The First Seven Years
disclaimer: So oddly enough these characters STILL don't belong to me. Except for one Emilia Constance Scott, who is all mine. The concept/setting doesn't belong to me, either. The plot, such as it is, is mine. But other than the plot and Emilia (pretty much all I own, really), this is all Ms. Rowlings.
warnings: Still Mary Sue/quasi Mary Sue. So once again, if you don't like it, don't read it.
The First Seven Years
Year One
She was very nervous about going to Hogwarts. The only person she knew at all who was going to be there was the son of some of her parents' friends. His name was Remus. She'd met him a few times and he seemed very nice, they always got along wonderfully and were unhappy when one or the other had to leave because the dinner or party their parents were having was over, and they'd written to each other a bit, especially recently. They were both anticipating their years at Hogwarts and comparing stories they'd heard of it. Both came from magical parents, but neither ever seemed to get much of an answer to any of their questions beyond, "You'll love it there, don't worry." So they worried together and related what they'd heard of houses.
When the first of September finally arrived they met up outside King's Cross, as they'd planned and their parents had planned for them regardless. Before even going inside the building they'd made a pact to stay friends at Hogwarts, no matter what, because they might be all the other had in the world. They hugged before the Scotts took Emilia through the barrier and helped lift each others' trunks onto the train. Hugging their parents in a last goodbye they linked arms and got on the train, finding an empty compartment to share.
Their compartment was invaded shortly after the train left the station. First by a smallish, rather meek looking boy named Peter who seemed quite nice if overly shy. Then by two boys with black hair, Sirius and James. James had the most absurdly unruly hair either of them had ever seen in their lives and wore glasses that magnified his brown eyes to almost owlish proportions, giving him a very odd appearance, indeed. Sirius, on the other hand, had smooth inky black hair that was just beginning to grow out of his neat haircut. The four hit it off very well, especially the boys, though Emilia wasn't forgotten by any means.
Mid way through the trip she left to go explore, tired of too much talk of Quidditch players, preferring playing the sport to watching it. She had made her way to the front of the train and was headed back when what she thought was an empty compartment caught her eye. She looked in and realized that the compartment wasn't empty. One boy, her age with black hair (again with the black hair!) and very pale skin was sitting reading on the side she'd been unable to see when returning to her compartment. She was debating whether to knock or just keep going when he looked up at her. Something in his gaze was even more entrancing than just watching him read had been. She smiled and motioned to the door. He nodded, indicting she could come in, and glanced back at his book. She opened the door and come in, sitting across from him. She gave a nervous half smile.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Did you come here to not talk to me?"
"Sorry... No. I'm Emilia Scott. What's your name?" His eyes were so dark they were almost black and she didn't really want to ever look away.
"Severus Snape."
"Nice to meet you." His hair shone blue in the light and she still couldn't tell if his eyes were dark brown or blue or green... His voice sent shivers down her spine.
"Indeed."
If you asked her now she still couldn't remember exactly how they'd managed to break the ice that had been so thick between them when she'd first opened the door, but she was beyond glad they'd figured it out.
As it turned out she didn't get sorted into the same house as any of her friends. Remus and the three boys from their compartment were all put in Gryffindor and Severus had been sorted into Slytherin. Emilia ended up in Ravenclaw. The first night she listened to her new roommates chatter as she lay in her four poster bed, blue velvet curtains pulled totally shut, and wished that she was with at least one of the people she knew.
Classes were interesting, and she had at least one with both Gryffindor and Slytherin, so she got to see her friends a fair amount. Potions was with the Slytherins, and she and Severus had paired up. They were both good at it, but Severus was definitely the stronger of the two in that subject. She next to Remus in History of Magic, Sirius on his other side, and the five of them always tried to keep each other from falling asleep listening to Binn's droning. Transfiguration was also with the Gryffindors, and Sirius and James always kept them amused in that class, much to the professor's dismay. Remus and Emilia seemed to spend most of their free time forcing those two to study. Charms was with Hufflepuff, and she made one or two friends in that house, as well. She and her roommates eventually grew to like each other and learned all the things they had in common.
