Chapter 30: Embittered Reflections
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{"I stand surrounded by the walls that once confined me...Knowing I'll be underneath them...When they crumble...when they fall...With clarity my scars remind me...Ash still simmers just under my skin...Indifference smile again...So much I hide...How is stepping back a move forward?...Now I'm forced to look behind...I'm forced to look at you...You wear a thousand faces...Tell me, tell which is you...Broken mirrors paint the floor...Why can't you see the truth...You wear a thousand faces...Tell me, tell me which is you...Tell me which is you..."}A Thousand Faces,Creed
Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Obsidian eyes glared back from the reflected glass as Regulus, the son of Severus Snape stood unable to sift through the wave of memories from his life in North America. His father had gone off to fight yet another wizarding war leaving him and his mother behind and it only increased the young wizard's bitterness.
Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco had enlightened him of Severus Snape's time with them during both wizarding wars and it seemed the reason for his leaving on both accounts had been due to Harry Potter.
His bitterness had not subsided in the least the more he heard the tales of how Potter gone out of his way to implicate Severus Snape in almost everything that went on around him simply because he detested the man.
Needless to say, the tales did little to endear Harry to Regulus but the only son of the former Potions Professor had been having a hard time coming to terms with anything his father had done truth be told heroic or otherwise.
He had not even been sure of what his own purpose was given his mother was now gone as well. He supposed The Malfoy family had not been so bad if his own father had considered them to be trust worthy.
It became abundantly clear to Regulus that none really knew his father, he seemed to wear a different mask with everyone he came in contact with.
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The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World...
Four year old Regulus had taken an unfortunate fall and skinned his knee in the process. He had wanted to cry but the embarrassment of doing so in the presence of his father kept him from doing so. Severus watched him for a moment with his arms folded across his chest. The older Snape had worn muggle clothes then, possibly to keep the boy from knowing the truth about his magical heritage until the proper time.
His face had been a mask of indifference for a moment before he suddenly broke into a small smile. With a wave of his hand, Severus summoned forth a small snow storm that he balanced in his palm and walked over to the boy in two quick strides.
The toddler looked in wonder at what his father had done not at all noting the pain in his knee nor the trickle of blood from the wound.
"Papa...you can make it snow." he said amazed.
Snape seemed to delight in his young son's innocence.
"Yes." he said. "As can you."
Regulus had been shocked when Snape placed the small storm into his small hand successfully distracting the boy as he healed the wound on his knee. The little wizard in the making smiled noting his father had accomplished all of this without causing him any unnecessary pain.
"There you are." said Snape with a pleasant smile. "Off you go."
Regulus got to his feet and returned his father's pleasant smile.
"Thank you Papa." he said sweetly and continued to play with the small magical storm nestled within his tiny palms.
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The Woods, Unknown Location...
Sixteen year old Regulus had been out of breath as his father continued to drill him on defensive spells. The Potions Professor had been incensed about not getting The Defense Against The Dark Arts post at Hogwarts once again, and decided to dedicate his time to instructing his son properly given his numerous enemies.
The harsh expression on the face of a thirty -two year old Severus Snape had been as cold as the winter snow that surrounded the two wizards as Regulus found himself repelling relentless spell-work from his father's wand.
"Try harder." said Snape in a biting tone.
"Father we've been at this for hours..." said Regulus trying to catch his breath. "If I could just..."
"Your enemies will not care wither you've had a rest or not boy." said Snape annoyed. "You being ready could be the difference between life and death for not only yourself but also your mother...whom I should not need to remind you is a muggle woman."
"You know I don't need to be reminded of the dangers she faces even being associated with us." replied Regulus.
"Good." replied Snape. "Now back to training."
Regulus pushed himself harder with the image of inevitable combat with unknown enemies burned into his mind.
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Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...
Regulus had still been staring at himself in the mirror. Despite having found the Malfoy family, it did little to quell the loneliness he felt deep inside him. He had only ever felt complete in the presence of one person since his parents passed and that had been Hermione Granger-Weasley.
His antics as of late due to Harry Potter being the cause of his father's absence in his life had put a bit of a damper on his relationship with the exceptionally bright witch but he had hoped to put it behind him, at least for her sake.
The attraction they felt for one another had definitely been other worldly despite his re-occurring jokes that she might have had the hots for his father when she had been his student and his almost uncanny resemblance to the dour wizard had been nothing short of amusing in terms of seeing her cheeks turn red and the avid denial of her own un-professed feelings for either of the Snape men.
The raven haired wizard backed away from the mirror and decided to focus his attention on the amber eyed witch. She certainly had been pleasant to look at despite being married to that freckle-faced fool Ron and the mother of two children.
She had insisted they remain friends despite these obstacles and it presented the opportunity for something to develop that might even make her think twice about her so called marriage to that fool.
Regulus smiled to himself.
Perhaps, he had been his father's son, at least in terms of Slytherin tact despite having gone to Ilvermorny. The young wizard often suspected that had his family stayed in England, not only would he have developed his father's accent but he would definitely have been sorted into the house of the green and silver serpent.