You wandered through the halls after curfew, Severus had left you and you had no idea how to get back to your common room. The halls were dark and scary and you weren't fond of the dark to begin with. You took a few flights of stairs trying to find your way to your common room without getting caught. Looking around you realized you somehow managed to make it to the dungeons. You tried to find the stairs to go back up but you heard a noise so you ran in the opposite direction. You heard a door slam and you hid around a corner. There was a hideous laugh that made you shiver. You clamped your hand over your mouth to keep yourself from breathing too heavily. A couple tears rolled down your cheeks.

"Ah, hahaha!" You hear it again, it sounded closer.

"Hmm, hmm." You tried to stop your sobs from coming out then the door across from you slammed shut and you couldn't contain the scream that left your mouth. You sunk to the floor and pulled your knees to your chest and covered your ears.

"ENOUGH!" You heard someone yell. You didn't dare look up or uncover your ears. "Get out of here Peeves or so help me I will get nearly headless Nick!" You hadn't even opened your eyes yet and you felt two hands wrap around your wrist encouraging you to let go of your ears.

"Hey, it's okay he's gone. You're safe." You slowly dropped your hands to see Severus kneeling in front of you. You were choking on your own sobs, now you weren't just scared you were also embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I'm, I'm s-sorry." You stammered. You didn't think you just wrapped your arms around his neck and pushed your face into his chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't cry, everything is okay. What are you even doing down here?" He asked, smoothing out your hair with his hand. It was such a sweet and gentle gesture, if you weren't so scared it would have melted your heart.

"I got, I got." You were breathing heavily and couldn't seem to catch your breath.

"Look at me, hey, hey." He cupped your face and looked into your eyes. "Breath, take a breath. Stop this infernal crying, you are safe!" You put your hands over his and calmed your breathing. You had unconsciously scooted closer to him so you were laying against his chest. His strong and steady heartbeat calmed you.

"Sev." You sniffled, rubbing your hand up and down his arm.

"Take your time, breathe." He soothed.

"I got lost. I tried to find my way back to the c-common room but I heard a noise and ran the other way. What, was that?" You grabbed his shirt trying to stay close to him. You looked around the dungeon as if you were waiting for Peeves to return.

"That was Peeves, he's a ghost, a poltergeist to be exact. He's an asshole." Severus explained as he mindlessly petted your hair.

"I hate walking here in the dark. I still d-don't know my way ar-round." You sniffed back tears.

"Take your time and catch your breath then I'll take you to your common room." There wasn't a lot of emotion in his voice there never was. Your head was resting under his chin so his head was on top of yours.

"Thank you... Thank you for being here." You yawned. Between classes, the night's events and not eating you were exhausted. Your eyes were heavy but you fought to stay awake and the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat didn't help.

"Stay awake, I need to get you to your common room." Severus nudged you awake then picked you up and placed you on your feet.

"What if he comes back?" You shivered as you looked down the dark hallway once again.

"He won't and if he does I'm right here." Severus answered. "Come on." He led you up the stairs to where the fat lady stood.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't show up to save me." You didn't look him in the eyes, still feeling silly.

"You're welcome. Go to bed, we have classes tomorrow and I don't need you messing up in potions class." He dismissed you and walked back down the stairs. You stared at his back as he left. You couldn't deny, you had a crush on him. A little smile met your lips as you spoke the password and entered your common room. You tried to sneak past the common room to your dorm room but you were stopped when a lamp in all four corners of the room turned on.

"Where were you?" James asked, legs crossed sitting in the chair.

"It's past curfew, munchkin." Sirius added, sitting in the corner adjacent from James.

"Why didn't you come to dinner?" Remus continued in the other corner.

"Yeah." Was all Peter said.

"I was just trying to learn my way around the castle and I got lost. I ended up in the dungeon and Peeves was messing with me." It wasn't exactly a lie, you weren't sure if you should mention Severus yet. You knew they didn't want you hanging with Severus but if you wanted to hangout with him you would. It was your life and you weren't going to let your brother run it.

"We were about to go out looking for you. How did you find your way back?" Remus asked.

"One of the slytherins brought me back."

"Who?" James uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.

"I don't know their name and it doesn't matter. Can I go to bed? I'm tired." You rolled your eyes

"Let her go, we have classes tomorrow." Remus sighed.

"Alright, goodnight." James agreed. You walked past all of them to your dorm room.

You quickly changed out of your robes and got into bed. You spent a lot of time thinking about Severus, his dark brown eyes, almost black. His large hooked nose that fit his face gorgeously and slightly curly black hair that laid just below his ears. So mysterious and cold but also warm and welcoming at times. He was very hard to read but at times it seemed like he could read you like an opened book even though you had just met. He knew things about you that even your brother didn't know. Maybe he just understood you, maybe he was like you.

*******************************

The next morning at breakfast you sat with James and his friends of course. Your eyes roamed the great hall searching for Severus but you didn't see him. You knew where he was, sitting by that tree like always.

"Hey I forgot something in my dorm, I'll see you in potions." You stood from your chair grabbing a muffin and a banana.

"Alright see you there munchkin." Sirius nodded as the rest stuffered their faces. You went out to the tree by the black lake where you weren't surprised to see Severus sitting with a book in hand. You slowly kneeled next to him, his eyes never leaving the pages.

"Severus."

"Hm?" He mumbled.

"Here." You timidly held out the muffin and the banana

"What's this?" He raised an eyebrow and took them.

"You didn't come to breakfast. You need to eat, I can't have my potions partner getting sick." You smiled. He analyzed the food as if he was looking for something specific.

