They Didn't Know We Were Seeds

All too soon, the Hogwarts Express comes to an uneven stop. Sighing to herself, Lily, distracted, gets from her seat and reaches up to get her satchel from the overhead storage. Around her, Dirk and Severus exchange terse farewells. Any other time, she would try to be a buffer between the two. Soften them, better their moods, carry on conversations with both of them until they are talking to each other and not just her. Today, though, Lily is disquieted. In less than a week, she will be called by Dumbledore to help him retrieve one of the last Horcruxes they need to destroy before they can confront Voldemort.

She feels duty-bound to do it. Yet… Severus should be the one with Dumbledore. He knows more about the Horcruxes and Voldemort than any of them combined. Lily doesn't know what to make of this, what to make of Dumbledore. Severus was his valuable spy for two wars in their past life. Lily… She was a part of his Order for four years and was involved in maybe a dozen missions for the cause before she became pregnant and then had to go into hiding.

Lily doesn't understand. She doesn't quite believe Severus does either, but he trusts Dumbledore to find and destroy this Horcrux. Lily trusts her friend, so she will bury her misgivings. She pulls the strap of her satchel over her head and turns around. Dirk's expression is one of concern, a small frown on his lips.

"Ready?" he asks.

Lily nods and takes his offered arm, which he quickly moves to put around the small of her waist. Before Lily can leave the compartment, however, she is jolted to attention by a strong hand on her wrist. Turning, she sees Severus staring at her.

"In case you need me," he says as a small, cool item is pressed into her hand.

She nods. "Thank you."

"Goodbye, Lily," he says.

For the first time today, she smiles. "Have a lovely evening with your mother and Ichabod, won't you?"

He dips his chin. "Of course."

Lily curls back into Dirk's side then. He gives her middle a light squeeze as he leads them out of the compartment, leaving Severus to find Sage. As they walk off the train and onto the platform, Dirk's hand slips from her side and comes to hold her empty hand. He looks at her and then glances at her hand holding the objects Severus gave her. "What is it?" he asks.

Lily lifts it up and shows Dirk a thin empty crystal vial. "A portkey," she says. "He told me he'd give me one. If I activate it, it will bring me to Demitri's estate."

The spot between Dirk's brows dimple. "Demitri, his grandfather? Why would you want a portkey to take you there?"

"We thought about it being a key to his and his mother's cottage, but how would we explain Dumbledore and whatever state we are in if I have to use the key to her?" Lily strengthens the hold of their hands by threading their fingers. "This was the best option we could think of. Once we're on his grounds, the wards on Demitri's property will alert him to our presence and he'll find myself and Dumbledore and help us."

He nods, though, his expression is tense. Lily purses her lips and starts to tap a rhythm on her thigh, waiting to see if he'll voice whatever it is on his mind or if she'll have to prod it out of Dirk. Her boyfriend seems to pick up on her quickly disappearing patience and sighs. "…Demitri will do right by you, won't he?" he asks. "Being a Muggle-born isn't going to be a problem, is it?"

"No," she answered almost as soon as Dirk closed his mouth. "Demitri knows if he doesn't help me, or God forbid, lets me die, Severus will not forgive him for it. Severus will make sure he and his mother never have another thing to do with him. I know Demitri disowned Severus's mum before, but now that she and Severus are back… I think he's realized he was wrong to. The last thing he wants is to lose his daughter again."

Dirk considers Lily with a keen eye. "He's afraid of losing just his daughter?"

It is Lily's turn to sigh. Trust Dirk would not miss that bit. "Severus is not sure how much love his grandfather has for him or if he has any at all." She thinks he must be at least fond of Severus. Demitri has done services for Severus outside their mission to end Voldemort. Even status risky ones, such as his latest act of helping find Duffield a summer apprenticeship at Severus's request. " I believe he does," she tells Dirk. "He probably just finds it difficult to find a way to relate to Severus."

Her boyfriend snorted. "I don't blame him."

Lily level Dirk with a scolding glare. Severus isn't exactly easy to get to know, but as the last five years have shown Lily, he's grown a lot from the boy she knew. Severus can and will form relationships with others. Especially, it seems to Lily, if they bring out a feeling of kinship in him. He's also put a lot of work into carrying out the urge "to do better" they woke up here in the past with. More than any of the rest of them even. "Severus has formed more friendships than you have, Dirk."

He blinks, seemingly surprised by her words, and then looks away. There's a not quite pout on his face as he says, "I hang around with my housemates."

Lily grimaces and rests her head on Dirk's shoulder. "It's hard," she agrees. "They're our mates, yet…"

"It's been easier this last year and a bit." Dirk shifts and she feels him put the weight of his cheek on her head. "They're getting older," he says. "It was like that with my kids too. I found talking to them when they were very young wretchedly boring a lot of the time. You can only talk about trains and chocolate frog cards for so long before you want to stick your head in a bubbling cauldron."

Lily gasped at the description before giggling. "Oh, that's terrible to say, Dirk!"

"It's true!" he insists. "Never ever did it change my love for my two, but once they started going to Hogwarts, when they would come home during hols, we would talk about what they were learning in class, their professors and classmates, and it was fun." He chuckled. "It's similar to our housemates now. Up until recently, all our conversations were just so…" he trails off.

