Marcus's House, England – Morning, July 4th, 1975
Severus' POV
What a damn headache —that was the first thing Severus thought when he woke up. Dazed, he looked around the unfamiliar room: warm, dim… Where the hell am I? he wondered, reaching for his wand on the bed. And what the hell happened last night?
The last thing he remembered was meeting a boy named Marcus in the library. The schedule had ended, the library was about to close, and it was raining. Then he remembered being pulled into an alley and suddenly appearing at Marcus's house.
Marcus's house. Severus sighed in relief. Everything was fine—until the memory of last night's kiss hit him, and his mood sank.
Hearing sounds coming from downstairs, Severus left the room and walked down the stairs, still wearing the clothes Marcus had lent him —a white sweater and black trousers. Each step reminded him of Marcus's closeness the night before; his heart beat a little faster, and an uncomfortable warmth rose from his chest.
Marcus was in the kitchen when he saw him, moving naturally as he prepared eggs, toast, and coffee.
"Good morning," Marcus said with his usual confident smile. "And how did the sweet princess wake up?"
Severus frowned, trying to maintain his usual cold composure and ignore the joke.
"Good morning to you too, Marcus. I'm fine," he replied with a touch of indifference, though inside his mind couldn't stop replaying the kiss.
The silence that followed was heavy, loaded with tension that neither wanted to mention. Every gesture, every glance, seemed full of meaning. Severus sat at the table, and Marcus handed him a plate, smiling lightly as if nothing had happened—but the brush of their hands left Severus uneasy.
"Would you like some coffee?" Marcus asked, his voice low and steady.
Severus nodded, taking the cup. The warmth of the liquid in his hands only deepened his discomfort. They began to eat in silence, the clinking of cutlery and the crackle of toast filling the room, while thoughts of the previous night mixed with every trivial motion.
Finally, Marcus broke the silence with a casual remark:"Severus… have you ever thought about making a lot of money?"
Severus looked at him, surprised and alert."What are you talking about?" he asked, curiosity mixed with distrust.
Marcus leaned in slightly, lowering his voice as if sharing a dangerous secret."Using Felix Felicis—Liquid Luck—to gamble and win the Muggle lottery."
Severus frowned, half confused, half amused."And how do you plan to keep anyone from finding out? Isn't that illegal?"
Marcus let out a low chuckle, tilting his head."We can use Polyjuice Potion or some disguise spell to appear as different people. Come on, Snape—it's a perfect chance to make quick money with little risk."
Severus hesitated."Come on, Severus, I know you need the money—to get away, or for whatever plan you're hiding."
Severus stared at Marcus, still uncomfortable about the kiss from the night before, then finally nodded."Fine, I'm in—but I want half."
"Deal," Marcus said.
After breakfast, Marcus appeared wearing a leather jacket over his white sweater. Severus adjusted his borrowed jacket, still feeling the fabric wrapping around his thin frame and the lingering scent that reminded him of Marcus—the kiss, the closeness.
When Severus took his hand, Marcus apparated them to an alley near the library. The dizziness from the apparition made Severus grip Marcus's arm slightly, and a familiar warmth ran down his back. Then they both walked toward the bus stop, each step filled with charged silences, quick glances, and small smiles that hid more than they revealed.
As they walked, Marcus continued talking about his plan, his tone shifting between intriguing and provocative:"If we do this right, Severus, we can completely change our lives. We just have to be careful. The luck potion doesn't last forever, but if we calculate it right, we can make it last as long as we need."
Just as they reached the station, a bus was about to leave.
As they got on, Severus looked at Marcus—not just evaluating the logic of his words, but also aware of Marcus's proximity and the effect it had on him."So… why do you want me to be part of this?" he asked quietly, his voice thick with tension and unease.
"Because I don't know anyone better at potions than you," Marcus replied with a teasing smile. "But first, let's see how theory works in practice."
Fifteen minutes later, after getting off the bus in Cokeworth, they walked through the park and ran into Lily. She looked directly at Severus, a mix of surprise and confusion in her expression.
"Sev… who's that?" she asked, frowning slightly, curiosity bubbling inside her.
Marcus gave a polite bow, his confident smile giving the impression of someone who always stayed in control."Hello, Lily. I'm Marcus Venator. A pleasure," he said smoothly, then turned to Severus. "See you later, Snape."
Before Severus could respond, Marcus vanished with the sound of an apparition spell, leaving Severus standing there, feeling an odd emptiness as Lily watched him carefully, analyzing the scene.
"So… who was that?" she finally asked, trying to sound calm.
Severus looked down, adjusting his sweater, and muttered,"Someone… you should be careful with," he said, unable to shake the lingering warmth and unease Marcus left behind.
Lily thought for a few seconds, watching Severus closely. There was something about that stranger that disturbed the rhythm of Sev's world, and she couldn't help but wonder what role Marcus would play in her best friend's life.