A/N: I apologize for taking so long to update. Other projects got in the way, and I actually forgot about this story. This is still in draft form and will likely have some canon-compliancy issues that'll need to be worked out at a later date. Also, since I've done very little editing, there will be mistakes here and there. If the mistakes are too unbearable, message me or leave a review. (:

If you like original fiction, check my bio for a link to my original stuff. (:

Chapter Eleven

The rest of Lindsay's first year at Hogwarts' passed uneventfully. She went home for Christmas break and returned inconspicuously to her studies after the holidays. All of her teachers followed a strict fast-paced curriculum except for Dumbledore, whose lessons seemed to jump from topic to topic. Oddly, Lindsay seemed to grasp the material better when it was presented in a haphazard fashion. Her nervousness sometimes got the better of her when she knew what was coming. The novelty of her presence wore off most of the students, and she became just another face in the crowd to many of them. Lindsay's school year ended at the beginning of the rest of the student body's Easter break.

Back at home, Lindsay found herself longing for the noise and companionship at Hogwarts. She quickly resumed her habit of spending as little time at home as possible.

Immediately after term ended, Lindsay received a letter from Fred and George inviting her to meet their family. She accepted immediately and found herself dressing for dinner at the Weasley home that very evening. She waited nervously in front of the fireplace in her dining room. She'd never traveled via Floo before so the twins offered to fetch her. Fred was the first to exit the fireplace and Lindsay practically flung herself at him. Fred returned her embrace and declared to George, "I told you I was her favorite."

"In your dreams," replied George as he wrapped his arms around Lindsay and planted a friendly kiss on her cheek. "Don't tell me you're nervous about meeting Mum and Dad?"

"No, of course not," replied Lin. "I'm just happy to see you, and I hate being in this big empty house by myself."

"Mum's still whipping up a masterpiece," said Fred. "We've got time for a tour if you're in the mood."

"Yes, of course," replied Lin. She led them into each room and described in detail the repairs that had been done and which rooms were still awaiting renovation. The twins showed great interest in the patio area and large swimming pool. She left the cellar for last and only took them down there to ask them to choose a gift for their parents from the collection of alcoholic beverages that were stored there. She led the twins directly into two large, climate-controlled, adjoining rooms; one contained a great assortment of wines and mead, and the other was filled with variously sized casks of ale.

"You've got a lot of booze for a non-drinker," declared George as he scooped up three bottles of wine, one red, one white, and a blush.

"It came with house," replied Lin. "The former owner was a collector."

"And you kept it?" said George.

"It belonged to Mr. Roberts. It was important to him, so it's important to me." George smiled and nodded, and declined further commentary out of respect for Lin's feelings. He knew how fond she was of Mr. Roberts as she'd spoken of him once or twice before.

Fred wasted no time shifting the subject a little. He picked up a small cask of Belgian ale. "This is all Muggle stuff? Dad will love it."

"Oh, I hope so," said Lindsay. "I have no idea what to get them, and it was such short notice."

"You don't have to give them anything," said Fred. "Mum and Dad are happy with good company."

The party of three trundled back upstairs laden with spirits and stopped in front of the dining room fireplace. George shifted the wine bottles to one arm and threw in some Floo powder. Fred entered first, carrying the unwieldy cask of ale. George's free hand grasped Lin's. "Ready?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." She gripped George's hand tightly and kept her elbows close to her sides as she entered the emerald-green flames. George declared "the Burrow" quite clearly and Lindsay felt herself being propelled at an astonishing rate of speed. She glimpsed images of unfamiliar rooms zooming past her eyes until she and George's travel came to an abrupt stop.

"Ladies first," said George and Lindsay stepped out of the fireplace into a large, warm, and welcoming kitchen. Numerous mouth-watering aromas filled the air and the table was half-filled with plates and bowls overflowing with components of the evening's meal. An assortment of homemade desserts and confections graced the counter-tops. Mrs. Weasley was the first to catch Lindsay's hand, shaking it vigorously.

