Chapter 8 What Love Means

With that one kiss, Severus' world changed forever, and he'd truly found bliss beyond compare. In the days, weeks and months that followed, things changed between them in ways Severus had hardly dared imagine. Mark and Violet caught on in a matter of days so their little secret didn't last long at all, the subtle hand-holding, blushes and cheeky grins was more than enough to clue the ever-observant Violet in to their change in relation. She quickly told Mark of the changes she'd observed between their youngest daughter and her best friend who was now more than just a friend. For some time she'd been well aware of Severus' feelings for her Lily-flower, but it wasn't until recent had she'd noticed changes in Lily's behavior that told her she may very well feel the same way about him. In the end, she was happy for them both, happy that her daughter was happy, and also for her surrogate son that he'd found happiness that 'til recent was all too uncommon for him in his thus-far bleak life.

Mark had taken it upon himself to give Severus 'the talk' and lecture him for close to an hour on all the terrible things that he would do if he were to hurt his Lily-flower; of course, he believed that the good-natured Severus would do none of those things and he assured him of that. 'I'm just performing my obligations as a father, Severus. One day you'll understand just how precious children—especially daughters, are' he'd said, earning a smile from the reserved boy and repeated assurance that he'd never hurt Lily, to assuage the man he hoped would become his father in-law. His truthful assurance of his intent to treat Lily right had been more than enough to satiate Mark and he gave his seal of approval for the commencement of their relationship. Naturally, Lily had been ecstatic and more than willing to back Severus up in her belief that all would be well. She'd seen the extent of his feelings, she knew just how deep his love for her ran, and she knew full well he could never hurt her.

So within a week of their first kiss, their 'secret,' which had turned out to be anything but, was out and public knowledge in the Evans household. Petunia had voiced her disapproval, giving the new couple nasty sneers and vindictive glares whenever their parents were out of eye or earshot, but beyond that she'd kept her comments to herself. Now that the knowledge of their new relationship was out, they didn't bother hiding their open affection, but were careful not to overstep their bounds and display a little too much affection. They were careful to heed the hastily implemented stringent rules concerning public displays of affection in lieu of their relationship. Soon, the three week long winter break wound to a close, but unlike in years past, Lily did not make the trip to King's Cross and from there back to school; for her, everything stayed the same. Now that she and Severus were home most of the time, Violet took it upon herself to supervise the two and ensure they stayed caught up with their muggle education as well as magical.

The New Year, 1974, rolled around with not much fanfare, save for a few fireworks launched from the Evanses snow-covered backyard and an indoor barbecue put together by Mark, the self-dubbed 'Barbecue Savant'. Once the year of 1974 arrived, Severus' and Lily's birthdays were soon to follow; and unbeknownst to the newest member of their family, Violet and Lily began hatching a plan to make Severus' first birthday as a part of their family one he would never forget. So on the morning of Severus' birthday, January 9th and just two weeks past the start of their relationship, Lily crept into his room before dawn once again. It was a Monday morning which meant that Mark was at work early for the commencement of the working week, Petunia had also left the house early for an extra-curricular class before school, and Violet was still sound asleep in her warm bed. For all intents and purposes, she was alone in the house with Severus, so as she edged open the door to his room it gave her plenty of reason to smile.

As quiet as she could, she shut the door in her wake and crossed the room to his side. It was then that she heard it, quiet sniffles and whimpers that were—mostly—swallowed by the pillow he lay face down on, but she could hear them—she could also hear her heart break as she knew what caused them. He was still asleep, that much was obvious, but the nightmare that filled his mind she was sure was very much real, as were the quiet whimpers she heard. Gulping down the lump in her throat, she pulled his desk-chair to his bedside and sat down in it. She tried her best to ignore the pounding in her ears, emanating from her heart—which now beat angrily on behalf of her best—no…boyfriend, that still takes some getting used to. Her attention was brought back to Severus who had rolled onto his side—away from her.

"Oh Sev…" Lily murmured quietly, her eyes glancing over his lightly trembling form. "What has he done to you?"

