Disclaimer: As always, I own none of the characters or ideas of the Harry Potter universe.
All throughout the walk to Lily's house, Severus could feel a strange sensation swelling in his stomach. He had been unable to talk Lily out of her invitation to stay with her family for the night, and it was causing a surprisingly nervous feeling to creep into his head.
"Seventeen years convincing the Dark Lord that I was fully devoted to his cause, but I still can't find a way to say no to you. These past two weeks have certainly made me feel as helpless as a child, Lily."
The redheaded witch had been walking alongside Severus on their way to her home, and hearing his frustrations caused her giggling from earlier to return. "Honestly, Sev, if you gave a good reason as to why I can't have you over for supper, then maybe I would have listened to you."
"I can think of one, very prickly reason why…" he said with a snort.
"You can deal with Tuney one night. I have to put up with her all Summer long." She let out a sigh before turning to him, a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "Do...do she and I ever go back to the way things were before my magic started to develop..? Like real sisters, I mean...not this giant wall between us."
"Honestly, I don't know." He muttered, shaking his head. "This is all uncharted territory for me...you and I never spoke again, remember?"
"For the last time, Sev...just call her the other me." Lily huffed. "I don't like hearing about that scenario…where my life would be if I made that mistake here."
This prompted something that Lily hadn't expected. Severus himself began to start laughing again, not as strongly as before in the park, but certainly more than his trademark sarcasm.
"And what exactly do you find so funny, Professor?" she asked with a teasing tone.
"How about the absurdity that you're asking me to not confuse you with the other Lily, but in the very last breath, asking if things ever work out between you and your sister. If I've learned anything from my time here so far, it's that we're all in charge of our own destinies. If you really, truly want to be civil with Petunia again, you're going to have to put in the work for yourself instead of wondering where the chips fall in a completely different time."
"I just want to know if I'm wasting my time trying…" Lily frowned, as she tilted her head downward to her feet. "You have no idea just how resistant Petunia is to the idea that I might not be as terrible as she thinks I am…"
"Actually…" Severus groaned. "I know that feeling all too well. In every chapter of my previous life…"
They spent the rest of their walk to Lily's house in silence, the young witch's lips quivering at the implications of what her best friend just said.
Upon arriving at the Evans household, both Hogwarts students were greeted by the smiling face of Lily's mother. "Severus! Mein Schatz! How wonderful to see you!" It wasn't long before the Slytherin boy was pulled into a loving hug by the blonde woman.
It had been decades since Severus heard that telltale greeting from the cheerful voice of Dahlie Evans, but even after so long, he gave a small, almost shy smile to the middle-aged housewife. "It's good to see you too, Mrs. Evans. It's been...well, entirely too long."
And it had been. Due to the fact that he hadn't kept in touch with Lily following his fifth year at Hogwarts, he had not seen the almost perfect couple, Jasper and Dahlie Evans, in over twenty years. He had assumed that they both had passed away before Lily had, given the fact that Harry had been sent to live with his far-less pleasant aunt.
It was amazing to Severus, for as much as he kept to himself, what the family had been able to bring out of him during the time he had known them. Where he seldom bothered to concern himself with other people, he was almost greedy, hungry for information about the family, to at least get an idea of what they had that his parents lacked. And every time they had invited him over or to come along to a local restaurant as an unofficial, fifth member of their family, he would always try to find out something new about them. From there, he slowly pieced together their story.
Jasper Evans was an accomplished writer of children's fiction, winning numerous awards during his career. Born in Manchester, it was Jasper who passed on his striking red hair and green, almond-shaped eyes to his daughter, Lily. A man with an absolutely saintly temper, Jasper was not blessed with such a peaceful start to his adult life. At 18 years old, he heeded his country's call and joined the British Second Army. Little did he know that it would result in the key to his happiness.
Dahlie was a German woman who met Jasper during his time serving in World War II. Both of them were very young, but the love that bloomed between them, despite being citizens of two opposing sides during the great war, was a true example of a battlefield miracle, and regardless of both of them being Muggles, their tale was almost magical in itself. Once the war was over, Jasper returned to England, a hero, with a brand new wife at his side.
Dahlie's accent had grown incredibly diluted, almost undetectable during the time that she had spent in England since then, and she took to her new life quite well. Still, Dahlie was proud of her heritage, and would bestow a German word to some of her most favorite people as a sign of love. Sev's word was simply Schatz, or darling, as in many ways he had been the son that she and Jasper never had.
"Mum-" Lily interjected, looking at her mother pleadingly. "Sev's mother is in London for a couple of days, would it be alright if-"
"Say no more, darling! Dahlie beamed. "It'd be a good time to catch up. Your father's busy in his office at the moment, but I'm working on supper. Hungry, Severus?" she asked, patting his shoulder.
