Title: Blue October, Volume One – Chapter Thirty-Nine.

Author: Woodland Goddess.

Rated: M

Author's Notes: Here it is, guys, the final chapter of Volume One. I tried to have it end on an even number but that didn't work out. Oh, well. Please note that some content in this chapter will be familiar, as they featured in the Prince's Tale in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; I do not own that content but as this fic is wrapped around the canon, its place is necessary. Also note that Lucius was a Prefect in canon, but I thought Head Boy would be more fitting for him, as he wouldn't have settled for anything less. A Big Thank You to everyone who's been reading/following this fic; I hope you'll continue to follow and enjoy the next volume.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Only The Beginning

Severus woke with a start, sharply batting away the gentle hands that had shaken him awake. He blinked blearily up at a pair of dark eyes that stared at him from within a pale face. It was then he realised what day it was. Legs tangling in his blankets, Severus tripped in his haste to get out of bed. Eileen's soft laugh brought an embarrassed flush to his cheeks. He fumbled to free his legs and quickly got to his feet, further mortified by the tender hand that stroked his messy hair.

The tentative smile that graced Eileen's mouth flooded Severus' chest with a pool of affection. The woman drew him forward, enfolding him in her arms. Stiffening in surprise, Severus was rooted to the spot for a moment before returning his mother's embrace, fingers lost in the fabric of her frock. Her hand tangled in his hair, fingertips grazing his scalp. He inhaled a great lungful of her scent, a subtle mixture of potions ingredients, polish and burnt toast, knowing it would be some time before he had the chance to do so again.

Eventually the embrace came to an end, the pair of them withdrawing in mutual awkwardness. Eileen left in silence, glancing back over her shoulder briefly when she paused in the doorway, a tendril of dark hair having come loose from its chignon. Then the door was closed, leaving Severus in solitude. He was quick to get dressed, eager to. Severus had a hot bath and a hard scrub the previous evening and now pulled on his best clothes – which were already fraying from wear – in preparation for the journey to King's Cross Station and on to Hogwarts.

A triumphant smirk curled his lips as he combed his hair. Feeling ready to take on the world, Severus shouldered his satchel and headed downstairs, a bounce in his step. Her frayed coat wrapped around her, Eileen was waiting for him in the kitchen, her agile hand spreading a thick red substance across two slices of bread with a butter knife. "Strawberry jam," he exclaimed in surprise, an expression of intense delight washing over his face at the sight. They had never had strawberry jam in the house before.

Glancing up, Eileen smiled. "I thought I'd surprise you with a treat for your trip," she said quietly, her tone sincere. Dark eyes glittered warmly, though the edges were tinged with sorrow. "I know you've been hankering for it since your trip to London last summer." Severus bit his bottom lip; he had tried not to dwell on that visit, on the foods he had eaten when away from home, but in the end it had proved futile. Eileen finished making the sandwiches and wrapped them in tinfoil. She pressed them into his hand.

The corners of his mouth lifting in a smile, Severus slipped the sandwiches in to his satchel; he looked forward to eating them. Strawberry jam was his favourite kind, with blackcurrant coming in second place. Eileen brought the dirty ware to the sink and laid them in the dish before turning and heading for the front door. Severus followed after her, one hand wrapped around the strap of his satchel. Once they were outside his mother took hold of his arm, gripping tight. Turning on the spot, Eileen disapparated with a crack, pulling him with her.

King's Cross Station was busy; Muggles were walking and dashing in every direction, bumping into each other in some instances. Anticipation pulsed in the pit of Severus' stomach. This was it; this was the moment he had been waiting for all his life. Excitement fluttering in his veins, Severus eagerly followed his mother as she strode purposefully through the train station. For a moment he was confused when she seemed to be walking straight towards a wall, but it came to a swift end when she vanished from sight after touching the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

Severus hurried after her, briefly squeezing his eyes shut, as if the wall might suddenly become solid when he got close to it. Fortunately, that never happened and he stepped out onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. The atmosphere hit him immediately, like a slap that was quite unlike anything he had experienced before. Older students were bubbling with excitement, greeting friends with unbridled cheer. Newer students were hugging their parents as they said their farewells. Steam issued from the Hogwarts Express and it billowed across the platform, swirling around robe-hems.

