severedprinces-blog

[severedprinces-blog]

“They’re probably useful materials for some potions. That’s what I assume all bizarre plants are for.” Otherwise, who would bother breeding them, except for curiosity’s sake? Though that seemed as fine a reason as any, in Severus’ opinion. He’d love to have a teethed shrub to investigate. Perhaps that’d be on the herbology agenda the next week. “Not trying out for the Quidditch team, then?” Severus teased dryly. “Nor am I. I like my feet firmly planted on the ground.”

He relaxed against the window and nodded, willing to tutor Cissa in a few Muggle traditions. It was strange, her being so curious - most purebloods wouldn’t be caught dead having such a conversation - but he wasn’t going to complain. “Yeah. Galleons, those are like pounds, in a way. Though they’re about the same worth as… sickles, maybe?” he added, after a moment of consideration. “And pence are what makes up the pounds, 100p to one pound. Then there are notes that are worth more than one pound. It’s not like our money, where it’s all coins. Muggles mostly use bits of paper with the amounts written on them.” He bit back a laugh at her glare - the look didn’t suit her slight, delicate features. It was like facing an angry kitten. “If all else fails, just pretend you’re foreign, and no one will think it strange if you struggle finding the right amount.”

Severus placed Jane Eyre on top of the stack of books he’d taken back from Cissa. “I’m not much one for romance, but I’ll give it a go. If you don’t mind lending it out for a bit. My books always get battered as well, but I’ll try to take good care of this one,” he said in a vague attempt at reassurance.

“They have to have special cages too, with teeth repellent all over the cage, so they don’t eat it. I’m not sure why anyone would breed them though, they must be a nuisance.” She nodded, smiling at him. “Thanks, much appreciated. I definitely enjoy helping people, so if you don’t want to help them, I’ll happily do it. Herbology, Potions and Arithmancy are what I particularly specialise in, but I don’t mind helping in other subjects, apart from anything to do with Quidditch.”

“Do you know how Muggle money works? I’m interested in learning a bit more about Muggles. I’ll need to use it as my parents definitely will care that I’m shopping in a Muggle shop. The books aren’t the main problem, it’s that they don’t want me to interact with Muggles and they only just about consider Muggleborns as slightly better. It might not be a problem for you, but even if I didn’t use the transfer system I still don’t know how Muggle money even works.” Cissa sighed softly, and glared at him. She knew that her glare probably wasn’t even scary or intimidating, but she was pretty annoyed. It wasn’t really Sev’s fault anyway, as she’d just been having a bad day. She really shouldn’t take it out on other people, though. 

“I love it. It’s really, really good.It’s about an orphan who is in her aunt’s household until she later goes to a charity school who becomes a governess and falls in love with Mr Rochester. It’s my go to read if I haven’t got anything else to read. I had to buy a new copy in the holidays, as my old one is pretty damaged.”

[severedprinces-blog]

looneyloopy-lupin:

Remus had tried to resist when he first received the invitation in his fifth year to attend the gatherings of the Slug Club. While Remus was quite fond of Horace Slughorn, he thought the gatherings of this little club were elitist and degrading. Slughorn assembled his little club completely for his own ulterior motives. He would pick out the best and brightest in Hogwarts so that when they graduated and went into the real world, Slughorn would have completely security and comfort wherever he went. It was quite brilliant, Remus had to admit, but it still made him uneasy that Slughorn was essentially collecting young children to further his own social gain.

He had expected Lily to be part of the club. Lily Evans had been in Horace Slughorn’s pocket since first year when she told Slughorn what he would get if he added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood. Remus, however, didn’t expect to get the engraved invitation himself. On the surface, sure, Remus maybe seemed like Slug Club material: a prefect with a heavy workload, top marks, and a penchant for creative magic (even if these skills usually went into his pranks) that even professors couldn’t ignore. But Slughorn was a smart man, and he knew that Remus was a werewolf; so how, could Remus help Slughorn at all after graduation if he was destined to be unemployed for the rest of his life. Remus didn’t even come from a distinguished family, like many of the others. He really had nothing unique to offer the professor. Horace Slughorn wouldn’t take no for an answer though, which is why Remus trudged down to Professor Slughorn’s office in a haze of misery. James and Sirius were planning some chaos in the library and he would have to miss it, for this.

Remus saw Severus appear from around the corner just as he was about to enter the office. He was out of breath, and his casual greeting told Remus that he must not have seen him properly. “Oi, Snape. Couldn’t even clean up for old Slughorn?” Remus asked with a smirk. “And I thought you worshipped the guy.”

In his haste, Severus had thought the person heading his way was a Ravenclaw seventh year that he was decently friendly with, but at the student’s voice, he internally cringed out of habit. It was Remus Lupin. Of course.

What Lupin had done to warrant an invite to the Slug Club, Severus didn’t know. He was decently intelligent, he supposed, but not all that impressive otherwise. He’d been resentful of the other student’s presence until he noticed Lupin’s sour face throughout almost every meeting. So if he got one good thing out of having to see the Gryffindor student at these events, it was that he absolutely reveled in Lupin’s very obvious discomfort.

He stopped short in the corridor. “Oi, Lupin,” he imitated Lupin’s sharply, ears burning with embarrassment. “I should think Slughorn has more critical qualities to judge rather than the cleanliness of my robes. And... I don’t worship him,” he snapped. “I simply appreciate his skill and resourcefulness. Just as anyone else with a smidge of sense would.”

