A/N: Severus and Lily get to have their first dance, but before that, an introduction of a character primarily from Lily's past but also from Severus'.
Chapter 19 Dancing Fever
"Damn," Lily muttered, slamming the telephone down into its receiver. "What's that?" came Severus' deep voice from the next room.
"We can't go dancing," she muttered quietly, her brows creased in a deep frown.
"Oh. Pity, that."
"You could at least pretend to be upset, Severus," Lily scowled.
He heard her before he saw her, her footsteps heralding her arrival by several seconds. Lily marched right over to Severus' chair and stopped, her hands on her hips.
"Why should I lie to you?" Severus asked, gazing up at her curiously. "You knew I didn't want to go to a dance club, and while I assure you that I had no say in your attempts to sort this out, I can't pretend that I'm not relieved that we won't be going dancing," he said calmly.
"Really?" Lily asked sarcastically, the beginnings of a scowl now marring her pretty features. "So, you're telling me that it was just by coincidence that both Wayne and Maryanne aren't able to watch over the reserve on the one weekend you said you were free? Just pure coincidence?"
"Yes," Severus said evenly. He met Lily's accusing stare coldly. "Now, it's not the end of the world, is it? If you really insist, then I'll ensure I have ample time during my weekends in April to go dancing."
"Never mind, you'd be a stick in the mud about it anyway," Lily scowled, pacing away from him and then flopping down in her chair.
"In any case, it'll spare Poesy additional work and we can do something here with your kids, right?"
Lily wore a portrait of resignation. "I guess we can do that," she mumbled dully. "It's just…I'd really hoped we'd get to do this, Sev. That we could dance together. I've wanted to ever since I'd…" she blushed and let herself trail off into silence, but Severus wasn't to be deterred. he smelled blood in the water and was quickly on the scent.
"Ever since what, Lily?" he asked pointedly, his lips upturned in a crooked grin.
Lily swallowed thickly as her gaze drifted lower, eventually coming to rest on the rug beneath their feet. "Ever since I saw you dance in seventh year—" she gulped again, "—with Diana…"
"You were so graceful…so suave and sure of yourself…I—oh, Morgana…I just wanted to take you in my arms myself," Lily confessed.
"There's no reason that we can't dance, though," Severus pointed out quietly.
Lily blinked in confusion. "What?"
Her confusion was met with a small grin from Severus. "We could always dance here, right? Not tonight…I mean, but anytime in the near future…I wouldn't mind sharing a few dances with you."
"I thought that…but you'd said you didn't want to go dancing at—"
"—At a club, yes," Severus interjected calmly. "I never once said I wouldn't mind dancing with you in a more…private setting."
Lily's confusion quickly gave way to understanding. "I see," she said slowly, wearing a small smile. "Well, I'd love to do that. Shall I pencil in a date?"
Severus smiled back at her and then leaned back into his chair with a sigh. "Let's just play it by ear, shall we?"
"Fair enough," Lily chuckled. "Come to think of it, I actually quite like the idea of the two of us sharing a private first dance, y'know? Makes the whole thing more…hmm—what's the word…"
"Intimate?" Severus suggested.
"Yes! Exactly! More intimate and—well, special, y'know? I want you all to myself, and dare I say, you feel the exact same way."
Severus hummed idly in agreement, but before he said anything in reply, Poesy popped into the room to inform them that dinner was ready.
"We'll speak more about this after," Severus assured her softly, as they both stood to their feet.
Lily nodded demurely and purposefully strode across the room into his arms. They shared a brief, loving kiss; but Lily soon pulled away. "I'll go get the kids," was all she said before turning and leaving the room.
Severus neglected to follow and headed into the dining room.
Despite Severus' promise, they didn't speak on the matter for nearly a week. Severus' work soon caught up with him and throughout the week he was often on the phone, or floo, with several Transfiguration Masters in the region who had experience with environmental terraforming work. There were seven whom Severus had shortlisted, all of whom, needless to say were quite interested with the terraforming project Severus had in mind for them. He arranged a number of appointments for them over the next two weeks to show them the lay of the land, and after that, he'd decide on who would be best suited for the job. Lily, once again, offered to give Severus her assistance in reaching out to other Transfiguration Masters she knew of. Severus declined Lily's offers, but thanked her nonetheless, saying that he had everything under control and that the seven who had indicated their interest were the best for his project's needs. As a result, Lily kept off his back and focused her attention on her children. That, and she started compiling a soundtrack for her and Severus' dance-date. She was beginning to realize there were some advantages to their dancing at home as opposed to at a club, one of which being she'd get to choose all their songs!
