The next morning, though to him it may as well have been late night, he was still awake and staring at his stained ceiling. His arms were propping his head up and he was trying to chase away the images of Petunia and the looming Order meeting with sleep. Damned Insomnia. Paranoia and war were awful for ones health and he found himself, around four in the morning, deciding to give up and go make a spot of coffee. He still had hours to wait until Dumbledore showed up to take he and Petunia to wherever the meeting would be held. He could only imagine what Gryffindor idiot was playing host to Dumbledore's cause.

He'd already drank half the pot and read the entire Daily Prophet when there was a shrill, ringing sort of sound that echoed around the house. It made Severus jump, spilling his lukewarm caffeine and glare at nothing. What on earth was making that horrid sound? He followed the sound through to his sitting room and felt silly. He wasn't sure why the muggle telephone was still turned on, much less how it was still working with all the magic, but he would definitely have to put a fix to that.

Severus frowned, awkwardly picking the phone up and holding it to his ear. "Hello?" He asked cautiously.

"I was wondering if you were awake," a voice said on the other line.

Severus immediately relaxed, not having realized he'd tensed. "Well if I wasn't before, I certainly am now. The sun hasn't even risen, why are you calling?"

The voice got audibly more confident at that and she responded dryly. "I was thinking to myself how friendly and approachable you are and I wondered if you were always like that or I was just lucky enough to catch you at good times."

Severus smiled, not remembering the last time he'd used this telephone thing. It had been before Hogwarts, he knew that, but he thought it might not be so bad. "Are you having trouble sleeping?" He asked.

"Of course not," she scoffed, as if the idea were ridiculous. "I like getting up early."

"I see. And that's why you didn't even try to sleep in your bed?"

There was a pause and shuffling and he could tell she was looking around to see if he was watching. He laughed, knowing he'd hit the nail on the head. "If you must come over," he said in a somewhat snarky tone, "I suppose you may, but I'm not feeding you. There are laws about feeding wild animals, you know."

"Right there with not feeding the homeless man off of Haversham too, I suppose. He might follow you home and you'd never get rid of him."

Then the line dropped, and it took until there was a knock at his door for him to realize she'd hung up. He would admit that it had been some time since he'd visited the muggle world outside of his neighborhood. He might have to. He refused to remain ignorant of such things, even if he'd decided to leave that world.

She looked exhausted, was the first thing he noticed. Her clear, watery blue eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, surrounded by dark circles. She obviously hadn't bothered to dress or do her hair, only throwing snow boots on and a heavy, male winter coat over her nightgown. He knew it was her father's coat. It was probably the first one she'd seen to grab on her way out the door.

"Are you going to let me in, or are we going to stand here until whatshisface comes to retrieve us?"

Severus smirked, leaning against his door jam. He knew she had to be cold. "I haven't decided. Perhaps we could discuss literature, maybe swap wild stories. I defeated a werewolf once, you know."

Actually, he had been in his human form and his back was turned, but it still counted with technicalities. Her eyes lit up slightly at the mention of a werewolf, but then she mock glared at him instead, pushing past him and into his warm house.

A month or two ago he would never have thought of it as warm. It had been a place, nearly an abandoned place, that he found any excuse he could to get away from. Now, it seemed to brighten with the flux in company he'd kept. Even if the only real company he seemed to have on a regular basis was just as surly and bad tempered as he was.

"So," Petunia said once he re-entered his kitchen. She was sitting on his counter looking at his Daily Prophet. "What's for breakfast?"

"What makes you think I'm feeding you?" Severus asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a cart of eggs. "Are you still allergic to grape?"

She hummed her response, her eyes still roving hungrily over the morning paper and its moving pictures.

"Get off of my counter," he demanded. "I make food there. You're contaminating it."

Petunia smirked and hopped down, putting the paper back on the table and coming over to watch him cook. It was only eggs, and toast with currant jam instead of grape, but she watched his hands move with an almost fascinated light in her eyes.

"Lily was there last night," she told him.

