mayachain

It’s January 9th in Great Britain now! I’m posting this early since I won’t have time to do it during the day.

Title: faint silver lining of my life
Characters: Severus/Remus, Lily Evans, Narcissa Malfoy, Teddy Lupin
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1030
Summary: Three times Severus woke up to something good on his birthday.
Notes: Previous parts of the birthday!verse (written yearly since 2008)can be found at LJ or A03).

January 9th, 1978

There was a small parcel at the side of his bed when he woke up. Severus knew without sitting up to look closely at it that it was from Lily. It was her favourite wrapping paper (the one with the cauldrons), her red-green signature ribbon (“It could be left over from Christmas, come on!”), her neat wandwork that had gotten the edges just right.

Lily, who’d remembered what day it was today and had thought to get him something even though she hadn’t spoken to him in what felt like a year. He’d been convinced until just this moment that she hated him.

Dolohov stirred in the bed next to him. Despite himself, Severus’ hands were itching to rip the paper off right away, but he knew it was more prudent to employ a concealment charm for now. This way at least he’d have something to look forward to on the first birthday with no word from his Mum.

Breakfast brought with it unwanted congratulations from Professor Dumbledore but also further good news. Lucius sent him a letter from Lucius that read, Now that your time at Hogwarts is coming to an end and you have spent a year proving yourself as an adult, it is felt in certain circles that Easter would be an opportune time for your introduction – as alas it is not possible for you to leave school grounds today.

All through History of Magic he drafted and rewrote his reply. A meeting. Finally. It was a great honour he’d been hoping to merit for months, but his mind kept drifting back to where Lily’s present lay concealed.

Throughout lunch, Lupin of all people was the only Gryffindor looking at the Slytherin table. The blasted werewolf was looking between Severus and Lily while Potter, Black and Pettigrew were hogging all her attention.

Such life on her face. Had the gift even really come from her at all?

That evening he made his way to the owlery with the present stuffed into his pocket. Real or mockery, he was best served to be in a private place when opening it.

The second his affirmation to Lucius took off the ground the tiny parcel let out a heart-piercing wail and vanished in a puff of smoke.

It took a hand stuffed in his mouth and thirty deep breaths through his nose, but Severus managed not to cry.

January 9th, 1997

He didn’t know how, but the owl had found its way to the Dungeon. Severus padded over the cold floor on bare feet and picked out the near fresh brain of a mouse from his private potions ingredients.

It hooted appreciatively and stood still as Severus wandlessly unstrapped the shipment from its claws. “I need those for him,” he said when it picked the treat out of his fingers and then eyed the closed cupboard.

The owl didn’t seem to care one bit about the needs of wizards. “No,” he said sharply, but it merely cocked its head as if to question how much he valued his fingers.

There are no students to see me, he thought. With a sigh, he selected a few – in the eyes of the owl, he presumed – delicious-looking tails. “There. Now away with you!” With a look of derision he could never hope to come close to himself regardless of how hard he tried, it spread its wings and took off.

There was no note accompanying the jar of marmalade. None was necessary. There would be nettles in it, Severus knew, as well as tamped striped maple bark and a single minced leaf of a Devil’s Snare and possibly even the tiniest trace of peppermint.

He had been so very sceptical the first time he’d had it on scones.

Narcissa had always been embarrassed by all the time her mother-in-law spent in her garden. Draco had been unable to hide his devastation but Lucius had only given a tiny shake of disgust when she had gotten herself killed by her favourite plant.

Severus had always loved the nuances the old woman could bring out of oranges. It had been his secret highlight during visits at Malfoy Manor. Of course Narcissa had noticed.

The two ounces were gratitude for the vow he’d made, a thoughtful one that Severus would savour.

They were also a reminder.

January 9th, 2003

There was somebody in his bed.

Severus fought the instinct to go rigid. It wouldn’t do to alert whoever had invaded his space that he was awake. If he was about to be attacked all his wards had failed and it was already too late to reach for his wand.

He batted hard against the cobwebs of a dream clinging to his mind. Nobody ought to be out to get him in his sleep. The war, both wars, had been over for some time. Hadn’t they?

There were two somebodies in his bed, Severus concluded after he’d had some time to breathe and listen. One of them was Remus, which was all well and good. That was as it had been yesterday morning and as it would hopefully be for many more mornings to come. It was the other presence that –

The intruder shifted. A small hand was flung in Severus’ face.

Oh.

Carefully, he lifted himself up from the mattress and prodded Teddy’s arm to a less dangerous location. The boy and the grown man were both dead to the world. A glance at the window revealed that it was at least an hour yet before dawn.

Far too early to begin thinking about breakfast.

Severus lay back down and closed his eyes. He was too awake now to resume the dream he’d had - some nonsense about a lake and a broom – but reality was more pleasant in any case. There was no war. There were no classes he had to teach. Their guests were not expected before the afternoon. Unless he tried too hard, he might be able to drift in and out of sleep to the soft snores of his werewolf and his son.

.