Slytherin dormitory, 25 September 1973.

Uncertain times are approaching, a big twist with a slight touch of luck. Tarot cards scattered on the bed and some open books on astronomy and divination. Severus closes his eyes and ponders the new information.

The school year had barely started and many events came to light. Severus has been trying to strengthen himself, but it still seems to be insufficient and time is ticking by.

Clearing his mind of his worries, he enters a meditative trance state. That landscape has become easier to access and within minutes the event becomes clear in your consciousness.

A beautiful sight to 'look' at. An irregularly shaped nebula, yellow in color and surrounded by an endless void.

Although they taught astronomy at Hogwarts, the subject studied is the effect of celestial bodies on rituals, potions, and magic. He had never heard the term 'Nebula'.

Not that it mattered to know the correct term for what it resembles, the phenomenon that was taking place now had a connection with the mind and the problem was...

Severus didn't know what to do in that place, he didn't have a body and couldn't interact with anything. Not to mention that getting out of that state is very easy, A little slip in emotions and I would wake up from the 'dream'.

Without resources, he studies a curiosity about it.

Unlike a normal dream, awareness of it would not completely disconnect from the outside world.

He can feel the soft bed he is sitting on, the usual cold of the Slytherin dungeons, and the touch of her robes against his skin.

The sharper the image of the nebula, the easier it is to feel the connection to your real body.

That's why he had a new goal...

Moving around in the real world while maintaining that state of concentration.

Getting up slowly from the bed and with eyes closed.

He manages to move for a brief two seconds before the emotions waver and is kicked out. Make no mistake, Severus is a master at controlling emotions and his talent in occlumency is proof. But that's on a totally unreal level.

An example would be...

The mind of a person who does not know occlumency is like a rough sea. Uncontrolled and volatile.

On the other hand, the master of occlumency would be like a lake of calm waters. Control and clarity.

But the truth is that even this calm lake would have small ripples. After all, occlumency doesn't change your humanity. You can control the emotions, but there will always be little uncontrollable echoes.

If he wanted to maintain this state, he would have to control his emotions to a level not possible under normal conditions.

Even in the face of difficulties, the young Slytherin felt compelled not to give up. No book reported that phenomenon and Severus felt that something good would come of it.

...

Students left the classroom while talking. The transfiguration class was over and now they would have a little free time to rest. Severus and Lily agreed to meet later and said goodbye.

The two hadn't talked about the events in the astronomy tower. He could feel Lily's hesitation, she seemed to care a lot about their friendship and was afraid they'd try something that could screw it up.

But one thing is true, Lily no longer wanted to be just friends with Severus and seemed unsure how to proceed. She wanted to feel the same feeling that night, feel his hugs and touches.

What would her kiss be like? She couldn't help but wonder. Would she like that? It seemed so, if just imagining such a scene aroused something that would be inappropriate for a lady to feel.

Pandora's box was opened and they couldn't go back to being the way they were.

Sitting at the table in the main hall and enjoying a meal, Severus meditates on his actions.

Soon he would make Lily his, only the opportunity had not presented itself. There is no need to despair and when the time came he would press the next step.

Wing sounds were heard in the hall, the owls arrived. A package was left in front of Severus with a symbol of a clan of goblins.

Severus' lips lift with the news, he takes the package and goes to a private location. He didn't want onlookers watching him.

...

Ripping the wrapping from the box, he opens it and checks the items. The first time he visited Gringotts he had left Turg a search task and the goblin didn't seem to have let him down.

Taking some items in his hands, Severus looks like a child who has just received his favorite candy.

Various protective equipment from the manufacture of experimental potions and rare ingredients.

Potions experimentation is a risky practice, many wizards and witches throughout the ages have lost their lives trying. But Severus has something those wizards didn't have.

A look of determination flashes in Severus' eyes. The risks would be almost non-existent, taking the proper precautions he would be safe. His foreknowledge and foresight are like a danger detector. And when he needed to protect himself, he would activate the protective equipment.

Other wizards didn't have that convenience and would be caught off guard by exploding cauldrons. With the anticipation of the event and the right equipment, the risks are unlikely. Severus would make the most of his genius in potions.

Deciding to concentrate on that later, he takes the materials and ingredients to the Room of Requirements. He would keep his new belongings in the lost and found, it was too risky to leave them in his dorm.

That done, he heads towards the usual rendezvous point with Lily. Today they would meet up with Remus again and spend an afternoon talking.

If all went well, he would start his new experiments today.

...

Hogwarts Outdoor Courtyard, September 25, 1973.

Sitting on a stone bench, a piece of parchment is placed on a table. A group of 3 students chats, and they were James, Sirius, and Petter.

"This is so frustrating, this map thing is being more complicated than I anticipated," Sirius says as he pulls his hair in frustration.

Not wanting to give up, James says, "Stop complaining, Padfoot. We're only halfway there and we're not going to give up."

"Arghh, even so! It's still pretty boring. Did you read the instructions correctly, Wormtail? I didn't have much patience for studying." asks Sirius.

Petter grudgingly replies, "Yes, I read the book twice this week."

"But now be serious! Why did Moony have to leave us right now? Where did he go?" Sirius asks.

A strange gleam appeared in James' eyes before replying, "He's gone to meet Evans and Snvillus. Hopefully, he'll put some sense into her head and make her realize how disgusting that snake is."

"Ohh? He really became friends with Evans, huh?" Sirius said. "Prongs, I know you won't like to hear it..."

James interrupts Sirius knowing what it was, "Don't even start Padfoot!"

"Well, I was just going to tell you the truth! I don't understand Evans's head, but the clues are considerable," explained Sirius.

James vehemently denied, "Don't give me that! That night was nothing and they were just talking."

"Talking, huh? Well... I've had a lot of 'talks' with a lot of girls in that tower," he said with Sirius in a mischievous tone. "Evans was found alone with Sniv there and that's pretty suspicious."

Petter grew somber when Sirius said about the 'talks', he couldn't help but imagine Mia.

James exploded in anger, "How absurd! Evans would never see Snivillus like that! I'm much more attractive, rich, and funny than that nasty snake."

Sirius shrugs and says, "Well I'm just stating the facts, a girl alone late at night with another guy is pretty easy to understand."

Wincing, James replied, "Evans isn't like that! Those were just conversations and you know it."

"If you say so," said Sirius in disbelief.

James' heart at that time tightened, he muttered to himself convincing himself. "Conversations, were just conversations..."

Little did the marauder know that Lily was totally surrendered to the half-blood prince's charms.