Just the brush of her fingers on his shoulder, had his eyes snapping open, wildly glancing across the room like a rabid dog before finally coming to rest on Lily. He visibly flinched back, fear as clear as day in his eyes. Lily felt a cold fist clench around her heart, squeezing it tightly and draining it of warmth in the face of his terror.

When he finally found his voice, she felt her heart spasm out of control; then shatter moments later —the razor-sharp shards embedding themselves in her chest so deep it hurt. That look…so haunted and fearful, destroyed her, the empty cavity in her chest just ached to be filled. She recognized that look and all of a sudden she was on the verge of tears knowing what it meant, every fiber of her being hurt for the boy across from her. She wanted to cry, to punch and scream at the injustice of it all; why has Sev faced such horrors and despair so early in his life…he deserves so much more. Why is life so unfair? Why does he have to hurt so much?…What can I do to save you, Sev.

"Lily? Is that you?" He asked, and he sounded hollow, just as if his soul had been sucked dry by a dementor. His eyes remained empty save for one thing. Fear. Clearly, his dream had shaken him, he still hadn't escaped his father, not entirely at least.

"Yes Sev it's me. Only me. No one else," Lily whispered back, her voice thick with emotion as she struggled to keep her eyes clear. She couldn't cry now, she had to be strong for him, support him, show him love and tenderness.

"You're here?" Severus couldn't even hide the relief from his tone, the yearning and sheer need for her. Because he did need her, and she knew that, he needed her and she had no desire to let him down. Lily was well aware of the responsibility that resided with her, bestowed by Sev. She knew she was his happiness, his all, and it was an adoration she wouldn't surrender for the world. In his young life, Sev had faced down such terrors and felt such hurt, that she knew happiness did not come by him that often. If I can bring him even just a little happiness…or love that I so want to give him, then I've done something right. I love you Sev.

The relief in his tone, visible in his eyes, warmed her heart once more. She smiled as broadly as she could, trying to maintain her brave face and not fall into despair on his behalf. "I'm here Sev, I'm here, your father is gone and not a part of your life anymore Sev. It's alright, he's not here."

He flinched back at the mention of his father, eyes darkening by shades. Lily cursed herself internally for her callousness at bringing up his father at a time like this. How could I be so stupid?

"Can I hug you Sev?" Lily asked, her eyes hopeful.

He gave a small, jerky nod in response, but didn't speak a word. Lily clambered onto the bed and shuffled over to him. With delicate movements, she placed her arms around his back; despite her gentleness, he still flinched under her touch. Deciding to pluck up her courage, her hands reached for Sev's hair and began stroking his black locks, employing a technique her mother had used to calm her down whenever she was distraught. It seemed to work as Severus expelled a sigh and relaxed into her arms; he no longer flinched or winced when she touched him, good progress then.

"Sev come lie with me?" Lily whispered, her hands never ceasing in their caresses about his back and hair.

"What?" He choked out, his voice still thick with tears—that he fought desperately to hold at bay.

"Lie down with me," Lily said simply, "Please Sev. I—I want this. And I think you do to, it'll help you," she added, her tone bordering on pleading. She wisely kept his father out of her words, but the hidden implication was there.

"A—alright, Lily. I—if you want, we can," Severus whispered, his tone resigned.

"I do want to Sev. This'll be good for you."

"But your parents…if y—your father, if he w—were to learn of—"

"He's not here Sev, he's at work. Tuney's not here either. It's just you and me. Mum's fast asleep," Lily soothed, reaching for his locks and stroking them reverently—a worship.

Sighing, he gave in and collapsed back onto his bed, he scooted up so his head lay on the pillow and soon felt Lily lie down beside him. In the dim glow of the moon, all he could see was her faint smile and her glowing eyes, but that was all he needed to feel at peace.

"Are you feeling okay now Severus?" Lily asked quietly, her green eyes staring gently at his in the gloom.

"I am," Severus replied, his voice barely a whisper, "now that you're here."

