Introducing Severus/Shopping
Saturday, August 3rd, 1991
Severus sighed in annoyance, thanks to Hagrid catching a cold he had to be the one to take Potter and Granger shopping. Thankfully, they were his only children. Normally they avoided sending him at all, but it was unavoidable this year.
Today was Potter, tomorrow Granger. Then he and the other teachers would begin prepping for the new school year Monday. He had a lot of supplies to buy, some for classes, some for personal usage, and some for the Hospital Wing as he made almost all of the potions they used for medical purposes, yet got no additional pay.
Perhaps it didn't matter. He lived at the castle, all expenses paid, for nine months out of the year, and he didn't have much to buy during the summer. Still yet, it was unfair.
Severus knocked on the door before him. Number 4 Privet Drive. Petunia's house. How...'nice'.
The door was opened not by Petunia or whoever she had married, but a child. A very small child. It couldn't possibly be Potter, but it had to be. The kid was a spitting image of his parents, though with more Lily in him then Severus expected. Besides, they only had two kids, and they were the same age, so this child had to be eleven regardless.
It was still hard to believe, though. This pre-teen looked more like an eight year old. He was merely four-foot-six and couldn't have weighed more than fifty-seven pounds.
Otherwise, his appearance was just as surprising. Severus was expecting a James Potter look-a-like. He did not receive it.
Harry had curly hair, but it was no where near as messy as his fathers. Additionally, it was the same shade of red as Lily's, going down to the nape of the boys neck. His eyes hazel, not green like his mother's or brown like his father's, but both. His skin was about half a shade darker than James's, but still obviously a different color. The rest of his features, the smaller ones like ear shape, were a mix between the two parents, and other family members.
Because of the child's surprising features, Severus didn't speak immediately. His mask was still up of course, but he definitely stood there shocked for a second or two.
"Are you Harry Potter?" Severus questioned, eventually.
The child didn't seem happy to hear those words, but nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Are your aunt and uncle home?"
"Yes, sir."
"I need to speak to you and them, inside."
"Yes, sir." Harry replied for a third time, before leading Severus to the living room.
Severus sat in a pink and white floral arm chair while he waited on the boy to bring Petunia and whats-his-name. The room was very...Petunia. Clean and proper and faux minimalistic.
There were pictures all of the cream colored walls of a child. That was to be expected, but it was odd that there were no pictures of Potter around. Perhaps the boy was camera shy? Not what Severus would of expected of him, but he didn't expect anything else that had happened either. So, maybe that made it more likely.
Petunia and an overweight, blonde, man came in behind Potter. Both adults sat on the couch adjacent to Severus, but Potter remained standing.
"Sit." Severus demanded.
Harry didn't move. "I'm not allowed."
"What do you mean you're not allowed?" Severus questioned, genuinely curious. He didn't miss the glare the man shot Potter while Petunia gave a false smile.
"Of course you can sit." Petunia stated, through gritted teeth. Harry looked confused, but complied sitting on a blue floral armchair, a couple feet from Severus.
Severus breathed out, nearly silently. "I'm here to discuss your nephews education. I am a teacher at a school that he has been enrolled in since birth. I'm here to today to tell you about it, and take him shopping for school supplies."
"Oh, don't act so coy. We know you're from the freak school. Pig-whatever!" The man shouted, face purple. Severus wanted to tell him about the possible health conditions he had to make that happen, but didn't. He didn't come here to give medical advice.
"Yes, I'm from Hogwarts." Severus admitted.
"And who are you anyway?" The man demanded.
"Severus Snape, potions professor."
Petunia gasped. "You!"
"Yes, Tuney, me."
"Who is this?" The man demanded of Petunia.
"Vernon, this is one of my...sisters old friends. We grew up in the same neighborhood." Petunia answered.
So, the mans name was Vernon. Tragic. Vernon was a pretty okay name, too bad it had to be ruined by being associated with this...person.
Before the adults could continue the conversation, Harry cut in with a gasp. "You knew my mom?"
