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FIC: Double Date
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snegurochka_lee 's Least Favourite Character/Pairing Drabble/Drawble & Ficlet Challenge! This isn't exactly my least favorite pairing, but I certainly don't like canon-Sirius, and I'm not generally fond of gender-switch stories. However, this did turn out to be fun to write!
Title: Double Date
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sirius/girl-Snape, James/Lily
Word count: ~3550
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: gender-switch Snape
Summary: Set during the Marauders era, Lily agrees to go on a date with James--but only if he can find a date for Snape, too.
Author's note: Inspired by Alison's comment on this Snapedom discussion on "What if Snape had been a girl?": On the "Snape-as-a-girl" thing, I had to laugh: if she and Lily had still been friends, then Sirius would probably have been expected to double-date James and Lily, ie the whole "I'll only go out with you if your best friend dates my best friend" thing!
snegurochka_lee 's Least Favourite Character/Pairing Drabble/Drawble & Ficlet Challenge! This isn't exactly my least favorite pairing, but I certainly don't like canon-Sirius, and I'm not generally fond of gender-switch stories. However, this did turn out to be fun to write!Title: Double Date
Rating: PG
Pairing: Sirius/girl-Snape, James/Lily
Word count: ~3550
Disclaimer: No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Warning: gender-switch Snape
Summary: Set during the Marauders era, Lily agrees to go on a date with James--but only if he can find a date for Snape, too.
Author's note: Inspired by Alison's comment on this Snapedom discussion on "What if Snape had been a girl?": On the "Snape-as-a-girl" thing, I had to laugh: if she and Lily had still been friends, then Sirius would probably have been expected to double-date James and Lily, ie the whole "I'll only go out with you if your best friend dates my best friend" thing!
***
"Please, Padfoot?" James begged in a wheedling voice. "Pretty please? Come on, what are friends for?"
"Absolutely not!" Sirius said emphatically. "I wouldn't go on a date with that big-nosed, greasy-haired snake if she were the last girl on earth!"
"But Lily won't go out with me unless I can get a date for Snape, too!" James wailed desperately. "Come on, Padfoot, I'll do your homework for a month!"
"It's summer vacation, you idiot!"
"I'll give you my autographed 'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn card!"
Sirius wavered for just a moment before firmly replying, "No!"
"I won't tell Filch who shaved his cat," James said with a sly smile.
"That's dirty, Prongs," Sirius said, glaring accusingly at the other boy. "Selling out your friends for the sake of a bird?"
"Oh, come on, Padfoot," James whined. "I'm not asking you to marry her, for Merlin's sake! Just one date! You know I've been trying to get Evans to go out with me forever. I might never get another chance!"
"Can't you get Remus or Peter to do it instead?" Sirius sighed wearily.
"This weekend is, you know, Moony's time of the month," James replied. "And Wormtail just about wet his pants in terror at the thought. I guess I can't really blame him after the last time Snape hexed him. If that Sectumsempra spell had cut a few inches lower, he'd be singing soprano right now."
"That's what he gets for trying to peek in the Slytherin girls' locker room," Sirius scoffed. "Who wants to look at that bunch of hags, anyway?"
"Well, they're not all as ugly as Snape," James replied, then added loyally, "though none of them are as pretty as Lily, of course. So will you do it? Come on, Padfoot--surely you can put up with Snape for just a few hours!"
"I'm sure it will seem like eternity," Sirius grumbled. "Oh, all right, but you'll owe me big time, Potter!"
"Thanks, Sirius!" James exclaimed, throwing his arms around his friend in an exuberant hug.
"But you'd better impress the hell out of Evans on this date, because I'm not doing this again!" Sirius warned. "Next time you're on your own!"
"Absolutely not!" Sirius said emphatically. "I wouldn't go on a date with that big-nosed, greasy-haired snake if she were the last girl on earth!"
"But Lily won't go out with me unless I can get a date for Snape, too!" James wailed desperately. "Come on, Padfoot, I'll do your homework for a month!"
"It's summer vacation, you idiot!"
"I'll give you my autographed 'Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn card!"
Sirius wavered for just a moment before firmly replying, "No!"
"I won't tell Filch who shaved his cat," James said with a sly smile.
"That's dirty, Prongs," Sirius said, glaring accusingly at the other boy. "Selling out your friends for the sake of a bird?"
"Oh, come on, Padfoot," James whined. "I'm not asking you to marry her, for Merlin's sake! Just one date! You know I've been trying to get Evans to go out with me forever. I might never get another chance!"
"Can't you get Remus or Peter to do it instead?" Sirius sighed wearily.
"This weekend is, you know, Moony's time of the month," James replied. "And Wormtail just about wet his pants in terror at the thought. I guess I can't really blame him after the last time Snape hexed him. If that Sectumsempra spell had cut a few inches lower, he'd be singing soprano right now."
"That's what he gets for trying to peek in the Slytherin girls' locker room," Sirius scoffed. "Who wants to look at that bunch of hags, anyway?"
"Well, they're not all as ugly as Snape," James replied, then added loyally, "though none of them are as pretty as Lily, of course. So will you do it? Come on, Padfoot--surely you can put up with Snape for just a few hours!"
"I'm sure it will seem like eternity," Sirius grumbled. "Oh, all right, but you'll owe me big time, Potter!"
"Thanks, Sirius!" James exclaimed, throwing his arms around his friend in an exuberant hug.
"But you'd better impress the hell out of Evans on this date, because I'm not doing this again!" Sirius warned. "Next time you're on your own!"
***
"Please, Sev?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Oh, come on, Sev," Lily wheedled. "What are friends for?"
Severina crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her best friend. "Friends do not force friends to go out with arrogant Gryffindor prats. It's bad enough that I have to see them during the school year; why do I have to put up with them during summer vacation, too?"
"It's just for one night," Lily pleaded. "I don't want to be alone with James on our first date--I'm not sure if I want there to be a second date or not, so I want to keep things casual so that he doesn't get the wrong idea."
