Ten year old Severus Snape sat in his bedroom alone on his bed thinking to himself. His

ceiling had been stared at all day. There had been no interuptions which was a relief to him. His

mother was busy cooking supper for her husband for when he got home from work. Her husband,

Severus' father, was a man by the name of Regines Snape. He worked at the ministry of magic as

an unspeakable. Severus' brother Sean would be arriving soon as well.

Sean was older by two years and attended Hogwarts. But seeing how it was holiday, he was

at home for now. Severus still had another year before going to school. The heat in the small

bedroom was almost unbearable. Sweat trickled down the small boys' face. He could feel the

wetness on his back, soaking through the sheet. His eyes fluttered shut. He was almost asleep

when he suddenly heard his father's booming voice. 'Great' thought Severus.

Getting up out of his safe haven he made his way to the family room where he was expected

every night at his fathers arrival home. Regines was a tall man of about six foot. He had short,

black hair which he kept gelled back. He had a gotee which came to a point. To society he was a

well respected gentleman. But that's just what society thought. Severus knew the truth.

Supper was as usual. Sean went on about his day of playing with friends while his mother

sat listening. Regines sat as if unaware of anything in the room except his meal. Severus sat

eating quietly as he knew he should. The stew his mother had worked on for several hours went

down his throat but most unwelcoming. The heat from it just made the heat he felt on his skin

even worse. He felt nauses. But whether or not it was because of the heat, he did not know. He

knew only too well the activities that would take place once the table was cleared.

His mother, bless her soul, tried every night to have a peaceful family gathering in the

family room. But it almost always turned out anything but peaceful. Once they were all seated

in the furniture they sat there just staring, locked in their own heads. Severus' mother tried

her best to strike up a conversation which all of them could perticipate in. Regines had made

this time his time to drink. He sat oblivious to everything, drinking fire whisky. So it was no

different on this very night.

Severus didn't hear the whole conversation, but he figured how it was going to end.

"Marianne, why must you always bring up my work? You know I am not to speak of it." The odor from

his mouth was strong. The glazed look that he had in his eyes meant only that he was once again

drunk.

"I just thought it would be pleasent if we discussed our day with one another. It may

give us a better understaind of each other."

Regines got up out of his seat and threw the empty bottle into the fire place. This was

of course always around the time that Sean and Severus were excused into their bedroom. "And

why would you you or our sons want a better understanding of me?"

"I just- I just thought-"

"That's right. You thought. That's what's wrong with this picture. How many times must I

tell you that I do the thinking around here, I decide what we do and do not discuss, and I decide

everything else."

"I-I-I just..."

"Don't talk back to me."

"I wasn't. I was just explaining-"

"I said don't talk back to me." A hand flew fast through the air knocking Marianne to the

floor.

"Boys. Go to your room." And they obeyed immediately.

Severus sat on his end of the room in his favorite corner. He would always sit here when

he wanted to escape the world. Sean, whether he understood or not, kept away from him and just

let him be. His parents voices come through the door and into Severus' ear. He couldn't make out

what they were saying, but he knew they were arguing. Every once in a while he would hear his

mother let out a scream. Every time she would do so, he got cold chills up his spine, and

closed his eyes tight shut, wishing that it would all just end. But it never did.

***

It was Saturday. Regines was home from work. The sun beat down on Severus' back as he

leaned over in the garden helping his mother pick weeds out from around the vegitables. He did

it of course without magic as she sat to the side of the garden doing it by her wand. Regines was

busy trying to fix some guttering that had fallen in the front of the house. But of course by

using magic. He would never think of doing it the muggle way.

Sean was no where to be seen. But this was not unnatural. He was always gone to a friends

house or playing with a group of friends or even wondering the country side. They lived in the

country just outside of London. This made it so that they would not be suspected of anything

unnatural by muggle standards. So it was a relief to the two adults.

"No. Severus. You're stepping on the squashes. Do be more careful. Oh no. Now you're

stepping on the carrots. Oh dear." Marianne had gotten up out of her seat to walk over to him and

show him where to stand. But before she could get over to him, Severus lost his balance and fell

over onto a bunch of squashes of course smashing them. "Oh Severus!"

Somewhere from behind someone grabbed him by the collar and threw him over into the

grass. Severus looked up to see his father standing over him.