Hello Lovelies; this is a re-post of chapter three. I added a few things to the plotline so I could tie up some ends that were irritating me. Enjoy!

Author: HatefulRodeo

Story: Sirius' Awakening

Notes: So it is time to here from Severus; how does he feel and think about all this? For all those who are looking for quick slash scenes I apologize. I will be taking it slow and developing the relationship between Sirius and Severus. Thanks to all that fav'd, followed and reviewed! ENJOY LOVELIES!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I will make no money from the posting of this story.

Previously:

Orion's chuckled; "It seems that boy has finally woken up to some very hard truths. We must be careful with him, Walburga. Sirius is a strong boy but he is fragile right now; all of his beliefs have been questioned, or shattered, in the past week." She smiled, and with a nod, retook her seat; "I agree. I'm just pleased our son is letting us in again. I know he is, and always was, a good boy. Sirius is just so stubborn; something he gets from his father's side, I believe."

She waved off Orion's playful glare and continued; "But I think Severus' presence here will help Sirius. Both of them can help each other; Sirius needs someone to listen to him, someone his own age and Severus needs to feel safe and accepted."

"I believe Sirius, along with Regulus, can help him adjust to life here and make him feel welcomed and wanted. Of course, we will be there as well to give the boy whatever he needs to feel better."

The sound of knocking put an end to their conversation. Straightening her back she bid her son's and soon-to-be ward entry into the room.

~*~*~*~*~*Chapter 3~*~*~*~*~

Bemused, for the past few weeks Severus was in a constant state of bemusement. When he thought about what living with a high ranking pureblood family would be like he never would have imagined it would be like this. He'd seen the way Walburga and Orion Black treated their kids on Platform Nine and Three Quarters; they were cold and aloof, barely sparing either son a hug, or so much as a smile, before they boarded the train.

Now, he saw how much the two adults adored their children. He also saw how much they seemed to care and accept Severus as their own. After he formally met the two adults Walburga took it upon herself to treat Severus' wounds; the bruising and cuts were essentially healed by the time he met with them the day they returned from Paris but the internal injuries were still present.

The woman ran a more thorough health scan and uncovered several issues regarding Severus' health. Apparently, the cracked ribs and internal bruising were the least of his problems. The countless years of physical abuse and malnutrition left him with incredibly brittle bones and his liver and kidneys were working sluggishly, trying to keep his body functioning properly.

The scan Sirius ran on his first day at Number Twelve only picked up the bruised organs and ribs as they were the only injuries he had. Walburga's picked up any medical conditions affecting the person. Once his new caretaker saw the result sheet she was livid, spitting vile words damning Dumbledore and his father, Tobias, to the deepest pits of hell. Severus almost smiled at the woman's actions; it was nice to know someone cared about him other than Lily and Regulus.

Once the Lady Black's vitriol was done she swept from the room and returned an hour later toting several potion vials filled with many different liquids. She sat down on the edge of the bed where Severus was lying down at the time and began to explain what she was going to give him.

She also explained the potion regiment she was putting him on. Every morning he would take several nutrient and vitamin tonics to strengthen his body and bones; this would go on for at least a month or until Walburga saw improvement in his condition. Those vials were placed on the nightstand next to the bed; there was a weeks worth and once he ran out he was instructed to tell Kreacher and he would bring more.

Another potion brought to him was Skelegrow to heal his cracked ribs fully and Walburga hoped the potion would heal his fragile bones a bit. The last vile held a powerful restorative draft; when taken it would hopefully kick start his organs so they could begin healing. The draft coupled with the nutrient and vitamin tonics should reverse some of the damage done to him internally.

However, due to his less than stellar upbringing and body condition he would always be a bit weaker than normal people; his immune system while somewhat decent wasn't as strong as say Sirius' or Regulus'. But the battered Slytherin would take what he could get and at this point he was just happy to be in a place where he was cared for and safe; no more hiding and hoping his father wouldn't find him.

Orion had taken it upon himself to get Severus placed in their care as soon as possible. The day after he'd met with the family to discuss his placement with them the older man had visited the Ministry to speak to his associates. Long story short by the end of the day Orion returned with the necessary paperwork. The Black Lord was allowed to bring the papers home for Severus to sign to avoid having the young teen go to the Ministry himself and be subjected to a formal inquiry in regards to the abuse allegations.

