A/N: First of all I would like to thank my very first reviewer Misthea.
In this chapter we begin to see the other people that have been affected, directly and indirectly by the murder of the Blacks.
Snow on the Sidewalk
Chapter 3
It had been an arranged marriage, whatever that meant. Severus didn't know but he had a feeling it meant married when you didn't want to be. Father was angry all the time, always yelling and hurting Mummy. That was why Mummy had come up with a plan to leave, to run away and never be found. She had started saving money the day he had been born not wizard money, that would be too hard to hide from father muggle money that they could easily hide that right under his nose and he would never know. Mummy did odd jobs while Father was gone,
and Severus helped too. He knew he should feel bad about taking the money he found on the street but every coin or note he found seemed to call out to him. "It's all right, pick me up, I've been waiting here just for you. Take me home and you're one step closer to freedom."
Then without warning, with the money they had saved, freedom came suddenly and very unexpectedly. Severus woke up to an apartment full of Aurors wrestling with his father until him mother stunned the man.
"Oh...well, thank you, Ma'am. Uh...we can handle it form here," one of the young Aurors stuttered, blushing. "Oh...a-and thank you for your cooperation," he added hastily.
"Where is Father going?" the boy asked as he came to stand beside his mother. One of the Aurors knelt down in front of him and smiled, "Hi there kiddo. Well you see your daddy may have done something bad and we want to take him to the Ministry and ask him some questions, but don't you worry you and your Mummy will be just fine." This was delivered in a cheerful voice, almost as if he were offering a trip to the park. To his surprise however, the boy glared at him rather frighteningly, making his young self look like an angry cat about to pounce. "Slow, aren't you?"
"Severus!!" the boy's mother reprimanded. "You can't talk to people that way. It's very rude,"
she said, embarrassed at her sons behavior.
"But it's true!! Mummy, Father does bad things every day. If they're just now noticing they need more practice," Severus told his mother calmly.
"Kid's got quite a mouth on him," an older Auror with several scars commented, ruffling the boy's hair. Severus glared at him. "Gonna be a hand full when he gets older I bet. Alistor Moody,
Head of the Auror department. Sorry I wasn't able to introduce myself properly before, but you know," he motioned to the now stunned man on the floor.
"We may need to ask you some questions regarding your husband later. So I suggest you don't go vanishing on us," he said in a gruff voice.
"I understand completely. If you need to contact me I'll be with my brother and his wife for the time being."
So Severus and Margot Snape went to stay with Margot's brother John, and his muggleborn wife Robyn. Severus liked Uncle John and Aunt Robyn. They raised Flying horses together on a small ranch in Scotland thatthey called Sherwood.
While they were settling in, Severus was aware that his mother seemed nervous about something. It upset the boy not to be able to do anything to make her feel better. He had decided to be on his very best behavior until he could take care of whatever was bothering Mummy.
Being on his best behavior meant that besides doing as he was told, and cleaning up after himself without being told, Severus also had to babysit Uncle John. Uncle John was always fun though Severus had never gotten to see him much as Father hadn't been fond of him, in fact Father HATED Uncle John.
He was tall, and broad shouldered, and his chin was usually pricklywith stubble when he picked Severus up for a bone-crushing bear hug. He belched after dinner and talked with his mouth full, and did lots of stupid things Auntie Robyn was always yelling at him for. Like the time he had fallen out of the hayloft and dropped his wand on the top of his head. (He had an orange cactus growing out of his head for two weeks after that.) Or the time he'd said arse and a lot of other rude words in front of Severus. Severus' favorite thing about him though was that he was always smiling and happy. Unlike most of his family he had been a Gryffindor.
Aunt Robyn was tiny and slender rather like Severus' mother. She had short-cropped, copper colored hair and an equally short temper with her husband, which was completely understandable. It took a lot to keep him in line. Severus liked her because as much as she lost her temper she was never horrible and broke things like father had done. Aunt Robyn had been a Ravenclaw.
It didn't take long for Severus to get used to life at Sherwood. He got to help with chores and even got an allowance (something he had never had before.) He could spend it on sweets or toys when Uncle John took him to the market and he would always save enough to get Mummy a present too.
One day, about three months after their arrival, Mummy had to go to London for something concerning father. Severus stayed with his aunt while Uncle John went with her. Aunt Robyn seemed unusually nervous, like Mummy had been for the past three months. After what seemed like forever Mummy and Uncle John returned. Mummy smiled and picked him up holding him close he heard her whisper. "Everything is going to be fine now, we're safe. He'll never hurt you again."
