In an Instant..
”It’s hard to turn the page when you know someone won’t be in the next chapter. But the story must go on.” Thomas Wilder
Taking her time to give Petunia a chance to catch up to herself, Summer thought to herself about what she was about to do. It has been several years since she has called her friend. He had told her once that she shouldn’t contact him unless there was no other option and it was an emergency. Her friend had made it sound like life or death when making the promise. So, she had never contacted him, secretly hoping at some point he would find her and explain. He owed her at least that much.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, she decided to floo her friend first. This situation was a mess and if her gut was telling her anything this was just the start of it and things were about to get messier. Stepping up to the fireplace, she grabbed her pot she had tucked in the back corner of the mantle, tossing in a small handful of powder she called out quietly, “Severus Snape-Potions Master Quarters-Hogwarts-password asphodel.” She waited while holding her breath and didn’t let go until she heard the soft response, “This is Severus Snape, can I help you?”
It felt like it was yesterday, the last time she heard that voice. With a shaky breath she spoke her phrase, hoping she didn’t forget it, “Meet me at the Corner, a bee will lead you through” and then she stepped aside and waited. It felt like an eternity, but in reality it was only a matter of minutes before she heard the rush of the floo in response. Drawing on her mental shields, she took a fortifying breath and looked up. There, in her house, stood her long lost friend, he looked thin, pale, and, “Are you still using that stupid potion in your hair instead of tying it back and casting a charm?!” Summer screeched.
Severus had been sitting in front of his fireplace trying to decide what he should do. He had been trying nightly over the last couple of months to remove those foul books from his mindscape and they wouldn’t budge. Blast it all to hell. All he had gotten was a nightly migraine and magical exhaustion is his attempts. He was about to give up and plan a trip to Gringotts when his floo sounded. When he didn’t hear an immediate response, he softly introduced himself and asked what they had needed. Then, as if in a dream, he heard a phrase he had silently been praying to the Gods and Goddesses to hear. Not because it meant there was an emergency and she needed help, but just to simply see his long lost friend again.
There in the same, familiar room stood Severus Snape. Contrary to what people whispered about him, he didn’t only wear black potions robes- charmed to the heavens with protections of course and his hair wasn’t greasy, it was simply protected from volatile potion fumes with a potion. It simply looked greasy. Today he was wearing a simple pair of jeans, a black button up shirt and a midnight blue sweater. Hearing his friend’s screech about his hair, he was snapped out of his melancholy and replied, “Just because you do not see the benefits, even after all these years, doesn’t mean you get to screech about that which you do not still comprehend Little Bee.”
Seeing the soft look on her friend’s face and the lack of venom in his words, she quickly let her snappish response die. Instead she leapt into him and squeezed him into the tightest hold she could. After several seconds she felt his arms tightly squeezing her back. “Not that I haven’t missed you and your dunderheaded thoughts about my hair Summer, why am I here? You used the emergency phrase, so I can only assume there is, in fact, an emergency?” Severus asked with a raised brow.
Taking a step back, Summer quickly glanced towards the kitchen and quietly whispered, “A student of mine is magical, there was an incident of accidental magic this morning. When his aunt arrived, she panicked before she realized I must be a wixen or par-maj at least because I wasn’t freaking out. She disclosed abuse to her and her nephew from her husband and her own son. I need help Sev. She’s desperate and her nephew’s situation is rather unique. He apparated onto the roof Sev. He is resting in my nook right now, so I called you to see if you could talk to her first.”
When he heard what was happening, Severus began planning in his head, upon hearing a child apparated onto a roof in accidental magic, he knew he had to help. Stepping around Summer, he cautiously made his way into the kitchen. As he stepped through the doorway he heard a gasp and then sobbing. He paused and took a moment to observe the woman before him. As he looked at the woman a name suddenly escaped his mouth, “Petunia!? Is that you?” He gasped.
Sitting alone in the kitchen Petunia finally had time to breathe for a moment. Slowly sipping a glass of lemonade, Petunia gathered her thoughts and made a list of things she wanted to do, starting with checking into that house in the middle of the street. Seeing the look of awe and the sense of calm that washed over her nephew’s face she was determined to keep out there. If this is what he needed for that to happen then so be it. She was in the middle of determining what she would need to do to find out more about the house when someone stepped through the door to the kitchen she hadn’t seen in years, one whom she was trying to figure out how to contact. A gasp escaped her lips and then in a tidal wave of pent up emotions, she started to sob.
Not knowing what to do, Severus approached Petunia. Gathering her trembling form in his arms he held her tightly as she wept. He held a steel gaze over her shoulder towards Summer, what exactly had she been through for this reaction to happen? Last time they had been in the same room together Petunia had said the foulest things about not only himself, but Lily as well. Petunia had eventually slowed her crying and gathered herself together, stepping casually out of Severus’ arms she whispered, “Severus, it’s wonderful to see you again.”
Unable to stop himself from snorting, Severus replied as he moved to sit down, “Petunia, let’s be honest, you know damned well if I am here and you actually want me to be then the situation you’re in is far from wonderful. Why don’t you sit down and tell me what exactly is going on and how you want me to help.”
Sitting on the bench facing the gardens Harry had tried to read his book, but his eyes were so tired the words were blurry so he promptly gave that up. He had taken to just sitting there gazing out of the window into the wide open space and garden outside. He could slowly feel the tension leave him and soon his eyes started to become heavy. He had felt himself drifting off into a nice rest when all of a sudden his tingles came slamming back. Instead of trying to have him do something, this time the tingles were trying to tell him something. He took a calming breath and slowly got up, he quietly followed the pull of his tingles back towards the kitchen where his aunt was. The closer he got to the kitchen the louder he heard someone crying. It wasn’t until he was almost in the kitchen did he realize it was his aunt. Harry rushed into the kitchen, not knowing what to expect, only to stop suddenly when he heard his aunt stop crying and softly whisper a name. Severus.
Hearing Harry’s arrival and thinking something was the matter, Petunia rushed towards Harry only to stop short when she saw the look on his face. Softly she asked, “Harry, is everything ok? Is something wrong?” Petunia saw the melancholy playing in her nephew’s eyes but knew not to rush him for an answer, so she waited. Slowly, Harry raised his hands and signed, “I heard you crying, the tingles came. They were saying something, but they led me here. Did you just say this man’s name is Severus?” Severus didn’t know what to say. No one could speak. Severus sat there and stared at the child before him. Hair as red as a fire with gold and brown streaks fell softly in curls around his face, his eyes the same piercing emerald shade of his best friend, and a scar on one side of his face that didn’t seem to affect his eyes anymore than the Potters’ known horrible vision.
Patiently waiting, knowing that something big had begun, Harry silently stood there for the answer to his question. Softly he heard a reply, “Yes, my name is Severus, how did you know?” In an instant he began to form his response, “You were mum’s best friend. She always talked about you when dad wasn’t there. She showed me a picture of you and made sure to tell me about potions so you wouldn’t think I was a dunderhead.” Harry watched as amusement and wonder spread across the adults’ faces as Petunia translated. Severus informed her it wasn’t necessary, before he spoke to him, “I have absolutely no idea how you know any of those things. But you are indeed correct. I was just getting ready to sit down and discuss what has been going on with your aunt and Summer.”
Harry smiled and grew a matter-of-fact look on his face and walked towards a chair, as he sat, he signed back, “I have an eidetic memory. I remember everything from the age of one to present time. You haven’t changed much from your picture, but you should go outside more and eat healthier foods.”