Chapter 5 – Summer Fun in the Summer Sun
Severus Snape visited James Potter's home for two glorious weeks in July. During that time, Lily often flooed into Charlesgate and the three of them played rock-and-pebble Quidditch until they were exhausted. Mr. or Mrs. Potter watched over their two visitors as they would their own, and both sixteen-year-olds blossomed with such love and attention.
Sev found that Shonsey's little "tricks" to help him lead a more comfortable life really worked. She had taught him to "walk through" his fear; consequently, when a new situation arose about which Sev felt apprehensive; all he had to do was take a deep breath and step into it, so to speak. And then – he should just do "the next best thing". When put into such simple terms, living a life around people began getting a bit easier.
Severus did have a few bad days; nightmares frequently woke him screaming in the night. That must have terrified the Potters but they never shamed him for it. Instead, Mrs. Potter would gather the thin boy in her arms and rock him, as Albus Dumbledore had when fear oozed through the boy's very pores. James didn't seem to mind either, which helped.
One morning, Sev and James dragged themselves down the stairs to eat breakfast.
"Oh, good! It's pancakes again," Sev cried. "Sugar junkies unite!"
"You're the only person I know who so drenches his pancakes with syrup that they float," James said.
"I love when they fall apart!"
Mrs. Potter laughed, and handed Severus a wrapped package before they dug in.
"What's this, Mrs. P?" the Slytherin boy asked.
"Well, go on and open it, then!" James said in fake-annoyance. He got up and started rummaging through the refrigerator to see if there was anything else there that needed eating.
Sev opened it. Immediately his dark eyes flooded with tears.
"Seven hells, Mum, what did you do to him?"
"Nothing," Severus whispered. "Noth-ing...."
He held up a new red sweater.
"Now, this one I knit just for you, Severus," Mrs. P declared. "If anyone tries to destroy it, it will turn into something quite nasty and defend itself. It's nice and lightweight which means you can wear it for the autumn and spring as well."
Severus hesitantly turned to her.
"Give me a hug, you!" she said, holding out her arms.
"Thank you so much!" the boy said, falling into the kind woman's arms. "I'll take such good care of it!"
"I know you will, Severus," she said, returning his hug. "Now, make sure you don't let those pancakes soak up all the syrup..."
"But that's how he likes them, Mum," James grinned. "All mushy and full of syrup. Gah."
"To each his own, Potter," Sev replied, jamming a limp forkful into his mouth. "Oh, this is way too good!"
James and his mother looked on as the Slytherin devoured an entire short stack in less than three minutes.
"Now you've done it, Mum," James joked.
"What?"
"Now he's on a sugar high. He'll play Quidditch until I'm too exhausted to hold onto the broom."
"Well, why don't you eat your breakfast, Jimmie dear, and get dressed. Lily is coming over at ten o'clock."
The boys looked at the clock. It was nearly ten.
"Gods!" both shrieked, looking down at their sloppy t-shirts and flannel pajama pants.
"Shovel it in, Potter!"
"Mrrrfffmmgwpppp," the Gryffindor replied. "I dare you to pick up the plate and drink the syrup!"
"You're on!" cried Sev, tipping the plate above him and sticking out his tongue. James jiggled his arm, splashing syrup onto Snape's forehead.
"Dead! Dead! You're DEAD, Potter!" Severus mock-growled, wiping his hands across his forehead and smearing it onto the top of James' head.
"Must you play with your food, boys?" Mr. Potter laughed. He had just come downstairs himself and was ready for work.
"Of course we must," James said. "We love smearing food all over the walls."
"And don't forget the floor, and one another," Sev added, arranging James' sticky hair so that it stood on end in a bizarre corona. "Looks like your normal hairdo, Potter."
"Hey, Snape, when you fell down the Annoying Tree, how many branches did you break on the way down?"
Hey, Potter, did you get off the train at StupidGitville this morning?"
There was a knock at the door. Both syrup-smeared and grungy boys gasped as one.
Oh gods! It was Lily!!
Both raced from the room, whooping about who would get to the bathroom first.
From the clamor of shouts and the thundering of adolescent feet, James' parents surmised that the Slytherin boy won.
------------
Lily and Severus took the Wizard's Oath the next day.