"What did you do to it?" He looked you dead in the eyes as he waited for your response.

"Nothing, I didn't see you in the great hall and... I didn't want you to be hungry." You confessed.

"What have you eaten?" He asked just as seriously.

"I had some pancakes and."

"Do not, lie to me Y/N. What have you eaten?" He asked again.

"I wasn't hungry." You looked away.

"Y/N. Your stomach is always growling, you are too thin for your age and you have not had a meal since you got here. You're so worried about me eating when you haven't been eating yourself." He scolded.

"You don't know me. You don't know me because that is not true. I have eaten."

"You can lie to your brother and his idiot friends and you can lie to yourself but you cannot lie to me." He raised his voice.

"Eat it or don't I don't care what you do." You tried to stand but he grabbed your wrist.

"Wait. Sit, please." You looked at the castle then back to Severus.

"Fine." You sighed.

"Here." He split the banana and the muffin in half and handed it to you.

"I really shouldn't."

"I will not judge you for eating. You shouldn't let what others think stop you from providing yourself with necessities." He cut you off.

"How do you know so much?"

"I just do." There was a long moment of silence before you spoke.

"I want to ask you something."

"I thought we were done with 20 questions." He smirked, to which you nudged him with your elbow.

"No, this is serious."

"I won't tell you what I saw in the mirror."

"Not that. When I first got here my brother and his friends told me to stay away from you. Then they introduced me to someone who said they were your friend. Her name is Lily. She told me something and I don't believe it. I want your side of the story." You explained.

"What did she tell you?" He rested his back against the tree.

"She said that you called her a mudblood for no reason. She made it sound like you just wanted to hurt her. Is that true?"

"... I did call her a mudblood and no she did not deserve it. But it was not said to hurt her, I didn't even say it on purpose. I don't think you're ready to hear about this, I don't want to disappoint you."

"Why would I be disappointed in you? You said you didn't want to hurt her."

"Not disappointed in me... I know how much you look up to your brother and his friends. I don't want to ruin that for you, or have you think I'm trying to pin you against him." He clarified.

"What does this have to do with them?"

"Hm. Your brother and his friends have never liked me. Not even my first year. I thought perhaps it was because I was in Slytherin or maybe there was something wrong with me but I still don't know for sure. Perhaps it's because your brother has been in love with Lily since first year and she was my best friend. Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. The point is your brother and his friends have bullied me mercilessly. Calling me names, casting spells and hexing me. Lily had promised she would talk to him, she agreed that she would hang out with him if he would leave me alone. I trusted her but she was and still is too blinded by her affections for him. She didn't notice or maybe she didn't care that he was still bullying me and to add insult to injury I never got to see her because she was always with him." You listened intently, latching on to every word.

"What did they do?" You asked.

"That particular day I was sitting under a tree, the one right over there." He pointed to the tree just off to the left. "Your brother came up and started saying things, I can't remember what all was said. Then he shot my wand from my hand and used a spell to hang me in the air by my feet.... Then he pulled my pants down and um.. Lily was there and she tried to defend him saying it was just a bit of fun and they didn't mean it. I was embarrassed, violated and hearing her say that.. I felt betrayed, I thought she cared about me, turns out I was wrong. My anger got the better of me and I called her a mudblood. I knew my mistake the moment the word left my lips, I tried to apologize. I did everything I could but she wouldn't hear it. Part of me thinks she had been looking for a reason to leave and I gave it to her." His eyes never met yours, he just stared up into the tree branches.

"My brother is a bully, he bullies you? You should've told me."

"Him and his friends are the only people I ever see you with. I didn't want to hurt you, I didn't want you to end up with no one like me... I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."

"I am not alone, I can make other friends.. I have you, you're not alone because you have me whether you like it or not."

"Don't pity me. It's not your place to fix your brother's misdeeds." He scoffed.

"I am not pitying you. James can fix his own misdeeds. I am not his mother. If he's going to fix them he needs to mean it. I'm here because you are a good person. The only person who has taken the time to get to know me, to observe me, call me out on my bullshit. My brother hasn't even noticed because I'm not his top priority. Above all you care more about my well being than my feelings. You're not afraid to hurt my feelings if I'm doing something I shouldn't be... You've known me for less than a week and somehow you know me better than anyone. You don't do those things unless you care for someone, deny it all you want. I see through you the same way you see through me." You scolded. "You have been here for me, I want to be here for you. Which means I will be calling you out on your bullshit the same way as you do for me. So shut up and eat." You pointed to the muffin. He raised an eyebrow at you.

"You first." You smirked and took a bite, after you swallowed he did the same.

"I don't want to be around my brother if he's going to keep bullying you. I hate bullies and I can't be around them if that's the type of people they are. I want to ask them to leave you alone. If they do then it'll be good for both of us, but if they don't then I'd rather just have you." You leaned back against the tree, your shoulder touching his.

"You were bullied in your other school." He observed.

"Why do you think I don't eat anymore? I was a little overweight back then and I don't have the best looks. I was constantly called fat, people would make pig noises at me when I ate. Called me ugly and lots of other things."

"I can assure you none of those are true. Don't pay any mind to those imbeciles, they aren't worth the energy you waste worrying about what they think." He turns to you, looking in your eyes seriously. "Did you like the way you looked before, were you happy?"

"I was." You nodded.

"Then don't let what they think stop you. Do what makes you happy."

"You're a good friend Severus."

*********************

We're getting somewhere. Let me know what you think