5 September, 1976

Severus hadn't found Lucy the night before. Not only did it seem she did not come back to the common room for curfew, neither had she shown up for breakfast. For that matter, Dr O'Conner and his wife hadn't shown up either. Nobody else seemed to comment on the matter. Nobody else really seemed to miss Lucy and nobody seemed to realise that the Potion's Master had not come to breakfast. Severus wondered if they were simply having a quiet family breakfast or if there was a more troubling matter.

Across the way at the Gryffindor table, Lily ate with her friends Mary and Alice. Alice Blishwick's new boyfriend, a seventh year Gryffindor named Frank Longbottom, joined them. He was tall, with dark hair, and for the most part, unassuming. Severus wouldn't even have known the boy's name if Regulus hadn't pointed him out during his first year. Apparently, Frank Longbottom once had a younger sister that Orion Black had hoped to betroth to Sirius. But despite being several generations pure-blooded, Helen Longbottom was not good enough for Walburga Black nee Black's eldest son. Not that it mattered in the end. Helen had died from an undisclosed illness at the age of two—only weeks before Orion intended to approach the Longbottoms with a marriage contract.

The Marauders were nowhere to be seen, but Severus knew why. The Gryffindor's were having Quidditch try-outs. It was the second year that the prat, Potter, was team captain. Black was also a part of the team and Lupin and Pettigrew would never be far behind their leaders, so smart money had those two particular boot-lickers in the Gryffindor stands, living vicariously through their mates.

Severus tried to keep his head down and his focus on his porridge, but no matter how hard he tried, his treacherous eyes always managed to steal a fleeting glance at Lily. She was so beautiful with her flowing, fiery hair and entrancing green eyes. As long as he could remember, Severus could not get enough of looking at her. Now, he desperately wished he could stop looking. No matter how much she had hurt him, she would always be beautiful. He found her beguiling and infuriating, all at once, and he loved her and hated her for it.

Presently, Lily seemed to be caught up in her friend's conversation. Her laugh came easily and her gaiety, genuine. She offered Severus no side-long looks or any wan smiles. It was as if he didn't exist.

Severus' insides began to burn. Between Lily's indifference and Lucy's disappearance, he felt every bit of a persona non grata. He was no longer hiding his gaze as he looked hard at Lily.

Lily sat there talking and laughing without care when Lucy remained in hiding because she thought she had hurt Severus' feelings. Lucy had hurt Severus' feelings, but it wasn't her fault—somehow it was Lily's.

Severus suddenly lost his appetite along with his need to stare at Lily. He could taste the bile in his throat, ashamed of his sentimentality for a girl who didn't even like him, much less love him. What galled Severus all the more was the fact that he knew he would pine for Lily always. He knew he would as surely as the moon circled the Earth. Severus shoved aside his bowl with more force than he intended. It was enough to garner quizzical looks from his fellow Slytherins, who before then, had been pretty much ignoring him.

By one o'clock, Severus still had not found Lucy or his appetite. If he was going to walk down to the village and back before dusk, he had to get going.

It was still unseasonably hot for September and as Severus walked past a group of Ravenclaws heading down to the lake's shore for a swimming party, he fervently wished for an end to this endless summer. It wasn't just hot, it was humid and Severus looked up hopefully at the white-puffy clouds forming in the afternoon sky. It looked as though the swimmers might be rained out in a couple of hours. He noticed that he wasn't the only person who had shed his outer robes in favour of the more Muggle-like jeans or trousers. He would never make the mistake of wearing nothing but his pants under his robes again in an effort to keep cool no matter how hot it became.

Other than the swimming party and the Gryffindor's Quidditch try outs, there were few people outside. Most students opted to stay inside and avoid the scorching heat. No one took notice of Severus as he marched his way down to the school gates. It was at this time he could scarcely wait to get his Apparition licence. But he had promised Dr O'Conner that he would fetch his Bezoars, and so Severus resigned himself to the over two mile walk in the thirty-three degree heat. Unfortunately, it was all uphill.