"Hello, dear, I'm Molly."

"Lovely to meet you, I'm Lindsay."

A tall red-haired man rose from the table and took Lindsay's hand. Lindsay recognized him immediately. "I'm Arthur."

"I remember you," said Lindsay. "You helped me change a tire. You must be the one who told Dumbledore about me."

"Guilty as charged," replied Arthur.

Fred had just placed the ale cask on the table when Arthur stopped him and demanded that he empty his pockets. Fred pulled a small bottle of mead from each trouser pocket and set them on the table. George had moved past Lindsay and set the bottles of wine he was carrying on the table next to the ale. He turned quietly in a failed attempt to exit the kitchen without being noticed.

"Pockets, George," said Arthur and George also pulled out two small bottles of mead from his trouser pockets and set them on the table.

"That was my idea," piped Lindsay. "I thought you and Molly might like some Muggles beverages."

"How very thoughtful of you, dear," said Molly as she patted Lindsay's hand. "I thought we might have dinner in the garden. How does that sound?"

"It sounds lovely," said Lindsay.

"Wonderful, I'll get the table set," said Arthur cheerfully. "Fred, George, go de-gnome the garden."

"We did that this morning," replied Fred.

"Do it again," said Molly sternly.

"Would you care to join us," said George, offering his arm to Lindsay. Molly was about to launch a protest when Lindsay pleasantly accepted. Fred and George led her outside.

"Well, here it is," said Fred, "the family vegetable patch. I hope it's everything you were expecting it to be."

"It's beautiful," said Lindsay. The garden was sprawling and chaotic. It was full of life and color, and was obviously tended to regularly. Ornamental plants were mixed haphazardly with vegetables giving the entire garden a somewhat wild and pleasingly rambling feel. The culinary herbs that Molly used were closest to the house, and their place was the neatest part of the garden.

"Over here," whispered George. He leaned over a clump of overgrown weeds, which he parted when Lindsay stood next to him. She bent over and peered into the shadow overgrowth. She saw movement and looked at George, who put his finger to his lips to silence her. Seconds later a couple of large potatoes floated by and disappeared farther into the garden. George began to laugh and Lindsay thought he'd charmed some actual potatoes to prank her. Fred joined them and began to whistle. The potatoes reappeared, and Lindsay realized that they were actually the heads of creatures with full bodies and moving limbs.

"These are garden gnomes," said George. Lindsay reached out a hand to touch one, but George caught it. "They've got a nasty bite."

"They're so ugly, they're cute," said Lindsay.

"Aw," said Fred as he gently bumped his shoulder into hers. "Is that what you tell Snape when he wants a cuddle?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes. The Snape jokes were getting old. "You're really pushing it, Fred."

He shrugged his shoulders. "It's what I do." Fred straightened up. "Now stand back and George and I will show you how to properly de-gnome a garden."

She stepped back and watched as the twins each grabbed a gnome, swung them around, and flung them over a hedge. Behind her, Arthur had collected a couple of mismatched wooden tables and draped tablecloths over them. Around the tables sat a large grouping of mismatched chairs. A third table would be used as a buffet setting.

Molly announced that dinner was ready and exited the house with a large grouping of steaming plates and bowls. The rest of the Weasley clan appeared and the meal formally began. Fred and George sat on either side of Lindsay and were piling food onto her plate. Conversation was as plentiful as the confections Molly had prepared, and the mood was cheerful. By the time dessert had passed, the conversation had changed from general information about each other to stories of the First Wizarding War.

It was late in the evening when Lindsay returned home. There were two letters waiting for her; one from Remus stating that he'd visit at the weekend with a friend, and one from Neville saying that he and Professor Sprout would begin work on the garden the following week.

