Chapter 1: Lily (Age 7)

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On a bitter cold January evening, in a small village in northern England, Eileen Prince Snape gave birth to a son. She cradled the tiny black-haired boy in her arms, gazing down at his little face. In that moment, the pain and exhaustion from her many hours of labor didn't matter, she was overwhelmed by love for the child that lay in her arms. As she peered down at his face, his big dark eyes opened, staring back up at her. She traced a finger along his small chin, reflecting on her life. She was a stranger to this world, cast out of her own, alone, with the exception of her husband Tobias. She wondered if he would inherit her abilities. Regardless, he would be her everything.

She bent her head, gazing into his deep eyes, gently cupping his tiny cheek in her hand and whispered, "I love you, Severus. Whatever choices you may make as you grow, you'll have my love. Always."

She gently kissed his small forehead, then held the boy close to her, bundling a quilt around them to shield them from the frigid night.

(***)

The small village of Cokeworth on the outskirts of greater Manchester was unremarkable in most ways. The sleepy village had been transformed into a bustling industrial town during the Victorian age with the addition of a textile mill along its sluggish river. In its heyday, once home to quaint farming cottages and more sheep than people, the village had been transformed practically overnight with the addition of the mill, with new roads and terrace homes being constructed for its vast workforce along the river. However, after over a century of production, the old mill had gradually fallen out of use, in favor of more affordable modern production outside of England, leaving the majority of its original workforce out of work with nowhere to go. The once bustling middle-class neighborhood of workmen's housing had fallen into disrepair, it's residents' now jobless and destitute. The once neat brick row homes were crumbling, with drafty windows and overgrown gardens, it's gilded age in the industrial era long forgotten.

Spinner's End was the first street in the now neglected industrial sector of Cokeworth, running parallel to the murky, polluted waters of the meandering river that had for so long been the life blood of the little town. The cobbled street was home to many unsavory sorts, pushed to the fringes of society by their poverty.

Hidden among the forgotten residents of Cokeworth, the last house on Spinner's End was home to two rather remarkable individuals. Among the home's three occupants, two belonged to a fantastical world outside of the mundane village. For tucked away from the rest of Cokeworth, the mother and son whom inhabited the dilapidated dwelling were a witch and a wizard.

(***)

Severus Snape was often miserable, even at the young age of seven. His father hated him, simply because he was like his mother. Severus was a wizard, born to a magical mother in a non-magical world, rejected by his father for gifts he didn't choose to inherit. His mother had failed to mention her magical abilities to his father until Severus had begun to display accidental magic as a toddler, shocking his father, and making him believe that his wife and son were possessed by some sort of evil entity. Any semblance of a happy family was ruined, as instead of embracing their unique talents, he lashed out at them with verbal and physical abuse, blaming his wife for their poverty and for depriving him of the normal family he had so desperately wanted. He especially despised Severus for coming along and making his life hell with magic, ruining what he'd had with his wife. As a result, Severus and his mother lived a life tucked away from society, alone in the house on Spinner's End, while Tobias spent the day drinking away what little money he earned.

Unfortunately for Severus, this meant he was friendless and often picked on by the other kids around the village, especially the older boys of Spinner's End. Nearly everyone poked fun the freaky, strangely dressed "Snape kid" if he ventured out of his home. He lived an isolated life, and rarely spoke to anyone besides his mother.

However, despite his tumultuous home life, Severus was brilliant. He possessed a strong aptitude for magic, even at his young age, and was always hungry to learn. Whenever his mother was home alone with him, she instructed him in both Muggle and magical studies, even allowing him to use her wand to practice spells. Eileen was incredibly proud of her son, despite the fact that they were forced to hide their magic from her abusive husband and Severus' father. This was not the life she'd wanted for him, having grown up in an unpleasant home in the magical world herself.

Severus was very close to his mum. He loved learning about his magical heritage from her and was very proud to be a wizard despite the fact that his father resented him for it. Knowing that he was special, and having magical abilities that his father and bullies could only dream of got him through his worst days. He couldn't wait to join the magical world and leave Cokeworth behind when he turned eleven.