"Yes." Severus simply replied, not knowing what else to say.
"Can you tell me about her when I'm at school?" Harry questioned, more eager than he ever was.
"You're not going!" Vernon shouted, making Harry flinch.
"Yes, sir." The child nearly whispered.
"Yes he is." Severus countered. Generally he wouldn't care whether Potter, or any child, went or not. But, this situation felt a little too familiar to just leave.
"No he's not. We're his legal guardians. We get to decide what school he goes to. And that school will not be a freak one! We are raising him right! Not with all that hocus pocus!" Vernon shouted. Severus felt himself slipping back in time.
Any psychiatrist would say he had PTSD, but Severus had never been to one, so it didn't matter. He didn't know. PTSD or not, he couldn't let it happen. He had to stay in the moment. For most people that would be nearly impossible. But, Severus was a skilled Occlumens, so managed just fine.
"He has to go to a magic school. His powers are dangerous to himself and others if he remains untrained. It is non-negotiable. Even if he doesn't go to Hogwarts, he has to go to a different one. Your choice." Severus said this sounding as calm as ever, but he wasn't calm, not by a long shot. He was scared and angry and sort of inhumanly numb from the Occlumency.
"M-magic?" Harry whispered, scared to say anything.
"Yes, Mr. Potter, you have magic. So did your parents." Severus informed. "Now, come with me. I'll explain everything once we're away from here."
"That's kidnapping! It's illegal. We'll have you arrested if you step a foot off this property with him." Vernon called triumphantly.
"You know what else is illegal? Murder. Did it stop me from murdering some people? No. You can't stop me either." Severus replied, voice chill and unfeeling. In reality he had a lot of trauma from those deaths, even his father who deserved it. But, they didn't need to know that.
"Take me to your bedroom." Severus ordered Harry. The boy was quick to get up, both from fear and excitement at being able to leave.
Severus followed Harry to the cupboard under the stairs, confused when he just stopped instead of ascending the stairs.
"Mr. Potter, your room." Severus prompted.
"This is it." Harry responded, meekly.
"Your bedroom is this cupboard?" Severus had never hoped to be being pranked more in his life. Had never thought he would want to be pranked. But, right now, he desperately did.
"Yes, sir."
Severus opened the door to the cupboard. The inside was incredibly bare. Nothing but a mattress with stained sheets, spiders(many dead), and a couple extra pairs of clothes that looked just as run-down as the ones Potter was currently wearing.
"Where is your stuff?" Severus demanded, unable to keep his voice from shaking a little.
"In there." Harry's voice was quivering more than a little.
"You don't have anything else?"
"No, sir. Sorry, sir."
"Don't worry about it, Mr. Potter. We'll buy you everything you need today." Severus assured.
"I don't-I don't have any money."
"Yes you do. Come on. Lets go." Severus demanded softly, Harry quickly complying.
Once the two had walked out the front door and down the street a little Severus began talking again. "Have you had breakfast?" It was 8:43, he should have.
"No, sir. I don't eat breakfast, sir."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not allowed breakfast. Only lunch, but not always. I used to also get dinner, but I'm too old for that now." Harry informed, shaking in fear, but also because he was cold.
"You are only allowed to eat once a day? And not always?"
"Yes, sir."
"And on those 'not always' days, do you get to eat anything?"
"No, sir. No water either."
"How much water do you usually get?"
"Half a cup with lunch."
"That's it?"
"Yes, sir."
"What do you get for lunch?"
"A piece of bread with a slice of cheese on top."
"That's what your lunch always is?"
"Yes, sir."
"And when you don't get to eat, what reason do they give?"
"We don't have my food, or I've been bad."
Severus stopped walking, and Harry mimicked, standing next to him. Severus looked at Harry seriously.
"I haven't had breakfast yet either. There's this thing called apparation, it's basically just teleportation. You can't learn to apparate until you're seventeen, that's when you'll be an adult in the magical world. Since I'm an adult I can apparate, and as long as you don't let go of me, you'll go wherever I do. It's called side-along apparation. I'm going to apparate us to a restaurant in London. We'll eat breakfast there before we begin shopping. Does that sound okay?"
