They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

"Just because I'm going to spend a week with you after Narcissa's wedding doesn't mean you shouldn't write me and insist I visit before then, alright?" Sirius tells him with a grin that if he were not holding it up with the sheer force of will Severus knows would look more like a grimace. He sympathizes with his friend's plight. Severus can't say he's really all that thrilled about being home for the summer either. Neither of them is looking at a particularly restful holiday, unfortunately.

Even so, Severus plays along and smirks. "Subtle as always," he says, "I'll speak to Aunt Vesta and see if she'll be agreeable to a visit next week, alright?"

Sirius's eyes brighten. "Wicked! Bye, Severus!"

"Goodbye."

Lily, who's just finished her own curious farewell with Cresswell (what's going on between the two of them Severus is very interested to know), comes up next to him and asks, "So, I'll see you next week?"

He nods, thankful for her loudly proclaiming their "plan". Really, he'll be at Clara and Benjy's wedding – but no one is to know that. "Yes, Tuesday," replies he.

She meets his gaze with a smile. "Maybe Mum and Dad will let you spend the night."

Severus tilts his head at this, unsure what Lily is trying to get at.

"After all, if you're staying for dinner, what's the night?"

"Wh–" he stops abruptly. Oh. Oh. Lily's phishing for him to actually visit her after Clara and Benjy's wedding. Mentally, he shrugs. Severus doesn't see the harm and it could potentially be the perfect time to ask about what Lily is doing with Cresswell exactly. "Perhaps," he agrees. "Mum will have to be alright with it."

Her smile broadens into a grin. "Brill!" she exclaims. Leaning in quickly, she presses a kiss to his cheek. "See you soon!" she concludes before hurrying off to find her parents and sister.

He shakes his head in amusement. Severus then looks back at where Sage waits patiently with their trunks. His brother perks up instantly. "Ready to find our mums?" he asks.

Severus nods, though, he can't stop the fretful thoughts brewing in the back of his mind. "Are you? Are you certain you don't want to say goodbye to Tuft?"

"Shut up," huffs Sage. "You know I had to break her heart last week."

With a roll of his eyes, Severus promises, "She'll bounce back. Next year, she'll be as friendly as ever." Taking his trunk from Sage, he remarks, "Which really might not be a bad thing."

His brother frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Severus doesn't say, instead, he turns back around and starts to lead them through the throngs of students and families to search for their mothers. Truthfully, however, Severus worries about Sage's lack of friendships. Yes, he and Lily get on and often do things without him, and on occasion, he's seen Sage and Regulus split off together to discuss Quidditch or to help each other study, but otherwise, his brother really hasn't seemed to form any bonds with anyone.

While he knows a few deeper friendships can be far more meaningful than a plethora of shallow ones (and Severus truly does know, thanks to the life he once lived), it still bothers him. Sage's friends are Severus's too and not all his own. He wonders if his brother relies on him too much and if he shouldn't be pushing him more to be someone outside of what Vesta and Boyd expect from him and being his brother.

It won't be long before Boyd is persuading him to start thinking about the Death Eaters and becoming one like him. While Severus wants more than anything to keep Sage away from Voldemort. With such conflicting requests coming from those closest to him, who's to say Sage won't agree to be a Death Eater to please Boyd and then say he has nothing to do with them to keep Severus happy?

And if Sage does do this, what will Severus do? The very thought of turning his back on Sage makes his stomach churn. He can't do that to Sage. Not his poor, young brother. Sage will realize his mistake soon enough if he does join and Severus wants to be there to help him escape. Or come as close to escaping as will be possible in the given circumstances.

When a man moves to welcome his daughter into his arm, Severus sees Aunt Vesta's profile and all his thoughts about Sage are boxed up and put away to unpack another day. Grabbing Sage's arm, he says, "That way!" and starts to shoulder through the people between them, Aunt Vesta, and his mother. A moment later, when they are finally standing in front of the two women, he freezes.

His mother looks better than when he left her. She's still a little too thin to be healthy and her skin is more pallid than he cares for, but her eyes are alive and focused on him. It's the most heartening sign he's seen yet for his mother's recovery (though, her letters, if a little short and infrequent have been good too). He lifts his lips in a closed-lip smile. "Hi, Mum."