(***)

Early Saturday morning, Severus awoke to a loud crashing noise, followed by the booming voice of his father spewing profanities. He quickly dressed and pulled on his trainers. He knew well to get out of the house when his father had spent the night drinking. He scrambled downstairs, potions book in hand, and ran for the door. But, he didn't make it there in time.

His father turned on him just as he set his hand on the door handle. "Boy! What's that you're holding? Is that a magic book, you freak? You and your wretch of a mother! Not in my house! Get out!"

Panicked, Severus fumbled for the door handle, wrenching the door open just as glass shards rained down over his head from a picture frame his father had thrown at him. He snatched the picture that had fallen out of the frame, slid it into his book, and set off on a brisk walk away from his sullen home and his father's aggravated shouting at his mum.

The park was only four blocks from Spinners End, but it seemed like eternity in the summer heat. By the time Severus reached his hiding place between the big beech tree and the river, he was exhausted. He really hoped that the school boys wouldn't turn up at the park today, he wasn't in the mood to be poked fun at or chased. It was lucky that he was tall and skinny for his age, he could outrun all the boys despite their larger size. His thoughts shifting from the bullies, Severus opened up the potions book that had nearly gotten him a trip to the muggle hospital. The picture from the offending frame dropped into his lap. As Severus glanced at it, he suddenly felt tears rising in his eyes. The picture was one of the few magical ones that had been allowed to remain in his house, he wasn't even sure why, it wasn't like his father cared about their family. In the picture, a younger Tobias had his arms wrapped around Eileen, who was holding a baby Severus. The two adults were smiling and glancing at their baby son with looks of admiration. Severus hated what his father had become. He was certain the man felt no love for him anymore. Unable to bear the memory of the happy image, Severus ripped the picture in half and threw it in the murky river, watching it disappear, just like the love in his family.

When Severus returned to the tree, he found himself unable to concentrate on his reading. He curled up against the trunk, and fell asleep with tears still falling from his eyes.

(***)

"Eww! Lily! Don't touch that! Mum won't let us come by ourselves again if you dirty your jumper touching filthy animals!"

"But Tuney, it's just a toad. He's really cute, see?"

"Keep that disgusting thing away from me! Stay here with your pest while I go see my school friends. Don't you dare bring that creature near them, you'll make them think I'm a freak."

Severus awoke to the sound of a shrill voice. At first, he thought he was back at home, and he immediately became alert and stiff, curling into a ball to protect himself from potential blows. However, when he realized the voice belonged to a young female and not a drunken man, he peered out from behind the beech tree to see who was causing the commotion. A blond haired girl who looked a bit older than him was marching towards a group of giggling girls that appeared to be around her age.

"Muggles, how obnoxious," Severus thought with a scowl. They were really ruining the tranquility of the park, and now they were preventing him from leaving. He didn't want to be seen in his shabby clothes and mocked by the girls.

Just as Severus was about to slump back against to resign himself to studying his potions book until the girls left, he spotted the girl Lily whom the older girl had been scolding. Severus assumed they must be sisters as she certainly didn't seem to be included with the others and she looked younger than the shrieking girl, maybe even smaller than him. He was caught off guard by her stunning looks. He had expected her to resemble her pallid blond sister, however, Lily was nothing short of brilliant. She had beautiful, deep red hair that was nearly the entire length of her back and stunning green eyes, like gemstones. Unable to tear his eyes away, he studied her as she peered at the toad as it hopped away, while picking flowers from the field, amusing herself as her sister chatted. Severus watched her until the sun began to set when the older girl announced that they were leaving.

"Lily, get out of the dirt, we need to go home, mum has dinner and you need to look respectable."

"Tuney can we please stay a little longer? I'm playing with the flowers."

"Don't be so childish Lily, we'll come back tomorrow if we don't have homework, I'm meeting my friends, and if you play by yourself and aren't a bother you can come."

"Okay Tuney."

Severus watched them go, wishing Lily would want to be his friend, she seemed different from the other Muggles around town. She seemed kind, reminding him of his mum. But of course, she wouldn't want to befriend the freak from the poor, abusive family. He trudged home, not looking forward to returning when his father was sure to be in a foul mood. His only consolation was that he would be back to see Lily again from afar tomorrow.

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