Chapter 12: Lily (and Severus)
It took a fair bit of convincing. Lily had known she had her work cut out for her of course, but the disapproving looks and cynical faces of her parents was something she wasn't expecting. She had prepared her argument in defense of Severus on the long walk home, arming herself with words like: 'abuse' and 'neglect'. She expected her parents to agree without a second thought. After all, it's what she would have done. They countered her proposition with things that had never even crossed her mind. Things that, to Lily, seemed highly irrelevant.
"He's a boy."
That had been the first, and belonged to her father. Lily didn't see what that had to do with anything. Did the fact that Severus was a boy make her argument any less valid? Did it put him in any less danger? Did her father think that just because Severus was a boy he should be tough enough to put up with it? Lily had frowned in confusion after her Dad stated this fact, like it was bloody obvious this was a solid point in their disagreement, when in reality it only left her more confused.
"That's a very serious accusation Lily."
This one came from her mother and Lily admitted, though begrudgingly, that it did make a bit more sense. What did her Mum expect her to do with it though? Was she asking for proof? Lily couldn't very well provide solid evidence without Severus being present, could she? Even if Severus was there, it wasn't like he would just stroll in and have a chat about the things that happened to him behind closed doors. It was ludicrous.
Lily had to take a deep and calming breath to cool her rising temper before she continued. She recounted everything that she learned in the short time she had known Severus. She told them about the bruising around his eye, though she conveniently left out why she suspected it had been there to begin with. She told them about his badly mismatched clothes, how thin he was and about how most of the time he couldn't even look her in the eye, which had struck her as very odd behavior. She even told them about the night she followed him home and what she witnessed there. She knew there was a possibility she would get in trouble for that, but she hoped the severity of the situation would diminish any sort of punishment she might receive. Even if it didn't, it was worth it. Her parents needed to understand. They needed to understand about Severus.
When she had finished, the most she got out of them was a promise that they would think about it. Lily loved both of her parents dearly, but the fact that they didn't immediately embrace the idea and jump into action left her with a festering disappointment that crouched low in her belly and bit at her insides anytime she thought about it. After all, they were adults! If you couldn't rely on them, especially your own parents, who could you rely on? Who was going to protect them?
Lily met Severus the next morning and knew immediately that something was wrong. He was moodier than usual, though he didn't say much of anything during their time together. She tried to persuade him to talk about it on several counts, but it was clear by the third or fourth attempt that this was a lost cause. He just listened quietly while she talked and fidgeted with whatever was within reach to fill the lengthy silences. It had something to do with his father, she was sure of it, but she wasn't going to find out more. Not today, anyway. Instead she tried comforting him with the news that she had gotten her parents to agree to consider their plan. She tried to act more positive than she felt and attempted to spin it in a way that would convince him this was indeed good news, but Severus just seemed to be more put out by the end of it. Perhaps, she thought sadly, he had given up.
When they parted ways Lily promised to keep working on her parents. There was no way she was going to leave him behind. She apologized profusely that it had already taken so long, because any amount of time spent debating his position was 'too long.' When you came down to it, if it wasn't immediate, it was too slow. She hugged him tightly, trying to ignore the way he still stiffened and flinched under her touch. The guilt washed over her as she watched his retreating back disappear into the thicket. With a grimace she whirled around, kicking out at the ground moodily, before she made her way back home.
A few days later, Lily had left the solace of her bedroom to use the bathroom. She had been tidying up to distract herself and pass the time, gathering up the stray clothes that were strewn about the room and giving them a tentative sniff to decide if they were clean or dirty, before tossing them into their respective piles. She threw the Hogwarts letter that still sat folded neatly on her dresser since the day she received it, into a nearby drawer without looking at it. As she drew nearer the bathroom door she heard her parents voices wafting loudly from the direction of the kitchen. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the mention of Severus's name.
She needed to get closer so she could hear what they were talking about, and fast. She crept as silently as she could down the stairs, careful to avoid the creeks. Perching herself on the second to last stair, she poked her head through the bannister, straining to listen to her parents heated conversation. She didn't want to get any closer and risk being caught, but she had to know what they were talking about. This could be the answer. This could be what she had been waiting for so desperately.
