When in doubt- Eldritch Blast!

The Veil rippled as if something had passed through it. Sever the threads of destiny and weave your own tapestry!

Disclaimer: I only own my DnD characters

Warnings: Wizards have no sense of right or wrong!

Chapter 2- Of Friends and Fiends

This one is Rated M

July the 6th, 1976

Today is another meaningless day. My dreams are filled with red hair fiendfyre, while I'm chased by beasts as a barred tower looms overhead in the starry sky. I always awake, just before the wolf tears into me with cold sweat, god damn it. It's bloody stupid and I've taken myself of brewing more advanced potions and poultices to focus my mind away from the source of my anguish.

I need no stupid divination to tell myself the meaning of that. With the NEWT results here soon, Lucius has promised me to introduce me with some of his father's friends that are interested in my growth if the results are more than satisfactory. Despite everything, the future is looking somewhat bright-

As Severus was about to continue writing in his Journal, when he was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell down below. Pausing momentarily, he took a glance at his spidery handwriting and closed the page for today. The writing of a Journal was not his idea, but that of a certain Slytherin, who had been his mentor ever since he had come to Hogwarts. The vision of Slughorn briefly flashed in his mind and Severus snorted, the fat walrus had been helpful only when he had discovered the hook-nosed teenager's prodigal talent in potions and even then he'd much rather attributed Severus' work to Lily's, no Evans'.

In this sweltering heat, he was thankful that in the darkness of his room had staved off the blistering heat of the sun. Behind the heavy drapes it was as cool as a fridge in here and the boy was grateful for it. The ringing behind his door continued and Severus pulled a t-shirt over his thin frame, cursing the one who could possibly disturb him. Then it made him consider just who could it be, knocking on his door. For in the summers he was mostly alone now, ever since he and Lily had split, except when Lucius or Evan would invite him and the rest of his housemates to the Malfoy Manor. Once they had derided him for his ancestry, but after suffering each other for these past six years, the small group of Slytherins had given Severus their begrudging respect. Walking over to the roof window, the Half-Blood Prince opened the hatch and was assaulted by the blinding rays of the sun. There went his rumours of being a vampire as he merely squinted his dark brown eyes. Then Severus saw a trio of boys, dressed in what looked disastrously out of fashion even in the muggle world. Dress shirts and suspenders, paperboy hats, things the purebloods would consider lower muggle middle class. Thankfully today there wasn't many people in the streets, most having gone to find better pastimes than sticking about their decrepit houses.

Bursting out of his room and rushing down the stairs, the trio of pureblood heirs were greeted by a dishevelled looking halfblood, dressed like muggle, who with a pointed stare ushered the trio inside.

First one to quip was Mulciber, naturally

"Blimey, and I thought you couldn't look any worse"

"I'd look in the mirror if I were you. However, the neighbours will have a nice chat after seeing such well-dressed lads approaching my hovel" he replied with the sarcasm dripping from his every word and it was clear that they liked these clothes even less than he did.

"Not like it was our fault that our mothers decided to dress us like that, Snape let us in!" grumbled Anthony Wilkes as his eyes darted around as he took off the horrid cap, itching to reach for his wand. Not wanting any more needless complications, the lanky teenager stepped out of their way as the pureblood heirs sprawled into the small hallway that deeper into the house.

"Merlin, Sev you live like this?" came Evan's surprised voice and the redheaded boy was rather uncomfortable, seeing just how destitute their potions obsessed acquaintance was.

"I wouldn't even call it living when I look at you Snape" Mulciber drawled as concern flashed in his brown eyes.

"Only these few months until I'm back home" he answered and all, well maybe not Mulciber understood what he had meant "Anyway, no use of pitying me any further, let's head to the living room. I believe I may still redeem myself as a host" the greasy haired youth spoke sardonically and led his guests into the most well kept room in the dilapidated house, where only some semblance of normalcy reigned.

"What's that?" Wilkes nudged at the box of metal and glass that stood against one of the walls, with two antennae like from their Wizarding Wireless Network devices back home. Severus looked at them and grabbed a small board of buttons, before the glass lit up and pictures started to move much like their photographs, but unlike the paper versions these recorded sound.

"it's a telly, Muggles designed it to relay pictures and information, but now it mostly rots whatever brain they have left. Sitting complacently and watching it for hours instead of doing anything worthwhile" All of the boys noted that Snape was getting colder and colder at the end of his sentence as he looked at the muggle in a suit that was saying something about Vietnam and something about communism, that to the boys was something like trying to understand gobbledygook, no offense to the goblins, of course.

"That's actually amazing how far they have come without the use of magic"

"Now you're sounding like Grindelwald!" Mulciber hissed at the straw haired boy, who looked as if lightning had struck him.

