Chapter Text
Snape did it. He saved enough for the last ingredient of the prince charming potion. He smiled as he poured it in. It will only last 5 hours but it would be worth it. He had saved for a whole year to get this ball right. You see he usually never mustered the courage to go to any of the Hogwarts balls because he never had anything formal enough. But he saved enough for secondhand robes, shoes and the ingredients of the prince charming potion (to get one that was already made was quite costly).
With the help of the prince charming potion no one would even know that it was him! He wouldn't get teased for the robes (because everyone would know that he could only afford second hand) and he could pretend to be a normal hogwarts student. He didn't have anyone to go with (because who would want to go with greasy haired Snivellus?) but that was okay. He could be a fly on the wall, or ask someone to dance? Maybe he would be asked! But he didn't want to put too much hope in that.
He gulped down the potion and waited. CRACK. His hand flew up to his nose! Ow!! For a potion called 'prince charming' the transformation effects were definitely not charming. Over the next 10 minutes his body changed (quite painfully, he added), whitening and straightening his teeth, cleaning his hair, putting colour into his skin adding muscle definition where there was none before. When he was done he looked into the mirror and hesitantly touched his face.
He could see the faint echoes of himself reflected, but otherwise he was a complete stranger. He grinned. This was perfect!! The cauldron on which he brewed had plenty left but without the proper sealing products he knew that within the week it would be rendered useless. Besides! He only needed it for tonight. He could not carry on like this for his classes. Heck, even tomorrow as his dorm mates would know. He made a mental note to tip it down the sink tomorrow (it was a harmless potion and his dorm mates knew to never drink anything without permission).
He whistled a tune and tied his hair back from his face (something which he never did) and pulled on his Emerald and Saphire coloured robes. He usually wore black but this was a special occasion. The point of it all was to not be Severus Snape! Today he was just another Hogwarts going to the ball.
Everyone from Slytherin had already made their way to the ball so he didn't need to worry about being spotted. Oh he was so happy he practically skipped out (but thought better of it as he didn't want to trip and ruin the robes).
When he made it to the top of the stairs he almost gasped. The Great Hall was decorated so beautifully. It was like seeing Hogwarts for the first time when he was a child. As he made his way down the stairs people gave him small glances and to his delight, they didn't linger in disgust. When he came to the bottom of the stairs more and more people noticed him and it made him a little nervous. What if he was wrong? What if the potion had worn off early and everyone could see that it was Slimey Sniveling Snape? He touched his hair. It was still clean. Okay, great. He breathed out. 'It is called "prince charming" the potion made him look attractive, this is normal,' he chanted in his head like a mantra. That and 'You are not Snivellous tonight, no one knows.'
When he got in the music was a little on the loud side but nothing he couldn't handle. He slid himself along the wall and watched as people danced and bopped his head to the music. He saw people dancing, spinning, jumping on the dance floor and basked in their happiness. He looked around and saw people standing around, maybe he would ask one of them to dance?
He made eye contact with Amalita Abbott and saw her blush. His heart soared. 'YES' he mentally screamed. She was a plain girl, but she was always nice to him, he knew he would have a nice night with her. He breathed in and out a little before he squared off his shoulders but before he could make the move towards Amalita, a figure blocked his path.
Of course, it was him. With that bloody windswept hair and perfectly symmetrical face. Snape froze up. Why did Potter have to engage him?! Was the universe this cruel to deny him just one good night? He touched his hair to make sure it was clean. It was. He breathed out. Potter couldn't possibly know it was him.
"Heya, how's it going?" Potter said, smiling a fake smile (Severus could always tell).
Severus was determined not to let Potter ruin his night however and replied with, "Fine, Potter, but if you can excuse me-"
"Hmm so you know me, but I don't seem to know you..."
Merlin's ballsack! It was clear he wanted Snape to respond. He had not come up with one! "S- Septimus! Septimus Prince." 'What the bloody hell?' He asked himself. Why didn't he give himself a normal name?
"That's unique, I think I would have remembered that..." Potter eyed him with suspicion.
"We don't have many classes together!" Snape was in full panic mode. What was he even saying, "I only remember yours because you are on the Quidditch team." Severus was about to side step him, when Potter looped his arm around Severus' shoulder.
"Look, you clearly didn't come with anybody. Why not join our group?"
Severus swallowed. What was with Potter and his fake sincerity?
"I was about to ask Amalita to dance actually..." peering to where he last saw her, it was unfortunate that she had already gone. He sighed. "Thank you for the offer but I wouldn't want to intrude on your dates." Lily was sharp and the fact that he was a 'Prince' would be a telling clue. He was expected to be cajoled but wasn't expecting what came out of Potter's mouth.
"My date is sick tonight, and my friends all have dates, it doesn't help that one is dating the other, but you would be doing me a favour."
"Is Lily okay?" He blurted out. Stupid, stupid Severus!
Potter gave his shoulders a squeeze and dragged him towards his friends. "So it's Lily but I'm Potter? Call me James."
It is official, he has been transported into some kind of alternative universe. Before he knew it he was being introduced to the Marauders.
"Remus you must have a few classes with Septimus." Cuts in James.
Remus assesses him and before he could say anything Severus cut in. "Okay, okay you got me! I'm crashing. I'm from the year below."
James slapped him on the back! "I knew it!! Pay up gents!!"
The rest of the party grumbled and fished in their pockets for whatever was agreed upon.
Feeling embarrassed and more like Severus Snape again, he started to back away, maybe he could take back his evening. Before he got 2 steps back he was pulled by the hand back into the group.