She spent the most time studying potions with Severus, though. It was her worst subject, though not bad by any means, and it seemed the only way, at first, to get any time with him. Then one day a little after Halloween she went into the Library and found him reading on his own.
"Seems I always catch you while you're reading. How are you?"
He seemed a bit startled until he realized who it was. "Emilia. Hello. I'm... fine. How are you?"
"Fine. Charms test soon, trying to start studying early."
"I need to do that, as well... I think we have one the same day."
"Probably. Would you..." She grinned a bit nervously. "...like to study for that with me, too?"
And that was when they both realized that they'd spent so little time together because they thought that was how the other wanted it. They spent more time together from then on, but it was still a long way from what it would be.
Year Two
Second year was easier, really. They knew what to expect and who to expect it from, now. Emilia invited Severus to sit with her and her Gryffindor friends, but he declined and chose to sit in a compartment alone again. So again she went about halfway through the trip and found him, sitting and talking with him. She still hadn't figured out the exact color if his eyes and his hair seemed to have, impossibly, gotten darker. It looked almost indigo now, in any light, and it fascinated her. His voice was deepening, and now it varied between the voice that had given her chills last year and a lower, even richer tone that she wanted to wrap herself up in. With, of course, the occasional squeak, but all of her boy friends' voices were doing that now, so it didn't seem so odd.
She would still find him reading by himself in the Library when they were supposed to study History of Magic, she learned that he would come hours before they were to meet and just read.
She still worked on Transfiguration with Remus and his friends, and Sirius and James still caused as much chaos as they could manage, they were already well known as horrible pranksters. She found out that year how much of a part Remus and Peter both, to her surprise, played in their mischief. She grinned and refused to have any part of it. Sometimes she'd see Severus reading or walking or eating alone and wonder why he never seemed to spend time with anyone else.
Year Three
Third year was different, somehow. Emilia sat with Severus most of the way to Hogwarts, but occasionally she'd go and see what Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James were up to. Or what her friends from Ravenclaw were doing. One of her roommates, Charlotte, had become good friends with a Gryffindor, Lily Evans, and Emilia was enjoying getting to know her. Severus stayed in their compartment and only spoke to a few other Slytherins.
They were taking courses they had chosen, now. And Emilia had Arithmancy with Severus and Remus, too. She also had Muggle Studies with Lily and Charlotte. She still worked with Severus in Potions, and now they studied Arithmancy together, too. Well, most of the time. She and Remus still tried to keep the pact they had made what seemed like so long ago. When she studied with Remus instead Severus always got a bit upset. She didn't know why there seemed to be that mutual dislike between him and all her Gryffindor friends. He spent a bit more time with the Slytherins, now.
Year Four
From about midway through fourth year on she spent almost all the time she could with Severus. She couldn't really explain why, or at least she chose not to admit to herself why. She was still amused and entertained by Remus and his friends, but it all seemed a bit silly at times. And irresponsible all the time. She and Remus were still the serious ones of the group, but they had Lily, now, and she was nearly as studious as they were, so it didn't seem quite so important to help Sirius and James with Transfiguration all the time...
Year Five
In fifth year Severus stopped reading alone and started reading to her. And if she stopped paying attention to the words in favor of paying attention to his voice, he never said anything about it. She spent a lot of time in the Library that winter, in front of the fireplaces and back in secluded corners, and a lot of time outside when it was warm enough, dragging Severus with her and reading to him, instead. If she noticed that he had become more withdrawn as Sirius and James tormented him more and Remus didn't stop it she chose to ignore it.
Year Six
By sixth year they had both admitted why they spent so much time together that conversation was really unnecessary at this point. But they still stayed up past curfew talking about whatever they could think of. Remus and Sirius made the leap to couple hood, though it was kept relatively quiet outside of their circle of friends.
It was just before Christmas break. There was going to be a full moon the next night, Emilia knew this, as did Remus, of course, and Sirius, James, Peter, and Lily. But she didn't think it carried significance for anyone other than the six of them. For about the next 28 hours she was blissfully unaware of what was brewing.
