The Redemption of Severus Snape

Part 26

Severus' finger snagged one of the many patches on the bedraggled little coat and it abruptly brought him out of his daydream. He reverently rolled the coat up and reached for the burlap sack, dumping the contents on the bed; a pair of white tennis shoes, one pair of faded blue jeans, and one white t-shirt. He changed his clothes and temporarily became a Muggle. He exited the hovel on an overcast morning that threatened rain. He didn't carry an umbrella with him. Severus didn't care if he got wet; the cold and the rain didn't bother him. He rarely got sick and usually didn't feel the cold. Truth be told, he didn't feel much of anything anymore and cared even less.

He began the long walk through the twisted rubbish-strewn streets with row-upon-row of empty houses toward the small shop he frequented during the summer breaks. He bought mostly frozen dinners and tea bags. Severus strolled past the cemetery where his parents were buried. He dared not even glance at it. Someone could be watching him, and any indication of attachment to Muggles was a potential sign of betrayal.

Severus never visited his parents' graves and hadn't attended their funeral service. John and Faye Evans were buried in the same graveyard. The Dark Lord had intended to draw Lily and Potter out by killing Lily's parents, but the ploy didn't work. Lily and Potter evaded him. John and Faye were lucky that the Dark Lord was preoccupied and used the Killing Curse on both of them. Severus' only consolation was in knowing that they'd felt no pain when they died.

Severus risked his life to surreptitiously attend the Evans' funeral. He was polyjuiced as a vagrant. No one noticed him. Petunia and her oaf of a husband attended. Vernon kept glancing at his watch through the entire service, despite the fact that it was hurried and very short. He did have the decency to put his arm around Petunia's shoulders. She made no attempt to stifle her tears.

Lily cried and it broke Severus' heart to see it, but no one paid attention to a crying drunkard lying in a pile of wet leaves. Potter's arm was wrapped around Lily and he was whispering to her. The sight made Severus cry harder. Lily was trying to control her grief in a failed attempt to remain alert. Death Eaters were likely nearby. Potter's free hand was in his pocket, no doubt gripping his wand. His bespectacled eyes kept drifting away from Lily to scan the graveyard. The small party was chaperoned by members of The Order of the Phoenix and by Dumbledore himself. No sane Death Eater would attempt a face-to-face duel with Dumbledore, not even Bellatrix was crazy enough to do that.

Severus waited for nightfall to sneak up to the Evans' graves. Dumbledore had charmed them. Severus could sense it. He hoped the charm was only to prevent damage to the gravesites and their resting occupants. He placed a single, heavily damaged, white tennis shoe on Mr. Evans' grave. On Mrs. Evans' grave, he placed a pair of well-worn, child-sized, dark-blue mittens. Severus had nothing else to offer them. He didn't linger.

Severus barely lifted his head as he pulled open the door of the little shop. He strode directly to the back where the frozen dinners were kept. He ignored the strangers whispering about his greasy hair and strange countenance. He walked quickly to the checkout counter. The young man behind it was new and eyed Severus nervously.

"Will that be all, sir?" said the young sales clerk.

Severus was about to hand money to the young man when a little boy, about eight years old, appeared next to him. He picked up a sweet from the nearest shelf and said, "Mum?" He didn't get a chance to say anything else.

The boy's emaciated unkempt mother was racing up another aisle and lifting tins off the shelves. She reminded Severus of his own mother, except that his mother reeked of gin. This young woman's vice appeared to be street drugs. "You can't have it. Your dad wants his dinner," snapped the boy's mother.

"Sir?" repeated the sales clerk.

Severus ripped the sweet from the boy's hands. "This too." The boy looked shocked and remained immobile. Severus handed it back to the boy and, as he lifted his own bags, gave the boy his change. "Hide this," whispered Severus. The wide-eyed boy stuffed the five-pound note in his sock, and split the coins into different pockets so they wouldn't jingle. Severus grinned. Clever boy, he thought.