CHAPTER: Travelling.

Severus walked down the hall of the train looking for a vacant seat. There were more people on the train than usual and every seat seemed to be taken. He walked way down to the back and found a seat that was in a tight corner and sat down immediately before someone beat him to it. He took his bag and pulled it close to him, there were often pickpockets on the train and the last thing he wanted was to loose the money he had worked so hard for. He had already bought all the things he needed, the money he had was for pocket change for the next year at school and to buy Lily a birthday present. He had already decided that he would buy her those moon boots that she liked so much and they were not cheap. He reached in his bag and took out a page that he tore from one of her magazines. There were several colours, green, blue, red, yellow, and pink. He didn't know which one he should get her. He knew she liked pink so that would have been a good choice but he had never seen her wear it. She wore a lot of green, so green made the most sense. The only thing is people in Gryffindor might give her a hard time for wearing it.

"You like girl's clothes Severus?"

The voice came from next to him, it was a familiar voice, a disgusting voice, but who he thought the voice belonged to had no business being on the train. He turned his head hoping and praying that he was no sitting next to James Potter. "What the hell are you doing here?"

James raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, didn't know you owned the place."

"Of all the bloody trains you had to be on this one."

"Well this is the one going to London and that's where I'm going."

Severus stuck his head out the hall trying to see if there was anywhere else available. He was out of luck, this was the only seat, and looking at James he could see why. "What the hell are you wearing anyway?"

James looked down at himself, trying to determine where he went wrong. "What, this is perfect muggle clothes."

James was wearing a blue sequenced shirt that looked very garish, a pair of grey pants and shinny black dress shoes. "You look like crazy person," he said laughing but James didn't seem to get it.

"What about you, you look sort of odd yourself?"

Severus looked down at himself. He was wearing a black polyester shirt and a pair of brown corduroy pants that Lily herself picked out for him. "This is what normal muggles where you idiot."

James rolled his eyes. He seemed ready to change the topic. "What are you doing in Liverpool?"

Severus had no idea why he was even talking to him and he had the right mind to ignore him but it would have been silly to sit in silence for such a long ride. "I got a job."

"In Liverpool, don't you live near London?"

He nodded. "Well I was hoping to avoid running into anyone so I took one somewhere I know no one was from. But look at that I ran into the biggest nincompoop of all."

James snorted. "Ha, Evans lives in Liverpool anyway."

He folded up the paper and shoved it in his bag. "Yes, I know that now."

James sat up straight. "Oh, have you seen her."

Severus nodded, looking at James reaction. "Yes, I have seen her a couple of times."

"Did you talk to you; did she say anything about me?"

Severus snorted. "Why would she say anything about you, she can't stand you."

"So she didn't talk to you then?" James said this like he was so certain that Lily would mention him so Severus had to be lying.

"Whatever Potter."

Severus could tell that James was eyeing him with curiosity. He wondered if the new love bite on his neck was visible. He was clearly staring at something on his skin. "Why are you staring at me?" he asked. "Do I look like a bloody picture?"

"What's wrong with your skin?"

"What?" he spitted.

"It looks all normal. When did you stop looking like puke? For the first time ever you managed to get a tan."

This was becoming an annoying conversation. Severus pulled up his colour to make sure James did not notice anything else.

"It makes no sense trying to hide it, I saw it already, what is it?" James said with a knowing smile.

"Nothing," he said quickly.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you got yourself a slag tag. Brewed any love potions lately Snev."

"I HAVE NEVER BREWED A LOVE POTION IN MY LIFE," Severus shouted. This earned them a couple of stares. People looked over at James like he was something scandalous. He could imagine how it appeared to muggles to see two teenage boys talking about love potions. "Will you shut up," he said.

James didn't seem bothered by this. "And a new hair style too Severus. Did you finally see a mirror."

James was obviously referring to the low pony tail that Lily had tied his hair in but he wasn't going to comment upon it. It was none of Potter's business.

"And what's that?" James reached over to his hair and pulled out the black ponytail holder that belonged to Lily. Severus tried to get it back but he was holding it up against the light. "Look at these long hairs, they're red too. Not yours are they?" He threw it back at Severus who caught it and quickly shoved it in his travelling bag. "I never thought I'd be saying this but. Severus Snape, the slime ball has found himself a girlfriend. How much are you paying the poor girl?"

"I don't have to pay her," he said in defiance but realised he had just confirmed James's suspicions.

"Ah so you've picked yourself up a girlfriend from Liverpool. She must be really hideous to settle for someone like you."

Severus snorted at the irony of the situation, here was James Potter telling him that his girlfriend was ugly when his girlfriend was the one girl that James ever showed any interest in. "If only you knew what you were saying," he replied.

James looked at him and brought his brows together. "What's that suppose to mean? Do I know her?"

Severus just glanced at him but he didn't say anything.

James laughed. "That's not possible the only girl I know from Liverpool is Evans and she..." He stopped midsentence. The colour from his face was drained. "You're lying right."

