Hey all. I didn't want to put any author's notes in the first chapter, so as not to delay the reader's plunge into my story by tedious babble, so here they are now.
I own the Harry Potter franchise. I make millions a year. That explains why I'm dicking away all my time writing fanfiction for free, right? Yep, definitely adds up.
This fic is dedicated to all people who would like to see Snape finally thaw like frozen hot dogs in warm water. I realize this has been done before, and with both the elements I am going to use in my story. The whole romance and the whole Snape-has-a-child thing are old hat, but I've found only a few fics that have really done either of these ideas justice. To see these fics, please browse my favorites list. I have no reservations in recommending them to you.
While my aim is to thaw out Snape, I am not going to completely humanize him. He will still be our sardonic, cynical old bastard, but perhaps he will feel less hostile to his world. Although he will be thawed out, he will retain some of the tough chewy-ness that the aforementioned thawed hot dogs possess. (I think I should get some sort of prize for creating a metaphor that compares Snape to a weiner.)
In case you didn't catch on at all in the first chapter, this story is set when Snape is in his early twenties. This story does not precede the books, however. It's a whole different story that does not line up with what Rowling has written.
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Severus felt rather smug. He had already promised to visit his mother in the letter he sent the night before, and so he did not have to worry about Dumbledore denying him permission to leave post for a few days. He knew Dumbledore was all too sympathetic with the victim's of his own sneaky manipulations. The Headmaster also had the unbearable habit of trying to encourage Severus to confront his demons, as if it was any of his business.
The real genius in this plan was that Severus would be able to visit his wife's family while away without specifically asking permission to go see them. The less involved Dumbledore was in Severus' personal life the better.
Severus' smugness was comparative, however. He still felt as edgy as the day prior. He irritably rubbed the bridge of his nose as he strode into the Headmaster's office.
"Severus," greeted the Headmaster. "Won't you join me for some tea?"
Severus brushed the niceties aside. "My father died yesterday. I've already owled my mother to tell her I will visit her for a few days. I feel I must leave immediately."
Dumbledore considered the young man before him for a neutral moment. "Very well. A substitute can be arranged for your classes. Do you have your class material prepared?"
"It's catch-up week. The students can have this week's classes to make up for missed assignments." Severus was delighted with his own ingenuity.
"Very well. Send my regards to your mother for me."
Severus turned to go. He was surprised at how well the interview had gone. Dumbledore had ceded without prying, giving unwelcome patronage, or saying something annoyingly...annoyingly Dumbledore.
Just as Severus reached the door, however, the annoyingly-Dumbledore statement came.
"And send my congratulations to the young mother, too."
Severus turned with an expression of masked fury.
"I read it on the Society page in today's paper. Good thing I happened to glance through it. I don't normally, you know."
Severus turned in a swirl of black robes and stomped from the room.
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The old Snape manor had been removed from the Floo network some years ago. At first the premise for this action had been to maintain privacy. What with his questionable practices as a husband and father as well as the secret Death Eater balls, it had been practical for the late Aegerus Snape to be in total control of the coming and going of visitors. It had also been a way to control the comings and goings of his wife and son. Along with the disconnecting of the Floo line, anti-apparation charms had been established around the entire property, caging it in better than any wall.
However, later on it had been for Aegerus Snape's own safety. Aegerus was as oily a character as his son, but he was not slick enough to escape the Auror's fingers. After years of dodging Aurors and covering his trail with forged alibis, Longbottom and his wife, an auror team that was seemingly invincible, were finally able to pin something on him. Then, it was a matter of turning in other Death Eaters and giving away secret plans to save himself. Still, it was largely by grace of the magicked isolation of his manor that he was able to evade the Ministry's Aurors for so long.
It was because of this shell of charms protecting the house that Severus was forced to walk to the edge of Hogwarts grounds with a magically lightened valise, Disapparate, and then Apparate at the edge of the Snape manor's grounds. From there he had to trek across the wild lawns and around the line of mossy oaks before he could see it before him: a rain-streaked, dark-windowed stone manor. The elegant roofline pierced the sky and the arched doorway seemed to frown. In the distance, behind the house, the ocean threw itself against the black rocks littering the beach. The entire property, house and all, would always have black look to it, Severus thought to himself. The morning had been a sunny, blue-skied June day, and it still was; however something about the place always made one think of wet, dark December—snow-less and cheerless.
With a resentful exhalation of the air in his chest, Severus continued towards the house. While his father's death made returning home easier, there were still the memories and the old associations repelling him like a bad odor. He had to see his mother, though. He suddenly realized his desire to see her, had become similar to the desire of a child lost in Diagon Alley to be rescued by his mother.
His pace quickened instead of slowing as he drew closer to the front doors. Up the steps; the knocker reverberated as he let it drop. He waited.
And he waited. No one seemed to be coming. A distant caw could be heard from the crows that lived in the line of oaks, but although Severus strained his ears to listen he could not make out the sound of footsteps on the other side of the heavy double doors.
With his back to the door and his throat tight with frustration, Severus took one last look around him before bending down to pick up his valise to leave. It was then that the door finally creaked open. Severus whirled around.
Her hair was as pure black as he remembered it; there was not a grey hair on her head. Her small white hands were as small and as white. But...her eyes. They did not meet his. They were directed at him, but they had the shame and humility in them that her husband had put there; that same shame and humility prevented her from being able to meet even her own son's eyes.
Just the same, a flicker of relief broke the mask of her expression.
"Severus?"
"Mother."
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I would like to point out that the speed at which I update directly correlates to how many reviews I get.
