Friday April 9
Severus curled his nose at the rank smell permeating through the apartment door before him. It smelled like booze, stale food, and misery.
It was a familiar scent, one that made his stomach churn and his bones ache.
Severus took a steadying breath through his mouth and raised his fist, knocking firmly on the door with his knuckles. He waited for a moment, listening closely for any sounds within the apartment before firmly knocking again.
Finally, he heard a clatter within the apartment. He waited as heavy footsteps stomped towards the door and threw it open rather ungraciously.
"What d'you- oh, it's you again."
"It is," Severus said stiffly. He kept his expression neutral, but Ms Bailey's appearance was as distasteful as the smell coming from the apartment behind her. Her hair, as dark as her sons, was tangled and greasy, looking as if she had not washed it in quite a few days. Her face had the pallor of someone who has not seen the sunshine, or anything outside of a liquor cabinet, in just as long.
Severus tried to keep Ms Bailey separate from Tobias Snape for the sake of their conversation. Yet, the similarities stacked up enough to make him dislike her intensely.
"Well what d'you want then?" she demanded. "It isn't summer yet, is it?"
"No." Severus drew himself up straight and looked down at her over his nose. "I came to discuss an opportunity for your son this summer. An internship for him to continue his education and specialize within one of our fields."
Ms Bailey gripped the doorway tightly, positioning her body to prop herself against it and block Severus' line of sight to the hovel behind her. "An internship? What's that mean?"
"In the simplest terms, Trent will be given lodging, meals, and pay in return for working with and learning from one of our professors. It is an unprecedented offer, one that is a great honor for Trent to receive."
Which was nothing but the truth. It was an unprecedented offer, one that Severus only came up with a few days ago after Amelia made a similar suggestion while they discussed the Trent situation again. Amelia had said, in an offhand remark, that it was a shame Trent was too young to get a summer job within Hogsmeade where he could afford his own lodging and not have to return to his mothers. Severus had thought her comment over, played with it in his mind, until he found what he hoped would be a simple solution.
Trent was too young for standard employment, but an internship was an entirely different classification. Hogwarts students as young as eleven were eligible to intern with professors over the summer holidays if they were given an opportunity and their parent or guardian agreed.
Thus, Severus was currently faced with obtaining Ms Bailey's legal agreement.
"If you would sign here," Severus pulled the parchment from his pocket and held it out for Ms Bailey.
"I don't- what?" she asked, some of the haze clearing from her eyes as she narrowed them suspiciously at Severus. "So I just sign here and your lot keeps Trent all summer now too? He'd be even more... more wrong than he is now?"
"There is nothing wrong with your son," Severus sneered. "He is a wizard Ms Bailey."
"Ugh." Ms Bailey snatched the parchment from Severus and scanned it quickly. "He'll be fine though? He'll eat and have someone to sleep and- and he'll be fine?"
Severus nodded, reluctantly impressed that she cared enough to ensure Trent would receive the basic necessities. "He will," he told her. He handed her the muggle pen from his pocket and pointed at the line where her signature was needed. "You would still be able to write with him, of course, and he could come visit on weekends if you would like."
"No," Bailey shook her head. She glanced over her shoulder briefly and then turned back to Severus. "There isn't anything here for him anymore. He's better off with your people."
Severus did not miss the faint note of disappointment in Ms Bailey's voice, but as she willingly signed her son over, relinquishing guardianship to a Hogwarts professor, his pity for the woman was minimal.
"You are doing the right thing," he said as she handed him back the form. "Trent will be pleased."
Ms Bailey scoffed before she slammed the door in his face, but the single tear streaking her cheek was unmistakable.
Severus sent a last look towards the apartment door before striding away and finding a discreet area to apparate back to Hogwarts.
Now that he had Ms Bailey's permission obtained, he had to find a professor willing to house the child for the summer.
He already took in Potter and Theodore, surely someone else could handle this child.
