Severus woke to the sound of his father shouting. He tried to ignore it but once he heard the crash of something fragile having been thrown, he hastily put on the nearest trousers and practically flew down the stairs.

By the time he reached the bottom, the front door had already slammed shut and his mother was sitting at the table. Her hands were covering her face and she appeared unwilling to move. The vase and flowers lay scattered in pieces on the floor by the wall with a new dent.

He banished the vase and its former contents silently with a flick of his wrist just as he had done with potions gone wrong at least a million times. He repaired the wall too. If he could stick to wandless magic until next year, he shouldn't have any problems with the ministry.

At a loss of what to do next, he made tea. He made her a cup and set it on the table for her for when she did decide to move. He left his at the place across from her to cool.

In the meantime, he went back upstairs to dress properly in more than just trousers.

When he returned downstairs, his mother was clutching her cup and staring at the wall where the vase had scarred it.

Severus sat down across from her and sipped his tea. He rested his gaze on the wall as well. "Father did not like the flowers I brought you?"

"Did you use wandless magic?" She asked without missing a beat.

He looked at her.

"Wordless as well?"

"...Yes."

"That's very good, Severus… but your father-"

"-will never know."

She turned to study him. "Make sure he doesn't."

He nodded.

They both took a drink.

"Are you planning on disappearing today too?" She asked after a long silence between them.

"...Is there something else I should be doing?"

"I know you run off and brew things sometimes. I can smell it on you when you do, and you haven't. Be glad your father hasn't noticed. And you usually are brooding or doing 'research' in your room as is typical when you're not hanging around that Evans girl."

"I haven't seen Lily since her parents dropped me off the other day."

She scoffed. "Don't lie, Severus, it's unbecoming."

He scowled at that. "What good would lying do me?"

She looked at him incredulously. "I want you to come to the market with me today."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"...I think it would do you good to be around different people."

Why was everyone suddenly so interested in his social activities? "Again, I ask: Why?"

His mother narrowed her eyes. "The baker has a niece I think you should meet."

Merlin's beard he remembered this conversation...Or at least a version of it. His mother was not a good matchmaker.

"I am not interested in meeting girls, Mum."

"...In that case Mrs. Fairchild's grandson-"

"-or blokes. I don't think I even want to consider a muggle. Besides, I am focusing on school right now." Which wasn't entirely a lie...breaking a curse on a teaching position was school related.

His mother sighed with a bit more exasperation than the conversation warranted. "I just don't want you to get too invested in that Evans girl."

It's a bit too late for that. "She's just a friend, Mum."

"So you say." She took another sip. "You should still come into town with me to help carry the groceries."

Severus sighed. "Alright. It just so happens, I have a few errands of my own."

She raised an eyebrow at that but did not try to pry more information from him.

Eileen, with Severus in tow, walked the short distance from their home to the heart of the town.

First they visited the bank. Severus glared at the unoccupied teller, who returned the favor, while his mother cashed his father's work check at the first desk.

He did not want to even try to work at the bank.

As they walked past the library, Severus diverted from his mother and asked the Librarian if she needed any help for the summer. She looked at him suspiciously when she told him she was not hiring but said they always needed volunteers. He said he'd consider it.

He met back up with his mother at the general store. They looked around for some canned and jarred goods, rice, beans and whatever else she deemed necessary for the house.

He asked the cashier if they were still hiring. The girl gave him a nasty look and said no.

He then followed his mother to the bakery. She looked around in search of (presumably) the baker's niece, but gave up after the quick search and purchased a couple loafs and a dozen rolls from Mrs. Hoover. She was not hiring.

Next they went to the market for some vegetables.

While his mother browsed, Severus wandered down the street to the bookstore.

They were also not hiring and glared at him suspiciously.

He was sure most of the places he went might have hired him if he was not the local weirdo.

Last they stopped at the butcher. His mother interrogated the young man behind the counter about the quality of meat she would be purchasing.

Severus found the owner in the back room.

"Excuse me, Mr. Courtney, sorry to bother you."

The man looked up from his task of chopping. "Ah, young Mr. Snape. What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if you might be wanting to hire any help this summer?"

The man wiped his hands on his apron. "You mean yourself?"

"Yes, sir."

"Have you ever had a job before?"

Yes, I was a professor for twenty years, not to mention a spy for just as long.

"No, sir."

Mr. Courtney looked him up and down. "You think you can handle this sort of work, lad?"

This was the furthest he'd gotten with anyone so far. Perhaps he would have to work with dead meat after all...it was better than nothing.

He told himself to think if it like potions. "Yes, sir."

"And what would make you an asset to me?"

"Well...I'm quite good at cutting things."

The man gave him a strange look. "And where might a young man pick up such skills?"

Potions...

"Science class. We're always...dissecting something."

"You enjoy that class?"

"Very much, sir. Almost as much as-" he paused awkwardly. What would Defense translate as? "-gym."

He frowned at Severus, "You're not the one killing things in the woods I hope?"

Was the boggart running rampant? "That's news to me, sir, I've only been home from school for three days."

Mr. Courtney evaluated him with another look and then pointed at him. "You're pretty skinny for a fella who likes gym class."

"I'm fast."

"...Do you play any sports? Like football on your school team?"

Just duelling in the corridors when provoked. "No, sir. I prefer not to have to depend on others to win."

"Ha! A tennis player then! A fast and independent athlete who is good at 'cutting things.' You'll do just fine I think. We'll start you part time for the first few weeks and see how it goes."

The man jutted out his hand to shake. It was grimey and Severus didn't want to touch it. His mother would not be pleased if he made a mess of her purchases.

Mr. Courtney looked down and realized why Severus was making a disgusted face. He wiped it on his apron again, though it did little to improve the condition.

"If you aren't willing to get your hands dirty..."

"It's not that, I just don't think my mum would appreciate blood on her groceries."

"No, I'd imagine not." The man chuckled. "Alright, when can you start?"

"Whenever you like, sir, my schedule is relatively clear until September for school. All I ask is for the thirty-first of July off, for I have some pre-existing plans."

"All right, remind me again about a week in advance." Mr. Courtney smiled at him. "How does tomorrow morning at five sound?"

An early schedule was nothing new to Severus. "I'll be here. Thank you, sir."

Severus returned to the front of the store and found his mother had chosen and purchased her prize. She was now waiting for him by the counter.

"Where did you go, Severus?"

He picked up the bags he had set on the counter. "Mr. Courtney just hired me, I start work tomorrow at five."

She just stared at him blankly.