Lily feels a smile tug at her lips. She does know what Dirk is talking about. Their classmates' interests, worries, and opinions had all been rather simple their first few years at Hogwarts. Now that they are nearly adults, they've begun to think much more critically and speak with a nuance that refreshes her. Their interests have become much broader too, which Lily very much likes. It is exciting to talk with her classmates when she knows they aren't going to cycle through the same five or six topics every conversation. She pulls away slightly from Dirk so he can see her smile. "Their conversations were all rather childish, weren't they?" she remarks, laughing as soon as she says it. "Of course, that's to be expected, they were children."

He nods. "Yes."

Lily feels a new thought form on the tip of her tongue, but before she can form it into words, a voice yells out, "There you are!"

Dirk and Lily jump, wincing from how their faces collide. A boy with his trunk steps aside, revealing Petunia. Lily waves. 'Hi, 'Tuney."

"Mum and Dad were wondering if something happened to you," her sister says, hands on her hips.

She grimaces and grabs Dirk's hand. "I was just saying goodbye."

"I'll be busy the next two and a half weeks," adds in Dirk. "My uncle's going on a long work assignment and my parents volunteered me to be the man of the house for my aunt and cousin while he's gone."

Petunia looks between them with narrowed eyes. "I see," she says. "Maybe I can talk to James about having his parents take Lily to visit for a day or two," she offers.

Lily blinks, surprised at the generosity her sister is showing her. In the past, well, her past life , Petunia at this point in their lives preferred to act as if Lily didn't exist most days. Now… She almost can't stop herself from jumping in place like an actual schoolgirl. "Really?" she says.

Petunia rolls her eyes. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it," she huffs. "Now, come on, it's getting late. Mum and Dad want to be home for dinner time."

Lily nods and looks up at Dirk, who's smiling back at her. She lifts herself up on her toes to press a quick kiss to his lips. "Perhaps I'll see you soon," she whispers.

"I hope so," he murmurs back as steals one more kiss.

Pulling away from her boyfriend entirely, Lily falls into step with Petunia. "Bye," she calls to Dirk.

He waves at her until they disappear into the reuniting families and all she can see when she looks over her shoulder is the very top of his blond head.

-o-O-o-

When Severus and his mum walk out of the fireplace and into their cottage home, he feels a smirk tug at his lips as Ichabod bounds toward them, yipping. Dropping to one knee, he begins to pet the dog.

"Hello boy," he says as the dog's tongue rolls out of its mouth.

Standing beside him, hands clasped in front of her, she remarks, "He missed you."

Severus chuckles. "I think he missed having someone who sneaks him scraps after dinner."

"Oh, Severus, you didn't," Mum says, though, her light tone belies the chastisement.

He just grins up at her before he gets to his feet. Ichabod weaving around their feet, they pull his school trunk all the way into the lounge room and begin to discuss the coming evening. As she pulls off her cloak, his mum says, "I made a roast for you to eat for dinner." Looking at him as she spells her cloak to put itself away on the coat tree by the front door, she teases, "That's all right, isn't it? You haven't become one of those Vegetarians while at school, have you?"

Severus shakes his head. "It's brill, Mum," he says. Seizing control of his features, he tells her with a straight face, "In fact, I've done the opposite. I've given up all vegetables."

"Oh dear," she clucked with faux worry. "I suppose I'll have to eat the cauliflower cheese on my own."

Severus can't entirely hide his smile anymore and replies, "I reckon I can cheat on my new diet tonight if you've gone to the trouble of making it already."

"I won't tell," she says, her own small smile on her face.

While he walks over to the front door to take off his shoes and robe the Muggle-way, Severus calls over his shoulder, "Did you have plans for us tonight? Or can I see if Sage can come by after dinner?"

" I have plans, actually," his mum says.

Severus in the midst of slipping off his last shoe, tenses. Finishing the task at hand, he stands up and turns around to look at his mum. "You have plans?" he replies, trying to keep the surprise from his voice.

His mum nods. Sitting down on the room's sofa, she motions for Severus to join her. A feeling of unease settling over him, Severus trudges over to join her. Instead of sitting in the spot right beside her, he sits on the farthest end of the sofa next to the arm opposite of the one his mum is beside. A slight furrow comes to her brows and Severus knows he's annoyed her. However, he can't find it in himself to care over the panic building inside of him. What new mess has his mum got herself into? He hopes there are no plots for murder this time.

"Severus, Merlin, son, you're acting as if you expect me to tell you I plan to break into Gringotts."

He gives her a moody glower. "Do you?"

For a moment, fury flares in her eyes. "No," she spits. Then, as if catching herself, she breathes in and out. Fixing a false smile on her face, she says, "I am having drinks with a nice man."

Severus finds himself speechless.

Mum sighs. "His name is Griffith Avery—"

"—Avery? As in an Avery from the Avery family?" he demands.

"Yes," she answers. "He's the younger half-brother of one of your housemate's father. I suspect you know Roger?"

"He's a prick," Severus says as he leans away from his mum and crosses his arm.