[severedprinces-blog]

9 September, 1976

Severus tried in vain to brush some of the smudges off of the front of his robes as he made his way down to Professor Slughorn’s office, just barely on time. How his robes got dirty already, he wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t in good taste to roll into a Slug Club meeting looking like a mess. Not that he needed to impress Slughorn any further - he was already quite fond of Severus - but there would be other people there, and, well, he didn’t want to look like a complete disaster. He hated that he cared at all, but there it was.  

He didn’t even particularly like the Slug Club - social gatherings, dinner parties, none of it was his area of expertise. But he knew the prestige that could come along with membership, and the potential connections that could be afforded by attendance, so every year he continued to suffer through the banal meetings. 

After rounding the corner of the last corridor before his destination, he had stepped towards the open door when a familiar face appeared. 

“Oh, it’s you.” 

[severedprinces-blog]

"Chinese Chomping Cabbage?” Severus repeated, intrigued, imagining what a cabbage might look like with rows and rows of teeth. “I think it’s only sixth years in my class, but I can spread the word if you’re looking for some to tutor. I’ll certainly send them your way. It’s not like I want to help them.” He snorted. Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts were really the only subjects Severus liked well enough to want to bother helping anyone with. And even then, he rarely offered. 

He crossed his legs under himself as Cissa talked about her various forms of book ordering. “Do I know how the book transfer works, or do I know how Muggle money works?” he wondered, not sure what she was asking. “I’ve never used the transfer system. I’m a halfblood who lives in a muggle town, Cissa. It’s not a problem for me.” He lifted his eyebrows in amusement before a more serious look crossed his face. “Would your parents really care so much? They’re just books.” He knew the Blacks were... particular, but disallowing muggle literature seemed a bit overkill. 

Setting the books he grabbed back from Cissa safely in his lap, Severus rolled his eyes. He wasn't particularly angry with her.  “Well. I should have expected your book-hoarding tendencies by now. Do you really like that book so much?” He peered at the novel with equal parts curiosity and distaste, then took it as she offered. He began flipping through the pages as he asked, “What’s it about?” He didn’t bother asking if it was any good because obviously Cissa thought it was, if she’d read it that many times - though whether or not her judgment was sound was yet to be seen. 

“Okay. I’ve seen a Chinese Chomping Cabbage and a Fanged Geranium. Both of which come under the teethed shrub category. Herbology is my second fave subject after Potions, so I do a lot of extra research in my spare time. There’s some books which can improve your grade and explain certain plants in detail. If you need any, let me know.” Cissa had enough spare time to be able to tutor or help other people in her spare time. She’s spent enough time helping her own grades to know how to help others. “Do you know if any of the younger students need help in anything? If so, send them my way, I’ve got way too much spare time at the moment.”

“I think that you can order Muggle books from Muggle bookstores and have them sent to Flourish & Blotts, as long as you pay beforehand. It solves the problem of working out Muggle money, do you know how it works? Also if my parents found out I was going to a Muggle bookstore, my life wouldn’t be worth living.”

Cissa pushed her hair from her face with her spare hand and blushed. “Sorry. I’ve just been looking for these for too long, so I couldn’t control myself. Thanks anyway though. I desperately need new reading material, as I’ve almost finished Jane Eyre. It’s my twelfth or thirteenth read through, I’m not sure exactly how many times.” She held out Jane Eyre to him. “Do you want to have a look? I’ve got more books in my bag if you want to borrow some in return for me borrowing the Herbology book and French history book.”

[severedprinces-blog]

SEVERUS & REMUS AESTHETICS: BEIGE/DARK GREEN

Beige: is practical and reliable, conservative, constant, unchanging and loyal

There is a degree of resentment in dark green. Often used by wealthy businessmen, ambitious and always striving for more wealth, dark green signifies greed and selfish desire.

@severedprince

[severedprinces-blog]

emmvancer:

Emmeline laid back on the seat of the bench when she realized that Severus was not, in fact, going to sit next to her. A part of her wanted to reach out and absentmindedly touch his hair, like she so often did with her other friends, if only to see if his hair was truly as greasy as some people said it was. However, she had a feeling the Slytherin boy would not take too kindly to that and was determined to get him to relax which, as he began to speak, she guessed she had accomplished. 

“Well…” Emmeline thought for a moment. What did she mean by that? “I suppose I mean a few things. I want to make a name for myself. My parents…as wonderful as they are, they’re just vanilla. They lead average lives working average jobs. And, because of their average jobs, we don’t really…have a lot. I want to make a name for myself. I want my life to mean something. When people hear my name, I want it to have an effect. And I want to be able to provide a life for myself where I can have what I want, thanks to the work I’ve put in for it. That’s what I mean when I say I want to build something for myself.”

Emmeline smiled and looked out at the lake. She wondered if he often offered his tutoring skills to struggling students or if, by some miracle, she was befriending him. “I can use all the help I can get in Potions, if I’m being completely honest.” Emmeline propped herself up on an elbow to watch as a mermaid leapt from the black waters momentarily before submerging once more. 

When Severus’ hand reached up, Emmeline placed the joint between his fingers without hesitating. This was one of the things she loved about smoking and dealing weed. It brought the strangest people together, people you would never see bonding otherwise. Emmeline laughed along with him, reclining once more. “Well, sure! I suppose I would just rather avoid the entire ordeal if I can. But I suppose I can’t be superb at everything. How unfair of me that would be.”