Severus shrugged but didn't say anything.

"Severus you are lying right. Where did you get that pony holder? Let me see it again." James demanded, trying to tug his bag away from him.

"Heavens Potter, control yourself."

"Well stop lying, you greasy git. Lily Evans is not your girlfriend."

"If you say so," he said casually.

He had never seen that look on James face, it was even better than the time when Lily called him a toe rag, it was priceless.

-o-o-o-

Severus walked through the door of his home feeling quite pleased wit himself. All the way to London James kept asking him to take back his lie and admit that Lily was not his girlfriend. Severus had done so several times but he made sure it confirmed it more than it denied it. He would say things like. "I am not her boyfriend even though I have been at her house more than I have been at mine. And seeing that I am not her boyfriend I have no way of knowing that she has a sister called Petunia." It was so much fun to see him turn different shades of the rainbow. He was certain that he was now home writing a vey hurried letter to Lily so she could deny what he had told him.

He walked up the stairs still smiling to himself and went straight to his bedroom. His father was home and he had no desire to see him as long as he could avoid it. He emptied his bag on his bed and took up the page of the magazine and thin roll of money he had. He planned to put it in his can where he kept all the money he had saved. He walked over to the can and opened it. He would always count the money in there over and over when ever he added to it. But for some reason his can was empty. "Hmm," He opened his drawer and looked though the clothes for the money and he still couldn't find it. "Where the hell is it?" he whispered. He looked all over the room, hoping desperately that his mother had moved it to safer place but he still couldn't find it.

He quickly made his way down stairs to find his mother; she was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. "Have you seen my money?"

"Severus I didn't know you home," she said looking happy to see him. But he couldn't care just yet.

"Have you seen my money it was on the counter and now it's gone? Did you move it?"

"No," she said quickly sensing the urgency in his voice.

There was only one other person who could have moved it. He left his mother and walked into the living room where his father was watching TV. "Excuse me sir." The man looked up at him with lazy eyes. Great, he was drunk like a fish. "Did you move my money?" he asked.

The man searched his memory then nodded. Severus felt his heart sink. The drunken man dug his hands in his pocket and took out something and held it out for Severus, he took it and looked at it. It was a couple of coins. "Where's the rest of it?" he asked in horror.

The man's mood changed dramatically at the sound of the question. "What do fuck do you mean where's the rest. Where's the rest of my money when I gave you and your filthy whore you call your mother me whole damn paycheque." Looking down at the empty bottles on the floor Severus could tell where his money had gone, most likely on gambling and liquor. "I should put your ass out on the street, you ungrateful little bastard."

Severus felt his ears getting hot, his heart was beating so quickly that he was certain that he wanted to kill him. It took every once of restraint he had not to use magic. Instead he launched at him like a lion attacking its prey. He kicking and cuffing for his dear life. "I HATE YOU," he shouted when he got the chance. "DIE, WHY CAN'T YOU DIE?" He reached for his throat and wrapped his fingers around it. "DIE."

His arms were beginning to get weak because the man under him was fighting back. He felt someone puling him away form the man but he couldn't stop, he wanted to kill him. "SEVERUS STOP IT, YOU'RE HURTING HIM." His mother shouted. It took a while before he actually stopped and allowed his mother to pull him away.

"What in god's name do you think you're doing?"

"He spent it," he said between breaths. "He spent my money on rum."

"Over money Severus, you nearly kill him over money."

But it wasn't because of the money it was because he truly hated the man. His drunken father was getting up and trying to make an attempt to get to Severus but he was too damn weak form being so drunk. "OUT ELIEEN, GET THAT BASTARD OUT OF MY HOUSE."

Severus didn't stay to listen. He ran up the stairs and went straight to his room. He reached under his bed and pulled out his school trunk. He began to throw things in quickly. He was going to leave and never come back.

He put everything he owned in the trunk. Finally, he went into his parent's room and took out a big ancient book form behind a glass casing. He went back to his room and placed it in the trunk.

His mother came in the room with a tear streaked face. "Severus, why did you do it?"

He didn't answer her, he began to do the locks on his trunk. She reached down to him and took his hands forcibly. She placed a small roll of paper money on his hands. "This is all I have, take it."

He looked at her and down to the money. He pulled his hands away and threw the money across the room. "I don't need anything form you. You defend him... you always defend him... you're weak." He stormed out the room pulling his trunk behind him and down the stairs. He could still hear his father swearing as he walked out the door. He pulled his trunk across the road and stood.

"Fuck," he said to himself. He had no where to go and no money to get there. He had to go somewhere.

He closed his eyes thinking about what Lucius said about apparating. "Determination, Deliberation and what the hell is the other D." He had never apparate in his life but he had no choice, he needed to get out of there. He closed his eyes. Hoping and praying that it would work.

NOTE: Well I hope you guys liked this chapter. Leave a review please.