Round Robin: The Basement **COMPLETE **
"Don't worry," the doctor said with a smile. "You'll get used to them."
Lily wasn't so sure, scowling as the crutches dug into her armpits. She'd never felt more awkward, leg trapped in a heavy, unfamiliar cast as she hopped around the room. Would she really have to do this for the next four weeks? Granted, Madam Pomfrey could heal her once she got to Hogwarts, but…
"We'll want to schedule a follow-up appointment, though I don't expect complications from such a clean fracture. Just be sure she doesn't put weight on it, and avoid contact with water."
"Of course. Thank you, Dr. Bosworth."
Lily thanked him, too, sighing in relief as her mum guided her out the door. She was glad she didn't have to spend the night, even more glad that she'd be home soon. Would Severus be there? She hoped so, anxious to make sure that both him and Petunia were okay.
"Wait here, dear," Mum said, leaving her in the waiting room. "I just need to grab your prescription."
Lily turned around, eyes widening as she spotted a familiar, dark-haired figure. Severus was curled up in an armchair, cocooned in an impossibly large bathrobe.
"Severus?"
His eyes snapped open, and in an instant, he was by her side. He took one of the crutches, replacing it with his shoulder as he helped her sit down.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded. "You?"
"Fine."
"How did you…"
"Severus?" Mum said as she returned. "What are you doing here?"
He shrugged. "Waiting for Lily."
Without further explanation, he handed her the crutches, letting Lily lean on him as they headed outside to catch a taxi. Lily stretched out in the backseat, propping her leg on his lap as Mum gave instructions to the driver.
"Now," Mum said. "Can someone tell me what happened?"
They started from the beginning, explaining how the door had gotten locked followed by the blackout. The bobby pins, the mirror, Lily's unfortunate tumble…
"I took a potion. That's the last thing I remember."
Severus nodded. "We couldn't figure out why she hadn't come back. Tried using a crowbar, then a screwdriver…"
"I don't understand," Mum interrupted, glancing over her shoulder at Lily. "Why didn't you use the key?"
"Because Dad had it," Lily said slowly. "Didn't he?"
"Yes, but there was a copy right there in the kitchen. Petunia didn't tell you? I mentioned it to her a couple months ago."
Lily and Severus shared a look with one another.
"... she didn't, no," Severus said.
"She must've forgotten," Mrs. Evans said with a tsk. "Severus, when we get home, I'll go ahead and call your parents and let them know that--"
"No, it's alright," Severus said quickly. "I--"
"They ought to know you're hurt."
"Mrs. Evans--"
"Severus Snape, you are injured, and your parents need to know how you are."
"We don't have a telephone."
"Oh, well I'll have to speak to them in person then. How about I drop you off at the same time?"
"You don't have to walk me up," Severus said.
"I insist," Mrs. Evans said. "And you're in no condition to walk on your own in any case. It's a miracle you can walk at all after putting a screw through your foot."
Once again, Severus found himself standing at a locked door, though this time, he was glad he didn't have a key. He waited as Mrs. Evans's knocking grew louder and more persistent, secretly thrilled by the lack of response.
"It's late," he told Mrs. Evans after another round of knocking. "They've probably gone to bed."
"Gone to bed without knowing where you are? Oh, I doubt that."
Severus didn't doubt it at all, sensing a slight magical vibration as he touched the door. He couldn't identify the spell, though knowing his mum, it was a Silencing Charm. It wouldn't be the first time she'd done it, afraid of what would happen if he came in too late and woke his father up.
"Maybe they're out looking for you?"
"Yeah, that must be it," Severus lied. "I'll just wait here until they get back."
"Leave an injured child alone in the dark? Your mother would never let me hear the end of it, and rightly so!" Mrs. Evans paused, pulling a pen and pad of paper out of her purse. "Bugger, I can't see. Severus, could you…"
She handed him a smaller version of the light Petunia had used during the blackout, directing him to shine the beam on the paper as she wrote.
"What's that?"
"A note for your parents. I'm just letting them know that you're safe and will be at our house. They can pick you up tonight or in the morning, whichever they prefer."
Severus knew his parents wouldn't be coming, though that didn't bother him in the least. On the contrary, he was delighted, unable to suppress a grin as he got back in the taxi.
When they arrived at Lily's house, Severus helped Lily lay down on the couch while Mrs. Evans went upstairs to find a pillow and blanket.
"Sorry about today," Lily said glumly. "If I'd known the key was in the kitchen--"
"Stop," Severus said, sitting on the side of the couch. "Petunia's the one who didn't mention the key."
"You're getting picked up, right?"
"I guess. Unless... I mean, if they don't come to get me--"
"Well, of course, they would," Lily said.
"Just in case, I could sleep in one of those chairs. I can't exactly walk up the stairs with...." Severus gestured to his bad foot and bandaged thigh.
"Right," Lily said. "Well, if that was the case, then at least we can spend more time together."
"The two of you better rest," Mrs. Evans said as she brought down a pillow and blanket. "Severus, would you like me to pull a chair up for you? Lily should have a bit more leg room."
"Oh, sorry," Severus said as Mrs. Evans brought the chair over, setting it right beside Lily. He scooted into it, careful not to put pressure on his foot. "Thank you."
"Is Petunia asleep?"
"Yes," Mr. Evans said as he appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "I've set the alarm for 2 AM."
Mrs. Evans nodded. "That should give us enough time to clean up. Can you grab the bleach? I'll get the mop and bucket."
"Alarm?" Severus said, turning back to Lily as their voices faded away.
"Concussion. They've got to wake her up because… I'm not sure why, honestly. She just…" Lily paused, stifling a yawn. "Severus?"
"Yeah?"
"What happened today?"
"Well, like I told your mum…"
"No," Lily interrupted. "I want to know all the stuff you didn't tell her."
He shrugged. "It wasn't that interesting."
"Come on, Sev. Please?"
He didn't feel like talking about Petunia, though he'd rather get stabbed with a screwdriver again than say no to Lily. Quietly, he began to talk, including as much detail as possible as he described those miserable hours in the basement. So what if his version made him look better and Petunia look worse? If she hadn't been stupid enough to forget about that bloody key, none of it would've happened in the first place.
"She didn't stab you on purpose… did she?"
He hesitated, deciding he wasn't willing to go that far. "No," he said. "She was just being careless."
Lily nodded. "Was that what made her get sick?"
"Sort of. After I fell down the stairs…"
"Again."
Unable to help himself, he smiled. "Yeah. Anyway, she'd gotten the first aid kit and was trying to clean the wound…"
"That was nice of her."
"Nice?" He snorted. "She was just afraid of letting me bleed to death and getting charged with murder."
"Severus…"
Lily was too sleepy to scold him, her eyelids drooping as he continued the story. By the time he got to the screw in his foot, she was fast asleep, her lovely face surrounded by a halo of red hair. Severus rested his head against the back of the chair, content to gaze at her until he too was struggling to keep his eyes open. Just a little bit longer…
The last thing he remembered was the feeling of a soft, warm blanket being draped over him, sighing in contentment as he drifted off to sleep.
~*~
THE END
~*~
