Living in Shadows [Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Chapter Six | Spinner's End, June 1976

Chapter Six

Spinner’s End, June 1976

 

            Something about Hazel’s face made Severus’ insides tremble. They were sixteen, the summer had finally begun and she was picking him up from the station, as she had since they were eleven. She’d been able to Disparate since they were nine. He noticed she was wearing a red dress with white polka dots, which he knew was her favourite.

“Sev.” She said simply, letting him wrap his strong arms around her; he smelled smoky almost, mixed with something she’d smelled countless times in his potion cabinet.

“Hey.” He whispered, tugging on a sunshine curl “You okay?”

She looked up at him, still a head and a half shorter and nodded, curls bouncing. Her eyes were darker than usual, framed by thick lashes and looking at him with such a deep longing that Severus felt almost uncomfortable.

“Shall we go home?” she asked, fingers entwining with his.

Nodding, Severus tried to think of a way to let go-never in ten years had he minded when she held his hand. Things seemed different now, since he’d said those things to Lily a whole year ago…

He saw a flash of red hair, heard her laugh somewhere within the crowd-his heart fell. She was everywhere, in every corner and classroom; at home it would hurt so much more. He wondered if Hazel was mad at him.

Hazel Disapparated them to Spinners End and they looked down the street to his home; it was dark, shadows and empty rooms. He mostly stayed in his potions room all summer, and often Hazel would join him, when Mo wasn’t studying with her.

Turning his head to look at the hill in the distance, past the river and the grove of trees, he could see Hazel’s home; Bowen manor had stood there for as long as everyone could remember, looming over the town, becoming a bit of a legend. Severus’ mother said at a time there had been large parties there, all throughout history; woman would dress up, men would try to woo them-it was always the highlight of the year. Now, however, it stood lonely and mournful at the top of the hill, full of ghosts and one bright girl, who wasn’t even a Bowen by blood.

“Lily said her Mum wants me over for supper tomorrow.” She said as they walked up the road, backs turned to the hill. “Are you coming?” she looked at him pointedly.

“No.”

“Haven’t apologised yet?”

“Believe me, I’ve tried.” He grumbled, pulling on his trunk when it caught on a rock.

“Well obviously you’re not trying hard enough!” she cried, dark eyes flashing.

The two friends looked at each other in astonishment. Hazel had never yelled, never gotten angry-she was the most temperate person Severus knew. Obviously something was upsetting her more than Severus calling their best friend a Mudblood-even though it had happened exactly a year ago.