Severina rolled her eyes. "Subtlety is wasted on Potter; he thinks he's God's gift to women and it's only a matter of time before you realize that you've been madly in love with him all along. Why on earth do you want to go out with Potter on even a 'casual' double date? I thought you said he was a toerag."
Lily blushed and said sheepishly, "But kind of a cute toerag. And I think his pranks have been more funny than mean recently, don't you think?"
"I think he's just gotten better at restraining himself in your presence," Severina said doubtfully.
"Well, that's partly why I wanted you to go on this date with me," Lily said earnestly. "If he's willing to be nice to you for my sake, that proves he's changed, right?"
"All that proves is that he'll do anything to get into your pants," Severina replied dryly.
"Sev!" Lily cried, her voice torn between amusement and outrage.
"What?" Severina asked unrepentantly. "He's a teenage boy, Lily. That's what they all want."
"Well, he won't be getting anywhere near my pants," Lily said firmly, then giggled. "At least, not on the first date!"
"Merlin help us," Severina sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I guess I'll have to go on this date, if only to protect your virtue...such as it is."
"My knight in shining armor," Lily cooed sweetly as Severina glowered sourly at her.
"Absolutely not!"
"Oh, come on, Sev," Lily wheedled. "What are friends for?"
Severina crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her best friend. "Friends do not force friends to go out with arrogant Gryffindor prats. It's bad enough that I have to see them during the school year; why do I have to put up with them during summer vacation, too?"
"It's just for one night," Lily pleaded. "I don't want to be alone with James on our first date--I'm not sure if I want there to be a second date or not, so I want to keep things casual so that he doesn't get the wrong idea."
Severina rolled her eyes. "Subtlety is wasted on Potter; he thinks he's God's gift to women and it's only a matter of time before you realize that you've been madly in love with him all along. Why on earth do you want to go out with Potter on even a 'casual' double date? I thought you said he was a toerag."
Lily blushed and said sheepishly, "But kind of a cute toerag. And I think his pranks have been more funny than mean recently, don't you think?"
"I think he's just gotten better at restraining himself in your presence," Severina said doubtfully.
"Well, that's partly why I wanted you to go on this date with me," Lily said earnestly. "If he's willing to be nice to you for my sake, that proves he's changed, right?"
"All that proves is that he'll do anything to get into your pants," Severina replied dryly.
"Sev!" Lily cried, her voice torn between amusement and outrage.
"What?" Severina asked unrepentantly. "He's a teenage boy, Lily. That's what they all want."
"Well, he won't be getting anywhere near my pants," Lily said firmly, then giggled. "At least, not on the first date!"
"Merlin help us," Severina sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I guess I'll have to go on this date, if only to protect your virtue...such as it is."
"My knight in shining armor," Lily cooed sweetly as Severina glowered sourly at her.
***
There was a Muggle carnival taking place that weekend, a couple miles outside of Spinner's End. So the girls arranged to meet James and Sirius there, deciding that they'd feel more comfortable on familiar ground, and Lily had also thought it would be another good test for James, to see how the wealthy pureblood would react to a Muggle setting. But far from being disdainful, the Gryffindor boys' eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as they gawked around like a couple of small children, even though the carnival was a rather small and run-down affair, as such things went.
"I've never been to a carnival before," James said heartily. "It sounds like fun!"
"Shall we try our hand at some games, then?" Lily asked with a smile.
"Sure!" James replied, and they headed towards the game booths. He reached out to take Lily's hand, more slowly and hesitantly than Severina would have expected, giving her time to pull away if she wanted, or even just to step away and pretend that she hadn't noticed him. But Lily allowed him to take her hand, smiling shyly, and James's face lit up with delight and relief.
"Don't expect me to hold your hand," Sirius told Severina in a surly voice.
Severina's lip curled in disgust, and she retorted, "I'd sooner hold hands with a flobberworm!"
"A flobberworm doesn't have hands!" Sirius said triumphantly, as if he'd just scored a point against her.
Severina rolled her eyes. "That was a rhetorical statement, Black. Oh wait, you're a Gryffindor...do I need to explain that in words of one syllable?"
Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but James interrupted in a stern voice, "Come on, Sirius, you promised you'd be on your best behavior tonight!"
"Can't the two of you manage to get along for just one night?" Lily scolded. She dropped her voice to a whisper and added, "And remember, no hexing!"
"Fine, but remember, you owe me one," Severina said sullenly, and Lily and James continued blithely walking down the midway as their two friends scowled at their backs.
"My best friend--'blood brothers forever,' he said--sold me out for a girl," Sirius complained.
"Yeah, well, mine sold me out for a boy she used to call a toerag," Severina commiserated glumly.
"Let's the try the balloon dart game," Lily suggested. "It's one of the easiest for a beginner."
James stood up a little straighter, puffing out his chest. "I shouldn't expect that it will be that difficult," he said. "I am a champion Quidditch player, after all."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Severina demanded crossly.
"It's not exactly the same as throwing a Quaffle through the goal," Lily said, politely, but a little doubtfully.
"It's the same principle," James said airily. "Come on, Padfoot, let's give it a try."
Lily pointed at the balloon-covered board behind the booth and explained, "Behind each balloon is a tag that matches up to a corresponding prize. You won't know what you've won until you pop a balloon."
"I see, so it's a game of chance and skill," James said with a grin. "Is there something in particular you have your heart set on, milady?"
There were a number of cheap prizes, like small mirrors and tiny stuffed animals, and a few large stuffed animals to lure customers in, although it was very rare for anyone to actually win one.
"Well...that big panda would be nice," Lily said coyly. "But don't feel bad if you can't get it."
"I'll do my best," James said, bowing in an exaggeratedly courtly manner as Lily giggled and Sirius and Severina rolled their eyes. He plunked down his money on the counter and received three darts in exchange. The first one failed to hit a balloon, and the second brushed against one but failed to puncture it and fell to the ground, but the third struck a balloon dead-center on the board. The booth attendant matched up the tag with the prize and said, "For the lovely lady," handing Lily a small square mirror that had a unicorn painted on it.
James looked deflated, and Lily tried to console him, saying, "Don't feel bad; I think the mirror's really pretty. And it's actually sort of appropriate for...people like us, don't you think?"
