When Harry woke up, his arm was bandaged and he was in clean hospital wing clothes, he didn't remember getting dressed in them, he barely remembered having Madam Pomfrey bandage and treat his arm, which must've been numbed or he was still feeling numb from all that happened, Voldemort returning, Cedric dying. The fight he was forced to do, his mum returning back from the dead.
His mum returning back from the dead...
His Mum! She was back!
A noise brought Harry back to the present, it must've been what woke him up,
" What do you mean my son has been with my sister for 13 years?! I put it in my will that under no circumstances was he to go to her! For good reason Albus! She hates me, she hates Sev, she hates anything to do with magic. And you were paying her to keep him?! "
" Lily, the money was for Harry's care not for them to with as they pleased. "
" They stole his money? Well color me surprised, my sister is greedy on top of hating me and magic! What did she do him? And I know she did something to him, he is too small and thin for his age and I saw the scars on his back. "
Harry flinched at that, he didn't want his mum to know about that, at least not yet.
" It wasn't just Petunia, Lily. All of the Dursleys were in on it. " He heard Snape say softly, it was the softest he ever heard the man speak, but then again this was the woman he loves back from the dead.
" Vernon, his sister, and my nephew? Along with my sister? Albus! Why didn't you give Harry to Severus when I died? "
" We hadn't known... "
" BULLSHIT! My Will was right there with James' when we made them, he wasn't happy about my choice of Godfather for Harry...Did he have it hidden? That arrogant, selfish, self-centered swine! He was probably the one cursed me! Him, Sirius, or Pettigrew, Remus wouldn't hurt a fly. Speaking of them, where are they? I'd like a word with those three. "
" Pettigrew betrayed you and James the night of the attack. " Severus replied, " He framed Black for the murder of a dozen muggles and his own death, making it seem like he was the one who was loyal to the Dark Lord. He was in Azkaban for 12 years before he escaped and tried to capture the rat last year, unfortunately, the Wolf forgot to take his medicine and the Rat got away. " He continued.
" If it is true about Sirius, then I'm afraid that he'll have to be arrested again for a different charge. " Albus said gravely, " He denied it when Minerva confronted him. " He spoke the last part in a whisper, but Harry was close enough to hear it.
" You know where he is? I want to see him, but after I know that Harry is alright. " Lily turned, to face him, and found him staring at them.
" Harry, sweetheart are you alright? Do you need anything? " Lily asked coming over to him, she was wearing all black like Snape, only she was wearing a black sweater with black jeans and tan boots, her auburn red hair popped against the sweater, her eyes were the same shade of green as his and she was very pretty.
" Harry? Can you hear me? "
" Yes, sorry. It's just, you're really here. "
" Yes I am. And I'm not going anywhere again. Oh sweetie, it's okay. "
Harry didn't realize he was crying again, he tried to stop them, but he couldn't even with the Occlumency training.
Lily gently sat on the bed on his uninjured side and pulled him into a hug, she gently rocked him and gently shushed and humming a low tune, it was familiar, listening to it more, he realized that it was the same tune that Severus hummed to him when he had that vision.
Lily felt a hand to her shoulder, she didn't have to look to know who it was.
" Thank you Sev. Thank you. " She muttered, her own green eyes watering.
Severus knew what she was thanking him for, he tightened his grip slightly to her shoulder, not to hurt but more firmer but still gentle. Letting her know that he knew what she meant.
" Is Harry alright? Can we see him now? " A collection of voices outside drew their attention to the double doors.
" Looks like the Gryffindors are here. "
" Hush you, I seem to recall you being friends with a Gryffindor. "
" She was the exception, well her and her son now, don't you going telling anyone that Harry. "
" Lips are sealed sir. And thank you sir. "
" No need to thank me Harry. "
" You can come back tomorrow, Mr. Potter is resting, now shoo! Go on shoo! You too Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley's...Now Ms. Granger. "
" I'm not leaving until I see him. Please Madam Pomfrey. "
Severus excused himself, " Please don't yell at her. "
" I'm not going to yell at her Harry. "
" Girlfriend? " His mum teased.
" No! She's my best friend, one of my best friends, Ron is my other best friend and his family are my friends too. "
" I'm only teasing Love. " She smiled, kissing the top of his head.