An egg fell to the floor, breaking and splattering yoke. He almost pulled his wand out to clean it up, but thought that it might be a bit insensitive, and went to find a cloth.

"Oh?" he asked in a way he hoped sounded nonchalant.

"She asked me to stay away from you."

Severus expected a stab of hurt to, well, stab him, when she said that. But he felt nothing more than the startle of Petunia saying her name. Somehow, he didn't care anymore. He cared. Of course he cared, but it no longer seemed to burn him- the mention of her name. Right now, perhaps she was with Potter and his posse. Maybe they were insulting Severus. Maybe she was joining in, or smiling at one or two of their comments. He could even envision the smile that she might give them; perfect, sweet, and amused. Severus found, with only a slight bit of surprise, that he much preferred Petunia's crooked smirk.

"Severus!" Petunia scolded, moving him harshly aside with her hip and taking the pan from him. "You're going to burn them!"

He let her take over the cooking, moving on to make the toast. It was oddly domestic, the two of them cooking breakfast together. It was pleasant. It was achingly, wonderfully normal. While they ate, however, there wasn't the normal family talk one might have of news or politics. More, they were bickering over his house.

"It looks like a wreck in here," she told him.

"You look like a wreck," he countered defensively.

She gave him a look that reminded him of her mother when he and Lily had been out too long. "What's so wrong about spiffing things up a bit? Maybe repaint, get new furniture, move."

"Move?" He asked, catching on to that part. "What do you mean move?"

Petunia shrugged. "It's an old house. It's falling apart, without the need of paint or better furniture. There's mold-"

"I can use it in my potions," he said.

"The roof over your living room is caving in."

"I never have company anyway," he told her with a shrug.

"Your stoop is in danger of collapsing."

Severus sighed, setting his fork down. She mirrored it. "So you want me to move away."

It wasn't a question. But she answered. "Don't be like that. That's not what I'm saying."

That reminded him much of something Lily had said before, when she scolded him for defending himself against Black and Potter. He threw himself away from the table, standing suddenly enough that his chair toppled over.

"Then what are you saying, Petunia," he asked her testily. "Because I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Let's find a place together," she returned, just as strong and confronting as his own tone.

Severus stared at her and blinked a few times, his mouth opening and closing. "What-what do you mean?"

Petunia sighed, standing up and moving their plates to the sink. "I mean," she said, "that your house is falling apart around you. I have some money saved up, and I was thinking about finding a job at a library or something. Maybe I want to be a teacher. And you need to find a new place too. It makes sense, with Dumbledore obviously wanting to include me in your affairs that we find one together. Be flatmates. It-it isn't proper, but it's-"

"What's wrong?" He asked suddenly.

She was scrubbing too hard at a plate that didn't need it, and the water was too hot. She was scalding herself. Petunia stopped, but didn't remove her hands from under the burning faucet or look at him. "Vernon was there last night too. When I got home, he was talking to my parents and Lily about me. How much he loved me and wanted to marry me. He-he asked again."

Severus was going to kill him.

"Why didn't you come here?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"It was late at night," she reminded him in a low whisper, as though she were afraid someone were listening. "It wouldn't have been right!"

"You're not stupid," he told her. "You know what people will think if you and I moved in together, whether it was true or not."

She nodded and shrugged. "Maybe it will make Vernon back off. And, I don't care what anyone thinks."

He scoffed, moving to pace his small kitchen. "You sure seemed to care yesterday," he said resentfully. He knew he sounded petulant.

Petunia frowned, looking over at him. "What are you on about now?"

"'Of course we're not together'," he recited from the day before, "isn't that what you told Regulus? Am I such a monstrous person that you would say it so forcefully?"

"You prat! I thought I was helping you," she said, in just below a yell. "And besides, we're not together."

"Well, maybe I want to be!"

Severus stopped cold, glancing over to where she stood- in her nightdress, boots, and her father's coat- looking back at him with wide eyes. He hadn't meant to say that. He hadn't even thought it, hadn't considered it, until it was out of his mouth and he got a bit of clarity about it. He did want to.

Petunia opened her mouth to say something but he cut her rejection off before she could get it out. "You should leave," he said abruptly.

