Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Sixteen.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Anonymous Review Replies: To RB; Yes, Peter Pettigrew is a Pureblood. I put him in the first volume as an antagonist because the Cokeworth page on the HP Wiki lists Peter Pettigrew as a former resident of Cokeworth, but doesn't specify whether that was during his childhood or adulthood. I'm not particularly fond of the idea of his stint as Snape's servant being considered "permanent residency," because it was much more like being "in captivity." As for his treatment of Lily, it is noticeably less severe than his and the Marauders' treatment of Severus (her BEST FRIEND, which should count for something) during their Hogwarts years. And we all know what happened there. Lily could have easily defended herself; she was just "too noble" to use her powers against people she knew/thought to be Muggles. Her reactions after the tree branch incident suggests that she is a lot more in control of her magic than a normal child would be and has very few "accidental" bouts of magic. If Lily can believe James and Sirius pulled a new leaf, it wouldn't surprise me if she thought Peter did the same. I've also thought of way to explain his treatment of her, when their at Hogwarts, so it'll make a bit more sense then. In regards to your question about it being AU, it will follow canon insofar as it can, considering we know next to nothing about Severus outside of what Harry has experienced/viewed. It will have an AU ending, however, because we all know what happens and I don't like it...

Author's Notes: Hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter and thanks to all those who commented/reviewed and followed. ^_^ On with the show.

Chapter Sixteen: Fisticuffs

Severus was forced to stay in the hospital for more than that one night, in the end. When he was finally released he could not have been more grateful or relieved. He was pleased to escape the constant questions from the nurse, who had found it highly suspicious that his parents had not come. The woman brought him a flower every day to try to make him feel better. Her actions, however, did quite the opposite; he grew increasingly frustrated. He abhorred the notion of people pitying him. He did not want people to do anything of the sort.

His stay at the hospital did have its perks, however. Every night Lily and Mr Evans and Mr Young would come in to see him during the evening visiting hours. His presence was quite missed at the Pharmacy, they informed him. Mr Young bought him a box of chocolates and a teddy bear, which held a Get Better Soon love heart in its chubby arms. Lily knitted him a green scarf – with some help from her reluctant mother – to help keep him warm when he was released and to help keep her in his thoughts whenever he was feeling lonely. Mr Evans would climb onto the hospital bed, seat himself behind Severus, allow the boy to rest against him and read aloud from The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis.

Severus treasured those aspects of his forced captivity greatly. That he was missed, that he was thought of, that he was cherished, left him feeling warm and fuzzy...and loved. He cherished the idea that he was loved by these kind, thoughtful people for whom social status meant nothing. It made his nights at the hospital seem less lonely, less irritating but he still found himself wishing that he could be released. He was almost better; the nausea, diarrhoea, chest pains and other symptoms had lessened considerably since he had started taking the powerful antibiotics the hospital had put him on.

Though the doctor informed Severus that he would be released that very day, he was forced to wait until late evening. Mr Evans and Lily would be coming to collect him at the end of Mr Evans' working day. Severus did not mind waiting in this case, knowing he would at least escape the depressing environment of the hospital, the halls of which smelled of illness and despair. Though it was now the fifth of December, the hospital did not carry any of the atmosphere that usually accompanied people at such a time of year.

When Mr Evans and Lily finally arrived, he was surprised to see the man was carrying a bag with him. "Hello, Severus," he said warmly as he came through the door of the Children's ward, which was empty save for the bed on which Severus sat on. Lily followed close after him, dressed up warmly in a synthetic fur coat, gloves, hat and scarf. It must be frightfully cold outside, Severus thought, briefly eyeing her. "Happy to be going home today?" Severus thought it was a rather stupid question, but he knew that people often asked stupid questions.

"Yes," Severus replied simply, after waving in greeting at Lily. "What's in the bag?" His curiosity always got the better, even if it was sometimes rude to pry. He and Lily had that in common, something which Mr Evans had remarked as being quite unfortunate in a joking manner on a previous occasion.

Mr Evans smiled and ruffled Severus' hair affectionately, before opening the bag. "I knew you were being released today, so I thought I'd get you something – well, a few things really – to celebrate that fact." Mr pulled a number of clothes hangers out of bag, attached to which were a number of garments. The blood drained from Severus' face and his eyes widened in absolute horror. A tiny gasp escaped him. Mr Evans looked up from what he was doing, a shoe box in his hand. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"Take them away," Severus said, shifting away from the growing pile of clothes – an entire outfit that included socks, underwear, trousers, shirt, coat, gloves and a hat. Mr Evans frowned, troubled. It was clear the man had thought Severus would jump on them with a grin. "I can't accept any of this!" Lily watched the interaction in silence, but she was not surprised – Severus always had trouble accepting simple things like sweets and chocolates from her. "Bring them back to the shop..."

