Upbringing

The year was 1961. An unhealthy-looking thin woman was walking the streets of the small Mill Town with her little toddler joggling by her side.

"Come along, Severus, hurry up," the woman urged him, and the small boy quickened his pace.

Soon the two reached a small house near the end of the village that looked as if about to fall apart any second now. The paint on the outside (what was left of it) was peeling off, the door was only just holding on its hinges and one of the windows stayed slightly open all year long, for it was impossible to close it.

The woman - about thirty years old, with sparse (though long) black hair and a dress that just screamed low-class - shoved a hand in the pocket of her coat to fetch a key.

Inside, the house was not much better. But though it definitely wasn't a suitable place to raise not only one, but two children, it was obvious that Eileen was cleaning the home regularly.

"You can come out, Seuthes," the woman called, and a few seconds later one of the walls split in two as if by magic, and another little boy (looking every bit like the first one) stepped out from the crevice.

Eileen set the two kids on the sagged sofa, while she herself sat on the floor in front of them. It was the time of day when the two boys would have to share their experiences with each other. It was still a boring and tiring process, but over the years it was about to become impressively fast and unbelievably useful. However, right now the boys couldn't talk, and nor were they skilled yet in the art of Legilimency, and so, their mother had to be a mediator of sorts.

"You first, Severus. Look at me," she commanded, and the boy locked eyes with her.

It was incredible how different her cold, dark world looked like through the eyes of a one-year-old child. The exasperation Eileen had felt throughout the short trip to the Ministry of Magic was replaced with excitement. The jealousy she'd felt while looking at the numerous shop windows, filled with things she would never be able to afford, was instead curiosity. Even the sky seemed brighter in little Severus' mind.

Today, Eileen Snape had gone to the Ministry to report the death of her second son. The clerk had been most sympathetic, not knowing they were being fed a lie. Knowing the Ministry, Mrs. Snape had no doubt in her mind that, had they known about her little secret, they would have hunted one or the other (if not both) of her kids for fear that the children would bring destruction to not only the Wizarding World, but the Muggle one as well.

The Prince family was well respected among the pure-blooded wizards. Up until Eileen had married a muggle, they had been about the same class as the Prewetts - not as elite as the Blacks or the Malfoys, but certainly better off than the Weasleys. Now, though, the only thing anyone ever mentioned about the Princes was in one way or another connected to the family curse - 'It shall be a dangerous, dark world, when the twins become of age'. The meaning was not even clear, yet everyone was certain that, should twins from this family turn 17, the world would be doomed.

Eileen broke this line of thought and focused on the newly received memories. "Seuthes," she called and now the other boy was looking in her eyes. Carefully, the mother started projecting the memories from the day's events. Once this was done, they did it the other way around with Seuthes sharing his long boring day in the cluttered, narrow, dark space behind the walls of the house.

Thursday, August 22nd, 1968

Tobias slammed the door with such force that the whole house shook from the effort. His right hand was painfully twisting the ear of a skinny black-haired boy and his other hand was already beginning to unbuckle his belt.

"Toby, please!" a woman pleaded from where she was hugging another boy so tightly the knuckles of her fingers had gone white. "You'll only make things worse!"

"SHUT UP, WOMAN!" the man roared, effectively silencing his wife. "It was your job to keep the brat in the house! What if someone had found him before I did! They would've killed him!"

Tobias pushed the boy on the floor and towered over him, belt ready in one hand. A few meters away, Eileen turned her head so she wouldn't have to watch, and covered Severus' eyes. An agonized scream pierced through the silence. Then another. And another. When it finally stopped, the witch was shivering more violently than her bleeding son, lying on the floor.

"He's gotten himself a black eye while on his little journey outside," Tobias informed them as he turned from Seuthes to Severus. "Either I'll have to give you one too, or you'll have to stay home till he heals."

Severus moved his gaze from his father to his sobbing mother, and then to his unconscious brother. He knew he should be angry with him for bringing this on their heads, yet seeing him in his state... he could only feel sorry for him.

"I'll stay home," he whispered. It was an easy choice, really. Life outside of the house was a living hell. The Snapes lived on the wrong side of the river and everyone knew that. No-one ever missed an opportunity to remind the two kids where they belonged, and poor Seuthes had gotten both twins in a lot of trouble until he'd finally got used to everyone calling him by his brother's name. And now, with a black eye, the bullying was only going to get worse. Having to face his classmates and stand for their mockery was going to be punishment enough.

When Seuthes opened his eyes, he found himself lying face-down in the soft bed he shared with Russ. It was one of the very few comfortable pieces of furniture in the house and at the moment he was very glad for it. He was not going to be able to move from there for quite some time yet. His back still burnt where the newly healed cuts had been, and he felt every thought of getting up vanish as he tried to move his hand.

"You better not move, Sev," he heard his brother say from somewhere behind him.

"I figured," Seuthes replied with his face facing the pillow, and released an irritated grunt.

A few seconds passed. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional moan when the injured boy would accidentally move a muscle.

"Why did you go out?" Severus finally asked with what was a mixture of an accusation and sheer curiosity.

