BitterSweet, Chapter 8:
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, etc. etc.
Severus POV:
After a lot of awkward silences, I finally arrive at Spinner's End. I grab my trunk from the 'car' and I watch the Evans' drive to their house which is at the end of the street. I turn to face my house. The door is slightly off centre, slates are falling off the roof and the whole building is on a slant. The house looks dark and depressing with no sign of colour; it makes you feel like running away. Unlike any sane person, I walk up the flowerless footpath and enter Spinner's End. As I walk down the hallway I notice that there is a layer of dust everywhere, which means mum hasn't improved much. Not that I expected her to.
"Mum? I'm back." I call out as I walk, the floorboards creaking with my every step. I turn into the lounge room, only to see my drunken father sprawled across the floor with rum bottles scattered everywhere. The man has clearly lost all dignity, the fool. I have no patience for the man who has destroyed our family.
As I look around the room I notice my mother who is several metres away from father, sitting in her wheelchair staring at me. Filled with sudden emotion, I uncharacteristically walk over to her and kiss the top of her head, wishing that everything could be normal again, like it once was.
-Flashback-
"I-I thought I told you not to do that freaky stuff! Do you know what you're doing, muttering away? Talking to the devils y'are! Cursing us y'are!" Tobias shouted at his wife drunkenly. Eileen and Severus were standing atop of the staircase; while Tobias went out to socialize with friends; Eileen took the opportunity to teach Severus some simple spells. Tobias never liked seeing Eileen performing magic, so she kept it to a minimum. But when she was teaching Severus, Tobias had walked in, drunk and furious at the sight before him.
"Tobias, I was just teaching Severus some spells. Calm down, your drunk." Eileen comforted. Eileen wasn't used to her husband yelling at both her and her son; but it wasn't uncommon. This was one of the first times he came home severely drunk though - normally he stayed out all night.
But life wasn't always this way. When Severus was a toddler, the family got along well – they all loved each other. Tobias had a respectable job as a lawyer and he earned good money. Eileen was social and Severus had two decent parents. All was good until Tobias began to socialize with other crowds. He began to be constantly frustrated, began constantly drinking, and was fired from his job.
"Is he like you?' Tobias whispered with disgust, talking of Severus.
"Yes." She replied proudly.
Before anyone could blink, Tobias Snape slapped his wife across the face, causing her to fall down the stairs. As Eileen lay still at the bottom of the staircase, Tobias stood in shock.
"What have you done to mum!" Severus demanded running down the stairs to his mother. Tobias didn't answer his son; he just walked down the stairs, over his wife's body and out the door.
Severus bent over his mother to grab her wand. He grasped the wand firmly in his hand. "I summon the Wizarding Healers." He called in a clear voice and out of the wand splurted red fireworks in the shape of crosses. Within seconds, Healers apparated into the room, and upon seeing Eileen, immediately went to her aid. Severus watched sadly as they placed her in a wheelchair and gave her various potions while still unconscious
"I need to tell you that you're mother is paralyzed from her legs down. This means she cannot walk. Do you understand?" A Healer asked, his voice full of sympathy. Severus just nodded his head, unable to speak.
"Good. Now, can you tell me who it was that called us? We need to ask them a few questions." The Healer asked, looking around for a wizard.
"It was me." Said Severus, finally finding his voice. The shock on the Healer's face was evident. It takes a certain level of magical power to summon the Healers – it's so the Healers know it isn't a false alarm. The Healer was at a loss as to how the young boy in front of him – surely no older than 5- could've summoned them.
"Right. Well, we need to contact you're grandparents" the Healer said looking at his notes "Mr. and Mrs. Prince, to tell them what has happened. So you know, we know exactly what has happened, but we won't tell anyone unless we get permission to. On that note, I must go. Have a good day, Mr. Snape." The Healer said formally, and then they all apparated. Severus just stood there looking at his mum, and burst out crying, knowing that beyond his mother's irreversible condition, something else would now be irreversible: his father.
-End Flashback-
3rd Person Observation:
As the years went by, Severus grew older and no body was there to see him off to his first day at Hogwarts (he took a muggle vehicle called a bus). Tobias began drinking more – he was trying to drink the guilt of hitting his wife away. He felt so bad for what he did, but as a Snape, he could never find enough courage to say sorry. So he drank. Eileen continued her day to day life, but her personality changed. She was so disappointed in her marriage and in failing to give Severus a sustainable home that all she told Severus was never to marry a muggle; to marry a pureblood. But Eileen never knew that ever since the day he saw her, Severus had been in love with a muggle-born; Lily Evans. And Eileen certainly didn't know that they were destined for each other.
