AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Snape's a real bastard here. But this is a journey! And we get to meet our nanny/governess finally!

As the morning wore on, Snape began receiving letters in response to his ad. He had never been so grateful to see the owls at his window.

One by one, he reviewed them, unimpressed and growing more annoyed by the minute. He'd open them, read them, disapprove, and toss them into the fireplace. Honestly- how hard could it be?

An exasperated sigh escaped his lips before he called for Tinny. "Please tell Soren to come downstairs, I wish to speak with him."

Tinny disappeared and five minutes later, Soren slinked downstairs, his face still red and tear-stained.

Snape hated to admit he had been bothered, deeply, the entire morning. Although he still didn't feel "fatherly"- he couldn't help but feel genuinely bad for the boy's obvious pain. It nagged him, but he didn't know what to do. And ultimately the boy would need to get over it. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the situation either, but he wasn't complaining about it.

At Hogwarts he'd always made sure he chose his prefects wisely and he put most of the coddling and emotional work onto them. Homesickness, dying grandparents, boyfriend/girlfriend problems, tummy aches— he let his prefects handle it, doling out an occasional pat on the shoulder if he was feeling generous. As the Slytherin Head of House, he saw himself as the disciplinarian, the stern father there to scare the little brats into following the rules and meting out swift justice if they did not. The hand-holding, the hugs, the coddling, all that was best left to his prefects and Madame Pomfrey.

But this felt different. This boy had no one else. And as he reminded himself, painfully, he was the boy's father and all he had left in the world. God how he regretted those few fleeting encounters now. It hadn't even been that enjoyable at the time, he was just bored and in need of escape, never considering for a moment that if he wasn't careful, it might result in a child. To be honest, he never believed he'd survive in the first place, so imagining himself years in the future taking care of a sullen little boy was the last thing he'd ever dream up. What a nightmare.

Snape made an attempt to soften his voice as he spoke to Soren. He sat in his usual armchair, and called him over, pointing to a spot right in front of him. "Come here. I wish to speak with you."

Soren obeyed silently, standing as far away as he could manage without being outright defiant.

"I'm sorry for your loss and everything you've been through. Your mother was a kind and caring woman, I'm sure she was an excellent mother."

The little boy put his head into his hands and began to cry.

With a silent flick of his wrist, Snape conjured a handkerchief and handed it to the boy. "Don't be disgusting. Use this, not your hands."

He took a deep breath before he continued. "I know this is a very difficult change, for both of us, but we will manage. You will have everything you need to live a comfortable life and when you come of age, I will ensure you've had a proper education and means to a life without struggle."

Soren wiped at his face with the handkerchief, his breath still catching. Although Snape meant his words to be reassuring, they meant nothing to a 7 year-old boy who had just lost his mum. He needed love and comfort, and it didn't sound like that was part of the package.

Not knowing what else to do or say, Snape put a hand on his back and patted him awkwardly. Soren froze at the touch and Snape dropped his hand, ending whatever sad attempt at affection he was trying to manage.

"Now then, I would like to talk to you about what to expect moving forward. I am in the process of finding you a governess whom I hope will begin shortly. After that your days will be filled with school work and magical preparation. You're still quite young to be using magic, however, I was already learning spells at your age and I see no reason why you shouldn't begin learning the least in theory."

With a giant sniff, Soren tried to suck in the rest of the mucous that was threatening to continue out of his nose. He lifted an arm to wipe with his sleeve but before it got to his face—-Snape grabbed it.

"Use. Your. Handkerchief. I didn't give it to you as a decorative piece."

Soren wiped his face and blew slightly into the soft cloth before he looked up again, briefly. "Can't I go to real school?" he asked, his eyes darting back to his hands, where he was playing with an edge of the wadded up linen.

"Did you go to school before?"

"No."

"No, sir." Snape grabbed the boy's thin wrist and brought him closer. He wordlessly banished the dirty handkerchief from his hands. "Address me properly. I do not want to remind you again."

A slight blush rose in Soren's cheeks. "No, sir."

"So why do you think you would go to school now? You will attend boarding school when you turn 11. Hopefully you'll receive a letter from Hogwarts, if not, I'm sure I'll find somewhere that will take you. But for now your governess will teach you everything you need to know. That is generally how it is done amongst wizards of means."

