A/N: So the Summer is upon them, and with it comes a return to Cokeworth for our two protagonists. I've got 3 chapters over the summer planned, and have(mostly) finished out planning for the next year. I've also decided to up the rating to M in this chapter, because there will be explicit scenes in the coming chapters(not that I want to turn this fic into a smut-fest or anything like that). If smut isn't your thing, I'll indicate which chapters have it, and/or use page breaks to indicate where it begins or ends, do comment what you guys would prefer. Anyhow, it's back to Cokeworth for Severus and Lily this chapter and for the next two.
Chapter 22 A Busy Summer
In the last three weeks of term, Severus and Lily spent the majority of their time either with their friends, or in the Potions Lab. They'd learned from Professor Rosier just a day after Severus' final exam that Barton had decided to take on Francesca Marconi as his apprentice. The combination of her talents as a brewer, plus the connections and power the Marconi name brought meant she was able to secure her place as a Potions apprentice under one of the most well-regarded Potions Masters in all of America. This news came as a bit of a blow to both Severus and Lily, since that meant their own hopes of securing an apprenticeship with Barton were shot. Alexander Barton was notoriously difficult to please, and oftentimes only took on a single apprentice once every five to ten years. So, with Francesca beginning her apprenticeship under Barton in a few short months, that meant the likelihood of Severus or Lily ever securing an apprenticeship with the talented Potions Master was reduced to all but naught.
Despite their disappointment about losing out on a chance to learn from Barton—they were still happy for Francesca, and kept their optimism that they'd find a Potioneer to apprentice under when they graduated. Of course, there was still Professor Rosier herself—provided she was willing to take them, and they could potentially have a career in charms instead of potion brewing as well if push came to shove. On the bright side of things, both Severus and Lily had done very well on their exams, with the former achieving seven Os, two EEs and a lone A. Lily herself scored five Os, and five EEs, but not a single A. All in all, their efforts were strong enough for them to secure second and third respectively in their year, both falling just short of Michael Tsao's herculean effort of seven Os and three EEs. All in all though, they were very pleased with their efforts academically, and opted not to write Lily's parents and instead surprise them with their strong grades in person. Most of their friends had done well too, it seemed their hard work in the lead up to their exams had indeed paid off.
On the last day of term, Severus, Lily and their friends exchanged their goodbyes for the summer. They bade farewell to Scott and Caroline—their pureblooded friends, at the base of Mount Greylock as the twins returned to Manchester via Portkey. They made the ride into Boston by coach with Nicole, Thomas, Sandra and the rest of their friends; and upon reaching the city center, said their goodbyes to them too. Traveling by Portkey no longer served as much of a challenge for the two of them, as they'd gotten accustomed to the form of magical travel after numerous trips to Worcester, as well as to and from home. The spinning sensation hardly registered this time as they were hurled across the Atlantic back to the sanctuary of their back yard in the blink of an eye. Like a cat, they even landed on their feet this time.
During their time away from Cokeworth, quite a lot changed within the little Evans family, not all of which they learned of via letter. Mark had recently purchased a new car, a '68 HEMI Cuda, that a colleague of his was looking to sell. Thankfully, the Evanses Garage had enough room for two cars. Violet hadn't been impressed by Mark's spur-of-the-moment purchase, especially because it had dented their bank account by almost five thousand pounds, but she could hardly begrudge the fact that she now had a car to herself and no longer needed to share the old Ford with her husband. Both adults and Petunia too for that matter had decided to keep the new car Mark bought a secret from them, they were quite surprised with it the morning after their return home when they spotted it in the garage.
Mark wasn't the only one with a surprise up his sleeve however, since Violet had taken up gardening over the spring in full swing. Violet had maintained a small garden before that, which Severus had helped water and weed during the previous summer and spring he spent at home, but now her new garden was perhaps triple the size of her old one and was decorated with several dozen species of flowers and shrubs. Needless to say, Violet had wanted to surprise them, and surprise them she had; both wore shocked looks as they observed the vibrant colors of the back garden upon their return.
A few days after returning back to Cokeworth, Severus and Lily headed into town to watch a new comedy that had just been released, a small-budget film by the name of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Mark had seen the movie a few weeks ago just after it'd been released and written Lily almost as soon as he'd returned home. In Mark's opinion it was one of the funniest movies he'd ever seen, so he urged his youngest daughter to see the movie once she was home as soon as possible. Lily had called her friend Cindy, and after arranging a date and time that would work with her Muggle friend, Thursday Afternoon, Violet booked tickets for the three of them. So on a sunny Thursday afternoon, less than a week after they'd returned home, Severus and Lily prepared to leave the house for a mid-afternoon screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail with Cindy.
Severus had dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and khaki trousers, with Lily opting for a crimson blouse and denim jeans along with her converses. Severus had finished his chores for the day, namely weeding the back garden and watering the plants that needed it; and Lily too had taken care of the ironing duties as well as vacuuming downstairs. Now that they were both ready to head out, they traipsed downstairs and proceeded to the foyer but were stopped by Violet before either could so much as lay a hand on the handle.