Severus related to her words more than he cared to admit. Wanting to make a name, wanting hard work to pay off. Wanting to have more than nothing. “I’d like to build something for myself too,” he replied under his breath, more to himself than to her as he continued to stare out at the waves. He raised his volume. “That’s very inspirational. You should be an inspirational speaker. But,” he said intently, punctuating the word with a single index finger pointed in Emmeline’s direction, “Do you think it’s actually possible? I’d like to think so, obviously, but that requires optimism. Not everyone can have what they want.” Severus frowned, a deep wrinkle appearing between his brows. 

“Well, alright then,” he said with a shrug as Emmeline shared that she wouldn’t mind more tutoring help. “I don’t hate you - not yet, anyway - and I like Potions, so.” He waved his hand in a vague, meaningless motion. “Drop by the Slytherin table sometime and find me.” 

Severus’ smile naturally faded away as Emmeline joined in with his laughter, though his appreciation of the moment remained. “Utterly unfair indeed.” He smirked in amusement. “Apparating, though, won’t that be great. Just...” he snapped his fingers of his free hand, a hard, sharp sound. “And you’re gone. Useless here, of course. There’s got to be a way around the anti-disapparition jinx, though. Maybe this’ll be the year someone figures it out. Maybe I will.” Realizing the joint was still in his hand - he’d forgotten about it for a moment - he took a quick hit and handed it back before it was wasted. 

[severedprinces-blog]

galaxiesofblack:

Laughing once again Andromeda nodded and made herself a mental note to make more of an effort to get to know Severus. The Slytherin was turning out to be surprisingly good company. “Don’t worry, you only have two years left here. I’m sure they won’t grow to be taller than you in that time. However they’ll probably tower over me by next year just like virtually every other person in this school.” Having such a petite stature usually meant Andromeda was the last one to know if something was going on in the halls, the always taller bodies in front of her normally acting as a buffer between her and the action. Though it did play to her advantage when the halls got crowded and her smaller frame allowed her to duck between the bodies and find shortcuts. 

Andromeda took a moment to genuinely think about it and eventually shrugged one shoulder. “If there ever was a Hufflepuff that threw a fit over something like that I wasn’t there to witness it. We’re normally too busy worrying about other things to care too much about stuff like that.” 

A memory of first year in the Hufflepuff dorms crept into her mind with the discussion of beds and Andromeda smiled fondly at the thoughts, voicing it with a laugh. “Actually, I can’t speak for the guys, but for most of first year the girls would stay up late talking about anything and everything and when we got tired enough we would just sleep in the first bed we fell into which usually was not ours. Of course we had to get up earlier than usual just so we could get to our own rooms and get dressed, but it was one of the best things we’ve done in dorms so far.” 

Leaning against the wall behind her, she glanced over at Severus wondering vaguely what kind of things the Slytherins did for fun. Of course her sisters were in those dormitories and she could always ask them, but they never seemed to want to talk about it too much. During first year Andromeda had seen it as a sign of embarrassment for herself, being that she wasn’t in the house her family was historically sorted into, but she loved Hufflepuff too much to be embarrassed of where she was at this point. “Do Slytherins ever do anything like that?” 

“You are... very small,” Severus agreed, giving her a once over. Even sitting down, she was clearly much shorter than most third or fourth years, and she was in... fifth, if he remembered right. “Errr... at least you can avoid being noticed if you want, yes?” That would be the only advantage to being so tiny, as far as he could see - to evade attention. A valuable quality. He’d always been far too unreasonably lanky for such a tactic to work. 

As Andromeda spun her story, he could almost picture the camaraderie in the Hufflepuff dormitory, warm and welcoming. It sounded so... social, and affectionate. Severus would have hated it; he knew that instantly. He was far too reserved to enjoy shared activity that sounded so off-putting. But he enjoyed hearing about it from Andromeda - if only to get a better understanding of how life worked for other parts of the school. “You must get along remarkably well. I can’t imagine.”

Did Slytherins do anything like that? “No,” he said, coughing back a snicker. “No, they, uh... distinctly do not. At least the ones I know.” The Lestranges, or Malfoy, or Mulciber, staying up late, spread out across the dorm on their stomachs, kicking their feet up and gossiping and falling asleep wherever exhaustion hit them - no, even just picturing it was ridiculous. “We do have meetings in the common room, everyone gathered around the leather sofas near the mantled fireplace, but we don’t touch each other’s spaces in the dorms. Ever. We don’t even talk much once we’re to our rooms,” he mused. 

If Severus was invited to participate with the company in the common room, or if he was studying and needed to speak to someone, he’d plant himself there, but otherwise he kept mostly to his bed in his dormitory, where no one would bother him. “It’s much more solitary in Slytherin, unless your presence is requested, really.” Just as he liked it.

[severedprinces-blog]

Severus wasn’t bothered by Cissa taking the herbology text, though he sighed at her offer of help. He didn’t need tutoring, certainly not in herbology. She was only being nice, though, so he bit back his typical sharp retort and instead answered her question. "It’s mostly a review from last year at this point. Then I think we’re getting into teethed shrubs. Seen any of those before?” 