As he approached the village, it seemed that everything was just coming to life. It was Sunday, and nearly a quarter of the Hogsmeade residents attended the town's small kirk. It was too early in the term for a Hogsmeade weekend, so it seemed that with the exception of the Three Broomsticks which never seemed to close, most of the shops were just beginning to open to customers. Some looked as if they weren't opening up at all for the day.

Over halfway down High Street, Severus turned down a small, narrow alley. The closeness of the buildings did not allow for much sunlight, and Severus was glad for the shade and the coolness it provided his hot, sticky body. He was already regretting his long sleeves and had rolled them up to his elbows. The further he walked, the further there was between the structures, until he came to a lone tavern on the edge of the village. It was two stories, stone, with a thatched roof, like most of the other buildings in town, but it was a bit more unkempt and there was a smaller building attached to the back. There was also a musky smell that seemed to cling in the air. The place more closely resembled a small croft, rather than a pub.

Severus came to the entrance, only to find that the place was locked. Confused, Severus wondered what he was supposed to do now. He would have thought that Dr O'Conner would have told the old innkeeper to expect him.

After knocking and waiting for nearly ten minutes, Severus decided to take a look around the back. Perhaps the old Mr Dee was in the outbuilding.

As Severus rounded the inn, the pungent smell of musk nearly hit him in the gut and he realised it originated from the stone building. There was a set of double doors open along the long side and Severus noticed several stalls inside. He could see the shadow of movement, but could not discern what kind of animals were inside. Then he remembered something that a seventh year had mentioned a couple of years previously. The old couple that ran the Hog's Head raised goats.

Well, that would explain why Dr O'Conner sent Severus to such an unconventional source for Bezoars.

The barn was small, and Severus could tell right away that there was, indeed, someone inside, but that someone was definitely not the old man. A small figure, with a single dark-blond braid down her back was using magic to spread fresh hay in the farthest stall. She was babbling some sort of nonsense to a shaggy brown goat with a white face and socks while she worked. She wore a long, thin, blue and white bandana print skirt that wrapped around her waist and reached her ankles, and a gauzy white top, held up with thin straps over her bare shoulders. Severus noticed that her feet were bare and cringed slightly at the thought of what those naked feet could be walking across. The single door, opened at the end of the barn, framed her small physique. Small windows were open overhead and the sunlight streamed in, creating a smoky haze as it filtered through the disturbed dust and straw.

"Lucy?"

Lucy jumped, clearly startled by Severus' unexpected presence. She stood there, saying nothing, and staring at Severus as if she were in some state of mild shock.

"Se…Severus," Lucy finally managed to stutter. Her distinct accent was even more prevalent through her apparent nervousness. "How did you…I mean…what are you doing here?"

There was no accusation in her tone, but she truly sounded surprised to find Severus in her great-grandfather's barn. If truth be told, Severus was startled to find her as well.

"I'm here on an errand for your father," he said, equally flummoxed.

"Daddy?" Lucy questioned, finally breaking eye contact as she slide her wand into a leather sheath tied around her waist, draping over her hip. "What on earth did Daddy send you for that Mama or I couldn't bring back?"

Severus thought that was a good question himself. Why couldn't Lucy or his wife bring back the Bezoars?

"Bezoars," Severus answered, still feeling ill at ease. "I'm supposed to pick them up from your grandfather. Perhaps your father just wants to know if I can be trusted with the task."

Severus figured that sounded like a plausible enough explanation.

Lucy smiled wanly and began scratching the goat that she had been speaking to when Severus came in, behind its ears. "We were going to go to church, but Mrs MacGregor's cow is having a difficult time calving and Pawpaw and Mama went to help. Daddy went to Diagon Alley with Uncle Albus, and I stayed here to clean the stalls for Pawpaw. I'm not sure when he will be back." Lucy waved Severus to her side and said, "Come on over and meet Shadowfax."

Severus regarded the little goat Lucy was lavishing so much attention on. "Shadowfax is an odd name for a goat, don't you think?" he said as he squatted down next to Lucy and picked up a handful of hay. "Isn't that the name of Gandalf's horse in Lord of the Rings?"

