The Darkest of Times
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Four- Dealing With Petunia

"Your sister's charming." Severus said, when they'd gone upstairs to drop off their bags.

"She's not my sister." Lilly pointed out. "Not really, at least."

In fact, it was the one advantage to being adopted, the fact that she wasn't really related to Petunia. Oh, she loved her parents as if they were her parents, no matter of blood could change that, but Petunia she was grateful to not have to claim.

Lily wondered how much of an ordeal this weekend was going to be. First, she had to put up with Petunia and Petunia's fiancé, who she doubted she was going to like, on sheer principle. Also, Severus' presence meant she had to keep up her act of hating Muggles and having turned over to the dark side, which meant she couldn't treat her parents like she normally would.

Which meant that they were going to have lots of questions by the time the weekend was over. Of course, they were already going to have lots of questions since the last her mother had known, she'd been dating James and now she brought Severus home for the weekend. Her mother was at least going to mention it, she was sure.

"Your 'mother' was expecting James." Severus stated. "You didn't tell her about me."

"No." Lily said quietly. "I didn't. We don't talk much."

That didn't used to be true, but now it was. Lily had barely talked to her mother since her spy job had started. She didn't know what to say.

"Severus, it doesn't matter what they think." She assured him. "After all, Father approves and that's what counts."

---

Severus was completely bored. He was not a fan of Muggles and Lily's 'parents' weren't even amongst the interesting sort. Oh, they were nice enough, in a boring kind of way. A very boring way.

And her 'sister' was quite obnoxious. Severus passed the time thinking of all kinds of deliciously nasty things to do to her, though he knew he couldn't do them this particular weekend without blowing Lily's cover, but hopefully there would be an opportunity at some point in the future...

"So, Severus what do you do?" Rosemary Evans asked cheerfully.

"I work in Potions." Severus told her. "I'm just finishing my Mastery."

"Potions..." George Evans said. "That's like being a scientist, right?"

"Yes, Dad." Lily said, before Severus could speak up. "It's a lot like Science. Severus is one of the youngest Potions Masters ever. He's quite gifted."

"What do you do with a Potions Mastery?" Petunia asked disdainfully.

"You get a job in an Apothecary, you could work for the Ministry, or you can teach." Lily said, once again speaking for Severus. "It's not that different from being a scientist, except, well for the magic. Really, Petunia, contrary to what you might think we're not all a bunch of freaks doing strange occupations the rest of the world has never heard of."

Severus heard the bitterness in Lily's voice and wondered how much scorn she had suffered from her 'sister' over the years. He suddenly had a thought of how difficult the last years must have been for Lily, scorned at school for not being pureblood, wrong as it now turned out, and scorned at home for not being muggle.

Oh well, at least those days were behind her. Now that she had taken her true place at her father's side, no one would ever make her feel inferior again. If nothing else, Severus would see to it...