"Why, you're my height now, aren't you?"

He looks at himself, then at her. "I suppose I am."

She opens her arms. "I hope you aren't too big to hug your mother?"

"Of course not," Severus replies, before walking into her arms.

-o-O-o-

Once the officiant finishes his part of the ceremony, Benjy slides Clara's wedding band down her finger to meet her engagement ring and stares adoringly into her eyes with a small smile. Quietly, he says to his new wife, "With this Ring I wed you, with my body I worship you, and with all my worldly goods I endow you: In the name of God, and joy, and enduring love. Amen."

Clara tilts her head, her expression of warm wonderment. "That's beautiful, Benjy," murmurs the young woman before leaning in to kiss her husband for the first time.

When their kiss turns into snogging, Bones mutters, "Oh, for Merlin's–" Only to stop and whistle loudly – which earns him a disapproving glare from Clara and Benjy's officiant.

A moment later, the newlyweds break apart. Faces flushed, they look at them abashed. "Sorry," says Benjy. "We got a little caught up, there."

"Yeah, we saw," Bones replies with a smirk. Teasingly he adds, "It's fine, we know we have nothing on that pretty face." He winks at Clara, who blushes harder and tries to hide it by turning her face into Benjy's neck.

Severus coughs to cover his laughter as Bones's girlfriend giggles outright.

Amused, Benjy agrees. "Quite right, Clarence. Your mug is nothing compared to my wife's."

Bones makes an exaggerated face of hurt and then guffaws. "So, should we start off for the pub to get a round of drinks to celebrate?"

"Clara?" inquires Benjy.

Lifting her head from his shoulder, she smiles. "Champagne and cake for everyone."

-O-

"Cheers!" Bones proclaims as the five of them toast their glasses above the small, white-frosted cake their waitress brought out for them only minutes earlier. After everyone's taken a moment to sip their champagne, Bones wraps an arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and asks the newlyweds, "So, how does being married feel?"

The couple exchanges a glance, then they smile. "It's brilliant," answers Benjy.

Holding her champagne flute in both hands, Bones's girlfriend asks, "Did you two manage to find a place or will you be living in your parents' home for now?"

"We'll be staying at Granddad's, actually," Benjy says. "He's been a bit lonely since Nan died last winter."

Clara reaches for the serving knife and begins to cut into the cake, carefully dividing it into five even pieces in the process. "Lewis has been so lovely, he's insisted we take the master bedroom and took us shopping earlier this week for our very own bedroom set as a wedding gift to us." While handing out the slices of cake, Clara continues, "I wrote his daughter yesterday to ask for the recipes of his favorite meals so I can learn and cook them for him. It's really not enough to return all his kindness, but it's a start."

Benjy takes Clara's hand in his and threads their fingers together. "It's more than enough, love. He'll be without words when he realizes you went to all that trouble to learn to make his favorite things for him."

In between bites, Bones nods his head. "Yeah. It's the thought that counts, Clara. Benjy's granddad'll be delighted when he figures out what you're doing."

Clara starts to smile, happy and relieved to know not only her husband, but his best mate thinks she's doing enough to show her gratitude to her new grandfather-in-law, but it quickly runs away when a voice behind Severus says, "My, isn't this something? I can't believe you're showing your face in public after the shame you've brought to your family, Parkinson."

Severus's hand goes for his wand as he twists around to glare at Conrad Yaxley.

Calmly, Benjy tells the man, "It's Mrs. Fenwick and I suggest you watch how you talk to my wife."

Yaxley sneers at the younger man. "I'll talk to whoever I want however I please, halfbreed."

"Whoah!" Bones cries when Benjy jumps from his chair, wand pointed right at Yaxley.

Face void of all its typical jovialness, Benjy snarls, "Leave, Yaxley, before you end up with a mouth of roaches for teeth!"

"I won't have duelin' in my establishment!" the old, bug-eyed barman roars across the dining room. "Take it outside or I'm callin' the Aurors!"