When they spotted the Evans family some distance away Severus let out a whoop of delight and made to join them. Eileen, however, caught his arm in a vice-grip and tugged him backwards just as a short, brown-haired woman and her pug-faced husband blocked his path. "Well," said the woman, a sickly sweet smile on her face, "if it isn't Eileen Prince." The expression on Eileen's face soured as the woman gasped insincerely, her hand coming to cover her mouth for a moment. "Oh, I forgot; you're not a Prince anymore, are you?" Blue eyes flashed wickedly; her husband chortled, an ugly smirk twisting his mouth. "How are Mum and Dad?"

"Drucilla," greeted Eileen tightly, her free hand curling into a fist by her side. "They're not dead, so I must assume they're fine; not that I care in the slightest." She tilted her head slightly, dark eyes glittering viciously. "I must confess I hadn't expected to see you here; the last I heard, you were under suspicion of bedding your gardener." Severus' eyebrows shot upwards in surprise, almost vanishing into his hairline. Drucilla's face flushed puce and her eyes threatened to fall from their sockets as they widened. Her lips disappeared in her anger.

The woman lunged forwards, as if she would knock Eileen to the ground and try to strangle her with her bare hands, but her husband caught her arm in a tight grip. Scowling, the man said, "Let it go, dear." The muscles in his forearm bunched as his hand visibly tightened around her wrist. Drucilla winced, a spasm wracking her hand before she allowed the appendage to go limp. The colour gradually faded from her face and her expression evened out. "Nothing that Blood Traitor spouts is worth your notice."

"Yes," answered Drucilla, a tremor in her voice for the barest moment, "of course. You're right, Badrick." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, as fake as the numerous claims of a cure for lycanthropy throughout the centuries. Severus and his mother wore mirrored scowls as Drucilla turned her head slightly when Badrick leaned down, chapped lips brushing against her forehead. "Come, darling," she said after a brief pause. Blue eyes fixed darkly upon Eileen's face, her gaze carrying none too subtle threats.

The couple departed without another word, though Drucilla did glance back over her shoulder, her delicate face half-hidden by her brown hair. Eileen shook her head, lips thinning. "Cow," she muttered, glowering at Drucilla's retreating back. Glancing up at his mother, eyebrows knitted together in a thoughtful frown, Severus wondered how she had come to be acquainted with that horrid woman. Had they been rivals at school? If they had been, he imagined Drucilla had been quite unpleasant even as a girl.

Deciding he would ponder the matter later, Severus lowered his head and turned his gaze in the Evans' direction. Lily and Petunia were standing apart from their parents, who were looking around excitedly. Their children, however, could not have been further from excited. He watched intently as Lily spoke fervently to her sister, as she caught her hand and held tightly. Whatever the subject matter was, it was clearly important. Petunia tried to pull her hand free but Lily would have none of it.

Whatever Lily said next made Petunia wrench her arm free. The elder girl said something, her face an expression of anger and resentment. Lily's green eyes filled with tears. Sniffling, the crimson-haired Witch listened as Petunia spoke further, anger and resentment twisting in to cruel pleasure. Lily glanced at her parents before looking back at her sister, her own face tightening ferociously, despite the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, as she hissed something at Petunia.

Face flushing scarlet, Petunia straightened her spine, her arms held at rigid lines at her sides. Rage and humiliation and pain waged war across the planes of her face, neither settling over her features for very long. As soon as the girl said something, Lily glanced over at Severus automatically. He took an automatic step back as rage took over Petunia's face, her nostrils flaring wildly as she looked upon him, her hands curling into fists. Petunia trembled. He knew immediately that Lily had just tattled on him for something terrible.