Cissa didn’t even seem to pause to take a breath as she began listing off some of her favorite classics and talking about other genres and bookstores. When she got started talking about books, she really didn’t shut up; he had forgotten about that. “I’d say a muggle bookstore would be more likely to have it than Flourish and Blotts.” He watched her, cocking an eyebrow in amusement as she began stacking up a few of his other books and then asking. At this rate, he wasn’t going to have any left. 

“Yes, Narcissa, take all my books,” he replied sarcastically. “That’s why I brought them down, don’t you know? Specifically so you could nab them all. Not as if I need them for myself, of course not.” He reached out and snatched them back from her hands, though he left the herbology text and the French history book in her grasp. “Pace yourself, yes?” he added, rolling his eyes. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it back to you by Tuesday. If you need any help with regards to Herbology, I’d love to help. What are you currently learning anyway?” Cissa adored Herbology, it was her second fave subject after Potions and she loved spending more time on it. 

“Okay, thanks for the help. Do you think Flourish and Blotts would have it? They seem to have a lot of Muggle and Magical books, so they might. I definitely recommend it, it’s a really great book. You also can’t go wrong by reading the classics, specifically Jane Eyre, War & Peace, Les Miserables and Anna Karenina.” She continued to look through the books until she came across a huge amount of historical books. “Do you like Muggle history books then?I’ve been looking for these for a while in the library, so would you mind if I borrowed these as well?” She grabbed the Russian, French, German and American history books and placed them on top of the large Herbology book. “I love reading. I’ve even secretly read something in History of Magic. Binns never notices. Actually, the Hat considered putting me in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. The only house it didn’t consider was Gryffindor. Apparently I’m an even mix of Ravenclaw and Slytherin so I could fit in either really.”

[severedprinces-blog]

emmvancer:

Emmeline continued walking toward the Black Lake, her favorite spot to decompress. Glancing over her shoulder at Severus, she gave him a little smirk. “I’m glad you decided to join me.” Emmeline enjoyed making others feel better. If they were old enough, her way of going about that was to offer a good joint to smoke. Severus seemed to always need one of those, at least whenever Emmeline saw him. 

As they approached the dark waters that lapped up at the shore, Emmeline dropped her bag beside a wooden bench and took a seat. The moonlight reflecting off the water and the lazy breeze moving through the trees around them was enough to remove any sense of worry and force Emmeline into complete relaxation, bringing a satisfied smile to her lips. 

Emmeline lounged back, watching the smoke leave his lips in a long plume. “Third year, hm? You started young.” Emmeline plucked the smoking joint from his fingers and took a long hit, holding the smoke in her lungs for a moment before releasing it. “Money has nothing to do with it. I’m not rich at all and here I am..It’s all about building something for yourself. You could easily spend just a galleon if you really wanted to.” 

Emmeline snickered a bit. The Slytherin boy was so determined to be uninterested in anyone but himself. “No, I suppose it doesn’t matter. But I’ll tell you anyway,” she retorted. “I do very well in school, aside from History of Magic and Potions. But I am getting tutoring, so it’s been improving. Can’t say I’m looking forward to Apparition lessons. I quite like my limbs where they are…” Emmeline passed the joint back to Severus as she tucked her knees up to her chest, staring out at the water. 

Emmeline led him towards the Black Lake, the waves softly washing ashore against the earth, catching glints of moonlight as they hit their small peaks. While she took a seat on one of the wooden benches by the edge of the water, Severus took a place on the ground, leaning his back against the bench’s open space next to her. 

The lake was steady and calming as he stared at the mesmerizing water. He’d never come out here at night before. What a shame, he thought distantly. Then he hummed as Emmeline commented that he’d started young. “The people that I spend the most time with are all a year above me, and they always liked hanging around people a year above them, so...” He shrugged. He’d ended up spending most of his time with students much older, at least when he was in the Slytherin common room. “Building something for yourself? I... don’t follow,” he said, twisting his neck to glance up at her, genuine curiosity reflected in his eyes. 

“Oh, alright, please do,” he snorted, entertained at her assertion that she was going to tell him anyway. So she was bright. As he thought. “If you ever need another tutor at Potions, I’m quite good at it. Everyone thinks I’m bragging when I say that, but it’s true,” he said, crossly, thinking about how Lestrange had mocked him for doing so well last term. “Anyway. Just an offer.” 

He reached for the joint again, taking another drag - well, two - before passing it back. Considering apparition, he had been looking forward to it. “Oh, apparition will be nothing to worry about. Limbs? I’m sure they can attach them back on with no problems. That’s what magic’s for, isn’t it?” He laughed, a rare sound to even his ears.

[severedprinces-blog]

alrightcvans:

* a li c e .

* s e v e r u s .

Lily liked to pretend that nothing was wrong– she liked to pretend that everything was still the same, that their innocence hadn’t been aggressively shattered last term; she liked to pretend that she was still the girl that spent her evenings in the library, preparing for class.  Everything had changed, but Lily liked to pretend that it hadn’t– and that was something Alice would never begrudge her.

When Severus Snape’s voice reached them she closed her eyes to stop herself from reacting immediately.  There were very few people that inspired hatred in her like Snape– it wasn’t a word that she used likely, but she hated Snape.  She hated what he did to her beautiful best friend.  She hated the way Lily’s shoulders tensed whenever he was too close– and she truly felt sick to her stomach when she remember the way Lily defended him so strongly, only to have him throw it back in her face by uttering the horrid word.