"-very serious Camellia. If the boy's parents aren't on board with the whole thing we could be charged with kidnapping."
"I know, but Lily has no reason to lie. You saw how upset she was when she came home that night. It was all I could do to get her to stop crying."
"I'm not saying she's lying Camellia, dear," there was a heavy sigh and Lily could picture her Dad's fingers pinching the bridge of his nose like he always did when he was stressed. "All I'm saying is that maybe, instead of taking matters into our own hands and facing criminal charges, we could just...I don't know, make a call to the police."
"And what will the police do?" Camellia's voice returned coldly. "You know as well as I do that most of these cases aren't handled properly. Best case scenario he gets lost in the system. If they don't take him- Andrew, if they don't take him away we could make things worse for the poor boy."
"We could make things worse for ourselves too. We have two young girls to think about."
"Yes, and as a father I would have expected you to be more sensitive because of it," Mrs. Evans snapped.
"What do you mean?" Mr. Evans replied darkly.
"What if it were one of our girls? He's just a child, Andrew. But you could stop it, we could stop it." There was a brief pause and the floor creaked loudly as Mr. Evans shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "The question is, do you think you have the guts for what you know needs to be done?" There was another long, stagnant pause as Mr. Evans considered her words carefully.
"This is ridiculous!" he shouted so suddenly that Lily jumped up in alarm, her head crashing painfully into the bannister above. Luckily Mr. Evans voice was so loud she hadn't been discovered. She rubbed vigorously at the spot where the bannister collided with her skull, trying to soothe the throbbing ache still rattling her brain. "I can't believe you're trying to convince me to consider- kidnapping!" came Mr. Evans ringing voice in disbelief.
"Keep your voice down!" Mrs. Evans hissed angrily. "The girls! And don't use that word. It's not like that. We would be helping a child in need of some proper care. That's all." There was a scraping sound of wood against the floor that told Lily her father had collapsed into a nearby chair, and she knew her Dad was reaching the end of his patience.
"Camellia, this is insane. What we're talking about could be dangerous for us and for our family. You can't just take someone else's child because you don't like the way he's being raised. The world doesn't work like that-"
"Please, Andrew. Think about it," Mrs. Evans replied softly. "After all, the things that matter the most often involve a bit of risk." There was a shuffling of movement from the kitchen that told Lily the conversation had drawn to a close. She pulled her head from between the railing and crept quickly, yet silently back to her room.
When the door was shut safely between her and her parents, she sank to the floor against it, processing what she had just heard. Kidnapping? It's no wonder her parents didn't jump on the idea of taking Sev in. She never thought about it like that. This was a lot more serious than she had originally thought.
A few more days crept slowly by. Still Lily was seeing Severus every day, and every day she assured him they were still figuring things out. The words started to sound fake and hollow even in her own head, but she needed to stay strong and positive for Sev's sake. She returned home one afternoon after their daily visit, her hair dampened from the heat of the summer sun combined with the long trek back home from Pine Peak. She had just gotten through the door and finished kicking off her sandals when her parents came and met her solemnly at the door.
"Lil, we need to have a talk," Mr. Evans told her earnestly.
Lily's heart sank into her stomach. Her initial thought was that she was somehow in trouble. At first she thought maybe they knew that she overheard them talking a few nights ago, but then she reasoned if that were indeed the case, she would have been dragged aside a lot sooner than this. Her second thought was of Petunia telling them something she did or didn't do, and a momentary flash of annoyance surged through her at her sister's meddling. She racked her brain for what she could have possibly done this time, as she was led to the kitchen table and asked to sit down.
It all felt so strangely...procedural, and it did nothing to ease her racing heart as she slumped into a chair opposite her parents. She dropped her gaze and stared at the table grains as though she were awaiting sentence, her heart thrumming madly in her chest. Mrs. Evans picked up the cup of tea in front of her and took a small sip. Lily wished they would get on with it, the suspense was threatening to give her an aneurysm.
"So," Mrs. Evans began stiffly placing the cup back on the saucer with a clink and eyeing her youngest daughter. "I'm sure by now you know what this is about." Lily thought it best to say nothing and continued to stare at the table instead. "I want you to know that your father and I have discussed this matter very seriously." Mrs. Evans took a deep breath and folded her hands neatly under her chin, fixing Lily was a severe look. "If we do this, then there are certain rules that need to be followed without question. Do you understand?"
