Of Blood and Serpents

Hogwarts-
Year One.

Chapter one:

Sort of Sorted.

Lily woke with a start, her pulse thrumming in her veins and a thin layer of cold sweat causing her night robes to cling to her clammy skin. She calmed her dizzying thoughts, her knuckles translucent from gripping the sheets around her. Slow, deep calming breaths Lily. She ordered herself, shutting her eyes and fighting back the sting behind them. Before she knew it she'd thrown her legs over the side of her bed, and had opened her door walking down the darkened hall towards the living room.

“Severus..?” Lily called called hesitantly, peeking into the dimly light, her night robes swishing against the creaky flooring which had probably given away her presence far before she'd called out.

“If I recall,” He drawled glancing up from his book in slight disinterest. “Your curfew began hours ago, has it not Lillian?” He questioned from where he sat on the couch, the candle flickering beside him with enough light to read the cracked leather bound book on his lap. Slipping out from behind her place behind the wall her expression was drawn and complexion ill cast in the light.

“I had a odd... dream.” Or nightmare, she wasn't really sure on that front what exactly to call it. As Severus observed her he was struck with how much she resembled herself as a child, pale, drawn looking, and inexplicably lost. The silence between them told him she did not wish to speak of it nor was Severus going to pry. She sat beside him bringing her knobby knees around to her chest and looked at Severus with quiet solemn eyes.

“Do you think I could stay out here until... I can fall asleep again?” She whispered, her mouth was tugged down in the corner and her half lidded dull eyes poorly hid anxiety and the deeper pang of sadness.

“Very well, but I should remind you that the train to Hogwarts will not idle if you are unable to pry yourself from your bed?” This was Severus attempt at humour, a sentiment which pulled Lily's couldn't help but make her mouth pull up into a rare full smile, the anxiety ebbing from her eyes.

“Thank you Severus.” She replied back tiredly, some colour beginning to work its way back into her cheeks. Her eyes falling shut, the warmth of their exchange warmed her back into slumber.

She fell asleep soundly moments later as Severus read further into his book. It wasn't until he finished, the hour coming to a close that he realized. With her cheek tucked against her knees and arms drawn around them, she took slow peaceful breaths, her long black hair darkening her soft rounded child's face.

Severus did not often see her sleep, he was not a tender loving parent that tucked her in or kissed her cuts away. No, Severus would on some occasions send her to bed with a cup of herbal tea, and expect not to see her until morning, if she wounded herself he'd enquire dryly on her state whilst handing her ointment and bandages. Severus was not squishy or cuddly, at most the relationship would seem to mildly affectionate as Lily too wasn't a 'love' and 'cuddles' sort of child. And yet, as Lily slept soundly Severus felt a small tug in his chest, it was not something he felt often, nor was it generally such a pleasant tug. It was a tug of something not tainted by despair, or pain, it was small and soft and something Severus would never admit to feeling. His nostrils flaring he snapped his book shut and stood to replace it on the shelf. Gathering his bed robes at his ankles his eyes shifted towards Lily almost begrudgingly. He had no intentions of carrying her back to her room, and as she was sleeping peacefully, he also had no intentions of waking her. Acting in a way uncommon for him he made a small gesture and tugged the dusty blanket laying over the back of the couch and draped it neatly around the small girls frame. His hand fell not pausing to linger on her hair or to softly stroke her cheek, but back to his legs to gather his robes before carrying himself to bed. Yes, in a way uncommon to him and maybe downright peculiar, Severus Snape, under his own roof, did something completely unnecessary because he cared.

How unusual.

Lillian woke with a start, blinking the morning grogginess from her eyes and lifting her head from the couch cushion as the dusty morning light filtered through the grimy windows. A patch work blanket hung from her shoulders, half shrugged on to the ground, yawning with a slight pucker in her brow she sat up and stretched her back, hearing it pop and groan. A whistle shrill and high pierced called her to the kitchen once the blanket was neatly folded back where it was supposed to be.

