Severus... Reformed #2 / SNILY

Chapter Twenty-Five

"She's too young," Severus murmured. "Too naïve."

"I understand," Remus pointed out.

Severus fell silent, which Remus took as a cue to continue. 

"Severus, you'll never know how she'll actually respond before you tell her. Why not take the chance?"

Severus sighed.

"I can't take her happiness away from her. She thinks the world is a perfect place."

"She knows about Voldemort - how can she assume the world is perfect?"

Severus paused, his glittering, tormented eyes focused on his fellow Ravenclaw.

"You need to stop walking on eggshells around her. Lily's as strong as any of us. True, she might not get some things but Lily is smart. One day she'll have to grow up; maybe you should initiate that process for her."

"How on earth can I tell her something like that?" Severus asked in a vaguely despairing voice. "Her mother and I have been covering it up for years. Lily's never known. She won't understand why I didn't tell her in the first place. She might not understand at all."

"What about telling Petunia?" Remus asked slowly.

Severus gave him an assessing look.

"Petunia's older, wiser - why not tell her first? Or get Petunia to tell Lily."

"I suppose I could do that," Severus pondered. "There were a few times when I thought Petunia knew or saw more than she let on."

There was a small silence. Severus was remembering how Lily reacted the first time he'd told her about his father. She hadn't understood then; he very much doubted that she would understand this time round.

"Anyway, I need to go and speak to Dumbledore now."

Dumbledore had arranged times to speak to him, primarily to check in with him.

"See you later, Sev," Remus said quietly.

*

Albus and Severus' sessions were not quite as comfortable as Albus would've liked, with conversations between them rather stilted. Severus, for his part, didn't like being seen as vulnerable and Albus was currently the only person who'd seen him at his most vulnerable. As for Albus, he was only starting to get to know Severus whereas Severus knew everything about him, putting him at a major disadvantage.

Some way or another, the limited discussion got round to the subject of the Sorting Hat.

"Did you know it can produce Godric Gryffindor's sword?" Severus asked, handling the worn material with interest.

"No, I didn't," Albus replied, surprised. "How?"

Nothing could stop the inner academic within both of them.

"Only a true Gryffindor can get the sword from the hat in situations of grave danger," Severus said wonderingly, looking down at the hat in his hand.

Albus thought for a moment. 

"Perhaps it needs a new owner, then," he said, smiling.

Severus looked up and caught sight of his smile. He quickly cottoned on.

"But I'm not a Gryffindor!" He protested.

Albus continued to beam.

"You told me that I once said we sort too soon. Severus, you belong to two houses of Hogwarts and clearly share qualities from all of them. You should be the new owner of the hat."

"The hat has belonged to headteachers of Hogwarts for a millenium," Severus said quietly.

"And you are a headmaster of Hogwarts, Severus," Albus replied gently.

"Thank you," Severus said at long last in a slightly awed voice.

Albus smiled again.

"Consider it an early birthday present."

*****

A.N. I was starting to worry that I would forget about Petunia! To clear up any future questions, Petunia is in their year (3rd year) but she's a year older - she's 14/15 whereas Severus and co. are all 13/14. Anybody have a preference as to her birth month? I could see her as being a December child (in which case she would be 15 instead of 14) but I'm open to suggestions. :)

Also, to expand on saying previously that I wouldn't be updating as much, I've decided that I'll try and update at least once a week for the foreseeable future. This will hopefully mean that'll update twice on the weekend but the 'at least' is just in case I ever only manage to update once a week.

Thank you so much reading and please comment!!!