A/N: Their summer kicks off with this chapter being the first of 3 or 4 parts. Dinner in Hogsmeade is interrupted by less-than-pleasant company and then a very brief introduction to Molly Weasley to end the chapter.
Chapter 19 1992 Summer Part I
After their friends left on the Hogwarts Express, Severus, Lily and Harry's summer properly began in earnest. For the most part, the first two weeks of their two-month-long break were rather boring. They kept to the castle and the grounds on most days, either spending time in their quarters or walking the grounds in search of fun. On the weekends, they were allowed to visit Hogsmeade provided they were chaperoned by Hagrid, but other than that they hardly left the castle grounds. On the third week of the break however, Albus announced to his three wards that he'd be taking them out for dinner on Saturday for their last dinner together before his departure to Belgium. In the meantime, Harry began making good on his promise to catch up to his friends academically, he mainly focused on DADA, his strongest subject, in hopes that he could carve out a niche for himself like Severus and Lily had done with Potions and Charms respectively. He knew that when it came to Defense, Severus was a strong O student and that Lily usually hovered around the EE mark with the occasional A or O here and there; but Harry vowed to surpass them both and prove he could be as smart as his friends.
By the time Saturday evening came around, Albus still hadn't told his wards where he'd be taking them for dinner, only stating that they were going to a Magical restaurant and that they could wear robes or Muggle clothing if they wished. They all decided to go the Muggle route, which Lily surmised would look pretty contrasting to the gaudy robes Albus would undoubtedly be wearing. He told the three of them to be dressed and ready to go at six o'clock sharp, in time for their six fifteen booking and to meet in their living area. Severus came out first, wearing a pair of navy-blue slacks, a green and grey, checkered shirt, and a navy blazer on top of it. He waited patiently in the sitting area for a few minutes before the door to Harry's room swung open. His friend had chosen a starkly contrasting color palette, khakis, a white and deep-red, striped shirt, with his navy blazer being the only thing in common with Severus' chosen attire. Lily came last, wearing a dark-green and red, floral dress that fell to her knees. When Albus returned from his office they set off through the floo to The Three Broomsticks.
One by one, Lily, Severus, Harry and Albus all went through the floo, stepping out into the most popular tavern in Hogsmeade. Madam Rosmerta waved at the three of them as they came through the floo and dusted off their clothes; they returned the barkeep's greeting with smiles. The bar was fairly quiet for a Sunday evening, only at half-capacity or thereabouts. Their sudden appearance did attract a lot of unwanted stares though, but the patrons quickly averted their gaze when Albus came through. Albus then lead his three wards through the pub, stopping briefly to greet Rosmerta before leading them out the front into the warm, summer air.
"Follow me you three, our destination isn't far away," said Albus.
Upon receiving their nods, he set off at a brisk pace down the road towards the train station. Severus, Harry and Lily all hastened to keep up with their guardian's long strides. Albus always caused a stir wherever he went, usually it was his robes and his incredibly-long beard that did it, today was no different as the headmaster attracted innumerable stares from the shoppers as he glided along the middle of the street. They passed shop after shop, before arriving finally at a restaurant towards the end of the street. It was called The Golden Duck, and from the looks of things it was an upmarket establishment that looked sorely out of place in Hogsmeade.
Severus peered up at the gold and green awning signboard emblazoned boldly above the door. "Is this where we're eating?" he asked curiously.
"It is indeed, Severus," said Albus.
Albus strode past his three wards and grasped the door-handle, he pulled it open and held it, waving the three of them past him and into the restaurant. The witch who was manning the front desk smiled at the sight of Albus and his charges.
"Good evening Professor," said the witch, who was sporting a broad smile. "We've got your table all ready for you sir, it's right this way if you'll follow me."
"I'll be glad to Candace," Albus said, remembering his former pupil well.
