Severus took the journal back to his room. How could he have not known that his mother had stayed here with his father, through all the bad times and all the pain, so that he could live? He felt guilty just for being alive. He sat on his bed, still made with the same set of sheets he had used as a child, and laid back. Staring up at the ceiling, he played with his wand, oak with a drangon heartstring as it's core. He fell asleep with his wand in his hand and his stringy black hair streaming to the side of his face- a face that wore a look of peace for the first time ever. Sadly his peaceful frame of mand could not carry into his well-deserved sleep...
"He's your son, too, Gade! Severus is a good boy, and you should be proud of him! Not everyone gets accepted into Beauxbatons and Hogwarts, you know!" Kaia yelled from behind the closed door, fear in her voice.
"He will not go to Beauxbatons! The very thought of it is insulting to the Snape name! All Snapes go to Hogwarts!" Gade's voice resounded through the mansion. Severus would have been able to hear it even if he had not been standing in front of the door to the dining room. He knew that this arguement was about him.
Three hours ago, two owls had swooped into that room during breakfast, both with letters addressed to Master Severus Snape, Snape Hall, Blackpool, England. He'd recognized the seals on them at once. One was from Hogwarts, the school of his ancestors, and the other one was from Beauxbatons, where he knew his mother had gone. He tore both letters open and had marveled at their news. He was so excited that he forgot himself, and ran around the long table to his mother's side.
"Mother! Mother, look! I got into Hogwarts and Beauxbatons! Mother, which shall I choose?!" Eleven-year-old Severus had never been so happy in his whole life. He knew that THIS would make his father proud of him. It had too.
Gade looked down the table in disgust. "Hasn't your mother taught you anything, boy? Get back to your chair this instant!" He made a menacing move towards his ivory cane that he kept at his side. Even as young as he was, Severus knew the pain that cane could inflict. He scurried back to his chair quickly and sat down.
"Which school do you want to go to, Severus?" His mother's kind face cheered him a little. She was happy for him, at least.
"I... I'd like to go to Beauxbaton, Mother. Isn't that where you went until you transferred to Hogwarts?"
Gade exploded in fury. "Nonsense, boy! You shall go to Hogwarts, the school of my father, and his father before him! There's no choice about it! How dare you even suggest that you, a Snape of Snape blood, a pureblood, go anywhere but Hogwarts!" His face was crimson with fury as he glared down the table at the poor child, who was trying to melt into his chair.
"I...I just thought..." Severus couldn't think of anything to say.
"You just thought what? That you were too good for tradition?! That you would just throw away lifetimes of tradion and honor and go to that fluffy school full of good-for-nothing bunnies? You shall go to Hogwarts, boy! There is no question about it! You shall be schooled by the finest teachers in the world!"
"Why don't you let him choose, Gade?" Kaia's face was sad.
"Choice! What choice is there here?! Hogwarts is where he is going, there's no doubt about that! All Snapes go to Hogwarts! You yourself graduated from there, didn't you, Kaia?!" There was venom in his voice. Severus knew to keep quiet.
"Yes, Gade, I did, but if you remember, I transferred from Beauxbatons in our seventh year."
"So what, Kaia?! You graduated from Hogwarts and that is all that matters. The boy will go to Hogwarts. That is final."
When Gade Snape said that something was final, there was no questioning it, so Severus let the matter drop. He would go to Hogwarts. He excused himself from the table and went to his room to cry. Severus cried a lot in the privacy of his own room...
Severus woke up in a cold sweat, with tears rolling down his thin cheeks. He'd wanted to go to Beauxbatons so badly, he'd cried himself to sleep many nights afterward. He'd known Hogwarts would be a disaster for him, and he hadn't been far wrong. As he laid there, a small knock came at his door.
"Who's there?" Severus sat up and wiped his face quickly. The door opened slightly and a small house-elf edged in. "Hi, Tan."
"Master Severus, it is good to Tan to see you home, it is." Tan was wearing a napkin for clothing. "Master Severus is Master now. Tan wishes to serve Master Severus. Master Severus never hurt or yelled at Tan." Tan looked at Severus with big, watering eyes. Snape thought for a minute and then asked a question that had always bugged him.
"Tan, do you wish to be free of your service to the Snape family?" Tan's eyes got as large as marbles, and he began to tremble. Severus knew what the answer would be before Tan answered.