"Oh, that's right!" Wilkes pulled out a newspaper from the back of his pocket and shoved it in Severus' face.

"Bloody hell" the hook-nosed teenager could only look at the caption in bewilderment as the he looked through the issue of the Prophet and implications of it. Grindelwald had escaped and if Severus was allowed to be treasonous then the German dark wizard's aims appealed to him more, but then again he had already lost when the Dark Lord was just rising. However he wondered if it would be enough for them to keep Dumbledore off their backs.

"Why didn't no one tell this to me sooner?!" he turned to his housemates, who had drawn their attention away from muggle TV and to their angry comrade. Evan looked a bit ashamed, while Mulciber looked him in the eye with no emotion, while Wilkes had already started explaining.

"We really wanted to visit you, but Evan got caught sneaking out a bottle of Oden's and it went downhill from there"

"Damn elves" muttered Rosier heir quietly as he pulled a small bag out of his pants pockets. A long neck first appeared from the bottle and then with a loud thud a bottle landed on the small coffee table. The liquid inside seemed almost to flame up with odd intervals as the label read "Oden's Firewhisky Original since 1100" while a small mark with "VSOP" adorned the bottle with one additional label.

"Evan, you didn't" all anger evaporated in the face of surprise and the redhead grinned back at him

"Well I did manage to swipe that bottle from my aunt's funeral" this made the rest of the boys chuckle as they immediately gravitated their centres of mass towards the nearest seats since it was clear to all of them of what would transpire right here.

"Wicked!" the stocky boy sat down with a big smile as Severus silently left the living room to find glasses in the cupboard. While he detested alcoholism, there was a difference between his…father's… his mind supplied, Severus refused to acknowledge the man as such, and his friends who mostly drank socially and not for very long.

As he brought the four glasses with ice, his housemates looked at him with appreciation as the bottle opened with a soft pop and the warm liquid sizzled and smoked, then they clinked their glasses and Severus forgot about most of his troubles after the first toast, then the second toast came and the words that spilled from their mouths could have made the scurviest of sea-dogs blush and their mothers holler in rage. Severus knew that his father would not be home presently and as they were halfway through the bottle, the slightly tipsy teen of sixteen years of age heard a doorbell ring.

"So then I see Slughorn unbuttoning his pants trying to impress that Veela at the last party" Wilkes had leaned back against the couch, full of laughter while the rest of the boys joined in.

The doorbell rang again.

Evan was next "Alright gents," he leaned in close, just having recovered from his laughter and almost whispered "Did you know that dear Hooch is a rug muncher"

"No way!"

"Shut up Rosier!"

"Well good thing that was only fantasies" John Mulciber took a long swig from his glass "Though I may be able to-"

With a crack in the middle room stood one Roland Rosier, from whom Evan had inherited his crimson locks, but unlike his son, the patriarch of Rosier family had started to slightly bald, but where Evan's eyes were joyful and bright, his were narrowed and angry.

"Boys." was the single word that came from the older man's lips and all four teens knew that they were in deep. Looking as if he was anywhere else in the world than here, Roland surveyed the room, before his eyes landed on the half-drunk firewhiskey bottle on the table.

"Evan, take your friends come with me." There was no room for argument and Severus knew that it was wiser to keep his mouth shut as Lord Rosier had made his displeasure clear as the a small chill enveloped the room despite the heat outside. He turned to the Half-Blood Prince and eyed both him and the bottle.

"I would have taken the bottle with you, but seeing your surroundings that bottle may be more use of you. His Lordship sends his regards, should you ever need support, I'm sure you will know who your friends are. Evan, if you do not want to explain yourself to your mother, then make haste, which also regards you two."

With the threat in the air it was enough for the other boys to stagger out of their seats and join the elder wizard who lightly bowed to Severus and with another crack, his living room was empty. Whatever joy that had his friends, he used that term tentatively, was gone, like the cold that had slowly dissipated, leaving loneliness and coldness in the room.

Now he should return to write his coursework, maybe take a smoke and if he was truly desperate- look at the Evans's residence while out on a stroll, after all even if everything had gone to shit, he still held affection for the muggleborn witch.

The lull of nicotine was strong and the teenager reached for the pack of fags in ratty jeans, while with his eyes he sought the small matchbox on the fireplace. It did not take long for him to light the fire and with the taste of the cigarette, Severus turned off the telly that was showing now some educational trash and turned on the radio

"Here again with the Desert Island Discs I bring you the best to listen to if you're feeling like on a deserted Island with only yourself as company, beginning this hitparade today we bring you a song from the Electric Light Orchestra, reminding that there's a little bit of Strange Magic afoot in each every one of us!"

