“If were to grab Fred Weasley with my right hand and George Weasley with my left, could I restrain them both long enough to make potions ingredients?”

“If I had to choose one ridiculous Weasley to eradicate from planet earth which would it be?”

“Or who? Indeed, I can’t forget about the smug one.”

These thoughts, any many many even more colorful ones, we’re running through Severus Snapes head as he surveyed his classroom of purple second years.

Yes. Purple.

Yes. Weasleys. Always Weasleys.

Always.

Of course, this might be his last year where they were his biggest concern.

Soon the red would be joined with shaggy black and the only saving grace might be two shining, small, floating dots of green.

Floating dots of Lily.

He wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the boy. In fact, if anything he was annoyed by the frequency and intrusiveness of his dread for the rest of the boy. The spitting image of James Potter he had heard, again and again.

Still.

And so he sighed. His world was full of “still” and “always” and “never” and regret.

Still, without moving forward in any real direction of his choosing.

The boy would come either way. He would deal however he dealt. And the boy would live if only so that Lily could live, just a little.

But first. The purple. And then the red. And then. Potions ingredients. Or detention.

And then, eventually, Potter.