Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They've all been created by JK Rowling. I've only made up the name for one of them. I am in no way making money off of this writing and do not intend to. I wrote it for the fun of it.

Author's note: One of the characters we know to be very mean and uncaring is out of character in this chapter. He will be out of character for a while in this story. It's showing how he turned into who he is. If you do not like the idea, you will not like this. That is a fair warning. I don't want any rude emails or reviews telling me about this. Also, to anyone who wants to leave me a flame, they will be posted in an author's note in upcoming chapters for people to see and laugh at. I'd think twice about doing so. Thank you for your understanding.

"Thaddeus! How can you do this to our son? You're going to ruin his future, his chance to be brought up in a good home. Do you not see how he looks at you? You scare him half to death. For heaven's sake, he trembles when he gets within four feet of you. Not only are you ruining our son, Thaddeus, you are ruining yourself. The longer you are loyal to You-Know-Who, the longer you are a stupid Death Eater, the slimmer the chances of bettering yourself. If you make one mistake that You-Know-Who doesn't like, you may not even GET another chance," shouted a small-framed woman as she brushed a lock of her long, dark hair off her brow, which was now sweating profusely.

The clock had just chimed twelve times and the sky was the famous midnight black that most people didn't witness because they were sound asleep. The blanket of air that covered London was still and quiet. It was extremely hot considering the time of night. However, it wasn't just the weather that made the night rare. The screaming match that was underway inside Number 27 Crescent Court was a key factor in making the night an unpleasent gem. It was by far the most rigorous argument the family ever had.

"Me ruining that mistake's life? Ha! The funny thing is I could be yelling the same thing at him. Do you know how shameful it is for me to have a son with a fool who thinks Muggles are equal to wizards? Frankly, I don't care what the brat thinks of me. I am who I am. I can't change that. I won't change that, especially for someone like you or Severus. Besides, if it hadn't been for your mother, you wouldn't be here yelling at me for setting a bad example for your precious Sevy-poo. She forced me to marry the minute she found out I got you pregnant. Then again, if you hadn't been such a tramp and had just said no to me like you really wanted to, we wouldn't be sailing on this ship now." As he spoke, his mouth opened so wide, it seemed as if it was a large, black hole leading to a soul full of selfish thoughts and hatred. It was only fitting that the man had dark, ravenous hair, for anything lighter would not have matched his mouth and heart so well.

The small woman ran at the man with flailing arms. There was such a horrific look on her face. This look could have excavated all of your happiness faster than a dementor. The enormous amount of hatred that now resided in her distorted her normally gentle facial features.

"Don't do that to me woman!" Thaddeus slowly crept towards her as the words escaped him. He raised his hand readying to slap her. The woman doubled back meekly, cowering to avoid a painful blow.

Gazing into the thunderous kitchen from the adjoined living room in the darkest, most shadowed corner was a small boy the age of six. He had been reading a picture book by the light of a miniature flashlight to himself trying to escape from this gloomy reality. He did this a lot and usually it got his mind off his parents. This time, though, it hadn't worked. He couldn't block the sound and now, his eyes were bulging and his jaw was extended to the floor in disbelief. His horror-struck cheeks, were linen white, much paler than usual. The tall, hook-nosed man's hand met his mother's pink skin and a tear glided slowly down his cheek.

Thaddeus shot a look the boy's way and slapped her again.

"Thaddeus, please. Please…" Her voice trailed off. The boy watched a steady river of blood venture down her torso, staining her dressing robe. Not being able to bear the sight any longer, the boy retreated deeper into the corner and buried his face in his hands. He was trying to muffle his sobs so his father would not turn and hit him. Feelings were buzzing in his head. He wasn't sure whether to feel angry towards his father or to feel proud for his mother. She was taking this abuse for him. He'd never known a better person. Severus had never known too many people though. He'd never had many friends. Many kids were too scared to come into his house. They knew of his father's reputation and occupation, if you could call it that. Not to mention, Severus resembled his father, including the greasy hair that stained his forehead and the over-sized hooknose. Kids often used it as an excuse to poke fun at him.

Just when he thought it was all over, he heard a loud crash. Hesitantly, he uncovered his innocent blue eyes. The scene was a nightmare, something straight out of a horror movie.

His mother's limp body lay lifeless on the floor, severely bruise. His father stood at her feet.

"I warned you. I told you not to insult me again." He declared this as if she could still hear his words as he slowly backed away.

"Mum.." uttered the boy.
----
Four years later, Severus Snape woke up suddenly in a cold sweat gasping for breath. He felt as if someone was forcing him to the bottom of a very deep body of water. Pressure was closing in on him from every angle.

