#mrslunasnape

[mrslunasnape]

Eye of The Beholder

This work was created for the Snapebang 2023! @snapebang

Author: @mrslunasnape Artist: @deathnotelu Artist: @okeydokeylackey Rating: PG Pairings: Severus Snape x OC Trigger Warnings: Bullying Tags: Teen Snape, Marauders Era, Friends to Lovers, Angst, Fluff, Snape getting the love and support he deserves, bullying, inner monologue Summary: Severus comes from a hard upbringing. His father was abusive in multiple senses of the word. It's left him with an image of himself that he hates to look at. He's afraid to let anyone else really see him, for fear that they too might see him as the wretch that he sees himself as... Until his potions class partner challenges Severus to see him through her eyes.

“I want everyone to partner up! Partner up, everyone! Come now, let’s not slog about!” Professor Slughorn bellowed all too cheerily for a 7:00 in the morning class.

The room filled with the sound of students grumbling and the shuffling of feet as the practically zombie students took their seats.

The dungeons were dimly lit by candles on their last bit of wick. The bricks lining the walls were stained with the smell of smoke, ash, and herbs. An unusual ochre colored growth flourished in some of the cracks, but no one dared to investigate what it was.

“Do you want to be partners?” Luna nervously asked Severus.

“What?” Severus mumbled as he pried his focus away from his well loved potion’s textbook. He had been hunched over it, scribbling in any space he could find in the margins…which wasn’t a lot.

“For the assignment today, do you want to be my partner?” Luna repeated.

“I…um….yeah, sure.” Severus managed to get out before moving his satchel off the chair next to him to make room for her to sit.

Luna had dark chestnut hair that’s untamed curls spilled just past her shoulders. Her eyes were oceanic blue with a faint green lining around her pupils.

She was the middle child of the Black family, and it always seemed to perplex Severus that she would want anything to do with him. Her younger brother was cordial enough with him, but her older brother was downright cruel.

Severus was tall and lanky. His obsidian eyes housed no hidden flecks of light in them and matched the oil slick black hair that draped down to his chin. He was frequently referred to as a bat by the other students, and deep down Severus didn’t really ever blame them. He avoided looking in mirrors, not just because he didn’t like his physical appearance, but because he had a deep seeded fear that if he starred at the coal black eyes looking back at him in the mirror for too long that he would see himself. Really see himself. His father was a monster who abused both him and his mother, and he feared that a part of him slumbered deep within him. He was terrified that one day that part of him would awaken and turn him into his birthright; into a monster akin to his father.

Luna sat on the stool beside Severus and nervously tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

Gods. She can’t even look at me. Am I truly that hideous? Did I brush my hair this morning? Does it even matter? Focus, Severus.

“Amortentia!” Professor Slughorn announced as he lifted the lid off a large cast iron cauldron at the front of the room to reveal a swirling pink potion with a mother-of-pearl sheen to it. Most of the girls in the class giggled while several of the boys either groaned or mockingly made gagging noises.

Professor Slughorn ignored the commotion and continued, “A combination of the French word Amour, meaning love, and the Latin word Tentia, meaning held; the Amortentia potion can defined as a potion that reveals to us what we hold a special place in our heart for. What we love some might say.”

Professor Slughorn leaned over the swirling concoction and inhaled deeply; almost comically. He leaned back from the cauldron, his back practically crumpling as a euphoric exhale escape his lungs, “Ahhh, smells like success, fame, and recognition.” He chuckled heartily, “Many people make the mistake of thinking that the Amortentia smells only of romantic love, taking on the scent of the love interest of whomever smells it. Of course this is common enough, but it isn’t always the case. Some people have things that they love more than they love other people, and those smells often shine through in Amortentia. For example, the smell of money is a rather common one.”

Professor Slughorn turned his attention to Severus, who sat in the back row and was who once again preoccupied with the contents of his potion textbook, “I suspect Mr. Snape’s Amortenia would smell like books and ink. Honestly, my boy, I’m shocked how you manage to keep ink off that nose of yours with how close you get to that thing the parchment when you write.”

A few students chuckled.

Severus’s cheeks felt as if they were physically on fire.

Please don’t make them look at me.

“Now, while I appreciate your insatiable appetite for learning, Mr. Snape, I would kindly ask that you at least turn that desire to learn towards my lesson rather than your book.” Professor Slughorn lectured.

Severus grumbled something inaudible under his breath, but he returned his quill to its inkwell none the less.

“Moving on!” Professor Slughorn swished his hand in the air in a rather flamboyant manner, “Perhaps Amortentia is misnamed, for as we discussed earlier, its French route suggests it to be a potion of love. Of course, your average witch or wizard off the street will see it that way. But you, my dear students, are not common riff raff off the street! So learn well that Amortentia isn’t really about love at all. Sure, when you inhale its fumes each individual smells scents that appeals to their heart, but when the potion is consumed… well, now that’s a different story entirely.” Slughorn winked cheesily at the students.

“How can a love potion be dangerous?” A Slytherin boy taunted from the front row, “Oh no, my heart feels tingly now, so dangerous!” He pretended to faint into the arms of the student sitting next to him, who was all to eager to play the role of catching him and fanning his face.

Several boys laughed, while most of the girls in the glass shot him dagger eyes.

Professor Slughorn gave a muted chuckle, “That sounds like the talk of someone who has never experienced real love before.”

It was the girls turn to laugh.

Professor Slughorn continued, “Don’t be fooled, love is more dangerous than hate. Hate will make do unspeakable things to another in order to calm your own demons. Love will make you do unspeakable things to yourself in order to calm the demons of another.”

The fainting boy rolled his eyes.

“But, as I was saying, Amortentia is not truly a love potion, but rather an essence of love potion… and the worst essence of it. Despite how many skilled potioneers have tried over the centuries, none have been able to authentically recreate the emotion of love. If they had, they would be exuberantly wealthy and love potions would certainly not be sold from tacky little fountains at Zonko’s.” Professor Slughorn said as he side-eyed a Hufflepuff girl seated in the second row.

The girl had a tiny pink crystalline vial that housed a potion with a mother-of-pearl sheen to it. A distinct Zonkos label was plastered on the vial which read “Aphrodite Amortenia”. She was showing it off to a small group of girls who were huddled over it like a secret treasure. Upon being called out by the professor, she quickly shoved it into her satchel and flashed a weak smile.

Professor Slughorn pulled a small plastic comb from his chest pocket and brushed his hair back neatly, “No, Amortentia does not create love. It creates obsession. Specifically, it creates an obsession for the person who administered the potion to whomever drank it. While not love, obsession will certainly still make you do crazy things. People have killed for less.”

The room fell awkwardly silent.

Professor Slughorn clapped his hands together in front of him, the loud echo bouncing off the stone dungeon walls breaking the silence, “Well then, let’s get to brewing, shall we? Open your text books to page 493.”

Severus opened his textbook to Amortentia section, which to his potion partner’s surprise, was already filled well into the margins with notes in tiny fine print.

“You’ve already done your research I see.” Luna said playfully as she nodded her head towards Severus’s book.

“I like to read ahead…” Severus said mousily as his thumb caressed the worn pages of his well loved textbook.

Luna leaned in closer to read the small ink scratchings in the margins. There was so much written in such a tiny area that she had to squint in order to make the writing legible. There were corrections to ingredient measurements, recommended cauldron temperatures, substitute ingredients, and even notes on various ways to procure oils and seeds from herbs.

“Wow.” She whispered.

“I know, it’s a mess. My handwriting isn’t very good and some of the notes overlap because I was trying to squeeze in some information and there’s not a lot of space to work with but-”

“Severus, you’re brilliant.” Luna cut him off.

Surely I heard her wrong.

Severus’s face, normally almost as pale as the castle ghosts, faded to a sweet shade of pink. “Really?”

Luna’s fingertip traced along the lines of handwritten notes, “Yes. Really” She paused and looked up at him with a tender smile. “I should have you tutor me.”

“Oh, well…” Severus stumbled over his words.

“Mr. Snape. Ms. Black. This is the last time I’m going to ask for your attention.” Professor Slughorn scolded.

Severus and Luna’s faces both went red and their shoulders hunched with embarrassment as once again turned their attention to Professor Slughorn.

“The particular version of Amortentia that we will be brewing today was developed by Hogwarts Alumni Laverne de Montmorency. We’ll be using the following ingredients. Ahem.” Professor Slughorn cleared his throat before picking up each clear glass jar on his desk and holding it up so that the students could get a better view of each ingredient, “Ashwinder eggs. The eggs of this fiery serpent will help us to draw in the fiery energy of passion. Rose thorns, to remind us that love often hurts. Powdered moonstone, also known as the wishing stone, to enhance the desire for love. Pearl dust, known traditionally to help with heart conditions. Today it will aid us in a rather unconventional definition of a heart condition. And of course, rose petals, a timeless symbol of love. You’ll find the proper measurements for each of these outlined in your textbook, along with how to prepare them. We have about an hour left in class. That should be ample enough time for you to brew a small batch of Amortentia.”

Luna turned her attention back to her own textbook, “It says here the first step is to grind the moonstone and pearl down into dust using a mortar and pestle.” She dropped the gems into the mortar on their shared desk and began to twist her wrist back and forth in a feeble attempt to grind the stones into dust.

“It works better if you go in a circular motion.” Severus said barely audibly.

“What?” Luna questioned, not hearing him over the sound of several sets of mortar and pestles grinding around the room.

“Like this.” Severus said as he reached out and grabbed the pestle, his slender hand firmly placed on top of hers as he guided her to move the pestle in a grand circular motion encircling the entire inside of the mortar.

Luna turned her head to thank him, and quickly found her face so close to his that she could feel the warmth of his breath. The tip of his unique nose practically touched hers.

Severus, startled, quickly released his grip on the pestle and jumped back. “Sorry.”

“Thank you.” Luna said in unison with his sorry, “Wait, what?”

“Nothing.” Severus added nervously.

Why can’t I just act normal for once? This is why you have no friends.

Severus cracked the Ashwinder eggs and added them to the bubbling cauldron in silence as Luna finished grinding the powder. He tossed the shells into the bin and then turned back to face her, “Rose thorns and petals are next.”

A bouquet of gorgeous red roses sat in a spiral vase on the desk. The pair set to work carefully plucking the velvety petals from the flower and using a small paring knife to extract the thorns from the stem.

Art by @deathnotelu Instagram: amber_dnl

“Ouch!” Luna exclaimed as she dropped her knife on the table with a clatter. A small crimson droplet began to bloom on her thumb.

“Did you cut yourself?” Sever asked, clearly concerned.

“Yeah, but it’s not bad.” Luna said as she sucked on her small cut in an attempt to cull the sting.

Severus winced, “Don’t do that. It’s not good for the wound.”

Luna pulled her thumb back out from her mouth and a small droplet of blood once again formed on the tip of her finger.

Severus picked up his satchel from the ground and began to furiously dig around in it. Finally he pulled out a small bandage roll and a tiny vial of a fine yellow powder.

“What’s that?” Luna asked.

“Yarrow powder.” Severus responded, “It helps to stop bleeding.” He held her hand still with one hand and with the other carefully sprinkled some of the pine smelling powder onto her cut. He then proceeded to tightly wrap her finger with a small cloth bandage. “There.”

“I’m lucky you carry around first aid supplies.” Luna said with a smile.

“I get hurt a lot.” Severus said solemnly.

Luna felt her heart sink a little, “Thank you, Severus.”

I must seem so pathetic.

“Any time.” He meekly responded as he tucked his supplies back into his satchel.

Severus scooped up the collection of thorns they had made and tossed them into the brew. He began to stir methodically, one clockwise rotation followed by two counterclockwise rotation. He repeated this patten over and over as the potion began to swirl and shift colors in the cauldron.

Luna watched him curiously and then looked back down to her textbook, which clearly indicated to only stir the potion clockwise. She was going to bring this discrepancy up to him, but before her very eyes the brew began to shimmer with the telltale mother-of-pearl glow that only Amortentia produces. In fact, the shimmer of their potion seemed to surpass what was in Professor Slughorn’s own cauldron. They certainly had gotten theirs to shift colors faster than everyone else in the room.

Luna began to lean over the potion in an attempt to smell what unique scent the potion would create for her, but Severus reached his arm out in front of her and stopped her before she could get too close.

“Hold on.” He instructed. Severus peered over to Professor Slughorn, who was chatting up a Ravenclaw girl who was rumored to be the top of their class about joining his Slug Club. Seizing his opportunity, Severus slipped to the back of the classroom and into the storage closet. A mere moments later he returned holding a vial of tiny bright green leaves.

“What is that?” Luna whispered as to not attract any attention.

“Peppermint leaves.” Severus responded with a devilish grin only worn by those who have completed a successful heist.

“That’s not on the ingredient list.” Luna said curiously.

“It’s on mine.” Severus said proudly as he pointed to his textbook. Sure enough, scribbled in his own handwriting at the bottom of the ingredient list: peppermint leaves - finely chopped not crushed.

“Are you sure? Have you tried this before?” Luna questioned.

Only about a hundred times.

A warm smile melted onto Severus’s face as he finely chopped the small green leaves into the most delicate little pieces.

Luna couldn’t help but stare at him as he worked. His long slender fingers had a way of dancing with the knife. His face, which all too often had a cold and solemn look to it, now had a warm smile that while subtle, seemed to bring color to his entire face. He was beautiful, completely in his element.

Severus carefully scooped up the chopped peppermint and placed it into Luna’s hand, “Here. You do the honors.”