In this chapter we begin to see the other people that have been affected, directly and indirectly by the murder of the Blacks.
Snow on the Sidewalk
Chapter 3
It had been an arranged marriage, whatever that meant. Severus didn't know but he had a feeling it meant married when you didn't want to be. Father was angry all the time, always yelling and hurting Mummy. That was why Mummy had come up with a plan to leave, to run away and never be found. She had started saving money the day he had been born not wizard money, that would be too hard to hide from father muggle money that they could easily hide that right under his nose and he would never know. Mummy did odd jobs while Father was gone,
and Severus helped too. He knew he should feel bad about taking the money he found on the street but every coin or note he found seemed to call out to him. "It's all right, pick me up, I've been waiting here just for you. Take me home and you're one step closer to freedom."
Then without warning, with the money they had saved, freedom came suddenly and very unexpectedly. Severus woke up to an apartment full of Aurors wrestling with his father until him mother stunned the man.
"Oh...well, thank you, Ma'am. Uh...we can handle it form here," one of the young Aurors stuttered, blushing. "Oh...a-and thank you for your cooperation," he added hastily.
"Where is Father going?" the boy asked as he came to stand beside his mother. One of the Aurors knelt down in front of him and smiled, "Hi there kiddo. Well you see your daddy may have done something bad and we want to take him to the Ministry and ask him some questions, but don't you worry you and your Mummy will be just fine." This was delivered in a cheerful voice, almost as if he were offering a trip to the park. To his surprise however, the boy glared at him rather frighteningly, making his young self look like an angry cat about to pounce. "Slow, aren't you?"
"Severus!!" the boy's mother reprimanded. "You can't talk to people that way. It's very rude,"
she said, embarrassed at her sons behavior.
"But it's true!! Mummy, Father does bad things every day. If they're just now noticing they need more practice," Severus told his mother calmly.
"Kid's got quite a mouth on him," an older Auror with several scars commented, ruffling the boy's hair. Severus glared at him. "Gonna be a hand full when he gets older I bet. Alistor Moody,
Head of the Auror department. Sorry I wasn't able to introduce myself properly before, but you know," he motioned to the now stunned man on the floor.
"We may need to ask you some questions regarding your husband later. So I suggest you don't go vanishing on us," he said in a gruff voice.
"I understand completely. If you need to contact me I'll be with my brother and his wife for the time being."
So Severus and Margot Snape went to stay with Margot's brother John, and his muggleborn wife Robyn. Severus liked Uncle John and Aunt Robyn. They raised Flying horses together on a small ranch in Scotland thatthey called Sherwood.
While they were settling in, Severus was aware that his mother seemed nervous about something. It upset the boy not to be able to do anything to make her feel better. He had decided to be on his very best behavior until he could take care of whatever was bothering Mummy.
Being on his best behavior meant that besides doing as he was told, and cleaning up after himself without being told, Severus also had to babysit Uncle John. Uncle John was always fun though Severus had never gotten to see him much as Father hadn't been fond of him, in fact Father HATED Uncle John.
He was tall, and broad shouldered, and his chin was usually pricklywith stubble when he picked Severus up for a bone-crushing bear hug. He belched after dinner and talked with his mouth full, and did lots of stupid things Auntie Robyn was always yelling at him for. Like the time he had fallen out of the hayloft and dropped his wand on the top of his head. (He had an orange cactus growing out of his head for two weeks after that.) Or the time he'd said arse and a lot of other rude words in front of Severus. Severus' favorite thing about him though was that he was always smiling and happy. Unlike most of his family he had been a Gryffindor.
Aunt Robyn was tiny and slender rather like Severus' mother. She had short-cropped, copper colored hair and an equally short temper with her husband, which was completely understandable. It took a lot to keep him in line. Severus liked her because as much as she lost her temper she was never horrible and broke things like father had done. Aunt Robyn had been a Ravenclaw.
It didn't take long for Severus to get used to life at Sherwood. He got to help with chores and even got an allowance (something he had never had before.) He could spend it on sweets or toys when Uncle John took him to the market and he would always save enough to get Mummy a present too.
One day, about three months after their arrival, Mummy had to go to London for something concerning father. Severus stayed with his aunt while Uncle John went with her. Aunt Robyn seemed unusually nervous, like Mummy had been for the past three months. After what seemed like forever Mummy and Uncle John returned. Mummy smiled and picked him up holding him close he heard her whisper. "Everything is going to be fine now, we're safe. He'll never hurt you again."