"Not again. Not again," he said, repeating the words over and over in a hushed voice.

He'd been dreaming about that horrible night every time he went to sleep, each time waking up in worse condition than before.

Severus sat straight up in the eerie darkness of his closet-sized bedroom. The weather conditions outside the Snape residence were the same as they had been that fateful night exactly four years ago. The inside, however, was just as uncomforting as it had been during the actual night after remembering the events in the awful nightmare form. He couldn't expect much compassion though, as no room in the house possessed it since his mom had passed on.

"Four years, Mum. Four years tonight," Severus said. He was talking out loud in hopes him mother could hear him from her final resting place. "Life here on Crescent Court has been so hard without you. Father's rarely returning home from what he calls his 'conferences' and when he is here, he does nothing but threaten me. He says the curses and spells he saved killing you are now reserved for me. Just this evening, he said, 'Don't piss me off, boy. With the mood I'm in tonight, I won't think twice about using Avada Kedavra on you.'

"Oh Mum, I'm so scared. I leave for my first year at Hogwarts in two weeks. It's going to feel so good getting out of here, getting away from Father. Although, I know I'm going to gain another burden at school. I know I won't make friends. Regardless of all your reassuring when I was little, kids never liked me and they still don't. Just yesterday, in Diagon Alley, two boys picked on me. Asked me if I caught any fish with that hook. I know they were talking about my nose…" Severus' trailed off. He was drawn into a daydream by his own words, 'Just yesterday in Diagon Alley.' He didn't speak this part of his story aloud. It was much too personal for that.

He envisioned himself back in dusty Flourish and Blotts bookshop looking for a second hand copy of Standard Book of Spells One when her auburn hair brushed gracefully across his right arm. He looked up and was awestruck by two round emeralds. No, not emeralds, eyes. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. This girl was as beautiful as the angels of Heaven even though her hair was tied in a messy ponytail that rested on the back of her milky white neck and the small jam stain on the neck of her sweater. Her smile was sincere and her teeth were white and shiny, comparable to the façade of a pearl.

He hadn't intended to stare and turned ten shades of red when he heard her voice.

"Um, sorry to ask, but what is so interesting?"

Yes, these simple words had slapped Severus back to a harsh reality. "Nothing. I was just thinking about Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts? I'm going there at the start of the school term. I'm going to be a first year. What about you?"

Severus did not want to screw up anymore, so he decided to smoothly brush his long locks out of his face. "I am, too."

What do you think your favorite subject will be? Mine will probably be Defense Against the Dark Arts. I've been reading up a bit on it and it's just absolutely fascinating. Not to mention utterly useful."

"Yeah." He didn't quite agree. Despite the fact that he loathed his father with a burning passion, he didn't like the thought of someone using spells and jinxes to take him away. Thaddeus was the only family Severus had and family was better than an orphanage as blood is much thicker than water.

Gathering up all of the courage burrowed deep inside of him, he put on his best yet still very crooked smile and was able to stammer on last sentence. "I-I'm Severus. Wha-What did you say your name was?
"I didn't, Severus. I'm.." A tap on the shoulder from a middle-aged woman interrupted her. That's probably her mother, Severus thought.

The older woman backed up motioning for the girl to follow. "Oh, I'm sorry. I have to go. See you on the train, Severus!"

She waved. Severus tried to. If only he'd been faster. She would have seen him.

As she walked away, Severus slowly remembered he was in his room, not Flourish and Blotts. "Sorry, Mum," he said to the emptiness apologetically. " I really wish you could be here."

Moments later, a cool gentle breeze floated through the open window. It continued gliding until it wrapped itself around Severus, feeling to him exactly like one of his beloved mother's nestling embraces.

"Thank you, Mum," he declared as if it really was his mother.

The sensation of love burst through the room. Severus sat back and breathed in deeply, soaking up every possible drop of the fresh air. It tasted cool and refreshing, like lemonade on a warm day. The scent of hatred was vanquished, no longer lingering in the atmosphere.

"Severus! What are you talking about? Who on Earth are you talking to? Who's up there?"

"No one, Father. Just…no one," he replied.

"Then shut up and go back to sleep. I don't want to have to come up there, boy!"

Severus lay back down. He heard other voices downstairs. Thaddeus had brought his fellow Death Eaters home with him. He thrust his flat pillow over top of his head trying to block out their evil plotting. Soon enough, his eyes fluttered shut and snores were erupting regularly from his mouth. It was the first dreamless sleep he had had in days.