They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

Severus sets his things down in the guest room he and Sage are to share while they are at Boyd's. Looking around the room, he notes the drapes and duvet match color-wise and the expertly angled ceramic golden snidget sitting on a table in front of the room's decorative mirror. He finds himself impressed by how put together the room is. It's not unusual for a wizard of Boyd's background to have taste and a knack for design, but… Boyd does not seem the type. He asks Sage about the room.

"It was probably Violet Parkinson who helped him with the flat. They're quite good friends," he says. Then, a tad mischievous, he adds, "Though, they might be a bit more than mates these days. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to go to a wedding for them before we finish Hogwarts."

He nods. Sage doesn't know it, but he's quite right. They will be going to a wedding for Violet and Boyd sometime in the next couple of years. He knows for a fact Graham's mother had been named Violet. Briefly, his thoughts go to Clara Parkinson. He wonders if she told her sister at the very least about what happened to her. He doubts it. She had seemed quite determined that no one should ever know— Lest it reaches her father.

Wearily, he asks, "She's not going to show up while we're staying with your brother, is she?"

Sage shrugs. "Probably not. From what I've heard, her father's a bit overprotective. I think Boyd said once she's not even allowed to have a job because her father's worried she'll fall in love with a colleague who's a Muggleborn or Half-blood and ruin the family name."

Severus's eyebrows come together to form a canyon. "How little does he think of his daughter?"

"Um," the boy mumbles, looking a little uncomfortable at Severus's question. "I know I've made him sound pretty awful, but he's probably not that bad? His children are quite normal by all accounts, anyway. I've met Violet a few times. She's really witty. No one else can make Boyd laugh half as much as she does. I'm sure you've met her little sister, Clara? She's a sixth year. She's a bit on the shy side, but very clever. She's one of the top students in her year. In fact, if you were to talk to her, I'm sure you'd find you have something in common! I hear she likes creating spells. Then there's their older brother…" Sage trails off, obviously struggling to recall some positive trait of his. Severus, however, does not need Sage to describe the man to him.

He remembers Adam Parkinson very well. He worked alongside the man a number of times during the first war. Adam had been a taciturn fellow who always cursed to kill in battles. He did not have much, if any, mercy, for those on the "wrong" side of the war. He raised an equally vicious daughter too. Pansy gave Severus more problems than any of the other girls in her year combined. Even Millicent Bulstrode's penchant for physical violence had been manageable compared to Pansy and the petty feuds she started between girls all in the name of "a bit of fun".

Severus tuned back in just as he heard Sage say, "—There has to be something good about him. He just got married this last spring to a Farley. The Farleys are not all that highly regarded in public opinion these days, you know? One of them left his wife a few years back to go live with his Muggle lover on the continent. If you're not disgusted with him for the Muggle-lover part, you definitely are with him for leaving his wife and family. "

"Hmm…" is all Severus can make himself say.

Sage sighs. "So, should we see what Boyd has planned for lunch?"

-o-O-o-

It's very late at night and the time is probably closer to three in the morning than midnight. Sage is passed out with his face smashed into Severus's shoulder on the sofa. As for Boyd, he's staring broodingly into the dying fire in an armchair not even a meter away. The three of them had been up, just talking about this and that. Shortly before Sage nodded off, the Montague brothers had been reminiscing about a trip to Italy they took with their parents shortly before their father died.

With tears glossing his eyes, Sage had asked, "Why'd he do it, Boyd?"

Boyd, expression stricken, could only shake his head at his little brother. "I wish I knew, Sage."

Severus feels sleep weighing down his own eyelids, but he knows he can't just yet. He has to ask. "How exactly did your father die?" he questions Boyd.

The young man looks at Severus, eyes hateful. "Like you haven't figured it out."

He frowns. "I haven't, actually," he replies. "I have a feeling, but—"

Harshly, Boyd hisses, "Then let me spell it out for you! Our father killed himself!"

Undeterred, Severus murmurs, "Was Sage involved somehow? When I initially refused to come home with him over holidays, he became quite upset and insisted your mother would 'figure it out'." He eyes the man, who looks ghostly white in the dim light of the room. "What exactly is this 'it' he was talking about?"

