Part 24 – Home for the Holidays

Severus was one of the last students to step off of the Hogwart's Express after it had pulled in to Platform 9¾. He'd kept an eye out for Lily, hoping to travel back with her; hoping to steer their friendship back on course to how it had been when they had last travelled together on the Hogwart's Express.

Unfortunately he'd no sooner caught sight of her dark red hair at the far end of the Hogsmeade platform when he had found himself being steered onto the train by Bellatrix. So instead of enjoying the journey with Lily he'd found himself travelling back to London with Lucius and Bellatrix and the others who had been in the carriage on September 1st when Severus had been turned away from the compartment.

He sat quietly, waiting for an opportunity to slip from the compartment but none came. He consoled himself with the knowledge that once he was at home Lily would be nearby and neither her friends or the Slytherins would be around to thwart his plans to speak with her.

He didn't feel like joining in with the laughter and planning for the holidays of the rest of the students. Instead Severus sat in a corner and listened with half an ear as he watched the landscape change from rural and picturesque to the clutter of houses and eventually the familiar London skyline. As the train ate up the miles to their destination Severus felt a heaviness settle in his chest. He was nearly home again.

He'd received an owl from his mother yesterday but she had not said who was going to meet him. Maybe they were expecting him to make his own way home? Or maybe he could travel back with Lily? The thought brought a smile to his face before reality returned.

The others had rushed from the train leaving Severus behind as he made his excuses that he was searching for his toad who had wandered off. Knowing that the animal was safe and secure, Severus had pretended to search under the seats and eventually everyone else had left him to it. Once he was sure that everyone else had left he stepped off the train hoping that Lily was either slow to disembark herself or, better yet, waiting to speak with him.

He looked about the platform that was nearly deserted, everyone was eager to be home and out of the light snow shower that was now falling on King's Cross Station.

He saw Sirius Black struggling alone with his trunk. It didn't look like anyone had come to collect him. James's parents were hugging him near to the barrier that lead to the rest of the station. Severus couldn't hear what they were saying but he watched as the Potters looked over to Sirius and then waved him over to them. It seemed like Sirius was getting a ride home with the Potters.

Severus watched them go through the barrier along with a few other stragglers. There was no sign of either of his parents.

Picking up his trunk he dragged it towards the barrier.

"Severus!" a female voice called from behind him. Severus turned to see Lily Evans rushing towards him. His heart leapt as he realised that he hadn't missed her after all.

"I thought I'd missed you," she panted as she caught up with him. "Here" she thrust an envelope into his hand.

"What's this?" he asked. He had seen very little of Lily over the last month. He had only managed to make it to their study sessions once since Lucius had enlisted his help and Severus had felt rather uncomfortable there and was constantly looking over his shoulder for the Slytherins. He also thought he heard criticism in everything Veronica said to him, or to the others about him. His initial enthusiasm for the group had evaporated when he had heard them discussing him following the Slytherin Quidditch defeat.

"It's your Christmas card," said Lily. "Did you think I'd forgotten?"

"I was going to send you a card by owl," Severus said. He was anxious to assure her that he'd not forgotten her.

"That's okay," Lily laughed. "My parents still like the novelty of owls delivering the mail. They think it's quaint. You'll have to visit the muggle way if you come over during the holidays. We still aren't on the floo network yet."

"Okay," Severus answered. "I'm sure I'll be able to escape at some point during the holidays. Not sure when though."

"Well come over whenever you can." Lily smiled. "And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" Snape replied with a matching smile. He was sure now that their friendship would soon be back to normal.

He watched as Lily hurried over to the barrier where her parents had come through to find their seemingly missing daughter.

Severus watched them greet each other and head through the barrier. Lily gave a last wave as they disappeared.

Picking up his trunk again he walked through the barrier himself to find his mother at the opposite side wringing her hands with a look of worry etched over her face.