###

Severus packed up his meager belongings in an ancient leather satchel that he shrunk and stuffed into an interior pocket of his robes. It was nearly nightfall. All the teachers who left Hogwarts in the summer months had already gone. Severus preferred to offer them his goodbyes, and then leave on his own. It was important to keep up a friendly facade for the benefit of his colleagues, but he didn't have to actually be friends with them. It was better for him to only appear somewhat friendly because he had another side, another group of people, to please. Severus teetered on a knife's edge. Even he was unsure how he managed to keep his balance.

He strode quickly and silently to the school gates. Filch was already there waiting for him. There were other, easier methods of travel, but Severus had a reason for everything he did. He always left at the same time, and in the same place, and always used the same method of travel. An appearance of predictability helped him maintain trust–on both sides. Filch unlocked and opened the gate, and offered a farewell that Severus barely acknowledged. Filch could not be trusted and had to be kept in his place. But he was a good source of information regarding the students, so Severus let Filch think that he was valuable to him. Filch was too easy to manipulate.

Severus disappeared with a barely audible pop and reappeared in a dirty derelict alley across the street from his parents' hovel. The house and the abandoned houses around it were heavily warded. He could apparate directly into his parents' house if he wanted, but rarely did. He'd made many enemies in his youth and preferred to watch the house before entering it. He stood in the rain for nearly an hour before apparating into the sitting room; his wand was drawn. Nothing appeared to have been disturbed. Even the air was stale and unpleasantly familiar. His books were all where they should be, and still had an undisturbed layer of dust on them. His mother's knick-knacks were also undisturbed. Severus' mother was a clever witch. The most innocuous items could be lethal if mishandled. She'd been dead for many year, but many of her booby-traps were still functional and some were deadly.

He stepped through the dusty little sitting room to a tiny hallway that separated the second-floor staircase from the first-floor rooms and the front door. He ascended the stairs to his childhood bedroom. He didn't sleep in there any longer, but the room was still his. He refused to enter his parents' former bedroom. The rats could have it. He descended the stairs and sat in his favorite chair in the sitting room, the one with the best view of the room, and pulled out a tattered old book from his pocket and read until he fell asleep.

The small amount of morning sunlight shining through the grimy kitchen window was enough to rouse him. Severus was a light sleeper by nature, but he rarely slept fitfully in the hovel. He stood and rubbed his sore neck. It was time to be a Muggle again.

He returned to his childhood bedroom and opened the creaky closet door. On the floor, under the lowest shelf, were some loose boards. Severus knelt and silently waved his wand over them. The boards floated up and away from the hole and settled on the floor next to his knee. He reached in and removed two parcels; one was a small burlap sack, and the other was a rolled piece of old canvas. He sat on the squeaky bed, parcels in hand, and set the burlap sack to one side. He gently laid the rolled canvas down in front of him and lightly ran his fingers over it. He gingerly, almost lovingly, unrolled the bit of canvas and revealed an old child-sized overcoat that had seen much better days. Severus ran his fingers over it and smiled.

###

Severus and Lily sat on the cool grass in the shade of a large tree in the local park. Lily was chattering excitedly about leaving for Hogwarts in September, and was telling Severus all the things her parents had been collecting for her. He'd received nothing from his parents, except his mother's old textbooks, which he'd already read several times and had written annotations in the margins of because parchment was scarce. But Severus wasn't jealous of Lily. She was happy and that made him happy. His coal-black eyes caressed her beautiful face and lingered on her lovely white smile before shooting back up to her emerald-green eyes.

"Do you have your uniforms yet, Sev?"

"Yes."

Lily cocked her head and frowned. "Sev?"

"Mum sold her old uniforms and took me to the secondhand shop."

Lily looked stunned. "She's not making you wear her old uniforms? You can tell me, Sev. I won't make fun."

"Mum had loads of school clothes that she'd kept. She said she'd been saving them so she could buy me my own school stuff. She bought me boy's clothes–honestly, Lily. Two sets of robes just for me."

Lily's lips pursed and she was clearly trying to hold back her temper. "Only two? And I suppose she bought gin with the rest of the money?" Severus turned away and Lily silently cursed her brash temper. She forced herself to be calm before continuing. "Did she get you cold weather things? And what about shoes? You really need new ones."