She winked at him, and James cheered up slightly. "Can I try again?" he asked, reaching into his pocket for more money, but the attendant shook his head.
"Sorry, mate. The rule is one prize per customer."
"It's the easiest game to win, so they put a limit on how many prizes they give out," Severina murmured in explanation.
The attendant gave Severina a glare that seemed more amused than angry, then said to Sirius, "But perhaps the other gentleman would like to try his hand at the game?"
"I'll win the panda for your lady-love, Prongs," Sirius said, flashing his typically charming but arrogant grin. However, he did no better than James, claiming only a little teddy bear that fit neatly in the palm of Lily's hand.
"I'll try," Severina said casually, aiming at the edge of the board rather than the center. One bounced off the board, but two struck their mark, and she was able to give Lily the stuffed panda.
"Thank you, Sev!" Lily exclaimed, beaming as she hugged the toy while a chagrined James and Sirius stared at Severina in consternation.
"Go on, get out of here before you take all my best prizes," the attendant told Severina with a grin, making a shooing motion with his hand.
"I'm only allowed one prize anyway," Severina retorted, grinning back at him. "And besides, it looks like you ought to thank me for attracting customers to you." Several other people had noticed her win of the panda bear and were approaching the booth--young children with parents, and couples obviously out on dates.
"Ooh honey, I want one of those," a girl about their age was telling her boyfriend.
The attendant just laughed and waved them off, then turned to greet his new customers. Lily wanted to get some cotton candy, so they headed over to that booth.
"How did you know where the panda was?" James demanded, his voice filled with a mixture of indignation and genuine curiosity.
"It was a calculated guess," Severina replied coolly. "It's easier to hit a balloon in the center of the board, so of course that's where they put all the cheap prizes. The expensive ones are usually on the edges, where it's harder to hit. They also blunt the dart tips and under-inflate the balloons to make them harder to pop."
"You might have warned us," James groaned.
"But I thought you said it was easy for a champion Quidditch player like you," Severina said sweetly.
James bristled for a moment, then glanced at Lily, who was watching him closely. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "All right, I suppose I deserved that," he said with a rueful grin. Lily smiled at him approvingly, which caused James to relax further.
"You knew that guy over at the booth," Sirius said, gazing at Severina suspiciously. "How do we know that the two of you didn't plan this?"
"I know him from the neighborhood, that's all," Severina replied irritably, rolling her eyes. "His dad works at the mill with my dad; I know him to say 'hi' to, but we're not close friends. Even if we were, any idiot could figure out that he'd be fired if his boss found out he was giving away the expensive prizes to his friends. And anyway, I don't need his help to win because--"
"Because Sev's dad is the darts champion of the town, and he taught her everything she knows," Lily chimed in, glaring at Sirius. "She can hit the bulls-eye nine times out of ten." Severina smiled with false modesty.
Sirius looked like he was about to argue further, but James gave him a quelling look and said to Severina good-naturedly, "I guess I should have asked your advice. Maybe you could give us some tips on how to play the other games?"
Severina hesitated, then shrugged and said, "Sure."
Lily beamed at both of them, obviously pleased that they were making an attempt to get along, and James was so pleased with her reaction that he paid for everyone's cotton candy.
"Which is good, because I wasn't planning to treat you," Sirius muttered sullenly.
"I neither expect nor want anything from you, Black," Severina sneered.
Severina offered the promised advice to James, who did modestly well at the other games, but Sirius stubbornly insisted that he could win without it. However, Severina easily managed to beat him at the ring toss, the coin toss, the milk bottle throw, and just about every other game that the carnival had to offer.
James and Lily were amused by the competition, but eventually Lily protested, "Enough already! I can't carry any more prizes!" Her arms, and James's too, were filled with all the stuffed toys and other prizes Severina had won.
Severina smirked and Sirius scowled. "It's only natural that Snape...er, I mean, Severina--would be better at these games, since she was raised among Muggles," James told his friend soothingly.
"Yeah, that's right," Sirius said, cheering up. "I bet I could beat you at any wizarding game you could pick!"
"Fine," Severina shot back. "How about gobstones?"
"Child's play," Sirius scoffed.
"Shall we go to my place?" Lily suggested.
"Nah, your sister's home," Severina replied, grimacing at the thought of Petunia. "We can go to my place; my folks won't mind."
They left the carnival grounds, and as soon as they were out of sight, shrunk down the prizes so that they could tuck them away in their pockets, and prepared to Apparate to Spinner's End. There was a moment of mutual horror when Severina and Sirius realized that the former would have side-along Apparate the latter, since neither of the Gryffindor boys had ever been to the Snape house before. Lily and James burst into laughter at the sight of their friends' faces, and Severina and Sirius both glared at them.
"I don't want your greasy paws on me," Sirius snarled.
"The feeling is mutual, Black," Severina snapped. "Though I suspect you're using this as an excuse to back out because you're afraid of getting your arse kicked by a girl."
"Fine!" Sirius shouted as he held out his arm, his pride obviously stung by her words. "Let's go play gobstones, you greasy git!"
Severina grabbed his arm, digging her fingers in hard enough to leave bruises, and Sirius yelped in pain as they Disapparated. A moment later, they reappeared in Severina's back yard, and were soon joined by a giggling Lily and James.
"You didn't have to grab me like that," Sirius grumbled, rubbing his bruised arm, but then his irritation vanished when he caught sight of a slightly rusty and battered motorbike that was propped up against the side of the house. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up. "A motorbike! Is it yours?"
Severina cocked her head to one side, giving him a bemused look. "Sort of. My dad found it abandoned in a ditch..."
"Why would someone abandon a motorbike?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"Because it's broken," Severina replied matter-of-factly. "But my dad and I are fixing it up. We should be able to get it running within the next few days."
"Cool," Sirius sighed enviously. "I've always wanted one of these."
"Why?" Severina asked curiously.
"Because I saw one in the Muggle part of London once, and I thought it was so cool!" Sirius replied. "The way it looks, the way the motor revs...and it would be even cooler if you could enchant it to fly--much better than a broom!"