He saw her smile broaden, and felt her shift closer to him on the bed. He first felt her arms around his back, rubbing up and down above the fabric of his pyjama top in a rhythmic motion. Thoroughly distracted by the blissful, relaxing feeling of her gentle hands upon his back, he didn't notice her face inching closer and closer to him, not until the soft exhales of her breath were on his cheek. The feel of her lips on his never grew old, only more pleasant with each successive occurrence. Her hands stilled, too taken away but the kiss but Severus hardly noticed, all he knew was the heavenly feel of Lily's lips moving against his. It may have been gentle and chaste, but it spoke volumes of how she felt. Each touch of her lips told him something different, and he let it all flow through him, taking in every silent message she had to say through their kiss.

He felt her anger and vitriol towards his father on his behalf, he felt her hatred of Tobias, burning just as deep as his own at how he could have hurt him so. He felt her sorrow and misery that he'd had to suffer through so much hardship this early in life, her soul ached for him, sympathized with his plight, he felt her thrash against the injustice of it all, but then again, life isn't fair. Most of all, he felt her desire and love. Desire to show him what it meant to love and to be loved. He felt her desire to take away his pain—to vanish it all away with a touch, or a kiss, or some soothing words, so that he'd be left with only heavenly bliss. Out of all the emotions her kiss conveyed, love shone brightest, the love that she felt for him—reserved for him, shone so brightly he wanted to cry with joy. Lily was here and she was showing him love; that alone was all that mattered—all he needed. Lily was here, in his arms, loving him. The rest of the world could burn for all he cared. For his world was here, kissing him, showering him in affection like no one else could.

Dappled sunlight flittering in through the window would wake them hours later. Lily would wake first, and for a moment, she'd be taken aback by the strange surroundings she found herself in, before realizing that she was responsible for her current predicament. She was the one that had encouraged Severus to let her sleep alongside him, she was the one the curled up against him and rubbed his back soothingly as he drifted off into a fitful slumber, she was the one who'd seen him earlier that morning with such terror in his eyes she'd almost burst into tears knowing just what had driven him to react so strongly to her sudden appearance. She pulled aside the quilt and gently unwound Severus' arms from her waist, lifting them delicately so she wouldn't disturb him. He deserved to sleep in on his birthday after all. She swung her legs over the bed, and padded over to the desk chair and draped a robe over her pyjamas.

"Sleep well Sev, I'm sorry for all you've had to suffer, but I'll do my best to help you," Lily murmured quietly, vowing that one day, her Sev would be able to move beyond his trauma, and she'd be there to help him. "I'll make this your best birthday ever. And that's a promise," she added, her tone caring but also stiff with resolve.

She quietly shut the door to his room and headed down the stairs into the kitchen, following the sounds of a frying pan at work and coffee boiling in a pot. Her mother must've heard her approached since she turned around and flashed her a warm smile. "It's about time you woke up. Only Severus has an excuse to sleep in today Lily," she chided.

"Sorry Mum," Lily said sheepishly. "Is there anything I can help with?" She offered, glancing around the mostly bare kitchen.

"What you could do Lily is let Archimedes out and put all your dirty clothes in the washer. After that, please go wake Severus and let him know his breakfast is ready, alright?"

"Sure thing Mum," Lily replied eagerly. She wandered over to the small kitchen table and was pleasantly surprised to see pancakes and eggs there. Not just any pancakes for that matter, but her mum's specialty blueberry-encrusted pancakes. Turning back around to face her mum, she asked; "mum you made your special pancakes today?"

She could practically hear the smile in her response. "Of course, Severus loves those and it is his birthday after all."

Her smile broadened, "yeah. Yeah it is. Anyways, thanks mum, I'll be back in a bit. I'll go wake Sev when I'm done with my things."

Mum merely hummed in response, flipping the bacon in the pan again as Lily left the room. Fifteen minutes later she was coming down the stairs with a tired, bleary-eyed Severus. His lack of sleep was telling and Lily still felt her heart clench at realizing just what it was that had occupied his mind through the night.

"Rested well Sev?" Lily asked as they descended the stairs.