Luna hesitated, but when she saw the pure anticipation on Severus’s face she tossed the leaves into the cauldron. The spirals of purple smoke that were chaotically spurting out of the cauldron appeared to calm and find a consistent pattern.

“Huh.” Luna mused, clearly impressed.

Severus took a step closer to her and smiled, “Peppermint removes the rather unpleasant side effect of the drinker singing out of tune love songs.”

Luna giggled.

“You can try to smell it now.” Severus said, his head nodding towards the cauldron encouragingly.

Luna leaned over the swirling shimmering pink potion and inhaled deeply, her mind racing about all the different possibilities of scents she would smell. She paused and then stood up with a look of disappointment plastered on her face.

Oh, shit. Did I mess up?

“What?” Severus questioned.

“I don’t smell anything.” Luna said, “Are you sure the peppermint didn’t mess with it?”

“I’m certain.” Severus said sternly, “What do you mean you don’t smell anything?”

“I mean it doesn’t have a smell. It smells the same leaning over the cauldron as it does standing right where I am now.” Luna said.

“Huh.” Severus lifted a hand and rubbed his chin as if deep in thought, “Maybe what you love is Slughorn’s potions class.”

Luna laughed and playfully smacked Severus on the shoulder, “Oh, shut it, you.”

Severus gave a chuckle, and Luna realized this was the first time she had really ever heard him genuinely laugh. It was rich and deep.

“So it really smells like the classroom to you?” Severus pushed.

“I mean, not the classroom per say. The dungeon certainly has a distinct smell to it… I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not the dungeon itself that I smell. It’s just that where I’m standing right here smells no different to me than the Amortentia does.” Luna attempted to explain.

“Can you be more specific?” Severus asked.

Luna closed her eyes and inhaled, “It smells like sandalwood, blood oranges, ink, parchment, and the singe of smoke you get on your fingertips when you’ve spent too much time working with a potion.”

Severus looked down at his ink stained fingers. For a brief moment he hoped that it was him that she was smelling, but he quickly shoved that feeling down into a bottle with the rest of his emotions.

“Oh, just wonderful!” Professor Slughorn sang as he clamored his way over to the pair.

Startled, both Luna and Severus jumped before turning their attention to Professor Slughorn, who was now bent practically in half deeply inhaling the vapors coming out of their cauldron.

When he finally pried himself away from the vapors of their concoction his eyes were glazed over as if he were drunk.

“You two have done a wonderful job! Absolutely superb! Quite the potions pair you two make! Well done! 25 points to Slytherin for each of you on a job well done.” Professor Slughorn mused as he walked off towards the next pair of students, his walk a little more wobbly than usual.

“Oh, Gods!” Professor Slughorn groaned, his face practically turning green. “What did you two do?” his voice was now comically nasally as he had pinched his nose to not smell the brew in the student’s cauldron that was just as offcolor as Professor Slughorns skin.

The class erupted in laughter. Except for the pair who had made the disastrous brew, who began to melt out of pure embarrassment into their stools.

Idiots.

Professor Slughorn walked to the front of the room and removed a handkerchief from his coat pocket. It was painfully discolored, suggested not only that it was not just for show, but also that it was not washed frequently enough. He obnoxiously blew his nose and then tucked the dirty hanky back into his pocket. “Now then, I must remind you that love potions are banned here at Hogwarts. So please, no smuggling out any samples from todays class.” Professor Slughorn motioned towards the previous pair of student’s cauldron, “Especially yours. Who knows what that would do.” He skin began to shift to that nauseating green once more just thinking about the foul smell that pair had managed to create.

Professor Slughorn returned his attention to the Hufflepuff girl from earlier in the lesson, “Which reminds me. I’m going to need to confiscate that vial from Zonko’s.”

The girl grumbled, but handed over the vial to Professor Slughorn, who promptly tugged the vial into the tiny pocket hidden inside his jacket.

Severus and Luna walked out of the classroom together, but Severus stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sirius leaning against the stone wall just opposite the classroom door.

The Hufflepuff girl and her group of friends were now huddled around Sirius, vying for his attention. Sirius was clearing basking in the radiance of their attention, but he was clearly not interested in any of them.

Why do so many girls look at him like that? Can’t they see him for what he really is?

“Lunch?” Sirius asked casually as he pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on with his back and strolled towards Luna.

Luna hesitated a minute and turned to look at Severus, who had looked away pretending to be preoccupied with something else.

If I don’t make eye contact maybe he will leave me alone for once.

“Yeah, sure, I’m hungry.” Luna finally answered.

“Great. Meet you in the hall with the guys.” Sirius smiled and headed off. The pack of hormonal girls followed him like lemmings.

Luna turned to look at Severus, “Are you going to lunch too?”

“What?” Severus asked surprised.

“Are you hungry? You can come to the Great Hall with me.” Luna questioned.

She’s just being nice to me because she pities me.

“Oh… No, thank you. I was just going to go for a walk outside. Maybe read some by the lake.” Severus gave a slight smile.

“That actually sounds really nice.” Luna adjusted her satchel over her shoulder, “Maybe I’ll just grab something to go from the Hall and see you out there.”

“Oh, you don’t have to.” Severus said.

“I want to.” Luna replied cheerfully.

Severus’s smile was genuine this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Severus sighed in relief as he relished the feeling of the cool early autumn air as it kissed his skin. The temperature had just started to drop, but the leaves hadn’t begun to change colors just yet. He felt a weight come off his shoulders as he walked out of the castle walls. The loud hustle and bustle of the castle hallways was replaced by a comforting silence that enveloped him in a hug and calmed his nerves.

He loved going outside to walk or read during lunch. Any other time of day there were plenty of people out walking the grounds, but at this particular time of day he had them all to himself.

Usually.

“Hey Snivellus!” a shrill voiced called out from behind him.

Seriously?

Severus froze in his tracks, and his grip on the leather bound book in his hands tightened so much that his knuckles went white. For a moment he stood there in silence, his breath labored with inner rage, silently praying that they would just leave. He spun around quickly, “That’s not my name.” Severus snarled.

“That’s not my name.” James Potter mocked while making a pigish face. Sirius, Peter, and James all laughed. Remus and Lily hung back nervously, but neither did anything to deter their friends behavior.

James strutted towards Severus, a rather nasty grin plastered on his smug face, “I see you’re out to lunch with all your friends.” James mocked as he motioned towards the empty grounds.

Severus’s lips pressed tightly together in attempt to keep his rage from spilling out. He hugged his book to his chest, but remained silent.

Just leave me alone.

“Whatcha reading?” Sirius teased in a sing-song voice as he reached for the book.

“None of your business.” Severus responded coldly.

“Come on now, don’t be like that Snivellus.” Sirius goaded, the devil burning in his eyes.

“I told you, that’s not my name.” Severus spat, his voice now shaking with rage. He was finding it harder to swallow the venom of the beast that lay dormant within him.

“Ooooh hoooo, tough guy?” Peter chimed in, practically tripping as he stepped closer to Severus. His voice cracked when he spoke.

James scoffed, “The dungeon bat gets out of his cavern for one day and suddenly thinks he can take on the world.”

“Come on, let me just have a peak at the bloody book.” Sirius pushed as he once again lunged for the book. The cheery tone in his voice was gone and replaced with impatience teetering on anger.

Severus stepped back to dodge Sirius’s advances, but tripped on a tree root sticking out of the ground behind him. He stumbled and fell backwards. The stinging on his backside felt like nothing compared to the stinging that he now felt in his pride.

“Pathetic.” James sneered as he pushed his crooked glasses with one finger back up to their correction position on his nose.

Severus attempted to get up, but just as he was getting back to his feet, James reached into his robes and aimed his wand at Severus.

“Expelliarmus!” James shouted and Severus’s wand went flying from his hand, landing in some rather tall grass.

Panicked, Severus began frantically searching for his wand in the tall grass, tossing fistfuls of clumps of weeds and brush to the sides.

Come on, come on!

“Impedimenta!” James shouted, sending Severus once again tumbling to the ground.

This time he fell face first, his jaw smashing against a protruding sharp rock. The pain was instantaneous. Blood began to drip from his chin.

Severus’s thoughts went blank.

“You fucking asshole!” Severus shouted as he wiped his chin and looked down to see his fingertips covered in blood. Another drop fell from his chin and mixed with the dirt at his feet. His gaze returned to the clan of bullies, his obsidian eyes darkening beyond imagine.

“Tsk tsk” Sirius tutted, “What a filthy mouth you’ve got on you, Snivellus.” He placed a hand on his chest and feigned disgust.

“I can fix that.” James jeered, “Scourgify!”

Bright pink soap bubbles began to foam within Severus’s mouth and pour out his lips. They dripped down his face, mixing in a rather unpleasant manner with the blood on his chin. It made his fresh wound singe and burn. The taste was foul and Severus began to choke on the foam building up in his throat that prevented him from breathing properly. He felt as if he was going to be sick, but he stifled the urge to vomit for hear that he might asphyxiate.

“Ha, nice one James.” Peter egged him on. His rat-like face contorted in a rather disturbing smile.

“And now, for the grand finale” James announced, waving his wand arm in the air like a twisted circus ringleader, “Levicorpus.”

Severus began to slowly float in the air. His body writhed in a feeble attempt to keep his feet on the ground. He was about ten feet in the air when his body began to twist to turn him upside down.

“Let’s take a peak under those robes, shall we? Let’s see if you have the equipment to back up the attitude you just gave me.” James spit furiously.

Please.

Lily and Remus both looked horrified, but neither one of them made any attempt to stop James. They simply stood there and watched it happen.

Severus desperately attempted to scream for help, but the pink soap bubbles formed a gag.

I want to die.

“Expelliarmus!” a familiar female voice shouted.

James’s wand went flying from his grimy paw, and the moment it left his hands Severus was dropped back down to the earth with a loud thud.

James turned towards the voice, his face beat red with rage, spit foaming around his lips as he screamed, “Who the fu-”

“Flipendo.” Luna whispered with a soft rage, interrupting James mid sentence and sending him flying backwards into the field of grass where Severus’s wand was still lost.

“Luna!” Sirius scolded, “What the hell was that for?”

“What do you mean what was that for? Look at him!” Luna practically screamed as she motioned towards Severus who was just now getting back on his feet. He was covered in a mixture of dirt, soap, and blood that formed a rather repulsive color when mixed together.

“Oh, come on. It’s just Snivellus.” Sirius grumbled as he ran his fingers through his hair. A nervous habit of his from childhood.

“His name is Severus.” Luna said sternly, noticing the moment of weakness in her brother.

“Whatever.” Sirius scoffed as he reached out a hand and helped James back to his feet, “Come on, let’s just go.”

As the group headed back to the castle, Luna stood there, her chest rapidly rising and falling with labored breath. When she was sure that they weren’t going to return, she turned around and headed over to Severus, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Severus said, clearly trying to hold back tears.

She must think I’m so pathetic.

“What am I saying? Of course you’re not okay.” Luna sighed and picked up Severus’s satchel. She reached inside and pulled out a familiar small vial of fine yellow powder, “Is this the yarrow powder?”

“Yes.” Severus responded meekly.

Luna popped the cork off the vial and poured a little bit of the fine powder onto Severus’s chin. He winced. “Sorry.” Luna whispered as she winced sympathetically.

“It’s not your fault.” He responded.

“All the same.” Luna smiled softly as she gingerly wiped his wound clean with first aide supplies she found in Severus’s satchel.

“I told you I get hurt a lot.” Severus gave a half-hearted laugh, but there was a darkness to his tone.

Luna frowned, “Please tell me this doesn’t happen all the time.”

Please don’t look at me like that.

“Not all the time.” Severus groaned as Luna wiped his wound, “… Just sometimes.”

Luna sighed, “I’m sorry.”

She thinks I’m pathetic. I am pathetic.

“I told you, it’s not your fault.” Severus repeated sternly.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

“Are you hungry?” Luna asked.

“What?” Severus responded.

Luna reached into her own satchel and pulled out two sandwiches, “I stopped at the Great Hall before coming out here. I know you said you were going to come out here to walk and read by the lake. I figured you’d be hungry… and I was hoping that maybe I could join you?”

What the hell?

“S-sure” Severus said, his voice clearly a little shaky.

Luna beamed and handed him one of the sandwiches. Severus took it from her with a faint smile. After relocating Severus’s wand in the brush, the two made their way down the path a bit until they came to a large oak tree on a hill just above the lake. It’s looming height suggested it had been there for years, perhaps as longer than the school had been open. There was a distinct patch of dirt at the base of the tree where grass had clearly stopped growing decades ago. It was obvious that over the years many students had sat here gazing out at the waters of the lake.

“This is one of my favorite spots.” Severus said as he took a seat at the base of the tree.

“It’s beautiful.” Luna remarked as she sat down next to him.

They sat in silence, eating their lunch and watching the wind blow little ripples of water across the lake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

“No, no, don’t cut it.” Severus said as he quickly snatched the silver dagger from Luna’s hand.

“What?” Luna boggled at him, “Did I mess something up already?”

“Technically, no.” Severus grinned.

Luna’s forehead crinkled with confusion.

“You get the juices out of the Sopophorous bean much more effectively if you crush it with the dagger instead of cutting it.” Severus said as he methodically pressed the shimmering silver blade at an odd angle into the bean against the cutting board. There was a soft crackle sound as the exocarp cracked open and thick silver juice oozed out from the pearly white bean.

“Where did you learn that little trick?” Luna questioned.

“Trial and error.” Severus responded as he poured the Sopophorous juices into the cauldron. He flicked his wand at large hooked spoon in the cauldron and it began to stir. It mixed the contents seven times counterclockwise before stopping, reversing direction for one stir, and then continued to repeat this pattern.

