Lily awoke to the sound of a bird chirping happily in her ear. She gave a small moan and reached for her pillow to pull it over her head and drown out the sound. Instead, her hand hit something much more solid. It was only then she realized her side was extremely sore and her bed was nowhere near as comfortable as usual. Reluctantly, she opened her eyes, surprised to see the open sky instead of the canopy of her four-poster. The pillow underneath her stirred and Lily raised her head. She was hardly shocked to see Severus lying there. Once she moved, he gave a mumble, scrunched up his nose and rolled over on his side, wincing slightly in his sleep.

The sun was just peaking over the horizon and it was becoming clear to Lily that she and Severus had fallen asleep on top of the astronomy tower. She could only hope their housemates would overlook their mutual absence from their dorms, but she wasn't terribly optimistic. The only way either of them could hope to avoid discovery was to return to their beds as quickly as possible. Then they would be able to say they were out late and everyone had been asleep when they returned. Luckily, Slytherins and Gryffindors rarely spoke to one another or no doubt it would have been all over the school in minutes that neither Lily Evans nor Severus Snape had made it back to their beds the night before. Where the speculation would go from there she could only imagine.

Lily gazed down at Severus, brushing his hair back from his forehead. Her fingers lightly caressed the contours of his face. His cheeks were rough to the touch; he clearly needed a shave, something she had never thought about him doing before. Her gaze intensified, taking in every nuance of him, the way he breathed, the slight indent in his upper lip. He looked so innocent and peaceful, so beautiful laying there, the first rays of sunlight filtering over him. She was tempted to lie down again and fall back to sleep in his arms for another few hours, but she thought that might be tempting fate a little too much, seeing as how she wasn't sure how they had managed to escape detection thus far. So, she reached out a hand and shook his shoulder.

"Sev, wake up." He gave a groan. "Dearest, you have to wake up." This time he muttered something incomprehensible and rolled onto his other side, throwing his arm across his eyes. "Severus, come on."

The arm slowly slid from his face and a pair of bleary eyes looked up at her. "Lily?"

"Yes."

"How did you get in the…Why is it so bright in here?"

"We fell asleep on the Astronomy tower."

She could tell the information was taking a moment to seep in. Finally, Severus sat up. "Bollucks! If Filch finds us up here."

"I know. We have to get back. Do you think it would be better to try and sneak back to our common rooms now or wait until the rush starts and slip in with the crowd?"

He stared hard at her, apparently trying to decide which course to take. "How would we explain where we were all night?"

"Came back late and left early?"

"And if anyone figures out we both did that it will be all over school we're together."

"Let people figure out we're together then."

"I thought we decided we didn't want people to know yet."

"Actually, I thought we hadn't made a decision yet."

"Lil, if it's all the same to you I would like to wait until exams are over. I need to focus on studying and can't handle Potter's antics right now. Of course, I wouldn't be opposed to you telling him to bugger off and leave my girlfriend alone in some other way." He started to lean in and then abruptly pulled away.

Lily looked at him perplexedly. "If I'm going to tell him the truth I'm going to tell him all of it, thank you very much. Does my breath smell that bad?"

"What?"

"You started to kiss me and then stopped. Does my breath stink or something?" She held her hand up in front of her mouth and blew a couple of quick bursts into it.

Severus gave a chuckle. "No, but I was afraid mine might."

"I think I'll risk morning breath to snog you." She stated leaning in.

Lily's eyes where sparkling with laughter when they broke the kiss. She raised her hand and rubbed it across his cheek. "You really need a shave."

"Not a fan of the scruffy look huh?"

"No, it's too rough when you kiss me."

"Hmm, maybe I should keep it until after exams then."

"I didn't say it would stop me snogging you, I just said it's wouldn't be as good of a snog."

"In that case, we should get back to our common rooms so that I can get rid of my stubble." Severus leaned in and pressed her lips with his. "I'm not sure I could handle not being the best at something." With a laugh they scrambled up. Severus transfigured the blanket back into his book and thrust it into his bag.

Once they reached the bottom of the staircase, Lily grudgingly let go of his hand. "I'm not sure I want to do this until the end of term."

"What?"

"Sneak around."

"It was your idea to begin with."

"And I was being a huge dunderhead, to use my best friend's favourite term."

"Your best friend would never call you that," he said with a small smile. "Just give me until after exams." Severus requested as pushed her hair back behind her ears. "I don't like this any better than you do, but I'm so behind Lil."

"Sev, I know you. You can't be that far behind."

Severus sighed. "I really am. What with being sick and the whole Bones thing, I'm not yet back to being in top form." She continued to look sceptical so he quickly threw in. "Lily, if I want to work for Hippos my marks have to be impeccable."

"Oh please, I saw the way that man looked at you."

"And how was that?"