"You're sailing softly through the sun

In a broken stone age dawn

You fly so high"

It was not the worst that the Disk Jockey could have picked, but Severus felt no strange magic, as the melody rang out, not managing to silence the loud chime of the doorbell. Shaking his head and looking to make himself somewhat presentable, the Halfblood brushed his greasy hair away from his face and with slow steps approached the front door. Through the small glass pane, surprisingly found it a silhouette of a girl at Lily's height. Could it really be her? His heart skipped a beat, before he calmed himself with a low sigh and thought rationally.

Why would she come? After all the redhead had made it painfully clear that whatever friendship they had had was now non-existent. Informing her family was a must and that had left Severus even with less help than before, but now it didn't matter as much as he was on the right track in life, or so he hoped ardently.

Looking through the peephole he saw a redheaded girl with the sunny smile he had associated with his childhood friend. It was Lily! Immediately he opened the door and was faced with the once subject of his affection.

"Hi, Sev!" she waved as she saw him and Severus' mind went blank. Dressed in a skirt and revealing blouse, Lily was ready for the night out, but that couldn't have been right. Could it? He recalled seeing the Wolksvagen of Evans' family leaving the neighbourhood before the three had visited him.

"Lily, didn't you leave with your parents and Tuney?" was the lamest thing he possibly could have said at the moment and Lily tilted her head in confusion before gently shaking her head.

"Well you could have at least said "How are you" or "It's nice to see you", first" she rolled her eyes good naturedly before giggling

"Then again you never were of the cuddly sort" she said and Severus was silent. This was too good to be true. He knew that Lily was very good at keeping grudges, but he still naively hoped, so much that Snape forgot just how savagely she had severed their friendship afterwards.

"Why now Lily? The last time we spoke, you refused to speak to me and cut off all communication for a year-"

"Well you were awful to me that day, weren't you?" she cut in scratching her chin, making Severus feel lower than dirt as he recalled the horrible words he had spoken to her that day

"I know that I wasn't in the right then and in truth I avoided you for so long because…please don't laugh at me"

Now it was Severus' turn to be puzzled "Why would I do that Lils?" he asked, leaning into the doorframe as Lily tried to find the right words at the moment. She looked at him and a light blush covered her face, Severus thought it just a trick of light as he raptly listened to her explanation.

"You would, it's so stupid" she said pinching the bridge of her nose "I forgave you after Christmas, when you sent me that terrible Christmas card. The rest of that time was me being a lousy and stupid coward for not getting in touch and saying anything sooner. Especially with the Marauders and your Snakes watching us like hawks. This was the only time I could sneak out without Petunia or my parents knowing."

Severus just numbly nodded, for what else could he say? What could he do? When he was approached by such information, he could do only one thing.

Severus Snape hugged his Lily in a hug, much deeper than those between friends.

"There, there" she said softly as she patted his back as she drew him in. He let just this moment be, wondering if this was eternity that he spent in her arms. The two teenagers separated after a brief moment and for some time in months Severus had a smile on his face.

"Now that wasn't bad, was it?" she joked and looked past him deeper into the house "Will you let me in or shall I stand here like a door to door salesman in the states?"

Naturally he let her in and was rewarded with the sight of her hips swaying lightly as she entered Spinner's End number 4.

Severus found himself sitting on the same couch as Lily who was busy asking about his life than complaining about her girl troubles that had hounded her in the past. He supposed that it was just her missing him enough to listen to him first. However, there was a crazy thought that this was not Lily, but a stranger under Polyjuice to get at him. Why would someone do something like that to get at him, he did not know and at the moment he didn't care and shelved that theory.

Between him, her and the uncorked bottle between them, no one questioned what happened now as he stared into Lily's eyes. The sky had darkened and the redhead across him looked beautiful. The Half-Blood Prince knew not what true love was, but when he gazed at her, Severus thought that he would be alright if he mistook it for something else.

"Why are you looking at me like that Sev?" Lily hiccupped as she finished the last of her swig and the radio turned to the muggle "I love you baby". Immediately grabbing his hand, she pulled him up from the couch and dragged him in the middle of the room.

"Lily, what are you doing?" he asked taking back his sweaty hands, which Lily managed to grab before pulling them on her shoulders as she flashed him another brilliant smile.

"You missed the last Slug Club Christmas ball" she accused and started the slow foxtrot. Severus was helpless and as the crescendo hit they both were dancing cheek to cheek, both afraid to let the other go. In one moment, he gathered enough courage and looked in her emerald green eyes, beneath them he saw her luscious lips and while Severus was never a smooth talker like Lucius or Wilkes, he had learned some of their tricks.

"I apologise, Miss Evans" he spoke as he twirled the girl away from him, just to draw her back to him as she ran into his chest "I never knew you had such talents"

It was a necessity he had begrudgingly learned at the behest of Lucius to be in his wedding, however, now he thanked the blonde in his head for being such a pain in the ass in the regards about this.