With Lily planning their stay-at-home date, Severus went full steam ahead with bringing the seven prospective Transfiguration Masters to the sanctuary. The first arrived on the 27th, an elderly man who looked to be pushing 100 years old. He went by the name of Gary Collins, his name rung a bell with Lily, who soon realized that it was the same G. Collins who James admired in his youth. Despite never being all that interested in the academics of magic, James was an avid Transfiguration practitioner and had learned a fair bit from Collins and other Transfiguration Masters around the world by reading their published works. He seemed like a nice enough guy and he really knew his stuff, but alas, he wasn't willing to commit to such a long-term project since the terraforming process would take at least one month, but likely two or three. Collins was out, but Lily and Severus were delighted to have met his acquaintance. The next three Transfiguration Masters came and went amicably. Number three, Claudia Davis, was somewhat intrigued by the project, but ended up declining similar to how Collins did, citing that such a long-term project wasn't on the cards for her. With the first four candidates all clear in indicating their disinterest, Severus had high hopes that the fifth might buck that trend.
Lily didn't know who expert number five was and Severus wanted to keep it that way until they arrived. In the early afternoon of April ninth, the date of their arrival, Severus asked if Lily could accompany him downstairs so she could meet the fifth Transfiguration Master.
"Can't you see I'm a bit busy, Severus?" Lily asked exasperatedly.
"I can see that," Severus said plainly. "Be that as it may, I'm afraid I must insist you accompany me. I assure you that it'll be worth your while."
Lily made a show of closing her notebook, before standing, her hands falling to her hips, then sighing exasperatedly. Severus smiled and did just that. They briefly made pitstops in both Harry and Azalea's rooms, with Severus asking both to take a brief break from their studies and to accompany him and their mum downstairs. Harry was especially elated, cheerily slamming his notebook shut and all but running from his chair towards them. Azalea, on the other hand, sullenly put down her pencil and closed her art book; then trudging across her room towards Severus and her mum at a far more sedate pace.
"I thought you were still meeting with the fifth candidate? And you still haven't told me their name yet, either…"
Severus gently shut the door to Azalea's room and sighed. "To answer your question, I've finished my meeting and tour, and she's accepted my proposal and will take on the project. As for who she is…well, why don't you come downstairs with me and find out?"
Lily blinked in confusion. "They're here? They haven't left yet?"
Severus swept past her and made for the stairs, Harry tailing after him but Azalea remaining next to her mum. "She is," Severus replied. "And she's rather eager to meet you, rather, to see you again."
Lily shrugged and made to follow Severus. Severus led his troupe down the stairs single-file, Harry right behind him, followed by Azalea, with Lily bringing up the rear.
"Where are we going Uncle Sev?" Harry's copious curiosity was evident in his tone.
Severus smiled briefly at Harry. "Just follow me, Harry. I want to introduce someone to you."
Severus led Lily, Harry and Azalea to the ground floor and through the downstairs hall into the sitting room. He pushed open the door and stepped through, deftly moving to the side to allow them passage. Harry was the next one through, followed in short order by Azalea and Lily. It didn't take them longer than a second or two to realize that they weren't alone with Severus, that there was another person in the room with them, currently sitting in one of Severus' favorite armchairs. Azalea looked towards the unfamiliar person and blinked in confusion; Harry, similarly, was perplexed as to who this person was. By contrast, Lily knew exactly who that person was. Her bright, reddish-orange hair usually made her stand out in most crowds, but while Lily had been blessed with both her parents' height genes, standing at 5'8"; she hadn't been so lucky and was scarcely over five feet tall. Lily remembered they'd used to joke that they were secretly half-sisters—never mind the fact that Lily was Welsh and that she was Irish.
"Mary?"
The woman grinned, standing to her feet from the armchair and made her way towards her. It looked as though she hadn't changed a bit since they'd last seen one another.
"Lils," Mary grinned. "It's been a while, huh?"
"Four years and nine months by my count," Lily laughed. They hugged for a moment longer before Mary pulled away—smiling widely.