"Will she play with me too? My mummy used to play lots of fun games with me." His eyes filled with tears, but this time, he did not let them fall, trying his best to put on a brave face.

"I'm not paying her to play games with you. She's here to focus on your education, both academic and life skills. Her job is to prepare you for your future as a magical person of privilege. And you will do well to obey her, she will have my full authority to discipline you as she sees fit."

Soren wasn't entirely sure what he meant by that, but it sounded ominous.

"I'll also send for some new clothes for you. Tinny will get your measurements later today and I'll send them off to the tailor. I want you looking presentable each day when you go to learn. These rags will have to go." Snape looked at the boy's dirty sleeves with disgust.

"Can you get me some toys as well?" Soren asked, with hope in his eyes. All he had with him was his bunny, a few children's books, and a puzzle that Ginny had gotten for him.

"If you want entertainment, you may read a book or go for a walk with your governess around the grounds. You will not sit around rotting your brain by playing with silly, useless little toys."

The disappointment was written all over Soren's face but he wouldn't dare talk back. "Oh."

"You do know how to read, don't you?" The tone came out far more scathing than Snape had intended, but as someone who had learned to read at the age of 4, it never occurred to him that a boy Soren's age may not know how, and he dreaded to think about what that meant for him catching up in his education.

"Yes, sir. Not that good, but a little bit. My mum was teaching me."

"Yes, that's rather why I was asking. Your mother wasn't exactly known for her intellectual prowess." Snape mentally added No, she was known for her voluptuous arse and her seductive brown eyes. The thought caused a smirk to flash briefly across his lips, before he stilled his face at the inappropriate thought.

"Now then, I have a lot of work to do. You may go to your room or go to the downstairs library to read. I do not want to hear a peep from you until I call for you. If you need something, you may ask Tinny. You do not have permission to be anywhere else. Suffice it to say, if I find you outside of your bedroom or the library, you will be a very sorry little boy. Do you understand?"

Soren nodded, but quickly amended "Yes, sir," before retreating back up the stairs to cuddle his rabbit and think about his mum.

After reviewing dozens more letters and CVs, Snape finally settled on one he thought stood out among the rest. His only concern was that she was young, and she only had a few years of experience but overall her credentials were exceptional.

She had graduated from Beauxbatons 10 years earlier and after a stint in graduate school, had worked with another British wizarding family until they relocated overseas. She had more OWLS and NEWTS than almost anyone else, and she was fluent in English, French, and Latin. Her references were glowing and she had written a compelling letter about her ideas around the intersection of muggle and magical education.

Snape's only concern was that she seemed a bit "new age" for his taste—discussing her ideas of pedagogy and creating a "positive learning environment" that incentivized learning and curiosity and cultivating individual interests both inside and outside of the classroom.

It couldn't be further from Snape's own ideas about teaching. Even though he had been one of the younger teachers at Hogwarts, his methods were old-school and he stood by them. Fear, intimidation, and absolutely no nonsense whatsoever. He believed that hard work, focus and discipline were the key to mastering magic— none of this 21st century child-centered ridiculousness.

That being said, he'd be sure to lay out how he wanted things done. As long as she was bright and capable, he was confident he could make sure she held Soren to his exacting standards.

They had arranged for her to come at 2pm. Once again, Snape had Tinny prepare a lovely tea and he made an extra effort to dress up, putting on his nicest set of dress robes over his dark frock coat.

He had nearly forgotten about Soren, when he suddenly remembered the boy's stained shirt and cringed, knowing he would need to make the boy more presentable, not wanting to be embarrassed by having his son look like a complete ragamuffin.

When he entered Soren's room, he expected to find him moping about on the bed as always, but the room was empty. Snape was pretty sure he hadn't seen him come down the stairs to the library, so he called out for him, anger rising into his chest.

"Soren? Where are you? Show yourself this instant!" There was no mistaking the tone of Snape's voice, he was clearly unamused and if Soren had any sense, he wouldn't drag things out. He stepped out into the hallway, becoming more enraged by the second. "I am in no mood to go searching for you, so wherever you are, you will come here, immediately."

He let his deep voice carry through the entire upstairs. Finally, a small head poked out from the large playroom that Snape had turned into a classroom.