Severus didn't turn back to her. He sat with his knees under his chin and his dirty bare feet crossed, one on top of the other. He'd taken his shoes off because they hurt his feet. They were so small that they forced his toes to curl. He'd had them for ages and since he rarely washed his feet, they'd become quite malodorous. Severus had grown accustomed to the smell, and Lily was always too polite to mention anything.

"I've got some old quills from Mum and her leather satchel," replied Severus. "And she said I could have one of her cauldrons. So that just leaves parchment and ink."

"And a wand," said Lily.

"Yeah."

Lily's sister Petunia sprang out of the shrubbery behind Severus and grabbed his shoes. She pinched her nose with one hand and flung his shoes into the nearby dirty river with the other. "Ugh, the smell from these is sickening!"

Severus jumped to his feet and ran to the water's edge. His shoes were so far out into the water that he'd risk wetting his head, so he stopped.

"How could you, Tuney?" shouted Lily. She shoved Petunia's shoulder as she ran past and jumped into the water without hesitation, retrieving both shoes. Lily set Severus' shoes in the sun to dry, which only made them smell worse. Lily was so angry that she ignored her drenched clothes and rounded on Petunia. "Why would you do such a mean thing to Severus?" shouted Lily.

Petunia, intimidated by her sister's flaring temper, tried to backpedal and stammered out a ridiculous excuse. "I…I thought the water would clean them."

"They're the only shoes Sev has!" proclaimed Lily.

"Maybe if his dad would leave the pub and get a job, he'd be able to buy him new shoes," spat Petunia.

"Why are you always so mean to Sev, Tuney?" said Lily, whose temper was turning to sadness and bewilderment.

"Why do you always take his side over mine?" replied Petunia spitefully.

"I don't, Tuney," said Lily with obvious distress in her voice.

"You do!" spat Petunia. She realized that she was gaining the upper hand with her soft-hearted sister and turned her back on Lily to punctuate her displeasure. The action worked. Lily moved to look in Petunia's eyes, but Petunia kept moving away. Lily began to plead with her.

"Please, Tuney, don't turn away. I love you. You're my only sister."

Severus said nothing because he feared retaliation from Lily. He'd learned not to get involved in a fight between the sisters. He'd wait until Petunia was gone and then work on earning Lily's favor. The sisters waffled between bickering and Lily begging for Petunia to forgive her. Petunia realized that it was nearing dinner time and ordered Lily to come home with her. Lily, in a moment of defiance, grabbed Sev's hand and pulled him along with her. He pulled back. He'd never accepted an invitation to enter the Evans' home, and he wasn't about to give in this time either.

"Have dinner with us, Sev," said Lily.

"No," replied Severus.

"Mummy and Daddy won't mind." Lily was on a quest and wouldn't take no for an answer. Her parents knew about Severus' circumstances, but were never in his company. Lily knew that if her parents saw how dire his situation was, they'd help him in whatever way they could. Severus finally relented for two reasons; to please Lily and to annoy Petunia. He donned his smelly too-tight shoes and followed the girls home.

The odor of the filthy river clung to Lily's dress and hair as she walked home, and Petunia made continual references to it, stating that Lily smelled just like Snape. Petunia stopped just as she reached for the knob on the front door and turned around to face Lily. She felt overcome with a feeling of superiority and declared, "I'm telling Mummy how you ruined your new dress."

The threat angered Lily and she replied with, "Fine, Tuney, and I'll tell her what you did to Sev's shoes."

"What's this about shoes?" said Mr. Evans from behind them. He'd come home early with a bucket of freshly caught fish for dinner. Severus wanted to run, but Lily held his hand tightly. He went pale, paler than usual, when Mr. Evans smiled at him. He looked at the ground, his dirty hair covering his face.

"Tuney threw Sev's shoes into the river. They're the only ones he has." Severus was embarrassed and began to shift his feet. "Sev can't swim so I went in the water to get them."