" I know. You'll like them. Ron and me have a few rows and don't speak for a while but we eventually make up and we're best friends again. "
Lily chuckled at that, " I remember a couple times Sev and I had a few of those when we were younger, only we wouldn't talk to each other for one whole day before we made up. Which was why I found our behavior 5th year so strange, that wasn't like us at all. "
" What happened? "
" Well, your father, godfather, Remus, and Pettigrew surrounded Sev over by a tree near the Black Lake after we had finished our OWLS. Sev wasn't doing anything but sitting, waiting for me so that we could go to Hogsmeade. James was apparently bored and went after him. "
" My father was bored? That's why he went after Professor Snape? "
" Professor? "
" Oh, he probably didn't have time to tell you, he's a teacher here, he teaches potions. "
" Does he now? Huh. I never thought he'd be a teacher. "
" He also has the repetition for being the most hated teacher here because of how strict he is and always taking points and giving detentions. I also thought that he hated me the most, but he's been protecting me the time I was at school. "
" What happened this time? " She asked and Harry knew what she was asking,
" Ron and Hermione were concerned about me this summer and they kept writing to Professor Dumbledore along with Sirius to have someone check on me. Se-Professor Snape was the only one that could. We slowly got better towards each other over the summer and he's teaching me Occlumency, he's really good at it too and he taught me how to meditate too. "
" Sounds like he took good care of you. "
" He did. Oh, he punched Sirius. And used a spell on him a second time. "
" Sev punched Sirius? Oh I would've loved to have seen that. That Mutt had it coming for a long time. "
" What happened after f-James and Sirius found Professor Snape by the tree? " Harry asked after a moment.
" They did their usual bullying of him, but they took it too far, I was so angry at them for doing that to him. But here was the strange part and where I believe we got cursed, he, well, he called me a bad name and before I could fully grasp what he said and ask him what was wrong, I said something that upset him and hurt him and again when he came to apologize, he apologized, but I couldn't accept his apology like I wanted. The rest of that year we avoided each other and the remaining years and beyond that until I was 21...Oh dear, Sev would be 35 this year, am I the same age or do I still look like I'm in my 20's? "
" Whatever that spell or ritual that was used seemed to have aged you to the same age as Severus, Remus, and Sirius. " Madam Pomfrey said coming in with Severus and Hermione right behind her, Hermione saw Harry and ran towards him, hugging him, he grunted as she hugged him on the wrong side,
" Oh, I'm sorry Harry. "
" It's alright, I'm alright. Honest. "
" Harry. "
" I'm fine, ask Madam Pomfrey. "
" He'll live. As usual when he comes in here injured. "
" She's miffed at you Sev. "
" Naturally. "
" Hermione, this is my mum, Mum this is Hermione Granger, she's my best friend. "
" Hello Mrs. Po- "
" Call me Lily dear, I'll soon have my maiden name back once everything settles down. "
Hermione nodded and tried again, " It's nice to meet you, uh, Lily. "
" It's nice to meet you too dear, I can't wait to meet all of my son's friends, from what I heard out there, all of Gryffindor was there. "
" We were. But Madam Pomphrey scared them all off. "
Lily smiled, her son was right, she was going to like his friends.
---
Severus sat in his private chambers, a glass of red wine in his hand. He was staring at the burning fire in his fireplace.
A lot had happened tonight, a young student died, Harry having been forced to fight Voldemort and him not being able to protect him from that monster. Harry seeing a new friend get killed. Lily returning back from the dead.
Speaking of Lily, he looked behind him when he heard his bathroom door open and steam came out followed by Lily, toweling her hair and wearing one of his black t-shirts and boxer shorts that she charmed to fit her, except the shirt, she left it alone. It was all he could get her for the night, not that she'd get much sleep anyway, she would be heading back up to the hospital wing shortly, Poppy wanted to keep her overnight for observation. Despite there being nothing wrong with the diagnostic scan .
He had dinner brought to his room for her along with nutritional, vitamin, and stomach soother potions, it been quite a few years since she ate and there's no telling what affect being dead and then being alive could do to her.
" Were you able to find anything about the ritual that was used tonight Sev? " She asked joining him on the couch,
" Ah, let's see if my memory is correct when I say that this, " She picked up a vial, " Is a nutritional potion, " She picked up the second, " This is a vitaminic potion, " She picked up the third,
" And this is a stomach soother. Is any of that correct Professor? " She finished teasing him about being a teacher.
He chuckled, " You are correct on all three Ms. Evans, however I will not be giving points to Gryffindor tonight. "
" Why not? I got them all right. " She continued.
" For one, you are no longer student. And second, I despise Gryffindors. "
" Uh-huh, I'm sure. " She grinned.
