DISCLAIMER: ANYTHING YOU RECOGNISE, I DO NOT OWN, PRETTY MUCH.
WARNINGS: THERE ARE MENTIONS (and maybe more) OF SELF-HARM, SUICIDE AND SEX. THE LAST PART OF THE FIC INCLUDES CHRISTIANITY, AND IT'S SET IN HEAVEN. Not sure if I need to say that, but better to be safe than sorry.
Chapter 2 – Beaten
It was now Halloween and Severus was as usual, hiding away in his room. It was his only escape from the cruel Muggle world. Severus hadn't any friends, nor a caring family. For some people, being an only child would mean getting all your parents' attention and love, and being spoilt rotten. But for Severus, it was the complete opposite. Severus was ignored, forgotten, not well fed and sometimes beaten. And outside the house was no better. When Severus tried to escape his unwelcoming home by taking refuge outside or at the park, older, sometimes even younger children made fun of him, teased and bullied him.
Halloween usually meant children in costumes trick-or-treating, but no one ever came to Severus's house anymore. Not after the rumour going around about his abusive father. Not so much a rumour, but more of a fact.
His dad was a Muggle and his mum a witch, and his father didn't mind that, but when Severus started showing signs of also being magic, his father totally lost it and hit him on the arm, really hard. That was three years ago. Since then, he'd been hit a few times, and even had his wrist broken once. It wasn't my fault Nick Berjovik put those pictures of Kelly Thason in my pocket; and yet I'm then one who gets pushed down the stairs into a door. That was the first time Severus considered running away from home, but coincidentally, the next day was the first time he saw Angel Lily.
It was at the park, eight months and 23 days ago. He was being his usual, isolated self when the Angel and her family came to have a lunch picnic. He hadn't heard her speak, but her laugh made him smile, and Severus couldn't remember that last time he smiled. He wanted to become her friend, maybe she was a witch and would come to Hogwarts with him. But even on the off chance that she was, it wasn't like he could ask her, because her parents were Muggles. Not that he had the guts to talk to her. No. But Severus couldn't help but dream.
He knew a lot about Hogwarts, and was certain he was going to be Sorted into Slytherin House, and hoped he would have a friend by his second year – another unlikely thing he hoped for.
"Severus!" his mother's voice bellowed up the stairs. He hadn't done anything wrong, so wondered what she was calling him for. He bounded downstairs and met his mother in the living room.
If a stranger were to enter the Snape house, they would think it was owned by a Goth; grey walls, black table and chairs, no colour at all. The cabinets were black, the kitchen bench – black. The white tiles on the floor contrasted the rest of the house, and the couch was also black. Eileen Prince-Snape was busy cooking (without magic), while her husband was relaxing in front of the television, which Severus was never allowed to watch.
"Mother?" he asked her.
Flustered, she answered, "Severus, can you run down to the shops and buy me some milk?"
"The shops?!" he exclaimed, "But it takes ten minutes to drive there." No way was he walking.
"Your father asked," she said simply, "He wants dessert."
Severus's eyes widened; his father asked, which would mean he'd have to go. "Fine." He took the money from his mother's outstretched hand and left the house.
Stupid father, I hate him!
Severus often wished that something would happen to his father. That one day he would return from a day at the park to find the absence of his father, and then learn that he was never coming back; another one of Severus's unlikely dreams. After about five minutes of walking, Severus encountered Nick Berjovik and his cronies.
"Alright, Snapey? Having a rough day? Daddy being mean to you?" Berjovik made a sarcastic sympathetic face. Severus kept walking but the gang followed. Berjovik's right hand man, Dylan Graser kept throwing rude and nasty comments in Severus's face. When they didn't respond to 'go away' and 'leave me alone', something inside Severus snapped and he turned on his heels and with all his might and strength, punched Berjovik in the face, causing him to fall backward into Graser and the pair of them ended up on the ground.
Seeing the looks on their faces, Severus ran for it. Panting, he turned down an unknown street and, not knowing where Berjovik's gang was, he continued down the street and around a corner when he was met by a huge force that collided with his chest, knocking him backwards.
Looking to see what had hit him, Severus found Angel Lily's sister Petunia, also on the ground in front of him. She was wearing a witch costume, which looked nothing like a real witch. What with her warts, tall pointy hat and hooked nose, Petunia had no resemblance to a real witch. But of course, how would she know that?
"Watch where you're going!" she complained.
"Sorry, I––" but Severus stopped mid-sentence; Angel Lily was in sight. He was determined to talk to her this time. But Petunia dragged her away before he even got a chance to stand up.
"Come on, Lily, let's go to this house," she said.
Lily's costume was actually quite the opposite of her; she was dressed and a devil. Red horns that strangely didn't clash with her hair, a red pitchfork in her right hand, a bag half-filled with candy in her other, and a long black cloak that made her look stunning. He couldn't help but stare, and his heart raced when she looked at him.
Petunia walked in front of the Angel, blocking his view, but when she moved, green locked with black and the corners of her mouth curved upwards, making Severus's stomach squirm. Then the Angel was gone. Yes another chance to befriend Lily had slipped away. Severus heard bicycle bells from behind him, so he ran the rest of the way to the shops. Once he had bought the milk, Severus stashed the change in his secret hiding place behind the shopping centre. It was always deserted, so no one ever found him there. He then began back home.
Christmas was coming, and Severus was only hoping for two things; to talk to Angel Lily, and a pair of gloves. Tobias Snape had a rather annoying habit of checking for fingerprints on his wife's wand, which Severus longed to use. He had once, which resulted in another beating.
He did not bump into Berjovik's gang at all, for which he was glad. That feeling was put to a sudden end when Severus arrived home, finding his father, his scared looking mother, Nick Berjovik and what appeared to be Mr Berjovik. Berjovik had an evil smirk on his face and Severus knew he was in huge trouble.
"Severus Snape," his father addressed him, "I have been told by Michael Berjovik that you got into a fight with his son." His voice was stern as he glared at his own son. Then Nick Berjovik went into an extremely exaggerated description of their encounter, Severus's dad said he would deal with him, and the Berjovik's left. Severus's father closed the front door, turned on his heel and snatched Severus up by his collar.
"You are in big trouble young man," he said, stressing each word, "Eileen, pass me that metal spoon there." His wife most reluctantly obliged, and Severus closed his eyes, waiting for the pain.