(fic) "Points Where All Shadows Meet"
title: Points Where All Shadows Meet
author: osmalic
type: fiction
length: 1820 words.
pairings/characters: gen, but with hints of pairings: Severus/Lily, Petunia, Harry/Ginny, cameo!Teddy Lupin
rating: PG, gen
notes: For the prompts "Petunia Evans" and "train station". I'm barely squeezing through the deadline so this is unbeta'ed. I claimed this for fic+art, but I abandoned the art when I realized I can't get Petunia's expressions right. I'll probably squeeze them in if I manage to correct them.
summary: At this point (and that point), Severus Snape thinks he can leave it all behind.
Points Where All Shadows Meet
The wedding is already underway when Severus Snape sees an automobile park outside the church.
He watches with amusement, flicking the ashes of his cigarette on the ground as he settles himself on the shadowy area of grass next to the steps leading to the church. What a talk this would be, he thinks, for someone to be late at the most anticipated wedding in Auror history.
From the automobile, out steps a woman in an unfashionable dress. She is clutching an equally horrid purse as she straightens her bonnet and checks her lipstick at the rearview mirror. Severus watches her for a moment, his face curling into a sneer. He remembers her, of course. Petunia Evans, Lily's sister. Of course. Of course, she is invited. Unlike him.
She is staring up the building with some sort of trepidation when she catches sight of him. It is apparent she, too, remembers him, because her face crumples into distrust, then disgust. Severus does not blame her; he knows the disgust is also plain on his own face.
Yet to his surprise, Petunia does not go up the stairs immediately; instead, she walks towards him. Severus keeps his face impassive, sucks his fag to calm his idiot nerves.
"You..." Petunia says. Severus remembers her voice on the playground: irate and unrelenting-powerful. "...aren't you that Snape boy? The one who lives in Spinner's End?"
Severus can feel his face curling into a sneer, fighting the urge to say childishly, I have a name, and it's not 'That Snape Boy'. "You are...?" he says instead, and has the pleasure of seeing her annoyance grow.
"Lily's sister," she says.
"Ah," he replies. He drops the fag on the ground, crushing it with his boots. Suddenly, the differences in their attire are striking. "The Muggle."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Petunia says frostily.
Gesturing towards the church, Severus says, "Are you sure you'd rather stay her and chat with This Snape Boy instead of watching your sister's wedding?" When she glances at the church, he adds helpfully, "I'm sure you'll find some of your kind there."
Petunia sniffs, but it is obvious she does not understand.
Severus sighs. He does not suffer fools. "Muggles," he drawls out. "Without magic. Mug-gles."
The woman looks like she is struggling to find something to say. The church bells ring and inside there is a loud cheer. They both turn towards the building.
"If your kind is there," Petunia remarks in an acid tone, "then why are you outside?"
Suddenly, Severus' heart is pounding. Does she know? In his mind, he is seeing that one time Lily brings him home during the holidays, Petunia looking repulsed as Lily introduces him as her boy-friend. Perhaps she knows.
But what can she say? Nothing she does affects him now. Petunia Evans, in the grand scheme of things, cannot touch him anymore. She is nothing, a worm, a pitiful insect without magical abilities. While she may have been the leader of the village pack when they were children, here she stands, reduced to conversing with a Death Eater outside a church while her younger sister weds the greatest bastard of the Wizarding World.
Petunia Evans has no hold on him now.
Severus draws another stick from his pocket, making sure she is watching when he lights the cigarette with a mere thought.
The church doors fly open, spilling a mediocre crowd, yelling and congratulating. Rice floats into the air, suspended-not falling; Severus thinks it is perhaps one of Black's childish tricks.
"Disgusting," Petunia hisses. It is unsure whether she is talking about Severus' cigarette trick or the suspended rice.
From above them, a female voice shouts, "Tuney? Is that you down there?" The words slice through the shouting. "Did you only arrive now?"
Severus cannot bear to turn. He draws back, lets the shouting cover the loud sound of Apparating.
He thinks he sees Petunia glance back, but he cannot be sure.
***
She is older now; there are lines on her face and silver threads are obvious but discreetly tucked into a clip, with a bun that holds her hair together. Petunia Evans-he knows she has married but for all the significance of her blood to The War, he cannot remember her last name-sits down on the bench next to him.
It seems strange to see her in King's Cross Station. The significance of the place is not lost to him, but it feels surreal now.
Severus folds his newspaper, not making an effort to hide the way he is staring at her. It has been years since he made an effort to change his physical appearance after The War, and...
With a start, Severus realizes the last time he saw Petunia is during Lily's wedding.
How long ago is that? he wonders, feeling drained. Although he has seen some people from his past-walking down the street, purchasing tea, Apparating in buildings-there is a bone-weariness to seeing Petunia Evans' face and knowing the implication of this past.