Severina let out a startled laugh. "It would be," she agreed. "Although I'm sure that would be breaking some sort of Ministry rule."
"It would only matter if we got caught," Sirius said with a rakish grin.
"'We'?" Severina asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Um...well..." Sirius blushed and smiled at her sheepishly. "Do you think maybe I could ride it sometime when you're done fixing it?"
Severina crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Oh, so you're being nice to me now that I have something you want."
Sirius's face turned redder and he stared down at the ground, scuffing at the dirt with the toe of one shoe. "Um...well...yeah," he mumbled. "When you put it that way, I kind of sound like a jerk, don't I?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Severina asked in her usual sharp voice, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"No," Sirius replied, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. "I've been..." He paused to give James a pointed look. "We've all been gits to you, except maybe Remus. I always figured that Gryffindors and Slytherins have to be enemies. But...if you're the kind of girl who can fix up a motorbike, then maybe you're not so bad after all."
"Way to turn on the charm, Padfoot," James said, rolling his eyes.
Severina snorted, but she sounded amused. "I can see why you don't have a girlfriend, Black. But since you seemed to intend it as a compliment, albeit an inelegant one, I shall take it in the spirit it's given."
"So can I ride the motorbike?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"Maybe if you beat me at gobstones," Severina replied.
She led them into the house and her mother, who was brewing something in a small cauldron on the stove, said, "Lily, how nice to see you again!"
"You too, Mrs. Snape."
"And aren't you going to introduce me to your friends, dear?"
"This is James Potter and Sirius Black," Severina said, slightly taken aback by Eileen's assumption that they were her "friends". "They're, um, classmates from school."
The boys uttered polite greetings, and Tobias looked up from the newspaper he was reading in the living room and said, "Potter? Isn't he the toerag?"
"Toby!" Eileen scolded.
James looked as though he were about to take offense, but then Sirius snickered and the tension eased, and James laughed good-naturedly. "I am, but I've been trying to mend my ways."
"He's been quite the gentleman tonight, Mr. Snape," Lily said with a grin.
"Well, I suppose it's all right, then," Tobias said. "I'd tell you two boys that you'd better treat Severina right, but I know that my little girl can take care of herself." He winked at Severina, who grinned and winked back at him.
"No hexing, now," Eileen said sternly.
"Unless it's in self-defense," Tobias added, and Eileen turned her stern look on him for a moment.
"You can take your friends to your room, dear," she told Severina. "And I'll bring up some tea and biscuits."
About ten minutes later, Sirius was drenched in foul-smelling fluorescent green goo, and Severina was smiling triumphantly.
"She beat me again!" Sirius wailed. "And at a wizarding game!"
Eileen had just appeared in the doorway with a tray of tea and biscuits, and she burst into laughter. "Didn't Severina tell you? I was a champion gobstones player in my youth--I even won an international tournament when I was just Sevvie's age."
"And let me guess," Sirius said resignedly. "You taught her everything she knows."
"I'm afraid so," Eileen laughed, leaving the tray on Severina's desk before she left.
"Good biscuits," Sirius said, munching on one to console himself, although he still looked rather morose. "Guess I won't get to ride the motorbike."
"Oh, you can ride it," Severina said casually. "I'll let you know when it's fixed. Or if you like, you can come by tomorrow and help me and Dad work on it."
"But...but...I lost the game," Sirius stuttered, shock giving way to an almost desperate hope.
"I only said 'maybe' I'd let you ride it if you won," Severina reminded him. "And actually, I knew that I'd probably beat you. But you're actually behaving like a decent human being for a change: you didn't make fun of my nickname when Mum called me 'Sevvie,' and you complimented her biscuits. And none of my Slytherin friends want to hear about my Muggle hobbies, let alone ride a motorbike."
"Really?" Sirius asked, with such a puppy-like look of eagerness on his face that James and Lily were choking back laughter, but he didn't even notice. "I can ride it? And help you fix it? Well, actually, I don't know anything about fixing bikes, but I'd love to learn!"
"Looks like the start of a beautiful friendship," James whispered to Lily.
"And maybe more," Lily murmured speculatively, then grinned. "I guess this double date was a good idea, after all!"
THE END.
"I've never been to a carnival before," James said heartily. "It sounds like fun!"
"Shall we try our hand at some games, then?" Lily asked with a smile.
"Sure!" James replied, and they headed towards the game booths. He reached out to take Lily's hand, more slowly and hesitantly than Severina would have expected, giving her time to pull away if she wanted, or even just to step away and pretend that she hadn't noticed him. But Lily allowed him to take her hand, smiling shyly, and James's face lit up with delight and relief.
"Don't expect me to hold your hand," Sirius told Severina in a surly voice.
Severina's lip curled in disgust, and she retorted, "I'd sooner hold hands with a flobberworm!"
"A flobberworm doesn't have hands!" Sirius said triumphantly, as if he'd just scored a point against her.
Severina rolled her eyes. "That was a rhetorical statement, Black. Oh wait, you're a Gryffindor...do I need to explain that in words of one syllable?"
Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but James interrupted in a stern voice, "Come on, Sirius, you promised you'd be on your best behavior tonight!"
"Can't the two of you manage to get along for just one night?" Lily scolded. She dropped her voice to a whisper and added, "And remember, no hexing!"
"Fine, but remember, you owe me one," Severina said sullenly, and Lily and James continued blithely walking down the midway as their two friends scowled at their backs.
"My best friend--'blood brothers forever,' he said--sold me out for a girl," Sirius complained.
"Yeah, well, mine sold me out for a boy she used to call a toerag," Severina commiserated glumly.
"Let's the try the balloon dart game," Lily suggested. "It's one of the easiest for a beginner."
James stood up a little straighter, puffing out his chest. "I shouldn't expect that it will be that difficult," he said. "I am a champion Quidditch player, after all."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Severina demanded crossly.
"It's not exactly the same as throwing a Quaffle through the goal," Lily said, politely, but a little doubtfully.
"It's the same principle," James said airily. "Come on, Padfoot, let's give it a try."