“Oh you've decided to join the living have you?” Severus commented mockingly in a oddly cheery sounding way, picking up his freshly poured cup of tea before sitting down at the table looking impassively at the paper in front of him. “You have 20 minutes.” He told her as if he had been reminding her all morning.

“Wha?” Her eyes stretched open in surprise, her hand dropping from where it was rubbing the sleep from her eye, an instant later her feet were pounding down the hall. She scrambled to her room falling to her knees to throw her trunk open she stumbled upwards her heart hammering in her chest the strain of time upon her.

“Five.” Severus voice drifted up the hall as she dumped a mixture of books and robes into her trunk. Bloody hell! She thought breathlessly, snatching her wand from the table and groaning beneath the weight of her trunk as she began dragging it down the hall way. His tea finished Severus stood at the front of the door, his own trunk beside him. She greeted him by raising her head, her cheeks flushed and breath burning her lungs. Severus's eye brow twitched the slightest and there may have been a flash of amusement in his black eyes.

“Forget something?” He drawled expectantly and Lily lifted her head, cheeks still pink but her breathing slowing, her brow pinched her head shaking.

“Um I don't think..” Her eyes drifted to the mirror hanging on the wall beside her and her cheeks scorched fuchsia. “One sec!” She squeaked, her feet pounding on the floor and skidding to a halt in the bathroom where she very quickly brushed her matted hair. She pressed her mouth into a line acknowledging the sheen of grease in before dropping the brush to return to Severus in the hall. Now they really did look like father and daughter.

------

Lily nervously played with the hem of her new school robes as she sat alone in her compartment. She felt oddly lost, not sitting in Severus's compartment as she always had. Before this moment she hadn't really stopped to think about what school was really going to be like. What kind of friends she'd make, who she'd meet. She used to think about it all the time, marvelling at the crowds of students that would wander outside to sit by the lake or dare each other into the Forest. Really she hadn't thought about it since those boys had-

“Hello!” The voice made her jump as the compartment door slid open. “Oh!” The girl giggled. “Sorry didn't mean to scare you, Is this compartment taken?” She asked, her chin jutted forward slightly.

“No, its free.” Lily nodded quietly, brushing her hair from her eyes and sitting up from where she sat in the corner.

“Oh good..” The girl smiled awkwardly dragging her trunk in behind her and attempting to lift it into the rack. “Ugh..!” She groaned beneath its weight swaying slightly and causing Lily to stand quickly to help her get it up properly. “Ah, there!” The girl beamed cheerfully brushing her hands together like it was a job well down and plopping heavily into the seat across from her. Lily sat down both amused and unnerved by the bright cheerful girl across from her.

“I'm Lily.” She cleared her throat, introducing herself first and offering her hand.

“Ah! I'm Terra eh, you first year too?” She asked quickly, grabbing and squeezing her hand and dropping it just as quickly. Her rough accent peaked through her words, her voice was rushed and breathy.

“Yeah, but I've been living on the grounds of Hogwarts because my- my..” She stumbled her cheeks reddening when she realized she wasn't sure what to call Severus.. Dad seemed so... intimate, and she was so used to the word being taboo she was caught off guard. She cleared her throat, realizing the girl was staring at her expectantly and rushed on. “my guardian, is a teacher there.” She finished her tone a little smug.

“Oh that's nea'” The girl's eyes were bright blue and wide with interest. “So like, were you adopted or somfin'?” She folded her hands neatly over her lap and tilted her head to the side like a bird. Lily's brow pinched a little and she shifted, swallowing her discomfort caused by the girls prodding questions and bird like attention.

“I, uh yeah sort of, Severus is the schools potion master.” She nodded, fidgeting a little and trying to figure out where to look while the girl was staring at her. Unlike Severus gaze her's was bright, and uncomfortably persistent. Swallowing and finding no other comfortable place to look she decidedly looked straight up into the girls eyes, matching her expression.

She stared at her.

She stared back.

It only took one twitch of Terra's mouth before she burst into laughter, Lily's expression splitting as she exploded into a similar fit of giggles.

