New Neighbor
Chapter 2
The man cocked an eyebrow and frowned. "Have we met?" My jaw dropped in shock as I stared at the Snape look-alike. Realization dawned on the man's face. "Ahhh! You must have met my brother, Severus."
"B-b-brother?!" I squeaked. The man laughed and extended a hand.
"I'm Eryk Snape, Severus's twin brother." I sighed in relief, though I was still wary about this new Snape, and accepted his hand.
"Harry Potter." We shook hands and he grinned.
"You're not as bad as he's ranted about in his letters! Why don't you come over for some tea?" I blinked at the man's cheery face.
"I have to finish my chores here or I...." I paused. He nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I would but..."
"It's okay. I'll just stay out here and keep you company." I smiled, thinking that maybe this Snape wouldn't be so bad. "How much do you get paid to do this?" I paused as I picked up the hose. "You do get paid, don't you?"
"No." Eryk gaped. "The Dursleys don't want me to waste their money." I confessed. He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that your bike?" I asked, changing the topic. His grin widened and he nodded enthusiastically. I was subjected to listening to him ranting on and on about his bike, and I found myself comparing him to the Potions Master we all love.
Eryk was the exact opposite of his brother. While they both looked alike, and while they both shared the intense love for something, they were totally different. Eryk was kind. He didn't raise his voice or lash out when you asked a question, and he talked nonstop about his beloved bike in a passion that makes most people jealous.
Snape, Severus that is, did none of that. He was cold and harsh, and loved to insult people. He might speak this passionately about potions, but there isn't anyone else that would understand or even listen to him, save Dumbledore I suppose.
I was snapped out of my thinking when Eryk gently shook my shoulder. He smiled. "I take it you're comparing me with Severus?" I nodded guiltily. "Everyone does that. Its amazing that we're brothers, eh?"
"Very amazing." I agreed. He smiled in response and I smiled back. "You should go before the Dursley's get back. They wont like seeing me talking with you." His smiled wilted.
"They hurt you? Cause if they do, just tell me and I'll set them straight for you!" I sighed. "They do don't they? Why I oughta...." A door slammed and I winced.
"BOY!!" I paled as Vernon came stomping around the house. "I thought I told you to not bother the neighbors!" I shrank back as he came nearer. "I'm sorry about him Sir, he's a little messed up in the head, if you know what I mean."
"He's not a problem at all Mr. Dursley...." Vernon pinched the back of my neck and I winced. Eryk glared as I was dragged back to the house but I shook my head. He moved as if to go after Vernon and I but I shook my head lightly.
"Don't, it isn't worth it.." I mouthed. He nodded once then turned away, and odd look on his face. I sighed as Vernon dragged me through the kitchen and threw me into the cupboard before preceeding to hit me with all his might.
"You shouldn't be out in the sun." I yelped, whirled around, and lost my footing the moment I felt a hand on my shoulder and the voice by my ear. I panted wide-eyed up at a stunned Eryk. "Whoa, it's okay. It's only me." He soothed, raising his hands.
"Eryk..." I sighed.
"What are you doing out here? You're pale, sweaty, and you look like you have a fever." I shrugged and staggered to my feet. "Are you okay?" I glanced towards the house. "They're gone, if that's what you're afraid of."
"I'm not a-afraid." I stuttered. Eryk cocked an eyebrow at me. "I'm not!" He shrugged and plopped down under the tree. I went back to watering the garden.
"Harry, you can't let them keep doing this to you." I froze, clutching the hose tightly. "Harry, I had to watch this happen to Sev, and I vowed that if I ever came across someone with the same problem I would help them. Please...? Let me help you?" I turned to look at him , saw tears shining in his eyes, and at that moment I knew that I could trust this man as much as I could my best friends.
"I can't stand up to them. I'll get expelled for using magic, and Vernon...he's....." I finally admitted. Eryk leapt up and gently put an arm around my shoulder, smiling reassuringly.
"Let's go to my house, okay?" I nodded and he led me over. A large black dog that reminded me of Sirius greeted us at the door. I wiped away a few tears and sniffled. "Go sit on the couch, Zeus will keep you company."
"Okay." I sat down on one of the soft couches in the living room and Zeus, the black dog, jumped up and curled up next to me. I patted him on the head while I looked around the cozy house.
The walls were white and the carpet beige. There was a big screen TV in the corner and a fireplace in the center of the far wall. There were a few magic books piled on the coffee table between the two couches, one of which I was on, and a few pictures were on the mantle above the fireplace.
"Here you go Harry." Eryk handed me a cup of tea as he entered the room and sat down opposite of me. The dog wagged his tail but stayed where he was. I sipped at the tea silently as Eryk studied me. "Are you hurt bad? When Father used to get upset, he'd sometimes beat Sev pretty bad."
"Everything hurts...but I'm used to it." I shrugged. Eryk waved his hand and my shirt disappeared. I yelped and dropped the cup. Thankfully it was empty! Eyk's eyes were wide.
"Merlin! Don't tell me that doesn't hurt like hell!" He put his own cup down and rushed over. I hung my head and felt him gently stick a finger under my chin and lift it up. "It's gonna be okay now. I'm going to heal this the best I can." I nodded and he gently stroked my hair.
"Thanks...." I heard him shift and mutter a spell. Instantly a box of potions, medication, gauze, and strips of cloth appeared.
"This might take a while, so you might want to lay down."
