Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Four.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Note: I like this chapter. What do you think of it, guys?

Chapter Four: The Art of Deception

A great many hours after Severus and Mr Evans had arrived at the entrance to the Accident and Emergency, they were released. The green-eyed man was bone-tired and the dark-haired boy was weighed down by the heavy cast on his left arm. His hand resting lightly on Severus' shoulder, Mr Evans guided him through the darkness that had fallen on the car park since the sun had set below the horizon. Severus' stomach started growling loudly just as they reached the man's waiting car.

Chuckling warmly, Mr Evans opened the car door for him and the boy climbed inside. Now that he knew how it worked, Severus did not have much trouble with the seatbelt, strapping himself securely in as Mr Evans settled himself into the driver's seat. "Now, we'll stop for a bite to eat, first and then I'll drop you home, Severus. Is that alright with you?" the green-eyed man asked, looking back at him, a warm smile on his face. Severus offered a timid agreement, his cheeks flushing with slight colour.

He was not used to being treated so kindly. It left him feeling strange and slightly embarrassed. Severus was silent for the journey, resting his head against the rest behind him, feeling the vibrations of the car rippling through him. What a strange way to travel, Severus thought. Though he did not get any opportunities to travel himself, he had a theoretical understanding of the Wizarding Methods of travel – the Floo Network and Apparition, mainly. Muggle travel was an interesting study.

Severus was starting to doze off in the backseat, when Mr Evans pulled up to the curb outside a restaurant in the middle of Cokeworth. The man ushered him out of the car and they went inside. They were ushered to a comfortable corner of the restaurant, near the back. There was a rather pretty potted plant located nearby, the pink flowers in bloom, a lovely contrast to the vibrant green of its leaves. The chairs were comfortable, but Severus required an extra cushion in order to reach the table properly.

When they were given their menus, all Severus could do was stare down at it. There were so many choices of foods listed that his mouth started watering at the thought just looking at them, never mind eating them. To think his family were almost starving not too far away from where he was seated. His cheeks tinged with pink once more as he looked at the menu, knowing he would be working off his debts for the foreseeable future. He only hoped that Mr Evans would be as kind an employer as he was a father figure.

Severus was barely able to stammer something coherent when the waitress asked what he would like. In the end, Mr Evans took charge of the situation and ordered a light chicken dish, served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and gravy for the boy. For himself, he ordered a rib-eye steak, with sautéed mushrooms, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy. Severus was also given the opportunity to enjoy a glass of coca cola, chilled with ice. The cola almost came out his nose when the unfamiliar fizzy quality of it started a bout of hiccups.

An amused smile graced Mr Evans' face as he drank from his own glass of cola. "How have you been, Severus?" he asked, as the boy ate his meal in dribs and drabs, taking his time so he would not upset his stomach. The smile remained, but the look in his emerald eyes was quite serious. Had he been a Wizard, Severus would be convinced the man was using some form of Mind Magic.

"I could be better," Severus admitted quietly, keeping his dark eyes on his dinner plate as he pushed some potatoes around with his fork. He could still feel the blonde man's gaze on him, presumably wondering what might be worse than a broken limb. "I've stumbled on some good luck, though, so I suppose I shouldn't complain very much. Mama taught me to be grateful for what I have, rather than endlessly complain about what I don't."

"Your mother is a very wise woman. There are many people who have to live half of their life spans before that even begins to dawn on them. You have a good head start, son." There was that word again. Son. He had never heard anyone address him like that, not with such genuine warmth – and this from a man who had only met him on two occasions! Severus flicked his gaze upwards, only to see the man cutting into his steak, sectioning off a number of pieces so he would not have to do it again too soon.

The man drowned a piece of beef in gravy and popped it into his mouth, savouring it as he chewed. The steak was well-done, but looked tender and juicy. Severus wondered what it tasted like – his family had never been privileged enough to enjoy beef at dinner. The red meats were far too expensive. Eileen often tried to cover it up by saying they just lacked in flavour...but Severus was not a fool, even if he was only seven years old. He was sharper than his parents thought he was, especially Tobias. "So," Mr Evans continued genially, reaching for his glass of cola. "How are you finding school? Are you bored to tears, day in and day out, or are they giving you enough challenges to keep your mind active?"

Severus' cheeks filled with colour and he dropped his gaze back down to his dinner plate. "I'm...ah...not like other children that you know," he informed the man softly. "I won't be attending school until I turn eleven." Had Severus been looking at him, he would have seen that Mr Evans was staring at him, his glass of cola half-way to his mouth. Severus did, however, hear the soft clink as the glass was placed back down on the table. Severus' eyebrows knitted together as he decidedly refrained from looking at the man.

