First Steps

It had been in the early hours of the day that the brown owl had landed on the windowsill and started knocking with its beak. By some sheer luck non of their parents had been up yet when the two children let the bird inside and carefully took the package it was carrying. As it turned out, the parcel was addressed to Severus Snape and so, without giving it much thought, the boy grabbed the box and a moment later he was starting with wide eyes at the long black wand in his hand. In his other hand he was holding a letter from his grandmother, saying the wand had been property of one George Egron Prince.

"Well?" Seuthes prompted and his eyes, too, were glued to the magical wood, "Does it recognise you? Can you control it?"

But Severus didn't show any signs of having heard him. In that moment the only thing on his mind was how perfect the wand felt in his hand. As if it was made for him, as if it was an extension of his own arm, as if that simple piece of wood had just unlocked a thousand new possibilities. For the first time in his life he truly felt what it was like to be a wizard. A strange sensation went through his whole body, like his magic was somehow connecting to the wand, trying to recognise it, to welcome it where it belonged.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps getting closer to the door. The wand had not changed everything, after all. Severus quickly pushed it under the covers of his bed and managed to let the owl out of the house just as his father opened the door.

Ten minutes later Severus was dressed in what might have passed as suitable clothes if one only had a little imagination. It was getting close to the end of spring, light raindrops were falling as the boy left the small town and went for his run up the hill. That time during his morning jogs was normally spent on cursing the unfortunate placement of his house - with perfect view of the hill so that Tobias could stay home and still oversee the training. However, such thoughts were now completely replaced by images of him learning all those spells his grandmother had taught Sev. He'd spent so much time over the last months playing different scenarios in his head, revising every single one of those precious memories his brother had given him, repeating every word his grandmother had said. And some tingle of excitement was crawling under his skin every time he was thinking of it, mixed maybe with some envy.

And now here it was. He'd almost given up on his hope to learn the spells before going to Hogwarts. He knew the words of the charms and hexes and curses and jinxes by heart by now, but his mother wouldn't allow him to try and cast any of them. Severus had even tried sneaking in his parents' room and getting his mother's wand but it had been to no avail for the witch had burried the wood somewhere ,obviously, only she could find it. For this reason he'd decided on keeping his new wand a secret from not only his father, but his mother as well. He'd only have to let Sev know that before it was too late, though no doubt the other boy had already come to the same conclusion.

Absorbed in his thoughts, Severus didn't even notice when he'd gotten back home. He didn't notice the calculating look his father gave him upon seeing how distracted he was, nor the confused expression on his mother's face when he rushed up the stairs and into his room. His hands itched from excitement but he still somehow managed to stop himself from drawing the wand right there and then. If any of his parents found about the whole thing, he wouldn't get his chance at using the wand at all.

It was Sev's turn to go to school today and he'd already left the house so it should be only a few minutes until Tobias and Eileen went to their according workplaces. The young boy heard his father grunt something from the lower floor and then there was the click of the front door opening and then shutting closed. A moment later there was another click as his mother followed her husband out of the house. It was the time of day when the twin staying home would do his chores, study what the other one was learning at school and spend the rest of the time wondering what to do with himself. There weren't many options. Being as poor as they were, the Snapes didn't have a TV or even a radio. They hardly ever even had enough money for electricity and so mostly kept to wrapping themselves in blankets until they started looking like Eskimos. Most of their time the boys spent playing chess on the battered chessboard by themselves, playing both sides. Other times they indulged themselves in reading one of the many books of their mother's, although most of them were romance novels - not exactly the most suited read for a nine years old boy.

Seuthes had once tried brewing while alone in the house and that hadn't gone too well. Although there had been no accidents and in fact, his potion had turned out impressively potent, Eileen had been enraged. She'd locked the poor boy in his despised dark hiding spot and, of course, hadn't been able to conceal her fury when her husband had gotten home so she'd had to come up with a plausible explanation for it that didn't include the use of magic. After that Tobias had given his son a piece of his mind as well.

Tobias himself was a different story entirely. Both Seuthes and Severus were still confused when it came to his motives. Supposedly he was treating them the way he was for their own good, for their own safety. But sometimes that was obviously not the case. He'd come home drunk and search for something, anything to blow the steam off. And when it came to magic it was even more bewildering because there were just so many inconsistencies in that front. For one, he'd married a witch, dammit! And it wasn't as if he hadn't known that because the entrance to the hiding spot behind the walls was quite obviously hidden by magic and that place had existed for longer than the twins could remember.

In any case, the two kids had long ago learnt to be secretive (It was what they'd been doing for over nine years, after all) and so what were two more people to hide from? Admittedly, those two would be a bit harder seeing as they were their own parents... But the brothers should be able to manage regardless.