"Hey! You are not leaving are you? You are my date for the evening." He winked and pulled him back into the group. Severus hated that he blushed a little and he hated that he wanted to join his tormentors. They seemed like the group Lily had always described. Quick with a laugh, and happy to welcome strangers... even quick witted.
And so Severus, or should he say, Septimus found himself enjoying his time with the Marauders. Laughing with Sirius at his impersonations of his mother, deep conversations with Remus about the nature elm tree wands, mixing drinks with Peter to find the grossest combination and even hanging with James. James Potter, the boy who took one look at him first year of school and decided to bully him until Lily changed his mind. James Potter, surprisingly, was attentive, kind and happy to indulge him. He even found himself dancing with them. They were high energy, goofy and Severus found himself grinning.
"You are hella cute when you smile," James yelled over the music. Severus on his part blushed. "Cute when you blush too." Nobody ever called Severus cute before. Well they still didn't, it was Septimus that was cute.
The music had turned down and into a slow dance. Severus stood in the middle of the dance floor awkwardly. "Better move off the dance floor, hey?" He said but before he could, James pulled them together and they began swaying. Severus's heart pound so fast, he could swear everyone could hear it.
James hand was warm where it clasped his and his body was firm from playing and training quidditch. He wanted to say that it was unfair and that he hated it.That golden boy, arrogant James Potter was all that. Rich, handsome, smart, funny and witty. And that he could have Severus if he wanted. In this instant he was the perfect human that Severus was so cruelly denied. But it made sense. They were foils of each other. Severus could see now that.
"You have a sad look to you. What's wrong?"
Severus sighed. "I'm not who I appear to be."
"What you took an aging potion or something? Merlin please tell me you are ONLY a year below us!"
James said it with such a ridiculousness to it, that Severus couldn't help but laugh. "Stop, stop! I mean... I'm not usually so nice, " he pointed to his body "and we don't get on. I mean we didn't for a long time but lately-"
"Septimus, are you panicking?"
"Yes- a little... a lot! Look we aren't supposed to like each other, you are with Lily!"
James took a breath, "look can we get out of here?"
Septimus nodded. And a small walk later they had found themselves at the viaduct courtyard. Severus always appreciated the architecture here. "Sooo..." said Severus trailing off.
"So," James began, "you asked about Lily." A pause. "The thing is... do you ever think about how life is supposed to go?"
Severus nodded, remembering nights when he asked the universe why he had to be born poor, or with a abusive father and with a mother not strong enough to leave said father. He finally took life by the reigns tonight.
"You think you want something, and you wanted it for a long time, but when you get there it is something completely different than how you think it was supposed to be."
Severus knew that too well. Look at how tonight turn out for Salazar's sake.
James continued, "it's more complicated and messy and at the end of the day you think 'is it worth it?' 'And what am I doing here?'"
Severus frowned. "But don't you love her? Don't you always obnoxiously yell about how you are destined for one another."
James, laughed and bumped his body in a friendly manner as if to say "oi". He then ran fingers through his hair only making it messier and blew out a breath. "I thought I did but I think that was just a fairytale I made in my head. I mean that is how my parents met, first day at Hogwarts, mum never gave dad the time of day and they fought like cats and dogs until they got together... and mine is like that... only we keep fighting.
Everything I do annoys her. I am childish and 'rest on my laurels' (Severus knew a Lily quote when he heard one) and I shouldn't spend time in Quidditch as much. And to be honest, she isn't the bright, happy girl I thought she was. I mean she is happy but she is unrelenting and determined and sees a future I don't know if I want... we took tonight to see what we wanted... and I think I have made my decision. Wanna go on a date sometimes?"
The mad pounding of Severus' heart returned. Salazar! James was talking about him! He choose Severus!! Over Lily Evan's! No one did that! Severus could see James closing his eyes and leaning forward. Oh Lily forgive him, but tonight he was Septimus Prince.
It was at that point that clock struck 12 and before their lips could meet Severus jumped away. He felt his hair, it was already starting to get greasy.
"Merlin, sorry James. I got to go!"
And with that Severus fled the viaduct courtyard, not stopping to hear what the other boy had to say. He didn't stop until he reached his dormitory and then the agonizing change back began. When finished transforming and he glanced at the mirror all he could see was Smelly, greasy, Snivellous Snape. He flung himself to the bed and willed himself not to cry. The night was not how he foreseen it to go at all, but it was beautiful and he could never see to the story of Septimus and James' conclusion.
Little did he know, however, that his wand had fallen on the cobblestone in front of James. James having picked it up looked at it in confusion. For he thought it looked familiar but the wand was rather plain to look at, until you got to the hilt. The design was covered by the grip of the bearer. This wand was very much unlike his own. His had repeating cobweb patterns all over - what you see is what you get. It had a youthful quality despite the cobweb motif, it was like a doodle on a page, where as this was quite a severe but beautiful. When he looked closer he also saw repetitions in the pattern of the hilt, but it was like that of very fancy stone work. It was odd to see how this wand which looked so different to his own but had quite a few similarities to his.
The magic of the wand sang to him. He waved the wand and found that unlike the airy and light nature of his magic, using this wand was like dark chocolate. Thick, not hard to use but it had some resistance to it. Despite that resistance, it also kept him wanting a little more. It was like an enticing challenge. Like a hard won quidditch match.
It was unlike using Lily's which was like static. An unpleasant sharp shock that he could never get used to. His mind was set. He will find Septimus Prince and go on a date with him. He couldn't get far without his wand besides. But first he had to break the news to Lily... he pocketed it the wand, and trudged towards the Gryffindor Tower.