Five Sickles - a Snily fanfiction (English Version)

Jump over your own shadow

"All that sounds great what you're saying about Severus Snape.", Professor Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to stroke his long, snow-white beard, "But that's no excuse for Snape to break the school rules."
His deep blue eyes first took their sights on Sirius, then they sprint at lightning speed to Remus.
"I'm sure you can understand that, can't you, Lupin? After all, you are a Prefect."
Remus' eyebrows tightened in frustration. He bit his lips and looked at Sirius, who stood beside him, for help.
"I don't know, Headmaster..", Remus muttered embarrassingly. He was a Prefect and had to take care of law and order within Hogwarts. But in this situation everyone in the room noticed that Remus was having an inner conflict with himself. Breaking rules was wrong, no question at all. But in such a situation, it would have been much more bearable for Remus to use his position as a Prefect in such a way that Severus would get away without punishment.
"Lupin?", asked Dumbledore expectantly, folding his old, stained forehead.
His sapphire blue eyes, mysteriously sparkling behind the half-moon lenses, seemed to look right into Remus' soul.
"Professor.", said Remus in a subdued voice, "I'm a Prefect, and I take my position very seriously, but in this situation I have to tell you.."
Remus interrupted his sentence and took a deep breath. He clenched his fists and then looked straight into Dumbledore’s face with a determined look.
"I cannot and will not support your statement!", he shouted, and Severus seemed to think he saw the werewolf shimmering in Remus' eyes.
A slight smile crossed Dumbledore’s lips.
"You are indeed a brave man. A real Gryffindor.", said Professor Dumbledore patiently.
As flattering as the headmaster’s words may have been ; It did not serve the purpose of appeasing Remus.
On the contrary ; It only spurred him even more to fight against Dumbledore's position.
"Don't deflect from the subject!", Remus roared an angryly, and the green eyes, which usually shone calmly like the morning sun, now narrowed to malicious slits.
Remus' words echoed so loudly through the Headmaster’s office that the echo sounded like a powerful thunder in the ears.
"I beg you, Sir.", Lily said shyly, detaching herself from Severus, who was hugging her tightly, "If only there was a way to save Snape from suspension. I mean, there's definitely something we can do, right? We have to be able to do something."
Awe-inspiringly she stepped towards Dumbledore, followed by the tense looks of Sirius, Remus, and Severus.
"I would do anything. Please, Professor, please help us.", Lily begged, and her voice was shaking as much as her nervous heart.
Then there was silence.
That terrible, dragging silence.
That silence that drove you crazy.
That silence in which seconds felt like years.
"And?", asked Sirius with a gloomy face, while the silence seemed to torture him mentally as well. Impatiently, he twirled his wand between his fingers.
But Professor Dumbledore still didn’t say anything. Instead, he had turned his attention to Severus, who was the only one who had said nothing. Severus was still sitting on the cold floor of the office and had not moved an inch since Lily stood up.
With a relaxed gait that could not have been more inappropriate in this situation, Dumbledore hovered almost silently over to Severus.
He then stroked his long beard, as he loved to do.
Severus remained frozen and did not dare to look the headmaster in the eyes for a second.
Fear had petrified his emotions and seemed to paralyze his mind like a deadly poison.
"Grab my arm.", Dumbledore ordered, kneeling down to Severus as he bent his left arm.
"W-What?", Severus asked confusedly and for the first time he consciously looked into Dumbledore's diamond-like eyes.
"Grab my arm, Snape.", he ordered again, smiling.
"Yes, but why should I-"
"Just do it."
And again, this was one of those moments when Severus felt like an idiot. How would it help him not to get suspended if he grabbed Professor Dumbledore’s arm? Probably Dumbledore was starting to get a little crazy in his head, Severus thought. After all, he is an old wizard and has experienced some weird things. After a while, I’m sure his brain started to play games with his mind, he thought. It seemed ridiculous to him, but Severus didn’t want to start a fight either. So he did as Dumbledore had told him to do and grabbed the headmaster’s arm with his pale hand.
Suddenly everything felt strange. A tremendous pressure seemed to squeeze every bit of air out of Severus' body. Meanwhile, he felt like he was spinning at an enormous speed. Space and time seemed to have vanished for a moment, and a tunnel of all colors appeared for a split second in front of Severus' raven-black eyes.
And then, just a heartbeat later, it was all over again.
Severus, who had clung anxiously to Dumbledore’s arm, finally felt the ground beneath his feet with shaky legs. A terrible feeling of nausea overcame him.
What in Merlin’s name had just happened?
"We just apparated.", explained Dumbledore, looking into Severus' confused and sickly face, "Don’t worry, most wizards and witches have to vomit when they apparate for first time."
Severus forced himself to nod and had to choke several times before he could breathe properly again.
"Do you know where we are?", asked Dumbledore kindly, pulling a beautiful, embroidered handkerchief out of his gorgeous, cream-coloured cloak. He handed it over to Severus, who wiped the sweat from his forehead with shaky hands.
"That's the Hospital Wing, isn't it, Professor?", Severus answered, and gave back to the headmaster the beautiful handkerchief that was now dripping wet.