Once signed the documents disappeared and were filed with the Ministry. Severus Tobias Snape was now a ward of the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Another result of his placement with the Blacks was his father lost all rights to him; his awful sire would never be allowed to hurt him again and for that Severus was grateful. The option of legal actions was also available against Tobias Snape but for right now the battered teen just wanted to move past the abuse and live happily; his miserable father would be dealt with one way or another in the future.

According to Orion his associates were more than happy to push his paperwork through; anything to get him away from his filthy muggle father. The Black Lord, and many other purebloods, felt that magical children had no place with muggle parents; Severus could only agree with Orion and his unknown pureblood associates. Sure, there were parents like Lily's who loved their children regardless of the fact that they wielded magic but most of the time the muggle parents either feared or hated their magical child.

This fear and/or hatred often led to horrible abuse or willful neglect; in severe cases Severus could see a muggle family abandoning their magical child in an orphanage. Needless to say he was all for having magical children removed from their muggle homes at their first sign of accidental magic. He also felt that halfbloods, like himself with one muggle parent, should be checked up on by the Ministry.

In most cases of domestic abuse the victims are too afraid, or have nowhere else to go, and they are forced to stay in an intolerable environment. His mum, Eileen, was one such case. If someone from the Ministry would have come and given her a viable way out of her situation, and a way for her and her son to survive in their world, she would have left Tobias in a heartbeat. Alas, it didn't happen that way but at least Severus managed to escape to safety.

The wayward snake shifted in his chair beside the fire, pulling himself out of the whirlwind of thoughts the last few weeks evoked in him, and watched Walburga smother Regulus with attention while Sirius watched on in amusement. Severus cast his onyx eyes to Orion who was sitting contently in the chair across from him. He heard Sirius bark out a laugh causing both men to turn toward the sofa where the rest of the inhabitants of Number Twelve were seated. They all watched Regulus huff in annoyance and put his hair back into it customary ponytail.

Severus couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped from his lips; Regulus looked like a very angry cat at the moment. It seemed he didn't care for having his perfect coif tampered with; much to his parents and everyone else's amusement. Sirius, who never knew when to quit, ruffled his brother's hair again. A louder bark of laughter was heard from the Black heir when his younger brother actually hissed at him.

Walburga chuckled but soon became serious; "Now, now, I think we have some things to speak about now that Severus is on the mend. Over the course of these past weeks many things have changed around here and I want to speak to Sirius about them." The onyx eyed boy glanced at Sirius in confusion and curiosity; what changed?

Sitting back he decided to listen to what the Lady Black had to say to her first son; it should be interesting to say the least. Walburga shifted on the sofa to face her oldest child; a small smile on her face to show she meant no harm and Sirius shouldn't worry. "When you came to us to ask for Severus to stay here you spoke of many things; one of which was your disillusionment of Dumbledore and secondly your newly found dislike of muggles."

"Sirius, what I want to know is are you willing to listen to us, let us teach you what you need to know? Before you answer please think this through. Your father and I will not begrudge you the time to consider our offer. I know it is overwhelming when all you believed was true is ripped away from you and proved to be lies."

Severus looked at his former nemesis, shock shining in his coal black eyes. Sirius didn't like Dumbledore? Or muggles? How did that happen and where was he when it did? Yes, Sirius was being nicer to him almost to the point of being a mother hen but he thought it was that overbearing sense of Gryffindorishness that caused it. Now, his whole outlook on one Sirius Orion Black was changing and he didn't know how to deal with it.

Taking a deep breath he waited for the other boy's response; Regulus and Orion looked just as interested in Sirius' answer as he did though all of them were trying to hide it. Eventually, the oldest Black son spoke; "I would like to learn about our family and traditions, like I did when I was younger. I want to make you proud of me."

"As for Dumbledore I may respect his power and knowledge but as a person he disgusts me to the core. What he did to Severus is unforgiveable in my eyes. He allowed a magical child to be abused and starved at the hands of his family, by a filthy muggle. I will never follow a man like that; if the old coot could do that to Severus what else could he do?"

