The country roads wound through England, and a few hours later they arrived in Surry. Severus had gotten sick already once and was on the verge again. The cramped vehicle was not to his liking at all. The music Alexis played was loud, obnoxious and rather unbearable. The car itself was too fast, small and with the top down his hair blew around his face making it impossible to really see.

Alexis on the other hand was quite comfortable sitting with out leg room, hair blowing in her eyes and sunglasses as the music pounded. Her leather jacket was pulled snuggly around her small waist under her seatbelt. God, even under the confines of cloths, her figure was perfect. Her black hair was shorter than he remembered, but it glistened in the open sun light. Somehow her personality seemed right for this car. She was wild, always had been a bit. She loved the speed, the noise. Perhaps America suited her more than he ever had. According to Albus, she'd been living in the state of New York, selling magic to Muggles and Wizards alike. Apparently, she'd found that some Muggles were adapt at incantations and potions even if they'd never had any magical history at all. From Albus and Minerva he'd discovered that she'd been living alone for the last six years. This was a shock, because while the Ministry of Magic did not grant divorces, they did allow families to separate. What they did after was their own affair.

"How much farther?" he asked. She slowed down and turned left on to a road called Privet Drive. She gave him a smile, her white teeth shining. "We're here, Sevvy."

He cringed at the old endearment. She pulled up next to a home, small and brick. She slid out from behind the wheel just as a breeze passed through. His robes and her trench coat caught, giving their already abnormal appearance a new dimension. Tucking his wand into his robes, he followed her to the door of Number Four Privet Drive. He watched as she pushed a hand though her hair and proceeded to knock on the door.

The front door opened to reveal a tall, rail-figured woman with brunet hair. Alexis surveyed the other woman through her thick sunglasses. "Hi, my name's Alexis and I'm here--." She was cut off as the other woman held up her hand. "Don't want anything!" she cried, beginning to close the door. Alexis stuck her foot in the way before it could be closed fully. "No! We're not sales people. We're here to see Harry." Alexis tried to push past the door but was unsuccessful.

Severus watched as Petunia Dursy's face went whiter than snow. "There's no Harry here!" She pushed Alexis' foot out of the way. She had almost closed the damned thing when he pushed past his wife and pointed his wand at the older woman. She fell back and yelled. Grabbing Alexis' arm, he hauled her inside the small home. Turning, he saw two fat figures come in from the kitchen. "Where is Harry Potter, Dursy?" He pointed his wand again. The older man, fat and balding, looked at horror at the object in Severus' hand. Severus felt a soft hand on his forearm. He turned his head to see Alexis standing next to him, eyes fearful of the rash action her husband may perform. He lowered his wand.

Alexis nodded her head at Vernon Dursy. "Sir, we need to see Harry. Now. He needs to come with us." Mr. Dursy, skin ashen, shook his head. He wasn't allowing these people into his home. No. Not now. He opened his mouth, yet the look on the mad-man's face was enough to scare him. He shouted for Harry. The quicker they were gone, the better.

Severus turned from the odd family to wait for Harry. Alexis grabbed his hand and gave it a quick squeeze. She moved forward and spoke with the Dursy family. He heard bits and pieces of the conversation. Her sultry voice reached his ears as he heard a door upstairs close firmly. "...for the protection of your family...Dudley...out of your lives for a short while..." Footsteps could be heard, and then at the bottom of the stairs, his face pinched in disgust, stood Harry Potter. His blue eyes clashed with Severus' black ones. They were cold, those blue eyes. His hair covered his scar and fell above his eyes.

Alexis stopped talking and moved between the two adversaries. She pushed a hand through her billowing hair. She smiled. "Hello Harry. My name is Alexis Snape. You are already acquainted with my husband." She gestured to Severus. At the look of shock on young Potter's face, she gave a small laugh. "Yes, Harry, I am married to the old git. Here, read this." From inside her coat she produced a letter, sealed with the official Hogwarts seal. With trembling feigners, the six people in the cramped foyer watched as Harry Potter opened it. Severus watched attentively. How would this child react to having to spend the summer with a man he loathed?