" And as to your earlier question, I found that it is called a revival ritual, dark magic of course, very dark. However, the Dark Lord didn't do his homework, no pun intended. It doesn't just revive a weaken or dying body into a new one, if that person killed anyone, than the last person he or she killed is also revived. "
" We aren't connected to each other are we? "
" No. It just revives them back to life as to the purpose it is unclear. But from what I've read and understood, you and your murderer are not connected so if he were to die or become weakened again, it will not affect you. "
" But the man that was with James and me... "
" Pettigrew killed him, not the Dark Lord. "
" How do you know this? "
" Harry-Harry somehow saw it through a 'dream' state. "
" Harry saw Pettigrew kill a man in cold blood? Again, my son had to see a person die because of that monster. "
" There's more to it Lily, Albus believes that Harry and the Dark Lord are somehow connected and that it was a good thing for me start him on Occlumency and how to meditate. "
" Perhaps you could also teach me those because I need something to ground me from all the anger I still have coursing through me at what my son had and has been through since I've been gone. My own sister, Sev. My own sister hurt a baby while she was a mother herself, who does that! Why would she do that?! "
" I'm afraid I don't know Lily. Just like I don't know what made my father do what he did to me. "
" I wanted my son to grow up where he would've been loved and cared for Sev. Despite that Imperio curse or whatever curse it was, I still knew that you would care and love my son, because I know you. "
" I'm not the same Lily, I've done bad things, awful things. "
" You joined a gang for what you thought were the right reasons, you were tired of being treated like dirt and being hurt. I understand that you had to do things to survive Sev. And I will be here when you are ready to talk about them. Just like before. "
" And what if the things I did was so bad and awful that you become disgusted? Find me disgusting? A bad man? "
" I have never thought you a bad man Severus. You have always been and always will be a good man. I trusted you the most to look after my son, I was actually hoping he'd go to you instead of Sirius, because I know how he would've raised him, he would've raised him to be just James and I didn't want my baby to be like that. But I never imaged that he'd- he'd grow up like how my best friend did either. "
" Well he didn't grow up to be like Potter, that's for sure. He's got your temper as well as your kindness and compassion. "
" Heaven help us if he has my temper. " She smiled though it was a bit watery, " He said that you and him didn't get along at first. "
" The first 3 years he was here, no. I treated him as though he were another James Potter, but I swore to protect him. "
" You hated him but you still protected him? "
" I protected him for you Lily. But I wasn't the best person to around then. When you died, well let's just say I was a right mess. Not fit to be around anyone, let alone raise a child. "
" Does he know that you were protecting him? "
" In those 3 years? Only twice he knew I was protecting him, last year and his first year. I tried second year, but the little Slytherin sneaked off and confronted Lockhart and ended up taking him hostage to the Chamber of Secrets. "
" The Chamber of Secrets? I always thought that was a myth. "
" No it's very much real and so was the Basilisk. "
" Please do not tell me that my 12 year old son fought a giant snake. "
" Your 12 year old son fought a giant snake. His first year he faced the Dark Lord again and ended up killing a teacher that was possessed by him. Last year he faced Pettigrew, a supposed mad-man out to kill him, which was Black, and Lupin in werewolf form. "
" Lily? Lily? Say something. " Severus said when she didn't say anything for a moment.
" And here you and I were worried about our test results or homework. What happened this year? "
" This year he had to participate in the Tri-wizard tournament because of Crouch Jr. "
" Is it too much to hope that next year won't be like this? "
" I've hoped and prayed that since his first year ended. And it still hasn't happened. "
" I'm going to have grey hair before I'm 60 aren't I? "
" You and me both. "
They looked at each other for a minute before they burst out laughing.
Then Lily started to cry through her laughter until she only cried as reality hit her.
She was alive, she was in a different time, her son was no longer a baby and was now 14 years old, her sister abused and neglected her son, her son was abused and neglected. She missed 13 years of her son's life. Her son suffered for 13 years.
She had been gone for 13 years.
13 years!
She felt strong arms wrap around her and pull her to a strong form.
" Shhh. " Severus hushed, holding her to him and rocking her, feeling a sense of Deja vu, only this time, Lily was alive not dead.
" 1-13 years! 13 years Severus! Years! " She cried, hugging him back.
Severus didn't know what to say to her, he only held her and ran his hand up and down her back, gently shushing her.
After some time, she finally calmed down and stayed there on his chest a bit more before pulling away slowly,
" I'm sorry. "
" No need to apologize Lily, a lot has happened tonight. "
" I ruined your coat. "
" It's nothing a quick cleaning charm can't fix. "
" I'm sorry I was a bitch to you before. "
" Don't call yourself that! You were under a curse that had you acting out of character. You were not yourself and neither was I. We were both under the same curse. A curse I still have not found, so it must be something that someone created. "
" A curse that someone created? Then there's no telling who it was, we can only suspect who it was. "
" I'm leading towards Potter and Pettigrew, or it could've been Black. "
" Do you know where he is hiding? I'd very much like to have a word with him about that. "
" Order Headquarters. "
" Ah, Grimmauld Place...Really Sev? "
" Had to be certain. "
" Understandable. I'll forgive for that. "
" Thank you for that. "
" You're welcome. "
" So, what all have I missed? "
---
When Harry awoke again, he found his Mum next to his bed in a transfigured recliner with a blanket around her, Hermione in another bed and Severus at the foot of his bed in a chair reading a book that looked like it belonged in the restricted section of the library.
