It's the Thought That Counts

Chapter six

It was Halloween, and Severus was impatiently waiting for the party to be over so he could go home. With Evelyn. He had a special scary Halloween surprise that would scare her silly.

Later, in the dungeon, he left the bedroom, and walked into his study, telling her he would be back in a moment. He grinned, and listened to her humming a happy tune as she undressed and got into the bed.

After a few more minutes she called out to him, "Severus, what are you doing?"

He waited a moment and then released two small boggarts, mostly harmless. They should turn into those two velociraptors from Jurassic Park, which, oddly, were the most scary thing to her. She had hidden her face against his chest as the kitchen scene had played when they had watched the film. He had been strangely moved to witness the vulnerability of such a bold and saucy woman.

He was prepared for a scream or two, but was shocked to the bone when he heard the terror in her voice. He rushed in and faced the boggarts. He glanced at her. At this point she was hidden under the blankets, still screaming, so she never saw what form the boggarts assumed for him. He quickly got the boggarts into a closet and then he rushed to her, yanked off the blankets and took her in his arms, comforting her. She clung to him for a few moments, crying uncontrollably.

Suddenly she pushed him violently away from her. He realized immediately and belatedly that this had been a very bad idea. He kept forgetting that she was not used to magic. And now the look in her eyes was not hatred, for she still loved him, but it was close enough for rock-n-roll. She rummaged around in her purse, took a few pills, and then then turned toward him again. He said nothing about the pills, and this was the first time she had taken them in his presence. Under different circumstances, he would have something to say, but not at this moment.

When she began to scream at him his heart jumped. His suddenly recalled Evelyn's mother screaming like this at Aberforth, and his heart sank. He was not used to such treatment from anyone but since he realized that he was wrong, he hung his head and meekly accepted her verbal abuse until he noticed that she was getting out of her new pajamas that were black with jack-o-lanterns on them. He instantly began putting them back on her.

"Stop it!" she shrieked, and then continued with her screaming, which at the moment concerned his lack of any sort of common sense.

This is bad, Severus thought frantically. She didn't walk back to her apartment from the dungeon. He took her out the window on his broomstick and brought her to her window, just as they had done as children. Sometime in nice weather they rode awhile, but at this time of night, she usually didn't change clothes for that. So she was angry enough to get herself away from him and stubborn enough to do it on her own. He was still buttoning buttons as fast as she unbuttoned them.

Severus realized that angry and stubborn was not a good combination, and that he couldn't do a thing about her stubbornness (or wouldn't, for moral reasons), so he must deal with her anger. If he didn't do it soon, he would become angry, and he used every ounce of control to remain calm. He couldn't trust himself to keep control of his anger. And he refused to become like his father.

He decided that begging forgiveness and apologizing would be the right idea. And since he was sincerely sorry, and she could see that, it didn't take nearly as long as he had feared before she was in his arms again. Which was a good thing, because he had been prepared to use any means necessary to keep her from leaving. Our first fight, he thought to himself. He felt fortunate to have come out of it unscathed, and very lucky to be lying here with her, and not alone again. But most of all, he was relieved that he had not lost his temper. As much as he had hurt her in the past, to put his hands on her now would be to lose her, forever.

A few days before Christmas break Neville came to see Evelyn at work. He had a strange look on his face, a smile she had not seen on his face before.

"I have a present for you Evelyn," he announced.

"Oh, you shouldn't have, Neville," Evelyn told him.

"Yes, I should," Neville insisted. "And you'll love it."

They left the library and he led her to a door and explained. "This room will be whatever you need it to be." He paused.

"I have taken the liberty of creating a special place for you, Evelyn. Let me show you." He opened the door.

They walked inside, and Evelyn gasped, "Oh! Neville!" She was unable to say anything else. She was too busy trying to look at everything at once.

It was an animated world. Endless rows of strawberries. Off in the distance she could see the fool on the hill, and when she looked in the other direction, she saw Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

She turned to look at Neville. "How did you know...?"

Neville smiled and took Evelyn's hand. "I heard you and Hermione talking about music a few weeks ago."

