He could hear his father's angry tones emanating from downstairs; as much as he begged for the summer to come to a close, which it would soon, he still dreaded leaving his mother here alone. Her only crime had been in marrying the bastard in the first place, but this should hardly have been what she deserved for doing so. For attempting to show a brutal man love. For trying to see the best in people when there was no good to begin with. Severus would not make the same mistakes she did.
He heard a loud scream come from downstairs and his blood boiled; he couldn't just sit there any more and listen to him to this to her. Taking carefully calculated and quiet steps down toward the living room, or whatever you could call the hell hole of a place, trying not to make a sound. He didn't want to have to face his father any sooner than he had to. Pulling out his wand, he aimed it at Tobias, whose back was turned to him; his mother had always told him never to attack someone when their back was turned, but he thought this would be an appropriate exception.
"Expelliarmus," he muttered forcefully, knocking his father away from his mother and up against a wall.
He quickened his step, crouching by Eileen's side as his father stood back up; for all you could say about Tobias Snape, you could not say he was a weak, easily deterred man. Before he could even give his mother any words of comfort, he felt his father's looming figure behind him. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to face his father, refusing to back down.
"I told you before," he father said, grabbing Severus' arm painfully, "what goes on between me and your mother is none of your business, you little freak. You. will. stay. out. of. it." Tobias punctuated each word, as to reassure Severus he was serious about it.
Jerking his arm away, Severus pointed his wand at his father's throat. "You lay one more finger on her and so help me god, I will make you wish you never existed."
Before he could say another word, he felt a blow hit the side of his head and he hit the ground. The back of his head felt hot where it had hit the floor and his vision had gone somewhat blurrier than normal, but he forced himself back to his feet. If his father wouldn't back down, neither would he.
"Crucio," he sneered. Watching Tobias' knees buckle beneath him gave a rush of enjoyment; for once he was the one with the advantage, for once his father couldn't push him around, for once he was the one squirming on the ground beneath the other's feet.
In all honesty, Severus had never felt more powerful nor had he ever felt so alive. It was his first Unforgivable curse and if he was going to get kicked out of Hogwarts for it, or sent to Azkaban for it, he was sure as hell going to enjoy it. He never liked the Unforgivables, rather it made him extremely sick to even think about using them, but it was granted here. After all the years of pain his father had caused him, it was all too easy to mutter those words and make him suffer just the same. And he knew he would never forget the feeling, the adrenaline rushing through his veins as he watched his father thrash at his feet in pain.
Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he could survive until school came around again, if they'd let him back in.