Chapter Two

Dear Evan,

I hope this letter finds you well. Thank you for writing to us. We are glad to hear you are well and are studying hard.

Your mother and I were wondering if you would like to return home for the weekend for a short visit. You have been missed greatly, of course. I'm sure you are eagerly awaiting the conclusion of your final year at Hogwarts.

Please be in touch shortly and let us know of your plans.

Love,

Father

Evan tried not to roll his eyes. His father was always so formal, at least and most especially in writing. While he had never insisted on being called "Father," he always signed his correspondence in that manner. He loved his dad and mum very much; there could be no doubt of that, but other parents never requested their children to come home for frequent weekend visits.

This is a Hogsmeade weekend, too, thought Evan, frowning in much the same manner as his father. I was hoping to ask Hermione to the Three Broomsticks.

Sitting on his bed in the dormitory, Evan glanced up and noticed his reflection in the mirror across the room. Much to his dismay, his teachers were always comparing him to his parents, especially his father. He didn't think much about physical appearance, but the girls often told him that he was attractive. He didn't see it, but the truth was that his features were a nice blend of both of his parents.

He would never be as tall as his dad, but his body was lean and wiry like his father's. His hair was as deep black as Severus's hair, although he kept it to his chin instead of as long as his dad's. He didn't need to be confused with his father more than he already was from behind, and teachers like McGonagall who had taught Severus had sometimes called him by the wrong name, which he didn't like much.

His eyes were vibrant green, and his face was more pleasing to the eye because of Lily's gentle features. He thought he might be sick if he heard that he had his mum's eyes one more time.

His life was uncomplicated and easy, but the thing was, that was why he felt like he had much to live up to, which, in turn, paradoxically complicated matters. His parents were vastly famous for their role in the war before his birth, and while his granddad had actually killed the infamous Voldemort, his parents had been key players in helping to bring the Dark wizard to his grisly end. That left some big shoes to fill for Evan, and no matter how smart he was, how popular he was with the girls, or how good he was at playing Keeper for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, there was something smothering about having parents like his.

He loved them, yes, but sometimes he wished they were just… normal. Hearing tales of their exploits during the war and of their more recent discoveries and successes as a Healer and an Unspeakable had grown old long ago, and by now, at eighteen years old, Evan thought such stories as ancient as Merlin.

With a sigh, he picked up his quill and wrote a hasty reply.

Hi, Dad,

Yes, I'll come home this weekend, but I'd like to stay Friday night at Hogwarts if that's all right with you. See you Saturday morning, then.

Love,

Evan

He smirked, self-satisfied that he had called "Father" "Dad" and that his letter was short and informal. Attaching the letter to his pet owl's talon, he said, "Take this to Mum and Dad, Hermes."

Yes, Evan had named his owl for Hermione, the girl he was crushing after, not because Hermes was the Greek messenger god.

x x x x x

Severus returned home from work that evening to find the house still empty. Before leaving that morning, he had penned a letter to Evan, requesting a visit this upcoming weekend, thinking that it would help pave the way to a possible conversation and make Lily happy. They hadn't parted on good terms that morning, and while Severus couldn't blame her for being upset and frustrated, he didn't think she could ever fully grasp the depth and magnitude of his darkest, most troublesome issues. He had kept them buried in the graveyard of recesses in his mind, where no one would dare go unless they wished to end up buried there as well. Graveyards were for the dead, and it was better to leave the dead alone than to meddle with what had passed beyond the realm of the living.

Severus's first life and death were to be left there, forgotten. It was better that way, he tried to convince himself.

Then why had he written to Evan, inviting him home for a possible conversation? Did he truly think he could talk about all this? Confused, frustrated, and growing more irritated by the second, Severus groaned and rubbed at his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

He stepped into the kitchen and found the window open slightly. Frowning, he wondered if he had left it open all day. While the weather was warm enough, he didn't intend to let insects into the house.

Spotting a rolled up piece of parchment on the table, Severus went for it and unrolled it. Evan had already written his response. Severus half-smiled and half-frowned at the boy's cheekiness. He had raised Evan to be polite and well-mannered, but like any child, he didn't always listen to his parents. All in all, Evan had been a good kid. Severus was proud of him and wouldn't begrudge him his less than formal ways at times, especially after growing up in a household where his, Severus's, father had mistreated him so horribly. Evan would never believe his granddad capable of such violence, but Tobias Snape had been sober and clean for years now. He had become a better man, and although it was too late to be the father Severus had needed while growing up, Tobias had done what he could to be there for his son and his family. Evan loved the old man dearly.