He smiled as brightly as he could, which given his tiredness was not that much in the grand scheme of things. "I did. Thank you, Lily. For ah…for helping to comfort me, that is," he murmured quietly, almost ashamed of himself at having to admit that. He hated having to admit weakness, but at the same time he valued Lily for all she'd done for him, he had to thank her.

"Anytime Severus," Lily beamed, giving his hand a squeeze. "You know I'll do anything I can to help you. It's your birthday for Merlin's sake!"

"Yeah, a real reason to celebrate," he muttered sarcastically.

Lily ignored his obvious self-deprecating tone and focused in on the words he spoke. "It is a reason to celebrate. Mum and I have got something nice planned for you today, I really think you'll enjoy it."

They'd reached the bottom of the stairs by now. Just as Severus was about to ask what it was that Lily had planned for him, the smell of pancakes assaulted his nostrils, not just any pancakes—but the ones with blueberries encrusted in them. Tilting his head sideways, he turned to Lily and asked; "Did your mum make—"

"Yes," Lily answered, smiling.

Sure enough, when they entered the kitchen, Violet was just removed her apron and was now carrying over the pot of coffee over to the table. Having been born in America, and growing up in New Haven, Connecticut for the first few years of her life, she much preferred Coffee to Tea to start her day. Petunia took right after her father, British born and bred who loved a good cuppa to start the day, Lily on the other hand inherited her mother's love of Coffee, and by proxy, so had Severus.

"Happy birthday Severus," Violet smiled, upon seeing Lily and Severus entering the room. Lily squeezed his fingers, then gave him a gentle push, to send him on his way to his unavoidable hug. Violet set the steaming pot down on the kitchen table and hugged the boy. He rarely flinched now, but Violet could still feel a noticeable tensing of his muscles whenever she gave him a hug, still, it was good progress considering that not too long ago, the mere sight of someone closing in on him for a hug would have him visibly wincing.

"I prepared a few of your favorites today, and after breakfast, Lily and I have planned something fun for the three of us. Something we know you'll enjoy," Violet explained, as she stepped back from Severus.

"Would it be too much to ask what this something is?" Severus asked as he walked over to his seat.

"Unfortunately, yes Severus. This is best left as a surprise, you'll enjoy it more that way," Violet chuckled.

Severus lowered himself into his chair and immediately set about pouring out three mugs of coffee for the two Evans women and himself. Lily and Violet sat themselves down just after and heaped a generous stack of pancakes onto Severus' plate. Severus couldn't even hide his happiness at seeing the blueberries embedded within them. He served himself conservative portions of eggs and bacons, to which Violet immediately heaped some more onto his plate.

"You're a growing boy, Severus, you need to eat more than that," she chided with a faux annoyed tone.

Severus merely grinned sheepishly and accepted the additional food with a muttered; 'thank you'.

"So Severus, after this. You run along and go get dressed to go out alright? Lily and I have planned a little trip for today, well…myself more than Lily, but we think you'll enjoy it."

"Will do Violet. Is there anything I can do around here to help after I get ready?" He offered.

"Just your plate, cutlery and your mug in the dishwasher is all I need. Beyond that, this is your birthday so there won't be a need for any chores today."

"But I can still help with the—"

"Nonsense Severus, I won't hear a word of it," Violet interrupted sternly. Directing her firm chocolate-eyed gaze at Severus. "You shall have no chores today Severus and that is final. If it really bothers you then you can do extra tomorrow. But today we just want you to enjoy your birthday free of work, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Severus muttered quietly. Upon seeing her strange look, he quickly amended; "uh…I mean, Violet. Sorry. Force of habit."

Violet looked perturbed by the revelation but pursed her lips and chose to ignore his minor slip, for her sake just as much as his. Lily murmured something in Violet's ear, quiet enough that the boy sitting across from them couldn't hear, although he didn't much effort to strain his hearing either. Whatever it was, it caused a brief look of sympathy and concern to cross Violet's face, but it was gone before long and she returned to her food. The rest of the meal passed almost entirely in silence.