She would maintain forever, that both she and Severus, should thank their lucky stars she hadn’t been there that day– because she would have gotten herself expelled, and Severus wouldn’t have walked away unscathed while Lily left behind a piece of her heart.

So she didn’t say anything when he approached, even though she was dying to– she wanted to let him know just how little she thought of him, although she was sure it was plain on her face.  But she didn’t move either.  She wouldn’t leave Lily to face him alone.

@alrightcvans

There was a tension in the air that felt more like honey than like fog. It was sickly sweet, sticking to your tongue and to your shoes; making everything seem like it was moving in slow motion. In a way, Lily had been expecting this tension ever since she stepped foot into Hogwarts this semester. She knew that not everything that happened last year could remain stuck in 1975. She knew that Dumbledore’s death was not the only thing that was haunting her.

Severus Snape appeared like a ghost on the top of the stairwell. As soon as she saw him, her stomach flipped, heart clenched, eyes began to swell and Lily had to hold onto Alice’s arm to remind herself that she was still standing upright. Lily was hopeful that the world would be alright. She was hopeful that the people who were fighting for injustice would find justice in other ways.

Lily wasn’t a coward, but at the same time she didn’t want to be the one to give Severus the justice he deserved. She didn’t want to be the one to tell him what he had done had ruined their friendship. As much as the words he had said completely revolted her, there was nothing inside of her that would make her want anyone to feel that way. 

Sucking in a breath of air, Lily glanced around them for any other onlookers. She hated that he had done it here; that he had cornered her instead of allowing her the time to grieve. After all, Lily had lost a friend. He had severed their ties, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

“Severus,” Lily said, shaking her head. Glancing at Alice, who’s arm she still had a tight hold on, she pleaded for a little help; to at least get them out of this horribly public place. If Lily was anything, she was kind, and airing their dirty laundry in the middle of the Gryffindor common room entrance was not kind to Severus Snape. Not one bit. 

“You shouldn’t have just shown up here.”

Severus’ heart stuttered in his chest as Lily appeared at the top of the stairs, Alice Fortescue in tow. He couldn’t remember a time when seeing his best friend had held so much hope and simultaneous dread.  

Severus didn’t want to look away from Lily, drinking in the sight of her after being denied her presence all summer, but he couldn’t help the urge to glare in Alice’s direction. Alice, who always stuck her nose up at his and Lily’s friendship. Alice, who should have been bright enough to take the hint and leave, but who was so stubbornly protective of Lily that Severus knew she wouldn’t do it. Any other day, he would have snapped at her to go away, but his nerves were too taut, so a glowering stare was all he could manage. 

His eyes shifted quickly, back-and-forth between the two young women, noticing that Lily paused and glanced around them. What did that mean? he wondered, slightly panicked. Was that a good sign or a bad sign? Severus shook his head slightly to focus. He couldn’t afford to have his attention wrapped up in minor details, he thought quickly. He couldn’t overthink things. He just needed to... he didn’t know. He’d made a horrible mistake, and if he could only get Lily to see that he saw that it had been a mistake, maybe she would... He didn’t know what to do. This was uncharted territory. But he couldn’t just not do anything, which was why he was here. 

And then she was saying his name. His gaze narrowed in on her. “I didn’t know where else to find you,” Severus said in a rush, stepping forward tentatively. “But, I figured, you’d be here, sooner or later. Will you... talk to me? For a moment? Please,” he added, hating that he had to beg his best friend for an audience. How had it come to this?

@alicefrtescue·

[severedprinces-blog]

“If I didn’t need it for herbology, I’d say yes.” He paused cocking his head to stare at the book. Did he really want to read it before class, anyway? No. “I suppose you can borrow it. But if I don’t get it back by Tuesday, I’ll have to hunt you down.” At least she wouldn’t be hard to find.

“Slaughterhouse Five is much better than Cat’s Cradle,” Severus recommended. Something about Vonnegut’s bleak yet satirical cynicism amused him; he supposed it wasn’t hard to understand why. “Never heard of Maya Angelou. Maybe I’ll check it out, if I have time.” Now that he couldn’t spend his free hours with Lily, he’d have to find something to do. He sighed, watching Narcissa continue to rifle through his books. She really was a wonder. He shook his head, more fondly than he expected. “You’re never not reading. It’s astounding you didn’t end up in Ravenclaw.”

Due to the high amount of blood fanaticism in Slytherin, Cissa heard enough from her peers, but still hadn’t learnt much. She preferred to eavesdrop instead of participating in the conversations herself. Bulstrode had visited her house too often for Cissa to be too comfortable with it. “Thank you. Much appreciated.” She smiled at Sev and thought for a moment.

She bent down and scooped up Sev’s haphazard pile of books. She placed them on the cushion next to her and sorted through the pile until she came across a huge Herbology book at the bottom. She heaved it onto her lap, having to use two hands due to how large the book itself was. She looked through it and despite it being heavy, it was quite interesting. “Could I take this? It looks interesting. I haven’t, but I’m interested in reading Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle and Breakfast of Champions. I’ve heard good things about his books, and I’d definitely like to read them. Have you read I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou? It’s a really interesting biography.”

