Rating: K+ - contains suggested domestic violence and language that may be unsuitable for children.
Disclaimer: Characters and settings ©J.K. Rowling.
A Mother's Love
K. Marie
Pulling the covers over his head, Severus tried to muffle the low growl of voices that leaked through his bedroom door. He pulled close the stuffed owl his mother had given him several Christmases ago, stroking his fingers through the soft fabric of its plush feathers.
"Tobias, please—" The pleading voice of his mother was interrupted by a loud crack and a shrill cry.
Severus buried his head beneath his pillow at the sharp sound of his father striking his mother. There was nothing he could do to drown the sound of her muffled sobs, no matter how deep he pressed himself into the lumpy mattress. A quiet cry broke free of his clenched teeth, shivering hands clutching closer the stuffed animal.
"You stupid whore. You and that boy—"
"You leave Severus out of this, Tobias! He has done nothing to you! He is your s—" Another shrill cry rang through the air following a piercing snap that rang through Severus' ears like a siren.
Severus flinched as he heard the violent crash of a slammed door. His mother's broken sobs continued echoing through the empty house; he heard her delicate footsteps pad over the hard, cold floor, the moaning creak of an ancient house creeping through the air. He could hear the whine of the floorboards beneath her as she crossed the house towards his bedroom door. Peeking out from beneath his blanket, Severus saw the flickering of light that spilled beneath his door as she lingered outside his room. He heard her soft sniffling as she tried to compose herself; Eileen was a woman who wanted her son to feel secure when she was near, and she never cried in his presence. But Severus still knew. A violent bubble of rage swelled within his tiny chest as he thought of his father and how the wretched man hurt his mother so.
I hate him.
When Eileen's hand finally rested against the rusty doorknob, the old hardware rattled beneath her quivering touch. The rickety contraption croaked as she twisted it, the door easing open on creaky hinges, the soft yellow light from the hallway spilling onto the tarnished wood floor of Severus' room.
Her bare feet padded across his room; a sudden sniffle violated the silence of the room. Eileen's weight on his bed disheveled him and he rolled towards her. She lengthened her body as she lay next to him, wrapping her thin arms around his small frame. Long, slender fingers stroked his cheek, brushing his lank black hair away from his face. As Severus tipped his forehead towards her, he could feel the wetness of tears that clung to her cheeks.
"I love you, Severus," Eileen whispered quietly into the small space between them.
Her arms wrapped tightly around him, drawing him in closer to her. He could feel her erratic heartbeat within the frail frame of her chest, her cool hands trembling as she stroked the skin of his cheek.
"I love you too, Mummy," Severus said softly.
Finally, his own small arms snaked around his mother's middle, his tiny hands reaching for each other behind her back. His arms were too short, and instead he simply clumped the fabric of her robes in his small fists. Her lips placed tender kisses along the top of his head, her fingers continuing to stroke his cheek and comb through the limp length of his hair. Breathing in deeply, Severus drank in the scent of the shampoo she used; a sense of comfort in his time of need. And he was hers.
Her voice began to recite a lullaby from years ago, the one Severus remembered she always sang when he was little and his father was happier and life seemed better. Eileen's voice was nothing extraordinary but to Severus, it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Gently, she sang, her voice barely carrying higher than a whisper, and Severus nestled in close to her chest, the gentle beat of her slowing heart and the sound of her voice lulling him slowly to the edge of consciousness. His arms were still wrapped tightly around her waist; her hand was still gently stroking the side of his face.
Her lullaby finished, leaving Severus on the very brim of wakefulness. His dark eyes were closed as he listened to her soft breath, the gentle rise of her chest moving Severus' head with it. Her lips pressed kisses to the crown of his head once more, and she drew him into an embrace so tight it was as though she felt she would never hug him again.
"Mummy loves you, Severus. Mummy loves you more than anything in the entire world," her voice began to crack as she whispered to him. "Forever and always, Mummy loves you."
Severus' arms tightened around his mother, and though she nearly squeezed the breath from him he wished she never had to release him. Quiet tears ran silent tracks down his cheeks and he buried his face into her chest, the scent of her robes soothing him. His body must have trembled in his sobs because Eileen drew him closer – if it was possible – and whispered words of comfort into the air.
"Oh, don't cry, Severus," she said softly, her hand smoothing over the back of his head. "Don't cry. Mummy's here and Mummy loves you." She pressed another kiss to his head, a sharp, rattling intake of breath echoing in the quiet of the room. "Don't you ever forget that you are loved, my precious baby boy."
Severus buried his face deeper into her chest, his quiet cries muffled by the fabric of her robes. "I love you too, Mummy."
The stuffed owl lay crushed between them, and Eileen pulled from her son for just a moment to remove the animal from beneath her. Severus clawed desperately for her, his little heart beating frantically within his chest as though it feared she would leave him forever. With a soothing, quiet hush, she lowered into his bed once more. Her hand rested the stuffed owl behind him, her arms enveloping him and drawing him close to her. She drew the covers over them both, flickering fathomless eyes closed as she breathed in the scent of her son.
With her hands smoothing over his hair, her voice began to sing another lullaby, gently coaxing her boy to sleep.