Severus and Lily were all dressed warmly and ready to go an hour later. True to Violet's wishes, all Severus had done was put his plate, cutlery and mug in the dishwasher and that was it. He'd gone upstairs after murmuring a quiet thank you to Violet and Lily. He went straight for his wardrobe and picked out a change of underwear, a simple grey shirt, jeans, a pull-over sweater, and a coat; before heading into the bathroom. Now, they headed outside into the frigid morning air, coats wrapped tightly around them, and in Lily's case, a scarf for good measure. They followed Violet from the front door, down the walk towards the driveway and piled into the station wagon. Lily sighed happily as the heaters in the car were turned up to their maximum, allowing her to shed her heavy coat and her sweater to bask in the warmth; Severus did the same. After buckling themselves in, they set off for Manchester.

Arriving in the city, Violet consulted her trusty road map in her glove box and after a few minutes spent parked at the side of the road, she found her destination and they set off again.

"Is everything alright mum? Do you know where you're going?" Lily asked concernedly, leaning forward from the back seat.

"I know where we're going Lily," Violet answered, her tone terse and strained. "The issue lies in…finding our way there," she said, the stress audible in her voice.

Severus glanced out the frosted window and looked along the row of shops and establishments they'd stopped along. Before long, his eyes came to rest on something about a block down the road. An old, large building that looked like the…yes. That's the Manchester Museum of Art!

"Violet?" Severus asked quietly, hoping to not anger the already stressed Evans matriarch as her chocolate eyes pored over the map in her lap.

"Yes Severus?" She asked sweetly, her smile strained.

"Is that the Manchester Museum of Art up ahead?" He asked, pointing out the window screen at the large, stone building.

Violet squinted and adjusted the glasses on the bridge of her nose. She nodded swiftly just moments later after learning of the building's identity. She turned around to look into the back seats and gave Severus another smile. "Why yes it is, have you ever been?"

"Never. I'd always wanted to go though…and I was wondering, if perhaps we could go there instead?"

At Violet's look of shock and surprise, and Lily's gasp, Severus quickly held his hands up in placation and back-peddled on his wish. "I—I mean, if it's alright wi—with you, o—of course. I mean, I know you m—made plans and all, and I d—don't want to interfere, but I just wanted to let you know, I—I'm okay with the museum, as well as what you planned f—for me," he said quickly, the nervous raven haired boy tripping on his words.

"Severus, it's your birthday my dear," Violet began, all traces of her building anger gone. "If you want to go, then that's what we'll do. Lily loves it there and frankly, so do I. We should've thought of this earlier, but today is your day. Whatever you want, we'll try to make it happen."

Severus smiled gratefully and nodded, relieved to audibly hear the stress leave her. "Thank you Violet. I—I really appreciate that, I r—really do. Thank you."

"Well come on then you two, out you get," Violet said, ushering her children to slip their coats—and in Lily's case, her sweater back on and hop out of the car.

Tightly wrapped up in their clothes, the three of them headed off down the sleet-covered pavement towards the museum. Violet walked in the lead, her 5'9" frame carving a path through the pedestrians they encountered as they made their way to the museum. Lily and Severus walked a couple meters behind, hand in hand.

"Sev what do you want to do for lunch?" Lily whispered, glancing at him through her curtain of her in curiosity.

"There's a Chinese place not far from here right?"

Lily's green eyes sparkled in surprise and she eagerly nodded. "You're willing to try Sev?"

"Yeah," he answered, giving her a little smile. "I've been trying a lot of new things recently. Thanks to you, Lily, so what's the harm in trying something else?"

"You're the best Sev," Lily replied, her love for Chinese food driving her gratefulness. "Thank you." She pecked him on the cheek, in plain view of other pedestrians causing a blush to rise up his cheeks. She almost giggled at the sight, surprised that such a simple gesture could elicit such a strong reaction from her boyfriend.