Eileen Snape had come alone to greet her only son at King's Cross. The straight-backed proud young woman now stood with a dejected air about her. Over the years she had become an expert in avoiding attention.

Severus knew the second that she had spotted him, and watched as her normally sour face lit up and she rushed over to envelope him in a hug. She was more pleased to see him than he would have expected and he stood stiffly, unsure how to respond.

He barely heard a word she said as she grabbed the other handle to his trunk and together they struggled to drag it to the waiting taxi. Eileen explained that they'd be staying overnight in London before travelling home by train and taxi the following day. He didn't need to ask why they were travelling as muggles…he knew that his mother was no more eager to return home than he was.

The following day Severus sat beside his mother on train and watched the bustling city around them slowly disappear as they travelled northwards. All too soon they in a taxi that was winding its way through the familiar labyrinth of roads that led to Spinners End. Throughout the journey his mother kept up a steady stream of chatter about the family and neighbours. He didn't listen to most of it; the people she spoke of were just faces to him. It wasn't like they were his friends.

The only time he gave her his undivided attention was when she had spoken of her husband's parents and their trip to Africa. They were going to be researching Native African practices in the wilderness. Unfortunately as muggles they could not floo or apparate there, even if there had been fireplaces where they were going and the apparation laws didn't make it illegal to travel to different countries by that method.

Severus understood the problems they would have had in coming back for Christmas. But that did not ease the disappointment he was still feeling.

All too soon they had pulled up in front of their terraced house. Severus drew a sharp breath as he saw his father standing at the window, watching for them, a look of fury on his face.

"Don't worry," whispered his mother. She patted his hand and turned to step out of the car.

Severus followed and moved to get his trunk from where the taxi driver was pulling it from the boot of the car. He glanced back at the window to see if his father was going to come to help them. He wasn't surprised to see that he hadn't moved from his spot in the living room.

Pulling the trunk behind him he felt his mother's arm come around his shoulders. He wasn't sure whether she was offering him support or whether she needed the same from him. Together they walked into the house where Tobias Snape stood waiting for them.

"What took you so long?" Tobias asked in a deceptively quiet tone of voice.

Severus looked at his mother who was edging towards the kitchen. "The train was delayed," he finally answered when it was clear that his mother was not going to speak.

"Nothing wrong with the country's trains," Tobias replied, "a fine service they provide."

"It was late," Severus repeated. "We'd have been back yesterday if you'd let us use the floo network."

He knew that his father was eager to champion muggle methods and services as often as he could; he didn't like that the magical community often had better methods and services of their own. They'd been on the floo network for as long as Severus could remember but only used it rarely. There was nothing Tobias disliked more than people popping in unannounced through the fireplace. If Tobias knew of a muggle way of doing something he preferred they use that, and for a quieter life Eileen and Severus complied with his wishes.

"Don't answer back," shouted Tobias as he walked forwards. Severus shrank backwards into the hallway.

"I'll put the kettle on," Eileen called as she scuttled into the relative safety of the kitchen.

Tobias ignored her as he advanced on Severus. "Teaching you to answer back at that school of yours are they?"

"N-n-n-no," Severus stammered.

"Don't answer back!" yelled Tobias as he raised his arm. Severus flinched and moved to duck the anticipated blow. It glanced across his shoulder and he stumbled backwards. He felt the railings of the banister for the stairs behind him. Grabbing hold of the wooden railing he scrambled to his feet.

"Go to your room and unpack."

Severus didn't need telling twice and with renewed strength he dragged his trunk upstairs and into his room. Shutting the door behind him he pushed the trunk against the door and sat down on it. He leaned against the door and groaned. His shoulder was aching already and he could tell it would be bruised in the morning. He wondered whether to risk going down the hallway to the potions cabinet that his mother kept fully stocked but decided against it. The holidays had only just begun and it was only a bruised shoulder. If previous Christmases were anything to go by both he and his mother would need the potions before he returned to Hogwarts. No sense in wasting them on a bruised shoulder.