"I'm not allowed breakfast." Was Harry's only response.
"Mr. Potter-" Severus sighed. "Harry. You are always allowed to eat, no matter what. It is wrong of them to limit your food intake. And it is wrong of them to take away food as a punishment. If you are hungry, eat. I promise you will not get in trouble for it. Not anymore."
Harry seemed confused, but nodded.
Severus didn't know any London restaurants, but it didn't matter. He just decided to apparate to the Leaky Cauldron and go from there. Thankfully, right across the road was a mostly empty cafe.
Once inside, Severus ordered tea and a blueberry muffin. Harry ordered the same. Severus told him that he could get something else or more if he wanted, but Harry refused.
Once the food was collected and paid for, Severus sat in a booth across from Harry. He quickly put a silencing charm up so they wouldn't be overheard.
"Harry, what I just did is called a silencing charm. There's many different types, but the one I just did makes it were we can hear the people around us, but they can't hear us. It's so we can talk about magic openly without worrying about revealing it to muggles, that's non-magical people." Severus explained.
"Do you have any questions?" Severus prompted when Harry didn't respond.
"Do you have a second copy of my letter? I don't have it any more."
"I do." Severus replied, he pulled the letter out to hand over to the pre-teen, but stopped short. On the front of the letter it read 'Ms. Bianca R. Potter'. Severus wondered for a second if he brought the wrong letter, but there were no other Potters attending Hogwarts this year. Related to 'Harry' or otherwise.
Severus looked at...Potter who seemed scared and embarrassed over the name displayed. Severus handed...him...the letter.
"Ha-child?"
"Yes, sir." It was barely a mumble.
"Is your name Bianca? Are you a girl?" Severus queried, feeling bad that he had likely been misgendering the child.
"Yes, sir." A hot tear fell down Bianca's cheek. She tried to wipe it away, but missed, before giving up. "I'm sorry, sir."
"Why are you sorry, Bianca? It's okay to be a girl." Severus knew why she was sorry, but it would be damaging to admit it. She might think it was true if he did.
"B-but....When I told Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon they said I was a pervert and hit me."
"Bianca? Are you listening?"
"Yes, sir."
"Your aunt and uncle are not good people. Everything they've done to you is horrendous. You did not deserve any of it. I promise I will never let them do that to you again. You're....You're allowed to be yourself."
"O-okay." Bianca conceded, still not quite believing it all.
"May I ask what the 'R' stand for?"
"Rose."
"That's beautiful." Severus commented.
"Would my mom like my name?" Bianca questioned, timidly.
"Yes, I think she would." Severus was being honest, Lily would probably adore Bianca'a name. "She would love any name you chose, but you did pick ones she favored. A flower name like all the girls in her family. And she had always talked about giving her kid a b or d name."
"Then why was I named Harry?"
"I believe you were named after your great grandfather. On your dad's side. And then your dad's name was James."
"What was my mom's name?"
Severus smiled, reminiscing. "Lily."
"Lily?"
"Lilian Grace Evans. Lily for short. Then she changed her last name to Potter when she married your dad."
"Oh. And you were friends?"
"Best friends. I loved and still love your mother dearly. She was like a sister to me."
"When did you meet?"
"We were nine-and-a-half. Lily and Petunia were on summer break, I didn't go to school. We lived in the same neighborhood, but on different ends so didn't interact much. But, we met at a park next to my house one day. At first I sort of scared them off, mostly Petunia. But, your mom came back to the park a couple days later. She usually went to one closer to her house, it was nicer, but she went to mine for me. We started hanging out, I taught her all I knew about magic. Then Hogwarts came around. We were super close still at first, but then we began drifting apart. We stopped being friends at the end of our fifth year, when we were sixteen. A few years later you were born, and then she died." Severus was close to tears. Talking about Lily hurt, but Bianca deserved to know about her mom.