"Severus, I'm flattered by your belief in my abilities, but I'm not a young witch anymore," Minerva scoffed. "You've done well with Harry and Theo, and Trent seems to adore Harry, wouldn't he be best placed with you?"
"Do I seem as if I am trying to bring more insufferable children to my home?" Severus sighed. "Bailey could remain in the castle with you over the summer. He would be able to reside in his dorm and eat with the house-elves."
"Severus." Minerva gave him a pointed look over her spectacles. "Does that sound like an ideal way for a child to spend his summer?"
It did not. Though it was leagues more desirable than exposing Bailey to the chaos that was Potter in the summers or returning him to his shrew of a mother with her sharp tongue and harsh beliefs.
"An internship?" Filius said, clearly surprised. "I haven't even considered it since—"
"Yes, yes, I am aware," Severus said hastily. He needed to keep the conversation focused on Bailey. No need to bring up Filius' all-time favorite student. "Bailey has adequate grades in both charms and defense, he could learn quite a bit under your tutelage."
"It isn't that Trent isn't a bright boy, Severus, but..." Filius cocked his head at Severus in the curious manner Potter favors. "Wouldn't it make more sense if he stayed with you?"
Severus slammed the door on his way out.
Pomona had her own unique excuse of traveling with her sister this summer. Though, as if there were a conspiracy against him, she too recommended Bailey reside with Severus.
"The boy brags about his meetings with you Severus," she said warmly. "I can't think of anywhere he'd rather stay."
Severus gave her a withering glare before seeking out Poppy.
Perhaps Bailey would appreciate the opportunity to study healing.
"Rolanda, please," Severus was prepared to beg, bribe, do what he must after Poppy turned him away. "The boy could clean broomsticks all summer for all I care!"
"No can do Severus," Rolanda said in an airy manner. "I've already talked with Minerva, she said you're keeping him."
"We'll see," Severus growled before storming back to the castle.
It was not 'as if' there was a conspiracy in place, clearly Minerva was just as meddling as Albus had been. Severus refused to cave to her whims though.
Finally, after being given excuses by Aurora, Charity, and even Rubeus, Severus steeled himself before knocking on Black's office door.
"Come on in!"
Severus entered the office silently, ignoring Lupin's presence in the chair across the desk from Black.
"Snape?" Black blinked, apparently caught off-guard by Severus' presence, a pleasing thought that brought a smirk to Severus' face. "Are you looking for Harry?"
"Why would I be in your office to find my ward?" Severus drawled, blatantly baiting Black.
Was it juvenile? Perhaps.
Did Black's momentary flare of annoyance help to relieve some of the painful pressure building behind Severus' eyes? Certainly.
"Probably because Harry was just here," Black said, his tone tight and irritated. "We had lunch together."
Point, Mutt.
"I see," Severus said. "It must be pleasant for you to be able to have lunch with your godson. It was such a rarity before he secured you this position, was it not?"
Black slammed his hand on his desk, his glare intensifying. "Damnit Snape, what the hell do you want? Did you just come here to be an arse?"
As much amusement as it brought to Severus to irritate Black as much as the man has always irritated him, it had not been the point of this conversation.
"No." Severus stepped further in the room and kicked the door closed behind him. "I have a student who requires a place to reside this summer."
"Who is it?" Lupin cut in curiously.
"Trent Bailey," Black answered him with a snort. He leaned back in his chair, relaxed once more. "Minnie told me to tell you no, make you take him in."
"I cannot be expected to provide a safe-haven for every damned student in this castle," Severus snapped. "Are you interested or not Black?"
"Maybe you could sit and explain to me what's going on like I'm an adult and then I'd understand what exactly you're asking me," Black said coolly. "Odd thing to do, come in my office and be an arse then ask me to do you a favor."
"It is not for me that I am asking," Severus pointed out. Though, loathe as he was to admit it, Black was not necessarily incorrect. He counted to ten, very slowly, before stepping up to the desk and sitting in the chair next to Lupin.