Severus POV:
I turn and walk away from my mother and walk up the rarely used stairs to my room feeling drained. When I enter the room I notice that everything (meaning just my bed and desk) is covered in dust. I walk over to my bed, putting my trunk beside it while I dust my Slytherin bed cover. Satisfied when I see the silvery snake glitter, I lie down on my bed, not bothering to unpack my trunk. When I close my eyes, all I can see is the face of Lily, her hair bouncing around her face, her eyes crinkled up in laughter, her mouth smiling. . .
-CRACK-
I suddenly bolt upright and move off the bed, looking around for the source of the noise. It is still daytime; I must have fallen asleep for only a minute.
"Severus Prince." Calls a voice. I jump at the sound and turn around with wand in hand to find the intruder. If Potter ever found some way to enter my house, I swear I would jinx him into Merlin's Mansion. I feel a tugging at my robes and I look down to see a house elf. I step away from its grasp and stare at it in shock. I have only ever studied house elves; we are not rich enough to own any.
"Severus Prince must come with Mercury. Mercury must bring to Master." The elf Mercury said.
"Take me where?" I ask, staring at the creature.
"Prince Mansion. Here is letter from Master." Mercury replies, handing me a letter. I take the letter from him and quickly read it.
"Dear Severus Prince,
We are so proud to hear you are planning to join the Dark Lord. We went to the Malfoy's mansion on your behalf, (we were invited by their son Lucius) and we are so proud you haven't followed your mother's footsteps. We always knew you had Prince Blood in you, and so as our last male heir – and our most worthy – we are leaving you as the heir of the Prince fortunes. Your mother was never worthy enough; she proved it when she married your muggle father. But from what we hear from Lucius, you are.
We would like to meet you in person. Our house elf, Mercury, shall arrive outside your pitiful residence on the 12th hour of tomorrow and has orders to enter your residence and take you if you do not come willingly.
Yours Sincerely,
Xavier and Henrietta Prince."
The blood drains from my face as I think of everything the letter could mean. I turn to my door and walk down the stairs, leaving the house elf in my room. I walk to the kitchen to find mum sitting at the table.
"Mum, the Prince family has decided they want to see me, their house elf is upstairs now." I quickly explain, holding the letter above my head to indicate what I am talking about. Mum sits there staring at her coffee, and after what seems like hours, turns to me.
"Go. Maybe they can teach you not to make the same mistakes I did. Go." She says with slight bitterness.
"But, mum, it is disrespectful for me to go! I am being disrespectful to you!" I say, getting slightly angry.
"Not as disrespectful as marrying a muggle!" She shouts back. "Now go!"
As if on cue, Mercury apparated into the room.
"Time to go, Severus Prince." The house elf says, holding onto my arm and apparating. I feel my body being squished and I start finding it hard to breathe. But before it becomes too serious, the tightness around my body suddenly stops.
Freeing myself from the elf's grasp, I look around at my new surroundings. The elf had Apparated me directly into the Prince Mansion. The floors are made of black marble, the walls are all covered with portraits of black-haired people, and the whole place is fit for a prince. Ha. I chuckle inwardly at the irony.
"Ah, Severus! My dear Prince! Welcome to our mansion!" Xavier calls from the top of the staircase. He is wearing black robes similar to mine thought notably looser; and he has the same black greasy hair as me although it is slicked back, but as I look into his black eyes, I know we aren't the same people. The thought gives me some relief.
I take a step forward, putting my brave face on and thinking of the reason of why I have to remain strong and get through this. I remind myself of why I have to deny Voldemort, deny the Slytherins and deny my Prince family: Lily. And that's enough for me.
Ok, so I finally posted it. I am so sorry for the delay everyone, I just didn't want to post this chapter. I wasn't happy with it and I kept re-writing it, and in the end I decided to just post it. And I will stop complaining because I know how irritating it is when the author keeps complaining :)
And if you didn't like this chapter, I am SO SORRY! I promise it will get better, it's just I feel I need to explain certain things to you now so they make sense later.
And thank you for all your reviews!
Please read and review, feel free to ask questions!
Missteque :D