Ties of Friendship, Bonds of Fate

Title: Ties of Friendship, bonds of Fate

Pairings: JamesxLily and RemusxSeverus, implied AndromedaxTed

Rating: K to start but future M. Currently probably a T.

Notes: Bound to you Pre-quel. Pre-Harry Potter Era Hogwarts, Marauder era AR/AU.

 

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Chapter 27- Darks hours

 

Even with the support of Alphard, Lucius and Severus’ great-uncle Aurelius, it seemed that nothing would move Sofia Prince to give Severus and Remus more contact...

 

Severus felt as if he were truly imprisoned in a gilted cage, he wanted to escape this fancy house. He would renounce his inheritance if he could be visited by Remus or could openly owl Lily...

 

Severus wasn’t even allowed to invite James over for a visit or visit his friends, and he was still only allowed to send and receive a certain number of letters a week.

 

He ate little and buried himself in his summer homework, brewing and reading to avoid dealing with his depression.

 

His only acceptable visitors were Lucius, his great uncle and his new healer Hyrum Smythe...

 

Due to Andromeda’s elopement with her Hufflepuff, she was no longer acceptable as his healer.

 

His new healer was gruff and condescending, his aunt referred to the man as that uppity Hufflepuff.

 

Severus rarely remembered to take his potions that Andromeda and now Smythe prescribed. His eating habits had returned to their habitual sporadic nature. Not because he was refused food by an authority figure, rather it was because Severus rarely felt hunger despite the Prince elves attempts to lure him to eat.

 

Severus had become so reliant on his small group of friends that his aunt’s autocratic control had inadvertently caused his already damaged self-worth to spiral.

 

He felt that despite his academic prowess and prefect status that he had no worth, Andromeda’s recommendation that he have a Mind Healer had been ignored.

 

Not that Severus actually cared if he recovered from his years of physical, mental and emotional abuse at this point.

 

How long would his friend bother to be his friend when his guardian refused to allow them contact? Surely, they would become irritated and abandon him at some point...

 

Even Remus wouldn’t be able to accept this state of affairs for long...

 

Severus was emotionally spiralling and he couldn’t find the energy to care.

 

To admit that he was weak was outside his comfort zone and when he did eat it was nibbling on toast or something just as bland.

 

He certainly wasn’t getting adequate nutrition but he couldn’t find it in him to care...

 

XooooooX

 

The closer it came to September, the more worried Remus was...

 

Severus looked thinner when they floo called one another as well as far more tired and pale with each day that passed. Severus had also taken to sitting farther away from the hearth, his voice thin and reedy...

 

Severus had always been terribly thin but he’d gained some healthy weight due to Andromeda’s potions and diet sheet.

 

Something was wrong with his mate and Remus wasn’t welcome at Merrivale Manor, he knew that Severus needed help but his mate wasn’t the type to ask for it. Besides, that Sofia was an ice queen...

 

Remus wondered if she actually cared about Severus beyond the fact that he was the Prince heir...

 

XooooooX

 

Something was terribly wrong with Severus...

 

Lily didn’t know how she knew, she just did.

 

She knew that Andromeda wasn’t looking after his health anymore and that worried her.

 

Over the course of the summer, Severus’ letters had gotten shorter and a bit rambling.

 

She worried all the more when they stopped coming.

 

It was ridiculous that Severus’ Aunt refused to let them have adequate contact with her friend, Sev was the closest she had to a brother.

 

Despite being the youngest in her own family, Lily felt protective and almost maternal of Severus. Despite being blood, Sofia couldn’t love him or care about his needs. Lily knew it and it broke her heart.

 

This wasn’t the sort of saving that he deserved, she just wished that she knew how to help this time...

 

 

 

 

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What do you think? Outstanding? Exceeds Expectations? Acceptable? Poor? Dreadful? Troll?

I'm torn between two outcomes of Severus' current behaviour as a cry for help. What do you think is the most apparent result?