"And she ruined the new dress Mummy made for her," shot Petunia in the hopes of swaying her father's favor in her direction. The ploy didn't work.

Mr. Evans looked at the dirty too-small shoes on the boy's feet, the dirty ragged clothes hanging off his undersized and underfed body, and he flushed with temper at the cruelty of his eldest child. John Evans was an even-tempered man not prone to anger, but he could be a heavy-handed disciplinarian when the situation warranted it. He took his pipe out of his mouth and addressed Petunia. "Did you throw the boy's shoes in the river?"

"I thought it would clean them–"

"Don't lie to me, Petunia."

Petunia dropped her gaze and said, "Yes, Daddy, I threw his shoes in the river."

Mr. Evans handed the bucket of fish to Petunia. "You'll be helping your mother clean these." Petunia cringed. "And you apologize to this boy."

As disgusting as it was, Petunia could manage preparing fish for dinner, but apologizing to Severus Snape was too much to ask. She looked between Snape and her father several times.

Mr. Evans' voice finally showed some irritation. "I'm waiting, Petunia."

"I'm sorry, Severus," said Petunia as sweetly as she could manage, but her eyes were burning with hated and humiliation.

"Right," said Mr. Evans, "inside, all of you. And I'll be having a talk with you later, Petunia." Lily dragged Severus into the house to a cheerful cozy little sitting room. The house was filled with the smell of apple pie baking in the kitchen. Mrs. Evans was darning socks. "We've got a guest for dinner, Faye," said Mr. Evans as his wife raised her eyes from her work. Severus saw the same emerald eyes that Lily had and a head of dark-red hair mixed with copious amounts of grey. Mrs. Evans smiled briefly at her husband then her eyes settled on Lily and the state of her new dress.

"Lily's had a mishap," said Mr. Evans and his wife knew by his expression that they'd be having a serious discussion later in the evening. He laid his hand on Lily's shoulder. "Go and wash up, love." Lily ran off in the direction of her bedroom. Petunia was already in the kitchen.

Mrs. Evans sat her sewing in her lap and reached out to take Severus' grubby hands in hers. His head was still tilted to the floor. He was so nervous that his body shook. "What's your name?" said Mrs. Evans.

Severus tried to answer, but he was so nervous that no sound came out of his mouth. Mr. Evans lightly touched the back of Severus' shoulder with his index finger. "Go on, lad," he said kindly.

Severus jumped as though he'd been stabbed with a hot poker and said loudly, "Severus."

Mrs. Evans let go of the boy's hands and parted his greasy black hair revealing a pale and careworn face. She smiled at him, cupping his thin face in her gentle hands. Her expression was much like Lily's had been when he'd first met her, except that there was a more maternal quality to Mrs. Evans' expression. "That's a very handsome name," said Mrs. Evans, "a handsome name for a handsome boy." Severus' expression hardened and it startled Mrs. Evans. She was teasing him, Severus was sure of it. He may not be an official Hogwarts student yet, but he was no fool. He knew when he was being made fun of. His black eyes glared into Mrs. Evans' green ones, but he said nothing; not that he had to, his expression said it for him. She let go of his face. "John, why don't you take Severus into the kitchen to wash up?"

"Come along, lad," replied Mr. Evans cheerfully. Severus' eyes widened. He was going to be punished. He wasn't sure what he'd done, but he must've done something. Maybe Mrs. Evans was secretly a Legilimens and saw his thoughts. Mr. Evans placed his hand on Severus' shoulder and gently pushed him into the kitchen. Petunia had laid out all of the necessary items to prepare dinner, but hadn't started cleaning the fish. She was waiting for her mother to join her. Mr. Evans removed his pipe from his mouth and handed it to Petunia. "Take care of that for me, would you?" He stood Severus in front of the sink, then rolled up the sleeves of work shirt. He turned on the faucet and Severus felt himself go cold.