She looked as though he'd slapped her. "W-what?"

"Go away," he reworded, turning away so he didn't have to look at her. He didn't hear the heavy boots on the floor, but he heard the door slam. And he heard his own disappointed sigh follow it.

The sun was going down when she came back, properly dressed with her customary pea coat and beanie. Her hair was windblown, wisps of it stubbornly in her face that was pale aside from rosy cheeks and a red nose. Her mouth was parted as she breathed, making puffs in the cold. It took Severus' own breath away.

She didn't say anything to him, pushing past as she always did into his house that- unlike that morning- didn't seem warm anymore. Neither of them said anything, with a tension between them that felt familiar as it used to be.

"Is it because of her?" She asked him finally.

He frowned, not having taken his eyes off of her since she arrived. She hadn't looked at him once. "What do you mean?"

Petunia spun around to face him, her cheeks still red and her eyes narrowed. "I mean is this about Lily? Are you only friends with me for Lily? Are you only wanting to be with me because you can't her? Is this about her?"

"Of course it's not about her," he said harshly. "I haven't even thought of her. If that's what you think why are-"

"Stop it," she whispered. "I had to ask. I know that's what everyone else thinks. Your friend even brought it up himself, didn't he? He asked if you'd traded her for me. I had to hear it from you that that wasn't it."

"Oh." Severus didn't know what else to say. "Did you still want to look at places?"

Petunia shook her head. "No."

"Oh."

"I already found one."

"Oh?"

She smiled. "Plus," she said. "Considering the change to our relationship, it seems less improper than it did this morning."

She didn't have to explain what she meant, and she wouldn't have had time anyway. There was a throat clearing and they both turned to see Albus Dumbledore in Severus' living room, dressed in purple velvet robes with silver stars.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said in a way that told them he knew he was.

"Do you just, pop up, in peoples' homes?" Petunia asked. "Without invitation? That's quite rude."

He bowed his head to her. "My apologies, Miss Evans. I did not realize I would offend you so."

Severus only just resisted from telling the man that his presence probably offended her, and from Petunia's expression he knew he'd be right, but instead stepped closer to her. "Where are we going?"

Dumbledore only smiled indulgently at them. He wasn't going to say. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. However, you will obviously be there and able to deduce where you think we are. Are you both all set?"

Petunia answered for them. "We're ready."

The headmaster walked towards them and held his arms out for either of them to take. Severus felt a bit of pride at Petunia looking at him for the okay to take it. He nodded, grabbing the other man's arm at the same time she did. In a wink, that Severus didn't feel so much since his Apparation license, they stood in front of a large manor that could put Lucius' to shame. The front door was open and there were lights on each of the three floors. Without waiting for them, Dumbledore began to walk towards it with an air of imperiousness Severus had come to associate with him. Beside him, Petunia grabbed Severus' shoulder to steady herself- looking pale and green at the same time.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, nodding to the headmaster who was disappearing into the house. "Come on."

When they entered, with Petunia's hand on Severus' arm, Dumbledore was telling the people there about a man from the Death Eaters who had defected and was prepared to help the Order. It was just as silly a name as 'Death Eaters', Severus thought. The Order of the Phoenix. He could see Potter and his delinquent friends there, with Lily at his side. There were also two people he could guess were Potter's parents. So that's where they were.

Severus knew the moment the Marauders noticed his presence, standing in the doorway to a parlor. Lupin saw and nudged Black, who immediately jumped up on the defensive side.

"Snape! What are you doing here?"

"Ah," Dumbledore said, as though he'd forgotten, "Mr. Snape, Miss Evans, please join us."

Lily's head snapped to the two of them, her notoriously green eyes widening. "Tuney?"

Petunia's hold on Severus' arm tightened, but neither of them moved besides that.

"Severus and Petunia came to me yesterday morning. Severus had taken the Mark, and saw what Voldemort was capable of, and came to me for a way out. He has agreed to spy for us."

"Of course he did," Potter scoffed, glaring at Severus. "And under Voldemort's request no doubt. How do you expect us to believe anything he's said?"

