Rewritten History

Chapter 24

Severus' first day back at Hogwarts had gone well. He had met up with Lily halfway to the school, and spent that time with her and a couple of her friends. Aurors patrolled the train and guarded the students, going so far to follow them to the castle gates and wait until all of them were in before going back to the Ministry.

His birthday came and passed without too much notice; a call from his father and the Malfoys, Lily handing him a gift and presenting some candy she had bought in the Muggle world. They had spent some time at the lake trying out the different sorts, as Severus hadn't even seen most of them.

Astus got him a rare book of potions ingredients that Severus spent far too much time drooling over. Lily called it unhealthy. Severus only scowled. The Malfoys had sent him gloves for potion-making and a set of new stirrers.

"They're just encouraging your potions habits," Lily said a few days later.

"Well, I'm good at it," Severus said. "Plus I like it."

"You're so going to end up a potions master," she said. "What are you going to do then?"

"I don't know. Maybe teaching," the teen replied. "I like teaching. Am I any good at it?"

"Believe me, half of my work in potions wouldn't have been so good if it hadn't been for you," she said. "You'd be great as a professor."

"Really?" he said.

"Really," Lily repeated. "Now, as you're already obsessing over potions, help me with the questions."

"You know," he said as he pulled the questions closer, "you're supposed to do this on your own."

"I know, I will try do most of them alone!" Lily said. "Honest! I just need to… understand some of it. You speak potions, so help me understand."

"Speak potions," Severus muttered under his breath, shaking his head while she just laughed at him.

-o-

The odd Death Eater raid happened now and again. Unpredictable, in the dead of the night, so swift no one had time to react. Houses burned, people died. But the moment the Ministry or Albus' Order arrived on sight, the Death Eaters ran. And Voldemort was never seen with them.

Astus was growing frustrated. This wasn't even a chase, because there was no one to chase. It was just and endless came of hide and seek, and he was sick of trying to find the bloody Dark Lord.

And he probably shouldn't treat this like a game but right now, he didn't fancy anything else. He was sick of war and death, had been around that for almost his entire life. He was more than ready for some peace.

"Stop tensing your shoulders."

Abraxas' voice made him blink, and Astus looked over at the man.

"I can see how you tense up, it's not good for you," the blonde continued.

"Well, if Voldemort could just die I'd be a lot more relaxed," Astus grumbled.

"Many people would be more relaxed," Abraxas said. "Believe me."

Astus tried to relax back into the armchair and sighed. It was already mid-January, and he had been trying to hunt down Voldemort for months. How large was the Dark Lord's net anyway? They never seemed to end, the subtle support to his cause.