Yes I'm still out here. Things have been crazy. What's that? No I said things not me.
Wonderful chapter 37
Unbelievable
She sat there waiting; fuming; tapping her fingers and shaking her crossed leg. Severus knew his father was going to get it today. The sound of whistling and humming told them he was home. When the door flew open it was 'good' Toby who walked through it. "Hello all," he said; practically dancing in. Before he saw the scowling look his wife was giving him he continued, "Today the Snapes are going to celebrate."
'Celebrate what?' his son wondered.
Toby's hands were full of packages of what looked like food and other things. Eileen looked more confused than angry now. Sev looked just as puzzled. This was the same man who was confiscating his Halloween haul last night. Now he had what appeared to be presents for everyone. Eileen wondered, "What are you up to Tobias Snape?"
"Up to?" He questioned in return, "Can't a bloke do something nice for his family with out being up to something?"
"Not when the bloke is you."
"And why's that?"
Eileen held out what she had found in the sofa. "Because you don't know how to keep your word."
Toby looked worried for about a half a second. "That's not - - "
"Not what I think it is?"
Knowing Ele was about to blow, Toby lied, "I didn't use it." He could tell she wasn't buying it. "I won it in the poker game. I sold it. I made a nice bit of change I might add." Toby didn't know he was giving his son a master class in how to lie by telling a bit of the truth. Severus didn't dare blurt out what he longed to say, 'did to use it. And you used me to sell it.' His father sustained his fussy logic. "Sev would have seen me if I used it." Toby gave his son the look the boy dreaded; the 'keep your mouth shut' look. "You didn't see daddy smoking anything, did you Sev?" What could the boy do but go along with his father's fabrication, unless he wanted to get the thrashing of a lifetime. Slowly Sev shook his head in the negative.
"It shouldn't even be around here," Eileen said while trying to maintain her anger. "What if Sev had gotten a hold of it?" Little did she know Sev had already had gotten a hold of it. "Don't you have any sense?"
"Look Ele, you can do what ever you like with that." Toby still thought it was himself who had made the mistake. He had no idea his little boy had set him up. "I only had it because I won it. I figured why not make some money for it; Get us something nice."
Severus was watching his mother through his father's entire performance. Was she going to buy Toby's rubbish? Part of Eileen wanted to tell Tobias to take his bag of weed and get out. Another part wanted to believe he had only had the pot to sell, for money, for them. Toby was wholehearted expecting Ele to tell him to sell the last bag. She didn't. "I am going to dispose of this, and I don't' want you to bring anything like this into our home again. No matter how much muggle money you can get for it."
There was no protesting from Toby. He figured he was lucky she hadn't handed him his hat, or served butt up on a sliver platter. "Do you hear my Toby?"
For whatever reasons he had, Toby didn't want to be on his wife's bad side. "I won't. I'll never bring anything like that in here ever again." Then he said the words that made their son cringe. "I promise." Even at his young age Sev knew what a promise from his father was; worthless. Tobias could always find a loop hole. He wouldn't bring drugs into the house. He'd leave them out in the yard or something. "So - - " He felt the waters. "We going to eat this stuff, or are we going to stand here looking at each other?"
Knowing she might be being played once again, Eileen wanted to believe Tobias could be honest sometime. It seemed easier to be deceived. "You set up, while I get rid of this." And with that, the episode was over. Severus had lost.
Toby piled his packages on the sofa as if nothing had happened. His son was still wondering how his plan had not worked. "Come on boy. Help me get out the card table."
Aware he was going to have to act as if he were not disappointed, Sev moved to help his father drag out the rickety fold out table they used for when 'people' came over. People meaning Toby's drinking and card playing chums. Severus wished some wizarding people would stop in as Toby cautioned, "Be careful." Was he worried about Severus' fingers or if 'the boy' was going to break the table? "Go get the chairs," the father ordered. While the son did this, three bags Sev knew to be of the take out food kind were put on the table.
"Why don't we eat first?" Toby suggested when Ele reappeared. "It should still be hot."
A smell that suggested fish and chips was wafting from the bags. They hadn't had 'good' fish in chips for a while. Though greasy, the bags didn't smell like the burnt oil the cheep place cooked in. As the youngest Snape began to eat his chips the oldest Snape had to interrupt. "Hang on." Toby reached for another bag. "Forgot the vinegar."
"Don't like vinegar," Sev expounded.
"Sure you do," Toby ignored what his son had said. "How can you eat chips without vinegar?"
"Easily, you put ketchup on."
"We don't have any Ketchup."
"You could have got some at the shop."
"Well I didn't." Toby began to sprinkle his son's chips with vinegar from one of the small take out containers. Severus really didn't like vinegar. That didn't matter to Toby. "S'pose you want ketchup on your fish as well."
"Just let him eat, Toby," Eileen said. She was already dinging into hers.
"Sure. Go ahead and eat boy. Just can't see ruining good fish with ketchup."
"Loads of people put ketchup on their fish."
Toby snorted derisively. Severus lucked out that his father was too hungry to lash out. When they finished the fish he was ready to start up again. "Got some cake. You want ketchup on your cake as well, boy?"
"Toby - - " Ele's one word reprimand stopped him. Three pieces of cake were produce from another bag. They ate them in silence.
Eventually Eileen inquired, "So what else did you buy?"
Tobias swung around to the remaining bags on the sofa. "Got you that dress you were looking at that day we went out."
"I'm impressed you remembered," Ele said with surprise.
Her son was thinking, 'How easily you are impressed Mum.'
Toby was still rummaging. "Got myself some new stuff to wear to work." He pulled out some smaller clothes. "Even got some for the boy. Here." He shoved some jeans and shirts at his son. "And these." A pair of green high top trainers were thrust Severus' way. Severus didn't know what to do. The muggle had even gotten the right color. He knew he'd be in trouble if he didn't show appreciation.
"Thanks," Sev mumble half heartedly.
"Least you'll look like a normal kid." He held out some money towards Eileen. "Here, you go and get what other stuff you ladies wear underneath those dresses. I didn't know what to get you." Toby fumbled around in a bag holding the things he had gotten himself. He pulled out a thin book with a colorful cover. Sev knew it was a muggle kid's book. The wizard boy read the title; 'The Sword In The Stone.'
"Thought I couldn't screw it up getting a book about King Arthur - - " He pronounced it Ahfur. "All little boys like King Arthur. And its got that Merlin bloke as well." The man had done oddly well in his gift choosing. "Why don't you stay down here and read while your mum and I go upstairs and - - umm - - put away the clothes." This was not a suggestion and Eileen didn't look as if she were going to do anything other than what Toby had said. "Sounds like a good idea," she agreed.
Severus couldn't believe it. His mother was not only not going to tell his father what for, she was going to 'make up' with him. Sev's parents disappeared up the stairs and the boy looked through his new book. It was boring. Not only did the story leave out many of the things the young wizard knew about Merlin, the pictures didn't move. Severus wondered if he could make these pictures move like the one in his mother's book of wizarding tales. To his great delight he could. If his parents had ventured back down the stairs they might have heard their son gloating, "Get the sword out of the stone now you dumb muggle."
tbc