Before the boy could even step fully into the hallway, Snape had swooped toward him and grabbed him by his upper arm. "I told you to stay in your room or the library, how dare you disobey me!" He gave him a small shake before returning to his full height and dragging the boy back toward his bedroom. "Let's go."

Soren started sobbing immediately. "I'm sorry!"

Without another word, Snape brought him to the center of his room, fighting every urge he had not to give him a good smack. "I don't have time to deal with you right now, and you're very lucky I don't. You will dry your tears, wash your face, and comb your hair. We have a guest arriving imminently. Now stay still."

Snape pulled out his wand and attempted to transfigure Soren's clothes into something a bit nicer, but there was only so much he could do. The clothes were clearly second-hand, and while it was obvious that someone had tried to take care of them, the fabric was threadbare and stained in places and magical manipulation could only do so much.

With a rough grasp on the boy's arm, he spun him around to make sure he wasn't missing any gaping holes or horrible stains. Using less than gentle hands, he straightened the boy's shirt and pants.

Soren whimpered slightly and several tears continued to fall.

"Quit your sniveling. I haven't given you anything to cry about, now stop it right now, your face will look a mess." Flicking his wand in several sharp movements, clearly indicating his annoyance, he conjured a small flannel, spraying it with cool water using a silent Aguamenti charm.

He handed it to Soren before snapping, "Wipe your face, and stop crying this instant or you'll be standing in the corner until our guest arrives. Now that's enough."

The little boy's breath hitched dramatically one more time and Snape just stared at him, daring him to do it one more time. Not another tear fell.

Although he didn't say anything, Soren was secretly amazed watching his father do magic. He'd never seen anyone do wordless magic before. The man must be a very powerful wizard indeed. His mother only knew a handful of spells, and sometimes she couldn't even get them to work.

When Snape was done fussing with his clothes he sighed. "This will have to do. Get me your comb."

Afraid to anger the man further, Soren sprinted to his wardrobe where he had a small comb and brush set his mother had given him. It looked old, as though it had been passed down through several generations, and again, well-looked after but not very expensive. He handed them over reluctantly to Snape.

"Sit." Snape spat, irritation still in his voice as he pointed toward the bed with the comb in his hand.

Again, Soren complied quickly, not wanting to incur any further wrath from a man who clearly had very little patience. For anything.

Snape spoke brusquely as he ran the comb through the boy's silky black hair, wetting it with little splashes of water from his wand and putting in a perfect side part before smoothing it down with his hand until he was satisfied. "There's a woman arriving shortly whom I'm hoping will be your new governess. You will be on your absolute best behavior. If you embarrass me by misbehaving in front of her, I won't hesitate to return the favor. When I call for you, you will come downstairs, introduce yourself properly, and sit quietly until I dismiss you. Do you understand?"

Tears were sitting in Soren's eyes but he nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

"Do not dare disobey me again. You will sit here, on this bed, until Tinny comes to get you. If I see any more defiance from you today, you will be swiftly punished. Now fix your face, I don't expect you to feign happiness but I'm growing quite weary of your incessant pout."

And with that, Snape swept out of the room, breathing an exasperated sigh audibly into the hallway as he made his way down to the parlor. His mood was now spoiled, and there was an anxiety he hadn't felt in years crawling over his skin. He attempted to take a few deep breaths to calm himself, but he was out of practice. It had been a long time since he'd had to worry about anything or anyone else and it was draining him.

Once he was sure everything was in place, Snape sat silently in his armchair near the fireplace trying to mentally prepare for this meeting. He needed it to go well, he couldn't possibly go another day without help. How he had managed a house full of stubborn children, for years, was beyond him. It had been one day with this little cretin and it was enough to drive him to the madhouse.

At exactly 2pm, when the floo roared with the governess's arrival, it took Snape a minute to gather his senses. The woman who stepped out of the fireplace was absolutely stunning. It had been years since a woman had caught his eye, and while normally he wasn't so superficial as to fixate on anyone's looks, her beauty was hard to ignore. Something inside of him stirred for the first time in many, many years. He suppressed it, of course, but he couldn't stamp it out altogether.

"Lord Kent? I'm Marie Cloutier. It's a pleasure to meet you." She stuck out her hand confidently and he was surprised by her American accent. Based on her name, and her résumé, he had presumed her to be French or European of some sort.