"Been keepin' track, huh?" Mary chuckled, shaking her head. "Merlin—it's been too long…I've missed you, Lils."
Mary's eyes watered and Lily's did too soon after. "I've missed you too, Mary," she said thickly.
Mary blinked away the tears from her bright-blue eyes and then turned her attention to the two smallest figures in the room. "And where are my favorite kiddos in the world, huh? Has anybody seen them at all? I've been looking for 'em for ages!"
"A-Aunt Mary?" Harry asked. He hardly remembered this woman, but he recalled her name and a few other things about her from the stories his mum used to tell him about his aunt.
Mary smiled widely and nodded. "You've grown so much, Harry," she replied. "Last I saw you, you hadn't even started walking yet!"
Harry grinned shyly.
"Do you remember me?"
"A bit," Harry replied. "Umm—not much, really."
"You were very young when you last met Aunt Mary," Lily explained, patting Harry's shoulder gently.
Harry looked back towards Mary who nodded and smiled, lending further credence to Lily's words.
She gave Harry's shoulder a gentle nudge onwards just as Mary dropped to her knees and held her arms out. Harry usually wasn't much of a hugger but his aunt's widely-smiling face and outstretched arms radiated a loving warmth that felt vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place.
They shared a hug before Mary's gaze drifted to Azalea, the doppelgänger of her mother who hadn't yet left her side. "And you must be Azalea," Mary said kindly. "I'm Aunt Mary, how do you do?"
Azalea smiled shyly but still refused to step out from behind Lily's legs.
"Go on pumpkin," Lily said softly. "Aunt Mary is one of mummy's best friends."
Azalea's apprehensive gaze drifted back to Mary, whose blue eyes were wide and encouraging.
Mary, still beaming, held out her hand. "Well, it's lovely to meet you, young lady. I'm your aunt Mary."
Azalea briefly eyed Mary's hand, her gaze then drifting upwards to the kind woman's smiling face. Tentatively, she extended her own hand and placed it in Mary's. Mary smiled and grasped it, giving it a firm shake. "Your Mum and Uncle Severus have told me a lot about you."
Azalea's hazel eyes widened in surprise. "They have?"
"Oh, yes," Mary smiled. "Your mum and I still wrote to one another after you born. After that, I left England and came here, but your Uncle Severus told me lots about you when he asked me to come here to his reserve."
Azalea spun about on the spot to face Severus, who had his arm around Lily and his other hand resting on Harry's shoulder. "Really?"
Severus smiled and nodded. "Aside from being a family friend, Miss MacDonald is a very talented witch."
Mary sighed exasperatedly and shook her head. "Just Mary will do, Severus," she said tiredly, though not without a smile.
Severus' smile broadened. "As I'd been saying, your Aunt Mary and I will be doing business together soon," he explained to Harry and Azalea.
"So, she's gonna come visit again?" Harry asked excitedly.
Lily smiled and nodded. "That's right, sweetie." She then turned to Mary. "You'll be back soon, right?"
Mary shrugged and glanced towards Severus. "I'll need to complete my survey work, after which, I'll begin the terraforming process. Severus has already put up protective enchantments around the area he wants to terraform so I'll be able to start that process fairly soon." She nodded at Severus. "It's up to the boss, really. And to be honest with you both…I've never been the best when it comes to interacting or dealing with magical creatures so I'd greatly appreciate it if I can work uninterrupted."
"The protective enchantments should seal off that area of the sanctuary from any foreign intrusions," Severus said assuredly. "Though considering it's already almost April…it won't be long before the first Phoenixes of the year start showing up, more will come in May and June."
"Do they usually come in the Spring, Uncle Sev'rus?" Harry asked curiously.
"They do," Severus replied, nodding. "At least, they more commonly visit during the spring than at any other time of year. Perhaps we'd better sit down."
And they did, with Severus sitting next to Mary in his usual armchair while Lily and her children claimed the sofa. Refreshments were soon delivered courtesy of Poesy, coffee for Severus, apple juice for the kids, and black tea for the ladies.
"So, how frequently will you be coming by, Mary?" Lily asked curiously. She then lifted her cup of tea to her lips for a sip, all the while her gaze rested calmly on her old friend.
"Probably two, maybe three times a week," Mary replied. She glanced towards Severus and shrugged. "It's dependent on Severus, to be honest. He'll probably want to provide feedback as I work so the new landscape suits his purposes."
