Chapter Text
Studying at the back of the library at a table he hopes Potter wouldn’t find him at, Severus Snape was engrossed in his readings.
That is until he heard footsteps hurrying towards him. He looked up just in time to see a girl throw herself past his table, climb up onto a window sill and then leapt up one higher to the very top of the book shelf.
Two other girls stormed in after her and pulled themselves up when they found it was just him.
“Sorry,” one laughed. “Did you see a girl come past here? We’re her friends.”
“Why would I have noticed that? I only noticed you because you trundled through here like dragons.”
“Don’t get cheeky with me you brat, which way did she go?”
Severus looked them both over then jerked his head. “She turned around and ran back down the other aisle.”
The two Ravenclaws sang their thanks before striding down the aisles and he waited a second before looking up at where the girl had hidden.
She’d climbed back down over the top, using the shelves as ladder rungs he watched her slowly dismount.
Once on solid ground she dusted off her skirt and then turned to face him, brushing hair out of her face as she did.
The two stared at each other for a few long moments as Severus realised that he knew her.
She was the same year as her, she a Ravenclaw girl and they took both Defence, Arithmancy and Transfiguration together but had never spoken a word.
He wondered vaguely if he even wanted that to change.
It was, however, far too late for him to decide for as soon as he came back to himself she was sitting herself down opposite him at the table.
“What are you doing?” He demanded.
“I’m studying, because I’m sure as hell not leaving until those two are gone,” she replied and that was that.
It was also how Severus Snape got himself a study partner.
_ _ _
Although they had known each other for some months, they had barely spoken a word at all. Just small questions about mutual papers, small complaints about teachers and not a word about those two 6th year girl or the ‘Marauders.’
It was January when he realised she counted him a friend when she shyly placed a small brown paper package on his books as she packed away her things for the night.
“Happy Birthday,” she whispered with a small smile before ducking out of their shared alcove.
He stared at the package for along moment before sliding it into his book bag and then returning to his studies.
“Hey Sev. So this is where you hide out!”
Severus looked up from his book, easily slipping the Dark Arts Volume underneath his Transfiguration essay. “I’m not exactly hiding,” Severus drawled but he smiled at her teasingly, a look only she ever seemed to see.
Well, maybe not just her.
Lily rolled her eyes at him as she plopped down in the seat directly beside him. “I know, I know, I should be studying more but the Defence teacher this year is so dull he even puts himself to sleep.”
Severus snickered, remembering how the old man Professor Knock had dozed off in the middle of a lecture.
“I haven’t seen you for a while?” Lily said suddenly. “Are you okay?”
Severus’ cheeks warmed under her gentle scrutiny and the hand she’d laid on his forearm that he longed to hold in his own hand. But he was not a Gryffindor and his hands were clammy and probably cold and she was so perfect and it would be a pointless attempt to-
“I’m okay, just studying a bit before every idiot here realises they need to study more to pass the exams.” He rolled his eyes.
Lily whacked him lightly on his shoulder, but he still flinched away.
“That’s me you’re talking about!” she laughed, completely ignoring or not noticing his momentary lapse.
“On a side note, you going to Hogesmeade this weekend?”
Severus pretended to mull it over then shrugged. “I dunno Lils,” he said. “I wanted to write that extra credit essay that Professor Sprout gave out last week..”
Lily sighed heavily and glared at nothing in particular. “Potter keeps bugging me about joining him and his thugs at the three broomsticks so I wanted you to come with me to keep me company.” She turned her bright pleading eyes upon him and he felt both his resolve weaken and his anxieties heighten.
I can barely afford school books!
But Lily beamed when he gave her his agreement and when that was done she pulled out her quill and ink to write up an essay.
- - -
It wasn’t until much later, in the privacy of his own room that he remembered his gift. He sat on his bed and very carefully unwrapped it.
Inside was a fine quill. Not the most extravagant nor smoothest but better than any he owned himself. There was also a bottle of ink, also slightly above his families wage but low enough that he had no qualms of accepting it.
There was also a small leather pouch, clearly second hand and a square note.
Severus,
Happy Birthday
I hope you like them because I’m not taking them back.
Spend it on candy.
-HG McDougall
Puzzled he opened the pouch and dropped the contents onto the bed.
He stared agape at the small pile of silver sickles on his bed and quickly counted them all up.
116 sickles.
