Severus prided himself in being very independent for his age. Not like he had had much of a choice. Ever since his mother's death, he had practically been an orphan. His father never took care of him. He was left to fend for himself, until he was finally abandoned, just a few days before. He could take care of himself, if not he would have died. The simple fact that he was still breathing was proof that he needed no one's help to survive.

To survive, to live not so much.

He wasn't looking at her, but at the parchment in front of him. He could feel her presence though. It was neither warm nor soft but it was calming, comforting. He wasn't sure if he could have stayed so calm without the steadying presence next to him. He would probably never admit it to anyone but he had grown used to the girl. No, that wasn't quite it, he had grown to depend on her. He liked being around her and he was honestly unsure of how he had managed to live all those years without her.

It sounded cheesy when said like this but it was the truth. Before she had come the house had been as silent as a grave, run-down, dusty and the one place he hated more than anything. But she had passed the threshold and everything had changed. The silence was no longer eerie, it was amicable. The rooms were clean and full of fresh air. The house had suddenly become luminous, comfortable and everything it hadn't been since his mother had died. He got the sense of home from it. And it was all thanks to her.

He finished the paperwork that gave him access to the vault his mother had set up for him. He then got up, followed by Petunia and they walked out of Gringotts. He stopped as soon as they had left the bank, all the accumulated stress suddenly evaporating. He felt a cool hand wrap around his and his dark gaze flickered to look at Petunia. The girl's smile was not wide nor was it warm, but it was loving.

All at once, he felt his expression soften and if he did not smile, he knew he must look more mild than usual. He gave the girl's hand a squeeze and gently pulled her along with him.

"Is there anywhere you would like to go to?" he asked, he sounded bored as he always did and suddenly wished his mask wasn't so flawless.

He glanced at his companion, a little worried that she might be offended. She didn't look it. Her smile had vanished but he knew it never stayed for long. They were alike in the way they were strangers to displays of emotions. They showed their feelings in much subtler ways than others and perhaps that was why they understood each other so well.

She returned his gaze levelly and once again he was struck by the power of those pale blue eyes.

"Is there any Potions shop we could go to?" she asked softly, a hopeful glint in her eyes.

He felt his lips quirk upwards as he answered:

"Of course. The apothecary shop is just round the corner."

They browsed the shop's goods for a long while after that. They walked around the shop slowly, enjoying the simple happiness of being together. At times they would stop in front of a curious or rare ingredient and discuss it. Severus would explain to Petunia what it was and she would ponder on its various uses. Severus realized then that the girl had become quite knowledgeable on his favourite subject. It made him wonder if she loved it as much as he did or if she was simply showing interest to please him.

Looking at the hint of excitement in her eyes as she gazed around the apothecary's shop, he decided that she wasn't doing for him. He felt a little bit foolish for feeling happy from such a little thing. But then she pointed at something with the hand he wasn't holding and he forgot all about it.

Two days later, her parents anxiously asked Petunia if she wanted to come with them to Diagon Alley. For the first time since Lily had started going to Hogwarts, three years before, the blonde girl did not show any anger or irritation at the mention of the magical world. She simply placed her wide blue eyes on her mother and smiled faintly.

"No thank you. I already have plans with a friend of mine." she said simply before turning away and calmly climbing the stairs.

"You're seeing someone aren't you?" asked a red haired girl, effectively stopping the older girl in her tracks.

Petunia turned around, and looked at her sister who was standing at the bottom of the stairs. She often felt annoyed at Lily. Not because she was magical and Petunia was not, but because she acted like Petunia had a disability instead of simply being non-magical. She also didn't like her sister butting in her business much.

This was why her expression hardened as she looked down at the girl. But as her eyes narrowed, she thought about her sister's words. Was she seeing someone? She thought about Severus and his silky black hair, his dark impenetrable eyes and his pale complexion.

"Maybe I am." she told her sister cryptically, a ghost of a smile floating on her lips.