Harry Potter 1. Introduction

Disclaimer: I do not own or claim to own Harry Potter in any way. The characters described are the property of JK Rowling. The relationships described are property of the shippers everywhere. Yay shippers!

Note: This is a collaborative effort between myself and Brittasia. The Sorting Hat's song was based on the original idea from her with a few modifications made by yours truly. This story spans from the Marauders Seventh year until the Trio's Seventh year unless I get carried away. It's been known to happen -shrug-

_**Forbidden**_

**Introduction: Return to Hogwarts**

A storm met the Hogwarts Express's weary passengers as they made their ways to the designated areas; the first years to the boats while all others went to the magical carriages. The brilliant flashes of light caught the eyes of the weary professors in charge of the safe arrival of the students as they ushered them quickly along. There was an unnerving chill in the air as they began boarding; unsettling to the minds of those aware of the changes taking place in their normally peaceful world. The drawn-out boarding did nothing to settle the sense of dread lurking deep within the pit of Severus Snape's stomach. He hugged his sopping wet, oversized robes close to his considerably frail form as he moved his way toward the Slytherin carriage. He was sure to glance at the faces of those he passed by, hoping he would successfully begin a school year without the bloody Marauders causing him trouble.

He released the breath he had been holding when he made it safely and uneventfully aboard the carriage. If he would not have looked more insane than the school already thought, he would have kissed the floor. Perhaps his final year would pass smoothly. He began settling himself when a flash of shimmering platinum seized his attention. Now, it wasn't often he paid any mind to those sitting with him, but this particular instant he did. That very shimmer caught his eye, drawing it further until the glorious cheekbones of none other than Narcissa Black greeted him along with the piercing, icy blue eyes of Lucius Malfoy. A peculiar smirk passed over Lucius' face as he caught Severus' attention; a smirk that meant he knew something.

"Severus," Lucius drawled as he pushed back his interestingly cropped hair. The angle caused Severus to tilt his head to the side. It looked remarkably like a wedge covering one eye; a wedge that reminded Severus of parmesan cheese. He resisted the urge to crack a smile as he nodded to the other.

"Lucius," he replied, his tone rather short. Unlike Lucius Malfoy, who so enjoyed discussing himself, Severus much preferred staying quiet and blending into walls and corners. He was the cobweb no one noticed until someone pointed a finger and screamed…and he much liked that idea. In fact, he preferred being invisible. Unfortunately, the Marauders always seemed to spot him. He shook his thoughts from his head as he looked back to Malfoy.

"Have you heard the glorious news?"

"_You've married yourself?" _Severus smirked. "What news, Lucius?"

Lucius looked around the carriage carefully, as though someone could have possibly squeezed in beside his ego. He shut the door before gesturing for Severus to lean in. Severus reluctantly did so, satisfying the beginning of a year full of incredulous demands. He had begun to wonder what Lucius would do with himself if he didn't have others to boss about. Probably cease living. "Slytherin house will reign supreme because of it. There is rumour of a dark lord raising an Army to rid the world of Mudbloods. They are calling forth the brightest dark wizards to join his side," the excitement in Lucius' eyes almost terrified Severus. A dark lord raising an army to rid the world of Mudbloods? He wasn't keen on the idea. "A world in which the Pure Bloods only exist. All blood traitors will suffer their…_necessary_ fates as well, of course."

"Oh, Lucius, can we discuss this somewhere more…private? Later, perhaps, when no one can hear you," Narcissa pled, her eyes wide with something resembling fear.

"Nonsense, Narcissa, no one can hear us. Stop worrying yourself. Your brow furrows. You'll ruin your perfect face with wrinkles from it if you continue," Lucius scolded.

Narcissa's eyes met with Severus' before she looked to the floor of the carriage as they took off. Her tone was low, her voice holding a tinge of sadness. "Have you ever wondered what pulls the carriages?" she asked, glancing through the few strands of hair that blocked her eyes.

"They are _magical carriages_, Narcissa. They are pulled by _magic_," Lucius spoke with such great annoyance that even Severus was offended. Rather than announcing his displeasure with the tone, he simply looked out the window at the night sky; the sense of dread still sharply stinging his memory…reminding him that Lucius' words could hold a certain truth. He shuddered as Lucius continued arguing with Narcissa about various aspects of her form that she could not control. He wanted to stand up, give Malfoy a quick, mind-numbing slap in the face, and embrace the near-tears Narcissa in an earth-shattering hug, but that would be entirely out of character and so he sat there in silence, wishing the blasted carriages would gain a little more speed so he could escape. Oh, not to mention he had a healthy fear of what the clinically insane Malfoy could do to him if he dared touch his girlfriend. With that thought simmering in his mind, he slouched further in his seat, silently urging the carriage on.

