Sevtunia (Severus/Petunia). Young Severus. Young Petunia. Young everyone. Takes place the summer after the falling out between Severus and Lily. Eileen Snape features in this at some point! Supportive Severus. Young Sev is a sweetie pie when he isn't being bullied or assaulted or harassed and you can pry that out of my cold dead hands, too. Good Petunia in this one.
TW: Sexual assault of a teen by an adult, mention of past sexual assault by a teen against another teen (The Incident that led to the falling out), use of slurs, mentions of bullying, consensual teen sex, teen pregnancy, hiding a pregnancy.
So this one got away from me. It was intended to be a prompt, but it's too long and detailed for that. It is also not a fic. However, it could be a starter for a fic. If you want to pick it up, go ahead and you can change what you need to in order to fit where you want to go.
This could also be a starter for a role play instead. If anyone who ships these two, Severus/Petunia, wants to role play this with me I would be thrilled to do so and would happily give out my Discord username. Must be 18-years-old or over for that, though. If you're interested but want additional information about me before deciding then I am happy to answer questions.
Just thought I'd throw it out there as a possibility!
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
The summer directly after Severus and Lily's falling out, Lily chose to say very little about what happened between her and Severus to her family. She just said they wouldn't understand or that she didn't want to talk about it. That they had had a fight and were no longer friends and that was that.
Their parents were concerned because Lily and Severus had been friends since before they started at Hogwarts, practically inseparable. What could he have done that was so terrible?
But then Lily mentioned she had a boyfriend named James, someone she met at school. Lily and Petunia's parents were sure they had figured out what had happened. Lily had found a boyfriend and Severus had gotten jealous and she had chosen her boyfriend. Tale as old as time. Sad, but it happened a lot as children began to grow up.
Petunia was not so convinced. Of course she could see that Severus adored Lily and that he had been in love with her. She saw it because Petunia was in love with Severus and she knew Lily was not. And she knew Severus would never see her the way he saw Lily, so she had acted out and made an enemy of him before he could see through her and reject her.
But Petunia was not as unobservant as her sister liked to think. She had watched many interactions between Lily and Severus and she had never seen a single indication that he would hold a boyfriend who was not himself against Lily. She was sure he would be sad and brooding about it, as he was about most things and as many a teenager in general was about many things, but she didn't think he would mistreat Lily.
Though, to be fair, she supposed, Lily had not told their parents any such thing. It had just been an assumption that Lily had chosen not to correct. Petunia thought that wasn't very nice of her, but she also didn't think her sister always was very nice. She was not a terrible person, of course, and Petunia loved her sister. She would be a hypocrite if she thought Lily a terrible person for not always being very nice despite the fact that Petunia herself was not always very nice, either. She was jealous of Lily and the attention she got and the praise she got and her general specialness and it hurt to be so left out and to constantly be told she wouldn't understand despite the fact that she had not been given a chance to understand anything. Lily refused to explain even the smallest thing and often would not let Severus explain anything, either, though Petunia could tell the boy was bursting to talk about his favorite subjects.
When Petunia had the misfortune to meet James Potter for the first thing, she had had enough. She thought the boy was an absolute tosser and she didn't know what Lily saw in him. Alright, he was conventionally attractive but so what? Petunia didn't go for conventionally attractive and even if she did the boy's personality left much to be desired. And there was something in that boy's eyes that she did not like.
When she said as much to Lily they had gotten into an awful row and she had accused Petunia of once again being jealous of her and of wanting to ruin or take away all of the things Lily had. That had never been true. Yes, she had often been jealous of Lily but she didn't want to take anything away from her. She just wanted to share things. Or have the things that Lily did not want.
Petunia wanted to know what was really going on and so she ran outside after their row and ran all the way to Severus's house where she knocked on the door.
Sev's father answered and Petunia had rarely seen him but she had always found he made her uncomfortable just to look at him. When she told him she was there to see Severus, he let her in and yelled for "the boy" to come and because his "ugly lass" was here to see him.
Petunia didn't love being inside the house and she didn't love being called ugly, either. But she waited, anyway. She didn't mind being called Severus's lass, though, so she didn't say anything. She didn't think it would be a good idea to upset the man besides.