[severedprinces-blog]

He nodded along with Narcissa’s comments. Bulstrode was one of the pureblood names, Severus knew that much at least. He couldn’t help but follow the blood fanaticism movement at least along the fringes; so many students were always harping on about it that he couldn’t not hear some of the things they mentioned. But despite his constant eavesdropping, he still hadn’t learned much, which was unsettling. Even those who purported to know everything seemed left in the dark. “My ears are ever open, so I’ll keep you informed. But only because you asked so nicely,” he couldn’t help but smirk.  

As Cissa peered down at his books stacked haphazardly next to them on the floor, Severus shrugged. The herbology text was the most interesting one he had with him, and that would only be a disappointment to her. “Look if you want, though they’re mostly schoolbooks. But...” he scoured his recent memory, leaning back and pressing the back of his head against the window to slouch into a more comfortable position. He knew Cissa read much more fiction than he did, if her reading habits hadn’t changed from the last school year. “I did read a few over the summer that you might like. Have you ever read Vonnegut?” Severus’ eyes lit up. “He’s got a new-ish one out, Breakfast of Champions. I’d lend it to you if I still had it.” 

This aura of uncertainty surrounding both Hogwarts and the new head was rather unnerving Narcissa. She was glad to see Sev again and she hoped their relationship didn’t change. She was deeply unsure to what lay in store this year, and didn’t know much about the head, apart from his fascination with Pure Blood families. 

“Yes, definitely. It felt much better last year. As the year goes on there is a definite chance of it getting worse, unfortunately. Apart from the fact he knows way too much about each of the Pure Blood families, no. If you do hear anything new, could you please tell me?” She saw Sev’s books on the floor and they interested her. “What are you reading currently? Can I have a look at those books? I could do with more recommendations.”

[severedprinces-blog]

severedprince:

Severus didn’t miss Lupin’s reaching into his pocket, however subtly he tried to do so. What, did he think Severus was really going to try to curse him in the middle of the hallway on the first day? Or was Lupin planning on attacking first? 

Severus scowled and reached into his own robes for his wand, though he didn’t draw it out quite yet. If there was one thing that Severus had gotten used to, it was Black and Potter doing the attacking, and Lupin remaining there insufferably, laughing in the background, but at least not taking part in the offensive action. Small miracles. But this year was going to be even worse than he thought if he had to worry about a spineless Remus Lupin hexing him as well. 

“Sure, keep saying that you like him. At least enough to keep stringing him along.” Severus shook his head in disgust. The day Peter Pettigrew finally woke up and realized what sorts of people his friends were, and the day he saw how genuinely poorly they treated him, would be a day for the history books. “But what do I care? And just so we’re clear, I don’t give a shit about my likability,” he added bluntly and truthfully. If he wanted people to like him, he could have tried ages ago. But it didn’t matter - the damage was already done. And now the people who hung around him did so because they saw either his ability or his potential, and that was much better than being likable in any case. He didn’t have to put up a front. When they talked to Severus Snape, they knew what to expect, and if they didn’t like him, they could bugger off. 

(The only exception, of course, was Lily. Oh, what he would give for her to like him again, or even tolerate him. But obviously, she didn’t count. She was always a separate class, a category all on her own.)

“Besides, If ever someone like you thought I was likable, I’d feel like I’d done something extraordinarily wrong.” 

He sighed, the motion exaggerated out of sheer exhaustion. Lupin wasn’t even making sense now. “I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but the only kind of dog Sirius Black is, is a dog that deserves to get run over in the street by a double-decker,” he said without one shred of remorse. All Severus was doing with this conversation was wasting his time. If he hadn’t reacted to Lupin’s taunt, he would have been outside at the carriages and back at the Slytherin table with book-in-hand by now. Without another word, he turned sharply to head back down the corridor, certain that nothing more Lupin would say would keep him from his task. He could taunt him again, but Severus was resolved not to respond. It wasn’t worth it. 

Remus didn’t miss Severus copying his actions, though the way he plunged his hand into his robe seemed much more obvious than how Remus had pulled it off. Remus wasn’t in the mood to hear about how they treated Peter. Remus knew how they treated Peter, but he also knew that Snape was treated the same way, perhaps worse. Snape was a means to an end, Peter just had a different role in their group. They still loved and cared about Peter; Remus couldn’t see Mulciber caring about anyone. 

He opened his mouth to come up with some witty comeback, but this conversation was starting to feel like something they would have had back in second year. They were sixteen years old and world around them was beginning to split and here they were, arguing like children.

It was only when he brought up Sirius that Remus’s blood began to boil. He had been quite on edge lately, and had Severus not already begun to walk away, Remus was sure he could have hexed him. Remus knew Snape and Sirius hated each other, but to say he was road kill. “Sure, run like you always do,” Remus muttered under his breath as he released his grip on his wand. He felt a gnawing in his stomach more intense than it had been before he had stepped outside and now he was sure he was going to double over and heave. Severus Snape never failed to get under his skin. And maybe it was because he could find some sort of truth in what he was telling him.

-end-

[severedprinces-blog]

The Fat Lady had been giving Severus a nasty glare for the last half-hour he’d been pacing in front of the painting on the Gryffindor landing. He’d already told her - in as curt of a tone as he could manage - that no, he would not be leaving anytime soon, and she very well couldn’t make him go as she was unable to leave the wall. And he would, Severus explained firmly, remain there until Lily Evans got back from her last afternoon class. 

