Chapter 7
Severus' summer is like a routine.
-He wakes up around 7 am to his parents fighting.
-He packs his bag and straightens up his room
-He eats in tense silence with his parents
-Makes up some excuse to leave (mostly Lily but one can't hang out every day)
-Kisses his ma's hair and has a couple of digs with his da'
-Walks to the bus stop and checks the routes for the day
-Gets on the bus
-Arrives at Birmingham City Center
-Goes to the Y
-Exchange digs with sleeping beauty
-Gets clean and hangs up his towel
- Walks to the library
-Reads until 11:30
-Walks back to the Y
-Eats lunch
-Swims
-Showers
-Hops on a bus back to Cokeworth
-Walks the trial home
-Changes
-Makes up another excuse (on days when his parents are home)
-Works
-Walks the trail home
-Changes again
-Reads
-Recounts and ponders his day
-Sleep
It's very cut and paste. Obviously, after the second week, it gets boring so he spices it up a little bit. He'll skip the library and his afternoon at the Y for an adventure on the Blue or Yellow line. He tells a joke to sleeping beauty (whose name, he learned, was actually Paul) instead of a barb to throw him off. He'll make up some ridiculous excuse when only his Ma is home (she never stops him, says he needs to get some sunlight.) His favourite thing to do is help Margret with the house surprise meal every night. He would blindly choose three slips of paper from a basket full of ingredient names and they would have to make it taste good for the house surprise option on the menu. Margret always had a way to make it taste good although she insisted it was all Severus and his preparing skills.
Surprisingly his summer had gone by in a flash and it was August 31st. Severus had picked up his last paycheck not 10 minutes earlier and he felt oddly sad. He didn't want to leave his new friends, but he knew if he didn't get out of the UK, Tobias wasn't going to be the only old geezer on his ass. He researched all the magical schools at Birmingham Library but he decided Ilvermorny was best suited for his future. He hadn't said goodbye to anyone lest they get emotional and try to hug him. Now as he was walking down the wooded path (that he still hadn't cleared, even after walking it multiple times every day for two months) he ponders.
Ponders his life, his experiences, his greatest regrets, his biggest feats, his strongest memories, everything.
He makes his way home one last time. Checks everything one last time. Sleeps in his creaky, uncomfortable bed one last time.
Severus wakes up the morning of September 1st surprisingly numb. It's not the no emotions type of numbness, it's the too many emotions turn your senses off type of numbness. As he raises himself off of his bed he allows a small smile to grace his face for the life he might have. He gets ready faster than usual so he checks everything three times before his mom is ready to walk him to Lily's. He told her it wasn't necessary this year, using the excuse that he was old enough to walk alone, but she persisted and he didn't have the heart to refuse her.
They walked through Cokeworth in silence, neither wanting to face the time apart head-on, though Severus knew he had a deeper understanding. It was as they finally arrived at Lily's house and Eileen rang the doorbell that she spoke, "I'll see you in June, take care of yourself, Severus". He could hear a somber tone in her voice like she knew he was never coming back, and it made him shake. He bade her goodbye and she pivoted, headed back to Spinners End, when the door finally opened. Lily. Just who he had not wanted to see. Their eyes connected and Severus could feel the insults about to be spat when he pointed at his mother, who had not stopped her treck back even with the sound of the door, and that seemed to stop Lily in her tracks.
They waited in tense silence for his mum to disappear from their view before Lily started up again. "What do you want, why are you gracing my doorstep with your miserable presence?" She spat at him. He was about to reply when Ms.Evans popped up beside her daughter with a bright smile that seemed to turn miserable before perking back up. "Severus, to what do we owe the pleasure?" She asked with a bemused tone. "I was just about to leave actually my mum wouldn't let me go without dropping me off here so im afraid it was necessary." He turned to leave, just as his mum had done when he heard Lily snipe "Little Death Eater needs his mummy to dwop him owff" He could hear Ms.Evans scolding her as soon as she finished but he was already over it.
"How about you tell mummy how perfect little Lily let her 'big bad best fwiend' be hung upside down by his ankles and stripped while she fawned at pwince potters feet 'begging' to let him down, since you seemed to have no qualms about telling Petunia. For the record Im sorry for calling you that word and I know it doesn't excuse it but grow a spine and think of your actions every once in a while will you." He heard them calling his name as he strode away but he couldn't care less.
When he finally made it to the bus stop he plopped down on the seat and read the bus routes. It was another twenty minutes and three people before the Orange line pulled up, a board reading 'Birmingham Airport & Birmingham Hall' securely tucked in a box above the windshield of the bus. Severus picked up his trunk and maneuvered it on. While the bus made its stops, each one announced over a speaker that seemed to be inside of Severus' ear with how loud it was, Severus recounted his money and fees.
He had 196 pounds and 84 pence. In all the plane ticket was 140 pounds which left him with just about 56 pounds.
After an unexpectedly short ride, (and 'Birmingham Airport' being engraved into Severus' eardrums} he maneuvered his trunk off the bus and into the ticket office line.
The wait was short and Severes was quickly met with a middle age ticket attendant.
"Welcome to Birmingham Airport, how can I help you?" The attendant asked with an overly large smile. "One ticket to Northhampton Airport in Massachusetts please." He replied as she typed. She hit a key and asked him for the money, which he placed in her outstretched hand. She counted the bills and printed his ticket. "Have a great day, Next!" She called, smile plastered unwaveringly on her face. Severus hurriedly pocketed his ticket and picked up his trunk as he made his way inside.
Severus was an hour early so he used the bathroom and then sat at his gate till they called his flight. Though he got looks while others boarded nobody sat in his row nor bothered him other than a stewardess asking him if he wanted meals (He did).
The flight was a day and a half long but Severus peacefully read most of it. When the plane landed and Severus stepped into the American airport he saw a magical section with a large floating sign reading 'Ilvermorny Applicant Info Here'. Severus made his way over and tapped the bell, jumping when a head of curly blonde hair spun around.
"Hello, My name is Lola and I will be assisting you today, do you have legal documentation or a legal guardian for proof of age?" She chirped, smile just as big as the ticket attendant's but seeming real this time. "I have my OWL results, can I use that?" He asked hopeful. "Yep, please put them on the scanner and fill out the survey that comes after," She said while pointing to a computer sitting a few inches away on the desk. Severus did as asked and handed the paper he got at the end to Lola. "Well, it seems you are in the advanced 6th year this year, so please take this." She hands him a piece of paper with 'Transcript' printed across the top. "Well, that's it from me. Step onto that plate on the floor by the time the timer goes off and you will be portkeyed to Ilvermorny and someone will be there to meet you. Have a great day!"
Severus looks over to the aforementioned plate and sees that there are only 20 seconds left till it activates. He rushes over with his stuff and stands on the plate.
He closes his eyes as he feels a tug on his navel.