Cheers!
PS—I will respond to any reviewers that request it.
I own the Harry Potter franchise. I make millions a year. That explains why I'm dicking away all my time writing fanfiction for free, right? Yep, definitely adds up.
This fic is dedicated to all people who would like to see Snape finally thaw like frozen hot dogs in warm water. I realize this has been done before, and with both the elements I am going to use in my story. The whole romance and the whole Snape-has-a-child thing are old hat, but I've found only a few fics that have really done either of these ideas justice. To see these fics, please browse my favorites list. I have no reservations in recommending them to you.
While my aim is to thaw out Snape, I am not going to completely humanize him. He will still be our sardonic, cynical old bastard, but perhaps he will feel less hostile to his world. Although he will be thawed out, he will retain some of the tough chewy-ness that the aforementioned thawed hot dogs possess. (I think I should get some sort of prize for creating a metaphor that compares Snape to a weiner.)
In case you didn't catch on at all in the first chapter, this story is set when Snape is in his early twenties. This story does not precede the books, however. It's a whole different story that does not line up with what Rowling has written.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Severus felt rather smug. He had already promised to visit his mother in the letter he sent the night before, and so he did not have to worry about Dumbledore denying him permission to leave post for a few days. He knew Dumbledore was all too sympathetic with the victim's of his own sneaky manipulations. The Headmaster also had the unbearable habit of trying to encourage Severus to confront his demons, as if it was any of his business.
The real genius in this plan was that Severus would be able to visit his wife's family while away without specifically asking permission to go see them. The less involved Dumbledore was in Severus' personal life the better.
Severus' smugness was comparative, however. He still felt as edgy as the day prior. He irritably rubbed the bridge of his nose as he strode into the Headmaster's office.
"Severus," greeted the Headmaster. "Won't you join me for some tea?"
Severus brushed the niceties aside. "My father died yesterday. I've already owled my mother to tell her I will visit her for a few days. I feel I must leave immediately."
Dumbledore considered the young man before him for a neutral moment. "Very well. A substitute can be arranged for your classes. Do you have your class material prepared?"
"It's catch-up week. The students can have this week's classes to make up for missed assignments." Severus was delighted with his own ingenuity.
"Very well. Send my regards to your mother for me."
Severus turned to go. He was surprised at how well the interview had gone. Dumbledore had ceded without prying, giving unwelcome patronage, or saying something annoyingly...annoyingly Dumbledore.
Just as Severus reached the door, however, the annoyingly-Dumbledore statement came.
"And send my congratulations to the young mother, too."
Severus turned with an expression of masked fury.
"I read it on the Society page in today's paper. Good thing I happened to glance through it. I don't normally, you know."
Severus turned in a swirl of black robes and stomped from the room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The old Snape manor had been removed from the Floo network some years ago. At first the premise for this action had been to maintain privacy. What with his questionable practices as a husband and father as well as the secret Death Eater balls, it had been practical for the late Aegerus Snape to be in total control of the coming and going of visitors. It had also been a way to control the comings and goings of his wife and son. Along with the disconnecting of the Floo line, anti-apparation charms had been established around the entire property, caging it in better than any wall.
However, later on it had been for Aegerus Snape's own safety. Aegerus was as oily a character as his son, but he was not slick enough to escape the Auror's fingers. After years of dodging Aurors and covering his trail with forged alibis, Longbottom and his wife, an auror team that was seemingly invincible, were finally able to pin something on him. Then, it was a matter of turning in other Death Eaters and giving away secret plans to save himself. Still, it was largely by grace of the magicked isolation of his manor that he was able to evade the Ministry's Aurors for so long.
It was because of this shell of charms protecting the house that Severus was forced to walk to the edge of Hogwarts grounds with a magically lightened valise, Disapparate, and then Apparate at the edge of the Snape manor's grounds. From there he had to trek across the wild lawns and around the line of mossy oaks before he could see it before him: a rain-streaked, dark-windowed stone manor. The elegant roofline pierced the sky and the arched doorway seemed to frown. In the distance, behind the house, the ocean threw itself against the black rocks littering the beach. The entire property, house and all, would always have black look to it, Severus thought to himself. The morning had been a sunny, blue-skied June day, and it still was; however something about the place always made one think of wet, dark December—snow-less and cheerless.
With a resentful exhalation of the air in his chest, Severus continued towards the house. While his father's death made returning home easier, there were still the memories and the old associations repelling him like a bad odor. He had to see his mother, though. He suddenly realized his desire to see her, had become similar to the desire of a child lost in Diagon Alley to be rescued by his mother.
His pace quickened instead of slowing as he drew closer to the front doors. Up the steps; the knocker reverberated as he let it drop. He waited.
And he waited. No one seemed to be coming. A distant caw could be heard from the crows that lived in the line of oaks, but although Severus strained his ears to listen he could not make out the sound of footsteps on the other side of the heavy double doors.
With his back to the door and his throat tight with frustration, Severus took one last look around him before bending down to pick up his valise to leave. It was then that the door finally creaked open. Severus whirled around.
Her hair was as pure black as he remembered it; there was not a grey hair on her head. Her small white hands were as small and as white. But...her eyes. They did not meet his. They were directed at him, but they had the shame and humility in them that her husband had put there; that same shame and humility prevented her from being able to meet even her own son's eyes.
Just the same, a flicker of relief broke the mask of her expression.
"Severus?"
"Mother."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I would like to point out that the speed at which I update directly correlates to how many reviews I get.
Cheers!
PS—I will respond to any reviewers that request it.