12

Chapter 12 Cavemen

After a couple weeks, Petunia had had enough. Insulting Severus directly, whenever her parents weren't within earshot had absolutely no effect. He didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. It was just intolerable that the neighbors kept seeing him lurking about the Evans' house because he kept showing up in broad daylight. He had no sort of consideration for people's reputations.

Petunia planned it all perfectly. Severus left their house before dinner time every day to go home, and on Petunia's night off of work, she'd go into Lily's bedroom, and have one of those girlfriend heart-to-heart talks to make her see sense that this Snape boy had to go, and it was kinder to just cut him off completely before things got any more out of hand.

Lily's bedroom door was ajar, and Petunia politely knocked on it before entering with a friendly smile on her face, in spite of there being a smelly owl cage in the corner of the room. Fortunately, the repulsive flying beast was not in the room.

"Petunia?" Lily greeted questioningly.

"Lily, you have to try this great new shampoo. It smells so good."

"Really?" Lily asked as she reached for the bottle that Petunia was offering.

"I've gotten compliments on it," Petunia mentioned lightly, before taking hold of Lily's hand. "What have you done now? I hope it's not more frogspawn."

Lily studied her other hand, but saw nothing wrong with it. "No, no frogspawn yet. We haven't seen any in the river yet at all this summer. Do you think maybe there could be a higher pollution level from some factory around here?"

It was a little too early in the talk to bring up Severus's house so close to the river meaning he was the 'wrong sort', and that Lily should not be walking along that filthy river with him anyway.

"Maybe if we scrub them up good, put some lemon juice on these freckles, give you a bit of a manicure, and then put a coat of polish on," Petunia suggested.

"All right," Lily responded slowly, wondering why Petunia was suddenly so nice. Was she having someone special round for dinner, and was trying to make Lily look presentable?

"Great. I'll go get everything. Do you want the same color for your toes too?"

"Um ..."

"I'll bring the whole lot so you can choose."

Lily was struck speechless as Petunia left the room to fetch beauty products. She turned around to her desk and placed the shampoo bottle down. Any more shocks, and Lily was afraid she'd drop it and shampoo would go squirting everywhere.

She had been in the middle of writing a reply to Mary MacDonald's letter when Petunia had come in, so took the time to cap her ink bottle and straighten everything up before Petunia returned.

Worrying, Lily took off her sandals and looked at her feet. She hadn't washed up after walking around with Severus today and they were rather filthy-looking. Afraid that Petunia would see them, she raced into the bathroom to give them a wash.

Lily beat Petunia back. It was small wonder because Petunia had a lot of stuff with her. It was intimidating.

This might be good, Lily thought, because both Helen and Mary took Muggle Studies, and Lily didn't know much more than the basics about keeping clean and well-groomed. If either of them were continuing to NEWT level, this could be a lot of fun to share with them. In addition to spending some quality time with Petunia. Lily had been missing the closeness she used to share with Petunia.

Petunia started Lily with one of her hands soaking in a small bowl of slightly foamy green liquid. She left and came back again with a basin of water, squirted something minty in it, and then stuck it in front of Lily's chair for her to soak her feet. Petunia didn't say anything, but Lily did see the look of disgust that Petunia gave them when she grabbed Lily's ankle to guide them in.

Lily kept from giggling as she watched Petunia arrange everything just so, like it was some sort of ritual. Petunia also showed this sort of level of perfection when she invited others over for tea. Lily wasn't invited to Petunia's teas, but the hours of preparation in the kitchen were absolutely necessary to ensure its success. Sev and Lily benefited because they could eat anything that was not considered perfect since it was considered trash. It was thanks to Petunia that Lily now knew some foods that Severus really enjoyed. Severus's oddities and secrets presented a challenge, but Lily had been working on it for years.

Finally the implements were laid out precisely, with some towels folded, and some spread out, and a second chair brought close for Petunia to sit on. She leaned over, and positioned everything once more for Lily's other hand to now soak. Work was now ready to begin on Hand #1, and Petunia cradled it in a towel and inspected it, before choosing her first tool.

