Let Me Breathe

"I manage it because my— our mun puts more work into it? I mean, it probably doesn’t help that you’re animated and I’m not. Er, not that I mean any offense by that, of course.

T H E  L A S T  H A P P Y  M O M E N T

         "Really, Severus?" She reached out and helped him fix his tie. "You really think coming here looking like this will make me forget I’ve been waiting for you for almost more than an hour?" But she stayed calm. She had forgiven him even before he showed up really. "There," she brushed invisible dust off his suit before resting both hands on her best friend’s shoulder. "You are going to buy me coffee today for making me wait that long.”

         Turning to her chair, she grabbed her bag. “Yeah, we have a new case. I still don’t know what it is though. They didn’t let me in. Not until you’re here. I think it’s pretty serious.” she grabbed an apple from her bag before taking a bite out of it. “Have any ideas on what the case might be?”

         Guessing what the case might be was one of her favorite game whenever they were assigned with a new case. It was a horrible game, really. But it became a habit of hers. “Do you think it has anything to do with the death eaters?” Wincing a little at the mention of death eaters. 

He almost sighed as she mentioned that they'd kept from informing Lily of what their newest case could possibly be. It usually was a good sign that they were about to delve into many sleepless nights as they investigated. "I've not heard anything either." He leaned against the desk in the office, weary from the idea of it and crossed his arms as he gave it some thought.

Death Eaters. Severus frowned at that. It was such a personal and touchy subject for him, especially considering how close he'd gotten to becoming on of them. "I certainly hope not." He said with a distant expression on his face, shaking his head slightly.

However, they weren't left to dwell in silence for long. Lily was quick to break the awkwardness that was cropping up between them-- she knew better, after all. And he wrinkled his nose at the offending fruit she'd offered him. "You've bitten into it." He complained, to give them both something else to quip over. "As if I want your leftovers." The words were spoken with his typical Snape-like sneer, but Lily knew him well enough to know when he was actually joking around.

But he held out his hand for it, regardless, to see if she would actually hand it over. He had every intention of biting from the unmarred side if she did, just to continue being a petulant arse over it. "The case could revolve around a homicide involving a crate full of apples tampered with Morticaine." He gestured again for the apple. "You could be dead within the hour."

A return to Hogwarts wasn’t really what she expected when Dumbledore asked her to actually be a student. She had been James’ owl, but for her act of bravery Hedwig was granted the gift if humanity. And the headmaster thought it would be safest to be at the school and not wandering about.

But it was a secret that she was no longer an owl and having figured Hedwig would trip bells and alarms with James and the Marauders, Dumbledore placed her in the safest place he could think of.

Slytherin.

This was something Hedwig was very much not happy about. She was a Gryffindor through and through as was her owner, but she understood why she had to stay away.

She wasn’t supposed to technically be this way.

Severus was honestly damned tired of having his books knocked out of his arms. It happened often enough with bullying idiots from Gryffindor as it was. However, a quick glance at the girl before him and the colors she was wearing told him she likely didn't do this on purpose.

With a sort of grumble, the Slytherin accepted her offered help, Severus knelt down to scoop up what he had dropped. A moment later, he was on his feet yet again, though feeling somewhat harried from having the wind knocked out of him, even if it was for only a brief moment.

Honestly, everything about this bloody school had him feeling exhausted as of late.

"Don't worry yourself about it." He said by way of accepting her apology. He'd seen the girl around before, he thought, in passing. But he'd never really spoken to her before now.

"You're in the same year as I am, are you not? In case you missed a memo somewhere, Potions Class started about an hour ago." He exclaimed sarcastically, brows came together with his sudden curiosity. "Unless you're here because of an extra assignment... or detention?" Severus knew he was being nosy all of a sudden. He had that nasty habit of wanting to be involved in the affairs of everyone around him. And for someone who claimed they couldn't care less what other students got into, it was rather ironic.