Yaxley glares at Benjy with a hateful intensity. "You'll regret threatening me like that, Fenwick."

The younger man lifts his chin. "I don't think I will."

Putting on the black felt hat in his hand, Yaxley calls out to the barman, "I was just leaving. It's not as if I'd want to linger in an establishment that allows such… vermin to cross it's doorway anyway."

They, the staff, and the rest of the patrons watch with uneasy eyes as Yaxley walks out the pub's door. Unfortunately, with Yaxley goes their celebratory mood and no amount of bright, happy talk or champagne can regain the mood in the fallout. As he finishes off his second glass, Severus can't help but think it's such a shame Clara's wedding celebration has to end like this. Briefly, his thoughts stray to what her wedding may have been like in his first life, but he doesn't let his mind stay there long.

He imagines it likely wasn't much better.

-o-O-o-

Hours later, as Mrs. Evans puts another helping of carrots on his dinner plate, he says, "Thank you."

The woman smiles at him. "You're welcome."

"How is your mother, Severus?" Mr. Evans asks, side-eyeing Severus as he cuts up his pork chop.

Severus finishes drinking from his glass of milk and puts it down before he looks at Lily's father. "Well, thank you."

Lily who knows Severus's mother is not always a happy subject for him, changes the topic by inquiring, "What movie is it Petunia went to with James tonight?"

"For a Few Dollars More," Lily's mother replies, "it's a Western, I believe."

This draws a smile to both his and Lily's faces. "How do you think James will like the cowboys?"

"I'm sure he'll find them very gallant." She chuckles. "I'd watch out if I were you, I'm sure James will write Sirius all about the film when he gets home. He's going to want to see it too."

He sighs. "He will, won't he? Perhaps I should start planning something else for when he visits. Like a trip to Diagon Alley…"

"So you're all friends? You two, Sirius, and James? What house is Sirius? Is he a Slytherin like you, Severus?" Mrs. Evan questions, blue eyes big with curiosity.

Lily nods. "Yes, we all get along. Sirius is Gryffindor like me and James, though."

Mr. Evans pops the cap off his beer and downs half of it before he asks, "Is it typical for students to have so many friends from different houses?"

"Well, not exactly," Lily hedges.

Severus, finished with his dinner, puts down his fork and knife. "When you spend almost all of your time with those inside your own house, it only makes sense most of your friendships will be within your house as well. But it's not too odd to have a few mates outside your house."

"He does have Slytherin friends, like Sage, who I know I've told you about, then there's Sirius's little brother, Regulus, Scabior, and Clara–" Abruptly, Lily stops listing off people, and grins. "Oh, yes!" she exclaims, clapping her hands. "It completely slipped my mind. How was her wedding?"

"Wedding?" Lily's mother murmurs with shock.

Severus ignores the woman. For all intents and purposes, he's fifteen. It really shouldn't be such a surprise he has a friend or two old enough to marry. Though, it may be a surprise they are getting married. Eighteen is so young. 'But not during war…' he reminds himself.

"The wedding itself went well," he answers evasively.

Her smile falls a little. "Oh?"

"We ran into Yaxley at the pub afterward, but nothing went beyond words."

Lily shakes her head. "How dreadful."

"Who's Yaxley?"

Severus and Lily share a look before he tells Mrs. Evans. "A Slytherin graduate. He and Clara's brother are… associates."

"Does this Clara and her brother not get along?" Mr. Evans asks with a note of disapproval in his tone. Severus remembers how in his and Lily's first life he frowned and glowered much more than he does now – especially when Petunia and Lily were in the midst of spats with one another. He can see now that Mr. Evans is of the belief siblings ought to always get along and be friends. Life must be much more pleasant for all in the Evans home now that Petunia and Lily are so amicable with one another these days.

He sighs. "He and the rest of her family don't approve of who she decided to marry."

Lily's mother clucks her tongue. "What a shame!" Then, hesitantly, she questions, "Her husband… is he nice?"

"Benjy is wonderful," Lily assures. "He's got a job lined up in the Beast Division at the Ministry in the fall and he was a great backup beater for our Quidditch team."

"Then why…?"