"Thought you were going somewhere without saying goodbye first?"
Severus and Lily turned around to see Violet standing by the doorway to the kitchen, her arms folded over her chest.
"Well in our defense Violet, we thought you were out in back Gardening," Severus replied, smiling a small grin.
"I was, but then I remembered that you and Lily are off to meet Cindy for your movie. And while you're out, I need some shopping done if you're both up to it. When is your movie supposed to finish?"
"It's from two to four thirty," Lily answered. "What do you need us to get?"
"Just a few things from the grocers. We're out of juice, creamer and eggs. So if you have the time, I'd like you to buy them on your way back."
"Sure thing Violet, how much should it—"
"I've got the money right here," Violet interrupted, in anticipation of Severus' question. "I wouldn't ask either of you to pay for it out of pocket, dear. Violet passed them a tenner, which Lily quickly stuffed in her jean pocket.
"Is that all mum? Just the creamer, eggs and juice, right?"
Violet nodded. "That will be all, dear. Now enjoy your movie you two, and send Cindy and the Parkers my best."
Lily smiled and nodded, Severus doing the same in parallel. "Will do mum. By the way, can we have Cindy over next weekend? I called her just yesterday and none of us are gonna be on shift at her mum's shop then, is it alright if she can come 'round?"
Violet took a moment to ponder her youngest daughter's request, then nodded. "I don't see why not," Violet replied. "It has been a little while since you've invited her over, hasn't it?"
"Yeah…must've been two years or something like that," Lily agreed. "Have you invited Cindy over recently, mum?"
Violet shook her head firmly. "No. Last the Parkers were here for dinner was about a month ago, but Cindy was in school, so she couldn't make it. I think the last time she was here was just about a week or two before you and Severus came home for the Winter Hols if I'm not mistaken."
"Right…right, I'd forgotten about that," Lily muttered, feeling a bit dull for forgetting something so recent. "And I think we meant to catch up over the break but we never got round to it, what between the horrid weather and how busy Sev and I were."
"All the more reason to invite Cindy over next weekend," Violet reasoned, "As long as none of you skive off work, then we'd be happy to host Cindy."
Lily's smile lit up the whole room, and Severus found himself smiling too as a result. "Great. Thanks so much mum, we'd better get going now, don't want to be late of course."
Violet smiled gently and nodded, "Don't forget the groceries though, dears. And have fun of course. Give Cindy my best and tell her I'm excited to see her again this coming weekend."
"Will do mum," Lily said with a wave. "See you in a bit."
"See you Violet," Severus added.
Severus and Lily slipped out the front door, down the porch, and onto the front walk. Hand in hand, they navigated the crisscrossing streets of Cokeworth towards Main Street, where Cokeworth Cinema was located. In spite of their absence, finding their way wasn't too much of an issue for the two teens, they'd lived a large chunk of their lives here after all. When they reached Main Street, they were surprised to see it rather busy, numerous passersby. As they neared the cinema—and away from the commercial section of Main Street, the crowd began to thin, much to their thanks. Looming large ahead of them, with its large blue and red lit sign, was the Cokeworth Cinema.
A girl stood beneath the large, overhanging sign of the cinema. She was short, with pitch black hair done up in a pony tail, bright blue eyes, and a tanned olive-like complexion. She was glancing around nervously—almost as if she were waiting for someone. Severus spotted the girl first, noticing she was all alone as people filed past her in pairs, threes, or on their lonesome. A few seconds after him, Lily's eyes latched onto the girl, just as her own found Lily. A sharp intake of breath, and a harsh squeeze of his hand was all Lily gave as she sprinted forward from his side towards the girl.
"Cindy!"
"Lily!"
The voice of Lily, and the girl—Cindy, overlapped each another, and they came together in a big hug in the middle of the street. Severus stood awkwardly off to the side, just a short distance away from them, but far enough so that he wouldn't intrude on their…spirited reunion.
"Oh I've missed you so much Cindy! I'm so sorry we weren't able to catch up last winter, by I'm so glad to see you now!" Lily gushed, hugging her old friend again.
"It has been some time hasn't it? Like what, a year and a half now? Two years even?"
"At least!" Lily cried. "I think it was…yes, it was the summer between my second and third year when I last saw you. Oh, I've missed you Cindy, it's been far too long!" She hugged Cindy again, fiercely, but Cindy appeared to return Lily's eager embrace with just as much emotion.
"So who's this Severus guy you said you were coming with? Is he here?" Cindy asked, her words slightly muffled by Lily's blouse, but just loud enough for Severus to pick up on.
"Oh, right!" Lily pulled back from their hug, her eyes roving the crowd for a moment, before coming to rest on Severus, who was stood a short distance away and smirking at them. "Sev, come on over here! I want you to meet Cindy!"