"Well, Griffith isn't," his mum counters, tone tinged with a peevishness. "He's a very lovely, thoughtful man."

Severus looks at his mother out of the corner of his eyes. "Did Demitri introduce you two?"

"He asked me if I would agree to one dinner, yes."

He turned a glare on his feet. Severus should have known that asking Demitri to help Duffield would mean he thought using his mum as a bargaining chip was on the table. That is just how the man works. As Severus continues to brood over what his grandfather has done, and what he plans to do to the man, his mum decides to use his silence to her advantage.

"I didn't agree immediately," she says. "It took… convincing from him and a chat with Vesta first."

His nostrils flared at the mention of their cousin. Vesta i s involved too? He should have expected as much. She'd love for his mum to be tied to someone she can use to keep tabs on her. Unable to stop the vile words bubbling inside of him at bay, he demands, "Why would an Avery want to date a witch like you anyway?"

His mum laughs, though it's humorless. "Bedding with a Muggle is certainly a mark against me, and having a half-blood son, makes me unfit for some homes, yes, but I am still a Prince by birth. Our line is nothing to scoff at."

Severus is not unfamiliar with this type of talk in the least and starts to tune it out. He doesn't bloody care about purity like so many. If you've got magic or not is what matters to him. However, as his mother continues to talk, a new word enters the conversation that causes him to refocus his attention on her.

"…Avery or no, Griffith is a squib. As a man who is a squib, coupling with a witch of my standing, even with all the mistakes I have made, he could not hope to do better."

Severus twitches at "mistakes" because he knows he counts among them, but that is not a row he wishes to have with his mum. He's sure it will bring to light truths he does not want to hear and confirm fears he's happy to believe are all in his head. Instead, Severus hones in on the s-word. "A squib? I didn't know the Averys had a squib in their family." Roger Avery, nor his father or known uncle, had ever mentioned this Griffith. Not even in passing or by mistake.

"Griffith… Griffith isn't spoken of outside the family," Mum explains. "Your grandfather was only made aware very recently it seems. I think, perhaps, Griffith's father is hoping to off-load the responsibility of him onto someone else." She sneers. "I reckon he thinks I will know what to do with a squib since your father was a Muggle and they are not all too different."

Severus takes this all in with a frown. He can't say he's impressed with the idea of his mother dating a squib. Or the possibility of marrying one. She's only just recently had the anchor that was his father unchained from her. Why should she let herself be pulled down by another so soon? Or at all for that matter?

"Do you actually like him?" asks Severus. "I know Aunt Vesta and Demitri can be very… persistent, but they can't make you date him."

Her eyes flashed. "I know that," she snaps. "I bloody proved that to myself a hundred times over in my life!" Severus leans away. His mum notices and puts her hands over her face for a brief moment. When she pulls them away, her face is calm. "They made many good points to me during their persuasions. A dinner does not mean marriage, nor would two or three." She smiles a little at him. "Only a ring means marriage, Severus."

He doesn't smirk back at her and she sighs.

"Your grandfather pointed out it's the first man I've had show me interest since I returned to the magical world. He also so helpfully pointed out that a squib from a well-bred family is better than many witches in my position could hope for."

"And Vesta?" presses Severus. "What did she say?"

"Her arguments were much more practical," she says.

He raises an eyebrow. "Oh?"

His mum nods. "Yes," she replies. "Vesta reminded me that soon you will be of age and wanting to strike out on your own. Ichabod is wonderful company while you're away and I can always turn to Vesta when I want human companionship, but besides family, who else do I have? No one, Severus. While that is much more than some have, it wouldn't hurt to try to create other bonds."

"I would visit and write you," Severus mumbles, annoyed by Vesta's implication that he is going to abandon her.

She laughs and reaches for his hand. Severus allows her to take it and squeeze it. "I know," she says. "You're a good son."

"Do you really have to date him?" Severus questions, feeling stupidly young as he says it.

She leans in close and kisses his forehead. "No," she replies. "But I want to." Eyes pleading, she says, "I don't expect you to be happy with your mum seeing a man who isn't your father, but can you at least not give me a hard time for it?"

Severus purses his lips. He isn't fine with his mum dating. Let alone dating an Avery, yet he knows being cross and fighting her over it won't make her stop. Once his mum's minds fixed on something (or someone), changing it is impossible. He exhales. "Fine," he relents. "I won't be difficult, just…"

"What, love? What do you need?"

He meets her gaze. "Please, Mum, be careful. I don't want you to be hurt by another man."

Her gaze softens. "This is all in my control," she promises. "He won't hurt me."

Severus doesn't believe her in the slightest. However, at least she is being sincere with him. For the first time since they began this conversation, he smirks. "Okay," he says. Looking behind them and towards the kitchen, he tells her, "I'm rather hungry now. Shall we eat?"

She smiles and stands. "Yes," she agrees. "Let's have dinner. You can tell me how your OWLs went."

First, I hope everyone is well right now!

Year five is done and we've begun the summer before their sixth at Hogwarts! How did you like this chapter guys? What about the part of Eileen dating again?

Thanks a million for reading everybody :)