Lily pointed at the balloon-covered board behind the booth and explained, "Behind each balloon is a tag that matches up to a corresponding prize. You won't know what you've won until you pop a balloon."
"I see, so it's a game of chance and skill," James said with a grin. "Is there something in particular you have your heart set on, milady?"
There were a number of cheap prizes, like small mirrors and tiny stuffed animals, and a few large stuffed animals to lure customers in, although it was very rare for anyone to actually win one.
"Well...that big panda would be nice," Lily said coyly. "But don't feel bad if you can't get it."
"I'll do my best," James said, bowing in an exaggeratedly courtly manner as Lily giggled and Sirius and Severina rolled their eyes. He plunked down his money on the counter and received three darts in exchange. The first one failed to hit a balloon, and the second brushed against one but failed to puncture it and fell to the ground, but the third struck a balloon dead-center on the board. The booth attendant matched up the tag with the prize and said, "For the lovely lady," handing Lily a small square mirror that had a unicorn painted on it.
James looked deflated, and Lily tried to console him, saying, "Don't feel bad; I think the mirror's really pretty. And it's actually sort of appropriate for...people like us, don't you think?"
She winked at him, and James cheered up slightly. "Can I try again?" he asked, reaching into his pocket for more money, but the attendant shook his head.
"Sorry, mate. The rule is one prize per customer."
"It's the easiest game to win, so they put a limit on how many prizes they give out," Severina murmured in explanation.
The attendant gave Severina a glare that seemed more amused than angry, then said to Sirius, "But perhaps the other gentleman would like to try his hand at the game?"
"I'll win the panda for your lady-love, Prongs," Sirius said, flashing his typically charming but arrogant grin. However, he did no better than James, claiming only a little teddy bear that fit neatly in the palm of Lily's hand.
"I'll try," Severina said casually, aiming at the edge of the board rather than the center. One bounced off the board, but two struck their mark, and she was able to give Lily the stuffed panda.
"Thank you, Sev!" Lily exclaimed, beaming as she hugged the toy while a chagrined James and Sirius stared at Severina in consternation.
"Go on, get out of here before you take all my best prizes," the attendant told Severina with a grin, making a shooing motion with his hand.
"I'm only allowed one prize anyway," Severina retorted, grinning back at him. "And besides, it looks like you ought to thank me for attracting customers to you." Several other people had noticed her win of the panda bear and were approaching the booth--young children with parents, and couples obviously out on dates.
"Ooh honey, I want one of those," a girl about their age was telling her boyfriend.
The attendant just laughed and waved them off, then turned to greet his new customers. Lily wanted to get some cotton candy, so they headed over to that booth.
"How did you know where the panda was?" James demanded, his voice filled with a mixture of indignation and genuine curiosity.
"It was a calculated guess," Severina replied coolly. "It's easier to hit a balloon in the center of the board, so of course that's where they put all the cheap prizes. The expensive ones are usually on the edges, where it's harder to hit. They also blunt the dart tips and under-inflate the balloons to make them harder to pop."
"You might have warned us," James groaned.
"But I thought you said it was easy for a champion Quidditch player like you," Severina said sweetly.
James bristled for a moment, then glanced at Lily, who was watching him closely. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "All right, I suppose I deserved that," he said with a rueful grin. Lily smiled at him approvingly, which caused James to relax further.
"You knew that guy over at the booth," Sirius said, gazing at Severina suspiciously. "How do we know that the two of you didn't plan this?"
"I know him from the neighborhood, that's all," Severina replied irritably, rolling her eyes. "His dad works at the mill with my dad; I know him to say 'hi' to, but we're not close friends. Even if we were, any idiot could figure out that he'd be fired if his boss found out he was giving away the expensive prizes to his friends. And anyway, I don't need his help to win because--"
"Because Sev's dad is the darts champion of the town, and he taught her everything she knows," Lily chimed in, glaring at Sirius. "She can hit the bulls-eye nine times out of ten." Severina smiled with false modesty.
Sirius looked like he was about to argue further, but James gave him a quelling look and said to Severina good-naturedly, "I guess I should have asked your advice. Maybe you could give us some tips on how to play the other games?"
Severina hesitated, then shrugged and said, "Sure."
Lily beamed at both of them, obviously pleased that they were making an attempt to get along, and James was so pleased with her reaction that he paid for everyone's cotton candy.
"Which is good, because I wasn't planning to treat you," Sirius muttered sullenly.
"I neither expect nor want anything from you, Black," Severina sneered.
Severina offered the promised advice to James, who did modestly well at the other games, but Sirius stubbornly insisted that he could win without it. However, Severina easily managed to beat him at the ring toss, the coin toss, the milk bottle throw, and just about every other game that the carnival had to offer.
James and Lily were amused by the competition, but eventually Lily protested, "Enough already! I can't carry any more prizes!" Her arms, and James's too, were filled with all the stuffed toys and other prizes Severina had won.
Severina smirked and Sirius scowled. "It's only natural that Snape...er, I mean, Severina--would be better at these games, since she was raised among Muggles," James told his friend soothingly.
"Yeah, that's right," Sirius said, cheering up. "I bet I could beat you at any wizarding game you could pick!"
"Fine," Severina shot back. "How about gobstones?"
"Child's play," Sirius scoffed.
"Shall we go to my place?" Lily suggested.
"Nah, your sister's home," Severina replied, grimacing at the thought of Petunia. "We can go to my place; my folks won't mind."
They left the carnival grounds, and as soon as they were out of sight, shrunk down the prizes so that they could tuck them away in their pockets, and prepared to Apparate to Spinner's End. There was a moment of mutual horror when Severina and Sirius realized that the former would have side-along Apparate the latter, since neither of the Gryffindor boys had ever been to the Snape house before. Lily and James burst into laughter at the sight of their friends' faces, and Severina and Sirius both glared at them.
"I don't want your greasy paws on me," Sirius snarled.
"The feeling is mutual, Black," Severina snapped. "Though I suspect you're using this as an excuse to back out because you're afraid of getting your arse kicked by a girl."