Cindy turned around, and eyed the tall, raven-haired teen as he approached, Lily had described him over the phone and he looked quite different to what she'd pictured in her mind when Lily had elaborated on her boyfriend's appearance being tall, dark and handsome.
"Sev, I want you to meet Cindy, my best friend when I first moved to Cokeworth—" she beamed, facing Severus, "and Cindy, meet Severus, my boyfriend—" she added, turning to face Cindy. Lily's smile was as bright as the sun, and to Severus, it looked like Christmas had come early.
She'd never been able to introduce her first two friends in Cokeworth together, and his girlfriend was clearly over the moon and elated at them finally meeting at last. Despite his own apprehension over meeting Cindy, Severus couldn't help but feel happy for Lily, and if it made her happy for the two of them to meet, he promised to himself he'd try his best to get along with the girl in front of him as best he could—provided she'd do the same.
Cindy extended a hand into the air between them, which Severus grasped firmly and shook. "It's nice to meet you," Cindy said quietly, a calculating, and inquisitive look on her face as she spoke.
"It is nice to meet you too," Severus said evenly.
"Violet's told me a bit about you, says that you were the second person in town that Lily befriended, is that right?"
"That would be correct, although as Lily just said, we're a bit more than just friends now," Severus replied smugly.
"Which part of town are you from?" Cindy asked, looking at him with a scrutinizing expression, and her arms folded across her chest.
"I live with the Evanses now, my parents are…incapable of caring for me," Severus answered smoothly.
Cindy huffed, her brows crossing in annoyance as she elaborated; "I meant, where in town did you used to live when you stayed with your parents."
Severus frowned, the expression on his face somewhere between exasperation and annoyance. "I don't see how that's any of your business, quite frankly. And besides…I no longer live with my parents so it is of little significance in the here and now."
Cindy expelled a quiet snort through her nostrils, but she couldn't restrain the slight upward twitch of her lips she gave. "I was just having a go at you Severus; I don't actually care where you're from. Just as long as you've been good to Lily, then—"
"Oh believe me, Cindy, Severus has been better than just 'good' to me," Lily gushed, sporting a goofy-looking grin. "He's all I could ask for in a boyfriend and then some! Just you wait 'til you get to know him better, then you'll know what I mean."
"You speak about me as if I'm not standing right next to you," Severus muttered dryly. He shot Lily what for all intents and purposes, seemed like a look of disdain—but that familiar glint in his shining onyx eyes gave away his true feeling to Lily, who only smiled in response.
Lily's lips twitched into a full-on smile, before releasing a bubbling laugh, she placed a hand on his cheek and stroked it tenderly. "Ah, that may be so, but only good things Sev. Because I've only got good things to say about you!" she purred teasingly.
"Alright, alright, that's enough of that lovey-dovey stuff!" Cindy muttered, exasperated at her old best friend's antics. "Do you guys actually want to watch the movie or what? We'll be late at this point if you two don't get a move on."
Lily offered her friend a sheepish-looking grin. "Lead the way, Cindy."
The trio of Cokeworth natives entered the Cinema, paid for their drinks and snacks, and then presented their tickets to the attendant for their movie. Mark had praised the movie to the high heavens, citing the comedic genius of the actors, who just so happened to be the writers of the film as well. Mark was considerate enough not to spoil it for Severus or Lily, but that didn't stop him talking up a storm about the comedy, not until Lily finally told him that she'd got tickets did he stop. After paying for their concessions, Severus, Lily and Cindy all presented their tickets then headed into the cinema.
When they came out of the cinema two hours later, all three of them could readily agree that it was just about the funniest thing they'd ever seen. Even the ever-reserved Severus had almost keeled over in bouts of laughter on at least three separate occasions throughout the film. Lily could have sworn she even saw tears in his eyes at one point, such was the strength of his laughter. Once the movie was finished, and the trio of teenagers exited the cinema, the only thing on their minds, and in their speech was Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Even as they walked back out onto main street, they were all wearing wide grins—and in Lily's and Cindy's cases, they were still giggling and chortling as they recalled the scenes of the movie they found most amusing.
"Honestly, I've never seen anything funnier! That bit with the…oh my gosh, Sev with the witch burning, that was perfect!" Lily chortled. Her lungs were heaving up and down with exertion, she seemed mere moments away from collapsing to her knees in the middle of the street—brought down by the power of laughter.
Severus eyed her with a modicum of disdain, before grabbing Lily by the upper-arm, and hoisting her upright. "You're making a scene Lily, pull yourself together before people see!" he hissed into her ear.
"Oh come on Sev," Lily whinged, pulling her arm out of his iron-handed grip. "It was really funny though! I know even you, laughed like, at least three times, didn't you?" Severus pursed his lips into a thin line and snorted, "—don't deny it, I saw you!" Lily shrieked, bending over in raucous laughter until her hands were on her knees. "You only laughed when others did but I saw it all the same, you found it funny too so don't pretend you were Mister Stoic in there!"