"If what I've read and heard about your abilities is to be believed, then I think my reserve will rest in safe hands, Mary," Severus said calmly.
Mary smiled. "I always try to put my best foot forwards," she said humbly.
Lily nodded with satisfaction and leaned back into the sofa. "Have you got any other ongoing projects at the moment, Mary?"
Mary shook her head. "No, not really. I'd been back home in Cork visiting my parents recently after some time off, so this is my first project I've taken on since I've come back stateside," she answered.
"Were you there only to visit your parents?" Lily asked curiously.
"Not exactly."
Mary smiled crookedly and held up her left hand. Lily's eyes widened and a surprised squeak escaped her lips. "Really?"
Mary's small smile broadened into a grin. "Yep. Just recently before my trip back to Ireland. I got to tell my mum and da about it when I was back."
"Wow," Lily whispered, taking in her friend's glinting, solitary silver ring in the sunlight. Her surprised expression quickly gave way to a conspiratory smirk. "So, who's the lucky guy then?"
Mary turned her hand around and eyed her ring, then looked back at Lily. "No one you would know of. And no one that runs in our circles, if that's what you're wondering," she said teasingly.
"Is he an American?" Lily gushed, her cheeks coloring a bright, cherry red.
Severus remembered all of a sudden that of Lily's celebrity crushes growing up, most of them happened to be American actors.
Mary bit her lip and nodded. "And he's a Muggle too, so—"
"—You're engaged to a Muggle?" Lily asked incredulously.
Mary's twinkling eyes narrowed as the beginnings of a frown marred her pretty features. "There something wrong with that?"
Lily shook her head quickly, but Severus didn't. There was deep worry etched into his face.
"There isn't anything wrong with that," Lily said hastily, her hands raised in placation. "I just—I was surprised, is all. I didn't think you would, so I didn't know how to react."
Mary nodded curtly, but when her gaze shifted to Severus, her frown deepened. "What's up with you?"
"Does he know?" Severus asked softly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I said: Does. He. Know?" Severus enunciated clearly, leaving a few seconds between words.
Mary's eyes betrayed her hesitancy, but she gave a little nod as answer to Severus' question.
Severus breathed and audible sigh of relief and sank back into his chair a bit. "That's good," he said quietly, though not quiet enough for Mary and Lily to not hear him.
"Anyways…" Lily said, clasping her hands together. "So, who is he?"
Mary's look of concern quickly gave way to a small grin. "Gary Phillips," she said proudly. "He's—um, he's an accountant—and we've been living together for the past few months or so."
Lily's eyes twinkled brightly with the promise of gossip. "C'mon Mary, there's got to be more than that!" she insisted. "Details, girl, spill 'em!"
Mary grinned amusedly and nodded. "Well, all right then. So, Gary and I currently live together in New Haven—it's, um—it's a city in Connecticut, kinda near to New York if that helps—" Lily and Severus both nodded in response. "—Anyhow, we met when I was there working on a project for an older wizard, he wanted some landscaping done on his old estate, and being a professional Transfiguration Mistress, I'd be able to get the job done far quicker than a Muggle landscaper. So, after work one day, I met Gary in town at a bar—he'd been having a rough go of it and I wandered over to him. He was—well, even from a distance, I found him kinda intriguing, and he was off by himself staring into a glass of scotch, so me being me…I decided to head on over to chat. One thing lead to another and before the night's end we'd exchanged numbers and went off on our merry way. He called a few days later, we chatted some more—and after a few more coffee dates, walks in the park, and a couple dinner dates even—we decided to go exclusive and we've been that way ever since. He proposed two months ago…and needless to say, I said yes!"
"Wow," Lily whispered. "That's—well, that's great Mary, I'm so happy for you."
"Thanks, Lily," Mary said sincerely, her head bowed with gratitude. She raised her head, her gaze darting between Severus and Lily swiftly. "And I'm happy for the two of you, too."
Lily and Severus grinned at one another and they both leaned in to one another for a kiss.
"We've greatly enjoyed our time together," Severus said smoothly.
Lily nodded her agreement; and Mary beamed back at both of them.
"If you don't mind me being a bit nosey…how did this happen?" Mary inquired.