She wished she had waited outside. Tobias looked her up and down and he got quite close to her, enough that she could smell the spirits not just on his general person which was bad enough but on his breath and see his bloodshot eyes.
She gasped when she felt his hand on her rump and he said, "Ye do remind me of me wife, though, a bit."
"Da!" Severus had shown up just in the nick of time and his tone was one of shocked horror when he saw how close his father was to Petunia and where his hand was.
"Don't take any kinda tone wi' me, boy! We wasn't doin nothin, 'er and I, and don't neither of you lot go sayin otherwise," Tobias growled.
Severus said nothing else and just hurried over to Petunia and grabbed her by the arm and ushered her outside as quickly as he could, walking away from the house with her.
"What the bloody hell, Tuney??" Severus hissed at her, quiet as though his father still had some ability to hear them as far away as they were when he chose to finally speak.
"Well, h-he invited me inside and I didn't want to be rude...You said rudeness makes him upset!" Petunia replied, feeling defensive as well as embarrassed and still frightened from the encounter. She had never had anything like that happen to her before. She'd heard about it, read about it in books intended to scare young girls into being prim and proper and modest, and watched movies about it that were designed to have the same effect. But she hadn't done anything that wasn't prim or proper or modest. Her dress covered her more than most girls in the 70s did at the moment. She was sure she had done nothing to invite what he'd done...
But he had still...still...
"Tuney, stop. It's fine. I mean...it's not fine, but...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..." Severus said, knowing he was saying all the wrong things. But he had been frightened too. When he had seen her there and seen what his father was doing his heart had seized and he had not been certain he wasn't suffering a cardiac arrest at the ripe old age of 16.
But he realized that what he had said sounded like he was blaming her and he didn't want to do that. He had no idea why she was even here, but coming to speak with him didn't mean she was asking for...for...for that.
He would have been similarly horrified if he'd walked in on that happening to anyone. He had heard his father make comments about teenage girls before, but he'd never seen or heard him talk about having actually touched any of them.
Petunia said nothing for a moment and bit her lip and hugged her arms.
"Really, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..." he repeated. "It wasn't your fault. What he did."
Petunia looked off to the side because her eyes felt hot and she was afraid she was going to start crying. She needed to change the subject.
"I-I just...came here because I wanted to know what happened between you and Lily. She won't say..." Petunia said, giving a little sniffle and hoping he wouldn't mention it.
He didn't mention it, but he did put a careful arm around her. He wasn't good at comforting, but he figured he should just do what he always wished someone would do for him. Not that he had experienced what she had, but he always wished when his father hit him that someone was there to hug him. Even now at 16. His mother often did, but she was battling her own demons thanks to his father. She couldn't always be the present and supportive mother that he needed. Yes, he wished that was different, but he didn't blame her.
He was surprised when she actually relaxed against him. Too late he'd remembered that girls don't always like to be touched after a man took advantage of them.
"If she doesn't want to say then perhaps I shouldn't, either," Severus replied, quietly.
"She brought that stupid boyfriend of hers over. James Potter. I don't like his eyes. Or the way his mouth looks when he smiles," she said. "Mum and Dad think he's the reason you stopped being friends, you and Lily."
"They're right. And so are you. Stay away from James Potter," Severus said. He didn't think that...hooligan would try anything against Petunia as long as things were going well with Lily, but if for some reason Lily broke things off with him or threatened to then Severus wouldn't put it past him to threaten her sister. Or to actually hurt her. Petunia needed to know to stay away from him so that she was never within reach. Surely even James Potter wouldn't risk breaking the law to use magic on her, but he could use his fists.
"You mean, you had a falling out because you got jealous of that Potter boy?" Petunia asked, shocked. She wouldn't have thought it...
"No! I don't care who Lily dates. Even if it isn't me. So long as she's happy that's all I care about, but...I did something very stupid when James was...bullying me," he said, not wanting to tell her about the sexual assault. He told himself it wasn't the same as what she had just gone through. And he honestly didn't want to ever speak of it again. He hoped when school started again everyone was talking about something different and never brought it up again.
"What did you do, then?" Petunia asked.
"I...I called her a name," Severus said. "A horrible name. I never should've said it but I was feeling humiliated and...and it just came out. It's not an excuse, just...just an explanation."