"She's right Severus," Cindy added, grinning over at the pair. Despite her apprehension at first over Lily's boyfriend, she'd warmed to him throughout the movie, and found his dry quips extremely funny.
"Right about what?" Severus asked, his curiosity genuine.
"That you're all pent up. You take life way too seriously, if you ask me," Cindy explained. "Haven't you ever just…let your hair down and enjoyed yourself without anything holding you back?"
Severus' look of curiosity gave way to one of guardedness. "If you've lived the life I have, then you'd understand why I haven't," he said warningly.
"Perhaps this isn't the best discussion to be having now," Lily said swiftly, stepping between her two friends. "Actually…Cindy, my mum asked us to get some groceries before we came home, Sev and I kinda have to do that now."
Cindy looked a bit put out, but nodded. "Alright. But we're still on for…not this week's Saturday, but the next one, yeah?"
"Of course," Lily replied, reassuring her friend. "But I think I'll see you at your mum's shop beforehand. Sev and I start work there next week. Sev'll be working Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings, I'll be working on those same days, but on the evenings instead—" Lily grinned slightly, "—gives me a chance to sleep in a bit more that way."
"I'm sure it does," Cindy chuckled.
"In that case, I look forward to seeing you at work. I think one of our shifts'll be overlapping so I guess I'll see you then Lil's."
"Me too Cind, me too. I'll…let you know when works best on Saturday, have to ask mum and dad first too but they should be okay with it. Can't this Saturday though since Mum's having her gardening friends over, next one should be good though," Lily said hopefully.
The two girls hugged, then stepped away from each other with eager smiles on their faces. "Bye you two, bye Severus! I'll see you guys soon!" Cindy said jubilantly. With one last wave for them, accompanied by a smile, Cindy turned away from them and headed off down main street back towards home.
"Come on Lily. Let's get those groceries and head on home," Severus urged.
Lily nodded. She'd been watching her friend disappear down the street towards her home on the other side of town, but now they needed to make their way to Baylor's Market, and get their shopping done.
"Alright Severus," she said as she interlaced their fingers together. "Let's go."
The bright, early morning sun woke Severus for his first day of work. Severus had never been bothered much by lazy Mondays, so waking up early didn't pose much of a problem to him; to Lily however, it did. She'd informed him on Sunday night that she wanted to go down to Missus Parker's flower shop with him to explore the place a bit before her shift in the evening, so she needed to get an early start to the day as well despite only working in the evening. Thankfully, Severus didn't have to go far to wake her, for she was pressed up into his back right next to him after having snuck into his room…again, the night before. When his eyes first fluttered open—the first sensation Severus felt was the pleasantly, warm sunlight filtering into the room through half-shut blinds, and the second…were the swells of Lily's breasts pressed into his back. Severus tried to shift away, and had succeeded in pulling one of her arms out from underneath him, but her other was still wrapped over his side. The ache in his nether regions seemed to intensify as he grew cognizant of the fact that Lily had almost fully pressed up into him—and that her hand currently rested over his lower abdomen, tantalizingly close to—
"Sev?" Lily asked groggily, sensing his movement of her limbs. She drew her hand away quickly, having gained acute awareness of where she'd placed it during the night—she then sat up and wiped at her eyes with the back of her wrists. "Is it time to go already?" Lily asked tiredly.
"I…I think so," Severus stuttered. "You'd um…you'd better go and get dressed and ready to head out. My…shift starts at nine."
"But mummy said she'll drop us, right? Can't we cuddle a little longer?—"
"No," Severus interrupted swiftly, her seemingly innocent suggestion intensifying that tightness he felt. "I…um, I need to use the bathroom, actually…so I need you to go, quickly."
Lily frowned slightly, her eyes were no longer obscured with the bleariness of sleep, and she could see a slight flush rising on Severus' forehead and cheeks. "Are you quite alright Sev?" Lily asked, shuffling closer to him on the bed. She placed the back of her dainty hand on his forehead, and felt the warmth he was exuding from having slept in direct line of sight of the rising sun for a few hours.
"I'm fine," Severus said tersely, his eyes no longer meeting Lily's concerned gaze. Her expression of concern gave way to one of confusion, with a slight frown, she retracted her hand from his flushing face. "I do need to get dressed and ready Lily, so…"
"Right. right…I'll get a move on," Lily muttered, looking slightly put out at his brusqueness.