Lily glanced over at Severus, who gave a subtle nod of assent in reply, then turned back to Mary. "Well, it all started out a few years ago…1982. Voldemort had just been defeated and it'd been a little while after you'd left, Mary, when I got into contact with Sev. We started writing one another—and a year or so, later…we started chatting on the phone," Lily explained, smiling lovingly at her boyfriend. "For a few years it was just that, Mary…we'd write, and we'd chat to each other. But my marriage with James wasn't going so well, and though Azalea's birth was a bright spot to us all…about a year later James and I were in a rut again. Things started getting worse…so, we decided to divorce and that was that. I got custody, packed up all my belongings, and came here to Arizona thanks to Sev's invitation."
Throughout her explanation, Mary had been nodding, even smiling at a few points, but now an expression of deep contemplation was etched into her features.
"Well, as enlightening as that was, I think I'd better get going now," Mary said sadly. "Perhaps we can meet up sometime soon, Lily? Mist—erm—Severus gave me your landline and address so I can call, floo, or mail you to set something up, if you'd like?"
"That would be lovely, Mary," Lily replied graciously, smiling as widely as Severus had ever seen her.
The two old friends stood up from their chairs and embraced in a warm hug. More hugs followed with Mary hugging a happy Harry, and a wary Azalea. She at last turned to Severus wearing a warm smile. "I'm truly happy for you, Severus; and for Lily too. You both deserve each other so much," she said graciously. "And I look forward to working with you, too."
"Likewise, Mary," Severus replied smoothly. "I'll floo you in two days time and send you the documents you requested, all right?"
"That'd be great, Severus."
With a few more smiles and waves to Lily, Harry and Azalea; Mary walked over to the hearth and grabbed a pinch of floo powder off the mantlepiece. "I'll call you soon, Lily—we definitely have so much to catch up on!"
Lily's smiled widened and she nodded fervently in agreement. "Mary—erm, I'll try to call you later in the week once your business with Sev settles down a bit. I definitely want to catch up sometime soon as well."
Mary's lips curled upwards into a smile. "I'll be waiting." With that, she hurled her pinch of floo powder at her feet and shouted out her destination. In a flash of green flames the diminutive witch was gone.
When the flames receded, Lily withdrew her hand sheltering Azalea's eyes from the harsh brightness of the fireplace. They watched the flames recede in contented silence; but said silence would soon be broken.
"Do we have to continue studying?" came Harry's pleading question.
Lily couldn't help herself, she smiled. "No, I suppose you don't have to," she answered kindly. "It wasn't your fault your study session was interrupted, after all. Just make sure to try catch up a little tomorrow, okay?"
Harry nodded fervently as did Azalea when Lily prompted her. "Good. I suppose you can read, draw, or watch some TV now—"
"—I want to go with Uncle Sev!" Harry blurted out.
Harry turned from his mum to his uncle, his green eyes wide and pleading. "Please?"
Severus smiled and nodded, then, tentatively ruffled Harry's hair as he'd seen Lily do so often in the past year. "You most certainly can, Harry. Put on your sweater and boots and then meet me outside. We can start our rounds a little early today."
Harry gave Severus a gap-toothed smile, and when he turned to his mum, she smiled back at him and nodded. "Do as Uncle Severus says, Harry."
Harry didn't need any further encouragement and fled the room. Azalea left shortly after, no doubt to gather up some of her crayons and her scrapbook to continue her drawing. As Azalea toddled off, Lily sauntered up to Severus and lightly rested her palm on his wrist. "I think I've compiled a decent list of songs for our dancing date, Sev," Lily said quietly, her lips curled upwards into a soft smile.
"I'm afraid I'm quite busy tonight, Lily, if that's what you're asking me," Severus said sadly.
"I know. You mentioned it just this morning. I was hoping tomorrow night might work?"
Severus lips broke out into an easy grin. "Yeah, that'd be fine, Lily. Just be sure to let me—"
"—Uncle Sev! I'm outside waiting for you!" Harry hollered from the front porch.
"I'll be there soon, Harry. Just hold on a minute!" Severus shouted back, then turning back to Lily.
"Just be sure to let me focus on my work tonight, and I'll be able to accompany you for our…date."
Lily's soft smile broadened into a grin and she leaned up on her toes to kiss Severus lightly. "I'll do my best to keep my hands and mouth to myself, then," she whispered teasingly against his lips. She then pulled away and drew her hand away from his. "Go now, my son's waiting for you."