"Bailey's mother is a wretched woman. A pathetic drunk who blames the entirety of her lackluster life on Bailey," Severus said bluntly. "Bailey has disclosed abuse—"
"She hits him?" Lupin asked, his tone nearly a gasp.
It was only those who grew up with adequate caregivers that found abuse so startling.
"She does not," Severus said. "She does verbally, mentally, and emotionally abuse him though. Which can be just as scarring on a child as physical abuse."
Black nodded absently and ran a hand through his hair. "So why an internship?" he asked. "You removed a kid from his mother because she's an unfit parent, why aren't you talking with Amy about finding him a permanent home?"
It took Severus a moment to realize that 'Amy' was meant to be Amelia. He had forgotten that Black and Amelia were... friends for a brief time in their younger school days.
"Because the law recognizes non-physical abuse even less than it recognizes physical abuse," Severus sneered. "To have a child lawfully removed for physical abuse in itself is a struggle, to do it for verbal or emotional abuse? It is non-existent."
"That's..." Lupin trailed off and shook his head, a perturbed frown on his face.
"Indeed," Severus agreed with a curt nod. "I have found family for students in instances such as this in the past, however Mister Bailey has no other family members. His muggle father disappeared when he was eleven, and his maternal relatives have long since passed. And thus, an internship. He would need lodging, meals, financial assistance to purchase personal items such as clothes and his upcoming textbooks, and—"
"And companionship," Black interrupted him. "Merlin, Snape, he's twelve. He needs to be around kids his age and have someone who can give him some positive attention."
"So you will do it?"
"Me? No." Black laughed mirthlessly. "I don't know the first thing about raising kids. You do it. You took Harry in, didn't you?"
"And Theodore," Lupin added quietly.
"And they keep me incredibly busy," Severus scowled. "Are there not other children you reside with?"
Severus knew there were at least two children at Wolf Lodge. He personally bottled their wolfsbane every month.
"There are," Lupin said slowly, a nearly hopefully lilt to his tone. "Pads, we could..."
"Are you serious?" Black blinked at Lupin. Both men were ignoring Severus, who remained quiet in hopes to have a solution at last.
"No, you are." Severus rolled his eyes at the childish joke while Lupin smiled at Black. "It sounds like this kid needs someone, and- well... you're doing better, I'm doing better... I don't see why we couldn't."
"I..." Black's eyes lightened with his own small light of hope. "You don't think I'd ruin him?"
Severus fiercely thought of the time that Black and Potter Senior levitated him then removed his trousers in front of over a dozen students to keep the pity welling in his stomach from growing.
Black is not a person to be pitied, he reminded himself.
Not even if it was a similar fear that Severus himself once had when he took in Potter.
Lupin reached across the desk and grabbed Blacks hand. "No, you'd be great. Can- do you want to? If not, it's fine. But... but this could be great."
"Or it could be terrible," Black said, his dry tone undercut by his smile. "Alright then, it's not like we don't have the space or funds for him. Let's-," Black cut himself off and seemed to finally remember Severus' presence. "Can we talk to him first?" he asked. "See if he'd even want to come stay?"
"Certainly." Severus stood and smoothed his robes down. "Bailey was aware that I would be speaking with his mother today to obtain her permission, I have yet to inform him of my success."
"We can tell him, if that's okay?" Lupin offered. "Maybe start building some trust between us?"
Severus sneered an agreement, showing as little concern to Black and Lupin as possible. Though, as he made his way to his own quarters, he could not deny the weight off his shoulders. He was certain that Bailey would be pleased to spend the summer with Black, the boy was positively enamored with him as a professor. And, as bitter as the admission was, Severus knew that Black and Lupin would be just as kind, caring, and thoughtful towards Bailey as they were to Potter.
The most vindicating part of this solution though would be when he was able to inform Minerva that he had not succumbed to her meddling interference.
