Severus wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to think of the boy he'd found sleeping beside him a little bit ago. But what he did know what that he actually liked this boy, unlike all the boys and girls in his neighborhood. Sirius didn't wrinkle up his nose at him just because he was poor and dirty and unlike the bigger boys in Spinner's End, Sirius didn't try to attack him just because Severus was smaller and kind of frail. Sirius might have been what his father liked to call 'ridiculously rich,' but he wasn't a prat about it like all the children on the better side of town. Sirius was actually nice. And not just the 'pretend' kind of nice that some people were when they wanted something from you.
The well-dressed boy was clever, too. Sirius was almost just as brilliant as he was, which an odd new experience for Severus. Until now, the only person who'd been able to best him in a game of wizarding chess had been the deaf girl a few houses down, and she was an entire five years older than him.
"Where are we?" Severus asked again, guiding his knight to destroy Sirius's queen.
"We're at my house." Sirius explained, quickly moving his queen out of danger.
"But where is that?" Severus pressed, stifling a yawn.
"London." Sirius explained. "Islington."
"And you're sure my Mum is here?" Severus questioned, honing in on the queen Sirius has left exposed.
"I'm sure." Sirius nodded. "She's probably downstairs with everyone else."
"What do you think they're doing?" Severus pestered, frowning as Sirius took out one of his rooks.
"My Dad has people over all the time." Sirius yawned. "They just talk about money and lots of other boring things."
"Doesn't sound boring to me." Severus argued, listening to the shouts carrying upstairs.
"They just get loud when they drink." Sirius dismissed, rubbing his eyes. "Especially my Mum. She's always loud."
"So is my dad. He's always yelling about something." Severus confided, destroying Sirius's knight. "He's always drunk, too."
"Always?" Sirius asked, looking surprised.
"Yes." Severus nodded, standing up. "May I use your bathroom?"
"We have to stay in here!" Sirius warned, suddenly looking scared.
"But I have to wee." Severus protested.
"We'll get in trouble if you leave the room!" Sirius argued, jumping to his feet. "Big trouble!"
"How much longer until their done?" Severus frowned, rather annoyed at this inconvenience.
At least at home Severus could pee outside if his parents were hogging the bathroom. He'd never had to hold it before, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to last much longer if the meeting wasn't done very soon.
"They should be done soon." Sirius promised. "It's almost eleven."
Severus scowled but nodded and sat back down on his side of the chess board. Hoping the game would take his mind of his bladder, Severus smirked as his eyes were greeted with a pleasant sight. He'd won the game! Sirius had left his king wide open in his desperate attempts to save his queen, ignoring Severus's repeated warnings of 'checkmate.'
"Want to play another round?" Sirius begged. "I don't know where any of my other toys are."
"You have more than one toy?" Severus asked, completely amazed.
"Well….yes." Sirius nodded. "Don't you?"
"I don't have any toys." Severus frowned, resetting the board.
Really none of the kids on Spinner's End had anything they could call their own, save for a few lucky kids who had a handful of broken crayons and a couple of half-deflated rubber balls. And while Severus wasn't one of those lucky few, he had his books. Books that he snuck out from the old school trunk his mother hid in the backyard, and books the nice old lady who tutored him in music and language let him borrow. Those were what kept him entertained. He much preferred to read, than to play with the other kids. Although he did always enjoy a good game of mud rugby.
"But why not?" Sirius asked, looking concerned.
"We can't afford them." Severus shrugged, wishing his dad wouldn't spend all their money on alcohol. He didn't even mind not having toys, he just wished he had a pair of boots that fit him and didn't pinch his toes together.
"When I find the rest of mine, we'll share." Sirius promised. "We can play gobstones!"
"You're going to share?" Severus asked, surprised. People in Spinner's End didn't like to share anything, except gossip.
"Uh-huh. I'm used to it." Sirius nodded. "I always have to share with Regulus."
"Is that your brother?" Severus asked, wondering where that boy might be.
"Yes." Sirius confirmed. "But he's only three, so it's not fun to play with him. He's not good at gobstones."
"I don't know if I'm any good at it either." Severus confessed. "I never played before."
"I'll teach you." Sirius insisted, staring at him. "How come you're not wearing robes?"
"My Dad doesn't like it."
"But why not?" Sirius asked.
"Because he doesn't like anything." Severus scowled, rubbing at his still-sore eye.
"Even you?"
"Especially not me." Severus agreed.
"I don't think my dad likes me either." Sirius sighed. "Everyone likes Regulus more."