Presuming it was the letter, since he could recall nothing else that would make Petunia so angry, Severus scowled. It was not as though he had not tried to stop Lily from reading that letter but the pair of them were, clearly, ready to blame him entirely. After a moment Lily took a defensive stance, uttering words rapidly. Colour drained from Petunia's face at an incredible rate as she uttered one final statement before she turned and fled towards her parents, her head down as her face crumpled with intense emotion.

Lily watched her go, finally giving in to her tears. They streamed down her cheeks in thick floods, staining her face with her misery. A choked sob squeezed passed her throat as she turned and ran towards the train, her hair flying behind her like a crimson banner. Her trunk and basket had already been placed on the train, clearly. Severus' stomach knotted uncomfortably at the sight of Lily's pain; he wanted to go after her, to cheer her up. Turning to face his mother, he arched an expectant eyebrow.

Eileen arched her eyebrow in response, head tilting to the side, and reached in to her coat pocket. She withdrew his shrunken trunk and empty bird cage; Mordred had been sent on ahead. Severus knew the raven would wait dutifully for him to arrive at the school before he would make an appearance. The young Wizard accepted them, slipping them in to his satchel. For a long moment neither of them said anything and then Eileen reached out, resting her hands upon his shoulders. "You'll write, won't you?"

"Every weekend," vowed Severus, dropping his gaze to the floor as something inside him wobbled dangerously. Hands squeezed his shoulders lightly, warmth seeping through his clothes. He looked up at his mother, lips parting as if he would say something more. A loud, shrill whistle blew at the other end of the platform, the sound of it reverberating through the area, attacking his eardrums. "I should go," he said quickly, tearing his gaze away. Severus abruptly extricated himself from Eileen's grasp and hurried towards the train without a word of goodbye.

It was not goodbye, after all. Not really. He would see her again, either at Christmas or at the end of the school year. Severus mounted the steps that would take him onto the train, the steam swirling around his ankles pleasantly. He froze when someone called out his name. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted Mr Evans waving frantically with both arms. When the man saw that he had seen him a grin lit up his face like a Christmas tree. "Have a great time, Severus! I'll miss you!" He waved again.

Chest tightening with some strong emotion that he would rather not study too closely, Severus lifted his hand in a reserved wave. A small smile graced his face as Mr Evans' green eyes sparkled across the distance. Mrs Evans rested one hand against her husband's elbow and joined him in waving. Petunia stood off to the side, arms folded, glaring at him viciously. But there was no time to dwell on it as the steward came to close the train doors. Hurriedly stepping inside, Severus released a breath he had not known had been held.

The door swung shut behind him, closing him off from the outside world. A bubble of giddiness flooded him and he put his hand to his mouth in an attempt to muffle the laugh that pushed its way past his throat. Severus took a moment to calm himself down and lowered his hand. He hastily turned the corner and collided with a firm but yielding figure, rebounding as the train swayed into motion with a suddenness that startled him in to tripping over his own feet. Severus' rump hit the floor hard, the impact jarring him.

Looking up quickly, Severus was dismayed to see a familiar ribbon-tied head of platinum blond hair. Irritation flashed in grey eyes as the elder boy, almost a young man, half-turned in his direction. He was already in his school robes, which were exquisitely tailored. A silver badge gleamed upon his chest, declaring him Head Boy in vibrant green letters. Hardly a second had passed before the irritation vanished without a trace. The boy, Lucius, arched an imperious eyebrow as he looked down his nose at Severus.

The young Wizard stared up at him, unable to stop his heart from pounding in his chest, beating against his ribcage. The seconds trickled past, each one seeming to last an eternity. A second pale eyebrow rose to join the first. "Tell me," he drawled, an arrogant sneer twisting his mouth, "do you have some sort of mental affliction?"

"No," said Severus quickly, the word sharp as a blade as his dark eyes glittered angrily.