At first, his brother didn't respond, but then, taking a deep breath, he turned his head to one side, and answered, "You know that redhead from the other class? I think she might be... like us... Look." And they locked gazes.

A tall man and his wife with their daughter (seemingly a few years older than the twins) were walking down Spinner's End, while Seuthes watched from a window on the upper level of their modest home. A few meters away, a little girl with curly red hair was running in circles and singing some weird kids song. Overall, to the normal observer, the four of them looked every bit like a very ordinary Muggle family. But Seuthes was no normal observer. He was a wizard. And as such, he tended to notice some small details that most people would miss - like the little stones on the street levitating a few millimetres when the girl was close to them.

Silently, Seuthes repeated in his head every word his father would shout when he was angry. Bloody bitch! Or was it hell? Russ was out of the house and so Seuthes must stay home. Otherwise, someone might see him and then everything his mother had told him about would happen - those bad guys from the Ministry would show up; they would throw his mother in that scary place called Azkaban, and take either him or Severus and kill them. He wasn't sure if he preferred Russ to die, or if he'd rather die instead. Both options seemed horrible.

But then the girl's hair momentarily turned blond, and now Seuthes just had to make sure she really was a witch. He sprinted down the stairs and to the front door, then with some difficulty opened it just in time to see the family turn around the corner.

It wasn't hard to catch up with them, considering they were moving with about the speed of a turtle. But here was something else that stopped him from reaching them.

"Ay, Snape!" he heard Thomas - one of his classmates - call his name. He should've known better than to turn around, but in any case - he did. From there the story was clear and the black eye was explained.

School was much like Russ had predicted. And as if the students' scoffs weren't enough, the whole time Seuthes had to stay with his back at least a few centimetres from the backrest in order to avoid causing himself further pain. By the end of the day he was so exhausted by his trying to ignore the mockery and the agony, and at the same time pay attention to what the teacher was saying, that he dropped on his bed like a sack of potatoes as soon as he got to his room.

"Can't you do something, Mum?" Severus complained. His mother was a witch, after all. Couldn't she just stop Sev from hurting?

"I've told you before, Severus. I've never been any good at healing, I did what I could. And you know your father - you never know how he's going to take it. But I am brewing a potion for him, remember? Here, I'll show you." And she led him to a small cupboard, where a few gross ingredients were scattered around a bubbling cauldron. The whole thing looked awful. Severus was ready to throw up, yet something about the whole process attracted him like opposite poles of a magnet.

"Can I learn healing spells?"

"Oh, dear, I'm sure you can. But you'll have to wait until you go to Hogwarts. The only thing I can teach you and your brother are some of the more simple potions," his mother replied as she turned to lock the cupboard.

"You can?"

The following few months came and went as monotonous as the ones before. One of the brothers would go to school while the other stayed home, and then the other way around. However, this time every night when their father went to bed, the two kids would sneak from their room and go to the cupboard to study Potions. At first, it wasn't the most exciting thing. It felt like a cheap makeshift of magic. Like they were only learning Potions because they couldn't study real magic. But as time went by and the two learnt more and more about the art, they found themselves absorbed in the beauty of the simmering cauldrons and the subtle ways their contents would affect you without you even knowing. So fascinated they were by this new occupation, that both forgot about their potentially magical neighbor.

Seuthes was sitting on his desk at one corner of the classroom, head resting on his palm, eyes looking out the window. He hated school. He hated the students, he hated the teachers... And they responded accordingly. They were all just so... Muggle...

"So, who can tell me when the Hundred Years' War ended?" came the teacher's tedious voice.

Seuthes raised a hand lazily. Miss Studge looked around the classroom, everyone was looking down except for the insufferable Snape brat, who was not even paying attention. "Anyone?" she called again, but when no-one responded, she sighed heavily and turned to the boy, "Well, Mr. Snape?"

He seemed almost surprised that she'd decided to give him a chance to answer. "October 19th, 1953," he said and moved his gaze from the window to the door as though pleading for someone to free him from this place. Miss Studge looked as if she wanted to contradict him, but realising she didn't have a proper reply, she set on changing the subject instead.

"Good. Now, seeing as the holidays are getting closer, who wants to share what they're planning to do on Christmas?"

The rest of the class was spent on discussing various destinations where the kids were going to stay during the holidays. At last the teacher turned to Seuthes - the only one who didn't have the slightest desire to join the conversation, "And what about you, Mr. Snape?"

The boy glared at her. His Christmas was going to be spent behind the walls of his house, where his grandmother wouldn't see him. He had gotten more used to it over the years, but the space was still dark and cold, and as he was getting taller, there was starting to be too little room for him to be at least somewhat comfortable. At least he'd get to switch places with for Russ half of the time...

"I'm staying home," he replied coolly and crossed his arms over his chest, averting his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at any of his idiot classmates' faces.

At last, the class was dismissed and Seuthes was free to go home. It didn't go without a few boys trying to trip him, but he didn't even pay them any mind. It was the last day of the year he was going to be out of the house. Until next year, he was safe.

"Good evening, Grandma!" Severus greeted his grandmother and went to set the table.

