Severus... Reformed / SNILY (COMPLETE)

Chapter Six

This year was already boring Severus to death, after a week. Perhaps he could convince Dumbledore to let him take his NEWTs this year. He'd already qualified. He shouldn't have to do this again. But he was here for Lily. She didn't want some genius who qualified for a numerous amount of jobs when they were eleven. Just a few years then. Fourth year at the very least for Potions and DADA.

*

The professors held their second meeting the first weekend of the term. Dumbledore knew they had lots more to relate, especially about that Snape boy.

"I want him in third-year Potions," Slughorn began. It may be undermining Snape's intelligence, but Dumbledore likely wouldn't approve of anything higher. "He didn't listen to what potion I asked for, he didn't open his textbook, and he finished in twenty-five minutes! The boy's a genius!"

"He seems remarkable in Transfiguration, but I want to make sure. Next lesson, I'll ask him to stay behind, and see what he can do."

"Ask him what he knows of the war," Dumbledore ordered Hawthorne and Flitwick. "Discreetly obviously. He sounds far too clever for his own good, but he can be useful."

Minerva groaned. "You're not already going to induct him into the Order, are you? He's eleven! We don't want him estranged; that's one sure way of making sure he stays away from everyone and embraces the dark side!"

"I'll do what I see fit," Dumbledore said, and that was that.

*

Severus got a letter at breakfast on the Monday of the following week. It was clearly from Dumbledore; all that spindly writing, and an official Hogwarts seal.

"Who from?" Lupin muttered thickly as he chewed on his toast.

"Don't know," Severus replied. He mustn't let anything show. "It's from Dumbledore!" He'd slit the letter open with his butter knife, and now he read the first few lines. He felt like punching the air with joy. "He says he wants to see me. I have to go to his office instead of my first lesson. Maybe I'm to do harder stuff in Potions."

"Potions with the Gryffindors," Lupin groaned. "They'll cause hell for me. Just because you finished early. And they'll be pranking my potion, and killing us all!" Honestly, the boy was such a pessimist. And Severus thought he was bad.

As they passed Lily on the way out of the hall, Severus told her what the letter had been about. She'd been curious as she knew he would never have any inclination to write home.

"Well done!" Lily gasped, practically beaming. "That's really impressive, Sev; you must be so pleased!"

"I am. I don't want Old Sluggy making me clean his cupboards every time I finish early." Lily giggled at his name for Slughorn. He and Minerva had coined it when Slughorn had called off his retirement.

"Snivellus boasting as usual!" James Potter stood metres away, right next to Sirius Black. "Just because he knows how to light a cauldron!"

"First thing, Potter, you don't light a cauldron," Severus said patronisingly, "you light a fire under it. Secondly, and I doubt your inflated ego will understand this: I am not boasting; I was merely stating a fact." And with that they left Potter behind fuming, Lily giggling more than ever, and even Lupin was sending him one of his 'that was pretty cool' looks. Severus had no intention of letting go of his hate of Potter. They were both the cause of Lily's death, and there was no forgetting that fact.

"See you later Lily, Lupin," Severus called, as he ascended a staircase on his way to Dumbledore's.

"And it's still Remus!" Lupin called back, annoyed. Severus found it hard to call people by their first names, especially Remus. Even as teachers they'd addressed each other with their surnames. Lily's young laughter followed him on a fluffy cloud all the way to Dumbledore's office. Time to meet the one he'd killed.