Petunia was quiet as they walked and she was glad he hadn't taken his arm away from her. It helped. He was warm and his arm was surprisingly strong despite how skinny he was. She felt...safe.
"What was the name?" Petunia asked. She wondered if he'd called her a cunt or something. Petunia had called Lily a cunt before, though, and Lily had returned fire with the same in the past. Surely she wouldn't break off such an important friendship over a silly thing like that.
"Mudblood," Severus said, quietly, almost too quiet for Petunia to hear. But she did hear it. Along with the shame and guilt and sorrow that laced it.
She'd never heard that before, but she could guess what it meant. What she didn't understand was the significance.
"What does that mean? Dirty blood or something?" Petunia asked. She didn't know what the bloody hell else it could possibly mean.
Severus was surprised that she had guessed right and she could see it. Did others not? Were all the Muggle-borns at that school stupid? How could you get anything else from it?
"Yes. It's a terrible, awful slur that pureblood wizards use against those who come from Muggle homes or have at least one Muggle parent. I couldn't have possibly called her a worse name if I'd tried," Severus said.
Petunia gave him a look. "You called her a nasty name and she broke off the friendship for that?"
"Yes, that's what I said," Severus said. He took a breath. It wasn't uncommon for him to lose his patience with Petunia but right now he didn't want to do that. Not after...well, not after.
"Did you apologize?" Petunia asked.
"Of course I did. It took me a while to get her to let me, but I did," Severus replied. Did she take him for a fool? Well...he supposed he had just told her the most foolish thing he'd ever done. That didn't quite make him not look like a fool.
"Then that's ridiculous. You've been friends since before you two even went to that stupid school. And she threw that all away because of a nasty name? Even if it was a slur," Petunia shook her head. She knew she was projecting a little, because she was in love with Severus and Lily had never been. She was perhaps more defensive of him than she should be, especially considering Lily was her own sister, but she didn't think she was wrong in thinking that after everything Severus deserved at least one more chance.
*****
Severus and Petunia spent a lot of time together that summer. She was 15 and he was 16 and somehow they struck up not just a friendship but things had become romantic between them without either of them realizing it right away.
They were both virgins at the start of the summer, but by the time summer ended they no longer were. They had given each other their virginity one night beneath the moonlight in a clearing in the middle of a dense thicket. And then they'd made love quite a few times after that throughout the remainder of the summer.
In early October, Petunia realized something was amiss. She had realized sooner but had ignored it and hoped she was wrong. She was not just late with her period. It simply wasn't coming.
Still, she waited and thought that if she just pretended hard enough and refused to acknowledge the likely facts then it wouldn't be real.
But finally she had to face reality and she took a test. And then another. And then another.
And then she cried in the girls' bathroom of her high school on the second floor through two class periods because she didn't know what she was going to do.
How could she tell her parents? They would be so disappointed in her, and she was already viewed as less than Lily in their eyes. Oh, they'd never say so but Lily was their golden child, their special princess. Petunia was just...Petunia.
Lily would never end up pregnant as an out-of-wedlock teenager.
Most girls would tell their sister, especially as close as they were in age, but she didn't dare. She didn't trust Lily not to go straight to their parents for one thing, but she was also worried that it could make trouble for Severus if Lily became angry at him.
She supposed she could just not tell her who the father of the baby was, but Lily was clever and would figure it out. She had already been suspicious about the amount of time she spent away from the house without an explanation and refusing to give any answers during the summer. She didn't think she'd been followed at any point, but she couldn't be sure.
She didn't want to tell her friends, because she had precious few of them and if they found out then other girls at school might find out and then the whole school would know and then the teachers would find out and they'd go to her parents and then the whole thing would be out. Good Lord, what a mess.
So, she said nothing for a long time to anyone. She didn't go to the doctor and she worried about what might happen because she wasn't. But she couldn't do that without the doctor informing her parents.
She considered writing to Severus instead of Lily, but for a while she was afraid. What if he didn't write her back? What if he ignored her? What if he wouldn't claim the baby?
Oh, why would he? She was just some ugly Muggle he had had a summer fling with because he missed Lily. That must be it, she was sure. Why would he want her? He could find a nice magical girl who was pretty. Someone who shared his world, someone he could make a name for himself with because he was clever enough to make a name for himself. But with a ball and chain like herself attached to him? Surely not.