"Of course it is," Lucy replied in a voice that seemed to take pleasure in the fact that she and Severus had read the same book, and offence that he didn't think the name was good enough for her goat. "Shadowfax is the first kid Pawpaw let me pull and I got to name him."

"He's not even silver," Severus scoffed as he reached up and absently fed his hay it to the goat.

"Shadowfax is a noble and majestic goat," Lucy said, jutting he chin out proudly. "Just ask him. He's only three, and he already has five kids of his own."

Severus just smiled inwardly and shook his head in disbelief as Lucy continued to talk nonsensically to the goat. He counted at least six others inside the various stalls, chewing their cud and paying no heed to the two humans.

The air seemed to grow thicker as Lucy and Severus seemed to run out of things to say. He could tell Lucy was beginning to feel awkward as well. Severus still wanted to apologise for running out on her the other night, but he did know how to approach the subject.

He almost wished he could excuse himself and come back later, but he didn't have permission to roam the village and once he returned to Hogwarts, he would have to stay.

"Want to see something cool?" Lucy's sudden outburst caught Severus off-guard and he just managed to get his hands behind him and keep from landing on his arse.

He couldn't get enough leverage to push himself up, and Severus reluctantly took Lucy's outstretched hand for help.

"Erm…sure," he said as Lucy pulled him up with a grunt and he dusted off his buttocks, just in case he managed to get any barn soil on him.

Lucy scoffed and rolled her eyes, probably at Severus' fastidiousness. With a wave of her hand, she beckoned Severus to follow her. There was a space between the two middle stalls, just wide enough for the narrow ladder that came down from the loft.

Lucy placed a finger over her thin lips, "Shh…you have to be quiet or you might upset them."

Severus watched from below as Lucy ascended the ladder. When she was almost into the loft, he followed, taking care to not look straight up. It wouldn't do to be smacked by Lucy for looking up her skirt, even if he could not help the view. As it was, all he saw of Lucy were the black underside of her feet. He tried to convince himself that he was not disappointed that he wasn't afforded a look—even a quick one. He felt his face warm at such impure thoughts and he internally chastised himself for being such a perv. Why—he was no better than Sirius Black.

As Severus poked his head through the hole in the ceiling he looked behind him. Lucy sat on her knees waiting for him. The room was every bit as large as the one below, but there were no fenced stalls. It was also much darker. There were several large stacks of hay which blocked most of the direct sunlight that streamed through the only window on the far end. Severus looked and noticed that there were three other holes in the floor on either side of him. They were spaced evenly apart, and Severus realised that they must be over each of the stalls below.

Lucy said in a barely audible whisper, "Come on, have a look."

She then began to crawl across the straw-matted floor and stopped when she came to the opposite side of a large hay stack, approximately halfway across the room.

Severus realised that no matter what he did, he was going to get dirty. He exhaled a long sigh and resigned himself to the fact that he would just have to cast a cleaning charm before leaving for the castle. He followed Lucy's lead, and crawled quietly across the floor. When he reached Lucy's side, she pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to the far wall.

Severus gasped. Tucked into the A-frame, sitting on a wooden beam, were seven fluffy-white creatures with heart-shaped faces. True—barn owls were common in Britain, even amongst Muggles, but Severus had never seen owlets before. The nesting boxes were well hidden in the Owlery. Severus found himself drawn to the tiny owls and hadn't even realised that he was crawling closer for a better look, not even bothering to pay any heed to the damage the white droppings on the floor were doing to his new, black trousers.

He was startled when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He craned his neck around to find Lucy pointing to the top of a hay pile on his right.

"Pawpaw's going to let me have one when they're old enough," she said softly. "You better watch out for Mama and Daddy," Lucy warned, almost as an afterthought.

Severus looked up to notice the mating pair—both looking rather ruffled at Severus' intrusion. Severus couldn't tell the male from the female, but both were breathtakingly beautiful. Both birds had white bellies and britches, but one had a fawn-coloured back and wings whilst the other sported burnt orange and rich brown colourings. The darker one was also more spotted. They were beautiful birds and Severus thought he wouldn't mind having one for his own.