"I never would have guessed the Headmaster to be so cruel and cold. He comes off so kind and grandfatherly. It's really shocking and at first I couldn't even process it but it has to be true. Severus may be many things but a liar isn't one of them and I believe him."

"It'll be hard to distance myself from the man; all my school career I've been a typical Gryffindor, following Dumbledore and James' lead, but I see now that it isn't the best way, or right path, for me. I'm a Black and I can't turn my back on my family for a man who would throw a child's wellbeing away simply because he's a Slytherin or a bit darker than the Headmaster would like."

Severus was taken aback; all this came about because of him and the way he was treated? It was earth shattering for him that Sirius would care so much. That the vicious, and unfair, treatment received at the hands of Dumbledore and his father affected the other boy so much that he changed his long held views; the very thought was staggering! It was unbelievable but Severus felt warm inside when he thought about him meaning something to the Gryffindor.

Sirius' smooth voice brought him out of his reverie; "As for muggles I want nothing to do with them. I have no interest in hunting them or killing them but I want nothing to do with them. I know I will have to deal with them sometimes but other than the necessary contact I want to stay as far away from them as possible. I know not all muggles are like Severus' father but I will not take the risk to find out."

"I know James, Remus, and Peter won't agree with my new way of thinking but I can't help that and it does hurt to know they may not like me after this. However, this is what is best for me and my family and, hopefully, the others will understand my new views. I'm not optimistic but I can still hope they will. I mean I'm not any different than how I used to be; I just don't like muggles and Dumbledore is no longer my personal savior."

Severus listened to Sirius' words; the other boy still wanted to be friends with his Marauders. That wouldn't happen Severus was sure of that. The three Gryffindors were too brainwashed by Dumbledore to see the validity of Sirius' words. No, they would turn away from Sirius in an instant once he spoke of his new views and outlooks.

The onyx eyed boy knew it would hurt Sirius terribly when his alleged best friends turned away from him but there was nothing he could do for the other. Except one thing, shifting in his seat he cleared his throat. When everyone was looking at him he began; "Sirius, I know we've never been friends but I wanted you to know I appreciate all you've done for me. And if your friends don't accept you I hope you know I still will."

Sirius grey eyes lit up and a bright smile split his face; "Thanks, Sev, that means a lot!" Severus cringed at the nickname but said nothing about it, yet. Regulus knocked his shoulder against his brother's; "I hope you know the same goes for me too. Now that you're thinking right we can be close again. I missed you, Siri."

Severus looked away from the touching scene when Sirius hugged his little brother close and began mumbling something he couldn't hear into the smaller boy's ear. He was happy that Regulus and his brother were getting along together. The onyx eyed male knew how much it hurt his younger friend when his brother turned his back on the family.

When the two brothers broke away they were both smiling, making their parents smile in return as they watched on. Orion broke the content silence, his strong voice flowing through the finely furnished room; "Well now that that's taken care of I wanted to speak to you about what we want to teach you, all of you. Severus, I know your father was a muggle but I saw a few records when I was at the Ministry that stated your mother was a Prince; is this true?"

Severus nodded; "It is, sir. My mother was a pureblood but was disowned when she became pregnant by my father, Tobias Snape, and with nowhere to go she married him. I'm not sure what that means for me but I do want to learn more about the wizarding world, like a pureblood would. This place is my home and I want to be the best I can be."

Orion sent a pleased look Severus' way before he continued; "I believe a trip to Gringotts is in order. The last of the known Prince lines died about three years ago; your grandfather I believe was the last Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Prince."

"Anyway, we will take a trip to the goblins and see where you stand in terms of inheritance; if you do have the right to claim the title of heir I will instruct you in the same things Sirius and Regulus will be learning. Also, you three boys will be learning about the Dark Arts; nothing severe, or illegal, so don't worry about that. I, and Walburga, will be introducing you to them and teaching you how to control them."

"The Dark Arts are a brilliant and beautiful thing but they can be addictive and dangerous. Without the proper control you will become lost in them and unable to bring yourself back to reality. Your cousin, Bellatrix, is a perfect example of what can happen from doing too much, too fast, in regards to dabbling in the Dark Arts.'

"Hopefully, your aunt and uncle will be able to help her retain her mind but it is doubtful at this point. Bella is enamored with the Dark Arts and sees nothing wrong with the way she is. I fear your cousin will have to be committed to St. Mungo's for treatment before her condition deteriorates to the point of no return."

