As Severus walked through the streets of Cokeworth, he couldn't help but feel as though something was wrong. His mother had not come to pick him up from the train station, even though she had insisted in her last letter to him that she would. Severus had waited for her for a little over an hour before deciding to simply Apparate. His mother was never late. Severus just assumed the bloody muggle had stopped her from coming to the platform for some unknown reason, and that's why his mother hadn't come. But that didn't explain the last two weeks of silence from her. Severus tried not to think the worst as he carried his trunk down the street, walking past the identical old red brick houses. He saw a few curtains flutter as his neighbours looked out their windows to see who was walking down the street. Upon realizing it was Severus, they hurriedly hid once again. Severus couldn't stand them. They had never cared for him or his mother, choosing simply to ignore and gossip about them. Severus finally made it to the final house at the end of the street. He turned to face the black wooden door, discoloured with age, resting on its annoyingly squeaky hinges. Severus hated that door. In fact, he hated that whole house. If it had not been for his mother, he would've never returned. Lucius had recently offered Severus a position as a ward of the Malfoy family and Severus had considered it. But he couldn't. His mother needed him. He couldn't leave her alone with that monster. Severus took a deep breath and started to walk towards the house like the back of his neck pricked with the sensation that he was being watched. He guessed it was old Mr Walsh. The old coot always sat behind his window and watched Severus and his family as he did various activities like knit or pet one of his five cats.
Severus fumbled with his pocket as he got closer to the door and managed to pull out his keys as he reached It. He unlocked the house and turned the knob. The door swung open and Severus was greeted by the smell of something sour and the sight of dozens of beer cans littered through the house. Severus stared around in confusion. His mother never let the house get this dirty. He tried to step through the cans while making the minimum amount of noise he could, which proved to be virtually impossible as he slowly made his way to the kitchen.
"Mum?" he poked his head into the kitchen where Eileen seemed to spend most of her time, but the kitchen was barren of any life. There was a pile of dirty dishes in the sink that were soaking, and Severus assumed were the cause of the sour smell. Every surface possible was covered in dirty dishes and empty pots and pans. Staggering back to the front door, Severus did the one thing he never did in this house fumbling in his trunk until he pulled out his wand. He left his trunk behind the front door in case he needed to run and started heading for the stairs.
"Mum?!" He dared to yell louder."Mum, where are you?!"
He heard an annoyed groan from his parent's bedroom and heard the thump of a body. Severus stood, wand at the ready, knowing well the interaction that was about to go down. He heard heavy footsteps heading towards him, and finally, Tobias was standing at the top of the stairs chugging the last of another beer can. He looked down at Severus in disdain as he crushed the can in his hand before throwing the can at Severus. He easily ducked and glared at his drunk father.
"here's Mum?"
"So, you're back, you ungrateful brat."
"WHERE'S MUM?!"
"LOWER YOUR STICK AND DON'T YELL AT ME AGAIN YOU SPOILED BASTARD." Tobias came down the stairs at a speed that should've been impossible for someone as drunk as him, and Severus started to back away in fear. As his back hit a wall, Tobias made it to the bottom of the stairs and turned to Severus with anger in his eyes. In his panic, Severus sent a stinging charm at his father's foot. The man yelped and jumped back, gripping his foot. He looked at Severus with a new hatred in his eyes, and Severus couldn't stop his wand arm from shaking as he asked again "Where's mum?" His voice quivered, and he did not sound as brave as he did when he'd started.
"Your whore of a mother is dead, boy."
Severus' wand faltered slightly as he fought back tears. "You're lying! I don't believe you!"
Tobias smirked, a smirk so cruel Severus could see the truth in it. The tears Severus had been holding back finally fell freely against his better judgment as he stared at his father, who had found a can of unopened beer and cracked it to keep drinking.
"Clean this mess up will you, boy? Put the shit they teach in your magic school to use."
Severus glared at Tobias before turning away. He rushed past his father and up the stairs before Tobias could do more than complain, and ran into his room. He felt around the floorboards until he found the loose one and lifted it. His mother had left him enough money in both currencies for him to be able to settle down anywhere if Severus ever needed an emergency exit. Severus took the money and the small box of keepsakes he kept next to it, then came back down the stairs. Tobias was now sitting on the couch, legs resting on a small empty spot on the coffee table. "What are you up to boy? Do as I say!"
"Stop calling me boy! I'm leaving!"
"Leaving?!" Tobias stood up angrily "Who's going to take you? Your mum's precious family?"
Severus ignored Tobias and put his keepsake box and the money in his trunk. "Don't ignore me, boy!" Before Severus could react, Tobias had him by the scruff of the neck and threw him to the ground. Severus groaned and glared up at his dad. "It's none of your business where I'm going. I'm 17. You don't control me anymore."
Tobias snorted and grabbed Severus by the front of his shirt and pulled him up. "Last I checked, you became an adult at the age of 18. You belong to me for another year!"
"Not in the Wizarding World!" Severus knew the strike was coming before it hit him and barely managed to prepare himself. His cheek stung as he fell back to the ground from the sheer force.
