Status: Finished :)
Taking Down the Sunrise
Twenty-Nine
“Good luck,” Lily’s voice whispered in his ear has he sat going over some last minute notes.
Severus looked up, but not quickly enough as Lily had already taken her place near the front of the next row. He smiled to himself as he saw her steady hand removing the quills from her bag. She felt his eyes on her, turned around and smiled brightly. Happiness filled Severus as he turned back to the book on his desk.
“Everything away! Away, away, away!” Flitwick said, his voice magnified by a spell. The name of the spell eluded Severus maddeningly as the professor went on, “The test is about to start. I’ll send out the answer sheet first and then the questions!”
His voice was drowned out by the final flipping of pages as students began to put away their notes. The sheet they would write their answers on flew onto the desks followed quickly by the sheet of questions. Severus took a deep breath and began to read.
Most of the questions were no brainers. A couple he skipped to come back to later and others he wrote long winded answers under that probably made no sense to anyone other than him. The time ticked past. Eventually each and every question got answered just before Flitwick’s shrill cry of, “Time’s up!”
Answer sheets flew from beneath scribbling quills amid several muffled curses. Severus kept his nose to the questions sheet, reading them over and trying to remember his answers. He got up and shuffled out with the rest of the people.
Out under the sun, he kept the question sheet close as he waited for Lily. He knew that she would take time to get ready for lunch and he would have plenty of time to go over the questions. Sitting down in the shade of a tree, he let his worries about the test wash over him as the laughter of other students washed over him.
“If it isn’t Snivellus!” a voice called.
Severus looked up. James and his crew were approaching him with their wands at the ready. With a sigh, Severus pulled out his wand and got to his feet. The question sheet fluttered to the ground as Sirius smirked, “Still mulling over the test, Snivellus?”
“What do you want?”
James shrugged, “We’re just talking here,”
“Yeah, well, just talk somewhere else,” Severus replied, “I have a date.”
Eyes narrowed, James flicked his wand side to side. A blade of grass lit on fire and then was quickly put out by Remus, who was hanging back slightly. James smiled sinisterly and said, “That’s right. Lily took you back. Congratulations,”
“Thank you,”
James wand flicked again, this time in Severus’ direction and he quickly deflected the red sparks. James’ cronies laughed. Severus swirled his wand, the smokiness of the spell making it easy to prevent.
“Is there a reason we’re doing this?”
With a shrug, James made the slightest flicker of his wand and Severus, seeing no sign of a spell, made no move to block it. It was only mere seconds later he heard the word echoing through his head, Levicorpus.
Severus made a quick movement but his wand dropped out of his hand just before he could finish. He was pulled up by his ankle, robes tossed over his head and arms flailing. Curse words flew from his lips as the boys beneath him laughed.
There were footsteps approaching and then an outraged cry. Severus managed to twist just enough to catch sight of Lily’s hair. His string of curses suddenly became internalized as only one thought filtered through his mind, I need to get her out of here.
“What the hell is wrong with you guys?” Lily shouted as she grabbed onto James’ arm.
“It’s just fun,”
“It’s not fun! Stop it! Can’t you see you’re hurting him? Stop!”
“I don’t need your help, mudblood!”
The entire scene seemed to freeze beneath him. Severus’ robe was still above his head so he didn’t have a clear view of her face but he could feel her bright green eyes burning through him. He could feel her walking away. He could even feel the confusion and detached merriment of the boys below him.
“Lily! Lily, wait! I didn’t-”
But his words got cut off as he tumbled to the ground. He landed hard, the bump on his head making him dizzy. The view of James running after her was blurry but the thought of him comforting her was clear enough. Severus struggled to his feet just to fall down again as the world went black around him.
Severus looked up, but not quickly enough as Lily had already taken her place near the front of the next row. He smiled to himself as he saw her steady hand removing the quills from her bag. She felt his eyes on her, turned around and smiled brightly. Happiness filled Severus as he turned back to the book on his desk.
“Everything away! Away, away, away!” Flitwick said, his voice magnified by a spell. The name of the spell eluded Severus maddeningly as the professor went on, “The test is about to start. I’ll send out the answer sheet first and then the questions!”
His voice was drowned out by the final flipping of pages as students began to put away their notes. The sheet they would write their answers on flew onto the desks followed quickly by the sheet of questions. Severus took a deep breath and began to read.
Most of the questions were no brainers. A couple he skipped to come back to later and others he wrote long winded answers under that probably made no sense to anyone other than him. The time ticked past. Eventually each and every question got answered just before Flitwick’s shrill cry of, “Time’s up!”
Answer sheets flew from beneath scribbling quills amid several muffled curses. Severus kept his nose to the questions sheet, reading them over and trying to remember his answers. He got up and shuffled out with the rest of the people.
Out under the sun, he kept the question sheet close as he waited for Lily. He knew that she would take time to get ready for lunch and he would have plenty of time to go over the questions. Sitting down in the shade of a tree, he let his worries about the test wash over him as the laughter of other students washed over him.
“If it isn’t Snivellus!” a voice called.
Severus looked up. James and his crew were approaching him with their wands at the ready. With a sigh, Severus pulled out his wand and got to his feet. The question sheet fluttered to the ground as Sirius smirked, “Still mulling over the test, Snivellus?”
“What do you want?”
James shrugged, “We’re just talking here,”
“Yeah, well, just talk somewhere else,” Severus replied, “I have a date.”
Eyes narrowed, James flicked his wand side to side. A blade of grass lit on fire and then was quickly put out by Remus, who was hanging back slightly. James smiled sinisterly and said, “That’s right. Lily took you back. Congratulations,”
“Thank you,”
James wand flicked again, this time in Severus’ direction and he quickly deflected the red sparks. James’ cronies laughed. Severus swirled his wand, the smokiness of the spell making it easy to prevent.
“Is there a reason we’re doing this?”
With a shrug, James made the slightest flicker of his wand and Severus, seeing no sign of a spell, made no move to block it. It was only mere seconds later he heard the word echoing through his head, Levicorpus.
Severus made a quick movement but his wand dropped out of his hand just before he could finish. He was pulled up by his ankle, robes tossed over his head and arms flailing. Curse words flew from his lips as the boys beneath him laughed.
There were footsteps approaching and then an outraged cry. Severus managed to twist just enough to catch sight of Lily’s hair. His string of curses suddenly became internalized as only one thought filtered through his mind, I need to get her out of here.
“What the hell is wrong with you guys?” Lily shouted as she grabbed onto James’ arm.
“It’s just fun,”
“It’s not fun! Stop it! Can’t you see you’re hurting him? Stop!”
“I don’t need your help, mudblood!”
The entire scene seemed to freeze beneath him. Severus’ robe was still above his head so he didn’t have a clear view of her face but he could feel her bright green eyes burning through him. He could feel her walking away. He could even feel the confusion and detached merriment of the boys below him.
“Lily! Lily, wait! I didn’t-”
But his words got cut off as he tumbled to the ground. He landed hard, the bump on his head making him dizzy. The view of James running after her was blurry but the thought of him comforting her was clear enough. Severus struggled to his feet just to fall down again as the world went black around him.