"It was a year, wasn't it?" He asked and leaned in, full of confidence and drunk on Firewhiskey. All humans, muggle or wizards knew the axiom "in Vino Veritas" and here came the little bit changed adage to "In Firewhisky a passion". He knew not, just who of the students had thought it up in Hogwarts, but there was a truth in those words. Fire consumed him and Severus sought to douse these flames in her lips.

Yet the two were interrupted as a rather loud knock came on the door.

"Bloody hell" Severus cursed and maneuvered Lily into the couch "I'm sorry, but Lils please go to my room upstairs. I'll join you shortly"

"My, aren't we devious Sev" she chirped, but offering him a strange look she stood up from the couch and walked upstairs "Hopefully you won't be long" she winked at him and Severus felt even hotter under the collar, his face blushing and mind empty of anything, but her.

"Focus Snape, Focus" he slapped himself and went to the front door. He hoped that it wasn't his father for, these past weeks had been rather blissful without the pathetic drunk. Perhaps he should schedule his visit to his mum sooner than he had thought.

Opening the door he was face to face with two Bobbies, who looked like they would be somewhere else than here. Swallowing spit and any impure thoughts that had beset him, Severus politely greeted the policemen

"Good evening, would you be Tobias Snape?"

"Good evening officer, is there a problem?" he asked and the middle aged man and his partner both sighed.

"Son, it's going to be hard, but there was a car crash on the main road to Cokeworth" the other lamely said. Severus looked from one to the other policemen with disbelief, this couldn't have been possible- his mother was in a hospital and his father could rot for all he cared. Without words ,he could only listen about what had happened, trying to tell himself that this was a sick joke.

"In the collision the car of your father was knocked off the road where it crashed into a tree. The bodies identified were Tobias and Eileen Maria Snape. If it helps, the two died painlessly on impact. You have my condolences . The bodies will be ready for pick up and funeral in the next week"

"I'm sorry that you had to find out now" the policeman tipped his hat and then feeling the awful atmosphere grabbed his partner and left, leaving the teenager alone, broken with the what had just happened.

Without thinking, he rushed upstairs to his room only to run straight into Lily, pushing her off her feet and onto the carpeted floor, where he could do nothing, but cry.

"What happened Sev?" she asked as his tears stained Lily's blouse. He felt his head resting on something soft. Realizing just on where he was resting his head, Severus wanted to flee like a trapped animal, but Lily felt no such shame as her hands travelled to his cheeks and brushed away his tears.

"Thank you Lily," he whispered quietly before tearing up once again "Oh god, they're dead!"

"What happened?"

"My idiot of a father, he had gotten mother from the hospital and the two of them died in a carcrash. Why did it had to be her, couldn't that bastard died with one of his floozies? I wish that-"

He couldn't finish the sentence as Lily kissed him on the lips.

Severus Snape now knew heaven.

He returned the kiss as a drowning man sought air and Lily didn't seem to mind, their tongues battling for supremacy as the two rolled around on the floor. They separated after the kiss and Severus had only one question to ask.

"Since when?" he asked her, breathing heavily and the redhead shamelessly shrugged, before kissing him again. All these years of pain and suffering, those times of green eyed jealousy and selfishness when he had wanted to possess her and then was the simplest realization of why this destructive war was waged between him and the Marauders.

Both he and James Potter wanted Lily and much to his own elation, the bastard had lost!

So the pair of teenagers fumbled around on the floor, grabbing onto the other however they could. it was messy and awkward, but it was the only way they knew how. Each kiss, each touch was nothing more than a way to be certain that this was no mere dream, but a reality that was unfolding before their very eyes.

It didn't take long, before the two of them had moved to his bedroom, where Severus threw Lily on the bed, making her bounce a bit. Giggling she faced him, showing her knickers, which he could see between the almost unbuttoned white blouse. She looked at him with a seductive look and beckoned him towards her, breathing heavily, beads of sweat on her rosy pale skin.

"Sev" she moaned as he stood there like a deer in headlights "I need you"

Lily's hands traced over her body, her neck, breasts, stomach and Severus needed nothing more. With his alcohol addled brain he jumped onto her like a ravenous animal. Soon the clothes hit the bedroom floor and what happened next was no surprise for the two teenagers. Moans of pleasure and quiet confessions of love filled the room, along promises of eternity and the words of which sonnets were made.

Oh, if the walls could have talked. They would have been horrified of what had entered it's premises, but since when crucifixes were effective against beasts?

A.N: Severus popped his cherry and got his Lily. Or has he? This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I didn't want to torture the poor boy much longer. Merry Midsummers Eve, everyone! I'm now off to countryside to drink beer, grill and maybe enjoy this blistering heat here. Anyhow leave a review, it really helps!

Be merry, marry, I don't care. I wish you the best and I'll see you all another time!-Spook