"Like he had finally found someone worthy of his tutelage. You could probably fail every exam this term and he would still take you."

"Hmm, I think I'd prefer not to test that theory." Severus shifted on the step. "We should go before we get caught."

"So I'll see you tonight?"

Severus hesitated before answering. "Alright. I'll be in the library. But tonight is about study only." He tried to look stern as he said it but his laughing eyes belied the severity of his expression.

"Of course." Lily gave a laugh, blew him a kiss and walked out the door.

He waited several minutes before leaving the tower staircase, convinced no one would hang around long enough to catch them both. Sure enough, the passageway was deserted when he emerged, and when Severus arrived in the dorm every one of his roommates was still asleep. So all he had to do was muss his bed a little, grab his things and head to the shower. Perhaps that morning was an omen of how the last few weeks of term would go.

Two days later, the news that Archibald Bones had been rescued spread like wild fire through the school. The impact of the liberation was perhaps greatest in the Slytherin common room. Vincent was frantic about the future of his family. The elder Mr. Mulciber had been forced to flee the country, while Mrs. Mulciber was brought in for questioning; it was a mark of the Dark Lord's increasing power she was let go after only a single night in Azkaban. Voldemort, it was reported, was searching amidst his followers for the person who had let Bones' location slip. The ranks were clearly tightening and letters from Lucius contained no further details about the Death Eater's activities. Still, Severus had no regrets about what he had done. And most encouraging of all neither Avery nor Mulciber appeared to have guessed he had been instrumental in Bones' freeing. The success of this mission made him feel infinitely more confident about his ability to escape the group all together.

Though, if he were being entirely truthful with himself, then he had to admit his success did cause him to briefly contemplate playing both sides against the middle. It was a thought that was swiftly dismissed when he saw the looks that both Lily and Remus gave him. Those looks of mingled pride, awe and respect sent surges of satisfaction the likes of which he had never known through him. He liked those looks; they made him feel worthwhile and honoured. And the fact they were coming from others, including both the head boy and Professor Dumbledore, led him to believe Remus had not kept quiet about where he had gotten his information.

Adding to his general good frame of mind, was the fact that Black and Potter were leaving him alone. He doubted strongly they knew of his involvement in the plot to free Bones but he was grateful for the peace all the same. Thus with persistent studying he was able to catch up on all of his classes and was confident he had done well on every one of his exams. It seemed his tutees had performed equally well. His investment in some of them had become so great he had found himself waiting in the entrance hall on the day Ametus had his Potions O.W.L. Lily had laughed a little at the level of his dedication but had sat by his side none the less, quizzing him on Defense Against Dark Arts while they waited. When Ametus had emerged from the Great Hall beaming triumphantly Severus couldn't help but feel proud.

As Lily had predicted, hiding had become increasingly difficult and they narrowly missed being caught snogging on several occasions. Strangely it was Peter Pettigrew who watched them most intently. Severus had never been at ease in the other boy's company and his level of discomfort increased now, to the extent there were times when he had almost blurted out the truth just to get the boy's creepy eyes off of them.

After numerous discussions, Severus and Lily had decided she would tell James about their new relationship at King's Cross. She had originally suggested telling Potter on the last day of exams but Severus had been wary about this idea. Surprisingly Remus had backed him up. He had told Lily he was worried about how James would react to the news so it might be best if James had some time to recover, away from the winner. Privately Severus was concerned this would give Potter and Black far too much time to plot their revenge but he supposed at least this way he would have three months of tranquillity before the onslaught began.

It was a cloudy Saturday morning when Severus boarded the Hogwarts Express convinced it was going to be a great summer. On Monday, he had gotten a letter from Cris inviting him to spend a fortnight at the Hall's country house. Then, the next day, Eileen had sent an owl with the usual inquiry about his trip home and the information Tobias was still sober and things were stable at Spinner's End. Lily had come up with more plans than they could possibly accomplish during an entire year let alone their summer holidays. She had even mentioned him going on the annual Evans' family summer trip but he had yet to commit to that idea.

Staring out the window, he was amazed at the difference a year could make in your life. He smiled at the memory of how depressed he had been on this very same trip only twelve months ago. Then he had spent the journey with a group of strangers, listening to their whispers and contributing nothing, now the compartment was buzzing with soft chatter. Clive and Ametus were discussing classes and summer plans and Urania was clearly listening because she interjected a comment every now and again. There was laughter and everyone was relaxed. He was relaxed, not even bothering to pull out a book. While he couldn't say he was truly friends with anyone in the compartment several had been upgraded to the level of peers. The best part of all was any minute Lily would slide open the door and sit by his side.

