Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter 45 The Quill is Mightier ...

Wigtown Wanderers were their only breaks in addition to weekends away from the gradually repaired Moonshine household.

Severus had overheard Tess defending her apprenticeship terms to Lily. Tess was a Hufflepuff idiot for saying she'd wait till the children were in Hogwarts to get back to serious study. They weren't her children. They weren't even her Potions Master's children. For all she knew, more children could be dropped off and they'd never be gone.

Perhaps Severus was fortunate that he was not following the customary route and letting Slughorn recommend him to a Potions Master. That way non-customary terms could be introduced to the apprenticeship agreement for him to terminate it, if there was lack of teaching. Severus was not opposed to repetitive and necessary work, such as ingredient preparation, but if he never got to brew anything with a portion of the ingredients, whatever Potions Master thought that was a dandy arrangement was going to regret it. Even if Severus had to originally beg for the position.

He also had to keep reminding Lily that weeks, then only days were left. Moonshine was pleased with their work. Keeping him pleased, which was better than merely satisfied, was preferable to Lily telling him what she thought of him. To the Potions community at large, Moonshine was respectable. The two of them needed someone respectable. Severus for Potions, and he knew Healers respected the field of Potions so a recommendation for Lily would carry weight. Any brainless, sycophantic cherub with dimples bestowing gifts could get Slughorn's recommendation.

Lily, on the other hand, was feeling great. She was still stuck here, but with Severus. Their constant togetherness was quite enjoyable. Sometimes, they'd work on separate things during the day, but it was an equitable split, in her eyes. Severus was accommodating and would work on whatever Lily hated most.

Their evenings were routine, but if Lily suggested doing something different, Severus did not mind. Although, Lily did not vary from the routine much because she always wanted to shower after work, and once she was done with that, she wanted to relax and lounge around in her pajamas listening to the radio, and then Severus would join her and that was brilliant. Even if she agreed with Sev that they shouldn't rock the caravan, it was still brilliant. And what was more bloody brilliant was Lily had not grown bored with Severus and however they brilliantly did various things. That was brilliant, right? Lily knew she lost interest in things, but Sev was … brilliant. Perhaps irreplaceable. Maybe when she got back to school things would return to their former perspective. Out in the middle of nowhere, otherwise known as Mould-on-the-Wold, there was no one else to catch Lily's fancy. Not that there had been a whole individual that caught her fancy, but she had admired pieces of individuals.

She also had a lot of things to look forward to. Lily understanding of quidditch grew and other than Gryffindor, the Wigtown Wanderers were her team. She at least was committed to that for Helen. She was not crazy about quidditch, and she only admitted that because she had seen some lads at school who were. Lily was not going to paint herself dark, blood red and wave a meat cleaver about, like some of the otherwise respectable wizards in the stands at games.

There was also her dream trip to Walt Disney World, and it was getting closer. All four of them now had passports, even Severus. The portkeys had arrived, and they were at her house and ready for them at the proper time. The Ministry had even labeled the rubbish nicely with the date and time for each one. They also had a reservation for the hotel. That had been a sticky subject with her parents, but Severus expressed no objections to sleeping wherever. Another rollaway in one room with two beds. Lily got a bed, and her parents got the other bed. Lily could easily afford a second room, but they wanted to keep an eye on her. Besides, she didn't want to get into it when they asked how she thought they could afford a second room. Ugh! If Disney World was not so exciting, maybe Lily wouldn't have invited them in the first place. Speaking of money, Sev had already given her father some muggle cash. Lily did not know how much, and had been totally left out of whatever conversation 'the men' had. She understood her dad had to use his credit card to reserve the room, and felt that agreed it was better to use that then carrying cash or even traveler's checks for the large hotel bill that was expected. From what her father had been saying, the Polynesian Resort was a pricey place to stay.

One night, Lily had spent a while lying next to Severus, thinking about money. Specifically Severus's. They were getting paid for this, but not yet. Severus had bought their quidditch tickets, a couple of books for her and the omnioculars. He was also buying groceries, and Lily suspected her steaks were the costliest thing he bought each trip. Severus also paid a share of their hotel or whatever he worked out with her dad, the portkeys and his passport fee. He couldn't have much more left, but he had merely shrugged when she had bothered him about getting new clothes for their trip since it was supposed to be hot there. Even worn out cotton jumpers were going to be too heavy. They were supposed to go to the store, the muggle department store in town, this coming Monday afternoon. Lily wanted to be sure Severus had the right things, but now worried that all this was going to leave him with as little as he had before. She really hoped Sev didn't have his hopes up to sell the house in Spinner's End for any reasonable amount of money. The town should just bulldoze all of those houses down and put up nice ones.

After they finally said their farewell to Regulus Moonshine and departed with their galleons, Lily fairly skipped away from his house. They had the rest of the month off since their homework was completed a while ago, though Sev was working on some arithmancy thing that was using up a lot of parchment. The caravan was crowded once a couple of those thick books of numerical tables joined them. And Lily had remembered to restore the caravan to its original configuration of two hard sofa beds with a table in between. Though after all that initial fuss about her being a girl, it was all for nothing. No one had ever bothered them out there.

Severus was a bit annoyed that Lily was bouncing around with excitement to get out of Mould-on-the-Wold. She could have contained herself till they apparated, and were safely out of sight. He knew she was happy. All week, Lily had been talking about the rest of their summer holiday. Tomorrow was only their Manchester United game, then Monday was clothes shopping for the big trip. It wasn't until Lily was agitated one night and talked for two hours about this American place that he truly realized how much she wanted to go there. It did not seem possible to squeeze in all she wanted to do in one week. He really had no idea what she was talking about, and doubted the hand gestures she was making in the dark as he felt her waving her arms in the air would help him picture what a spinning tea cup was, or something about talking mice and ducks. He understood what a princess was, and Lily told him about Cinderella, whose castle was the focal point in that picture. The story bothered him. Severus was not Prince Charming. In his mind, he used to imagine all sorts of fanciful things about being the Half-Blood Prince, but charming and handsome, never. Was the fancy dress party supposed to be like that ball, and Lily expected her eyes to meet the eyes of her prince, and they'd fall instantly in love before they even said one word to each other? Severus really should give their costumes more thought, rather than let Lily babble out her ideas while he half-listened. A good disguise did not necessarily mean Lily had to look glamorous, seductive or anything even remotely attractive.

At Friday night dinner at the Evans, Lily kept talking. She talked so much she got beyond the summer holiday and talked about Hogwarts. She wanted to make a huge mark on the school as Head Girl. Some sort of legacy. If Slytherins were ambitious, what was Lily the Gryffindor? Severus had no inclination in that direction at all as Head Boy. He still didn't think he'd stay Head Boy till September so why waste any time on it? Some prank where he'd sputter impotently when the Headmaster informed him it was all a mistake with that fake look of kindness that Dumbledore had developed over the years?

It was Lily that was sputtering afterwards, when Severus suggested that he come over later on Saturday because they were going to the football game. For the past several weeks, he had done one meal a day at the Evans – Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, Sunday dinner and Monday breakfast. With the change of schedule tomorrow, he could come later and they could leave for the match then. He wanted to work on some things of his own, rather than listening to Lily reiterate her plans and ideas. When they went on vacation, he'd see this indescribable wonderland for himself. For the moment, Severus felt he had no knowledge of what Lily was attempting to describe. It was not avoiding her if he saw her every day.

Lily conceded that Severus may be right. It was kind of funny that she was trying to hold him to a schedule, when she was the one always wanting change and excitement. She doubted Manchester United would provide it, but it was something she wanted to do for Severus. Lily was not sure what she could do in return for Severus sometimes, when he made such an effort for her.

They did go to the Manchester vs. Liverpool game, and Lily found it boring. Actually, this could be a day to go down in history because she found football to be more boring than quidditch. Well, she was actually starting to care more about quidditch than who won or lost, but that was different. What Lily did enjoy was watching Severus.

He had been quiet, but as soon as the game began, Severus leaned forward in his seat and intently watched. Like he was keeping an eye on a tricky potion he was brewing. Unlike the other Manchester fans, Severus seemed subdued. He did make some jerky motions when something extremely favorable occurred, but he did not jump out of his seat, shout, and throw things.

Lily was surprised by the continual attention he gave to the game. From his stated contentment that he had the action written down in a magic notebook, Lily surmised that watching the actual game was not a worthwhile pursuit for him. However, it appeared that Severus found football fascinating.

After all that, Lily was stunned that the game ended with a tie zero to zero. Maybe if there was some scoring, she would have found something worth watching.

Then Severus started talking about everything about the game, and even though it was only the first game of the new season, games against Liverpool meant something because the two teams had some sort of history. It was nice to see Severus excited, but Lily did not need him to recap anything, she had been there sitting next to him after all.

At least they were walking while he talked so they could apparate back to Lily's house once they were out of sight of any muggles. Lily wondered if her dad knew about the rivalry between the two teams, or just bought whatever tickets were available between now and when school started.

The back door was locked. Why did mum lock it? She knew they'd be home after the game.

"I didn't bring a key, Sev. What's that spell?"

Shaking his head slightly, Severus chided Lily, "After all that study to find every hidden room at Hogwarts, you can't remember a first year charm to unlock a door?"

"It's aloha something. I remember it because they say hello and good-bye Hawaii by saying aloha."

"It's alohomora," Severus replied. He did not cast it since it was not polite to unlock other people's houses without permission. Lily was capable of unlocking her own door.

"Right." With a flourish of her wand, Lily cast the charm and the lock audibly clicked. She opened the door, calling, "Mum?" With no answer, Lily took over the conversation, "Hey, that's an idea. We didn't find anything good, but with a whole year of looking in our spare time, we're bound to find something great."

"If you want."

"Where could she be?"

"Your mother is allowed to leave the house, but it looks like the car's still here," Severus replied from next to the window. "We should stay downstairs."

"Why?" she asked, before calling, "Mum! Dad!"

He made a face at her, then explained, "In case they are upstairs."

Lily in the kitchen doorway, looking into the dining room and beyond. "So?"

"They may have thought we'd be out longer."

"What's that got to do with anything? It's afternoon, and why isn't anything cooking out here?" Lily asked as she returned to the kitchen.

"Your mother may have intended to get to preparing dinner afterwards."

"After what?"

"Whatever they normally do when you are not home."

"What are you trying to say, Sev? They don't take naps … Oh! Sev, how could you think that? They're my parents."

He shrugged as he turned away from her to go back to gazing out the window. Severus forgot that a stork brought Petunia, and Lily was found under a cabbage leaf.

"Do you think they really still … they don't have to, you know. They have Petunia and I, and mum's too old now." After a pause, Lily suggested, "We could watch television. Maybe they will hear it, and then could act like they were … um, doing nothing upstairs."

Severus rolled his eyes while he was still facing away from Lily, before replying, "Whatever you want is fine, Lily."

"Come on. I don't know what's on right now, but it will all be new to you."

Following, he made a face. How much television did Lily watch that it would not be new to her also?

Lily did not like anything that was on and flipped through the channels a second time, saying, "If you see something that interests you, say so Sev."

She felt she had the volume moderately loud that her parents should hear them so they'd quickly get dressed and get down here. Lily looked at Severus who said nothing and asked, "Which one?"

"They're all new to me so why don't you pick?"

What kind of answer was that? Was Sev being a smart ass? Two could play at that. Lily turned it back to something that appeared to be a contemporary drama with a lot of talking heads. It was not as boring as the football game. Lily impatiently gave the show some of her attention while she waited.

During the station break, she asked, "What if they aren't upstairs?"

"Maybe they went for a walk ..." Severus amended it at the look Lily gave him, "... or they walked to someplace nearby. Would someone have picked them up?"

"No, dad likes to drive so he can leave whenever he wants."

Severus had begun to suspect the Evans were not upstairs, but he thought Lily would know better than he would where they could be.

When the telephone rang, Lily shot off the couch and ran to answer it.

"Hello."

"Lily?"

"Petunia?"

"Yes, mum's at the hospital with dad. She wanted me to keep calling till you got home."

"What's wrong with dad?"

"Mum didn't know yet when she got me. They're running tests. He had chest pains. Could be he overate or his heart."