With a sigh Mr Evans sat down at the edge of the bed. "Severus, I know you don't want to accept them; I knew that you wouldn't even when I was in the middle of buying them. You have a deep sense of personal pride for a boy your age and I understand that." Mr Evans looked at him seriously, his tone indicating that he was talking to him as if he were older than he was. "But sometimes...even the most prideful of us have to step back and realise that the people who care about us want to make sure that we have the best of what they can give them. Sometimes...you have to swallow your pride."

Severus stared at the man who had become so much like a father figure to him. He could hardly comprehend the idea of swallowing his pride – it was one of the few things he had left. He did not want people to think he some sort of charity. The thought of people doing so was tremendously horrifying to him. Severus rubbed the back of his neck and dropped his gaze, a frown crossing his face. He sat in silence for several moments, forcing himself to think it over. Eventually, he looked up, swallowing thickly, and said, "Okay."

"Excellent! Lily and I will wait outside while you get dressed. Give us a shout when you're done." Mr Evans proceeded to usher Lily out the door, pulling it closed, leaving Severus alone in the ward. Muttering to himself, Severus rose from the bed and dressed. He was surprised to find that everything fitted him rather well and he had t wonder if Mr Evans had been snooping around in his wardrobe at home. Even the shoes were well-picked. It could have been a bit of luck on the man's part, of course. Severus knew he was observant.

Before pulling the coat on, Severus reached into the bedside cabinet and pulled out the green scarf that Lily had knitted him. He wrapped it around his neck, savouring the feel of the soft wool. Picking up the teddy bear that Mr Young had given him, his cheeks tinged with red at owning so many new things, Severus headed out of the ward. "I'm ready," he said, catching Mr Evans and Lily's attention. Mr Evans turned to him and a smile bloomed on his face as he took in Severus' appearance, garbed as he was in the new clothes. "Thank you, Mr...Harry." Severus was still dreadfully unused to addressing him by his given name. Lily grinned and hurried over, throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"You're welcome," Mr Evans replied brightly. "Now, let's go sign the release papers, son." Mr Evans offered his hand to Severus and the boy took it. Lily took Severus' other hand in hers and the three of them made their way down the corridor, towards the reception area, where the doctor who had been treating Severus was getting the release papers ready. He must have known that Mr Evans had arrived before Severus did. Mr Evans signed the papers without much preamble – Severus, being a minor, was not legally capable of signing the papers.

Once the deed had been done, Mr Evans ushered the pair of them out into the winter chill. Severus let out a gasp of surprise, earning a light chuckle from Lily's father. Snow was falling from the clouds above, whirling around Severus as it danced on the light breeze that accompanied the seasonal weather. The cold bit at Severus' nose and cheeks and his left arm, but he paid it no mind. He was far too preoccupied with the feel of snow brushing against his skin in a friendly caress, before getting trapped in his hair.

The sight and feel of the snow mystified Severus. He had never had the chance to experience it before. The snow did not last, however. It had rained earlier and every time a snowflake touched the wet ground it melted. Each death of a snowflake threatened to break Severus' heart. His first experience with snow could not last long enough for him to experience throwing snowballs with Lily or building snowmen with Mr Evans. The man in question led Severus and Lily towards the car and kindly opened the frostbitten car door for them.

Severus allowed Lily to climb into the backseat before him – Ladies first, Mr Evans had always said. They strapped themselves in as Mr Evans climbed into the driver's seat, pulling the door shut sharply. Lily leaned slightly towards Severus and rested her head upon his shoulder. His cheeks flushed with colour as he glanced sideways at Lily's crimson head of hair. He reached for her hand and she took it without question, squeezing affectionately. They were both grateful he had not died of his fever the day he had collapsed in the Pharmacy.

Mr Evans never questioned how Severus had managed to get inside the building without a key – of which Mr Evans and Mr Young both had a copy and both had been accounted for. Not that Mr Evans would have accused Severus of stealing; the man knew he was not that kind of boy. Sometimes he wondered whether Lily had taken the liberty to try to explain the kind of people that she and Severus were to him, but he often waved the idea away. A Muggle would have trouble believing their child when something like Magic was the subject. Oftentimes it required the presence of a Wizarding adult to explain the situation.