"Ms. Cloutier, please, come in, make yourself comfortable." Snape gestured to his couch and waited for her to take a seat before he sat in his armchair. Tinny arrived soon after with the tea service and began to pour them each a cup of his best Darjeeling tea.

"Thank you for making time to meet with me on such short notice. I was very impressed by your credentials, and your references were impeccable." Snape said casually as he stirred his tea and sat back in his chair.

"Thank you, sir. I'm looking forward to learning more about what you expect from someone in this position. As you know, I take my job as an educator very seriously, so it's important that we're on the same page. I'm also quite looking forward to meeting your son." She smiled at Snape as she took a sip from her own cup.

"Yes, Soren. He's 7 years-old." Snape put down his own cup and paused for several seconds before he began again. "I will be honest with you, Ms. Cloutier, your job will be a challenging one. The boy has just lost his mother, and I'm afraid his education up to this point has been severely lacking. His mother attempted to homeschool him, but I'm afraid she had no credentials of her own so he is rather far behind."

The young woman's face fell. "Oh, the poor boy, he's just lost his mother. I'm so sorry for your loss, Lord Kent. What a tragedy for both of you."

Snape wrinkled his face briefly. "Yes, well, as it turns out I had no real relationship with his mother outside a few…encounters…many years ago. I know nothing of the boy and feel nothing for his deceased mother. I only found out that he even existed a few days ago, and unfortunately, I am the only family he has. While I have no interest in taking on an ill-mannered, sickly little brat, I'm afraid I have no other choice."

The look on Marie's face betrayed her, she was appalled. What kind of man feels nothing for his own son? Her heart went immediately to the poor boy who had not only lost a mother, but gained a heartless, uncaring man like this as a father.

She waited a moment to compose herself before she spoke again. "Where is Soren now, Lord Kent? I'd like to meet him, please."

"Yes, of course. Tinny!" Snape called. "Bring Soren."

The two adults sat for several minutes sipping their tea and chatting about some of the highlights on her resume, her education at Beauxbatons, and the previous family she worked for. The brief conversation ended with an awkward silence, which was punctuated by the popping and crackling of the logs in the fireplace. Finally, they heard the soft patter of two small feet, interrupted by a few quiet sniffs of a child's runny nose, plagued by recent tears and the damp frigid air of the manor house.

Finally, Soren appeared, head down, at the entrance to the parlor, holding his rabbit and chewing on the sleeve of his recently transfigured hand-me-down shirt. Snape had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the pathetic display.

"Hello! You must be Soren," Marie said gently. "It's very nice to meet you."

The seconds ticked by and Soren refused to look up or respond, only grasping his rabbit more tightly. Snape could feel his irritation growing as it became clear that the boy was not planning to comply with any of the expectations he'd set forth during their previous conversation.

When he couldn't stand it any longer, Snape lashed out. "Well, aren't you going to introduce yourself, you insolent little boy? I should have given you a good smack yesterday, then maybe you would know how to act properly today."

"Lord Kent, it's quite alright, he's just shy." Marie was shocked and got up from the sofa instantly and walked toward the boy, kneeling in front of him so she was at eye-level. "Soren, my name is Ms. Cloutier, I'm hopefully going to be your new governess. Who is your little friend?"

She reached out kindly to take his hand in hers, but he jerked it away without looking at her.

"Go away," he snapped, without looking up, burying his head in his rabbit so his words were muffled. "I don't want you here. I want my mummy."

Snape scoffed from his armchair, his tea in hand. "Just as I said, insolent. Impertinent. In dire need of discipline, not coddling," He sneered as he smoothed his robes down with his left hand.

"He's had seven years of being spoiled by an overindulgent mother. Don't waste your time trying to win him over with kindness, Ms. Cloutier. I'm looking for a governess who will be able to keep him in line, ensure that he meets my rigorous academic standards and makes sure he knows how to comport himself in front of others…which, as you can clearly see right now, he is very much wont to do."

Soren looked up briefly from his rabbit and narrowed his eyes at Snape in his most courageous display yet. "I hate you. I wish you were dead, not my mum. You're a bastard!"