Behind him, he heard his parents do the same.

"How has our little wizard been doing?" Elvyra asked once the four of them had finally taken their seats. Severus saw his father stab his fork in the meal a bit more forcefully than necessary.

"He's top of his class," Eileen praised her son.

"I was thinking..." the old witch started again, "Maybe we should teach him one or two ways to defend himself against... well, ill-wishers. I mean, he should be prepared, other children his age already know how to fight."

Eileen scowled at her mother. She didn't think her children should be trained like soldiers for war. But on the other hand... It may prove useful if her their cover was to ever be blown.

"We'll have to discuss it," she said after a moment.

Dinner with Elvyra Prince was always a trying endeavour. The witch was one of those old-fashioned women who always insist on following the rules and keeping the old traditions. And - being the absolute antipode - Eileen had a hard time keeping calm when it came to those topics. But however different the two might be, there was no denying Elvyra was a proud, skilled and well-respected witch. Having been a Slytherin at Hogwarts, she was clever and ambitious, but unlike others in her house, she was also open to the ideas of the other Houses. Her own daughter was a Hufflepuff, and although Eileen was not always making the best decisions, Elvyra was always trying to help her stay on the right path. Well... her version of the right path...

About halfway through the supper, Severus went to take care of the fire in the hearth and switch places with Seuthes. Otherwise, the gathering went like every other family gathering on Christmas, even if with fewer people and a more modest menu.

The following evening, Tobias made his wife and two children sit around the table. Nothing unusual thus far, however, it was evident there was something he wanted to announce.

"I was thinking about what Elvyra said yesterday," he began, "and I've decided that there will be no foolish stick-waving."

The kids looked utterly disappointed, though they couldn't say they hadn't expected that. Eileen, on the other hand, looked as if there was something she wanted to say on the matter, but didn't get the chance to do so because Tobias interrupted her and continued his speech.

"However, she's right that you'll need to be able to protect yourselves. I'll be teaching you how to fight, how to run and how to hide, and I expect you to do as I say. Am I understood?"

Both boys nodded silently, but their mother had her own opinion, "You should let my mother tutor them, Toby. You can't expect them to survive in that world without using magic."

"Then they won't go to that world. Simple," something in the way he said it made it apparent that he had visited the pub on his way home. It was happening more and more often these days. And the normally aggressive man was becoming even more violent. Eileen let the subject drop as a lost cause. They'll discuss it another day.

At six in the morning, Severus was awoken by a rough hand grabbing his upper arm. "Get up," his father commanded. For the next two hours the boy was forced to run, jump, escape his father's kicks and punches. By the time his brother got out of bed, Severus was ready to go to sleep again. The same happened to Seuthes the following day, and just like that the exercise became routine. Failing to follow Tobias' orders equalled spending two hours in the tiny space behind the walls, but succeeding meant the man would be satisfied and there will be a smaller chance he'd get drunk in the evening. Meanwhile, the two adults were beginning to argue more and more. Tobias insisted the children will be in too much danger if they ever joined the Wizarding Society, while Eileen kept arguing that learning magic will only help them to protect themselves.

As time went by, their fights became bigger and even more scary than they'd already been. Tobias became more irritable and aggressive, he started shouting at his wife and kids every time he was displeased, and although he never was quite as violent as that day Seuthes had gone out of the house without permission, it often came close to it. Both boys now had permanent scars on their backs and had started to jerk their bodies away every time someone tried to touch them. The situation was getting out of hand, until one day Eileen decided to send one of her sons to her mother's place, where Elvyra would teach him how to protect himself, but more importantly - he'd be away from his own abusive father. And with only one kid in her house, she may be able to protect him better.

It was safe to say her husband was not happy to find only one of his children in the house that day. However, something about him changed in that moment. It was almost like watching a switch being turned off. Neither Severus nor his mother were quite sure what had caused this sudden change, but it was a welcome one regardless. Perhaps it was the unexpected change that had made the man realise he'd gone too far. Perhaps it was the fear he'd see in his son's eyes every time he came home. Perhaps it was the way his wife would jump to serve him dinner without ever saying a word, or perhaps it was the way everyone in his family would keep their heads down and avert their eyes every time he happened to look at them. Or maybe it was the fact that he didn't have to worry about his children's double life.

Of course, the change was not that drastic. Tobias hadn't magically turned into a dream father or husband. But it was evident that things were beginning to improve and go back to normal. Some things stayed - like the morning exercises, others slowly disappeared from the little boy's schedule - like escaping his father's wrath. Or at least it was happening more rarely. And soon, Eileen decided it was safe for them to try living their secret life again. Seuthes came back home, and after a very long and exhausting session of Legilimency while the kids caught up with what they'd been up to, everything went back to the way it had been for nine years now.

And even some older habits returned, one of which - observing the little girl with red hair and mesmerising green eyes.

AN: Please stick with me, I promise the story gets better as it progresses. This chapter only serves to build the world in which the story is set, there will be more action in the next ones. I'd be immensely grateful to anyone who takes the time to read the product of my imagination, and even more so if you help me get better by sharing what you like and don't like about the story.