The witch at the front desk, Candace, beamed, and guided them into the restaurant proper towards their table. While the restaurant wasn't packed by any means, it was certainly fairly full, with most of its patrons choosing to wear robes as opposed to Muggle attire. Severus, Harry and Lily all felt just a little out of place for choosing to wear muggle clothes, but next to Albus, they felt relief in the fact that their guardian's robes usually drew all the attention in the room to him. As Candace weaved through the restaurant with Albus and the rest in tow, much of their fellow patrons' attention indeed seemed fixed on the powerful wizard in their midst and his questionable fashion choices. Severus, Lily and Harry all kept their heads low, eyes glued to the carpet ahead of them as they followed Candace and Albus over to their table. As a result, they didn't notice a pair of grey eyes belonging to a blonde-haired boy about their tracking them through the crowd. Sitting with that boy, were his parents, also blonde, along with another girl his age, an older boy and her parents as well. All seven of them had fallen silent as their gazes followed Albus carving a path between the tables.
They sat down at their corner booth, after which Candace returned back to the front desk and Albus instructed his charges on how to order.
"All you have to do is speak your chosen meal aloud and the house elves will deliver it," Albus explained.
He raised a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. "Like so. One Waldorf salad and a goblet of water, please."
True to his word, the air shimmered in front of Albus, his meal materializing seconds later as the shimmer dissipated.
"Whoah, that's pretty neat," Lily said, her eyes wide.
"It is, as you so aptly phrased it, 'pretty neat' indeed," Albus chuckled.
Harry, Severus and Lily all promptly ordered their meals. Harry chose to skip having a starter and ordered his main course, a Swordfish steak with mashed potatoes and garden vegetables alongside a goblet of pumpkin juice. Severus also chose to skip having a starter, ordering a grilled chicken sandwich with chips and a goblet of water. Lily on the other hand ordered a bowl of French onion soup to start, followed by a main of Aglio Olio. Like with Albus' salad, their meals were delivered within seconds, and the foursome eagerly tucked in. Severus was only a couple of bites into his sandwich when he spotted Malfoy and his parents a few tables over. There were four other people at the table as well; Parkinson, her older brother, and her parents too. Severus noticed the gazes of Malfoy and Parkinson senior fixed on the back of Albus, who was seemingly unaware of their intrusive stares in his direction. He was humming a quiet tune as he ate his salad, but little did they know that Albus was acutely aware of the attention he was getting from the Malfoys and Parkinsons. Malfoy junior briefly glanced away from Albus towards Harry, throwing the boy a contemptuous glare before returning to his food.
"Psst, Harry," said Severus, nudging Harry on the arm.
Harry, who'd remained blissfully unaware of the fact that Malfoy had been sneering at him, lifted his gaze from his plate. "What is it?"
"Malfoy was glaring at you," said Severus, his eyes darting to the Malfoys and Parkinsons table. "Something tells me he wasn't expecting to see us here tonight."
"Well sod Malfoy, I don't give a rat's arse what he thinks of—"
"Harry, language," Albus chided firmly, to which Harry nodded sheepishly.
"Albus—um, have you seen that the Malfoys and—"
"I have," said Albus, nodding once. He lifted a forkful of salad to his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and dabbed at the corners with a napkin. "But they're not of any concern at the moment. They aren't bothering us are they?"
"Well, no, but—"
"But no, Harry," Albus interrupted, his tone just a bit stern. "As far as I'm aware, the Malfoys and Parkinsons are here for a pleasant meal just as we are. Their curiosity over our presence is their prerogative, and of no concern or hindrance to us."
Harry nodded, choosing not to voice his complaints with Albus' statement. The way that they were staring at them, Malfoy and Parkinson Sr. especially, was unnerving to Harry. He hadn't yet met Malfoy's dad and had only seen his mum for a few seconds, yet he already decided he'd probably like them even less than their son. Sighing, he resumed eating his Swordfish in earnest; the delicious steak serving as an excellent distraction to the not-so-pleasant company they kept a few tables away.