Without a moment of hesitation, Snape rose immediately from his chair and took three long strides toward the boy before grabbing his arm, jerking him forward, and bending him awkwardly over his left thigh while he rained down a good half-dozen hard smacks on the boy's backside. "How DARE you speak to me that way." He paused for a moment before delivering two more extremely hard strikes in the same exact spot until the boy broke down crying, the unmistakable sounds of the smacks echoing loudly through the vast halls of the manor.

When he was sure the boy was crying real tears, he let go, stood up, and allowed him to crumple to the floor in a heap.

"Lord Kent, please!" Marie shouted, grabbing the sobbing little boy and lifting him off the ground, holding him tightly to her chest. "That was completely unnecessary! He's a little boy, there's no reason to ever raise your hand to him in that way!"

Snape allowed a small smirk to cross his lips as he returned to his chair, smoothing his robes before he sat, and casually taking a sip of tea. "A few smacks of my hand on his clothed backside. Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk Honestly, Ms. Cloutier. I've hardly beaten him. My father would have belted him raw for that kind of blatant disrespect. He was out of order and needed to be taught a lesson, and now, hopefully he has."

Snape looked at the pitiful little boy, sobbing into the governess, one hand on his bum, the other clenching his threadbare rabbit. He kept his voice even but stern. "That's quite enough Soren, you're dismissed. If you attempt any further disruption this afternoon, I will take you to my study and give you a proper hiding. I would suggest you use this as an opportunity to straighten yourself out."

Soren didn't need another moment, he bolted for the stairs without a second look back, waiting until he was in his room before he cried loudly into the bedsheets, his backside still throbbing, and no fight left in him.

"Now then, where were we?" Snape asked, calmly sipping his tea as if nothing had happened. "Have a seat Ms. Cloutier, I wish to move forward as soon as possible. Unless, of course, you've decided that Soren is beyond what you can manage, and truthfully I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Marie's face was burning with anger, her hands clenched down at her sides, she was still in shock from having seen the man smack that poor little boy over something quite trivial. She was torn. Part of her was utterly disgusted with the man in front of her, to the point where she wasn't sure if she could tolerate the sight of him for a minute longer, but the righteous part of her knew that this little boy desperately needed her. And she knew if she ever wanted to build her own school and follow her dreams, she would probably never get another chance at the kind of money he was offering her.

"Soren isn't the problem, sir," she said plainly, making it clear she disapproved of him.

"Oh?" Snape replied, with mock surprise in his voice and a carefully arched brow. "It is up to you. You may disapprove of my parenting style privately, but I will not have you interfering or questioning my methods openly, particularly not in front of Soren. I will not lower my standards when it comes to raising my son. I'm not sure what your background is, Ms. Cloutier, but in the wizarding community here in Britain, corporal punishment is still considered more than acceptable, both in the academic and domestic realms. I'm afraid you'll need to accept that, otherwise this might not be the position for you. "

"My mother is American and my father is Quebecois,," she answered, the scowl still on her face. "They managed to raise me quite effectively without resorting to hitting me."

"I see. Well you're quite welcome to your own beliefs, though, I would prefer you to use a firm hand with Soren. If, however, you choose not to, just know that if he fails to meet my expectations, whether in regard to his studies or his behavior, he will answer to me. And you've now seen precisely how I will handle things. So for his sake, I hope you succeed in your methods. Although in my experience, children require stern discipline to reach their greatest potential."

More determined than ever, Marie took this as a personal challenge. "I assure you Lord Kent, I will exceed your expectations when it comes to Soren and I will do so without having to resort to brutality."

"How charming." Snape smirked, enjoying that she had a bit of fight in her. "Does this mean you'll be accepting the position, then?"

Marie nodded. "Yes. As long as you accept all of the terms and conditions I laid out in my letter."

"Yes. Your rates are acceptable. I will also take care of any and all of your expenses whilst you live here. All of your meals, clothes, supplies, and anything else you need or want. Your salary will be deposited directly into your vault on the first of each month. Anything else you need, please submit it to me in writing and I will see that it is taken care of with the highest priority. You will be expected to take meals with us on working days, so if you have any dietary restrictions, you must let Tinny know. You will be responsible for Soren waking up, getting ready, and completing his school work and you will look after him until you put him to bed, at which point the rest of your evening is free. Sundays are your own, you may do what you please, although you are welcome to join us for meals if you wish. Are there any other questions?"