"Never, sir, would I ever expect to be freed! Freedom is for bad elves, Master Severus! Do not jest with poor Tan!" Tan turned and ran from the room, and Severus went back to sleep.
"He's your son, too, Gade! Severus is a good boy, and you should be proud of him! Not everyone gets accepted into Beauxbatons and Hogwarts, you know!" Kaia yelled from behind the closed door, fear in her voice.
"He will not go to Beauxbatons! The very thought of it is insulting to the Snape name! All Snapes go to Hogwarts!" Gade's voice resounded through the mansion. Severus would have been able to hear it even if he had not been standing in front of the door to the dining room. He knew that this arguement was about him.
Three hours ago, two owls had swooped into that room during breakfast, both with letters addressed to Master Severus Snape, Snape Hall, Blackpool, England. He'd recognized the seals on them at once. One was from Hogwarts, the school of his ancestors, and the other one was from Beauxbatons, where he knew his mother had gone. He tore both letters open and had marveled at their news. He was so excited that he forgot himself, and ran around the long table to his mother's side.
"Mother! Mother, look! I got into Hogwarts and Beauxbatons! Mother, which shall I choose?!" Eleven-year-old Severus had never been so happy in his whole life. He knew that THIS would make his father proud of him. It had too.
Gade looked down the table in disgust. "Hasn't your mother taught you anything, boy? Get back to your chair this instant!" He made a menacing move towards his ivory cane that he kept at his side. Even as young as he was, Severus knew the pain that cane could inflict. He scurried back to his chair quickly and sat down.
"Which school do you want to go to, Severus?" His mother's kind face cheered him a little. She was happy for him, at least.
"I... I'd like to go to Beauxbaton, Mother. Isn't that where you went until you transferred to Hogwarts?"
Gade exploded in fury. "Nonsense, boy! You shall go to Hogwarts, the school of my father, and his father before him! There's no choice about it! How dare you even suggest that you, a Snape of Snape blood, a pureblood, go anywhere but Hogwarts!" His face was crimson with fury as he glared down the table at the poor child, who was trying to melt into his chair.
"I...I just thought..." Severus couldn't think of anything to say.
"You just thought what? That you were too good for tradition?! That you would just throw away lifetimes of tradion and honor and go to that fluffy school full of good-for-nothing bunnies? You shall go to Hogwarts, boy! There is no question about it! You shall be schooled by the finest teachers in the world!"
"Why don't you let him choose, Gade?" Kaia's face was sad.
"Choice! What choice is there here?! Hogwarts is where he is going, there's no doubt about that! All Snapes go to Hogwarts! You yourself graduated from there, didn't you, Kaia?!" There was venom in his voice. Severus knew to keep quiet.
"Yes, Gade, I did, but if you remember, I transferred from Beauxbatons in our seventh year."
"So what, Kaia?! You graduated from Hogwarts and that is all that matters. The boy will go to Hogwarts. That is final."
When Gade Snape said that something was final, there was no questioning it, so Severus let the matter drop. He would go to Hogwarts. He excused himself from the table and went to his room to cry. Severus cried a lot in the privacy of his own room...
Severus woke up in a cold sweat, with tears rolling down his thin cheeks. He'd wanted to go to Beauxbatons so badly, he'd cried himself to sleep many nights afterward. He'd known Hogwarts would be a disaster for him, and he hadn't been far wrong. As he laid there, a small knock came at his door.
"Who's there?" Severus sat up and wiped his face quickly. The door opened slightly and a small house-elf edged in. "Hi, Tan."
"Master Severus, it is good to Tan to see you home, it is." Tan was wearing a napkin for clothing. "Master Severus is Master now. Tan wishes to serve Master Severus. Master Severus never hurt or yelled at Tan." Tan looked at Severus with big, watering eyes. Snape thought for a minute and then asked a question that had always bugged him.
"Tan, do you wish to be free of your service to the Snape family?" Tan's eyes got as large as marbles, and he began to tremble. Severus knew what the answer would be before Tan answered.
"Never, sir, would I ever expect to be freed! Freedom is for bad elves, Master Severus! Do not jest with poor Tan!" Tan turned and ran from the room, and Severus went back to sleep.