Severus supposed it did not matter. The only thing that mattered was that Mr Evans did not believe him to be some kind of criminal. Severus eyed the passing buildings on the other side of the window. Mr Evans was not taking him home yet; it seemed the man was planning on fulfilling his promise of a celebratory meal. Severus' heart warmed at the prospect. He always enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with Lily and Mr Evans...as if he were truly a member of their family.

The meal went swimmingly. They were served by a kind older woman, who kept smiling at Mr Evans in a decidedly more than friendly manner. Severus could understand why. Mr Evans was a handsome man, after all. The man took it in his stride, never once giving her the impression that he was available but he did not go so far as to be unkind to her because of her interest. His wedding band glinted in the warm light of the restaurant when he handed her their menus after they had finished ordering. Severus found it amusing to see her mentally back-peddle as soon as she saw it.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife. The skin under Severus' left eye twitched infinitesimally as the familiar words flashed across his mind. They were just seven words, but it had been one of the many phrases that were snarled at him by Tobias during a beating – all in the effort to educate him of his father's belief system, of course. The man taught him the rules of his religion, but not much else; he had preferred to leave him ignorant of it all. Mr Evans never taught him about religion and Severus could not be more grateful for the fact.

Severus did not think he could have handled reading a bible and seeing the same words spouted all over its pages. He liked to believe that there was no such thing as God. If he existed, the truth would be all too painful for him. It was bad enough that his father was a drunken lout that abused Severus and his mother, without knowing that the being – who was supposed to love all of his children equally – clearly hated him, judging by the way he always ignored Severus' silent pleas for help and allowed him and his mother to be treated like garbage.

It did not matter too much to him, however. Whatever people chose to believe was their business, as what he chose to believe was his. So long as no one rubbed their beliefs in his face, expecting him to conform to what they wished, he did not care in the slightest. Lily, for example, he had learned, was very religious, but she did not preach her beliefs to anyone else, nor did she care that Severus was not too fond of the whole idea. He was grateful for that. Severus would have hated it if something so trivial managed to get in the way of their friendship.

For dinner, both Mr Evans and Lily enjoyed a steak, while Severus had some roast pork. Dessert followed and Severus enjoyed that the most, for he had never before experienced a banana split. Between the abundant fruit, ice cream and fresh cream, it was absolutely delicious. Lily enjoyed a vanilla milkshake, slurping it greedily with her straw, her cheeks tinged with red and her green eyes sparkling with happiness. It was a remarkable sight, Severus thought, and he treasured it fondly.

When the meal was finished, Mr Evans paid for it and the three of them made their way back out to the car. Mr Evans dropped Lily home, before heading for Spinner's End. Severus' stomach knotted at the thought of returning to Tobias' house, but he really had little choice in the matter. He could beg Mr Evans to let him stay at the Evans' household, but his mother would panic and the Bobbies would be called and Mr Evans could be held accountable for child abduction. It would be blown entirely out proportion and Severus did not want to bring that kind of trouble to Mr Evans' door.

Mr Evans pulled up to the curb and parked, before climbing out of the car, pulling the door open for Severus. Severus climbed out of the car, gripping his teddy bear so tightly the head was threatening to pop off. Mr Evans rested his hand on Severus' shoulder and squeezed lightly, as if to say; everything will be fine, you'll see. Mr Evans encouraged Severus to precede him to the door, where the man knocked sharply upon the hard wooden surface. For several moments, there was no movement within, but at last the door was pulled open by none other than Eileen Snape.

Severus embraced her immediately. He relished the feel of her scratchy second-hand robes against his cheek and hands as he squeezed his eyes shut. He had missed this, missed her immensely during his brief incarceration at the hospital. He briefly felt her hand touch the back of his head, an affectionate greeting that said nothing to the world but had a world of meaning to him. He tilted his head back and gazed up at his mother's face. She did not look too pleased to see Mr Evans – and Severus was not surprised, for the remnants of a bruise lingered upon her cheek and around her eye.

"Good evening, Mr Evans," she said politely in greeting, though her expression was guarded. "Thank you for looking after my son. I don't...I wish...Is there anything I can do to repay you for your kindness?"

"Other than a spot of tea, not really," Mr Evans replied, his nose crinkling slightly. "I didn't do it to get repayment; I did it because I care about Severus."

Eileen hesitated for a moment, before stepping back, drumming her fingertips against the door's surface, indicating her nervousness. "Come in, then." Mr Evans stepped inside, closing the door behind him, and allowed Eileen and Severus to lead him into the kitchen. Severus could tell that he was discreet in his observations of their household, clearly trying not to cause offence over the dark, dreary, lifeless house that was no more a home than the inside of a dusty, mouldy unused trunk.

