It was two and a half more days before Severus's potion was completed. By that time, he had to begin preparing dinner, and after that it was nearly dark. However, he told Harry that the antidote was complete, and promised that they could go the next day.

It was an exciting prospect for Harry, who had always wanted to learn more about his parents. Really, it was more than he could have hoped for, to get to see where his mother had lived. He didn't exactly know what he expected to learn from it, but he felt like seeing the place would help him to make sense of all the conflictig thoughts and emotions in his head and heart.

As Harry fell asleep thinking about the upcoming day, Severus was lying in his bed thinking about exactly the same thing. Unlike Harry, however, he was quite uncertain about what he hoped to achieve with this visit. In fact, he still couldn't figure out why he had volunteered to take Harry there. After all, Severus had avoided the place for years. Why was he suddenly volunteering to take Lily's son to see the place? If anything, it would make the memories harder to bear; because, even after all these years and all that had transpired within them, Severus Snape still loved Lily Evans with all his heart.

Severus barely slept that night, even though he should have been dead tired after staying up and brewing that potion the past several nights. Then, when at last he got up to go downstairs and begin preparing breakfast, his heart picked up the pace and started beating double-time. Was he nervous!? Severus shook his head and tried to put the thought out of his head, though he found that rather hard at the moment.

It seemed that Harry was anxious, as well, because Severus could hear footsteps in the room across the hall when he opened his door. He's pacing, Severus thought as he walked down the stairs. He doesn't know what to expect.. and, for that matter, neither do I.

Severus was perhaps halfway through his breakfast when he glanced up and nearly choked on a mouthful of toast. Harry's plate was empty! This was the first time he had eaten all of what Severus had put on the plate, and the Potions Master was pleasantly surprised. At the same time, however, he was still apprehensive about what was coming next. From the expectant look on Harry's face, it was obvious that he was waiting rather impatiently for Snape to finish his own breakfast.

Trying his best to neither rush through the food or eat slowly on purpose, Severus cleaned his plate and then cleared the table. By this time, Harry's heart was hammering, as well. It was nearly time! He could hardly contain his excitement any longer, and when Snape turned around, Harry practically jumped out of his chair. He thought he caught a fleeting glimpse of an odd half smile on Snape's face at this, though it was hard to be sure.

"I don't suppose there is any need to ask if you are ready," Severus said in an amused sort of way. At least, it was an amused sort of way for him.

Harry grinned guiltily, nearly knocked over his chair as he tried to push it up to the table, and then looked strangely at Snape as if seeing him for the first time. In fact, Harry had just noticed that Severus was wearing Muggle clothes. Black jeans, a dark gray t-shirt, and black sneakers took the place of his usual sweeping black robes and dragonhide boots.

"Yes?" Severus asked with a note of curiosity in his voice, though there was a knowing glint in his black eyes.

"Er.. you look.. very.. Muggle..ish.. sir," Harry said slowly, making a valiant effort not to stare. It was hard not to, though, as he thought that had surely never seen anything quite so odd as Severus Snape in Muggle attire.

Severus's right eyebrow raised ever so slightly and the smallest trace of amusement filtered into his voice as he answered, "You do realize that, when I was a young boy, there were Muggles still living here?"

"Oh," Harry said, surprised. Then he admitted, "Actually, I didn't even think of that."

Severus shook his head, but the corners of his mouth turned upward nonetheless. After a moment he said, "Well, I hope you have your walking shoes on."

"We're walking?" Harry asked, excitement welling inside him again at the mention of leaving.

"It's not that far, there's no sense in a Portkey; and if we did use one, there would be a chance of popping up right in front of a Muggle. There's the Statute of Secrecy to take into account, after all."

Harry nodded. He knew very well about the Statute of Secrecy now, because that's what he had been accused of breaking when Dobby had used magic in front of the Muggles.

"Very well, then," Severus said, starting toward the door. "We should be going."

Harry followed, trying his best not to let his excitement show. Truth be told, however, he wasn't doing the best job of it. There was a light in his wide green eyes that spoke of poorly hidden anticipation. Even the decrepit buildings in Spinner's End couldn't dampen his spirits, though Snape certainly didn't seem impervious to their gloom.

A dark look came over Severus's face as his black eyes slid from one house to the next. Harry wondered whether there were bad memories going through the Potions Master's mind as he glanced from one place to the next. Was he seeing again neighbors who had been suspicious of a young wizard, or children of his age who had ridiculed him for being different? Harry had known many people like that. Might he some day walk along Privet Drive with this same look on his face, seeing shadows of things that had been?

