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 understanding 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. "Didn't you hear your mother?"

"It-it was an accident sir. I promise. I would never mean to-" But before he could finish

his sentence there was an intense blow to his stomach. Everything went black for a moment. When

he could see again his father was right down in his face. "Don't upset your mother again." His

hand went across Severus' small face with a pang. Severus, trying to hide his hurt-hide his pain,

ran into the house and locked himself in his bedroom.

This had never happened before. Although Regines had always hit Marianne, he had never

struck one of his boys. Severus put his finger into his mouth. When he pulled it out, there was

blood covering the tip of his finger. "Why?" he wondered aloud. "He's never hit me before. Always

mother..."

But it continued. He became the victim of his fathers drunkeness and frustration just as

his mother. Hardly was he ever in his corner listening to his mother scream and get beat, but he

was one of the two screaming and living in fear. Sean remained unharmed. He, just as usual, was

excused into their bedroom when his father got out of control. Severus was to remain though just

incase his father felt like hitting him that night.

One particular night remained in his memory. It was the night before Sean was to return

to Hogwarts. The events throughout the day and night was similiar to the ones that had past. A

good homecooked meal, a family sitting around the table enjoying it, and then going into the

living to discuss whatever came to mind. It sounds like a typical family night. But for some one

who's family actually followed that skit. This was hardly ever the role at the Snape house.

Things carried on the same.

It was a very hot day, but the setting of the sun around eight o'clock brought some what

of a relief in the temperature along with a slight breeze. The Snape's sat outside on their

front porch. Marianne used her wand to perform fireworks for the children. Severus and Sean

clapped at each one. Regines just sat on the porch step drinking his fire whisky. Once Marianne

had finished her fireworks show for the night, Severus began to chase and catch fire flies. Sean

sat with his mother in lawn chairs talking of the adventures that his future school year would

bring. But this didn't ammuse Severus at all. He kept to his fire fly chasing.

He chased one right up a hill to the very top. He pushed off of the ground with his small

legs, leaping in the air and falling catching his desired fire fly. After falling to the ground

on top of the hill, he lay there in the grass to catch his breath. He looked up at the stars

trying to remember a night of which he had enjoyed so much. He was unable to think of any. This

had been a great night. Leaning back on one arm he opened his hand cautiously and saw the soft

yellow glow of the fire fly. He let it go and watched it fly higher until he could no longer tell

it apart from the stars in the sky.

Right when he thought that nothing could ruin his night, he was proved wrong. Looking

upon the porch down from the hill, he saw that his family no longer sat there. Severus got up and

started to run down the hill. The slight breeze and the pace of which he ran made his black,

semi-long hair flow behind him. Closing his eyes he imagined that he was on his very own broom-

stick flying through the air, without a care in the world. But his dream was cut short very soon.

Falling to the ground, Severus realized that he had run into something or someone. He

opened his eyes and looked up to see his father. A firm hand grasped his upper arm and he was

being forced into the house with harldy touching the ground. Once inside he was threw down upon

the floor. He saw his mother sitting in her chair. Sean was no where to be seen. Marianne had

tears in her eyes and wore a look of fear. Although it hadn't been spoken, Severus was almost

certain that he had done something to annoy his father.

"What do you think you're doing running off and playing like that, when you didn't finish

your chores for the day?"

"But father I did finish them." But before he could finish explaining he was lifted to

his feet once more and led into the bathroom. He was then pushed onto the floor in front of the

toilet.

"You were to clean the bathroom today."

"But I did."

"Look into that toilet. I can still see where it needs to be clean. I can not see it

shine like your mother asked for. Do you see it?"

"No, sir."

"Well here, take a better look why don't you?" The same hand that had picked him up off

of the floor and had grabbed him out in the yard took a hold of the back of Severus' neck.

Before he had a chance to grab a quick breath, his face was forced down into the toilet bowl.

He tried to force his way back up to the surface so that he could breath. But his father

would not loosen his grip. Marianne was screaming for him to let go. But nothing she said could

make him quit. Finally after what seemed like forever, his face was lifted out. Severus collapsed

onto the floor coughing up water that he had swollowed while at the same time trying to take in

as much air as his little lungs could.

"Living room. Now." Picking himself off of the floor Severus obeyed. His mother followed

as well. That night he was hit more than he had ever been in his life. His mother watched,

screaming for her husband to stop. But he was determined to give Severus the punishment he felt

he deserved. Regines would stop every once in a while and start hitting Marianne instead. The

screaming rang in the young boys' ears. He wanted to cry. He wanted to make it all stop. But he

couldn't. So he knew he needed to come up with a better way to get around his mother and him

getting beat to death.