(He knew she had one that just ended last hour, since he’d followed her from a distance for a while the day before last, and therefore she must be back at that class again, unless it had been a once-a-week class, which was very unlikely given what he remembered Lily saying she was going to take this year.)

So he’d skipped out of the end of potions - Slughorn hadn’t minded, not when Severus had asked so politely - in order to ensure he didn’t miss Lily’s coming back from class. She probably wouldn’t be happy to see him, he knew that already. He’d tried to apologize in letters over the summer but hadn’t received a response back; beyond that, it had seemed like Lily had been avoiding him all week - as soon as he had headed her way on any given day, she always conveniently disappeared. So she probably wouldn’t be happy to see him, and he knew that, he did, but he had to talk to her anyway. 

Severus slid his back down the the stone wall until he was seated against the ground, bringing his lanky legs close to his chest so anyone coming around the corner wouldn’t trip over him. Sighing, he set his sallow face on his knees and waited. And waited, and waited.

He’d wait all day if he had to. 

After what seemed like hours to his fretful mind, he finally caught a glimpse of fiery red hair on the moving staircase and heard Lily’s warm, familiar voice while she spoke with someone else. As the stairs touched down on the landing with a thump, Severus clambered up from his place on the ground, unconsciously wringing his hands. “Lily,” he choked out before she’d even fully stepped off the stairs, his eyes wide and pleading. “I need to talk to you.”

@alicefrtescue

[severedprinces-blog]

looneyloopy-lupin:

There was some sort of strange satisfaction at getting on Severus’s nerves; on watching his wheel around just as he was about to leave the room and acknowledge that Remus had said something that had gotten a rise out of him. He wasn’t quite proud of stooping this low, but it’s not like he was doing any physical harm. In fact, he could argue that Snape had started it. 

While he wasn’t going to admit it, Remus knew all about hierarchies. He wasn’t daft; he knew that even in his group there was a totem pole and that Remus was nearer to the bottom of theirs. But at least Remus knew that his mates loved him no matter what. Sirius and James just  had a bond with each other that couldn’t be matched. 

The Slytherins, however, at least how Remus had come to understand it, only really made bonds if they could get something out of it personally. Sure, they probably forged friendships after the fact, but as many of them were the products of pureblood families, they were no stranger to the importance their society placed on names and on getting ahead. Even as young children, their friendships were more like transactions; their marriages, business agreements. Remus wasn’t sure exactly what the other boys saw in Severus that was valuable to them, but Remus could at least recognize that those boys weren’t friends with him because they thought him a genuinely likable person. Because Severus wasn’t a genuinely likable person.

So that made all of this okay. 

Right?

“Peter is our friend,” Remus defended. He dipped his hand into his pocket and held onto his wand, just in case. He didn’t like the tone in Severus’s voice and he wasn’t about to get hexed by the greasy boy on the first night of the semester. “We keep him around because we like him. Though I’m sure you wouldn’t understand that considering your general lack of likability.” Peter was certainly lower than Remus and even if Remus loved the boy like a brother, he couldn’t deny that Sirius and James treated him as if he was quite, well, expendable. He bit the side of his mouth nervously. “And no,” he quipped. “Sirius is the lap dog.” He knew the joke wouldn’t land with Snape, but the reaction alone would be enough to split James’s and Sirius’s sides when he retold the story later that night.

Severus didn’t miss Lupin’s reaching into his pocket, however subtly he tried to do so. What, did he think Severus was really going to try to curse him in the middle of the hallway on the first day? Or was Lupin planning on attacking first? 

Severus scowled and reached into his own robes for his wand, though he didn’t draw it out quite yet. If there was one thing that Severus had gotten used to, it was Black and Potter doing the attacking, and Lupin remaining there insufferably, laughing in the background, but at least not taking part in the offensive action. Small miracles. But this year was going to be even worse than he thought if he had to worry about a spineless Remus Lupin hexing him as well. 

“Sure, keep saying that you like him. At least enough to keep stringing him along.” Severus shook his head in disgust. The day Peter Pettigrew finally woke up and realized what sorts of people his friends were, and the day he saw how genuinely poorly they treated him, would be a day for the history books. “But what do I care? And just so we’re clear, I don’t give a shit about my likability,” he added bluntly and truthfully. If he wanted people to like him, he could have tried ages ago. But it didn’t matter - the damage was already done. And now the people who hung around him did so because they saw either his ability or his potential, and that was much better than being likable in any case. He didn’t have to put up a front. When they talked to Severus Snape, they knew what to expect, and if they didn’t like him, they could bugger off. 

(The only exception, of course, was Lily. Oh, what he would give for her to like him again, or even tolerate him. But obviously, she didn’t count. She was always a separate class, a category all on her own.)

“Besides, If ever someone like you thought I was likable, I’d feel like I’d done something extraordinarily wrong.” 

He sighed, the motion exaggerated out of sheer exhaustion. Lupin wasn’t even making sense now. “I don’t know what you’ve been smoking, but the only kind of dog Sirius Black is, is a dog that deserves to get run over in the street by a double-decker,” he said without one shred of remorse. All Severus was doing with this conversation was wasting his time. If he hadn’t reacted to Lupin’s taunt, he would have been outside at the carriages and back at the Slytherin table with book-in-hand by now. Without another word, he turned sharply to head back down the corridor, certain that nothing more Lupin would say would keep him from his task. He could taunt him again, but Severus was resolved not to respond. It wasn’t worth it. 