"Drunk in a car accident." Bianca filled in, despondently.
"What?"
"She died drunk in a car accident."
"She most certainly did not. Did your aunt and uncle tell you that?"
Bianca nodded.
"Well, then, they lied. I can tell you what really happened. You need to know anyway."
"Why?"
"Bianca, in our world, the magical world, you're famous."
"Famous? What for?"
"Your mom was born on January 30th 1960, your dad a few months later. They had very different lives growing up. Your mom had an older sister, your aunt Petunia and she was middle class. Remember how I said muggles are people who don't have magic? Well, there are other classes to. Squibs who have magic, but not enough to use. So, they can interact with things that only wixen can, but they can't perform spells. Muggleborns, magicicals who are born to muggles. Purebloods, people who in the very least have two magical parents with both of those parents having two magical parents. And then halfbloods, that's everyone else. Me and you are both halfbloods. Your mom was a muggleborn. Your dad on the other hand was a rich pureblood with no siblings. We all started Hogwarts together on September 1st, 1971, age eleven. Your dad was...honestly a bit of a bully. He was quite mean to me in particular which your mom didn't like. After we stopped being friends however, your parents got closer. They began dating at seventeen at the beginning of our seventh and last year of Hogwarts. We were all eighteen when we graduated, your parents got married not too long after. Now there was a man name Voldemort. That's not his real name, but no one actually knows what it is. He started a war when we were eleven, but it didn't start heating up until we were around fifteen. You see, Voldemort believed that halfbloods, squibs, muggles, muggleborns, and 'half-breeds' all deserved to die. And that only purebloods should remain. A 'half-breed' is a word, not a slur but still not nice to say, of someone who is only partially human. So, vampire, werewolves, half-giants, etc. He thought all of these people below him, so he grew a following and started murdering them. Your parents joined a group called The Order of the Phoenix. These were people who came together to strategize a way to take down Voldemort. At some point, likely around late 1979 your mom found out she was pregnant with you. So, your parents went into hiding. On July 31st, 1980, you were born. For the first year of your life you didn't leave your house, but you were loved and cared for. When you were exactly one year and three months old on Halloween in 1981 Voldemort attacked your family. He murdered your dad and your mom and tried to murder you. But, for a reason no one knows, you survived. Now you're known as 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'. You're quite famous, so be prepared to be recognized a lot. Though, thankfully, people's predictions of what you'd look like at this age are quite wrong, so you will have an advantage there. At least, until they learn the truth."
Bianca seemed perplexed. "That's....A lot....Would my parents accept me as a girl?"
"Hmm." Severus replied. "I didn't know your father well, but I'm sure he would love you no matter what. You mom, on the other hand, I can assure you would have been supportive of whatever gender or sexuality you ended up being."
"But, you said he was a bully."
"He was, but....I've heard he changed after school, especially when you were born. And he was never transphobic or anything that I'm aware of."
"Transphobic?"
"Transgender is what people who are a different gender from the one they were assigned at birth are called. So, you are a trans girl because you were assigned male at birth, but you're a girl. Someone who is transphobic is someone who dislikes and discriminates against trans people because they are trans."
"Oh. So, if I had been assigned as a girl when I was born but ended up being a boy would I be a trans boy?"
"Yes, exactly."
Bianca nodded. "Can we go shopping now?"
"We can."
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Bianca stepped into the first store, Madame Malkin's. They were here to get her uniform....Bianca had never had a school uniform, she didn't know what to do or pick.
"What do I get?" Bianca questioned Professor Snape nervously.
"Well, it's up to you, but I'm sure that isn't helpful." Severus responded, trying to figure out what she should buy. He had never gotten a new uniform, besides even if he did he didn't have the money Bianca did.
Bianca shook her head no.
"Do you want a uniform with a dress, skirt, or pants?"
"Um, all three. If that's okay...."