"So, have the three of you made any plans for the two weeks I'll be away?" Albus inquired gently, gaining him the attention of his three wards.
Harry, Severus and Lily all nodded their heads; they'd discussed it aplenty already and had worked out some ideas of what they could do to pass the time.
"I've—I want to work on my flying still," said Harry. "I'll be with Fred n' George, and I know they love flying, Ron does too and I think he'll want to try out in the future as well. Umm—but other than that, I guess I'll keep on goin' with my Defense Practice, I want to be ready for next year and be as prepared as I can be."
Albus' smile grew wider. "That's the spirit Harry. I know you've made significant progress in recent weeks, of which I'm very proud—" Harry beamed back, as did Lily, Severus even sported a little smile himself, "—in fact…a little birdie may or may not have told me that you, Harry, have earned some of the highest DADA marks in your year…color me impressed."
Harry's eyes grew wide, his shock evident on his face. He set down his broccoli-laden fork on the plate and asked; "Really? I got high marks for them?"
"You did, my boy, you certainly did," said Albus, smiling merrily. "As did you, Severus, and you as well, Lily. Severus as a matter of fact—actually, I shan't spoil the surprise, you'll be learning of your end of year exam marks soon enough."
"Can't you tell us, please Albus?" Lily asked beseechingly.
Albus only smiled wider and shook his head, seemingly finding some amusement in Lily's pleading. "You'll find out soon enough you three, and when you do, you'll be pleasantly surprised," Albus said mysteriously.
"But we all got good marks at least, right?" Severus pressed, sounding eager.
"Indeed you did, all three of you, that is," Albus said, earning sighs of relief from his three charges. Albus chuckled, then added; "You in particular Severus, scored with distinction well I think you'll be most pleased with the results you've earned. Lily, you and Harry both should also be proud of yourselves for your achievements, I know I certainly am."
"Are you gonna give us any hints as to what are marks are, Albus?" Lily asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"Oh no," he replied, shaking his head with certainty. "No, you'll be receiving your exam marks in the mail the week I return from Belgium. In the meantime, I want all three of you to enjoy your two weeks away from the castle, and spend some time reflecting on how this year has gone for you."
Albus received unanimous nods from the three of them in response.
After finishing their meals, they decided to forgo desert since Albus said the elves back at the castle would be preparing something special for them. Once Lily finished her Aglio Olio—she was the last one still eating, Albus paid their tab. The oddly-dressed headmaster and his three charges all prepared to leave the restaurant, but when they arrived at the front door to the establishment, they chanced upon a very unwelcome sight. At least, Harry, Severus and Lily thought it was unwelcome, if Albus thought the same as them he did well to hide it. The Parkinsons were just outside the restaurant heading off down the street to the nearest floo connection at the train platform, but the Malfoys were only just taking their leave. Harry, Severus and Lily all shared the same hope that the Headmaster would merely squeeze past Malfoy and his parents without incident and that they could get going back to Hogwarts, but alas, Albus had other plans.
"Lucius," Albus said, wearing a cheery smile that couldn't possibly have been real.
Mister Malfoy—Lucius, turned around, his face a mask of surprise. Evidently neither Malfoy Jr nor his mum or dad had noticed Albus' sudden appearance judging by their shocked expressions.
"Dumbledore," he droned gravely.
"I've been meaning to speak to you," Albus began, still using that cheery voice of his that Severus, Harry and Lily knew to be false, "but you haven't answered my owls, why is that?"
"I've been busy lately," Lucius said coldly, staring back at the Headmaster.
Albus hummed idly in response to him, which for some reason seemed to annoy Lucius. A vein throbbed in his neck and his eye twitched before he managed to school his face into a mask of impassivity.
"It's about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," said Albus, entirely ignoring Lucius' previous statement. "I presume that you have seen the proposal I sent forth to you and the rest of the board?"