Lily looked momentarily puzzled, but nodded her head in agreement. What were they on about? This couldn't be about Severus could it? After the conversation that took place between her parents a few nights ago, she had given it up as a bad job. The most she could hope for was that they actually would call the police and Severus would be taken somewhere else. Anywhere would be better than there. He said so himself, didn't he? 'He was so close to getting out-'
"Good," Mr. Evans supplied shortly. "Your mother and I have decided that the boy can stay, but-" he cut across the expression of excitement that formed on Lily's face before she had a chance to speak. "He needs permission from his parents." Lily looked crestfallen and Mr. Evans fixed her with a knowing look. "Do you understand what I'm saying Lily?" He asked pointedly. "If the boy says he has permission, well, I'd be inclined to believe him." Lily's mouth gaped open for a moment as comprehension settled in.
If Sev says he had permission to stay than her parents couldn't be accused of kidnapping could they? It would all fall on Severus, and because he was underage, there was no way he would get in trouble for wanting to leave an abusive household. It was only natural. Lily was impressed. It was- well it was brilliant!
"Yes, I understand," Lily said soberly, her hands clenched tightly in her lap and giving her father what she hoped was a meaningful look.
Mr. Evans nodded once firmly.
"There are some other rules that are going to need to be followed," Mrs. Evans said evenly. "Firstly, there will be no Severus in either of your rooms after 9:00 P.M."
Lily snorted, she couldn't help herself, but the thought of Severus hanging out in Petunia's room at all made her want to laugh. In fact, Sev would be the one better off staying out of Petunia's room. She supposed this rule had been made especially for her, and it had her Dad written all over it. As if on cue, Mr. Evans fixed her with a stern look that had her shut the image down immediately, the colour rising in her cheeks.
"This isn't a laughing matter Lils," Mr. Evans said curtly. "I assure you, this is quite serious."
"I know, I'm- I'm sorry Dad," Lily muttered looking ashamed.
"As I was saying," Mrs. Evans continued a bit more loudly, directing the focus back to the subject at hand, "If Severus is in either of your rooms during daylight hours than it's doors open. No exceptions."
Lily felt a touch annoyed at this. What did they think they were going to do?
She realized with dawning horror that they had probably been talking to Petunia after all. She probably told them she was going out with Severus. Lily groaned softly, humiliated at the thought of her parents thinking she was dating, and worse still, what they thought she might be up to. She dropped her face in her hands, the embarrassment blazing hot on her cheeks.
"Mum, Dad, I-" Mrs. Evans held up a hand to stop her from interrupting any further. Lily flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, but fell silent.
"It's not that we don't trust you Lils," Mr. Evans said turning a bit red himself. 'It's just that we don't know Severus yet and-"
"We're not going out!" Lily blurted loudly. "We're just friends! So if Petunia said something to you-" Mr. Evans looked slightly taken aback at his daughter's sudden outburst, but couldn't quite hide the relief that washed over him. He cleared his throat loudly before continuing.
"Oh yes, of course not!" He said, adjusting his collar as though it were about to strangle him and uttering a nervous chuckle. "Nevertheless, you two have been spending a lot of time with each other lately and I know he's your friend and all, Lily, it's just that-"
"Oh for heaven's sake Andrew," Mrs. Evans scolded. She placed a comforting hand over Lily's and stared directly into her daughter's eyes. "Lily, what your father is trying to say is that it doesn't matter if you are or your not. It's just not proper at your age to be alone with a boy in your room. Do you understand?" Lily started to nod a bit uncomfortably, but Mrs. Evans must have misinterpreted this as a sign of confusion because she heaved a heavy sigh and began again. "You see at your age your body is going through certain changes-"
Oh God.
"I-I think we're getting a bit off track here!" Mr. Evans said loudly over Mrs. Evans's carefully prepared speech. "Best to stick to the point Camelia, dear! That is a topic for another day, that is!" Mr. Evans plastered on a huge grin that might have been convincing if it weren't twitching and his face wasn't so purple.