"That's just fine. I would suggest getting a pair of leather gloves, a black hat, some sort of Hogwarts merch like a sweatshirt with all the houses on it, two ties, five white button-up dress shirts, five black sweaters, five pairs of pants, five skirts, five dresses, three pairs of black leggings, two pairs of tights preferably in your skin color, and a pair of black marryjanes."
"Do I have the money for that?" Bianca squeaked.
"Definitely. Remember what the goblins said? You have more than enough money to get yourself through your school years and likely longer."
"Right. Okay."
Bianca walked up to the woman who must be Madame Malkin, who was mercifully alone.
"What can I help you with today, dear?"
Bianca froze up. What did she need again? The numbers swam through her head, she couldn't remember anything.
Thankfully Severus stepped in before things could get much worse. "I'm here today to get Bianca her school uniform. She's going to Hogwarts. We would like to buy a pair of leather gloves, a black hat, a sweatshirt with all the houses on it, two ties, five white button-up dress shirts, five black sweaters, five pairs of pants, five skirts, five dresses, three pairs of black leggings, two pairs of tights in her skin tone, and a pair of black marryjanes. Does that sound alright, Bianca? The sweatshirt?"
Bianca nodded quickly, still to frazzled to speak.
"Of course. Let me just get your measurements, dear. Step right up on this stool." Madame Malkin spoke to Bianca.
Bianca complied, shaking from the anxiety of the situation. She barely understood what was happening around her. Her head felt stuffed with cotton and her limbs as if they had been dipped in tar.
"So, Severus, I thought you didn't take students shopping. Why's this year different?" Madame Malkin made small talk as the magical tape measurer floated around Bianca's body.
Severus hated small talk, but would comply to not seem rude. "Hagrid is ill, I'm afraid, so I'm taking his last couple of kids."
"Oh dear, is he okay?"
"Just fine. A bit of a nasty cold. Nothing rest and a little pepper-up potion won't fix."
"Oh, that's good! Here's your stuff, dearie. That'll be 107 galleons." Madame Malkin informed handing Bianca a package with her items.
Bianca couldn't help but gasp. According to the goblins one galleon was worth five pounds($6.03). That meant that she had just spent 535 pounds($645.53) just on her uniforms. How was she supposed to buy the rest of her school supplies plus personal stuff and still have enough money left over for the future? Professor Snape said she would be fine, but....Bianca was having a hard time believing it.
Bianca handed over the money, hands shaking.
"Are you okay, dear?" Madame Malkin questioned, seeing the small child was still as anxious as she had been at the beginning of their conversation.
Bianca just nodded, but Severus responded. "She's just getting used to the magical world is all."
"Muggleborn?"
"Something like that." Severus responded before hurrying Bianca out of the shop. It was 10:00 and they still had a lot to buy.
Next up was Flourish and Blotts.
Inside the book store Bianca ended up spending sixteen galleons or eighty pounds($96.53) on the necessary school books plus a copy of Hogwarts: A History and the school rule book. After that was finished Bianca, at Severus's prompting, bought some personal books.
Fairytales, muggleborn survival guides, etc. In the end, this caused her to spend an additional twenty-four galleons or one-hundred-and-twenty pounds($144.79). So, her total was forty galleons/two hundred pounds($241.32).
Severus advised Bianca to get her wand next, so they headed over to Ollivander's. After trying ten or so wands, Bianca picked an eleven-and-a-half inch long, slightly bendy, elm wood wand with a phoenix feather core.
Ollivander seemed surprised by this wand being the one to chose Bianca, muttering about how he expected another, glancing at another wand one he likely suspected would choose Bianca. But, he left it be. Fate could be tricky after all.
The last of the school supplies they needed to get in Diagon Alley was potions supplies. A pewter cauldron, a set of glass vials, scales, and a set of ingredients. Professor Snape seemed more excited for this part than some of the others which Bianca put up to him being the potions teacher.
At the Apothecary Severus showed Bianca some extra ingredients she should get that may be useful for personal studies. Was it wrong for him to give her a potential advantage over the other students? Maybe, but Severus really didn't care.