Luna watched the ladle dance in the cauldron and then peered back down at her textbook for a moment before turning her gaze to Severus, “Is this trial and error too? The extra clockwise spin?”

Severus simply smiled.

“You’re really something else you know that.” Luna praised.

“What?” Severus practically stuttered, “No, I’m not.”

“Don’t be modest. You’re bloody brilliant, Sev.” Luna beamed.

A faint rosey pink flushed Severus’s face.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you were teaching this class one day. Hell, teaching your techniques to all the potioneers of the world.” Luna said earnestly.

“It’s just a few tweaks. Nothing major.” Severus insisted as his gaze moved to the floor.

“I wish you could see you like I do.” Luna resigned.

“… What?” Severus questioned.

“Oh, excellent work you too! You’re turning out to be quite the potioneer duo!” Professor Slughorn chimed as he leaned deeply over the still stirring cauldron to peer inside. “As a matter of fact, I was wondering, Miss Black, if you would be interested in a little soirée I’m holding this weekend. I call it my Slug Club. It’s rather exclusive. I only invite students who I think really have potential to make waves in the wizarding world. What do you say?”

“Actually, Professor, If you’re looking for wizards who will change the world one day, you should really be asking Severus to attend. He’s the brilliant mind behind our success in your class.” Luna insisted.

What?

“Well then, my invitation extends to you my boy. What do you say Mister Snape?” Professor Slughorn solicited.

You can’t say no now that she stuck her neck out for you.

“Um… Sure.” Severus mumbled.

“And you, Miss Black?” Professor Slughorn pushed.

“Of course.” Luna replied.

“Excellent!” Professor Slughorn said emphatically as he open his jacket and procured a pair of embossed party invitations. “I do so look forward to seeing you both there. Please dress formally.”

Ugh, what did I just agree to?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

When Severus wandered into the Slytherin common room after his last class of the day had concluded, Luna and Regulus were sitting together on black leather couch in the center of the room in front of a roaring fire. Luna had a parcel on her lap that was wrapped with brown paper and tied with a simple string. The two appeared to be huddled close together like thieves and laughing.

“Dad is going to kill you if he finds out.” Regulus chuckled.

“Oh, please. He has like a thousand of them. He’s never going to notice if just one of them goes missing.” Luna rolled her eyes.

Curious.

“Evening.” Severus drawled.

Luna and Regulus practically jumped out of their skin, like children caught misbehaving by their parents.

Severus’s eyebrow peaked at this behavior, “Up to no good are we?” he teased.

“No.” Luna said defensively.

“Yes.” Regulus said at the same time as Luna’s denial with a rather cheeky smile plastered across his face.

Luna gave Regulus a playful smack on the shoulder and Regulus laughed heartily in return.

“Come on, join us in our bad behavior.” Regulus teased as he scooted over to allow Severus to sit between him and his sister. He gently patted the spot on the couch in a welcoming manner.

What’s the catch?

Severus cautiously sat down between them.

“Here.” Luna said as she pressed the parcel into Severus’s lap, “This is for you.”

There it is.

“It isn’t my birthday.” Severus said cautiously.

“I wasn’t aware that I needed a special occasion to give a gift.” Luna tormented, “Just open it!”

Severus surgically opened the parcel, taking special care to unfold each little bit of paper instead of simply shredding it. When he finally had it unraveled, a cloak as dark as the night sky lay on the brown parchment.

It’s gorgeous.

“Try it on!” Luna exclaimed. The smile on her face was akin to innocent excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

Severus hesitated, but Regulus gave him a gentle push on the shoulder with his own shoulder, “Come on, Sev.”

Did he just call me Sev? Are we… friends?

Severus stood up and began to fasten the cloak, his slender fingers making quick work of the ties. The cloak enveloped him.

“It looks fantastic.” Luna beamed, her eyes widening to take him all in.

“Well, yeah.” Regulus scoffed, “It’s dad’s. It’s expensive. Of course it looks good.”

“It’s what?!” Severus exclaimed as he began to undo the cloak with a look of pure panic in his eyes.

Luna shot up from the couch and grabbed Severus’s hands to stop him, “It’s fine, Sev. I had Kreacher mail it to me. My father has tons of these, he’s never going to notice one missing.”

“I really don’t want to bring the wrath of Orion Black upon myself.” Severus said nervously.

“Kreacher won’t tell him. Really. He isn’t that loyal to my dad. Now if I had tried to get him to take something from mother… Well that would have been a completely different story.” Luna grinned.

“You’d be dead for sure. Both of you. And Kreacher. And probably me. And Sirius too for good measure.” Regulus chuckled.

Severus gulped.

“I got you this.” Luna said as she tidied up the bits of the cloak that Severus had undone, “So that you could feel like the superhero that you are. You know, like a cape.”

Oh Gods.

Regulus almost choked on his own spit from trying to contain his laughter.

“Don’t.” Luna warned as she pointed a threatening finger at her brother.

Regulus mimed locking his lips with a key and tossing it to the side before raising his arms like a criminal being arrested.

“I know it sounds silly… and maybe childish” Luna said tentatively, “But when you have this on I want you to see you like I see you. Brilliant. Caring. Strong.”

“I’m not..” Severus began, but he was quickly interrupted.

“You are.” Luna insisted, “When you wear this cloak, I want you to feel like a superhero. To be brave.”

Regulus shot up to his feet, “Like this, Sev.” Regulus stood with his feet firmly planet, his chest puffed up, and his hands resting on his hips like a hero right out of a comic book.

They aren’t messing with me… this is genuine.

Severus laughed nervously, and replicated Regulus’s pose, albeit with much less confidence.

“I love it.” Luna giggled as she clasped her hands in front of her chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Severus crooked his neck in a feeble attempt to see past the towering stack of books that he held as he maneuvered from the Restricted Section of the library to a small table in the corner of the room where he hoped to read undisturbed. His face contorted in a wince as his hip banged against the corner of a bookshelf on the side of his book tower that he couldn’t see.

“Aw, hurt ourself, did we Snivellus?” a familiar voice taunted.

Severus froze in his tracks, the book at the very top of the stack fell to the ground with a thud.

“Looks like you dropped something.” A second familiar voice chimed in, “Here, let me help.”

Can’t I just have one day…

The tower of books came crashing down to the ground, revealing James and Sirius in their wake. James had smacked the books from Severus’s hands, and stood there with a smug look on his face. “Oops.”

Severus looked down at the books strewn on the floor, some of which had had their spines cracked. He felt a rage building up inside him that longed to be unfettered.

The pair of boys began to cackle like the witches in muggle fairy tales, watching Severus’s burning gaze towards the ground.

“You’re so clumsy. Did you get some of the grease from your hair on your hands? That’s probably why you dropped that.” James sneered.

Normally Severus would sulk away and have an imaginary argument with his bullies in his mind when he got back to the dormitory. He would think of all the things that he wanted to say but never had the courage or the confidence to in person. Today was different. As he stared at the books on the floor he caught a glimpse of the bottom of his cloak billowing in the light draft that always seemed to be present in the library. Flashes of him and Regulus posing like super heroes in the common room while Luna laughed went through his mind. And he felt brave.

I don’t deserve this.

“Do you have no respect for anything?” Snape annunciated each work with deadly precision as he slowly raised his gaze from the floor to meet James. His obsidian orbs darkened like night as the hurt and rage he had spent years bottling up poured out of him.

Rage from being an outcast. Rage from being tormented relentlessly. Rage from being beat and called names from his father. Rage from his mother who watched it all happen. Rage from the dark thoughts that he poised his own mind with about himself.

James took a step backwards, caught off guard by the sudden change of demeanor, “Wha-”

Severus cut him off abruptly, “Do you have any idea how valuable these books are?”

James snorted, “Valuable? They’re a couple of ugly books. They’ve got torn pages and broken spines.”

Severus gave an exhausted sigh, “The value of things does not lie in their appearance.”

“That sounds like shit ugly people say.” Sirius chuckled.

Severus scoffed, “I am constantly amazed at the level of delusion people must possess to think that beauty is the same as goodness. The ladies may swoon over you now, but your ugly hearts will rot you from the inside out. I only pray that I am there to witness the day people finally see you for who you really are.”

Severus gathered his books, taking the time to inspect each one for damage before placing it on the desk next to him.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Sirius said, his chest puffed out defensively.

“It means I hope you choke.” Severus said coldly as he sat down and began to read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

“Gods, please tell me that you actually said that last bit.” Regulus said eagerly, perched on the edge of the leather couch in the common room, “And I mean out loud, not in your head.”

Severus gave a lighthearted chuckle, “I did.”

Regulus fell back into the couch and full on belly laughed, “Oh, I can’t wait to tease Sirius about this. Good on you, Sev. It’s about time you stood up to that lot.”

Luna walked up to Severus and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a deep hug, “I’m so proud of you.”

I’m proud of me too.

Severus stood with his arms awkwardly straight as his sides, still as a statue as Luna hugged him. His body may have been frozen in that position, but inside his heart flicked with an unusual warmth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Severus broke himself out of his self-induced trance and finally looked up from his potions textbook. How long had he been at it? He could have sworn the sun was still up when he had started, but it was dark now. He could, and frequently did, lose himself in his studies.

He looked back down to his book and glanced over the tiny handwritten notes scattered among the margins. He was more than just a few chapters ahead of the class, he was practically finished with the book. He yawned, but caught himself just before his hand reached his mouth and pulled it away. It was absolutely covered in ink stains.

He closed his worn textbook and tossed it into his leather satchel. He gathered the rest of his things quietly, after all he wasn’t sure what time it was, and he didn’t want to disturb anyone else in the dorms.

He made his way quietly to the bathroom and dropped his satchel on the floor next to the door. The echoing thud of his bag hitting the ceramic tiles of the floor let him know that he was alone. He locked the door behind him, sighed wearily, and began to undress. He always showered late at night so that he didn’t have to deal with other people. The thought that someone might see him disrobed absolutely horrified him. Hell, he even avoided looking in the mirror during his evening routine.

Severus procured a small bottle from his satchel. It was a special shampoo blend that he had crafted for himself. Plenty of people had referred to him as “greasy” and he was experimenting with creating his own blend that would alleviate this issue.

He turned the shower water on, but remained outside the stall allowing the water to heat up. Dancing waves of steam poured out of the shower stall and began to fill the room. The mirrors fogged over and he no longer felt worried about catching a glimpse of himself. He popped the stopper off the bottle and absentmindedly took a whiff of his shampoo. It smelled delightful, like sandalwood and blood orange. Severus froze for a moment as his thoughts raced.

It was at this moment that he noticed the light singe of smoke on his fingertips from working with cauldrons and the splotches of ink along the sides of his fingers and his palms.

Earlier in the week when Luna had described what she smelled in the Amortentia… it couldn’t be.

But there it was, both in and on his hands. Sandalwood, blood orange, smoke, and ink. What she had smelled was him. He shook his head dismissively, as if to shake his own thoughts out of his head.

Surely not?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Severus sat uncomfortably next to Regulus on the black leather couch near the fireplace of the Slytherin common room. He was dressed in a high collared dress robe of varying shades of black and grey. He had also included the cloak that Luna had gifted him. The robes long sleeves with tightly clasped buttons and equally buttoned up beck ensured that very little if any of himself was showing. He felt more secure by hiding his body away behind those buttons. Each one a tiny shield fighting off anyone from seeing him underneath.

He couldn’t sit still, and found his hands constantly fidgeting with the buttons on his clothes. The thread in the button over his wrist had begun to fray as a result. Butterflies danced in his stomach.

This isn’t a date. This is a professor led social event. This isn’t a date.

“You alright, mate?” Regulus asked with one eyebrow peaked.

“What?” Severus said rather surprised. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he had almost forgotten that Regulus was even in the room.

“You’re all…” Regulus fumbled his own hands around rather dramatically, mimicking Severus’s hands, “I don’t know. All twitchy.”

“I’m fine.” Severus assured him as he clasped his hands together and forced them to behave and sit still. The frayed button was all too obvious now and it pained him that he didn’t have time to stitch it to be more presentable before the party.

A sound of a heavy door shutting from the girls upper dormitory entrance filled the room, causing both boys to snap their attention upwards.

Luna was adorned with a black and green layered dress. The top was black with long sleeves and black buttons running down the sides of her waist. The second layer of fabric peaked out beneath the top layer and was emerald green with black lace florals ontop. A small black silk bow was tied in the center of her collar.

“That looks new” Regulus smiled as he went over and gave his sister a hug, “You’re gonna drive those nerds at Slughorn’s party nuts.”

Luna giggled and playfully smacked Regulus, “Shut up.”

“Fine. You look ugly. Is that better?” Regulus teased.

Stop it.

Luna full on belly laughed now.

“A right old maid. You’ll be single your whole life. Mum and Dad will get no grandchildren from you, that’s for sure.” Regulus continued to speak over Luna’s laughter.

“That’s enough.” Severus said sternly.

“What? Don’t you think my sister looks ugly, Sev?” Regulus tormented, “What’s the issue? Do you fancy her, Severus?”

“N-no. Of course not.” Severus stuttered.

Luna stopped laughing. She felt her heart sink to the very pit of her stomach.

“I’m just teasing.” Regulus assured him, “Just keep an eye on her at the dance, yeah? Don’t let any of those nerds get too fresh with her. Bring her back in one piece.”

“I will” Severus smiled nervously.

“Good, because I really would hate to kill you. I actually kinda like you.” Regulus had a shit eating grin plastered on his face.

