By Saramagician

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did...I think you can guess what would happen!

Rate: Rated T just to be safe
Summary: He was alone, all alone. He had to deal with everything and everyone on his own and he never complained. Now the secrets are revealed and people want to help with the burden on his shoulders. Is it too late? Mention of child abuse and attempted suicide.
Warning: Mention of child abuse and attempted suicide, not any thing explicit! Don't like it, don't read it!
A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I'm really sorry for the delay, hectic life and all!

To those who think Minerva was a little out of character, I want to say that what both Dumbledore and Minerva saw when they looked at Severus was a prejudiced, sadist person who liked hurting others, and always picked fights with Marauders. A member of Death Eater in training group! After what they saw in Spinner's End, they started to see him as a person and put themselves in his shoes. Then they saw every thing in a new light!

Thanks to Alethea27 and little-Medium-sized to make my nonsense readable!

Here is chapter 2! I hope you enjoy it! R&R

Chapter 2: A Stroll in a Dream

Severus felt safe. He had not felt this way in a long time; safe, secure, and peaceful. 'It's sad that I could only find peace in death,' he thought. 'Wait a moment, thoughts? Can the dead have thoughts, or even be able to think?' he wondered to himself.

After this revelation, he started to gather what information he could about his situation. He found that he could feel his body! With eyes, ears and all! This discovery made him open his eyes and snap into an upright position. After several minutes of staring down at his hands, he found that he was indeed in his body. Of course, minus the wounds and scars he had acquired in his short life. He sighed, he didn't know if it was natural to have your body in death or not and more importantly, if it was normal to feel alive! He started running his right hand up and down the length of his left arm unconsciously, and a disturbing thought made him stop, his eyes widening slightly. He had no clothes on.

He felt himself reddening from embarrassment and tried to cover himself with his hands, despite the fact that he was alone; a quick look around confirmed his initial assessment.

And for the first time he noticed the silvery fog that was all around him. 'Where the hell am I?' he thought and as soon as he did, the fog started to dissipate. He soon found himself in a very clean and bright replica of the basement in his house on Spinner's End. A violent shudder wracked his unclad body as he recalled what had happened last time he had been in that hellish cellar. He allowed his gaze to roam around the mockup basement and he saw his too large shirt and ragged jeans folded in a neat pile several meters away from where he sat. The moment his eyes fell on them, they vanished a reappeared on his body. He stared down at them for several moments with a mixture of hatred and scorn before he scoffed. "Apparently it's too much to ask for a place with less painful memories and decent clothing in death," he muttered to himself.

"Perhaps none of that is so because you are not dead. Not that you don't deserve better than this; no. You deserve everything in the world, Severus." A voice said from behind him, one he could never forget no matter the number of years that would pass.

He quickly rose to his feet and turned around, "Mum?" he asked with a small voice, sounding much like a child again.

The owner of the voice walked closer and the face of Eileen Snape née Prince became clear. Severus unconsciously drew in a sharp breath, his mother was much younger than he had last seen her and she was absolutely radiant without the scars and bruises that Tobias had given her daily.

"Hello dear," Eileen said with a soft smile, and it was like a stab to Severus's heart. He had never seen her like this; beautiful, healthy, dressed in fine clothes, and happy. He cursed Tobias, the fat bastard, for stealing such things from her, and for taking her from him. He shook his head to clear his mind from those thoughts and instead focused on what she had said.

"What do you mean I'm not dead?" Severus asked, slightly confused.

"Just what I said; you're not dead. And I hope that you won't be for a good many years, "Eileen said as she came to stand in front of her son.

"Then if I'm not dead …does that mean you're alive as well?" He asked hopefully, even though he knew that it was impossible. With a sad shake of her head, he said, "Of course, what was I thinking? I attended your funeral…." His voice choked when he said that. But after a moment of melancholy silence a little smile formed on his mouth and his eyes lit up.

"Does this mean that you've come to take me with you?" He sounded so hopeful that Eileen's heart broke.

She reached up and tucked his hair behind his ear lovingly with one hand before letting it rest on his cheek and said, "Perhaps I was not plain enough when I said you aren't dead, and I haven't come to take you anywhere, but I have come for you." She paused, "To see you and send you back."

Severus blinked slowly, "You brought me here," he pointed to the floor of the basement and continued incredulously, "To send me back to that hell?" He was close to a breakdown; he had been taught by Tobias's beatings to never cry where someone could see him, but at the moment …he didn't care. Tears were streaming down his face; he was tired of everything in his life. After all he had endured at his father's hand; he had been looking forward to a peaceful death and afterlife. But now his mother was telling him he had to return to that hell; he screamed in his head, 'I thought you loved me!'