"Ohhhhh." As they continued walking, Evelyn noticed glass onions. And in the distance a walrus frolicked.

"Do they really go on forever?" Evelyn asked Neville, squinting her eyes to see into the distance.

"Yes. They do." Neville laughed.

Evelyn looked at Neville. "How did you do all this?" she asked.

Neville stopped. "I'm a wizard, Evelyn," he told her.

"Of course," she agreed. She looked around again. She was truly touched by this gesture. "This is beautiful, Neville." She kissed his cheek, and hugged him. "Thank you."

Neville did not completely release her but held her close with one arm. He explained, "It is not really me that made all this, but the Room of Requirement. I only had to know in my mind what should be here. That is how this room works, do you see?"

She nodded. "So.....you mean if I wanted to play basketball, I would come here and everything would be here?"

"Yes," he agreed.

"Including Michael or Shaq?"

He looked at her blankly.

"Players. Professional basketball players who would kick my butt the minute they stepped on the court."

"Evelyn, there is a law about interfering with Muggles. Don't wish for Muggles to be in the Room of Requirement. Please."

"I won't Neville. But you must promise to learn to play basketball with me. Your height gives you an advantage already." She grinned and looked around again

He looked down at her and asked, "Do you really like it, Evelyn?"

"Neville, it is beautiful, and peaceful, and I love it," she assured him.

"That is what I intended," he said. And then he kissed her.

Evelyn was surprised, but even more surprised by her own reaction. Butterflies in her stomach, then heat spreading throughout her body to the tips of her fingers and toes. Then she thought of Severus, and guilt consumed her. She placed one hand on Neville's chest and pushed him away slightly.

He drew her closer and continued kissing her. She could feel his heart under her hand beating fast and hard. She pushed again and he reluctantly ceased, and began whispering to her.

"Hush, Neville," she whispered. "Shhh, you know this isn't right. I'm old enough to be your mother."

"I don't care. It doesn't matter," he said.

"Yes, it does" she insisted. "And besides..." she broke off. She couldn't reveal her relationship with Severus. What could she say?

"I know," he growled. "Snape."

Evelyn stared at him. "How did you know? I mean, what do you mean?"

"Evelyn," he pleaded. "You can't trust Snape! He has everyone fooled! He's evil."

"No, Neville. He is not. You don't know him the way I do."

Neville looked away, and then looked into her eyes once more. He was trembling. He shook his head and then kissed Evelyn on the forehead.

"If he ever hurts you, I'll kill him," Neville vowed.

"He won't, Neville. I promise you that."

Neville slowly released Evelyn, and took her hand again. They began walking back to the entrance. They were silent, each deep in thought.

"Neville. You know that Severus and I have to keep our relationship a secret. I can't say why." She didn't know why, and she was becoming more and more unstisfied with that situation.

"I know why... What I don't know is why him? Why Severus Snape?"

Evelyn sighed. And then she told Neville the story of her first 5 years with Severus.

"And I know he's not the most cheerful person, and he does not seem to be very warm, or capable of love, but he is. He has been kind to me, and he loves me. He has endured so much to be with me. I am not easy to be with, Neville. But Severus has kept his temper when I have lost mine, he has remained silent when he disagrees with me about my life, when I have not when I disagree with him.

"So, if anyone is the villian here, Neville, it is me," Evelyn stated.

"No, Evelyn."

"Yes, Neville."

Neville asked her, "Are you going to tell him about this?"

"I think I should," she answered. "It is likely that he knows now. If not, he will know something the minute he sees me, and it is very likely that he will be unable to refrain from seeing it all in my mind, it happens sometimes, although he is so careful to try and prevent it."

"I will, however, remind him that our relationship is a secret, so you have done nothing wrong." She smiled at Neville. "And I will not mention this conversation, and I hope he can't see it."

She did not tell Neville that Severus would be in such a jealous rage that he wouldn't be able to see into her mind. And then, when she reminded him that Neville, like everyone else, was unaware of their relationship, he would see that he must accept the consequences of that secrecy. And then, although he would be seething with rage, Evelyn would softly coax him back into the mellow and charming Severus she adored.

And that's exactly how it happened that evening.