Orion chuckled without mirth; "I apologize for getting sidetracked but I wanted you three to be aware of the downfalls of the Dark Arts. You will be learning very powerful magic and with this knowledge brings great responsibility. We, Walburga and I, will not allow you to become lost in them. Does anyone have any questions?"

Severus had nothing to say at this time. He was looking forward to learning the Dark Arts properly; there was information, as limited as it was, at Hogwarts about the darker magics but they were mere mentioning's; nothing expansive or complete. Here, with the Black family, he could grow as a Dark wizard. Here he could safely hone his craft and become something better than he was under the guidance of knowledgeable adults.

When no questions were posed Orion nodded; "Alright, for today I want you boys to relax. Tomorrow, we will be going to Diagon Alley for your school supplies. Severus and I will be visiting Gringotts to check on his inheritance; if he has no inheritance coming I will be setting up a vault for him."

Severus made to protest but Orion held up his hand, looking around Severus saw each Black was smiling warmly at him; "Severus, you are our ward now. Walburga and I will not allow you to settle for anything less than the best. You deserve all you wish for after the life you've led. I will not hear any protests from you on the matter."

The newest addition to the Black family nodded and gave the family a weak grin; "Thank you, all of you. I never thought it would be like this when I stumbled into this house. I'm grateful to you all and I hope to make you proud of me." Walburga shook her head; "Severus, just do your best and learn as much as you can. As long as you try your hardest we will not be disappointed with you."

"Now, boys I think you should get your school lists together and check to see what else you may need tomorrow from Diagon." Severus knew they were being dismisses and stood to leave; Sirius and Regulus following him out of the room and up the stairs to their rooms.

The onyx eyed boy's room was across from Regulus and he quite liked it. Severus bid the Black brothers goodbye and stepped into his bedroom; the room was large and airy, sunlight shined into the room from two large windows on the wall facing the door. A fireplace was situated opposite from the foot of the bed, it was unlit as it was summer time, but it would make the room quite warm in the winter. The color scheme was calming; many shades of blues and greens, mixing with luxurious creams and browns.

The furniture was a dark cherry wood, shined to gleam in the afternoon sun. The floors were a deep almost black wood covered with soft rugs in emerald green. The bed was the best though in Severus' opinion. It was queen sized and so soft it felt like you were lying on a cloud. He'd never slept so well in his life and he thanked Merlin every night that he was living at Number Twelve.

His life was always so hard but now it was looking up; he hoped he would be able to send Lily a letter soon so he could tell her what was going on. With a sigh he sat down in the chair next to window and looked outside; the view from his room was of the well-kept garden.

He relaxed as he didn't need to make a list of what he needed tomorrow from the Alley; Severus needed everything. When he left Spinner's End he escaped with the clothes on his back and his wand, everything else was replaceable to him. For now he wore Sirius' old clothes that no longer fit him; they were still a bit big on his frame but then again he was quite skinny.

However, Severus knew even at top condition he'd be considerably less broad than Sirius was. The onyx eyed boy had taken after his mother in his slender build and aristocratic face; only his dark eyes and slightly bigger than normal nose showed his father's contribution to his looks. Leaning back into the soft cushion he closed his eyes and enjoyed the sunlight warming his pale skin; tomorrow he would go to Gringotts and see if he was a eligible to become an heir in his own right.

Morgana, he truly hoped he was. It would be a dream come true to be recognized by his mother's family, even if all of them were dead. Pushing away any sad thoughts of his mother he let himself drift into a doze.

Well we've heard from Severus and next time we will be moving onward into the plot some more. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

I feel strongly in regards to domestic abuse. No one should have to live in fear of their parent(s) or lover/spouse. No one should have to walk on eggshells in their own home. Most abuse victims are terrified to stay but they're also terrified to leave; where would they go? Who will help them when they leave? Who will keep them safe? People tend to look down on domestic violence victims. Often times asking why they didn't just leave but it isn't that easy, especially when there are kids involved. Okay that rant came from nowhere...

Also, I am going to integrate the Dark Lord into this fic but he will not be a raving lunatic. Nope, no sir, he will not! So stay tuned lovelies!

All Mistakes Are My Own!