Hello my lovely readers! Here is the next chapter early for you all. It continues with Severus's back story and ends where he sees Hermione in his shop. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.
Severus Snape stayed with healer Evangeline Valachovic for months trying to gain his strength back. A month of drinking potion after potion finally healed his throat where he can speak again. After his throat was fully healed, he was able to ask the healer questions to get his bearings on where he was and when he can finally be released. The healer didn't want him to leave too early. He just came out of a coma for a matter of fact and she wanted him to slowly gain his strength before attempting anything. So, Severus Snape succumbed to the healer's wishes, and kept himself in her home. He was fed daily by her and was given sponge baths to keep him clean. To make himself not go mad, Evangeline offered him books to read to keep him company.
After staying in bed and being fed multiple potions, Severus Snape decided one day that he wanted to attempt to get out of bed. He wanted to walk around. He wanted to breathe in the fresh air. Hell, he wanted to be able to take a piss alone. It was embarrassing and degrading to have to be put into this situation, but the more he was there and got to know the healer the more he understood why he was here and why it was important that he stayed. When he brought it up to Evangeline she nodded at him and helped him stand up from the bed. His legs were a little shaky from not being used over time, plus part of the snake venom went to his other organs. She had to hold him upright as he walked. It started off with just walking around the room. It was difficult for him to lift his legs and it required a lot of effort from him. After a few weeks of finding time each day to walk around the room he was finally able to walk around the house with Evangeline by his side. She again held him upright just in case he fell. Finally after months of being held up right by her, he was able to walk on his own.
With his new freedom, he frequently walked around the house and found that his new favorite place in her house was her library. It had so many books and Evangeline found him in there multiple times, sitting in an arm chair, with a heavy tome on his lap. He was starting to feel comfortable here. He had nowhere to go and he didn't want to be put out on the street, plus he didn't even know how the wizarding world might seem him. Is he truly a hero or did people see him as a Death Eater? He didn't want to know and honestly he really didn't care. He was done with the Ministry and everyone he ever knew. He was looking forward to a new life where he didn't have to answer to anyone.
Another month went by and Severus felt like he was intruding. This was her home in fact and he was fully healed. He was even making his own meals now. He finally decided to say something to her. He found her in the kitchen making some coffee. She turned and saw him approaching her. She smiled at him, happy to see that he was awake.
"Good morning Mr. Snape. How are you feeling today?" She asked with a sense of concern. She saw that he was about to ask her something and she braced herself for his question.
"Good Morning Evan." The nickname rolled off his tongue almost with a purr. After two months of being in her house she requested that he called her that instead of her whole name. "I feel fine this morning." He cleared his throat starting to feel a nervous about what he was going to ask. He had to ask the question. He couldn't sit by and keep mooching off of her kindness. "I think it's finally time that we address this thing between us." The words came out of his mouth and he watched her eyes flicker for a moment with an emotion that he wasn't sure about.
"What do you mean Mr. Snape?" She asked coyly. She knew exactly what he meant, but he wanted him to say the words. She liked playing coy.
"I have been healed for over a month now, yet I am still here. I eat your food, I use your water, I have a free room here, and I read your books, yet you have not expressed to me when I am supposed to leave." His voice lowered slightly. "Unless, of course, you don't want me to leave. Maybe you have some kind of attachment towards me." He dropped the charade and he looked at her. "I just want to know what your intentions are," he asked in a serious tone. He didn't want to be surprised later on and the more he was in the house the more he was intrigued by her.
Her eyes lowered shyly. He was right of course. Why did she keep him here? Part of her started to like him, but she didn't want to address it. She knew of his anger and how quick he was to flying off the handle, but the way he was looking at her forced her to be honest with him. "Honestly, I kept you here because I wanted to nurse you back to health. Now that you have been healed I don't want you to leave." The truth came out and she watched as his eyes lowered. "I like you Severus. I thought maybe you like it here and maybe you would stay. Now I just sound stupid." Her voice trailed off and she looked down in embarrassment.
He closed the space between them and lifted her head with a finger underneath her soft chin. "I like being here too. I appreciate what you have done for me, but I think it's time for me to go. I am sorry Evan but I am not meant to be in a relationship. I don't love anyone. You deserve someone better than I am." He watched as tears started to fill her eyes. They spilled down her cheeks at a rapid pace.
Severus stepped back from her starting to feel awkward by her tears. He never knew how to deal with crying women and this just proved it. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings, but he was being honest. He did appreciate her efforts on keeping him alive, but he couldn't stay here any longer. He had to find his own path. She was a beautiful woman, but not the woman for him. He didn't think there was a woman out there for him anyway. He deserved to be alone after what happen between him and Lily.
