and always follow his orders. A meeting will be arranged over the summer. For now, you are to follow our orders."

Snape blinked as he took in the startling revelations. "Okay... Is that all?"

Malfoy eyed Snape with a contemptuous gaze as if to let him know once and for all who ruled the roost.

"Yes, that is all. You may go until we speak again."

"Fine. Er, thank you for your time," said Snape. Everything had seemed so formal he thought he'd try to give off the same aura.

The three boys nodded at Snape as he stood up and left their presence.

"The Dark Lord will be very pleased we have a Seer amongst us now," commented Rosier.

Malfoy nodded and smiled as he watched Snape walk off.

"Yes, he will be very pleased indeed."

Snape went straight back to his dorm room to where he immediately sat on his bed with the curtains drawn. He wondered if he should tell them about the incident in Divination from a couple of days ago, seeing as now he was a Death Eater in training. On second thought, he didn't think he would unless instructed otherwise. He didn't need to dredge up every single premonition he'd ever had, did he? The Dark Lord had far more important things to do with his time. Like being mighty powerful and feared by all.

And it wasn't as if Lily Evans and James Potter were somehow linked to Voldemort anyway, were they? (A/N: Ironic I know...)

****************************

"Not him again?" Madam Pomfrey cried desperately. "What's he been up to this time? Getting himself into more trouble I presume." She sighed and swished her wand so that James floated from his stretcher onto a bed.

Lily, Sirius, Remus and Peter had al accompanied Professor McGonagall in bringing James up to the hospital wing after he had collapsed.

"Another Quidditch accident I'm afraid, Poppy," explained McGonagall while Madam Pomfrey assessed the damages.

"He'll be all right, won't he?" Lily was feeling rather panicky.

She'd never been in a situation like this before. Hell, she'd rarely been into a hospital. However, she had started to feel that she'd be dealing with this type of thing a lot more since making peace with James. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched him lying there stock still in his bed. She wanted to assure him that he'd never feel pain again. To look into his hazel eyes one last time. She felt like she never wanted to leave him by himself again, to protect him, to care for him.

Of course, she was also bordering on the lines of hysteria and was downright overreacting as well.

"Of course he will! What do you think I'm here for girl, decoration?" Snapped Madam Pomfrey.

"I'd never thought I'd see the day when Lily Evans would care about whether James Potter lived or died," muttered Sirius in an undertone to Remus and Peter.

"Just because you don't care Padfoot, doesn't mean that everyone else feels the same way," said Remus with a wry grin.

"Well if everything is in order," began McGonagall.

"Yes, yes, everything is under control! He just needs his rest and quiet," enforced Pomfrey.

"Well I will be on my way then. Black, keep your hands and wand to yourself. Evans, Lupin, make sure Pettigrew doesn't smash any expensive potions." McGonagall eyed them severely and then walked from the room.

"The nerve!" exclaimed Peter. He always felt that McGonagall was rather short with him.

"You know personally, I've always preferred James like this," smirked Sirius, completely ignoring Peter's exasperation. " You should try it some time, Pete."

Remus snickered and Lily tried to conceal a snort. They both knew full well that Sirius would die too, if anything ever happened to James - his brother.

"Sod off and die, Sirius."

Remus smiled half-heartedly at his friends bickering, but his mind was somewhere else. He was watching Lily watch James. She seemed so worried about him, like she was his wife or something. Well, perhaps not his wife, but definitely as if she thought very, er...passionately about him. Maybe we should give her some space, he thought. It wasn't as if they'd never sat by James' bedside before waiting for him to wake up. It no longer freaked Remus out like it had used to. Not since they had started going out at the full moon together...

Remus cleared his throat, eyeing Lily. "Moving right along, I just remembered that Sirius and I have to give Peter some last minute Transfiguration tutoring, so if you don't mind, Lily..."

"Oh...of course not," said Lily.

"What? Since when did I tutor him?" Sirius asked Remus increduously.

"Since I said so," said Remus in an undertone while nodded his head towards Lily who was still intently watching James' stiff figure.

However, Sirius being Sirius had planted an evilly innocent expression on his face. He knew full well what Remus was doing, but decided to make it as difficult for him as 'Siriusly' possible.

However Remus being Remus knew full well that this was likely to happen.

"C'mon," he said gruffly, pulling Sirius and Peter by the scruffs of their robes with his full wolf strength and dragging them out the door.

"Moony, why'd you do that?! I want to know what's going on with those two!" Sirius jabbed his thumb at the now closed hospital door.

"Why do I always have to be the one that's being 'tutored'?" Peter whined.

"Because you're the dumb arse," deplored Sirius at once. He decided it was rather mean, but honestly, Peter shouldn't set himself up like that. The git.

