A magical love affair - Severus Snape x Petunia Evans

Chapter 13 - Glum life in Spinner's End!

And regarding the facts that he only had been informed about her murder earlier today and escaped his home in a desperate attempt to drown his grief in alcohol, she doubted that he had even stepped consciously into this house and comprehended his total loneliness. Most likely, he had only thrown his trunk into his hall, grabbed a bottle Whiskey and vanished out of this crime scene. Petunia knew that he would also be deeply ashamed of the state of his furniture, floors and walls. But she really hoped that he would understand that she wouldn't mock him or hold him accountable for the sorry state of his house because, in her mind, no teen was responsible for maintaining a well-kept garden, clean kitchen or dust-free living room and couldn't change his impoverished environment.

Therefore, Petunia would only offer him her help to clean some rooms or repair some furniture. Although she already suspected that he wouldn't ask her for help and change everything with a few Housekeeping Spells. Hell, he most likely didn't even gift her this offer of educating her in some areas of magic with his run-down house in mind, so that she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't ask her in at first and tried to enchant some of the worst chaos. She definitely wouldn't hold it against him because it mustn't be nice to always be looked upon as the poor, hopeless and freakish boy of Spinner's End.

Petunia realized that they now had been walking for about ten minutes without uttering any word. Sure, she appreciated some silent moments to sort out her emotions and thoughts, but the awkward silence between them began to get on her nerves. She couldn't understand why their thread was torn off. Most likely, Severus only now realized what a huge, life-altering offer he had granted her and was already searching for ways to keep them safe amidst the growing tensions in the Wizarding world. Undoubtedly, he was also already racking his brain for ways to teach her some easy steps in his beloved art of potion brewing.

Well, Petunia hoped, that she wouldn't act like some babbling imbecile in his most likely make-shift laboratory. Perhaps, she had some luck for the first time in her life and would share Lily's great ability in potion brewing. Besides that, she trusted that her interests in science and cooking could help her a great deal in a laboratory. Sure, she didn't really know what potion brewing was about because Lily didn't have a make-shift laboratory at their home or brewed some concoction in their kitchen. But she was nonetheless eager to help him create something magical.

Easing her jumbled thoughts, Petunia decided to focus on her walking companion and future tutor in the Magical world. She couldn't help herself and broke their silence with some nervous ramblings.

"Severus, I really I'm still in awe of your offer and can't wait to get started on experiencing some magical adventures. But our walk in silence is really hacking me off. Especially since you enclosed to me that our future wanderings in the Wizarding world will put you in great danger. Therefore, I decided to start my own game of questions and answers. How will I ever be able to pass off as a witch without my own robes and wand?" she asked him with doubt in her voice.

Severus startled out of his own deep thoughts, looked into Petunia's icy blues eyes skeptically and tried to distract her fears, "Petunia, feel reassured that I would never endanger your life without any security plans. Sure, I will undoubtedly be hounded by the Death Eaters after my defiance as a blood-traitor and they would kill me on the spot if they received knowledge of me tutoring a Muggle in our ways. But I have developed a security plan for us. I will ward my run-down house in Spinner's End against any magical intrusion and enact some alarm spells for magical signatures in the environment.

Luckily for me, my Slytherin aquaintances never visited me there and don't know where I live due to the circumstance that I tried to hide my growing-up in an impoverished, run-down Muggle home. Naturally, they know thanks to my last name and the headlines the disinheritance of my mum made that I'm a Half-blood and live in the Muggle world. But they are unaware of my living conditions. Sure, due to some drunken ramblings and the sorry state of my clothesas well as my hate for Tobias, my poverty isn't a secret to them. But they never called on me at Spinner's End. Therefore, I should be able to hide out in my home.

Concerning your disguise as a witch, I can be of some assistance to you by transfiguring you a fake wand and some of your Muggle clothes into Wizarding robes. If the bastard Tobias hadn't broken my mum's wand into pieces and burned her Wizarding robes years ago, you could have easily used them. But alas, I must obtain your guise via magic, which is plain sailing. Besides that, I will train you in how to act, speak and walk like a witch, so that you shouldn't stand out as a Muggle. In case we will meet some of my magical acquaintances or Lily's friends who know you we should alter your looks somewhat with the help of glamours and give you a magical alter ego. You could be some Half-blood Canadian witch who excels in Potions and decided to visit Britain for a few months to obtain more knowledge about its newest potions inventions and native potions ingredients. We could pretend that I met you in a magical forest hunting down some potions ingredients, took a liking to you thanks to our mutual interests in Potions and agreed to show Britain's magical places to you. But this only is an idea to increase our security. If you don't want to alter your appearance, it is okay." Severus said and awaited her reaction with an imploring gaze out of his obsidian eyes.

Petunia was shocked by this new turn of events. But the prospects of altering her appearance somewhat due to magic and obtaining a new magical identity excited her nonetheless. Therefore, she replied in a cheerful voice, "Wow, I didn't even know that it was possible to alter one's appearance with some spells. Certainly, I will disguise my true self behind some glamours, if it helps us to stay safe in the Wizarding world. Your idea about my magical alter ego also sounds reasonable and exciting. I always dreamed of being a witch, so our ploy enables me to fulfill this dream somewhat. But I think that we should discuss the details of our plan in your home away from prying eyes and ears. So, let's hurry up." With these words, they increased their walking speed and practically chased down the street of Spinner's End.