" Professor? "
" Shh. Your mother finally went to sleep a moment ago. "
" Sorry. "
" No need. How are you feeling? "
" Physically? Better. But mentally...Oh Voldemort's back! "
" Shhh. Don't say that name. "
" Sorry. "
" Stop apologizing. I'm well aware of him being back. "
" But how, oh, your tattoo. "
" Yes. "
" How's mum? "
" Tired. But she'll be back to full strength in no time. Once you are up for it, we'll continue your Occlumency training. Your mother will be joining us. "
" Because of the ritual? Is she connected to V-the Dark Lord? "
" Harry, breath and put up your shields. "
Harry did as he said, feeling a bit better as he did so.
" Now as to your question, no, your mother is not connected to the Dark Lord. She is safe. She is just taking a precaution and guarding her mind against any unwanted attacks. "
" Like the curse that caused your friendship to be ruined? "
" Yes. From what I gather it was a mind spell, similar to the Imperio curse but it seems to have been altered. "
" Altered? Like someone created their own version of it? "
" Exactly. Your mother doesn't know who cast it and Occlumency can help her defend against it should the person or persons responsible try it again. "
" Could it have been James or Pettigrew? They were around the two of you the most weren't they? "
" I never saw Pettigrew at the meetings, but I'm sure he'll be a part of them now. Though he could've been hiding like the rat he is and cursed me then. It would also explain why I've been feeling more like myself over the years, he wasn't around to curse me and so I began to return to normal. "
" What about your Occlumency? "
" He cursed me before I mastered it, Harry. Therefore, the curse was still in effect while I'll I was learning and it could also have been another reason why the curse was fading, my Occlumency was curing it. "
" How was Mum curing herself of the curse? "
" My guess is that whoever cursed her, be it James or someone else, was sloppy and wasn't cursing on the regular. "
" Which explains why she had gone to McGonagall... "
" Harry... "
" I couldn't help but overhear Sirius and McGonagall talking and I was curious as to hat ruined your friendship with my mum too because it made no sense to me. "
" That mutt never did earn what a whisper was. " Lily muttered as she woke up groggily.
" You were supposed to be resting Woman. "
" I was waking up you caveman. "
snort!
" Mione! "
" I'm sorry. But I was also waking up and heard you...So it's you that was matching my cleverness? " She teased Harry, making him blush and her grin cheekily.
The doors burst open then and in came all of Gryffindor, they halted when they saw Snape there glaring at them.
" You weren't kidding Harry. You stopped all of them with just a look Sev. " Lily said with a raised eyebrow. She had to hold in a giggle at the shocked looks of the Gryffindors at her words or maybe it was her in general.
" Turn around! " Snape ordered them and they did as he said.
Harry looked curiously as to why that was when his mum stood up and the blanket came off, showing her in boxer shorts and a black shirt that was too big for her. He quickly covered his eyes.
Lily rolled her eyes, " I'm covered. You don't have to turn around or cover your eyes. But if it makes you feel better. " She wordlessly lengthened the boxer shorts to look like sleep pants.
" There, now you can turn around and uncover your eyes. "
" You can do wandless and nonverbal magic? " Hermione asked all excited.
" Yes, quiet well. It's one of my specialties, along with Charms and Potions. "
" You like brewing potions? " Ron asked in shock.
" You must be Ron. Nice to meet you at last. " Lily smiled at him.
" Ron, this is my mum. "
" Oh, uh, hi Mrs. Po- "
" Evans dear. I'm not going by that name. "
" Oh, uh, hi Ms. Evans? "
" Lily please. " Lily replied, still smiling kindly to him, she turned to the rest of Gryffindor as Harry introduced them to her, they all greeted her kindly before turning their attention to Harry, Lily stepped aside allowing them to crowd around the bed with a dozen questions being asked at once to Harry. Most of them had brought Harry get well gifts.
---
" What's going on your mum and Snape, Harry? " Ron asked once it was the 3 of them.
" They're friends Ron. "
" What?! Your mum and Snape? Friends?! "
" Yes. Since they were 9. Were you not listening to Professor McGonagall and Sirius that night? "
" This is the same man who hates your dad. "
" He's my father not my dad. And he doesn't hate my mum, if did he'd have brought her too. "
" Why are you so chummy with him now? "
" Ronald! He saved Harry, three times now. They have gotten along this summer and now Harry's got his mum back. Can't you be happy for him? "
" So it's true then? About what they say about you in the papers? I should've known. "
" Oh for God's sakes Ronald, Harry is my best friend how can you accuse us of being a couple? "
" You're taking his side! "
" Not this again. " Harry rubbed his head, trying to bring up his shields and meditate.
Suddenly the smell of Lavender and Jasmine whiffed through the air around the three and the sound of a gentle rain could be heard.