At his master's name, Severus' Mark made itself known and he tensed at the pain in his arm. Only Petunia seemed to notice, tightening her comforting grip on his arm and looking up at him with slight worry. Severus ground his teeth for half a moment before glaring back at Potter, but it was Petunia who spoke for him- her blue eyes turned cold.

"You vile boy!" She snapped, causing everyone else aside from Severus to blink at her in surprise. "Severus has come to help your cause, despite knowing the welcome he would receive. How dare you act so sanctimonious! Hold your tongue before you let slip the emptiness between your ears, you- you blagskite!"

There was a pregnant pause in the parlor as everyone looked at her with wide eyes, Severus included and he thought to himself that he'd have to ask her later what exactly a blagskite was. Her chest was heaving, her lips were pursed, and Severus could barely keep his grin from his face; knowing that if he did grin, she would just as soon turn the anger towards him.

"You're a muggle," James said. "Do you know what people like him do to muggles? And yet you show up here on his arm as though we're the enemy. He's a Death Eater, and that's all he'll ever be."

"And you're just a bully," Severus replied. "I wonder now, how you and your disciples will entertain yourselves without people to terrorize."

"That is enough," Dumbledore decided, announcing it in his rumbling voice- despite having seemed perfectly content to watch the bickering until Severus became involved. "Severus is here with my approval and trust, and I ask that whilst we are here you respect that. Please, Mr. Snape, have a seat."

Severus and Petunia made their way through the violently silent stares to an empty love seat, coincidentally near the Marauders, but they ignored them. When they sat down Lily tried desperately to get her sister's attention, calling her that childhood moniker, but Petunia only faced where Dumbledore was- her hand grasping Severus' too tightly for strength.

Once having everyone's attention again, Dumbledore smiled at them. "I understand this is quite a shock, but I assure you I trust Mr. Snape as much as I trust anyone else in this room. I wish to stress that I would be very disappointed to hear of any baiting of either he or Miss Evans, both of whom are under my complete protection."

Severus didn't quite expect that, but wasn't going to say anything against that- only just resisting the urge to smirk at those Marauders. And Lily. Petunia's grip tightened, a comfort, and he tightened back. They were doing this.

At Severus' house later that evening, he and Petunia were making plans to meet the next day to look at the place she had found, and he found himself flooded with anxiety. They were moving in together. Two months ago, he wouldn't have two words to say to her that weren't insulting, and now they were moving in together, joining a war movement, and holding hands as he walked her out wondering to himself if he should offer to walk her home. He decided against it, deciding that it had been a long day and they both had much to think about.

She'd given him a lot to think about.

"I'll come over in the morning," she said as they reached the front door. "And we'll go over from here."

"Sounds logical," he said. Sounds logical, he mocked himself in his head. Merlin, he sounded like a blagskite. "What is a blagskite?"

A perfect red stain bled into her cheeks and she pursed her lips hard. "I-I don't know really. Father says it when he's talking to the telly, and well, I tried to look it up once but the only thing I can gather is maybe it's a variation of blatherskite; which refers to a person being foolish and talking nonsense, possibly without vowels."

She looked down and hunched her shoulders. "I'm being a bit of one now, aren't I? I've been told I-"

Severus cut her off, taking her face in his hands the way he'd seen it done, and lowering his mouth to hers. She stopped talking, stopped breathing if he heard right, and kissed him back. He hadn't realized how tense he was until she did and he relaxed. He wasn't sure where this bravery was coming from. This was something some Gryffindor would do, put his heart out like this. Severus should know better.

But she wasn't pulling away.

A/N: There she is. Chapter six. I hope everyone likes it, as we are just going to jump right in to the romance. Just, dive right in. And, before anyone asks, this will stay the same rating. I have no interest in writing smut. I have a very strict reading only rule for myself on that front. Let me know what you think. Also, I'm having issues focusing on anything serious (Sirius). So, I think I might write a few one shots to clear my head and inspire me. Send me requests and ideas if you have them!

Acacia.