"I have," Lucius said gruffly. His curt and concise response clearly indicated his growing annoyance and irritation with the conversation. He made to turn around to leave the restaurant but once again, couldn't do so as Albus continued to speak.
"I trust that all is in order? the applicant shall be approved and he'll be able to start come the start of term?"
"Well, it's not as though you received any other applicants for the post did you, Dumbledore?" Lucius asked silkily, his open disdain for their conversation, and Albus, showing.
"No, which is why I presume there shan't be any trouble on the board's part when it comes to granting his acceptance," Albus said in kind, that falsely cheery demeanor he gave off clearly irritating Lucius. "All will be in order, won't it Lucius?"
"There won't be any problems on my end," said Lucius, although it visibly irked him to admit as much.
"I'm glad to hear it," Albus smiled, clapping his hands together.
Without a word, Lucius Malfoy stormed out, his wife and son quickly following behind him. He wasn't prepared to listen to that old coot for a second longer than he had to. Albus sighed and shook his head, that falsely cheery expression of his falling off his face to be replaced with plain despondency.
"Come with me children," Albus said, ushering Lily, Harry and Severus towards the front door. "It's time we take our leave."
As they exited the front door of the Golden Duck, they turned left when the Malfoys had turned right. Severus looked over his shoulder only to glimpse Mister, Missus and Malfoy Jr all round a corner out of sight.
"Lucius Malfoy always has been a pain in the neck to deal with, ever since he was a spirited, young first year," Albus sighed, shaking his head in what looked like disappointment.
"Um…so Mister Malfoy is on the board, Albus?" Harry inquired quietly.
"That would be correct, Harry, he indeed is on the board of governors, and if you'll pardon my French, he truly is a pain in the behind which has only grown worse with time."
Harry and Severus both grinned in agreement while Lily openly laughed at Albus' description of Malfoy. They'd only spent a few minutes around him and he was already rubbing her the wrong way, he truly seemed like a taller, older, smarmier version of his git of a son. Missus Malfoy wasn't all that much better by comparison, but at least she stayed quiet and hadn't seemed quite as bad as her husband was. Perhaps she was simply afraid of Albus, that might be it. Wherever Albus went, he always commanded plenty of respect, and in some cases, fear, too. After a few chuckles spared for Albus' telling description of Malfoy Sr, they started on the path they'd come from.
They headed back to The Three Broomsticks, whereupon entering, they flooed back to their quarters in the castle. Harry, Severus and Lily all thanked Albus sincerely for the meal, to which he waved it off as nothing on his part, and then bade them goodnight. Albus retired to his quarters, no doubt intending to catch up on some much-needed rest before his trip to Belgium; while Harry, Lily and Severus remained in the living area for the time being. Once Albus was gone, Severus nodded towards the couch and the three friends all sat down next to each other with a sigh.
"So, have you guys got any idea what you wanna do tomorrow?" Severus asked, sporting a weak smile.
"I need to finish my packing," said Lily with a shake of her head. "I've—um, I've still got a bit left, so—maybe we just spend the day here until they come pick us up?" They, meaning McGonagall in Severus' instance, and the Weasleys in Harry and Lily's.
"Yeah we could do that, although I've gotta get down to the Quidditch pitch to get my broom before we leave," said Harry. "Severus, d'you wanna come with me?"
"Sure," said Severus after a brief moment of deliberation.
"I think I'll stay back, I'm too tired to pack now so I'll just finish it in the morning," Lily said with a yawn.
They lapsed into a brief moment of silence then, none of them sure of what to say next until Harry cautiously asked Severus; "So, are you looking forward to—uh, to spending the week with McGonagall?"
Harry was careful not to include the man who'd be playing host to Severus during the second week of Albus' absence, knowing that it was a touchy subject, but Harry genuinely believed that Severus would enjoy himself with the Gryffindor Head of House.