Not ten minutes after he had this thought, Lily entered the compartment, throwing a comment back at someone over her shoulder. Severus was surprised to see Remus, Sabrina, Frank and Alice file in after her. The compartment was now overflowing with people and Alice was forced to sit on her boyfriend's lap. None of them stayed long, exchanging news of holiday plans and promises to write. Remus and Sabrina were the first to leave, the sandy haired boy stating they better go before Sirius came to track them down. Remus' joy at being with Sabrina had been so overwhelming his good will had extended to Black, and the two were back to being friends again though there was still a distance there that might never be overcome.

"Severus, have a good holiday. Try not to study too hard."

"Oh Rem, Severus isn't going to study over the summer."

Lily led the laughter that filled the compartment. "I can assure you, the longest I have ever known Sev to go without studying is about three days."

"I didn't study at all that week I was ill." Severus interjected.

Widened eyes stared back at him and Remus shook his head. "You really were sick weren't you?"

Severus shrugged. "Guess so."

"On that note, we're off."

Sabrina gave Lily a hug. "Let us know when a good date for you is."

"Of course. Good luck on Wednesday, owl me and let us know how you do."

"Alice, we should think about going as well. I have some people I'd like to see before I leave." Frank smiled at them all sadly. "I can't believe this is my last trip."

Alice looked teary eyed and Frank impulsively grabbed Lily and hugged her. "You're a great prefect, Lily."

"Frank, you're acting as if I'll never see you again."

"But it won't be the same." Frank looked really choked up now. "Severus." he held out his hand to the younger boy. Severus stood and took the large hand in his own. "You'll go far, I know. It has been a genuine pleasure getting to know you this year." Severus made to remove his hand but was stopped by the head boy's next words. "And just so you know, you got my recommendation."

He knew exactly what Frank was talking about and felt his eyes grow huge in response to the unexpected compliment. "Thanks."

"Okay, I think Alice and I should go before I make a total arse of myself. Remember, savour next year, it'll go faster than you think." With that, Frank exited the compartment. Alice followed, after giving Lily a hug and waving at Severus.

Once the horde had left Severus settled himself back into his seat. He watched as Lily glanced towards the door and he knew she was contemplating finding Potter and having it done with. Gently, he grasped her hand. "When we get off."

Lily turned to face him, chewing on her bottom lip. "You think?"

"Yes."

The entire compartment watched as she nodded and took the seat next to him. Giving a sigh, Lily leaned her head against the window and watched the fields flashing by. Severus exhaled his own breath and finally dug out a book. He became engrossed quickly, hardly noticing the fact that while Lily let go of his hand each time he turned a page the moment it fell back on the seat it was in hers again.

It was not a fact that was missed by the compartment's other occupants. Urania fixed her eyes on Lily with a look that was truly intimidating. While the two boys in the corner whispered about the current state of the two sixth year's relationship. Severus ignored it all for the most part, though Urania's stare was disconcerting. He was just thankful the hiding would be over in a few short hours. Besides Lily was nervous enough without having him get into a temper and having a row with his housemate.

By the time they pulled into King's Cross, Lily's grip on Severus' hand was so tight he was certain he would never again be able to move his knuckles. He waited until everyone had left the compartment before standing, Lily remained in her seat still clutching his hand. "I'm really going to hurt him aren't I?"

Severus could see Potter laughing and hugging a grey haired woman out on the platform. He wished he still had it in him to lie to Lily but somehow he had lost that knack during the course of the year. "Probably."

"Sev, be completely honest with me, is there any way to tell him he and I are a no go without breaking his heart?"

Severus sighed and sat back down on the plush cushion. "Not that I can think of. Though I have to say if it were me, I really wouldn't want to hear the 'I hope we can still be friends' line."

"But I would like to be friends with him."

He hated the idea of Lily being friends with Potter so couldn't stop himself from asking, "do you have to?"

"Sev."

"Fine, but it's still not a great line to hear."

"Hmm." She turned her eyes back to the window.

"Just be you. Lil, you're so kind you're bound to say the right thing."

She looked unconvinced. "I don't know. I just wish it were all over."

"It will be soon. I'm going to take our trunks and go out to the station. I'll let Violet know you're on your way alright? You take all the time you need."

Lily looked up at him and for a moment he was fearful she was going to ask him to come with her but she only nodded her head. Severus pulled the trunks down and Lily helped him load them onto a trolley, clearly trying to delay her conversation with Potter. Figuring it no longer mattered who saw them, Severus gave her a quick peck on the lips before passing through the barrier.

Violet was standing only a few feet away when he emerged. He crossed over to her swiftly. Violet's green eyes took him in critically. "Hello, Severus."

"Hello, Violet."

"How are you feeling?"

Severus knew Lily had written to her mother about his week in hiding and he was happy his well-being mattered so much to the woman in front of him. "I'm fine now, thank you."

"I'm not so sure about that. You look like you've lost at least a stone, and you're as pale as a sheet of paper."

"I'm always pale, Vi."

