Severus... Reformed / SNILY (COMPLETE)

Chapter One

"Severus! Sev! We're nearly there! We're nearly at Hogwarts!"

Severus felt soft, small hands hammer at him, wanting him to open his eyes and share in her enjoyment. Her. Lily. He would always remember that voice. He would know that vibrant, red hair, that sweet-smelling scent of lilies. He remembered creating that perfume, using his mother's old cauldron to bottle that smell of the flowers that were both his and Lily's favourite. Tentatively, he cracked open one eye. Two green ones stared back at him. 

His breathing became shallow. His sight dimmed. His Lily. His Lily, still alive after sixteen years of torture. Thankfully, Lily didn't notice. And neither did the people that Severus was least happy to see. This was where Severus had caught their attention with the dreaded word. After Lily had cried about Petunia, and he had comforted her. But he wouldn't mention Slytherin. This was his new life, and he would start it by making Ravenclaw.

"So, what house do you want to be in?" He asked Lily, his voice breaking slightly as he continually looked at her, drinking in her beauty as if it would vanish like before.

"Gryffindor sounds by far the best!" Lily said happily. "You said Dumbledore was in it, right? And he's the best wizard in the entire world!" Hmm, Severus thought. I can definitely rival him. I doubt he can fly. "What about you, Sev?"

"Ravenclaw," Severus spoke with confidence. The Sorting Hat had immediately suggested Slytherin last time for him, but had also had encouraged Ravenclaw. Over the years that followed, when Severus had exchanged words with the old hat, it had added Hufflepuff and Gryffindor to that mix, suddenly including loyalty and bravery to his attributes. Apparently.

This was when Potter intervened. "How would you get into Ravenclaw, witless? A no-brainer like you," Potter sneered.

Black laughed. "No-brainer. I like that!"

Severus didn't even bother wasting precious energy on looking at them. He stared straight ahead at Lily, afraid to let her out of his sight for a moment, and replied with the coldness that he had inhabited as an adult.

"Potter, Black, I don't suppose you can even do an Expelliarmus with those heads on you, so I wouldn't even attempt trying." Out of the corner of his eye he watched James and Sirius look at each other confused, their wands out, both pointed at Severus, already eager for a fight. "Lily, let us find another compartment, where imbeciles don't put others' lives in danger." And he graciously extended a hand for her to take, which she kindly accepted, and the two exited to find safety elsewhere, with the two boys gibbering behind.

*

Once they had settled into another compartment at the opposite end of the train, Lily sat opposite Severus and gave him The Eye.

"Yes?" Severus inquired.

"Why are you so formal?" Was her first question.

"Intimidation tactics," he stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Those two could have put our lives at risk with attempting spells they hadn't learnt without a teacher there." Ironic, since he was there, and was qualified in every subject under the sun.

"Intimidation tactics!" Lily cried. "The point of school is to make friends, Severus!" she looked suddenly at the door.

Remus Lupin, ragged and twitching, outside, went to knock when a wave of Severus' hand opened the door.

"Good morning, Lupin," Severus greeted politely. "Severus Snape. Lily Evans. I assume you want to join us? You are quite welcome."

"How did you_?" The werewolf began.

"It's on your case," Severus answered, crossing his ankles, though that was perhaps not the question Lupin wanted answering. "Well, would you care to join us? Lily doesn't bite."

"Sure, thanks," Remus replied, sitting by Lily, and staring warily at Severus, who had just floated Lupin's trunk up to the luggage racks and closed the door with two more hand gestures.

"Severus, how did you open the door?" Lily questioned, ever the curious one.

"Alohomora," he said simply. "Standard Book of Spells, Grade One." How like Granger he was.

"Oh," Lily said, unconvinced.

"So, you're Severus, and you're Lily?" Lupin was still stuck on the names.

"Obviously," Severus sneered. Oh, damn, he was becoming more like his past self with every minute.

"Yes," Lily answered hastily, sure to make up for Severus' iciness. "And you're Lupin?"

"Remus. Remus Lupin," Lupin assured.

"And as for Severus, I think he does bite, so be careful."

Remus laughed shortly, no doubt remembering his wolfish nature.