Severus glances at Lily, she looks at a loss how to explain to her parents just how much blood matters to some in the world they spend most of their lives in. He wonders how she broke the news of the magical world hating her in their last lifetime to them. Or if she ever did. The Evans died so soon after he and Lily graduated Hogwarts. Severus had been too low in Voldemort's ranks to know much of anything at that point, but he does recall a rumor he heard during that time; one that said the Evans were killed by a band of senior Death Eaters after Lily and James turned down Voldemorts first offer to join his cause.

Quietly, he sighs and with carefully chosen words, Severus explains, "The Parkinsons are an old family in the wizarding world. The Fenwicks, not so much. They think their daughter could do better than Benjy."

Mr. Evans scowls. "Bloody twits, the lot of them. They're the only ones who are going to regret cutting her out of their family when the end comes for them."

Severus's eyebrows jump high on his forehead. So if your family is a bunch of classist assholes it's alright not to get on with them in Mr. Evans's mind. Tonight is teaching him far more about the man than he ever learned in the six years he spent around the man in his first go.

"Alan," Mrs. Evans hisses. She looks at Lily and Severus apologetically a moment (for what, though? The cursing? They're fifteen, he and Lily know far worse words) before she says, "Do give Clara our congratulations if you see her soon, Severus." Then, with a smile, she redirects their conversation by remarking, "I've been meaning to ask, we've been thinking about letting Lily get a familiar. She wants a cat, but I think one of those owls you all use might be more useful for her. What do you think?"

Lily scrunches her nose and Severus takes a breath as he tries to figure out how to be diplomatic and not offend either Lily or her mother. "From what I know…" he begins.

-O-

After dinner, Severus and Lily help Mrs. Evans with the dishes before they all go to the drawing room to watch the evening news with Mr. Evans. While her parents sit on the sofa, holding hands as they stare fixated at the telly, he and Lily sit on the rug laid out in front of the sofa, just out of the way of the television. They play Muggle card games and tease each other about who has the worst luck. About an hour later, Petunia walks in with James.

Severus and Lily get up to greet them and Mrs. Evans tells them she hid a plate of biscuits in the bread box if the four of them want a snack while James waits for one of his parents to come get him. They take Lily's mother up on her suggestion and go to the kitchen. They talk about the movie Petunia and James saw. James gets very animated as he describes every scene in minute detail – earning gooey eyes from Petunia as he does so.

It's partly amusing and mostly disgusting how very "in love" the two are. Thankfully, when Severus steals glances at Lily, she doesn't seem terribly bothered by her sister's sickly sweet eyes. She even seems to be enjoying herself as she pokes fun at some of the ways James tries to explain bits of the movie that he just doesn't understand thanks to his Pureblood upbringing. Soon enough, there's a knock at the Evans door and James hurries to his feet as Mr. Evans brings in Mr. Potter.

They all make small talk for a few more minutes before the Potters leave, at which point, Petunia says she's ready for bed and Mr. Evans says he and Mrs. Evans will be turning in too.

"Cynthia brought down a pillow and quilt for you," he tells Severus. Then, he points a finger at Lily and says, "You don't stay up too long now, understand? Your mother wants to take you and Pet to see her godmother after breakfast tomorrow."

Lily rolls her eyes playfully. "Yes, Daddy." Then, she goes forward and places a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams, baby," he replies before leaving with Petunia for bed.

When they're gone, Lily looks expectantly at him. "Want to go sit outside in the garden for a bit? It'll be like old times."

Severus shrugs. It doesn't sound like a bad idea to him. It'll also offer them a little more potential privacy for when he brings up Cresswell. "Why not?" he agrees.

A minute later, they are outside sitting on the little bench kept beside the house's back door. They talk idly about nothing for a while longer. When silence comes, Severus seizes the moment.

"Lily, the other day, at King's Cross…" he lets his question fade away, realizing he's not sure this is how he wants to start this conversation.

She turns her head, green eyes glimmering with curiosity. "What about King's Cross?"

He pointedly looks away from her. "What exactly are you doing with Cresswell?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lily frown as a stubborn set starts around the edge of her jaw. "…I don't know what you mean."