"Not this pale. Oh well, give us a few weeks and we'll have you right back in tip-top shape." Violet looked over his shoulder before asking, "Where is Lily?"

"Oh, she needed to talk to a schoolmate about something. She'll be here any minute."

Violet smiled and nodded. "How was term?"

"It was good for the most part, except for that one week of course."

"And your exams?"

"I'm not sure how I did since I lost a week of study time."

"I am certain you did your best and that's all that you can do."

Severus nodded and turned to look at the barrier. He wondered how things were going between Lily and Potter. Would the Gryffindor coming bursting through the barrier to torment him any moment? Luckily, Violet's continuing conversation served as a distraction. "I was hoping I could get you to help me do a few household repairs this summer. The boy I hired is completely useless." She shook her head in frustration.

"How so?"

"He painted over the peeling wallpaper in the guestroom, in the wrong colour no less. The hedges out front look, appalling is the only word I can think of, and the shed…"

"What did he do to the shed?" There was a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"He ran into it with the mower, tore a hole in the wall and I haven't seen him since. If I had known I never would have paid him."

"He took money from you?" Severus asked incredulously.

"Yes, so if you would be willing to help right his damages that would be marvellous. I will, of course, pay you for any jobs that you do."

"Vi, I would be pleased to help you but I don't want your money."

"I hardly expect you to work for free." Severus opened his mouth to protest again but Violet cut him off. "I will brook no arguments on this point, Severus. If you won't let me pay you then I'll find someone who will."

He thought it a needless waste of money but his further protests were stopped by Lily's appearance. He could tell at a glance she was horribly upset. Without a word to Violet, he crossed the distance separating them and took her into his arms. Lily held on to him tightly whispering against his chest, "that was awful."

"I'm certain it was."

"The way he looked at me." She shook her head, as if to dislodge the memory of what just happened. "I never want to do that to someone else as long as I live. I felt like the most heartless person alive."

"That I don't believe."

"I said the friends thing. I know you told me not to, but I felt like I had to give him something. He looked so much more devastated after that I wished I could take it back."

He gripped her tighter. Severus knew Lily had most likely been incredibly sweet about the whole thing and that had probably only made it worse. For a half a heartbeat, he felt a stirring of pity for his arch-rival, yet at the same time, he was unbelievably happy the words hadn't been directed at him. "I'm positive you were very nice to Potter."

"I tried to be, but still…"

He searched for the right thing to say but even in his mind they all sounded bad. The only thing he could think to do was hug her. "It'll be alright." he whispered into her hair.

Lily pulled back and gave him a watery smile. "I know, just like I know I'm being silly. It's not as if James is going to die of a broken heart is he?"

"I think that is a relatively rare occurrence. One that mostly happens in melodramas and I think it's safe to say we're not living in one of those."

It turned out, this was the right thing to say because Lily laughed before taking his hand and leading him back towards her mother. Violet glanced at the joined hands for a moment and smiled slightly before pulling her daughter into a bone-crushing hug. It took a few moments for them to make their way to the car but at long last they loaded the two trunks into the boot and climbed into the dark vehicle.

Lily had insisted she and Severus ride in the back seat together, so they spent most of the trip with her head laying on his shoulder and their hands clasped. Severus caught Violet watching them in the mirror several times. She, at least, would not need to be told that her daughter and her best friend were now a couple.

Given the glances, Severus half expected Violet to say something about the burgeoning relationship, and came up with what he felt were reasonable answers to any objections she might raise about Lily dating a boy from a less than illustrious background. The expected objections never came; in fact, Violet said nothing about the union at all. Instead, the car ride was filled with talk about plans for the summer.

Like Severus, Lily had been invited to spend several weeks in the country with the Halls. Cris had booked a vacation for Violet as a birthday present so she would be in Tuscany for a fortnight, prompting her to ask Severus to stop by and check on the girls daily while she was away.

Far too soon, the car turned onto Spinner's End. Violet had tried to persuade him to come to Bloom Street for dinner but Severus wanted to spend some time alone with Eileen before his father turned up home and so had refused. Besides, the air was heavy with humidity and the sky was turning dark and he didn't relish the idea of walking home in the middle of the storm, dragging his trunk with him. Lily scrambled out of the back seat to help him pull his trunk from the boot. Once the trunk was on the street he looked warily towards the front seat. Would it be right to kiss Lily in front of Violet? He was debating what the correct thing to do was when Lily made the choice for them, rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

His arms instinctively wrapped around her and pulled her body close to his. He tried to remember at least one of their parents was watching and not kiss her too passionately. This was the reason he pulled away sooner than he usually would have. Lily gave him one last hug and climbed in to the front seat of the car. Severus stood and watched the car drive down the street. Once it had disappeared from view he grabbed the leather handles of the trunk and entered his house.