Glad that Evan would be coming home, yet feeling his insides turn to ice at the mere thought of sharing the truth with his son at the same time, Severus forced his brain to turn away from those thoughts. He wondered how a person could experience such contrasting emotions simultaneously, but nothing was ever simple with this complicated man.

Wondering where Lily was, and hoping she hadn't gone somewhere after work on account of their argument that morning in avoidance of him, Severus decided to prepare dinner. He hated how his insecurities could still creep into his life even now, when he really shouldn't be complaining and worrying.

With a wave of his wand, Severus opened the cabinet to the left of the sink and levitated some plates and cups to the table, followed a minute later by the silverware from the drawer above the cupboard. He walked over to the refrigerator (Lily had eventually convinced him to keep the house connected to the electricity) and searched for something to prepare for dinner. Being a Potions master in a previous life, he was quite good at cooking. He loved experimenting in potions to this day, so doing likewise with food could either result in something extraordinary or awful. He had some specialties.

Severus removed some fresh tilapia from the fridge, along with lemon juice. From the cupboard, he retrieved the olive oil, oregano, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. The fish was easy to prepare, and with the use of his wand, he didn't have to dirty his hands. Once the fish was in the oven, he prepared some vegetables and rice for the stovetop.

While the food cooked, Severus stepped into the sitting room and perused his collection of well-read books for the umpteenth time. Some classics could never grow old or boring.

Once twenty minutes had passed, Severus stood and returned to the kitchen. Where was Lily? Growing concerned, Severus removed the food from the heat and loaded the plates, topping the fish with some fresh salsa. It added lovely flavor.

He considered making a Floo call to the Ministry's Department of Mysteries to see if Lily was still at work, but just as he was about to do so, a pop resounded from the small entrance hall, and Lily was entering the kitchen a moment later.

"Where were you?" Severus demanded, the question already blurted from his lips rudely.

"Hello to you, too, Severus," Lily replied, her mouth down-turned and her eyebrows arched inward.

"Sorry," Severus mumbled, "but I was just worried. After this morning, how we left things-"

"Yes, that was the start of a most pleasant day," Lily said sarcastically, throwing a look at Severus and then at the table. She stopped shortly. "You cooked dinner."

"Yes, I thought it would help… I'm sorry for this morning, Lily, truly, but I was hoping to talk about this over dinner, but if you don't mind my saying, you don't really seem in the best of moods."

Severus quickly stashed away his own moodiness and problems and focused on his wife. Whenever she was upset or in distress, he softened almost immediately, for he loathed seeing her that way.

"I had a bad day," Lily grumbled, flopping into the chair opposite of her husband. "I'm sorry, Sev. Work was crazy, and I had to stay later than I realized."

"Don't worry about it. Anything you want to talk about?" he offered.

"You know I can't talk about my job… the whole Unspeakable thing and all, but thanks all the same." Lily's mood was already improving, and she smiled slightly at Severus. "You said you wanted to talk about this morning? Are you sure you weren't just trying to evade such a thing a moment ago by asking me to discuss my work?"

Lily knew Severus as well as he knew himself, at least almost.

"Maybe," Severus replied elusively, smiling a little, glad to see that Lily was in a better mood. "I hope you know I don't mean to be difficult, it's just-"

"Your situation is unlike anyone else's," Lily finished for him. "And you're right, who could ever really understand it but you? Even though I know the facts, it's not the same as the experience."

Severus nodded. Lily knew just how to say things in the most sensible manner.

"This tastes amazing, by the way," Lily remarked after taking a bite of the fish. "Mmm."

Severus smiled. "It was easy."

"So, about telling Evan the truth-" Lily started to say.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" Severus asked, torn between annoyance and bemusement. Yet again, he was experiencing conflicting emotions. That seemed to be the theme for the day.

"Well, you said you wanted to talk," Lily pointed out.

"It just so happens that Evan is going to visit this weekend, and we'll see how things play out. I'm not promising anything, Lily," Severus stated repressively.

Sighing, Lily said, "I guess that's the best I can ask for."

Grateful that they were over their disagreement this morning, Severus continued to feel two emotions at once, for he was filled with foreboding about the weekend ahead.

Author's Note: Wow! Just let me say THANK YOU! I never imagined this little story would have such a warm reception. It's lovely to be writing again, especially in this "universe" I've created. The Moment It Began was my favorite story to write, and I don't think I could ever repeat that. I hope you continue to enjoy this!

On a side note, if you are interested in another current fanfic of mine, check out Deliver Me.