"Fine!" Sirius shouted as he held out his arm, his pride obviously stung by her words. "Let's go play gobstones, you greasy git!"
Severina grabbed his arm, digging her fingers in hard enough to leave bruises, and Sirius yelped in pain as they Disapparated. A moment later, they reappeared in Severina's back yard, and were soon joined by a giggling Lily and James.
"You didn't have to grab me like that," Sirius grumbled, rubbing his bruised arm, but then his irritation vanished when he caught sight of a slightly rusty and battered motorbike that was propped up against the side of the house. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up. "A motorbike! Is it yours?"
Severina cocked her head to one side, giving him a bemused look. "Sort of. My dad found it abandoned in a ditch..."
"Why would someone abandon a motorbike?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"Because it's broken," Severina replied matter-of-factly. "But my dad and I are fixing it up. We should be able to get it running within the next few days."
"Cool," Sirius sighed enviously. "I've always wanted one of these."
"Why?" Severina asked curiously.
"Because I saw one in the Muggle part of London once, and I thought it was so cool!" Sirius replied. "The way it looks, the way the motor revs...and it would be even cooler if you could enchant it to fly--much better than a broom!"
Severina let out a startled laugh. "It would be," she agreed. "Although I'm sure that would be breaking some sort of Ministry rule."
"It would only matter if we got caught," Sirius said with a rakish grin.
"'We'?" Severina asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Um...well..." Sirius blushed and smiled at her sheepishly. "Do you think maybe I could ride it sometime when you're done fixing it?"
Severina crossed her arms over her chest and said, "Oh, so you're being nice to me now that I have something you want."
Sirius's face turned redder and he stared down at the ground, scuffing at the dirt with the toe of one shoe. "Um...well...yeah," he mumbled. "When you put it that way, I kind of sound like a jerk, don't I?"
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Severina asked in her usual sharp voice, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"No," Sirius replied, finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. "I've been..." He paused to give James a pointed look. "We've all been gits to you, except maybe Remus. I always figured that Gryffindors and Slytherins have to be enemies. But...if you're the kind of girl who can fix up a motorbike, then maybe you're not so bad after all."
"Way to turn on the charm, Padfoot," James said, rolling his eyes.
Severina snorted, but she sounded amused. "I can see why you don't have a girlfriend, Black. But since you seemed to intend it as a compliment, albeit an inelegant one, I shall take it in the spirit it's given."
"So can I ride the motorbike?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"Maybe if you beat me at gobstones," Severina replied.
She led them into the house and her mother, who was brewing something in a small cauldron on the stove, said, "Lily, how nice to see you again!"
"You too, Mrs. Snape."
"And aren't you going to introduce me to your friends, dear?"
"This is James Potter and Sirius Black," Severina said, slightly taken aback by Eileen's assumption that they were her "friends". "They're, um, classmates from school."
The boys uttered polite greetings, and Tobias looked up from the newspaper he was reading in the living room and said, "Potter? Isn't he the toerag?"
"Toby!" Eileen scolded.
James looked as though he were about to take offense, but then Sirius snickered and the tension eased, and James laughed good-naturedly. "I am, but I've been trying to mend my ways."
"He's been quite the gentleman tonight, Mr. Snape," Lily said with a grin.
"Well, I suppose it's all right, then," Tobias said. "I'd tell you two boys that you'd better treat Severina right, but I know that my little girl can take care of herself." He winked at Severina, who grinned and winked back at him.
"No hexing, now," Eileen said sternly.
"Unless it's in self-defense," Tobias added, and Eileen turned her stern look on him for a moment.
"You can take your friends to your room, dear," she told Severina. "And I'll bring up some tea and biscuits."
About ten minutes later, Sirius was drenched in foul-smelling fluorescent green goo, and Severina was smiling triumphantly.
"She beat me again!" Sirius wailed. "And at a wizarding game!"
Eileen had just appeared in the doorway with a tray of tea and biscuits, and she burst into laughter. "Didn't Severina tell you? I was a champion gobstones player in my youth--I even won an international tournament when I was just Sevvie's age."
"And let me guess," Sirius said resignedly. "You taught her everything she knows."
"I'm afraid so," Eileen laughed, leaving the tray on Severina's desk before she left.
"Good biscuits," Sirius said, munching on one to console himself, although he still looked rather morose. "Guess I won't get to ride the motorbike."
"Oh, you can ride it," Severina said casually. "I'll let you know when it's fixed. Or if you like, you can come by tomorrow and help me and Dad work on it."
"But...but...I lost the game," Sirius stuttered, shock giving way to an almost desperate hope.
"I only said 'maybe' I'd let you ride it if you won," Severina reminded him. "And actually, I knew that I'd probably beat you. But you're actually behaving like a decent human being for a change: you didn't make fun of my nickname when Mum called me 'Sevvie,' and you complimented her biscuits. And none of my Slytherin friends want to hear about my Muggle hobbies, let alone ride a motorbike."
"Really?" Sirius asked, with such a puppy-like look of eagerness on his face that James and Lily were choking back laughter, but he didn't even notice. "I can ride it? And help you fix it? Well, actually, I don't know anything about fixing bikes, but I'd love to learn!"
"Looks like the start of a beautiful friendship," James whispered to Lily.
"And maybe more," Lily murmured speculatively, then grinned. "I guess this double date was a good idea, after all!"
THE END.
***
Afterword: One of the things I speculated about on the Snapedom post was that if Snape had been a girl, there wouldn't have been that rivalry between her and James over Lily (assuming Severina is straight, of course), so the pranks and bullying wouldn't have escalated to the scale of nastiness that it did in canon. Which would make a truce between Snape and the Marauders more likely, if not necessarily easy.
I didn't have time to really develop my ideas about the Snape family in this fic, but I was assuming that Tobias was a little more mellow towards his daughter, who managed to wrap him around her little finger as soon as she was born. There was some tension in the marriage over Eileen not telling him before the wedding that she was a witch, but my Tobias was badly injured in a mill accident, and Eileen and Severina were able to use magic to heal him, and he became more accepting of his wife and daughter being witches after that. Plus, I thought it would be fun to have Eileen and Tobias behaving like a sitcom-happy type couple! ^_^
This was only supposed to be a one-off crack!fic, but I really had fun writing it, so maybe I'll return to this little alternate universe and expand on it further someday.
