* * * * Sev's POV * * * * *
Severus walked out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest before Disapparating. As everyone should know (especially if they'd read Hogwarts, a History) it was impossible to Apparate except in the furthest reaches of the Hogwarts grounds, and it was damn inconvenient. Potter had given him a severe shock, asking questions like that, but he should have realized that it would come sooner or later, because, as he'd known for years, the boy had no tact whatsoever.
It was nine o'clock by this time, and on a weekday morning, so he had no doubts about ringing the bell of the Evans' house. A small, thin boy that Severus assumed must be Mark opened the door a short distance and looked inquisitively up at him.
"Hello, can I help you?"
"This is the Evans household? Good, I would like to speak to Mr Evans on a matter of urgency and great importance."
"I'll fetch him, if you'll wait."
"Thank you."
Mark shut the door, very firmly, and Severus was left standing there. He rather admired the boy's sense - Potter would never have thought to do something like that. It was opened again a moment later by a tall, thin red-haired man who looked at him curiously with sparkling, vivid green eyes. He was wearing what should have been smart black Muggle work trousers with a casual air, and a crisp white shirt that was open at the top.
"You!" Severus exclaimed.
"This is about Mark, I suppose, although I don't remember you myself. Come in." Severus followed him through to an informally styled living room and perched awkwardly on the edge of a chair.
"I am Rowan EvansWere you one of Lily's friends, by any chance?"
"Not exactly. You tripped me up at the wedding," Severus replied, somewhat sullenly. Mr Evans grinned broadly at him, amused at his discomfort.
"Now I remember. You were insulting Lily and James, so I intervened. Family honor had to be upheld, after all. What's the cause of this visit? I'm sure it isn't just to discuss a rather hostile past relationship."
"I doubt you're aware, but I am Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where I understand your son will be attending next term. He saw Harry Potter being removed from his aunt and uncle's house in the early hours of this morning, and as such the Headmaster believes he may be in danger. He has recommended that Mark come to Hogwarts for the rest of the summer for his own safety. I can escort him there immediately, with your permission."
"What proof do you have of your identity?"
"Ask your son if that's what he saw last night. I was present, as he will no doubt recall."
Mr Evans looked at him doubtfully, then yelled loudly for Mark to come down. They heard a series of loud thuds as the boy bounded down the stairs, then he appeared in the doorway of the living room, looking puzzled.
"Yes Dad?"
"What happened to you last night?"
"Uh, I couldn't sleep, so I was looking out of the window. There were some people there and they were uh they were. . ."
"Flying?" Severus suggested helpfully, seeing that he was unwilling to say it out loud. It had probably seemed perfectly sane at the time, but he could see that, to a Muggle boy, telling your father and an unknown man that you'd just seen two wizards flying past your window was probably not a good idea.
"Well, yeah, on broomsticks if I saw right. It was hard to see them at first, so I kind of looked harder and they became more visible. One of them looked like the Potter kid. You know dad, the one that goes to St Brutus's Institute for Incurably Criminal Boys. I think this guy was the other one, he's certainly got the same nose."
Severus thought quickly. Why on earth did the boy think that Potter attended St Brutus's Institute for Incurably Criminal Boys? The brat was bad, yes, but not that bad. Was it some story his relatives had dreamed up to make his summer holidays even more unpleasant, or had the boy himself created the fiction to make him sound more impressive?
"Don't be rude, Mark," Mr Evans rebuked gently. He flushed, and looked apologetically at Severus.
"I'm sorry Mister, but it was the only way I could describe how I knew you were the same person. I was right, wasn't I?"
"Oh, yes, very right. Is that good enough for you, Mr Evans, or do you require further proof?"
"I'm sure of your identity now, but I will want to discuss this matter with Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure you understand that with my relatives, I have to be very careful. I don't want Mark ending up the same way as Lily did."
"How inconvenient. I will take you and Mark directly to the Headmaster's study immediately."
Mr Evans grinned at him, and said considerately, as if he didn't know what effect his statement would cause,
"Sorry, no can do. It'll be at least ten minutes before I clear everything with my boss. I'm sure I can get the day off, there wasn't anything major planned for today anyway, but I don't want to risk losing my job in the process. Do you mind waiting, particularly?" Severus restrained a growl of irritation.
"No, not at all. I will wait here while you are on the felly tone, or whatever you Muggles call it. I can set up a portkey while you are busy."
Mr Evans nodded and left. After a final, curious glance, Mark vanished after him. Severus forced himself not to grind his teeth in irritation, and set up a small, and very illegal, portkey while he was waiting.
Sure enough, it was a full ten minutes before the pair of them came back again, by which time Severus was getting very irritated and very uncomfortable. It didn't help that he'd hardly had any sleep during the previous night and that he'd just been saddled with Potter for the entire summer as well as the oncoming year. He directed them to take hold, then activated the port key and they vanished.
