HP - Shadow Monarch - Chapter 233 - The Unpleasant Venom.

[Chapter Size: 2200 Words.]
Third Person POV

Evans' House.
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Severus sat at the Evans’ table, while Lily’s father remained quite open with him, continuing to talk about his vinyl record collection, letting a Led Zeppelin album play in the living room as they listened from the kitchen.

Severus gave his opinion on what he knew. He didn’t know much, but just enough to have a friendly conversation. He was becoming quite interested in the Muggle world and wanted to understand more about that universe.

When he was at Hogwarts last year, he had occasionally been buying magazines about businesses and companies, pop culture, music, the scientific field, academic studies, and even the automobile industry.

He was interested in many things, and for him, it was easy to talk to Mr. Evans—much more than he had ever done before.

It was a bit strange, as Mr. Evans himself had harbored a certain dislike for him after his falling out with his daughter in their fifth year at Hogwarts. Not that he could blame him for that—even the previous Snape had felt that dislike like a blade stabbed into his heart the moment he saw them during the holidays that year, when the man gave him a look as Severus walked down the street. After all, they judged him by his own actions, and that created a natural distance.

But things had changed since he received the invitation. So he had come out of a moral obligation and was genuinely surprised by the friendly change between them.

In the same way, the feeling seemed to be mutual. The man was quite enthusiastic as he spoke, while Mrs. Evans, finishing setting the table, placing everything that was missing, gave a few glances at Severus, watching him with surprise.

Lily sat silently in her chair after helping her mother. She didn’t feel comfortable stepping into the conversation between Severus and her father, and she even seemed unsure of how to deal with the new Severus. But she was amazed at how he and her father were having such an open conversation.

Miss Evans finished the table and quickly went to the living room.
“Petunia, the table is served. I hope you’ll come eat with us!” she shouted.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang at the same moment.

“Who could it be?” Mrs. Evans murmured, approaching, while even her husband raised an eyebrow in the kitchen, curious.

“It’s Venom!” Petunia’s voice suddenly exclaimed from the stairs as she ran to the door.

“You didn’t say he was coming!” she asked. Though she wasn’t angry.

“I invited him. He came,” replied Petunia with a gloomy look.

“Look, young lady, you’re not going to speak to me like that.”
Miss Evans touched her daughter’s shoulder before she could open the door, while Petunia made a face.

“I don’t care what you think of Severus, but he’s there in the living room as our guest. Someone who saved all of us. I’m not going to allow you to disrespect him openly like you did before. Are we clear? So I want you to behave, Petunia,” she said in a very serious tone.

Petunia still frowned.
“I know... I’ll try,” she said through gritted teeth, seeming to swallow her pride for everything that had happened. She couldn’t let go of it all so easily.

“Venom!” Petunia said as she opened the door, seeing a chubby young man enter with a bouquet of blue flowers in his hand.
“I finally managed to find some time for you, my dear. Here.”
He handed them to her, and she accepted with a smile, giving him a small kiss on the cheek before running to the kitchen, while he stepped inside, shooting a nasty look at Severus.

“Venom is here?” Mr. Evans commented as he watched his daughter filling a pitcher with water and placing the flowers inside.
“Venom gave me these,” she announced. “At least he knows how to behave.”
But she didn’t miss the chance to comment with a venomous tone.

“Petunia!” It was Lily who spoke in a stern tone.

As Petunia was about to respond, she saw her mother entering the kitchen with an equally stern look, and Venom was right behind her. She fell silent.

“Venom, it’s good to see you,” Mr. Evans commented, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m here, Mr. Evans. I heard what happened and came to see how my Petunia and your family are doing, with great concern.”
He spoke, giving a scowling glance toward the boy who had his back to him at the table, sitting beside Petunia’s sister, while Lily greeted him with a nod, being friendly, but Severus didn’t even seem to care about Venom’s presence.

That made Venom irritated as he remembered the moment when Severus had chased him off after catching them together last year.

“Come on, Venom. Sit here,” Petunia said in a cheerier tone, and Venom followed her, sitting down beside her at the table, now facing Severus.

The latter looked at Venom for the first time. For the first time, that gaze seemed to shine with an unnatural blue, making Venom freeze for a moment. He swallowed hard but quickly recovered, thinking he was seeing things.

The table fell silent for a moment, as Miss Evans took her seat.
“Let’s start eating,” she requested, while everyone served themselves.

“Daddy, did you know that Venom is doing really well in his internship at the company where he works?” Petunia began, casting a mocking look at Lily, seemingly showing off.

Mr. Evans turned to Petunia and Venom with a smile.
“Is that the internship you mentioned? Amazing that you’re already doing well at your age,” Mr. Evans said.

“Of course! My father helped a lot by talking to his friend about the job, and I’ll be the man who surpasses him when I start my own family,” Venom said as he held Petunia’s hand, making her blush, and Mr. Evans nodded, pleased.

Then Venom’s gaze turned to Severus.
“So, are you dating Petunia’s sister?” he asked, as Severus lifted his eyes to him, catching Venom off guard once again, before returning to normal, still thinking the chubby guy was seeing things. Something about Severus deeply bothered him—he just didn’t know what.

“No, he’s not my boyfriend,” Lily corrected, a little embarrassed.

Severus simply nodded. He knew that this little guy was quite annoying and was doing his best to keep his shadows under control, so they wouldn’t lash out at him.

