Pity Outing

It was exactly 8 o'clock sharp, when Rowan and Severus floo to the Abbott's home in Cokeworth. Andrew round face grinned at them as she stepped out first with Severus emerging right behind her. "Good morning and thank you for allowing us the use of your floo fireplace," Severus gratefully said.

"Your welcome," Andrew grinned as a chorus of your welcome's can be heard from the kitchen from Andrew's aunt, uncle, and younger cousins.

"Well, shall we get going?" Andrew asked. "Petunia says, she'd get Lily out of bed on time and out the door. We're to meet up at the nearby Inn for breakfast."

"Alright," Severus said as they followed Andrew out the door.

A chorus of goodbyes follow them out of the door as Rowan closes the door shut behind them. The morning air is cool, and the tiniest traces of summer ending could be felt in the morning breeze. It was still far from being crispy but with enough time the crisp autumn winds would arrive.

Severus eagerly lead the way in front of them as they watched a car zoom by. "So, did you get it?" Rowan asked knowing full well, Andrew was excited to be asked to be Prefect.

"Yes!" Andrew beamed. "I don't know who the female Prefect is, but I'll be the male Hufflepuff Prefect."

"Congratulations," Rowan said in a monotone voice. "Severus and I are both the Prefect's for Slytherin."

"We'll be able to patrol together!" Andrew excitedly chattered. "Not to mention on the Hogwarts's Express we have our own compartment as well of use of the Prefect bathroom! I heard it's really nice to use in the middle of winter!"

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it," Rowan sarcastically muttered.

Andrew chuckled and said, "Well given that you have an apprenticeship going on, I can see exactly why you'd not be excited about the news. But if that is the case, why is Severus so cheerful about it?"

"Lily is the female Prefect for Gryffindor."

"Ah, that explains it."

"I know," Rowan sighed. "But at least Remus is the male Prefect for Gryffidnor."

"I thought as much," Andrew cheerfully said. "He's really good with the younger students and he always ranks among the top students."

The three of them stopped at the intersection as Andrew asks, "So, what about Ravenclaw?"

"Pandora wrote to me and said, she's the Prefect for Ravenclaw," Rowan answered as they crossed the street. "But I've no idea who the male Prefect is."

"Mm, probably, David Goldstein," Andrew remarked. "He's rather good natured for a Ravenclaw, and in the top ranks of students each year. But then again, who knows."

Rowan nods her head as they make their way to the inn. Goldstein was another name that was familiar to her. Anthony Goldstein of Ravenclaw a Prefect during Umbridge's term. Possibly Anthony's father or an uncle. Either way it was still interesting to note. (That and most likely distantly related to the wife of Newt Scamander, Porpentina Goldstein as well.)

The three of them entered the inn that was already open and made their way to a table with six chairs. The three of them instantly sat down and waited for the two Evan's to arrive. While they waited, Rowan read the paper and read the headline that screamed, "UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE UK REACHES THE 1,250,000 MARK!"

"It'll get better eventually," Rowan muttered to herself before moving onto the comic's section. What can she say? She had a soft for the comics section. Sadly, her favorite comic, Calvin and Hobbs, wouldn't be syndicated until 1985. That was still ten years away.

A light-haired teen waitress in a pink waitress uniform with a white apron carefully eyes Severus. She eagerly walks over and stand in front of Severus and says, "Well, what will the three of you be having?"

"We're still waiting for two of our party members, but might we get an order of hot chocolate for five people?" Rowan replied as she glanced up.

"Sure thing," the waitress replied as she carefully eyed the girl and the smoking dark haired youth. The two of them looked enough alike to be anything but siblings. With some relief, she happily hurries over to get their first order. She would stop long enough to pat down her hair and add some lipstick to her lips.

The waitress had yet to return when the front doorbell dinged as Petunia dragged the still yawning figure of Lily behind her. The instant Petunia spotted her boyfriend, Andrew Abbott, she released Lily, who stumbled forward. Happily moving forward, she sat down between Andrew and Rowan.

Seeing Rowan reading the paper, Petunia presses a gentle kiss on Andrew's cheek in greeting causing Andrew to flush pink. Smiling, she turns to stare at Severus to only gawk for a moment. "Well, Severus, where have you been hiding all these years? If I had known you could look like this, I would have stolen you away years ago. Not that I would now, but still!"

"What about Severus?" Lily yawned as she had sat down, right next to Severus without really looking at him. Blinking her watery eyes, she turns to stare as her eyes widen and a faint pink flush appears on her face. Her heart oddly beats in her chest causing her to glance away.

"You look really good, Severus," Lily muttered in embarrassment.

Severus beamed in delight and said, "Thanks. Do you like it?"

Lily is luckily saved from answering the question as the waitress arrives with their hot drinks. The waitress places a cup in front of everyone though slams a tad harder the mug in front of Lily and lingered a second or two longer in front of Severus. Either way, Rowan was visibly smirking as she folded the newspaper back up.

"What will all of you be having?" The waitress eagerly asked pressing a centimeter closer to Severus to his great discomfort as he leaned away.

"I'll just have an order of pancakes," Rowan answered as various choruses surrounded her. "Scrambled Eggs." "Toast." "Orange Juice." Etc.

Once their orders were finished being jotted down, the waitress says, "That'll be right up," before walking away a bit unhappily at being ignored by the smoldering young man.