I jerked awake panicking as a gentle hand touched my shoulder. My eyes fluttered closed again when I saw that it was Severus standing before me.
"Alice-Lily I know we're not home much but your bedroom is upstairs. This is my bedroom." Severus told me sarcastically as he sat on the bed to take his shoes off. Maybe it was in the way I was clutching my toy hippogriff to my chest, or maybe it was the startled jerk I gave when he woke me, but something worried Severus enough for him to shake me awake again.
"Mmsleeeping." I mumbled repositioning myself so that my head was in his lap. An exasperated sigh passed his lips.
"Allison what's wrong? You're acting like a child. Did something happen while I was gone?" I looked up to see concern knit its way into his brow.
"I had a nightmare, couldn't sleep. I miss you." I wasn't even sure the sounds coming out of my mouth were words. Thankfully Severus understood enough of what I was saying to take pity on me. He scooped me up into his arms, carried me upstairs and tucked me into bed.
"Sleep tight Alice because I'm not going anywhere." He whispered as he kissed me on the forehead. I woke a few hours later my nightmare long forgotten as I stumbled down the stairs. Severus wasn't in the kitchen, his bedroom or the sitting room. Part of me thought he may have left again, but a short trip down to his potions lab proved me wrong.
"Good-Morning Professor Snape." I yawned. He looked up from the potions book he was reading and smiled.
"Good evening Miss Potter. I trust we're well rested after sleeping half the day away."
"Guess I was more tiered than I thought." I said scratching my head. "What are you brewing? Can I help?" I was expecting him to tell me it was extremely complicated for a foolish young girl who sleeps the day away and that I should go do some homework or feed the farm animals. I was pleasantly surprised by his response.
"Yes. If you can find me a Bezoar on the shelf over there, and start grinding it in this mortar, that would be helpful." I smiled it was the first time Severus had asked me to help him with a potion. The rest of the summer continued on much in the same way. I would help Severus with things around the house. We didn't stay at any of Severus' other houses, and he wasn't call away for any more responsibilities. My nightmare and the events of the World Cup were long forgotten as I enjoyed the best summer I had in years.
If I had learned anything by then, it was that all good things must come to an end, and that summer was no exception to the rule. From a young age until I was eleven the end of the summer meant saying good-bye to Severus while he went off to Hogwarts for months, while I stayed with Remus. After my eleventh birthday Serverus, Remus and I were able to spend the Hogwarts months together. We wouldn't enjoy that luxury this year, Remus quit his job at Hogwarts last year after the school found out that he was a werewolf. It was the morning of September first and I stood on Platform 9¾ Looking around for Harry or any of our friends.
"They may have already gotten on the train." Remus told me as he also looked around the platform. "I don't see Molly and Arthur anywhere."
"I suppose this is the closest we'll ever get to a normal family." I smiled up to Remus.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Here we are, looking for my friends, about to say good-bye while I go away to Hogwarts. It's the closest we'll ever get to being a normal family." Remus smiled to himself.
"I suppose you're right." He said. "Well are you ready to go?"
"My trunk's on the train, Apollo is secure in the owl cart, so I suppose there's really no reason not to." I wrapped my arms around Remus' waist, hugging him. "I'll miss you Remus, I promise to write you and I'm sure Severus will keep you informed about all the trouble I get into."
"Hopefully there won't be any trouble this year." He sighed. "See you at Christmas Holiday!" He called as I boarded the train.
"See you then!" I called back over my shoulder waving. The hallways and compartments of the train were crowded and it took me longer than usual to find Harry on the train.
"Looking for us?" My best friend squeaked from behind me.
"EMILY!" I tossed my arms around her neck. "It's good to see you."
"It's nice to see you too! Come on, everyone's in here." She said pulling me into a compartment. We survived the long trip from Platform 9¾ by sharing stories of our summer. Harry and Ron talked about their misadventures together at the Weasley's, Hermione about a trip to America with her family, and Emily her summer job. There were enough stories going around that I wasn't forced to participate too much.