Fiercely, Boyd warns, "Don't you dare speak a word of this ever again." He takes a deep breath. Then, Boyd says, "Sage… Sage found Father as he was dying. He took a potion, you see. At the time, Sage didn't know that. Father looked off and Sage was going to get Mother or Topper, but Father insisted it was nothing and had Sage sit with him." Face dark and loathing he finishes, "Father made Sage watch him take his last breath. Now, Sage blames himself. He thinks it's his fault our father died."

Severus turns his gaze to the boy slumbering on his shoulder. He's gotten gangly this past year, and his face has thinned some too, making it easier to see just how alike he and his older brother are going to look once he's fully grown. Even so, Severus can still remember exactly how he looked during their first year together. Sage had only been a bit younger than that when his father died. The Montagues' father was a selfish man to have insisted his young son stay by his side as he died. Sage had been too young for that. Is still too young even now. Perhaps he will always be too young. No son should be forced to sit by a parent's side uselessly and watch them die.

"Your mother doesn't know this," Severus states.

Boyd shakes his head, something a bit like regret flashing in his eyes. "I… I told him not to tell her. Mother didn't need to know Father managed to scar Sage for life in his last moments on this plane. It would have just made everything even worse. Somehow, Sage took that to mean Mother would blame him just like he blames himself if she knew. I've tried to explain to him that's not why he shouldn't tell her, but…" he looks helplessly at Severus as he trails off.

Severus does understand. Aunt Vesta will have a conniption if she ever finds out what her husband did to their youngest son. There will be nothing she can do to fix it and will probably be left feeling just as at fault for how things occurred as Sage does now. Of course, that guilt will be unfounded. Both of their guilty consciences will be unfounded. It's bad enough already that Sage has to carry this weight and possibly always will, they don't need Aunt Vesta carrying it too. It will do no one any good.

"I won't tell Sage I know," Severus says slowly, "but I will make sure to watch out for him and if it comes up, to reassure him that he is not at fault for your father's death."

The young man's Adam's apple bobs in the dim light. "Thank you," he finally croaks. "You're… You're a good lad. I'm glad Sage has you."

Severus smiles thinly. It's far too early to know if his friendship with Sage will stop him from committing suicide in the future. He hopes what's happened so far will be enough, but… Well, Severus is used to his all not being enough. Especially when it comes to saving others. "Don't thank me yet," he says.

-o-O-o-

"Why look who it is! Boyd Montague!" a young woman's voice exclaims from behind. The Montagues and Severus stop trying to battle the platform's crowds to turn around and see who called out to Boyd.

When they do, Severus really can't say he's surprised to see Clara, Adam, and who he assumes to be, Violet Parkinson staring at them. Out of the three, Clara sticks out like crup among Jack Russel Terriers. At first glance, she undoubtedly is a Parkinson. She's of middle-height, like her sister, and fills out her robe in a similarly alluring way. It's easy to see a relation between her and Adam too. She, like Adam, like Violet, are all brunets. But it is only Clara and Adam who share a short, snubbed nose.

However, if you look closely, you can see Clara lacks something her elder siblings share. While the elders stand with their shoulders squared, gazes direct and unflinching, Clara seems to want to disappear. She keeps her hands tightly folded in front of her, eyes lowering whenever she makes eye contact with another. She doesn't look the least bit happy. He wonders if Violet had told Clara about her plan to "bump" into Boyd and the rest of them in advance and she doesn't like it. Or, perhaps, she just doesn't care for crowds.

Severus sympathizes with her either way.

Smiling, Boyd says, "What a surprise. Hello, Violet." He dips his head in the directions of the remaining Parkinsons. "Adam, Clara."

Stepping forward with a barely-concealed spring, Violet asks, "What are you doing here, Boyd?"

Severus nearly rolls his eyes. Her question sounds so fake he's surprised her brother and sister don't call Violet out on it. He feels, more than sees, the older of the Montague brothers gesture at him and Sage. "Seeing the lads off."