"Oooh! Mum's making Toad-in-the-Hole, but guess what, Sev? I helped her with something earlier...we've got dessert tonight too!"
Almost as if on cue, Severus' stomach started to growl and a hunger spread in his eyes. Dessert with Dahlie meant one thing. A chocolate torte with cherry filling which was absolutely to die for. Even now, over 20 years later, he recalled how delicious her recipe was. Whatever prideful reservations he had about joining them for the evening immediately vanished.
"I'd be honored."
"So, Severus." Jasper piped up, wiping his mouth politely. "Lily wrote us a week ago and said that you had a nasty fall during a scuffle at school. Is everything alright upstairs?"
"Doubtful." Petunia scoffed. She had been seated between her parents, whilst Lily was next to her best friend at the circular dinner table. "Things have to be wrong in the head to even develop that freakish ailment in the first place."
Jasper shook his head with a sigh, ignoring his daughter's first rude comment of the day. To his credit, Severus seemed to ignore it as well.
"I was given a clean bill of health when I got out of the Hospital Wing. Thankfully I managed to skate by anything serious and long-lasting."
Lily set her hand on Severus' shoulder, causing him to tense up a bit with nervousness. Either she didn't notice, or simply chose not to pay it any mind.
"Sev's pride was more damaged than anything. He got injured by someone who's been chasing after me for quite some time."
"Is this that Potter boy you've been fawning over in your letters?" Petunia asked, looking in Severus' direction, a slight smirk on her lips.
"Tuney!" Lily shouted. "I have NOT been fawning over that arrogant slimeball! He always has to make a show when I'm around."
"And yet why does it seem like you enjoy that? You've always revelled in the attention others give you." the older sister hissed, turning her glare from Severus to Lily, rising from her seat..
"What would I have to enjoy about the fact that Potter hurt my best friend?! If Sev had landed any worse, he might have been killed!" Lily spat back, getting up from her seat as well.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Petunia looked back at Severus, hoping to drive the knife in a little deeper. "It's not enough that you have this boy from the slums orbiting around you. You do whatever you can to use him to get what you really want, and that's the Potter boy's attention.
"LILY! PETUNIA! Sit down, meine blumen!" Dahlie pleaded with her daughters. After a few moments, Lily returned to her seat, but Petunia remained standing, her blonde ponytail draped over her shoulder.
"I'd like to be excused." She announced, although it seemed to be more of a statement than a request, as she already left her spot at the table and marched towards the family room, and eventually made loud, thumping footsteps to her room upstairs.
Jasper had said nothing throughout the sisters' usual bickering, instead seeming rather interested in the look on the face of their guest. Severus seemed stung at the mention of James Potter, and appeared to sink into his chair a bit with Petunia's implication that Lily had been raving about him.
The dinner that had started quite pleasantly finished with everyone in the room eating in a tense silence.
"What?! You're leaving?!" Lily pouted. "Why? You don't need to stay at Spinner's End alone, Sev!"
"I think my presence has triggered enough hostility from your sister for now…" Severus muttered with a frown.
"That's rubbish and you know it!" the young witch argued, her eyes gleaming with a soft tenderness.
"Is it? Weren't you the one who said you wanted things to get better with your sister? That isn't going to happen as easily while I'm here."
"It's not going to happen at all until she has the courage to actually vent whatever her problem is!" she snapped, looking to the staircase with a vindictive look in her eyes. "And it sure isn't going to happen overnight, whether you leave or not."
"Lily." Jasper finally interjected. "If Severus wishes to leave, he can." He turned his green eyes to the younger boy. "I'm glad that things are finally improving at Spinner's End, but this is your second home. You're always welcome in this house, Sev."
"Always, Mein Schatz." Dahlie nodded with a smile.
Severus turned to her parents apologetically. "Thank you for the lovely meal, Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Dahlie...your torte was the best I've had yet."
Lily interrupted his farewell by giving him a sudden hug, her eyes glistening with unshed tears of disappointment. "Talk to me soon...please? We still have so much catching up to do…" she whispered, alluding to the rest of the things they needed to talk about regarding his previous life.
"Certainly." he nodded, turning to leave, but looked up at Jasper, who seemed to be impeding his progress.
"Severus...before you go, could I trouble you for a moment alone?"
Once the two men walked out the front door, Jasper looked down at Severus. "Please, don't let whatever Petunia said make you feel uneasy."
"Uneasy about what, sir?"
The older man chuckled lightheartedly. "You and I both know what, Severus. Don't act dumb with me when we both know you aren't."