"Thank you again Evan for what you have done for me. Maybe I'll send you an owl once I find where I belong. Please don't cry for me. I'm not worth your tears. I'm truly not. Good luck." He took out his wand, took one last look around the house, and he apparated away leaving the girl behind. It was the right thing to do in the end he felt.
He appeared in an alleyway on Parker Road somewhere in London, England. He leaned his back against the wall, unsure of where to go from here. He remembered what Dumbledore told him. It was time for him to live for himself. He pushed off the wall and headed out on the road. He found a little café down the street and headed inside. He ordered himself a strong cup of coffee along with a muffin. He didn't get to have breakfast before he left the healer's house. He took a seat in a booth by himself and began eating. He used that time to think of his plans. What was he going to do now that he was alone? Honestly he wanted a break from this world. Maybe he'll take a vacation somewhere far away from London, England. He wanted to go far away from wizards. The more he sat there the more people stared at him curiously. He finished his coffee and muffin in a hurry and headed out of the café.
Severus knew that if he wanted to go on vacation he would need to first visit his old home on Spinner's End. He had muggle money there hidden away for situations like this, plus he needed to pack himself some clothes. So again he entered the same alleyway he appeared in and apparated away. He appeared in an empty field just a few blocks away. He scowled at the old houses he passed. Cokeworth still looked the same and he despised it all. Once he returned, he was going to find a new home somewhere far away from this dreadful town. Walking through the streets gave him too many bad memories mainly ones of his father and ones of Lily. He finally reached his home and took off the wards from the house. Once each one was down he entered the home and closed the door behind him. He walked up the broken stairwell and entered his bedroom. He opened the drawer to his dresser and took out the muggle money he had. He looked down at the robes he was wearing and he knew he couldn't wear them where he was going. He had to blend in as if he was a normal muggle. He took off his wizard robes and hanged them on the hook. He took out of wand and transfigured a suitcase. He opened the suitcase and began to pack some clothing. Once he was sure he had everything and he was dressed normally, he picked up the suitcase by the handle, grabbed his wand, and apparated away.
He took a long vacation traveling around the America's. He spent some time in down south Florida. He even went all the way to California. After visiting the America's, he traveled to Australia and spent some time over there. He didn't have a care in the world. He was enjoying himself, but that all came to an end when he started to realize that he was slowly running out of the muggle money he had. He decided to head back to London, England and find a place over there. It was time he found a house and hopefully find a job. When he returned to London, England he found a house on Parker Street just a few doors down from the café. The house he bought fit his needs very well. It was just two bedrooms, but it had a lovely place for a library and even had a basement that he used for his potion making.
Finding a job was the difficult part. He was still unsure how the wizarding world would see him and he definitely did not want to go back to Hogwarts. He loved making Potion's but teaching it was too stressful. He didn't need the hassle and after being forced to do it for so many years he finally can choose for himself what he wanted to do. He also didn't want to be a Headmaster again. He despised the job and he never wanted to do it again. Going to the Ministry for a job was also out of the question. What if he was arrested right when he showed up? The wheels in his head started turning and he found himself desperate to find a job. Eventually, he found a sign on a door of abandon shop on Fleetstreet. He checked out the small shop and decided to buy it with the leftover money he had. He turned the shop into a Potion's store. He decided to use his talents for good.
Working for himself had his benefits. Every sale he made all the money went right to him. It started off very slow. Not many people were aware of his store except for regular wizards who randomly passed by his shop. He found himself desperate to get more business. Eventually, he put in an ad under a fake name in the Daily Prophet. He described his shop and the address where it was located. The ad actually ended up working very well. He went from 3-4 regulars coming in to over 100 people in a week. It became so popular that Severus decided that he couldn't do this alone. He needed another person to work alongside him. He again contacted the Daily Prophet and put in an ad for an assistant. Weeks went by and no one showed until one day a woman approached his counter calling out to him. When he approached the counter he couldn't believe who he saw. There in front of him stood Ms. Granger, the Gryffindor know-it-all. What surprised him the most was seeing a small child attached to her hip. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, she burst into tears and apparated away leaving him in shock.
So she wants to work for me does she? That's a shock. I thought she would for sure find a good job in the Ministry with her talents. Why did she burst into tears like that? Whose child is that and why does the child have black hair? He had so many questions and his mind started to hurt. He decided to close his shop for the day and go for a walk to clear his mind. He'll figure out his questions soon enough.