IN ANOTHER LIFE (James Potter x Severus Snape)

Chapter 9 - Research and First Year End Term

The grand Hogwarts library had become a sanctuary for Serena Snape. The musty scent of old parchment, the whispers of knowledge waiting to be discovered, and the comfort of solitude were all things she craved. Even as she was Severus, the library was a place that couldn't be breached by his old tormentors. It was a place where she could be herself without the pretense of being someone else.

Tonight was no different. Except for one thing. The seat across from her at the long wooden table was not empty. It was occupied by Lucius Malfoy. The third-year student with icy blue eyes and such elegance that it could rival the beauty of a Veela. His long, pale blonde hair perfectly arranged, catching the light from the floating candles above them.

"Serena," he drawled, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "You have been working too hard."

"Knowledge is power, Lucius." Serena replied, not lifting her gaze from her parchment but her lips curled into a slight smirk. She remembered saying those words, she remembered being on the receiving end of those words, in another life.

Lucius chuckled lightly, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "Indeed it is. But even the most powerful need rest."

Serena finally looked up from her parchment, meeting his gaze. There was a sense of understanding there, a quiet acknowledgement of who they were. Both Omegas, both hiding their true selves beneath a facade of strength and indifference.

She sighed and stretched, her small frame appearing even smaller in the cavernous library. "Perhaps you're right."

Before she could gather her things, Lucius stood and rounded the table, offering a hand to her. "Allow me to escort you, Serena."

His offer was genuine, a sign of the friendship that had developed over the past few months. Serena smiled, a soft, genuine smile, and accepted his hand, allowing him to help her pack her things into her bag.

As they exited the library, the corridors of Hogwarts seemed quieter, more peaceful. They walked in silence, the only sound echoing through the hallways was their synchronized footsteps. Serena knew that Lucius was different. Not the man she remembered from her past life, but a boy who was just trying to navigate the world, just like her.

~~~

Serena sat in the Slytherin common room, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames in the fireplace. Her mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of the Marauders. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. They were just children, really, enjoying their first year at Hogwarts. But to Serena, they were a reminder of her past life, of the pain and heartache she had endured.

She had noticed that James was gradually paying less attention to her. His focus had shifted to his friends, to the pranks they pulled on the students and professors. Serena wasn't surprised. She remembered how the Marauders had been in her past life, how they had reveled in their mischief and mayhem.

Sometimes, she found it hard to reconcile the image of the Marauders as they were now with the image of them in her past life. They were still so young, so innocent. They had yet to experience the horrors of war, the loss of loved ones. They were still full of life, full of laughter.

But Serena was burdened with the knowledge of the future, with the weight of her past. She knew what was to come, what these children would face. And it pained her, filled her with a sense of dread and helplessness.

She wasn't complaining, though. In fact, she was relieved that James was paying less attention to her. She didn't need his attention, his attempts to get closer to her. She had enough on her plate as it was. Though sometimes, James would pop out of nowhere like a house elf and try his luck once again. But Serena would always shut him down.