"My House shall honor your House
For ever and ever without break or decay.
When the hills are all flat
And the rivers are all dry,
When it lightens and thunders in winter,
When it rains and snows in summer,
When Heaven and Earth mingle--
Not till then will I dishonor your House.
So Mote It Be."
Lily also pledged with James, so that all three of them became each other's safety net. The words were simple but the import was not. The Oath did not promise as much as eternal friendship as forbearance. It also bound the students to help each other's families, extant or future. All this seriousness, of course, had to be relieved by doing something silly. Luckily, James Potter had been thinking ahead for such an occasion.
"You want silly, Lily? You got silly!" James announced, ushering them into the Potter kitchen. The table was covered with a white oilcloth, and sitting on top weren't one – but two – chocolate cakes.
"PIG CAKE CONTEST! SEE WHO EATS THE MOST IN FIVE MINUTES! HANDS WILL BE TIED BEHIND BACKS! ONLY THE BIGGEST MOUTH WILL TASTE VICTORY!" James shrieked.
"Oh gods, Jimmie," Mrs. Potter said. "My poor kitchen!"
"We promise to clean it all up," Severus replied.
Lily was laughing too hard to respond.
"WHO WILL ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE?" James hollered.
Severus immediately demurred with a smile. He had a delicate stomach thanks to all the Dark curses his father had thrown at him over the years. And frankly, he did not want his hands tied behind his back. That brought up some pretty nasty memories he'd just as soon forget forever.
James looked at Lily. "Well, Redheaded Goddess?"
"Hells, YES!" she shouted. "Sev? Do the honors and tie our hands behind us. Mrs. Potter, we will begin on your signal!"
The two bustled around, readying the two competitors for the task ahead.
"All right then?" Mrs. P asked.
Both James and Lily nodded.
"GO!" Mrs. P cried, watching the clock.
To watch James Potter dig into a three-layer chocolate cake with nothing but his mouth was a sight to behold. Within moments, his facial features were totally obscured with icing. Lily made a respectable start, woofing down hunks of mashed cake and icing. She didn't want to take the time, but she wanted to remember later to tell Mrs. P that the cake was marvelous.
Severus laughed like an idiot; Mrs. P went for her Brownie Starflash and snapped pictures.
The time sped by, both contestants eyebrow-deep in cake, their jaws working furiously.
"Ten seconds!" Mrs. Potter announced.
The whites of the contestants' eyes were the only thing that wasn't covered in brown goo.
"STOP!"
Sev ran over, handing both Lily and James a bath towel. They tried their best to at least wipe the cake away sufficiently to breathe and see.
Mrs. Potter surveyed the remains. "As much as I hate to tell this to my own son – I declare Lily the winner!"
"Arrghh!" James shrieked, knees bent, crouching. "Beaten by a girl!"
Lily laughed and clapped her hands. "Victory!" she cried. "I triumph!" She pulled Snape into a hug. His eyes went wide.
James' eyes went wide as well. "Hey Snape!" he growled with faux-menace. "Unhand the champion!"
"Eat worms," the Slytherin grinned, enjoying the hug immensely.''
Lily laughed, and then stepped back. "I have a hug for you too, you great monkey."
At this, James began to whoop, practically flying to her side. She wrapped him in her arms. He pretended to melt into them. "Ohhh, goood hug, goooooood hug!"
They stayed in that position a bit longer than either expected. Finally breaking away, they gave one another an embarrassed smile.
"The least you can do is invite me to the wedding," Severus said, only halfway joking.
-------------
Severus spent the first two weeks in August at Malfoy Manor, teaching the other seventh-years and recent graduates what he knew about Dark potion making. Lucius' father Avaris treated him with courtly dignity, and his daughter Caesonia – who was a year younger than Severus – pampered and flattered him. At Lord Voldemort's request, she went to Durmstrang since she was even Darker than her brother Lucius.
A lovely blonde, Caesonia went on and on about Sev's gorgeous black eyes and the curves of his mouth. This was very confusing to Severus. As little as he understood the Dance of Social Exchange, he knew even less about the Dance of Flirtation and Seduction. As a result, when Caesonia backed him into corners, his fears overtook his common sense and he did everything he could to get away.
She even went so far as to sneak into his bedroom one night.