Lily burned with humiliation. She would have to agree with her Dad on this one. She hadn't been prepared for this. If this turned into some sort of sex talk- she groaned again.
Mrs. Evans clicked her tongue in annoyance and leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed. She wore a look of mutinous frustration as she gave in to her husband's desperate cries to abandon ship.
"Anyway, uh-" Mr. Evans stammered, trying to regain some composure. "Second rule is that we are to be informed of Severus's whereabouts at all times." Lily cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. Mr. Evans sighed deeply and leaned into the table. "Look, Lily, I know you're used to doing things a certain way here, and undoubtedly so is he, but this is important. Severus could be in danger. There could be...people who are looking for him. Maybe wanting him back-" Mr. Evans emphasized, once again fixing Lily with the unspoken understanding still lingering between them. "We need to keep him safe." Lily's shoulders slumped in defeat and she nodded her agreement.
"What about Petunia?" she burst out suddenly.
"What about her?" Mr. Evans asked patiently.
"She hates Severus!" Lily said desperately as her voice began to rise. "What if she tells someone!?" Lily gasped, her wild eyes darting frantically between her parents. "What if she tells his parents?" Mr. and Mrs. Evans exchanged a meaningful look.
"Don't worry about Petunia, Lily," Mrs. Evans said smoothly. "We're going to be having a talk with her too. She'll understand how serious this is, and I assure you, she won't be saying a thing. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed you don't have more faith in your sister." she said disapprovingly.
Lily didn't even have the energy to look apologetic. Her heart was once again thudding so loudly, her neck throbbed. If Petunia messed this up just because she disliked Severus so much- She would never forgive her for something like that. Maybe her Mum was right though. Maybe she should give Petunia the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't an evil person. Sure, they had their strains and their issues, but in the end she was still her older sister, and she loved her. If she loved Lily at all, there was no way she would mess this up. This went beyond petty dislike.
"OK," Lily said a little skeptically. "Um- was there anything else?"
"No, those are the most critical," Mrs. Evans said evenly. "Anything else comes up, we'll let you know. There's going to be a learning curve with all this, I'm afraid." Mrs. Evans mused softly. "There aren't any handbooks for dealing with something like this," she whispered as though to herself. Mrs. Evans straightened up, smiling, as though shaking herself out of her reverie. "What am I saying? Don't worry, we'll figure it out. Everything will be fine. Now, it's too late for Severus to come tonight, but tomorrow when you see him you can tell him to- uh- come over." She winked at Lily and gave her a brief hug before scooping up her teacup and saucer, and carried them away into the kitchen.
Mr. Evans rose from his seat too, and planted a firm kiss on the top of Lily's head before scurrying off after Mrs. Evans. Her parents voices drifted from the kitchen in soft whispers too low to understand. Lily took the hint and started making her way back to her room, though she couldn't contain the smile that invaded her lips. The conversation she had with her parents had just begun to sink in, and she couldn't have been more elated. Severus was going to stay with her. He was going to stay! She, Lily, and he, Severus, were going to live together under the same roof! She was going to rescue him after all.
Lily stood beaming in front of Severus and watched as his mouth gaped open in utter disbelief. She had just relayed the good news, and it was obvious he hadn't been expecting this sort of response given the delay in their plan. The look on his face only verified her assumption that he had given up hope. They stood there staring at one another for a moment in stunned silence, before Severus broke into a large boyish grin.
"Y-you mean-" Severus stammered sheepishly. Lily smiled warmly at him.
"Let's go home, Sev," she said cheerfully, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leading him away from Pine Peak.
They headed back towards Lily's house, all the while Lily talking excitedly about what they were going to do on their first night as live-in roommates. Severus wasn't saying much, but Lily suspected that he was just in shock from the realization that he was going to be free and didn't hold it against him. Severus was a quiet sort of boy at the best of times, and this was a lot to process, she told herself reasonably. Instead, she used his silence as an opportunity to lay out her parent's ground rules and explain what was expected of him. Severus listened intently, nodding along appropriately and, before she knew it, they had arrived at her front door.