"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," Lily said flippantly. "Actually, I was hoping to ask her something tomorrow when she comes to pick Severus—"
"—I'm pretty sure Albus mentioned that the Weasleys will come by first and pick up you and Harry," Severus pointed out. "I'll be here by myself for a little longer until McGonagall gets here."
"Right, yeah, I'd forgotten," Lily said sheepishly. "In any case—" she clapped her palms together and rubbed them in eager anticipation, "—I'm sure you'll enjoy both weeks with both your hosts as much as Harry and I will enjoy staying at the Weasleys."
"On the bright side of things—" Severus did his best to crack a wan smile, "—Snape said that he'd be having Tracey over for two or three afternoons during the week I'm there to brew, so that'll be nice, I guess…"
"She gets along with Snape quite well, doesn't she?" Harry asked curiously.
Severus and Lily were quick to nod. "Definitely," said Lily.
"Even better than you?" Harry pressed.
Lily pouted slightly but nodded nonetheless. She was easily Professor Snape's favorite on the Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw half of his classes, but overall, Tracey was definitely Professor Snape's favorite first year.
"One of these days, I'd like to go back to Cokeworth as well," Lily said wistfully, earning her a pair of curious looks from the boys.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"'Cus I want to see how it's changed, y'know? The Cokeworth I knew growing up is probably very different to how it is today, I think. I mean, I was born in 1960, Harry, so a lot must've changed in the time since then, right?"
"I could always fill you in," Severus supplied, Lily smiling as a result. "I doubt the older me will keep me indoors all day and I'll at least have some freedom to go about as I please."
"I sure hope so," Harry said, though not without a little grin to bely the severity of his tone.
Severus chuckled weakly in response then sank back down into the couch.
"I've been thinking…have you two wondered about who our Defense Professor will be next year?" Lily asked curiously, glancing at both Severus and Harry in turn.
Harry frowned and his brows knitted in apparent consternation. "Not really to be honest, I just hope that they're better than Quirrell, really."
"I hope so too, but then again, Albus did mention to Malfoy's dad that there was only one applicant. So…I wouldn't be so sure," Severus said ominously.
"I guess that's all the more reason to read ahead then," Lily surmised.
Harry sported a grin as Lily spoke, then said; "I'm already one step ahead of you. Albus lent me some books on DADA for next year, some of them are even about things that aren't a part of the syllabus."
"Great, and since you're such a good friend to both of us, you'll have no problem sharing them, right?" Lily said in reply, grinning even more broadly than Harry was.
Severus snorted and Harry laughed in response, but quickly said; "Only once I've had a read-through of them, then by all means, you and Severus can borrow 'em."
Eventually, Harry, Lily and Severus all decided to call it quits for the night and retire to their own rooms. Lily woke up the earliest of the lot the following morning, and after a brief fifteen minutes in the bathroom, she spent much of her morning finishing her packing and double checking that she had everything she needed for her two-week stay at the Weasleys. While Lily was busy packing, Harry and Severus were only just waking up. They both knew Lily was busy, judging by the sounds coming from her room, so they headed out into their living area and asked the house elves for breakfast. No sooner had their fare been delivered did Lily and Albus make their appearances, Lily looking haggard and tired already, whilst Albus by contrast was cheery and upbeat. Lily just managed to finish her packing in time for breakfast as it turned out, meaning she'd be able to accompany Harry and Severus when the two boys went down to the Quidditch shed to fetch Harry's broom. After that, they planned on spending the rest of the morning in their living area until lunchtime when the Weasleys came to pick up Harry and Lily, and when McGonagall would do the same for Severus.
The rest of the morning following their brief trek to the Quidditch shed was spent in their quarters. Harry and Severus played a few rounds of wizard's chess on Albus' personal set. Lily divided her time between double-checking that she'd packed all the things she needed, and catching up on her reading. Albus was set to depart via Portkey a few minutes after they left, so he too was spending the latter-half of the morning in their quarters ensuring that he had all he needed for his trip. Fawkes was with him too, watching over his friend as he packed his bags, he'd be coming with him on his trip.