Just like at Christmas, the residence was remarkably still, only the sound of the approaching storm could be heard. But this time the air in the room smelled stale, as if the windows hadn't been opened in months. The ripped corner of wallpaper had been completely torn away, revealing the plaster underneath. Dust lay heavy on the surface of the wood trim, Severus was surprised; usually Eileen was a meticulous housekeeper, maybe because she wasn't allowed to do anything else. He hastily pushed the front door shut with his foot.

"Who's there?" Eileen called out from upstairs.

"Me," Severus returned.

She must not have heard him well because she crossed the floor and called down the stairwell. "Severus, is that you?"

"Yes, mum." Severus shifted the trunk, trying to get a better grip on the handles, and mounted the stairs. Not for the first time, he wished he could just levitate the wretched thing to his room.

He was half way up the staircase when he looked up and saw Eileen at the top. "Merlin, I thought you were coming home tomorrow."

"I sent you an owl telling you I would be home today."

"I must have read it wrong. Severus, your father…" There was a bump from the sidewalk outside and Eileen glanced down the stairs worriedly. "Severus, go into the spare room and wait for me."

"Mum?" He wondered if he sounded as confused as he felt.

His mother grabbed his arm and pushed him up the stairs. "Severus, please go."

Severus shuffled down the upstairs hallway. He pushed on the door at the end of the hall and stepped into the dilapidated room. The air was musty, little puffs of dust rose with each step he took into the room. The Snapes had given up using this room years before when part of the ceiling had collapsed. Though from the looks of the cauldron and books scattered around his mother had chosen this as a place to continue her practice of magic.

He gave a sigh and placed the trunk down gently on the stained floor. What new disaster could have befallen them? He slowly circled the room, looking at his mother's impressive collection of books, they were mostly stored in wooden crates, though many were piled on the floor or lay on top of the table with the cauldron. These books were the only things left of Eileen's former life, smuggled to her after her marriage by a beloved house elf.

"It wasn't him," Eileen announced as she glided into the room.

"Mum, what is going on? Why am I hiding like a common criminal in my own house?"

She heaved a great sigh before raising her dark eyes to meet the identical pair looking at her. "Severus, I honestly meant to meet you at King's Cross so I could explain what was happening there." Eileen fidgeted with a flask on the table as she talked a sure sign that she was nervous. "A few days ago I told your father that by the laws of the wizarding world you had come of age."

"Why did you do that?"

"I thought it would help. That perhaps he would leave you alone if he knew you were now free to retaliate. Unfortunately, my plan backfired somewhat."

Severus' heart was in his throat. He was almost certain he knew where this was going and the fear was more overwhelming than he had ever imagined it would be. He wanted to beg his mother not to continue. As childish as it sounded, in his heart he felt if she didn't say the words then it wouldn't be true.

But Eileen was not to be deterred by his unvoiced wish. "Your father feels since you are of age you should make your own way in the world."

"I'm still in school."

His mother reached out a hand and brushed his hair back from his eyes. "I did try to tell him that but he wants you out anyway."

"Where am I supposed to go mum?"

"Surely one of your friends could take you for a little while, the Malfoys or the Mulcibers."

"No, none of them are going to take in a destitute half-blood."

"Maybe I could write to Ara Malfoy."

"Please don't. Lucius already told me his mother doesn't like me. She was the one who told Lucius not to invite me to the wedding."

Eileen sighed again. "We were such good friends when we were young. Could you perhaps stay with Lucius once he was married?"

"That won't be until the end of July. What am I meant to do between now and then?"

"I am so sorry my princling. I did mean to help."

"I know, mum."

For several minutes they stood staring at each other clearly not knowing what to say about this development. Finally Eileen turned and left the room. Severus had no idea where she was going but if he was getting thrown out of the house then he was cleaning out his spot. Fearlessly, he left the room and entered his own. Not surprisingly almost every trace of him had already been removed. The bed had been stripped and disassembled. Likewise the wardrobe was emptied, not that there had been much left in there. Other than the few articles left in the hole in the floor the only thing he wanted was the picture that Lily had given him right after they had become friends.

He pulled the floorboard away and emptied the contents of the cavity into a paper sack he had found by the door. While his eyes frantically searched the room for the framed picture. Once the sack was filled he raced around the room looking for the print of a manor nestled in the midst of dark trees and glacial mountains. It was his dream, the home he had based his fantasies on.

"It's in the other room." Severus jumped as he heard his mother's voice at the door. He spun quickly to face her. She gave him a wistful smile. "I knew you would want to keep it."

"Thank you."

"Here." She held out a wad of notes to him. "This should be enough to get you a room for a few days. By then maybe I can talk your father in to letting you come back. If not, I'll find you someplace. I'm still in contact with a few of my old friends."