It seemed to take ages for the carriages to make their destination. As the students clamoured out of them, Severus caught a familiar gleam of auburn hair and smiled. He said nothing, knowing the consequences, but he did continue to beam as he gathered his bags and his owl and quickly hurried towards his room; it was his luck and careful persuasion that got him his own. He had never been fond of having roommates. He enjoyed his personal space immensely and needed it to stay personal. He opened the door and tossed the bags on the bed, knowing the feast in the Great Hall and the Sorting would be beginning the same time it always did…which meant he had less than twenty minutes to unpack and hurry to his seat. His lack of possessions made the process a bit faster, as he only a few different articles of clothing and one set of robes. He set his school bag carefully on his dresser so he would not break the bottle of ink inside as he always did every year prior. He took a glance in the mirror and attempted to brush his inky black shoulder length hair into submission. When he thought it looked something like presentable, he hurried to the Great Hall and took his seat at Slytherin table, but not without peeking over at the Gryffindors. He caught the eyes of Lily Evans, those deep swirling pools of emerald, and felt his heart skip a beat as she nonchalantly waved to him. He nodded to her, urging his heart to calm itself before the entire school could hear its drumming. As Dumbledore made his way to the podium and began his yearly speech, Severus found his mind wandering. He had never before noticed the slight tear in the hem of Rowena Ravenclaw's gown, towards the back by the slight train. Nor had he noticed that there were slight glitches in the enchanted ceiling when the Headmaster found himself a bit too exited. There were various marks and etchings in the table top, causing him to wonder if anyone bothered checking the tables on a regular basis. As the Headmaster's speech came to a close, Severus found his attention returning with the applause of his peers. He joined in their praise before tugging at the sleeves of his robes nervously. He hated sortings. As the sorting hat began his song, he felt a strange burning sensation in his forehead. He followed the feeling and his eyes soon met Lily's. She blushed and turned her attention back to the hat, causing a slight flush to appear in Severus's very cheeks as he too turned back to the annoying hat.

_Another year, another year _

we try and welcome all with cheer

where you land time soon tells

for we can guide you oh so well

so from there we come to four great houses 

_Now listen close, your time is near_

_To join the families you soon hear _

First we have the Gryffindors, brave and bold 

_But only on rare occasions do exactly as told._

_Next there are the Ravenclaws, brighter than the rest_

_Always holding themselves high above the rest._

_Then there are the Hufflepuffs, we cannot forget you_

_Loyal and dutiful, a wonderful friend for you_

_Lastly we have the Slytherin house,_

_Coy and sly, the last ones to trust._

_Here leaves me to choose your fate,_

_So let's not dolly and end the wait!_

As the hat concluded his song, everyone applauded as the sorting process began. The first twenty or so were sorted immediately into Gryffindor, urging chantings and hollerings that were soon silenced by the professors. Gradually the numbers dwindled and each house gained an almost equal number of first-years. The feast began as new instructors were urged to introduce themselves to the uncaring crowd. Of course, the Ravenclaws paid close attention, the overachievers they were. After the feast was drawn to a close, the Headmaster resumed his place at the podium to announce the Head Boy and Head Girl. Severus quirked his brow, wondering why he did not announce them before everyone stuffed themselves and was quite ready for an early rest.

"I know you all are anxious to return to your rooms to prepare your minds for classes tomorrow, but first we must announce the great honours of Head Boy and Head Girl," the old man pushed his glasses up his nose with a curious twinkle in his eye. "From Gryffindor house, this years Head Boy will be…" the drawn out pause called for a few snickers and groans from the Slytherins. Of course Head Boy had to be a Gryffindor. "Remus Lupin!" The silence preceding the applause was deafening. Half of the students that were not first years had no clue who Remus Lupin was, much less that he was in Gryffindor. But those who knew him began the deafening applause that even Severus joined in with. He did not mind Remus. In fact, they had begun to become quite friendly towards the end of their Sixth year. "Our Head Girl this year comes also from Gryffindor house…Lily Evans!" Severus could not contain the applause. For some reason he has suspected Lily would be Head Girl, but he still could not deny that he had hoped to be Head Boy. After the necessary congratulations were issued, the First Years were instructed and lead to their rooms as everyone else hurried back to speak with old friends in their respected Common Rooms. Severus Snape, however, much preferred sitting at his desk to begin his note taking for his classes the following day.