They arrived at the museum shortly afterwards and after greeting the security officer at the front desk they headed into the museum proper that housed works of art from all across Britain and her colonies dating back to the 12th Century. Some of the sculptures and paintings were truly ancient. One of the things Severus had inherited from his mother was her appreciation of fine art and craftsmanship, and to no one's surprise he had a great time gazing at all the pieces they came across and trying to understand each one. Violet usually kept herself just a few meters away from the pair whilst Severus avidly explained to her youngest daughter the details of each piece he was able to discern. The way the boy talked, and gesticulated it was as clear as ever he was having a great time finally being able to visit this museum and talk about one of the few aspects of Muggle culture that he truly loved. Ever since he had moved in, Violet had caught hints of his disdainful attitude towards muggles and truth be told she found his beliefs troubling. Granted, Severus never expressed his dislike for non-magical people to her and Mark, quite the opposite actually and his love for them was quite clear. That said, whenever he spoke of muggles at large, beyond herself and her husband, it was always with a faint sneer. She was happy however that he'd found something of note with Muggle culture and something worth latching on to.

As they moved from room to room, Severus took his time explaining all the pieces he'd seen and Lily, being an attentive listener(or at least trying), paid rapt attention throughout his speeches. Room to room, she followed the birthday boy, her mother tailing after them and listened as Severus talked about the deeper meaning and significance of each piece he recognized. For some, he was as lost as she was; but for the most part, he was practically a walking encyclopedia of modern western art. As the morning wound on, and gave way to afternoon, they had finished a full round of the entire museum and were heading for the exit.

"Violet?" Severus asked as they exited the museum.

"Yes Severus?"

"Lily's told me before that there's a Chinese restaurant around here right?"

Violet's ears perked up and she swiftly nodded. "Yes that's right. A Szechuan Chinese place. We've only been once or twice though. Is that where you want to eat?"

Severus flushed slightly and nodded. "Yes. If it's not too much trouble, that is."

Violet smiled broadly at the news, she loved Chinese food as much as Lily did. "It's no trouble at all dear," Violet said reassuringly. "Follow me then, it's just around the corner and we can even buy back some for dinner if you find it agreeable."

"That would be nice," Severus said with a smile.

"I know you'll enjoy it Sev," Lily beamed, reaching for his hand as they followed Violet along the road to their destination.

A few minutes later and they had arrived at the restaurant at long last. A large red and gold signboard marked the entrance to the establishment that for the moment seemed relatively quiet. Severus reached for the door first and held it open, both Evans women giving him grateful smiles as they passed him. He followed them into the restaurant and was greeted with a blast of warm air, he hung his coat on the rack between Lily's and Violet's and headed from the small foyer into the main seating area. At a counter in the back of the restaurant, where one ordered their meals—Severus presumed, was an older Chinese woman with grey hair and wrinkled skin. Her skin seemed to wrinkle even more as Lily and Violet approached and her eyes widened in recognition of the mother and daughter with matching red hair.

"Good afternoon Missus Zhao," Violet greeted.

"It's nice to see you again Missus Zhao, we've brought a friend this time around."

"It's nice to see you both again," the woman—Missus Zhao greeted, smiling at both of them in turn.

"Who might you be?" The elderly woman asked, peering down at Severus from her elevated position.

"I'm Severus, ma'am," the boy said quietly, his gaze not reaching her's.

"Ah. A boy that knows his manners, very good."

"Ah, Missus Zhao, Severus has never had Chinese food before, so I think we shall get the usual but with the Mapo Tofu, and the Braised Duck. And a pot of Oolong tea as well please, the weather outside has been dreadful!"

"I don't know how it is in Cokeworth, but it's been raining and snowing almost all week here," Missus Zhao concurred.

"Much the same Missus Zhao, but we had a few days of nice weather immediately after the new year."

Fifteen minutes later, their food and their steaming hot pot of tea were ready and sitting on their table. Severus glanced confusedly over all the dishes arrayed before him. He had never had Chinese food before, but he had heard Lily laud praise after praise on the delicacy so he wanted to try it for himself. Thankfully, Lily was more than helpful in explaining the dishes arrayed before them. She and Violet had strategically placed the dishes they believed Severus would prefer the most in front of him. A plate of Kung Pao Chicken, Mapo Tofu, Stir-fried vegetables and a bowl of rice were set in front of Severus while the dishes they figured he wouldn't enjoy as much sat between the two Evans women. Severus, not wanting to be deemed an invalid by the two women doting on him and calmly explaining the in's and out's of all the dishes, poured out cups of tea for all of them. Without further ado, they began to eat.