Lucy must have noticed that Severus was watching the dark one with the same intensity that the owl and its mate regarded him. "The dark brown one is the female, I think," Lucy said.

"How can you tell?" he asked, matching Lucy's quiet tone.

"Pawpaw said the females usually have more spots, and it was the one that was doing most of the roosting," Lucy replied and then looked up at the owlets. "If you want a closer look at the babies, you better let me go first. They're used to me."

Severus settled back and let Lucy budge her way up in front of him. The adult owls did not scrutinise her as intently, and the owlets were jockeying for a position, as if curious to see what she was up to. Severus was curious too, as Lucy shoved her arm into a hole in the pile of hay. Her hand emerged with an old, open bag of owl treats. Suddenly, the loft went from being as silent as the Great Hall during OWL testing, to being as raucous as a Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

Lucy was accosted at once by seven hungry and insistent owlets. Even the parents flew down from their perch. Whether it was to better keep an eye out on their brood, or to not miss out on a chance for free food, Severus did not know.

"Here," Lucy said as she held the bag out to Severus, gently shaking it, "help a poor girl out."

Severus hesitated for a moment, and then reached into the bag for a couple of treats. He felt something light hop across his outstretched leg. He looked down to see a lone, puffy-white owlet sitting on this thigh, staring back at him expectantly.

Severus imitated Lucy and broke the treat into manageable pieces for the tiny owls. Unlike Lucy, he did not scatter the treats. He only had one owl to contend with so he held the morsel in the flat palm of his hand, offering it up to his new, little friend. The brazen little owlet greedily snatched the offered treat from Severus and hopped off his leg in order to have a more stable surface to eat from. It made quick work of its snack and boldly hopped back on Severus thigh to beg for another.

"I think he likes you," Lucy said as she cut her eyes over to Severus while still idly tossing treats to the rest of family parliament.

"Isn't it too young to tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Severus couldn't make out any detailed markings, spotted or otherwise, under all of the feathery fluff. He offered the greedy owl another treat and again, it hopped down to enjoy its prize alone.

Lucy shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems like a little boy to me."

"You're probably right," Severus agreed sullenly, keeping his attention on the little owl rather than meet Lucy's eyes. He was scratching the owlet between the ears and the little puff-ball seemed to be enjoying it. "Girls don't like me very much."

"Well, what am I? Do I look like Bundimun to you?"

Severus was startled to hear genuine indignation in her voice. His eyes darted up and met hers and as soon as their gazes met, Lucy immediately flushed and turned her attention back to the six owlets clambering around her, begging for a treat.

"I…I mean…I like you…as a friend, I mean." Lucy tentatively cut her gaze at Severus, almost as if she were afraid of what his reaction might be. Severus just looked at her, stunned. Frankly, so many thoughts were going through his mind at once, he wasn't quite sure what he was thinking. Lucy must have taken his silence as an offence because she quickly amended, "Not that you wouldn't make someone a good boyfr…" Lucy trailed off as her cheeks turned so crimson, she looked sunburned.

"I'm sorry. I'm doing it again," she said miserably. "I need to learn how not to stick my foot in my mouth."

It took Severus a moment to realise what Lucy was talking about. He didn't know how she had stuck her foot in her mouth, he was still wondering what she meant when she said he would make someone a good boyfriend. Apparently, Lucy thought she was getting too personal again. True, it was a rather awkward topic— for the both of them. But for reasons Severus couldn't quite articulate, he now felt like he could speak openly to Lucy without fear of rejection of her friendship. He supposed that if he were going to be a good friend too, he should return the favour.

"Lucy," he began hesitantly, "you're not sticking your foot in your mouth. In fact, I've been looking for you for the past two days so I could apologise."

Lucy's back straightened as she drew in a long, deep breath. When she turned to Severus and stared at him steadily in the eyes, Severus knew what was behind her determined look, because he had faced others with the same resolve. She did not want Severus to know that she had been hurt.

"Severus," Lucy began soberly, "I'm glad you feel the need to apologise, but you wouldn't have been offended if I hadn't asked questions I have no business asking in the first place. I'm the one who needs to apologise."

