Prologue
Part B
Lily Evans wasn't like anyone he'd ever met before.
She laughed at the smallest things; sometimes he would just look at her and she would burst out laughing. Apparently his 'seriousness' was amusing to her. But he didn't mind. He liked her laugh. It was carefree and genuine, something he rarely heard at home. His mother rarely laughed anymore but when she did it was always tainted; a veil that barely concealed her desolation. Since his sixth year at Hogwarts Cadence had been spending more and more time with some anti-muggle wizarding lot he rarely spoke about, so even his presence was a rarity. His father, on the other hand, laughed quite often these days; though his was generally a malicious cackle.
Yes. Severus liked Lily's laugh very much.
She turned to him with a wide smile, "So, will you come to my birthday party this Saturday?"
Severus could swear he felt his stomach flutter as he shifted, nervously, "I dunno. I don't really know your friends."
"Oh, that doesn't matter," Lily waved a hand, dismissively, "They'll like you."
He very much doubted that.
"Please? It won't be the same without you," she insisted, "I have a birthday cake; my mum made it. It's just like that one we had at Christmas, remember? You liked that!"
Severus shifted, uncomfortably. To be honest, he did want to go to Lily's that day. He just didn't want to go when a house full of other kids would be there.
"Can't I come over after the party? We could watch that film you like instead? I heard it's on that night," he offered, hopefully. He hated that film – what was it? Some Wizard of Oz or something – but if it got him out of the party in the afternoon he didn't mind. He'd still see her after all.
Lily laughed, "You hate that film."
"Well, it's your birthday. I don't mind if it's for a special occasion," he smirked.
"Oh well, if you insist!" she rolled her eyes, dramatically, "But you still have to come to the party. It starts at five. I'll ask if you can sleep over, then we could stay up all night!"
"I'd really rather not come to the party, Lil," he resisted.
"Oh, please, Sev? It's my tenth! I can't celebrate without my best friend!"
Severus felt the flutter in his stomach again.
He looked at her hopeful expression and couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips, "Yeah, all right."
She giggled delightedly and threw her arms around him, "It'll be great! I'll ask my mum if you can stay when I get home. She'll say yes, though, so you might as well tell your mum tonight. And don't worry, we don't have to watch The Wizard of Oz. We can watch something we both like. Like Dad's Army? That's on on Saturdays!"
Severus couldn't help smiling as she continued to speak excitedly.
As always, trouble was amiss in the Snape household. Severus could tell the minute he walked through the door; he could hear hushed, but by no means gentle, voices coming from the his brother's bedroom. Cautiously he made his way up the stairs. He peered through the planks of the barriers of the banister; in Cadence's room, his mother had his back to him while his brother furiously stuffed handfuls of clothing into a rucksack.
"Cadence, please, stay…"
"Please stay?" he heard his older brother hiss furiously, "Please stay and endure another beating from Tobias? Please stick around and watch me walk around miserably while my kids go hungry because my husband keeps drinking away every penny we have?"
Severus flinched as Cadence threw his rucksack onto the bed and headed towards his dresser.
"I'm sick of this," he continued, "He's not myfather. Not my family. Why should I have to put up with muggle filth because you were stupid enough to marry the bastard?"
"Watch your language!" Eileen snapped.
"Here's me running away and my mother's concerned about my manners," he heard Cadence utter.
"You are not running away," his mother stated, grabbing his rucksack, "Like it or not, young man, this is your family. Think of your brother.,."
"Maybe it's about time you started thinking about him," Cadence hissed, "You think he's better of here? You know kids get treated like filth at school because their parents are good for nothing muggles? Didn't think about that when you married him, did you? Think about the filth his polluted their veins with!"
"How dare you speak this way!"
"The wizarding world is a mess; mudbloods and half-bloods are everywhere. Wizards dressing like muggles; cooking like muggles; marrying muggles! It's disgusting!"
"That's not you talking," Eileen insisted, "That's these new friends of yours. These racists…"
"It's no wonder grandma never speaks to you," Cadence continued, "She knew what you were doing was wrong. But did you listen, no. And for what?" he spat, "For that drunk slumped in his chair downstairs?" He snatched his rucksack out of his mother's hand and shoved a framed photo of himself and Severus into it before pulling it closed.
"Severus better than that," he hissed, "And I hope you're ashamed. I hope when he comes to you and asks you why people spit at him that you want the ground to swallow you whole; I hope when the war starts and he doesn't know what side he should be on you look in the mirror and hate yourself. I hope he hates you for this as much as I do."
With that he stormed past her and into the hallway, making his way to the stairs.
Severus raised his eyes to his brother's as Cadence stopped in his tracks. A moment of silence ensued before the elder of the two slowly made his way down the stairs as he flung his rucksack over his shoulder. He offered him a weak smile, "Hey little man."
Severus barely knew how to respond.
Cadence reached over and ruffled his hair before kneeling in front of him. He paused for a moment before looking him directly in the face, "You know Severus; you're better than this."
Severus shook slightly as he stared back at his older brother; the boy he had idolised for years. He turned and ran from him.
"Severus, wait!"
"Sevvy?" The last he heard was his mother's confused call as he slammed the door of the house and ran. Where, he didn't know. He didn't care. Because from what he'd just heard, it didn't matter where he was. He'd always be filth. Here and at Hogwarts.
