Amortentia Dolorosa

Severus dragged his luggage out of the school, hoping he was, in fact, the last to leave. He'd managed to stay Christmas, the last few years, but he still failed to find a good enough reason to stay the summer. Of course, as far as he knew, no one stayed the summer -- the professors all had homes to go to, as did the students. But, he reflected, there was a difference between having a home and wanting to go home.

He kicked his trunk as it stuck on the threshold, and glanced nervously around. He'd make it to the last carriage without help, and soon he'd be on the train, headed back to his own personal hell. When he considered it, though, that hell did follow him around. Coming here hadn't gotten him off the hook, but here, at least, he could hide from the worst of it.

Roddy whistled, loudly, as he ran up from the carriages, bright red hair streaming behind him like a banner, to help Sev with his trunk.

"Hey, short, dark, and funny looking!" he called out, "You're coming home with me, this year!"

Roddy cheerfully grabbed the other trunk handle, as he reached the top of the stairs. "Don't argue with me," he muttered to Sev, "Just carry your end down the stairs. I don't want you getting knocked over like I know you did on the main stairs." The idiotically cheery smile never left his face.

Severus looked alarmed, before he realised it was Roddy racing toward him. Bloody Irish airhead. He'll turn every eye this way.

"You asshole!" he hissed over his shoulder, never looking anything but the same sort of disgruntled he always looked. "What the hell did you do?"

He started down the stairs, jerking the trunk, spitefully, to put Roddy off balance. "And you're mad as you've ever been. I'm not going home with you. Why in Merlin's name would I go stay in a house full of lunatics like you?"

"If they're lunatics like me, which is mostly true, it is, then they'll love you!" Roddy kept carrying the trunk as they headed toward the carriages. "You'll get to meet my cousin Maitiu -- well, all right, I should keep you away from him -- but you'll be surrounded by good folks and good food. You'll want for nothing, I promise you that, I do."

There was a long pause as he hefted the trunk atop the carriage, ignoring Sev's protests that he could do it himself. When he looked at his friend, again, his face was serious -- an odd look on Roddy.

"Me an' Lucky, we'd give you the world, if you'd take it, we would. Let me just get you a vacation."

He never could say no to that pleading look, when Roddy laid it on him. It didn't matter what he thought about the subject, he was going to say yes, because if he didn't, Roddy would -- well, actually, this time, he didn't know what Roddy would do. He'd never seen the Irishman look quite this serious.

"What about my mother?" he asked, delaying his assent, as he stepped up into the carriage and sat. "I don't want anything to happen to her, because I'm not there. And I don't want her to worry about me." He didn't mention his father, at all.

"Your mother?" As far a Roddy knew, Sev only talked about his mum when he was drunk -- and then it was about how he'd ruined her life. "I can have your mother done for. Can just send Murphy over to look after her, a bit. Murphy's a lovely girl -- great at all that kitcheny stuff, and not one to take any shite from anything. If your mum's got something to fear, she won't have to fear it, with Murphy by her."

He hopped into the carriage and stretched out across the seat. Being in the last always meant it wouldn't be full.

Roddy pointed at the girl trying to sit as far from Sev as she could on the bench. "You heard none of this, didja now?"

She looked up at him, dazzled, and shook her head. Roddy smiled brightly at her, "There's a good lass."

"Fine, Roddy. As you like it. I'll go." Sev didn't have to try hard to continue to look sulky. "You had best be dead certain nothing amiss happens to my mother, while I'm gone."

He glanced at the girl, and looked back at Roddy. "I thought you were witless at charms..."

"I am witless at charms, boyo. Charm is more important than charms, every time."

He smiled at the girl, again, and held out his hand to her. "Come by me, instead of that sulky creature. He's never been too fond of anyone."

The girl blushed and Sev snorted, derisively. With one more nervous look at Sev, she took Roddy's hand and stepped across the carriage, letting him pull her down to sit against him, just above his bent knees. "You're a pretty thing, you are. Don't let my boy, here, upset you. He's like that to everyone."

Slowly he drew her out into a conversation on totally inane things, until they reached the train.

[DONE]