Severus walked out of the castle and into the Forbidden Forest before Disapparating. As everyone should know (especially if they'd read Hogwarts, a History) it was impossible to Apparate except in the furthest reaches of the Hogwarts grounds, and it was damn inconvenient. Potter had given him a severe shock, asking questions like that, but he should have realized that it would come sooner or later, because, as he'd known for years, the boy had no tact whatsoever.
It was nine o'clock by this time, and on a weekday morning, so he had no doubts about ringing the bell of the Evans' house. A small, thin boy that Severus assumed must be Mark opened the door a short distance and looked inquisitively up at him.
"Hello, can I help you?"
"This is the Evans household? Good, I would like to speak to Mr Evans on a matter of urgency and great importance."
"I'll fetch him, if you'll wait."
"Thank you."
Mark shut the door, very firmly, and Severus was left standing there. He rather admired the boy's sense - Potter would never have thought to do something like that. It was opened again a moment later by a tall, thin red-haired man who looked at him curiously with sparkling, vivid green eyes. He was wearing what should have been smart black Muggle work trousers with a casual air, and a crisp white shirt that was open at the top.
"You!" Severus exclaimed.
"This is about Mark, I suppose, although I don't remember you myself. Come in." Severus followed him through to an informally styled living room and perched awkwardly on the edge of a chair.
"I am Rowan EvansWere you one of Lily's friends, by any chance?"
"Not exactly. You tripped me up at the wedding," Severus replied, somewhat sullenly. Mr Evans grinned broadly at him, amused at his discomfort.
"Now I remember. You were insulting Lily and James, so I intervened. Family honor had to be upheld, after all. What's the cause of this visit? I'm sure it isn't just to discuss a rather hostile past relationship."
"I doubt you're aware, but I am Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where I understand your son will be attending next term. He saw Harry Potter being removed from his aunt and uncle's house in the early hours of this morning, and as such the Headmaster believes he may be in danger. He has recommended that Mark come to Hogwarts for the rest of the summer for his own safety. I can escort him there immediately, with your permission."
"What proof do you have of your identity?"
"Ask your son if that's what he saw last night. I was present, as he will no doubt recall."
Mr Evans looked at him doubtfully, then yelled loudly for Mark to come down. They heard a series of loud thuds as the boy bounded down the stairs, then he appeared in the doorway of the living room, looking puzzled.
"Yes Dad?"
"What happened to you last night?"
"Uh, I couldn't sleep, so I was looking out of the window. There were some people there and they were uh they were. . ."
"Flying?" Severus suggested helpfully, seeing that he was unwilling to say it out loud. It had probably seemed perfectly sane at the time, but he could see that, to a Muggle boy, telling your father and an unknown man that you'd just seen two wizards flying past your window was probably not a good idea.
"Well, yeah, on broomsticks if I saw right. It was hard to see them at first, so I kind of looked harder and they became more visible. One of them looked like the Potter kid. You know dad, the one that goes to St Brutus's Institute for Incurably Criminal Boys. I think this guy was the other one, he's certainly got the same nose."
Severus thought quickly. Why on earth did the boy think that Potter attended St Brutus's Institute for Incurably Criminal Boys? The brat was bad, yes, but not that bad. Was it some story his relatives had dreamed up to make his summer holidays even more unpleasant, or had the boy himself created the fiction to make him sound more impressive?
"Don't be rude, Mark," Mr Evans rebuked gently. He flushed, and looked apologetically at Severus.
"I'm sorry Mister, but it was the only way I could describe how I knew you were the same person. I was right, wasn't I?"
"Oh, yes, very right. Is that good enough for you, Mr Evans, or do you require further proof?"
"I'm sure of your identity now, but I will want to discuss this matter with Professor Dumbledore. I'm sure you understand that with my relatives, I have to be very careful. I don't want Mark ending up the same way as Lily did."
"How inconvenient. I will take you and Mark directly to the Headmaster's study immediately."
Mr Evans grinned at him, and said considerately, as if he didn't know what effect his statement would cause,
"Sorry, no can do. It'll be at least ten minutes before I clear everything with my boss. I'm sure I can get the day off, there wasn't anything major planned for today anyway, but I don't want to risk losing my job in the process. Do you mind waiting, particularly?" Severus restrained a growl of irritation.
"No, not at all. I will wait here while you are on the felly tone, or whatever you Muggles call it. I can set up a portkey while you are busy."
Mr Evans nodded and left. After a final, curious glance, Mark vanished after him. Severus forced himself not to grind his teeth in irritation, and set up a small, and very illegal, portkey while he was waiting.
Sure enough, it was a full ten minutes before the pair of them came back again, by which time Severus was getting very irritated and very uncomfortable. It didn't help that he'd hardly had any sleep during the previous night and that he'd just been saddled with Potter for the entire summer as well as the oncoming year. He directed them to take hold, then activated the port key and they vanished.