Chapter 3: Candle Holders and Cauldrons
. On the way to the curve the witch and wizard kept giving each other shy looks, but quickly looked away, each with their own thoughts.
Lily's thoughts were filled with a certain, friendly warmth when she kept glances his way. "I'm very fortunate to have Sev as my friend. Even if we are forced to distance ourselves when we're at Hogwarts, I couldn't think of anybody else I would rather talk to about my family. He's a good person, but I wish he would show it more from the shadow he keeps living in."
Severus' thoughts, on the otherhand, were a little more than friendly when he kept stealing glances at the young lady beside him. "No one manhandles my precious Lily, least of all that teenaged female version of Tobias. When the time comes I'll do more than just give dear Petunia a faceful of boils, I'll probably have her maimed. But, then again, maybe Lily would like to do that herself, or put that Muggle in her place, as the grubby little slave she deserves to become. Maybe that would teach her to mind her superiors."
When they stopped at the curve Lily turned to Severus and asked, "Exactly where are we going Sev?"
"I just thought that, since you can't go home until around nine tonight, maybe you would like to have a small dinner at The Leaky Cauldron. My treat," he offered hopefully.
"Wait," Lily responded with a smile. "Severus Snape, the Severus Snape, the sarcastic, stoic and shadowy Severus Snape, is asking me to a dinner date?"
Blushing slightly he retorted, "Well, if you feel that way about it I guess I'll just walk you home and leave you on the garden bench."
"Of course I don't feel that way," she said with a giggle. "I would lo- like to have dinner with you. Just don't expect me to let you pay for the whole meal."
"Did I almost say love?"
"She almost said love. She came close to saying that she would love to have dinner with me," Snape thought with excitement bubbling in his stomach.
"Okay," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "If you insist, we'll split the bill."
"Alright," Lily replied with a small smile.
"It's about time he finally asked. Maybe we could get a small table in a dark corner of the pub and do some 'real' conversing."
"Yes, maybe... No, wait! He's just my friend! My best friend, in fact, and it would be really ackward if we started becoming intimate."
"Why not? You've had a crush on him for some time now, and even you can tell he's feeling the same way."
Before Lily could argue further Severus stuck his right arm out and a purple, triple-decker bus instantly appeared close to wear they were standing. Painted in gold, curvy writing were the words "The Knight Bus".
Out of the doors came a strong, almost elderly voice from the driver's seat, "Welcome to The Knight Bus, the mode of transportation for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Ernie, and I will be your conductor and driver for this...evening."
At that moment a middle-aged man, possibly in his late-forties, early-fifties and saw the young duo. However, his eyes, which were behind some thick lensed glasses, were focused on a wary looking Lily and almost did not see an irate Severus.
Politely, but still edging closer to her companion, Lily asked the conductor/driver, "Hello, sir. How much would it be to get two people to the Leaky Cauldron?"
Upon seeing the two teenagers so close Ernie answered, rather crestfallen, "Eleven Sickles each, usually. Is this a one way trip, or do you plan to come back here later?"
"We plan to come back later," Severus answered evenly.
"Okay then, you're in luck," said the driver, much happier. "Since this is a round trip, to London and back, you only have to pay twenty-two Sickles for both rides."
"That is a good deal, Sev," Lily whispered. But just to make sure, "Does that mean we only pay the fee once, or do we both pay twenty-two Sickles each?"
"You pay once, since it is usually eleven Sickles per passenger, and only one has to pay not both," Ernie confirmed.
"Very well then," Snape complied.
So Severus gave the driver twenty-two Sickles from his moleskin wallet, and they both borded the bus. However, Lily gave Severus her eleven Sickles, glaring at him lightly when he looked like he would object.
"I would have had to pay that amount on my own away, so consider it a 'thank you' gift," she said while seating next to him on a plushy brown loveseat by the window on the first floor. Oddly enough, Severus grabbed hold of a candle-holder attached to the wall and then held Lily's hand in his.
"Trust me on this," he said while she blushed a light pink.
Suddenly the Bus jolted forward and Lily became very grateful that Severus held on to the candle-holder while she clasped his hand a little tighter. They were going at nearly break-neck speed past house, mailboxes and across the two-car bridge to London.