“Regulus!” Luna scolded him.

Regulus simply chuckled, “Go on now, you’re gonna be late.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Severus and Luna walked down the empty halls, the light from the tips of their wands the only thing pushing back the pitch black darkness. It was late at night, and most of the school was sequestered to their dormitories. They, along with the other attendees of the Slug Club, had been granted special privileges to be out late tonight to attend Professor Slughorn’s soirée.

Their footsteps echoed so loudly that they bounced off the walls and gave the illusion that someone was walking behind them.

Luna inched closer and closer to Severus as they made their way down the hall until finally the side of her arm was brushing against his.

The sudden sensation of another touching him startled Severus, and the nervousness he felt only heightened as he turned to see Luna’s face lit up faintly by the glow of their wands next to him.

“Sorry.” She whispered, as if they weren’t the only two people in the hall. “Just a bit nervous in the dark.”

“I’m right here.” Severus reassured her.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to Professor Slughorns office. Every now and then the natural sway in their arms from walking would cause their hands to graze one another. Each time it sent a cold panic into Severus, like ice shards piercing his heart.

They gave the secret knock that Professor Slughorn insisted everyone in the Slug Club memorize and the door swung open. Not magically, but by Professor Slughorn himself who stood proudly just beyond the threshold in an ill-fitted plaid suit. “You rushed the triplet in the middle, but I’ll let it slide this time.”

Why did I agree to come here?

He took a step back and ushered the pair into the room with a grand sweeping of his arm, “Welcome, welcome!” he voice bellowed.

Art by @deathnotelu Instagram: amber_dnl

The pair walked awkwardly through the door together. They felt like they had walked out on to stage in the middle of a play; as if the spotlight had suddenly shown on them and they were standing there with no lines rehearsed. It felt as if everyone was starring at them.

They were.

Kill me.

“Drinks are just over there.” Professor Slughorn broke the silence as he pointed towards an elaborately dressed buffet table on the opposite side of the room. It was adorned with several large bowls of varying drinks.

“Thanks” Luna gave an awkward smile and headed towards the drinks. Severus followed close behind.

The novelty of the new party guests wore off quickly and soon the room was back to murmur of voices, fake laughter, and clinking glasses.

“What do you want to drink?” Severus asked as he grabbed two ornate crystal goblets.

“Fizzleberry, please.” Luna responded.

Severus poured himself the same, although he had never actually tried it before. It took him longer than he would admit to pour the drinks, as his hands were shaking. It filled him with self-hatred. Potioneering was a craft that required steady hands, and on any other day he was steady as a muggle surgeon. Not today though. Crowds and parties were certainly not his thing.

I hate everyone.

“Thanks.” Luna smiled as she took the drink from him.

Almost everyone.

Severus attempted to socialize at first, but he couldn’t help but feeling like a lost puppy following Luna around while she talked to the other guests. She would look to him to join in on the conversation from time to time, but remained silent. He was sure she was just trying to include him, but he couldn’t help but feel like he was just a disappointment.

She probably regrets telling Slughorn to invite me.

Eventually, not wishing to be a burden or to spoil the mood of the party, Severus had sat himself alone at a table in the corner of the room. He had been holding the same cup of fizzleberry soda since they arrived, but he hadn’t taken a single sip of it. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if his stomach could handle it, and he was absolutely not going to deal with the embarrassment of throwing up at a party. The other students already had enough ammunition to use against him.

When he finally took a sip of his drink he realized that it had long since gone flat. He wretched and his face tightened up in a painful looking grimace.

Ugh, flat and unbearably sweet.

If it were up to him, he would have slipped out and gone back to the dormitories soon after arriving. Of course he wouldn’t though, he had promised Regulus that he would look after Luna. Although, if he was being honest, he knew that she didn’t need looking after. After all, she had been the one to recently come to his defense.

“Severus?” Luna said his name in a tone that suggested it was not the first time she had tried to get his attention.

“Hm?” He barely got out as he snapped back to reality.

“Let’s go.” Luna said encouragingly as she nudged his chair with her leg.

Please.

“The party isn’t over.” Severus said, although inside he was dying to leave.

“I know, but Professor Slughorn cracked open a vintage wine that he said everyone could have some of as long as they didn’t tell. I’m sure no one will notice if we leave, and even if they do they’ll probably forget come morning. Let’s go. You look so uncomfortable.”

Oh thank the Gods.

“Alright then, if you’re sure.” Severus said tenatively.

“Now when you’ve made a name for yourself, don’t forget who it was who set you along your path, yes?” Professor Slughorn said as he lifted a glass of wine that was certainly not his first for the night high above his head.

Sure enough, not a soul noticed them leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

As soon as the door shut behind them, the loud chattering sounds of the party vanished completely. Clearly Professor Slughorn had placed a silencing charm on the door so as not to draw an unwanted attention to what really goes on in a Slug Club party.

Severus immediately started heading back towards the Slytherin dormitories, desperately wanting to put some distance between himself and that wretched party. When he only head one set of footsteps echoing in the hall he turned to check on Luna, “Coming?”

“Can we take a detour?” Luna asked, her hands nervously clasped behind her back like a child trying to act innocent to gets sweets from her parents.

“I don’t think that’s very wise. It’s late and I promised Regulus I’d get you home safely. He said he would hate to kill me, you remember?” Severus smiled.

“Just a quick one.” Luna pleaded as she leaned forwards on her toes just slightly.

Severus sighed, “Fine. A quick one.”

Luna beamed and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him off with her in the opposite direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

It was much lighter outside the castle walls at night than it was inside of them. Thousands of twinkling stars up above lit up the night sky and illuminated the walkways of the grounds.

The sounds of owls hooting and katydids chirpping filled the night air. Sounds like branches snapping beneath creatures wandering in the Forbidden Forest carried so much father in the night; their rustling being able to be faintly heard from the banks of the Black Lake.

The pair was seated at the base of the ancient oak tree by the lake. Hundreds of fireflies danced in the sky, creating little orbs of light that waltzed with them on the surface of the water. Every now and again a firefly would wander over to them, its little green light illuminating their faces for a fleeting moment.

“Beautiful.” Severus whispered.

“Right?” Luna smiled, “Autumn is just beginning, so this is the last chance we’ll probably have to see them this year. I just wanted to see them one more time before we get into the nitty gritty of the school year. A bit of nature’s magick to get me through the year.”

She has no idea I didn’t mean the fireflies.

She leaned back against the base of the might oak, which Severus was already leaning against; their shoulders pushing against each other.

“It reminds me of when I was little. I loved watching them in the garden. When I was very young I would cry when they would go away for the year. Regulus actually caught me some in a jar once to keep as pets… Sirius smashed them and painted his face with their glowing inside. He thought it looked like war paint.” Luna laughed hollowly.

Asshole.

“I’m sorry.” Severus said solemnly.

“For as sweet as he can be to me, he also has a tendency to hurt things that I love. I don’t know if it’s on purpose or not.” Luna sighed.

“What else has he hurt?” Severus asked, his gaze still fixed on the fireflies over the lake. When he received silence as an answer, he turned to look at Luna. She sat in utter silence looking at him.

Severus swallowed, but his mouth was just as dry as his throat and offered no comfort from the nervousness that now muted him like a cotton ball in his mouth.

She can’t possibly mean…

Saying nothing, Luna slid her hand closer to Severus’s.

The pair both looked down as their hands dared to close the gap between one another. Their fingers anxiously playing chicken over who would touch the other one first.

Come on, Severus, be brave.

Finally Severus’s pointer finger gently brushed the top of her knuckle.

Their eyes met and Severus could see himself in the reflection of her eyes. And for once, he could really see himself. Not as how his father saw him. Not as how his tormentors saw him. Not even as how he saw himself… but as how she saw him. Brilliant. Caring. Strong.

Art by @okeydokeylackey https://okdl.carrd.co/

He leaned in towards her cautiously, expecting her to pull away at any moment. But she didn’t. Their lips grazed against one another, and Severus felt his heart stop. In a fraction of a second that felt like an eternity he waited for her to jerk away from him utterly repulsed. But she didn’t. To his utter surprise, she pressed her lips back into his. His hand wrapped gingerly around her cheek and pulled her in closer as he dared to go in for another kiss.

#Teen Snape #Snape getting the love and support he deserves #mrslunasnape #pro snape #severus snape #snapebang

[mrslunasnape]

He Must Have Been Seeing Things

Snape One Shot - NSFW

It was suggested to me to try writing one shots in first person instead of xreader since my dumb brain gets jealous writing that. So here is my first little one shot! It's a little scenario that I like to play out in my head sometimes 😅 NSWF below the page break

"So when are you going to ask my sister out?" Sirius asked casually as he took a sip of butterbeer.

Remus instantly spit his own drink out, and it dribbled haphazardly down his chin. "W-what?"

Sirius cackled.

"Sirius, enough. " I scolded.

Remus wiped the juice dripping from his chin with his sleeve.

"What? Is it so much to ask that my sister and my best friend date? I happen to think he'd make a fine brother in-law" Sirius said jokingly as he elbowed me in the ribs.

"I love Remus, but as a brother, not as your future brother in-law." I sternly whispered to Sirius, praying that Remus couldn't hear me. Of course I had been aware of his affections towards me, but I simply didn't reciprocate them. I quickly rose to my feet and began to gather my things.

"Aw, come now. Sit back down, I was only teasing." Sirius said. He wasn't.

"I can't." I said as I wrapped my scarf messily around my neck, "I've got to head back to the castle. I have a few last minute preparations before class in the morning and I'd rather do them now instead of getting up early."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Just make Snivellus do that."

"His name is Severus." I corrected him.

"Whatever." Sirius scoffed and took another swig of his drink.

"Good night boys." I turned to head out of the Three Broomsticks and make my way back up to the castle.

"Want me to walk you? It's getting dark." Remus cautiously asked just as I was about to open the door.

I didn't even turn back, I simply raised my arm in the air and gave a nonchalant wave, "I'm a big girl" I assured him.

***************

Snape was practically melting into his chair as I worshiped him from my knees. I looked up at him as my cheeks hollowed around his length, and when our eyes met he let out a whiny moan and his cock twitched.

I smiled devilishly and took this opportunity to pick up the pace, my hand working the bottom of his shaft in unison with my mouth.

He let out a guttural groan as his hot seed spilled down my throat. At that exactly moment, I heard the quietest shuffle of feet. My heart sunk into my chest in pure panic as my gaze shifted from Severus's obsidian orbs to the doorway we had carelessly left open. It was, after all, late in the night and we weren't expecting company.

Remus stood stunned in the doorway. His eyes darted between Severus and I in rapid succession before he quickly turned and darted back down the hall.

***************

The next morning, when Severus and I arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast, Sirius and Remus were already hunched over in quiet whispers at the head table.

"Ah, speak of the devil!" Sirius chimed as he swung his arms open wide. "We were just talking about you Snivellus."

"Severus." Severus calmly corrected him.

Sirius ignored this and continued speaking, "Remus was just telling me about the craziest thing he saw last night. He said that he saw you cumming in my sister's mouth last night. I told him that he must be having insane dreams or hallucinating since tomorrow is the full moon. Go on Severus, tell him that you didn't cum in my sister's mouth" Sirius taunted.

"He must have been seeing things. I didn't cum in your sister's mouth." Severus said stone cold.

Sirius gave a hearty chuckle, "You see? I told you that you were fucking hallucinating Mooney. Snivellus couldn't convince a succubus to sleep with him, let alone my sister."

Without missing a beat Severus leaned in close to Sirius so that only he could hear him, "I didn't cum in your sister's mouth. I came down her throat." he snarled.

#mrslunasnape #pro snape #severus snape #snape community #snapedom #snape smut

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Wednesday

Chapter 1 - SFW

Please note that this is the start of a sequel! If you're just finding this post, please check out my other posts to read The Prince Fought The Moon before continuing :)

"Come on then, let's see it!" Minerva exclaimed as Luna approached the wrought iron table tucked away beside the greenhouses.

"Minerva, let the girl sit down before you pounce her." Pomona teased as she made a paw swipe motions with her hand.

Minerva gave Pomona a rather nasty side eye, clearly not amused by the cat joke.

Luna chuckled and held up her hand, flashing the ring at them. The airy yet oddly fluid substance in the ring's orb swirled and emitted a faint light. 

"It's a pensieve." Minerva remarked, "If you don't mind me prying, what is the memory?"

Luna's cheeks flushed a warm pink, "Severus said that it was the moment he realized that he loved me. The moment he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me."

Pomona let out an obnoxious awing noise and practically tackled Luna as she ran up to her and pulled her into a tight bear hug. "That's adorable! I'm so happy for you dearie."

Minerva shook her head and let out a chuckle, "I never thought I'd see the day when Severus Snape of all people was engaged to be married." Her eyes lowered and lingered at Luna's stomach, "Although something might have rushed that timeline for him."

Luna instinctively recoiled and wrapped an arm around her stomach, as if somehow concealing her stomach with her arm would make anyone forget that she was expecting. Her cheeks reddened further, she was embarrassed to admit that she had often wondered if Severus would have ever proposed to her had she not gotten knocked up.

"Minerva!" Pomona scolded. "Don't you dare suggest that this is some kind of shotgun wedding." She released Luna from her bear hug, and instead pulled her tenderly to her side, embracing her the way a mother comforts a small child. "Severus is absolutely, deeply, and madly in love with you. I have no doubt that this was coming whether there was a child involved or not."

"Thank you." Luna whispered, although her voice suggested that she herself was unsure.

