Chapter 8 – Taking the Leap
A/N –According to the good people at the Harry Potter Lexicon, Severus Snape entered Hogwarts in 1971, thus I'm assuming the summer after his fifth year takes place during the year 1977. Now, '77 was a good year; I was eleven, and from what I recall disco was big. I even have my old Bee Gees albums to prove it. It was also the year that "Saturday Night Fever" came out. Remember John Travolta in that famous white suit? No? Okay, me too. It was an "R" rated movie, after all. But I had the soundtrack … So, not being British, I'm assuming that disco was big in England as well as here in the U.S. If I'm wrong, let me know and I'll gladly make the necessary tweaks.
* * *
Severus studied himself in the mirror, frowning at his strange clothing. He wore a maroon long-sleeved shirt in a silky polyester fabric, with itchy double-knit black pants. A sleek, black leather belt with a shiny, gold-tone buckle accented the look. Severus scowled.
Basically, he looked ridiculous.
Of course, the man at the Everything Muggle Store down at Diagon Alley had told him otherwise. The dishonest peddler would've said anything to make a sale. He'd even sold Severus a matching black blazer, which supposedly completed the ensemble. Severus picked the coat up off his bed and casually slung it over one shoulder in a manner he had been told would be debonair. He returned to the mirror and modeled his new look, checking out the view from various angles. None flattered, however, and with a sigh, Severus tossed the blazer on the bed, and slumped down next to it.
The man at the shop had referred to the fashion as "disco" and claimed it was the latest Muggle craze, but Severus was afraid he looked more like a Muggle gangster than anything else. And, of course, his hair didn't help. He'd washed it with some sort of herbal shampoo that he'd picked up at same store, and his black, chin-length hair was wavier than normal, and, Merlin forbid, bouncy. To top it all off, he now smelled like fruit.
Despairingly, he ran his fingers through his unruly tresses, then stood up, strode over to his dresser and rummaged through the various toiletries that he'd found in his mother's room. They were over five-years-old, and some appeared congealed, or lumpy in consistency. Severus picked up a plastic tube which contained a bright green gelatinous substance labeled "Dippity Do." The tube made a disgusting flatulent noise as he squeezed a large lump onto his palm. He vigorously rubbed his hands together, then spread the gel into his hair, combing it through with his fingers to make sure it was evenly distributed. Then he stepped in front of the mirror again to survey his handiwork, and this time he actually felt satisfied. He looked as he usually did…though he still smelled like fruit.
But it would have to do; the time was drawing near.
Severus picked up his blazer, shrugged it on, then headed for the door. He was long past uncertainty at this point. He'd mulled over the idea of seeing Lily for several days before deciding to take the leap. And it was a blind one. But Lily was right; it was time they came to terms with their feelings—and with each other. She was now constantly in his thoughts, day and night. And it was positively maddening.
Tonight, she'd be waiting for him at a Muggle cafe across town. He smiled as he thought of this, and swung open his bedroom door. Soon, they'd be together. He wouldn't let her wait in vain.
* * *
"Severus?"
The date-bound teenager paused, and then reluctantly looked up at his mother's portrait.
"Severus, where are you going?"
"Out," he replied with no intention of elaborating.
"But your clothes…?"
"What about them?" he said casually, turning away from the portrait, and heading toward the foyer.
* * *
"Severus?"
The skin on the back of his neck prickled, and he turned around.
"Severus, where are you going?" His father's tone was threatening.
Severus paused, considering his answer, then replied in the same dismissive manner he'd used with his mother. "Out," he said, lifting his chin a half-inch, in an unwise sign of defiance.
"Where, exactly?" his father questioned, his eyes raking over Severus' outlandish get-up.
Severus thought for a moment. Although his father had hinted earlier that his son could engage in a 'dalliance' with a Mudblood like Lily without fear of punishment, he still felt wary. And besides, a meeting with Lily would never, in his mind, be considered a 'dalliance.' Not where his heart was concerned.
So he stared directly into Mordemos' eyes, and lied. "A Muggle studies group," he said evenly, and, he hoped, convincingly.
"Oh?" His father lifted an eyebrow, obviously doubtful. "During Summer Break, and on a Saturday night?"
"Well, y-yes," Severus faltered. "We…we thought that we'd study the social behavior of—"
"Legimens!" his father said suddenly in a booming voice. He pointed his wand directly at his son, and stared unflinchingly into his eyes.
"No!"
Severus staggered back and felt the memories flowing out of him. Lily in the library. Lily in the corridor. Lily on the train. And the letter. Her letter. The words poured out of his mind, as if Mordemos were reading them.
And when it was over, he found himself slumped on the cold marble floor, his hands shielding his face. His voice was almost hoarse as he shouted for his father to stop. In the background, Severus heard his mother calling out to them, demanding to know what was going on. She sounded hysterical—panicked.
"So," his father said in a sinister voice, "you've been keeping secrets from me…and lying, it seems."
Severus looked up, fearful as he saw the cold, hard look on the elder Snape's face. "No, Father, it's not what you think, we just—"
"Silence!" his father roared, dark eyes glittering. "Such a pathetic excuse for a son. You're weak, and foolish—just your mother." Sneering, he glanced at his Isabel Snape's frantic-looking portrait. "The Linton's were a spineless family, blood traitors to the end—with no vision." He turned back to Severus. "But you are not entirely worthless. You'll fulfill your purpose one day." He smiled at this, and then turned abruptly, his black robes sweeping the air as he headed out of the room.
He paused briefly in the doorway. "Now, be off with you!" he growled over his shoulder "Have your little 'dalliance' with that Mudblood 'no one' you seem to care about so much. But just be warned, it will end badly."