To Becca, whose online when I'm lonely (a.k.a: a LOT) and visits countries I have never heard of. I love you Beccz! I dunno what I would do without you!
Severus watched as his mother shakily sipped her tea, no doubt in pain from another beating from his father last night, if he could even call him his father.
In 11 year old Severus's opinion, if he was really his father, he would love him and care for him and his mother, isn't that what father's are supposed to do? Were they or were they not supposed to get drunk and beat their wife so badly she could barely remember own name.
Severus saw she was going to drop the cup and went to support her, holding her arm steady and bringing the cup up to her lips. He lowered it back down and she turned to him. "Thank you, err,"
"Severus, mother." He said and she nodded. She picked up the cup again to drink and he once more supported her.
"Leave her Severus," His father said as he walked into the kitchen, a proud stride more like it. Severus let her go and went back to his seat. "She is weak, and doesn't deserve our help." He snarled and Severus nodded slowly, though inside, he wanted to scream that it wasn't her fault she couldn't drink a cup of tea without help. There was a hoot from the other room and his mother got up to get the post.
As she got out of her chair, she gasped and collapsed in a heap on the floor. Severus wanted to help her but his father snapped.
"Don't touch her! Go get the post!" He snapped and Severus protested, earning him a slap across the face. He should have known better than to disobey his father's orders as he went to get the letters from the owl. But something was different, there were two owls, the small weak black family owl and a big grey one.
He excitedly made his way over to the grey one, knowing what it must be. He looked at the letter and his heart leapt even higher as he saw his name on the one side and the Hogwarts stamp on the other. He heard a crash and hurriedly put the letter in his robe pocket.
He would read it later, he thought as he made his way back into the kitchen. He gasped, the table was turned over, glass everywhere, splinters of wood from the table scattered around, he looked to his mother, who was still lying on the floor, her breathing shallow and her eyes closed while her hand clutched her chest.
His father disappeared from the room angrily and as soon as Severus was sure he was gone, ran to help his mother.
Severus emerged from his mother's room that evening, things were not looking good, her breathing was getting shallower and her pulse weaker, but he knew he couldn't call a medi witch, no medical staff would ever come near the Snape house, the family name had too bad a reputation.
He was just going to get a wet towel so he could wipe his mother's forehead, when his father stumbled in, his face red from anger or alcohol; Severus wasn't sure which before his father grabbed him.
He held him by his hair and looked into his face. "I told you not to touch her." He said and Severus smelt the fire whiskey on his breath. "Why did you help her?" He asked and Severus didn't answer. His father shook him. " I asked you a question! Now answer me!" He said and hit Severus so hard he sent him flying into the wall opposite them before going off again.
Severus recovered quickly before getting the towel for his mother. As he entered the room, he knew that this was probably going to be the last time he would see his mother alive. He slowly moved over to her and pressed the towel to her forehead. Her eyes opened and she looked at her son.
"Severus," She whispered weakly. "Severus, you're just in time." She said and Severu's eyes filled with fear.
"No mother, please don't." He whispered back, taking her hand.
"I have no choice Severus, take care of yourself, I love you and I know you're going to do excellent at Hogwarts." She said and tears welled up in Severus's eyes.
"I love you too, mother." He said and she closed her eyes, Severus felt for her pulse, it was getting weaker and weaker.
"Goodbye Severus." She whispered before her pulse disappeared completely. Severus let go of her hand and wiped his eyes. He dug in his pocket for a tissue and found a wrinkled piece of paper instead.
He took it out and remembered his letter before looking up at his deceased mother.
"I'm going to do well mother, I'm gonna make you proud."