Pomona gave her an affectionate pat on the back, "Alright then, enough of that. I didn't make tea for it to sit there and grow cold. Let's go then." She ushered Luna over to the wrought iron garden table and all three ladies took their usual seats. Wednesday afternoon tea with Pomona and Minerva was one of Luna's favorite traditions, and she was elated to have it continue this year. She had missed it greatly while she was away with the Order.

"Have you met the new Potions professor?" Pomona asked casually as she began to pour tea into each lady's cup.

"Only once, briefly." Luna said as she lifted the cup to her lips. It burned slightly and she placed it back on the table to let it cool.

"Horace." Minerva said with a bitterness in her voice.

Luna chuckled, "Not a fan Minnie?"

Minerva let out a disgruntled sigh, "I've worked with him before. I don't particularly care for him. He plays favorites with the students."

"Minerva, you play favorites with the students." Pomona reminded her and gave a hearty laugh.

Minerva rolled her eyes, "Horace picks his favorites based on who he thinks he can get something out of later. They're no more than shiny trinkets to collect to him."

"And your favorites?" Pomona teased.

"My favorites are students who frequently behave like babbling bumbling baboons, but at their core are good people who love loyally and fiercely." Minerva paused to take a sip of tea, "The Weasley twins for example. Did they turn the entire fifth floor on the East Wing into a literal swamp? Yes. BUT, they did it because that toad of a woman was torturing their friends.

All three women couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of a toad clad in fluffy pink clothes.

Pomona attempted to catch her breath after laughing so heartily, "Severus must be over the moon. It's really turning out to be his year. Engaged to be wed, expecting a baby, and now he's got the position he's been eyeing for who knows how many years."

"Sixteen." Minerva said casually as she took another sip of tea. "Speaking of his new position, will you be joining him?"

"I'm afraid not." Luna began, "I'll be helping Professor Slughorn with all the same tasks I helped Severus with. Running ingredients from the greenhouse to the dungeons, brewing tonics for the medical wing, grading papers, etcetera."

"It's not like you're unqualified to assist Severus. I seem to remember you achieved a N.E.W.T in Defense Against the Dark Arts." Minerva reminded her.

"That may be true, but honestly there isn't much that Severus would need help with for the class. At most I would help wrangle some of the more dangerous specimens they would be studying, but as I'm sure you're well aware, Severus would adamantly refuse given my... condition." Luna hesitated at the last word.

Pomona let out a rather loud sigh, "Please stop calling it a condition like you're sick or something."

"You never know, Pomona. It is Severus's child, so perhaps it is like she's sick." Minerva teased.

Minerva snickered at her own joke and Pomona smacked her on the arm, "Don't be rude!"

Luna tried to hide her giggle.

"Please Pomona, don't get your britches twisted." Minerva took a stoic sip of tea before flashing a devilish grin. "I wonder if greasy hair is genetic?"

"Minerva!" Pomona shouted.

#theprincefoughttheserpent #mrslunasnape #pro snape #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

When you're interested in writing one shots about Severus, but that would require you to write "you" for the reader, and the sheer thought of someone else with him makes your dumb jealous heart mad 😤😭😂

#pro snape #severus snape #snape community #snape love #snape smut #mrslunasnape #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Honeymoon

Chapter 11- NSFW

Severus and Luna giggled as the two scurried up the stairs of Malfoy Manor, making their way to Luna's quarters. Just as they reached the door, Severus scooped Luna up into his arms bridal style. 

"Absolutely not!" Luna protested and playfully smacked him.

A curious eyebrow raised, "And why not?" Severus asked.

"This isn't our home. This will never be our home." Luna said solemnly. "One day, when all of this is over... When we've left all this behind and gotten a proper home, then you can carry me over the threshold. Just please don't do it here."

Severus nodded and gently placed Luna back on her feet. He opened the door and gestured his arm inside, "After you."

Luna smiled and playfully took one large step over the threshold before turning and waiting for her husband to follow. 

Severus smiled coyly and stepped over the threshold, slowly shutting the door behind him. "Well." he began, "Now that you've made it over the threshold, is it safe to pick you up again?"

Luna blushed and giggled, "I don't see why not."

Without hesitating, Severus grabbed Luna and hoisted her into the air, spun around, and pinned her against the door. 

Luna ran her fingers through his long black hair and for a moment she fell deeply into his obsidian eyes.

Severus kissed her softly on the lips, then once on her jawline, before making a trail of tender kisses down her collarbone. He playfully nibbled on her neck just below the jawline, which caused Luna to let out a soft moan.

"You know, the bed is just a few feet over there." Luna teased.

"Too far." Severus mumbled into her neck as he continued to bombard it with kisses and nibbles.

He pressed his waist into her to keep her pinned against the door while his hands fumbled frantically to undo his belt and release himself. He slid her panties to the side and without much warning he pressed himself completely into her.  They both let out an airy moan in unison.

Luna wrapped her legs around Severus's waist and pulled him in even closer, her arms doing the same around his neck.

Severus smirked and pulled her arms off of his neck and instead used one hand to pin them against the door above Luna's head. His large hand grabbed her wrists firmly, his grip tightening as he leaned in to kiss her passionately. His tongue began to dance with hers as his hips began to thrust slow and hard. Each trust sent a pounding echo from the door down the empty halls of the manor.

"You're going to wake someone" Luna whispered, her head turning to the side to try to listen through the door behind her for potential approaching footsteps.

Severus took his other hand and grabbed Luna's chin, forcing her head to turn back to his gaze. "I don't care." he said coolly before once against crashing his lips onto hers.

His hands returned to her waist, and he used gravity to his advantage to help pull her fully onto him with each thrust.

"Quit slamming doors!" a voice called from somewhere down the hall.

Severus and Luna burst out laughing. Luna's face went completely red as she buried it in Severus's shoulder.

With a cocky smiled plastered on his face, Severus lifted Luna from the door and while still inside of her, carried her to the bed.

Once in bed Luna squirmed out from beneath him. Severus gave her a curious stare.

"Lay down." she whispered.

Severus obeyed and reclined in bed, resting both of his arms behind his head while propped up by several pillows.

Luna stood up and slowly undid the buttons on the upper half of her dress before letting the entire thing hit the floor.  She wasted no time wriggling out of her underwear and climbed back into bed, getting to work on the numerous buttons of Severus's robes.

"God, you're beautiful." he whispered as he admired every curve of her body. He reached up and gently glided just his fingertips down her bare back.

A shiver went down her spine and she could feel goosebumps forming on her skin. When she had undone the final button she eagerly opened his jacket, freeing his chest. She climbed onto his lap and leaned down to begin to kiss down his chest. Severus's fingers ran through her hair as she did so. 

She made her way back up his chest, leaving bites of her own on his jawline before passionately kissing him. His hands wandered all over her body as they kissed, desperate to touch every inch of her.

Luna positioned herself above him and slid him inside of her. She began to rock her hips and Severus let out a guttural moan from beneath her.

Severus sat up so that with her seated on his lap facing him their bodies were completely intertwined. He placed one hand on the back of her head and pulled her into a deep kiss. His other hand trailed down her back and found its resting place at the small of her back, where it dug in and pulled her into him. He began to thrust into her as her hips swayed back in forth in response, their bodies tangled and in sync. 

Luna moaned into Severus's mouth and eagerly bit his bottom lip. His hand released hers and instead found its way down her body. His fingertips caressing her skin as it danced down the length of her body until it reached her clit. He began to rub her clit as his hips pressed more forcefully into her.

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach their climax in each other's arms. He remained inside of her and continued to kiss her tenderly, desperate for more of her. Their bodies were completely wrapped around one another, tangled, and covered in sweat. In that moment, they were one.

#theprincefoughttheserpent #mrslunasnape #pro snape #severus snape #snape smut #snape community #snape love #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Legilimency

Chapter 5 - NSFW

Luna knocked on the heavy wooden door to the potion's room as she entered.

Horace looked up from his paperwork, "Ah, Good afternoon Miss Lightfoot. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I just wanted to inform you that I've been having some health issues and I'll have to take an unexpected extended leave of absence." Luna nervously fidgeted with her hands as she spoke.

"Oh, yes. Dumbledore had mentioned earlier this morning that I might be losing you soon."

Luna winced.

"I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been well. Is there anything that I can do for you?" Horace gave her a warm smile.

"Actually..." Luna began, "If you wouldn't mind, since I have to leave in the morning, I'd like to spend the rest of the afternoon with Severus. If you don't need my help, of course."

Horace chuckled and gave a shooing motion with his hands, "I'm sure I'll manage. Go on then!"

"Thank you Horace." Luna grinned.

"Anytime, dear." Horace was already back to grading papers.

*********

Luna crept into the back of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom as the last of the students were filing in. She took a seat on a stool in the corner and desperately tried to contain her eagerness.

Severus began the lecture, his glance occasionally shifting to Luna. When they made eye contact, she smiled and gently tapped her temple with one finger. It was a sign they had frequently used in the past to have Severus perform legilimency on her during meetings and the like. 

He flashed her a confused and curious look, but mumbled the incantation under his breath anyway. 

Luna immediately allowed her mind to wander to rather particular memories of the two of them.

The first was when she had entered his chambers late at night in a silk robe, only to allow it to fall to the ground and reveal lacey black lingerie. 

Severus coughed in a panicked attempt to maintain his composure.

Luna gently bit her lower lip in a futile attempt to hide the mischievous smile forming. 

She thought of the time they snuck up to the castle walls in the middle of the night and made love under the stars.

"Get into pairs and practice non-verbal spells on one another." Severus stumbled and stuttered through the whole sentence.

Luna allowed her thoughts to shift to the time where she was giving him oral under his desk and Lockhart walked in on them. Severus had attempted to not act suspicious, but Luna made that rather difficult by picking up the pace instead of stopping when the intruder had entered the room.

Severus remained the podium for the rest of class, and Luna beamed with a mischievous grin because she knew exactly why.

Once class was dismissed, the students wasted no time leaving. Luna weaved her way through the sea of students and headed to the front of the room.

 Hermione, the only student who did not appear to be in a hurry to leave, approached the podium, "Professor, I had a question about-"

"Not today." He cut her off.

"But-" 

"Out!" Severus said sternly.

Hermione made a rather disgruntled face before turning and exiting the classroom, but not before slamming the door behind her.

The moment the door  shut, Severus swept Luna into his arms and lifted her up onto his desk. His lips crashed onto hers, one hand wrapped firmly around her cheek, the other slowly making its way from her knee up her thigh.

Luna teasingly nibbled on Severus's lower lip, and he smiled into their kiss. His hand wandered farther up her thigh, his fingertips gliding on her skin. He broke the kiss and raised one eyebrow at her in an accusatory stare, "You're not wearing anything under your robes?"

Luna's face went instantly pink as she feebly attempt to hold back a giggle.

"Careful darling," Severus clasped his hand around her chin and lifted it so that they were looking into one another's eyes, "Don't start anything you can't finish."

Luna rolled her eyes at him and wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a deep kiss. As their lips danced Severus's hand slid further up her thigh until his finger gently grazed her clit. She let out a soft moan, her warm air flowing into his mouth as their kiss intensified.

He began to rub her clit in a slow but firm pace as he began to kiss down her jawline, up to her ear, which he nibbled. At his touch, Luna instinctively tilted her head back, exposing her neck to him.  Severus eagerly took advantage of this and began to kiss down her neck, his lips forging a trail down her collarbone. He placed a single kiss in the center of her chest and then knelt down.

He grabbed her by the hips with both hands and pulled her forward so that she was sitting on the very edge of the desk. He lifted her robes and shoved them carelessly to the side. His tongue quickly went to work, stroking against her clit in slow broad strokes. 

Luna moaned softly and leaned back. One hand gripped the edge of the desk behind her, the other tangled itself in Severus's hair.

This only encouraged Severus, who began to increase the pressure of his licks while maintaining a steady pace. His fingertips dug into her hips, creating little dimples where they buried themselves into her bare skin.

Luna's grip on his hair tightened, and she pushed him down on her. Her toes began to curl.

At which point Severus stopped and returned his feet.

"What happened to starting things we can't finish?" Luna teased.

Severus chuckled and kissed her tenderly on the forehead before beginning to undo his belt buckle. He slid the belt through all the loops and tossed it to the floor. 

Luna reached forward and undid his button and zipper for him. Severus grabbed her hands when she had finished and kissed each one softly before reaching down and freeing himself from his pants.

He wrapped one hand around the back of her head, the other on her hip, and slid himself into her already wet entrance.

Luna let out a raspy breath as he entered her, and Severus pulled her close to him, their chests tightly pressed together.

He began to thrust into her softly at first, but quickly began to push harder into her. He maintained a restrained pace, but each trust was firmer than the one before it.

Severus nestled his face into the small of her neck, kissing and biting it gingerly.

"Severus, you're going to leave a mark." Luna scolded through bated breath. She felt him smile into her skin.

He kissed up her neck and along her jawline until he once again reached her ear, "Who fucks you this good?" he growled.

"You do." Luna moaned as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in closer to her.

"Say my name, Darling." Severus whispered, his hot breath lingering on her neck.

"Severus." Luna moaned out louder than she anticipated. Surely anyone outside the classroom would have heard that.

He chuckled low and soft, "Such a good girl."

At the sound of his words, Luna's head rolled back and her back arched. Her body tensed around him and she began to see stars.

Severus grabbed her chin firmly, and forced her head down so that she was making eye contact with him. His obsidian eyes burned into hers as she released in his arms.

A smug grin flashed across his face, taking pride in the fact that he was the one that made her squirm like that. The feeling of her writhing in his arms sent him into his own release. 