###

One of Tobias Snape's favorite punishments for his unusual son was to dunk the boy's head in a sink or bathtub full of water. A few years ago, before he'd met Lily, Severus had caught a chest cold and couldn't stop coughing. Tobias was lying in a warm bath trying to overcome a bad hangover. "Eileen!' shouted Tobias, his hands pressed against his head in a failed attempt to ease his headache. "Shut him up!"

"What do you expect me to do?" replied Eileen, her silky smooth voice dripping with scorn. "You won't let me brew any potions."

Tobias rose out of the bath, flung the door open and backhanded his defiant wife. "I'll not have any o' that witchcraft in my home," spat Tobias.

"As you like," replied Eileen silkily, a bruise already forming on her pale cheek. A small-framed thin woman, Eileen Snape appeared as physically frail as her more attractive mother, but her body was stronger than it appeared. She'd inherited her small bone structure from her mother, but resembled her father. She'd inherited her mother's intelligence, but not her father's magical ability nor his strength of will. Her father was both feared and revered for his magical strength, his cunning audacity, and his determination. Her mother was admired for her beauty, good breeding, and intelligence. Eileen was so overshadowed by her parents that she was barely noticeable.

Tobias reeled. He planted his hand on the wall to steady himself and vomited on the hallway floor. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Clean that." He staggered to the bathroom door when Severus began coughing again. Tobias, overcome with rage, stomped into his son's bedroom and yanked Severus off his bed by his ankles. The position in which he was held made his cough worse, and the suddenness of his father's actions frightened Severus. He began to choke. Tobias stomped back into the bathroom and began dunking Severus' head in the bath. Another wave of sickness hit Tobias and he fell forward catching himself by placing a hand on the wall. His other hand held Severus tightly and pushed his little body under the water.

Severus remembered choking and trying to hold his breath under the water. He remembered seeing air bubbles rising to the water's surface, and seeing his feet held in air. His father was shouting things, but the water muffled the sound. Severus beat the sides of the tub with his fists as he tried to push himself above the water, but his father held him fast. Soon Severus' own heartbeat was the only sound he could hear. His lungs ached and his chest burned.

The next thing Severus recalled was opening his eyes to see his mother leaning over him. She immediately turned him on his side as he coughed up water and phlegm. He was lying on his mother's work table. An assortment of cauldrons and potion-making supplies surrounded him. She held her wand in her hand. Severus fixated on it because his mother rarely used her wand. She normally kept it hidden where Tobias couldn't find it, fearing he'd break it in a drunken rage.

Tobias was pacing the edge of the room. "He's alright then? He'll be alright?"

"He'll live," replied Eileen.

"Right then," said Tobias as he nervously rubbed his chin. He patted Severus' leg and said, "There's a good lad." He left the room and Severus passed out.

###

Mr. Evans took Severus' hands and held them under the water. He reached for a light-green cake of soap that smelled like pine trees. He lathered up the soap in his hands, set the cake down, and reached for Severus' hands again. He washed Severus' hands as he washed his own. The soap lather felt good. Mr. Evans' calloused hands felt good too. He rinsed the soap from their hands and let Severus step back from the sink. Severus sighed in relief and was about to dry his hands on his filthy shirt when Mr. Evans grabbed them in a kitchen towel and dried them. He pulled a chair away from the kitchen table and Severus sat. Mr. Evans poured a small glass of milk and set it in front of him. Severus drank it like it was the first meal he'd had in days, which wasn't very far from the truth.

Mrs. Evans entered and immediately set about preparing dinner with Petunia scowling at her side. Lily entered moments later. She smiled at Severus, which relaxed him a little. "Can I help, Mummy?"

"You can set the table, if you like."

Lily set out plates and cutlery on the little round kitchen table. None of the plates matched and some had chips in them, but they were clean. The cutlery didn't match either, but Severus didn't care at all about matching dishes, or matching forks, or even about cleanliness. He was hungry, and if he was quiet and very still, he might get a hot meal tonight.