EDIT 8/9/08: A reader kindly reminded me that it's "biscuits," not "cookies" in Brit-speak, so I made the correction. I actually knew that, but forgot in the rush to finish the story by the deadline for Lee's challenge. I did at least remember that pants=underpants, although I wasn't aware of that when I first started writing fanfic, so there were some references to "Snape's pants" in my early Snupin stories that might have given British readers the wrong impression! ;)
I didn't have time to really develop my ideas about the Snape family in this fic, but I was assuming that Tobias was a little more mellow towards his daughter, who managed to wrap him around her little finger as soon as she was born. There was some tension in the marriage over Eileen not telling him before the wedding that she was a witch, but my Tobias was badly injured in a mill accident, and Eileen and Severina were able to use magic to heal him, and he became more accepting of his wife and daughter being witches after that. Plus, I thought it would be fun to have Eileen and Tobias behaving like a sitcom-happy type couple! ^_^
This was only supposed to be a one-off crack!fic, but I really had fun writing it, so maybe I'll return to this little alternate universe and expand on it further someday.
EDIT 8/9/08: A reader kindly reminded me that it's "biscuits," not "cookies" in Brit-speak, so I made the correction. I actually knew that, but forgot in the rush to finish the story by the deadline for Lee's challenge. I did at least remember that pants=underpants, although I wasn't aware of that when I first started writing fanfic, so there were some references to "Snape's pants" in my early Snupin stories that might have given British readers the wrong impression! ;)
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(Psst ... you called her "Severus" once.)
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Thanks for reading, and glad you liked the fic!
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Also...I think the #%#$^#%^#$ nickname (Snivellus) mightn't have come about if Severus was girl - and thus named differently. I mean...(Snivellus) seems like an unlikely derivation from Severina or otherwise.
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Glad you liked the fic! ^_^
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You know, I don't think there are any of your potter stories that don't merit atleast a 8/10.
The non potter ones confuse me, as I have no idea what their fandoms are, but i'm sure theya re good too, hehe.
This could be intresting to see more of. I also like what Tobis says to Girl!Snape
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angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2010-06-23 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)Re: angelvan105
Angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2016-11-12 03:00 am (UTC)(link)PS today was Happy Remember Day that decided check out my past favourite top stories that I am glad having time to read it. It so sweet! Do you have other sequel like this?
Have you read newest book Harry Potter and cursed child? It my favourite!
Just out of curiously if they were chances that Sirius and Severina have possible romance feeling mostly do effort from their best friends Lily and James Often try match them up right?
RE: Angelvan105
Unfortunately, I never did write a sequel to this, but I do think that it's likely that Sirius and Severina will get together, not right away, but sometime in the future. Like you say, I'm sure Lily and James would encourage them to!
I did read Cursed Child. There were certain things I was critical of, but I really loved the friendship between Albus and Scorpius, and getting to see a more mature Draco.
RE: Angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2016-11-13 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)Aww that too bad.. To be HONEST!! Compare other writers I read other version Fem!Severus Snape fanfic they were decent but your is BEST!!! Hope if anything inspire you do other sequel for this.
Poor Sirius and Fem!Severus forced togetherness from their sneaky best friends XD I wonder if it possible that they have child of that of day born same as Teddy Luplin? Will this time Draco be godfather?
I am rather curious what is relationship between fem!Severus Snape and Remus Lupin from Third year. Would Remus be bit boyish charm toward her? Somehow like onesided loved before he move on being with Tonks later on. Fem!Severus Snape would be annoyed but get along better for sure. What do you think?
YES!! You agree this Harry Potter Cursed child book was beautifully wonderful from friendship and happy ending.
Just out of curiously what is your version of Fem!Severus?from alternate timeline where Voldemort win and Harry loss and died.. Will still be potion teacher or something.
Voldemort favourite Deatheater would probably be Severus no different if were female and most his trust. Since they share background and was only Deatheater taught magic of flight too. In your version be like dark romance from dark lord but more likely controlling and lust.. Unlike true love with Sirius.
Sorry my many questions it's just that you are only writer I know can give me this true answer and that compared to other stories I feel your is that true theory my question to you be answers!
RE: Angelvan105
It's funny, I usually ship Severus/Remus, but in this one Severina and Sirius kind of made a connection. Without the Shrieking Shack incident, I think they'd be able to become friends. Remus seems the least offensive out of the Marauders, although on the other hand, maybe she'd be annoyed with the way he doesn't stand up for himself. But maybe she and Lily would help him to become braver, and I can see Severina becoming intrigued about finding a way to cure or at least control Remus's lycanthropy. Maybe she would be the one to invent the Wolfsbane Potion in this AU.
Maybe their friendship would just be platonic, but I also like your idea of Remus having a crush on Severina before getting together with Tonks later.
I hadn't thought that much about how the future would go with a female Snape. Without the bitterness and jealousy over Lily, she wouldn't have felt the need to become a Death Eater, but maybe she would still join as an undercover agent for Dumbledore. I can still see her becoming a Potions Master and teaching at Hogwarts. She probably wouldn't hate Harry the way Snape does in canon, but might have to pretend to in order to play the role of loyal Death Eater.
In the Cursed Child alt timeline, I can see her still teaching at Hogwarts as canon Snape does. I'm not sure much would change there, except that her love for Lily wouldn't be as obsessive. I mean, she'd still love Lily deeply of course, but (in my head, anyway) she was already fighting because she believed in their cause as well as out of loyalty to Lily. But since Voldemort doesn't understand love, either romantic or platonic, he probably wouldn't believe that Severina would turn against him for the sake of a childhood friendship.
I'll have to think about this more. It's really interesting to consider how a gender-change would affect the story. If fem!Snape wasn't romantically obsessed with Lily and didn't join the Death Eaters (or was an undercover agent all along), she wouldn't have revealed the prophecy to Voldemort, and maybe he would never have targeted baby Harry, and James and Lily might not have died. OTOH, maybe someone else like Pettigrew would have played that role instead.
