Accio Evans

Chapter 30: HeartBreak

Boarding to scarlet Hogwarts express, Severus Snape wondered why he was even going back to Hogwarts. After all he didn't need his NEWTs – he had a position high up in the ranks of the Death eaters where grades didn't matter. He was all for spending the rest of the year as his Christmas holiday had gone, brewing potions and working on defensive charms, the way he would rather spend his year. The only downside was he had to conduct his brewing under the watchful eye of Lucius Malfoy who had been sent to 'babysit' Severus on the Dark Lord's request and was to report to him the newest brew of the potion was done – leaving Severus all the time he needed to brew.

"Severussss." Lucius drawled, elongating the last letter of his unlikely companion's name. "Please say you're nearly done, this hut is depressing." Severus had chosen a small wooden shack in the middle of the countryside to brew his potions, in the two weeks that Severus had been hauled up there the only companion he had was Lucius and the odd sheep wandering by.

"Patience Lucius." Severus chided, wishing Lucius would be gone, he was testing his nerves and Snape was close to breaking point.

"Seriously, this place is revolting." Lucius complained, taking his walking cane – which he didn't actually need, it was all for show – and poking at a patch of damp rising along the wall and the grass growing through the wood. Severus didn't care – this was the place he'd chosen, mainly for its secluded quality, but also for the fact he knew Lily's family had once spent their Christmas in a log cabin out here on the moor, and he was hoping this would be the case this year and that he'd be able to steal a glimpse of her without Potter glued to her side. Sadly this was not the case and thoughts of Lily Evans soon slipped from his mind as the cauldron bubbled and spat.

"It's done." Severus whispered some time later, his voice barely audible, he had no idea whether a minute, an hour or a whole day had passed since Lucius had last shown his distain towards the hut and the potions Severus was brewing.

"Sweet Merlin – Finally!" Lucius sighed with relief. Standing abruptly he stalked towards the door, almost wrenching it off its hinges in his attempt to get out. Cold air flooded through the open doorway sending a shiver through Severus' body and blew out the flame underneath his cauldron.

"It needs to brew for another three months, but after that it should be done." Severus shouted after him, Lucius nodded and apparated on the spot, off to tell the Dark Lord of this new development. Relieved to finally be alone, Severus pulled his cloak closer to his body, placed the cauldron lid on tightly and too apparated away from the secluded spot on the moor.

Landing at the end of Spinner's end, Snape took the short walk down to his mother's house. His father was long dead and his elderly mother was too lost in her own mind to understand whether Severus had been gone for an hour or a week, so slipping out the house to leave his potion was easy. Opening the door and trudging inside, he placed the cauldron under his bed, where it could brew without being disrupted until he could return in the Easter holidays to hopefully turn it in to the Dark Lord.

"Severus is that you?" he mother called out, her voice trembling and weak. Storming down the stairs, Severus came face to face with his mother at the bottom of the stairs. The once formidable Eileen Prince was now broken and frail, her skin sallow hung limply off her cheekbones. Her once healthy complexion had turned grey and she stood hunched over, the ravages of time breaking her body. Severus knew he himself would never have to succumb to the same fate as his mother, when his potion was finished, it would hopefully put a stopper in death and he would never have to grow old, live forever.

"Hello mother." Snape replied, no emotion in his voice. "I'm going out now." He added and pushed past her, opening the front door and leaving his mother standing in the hallway wondering whether her son had returned, or whether she'd been dreaming it.