"I trust that all of you have packed the various items you'll need for your next two weeks?" Albus said, from where he was double-checking his own luggage.
Harry and Severus both looked up from the chessboard between them in unison and nodded.
"I'm all packed Albus," said Lily, who was sat a short distance away from the boys and observing their game in apparent interest.
Albus nodded. "Good, because you shan't have access to these quarters for the next two weeks. When I leave the castle, as Headmaster, all my personal spaces shall close-up, so to speak, so you wouldn't be able to access these rooms even if you tried."
Severus blinked slowly, not sure of what to make of Albus' words. "Why would that happen?"
Albus smiled upon seeing the curious looks on his three wards' faces. The basis of the magic he was about to explain was awfully tricky to understand, and something most adult wizards wouldn't be able to make head or tail out of. Then again, they were all very talented young wizards in their own right so he would he try to explain to them the principles of Hogwarts' magic as best he could.
"You see, Harry, Lily, Severus; as Headmaster, I have a special connection to the magic imbued within every corner of this magnificent castle we call home. Hogwarts forges strong connections to those it deems appropriate Headmasters, and as such, certain parts of the school will shut down if the Headmaster were to leave."
"And that's mainly the stuff that has to do with you specifically, right?" Harry asked. "Like your office, or our quarters here."
Albus turned his piercing blue eyes on Harry and nodded. "That is precisely correct, Harry. When I leave here, the school looses one of its primary conduits of its magic, since the magic of Hogwarts itself—at least some of it—flows directly through me."
"Whoah," Lily breathed, her green eyes wide with awe and amazement. "That's so wicked. So, you can feel what Hogwarts feels? Like—like you can sense what's going on and what the castle is feeling even right now?"
"That is correct," Albus answered, pleased to see that his wards were catching on so swiftly. "Provided I am within the bubble of Hogwarts' protective enchantments, or any legitimate Headmaster of the school for that matter, I can feel much of what the castle feels."
"Does that mean any Headmaster can feel the same as you?" Severus asked, his curiosity getting the better of himself.
"Not precisely," Albus replied, a thin, little smile curling his lip. "For you see Severus, there have been many illegitimate Headmasters throughout Hogwarts' illustrious history. Those Headmasters have never been able to have the castle's magic imbued within them, nor have they been able to access the Headmaster's office."
Lily frowned and pursed her lips together, she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she tried to make sense of Albus' statement. "So, you mean that…that people pretending to be the Headmaster, but not actually the Headmaster—at least in the eyes of Hogwarts itself, aren't able to truly be in touch with the school?"
"In simple terms, yes, you'd be correct Lily," said Albus. "Perhaps in the distant future one of you may become the Headmaster some day, then you'll be able to understand wholly what I am explaining to you now."
Two sets of green eyes, and one of onyx widened in astonishment. Needless to say, all three of Albus' wards thought that being the headmaster sounded like a pretty awesome experience. Harry seemed the most enthralled about the idea of having the magic of the thousand-year-old, magical castle imbued with his very own. Unfortunately, neither Harry, Lily, nor Severus had the time to reply to Albus for the floo roared green and a floating head appeared amidst the flames.
"Ah," said Albus, smiling broadly upon seeing the familiar, and friendly face of Molly Weasley floating in the fire. "Molly, a pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure is all mine Albus," said Molly Weasley, whose kind, matronly smile helped put them all at ease.
"Children, allow me to introduce you two to Molly Weasley," said Albus, gesturing over to the fireplace.
Molly's smile broadened as the three children turned to face her. If she were able to, she would've waved, but instead had to settle for a smile as her introduction.
"It's wonderful to meet all of you," Molly said earnestly, earning her smiles in turn from Severus, Harry and Lily.
"It's wonderful to meet you too," said Lily.
"Thanks for taking us in for two weeks," Harry added.
