Severus Snape walked along the halls of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. He was on his way home to Spinners End, since it was now the end of term.
Usually, Severus would just stay at the school, but this year it felt...Different. Almost as if he had to go. Although, the fact that Dumbledore had forced him to leave didn't make him want to return to the house any more than usual.
When Severus finally had reached the gate, he apparated away. He landed in an alley, close to his house in Spinner's End. Severus disliked being at his childhood house, because it reminded him that Lily Evans was no longer there. Yes; Lily Evans, not Potter. To Severus, Lily was always an Evans.
Pushing away the memories of his only love, he made his way to his house.
While walking, he passed the house next to his, and noticed that there was light inside. He was slightly surprised, since no one had lived there since the former owner, Mrs. Bings, had died. Severus didn't think about it much, since he was rarely at the house.
When Severus was about to pass the house, a shadow caught his eyes. As an instinct, he slipped his hand in to his robes, grabbing a hold of his wand. As an ex-death eater (if it was even possible to be and ex-death eater), he had long gotten used to the dangers even a shadow could bring.
Just as he was about to pull out his wand and fire a curse, he noticed that the shadow was unusually small… and female. He relaxed slightly, but not completely. Even a woman could be deadly, that Severus had learnt from Bellatrix Lestrange.
Slowly, as if trying not to be seen, Severus turned around to face what he thought was the enemy. Of course, Severus had been wrong. Instead of a dangerous woman like Bellatrix, he was faced with a young girl, no more than fifteen, who was staring at him in fear. Severus could see her body shaking and shielding away from him, like she expected him to hit her. Severus couldn't help but to feel a small pang of pity as he watched her. Many small and large bruises could be seen on the girls bear arms.
"Are you following me, girl?!" Severus snarled, still slightly suspicious.
"I-I'm not, sir. I live r-right there." The girls said in a shaky voice and pointed to the house Severus was about to pass. Severus didn't bother to answer; he just turned around and started walking to his own house. As he walked, Severus couldn't help but to think of the bruises on the girl's arms. As an abused child himself, he instantly knew she was abused. When he arrived to the front door of his house, he didn't think more of the girl he had seen.
Once inside of the place he hadn't sat a foot in for years, Severus took out a bottle of fire whisky he'd had for years and poured himself a drink. After he had taken the glass in his hands, he sat down in his chair in front of the fire.
As he drowned the drink and watched the fire, his mind wandered off to the girl. If he just had helped her, maybe he wouldn't feel so guilty. He wasn't even sure why he felt guilty. What he did know though, was that he wouldn't get any sleep with his mind filled with all kinds of thoughts.
With a sight, Severus stood from the chair and poured himself another drink, hoping that once drunk, his mind would clear. But things are never so easy, are they?
After a few drinks, Severus head was a bit fuzzy. Since he had a high alcohol level, even getting drunk was a struggle to him.
As he was about to pour himself another drink, a movement in his window caught his eye. He had forgotten to pull the binds in the window, so it had a clear view of the house next door and it's window.
The movement he had seen was no other then the girl he'd meet just a mare hour ago. As Severus watched threw the window, he saw that the girl was cleaning.
It must have been over a minute that Severus watched the girl, but he soon caught himself. When he was about to turn around, he noticed a man walk up behind the girl. That would have been a normal thing, if it hadn't been for the fact that as soon the girl had turned around; a hit was made at her face.
Severus watched in horror as the girl fell to the floor, holding one of her hands on her reddening cheek. If it had been someone else, that person would have raced to help the poor girl, but not Severus. He knew he couldn't do anything to help the girl; what could he do? Kill her father? No, there was nothing he could do, or so he thought.
When Severus turned around, trying to ignore that a girl was being abused, he couldn't help but to feel guilty. It was a kind of emotion he hadn't felt since Lily had died. With guilt clouding his mind, Severus poured himself another drink and drowned it; hoping to drown away his guilt. But not even alcohol could drown away the image of the girl's face when she hit the floor.
That night, Severus fell in to an uneasy sleep; with the girl haunting his mind.
