After a few weeks back at school, it is finally time to visit Hogsmeade! I'm nervous to turn in my form, but I'm sure it will be okay. When it's my turn to hand Professor McGonagall my permission slip, she reads it closely, looks at me, looks back at the form, then looks back at me.
"What is this, Mr. Snape?"
Confused, I cock my head and say, "Ma'am?"
She purses her lips and sighs, "Unless I have missed something, Lucius Malfoy is neither your parent, nor your guardian, and he should know as well as you that a parent or guardian is supposed to sign this form, not a friend, older sibling, relative, or anybody else," she says, frowning.
"I tried to ask my mum to sign— honest! Lucius took me to my appointment at St. Mungo's to check on my concussions and then we went to visit my mum at her work, but she was too busy to sign my form 'cause she had to go wait on tables and and and and—" I stutter.
"What do you mean your concussions? Wait for me over there and we will speak about this after I take the rest of the forms. Go on!" she says, shaking her head and pocketing my form.
I walk dejectedly over to my friends to wait for Professor McGonagall's verdict. When she's finally done with the last students in line and has given instructions, she walks back over to me. I'm grateful that my friends have waited for me, but I don't really want them to hear the conversation I'm about to be having. I inch towards Professor McGonagall as she walks over, trying to put some distance between myself and my friends, "Professor, I—"
"What's this about concussions, Mr. Snape?" she asks, sounding confused.
"I just, well, I got a concussion a couple summers ago, then I hit my head again over Christmas the same year, and again last year, and Healer Smithwick said I have to come back once a year to make sure it's all healing good, and she said I gotta take my potion once a month, and I just remembered I forgot to tell Madame Pomfrey," I say quickly, trying to get the conversation over with.
"You mean to tell me you have had brain injuries for the last two years, and neither of your parents ever saw fit to tell any of us?" she exclaims.
"Yes, ma'am," I hang my head and shuffle my feet, embarrassed, "but it's not that bad! It's just in the back of my head, so I'm just sensitive to light and get real bad headaches sometimes. It's really not that bad. I mean, it's not a big deal. And the one on the side of my head Healer Smithwick said is almost all healed up!"
"Let me get this straight— your mother was too busy waitressing at a tavern to take her son to get his brain injuries checked? What was your father doing?"
"He was working. He works at the car factory near our house. And he doesn't know how to get to St. Mungo's anyways."
"So because your mother couldn't take off work, Lucius Malfoy brought you to your appointment?"
"Yes, ma'am," I say, picking nervously at a dry spot on my lip. Evan grabs my hand and pulls it away.
Professor McGonagall's lips curl into a small smile, then she sighs, pulling my permission slip back out of her pocket, "And he took you to see your mother afterwards?"
"Yes, ma'am. To tell her how the appointment went. But she got called away when I tried to ask her to sign my form, so Lucius did it. He said to send him an owl if you have any questions."
"Mr. Snape, I sent out these permission forms several weeks before the end of summer break. Why did you not ask your mother or father to sign it then?"
"'Cause my dad doesn't like it when owls come, and he doesn't like magic, and he'll get mad if I say anything about school, and my mum's always too busy to look at anything."
Professor McGonagall's expression softens, then she looks back at my permission form, "How did your appointment go, Mr. Snape?"
"Good. Well? It went well."
"But you still have to take potions once a month?"
I shove my hand in my pocket to stop myself from picking at my lip, and nervously respond, "Yes, ma'am. 'Cause of the back of my head's not healed all the way yet. And my blood pressure and all that's still too low. And Healer Smithwick said that maybe if my brain heals all the way, then maybe I'll start getting taller!"
After a few seconds of deliberation, Professor McGonagall says, "Against my better judgment, I am going to allow you to go to Hogsmeade today, but I will be writing to Mr. Malfoy to hear what he has to say. I am glad that at least somebody is making sure you are cared for. I will also be writing to your mother to have her send Madame Pomfrey your plan of care from St. Mungo's."
I shake my head, "She doesn't know it, ma'am, but Lucius has permission to discuss, so you can ask him."
"What do you mean your mother doesn't know your plan of care?"
"She's too busy," I shrug, and shuffle my feet.
"And your father?"
"He's too busy. And he gets mad when owls come, anyways."
Professor McGonagall sighs again, "Alright, you boys go on ahead to Hogsmeade. I will write to Mr. Malfoy and make sure we receive your plan of care. Your appointment was in August, I assume?"
I nod, "Yes, ma'am."
"Then you should expect Madame Pomfrey to call you to the Hospital wing sometime over the next week. And Mr. Snape?"
"Ma'am?"
She teeters on the edge of speech, then shakes her head, and says, "Don't make me regret letting you go to Hogsmeade today."
"I won't, I promise!" I smile shyly up at her. She's never been nice to me before, and I hope that she doesn't stop soon.