It might have been a sobering thought under normal circumstances, but Harry was too excited just then to let it bring him down. It wouldn't have been unexpected if he had been bouncing on every step. Exactly how he managed to avoid it was anyone's guess.

After a few minutes, the houses started to look more like they had been inhabited some time this decade. These houses didn't have broken windows, but weren't exactly well kept, either. Harry began to see that almost all the houses down by the river had been uninhabited for some time. He wondered if there was a reason, or if the place had just fallen out of favor with the Muggles.

Next there came a few houses that looked like someone still lived there. One even had a wizened-looking old lady who tugged a lacy living room curtain shut as they drew near. Harry had to fight back a grimace; he was forcibly reminded of the neighbor across the street on Privet Drive, an ages-old woman who could rival Aunt Petunia in nosiness and loved to hit neighborhood pets with her cane when she ventured outside.

Another house was painted a garish shade of vivid yellow that made Harry gape. The paint was fresh, but otherwise the house looked was in quite a state of disrepair. The bright color only served to draw attention to it, which if anything made it seem more horrible.

The houses started to get nicer after that, though, and the unoccupied ones were still well kept and had for sale signs in their yards. Harry was relieved; he had thought for a while that perhaps when they got to this Longriver Court, there would be nothing left but dilapidated old houses like those on Spinner's End. It had been years since Lily Evans had lived there, after all.

While Harry was noticing these interesting facts, Severus was listening to the sound of his own heart beating as quickly as if he were running instead of walking. It was actually rather surprising that no one else had noticed it yet. For there were people out in this little neighborhood now, going out to retrieve their morning papers and, in a few cases, leaving for work. Then, up ahead...

"The playground," Severus murmured, his black eyes lingering on the rather battered old swingset and slide. The bushes were gone now, though, and because of that, so were the flowers.. the flowers that Lily had been playing with that day when he had first spoken to her...

"Hm?" Harry asked, looking up at Snape. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing..."

But now imagse were passing through his mind, as if he were seeing them again: Lily on the swings, going as high as she could and jumping off, landing so gracefully that she might have actually flown... the flower in Lily's tiny hand, opening and closing its petals as it spun like it was dancing on a music box... Petunia looking with disgust on a young Severus, dressed in clothes many sizes too big... and Lily loyally following her sister, the sister who would one day refuse to speak Lily's name and refer to her only as "my sister, the freak." It made Severus's chest burn with anger again just to think of it.

They were passing the playground now, though, going on to a side street. This was Riverview Lane, and Longriver Court was at its end. It wouldn't be long now...

And the next thing he knew, Severus was stopping in front of a two-story building with a neatly trimmed front lawn. The house was painted seafoam green and looked neat and cozy even from the outside.

"They've painted it," he observed aloud. "When she lived here, it was pale blue. It blended into the sky when the sun was overhead." Harry listened as Snape spoke, trying to imagine the house as it was back then. "There was a flower bed below the window then.. and a climbing vine that bloomed on the gate. Morning glories, I believe she called them. The neighbors said the vine was too rugged for such a neat, new house. Lily said it looked perfect."

"Hello," a voice said, bringing both wizards back to reality. "I haven't seen you around here before."

Severus turned to see a Muggle man with neatly combed blond hair who was wearing a bright blue jogging suit. A friendly-looking golden retriever stood at his side.

"You haven't bought the old McBrayer place, have you?" the man inquired curiously, gesturing toward a house a few doors down.

"No," Severus answered shortly. "I live on Spinner's End."

"Down by the river?" the man asked, and he was putting on a valiant attempt to keep his friendly smile even though he was obviously perturbed by this news.

"Yes."

"Oh, really? I didn't think anyone lived down there anymore."

"I do."

"Oh," the man said, his smile faltering for a half second, but he recovered it again. "It must get lonely down there, if you're the only one left."

"Not really."

"So, what are you doing in this neck of the woods? Visiting a friend?"

Severus paused, and for the first time, a trace of emotion began to show in his dark eyes. "No," he answered. "The only person I knew who lived here died some time ago. Lily Evans. She was Harry's mother, and she once lived in this house."

"Oh, really?" the Muggle man said, sounding genuinely interested again. "She lived in this house? My wife and I have lived here for six years, so she must have left some time ago."

"She did."

"Was she your wife?"

Severus blinked, seemingly quite shocked by this question. "No," he said quickly. "I was -- just her friend. I knew her when we were children."

"Oh, I see."

"Mike?" a woman's voice called, and all eyes turned to the house they were standing in front of. A young woman with short brown hair was standing by the front door, looking concerned as she asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Oh, no, Laura!" the Muggle man, Mike, said quickly. "Just having a chat with these folks."