Controlling her breathing Lily wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, sniffing and looking over to the girl who was laying on her side giggling quietly into the cushion.

“So.. does this mean were friends?” Lily asked in earnest, her mouth aching from smiling so much. Terra's muffled giggles disappeared as she surfaced for air, flipping her hair dramatically as she sat up.

“Yeah, I mean, I guess so.. Doesn't it matter what house you get in though? I heard that matters.” Lily frowned and shrugged.

“I dunno, maybe it does.” She blinked thoughtfully, come to think of it she had heard Severus muttering about Gryffindor's before, perhaps Slytherin and Gryffindor didn't get along?

“Well, what house do you want to get into, maybe we want to be in the same house anyways and it doesn't matter!” She thought cheerily, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. Lily pondered the question in earnest before she answered, really she'd never even bothered to think of it. She simply assumed she'd be in Slytherin, Severus's house, without thinking there was much choice to it. What were the other houses? Ravenclaw was it? And what was that other one... Huff, Hufflepuff? That sounded right.

“I- I guess Slytherin, I mean that's what Sev is in. I haven't really considered anything else.” She told the girl, watching as Terra's face fell with her answer.

“Oh, well I want to be Gryffindor, I heard all the adventurers and Brave people get put there.” She said haughtily, but then glancing back to Lily, her eyes becoming almost shy. “Whats Slytherin like then? You know?”

“Hmm, I think I might have heard the house rhyme before..” She frowned in concentration, recalling the words. “ In Slytherin you'll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends.”She looked up as she spoke pausing between the words until she finished it.

“Oh, well it sounds... a little sketchy to me, I heard every dark wizard there ever was came from Slytherin too.” She wrinkled her nose and Lily crossed her arms in irritation, scowling at the girl who blinked quickly realizing the offence. Her mouth dropped open quickly to amend. “I suppose a lot of good wizards come from Slytherin too, like your dad!” She added brightly, licking her lips. Pushing away her discomfort Lily forced herself to smile a little, already she could tell this girl liked smiles.

----------

“SNAPE, LILLIAN.” A few murmurs arose around her making her pulse jump anxiously as she stumbled forward biting her lip and keeping her eyes trained ahead. There was a tingle of surprise as the hat lowered completely over her head and an aged voice began murmuring in her ear.

'Oh, yes Hello there.' The hats voice whispered in her ear, nervously she gripped her stool. 'Hungry for knowledge you are I see, but bravery too, and a strong Slytherin blood line!' He seemed to note with surprise. 'Yes, yes quite noble, so what should it be?' it pondered in her ear. 'Slytherin or Gryffindor... yes a bit difficult.' Lily smiled suddenly, caught off guard by Severus's face flashing behind her tightly shut eye lids. 'Oh yes, you'll fit nicely in there.. suppose it has to be.. SLYTHERIN!”The hat suddenly shouted making Lily jump, her legs wobbling as she jumped off the stool. Terra waved shyly from the Gryffindor crowd while the Slytherin table hooted and howled. Smiling bashfully Lily sought an empty seat, grey eyes froze her in place as her green eyes met them. Damon scowled, forcefully pulling his eyes back to the sorting taking place while Lily's cheeks burned.

“Here! Sit here!” A rather snappish girl sitting across from Damon yelled, tugging her into the seat beside her. Clenching her teeth Lily squashed her emotions and struggled not to scowl through the rest of the ceremony even though she was painfully aware of his presence across from her.

“So your Lillian Snape, Professor Snape's daughter?” Lily's head snapped to the girl beside her, realizing that the Ceremony had ended and so had Dumbledore's speech. Now the food was brimming with food and from the corner of her eye she could see that the dark haired boy across from her was looking down at his plate staring determinedly away from her. The high pitched brunette sipped her pumpkin juice daintily and Lily swallowed nodding and grabbing a roll from the bowl.

“I'm Esmeralda, and I'm already in my second year, if you have any questions feel free to ask.” she smiled, revealing shiny white teeth and quite a bit of pink gums. Lily forced her knotted smile to ease just a little to allow a polite smile towards the girl.

