Disclaimer: Don't own a thing.
A/N: Yes, I know, it's been forever. Now I'm writing again, and I'm planning on keeping this one up. I'm writing more originals lately, but sometimes I get bored and just want more Snape. Tell me what you think of this, I'm not quite sure I feel on this chapter. It'll get better.
Oh, yes, and thank you for the lovely reviews!
Chapter One: The Boy
Lightning crashed across the black sky, and thunder shook the large manor. Great and heavy raindrops hammered hard on the windows, making it impossible to see everything that was happening outside. Upon squinted eyes, one could just make out a small, pinprick of light moving slowly towards the large house, and that was exactly what the house elf of Snape Manor was after. A crack of thunder startled the ragged Beastly, which sent him jumping a foot into the air. He hated thunder, and he hated lightning even more. It was storming quite often lately, practically every other day. On the days it wasn't darkened with storm clouds, the air was thick and suffocating. It had been the hottest summer in years.
Beastly chanced another look out the window. He had been commanded to wait by the window on the second landing for any sign of the Master's relatives who were coming to stay for a short period while they worked on some unfinished business, as Master Snape called it. Beastly didn't know what the unfinished business was, but he learned from a young age not to ask priding questions, or suffer the Snape-ish consequences. The house elf pressed his long nose against the cold, blurry glass, and made his eyes as large as possible. Sure enough there was the light, most likely from a lantern shaking violently from the wind and carriage, headed this way. Beastly squealed at another crash of lightning, and went scampering to find his master, to inform him of their long-awaited visitors.
Beastly's long feet echoed across the cold floors, as he made sharp turns at ever corner of the darkened hallways. Beastly was used to the eeriness of the light-less mansion. Master Snape only allowed the light to shine where he was presently residing, and only permitted one small torch for every floor that wasn't the ground. Beastly expertly winded his way among the empty hallways, and winding staircases, until he was outside his Master's den. He took a moment to catch his breath, wishing Master Snape hadn't band apparating in the house. He had stripped Beastly of this privilege when he had apparated into the kitchen one night to inspect the other house elves' job of cleaning, and had bumped into and startled the Boy. Beastly wasn't sure why the boy was in the kitchen since he was given his meals for that day, but when the house elf had startled him, he had dropped the dish piled with the evening's dinner, pulled out his wand, and screamed a curse that would have ripped Beastly of his ears if he hadn't missed. The boy struck the table and it exploded into a million splinters. This occurred only a month ago, and ever since then, Beastly was forbidden to apparate, and the boy's wand had been taken from him.
Beastly caught his breath and knocked on the door. A moment later, a cold voice dripping with repugnance answered it. "This had better be good."
"Sir, Master's relatives are coming through the gates, sir," squeaked Beastly. "Sir, Master's relatives should be at the front doors any minute, sir."
There was the clang of something heavy being closed, and then the sharp sounds of the Master's footsteps approaching the door at his leisure. Beastly stepped away from the door, and it swung noiselessly open. Beastly craned his neck to take in the tall, dark man. His black hair was always kept short so he could have every access to catch everything happening around him with those piercing black eyes. Master Snape looked as angry as ever, and Beastly didn't dare stand in his way as he swiped passed him and headed for the main entrance. "Bring the boy," Master Snape growled. Beastly watched him go until he disappeared around a corner. If only Master would smile once in awhile, Beastly thought childishly with a sigh. Without another second's pause, the house elf scrambled back up to the second floor and scurried to the west wing where the boy was kept. He had promised the young master to inform him when his aunt and cousins arrived, anyway.
After he knocked, Beastly didn't wait for an answer. He hurried inside and shut the door behind him.
It was black as night in the boy's room, only to be lighted with the occasionally strikes lightning streaking the sky. It enlightened the room briefly, and Beastly found the boy's silhouette lying on his bed. With the next streak of lightning, Beastly saw that he was lying flat on his back, shooting down flies with his wand. Beastly frowned, and shook his head.
"Young Master Snape should not be using his wand, especially when school is not in session," sniped the house elf.
"Don't call me that," the boy snapped, his voice low and dark, so much like his father's. He continued to flick his wand at the ceiling. "I'm no more the master of this god forsaken house than you are."
"How does Young Master get his wand?" Beastly wanted to know, ignoring the boy's command. He knew the boy wasn't at all a master, but theoretically he was the heir to Snape Manor, making him the Young Master of the house. Master Snape never called him this, but Beastly insisted on doing so, as if he were offering him the small amount of hope he desperately needed.
"Stole it." The boy didn't go into detail.