At times, Lily wasn't that aware of the effect she, a growing young woman, had on Severus, who himself was a growing young man. She'd certainly begun coming into her frame more in the past year than ever before, and Severus was made very much aware of the changes her body had been undergoing. Severus couldn't be more aware of the fact that Lily was growing into her adult body and becoming a very attractive young woman in the process, and the things her mere presence did to him, physically, had changed drastically in recent months. Even doing something as innocent as cuddling—which they often did as far as a year and a half ago, Severus now found himself growing shamefully aroused over. It was something he kicked himself over in private, but how was he not supposed to notice Lily's supple breasts being pressed into his back, or her rear against his crotch. It was something that was maddeningly infuriating to the teenager, but Lily seemingly was oblivious to his physical reactions entirely, for she just kept on doing it. It certainly didn't help matters that Lily now wore thin, lacy nightgowns during summer months nights, so he couldn't help but be cognizant of her sexuality in times like these.
Lily kicked aside the quilt and stood from his bed; Severus found his eyes briefly being drawn to the hem of her gown, only falling to her mid-thigh and not doing much to hide the graceful curves Lily had developed in recent months. She must've noticed his staring since a loud clearing of her throat, drew his eyes upwards to her confident, knowing gaze. She definitely caught on to Severus' staring, and her smirk was infuriatingly smug. "See something you like, Sev?" Lily teased, her smirk widening in a full-on, mirthful grin.
"No," Severus glowered. "And I believe you were seeing yourself out. You wouldn't want to make your boyfriend late for his first shift of work, would you?"
Lily pouted, and folded her arms across her chest. Her eyes scrutinized his face with uncanny precision—despite Lily's early morning tiredness. "You're no fun. Fine, have it your way. See you downstairs in a bit for breakfast then, buzzkill."
This time, Severus made sure to pointedly ignore the swaying of her hips, and swishing motion the hem of her nightgown made as she left the room. What he was entirely oblivious to though, was the smirk Lily wore on her face, and the devious gleam in her eyes as she walked away from him, more than just a little bit aware of what she'd just done. Severus sighed, and grabbed a change of clothes from his wardrobe. He ended up choosing a Boston Celtics t-shirt—emblazoned with a three-leaf clover—that he'd bought for himself when in Worcester; and a pair of black jeans, before making his way into the bathroom.
After a nice, warm shower, and readying himself for his first shift of work; Severus found himself downstairs helping Violet out with breakfast. Mark and already left for work—the loud V8 engine of his HEMI had been indicative of that just a few minutes earlier. Mark had offered Petunia a ride to the Cokeworth Library, before heading into town himself for work at his law firm. Petunia had found employment at the library over the summer, and was working there with her boyfriend Robert. Severus had just got done frying up some eggs when Lily came down the stairs and joined him and Violet.
"Morning mum," Lily chirped cheerfully. "Anything I can help with?"
At the sound of her voice, Severus glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled warmly. Lily had opted to wear shorts today and a sleeveless tank top, along with her usual black converses. Her smile widened as she turned from her mum to Severus.
"Good morning Lily. If you could let the cat out and check if the post has come that would be wonderful."
Lily nodded. "Sure thing mum. Follow me Archie!"
The Evanses cat bounded after Lily as she exited the kitchen into the front foyer, where Lily let him out, and went to their postbox.
Once Severus and Lily finished their breakfast, Violet extended an offer to drop Severus and Lily off at their workplace—an offer which they kindly accepted. So after they'd finished their breakfast and put their dishes, cutlery and glasses in the dishwasher, they trouped out of the house and into the Station Wagon.
Thankfully, the drive into downtown Cokeworth didn't take long, and Severus was able to get situated at work and prepare for the start of his shift in due time. Clara Parker was surprisingly attentive and patient in her guidance to both Severus and Lily, explaining the in's and out's of the shop and what to expect out of a typical day. Clara made sure Severus was well versed with his flora knowledge—which to Clara's satisfaction, he was. She also took Severus and Lily on a little tour of the shop, teaching her two newest employees what she could about the various flowers the shop sold, but once opening time approached, Clara took her leave with Violet as the two women left for their lunch date. Lily hung around a little longer after her Mum and Clara left, helping Severus with the general upkeep of the store and trying to learn the layout as well for when she'd be on her shift later; but after a half hour of browsing and watering the flowers, Lily sheepishly bowed out and left Severus to his job in peace. Severus sighed, but buckled down and prepared for whatever would come his way over the course of the shift. At least he'd brought along a few books to keep him occupied.
"See you later Sev," Lily said softly, pausing in the doorframe. "Can you stick around a little bit for the start of my shift?"
Severus paused his reading of his novel and glanced up into Lily's eyes. He gave her a reassuring nod and a smile, which in turn elicited one from Lily herself. "Sure thing Lily."
She edged open the door a bit wider and said; "Thanks Sev. Have a good shift." And with that, she was gone.