Severus turned his gaze back to the owl, not wanting to meet Lucy's stormy eyes. He shook his head in shame and said, "No, your question was innocent enough. It's just that Li…," Severus hesitated, not yet able to say Lily's name aloud. "I'm just not ready to talk about her yet," he quickly added. "But that is still no excuse for running out on you the way I did the other night."

He felt a gentle hand tuck the stray hair that had curtained his face behind his ear. He twitched at the tender touch, but thought it was to his credit that he did not completely shy away. Even so, Lucy quickly withdrew her hand, as if she were trying to avoid being bitten. She then turned her attention back to feeding her owls.

"How about this? I'll accept your apology, if you accept mine," she said. Severus could see the slightest hint of a smile form on the corner of her lip. It almost seemed as if she understood what he had wanted to say, without him saying a word. He didn't need to explain Lily to her, at least right now, and Severus was more grateful to her than he could express.

Severus allowed the faintest hint of a smile to crack his own lips. "Sure," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. He actually never realised that apologising could be so easy. No guilt trips. No "I told you so" or outright rejection. Just an honest, heartfelt "I'm sorry" and life goes on.

Lucy now had a very satisfied smile on her face, as if she had just won some great victory. Oddly enough, the feeling was infectious. He sat there in companionable silence, in the dusty hay loft of an old barn, with this strange girl whom less than a week ago, he hadn't even known existed. They hadn't sat for long, when the stillness was interrupted by a woman's voice emanating from the stalls below, even more heavily accented than Lucy's.

"Lucy, are you in here?"

Lucy had been startled just as much as Severus. "We're up here, Mama," she cried out, than scattered the leftover owl treats to the ground. The owlets didn't pounce on them like a pack of ravenous wolves as Severus expected, but they got the hint and hopped off her lap.

"Who's 'we', Lucy love?"

Severus put down his owl, arose, and cast a quick cleaning charm on his clothes.

"Severus is here to fetch some Bezoars for Daddy," Lucy said loudly as she crouched next to the hole in the floor, addressing her mother below.

"Your father mentioned something about that. What are you two doing in the loft?"

"I was showing Severus the baby owls," Lucy said as she began to descend the ladder. She paused for a moment when she noticed that Severus had not moved from where he was standing. "Are you coming?" she asked in an unconcerned tone.

Severus couldn't understand how Lucy could be so calm. Hadn't she just been caught alone in a hay loft with a strange boy by her mother? True—Severus hadn't taken any liberties with Lucy—nor had the thought even crossed his mind, but surely the situation had to look bad to Mrs O'Conner. What would she say to the professor? Severus supposed he had been guilty of a couple of impure thoughts as Lucy climbed the ladder, but the only uncovered part of her body he had a glimpse of was the bottom of her dirty feet.

Severus followed Lucy down the ladder, halfway expecting to be harangued by Lucy's mother when he reached the bottom. Instead, as he climbed down the ladder he looked over his shoulder to see Lucy and her mother chatting rather amicably. Severus had no sooner stepped foot off the ladder when Lucy said, "Mama, this is Severus."

As Severus was being presented to Madam O'Conner, he wasn't quite sure what to do. A decade after she had passed, Severus could still hear his nana's admonishments to stand up straight in front of his elders, but Lucy's mother was only a couple of inches taller that Lucy, herself. Severus wanted to show his respect, but he didn't want to come across as intimidating, either.

He offered his hand and said nervously, "Madam, O'Conner. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

At first, Severus though his fear was justified as Lucy's mother seemed to scrutinise him from toes to nose, but then her eyes finally met Severus'. They were much like Lucy's with the same turquoise colour, but there were fine lines in their corners, and they seemed convey wisdom won through experience. It was a quality that, at the age of fifteen, Lucy's own eyes lacked.

Despite the fact that Lucy's mother had a few more lines in her face, softer curves around her middle, and slightly darker hair, mother and daughter looked remarkably alike.