For a moment he remained inside her and pulled her into his chest.

A sense of calm washed over Luna as she listened to Severus's elevated heartbeat. All tension released from her body and she simply melted into his arms. 

Severus rested his head tenderly on top of hers, "God, I love you." he whispered.

#mrslunasnape #pro snape #snape smut #severus snape #snapedom #theprincefoughttheserpent

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Ministry

Chapter 10 - SFW

Luna and Severus sat side by side in a cramped waiting room. Severus's hand rested on Luna's thigh as he read from one of the numerous outdated newspapers strewn about the coffee table in the middle of the waiting room.

Luna's stomach fluttered with nerves, and she attempted to distract herself by allowing her mind and gaze to wander around the room. Worn wallpaper clung desperately to the wall; peeling in some areas near the ceiling. The chairs were stiff, the padding in them long worn out from overuse. The light in the room was muted, as only one candle in the fixture appeared to be lit. An attempt to cut costs, no doubt.

Luna let out a soft sigh, and Severus's gave her thigh a gentle squeeze.

"Something wrong, Darling?" he asked.

"No." she lied.

Little girls often dream of their wedding day, but Luna found it very hard to believe that any little girl dreamed of getting married by an officiant at the Ministry of Magic. Luna couldn't but help but imagine a small Umbridge planning a Ministry wedding, and a small smile crept over her face.

It quickly faded though, and was replaced with a pang of guilt in her heart. She thought of Remus, and how she had promised him on that roof that he could be there with her for this moment. She thought of how Minerva would have been the voice of reason when she was having wedding day jitters. She thought of how Pomona would have fussed over the flowers and the dress. Her heart ached.

Of course when the war was over they would have that wedding; the one surrounded by loved ones. Luna's stomach fluttered with fear this time. Severus had said himself that he wanted to get married now just in case. In case...

Luna tried desperately to shove the thought deep into the pit of her stomach. She could not bring herself to think of the possibility of him dying. She could not fathom a life without him.

A stocky man with frizzy curly hair entered the room and cleared his throat, "Snape?"

Severus gave Luna a reassuring look, and then the two rose to their feet and followed the man back into his office.

"Right, then." The man mumbled seemingly to himself as he shuffled several loose papers on a podium, "It seems like the paperwork is all in order."

"I'm Mr. Fryer, and I will be your Ministry Officiant this afternoon." Fryer said in a rather official tone before flashing an oddly charming grin at the couple. "Severus Snape and Luna Lightfoot, I presume?"

"Yes." Severus responded.

"Fantastic. Let's get to it then, shall we? I have several more of these booked today. Come on then, hold hands. Don't be shy." Fryer chuckled to himself.

Severus took Luna's hands in his, his thumb tenderly rubbing the top of her knuckles.

"Severus, if you wouldn't mind starting us off?" said Fryer.

"I, Severus, take you, Luna, to be my lawfully wedded Wife. I promise to keep you by my side through good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I vow to stay true to you, honor you, and love you for the rest of my days, until death do us part."

Luna felt a chill run down her spine at the sound of the words "until death do us part."

"Beautifully done, Severus. Now, Luna, it's your turn dear." Fryer insisted.

"I, Luna, take you, Severus, to be my lawfully wedded Husband. I promise to keep you by my side through good times and bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. I vow to stay true to you, honor you, and love you for the rest of my days... "

There was a moment of silence. Fryer let out a soft cough and raised his eyebrows, encouraging Luna to continue.

"Until death do us part." she finished.

"Severus, do you take Luna to be your lawfully wedded Wife? Do you promise to support her completely and love her unconditionally, so long as you both shall live?" Fryer asked.

"I do." Severus smiled and his eyes lit up in a way that enveloped Luna in a sense of warmth.

"Luna, do you take Severus to be your lawfully wedded Husband? Do you promise to support him completely and love him unconditionally, so long as you both shall live?" Fryer continued.

"I do." Luna said as a tear rolled down her cheek. Severus reached up and gingerly wiped it off her cheek.

"It is now time to exchange the rings. The circle formed by each ring is a symbol of your love and eternal commitment to each other. May these rings remind you always of these sacred promises you've made to each other today" Fryer continued, "Severus if you would."

"I, Severus, give you, Luna this ring as a symbol of my love, commitment, and the eternal vows we have made today to each other. With this ring, I thee wed." Severus said as he slid a white gold ring encrusted with diamonds and emeralds onto Luna's ring finger. Luna could have sworn, that for a moment, Severus's hands were shaking as he did so.

"Luna." Fryer said.

"I, Luna, give you, Severus this ring as a symbol of my love, commitment, and the eternal vows we have made today to each other. With this ring, I thee wed." Her words and hands both shook as she slid the white gold band onto Severus's ring finger.

"By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I pronounce you, Severus and Luna as Husband and Wife. Severus, you may kiss your bride." Fryer said with a wide grin.

Severus placed his hand tenderly on the side of Luna's head and pulled her in close to him. His other hand snaked around her waist and gripped her tightly as their lips pressed against each others. 

Time stopped for Luna, and in that moment it was just her and Severus. It was just the feeling of his hands on her body, the taste of his kiss, their breath intertwining. And then there was an odd flutter in her stomach, unlike any of the pangs of fear or guilt she had been experiencing all afternoon. She let out a gasp.

Severus took a step back, slightly alarmed, "Darling?"

Luna beamed as she grabbed Severus's hand and placed it on her stomach, "I just felt the baby kick for the first time."

Severus pulled her back in and kissed her once passionately. He then knelt down and kissed her once tenderly on the stomach before gazing up at her with a cheesy grin that was very much out of character for him, "I love you, Mrs. Snape."

#theprincefoughttheserpent #mrslunasnape #pro snape #severus snape #snape community #snape love #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Battle of the Seven Potters

Chapter 18

Luna held the tarnished golden Death Eater mask in both hands, it's empty eyes glaring back into hers, "Are you sure?"

Severus walked up behind her and tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist, "Yes. I told you, I used the Confundus Charm on Mundungus. I planted the seed that they should use Polyjuice Potion in order to move Potter safely."

"And you're sure it took?" Luna questioned.

Severus gave a smug smirk, "Mundungus doesn't have the mental fortitude to remember breakfast, let alone break a Confundus Charm."

Luna gave a heavy sigh and turned to face Severus, a cold lifeless Death Eater mask greeted her. She frowned and donned her own mask. 

*********

Arm in arm Severus and Luna descended the grand staircase of Malfoy Manor. The rest of the Death Eaters awaited them below.

Voldemort gave a chilling grin as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "Carrow?"

"Yes, my Lord?" Carrow said as his body straightened like a toy soldier.

"You'll be tagging along with the Snapes tonight." Voldemort hissed.

"My pleasure." Carrow said and bowed.

Luna was glad that the Death Eater mask hid her reaction.

"Now that everyone has been sorted into hunting groups for the night," Voldemort mused, "I would like to take this opportunity to remind each and every one of you that Potter is mine. You may wound him if you need to in order to subdue him, but the killing blow must come from me. No exceptions. There will be... consequences for those who do not follow directions. Do you understand?"

A murmur of understanding came from the cluster of Death Eaters.

"Well then," Voldemort smiled, "Happy hunting."

With several loud cracks, each set of Death Eaters apparated.

*********

It was a cold night, made worse by the fine mist of rain and the breeze of flying. The rain seemed to cling to everything, making it hard at times to get a proper grip on a broomstick. Thoughts of warm butterbeer filled Luna's head as she shivered.

"There!" Carrow called out, his shivering arm now outstretched and pointing at set of two small moving black dots in the distance.

Severus and Luna exchanged a glance before turning their brooms and zipping towards the dots in the distance.

The closer they flew, the more the dots transformed into human shapes. One, of course, was in the shape of Harry Potter. Although, they could not be certain if the Potter on the broom was the real one or a member of the Order. 

Luna felt her heart sink as the second figure came into view. 

Remus.

"The Dark Lord said Potter is his, but he didn't say anything about the escorts!" Carrow cackled as a bolt of green shot from his wand.

Remus and the Potter figure narrowly dodged the spell. The sudden jerk had almost caused the Potter figure to fall off his broom. 

Once they had steadied, the pair shot straight up into the air, darting into a passing group of clouds for cover.

Carrow dashed after them, and Severus and Luna followed closely behind him.

Carrow leaned over on his broom, increasing his speed as he barreled towards the pair of Order members. He lifted his wand, shakily holding onto his broom with just one hand. The wand was pointed square at Remus's back.

"Sectumsempra!" Severus shouted and blinding white light flew from his wand towards Carrow.

Carrow's grip on his broom faulted, and he dipped down as he feebly attempted to regain balance on his broom.

The white light flew just over his head and collided with the Potter figure who instantly began to spin out on his broom. 

"Ha! Good one!" Carrow called from below.

The Potter figure was bleeding profusely from the head and was now in a nosedive towards the ground hundreds of feet below. 

Remus instantly dipped his broom and dove after him below the cloud lines.

Carrow was still cackling, "You better hope that he doesn't fall to his death. The Dark Lord would be furious."

The trio of Death Eaters plunged below the clouds, but the other riders had disappeared. The flew as close to the ground as they could without risking being seen, scanning the rooftops and streets for any sign of the Order members.

To Luna and Severus's relief, they found none.

#mrslunasnape #theprincefoughttheserpent #pro snape #severus snape #snape community #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

I don't know if any of you get the Accio box subscription, but when they sent this in the box this time around I don't think they thought people like me were going to do this with it 😂

#mrslunasnape #severus snape #pro snape #snape community #snape love #severussnape #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

The Unbreakable Vow

Chapter 9 - SFW

Luna lowered the heat of her cauldron, and the bubbling of the contents inside slowed to a simmer. Outside her room she could hear the muffled sounds of fighting. She cautiously walked to the door, trying to not make a noise, and pressed her ear against it, desperate to make something coherent out of the murmurs of the other side of the heavy wooden door.

"Time is running out, Severus. You promised to save my Draco." Narcissa's voice sounded desperate.

"I'm working on it." Severus snarled.

"Bellatrix was right. You've nothing to give but empty words. You better work harder, Severus. You would want your child to grow up without their daddy, now would you?" The words rolled off Narcissa's tongue like venom.

Luna felt her heart sink so deeply that for a moment she wondered if it had fallen onto the black hardwood floor beneath her feet.  She was so focused on the feeling of the hole in her chest that she didn't realize that the voices in the hallway had ceased.

The heavy door opened suddenly, and Luna, who was still propped up against it, nearly fell over. Her eyes met with Severus's, "You made an unbreakable vow..." she accused, her voice breaking.

Severus sighed heavily, the life draining from his shoulders, "I did."

"What is it?" Luna demanded.

"I have to help Draco when the time comes." Severus said emotionlessly. He was clearly trying to hold it together for her.

"When what time comes?" Luna pressed.

"Voldemort gave Draco a mission, and I promised Narcissa that if he wasn't able to complete it himself, that I would help him. This way he would face no repercussions for the job being left undone." Severus tried to play it off as if it was nothing.

Luna wasn't buying it, "What did he ask him to do?"

Severus looked her sternly in the eyes, his gaze begging her to not ask that question.

"Severus?" Luna pressured.

"I have to kill Dumbledore." Severus said solemnly.

Luna stumbled back a few steps. The backs of her heels hit the base of her bed and she allowed herself to crumple onto it. She sat there for a moment in silence before asking, "Does he know?"

"Yes." Severus responded.

"Did  he know before he asked me to come here?" Luna continued.

"Yes." Severus's lips tightened.

"But... why?" Luna whispered. She was trying to make sense of it in her head. Dumbledore himself had said that they were getting closer to victory, but how was Dumbledore's death going to be anything but a major setback?

"If for some reason I can't... " Severus hesitated,  "...hold up my end of the bargain, there is something I'd like to do first. Just in case."

"Don't talk like that." Luna lamented.

Severus took her chin tenderly in his hand and leaned in close, their foreheads touching, "Marry me."

Luna laughed softly despite the gravity of the situation, "I already agreed to do that." She held up her hand to flash the ring at him.

A small smile crept over Severus's face, "I'm serious. Marry me. We can go to the Ministry tomorrow and have it all done by tea time."

Luna frowned, but held her protest in, "Promise me something first."

"Anything" Severus agreed.

"When, not if, when this is all over, and we're both alive and well, let's have a real wedding. One where we're surrounded by those we love and the world isn't so bleak." Luna pleaded.

Severus leaned in even closer, and pressed his lips warmly against hers. He could taste the salt of her tears that had begun to fall. He wiped away a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb and then whispered, "I promise."

#mrslunasnape #pro snape #severus snape #prosnape #snapedom #theprincefoughttheserpent #snape community #snape love

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Unicorn Blood

Chapter 8 - SFW

"I'll get it." Severus said cautiously and climbed out of bed to answer the door. 

Lucius stood impatiently just beyond the threshold, "Took your time." he scoffed.

Severus's eyes narrowed.

"Now then," Lucius continued, "In here boys." He motioned with his cane and a several men carrying various alchemy tools began to file into the room. 

Soon the room was filled with brand new, top of the line tools. There was a golden cauldron, diamond encrusted brass scales, and clear crystal phials that were absolutely flawless to just name a few. Apparently Lucius had taken the Dark Lord seriously when he was told to spare no expense. 

"You're to start work right away." Lucius said rather officially.

Luna looked double checked the room, "With what ingredients?"

