A/n: This story is going to be very depressing. Snape hasn't had a happy life. This is not going to be all that easy for me to dig that dark thoughts and things I'm going to need to write this story out of my brain, but I'll do it. For those of you that have read my "Sirius & Remus-" series, please tell me whether I should put Stacey in here or not.

Chapter 1

Severus Sandor Snape was born to Sandor and Narinia Snape on a stormy September night. Narinia commented as she lay on the cot-like bed that Severus bore a striking resemblance to his father. That brought some semblance of pride to Sandor's eyes. He wasn't an emotional man, nor was a family man either. The only reason that had even married and a son was that he needs to carry on the family lineage as his father's only child. That was all probably because of how he was brought up. Sandor knew nothing else that the way he was brought up, nor did he want to. He already knew what he wanted Severus to be like. His son would be intelligent, make top grades at Hogwarts, get a good, respectful job, marry a pureblooded woman, and have children, and uphold that Pureblood traditions. Just as he himself had done, and would continue to do.

When the got home, Narinia insisted on doting on her child, to the disgust of her husband, and the baby's father. "Why do you such things, Narinia?" Sandor would ask. "It's not as if the baby cares how you treat it."

"You know nothing of children, Sandor," said Narinia. "Baby's do care and they know. It will reflect how they grow up."

Sandor snorted. "It makes no difference."

Narinia's happy expression faltered. He ruined every mood.

It was true: They were not in love, Narinia and Sandor, and everybody knew it. A great many pureblood couples hated each other, and only got married for "the good of the family" and "to keep the blood pure". But Narinia loved her son, and she would do her best to protect him from his father's horrible temper, and pray that he didn't resemble his father as much in attitude later in life and she knew he would resemble in looks. He looked like him already: greasy black hair, crooked nose, and sallow, pale skin, black eyes, and long limbs. He would be tall; she knew that, just like his father is.

She sighed. I promise to protect you, she said silently to Severus. And she did to the best of her ability.

Sandor had a wretched temper. Every time he got mad, he would take it out on his family, mainly his wife, who protected their son relentlessly. Sometimes he would simply beat her. Other times, that was not enough. Sometimes Sandor resorted to putting his wife under the Crucio curse. It didn't matter how much the baby cried, he would hurt Narinia until he was satisfied and his anger was abated. He never beat Severus, in the beginning that is. That didn't come until much later...

One time, when Severus was about 5, he walked in the kitchen to see his father brutally beating up his mother. "Father, what are you doing to Mother?" Severus asked with a child's innocence.

Sandor turned on his son, glaring at him. "Mind your tongue, boy, and mind your own business." He chastised.

"But, Father, you're hurting Mother!" Severus cried, walking towards his father slightly.

Sandor let go of Narinia, stormed over to his son, and slapped Severus across his face, which sent Severus into tears. Sandor slapped him again, and started hitting him for crying, yelling at him, "Don't cry, boy! A Snape never cries, and neither does a man! If you want to ever be a true man, you will never let me catch you crying again, do you hear? Do you hear?" Severus just kept crying and as Sandor drew out his wand, Narinia jumped him, telling him not to hurt Severus anymore. Sandor left Severus alone, and turned to Narinia.

"Go, Severus." Narinia said softly. "I'll be fine."

Sandor gave a devilish smirk to Narinia, and pointed his wand at her, as Severus ran up to his room, crying. He heard his father yell, "Crucio!" from downstairs.

But Severus never forgot his father's words, "A Snape never cries," and he never let him catch him crying again, and he never gets in the way of his father again. From then on, he feared his father with a passion.

Severus didn't get beat nearly as much as Narinia did. But whenever Severus didn't do something exactly right or didn't do something to his father's liking, Sandor would hit him, and Severus would never do it again, or he would try not to. Narinia always got the brunt of Sandor's temper because she insisted on protecting her son. One day, Sandor would kill her, she knew that, and if she was protecting her son, it was valiant effort, and a valiant death. She always prayed that she could raise Severus right so he wouldn't turn out like his father, but Sandor was running off on him already. Even as a child, he was secretive and silent, and never showed emotions, or at least he tried. That's hard for a child to do, but as he got older, that was what he wanted to do. She noticed it more and more as he got older, and especially when his "friends" came over.

It hurt Narinia to see Severus turning out to be just like Sandor. It's never too late, she would think. If I die trying, I will try to save from turning into your father.


A/n: Well, I hope you liked that. I know it was kind of depressing, but I never imagined that Snape had a happy life. We'll get way from Narinia and Sandor in the next chapter, and get more into Severus' POV as we get into what he thought about everything before he went to Hogwarts. (I'll skip a few years in the next chapter.) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and R/R!