Adam glances down at them and then at Boyd. "I thought you only had one brother?"

"Yes, that's right." Boyd puts a hand on Sage's shoulder first. "This one's my brother," he says, "his name is Sage."

Without any other prompting, Sage dips his head in acknowledgment of the introduction and murmurs, "How do you do?"

Offering a hand for Sage to shake, Adam replies, "Well, thank you."

"This is Severus, my cousin," Boyd continues, laying a hand on Severus's shoulder as he does so. He squeezes it briefly, though, Severus can't say if it's to comfort him or to warn him against being rude.

Since the last thing he wants to do is start discord between him and Boyd just as they're finally starting to see eye to eye, Severus ignores it. He puts out his hand for Adam to shake. "It's nice to meet you."

The Parkinson man ignores it in favor of turning a critical eye on Boyd. "Your cousin?" he repeats.

In response, Sage's brother tenses. "Yes," he answers. "On my mother's side. He's recently become a ward of the family."

Adam's lips turn sharply downward at the corners. "I see."

Violet, who's been gazing at Boyd like a besotted puppy, abruptly stops when she hears the tone of her brother's voice. She turns a pleading look on her little sister. Clara, for her part, sighs in quiet resignation before saying softly, "Adam, did you know Severus has quite the reputation at Hogwarts? He's not only the top student in his year, but had a hand in helping to end the disappearances of familiars at Hogwarts last year."

The disapproval on the Parkinson man's face lessens ever so slightly. "Is that so?"

"Yes, it is," Sage pipes up. Severus looks his cousin's way. It seems Sage has caught on to the fact this "chance encounter" is, in fact, not a chance encounter. Boyd and Violet have planned this meeting today. For what reason, Severus can't be entirely certain. They may have just wanted to see each other, but they may have also wanted for Adam and Boyd to pleasantly reacquaint themselves as adults so when he proposed to Violet he would be supportive of their union. Smiling at the man, Sage says, "Severus's also good at creating spells. He has this one that lifts someone up into the air and flips them upside down. It's quite clever, really."

The look Adam gives Sage is indulgent. "I'm sure it is." He looks at Severus. "It's good to see your background has not impacted your abilities."

Severus holds back the urge to snarl. He hates Adam. If Boyd and Violet weren't giving each other lovesick eyes, he would tell the man exactly what he thinks of him and his backhanded compliments.

"Thank you," he grinds out.

Adam nods before turning his eyes onto the Express not far off in the distance. "Clara, lads, I'd say you best be off. The Express should be leaving soon."

Severus is more than happy to regrip the handle of his school trunk. "Yes, you're right," Severus agrees. "Come, Sage," he looks to the youngest Parkinson. There's a slightly lost look to her eyes. "Clara, would you care to join us?"

Her gaze snaps to him, then to her brother. Adam nods. She smiles and says, "Please, thank you."

The three of them head off. A few minutes later, after they're on the Express, and just as they are about to split up on the train to find their own compartments, Clara puts a hand on Severus's arm.

He looks at her.

Expression apologetic, she says, "I'm sorry if anything my brother said upset you. It's not a very good excuse, but Adam… He spends a lot of time in the company of our father and his friends. Not everything they have to say about others is very kind."

Severus nods. He appreciates Clara's sensitivity. He tries to remember, but he can't say he recalls exactly what happens to her in the future. He doesn't think she has much, if any role, in either war. He's quite sure she married someone outside of Slytherin, perhaps even outside of Hogwarts. It likely gave her the option to remain fairly neutral in the wars. He's glad for that. Prays she can have such a role again. "Thank you," he says.

She smiles before disappearing into a compartment. Sage looks at him. "I wouldn't mind her for a sister-in-law," he comments, conspiratorially.

He smirks back at his cousin. "Nor would I."

Sage's secret has been revealed! What do you think? And what about their time with Boyd in general?

Also, I want to thank you all for helping my fic reach and surpass 450 reviews last chapter! It makes me feel good knowing you all enjoy this story so much. Even more so since I know it's mostly in thanks to you repeat reviewers that it happened.

Thank you all for reading!