All the while Lily tried to keep a comfortable distance between her friend and herself, but with every twist and turn she kept getting closer to him. On one very perilous turn, that almost upended the whole bus, she went across the seat and slid in his lap.
Blushing more definately Lily looked into his eyes and whispered, "Sorry."
"No problem," he replied, a blush creeping on his own cheeks.
Finally the bus stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron and both teenagers got off, and began to go inside just as the bus disappeared with a loud pop, Severus holding the door open while Lily walked in first.
Inside the bar was crowded with many customers. Some were returning Hogwarts students finishing their meals and about to part ways. Others were older witches and wizards that were just getting their drinks and celebrating the end of their shifts.
Tom the barman looked up from taking drink orders from a couple of old warlocks at the bar when he heard the bell over the door ring, "Why if it isn't Mr. Severus Snape and Ms. Lily Evans! Welcome! If you will just take a seat over there I will bring you some menus. You're here for dinner I take it?"
"Yes, sir, we are," Lily answered with a smile, as they moved to...
"A small booth in a dark corner of the pub. How convient..."
"Shut up. It's just a coincidence."
Once they sat down Lily tried to keep a comfortable distance between herself and Severus. This was hard to do because the booth really was small and intimate. The seat was in an L shape, with soft leather paddings on the seat and back, while the table in front of them was a large square so they could put their food on it without bumping into each other.
Once finished taking the warlocks' orders Tom sent two, handheld chalkboards to their table. When the chalkboards reached them the writing on the black surface changed, first introducing them to the Leaky Cauldron, then quickly filling up with the items being served for dinner, the price for each selection, and the customers' names at the top in different colored chalk- Lily's being pink and Severus' being blue- in their own handwriting.
"Do you see anything you like?" Severus asked while scanning his own menu.
"I'm not really sure," Lily said thoughtfully. "I am feeling a bit hungry, but I don't want to get something too heavy because..."
"Of our return trip on the Knight Bus," he concluded with a smirk.
"Exactly," Lily replied with a laugh. "So, um, how about... the steak and kidney pie with steamed carrots and a small treacle tart for dessert?"
"That sounds good, but you may want to add up the total of the whole lot," Severus said dully, eyes still on the menu. Then he glanced at her with a small smile playing on his lips, "Besides, you did say you would pay for half of the check."
"Oh, right," Lily said with a blush. "Besides, it really would be too heavy for the return trip. Maybe something lighter and more... conservatively priced."
"Maybe."
Just then both of their menus changed, and in bold yellow writing came the announcement:
Special Dinner Value!
Get 2 Orders of The Leaky Cauldron's Own
Suet Pudding, with a Side Order of
Peas and Carrots, and
Large Butterbeers
For Only 3 Galleons and 2 Sickles!
(No Extra Charge for Drink Refills)
"That actually sounds pretty good. What do you think, Sev?" Lily asked.
"I think this has actually been our lucky day," Severus responded with a smile.
"I know! First a round trip ride on the Knight Bus for the price of two people, and now a special dinner offer! Assuming if that is what you want, of course," she replied, backtracking a little.
Nodding in agreement, Severus jotted down the order and the menus went back to the bartender, who received them and started preparing the meals.
While waiting for their orders Lily and Severus went into a discussion about the events that had taken place, but most of it was the complaints about the bus ride and the conductor.
"I thought it was really creepy the way he kept looking at me," Lily said with a small shiver going down her spine. "I mean, he looked at me as though I was a piece of meat in a butcher's shop! He's way too old to be eyeing somebody like that."
With an angry look in his eyes Severus elaborted, "I know. It's the same look that most of the other boys in school- Potter mostly- have in their eyes whenever they see you. I think you get enough of that just walking down the halls or something."
"I admit it is flattering, but you're right, I do get enough of that when I'm there. Especially from 'the great James Potter, Quidditch extrodinare'," she replied with a roll of her bright green eyes and a sarcastic smirk. "Though, I also have to admit, it's better than half the looks I get from the other half of the students."
"Of course," he concluded when their meals and drinks arrived at the table.