"Young Master's aunt is here," said Beastly. "Young Master commanded Beastly to inform him when she did, and Beastly has kept his promise. Anything else Young Master wishes of Beastly?"
"Rotate the world more rapidly and end summer already," was the boy's reply.
"Beastly means is there anything of Beastly's power that the Young Master –"
"No," growled the boy, sitting up on his bed. His hair was matted to his head, from where he had been lying on it all day. It fell greasily to his chin, and though there was no light to prove it, Beastly knew he was being stared down with the blackest eyes he had ever seen. "But tell me, who did she bring with her?"
"Beastly does not know this. Beastly has only seen the cart coming through the gates. Beastly does know that Young Master's aunt is to bring her oldest son and daughter to keep the Young Master company."
The boy scoffed, fixing his eyes on his bedpost. "Leave it to the Snape family to take it in their power to redefine the word 'company'. I will not come out to greet them. Tell father I'm ill. That should please him." The boy threw himself back onto his bed and pulled his blanket over his head.
Beastly shifted nervously and chewed on his lip. "Beastly cannot allow Young Master to sleep any longer. Beastly has been given orders, and Beastly must follow them. He must bring Young Master to the parlor so he may greet his aunt and show his cousins to their rooms. It's only tradition, Young Master."
The boy kicked the blanket off of him and pulled himself out of bed and onto his feet. Beastly had to crane his neck again to take in the Snape. Only fourteen and already he was almost his father's height. They were so much alike, yet so very much different, the father and his son; only Beastly liked the boy better. While Master Snape was born with a cold soul, his son was trained into one, and that made all the difference to Beastly.
"Fine then," spat the boy. "But I will not stay."
He brushed passed Beastly and flew out of the room. The house elf hurried after him.
Beastly followed the boy until they reached the front staircase that led to the entrance hall. A good house elf was one that was not seen, but Beastly had always been a curious house elf. He hid himself behind the wall and poked his large eye around it so he could watch. The boy didn't acknowledge the house elf in any way. Master Snape was greeting his sister, nephew and niece, but none of them acknowledged the boy's presence. Beastly watched the boy's lip curve in a sneer, as he broadened his shoulders and made his way down the staircase. Beastly watched intently.
There, standing directly in front of the doors, was Ester Black. Married into the infamous Black family, Beastly knew the woman to be the nastiest of their kind. Her manner was not as dark and loathing as her brothers' were, but her laughter, as she was engaged in at this moment, was chilling. Her youthful face and glistening dark eyes were deceiving, and everyone who knew her knew how lethal she could become. Ester Black was better left in a good mood. She was quite unlike the rest of the Snape family, as Beastly knew, for Ester was not afraid to laugh and smile and her motherly instincts had an impression on everyone. However, Beastly also knew Ester's loathing for the boy, but what Beastly didn't know, was why.
Her children were not any better than she was, if anything they were worse. She only brought two of them today. (She had four children.) The two she brought weren't even the worse of them. The oldest boy was named Sid, and he looked nothing at all like his mother with white blond hair and hard gray eyes. He was seventeen years of age, and whenever he was near the boy, he made sure he recognized him as his superior. Beastly saw Sid Black watch his cousin make his way down the black carpeted stairs with a vindictive sneer on his face. Beastly shook his head, suddenly feeling sorry for the boy. Sid and Severus did not at all get along.
A high-pitched laugh diverted Beastly's attention to the girl. Estella was the youngest child of the family, and had her mother's deceiving eyes, but her father's blonde hair. Raised by three older and vicious brothers, Estella was raised by evil, and she was the one Beastly feared the most. Madam Ester never brought her two other children, but he knew they had to be much worse. Ester said she wouldn't dare bring them because of how violent Master Snape's headaches grew, and just this statement alone brought Beastly chills. However, Beastly lived in sheer terror whenever Estella came to visit, because the last time she was here, she spotted one of the house elves and killed it. She was only ten at the time, but she already possessed a wand, under her father's wishes, and was taught magic prematurely. At the moment she was shrieking with delight at something her uncle just uttered.
Next to Ester stood another woman whom Beastly knew well. Her name was Lyra, and she was Master Snape's wife. She was a quiet, observing woman, but that's what Beastly loved most about her. She was the only Snape he knew that you could forget about if she was in the room.