Eileen gestured for Mr Evans to take a seat at the kitchen table, before she pottered around the kitchen, making tea the Muggle way – the only way that was allowed in their household. Severus followed him, choosing a chair quite close to Mr Evans' side. The man glanced sideways at him, offering a warm smile. While they waited, Mr Evans managed to coax Severus into engaging in a few rounds of arm wrestling, which Severus found pointless. He played, however, to make Mr Evans happy.

Severus was relieved when Eileen placed two sturdy cups of steaming tea down on the table, followed by a jar of sugar, a carton of milk and a spoon. In silence, Mr Evans and Eileen attended to their tea, adding sugar and milk to suit their own tastes. The silence was uncomfortable; no one knew quite what to say to break the silence that permeated the room. Mr Evans had almost drained his entire cup of tea when there was a disturbance in the hallway; the front door was opened so viciously that it slapped harshly against the wall, rattling an antique plate, which hung on the other side of it.

"I think you should leave," Eileen quickly whispered, an earnest tone to her voice, her hand tightening around her tea cup, as if she were ready to hurl it across the room at a moment's notice.

It was too late, however. "Who owns that fancy Jaguar out front?" Tobias demanded, lurching around corner. "If you're whoring around, Bitch, I'll make you regret it! If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die!" He was as much of a drunken lout as he always was, Severus noted, before dropping his gaze. He was not certain he wanted to witness Tobias' reaction to knowing Mr Evans had gained entry to their house.

Eileen's normally pale cheeks reddened furiously and she cast her gaze away from her guest, hands tightening around her cup to the point where it threatened to shatter in her very grip. Severus' hands curled into fists in his lap – he hated when Tobias cast aspersions upon his mother's character in such a horrendous way. That he was doing so in front of Mr Evans made the event all the more horrible for him. Mr Evans bristled indignantly, but he said nothing. It was best not to intrude on family matters.

Tobias' gaze landed on Mr Evans and his face contorted, as if he had just bit into a rather bitter lemon. "Ah, it's you, then. What're you doing here?" Though the man's words were slurred, it was easy enough for everyone involved to mentally translate even as he spoke to them.

"He brought Severus home from the hospital," Eileen quickly supplied, not wanting Mr Evans to get caught up in anything unpleasant.

Tobias cast his bleary gaze around the kitchen, until it landed on Severus. The man's eyes narrowed in a glare at the sight of him, causing Severus to shift in his chair. He was beyond uncomfortable with Mr Evans seeing how Tobias treated him. "Congratulations on being a stubborn bloody mule and not dying," the man said, a derisive sneer curling the man's mouth. Tobias stomped out of the kitchen without a backwards glance. His footsteps could be heard mounting the staircase.

An uncomfortable moment of silence passed, before Mr Evans eventually broke it. "Pardon me, Madam, but may please I use your facilities?" Severus and Eileen both looked up in surprise, before the latter nodded in ascent. She supplied the man with directions in a quiet voice. Mr Evans slipped out of the kitchen and headed up stairs, his steps much quicker than those of the man who had preceded him. Two or three minutes had passed when they heard a muffled thump emanate from upstairs.

Severus immediately offered to investigate, heading up the stairs, teddy bear still clutched in his hand. He froze at the top, however, for a horrifying and wonderful sight met him. Tobias was pinned against the wall, his nose broken and bleeding and his eye blackened. "Listen to me, you fucker; I'm not messing around," Mr Evans growled, clearly enraged, his fist tightly gripping the collar of Tobias' beer-stained shirt. Mr Evans' face was contorted with a fury that Severus had never known the man to express. "If you dare speak to Severus in front of me like that again, I'll kick seven kinds of shit out of you!"

Severus gasped in shock, almost taking a step back before he stopped himself. Both men looked up in surprise. Tobias looked offended at having been caught after being bested by such a scholarly individual. Mr Evans' eyes widened like those of a deer caught in the headlights of an articulated lorry. Mr Evans released Severus' father quickly, stepping back from him as he brushed down his own clothes. "You've been warned," Mr Evans finished coolly, all signs of his previous rage vanishing in an instant.

Mr Evans strode away from Tobias, his back straight and his head held high with intense pride. As he passed, Mr Evans' ruffled Severus' hair affectionately as a means of saying his farewell, before heading downstairs and vanishing out the front door, leaving Severus reeling from what he had just witnessed...

To Be Continued.

Woo! Go, Mr Evans! ^_^

Feel free to let me know what you think, guys!