It was raining when Severus arrived on the Evans's doorstep with Dumbledore. Severus rang the bell himself, his other hand clutching a small shabby bag of all his pitful belongings while a carboard box of his school things stood between him and the headmaster, soggying with the driving rain.
The curtain twitched aside and a girl with a horsey face and rather short, lanky hair peered out at them. She gasped to see Dumbledore, who was extraordinarily out of place in the cozy little suburb of Muggles. Dumbledore smiled serenely at her from under his tall, pointed hat. The girl's mouth fixed into a silent scream and she scattered, the curtain swishing back into place.
"Miss Evans's nonmagic sister," commented Dumbledore, still smiling serenly. "We must be kind to her. She doesn't seem to like Wizards, if I may go by a certain peer of yours."
Severus felt an angry pang surge through his heart. Precious Potter had had a run-in with Lily Evans one summer and had even met her nonmagic sister. He'd spread it all over school how he'd saved her from an oncoming bus that was hurtling down the street at top speed, but instead of being grateful, Lily's sister had kicked him and fled.
Severus almost hated Dumbledore for the reminder of the person he hated most, but the next moment, the door swung open and the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen distracted him.
The man he'd seen on the platform on his first journey to Hogwarts stood smiling at them in the doorway, thin of build with balding salt and pepper hair. But it wasn't the man Severus had been taken with: Lily Evans stood beaming at her father's elbow, her glossy red hair smoothed back in a twisted bun and a house coat wrapped tight around her pajamaed legs. What Severus loved most was her tiny naked ankles above her slippered feet.
" . . . glad we could help," Mr. Evans was saying, shaking Dumbledore's hand. "Father and mother died, most unfortunate . . ." His happy, green eyes flitted toward Severus sympathetically.
"Yes, well, Severus is most fortunate indeed to have people who care for him such as Miss Evans and yourself," answered Dumbledore, twinkling down at Lily.
Lily stepped back and offered Severus her hand. "Won't you come in?" she said, smiling up at Dumbledore momentarily, but barely taking her pitying eyes off Severus.
"Yes!" called a cheery voice from the interior of the house, and a beaming woman appeared. Her rich, red hair was streaked with gray, but she was very lovely as she poured cups of tea. "I've just taken it off the stove."
"Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Evans," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "Though the offer is quite tempting, I'm cutting down on my surgar intake, you see. Must watch my figure."
Everyone laughed except Severus, who was staring at Lily's ankles, and the horse-faced girl from before. She stood in a corner of the livingroom, looking sullen as she watched the proceedings from beneath glowering brows.
"I'll be along to collect Severus for school," continued Dumbledore.
"Oh, no, it's our pleasure to take him," assured Mr. Evans, gesturing for Severus to come in.
"How generous of you," answered Dumbledore, smiling. He looked at Severus, "I trust you'll be alright?"
"Fine, sir," called Severus absently, for the sullen girl with the horse-face had caught his eye and they were glowering at each other steadily.
Dumbledore smiled, "Very well. Good night to you all." He twinkled at Lily one last time, who smiled back, then he was gone.
"You must be exhausted," said Mrs. Evans, who had no clue that Severus and the headmaster had simply Apparated onto the street corner.
"Yes . . . very . . ." answered Severus absently still. The horse-face girl had moved to his box of school things and was peering into it with her lip curled. He snarled at her and threw his arms over the open top.
"I'll get that, Severus," said Mr. Evans at once, stepping in to lift the box as his sullen daughter backed away, looking startled.
"And I'll make you up a place on the sofa," added Mrs. Evans, moving into the hall. "Lily, would you help me fetch some blankets, dear?"
Lily hurried after her mother, leaving Severus and the sullen girl alone.
"Who are you?" the girl demanded rudely.
She looked older than Lily, about fifteen. She was rather thin and wore a repulsive set of purple pajamas with green bunny slippers. Her ratty hair sat ontop of her head in a frizzy bun; it was clear she had tried to imitate her sister.
"Severus Snape," answered Severus coldly.
There was a pause.
"Well?" shrilled the sullen girl.
"'Well' what?" demanded Severus.
"Don't you want to know my name?"
Severus's lip curled. "Absolutely not," he said, seating himself in one of the armchairs.
"It's Petunia Evans!" shrilled the girl in her squeaky, rather irritating voice. She pointed a finger at Severus, "And you can't sit there!"
Severus glared at her finger as if he wanted to snap it off, wondering darkly how he would last the rest of the summer.
"I can sit wherever I want," said Severus smoothly, smiling his cold, mocking smile. "Do you know why?"
Petunia stared at him warily. "Why?"
Severus leaned in and whispered, "Because I killed my parents . . . with this!" He pulled his wand out of his back pocket and waved it.
Petunia let out a shrill scream and fled the room, sobing, "Daddy! Daddy! It's another one of them!"
Severus heard a girl's rich laughter and looked around to see Lily standing in the entrance hall. She was beaming at him.
"So you've forgiven me, then?" said Severus uncomfortably, his voice gruff and his glittering eyes averted.
"I heard your mother is hurt and that -- that your father is dead . . ." Lily said quietly. "Oh, Severus," she said sadly, crossing the room and standing in front of him uncertainly, her hands at her sides. "I'm so sorry -- "
"Don't be," Severus cut across her. "If Mum hadn't of done it, I would."
There was silence as the crickets chirruped feverishly through the windows in the summer heat.
"Are you scared?" Lily asked in a low voice.
Severus looked up. "I've never been afraid of anyone or anything in my life," he said sharply. "Not Azkaban, not Potter, not even -- "
"Voldemort?"
"He's like me, Lily. I know you see it too!"
"He's not!" Lily cried. "You've got a chance!"
Severus scoffed and averted his eyes.
"Severus, don't join forces with him!" Lily whispered desperately. "Your interest in the Dark Arts can only lead to -- "
"Leave it, Lily!"
"It's true!" Lily fired.
"If you suspect I want to join him," Severus said, "then why are you trusting me, here, in your home? Why do you keep believing in me?" He said it with his lip curled, as if he loathed her for what he saw as her charity.
Lily flopped onto the arm of the chair and sighed, her thick lashes lowering as she thought desperately. Then she looked at Severus, "I'm trying to save you."
"From what?" Severus sneered.
"From yourself."
Severus's glittering eyes seemed to glitter with something more than the usual malice. He averted his gaze, his heart pounding wildly. He kept thinking of his mother lying in the hospital, doomed to live in hiding for the rest of her life. He kept thinking of his dismal life in general and how it had suffered with the absence of the one person who made it worth while. In truth: Lily Evans was the only real friend he'd ever had. That was one more than Voldemort.
"I believe in you, Severus," Lily whispered. "I believe in the good in you."
"Why?" Severus demanded.
"Because," Lily straightened up and smiled, "one summer when I was lonely and crying and sad, a boy with black eyes gave me a red M&M."