For the first time Severus really looked at his mother. He could see all the worry and remorse in her eyes. "It's alright, mum. I'll figure it out, okay?" He crossed to the desk and pulled open one of the drawers, hoping his father hadn't gotten around to clearing out the muggle items yet. Sure enough, the drawer contained a pile of paper and a pen. He quickly scribbled a few lines on the paper before thrusting it at his mother.

"This is Lily's phone number and address. No matter what, she'll know how to get a hold of me."

"Severus, I'm not certain I want you to stay there."

A spark of anger flared up in him. "I didn't say I was. And I'm hardly in the position to be picky am I?"

"Don't get short with me. I just want you to be with your peers, people who are your equals."

This was no time to get into a pure-blood debate with his mother so he let it go but his mother seemed poised to continue but was stopped when the front door slammed.

"Your father, go in the spare room and I'll sneak you out later!" Every muscle in Eileen's body seemed to tense with dread.

"Don't worry, I can get myself out." Severus gave his mother a quick hug and kiss before rushing from the room. He had just closed the door when his father thundered up the stairs and into the hall.

"I should have known I would find you in the brat's room. You better have told him not to come back here."

"Tobias, please let Severus come home, at least until he's through with school."

"No! If he's of age he can bloody well stop free loading off of me. You tell that bastard if he shows his face around here I'll make him wish he hadn't."

"Tobias, he's your son."

"Then it's time he acted like it, I got a job as soon as I was able to, or do you people not believe in work?"

There was no reply from Eileen and Severus knew she would say no more on his behalf tonight. He quietly searched the room for his picture. Once he found it, he removed it from the frame and put it and the paper bag in his trunk. He shoved the pound notes into his pocket. Then, taking a piece of rope, he threaded it around the leather bands of his trunk.

The house was once again silent as he slid open the window and prepared to leave. Since his house was an end unit he had neighbours only on one side. Below him was only the empty rubbish strewn lot. There was no drainpipe to scale down here or convenient climbing plant to use to ease his way to the ground. He had no choice but to either use the uneven bricks as hand holes or use magic. The magic option was definitely more tempting but he shuttered to think of what would happen to his mother if an owl arrived at the house looking for him. For this reason he chose to lower the trunk down with another piece of rope before shimmying down the wall himself.

Severus didn't think he drew a single breath until his feet touched the ground, then he collapsed weakly in the dirty plot. Every muscle in his arms ached unbearably. What would Tobias do if he walked out the front door and found his son huddled amidst the rotting food and disintegrating paper? Would the sight evoke any pity in the man or would he only lash out the harder, seeing Severus' presence as some sort of taunt?

Deciding he really didn't want to find out the answer to this question Severus rose shakily to his feet and shuffled down the street. Where he was going, he didn't really know. He was completely bewildered by what had just happened. Somehow, no matter what Tobias had threatened in the past, Severus had never really believed his father would make him leave before he had finished school.

His feet carried him along as he sought desperately to come up with some sort of plan. Above him, a crash of thunder resounded, causing him to look up, the sky was pitch black, the thunderheads reaching high up into the heavens. When he looked around him, he was hardly surprised to see he was standing in the Spot. Despairingly, he dropped the trunk to the ground. What was he going to do? He couldn't possibly live here all summer.

"Shit!" he yelled, kicking the trunk as hard as he could. In his frustration and anger he had forgotten that he had worn shoes instead of boots and felt the unmistakable crunch of breaking bones.

Dizziness rushed up to claim him and he dropped onto the wooden case, and clutched at his foot. Tears threatened in the corner of his eyes, he desperately held them back, burying his head in his hands and trying to come up with a strategy. He knew he had around fifty pounds in his trunk. He pulled the money his mother had given him out of his pocket. He was surprised to see it was close to two hundred pounds. His mother must have been saving for years to have this much money but still it wasn't enough for him to live on for the entire summer.

Above him, the heavens opened and the rain that had been threatening all day poured over him in buckets. "Bloody brilliant," he muttered as he grabbed the trunk and hobbled towards the cover of the tree as fast as possible.

Severus was uncertain how long he sat squashed in the hallowed out space in the trunk. The sky grew darker and the rain came down harder, soaking every stitch of clothing on his body. He shivered with cold and his stomach gave a loud rumbled, but none of it was as bad as the pain in his right foot. With great effort he tried to bend his toes but it was no good, and he was sure the large one was broken. He was starting to feel nauseous and knew the anger and shock that had carried him this far were wearing off. If he was going to go anywhere tonight then he would have to start moving soon.

He mentally ran through every possible place he could go to. A hotel was out of the question as even the seediest wouldn't rent to an under aged boy. Apparently the fact that he had not obtained his majority in the muggle world had not crossed his father's mind. He supposed he could get a room at the Leaky Cauldron. How long would his slightly more than two hundred pounds last there? He couldn't even remember what the current exchange rate was but he didn't think it was that great. That left the idea of trying to rig a shelter here. But he could think of nothing he could erect that would stand through the wind and rain. There was no way around it; he was going to have to ask for help.