Severus managed a humored grin before pirouetting on the spot and leaving the room.
With Severus gone and Azalea soon to return, Lily summoned her notebook from upstairs and began going over her list of songs for the evening and revising a few items on her menu for her date with Severus. When Azalea returned, she clambered up onto the sofa next to Lily and curled into her side. Lily absentmindedly draped an arm over her daughter and continued going over her notes, hoping to high-heaven that tomorrow night would be the best date she'd had, yet.
A little over twenty four hours earlier, Severus returned to the farmhouse after a tiring day out on the reserve. He'd hardly taken more than a couple steps past the front door when a series of powerful, but pleasant smells assaulted his nostrils. He couldn't help but smile as he took a few, tentative whiffs of the welcoming scents flooding his elongated nose. After kissing Lily goodbye in the morning, he hadn't seen her at all since then; though he knew she'd gone into town with Harry and Azalea to get some shopping done for clothes and groceries. Severus exchanged his boots for slippers and headed for the kitchen, following his nose. He was nearing the entrance to the kitchen when he heard rapidly-approaching footsteps coming from the living room. He turned around just in time to see Harry and Azalea barging though the doorframe, waving their hands frantically through the air.
"No, Uncle Sev!" Azalea cried.
"Mummy said to stop you from going to the kitchen!" Harry added, grabbing at Severus' jeans in a bid to halt his forward progress.
Severus raised his hands into the air in surrender. "I'll come quietly," he chuckled. In a lower, more conspiratory tone of voice, he asked; "What's your mum doing in there?"
Harry grinned broadly and said; "She's cooking a feast!"
A single brow rose out of skepticism, Severus then turned to Azalea. "Really?"
Azalea was quick to nod in response. "Pasta, 'n salad, 'n lobsta' 'n—oh, I forgot the rest," she said wondrously.
"Well then," Severus smiled, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "Perhaps we'd better leave your mum in peace and let her cook."
Harry and Azalea both nodded their agreement.
"Please come watch TV with us," Harry half-asked, half-pleaded.
Severus' thoughts briefly drifted to the paperwork he promised to send to Mary by tomorrow evening, but he quickly perished the thought with a shake of his head. Mary's requests could wait, Lily's kids needed him now, even if their need only extended to accompanying them to watch TV.
"Well, all right, then," Severus sighed. Though he tried, he couldn't quite keep a smile from his lips. A smile that both Harry and Azalea saw.
The Potter siblings shared conspiring grins and pulled Severus by each hand towards the living room where the TV was blaring.
An hour later, Lily's voice rang out through the house, courtesy of a sonorous charm. "Dinner's ready!"
Severus wandered over to the TV and switched it off, and then ushered Harry and Azalea towards the dining room. True to Azalea's words earlier, and Severus' own observations as he entered the house, the pervasive smells of lobster, pasta, cheese and caesar dressing met their nostrils; Harry's stomach gurgled loudly in appreciation. They entered the dining room only to see Lily coming in from the other doorway carrying a medium-sized bowl of pasta. She still had her apron on and her auburn hair was done up in a neat bun. Sweat beaded across her brow and nose as she set the bowl of lobster pasta down in the middle of the table, right between the flank steak and bread.
"Phew!" she exclaimed, wiping the sweat off her face with her sleeve. Smiling, she looked up towards her kids and Severus'. Her smile grew as she glimpsed their widened eyes, slackened jaws, and watering mouths; she hoped they'd like the taste of her meal as much as the smell.
"Well, don't just stand there! Sit down! Help yourselves!" she exclaimed.
The words had barely left Lily's mouth when Harry and Azalea bolted towards their usual seats situated between their mum and Uncle Sev. "Why don't you freshen up, Lily. I'll take care of serving everyone and keeping an eye on your…feast."
Lily gave Severus a tired, but appreciative smile. "Thanks Sev." She strode past him and out of the dining room, the creaking of wooden floorboards a few rooms away telling Severus that she was headed upstairs to change. With Lily gone, Severus walked over to his seat and sat down at the head of the table.
"Harry, Azalea, pass your plates and allow me to serve you."