The crazy girl he’d barely spoken a word to had gifted him close to £20 for little more than it was his birthday.
His mother had barely managed to send him a card. Lily had made a fuss over it all at breakfast, handing him a brightly wrapped parcel that contained socks and boxers but nothing...more.
He stared at the pile on his bed.
He had no idea what to do.
- - -
Hogesmeade rolled around and Severus actually managed to have a good time, despite being cornered by Black and co while Potter attempted to woo Lily; he’d had fun.
It was also great to buy her a drink for once.
- - -
Nothing much changed between him and Holly.
They kept to themselves in class, didn’t acknowledge each other in the hall or even really speak when they holed up together to read.
March was two weeks in when Severus looked up from his book on Olde Darke Potiones and found Holly standing there, drenched to the bone and holding a broken book bag to her chest.
“Merlin McDougall are you alright?” He asked calmly, although he knew the Marauders work when he saw it.
She didn’t answer, but her face scrunched up and she dropped her bag, books sliding everywhere as she silently sobbed into her soaking wet sleeve.
Before he knew what he was doing, he’d helped her into a chair, put up some privacy charms he’d been studying and was handing her a dry handkerchief.
It was then that he ran out things to do and so patted her back awkwardly as she tried to get herself under control.
“’M sorry,” she mumbled when she was calm enough, although she still wouldn’t look at him.”Juss’ din’t know where t’go.”
“Who did this?” Severus asked quietly.
“I think it was Selena Simmons and Sirius Black,” she said. “Last I heard they were dating, and well...”
“Selena is that 6th year girl that was chasing you the day we met, right?”
Holly nodded miserably. “She’s never liked me very much.”
“She doesn’t know what she’s missing,” Severus said with a slight squeeze of her arm and she looked at him with a vague smile.
- - -
Two days later all of Selena’s hair falls out mysteriously and Snape has a week’s detention for hexing Black in the corridor.
- - -
Its the first of April and Severus is on high alert as he sees various Marauders prowling around. Others get pranked but somehow he manages to miss them.
He walks to dinner with Lily and his first instinct is to look to Ravenclaw table and the head of wild black curls. He doesn’t find her and worry rears its head before Lily distracts him with complaints about Potter showing off in transfiguration.
They separate to eat dinner with their houses and its not until half way through his second helping of shepherds pie that sees Holly enter the great hall out of breath.
He tenses and glares daggers at Black who is looking quite sullen as he picks at his fish and half heartedly flirts with his flavour of the week Hufflepuff.
Its Pettigrew that sees him looking and offers him a sneer that looks ridiculous on his pudgy face.
But his expression draws the attention of the other three and then they’re all glaring at him from across the hall and he’s glaring right back.
He gets into a fight with them after dinner, with the younger LeStrange and Avery at his side and all seven of them are caught in a duel and given 3 weeks detention by an irate Professor Sprout who glares Black down as he attempts to charm his way out of trouble.
Lestrange and Avery complain about her the whole trip down but Severus happens to think she’s one of the better teachers at Hogwarts.
When they make it back to their common room, all thoughts leap from his mind as he wanders into a bright red, gaudy room that almost looked like Slytherin but...this was red. And orange. And yellow. All warm colours that clashed horrible with the damp cold of the dungeon air.
“The hell did those Gryffindor fucks do to our common room?” Avery yelled as they came in. “How did they even get in here?”
“Well, if one had-”
“Shut it Snape,’ Lestrange hissed and he clamped his mouth shut.
Some Slytherins found it amusing, if annoying but, they argued, it wasn’t as harmful or loud or messy as every other prank of theirs.
Others thought it required immediate retaliation of a violent kind and once Crouch started making noise about curses over jinxes Severus goes to bed without comment.
Better to let them huff it out themselves.
- - -
The next morning they learn that every house had been turned a different colour and that Flitwick was having to undo them personally because the charms used were so high standard.
Slytherin to red.
Hufflepuff to green.
Gryffindor to blue.
Ravenclaw to Yellow.
No one knew who’d done it and although the Marauders tried to claim it, no one believed them.
- - -
When Holly showed up to study with a barely suppressed smirk, Severus had some ideas.
- - -
Its a warm April day when he walks into the main courtyard to find Lily, Holly, Lupin and Nigel Arnstocke in heated argument over the proper placement of their Runes project.
Lily and Holly are facing off against the other two.