I know my friends have a lot of questions, but thankfully, they don't press me for answers as we walk to Hogsmeade. Lost in thought and happy to just listen, I let them talk. I know they want to go into Zonko's Joke Shop, but I don't because I'm afraid I'll see Potter and Black in there– I mean, I'm just not that into joke shops I guess. When they go to Zonko's, Lily and I have agreed to meet up at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. To me, this sounds like a much more agreeable place to hang out. It should be quiet, and not overly busy. I don't have any money, but at least I'll be able to look around. Lucius said that you can even try some of the various quills out before buying them, so Lily and I will be able to mess around with those. Maybe I'll even be able to take one while nobody's looking. She said she doesn't have much money to buy trinkets either this year. Her mum has had to take on a part time job cleaning in wealthier neighborhoods to help pay the bills, since the school where Mr. Evans works hasn't given him any of the pay raises they promised when he started there over four years ago. I heard them talking about it over the summer when I was there. I suppose money is tight everywhere nowadays, even with good families like the Evans'.
First, my friends and I go to the Three Broomsticks. They don't have to ask why I'm not ordering anything, they already know, and I appreciate that they don't make fun of me for being poor like some people do. Clarence orders a big plate of fish and chips so that I can have some, too. As we eat, we talk about how our summers were, and what sorts of things we did. They're always interested to hear about my summers because I get to go to Malfoy Manor. I talk about hanging out with Lucius, and how he helped me with Charms and Transfiguration, and how Narcissa and Bellatrix came over a few times. I talk about how Narcissa and I baked cookies while Bellatrix and Lucius talked about some group they're both in. I even talk about making potions with my mum, and how we were able to save up enough money to have a cookout with some of my dad's friends from work, but I don't talk about how my parents let me invite Lily to the cookout. I don't talk about the countless hours Lily and I spent walking around the neighborhood, pretending we were adventurers in an ancient city, dusting off artifacts from the old steel mill as if it were a burial site for old mummies. I don't talk about how Lily and I went into coffee shops and acted like the snobby rich muggles who had lunch there. I don't talk about how I went to the mall with Lily's family when they did their back-to-school shopping, and even though they don't have a lot of money, they still bought me new socks. I don't talk about the long summer days Lily and I spent dipping our toes in the river by my house and talking about magic and our futures.
"And when we grow up, we can have two houses right next to each other and always be best friends!" I say emphatically.
"Of course, silly goose! Can we live in the countryside? You can be a healer like you said you wanted to be, and I'll work at Flourish and Blotts! How many kids do you want?"
"I don't know, I guess I never really thought about it before! Maybe two? A girl and a boy?"
"Yeah! I want three or four, but I don't care what they are. I definitely want a dog, though, just maybe one that doesn't pull so bad!" she laughs, as Lady tugs on her leash, trying to go after a squirrel.
"Yeah! I don't even want kids if I can have dogs! I want a pitbull like Lady. Or maybe I want a cat?" I say, "Yeah, I think I want a cat."
"What do you want your wife to be like?" she asks apprehensively.
"Eww, I don't wanna be married! You gotta do gross stuff when you're married like kissing!" I whisper to her over Lady's barking.
"But, Sev, you have to be married to have kids, and kissing isn't gross! We're thirteen! That's baby-talk! Here, I'll show you!" she says, and kisses me quickly on the cheek, "You're blushing! It was just a little kiss!" she giggles.
"Lily, stop, you're silly!" I laugh as I get up and dry my feet off on the grass, "Let's go back to your house. I want some of the soup your mum was making!"
After paying for our food, my friends and I break off, promising to show each other what we all got later on in the common room. I walk quickly to Scrivenshaft's, looking surreptitiously around in case I see Potter and his cronies. Now that my friends and I are separated, I don't want to be targeted on my own. Seeing Lily standing outside of Scrivenshaft's alone, I pick up my pace. Having safely reached the overhang, I smile at Lily.
"How are you? Have you had fun so far?" I ask.
"I've had so much fun! We went to The Three Broomsticks! I saw you and your friends, but I didn't want to bother you. Did you get anything good? I got a ham sandwich with fries and fruit! It was so good! And Mary got chicken pot pie, and Hannah and Dorcas shared the fish and chips, and–"
"Clarence and I shared fish and chips, too!" I interrupt, "Did you get to try the fish? It was real good," I say as we walk into Scrivenshaft's.
"Yeah! Hannah let me try a bite. It was kinda greasy, but I liked it."
We walk around Scrivenshaft's for a while, looking at all the different quills. Lucius was right– they have all sorts of quills out for us to try, and extra parchment to write on. Lily and I try out all the quills. I lose all the games of hangman that we play, but that's okay. I'm just happy to be playing at all. When Lily turns her back, I slip one of the cheaper quills into my pocket. Later that night, my friends and I pass around our goods. I don't show anybody the quill I stole because I don't want them to get mad at me, or to tell me that I should take it back, like I know Lily would.