Dumbledore nodded happily.
"Do you know why I brought us here?"
Severus shook his head.
"You really have wonderful friends, Snape. They're friends who defended you. In front of classmates, in front of friends and even in front of me, the headmaster. It would have cost your friends a suspension, too, but Lupin, Black and Evans still stood up for you. Now the time has come when you must be brave. The final task is your task, Snape."
The last task? What did Dumbledore mean by that? And why did they had to apparate to the Hospital Wing?
Was the task a duel? An exam? Or maybe something completely different?
"Professor.", Severus said confusedly and scratched his head, "I don't understand why we came here."
Dumbledore smiled softly and placed his hand on Severus' shoulder.
"I believe that there is something good in every person. In you, Snape, as well as in other people. I know you probably don't like it at all, but I think there is something good in James Potter as well.", Dumbledore said confidently.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Professor.", Severus quickly contradicted the headmaster, shaking his head again, "He did terrible things. I think Potter is unbearable!"
Dumbledore nodded and took his hand off Severus' shoulder.
"But you've done a lot of mischief, Snape. Potter says the exact same thing about you. You two aren't that different."
Severus gasped indignantly. No, he and Potter were nothing alike. How could Dumbledore say that? The very idea of having something in common with James made Severus shudder.
"That's a lie.", Severus muttered smallly and gnashed his teeth angrily.
He stared angrily at the floor and wished for nothing more than Dumbledore ordering him to grab his arm to apparate back to Lily, Remus and Sirius.
"Well..", said Dumbledore, sighing heavily, "you and Potter quite often break the school rules and hate each other. Besides, you're both friends with Black and Lupin. The fact that you two are talented and powerful wizards is also a point that connects you with Potter. Not to mention, you two are in love with young Evans. I think you and James Potter have a lot in common, Snape, don't you think?"
Severus would have liked to disagree, but he lacked the words.
It was true. He and Potter clearly had a few things in common.
But there was one thing that made Severus wonder. How did Dumbledore know his heart was beating for Lily? Severus had always believed that no one had revealed his secret. Perhaps Lucius, Bellatrix and Remus had already suspected that he was in love with Lily. But Dumbledore? He was a wise and clever man, but Severus and Dumbledore hardly knew each other.
"You know I have feelings for Lily Evans? But how? Has anyone told you?", asked Severus curiously, and the snow-white cheeks turned dark red. It was a strange feeling talking to Professor Dumbledore about being in love.
"It was obvious, Snape, wasn't it? A Slytherin who cares so much about a Gryffindor is a clear sign of young love. The way you and Evans sat on the floor together, arms tightly wrapped around each other. As Miss Evans bravely stood in my way to defend you.", Dumbledore paused and winked at Severus, "I'm sure this love is mutual. Evans is a nice and clever girl, so you're pretty lucky."
The reddish glow on Severus' cheeks glowed like fire. So it was obvious how much he felt for Lily. How embarrassing that even Dumbledore knew about it, Severus thought and swallowed heavily.
"So you think I have a chance, Professor?", Severus asked curiously, and his black eyes were full of hope as he looked into the friendly face of the headmaster. It felt almost surreal to have asked that question.
Dumbledore smiled softly.
"I think Miss Evans would choose you, Snape. But let's talk about the reason why we are apparated to the Hospital Wing."
Severus nodded.
Dumbledore turned around and looked at the massive oak door which was leading to the Hospital Wing. The corridors of the castle were dark and deserted. Except for the wind, which howled uncanny in the distance, it was quiet.
"As I said before, I see some parallels between you and James Potter.", said Professor Dumbledore in a muted voice, as if fearing someone might overhear him and Severus. He looked around attentively to make sure they were really alone. Then Dumbledore pulled a small, leather-bound book out of his cream-colored cloak, which Severus was quite familiar with.
"This is my book!", Severus shouted astonished. He excitedly stretched out his arms to snatch the book from the headmaster.
"Psssh!", Dumbledore admonished him and put his index finder on his own lips, "Not so loud, please."
At least the long search for the book was over, Severus thought, and seemed to have forgotten that Dumbledore had admonished him. Again he snatched greedily for his book. But Dumbledore didn’t seem to give him back the book. Instead, he made it disappear back into his magnificent sequin-covered cloak.
"Headmaster, this book belongs to me. I would love to have it back.", Severus cried disappointed, gazing at Dumbledore’s empty hands pouting. Why wouldn’t he give it back to him? Severus was pretty sure Dumbledore knew the book belonged to him. Otherwise he wouldn’t have taken it off the cloak. So what was the catch? Was that perhaps even part of the task Severus had to accomplish? Did it have anything to do with the Hospital Wing? But what was the connection between the two things?
"How did you even get my book, Sir?", Severus asked curiously, "I'm sure it wasn’t lying around somewhere on the floor of the castle."
"I thought you'd never ask me that question.", Dumbledore chuckled joyfully. He placed his hands on the large door of the Hospital Wing and pushed it open. "Welcome, Snape, to your final task. Jump over your shadow and show me the good side of your heart."