Severus... Reformed / SNILY (COMPLETE)

Chapter Thirteen

Lily went home for Christmas, just as she had in his previous life. She had been reluctant to leave, worried about Severus and the contents of his mysterious letter. Severus remembered that, while her mother and father had been aware of his household problems during his earlier years, Lily had been blissfully oblivious to the true depth of the abuse and neglect until he revealed all to her during their third year. However, Lily wasn't stupid. She was simply naïve. She believed that it was corporal punishment taken a smidgen too far. And so, while confused about why he wasn't returning home, she still went, happy to be going back to her family after four months of separation.

Lupin was staying. Severus knew that he was only there to spare his parents the stress of his transformations and not, as Lily was led to believe, there to keep Severus company. 

The two inhabited the Ravenclaw Tower in relative silence (they were the only two Ravenclaws staying) and awkwardness, with Severus choosing to spend his time researching a more effective Wolfsbane potion, and Lupin alternatively thanking him profusely for doing so and hovering uncomfortably around. Severus had missed every single meal so far in an attempt to get away from the gratuitous ex-Gryffindor and had instead taken sandwiches and salads elsewhere to avoid the crowd that had chosen to remain behind for the holidays.

*

"Just go away!" Severus burst out eventually, having endured the torture of Lupin's presence until the late afternoon of Christmas Eve. He sat in the only armchair, surrounded by three tables of books borrowed from Madam Pince and the school library. He was currently nursing a throbbing headache and didn't need the constant reminder of the spreading epidemic of the flu, which was a loud sniff every minute from the grumpy boy. Christmas might be a time for receiving, but Severus would prefer to give a tissue than receive a cold.

"Fine," huffed Lupin. He flounced off, leaving Severus to his lonely, little self, which of course was what he had wanted all along.

*

The afternoon gave way to evening too soon. Severus had to face everybody at dinner and he had a killer headache. He tried to be as late as possible to find that Dumbledore had saved him a seat next to himself and Slughorn. Two forceful personalities and sweet food to boot.

"Now, now, Severus, eat up!" Slughorn said jovially, the minute he sat down. "You didn't eat yesterday."

"Actually, I did Sir," Severus replied in a chilly tone, though still verging on politeness. Why did Slughorn care? "Only I ate elsewhere. It is considered rude to eat and read at the same time at a table so, quite simply, I was not at a table."

Slughorn was noticeably taken aback by Severus' tone, however similar it was to his deferent but icy personality. Instead of replying once more, he responded by heaping great mounds of potatoes, gigantic slabs of meat and sweet pastries onto his plate.

"There you go!" The professor announced, attempting to keep his cheerful air. After all, it was Christmas Day.

"I'm vegetarian." The words slipped out before Severus could stop them, but there was no way he was eating the turkey, or the kippers on his plate.

The Potions master glared at him. It was the angriest Severus had ever seen him and that was taking to note the time when Slughorn almost slapped Severus in his past life for being an 'insufferable brat'. He instantly reminded the boy of his father, Tobias Snape. Happy to take control and furious when you disobeyed.

"You shall eat it all!" Slughorn hissed. "Every last bite! It'll do you good!"

Severus noticed the surrounding professors sit forwards. They couldn't sit back and watch while a student was force-fed. He looked pleadingly at Poppy, wide-eyed, and then did something he'd rarely done before: he mentally unlocked the biggest compartment in his brain of pain, conjuring up a memory of the Cruciatus and letting himself relive the pain. Then he let himself faint, slumping back in his chair.

*

Albus had noticed something awry the moment Severus walked in. He looked resigned to see a seat saved for him, and he was clearly not hungry. Then he managed to get Horace angry, quite an easy feat considering he was on his way to becoming stone drunk. Albus saw the boy look at Poppy, and he saw the boy's hands clench under the table. And then he fainted, leaving all the teachers, especially Horace (who was now increasingly apologetic, as he often was) stunned.

"Poppy, come with me," Dumbledore spoke up, lifting the boy easily as if he weighed nothing more than a new-born baby. Actually, Albus was particularly worried to realise that it was because he did weigh that. The young nurse followed Albus to the Hospital Wing and then began fussing over the boy as Albus laid him down on a bed. She cast a diagnostics charm, gasped and sat down heavily on the nearest bed.

"What is it?" Albus asked sharply, concerned.

Poppy looked up, her face shining with tears. "I don't think we should be wondering why he just fainted," she said in a trembling voice. "I think we should be wondering what else is wrong with him and why he didn't do more than faint."

*****

A.N. DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!! What's wrong with Severus? Ha ha, cliffhanger. You'll find out in the next chapter.

Thank you for reading!