"Oh, nonsense, none of that," Molly said in a dismissive manner. "I've been very eager to meet all of you, especially since Ron's told me a lot about all three of you, you in particular, Harry."
"He has?" Harry asked quietly, gazing at the woman in astonishment.
Molly nodded gently. "Indeed he has. In the few letters he's bothered to send us over the year, in each and every one of them he referenced you, Harry; you two as well, Severus and Lily."
Lily smiled genially at the matronly woman. "Well I hope he's only told you the good stuff," she joked, to which Molly broke out into laughter.
"I'm sure it's only good stuff, Lily, not to worry."
Lily's grin told Severus and Harry that she wasn't so sure of Molly's assertion. "Anyways, I understand that the two of you—" Harry and Lily, "—have used the floo before, is that correct?"
"We have Missus Weasley," said Harry, nodding.
Molly's head smiled amidst the green flames. "In that case, our address is a simple, clear annunciation of; 'The Burrow.' You may send your luggage on ahead if you wish."
"I think I'll do just that Missus Weasley," said Lily, already moving away from the fireplace to fetch her two bags.
She gripped the handles of both her luggage bags tightly in each hand and waited for Missus Weasley to cancel the floo connection. Upon her doing so, the flames died down allowing Lily to place her bags in the hearth. Harry hastened to fetch his own bag and bring it back to the fireplace. Albus instructed Lily that in order to floo an object, she would toss the floo powder at the base of the hearth like she would if she were taking the floo herself, and call out the name of the destination as she threw the powder. Lily followed Albus' simple instruction to the letter and sent her bags ahead, Harry repeating the process with his bag and broom moments later. At last came the time for them to part, so Harry, Lily, Severus and Albus all gathered around the fireplace.
"Enjoy your two weeks at The Burrow you two," Albus murmured, smiling fondly down at Harry and Lily. "I'm sure you'll find plenty to do to entertain yourselves."
"I've still got those tomes you gave me to read as well," said Harry, grinning wryly.
Albus smiled back at him. "Then I suggest you hop to it. It definitely doesn't hurt to try and get ahead of next year's curriculum, does it Harry?"
"Nope."
"That's my boy," Albus said proudly.
The venerable Headmaster then gestured to the fireplace with an outstretched hand. "I shouldn't be keeping you any longer. I'm sure Ronald, Frederick, George and Molly are all waiting for you eagerly on the other side."
"Be safe, and—and enjoy your two weeks," Severus murmured quietly, briefly meeting his friends' gazes before looking away.
Lily and Harry both sensed his sadness at having to part with them, with Lily acting first and closing the distance between them so she could hug him. Severus found himself shocked at first by the forwardness of Lily's gesture, but quickly recovered and returned her embrace by winding his arms around her back in turn.
"It's only two weeks Sev," she reminded him, her chin resting on his shoulder. "Then you, me, 'n Harry'll all be together again."
"I'll miss you both," Severus whispered, speaking so quietly that only Lily heard him.
"And I'll miss you too, as will Harry I'm sure."
They separated then, Severus' cheeks blotched in a bright-red color, and Lily too, sported a similar blush across her alabaster cheeks and nose. Neither Harry nor Severus felt like initiating a goodbye hug, so they settled their goodbyes for the fortnight with a couple of waves. Then, Harry and Lily moved over to the fireplace.
"Enjoy your two weeks children, try get some reading and studying done and do enjoy yourselves!" Albus said, smiling as Lily took her place in the hearth.
"We will Albus," said Lily.
One after the other, they flooed away to the Burrow.
They'd only just left and Severus found he was missing them already.
A/N2: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Despite my dislike of the Malfoys(especially Lucius), I do think it's fun to write them. I particularly enjoyed Albus pissing off Lucius after their dinner there. That aspect of Albus' character, his ability to get under anyone's skin should he want to I think is vastly under appreciated. Up next, Severus' two weeks spent with McGonagall and his older-self.