They Didn't Know We Were Seeds
The rest of Severus's summer with the Montagues is a disconcerting time. Mrs. Montague spends it buying Severus everything from socks to a new school trunk (despite his many protests) and watching the manor's windows for owls (or, perhaps, his mother). As for Boyd, he's gone most of the time. Mrs. Montague says he's working, but Severus has a feeling the job Mrs. Montague thinks Boyd has and the one he's actually working are quite different. Even when the weather is insufferably hot in late July, Boyd wears long sleeve shirts. And Sage… Sage is almost always at Severus's side.
He wants to show Severus everything in the manor. Most of what they spend their time looking at are things connected to happy memories Sage has of his father. Severus wants to ask Sage about the less good aspects of his father, like how he died, but he keeps his lips sealed shut. If his friend (now cousin) wants to talk about it, he will. Pushing a child to speak about such horrible things will do no one any favors.
Shortly after coming to stay with the Montagues, Severus begins to get letters from Lily about the going ons of Cokeworth. She says it's as dull as always, but mentions on occasion that her mother sees his at the market. She writes once that his mother looked a little worn down and tries to spin it in a positive light for him. Lily insists it's a sign that soon enough Mum will see sense and join him at the Montague Manor. As for Severus? He doesn't hold his breath (even as he hopes and hopes she'll finally pick him over Dad).
In between letters to him, Lily must have mentioned to Sirius that Severus has moved houses, because the three youngest Black children begin to write him en masse. They are terribly fascinated by his being taken on as a ward by Mrs. Montague and want to know all about it. In one of his first letters, Sirius asks him if they treat him like a House Elf. Severus tells him quite expressly, that, no, he's not become some kind of woe-is-me Cinderella figure. With time and afterthought, he does begin to wonder if Sirius had been attempting humor in that question, but it soon becomes too late to ask without looking like a dunderhead.
About a week before they are to go back to Hogwarts, the Black boys manage to wear Severus down enough with their insistence that he should have them over that Severus dares to ask Mrs. Montague if she would allow a couple of his mates to visit When she hears theses mates are the Black's sons, she goes on cleaning spree with her family's house elf, Topper, and insists Severus and Sage wear their very best robes for the Black's visit.
When the day comes and the Black brothers see them, they laugh at their formal wear. Severus can't help but blush in embarrassment. He's not experienced such shame since he was last a boy and could not always make his own decisions. However, after the two stop laughing at them, they all go outside and spend most of the afternoon taking turns flying around on Sage and Boyd's brooms in addition to talking about the elective classes they are going to take this year. Both Sage and Sirius are going to take Care of Magical Creatures, all three of them are taking Ancient Runes, and Severus alone will be studying Arithmancy (but not really, since he knows Lily will be in his class too).
By the time Sirius and Regulus have to leave, Severus is actually disappointed to see them go. It's by far one of the most enjoyable summer days he's ever experienced. Severus writes Lily and informs her of this, needing to share this knowledge with someone who he knows will care. Lily writes back almost immediately, she tells him she's happy for him, but, next time, if he's going to have the Blacks over invite her too. She could use a summer day away from Cokeworth and it's ever smog-cloaked streets.
Severus promises that he will.
-o-O-o-
Finally, it's time for them to go back to Hogwarts. Severus feels like he can relax once more. It's not that the Montagues aren't nice, but Sage almost never leaves him alone, Mrs. Montague bounces between smothering him with affection and lecturing him on his "plebian" manners, and Boyd, when he's around, is more often than not trying to goad him into childish behavior.
