Part 27 – That Awful Boy
Severus stood on the step and glared at Petunia. He tried to think of a retort but none sprang to mind.
"If it's carol singers the mince pies are just done Petunia." Severus heard the gruff voice of Mr Evans from inside the house. His stomach growled loudly at the thought of mince pies. Petunia smirked knowingly.
"It's not carollers," Petunia called back. She didn't move away from the doorway and Severus shifted from one foot to the other. The light rain was now starting to get heavier.
"Well who is it?" called the voice again with just a touch of impatience.
"One of Lily's friends," she called back.
"Oh lovely," another voice, this one female, sounded from inside and the speaker came rushing into the hallway, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Severus!" Mrs Evans came to the door. "Well really Petunia, do let the boy in."
She shooed Petunia out of the way with a sigh and her daughter grudgingly moved aside. Severus stepped into the hallway and into the warmth of the Evans home.
"Lily said you might be coming over," said Mrs Evans as she steered Severus through into the living room. "Did you come here on your own?" She cast a glance out the window.
Severus nodded in reply.
"Your parents do know you're here?" she asked in a worried tone.
"Yes," Severus lied.
"Good," Mrs Evans said with a sigh of relief.
"Lily are you coming downstairs," called the green-eyed man who Severus knew was Lily's father. "You have a guest down here."
Mrs Evans directed Severus to a comfy looking sofa whilst Petunia wandered over to a chair in front of the television. He didn't miss the glare she shot him before she turned her back on him. Severus frowned slightly and wondered if Lily was still fighting with her sister or whether it was just his appearance that had caused such a reaction.
The sound of footsteps running down the stairs and the familiar voice prevented him from wondering for long though.
"Who is it?" asked Lily curiously. A second later she came into the room and saw for herself.
"Severus," she said in surprise. "I was starting to think you didn't want to visit."
"Hi Lily," he said in a small voice. "If it's a bad time…"
"No, it's great you're here," Lily trilled. "Can Severus stay for lunch mum?"
"Of course dear," Mrs Evans replied. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything."
Mr Evans followed her out of the room with a smile at his daughter and Severus. Petunia stayed where she was in front of the television. Lily waited for her parents to leave the room before turning back to Severus.
"Are you okay?" she asked in a concerned tone.
"Sure," he lied.
"You don't look okay?" Lily commented. "Aren't you enjoying the holidays?"
Severus shrugged.
"You're not a very good liar," Lily pressed.
"So I've been told," Severus said with a wry smile.
"So what's happened?"
Severus groaned once and before he knew it he had told Lily all about the latest arguments at home and his mother's worry, now his worry, that his father was mixed up in something that could put him in Azkaban.
"The wizard prison?" Lily asked curiously. "Can they send muggles there?"
"I don't know," Severus said. "Mum's worried so maybe they can."
"Can the Dementors hurt muggles?" Lily questioned.
Severus nodded. That much he did know.
Their conversation brought to mind the last time they'd talked about Azkaban and Dementors. They'd been down in the thicket by the river, talking about the magical world.
It had been the day Lily had asked him whether being a muggle-born made any difference.
It was the day he'd lied to her for the first time.
He frowned as he recalled that Lily now knew that not everything about the world he had introduced her to was as wonderful as it first appeared.
It was the perfect opportunity to bring up the topic once more, to try to explain why he'd lied to her…to sort things out. But before he could speak Mr Evans returned to the room and distracted him.
"Petunia, turn the telly off if you're not watching it."
"I am watching it," she argued.
"Since when did you take an interest in the news?" he lightly teased. "Well turn it off anyway and come through and help me set the table."
"But it's not my turn to set the table," Petunia whined. "It's her turn." She pointed at Lily with a scowl.
"Lily has a guest," Mr Evans stood firm. "She'll take her turn later."
"But it's not fair," Petunia grumbled as she turned off the television and followed her father into the hallway.
Lily looked at Severus and rolled her eyes.
"Things not any better with her?" he asked.
Lily shook her head but graced him with a sad smile. He knew instinctively that by asking about the problems he'd gained her approval. He smiled back.
Petunia was a just a muggle, he didn't care if he had her approval or whether she liked him. But if asking after Petunia was what Lily wanted to hear he'd try to make the effort to do just that.
"Thanks for the bewitched pencils," Severus said in order to change the subject.
"You didn't have any already?" Lily asked. "I hoped not. Remus said he'd seen you drawing in the library so I thought you'd like them."
"They're great,"
"Did you bring any of your drawings?" Lily asked curiously.
"No," Severus shook his head.
"Oh well, maybe I can come over to your house and see them?"
Severus blanched and shook his head. Lily's eager smile vanished. "Maybe when we get back to school?" he offered instead.
They continued to chat throughout the morning, Lily assuring him that she loved her present, and Severus thought she had forgotten about the problems he had at home. It was only when they went through to the dining room for lunch that Lily brought up the topic again with a quiet reassurance that everything would work out okay. Listening to her earnest voice he started to believe she was right.
Lunch at the Evans' house was vastly different to dinner at the Snape residence.
Laughter at the table was both continuous and contagious. There were muggle crackers with paper hats and more than enough food to go around, even with their unexpected guest.
The only sour aspect at all was the petulant Petunia who continued to grumble about just about everything imaginable.
Severus noticed that Lily and her parents did not take much notice of Petunia's complaints and followed their example.
"So Severus," asked Mrs Evans. "What is your favourite subject at Hogwarts?"
Severus thought for a moment before answering. "Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"Lily likes Charms don't you dear?" said Mrs Evans as she served everyone with second potions of vegetables.
