Sallius Snape first met Marissa Valo at Durmstrang, but their parents had
been acquainted for long before that. They did not know of their betrothal
until their final year there. The wedding took place two months after they
left. Although Sallius wanted to live in England, he decided to respect his
new wife's family's wishes, and return to her home country, Finland.
Sallius and Marissa's first and only surviving child was born seven months after they were married. Sallius was relieved when he heard from the midwitch that the child was a boy, and named him Severus, after his own father, who had died some years before. The baby was pallid, and weak, having been born two months premature, but was his heir nonetheless, and therefore one of the most important people in Sallius's life.
Sallius was determined for the boy to grow, and become strong, and decided that the best way to do this was to shut him out of the manor for hours at a time, every day. When he was four, he learnt how to conjure a warm, safe flame, the incantation for which he found in the extensive library, where he spent most of his time, when allowed. He shared this with Pedra, a young witch a couple of years older than him. Pedra lived in a small cottage in the grounds of the Snape residence with her mother, Kiana. As neither Pedra nor Severus went to school, Kiana tutored them for two hours every afternoon.
One day in winter, when he was five, Severus and Pedra were huddled around the flame in between the trees of the grounds, cloaks pulled tight around them. They were talking about what they wanted to do when they were older. Severus, glad of the appreciative audience, was showing off.
'I'm going to be the captain of a ship, and sail the world, and have adventures.'
'Really?'
'Yes, I and shall learn to fight with a sword, and kill all the pirates. And whenever people see my boat they will say 'There goes Severus Snape's ship. He's a great hero, and very brave.' And I shall wave at them.'
He picked up a stick and acted out a great heroic battle between him and a tree. Pedra watched and clapped when the tree died of its wounds.
'Thanks. What are you going to do? Are you going to have adventures?'
'No, I don't like adventures. I'm going to open an inn, and you can come and stay in it whenever you're in Finland.'
'Well, of course I'll stay with you,' Severus said, seriously, 'We shall be married.'
'Oh. Ok.'
It was at this point that Pedra's mother called her inside for lunch, and Severus reluctantly went home as well.
It was Sunday, so his father had guests for lunch. Severus sat silently eating everything the house elves placed in front of him – pickiness was not abided – and listened to his father discuss boring matters with dull men. Marissa was silent too, keeping her eyes on her plate and not looking up, except when she was addressed, and barely then. She responded to any inquiries in short, clipped sentences, never making eye contact. At the end of the meal she excused herself and her son, leaving the men to their cigars. The remained there for a while, then went out to the local pub to drink.
As she considered it too cold for Severus to be sent outside again, and he had no lessons on Sundays, she took him up to the library. She told him stories, some out of books, some made up, some true. Stories of fantastic creatures and places, of beautiful princesses and dashing knights, of giants and dragons. They were curled up in an armchair when Sallius returned from the pub, the smell of firewhiskey on his breath, the heat of anger in his eyes. He tore the book from her passive fingers, snarling something about muggle rubbish, and dragged her from her chair. Severus fell to the floor and crawled into a corner, where he closed his eyes and put his finger in his ears. He imagined himself away to the places of fairytales, battled dragons and evil, faceless men, rescued princesses, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Pedra. He knew that if he wished hard enough it would come true. He and Pedra would be magicked away to the land of the faeries and goblins, and never have to look back.
When he woke up, his mother was lying on the floor, facing away from him. Sallius had gone, probably back to the pub. Severus crawled over to her. She was awake. There weren't any marks on her face. No marks visible at all, in fact. No, Sallius was too clever to leave marks.
'I. . . I'm sorry, Severus,' she whispered.
He said nothing, only gave her a hug and kissed her tear-stained face. Marissa clung to her son as if he was her anchor, the only thing holding her to this world.
Neither had any idea how long they lay there. When they finally got up and left the room it was well after dark. She put him to bed, gave him a kiss and went to bed herself, dreading her husband's return.
Sallius and Marissa's first and only surviving child was born seven months after they were married. Sallius was relieved when he heard from the midwitch that the child was a boy, and named him Severus, after his own father, who had died some years before. The baby was pallid, and weak, having been born two months premature, but was his heir nonetheless, and therefore one of the most important people in Sallius's life.
Sallius was determined for the boy to grow, and become strong, and decided that the best way to do this was to shut him out of the manor for hours at a time, every day. When he was four, he learnt how to conjure a warm, safe flame, the incantation for which he found in the extensive library, where he spent most of his time, when allowed. He shared this with Pedra, a young witch a couple of years older than him. Pedra lived in a small cottage in the grounds of the Snape residence with her mother, Kiana. As neither Pedra nor Severus went to school, Kiana tutored them for two hours every afternoon.
One day in winter, when he was five, Severus and Pedra were huddled around the flame in between the trees of the grounds, cloaks pulled tight around them. They were talking about what they wanted to do when they were older. Severus, glad of the appreciative audience, was showing off.
'I'm going to be the captain of a ship, and sail the world, and have adventures.'
'Really?'
'Yes, I and shall learn to fight with a sword, and kill all the pirates. And whenever people see my boat they will say 'There goes Severus Snape's ship. He's a great hero, and very brave.' And I shall wave at them.'
He picked up a stick and acted out a great heroic battle between him and a tree. Pedra watched and clapped when the tree died of its wounds.
'Thanks. What are you going to do? Are you going to have adventures?'
'No, I don't like adventures. I'm going to open an inn, and you can come and stay in it whenever you're in Finland.'
'Well, of course I'll stay with you,' Severus said, seriously, 'We shall be married.'
'Oh. Ok.'
It was at this point that Pedra's mother called her inside for lunch, and Severus reluctantly went home as well.
It was Sunday, so his father had guests for lunch. Severus sat silently eating everything the house elves placed in front of him – pickiness was not abided – and listened to his father discuss boring matters with dull men. Marissa was silent too, keeping her eyes on her plate and not looking up, except when she was addressed, and barely then. She responded to any inquiries in short, clipped sentences, never making eye contact. At the end of the meal she excused herself and her son, leaving the men to their cigars. The remained there for a while, then went out to the local pub to drink.
As she considered it too cold for Severus to be sent outside again, and he had no lessons on Sundays, she took him up to the library. She told him stories, some out of books, some made up, some true. Stories of fantastic creatures and places, of beautiful princesses and dashing knights, of giants and dragons. They were curled up in an armchair when Sallius returned from the pub, the smell of firewhiskey on his breath, the heat of anger in his eyes. He tore the book from her passive fingers, snarling something about muggle rubbish, and dragged her from her chair. Severus fell to the floor and crawled into a corner, where he closed his eyes and put his finger in his ears. He imagined himself away to the places of fairytales, battled dragons and evil, faceless men, rescued princesses, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Pedra. He knew that if he wished hard enough it would come true. He and Pedra would be magicked away to the land of the faeries and goblins, and never have to look back.
When he woke up, his mother was lying on the floor, facing away from him. Sallius had gone, probably back to the pub. Severus crawled over to her. She was awake. There weren't any marks on her face. No marks visible at all, in fact. No, Sallius was too clever to leave marks.
'I. . . I'm sorry, Severus,' she whispered.
He said nothing, only gave her a hug and kissed her tear-stained face. Marissa clung to her son as if he was her anchor, the only thing holding her to this world.
Neither had any idea how long they lay there. When they finally got up and left the room it was well after dark. She put him to bed, gave him a kiss and went to bed herself, dreading her husband's return.