Harry and Azalea both stopped what they were doing and nodded. Severus quietly served Azalea, then Harry, Lily next, and finally himself; when Lily rejoined them and plopped down in her chair opposite to Severus. She exhaled a loud breath, blowing a few loose strands of auburn out of her face; and then mustered up a big smile.
"Thank you for this feast, Lily," Severus said graciously. "If you don't mind me asking…did you cook the lobster pasta with me in mind?"
"You like pasta 'n lobster don't ya?" Lily asked, grinning.
"That I do," Severus replied.
Lily smiled back and shrugged her shoulders. "So, I took a chance on you liking them together as well."
Just as Lily spoke, Harry lowered his empty fork to his pasta and twirled some of the fettuccine around it, he lifted it to his mouth for his first of many bites when Severus raised his hand. "Wait, Harry. Put your fork down, please."
Harry pouted and for a moment Severus thought he might whine and protest, but Harry didn't and set his pasta-adorned fork down on his plate.
Severus gathered some fettuccine and a bit of lobster on his fork and lifted it to his mouth. "I think I should taste the pasta first in case it's gone bad. I don't want either of you three getting food poisoning, after all."
Severus smirked, his onyx eyes twinkling teasingly before lifting his fork all the way to his mouth and taking his first bite of the pasta.
His smirk took the sting out of his words, but Lily's pale cheeks still flushed an indignant shade of red, and her eyes twitched ever so slightly before narrowing into angry slits. Lily's fists clenched the pristine, white tablecloth; and Severus knew that if Harry and Azalea hadn't been there, she'd have been tempted to hurl her napkin at him. As Severus chewed his first forkful of pasta and lobster, Lily found her anger at Severus' joke abating remarkably quickly. Now, all she felt was intrigue and hope that Severus happened to like her concoction. Severus swallowed the bite and Lily's gaze never left him the entire time, even as he wiped his lips with his napkin her bottle-green eyes remained fixed on his eyes, and his lips. Severus dabbed at his lips, then lifted his gaze to Lily, smiling.
"It's perfect," he said, answering the unasked question dancing in her hungry, eager eyes.
With that, Harry and Azalea wasted no time getting started on their own portions, while Lily, at a far less frantic pace, did the same. For a few minutes, all that could be heard were the chewing of mouths, silver cutlery scraping against porcelain plates, and chair-legs shifting over carpet. The relative peace and quiet was eventually abruptly broken by a loud proclamation.
"Mmm! This is really good, mummy!" Harry exclaimed, his words jumbled around the mouthful of pasta he chewed.
"Chew your food Harry," Lily chided, Harry flinched under her reproachful look. "But, thank you. I'm glad you appreciate my efforts."
Harry grinned at his mum, and recommenced polishing off his plate with gusto. Lily raised a forkful of caesar salad to her lips, chewed, swallowed, and turned to Azalea; who, as of yet, hadn't even raised her gaze from her rapidly-diminishing supply of food on her plate. "How do you like the food, pumpkin?" Lily asked.
Azalea lifted her gaze and nodded. "'s really good, mummy."
"Compliments to the chef," Severus added, giving a single, respectful nod to Lily.
A slight, rosy tinge crept up on Lily's cheeks as she smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Severus."
Severus raised his glass of wine in a mock toast, his teeth flashing in a small grin. Relative quiet returned once more as the quartet refocused their efforts on cleaning their plates. Lily took the lack of conversation well, viewing it as a job well done. Her meal had clearly hit the spot, and judging by their smacking lips and wide smiles, they were well and truly sated. When conversation eventually returned, much of the focus remained on Severus and his plans regarding the future of the reserve. Like with Lily, Harry and Azalea were similarly pleasantly surprised when informed about the future Phoenix habitat. Much like Lily claimed he would be, Harry was particularly excited about the prospect of meeting more Phoenixes in addition to Dumbledore's Fawkes. Severus assured him that he'd get his chance soon enough. Harry had an endless number of questions for Severus, so for the most part, the bulk of the conversation was between them, though Lily and Azalea occasionally chimed in from time to time. As the meal reached its conclusion, Severus helped with the clean-up while Lily ushered her kids upstairs to get ready for bed. After putting everything in the dishwasher, Severus wandered into the sitting room in search of the cassettes Lily had selected for their evening. He scoured the room from top to bottom for the cassettes, but alas, his search turned up empty-handed. Sighing, Severus turned to the doorway, where to his surprise, Lily was leaning against the frame wearing a slight smirk and holding something in her hand.