Surprising a touch-phobic boy and jolting him out of sleep was the wrong thing to do. Instead of welcoming her, he shrieked and pushed her away. With a hiss of rage, Caesonia heard footsteps out in the corridor and slid into a nearby wardrobe.
"Is everything all right?" Lucius' mother Plancina asked.
"Yes ma'am," Severus said, shaken. "I just had a dream. My apologies for waking you."
"No problem," she said. "Pleasant dreams." The door closed.
Severus sat up in bed and sighed. "You can come out now."
The girl slid from the wardrobe and stood there in her nightgown, the moonlight shining on her golden head. "Do you want me?" she said.
"I'm sorry, Caesonia, but you startled me. You're quite lovely but I'm just not ready for such things. I hope you understand."
The girl's pretty mouth curved into a scowl. "Well, it stands to reason. After all, you tried to kill yourself and got shipped off to St. Mungo's. I should have known you'd freeze, you stupid boy. Either that, or you like guys instead."
"I do not!" Severus shrieked in outrage. "Get out!"
She stuck out her tongue and whirled around, striding to the door in a few quick steps. "Fine. You're not much to look at, frankly. I just thought you fancied me and wanted to play." With a knowing sneer, she slipped out the door, only to run into her father standing directly outside Sev's room.
Severus chuckled as he listened to the two of them arguing. He learned a few new swear words that night.
Fine, let them argue.
Just leave me be, please.
--------------
Severus spent time in August at Professor Sartoris' house working on his potions skills. Oddly enough, Albus Dumbledore had not forbidden this. Sartoris chalked it up to the Headmaster's extreme old age and thought nothing more about it.
"The old dolt has probably forgotten all about my dressing-down," the Potions Master grumbled. "Here, Severus. Try this powdered Moa bone instead of that tincture of Diatryma blood."
He did not bother to share with the boy the fact that any correspondence from Britomartis Vox vanished immediately upon approaching the Castle. Similarly, any messages from Severus disintegrated long before they reached their destination in France. It resulted in some very confused owls and two broken hearts.
Well, what of it, Sartoris thought, stirring a cauldron of enervation fluid. What the lad didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
-------------
Severus Snape visited James Potter's home for two glorious weeks in July. During that time, Lily often flooed into Charlesgate and the three of them played rock-and-pebble Quidditch until they were exhausted. Mr. or Mrs. Potter watched over their two visitors as they would their own, and both sixteen-year-olds blossomed with such love and attention.
Sev found that Shonsey's little "tricks" to help him lead a more comfortable life really worked. She had taught him to "walk through" his fear; consequently, when a new situation arose about which Sev felt apprehensive; all he had to do was take a deep breath and step into it, so to speak. And then – he should just do "the next best thing". When put into such simple terms, living a life around people began getting a bit easier.
Severus did have a few bad days; nightmares frequently woke him screaming in the night. That must have terrified the Potters but they never shamed him for it. Instead, Mrs. Potter would gather the thin boy in her arms and rock him, as Albus Dumbledore had when fear oozed through the boy's very pores. James didn't seem to mind either, which helped.
One morning, Sev and James dragged themselves down the stairs to eat breakfast.
"Oh, good! It's pancakes again," Sev cried. "Sugar junkies unite!"
"You're the only person I know who so drenches his pancakes with syrup that they float," James said.
"I love when they fall apart!"
Mrs. Potter laughed, and handed Severus a wrapped package before they dug in.
"What's this, Mrs. P?" the Slytherin boy asked.
"Well, go on and open it, then!" James said in fake-annoyance. He got up and started rummaging through the refrigerator to see if there was anything else there that needed eating.
Sev opened it. Immediately his dark eyes flooded with tears.
"Seven hells, Mum, what did you do to him?"
"Nothing," Severus whispered. "Noth-ing...."
He held up a new red sweater.
"Now, this one I knit just for you, Severus," Mrs. P declared. "If anyone tries to destroy it, it will turn into something quite nasty and defend itself. It's nice and lightweight which means you can wear it for the autumn and spring as well."
Severus hesitantly turned to her.
"Give me a hug, you!" she said, holding out her arms.
"Thank you so much!" the boy said, falling into the kind woman's arms. "I'll take such good care of it!"
