First Foray into loving the characters so much that they start to speak through you...
I do not own Harry Potter.
A single red flame!
Tobias Snape is devoted to only one thing in his life, cheap alcohol.
He constantly fights with his wife when he runs out of money, Pots fly everywhere. When his mother is gripped by rage, the furniture starts to fly too. Severus learns to hide behind the door after getting bumped in the head by the mouldy Sofa one two many times.
Spinner's end is utter mess. It's a dilapidated thing, sitting in a greasy slum right next to a textile mill which continuously exudes chemical waste into nearby sludgy river.
He grows in abject poverty. His clothes are mismatched and ill fitted. His countenance is waxy and grey, his figure lanky and unhealthy. His parents pretend he doesn't exist and vice versa.
Neighborhood kids take one look at him and take off running. They try throw stones at him, but stones are surprisingly liable to zoom back at the perpetrators. So they call him The Freak and avoid him.
This happens quite often too as he tries to stay away from his house as long as possible. There's a wooded area not far off, Severus takes refuge in it. Home away from home!
He sits in random Oak trees, with his mother's books in his tow. Reading, Re-reading and dreaming of better days. Being a man with money with good shoes and clothes.
"When will my life begin?" Rapunzel's song is quite favorite of him..
A fateful day, which he remembers very fondly. 'Best day of my life!' he muses. He was perched in his usual place, A gigantic Oak with massive horizontal trees. He hears giggling, and wonders if someone tailed him here to chuck stones at him.. Hardly!
Up from his perch, he sees two sisters playing in the Tree's shade. The one with flaming red hair has a flower bud in her palm, she concentrates hard at it, serenades it with kind words, he's shocked when the bud starts to blossom into a gorgeous flower. "Here, this is for you!" she says brightly.
The bony sister gasps. "How did you do that? Tell me!"
"I... I don't know. But look how pretty!"
"Lily that's freaky, you're too. I'm going to tell mother!" she runs off, her accusatory tones booming in the glade.
He sulks off the tree. And stands there by the tree trunk.
Lily notices, "Who are you?" her tone inquisitive.
He simply picks a long leaf and makes it dance, up in the wind, higher and higher. Other leaves lounging on the green musty earth join it too. The air around sparkles with magic.
Lily looks at the show and is quite impressed and flashes him a radiant life.
His life changes in a flash of that toothy brilliant smile. In his entire life no-one has ever showed him so much warmth. His mouth skews into a smile. Severus Snape, 10 years old smiles for the first time!
He tells her everything he knows, lends her his books. She's excited to see the world for herself.
Her parents are ecstatic to see the letter. "We knew she wouldn't end up selling drills or something. She's just too good for that!"
Petunia fumes, "I want to go to the school too!"
"You can write to headmaster, I'll give you his address, It's on the envelope. You can use the owl. Severus tells me he's very powerful and can do anything!"
"I don't care what your batty boyfriend says." Petunia screams. But she does write a letter, but we don't really care about that.
"We'll be together in Slytherin!" she promises. The hat indulges her after her hefty incessant pleadings.
Soon Severus is facing a two way battle, The 4 bullies from Gryffindor won't leave him alone, apparently they don't like his attire. Snivellus, they call him. Funny, he doesn't remember crying in front of them. Ever. Even he's hanging upside down, his old underpants is supposedly quite humorous for some people. It was alright when Lily got there and shot stunners at the lot of them. Lightning fast she is!
Whereas the Blood purity fuckwits from Slytherin won't leave Lily alone.
So, They become extremely efficient in Hexes and shield charms. They end up developing half dozen spells together, Langlock one of the useful one, binds their tongues, how they are supposed to utter hexes now or cheeky remarks about the state of his clothes? By 3rd year everyone learns to leave them alone. Finally... Thanks Merlin.
Lily has the time of life in the school. She's well liked, extremely popular for her kindness and looks. Professor Slughorn can't finish a single conversation without mentioning her name twice. Other teachers weren't so far off.
Whereas Severus has the charm of wet carpet rug! Excellent food of Hogwarts couldn't quite flush out the waxiness that came from years and years of neglect.
But despite this, they make a good and happy team together.
They both pass 7th year with top marks. Ministry seeks them out for position of Hit Wizards, to make up for the depleted ranks in War.
With his first salary Severus finally buys some good robes and bullshit amount of gifts for Lily.
Life is rough right now but they're happy. And they're just too smart to get married at age of 20. "We live for 200 years!" they say, "If we survive this war and live upto 40 then Maybe!"...