“I think Petunia talked about you,” Venom spoke again, while Mr. Evans frowned, and even Miss Evans kept a sharp look.

“I imagine it must’ve been lovely things,” Severus mocked.

Petunia clenched her teeth, but a look from her mother made her stay quiet. Still, she couldn’t stand hearing Severus mock her like that.

“I heard your father was a drunk. I feel sorry for Petunia’s sister,” he began.

“What do you mean?” Lily clenched her teeth, staring at this man like a hawk, someone she also found very unpleasant.

“Well, you’re not lying,” Severus’s voice interrupted everyone before they could respond. He had no problem saying it. It was the truth.

He didn’t like his father, never wanted to see that man again, and even felt a bit satisfied for having beaten him up a few times. Not that he was proud of hitting someone so weak, but that bastard deserved it.

“Well, good thing you know. Then you must also know that you have a tendency to be like him. That’s why I feel sorry for Lily’s brother. She’ll have to live with a man like your mother did,” Venom said, and the entire table went silent.

“Venom!” It was Lily’s father who began to speak.
“How dare you come into this house and mock my guest?”
He spoke in such a dangerous tone that even Petunia was startled.

Walter was satisfied with it and didn’t regret it, even if Mr. Evans was angry.

“How dare you? Severus is nothing like his father!”
It was Lily who slammed her hand on the table.

Meanwhile, Venom just looked at Severus, waiting to see his reaction. Their eyes met for a moment. They seemed to shine dangerously once again, making Venom fall silent the next moment as sweat began to drip down his face immediately. He wondered what that was.

“Venom, are you okay?” Petunia noticed the change and touched him with concern, as he finally seemed to snap out of his trance, looking once again at Severus, seeing that he no longer had that gaze. He thought, for the third time, that he must be imagining things.

“Petunia, if you don’t stop your boyfriend from being rude to our guest, I’ll ask both of you to leave this house until Severus is gone. Are we clear?” Mr. Evans said in a very serious tone.

“All right, Daddy,” Petunia murmured. Although she wanted Venom to stand out against those weirdos, she still had respect for her father.

“So, Severus, I remember you used to have some interest in motorcycles,” Mr. Evans spoke again, trying to change the subject.
“Yes, I saw you have a T140 in the garage, don’t you?”
“You saw it?” The man broke into a wide smile. “And it looks like you already know the model. I love my Triumph T140.”

“Yes. I’ve been researching some engines, and I like that engine with over 700 cc,” Severus commented, drawing a rather surprised look from Mr. Evans and even from Lily, with his interest in engines.

Severus had been studying a way to create something to leave this world. So, obviously, he needed to understand the mechanics of this world and see how advanced they were in order to try to build an interstellar ship that could travel between worlds. Obviously, there was no way to surpass the speed of light, but there were technologies that could make someone shift position quickly, creating a kind of wormhole between one atom in this galaxy and another point, for instant travel.

That’s how inter-world travel worked — and how the Order acted to protect the worlds.

“Oh, so you’re thinking of buying a car? Can you afford one?” Venom suddenly spoke again, grinning.
“My dad’s going to buy an Austin Allegro once I finish my internship and get hired at the company,” he began boasting with great pride.

“Actually, I already have a few cars,” Severus said, making everyone at the table turn to look at him.

“You already have cars?” Mr. Evans was the one to ask, surprised.

“You could say so. Well, like I said, I’m studying engines, and I also bought a T140 for myself. I actually have three of those. But I also bought a Ferrari 365 GT4 BB and a Lamborghini Countach LP400, which are very good engines. I have more than 100 cars, to be honest, but I’m thinking of dismantling them all,” Severus said.

“But those cars cost a fortune!” Miss Evans murmured. Even Venom went silent at that moment, and Petunia had a stunned look on her face.

“Severus is a lord now, dear,” it was Lily who spoke.

“Oh, that’s true. Well, I suppose money isn’t a problem for you anymore. But I’m surprised you’re still interested in engines, even being a...”
Mr. Evans was about to say, but Venom interrupted, looking at Severus full of rage.

“A lying freak!” he suddenly shouted, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What is this?” Miss Evans looked horrified at Venom’s outburst.

“Do you really believe someone like him, with the drunk father he has, would have all that?” he said, outraged.
“He’s lying! A liar!”

Mr. Evans suddenly slammed the table and stood up.
“I could even try to explain this to you, but you’ve insulted my guest once again and broken my request. I’m certain Severus isn’t lying. He really has become someone very important in their world, and money wouldn’t be a problem for him now, after everything he’s done,” Mr. Evans said angrily.

“But it was because of him that we got hurt, Dad! How can you talk to Venom like that?” Petunia suddenly shouted, and chaos broke out.

Venom ignored Mr. Evans’s anger and pointed at Severus.
“Was it you who caused them to get hurt?!” he said, trying to play the white knight.

“I’m not proud of it,” Severus admitted, though he didn’t care one bit about Venom’s rage.

“You bastard!” Venom exclaimed, lunging at Severus, while Miss Evans screamed in fright.

Severus caught Venom’s fist. He knew the chubby boy was afraid of him. He was no longer that skinny kid—now he had an athletic, tall build. Venom normally wouldn’t mess with him, but he was full of rage.

Severus simply twisted his arm, making Venom’s expression shift from fury to pain as he cried out, writhing, leaning his body to the side, trying to stop Severus from breaking it or doing something worse.

In the end, lunch with the Evans family turned into complete chaos.