The rest of Severus' weekend, while busy, was not entirely taxing. He met with Bailey on Saturday morning and was satisfied that Bailey seemed overtly pleased to be staying with Black, Lupin, 'and real actual werewolves!'.
That task entirely off his shoulders now, Severus set himself up to brew for the remainder of the weekend. On top of the potions Poppy requires for the Hospital Wing, he also needed to replenish his personal stock of pain-relievers and Potter and Black's potions before the summer began.
God knows if he will have the ability to do so once Potter's chaos was no longer constrained by classes and quidditch.
Severus spent the entirety of Saturday brewing. It was quiet, peaceful. He could feel long-term knots in the muscles of his shoulders releasing as he stood over the cauldrons and counted his stirs. Potter asked him once, amidst a petulant fit of jealousy, if Severus ever tired of potions.
Frankly, Severus was baffled by those who were unable to appreciate and revel in the subtle science that was potion brewing.
Although... as the night grew on and Severus ate his solitary dinner and returned to his brewing, the feeling of peace began to grow to something more constrictive, something wrong.
He stared around his lab, making a mental note of his surroundings in order to identify what could be causing this cool feeling of wrongness.
It took entirely too long for him to realize that the feeling is not coming from something in his environment, but himself. He felt... isolated as opposed to liberated.
A walk, he decided as the silence in his lab became oppressive. Taking a walk would lift this new weight from his chest.
Severus placed his potions on stasis, determined to patrol Hogwarts while the castle is empty of running, shouting, laughing, foolish, brats.
At night, Hogwarts was different. When the corridors were silent, cool air drifting lazily through the empty space, it was almost possible to feel the magic within each individual and ancient stone.
At night, when there were no students around, Hogwarts was once again the home Severus had embraced when he came here as a wide eyed and easily impressed eleven year old.
Severus roamed the corridors aimlessly, breathing in the magic in the air and expelling the weight off his chest. He was no longer a young child, foolish and impressionable, but Hogwarts would always remain his first true home.
It was odd, he touched his hand against the walls near the entrance and crinkled his brow in thought, before Potter entered his life in a whirlwind of chaos and mischief, he had always considered Hogwarts his only true home. He was not quite sure when Spinner's End began to feel like a home to him, but he strongly suspected it was during his brats first summer there.
Trust the Boy-Who-Lived-Despite-Himself to take Severus' childhood prison and turn it into a home.
Severus scoffed aloud at his own sentimentality and began slowly returning to his quarters.
It was so predictable when Nymphadora found him walking in the dungeons that he had to question himself if he had purposefully set out on this course.
Which was absurd.
He had simply required a walk to clear his thoughts.
"Evening Sev," she said. Her voice was as bright as her hair as she stepped up beside him and matched his slow and even stride. "Patrols tonight?"
"No," Severus said, his tone lacking any bite despite his curt response. "Are you not off tonight? The auror department seems to schedule you rather frequently."
"Oh I'm off tonight," she said. Her arms swung closely to Severus' as she walked, causing Severus to stiffen his arms at his sides. "Sometimes I just like to walk around the castle, brings back good memories, you know?"
"Hmm," Severus hummed noncommittally. He was certain he and Nymphadora had quite different experiences as students. For example, Nymphadora never branded herself as a follower of a megalomaniac nor spent her time creating dark spells to use on her enemies.
Nymphadora must have sensed his reluctance to discuss his own days as a student as she did not push for a more elegant response. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and grinned. "What potions are you working on tonight?"
Severus relaxed at the familiar topic and they chatted amicably on the remainder of his walk. Nymphadora had never been a poor brewer, per say, but he had never recognized the spark of intellect hidden within her for the topic before they began their peculiar acquaintanceship.
Nymphadora was also, he had recently discovered, rather snarky. She had the bluntness of a Gryffindor, but carried enough Black blood in her veins to give her a mocking drawl when she cared to use it.
