Severus... Reformed / SNILY (COMPLETE)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Severus sat in the common room, musing over a text. His fellow inhabitants were either playing wizards' chess, Gobstones or fretting over sending their exam results to their parents by owl.

"Do you think they'll take a Poor in History of Magic well?" Betty Kirke asked her sister Berenice.

"I don't know." Berenice bit at her lip. "I did get a Dreadful in Potions, though."

"That's nothing compared to mine," Maisie Towler said miserably. "I got two Trolls, in both Potions and History of Magic."

"Ask Severus for help," stated Natalie Prewett. "He's the best in our year."

"He's the best in the whole school, Prewett," a nearby prefect corrected, glancing at the dark-haired boy with his head bowed over a textbook. "I doubt Slughorn can best him, but he's keeping that talent of his under wraps."

"I think he's just shy," Natalie defended, looking over at Severus herself. "I mean, he's clever, but he's not always flaunting his intelligence, like Potter in Defence. And Potter can't performing the Disarming Spell as well as Severus."

"You have a crush on him!" Betty accused. The sudden rise in volume caused Severus to look up. The two girls immediately caught his eye and simultaneously looked away, red blotches forming on their cheeks. Severus shook his head and looked back down again. Maisie timidly approached him.

"S-nape?" She stuttered. He didn't move. "Erm, Se-verus? Can I talk to you?"

Dark eyes appeared above the textbook to meet her brown ones and fixed on her face.

"It depends on what you want to talk about," Severus replied coolly. Maisie gulped.

"Well, erm, I'm having problems with, er, Potions, and I wondered if you could help, er, me_"

"Sit down," Severus interrupted. She perched on the nearest stool. "Now listen carefully. And don't interrupt, whatever you do."

She nodded.

"It is a subtle science and exact art: potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but she caught every word—like Professor McGonagall, Severus had the gift of keeping people silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving, you will hardly believe that it is magic. I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a dunderhead as half our year.

"Rumour has it that I am rather good at this subtle science," Severus added drily. "Rumour has it that I am rather good at tutoring. I am willing to help you, Towler, to ensure that you don't blow up any dungeons. We will start after supper, in the library. Bring parchment and a quill, and I shall teach you all I know." He gave a wry grin. "Which is a rather colossal amount, even if I do say so myself."

Severus arose from his chair and left the common room without another word. Natalie, Betty and Berenice slowly moved over to the dumbfounded girl.

"What was that?" Betty demanded.

Maisie shook herself out of her shock.

"He offered to tutor me in Potions," she finally answered. "Starting today, after supper."

"Lucky," Berenice muttered darkly. "Half the girls in our year would pay good money to spend an hour alone with that boy. He's so mysterious..."

"Especially Lily Evans," Natalie added. "They were childhood friends."

"Doesn't mean that she'll be the one to get him," Berenice told her. "And I, for one, hope she doesn't. Get him, that is."

*

Remus discovered Severus in the library after supper with a girl in their house, Maisie Towler. As he approached, Severus said:

"Now, don't lose those notes, Towler, and remember, tomorrow, same time, same place."

The girl left with a squeak and a nod, and Remus took her seat, facing his friend.

"What're you doing?" He asked casually.

"Tutoring," Severus replied, giving Remus a sharp look. "What did you want me for?"

"I was going to ask you about the summer holidays."

"What about them?" Severus was immediately on the defensive. Remus wondered why.

"I was coming to see if you'd like to spend a few days with me during the hols. My mother is eager to find out if I've actually made any friends this year. She feared I'd be lonely. I was a lonely child, you see."

"You weren't the only one," Severus muttered. Remus gave him a confused look. What about Lily? "And, have you? Made any friends?"

"I hope so," Remus said nervously.

Severus smiled, and it looked relatively genuine. "I think you have," he stated.

"Really?"

"Yes. There's Lily, and Natalie, and George, and Nicholas, and Edgar, and Alice... The list goes on."

"Oh."

"It's all about trust, Lupin. You have to trust them. They have to trust you. Only then will you have found a true friend."

*****

A.N. It's nice to see my chapters getting longer and longer again! Thank you for reading and PLEASE COMMENT!!!!!!! :)