Two Horrible Acquaintances
Unfortunately, to Severus’s distaste, Dumbledore made a point of visiting every two days. The old man argued that it was to update Severus on the investigations into the still active Deatheaters and work of the Order. Severus had asked why he wasn’t needed in the field and Dumbledore argued that he was still on thin ice with the ministry. They were still suspicious of him because of his previous, as Dumbledore put it, employment. Dumbledore also said that he ‘wasn’t expendable’ meaning that he still needed him for whatever plan he had. Ridiculously, Dumbledore also suggested the help of a magical therapist.
Why do I need some nosy know-it-all when I have you, pestering me every minute of every other day? Severus had thought.
It was completely ridiculous. Severus never needed help. He was capable. He didn’t need help. It was ludicrous.
“Hello, its good to see you in person.” The woman said. She was neatly dressed in grey and brown tones, “Please, take a seat.” She gestured to the couch, “Of course you already know my name, Ms Reynolds. But how would you prefer for me to address you?”
“Snape. My surname- is fine.” Severus said stiffly. He sat down awkwardly.
Magical therapy. What a joke.
Then why was he there at all?
Severus had to admit, he was curious. What did they know that he didn’t? And also… was it possible - or a delusion to think- that he… could possibly be fixed? It wasn’t.
Severus internally argued that he was just doing this because of Dumbledore. The professor had, after all, set up this meeting. He was forced to do this, he didn’t want to do this.
“I understand that this visit has been set up by a good friend of yours and you have consented to come to this meeting.” Ms Reynolds said, “If you feel uncomfortable, you are allowed to leave. I also have some other housekeeping just to quickly note…”
All her ‘rules’ seemed reasonable enough - if she believed he was a danger to himself or others, she would need to contact relevant ministry authorities; if he acted aggressive or threatened her in any way, she would call in security and other procedures; if at any point he wished to take a break, he would be able to have one; if Severus displayed loyalty or plans for the Dark Lord’s return, Dumbledore (not the ministry, Severus noted) would be contacted; and finally, important points of their discussion would be noted down for further discussion.
“Thats all from me for now, throughout our discussion I will be asking you some prompting questions to get you thinking but overall, what we talk about is up to you and if you wish to change subjects, you may. But I wish to ask, why would your friend have recommended my service?”
Severus stared at her. Either she was an idiot, or she was ignoring it. The obvious answer was; I’m a fucking ex-wizard-nazi. But the less obvious answer;
“He believes I have… unhealthy… habits.”
“Can you describe these habits to me?” she asked, taking out a notebook.
He reminded himself that Reynolds said that all of her findings and records of their discussions were confidential.
He spoke with stops and starts, hesitating, backtracking and alluding to his unhealthy habits rather than speaking out about them.
When the hour was over, he hadn’t actually spoken about anything that had troubled him at all and was taken aback when Ms Reynolds said, “That's good work for today, thank you, Snape for your bravery in this. I know its hard to speak out about the things that trouble us so I really applaud your attempts today.”
What in Merlins name is she waffling about? Severus thought.
He left the building, shrugging on the hood of his jacket and taking down the road.
I need a drink. He thought. A really strong drink. And then maybe something more…
The town of Rynsco had grown since his childhood. There were more businesses these days except not quite reaching the height of its prime, during the industrialism of Britain, Rynsco had been a factory town. Some factories still remained. Severus passed one down Leons Street, it was done up a bit, used as a school nowadays. The sign outside read ‘Rynsco Secondary Grammer’, advertising their school fete happening this weekend. Severus thought of the muggle school he briefly attended before Hogwarts. It was significantly smaller and more brutal looking that Rynsco Secondary Grammer.
He meandered down the street to his favourite bar ‘Nayname’, owned by a witch, Verollida. Nayname was always changing location up and down Main street, that way, they were able to stay off the muggle radar and keep their more reserved and more exclusive atmosphere. Nayname usually served to wixen but once in a while, a muggle would stumble in, have the best drink of their life and then not be able to find the bar again when they were sober. Verollida could brew a good strong Firetail Zinto, a popular drink among wixen drinkers. That sounded what Severus needed right now.
He found Nayname easily. He pretended to kneel to tie his shoelaces, tapping his wand discreetly on the small round brick in the sidewalk of rectangular stone. He tapped his wand, once, twice. An indentation of an arrow appeared, pointing in the direction.
Severus found Nayname squashed between the grocers and the shoe shop. He slipped inside.
Nayname’s walls were warm maroon with bronze lanterns perched in nooks along the walls. There were three booths, one occupied by a gaggle of young witches - so much for exclusive. A couple of tables were also taken up by other wixen but the bar was blissfully empty.
“Snape! Good man, how are you?” Verollida beamed. She had dark hair shot through with red and keen brown eyes. She wore the Nayname uniform, maroon vests, black and grey striped pants. Her hands were constantly in motion, mixing drinks, sliding them across the counter to float to their owner.
“I’ve been better.” he said stiffly, he was in no mood to chat, not after that exceedingly awkward therapy session - could he even call it that? “The usual, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure thing.” Verollida got to work, measuring Firewhisky and Tolbourntail. She stirred clockwise once and anti-clockwise twice. The drink took on a spectacular red-gold colour. In some ways, she was similar to Severus; the drinks, like potions, were an exact science.
She slid it over to him and popped a lemon wedge into the drink. It fizzed.