TBC
The man cocked an eyebrow and frowned. "Have we met?" My jaw dropped in shock as I stared at the Snape look-alike. Realization dawned on the man's face. "Ahhh! You must have met my brother, Severus."
"B-b-brother?!" I squeaked. The man laughed and extended a hand.
"I'm Eryk Snape, Severus's twin brother." I sighed in relief, though I was still wary about this new Snape, and accepted his hand.
"Harry Potter." We shook hands and he grinned.
"You're not as bad as he's ranted about in his letters! Why don't you come over for some tea?" I blinked at the man's cheery face.
"I have to finish my chores here or I...." I paused. He nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I would but..."
"It's okay. I'll just stay out here and keep you company." I smiled, thinking that maybe this Snape wouldn't be so bad. "How much do you get paid to do this?" I paused as I picked up the hose. "You do get paid, don't you?"
"No." Eryk gaped. "The Dursleys don't want me to waste their money." I confessed. He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that your bike?" I asked, changing the topic. His grin widened and he nodded enthusiastically. I was subjected to listening to him ranting on and on about his bike, and I found myself comparing him to the Potions Master we all love.
Eryk was the exact opposite of his brother. While they both looked alike, and while they both shared the intense love for something, they were totally different. Eryk was kind. He didn't raise his voice or lash out when you asked a question, and he talked nonstop about his beloved bike in a passion that makes most people jealous.
Snape, Severus that is, did none of that. He was cold and harsh, and loved to insult people. He might speak this passionately about potions, but there isn't anyone else that would understand or even listen to him, save Dumbledore I suppose.
I was snapped out of my thinking when Eryk gently shook my shoulder. He smiled. "I take it you're comparing me with Severus?" I nodded guiltily. "Everyone does that. Its amazing that we're brothers, eh?"
"Very amazing." I agreed. He smiled in response and I smiled back. "You should go before the Dursley's get back. They wont like seeing me talking with you." His smiled wilted.
"They hurt you? Cause if they do, just tell me and I'll set them straight for you!" I sighed. "They do don't they? Why I oughta...." A door slammed and I winced.
"BOY!!" I paled as Vernon came stomping around the house. "I thought I told you to not bother the neighbors!" I shrank back as he came nearer. "I'm sorry about him Sir, he's a little messed up in the head, if you know what I mean."
"He's not a problem at all Mr. Dursley...." Vernon pinched the back of my neck and I winced. Eryk glared as I was dragged back to the house but I shook my head. He moved as if to go after Vernon and I but I shook my head lightly.
"Don't, it isn't worth it.." I mouthed. He nodded once then turned away, and odd look on his face. I sighed as Vernon dragged me through the kitchen and threw me into the cupboard before preceeding to hit me with all his might.
"You shouldn't be out in the sun." I yelped, whirled around, and lost my footing the moment I felt a hand on my shoulder and the voice by my ear. I panted wide-eyed up at a stunned Eryk. "Whoa, it's okay. It's only me." He soothed, raising his hands.
"Eryk..." I sighed.
"What are you doing out here? You're pale, sweaty, and you look like you have a fever." I shrugged and staggered to my feet. "Are you okay?" I glanced towards the house. "They're gone, if that's what you're afraid of."
"I'm not a-afraid." I stuttered. Eryk cocked an eyebrow at me. "I'm not!" He shrugged and plopped down under the tree. I went back to watering the garden.
"Harry, you can't let them keep doing this to you." I froze, clutching the hose tightly. "Harry, I had to watch this happen to Sev, and I vowed that if I ever came across someone with the same problem I would help them. Please...? Let me help you?" I turned to look at him , saw tears shining in his eyes, and at that moment I knew that I could trust this man as much as I could my best friends.
"I can't stand up to them. I'll get expelled for using magic, and Vernon...he's....." I finally admitted. Eryk leapt up and gently put an arm around my shoulder, smiling reassuringly.
"Let's go to my house, okay?" I nodded and he led me over. A large black dog that reminded me of Sirius greeted us at the door. I wiped away a few tears and sniffled. "Go sit on the couch, Zeus will keep you company."
"Okay." I sat down on one of the soft couches in the living room and Zeus, the black dog, jumped up and curled up next to me. I patted him on the head while I looked around the cozy house.
The walls were white and the carpet beige. There was a big screen TV in the corner and a fireplace in the center of the far wall. There were a few magic books piled on the coffee table between the two couches, one of which I was on, and a few pictures were on the mantle above the fireplace.
"Here you go Harry." Eryk handed me a cup of tea as he entered the room and sat down opposite of me. The dog wagged his tail but stayed where he was. I sipped at the tea silently as Eryk studied me. "Are you hurt bad? When Father used to get upset, he'd sometimes beat Sev pretty bad."
"Everything hurts...but I'm used to it." I shrugged. Eryk waved his hand and my shirt disappeared. I yelped and dropped the cup. Thankfully it was empty! Eyk's eyes were wide.
"Merlin! Don't tell me that doesn't hurt like hell!" He put his own cup down and rushed over. I hung my head and felt him gently stick a finger under my chin and lift it up. "It's gonna be okay now. I'm going to heal this the best I can." I nodded and he gently stroked my hair.
"Thanks...." I heard him shift and mutter a spell. Instantly a box of potions, medication, gauze, and strips of cloth appeared.
"This might take a while, so you might want to lay down."
TBC