Cruel Truth
Chapter 1 – Death Eaters
Severus Snape was a highly unusual boy in many ways. He was about six or seven years old, with black hair, pale skin and a hooked nose which he had inherited from his father. He was crying in his bedroom; a dingy room with grey curtain which were supposed to be white, an off-white ceiling, bare floorboards and peeling, faded wallpaper. He sat upon a hard iron bed with plain sheets, clutching a filthy rag, which was all he had for a teddy. His teddy bear had been burnt by Lucius Malfoy some months ago. Severus remembered it well. Lucius was a big boy, 12, in his second year at Hogwarts. Severus was scared of him, but he played with him, because, well... because he had no-one else to play with, and he needed somewhere to go to keep out of his father's way. Lucius was like a brother to him.
***
Severus and Lucius had been playing that day – it was in the summer, so Lucius wasn't at school - by the big stone fountain in the courtyard of Malfoy manor.
"Let's play Death Eaters!" Severus had been wary; each time Lucius suggested playing a game, he always seemed to end up playing the muggle, the prisoner, Lucius' servant or anybody else who didn't get to do anything interesting.
"What's that?" he had asked finally.
"Don't you know what a Death Eater is?" scoffed Lucius. "Oh, of course you wouldn't. you're just a baby."
"No I'm not. I'm not a baby."
"Oh yeah? How come you still sleep with a teddy bear, then?"
"I don't. that's babyish."
"Yes, you do. I've seen it. In your room." Severus just shook his head. "I bet you need it to go to sleep," mocked Lucius, "little baby Sevvikins, still sleeps with a teddy bear. I bet you wet the bed, too." Severus flushed. He had wet the bed, once or twice. He would sometimes lie awake for hours, worrying about it. He knew he'd get a beating if his father found out. He wondered how the other boy knew. Suddenly Lucius interrupted his thoughts by shoving him hard in the back. "Go on then, go and get your teddy bear. We can use it in the game."
"I... I can't. my father says I'm not to take it out of the house."
"I dare you" Severus considered this thoughtfully for a moment. If he didn't get his bear, Lucius would certainly beat him up, but he didn't really want it included in this new game. Lucius advanced on him, his wand raised. Severus took the hint and ran home to fetch his teddy.
The game was a long and complicated one, as usual, but unusually Severus was allowed to be a Death Eater, with the muggle being played by the bear.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Severus, after a long but strangely one- sided battle, won by Severus and Lucius, who tied the unfortunate teddy bear to a stick stuck into the cobbles around the fountain. Lucius looked thoughtful for a moment. Severus got the distinct impression that he didn't know very much more about Death Eaters than he did himself.
"Um, well... Death Eaters kill the muggles they catch by eating them"
"Like clannibles?"
"Cannibals, you idiot. No, cannibals kill them first. Death Eaters take huge bites out of their bodies while they're still alive!"
"You mean we're going to eat him? I mean it?" Severus quickly corrected himself.
"Not raw, we're not Death Eaters, stupid. No, I think we should barbecue it!"
"What do you mean?"
"Let's set it alight!" there was excitement in Lucius' eyes that Severus had never seen before. He watched as the older boy prodded the bear with his wand. It started to smoulder. Severus wrinkled his nose at the acrid smell of smoke and tried hard not to cry. Lucius grinned at him. He forced a grin back. He was quite good at fake emotions. He'd have to be, with his father how he was. That night he'd cried himself to sleep, when he was alone only he allowed himself tears. It was the same this night.
Chapter 1 – Death Eaters
Severus Snape was a highly unusual boy in many ways. He was about six or seven years old, with black hair, pale skin and a hooked nose which he had inherited from his father. He was crying in his bedroom; a dingy room with grey curtain which were supposed to be white, an off-white ceiling, bare floorboards and peeling, faded wallpaper. He sat upon a hard iron bed with plain sheets, clutching a filthy rag, which was all he had for a teddy. His teddy bear had been burnt by Lucius Malfoy some months ago. Severus remembered it well. Lucius was a big boy, 12, in his second year at Hogwarts. Severus was scared of him, but he played with him, because, well... because he had no-one else to play with, and he needed somewhere to go to keep out of his father's way. Lucius was like a brother to him.
***
Severus and Lucius had been playing that day – it was in the summer, so Lucius wasn't at school - by the big stone fountain in the courtyard of Malfoy manor.
"Let's play Death Eaters!" Severus had been wary; each time Lucius suggested playing a game, he always seemed to end up playing the muggle, the prisoner, Lucius' servant or anybody else who didn't get to do anything interesting.
"What's that?" he had asked finally.
"Don't you know what a Death Eater is?" scoffed Lucius. "Oh, of course you wouldn't. you're just a baby."
"No I'm not. I'm not a baby."
"Oh yeah? How come you still sleep with a teddy bear, then?"
"I don't. that's babyish."
"Yes, you do. I've seen it. In your room." Severus just shook his head. "I bet you need it to go to sleep," mocked Lucius, "little baby Sevvikins, still sleeps with a teddy bear. I bet you wet the bed, too." Severus flushed. He had wet the bed, once or twice. He would sometimes lie awake for hours, worrying about it. He knew he'd get a beating if his father found out. He wondered how the other boy knew. Suddenly Lucius interrupted his thoughts by shoving him hard in the back. "Go on then, go and get your teddy bear. We can use it in the game."
"I... I can't. my father says I'm not to take it out of the house."
"I dare you" Severus considered this thoughtfully for a moment. If he didn't get his bear, Lucius would certainly beat him up, but he didn't really want it included in this new game. Lucius advanced on him, his wand raised. Severus took the hint and ran home to fetch his teddy.
The game was a long and complicated one, as usual, but unusually Severus was allowed to be a Death Eater, with the muggle being played by the bear.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Severus, after a long but strangely one- sided battle, won by Severus and Lucius, who tied the unfortunate teddy bear to a stick stuck into the cobbles around the fountain. Lucius looked thoughtful for a moment. Severus got the distinct impression that he didn't know very much more about Death Eaters than he did himself.
"Um, well... Death Eaters kill the muggles they catch by eating them"
"Like clannibles?"
"Cannibals, you idiot. No, cannibals kill them first. Death Eaters take huge bites out of their bodies while they're still alive!"
"You mean we're going to eat him? I mean it?" Severus quickly corrected himself.
"Not raw, we're not Death Eaters, stupid. No, I think we should barbecue it!"
"What do you mean?"
"Let's set it alight!" there was excitement in Lucius' eyes that Severus had never seen before. He watched as the older boy prodded the bear with his wand. It started to smoulder. Severus wrinkled his nose at the acrid smell of smoke and tried hard not to cry. Lucius grinned at him. He forced a grin back. He was quite good at fake emotions. He'd have to be, with his father how he was. That night he'd cried himself to sleep, when he was alone only he allowed himself tears. It was the same this night.