She was currently leaning against the doorway to his quarters, giving an unflattering commentary on her boss, Scrimgeour, and adopted this drawl when she repeated anything he said.
"And then, I swear Sev, he looks me dead in the eye and says 'pink hair reflects poorly on your professionalism'." She scoffed, "Can you believe that? I've always had pink hair."
"It used to be blue," Severus reminded her. When Nymphadora was an awkward, lanky, clumsy, student, her hair had been blue. He reached around her, opening the door and gestured for her to enter. "I believe it was green at one point in time as well."
Nymphadora, apparently rather comfortable in his company, easily followed him to the sitting room as she continued talking.
But Merlin, Nymphadora hated to be quiet. Severus truly had no idea how she had the patience for missions that required stealth and silence.
"It was only blue because I hadn't tried pink out back then," she said. She sat on his sofa and accepted the glass of gin Severus offered her. "It's weird, being a metamorphmagus, you know?"
"I do not," Severus smirked as he sat in his chair with his own glass. "I imagine it is a useful skill for an auror to have though."
"Well yeah," Nymphadora shrugged in agreement. "But as a kid? It's weird. Because once you start changing your looks, it's hard to remember where you started. And then sometimes it starts to feel like you just aren't you at all, does that make sense?"
Severus thought it over while Nymphadora patiently waited. "I could see where it could be discomforting, particularly as a teenager, to wonder who you truly are," he finally said diplomatically.
It had taken until Severus was well in to his twenties before he realized who he was. And by then, he despised himself.
"It is," Nymphadora said emphatically. She carefully kicked her trainers off before crossing her legs beneath her on the sofa. "So I finally settled on pink."
"Aah, of course, as you were certainly born with pink hair," Severus drawled.
Nymphadora laughed, a warm and husky noise, and shook her head. "Don't be daft," she told him. "Mum swears I was a blonde like Narcissa."
Before Severus could blink, Nymphadora's chin length pink hair grew down past her shoulders and lightened to a white-blonde quite similar to Narcissa's coloring.
"What do you think?" Nymphadora winked before her dark blue eyes changed to the grey that the Blacks were well known for. "More natural?"
"I prefer the pink," Severus admitted. He took a hasty drink as Nymphadora looked entirely too pleased with his thoughtless comment. "It suits your youth," he tacked on pointedly.
"Oh Sev." Nymphadora rolled her eyes and returned her features to her typical appearance. "You really should get over this age thing. I'm not a child and you're hardly an old man."
"I turned 36 in January," Severus pointed out. Despite his half-hearted efforts to push Nymphadora away, he summoned the bottle of gin from the cabinet and offered her a refill after refilling his own glass.
"And I'll be twenty four this summer," she said, reaching her glass out to accept the refill. "What's a few years when we could live for another ninety?"
"A prison sentence in most societies."
Nymphadora laughed once more, too used to Severus' wit to be turned off by it. "If I was a kid, yeah, then I'd be jumping to arrest you. But I'm an adult, you're an adult..." Nymphadora trailed off and winked suggestively once more.
"Nymph—"
"Tonks," she interrupted him. "I wish you'd call me Tonks. Only my mum calls me Nymphadora."
"And I believe I have requested no less than a dozen times that you quit calling me 'Sev', yet here we are," Severus smirked.
"Not a bad place to be really," Nymphadora said. She looked around his quarters then smiled impishly. "You know, if you really want me to go away, I will. I don't actually fancy hanging around where I'm not wanted."
Severus was now the one entirely wrong footed as Nymphadora looked at him expectantly. He cleared his throat, an awkward sound, and looked at a point past the curve of Nymphadora's shoulder.
"I do not despise your company," he said. "Even if you are quite clingy."
"Aw, Severus, now I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
Nymphadora's playful tone was normal enough that Severus was able to scowl at the woman. "You must have misheard the part where I said you are clingy."