A smile crept over Lucius's face, "Oh, don't worry. Your ingredients will be up shortly. I wanted to make sure you had all your tools before it arrived. Rest assured, you'll be receiving the absolute freshest ingredients." He nodded towards the large arched window as his spoke. 

Luna walked over to the window to investigate. From her third story window she had a clear view of a Death Eater slicing the throat of a young unicorn in the courtyard outback. The unicorn shrieked as the blade crossed it's throat, and a shimmering silver fluid began to flow out of it like a leaky spigot. 

Luna recoiled at the sight, and Severus wrapped an arm around her in a vain attempt to comfort her.

"Settling in?" Lucius asked oddly politely, as if a unicorn had not just been butchered in front of him.

Luna swallowed and tried to compose herself, "Yes, thank you. The room... The tools... Everything is just so extravagant. "

Lucius waved his hand dismissively, "It's nothing." He takes a seat on the reclining couch in the corner of the room.

Luna could feel her body tense, and Severus's gently rubbed her arm in response.

"Severus, if you stay much longer, Dumbledore's bound to notice your absence." Lucius grinned.

Severus glanced at Luna and hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I'll return when I can." He kissed her head tenderly and left.

Lucius turned his attention to Luna, "Is there anything I can get you to make your stay more comfortable? Anything I can-" he hesitated, "do for you?" a coy smile crept over his face. "I like to think of myself as a generous host."

Luna felt like she was going to be sick, "No, thank you. You've done more than enough by providing these exquisite tools and a roof over my head."

He nodded, "Nothing but the best crosses the threshold of Malfoy Manor."

"Narcissa has been nothing but kind to me as well." Luna added, her judgmental stare fixed on Lucius. 

Lucius's eyes narrowed at the sound of his wife's name. He rises to his feet, "Well, then. Please, don't hesitate if you need anything."

Luna forced a smile, "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."

"Please, call me Lucius."

"Lucius." She repeated.

He smiled cockily and left, shutting the door rather hard behind him.

#mrslunasnape #theprincefoughttheserpent #pro snape #severus snape #snape community #snape love #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Moon

Name

Chapter 7 - SFW

Luna laid in bed, propped up by several pillows. One hand rested on her stomach as she gazed in awe at the room around her. Despite it being "just a guest room" as Narcissa had put it, the room was still more elegant than any she had ever stayed in before. A full sized arched window overlooked the back courtyard of the manor. There was even a fireplace.

There was a soft knock on the door. Luna sat up quickly. "Yes?" She called out as she started to get out of bed.

The door creaked open and Severus peaked in, "Just me, love." he cooed.

Luna let out a sigh of relief and collapsed back into the bed. Although visits from Death Eaters weren't very  common in her room, it was still a possibility that left her on edge.

Severus locked the door behind him before making his way to the bed and climbing in. He laid on top of the sheets on his side, one hand propping his head up, the other caressing Luna's stomach. "How are you feeling?"

Luna felt a sappy smile melt over her face, "Better now."

Severus chuckled softly, his hand left Luna's stomach and found it's way to the side of her face. His thumb gingerly caressed her cheek. "I love you." He whispered, his normally hard eyes softening.

"I love you too." Luna whispered back. The two kissed tenderly.

Severus returned his focus back to Luna's stomach, "I love you too little one." He beamed and leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on Luna's stomach.

Luna felt like her heart was going to explode with joy. She wished desperately that time would stop and she could live in this moment forever. The war faded away and for a time they were in a little piece of Heaven.

"Have you thought of a name?" Severus asked, an eyebrow peaking with curiosity.

Luna nodded, "If it's a girl, I was thinking Eleanor."

"That's a beautiful name." Severus said.

"For a beautiful girl." Luna added.

"And if it's a boy?" Severus questioned.

Luna furrowed her brow, "I haven't been able to settle on an idea for that. What do you think?"

Severus took a moment, his hand tenderly rubbing Luna's stomach while he was lost in thought. "Ambrose." He finally said.

"Eleanor Snape. Ambrose Snape. I like the sound of both of those." Luna smiled and placed her hand on top of Severus's hand that was on her stomach.

Severus interlaced his fingers with hers, "Me too."

Another knock rapped at the door. Their little slice of Heaven was coming to an end, and reality was waiting.

#mrslunasnape #pro snape #severus snape #snapedom #theprincefoughttheserpent

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Marked

Chapter 6 - SFW

Malfoy Manor stood ridged and cold, a mirror of the family that dwelled within. The dimly lit stone walled manor felt more like an abandoned medieval castle than it did a home. Severus opened the heavy door, it's creak echoing down the numerous empty hallways and rooms.

The moment Luna crossed the threshold, a woman with wild dark hair and fiery eyes lunged for her. The woman grabbed her by the neck, "Oh, isn't she beautiful?" The woman pulled Luna closer to her. She inhaled deeply, smelling Luna's hair, her eyes rolling back in her head as she did so.

Severus placed a firm hand on the woman's shoulder,  "Now, now Bella. We mustn't touch what isn't ours."

Bellatrix glared at Severus, her bottom lip sticking out in what could only be described as a pout. She begrudgingly released her grip on Luna's neck. She turned her back to the two and stomped up the marble staircase.

"I'm sorry." Severus whispered to Luna.

Luna didn't answer, instead she was rubbing her neck softly, wondering what she exactly she had signed up for.

The two ascended the stairs together and soon reached an elegant meeting room. An obscenely long dining table filled the majority of the room, lined with regal leather bound chairs. Crystal chandeliers hung from above. The fire in the hearth was the only sense of warmth in the room. Over a dozen people were already seated at the table, speaking in hushed voices amongst themselves.

Voldemort entered the room, pridefully gliding across the floor. The room fell instantly silent as all eyes watched him make his way to the head of the table. He paused there for a moment, his gaze shifting from person to person at the table. When he reached Severus, he flashed a rather vile grin.

"My dear Severus." His voice leaked from his mouth, "I see you brought your whore."

Luna felt Severus grip her thigh tightly at the word, but above the table he appeared calm and collected.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, my fiancé is with child. While I have no doubts that Dumbledore is still under the illusion that he has my allegiance, I don't have any desire to leave Luna in a position where her sympathy for our cause could land her or my child in harm's way. I bought her here tonight with the hope that she would be accepted into the Death Eaters." Severus emphasized the word 'fiancé' when he spoke.

Voldemort cackled, and at the sound of his laughter several of the other Death Eaters laughed as well.

"Severus, what use do I have for a pregnant Death Eater?" Voldemort grinned eerily as he spoke.

"She's a potions mistress." Severus responded calmly.

"I already have a potions master." Voldemort said mockingly. This time all of the Death Eaters laughed.

"Yes, but Luna worked with the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. She helped pioneer the latest advances in using unicorn blood. Her work not only enhanced the healing properties of unicorn blood, but it manifested strengthening properties as well." Severus said.

Voldemort's eyes peaked with interest, but he remained silent.

"While we were able to enhance the effects of the blood, we were unable to remove the curse that follows those for seek treatment..." Luna spoke in a mousey tone.

A venomous grin washed over Voldemort's face, "I'm long past cursed, my dear."

As soon as the word 'dear' fell out of Voldemort's mouth, Bellatrix's eyes shot to Luna like daggers, and Luna was certain that if looks could kill she would fall in an instant. 

"Perhaps you could have a use after all." Voldemort paused for a moment, clearly mulling over the new information. "Lucius?"

Lucius quickly got to his feet, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Have your spare bedroom turned into an apothecary. Spare no expense with the tools." Voldemort ordered.

"Of course." Lucius gave a little bow and took his seat again.

"Now then, come here, Luna." Voldemort turned his gaze to Luna and held out his clawed hand towards her. 

His stare stirred something deep inside of her, and she felt an overwhelming desire to run. She swallowed in a feeble attempt to push this feeling down into the pit of her stomach, and against her better judgement, she rose and walked to his side.

Voldemort grabbed her wrist firmly before twisting it over in one swift motion to reveal her forearm. He rolled her sleeve up and once again a smile crept onto his face, "This might hurt a little."

Voldemort took out his wand and touched it to Luna's bare forearm. He began to press it into her skin, an indent of flesh forming around the wood of the wand.

An overwhelming burning sensation overtook Luna. She instantly began to scream a blood curdling scream, and her knees began to buckle. Her back arched and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her body stood in a mangled position.

Severus's hands clenched into tight fists under the table. His jaw clenched as well, but his eyes remained firmly locked onto Luna.

Bellatrix let out a hysterical laugh that bordered on a shriek, clapping in her seat.

It lasted only a few seconds, but felt like hours. When Voldemort finally removed his wand, a black skull with a snake slithering out of it's mouth remained on her skin. The skin on her arm was bright red and inflamed. It still burned, as if she had just been branded with a hot iron.

"Have a seat Luna." Voldemort said courteously, "The meeting is just getting started."

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[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Request

Chapter 4 - SFW

Severus and Luna stood silently outside Dumbledore's office. He clasped her hand firmly in his, his listless stare suggested that his mind was miles away. It was an oddity that they were called to Dumbledore's office at the same time. 

"I'm sure it's nothing." Luna attempted to reassure him.

Severus tightened his grip on her hand, but said nothing.

The door to the office swung open. Dumbledore stood just behind his desk and ushered the pair in with a sweeping of his arm. "Please, come in."

The pair entered the room, and Severus finally released her hand.  He pulled out the chair for her.

"You're looking well." Dumbledore said politely as he motioned towards Luna. 

Luna couldn't help but notice the charcoal colored monstrosity that was once Dumbledore's right hand. Her eyes widened with both horror and curiosity. "I wish I could say the same. What happened?"

"Don't trouble yourself worrying about that. Please, have a seat." Dumbledore said dismissively.

Luna sat and Severus quickly took the chair next to her. He placed his hand on her knee and squeezed, as if he was clinging to her.

 "I simply procured an injury while doing some rather important word for the Order. Thanks to Severus, the damage is less severe than what it could have been." Dumbledore continued.

Luna turned to look at Severus, surprised that he hadn't mentioned the incident to her. His eyes remained fixed on Dumbledore, but had a deadness in their stare.

"I see Severus has not been keeping you up to date." Dumbledore said as he studied Luna's reaction.

"What did you call us here for?" Severus asked coldly, clearly refusing to acknowledge Dumbledore's last statement.

"Straight to it then, I see. I guess that is wise considering time is off the essence. I called you here because Voldemort has been moving quicker than anticipated. Information is our most valuable asset at the moment... and to be honest we could stand to obtain a bit more. I am confident that with a more consistent flow of information we could turn the tables to a more decisive victory for ourselves."

Severus's eyes narrowed as Dumbledore spoke, as if he was trying to decipher some sort of hidden code in his words.

"I know that you attend the major meetings, Severus, but the fact of the matter is that you still spend most of your time at the school and not with the Death Eaters in their day to day routine. We're potentially missing out on key information." Dumbledore's voice took on a tone of caution as he spoke.

"I can't just abandon my post at Hogwarts and start being a full time Death Eater. Certainly Voldemort would wonder why his spy was no longer spying. It would be reckless and draw suspicion." Severus argued.

"I didn't mean you." Dumbledore said plainly.

Understanding swept across Severus's face. "No." He said sternly.

"My request wasn't directed at you, Severus. So, pardon me if I don't accept your answer." Dumbledore's gaze was now focused on Luna.

Severus's grip on Luna's knee tightened, his fingers starting to dig into her skin. "Have you ever considered that you ask too much?" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"I ask what is needed." Dumbledore responded calmly.

Severus's nostrils flared, and his chest began to rise and fall in heavy labored breaths. It was clear that it was taking all of his self-control to restrain his anger.

"Luna." Dumbledore's deliberate tone suggested that he was no longer speaking to Severus, but rather to her and her alone. "I need you to be one of them. I need to know the every day ins and outs of what is going on. Secrets often slip when people feel comfortable."

"...Are you asking what I think you are?" Luna questioned. She already knew the answer, but it didn't quite feel real.

"I am asking you to become a Death Eater." Dumbledore said plainly.

"Albus, for God's sake she's pregnant!" Severus bellowed.

"I am aware, Severus." Dumbledore still refused to look at Severus, "And since the child is yours, I'm afraid that you might be a bit biased when it comes to this decision."

"A bit biased?!" Severus released he grasp on Luna's knee, both of his hands now forming fists on his lap. "You're not making a very light request. You're asking my pregnant fiance to be put directly in the crossfire."

"As far as I am aware, there is little crossfire between the Death Eaters themselves." Dumbledore responded calmly.

"And if she is caught? What then, Albus?" Severus swallowed nervously, "You know what he would do to her."

Dumbledore finally turned his gaze to Severus, "When you asked me for help all those years ago, you told me that you would give me anything in return."

Severus's face looked deadly calm. His dark eyes had a dangerous glimmer to them now, "Luna and my unborn child are not things to be given."

Dumbledore gave no attention to this statement and instead returned his attention to Luna. "We all have our roles to play. We are closing in on victory, although there is still a long way to go. Don't you want to do your part to make sure the world is one that you would actually want to bring your child into?"

"I don't want my child to be born into a war..." Luna whispered.

"Well then, it's decided." Dumbledore seemed rather pleased with himself, "Severus, I'm sure you can easily arrange for Miss Lightfoot to be recruited."

Severus slammed his hands on the desk and rose swiftly, knocking the chair over behind him. He shot a rather venomous glare at Dumbledore before storming out of the room without another word.

#theprincefoughttheserpent #mrslunasnape #pro snape #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Nightshift

Chapter 3 - SFW

With the return of Voldemort, parents were reluctant to send their children to Hogwarts for fear of their safety. Dumbledore attempted to ease this concern by having aurors and members of the Order help guard the castle. They worked their shifts in pairs, and Luna was not exempt from guard duty.