It was clear Mr Evans was not pleased to have heard what Severus told him. Education was obviously something that Mr Evans deemed to be one of the most important in the world. "Am I to assume, then, that your mother is home-schooling you, now? From what I remember of our last encounter, you said your mother worked during the day. Has that changed in recent times?" Severus dragged his eyes upwards, to find Mr Evans gazing at him most intently. The man looked torn between smiling and frowning at him.

Severus shook his head and dropped his gaze once more, taking a quick sip of his cola, trying to hide his embarrassment from this astute man. "I don't get timed lessons, if that's what you mean, but I do learn things at home. I can do sums in my head, up to and including triple digit numbers. I can...cook and recount the many properties of...herbs and other ingredients that I was use when...cooking." Severus was quick to tell the man that he was not stupid...but had to substitute cooking for brewing. Muggles were not allowed to know about Magic.

"Can you read? Can you write? Can you do written sums? Do you know any History, Geography or Science? Those are some of the most important subjects a child should study, you know. They are the foundation of everything you can do in the future, whether it's becoming an engineer or going to archaeological digs or just travelling cross-country."

"I can read...and write...uh...a little, but the rest of it?" Severus flushed with even more colour and shook his head again. Merlin, it was embarrassing speaking to this man. Mr Evans seemed to be set on highlight all of Severus' failings in a matter of a few short moments.

"Well, we'll have to fix that, then, won't we?" Again, there was that warmth lacing Mr Evans' words. It encouraged Severus to look up at him. Mr Evans was smiling softly at him, his emerald eyes sparkling. "Now, we should probably focus on our dinners, so that I can get you home. We wouldn't want your mother to start worrying about you." With that, the two of them concentrated on their plates. When they were finished, Mr Evans declined the dessert menu and paid for what they had enjoyed.

Then, the green-eyed man took him home, pulling up to the curb right outside the house Severus had shown him three years previously. Mr Evans got out of the car and escorted Severus to the front door, since it was so dark. Eileen Snape answered the door almost as soon as Mr Evans knocked upon its surface. The normally stern woman looked half-frantic, at first, and then her gaze fell on her son. "Hello," Mr Evans said brightly, drawing her attention. "Your...husband made an arrangement with me this morning, regarding your son. His arm's been taken care of and in return Severus will work for me at the Pharmacy. It'll be small things for now, since his arm is messed up at the moment, but every little bit helps."

Eileen gave him the slightest smile, her hands coming to rest on Severus' shoulders as the boy embraced her. "Thank you so much, Mr..." she said earnestly.

"Evans," Severus supplied with a quirk of his mouth.

"We'll send him over nice and early tomorrow so you can show him the ropes! I'm sure Severus will be a worthy boy for any tasks you set him"

"Very well," Mr Evans said, inclining his head, "and I'm quite sure he will. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Severus. You take care of yourself, now, alright?" The man reached out and ruffled the boy's hair fondly, earning a curious look from Eileen, but he smiled at her and waved genially before departing. Eileen put Severus to bed soon after, brushing a kiss against his forehead. Tobias was late home that day, knowing he was sure to get an ear lashing from Eileen for having virtually sold Severus into labour.

Severus did not mind very much that Tobias had done so. This would be a great opportunity to spend more time with Mr Evans, whom Severus had spent three years thinking of. It was one thing to fall asleep with the kind man in his thoughts, it was quite another to be able to wake up and know he would see the man again. It left Severus feeling quite happy, which is something he had not felt in such a long time. Even the weight of the cast on his arm could not put a damper on his pleasant feelings.

For the first time in almost forever, Severus slept peacefully through the night, waking only to use the bathroom at three in the morning, before climbing back into bed and succumbing to slumber once more. In the morning, in an attempt to appease his parents, he did as much house chores as he could before breakfast. Breakfast was a quick affair; porridge again and a glass of freshly squeezed orange. Eileen had managed to convince the grocer in Diagon Alley to allow her to pay for a half-dozen of them in instalments.

Severus walked through town, then, at his own brisk pace. He made it to the Pharmacy in good time. The premises were just beginning to open and Severus could see Mr Evans bustling about from some distance away. The mere sight of the man put a skip in his step and a grin on his face. When he finally entered the Pharmacy, Mr Evans became aware of his presence almost instantly. "Good morning, Severus," he greeted, smiling down at him. "Come into the back with me; Christopher will man the desk this morning."