"Nope, I heard that," Nymphadora said with a small smile. "It's a Hufflepuff thing. We just find people we like and that's that. Friends for life."
"God save me," Severus muttered. It was odd, having someone so easily proclaim themselves to be his 'friend for life'.
Perhaps Nymphadora was unaware that it was Severus' actions that led to the death of the last witch who once declared such a thing.
Severus found it was an uncomfortable thought, imagining Nymphadora to know about that. He quickly steered the subject back towards her job, relaxing as she chattered on about the training program for the recent influx of DMLE employees.
They easily split the bottle between them as they talked late in to the night. Severus hardly considered the time passing by as they got drawn in once more to a heated debate on if blood based runes had the grounds to be considered as dark as the ministry proclaimed them to be. In fact, it was not until Nymphadora's argument was interrupted by a yawn that he thought the check the time.
"Damn," he swore lightly. "It's late."
"It is late," Nymphadora agreed. Her tone had a light slur, as likely from the hour as it was the alcohol. She stretched her legs out before getting to her feet. "Whoops," she laughed as she wobbled a little. "I skipped dinner," she explained when Severus reached out a steadying hand. "Probably should have ate before drinking."
"Probably so," Severus agreed. He gently pushed her back on the sofa and rolled his eyes at her quiet 'oof' of surprise. "You can sleep here, on the sofa, if you would like."
Nymphadora agreed quickly and stretched out across the sofa. "Thanks Sev," she said. She rolled her head back on the headrest and smiled brightly up at him. "I splinched myself once, it was terrible. I'd hate to do it again."
"How recently?" Severus asked curiously.
"Last year," she admitted with a shameless chuckle. "You know, I could scoot over, plenty of room here if you want to sleep out here. This sofa's comfortable."
"You're relentless," Severus chuckled despite himself. "Goodnight Nymphadora."
"Night Sev," she called to his back. He paused in front of his bedroom door and flicked his wand, sending a quilt and pillow from the linen closet to the sofa.
He laughed quietly to himself when Nymphadora made another soft huff of surprise as the pillow and quilt landed abruptly on her head.
When Severus laid in his bed, he realized that the feeling of isolation had ceased when Nymphadora once more pushed her way in and distracted him with her wit and her cheer.
Blasted woman.
When Severus woke the next morning, the charmed window sending a ray of light directly on his face, he had forgotten about Nymphadora's presence until he stepped in his sitting room and caught sight of her snoring softly on his sofa.
"Merlin." At no point in time had he ever considered the protocol for politely kicking a woman out of his quarters after an ill-advised late night of drinking.
In for a Knut, in for a Galleon.
Severus shook his head at himself and ordered two English breakfasts and a tea tray to be sent up. He spoke quietly, preferring to not startle the auror snoring on the sofa, but the pop of the food appearing on his table woke her regardless.
"Wha—," Nymphadora sat up and stretched, her eyes narrow as she focused them on Severus. "Oh, morning."
Severus raised a brow at Nymphadora's terribly messy hair, the pink locks now tangled in a nest on her head. It was... charming.
"Good morning." He decided to indulge in pretending that this was a normal experience and not at all painfully awkward. "Breakfast?"
Nymphadora glanced at the table and a smile lit up her face. "I'd love to have breakfast with you," she said, twisting his words in to a much different invitation.
Before Severus could reply, there was a quick knock on his door.
And before Severus could hardly blink twice, let alone answer the door, Potter threw the door open with a parchment in his hand and a frown on his face.
"Hey Sev, I—," Potter pulled up short as the ever vigilant child took notice of Nymphadora on the sofa before he had taken more than two steps towards Severus at the table.
Potter looked between Nymphadora's bedraggled appearance and Severus' heated face and his frown grew more pronounced as the silence weighed on the three of them.
When neither Severus nor Nymphadora offered any immediate explanation, Potter glared accusingly at Severus and waved his hand at Nymphadora. "What the fuck?"
What the fuck indeed.