Severus was almost afraid to breathe until Madam O'Conner said something. When the look she gave him changed from assessing to warm, he could feel the tension release from his shoulders and he was able to breathe easier. Severus didn't know why the sudden change, but apparently she seemed to think that there had not been any shenanigans between her daughter and Severus in the hay loft.

"My daughter and husband have spoken of you quite often these past few days, Mr Snape," she said pleasantly as she shook Severus extended hand. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name."

"Thank you ma'am," Severus said, wondering how he had got off so easily, even if he wasn't guilty of any true transgression.

Severus thought that now would be a good time to change the subject back to the order of business and the subject of he and Lucy being alone in the hay loft wouldn't be brought up. "I really do need to get back to the castle. Is Mr Dumbledore around?"

Madam O'Conner pointed to the open barn doors. "Pawpaw's in the kitchen waiting for you," she said. Looking through the open doors, Severus could see the covered walkway that led directly to the backdoor of the Hog's Head.

Severus thanked her again and head off to the pub, He had only reached the barn door when Lucy called out, "Wait up, Severus. I'll walk back up to the castle with you."

Severus waited for Lucy as she ran to catch up with him.

"Lucy, please remember to tell your daddy that we'll be attending evening services and I'll be home as soon as I check in on Mrs Campbell's baby."

"Yes, Mama," Lucy answered dutifully.

"And, Lucy."

Severus and Lucy both turned back to see her mother looking at them both pointedly. "We will be having a talk before you return to your common room tonight, young lady. Do I make myself clear?"

Severus could feel the blood drain from his face, just as he watched it drain from Lucy's.

Lucy looked like she was going to choke on the gulp of air she had just swallowed, but she managed to squeeze out a respectful, "Yes, ma'am."

So much for getting off easily.

It wasn't long before Severus and Lucy were on their way back to the castle. Lucy was still barefoot and carried her leather sandals at her side. Severus had a box a little smaller than a rugby football tucked under his arm. He already had a pretty good idea what his next chore for Dr O'Conner would be—sorting the Bezoars according to size a quality.

Meeting the famous "Mr Dee" wasn't all Severus expected, though he quite honestly didn't know what to expect. He was nothing like the Headmaster. He was shorter, his hair and beard was more of a dirty grey than pristine white, and he had more of a Scottish brogue than his older brother. Severus had always pegged the Headmaster's accent as West Country. Lucy had explained this disparity.

Apparently, her great grandfather had come to Hogsmeade looking for work not long after the turn of the century. He was offered a job as barkeep at the Hog's Head, fell in love with, and eventually married the innkeeper's daughter who was Lucy's great grandmother that had recently passed. Living in the same Scottish town for over seventy years, one is bound to pick up the accent.

As far as Severus had been able to tell, Mr Dumbledore only had one trait in common with the Headmaster—his sparkling blue eyes. Other than the eyes, there was nothing about the two men that would distinguish them as being remotely related, much less brothers. Their eyes were a brighter and clearer blue that Lucy's or her mothers. It had just occurred to Severus that the Dumbledore brother's eyes were almost the colour of sapphires.

Mr Dumbledore, or Abe—Mr Dumbledore was his father, was a brusque man, but did not seem to be overly unfriendly or unkind. He was just rough around the edges. Actually, Severus preferred his gruff and growl and abrupt nature to that of the Headmasters. The Headmaster always seemed to give a double meaning to anything he said, and Severus wasn't exactly sure he could trust a man like that. Severus would rather tactless honesty any day over subtle half-truths.

Before Severus and Lucy began their trek back up to the school, her grandfather had insisted that they sit down for lunch. It was an excellent Shepard's Pie, one of the best that Severus ever had the pleasure of eating. Lucy agreed, but warned that in the future not to try the steak and kidney pie or the haggis. Her grandfather tended to undercook organ meats. Severus was in no danger of trying either one. He detested kidney and just the mere thought of what was in haggis was enough to make his skin crawl.

The only thing that made the walk back to Hogwarts more tolerable than the walk to the village was the fact that Severus now had some pleasant company. There was a breeze now, but it was too warm to offer any real relief from the heat. But at least that meant an increased chance of rain. The cumulus clouds, which were now fully formed, were occasionally backlit by sheet lightning.