As they started eating Severus thought about the other girls at Hogwarts that gave Lily different looks. Some, such as her friends, Mary MacDonald, Amelia Bones, and Sheila Finnigan, gave her looks of praise whenever she won an event or accomplished a complex spell. Others, like Narcissia Black- who graduated just last year- gave her a look of deep disgust and constantly had her nose in the air whenever they passed each other, as did many of the other pureblood Slytherin girls (which were not many).
Many other girls, from various Houses and other years, were often seen in groups trying their best to either follow Lily to her classes, ask her questions from what spells she was best at to what beauty products she used, and even try to get some form of memorabilia before she left for break. One girl- so rumor has it- was picked at random from a group of admirers to try to get something of Lily's possession, and was to hide it in a special place for a member of the mysterious fan club to pick up.
However, what disturbed Lily (and Severus), was not the constant looks of worship or hatred from some of the girls. What disturbed them was the speculating, and often crazed, glances of Lily's long-term competitor, Bellatrix Black. Bellatrix was in the same year as Lily, but since Lily's appearence at Hogwarts almost four years ago, Bellatrix's reputation for top duelist and beauty queen was constantly put into question.
Bellatrix Black had a petite, full figure, like Lily's, with long black hair and deep purple eyes. She also came from a wealthy, pureblooded wizarding family, who looked down on people like Lily because she was Muggleborn, even though Lily came from a wealthy Muggle line of knights.
Unlike Lily, whose appearance was always modest and appropriate with no unneccessary amount of skin showing, Bellatrix went all out in her wardrobe. Her skirt was so short that, when she sat down, her underwear was in danger of showing. She wore black fishnet stockings instead of the gray knee socks that students were regulated to wear. She wore her tie loose, or not at all, and kept her shirt unbuttoned from the fourth one up exposing the lacy outline of a bra.
Another thing that made Bellatrix different from Lily- besides being in Slytherin like her older sister Narcissia- was the fact that she used underhanded, and often Dark, magic to try to win her duels. Despite all of this, Lily always managed to beat her in looks, popularity, magic, and intelligence, so Black took every chance she got to try to curse her red-headed rival whenever she passed.
What was not known is that Bellatrix actually respected Lily for her attributes, modesty and her knowledge of how to beat, slow down, or counter her Dark curses. She even considered the fact that Lily might become a valuable ally to the Dark Side, if given the opportunity to corrupt her.
While they were pondering these things and finishing off their meal, Lily looked down at her watch and gasped.
"Sev! It's almost eight thirty! My parents should be home soon, and I don't them to worry," Lily said while preparing to get out of her seat.
Taking a final sip of his butterbeer, Severus looked at her and asked, "Are you sure you want to leave now? Didn't your sister say that they would not be home until nine o'clock?"
"Yes," she said, looking rather sad. "But there is a chance they may come home early and it may take a while for the bus to get here. It's also starting to come a downpour outside," she added, nodding at the window.
It was, indeed, starting to come a downpour. Rain was splashing hard against the windows of the pub, and the wind look like it was whipping through the air as an old newspaper came flying by.
Consenting, Severus got up from the table, then he and Lily paid the bill and went out to flag down the Knight Bus.
When the bus arrived outside of the Leaky Cauldron the rain had gained in force and both teenagers were starting to get soaked. The bus stopped at the door and, from the top of the doorway, a long, purple fabric stretched out to the pub's doorsill allowing the pair to have a little bit of shelter while they climbed on.
As they climbed in Lily looked around and saw that the seats had changed. Instead of the plush evening chairs that were there a few hours ago, there were two rows of beds with purple sheets, comforters and pillows. Attached to the head of the beds were wire baskets that held long, purple umbrellas.
"You can take them with you once you reach your destinations," Ernie said from behind the wheel. "But, once you're inside your homes, they will return to the Bus so others can use them in this devil of a storm."
"Thanks," Lily replied, getting on one of the beds while Severus climbed on the one beside her.
"Alright, here we go!" Ernie cried enthusiastically.
At that Lily and Severus exchanged a look that clearly said, Oh joy!, and quickly gripped the bedpoles as the bus started its haphazard journey from London back to Westminister Road and Spinner's End.