"I know you will, Severus," she said, returning his hug. "Now, make sure you don't let those pancakes soak up all the syrup..."
"But that's how he likes them, Mum," James grinned. "All mushy and full of syrup. Gah."
"To each his own, Potter," Sev replied, jamming a limp forkful into his mouth. "Oh, this is way too good!"
James and his mother looked on as the Slytherin devoured an entire short stack in less than three minutes.
"Now you've done it, Mum," James joked.
"What?"
"Now he's on a sugar high. He'll play Quidditch until I'm too exhausted to hold onto the broom."
"Well, why don't you eat your breakfast, Jimmie dear, and get dressed. Lily is coming over at ten o'clock."
The boys looked at the clock. It was nearly ten.
"Gods!" both shrieked, looking down at their sloppy t-shirts and flannel pajama pants.
"Shovel it in, Potter!"
"Mrrrfffmmgwpppp," the Gryffindor replied. "I dare you to pick up the plate and drink the syrup!"
"You're on!" cried Sev, tipping the plate above him and sticking out his tongue. James jiggled his arm, splashing syrup onto Snape's forehead.
"Dead! Dead! You're DEAD, Potter!" Severus mock-growled, wiping his hands across his forehead and smearing it onto the top of James' head.
"Must you play with your food, boys?" Mr. Potter laughed. He had just come downstairs himself and was ready for work.
"Of course we must," James said. "We love smearing food all over the walls."
"And don't forget the floor, and one another," Sev added, arranging James' sticky hair so that it stood on end in a bizarre corona. "Looks like your normal hairdo, Potter."
"Hey, Snape, when you fell down the Annoying Tree, how many branches did you break on the way down?"
Hey, Potter, did you get off the train at StupidGitville this morning?"
There was a knock at the door. Both syrup-smeared and grungy boys gasped as one.
Oh gods! It was Lily!!
Both raced from the room, whooping about who would get to the bathroom first.
From the clamor of shouts and the thundering of adolescent feet, James' parents surmised that the Slytherin boy won.
------------
Lily and Severus took the Wizard's Oath the next day.
"My House shall honor your House
For ever and ever without break or decay.
When the hills are all flat
And the rivers are all dry,
When it lightens and thunders in winter,
When it rains and snows in summer,
When Heaven and Earth mingle--
Not till then will I dishonor your House.
So Mote It Be."
Lily also pledged with James, so that all three of them became each other's safety net. The words were simple but the import was not. The Oath did not promise as much as eternal friendship as forbearance. It also bound the students to help each other's families, extant or future. All this seriousness, of course, had to be relieved by doing something silly. Luckily, James Potter had been thinking ahead for such an occasion.
"You want silly, Lily? You got silly!" James announced, ushering them into the Potter kitchen. The table was covered with a white oilcloth, and sitting on top weren't one – but two – chocolate cakes.
"PIG CAKE CONTEST! SEE WHO EATS THE MOST IN FIVE MINUTES! HANDS WILL BE TIED BEHIND BACKS! ONLY THE BIGGEST MOUTH WILL TASTE VICTORY!" James shrieked.
"Oh gods, Jimmie," Mrs. Potter said. "My poor kitchen!"
"We promise to clean it all up," Severus replied.
Lily was laughing too hard to respond.
"WHO WILL ACCEPT MY CHALLENGE?" James hollered.
Severus immediately demurred with a smile. He had a delicate stomach thanks to all the Dark curses his father had thrown at him over the years. And frankly, he did not want his hands tied behind his back. That brought up some pretty nasty memories he'd just as soon forget forever.
James looked at Lily. "Well, Redheaded Goddess?"
"Hells, YES!" she shouted. "Sev? Do the honors and tie our hands behind us. Mrs. Potter, we will begin on your signal!"
The two bustled around, readying the two competitors for the task ahead.
"All right then?" Mrs. P asked.
Both James and Lily nodded.
"GO!" Mrs. P cried, watching the clock.
To watch James Potter dig into a three-layer chocolate cake with nothing but his mouth was a sight to behold. Within moments, his facial features were totally obscured with icing. Lily made a respectable start, woofing down hunks of mashed cake and icing. She didn't want to take the time, but she wanted to remember later to tell Mrs. P that the cake was marvelous.
