Beta: Lauren – thank you very much, Lauren!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything HP related. It all belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Inc., Warner Bros., and any other entities involved.
This and that Severus
"I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."
The dark-haired woman finished reading and the book closed with a soft clap.
"Wow," said her son, a boy of ten, his black eyes turned pensive. "It's strange, Mum. The story has a happy end, but it's still kinda sad."
"Kind of, Sweetheart," she gently corrected, tucking the covers a little tighter around her pale, peaky son.
"You know, Mum, it feels a bit as if the Potions Master was kinda like me," the boy mused. "He had black hair and black eyes and was really skinny, just like me. We have the same name!"
"Severus, Honey, how many times have I told you there is more to a person than just how they look? If you really think about it, you'll see there are more things that are different about you than alike. You aren't petty or a bully, and you don't have a hateful father."
Severus nodded resolutely and his mother continued. "You were never this skinny before you came down with Wizard-pox, and as soon as you're feeling a little better, I'll stuff you up." She smiled and petted Severus' somewhat greasy hair.
"The same name is a coincidence. The author simply took names and family names that she liked and used them how they sounded nice to her, without any link to reality. Look what she used the name Malfoy for, it's laughable! Or what she made of Divination – atrocious!"
"Still," Severus said, "what if the kids at school don't like me? Pigmoles may be just like Hogwarts in the books—and the kids at Elementary Magic School used to pick on me when I was smaller, too! I may grow bitter like that Severus and—"
"Pigmoles is nothing like Hogwarts, Sevvie. The teachers would never allow anyone, let alone another teacher, to bully their students, and there is no animosity between houses as in the books. Besides, I told you before that children are sorted by their most prominent magical talent; it would be really stupid if they were judged by their so-called bravery or ambitiousness at such a young age. All kids are friendly with everyone else, and students always know where to turn for help with each subject."
"When do you think I will be healthy again, Mum?" the boy asked and the way she rolled her eyes showed clearly that it had been a frequently asked question.
"I told you, my little unicorn, Wizard-pox usually lasts about twenty-tree days, so you have probably two more days to go," she said patiently, smiling. Severus could admit that this was a conversation they'd had many times before, but his mum never scorned him for asking the same question again and again. If only everybody else had mums like his, then nobody'd ever have to hurt so bad as the other Severus had.
"I still wish that Severus was tad happier, Mum," Severus said, being mulish. "The Muggle made him so sad. It's not fair!"
His mother gave him a hug.
"The writer just made that up; all the characters are imaginary, don't forget that. Well… and perhaps she just didn't like this one character. C'est la vie, Sweetheart… The silly witch shouldn't have shared all the facts about our world in the first place, then the Muggle writer wouldn't have made this mess. Thank Merlin that the Muggles didn't believe a word of it. What if they had? Our world would be exposed!"
"Hello, Snapes!" a male's voice sounded through the house.
"Dad's back!" Severus exclaimed happily.
"Good evening," Dad came in the Severus's room and gave his wife a kiss and asked, "How is my little wizard tonight?"
"Feeling better, Dad. Mum read the last of the Harry Potter books to me. But I've still got to stay in bed for two more days because of this stupid illness," Severus complained.
"It won't be so bad, Sevvie," Mum said, trying to cheer him up. "There's an epilogue that I'll read you tomorrow. Maybe you'll find out something else about the Potions Master, hmm? But—now it's time for bed!"
She leaned over and kissed Severus goodnight; when she pulled back, his father hugged him and then turned out the light. As Severus drifted to sleep, he heard his parents in the kitchen, murmuring quietly, silverware scraping their plates. They always had a late supper when Dad returned from his evening shift.
Severus sighed in contentment and snuggled deeper in the duvets. He was glad that he had a nice dad and that the school was a friendly place to be and most everything was different than in the books. Still he wished that the other Severus's life had been happier, even if he wasn't real. Maybe I'll become a Potions Master, too, Severus thought on the verge of sleep, and maybe the best one in the world.
- the end -
Note: the first sentence of this ficlet is borrowed from the canon book n. VII, big thanks to JKR
Note two: I realise that Pigmoles won't be a perfect school. She doesn't. Parents can be SO naive...