I kept the letter hidden for the rest of the night. I was scared of how my parents might react, and even more than that, of how I knew Tuney would react. She would call me a freak. She would shun me for the rest of my life.
The next day, I woke up at five thirty a.m., before anyone else was awake. On a Sunday morning, my parents would sleep for three more hours. And, if I was lucky, so would Tuney. Throwing on a simple outfit and a light jacket, I stepped outside into the cool morning air. I began the walk to Spinner's End as a leisurely stroll, but before long the eagerness to learn who, or what, I really was and the fear of my parents waking up while I was gone became overwhelming, and I ran the last third of the way.
The door of the sad, misshapen little house creaked open to reveal a tall woman peering down at me. Her hair was drawn back from her face in a sloppy bun, and it was apparent she had been busy doing housework, even in the early hours of the morning.
"Are you a friend of Severus's?" she questioned.
Not really. "Yes ma'am," I told her.
She nodded and turned back to the house. "Sev? " I heard her call as she marched down the hall, leaving me standing awkwardly on the porch. She hadn't invited me inside, as most people would have. But I knew to mind my manners and not to walk into a house uninvited, so I stayed put.
"Severus Snape, you get out here this minute and come greet your guest!"
A moment later, she returned to the door, a half-awake Severus trailing behind her. As he saw me, the sleepy look in his eyes turned to a look of surprise, then one of terror. I suppose our last meeting had been less than pleasant...
"Why don't you come inside, dear-"
"No," Severus interrupted his mother. His tone was more severe than he had intended, and Mrs. Snape shrinked back. He winced. "I mean, we'll go outside. It's more fun outside, right, Lily?"
I nodded slowly, and Severus stepped out onto the porch. His mother disappeared back into the house, closing the door behind her. Then Severus turned back to me.
"What do you want?" he demanded.
"You were right," I said quietly. His face softened.
"About...?"
"That I'm... I'm a witch," I reminded him.
He glanced behind him as if to see whether anyone was watching. I resisted the urge to remind him that it was Sunday morning and no one was awake yet.
"Come with me." He took my hand and led me down the cobblestone street and into the wooded area along the riverbank at the edge of his town. We trekked through the forest, meandering through the dense trees until we reached an open clearing. The trees had dispersed around the hollow, completely vanishing when they reached the side closest to the river. Tall willows hung over the area, and the water, although altered ever so slightly by the mud of the banks, was primarily a deep shade of sapphire.
I drew in a breath and looked to Severus. "What is this place?"
He shrugged. "My hideout." Another dismissive response. This Snape boy wasn't the most talkative character. "Come on, sit with me."
At this he pulled me into the shade under a willow's branches and dropped to the ground. I dusted off a spot next to him and sat.
"Well? What do you want to know?" he asked.
"What do I want to know?" I leapt back to my feet. "I'll tell you what I want to know. I want to know what I am. I want to know what that letter means. I want to know why I'm a witch, why you're a wizard, why Tuney's not, and how you're so sure. I want to know what sort of nut job wizard would choose to name a school, of all things, after a skin affliction of pigs, I want to know-"
"Stop it! I'll tell you! I was looking for a bit more general of an explanation, but whatever suits your fancy, I s'pose," he huffed.
I sat back down. "Fine then. Tell me."