Remus turned to Sirius. "Because James will tell us when he's ready." He then turned to Peter. " Because no one would believe Sirius or I are being tutored. I study too much even if I do say so myself, and Sirius is too ... well, macho for that."

"Macho? Why Moony, I never knew you felt this way!" Sirius clapped Remus on the shoulder and batted his eyelashes seductively.

Remus scoffed. "Don't look at what you can't touch."

"You two aren't..." Peter looked wide-eyed with a slight green tinge creeping into his complexion.

Sirius and Remus glared at him.

"Uh, what I mean is... You're just friends, right?"

Sirius and Remus glared at him.

"Peter, has anyone ever told you how dim you are, seriously?"

Remus tutted at Sirius' harsh words but concealed a grin.

"No, honestly Peter - have they?" Sirius didn't take too kindly to people who failed to see the funny side of his jokes - which meant that Peter bore the brunt of Sirius' manic temper...frequently.

"Well," Peter was actually considering this question. "McGonagall tells me all the time, and - "

He was cut off by Sirius who swiftly flicked him around the back of the head.

"Moony, if you don't mind, I'd rather be watching James snore instead of talking with this git," he sniffed as he turned on his heel and walked back towards the hospital wing.

"Fine, but beware of the snogging that may transpire right in front of your very eyes!" Remus yelled after him.

Sirius looked back over his shoulder and grinned. "Jeez Moony, you know full well I don't snog James in broad daylight."

And with a mischievous wink he disappeared leaving Remus smiling and shaking his head with a stunned-mullet-looking Peter at his side.

As Sirius walked back over to James' bed, Lily looked up to see whom it was. She eyed him a little uncomfortably. She'd never really talked to Black properly before...Not unless an insult was involved. She was just about to ask him why he had returned from the Transfiguration tutoring so suddenly, when Madam Pomfrey returned to administer a potion in order to bring James back to consciousness.

"Is he really going to be okay?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine, he always is," replied Sirius, pulling up a chair next to Lily.

"Then...he's in here often?"

"Nearly every week...unfortunately," said Madam Pomfrey in a slightly bitter tone.

"He just can't seem to pry himself away from the gorgeous nurse, that's why. None of us can." Sirius grinned affectionately at Madam Pomfrey, who started giggling madly.

"Oh you're just too much, Sirius Black!"

"You know you love me, beautiful," he replied. Lily raised an eyebrow.

Madam Pomfrey shrieked with laughter before toddling back to her office leaving Lily and Sirius alone together with a still unconscious James.

There was a small silence where they looked at each other and quickly smiled, then turned back to look at James.

"It takes about ten minutes to work," said Sirius after a moment.

"What does, the potion or your charm?" She raised her eyebrow again as a grin quickly spread over Sirius' face. Lily wasn't so bad, he found himself thinking. Better than Peter, anyway. The git.

"The Awakening Potion."

"Oh." She went back to looking anxiously at James.

"Don't worry, it happens all the time."

"It must be really freaky sometimes, though."

"Ah, well it comes with its perks."

"Like? And I mean apart from chatting up Pomfrey," she added, smiling at him.

"Hmm ... like getting to have my first ever proper conversation with the famous Lily Evans."

"Famous?"

"Well, yeah."

"How do you figure that?"

"I share a dorm with a guy who has been smitten with you for oh, at least 12 million centuries. I'd say you're pretty famous."

Lily smiled weakly at his words. She was just starting to register how much James must have liked her all these years - and how much she was starting to like him. He'd scared the hell out of her when he'd fainted. She was still cautious of his intentions, though. He was definitely known for his short and sweet romances, James Potter was. But their newfound friendship had also made her realise how much she wanted him around her. Near her, with her...

Sirius must have seen the worry once again returning to her face because he spoke. "Hey, he'll be fine. I don't think he'd let himself cark it now that he's officially got a date with you."

Lily was surprised and sickened with herself to realise that she nearly giggled at his words just as Madam Pomfrey had done a couple of minutes earlier. Black had never been so nice to her before in her life. She guessed that was a perk of being on the good side of James for a change.

Just as she was thinking these thoughts, Remus and Peter returned. Remus was scowling slightly at Sirius. Short study session, she thought to herself.

She was sitting there, pondering over her very confused thoughts of James and love in general, while Sirius once again started chatting about how he preferred James in an unconscious state. She was just about to tell him how awful that was when she heard a slight groan come from the bed beside her.

"Prongs! Mate, that was the best move I've ever seen you pull!" Sirius launched into his own special way of showing his admiration.

"What he means," said Remus, rolling his eyes at Sirius and sighing loudly, "is are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine - just a bit sore. And anyway, from the sound of it Padfoot, it seemed you'd rather me stay in this bed for an eternity instead of pulling any more great moves out there for you to dote over." James croaked as he nodded out the window towards the Quidditch Pitch.