"Alright, Bianca. Other than your personal stuff we just need paper, a backpack, and something for you to write with. Most students use parchment, quills, and ink to write. But, I find pencils and normal paper a lot easier. And there's no school rules against it. Additionally, the only school bags sold in Diagon Alley are easily ripped messenger bags. Finally, most students take a trunk to school to carry their stuff, but it is much easier to merely put an extension charm on your backpack. So, what route would you like to take?"
Bianca thought for a second. "Can I get paper, pencils, and a backpack at the mall?"
"Yes, you may. We'll also get you some other school stuff that will help you. But, are you sure you want muggle stuff? You can have the magical equivalent if you want. I was just making a suggestion."
"I want the muggle stuff." Bianca confirmed.
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In the first store they entered Bianca finished school shopping. She purchased a light blue backpack which Severus discreetly added an extension charm and feather light charm to in the bathroom, six notebooks, six folders, pencils, pens, graph paper, loose leaf paper, a binder, a sharpener, erasers, a small white board, dry erase markers, note cards, sticky notes, and a few other essentials.
In the end it came out to eighty-two pounds($98.94).
For the last school thing Severus helped Bianca make a small First Aid kit with bandages, anti-biotic cream, etc. That, including the white First Aid box, came out to fifty pounds($60.33).
With all the school things finished it was time to buy clothes and other non-school related essentials. But, first, considering that it was 12:00, they needed to eat lunch.
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For lunch Bianca and Severus shared a pepperoni pizza they ordered in the mall's food court. Both ate their food with a medium iced tea. Like at breakfast, Severus told Bianca she didn't have to eat the same thing as him, but she insisted.
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To start they bought Bianca knew bed sheets as she had none. This included two white pillows, two light blue pillow cases, a dark blue sheet, a dark purple comforter, a light pink throw cover, and, much to Bianca's embarrassment, a light blue mattress protector.
"Why do I need a mattress protector?" Bianca nearly whined, a lot more out of her shell than she had been all day.
"Because it's really easy to destroy mattresses and this makes it so you don't go through too many. Or have to sleep on a messed up one." Severus reasoned.
"What do you think I'm going to wet the bed or something?" Bianca blushed.
"Well, that is always a possibility. Nocturnal enuresis is common both after trauma and in new situations, like going to a boarding school. But, that isn't the only occasion were it would be necessary."
"Like when?"
"If you spilt something on the bed, if the ceiling leaked above it, and of course you'll be starting puberty within the next few years." Severus rattled off. He didn't really know why he was taking on such a...parental...position with Bianca in the moment, but he wasn't about to give in. She needed this!
"What does puberty have to do with anything?" Bianca was blushing even heavier now.
"Well, to keep this as quick as possible, when you hit puberty you'll start feeling...strongly about other people. And you'll likely touch yourself or even have sex which can lead to a mess."
Bianca groaned in a mix of embarrassment and resignation. "Fine. I'll get a mattress protector. But, don't tell anyone."
The bed sheets plus a light purple black-out curtain they got on the way to the cash register rung up at two-hundred-and-fifty pounds($301.65). Bianca was shocked and a bit embarrassed, but it was apparently normal for bed things to cost that much.
"But, a lot of people can't afford that. What do they do?" Bianca asked in horror after the pair left the bedding store.
"Freeze, make something homemade, or use second hand stuff." Severus answered frankly.
"What if they don't know how to make it and can't find anything second hand?"
"They freeze."
"Won't they die?"
"Probably."
"That's not fair! Why isn't anyone doing anything?" Bianca asked with tears in her eyes.
Severus was unsure if he should be telling Bianca these things. Then again, it wouldn't do her any good to think the world was all rainbows and sunshine with no suffering. Especially when she had the money to help those people.
"They either can't, don't realize they need to, or are to greedy."
"What about you?"
"I....I don't make much money and don't have much free time. But, I do volunteer in the school Hospital Wing. Maybe I should do more, though...." Severus admitted, surprising himself by feeling slightly embarrassed that he wasn't doing more to help others.
