Chapter 1: Moments: Wedding Preparation
Chapter Text
“Pink looks nice.”
“Are you kidding me, Potter?”
“You – and in a pink,” James says dreamily. “This wedding will be remembered for a long time, Severus.”
“Only over your dead body!”
“What are you talking about?” the red-haired beauty asked as she entered the living room.
“Lily, your fiancé is a pervert!”
Chapter 2: Moments: Be careful
Summary:
Meeting on the stairs.
There may be errors and typos, I apologize for that.
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Chapter Text
Harry walked down the stairs with his eyes half closed. He was completely unaware of what was going on around him. Not surprisingly, after stumbling, Harry waved his arms and was about to fall to the stone steps when suddenly someone squeezed his shoulder hard and painfully. An unknown rescuer helped the young wizard to erect his body. Turning to thank them, Harry froze up in surprise. Professor Snape was looking at him with abyss black eyes. There was not a hint of emotion on his face. He calmly removed his hand from Harry's shoulder and began to walk down the stairs. When professor Snape reached the landing, he looked up at the stunned boy and said, "Be careful, Mr. Potter."
Chapter Text
Severus is sixteen, and he hated doing detention after school. Especially from professor McGonagall. Especially with Gryffindors. Especially when they were Potter and Black. There was nothing he could do about it, though, so he gritted his teeth and continued to sort things out in the very cluttered room. Without magic, of course. Professor McGonagall had taken their wands away. And that was the only positive thing for now.
There was no help from Potter and Black. They were more having fun than working. Severus waved them off. At least they weren’t bothering him. He reached for a box on the top shelf of the wardrobe. As he picked it up, Severus hit up some scrolls and they fell out and covered him in a cloud of dust. He coughed. And he almost dropped the box on his foot. Severus quickly put down the heavy object, still coughing, and turned around. However, he misjudged the distance and bumped hard against the wardrobe next to him. Something fell from above.
As the dust settled and his cough subsided, Severus realised a few things. Firstly, a cloth had fallen over his head. It had probably been white before, but the dust had turned it grey. The second was that Black was laughing hysterically.
“Oh, shut up,” Severus said irritably, reaching to remove the cloth from his head. But he was grabbed by the wrist. Severus was surprised: “Potter, what the hell?”
James Potter smiled broadly, and Severus's heart skipped a beat. He never smiled like that before. James Potter reserved that kind of smile for people he liked. Severus was definitely not one of them. James Potter lifted the cloth sharply with his free hand and leaned forward. The kiss was brief and the slap was loud.
Red as tomato, Severus shook his hand, glared angrily at Potter and then at the stunned Black, and stormed out of the room like black lightning.
“Uh… James? What was that?” Sirius asked, having set his jaw back in place.
“I guess I messed up at the start and he said no,” James replied with a suspiciously happy smile.
Chapter Text
One, two, three, turn.
The newlyweds danced. They looked at each other and shone with happiness. The music was captivating and he closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to think. Does anything from the past matter now? She had made her choice. She is in love. She is happy. And the fact that his heart was breaking, well, that was just an illusion. It’s just a dream.
One, two, three, turn.
Then, at the Christmas ball, they danced. The music was barely audible, so she counted out loud. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that it felt as though it would break his ribs and burst free. He was afraid of hurting her, so he held her as gently as possible, not wanting to let go. But she didn’t even think about being with him.
One, two, three, turn.
During the dance they looked at each other, as Lily looked at her fiancé now. Severus was crazy with happiness then, and she… she was having fun. She burst out laughing when they made a mistake and started again. She smaled broadly, but there was no hint of the emotions that was now graced her sweet face.
Just a friend.
One, two, three, turn.
He raised the glass to his lips and froze. The red wine glistened like blood. Severus put the glass down on the table, glanced at the newlyweds, and walked away.
He had no place there.
One, two, three, turn.
The house was quiet and dark. He hadn’t been here for a long time. He touched the wall with his hand, deciding whether to continue.
No one was waiting for him here. Not for a long time, at least. But this house belonged to Snape. And they wouldn’t be looking for him here.
One, two, three, turn.
He stood in the middle of a dusty, empty room. He looked around, but saw nothing. Severus raised his arms as if to embrace someone and took a step forward.
One, two, three, turn.
There was no music and he didn’t say anything, but he was dancing. With someone invisible. He stepped lightly; he had spent many days training, he wanted to impress her. But it didn’t matter now. It was no longer necessary.
One…
Be happy.
Two…
Be beloved by him.
Three…
I lov…
Turn.
Chapter Text
They stank of blood. Red spots were spreading across the white skin. Some were still fresh; others had dried up and turned rusty brown.
In fact, there were none. There wasn’t a single stain on his hands. Harry knew this, yet he kept imagining them. He created a picture – and erased it. Not like that. Snape was too careful, traces of blood would never have settled like that on his strangely white skin. Sometimes Harry thought the man was a ghost. He was so unreal. People didn’t have skin like that, eyes like that or pain like that.
Harry avoids looking him in the eyes. He hates this man, doesn’t he?
Of course he does. Harry can’t stand this man. He wants to poison him or cast a curse over his back. He wants to scream. Look at me. Look at me! See me at last…
It’s not true. Snape always sees him. Not James, not Lily. Snape sees him. Harry. From their first meeting, from the moment they first saw each other. Not a hero, not a Golden Boy. Snape sees him, a lonely boy, without a sense of purpose, someone who floats with the flow.
Harry is afraid to look Snape in the eyes. Just thinking about it makes him tremble. Harry hates this man, doesn’t he? Harry Potter knows the answer, but he will never – never! – say it out loud. He stares at Snape’s hands, imagining blood – anything! – just to avoid looking into this black (eyes) lakes filled to the brim with unspeakable pain. A pain that grows day by day.
There’s still a month until the holidays. Harry will endure. Then it will be his seventh year, and he will graduate. There will be no more fights with Malfoy or arguments with Hermione over breaking school rules, and no school rules. And Snape won’t be there either. Not in this office, not in the corridors and not in the rooms. Not in the school and not outside it either. He will not be there.
Harry knows. He can see it in his eyes. In those black lakes of pain. And Harry hates it. To the point when he grinds his teeth and wants to scream with hatred. Harry hates those eyes. Because he sees the same look in his own eyes. Doomed.
Chapter 6: Moments: Just a story
Summary:
“Honey, maybe you shouldn’t? Your sister is a bit… irritable.”
Notes:
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Chapter Text
The door closed with a bang and an angry man came into the room.
“Lily!” he called out loudly.
A woman looked out of the library and asked, “What happened?”
“Lily, my love, I’m going to kill your friend!” Tom Riddle was angry and was shaking the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
“What did Joan do?” his wife asked, looking at the book.
“I understand. She had problems and decided to write a book, and not just one.” Tom shook his head. “But why am I the bad guy and why am I so old? Why did you suddenly become Potter’s wife? And why does our son have to kill me?”
“Honey, this is just a story,” Lily laughed.
“Oh, I will tell Bellatrix that. I think she will be happy to hear this.”
“Honey, maybe you shouldn’t? Your sister is a bit… irritable.”
“Lily, what are you talking about?” Tom clapped his hands. “My sister is just an angel. And the things people say about her are just made up. Nothing will happen to your friend.” And after a short pause he added, “Maybe.”