"Um…Daddy?" began Lily and Severus' heart sank. If she said too much, Severus might get thrown out before he had a chance to eat anything. "We forgot to ask Sev's mum if he could stay."

Mrs. Evans turned and nodded at her husband. "I'll go 'round," he said and rose from the table and left. Severus didn't know what to do. Lily winked at him before she went into another room to fetch a chair for Petunia because the table was meant for only four settings.

###

John Evans didn't frequent this part of the neighborhood, but he knew where Tobias Snape lived. The man was infamous in their town; a petty thief, a braggart, and an unpredictably violent drunk. There were a few men like Snape around, but he was at the top of the unsavory heap. Most of the local occupants stepped out of Snape's way. John Evans never looked for a fight, but wasn't one to back down from one either. It would be a cold day in Hell when he'd fear a wife-beating, child-abusing drunk. Evans feared no man, but he was no chump either. He knew that Snape wasn't just a loud-mouth shouting empty threats. The man could handle himself, and had proved his street-fighting prowess many times. Snape was a much larger man than Evans, stronger too. They were close in height, with Evans having a slight advantage, but Snape was very solidly built. Evans was wiry; speed and wit were his best defenses.

Evans knocked on Snape's door and stepped back. Seconds later the door opened just a crack, and a sliver of a small woman peered out at him. "Mrs. Snape?" The woman's eyes narrowed, but she didn't answer. "I'm John Evans. My daughter, Lily, is friendly with your son–"

Eileen flung the door open. She was clearly drunk. "What's he done?" she said sharply.

"Er…nothing, I just wanted to ask if he could have dinner with my family."

Eileen was flabbergasted. What would a grown man want with her son? Surely a pervert wouldn't come to her door and ask for access to her child. Her Legilimency skills were weak, but good enough for an unsuspecting Muggle. Her black eyes glittered as she looked into John's large hazel eyes. "Dinner?"

"Yes," replied John. He'd developed a sudden headache and absentmindedly rubbed his temple.

"Anything else?"

Such a peculiar question, John wasn't sure how to answer it. "Uh, well, I take my girls apple-picking before school starts. I'd like to take Severus too if you wouldn't mind him staying for the weekend."

"Fine," said Eileen as she turned away and began to close the door.

"When do you want him back?" shouted John.

"Whenever," replied Eileen from behind the closed door. John shook his head and started for home.

###

Severus sat impatiently at the table. The apple pie was cooling on the window sill and dinner was well under way. Lily was chattering to him about school and Petunia was shooting hostile looks at both of them, but Severus couldn't concentrate on anything except his empty growling belly. He jumped when Mr. Evans returned.

"You're just in time, John," declared Mrs. Evans as she began filling plates with fried fish, chips, and peas and carrots. A simple meal, but the best one Severus had ever seen. "Any trouble?"

"No," said Mr. Evans. "I spoke to your mum, Severus. She said you can stay the weekend if you like."

"That'll be great, Sev!" proclaimed Lily. "You can come pick apples with us."

"But that's for us, Daddy!" cried Petunia. "Only for us!"

"Petunia!" said Mrs. Evans. Her tone was sharp and her expression severe. Petunia was instantly silenced.

"Well, Sev?" said Lily. Severus was too busy shoveling peas and carrots into his mouth to care about anything. If he stayed, he'd likely get more food so he nodded his head in assent. Lily was ecstatic. Severus cleaned his plate before anyone else was even half done. Mr. and Mrs. Evans both declared that they'd taken too much and scraped a little off their plates onto Severus'. He'd eaten so much that his belly hurt, but it was worth the discomfort.

Mrs. Evans shooed the children into the sitting room when they were finished eating. Severus could hear the adults talking softly, but Lily and Petunia's bickering made it impossible to follow the conversation. The discomfort in Severus' stomach was turning into nausea. Lily noticed it almost immediately.

