Golden watch
Sunday, July 20th, 1975
Severus wasn't much of a muggle-books reader but his current situation could probably fit picturesquely into one of their many sayings or poems. His mother barely passed away a week ago and her body was taken on that same day, without a care whatsoever to their grandchild. She returned to her rightful place. All he could hope for is that he'll be invited over for his mother-dearest's funeral.
To turn that bitter taste in his mouth into sour foam, his dad decided to move in with a lass he had been talking with for a time now. Snape tried to help his mother away, only gave him more bruises to cover with oversized clothing. It wasn't just any woman, but Pettigrew's mother. Thinking merely of that surname gave him pain that of an ulcer. His dad grips his thigh roughly 'You better not screw this up, you hear me? '
'I won't.' he scoffs softly. Afraid he might be slapped right then and there in the car like his dad so often portrayed with his mom. Then she'd shrunk upstairs in the bathroom to cry silently. He's even surprised the asshole managed to find a new victim to suck the life out of. Severus shifts in the cigarette stained squeaky chair of his dad's car. At least that once belonged solely to his mom. Pressing pointedly to wait in the car as he goes to greet his woman.
She's every bit of fat her son has. Snape sneers as he leans back in the chair. They hug and she's also a bit of the giggly type. Old rags draped over her body. Unlike her, his mother swam in such clothing, poverty wise as well as body wise but they seemed to hug her curves in a way that his father clearly drunk with his eyes.
Now his father's watch reflected dangerously in the sun as he beckoned him over to them. Severus took a final deep breath before he exits the car. Shutting it quietly, taking heavy weighing steps in their direction. Tobias puts an arm around his shoulder. Squeezing him tightly 'This is my son. Very gentle-natured boy. Introduce yourself.' he demands. Others on the outside wouldn't probably catch up on that if they were stranger or just met.
Snape smiles and extends his hand 'My name is Severus. Nice to meet you, miss? '
'Delilah' Of course her name sounded beautiful. The boy still couldn't shake off that sad feeling he saw in her eyes. A certain longing his mother carried. Assuring himself it's only a matter of time before his dad ruins it. Yesterday, this wasn't going any better either.
Saturday July 19th, 1975
Summer of Severus his fith year. After this measly summer vacation he'd be in his 6th year and also 6 months in with the ending of Lily's friendship. As someone of his age, he couldn't loiter around in the same park he met Lily now that other little children are running around. Settling in the much less nicer side of Spinner's End. As Petunia put it, the boy from the wrong side of town. And that wench wonders why Lily was favored by their parents, with their eldest her own prejudice against the poorer commonfolk.
His aching body is leaning against the filthy but cool wall as a game of flicking stones in beakers took place amongst the neighbour kids. Many that knew him were happy to hear how the town's little perfect miss ditched him. It was what his town represented. Eyeing each other's their downfall and the much wealthier folk, blaming poverty on the poor people. Thinking of getting up and look past the poverty front was asking too much of the richer people.
Someone's warm hand touched his. Slapping it away and the yelp of a girl made faces turn. Guys that were macho gusto, guys that were their followers, guys that didn't want to be like their misogynistic abusive dads and the women lovers. Those kind of guys all zeroed in on him. The girl that approached him smiled somewhat nervousely 'It's alright. I scared him.' She looks over at her brother and he grabs her by the hand to drag her on the other side of this round alleyway.
Now with his safety jeopardised, he turned and left. Lastly, hearing the jovial yet extremely mocking laughter of him being a bitch and running away. As insulting as that felt, he felt better being out of it. He passed the local church on his way to the library. Could it become more ironic how the middle-class families grouped there and looked him up and down before turning sour and hurrying out of his view.
The library is his haven. A slight upcharge in his pace brought him quicker to the library. Slapped in the face with big angry red letters sprayed on a white banner, tied over the entrance that it was closed. Not just closed either. It would be demolished to make the library better. Hogwarts never had that! He wandered around until nightfall, returned home then packed his suitcase.
He listens to the woman's chatter while he scans the room. He has his own room at least. Severus cannot imagine sharing his room with that rat-faced prick. What would his school life even look like? Surely they could come to an agreement to ignore each other's existence. There are only two years left and his dad wouldn't marry her so quickly, right?
If they go by his dad's mind, he could expect murder the next month. Tobias is unpredictable that even Severus felt safer in Hogwarts despite the Gryffindors. A loud crack snatches the boy's attention to look up. Rush out of the room before the ceiling caves in. His dad tightened his grip on Delilah accidentally, looking up the staircase.
That brat better not be ruining his life to normalcy. Delilah says she needs to go upstairs, and he follows her. Blood boiling the moment his eyes lands on the mess that ungrateful twig created! Snape tries to hide from his father's heated gaze. She pats his back 'Goodness, are you alright? I'm sorry, I thought my landlord sent a good man to fix that ceiling. You can sleep in my son's room for a while. I'll call Jackson right now.' He assumes the landlord of hers is Jackson.
She brings him downstairs and makes a cup of tea. Tobias sits across from him Peter stumbles in the house, clothing as dishevelled as can be. Man's eyes snap up at the child. He had heard about Peter. Kind, smart, great, amazing, tall and whatnot, but what he saw in front of him was nothing but trash. Fat, short, hands a bit rough but compared to his? It was like sand against his sandpaper-like hands. The boy's eyes widen when that firm handshake became a bit too firm.
Peter's eyes dart back and forth between Severus and the man. 'Mom? '
'Yes love? '
'Who are these people? '
She walks out while drying a plate. 'This is my boyfriend. I told you about him and that we'd meet today. You just arrived late. Did you get the butter stick? ' Peter slowly moves to his mother, eyes glued on the man.
'Tobias, this is my son. Peter. Peter, this is Severus; he also goes to Hogwarts. You can now have a brother and a friend in school!' she squeals. The boy's mind is unable to comprehend his current situation. Tobias looks at the child full of disgust and vanishes into the kitchen with Delilah. Insisting on helping her cook. Leaving his son and stepson there.
Peter felt like leaving and he goes straight to the door but Severus holds him back 'Does your mom choose a man over you, rat? '
He stops and bites his bottom lip. Glancing at that certain chair in the dining room. A stool that had remained empty ever since he got his memories but she kept it there in case their father would return. Does that count as what Snape claimed-it-to-be? He sinks into a chair across Severus. Rubbing his hand. 'So' he whisper. 'That's your dad, huh? '
'Yes' Severus eyes the bruised hand and smiles. Finally, one of them will suffer under his dad's tyranny like he did. None other than a pathetic Gryffindor. During dinner preparation, Tobias was in the kitchen with Peter's mom, Delilah screams playfully in the kitchen it made Severus roll his eyes.
'A romantic, your father, isn't he? ' Snape blinks in surprise. Being on the receving end of that hateful gaze he never expected from THE fanboy of Potter and Black.
Snape snorts incredulously. 'Such a mama's boy.'
Peter gruffly grunts his annoyance 'So what? ' Their conversation is cut short by his mother's giggles. Scolding Tobias and returning to the diningroom with her milky skin powdered by a blush of a not-so-recent exhilarating act.
She smiles warmly at Severus. 'Go wash up, I'll help you washing your hair.' the raven haired kid was to mouth his objection if it weren't for his father's incinerating stare. Peter goes up to show their bathroom.
Becoming the meek him and Delilah enters the bathroom not long after to wash Severus his hair. Severus never thought he'd prefer his mother's silence compared to this woman her bragging about that low-life.
Bedroom of Peter is shared with Severus, who turned his back towards the kid. Called it a night.