Disclaimer:

I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter, including Severus Snape. J.K. Rowling does. I just like to play here, and hopefully don't mangle anything too badly.

Author's Note:

I haven't written anything in a really long time. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Please Review! This started as a oneshot, but I have a plot bunny jumping around in my head begging to be set free on the world. I am actively seeking someone to beta for me! Please love Severus Snape as much as I do!


Chapter 1

I remember staring up at a great big bright colorful thing that stretched as far as I could see. It was one solid color, and I liked it very much. Almost as much as mummy.

It was the brightest thing my young eyes had ever seen. I couldn't understand how it had gotten there. Where was the normal up above thing? The ceiling, mummy said it was. I saw her appear above me and struggled to focus my eyes on her, smiling. I loved mummy.

"Severus!" she cooed at me. Her hair moved around her face a little bit without anyone touching it. I reached my hands up to mummy and waved them furiously hoping that she would pick me up. She did!

"Are you looking at the sky? It's a nice clear day," she said in her rich voice. I looked up at the big thing. Is that what she was talking about? It was called sky? "There isn't a cloud in sight," she continued, not expecting me to answer. I gurgled an affirmative anyway and she gave me one of the happy faces she reserved just for me.

She continued talking to me, and began bouncing me on her knee absently while I stared at "sky" and plucked at her soft jumper clumsily. "Daddy had to work today. Too bad he couldn't come, we used to come to this spot all the time for picnics."

I didn't know what a picnic was. It must mean sitting on a blanket under sky while having your bottle. Mummy had just given me my bottle a little while before and I felt a pleasant tiredness coming over me. She must have noticed, because just then she leaned me backward and cradled me to her chest, and began gently rocking me.

"I need to get home and finish the washing before Tobias comes home, and he'll want his dinner. He'll be cross with us if it isn't ready," mummy continued talking softly. I rubbed my hand across her jumper til I found a strand of her black hair to wind in my fist. "It'll be alright, though. Nothing a little bit of the old wand can't help along. But that's our secret, my darling boy."

My eyes shuttered closed just then, as I felt her lips brush against my cheek.

When I woke, I was laying in my crib with blankie over me. It was not bright outside my window now, and sky was gone. I was staring at ceiling with the big friendly crack near the middle. It was familiar but not so nice to look at as mummy or as sky had been.

I heard loud noises coming from outside my room and turned my head toward the doorway to see if mummy was coming.

"Eileen I'd just like to come home to a good home cooked meal! I work all day and the least you could do is not burn the fucking pot roast!" that was daddy's voice, but really loud. There was a loud noise like he dropped something hard.

"I'm sorry Tobias, I had to leave the oven on low to keep it warm for you. It's not burnt, just a little dry, see?" mummy's voice was calm.

"Are you calling me a liar?!" Daddy's voice was even louder now. "Is that what you're doing, woman? I work to keep you and our son up and you're calling me a liar now?!"

"No! Tobias, it's just a little dry, here, let me put a little gravy over it for you!" mummy's voice sounded unhappy.

My nappy was wet and uncomfortable under my gown and I felt a tiny stab of hunger. Mummy could come in here and give me my bottle and change my nappy and then she might be better, instead of having loud voices with daddy. I felt my eyes welling up.

Something broke in the kitchen as it thumped against the wall. Daddy was using his loud voice but I wasn't paying attention. The thump had scared me and I couldn't help myself, I began crying and yelling for mummy to come get me. I was unhappy, mummy was unhappy, daddy was unhappy. I was hungry and wet and everything felt overwhelming.

After a minute, I heard footsteps coming toward my door hurriedly. The loud voices had stopped, but I heard mom saying, "Tobias you woke Severus up!" In another moment, she appeared above me and was picking me up. I continued crying so she would know I felt unhappy with her.

"Shh, shh, it's alright, Severus," mummy cooed at me. She leaned me against her chest and felt my bottom to see if my nappy was wet, which of course it was.

Mummy lay me down and then got all the things to change me. I gradually calmed down as she whipped off the soiled nappy with an expert flick, and fixed a new one on, making sure to powder me extra good.

She carried me with her to the kitchen, where I saw daddy hunched down on the ground wiping something off the wall. The wall had soiled itself when I had done so, I supposed. That was the thumping.

Daddy looked up when we entered the room and stood up. He had a big nose and everyone even mummy always said I looked like daddy. I reached for him and he held out his hands to receive me from mummy. He held me out from him and looked down his nose at me gravely. I reached out and gripped it for a size comparison and then his mouth smiled at me. "I'm sorry I woke you, m'boy."

Mummy had handed me over and then silently went to the wall and continued what daddy had been doing. "Eileen, don't do that. I'm sorry. I had a bad one, the boss was all down my ass today." Daddy carried me over to where mummy was kneeling by the wall and touched her shoulder, then stroked her hair behind her ear. "I don't know what came over me. That was the platter that mum and da gave us for our wedding."

I looked down at mummy hoping she wouldn't forget I needed my bottle also. She looked up at us and then stood, putting the cleaning rag down with a sigh. "I know, honey. I'm sorry the roast was dried out."

Daddy leaned us forward and put his free arm around mummy, then kissed her. "I'm an arse, I never claimed to be anything else, love. You think you can glue it?"

"I might be able to fix it," she said silkily, breaking away from him and carrying the pieces over to the sink. When she turned back daddy had started pulling one of my bottles from a cabinet and she winked at me when he wasn't looking and patted her apron pocket, where we both knew she kept her magic.