Punish me, Professor, I dare you.

Chapter 28: Family Feud

"Oh, come on Severus, they're not going to eat you!" I pull a bit on the dark man's cuffs, as I try to guide him towards the entrance door. We arrived in Sunningdale a few minutes ago via apparition, my parents' house with the cute flower garden in front greeting us in the high noon sunshine. Peachy walls, two stories, and dark brown roof tiles give my chest the homey vibe I recently started feeling with Snape too, the tidy little house holding so many memories.

The small town looks exactly the same as I left it, I can see Drax's house down the street, and my heart fills with the pleasant buzz, as images from my childhood come back to me for a few moments. Ah, Sunningdale is always cozy and calm. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I flash a reassuring smile to the grump ball next to me, who, for some reason woke up on his wrong side today.

A week ago, when Sev said his final goodbye to Lily, I spoiled him rotten, like I promised; and I decided to give him a bit of time before introducing him to my parents. He needed space to ease up from the guilt and the weight of his decision. For two days, the man seemed a bit disconnected from this world, the playground happenings left him dry and squeezed out, but soon enough, he started coming back to his senses, and with my support, he was back on his daily calm track.

We established to visit mom and dad, and do a proper introduction on this weekend, but my dear teacher seems like now he's regretting his agreement to my request. It's barely noticeable on his neutral features, but the displeasure is evident in his eyes.

"Mom's going to love you!" I try to pour some good mood in the man with a happy face, because I wouldn't want him to make a bad first impression. Snape can seem very grumpy from the outside, especially if he doesn't fancy doing something; and if one doesn't know him well enough, it might come off as plain rudeness.

I open the short wooden gate, stepping in to mom's gorgeous array of roses, the wide cobblestone pathway leading to the entrance making our shoes produce a soft clacking sound with each step.

"Believe it or not, it is not your mother I'm worried about." grumbles the potioneer with a frown, which pulls out a chuckle from my chest.

"Aw, the great and mighty Severus Snape is afraid of meeting his lover's dad?" I tease him a bit, making him narrow his eyes at me.

"You've just bought yourself fifteen spanks with those words, missy. I am not afraid, I'm worried, because of your father's potential outraged reaction to our relationship, which he would have rightfully so. Your mother might be accepting of us, but that doesn't mean your father will share her perspective, which is the source of my concern at the mo—"

"Oh! You're here! I wondered when will you arrive!" mom's cheerful voice interrupts our discussion, as the door flings open suddenly, and long chocolate brown locks greet me from inside. We didn't even notice that we reached the house already, and now mom's slender silhouette in an apron welcomes us with the warmest smile. She pulls me in a hug as soon as we cross the threshold, and her smell of waterlily spreads the pleasant sensation of being home and safe all over in me.

"Professor." she turns towards the bat with a squint and a cheeky smirk. "Welcome to our humble abode. We've already met before, but it's a pleasure to have you as a guest nonetheless. Please, call me Elnora. Come inside now, don't be shy!" she gestures to the couch in the living room with a kind but dirty look, and I send her a pout to prevent whatever perverse teasing she's planning to do.

She doesn't know Sev is a mind reader, and I don't want her to make him feel uncomfortable during our stay. I know my mom, she's a lecher and a half in her mind, so I better put a stop right now to her usual laid-back closet pervert style. At least until my bat gets a bit more used to my parents.