Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-46-

The next day, the sky is clear blue, the Sun is shining, birds are singing, there are people gathered to celebrate Remus's and Tonks's wedding outside their backyard. "You may kiss the bride!" the initiate says, and right after that Remus kisses Tonks, both of them smiling ear to ear. We all clap our hands and cheer loudly. The whole atmosphere here just oozes love and happiness. After a while, we all gather inside a big tent to have good food and some drinks. Some people made a toast and we all laugh, giggle and tear up for some of them. Hours goes by and it's time for their first dance. As they dance while the slow music is playing, they keep looking into each others eyes such a loving way. Like there is no other people in this whole wide world. Both of them looking absolutely beautiful. What a perfect couple. They have decided to keep the pregnancy to themselves for now. Only other people who knows about it are Sirius and I.

There are nearly 50 people in here, everyone dressed up for the occasion. I'm wearing the same dress I had at the festival, only this time having my hair in loose-ish bun. Sirius and I are standing next to each other while watching the couple dance. After the dance is over, other people joins them to the dance floor. Sirius then turns to me, smiling:"Shall we?". I smile back at him and we approach the floor. He gently places a hand on my back and starts leading. We dance there for a moment without saying a word, enjoying the party. "So, you are teaching in Hogwarts." he suddenly starts. My head quickly turns to him. "Ah, yes. I mean..- I am in apprenticeship, but will eventually be official professor there. I hope." I explain. "I see." he then lift his gaze up to look forward.

While dancing, we talk our own experience in Hogwarts and what it was like for us. Of course, I didn't tell him anything about my own family drama. Only told him the nicest parts and adventures I had when I was a child. Sirius is a Gryffindor, which does checks out, if you ask me. He told me there is no doubt in which House I belong to - even Remus wouldn't have told him beforehand. Our conversation leads into the professors. When we start talking and remembering the Potions Master we both had - Horace Slughorn, the conversation takes a turn to Severus Snape - the current Potions Master. "Ah, Snivellus." Sirius chuckles. Snivellus? Frowning a bit by the odd 'nickname' he just said:"Sorry?". Just then, Remus comes in:"Why isn't it time for you Sirius go to the bar and get yourself a drink while I'll give the next dance to this lovely lady here?". Sirius nods and leaves us. Remus offers his hand:"May I?". I give a nod and we start dancing.

Won't take even a minute before I ask:"What was that about?". Remus looks down to me:"What was what?". "The name Sirius called Severus by... Didn't sound like a very nice nickname, if you ask me." I answer. For example how he calls Remus as 'Moony', which sounds a lot more like something friends could call a person like him without sounding rude. Remus lift his head up from me to watch somewhere in the distance:"Yes, well... Sirius and Severus didn't get along back when we were just boys.". "How so?" I ask. The groom looks slightly troubled by my questions. I keep staring at him in the eyes, looking for the answer. Our dancing slows down. "Disagreements. Mostly." Remus says. Clearly not telling the whole truth. That definitely peeks my interest, but I force a smile up on my face for him and nod. Because it's his wedding day, I won't push it. We continue dancing and change the subject. Even back of my head, I can't stop thinking what might have happened in the past between them.

Another two hours goes by. People are either now dancing on the dance floor or spread around the tent, talking while drinking and enjoying themselves. Tonks and I have talked a lot. You could call us really great friends by now, which sounds funny since we only met each other yesterday. Along everything else we have talked about, I have expressed my interest in being an Auror one day. It actually made Tonks really happy and she already started to plan out how we could meet up and practice together to help me to become one. "Woah! You really did that?!" I gasp after she just told me yet another story regarding the job. Right then, an old couple comes up to us and starts talking to the bride all happy, telling how they are about leave and thanked her for the day. Tonks immediately starts talking to them back and they all went find Remus.

Now that I'm alone again, I start looking around and eventually see Sirius, who's sitting and drinking alone in one of the tables. Seems like he's little bit drunk at this point. I need to ask him about Severus. "Having fun?" I ask with small smile on my face as I walk up to him. "Ey, (Y/N)! Beautiful as ever." Sirius cheers happily. "Boy, you really have had more than a one drink." I chuckle. "Would you like me to get you something? What does my favorite girl want?" he asks, ready to get up. "No, no. I'm fine, thank you." I reassure and lift the glass in my hand to show him that I still have some wine in there. He then sits back down and points at the chair next to him:"Sit! Come sit.". I do as told and come sit beside him. "Tell me, (Y/N)... Where do I own this joy that you came here to sit with me?" Sirius casually puts one arm back of the chair I'm sitting on and takes a gulp of his drink.

Really don't know where to start, so I just go for it:"I just got thinking... You called Severus by a nickname that..-", "Snivellus. Hah, that man... Really is something else." Sirius laughs. "Right... Remus told me you two didn't get along well when you were younger?" I ask politely while trying to watch for his reaction. He leans back and runs fingers thru his long, curly hair:"Depends who'd you ask.". He sounds little too smug for my liking as he said that. "Well, I'm asking from you." I quickly answer, slightly more stern tone this time. Sirius smirks loosely:"...We boys used to chase him down and give him a lesson any time he invaded his overly large nose in other people's business.". A lesson? My alarms goes off after he said that. Don't tell me... Frowning at him a bit:"Who's 'we'?". "Me, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Remus." he answer, like there is no care in the world. Remus? My heart sinks.

Immediately I have these flash backs. How Severus always glared at Remus back when he was the D.A.D.A. teacher. How Severus liked to say all of those snarky comments about him that I thought were unnecessary. How Remus wanted to change the subject when I asked him about their past. It all makes sense now. The hand that is resting on my lap clenches up into a fist. "So, you bullied him." I point out. "Ahw, just a little bickering boys do." he casually waved his hand. Then Sirius keeps on bragging about how they bullied Severus back when they were in Hogwarts. He doesn't seem to be bothered by his actions at all. I'm just sitting here, listening with no expression on my face. He then chuckles:"Snivellus was such a bookworm. Had always that big nose of his glued into books. Only way to get him to raise his eyes from them was Lily." Lily?

Sirius gives me a quick glance before taking yet another sip of his drink. "Lily Potter - Evans, was her last name before she married James Potter." he reveals. My eyes widens a bit as I connect the dots. So Severus was in love with Harry's mother? And Harry's father bullied him. It all makes sense now. Sirius then laughs:"You should have seen how Snivellus followed her like a lost puppy. How desperately in love he was with her. Only to see she wasn't interested in him at all!". My whole mind goes blank. The only thing in that moment I could think of is when Severus and I were in his family home - in Spinner's End. How we were in the kitchen. How he looked out of the window, sad. 'What happened to them?'. '...She died.'. The sadness. The regret. The pain his words carried. Severus.

All of sudden, I feel this spark of rage inside me. Like this man in front of me just became the embodiment of every single bully that this world has. Without thinking, I shoot up from my seat and throw the rest of the wine that I have in the glass right up in his face. It gets him off guard and he looks stunned. Luckily, all the other guests are too busy celebrating, so they have no clue what just happened. My chest keeps going up and down faster than normal as I stare him down. This man... No. This boy. There is anger in my eyes, mixed with sadness:"Don't you ever speak about him that way. Don't you dare call him by the disrespectful, childish name you have come up with!". Sirius just stares back at me all stunned while his whole face is wet. It's like no one has ever called him out like this before. "Severus might have over looked your bullying, but I won't." I stated with stern tone. Then, I slam the glass on the table and storm off.