Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets

Chapter 20 In Three Broomsticks

The inside of Three Broomsticks is just as crowded as the streets – more so, actually, because the space is smaller. But that's to be expected. Lunch on a weekend? It's packed. But the tight chaos kind of adds to its charm.

By some miracle, Black claims us a table, grabbing it the second a group of chatty witches start to rise and collect their bags. He throws himself down in a chair, shouting, "Mine!" A group of fifth years also trying to secure spots groan as Black puts his feet up on another chair and stretches his hand across a third. "Move along," he says. "These are all taken."

Remus grins. "I'll go help him." That leaves James, Peter, and I to fight our way to the counter to order.

It isn't long after we've gotten our butterbeers and plates of hot fish and chips that I notice Severus sitting at a table, alone in the corner. He's trying to pretend he's so immersed in his book he didn't see me, but I keep catching him sneaking me glances.

I glance around at my lunchmates. I want to go say hi, but I'm not sure how to do so without alerting the lot of them to Sev's presence. I would hate for them to make some sort of scene in Three Broomsticks. They wouldn't do that, would they? I'm having a good lunch with them, but past incidents speak pretty strongly.

But of course, James notices.

"Go say hi," he says.

"Huh?" I say.

"Say hi to Snape."

I give him a wary look. "You don't mind? You lot won't make a big deal out of it?"

"Oh, I'm not promising that," he says, grinning. "But you should go say hi, I can tell your dying to." He grimaces. "And I think he's dying for you to come over, too."

James Potter encouraging me to talk to Severus? This is new. I imagine a strip of my cheek feeling much warmer than the rest. "Thanks," I say, touching his arm lightly.

He looks at my hand on his arm, then up into my eyes. His expression softens. I give him one last smile before I get up and cross over to Sev's table.

"What are you reading?" I ask, pulling out the chair next to Sev.

"Oh, it's nothing." He hastily closes his book. Somehow, I've managed to startle him even though he's been looking my way the last ten minutes. I get a good look at the cover before he has time to put it away.

"Wait, is that last year's Potions textbook?" I say in surprise.

He gives me a wary look and nods.

"Why are you reading that?" I say. "You already knew everything in there last year, so I doubt you're finding anything of interest in there this year."

Severus sighs and flicks the book open with one finger. It falls to a page somewhere near the middle. "Nothing of interest that I didn't put in there," he says.

I raise my eyebrows and then lean closer to see the page more clearly. The page it's open to is for the Draught of Living Death and it's heavily scribbled on in Severus's characteristic spiky handwriting, altering the instructions and even the list of ingredients. I peer closer. Crush with the flat side of a silver dagger, he's written under the crossed-out instructions to chop the sopophorous beans.

"Sev, did you do all this?" I say. I turn the page, and the next page is the same, all marked up. "This is amazing! Forget whatever potioneer instincts I have – you're a genius!"

"Thanks," Sev says, his pale face flushing pink. "But don't sell yourself short, did you see the notes on Essence to Induce Euphoria? Adding the peppermint sprig at the end? All you."