Laura came over to join them, and Harry noticed that she had friendly, twinkling eyes that were almost as dark as Snape's. "I'm sorry," she said with a smile. "I didn't realize we had company. I'm Laura Hanson."

"Severus Snape."

"Harry Potter."

"Oh, and this is Joanie," Mike Hanson said, petting the golden retriever gently on the head.

Harry grinned at the dog, but Severus's expression remained unreadable. "I apologize if we have disturbed you," he said blandly. "I was merely showing Harry the house where his mother lived --"

"Oh, your mum lived here?" Laura Hanson asked, looking down at Harry kindly. She really wasn't even that much taller than him, which was saying something.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said quietly.

"Is she waiting at home for you and your dad?"

Harry blanched. "She -- she died when I was little," he said at last, "and Pr -- Severus isn't my dad."

Severus raised an eyebrow pointedly, but Harry kept his gaze locked on Laura Hanson, pretending not to have noticed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," Mrs. Hanson said, and she really looked it. "Would you like to come in? I just made a batch of cookies, we're expecting our son Todd home any time. He stayed overnight at a friend's house -- he's about your age, I'd guess."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Mr. Hanson boomed, without giving Severus or Harry a chance to answer. "Come inside, I insist --" And the next thing Harry knew, he was being ushered into the house behind Severus, who looked rather harrassed.

"We really can't --"

"Nonsense, it's no imposition!"

Whatever Severus said, one of the Hansons cut him off before he had managed to get out more than a few words. His brow furrowed slightly in annoyance as he was made to sit beside Harry on a sofa in the Hansons' living room. Mrs. Hanson hurried off to retrieve a plate of cookies, and a girl who looked a lot like Mrs. Hanson, only with longer hair, appeared from another room.

"Oh, this is our daughter Beverly," Mr. Hanson said, gesturing toward the girl. "Come over here, Bev..."

And Beverly walked over shyly, a paperback book clutched in her left hand. Harry was reminded strongly of Hermione, except that this girl seemed much less bossy.

"Hi," she said with a slight smile, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Hi," Harry said, smiling back. "I'm Harry Potter."

"I'm Beverly Hanson. How old are you?"

"Twelve."

"Oh, really? You're my age, then. I thought you would have been Todd's age, he's eleven next week."

"No, I'm twelve. My birthday was last month."

Mrs. Hanson was back now, carrying a plate heaped high with chocolate chip cookies. Beverly managed to get one before Mrs. Hanson forced the plate on Harry and Severus, insisting that both of them try one.

"They're my own recipe," she said happily as Harry took a bite and Severus eyed his malevolently.

Twice they nearly managed to leave, but the first time Severus was pulled back by Mr. Hanson, who wanted to brag about a golf tournament he had won; and the second time they were interrupted by Todd's return home. Todd then sat and talked with Harry for a quarter of an hour about television and basketball before they finally managed to escape out the front door.

Harry started laughing as soon as they were out of sight, and he didn't stop for almost a full minute. "Well," he said at last, "that was interesting."

"That was annoying."

Harry grinned. "You just didn't like them because Mrs. Hanson made you eat a cookie."

"They are far too.. cheerful. About everything."

"Yeah, that's really kind of true. I didn't know there were people that cheery and happy."

Severus shot a side glance toward Harry at this, but he was now munching on one of the cookies that Mrs. Hanson had insisted they take with them and didn't see it.

*~*~*

The first thing Harry noticed when they got back to Spinner's End was that Hedwig had returned. The snowy owl was flying in circles and hooting loudly, as if calling for her owner. Upon spotting Harry, she flew directly for him, landing rather hard on his shoulder and nibbling his ear as if glad to see him.

"Sorry, Hedwig," Harry said, stroking her feathers. "I didn't think you would be back so soon. I thought it would take you a week to go to Hermione and come back."

Hedwig hooted in a dignified manner as if to say that Harry had no faith in him. She didn't leave his shoulder until they were back inside Snape's house, where she landed on the back of the sofa and held out her leg to Harry.

He took the letter and unrolled it. Hermione's neat script was unmistakable.

Harry rolled the letter back up slowly, thinking about what Hermione had written. He was surprised that writing to Hermione hadn't supplied him with new information, but she hadn't said much that Ron hadn't already. Of course, she had a better view on Snape than he did, but that was just the kind of person Hermione was. Anyway, Harry was certain now that she was right. Mind, he wasn't going to be the one to tell Hermione that she had been right all along.

That reminded Harry, he should probably write to Ron and tell him not to go flying around in a bewitched car. That definitely shouldn't make front page of the Daily Prophet. Ron didn't need that sort of attention.