Severus' shift was surprisingly eventful as far as weekdays in a florist's shop go. There were a handful of customers each hour, with perhaps only a third of that number buying any flowers. There was this one old lady though that bought a truckload of Bougainvilleas and Poppies, and that alone raked in half of Severus' revenue for the day. He'd packed lunch from home so he needn't close the store to pop down to the local Sandwich place down the street. From a monetary standpoint, the shift certainly went well, although on a more personal level Severus found it a little less satisfactory. Some customers he found were exceedingly rude, and others took poor care of the flowers they handled but didn't end up buying. It was that latter group that grated on Severus the most. he could deal with rudeness, he'd done so his whole life and had dealt with a boatload of people that sneered down at the poorly-dressed, ill-kempt halfblood from Spinner's End; but what really got on his nerves were some customers' exceedingly poor handling of his product, his flowers. Still, he liked to think he kept his cool and didn't blow a gasket at any of the customers who handled the delicate floral specimens with all the dexterity of an elephant wielding a scalpel. It truly was frustrating.
When the shift was finally over at two, and Lily came to relieve him, the first thing his girlfriend bore witness to was Severus venting his frustrations to himself after a customer had mauled a few foxglove stems. She quickly stepped into the shop, which pulled another groan from him; but without saying a word, she swept around the counter and kissed him soundly. She hoped it would take some of his stress away, and to her relief it did. He responded eagerly and briskly, and she felt his tension fade through the kiss. She smiled inwardly, happy that she could cheer him up from what looked like a tough shift.
Clara stopped in not long after, wanting to ensure the handover between her two employees went well, and once Lily was situated and ready, she left again for the day, but not without giving the two teens a key for opening and locking up the place. Naturally, Clara didn't want to have to drive halfway across town to open the place every day so she entrusted both Severus and Lily with keys to open and close the shop On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings and nights. Severus bade goodbye to Lily at two thirty, and began the fifteen minute walk home under the sweltering sun. While his job may have been quite a bit more stressful than he would have thought, and he certainly thought that it'd be a walk in the park when he first accepted it seven months ago, he felt all his tension leave him with Lily. Feeling unusually upbeat, he couldn't help but wonder if coming home from work in the future would be like that. Having Lily to go home to just might enable him to stomach almost any job on the face of the earth.
By the time the next weekend rolled around, Severus and Lily had gotten into the groove of what they expected their summer to be like. After their first week of work, Violet gave them the okay to invite Cindy over that weekend. Lily had strategically invited Cindy on a Saturday night when her Mum and Dad would be out late on a dinner date, and when Petunia was staying the night at a friend's place. With her parents and Petunia out, and with neither herself, Severus or Cindy working the following morning, Lily knew it was the perfect time to have Cindy over without too many interruptions.
So about a half hour after Mum and Dad had left, the doorbell rang again, which had Lily practically leaping off her bed and dashing down the stairs as if the house were on fire, to answer.
"Coming!" Lily shouted, as she ran for the door. With all the eagerness of a child unwrapping their first Christmas present, Lily harshly yanked open the front door, and revealed the smiling face of her friend in the process.
"Hiya Lil's!" Cindy greeted smilingly. "Can I come on in?"
"Sure!" Lily beamed, side-stepping the door frame and allowing Cindy in. Severus was stood a little way's behind Lily in the doorway from the foyer to the kitchen, he offered Cindy a nod in greeting.
"Cindy," he said evenly.
"Hello Severus. It's good to see you again," Cindy offered sincerely.
"Likewise," Severus replied in kind.
"How about I go get dinner started, and then we can hang out for a while, yeah?" Lily cut in, hoping to break the frigid tension between her two friends. "Severus, if you could perhaps show Cindy to the sitting room? I'll be along in just a moment." Lily swept out of the room and into the kitchen before Severus could voice his complaints, so heaving a sigh, he lead Cindy over into the sitting room to get comfortable.
The walk was awkward, and silent, with Cindy trailing after Severus and clutching the bag with a balled up fist. When they arrived, Severus offered her the lounge chair—which she graciously accepted, before he himself claimed the couch.
"So what's in the bag?" Severus asked monotonously, his eyes flickering to the paper bag she carried, then back to her face.
"Oh this?" Cindy asked in seemingly genuine excitement. She was grinning widely like a child on Christmas day. Severus found her expression of joy strangely unnerving, he frowned deeply at the girl's suspicious elatedness. "Why don't you take a look and see for yourself?"
Cindy tilted the bag forward, allowing Severus to see its contents. What he saw, elicited a raised eyebrow and an unamused pursing of his lips. "Really?" he asked dryly.
Cindy's grin widened and she nodded. "Bet you've never got drunk before have you? Why not tonight? I thought I could bring something a little more fun than a boring old soda or something of that sort. Have you even had any alcohol before?"
The whiskey in the bag made his stomach lurch involuntary. Whiskey, Rum and Beer had been the holy trinity of drinks his father so loved, so the mere scent of it set his senses on high alert as if Tobias could pop out from any hidden corner at a moment's notice. "I have," Severus said with thinly-veiled dislike. He wasn't lying, he'd tried a bit as a child when he noticed an almost-empty flask of rum on the coffee table. He'd tried a sip, screwed his face up tightly, then spat it out. It earned him the strap once Tobias had woken up and realized what his freak of a son had done. He'd never touched a drop since then.