Lily broke the ice with what she hoped was an appropriate subject for this occasion. "Are you seeing anyone special?"

"I have a couple fellows that show promise. No one steady yet. I don't want anyone too old, but he's got to have a good, steady job first before I'll agree to see anyone exclusively." Petunia looked up from Lily's hand, and asked, "You know what I mean?"

"Yes," Lily agreed, and she really understood. She was having a serious conversation with her sister.

"The … blokes at your school, anyone even worth mentioning?"

Lily doubted Petunia wanted to hear about Severus, so spoke in general, "I think it's true what they say about girls maturing faster, Tunie. It could be because I have the same four juvenile boys from my house in every class and at every meal … but they are just plain horrible. They still don't even use napkins when they eat, and wipe their mouths on their sleeves and their sticky fingers on their pants."

"At sixteen, they still do that?"

"Yes. Well, that's the boys from my house at school. I think the Ravenclaws take a little more care when they eat because they always have books with them. Some of the older boys are alright. This year's Head Boy was from my house, and he always had good manners, and I never saw him play any stupid pranks on people."

"It can't be that bad, Lily."

"Oh no, it is. They act like the toilet's some kind of fun house. They put spells on everything in there. It was so bad that one of the first year students started wetting his bed. I mean … I only knew because I'm a prefect. It wasn't common knowledge."

"What about a boy from that Raven group then?"

"They are afraid of the louts from my house. They get crazy when there's some sort of interhouse thing going on. They are so competitive. You know in my year, there's four boys and three girls in my house. So they think they own us, and the odd man out is allowed to go out of house."

"Does that mean you are in the caveman group?"

"Exactly!" Lily agreed with a laugh. "It's terrible how they lump the like personalities together. It just brings out the worst in the ones that might have been good." As she said this, Lily started out meaning Remus Lupin, but as she finished speaking, realized it could also apply to Severus.

"You need to get one with any sort of potential on his own then to see if he can act civilized. Sometimes you need to get them away from their mates to end the herd mentality," Petunia recommended, as she painted a conditioning undercoat onto the nails of Hand #1.

"Sev's house is worse because it has five boys to two girls in our year, but at least they aren't cavemen. They are smart enough to talk to other houses, rather than fighting over two girls. And if you met them, you'd see they weren't worth fighting over, Tunie. They are so conceited and snotty. Remember Camilla from grade school? Like her, but with ten times the attitude."

"I can't see Snape in the same category with someone like that. If your house is cavemen, Raven is bookworms, what's his?"

"Depends on who you ask. It's supposed to be cunning, which I interpret as thinking before you act and playing to your strengths, but the boys in my house think they are sneaky and underhanded. I agree sometimes they do some rather rotten things."

Petunia nodded. "So which group does that boy who insulted me at the train station belong to?"

"Cavemen."

"And they've been doing stuff to girls at your school? Not sneaky Snape's mates?"

"Yeah. I don't like any of the boys from that house though, but Sev. His house mates … they are very judgmental about families and bloodlines and pureblood wizards."

"Who's Snape to talk about families?" Petunia snarled.

"He doesn't. He's just in the same house with them."

"So you've kept it – his family – a secret from them, Lily?

"No. There's only a handful of these pureblood British families and they all know each other. They know he's not one of them."

Petunia held up a selection of nail polish so Lily could choose a color.

"You know, Lily. Snape's not one of us either."

"I know you don't like Sev, Tunie, but he's my friend. And … he's not horrible to you. I've seen horrible at my school and … it's just hard to tell you some of the stuff they do there without it sounding like I'm … tortured."

Petunia pouted, "I know it's been years since he dropped a tree branch on my head, but around here, Lily, people know who he is. They've met his father – not socially, of course. People are judged by the company they keep."

Lily was having a marvelous time with Petunia. She knew what her sister was getting at, and in the spirit of sisterly bonding, she didn't verbally object to the idea and cause an argument. She'd talk to Sev, and they would think of something.