She was more trouble to him than she was worth.
But finally she began to feel flutterings in her belly and she'd switched to baggier clothes and wearing her school uniform in a way that covered up for the very slight bump that had developed.
Finally, she wrote to Severus and told him that she was pregnant and that he was the father and that she was frightened and didn't know what to do. That she hadn't told anyone and hadn't been able to visit a doctor.
Her letters didn't go by owl, but of course there were ways for muggle siblings and squib siblings and muggle parents to send letters to students at Hogwarts without owls and magic.
Severus did not write to her for three days and she thought that that was surely his answer. Silence meant he was not interested in taking responsibility or helping her.
But in truth he had simply been stunned and had walked about in a daze for a few days before he had finally shaken himself out of it and written her back.
The owl arrived at her window late one night and when she realized that the letter was not from her sister she immediately tore it open. Nobody aside from Lily or Severus would be sending her anything by owl.
She'd cried when she'd read the letter and read it twice and pinched herself on the arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Maybe she wasn't so worthless after all, because Severus had written so much and none of it was rejection.
He had asked if she was alright, if she was sure she was pregnant and if she thought the baby was alright. She had expected he might try to nudge her toward abortion, because that is what happened when Susan Hurst got pregnant and told her boyfriend, though Susan was a year ahead.
But he didn't. She had told him in her own letter that while she didn't know what to do she did know she wanted to keep the baby. Abortion had not been so much as alluded to in his letter. She did wonder what he wanted, but he clearly was respecting her decision.
He urged her to tell her parents, because that was her support system. Her parents were good people and good parents and they might be upset or disappointed but he was sure they would rally around her and help her. And...she needed to see a doctor so her parents needed to know so that she could. It was best for her and the baby if she was able to see a doctor as soon as possible.
There was much more, but she was just so happy that he was not ignoring her or urging her to get rid of the baby.
She wrote back and said she was still too frightened to tell her parents because she worried that she would just be a disappointment to them. And what if they sent her to an unwed mother's home? That had happened to a girl in a different school she knew and the girl said it was awful and the baby had been taken from her and she'd never seen it again. Mary Louise Harper had never gotten over it and...and perhaps the less she thought about Mary Louise, the better.
They continued to correspond until Severus and Lily returned from Hogwarts for Christmas break shortly after.
By now her clothes were very thick and baggy. Severus saw her at the first available opportunity and they spoke with his mother. He knew she had to deal with so much and he didn't want to bother her with this but he was surprised that she didn't ask a lot of questions and she didn't get upset. She instead arranged for Petunia to see a medi-witch that specialized in midwifery and who could examine her and the pregnancy discreetly.
Things were different in the Wizarding World. Less restrictive and Eileen did still have contacts and knew how to get things done. If not for herself, then for her son. And she knew what it was like to be young and pregnant out of wedlock. That is how she came to marry Tobias. She thought if she had waited longer, if she hadn't gotten pregnant then perhaps she would've seen him for who he really was before marrying him and perhaps her son would have been born a bit later to a better man as his father.
But that wasn't had how things had turned out. Right now, history was repeating and though she hadn't wanted that for her son she at least knew that her son was not like his father. He would not abuse Petunia. Despite some cycles repeating, others would not. It was not too late for her son, even with this.
After Petunia and the pregnancy had been seen to by the medi-witch and both she and the baby had been given a clean bill of health and a list of things she needed to do in order to make sure that had the best chance of continuing to be the case, with Severus holding her hand the whole time.
After that...and after filling some potions and vitamins prescriptions and leaving with an appointment for a follow-up at a later date, Severus insisted it was time to speak to her parents.
Petunia was still worried, but Severus said he really didn't think her parents would react the way she thought they would and if they did...if they threatened to send her away then he would involve the Ministry. Petunia carried a child that belonged to a Wizard and that meant Muggles couldn't just disappear the child or withhold the child from Severus without a very good reason.
This settled Petunia and she agreed to speak with her parents. Severus went with her for that, too, and the whole story came out as they sat on her parents' couch.
They had not been thrilled. But Severus had been right. They did not treat her like she was awful for getting pregnant and they did not threaten to send her away.
Lily, however, was home for Christmas as well and she was there for that conversation and she did not react well to finding out that her former best friend had gotten her baby sister pregnant.