[severedprinces-blog]

Severus was pleased when Narcissa sat next to him by the window. She wasn’t like some of the other Slytherins - not that he didn’t appreciate their company too, but he always felt like they demanded much more of his attention, with their never-ending craftiness and their knife-sharp edges. Cissa was still sharp, but... in a subtle way, and conversation with her was always just a little less oppressive. Severus felt like she was more of a quiet force than a whirlwind of action, and he appreciated the calm. 

Narcissa’s words made him glad he brought up his observations. It had felt a bit like tattling on Andromeda, especially as he barely knew the younger girl, but as he supposed it was better that her sister knew. “The whole atmosphere has changed,” he agreed. Throughout the castle, the deaths from the end of last term still seemed to hang in the air, the uncertainty of what lie before them even more pronounced. “I just wish we knew more about the headmaster. You haven’t heard anything new, have you?” 

Cissa took a seat, placing her books next to her and curling her legs up, in the process resting her hands on her knees. Cissa easily smiled back, it was a shame she didn’t have any classes with Sev this year as she quite liked him and enjoyed talking to him.

She nodded and watched him carefully, as she had spoke to Andromeda herself recently and had definitely seen an aura of something strange about her. “I noticed it myself when I last saw her. Thank you for telling me, I thought it was just me. It could just be the different feeling about Hogwarts, as I definitely feel something different here.”

[severedprinces-blog]

Severus hadn’t needed to take herbology again this year, but he’d wanted to, so he did. It wasn’t a particularly useful subject on its own - though he had to admit it did have some relations to both potions and charms - but Severus didn’t mind. Plants were fascinating, and plants were quiet (for the most part). 

Honestly, plants were much better company than most students were, with just a few exceptions. 

Besides, he liked Professor Sprout as well. Her clothing, like his, was always torn and dirty, and her hat battered, yet she never seemed to let anything get her down. If there was any professor that Severus felt true respect for besides Professor Slughorn, it was Sprout. Despite the fact that her cheerful demeanor was the exact opposite of his own relatively pessimistic attitude, he never minded spending extra time in the greenhouses, especially once the rowdier students in his class had vacated the echo chamber of the enclosure.

As long as he asked, Sprout always let him stay after class to pot a few plants or observe some of the other specimens they hadn’t yet gotten to. He’d never had a garden at home - only a small yard full of cracked bricks and decaying debris - so he appreciated the endless plant species found at Hogwarts. Sprout often came back to find him sitting cross-legged on the ground, breathing the earthy air and pruning a flutterby bush or observing a walking plant, having to remind him to pack up or else be late to his next class. 

Today was just the same - but herbology was his last class of the afternoon once a week this term, so he could stay longer than just a few extra minutes. Severus was there, sitting at the long table down the centre of the greenhouse, his notebook open and his long hair in his face as he idly sketched the moondew flower opening and closing repeatedly on the potted plant in front of him, when he heard the door to the greenhouse creak open. 

Assuming that it was simply the professor, he didn’t bother to look up - at least until he heard an angry curse from under their breath. Severus glanced towards the entrance, a disconcerted frown crossing his face as he realized who stood in the doorway, her eyes already seemingly filled with fury. 

“MacDonald,” he said in frosty acknowledgment. Facing Mary MacDonald was not at the top of his preferred list of daily activities - seeing her stirred up a cacophony of emotions and memories he didn’t particularly want to deal with - but he refused to let that run him out of the greenhouse. He pointedly turned back to his plant and his notebook staring intently at the flower, determined not to give MacDonald any more attention than was warranted by necessity. 

There were few places at Hogwarts that didn’t cause mixed feelings to boil in Mary’s stomach. The hallways were all tainted, as was the Great Hall, ruined by memories of last year and the knowledge that the people who had been there still walked around the castle with nothing troubling them at all. Her dorm and the tree at the lake were places not yet ruined, ones where she felt more at home than she did in any other place.

The greenhouses also belonged to the ( short ) list of places that still felt peaceful to her. 

It was there, that Mary could dig her hands in fresh earth and observe plants so fantastical that she was still amazed by them. While Herbology was not her favourite class ( no teacher quite matched Minerva McGonagall, after all ), it was one she enjoyed wholeheartedly. It came natural to her, the getting dirty and working with plants. It reminded her of home, in all honesty. The lines of dirt under her nails reminded her of days spent playing in the fields, the greens surrounding her reminded her of lying in the grass on sunny days and the working with plants reminded her of her mother, who spent most of her free time tending to her flowers.

Naturally, when Mary was in distress and the dorm was too full with girls that were not Lily and the tree at the lake was already occupied by other students, the greenhouses was where she went. Ripping out weeds was a way for her to deal with emotional turmoil and she craved exactly that. Besides, it was a healthy coping mechanism, and one Professor Sprout benefited from, as well.

That day was one of distress and emotional turmoil, one of the dorm being too busy and the tree being occupied. And so, a visit to the greenhouses was necessary. 

When she entered Greenhouse five and eyes fell on the dark hair of Severus Snape. A, “You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me,” slipped past Mary’s lips, her voice exasperated as well as laced with poorly suppressed anger ( and a hint of fear ). She halted in the doorway, daring the Slytherin to look up and face her, jaws clenched with the hatred that suddenly filled her up.

@severedprince