	2. InFormal ReIntroductions

Disclaimer: As before, I don't own HP. I still wish I did.

Comments: Ooh! A review! You know, the more reviews I get, the more likely I'll write faster. -smirks- Really.

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_**Forbidden**_

**Chapter One: (In)Formal (Re)Introductions**

Severus was three rolls of parchment in to his Advanced Potions essay when an airy giggle possessed his mind. He wearily rested his quill on the bottle cork before peeling his eyes from his essay to scan the room. He recognized the giggle as the one belonging to none other than Lily Evans, but he could not spot the crimson-haired woman anywhere. With a shrug he went back to his essay, logically concluding that he had been hearing things due to a lack of proper sleep. As he lifted his quill, he heard the laughter again. This time the sound came from within close proximity to him. He turned his head cautiously and, surly enough, spotted Lily standing with Remus Lupin. Normally, the site would have been one worth questioning if they both weren't Heads. He went back to his essay without another thought on the two of them before a sudden hand rested upon his shoulder. He jumped, knocking his ink bottle onto his already completed rolls of parchment, leaving only the one he had been currently writing unscathed. Yes, all three words were still in tact. What luck Severus had. He turned to the owner of the hand, his brows furrowed in a look of displeasure until his eyes met the luminescent green orbs of his favourite Gryffindor. "Lily," he said, his tone matching the annoyance in his eyes.

"Oh my…Severus, I'm so sorry," Lily chewed her bottom lip as she quickly cleaned up the mess with a wave of her wand, glancing over to Madame Pince to make sure she hadn't seen what happened. All she needed to do was aggravate the librarian. "Honestly, I thought you saw me."

"Yes, of course, Evans, because I have eyes in the back of my head," he drew, his lips curled in an awkward position between aggravation and the beginnings of a smile. He decided it was best to succumb to the wantings of the two standing before him, so he slowly put his remaining parchment back into his bag along with the quill and now empty ink bottle. He closed the bag before crossing his arms over the back of the chair and looking to them both. "Now, what is it I can assist you with?"

"Well, I need some help," Lily confessed.

"May I inquire as to what you could possibly require my assistance with?" Something was amiss.

"Potions."

Severus blinked probably a hundred times before meeting her gaze again. "You need my help with potions?" Though he had no reason not to believe that she needed help, he still found it rather odd that she would be asking him when he knew for a fact that Remus was just as capable as he.

"Yes," her tone was confident.

"Um…well…all right," he cleared his throat. "But Remus is perfectly—"

"I'm not feeling well today, Severus. I was just here to tell Lily she was doing rounds by herself tonight," he interrupted as though scripted to by Lily. Severus eyed him carefully as he shifted his weight from left to right, golden eyes avoiding his.

"Right…well then, I'll meet you here around seven. Will that be more than enough time to review what it is you need help with?" Severus stood, gathering his bag before looking to her again. Wench.

"That'll be more than enough before I have to do rounds, thanks Sev!"With that she was gone; her giggle no longer torturing his soul. He sighed as he dropped the bag strap on his shoulder and walked back towards the Slytherin common room in hope he could recompose the first two pages of his essay before meeting Lily in the library.

As he had suspected, the library was empty save for the dismal Madame Pince. Severus looked around the empty room and down a few stacks before settling at a table in a far corner of the room. He had not seen Lily anywhere, but he knew she was hardly punctual. He drew out his notes from his potions class and reviewed them again; checking and double checking to be certain he had not forgotten anything in his essay. He knew the paper was not due for another two weeks, but he didn't want it weighing on his conscious as he sat idly staring at the ceiling. It was not as though he had anything resembling a social life. Once satisfied with his achievement, he placed the papers in his bag and clasped his hands atop the table. He would give her another ten minutes before leaving, he concluded, knowing well that he would stay until Madame Pince kicked him out. He found his mind wandering again, finding interesting designs in the ceiling and rather disgusting stains on the floor. He couldn't imagine what the other sections looked like. He did realize that, from a distance, Madame Pince looked more like a horse than anyone else he had seen before in his life. Something resembling a chuckled escaped him, deserving the harsh look the horse woman had given him. Shaking his head to control the desire to laugh, he caught the edge of a robe out of the corner of his eye and turned to face it. He shot Lily a rather offensive look at her tardiness, but proceeded to stand and pull a chair out for her. Once she was seated, he clasped his hands yet again, only to keep from wringing them.