That evening she stood atop the castle wall, taking in silence of the grounds below. She was not aware who her guard partner was tonight. Hogwarts was a lively place during the day, filled with the chatter of students. At night it was oddly quiet, and it was easy to become lost in your thoughts while gazing into the Forbidden Forest.

The sound of footfalls echoed off the stone of the castle walls. Luna didn't even have to turn to know who her partner was tonight. She would recognize the sound of his footsteps anywhere. At one point in her life, the sound of them coming up the stairs filled her heart with excitement.

"Hello Luna." Remus said behind her.

Luna turned to face him. They hadn't seen one another in almost two months. His face seemed like it had aged years in that time. He didn't look tired in the normal sense of the word. He didn't look tired like he was merely sleepy, but rather tired in the way a man who has seen too much of the world looks.

"You've...  grown." He stumbled rather ungracefully though his sentence.

Luna's face instantly went red, and her arms crossed across her stomach in a feeble attempt to hide the bump underneath. Apparently they both had been taking in how the other changed over the last few months.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Remus said rather flustered, "That was... probably not the best wording I could have used."

They both laughed nervously.

"How have you been feeling? Any morning sickness?" Remus attempted to shift the conversation.

"Only sometimes, when there is a strong smell." The memory of the smell of the potions classroom yesterday flickered in her mind for a moment and she felt her stomach getting uneasy all over again.

There was an awkward silence.

"I heard you got engaged." Remus attempted to make his voice sound excited, but it came out oozing pain.

Luna looked down at her feet. She felt incredibly guilty for how things with Remus had ended. Of course she had meant to tell him about her engagement, but she couldn't bring herself to do it for fear of hurting him more. Now that he was standing in front of her, she wondered if perhaps it would have been better to tell him instead of leaving him out in the cold. "Where did you hear that?" she said barely audible.

A faint smile crossed Remus's lips, "I would say that a little birdie told me... but truth be told it was a cat."

Luna made a mental note to sold Minerva later.

"Am I invited to the wedding?" Remus asked hesitantly.

Luna was taken aback. She hadn't planned on making him sit through that. "Did you want to go?"

"Are you going to be there?" He asked playfully.

Luna giggled, "I might make an appearance."

"Well then." Remus said in a playfully official tone, straightening his jacket as he did so, "I'd love to go."

They smiled at each other for a moment, the quiet of the night enveloping them as they explored each other's eyes.

Remus took a step toward her and reached his hand out towards her stomach, "May I?" he finally broke the silence.

Luna nodded.

Remus placed his hand on her stomach and gently caressed it. The pair stood there in silence, both of their gazes focused on his hand. For a moment it was as if time was frozen.

Remus removed his hand and feigned a cough to distract from the fact that he was wiping a tear from his eye.

"Remus..." Luna said, but the word barely had the strength to flow from her mouth.

"I'm sorry." Remus uttered, "It's just that... for a minute there... it was like I saw a flash of the future... Well... what could have been the future..."

"I'm sorry." she whispered.

Remus ignored the comment and continued to speak, "Have you felt any kicks yet?"

Luna sighed. She felt guilty for feeling relieved that he was changing the conversation. "Not yet."

"How far along are you now?" His voice sounded like he was just going through the motions.

"About three months." Her voice matched his.

"You'll feel kicks soon enough then." He feebly tried to smile for her.

"I'm looking forward to it." She attempted to return the smile.

"It'll be magical, I promise." Remus assured her.

There was an awkward pause. Centuries could have passed.

"So... How has life been?" It was Luna's turn to attempt to change the conversation.

Remus appeared grateful for a chance to talk about something else, "I've really delved into my work the last few months. I've quite literally been underground. It's no secret that many werewolf packs have aligned themselves with Voldemort. Dumbledore informed the order about a rather large pack living in an underground tunnel network. They would make a great addition to the Order, and of course I was the perfect candidate to go undercover with them. When I'd finished with them, I took as many shifts as I could with the Order so I never had to be alone with my thoughts."

A pang of guilt raced through Luna's body.

Remus continued, "With all the extra shifts I've gotten a chance to get to know a lot of the Order members much better. I've spent a lot of time in particular with Tonks."

Luna chuckled, "I always liked her. Full of spunk that one."

Remus nodded in agreement, "Yeah, she isn't one to hold back how she's feeling."

He paused for a moment, as if he was debating to continue.

"She's actually been rather forward with how she feels about me..." He began cautiously, "I'm not sure how I feel though... or if I'm even ready. I have my reservations. She's so much younger than me. With an age gap like that, there's a good chance that we'll outgrow each other someday. But I really like Tonks, she makes me feel alive again."

Remus's eyes shifted to look at Luna, attempting to gauge her reaction. He would be lying if he said that he didn't hope it would make her a little bit jealous.

Despite the fact that she was happy with who she had ended up with, there was still a twinge of pain in Luna's heart. It was like someone had tugged on a stitch to a wound that had not yet completely healed. Remus said Tonks's name the way he used to say hers.

The sun was starting to come up over the horizon, signaling the end of their shift.

"You should give Tonks a chance." Luna said attempting to smile at Remus.

Remus looked at the ground, sighed heavily, and then shifted his gaze back to Luna, "I can't move on until this chapter of my life has been properly closed. I've never felt right about how things ended between us."

Luna simply watched him speak, words unable to form in her mouth.

Remus took a step forward and placed a hand gingerly on her cheek. They stared into each other's eyes, both filled with bittersweet pain. Remus leaned in and placed a single soft kiss on Luna's forehead. While their faces were still close he whispered, "Goodbye Luna."

"Goodbye Remus." she whispered back.

Without another word, the two went their separate ways.

#theprincefoughttheserpent #mrslunasnape #pro snape #snapedom

[mrslunasnape]

The Prince Fought The Serpent

Potions

Chapter 2 - SFW

A rich, warm, earthy smell swirled around the room, and Luna stirred in her sleep. Severus smiled tenderly as he watched her eyes flicker open; a steaming cup clasped in his hands.

"That smells so good." Luna said in a hoarse morning voice as she stretched.

"I made it with cinnamon. Just the way you like it." Severus said. For a moment a proud smile graced his face. He extended his arm to her, "It's decaf." he assured her.

"Ugh." Luna groaned.

Severus let out a low chuckle and pulled back the sheets. He climbed into bed and nestled his body against hers before wrapping them both in the covers. His hand wandered to her stomach, and he caressed it lovingly. "I know, Darling. But it's better than nothing, is it not?"

Luna glared at him teasingly, struggling to hide a smile.

Severus pulled her in close, allowing her head to rest on his chest. The rhythmic beating of his heart washed a sense of calmness over Luna. She sighed heavily, taking in the smell of him; mahogany and clary sage.

"I'm glad you decided to stay in my new quarters instead of staying in the dungeons." His finger tips gently traced her arm, "I know just how well sound carries on those stone walls, and I've heard that Slughorn snores."  

"You know, I've heard that." Luna mocked, "And it was the sole reason I decided to join you here. I had no choice really. All the other rooms were taken."

Severus smirked and leaned down to gingerly kiss her forehead. "Come on darling. It's time to start the day."

Luna groaned and nuzzled her head deeper against his chest, "Do we have to?" She heard his heart flutter at the suggestion.

"I'm afraid so, love."

*********

"Morning Miss Lightfoot!" Horace said cheerfully. He waved in her general direction, but his nose was buried in a scroll on his desk.

"Good morning Professor Slughorn." Luna said professionally, although her face grimaced at the smell of several potions wafting through the air. For a moment she worried that she would have to vomit in the nearest empty cauldron. Morning sickness was never pleasant.

"Oh, please. Call me Horace." Horace insisted.

"Only if you call me Luna." she smiled faintly.

"Deal." Horace said, clearly blind to the green tone that had flushed her skin.

"What did you have planned for today's lesson? You never sent any setup instructions for me." Luna asked.

"Pshh." Horace scoffed and waved his hand in the air, "Never mind all that. The potions for today are ready. I'm much more interested in talking about your background." He pulled out a chair and motioned for Luna to sit. She obliged.

"Now then," Horace continued, "Word around the castle is that you were conducting experiments with the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"Yes. I studied with them for several years." Luna confirmed.

"Fascinating!" Horace exclaimed, "That's quite the accomplishment for someone so young! It's a shame you weren't here when I was teaching. I would have just had to have you for my Slug Club."

Luna nodded politely, but couldn't but help but think about Minerva's comments regarding Horace's collection of students.

"What were you working on?" Horace leaned in closer, antsy for an answer, "Only if you can share of course. I understand researchers and their confidential tendencies."

"My department worked primarily with unicorn blood." Luna began, "As I'm sure you're well aware, unicorn blood has intense healing qualities. It also has an uncanny ability to strengthen those who drink it. However, it comes at quite the cost. The rumor that you're probably familiar with is that those who drink unicorn blood are cursed. My department worked under the assumption that the side effects of drinking the blood were more like reactions in the body rather than a curse. We were attempting to find a way to lessen the negative effects of consuming tonics with unicorn blood bases. If we succeeded, it would have revolutionize magical medicine. "

"I take it you weren't successful?" Horace asked, clearly intrigued. 

Luna shook her head, "I'm afraid not. I know the department was still working on it when I transferred to Hogwarts. While I was there we managed to enhance the healing and strengthening properties of the blood, but we hadn't managed to decrease the negative effects."

"I'd still consider that successful! Unicorn blood was powerful enough on its own, and you managed to enhance it! Who cares about a little curse anyway." Horace said dismissively. 

Luna's face furrowed. She was rather unsettled with Horace's definition of success.

The shuffling sound of dozens of feet filled the room as students began to file into class. Gryffindor and Slytherin today. They naturally divided themselves to separate sides of the classroom.

Horace took his place at the front of the classroom, "Now then, scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making."

A hand nervously rose about the heads of students. "Sir?" Harry asked.

"Harry, my boy?" Horace asked.

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything. I didn't realize I'd be able to do the N.E.W.T-" Harry rambled, but Horace cut him short.

"Yes, yes. Professor McGonagall mentioned that. Have Miss Lightfoot unlock the store room for you. There are extra copies there, along with any other supplies you may need for today."

Harry made his way to the back of the room as Luna unlocked the store room. His face was red, clearly embarrassed.

"Take whatever you need." Luna flashed him a reassuring smile.

By the time Luna and Harry reassumed their seats, Professor Slughorn had already quizzed the student on the contents of several cauldrons. Veritaserum and Polyjuice Potion. Unsurprisingly, Miss Granger had correctly identified both.

Severus opened the door slowly and quietly made his way over to Luna, doing his best to not disturb the class. He held a coffee mug in his hand. He leaned in close to Luna and whispered so that only she could hear, "You forgot your coffee when you left this morning. It was stale so I made you a fresh one." He kissed her tenderly on the top of her head as he handed her the mug.

"Now this one here... Yes, my dear?" Horace asked. Hermione's hand was already in the air.

"It's Amortenia!" Hermione exclaimed.

"It is indeed. It seems almost foolish to ask, but I assume you know what it does?" Slughorn questioned. 

Hermione didn't hesitate, "It's the most powerful love potion in the world."

Ron leaned over towards Harry, "I'll bet you a galleon that Snape's slipped Lightfoot an Amortenia. How else could anyone love that dungeon bat? I bet he was bringing her her daily dose in that coffee cup."

Ron and Harry both snickered.

Luna couldn't contain the dagger-like stare her eyes shot at Ron. She handed the mug back to Severus and strode to their table. 

"Mr. Weasley. Mr Potter." Luna began, "What would I get if I combined wiggentree twigs, castor oil, and extract of gurdyroot?"

The boys turned to look at one another, and then shrugged in unison. Hermione's hand shot into the air.

"Miss Granger?"

"That's how you would make a love potion antidote." Hermione answered quickly.

"Correct." Luna smiled at her, "Now, Miss Granger, do you know how long it takes for the love potion antidote to take effect?"

"It's instantaneous." Hermione once again swiftly responded.

"Correct again. 10 points to Gryffindor." Luna said. 

Hermione flashed a rather proud smile.

Luna turned and walked over to a shelf on the side of the classroom. She plucked a vial of a colorless potion off the top shelf. She held it up so that the students could clearly see the love potion antidote, popped off the cork, and drank the whole thing in one sip.

"Now then." Luna said calmly as  she walked over to Severus,  pulled him in close, and kissed him tenderly in front of everyone.

Severus's cheeks went red, a stark contrast to his pale skin.

Ron and Harry sat on their stools, their mouths hanging open in shock as the sounds of a few Slytherin's hooting and hollering filled the dungeon.

Slughorn let out a hearty laugh, "And I thought I was the theatrical one!"

"I really should go." Severus whispered to Luna, his face still a rose shade of pink. He gingerly clasped Luna's hands and brought it to his lips. He kissed the back of her hand lovingly, shot a glare at Ron, and then exited the classroom.

Horace had already continued the lesson, "Now then, how are you to win my fabulous prize?" He motioned towards the small cauldron on his desk filled with Felix Felicis. "Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion-Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death."

As the students worked diligently, some visibly more stressed than others, Luna wandered from table to table watching them work. She paused for a moment as she passed Harry and curiously watched as he crushed a sopophorus bean with the flat side of his silver dagger instead of cutting it like the rest of the students. She recognized the technique immediately. Severus had taught her that himself her first year working with him at Hogwarts. 

#theprincefoughttheserpent #mrslunasnape #pro snape #snapedom