"Honestly, Jasper, I have no idea what you're talking about." Sev said coolly, trying to avoid speaking about the subject anymore. He desperately wanted to use Occlumency right now...
"You and Lily." he sighed, refusing to budge. "You don't think I see it? The look in your eyes, the raw happiness you show whenever you're around her. The pain you tried to hide, quite poorly might I add, when Petunia brought up the subject of the other boy at school. Just because you're a wizard, don't think it doesn't show in your body language."
"Sir, Lily is my friend."
"Sev, please stop calling me Sir. We've known you for years, I would think that you could let yourself be more at ease with us." Jasper smiled, resting his hand on Severus' shoulder. "Just tell me what I already know. Yes or no, do you have feelings for my daughter?"
"I'm afraid not, sir. I think Petunia could be a lovely girl with the right man, but I'm sorry to say that's not me." Sev brushed the question off with a joke.
Jasper broke into laughter before nodding his head. "Right then. So. You and Lily. That's what you want, the question is what are you planning to do about it?"
"What makes you so sure that's what I want?" Severus asked with a questioning gaze.
"Oh? Am I wrong about how you feel?"
"No...I...Lily is very special to me, yes…" he admitted, turning his gaze downward. "But whether or not I feel that way has no bearing on if I would want to be with her."
"That may be the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, Severus. Either you're lying to me or to yourself."
"Jasper, trust me, the situation is more complicated than you could fathom." Severus shuddered, turning his eyes to the sunset on the horizon. "Lily...is better off without me. She should be happy, taken care of, and I don't think that's something I could give to her in the way she deserves."
Jasper seemed astounded at the way Severus spoke and conveyed his thoughts. Either he had grown up incredibly quickly this past year, or a new streak of adult maturity seemed to settle into the boy. "I DO trust you. I trust you more than I do some foolish boy at Hogwarts who dropped you on your head to make a show for her. And whether you want to admit it to yourself or not, you want to be with Lily. I could tell from the way you shrank at what Petunia said. You were jealous. So. Now that we've covered what you feel and what you want, I ask again. What are you planning to do about it?"
"I...I don't really know." Severus said truthfully. Even after everything he had been through with Lily, despite how things had been changing, his intentions had just been to live and let live.
"Let's start with the obvious. Have you told Lily how you feel?"
"N-no…" Severus was scolding himself internally. "But...I don't think I need to. Lily already knows. She knows a lot more than she probably should."
"You're sure she knows?" Jasper asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. "Lily has been so overwhelmed while taking in Hogwarts and the rest of your world that something simple like that might have escaped her eye.
Severus knew otherwise. He remembered their time on the train ride back to London. How he had let the memory go too long and let Dumbledore speak the truth that he was in love with her. How surprised, yet flustered Lily seemed to be at the truth.
"I'm sure…" he admitted with a blush.
"You're a smart boy, Severus. If she knows, yet you've done nothing about it, then she expects you to do nothing about it. If you want to be with Lily...you're going to have to defy her expectations."
"How?" Severus asked, looking back up at Jasper with a genuine curiosity.
"Well for starters, you could walk right back through that door and spend the night here, with us. Lily was very excited to have you over tonight. How about you turn her disappointment into genuine surprise?"
Severus' gaze seemed to soften as he looked at the older soldier-turned-author. He had always felt a degree of admiration for Jasper, but now, he felt that he had another ally, even if he would never know the real truth of the reborn Slytherin's life. His curious expression morphed into a thin smile.
"Alright...I'll stay."
Lily had been sitting on the couch in the living room, fuming at how Petunia had ruined everything, with the way she made her friend so uncomfortable that he felt the need to leave.
After several minutes of silence, she heard the front door open up once again, and turned an eye to her father, curious at what had taken so long during his conversation with Severus.
Lily's curiosity was quickly replaced by elation once Severus followed him back through the doorway. Before she could ask why he changed his mind, he walked up to her, reaching an inviting hand out. "Let's go upstairs...you wanted to talk and catch up? So do I…"
She looked at his hand, dumbfounded for a moment at both his change of heart and the gesture he made to express it. But with a happy nod, Lily took his hand, eager to hear more of her beloved friend's story.
Author's Note: So there we go. A little chapter spent on developing Lily's parents. I hope people like the story that I gave them. Petunia will be given more development time as we go on. Thanks to those of you who contributed their thoughts on the Author's Note I replaced with this chapter, I think I know how to treat the story going forward. Apologies for it taking so long to come up with a chapter, but the story is never going to die. That I can promise you.
Once again, I can't express enough how important reviews are. Everyone's feedback is very much appreciated. We're rapidly approaching 100,000+ reads, and that's so exciting to think that so many have enjoyed the story. Thanks again, everyone!