Chapter Text
Running between platforms nine and ten, you just barely made it to the Hogwarts Express as you watched the steam of the engine cloud the air above. It was ready to depart with determination, but you weren’t so sure you were ready to join it. You’d been at Hogwarts for three years now, mostly keeping to yourself and didn’t mind the fact that you didn’t talk to many people. You were a proud Gryffindor and had made the quidditch team as a chaser last year. Besides flying a broom, you really enjoyed a good book. You’d in fact, made it your goal to read every book in the library by the time you graduated. But despite your success in quidditch and your ambitious goals, sometimes you wished you had someone to talk to, to confide in, to trust. Year 4 would be different, you told yourself, you would try and talk to more people, let more people in.
Lugging your bag onto the train, you squeezed passed the other late arrivals and as you peered around, it seemed like every compartment was packed. Making your way to the end of the train, you looked for an empty seat and finally found a compartment that only contained one other person. You recognized him as the Slytherin boy with the long dark hair that seemed to have some sort of rivalry with a few of your housemates. Hesitating for a moment, you opened the door, hoping he wouldn’t immediately kick you out. As a Gryffindor, you didn’t think he would welcome you, but you decided to take your chances. When you’d opened the compartment door, just enough for him to notice, he looked up from his book and frowned.
“E-Everywhere else is full,” you commented “C-can I sit here?”
“Fine” he grunted coldly before burying his face back into his book, clearly disapproving of your abrupt entrance.
You pulled a book of your own out of your luggage before putting it away in the overhead compartment above your seat. Taking one last nervous glance at the raven-haired boy, you settled yourself down across from him and opened your book, loosing yourself in the words of the page. An hour passes by and neither of you had said a word to one another. You’d considered making some sort of notion to introduce yourself, but you felt so awkward. He already wasn’t happy with your presence, so how would he react to you trying to initiate a conversation? Putting down your book, you stared out the window admiring the view. Nervously, you twiddled with your thumbs debating on how you could possibly try and talk to the boy sitting across from you. You had promised yourself you’d be more approachable this year, so why not start now?
Guessing you were rightfully placed into Gryffindor as you’d decided on gathering your courage to talk to him. But before you could say a word, he spoke first.
“Why are you staring at me?” He didn’t take his eyes off his book, but his voice gave you the impression that he was annoyed.
“I just-umm… (Y/N). My name is (Y/N) (Y/L/N),” you didn’t know what to say. “Y-you’re Severus Snape, right?” He finally looked up from his book, allowing you to peer into the coldest eyes you had ever seen.
“Look I don’t know what you and your other Gryffindor mates are playing at, but I don’t care. Just leave me alone.” With that, he went back to his book, leaving you with a small frown on your face.
His words took you back. The first person you try and befriend, and he responds with such a harsh attitude.
“We aren’t all the same, you know,” you whispered, looking at the ground in dismay. “I was only trying to be nice.”
You quickly got up and left the compartment, not wanting him to see the disappointment in your face. You started walking down towards the front of the train until you were meet with the trolley.
“Anything off the trolley dear?” you were about to reply with a kind no, but you paused and thought for a second.
“Yeah, two chocolate frogs please,” you said. The woman handed you two frogs as you gave her some coins in exchange. Slowly, you made your way back to the compartment looking down at the two frogs you just bought. Why did you get two? He isn’t going to want one.
When you opened the compartment door, you saw Severus in the same position you left him in; nose in his book. Nervously, you walked towards him and tried to hand him one of the chocolate frogs in your hand, extending your arm to him.
“Peace offering,” you said, but he didn’t budge. “Come on Severus, I bought it for you,” you urged him, lightly shaking the blue box in your hand. When he still showed no sign of movement, you placed the chocolate frog beside him and sat down in your seat to eat your own.
Struggling a little to open the wrapping, you tore at it with all your might, causing the frog to jump onto the window. Slamming your hand where he’d landed, you hoped to catch him before he leaped again, but the frog jumped once more, landing onto the book Severus had in his hands. He grabbed it and put down his book, clearly having enough of your shenanigans. You stared at him, cheeks tinting pink, trying to find words to apologize for interrupting him again, but your mind went blank when you stared into those harsh black eyes of his. He hesitantly handed you the frog and continued to stare at you as you took your seat while whispering a small thank you.
“Why are you being nice to me?” he asked suddenly. You froze for a moment before replying, his question taking you by surprise.
“Well, maybe I want to be friends,” you said as you began to eat your frog. Severus narrowed his eyes as he examined you, trying to determine how truthful you were being to him.
“Why do you want to be friends with me? I’m a Slytherin. You are a Gryffindor. We would be… Incompatible.”
“Like I said, we aren’t all the same us Gryffindors. As I imagine you Slytherins aren’t all the same,” you finished up your chocolate frog and picked up the card that came with the package. As you were reading it, you saw Severus picked up the chocolate frog you gave him out of the corner of your eye. He cautiously unwrapped it and quickly grabbed the frog. Unlike yours, his frog did not escape his grasp as he tightened his long fingers around the chocolate treat. You smiled at him in satisfaction as you watched him take a bit.
“So. Does this mean we’re friends now?” you were feeling a lot more confident now that he’d accepted your peace offering, hoping that this meant he’d accepted your advances in becoming friends.
He scoffed in response as he peered out the window, continuing to make his way through the snack in his hand. He didn’t know what to think of you. How is it possible that a Gryffindor was being kind to him after so many of them had treated him like filth? Unless it was all some sort of trick. A messily prank Potter and his dipodic friends were playing on him, sending you in here to pretend to befriend him.
He took out his chocolate frog card and handed it to you.
“You can keep that,” you said, afraid he thought he owed you something.
“I don’t collect them. You can have it.”
You took the card from his hand and thanked him. Well, you did it, you thought to yourself. You made a friend.