“Nice to meet you.” She replied over the deafening murmur of others conversations and the girls large smile stretched before she turned to her friend at her side.

-----

As the plates disappeared Lily thought she was ninety pounds heavier and she became a little stupider listening to Esmeralda all evening. She had to keep stuffing her face just to keep herself from scowling at him or maybe kicking him under the table. She'd wondered idly if she flicked her wand at him if he'd explode like the cage had. She squashed the thought as quickly as she could, feeling the scowl hardening on her brow.

As the prefects rose to lead the first years to the dormitories she let her peers ahead of her, letting herself purposefully fall behind as she glanced behind her at the table her stomach squirmed as she saw Esmeralda reach over the table and grab his hand, giggling and blushing. They were a couple apparently, Lily's nose wrinkled in disgust and she jerked her head straight following the tail end of her classmates.

Being quite aware of what passages to take to get to the dungeons and the dormitory something Lily was thankful for, the buzzing of voices was beginning to give her a headache, not to manage the added pinch between her brows which she struggled to smooth out. Rubbing her eyes with a yawn Lillian drifted around a bend in the hall, her classmates far ahead of her.

“Oh!” Both Lillian and the girl coming around the corner froze a hairs length from running into each other. Terra squeaking in surprise. “Woah, sorry Lily!” Terra exhaled in relief, her cheeks pink in embarrassment. Lily was caught between pleasant surprise and curiosity, her brow furrowed as her lip quirked up curiously at the corner.

“You know the Gryffindor tower is, well, up don't you?” Lily pointed out almost teasingly, Terra's cheeks mottling again sheepishly she stood a little straighter and jutted her chin out as if to rebuke her tease.

“I, well wanted to talk you so I ran and a head and got lost is all.” She explained with a sniff, then smiled a little, her blue eyes shining in earnest. “Now that I have found you I just wanted to uhm say..” Her voice trailed as if nervously and she shifted shyly before blurting :

“That I don't care that were in separate houses, I mean it seems a little silly that we can't get along if were friends dunnit?” She rushed on nervously slurring the last word. Lily felt relieved, a bit of dinners tension lifting from her shoulders from because of her bright eyed companions words.

“Yeah..” Lily found her smile widening Terra's mouth stretched into a Cheshire grin. “I think so too.” She bobbed her head, a greasy piece of stray hair falling in eyes, she brushed it behind her ear.

“Well..” Terra inched to Lily's side, her robes brushing the floor. “I should probably catch up with my lot... I'll see you?” Lily nodded, also realizing she should catch up with her 'lot' too, she was not fond of the idea of running into the second years of her house, the thought of running into Esmeralda and her bloke was making her tense again.

“Yeah, see you.” She promised quietly to her friend, straining to smile a little, Terra grinning wider and stumbling slightly as she turned to rush back the other way.

The encounter put Lily in a better state even though she had to jog a little to catch up to her group. She caught up in time to hear the password ' Oviparous' and committed it quietly to memory, ducking beneath Slytherin Prefects as she jumped into the room. There was a murmur of surprise and delight from the first years upon entering the green glow of the common room. Lily studied the room in her own quiet appreciation. Though the ceiling was low hung the couches were large and her armchairs comfortable looking. Book shelves lined the wall in some places while the Slytherin coat of arms hung with green spangled banners as decor. Equally lush, fat pillows were neatly placed on the sofa's and chairs with silver snakes embellishing them.

“Up to bed now, First year boys down the back to the left, Girls the same to the right.” The meaty Prefect gestured the first years. The Slytherin girls dormitories was a large oval room with the beds spaced nicely from each other, a large green jade snake was engraved into the centre of the floor. Yawning Lily found her trunk and changed into her night robes, too exhausted to introduce her self to her other fellow first year room mates. Exhausted she tucked herself into her lavishly hung green curtained bed and fell asleep almost immediately beneath the thick downy covers. Just before she fell asleep a half exhausted hope wriggled in her mind:

she hoped it would be dreamless.