" how did this even happen?" Lily asked as she cleaned up the area with a q-tip dipped in some antiseptic.
Even in a castle full of magic their muggle ways never wavered. It was easier anyway, safer than whatever concoction with terrible side effects Pomfrey was gonna give them.
" it was just a branch." Severus hissed at the stinging pain.
" a branch really? You have to be more careful when you go out into the woods like that."
Severus looked at lily with wide eyes as she just smiled reassuringly, as if keeping whatever severus did secret was an impossible task.
" yeah yeah i know all about your little disappearances into the woods. As long as you're not hurting anyone or youself, you can do whatever you'd like." She said as she cast a small healing charm on the now completely clean wound.
" there we go. Now it wont get infected."
" thank you lily."
" of course. Now, shall we go to dinner?" She asked as she stood up and held out a hand for him to use to get up.
He nodded, bringing his hand up to touch the now healing scar and walked with her down to the great hall.
As they entered he sighed in relief. It's only been about 5 minutes since dinner started so the tables were more scarce, still didn't stop almost half of the school from arriving in the first two minutes though.
They took a seat at the edge of Ravenclaw's table, finding it the most tolerant of the houses. Hufflepuff was also kind but at this point they had so many different houses mixed in they were overcrowding.
So Ravenclaw's it is.
" Hello Lily, hello Severus." A soft voice called as they took a seat next to lily.
" Pandora, good to see you as always." Lily smiled as she saw her friend.
" Wesia."
" Snape." Pandora nodded, knowing Severus liked the use of last names rather than first.
" where is Lovegood?" He asked.
" oh he's sick. Some nargles got to him and it's really messing with him." She looked down at the thought of him sick.
They have gotten rather fond, and she will admit her rather obvious crush on him would play a factor in her worry.
" im sure he'll be fine." Lily nodded, reassuring Pandora that the nargles couldn't have done too much damage.
" i hope so. He's already missed two days." She played around with her food, eyebrows knit close together.
" you can visit him in the infirmary you know. Pomfrey would allow you at least half an hour."
" thats a hope. Anyway, how have you two been?" Pandora looked at the two expectantly.
" oh nothing much, I've been trying to do the defense against dark arts spell, the one to ward off dementors but i still can't quite get it down." Lily shrugged.
" oh I've been struggling as well. Much harder than I anticipated."
" right?" The two girls agreed as severus watched from across them.
" i got it down." He said rather dismissively, opting to cut open his chicken pot pie.
The two stared at him with wide eyes unblinking, kind of unnerving with the green and silver eyes pointed at him.
Then they blew up in a frenzy of questions.
" what? How?! When?! Where?! Is that what you've been doing in the woods?" Lily asked sternly, pointing a finger at him to gather info.
" what have you been doing in the woods? Are you trying to get hunted by centaurs?" Pandora added, looking more concerned than interrogative.
" what? No thats not the reason why. Well i was in the woods when i got it but it wasn't it." Severus shook his head, taking a bite off his fork and looking down at his plate.
" how did you do it? How long did it take?" Lily continued with her extensive questions.
Severus groaned and rolled his eyes, kind of regretting his little moment of boasting.
" it took a couple tries. I just went through happy memories until one worked."
" you have happy memories? Would've guessed yours would be incorporeal- ow! Lily!" Pandora yelped when lily elbowed her in the ribs.
She gave her a stern look and Pandora realized what that must've insinuated.
" oh im so sorry, I didn't mean it like that-"
" no no. Honestly i thought the same but turns out i do have some good in me so." Severus shrugged and continued eating as if nothing happened.
As if Pandora didn't just say he seemed like a person who could hold no fond or happy memories and as if lily didn't have that sympathetic look of pity on her face.
It was like the air around him was taunting him and he missed the woods where he could sit in silence with that stag he had grown so fond over.
It brought him comfort knowing that something other than his longest friend and the school kook could tolerate his presence.
" im sorry." Pandora said softly, as if she didn't want severus to hear it in case it offended him more.
But he wasn't offended, it wasn't her fault Severus just oozed unhappiness.
" its fine, its not your fault." He insisted further.
He just wanted to eat his dinner and go to his dorm, was that such a hard thing to do.
" um anyway. What was your patronus?" Lily cleared her throat and asked, desperately trying to find a happy note.
" oh it was actually a Doe. Kind of feminine but it was actually quite pretty." He nodded, remembering the beautiful blue doe that appeared in the woods.
" really? Thats wonderful, you know a doe symbolizes grace and agility? Intuition also." Pandora lit up at the mention of animals.
" intuitive, agile and graceful. Kind of fits sev dont you think?" Lily asked.
Pandora nodded, smiling happily at the change in subject.
Severus internally scoffed, finding the mere idea of any of those things representing him hilarious.
He was cold, mean, sarcastic and evil. Not graceful and agile. Intuitive sure but anyone with half a brain held some intuition on a certain level.
In severus' opinion, it was laughable.
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" moony? Whats a bambi?" James asked almost as soon as the four entered their dorm room after dinner.
" uh its a muggle children's movie from the late 30's. Why?" Remus asked as he took off his tie and started to change into his pajamas.
" oh uh someone mentioned it to me. Just wanted to know what it was."
" hm." Remus nodded in response.
" whats the movie about anyway?" James asked, prying further due to his own curiosity.
" its about an orphan deer. His mother gets killed by a hunter and he has to learn how to survive in the wilderness alone. Although his father does come in, he's a great big stag."
Oh. He named me after the dad of an orphan deer?
" so bambi is the dad?" James asked.
" no bambi is the orphan. Quite sad too, he's really frail and small. Makes friends with woodland creatures." Moony shook off his shirt and pulled a t shirt on.
The git named me after a frail orphan deer?
James huffed, feeling quite offended at the new title.
Bambi. It doesn't even suit me.
He scoffed to himself until he basically tripped into his bed, eager to go to sleep.
Because sleep means tomorrow, and tomorrow means another day of stealing apples from Snivilus.
Ha. Bambi. What a stupid name.
It doesn't even sound like a proper name.