Instantly a face rose up in front of him. Straight away he knew what he needed was to see Lily. It would take a huge effort to swallow his pride and tell her what had happened. But he hurt so badly both physically and emotionally that he had to hold her. And maybe she would have an idea about what he could do to survive until school began again. He slowly unfolded himself from the hole, almost collapsing when his foot hit the ground. He grasped the trunk of the tree, swaying on his feet and willing himself not to faint.

Once he was reasonably sure he wouldn't fall to the earth like some sort of nancy he picked up the trunk and hefted it on to his shoulder. Little by little he limped his way out of the clearing towards Bloom Street. The journey must have taken three times longer than it usually did as the throbbing in his foot was so great. He had to pause several times and sit down. During one of these pauses, a car drove by, spraying a puddle of dirty water up at him. It was then the full weight of what had happened hit him. There he was, sitting on a trunk that contained everything he owned in the world, broken footed and homeless. With a start Severus realized he was crying, in public, for the first time in his entire life.

He resolutely rubbed his eyes. He would not allow Tobias to make him cry. He was better than that wanker. For perhaps the millionth time in his life he vowed he would never be that kind of father. His anger at his father drove Severus to his feet and he began to walk doggedly down the street. To distract himself from his pulsating foot he began to spin out his favourite fantasy, imagining his and Lily's life together, the children they would have.

Even though he had spent years imagining his future, Severus still hadn't decided on the number of children he wanted them to have. He did know he wanted at least three, mostly because he never wanted his children to grow up lonely the way he had. He had even picked a Christian name for their first daughter. Ever since Lily had told him about the St. George's tradition of calling the girls of the family after flowers he had dreamed of a little girl called Iris. By the time he reached the Evans' house, he and Lily had six children, five daughters and one son. What they were all called he hadn't determined yet, but in his mind, there was a house of redheaded, green eyed laughing, joyous children.

Relief filled him at the sight of the white house, but the emotion was quickly tempered when he saw all of the lights were off. Above him, lightening crackled, illuminating the building in a bright light. He knew if he woke Violet now there would be countless hours of discussion and recrimination against his father and perhaps even his mum. Severus just couldn't deal with that right now.

So, with a heavy sigh he walked to the side of the house. If ever there was an emergency this was it so he was going to climb the ivy to Lily's window. He hated to leave his possessions outside but knew he didn't have the ability to scale the ivy carrying his trunk. He managed to entirely conceal the trunk behind the hydrangeas under the dining room window. Then, taking a deep breath, he began to drag himself up the side of the house. He started to doubt the wisdom of this idea when his injured foot slipped from the slick plant. He took a deep breath in to centre himself and continued to climb determinedly.

This time he didn't care about being quiet and banged on the window as hard as he thought he could without breaking the glass. The room was so dark he couldn't even see if Lily was in there. Desperately, he pounded again. He could feel his arms giving out and knew it was only a matter of moments before he fell to the ground. Thankfully the light switched on, flooding out of the window and illuminating him.

Lily's face filled with concern at the sight of him and she raced across the room. She didn't speak a word as she pried open the sash and pulled him in.

"Sev, what happened?" She questioned as he fell into the room in a heap.

He shook his head and clung to her like a man drowning, he could do nothing else for an age. then slowly, he began to tell her of everything that had happened since they had dropped him off earlier in the night. When his tale was done she clutched him to her even more tightly, dropping a series of quick kisses on the crown of his head.

Finally, she started to move. "I'm going to get mum."

Severus grabbed her hand frantically. "No, not tonight."

"Sev."

"Please, Lily. I can't tonight. I need some time to…" His voice cracked and he hated himself for it.

Lily looked at him long and hard before nodding in agreement. "Okay. We do need to get you into some dry clothes. Where did you put your trunk?"

"In the bushes beneath the dining room window. I can go get it."

"Not on your life. You're going to sit here and rest that foot…Mum's going to have a fit when she sees it."

"I know," he whispered.

Lily opened her mouth to say something else but apparently thought better of it and walked out of the room. She returned quickly, a towel in her hand and the trunk over her shoulder. "You go ahead and dry off and change. I'll be back in a minute, okay?"

Severus nodded his head and as soon as she left, stripped off his clothes. He dried himself quickly and dug in the trunk for his pyjamas. Many of the articles in the wooden box were damp, including the treasured picture. A tightness grew in his throat as he looked at the wrinkles that now marred the left corner. He placed it tenderly on Lily's desk before pulling his nightclothes on. Then he sat down on the desk chair and put his foot up on a poof to examine his toes. He felt the digits gingerly, trying to figure out how bad the damage really was.

He was still in this position when Lily returned, carrying a tray. "Here I figured you hadn't eaten."