Lily made a face. Her dad was as healthy as an ox. Never been sick a day in his life, and even had perfect attendance awards from work. Probably had mum whip him up a couple knickerbocker glories.

"I should head to hospital then?"

"You should. If it's bad, mum will need you. Vernon's ready to drive me, but it's a long ride. I didn't want us to set out and get there to find out it was for nothing. If mum can't call me back, call me collect."

"Collect?"

Tunie's sigh was brief and she explained, "Dial the operator and say you want to charge the call to my telephone. Take my phone number with you."

"I know to take your number," Lily replied.

"I know, but if you left in a hurry, I didn't want you to get there and realize you left it at home."

"All right, um, I better get going," Lily said and hung up the phone.

Severus was already standing nearby. He had overheard hospital mentioned.

"My dad got sick, Sev. That was Petunia to tell me to meet mum there, and then call her."

"All right."

"I need um … Tunie's phone number and … um, I guess that's it."

"All right. Is the back door locked from earlier?"

"Can you check that, and I'll turn off the telly."

"We can apparate. I know which building it is."

"Uh, but what if we're seen?"

"It's getting dark, and muggles don't always see things."

Lily was still making up her mind when Severus grabbed her arm and took them both to outside the hospital. "Sev … you shouldn't just do that."

"Was there a reason to delay further?"

"No, but … where's the entrance?"

"Around the side. I didn't want to bring us to right in front of it."

Lily started off towards the door, but slid her hand into Severus's rather than letting him follow at his own pace.

Severus allowed Lily to lead and talk. He had never been inside anyplace so … muggle. He realized he was born here, but the lack of magic did not bother him then. There was a lot of muggle science equipment. The atmosphere along with the floors, lighting, walls, ceilings … all of it was intrinsically different than St. Mungo's somehow. There was even a sort of smell to the place.

Lily found her mother and let go of Severus's hand to clasp her mum's. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Your father's in surgery. The vessels around his heart are blocked so they are doing some bypass thing."

"His heart? But wouldn't he have had symptoms?" Lily inquired.

"Well … you know your father …" Mrs. Evans replied.

"Did he have a heart attack?"

"They think so."

"But heart attacks are for unfit people."

Severus would not define Mr. Evans as fit, but he did not want to become part of this conversation. He knew little about muggle methods regarding health and medicine. He'd rather leave here, but supposed he should wait in case Lily or Mrs. Evans needed something. It's not that he especially wanted to, especially with them both appearing … emotional. It was appropriate for the circumstances, but Severus did not like displays of whatever they could do. Very discomforting.

When they reached a lull where they both looked forlorn, he blurted out, "Petunia."

"Oh, Tunie wanted to be called," Lily remembered. "Um, should I? Or do you …?"

"I'm waiting for the doctor to come out. You call, dear."

"What should I say? She said Vernon could drive her here."

"Uh … I guess that would be the right thing. You can say it's his heart, and that he's in there now."

"All right, I think I saw phones downstairs. Are there some closer?"

"Yes, around that corner there."

Severus lagged behind Lily to see where she was going, and stood where he could see her on the phone, and also her mother hovering around the door of the waiting room.

Shortly after Lily made the telephone call to her sister, a man came out and broke the news to Mrs. Evans that even though they had done all they could do, it was too late to save her husband.

Never having considered Mr. Evans as any sort of father figure to him, Severus found the idea of him dying tolerable. The problems were that Lily was crying, Mrs. Evans was crying, and when they were stopping for breath, they were assuming the roles of muggle medical experts.

When Petunia arrived and started crying, it did not bother Severus since she hung on Vernon, her mother and sister. Their previous relationship was unchanged since she spared Severus a moment to call him 'freak'.

Vernon's original plan was to get some rest and then drive back to Little Whinging tomorrow. He'd return for Petunia next weekend, or some future one based on how things were going. All that was changed

Severus was able to take his leave by referring to Phi. His raven could take care of herself, but Severus would rather go home overnight than drink yet another cup of tea at the Evans. They showed no sign of retiring, and it was well past midnight.

He did return early the next day, in case they stuck to their usual schedule to attend church. Severus was not sure if they needed them, but he had stopped at the local shop to purchase two boxes of the disposable tissues they used at the Evans. Not that he was paying particular attention to them, since the ladies were disposing of them properly, but it was obvious they were being used at a rapid pace.

If no one was up, Severus had considered leaving the bag next to the back door as he walked down Lily's street. They may be sleeping later than usual.

That was not the case though. When he went up the stairs to the back door, Mrs. Evans opened it, saying, "I saw you down the street, Severus. Tea will be ready for you in a sec."

"Thank you, Mrs. Evans." She did not look well. Her clothes were different, but she may have not slept. Her pink eyes could be that way from crying too. As he sat, he heard her sniffling. His eyes darted around. There was no sign of anyone else in the kitchen. Nobody was at the table, no food was waiting on it for someone to come through the door, and there was not even the pot of porridge on the stove. Just the kettle.

When she brought the cup over, she asked, "Would you like me to start porridge? I'm not sure how long you'd have to wait for the others."

"That's all right. I ate something at home," he fibbed. "I did not know if you had enough boxes so I got two for you, so you wouldn't need to go to the market."

Mrs. Evans looked at the tissues. Severus was a strange boy. Thoughtful, but quite odd. "Thank you. That's very considerate, Severus."

Severus only gave a slight nod of acknowledgement while he thought of what he should do next. He could make an excuse to leave. With Vernon here, and living too far away to easily escape, they had someone who could do things for them. Petunia's husband seemed all right last night, rather than having an emotional outburst like the ladies. He also drove, Severus thought while trying to convince himself that he was better off elsewhere. However, he should wait till Lily was up.

While he slowly sipped his tea, Severus hoped someone else would rise soon. Mrs. Evans was hovering, ready to prepare a second cup for him. After yesterday, he'd prefer to limit his tea consumption. He liked tea. But too much was too much.

As time passed, Mrs. Evans was tolerable, all things considered. She did sniffle and blow her nose, but she was not all-out crying right now.

Vernon was the first to make an appearance. Severus considered he may be preferable to his wife, Petunia, and replied with a good morning.

After Mrs. Evans bid Vernon good morning and made some inquiries, she took out a couple pots and pans and got to work on his breakfast. Severus considered that Petunia probably cooked him a large breakfast every morning, so Vernon was not bothering Mrs. Evans for anything he considered out of the ordinary.

Severus was relieved by the satisfied look on Mrs. Evans face as she finished piling the last of the food onto the plate and brought it over to Vernon, who was sipping tea and reading a section of the newspaper folded and placed flat on the table next to his place setting.

Oh no, Lily's newspaper delivery. Mrs. Evans already reached into the jar and counted out five knuts for it. Severus looked at Vernon, who's mouth remained agape, even though he had stopped putting more food into it, as Mrs. Evans opened the window and exchanged something for a rolled up newspaper from an owl. There were two other owls that joined it on the outside window ledge.

"Oh," she muttered, "they're for you, Severus. Um, could I have a piece of that bacon back, Vernon?"

"Don't bother, Mrs. Evans. One's a weekly letter, I'd rather not receive nor encourage." He really rather tell Mary MacDonald to sod off and leave him alone. She should have lots of new friends once that money was in her vault. MacDonald would not need him, and maybe she wouldn't need Lily either.

"Looks like a girl's handwriting," she commented. "The other has bad penmanship."

"It's the girl I don't want writing. She's Lily's friend."

"Did you want to look at Lily's paper before she comes down?"

"Maybe. If she takes a long time, it'll give me something to do while I wait. Unless you need help with something, Mrs. Evans?"

"I'm going to make some telephone calls soon. Don't want to call to early, and last night was too late."

Vernon entered the conversation, "Those were owls."

"They carry letters. Lily has one for that."

"Very inefficient," Mrs. Evans added.

Vernon nodded in agreement.

Since Mrs. Evans did not give him a direct answer regarding something he could do, Severus opened the larger envelope from Prof. Abstractus. Unicorn lung … that was used for an extreme respiratory potion, and in a preventive potion against gas poisoning. Usually anyone needing either one died because the rareness of unicorn lung was complicated by some odd method of harvesting. Was that the one that needed to be removed by a virgin witch with a bronze knife while it was still alive, or maybe that was the heart? Unicorn parts were a particular pain because each organ had a separate method depending on how it was to be used. Most puzzling to Severus was how anyone ever found the 'right' way to collect them. Cutting up unicorns was not the same as experimenting with a vat of flobberworms. At least mistletoe during the full or new moon, cut with a silver knife had Celtic origins. The druids used mistletoe for a wide variety of potions and even spells.

Glancing through Rue's draft, Severus saw nothing wrong with it. He didn't feel like reading it closely. Now he owed Prof. Abstractus a reply.

He looked around. Vernon had recovered enough to resume eating.

Mrs. Evans was fussing in front of the stove.

Severus listened, but did not hear anyone moving about upstairs.

With a sigh, he opened MacDonald's missive. Pages of big, loopy handwriting. He did not care what MacDonald was planning. He barely had enough capacity to listen to all of Lily's ideas. Like some of Lily's they were vague, future plans about a nice house somewhere nice with nice grounds. MacDonald liked the word 'nice'. Lily's was 'brilliant' for herself, and 'toerag' for anyone who was not her. Sometimes, Severus got to be 'brilliant'. Unfortunately, he only remembered getting that reward for shagging. He'd like to be brilliant for other things, he thought, as he glanced at the envelope from Prof. Abstractus. Why did good things happen to him when someone died?

"Everything all right, Severus?"

He looked at Mrs. Evans. She was asking if he was all right? "Shouldn't I be asking you that, Mrs. Evans?"

"I thought maybe you received some bad news."

Severus shrugged, "I don't enjoy lengthy letters about everything the author thinks of saying. It may be because she's a girl, and I'm not."

Vernon grunted agreement. Petunia was an excellent conversationalist, but there were things he'd rather not know. She was a good listener too. No mistake about that. Every day when he got home from work, she eagerly wanted to know how his day was.

"From a girl?"

"Lily's roommate at school. She studies with us sometimes. With her condition, she's become less popular."

"Lily said Mary fancies you."

"I wouldn't go as far as all that. She knows it would not be appropriate. I think she values her friendship with Lily more, and that's the reason she writes me."

"Not appropriate?" Vernon asked. Petunia said Severus was odd. Well, freak was the word she used. However, wasn't he Lily's friend? Just an old school friend, that lived nearby?

"She was almost betrothed to one of my roommates. It's a drama with a lot of characters. I'm uncomfortable with telling such a tale."

"Mary was?" Mrs. Evans asked.

"Special measures would have to be taken for her to have children due to that attack in the fall so his family soured on it. Besides the other problem."

"I thought you fellows only got Lily's roommates to meet your roommates on the train last September."

"It was Mary and Helen's idea. Not mine. They were angry at some other boys."

"Getting angry with someone else is no reason to contemplate marriage."

As the silence grew after Mrs. Evans announcement, Severus wondered if he should introduce another subject to keep Mrs. Evans distracted, or let this conversation die since it was trivial.

Vernon took the opportunity to ask, "What happened to her?"

"She was infected with a contagious disease that makes her dangerous at times, and miserable the rest of the time," Severus replied.

"Muggles know what werewolves are, Severus. Mary and Lily were attacked by a werewolf, and Severus saved them."

"A werewolf?" Vernon repeated. "Like full moon and all hairy thing?"

"Yes, Mary was bitten. Lily only clawed up."

"Terrible scars," Mrs. Evans added.

"Couldn't you fix it, like my hand?" Vernon asked Severus.

"Due to it being a werewolf, they're cursed. I was able to stop Mary from bleeding to death. It had bitten off her hand. It would have come back to her, but it was in the middle of devouring Lily's other roommate when we entered the room."

"Are they … common?"

"They increase in number when the ones that are infected choose to flout the law regarding protecting others. This one got sent to prison. He has a wealthy friend that's trying to get him released."

Mrs. Evans exclaimed, "How can he? A girl's dead, and the other two, or I mean Lily's all right with things compared to Mary … but that's ridiculous."

