Severus looked up from his book as his door was thrown open. Morgan blazed on in as if she owned the place, running and jumping like a Filibuster Firework.
"I won the spelling bee at school Sev!" she was as loud as the fireworks too, "Aren't you proud of me?"
"Of course," he smiled as she jumped onto his bed and threw her arms around his neck.
"Keep it down!" Robert Snape's voice bellowed from the other room. While her father's voice had the power to petrify grown men on occasion, Morgan only cringed slightly and then continued in almost a whisper.
"I beat everyone in Mrs. Kurt's class and Mr. Donigan's class too!"
"I'll bet you did!" Severus smiled down at his sister. Only eight and already she was smart as a whip! He almost laughed to himself. Clever as a Ravenclaw, but ambitious as a Slytherin.
"Come and eat or go to bed hungry!" his father's voice commanded from downstairs.
"Let's go. You can tell Mum all about it at the table!" Severus marked his page in his book and followed the energetic Morgan down to the dinning room. As usual, his father sat at the head of the table, eyes glued to the television, beer bottle in hand. His mother was just putting the main course of lamb chops on the table. Robert cut into it immediately, not caring that no one was at the table yet and completely disregarding the garnish that his wife had placed on the plate just moments before. Severus sighed and took his place at the upper right hand corner of the table, in between Morgan and his father and across from his mother.
Morgan sat down quietly, suddenly not making a sound and even looking slightly dejected. Severus almost smiled. He knew this game. Mother would get concerned and ask what happened at school and then Morgan would answer ever so nonchalantly that it was nothing important, that she had only won the spelling bee. Then she would burst out of the shell and smile her dazzling smile that never failed to bring forth her mother's laughter.
"Morgan, is there something wrong?" Eileen began, fitting into her role perfectly, "What happened at school today?"
"Oh nothing," Morgan said dismissively, stirring her peas around in her mashed potatoes, "I only won the spelling bee." Sure enough her beautiful smile was splashed upon her face in seconds and his mother's melodious laughter followed.
"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed as she threw open her arms, "I'm so proud of you!" Morgan giggled and ran around the table to her mother's welcoming arms. But as she rounded the head of the table, she threw out her own arms and knocked over her father's bottle, sending it crashing to the ground where it promptly shattered.
Severus watched it all as if it were in slow motion. The bottle spun and teetered on the table for a split second, teasing him by appearing to settle before finally loosing balance. The bottle was full and the liquid began to spill even before anything touched the ground. Then the glass shattered and the remaining alcohol flooded the cheap linoleum floor.
Time returned to its normal velocity and Severus clenched his fist around his napkin under the table. He knew what was coming next.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!" Robert yelled viciously at his daughter, "That bottle was almost full! Running around crazy like that, Jesus Christ! What's the idea? Are you stupid or something!"
Severus watched in agony as tears pricked at his sister's eyes. Her bottom lip began to quiver and her breathing became ragged as she tried to respond.
"I'm s-s-sorry," she said meekly, "I didn't m-m-mean to. I-I-I just—"
Robert slapped her across the face.
"Shut up! What the bloody hell were you thinking? Running around the table like that? Stupid kid!" Morgan just stood there, clutching her face; tears now streaming freely down her cheeks. Severus couldn't take it any more.
"She was just excited," he began, "It was an accident—"
His father turned and backhanded him before he could even finish his sentence.
"I didn't ask for your bloody opinion boy!" a fierce glare punctuated this statement, "I just want to enjoy my dinner, a beer, and the tele without interruption! Is that too much to fucking ask!" Severus opened his mouth to object, but was silenced immediately as a slap stung the other side of his face, nearly knocking him out of his chair.
"Robert—" Eileen attempted to reason with him but was cut off with one look.
"I'll deal with you later."
Severus looked up through his tears to see his proud and beautiful mother hanging her head, fear etched into every feature of her face.
"Clean it up," Robert barked to Morgan as he gestured to the spill. He then left the room, heralded by the clink of new beer bottle as he removed it from the icebox. Morgan stepped back and then cried out in pain as she stepped on some of the broken glass with her bare feet. Severus wiped his tears quickly and made his way to his sister.
"Don't worry about it Morgan," he said as he guided her to the stairs, "I'll get the glass out of your foot and then I'll clean it up for you."
"Just go," came his mother's defeated voice, "I'll take care of this."
Severus nodded in understanding and draped Morgan's arm across his shoulder so he could support most of her weight. He managed to get her up the stairs and into the bathroom where he picked the glass out of her foot. He then washed it out, making sure it didn't get infected while at the same time rinsing the beer off of the rest of her.
"I'm s-s-sorry Sev," she sobbed, "I couldn't h-h-help it!"
"It's alright," he said as he embraced her gently, "I know. It's gonna be okay." God he hated himself for saying that.
Soon thereafter Eileen tucked in Morgan than moved on to Severus.
"Mum," he began as she pulled the covers up to his chin, "why can't we leave?" She hesitated before answering, looking down at him with a strange expression.
"Daddy's just having a rough time right now but he'll get better. Mummy loves him and will help him through it," she attempted a smile as she leaned down and kissed him lightly on the forehead, but she grimaced as she saw the bruise forming on her son's cheek. No one should go through this, especially not a ten-year-old boy. "Goodnight Sev."
"Night Mum."
She turned and walked to the door, shutting off his lights with the sweet smile that only a mother can give. But the light from the hall still struck her face for a moment before the door shut and Severus watched horrified as his mother retreated looking as one condemned.
About ten minutes Eileen must have run out of dishes to do because it began. Severus lay awake listening to the thuds as Robert's blows landed one after another on various parts of his mother's body. She was trying not to scream or cry but Severus could still hear the chocked and stifled noises that escaped her slim and abused form. Within two minutes a timid knock sounded on his door.
"Come on in Morgan," he said softly. She opened the door and closed it quietly before running to him. He lifted the cover on his bed and held her as she tried not to cry. Soon she was asleep, her breath steady on his pillow.
"I'm sorry Morgan," he whispered to her sleeping form, "I'm sorry I didn't do anything to help you. Just know that someday I will. I promise."
A/N: Please don't shout at or hit your kids. It has more of an effect than you know. I might write a sequel to this, what actually happens when Severus comes back complete his promise. Let me know what you think.