Whipping his head around to glare at her, he snaps, "Yes, you do!"

She sighs. "Severus, do we really have to do this now?"

"When would you like to discuss it then? Tomorrow? After I catch the two of you snogging in our classroom next year?"

"It's not like that!" she decries, rising to a stand.

He gets to his feet as well and raises an eyebrow at his friend. "Oh?"

She opens her hands to him in a gesture of helpless honesty and says, "Look, I'm not going to lie to you. Maybe it will be like that later. What he's going through isn't all that different from what I'm dealing with." She brings her arms up to hug herself and explains, "It's… Comforting to have someone to talk to who understands your situation so well. Dirk is nowhere near ready for a relationship, however. He's still grieving for Mei. If I'm being truthful with you, I'm still not quite ready myself. James is still on my mind a lot."

He is quiet a moment. Then, he mumbles, "Not all that long ago you wanted to be with me."

"And you said no because the reasons I wanted to be with you weren't right," Lily replies.

"Are the reasons Cresswell wants to be with you any better?" he asks.

Lily makes a noise of exasperation and throws her hands up. "Why are you doing this?" she yells. "Why are you trying to ruin something that could make me happy?"

'Because I hoped if I gave you more time to get over James you'd still want to be with me,' feels like the wrong thing to say. Instead, Severus shrugs.

Lily crosses her arms and narrows her eyes. "That is not an answer, Severus Snape."

He opens and shuts his mouth, the leaden weight of defeat settling over him. "I thought–" he shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I was being a dunderhead. I do want you happy, I just…" he trails off

"What?" she demands sharply. When he doesn't answer, she closes her eyes and rubs her temples a moment. When she opens them again, her eyes are a lot gentler. "You're my best friend, Sev. I know whatever your reason for bringing it up, it isn't from a bad place."

"But it is," Severus refutes. "I'm being horribly selfish."

She frowns, confused. "How?"

Severus hesitates for a moment before he takes a step forward and covers Lily's lips with his own. Severus starts to fear the worst when she doesn't return the kiss, but then her hands come to clutch the back of his shirt and bring him closer. Severus slides one arm around her waist and tangles his other hand in her thick, wavy locks.

As their kiss draws on, Severus shifts the arm around Lily's waist so he can slide his hand under her shirt and brush the soft skin beneath. Lily makes a noise of pleasure and tilts her head a little before she parts her lips and slips her tongue into his own open mouth. As Severus's hand edges higher and higher up Lily's torso, his shirt grows ever taut around his shoulders from the strength of her grip. Soon, his fingers reach the front-clasp of Lily's bra. While he fiddles with clip, Lily gives a kittenish moan and her hands slip down to his hip to press him closer to her. But when Severus finally undoes the clasp, she abruptly pulls away.

For a moment, he stares into her wide, dilated eyes. Then Lily drops her gaze to her feet and says, "We can't. This is my parents' garden. Merlin! What if one of them gets up to get a glass of water and realizes you're not sleeping on the couch?"

"Right," he says, body still yearning to hold her (and more).

Lily glances at him. "That was – it was really nice."

"Are you still thinking of Cresswell?"

His friend bites her lip. "He's not ready for a relationship. I – I don't think I could do anything serious right now, but…" Lily shyly reaches for his hand and takes it in her own to squeeze tightly. "Something a little more casual and closer to friendship doesn't sound too bad right now."

Severus doesn't think he knows how to have a relationship like the one Lily describes. He's always either been an all in or all out sort of man. Severus realizes this could turn into a disaster if they're not careful, yet with her so close and so willing to be something with him, he can't find it in himself to refuse. This is nearly a childhood dream come true for Severus.

"I think I'd like that," he tells her in a quiet, demure murmur.

So this chapter was a wee bit all over the place, bouncing from the station and worries about Sage to Clara's wedding and the incident after, to Lily and Severus and their little makeout session. Favorite part?

Also, if you've got a moment, I'd love it if you could check out the poll on my page. Your answers are vital to the future of TDKWWS's current format.

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p.s. merry Christmas and happy holidays :)