Severus came from a home where the names on your wrists meant nothing. In theory, yes, he knew what they were supposed to be your soulmate and your worst enemy. But his father, who got drunk and swung his fists far too often, had never opened up about his names. And his mother's, he knew. His mother's read Tobias Snape and Alex Trudescu. He often thought perhaps this was the curse of it all. Everyone wondered about it. Suppose you chose wrong, suppose you ended up married to your worst enemy, subject to their every whim, an easy victim. Everyone wondered but Severus. Hiding under his bed day after day, it was his reality.
To get away from it all he spent much of his time in the park, sitting and thinking. He liked to watch the other children, the muggles with friends and families, playing. He was a scientist, an anthropologist, always watching, observing.
"Would you like to come play with us?" He was shocked. For all the hours at the park, no one had invited him to join in before. Two girls stood before him, a redhead and a brunette, each's smile as bright and inviting as the other's. He stood up.
"Sure! I'm Severus Snape"
"I'm Petunia Evans, and this is my sister Lily." He stared at Lily Evans, and she stared back, awestruck and connected. Slowly, and all at once, they rolled up their sleeves to reveal the other's name there, bold and black. Petunia's smile had faded.
"We're playing kick the can, if you want to join" She said abruptly, turned on her heel and walked away. Lily gave a shy little smile.
"Let's go"
He saw Lily nearly every day after that, and watched as she and Petunia grew less and less fond of each other.
"Tuney!" She would yell day after day, month after month. "Tuney, wait! Tuney, please!" It made him sick. It delighted him to discover she was a witch, and delighted him even more to discover they shared a mutual nemesis in someone named James Potter. It was a source of much debate through the years as they grew up. Which of their names were on his wrist? He was both of their worst enemies, but which of them was his?
"It's me, of course it is! I pose the biggest threat" eleven year old Severus Snape frowned.
"How are you a bigger threat than me?" She stuck her tongue out and gave a lopsided grin.
"Because, I'm bigger." She had had a growth spurt in the past few months, and was now several inches taller than him. When he asked her why she had to mention it so often, it was that same crooked smile.
"Because, I'm holding it over your head"