Like she was reading his mind, she said, "I loved you, Severus! I still do so very much. I-" Before she could say one more word, Severus cut her off. "Then why are you sending me back? If you really came for me then take me with you! Please mum! I don't want to ever go back, please take me with you. You're all I have; Lily even left me. Apparently she got tired of slimy, worthless, greasy Snivellus just like everyone else on this planet! I only have you, mum, please don't leave me with them – they all despise me! Take me with you, I beg of you. I can't take it any longer! Why else would I try to take my own life?" By now both Severus and Eileen were crying freely, Severus was clutching the front of her robes with both hands, a crazed look in his eyes.

"I can't!" her voice broke, "I'm sorry, I can't my dear, dear boy." Eileen hugged Severus tightly, "I love you Severus, you were what made life worth living."

"And what killed you," Severus muttered. If he had not been born with magic, Tobias would have never found out about his mother's magic. He wouldn't even know that magic was real and it was his entire fault.

Eileen pulled back from their embrace and looked her son in the eyes, "Do-not-say-such-a-thing! Don't ever! It was not your fault," she said sternly. She bent a little to be at eye level with her son and placed a hand on his cheek, "Always know that I love you dearly Severus, never forget it." She said gently. Eileen patted his cheek and said, "But you should go back now …"

Severus sighed exasperatedly and withdrew from her arms and asked, "If you didn't come to take me with you; why did you come at all, why here?"

She sighed lightly and answered, "I didn't bring you here, you summoned me here; I merely answered your call."

"I called you here?" He asked incredulously, looking around. "I don't doubt that I called you, but why here? To this bloody torture room? I've always hated this place – this house! It holds nothing but God-awful memories. Life with him upstairs was a walk in the bloody park compared to down here. You and I both know it was always worse down here. Merlin help us, but you do recall how he chained us to the wall – for days! Days! On several occasions no less. So, pray tell me; why I would call you here?"

"I don't know. I won't deny that this room holds …painful memories, but we always had each other. Tobias would always go to the pubs for a while and you would be able to sneak food to me, and you'd stay with me for as long as he was gone," Eileen said.

"You did the same for me, and you would usually get beaten for it," Severus said softly.

"Yes I did, but did I regret it for a second. It allowed me to be a proper mother to the best of my ability and allowed us time away from him. Do you remember bringing your school books down here one by one? And doing your summer homework your first year while I helped with what I could?" Eileen said sadness etched all over her.

Severus nodded to show that he did remember, unshed tears were in his eyes, "Can't we stay here, a while longer? I don't want to go back so soon, please mum."

Eileen walked forward and hugged her son again, kissing his forehead. "I cannot stay much longer, Severus. I don't belong here and neither do you. We must return to our places, but I promise that everything will be better – I swear it! Just go back there and live and know that you deserve the entire world my dear, dear boy." She caressed his cheeks and gave him another kiss on his head. "Take care of yourself, Severus," Eileen said calmly.

"Mum, I have no one there, nothing to live for. I don't know what to do," Severus said in an attempt to either change his mother's mind or at least to stay with her a little while longer and allow her to calm him and sweep away his fears. As she had done for him when he was younger.

"Severus," she sounded slightly exasperated, "You do have people there; you just need to open your eyes and see them and let them in. You can only do so much on your own, Sev. You can only fight so many battles – you need to let others in, let them help you my half-blooded Prince." Eileen began to fade along with the hell-hole of a basement.

He was bewildered, "Who? Let who in? Mum, wait! I can't go back; nobody wants anything to do with me!" Severus said as he reached out to take his mother's hand. Eileen smiled.

"You shall see, Severus, you'll see. They want to help you and all you need to do is let them in. Promise me, Sev promise me you'll accept their help so you can live a great life! Promise me you'll live for us both!"

"I will mum!" Severus choked on a sob. His mother's last comment had broken something within him, "I will mum," he vowed softly to nothing. He was confused and didn't understand some of what Eileen had said, but now he was determined to return to the hell hole that was his life and make the best of it. To gain what she could not, to live the life that she had wanted, but couldn't achieve.

To live for them both.

This story ends here! But don't worry, I'm not done with this story! The only reason I ended this story here, is that every thing is going to get better for our dear Severus (Sorry to those who liked tragedy and to see Severus die!). Therefore, I decided that the title and atmosphere of this story doesn't suit its continuation! The sequel will come under name 'A New Breeze'!

In the end, I want to thank everyone who read this story, favorited, and reviewed this story!