Blood of my blood (Severus Snape & daughter)

9- Coming closer

February 8, 1994

Lily had had that dream again. She was lying on the grass, and the dementors were flying around her, getting dangerously close.

She was afraid and couldn't move. The cold gripped her body, and terrible voices sounded in her head, reminding her that she was worthless, that she did not deserve to be a witch.

She was crying, terrified, but she didn't dare to scream. She knew she was alone and that no one would come for her. She was an orphan, poor, and muggleborn, and no one cared.

And suddenly, a silvery glow filled everything, silencing the voices, pushing the dementors away and making them retreat.

Lily felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her, protecting her from the creatures, and she smelled the scent of mint and ginger, covering every pore of her skin like a repairing balm. The beat of a heart sounded strong next to her head, full of life, rocking her like a low, vibrant song.

She was no longer scared, but rather felt protected, knowing that nothing could happen to her, and that the owner of those arms would defend her from the darkness.

And then, the silver glow grew smaller and more solid, until it took on the shape of an animal. It approached her, jumping gracefully, as if it were going to break, but then, when Lily reached out to touch it, she woke up.

Lily always growled when that happened. She wished she could prolong her sleep a few more seconds and continue enjoying that warm hug. And above all, she wished she could find out once and for all what kind of animal shone like a star, taking her fears away.

***

The infirmary was empty and quiet, free of the last students suffering from colds. Lily advanced smoothly to Madam Pomfrey 's office and knocked politely on the door.

"Hello, Miss White! Thank you very much for coming. Sit down, please," Lily obeyed, still not knowing why the nurse had called her. "How have you been sleeping lately? Did you had bad dreams again?"

"No, I don't have nightmares anymore," and that was true, since she slept next to the bottle of Nightingale's revitalizing potion, Lily had not had bad dreams again. Now she always dreamed of the silver light that protected her and the arms that hugged her.

"I'm very happy to hear it. You had us very worried."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked, surprised.

"Well... the teachers were very worried when Professor Snape brought you, especially Professor Lupin. You were very close to the dementors. But it is clear that you are now completely recovered."

Lily stayed silent, frowning, processing what she had just heard.

"Did you say that Professor Snape saved me?"

"Yes, and you were lucky that he found you in time. We were so distracted by Mr. Potter's accident that we didn't realize that you were in danger too."

"Yes, I was lucky," she murmured thoughtfully.

***

February 9, 1994

The students were completing the strengthening potion at a good pace, and Severus couldn't be more satisfied, even if he didn't show it.

Since he had decided to moderate his bad temper in class, the students had improved exponentially, and he had not observed any accidents for two weeks. If only he could do the same with the third-year students...

But Potter's class put him in a particularly bad mood. Between the Chosen One, his know-it-all friend who insisted on helping her classmates, and Longbottom, Severus couldn't catch a breath.