The next day, Lucius comes to visit me. He says that he figured that, since Professor McGonagall wanted to speak with him, he would come see how I enjoyed Hogsmeade as well.
"I had a lot of fun, and I got this quill, too! Isn't it cool?" I ask, apprehensively, pulling the quill out of my pocket.
"Yes, and you somehow came by a whole sickle to purchase it?" he says, icily.
"What? I just— um, well, I just," I stumble over my words, surprised at his answer, "it wasn't a sickle! It was just a knut!"
"No, it was a sickle. I saw it when I went into Scrivenshaft's today as well. I also saw that the tester was gone. Imagine that!"
"I got a discount!" I clutch wildly at the lie, hoping to cover up my crime.
"Don't lie to me, Severus. First of all, nobody gave you a discount, second of all, you don't even have one knut to your name, let alone a sickle."
"I just wanted to look cooler cause Potter and Black always make fun of me for being poor, and they always say that my parents don't love me enough to get me new quills and stuff like that, and it's not my fault I'm poor!" I look down at my feet, ashamed.
"I can understand why you would want to appear cooler, but really, Severus," Lucius drawls, "if anybody had seen you take that quill, you would have been in a lot of trouble, and your reputation would be ruined. My reputation would be ruined. That is why I try to surround myself with people who appear to be upstanding citizens– so my reputation stays clean. Now, what have you learned?"
"That I shouldn't get caught stealing?"
"That you shouldn't steal at all. If you need something, just let me know! Stealing is a low-down hobby. You want to be better than the muggles in your hometown, don't you? Don't you want to be like me when you grow up, hmm?" he asks, tilting my chin up to meet my eyes.
I look away, "Yes, Lucius, I guess I just didn't think, is all."
"I understand. It's easy to get in over your head sometimes and forget who you are, isn't it? Remember, you have noble blood in you, little half-blood Prince. There's no reason to steal and act like a mudblood, is there? Just because nobody was ever there to teach you otherwise does not mean that that behavior is decent. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Lucius," I mumble.
"Pardon? I couldn't hear you," he smiles condescendingly.
"'Yes, Lucius," I repeat, trying to look grateful that he even bothers helping me speak better.
"Now go ahead and give me that quill, I will make sure it gets back where it belongs on my way back home," he says, and I hand him the quill, "Good boy. Do you have any homework you should be doing? I can stay for just a little to help you with your charms if you would like, but then I must get back. I have a meeting early tomorrow morning."
While Lucius is helping me with my charms, Evan comes into the common room from quidditch practice. He asks if he can have some help, too, and we all practice together for a little while. It feels good when I finally get the summoning charm consistent, and when it is time for Lucius to go, he gives me a hug, "You're doing so well, Severus. I'm proud of you. It's getting late. Why don't you go take a shower and go to bed? You must be tired!"
"Okay! Thank you for coming to see me and for signing my permission form. I had a real good– a wonderful time at Hogsmeade yesterday."
"Of course! I'm always happy to help. Goodnight! I'll see you over Christmas break. I'm picking you up from the station. Don't forget!"
"I won't! See you then!" I wave goodbye as he walks out of the common room.
As I stand, lost in thought, Evan taps my shoulder, "Why is he picking you up from the station?" he asks.
"My mum told me to stay here for Christmas so I don't distract her and my dad, so Lucius said I could spend Christmas with him instead," I shrug.
"Was that when he took you to your check-up?
"Uh huh," I mumble.
"Are you going to his manor for Easter, too?"
"No, I gotta stay here like last year. What about you?"
"My family always goes to church and everything on Easter, but if you're staying here, then maybe I'll see if I can stay, too!" he exclaims excitedly.
"You don't have to do that," I mumble.
"I know I don't have to, I want to. And besides, I've never stayed here for a holiday before! You can show me what to do!"
"Okay," I smile, "if you want! It's not that exciting, really, but it'll be a lot more fun if you're here! Last year it was real lonely."
"Well, this year's going to be lots of fun! We can sleep in, I can beat you in Wizard's Chess, and maybe do you want to do some flying? You can borrow one of the school brooms and we can toss the quaffle back and forth!" Evan exclaims excitedly.
I shake my head, smiling, "I'm not good at that kind of stuff, but I guess you can teach me how to fly better! I don't like heights, though, so we gotta stay low."
"Okay! That's fine! This is going to be so much fun! I'll write to ask my parents tonight, then do you want to come to the owlery with me tomorrow to send the letter?"
"Yeah! I don't think I've seen your owl in a few days! Let's go take showers though— you're stinky!" I laugh, pushing him playfully towards the bathrooms.