Lily didn't say anything to her mother? "Well, it's not as simple as all that. All of us that were there were offered money to sign a letter saying we forgave him."

"Did you?"

"Not at first. None of us lads were, but Mary said that she would sign it because she was worried about how she'd get by, since employment is difficult to come by for werewolves. She has her parents, but they are not as wealthy as others. So us three and Lily made a counteroffer that we would sign, but Mary would need to receive a very large settlement. The solicitors then took over and it appears that our offer has been accepted. Once we get the paperwork, Mary will get her money, and whatever the Parkin family agreed to, and then the appeal for release from prison can move forward.

"The school made it rather simple for anyone to come across him while he was transformed. I think that the headmaster had promised everything would be taken care of to his parents for him to attend. There's also his friend, that knowing he was a werewolf, invited us to come round to where he was. That student fled the country, but his best friend, who knew about his mate's plan, was the one on your front porch. He's the wealthy friend who is financing the appeal."

"Lily said he is also one of the lads that smashed up the pub?"

"Yes."

"Oh … I'm sorry, Severus. I forgot about the pub," Mrs. Evans said apologetically.

"It's all right. I know you were just using that example to point out the lack of character of that individual."

"And you were agreeable to going along with the release after all they've done?"

"From Potter's appearance here to attempt to convince Lily to revise our opinion, I think our demand's scale got his attention."

"Was it excessive?"

"We looked at it logically since witches usually have a longer life span than non-magical people, and asked for over two million pounds."

"That's a lot of money for a seventeen year old to receive."

"She'd like to buy a house," Severus said, holding up her letter. "Not immediately, but she can afford to be selective, and have it include what she needs to keep herself and others safe."

Mrs. Evans shook her head and made a noise of disapproval. It was small wonder that Lily mentioned marriage. It was not jealousy of her sister alone, but these flighty girlfriends of hers at school. Sometimes Lily talked sensibly about waiting, but her concept of the whole thing was incorrect. Now the one girl that was left was talking about getting her own house. Severus was already living on his own though not by choice. When Lily got angry she threatened to move in with Severus, however Severus was never around when she made such a claim. Her daughter may think her mother was not paying attention to that, but simply because she chose to be a homemaker did not mean she couldn't think for herself. What she thought was that Lily could hot-headedly decide she was moving in with Severus, and he'd agree because that's what usually happened. Then he'd end up preparing steaks for her daughter twice a day as long as he could afford it.

Her husband … without her husband, she did not know how she'd cope. Lily was going back to school in a couple weeks, and Petunia was living so far away. Since the girls had been older for a while, she'd occasionally do activities at church. Some of those women though, just made her so angry. That was unimportant … she simply did not know what she was going to do after this month was over.

One did not realize the sacrifices a real reporter sometimes made, Rita thought to herself as she checked her face in the mirror one last time. If there was anyplace she'd rather not go to, it was the Black house, especially as the guest of some geezer. However, the news was not going to write itself.

Through the introductions and drinks, Rita wondfered if she should fake a malady to leave. The only person under the age of a hundred, besides herself, was the hostess's sulking son. The only thing that could save this was more drinks. Lots more drinks to loosen tongues. Her eyes shifted to catch a glimpse of that old punter, Horace Slughorn, slobbering over Walburga Black, rather than the food. How could he remain standing after drinking so much to think she was desirable? Oh wait, rich widow. Money blinded a suitor to imperfections. Black had enough money to look almost as good as Rita herself, to that sort of person.

During dinner the food was being shoveled faster than the liquor was flowing, to Rita's growing disappointment. Their conversation was dull and lacked gossip … until out of the blue, a name Rita recognized was mentioned … down the table, away from the head where Walburga Black and Horace Slughorn were making idle chatter.

Snape? Her head turned to zero in on the source.

The son was answering, "Really, Professor? I am so glad that my advice was so helpful to you."

"Helpful? Mr. Snape and Miss Evans set me on a whole new course of research, in addition to everything they were able to accomplish during their stay. They were mannerly, got along with me, my apprentice and my family, and the house hasn't looked this good since my late wife … well, anyway, I can't thank you enough for recommending Severus Snape."

Rita inquired, "What sort of work did he do for you, Professor …?"

"Oh, um, I'm Regulus Moonshine, Potions Master, like many of the guests here. I know it will sound unusual to say I took on two students still at Hogwarts during their summer holiday, but I am very pleased. Young Master Black here was kind enough to remember at a previous dinner party that I mentioned some distractions at my home, which is also where I work, and my apprentice is spread thin with all the invaluable help she is, so he kindly recommended a student for possible summer work. A recent orphan who needed some extra money for texts and uniforms, but Master Black was spot on about what a hard worker this young man is. I was hesitant when Mr. Snape wrote back suggesting that another student, the second also doing well in Potions and Herbology, join him. However, I never caught them lolly gagging about. Both were very competent in my lab, my grounds, my greenhouses, and just general work around the house."

"Yes, Mr. Snape certainly is," Rita agreed, warming to reviving her partially written article. "I'm Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet. I covered that young man receiving an Order of Merlin at Hogwarts for saving other students' lives. It was a brief thing, and he didn't even have time for a photograph before they put him back to work. I believe a lavatory needed repair. Quite economical to use the students to do the repairs around the old place, but I had a feeling that that sort of work was reserved for the less well to do students. Have you ever been asked to repair any part of that crumbling castle, Master Black?"

"No, but uh, Snape's been in detention for a long time. Though I'm sure if he had parents, there would be someone to complain on his behalf. Actually, I think Hogwarts would be in a lot of trouble ..." Regulus hinted. Maybe this evening could turn out less nauseating than he hoped. Why did Slughorn invite a reporter? Was he going to ask his mother to marry him in front of all these people and wanted someone on hand to make sure it was in tomorrow's paper? Sighing to himself, Regulus realized that if anyone was going to save his mother from that, it would have to be him.

"Trouble?" Rita prompted.

"Sometimes the staff goes too far, and fails to consider improprieties. They get caught up with their control over the students. Without it, I know it would be anarchy, but when a staff member crosses the line, either the student has to do as they are told, or face punishment. That's how Snape ran into trouble. He's a thinker. They don't encourage that at Hogwarts. Even the Ministry does not like that sort of thing … I understand they weren't happy with Snape either for his published essay in The Quibbler. It asked readers to think for themselves."

"So what was he told to do?"

"Well, I'm sure this staff member had Snape's best interests at heart. Orphaned, coming from a disadvantaged background, he definitely needs a leg up. Without question. He's bright, but without the right connections, or a friend, such as Prof. Moonshine here, he might end up working in the back of a dingy shop the rest of his life."

Moonshine said, "Oh, I'd definitely recommend the fellow. If I didn't have an apprentice already, I'd snatch him up next year, no matter what he got on his NEWTs."

Rita nodded and coaxed, "You are a kind, young man, Master Black, to consider others in such a way."

"Yes, and I'm sure this female staff member saw the opportunity to work out an arrangement with Snape because she's the very soul of kindness too. However, when she ordered Snape to remove every stitch of clothing to begin whatever arrangement she had in mind, he refused. Disobeying a staff member cannot be tolerated at Hogwarts. I'm sure whenever Prof. Slughorn instructs a female student to do the same, she obeys instantly. He has a lot of connections, and the girl would have to be a fool to cross him."

"No ..." objected Moonshine, thinking of his sweet apprentice, Tess. Recommended by Horace Slughorn.

"Professor," Regulus continued, warming to the subject, "Hogwarts supports this system of helping disadvantaged students. Why else would a staff member help out a bright student? Hogwarts if full of brilliant, young minds. Didn't you go there? Anyway, it's a fully backed perk of teaching at Hogwarts. Snape has been in detention every night since. Even on Christmas. That's a strong message to send to any student thinking of saying 'no' to any similar request. It's for their own good. The staff only wants to help them, and they can't be expected to do that without receiving something in return."

Horace was in the middle of relating how one of his brightest protégées and faithful correspondents, now living in South Africa, sent him such tales of wonder of what the locals did, when a furor further along the table caught his attention, because Regulus Moonshine pointed their way, and if he did not know better, the fellow looked right at him as he addressed someone as, "You cad!"

A blonde woman sitting closer and across from Moonshine, held up her hand and admonished, "Professor, let's not be hasty. It's simply a matter of confirming facts." Looking back towards the head of table, where Horace was sitting, she smiled and said, "You may remember me, Professor Slughorn. I'm Rita Skeeter. Is it true that students are punished for not doing whatever a staff member instructs them to do, even if the student finds it objectionable?"

"You attended school at Hogwarts, Miss Skeeter," Horace answered, remembering she had dull brown hair till fifth year, before she failed to get the requisite OWL to continue on with Potions. "Some students may think they know better than their instructors, but that is very rarely the case. If our instructions are questioned at every turn, nothing would get taught."

"Quite right," Rita agreed. "And outside of class too?"

"Well yes, we can't have students running wild when classes aren't in session."

Rita stopped herself from suggesting anything about werewolves running wild. That would immediately put her prey on the offensive. "Absolutely. I'm sure you have little trouble with students, Professor. You are known for being an influential friend to many of the brightest and assist with giving them a leg up to help set them on the right career path. Do you ask for anything from them in return?"

"Well … obviously they need to show promise. My patronage is not for sale, if that is what you are implying."

"Oh no. Not bribery, Prof. Slughorn. I meant if there would be some reason why not just any student showing promise would automatically be promoted by you?"

"Not really. I see promise and then once the student has been invited to one of my dinner parties, they know that I know, and uh, maybe they show their gratitude..." Horace saw a number of faces looking his way turn ugly, so he reiterated, "Yes, showing gratitude is all I expect."

"Gratitude is not too much to ask," Rita assured Slughorn, pleased with his choice of words. "I mean after all, who knows where they'd end up without your recommendation? Slaving away in the back of a shop for years, perhaps."

"Exactly."

Walburga interrupted, "Horace does not ask for specific gifts. They willingly send him quidditch tickets, books they've authored, some fine pheasants … nothing extraordinary, but all very nice. Without Horace, as you said, they may not have gotten to where they are today."

"Oh yes," Regulus chimed in, "come Christmas, there's barely room in the professor's office for him to reach his chair. All manner of gifts are sent round like bottles of brandy, wine, firewhiskey, mead and there's all the candy, and then some special items like mother mentioned quidditch, a jersey signed by an entire team. Very lovely things."

"Are there any times that you would discriminate against a student because he or she does not have the means to send you a lovely gift come Christmas?"

"No, absolutely not. It's not just things, Miss Skeeter."

"Services? You're giving them a leg up, and they could give you a hand or something?"

"Exactly."

"Do you ever have a student that does not want your help? The price of gratitude is too high?"

"Never."

"If one did decline, would there be repercussions? Like detention?"

"Refusal would be preposterous, but I suppose if the student was disrespectful, a detention would be warranted."

"Disrespectful? I suppose a teenager finding an older witch or wizard repulsive and saying so would actually be insulting. Here you or one of your colleagues are, using a widely accepted manner of trying to assist a poor, yet promising, student, and when he does not have the least bit of sense to cooperate when he should be honored to be singled out for such an arrangement, in which he could express his gratitude to a staff member at Hogwarts taking the time to even give him the least bit of attention … a detention is actually too light a punishment. It's perfectly clear to me now." Turning with a smile to the man seated diagonally from her, she stated, "Prof. Moonshine, please continue."

Regulus Black was delighted. He held his laughter in well, but there were a few moments during the heated discussion that he feared he was going to pee his pants. When the dust finally cleared, Regulus knew the next part was coming. He had already envisioned it many times as he dreamt of Horace Slughorn being ejected from their house with delight by Kreacher spewing a stream of insults regarding his character and masculinity.

Regulus comforted his heartbroken mother.

She had always been too good for that bounder. Mother had been a Black, even before she had married father. Lowly Slughorn had taken advantage of her big-hearted ways. The worst kind of flatterer and parasite, latching onto her at her husband's funeral.

Severus got out of the Evans' home for part of the day to go back to Spinner's End, deal with his correspondence and travel to Hogsmeade to use their post office.