Finally sensing his glance, she turns to him. "Sir, is there something wrong?" she asks.
Severus is startled to realize her voice is different. Old. "No," he manages to say. His own voice sounds rough and unused. "Only, you look like someone I knew."
Petunia watches him closely before nodding. Her face is blank. "I wonder if I am that person," she muses.
"No, madam, I assure you," he spits out. "You are not."
She nods again and looks away, seemingly unaffected by the rage in his tone. "I'm sorry I'm not the one you were looking for," she says.
Uncertainty strikes Severus and he mentally checks to see if his disguise is still in place. The thrum of magic is still in his blood, although light. He relaxes. Petunia Evans is a Muggle...a non-magical person. He berates himself for using the word. Muggle. It sounds alien now.
"No need to be sorry," he finds himself saying. It feels unusual to speak kindly to this person.
He wants to inch away, to not touch her. Old habits die hard.
Then, Severus is distracted by a familiar figure strolling through the throng of passengers. Beside him, he knows Petunia straightens.
Harry Potter wanders towards a pillar made of bricks, holding the hand of a young boy. Beside him is the unmistakable figure of Ginevra Weasley, staying next to him and talking animatedly. It is likely they are walking to Platform 9 ¾, and it is with a start that Severus realizes the implication.
It has been eleven years since The War.
"Now, mind, Teddy," Ginevra is saying, her voice carrying above the loud noises, "you mustn't disobey your professors. It's imperative."
"I know, Gin!" the boy is saying.
"I'm just saying..."
Severus watches them hungrily, remembering the life he leaves behind. It is the first time he sees Potter since The War and he finds himself assaulted by all these memories he thought he had already left behind. Old regrets and angry feelings wash over him and he remembers Lily...
Lily Evans.
Petunia Evans stands beside him; for a moment, Severus is thankfully distracted. She stares at the figures that walk past them, chatting at each other. Her fingers are obviously clutching her purse, knuckles almost white as she makes a move to either follow, or at least call out.
Severus is struck with the sudden thought that, perhaps, he is not the only one with regrets.
Potter says something to Teddy, then suddenly, his gaze is at them-no, at Petunia. He stiffens, eyes narrowing behind his glasses. Then he turns to Severus, and his eyes widen fractionally. His mouth open, as if he is about to say something.
The world contracts and silence dangerously. Severus feels his heart pounding, and he runs through the time, the magic, the potion he used to complete his disguise. Perhaps, with Harry Potter, there had been no use to hide.
Then Ginevra touches Potter's arm.
And then the spell is broken. Potter turns to her and Petunia sits back on the bench with a whump! Severus busies himself with arranging the newspapers on his lap, feeling slightly flustered and...oddly changed.
When he looks up again, Potter, Ginevra, and the boy are gone.
He sits on the bench for a few more minutes, staring at the pillar where he knows (How long ago was it? Severus wonders. How long ago was my first day?) Platform 9 ¾ is. In King's Cross Station, everything seems to have changed, and it is with a heavy heart that he realizes that he will never know if the old Hogwarts Express will change. He will never know how Hogwarts has survived. He will never know a lot of things about the Wizarding World, now that he has abandoned it for years.
Suddenly, Severus Snape feels old.
"Well," someone says beside him, and he realizes it is Petunia. "Well. That's that."
He turns to the woman, whose hold on her purse seems to have loosened. "What?" he says crossly, irritated.
Petunia does not glance at him. "That's that," she says, and does not say anything more.
They sit on the bench for a very long time, letting people mill around them to catch their trains and head off to new locations. There are too many journeys happening around them and for a moment, Severus sits still, knowing he would join them in a few minutes.
Then Petunia is again on her feet, dusting her unfashionable dress, tucking her horrid purse under her arm. Severus glances up just as she looks down...and she blinks, as if from a daze. Abruptly, she holds out an arm.
"Good luck on your journey, sir," she says.
Severus glances at her hand for a moment. A long time ago, he realizes, he would be thinking several things about her: Muggle, Lily's sister, Harry Potter's aunt, and all those meaningless labels.
But now, he finds that, perhaps, she is leaving it all behind.
He takes her hand, shakes it solemnly. He finds he has nothing to say, and lets the silence speak for him. In Lily's wedding, their exchanged words had been spiteful and angry, yet perhaps everyone is connected in silence. He now knows he can remember this world-this world of war and, recently, peace-and mould it with hers without saying a word.
Petunia Evans pulls back and walks towards the crowd of passengers rushing to the exit. Perhaps she will go back to her home in Privet Drive. Perhaps she will visit her sister's tomb in Godric's Hallow. Perhaps, while driving her automobile, she will think about calling Harry Potter someday. Perhaps...she will even remember That Snape Boy who used to live in Spinner's End.
Severus Snape leans back on the bench, unfolds his newspaper, and, miraculously, knows he is finally prepared to leave it all behind.
