A/N- This is a compainion piece to the story "Through their eyes". It does deal with abused children, but mostly with Severus. It is not a new way of writing for me, but it is something that I am always a little unsure of. So please let me know what you think. It does not contain any onscreen abuse nor does it have any graphic descriptions of abuse. I am not sure whether this will be a one shot or a series. Reviews help with those decisions. Thanks. ~Case
His name was Michael. He was, at the time, a third year Ravenclaw. To Severus Snape it was obvious that something was not quite right with the child. For the last two years he had tried, unsuccessfully, to approach the boy, but Michael was one of the children who shut down when any adult tried to ask him questions. He saw that and he saw the stony mask that the child was always wearing. He saw the way the boy flinched when another student pointed his wand at him. He watched and he observed. He saw much that pointed in one direction. He was almost certain that the teenager was abused. He was also certain that unless the abuse was severe, that there was nothing that he, or Albus, could do. For the boy was a pure-blood and ancient laws, although they have been contested recently, still stood. It was extremely difficult to remove a pure-blood child from their parents, as he had learned with his Slytherins. Abuse was abuse, it did not matter the blood status of the child being abused, but the Ministry did not always see eye to eye with the morals of normalpeople. He kept watching the boy, filing away enough evidence in his mind to hopefully break down his barriers.
When he gathered enough, weeks later, he called the young teenager into his office to discuss an 'essay'. He hated this approach but he did not know how else to approach the boy. So he threatened to write to his father if Michael kept on with his poor grades. When the boy did not react at all, Severus sighed. He did not want to give up on the child, but how could he help him. And then it clicked. The boy's parents were divorced. With that he threatened quietly "I will also have to owl your mother and stepfather, and let them know of your dismal performance in my class." When the boy's eyes finally snapped to him, he froze. It was not fear nor anger, but a look of pain and agony. In that moment, the thirteen year old looked like a little old man. And then the pleads started. "Please professor. Owl my dad. Please don't owl my mum." With that, Severus started his questioning. The 'if you fear what awaits you at home' and the 'I will have to owl your mother unless you can give me a reason otherwise'. He knew it would work; it always worked with the stubborn ones. He pushed and pushed, until finally he had a frightened, crying teenage boy in front of him. He moved slowly, letting the boy see his slowly raising hand. The boy still flinched but relaxed visibly when the hand squeezed his shoulder. A little bit of encouragement and his story spilled forth in bits and pieces. Not all at once, of course. Severus took to letting the boy have some time to think and realize that he was safe, repeatedly telling the boy that he was safe. After the initial break down, he was still met with a stony faced teenager in their weekly meeting but the boy was much more open. It took time, months even, to get the boy to tell him as much as possible about his home life. And he was not the only child that Severus was listening to. But this year, Michael was the worst case he had found. After repeated talks with Albus, they had finally found a way to remove the boy from his home, but the child would have to talk to Albus first. And that was always the hardest part. When he first brought it up to Michael, the child had been angry and had run off. The next time he tried a different tactic, explaining it to the boy. Because, after several weeks of conversation, Severus now knew that he did not like to not know what was happening. A few talks later and he was sitting with Michael in Albus' office, encouraging the boy and offering his support and prompts to keep the boy talking. After that conversation, Albus was able to use his memories and Severus' to convince the Wizarding Child Welfare to transfer guardianship to the father and to terminate the mother and stepfather's custody of the child.
He watched as the boy's mood increased drastically in the few weeks before summer holiday. The boy was thrilled to live with his father, who until recently he had only been allowed to see for one week every holiday. It was a week into the start of term, his fourth year Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff class, when he held the boy back and asked him to meet him on their usual time and day. He had glanced at the boy during the feast, a child who was so drastically different that he had been for the previous three years. Many of his colleagues had pointed this out to him in the staff room; they had congratulated him on reaching a boy that they had failed to. He had shook off their praise and had even flushed slightly when Filius, the boy's head of house, had said that this was "Another one saved by our great Potions Master". He had brushed it off, of course. But he did have to admit to himself, and Albus, that it felt good to have been able to save one of them, this time.
It was with those thoughts that he held his first meeting with the child. He knew that the boy still had a lot to cope with, but Albus had suggested to the father that he take the boy to a mind-healer, a fancy term for what Severus had done for almost a year. Michael looked so much happier than Severus had ever seen him. He also looked healthy, which was something to celebrate indeed. Severus, of course, told the boy that although he was out of his mother's house, that he was welcome anytime in his office and that he would still like to meet with the boy, but every other week for now and perhaps even less in the future, if Michael kept getting better. The boy agreed wholeheartedly. What happened next surprised Severus, even though it had happened before. The boy jumped up and hugged him tight, before quickly letting go and flushing slightly.
"I wanted to thank you Professor. You helped me when no one else could, or would. Others gave up, but you never did. Dad was right. He told me when mum kicked him out, I was six, that those who we have no reason to fear can save us from the darkness, if we just let the light in. You were my light, Professor." Michael grinned at the speechless man, before biding him goodbye, promising to see him in two weeks, at the usual time, and disappearing out the door.
Severus had not said a word, his surprise clear in his eyes. With that he locked his office, checked his schedule and walked to the headmaster's office. He could have floo'd but he needed the time with his thoughts. The old coot called him in before he knocked, something that always annoyed Severus but did not seem to faze him today.
"Meeting with Michael, my boy? How did it go?"
Severus repeated the conversation, hesitating before adding the boy's parting remarks. "I see. What does that mean to you, Severus? To be a lost child's light in his darkest hour?" Albus asked quietly, contemplating the man in front of him. Severus' eyes snapped up to the older man and a brief smile graced his lips. "It means more than most could imagine. I believe he meant that everyone could be saved, if they just let the light, or those trying to help them, in." Albus smiled, his blue eyes twinkling. "Do you think that you can let this light in, Severus?" Although his lips no longer smiled, his eyes held a certain light to them. "Of course, Albus."
Severus Snape had learned a lesson from that boy, a lesson that he would carry with him throughout his days. It was also a lesson that he would teach to the other children who needed him, even if they did not yet know what they needed. That the darkness that surround us was able to be penetrated by the light around us; by those people who would become their light until they were able to light their own path. Severus would be that light for those scared, hurting teenagers, just as Albus would be the light for him. It was not the only lesson that he learned from these children, but it was the first. There would be many more lessons for him to discover but that was alright. For Severus was not just helping these children; they were helping him.