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Trials and Travels	By : sneakylillady Category: Twilight Series > Crossovers Views: 3592 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-Trials and Travels
- 2-New Beginnings
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Opening quote

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

Buddha

I’m fit to sleep for a week, Severus thought as he got off yet another plane, the last one this time. It had brought him all the way to Port Angeles, WA. Slowly he made his way past the baggage claim and wandered out of the airport, still only carrying his black leather bag. It went perfectly with his still sharply creased pants (enchanted not to wrinkle, of course), his equally smooth shirt and the long black coat that made him miss his robes. With a sinking feeling he remembered he would not be able to wear robes to work either, and that he had yet to actually find a job over here.

He’d located his grandmother who still lived in the same house that his grandfather had built for his very young bride before they’d got married. Irene Black had been a teenager when she’d married Henry Snapper – yes, Tobias had wanted to distance himself to the extent that he even slightly changed his name – and given birth to their first and only child a few scant months later. What precisely had happened to make Tobias run so far had never been clear to Severus, but he intended to get to the root of the matter once he’d actually met Irene in person.

At the car rental he made sure he’d be able to return the car two weeks later with no extra charges and proceeded to drive to Forks, as La Push where his family lived, apparently had no hotel or B&B and he didn’t want to intrude on Irene’s privacy just yet. He wasn’t even sure if she was aware of his existence. The drive was calming in spite of his fatigue. The landscape reminded him of Ireland somehow, intensely green and fertile. It was late May and he’d expected it to be warmer than in England. The cool temperature pleased him somehow and when gentle rain started pattering his windshield, a quick smile flashed across his serious face.

When he arrived in Forks he drove around until he found the B&B that was located on the other edge of town and lay back from the road behind a small stand of trees. It could have been set in some forest in England just as well, a charming small brick house with a barn across a small clearing. The owner gave him a warm welcome and showed him to his room, offering to give him supper this one night as he’d just arrived after a long journey. He thanked her in acceptance and went to rest.

It was dark when he woke up and he almost stumbled over a covered plate on his doorstep when he went to the bathroom on his floor. The Post-it that Mrs. Caldwell had attached simply said, „Enjoy! If it’s cold when you wake, feel free to use the microwave in the kitchen downstairs.“ Of course he was not about to tramp down to the kitchen now that the whole house was asleep and instead just used his wand and a quick spell to reheat the dish and eat at the desk in front of the window. It had been a venison stew with freshly baked bread and he enjoyed taste and texture a great deal. When he’d finished every last bite he spoke a spell to clean the plate and placed it outside his door once more, then went to turn off the light and watched the forest until he was ready to return to bed and sleep off the jetlag.

The next morning dawned clear and bright and Severus decided to drive to La Push to acquaint himself with the area his unknown family had lived in for generations. He dressed himself in equally unfamiliar clothes: a pair of black jeans, a dark green shirt and a black cable-knit sweater. Irritating, these Muggle things he never thought he’d have to put up with. He took a look in the mirror, threw his hair back and went down to have breakfast. Mrs. Caldwell offered to give him maps of the area but Severus politely declined, telling her he was already well supplied with local maps.

As he got into the car once more and drove towards La Push, his thoughts turned to Lily, wondering what she would be doing now, and if anyone apart from Dumbledore would really miss him back home. He realised that he still considered England and mainly Hogwarts home which made him sigh in exasperation. He paid more attention to the landscape and the healthy green of forest and field took his mind off the past. Instead he began to consider his options in the next half year or so. He knew that there was a highschool in Forks and a school on the reservation but had not checked into conceivably open positions in either school. At this point he could just hope there was a teaching position available or he’d end up washing dishes somewhere. He shuddered at the unpleasant thought of possibly having to dirty his hands if he had to work in public and was unable to use magic.

The drive passed quickly and he decided to drive down to the beach and walk there. He thought it might have a calming effect on him. He parked the car in a convenient spot, only to find himself not at all alone there. Two vans were parked there as well, empty and deserted. The sounds coming from the beach torturing his eardrums reminded him of unruly Hogwarts students and Severus unconsciously adopted his teacher’s poker face. At a determined pace he strode down to the water, expecting a bunch of teens up to no good. Instead, two groups of young people were busy showing each other how to surf. Severus bent down to check the temperature of the water and quickly withdrew his fingers, shaking off the cold drops quickly and efficiently. As he walked by the gutsy kids, they fell silent, nodding to him and he returned the taciturn greeting in kind, walking past them as if he was sure of his destination. Soon enough the beach ended in front of a high cliff. His choices were limited – either he could climb the cliff (not bloody likely), swim (just the thought of the temperature made him shiver) or cut back a little and take the roundabout way back through the trees. He wasn’t sure if he’d manage to ever find his car again but refused to return the way he came and bring more attention to himself from the surfers.

It was slow going over rocky terrain with unexpected pools of water appearing right in front of his feet, getting his shoes and pants wetter and wetter with every step. Suddenly he found himself on a dirt road that he gratefully followed, guesstimating that the direction would eventually lead him back to where he’d parked. After a few minutes walk, his soppy shoes making sloshing noises every time he set his feet down, he realised this was some sort of driveway leading to a rather lonely house set in a small clearing. The tall trees leaning over it on one side looked as if they were guarding and protecting it from the wiles of the weather, and the other side was dominated by a well-kept vegetable garden framed with flowers. Reluctantly he made up his mind. He’d ask for the way and then return to his warm room at Mrs. Caldwell’s B&B, maybe buy new shoes and food on the way. Caught up in his thoughts he never noticed the elderly woman watching him from the edge of the clearing and was startled like a deer in the headlights when she softly asked him if she could help him somehow.

„Oh..er.. yes please,“ he stuttered, then collected himself and said, „excuse me, Madam, could you tell me how to get back to the beach? I parked my car there to walk along the sea and must have got lost wandering through this lovely forest. If you would point me in the right direction, I will take up no more of your time.“ „You’re not from these parts, are you?“ she replied, giving him a thoughtful look. „Actually, I just arrived from Great Britain the other day and had planned to visit some relatives of mine“, Severus told her, surprising himself at volunteering so much information in so few words and after such a short time. The jetlag must still be worse than he’d thought to throw him off track so much.

„You have relatives here? Do tell, at my age I know nearly everyone who’s lived in this area in the past fifty years or so. I probably either delivered or taught them at one time or another.“ She smiled and Severus suddenly felt as if someone had opened the window to a sunny day in a dark and dreary room. He raised one eyebrow, looking at her more closely. Things aren’t always what they seem, he thought, and this seemingly sweet old lady had a steel edge to her he’d missed at first sight. With new caution he slowly said, „actually I was hoping I could find my paternal grandparents here. My father only spoke of them once and I came here not expecting anyone being able to help me.“ At his words her complexion paled but her voice never wavered as she said, „Severus? YOU are Severus?“ He recoiled as if she‘d struck him in the face, stumbling back a few paces, looking for all the world as if he’d prefer nothing more than to take off and run. Both of them stared at each other silently, assessing and appraising one another. Minutes passed, then her voice cut the silence, „I’m Irene Snapper and you may call me Irene for now. Your father Tobias is my son, as little as he wants to admit that. Would you mind catering to an old lady’s need for a chair and a cup of tea after this eventful afternoon?“ Mutely Severus nodded and followed her into the wooden house with the beautifully carved door.
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Trials and Travels