"So how are you enjoying the food Severus?" Lily asked, her voice somewhat muffled since her cheeks were half-stuffed with rice and braised duck.

"Lily! Remember your table manners!" Violet reprimanded, directing a stern glare at her suddenly-sheepish looking daughter.

Severus made a show of raising his glass, taking a gulp and swallowing audibly and then turning to Lily. "It's interesting, that's for sure. As far as if it's my favorite…I still think I prefer our local food more."

"But you wouldn't mind having this in the future right?"

"No I guess not," Severus replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Lily beamed in reply, "y'hear that mummy? Sev wouldn't mind having—"

"I heard dear," Violet interrupted, smiling at the two children. "We're happy you've found something new that you enjoy Severus."

Smiling slightly, Severus tucked back into his meal. It turned out Violet and Lily were right, while this food wasn't his favorite by any stretch, he hadn't disliked it, per se, and he'd be lying if he said he'd never have it again.

When they had finished their rather-filling meal, they paid their tab and bade goodbye to the kind shop-owner, Missus Zhao. They slipped out on their coats, but as they made it to the door of the restaurant, all three were dismayed to hear the pitter-patter of rain on concrete just on the other side of the door. Groaning audibly, Violet offered to get the car and swing around the block to pick them up, but both Severus and Lily declined, opting to make a run for it with Violet. Given their reasonably above average height for their ages, Lily being 5'5" and Severus 5'8" they were able to keep up with the fast-jogging Violet as they ran down the slippery pavement. On one occasion, Lily had nearly slipped and fallen over a patch of almost unseen ice, but a steady hand from Severus saved her from what would have been a nasty concussion. She flashed him a brief, yet broad smile that warmed his innards, more than his coat could ever manage—that's for sure.

A few minutes of jogging later, they'd made it back to their Ford Station Wagon and Violet was desperately trying to get the thing started. Thankfully, the engine roared to life, although a battery warning on the center console gave Violet some minor cause for concern, she'd have to get Mark to take into the shop over the weekend. With the rain no longer a bother, the trio shed their outer coats and took a moment to relax in the car, allowing the heaters to work their magic and force the chill from their bones. After a few minutes of heating up, Violet put the car in great and began the hour-long drive back to Cokeworth. As they trundled along the freeway, Lily poked Severus on the arm, prompting the boy to turn to face her; she was wearing a curious look, although within her green eyes he detected traces of uncertainty.

"Yes Lily? Is something the matter?" He asked quietly, so as not to disturb Violet.

The roads nearer to Cokeworth that lay to the north west of Manchester were more treacherous and black ice had been known to form on certain patches of this highway.

"When we get back later, can you come to my room?" She whispered, trying her best not to alert her mum and her radar-like hearing.

"What for?"

"My present," Lily grinned, "and I…have a hunch that maybe…just maybe, this'll be the best part of your day yet, Severus," she singsonged.

"What's that you two are talking about?" Violet asked, her narrowed dark-brown eyes peering in the overhead rearview mirror at the two teens.

"Nothing Mum! Just discussing a few things!" Lily assured.

Violet raised a brow, but didn't say anything more. Lily breathed a silent sigh of relief.

When they arrived home, Violet ordered them upstairs and into the showers, despite the warmth their car afforded, she was still worried about the threat of hypothermia, and the risk it posed. They did just that, hopping into the shower with a fresh change of dry clothes waiting for them when they finished. Severus finished showering first, and when he'd finished and changed into another set of clothes he sat on his bed. He could still hear Lily's shower running in the background so he reached for a book on his bedside table, one of his Mum's and started to read. As he lazily read through the introductory chapters to the Prince Family Tome, his mind began to drift, wondering just what it was Lily had gotten him. He presumed it would be a book of sorts, Lily knew he liked books, they were inexpensive, and they were bound to entertain him.