She had been reading with Severus in the Library until just after curfew, for some reason they could never seem to leave before they would get in trouble if they went back, and they were putting away their things to leave and get some sleep for class the next day. They'd found themselves with their noses inches from one another. She didn't know what to say and she'd opened her mouth a bit before closing and then giving a tiny smile when Severus closed the short distance and just barely brushed his lips over hers.
Her eyes widened as he pulled away. She looked at him once he was in focus again and realized that she’d never seen such fear in anyone's eyes before. She smiled, noticing his eyes were really such a dark green they might as well be black, and returned the short kiss before he could back away.
She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him really smile before, but it was beautiful and she didn't want him to stop. They finished gathering up their things and headed out at the same time, walking to where their paths had to split, and she blushed and kissed his cheek. He smiled again and they parted.
The next day was blissful and perfect. She couldn't remember ever being so happy. She'd hardly been able to sleep, but she wasn't tired at all. She kept looking over at Severus just as he would look over at her. They'd smile at each other, but she'd always blush and look away first. She glimpse back up and see him shake his head and, no doubt, chuckle at her. It was silly, really, but she couldn't help it. They joined paths on the way to Arithmancy and he took her hand, giving her that perfect smile. And this time when she smiled back she didn't blush and look away. They sat in their seats, which had been next to each other in every class they'd had together since the first day of classes first year, and tried to concentrate on what was going on in class, but it was fairly pointless. They had separate classes after that, and they were on opposite ends of the castle, so they hugged and he kissed her forehead and she kissed his cheek again and they went to their other classes, Emilia braving the Slytherin table again to sit with Severus at lunch. Talking about everything and nothing as they always did but hardly eating, then repeating the process at the Ravenclaw table at dinner. Studying in the Library, then reading, and then they walked back to where they had to separate so she could go through the clock and he through the stone wall. And then, when they were about to have just one goodnight kiss (really) Sirius and James walked by, loudly declaring that the moon was about to rise. Severus and Emilia both looked panicked after them and they snapped attention back to one another. She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose, heading off towards her Common Room with one last smiling glance back at him.
She was awoken at about two in the morning by the head of her house. She barely had time to pull on her robe and find her slippers before she was dragged from her dorm room, through the Common Room, and down the cold corridor outside. She couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening, still too drowsy to focus, until the words 'accident', 'Lupin', and 'Snape' registered. She stopped dead in her tracks.
"Wha... What happened, Professor?"
"Mr. Snape. He somehow found his way down to the Whomping Willow and was trying to go through the passage behind it... Luckily he was pulled out to safety before any serious harm befell him. I believe there was one swipe and then the impact of the fall from being pushed out is what knocked him unconscious, nothing serious. Nothing serious."
"Unconscious?" She paled and started running towards the Infirmary.
She finally reached it and opened the mercifully unlocked door, seeing Severus on a bed, paler than usual and cut, already starting to bruise, bloody.
"Oh God..."
She started off towards the bed before the nurse blocked her path, holding her back. "Let me explain what happened, dear. At least as far as we know."
And so she was taken to her office and the story was told again. In more detail this time, but to much the same effect.
"When do you think he'll wake up?"
"Soon. It should be soon. It's nothing serious."
"Yes... Everyone keeps saying that... But if it's nothing serious why isn't he awake right now?"
She went and sat by his bed for the night. The next day she left long enough to change into proper clothes and grab some books and food from the Great Hall to take with her as she sat with him. Remus was in the next bed now. He was awake, and they talked some. She found out from him what exactly had happened. Sirius... She didn't think she could be that angry at someone. She'd never believed that you could actually get mad enough to see red. But he'd proven her wrong. And he wasn't there. While she'd been gone Remus had been brought in, fought with Sirius rather loudly, and told him to stay away. She couldn't imagine how much his actions had hurt Remus. She sat on his bed with him and they just talked until tears threatened to over take him, and then they'd sat next to each other and read. He left midday, well enough to go and finish recovering in his own bed, now.