"And what did you think of it?" Cindy pressed. "I've got a Loch Lomond, and a North Port here, both from my father's collection. They're really—"
"Won't he notice they're missing?" he asked curtly, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Tobias had a sharp nose for liquor, and if any had been stolen or misplaced from his private stash, the man would just know, Eileen had tried to throw his stuff out once…and it didn't end well for her, or for her son.
Cindy let out a sharp, barking laugh. "Of course not!" Cindy laughed, sounding as if she could hardly believe his accusation. "My father's got tons of liquor, more Whiskey than he knows what to do with, we'll be just fine Severus. And you can get sloshed to your heart's content without fear of any repercussions from my parents, he'll hardly notice these two are gone."
"Perhaps," Severus said noncommittally. He knew he wouldn't touch the stuff though. He didn't want to end up like Tobias at all. "But what about you? What will your parents say when you show up at home as drunk as a sailor, hmm?"
"Oh I'll be fine," Cindy said flippantly, as she kicked her feet up onto the table. "I've had plenty to drink before. Dad introduced this stuff to me when I was younger, said it was better to learn to appreciate your liquor instead of learning with that cheap stuff you'd find at a dingy bar or someplace like that. I can handle my liquor just fine thank you."
Severus didn't look as if he believed her, but just as he was about to voice his protests, Lily re-entered the room and waved them both into the kitchen where she'd set their re-heated Shepherd's Pie. Predictably, Lily was excited at the prospect of playing a few drinking games with Cindy and Severus. She'd had a glass of wine once or twice on special occasions in the past with parental supervision, but at fifteen and a half years old, she'd never once gotten drunk before, let alone had enough to be somewhat tipsy. The prospect of drinking some harder stuff than a simple Bourgogne or Pinot Noir and just…having a night of fun with her hair let down was really appealing to her. She didn't want to get entirely wasted, not at all, but she did want to test her limits and see where the night took her. Lily had never had the chance to do this before…so who better to be in the company of than Severus and Cindy, her two oldest friends.
After dinner had finished, Severus volunteered to do the washing up so Lily and Cindy went upstairs to the former's bedroom after having nicked a couple of Mark's Whiskey tumblers from his liquor cabinet. Severus intentionally took his time doing the dishes, not wishing to indulge himself for too long upstairs and thus having an excuse for holding off on his drinking for as long as possible. He'd accepted a glass of wine or two from Mark and Violet over the half-year he'd stayed with them, but internally, he despised the taste of the stuff. The more time he spent washing the dishes, the more his mood soured, and the fact that he could hear Lily's shrill laughter sounding more and more inebriated by the minute ringing out from upstairs only served to anger him further. After placing the last glass back in its cabinet, he dried his hands and trudged from the kitchen into the foyer. Severus slipped on his trainers, raked an angry hand through his hair, and with a scowl etched firmly on his face, he left 16 Walnut Lane to take a walk.
The cool evening air whipped against Severus' face with a ferocity that matched the angry teen's innards. He knew what has happening to him, yet all the same, he couldn't prevent it. For a long time, Severus Snape had harbored a deep and immovable disdain for the concept of drinking oneself into a stupor, or in simple words, getting drunk. He didn't have any issues with alcohol itself necessarily, but when it came to drunkenness…he couldn't help but think of his father when it came to that. At least under the dim streetlights of Walnut Lane, Severus was able to find some semblance of solace and calm for his perturbed mind. At night, he found the dull darkness of the street strangely peaceful, and in a lot of ways…it felt like retreating into the sanctuary of his mind. Dark, shrouded, but with sparse spots of light that would light his way forward. Deep breaths, dim lights, and the scent of gardenias from the neighbors yard calmed him—anger leaving his system to be replaced by peace. His mind relaxed, and the anger and tension he felt building within him crumbled even faster than it had come about.
As he walked, he couldn't help but think; Lily probably hardly knows I'm gone.
Eventually he decided to return home, the cold was getting a little too much for even his thick skin, and it had done more than enough to force his bitterness from his bones for one night. So he made an about face, and followed the trail of dim streetlights all the way back to Walnut Lane. When he reached the house, he edged open the door and the very first sound that met his ears was wretching, literally.
Severus sighed and followed the noise upstairs to Lily's and Petunia's shared bathroom, and sure enough, huddled over the toilet bowl was none other than Lily herself hurling the contents of her stomach down the drink. Cindy was just behind her, shaking her head and holding Lily's auburn tresses out of her face as she hurled.
"S—Severus? Is that you?" Lily croaked out in a pitiful moan.
"Yes, it is Severus you blithering idiot, what in heaven's name were you thinking?" Severus snarled angrily. He barged into the bathroom, with Cindy wisely diving out of the way of the irate teen.
"I'll just…I mean m-my parents will be expecting me soon…I n-need to…well I'll see you around Lily, at the shop or…or something," Cindy stammered, her words slurred with an unknown mix of embarrassment and tipsiness.
