I Walk Alone,

Chapter 9, The Best Of Both Worlds

"I had a childhood," Severus told Heather. "Just nothing at all like yours. It was..." He paused to interrupt himself, glancing briefly to Raislen, who sat watching impassively. "Look Heather, if I am to tell you my personal business, I need to know you won't tell anyone.""

A scowl crossed Heather's face before her expression softened again. "Of course not, Severus. What do you take me for anyway?"

"It isn't like that," he explained hastily. "Only things could get dangerous for me if too many people know. It's too difficult to have close friends and hide everything, though, I suppose."

Heather frowned, worry beginning to seep into her expression. "This is getting dark. Of course I won't say a word. I swear it. Is that good enough?" She met his gaze directly as she spoke, eyes earnest.

"Yes, of course," he assured hastily before drawing in a breath to begin. He never enjoyed speaking of this, but soon it would be over. With that fortifying thought for comfort, he began. "My childhood was grand until the middle of my sixth year of existence. It was magical and fun. I was happy. With my mum a witch and my dad a fun loving Muggle who embraced magic, I was exposed to a great deal of things I enjoyed from magic lessons to Muggle movies about extraordinary feats of magic. The real and the imaginary both stimulated my imagination, and I believe influenced my study choices as well." He paused, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the hard winter ground. "I am trying to paint an accurate picture of how things were for me, because a lot of wizards don't understand the good Muggles so well." Especially his fellow Slytherins, but like him, Raislen and Heather dared to think outside of the box. On the train that first day, Raislen had made no derisive comments upon learning that Tobias Snape had been a Muggle. Severus believed that if Heather felt differently, Raislen would've given him some sort of warning.

"My dad wasn't afraid of magic. He found it fascinating. He was thrilled with it, and always called me his little wizard." Severus couldn't help a sad smile at the memory of Tobias Snape's voice in his mind. It was warm and fond, and it always made Severus feel safe and loved. He knew that his mum loved him more than anything in the world, because she showed it, but she also told him so excessively. She didn't always sound it so much, though. All too frequently she sounded strained and sad. He understood why, of course, and it made him hate Grandfather Prince all the more. "Dad exposed me to all the best Muggle things. Like rock and roll music about wizards, and trick or Treating on Halloween and movies and cartoons on Muggle television about magic or horror, which is also magic."

"What's horror," Heather wondered. "I mean I know the literal meaning of the word, but it seems you're speaking of it as a form of Muggle cartoon or movie?"

"Both of which we have heard about in Muggle studies," Raislen said proudly.

"And my family has played in Muggle pubs and such just to see how they are affected by bardic music," Heather shared. "It seems they are moved by the bard gift abilities as much as wizards, which is truly fascinating!"

"Have you heard any Muggle music," Severus asked, wondering what Heather thought of it if she had.

She shook her head. "No...Well not much. Not enough to truly form an opinion," she said regretfully.

"I can try to show you some of my favorites," Severus offered. "I will have to sort how to get the record player and such to you or...getting you to it would be easier I suppose."

We'll sort it together," Raislen said with a grin. "Now you've got me curious."

Severus nodded, relieved to have help on that one as it would most certainly have complications. "When,"Heather asked.

"Whenever there is an opportunity," Raislen answered.

Heather nodded. "Fine. Go on, Severus."

"Oh yes, you asked about horror movies," Severus recalled. "Many were based on classic Muggle literature, but the grand thing is that much of the Muggle literature was actually written about real witches and wizards! I think it began with Merlin and Nimue, because there are tons of Muggle movies about them, but there are also horror classics on Jekyll, you know that potions master and dream wizard from the eighteen-sixties? And there is also a movie about the most famous of vampires, Dracula."

"Truly," Heather asked, eyes rounding in startled awe. "The Muggles are aware of Jekyll and Dracula?"

"At least a few were to be able to write a book on each that eventually became very successful movies," Severus said.

"Bloody fascinating," Heather breathed and Raislen nodded.

"As many Muggles are easily frightened, the movies about Jekyll and Dracula are considered horror," Severus explained. "My dad wasn't afraid, though. He loved those old movies and he allowed me to watch them with him. I loved them too. It was fun telling him about how Jekyll and Dracula are real. I wanted Audrey II from Little Shop Of Horrors to be real too, because he's a funny, talking, man eating plant, but Mum says that movie has no basis in truth," he opined sadly. "If I had Audrey II, I'd feed Grandfather Prince to him."

He noted the horrified look Heather gave Raislen and shot her a scowl. "Grandfather Prince deserves to be fed to a man eating plant," he defended himself hotly. "He's horrid to me and my Mum just because my father was a Muggle. Now we're stuck living with him and it's horrid! It's been horrid for five years! He even makes the holidays miserable, and I used to love Christmas so much."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Heather said quickly. "I'm sure he's a bad man who richly deserves this Audrey to have him for lunch...But Severus, what happened to your dad," she asked gently.

Severus swallowed. Somehow talking about this bit or even thinking about it never got easier. "He was killed by Voldemort. It happened when he went to pick something up for my mum in a potion's shop in Knockturn."

"Oh Severus, I'm so sorry," Heather said. All the color had drained from her face and she stared with wide shocked eyes.

Severus nodded tightly. "Thank you. So am I."

"So when you moved in with your grandfather, things got bad," she asked.

He nodded. "I just stayed in my room and read a lot. He made sure my room wasn't nice. The house my dad bought wasn't the most fancy. Dad built houses and made decent money, but life is expensive as he always said. We had a two bedroom house. We still do but Mum can't afford to maintain it so she is leaving it for when I am eighteen, then it's mine. When Mum and I moved in with him, Grandfather Prince made sure my room was as shabby as he could make it, claiming that he wanted me to feel at home. Oh how I hate him." Severus kicked out at a rock on the ground, not bothering to keep the venom from his voice.

"I can see why," Heather murmured sympathetically.

"Sounds like a right bastard for sure," Raislen agreed darkly. "One day he'll get his, though. That sort always does."

Severus smiled, comforted by that thought. "You did get the best of both worlds, though," Heather said, reaching to give him a hug. "You got the best the Muggles had to offer through your dad's influence, and the best magical education from your mum, who is obviously quite talented. You will be great some day, and we're going to start you on the road to that right now by finishing that long distance conjuring charm. We'll make your dad proud, because where ever he is, I truly believe he is watching you."

Severus awkwardly returned Heather's embrace, briefly pressing his cheek into her shoulder to hide the sudden tears that sprang to his eyes. The thought of Tobias keeping an eye on him was wonderful in a way that he couldn't quite put into words.

"We'll all be great, because Tobi wouldn't like his son hanging about with worthless wizards," Raislen concluded cheerfully. He was obviously trying to lighten the moment, and it worked because Heather laughed.

"Um...Can we just do it inside," Severus asked. His teeth were beginning to chatter. "It's very cold and I don't think I could focus out here for long."

"Agreed," Raislen said fervently. "If we don't iron out the kinks in our spell within the hour, we shall all three turn into snow wizards!"

Heather sighed. "Very well. But I can't focus in the common room, so let's see if Professor Flitwick will allow us to borrow his class. It isn't as if he's using it in the evenings anyway."