Eileen Snape rushes over to her whimpering son-aged 10-pulling him close to her chest and looking up at her husband, Tobias, fearfully, "Tobias, Tobias please, he is just a boy…" She pleads, her obsidian eyes clouded with fear and worry. He smiles cruelly down at her and snatches Severus away, pulling the child's pants down roughly. Severus screams and begins to struggle, Eileen screaming and crying, begging Tobias to use her instead.
Just then, the front door is slammed into the wall and a pissed off looking man-with jade eyes, at a height of 6'1", broad shoulders, untameable raven coloured hair, tanned skin, soft, aristocratic features and wearing black fitted jeans, crimson fitted button up shirt, dark chocolate brown leather jacket and black dragon-hide boots-walks in, his jade orbs dark with rage, "I suggest you let the boy go, Tobias, or I just might have to hurt you." The man's voice is soft and quiet, but cold and hard. Tobias scoffs and says, his words slurred, "And who do you think you are boy?"
Said young man smiles a shark like smile before speeding towards him and slamming him into the wall, spinning and catching the whimpering and crying child. He follows the child to the floor and hugs him close, murmuring loving words to him. After a few minutes, he looks up and smiles at Eileen, opening his free arm to the woman, who rushes into it and buries her face in his chest, trembling. He wraps an arm around her, looking up at a young woman with hair as dark as blood, eyes as blue as the ocean, her skin as white as snow and her face softly aristocratic, "Take care of these two Ilaria whilst I take care of that filth over there." She nods, smiling slightly, before kneeling down and opening her arms to both Snape's being slightly surprised when they rush into her arms, looking up at her hopefully.
She wraps her arms around them and helps them to stand, picking Severus up and settling him on her hip, stroking his hair a few times before re-dressing him and then wrapping an arm around Eileen and guiding her out of the house and onto the street. They stop outside of the gate and Severus begins to squirm, his face pale and his eyes wide with panic. Ilaria places him on the ground before kneeling down in front of him and cupping his face with her hands gently, "What's wrong childe?" She asks kindly, concerned, "Reiny and Patty are in there!" He cries, tears sliding down his cheeks.
He wipes his eyes angrily, berating himself for wanting such a sentimental thing. He startles, however, when his deer-Reiny-and his black panther-Patty-cuddle toys are passed to him gently. He looks up into the kind and loving face of the young woman the older man had called Ilaria, and he whimpers before hugging her fiercely, thanking her over and over again as she holds him closely, "You're alright, you're alright sweetie…" Severus' head snaps up and he gapes at her, causing her to smile and stroke his hair continuously, not stopping even when he sags against her and closes his eyes.
Sometime later, the man from before comes out of the house looking smug, "Well then…" He says quietly, smirking. Ilaria rolls her eyes and smiles, saying, "You're an idiot dad…" She says, grinning. He smirks again and she stands, helping a stunned Eileen and confused Severus up, "Let's get back to the Cottage." She nods and offers to pick Severus up, causing him to blush but to look at her pleadingly. She smiles and does just that, settling him on her hip. Her father smiles slightly before hugging Eileen close to his chest and Apparating on the spot, his daughter right behind him.
They arrive in a huge clearing in the middle of the Ainos Forest on the Kefalonia Islands in Greece, a three storey cottage; the bottom floor is done in different blues and dark gold, the lounge room with dark blue leather couches and a dark stone fireplace near the door out into the hall, where there is a wooden staircase that stops at the second floor and then another staircase leading to the top; which has Ilaria's and her father's studies, "Welcome to Leighton Cottage…" The man-Harry, as he'd introduced himself-says kindly, smiling slightly at their gobsmacked expressions, laughing at his daughters expression of amusement, "Shut up dad…" She grumbles, going to put Severus down but stopping and standing when he whimpers and his hold on her tightens tremendously, "Sweetie…?" She asks, concerned, and he whimpers before saying, "Five more minutes…" He begs, snuggling close and crying silently.
Ilaria smiles, her smile soft and loving, "Come on… Why don't you come and hang with me, hey…?" Severus nods, the smile directed at Ilaria infectious, and they all smile at the adorableness of the youngest in the family, "You can help me finish a painting I've started…" Severus nods enthusiastically, his black eyes alight with happiness. They head up to the third floor and Ilaria opens the dark gold door, entering a room under the sea, the walls and roof animated like said area of the world, "Woah…" Severus breathes, his eyes lighting up again and he asks, "What does your room look like Ilaria…?" His eyes widen with fear at the question, and he cries, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to ask a question… Please, don't hate me, I didn't mean to!" He begins to sob quietly and Ilaria smiles sadly, kissing his black greasy hair and saying, "My room's like this, but a forest instead sweetie… Would you like to see it…?" He nods hesitantly, and Ilaria takes him to the room next to this one;
Inside the room is an animated forest, with actual grass as carpet, and the bed like a hammock with a trunk for her books and things, other little tree-like furniture to hold her things. Severus' eyes are wide and he smiles, hugging Ilaria and thanking her for allowing him to see her room, "I love it!" He cries, and she laughs, kissing his cheek and heading across the hall to one of the spare rooms, "This will be your room sweetheart. What do you want me to make into?" Severus taps his chin, thinking about what he'd like, Maybe an animated room like Illi's…? He looks at her hopefully and she smiles, urging him to speak up, "Can I have an animated room like yours Ilaria…?" She nods, and asks, "What would you like Sev?" His eyes light up and he replies, "A Library please. A cozy Library!" She places him down next to her before she closes her eyes and concentrates on the room and furniture that she's envisioned for her new little brother. Slowly, the walls change to that of an animated Library, with the fake shelves holding real books, the bed becoming like a couch, with pillows upon pillows lining the end of it, a small, Severus sized dresser facing the bed against the wall, a Severus sized wardrobe on the far wall, a mahogany desk under the window.
Severus hugs her tight when she opens her eyes, squealing happily at his new room, his Panther-Patty-and his Stag-Reiny-held tightly in his hands, "Thank you so much Illi! I-I mean I-Ilaria…" She kneels down in front of him and says, "Little One, you are my little brother, and no matter what you call me-be it Illi or Larri-I will always be here to love you. The same with dad, and the same with mum. Don't forget that." He nods, smiling a watery smile, and they hug, staying like that for a time.
Unbeknownst to the two upstairs, Harry and Eileen have just finished snogging, the both of them panting before she kisses his cheek gently and snuggles close, "No matter what Eileen, I will always be here, and so will Sev, and definitely Ilaria. You are our family now, and us Leighton's protect what's ours."
That is the first part of my new series, "The Power of Oscuridad". If you want to know what the meaning of the Word, 'Oscuridad' is, it means dusk in Spanish. Enjoy!