Standing beside Sage as Mrs. Montague talks at them, ordering they behave themselves and do her proud, he looks around at the crowds. He notes familiar figures, there is Narcissa with her parents and Lucius, off that way is Peter Pettigrew and his parents (he'd never paid the Marauder's parents much mind in his first lifetime, but Peter looks nothing like his trim, bespectacled parents. It makes him wonder if the boy's not adopted), and– That's a sour face he hasn't seen yet in this lifetime, as recognizable as it is. The scraggly, brunet boy there is Edmund Scabior
By Severus's death, he was one of the highest ranking Snatchers. Right now, however, he's going to become one of the biggest thorns in Slytherin's side. After he came along in his and Lily's first time through Hogwarts, Severus became the second biggest drain on Slytherin house points. That was no small feat to accomplish at the time either, since Severus never went a week through school without losing at least twenty house points. Frowning thoughtfully at the child, Severus wonders if he can find a way to make Scabior a productive member of their house rather than a drain. They came in second this last year for the House Cup. Severus would very much like it if they could start his house's winning streak while he's a student, rather than while he's a professor, like the first time.
Suddenly, Severus is poked in the side. Reaching for his wand, he nearly hexes the poor sod with cross eyes when he sees that it's Lily. She's grinning blithely at him, utterly ignorant to how close she came to disfigurement.
"Hiya," she greets.
He smiles back at her. "'Lo."
"Come with me, my parents want to say hello before we have to board the Express."
Severus looks to Mrs. Montague, who's now silent. "I'll be back in a moment," he tells her.
The woman frowns. "Don't you think you should introduce me to your friend first?"
He sighs quietly. "Lily, this is Mrs. Montague. My cousin."
Lily puts out her hand to shake Mrs. Montague's. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Madam."
Mrs. Montague sniffs snootily and only briefly touches Lily's hand before wiping it off on her robe. "You're the Muggleborn that did not live far from Severus's house in Cokeworth, aren't you?"
She frowns up at the woman. "Yes," she answers simply.
Severus decides to intervene before Sage's mother could say anything truly insulting. "Let's go see your parents. You said they wanted to chat, right?"
Lily gaze snaps to him. "That's right."
"Severus, you really should consider who you speak to in public. People are watching," Mrs. Montague chides.
Annoyed, Severus takes Lily's hand. As he begins to guide her off, he says, "You aren't my mother."
That leaves the woman gaping at him. He's been far too compliant for her. Severus will have to make sure he changes that as time goes on. He can't let her continue thinking he's just a dog to order around.
-O-
It doesn't take long for Lily and him to make their way their way through the crowds and to the Evans. When the couple and Petunia see them, their eyes brighten. It makes him nervous.
"Here he is!" Lily proclaims as they come to a slow stop in front of her family.
Mr. Evans looks him over. "Lily says family on your mother's side has taken you in."
"Yes, sir."
Smiling, Mrs. Evans remarks, "They seem to be taking good care of you. Those robes look new."
Severus glances down at himself. "My cousin is," he replies earnestly.
"Has your mother spoken to you much? Since you went to stay with your cousin?" the woman asks.
He looks away. "Not… Not much."
Mr. Evans frowns. "The no owls rule still in place, lad?"
He grudgingly nods.
Reaching into his breast pocket, the man pulls out a cigarette and lights it. Eyeing Severus through the smoke, he asks, "Anything you'd like us to say to her if we see her?"
Severus can't hide his surprise. That is an offer he never expected. "Yes," he replies. "Would you… Would you tell her I miss her?"
Both of Lily's parents nod. "Of course, Severus," Mrs. Evans says kindly.
Tentatively, he smiles back. The Express whistles. As Severus turns his head to look at the train, Lily swoops toward her family and hugs them all. "I'll write you later tonight!" she promises.
"Come on, Lily, we better hurry if we want to get a compartment together."
She dips her head in agreement and waves at her family as they head for the train. As they join the other children rushing to get on the Express, Severus thinks of his mother. He hopes she does get the message from the Evans. He would very much like her to know he's not forgotten her. While Severus knows better than to hope, he still can't help but wish for that one message to be enough to bring her back into the magical world (and to him).
How did you like this chapter? I know the first half was quite a lot of exposition…
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