Severus laughed like an idiot; Mrs. P went for her Brownie Starflash and snapped pictures.
The time sped by, both contestants eyebrow-deep in cake, their jaws working furiously.
"Ten seconds!" Mrs. Potter announced.
The whites of the contestants' eyes were the only thing that wasn't covered in brown goo.
"STOP!"
Sev ran over, handing both Lily and James a bath towel. They tried their best to at least wipe the cake away sufficiently to breathe and see.
Mrs. Potter surveyed the remains. "As much as I hate to tell this to my own son – I declare Lily the winner!"
"Arrghh!" James shrieked, knees bent, crouching. "Beaten by a girl!"
Lily laughed and clapped her hands. "Victory!" she cried. "I triumph!" She pulled Snape into a hug. His eyes went wide.
James' eyes went wide as well. "Hey Snape!" he growled with faux-menace. "Unhand the champion!"
"Eat worms," the Slytherin grinned, enjoying the hug immensely.''
Lily laughed, and then stepped back. "I have a hug for you too, you great monkey."
At this, James began to whoop, practically flying to her side. She wrapped him in her arms. He pretended to melt into them. "Ohhh, goood hug, goooooood hug!"
They stayed in that position a bit longer than either expected. Finally breaking away, they gave one another an embarrassed smile.
"The least you can do is invite me to the wedding," Severus said, only halfway joking.
-------------
Severus spent the first two weeks in August at Malfoy Manor, teaching the other seventh-years and recent graduates what he knew about Dark potion making. Lucius' father Avaris treated him with courtly dignity, and his daughter Caesonia – who was a year younger than Severus – pampered and flattered him. At Lord Voldemort's request, she went to Durmstrang since she was even Darker than her brother Lucius.
A lovely blonde, Caesonia went on and on about Sev's gorgeous black eyes and the curves of his mouth. This was very confusing to Severus. As little as he understood the Dance of Social Exchange, he knew even less about the Dance of Flirtation and Seduction. As a result, when Caesonia backed him into corners, his fears overtook his common sense and he did everything he could to get away.
She even went so far as to sneak into his bedroom one night.
Surprising a touch-phobic boy and jolting him out of sleep was the wrong thing to do. Instead of welcoming her, he shrieked and pushed her away. With a hiss of rage, Caesonia heard footsteps out in the corridor and slid into a nearby wardrobe.
"Is everything all right?" Lucius' mother Plancina asked.
"Yes ma'am," Severus said, shaken. "I just had a dream. My apologies for waking you."
"No problem," she said. "Pleasant dreams." The door closed.
Severus sat up in bed and sighed. "You can come out now."
The girl slid from the wardrobe and stood there in her nightgown, the moonlight shining on her golden head. "Do you want me?" she said.
"I'm sorry, Caesonia, but you startled me. You're quite lovely but I'm just not ready for such things. I hope you understand."
The girl's pretty mouth curved into a scowl. "Well, it stands to reason. After all, you tried to kill yourself and got shipped off to St. Mungo's. I should have known you'd freeze, you stupid boy. Either that, or you like guys instead."
"I do not!" Severus shrieked in outrage. "Get out!"
She stuck out her tongue and whirled around, striding to the door in a few quick steps. "Fine. You're not much to look at, frankly. I just thought you fancied me and wanted to play." With a knowing sneer, she slipped out the door, only to run into her father standing directly outside Sev's room.
Severus chuckled as he listened to the two of them arguing. He learned a few new swear words that night.
Fine, let them argue.
Just leave me be, please.
--------------
Severus spent time in August at Professor Sartoris' house working on his potions skills. Oddly enough, Albus Dumbledore had not forbidden this. Sartoris chalked it up to the Headmaster's extreme old age and thought nothing more about it.
"The old dolt has probably forgotten all about my dressing-down," the Potions Master grumbled. "Here, Severus. Try this powdered Moa bone instead of that tincture of Diatryma blood."
He did not bother to share with the boy the fact that any correspondence from Britomartis Vox vanished immediately upon approaching the Castle. Similarly, any messages from Severus disintegrated long before they reached their destination in France. It resulted in some very confused owls and two broken hearts.
Well, what of it, Sartoris thought, stirring a cauldron of enervation fluid. What the lad didn't know wouldn't hurt him.
-------------