He and Lily both loved to read and further their knowledge, but there were some things Lily would steer well clear of that Severus would readily immerse himself in, Dark Magic being a great example of that. He sighed at the thought, Lily was a smart and well-rounded witch, if only she could see all that there was to be gained by studying the more obscure branches of magic, it wasn't like she needed to use it after all…just learn it, and understand it. For such a progressive thinker, Lily really did harbor rather conservative views on magic. The irony was funny to Severus, for he was the exact opposite, his father passing down more conservative views to him from a young age, but he in turn harbored very progressive views on using magic.

Just then, he heard the shower switch off down the hall, so Severus set the book aside on his bedside table. A few minutes later, he headed out of his room and crossed the hall to Lily's. He knocked on the door and a quiet; 'come on in Sev,' reached his ears. He opened the door, and found Lily sat on her bed, a wrapped present in her lap. Once again, Severus' intuition proved to be correct as the gift in Lily's lap appeared to be a book indeed.

"Hi Sev," Lily greeted, smiling warmly. "I…uh, I've got your present."

She thrust the present out at him with both hands, and Severus crossed the room to retrieve it. Smiling gratefully at her and giving her a nod, he unwrapped the present carefully, making sure to conserve the wrapping paper to live another day. When he was done, he was shocked, appalled even(in a good way), at the book in his hands. Needless to say, he had not been expecting this, but he was still grateful nonetheless for it.

"Is this what I think it is?" Severus asked, as he gently pried open the book.

Lily nodded, bearing a satisfied smile on her face. "If it's the latest edition of a An Aspiring Potions Master's Must Have Guide then yes Sev, it is what you think it is!"

"Thank you Lily," Severus replied, his smile broadening. He shifted the book off his lap and set it down beside himself; he then turned to face her, nothing but adoration and appreciation etched onto his features.

"You're most welcome, Sev. I hope this book goes a long way and is put to good use," she said seriously, almost insistently. "Looking back twenty years from now, I hope to—no…actually, I know you'll be the greatest potions master the world will ever see. And I want to help you get there."

"I'll do my best," Severus said solemnly, although the teasing sparkle in his eyes didn't quite go away.

"I know you will Sev. You, my friend, may be a knucklehead and somewhat of a clown at times…but that doesn't change the fact that you're the smartest person I know," Lily said, her tone teasing, although her green eyes told a very different story.

Does she truly believe that? Does she really think I'm the smartest person she's ever known?

"And I know for a fact that when the time comes, you and your enormous noggin can change the world, more than me or…someone else ever could. You, Sev. Are special. Don't let anyone tell you different, y'hear?" she rambled.

"Are you throwing my own advice back at me?" Severus teased, remembering speaking those words to Lily himself all those years ago when Lily held fear about coming into a world she barely knew.

"Well they apply to both of us, right?"

"Maybe…" Severus mused, his tone thoughtful.

"I'll take that as a yes," Lily grinned, bearing an expression of abject triumph.

She then slid closer to him from her side of the bed and took his hands in her's. They moved closer and closer, mere centimeters separating them now; neither was able to look away, for they were both entranced by the other's eyes. Matching sparks of passion and hunger shone in each of them, and that was all they needed for the two teens to understand each other's meaning. Lily's lips twitched upwards into a brief smile, "happy birthday Sev," was all she said, before cancelling the final few centimeters between them and planting her lush lips on his.

The kiss was brief, only lasting a few seconds, but those few seconds were easily the best part of his day by far. He smiled against Lily's lips as his hand rose to cup her cheek, feeling the smoothness of her alabaster skin beneath his thumb. He felt her smile in response to his touch and tilted her head sideways, leaning into his hand in pursuit of greater warmth. The curl of her lips against his was unmistakable, as was the gentle prodding of his lips with her tongue. He obliged her, and as one their mouths opened, granting the other entrance. The one thought swirling through Severus' mind as he kissed Lily was; this has got to be the best birthday ever.

A/N: Big time skip coming up between this chapter and the next. Hope this chapter was nice, and that you all enjoyed it. They'll be leaving to Boston soon, but before that, a confrontation with an old adversary will be coming up in the next chapter. Thank you all for reading!