0-o-0
Was this really happening? This morning he had woken up and snuck out of the house before either of his parents were even awake. Ever since he came home late that night and was forced into his deepest humiliation he had been avoiding the both of them, not just Tobias. He kept his interactions to a minimum, just dealing with what was necessary and speaking only when spoken to. If it wasn't for his visits with Lily, he didn't think he could have survived the loneliness of the last week or so. But now, here he was, standing in front of Lily Evan's front door, getting ready to enter a whole new life. One without Tobias.
There was a gnawing somewhere deep in his gut that followed him all the way from Pine Peak. First of all, how was he going to afford his school things? If he did this now, there was no way he could ever go back to Spinner's End, not ever. He supposed he would have to try and earn the money somehow, like he did on some of his visits into town, and just hope for the best. He also felt a little uncomfortable about leaving his mother there without him. But, she had plenty of opportunities to leave, didn't she? And she never did. She probably wanted to stay there, he reasoned. With a tremendous amount of effort he pushed the thought away and tried to focus, but the annoying gnawing in his stomach never relented.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans were waiting for them when they went inside, which only verified the situation and made it all the more real. They came bustling up to the door as soon as they heard it open. Mrs. Evans had dusty blonde hair that fell loosely around her shoulders in soft waves. Her eyes were a bright green and she had long, narrow features that made her appear almost horse-like. Mr. Evans had tidy flaming red hair and lots of freckles. His face was round and boyish which only served to make him look younger than he was. He had a good-natured look about him, and Severus could easily envision himself warming up to this man. Seeing the three of them together was like looking at an evolutionary chart. Each person was like a puzzle piece, similar to the others and yet still unique, but when put together formed one perfect picture. He could even see where the Muggle-girl fit in to all this. It wasn't hard to see the family resemblance and it left Severus wondering with increasing awkwardness how he would look trying to fit into the same picture.
Mrs. Evans approached him first. She smiled warmly at him and bent down to meet him at eye level before introducing herself as 'Lily's Mom, Mrs. Evans'. Mr. Evans shook his hand enthusiastically and clapped him on the back as he, too, introduced himself as 'Lily's Dad.'
"And you must be Severus, is that right?" Mrs. Evans asked him kindly when Severus seemed to be struggling and at a loss for words.
"Er, y-yes ma'am," he replied. Mrs. Evans's eyes scanned Severus's appearance and she frowned slightly as she took him in. Severus was beginning to feel uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze, so he quickly added, "Thanks for lettin'-" he grimaced and tried again. "Thanks for letting me stay," he repeated more slowly. He tried on an appreciative grin, but it felt wrong on his face. He hoped that it didn't look the same way that it felt. Mrs. Evans looked up again and smiled.
"Of course Severus, we're happy to have you," she said brightening and standing up. "Lily, why don't you show Severus where he'll be staying?"
"Come on Sev," Lily exclaimed happily as she bounded halfway up the staircase. Severus, unsure of whether he had been dismissed or not, bowed stiffly to Mrs. Evans, who looked half amused and half bewildered at the young boy's actions. Turning away hurriedly, he followed Lily up the stairs.
"Don't be too long, dinner will be ready soon!" Mrs. Evans called after them.
Severus didn't know where to look first. Everything was so immaculately arranged and tidy. There wasn't much space left on the walls that hadn't already been dedicated to documenting the family's lives. There were photographs of chubby babies dressed in shades of lavender and yellow that he assumed must be Lily and her sister. Portraits of the Evans' on the beach, in front of the Eiffel Tower or on a picnic plastered the walls. There were also loads of pictures of people that Severus didn't even recognize, but assumed must have been other close friends and family members. The house itself felt huge in comparison to his own home on Spinner's End, and he was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed.
"In here," Lily said as she made a right at the top of the stairs and continued down the hallway. She pushed open the door near the end of the hall and ushered him inside. The room was occupied mostly by a large, heavy oak desk. Piles of paper were stacked in neat piles on top of it with various writing implements aligned to the side. There was a squat sofa that sat along the opposite wall with a reading lamp and a small side table. A sizable bookshelf took up what was left of the space and was parked against the wall beside the door. "You can fold out the sofa to become a bed," Lily informed Severus as he looked about the room. "We usually keep it for when company comes over. I'm sorry it's not a real bedroom. Mum and Dad said it will have to do for now until we can figure out something more permanent." Severus crossed the room and sat on the edge of the sofa, testing the softness of the cushions, which compared to his mattress at home, felt fantastic.