"Then why are you still on the floor? Get up, you fool," Lucius commanded briskly, grey eyes shrewd. "Have some pride in yourself; you're about to attend the most celebrated school in Wizarding history." Scrambling up from the floor, Severus dusted himself off and scowled at the older student, unsure whether he wanted to kick Lucius or bow to him. He made an effort to keep his expression even, to let nothing betray his thoughts. The boy turned fully to face him, shoulders pushing back ever so slightly.

Lucius raked his cold gaze down Severus' length and back up, a haughty expression settling over his face. Bristling in quiet indignation, Severus clenched his jaw and raised his head, a wave of defiance washing over him. "I'd advise you to get into your robes as soon as possible; there are some here who would take offence at your state of dress." An elegant hand rose – it took all of Severus' willpower not to flinch in dark anticipation; if Lucius noticed, he said nothing on the matter – and pointed to a dark wooden door. "The bathroom is there; get out of my sight."

Without another word to him Lucius swept in to the nearest compartment, his robes swirling around his legs, leaving Severus to glower at his retreating back. "Arse," muttered the young Wizard. He threw one last scowl in Lucius' direction before reaching in to his satchel, withdrawing his wand and his trunk. He set the trunk down on the floor and focused his intent, allowing his Magic to funnel down through his arm as he enlarged the trunk. He opened the trunk and retrieved his robes, shutting and shrinking the trunk immediately afterwards. Severus slipped the trunk back in to his satchel and disappeared in to the bathroom as Lucius had ordered.

The bathroom was small, but there was room enough. In silence he changed his clothes, stuffing his Muggle clothing in to his satchel once he had shrunk them for ease of storage. Stowing his wand in his satchel, Severus slipped back out of the lavatory. He moved down the length of the train, peering in to every compartment that he passed, pausing briefly outside one that held only two people – first year boys, like him, by the look of them, one blond and one brown-haired. Severus continued after a moment, looking for Lily.

When he found her she was hunched in a corner seat, her trunk and basket on the ledge above her head. Lily had her face pressed against the window pane and she was ignoring the group of rowdy boys that claimed the other half of the compartment. Nibbling his bottom lip, Severus slid the door open and passed the boys, sitting down opposite his friend. Green eyes flicked in his direction and tore away immediately. She had stopped crying, but the evidence remained on her cheeks.

"I don't want to talk to you," said Lily. Her voice was tight, almost choked.

Severus' heart clenched painfully in his chest at her words, at the sound of her pain. He had hoped he would not hear such pain in her voice after what had happened at Christmas, had hoped she would not have cause to be so upset again. He should have known that it would be a futile hope, that something would always come along to ruin her happiness. Swallowing thickly, he licked his suddenly dry lips, moistening them as best as he could. One hand fidgeting with the end of his sleeve, Severus quietly asked, "Why not?"

"Tuney h-hates me," she stammered in answer, running a hand across her cheek sharply as she pulled her head away from the window. Lily looked down at her lap. "Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore."

Dark eyes glittered on either side of Severus' large nose, which he was slowly growing into with every passing month. A quietly shocked voice in his head asked, We? I don't recall seeing the contents of that letter with my own eyes. I tried to stop you from reading it, you foolish girl. Severus' mouth tightened fractionally, but he decided not to give voice to those internal thoughts. Instead, he tried for nonchalance, "So what?"

"So she's my sister," Lily hissed in reply, jerking straight in her seat. The look she threw him, then, made his heart stammer to a stop; it rivalled any number of glances Tobias had ever thrown at him in the past.

"She's only a –" Severus cut himself off immediately, knowing she would not appreciate his calling Petunia a jealous cow. Fortunately, Lily did not catch his slip-up, as she was too busy wiping her eyes as discreetly as possible, throwing a nervous glance towards the rowdy boys in the compartment. Running a hand across his face, Severus forced himself to calm down, told himself that Lily's dark look had only coincidently resembled his father's. Shaking his head, he sought to change the subject. "But we're going," he said with forced cheer. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

A half-smile tugged at Lily's mouth and Severus brightened immediately, knowing that everything was alright with the world once more.

The End

Severus Snape Will Return