"You should have watched her more closely," Severus muttered slowly. "But I'll manage her now. I trust you can see yourself out?"
Cindy nodded. "Yes. I…I'm sorry Severus…I guess I'll see you at my mum's shop sometime."
"We'll see. Now go, I have more important business attending to Captain Haddock over here," Severus growled, gesturing to Lily.
He wasn't even facing Cindy now and had his senses and actions attuned to Lily and her wellbeing. It was as clear a dismissal as Cindy had ever heard. The raven-haired girl repeated her apologies to Severus, then to Lily—who could barely hear her, then took her leave from the crowded bathroom.
Once Cindy was gone, Severus heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. "What the hell were you thinking? Are you really that stupid?" he said, heavy disappointment in his tone.
The question was rhetorical, and he had every intention of chewing Lily out over her…questionable decision making tonight, but before he could even begin, she moaned loudly and lurched yet more of her dinner into the toilet bowl. Severus' anger at her current state, and the way it reminded him of his father vanished quickly, he'd address that later. Right now, Lily needed him. And as stupid as she may have been these past few hours, she was in need of help and he was in a position to help. Right now, she didn't need a lecture over her stupid choices…despite how much he was itching to just lay into her; she needed a guiding hand and a gentle presence.
"I'm…I'm sorry Sev. I wasn't thinking—"
"That's an understatement," he snorted. "Are you quite done now?"
Lily nodded weakly. "I…I think I am. I'm really sorry about this, Sev…I was so…so stupid and I should've watched what I was doing and—"
"Should've, would've, could've, that's all well and good but this still happened didn't it? Now come on over here and wait at the sink. I'll be right back."
Severus helped her to her feet and guided her over to the bathroom sink. "Stay here. I'll be back with something for your stomach. That needs to be soothed first before you sober up."
"Wh-what are you getting?" Lily mumbled weakly, her eyes still glazed over as she glanced up from the sink to spy Severus in the doorway.
"Lemon tea ought to suffice," Severus answered brusquely. "And then after that, it's bed for you. No detours, nothing. You'll get your lecture tomorrow."
"You have a lecture planned for this?" Lily asked, in what was surely meant to be a mirthful tone, but came out all wrong. "I do. And you'll be getting it tomorrow when you're sober enough to process it. Now if you're feeling better, then it's back to your room for you and no detours. I'll be along in a few minutes."
He's using his no nonsense tone, the one he uses when he's trying hard to suppress an eye-roll, or a lecture, or intense disdain and disappointment. Lily knows better than to argue with him when he's like this, because she knows he won't be moved and that she(or anyone else for that matter), will lose.
"Okay Sev," Lily muttered quietly. "And I really am sorry about…about this. I was being stupid and I—" she heaved a heavy sigh. "—I wasn't thinking."
"That's quite evident to me, or to anyone with half a brain, in my opinion," Severus chided quietly, but Lily could hear the audible strain and disappointment—in her—embedded in his tone and voice. She supposed he's entitled to that; for in this present moment, she felt quite disappointed in herself, so it's only fair that Severus felt the same.
He then left the room and swept downstairs to get started on her lemon tea. Lily followed him out far more slowly, holding onto the wall for support and setting askew numerous family portraits as she groped the wall for guidance. Her head felt like it was a spinning top, whirling her vision round and round, and making it nearly impossible to stand upright, let alone walk. Between her hammering headache, her blurred vision, and her total lack of balance; Lily Evans felt like complete shite, but at least the urge to empty the contents of her stomach was no longer with her. After what felt like an eternity to her…but in real-time, was only three minutes, Lily had made it to her room and flopped down onto her red and blue-quilted bed. She barely registered Severus entering the room five minutes later, and she hardly felt him tilting a cup of sweet, soothing tea down her parched throat—a true godsend for her roiling stomach. And when she fell asleep, it was to the tune of the rustling breeze outside, and Severus holding her hand speaking in hushed tones to her.
Lily knew she'd be in for a harsh chewing out tomorrow, but for now, she'd rest, and listen to Severus yell at her in her dreams for her poor decisions and choices over the past three hours. She almost laughed, but still she listened to 'dream-Severus' lecture her over and over again, because despite his umbrage over the drunken state he'd found her in, he'd still cared for her and loved her as she always hoped he would. For now, she would rest, and feel nothing but pure gratitude that still, she had Severus by her side.
A/N2: Head canon time, Severus hates the concept of getting drunk due to how Tobias treated him as a child, so perhaps that'll make his aversion to alcohol a bit more understandable in this chapter. I thought this would be an important issue to tackle in this chapter as alcoholism is a very real problem that many of us have to deal with either directly or indirectly, and I found it quite interesting to delve into Severus' perspective on the matter.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and I should be able to update this fic again in two weeks time or thereabouts, pending on how much coursework I get. Thanks for reading!