With one swift motion of his hand Severus found himself holding the precious item. It was, simply put, magnificent and the boy found himself unable to stop staring at it. Made out of pine wood, relatively long and supposedly with Rougarou hair core if what Elvyra had written in the letter was to be believed, it just seemed to him like the most beautiful thing in the world. Raising his hand, he swished the wand through the air, observing how the light wood felt in his hand. It felt warm, felt right. Like it was supposed to be in his hand.

"Lumos," he whispered and felt the wand vibrating slightly in his hand but nothing more happened. "Lumos!" he repeated a bit more forcefully. Again, nothing happened. Fascinated by the whole process, Severus almost missed his father returning home. By that time, he'd gotten the tip of the wand to glow in a dim blue light but nevertheless it was a big achievement and his little heart was filled with pride.

The last day of school slipped by with less conflicts than most. The stupid Muggles that always made Seuthes' life miserable were too preoccupied with celebrating to pay the boy any attention and so he managed to escape from their sight unnoticed. Two other kids were also headed out of the school and to his surprise Seuthes recognised them as Lily and Petunia Evans - the same girls he'd spied from the window of his room and later on both he and Russ had watched the younger sister for any signs she might be magical.

Not really knowing what he was doing, he followed them, keeping to the shadows of houses and the bases of the trees on the sides of the cobblestone road. The girls in front of him turned around a corner and hopping from one foot to the other, entered a playground Seuthes had hardly ever seen. To remain out of their sight, the boy hid behind one of the bushes nearby.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" the younger girl, Lily, was saying. "We'd have all summer free of homework and we'll be able to do everything we want!"

"Great," the other replied with not much enthusiasm.

They went on to discuss where they were going to go on vacation with their parents - something that made Seuthes feel strangely uncomfortable and maybe somehow a little sad. And all the while he was trying to find a good moment to join the conversation, to introduce himself. The taller girl was not of much interested to him, she was a Muggle and they were all undeserving of his attention. The other one, however... Besides the fact that she could do magic, she was also so beautiful with that curly red hair of hers and those emerald green eyes that always seemed to hypnotise him. And she always was so kind, seemed smart as well. It must be good to have her as a friend. Come to think of it, it must be good to have a friend at all.

He wanted so desperately to leave the bushes and meet with her yet every time he tried to do so, all his confidence left him and he creeped back to where he wouldn't be spotted. In the end, he was left where he started. The sisters left to go home and Seuthes was forced to do the same.

As soon as he got to his house, he headed upstairs to meet with Russ and share what had happened. The two boys knelt in front of one another, each of them looking in the other's eyes.

"Go first," Seuthes prompted his brother and a second later felt the rather uncomfortable feeling of someone entering his mind. His mother had assured him that once he and Riss mastered Legilimency, they'd be able to enter other people's minds without them even noticing, but for now - the process left both participants with slight headache and often made them irritated when they couldn't find what they were looking for. It was far from perfect but definitely better than what it had been previous years.

Russ' day had gone much like Seuthes had expected - the whole time he'd been repeating the same words over and over again and to no avail. The wand had refused to do his bidding.

"You're saying it wrong," Seuthes explained. "Here, look." And he grabbed the wand, instantly feeling its welcoming touch, and an empty glass. "Aguamenti." A steam of water fluxed from the tip.

"Okay, let me try, then. Aguamenti!" Russ' attempt was less successful but still better than his previous ones. "Well, I think that's enough for today. And besides, we need to focus on this whole Lily Evans business. Why didn't you leave the stupid bush?!"

"I thought it was obvious," Seuthes replied coolly.

"Right, sorry," the other backpedaled. "Okay, but one of us should find the courage to speak with her."

"And what do you suggest, then? I tried, Russ, I really tried but every time I just..."

Both fell silent for a moment.

"Look, I... I'll do it, alright? But you won't judge me if I don't succeed," Russ offered.

And so, the next day, using Sev's memories as a guide, Severus walked to the playground and sure enough, two girls were swinging up and down, higher and higher. The boy scanned the place and quickly located the spot his brother had occupied the previous day.

Soon Petunia waved her hand angrily, obviously disapproving of something.

"Lily, don't do it!" she shrieked, but Lily had already let go of the swing and was flying through the air, landing lightly as a feather. "Mummy told you not to!" her sister scolded her again as she stood from her own swing. "Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!"

Severus made a face, something between disgust and a smirk. As if some stupid Muggle could stop her from using magic.

"But I'm fine!" the younger sister said, still giggling and her protest only made her even more beautiful in Severus' eyes. Lily then spun around, looking straight at where the boy was hiding and for a moment he thought he'd been discovered. But then she stepped closer and picked up a fallen flower from near the bush. "Tuney, look at this! Watch what I can do!"

She waited for Petunia to get closer and held out her palm with the flower on top of it and it's petals opening and closing.

