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Chapter 6- The Nightmare

Severus was fast asleep, dreaming pleasantly of laying by the river with Lily talking softly and staring into the turquoise sky when suddenly a sharp hand grabbed him and pulled him roughly from sleep. He startled awake quickly struggling against the hand that had closed painfully around his shoulder and was immediately given a cuff to the ear.

"Up, boy," his father roared. "I should beat your scrawny ass for sleeping this late on a Saturday while I work my ass off all week for this family. This is how you repay me for everything I do?!" He ripped the tiny boy from his bed. "There's work to be done boy."

Severus had to bite his lip to keep from crying out as his father dragged him forcefully into the woods outside the cabin and threw him down into the dirt like garbage that needed to be discarded. He grabbed the rusted axe leaning against the side of the house and let out a drunken laugh when he saw Severus flinch.

He tossed the axe at Severus and gestured to a collection of logs he had dragged in from the surrounding woods. "Cut. I expect you to be at least half way done by noon or else you're not getting lunch."

Severus stared at the wood pile that was nearly as tall as him. His weak arms could barely even lift the axe, much less chop with it. But he couldn't disappoint his father so he quickly set to work.

The hours ticked on as Severus toiled away, his arms quickly going numb as sweat dripped down his body and his vision started to blur. His father sat on a log and watched him work, drinking his way through a six- pack in front of him and making sure to throw insults at Severus at every opportunity.

The sun climbed higher and higher into the sky. Severus watched it desperately, knowing he would never make it in time. He just needed to make the axe sharper; it was so dull that Severus had to put all his weight into the chops to even crack the wood.

He saw his chance when his father stumbled inside to get more beer. Moving fast, he slipped out his wand that he had kept concealed in his jeans and muttered a spell at the axe. Before he could slip his wand away the door slammed open.

He tried to jam his wand away but he clearly didn't move fast enough. His Father let out an enraged roar and grabbed Severus, painfully pulling him inside. "What did I say about doing any of those freaky acts boy?"

Severus's lip quivered violently but he held back the flow of tears as his father pulled him up off the ground by his collar. "Well what did I say? Are you deaf boy or just slow?"

He released his collar and Severus fell onto the wooden floor. "I'll make sure you remember this time."

Severus felt panic fill him as he heard the sound of his father unbuckling his belt. He ripped Severus's shirt up, revealing a back already warped with deep scars that would never fully heal. "Oh you'll remember this time," his dad whispered darkly and brought down his belt with a crack.

Severus's petrified screams mixed with the cracks as the whip came down again and again and….

Suddenly Severus was pulled from his nightmare by a hand grabbing his arm. Without thinking he grabbed his wand and pointed it at the person before the emerald eyes registered in his mind. He blinked and finally took in Harry standing in front of him, looking rather unafraid considering Severus had just pointed his wand at him.

Snape relaxed, placing his wand beside him and running a hand over his face which he noticed with a frown was covered in sweat.

" Are you okay sir?" Harry asked quietly, looking at him intently with a knowing expression.

"Yes," Severus snapped then took a breath and continued in a softer tone, "It was just a bad dream."

Severus had no idea why he was spilling out all his secrets to the boy- he had never felt any reason to do this before. Perhaps it was because he knew that out of anyone, Potter would be able to understand what he had gone through. He was a victim himself. And that made all the difference.

Harry nodded and sat lightly on the edge of the bed. "I have those too sometimes," he responded in a near- whisper. He seemed to hesitate and then deflecting his gaze from Severus's he asked, "Was it about your father?"

The air seemed to rush out of Severus's lungs as he heard the question. He quickly schooled his s hocked expression into a hardened one when he felt Harry's eyes turning to him. "Yes," he answered simply, the admission sending a flood of bad memories through him. "How did you-?"

He didn't need to finish his question because Harry understood. "When I was in that room, and you tried to read my mind through the glass…. I kinda think I accidentally did the reverse. I'm really sorry I didn't mean to…" Severus cut off the boys guilty rantings.

"I shouldn't have attempted to read your mind in the first place," Severus reassured him, thinking about what he had just said. He wondered how he had been able to see through the one way mirror, but decided he had more important things to worry about. Like the fact that Harry now knew most, if not all, of Severus's past.

Severus knew he must be more tired than he originally thought because he found he wasn't too bothered with the idea. If anyone else had unlimited access to his past Snape would undoubtedly obliviate them until they forget who he even was or otherwise dispose of them.

Yet Harry was Lily's son. It hadn't taken long for Severus to discover that his similarity to his father had ended at his appearance. The boy was his mother's son, clear in the remorse in his eyes when he thought of his abusers, and clear most of all in the fact that he was still there.

He had seen all of Severus's memories- the good, the bad, the evil and yet he hadn't run away screaming. Somehow, Harry had done what even Lily couldn't- he had forgiven Severus. For some reason, Harry trusted him despite the odds, and Severus was never going to betray that trust.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both lost in thought before Harry asked, "You know when you tried to read my mind?" Severus nodded. "Well- did you, you know, see anything?"

"No." The relief was immediate in Harry's eyes. He opened his mouth as if to say something, maybe thank the auror for leaving his memories to himself (not that it had been Severus's choice) but no words came out. The pair of them fell back into a comfortable silence until a thought struck Severus.

"Where'd Professor McGonagall go?"

Harry turned to Severus with a cheeky smile. "I'll show you," he said mysteriously and slid off the bed waiting eagerly for Severus to follow him. Severus rolled out of bed with a muffled groan and then followed him to the living room where he found Minerva passed out on the couch, snoring softly.

He let out a small snort, joining the boy who was struggling to keep his laughter quiet.