"It's brilliant," Severus said, a touch of admiration lacing his voice. "Thank you." Lily shrugged but looked pleased all the same.
"Kids, supper," Mrs. Evans voice shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
"Come on, I'll give you the rest of the tour after dinner," Lily said happily.
Together they headed back downstairs and toward a table off the kitchen that served as a dining area. Petunia was already in her usual seat, sitting stark straight, her lips pursed. She glanced disapprovingly at the two of them approaching and made a sharp tsk sound against her cheek, before refusing to look at either one of them. Severus and Lily exchanged a look, their eyebrows raised.
"Come sit down Severus, dear," Mrs. Evans said, pulling out a chair that was across from Lily's usual spot and sandwiched in between Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Severus did as he was told and stuffed his hands anxiously in his lap.
Severus had never before seen so many wonderful dishes all at once. The lunch that Lily had brought for them was nothing compared to this. There was a pot roast so tender it slid right off the bone, running over with rich brown gravy and cloves of garlic. Crispy roasted potatoes, string beans and soft, steamy garlic bread were all placed around the table in turn. A pitcher of frosted sweet tea was passed around and then placed in the middle of the table, where it was left to mingle among the rest. Mr. and Mrs. Evans questioned Severus relentlessly, all the while piling more and more food onto his plate, insisting on second and even third helpings. Lily watched his eyes grow wide with disbelief as Mr. Evans dished even more pot roast onto his plate, doing her best not to laugh.
When Severus was feeling full to bursting, Mrs. Evans pulled out a rich chocolate raspberry torte for dessert and, despite his discomfort, managed to eat a small slice of it. He was happy he did, because it may have been the tastiest thing he had ever eaten. Luckily for Severus, his pants were already so large for his small frame that he didn't need to loosen his trousers at the dinner table, which would have been quite embarrassing. Instead, all he needed to do was lean back a little further in his chair to relieve some of the bloating that strained against the walls of his stomach. He was beginning to feel a bit drowsy.
"Why don't you head upstairs and have a quick shower, Severus?" Mrs. Evans suggested, watching him. "It might freshen you up a little. I can find you something to wear for tonight. Just bring your clothes with you to your room when you're finished and I'll get them later for washing."
"I'll show him where it is," Lily volunteered, rising from the table. Mrs. Evans nodded.
"I'll leave them in your room for when you get out," Mrs. Evans told him, referring to the change of clothes.
Severus thanked Mrs. Evans, not just for the meal but for everything, before he followed Lily upstairs to the bathroom. Lily showed him the water taps, telling him which tap was what, which he thought was unnecessary but considerate all the same. She then pulled out a fluffy white towel from a nearby cupboard and loaded it into his arms.
"When you're finished come to my room. It's the one straight across from the bathroom," Lily said, pointing towards her bedroom door. "We can play a game before bed!" She smiled encouragingly and left, closing the bathroom door shut behind her.
Now that he was alone, Severus took the opportunity to take everything in. He had just had the best night of his life and he hadn't even done anything yet. He was bowled over by the kindness and generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, and he felt so grateful to Lily for all she had done on his behalf. Tears threatened the corners of his eyes and he swiped at them in frustration. Why? He was happy for one of the first times in his life. Truly happy. He couldn't help but imagine what life would be like from now on, being a part of this family. Being a part of Lily's family. He would even try to get along with the Muggle-girl, he vowed. Fresh tears stung at his eyes again and he wiped them away angrily, turning to twist on the hot water.
He allowed it to run for awhile, comforted by the knowledge that he couldn't get in trouble for bathing as long as he liked. Steam filled the bathroom in clouds, fogging up the mirrors with thick, dewy condensation. Satisfied, he undressed, folding his clothes into a neat pile before stepping under the jet of hot water.
It was wonderful. The water worked wonders to ease the aches leftover from the defense lessons his mother routinely forced on him. He took a look around the stall and found with some surprise that there were more bottles than he knew what to do with. Little shelves were stuck to the inside of the stall and held a wide variety of products from shampoos and conditioners, to soaps, bubble baths and fragrant bath salts. Severus couldn't believe his eyes. He usually only had one chalky bar of soap to do everything for him. Admittedly, he couldn't wait to try some of the things that sat so enticingly in front of him.
