Chapter Three
The following morning, Severus found himself alone with 'Emma', his father heading out to work, and his mother too much of a coward to involve herself further with another witch, even if her husband was still unaware of her magical status.
"Let the neighbours see her leave," she had urged her son. "Take her somewhere quiet to Apparate or put her on the bus into town. She needs to get back to her own people."
Which was ironic, coming from a witch.
His father had been told that Emma's parents were having car trouble, and as such, hadn't been able to collect her the night before. Severus was to put her on a bus to the city centre, and they would never see her again. Tobias Snape had conveniently chosen to forget that the girl had known his name.
Having grudgingly accepted that it was his lot in life to handle unpleasant situations with little thanks, Severus had dragged himself to his room to tell her she had to leave. To his surprise, she was already up and dressed. The bed was made and his mother's nightgown was lying on the pillow, carefully folded, while Emma Jones examined her reflection in the small mirror over the mantelpiece. He didn't like to sit on the bed that she had slept in, and so hovered by the door, hating the fact that he felt awkward in his own bedroom. His mother was right; it was time for her to leave.
He watched her carefully heal her minor injuries, barring the painful looking bruise above her left temple. She prodded it carefully, then winced. "Apparently I remember enough not to point my wand at my own head," she commented ruefully, aware of his stare. "Are you any good at Healing Charms?"
He was annoyed when his face flushed instantly. "Quite good," he declared, hoping she wouldn't look up. "But I'm not of age. I can only perform magic at Hogwarts."
"Oh," she sounded surprised, glancing up at him. "For some reason I thought you'd be older than me. How old are you?"
"Sixteen," he ground out. "How old are you?"
She frowned. "Do you know, I'm not at all sure. I think I'm of age. How old do I look?" She turned to study her face in his small mirror, and he felt himself flush again. Luckily, she didn't seem to require an answer, as she suddenly brightened. "It could be quite useful if I was underage, though. If the Trace is still on my wand, it'd be a quick way of finding out who I am."
"You really don't remember?"
Her eyes met his in the mirror. "No."
They sat in silence for a few moments, and Severus let his hair fall back across his face.
-x-
They walked in silence towards the bus stop.
Putting an amnesiac witch onto public transport and hoping she could find her way back to her own life seemed unusually cruel to Severus. Emma, alone and dressed in odd, expensive looking clothes, was an open invitation to the darker elements to be found in the city. She had a wand, true, a wand that she seemed pretty proficient in using, but a wand wasn't much protection when you were confused and alone and taken by surprise. Severus had learned that the hard way.
He felt bad about just leaving her on her own. He examined the feeling further, probing it cautiously like a loose tooth. He was certain he didn't care enough to actually help her, though. He had only just met her, after all.
He sneaked yet another glance at her through the curtain of his hair. She was chewing her bottom lip as they walked in silence, a slight frown marring her face. She seemed calm enough though, simply walking along the dusty street beside him.
When had tersely informed her that he would show her to the bus stop, she had simply pulled her jacket on and checked the pockets to see if she had enough change for a ticket. She hadn't, all her money being of the wizarding variety, but his mother had already pressed the money on him before she left for work.
He decided he would wait with her until the bus came and make sure she got on okay. His mother had left enough money for him to ride into town with her, sensing his obvious distaste for the plan, and a small part of his had to acknowledge it was probably a good idea.
He could show her the train station.
She'd be fine.
"There's another witch, lives on the far side of town." The sound of his own voice took him by surprise. Emma's head snapped up.
"Do you think she could help?" He could tell she was careful to keep the censure out of her voice, but Severus could still hear the accusation. His family couldn't wait to abandon her.
"Maybe. She's Muggle-born, but she might recognise you. She's my age."
"Oh," her face fell, then brightened. "She'll probably be able to think of something."
They walked onwards, and silence descended once more. They left the river behind them and headed towards the more affluent part of town. They passed the sweetshop and cut across the park, the swings and roundabout busy with Muggle children enjoying their summer holiday. Snape hunched his shoulders and sped up, ignoring Emma as she struggled to keep pace.
Once they reached Tern Crescent, his stride shortened noticeably. He hadn't walked this way since last summer, despite wanting to every single day. Lily had made her feelings quite clear, and he supposed the least he could do now was respect her request that he leave her alone. Bringing Emma here was a breach of trust, but at least he could argue that it had been something of an emergency.
To his surprise, now that he had an excuse to visit, he found himself wishing he was heading anywhere else but. Lily's parents had never quite understood what their little girl had found to like in the sullen boy from the mill terraces and were unlikely to be welcoming now.
Emma slowed her pace, her face mirroring the uncertainty he felt. "Is this a good idea?" she asked quietly.
He shrugged. "It's the only one I have." Had he been less apprehensive, he would have doubtless been annoyed that she had read him so easily.
Emma nodded and set her shoulders in a show of readiness. She reached out and took his hand. "Let's go."
He stared at the fingers intertwined with his and sighed. His stomach was turning over at the very thought of seeing Lily again, of speaking to her. He didn't really have it in him to offer Emma any reassurance.
They walked up to the little detached house with its neat front garden and the car parked on the drive. Severus knew nothing about cars, but even he could appreciate that something so large and shiny with leather seats was bound to be expensive. Lily's father was obviously doing well for himself. One of the few traits Lily had shared with her obnoxious sister was her pride in her father's success and the fact that her mum had never had to go out to work, but instead was a full-time wife and mother. Mrs Evans' dedication to her family had always been readily apparent in their immaculate, yet welcoming house and the continual supply of home-baked cakes and biscuits she produced for her brood. It had been starkly at odds with his own house, a place he had never taken Lily inside despite the long tenure of their friendship. His father wouldn't have liked it. His mother would have been upset by it.
Shaking himself free of Emma's grasp, he reached up and knocked on the door.
After what felt like an eternity – but was most likely less than a minute – it opened, and a blond girl with pointed features looked down at them, the smile of welcome freezing on her face.
"You!" she hissed. "You're not wanted here!"
"Just go get Lily, Tuney." Severus ground out, unable to bring himself to be polite. Lily's Muggle sister had campaigned to undermine their friendship since the very beginning and was probably revelling in his fall from grace. "Don't get involved in things you don't understand."
Petunia Evans' rather prominent eyes narrowed in dislike. "Lily isn't home right now." She stepped back and made to shut the door.
"Lily!" Severus called. "Lily, there's a witch out here who wants to meet you!" His voice was barely raised enough to carry into the next garden, but its effect was immediate. Petunia pulled the door back open, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. People were so easy once you found their weak spots.
"Fine!" she snapped. "I'll tell her you're here, but she won't want to see you anyway!"
The door slammed shut and, remembering that he had an audience, Severus turned to glare at Emma, daring her to comment on the unusual welcome they had just received.
She raised an eyebrow in response. "She seems nice."
He felt himself relax minutely. "She hates magic."
"Ah." Emma replied noncommittally, before taking a half step backwards as a new silhouette approached, framed in the pretty glass panelling of the door.