"Stop it!" the elder girl shrieked again.

"It's not hurting you," said Lily, but she closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground.

"It's not right," the insufferable girl said, but after a moment added with what could only be described as jealousy in her voice, "How do you do it?"

It was now or never and Severus preferred it to be now. He chose this moment to jump out from behind the bushes, "It's obvious, isn't it?"

Much to his delight Petunia screamed and ran away from him and yet Lily's reaction made him question if he'd appeared in the right moment and with the right thing to say.

"What's obvious?" asked Lily and Severus again felt some courage gather inside him at her, if somewhat reluctant, interest.

The boy glanced around to make sure he wouldn't be overheard and, lowering his voice, pronounced, "I know what you are."

At that Lily looked only utterly confused. "What do you mean?" Hadn't she figured it out? Did she really not know or was she just playing dumb?

"You're..." he glanced around again, quickly calculating if he was going to say the right thing but it slipped before he'd thought it through fully, "You're a witch."

It wasn't the right thing to say. That was made clear by the look on Lily's face and it made Severus want the ground to swallow him whole. Suddenly he was painfully aware of the way it had sounded and the way he looked and the way he acted like a complete creep.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"

She turned, nose in the air, and marched off towards her sister. No! That's not what I meant, Severus screamed inside his head and a moment later repeated it aloud, "No!"

He flapped after the girls, his long black coat making him look much like the bat he was going to be associated with in later years.

The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding on to one of the swing poles as though it was the safe place in tag.

"You are," Severus insisted, not sure what he was going to say but knowing he must fix this mess. "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one," he only barely stopped himself from mentioning his brother but instead finished the sentence with, "and I'm a wizard.'

Petunia's laugh was like cold water.

"Wizard!" she shrieked, her courage returned now that she had recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down Spinner's End by the river,"she told Lily, and Severus' face flushed red with mortification. He was tired of everyone judging him only based on the place where he lived. "Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying," said Severus, hot and uncomfortable and dirty-haired in the bright sunlight. "Wouldn't spy on you, anyway," he added spitefully, trying to make her pay for humiliating him moments earlier, "you're a Muggle."

It was evident Petunia didn't know what that meant but the hateful look she gave him let him know he'd accomplished his goal.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" the elder girl said shrilly. Lily obeyed her sister at once, glaring at Severus as she left. He stood, watching them while they marched through the playground gate and for a long time just stared at the empty place the girls had vacated. It was not supposed to go like this! Oh, Sev would be so disappointed...

Severus dragged his feet all the way home and even when he reached the safety of his house, he couldn't bring himself to lift his gaze from the ground.

"Severus?" his mother called, making him start. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, not even looking at her. He knew his mother wouldn't be too happy if she learnt about her children attempting to befriend a witch. The woman was trying to keep them as far away from the Wizarding World as she could, at least for the time being.

"Come here if you would," she said in a voice that suggested he was to obey. "Is it those boys from your class again?"

"Yes," Severus replied at once, maybe a bit too quickly but his mother didn't seem to notice, grasping for the possible explanation like a drowning man. "Yes, they were making fun of my clothes and got angry when I ignored them," he explained, bringing up a topic they'd been discussing since forever. It was just an opportunity to make his mother see just how bad the situation with their clothes was. It didn't work, Eileen completely let the topic drop, just like every other time.

"Did they hit you? Come here, let me check."

"No, no, they didn't catch me," Severus protested as he took a few steps back but his mother followed him and he felt compelled to submit to the humiliation of his mother looking him over, knowing full well it was worthless to contradict her.

Once this was done he was free to go to his room where he was to face his brother and see the hurt and disappointment in his eyes when he learnt how the whole thing with Lily Evans had gone.

He was not wrong in his assessment of the was Sev would take it. His eyes watered even before the Legilimency session had finished but he quickly brushed them with his sleeve, trying to hide his weakness.

"Sev, I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry." When his brother didn't spare so much as glance at him, Severus added, "Look, don't. You promised you wouldn't be upset, please. There's still a chance she'd change her mind. Judging by what we know so far, she's too curious to leave it at that, all right?"

That seemed to lift Sev's spirits and though he still looked a bit upset, he managed a small smile.

AN: If you're curious about the pine wand, here's some information about it, coming from the Harry Potter Wiki:

Ollivander's notes on Pine Wands: 'The straight-grained pine wood always chooses an independent, individual master who may be perceived as a loner, intriguing and perhaps mysterious. Pine wands enjoy being used creatively, and unlike some others, will adapt unprotestingly to new methods and spells.'

Notes on Rougarou hair wand core: 'Rougarou hair was rumoured to have an affinity for Dark magic, like vampires to blood.'

Ollivander's words on wand length: 'In my experience, longer wands might suit taller wizards, but they tend to be drawn to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic.'