"You're late," he commented.

"Sorry, James wanted to talk to me about something or another. Bloody git. I don't know how many times I have to tell him I have no interest in him for him to get it," her voice held a weariness he was not accustomed to. "All right, so I didn't get notes today in class…"

Severus slipped his hand into his bag and passed her a condensed version of his notes. "I saw you falling asleep. Be thankful Professor Slughorn didn't catch you."

Lily took the parchment, shock etched on her beautiful face. "You did this for me? Oh Sev, you're the best!" The clearing of the horses' throat made Lily slouch in her chair. "Thank you. You have no idea what trouble you've kept me from."

He nodded. "You're quite welcome, Lily. Is there anything-" before he could finish his sentence she was up again and out the door with nothing more than a wave. He saw the outline of another in the doorway and knew it was most likely one of the Marauders taking her away from him again. With an aggravated groan, he rose to his feat and proceeded to search the stacks for books to keep him busy for the rest of the week. Once he gathered a ridiculous armful, he exited the library and began walking towards the dungeons. His balancing act would only get him in trouble if there were others in the hall, but he knew no one ever went to the library voluntarily…except for him, of course. Oh, and those select Ravenclaws who don't already know everything. He should have foreseen being crashed into as he was walking. He really should have. Based on the events of the day, anything was possible. He fell onto his rear with a grunt, his books scattering down the hall. He was embarrassed, quickly gathering his books and slowly standing as not to drop them again.

"You know, we're not off to a great start this year, are we Sev?" Lily's laugh reverberated through his body as she handed him his final book. "Quidditch rules, eh? Never took you for the type to enjoy Quidditch, Severus."

"What harm is there in learning about it, Lily?" he inquired with a perked brow.

"Oh, there isn't any harm in it. I just didn't think you'd be studying on it. I figured you'd be doing homework or something. Oh, yeah, sorry about earlier. Remus needed to talk to me about one of the third years he found in Myrtle's bathroom. Quite a story. I'll have to have him tell you it sometime," her skin was glowing in the pale candlelight of the hallway, causing Severus' mind to wander to the deep recesses of his brain he had tried so hard to shut off. "You okay, Sev? You're looking a bit ill."

Ill? Of all things, he did not look ill. Ghostly, but certainly not deathly. He would have to check his reflection in the mirror when he returned. He felt the warmth invade his cheeks as he snapped back to reality in its entirety. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a bit tired is all," he laughed nervously.

"Right," her eyes searched his for any clues to his unusual behaviours. "Well, I wanted to thank you again for the notes. Hopefully I can remember to take them tomorrow instead of dozing off, yea?" she laughed, pushing her hair behind her ears. "Need any help with those books, Sev? You have an awful lot of them…" she leaned forward to take a few books off of his stack but he quickly turned away.

"I'm fine, Lily. I appreciate the offer and you are most welcome for the notes. However, I should really be off. Have homework to finish," he chuckled nervously as he slipped away from her.

Lily's face held a look of defeat as she watched Severus walk away. She was hoping they would get to talk more, but the chance never arose. She nodded to herself as she turned to go to the Head's quarters, a new mission planned in her head. She would get Severus Snape outside to chat even if she had to coat him in a lacquer-thick layer of sunscreen to accomplish it. There was so much they needed to discuss about their summers.

Severus paced his room like a search dog torn between two paths. He finally settled on the edge of his bed, holding his head in his hands. Why was he so stubborn? Why couldn't he have accepted her offer of assistance and run with it? Because he was deathly afraid of pissing off James Potter. He did not want any more conflict than he was already subjected to. Deep inside Severus knew he could not avoid her forever and something lurking in the air whispered that she had a plan in his ear. Pleased by the thought, he began getting ready for bed, but not before checking that his parchments were not ink-stained beyond legibility.

Reassured, he slipped out of his school clothes and into a simple pair of black cotton pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt. He took another look at his parchments, fed his owl, as feeble as the thing was, and crawled into his bed. He muttered, the lights dimming, before closing his eyes and drifting into sleep.


End file.

Harry Potter, Humor, Romance