"Looking for these?" she asked, her smirk broadening.
She waved her cassette tapes through the air, causing Severus' eyes to widen.
"You could say that," he replied, nodding. "You—erm, are you ready to start?"
Lily smiled and nodded. "Oh, yeah."
"So, what's first?"
Lily, now wearing a flowing gown that fell to her knees, swept past Severus right towards the player and inserted the first cassette. She hit play and then turned, slowly, so her eyes met his. "This first song…captures a lot of what I feel about us now—and this second chance you've given me. I hope it conveys my gratitude and love for you. The new you."
Severus' dark eyes widened as she strode towards him, her head held high and her eyes glistening with a very thin veneer of tears. Her arms trembled slightly, whether it was from the nerves or the chilly air, he didn't know, but he sought to drive it all away with his embrace.
"I hope those tears are happy," he muttered softly, taking both her hands in his.
Lily let out a choked giggle, wiping her eyes with the back of her wrist. "They very much are, Sev—so happy."
Just then, music began to play, the melodious lyrics of Player's Baby Come Back filling the air between them. They shut their eyes, Severus' hands fell to her waist as Lily's found a home on his; and they swayed to the music.
But as the sun goes down…I get that empty feeling again…
How I wish to god, that you were here…
Baby come back, oh baby any kind of fool could see…
There was something, in every way about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me…
I was wrong, and I just can't live without you—
"Never let me go, Sev," Lily whispered thickly, her cold nose pressed into Severus' collar.
His arms instinctively tightened around her, his eyes closing and his chin coming to rest on top of her bowed head.
"For as long as you'll have me," he uttered in reply.
He felt Lily's lips curl upwards into a smile, the salt of her tears staining his tastebuds as she kissed him powerfully.
I was wrong, and I just can't live without you
I was wrong…and I just can't live…
Peter Beckett's guitar riff closed out the song and they both drew away from one another, wide smiles worn on both of their faces.
For the next thirty minutes, Lily's melodious songs provided the backing to their dancing. From Eric Clapton to Billy Joel to Cyndi Lauper to Fleetwood Mac, nothing was left off the table. Lily, for her part, enjoyed every bit of it, her smiles and grins all too telling of her excitement of finally getting to dance with Severus. Severus enjoyed it too, somewhat, and unlike his prior experience with Diana, he found himself far more at ease now with the pressure of expectation off his shoulders. Thankfully, he didn't trod on Lily's toes, nor had he seemed to have forgotten many of his moves—all in all, it was a surprisingly enjoyable experience. As the penultimate song on the playlist, More Than A Woman by Abba, came to an end; Lily pulled away from Severus a fraction and smiled.
"This last song…describes my undying love for you, and the rebirth of our friendship…then love." She swallowed thickly and her smile widened. "From what you've told me of your music tastes…I think you'll quite like this last one."
Her gaze drifted to the Cassette deck expectantly as the final song of the night began to play. A familiar piano opening met Severus' ears and his eyes widened in surprise, before focusing intently on Lily's smiling face. Severus reached for her hand, and she obligingly laid her's in his, offering up a smile and nod as they moved back to the middle of their makeshift dance floor. As Steve Perry began to sing, they began to dance.
Highway run…
Until the midnight sun.
Wheels go round and round, on my mind
You're on my mind
Restless hearts…
Sleep alone tonight
Sendin' all my love
Along the wire—
"Journey?" he whispered, his dark eyes trained intently on her face. "I thought you'd said—I never knew you liked them!"
Lily's fingers entwined tightly around his, her eyes widening as she smiled. "They're all right, I suppose, it's more so just this song that I really adore."
Through Space and time…
Always another show
Wondering where I am
Lost without you—
Loving the feeling of being in Severus' arms, swaying to the music; Lily had been so lost in her own world, she'd hardly felt Severus come closer until his lips pressed against hers. Lily squeaked in surprise, her eyes growing wide as his tongue glanced across her lips—but her surprise soon gave way to pleasure as she eagerly kissed him back. As the tunes of Journey filled the air around Severus and Lily, they became one in mind, body and spirit.
I'm Forever Yours
Forever Yours…
Faithfully
"I'm forever yours, Sev, for all time," Lily whispered, her lips by his ear.
"For all time."
A/N2: Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!