Severus looked up at the flashing clouds. "I think we still have plenty of time before the sky opens up. No need to hurry."

Lucy agreed. "Hopefully, it will hold off until this evening. If it's raining too hard, we can't walk to the Apparition point. I don't really feel like going to church tonight."

"Apparate? Why would you Apparate when the church is in the village?"

"Because we're not Presbyterians," Lucy said. "We've been attending a small Anglican church in Godric's Hollow. Pawpaw has been a member there since he was a boy and his parents and sister are buried there. To be honest with you, I think he goes every week more for paying his respects to Aunt Arianna, than for listening to anything the vicar has to say."

Severus didn't pry and ask who Aunt Arianna was.

"Don't you enjoy going to church?" Severus remembered very little from the days that he attended. He remembered enjoying the crafts in Sunday school and he remembered being fascinated with the ornate misericords and the only two stained glass windows in the old tow'd church. It wasn't until after he stopped attending that the rest of the windows that were destroyed during the Blitz had been replaced. His six-year-old mind retained very little of the dogma.

"It's not that I don't enjoy it. Most of the time I do, but I'm just not as devout as most of the family. Frankly, I prefer to go in the morning because by evening, I'm just ready for the day to be done."

There was something in the tone of Lucy's voice that suggested that her lack of devotion might be a sore spot between her and her family and he remembered Madam O'Conner's stern reminder to Lucy.

"Lucy, I'm sorry if I got you in trouble with your mum."

"What? Oh, I'm not in trouble with Mama," she said dismissively.

"Really?" Severus questioned. "She didn't sound very happy to me. She doesn't think that we were…you know."

Lucy laughed as Severus blushed. "No, of course not. Mama believed me. She knows that I know she'd catch me in lie. She's probably going to lecture me about a lady's reputation and how a boy might misinterpret my intentions by inviting him into a hay loft."

Severus wasn't sure if he should feel commended or insulted. "What makes you so sure I wouldn't press my advantage? I do like girls, you know."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "I've already figured that out. You were a gentleman out by the lake the other night. I don't see any reason for you to have changed in three days."

"But you didn't know that," Severus said, surprised that he might be taking Lucy's mother's side. "I might have been leading you into a false sense of security."

"I'll take that into account next time," Lucy said. "But I'm not totally defenceless, you know. My big sister taught me a rather nasty hex that would make you a castrato for a week."

Severus swallowed and had to shove his hands in his pockets to keep from covering his bits. "I'll be sure to take that into account too."

Ten minutes later, Severus and Lucy had made it back to the school gates. The grounds were nearly deserted. The lightning had called a quick end to Quidditch practice and chased off the swimmers.

Lucy had been explaining her idea for her Muggle Studies project when Severus suddenly tripped over his own feet, he only just managed to put out his hands fast enough to keep from planting his face in the dirt. The Bezoars flew out of his hands and scattered across the pebbled path.

"Severus!" Lucy exclaimed as she tossed aside her shoes. He had no sooner hit the ground that Lucy was knelt down by his side, attempting to help him up.

Severus tried to get up, but he couldn't move his feet more than a couple of inches. He couldn't get steadying footing and he ended up tumbling back on his arse, taking Lucy with him.

Lucy turned on her side and began to rub her sore hip. She had hit the ground rather hard when Severus' momentum pulled her down.

Severus was so angry he could feel his temple begin to throb. Though he couldn't see anyone, just over in the hedgerows there was movement, and Severus could swear he heard male voices actually giggling.

Lucy noticed the commotion as well. "I think there's someone over there under a Disillusionment Charm," she said furiously. "Show yourself, you cowardly sack of shit!"

Both of Severus eyebrows shot up in surprise. Not only was Lucy willing to stand up for herself and her friends, when she was hacked-off, she could throw a vulgarism as quickly as a Manc dockworker. Severus was impressed.

There was still laughter coming from the other side of the hedges and Severus had had enough. He was nearly trembling rage when he grabbed his wand and threw a spiteful Stinging Hex in the general direction of the laughter.