Harry looked up, his face skewed in confusion. "I thought," he started. "I thought that as long as I stayed with Aunt Petunia, Voldemort couldn't hurt me. What does Dumbledore mean, "You will only be safe with Severus and Alexis."?" He glanced at his aunt, uncle and cousin, and then turned his attention to Alexis, completely ignoring his Potions instructor. "How do I know? How do I know you're really not some Death Eater using a Polyjuice Potion? I mean, no one ever mentioned that Dumbledore had children let alone one of them being married to him!" He spat the last word out. Who in their right mind would want to be tied to such a bastard of a man?

Severus cocked his head to the side and sent fleeting look to his wife. He took a step toward Harry, but the boy fell back. Damn, but this was not going to be easy. Clearing his throat, he began. "Mister Potter...." Arg! "The Blood Bond cannot hold. Voldemort has found a way to break the bond. He plans to kill your...family...and to remove the threat to both yourself and...these charming...people...Lupin and Dumbledore have decided that you are to...be...our guest..." He trailed off. Why couldn't this boy just accept it and let them be done with it? He raised an eyebrow at his wife, understood this meaning and stepped forward to ease the awkwardness. He moved back and gave the Dursy's a foul glance. "Let me out!" His mind cried. Harry looked at him in a disbelieving way. "Rumius wouldn't want me to spend the holidays with you!" He turned to look at his aunt and uncle. They stood, terrified of the man that Harry knew as Snape. Dudley, normally the first to make a comment, was staring at the woman called Alexis as if she were some sort of goddess. There was no way that Dumbledore would allow Snape to marry such a beautiful woman. "Arro wand!" He heard the shocked gasp of Alexis and his Aunt. Snape looked murderous. He turned toward the stairs, looking for the object that would save him.

"Potter!"

"Harry!"

The combined voices of the couple wouldn't stop him. He heard a cry and then the world went black.

"Severus! You promised Father you wouldn't scare him."

Alexis stepped up to the boy's body which lay prone at the bottom of the stairs. She knelt down and gave him the once over. "Didn't hit his head." She picked up his wand. "What a pity." Severus' snide remark was not what she wanted right now. He came behind her and lifted the boy from the floor. Turning, they faced the small family which huddled in the hall, expecting death. Severus glared and moved to the living room, where he laid the boy down on the couch. Alexis addressed the Dursley's.

"We are taking Harry with us. He is a danger to all of you. Please, gather his things and have them ready to leave within ten minutes. If any one inquires as to his whereabouts, simply tell them that you sent his to stay the summer with one of his friends. Do not, under any circumstances, state our names, lives or anything that you have witnessed today. If you do, I will kill you. And if I fail, my lovely husband will kill you. Do I make my self clear?" She made the last words a threat, and produced enough venom in her voice to make it sound true. At their nod, she turned and went out to her car to make room for the luggage.

Two hours later, she and Severus sat in the front of her car while Harry lounged in the back. They'd been on the road about an hour before he'd woken up. He looked around and wisely resided himself to the fact that he was stuck with the couple. He hadn't asked any questions, which she'd have expected. He never so much as blinked. Instead, he sat idly and watched the hillside pass along the road. Alexis watched as he pushed a clammy hand through the thick, patchy hair which lay disheveled upon his head.

She turned off the Bruce Springstien album which Severus had insisted she play, and looked into her rear view mirror. "Harry, are you alright?" At the shake of his head, she gave a small nod. "You know, Severus and I are so excited about you coming for the summer." He gave a curious glance but returned to starring out the window. "How 'bout some dinner? I'm quite famished, and it looks as if you could use a few stones." Again he nodded. She smiled and turned her attention back to the road ahead of them. "How about you, Sev? Hungry yet?"

Severus, whom until then had been lounging in the front seat with his eyes tightly closed, not against the sun but the woman who sat to his left, gave a small sigh. She was always attentive. Never, in all their years together, did she ever miss a beat when it came to creature comforts. He turned his head and gave her slight smile. Her eyes lit up with pleasure. "Why don't we allow Harry to choose the restaurant? I take it you do have Muggle currency?" He heard the boy give a slight gasp. No doubt he probably thought that he was to be the main course. Not today, Potter, not today.