In Hogsmeade, he was greeted by the bar man from the Hog's Head who led a goat down the road on a ribboned leash, and it also had a frilly bow on its head, matching the one around its neck. Severus admitted his education was incomplete. He had no clue as to the magical significance of goats. Maybe he could slyly inquire about them the next time he took Phi to the Magical Menagerie for a treat. He did not want anyone to laugh at his ignorance. Bad enough he thought the one at Moonshine's was a sheep in front of Lily. She did not sound like it was an honest mistake anyone could make.

Returning to the Evans' for dinner, Severus did not know if the fully set dining table and complete set of courses should be a sign of anything. Knowing Mrs. Evans, the food had already been purchased. Petunia could have assisted with cooking. Lily could too, but it was unlikely with Petunia here. When he left earlier, Petunia had been vacuuming. Although the house looked fine to Severus, he heard her muttering about company coming over and how everything needed to be perfect, before she assigned Lily to wipe down the baseboards.

The expected guests were brought up again during conversation during dinner. Severus understood that these guests were coming to attend the funeral, but it was not going to be at the house.

A lot of the details that Petunia and Mrs. Evans discussed were incomprehensible to him. He did not doubt that they were saddened by Mr. Evans dying, but this was rather business-like. That odd phrase of theirs 'for appearances' crept in now and then, and finally Petunia got to her point that for whatever these appearances were, that she could pack up food for the freak so he didn't starve because he couldn't be seen here for the next week.

To Severus, it was not entirely unexpected. He went to Parkin's, but he was probably invited because he kept her body from being mangled further. He was not the right sort for muggles or wizards. He hadn't even been at his own father's funeral, if one was held, and his mother definitely did not have one. Severus considered that if he was the only one that cared that his mother was dead, some ceremony with only him would be awkward.

He interrupted the ladies arguing and said, "I have food at my house. Thank you for offering. Should I return on Monday the 22nd?"

"Don't listen to Tunie, Sev," Lily said.

"I'd rather not make trouble. You should not be arguing over me right now."

Vernon was confused. Severus was a scruffy sort, badly in need of new clothes and a haircut, but if he was here practically every day, he definitely knew Vernon's father-in-law. The man had brought him to his bachelor party, which was a stroke of good luck, and he had borrowed clothes somewhere for their wedding. He suspected that at some point in the past ten years, his Petunia and Severus had some sort of conflict. As long as the fellow remained gentlemanly, Vernon would stay out of it. His easy concession to his Petunia's plan to stay away was good news.

He had a larger misgiving the next day when he overheard that Severus was supposed to go to Florida with his in-laws. Obviously, the trip was now canceled. Even Petunia's immature, little sister did not argue that.

So Slughorn contacted Cuffe to squash her story? Rita Skeeter was not some cow who kept her head down and took whatever crap rained down on her from her 'betters'. With a little reworking and added drama this would be perfect for Witch Weekly. Let Slughorn and Cuffe stuff that up their bums.

The wizards might ignore that publication, however witches were powerful, and may self-important, narrow-minded British wizards giving and receiving legs-up never experience gratitude ever again.

Normally, Rita did not care about injustices unless it meant readers, but when a weasel like Cuffe tried to get in her way, it was going to read like Injustice, with a capital 'I'. Even if it was only about candy, booze, and quidditch tickets.

Another letter from Lily. A letter every morning and twice in the afternoon. If Severus's time had not been freed up to practice Dark Arts, he may have felt some twinge of guilt.

Lily said she missed him and needed him.

However, if Severus were to apply what he knew logically, Lily was stubborn. She'd say anything, wouldn't she? Lily was right, and Petunia was wrong, and Severus always took Lily's side against Petunia. That's the way it was supposed to be every time.

The reason being Severus was Lily's friend. Nothing more than a friend. Never would be anything more than best friend that Lily shagged at school. In a few years, Lily would not even admit that. She hardly admitted the shagging part now.

Petunia knew Severus was Lily's freak friend from Spinner's End that was allowed to dirty up their house because he was hungry. Now that Severus was not hungry, he could admit he was lonely as a reason to visit. Lily understood what he said, when she listened, and she honestly made a better companion than Phi.

Severus liked being with Lily, except when she was a complete dunderhead. At those times, he could either laugh at her, or protect her from herself.

There was also Mrs. Evans. She made a valid point that she did not want her daughters arguing. As Severus saw it, Petunia allowed him to attend her wedding so it was now his turn to be the gracious one. Besides, Lily preferred to sit around complaining then, rather than dancing with him. He also recalled Parkin's funeral with Lily's questions, telling him to sit, stand, sit, stand … like he was her puppet. It was without doubt better for his temper to avoid the whole thing.

For the past two days, he had been cleaning out his parents' bedroom. His irrational feelings towards the room were over. If he found himself with an immediate apprenticeship, he may want to sell Spinner's End to muggles quickly. He read that prospective buyers for muggle properties should be able to envision themselves living in the house. Severus supposed the same was true for wizard properties. His parents' bedroom was not 'inviting' so it needed changes.

About noon, Phi flew into the window to let him know his mate and another person were at the front door. He made a face at his familiar. She was not able to comprehend that Lily mindlessly copulating did not mean she was his mate. Lily was quite clear on that.

He hesitated briefly, thinking maybe he should not go to the door. Severus did not know what he wanted ultimately with Lily, but he didn't want to leave her standing around in Spinner's End, knocking on the door.

There was no one at the front door when he opened it. He stepped out and looked around in annoyance. He did not delay long in coming down.

Going back inside, he called Phi. Severus doubted she had made a mistake.

When he walked into the kitchen, he saw why Lily was not at the front door. She was peering in the kitchen window. Dursley was with her. Why was she bringing all these different people to his house? The only reason Lily liked it was they were alone to shag. Mr. and Mrs. Evans certainly had not liked his house. He supposed it could be worse. Petunia could be out there with her nose so far in the air, she'd drown if it started to rain again.

Lily saw Severus meander into the kitchen. She had been worried when he didn't answer the front door promptly.

He opened the back door and asked, "What?"

"We have so much food at our house, I thought we'd come over with some for your lunch and later," Lily said, looking closely at Severus. He looked horrible. She doubted he had washed his hair or anything else since she last saw him. His eyes were shadowed with lack of sleep. Severus did not have on a jumper, but at least he did not have on one of his full of holes, greyed and aged undershirts.

"You didn't need to. I have food, Lily," Severus replied, getting out of Lily's way as she entered, without him inviting her in.

He gave a nod to Vernon and muttered, "Dursley."

If Lily was coming in, he might as well let Dursley enter, rather than leaving him out in the garden.

Dursley moved ponderously so by the time he was in the door, and Severus could close it, Lily was sorting through his food. "Is this all you're eating, Sev?"

"It's fine." Severus did not know why Lily came over here to pick on him. He had enough to eat, and he didn't need to devour half a cow drowned in gravy to feel sated.

"You look horrible."

"I didn't invite you here, Lily, and you are going to wear out your welcome insulting me."

"I'm being serious, Sev. You don't look good. You shouldn't have listened to Petunia … um, sorry, Vernon."

"Hmm," Vernon replied trying to spot anything magical, or freakish as his Petunia called it. The lack of modern appliances reflected poverty or a dislike of modernly prepared food. The stove was antiquated so he leaned towards poorness. Not even an old refrigerator. "You live alone, Snape?"

"Now I do."

"Are you still seventeen?"

"Yes."

"Is this legal? I mean … you aren't eighteen yet." His mother-in-law had been throwing Snape's name into conversation among the family since his Petunia asked he remove himself. His father-in-law naturally came first, but his mother-in-law had a huge heart.

Severus looked confused. Muggles locked up orphans? What kind of dunderheaded law made it illegal to be an orphan prior to the age of eighteen? "They might think my mother is still alive."

He turned away and folded his arms over his chest. What if there was such a law? He could do magic to escape capture, and in a couple of weeks would be back at Hogwarts, where muggles could not find him. Unless there was cooperation. A letter, sent to the school might end up in Slughorn's hands, as his head of house. It may not be just prison till he turned eighteen, but a longer mandatory sentence. Not that it made sense, but some laws were not written to make sense. Muggle or wizard.

"Severus will be going back to school soon. He'll be eighteen next summer," Lily stated.

Lily stating facts was not assuring Severus. She had faith in government and the laws they passed because she thought common sense would stop them from doing acts that were made legal, yet were not necessary. Like casting crucio on the family members of suspects, including children and distant relatives that had not seen the suspect in years, to get any scrap of information. If crucio was cast on him, he'd become agreeable to answering what they wanted to get it to stop.

Their visit left Severus miserable. He did not want food from stranger's houses where he had to save containers so they could back to their rightful owners. Lily argued with occasional murmurs from Vernon.

He did not care what he looked like right now. He had been cleaning and had no intentions of going out or receiving visitors today. He did not care what Lily thought about what he ate. Severus ate when he was hungry, and he found nothing wrong with the food he had purchased. By the time Lily started asking questions about the changes in the kitchen, he asked her to leave, and take whatever she brought away with her. It was Lily who said the house had to be arranged for muggles to sell it.

After visiting the muggle library, Severus understood enough that muggle professionals needed to do the electricity bits and even though he understood pipes, the whole system would have to be hooked into the main water supply. Therefore, the clothes washing thing would need to get water in and drain out, and it would be convenient to have that below a lavatory upstairs, rather than running pipes all over. He also marked spaces for the refrigerator which needed electricity. If it was against that wall, the wire could also mean an electric socket on the other side for the parlor. Why did Lily feel the need to waltz in and pick at everything, like he was a scabby bit of rubbish?

On top of that, there was this threat of illegal muggle activity by living in this house after his parents died. His solicitor had said the paperwork transferred the title to him so it was Severus'd property. Although it was legally his house now, there was some barmy muggle law about being orphaned.

Minerva McGonagall arrived back at Hogwarts early. Mr. Snape's letter arrived yesterday. He let her know that Evans's father had died suddenly, and Lily would probably write herself when she felt up to it.

In the meantime, the young man had written that Lily had been enthusiastic over the various projects she wanted to undertake as Head Girl, but may be slow to implement them due to her loss. If it was all right, Severus was willing to do his best to assist getting them started, until Lily was feeling ready to take over.

They also had three pairs of Wigtown Wanderers tickets purchased for upcoming games, and he sent them to Minerva as both a gift for agreeing to be their faculty sponsor, and because he did not want them to go to waste if she or someone she knew could use them.

Since the first game was this afternoon, Minerva thought Albus might like a nice surprise and join her. After unpacking and stowing her carpet bag, Minerva went to the headmaster's office with the two tickets already imagining how delighted Albus would be for an afternoon out with such beautiful weather forecast.

Minerva had not counted on Horace's return. He was in an armchair in Albus's office, with a small table on either side. One stocked with libations, the other with nibbles. Horace waved something resembling a white tablecloth, and its purpose became clear to Minerva when he blew his nose on it.

"Minerva, you've returned early," Albus commented.

"So has Horace, it appears."

"Well … things didn't work out … but there's still hope that it will get patched up," Albus enthusiastically suggested.

With a dramatic sniff, that was rather disgusting sounding to Minerva, Horace woefully said, "I'll always have you, Albus. You're a rock. A veritable rock. You never have these sorts of trouble. You just give that cocky grin and a wink, everything's sorted, and it's back to the boudoir to make up."

"What …?" Albus sputtered. One of the portraits cackled, but no one was caught awake when Albus looked around. "Horace, old boy, I think you … I'm hear to listen to your heartbreak, and perhaps suggest some remedial -"

"Drinking and eating?" Minerva suggested.

"Well, there's comfort in that," Albus continued, "but Horace is crushed. He finds the woman for him after all this time, and she turns him out due to mere rumors."

"It was Rita Skeeter," Horace hissed. "Never showed any promise at school. Heart of a barracuda. Still single, you know. Jealous. Simply consumed with constant jealousy of everyone around her."

"If I recall correctly, it was not everyone, but one of your favorites, Bellatrix Black," Minerva reminded him.

"A real shame," Horace lamented. "So much talent, but when one has talent that abundantly, the wrong sort of people take notice."