So now she returned and sat in the chair next to Severus' bed. And read to him, mostly so it wouldn't be so quiet in the room, so she'd have something to focus on other than how pale he looked and how worried she was. So she read to him until her throat hurt too much to read aloud anymore, and then she sat on the bed and held his hand and read to herself and tried not to cry.
And that was her Saturday. Sunday was much the same, less seeing Remus. She stayed both nights in the Infirmary, how she'd managed to swing that she didn't know. On Monday she spent every second she wasn't in class sitting next to him and telling him what had happened in the time since she'd last been there. She spent most of the night with him that night, too, before the nurse had caught her asleep in the chair. She'd been made to go back and get what little sleep she could before the Infirmary officially opened for visitors at five. So at five, with three hours of sleep under her belt, she returned and stood outside the doors, hearing the lock being turned and then swinging open one of the doors.
When she came in her face lit up. Severus was awake. She hurried over to him but his voice stopped her cold and took the smile completely off her face.
"What are you doing here?" She'd never known anyone's voice could do that. She literally felt her blood run cold and wondered if he'd somehow cursed her.
"What...?"
"I said what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you, of course. I knew I shouldn't have left this morning... I knew you'd wake up while I was gone... I wanted to-"
"Get out."
"Severus? What are you talking about?"
"GET OUT!"
But she didn't. She had to understand. "Why?"
"I can't believe you did this to me."
"Did what? She made me leave this morning to get some sleep... I came back as soon as she let me... I don't-"
He laughed, but it wasn't a laugh she'd ever heard him give before. "That's not what I meant. You were in with them on it, weren't you?"
"With who?"
"With Black, and Lupin, and Pettigrew, and Potter..." That laugh again. "You're always around them, do you really expect me to think you didn't know?"
"Didn't know what?"
"About Lupin. He's an animal, you know. He shouldn't be here..."
"He's not an ANIMAL! Of COURSE I knew! I knew long before we ever got on the Hogwarts Express for our first year. He got the bite years before we turned 11..."
"I knew it. I can't believe this."
"It wasn't my secret to tell, Severus! You know all my secrets!"
"Now I do. How long were you all planning this?"
"Planning what?"
"To get me to that tree, of course."
"You can NOT think that I- It was Black! It was only Sirius! No one else knew! James only found out minutes before he pulled you out-"
The laugh.
"Remus would never do that... he lives in terror of hurting someone else... of turning someone... He's not an animal. He's one of the best people I've ever met!"
"Can you honestly believe that?"
"YES! I've known him my entire life! He's not capable of it. He just isn't... He isn't even speaking to Sirius. No one is. And it's killing Remus knowing that the person he loved would do that to him, to you, to me... To anyone!"
"I don't... How can you expect me to believe this?"
"Because I'd believe you." There were tears in her eyes now.
"Just get out, Emilia. I don't want to see you."
She took a breath and opened her mouth to speak, but the look on his face stopped her. So she ran out of the Infirmary, crying.
When they returned from Christmas break Emilia didn't spend time with anyone outside her dorm, though she did try to spend time with Severus. He ignored her, and on the few occasions she was able to get him to speak to her he was cruel and cold and it broke her heart all over again. So she spent the entire second semester of sixth year feeling more alone than she ever had in her entire life.
Year Seven
She could tell Severus hardly recognized her when seventh year started. And that's how she wanted it. She'd made amends with Remus and his friends over the summer. Remus had understood more than anyone why she hadn't come around, and he forgave her so easily... so much more easily than she forgave herself. They'd both been alone and hurting for almost an entire semester and she'd done nothing to comfort him, despite knowing what he was going through, in a vain hope of proving something to Severus. Something he was never going to believe. Sirius had also reconciled himself with them all, and things were almost like they had been between the six friends. So she came back for her last year at Hogwarts, her long red hair cut boyishly short, and playing Severus' own icily cool game so well she bested him at it. If he thought he could break her... And after graduation she'd never have to see him again. She tried to pretend that this made her happy.
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