"Charms and Potions…oh and Transfiguration," answered Lily, jumping up from the table. "Do you want to see what I've been practising?"
Severus nodded and Mr and Mrs Evans nodded their agreement. Petunia muttered "not especially" from across the table but no one took any notice of her comment.
Lily ran from the room to fetch her wand and returned a few minutes later. "Professor McGonagall said I could practice over the Christmas break as I'd nearly got it right" she explained.
Pulling a teacup off of the sideboard she placed it in the centre of the table and chewed her lip for a moment in concentration. When she was ready she spoke the incantation and pointed her wand at the teacup, which immediately transfigured into a medium sized brown rat.
"Well done Lily," said Mr Evans as his wife clapped with a delighted grin on her face. Severus nodded and added his praise.
Petunia however had been determined to ignore what Lily was doing and had instead been pointedly looking out of the glass patio doors. But curiosity seemed to overcome her and she turned around to see what it was her sister had accomplished.
Severus was still clapping his praise together with Lily's parents when Petunia let loose a long and piercing scream of horror and leapt back from the table. Her chair fell to the floor with a thud as she continued to scream and point at the now rather startled rat on the tablecloth.
"Petunia dear, calm down." Mrs Evans jumped up from her seat and moved to calm down her near hysterical elder daughter.
"Better turn it back Lily," said her father, although there was still a twinkle of pride in his eyes.
"It's unhygienic," Petunia sobbed once she had finished screaming. "Making a thing like that appear on the dinner table."
Lily turned the rat back into the teacup and returned to her seat. "Sorry Tuney. I didn't mean to scare you."
"Yes you did," Petunia yelled. "You did it on purpose. You know I'm scared of rodents."
"Now Petunia," cautioned their father. "You've never mentioned this fear before today."
Petunia began sobbing again as she realised that there wasn't any punishment for Lily forthcoming. Severus kept silent and wondered how Petunia would cope with some of the other aspects of the wizard world she had been so desperate to join. If her reaction to a relatively simple transfiguration spell were anything to go by, not very well at all.
Eventually Petunia calmed down and dessert was served. After lunch Severus and Lily continued to chat in the living room whilst Petunia escaped to her room. When the afternoon started to draw on and the winter sun dipped below the horizon Severus realised that he could not put off going home any longer.
Determined to see him home safely Mr Evans insisted that he drive Severus home.
"It's a pity we're not on the floo network yet," said Lily as she walked them to the door.
"My mother says they take a few weeks to process the applications" Severus explained. "My grandparents had to get reconnected when they moved and it took five weeks."
"But we applied in July" Lily explained.
"Maybe they lost the application" Severus suggested with a frown. "Perhaps you should get in touch with the Ministry Department that deals with the network."
"We have," interrupted Mr Evans. "The application has been sent in four times now and they've lost every single one."
"All of them?"
"So they say." Mr Evans sighed as they walked down the path. "I'm starting to wonder if they just don't want us to be on the network."
Severus shook his head in confusion. He, of all people, knew that there were campaigns to force the muggle-borns out of the community. But surely they wouldn't be so petty as to "lose" applications for joining the floo network to make their point?
All afternoon he'd done his best to work up the courage to speak with Lily about his lie. But one or the other of her parents was always present in the room with them and the topic just hadn't come up. He'd instead done his best to steer the conversation to anything that would bring a smile to his friend's face.
He wondered if he'd have another chance to speak with her before the holidays were over or whether they'd return to Hogwarts with her still none the wiser as to why he hadn't told her the truth. He felt their friendship was back to something like it had been before they'd been separated by the Sorting Hat…but he knew that only by clearing the air about why he'd lied would truly set things right again.
Turning to wave to Lily, Severus climbed into the passenger seat and wondered about the lost applications throughout the journey.
"You can drop me off here," Severus said quickly as they reached the turn off for Spinners End.
"You sure?" Mr Evans asked. "I can drop you at the door if you like."
"No. This is okay. It's not far."
"You take care then."
"I will. And thanks for having me for the day."
"You're welcome any time."
"I hope you get on the floo network soon."
"I'm sure we will. Another muggle family with a student at Hogwarts suggested I ask for a Mr Weasley at the Ministry. Said he's in a different department but sorted out a similar problem they had. We're going to contact him right after the holidays. By the next holidays you'll be about to floo over."
"That would be nice." Severus was glad that the problem seemed to be sorted out but he still wondered at the missing applications after he had said goodbye and wandered down the street.
Opening the door to the house as quietly as he could, Severus crept into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
"Severus is that you?" his mother called from the living room. Severus drew a deep breath and walked in to face the music.
"Oh thank goodness," she cried as she rushed over to pull him into a tight hug. "I've been so worried. Your father's out looking for you. Where've you been all day?"
"At a friend's," Severus felt a wave of guilt wash over him at causing his mother worry on top of everything else.
"We didn't know where you were," she sobbed in relief and sank onto the sofa pulling him down beside her as though she was afraid that if she let go of him he would vanish again.
"I'm sorry," Severus whispered. "I forgot to leave a note."
"Don't you ever do that again," she scolded as the tears continued to run down her face.
Hugging him again they both jumped at the sound of the front door opening.
"I can't find him anywhere," Tobias Snape called from the hallway. "Just wait 'til he gets home."
"I'm in here," Severus called. There was no sense in putting off the inevitable. He watched his father walk into the living room and nod to his mother. She stood up, gave him a quick hug and departed the room.
Severus stood up to face his father. He had never seen him so furious in all of his life. He braced himself and tried not to cry out as the pain of the first blow shot through his body.
