"I thought I told you not to get in the way" Tobias screamed as Severus wrapped his arms around Avielle and shoved her against the wall creating a barrier between her and the irate man. Severus stiffened his body as the first of countless blows rained down upon him slicing his skin.

"I wasn't done with her, you good for nothing," Tobias screeched as he brought down the belt again causing Severus to hold his sister tight. He wasn't going to let Tobias get her. After what seemed like hours, the blows stopped leaving nothing but an intense burning sensation and tattered clothes.

The Silence that followed perplexed Severus, but he refused to let go of Avielle. Nothing ever good came from the silence that followed one of Tobias's rampages Seconds later Tobias violently grabbed Severus's arms as he tried to pry him away from Avielle. But neither of them moved. Severus's grasp around his sisters waist was to strong and the grip of her hands on his arms were not budging either. With an animalistic sound, Tobias violently shoved the pair to the floor.

"Run Ella, Run" Severus whispered as he shoved her from under him before he attempted to distract Tobias by kicking him in the face.

"You dirty freak!" Tobias sneered as he grabbed the outstretched leg and pulled, effectively pulling the two a part. "You'll pay for that." with quick movements Tobias had Severus up by his collar and slammed his already bleeding back into the wall. There was a decent gap between Severus's feet and the floor, but that did not prevent the obvious enraged man from holding his son with one hand and managed to get a few punches in before something collided with is head.

Tobias dropped Severus, who collapsed to the floor, "Why you little bitch," Tobias stated as he stomped towards her. . .

Severus's eyes opened with a flutter. His pulse was racing and he was breathing rather quickly. He attempted to sit up, but found it difficult, and that was when he started to panic he wasn't supposed to be unable to move, he wasn't supposed to be so vulnerable. . . .

"Rus, Rus" A familiar voice called from his left "Severus." After a moment he calmed himself down long enough to focus. It was obvious he wasn't at his home, or at Hogwarts. That was when it hit him. He was in a muggle hospital. He tried not to look at his multicolored arms or the amount of tubes that went in them. Slowly a pale hand came into view and pulled something off of his face causing him to flinch. It took him a few seconds to gather himself as everything came flooding back to him in an overwhelming tidal wave, he was sure it was about to consume him. He shuddered; he didn't want to think about it, not now, not ever. Not after what was done to him, not after his mother hid somewhere in the house and let that happen to him.

"Severus?" The familiar voice called from his left; slowly he turned his head and noticed the two figures that sat and stood at his bed side.

"Ella?" His voice was hoarse from the choking he had received and the obvious misuse it had endured.

"Yes?" She responded, moving just a bit closer but not too much that it made him uncomfortable. He could see her face clearly, but it wasn't how he remembered it. The large bruises on her face had become nothing more than a slight discoloration that he barely noticed which was odd since he had just seen her receive it. She handed him a small plastic cup that was filled with water, and he took a good amount into his dry mouth, but he never tore his eye off her obviously healing face and the unknown woman who held something in her hand.

"How long have I been here?" Severus asked as he handed the cup back to his sister and sat up leaning his back against the stack of pillows on the bed.

"About a week and a half," This response was not from Avielle, but from the nurse that stood by her. "You were in pretty bad shape when the Ambulance brought you in, we had to keep you sedated for a few days to ensure that the worst of your injures are healed and that your blood volume returned to normal levels. But it's great that you are awake. I need to make some alterations to your chart." The nurse turned to Avielle and handed her whatever she had in her hand before she turned to leave.

"Make sure he puts that back on." The nurse stated as she reached for the curtain, "It helps him breathe with those broken ribs of his."

Avielle nodded as she placed the oxygen mask on the bed before turning back to Severus as the curtain was drawn closed.

"How do you feel?" Avielle asked in a voice that signaled she knew it was not the best question in the world.

"Like I have been hit by the Hogwarts express." Severus responded as she focused his attention on the girl in front of him and not the memories swimming beneath the surface.

"How are you?" Severus's voice was returning to the deep velvet that he had been accustomed to hearing since it broke when he was thirteen.

"Decent, I suppose." Avielle stated, her hand twitched on her lap as if she wanted to reach out and clasp his, but she thought better of it. "Tobias is in jail, can't afford bail and mother refuses to use what little money we have to get him back."

Severus nodded slowly, his mind slowly reverting back to that night. . .

"I told you, you were going to pay." Tobias's voice was menacing as he ripped what was left of Severus's shirt as he shoved him face first into the grimy, blood covered floor. It was as if it was in slow motion as Tobias tugged . . .

"Severus" Avielle called to him, Severus could feel the tears well up in his eyes as he felt those mill-calloused hands run up and down upon his skin.

"Why? Ella, Why?" Severus croaked as the tears fell down his pale bruised face. The emotions that had been building up since the memory first began filling him had burst out all at once. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he usually kept himself in check emotionally and mentally, but he just could not keep his mind occluded, he could not focus on anything because the vicious act that was committed against him was shrouding him. Severus flinched almost violently as Ella closed the gap between them by sitting on his bed. And he flinched again when she carefully pulled his battered and abused body into her arms.

A loud sob escaped his lips causing his chest to hurt when he realized he was afraid of his sister's touch. Was this what Tobias wanted? Did he want him to be afraid of Avielle's touch? Did he want him to be afraid of everyone around him? Or did he just want to show him how much of a freak he was?

Sobs racked Severus's body as he cried. He rested his head on Avielle's shoulder and had his arms wound carefully around her. He hated the fact that he was afraid of the one person who cared for him so much, he knew it was normal for him to respond that way, but that did not mean it did not bother him.

Through the gown, Avielle could feel the bandages that were wrapped around Severus's torso. But those were the least of her worries as she felt her brother's hot tears soak her shirt. After a few moments, Severus released her and slumped back against his pillows with his eyes shut. Slowly, Avielle replaced the oxygen mask on his face and moved back to her chair and waited.