"Do what you can." Bianca nearly ordered, motivated by the horrifying information given to her.
Severus merely nodded in return.
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The two went into more clothing stores than Bianca could count, each in different styles and options. Bianca felt her head spin at all the names, countless pounds being exchanged for cloth and whatever else shoes were made of.
Bathing suits, pajamas, shorts, coats, boots, and sandals. Not to mention everything in between. Bianca got everything that she could possibly need for any time of year and then a little more.
Bianca felt a little greedy for all she got, but when you have nothing and a lot of money it's almost impossible to not almost buy a stores worth of clothes. It was fine, though. They would all get used as much as possible, then donated.
Bianca vowed to always donate anything she could instead of throwing it away. Maybe she couldn't end poverty on her own, but she could help. And by god she would as much as possible.
After traditional clothes the two bought accessories. Rings, headbands, bows. Bianca got her ears pierced in the lobe then bought enough earrings to last a life time.
Then there was nail polish, lip gloss, perfume. Quickly followed by toiletries including many different sweet smelling soaps and creams.
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Bianca bought books. She bought movies. Puzzles. Board/card games. Toys. Video games and their conceals. Art supplies. And more.
Severus insisted she have a have a phone, with a case(it was light blue), and a (red) laptop, though he warned they would not be allowed other than on the weekends and after class at school. Then Bianca got rose gold Bluetooth headphones, white earbuds, and a black computer bag which also had places for her phone, headphones, and chargers.
Again, Bianca felt bad for all she got, but it really was necessary. Even if she wouldn't die without half of it, they still made life a lot easier and safer. And that was the priority, as well as mental needs like puzzles, books, and toys.
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All of Bianca's shopping was done, her stuff in her backpack, by seven.
At seven Severus bought himself and Bianca dinner. Soda, chips, and hamburgers. Bianca didn't eat most of her food, she hadn't all day, but Severus didn't mind. He knew she probably couldn't physically because of how little she usually got to eat. And that was without bringing up the anxiety and excitement of the day. It was fine.
They chatted and walked a bit after dinner, arriving outside of the Leaky Cauldron, on the muggle side, just before 8:00. Severus didn't know what to do about Bianca's last month of summer.
She couldn't go back to the Dursley's it was unsafe and they were liable to kill her after that morning. She couldn't stay at the school, there wouldn't be any adults there constantly for at least another two weeks. She couldn't stay with him and it would be unsafe to take her to the authorities.
"Professor Snape? Where am I going?" Bianca asked, more timid like she had been earlier in the day.
"I'm unsure." Severus admitted.
"You said the Leaky Cauldron is part-hotel right?"
"Essentially."
"So, I could stay there couldn't I?"
"Yes, except there would be no one to watch you." Severus explained.
"There's Tom. And I would spend most of the day in my room. And there isn't any other option. Not one that is both practical and effective. And....If you take me anywhere else I'll just run away!"
Severus sighed. "It's not safe."
"Neither is anywhere else!" Bianca pointed out, getting agitated. "And they don't have to know I'm alone! Go up to my room with me then apparate away from there so people will think you're there with me."
"Well....That may work."
"Then come on."
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Severus looked at Bianca one last time before he was to leave. For(basically) a month of boarding for two and meals for one Bianca had had to pay forty galleons which came out to two hundred pounds($241.32). Severus tried to get Bianca to let him pay for half the boarding, but she refused.
He still didn't feel good about this, but....There was no other way....Bianca wouldn't listen anyway.
Severus sighed and apparated away, hoping and praying to all the gods he didn't believe in that it wasn't all a big mistake.
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Sunday, August 4th, 1991
Severus knocked on the door in front of him. The Granger residence.
The boy who opened the door had the sides and back of his hair shaved with nothing but a puff of blue curls going down the middle. Behind him stood a middle-aged muggle woman who looked remarkably like the boy except her straight, brown, hair went down to her shoulders.
"Damian Granger?" Severus question the pair.
The boy grinned while the woman seemed annoyed.
This was going to be...interesting....