Minerva's nostrils flared and the corner of her lip curled up. Bellatrix Black an innocent victim? Horace was a total ass. "So Albus, you are busy this afternoon comforting Horace then?"

"I suppose. Was there something you needed, Minerva?"

"I received a pair of quidditch tickets from Mr. Snape for this afternoon. Soothing a distraught Horace is more important. I'll nip down to the greenhouses and see if Pomona's about, or perhaps Rubeus or Argus. Whoever I meet up with first."

"Snape?" repeated Horace in disbelief, then nastily added, "You might as well take Argus then. He's so happy he found another squib to hang around with."

"Horace -" exclaimed Albus.

"Calling Hogwarts' Head Boy a squib now? Really, Horace. Besides I received these tickets through a sad turn of events. Miss Evans's father passed, and they were already purchased. Quite forthcoming that he'd rather not see them go to waste if I knew someone that could use them."

Minerva enjoyed the look of shock on Horace's face before saying, "I guess I'll see you two later then. Buck up, Horace, there's plenty of other rich widows in the sea."

"Very well, Minerva. I would have loved to come with you, but as you can see," Albus said, "Horace is very sensitive to rejection."

Horace was still speechless as Minerva exited, but then was able to catch enough breath to gasp questioningly, "She's joking?"

"A jest about a student's parent's death …?" Albus saw Horace shake his head negatively so tried, "About quidditch tickets?" After another shake, he asked, "Then what?"

"Snape … Head Boy?"

"Surely you knew that Horace. That was decided months ago. That really was unkind of you to call Mr. Snape a squib. I really have to take objection to that," Albus stated, his tone growing steely. His sister used to be called a squib. When used as an insult, it was a terrible thing to say.

"Surely he bewitched the lot of you in some way. I mean come now … Head Boy? Severus Snape? He's nothing."

"See here, Horace. I don't know in what way you think Mr. Snape has slighted you, but it stops here. I heard from Atlas that a second discovery will be accredited to Mr. Snape in The Practical Potioneer, and I only received this morning a glowing letter of thanks from another Potions Master who employed Mr. Snape and Miss Evans over the summer."

"Absolute poppycock. The scoundrel looked up the name of a British Potions Master and forged a letter. And Atlas, well … he may know his subject, but he knows absolutely nothing about Potions."

Albus pursed his lips, let out a slow breath and intoned, "I think you should leave my office, Horace. I am not feeling kindly towards you at the moment."

Although previously inconceivable, was Horace one of the enemies identified by Augury?

By evening, Severus had gotten so worked up that he wrote an angry letter to Lily. He'd stuff it up her owl's arse the next morning, or that's what he had planned the whole time he was writing it.

Now that it was folded over and he had scribbled just 'Lily' on it, this was not a good time to be sending her letters accusing her of being a bossy know-it-all that he was tired of having toy around with him.

Mr. Evans was not even dead a week yet. When she came over to Spinner's End, Lily might have been looking to disregard that by being a … total jerk towards him.

What the hell was that? Severus thought as he gave the radio a glance. The music was odd. Some muggle music on this station was indecipherable, but he understood the lilting lyrics to this, or at least what the words were. Was it some sort of code? It sounded like every verb was replaced by the word 'jamming'. Severus supposed the music was nice, in its own way, but the lyrics made no sense at all. Perhaps it was religious was what he concluded after he heard 'We're jamming in the name of the Lord'. That sounded like what they were saying at Lily's church.

The radio then earned a dark glare as the song concluded and the man started talking about the weather, without saying what that just was. How did that muggle know to only say who or what a song was when Severus did not care?

Severus muttered to himself about asinine muggles who only wanted to let listeners know when the Beatles played. They were in freaking Britain. Everyone knew those songs. Even his father recognized them. Pain in the ass muggles, is what he was complained about as he cast incendio on the letter to Lily.

After spending the afternoon fuming over Severus asking her to leave, when all she was there to do was make sure he was all right and obviously he wasn't, Lily was not amenable to Petunia innocently inquiring of Vernon about their visit to Spinner's End over dinner. If Tunie wanted her husband to tell her something, it didn't have to be in front of mum.

Vernon answered slowly, because he knew his wife did not like her sister's friend. "Uh … well, I think your mother may be right on a few things. He is seventeen and alone over there. You did say it was a rough neighborhood that way, though being daylight, it seemed passable."

"Full of drug addicts," Petunia informed him. "Filthy, was it?"

"It's next to the river so the odor was not good. His house was tidier outside than others, no real garden growing, but his kitchen was simple and clean."

"Clean?" Petunia repeated.

"Yes, not sanitary like here or at home, since he does not have anything new, but the walls were a solid white. That's what gave the illusion of clean, I suppose."

"White?" Mrs. Evans asked. "They were yellow last time. I told him the color would not age well. Did he say that's why he changed it?"

"No, we did not discuss that, " Vernon said. Maybe that was the magical thing. Snape could change the color of his walls at whim.

"Mum, leave Sev alone about that," Lily interjected. "He's a boy. He shouldn't care about what color things are."

"Lily, you said he may be interested in selling that house. White may look better."

"He's not going to be able to sell it for anything without electricity or water."

"He doesn't have electricity or running water?" Vernon asked. "Is that even allowed?"

"No one cares what goes on down that way, as long as it stays there," Petunia stated.

"Petunia, that's not true. Those are older houses that were put up in a rush when the factories first opened because the demand for housing was so high. I doubt they gave little thought to the future of those buildings," Mrs. Evans explained, "or even about all the changes that were about to come to make homes more comfortable and convenient."

"What does he do for money?" Vernon asked, "Other than that summer job you two had."

"I don't know," Lily said. "He got a bit from his father having life insurance at work."

"Oh," Mrs. Evans gasped. "Did Severus say how much he put into the trip? I canceled the hotel reservation, but he paid my husband cash towards that."

In disbelief Petunia gasped, "He paid?"

"Yes," snipped Lily, "and got a passport, and oh … the portkeys too. They're up in my closet. I don't think those are returnable for a refund."

"He could still go on his own if he wanted to," Petunia commented.

"Why would he?" Lily asked. "I picked the place."

"That's no surprise."

"Girls -"

"What?" Petunia replied, "I'm just saying, I am not surprised that Princess Lily chose where you were going."

Lily rolled her eyes, then defended Severus, "Sev picked a nice place too. He wanted to go to Greece. It's just that I wanted to have fun, and Severus would prefer to look at antiquities."

A gleam entered Petunia's eye as she asked, "Does he even know what Walt Disney World is?"

Rita was torn. Her article was to appear in the 'Back to School' issue of Witch Weekly, but not as the cover story. However, this issue sold very well on the news stand every year so it could be seen by more than just the idle witches subscribing to get fresh paper for the bottoms of their owl cages.

Bartemius Crouch Sr. did not read Witch Weekly, but Mrs. Crouch did. He thought she was merely going to complain about him staying late at the office and missing dinner, however that was not the case this evening, and she called in Junior to confirm some of the facts in the article. The only thing that was reassuring was Junior doubted any member of the Hogwarts staff would offer to make an arrangement with him because his father had more influence than all of them put together.

Walburga Black was scandalized, but at least her boys were Blacks, and no old witch would dare to take advantage of her handsome sons. She should have realized it sooner. Slughorn had taught at Hogwarts when she was a student there. Dumbledore too. They had their favorites and in hindsight, it should have been obvious. At the time, she was only an innocent school girl. What had she known about this sort of thing? Her husband, Orion, had been the only wizard that she had known in the marital sense, until this gigolo had seduced her by using her widowly grief against her. Regulus was absolutely right. No Black should allow someone to treat her that way.

Mrs. Cresswell questioned her son, Dirk, incessantly before writing a letter to Filius Flitwick regarding Horace Slughorn and his blatant favoritism of her son, and how he insisted that Dirk stay there over the Christmas holidays for 'extra tutoring'.

Poppy Pomfrey clutched her chest when she got around to reading her subscription copy of Witch Weekly, which had followed her on holiday to Venice. She was not named in the article and it vaguely referred to arrangements and gratitude in exchange for a leg up, which was not something she had ever offered to Severus Snape, but from these quotes from Horace, one could think faculty were offering students favors in exchange for illicit activities.

Pomona Sprout and Minerva McGonagall shared an issue and discussed it, before consulting with Argus. This may be why he was so easy on Mr. Snape.

Argus was appalled by what he read, but he did recall that woman reporter snooping around the school months ago to get this photo of Snape grouting tile.

This Skeeter woman had been here on the headmaster's invitation.

As far as Argus was concerned, there were punishments and than there were punishments. A good beating never hurt anyone. This was disgusting so he ambled along after the two ladies to clarify his part in this sordid affair.

Horace Slughorn did not subscribe nor read Witch Weekly. It was a magazine for witches, despite Albus nattering on about recipes and knitting. He should have suspected something was up when Albus flooed him and summoned him to his office.

Yes, summoned, instead of kindly inviting him. The reason was obvious as he stepped out of the grate. Minerva and Pomona. Two witches who should mind their own business.

And what was Filch doing up here? Come to complain about the dungeon ceiling in the potions classroom again?

Really, the whole lot of them were jealous of him. In a little while, he'd patch things up with Walburga, and he wouldn't look back.

Albus said he was quoted in the magazine. Horace protested that he never read the tattle sheets, but Albus insisted he look at it, handing it to him, while jabbing his finger at the particular quote.

"So? I may have said something similar to this."

"It's not taken out of context?" Albus hinted.

"What?" Horace asked, and then looked above and below where he was mentioned. "I … I guess other staff members could have their favorite students, but none have my connections," he said, broadly hinting that Minerva and Pomona were out of their league.

Seeing their reaction to his statement, he flipped back a page to see a photo of Snape dressed shabbily and doing something for Filch. What did that have to do with anything?

Rita Skeeter wrote this. What did she write that involved Snape and him? Other than Slytherin house, which one quarter of British, Welsh, Scottish and Irish wizards and witches had in common, there was nothing.

The article was the idiotic fluff for witches that was usually in this publication.

Some teachers saw promise in students, and recognizing it may have attempted to duplicate Horace's methods. No one could, of course. Snape had never been one of his.

One of these two – Minerva or Pomona - thought to get a little something on the side and botched it badly. How was that his fault? Back when Horace was Snape's age, though he was much better looking, if some old witch tried to suggest such a thing, he'd have to consider that perhaps he would prefer Filch too. Minerva was probably a tough, old bird in bed too.

Taking a stab at what this meeting was about, Horace suggested, "So, we're going to claim Snape lied to save one of your asses? I supposed I'd take any of you over that talentless shit so you have my support. No one would believe anyone could help him out after school, unless you found he was talented in some other way … you know what I mean? Apprentice him until he got too old for it?"

Argus suggested, "I think I could jury rig one of the old thumbscrews for use elsewhere." The mud splattering, giggling youth grew up to be filthier wizards. If they had been punished proper like when they were younger, there'd be no He Who Must Not Be Named, Death Eaters, corrupt Ministry officials, and polluter of youth that besmirched his hallways.

Lily's twice daily letters to Severus only received a couple of replies. Short replies that said nothing. He answered her questions in as little words as possible.

Petunia and Vernon left Sunday morning so Vernon could go to work on Monday.

Her note to Severus suggested he should come over for dinner Saturday to say good-bye to the Dursleys received an odd reply. One word 'really?' was surrounded by curlicue doodles that spread out to fill the entire parchment. Since when did Sev idly doodle? He did not show up for Saturday dinner, or any time on Sunday.

Lily had been angry at him, but her temper cooled. There may actually be a reason for him to act this way. He looked unwell at Spinner's End. She doubted he had taken up drinking, but Lily had not left the kitchen to investigate further. He had not smelled of liquor. Did her father dying remind him of his parents? It was not as clearcut as Lily did not go to his father's funeral, if there was one, so he would not go to her dad's.

She knew her mum tried to put on a brave face through all this, and Petunia was a double-sided coin. Both of them wanted to take over to give mum less to worry about, and Petunia really wanted to take over so it was done the way Petunia wanted it done. As long as things were getting done Tunie's way, her sister was pleased and things flowed smoothly. Her only concession on Severus was to allow Vernon to escort Lily to his house to make sure he was eating. Probably because mum kept mentioning it as more food kept showing up at their house.