Severus took a sip. It tasted as it always had - zingy, with a background heat. Sweet but with a hint of bitterness to even out the taste. It was a consistent taste. It was one of the things Severus liked about Nayname.
He took his drink to a booth and spent a while, watching customers come in and out, scribbling ideas for magical suicide on a napkin.
Another customer entered as Severus was finishing up his drink, walking to the bar for another. The newcomer, apparently unaware that Sev was never in any mood to talk, came up to the bar, shaking the evening drizzle off his coat.
“Wet all of a sudden, isn’t it?” the newcomer said.
Severus spared a glance at them. It was a man, around his age, with brown hair and hazel eyes. They had the oblivious look of a muggle - dressed like one too, that is, with less style than wixen.
Verollida walked up to Sev and the newcomer, “What can I do you gents for?”
“A cosmopolitan?” he said, as Sev said, “Another.”
“Sure thing.” Verollida eyed the newbie, “You from around here?” She took Severus’s glass and traded it for a new one, brewing the drinks both at the same time.
“Just moved, about a week ago.” the stranger said chirpily, “The movers lost some of my furniture so I had to race back to Belfast to get ‘em.”
“All here now?”
“Yes, thank God.”
Severus noted that the newcomer used ‘God’ instead of ‘Merlin’ which was more common with wixen. A muggle. Well, Severus wasn’t hanging around.
Verollida handed him his drink, he was about to leave when his booth was taken by a gaggle of goblins, calling for beers and mead.
“You can stay here,” The newcomer said. He touched his glass lightly and gave a smile to Severus, “I don’t bite.”
“I hope not.” Severus accidentally said out loud. He went red but the stranger laughed.
“I’m Xavier. Xavier Benowitz.” the str– Benowitz smiled.
“Severus Snape.” It would’ve been awkward not to say anything. Not to mention Benowitz’ eyes were… it was like he was trapped under veritaserum. Severus couldn’t not answer.
“What do you do for a living, Severus?”
Surprisingly, Sev didn’t hate Benowitz using his first name. It wasn’t spoken venomously like hsi enemies, or like a binding cord like his ex-allies - the Deatheaters. He didn’t say his name with authority like Dumbledore. To Benowitz, Sev was just another person. He wasn’t a wizard or an ex-Deatheater or ex-Friend. Nobody.
“I…” Now that he had to think about it, Sev didn’t have a job. He hadn’t had one since the Dark Lord and even ‘the Dark Lord’s ex-first-mate’ wasn’t exactly a paying role. Nor did it mean anything to a muggle. He thought about what he’d like to do, and also found nothing, “I’m currently unemployed… left my old job.” A half truth would suffice.
Benowitz nodded, “I get what that's like. I had to move because I was fired from my old job.”
Anger flashed through Severus. Does he think I’m so stupid as to be fired? The anger subsided. Clearly, Benowitz was trying to relate to him in some way. Severus calmed himself down.
“... I moved here for a new job. I’m going to teach chemistry at the highschool here.”
“The grammar school.”
“Yeah.”
They got to talking and it was either the company or the drink (and Severus was betting on the drink) but Severus found himself lightening up, speaking freely and playing a game of ‘How Much Can I Say To Make This Muggle Think I’m Also A Muggle Until I Get Too Drunk?’. The answer was, a lot.
“Have you lived here all your life?”
“Yes.” (and also at a magic school).
“That must mean that you know your way around, huh?”
“I suppose. But I was at school for the better part of 21 years.”
“School?”
“A boarding school.” (the aforementioned magic one)
“Oh, wow, was it hard being away from home? You must’ve missed your parents a lot.”
Severus visibly stiffened.
“Oh. I’m sorry -I didn’t mean to–”
He’d had enough. He wanted to leave. Severus downed the rest of his drink and marched to the door.
“Wait- hey, wait!”
Severus stepped out onto the street. A chilly wind blew through him and he realised with a jolt that he had left his coat inside. He shifted from foot to foot, trying to determine if it was more or less awkward if he went back for it or not. He also realised he hadn’t paid his tab. Nevermind that, he’d pay Verollida what she was owed next time.
“Your coat?” said Benowitz’s voice.
Severus turned around sharply. Benowitz was holding out his coat to him. He must’ve also paid both their tabs because he was tucking his wallet back into his back pocket.
Severus took the coat stiffly, shrugging it on.
“Didn’t want you to get cold.”
“Thanks.” Severus said coldly with no gratitude. He marched down the street, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“Hey wait.” Benowitz caught up to him, “I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t realise it was a sensitive subject.”
“Are you calling me sensitive?”
“Wh- no! Of course not, no. I’m just… sorry.” he walked alongside Severus for some time, “I paid your tab by the way, the barwoman didn’t look too pleased about you leaving without paying.”
“Am I supposed to thank you?”
“I… I’m not expecting a thank you. Its–”
“Then do you want something from me?”
“What?”
Severus stopped suddenly, wheeling around and looking at Benowitz menacingly. The taller man shrunk slightly, withering in Severus’s gaze.
“I said: do you want something from me? Am I supposed to repay you for the tab?”
Benowitz looked confused at this sudden anger and hostility.
“Here. Take the damn money.” Severus started to dig in his pockets for his wallet.
“I- I don’t want your money.” Then he repeated it more firmly, “I don’t want your money.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I was hoping… I was wondering if…”
Oh. Severus understood where this was going.
He grabbed Benowitz’s collar and slammed him against the wall, “I’ll give you want you want.”
“W-what?”
“If you promise to make me stop thinking.”