"THIS ISNT THE WIZARDING WORLD BOY!"
Severus stood up "Get out of my way."
"Oh ho ho, look who's suddenly giving me orders in my own house!"
"I feel like I'm not being taken seriously.'' Severus took out his wand and pointed it at Tobias ` "No one's going to care if I kill a useless muggle like you. At most, the Ministry will give me a light scolding." e hoped Tobias wouldn't see through his lie. His father raised an eyebrow "You wanna kill me, boy?!" Tobias laughed and Severus saw his opportunity and pushed past. He grabbed his trunk and had almost opened the door when Tobias grabbed his wrist. "You're not going anywhere, boy!" "Let go of me!" Severus threatened, before moving his wand as if he was about to cast a spell "Well then? Do it boy! You think I don't know your rules? Your mother told me about your little world, you know! She told me some of your stupid rules! You can't hurt me... unless you wanna go to that special prison of yours!"
Severus sneered at him "I'm allowed to hurt anyone if it's to defend myself so let me GO!" he tried to wrestle out of Tobias' grasp but the man was still stronger than him, even while drunk. "Go on then, boy! Cast one of your little spells. Show me that seven years in that school wasn't wasted on you like everything else!"
Severus put up a bit more of a struggle, desperately trying to break from Tobias' grasp. But he couldn't, the man was too strong. Would he really get into trouble for hurting this man? Would the Wizengamotsee it as self defence or just see it as him hurting a helpless muggle? They had no reason to protect him. He was a halfblood child of a disgraced family. He suddenly wished he had accepted Lucius' offer in becoming a ward of his family. As he struggled against his father, his fear was slowly replaced by anger. Why were these muggles more protected than he was... than his mother was? Why did his mother have to be powerless against a weak muggle who couldn't defend himself against any of her spells? And yet Eileen had to sit there and take it, because if she hurt Tobias, the Ministry would immediately arrest her and probably leave Severus alone with Tobias. His mother stayed to protect him... She couldn't hurt him because she couldn't leave. Anger and rage took over, and he could feel himself losing control of his magic. "Let. Go. Of. Me." Seveus continued to struggle in Tobias's arms but the man still overpowered him as he slowly started dragging him towards the basement he had spent countless nights in as a child. "Llet. GO!" Severus jabbed his wand at Tobias' foot and cast a silent Stupefy. As the jet of red light left Severus' wand, Tobias made a noise of surprise before he collapsed, almost taking Severus down with him had he not been quick enough to duck away. He glared down at the unconscious man on the ground before sneering. . He couldn't believe the Ministry would protect this pathetic excuse of a human being over him. He could not believe the Ministry would protect this entire neighbourhood against two wizards. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He had a book Lucius had gotten him. The potions would be completely untraceable to him, and it would rid the world of the stupid muggles in this neighbourhood once and for all. Severus set his trunk on the ground and shuffled around until he found his cauldron, potions kit and the book and got to work on a small part on the kitchen counter that he quickly cleared...
As Severus walked out of the last house on Spinner's End, holding a corked vial filled with the bubbling lime green liquid, his heart fluttered with excitement and fear. He had already written to Lucius, explaining that he would be coming over and that he would explain everything in person.
The sun was setting, and the street was almost completely dark. Severus looked at the identical houses which he hated with every inch of burning passion. Mr Walsh, who had witnessed his father mistreating the family multiple times and had chosen to do nothing. He, who had seen his father lock him out at night, and done nothing but just sit at his window and watch Severus without an inch of concern or sympathy.
Next door, Mrs.. Miller, who had heard the constant fights, the screams, the crying and had also done nothing, other than giving his mother judging looks whenever they were outside together. Who had preferred to gossip about the difficult labour Eileen had had with Severus, rather than help her, even though that night, she knew Eileen was home alone and could have helped, being a trained midwife. But instead, she chose to complain to the others in the neighbourhood that the labour had kept her up all night.
Severus could stand there all night and name how every person had wronged him and his mother…. But instead, he chose not to give them another thought. He cast a Bubblehead Charm on himself and opened the vial. He poured the green potion on the ground and watched it expand and slowly spread the fumes of the potion starting to rise. Had it not been for the Bubblehead Charm, he would have dropped dead the second he breathed the fumes in.
The best part... Once the potion faded, it left no residue. No evidence, not even bodies… at least if he had made the potion right. Severus couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto his face. This is what they deserved. It was what they all deserved.
Severus sat in the living room in Malfoy Manor, enjoying a cup of tea with Narcissa. Lucius walked, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet. He smiled at Severus and threw the paper in the middle of the table.
"You officially have nothing to be worried about," he told them.
Severus looked at the front page:
The mystery of Spinner's End, or as it has been coined "The Second Roanoke," still unsolved, Aurors considering work of Death Eaters.
Severus looked up at Lucius in shock. " They don't even suspect me at all?"
"Not even one bit…" They both smirked at each other, knowing Severus was going to be fine. After all, how deep would the Ministry look into the disappearance of some worthless muggles?