To Lily, Petunia's assessment was harsh. Severus was her chum from school, not a family member. It was unfortunate that he had no other friends, parents, clothes, food, money, hobbies or other pursuits, but he could not be underfoot, hanging around their house at the moment. He had no right to be angry since a derelict, such as him, should be happy for any notice at all.

Lily was furious, and could not figure out how Petunia could get all that out in rapid hisses just before mum reentered the room. Lily was glad Tunie went home. A week of her sister was too much for Lily anymore. Vernon was welcome to her.

Although Lily thought she got up early on Monday, Severus was already in the kitchen with mum when she got downstairs.

Mum's eyes were red-rimmed again, rather than the constant pink and puffy look they constantly had in the past week.

She glared at Severus, but he looked puzzled, rather than sitting there with that gloating look he had whenever he embarrassed the Marauders. Not that Severus had ever picked on her mother, but sometimes Lily lapsed to believing all those lies about Sev and the Dark Arts, and fancied Severus the enemy of Gryffindors everywhere, lifting an eyebrow cockily, getting caught with that slight smirk and then folding his arms over his chest as he surveyed the Marauders' predicament. Not really Dark Arts to have their toe nails grow uncontrollably, was it?

"Morning," she said to see if something became apparent.

"Lily," Severus replied.

"Good morning, dear. Let me get your tea."

Severus had a teacup and a bowl. His hair had been washed in the past day or two. Lily thought he still looked unhealthy. What had he been up to over there, besides changing the color of the walls?

"How have you been, Severus?" Lily asked.

With another confused look, Severus glanced at Lily. It was a typical question that was politely asked, but normally Lily did not speak to him that way. Other than her mother still being emotional, what else was going on? "Fine," he replied, then added the standard return question, "And the two of you?"

Lily's brow furrowed. Why was Severus speaking like that? "Uh … well, holding up."

"I already told Severus he could have come back sooner, Lily. I wasn't thinking clearly and let Petunia suggest things that weren't friendly … though Severus was an absolute gentleman about it."

Several biting remarks passed through Severus's mind. He let them go. In a week and a half, he'd be back at Hogwarts, and there would be the distance both from here and time to reflect. He did not want Mrs. Evans to cry again. There were a few people that Severus would enjoy making cry, and neither Lily nor her mother were on that list. Well, Lily was not on it most of the time, and he probably would not find it enjoyable if he did make her cry. Perhaps some sort of reciprocal satisfaction for the way she treated him, but it would not make him happy.

"I said something," Lily protested.

"There were higher priorities," Severus suggested. "I was not offended."

"I was," Lily replied. "You are here all the time, Sev."

"It's all right."

Lily frowned at him. Maybe he was being polite for her mum's sake. She did not want her mother upset any more than was necessary, so she'd wait until later to talk to Severus about the past week. In a way her anger at Petunia and Severus took her mind off her father. She realized it was self-centered, but it was how she felt.

The paper and mail arrived while Lily ate while sneaking glances at Severus at the counter to see if he made some sign while mum wasn't watching. He didn't have to sit over there anymore. It wouldn't be disrespectful for him to take Petunia's chair.

Only the newspaper was for Lily. The two other owls had mail for Severus. He muttered in disgust, "Why are people writing me? I already went to the Post Office yesterday."

After a year of correspondence, Severus recognized Longbottom's squared off penmanship, indicative of what a blockhead he was. He suspected that the auror-in-training spent his Sundays composing his weekly letter, then charmed enough copies for all his correspondents to provide their Frank and Alice update.

He opened the other letter first.

"What's wrong, Sev?"

"It's that Gumboil fellow from Law Enforcement. He wants me to come to the Ministry this week to answer questions."

"Did you do anything last week?"

"No, I was home most of the time. I would guess if I was in trouble, he'd come to me, rather than inviting me to visit him."

"Maybe it's Potter."

"He should concentrate on quidditch. Cannons still at the bottom of the league?"

Lily turned to the back of the paper and looked. "Yeah, even with Perfect Potter, able to play all seven positions at once, they still are."

"He's saving himself for England. World Cup's next summer."

Lily laughed. Potter did claim that he'd be busy after graduation because he'd be leading England to the World Cup in '78. He promised to send her a ticket. "How does the World Cup work?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know it's every four years like the Olympics, and each team represents a country."

"I don't know much more than that, but I think back in '74, it was held prior to the professional quidditch season starting so the regular players did not miss their games or something like that."

"There's a quidditch season?"

Severus nodded, "They aren't playing all year long. There's an off-period where they are recruiting, trading, and training so there's still a reason to talk about it."

"Yeah, 'cause it's always in the paper and the boys never shut up about it."

Severus shrugged. He knew enough about the Wanderers to get him through a conversation, but he had no plans to discuss them daily unless someone else brought up the subject, and there was something new to discuss since the last time he conversed with that individual. Some dunderheads lacked originality and repeated the same thing every time they talked about quidditch.

"Are you going today?"

"I guess I could. Did you need anything while I was in London?"

"Can't I come with you?"

"It might take a while," Severus replied with a pointed look at Mrs. Evans. She'd be alone soon enough when Lily went back to school, and he did not need Lily to hold his hand. If it was a situation where he needed to lie, though he did not foresee it, Lily was not a good liar. She was more of an indignant demander.

"Can it wait till this afternoon at least? I haven't talked to you in over a week."

"All right."

"So what have you been up to? You said you stayed home."

"I'm working on a new arithmancy project. I also cleaned out my parents' bedroom and the upstairs hall, making room for a small upstairs lavatory."

"Uh ..." Lily stalled. Mr. Filch showed Severus a lot during detention. " … I guess big enough for a tub too?"

"Nothing lavish like school."

With a little smirk, Lily commented, "I don't know. Indoor plumbing is so twentieth century."

"What about heat, Severus? You should not have plumbing without the indoor temperature being maintained so the pipes do not freeze," Mrs. Evans advised.

"Oh … good idea. I haven't thought about that. I know the muggles were going to have to do the work because I don't understand the electricity part, nor can I connect the house to the water supply without someone noticing."

"All of that is a big investment. Perhaps you should wait till you are back at the house to make sure it's working properly?"

"Working properly?"

"Well … there's always stories. No one that I know around here. Besides, paying to heat the house while you aren't living there … it might be better to wait till next summer."

Perhaps Mrs. Evans was correct. Thinking that he would immediately receive an apprenticeship after graduation was absurd. NEWT grades might take a month or more, like OWLs. Then thinking that someone would want him with reasonable terms for an apprenticeship was that ridiculous hopefulness that made him so miserable. Hope was for fools, and Severus did not want to remain a wretched fool.

Mrs. Evans knew that a furnace was expensive, along with an electrician and a plumber. The necessary improvements would make the house in Spinner's End salable, but how could he afford the expense prior to a sale? His father may have had life insurance, but even if it was equal to her husband's, which she highly doubted, Severus should still be careful with that money.

Suddenly, Mrs. Evans asked, "Severus, how much do I owe you for the trip that got canceled? I don't know how much you gave my husband for the hotel. The reservation was canceled in time so there was no penalty."

Severus shrugged and replied, "It's not important, Mrs. Evans. I've probably eaten more than that in food here."

"You don't need to pay me for food, Severus."

"I'm not worried about it."

"But Sev ..." Lily protested.

"Stop bothering me about it."

It was one thing for a fellow to be a gentleman about money, but Lily felt Severus could not afford to lose money like this. It was not his fault they had not gone.

Severus repeated he was not interested in being paid back when Lily got him alone to sit on the front porch, and then added, "Leave it alone, Lily. Stop bothering me about money. I have enough. You have some now too. It should not be foremost in your thoughts."

"Foremost?" Lily repeated. "It's not. I'm just saying that I don't want you to think we're taking advantage of you because dad died."

"That's mad. I don't think that."

"What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"I'm worried about you, Sev."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"You spent a whole week alone."

"I'm all right alone."

"Without me."

"You wrote ..." Severus said, not willing to repeat the things Lily wrote to him. He read it, but he doubted she needed him.

"You look ill. Even though you had some food … I mean come on, what did you have? Cabbage? Plums?"

"There was more than that. I ate whenever I was hungry."

"You need someone to keep an eye on you, Sev."

Severus made a face. Lily was being melodramatic. He could go along with it for a while, as long as it was not too extreme. Mr. Evans dying was unexpected. Maybe she felt guilty for taking her father for granted? Severus was not sure if he even missed his father. He did miss his mother. She did not keep an eye on him though. He'd prefer Lily kept tabs on Mrs. Evans, rather than him.

"Don't you want to be together more?" she asked. "I thought we had a lovely time, even if we were working at Mould-on-the-Wold."

"Not everyone is as lenient as Moonshine."

"Why shouldn't he? We did an excellent job for him."

"He knew we were both seventeen. To him that meant something different than it does to others. I think for the remainder of the holiday, we should not upset your mother by disobeying the rules your parents already set down."

"I … no, I didn't mean that. I don't want to get caught again by my mother, or to upset her. I'm just so … I don't know … angry. I don't like the way Petunia just took over like that, and demanded you leave."

"I'd rather choose when I stand up to your sister. Your mother was upset when the two of you argued, so I took the easy way out."

"But why? You stand up to people all the time, Sev."

"Hardly all the time. I wouldn't have time for anything else, if I did."

"You know what I mean … why'd you give in that easily?"

"Petunia would not have shut up. You'd complain either way, but at least if one of you was satisfied, your mother would not have her hands full of the two of you. There was also all the crying. I don't like seeing that."

"It's not like you never cry, Sev."

"I try not to. Besides, in case you haven't noticed, Vernon's bigger than me. If it came down to it, I'm sure being newly married, he might think to solve the problem by suggesting I stay home."

"You could jinx him."

"Jinxing muggles? Is my name Potter?"

"Oh … well, if he hit you …"

"If he hit me hard enough, it would be a while before I cast anything."

"I'd jinx him then."

"I don't think that would be appropriate. You've told me for years your family comes first, Lily. I understand, and last week that took priority."

"I think of you as close as family now, Sev. I mean, you are here whenever I'm home."

"I can come over every day now that Petunia and Vernon have gone home."

"So you aren't angry like me?"

"No."

"Are you still unhappy?"

"About what?"

"When you said you were unhappy."

"I'm not happy right now. I don't think I should be."

"Is there something I could do?"

"You? Um, I don't have any expectations of anything right now from you, Lily. I prefer to listen to you because things in your life have changed. It would be unreasonable for me to expect you to … whatever you had in mind? Entertain me? What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure, Sev. You are a mystery still."

"I'm not such a mystery if you took time to think, Lily. I do feel your insults."

"What insults?"

"Any of them. You can disagree with me, but I'd prefer something constructive."

"Like what insult? You mean when you thought the goat was a sheep?"

"I don't remember you insulting me then."

"Well, maybe I don't like … oh, it's all right when you kid me because you only pick on little stuff like those stupid butterfly wings. And you haven't brought that up in months now."

"I don't need to. You constantly reminisce about the experience."

"I do not."

Severus smirked. Who brought up sugared butterfly wings today?

"You won't be smiling like that later, will you?"

"At the Ministry? Hell no."

"What do you think he wants?"

"I have no idea. I haven't been doing anything. The portkeys were legally reserved and purchased through the Ministry. I think that office also investigates illegal portkeys so it would not be Gumboil."

"Maybe Potter said we were extorting that money for Mary?"

"They wrote us first."

"Can you come back later to tell me so I don't have to wait till tomorrow morning?"

"I guess I can, if I'm free to leave."

"Did you get any other interesting letters?"

"You don't find Lovegood interesting."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"Did you write McGonagall?" Severus asked. "I wrote her a brief letter last week. I was worried that she would be disappointed in you lost interest in all your Head Girl projects, without knowing why."

"What?"

"If you are not feeling like tackling everything as soon as we set foot on Platform 9¾, I can do some things until you are in the spirit of whatever you had planned."

"Oh. I guess you're right. I haven't given any of that thought over the past week."

"Even with me supposedly being Head Boy, I don't think I could bring the same enthusiasm to your projects."