Lily is all wild gestures and heated glares while Holly is stone faced and crossed arms.
Lily spots him and immediately drags him into the argument.
He agrees with everything she says and watches as Lupin’s face turns purple.
- - -
Lily starts joining them for study sessions, but not at the furthest table. She insists they sit by a window, in the sun.
She and Holly get along and Severus has a hard time holding back his relief.
- - -
May brings news of a prominent muggleborn wizard, Under-secretary for the Head of International Relations, murdered in his own home along with his two children. His wife is missing.
May also brings with it news that Holly has to spend a whole week in the Hospital Wing from curse damage.
Severus stews over the news for two whole day before he finds out it was Brendan Sawyer who attacked her. He’s a seventh year Slytherin. He wakes up on Sunday morning to find all his NEWT notes have been erased.
Holly looks up when Severus shuffles up to her bed, looking awkward despite his stiff shoulders and high head. “Oh, hello Snape,” she still doesn’t call him Severus, and he doesn’t call her Holly (Except in his mind, where he is much braver.)
“I wasn’t expecting you until after class.”
Its been 4 days since she’d been admitted, and he should have come earlier, should have come immediately but Lily had gone and seen her and reported she was exhausted.
“Well I had a free period and thought I’d come deliver you the notes from our shared classes,” Severus placed the carefully folded parchment on the bedside table, trying not to notice how she beamed at him.
“How have you been?” He asked and immediately kicked himself for the stupidity of his question.
Holly smiled and shrugged, the movement shifting the bandages that had her wrapped up like a mummy.
“I’m alright, could be worse.” She scrunched her nose. “Madam Pomfrey was talking about sending me to St Mungoes if it got any worse but she doesn’t seem too worried any more so that’s nice. I’m not sure what I’d tell my mum.”
Severus thought a moment. “She’s a muggle, right?”
Holly nodded somewhat shyly. They barely spoke of family but she would sometimes write letters to her mother around him and would often tell him that her mum said ‘hi.’
“Yeah, and she’s not exactly pleased that I’m so far away from her for so long. I think she’d have pulled me from Hogwarts, try to teach me herself if she knew about,” she gestured at herself. “This.”
“Well, well! Would you look at that James?”
Both of them turned their attention to the 3 interlopers who had staggered in. Black and Potter were holding up Pettigrew between them, the shorter of them uneasy on legs that had clearly been jelly leg jinxed and he was looking quite green besides.
But Potter and Black were ignoring him though as they smirked at Severus.
“Looks like Snivellus is on a date!” Black continued.
Potter snorted. “Figures he’d go after one that couldn’t get away.”
Severus rolled his eyes to high heaven. “Don’t you anything better to do than make weak digs at me? Maybe beg Lily to take pity on you?”
“Lily?” Holly asked and when he half turned to look at her he saw the innocent expression on her face and knew she was planning something.
“I thought he was stepping out with Harrietta Parker?” Potter made a choking noise and he paled, an immensely amusing sight.
“I mean, you two weren’t very subtle about shagging in the 3 floor classroom last week,” she carried on despite her face going red. “Although, she can’t have been too pleased, cause last I saw of her she was bragging about sleeping with Lawrence Jasper.”
“What the fuck would you know McDougall?” Potter hissed. “Its not like anyone would ever want to fuck you!”
“Mr Potter! 25 points from Gryffindor for swearing and another 10 for insulting a patient of mine!” Madam Pomfrey swooped in from her office and glared at the three of them, thankfully ignoring Snape for the moment.
“Now, please drop Mr Pettigrew on that bed there and get back to class!”
Black stepped up to the plate with a winning smile that had zero affect on the Matron. “We just wanted to make sure that Peter was okay,” his face took on faux concern. “He got hit by some slimy Slytherin scum-ball who got him in the back before running off!”
“I’ll have you know, Mr Black that I am Slytherin and you two should be in class,” she turned and her glare lessened but did not fade as she took in Severus by Holly’s bed.
“And you, Mr Snape, should be on your way to class as well.”
“I have a free period right now Madam Pomfrey,” he said respectfully. “I was wondering if I could stay and help McDougall go over her notes?”
“Miss McDougall must be resting,” she said sternly. “But I’m pleased to see a student make efforts towards inter-house union, even if I cannot allow it. 5 points to Slytherin Mr Snape. Be on your way.”
“See you around?” Holly said quietly, giving the Marauders a wary look.
