I woke up late the next morning to the sweet smell of homemade waffles cooking in the kitchen. It was just like the old days, before I went to Hogwarts; before I found out I was Allison Lillian Potter. Severus stood towering over a waffle maker. A bowl of fresh strawberries were placed in the center of the table. Next to the bowl sat the morning copy of The Daily Prophet.
"What's the occasion Sev?" I asked cheerily, sitting in my usual place at the table.
"Since when does your guardian need a reason to cook breakfast?" He asked placing a completed stack of waffles on the table. I took two clean plates out of the cabinet and handed one to Severus.
"You know waffles are my favorite breakfast food and you only cook them when you want something from me." I answer stacking some waffles on my plate.
"I confess I am up to something. I have some errands to run this afternoon and I may be gone for a few days." Yup just like old times, first day of the summer holiday and he already has to leave. I involuntarily began to pout into my waffles. Pity flickers among Severus' features.
"I'm sorry Alice-Lily. You know I would stay if I could."
"Yeah, I know." I answer to the floor. "It's just," I stared into his dark eyes. "I always thought that when I went to Hogwarts we'd spend more time together, but since I've started there I've seen you even less. I had hoped that since we were going to be brewing potions together maybe I'd see you at least a few hours every day. I understand you have responsibilities, sometimes I just wish I could be your number one Priority."
"Allison." He exhaled my full name in a sigh. "You are my number one priority. I may have other responsibilities as you say,but everything I do is to protect you." Having finished his waffles Severus left the table and started to wash the morning dishes.
"I know." I say munching on my last bits of waffle. "Have you told Remus or…" I let my sentence trail off as I started to clear the rest of the table.
"I stopped by your Uncle's House this morning while you were sleeping. He said he would be more than pleased to have you stay with him for a few days." I was expecting a condescending sneer from him and couldn't help but smile when one didn't come.
"You've finally made up." I slipped more dirty dishes into the sink and gave Severus a quick side hug. "Are you washing dishes by hand? The muggle way?" I asked. Severus often lectured me about using magic at home, but I was prohibited from doing so by the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. As an adult wizard Severus was well within his legal right to use magic to wash the dishes.
"You've caught me Alice. I am stalling. Despite what you may believe I do not enjoy some of my responsibilities, but a long time ago I made a promise to keep a certain young and bothersome witch safe. Sometimes that means doing things that I do not want to. You should go pack your things."
"Just a few days, right?" I asked at the bottom of the stairs.
"I hope." He answered quietly. At least things seemed to finally be back to normal. I packed an old duffle bag with enough clothes for a few days plus my wand and some spell books in case I wanted to practice some magic. Remus was a lot less restrictive when it came to underage sorcery, so I liked to take advantage of that whenever possible. I had let my owl Apollo out to hunt the night before and he had yet to return. I grabbed his empty cadge in one hand while slinging the duffle bag onto the opposite shoulder. When I got back downstairs Severus had finished with the dishes. He now sat at the kitchen table skimming the Prophet.
"Still stalling?" I accused walking down the last few steps.
"Just waiting for you to leave." He answered dryly his eyes peering over the top of the Prophet.
"You remember that enchanted parchment you gave me at the start of my first year?" I ask knowing he would. My piece of enchanted parchment and the matching piece he carried were our main form of communication at Hogwarts.
"Yes. Did you lose it?" he asked eyeing me suspiciously.
"No." I answer confidently pulling the parchment from the pocket of my jeans. "You told me once that if I needed it to contact you if I needed anything. I just wanted to remind you that it works both ways." I smiled stowing the parchment back in my pocket. In truth I never expected Severus to come to me for help with his problems. In his eyes I was still just a kid, a kid who was prone to trouble. The last person anyone should seek help from. But I also knew that everyone needs to feel like they have someone to count on event if it was a fourteen year old girl who was attracted to trouble.
"Thank you for the reminder. I shall keep that in mind should a swarm of death eaters come after me." He replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Don't you have somewhere to be? A certain werewolf to pester perhaps?"
"Alright I'm going." I swooped in hugging him, which crinkled his copy of the Prophet. It always worried me when Severus had "errands" to attend to. He was never specific about which side had called upon him. I was never sure which was more dangerous, and I tried hard not to think about it. All I could hope was that he wasn't gone long and that everything went well. I placed an unplanned kiss on his cheek and headed towards the door. "I love you Sev, please be careful." I was twenty feet from the front door when I heard him call my name.
"Alice-Lily," I stopped turning to face him." Everything is going to be fine. I'll see you in a few days."