Beastly watched as the boy reached the bottom step. His cousin Sid was still smirking at him, but the boy merely kept his eyes lowered to the floor, his arms clasped behind him. Beastly saw Sid gently elbow his mother, and nod to the boy. Madam Ester's glinting eyes rose to the young Snape and her youthful face broke into a chilling grin. "Why, is that my nephew, Sebastian?" She stepped passed her children and Lyra and approached the boy. The boy kept his head lowered, and did not raise it even when Ester embraced his shoulders with her long hands. "Look how much he's grown. I do believe you're now competing with masculinity with your father, Severus. It's about time, too. I was beginning to wonder when you would hit puberty." Her smile slightly faltered when she ran her fingers through the boy's oily, shoulder length hair. "All we need to do is get rid of your girly hair, and all will be fine. Children," she said, not removing her smile off of her face as she continued to stare at the slouching boy. "Say hello to your cousin."
"Greetings, Severus," snickered Estella. "My have you grown!"
"How are you as of late, Severus?" Sid said quietly, however his eyes glinting malevolently. "Better than the last time I left you, I'm sure."
The boy did not answer. Ester clicked her tongue and stepped away from him, her arms now crossed over her chest. "My word, Sebastian, sometimes I could swear you let your son be raised by house elves in the way he treats his family."
"Say hello to your cousins, Severus," growled Master Snape, his voice deadly. Beastly saw Mistress Snape shift feet as if nervous, but stared just as coldly at her son.
"You heard what your father said," spoke Lyra for the first time.
The boy finally raised his head and stared directly at his father. "How do you do, Estella? Sid."
Estella giggled. "Very well, indeed, cousin. Mother, I am exhausted! Make Severus show me to my room, so I may unpack and rest before dinner."
"Yes, I think I'd like to rest before eating as well," said Sid, staring at his cousin.
"Severus," said Master Snape. "Show your cousins to their rooms, and make sure there is plenty of light in them."
The boy turned abruptly around and made his way back up the stairs. Estella kissed her mother good-night and followed her brother behind the young Snape. Beastly scampered further into the darkened hallway and hid himself.
"Guess what, Severus," Beastly heard Estella taunt. The three of them were coming his way and he kept very still. House elves were very good hiders, after all. The boy didn't answer, so Estella went on. "I turned eleven last week. Do you know what that means?"
Beastly heard a loud thud as if something hit the wall nearby. The house elf kept very still and held his breath. "I suggest that you answer my little sister, Severus," he heard Sid say.
"It means she will be starting school with you," snarled the boy. "Everyone knows that. I do not answer meaningless questions, you should know that by now, Sid."
Beastly's eyes widened in the dark as he heard another loud thump on the wall. "Oh, Sid, give it a rest. We just got here, for Merlin's sake." Beastly frowned, but sighed nonetheless.
A long moment later, Beastly heard the three of them moving forward again.
"Beastly," called the boy. "The Master wants light."
"Yes, sir," replied Beastly. He clapped his hands and a torch from down the hall ignited.
"Ooh, a house elf!" squealed Estella. Beastly shivered, and bowed as low as he could, while backing into a wall. "We should play later, Beesney."
The boy opened a door and said, "Dinner's at seven, Estella."
"Then I'll see you at seven then!" Estella gave her cousin a grin and disappeared into the room. Beastly clapped his hands again and the room flooded with light. The boy snapped the door closed.
The boy turned. Sid stood in front of him. He wasn't smiling. "You want to play a game, Severus?"
Severus frowned. "No," he grunted. He pushed passed him and began walking up the hall.
"But I do," said Sid. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."
"You are no one to be answering to," said the boy uninterestedly. "I do not play games, and I do not answer to a Black, when I hold the surname Snape. You're no superior of mine." He pushed opened another door a few yards from his sister's. "You might want to get used to that."
Beastly screeched. Sid had whipped out his wand from his traveling cloak and sent a curse flying at the boy. Beastly watched in horror as Severus dodged the curse and snatch out his own wand. Beastly shut his eyes and stuffed his fists into his ears. No, no… Young Master will be in so much trouble. Don't hurt the Young Master, evil boy!
A moment later, when Beastly didn't feel any more commotion, he squinted an eye open. The boy was still standing, and when Beastly opened both eyes, he noticed that the boy was dragging Sid across the floor, a large bump on the evil-spirited boy's forehead. The boy pulled him into the bedroom and snapped the door shut behind him.
He looked at Beastly. "I don't think I'll be joining them for dinner. Tell my father that." He turned on his heels, and disappeared behind a dark corner.
Beastly took a deep breath and shakily made his way back down the hall to find the master. He wasn't going to be happy... oh, not at all.
A/N: Oh, yes… I served at Beta on this chapter, and I'm a very lazy reader when it comes to my own at times. (Especially right now since I'm so tired.) Don't get mad over the petty stuff, I'll clean it up later.