"You thought some of them up."

"Did I? I suggested we dress up and have a party to promote school spirit?"

"No, but you thought up the Wigtown Wanderers club."

"You are bringing the passion to that endeavor."

"I guess."

"So that's why I wrote her. I didn't want her to think you were flighty over Parkin."

"Oh … I guess that would look bad. Did we have any games this week?"

"Uh, I sent her our tickets too," Severus admitted. "I can purchase more if you really want to go."

"Our tickets?"

"I didn't think you'd want to go see quidditch right now, and they were already bought."

"I suppose you are right. I was only asking because I knew they were already paid for," Lily responded. She did not feel like going to a game. It was an irrational concern that they would go to waste if they did not go. Why would Severus give them to Prof. McGonagall? She suddenly laughed aloud at the thought that Sev could have invited Mr. Filch to go with him, if he wanted a staff member from school. With Mrs. Norris and Phi.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking silly things."

Severus hoped it was about the look on Potter's face and the fine pureblooded temper tantrum he was going to have.

"Oh, have you given any more thought to our fancy dress, Sev?"

"Me? I thought you were going to choose."

"But you are really good about all that history stuff."

"There were not a lot of British female heroic warrior types running about that got their names and descriptions noted. Did you want to be Guinevere?"

"The queen who cheated on King Arthur?"

"I don't think she could help it. There was something about the first time she saw Lancelot or something like that."

"In any case, no, I don't want to dress as her."

Severus was silent while Lily thought. He didn't imagine himself as Arthur or Lancelot, but it was the goal of this to disguise himself as something he wasn't?

"Since you aren't going to be my damsel in distress, are there any adversaries you'd like to be, Sev? Maybe we can find my costume that way."

"Merlin had a couple enemies, but I think they were female."

"If I go as a male, you could be female."

Hesitantly, Severus said, "That would be unexpected. Is winning whatever prize worth it? I'd rather not be degraded. What about the three Fates with MacDonald?"

"I don't want to do anything with Mary. Just you. And they're old ladies. I want to be a hero, Sev."

"Hercules? Then I could be Zeus."

"Will we have to explain who they are? I don't want to wear a tag that reads 'Hercules'."

"If you want a potion to give you atlas strength, we can brew that. You can then perform feats of strength."

"What about you?"

"I don't think I should hurl thunderbolts in the Great Hall."

"Was Zeus the enemy of Hercules?"

"He was his father, and Hercules's opponent was Eurystheus, nominated by Hera to be a hero. It was a sort of contest for Zeus and Hera to each nominate a mortal."

"Wasn't Hera married to Zeus? Why would she choose someone over her son?"

"Hercules wasn't her son. Zeus had bastards all over the place. As many as a pureblood with a taste for muggles."

"What?"

"Zeus liked mortals. He assumed a whole bunch of forms to seduce them."

"No, the pureblood thing."

"They trick muggles into having sex with them and then take off. Some of the supposed muggleborn are really half-bloods. That's why they stopped doing any sort of family line magic as part of the curriculum at Hogwarts. Too many muggleborns were found to be very closely related to their fellow students."

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Lovegood. He knows a lot of historical magic and its uses."

Lily made a face. That crackpot Lovegood was still writing Severus? "Do you have any other source besides Lovegood?"

"Slytherins. Perhaps blokes in other houses talk about it. Maybe because I live in a muggle town, I don't see the appeal of hitting some beautiful girl with a bunch of spells and using her."

"Use them?"

"It would be simple. See one, hit her with confundus or stupefy, act like you're helping her, get her alone, and do it. What would she remember? There's also being especially charming in a club or somewhere, but that wouldn't work for me."

"Who'd want to do something like that?"

"Don't muggles take advantage of women that are drunk?"

"There are students that talk about that?"

"Yes. There were pictures that Dumbledore confiscated."

"How can you tell from a photo if it's a witch or muggle?"

"If she's going to end up dead, probably no difference, but if she'll live, usually the brutal ones are with muggles. Witches could always show up at the Ministry later."

"Dead?"

"If it's a muggle, some wouldn't care. Don't they attack muggles for fun already? Not much difference from the fun at school with tormenting the girls with their blouses and skirts, or attacking the lads when they're alone in the loo."

"They're all bum rags. Now that you're Head Boy, can't you catch them, like you did with Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore was following us. So I knew eventually he'd be behind us in a corridor. I also had to be careful in case it was not Peeves."

"Careful?"

"If it was a person, I should not dismember or decapitate them."

Lily made a face. Rules and laws only worked when everyone obeyed them, rather than only worrying about getting caught and not being able to buy their way out of it. Secretly she was glad that Sev's father and mates killed three of their attackers. They never would have gone to Azkaban. More purebloods like Potter and Black. Even if they put a Dark Mark over the pub, proving they were Death Eaters.

Severus watched while expressions crossed Lily's face as she thought.

If the school really cared about the bullying, they'd do something. Perhaps now, it was not prudent to encourage the bullies, especially Gryffindors, as Dumbledore had in the past, but someone still had to mess up royally to get truly punished. It was nothing new. If Potter and Black had not killed another student, they boasted how they planned on becoming aurors. Authorized to bully and cast Unforgivables on whoever they didn't like the looks of, just like whenever they went in the gents at Hogwarts and started jinxing and hexing.

Lily murmured, "Sev," and took his hand. Her eyes dropped from his dark ones because he looked intense. She liked when he said what was on his mind, but sometimes Severus surprised her with the directions of his thoughts.

"Why's your hand still dark? Are these bruises or something else?"

"My hand's fine."

"No, the color's bad. Even if you don't like eating meat, it has stuff your body needs."

Severus's 'color' was always bad. People came in different colors. Why couldn't this be his? Besides the fact that he fused a dark-colored wand into his left hand. Admittedly, that would only be healthy when someone disarmed his everyday wand and he used this to save his life.

"Sev?"

"What?"

"You're not saying anything."

Severus did not know what Lily wanted him to say. He felt she should spend more time looking at healer techniques, if she was going to start an apprenticeship in a year. Lily was good at charms so it wasn't that she was not capable, just that she might not have the attitude. She wanted to be a hero and save lives. Healers could do that, but not everyday. With a sigh, he replied, "You always say my color is bad. With everything else that's wrong about my appearance, I doubt it matters."

Lily knew exactly what Severus was saying. His hair was clean now, but everything else like how it was long and just hung there, his nose, the pockmarks that did not appear on track to clear up in one year, and his lack of physique and general unhealthy look. "I did not mean it as an insult. I know that I have pinkish pale skin, but yours when we have our arms side by side, has like a yellow to it. Not olive or brown like I've seen with others. Mum thinks there may be something wrong with your liver."

"The whites of my eyes would turn yellow too, if it was my liver. My mother had the same coloring. I think it's inherited."

Her mouth quirked as she held in her response regarding alcohol poisoning. Lily had seen Severus consume some ale, but that was in the past year or so. Before that, she had never observed her friend drink. If he was an alcoholic like his parents, would he drink any sort of booze? Sev had declined mead, and did not drink much champagne at either of the weddings they had attended, and there had been glasses appearing everywhere at the Longbottoms. "I realize that, Sev, but maybe she was sick with something that you now have too."

"If you are still talking to me in a couple years, you can practice your healer charms on me."

"If I'm still talking to you?"

"You might meet someone. Isn't that your master plan for the future?"

"Well, he'd have to be a … I don't know, someone extraordinary to get me to even think of him in that way, and that doesn't mean you still won't be my best friend. What kind of jerk would make me give up my friends to date him? Besides, I'm kind of fond of you. We're good together at school and our brief taste of work, and uh … brilliant otherwise so maybe I shouldn't want things to change."

"Are you saying anything decisive?"

"What?"

"Am I to come to any understanding based on 'kind of fond' and maybe we should still shag in secret?"

"That's not what I said."

"Can you restate it without indefinite terms like 'maybe' and 'probably'? What do you want?"

"Why are you putting me on the spot like this, Sev?"

"You brought it up. We were talking about my health, your plan to apprentice to become a Healer, and you may meet some wizard who is destined to fulfill everything you need from a husband. You've made it clear numerous times, that I am not that person. Therefore, my plans should not revolve around you."

"What plans?"

"Mine or yours?"

"Yours, Sev."

"What? Mine aren't different. I may have to find an apprenticeship in another country. Maybe as close as Ireland. But it's doubtful to be around here or London. I'm also going to be particular about the terms so that might eliminate most potential Potions Masters from taking me on."

"You've told me that before, but why won't you plan for me?"

"Plan for you? Why would you listen to me, Lily?"

"I listen to you."

"I mean listen and consider what I say."

"Like what?"

"When I've asked you about leaving England, or even Scotland, I suppose, you are against it. Though things have changed. I know you'd want to stay close enough to your mother now that you can get home easily. However, should that mean I should make an effort to stay close to you?"

"Why not? I mean you know me. You don't warm up to other people easily, Sev. Besides, what about you know?"

Severus glanced around for Mrs. Evans. He saw her silhouette through the house. She was still in the kitchen. "If you mean shagging, that's brief, Lily. You don't want to marry me. You don't even want other people to know you are that close to me. And if you are considering still having sex with me after you marry whoever, then you should not marry someone else."

"I didn't say that."

"Well, how am I supposed to know what you mean?"

"If he was that bad at it, I wouldn't marry him."

His eyebrow quirked as he irreverently asked, "You are going to shag your way through single wizards and widowers all over Great Britain to determine that I am naturally brilliant?"

Lily returned a look of disgust and amusement, "Well, I wouldn't go that far. I'd probably concede after a couple disappointments that I am very lucky to have found you."

"You going to get to work on that soon?"

"What?"

"Well, I don't want to be twiddling my thumbs for years for you to come to the obvious conclusion. So the sooner you can get cracking on this new plan of yours to eliminate the other possibilities would be appreciated."

"You want me to shag other guys?"

"No."

"Then why are you suggesting it?"

"If your condition for saying 'yes' or 'no' to me involves you riding on a couple hundred, or maybe a thousand cocks, I suggest you get to it. I'm not getting any younger, and I got to get on with things, one way or the other."

"That's sick, Sev."

"You suggested it. Just say 'no', and I'll leave you alone."

"Why would you want me to say 'no'?"

"My life is miserable. I don't have much hope, and I feel for a year, I've wasted it on you because you have no intention of doing more than using me for a daily shag."

"You're being unreasonable. We had a lovely summer, till recently, and what Petunia did was wrong. You shouldn't let her push you away like that. I was arguing for you to stay, but you just gave in."

"I've already explained that. Lily, you aren't understanding. Dursley could stay because he's married to your family. I am not married, or engaged, or anything. I'm nothing. I can be nothing anywhere. I don't need to be nothing orbiting you to reaffirm I'll never be anything more."

"You're not nothing. Sev, you spent the last week alone, and you're angry. You have a lot going on. You're Head Boy. The Potions Master you did work for's happy. You got me to listen to you, and talk to. And after you talk to Gumboil, you come back here, and tell me all about it, and if you don't want to eat meat, mum'll still make something for you. Doesn't she always?"

Food and sex. Lily was a simpleton. If someone had those two things, they had to be happy. "You're annoying me," Severus baldly stated. "I might as well go now. Has your mother gotten to the store, or did Dursley stock you two up before he left?"

"What?"

"If I'm coming back, I can pick up whatever, if your mother does not want to go out."

"Um … I think Tunie took care of that. You might want to check with her. We're going through a lot of milk with all the tea we're drinking."

"All right," he said as he stood.

"You're just going?"

"I'm going to change my clothes, then go."

"No, I meant, you're leaving during an argument?"

"An argument? I thought you were simply stating yet another condition that needed to be fulfilled. I concur that your mother does go out of her way to make sure I am fed, when I am here."

"Why are you so odd, Sev?"

"What? I listen to you, interpret what I hear, and then repeat it back to you to make sure I am understanding."

"And you get it all wrong."