- end -
author: osmalic
type: fiction
length: 1820 words.
pairings/characters: gen, but with hints of pairings: Severus/Lily, Petunia, Harry/Ginny, cameo!Teddy Lupin
rating: PG, gen
notes: For the prompts "Petunia Evans" and "train station". I'm barely squeezing through the deadline so this is unbeta'ed. I claimed this for fic+art, but I abandoned the art when I realized I can't get Petunia's expressions right. I'll probably squeeze them in if I manage to correct them.
summary: At this point (and that point), Severus Snape thinks he can leave it all behind.
Points Where All Shadows Meet
The wedding is already underway when Severus Snape sees an automobile park outside the church.
He watches with amusement, flicking the ashes of his cigarette on the ground as he settles himself on the shadowy area of grass next to the steps leading to the church. What a talk this would be, he thinks, for someone to be late at the most anticipated wedding in Auror history.
From the automobile, out steps a woman in an unfashionable dress. She is clutching an equally horrid purse as she straightens her bonnet and checks her lipstick at the rearview mirror. Severus watches her for a moment, his face curling into a sneer. He remembers her, of course. Petunia Evans, Lily's sister. Of course. Of course, she is invited. Unlike him.
She is staring up the building with some sort of trepidation when she catches sight of him. It is apparent she, too, remembers him, because her face crumples into distrust, then disgust. Severus does not blame her; he knows the disgust is also plain on his own face.
Yet to his surprise, Petunia does not go up the stairs immediately; instead, she walks towards him. Severus keeps his face impassive, sucks his fag to calm his idiot nerves.
"You..." Petunia says. Severus remembers her voice on the playground: irate and unrelenting-powerful. "...aren't you that Snape boy? The one who lives in Spinner's End?"
Severus can feel his face curling into a sneer, fighting the urge to say childishly, I have a name, and it's not 'That Snape Boy'. "You are...?" he says instead, and has the pleasure of seeing her annoyance grow.
"Lily's sister," she says.
"Ah," he replies. He drops the fag on the ground, crushing it with his boots. Suddenly, the differences in their attire are striking. "The Muggle."
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Petunia says frostily.
Gesturing towards the church, Severus says, "Are you sure you'd rather stay her and chat with This Snape Boy instead of watching your sister's wedding?" When she glances at the church, he adds helpfully, "I'm sure you'll find some of your kind there."
Petunia sniffs, but it is obvious she does not understand.
Severus sighs. He does not suffer fools. "Muggles," he drawls out. "Without magic. Mug-gles."
The woman looks like she is struggling to find something to say. The church bells ring and inside there is a loud cheer. They both turn towards the building.
"If your kind is there," Petunia remarks in an acid tone, "then why are you outside?"
Suddenly, Severus' heart is pounding. Does she know? In his mind, he is seeing that one time Lily brings him home during the holidays, Petunia looking repulsed as Lily introduces him as her boy-friend. Perhaps she knows.
But what can she say? Nothing she does affects him now. Petunia Evans, in the grand scheme of things, cannot touch him anymore. She is nothing, a worm, a pitiful insect without magical abilities. While she may have been the leader of the village pack when they were children, here she stands, reduced to conversing with a Death Eater outside a church while her younger sister weds the greatest bastard of the Wizarding World.
Petunia Evans has no hold on him now.
Severus draws another stick from his pocket, making sure she is watching when he lights the cigarette with a mere thought.
The church doors fly open, spilling a mediocre crowd, yelling and congratulating. Rice floats into the air, suspended-not falling; Severus thinks it is perhaps one of Black's childish tricks.
"Disgusting," Petunia hisses. It is unsure whether she is talking about Severus' cigarette trick or the suspended rice.
From above them, a female voice shouts, "Tuney? Is that you down there?" The words slice through the shouting. "Did you only arrive now?"
Severus cannot bear to turn. He draws back, lets the shouting cover the loud sound of Apparating.
He thinks he sees Petunia glance back, but he cannot be sure.
***
She is older now; there are lines on her face and silver threads are obvious but discreetly tucked into a clip, with a bun that holds her hair together. Petunia Evans-he knows she has married but for all the significance of her blood to The War, he cannot remember her last name-sits down on the bench next to him.
It seems strange to see her in King's Cross Station. The significance of the place is not lost to him, but it feels surreal now.
Severus folds his newspaper, not making an effort to hide the way he is staring at her. It has been years since he made an effort to change his physical appearance after The War, and...
With a start, Severus realizes the last time he saw Petunia is during Lily's wedding.
How long ago is that? he wonders, feeling drained. Although he has seen some people from his past-walking down the street, purchasing tea, Apparating in buildings-there is a bone-weariness to seeing Petunia Evans' face and knowing the implication of this past.
Finally sensing his glance, she turns to him. "Sir, is there something wrong?" she asks.