"James, James, you misunderstood me. What I meant was that...I...ah, forget it. Yes, I'd prefer you paralytic for the rest of your life," grinned Sirius.

"If I could stand, I'd deck you right now."

"Yes, but you can't so I may as well get in every hit I can."

Someone from the other side of James cleared their throat. Wincing, James turned his stiff neck to see whom the noise belonged to.

Lily was smiling down at him, her eyes looking rather watery. He was a bit gob smacked at first; he'd never thought she'd care enough to accompany him to the hospital wing. Then it all came rushing back. He'd asked her to the Celebratory Ball and she'd said yes.

"Hey," a smile spread slowly across his face.

"Hi..." She smiled a little uncertainly.

There was a bit of a pause where they both smiled at each other. Sirius who started making gagging noises quickly interrupted this exchange. This was determinedly ignored.

"Are you really feeling okay? I could go if you'd prefer some sleep," Lily suggested, still half smiling. She already knew what he was going to say.

"Hell no, the last thing I want is to be left alone with these gits." James laughed, but then winced - his chest still hurt.

"Your loyalty towards us never ceases to amaze me, Prongs," grinned Sirius.

"Your body odour has the same effect on me, Padfoot."

"Ouch," breathed Sirius mockingly and then with a begrudging look towards Peter added, "I think we all agree Pete here is the worst, though."

"Agreed," said Remus at once.

"What! This is top of the range cologne, you prats."

"Oh, so that's why females everywhere will not come within a five metre radius of us when you're around. Silly me," Sirius smacked his hand to his forehead.

"Sod off and - "

"Die? Yes, I seem to be doing a lot of that lately, don't I?"

Peter threw a nasty gaze at Sirius who looked back innocently.

This time, it was Sirius who noticed that his best friend and new acquaintance were eyeing each other and smiling broadly. Damn, they had chemistry, he thought. Would he ever have that himself? Maybe with Alice Fletcher? But in the mean time, he thought it to be his duty as James' only 'brother' to give him and Lily some peace and quiet. He knew they wanted some.

"So, how about that Transfiguration tutoring, Pete?" He asked, slapping a stunned looking Peter on the back. Remus looked incredulously at Sirius.

"Since when the hell were you tutoring Peter in anything?" James asked, his eyebrows climbing to his hairline.

"Er...sin - since I asked him to, James," replied Peter. He was rather surprised in himself, actually. He'd decided that Lily and James would make a good couple, and he didn't want to be the one to stand in their way. (A/N: I know I know, ironical as it is...again.)

Remus and Sirius were currently looking wide-eyed at Peter's simple yet ingenious explanation.

"Exactly. So, without further ado...Moony, if you'd like to accompany us?"

Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius. But he knew he'd go willingly.

"But of course."

In a swish of robes the three boys had hastened from the Hospital Wing leaving James and Lily very much alone.

"Well that was weird," grinned James.

"Yeah..." Lily smiled back at him.

An enduring, uncomfortable silence followed, threatening to wreck James' held record of 'perfectly timed one-liners during uncomfortable silences'.

Lily bit her nail. It was a bad habit she'd picked up from somewhere. Not from Petunia, though. However, she concluded, she wasn't as bad as some as she only ever chewed on one particular finger.

God, was she really thinking about her nail biting habits? This was definitely an enduring silence...

"So," she quipped, "that was quite a move you pulled out there today."

James smiled. If there was anything he could talk about forever, it was definitely Quidditch. However he was pleased just to be in the company of Lily Evans without his head being bitten off. They were friends now though, weren't they? Friends. Gah, he hated that word. Actually, he didn't hate it, just when it applied to Lily. He needed her so much more than just on 'friendly' terms. Not in a gutter-mind/Sirius thinking way, either. He just needed to know that she'd always be there with him, together.

"Thanks, I wouldn't have been able to do it without my new broom though."

"Is it a good broom, the Deltabolt 2000?"

James raised an eyebrow. Lily was obviously not very equipped with knowledge when it came to Quidditch. Or window displays in Diagon Alley in general. He was glad though, that she was making an effort.

"Yeah ... Yeah it is," he grinned.

They smiled at each other again. He was taking in her face, marvelling at her impossibly green eyes and her fine, pale features that were framed perfectly with wisps of red. The small handful of freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks gave her a cute, playful look. How could anyone be so beautiful? Was she part Veela? She was certainly having a Veela-esque effect on him. She always had. It was in that moment he decided. There could never be another girl for him.

Ever.

Ironically, Lily was doing the exact same thing. She'd totally forgotten about the awkward silence, and was now taking in every part of James. She wanted to remember his face forever. His light hazel eyes that dramatically clashed with his black hair. The hair! She knew that he purposefully messed it up, but even if he hadn't it still would have stuck up at odd ends all over his head. But she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Ever.