Mr Evans led the way into the backroom, holding the door open for Severus. The man turned the light on, illuminating the dark room. The back room was filled with numerous shelving units, housing an array of medications. There was also a desk and chair that was a good mixture of comfortable and sturdy. Severus noted a number of books, notebooks and writing utensils on the table. Eyeing them curiously for a moment, he turned to face Mr Evans. "What do you want me to do first?"

Mr Evans walked over to the desk and patted the chair invitingly. "I want you to sit here and I want you to start reading these books by Doctor Seuss; they'll help you boost your vocabulary. I'll be around the corner cataloguing our latest shipment of prescription drugs, so if you come across a word you don't know how to pronounce...come and find me and I'll demonstrate it. Every time that happens, I want you to look it up in the Oxford dictionary and learn the definition. Alright?"

Mr Evans did not wait for an answer and turned away. The green-eyed man started to head around the corner of a shelving unit and had almost disappeared out of sight before Severus managed to stammer a reply, quickly gaining confidence as he spoke to the man who had been almost like a hero to him for the past three years. "But...I...th-thought you arranged for me to work for you?! That's what you told my father...and my mama! I thought I was supposed to be sweeping floors and reaching under cabinets."

Mr Evans paused in the middle of Severus' speech and flicked his emerald gaze sideways at him. A smile graced the man's kind mouth. Seeming to have an abundance of patience for Severus, the man came back around the corner and crouched down in front of him, bringing their eyes to roughly the same level. "You might look upon me badly for this, but I don't regret it. I lied to your parents."

"Clearly," Severus replied dryly, an early imitation of his future self. "Why?"

Mr Evans smiled genuinely at him, the warmth filling his emerald eyes. "I have every intention of putting you to work...on the task of educating yourself, with some guidance from me. This was inspired by our conversation over dinner...until then I had every intention of releasing you as soon as you arrived; you could have gone to the playground any time you wished. The plan changed when you told me you weren't being homeschooled – at least, not in the way that a boy of your age needs."

"That explains your lying to Mama...but not my father."

Mr Evans laughed a little, but it was not with good humour. "I knew you were lying in the Pharmacy, yesterday. I knew the moment the words fell from your lips. He hurt you, a great deal and all I'm trying to do is help you. Your father is not one to be proud of – at least, not now. I'm certain he might have been a decent man in the past, but things change. People change." Mr Evans picked up Severus' good hand in both of his, covering the pale skin with warmth. "Consider this an act of subtle revenge."

Severus stared at the man before him, his dark eyes widening with surprise and a slight fear as comprehension of what was happening settled in his mind. "For every minute that miserable excuse for a man thinks his 'worthless' son is being put to work as a virtual slave, you'll be reading, writing, learning, thinking. You'll be getting smarter with each and every day that passes and one day...one day you'll be smarter than the man that sired you. I promise you that, Severus." Mr Evans lightly squeezed Severus' hands between his own.

Severus' lower lip trembled and his cheeks filled with colour. His heart was pounding painfully against his ribcage as Mr Evans spoke earnestly to him, gazing at him as if he were truly someone important. "You deserve to end up a Professor or a Master of something extremely difficult for others and shove it in his face that you're not worthless or useless or any of the things that he may think you are. I want to help you do that. I would love to. Will you allow me to do so?" The question was honest and Severus' knew his answer before he gave it to him.

"Yes," Severus said, nodding vigorously, "definitely." Mr Evans beamed at him and straightened. The green-eyed man ruffled Severus' hair fondly and gestured for him to take a seat, which the boy quickly did. "Oh...and one more question," Severus said, just as the man was turning away. "How did you know I was lying...and how did you manage to lie so brilliantly to my parents?"

Mr Evans chuckled. "I have my ways," he said mysteriously. "Maybe I'll teach you them one day, Severus, but for now...for now just focus on your studies like a good lad." With that, Mr Evans disappeared behind the shelving unit. Severus listened for his movements and heard him opening something. The sound of humming reached his ears, followed by the scratch of a pen against paper. His dark eyes glittering with a new found happiness and determination, Severus started working on the tasks Mr Evans had set him.

The boy picked up the first book in front of him, which was entitled And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street! This would be the beginning of many evenings spent curled up with a book in his hands, but Severus was not to know that. He had no idea that the words written on the bound pages of a book could carry such a rare and beautiful magic of their own. He had no idea that, one day, he would look back upon that moment and ask himself how he could have thought it challenging. He had no idea that books would be one of the main loves of his life, for the rest of his life...

To Be Continued.

A/N: We can all relate to that, Sev.

Oh...and feel free to leave me some juicy reviews. They are like chocolate to me ^_^