Severus is startled to realize her voice is different. Old. "No," he manages to say. His own voice sounds rough and unused. "Only, you look like someone I knew."
Petunia watches him closely before nodding. Her face is blank. "I wonder if I am that person," she muses.
"No, madam, I assure you," he spits out. "You are not."
She nods again and looks away, seemingly unaffected by the rage in his tone. "I'm sorry I'm not the one you were looking for," she says.
Uncertainty strikes Severus and he mentally checks to see if his disguise is still in place. The thrum of magic is still in his blood, although light. He relaxes. Petunia Evans is a Muggle...a non-magical person. He berates himself for using the word. Muggle. It sounds alien now.
"No need to be sorry," he finds himself saying. It feels unusual to speak kindly to this person.
He wants to inch away, to not touch her. Old habits die hard.
Then, Severus is distracted by a familiar figure strolling through the throng of passengers. Beside him, he knows Petunia straightens.
Harry Potter wanders towards a pillar made of bricks, holding the hand of a young boy. Beside him is the unmistakable figure of Ginevra Weasley, staying next to him and talking animatedly. It is likely they are walking to Platform 9 ¾, and it is with a start that Severus realizes the implication.
It has been eleven years since The War.
"Now, mind, Teddy," Ginevra is saying, her voice carrying above the loud noises, "you mustn't disobey your professors. It's imperative."
"I know, Gin!" the boy is saying.
"I'm just saying..."
Severus watches them hungrily, remembering the life he leaves behind. It is the first time he sees Potter since The War and he finds himself assaulted by all these memories he thought he had already left behind. Old regrets and angry feelings wash over him and he remembers Lily...
Lily Evans.
Petunia Evans stands beside him; for a moment, Severus is thankfully distracted. She stares at the figures that walk past them, chatting at each other. Her fingers are obviously clutching her purse, knuckles almost white as she makes a move to either follow, or at least call out.
Severus is struck with the sudden thought that, perhaps, he is not the only one with regrets.
Potter says something to Teddy, then suddenly, his gaze is at them-no, at Petunia. He stiffens, eyes narrowing behind his glasses. Then he turns to Severus, and his eyes widen fractionally. His mouth open, as if he is about to say something.
The world contracts and silence dangerously. Severus feels his heart pounding, and he runs through the time, the magic, the potion he used to complete his disguise. Perhaps, with Harry Potter, there had been no use to hide.
Then Ginevra touches Potter's arm.
And then the spell is broken. Potter turns to her and Petunia sits back on the bench with a whump! Severus busies himself with arranging the newspapers on his lap, feeling slightly flustered and...oddly changed.
When he looks up again, Potter, Ginevra, and the boy are gone.
He sits on the bench for a few more minutes, staring at the pillar where he knows (How long ago was it? Severus wonders. How long ago was my first day?) Platform 9 ¾ is. In King's Cross Station, everything seems to have changed, and it is with a heavy heart that he realizes that he will never know if the old Hogwarts Express will change. He will never know how Hogwarts has survived. He will never know a lot of things about the Wizarding World, now that he has abandoned it for years.
Suddenly, Severus Snape feels old.
"Well," someone says beside him, and he realizes it is Petunia. "Well. That's that."
He turns to the woman, whose hold on her purse seems to have loosened. "What?" he says crossly, irritated.
Petunia does not glance at him. "That's that," she says, and does not say anything more.
They sit on the bench for a very long time, letting people mill around them to catch their trains and head off to new locations. There are too many journeys happening around them and for a moment, Severus sits still, knowing he would join them in a few minutes.
Then Petunia is again on her feet, dusting her unfashionable dress, tucking her horrid purse under her arm. Severus glances up just as she looks down...and she blinks, as if from a daze. Abruptly, she holds out an arm.
"Good luck on your journey, sir," she says.
Severus glances at her hand for a moment. A long time ago, he realizes, he would be thinking several things about her: Muggle, Lily's sister, Harry Potter's aunt, and all those meaningless labels.
But now, he finds that, perhaps, she is leaving it all behind.
He takes her hand, shakes it solemnly. He finds he has nothing to say, and lets the silence speak for him. In Lily's wedding, their exchanged words had been spiteful and angry, yet perhaps everyone is connected in silence. He now knows he can remember this world-this world of war and, recently, peace-and mould it with hers without saying a word.
Petunia Evans pulls back and walks towards the crowd of passengers rushing to the exit. Perhaps she will go back to her home in Privet Drive. Perhaps she will visit her sister's tomb in Godric's Hallow. Perhaps, while driving her automobile, she will think about calling Harry Potter someday. Perhaps...she will even remember That Snape Boy who used to live in Spinner's End.
Severus Snape leans back on the bench, unfolds his newspaper, and, miraculously, knows he is finally prepared to leave it all behind.
- end -