He selected a bottle of shampoo from the shelves and gave it an experimental sniff. He wrinkled his nose and closed the cap, placing it back where he found it. The flowery scent was much too overwhelming and girly. He picked up another and sniffed it gingerly. He recognized the scent immediately. It must belong to Lily, he thought. He dispensed a pearly substance into his palm and slapped it on top of his head, working it into a heavy foam.
He spent some time experimenting with different bottles. He used a liquid soap instead of a bar, sudsing it between his hands before scrubbing it into his skin. He even tried conditioner for the first time. Severus thought it was quite nice. It smoothed out the texture of his hair in the shower, and found that he liked the silky feel of the wet hair between his fingers. When he had finished rinsing he flicked off the water and stepped out.
He quickly toweled off, roughly drying his hair first which ended up in a tangled pile on top of his head, but with no brush in sight there was nothing for it. Maybe they left him something in his room he could use. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he scooped up his pile of clothes and headed to his office bedroom to dress.
He found a freshly laundered pile of clothes set carefully on top of the sofa bed (which had also been made up for him). They must have belonged to Mr. Evans at some point, he mused. There was a cornflower blue T-shirt with a black collar that was looking a little faded, and some plain, grey pajama pants. They must have been from when Mr. Evans was a young man, because though they were still quite loosely fitted, they weren't nearly as overgrown as he was used to.
Severus emerged with the intent of walking straight to Lily's room, but stopped when he noticed that the room next to hers had its door wide open. He couldn't help his curiosity, which had peaked when he was passing, and he stopped to observe it's contents. Petunia was sitting on her bed, a book in her lap as she wrote something down on a piece of paper. Every once in awhile she would scratch something out and start over, biting the end of her pen in concentration. Severus thought this may be a good opportunity to try to make amends with her, so he racked his brain for something friendly to say. Before he could come up with anything though, Petunia caught him staring and immediately grew angry. She tossed the book aside and pelted towards the door.
"What are you looking at, pervert," she sneered slamming the door in his face. Severus frowned.
"Hey," Lily's head poked out into the hallway and was watching him. She must have been alerted by the sound of the door slam. "What's up with her?"
0-o-0
Lily glanced down the hall at Severus who was looking uncertainly at a door that had very nearly assaulted his face. He gawked at her and blinked, perplexed.
"What's up with her?"
"Dunno," he replied doubtfully, wiping at the moisture still clinging to the back of his neck from his soaked hair. Lily suddenly noticed the sodden rats nest on top of his head and choked back laughter. "What?" he asked defensively.
"Your hair," Lily giggled, hiding a smile behind her hand. "Come in here, let me fix it," she said as she disappeared into her room waiting for Severus to trickle in after her. She seized her brush from the vanity and gestured for Severus to sit down at the foot of the bed. He did so obediently and Lily rolled onto the bed on her stomach, attacking Severus's hair with her brush.
Even with the use of conditioner, Severus's hair was a bit of a challenge. She plucked at the ends working her way to the roots attempting to be as gentle as possible. Severus never complained, not even when she accidentally caught his hair on a particularly stubborn knot and gave it an extra hard tug. When Severus's hair was once again lying flat against his scalp, she set the brush aside and began combing it through with her fingers to make sure that she hadn't missed any tangles. She felt rather than saw Severus relax into her touch, and was suddenly acutely aware that Severus liked having his hair toyed with.
She never knew a boy that had hair long enough to play with before, and it had been a long time since Petunia had allowed Lily to do her hair. She began automatically dividing his hair into sections and braiding them together, trying out different styles before once again brushing it out with her fingertips. She swept his hair back into a ponytail, which she decided she actually rather liked on Severus. Silently she wondered if this was something his mother ever did. She had always personally found it extremely comforting and the thought that Severus may have never before experienced the sensation, saddened her a little. She eventually gave up trying different styles and settled on just running Severus's dark hair through her fingers. Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against his neck and she noticed as goosebumps erupted all over his skin. Lily flushed and released his hair, allowing it to settle back into place.