Severus nodded, shouldering his book bag and turned to leave without a backwards glace.
- - -
Lily visits after he leaves and before James is banished.
The look on his face when he sees her fuss over Holly is priceless and she knows she has a bit of leverage.
- - -
A week later Holly is released and she receives a bouquet of paper flowers from Lily. Severus smiles at her when they meet at their regular table and he vaguely asked her to read over his essay for him.
Holly smirks at him and he smirks back.
- - -
“Holly,” Lily hushed. “It’ll be fine. You study enough that you don’t have to worry about this!”
Holly looked like death warmed up. Her black hair was frizzy and dry, her eyes were red from lack of sleep and she was a sickly pale colour.
“You can’t know that! I always do badly on exams!” She wailed, safe behind Severus’ Muffliato she could be as loud as she liked.
“I’m gonna fail and I’ll have to come back and repeat the year or they’ll chuck me out and snap my wand and I’ll be fucked because I don’t have any muggle education!”
Severus snorted as she dropped her face into her book and began speaking again, although all they could hear was a high pitched mumble.
Lily sighed and tried to read her own texts while gently making soothing noises towards her.
“You have nothing to worry about,” Lily murmured. “It’ll be alright. I doubt Professor Flitwick would let you be expelled! They know you know this, you always get such good marks for homework!”
Holly didn’t raise her head to answer and neither of her friends heard it properly.
Severus sighed and used his wand to jab at her shoulder from his seat, until she looked up at him. “You’ll do fine. All you need to do it pass.”
Holly sniffed and used her sleeves to wipe her eyes. “All I need to do is pass,” she repeated back to him and nodded before pushing all her books forward and dropping her head onto her arms. She was asleep in moments.
Feeling smug, he turned back to his book and continued to read, grateful to the letter he’d received the previous Friday.
To a Mr Severus Snape,
I do hope that I have spelt you name correctly but I am sure I have and if I have not please correct me.
I am Holly’s mother and she has written to me about you a great many times over the year and I wanted to first thank you for being such a stalwart companion to my daughter. I can assure you we are both appreciative of the friendship you both have.
The second reason I am writing to you is just a small note of worry about my baby girl. You see, she is terrible at exams.
She’s going to have at least 2 breakdowns a day and as you are the only one she has (that I have been informed of) to rely on, I have decided to entrust you with the secrets of calming her down.
1. Don’t touch her. She might panic and hit you.
2. Don’t try to sooth her it won’t work.
3. Just keep telling her she only has to pass.
4. She only has to pass.
There’s probably more to that but if you have any questions about anything, please fell free to write back to me, I have my address enclosed.
Grace Watkins-McDougall
PS. I meant it about writing me! I worry about Holly not telling me things.
- - -
The last day of May had Lily and Holly trying to out charm each other with small flowers, transfiguring them or making them sing and giggling every time they got something wrong.
Severus sat nearby, watching them with an open book in his lap and wondering how on earth he’d managed to get such a ridiculous friend like Holly.
Her dandelion began singing something he couldn’t recognise because it was warbling and awful. It sounded like a cat dying.
Lily howled with laughter and Holly tried to fix it but every time she waved her wand it just got worse and worse until she was shaking and crying trying to hold back her own laugh.
Severus too was having trouble keeping it together until one more spell and it suddenly changed to Celina Warbeck and he caved.
The three laughed on the ground until exhaustion made them stop and even then they didn’t fell the need to right themselves.
“I’ve had a really good year,” Holly said suddenly. “I’m glad we’re friends,” she added quietly with a small dash of insecurity.
Lily giggled a little and said, “Me too.”
After a moment, Severus nodded. “Me three.”
- - -
They sat together on the train ride home and Holly admitted when they got to Central Station that she had to catch another train to get to Cardiff where her Mum and family could come get her. So after she was introduced to Lily’s parents (who would be taking Severus home as well) she waved and showed herself to the front desk.
“So how did you two meet her again?”
Lily answered, “We share Ancient Runes! We had a group project to do and the rest is history!” She carried on though, as though that was that and it occurred to him that he had never told her how they had met but he let it go quickly.
They were friends and that’s all that mattered.
- - -
Holly was felt she was right to worry about her exam results.
She got 3 Es and 7 As.
Severus didn’t get a mark bellow E.
Lily got 1 O in Charms, 1 E in potions, 5 As and 2 Ps.
- - -