A Different Ending for Severus Snape
By arelenriel
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, all plotlines and characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 1: Meeting Lily
The shy, scruffy little boy stood behind the old oak tree as he watched the little red headed girl go flying through the air and land on the ground gracefully. His name was Severus Snape, and he had turned 9 years old the previous January. He knew the Evans girls of course. Petunia or Tuney to those who knew her was in her fourth year of primary school. Lily was in his year, and was one of the best students in the class besides him. Snape had never talked to either of them until today when he had noticed that Lily had magic, just like he and his Mum.
As Lily landed, Tuney began to yell at her about her behavior. Severus did not like the way Lily was being treated. Someone so pretty should never be treated like that. He stepped out from behind his tree and made his presence known to the two sisters. "I know what you are" "You're a witch" (DH p 664).
After Severus had explained what he meant, and that he and his mother had magic, Tuney stomped off, angry that Lily was playing with someone else. Severus and Lily played, and talked about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the rest of the afternoon. When it began to get dark, the two sisters made ready to leave the park. Lily however, noticed that Severus was showing no signs of leaving. He was sitting on the branch of a tree, holding on with a thin arm that had been bruised a deep purple. It looked horribly painful rather as if a rather large, adult hand had gripped him hard, and attempted to break his arm.1
"Severus, aren't you going home? It is beginning to get dark, and your Mum is probably worried. "Said Lily
"My Mum is at work and won't be home til 11 tonight and Dad works 3rd shift and sleeps til Mum gets home, they won't worry." stated Severus, a flush rising on his thin cheeks.
Lily whispered. "Where did you get those bruises on your arms?"
"Lily leave it please, I can't talk about it, my Dad'll kill Mum and me if I do okay." Severus began to cry silently, as he had learned to do after many beatings from his alcoholic father.
"I won't tell until you and your Mum are ready to be helped. Don't you have any wizard relatives that can help you Sev?" tiny Lily asked, a worried look in bright green eyes.
"Nah, Dad's a Muggle, meaning he's not a wizard. Mum's family told her that if she married him they wanted nothing to do with her. They're purebloods and really hate Muggles." said Severus, another tear trickling down a hollow cheek.
"Sev would you like to come eat dinner at my house, and then my Daddy will drive you home. Mummy has some good medicine that fixes bruises that would really help your arms." Lily said a gentle smile on her small heart-shaped face. She brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear, and patted Severus on the back gently in case he had more bruises.
"Okay I've gotta call the neighbors though so Mr.'s. Diggle can go next-door and leave a note for Mum and Dad saying I'm, at a friend's house in case I'm not home in time" 2 said Severus softly as he dusted off his jeans, that were dirty from sitting in the sandbox as he and Lily talked.
"Come on Lily, its time to go home, Mum and Dad are gonna freak, cause we're late." mumbled Tuney "Snape if your gonna come to our house for dinner we need to get a move on" Tuney was cranky when she did not get her own way.
The three children walked slowly towards Lily and Tuney Evan's house, just down the street from the park. When the reached the house Severus noticed a plump, motherly blond woman waiting in the front yard. She looked nice, and Severus recognized her smile as being the same as Lily's. "You two are late for dinner I was about to send Dad out looking for you. Ahh I see you have brought a friend with you for dinner." The woman said with a smile as she gently led Severus and the girls into the house.
"Mrs. Evans can I use the phone to call my Mum, she'll be worried." said Severus shyly as Lily's Mum took his coat.
"Certainly, and Alan can give you a ride home after you have some dinner. Where do you live? "Mrs. Evans said as she herded the children into the dining room, where the dinner table was piled with more food than Severus had ever seen in a single meal except on holidays.
"63 Spinners End, maam, down by the riverfront. My Dad works in the mill, and Mum at Sorenson's Washateria." Severus said, embarrassed of his families poverty.
"Don't worry little lad," stated Lily's father Alan. "I'm the foreman at your Dad's mill. He's a good man when he's not on the drink, and the Mrs. goes to the laundry your Mum works at for our dry cleaning. I'll be driving you home after dinner. We're having a roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and a sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Dig in."
Severus sat down and ate with the Evan's. He talked about school with Lily and Tuney, as well as the latest Junior Soccer game they had all played in the week before. He felt a sense of safety that he never got at home. Severus smiled to himself, he knew that his friendship with Lily would be like nothing he had ever experienced before.
1 I am thinking that Lily is the kind of sensitive child who would be naturally aware that parents hitting their children is wrong. She has loving parents and cannot imagine anyone treating their kids this way.
2 I am assuming that Severus's mother has primarily given up her magic due to her marriage to a rather abusive Muggle.