"How about that board game," she asked abruptly. Severus's dark eyes watched her cross the room and throw open the wardrobe. "Hmm...Snakes and Ladders or The Game of Life?" she read out loud to Severus.
"Dunno," he said. "Whichever you like."
"Oh well in that case, how about Mystery Date?" Lily teased holding up the fluorescent pink box and shaking it enticingly, her eyebrows waggling.
"Oh well- I mean, if you really want to-" Severus said politely. Lily giggled and then slapped a hand dramatically over her heart.
"Wow, you must really like me if you're willing to make such a sacrifice," she teased lightly. "I'm only kidding, I wouldn't do that to you. Life it is." Lily crossed the room and jumped lightly onto the bed, dumping the contents of the box out in front of her. She began setting up the board, separating pieces and shuffling cards. "Come on then," she goaded. "You won't be able to play the game very well from the floor, will you?"
Severus positioned himself on the other side of the bed opposite Lily and watched as she set up.
"Um- I really don't know how to play," he confessed apologetically. Lily grinned despite herself.
"It's alright, I'll show you how. Don't worry you're in very capable hands." She winked.
The first game went by slowly. Lily spent a fair amount of time explaining the objective of the game and going over the different elements of game play. When Severus still looked unsure, she insisted that it would be easier to understand if they played through a couple turns. Once he picked it up, Severus was rather good at it, or really rather lucky, Lily thought. She had won the first round, but only by the skin of her teeth. When they played through a second time, Severus had left her in the dust.
As the second round drew to a close they discovered that they had grown weary of the game, and Severus helped pack it away back into its box. They wound up spending a fair amount of time talking the way they usually did when they were at Pine Peak. The subject would inevitably come back around to Hogwarts and the conversation blossomed into fantasies of what life was going to be like for them once they were at school.
Lily caught herself noticing that Severus looked rather dapper in the faded blue of her father's T-shirt and pants. It was very unusual to see him in normal clothes, and not the same ancient smock and blazer combo he normally wore. As they talked, she felt a sudden and overwhelming desire to know what it would be like to kiss him. She watched him closely as he continued to talk. The way his lips moved, and his velvet eyes lit up when he talked about his favorite subjects. The lingering scent of his shower was still hovering heavy around him, and she was close enough that every once in awhile she would catch a whiff of the freshly showered skin smell she loved so much. It caught her by surprise, and mingled with his own Severus-like scent. She felt dizzy and dreamy all at once as she listened to the soothing drone of his voice.
This could be it. He had stopped talking, and she almost hadn't noticed. If it weren't for the sudden silence and the fact that he was staring back at her so intently-
Lily swallowed, her heart doing an involuntary lurch that caught her in the throat. She just needed to do it. She just needed to know what it felt like, just once. It was really no big deal. She should just go for it. Their eyes were locked and for once Severus was actually looking at her and not at his hands or his feet or the ground, just her. He wasn't looking away. She placed her hands against his knees and leaned forward, closing the gap between them, leaning into him and she could swear she felt him start to lean back when-
BANG!-BANG!-BANG!
There was a loud pounding at the door that sounded as though someone were trying to break it down. It was so blaring, it instantly snapped them out of whatever spell they had just been under. It continued repeatedly, and even from Lily's room she could swear she heard the wood splintering and the hinges threaten to give in. There were some muffled curse words from Mr. Evans as he stomped down the hall towards the raucous banging at his front door. There was one final crash that told them the door had swung open so violently it collided with a nearby wall.
"WHERE'S THE BOY? WHERE IS MY SON?"
They stared at one another in horror.
AN: Yes, I know. I changed the format a little, but as the author I'm entitled to do what I want ;) I ran into some problems when it came to this chapter as there were certain parts that needed to be seen from Sev's POV but it was too short to split them all into separate chapters. The result is one super chapter (no really, it's almost 5 pages longer than most of my previous chapters). This particular part of the story (chapter 12 and 13) is what sparked my inspiration for the fic in the first place, so as a result it means a great deal to me that it be read exactly how I envisioned it. Hope you enjoy it and if you did, show me some love by dropping me and Sev a lovely review. He could use a little cheering up.