A Mother's Love
A one-shot about one night in Snape's childhood. Based loosely on the glimpse we get of Snape's memory while he is attempting to teach Harry Occlumency in Order Of the Phoenix.
Silent tears streamed down Eileen's weary face. Her cheek rested softly on his smooth raven hair as she clung to the sleeping figure of her only son. She rubbed his back methodically, soothingly, hoping he was dreaming sweet things, where the children weren't mean, and where his father couldn't hurt him. She hoped he was smiling and untouched by the pain he knew all too well.
Eileen gently placed her son down into his bed and drew the covers over him, his delicate features thrown in wild relief by the light cast by the candle burning serenely on the bedside table. She took a stray stand of his hair in her long, thin fingers and gently tucked it behind his ear and wiped the last glistening tear from his face, taking care not assault the black bruise that had overtaken his left eye.
'My little Severus,' she whispered inaudibly as another torrent of tears fell from her swollen eyes. Bending low, she pressed her lips to his forehead, careful not to stir him from his peace. 'I love you,' she breathed before she blew out the candle. The room was cast in instant darkness save for a sliver of moonlight that streaked through the window that drained all the colour from his face.
Wiping her eyes, she turned toward the door with a terribly heavy ache in her heart. Casting one last look behind her, she wondered how many more nights were going to end with her rocking her crying and wounded son to sleep, leaving him to wake up a little more bitter, a little more broken.