"Ow!"
"Shite!
"Merlin's harry ball sack!"

The exclamations came all at once, and as Severus expected, there was more than one bastard hiding in the bushes.

Severus' hex broke the Disillusionment Charm. The thick foliage obscured their view of the perpetrators, but Severus knew all too well who their assailants were. Lucy's eyes narrowed as she watched them run off like the bloody cowards they were.

"Who the hell was that?" Lucy was still so enraged that she didn't bother to check her language.

"Marauders," Severus said irritably as he looked down at his cross-tied trainers.

"You mean those guys from the train?"

"The very ones. Damn it!" Severus said crossly as he gave up trying to untie his shoes. Apparently the Marauders improved this particular hex, making his laces stick together permanently. Severus would rather find himself damned than have to walk barefoot inside the castle, or even worse, hop inside like a helpless Muggle.

Severus transfigured his trainers into a pair of dress shoes while Lucy Summoned the Bezoars back into their box.

"Well, I'm not taking DADA this year," Lucy said, "I suppose I should practice my hexing on someone or I might get rusty."

Considering at least one of the hexes Lucy had in her arsenal, Severus almost felt sorry for James Potter and his lackeys—almost.

When they reached the corridor that led to the O'Conner's private quarters, Severus and Lucy parted ways after agreeing to a game of chess after she returned from church. There were other students at Hogwarts that observed some religion or another, but Severus could count on one hand those whose parents escorted to services every week.

Dr O'Conner was back in his office by late afternoon. Severus passed off the Bezoars and the Professor praised him for a job well done. Dr O'Conner told Severus to return Tuesday night to sort the Bezoars, and then sent Severus on his way.

As soon as Severus reached the Common Room he felt as if he was being attacked from all sides. It seemed as though the word had got out that he had visited the forbidden Hog's Head. Severus wished he had some exciting story to tell, but he hadn't seen any more than the kitchen. He had no idea if werewolf heads were mounted on the walls, though most of his fellow Slytherins were duly impressed that he now called the enigmatic "Mr Dee" by his first name.

Severus managed to break away. He was making his way to the boy's dorms when he heard Avery say from behind him, "Snape, an Owl post came for you while you were gone. It's sitting on your bed."

"Thanks, Avery," Severus said and rushed to his dorm. He had sent a post to his mum, telling her about his assistantship. He wasn't really expecting a reply, but he was earnestly hoping for one.

His heart was almost broken with disappointment when he noticed the green wax seal. Even from a distance, Severus could see it was the Malfoy family crest.

Severus sighed and opened the letter, having no conception of why Lucius would be writing him. Severus dropped the letter on his bed as soon as he read it. It was an invitation…an invitation to the Malfoy's Annual Christmas Ball. It was one of the most coveted invitations in Wizarding society and invitations were said to be given well in advance. Severus didn't know what to do. It was rumoured that Lord Voldemort himself would be attending this year. Severus wasn't a fool. He knew Lucius was intending to present Severus to his Dark Lord. Severus already had his sponsorship and the arrangement with Dr O'Conner was more than Severus could ever dare hope for. He had no intention of letting it go.

Severus knew that there was no way of refusing Lucius Malfoy without repercussions and he shuddered to think what the consequences were for refusing the Dark Lord. Nevertheless, Severus would refuse any overtures from Lucius or You Know Who. He wasn't sure how he would do it without losing his head, but he had over three months to figure it out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: tow'd church is a colloquialism for the Manchester Cathedral. A Manc, is a colloquialism (sometimes derogatory depending on context) for someone from Manchester or the Mancunian dialect.

Thank you to all for your wonderful reviews and encouragement, as well as your well wishes and prayers for my brother. Unfortunately, I am sad to say that my brother lost his battle with cancer last month. That, and the fact that I had two scares myself (thankfully, they were only scares) is the reason that updates have been slow in coming and why I haven't been responding to individual reviews. As my life begins to adjust too my new reality, updates should come faster and I promise to respond to more reviews.

I wish to give a special thank you to tambrathegreat, who has been so much more than just a beta during this difficult time.

~Missyann