darkflowers (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} darkflowers) wrote in ![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} dark_flowers,@ 2009-10-08 23:41:00 |
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| Entry tags: | fic, mini fest |
Gift for Cyyt
Gift For: cyyt
Title: Good intentions and christmas cards
Author/Artist:
Pairing(s): none
Summary: They meet on the train, but it doesn’t go to plan.
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Author/Artist's notes: For the prompt: Lily/Lupin/Snape-First years I’m afraid it wouldn’t stop there, though!
It starts on the train. Doesn’t it always? A thousand stories have started on that train.
Remus has been pushed out of his carriage by some bigger boys. “Get out of here, kid. This is our carriage!” And then he sees some other first-years sitting together, no patches on the robes which sit awkwardly on their unaccustomed shoulders.
“Hi,” he says hopefully, pushing open the door. “I’m Remus and I’m a 1st year.”
The girl smiles at him, “I’m Lily and this is Severus. We’re new too.”
The boys scowls until elbowed by his friend. “Remus,” he says, putting out a hand. Remus shakes it.
It’s a long train ride. They share lunches and stories and as the carriage slows to pull into Hogsmeade they make a pact: if they’re sorted into different houses they’ll stay friends, and at Christmas they will tell each other the truth about what it is like to be in the house they are in. Because Christmas is far enough away to know, but still attainable.
“An experiment!” Lily enthuses.
“Maybe we’ll all be in the same house anyway,” Remus shrugs.
Lily is the first one sorted. Gryffindor sounds nice and the people welcome her eagerly. Remus is thrilled when he gets the same. He sits next to Lily and they wait eagerly for Severus to be sorted.
When the hat says Slytherin he doesn’t even look at them, but Lily and Remus aren’t worried. They can still be friends.
It’s almost time for the train when Lily and Remus find Severus. He’s still in uniform.
“Aren’t you coming home?” Lily asks him, and he shakes his head morosely. His hair is longer now, and his fringe sweeps his cheekbones.
“Ma said to save the fares - it’s only a short break.”
“But you were going to tell us what it’s like being in Slytherin!” Lily mourns.
Lily comes into the first class after Christmas with Remus beside her. Severus hates, hates, hates. It should be Severus beside her, Severus’ dark hair brushing her cheeks as they share a book. It should be Severus, but it never is. The hat put him in Slytherin.
He hates the hat too.
Potter and
Severus never goes home for Christmas.
When Potter and Lupin climb into the carriage they fail to notice the stench of onions that will follow them all break. Severus smirks.
Severus is sharing a small house with Avery and Rosier when the owl find him. It’s a bloody christmas card - on Muggle paper even! He incendios it as soon as it drops from the owl’s leg, and only catches the barest hint of the words that flame briefly before it turns to ash:
..ve
..ily
He carefully evanescoes the second card before the owl can even land. He never sees the message, still less a signature, but only two people have ever sent him muggle christmas cards. One person and a beast.
It is snowing in Godric’s Hollow. The gutted ruin looks romantic under the soft blanket of snow. Even several months later, there are flowers by the gate, and someone has left a christmas card. Severus picks it up, drawn by stupid, instinctive knowledge. All it says is:
He knows the hand, and the words echo blankly through his empty heart. He misses her too. He’s been missing her since he was eleven years old.
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