RE: Angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2016-11-14 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)I am very consider myself lucky spoken with wonderful and highly talent writer as yourself :)
Yeah It not be too much surpised if Remus having crush toward Severina since she likely show more sympathy and determination help him of his beastly side.. Sadly Severina do take serious of her job and double agent that unable to allow herself open to romance for sake winning this war..
I would completely agree your thoery that her relationship with Harry Potter would be so diffcult in him and still kept as Deatheater for sake her closet heart Lily..
Just out curiously from your story Double Date. Why did Peter Pettigrew spy on Slytherin girl locker room? Is possibly Peter think Severina rather attractive to him or he a typical regular guy is pervert.
What Severina relationship with Lucius Mafloy? It not be surprised to be schoolgirl crush for her toward Lucius Mafloy since he is handsome, rich and shared in common darks art too.
Do Severina still consider Draco her favourite student and as head house of Slytherin she mostly acted as mother figure with high standards.
Just out of curiously What if Severina married Sirius Black? If they have child Which house will be? If were sort as gryffindor instead Slytherin. Do you think Sirius likely brag toward his wife Severina face who he beoverjoyed and annoyed her?
I am glad that I somehow grow inspire you of genderswap Severus Snape! I do hope you consider another sequel for this. I LOVE THAT!!
Also it very rare having fem!Severus Snape too.
Will next sequel story of another date being set up their best friends Lily and James Potter?
RE: Angelvan105
Peter: mostly I wanted to concentrate on Severina, Sirius, James, and Lily, so I needed an excuse not to have Peter and Remus around. I would say Peter was just being a perv. ;-) And maybe he rationalizes that it's okay to spy on the Slytherins because they're the "bad" House. Although I think he'd sneak a peek at the Gryffindor girls too if he ever got a chance--and if he weren't afraid that Lily would kick his ass!
Actually, I take that back. He likes being part of James's crowd, and he knows James would never forgive him if he was caught peeping on Lily, so he probably wouldn't do that. So maybe that's why he chose the Slytherin locker room.
Hmm, I never considered whether Severina might like Lucius romantically. I think it could go either way: she has a bit of a crush on him, but he doesn't think of her that way; or she thinks he's a bit too vain to be interested in him romantically, but they're friends because they admire each other's skills with the dark arts. Or maybe he and Narcissa are already dating by the time Sev arrives at Hogwarts, so she never sees him as a potential boyfriend to begin with.
If Sirius and Severina had kids, I'm sure Sev would be annoyed if they were Gryffindors (though she'd still love them--she loves Lily, after all). And Sirius would definitely gloat a bit! Though if I ever wrote a story about that, I think I'd have their child be a Hufflepuff, so both the parents could be outraged!
RE: Angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2016-11-16 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)That would be quite a laughter and very excellent
Theory story reaction as a parent from their own kid sorting in Hufflepuff! I bet everyone likely be surprised like Sirius and Severina would be. Would you might consider doing it or maybe at Christmas times?
Just out of curiously how did both families reaction of Sirius and Severina marriage and baby black heir?
Surely Regulus Black get along his sister in law Severina since both Slytherin but for his mother quilts unlikely judging of her blood status and poorness sadly but hopefully she might accepted since she FINALLY having grandchildren you think?
I am glad Lucius and Severina friendship remain good neutral. Since they both part Black family hopefully remain that ways and might be play dates for theirs kids.
Do you think Only person happy of Severina and Sirius child to be sorting in Hufflepuff is their cousin Nymphadora Tonks.?
Message me soon!
Your Biggest Fan,
Angelvan105
RE: Angelvan105
It's funny to think of Sirius and Severina's hypothetical child having playdates with Draco!
Haha, I'm sure Tonks would be thrilled! I think after the initial shock wore off, Sev and Sirius would come around and be supportive. I'm sure Severina would say, "Well, at least he (or she) didn't go into Gryffindor." ;-)
RE: Angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2016-11-19 11:14 am (UTC)(link)You always find ways to answer my question every ways to solved my curiously. Thank again.
It good to hear that Regulus seem supportive and their parents seem accepting later on since they since have next child heir.
It good things for Draco having better friend like his cousin who often having play dates for sure. I believe Draco having softer side toward cousin but same times get annoyed if his cousin have mother Severina amusing sarcastic trait.
Yeah I would totally agree with you! Tonks would be super happy about it. Severina and Sirius would be unhappy since they likely having their fight over of decoration at home of house colour of their kid get home at Christmas time that in very end as horrific SHOCK that found out neither house from them.
Yeah Severina would likely say that and also say would say remember listen rule and stay out of trouble.
Sirius would say remember disobey rule and get in trouble.
Poor kid of confusion that would be laughter!! XD
You were so incredibly patient, and amazing, creativity, and super duper awesome definitely magnificent writer and person with me.
I do hope somedqy you make a sequel liked of it but if not thank you for having to reply of my curiosity of questions and very Lovely messages from you have a very nice day.
PS if Sirius have kid is boy. Do you think later in teenagers year that would likely give him muggle bikini girl with a motorcycle poster with along bonus try annoyed his wife Severina ;)
Your Biggest Fan,
Angelvan105
RE: Angelvan105
(Anonymous) 2016-12-25 11:59 am (UTC)(link)Also my question from you that what do Severina do for her holidays? Is possible chances that she be kiss under mistletoes from Sirius that magical moment? Probably James and Lily playing Cupid.
RE: Angelvan105
Hmm, I'm not sure what Severina does for the holidays. I don't think she's the sentimental type, but she definitely would get a gift for Lily. Something she made herself like a potion or maybe a non-magical drink or perfume. She'd never wear perfume herself, but would make it if it was something Lily liked. If she's dating Sirius by this point, maybe she'd get him a helmet so he could ride the motorbike with her.
She'd never put up mistletoe herself, and would grumble about how silly the whole thing is, but secretly she wouldn't mind if she happened to get caught under it by Sirius. And yeah, I can see James and Lily setting the whole thing up!