Animagus | Jeverus

Part 9

Things were strange. Very strange.

First off, Potter and his gang backed off which severus could be thankful for but he never wanted them in his life in the first place so he wont comment on them suddenly leaving him alone.

Second, the slytherins that ostracized and ignored him were suddenly trying to become all buddy buddy which severus just found borderline intrusive.

And third, the new kid was trying to talk to him.

Now severus wasn't one to make friends so Petrova wasn't really of any interest to him.

He didn't even want anything to do with him because if anything interacting with him would probably cause him more problems.

But for salazars sake he just does not back off.

" Snape." He came over with his freakishly wide grin and stood in front of him with his arms crossed.

" Petrova."

" i told you to call me Andrei."

" and i said dont talk to me. Who's ignoring who?" Severus raised an eyebrow but didn't look up.

Petrova huffed a laugh and pulled out the chair across from him which severus was debating making invisible just so he would be left alone.

" what do you want?" Severus asked.

" cold are we?" He said with a thick accent.

Severus rolled his eyes but continued to give no reaction.

" spit it out or ill leave."

Petrova gave a lopsided smile and severus found it almost familiar.

" i just wanted to make nice. Why so rude?"

" im not rude im just indifferent. If you actually managed to see past you're own desires you would see im being quite polite here."

" oh are you?"

" yeah he doesn't just let anyone sit in the seat of his best friend." Lily called out behind Petrova, tapping her foot impatiently.

Petrova looked back and smiled.

" you're the gryffindor girl. Quite infamous."

" infamous?"

" at least in my house. The girl who wont let go."

" let go of what?" Lily spat.

Petrova quirked an eyebrow and pointed at severus who was finally looking up now that lily was involved.

" him."

" Severus?"

" Mhm. Tell me Evans, how did a mud blood like you manage to capture such a smart snake?"

Lily's face fell, petrova looking up at her with a teasing expression.

" excuse me?" Lily asked with the most furious look on her face.

Severus froze. He's heard the word dozens of times but for the first time it was directed at the person he loved most.

He looked up and saw lily start to lose composure, saw how the word and the infliction behind the phrase broke her.

" what? That is what you are is it not?-"

" enough. You can annoy me all you want but it doesn't give you a right to start calling people that." Severus stood up and took lily by her shoulders, walking away and leaving Petrova to himself before he could even finish.

They walked fast, out of the library and into the halls so they were as far away as possible.

Lily' heart was beating fast, he could almost hear it.

" im sorry." Severus said quietly but he knew lily heard.

She shook her head and inhaled deeply.

" it's not your fault. He's just an ass."

" that he is." Severus scoffed.

Lily looked up and sighed.

" whatever. Its just a word, not the first time ive heard it."

Severus' shoulders slumped, feeling guilty because he knew exactly who would be the ones to call her that.

He slept in the same room as them and went to classes, fought off their twisted traditions and beliefs.

And he really wished he wasn't too much of a coward to do anything about it.

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The word was ringing in his ear, left a bad taste in his mouth.

Mud-blood.

He hated it. Hated how it stuck to his brain like gum under his shoe. It didn't sit well with him.

He was no stranger to the word, often heard it in the confines of the common room. Even heard his mother use it once or twice because even she had something to say with her pureblood upbringing.

Didn't matter how much of a hypocrite she sounded like or how much it hurt someone, it was like second nature to them.

Severus always made it a point to avoid that word ever since he met lily.

He promised he'd never be one of those people who look down on someone based off something they cant change.

But then again he has never done a good job at being the accepting caring type.

"Mud-blood." The word rolled off his tongue with a sharp edge.

It felt like it was cutting its way out, felt wrong just mouthing it.

At the same time he said it, his companion's head snapped up to fast his antlers got caught on a few branches.

Severus looked to his side where bambi was standing, sniffing some tree sap for whatever reason.

" what do you recognize that word?" Severus asked.

The deer turned away, almost seemed offended.

Severus sighed and shifted where he was laying on the grass.

" i dont like it either but some of my classmates say it like a mantra. I cant help but have it stuck in my head."

Bambi still didn't look towards him, turned away and refused to go near him.

" lily got called it today by the new kid so its been on my mind ever since."

At this the deer's ears perked up and he looked back slowly, taking small steps towards him.

Eventually he laid down so that he head rest on severus' abdomen, quite heavily too. He looked at severus from the corner of his eye with caution yet still couldn't hold back from giving severus some form of affection.

It was oddly comforting.

" i hate my housemates. They always do this. And the new kid doesn't even know us and yet he still had the nerve to say it." Severus scoffed, scratching behind james' ears in just the right way.

" i wish i could switch houses. I much prefer Ravenclaw anyway." He sighed.

James turned his head so his neck was exposed, all the fluffy fur under his chin presented to severus.

It was a sign of trust, severus remembers pandora telling him.

" at least i have you." He mumbled as he continued to pet the deer.

When the world around him was dark, he could always escape to the clearing with his favorite stag.