"Like how? You are not marrying me because you anticipate meeting better wizards when you leave school. This better wizard needs to be equal or superior to me with shagging, in order for you to consider marrying him because I have stated that I do not want to continue shagging you once you are married to someone else. You said you understand my stand on that, Lily. Therefore, you are willing to test out as many of these wizards that you perceive superficially superior to me in a carnal way. I asked that you limit the time period of this testing phase, and that perhaps it should start soon, since I am unsure of my plans and would like to know definitively whether to include you or not. I realize it has been most likely not as you elaborate on your plans, since they do not make an allowance for me. However, I would rather have a firm answer from you regarding your intentions before I go my separate way."

"Giving me an ultimatum is not very nice, Sev."

"If you choose to take it as an ultimatum, then consider it so. Let's say you have two years from me asking the question to give me an answer. That is more than fair. It's been over a year, and I have fulfilled your initial terms plus an abundance more. I have taken you on a date to Hogsmeade, we have done other activities that occur between those that date, I have a house, I have money, you have your own money, and I have assisted you with your chosen career path, to the best of my abilities. You continue to find me deficient, and wish to experiment with others to prove to yourself that I am inferior."

"Stop being such a toerag."

His brow furrowed, and he asked, "Have I ever done that sort of thing to you? I could shove you out into the street and charm off your clothes. Is that what's wrong with me? I don't find that amusing? I only pick on those that deserve it, rather than anyone that annoys me? Should I set the headmaster's beard on fire? Spell his candies to choke him? The same with Slughorn's? Or poison his liquor? All jolly good pranks?"

"They are not jolly good."

"I think about defense. And defense is not about attacking everyone who crosses my path. That's heroic? Drawing the attention to oneself, daring all comers to attack? That's what you find wrong with me, Lily. I want to minimize the number of people wanting me dead. If people persist in attacking me, I will make it hard for them to continue. Britain is bordering on anarchy. I cannot use the laws in place that were written to protect all citizens because they are no longer enforced. That is why I consider moving elsewhere.

"At the moment, more than half the country is cowering in their homes waiting for Death Eaters to target someone in their family. As long as they are quiet and keep their heads down, maybe next door will end up with a Dark Mark over their house, instead of them. That's one of the chief causes to join up as a Death Eater. It's better to be the bully, than the person cowering in the cellar every night. The current defense is only around the Ministry officials they feel worth protecting. Everyone else gets a pamphlet, and the news they see fit to print in the newspaper. The public is not told when someone successfully defends themselves against Death Eaters."

"Has anyone?"

"If muggles can, I'm sure there has to be a wizard or witch clever enough to do it. He Who Must Not Be Named might send twice as many the next time to keep that person quiet, but we'll never know with the Ministry controlling the paper and claiming the only way that they can be fought is allowing the government to cast Unforgivables at will. The number of obituaries has not declined since that passed. That's the only indicator the public at large has."

Lily shook her head slightly. This talk of Severus's had to be Lovegood's doing.

"You'll probably want the heroic, stand-alone type, rather than one that would organize a resistance that would help his neighbors when they need it. So it'll be the two of you against whoever he taunts to show up on your doorstep. You might want to practice running since there is nothing that shields against a killing curse."

"Isn't that a bit overly dramatic, Sev?"

"You planning on not answering the door when they knock?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "I know the words to the killing curse too."

"Alive in Azkaban? I guess that's preferable than leaving your corpse beneath your husband's when he uses you as a shield and he's killed after you."

"Why would I go to jail?"

"Unforgivable is a life offense for anyone not employed by the Ministry. Until you get that job, you would be guilty whether it's a Death Eater, werewolf, or He Who Must Not Be Named himself."

"Why aren't Death Eaters in jail then?"

"They don't individually take credit. They want to be seen, but wear masks so they cannot be identified or photographed."

"Seems cowardly."

"Yet effective," Severus argued.

Lily spent the afternoon thinking while doing some extra Divination calculations. If she had some idea of what could happen, maybe it would help.

But her thoughts led her back to what Sev said. Marry someone who would use her as a shield … yeah, there were even Gryffindors that would do that sort of thing. At least she knew Sev would not do that based on what he did against Lupin as a werewolf. Even if she told Sev to kiss off now, which she did not want to do, there was still that life debt. How would she pay that back if Sev moved to … Australia? New Zealand? Canada? He was angry about the past week, even though he said he wasn't. Why couldn't he just say how he really felt?

Severus seemed willing to believe that Lily would not marry him. Strangely though, he wanted Lily to put it into words. Or one word. Would he accept it, if she did say 'no'? Potter never believed her when she said 'no', and he never asked her anything as important as marriage. Severus was not Potter though, and Lily was positive Potter was just being a toerag and used that as an excuse to talk to her, or show up on her front porch here. Like she'd ever go out with that conceited and arrogant quidditch player.

Severus was the opposite, maybe too much the opposite with his comments about how insignificant he and everything he touched were. Lily knew he wasn't trying to trick her into complimenting him since she heard quite enough people berating him. Severus was raised with a litany of being told he was worthless. Lily thought he was brilliant. Even after she started school with him. It wasn't till she started earnestly studying with him that she saw the intuitive leaps he made, and then he'd backtrack and explain every step between the cause and reason to her. Severus didn't pepper the explanations to her with insults, though she'd hear him do it to others enough. Until he started to get used to them. His insults regarding Mary were not about her schoolwork, and he could be decent when talking to some of the Slytherins and maybe a Ravenclaw.

The strange thing was Lily could imagine herself married to Severus, and not only when she was really mad at Petunia. Their six weeks in a caravan had been lovely. Even though it was sort of new to them both, he had been obliging in everything. Severus usually was. When he didn't do as she asked, he told her. Not like on the telly, or even sometimes with her dad, where they'd shrug and say they forgot. Severus even remembered flowers on Valentine's Day, when his parents died earlier that month. Lily had not been gracious to him because she had been mad at Mary.

Why did Sev even bother? Lily could admit she did not reciprocate properly, was demanding, and she really had no clue to what Severus thought, even when he said it. And now, he gave her permission to shag any wizard she fancied. He did, didn't he? Did Sev want her to leave him? Maybe. After a week of being on his own, he may be back to his 'no one likes me', 'I have no friends', and 'I'm always alone' mentality. The only sticking point was Lily. Maybe Mary, if she could tackle him and drag him off.

Lily wasn't so sure about the Slytherin boys. Slytherins were a strange bunch, even with Sev's insider view. If Severus was a Head Boy to be reckoned with, he'd have friends, or allies, and then there'd also be enemies. What did Sev plan to do as Head Boy? Lily knew he volunteered to start any of her ideas if she was not feeling up to it yet.

Lily should write to Prof. McGonagall. She did not want to disappoint her, and Severus was thinking clearly about that. He did not sound like he wanted to take over any project in particular, and she laughed thinking of him trying to steal the credit for coming up with the idea of a fancy dress party. Severus Snape love parties? Only if he stayed behind to have the library all to himself.

When Severus returned, he was in his new trousers and jumper, had his Wigtown Wanderers badge pinned to it, and carried a full sack of groceries and a couple big books.

Lily made a face. Mum had asked for milk, but there were a couple other things she needed, and Severus apparently did not mind picking up for her. Why was Sev nice to her mum? Even now?

"Crumpets?" Lily asked, when she saw them on the counter.

"They don't stay fresh forever."

She was in the middle of rolling her eyes, when Lily caught Severus looking at her strange. Now what? Crumpets were not a staple. They had plenty of other things for tea.

"So what did Gumboil want?"

"I'm not really sure. I was asked questions about improprieties at Hogwarts. Maybe someone came up with something crazy about why I was Head Boy, but I think Gumboil seeing me again cleared that up."

"What do you mean?"

"If the female staff was going to approach a male student and dangle their favors in front of him, I think they'd pick a better looking one."

"What?"

"They think teachers are trading their influence, or whatever Slughorn does to get students apprenticeships and jobs, for sex with students. I told them I didn't know anything about that. Gifts yes, but not that. I mean look at the staff, who'd be lining up for that?"

Lily made a face and said, "Who'd believe that? Is there anyone even under … I don't know, fifty there?"

"Mr. Filch isn't fifty yet. McGonagall and Sprout might be around that. Maybe Hooch?"

"Any other men?"

"Mr. Hagrid?"

"Ugh."

Mrs. Evans shook her head, and commented, "It's better it get investigated. I've heard terrible things about some of those Church schools in Ireland."

For Severus's sake, Lily added, "Catholic."

"What's that mean?" he asked Lily.

"That's the religion that still takes orders from the Pope in Rome."

"He tells them to do terrible things to school children?"

"Cor Blimey," Mrs. Evans exclaimed.

"Never mind, Sev. It's just that muggle schools hide things too, and it's best to look into anything like that, even if you have to be bothered going to London."

"It wasn't so bad. Gumboil seems all right for a Ministry sort. He didn't get overly suggestive or ask leading questions, or even suggest what I should say."

"So they're after Slughorn, you think?"

"No, definitely a woman. I did mention Pomfrey, but was clear she was not offering me any sort of deal."

Lily laughed, "Let's see her explain that one."

"She's the school nurse, Lily."

"Still, if she won't treat you when you're injured, it seems silly to say she wants you to take off your clothes when she catches sight of you sitting around talking to Mary and I."

"What?" her mother asked.

"He didn't do it, mum. You know how stubborn Sev is, he opted for detention."

"Besides what could Pomfrey offer me besides detention? She might talk to the other staff, but I don't think without having me in class, she could persuade others I was Head Boy material. I only have two female teachers."

"Prof. McGonagall or Prof. Sprout? That's crazy," declared Lily.

"They are Heads of Houses, and not my house. It would look mighty peculiar if they went against house allegiance."

"There's no Gryffindor boys left."

"So? There's two of you. One's head girl and the other's head boy. Plenty of Scottish women are more masculine than the lads of other countries. Her argument to nominate her two Gryffindors for the two available positions makes perfect sense."

Lily laughed, "I'm lucky I got Head Girl. My house is an embarrassment."

"Change it then."

She sobered, "How?"

"Gryffindors have tons of pride. If that doesn't work, get their privileges whittled away. We know points and the House Cup mean nothing to them."

"I can't take privileges away."

"McGonagall can. You name names. There's detention. With McGonagall, not Slughorn. Get quidditch players suspended for a game. Hogsmeade weekends are not a right. Attending your dance is also by invitation. I know McGonagall's not happy with that lot."

"What about the other houses?"

"If points work for them, it'll even out. It depends. I'll give it some thought. We might have to improvise. Speaking of your dance, I stopped at our library in town and got some art books. All the big heroes have statues."

Lily smiled and said, "Now you're thinking."

"I flipped through them, and I think if you'd like to be Perseus, I would not mind being a monstrous Medusa. If MacDonald is stuck for something, she can be Andromeda. Perseus saves and marries her on his way back from killing Medusa."

"What do you mean by monstrous?"

"Rather than being a beautiful woman with live snakes for hair, I can still have a fair face, but scales on my skin and perhaps clawed hands. If we're able to get statues of victims into the room in advance, it may add to the atmosphere."

"Oh yeah, she turns people into stone."

"So Perseus's shield will be mirrored on one side."

"He's nude in a lot of these."

"That was the artistic style for Greeks. It's a short toga, sandals, short sword, shield and helm."

"You're really not going to dress up as a boy?" Mrs. Evans asked her daughter.

"There's spells, mum. They'll never guess if I'm a boy, and Sev's a girl. Get it?"

ANs: I realize that I am reading another story in progress where Mr. Evans met his end. However, I really did have his demise planned because by 1981, both Lily's parents are gone, making Petunia and Dudley Harry's only living blood relatives.

Perhaps Lily's parents died around the same time as Potter's, and they bonded over that common experience while still in school. That may have been what also matured James. I think Harry's photos lacked grandparents, so all four may have passed prior to Lily and James marrying. I would guess them married in 1978 or 1979, because Harry was born in 1980.

Also, you didn't really think I'd really send Severus Snape to Walt Disney World, did you? LOL

AN: From canon, it sounded like when someone is into the Dark Arts, they don't think of others. Maybe like a drug addict? So if Sev's dabbling, he leans to that instead of Lily at times.

Is it possible to stay angry listening to Jamming by Bob Marley? Reggae vs. the Dark Arts.