"I'm not hungry," he stated, not bothering to look up.

Lily knelt down in front of him and looked up into his eyes. "You need to eat dearest, so you can take something for your foot."

"Lil, I don't..." He began to protest.

"Severus, if you're going to be difficult then I'm going to go get mum."

He grudgingly agreed to eat. Lily smiled and put the tray on the desk next to him, grabbing a towel wrapped bundle from it. "Put this on your foot, that should take down the swelling somewhat."

"Thanks."

"That's what I'm here for." She was sitting half on the poof, holding the ice pack to his foot.

All of a sudden, he became aware of the fact that Lily's top was clinging tightly to her, wet he assumed from holding him. "You should change before you catch your death."

"I'm fine," she whispered.

He wondered if she knew how revealing the soggy top was. It was something he was all too aware of, as evidenced by the growing swelling in his groin. He reached for the bag of ice shakily. "Lily, please if you get sick because of me, I'll feel wretched."

"Okay." She rummaged in her dresser for a moment and then disappeared behind the screen in the corner of the room. When she emerged she was wearing a soft white nightdress. She looked down at it and looked back at him shyly. "It's sort of little girl isn't it?"

He supposed she was referring to the puffed sleeves and tiny bows under the bust and on the shoulders but all he could see was how stunning she looked. His voice came out in a horse whisper. "No. You look like an angel."

Lily blushed a little and balled up their wet clothes and carried them out of the room. She came back holding a small bottle from which she poured out a white pill similar to the one Violet had given him at Christmas. "Here, take one of these."

He took the pill from her hand and swallowed it quickly. With a scrape he cleared the last of the food from the plate.

"If you need to use the loo you should do it now before you get too sleepy." He blushed a little at the implication but she continued before he could become too embarrassed. "There's toothpowder in the medicine chest and you know where the soap is."

Severus nodded and limped quietly to the toilet. He brushed his teeth and hair swiftly, and washed up as best as he could, not wanting to bother trying to navigate taking a shower or bath in his current situation. His foot didn't hurt nearly as bad as he hobbled back to Lily's room; he was also feeling extremely tired and a little dizzy. Entering the room, he saw Lily was already in bed, curled up beneath the covers.

"Can you get the light?" She asked softly.

"Certainly. I guess I'll see you in the morning." Severus stated as he flicked the light switch off.

"Why don't you sleep here?"

Severus hesitated, but only for a moment before stumbling towards the bed, he lay down on the surface, his hands folded over his stomach.

"Sev, get under the covers."

"Lil, what will Vi say?"

"You let me worry about that. For now, I want you to be comfortable. No quarrelling."

Severus shifted and lay down on his back under the sheets. Lily immediately curled up on her side, her arm over his chest. He felt her face turn up to him and their lips met. Severus, mindful of the situation they were in, deliberately held back but it was apparently enough because she sighed and snuggled up to him and laid her head on his chest when the kiss had ended. Severus ran a hand lightly over her hair, savouring the scent it gave off. "Thank you for taking me in Lily. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."

"Sev, I'll always take care of you when you're in trouble."

It took him several moments to answer. His response was on the tip of his tongue. He had wanted to say this to her since he was nine and he decided he was going to do it now. "That's because you're an angel."

"An angel. I'm not so sure about that."

"You are. You're my angel."

He felt her smile against his chest. "Your angel. I think I like that."

Severus kissed her forehead. "Good."

Lily sighed and snuggled closer to him. Before long her breath was slow and steady against his chest. Severus was almost certain she was asleep so felt no compunction when he whispered into the darkness. "I'm scared."

He almost fell out of the bed in shock when Lily answered sleepily, "don't be. Mum will fix it all in the morning. Just get some sleep for now."

He gripped her tighter and nodded, wishing he could believe her. Next to him, Lily rose and propped herself on her side, a flash of lightening quickly bathed the room in light. For a split second he could see the sadness in her eyes. "Oh, Sev, it'll all be fine, I promise."

"I never thought he would throw me out forever."

Lily sighed and lay back down. "Sev, your father…"

"Please don't tell me to forgive him or what he did or whatever your philosophy says I should do. Because of him I'm homeless."

"No." Her head shook against his chest. "As long as I'm alive you will never be homeless."

He wished he could tell her how much that meant to him. The tightness in his throat increased so much it was hard to get out the words he wanted to say. "Thank you."

"For what, telling you the truth? …Enough fussing. Go to sleep, because you can bet Mum's going to have you at the doctor's office first thing in the morning."

"Alright. Good night, my angel."

"Good night, my dearest heart." Lily yawned.

Severus matched her yawn with one of his own. Then he slid further down the bed, turning so he and Lily were now face to face, their arms wrapped around one another. Within ten minutes the only sounds in the room were two people breathing in perfect unison and Archimedes hooting softly from his cage.