"Sev, are you sick?" He placed his hand over his mouth and nodded vigorously. She took his arm and quickly led him into the bathroom where he promptly vomited half his dinner into the toilet. He stood just as Mrs. Evans rushed in. Petunia had fetched both her parents. Mrs. Evans reached for him, and Severus thought she was going to hit him, but she just felt his head.

"His head feels cool, John," declared Mrs. Evans with some alarm. She turned to her husband who was standing in the doorway, but wasn't able to reach him because her daughters were crowding the small room. "Move along, girls. Severus needs privacy." As the two girls retreated, she said, "You help him get washed, and I'll get him something to wear." Mrs. Evans left the room and Mr. Evans shut the door behind him as he entered. Severus was plastered against the wall, afraid to move. He thought for sure that he'd be beaten for wasting food.

Mr. Evans took a step forward, but didn't reach for Severus. Instead, he turned to fill the bath. "Take your things off so Mrs. Evans can wash them. I won't look 'til you're in the bath." Severus did as he was told as quickly as possible. He stepped into the bath and drew his knees tightly under his chin. Mrs. Evans knocked and her husband passed Severus' dirty things out to her and set the clean shirt she'd given him on the sink. He turned and kneeled next to the bath. Severus was fighting back tears. It was very bad to cry, but sometimes Severus just couldn't help himself.

"Pass the soap, lad." Severus reached for the nearest cake of soap, which was pink, and handed it to Mr. Evans who smiled. "That one's for the ladies of the house. Pass me the green one. That's a proper soap for lads." Mr. Evans wet the cake of soap and rubbed it into Severus' hair. He used a cup from the sink to rinse off the soap. Mr. Evans took the washcloth in hand and dunked it in the bathwater before wrapping it around the cake of soap. He washed Severus' face and upper body, and then he washed his feet up to his knees. He handed the cloth to Severus to finish and turned away. Severus washed quickly and improperly.

Mr. Evans unfolded a large fluffy towel and held it for Severus. He rose from the dirty bathwater. Mr. Evans wrapped the towel around him and lifted him out of the bath. Severus was shocked by the action and didn't know how to respond. He remained quiet and still while Mr. Evans briskly rubbed the soft towel against his wet skin. He stopped abruptly and reached for the folded white undershirt that Mrs. Evans had passed through the door earlier, unfolded it with one hand, and told Severus to reach his arms up so he could slip the shirt over his head. It felt soft on Severus' skin, and it smelled good too.

Severus felt himself being hoisted into the air; the wet towel lay in a heap on the floor. Mr. Evans carried him back into the sitting room. Lily smiled up at him, but she had a worried look in her eyes; the same look her mother had. Petunia glared at him hatefully, and Severus scowled at her. Mr. Evans gently deposited him in a cozy armchair. Before he could move a single muscle, Mrs. Evans tucked a thick soft blanket around him, making sure to cover his bare feet. A hot cup of tea sat steaming on a small table next to him. Mrs. Evans felt his head again and declared with a relieved sigh, "No fever." She bustled out of the room and returned with another, much smaller, towel and a comb. She placed the towel around Severus' shoulders and proceeded to comb his wet hair. Severus thought these Muggles to be the strangest people he'd ever met.

The rest of the evening was spent watching television programs. Severus had only ever seen television from outside other people's homes, usually when he was sifting through trash looking for edible or usable items that his neighbors had thrown away. Mrs. Evans disappeared into the bathroom carrying a bucket of hot water to scrub the layer of body soil that Severus had left in the tub.

Immediately after finishing his cup of tea, he was presented with another; this time with a pile of biscuits. The girls received a small glass of milk and biscuits as their bedtime snack. Petunia complained about not having any apple pie. Mrs. Evans replied that Severus was too ill to have pie, so no one else was going to be rude and eat it in front of him. Petunia fell silent. Once Mrs. Evans was satisfied that he could hold down solid food, she presented him with a glass of milk and a light sandwich. When he was finished eating, Mr. Evans deposited him on the couch where he spent the night, a big fluffy blanket wrapped around him and a soft pillow under his head.