Chapter 5 : Unexpected Encounters

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He would have run home and hidden there until the start of the school year if it wasn't for his pride. Because somewhere deep down those unreadable eyes, damn it, there was still some part of himself left! And he should better recover that part fast; he didn't know how and he didn't know why, but Lily had convinced her husband to invite Severus to the twins' birthday party. A whole afternoon spent in the presence of the Potters, Black, Lupin and a blissful Lily. And did he deny the invitation? Of course not because, apparently, that small part of himself that still inhabited his body was a masochist. He had accepted and now he would have to go.

With a sigh he looked away from the mirror and the haunted eyes he had come to hate. He straightened his black clothes, the only colour he wore nowadays, and walked towards the fireplace slowly biding his time; he was already late anyway. Grabbing a handful of floo powder he braced himself mentally and threw it in the fireplace before stepping in the now green flames.

"Potter Manor." He stated with a dead voice and closed his eyes as the world spun around him. When he felt he was slowing down, he moved his right leg forward and landed gracefully in the main lobby of the Potters' residence. The house was filled with people; acquaintances of the family, the Weasleys, Hogwarts' staff and many others. And journalists of course, having come to cover the event. Severus felt like he was suffocating. He was just about to turn around, grab some more floo powder and make a run for his life, when a soft hand touched his shoulder.

"I'm so glad you could make it Severus!" Lily's excited voice came from somewhere behind him. He gulped and turned to face her with a strained smile. She was just as beautiful as she remembered her; her long, dark red hair was shining and her green eyes twinkled with life. Her smile turned into an expression of worry as she took his appearance in. He smirked at her concern and closed his eyes in exasperation; Lily hadn't seen him since graduation four years ago. He was now towering over her at six feet two but he weighted less than he did back then. He opened his eyes again and felt his heart constricting painfully as her smile had returned full force.

"It's nice to see you too Lily." He muttered and watched her eyes shine with happiness as she looked right behind him. The knife that had lodged itself in his gut started twisting with fervor. He looked over his shoulder and found James -that pompous prat- waving at them holding a baby in front of the cameras. Once the mini photo shoot was over, James trotted towards his wife and her childhood friend.

"Adrian is sure getting heavy!" He said happily as he handed the giggling boy to Lily. With his black hair and hazel eyes, the toddler was an exact replica of his father. The knife twisted harder. "Hey there Snivellus!" James added with mock playfulness as his eyes landed on Severus.

"James!" Lily admonished turning slightly pink with embarrassment.

"It's alright Lily." Severus reassured her, swallowing the insult he was dying to throw back. "I wish both of your children happy birthday Potter." There. At least nobody could say he hadn't tried being civil. James looked slightly taken aback before mistaking the young potions master try at politeness for surrender. He smirked and brought Lily closer in a one armed hug.

"Thanks Snape." He said smugly. "Got everything I need right here." He added for no apparent reason. The prat thinks this is a game! Severus thought furiously but denied James the pleasure of seeing him squirm. Lily, who didn't understand the sub-context, as she was absorbed in cooing her son, turned to her husband with worry;

"And where is Harry?" She asked looking around frantically.

"Relax Lily!" James said with a smile, softly caressing his son's scar. "I left him with Remus; you know how much he dislikes cameras." And it was true that the boy couldn't stand the abrupt flashes of light and the cries of "Look here Adrian!".

"If you would allow me Lily," Severus said, unable to stand the looks exchanged between the two Potters for a second longer, "I would like to walk around a bit and talk to some colleagues from Hogwarts. It's rare to find them all together outside school."

"You're working at Hogwarts?" James asked shocked.

"You're looking at the new potions master, Potter." Severus offered with a smirk. "Now if you would excuse me." He said swiftly and bowed his head to Lily before walking away. Well that went… awful, the young professor thought and exited the main hall of the house, completely ignoring the members of Hogwarts' teaching staff that waved at him. He just wanted to find a quiet part of the house to regain his strength.

As he walked through the first floor, he caught a glimpse of Sirius Black who stared back at him menacingly and his werewolf friend; he quickly exited that room too, finding himself in the less crowded dining area. Still considering four people where far too many for his taste, he proceeded to a hallway and from there straight into the first door he found. It seemed to be some sort of a study; Severus entered the room and closed the door behind him. Finally, he thought, some peace and…

"Hello." Came a soft voice from the floor, next to his left leg. Startled, he looked down only to find Lily's eyes staring back at him. That couldn't be right. He shook his head and looked again. They really were Lily's eyes, or rather very close to what her eyes looked like. The pair of eyes he found himself looking at was darker and more intense in colour, almost unnatural on a small, pale face. He found himself looking at the younger Potter twin.

"Hello." He found himself answering. So not identical twins then, he noted. The boy, satisfied with the response he had gotten, turned his attention to a book filled with colorful pictures he had lay open on the floor before him. The two-year old -Harry, Severus reminded himself- had the same unruly mop of hair his brother and father sported. But his face had more of his mother in it than his brother's. Besides the eyes, where James's face was round, Harry's was, well not exactly angular, but more oval to heart shaped. Severus's eyes searched the boy's face for more differences as if his life depended on it. The boy's lips seemed fuller, more like his mother's and his nose shorter than James's. And why do I care? He asked himself as his attention shifted to the book the boy was looking at.

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