Chapter two.

It had been a week since his encounter with Petunia Evans. A week since he'd made his final decision about his allegiance. A week of making excuses and avoiding the other Death Eaters. It had been a very lonely week, even if he would never say so. That still didn't excuse him as he stood near the front door, coat on and glaring at the door knob as if it had personally offended him. He kept telling himself that there was no way Petunia would be there again, and Lily definitely wouldn't be. It was a place he could be alone. He told himself that the Bruise Paste in his pocket was for emergencies- just a handy thing to have on him- and not for that stupid Muggle girl.

Finally, after another reprimand to his person, he grabbed the door knob and yanked the door open to make the walk to the park. It was good, he told himself, that she wasn't there. He could think to himself in peace. Thinking, though, was rather boring here in this grassy area alone with no sound but the whistling wind. So he had made up his mind to go home, when her voice cut through the breeze.

She was walking up the hill to the tree, her hair blown in the wind around her face and her arms crossed to shield herself from the chill. Typical, useless Muggle- not wearing a jumper in this weather. "Still waiting here for her? She's not coming, and you're just being pathetic now."

His nostrils flared at the slight. "I'm not waiting for anyone," he insisted. "Especially not for the likes of her. Can't someone come here to get some peace and quiet? Or do you just ruin everything?"

"You're the one here after seeing me come to the park. If you were so hard-pressed for being alone, might you try the library or your own home? No one asked you to be here."

Her arm was still bruised, but there was a new one peeking under her shirt on her shoulder. And she was calling him pathetic? Severus glared, digging into his deep pockets for the Bruise Paste and throwing it lightly at her face. It was a pity she caught it.

"Cover yourself up, will you?" He scoffed. "It's disgusting."

He walked off, in a slower stride than the last time. Damn her, he thought to himself. That was for emergencies.

Lucius was waiting for him when he returned home, a pinched look on his face and looking around with an expression of repulsion. He tried to hide it when he saw Severus approach.

"Severus," he drawled. "I heard you've been sick."

Dragon Pox, was the exact excuse he gave Mulciber. "Yes. Today is the first day I've felt myself this week so I thought I'd take a stroll. Won't you come in?"

Lucius' nose wrinkled further. "That won't be necessary," he said. "Cissa just wanted to be sure you weren't too sick to attend her annual Christmas party. I hear it's going to be even grander than last year's."

Severus forced a smile. "Please assure her that I wouldn't miss it."

"She'll expect you to bring a date, Severus. Remember what happened the year before last when she tried to set you up with that friend of hers. I doubt Merlin himself could stop her from trying again if you come alone. It's time you get over that redheaded Mudblood once and for all."

There was a warning tone to his voice and that sentence that Severus forced himself not to react to. "I was a fool," he said. "Rest assured, the chit means nothing to me anymore."

Lucius' lips twisted into a small smirk of satisfaction and he tipped his head ever so slightly. "Very well. I shall try to restrain Narcissa come time, but it would still do you good to bring someone."

He turned around gracefully and straightened his robes in a swift and officious motion Severus had seen the blonde's sire make and walked off. Severus waited until he heard the crack of Apparition before going into his house. Yes, it was time for him to forget about Lily. She was, after all, meant to marry Potter the next summer. He would not allow himself to pine. It was beneath him. Especially for one who obviously cared nothing for him. What did Petunia call it? Pathetic?

Well that made two of them.

*

"Don't you ever get tired of stalking me?" She asked imperiously, her nose turned up, her hair hidden under a bright red beret and her cheeks and nose a shade of pink from the cold. At least she was wearing a coat this time.

"If I was stalking you," he said, "You wouldn't know it until it was too late, I promise."

She scoffed. "Like you would do anything. You're all talk, Snape."

"And you?" He asked. "I remember you writing letters to the headmaster, begging to be accepted into Hogwarts. What you be able to do there with no magic? I suppose you could have been a target. Everyone needs something to practice on, and I'm sure you'd scream so well when they hexed off your head."

He wasn't sure there was actually a spell or curse to do that, but it gave him the reaction he wanted- the pale pink darkening into a bright red to match her hat. Her lips pursed and she stomped over to him, shoving him hard with both hands. She was somewhat pretty, he thought, when she was really angry. Though, not the same way as Lily. Lily looked like a defending heroine when she was angry. Petunia looked something of a harpy.

"Why don't you go run off to your freaky little friends? Don't you have someone to torture with something that isn't your presence?"

Severus pulled his wand from his sleeve, making a short crackle of magic form at the tip with a sinister smile. "As a matter of fact..."

He wasn't going to do anything, but she didn't have to know that. She shoved him again, her eyes narrowing. "You, you, Death Eater!"

She had to have heard that term from Lily, and he wasn't sure what made him more angry- Lily saying it, or her sister repeating it most likely without the knowledge of what it actually was. He harshly grabbed her wrists and twisting them away from him. Her eyes widened with a touch of fear that he felt sick for taking pleasure in.

"Don't. Call. Me. That."

Petunia struggled to get her hands away from him, rubbing them absently when she did. And he watched her leave hurriedly, looking back with a scared face that made him agree with her.

Death Eater.

A/N: I hope everyone likes this chapter. Next will be longer and we will be progressing more into the story. Be fore warned, this was never meant to be a long story and so everything happens fairly quickly.

Dasvidanya, Mia.