If she was honest, she was quite surprised he was agreeing to the outrageous salary she'd put forth in her letter, but I guess money was no object, and he seemed desperate for the help.

"And the bonus for starting immediately?"

"I'll have it transferred as soon as you sign the contract. Is there anything else you require before we get started? I've set up your room in the same wing as Soren. There is also a large room you may use for your instruction, it should be supplied with everything he needs to begin his studies. If you find anything lacking, let me know immediately. I don't want any further delay with regard to his education. And I apologize once again for his rude behavior today."

"He's been through a lot, it is understandable."

"It is completely unacceptable, do not excuse it."

Recognizing she would get nowhere by arguing with the man, Marie nodded. "Very well. Thank you, Lord Kent, I'm looking forward to getting to know Soren, he seems like a good boy who is just going through a hard time. And if I may suggest, sir, perhaps you should go and speak to him after I leave. I'm sure he's quite upset right now, he could probably use some kind words."

Snape detested anyone giving him unsolicited advice. Even if he had never been a parent, he'd spent decades of his life managing hundreds of children and he had no intention of changing his ways. But he chose his words carefully, not wanting Marie to change her mind before she even signed the contract.

"It is not the first time a boy has sulked after getting a smack, and it won't be the last. He'll hopefully think twice before speaking to anyone that way again. And if he wants kind words, Ms. Cloutier, he'll have to earn them. I don't give them away to naughty little boys who have the audacity to disrespect me in my own home. Now, then, if you've got no further suggestions for me"—he raised an eyebrow in clear disapproval—"perhaps you'd like to return home and gather your belongings. You can join us for dinner this evening at 6:30pm and begin with Soren in the morning."

Marie reached her hand out and held her head high, letting the snide remark and chastising look go without appearing bothered by it. "Thank you, Lord Kent. I will see you this evening. I appreciate the opportunity."

"You're quite welcome, Ms. Cloutier. This will hopefully be a fruitful situation for all of us."

With that, she reached into her bag, pulled out some floo powder, and made her exit.

Snape stood for a moment inhaling the air that lingered with her sweet, fresh perfume. He couldn't quite put his finger on what was so intoxicating about it, although he picked up notes of jasmine, magnolia, and something woody…sandalwood perhaps? Whatever it was, it suited her.

He smiled to himself, pleased with his choice. She was a bit feisty, and would probably cause him some trouble on occasion, but she was clearly an intelligent witch, and as long as she stayed in her lane, and did her job to his satisfaction, perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible having her around. He hadn't realized how starved he was for adult interaction and real conversation.

The sense of relief that filled him at finally having a governess quickly evaporated when he remembered that Soren was upstairs, likely still crying and sulking. He rolled his eyes and decided it was best to just leave him there for a while. Perhaps it would do the boy some good to think about his behavior for another few hours. Snape needed some time to himself to process it all.

Up in his room, Soren was distraught. The sting in his backside was fading quickly, but his face burned with humiliation every time he thought about it. He missed his mum more than ever; he didn't understand how she could ever be with a man who was so cruel and mean. Everytime he thought about it, he cried harder, until he'd sobbed himself into such a state of exhaustion that he fell into a deep sleep, his nose pressed into his bunny, desperate to catch the smallest hint of his mother's scent to transport him back to his old life.

When he woke up again, it was almost two hours later and he was surprised that he felt completely normal again, maybe even better? The sleep had somehow been restorative, and any lingering effects of his earlier smacking were now long gone, much to his disappointment. He could have justified carrying-on feeling sorry for himself if he'd still had something to show for it. Although he was still angry he'd been punished like that in front of that lady, he could no longer pretend it had been anything other than a short and rather childish spanking, not at all the brutal beating he had made it out to be in his mind.

Still, it was not something he wished to experience again, so he'd have to try harder to avoid it. Hopefully he wouldn't have to see his father much at all now that he was getting this, what was it, "governess" to take care of him? She seemed nice enough, anyone was better than his father. Based on how she reacted to the whole scenario, he didn't think she would ever punish him in that way, so as long as he didn't get on her bad side, he could hopefully avoid his father's ire in the future.

He laid on his bed, playing with his rabbit and allowing himself to fantasize about all kinds of horrible things happening to his father. He smiled to himself every time he imagined something especially painful, like a tiger ripping him apart by the limbs while he screamed for help and Soren just laughed.

He was enjoying a particularly gruesome thought when his daydream was interrupted by his father clearing his throat in the doorway. Sitting up immediately, he plastered on a sad and pitiful look, hoping the man couldn't read his thoughts.

"Well, now that you've had some time to think about your egregious behavior, what do you have to say for yourself?" Snape wasn't angry, but his goal was to ensure the lesson was learned, he despised having to repeat himself, and woe be upon anyone who needed to be punished again for the same offense.

"I'm sorry." Soren whispered, clutching his rabbit tightly.

"I'm sorry, sir." Snape repeated, "And look at me when you're speaking to me. Honestly, your manners are absolutely abysmal."

"I'm sorry, sir," Soren said, looking up at the intimidating face of his father from the top of his eyes. Although the man' face seemed a bit softer now, and definitely not as angry, he still managed to look stern and cold.

"For what, exactly? I don't want you to simply say the words, I want to know that you understand the nature of your transgressions and why you were punished."

A blush creeped across Soren's face and he ran his hands over his bunny's ears, fidgeting as he thought about what to say. "I'm sorry I said those things."

"And?"

Soren looked up now confused. "I don't know?"

"Perhaps you need more time to reflect on it, then. It's a good thing there are numerous corners in this manor where you can contemplate it further. It seems that despite your BAFTA-worthy performance downstairs, I didn't make a very strong impression."

"No, sir!" Soren panicked. "You did, please. I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to say those mean things. I don't know what else you want me to say!"

"Allow me to assist you, then." Snape leaned down so his face was menacingly close to Soren's. "Despite making it very clear how I expected you to behave in front of our guest, you refused to look at her, didn't respond to her when she spoke to you, and neglected to properly introduce yourself. Then you had the gall to be rude to her with no provocation whatsoever. The blatant disrespect you showed me after that was just the final straw. Not to mention your earlier disobedience which I can promise you, in future, will not go unpunished. Now that I think about it, I would say you got off extremely lightly. Do not expect me to be so lenient again,"

Snape did love a good lecture. Although there wasn't a single part of him that regretted spanking the boy— if one could even call it that—barely half a dozen smacks hardly qualified as a true punishment in his book, he believed the real lasting effect came from a good lecture to drive it all home.

Although Soren would disagree that he got off lightly, now that his misdeeds were being itemized, he did have to admit he had pushed the man a bit too far, despite multiple warnings.

"I hardly think your mother would have been impressed by your behavior today, do you? Even if you haven't been taught proper manners, I would like to think she raised you better than that, or was being rude to your elders acceptable in your previous home?"

Snape's expert-level chastising was not being lost on Soren, and his earlier anger was now being replaced by true remorse. His cheeks flushed again at the thought of his mother seeing him say such rude things to his father, and that poor lady, who hadn't done anything to deserve it. He shook his head and whispered. "No, sir. She wouldn't like it."

"I thought not. So I hope for your sake, and for the sake of your mother's memory, you will think carefully before acting so appallingly in future."

Tears were rolling down the boy's cheeks and he nodded his head. "I'm sorry."

Snape stood over him for a moment before replying. "Good. Then let that be the end of it. Clean yourself up and then you may come down for tea. But I meant what I said earlier- anymore disrespect or defiance from you today and it will earn you a trip to my study, where I assure you, I will be sure to leave a much more lasting impression." He raised his eyebrow and glared down at the boy, hoping that would be enough.

His little speech had the intended effect, Soren's eyes were wide with fear and he swallowed audibly, his heart racing at the thought of what horrors a trip to his study might entail. He shook his head vigorously. "I won't. I'll be good, I promise."

"That would be my recommendation. Oh, and Ms. Cloutier will be joining us starting tonight at supper. Despite your ghastly behavior earlier, she's somehow still interested in being your governess. I expect you to apologize—properly—when you see her later. Do not disappoint me further."

Snape took one last look at the boy before leaving to enjoy his tea. He felt better now knowing, despite Marie's protestations that he had traumatized the boy, Soren was perfectly alright. Although Snape had hidden it well, he couldn't help but be amused when he first walked in the room and saw the boy smiling while he imagined Snape's eyes being pecked out and eaten by an angry crow while his body was impaled on the Tower of London. It was darkly creative…perhaps the boy was his son after all.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

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